Birthday Surprises

I have submitted two different versions of this story. The beginning of each story is exactly the same, not diverging until you get to either the Epilogue or Chapter Two. If you've read one, you can skip ahead in the other without missing anything.

* * * * * | * * * * * | * * * * *

I met a girl at a party during my freshman year in college. Well, I met a lot of girls at a lot of parties, but this story is about one particular girl at one particular party.

Like most of the guys there, I was just looking for Miss Right-Now. I had managed to dance with several girls, but there was one I kept finding myself watching. She was on the floor almost every dance, but never with the same guy twice. The timing finally worked out, and I managed to catch her between partners. She smiled and slid into my arms as the band started playing a love ballad. I had been envious of the way she shook her body against her partners during the fast songs, but that was nothing compared to the feeling of her sensuously rubbing herself against me through a slow number.

When the dance finished, she started to walk away, only to turn back and grab my hand. It was probably just lucky timing, being the one there when her horny meter red-lined, but I didn't care. She led me to the nearest restroom, which happened to be the women's. I was a little nervous about entering, much less having sex in such a public place, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. The nervousness passed quickly as I realized there were two sets of feet in every stall.

I had good timing once again, as the door to the handicap stall opened almost immediately. A guy staggered past us, leaving his latest conquest exposed, as she was cleaning herself up. Rather than being embarrassed, she turned, giving us a better view. I had a feeling the guy had gotten his, without giving her one, as it sure looked like she was desperately trying to rub one out. She let out a frustrated sigh and smoothed down her skirt. As she left the stall, she looked at the girl holding my hand and muttered a wistful, "I hope you picked better than I did."

By the time I got the stall door closed, my dance partner had flipped her skirt up over her back, revealing a lack of panties, and she was braced against the sink waiting for me. As much as I wanted to just whip it out and fuck her, I didn't want to leave her disappointed like the other girl had been. Still, I started cautiously, with just my fingers. She was very wet, but it was all clear liquid. Even when I inserted a couple of fingers and stroked deep, they came out without any traces of white. Feeling braver, I moved my face close enough to inhale her scent, which was slightly sweaty, but delightfully feminine. Satisfied that I was her first of the evening, I bit the bullet. Then I sucked on her bullet, before batting it around with my tongue. I varied my approach, using fingers, tongue, and suction on various parts of her lovely anatomy, until she screamed and flooded my face with more of her juices.

I laughed when I heard a girl in one of the other stalls berate her guy for not making her scream like that. The movement as I laughed must have translated well, as my girl cried out with a second orgasm. I laughed even harder when I heard somebody else mutter, "Damn overachiever."

She was starting to sag a bit, so I quickly stood up, dropped my pants, and impaled her. Her copious fluids splattered everywhere as our bodies collided. I kicked it into high gear, repeatedly pounding her flooded gash and splashing us even more. I kept shifting slightly, varying what part of her velvet tunnel I was rubbing against. She seemed to enjoy it, and she was soon crying out with her third orgasm. The rippling of her inner muscles was more than I could take, and I unloaded deep inside her.

Neither one of us was really presentable enough to return to the party, so we snuck out the back door and I walked her back to her dorm.

* * * * *

I figured the front of her dorm was as far as I would get, but she pulled me in behind her. It was a coed dorm, so my presence didn't attract any attention from the bored staff at the desk.

As we entered her room, I was greeted with the sight of another college cutie, this one wearing a rather revealing bit of lingerie. I have to admit that I immediately had visions of a threesome start playing in my head. However, when I finally managed to raise my eyes to look at her face, the scowl I saw quickly killed those daydreams.

"Oh, Carol. I didn't expect you to still be up." I bumped into my girl as she stopped, apparently realizing what her roommate was wearing. "I'm sorry. I should have made him wait in the hall until I was sure you were dressed. Do you have somebody coming over too?"

"No. I was just waiting up for you."

"Thanks, but..." She looked at me with a flustered look on her face.

"Erick."

She smiled and blushed at not knowing the name of the guy she had just fucked and then brought back to her room.

"Yeah, Erick escorted me home safely." Carol's scowl deepened as she continued. "We'll try to keep it down, but he's got skills."

Carol put her hands on her hips, presumably intending to display her disdain. However, as her hands inadvertently raised the hem of her babydoll, it was her bare pussy that was displayed instead.

I felt the hand holding mine tense up at the sight, and she quickly pulled me into her bedroom. Being a horny college guy, I couldn't help but admire Carol's mostly exposed body as I stumbled along.

* * * * *

"I'm Jenny, by the way."

With introductions finally out of the way, she started removing what little clothes she had been wearing. I wasted no time in following her lead.

I had learned two important things about oral sex. First, if you want a second blowjob, don't hesitate to kiss her after she gives you the first one. Second, if you want that first blowjob, don't be afraid to go down on her first and earn it. Still, as I saw how much of my spunk was continuing to drip out of her, I wasn't sure I could bring myself to do that again. Apparently, Jenny was also uncomfortable with the way she was leaking, as she suddenly grabbed my hand and dragged me out of her bedroom. Luckily, Carol was nowhere to be seen as we streaked across their living room and into the bathroom.

It was the first time having shower sex for both of us, but we were both a bit drunk, so we didn't try anything too adventurous. After a rather frisky washing of each other, we each did a bit of oral and then she braced herself against the wall while I took her from behind again. We cleaned up a second time, happy that the dorms had industrial water heaters, before heading back to her bedroom.

I was glad I had a towel on, as Carol was sitting in the living room. She looked happy when Jenny stepped out of the bathroom, but she huffed and glared when she saw me following behind. As she stood and whirled to head for her bedroom, her babydoll lifted up again, giving me an unobstructed view of her succulent ass. I enjoyed the view, but I didn't hesitate to follow Jenny back into her bedroom.

I started to detect a theme, as she assumed the doggy position on her bed. I wasn't looking for a relationship either, so I didn't mind sticking with these more impersonal positions. However, I was starting to run low on stamina, so I slipped in under her and pulled her down onto my face. She screeched in surprise, followed by a moan, as I attacked her clit once again. She got a bit loud as my fingers joined my tongue in assaulting her, and she had to bite a pillow after Carol started banging on the wall between their rooms.

About the time I was sure I had recovered enough for another round, she collapsed on the bed, then rolled over and spread her legs for me to take her missionary. I kind of expected a dead fish fuck, but she wrapped her arms and legs around me, pulling me deeper inside her, and encouraged me to take her. Then, as she started moaning from another orgasm, she did the one thing we had been avoiding all night.

She kissed me.

It started out simple, but soon the fucking took a back seat to our trying to suck each other's face off. I vaguely remember my orgasm sneaking up on me, and then nothing, until I woke up with the sun shining in the window and a naked woman snuggled against my chest.

* * * * *

Carol was more appropriately dressed when we staggered out of Jenny's room, but clearly unhappy to find I'd stayed the night. Jenny ignored her, as she walked me to the door. I was several steps down the hall when she called me back so we could exchange phone numbers. I waited until I was outside the building before calling and asking if she was free to grab breakfast in an hour.

She must have opened her window to air out the sex smell, as I heard her squeal of, "Yes!" from two directions.

Breakfast turned into a lazy day at the mall, followed by dinner and a movie. The frantic fucking of the previous night was replaced by an evening of gentle lovemaking in my dorm room. Waking up two mornings in a row with her comfortable in my arms was so much better than the usual awkwardness following my one-night stands. We spent a lazy day on my couch, watching movies and getting to know each other better.

Unfortunately, the next day was Monday, which meant a return to classes and the end of spending all day together. My roommate was due back that evening and we knew Carol wouldn't be keen on me sleeping there again, so I walked her to her dorm, then made the lonely walk back to mine.

* * * * *

It had been late spring when Jenny and I first hooked up, so we decided to stick with the same living arrangements for our sophomore year. Carol still didn't like me, but she mellowed a bit as we spent more time in my dorm room than theirs. She continued to be a member of Jenny's friend group, tolerating my presence on the occasions where boyfriends were invited. She never brought anybody with her, but I just wrote that off to her personality, making it hard for her to find a boyfriend. Having seen most of her body, I had no doubt that she could attract plenty of one-night stands.

I tried to stay as far away from Carol as possible, but somehow, she always seemed to end up one seat away, just on the other side of Jenny. Luckily, the rest of the friend group was at least neutral towards me. None of the others seemed to keep the same boyfriend for long, so I didn't really get to know any of the guys, but I did get to know all of the girls, as we got together frequently throughout the year. There were times that were strictly girls-only, but the longer we were together, the more often I was included, even if the short-term boyfriends weren't.

Vi was the strange duck of the group. She was always pleasant, but she was also the most reserved. She would join in with general chatter, but she would never share anything personal. Lori and Gina were the opposite, happy to talk about anything and everything, including their sex lives, even with their current boyfriends right beside them.

Then there was Terri. She was more open than Vi, but more reserved than the rest. Of the five, she was the only one I'd call my friend, rather than just one of Jenny's friends. She was the kind of girl I had always envisioned finding and settling down with after college, but Jenny and I were happy together, so I never really looked at her that way. She normally sat on the other side of me from Jenny, even on the rare occasions when she brought a guy with her. I appreciated that, as she was the only one, other than Jenny, that would engage with me in a one-on-one conversation. In fact, after Jenny, she was my closest friend at college, and we got to know each other pretty well with how often we spoke.

* * * * *

Jenny and I were still a couple at the end of the year, so we decided to move out of the dorms and rent a place together. Terri also left the dorms for her own apartment. This left Carol and Vi without roommates, so Vi moved into Jenny's old bedroom. Gina and Lori opted to remain together in the dorm, wanting to stay close to the fresh meat class, as they liked to call the incoming freshmen.

As one would expect with our Junior and Senior years, classes got tougher, individual lives took priority, and, with them not living down the hall from each other, the girls hung out as a group a lot less. I was understanding, but still disappointed that when they did, they were usually girls-only nights. It was kind of silly, as the decreased number of outings meant I had more time alone with Jenny, but I missed hanging out with them, even Carol, but especially Terri.

As graduation approached, I was forced to start thinking long term. I had stopped looking at Jenny as a college fling, back when we were still sophomores, and I didn't feel any less committed to her as a senior. Her birthday fell during finals, so I knew we wouldn't be able to celebrate much on the actual day, and if we waited, it would get lost in the other celebrations. I figured that a stressful weekend of cramming wouldn't help us with finals, and stop day would give us a three-day weekend, so I started planning out her birthday surprise.

I told her well in advance that I was planning something for that weekend, and to keep it open. I just refused to tell her what I was planning.

* * * * *

"Carol invited the group to fly out and hit the beach this weekend, so we can relax before finals."

"That would have been fun. Too bad you had to decline."

Jenny looked at me like I'd grown a third head. "Why would I decline? I could use the break, and she's even paying for everything."

"But we already have plans for the weekend. Remember, we're celebrating your birthday."

"Oh, we can celebrate my birthday after finals."

"I can't reschedule with that short of notice."

"It's fine. We'll just do something else then."

"I can't even get my deposits back at this point," I said, frustrated with her attitude. "Why would you say we would go when you knew we already had something planned, especially without even asking me?"

"Oh, this is a girls-only trip. I didn't ask you because you weren't invited."

I just stood there in shock as she wandered off, oblivious to my dismay.

* * * * *

I tried talking to Jenny several times, but early Friday morning she walked out the door with her suitcase.

"Don't worry, honey. I promise I won't let any boys touch me, and I'll be back on Sunday with a nice tan."

"It's not too late. You can still beg off and go away with me this weekend, like we had planned."

"Don't be silly," she laughed. "I can't cancel on Carol with no notice."

Once again, I was left staring at the woman I thought I knew, as she walked away, oblivious to my feelings. I watched as she loaded her suitcase into Carol's trunk before getting in the front seat. She waved, but I was too numb to do more than just stand there.

After they were well out of sight, I finally stepped back inside and closed the door. I leaned back against it, feeling a tear run down my cheek, only to jump when the doorbell rang. My heart soared, thinking Jenny had come to her senses. Then I realized she wouldn't ring the doorbell.

I was surprised to find Terri standing there, until I saw the suitcase sitting beside her.

"Sorry, Terri, but you just missed them. They pulled out about five minutes ago."

"I know. I was waiting for them to leave." She giggled at the confused look on my face. "I'm not going with them."

"Then why are you here, and why did you bring your suitcase?"

"Well, a little bird told me that you paid a lot of money for a special weekend for two, only to find yourself short a person. I'm here to volunteer to be your plus one, as you probably shouldn't be alone right now.

"Now, how long do you need to pack?"

* * * * *

"Actually, I'm already packed. I was hoping that Jenny would wake up and change her mind. I've never understood why Carol hates me, but what really baffles me is why Jenny went along with it."

"She never told you, did she?"

"Told me what?"

She sighed, then squared her shoulders. "When people go off to college and get out from under their parents' thumb, they tend to go a little wild. I know you sowed your own wild oats when you got here, just like I got sown on multiple occasions." I was a little startled when she winked at me as she said that.

"Sometimes, girls even experiment with other girls, often with a convenient roommate. That's how it was with Carol and Jenny."

She giggled again at my inability to speak.

"Well, Jenny was experimenting. Carol was putting the moves on a potential girlfriend. She hates you because you suddenly appeared and stole her girl."

"Damn! I guess that explains Carol, but it still doesn't explain Jenny's behavior."

"I don't think she ever realized that Carol was in love with her. We thought some things were a bit strange, but it wasn't until Vi moved in with her that we learned that Carol's body is strictly a no-man's-land."

"Why didn't anybody tell me?"

"By then, Jenny had moved in with you, and Carol seemed to have moved on. Oh, she still hated you, but she stopped actively trying to get rid of you. We didn't see any reason to cause waves between you and Jenny about something that was already over. Besides, sexual history is generally not something others should be telling you. If you want to know a girl's past, ask the girl herself."

"Okay, but what does that have to do with now?"

The smile fled from Terri's face, and I knew it was going to be bad.

"From what Vi overheard, Jenny kept experimenting with Carol until she moved in with you. Apparently, she thought being with Carol wasn't cheating on you."

Seeing the anger and shock warring on my face, she quickly continued. "Once again, we didn't learn about it until much later, after it had stopped. To the best of our knowledge, she never went back to Carol after she moved in with you. We also didn't know if you knew and were okay with it, so we stayed out of it."

"Okay, but once again, what does that have to do with her leaving me this weekend?"

"Gina and Lori are sharing a room, just like they do here, but Carol and Vi have separate rooms. I was supposed to be bunking with Vi again, while Jenny would room with Carol. It was going to be just like old times, in more ways than one.

"Carol is planning a full court press to turn her and replace you. They're both over 21 now, so she'll have another weapon in her arsenal, while you're not there to fight for her."

"Well, shit," was all I managed to say.

"It gets worse. Jenny is aware, except she thinks it's just one last experience before they graduate and move away from each other. In fact, she's really looking forward to it, which is why you couldn't talk her out of it."

I just looked at Terri in shock, and she gave me a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"For the record, I don't think Carol will turn her. I believe she loves you and will come back to you."

I just stared at Terri as my heart dropped. I couldn't help but sigh as my world tilted.

"Probably, but it will be too late. She was already on thin ice from blowing off this weekend and walking out on me."

* * * * *

I was in no shape to drive, so Terri took the wheel as we headed into the city. When we got to the hotel, I was still mostly just stumbling along, so she had to get us checked in and guide me up to the room. When I saw the bed, I snapped back to reality.

"I'm so sorry, Terri. I didn't think about there being only one bed. We can go back down and ask to switch rooms.

She giggled as she assured me it would be fine. She put her suitcase on the luggage rack and started digging through her clothes, only to stop and look at me expectantly. I just stared back in confusion.

"So, where are we going for supper tonight? I need to know what to wear."

I told her about the nearby steakhouse where I had a reservation. Armed with that information, she grabbed a variety of things and disappeared into the bathroom. Knowing how long Jenny always took to get ready, I stretched out on the bed and drifted off to sleep.

* * * * *

I awoke to find an angel hovering over me, complete with a glowing halo. As she giggled and moved back, I was momentarily blinded by the light she had been mostly blocking.

When my vision recovered, I realized that I had never seen her dressed up that nicely. I also realized that it was a crying shame, as she looked amazing. The next thing I knew, I was hit with a bundle of clothing.

"Stop staring and get dressed. I'm hungry."

I noticed that my suitcase was open, and she was holding up two pairs of my boxers. As I walked by, she handed me the silk pair with a wink.

I was tempted to fire off a round, but she stood right outside the bathroom door, talking to me the whole time I was getting dressed. Somehow, I managed to calm myself enough to wrangle it into confinement. I wanted to look my best with a beauty like her on my arm, so I took my time, despite her constant protests that I was going to starve her to death.

* * * * *

Dinner was every bit as good as the reviews had suggested it would be, including the dessert we shared.

It was a lovely evening as we left the restaurant, so we opted to take the long way back to the hotel. We ended up wandering around this little park we found, and she had me push her on the swings like she was a little girl again. Between supper and our stroll, we were both ready to call it a night by the time we made it back to the room.

Once again, Terri dashed into the bathroom first. I was a bit distracted and forgot to watch what she grabbed for sleepwear. I hadn't packed any for myself, not wanting anything to come between Jenny and me. I was wondering if my boxers would be good enough, when I heard the bathroom door open. Looking up, I watched in shock as Terri stepped out, stark naked.

"I hope you don't mind, but I always sleep in the nude."

I managed to stutter out, "No problem," but I couldn't stop staring at the vision of beauty before me. She giggled again and sauntered across the room to the bed. It wasn't until she was under the covers that her spell wore off, and I managed to scurry for the bathroom, planning to quickly rub one out.

Before I reached that sanctuary, she called out, "Don't do anything that I can do for you!"

I stumbled, but managed to stay upright and reach the bathroom. As I shut the door, she added, "And you better be naked when you come back out."

* * * * *

I was a little nervous as I crawled into bed with Terri. I hadn't been intimate with anybody other than Jenny since she pulled me into that bathroom three years prior. It didn't help that I hadn't really had a chance to get over Jenny, and I had never looked at Terri as more than a friend before this trip.

Terri must have sensed my hesitation, or perhaps she was just impatient, as she quickly became the aggressor. She flung the blanket off the bed, revealing both of our naked bodies. She gave me a wolf whistle, then smashed our lips together, her tongue battling mine for supremacy. When we came up for air, she had a hungry look in her eyes. Before I knew what was happening, she had spun around and planted her bare pussy on my face.

I immediately set to exploring this new land and memorizing every contour. Then, I felt something warm and wet envelope my rigid manhood, and I redoubled my efforts. While my tongue was busy spelunking her cave, my hands roamed her body, stopping frequently to play with her nipples. My face was soon drenched, as Terri's plumbing appeared to leak as much as Jenny's. I mentally slapped myself for thinking about Jenny while my face was buried in Terri's crotch, then refocused on the treat before me.

Soon, I couldn't hold back and exploded in Terri's mouth. I had slapped her on the butt before it happened, as I was unable to speak with my mouth occupied. She had just moaned and wiggled her ass, clearly wanting me to spank her again. I figured I would be in trouble in about 10 seconds, but I was never one to refuse a lady's request, and I proceeded to playfully spank her butt.

When the inevitable eruption did happen, rather than pulling off and spitting in anger, she moaned and creamed my face again. I have no doubt that not a single drop escaped her lips, as she maintained full suction as she swallowed, and didn't let up even when the well ran dry. The sensation from the overstimulation was intense, and I thought I was going to go crazy. Not only did I not go crazy, but I didn't go limp either. Once she was sure that I was going to remain hard, she lifted off of me, only to spin around and slam herself back down, this time impaling my sword into her velvet sheath.

She froze for a moment, before starting a slow and steady motion. That didn't last long, as she picked up the pace and started really slamming herself down onto me. I suddenly reached up and grabbed her nipples again, holding tight as she hit her upstroke. She screamed, and the blast of her cum splattered all the way up to my face. She dropped down and kissed me, tasting herself on my lips.

She had a look of determination on her face as she rose back up and resumed her ride. "I'm not stopping until you cum or I pass out." With that, she switched from a straight piledriver to what I could only describe as a drunken gallop, constantly changing the angle at which my dick was plumbing her depths. I think it may have had more impact on her than on me, as her mouth formed an O, and she splattered my chest again. In desperation, she reached down and grabbed both of my nipples, twisting them as she slammed herself down on my shaft. That did the trick, and I fired my load deep inside her, moments before she collapsed on my chest.

I wrapped her in my arms and carefully rolled us onto our sides, then drifted off to sleep with her held securely in my arms.

* * * * *

We had breakfast at the hotel, enjoying the full menu they offered. We didn't have a lot of time to eat though, as we had overslept a bit, and I had mid-morning reservations for us at a local spa. I declined the polish, but I sat next to Terri as we both got mani-pedis. I had actually scheduled us to do everything together, except for the bikini wax that I also declined. Still, she insisted that I stay and hold her hand through it, so we were never separated.

When it was time to finish our visit with the couple's massage, she didn't even hesitate before removing her robe. I hesitated just long enough to enjoy the reveal. Since I had skipped the bikini wax, I still had my boxers on, which caught on a certain part of my anatomy that had stood up and was saluting the naked beauty before me. She watched me struggle for a moment before giggling and saying, "You better not be thinking about a happy ending with your masseuse." She paused with an evil grin on her face. "Or are you wanting to experiment with a little bi action of your own."

I froze, realizing I had requested two females without even thinking about how that might look. Terri just laughed at my reaction. "Don't tell me you weren't comfortable with a man touching either of you, so you booked two women, for you and your bi-curious girlfriend."

We were still standing there, with me stunned and her laughing, when the door opened, and the two young women I had requested walked in.

"Oh, sorry. You were supposed to get on the table and cover yourselves. We'll come back in a few minutes."

I was too shocked to even cover myself, so I was happy that they were going to leave. However, Terri had other ideas.

"It's okay. He needs to not be so shy.

"I'd say you can look but not touch, but that would defeat our purpose here, so feel free to touch all you want."

My face turned bright red as the three women had a good laugh at my expense. Only one of them was naked, but I'm pretty sure none of them were wearing bras, based on the way their breasts bounced as they laughed. That sight had the unfortunate effect of returning my slowly deflating cock back to full mast.

Luckily, this was not a cheap massage parlor, and the tables were high end products. Besides the standard face cradles, they also had various other removable plugs. Terri's table had two removed, to accommodate her breasts, while mine had one removed a bit lower, which allowed me to lay face down without damaging my equipment. As I positioned my head, I noticed there was a screen below me. I wondered what that was for, as it was mostly just glowing brightly. Then, as Terri's head blocked out the light, I realized it was a video link between the two tables, so we could see each other without moving our heads.

It was fun to watch the expressions on her face during the massage, but I was glad that I had not opted for a male masseuse for her. I wondered if it bothered her that I had a female massaging me, but she never gave me any indication if it did.

When they finished, they draped towels over us. One of them retrieved the lockbox with our clothes and personal items, while the other opened a sliding door to reveal a shower cubicle we could use to wash off the massage oils. Before they left, they told us that we had 45 minutes before they needed the room again. With a giggle, my masseuse added, "Happy endings are your own responsibility." I think that was the first time I ever saw Terri blush.

For the record, we were very responsible, so we had barely finished getting dressed when they came back to show us out.

* * * * *

I didn't have anything planned for the afternoon, so we just played tourist and took in the sights. We found a little hole-in-the-wall pizzeria and enjoyed a couple of slices as we walked. By mid-afternoon, we were exhausted and headed back to the hotel. We enjoyed watching each other as we stripped down, but then we just snuggled together and took a nap before we had to get ready for supper.

This time, Terri left the bathroom door open and was constantly running between it and her suitcase. The place I had picked was a high-end restaurant, and I had only managed a reservation because I got lucky and snagged a cancellation. We may have just been college students, but she looked like she belonged in such company, and nobody was going to notice me with her there.

The restaurant was great, and the food was delicious. We were treated the same as the folks who could afford to eat there regularly. It was a perfect end to the day, and I was ready to ask for the check when our waiter appeared and set a cake on our table.

I opened my mouth to say, "We didn't order that," when I realized that I had, in fact, ordered that. I froze, staring at what looked like the top of a wedding cake, except the groom figure was on one knee and had an engagement ring hanging from his hand.

Terri's eyes got wide, as she realized what I had intended this weekend to be. She looked around, noticing that everybody was watching us in anticipation. She squeezed my knee under the table to get my attention, then mouthed, "Do it. Everybody is watching." Snapping out of my stupor, I looked around to see that everybody was smiling as they waited. Not wanting to embarrass myself or Terri, I took to a knee and ran with it.

"I've known you since our freshman year, and I've been proud to call you my friend the entire time. As we approach graduation, and prepare to head out into the world, I realized that I don't want to go there without you. Will you join me on this grand adventure? Will you be my wife?"

Terri took the ring from the figure on the cake and held it up to the light. I was puzzled, as she moved it around, looking at it from various angles. As I heard the occasional "Ooh" or "Aah" around us, I realized that she was showing it off to the crowd. I was confused when she quietly handed the ring to me, but as soon as I took it, she held out her left hand, presenting her ring finger while loudly proclaiming, "Yes, I'll marry you." I slid the ring on her finger, only to have her drop to her knees and pull me in for a smoldering kiss. I saw fireworks with my eyes closed, but eventually we both came up for air, reminded where we were by the clapping and cheering all around us.

* * * * *

As I drove us back to our hotel, Terri kept staring at the ring on her finger, her other hand clutching the box with the cake toppers in it. I expected her to return the ring once we got back to the room, but she didn't seem to be in any hurry to remove it. I didn't mind her wearing it, so I said nothing. She was distracted as she looked at it, so I took my turn in the bathroom first.

She didn't even seem to notice that I was naked, as she was still turning her hand this way and that, watching it sparkle. As she finally headed to the bathroom to get ready for bed, she was almost floating. However, what came back out of the bathroom was a lioness on the prowl, and she had her prey in sight.

I was sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for her to return. However, I was not ready for her to pounce, and I quickly found myself flat on my back, with my legs still hanging off the side of the bed. I would swear that she growled as she attacked my lips with hers. After a fierce duel, she retreated, kissing her way down my body until she reached her destination and inhaled my turgid staff.

I almost hated to admit it, but I was disappointed to notice that the ring no longer adorned her finger as she stroked me. It was just a passing thought and, as her tongue worshipped the head of my dick, it was the last coherent thought I had for a while.

She whined and pouted when I pushed her off of my cock, but she allowed me to get more comfortable on the bed. As she moved to rejoin me, I grabbed her and pulled her around into a 69 so I could enjoy a second dessert. Somehow it turned into a competition, and neither one of us stopped until we both passed out.

I woke up hours later to the weird sensation of Terri gently sucking on my dick like it was a pacifier. As pleasant as it was, I didn't want her to drown in her sleep from giving me a wet dream, so I carefully extracted myself from her mouth. Luckily, she was light enough that I was able to turn her around and place her head on my chest before covering us up and going back to sleep.

* * * * *

I woke up the next morning, alone in the bed. Terri was bouncing around the room, repacking our suitcases, still completely naked. I laid there, enjoying the view, until she noticed I was awake.

"Get up, sleepyhead, or we're going to miss breakfast."

"Or, you can rejoin me, and we'll just skip breakfast."

She considered it for a moment, but then she went back to packing. "No, today's a big day, and we need to get going."

"What's the rush? I don't have anything planned for the rest of the day."

"Well, I figured it would be easier if you were moved out before Jenny gets back." She paused and looked at me. "You are moving out, aren't you?"

"I would love to, but I can't afford to spend the next two months in a motel. My name's on the lease, so I still have to cover my half of the rent.

"We've been using the guest room as a computer and study room, but I'll make space in it for an air mattress."

Terri just shook her head. "Why would you stay with her, or in a motel, when you can just move in with me?"

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose."

I didn't know what to make of the look on her face as she just stared at me. "Do you not want to move in with me?"

I didn't mean to hurt her feelings, so I quickly responded. "No, I'd love to stay with you, as long as you're sure you want me around."

"Then it's settled. Now get dressed. We've got places to be."

* * * * *

"Honey, I'm home! Is that Terri's car out front?"

We had just finished packing up the last of my clothes when we heard Jenny's voice. I looked at the two boxes on the bed beside me, realizing how close we had come to making a clean getaway. Close, but no cigar, as she appeared in the doorway.

"Oh, there you are!" She sounded excited to see me, but her expression morphed into confusion as she realized my things were missing. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm moving out."

She looked like a deer caught in the headlights as she asked, "Why?"

I took a cleansing breath and stood up. "Well, when you didn't accept my marriage proposal, I realized that we were done. We had a nice run, and I'll always remember you fondly, but this is where we part ways."

I felt relief from saying that, but Jenny looked even more confused.

"What are you talking about? You never proposed to me!"

I couldn't help but sigh before I replied. "True, but only because you blew me off this weekend. I had everything planned out, but you weren't there."

"How could I accept if you never proposed?" Jenny asked with a triumphant look on her face.

"Oh, I proposed," I said, and couldn't help but smile. "You just weren't sitting there when I did."

"What‽ You proposed to an empty chair? Why would you do that?"

"No, there was somebody in the chair. The waiter assumed it was you, so he played his part as if it was. We had the entire restaurant's attention, so we had to give them a good showing."

With a nervous look on her face, Jenny asked, "So, who was sitting there?"

"I was."

Jenny was surprised, as she apparently hadn't noticed Terri was in the room. "Terri? What are you doing here?" She paused, but not long enough for Terri to reply. "We really missed you at the beach. Why didn't you come with us?"

"When I heard you were skipping out on Erick's weekend plans, I decided he probably shouldn't be alone. Plus, I thought a weekend being pampered sounded like more fun than constantly trying to get sand out of places it doesn't belong.

"Still, the proposal was rather unexpected."

Jenny gasped, finally catching on. "He proposed to you‽"

Terri just smiled and held up her hand, revealing the engagement ring she was wearing again. "He sure did, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that he never regrets it."

Jenny couldn't do anything but stand there in shock, as Terri and I each grabbed a box and walked out past her.

* * * * *

"That was perfect," I laughed. "I wondered why you held onto the ring, but the look on her face was priceless."

Putting down the box I had just carried in, I realized that Terri had gone quiet behind me. Turning around, I saw a hurt look on her face. Concerned, I grabbed her hand and asked her what was wrong.

"When you proposed, did you just use the words you had rehearsed for Jenny?"

It was my turn to be confused, as I had no clue where she was going with this. "No, that didn't seem appropriate, so I went with what I could come up with off the top of my head."

Terri smiled, like she had just won a prize, while I was still confused.

"So, you didn't propose to Jenny in absentia. You proposed to me, and I accepted." She took a deep breath and looked me square in the eyes as she continued. "I meant it when I said I would marry you, as I do intend to marry you, no matter how long it takes to get you to the altar.

"You can call it off and take the ring back at any time. You can do it right now, if that's what you want. Just know that I will simply try anything and everything in my power to convince you to get back down on that knee and ask me again."

Terri got a nervous look on her face and started to tremble, as I just stood there, staring at her in shock.

"So, I take it that I'm not moving into the guest room?"

Moving in had to wait, as Terri grabbed my hand and dragged me to our bedroom.

* * * * *

EPILOGUE

Terri was true to her word. She didn't push me to set a wedding date, but focused on convincing me that I wanted her to set one. That lasted for all of two weeks, until our mothers noticed the engagement ring on her finger at graduation. I had told my folks what happened with Jenny, and how Terri had been there for me, but we had only told our parents that we were dating. They knew I had moved in with Terri to get away from Jenny, but we might have implied that I was staying in her guest bedroom.

Our graduation celebration was kind of derailed as our moms dragged Terri off in one direction and our dads took me in the other. Terri's dad was a bit gruff, until I told him the story of how I had ended up proposing to Terri. When I mentioned her refusing to take the ring off unless I demanded it back, he just laughed and started calling me son.

By the time we regrouped, the ladies had the date, the venue, and the preacher all picked out.

* * * * *

While Terri and I didn't meet until college, we had actually grown up across town from each other. So, everybody was excited when we announced that we had accepted jobs back home. We were going to be close to, as they put it, "two free babysitters, so you can start giving us grandbabies without Terri having to quit her job." We were a little concerned about starting a family so early in our careers, especially with no nest egg to fall back on if things got tight, but both sets of parents promised they would help us out if it came to that.

The next step was to find a house that would be big enough for our eventual family. After looking at dozens, Terri finally fell in love with one. Okay, we both fell in love with it, but my vote didn't really count. The kitchen was amazing, the fenced back yard was huge, and the three-car garage included a full-width workshop area. There were a lot of other great features too, but those were the big three. It was also just over our budget, so we hemmed and hawed a while before deciding to pull the trigger.

We were devastated when we went to make an offer, only to find out that it had just been sold.

Our parents had arranged for us all to meet for supper that evening, but Terri and I really thought about cancelling. After losing the house of our dreams, we weren't really up for socializing. However, our moms outvoted us, two votes to you-don't-get-a-vote. We didn't know what the occasion was, but we put on our game faces and headed to the restaurant. It didn't take long for us to loosen up and enjoy both the food and the company. Before we knew it, our plates were empty and we were talking about ordering dessert.

We tried to decline and head home, but our parents insisted. While we were waiting for the desserts to arrive, Terri's dad pulled out a manilla envelope and just handed it to us without saying a word. With four sets of eyes watching us intently, we opened it, shocked to find our names on the title to the house we had fallen in love with.

"It's an early wedding gift from the four of us. It should be move-in ready when you get back from your honeymoon."

* * * * *

The wedding was amazing, according to my wife. All I remember is standing there, staring at a vision of beauty in white. She assured me that I said what I was told to say, when I was told to say it. The honeymoon was amazing as well. Terri had all sorts of fun, exploring places we had never been before. Then, when we got back to the hotel, I had all sorts of fun, exploring places I had already been. In truth, we both had a lot of fun, both inside and outside of our hotel room.

We're not sure if our first child was conceived on the honeymoon, or during our quest to christen every room in our new house after we returned. Either way, we presented our parents with their first grandbaby a little over nine months after our wedding. We went on to give them three more over the next five years, before calling it enough.

As promised, the grandparents helped out, especially when the kids were young, allowing Terri to keep working. We both started moving up in our companies pretty quickly, so we could afford part-time daycare to keep them from overwhelming their grandparents.

Our kids thrived, with two loving parents and four doting grandparents constantly present in their lives, and all-too-soon, we found ourselves taking the last one to college.

While so many couples struggle when they become empty nesters, we thrived. Suddenly, we didn't have to spend our vacation time according to our kids' schedules. More importantly, we didn't have to get dressed to get a drink in the middle of the night, nor worry about one of them walking in while I had their naked mother bent over the kitchen table.

More than once, I have come downstairs on a Saturday morning to find my breakfast waiting on the table, her legs held back and a big smile on her face. At other times, she's been waiting under the table, demanding that I feed her first.

* * * * *

I will admit, that on occasion, I have wondered how different my life would have turned out, had Jenny not walked out that door. However, not once have I ever regretted getting down on one knee in front of Terri instead.