Transitions

The events in this story take place immediately after Denae's Homework

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The remainder of the semester was going by rapidly. Both Denae and Janet earned A's on their papers, Suzy and Scott continued seeing each other constantly, and Denae and Bill were inseparable when not at work or in class. Denae was still enamored with her ring and stared at it frequently, but only about every twenty minutes, rather than constantly, as she had done in the days immediately following her engagement to Bill.

After everyone had had time to process the idea of Bill and Denae being engaged, Bill and Denae had to make plans for their future. Though they had no date in mind for the wedding, Denae decided she would move to Atlanta to begin searching for a job as Bill started his career.

Suzy's father used connections to help her land a job as Senior Manager of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at a large shipping company and would have her own apartment downtown. Suzy, Denae and Bill concocted a ruse for the benefit of Denae's parents that Denae would share the apartment with Suzy while Bill would secure an apartment for himself. In reality, the living arrangements in Atlanta would be what they had been at the end of college; Denae would live with Bill and Suzy would live alone. So, in addition to everything else they had going on with school and work, Bill and Denae needed to find an apartment.

Bill and Denae's apartment-hunting visit to Atlanta was a quick weekend errand. As opposed to the previous trips, they did not have time for nice dinners or strip clubs because they were rushing around to see several apartments they had identified through internet searches. The last one they looked at was their favorite; a two-bedroom, two bath. It was on the eighth floor and was not large but would be comfortable. The location was close to Bill's office and there were restaurants and stores within walking distance. They asked the building manager if they could have a moment alone to discuss it and stepped out onto the balcony.

"So, I got the feeling you liked this one. Is this the one?" Bill asked.

They were both leaning on the rail looking at the street below and the buildings around them. "It's a lot like the others. But I like this building best. And the location is good for you. What are we six blocks from your office?" Denae said.

"I think that's about right. I'm not sure. The whole area is still so new to me."

She pulled close to him and wrapped her arms around him. "This building has a rooftop pool. I like that. If I can't be near the beach, there's that at least."

Something seemed to catch Denae's attention, so she leaned out over the rail of the porch and looked up the street. Squinting her eyes, she said, "Hey, look at that shorter building two blocks up and across the street."

Bill did as she directed. "That one?" he asked pointing at a windowless building with a bright pink neon sign.

"Yeah. Does that look like Club Seduisante to you?" she asked.

Uncertain, Bill shrugged.

"I think it is! How about that? Wouldn't that be something to live that close? We could stop in once in a while."

Bill shook his head in disbelief. "Well, with what we would be paying for this apartment, I doubt we'd have any money to spend in there." Putting his arms around her waist, he continued, "Besides, not too long ago, this really beautiful Italian girl gave me a table dance I'll never forget. And there is no one in there that could top that."

She put her arms back around him. "You got a table dance from a beautiful Italian girl? Does your fiancé know about this?"

"Please don't tell her. She would probably be angry at me; not because I got a table dance, but because I didn't tip. She's funny like that."

Denae laughed and they held each other for a couple of minutes before going back in and signing a lease. Then the two headed to their hotel where they took a shower together and ordered room service before making love and falling asleep.

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Cheryl and Serena took it upon themselves to plan a group Thanksgiving at the Rapallinos' like they had shared the previous year. Unlike the previous year, there was no awkwardness that came from making new acquaintances; the five felt comfortable around each other. This year they decided they would spend the entire week together, not just a long weekend. The extra days afforded Serena and Cheryl chances to go shopping together, including some early scouting for dresses and shoes they might wear to the wedding. Bill and Denae played golf together. Sam took Bill and Denae out on the boat. The five found plenty of time to spend out by the pool and on the beach. Bill and Denae wound up looking for sea turtles one night, which was a cover story to conceal the fact that they went out to have sex on a secluded stretch of sand.

The sleeping arrangements were the same as the previous year, so Denae continued sneaking out to the pool house late at night so she and Bill could make love. She was nearly caught one night when Serena had awakened and gone down to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Denae had just come back inside when Serena hit the bottom step. When Serena found her in the kitchen, Denae explained she woke up hungry and was about to forage in the refrigerator. The two wound up sitting in the family room, talking quietly about life for well over an hour. Most of the talk was about marriage.

"I am glad you chose Bill," Serena told Denae.

"I'm glad you approve."

"Of course I approve. He's very special. And my mother always told me, 'Don't marry the one you love. Marry the one who loves you.' I can see Bill really loves you. Everyone can."

"I'm sure Nonna was very wise, but in this case, I also love the one who loves me."

Thanksgiving dinner was once again a group effort by Cheryl, Serena and Denae. The three spent much of the day in the kitchen cooking, drinking wine, and laughing. Sam and Bill watched football and talked about a wide range of topics; some important, some mundane. Naturally, one of the subjects was the upcoming, yet unscheduled wedding. Sam took the opportunity to mention that while he would never attempt to replace Bill's father, he would always stand ready to offer any guidance Bill might want or need. Bill graciously acknowledged the offer and told his future father-in-law he would likely need plenty of advice as he navigated adulthood after college.

After Thanksgiving, there was a mad dash to the end of the semester and graduation for Bill, Denae and Suzy. Since Sam and Serena would be going to North Carolina for graduation and graduation was five days before Christmas, it was agreed that all three Rapallinos would spend Christmas at the Collins' farm. Denae was particularly excited about that and wondered aloud several times about the possibility of having snow at Christmas, something that would never happen at home in Florida.

Graduation for Bill, Denae and Suzy included several festivities in addition to the commencement ceremony. Through the celebrations, Bill met Suzy's parents for the first time and Cheryl met Suzy for the first time. Cheryl liked Denae's best friend right away. She found Suzy's sense of humor risqué and largely self-deprecating, and she was amused at the ways Suzy flaunted her large breasts intentionally and unintentionally. Cheryl could also tell that Suzy was in love with Scott and that she loved her future daughter-in-law like a sister.

Sam and Serena treated Cheryl, Denae, Bill, Suzy's family and Scott to dinner at the restaurant owned by Bill's friend, Johnny. Johnny was very pleased to see Denae again and to have her Italian parents as his guests. He made sure to tell them his own parents had come to the States from Italy and talked with Sam and Serena at length about their home village. He also made a point of bragging on Bill to them by retelling the story of how Bill had intervened on his son's behalf after a basketball game, saving him from a beating by several boys.

When the graduation celebrations were over, the Rapallinos and the Collins headed for Yadkinville for Christmas. The next few days were spent showing Sam and Serena the Collins' farm, seeing the small town, having nice dinners together and growing closer to one another. One of the first excursions around the property included a stop at the pond.

Denae pointed to the large oak tree beside the pond and told all the parents that was the spot where Bill first told her he loved her. Once again, Denae insisted that she and Bill visit his father's grave together. He did not resist as he had before, though he was uneasy the entire time.

With no guest house at the Collins' farm, the Rapallinos took the master bedroom; Denae was in Bill's old room; and Cheryl slept in the spare. Bill had to sleep on the couch, which forced Bill and Denae to get very creative at finding opportunities to have sex. Once, the pair volunteered to go to the grocery store to buy the things needed for dinner and stopped behind an abandoned building to do the act in the front passenger seat of Bill's car. Neither found that romantic in the least, but it did satisfy their carnal desires.

The only other time Bill and Denae were able to get intimate over Christmas was the day Bill mentioned he needed to get firewood from the area where he had previously cut down trees. Sam offered to go with Bill and help, but Denae suggested she accompany her fiancé instead, since it was cold outside and Sam had not brought any suitable work clothes on the trip. The pair took the gator and, when they arrived at the spot, spread their coats on the ground. Because of the cold and the length of time since their last sexual encounter, they did not spend much time on foreplay; they got right to the business at hand and both came very quickly. Loading firewood afterward helped them warm up. Only Cheryl suspected what they had done while they were away from the house and, with a subtle wink, she assured Denae that she would not do or say anything that might betray their secret to her parents.

Much to Denae's disappointment, there was no snow. After Christmas, Sam and Serena returned home and Bill and Denae went back to Mount William to clean out their apartments. Bill had sold most of his furniture to other students, saving him the trouble of moving large, heavy objects. Denae's apartment had come furnished, so she had only clothes, kitchen wares, and personal belongings to take with her. Bill's bed was the only large piece they had to transport. When the last of their belongings were loaded into the rental truck, Bill and Denae took one last walk around the campus and then headed for Atlanta.

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When they first arrived in Atlanta, Bill and Denae met Suzy at her apartment. Though Denae would not actually be living there, she and Bill had agreed to pay Suzy money towards the rent so she could secure a two-bedroom apartment to help deceive Denae's parents. Denae hung some of her least favorite clothes in the closet and pointed out to Bill they would need to buy a cheap bed and dresser for the room to create the illusion of her living there.

Bill and Denae then went to their apartment and unloaded. They saved the bed for last and by the time they had moved both the mattress and box spring into the apartment, they were tired from the drive and all the moving. When they realized they were finished bringing everything in, Bill sat down on the floor of the bedroom and looked at the boxes all around. Denae sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I'm beat. How about you?" Denae asked with a sigh.

"Yeah. It's been a long day," he replied as he put his arm around her and pulled her to him. He kissed the top of her head. "Thank you for picking up your life and coming here with me."

Looking up at him, she said, "It's our life now; not yours or mine."

He looked at her and looked at the unmade bed and gently rubbed her arm. "Is there any rule that says a bed has to have sheets on it before you can... you know?"

"Bill Collins!! Are you wanting sex? Right now?"

He nodded sheepishly.

"But I'm all sweaty and dirty. And my hair must be a mess."

"I don't see a problem here."

He stood up and reached down, grasped her wrists and pulled her up. As soon as she was on her feet, he picked her up by her waist, lifted her off the floor and tossed her over his shoulder, eliciting a laugh and a squeal of faux protest. He turned to the bed and dumped her on it then dropped on top of her and kissed her.

"If you could only see how incredible you look right now," he said breathlessly.

Denae was both embarrassed and aroused by Bill finding her sexy at that moment. Bill removed Denae's hair band, releasing her ponytail and then proceeded to remove her clothes, kissing her skin as he slid each garment off. She helped remove his jeans and stroked his member as they kissed. Denae caught her breath as he entered her and moaned softly as he thrusted repeatedly. Their intensity grew and each was about to reach orgasm when there was a loud knock at the door, causing them both to stop as if they had been suddenly frozen in place.

Bill looked down at Denea. "Did someone knock on our door?" he asked in a whisper.

Denae looked through the doorway of the bedroom towards the rest of the apartment. "I think so," she whispered.

Just then, there was another knock. Bill and Denae looked at one another, still motionless as they each silently contemplated what they should do. Bill involuntarily ejaculated into Denae with a sudden convulsion. She looked at him as if she was both dismayed and annoyed. He jumped up and began to frantically put his jeans back on.

"What are you doing?" Denae demanded quietly.

"Someone's at the door."

Denae then also got up and began to throw her shirt and pants on as quickly as possible, which she found unpleasant due to Bill's fluids dripping out of her. She took some solace in the notion that her yoga pants were dark and should hide any shiny droplets on her legs. They hurried to the door as Denae looked down and noticed her nipples, unconstrained by a bra, were poking through her t-shirt.

Denae arrived at the door just as Bill opened it to find a woman holding a covered dish. "I heard a new couple would be moving in and I saw you making lots of trips in and out and so I wanted to introduce myself to my new neighbors. I'm Dawn."

Denae, moved by the gesture, politely invited Dawn in and introduced Bill and herself. Looking around, Denae admitted, "I'm sorry. We can't offer you a seat... unless you are okay with a moving box."

Denae noticed the woman appeared to be in her mid-thirties and was very attractive. Dawn looked around the apartment at the lack of furniture and the abundance of boxes and she looked at the young couple, observing their disheveled clothes and bare feet and Denae's obvious lack of a bra. "Oh, I'm sorry to barge in and interrupt. I'm very embarrassed. How rude of me."

Denae's nature was to help the woman feel at ease. "Oh. No. It's nice of you to stop by. We were just..." Denae's thought trailed off as she looked around, hoping a scan of the apartment would help her think of something to tell their guest.

"We were moving the bed, and it took us a minute to get to the door from the bedroom," Bill stated, attempting to complete his fiancé's thought.

Denae smiled at the double entendre and Dawn nodded as if she believed them, but deep-down Denae realized the woman knew the truth. Dawn handed the covered dish to Denae explaining it was a chicken and broccoli casserole. Denae thanked her and told her it was especially welcome since she and Bill had no prospects for dinner. Dawn acknowledged moving could be difficult and mentioned she needed to get back across the hall to her husband and daughter. Denae took a few steps towards the kitchen to deposit the housewarming gift on the counter. As she did so, she could feel more of Bill seep out of her and into the crotch of her pants.

Denae quickly returned and asked, "So, you and your husband have a daughter?"

At that, Dawn's smile faded. "Yes. Mandy. Well, Amanda. She's six years old."

Denae could see Dawn's eyes begin to tear up and was afraid she had said something to disturb her guest. "Are you okay? Did I say something wrong?"

Dawn was silent apart from a sniffle and dabbed the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry. I only meant to welcome you to the building."

Denae, now moved by the woman's distress, took her hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Dawn looked at Denae. "No. You didn't do anything wrong. It's just I am still coming to terms with it." Her voice quivered as she added, "Mandy has leukemia."

Reflexively, Denae put her arms around Dawn and Dawn embraced her as well. Bill, who had been silent until now, pulled three moving boxes into a group so they all might sit, asking her when Mandy had been diagnosed.

Dawn was surprised by Bill's question but answered. Bill then asked her about tests and results and scores and counts, using language that Dawn had only recently begun hearing.

"Are you a doctor?" Dawn asked.

Looking at Bill, and thinking about Melissa, Denae said, "No. But Bill has had to deal with this before."

Denae, Bill and Dawn sat for a few minutes and talked about Mandy and her impending battle against Leukemia and the treatments she would be undergoing. Bill used logic and some medical terms to offer encouragement. Hoping to change the subject, Dawn noticed and complimented the large engagement ring on Denae's finger and asked about it. Denae explained they recently got engaged but did not yet have a date for their wedding. Dawn congratulated them and commented they seemed well-suited for each other. Denae explained wedding plans would wait because Bill was about to start his job, and she would be searching for one.

"You're both so nice," Dawn said. "I was really hoping we'd get nice neighbors. We're suburbanites and living in a building like this is strange for us. None of us like living in town, but Mandy's treatments and visits would require obscene amounts of time in the car and rather than fight traffic all the time, we decided to move here for a while."

As Dawn left, Denae and Bill told her they looked forward to meeting her husband and Mandy as soon as they could. Once Denae had closed the door, she leaned against Bill and hugged him. They sat back down again, each alone in their thoughts.

"I hate to hear about what they're going through; especially, Mandy," Denae said softly.

"Yeah. That will be rough. On all of them. We should offer to help whenever they need it."

"I know that was a lot we just heard. And I am happy you want to help them. And I know it's difficult for you because it brings back memories of Melissa," Denae mentioned.

During the silence that followed, Denae realized her pants were very moist with Bill's sperm and semen. She reached over, found his scrotum, and cupped it through his jeans. With a grin, she said, "Back before Dawn knocked on our door, that was a nice surprise. And you tossing me around like you were a caveman? That was hot." Then she smirked at him and squeezed gently before adding, "But the next time you cum in me and jump up and run away, I might just rip your balls off."