Reckless Beginnings Read online

  “Sure, like I said, you’re early.”

  “Well, I just couldn’t wait to see you again,” he teased as he quickly strode up the steps to join her.

  When he reached the porch, he stood close to her. He was tall, over six feet, and that familiar cologne wafted through the air to greet her yet again. It was the same as the one he had worn the night before. Without saying a word, he reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out a pack of Marlboro Reds cigarettes and lit one.

  They both began to breathe a little heavier as they stood staring at each other in silence. The strong attraction was palpable, but neither one wanted to admit it. At that precise moment, Tammy wanted him to take her in his arms and kiss her passionately. Instead, he guided her back to reality. “Well, are you ready to go?” he said hastily, trying to brush aside the unforgivable thoughts he was having.

  Tammy quickly shrugged off her fantasy. “Yes, I am. I just need to grab my purse,” she replied before stubbing out her cigarette in a nearby ashtray and turning toward the front door.

  “I’ll wait right here,” Raymond said with a grin.

  Tammy felt herself being drawn into him by his gorgeous smile. Anxiously, she opened the door, rushed inside, and leaned against the cool wood of the now closed door. She inhaled a long, hard breath, causing her to tremble as air rushed deep into her lungs. Pull yourself together, Tammy, jeez, she snapped at herself. Almost forgetting what she came in for, she headed toward her bedroom and grabbed her brown purse from the bottom of the bed. Happy that Joanne had already gone upstairs, she hollered up from the bottom of the stairway.

  “Joanne, I’m leaving now. I’ll see you later.”

  “Okay. Have fun!” was the faint reply from upstairs.

  “I will!” Tammy shouted as she went back outside onto the porch.

  Raymond stood up from the wicker chair where he had been sitting. “Ready?” he asked.

  “I am,” she replied, skipping down the steps toward his truck.

  Once Raymond fired up the engine, the radio instantly came to life playing Kenny Rodgers, “The Gambler.” Tammy found herself liking the western cowboy lifestyle in this part of the States. She enjoyed listening to the country music and loved how everyone dressed in jeans and cowboy boots and hats. It seemed much more laid back than the disco music, glitter, and big hair found back in England.

  They took Route 49 north and headed toward the Gold Rush town. It was a beautiful scenic drive through the country. The road was narrow and windy, hugging the twists and turns of the hilly countryside. Blackberries, which were succulent and ripe this time of year, grew in masses along both sides of the road. It was October, early fall, and many trees had already lost their leaves, but there were still a few that had glorious shades of reds and yellows that glistened in the sun.

  During the ten-minute drive to their destination, Raymond filled her in with some history of the town. He explained how it was a gold rush town in the 1850s and was now a State preserved historical park and a National Historical Landmark. Tammy was fascinated by the history and couldn’t wait to see it for herself.

  They parked in a lot behind Main Street, since no driving was allowed beyond that point. After Raymond locked the truck and stuffed the keys in his front pocket, they casually strolled side by side toward Main Street.

  Tammy stood and stared down at the small town. She could see to the end of the road, about a half-mile away. It was like stepping back in time into an old western movie. All the buildings were made of red brick or logs, and each had a wooden porch and benches in front for shaded resting spots. Handmade store signs hung from chains; she imagined them swaying noisily in the breeze on a windy day. Chalkboards stood in front of many stores, promoting the daily specials, and thanks to the main road being made up mainly of dirt, clouds of dust kicked up into the air with each step as Tammy and Raymond walked along together.

  A finely polished red and gold antique fire truck from the 1850s sat at the top of the street with a golden plaque describing the town’s history displayed in front. Tourists were scattered throughout the area, popping in and out of stores and clicking their cameras at the various sights.

  While walking through the town, Tammy noticed two hotels and several saloons with squeaky saloon-style doors. A variety of eateries from ice cream parlors and coffee and pastry stores to fancy sit-down restaurants lined the street, along with a selection of gift stores. During their walk, they watched hard candy being made and a blacksmith making horseshoes. They bought homemade jellies and jams for Joanne, and Raymond bought Tammy some homemade scented candles.

  Tammy was having a wonderful time, but no matter how she looked at her day with Raymond, she felt like she was on her first date. She found him easy to talk to and there was never a moment of silence between them. He walked her through all the stores, excitedly pointing out all the historical artifacts and photos.

  Tammy loved how all the merchants wore 1850s-style costumes. The women wore long dresses and white aprons with their hair pinned up in a simple bun. The men wore long overcoats and pants, white shirts, black neckties and cowboy hats. There was even a place where you could have your picture taken while dressed in costume.

  As soon as Raymond saw the sign, he said, “Let’s have our picture taken, it’ll be fun!”

  She looked up at the sign and read it out loud. “Twentieth-century photos taken in nineteenth-century costumes.” Tammy agreed it would be fun and so they both entered the store, laughing like over-excited children about to have their photo taken in Santa’s grotto.

  The walls inside were decorated with seductive red and gold wallpaper. Photos of previous tourists dressed in costume hung in rows. A tall blond skinny man, also dressed in costume, appeared and raised his hat to them as he welcomed them to his establishment. After giving them a tour, he showed them a rack of costumes they could choose from for their picture. After at least twenty minutes of giggling and joking around, they both decided what outfit they wanted to wear and left to go and change.

  Raymond came out first, wearing a black tailcoat, black pants, a white shirt with a black neck tie, a black top hat, and a black cane swinging from his right hand.

  A few minutes later, Tammy appeared from behind the purple curtain of her dressing room, wearing a floor-length light blue dress with long sleeves, ballooned shoulders, and a large blue bow tied in the back. The collar was high and trimmed with white lace. Delicate white-lace shoes and a white-lace umbrella completed her attire.

  Feeling the effects of his costume, Raymond decided to do a little role-playing. He rose from his seat, removed his hat, and bowed to her.

  “Well, hello, my lady.”

  Tammy giggled and gave him a slight curtsy. “Good day, sir,” she said, flaunting her best impersonation of the Queen’s English.

  The store owner suddenly reappeared, interrupting their fun, and asked if they were ready to have their picture taken.

  With a nod, Raymond gestured his arm to Tammy. She happily accepted and hooked arms with him as they followed the merchant to the camera. When they posed for their picture. the photographer had Tammy sit on a chair with the closed umbrella held in both hands upside down in front of her. He then had Raymond stand behind her, slightly to her left, with one hand on her shoulder. As soon as Raymond touched her, he gave her shoulder a slight squeeze, which sent a flutter of shivers down her spine.

  They ordered two sets of prints and laughed hysterically when the store owner handed them over. Once back in their normal clothes, they walked outside to have a cigarette. Tammy walked to the side of the building and leaned her back against the wall. With one knee bent, she placed the sole of her foot on the wall for support and closed her eyes.

  After a few moments, she felt Raymond’s warm breath on her face. She slowly opened her eyes and almost froze when she found his face within inches of hers. He leaned into her and rested the palm of his hand on the wall above her left shoulder. “God,” he said, “I could get into some serious
trouble with you.”

  Before she could answer, he was kissing her. His kiss was hard and passionate as his weight pushed her back against the wall. Tammy didn’t resist. Instead, she moved away from the wall and wrapped both her arms around his neck, pulling him in closer, kissing him with the same passion. Raymond leaned into her body and pressed his muscular chest against hers while snaking his fingers around her narrow waist, deepening his lustful kiss.

  Suddenly, he pulled back. Breathing heavily, he managed to say, “Let’s get out of here.” Not waiting for a reply, he grabbed Tammy’s hand. “Come on!” he yelled as he began to run, pulling her behind him.

  In a state of confusion and running at an uncomfortable pace that her feet couldn’t keep up with, Tammy asked, “Where are we going?”.

  “I don’t know, Tammy. But this isn’t good!” He was yelling and sprinting through the town, clearly in a state of panic. Tammy, almost choking on the dust kicked up by Raymond’s speeding boots in front of her, was left with no choice but to follow.

  Chapter 12

  When they finally reached the truck, Tammy all but collapsed against the passenger door, desperately trying to catch her breath. Confused by what had just happened, she waited for Raymond to unlock the truck. Momentarily, she heard the lock release and turned around to open the door.

  “Hurry up! Get in!” he hollered from inside the truck.

  Raymond was already in the front seat. He didn’t look at her; it seemed he couldn’t look at her. “What have I done? This is so wrong. What was I thinking?” he mumbled to himself while hunched over the steering wheel. Feeling the anger boiling up in the pit of his stomach, he grabbed the wheel with both hands and squeezed it hard, causing his knuckles to turn white. He could feel the beads of sweat forming on his brow. He wanted to leave. Now. He needed to get away. “Hurry up, Tammy!” he yelled again.

  “Okay! Okay!” she yelled back, grabbing the handle and yanking the door open. Once in the truck, Raymond said nothing. Looking straight ahead, he turned the key, hit the gas, and skidded out onto the main road. Tammy cowered on her side of the bench seat, afraid to speak, feeling confused by his actions and unable to fathom why he was so upset. He continued to drive in silence, only staring at the road ahead. Moments later, he pulled off to the side of the road under a large oak tree and turned off the truck.

  An uncomfortable silence followed. Raymond reached for his cigarettes sitting on the dash and fumbled to get one out of the pack. With shaking hands, he managed to lift one up to his mouth and light it. He leaned back in the seat, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply on the cigarette. Tammy remained motionless and silent, still afraid to move or speak.

  Raymond finished his smoke in a matter of minutes, stubbing it out viscously in the ashtray before running his hands through his hair and pulling at it with his fingers. Still grasping his hair, he lowered his forehead onto the steering wheel and looked down at his lap.

  “Whatever happened back there, never happened! Do you understand me?” he ordered in a cruel and angry tone.

  Tammy could feel tears forming. Not wanting to cry in front of him, she swallowed hard to push them back. She still didn’t understand why he was so angry and upset. “What do you mean?” she asked, still struggling to keep back the tears.

  He turned his head toward her and glared at her with dark, narrow eyes. “I MEAN it NEVER happened…and you will tell NO ONE about this. Do I make myself clear?”

  Tammy spoke softly, trying to calm him. “All’s we did was kiss, Raymond. It was no big deal. Will you please just calm down?”

  “What? Yes, it actually was a big deal, Tammy! I have no idea what I was thinking. You are my friend’s daughter, for God’s sake! I’m old enough to be your father. Christ! What the fuck was I thinking?” Still shocked, he raised his hands. “What would John think? This is insane. I can’t do this. Can you imagine how your father would feel if he found out?”

  Unable to hold back the tears anymore, Tammy felt a warm trickle down her cheeks as she tried to reason with him. “I don’t understand why you are making such a big deal out of this. We like each other, don’t we?” She wiped away her tears. “And as far as my dad is concerned, we don’t have to tell him.” She paused. “Not yet anyway.”

  “We can never tell him, Tammy! Don’t you understand? It would destroy our friendship. I can’t even begin to imagine the anger he would feel toward me. No, I’m not willing to take that risk, regardless of how much I’m attracted to you.”

  In her heart, she knew he was right; her father would never accept it. Not only would Raymond be jeopardizing their friendship, she also risked her father disowning her. Devastated by what was suddenly at stake, her tears began to flow heavier.

  To comfort her, Raymond placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze as he spoke in a softer tone. “Come on, stop crying. I’m sorry I got angry. I’m not angry at you. Just myself for allowing this to happen.”

  Even though she knew the risks, she refused to give up. With her eyes now swollen and red from her tears, Tammy looked up at him. “I’m as surprised as you are about what happened back there, but I felt the chemistry between us when we kissed. I know you did too. You can’t ignore something like that and just pretend it never happened.”

  Raymond wrapped an arm around her shoulder, hugging her tightly. “Oh, Tammy, I’m flattered that a girl of your age finds me attractive and wants to be with me. You’re young, beautiful, and vibrant. Why on earth do you want to be with an old guy like me?”

  She smiled and placed her hand on his knee. “Because you’re a real man and I feel safe with you. The guys I dated in England were just boys, young, immature, and stupid.”

  He laughed at her remark, still hugging her while he spoke. “As much as I like you, I can’t hurt your father. He would never forgive me for dating his daughter.”

  “Yes, I know, but can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Did you think this would happen? I mean, if you’re attracted to me but have no intentions of us dating, why did you invite me here in the first place? I’m sorry, but the whole of today has felt like a first date to me. Especially when we kissed.”

  “I have to admit that yes, I was attracted to you, even before I knew your age. But I thought I had it under control. I invited you with the intentions of just having some fun and making a new friend. I didn’t expect it to go this far. You’re right, though, there is chemistry between us. I felt it back there too. It consumed me, but I have to fight it and resist the temptations I’m feeling because…because of your father.”

  Tammy released herself from his hold and reached for her handbag by her feet. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes, took one from the pack and lit it. Leaning back in her seat, she looked over at him with sullen eyes while she smoked.

  Thoughts entered her mind. What she felt back there was electrifying. Refusing to let go of something so real and so strong before it had a chance to blossom, Tammy decided to play along but with ulterior motives. “I promise not to say anything. I understand, and like you said, it never happened. Let’s just forget it,” she said in her sweetest voice.

  “Tammy, this isn’t easy for me. When I’m with you, you make me feel young and full of life. It’s like I’m living my youth again. I’ve never felt that before with anyone. Then again, I’ve never dated anyone as young as you and to be honest, it scares the hell out of me…and so does your father.”

  Knowing he was unaware that his hand was now on her knee while he spoke, Tammy stubbed out her unfinished cigarette in the ashtray and reached for his hand. Caressing it softly, she raised it to her mouth and kissed each finger one by one. He didn’t pull away. She shifted her body closer to him, placed his hand over her breast, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

  Raymond followed her hand with his eyes, admiring her cleavage, feeling her heart beating rapidly beneath his hand. With light fingers and a feathered touch, he began to massage her breast in a slow circu
lar motion. Aroused by his touch, Tammy inhaled a sharp breath and closed her eyes before arching her back and pushing her body closer to him.

  Raymond knew this was wrong for so many reasons, but he could no longer resist. Surrendering to his unforgivable desires, he pulled her toward him with force and kissed her with greater passion than before. Tammy welcomed him and matched his passion with a burning hunger and desire of her own. They both needed to stop for air, but neither could let go. There was no going back now. Unable to control himself, he reached up under her tank top and fondled her breasts, squeezing her nipples with his fingertips. He felt the delicate skin harden under his touch as she moaned with pleasure.

  While still locked in a kiss, she slid over to his side of the seat and straddled him. Raising her mini skirt to the tops of her thighs, she locked her arms around his neck and pushed his head farther back into the seat. She felt the hard skin of his hands grazing over her legs and up under her skirt. His touch wasn’t gentle. The touch of a man, she thought. Filled with lust, he clamped his fingers around the muscle of her buttocks and nuzzled his head between her breasts. Tammy gasped. With one swift move, she peeled her top up over her head and threw it to the passenger side. Now faced with her naked chest, Raymond devoured her, tantalizing each of her nipples with his tongue before engulfing them with his mouth. His hunger for her had overtaken his senses and he was fast losing control.

  Feeling the same hunger, Tammy lowered her hand onto the rising bulge beneath his jeans. It began to throb as she massaged it with her palm.

  Raymond was at his peak. Setting his hands free from underneath her skirt, he unzipped his pants, adjusted her panties, and entered her in one rushed motion. With an animalistic growl that vibrated from deep inside his throat, he grabbed her by the hips and thrust his manhood inside of her. Tammy lunged onto his lips, locking him in a kiss as he brought them both to climax simultaneously.