Chapter 7

Julie bolted upright in bed, cold beads of perspiration covering her soaking body. It was several seconds before she realized where she was, and she shook her head from side to side in an effort to clear out the obscene images that still lingered in her nocturnal subconscious. In the dream, she had been trying to walk down the aisle to where her husband stood waiting for her to join him in their marriage ceremony, but all along the aisle pews in the church, little boys of all ages pulled at her wedding gown, which had somehow become transparent, and she could see that each of them had their young penises in their hands, fondling them and offering them to her. And then, coming from just in front of the altar, she heard a strange buzzing, and looking up, she saw Eduardo mowing the lawn that was growing on the floor of the church. And now, finally awake, the mowing sound continued, and Julie realized for the first time that Eduardo had come back and was right now downstairs, working in her garden as if nothing had happened the day before.

“I can’t believe it!” Julie whispered out loud in the empty room. “Imagine the nerve of that boy coming back here.”

At first, she panicked, but then she reasoned that that was silly. After all, if he dared bother her again, she could always call the police. Deciding that the best thing to do would be to ignore him, she pulled herself up out of the crumpled bed and threw her lightweight robe over her flimsy shortie nightgown. Bob had obviously already left for work.

“That goddamn job of his,” Julie thought to herself as she made her way into the bathroom to brush her teeth. “Ever since he started it, wherever it is, he hasn’t been home one night before midnight. I’d like to know just what kind of gardening it is one can do after dark--”

She peered into the mirror above the sink and shuddered at the sight of her drawn face. And dropping her toothbrush back into its holder without bothering to use it, she turned the hot water on full blast into the marble tub and poured a handful of scented bath beads under it and watched for a moment as the tub began to fill with the delicious-smelling suds once again. And as soon as it was ready, Julie could begin to feel herself relax.

She slowly lowered herself into the steaming hot water, feeling its caressing warmth envelop every inch of her firm young body.

“Oh, if only my husband would make me feel this way,” she sighed as she lay completely immersed, the fragrant bubbles lapping at her chin. But Julie knew that he definitely wasn’t there ... and that most probably even if she were to be with the man she was still, after all these hurtful years ... in love with ... the experience would be a disappointing one!

A flicker of resentment passed through her as in spite of all her efforts to erase him from her memory, Eduardo and the pleasure she had known with him--a mere boy!--came back to her in full depth. She felt herself lapsing into a dreamy state during which in her imagination Eduardo was not a fifteen-year-old, but a grown man, a lover who would take her away from all of this. And after all, she reasoned, swirling the washcloth over her erect nipples, since Eduardo definitely was not fully grown yet, no matter what his amorous propensities, didn’t that in some way lessen her transgression, rather than making it greater as she had previously supposed!

Besides, it served Bob right that she had had a moment’s pleasure ... no matter how repugnant it had been. What did he care anyway?

Unconsciously, when she began to wash her inner thighs, Julie lingered at the pleasure spot between her legs, so recently satisfied ... and yet still yearning for more ... more ... Bob’s loving, only him doing it just the right way, slowly, beautifully, passionately. Her fingers slipped up into the wet petals of her cunt, and she began to flick at the pink interior beneath the water, the delicious sensations rising within her steadily until there was a sharp rap at the door.

Guilt-stricken, she removed her hand quickly, and instinctively covering her unprotected breasts, she asked in a tremulous voice:

“Who ... who’s there?”

“It’s me ... Eduardo.” an insolent voice replied. “Are you decent?”

Julie could see the door handle twisting, and she screamed out “NO! NO ... don’t you come in here!!!!” as she simultaneously jumped up out of the water, almost losing her balance in the process and slipping back into the warm water. She recovered herself though and groped for a towel, wrapping it swiftly around her.