To Sail Beyond The Sunset

I played Cornelia and her jewels before and during dinner - held my peace and smiled while all my children vied for his attention. .. including Father who wanted to talk soldier talk with him. At the end of dinner Father suggested (by prearrangement with me) that Staff Sergeant Bronson take me for a spin, and then squelched attempts by the younger children to come along especially Woodrow who wanted both to play chess and to be taken to Electric Park.

So at last Sergeant Theodore and I headed south just at sundown. In 1918 there was very little south ff 39th Street on the east side of Kansas City even though the city line had been pushed clear south to 77th Street in order to include Swope Park. Swope Park had many popular lovers' lanes but I wanted a place much more private - and knew some, as Briney and I searched all the back roads one time and another, looking for what Briney called ‘poontang pastures', grassy places private enough to evade the buzzard eye of Mrs Grundy.

All along the east side of Kansas City runs the Blue River.

In 1918 it held many delightful spots - as well as thick bushes, deep mud, chiggers, mosquitoes, and poison ivy; one had to know where to go. If you went south but not too far south, and knew where to cross the tracks of the St Looie and Frisco, you could work your way into a wooded, grassy dell as nice as anything in Swope Park but utterly private, as it was surrounded by river and railroad embankment save for one narrow lane leading into it.

I wanted that particular spot; I was sentimental about it. When in 1912 we had become footloose through Briney's having purchased El Reo Grande, that was the first place Briney had taken me for outdoor loving. That delightful picnic (I had fetched along a lunch) was the occasion on which I became pregnant with Woodrow.

I wanted to receive my new love into me first on that very spot - and then tell my husband about it in every detail, giggling with him over it while we made love. Briney did so enjoy my trips over the fence and always wanted to hear about them before, during, or after our own lovemaking, or all three, as a sauce to encourage us in more and heartier lovemaking.

Brian always told me about his own adventures, but what he liked best was to hear about mine.

So I took Sergeant Theodore to the spot marked X.

Time was short; I had promised Father that I would stay out, at most, only long enough to tumble him, then wait another half or three-quarters of an hour for that wonderful, relaxed second go at it - cal it ten-thirty or eleven. So I should be home about the time you get back from the Armoury, Father. '

Father agreed that my plans were reasonable. .. including our need for a second engagement if the first one went well.

‘Very well, Daughter. lf you have to be later, please telephone so that we won't worry. And. .. Maureen. '

‘Yes, Father? '

‘Enjoy it, darling. '

‘Oh, mon cher papa, tu es aimable! Je t'adore! '

‘Go out there and adore Sergeant Ted. You will probably be his last piece for a long time. .. so make it a good one! Love you, best of daughters. '

My usual method of letting myself be seduced is to decide ahead of time, create or help create the opportunity, then cooperate with whatever advances the nominal seducer makes. (Contrariwise, if I have decided against it, I simply see to it that no opportunity arises. ) That night I did not have time for the ladylike pianissimo protocol. i had just this one chance and only two hours to make it work - and no second chance; Theodore was going overseas. A warrior's farewell had to be now.

So Maureen was not ladylike. As soon as we turned off Benton Boulevard and the gathering dusk had given us some privacy, I asked him to put his arm around me. When he did so, I reached up, took his hand and placed it on my right breast. Most men understand that.

Theodore understood it. He caught his breath. I said, ‘We haven't time to be shy, dear Theodore. Don't be afraid to touch me. '

He cupped my breast. ‘I love you, Maureen! '

I answered soberly, ‘We have loved each other since the night we met. We simply could not say so. ' I raised his hand, then slid it down the full neck of my dress, felt scalding excitement as his hand touched my breast.

He answered huskily, ‘Yes. I didn't dare tell you. '

‘You would never have told me, Theodore. So I had to be bold and let you know that I feel just as you do. Our turn is just ahead. '

‘I think I remember it from bringing your children out here. I'll need both hands to drive that lane'

So I'll let you have your hand back - temporarily. As soon as we are in there and you have stopped the car, I want both your hands on me and all your attention. '

He drove in, turned his car around and headed out, turned off his lights and stopped his engine, set his hand brake and turned to me. He took me in his arms and we kissed, a fully shared kiss, with our tongues exploring and caressing and talking wordlessly. I was in Heaven. I still think that a totally unrestrained kiss is more intimate than coupling; a woman should never kiss that way unless she intends to couple at once in whatever way be wants her.

Without words I said this to Theodore. As soon as our tongues met I pulled up my skirt, took his hand and put it between my thighs. He still hesitated, so I moved his hand further up.

No more hesitation - All Theodore needed was to be certain that I knew what I wanted and that his best attentions were welcome. He explored me gently, then slipped a finger inside. I let it enter, then squeezed it as hard as I could - and congratulated myself on never having skipped my exercises even a day since Ethel was born, two years earlier. I love to surprise a man with the strength of my vaginal sphincter. My passage is so baby-stretched that, if I did not work endlessly to overcome it, I would be ‘big as a barn door and loose as a goose' - so says my father, whose advice got me started on this routine years ago.

We were now past all shyness, any turning back. But I had something I had to tell him. I got my tongue back and took my mouth a half-inch from his, chuckled against his mouth.