Napa, California
Although Ella had expected the next two weeks to drag, they flew by.However, the Monday after she returned home, she got an email from her professor, who was expecting a baby and had now been placed on bed rest.The professor told the class that they could submit their final individual projects at the next class if they were done.If students were unable to complete their projects by then, they would be transferred to another professor’s class and would continue the semester as normal with that instructor.The teacher told them that if they completed their parts of the group project, they could submit that early as well.She reminded them that they would still need to come to the last class on November 1st to present their group projects, even if they submitted early.That was all Ella needed to hear.She elected to finish her projects.She spent two weeks working day and night to finish her individual project and also her part of the group project.
Ella told Ben about her plan to finish her projects early.She did not tell her parents.If she did, they would not see any reason for her to go back to San Luis Obispo after her next class until November.Ella was not going to do anything that might hamper her time with Ben.If that meant more lies to her parents, so be it.
As with the previous two weeks, Ben and Ella talked every night.Of course, the conversations were much different than they had been previously.Because Ella was working long hours, they often did not get to talk until the wee hours of the morning.Ben never complained when Ella called and woke him up.He knew how hard she was working.
The lateness of the calls wasn’t all that was different.Now the conversations were more intimate.Their newfound knowledge of them as a couple drove much of the conversation.If there was one thing that Ben knew how to do, it was rev Ella up, even half asleep and a little out of it.Just hearing his Southern drawl laced with his exceedingly good manners could send her reeling.
Images from the weekend flitted through Ella’s mind throughout the day.She was almost shocked by it all.Everything that occurred had happened so organically that Ella really had no guilt about any of it, which frankly shocked her.For all that they had done, she was still technically a virgin.She would have thought her intense religious background would have taken over and filled her with shame and remorse.But somehow it didn’t.She wondered what that said about her.It was hard to go from being one type of person your whole life to another in a matter of weeks.She was still having a hard time getting used to this new person she was becoming—one who daily, if not hourly, asked herself if she was ready to throw away every belief she had ever had for a chance at love.Could she cross the boundary that she had been taught to hold dear until marriage?
Ella would have loved to talk to Sophie about it all, but she could not bring herself to do it.She would have had to tell her sister all about Ben.The more people who knew, the more likely it was to get back to her parents.She thought about talking to Julia again but decided to hold off.She knew that if she brought the subject up to Julia, she would be full of questions about the weekend that she and Ben had spent together.Ella treasured the memory of that weekend and was not ready to share it with someone else just yet.That meant she was going to have to figure this whole thing out on her own.
Over the two weeks, Ella looked at their relationship from all angles.After much soul searching, she realized that sex without marriage would be acceptable to her, but sex without love would not be.That left her to decide whether she was in love with Ben or just in lust with him.The answer came to her one night after their late night conversation.
Lying in the dark, Ella found herself replaying something Ben had said a few hours earlier when they last spoke.They had been talking about the crazy hours she had been working on both her projects and still helping her parents out at the diner.He had jokingly offered to come and cover her shifts so she could catch up on her sleep.Ella had thanked him but said she was not sure how much help he would be having never waited on customers before.Ben had agreed that he probably did not have the skillset to be that much help, but he offered to bribe her siblings and cousins to take her shifts.
Ella laughed and called him crazy.She joked about how funny they would all look if some stranger called them up and offered them cash to cover their sister’s shift.She had thought it all a big joke but quickly realized Ben was serious.He demanded she share contact information with anyone who could switch with her.He was confident he could persuade them with a little money to take up the slack, giving her more time to work and rest.Refusing his help and calling him ridiculous for even suggesting such a thing, Ella declared herself fine.That was a lie, but she could not let him pay people to cover for her.Just imagining trying to explain him to her folks was enough to give her a headache.Who would even think of something like that?she wondered.
That same question kept circling around in Ella’s head long after they hung up.After several hours of wrestling with it, she figured it out: Only someone who really cared about her would do that.Her parents and family knew her better than anyone, and yet they could not see how hard she was working or how exhausted she was.They lived in the same house with her and did not pick up on the fact that she was struggling.Only Ben, a guy she had only known for a few weeks, had picked up on the fact she needed help.He had not only seen it; he wanted to do something about it.That was the very definition of love.That was when Ella knew she was in love with Ben.She was not sure if it was the forever-and-ever kind of love yet.It was still too new for that, but itwaslove.Once Ella was able to label her feelings for Ben, she knew she was ready to take their relationship to the next level.Thinking back to her conversion with Julia, she knew it was time to be proactive about birth control.
Ella made an appointment with a young female doctor at a clinic across town from the one she had used her whole life.She was not comfortable going to her regular doctor because her mother might find out.That was not a conversation she wanted to have.Her mother would ask a thousand questions, none of which Ella was in the mood to answer.The only appointment the clinic had was a month out.
That meant for their next weekend, Ella would have to take the condoms she already had.Having dealt with the issue of birth control to the best of her ability, Ella decided she might not want to get into long conversations with Julia about sex again, but she did want another crack at her lingerie drawer.She dropped by her cousin’s house late one night after the diner closed, and she left with another sexy lingerie set, this one in black.
________
San Luis Obispo, California
Ella’s Friday night class lasted only about forty-five minutes.Three other classmates besides Ella had elected to complete their projects and present early.Each was given ten minutes to give their presentations.The professor joined the class through Zoom.Once the four presentations were over, class was dismissed.Ella’s coursework was complete, and her degree was done.For all intents and purposes, she was a college graduate!
Walking out of that classroom, Ella was so proud of herself.No one in her family had ever even gone to college, much less graduated.As much as she wanted to call her parents and tell them the news, she couldn’t.If they knew she was done, they would expect her to come back first thing in the morning.That was something she had no intention of doing.Instead, she texted Ben to let him know she was on her way and hitched a ride to the hotel from a friend.
Once Ben got the text that Ella was on her way, he was like a caged animal roaming around the room.He had been a man on a mission since he had left Malibu earlier in the day.His mind had been totally focused on getting to Ella.He had missed her so much and could not stop thinking about her all her long, silky black hair; her soft, rosy lips; her sweet, endearing smile; her infectious laugh; and most of all her huge brain full of facts and trivia.
Ella turned Ben inside out.It was as if being with her was a drug that he craved.He had never had an addictive personality, but he thought he might now know how people who did felt.A crazed hunger drove him and dominated his thoughts.He had gone two long weeks with only dribbles of conversations to assuage his desire for her.He needed to hold her.Feel her.Be with her.So to maximize the time they had together, Ben had already picked up takeout and checked into the hotel.
The second Ella knocked on the door, Ben all but threw it open as he picked her up and smothered her in hugs and kisses.They came together urgently, kissing, hugging, and reacquainting themselves with their mouths, tongues, and bodies.
Holding Ella close, Ben buried his face in her long, beautiful hair and whispered, “Mercy, you feel so good.I have missed you so much.”
Ella, who could hardly breathe because he was holding her so tightly, replied, “I missed you too.”
Pulling back slightly, Ben motioned to the white takeout boxes on the table next to them.“I got burgers.Are you hungry?”
“Starving,” giving Ben a look he had never seen before, Ella added, “But not for food.Just craving some more of you.”
At Ella’s words, Ben growled and moved to cover her mouth with his once again.Stepping back from him, Ella said, “Give me five minutes.I had a long car ride and then class.I really want a moment to freshen up.I probably smell like school.”
Giving her a sniff, Ben replied, “You smell pretty fabulous to me.”At that, Ella rolled her eyes at him.Nodding as he lowered her to the ground, Ben shrugged.“Okay, but just know you’re killing me here.Hurry up!Do what you gotta do.You got two minutes and back out here.Got it?”
Giving him a thumbs-up, Ella carried her bag into the bathroom.When she reemerged a short time later, she once again stood unsure at the foot of the bed, wearing the sheer black nightie she had borrowed.
While Ella was in the other room, Ben had changed into sweats and a T-shirt.His back was to her, so he did not see her at first.He was flipping through channels looking for a movie for them as he asked, “Another rom-com or something…?”The question died on his lips because looking over his shoulder, words failed him.Ella was a vision.Two weeks ago, he would have said pink was his new favorite color.Tonight, it was black.Lifting his hand, which was balled into a fist, to his mouth and biting it, Ben let out a low growl.Closing his eyes as if to get his bearing, he said in a gruff voice, “Baby girl, the rules are the same.You are the boss.You set the pace, but I got to tell you, that little black thing is not playing fair.I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I think you need to put some clothes on.”
Ella could not help but laugh at Ben’s pained expression.Smiling, she said, “No one is getting dressed.I have thought about it.I want to let this,” she gestured hand back and forth between them, “develop.’”
Without moving or even blinking, Ben asked, “Develop?What do you mean by ‘develop?”
