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Rudely Interrupted
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Bay City, Michigan – 1954
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I spent three years working at the hotel and living with Alfie. It had worked out nicely, and by being frugal, I was able to save up a lot of money so I could get a place of my own. After I got a job at the local factory in town, I made even more money and was able to sock most of it away, even after I got my own place, a small studio apartment in a building converted from a hotel into apartments.
I met a nice young lady named Saundra and we began dating seriously. After about six months, I felt like it was time for me to think about proposing. I was twenty and she was nineteen, still living with her folks on the outskirts of town. I had kept in contact with my parents but didn’t see them very often, just on holidays and recently for my mom’s fiftieth birthday party a few months prior.
Believe it or not, going into the woods was one of my favorite things to do. It helped me clear my head and the quiet forest sounds helped soothe me. I had never brought Saundra there, but the following Saturday, I decided we’d go have a picnic together so we could talk. I wanted to propose but needed to get a feel as to where she was at with it all. I had my eye on a ring at a shop in town but had yet to buy it. I guessed I was just a little gun-shy about it all.
I parked my new-to-me 1941 Chevrolet Coupe Pickup on a side street and killed the engine. After opening Saundra’s door and helping her out of the vehicle, I grabbed the picnic basket I’d packed earlier and led her toward the thicket of trees. Hand-in-hand, we walked deeper into the forest until I found a clearing. I removed the blanket from the basket and spread it on the ground before helping her sit.
She looked around, her dark-brown hair shining under the beams of sun escaping through the gaps in the trees above us.
She looked straight into my eyes. “This is a strange place to have a picnic.” She seemed as if she was forcing a smile. “I think the park in town would have sufficed.” She reached up and placed a soft, warm hand on my cheek. “Don’t you, Craig?”
“Yes, I do. But I like to come here sometimes to clear my head. It’s quiet and I wanted to be alone with you. Are you uncomfortable? We can leave...”
“No,” she replied quickly, still smiling. “I like it just fine here. It’s just... different.”
I pulled out two ham and cheese sandwiches and two glass bottles of milk. I handed her one of each and began to unwrap my sandwich.
“I’m so hungry,” she replied, unwrapping hers. She took a bite and smiled at me. “This is really good.”
“Tom at Happy Belly Deli made it. I think they use some secret sauce or something to make it taste extra delicious,” I replied, smiling because I was glad she loved it.
After taking a swig of milk, she set the bottle down and said, “Craig, I have something to tell you.”
I set my sandwich down and grabbed her hand, staring into her caramel-colored eyes. “What is it, sweetie?”
Saundra took a deep breath and looked at our linked hands. “I’ve been trying to find a way to tell you this... but I can’t think of any way to make it easier, so I’ll just come out with it.”
Ugh. My stomach was in knots now, the ham and cheese feeling like it might come back up. “Spill the beans, please.”
She looked up at me and said, “I have to leave Bay City. My family and I are moving to Ohio. Dad got a job managing a huge automotive factory out there. It’s a big promotion for him. We leave in two weeks.”
I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. “But you’re nineteen. You are an adult. You can stay here, can’t you?”
She shook her head, her face downcast. “Daddy says it’s not proper for a woman my age to live alone. Not to mention, I don’t think I can afford my own place working at the ice cream shoppe.”
Well, there was an easy solution for that. I pulled her into my lap and brushed some hair from her face. “Listen, doll. I was going to ask your dad first, but I guess I’ll just bring it up now. I was planning on proposing.”
She gasped, her eyes wide. “You were?”
I nodded. “Yes, I was. And I will, so once that happens, I’m sure your pop will be okay with you staying here, since we’ll be getting married. Right?”
She chewed her lip, her eyes glistening. “Yes, I think he will be.”
“Is that what you want, though?” I asked her.
She nodded immediately. “Yes!”
I brought my lips to hers and kissed her softly. I slowly introduced tongue and she turned around and straddled me. As I hugged her to me, the kiss became more passionate, more urgent. My dick was straining behind my zipper but obviously I would have to deal with him later. There was no way I was going to go all the way for the first time with her right here and now.
Panting, she pulled away and stared at me. “Wow. That was intense. I can’t wait for our wedding night!”
“Hey, I haven’t even proposed yet!” I joked.
She leaned down and kissed me again. “I’ll give you a hint: I’m not gonna say no.”
I laughed and we kissed once more before she reached down and fed me the rest of my sandwich. We spent the rest of the day talking and taking walks through the trees.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I got into my car. After starting it up and driving away from Saundra’s house, I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. Her father had given his blessing for me to propose, and I was so glad I’d already bought the ring because showing it to him and her mom seemed to earn me extra brownie points with them.
After parking the car in front of the ice cream shop, I whistled as I went inside. I sat at the counter, grinning as Saundra had her backside to me from where she was making a milkshake with a machine. Her derriere looked very nice in that short skirt.
“What’s a guy gotta do to get some service around here?” I asked playfully.
She turned around, a practiced smile on her face, although I could tell she looked a little miffed, and then relaxed when she saw me. “Oh, it’s you. Don’t you know you’re my favorite customer? What can I get ya, handsome?”
“Just a mint chocolate chip cone, double scoop, please.”
“You got it.” She winked at me.
I heard a scoffing noise and turned to see an older lady eating an ice cream sundae staring at Saundra. She shook her head. “Flirting like that in public. For shame.” She looked at the man seated across the table from her, presumably her husband, and said, “I would have never been so blatant and bold like that at her age.”
“Yes, I know, Joyce,” the man replied dryly, sounding exasperated.
I bit back a smile and shook my head. I loved it when Saundra winked at me and called me ‘handsome.’
We made small talk while I ate my cone and she worked, then I got up to leave. “I’ll pick you up at six sharp,” I said, leaving fifty cents on the counter.
“Your cone was only ten cents, silly,” she replied.
“Keep it.” I winked at her.
“See you tonight,” she replied, shoving the extra coins in her apron pocket.
I had two hours to kill so I went to the big and tall department store and got myself a new shirt and some aftershave for the special night. Then, after getting ready, I got into my car and went to pick up Saundra.
I was so nervous but knew I needn’t be. She was going to say yes and that was all there was to it. It had been two weeks since our forest picnic, and every time we spent time alone, she always looked at me with hope and anticipation, but I purposely kept her waiting until the last minute. Her family was moving in a week and I knew time was running out.
After a fancy steak dinner, we drove to the bay, and as we got out, I was suddenly very nervous. The ring box was burning a hole in my pocket.
We walked along the beach, hand in hand, the summer night breeze perfect. She stopped to look out over the water, the full moon shining down on the small waves as we looked at the city lights across the bay.
With her back to my front, I wrapped my arms around her, and we stood like that for several minutes. Then, I turned her around and looked down into her face. I had sprouted up in inches over the past couple years, it seemed, so she had to really crane her neck up to look at me.
“I love you Saundra Fischer.” I got down on one knee, pulling the ring box from my pocket at the same time and presenting it to her on the flat of my palm. “Will you marry me?”
She nodded immediately and screamed, “Yes!”
I slid the ring on, and she beamed at it. “It’s beautiful!”
I lifted her in a hug and spun her around as we kissed.
Once I set her down, I bent down to kiss her again, but stopped short when I heard a threatening growl come from behind me. I slowly turned around to see what looked like a large gray wolf standing there, teeth bared, drool dribbling from its jaws.
Saundra let out a bloodcurdling scream that pierced the quiet night.