The Den of Discord - Baby Bear

Story by The Wizened Raconteur on SoFurry

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#68 of Miscellany

Got a little carried way, A little over 20,000 words. Sue me.


Grocery day arrived and I got the first order done as fast as I could. The next was the Behrman's and I got there ten minutes early. Mama bear was waiting by the side door, so I grabbed a pawful of bags and stepped inside. She smiled but said little. I got the idea; the fewer words spoken, the less likely we'd make a slip-up.

"Morning ma'am."

"Morning Wilson."

"Will you need help this morning?"

"You can help if you like. It's always appreciated. But I do have my daughter home today."

"Is that so?"

"It is. Would you like to meet her?"

"Why sure. I'd love to."

"Molly!"

She came around the corner from the living room. The face was the same one from the photo, but I was surprised that she was actually pretty svelte. For a bear that is. She had a smaller set of tits under her t-shirt, and her hips weren't as pronounced. She was just a little shorter than I was, which made her about perfect.

"This is the boy I was telling you about. Wilson Montgomery."

"The football player?"

"Yes dear. Do you remember him?"

"Number sixty-nine?"

I chuckled.

"Running back. Number sixty-seven."

"Yeah, that was it. I do remember you. I had eyes mostly for the quarterback."

"Who didn't?"

I didn't have the heart to tell her that I had done him back in the day. He was a hunk to be sure, but for his size, for a bison, he had the drawback that he didn't match his overall mass with the mass between his legs.

"Dad said we can't mix with other species."

"Oh. So maybe I should just finish up what I'm doing and leave?"

She growled a little.

"Mom said you seemed different."

"Maybe I am."

"You'd take me to the dance?"

"You have asked me yet."

She looked hard at her mother, but spoke to me.

"Mom said she talked to you."

"She did. I'm here so we can meet. In my eyes, the choice is up to you. I will be honored to go with you, but only if you ask me to go."

"It's supposed to be the other way around."

"Maybe. You see, I can look at you and easily say yes."

"What the hell does that mean?"

I sighed.

"I like what I see. You have some of your mother's good looks, and plenty of your own."

She gave me a severe gaze.

"Did mom tell you to say that?"

"Curiously enough, no. I was to make up my own mind."

"And you'd go with me?"

"You haven't asked yet."

"Will you go with me?"

"Why yes Molly, I would be delighted."

"Really?"

"I said as much."

Her eyes narrowed.

"How much are you being paid?"

"To deliver groceries?"

Her voice was steady and even.

"To take me to the dance..."

"Uh. That never came up. Why? Should I get paid?"

"Look. I know how things work. No one wants to mess with my dad, so they avoid this family like the plague. If you're willing to say yes, then there has to be something in it for you."

Mama bear looked at me, hoping I'd have the right thing to say. She had offered money, and I had refused.

"There is. Or rather, there might be."

"And what is that?"

I looked at my watch.

"Are you hungry?"

"Maybe. Why do you want to know? And what the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"I thought maybe we could go get something to eat and talk for a bit."

Her eyes lit up.

"Mom?"

"It seems like a reasonable idea." She turned to me. "Don't you have more deliveries to make?"

"I'll just call in with a flat tire. That'll give us a few hours."

"Will that be alright? I don't want you to get fired."

"They'll be cool about it."

So that's what I did.

"Where do you want to go?" I asked her.

"My choice?"

"Sure."

"The Fishery?"

"Sure thing. I haven't been there in a few years. I love their smoked salmon."

"Me too!"

I turned to Arty.

"Should you come along? I don't want anyone thinking the wrong thing."

"Oh heavens no. You two go. I think this will be great."

And that was that. The restaurant was across town, along the river, and I got us seated outside on the patio overlooking the water,

"So Molly..." I started, after we had ordered.

"Call me Babycakes."

"Babycakes?"

"Yeah. Some of the guys at school started calling me that and I decided I'd keep it just to piss them off."

"I like Molly better."

"Me too. Just humor me," she spat back, a little angrily.

I held up my paws.

"Hey, no problem Babycakes."

She smiled.

"You do seem nice. You graduated with my sister, didn't you?"

"Yep."

There was a moment of silence, as I was uncertain what to ask and she seemed to be thinking. She finally broke it.

"Did mom pay you?"

"You know, I think we went over this already."

"Did she?"

"Nope. I get paid to deliver groceries and that's it."

She was staring into my eyes.

"Look, I think that what mom is doing is sweet, but I don't want to go with someone who isn't interested in going."

"And you think I don't really want to take you? Which is why I brought you here for a meal. Yeah, that makes sense."

"So; what do you want?"

"Let's change the question around. What do you want?"

She was still staring into my eyes. It was almost unnerving. Still, I stared back.

"I want to go to the dance and feel that my date wants to be there with me. I want to feel like a princess, even though I don't look like one. And afterwards... Maybe afterwards have the night topped off with something special."

"You want to have sex."

"You make it sound so pedestrian."

"Sorry. That was a little blunt, but I want to get to the point. Do you want to have sex?"

"Everyone has sex after dances."

I thought about my main job and had to work hard to keep a straight face,

"I got ya. I was your age not that long ago. We didn't have any fancy-pants dances when I was fifteen. Just Prom and Homecoming and the Sadie Hawkins dance."

"This is new. I thought it would be fun dressing up."

"Me too. I already looked into an outfit."

"Honestly?"

"Sure. At the tux store at the mall."

"You'll go then?"

"Would you like me to get down on my knees and propose?"

She suddenly turned embarrassed.

"No! I thought that maybe this was just a sham."

"Nooooo. That's why I am leaving it up to you. I essentially already said I would go."

She shivered with excitement.

"I can't wait to show you off to everyone."

"That may be a problem."

"Why?"

I drew in a deep breath.

"What your mom doesn't fully know is that I work at Wilderland too."

"You?! You work in a strip club?"

"Yeah. Does that bother you?"

I could see the wheels turning in her head.

"You know, I think it doesn't. In fact, I think I like that idea."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Guys are only after one thing, and they do it and get it over with fast. You might be a little better at it for working there. I don't know."

"Thanks? I think. And I do know a thing or two about sex."

"You've probably never had sex with my type before."

I had to suppress a snort.

"And what is your type?"

"A bear. Duh."

"Oh. I don't really separate species all that much. I can appreciate someone for who they are inside as well as what they look like on the outside."

"You sound like a philosopher."

"I speak from the heart Molly... I mean, Babycakes."

She giggled, the first relaxed sound I had heard from her.

"You can call me Molly."

"Then why the other?"

"The boys see my mom's chest and say she has a lot of cheesecake. Since I'm the baby of the family, but I was an early bloomer, I got called Babycakes, because even though I had a lot more than the other girls, I don't have as much as mom."

"That's kind of rude."

"As if you were any better?"

"I'd like to think so. Insulting someone for their appearance is only allowed if that person is slovenly. Otherwise, you should appreciate what mother nature gave you."

She smiled and was about to say something, but the food arrived.

We would have droned on for another hour, but we both ate ravenously. My excuse was that I had been burning the midnight oil, so I had no idea what her deal was. It wasn't until later that I figured out she had been self-conscious about how much food she could pack away, and was normally pretty reserved about her eating in public. She had felt comfortable with me, which if I hadn't been so preoccupied with other things, I might have seen.

I got her back home without incident and went back to work, wondering at the day's events. This complicated matters between me and her mom, whether she realized it or not. If Molly found out I had been shagging her mom, she'd probably flip. And what I did with her dad? Yeah. I don't think anyone would even believe it if I had filmed it.

I guess I was just going to have to see how this played out.

Papa bear ended up at the club a few nights later, and I was hoping to get busy with someone else. I could handle the old man, but I was feeling a little uncomfortable around him now, seeing as I was doing his wife, and was likely going to be doing his daughter in the near future.

"Hey kid."

"Yeah?"

"You got some time?"

"Uh. Sure. Private room?"

"Doesn't have to be. Wanted to talk with you."

I gulped.

"Sure. A table in the corner?"

"Great."

I slid in, while he sucked in his gut before squeezing in across from me.

"I wanted to thank you."

"Uh. Sure. For what?"

"Giving me a much needed break. I thought things over after you and I had our fling, and I decided to look up my old buddy."

"And?"

"He was thrilled to hear from me. Planned out some time a few weeks from now. We decided to get together for a few days. Told my wife I had a business trip."

"Are you hoping for a little action?"

"Me? Don't know. It'll just be nice doing something for me for a change."

"Gotcha.

"Going to miss my daughter's upcoming dance, but I doubt she'll notice."

"Maybe. Don't assume. Perhaps you've been a little grouchy and you haven't seen the effects of it."

He sighed.

"Probably. But I've been working more, and therefore home less, and my wife seems happier for it."

Being the source of the real reason make me feel a bit put out.

"Ouch. Maybe you should just try harder."

"Kid, it's been two decades, plus a few years. Sometimes things just die."

"Whatever you say papa bear."

"Put yourself in my place. What would you do?"

I had the sudden image of his naked wife flitting through my mind. In my image I was sticking my dick in all sorts of places.

"Tough question. Make the best of it I suppose?"

"You're an optimist, aren't you?"

"Sure. I like to see the best in everything, even you big guy."

He reached over and ruffled my hair.

"You're a good kid. Hope my girl gets a man like you."

"Uh. Thanks. Not sure you mean that."

He looked around the interior of the club.

"Your job has to be a lot more interesting than mine."

"Interesting? Definitely. I'm not pulling in six figures though."

He turned back to me.

"No, I suppose not. Well kid, that was it. Hope you have a good life. See what you can do about moving up the ladder though. I think you have a good head for better things."

"Ok papa bear. You too."

He got up and walked out without buying a drink or anything. Back to being uptight it seemed, though I thought his genuine thanks was a sweet thing to do. I only wished he hadn't bothered. If he ever found out about what was going on behind his back he'd do full berserker on me.

Molly had a custom-made dress, and since I had leaked to her what my intended outfit was going to look like, we ended up matching perfectly. I wasn't the hugest fan of spending money on frivolous things, but as I said before, this did seem like a worthy cause. It was therefore a bit of a surprise, and what nearly evolved into a fight, when her mom handed me an envelope.

"What's this?"

"Open it."

I did and it didn't make me happy.

"I said I didn't want any money for this."

"That is not exactly what it's all about."

"No? How much is in here?"

"There's a thousand dollars."

"What the fuck?!"

"It's not for you," she said quietly.

"Mama bear, you need to speak up; besides, you're not making any sense."

"Listen to me. This ball is going to prove to be expensive. That was why I offered to pay you. But you're such a good kid, you wouldn't take it. I get that and I respect it. But I want this night to be as perfect as it can be and yet I want it to come from you. You can't have that kind of cash to waste, but I do. So I want you to take it and spend it on things you think will make her happy."

I counted out the bills.

"Do you want receipts?"

"Oh Wilson. Of course not. I trust you to spend it all wisely."

"Wisely? Like how?"

"Use your imagination."

"For a thousand bucks, I can do a lot of things."

"Good. I'm counting on you."

I wasn't happy, but I wasn't upset either. She was right. A grand was a lot of cash to drop; for me. But if she had it coming out her ears, then so be it. I would have said "coming out her ass", but I had been there repeatedly, and I knew she wasn't hiding any on her person. Not in any of the places I had been anyways.

She had put me on the spot. I had cash, but what to do with it? Limos were a dime a dozen at ritzy events, so renting one, even an overblown one, seemed stupid. My car was a sturdy model, but not something you impressed people with at any time.

That got me thinking though. One of my clients. He might have a solution.

I gave him a call.

"Chaz?"

"Monty? Hey boy, what do I owe the pleasure of getting a ring-up from you?'

"This is a bit of a business call."

"Are you going home deliveries on lap dances now?"

"Maybe. If it will help."

"Help with what?"

I told him my predicament.

"Sure, you can rent it for the night. This will be a change. Usually I'm the one paying you."

"We can always work something out you know."

"Hmmm. Yes we can. You going to pick it up on Friday?"

"No, I'll do it Saturday morning. The dance starts at five and I don't want to have it any longer than I need to."

"Suit yourself. Drive to the house, get rang in, and tell Marcus which one you want."

"Thanks Chaz."

"Think nothing of it. You've given an old badger something to look forward to."

My next move was even more audacious. I told you the club had some big spenders. Papa bear was wealthy, but not the single most wealthy person I knew. I rang up another.

"May I speak with Mr. Von Wisent?"

The person on the other end didn't ask who I was, for this was the absolute private line to the old bull. I heard him cough before picking up the line.

"Yes. Who's this?"

"Monty, from the Wilderland Club."

"The puma? I remember you boy. Didn't know a man could dance like that."

"Yes, that's me. I was wondering?"

"Need a loan, or are you bored or something?"

I laughed.

"No sir. I was actually wondering if there was a chance I could rent the boathouse at your estate for a night."

"That old thing? No one has used it in forever. Hell, you remember the last time I was in it?"

"I do. All the better I suppose. I can drive over and get it cleaned up if you like. I was thinking of paying you five hundred bucks for the privilege."

He wheezed a bit into the phone, suppressing a laugh.

"The privilege of cleaning it up or the privilege of using it?"

I laughed too.

"I mean it. I'm taking this girl on a date, and I'm trying to make it nice for her. I was thinking of all the best stuff to do."

"And you thought about the boathouse?" His old voice was incredulous.

"I know you don't think it's nice, but I do."

"Monty, if you come and clean it up, you can have it for a week."

"Do you mean it?"

"I get a clean building for free, and you get a place to fuck...that is, I assume that's what it's for."

"Maybe. This isn't going to be about that. Not exactly. I really do want to make this a nice time for her."

"You're going all out for this girl, are you? I never took you for a romantic."

"Me either."

"Well son, she's all yours. One night or seven, you clean her up and you can do as you please. And maybe when you're done, look me up. I miss those graceful moves of yours."

"Sure thing sir!"

I ended up quitting the delivery job a week before the dance. I rather dropped off the face of the earth, and I even got a few texts from Mrs. Behrman. I answered them quickly, telling her I was putting her thousand dollars to very good use. And no, she couldn't know beforehand what I was doing.

I had every last detail in place, all by my lonesome, so that no one could blab. The boathouse was now quite respectable, with every window washed, every floor swept, and every curtain cleaned. I had every aspect set up, and dropped by the early morning of Saturday to fill in the other details.

On my way back, I stopped at Chaz's place and drove back to the garages. I blew my horn until Marcus appeared.

"Trading in this piece of shit for something classy?"

"Ha ha. You know why I'm here."

"You better take good care of it."

"I've hired someone to watch over it."

"Seriously? I was kind of kidding."

"I'm not. I'm careful with other people's toys."

"Don't let Chaz hear you say that. This isn't a toy."

"Not when it was built it wasn't. Now? It just sits under a roof away from appreciating eyes."

"There is that," he said with resignation.

He opened a garage door and went to a rack of keys. Pulling off a set he walked over to one hell of a beauty.

"Remember she takes high-test fuel. She was just tuned up last year and hasn't seen more than twenty miles since then."

He started it up. The roar of sixteen cylinders was amazing. He walked around it as it was warming up, using the air compressor to dust it off.

"The convertible top is manual, but I think you know that. I would suggest leaving it up unless you're driving in town. Open tops and fancy hairdos don't mix well."

"Got it. I'll have her back tomorrow by five."

"Not my business. Want me to detail your heap while it's here?"

"You don't have to, but I'll not turn down the offer."

"I'm bored, so not a problem. See you tomorrow."

Let me tell you that going from around a hundred horsepower to over five hundred can make you feel giddy. That beast I was driving now was a far cry from my normal ride, and I could see why race car drivers got off on the sport.

I had already picked up my tux, so I drove back to the boathouse to change. I put the champagne in the refrigerator with a few other things. I unpacked what I had brought earlier and arranged everything the way I wanted it.

Most of these kids would be tooling off after the dance in their bland, overblown limos, heading to nearby hotels and motels to do what everyone knew they were going to be doing.

I was nothing like them anymore.

I changed and spent plenty of time in front of the mirror, tweaking the lines of my outfit and finding myself to be quite foppishly handsome in this new set of clothes. It was a little overboard for even me, but likely to be the spotlight of the event. I hoped Molly's dress had come out as planned, for its design would bring us together in a special manner, much like the car we would arrive in.

It was just four o'clock, and the ride to her house was a half an hour from where I was, so I made one last adjustment to my accoutrements and headed out to the car. It purred like a kitten as I fired up the engine. I dropped it in gear, turned the big nose around and went back out the way I had come in. I had a card for the electronic gate, and a swipe of that got me out onto the road.

I actually felt my heart racing. This whole thing, starting with papa bear, had been one hell of a lark. Now it was turning into something pretty cool. It would probably fall apart at some point, but until that happened, I was going for the gusto.

Driving through town was as I expected. Heads turned in my direction, to see who was driving this big old classic beauty. The red paint nearly glowed there were so many coats of wax on it. I had on my mask, so I was not identifiable, and I glowed nearly as much as the paint from the looks I was getting.

I pulled up to the front of the Behrman's house and laid on the horn. Turning the engine off, I got out, walking ever so sexily up to the house. It wasn't often you could say that I sashayed, but that's what I was doing now. Arty opened the door and her jaw nearly dropped.

"My god! I wish I was fourteen again!"

I stepped through the doorway, wondering what she would have been like at that age.

"You like?"

"You bought that for a thousand dollars?"

"Oh hell no. It's mine for the night. It'll turn into a pumpkin if it's gone too long, so it has to go back."

"What the hell is it?"

"It's a Stutz Bearcat. From the nineteen thirties. Isn't she beautiful?"

"Who?" came Molly's voice, as she apparently only caught the last bit of the conversation.

I turned and stared, letting out a low whistle.

"I was referring to something else, but I see that it holds no candle to the likes of you!"

She actually blushed, though at the same time she was looking me over from head to toe.

"You approve?"

She did a very feminine twirl. The voluminous shirt whirled outwards with her pirouette and settled back at the completion of it.

I was looking at her face.

Someone had trimmed and brushed, and in places, bleached or dyed subtle hints of color and texture. Her hair was extraordinary, and the rest of her was, I was sure, equally manicured and trimmed to beat the band. She put her mask up and over her face, causing me to frown. She pulled it back off again.

"What's the matter?"

"You covered up the best part."

Her blush deepened. Arty jostled me from the back.

"Nice," she whispered.

"Honest," I said louder.

She cleared her throat.

"Honey, you should really see what he has sitting outside."

"A limo?"

"A limo?" her mother mimicked. "No, I think this will make any limo there look like chump change."

Molly stuck her head out the door. She let out a low growl that was pure amazement.

"Wow. That is totally cool!"

"Thanks. Like I told your mom, it's called a Bearcat. I thought it was appropriate, since you're an ursine and I'm a feline."

"I love it!"

She gave me a huge hug.

"Can I go look at it?"

"Sure."

She ran out, her dress all a flow, and walked around it, hardly daring to touch it. Mama bear leaned into me.

"Look at her. I haven't seen her this happy in ages. And when she's happy, I'm happy."

"Glad to hear it. You still think going all the way is a good idea?"

"In the backseat of that thing? I don't think you'd get your deposit back." She grinned a little at her joke. "But in all seriousness, if that's what she wants, please, please give it to her. This night is already better than anything she's had before."

"Alright. But it's all up to her," I said in all seriousness.

"If she doesn't want to, I'll make it up to you in double..."

I gave her a little kiss on the cheek.

"I'll hold you to it."

We walked outside, where Arty took a bunch of pictures of us standing in front of the car. I opened the passenger door and ushered Molly inside. Once seated, I walked around to the driver's side and got in. She waved to her mom, and with a turn of the key, the engine roared to life. And we were off.

Pulling up to the school cause a minor riot. I had already arranged for someone to be there to keep a watch over the car. Carl was one of the bouncers at the club, a big wildebeest with a no-nonsense attitude. I stopped the car and got out, mask on, and opened the door for Molly, who also had on her mask. Between the two of us, we looked like a prince and his consort. And strangely enough, we were not immediately recognized. I figured she would be, even if they failed to know who I was, but between the car and the costumes, we became the talk of the evening.

Carl jumped in and parked it for me, his head jammed up against the ragtop so much his horns were visible.

The dance was, as far as dances go, rather boring. We handed over our tickets, and were given numbers to wear. I had no idea why, but whatever. I could hear the songs coming from the auditorium and rolled my eyes. I was used to some pretty intense music, but this stuff was all school board sanctioned pap. I went over to the DJ and had a word or two with him. I also slipped him a hundred dollar bill.

There was a screech as he stopped the music.

"Boy and girls. I have just been informed that there's been a slight change to the musical selections for the evening. Please stand by."

Molly looked at me when I came back.

"What did you just do?"

"This is boring. There isn't time in life for such things as boredom. I hope I just summarily killed it."

The music abruptly started again. The room went wild. The tune was from a few years back, but it had been all the rage.

"You had him play The Animals? That is so rad!"

"They're your favorite band."

She looked shocked.

"Did mom tell you that?"

"Nope. You were wearing one of their concert shirts the first day I met you."

"You noticed that?"

"Sure. I was checking you out. You weren't wearing a bra either."

She suddenly turned timid.

"You were looking at my chest? Everyone looks at mom's tits."

I really wanted to tell her that I knew what her mom's looked like, but that would be a total buzzkill.

"I have_looked at your mom's. They _are hard to miss. No offense of course. But I was invited to meet you, and for me, that means taking in everything."

"And what about later?"

"What about it?"

"Do you want to see them for real?"

"I'll tell you what. Let's dance and have some fun. After that, we'll go somewhere and see what happens."

We went out onto the dancefloor, which had suddenly been flooded with partygoers. While there were all sorts of costumes being sported, none of them compared to ours. I heard a few voices here and there in the crowd say her name, so it was clear that her disguise had been discovered. My ears also caught that no one seemed to be able to determine who I was, especially with that car I drove up in. Overall though, the voices just mingled into one big noise.

It was hard to hear much over the new music, and that was alright by me. I had left high school behind in no uncertain way, and any jealousness or spite anyone might show Molly was going to be dealt with in no uncertain terms. I wasn't here for them.

I was here for her. And therefore, I was not going to tolerate harassment from anyone.

The music did eventually change, but by then I figured no one would care. They had rocked and rolled until they were pretty much exhausted. Therefore, when a waltz came on, most of them left the dance floor. I found that peculiar, considering the costumes we had been made to wear.

The took her paw and made a bow.

"My lady."

"Are we going to dance to this?" she asked with real concern. "Do you know how?"

I grinned.

"Molly, I can dance to anything."

"If you say so."

We took off around the floor, as fluid as could be. Her size was close enough to mine to make our movements in sync. She kept in step, which was pretty phenomenal, since her legs were less adept at footwork than were mine. I was actually quite proud of her.

"Dance classes?" I asked as we swept across the floor.

"Yeah. Mom said they would come in handy."

"Looks like mom knows best."

"She's pretty cool."

"I agree," I said openly, though our assessment as to why probably differed.

And we were off again, cutting the proverbial rug for as long as the classical music played. When it was done, and the DJ went back to playing more modern songs, we went and took our table. There was food and refreshments, but both of us ate only a little. I think she was still self-conscious, but I knew there was better waiting at the next leg of this excursion.

"How long do you want to stay?" I hollered over the amplified music.

"We can go whenever."

"I don't want to rush you out the door. You seem like you're having decent time."

She put her paw on mine.

"I am, thanks to you."

Just then, the music stopped, and the DJ came on.

"Alright all you animals. And you too ladies..."

There was a general snicker running through the group.

"I'm told there is going to be voting for the king and queen of the Masquerade Ball. Voting is by the number pinned to their costume. It's assumed that you don't know who anyone is, so be sporting if you have figured out some of the revelers, and vote with your conscience."

I looked at her.

"You going to vote?"

"I wasn't going to."

"Yeah, me either. I mean it's a nice sentiment and all, but I would rather stay out of it altogether."

"Another dance?"

"Sure!"

We moved through the crowd of those who had jumped up to fill the ballot box, and made our way towards the stage. I went over to the DJ and gave him my cell phone.

"Can you play this song?"

He looked at the song showing and smiled.

"Sure as hell can. For a hundred bucks I'd play kiddie tunes all night."

I walked back to Molly and took her paw.

"Get ready."

The song I had him play was a modern one, done by a couple of classically trained musicians, and done so well that you wondered how their instruments didn't disintegrate from the abuse they were giving them. It's pretty cool to know cellos could play heavy metal.

We hit the floor and moved like liquid lightning. There was a lull as everyone froze at the unexpected tune, and then all at once the floor was filled with dancers again. The place went wild!

By the time the song was done, the chaperones were having hissy fits, and the students and their partners were chanting for more. I had to smile, but taking the wiser course of action, went and retrieved my phone and gave the DJ a wink. He just grinned like an idiot.

"Hey man, that's what the job's all about."

I took Molly by the arm and headed for the door. I figured things were going to be rowdy until they shut down the dance, so making an early escape seemed wise. That meant I could get the car out of the parking lot before there were fifty or sixty limos lined up, blocking the way.

As we got to the auditorium door, the DJ made an announcement.

"Brawny beasts and bodacious beauties! I have been asked to have you all hang loose for a moment or two. The fine adults in the crowd are asking everyone to please vote so that they can name the king and queen. As I can't play any more music until you do, like, get over there and make your selections."

There were a few groans, but the remainder of the group filled out the slips and stuffed them into the box. Once everyone was seated, the teachers took the box away. Well, I wasn't seated, and neither was Molly. I still planned on heading out the door.

She held me back.

"I want to see who wins."

"If we must, we must. There is more to this night you know."

"I hope so. Just wait a moment. Please?"

I squeezed her paw.

"Sure. For you."

We waited in the shadows until they were ready.

The DJ came back on.

"Ok all you lucky dudes and dames, I have the list. It goes like this. Second runners-up are pair number twenty three, Rusty Blakeley and his date, first runners-up are number fifty one, Angelica Cabral and her date, and the winners are, being named the official king and queen of the ball, Molly Behrman and her date! Long live the king and queen!"

I felt her paw tense up. I had rather thought the extravagance of the outfits, and the car, and maybe getting the DJ to buck the choices of the boredom brigade might do it, and I had really wanted to be gone before a decision was made. There was going to be a dark side to this.

"They made us royalty!" she murmured; her disbelief being almost palpable.

"Hey princess, you already were," I whispered to her.

I got a look that said I was getting laid tonight whether I wanted it or not.

"Listen to you! We have to go claim our titles!"

There was a spotlight running across the tables, for everyone knew where we had been sitting, and we certainly weren't there now. I sucked in a breath, said a prayer, and walked back through the doorway and onto the floor. The spotlight caught us and followed us to the center of the floor. The principal was there with two crowns.

I rather cringed at the idea. I made up my mind that I had to disguise my voice too, for if this ended up on television, someone would know it was me.

Without boring you with too many stupid details, we were hailed as the first King and Queen of the Masquerade Ball, and pictures were taken, and though urged to take off my mask, I politely and solidly refused. The principal was befuddled by my rebuff.

"But son, these photos are going to go in the newspaper and the yearbook. Don't you want your face showing?" he asked.

"Sir, with all due respect, think of it this way," I said sagely, and with a touch of accent to my voice. "If no one knows who I am, then there will be a lot of debate over my identity, and that will attract more attention to the ball and to the school. Everyone loves a mystery. Let it go. Trust me. Give everyone something to ponder for a while."

"But son, I need to put down something on the plaque."

"Put...Prince Charming," I said suavely. "That's something."

His eyes went wide.

"Are you really a prince?"

I laughed.

"Why no, good sir. I am a KING!"

Molly snickered just a little. That car outside certainly could make people think I was. And she hadn't seen the half of it yet.

When everything was done, I bowed, took her paw and waved to everybody. The hell if I was sticking around now. Everyone was going to hear about my stunt and a mass of paws were going to be trying to get my mask off. I was nobody's prince, and if I were discovered, there would be hell to pay down the road. I was already heading down it now thanks to the voting.

I called Carl.

"Dude! Can you bring the car up to the door?"

I heard the engine roar to life and in half a minute it was sitting there waiting for us. Carl, being the good guy that he was, opened the door for Molly and then closed it afterwards. He noted the crowns on our heads.

"Well look at you Goldie. Someone make you a king?"

"Yeah. Not a job I wanted but the little lady is happy."

"Hey brother, that's all that matters."

I got in and put the car in gear, zipping out of the parking lot in a squeal of smoke and tires. Molly hung on as I negotiated the turn onto the street and them looked at me.

"Goldie?"

I snorted.

"Carl likes to give everyone at the club nicknames. I got stuck with Goldie because of my fur and hair color."

"You do have nice, pretty blonde hair."

"Thanks. Sort of comes with the territory."

"Meaning?"

"All pumas are blonde,"

"Oh."

"Now cougars are another thing entirely," I said with a grin.

"I thought they were the same thing," she said, looking a little confused.

"Sometimes they can be. I'll explain the difference to you sometime when you're older. Of course, by then, you'll likely know."

We roared off into the evening, with the sky darkening as the sunset vanished behind the treetops. She was quiet for the first leg of the journey, but eventually she got curious.

"Will?"

"Yeah?"

"Uh, where are you taking me?"

I smiled and finally pulled off my mask.

"Were you expecting a hotel?"

"Maybe. Or I thought you'd take me back to your place."

"My place? Hardly. I figured I'd do this right. Be patient."

"You're not..."

"What?"

"You're not taking somewhere to..."

I caught the gist of her worry.

"Molly dearest. Relax. You think you've had your dessert already. I'm telling you that you haven't seen anything yet."

She fell silent. I think she was feeling a little uneasy not knowing where we were heading. I understood that. Girls alone with a guy in the middle of nowhere could be a scary thing to consider. And I was a guy, and we were alone in the middle of nowhere. I couldn't just tell her where we were going, because that would ruin the surprise.

I pulled up to the back gate of the estate and swiped my card. The wrought-iron monstrosities swung open and I drove through. The road took us alongside the lake, and the thin twilight remaining made its surface twinkle.

"Where are we?" she asked, completely at a loss.

"Somewhere special. Did you think I'd pick you up in a car like this just to drive you to a hotel room?"

"But where are we?"

I said nothing as I pulled up outside of the boathouse. I had lights on strategically, illuminating the windows in a soft glow. She got out and simply stared. And that stare took her eyes up two stories.

And this is what she was looking at. The main house was way up on the hill. It had been built like a hundred or more years ago by some exiled baron from one of those snooty European countries. Or so the story went. I never cared much for history. The present owner was an old perv, whose acquaintance I had made at the club. Nice guy really, but rich and eccentric...and did I say rich? Rich as in making papa bear look like he made pocket change.

Like I said, money is nice, but I like people. And I liked the old coot. And he liked me. So when I asked to use the boathouse, you probably pictured some single story building with a partially rotted roof and lots of gear stuffed in the rooms.

Nope.

This place was a miniature of the mansion above; it, a literal castle in its own right. The boathouse was an architectural complement to it. Sure there was an access to the lake, and there was even a nice boat ready to be launched, but the rest of it had been meant to be a summer retreat. It had three bedrooms, one with a fireplace, and the current owner had run electricity to it like a decade ago. And then he never used it. Well, him and I had once. I fell in love with it. It was something out of some those sappy romance novels, with stone masonry and leaded glass windows.

And all I had to do was get it cleaned up for the night.

"You got me a castle?"

"Well sweetheart, it's not mine to give. But we do have full use of it."

"A castle? You got that car? And then a castle. Where are we?"

"On the Von Wisent estate."

"Fuck no? Really?"

"Yep. Beats a hotel any day."

She jumped up and wrapped her arms and legs around me. I was pretty sure that the only thing going through her head was fucking me. We weren't going to be getting to that right away. But the kiss she gave me held high promise for later.

I kissed her back and had her stand on her own two feet.

"Let's not get too wet before we're ready."

"I am ready..."

"Like hell you are."

I opened the thick wooden door and ushered her inside. The whole place smelled of lavender and spices. The furniture was all old, and by that, again, I don't mean garbage stuff from the eighties. This was all original, and all of it in great shape. The soft lights made as if there were candles lit, overall giving one a sense of stepping back in time.

"Wow..." came her awed and whispered reply.

"Pretty neat, huh? Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, actually I am. There's food?"

"A car; and a castle; and you have to ask if there's food?"

"Sorry. This place looks pretty old."

"Oh it is. But not without modern conveniences."

I walked her to the kitchen and opened the oversized refrigerator. I had to plug the old girl back in and hoped and prayed she still worked. The unit had purred almost as smoothly as the car. From inside I pulled out six large trays to show her. It wasn't what I considered to be food fit for a king, but I had some idea of her tastes. Drool formed, and she wiped the corners of her mouth with her paw.

"Is that all sushi?"

"You had better believe it. I had the chef do up all of the fish recipes he knew. There's salmon, and eel, and... "

"Oh my god! I love you so much!"

"Careful your choice of words Molly."

"Oh shut up. This is too much!"

"I doubt it."

She gave me a jab.

"I didn't mean too much food you moron. I meant you have really gone over the top."

I looked at my watch.

"Oh, is the night over already?"

"There's more?"

"Why wouldn't there be?"

"Can we eat first? Now that I'm smelling this, I am feeling pretty hungry."

"In these outfits? Are you crazy?"

She looked down at herself.

"I didn't think about that. Soy sauce would probably stain my dress."

"Not to mention the wasabi, and the ginger sauce and..."

She looked so sad I felt bad for adding to the list. I grabbed a shopping bag sitting by one of the chairs.

"Here."

"What's this?"

"Open it."

She pulled out a form-fitting blue dress.

"You bought me this?"

"Yeah. A sheath dress. Not super expensive, but I think you'll look nice in it and it is machine washable."

She pulled out a bag within the bag. Out of it came a pair of silk pajamas.

"Shit Monty, for all of this, I'd let you tie me down and rape me."

"Hush! Don't you dare speak that way!"

"But no one has ever been this nice to me!"

"And for that reason, you would debase yourself?"

"But you work at the club. I thought..."

"Look Molly. I do what I do willingly. Sure, some people like to have some rough stuff and rape-play is pretty common. But don't think I have done any of this just to get laid."

"But then why?"

"Because I think you deserve it."

That seemed to fluster her. She looked at the dress and then at me.

"Do you have something to change into?"

"Of course. I'd suggest we do it in separate rooms."

"I'm not shy."

"That's the problem. Neither am I. So unless you want to miss out of some of what I have planned, then I would suggest you humor me."

"Wow. Just wow."

"That's right. Wow. You change here. I'll go upstairs. I'll be down in ten minutes."

And I was.

She looked great, better even maybe, than she had in her previous dress. I was a simple guy, despite what I was showing her. I could have had a sugar daddy, and the car out there might have been mine if I had wanted it bad enough. _Things_were nice, but they often just weighed you down. I was wearing a pair of blue leggings and a white t-shirt. And yes, you could see what I carried below my waist quite clearly. As it was, her nipples were making a show of themselves, and I knew she could barely contain herself, seeing as she was likely as bare under her dress as I was under my pants.

Good things came to those who waited.

We each grabbed a couple of trays and went outside. There was a patio/deck outside that sat right on the water, made of stone like the rest of the building. There was a table set up with a white tablecloth, and after lighting the candles on it, I excused myself and slipped away. She may have heard a whoosh, or maybe not, but a can of hairspray and a lighter made quick work of lighting some more. I turned on a fan and left the boat ramp though the side door and sat down across from her.

"What as that all about?"

"You'll see."

In a moment, a whole flotilla of drifting candles emerged, being propelled by the fan. A few had flickered out, but the rest lit up the surface with their twinkling orange flames.

Molly started to cry.

"You're too wonderful..."

"Am I?"

"Look at all of this!"

"I see it.

"You did all of this for me?"

"You really have had a tough life despite your station, haven't you?"

She sniffed back the tears.

"Not tough. There just hasn't been a lot of emotion. Well, from dad. Mom is pretty cool, but he doesn't pay much mind to her either."

"I got that vibe. The old man is a workaholic."

"Maybe. I think he hates work too. I think he's just miserable and loves making everyone else miserable too."

"Some people are like that. Sometimes it helps if you can figure out what the problem is."

She dried her eyes.

"He doesn't tell anyone anything."

"Then I suppose you need to quit worrying about it. The dam will break at some point."

"Yeah. Maybe."

"Enough of that for now. Let's eat!"

I could hardly tell her the problem with the old guy. And if he was going to revisit his past, maybe that would give him the satisfaction he needed.

The sushi was from the only such restaurant we had in town, and it was to die for. I won't say how much I dropped on the meal, seeing as the money wasn't mine, but it was enough that the chef gave me a fifty dollar gift card for free.

When we were done, I packed up what remained onto one tray and took it back to the fridge. I pulled out a bottle of champagne and got two glasses off the shelf.

I set the glasses down on the table and wrestled with the cork.

"Is that Dom?"

"What else?"

"That's awfully expensive."

"Is it? Maybe I should leave it unopened..."

She gave me a shy grin.

"Sorry. I just can't get over all of this."

"Then relax. Some nights are once in a lifetime."

She sipped at her glass and turned to look out over the water. The candles had drifted apart until they were like stars, mingling with the reflections from the dark sky above.

"This is all so fairytale."

I looked out over the lake as well.

"I did my best. It helps knowing the right people."

"I bet it does. And to think I had my hopes up for a honeymoon suite somewhere."

I chuckled.

"Seems so pedestrian now, doesn't it?"

"Could you imagine the parties we could have here?"

I thought to myself the inclusive "we" was a little disturbing. I let it slide though. She was unraveling the layers she had wrapped herself in, so it was hardly for me to point out things like that.

"I can."

"Thank you, Monty. I think though I prefer just calling you Wilson."

"You are most welcome princess. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be right back."

I slipped upstairs and lit the wood in the fireplace, made sure it caught, and came back down. The old man who owned the place had put in a stereo system in here that never got used. It even had outdoor speakers. I had a compilation of what I thought were the most romantic songs ever. Most of them didn't have words, because honestly, who wanted to her another person's voice when they were, well, you know...

I came back out and sat down. Her glass was empty so I poured her another. She looked like she had been crying again. I wiped the corner of her eyes.

"You ok?"

"OK? I'm great. I was ready to barrel through this whole night and then you sprang this on me. I feel like an idiot."

"You're not an idiot. What you are is overwhelmed. And that has been the point. So you see, you are what I intended you to be."

She smiled, a coquettish look that said a thousand things at once.

"If I decline to have sex with you, would you be mad?"

"Not at all."

She snorted, ruining the look.

"Like that's going to happen."

"I'm not forcing the issue!"

She grinned again.

"Fuck you Wilson Montgomery. You do all of this and you think for a second that I would say no?"

I clinked my glass against hers.

"I haven't asked the question, now have I?"

"No, I suppose you haven't." She got one of those looks. "Why haven't you?"

I leaned back in my chair and looked out over the water.

"Because I already know the answer. If I ask the question too soon, it spoils the rest."

She sighed.

"You had this all figured out didn't you?"

"I was hoping I did."

"It is wonderful. All of it. You make it sound like having sex is going to ruin it."

"Wrong. Everything in its time. Build up to the finale. Make a crescendo that you'll never forget."

"I get it. You put the brakes on for me."

"I did. I think you're feeling better about yourself now. I can ask the question now if you like."

"You already know the answer."

"You haven't heard the question."

"Fine. Ask."

"Would you like to finish out the night being my princess, and enjoy what there is to enjoy, until the sun comes up and everything has to go back to normal?"

She smiled.

"The answer is the same, but I do like the way you put it. And after today, I doubt normal will ever be the same."

I stood and took her paw.

"Come with me then."

She found the upper bedroom to be as fantastic and I did. The bed was huge, even by bear standards. The fire had died down to a nice glow. The place still had the lingering aroma of herbs, which only added (I thought anyways) to the medieval charm of the place.

She looked at the sheets and made a face.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

She almost looked embarrassed.

"This will be my first time."

"I assumed. Problem?"

"I've heard the stories. There will be a mess."

"Oh, is that all?"

"But the bed!"

"It's not a problem unless you make it one,"

I pulled back the top layers to reveal a pristine white sheet below.

"Under this is a rubber pad. I haven't done what I've been doing for these past few years without knowing a thing or two. If this option doesn't suit you, you have two others."

"And they are?"

"Abstaining or doing it out in the lake."

"Oooh. The lake. I didn't think of that! But you know, I think I like the bed better."

"Then there you go. I swear Molly, you're as uptight as your dad."

"Family trait I guess...wait how do you know so much about my dad?"

It wasn't as bad a slipup as it could have been.

"Your mom told me a little about him. He does have a reputation after all."

"Oh. I thought maybe you knew something I didn't."

I rolled my eyes and tried to look surprised.

"Like that would ever happen."

She smiled a little wanly, and shrugged,

"If family were like noses, you could at least pick them."

I laughed.

"You bet princess."

Since we seemed to have stalled in our purpose, I decided it was time to get to the action. It had been a fun night, and there was more to come. I drew off my t-shirt and pulled down my pants. She might be embarrassed at first, but the time for all the other stuff was past. I cracked my shoulders and stretched a bit, showing off my form.

Her eyes were wide.

"You've got one hell of a cock."

"The better to fuck you with," I said playfully.

She grinned and got a crafty look on her face.

"Wrong fairytale. I think you're supposed to find me "just right"."

"One way to find out."

She needed help getting out of her dress, but once I had the buttons undone, she slipped it off and tossed it across a chair. I had seen her mom, and this, I had to think, was what she had looked like at this age. It was nice. Just right hardly touched it. And she did look like she had been trying to keep her shape by dieting. Not cool. I ate what I wanted, and trust me I burned it off in no time.

Maybe it was time to teach her about exercising.

She climbed in next to me and cuddled up.

"Now that I'm here, I don't know what to do..."

"Sure you do."

"Well yeah. Can you show me though?"

"It would be my pleasure."

Now at this stage, if I was a true gentleman, I would divert the hypothetical camera away from the scene and leave the rest up to your imagination. But after all I've told you, stopping now would be unconscionable.

And I was rather a professional at this, even if I was breaking a rule about emotional attachments. I had really put it out there for her this evening, and I was going to do my damnedest to see it through until the sun rose tomorrow.

So let me begin with a few details of what I saw, before she climbed into bed. The trimmed and dyed fur had been done all over. And I do mean all over. Someone like a Pronghorn had a lot of variance in their fur color, like those sexy heart shaped butts; bears were pretty much one color. Like me. But the hair between her legs; more specifically that surrounding her crotch, had been bleached to a golden hue, that was reminiscent of my own natural coloration.

It was obvious she was going for the ultimate effect, which knowing that while I found the effort admirable, it made little difference to me. But I had to think that it was like what I had done; an effort to be the best you could be for the other.

I think she would have settled for me rolling on top and getting it over with. The hell if that was ever my style. I think she knew that too.

"So princess, what will it be first?"

She put her arms around me.

"I just don't even know where to start now. I was thinking we'd just fuck and you'd take me home and that would be it. Now?"

I gave her a kiss.

"Now? I say we just see what happens."

"Ok."

Our lips connected and we held it, all the while my paws moved across her back and massaged her fur. Foreplay was many things, and different depending on who you were. For a first timer, this was the best way to go about it. Mama bear had a lot of experience behind her (and in front of her...) and so nothing I did was a real surprise. A virgin had too many expectations and nothing to guide her through this. I won't say I was being cautious, but I was, as she had said it, putting the brakes on.

She quickly dissolved into my arms, and to my surprise, her paws went to my cock. I had to assume it was the first time she had ever touched one. She was gentle and as I was already hard, she had a grip on what was to come. I continued to massage her back, eventually shifting positions and moving my paws to her rump.

In my head, I had matter planned out. As cold as this may sound, it all makes sense. Unless she wanted things differently, I was going to give her a dose of oral to make her cry for me to stop, followed by a deflowering that she was never going to forget. Anything after that was going to be all up to her.

Anal wasn't on the table. Not tonight, unless she literally pleaded for it.

I caressed her butt for a while, played a little with her stubby tail, and then moved us apart. I pushed her onto her back and kissed her again, working my paws over her breasts. They were, as mentioned, much less sizable than her mother's, and more compact and vibrantly awake. She was still at the stage were wearing a bra was optional, and that was a nice stage indeed.

Her nipples were hard little peaks of dark pink flesh, and she reacted in much the same way as her mother. Having learned about how sensitive they were from her, I dialed back overworking them too early on and simply kept my hands moving across her, from neck to toes. As I came back up from there, I shifted again, pushing her legs to either side and getting my head right where it counted.

She gasped the first time my tongue lapped across her labia and did a doubly deep intake of breath when I found her clit. It was perky and pink and though smaller than that of her progenitor, was suited perfectly for her age.

A few licks later and she was clutching the covers, with her legs wrapped around my shoulders. I was glad she was a bit less robust than either of her parents, because I had had enough of that for a while. But please don't think I'm calling her delicate either.

"Just right" was calling it, I suppose, right on the money.

I didn't get too carried away with my oral ministrations, for I wanted everything to build to that final moment. I was pretty sure she had been handling her urges on her own, in her own way, so I was just showing her what a partner could add to the mix. I think she was getting the idea.

I worked her slit from the top, all the way back to her ass, giving her her first rim job and making her writhe and moan. I let my tongue linger around her rectum for a while longer, teasing the tip of it in just a little. She wiggled and pushed me away just a bit, so I worked on the next available hole. I could tell right away that is was untapped, but I found it more open then I was expecting. That was the funny this about hymens. In some species I knew of, they didn't exist at all.

So the mess she was worrying about was probably going to be negligible.

I ate her out with patent enthusiasm, and my fervor was rewarded with a squeak and a squeal and then much like a learned response, her paws clamped on my head and pressed me against her flesh like I was a second skin.

I rolled my tongue and slipped in as far as I could, eliciting claw-tips being sunk into my skin. I had come to rather appreciate pain, if not completely endorsing it as a kink. It meant that you were likely doing things properly.

I worked her over as best I could, until there was a point when she just cut loose. Her paws went to her sides as she gripped the bed, her hips pressing into my face. I gave her a few well-placed licks that finished the job and sent her over the edge. She was wracked with an impressive orgasm, and just for the fun of it, I climbed in place and got my mouth over those nipples, seeing if she was even more like her mom. Sure enough, her already heightened state of sexual release went into overtime.

She was squirming so much I nearly popped her accidently. The head of my cock got right where it was going to end up, but as I was going to wait until she settled down, I had to do a hasty retreat. I slipped up and out, pressing myself tightly against her, and generating friction over her clit as she continued to shake and moan.

I gently bussed her, not expecting a cognitive response so soon after her climax. But she weakly returned my kiss and even slipped between my lips in an eager reaction to my presence. I reciprocated in kind, and we quickly had one hell of a hot French kiss going on. She even nibbled my lips, careful not to go too far with her playful biting.

Eventually, I pulled back and looked her in the eyes. They had a rather dreamy aura to them.

"Still up for the rest?"

Her paws caressed my neck.

"Is that a dumb question?" she answered playfully.

"No. I want to make sure you're still good with this."

She kissed me soundly.

"I get it. That is so sweet of you. But I had my mind made up weeks ago, and after all you did for me, it's the least I could do for you."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up. Doing this for you has been a joy. Doing you will be a joy. But not if you don't want it."

Her eyes just about took on a glow of their own.

"Oh Wilson, I do want it. See it from my side. You have made this so completely enchanted, and this will just complete it. And...."

"And?"

"Duh. I don't have to worry about getting pregnant, and that just takes the last little bit of worry away from everything."

"There is that. You sure?"

"Do you want me on top just to make you feel better about it?"

"You know, maybe that would."

She gave me another kiss.

"Then move, because time is wasting away while we talk."

I shifted from on top, and slid under her as she assumed my former position. Again she kissed me.

"Thank you for everything you've done."

"You are most very welcome princess."

"Queen..." she said with a smug smile.

"Queen..." I agreed, remembering the crowns back in the car.

She rubbed herself along my shaft until it was slick with her lube, I squeezed my muscles that controlled the base of it and made it rise a little, and with no further prompting, she situated her hole over the head of it and pushed. There was a momentary impasse, and then a sudden tear, and then I was in. She let out a little yelp, but it was over so quickly I think it was more out of surprise than any real pain.

"You ok?"

"Yeah. I thought that was going to hurt a lot more."

"Then all is good?"

She kissed me again.

"I'd say great."

I kissed her back with a passion.

And from there the conversation ebbed into nothingness. She was very deliberately pushing down, wriggling her hips and then pulling back up. She was as tight as her mother had been, and therefore I was hardly in a position to feel deprived. Those taut, wet walls were stroking my cock in a way that was just wonderful. And she was doing in such an unhurried manner. I liked that. It meant that this might last a while.

And I was finding I was rather falling for her. Yeah, I know. A bad thing. There would be time to work it out. I hoped. It wasn't like things were already complicated enough.

I put my paws around her waist, more for a place to put them than anything else. I didn't think she needed any help, and if this was what was going to do it for her then so be it. I gave her ribs a little tickle and leaned up to give her a kiss. She met it and our mouths melted together. It was a while before she broke the exchange.

"I like you Wilson."

"I like you too Molly."

"You must. I always just thought I'd lose my virginity in my bedroom, or on someone's couch. This was not even something my mind would ever have dreamt up."

"Which is why I did."

I brought my hips up and pushed down on her just a little. She arched her head back and growled a little. Amorously, I might add,

"I feel like a princess."

"You mean a queen, don't you?"

"Maybe. I like princess better, now that I think on it. A queen sounds old, or at least more mature."

"You are mature."

"I'm not quite fifteen Wilson. I'm not delusional. I know what I am."

"And what is that?"

"In love."

My stomach tightened up.

"Is that so?"

She giggled and kissed me again. I didn't hold it this time.

"Oh relax. I'm just overwhelmed by everything you've done. It's not like I don't know that we can't be together. Daddy would have a fit, for one, and I'm pretty sure he'll rampage about me going with someone outside our kind to the dance as it is, but he can go fuck himself."

I sucked in a breath and found my gut unknotting.

"I'm glad you understand that. You need to find someone appropriate for you. And that isn't me."

"I know that silly. I'm glad I could get your angst going though. It's good to know you're not as in control as you like."

"I never said I was."

"No?" she asked, as she ground her hips down on me. "You had to have spent a fortune on all this."

"Let's say I did. What of it?"

"I thought it was because you wanted to get laid, but then I had to reconsider."

"And?"

"I thought maybe you were just playing with me."

"When was this?"

"Every point up until now."

"And why did you think that?"

"Because I just can't see why you have bothered. And then I thought; maybe he is telling the truth."

"Of course I am!"

"I see that now. I was giving you a hard time about it, and you reacted honestly. I could feel you tense up. Sorry about that. I just had to know."

I was a little pissed, but I let it slide. I put myself in her place.

"I'll give that to you. It's hard to accept what is freely given when you've been denied in the past."

She kissed me and ground her hips down even harder.

"Yes. It's not easy being a princess."

"Sure it is. You're in a castle; what more do you want?"

She smiled slyly.

"We'll see."

Things picked up a little after that, for which I was grateful. I was getting a little tired of playing the shrink for these guys, but if any good would come out of it, then it was alright. Molly kicked up the action, apparently finding her inner Zen, and in no time, she was cranking down on me with a nympho's libido. Not to be outshone, I brought up my knees, wrapped my arms around her shoulders and launched into an attack that was as equally sure to please.

And it did. My cock ground into her, plowing my way to the farthest reaches of her cunt, until I was feeling a solid bit. Like mother, like daughter. Having a target to aim for was a lot of fun. And it gave me reason to finally let loose. As I drove it home, I unleashed inside her for the very first time.

She was triggered by my explosive reaction, and it set one off in her. I could feel her tense, and in a matter of seconds her grip on my arms became dire. I reevaluated my opinion that she lacked the strength of the adults. She had been, I suppose, just acting ladylike up to now. Giving her a reason to abandon all pretext of daintiness had caused it to vanish. Now, she was just a smaller version of her parental powerhouses, and I found myself getting aroused.

As she climaxed, she let out a magnificent roar. Again, not quite like her mother could do, but damn impressive. I only hoped it didn't carry all the way up the hill. The stone walls in here were pretty thick, but it wasn't like there weren't windows. I didn't want the old man to think I was doing anything terrible down here.

And then she was done. Her body went limp and she slumped down on top of me. Apparently the rest of her tension had been exorcised from her body. She let out a deep snore, and from the sound of it, herked back into awareness. Her head shifted and lay across my shoulder.

It took her a while to talk. I was ok with that. Sometimes words were useless.

"I needed that."

"I think you did."

"We're going to be a mess, aren't we?"

"It happens. If so, then we get cleaned up."

"You take this so matter-of-factly."

"I hate to ruin the mood, but I have been in this position before."

"Yes, I suppose you have. Where can we wash up?"

"There's a bathroom downstairs, but there's also the lake. I'm sure the water is delightful, and it's dark, so no one will see us."

"Skinny dipping?"

"One term for it. To me it's just swimming without a suit on."

"Let's do it!"

She got up, moving with exaggerated care, until she was up and off me. To her surprise, the "mess" she had been expecting was far less than she had imagined.

"That's all?" she asked, looking at my crotch.

"That's it. Looks even worse on me because of my light color. It's hardly noticeable on you."

"Huh. And I was worried sick about it."

"One more thing to check off your list. Shall we?"

We were just getting ready to head down when she looked at her phone. She grabbed it up and let out a grunt.

"I forgot I put it on silent, I have like eighteen texts. The last one is mom. Should I text back?"

"Yes. Don't let her worry about you. I can wait."

It took longer than I expected, but that was fine. I was all for keeping things up and up with family. Well, mostly up and up.

"Mom says for me to take pics."

I gave her a rather vulgar pose."

"Not like that! That's just rude!"

"Well, you weren't specific!"

She punched me in the arm. I acted like it hurt and gave her some advice.

"I think it would have been better to have taken them before all of this. I'll have to do your hair in the morning. We can pose in front of the car, or in front of the castle, or in front of the lake."

She just laughed.

"I suppose we might, but we can do all that in one shot. And a lot of my friends are asking me if you're really royalty. They say that words going around that I'm eloping with a prince."

I snorted.

"I think we both know the answer to that. Let them stew overnight, and deal with them tomorrow. Silence is a great way for people to come up with all sorts of fantastical ideas."

I took her arm and we went down to the dock and slipped over the side. The wall there was just a foot or so above the water, so getting in and out was easy. I went over first and gave her a paw getting in. Once there, she went under the surface and came up sputtering. After coming up, she ran her paws through her hair and messed it all up.

"That feels better. All that hair gel and makeup was bugging me."

"Not used to all the glamour?"

"No! I like being more natural."

"Wet and wild?"

She eyed me.

"You did mention something about the lake..."

"All in good time. In a rush?"

"Nope! I going to hate morning when it gets here!"

I gave her a funny look.

"Why? Do you turn back into a virgin at midnight?"

She snorted and ended up with water up her nose.

"No, you idiot! I meant that I'll be sad that it's all over."

"Ahhh. Well, sunrise is hours away. No point in worrying about it now."

"But then it will all be over."

"That's life. All good things come to an end."

She was treading water, which was a little funny, considering I was standing.

"I know," she said wistfully.

"You'll always have the memories."

"I will. Thank you."

I did a little bow, dipping my nose in and coming up coughing. She laughed.

"I like you Wilson. You're not like anyone I have ever met."

I blew the water out of my nose.

"That takes practice, skill and an attitude to try and not take anything for granted."

"Huh. Sounds like a good combination."

"It's worked for me."

"So it has."

She paddled out into the water a ways, dived and came back up elsewhere. I had to assume that swimming lessons had been on her agenda as well. I was alright at swimming, but hardly a pro. She had a bit of an advantage, for she had greater buoyancy than I did.

I leaned against the wall of the deck, allowing my legs to float in the water, watching her swim. She was so at ease right now it made the whole effort worthwhile. I gave myself a mental pat on the back. I had put together one hell of a night for her, and this showed why putting an effort into what you did paid off.

She swam over to where I was, floating with her face just under the water. The next thing I was aware of was a mouth engulfing my cock. I hadn't expected it and I nearly went under. I just managed to grab the stone wall.

She came up looking completely mischievous.

"Hmmmm. Ever have a blow job in a lake?"

"Uh. No."

"Neat. I've never given one before."

"In a lake?"

"At all."

She dropped down into the water with just her head above the water, and I got my feet under me. I was already a little hard from the sneak attack. I wasn't normally the recipient of the nicer stuff, so let me tell you I was looking forward to it.

She sucked me in, a little awkwardly at first, and proceeded to try taking the whole thing. I said nothing as she gagged and backed off. She started over, a little more cautiously this time, and putting a little more tongue action into it. That was nice.

It took her a few moments to find a grove that worked. Her mom knew what the hell she was doing, and I was being patient with Molly because you had to start somewhere. Once doesn't simply know how to do things without experience.

This time, she worked my length more slowly, and with increasing confidence. I did my best to play it cool, not wanting to accidently choke her by grabbing her head, like was so commonly done to me. I did finally rest my paws on the back of her neck and massaged her ears. Over time that became more vigorous. There is a trick to getting a good blowjob and that is to indicate to your partner that what they are doing felt good. The amount of pressure applied to their head worked wonders.

I was going to stop her, though, before I blew a load. I wasn't sure I could do another after that, and I was pretty sure she wanted sex one more time. After that is was going to be a matter of drying off and getting to bed for at least a few hours of sleep. So I therefore, and with much regret, pulled away. She came up looking offended. I put my finger to my lips.

"Maybe some other time. If you want to have another go at fucking, I'm in prime shape, and if you take me over the top then I won't be."

"Oh. I thought maybe..."

"I know. I'd love to blow a wad in that sweet mouth of yours. But I'm just as happy blowing it somewhere else."

"Sure! How do we do it in the water though?"

"Grab the top of the wall here, and I'll do you from the rear."

"Uh. Anal?"

I chuckled.

"Well, we could. But that's not what I meant. I don't think doing anal in the water is a good idea. Despite water being a lubricant, it's just not the right lubricant for sex. And the commercial stuff just washes away. No, I was thinking just the normal way."

She shuddered and then got a sheepish grin.

"Good. I'm not sure I'm up to anal the first time."

"It's not for everybody," I agreed.

She assumed the position, allowing her lower half to float a bit in the water. I came up between her legs and got my cock at her hole and then gently wiggled the head in. Like I said, water-sex had a drawback or two to it, at least until you were in. It wasn't as bad as going in dry, but it was still something to contend with. Thankfully, she was horny as hell, and I managed to slip inside without a lot of fuss.

She let out a little ooh, and then a grunt, followed by a groan, as I worked my way deeper. It was a little tricky, as my feet were on the slippery bedrock the boathouse had been built upon. It was a good thing I had claws. I got my cock in nice and deep, grabbed her hips, and drove myself in tad further.

From there it was all pretty simple. She had a good purchase on the edge, so I did the work. And work it wasn't. It was a complete joy. I thrust into her, going full tilt this time, knowing that the worst of things was past. She still clung to some anxious ways, but she had allowed many of them to dissipate. She was now relaxed and tranquil.

Waves lapped out away from our position as I pounded into her, fucking her with greater and great energy. She had proven herself to be able to take it, and I didn't want her thinking that I was taking it easy on her. She might be new to this, but I didn't want her coming way feeling overly coddled.

It was a while before I came; rather, we came. The stimulation eventually got to be too much for her, and as I drove it in with a vengeance, she began shaking. I could see she was going to lose her grip in the near and present future, so I rammed it home with as much force as I could. She was soon cumming, and I followed her lead with a was blown deep inside her.

She lost her grip, and I had to pull out and grab her before she went under. I twirled her in the water and got my arms under her. She was shaking but she managed to open her eyes and smile.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

We remained like that for a few wonderful minutes before she stood on her own.

"You know Wilson," she said in what sounded like a sad voice. "I'll always remember this day."

"Me too Molly."

"Will you?"

"Oh hell yes."

"Good."

I let go of her and climbed out and over the wall, lending a paw so she could do the same. We stood there dripping water for a few minutes before I stepped through the nearby doorway and brought back two very large towels. I watched her as she dried herself off, noting the very feminine mannerisms she had. Bear she might be, but the female portion of her stood out in stark detail.

She noticed me and sudden grew shy.

"What?"

"Oh, I was just enjoying watching you move. I like watching people move. It's interesting to see how rigid or fluid they are."

"And?"

"You were fairly rigid when I first met you. Now? You seem to have adopted the flow of the water."

"I have not!"

"You did. Tell me you don't feel relaxed right now."

That made her pause. She tried cracking her shoulders and was rewarded with nothing.

"OK. You're right. I do feel more at ease."

"I can tell. I'd say it's the perfect time to hit the sack."

"My fur is still damp," she complained quietly.

"Come on," I said, giving her a coaxing finger.

We went into the bathroom, where I pulled out my hair dryer and proceeded to make quick work of finishing up the job. I gave myself a once over, for my fur was much less dense than hers. We looked a bit comical, fluffed out like we were, but we'd look even worse come morning. She put on her pajamas, but I climbed in without any.

The bed hadn't gotten a speck of red on it, so I left the sheets as they were and tucked us in for the rest of the night. Or rather, morning, for it was well past midnight. I left the lights on, as they were dim enough to not be disturbing, and we drifted off to sleep.

I was awake early, for no damn good reason, but I was alright with it. I looked around the room and smiled. I really did love this place. It was quaint and dated, and it had a hell of a lot more class than the house she lived in.

And thinking of her, I turned to my side. She was snoring just a little, which make me giggle, but it was hardly undignified. She was a bear, and some things came with the territory. She still looked quite pretty, and the serene look on her face made my heart all squishy. I leaned down and gave her a kiss on the nose. She blinked and stretched and opened her eyes.

"Is it morning already?"

The sun was shining in brightly through the leaded glass windows, throwing a plethora of rainbow colors around the room.

"Afraid so."

She snuggled in close.

"Oh well. I woke up in a castle. With you. I guess that makes it a good morning."

"I'm glad you think so."

She ran her paws over her pajamas.

"I'm surprised you had me wear these."

"Why?"

"I thought that maybe you'd want to roll over and do it again."

"That's true, but there can be too much of a good thing. You should never assume, nor should you let someone take advantage of you."

"You could have fucked me all night..."

"Possibly. Sleep is nice too."

She unbuttoned her top and stretched. I knew she was doing it on purpose, especially when it fell open to reveal her breasts.

"If you say so. It's morning though, and that means it's all over."

"Oh damn," I said teasingly. "Your virginity did come back!"

She hit me, laughing as she did.

"No, you asshole. It's morning and that means I should get home."

"Oh, just that."

I climbed out of bed and grabbed my phone. I punched in a number and waited. There was a pickup on the other end.

"Hello Mrs. Behrman. I was just calling to see if Molly could play a little longer."

Molly just about screeched as she tried to grab my phone. I jerked it just out of her reach.

Arty could hear the ruckus from her end and chuckled.

"You be nice to her! And yes, you can have all day if you like."

"OK, thanks. Maybe send her a text so she knows you approve."

I hung up and still kept my phone away from her. In a second hers buzzed to life. She got up and grabbed it. After reading the text, she looked at me with horror in her eyes.

"Mom almost certainly knows what happened!"

"Probably has an inkling. Didn't seem too upset by the idea."

"Did you two talk about that beforehand?"

I wasn't about to lie.

"We did."

"And she was fine with it?"

"If by "it" you mean going all the way, she was. Only if you wanted it."

"You mean she doesn't know for certain?"

"I can call her back if you like. I'm sure she would love details."

"Don't you dare!"

I laughed.

"Look Molly, I have tried to be very careful. I have my reasons. I know it takes some of the spontaneity out of it, but I think I have made up for things with the style and manner I have chosen."

She looked a little sulky, but that passed soon enough.

"Everyone's parents probably assume their kids are going to be doing it. Mom just sort of went further than most."

"You bet."

She mused for a moment, forgetting that her top was open. I took the time to stare at her chest, working the details into my memory. I was presuming that after today things would fade to black.

When she looked at me and noted where my eyes were, she grinned and flung off the top. Then, without further ado, she slipped off the bottoms and flung them aside with the other. She put her paws on her hips and gave me a stare.

"You like?"

"I do. This is the first I've gotten a good look in the daylight."

She struck a pose and stuck out her tongue.

"My hair's a mess, and my fur needs brushed."

"That's ok. People put on too many layers. Eventually they forget who they are under them."

Her look changed.

"Maybe that's why I like you. I keep thinking you're one thing, and then I have to see that you are what you say you are."

"I am...within reason."

She sighed.

"I hate to sound unromantic, but I am hungry this morning."

"There's still trays of sushi down in the fridge."

"Yum. And afterwards?"

"Are you asking me if I have plans?"

"Sort of."

"Sure. I thought we'd do it again, and then get cleaned up and dressed, and take the boat out for a spin."

"There is a boat?"

"There sure is, I had to put the battery on the charger, and then hit the carburetor with starting fluid to get it to turn over, but I think she'll do ok out there."

"I've never been on a boat."

"Another first then, no?"

She just smiled.

I slipped on my pants, and she pulled on her dress, and we sat outside again and ate our fill of what was left of the sushi. I had several bottles of sparkling mineral water, thinking alcohol for breakfast might not be the best idea. We washed it all down, and she sighed a little as she looked out over the water. It was then that we heard a quavering voice. I knew it right away, but it startled her.

"Well, well, well."

I turned and smiled broadly.

"Good morning Mr. Von Wisent."

"Morning boy, morning miss," he returned, looking at Molly.

She was a little taken aback.

"You're_the_ Mr. Von Wisent?"

"So they tell me. Getting forgetful anymore, but your boyfriend there, he'll stick in my head for ages."

"Oh he's not my boyfriend."

"You think not? Could be. Hey Monty, I like the Stutz out front. Where'd you pilfer that from?"

"Charles Cornelius."

"Chaz? He always did like his wheels." Turning to Molly, he scrunched up his eyes and stared for a moment.

"So girl. How was the night?"

"Ummmmm."

I took her paw.

"It's alright. I think he just wants to know if you enjoyed yourself, not what you did."

She seemed relieved.

"Oh. I think that if fairytales existed, I was the princess in the best one ever."

"Good, good. Tell you what Monty. The boathouse is yours whenever you want it. Keep the gate key."

"Really?" I asked, flabbergasted.

"You got the place cleaned up, and the boat running again, and you did it all for this sweet young thing. Seems pretty serious to me. I'm getting too old for shenanigans anyways."

"Shenanigans?" asked Molly.

"I'll explain later." I said under my voice.

"I'll just bet you will," the old bull roared. "So what's next on your things to do?"

"We were going to get cleaned up and take the boat out."

"Good, good. Just remember to mind the markers and your speed."

"I will sir."

"Ok then. I'll leave you to it, whatever it happens to be."

He tottered off, laughing at his joke.

"That was Mr. Von Wisent?"

"Sure as hell was."

"He's like a billionaire!"

"Multimillionaire. If you care about that sort of thing."

"But you're here. You must care!"

"Not really. Money is great, don't get me wrong. But being able to use it for some small good is much better."

She was watching the old bull drive off in his golf cart. I realized I hadn't even heard him drive up.

"I thought dad made a lot of money. I never realized this guy lived so close."

"It's not generally advertised. And trust me, if you get on the grounds without a pass, there'll be hell to pay."

"I bet."

I looked at my phone while she was following the progress of the cart up the hill.

"Shall we?"

"Shall we what?" she asked absentmindedly.

"Well, it's either going to be fuck and then shower, or shower and then fuck, or if you're feeling adventurous, we can fuck in the shower."

She snapped out of her daze in an instant.

"In the shower?"

I knew it was a question, but I took it as an answer.

"Ok, the shower it is."

"Wait! What?"

"Come on Molly, We can fuck and get clean at the same time."

"Um. Really?"

"Oh come see."

We cleared the table and threw away the trash. The shower was just off the boat ramp, in a room separate from the toilet facilities. The idea was to shower after swimming, which we had not done last night. The shower was not a single one, but a double wide, with two shower heads, so that more than one could use it at a time.

I stepped in, turning on the water to full hot, and stepped back out to let it warm up. I slipped out of my pants, prompting to her toss the dress. There were extra towels, so there would be plenty to dry off with, and I had my hair dryer, so I was thinking we could be in good shape in no time. That is, once we were out of the shower.

I stepped back, adjusted the temperature of the streams and called her in. There was steam rising, creating a sexy mist inside, and she was barely (or was that bearly) visible until she got right up next to me.

I put my arms around her and pulled her in. We kissed, and we kissed a little more, until it became obvious that she had no idea what to do. I could have laughed, but I knew that was the wrong thing to do.

"What will it be Molly; up against the wall or down on the tiles?"

She squinted through the steam, then looked at the flooring.

"Can we do in right under the water coming down?"

"If that's what you'd like, certainly."

She pulled away and lay down on the floor, stomach first. My first instinct was that despite my warnings and her own proscription against anal, she was going to go for it anyways. This place was not any better than outside. But then, and to my relief, she tucked her knees under her and spread her feet. I got down behind her, and just to start off gradually, I fingered her until she was wet...on the inside. Just to give her a taste of the back door, I rubbed my fingers around it, making her moan.

That hole might hold some interesting potential at a later date.

Once she was ready, and mindful of the hard floor, I got into position and slipped inside. This was the third bear I had done in this position, and it was incredible. With a couple of good slams I was in deep, and from there it was a simply matter of keeping a grip on her wet fur while I pounded away. The water was pouring over our upper halves, and it was, I must admit, akin to making love in the rain.

We were both soaked, though neither of us minded, assuming either paid any attention to the droplets running past our eyes. This was going to be the last time for us, and that was all that mattered. I screwed her with more force now than I had before, knowing now the extent of her ability to deal with what I offered.

My knees smarted by the time we finished, for that green tile floor was unyielding. It was worth it though, for one last time I gave her a ride to the top. It was good for me too, giving it to her in a manner she approved of, so we both came out winners.

I pulled out and sat on my butt, sticking out my paw to assist her to a sitting position. she grumbled a bit, eventually extending her arm and sitting upright. The water was still pouring down, and I warned her that the water heater would run out of hot sooner rather than later. As if on cue, we were pummeled with a cascade of cool water, making us make a hasty retreat. I turned off the handles and grinned even as I shook with a chill.

She was laughing, mostly at me.

"You see, there's an advantage to having flesh over your bones."

She had been merely startled by the change, but I was reacting far more like a diva.

"Hey! Most cats don't even like water, so give me a break!"

After most of the excess water was gone, we stepped out and toweled off, going through two of them. I offered to blow dry us, but she had been looking at the boat.

"This is the boat you were talking about?"

"Yeah. Beauty, isn't she?"

"I've never seen anything like it."

"And for good reason. Aren't many around on this side of the ocean."

"What is it?"

"It's called a Riva Aquarama. This one has a Cadillac engine powering it, and boy can it move."

"A speed boat?"

"A luxury speed boat. They don't have this kind of craftsmanship anymore."

She ran her fingers over the polished wood deck.

"I can think of a different way to dry off."

I suppressed a grin.

"You? Going naked on a boat?"

She shivered with excitement and got a naughty look on her face.

"You said mom told you to take pics?"

I choked just a little.

"I don't think that's what she meant."

"Whatever," she replied saucily.

Me? I shrugged. Sometimes you just said damn the torpedoes.

_ _ "Sure, why not? Give me a hand here with the winch."

The boat was suspended out of the water, and with a little effort we got it around and lowered into the water. It bobbed gently as I allowed the lift to drop completely out of the way. I grabbed our clothing and tossed it on the floor. From there it was climbing in and getting settled.

And she had decided that she was going to remain au natural. I shook my head and put a towel on the leather seat, because I knew the pain of not bothering. I turned the key, and much like the Bearcat, the engine roared to life with an attitude.

"How fast can it go?" she hollered, for the noise within the confines of the building was deafening. I waited until we were outside to answer her.

"I don't really know. It's not like it has a speedometer. The engine however is tuned to four hundred horsepower."

"What do horses have to do with it?"

It _was_a stupid comparison.

"Maybe it has something to do with sea horses..."

She punched me on the arm.

The sun was beautiful, and wind and water calm, so I opened up the throttle and had it skimming across the water like one of those flat rocks you might skip along shore. The bow rose and fell as we cut through the water. The lake wasn't huge, as lakes go, but it was a good ten miles long and four wide on this end. I took us out in the middle and turned off the engine.

"That's it?"

"I thought you might like to take this opportunity to dry off in the sun."

Her hair was a bit of a tangled mess, and she was partially dry, but plenty of her fur was damp.

"You mean sunbath?"

"Yeah. Put that down as another first."

She giggled.

"I've actually done that at home. But never on a boat. And never with someone with me."

I pulled out a beach towel from a compartment.

"There's the whole nose for you to have."

She looked around to see if there were other boats on the water. The lake was partially within Von Wisent's property, but by law he didn't own it. So other people could come down here if they wanted. But she saw what I saw, and I saw no one even close.

She climbed up, laid the towel down and stretched out. I leaned back in the chair and soaked up some sunshine. I had taken off of work last night, and told the boss I might make up the hours coming in tonight. I was going to renege on that. This was just too good.

Half an hour later she rolled onto her back, and I was feeling a bit frisky by then, thinking back on the rest of the night. I took off my shades and climbed up stealthily, not succeeding as well as you think, for the boat swayed with my movement. She opened her eyes and saw me, quickly noting that I was sporting a hardon again.

She gave me the eyebrows. And a little grin.

"I thought we were done."

"I did too."

"I'm glad were not."

I will forgo the details here, for what is there to say? Rocking the boat has never had such a special significance as it did today. I will mention, however, that in our distraction, the boat drifted, and just as we were finishing, another craft went by.

Slowly.

I hastily finished up and jumped down to the captain's chair and grabbed my sunglasses. Molly wrapped the towel around herself and looked offended. I turned the key and moved the boat away from where we were and cranked up the motor to not be followed.

She joined me, and boy was she livid, but then fell to laughing.

"Did you see they had a camera?"

"What?"

"Someone was shooting pics of us."

"Fuck!"

I was just about to turn the boat around.

"Oh who cares?"

"You should?"

"Why?"

I thought that maybe she had been in the sun too long.

"Because for one, you're underage."

"That's the first time you've mentioned that."

"It didn't matter to me. It should matter to you!"

She put on an air of disaffectedness.

"Why? Chances are good, they don't know who you are, and likely never will. And if they publish those pics, and they find out who I am, they'll end up in a lot of trouble over them."

"And that doesn't bother you?"

She grinned like the fabled Cheshire Cat.

"What will people see? Me, naked, after having sex on the front of an expensive speedboat. Everyone thinks you're a prince for real by now. They saw the car. What girl out there won't wish she had been me?"

I was still a little uneasy.

"I still don't like it."

She took my sunglasses off and put them on her face.

"Nothing is going to ruin this day. You see, if you are a prince, then you can vanish like smoke. You got on your private jet and went back to whatever country you came from. And people will believe it."

"You have some crazy ideas."

"You started it. I'm just smoothing out a few minor wrinkles."

She put her dress on, and I took the time to get dressed, and we roared around the lake for a while before I figured it was time to head back. She was lounging in the seat next to me, looking every bit the part of a movie starlet as I think you could get. She was texting on her phone until I thought her fingers would start bleeding.

When we got back to the boathouse, I made sure there was no one to see us, and I backed the boat in until it bumped against the stops at the end. We got out, and together hoisted it back up out of the water. She seemed very willing to help, which was nice. Some people wanted you to do everything for them.

After that, I worked on her hair, which was a tangled mess, following which, I worked on clearing out the fridge. The remaining food, which wasn't much, got tossed into the lake for the fish to eat. The rest of the building was put back just about the way I found it.

"We could stay longer you know," she said almost pleadingly.

"I do. But there is a point when you just push things too far. And the car needs to go back today. I figured I'd take you home and then take it back."

She looked sheepish, which is an incredibly odd look for a dear.

"There's news vans parked outside the house. You might want to rethink that."

"What? Shit! Why didn't you mention this before?"

"That's why I suggested staying here."

"Nope. Using that logic we'd have to hole up in here indefinitely, and then your old man gets involved and this whole things explodes in my face."

"Then what are we going to do?"

"Shut up for a minute. I'm thinking."

She looked hurt, but I didn't notice. I had to devise a plan to clean up this mess, and I needed it five minutes ago. Then it dawned on me. I rang up Marcus. His voice carried concern with it.

"Dude, what's up? Is the car ok?"

"Car's great man. I need a favor."

"Not sure I can help. What's up?"

I told him what I needed.

"Hell yes you can borrow it. Not sure how well it'll fit you, but I'll pull it out of the case. Should I add this to your tab?"

"Sure, whatever. We'll be there in a little bit. I'll bring the car and it back afterwards."

"Sure thing. I'll be waiting."

I then called Carl.

"Hey buddy, can you do me a huge favor?"

"Watcha need Goldie?"

"You're still driving that huge van right?"

"You bet."

"Good, here's what I want you to do."

And I laid it out for him.

"Sure thing little kitty. That should be a snap."

I hung up and looked at Molly.

"Ok. This might work. I'm going from your idea, which was brilliant.'

"I think I see what you're doing. Will it work?"

"Hell if I know. Let's just say it's got to, or else my life's just got little bit shorter.

We gathered up what was needed, for I was hoping that if I pulled this off, I could come back in my personal vehicle and get the rest. She was wearing the dress I got her, while leaving the other one behind. It didn't matter what I was wearing, for I would be wearing something different by the time we go to her house.

Marcus had the suit out, and though it fit loosely in a few spots, I felt it was good enough for what was needed. I pulled up my hair and stuffed it under the cap. Molly giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Do you have a better idea?" I asked.

"No. I hope this works."

"It'll work for me. You'll still be deluged with reporters."

"Yeah, I will, won't I?"

"And then your dad will come home and it'll get worse."

"Maybe. Either way it will have been worth it."

She kissed me soundly.

"I'm glad you think so," I replied after we let go of each other. "Now, get in the car and let's get going."

I sent a text to Carl to make sure he was ready and off we went.

Overdoing it had been, in retrospect, a bad thing. A limo looked like all the others. This thing was like the siren on a police car; red and flashy. But; and it was a big but, that might work to my advantage. As I drove, I mumbled the few words I knew in a foreign language.

"What are you doing?"

"Working on my accent."

"Like before?"

"Sort of. I need people to completely dismiss me as being anyone integral to what has happened."

"That's why you're wearing this old chauffeur's uniform."

"Right. It's probably from the same time frame as the car. Chaz Has a collection of this stuff too, including old racing leathers."

"So I really did go to the dance with a prince. From where?"

"I was thinking that over. People are going to be getting curious and nosy about it. So tell them I'm from Catalonia."

"Are there any princes there?"

I snapped at her a bit.

"You've got your phone, look it up!"

She did.

"Doesn't say much about the royal family there. Seems like they prefer their privacy."

"Good for them. That makes it good for us. Anyone getting too nosy will be given the cold shoulder."

"Lucky break?"

"I hope the hell it is."

I put my sunglasses on and brought the car in from the east end of the street, which was lined with television news vans and police cars. There were people on the sidewalks too, making this one hell of a circus. I had to stop the car in the middle of the street, park it, and then get out. I went to her door and opened it. She stepped out, smiled at everyone and waved like a fucking diva. I just about decked her for being so demur. Her awkwardness had vanished in the past twenty-four hours. Microphones were shoved in her face, but she simply walked past everyone with a swing to her hips and a sassy look on her face.

I watched that ass as it went up the sidewalk, though I did it discreetly. Arty opened the door, and slammed it shut right behind her.

The cameras were turned on me. I just mumbled a little in a heavy accent, throwing in a mix of languages just to confuse them, climbed in the car and roared away. I had a feeling that someone was going to try and follow me, which would show where the car had come from, and that was where Carl came in. As I zipped through the stop sign, he pulled out into the intersection and stopped. A few cars that had tried to follow were now honking their horns for him to move. He gave them his best "I'm sorry" look and held up his hands. By the time he had moved, I was eight blocks away and heading for the backroads.

Marcus just smiled when I got back. I changed out of the uniform, and we parked the car in the garage. He looked it over and smiled.

"Not a scratch. Nice job."

"I told you I try to take care of my toys."

"You did. And what about her?"

"Molly? Yeah, I took good care of her too."

"Nice. Well, you'll have to go back to driving your usual ride, but she's cleaned up inside and out. And I changed the oil and filters while I was at it."

"Dude! You shouldn't have!"

"I told you I was bored."

"Well, thanks for everything."

"No problem."

I drove out and back onto the roadway, making for town again. I was hoping things had settled down at Molly's place. To that end, I drove by, only to find it still awash with people. I drove around the side to go up the alley, but even that was full.

There seemed little point in trying anything else, so I took the surest route and went home. I sent her a text saying, "All's well that ends well."

She sent one back that was that emoji with the smiling face with heart eyes.

About fifteen minutes later I got another text, this time from her mom.

"You know how to show a girl a good time, don't you?"

"You know that personally," I wrote back, adding, "And you will hopefully never know the half of it."

_ _ She sent back the standard smiling emoji.

I scrounged up something to eat, then got back in the car and returned to the estate to finish cleaning and clearing out the boathouse. As I closed the door, I sighed. It had been one hell of a ride, the past day or so, but the end result had been worth it. Molly had to be riding on cloud nine right now, and hopefully that would stay until the old man got home. After that, things could get ugly.

The "after that" did come, as I'm sure you all figured. Molly stayed indoors, and even was excused from school for a couple of days, because my idea to stay anonymous had worked far better than I could have wanted. Everyone was trying to figure out who the prince was, and I was thankful that Mr. Von Wisent didn't say anything, and Chaz could have cared less about the news. His car was back in its garage where no one would see it again. And only her and I had seen the castle, even if it was only a boathouse.

The matter of the unknown cameraman on the lake never materialized, though I would have liked to have had copies of those. You know; just for sentimental reasons. But the rest had a lasting effect on the family, until papa put his foot down. Threatening to sue everyone under the sun for invasion of privacy and trespassing and a host of other things just about put an end to the situation.

I came into work on day, at the normal hour, and I was told I had a customer waiting. I was half imagining that it was the old perv from the estate. I would have preferred it. As it was, it was Mr. Behrman. And he looked grumpy.

"Papa bear!" I said with a strained voice. My fight or flight reaction was all geared up.

"Hey kid. Sit down. You want a drink?"

"I don't know. Not supposed to while I'm on duty."

"Sure. Hey, I wanted to talk with you."

"Ok. Something wrong?"

"Wrong? Wrong is the wrong word kid."

"You have a better word?"

"Just weird kid. You know, I took some time off, and damn if that wasn't nice. When I got back I was going to tell work to fuck off for a month or two. I couldn't see how bad things were getting. And you know what I came back to?"

"No idea papa bear."

"I doubt you would. I came back to find my house was under surveillance."

"The cops?"

"No. Cops where there to keep everyone else in control. I had news reporters there."

"Something bad happen?"

The old bear laughed. I mean he laughed.

"Bad? I sure as hell still don't know. But the funny thing is, I didn't get mad. Well, I got mad with the morons on my lawn and threatened them within an inch of their lives, but you see, I thought my wife and kid would have been totally freaked out by the attention, but they seemed pretty happy despite it. And I was feeling pretty good too."

"But papa bear! What happened?"

He pulled out a scrap book and handed it over.

"Here."

I opened the cover and saw a photo of Molly in her dress. That one had obviously been taken by her mom. The next page had a photo of her and I in front of the car. I whistled sharply.

"Nice set of wheels."

"I know. They're trying to tell me this guy was a prince. Everyone in town is saying it."

I scoffed audibly.

"A prince? How the hell did your daughter get mixed up with a prince?"

"I know right? Wife won't tell me a thing, and neither will she."

"You don't sound angry."

"You know kid I should be. I should be pissed off and smashing furniture. But I'm not."

"Should I ask why?"

"You made me see the light. I went and settled up on the old memories, and I found that my friend had missed me as much as I missed him. And if you're going to ask, not we didn't diddle each other. But we had a few great days together and man am I feeling better."

"That's good papa bear. But what about this prince fellow?"

"All I heard was something about Catalonia. Guy picked her up in that thing," he said, pressing a big thumb on the photo. "Do you have any idea how much that car is worth?"

"More than mine..." I said truthfully.

"Kid, I think that car is worth more than twenty of whatever you drive. And a chauffeur dropped her off. She said something about spending the night in a castle."

"What?" I shouted, acting as incredulous as I could. "There aren't any castles around here!"

"You're right kid, there aren't. Unless you remember the old mansion out past highway six."

"Where's that at?"

"Private estate. You wouldn't know anything about it. Owned by a really rich guy."

"Oh yeah. Not something I would know about. So why show me this papa bear?"

"You know, I should have just blown my top. But my wife was so happy, because my daughter was so happy, so I just couldn't. Whoever this guy is, he did a better job at making her happy than I ever have."

"Castle," I mused quietly. "And the car? I'd say this guy has some major money."

Papa bear picked up the book.

"Look at this photograph. Does the guy look familiar?'

I quietly gulped.

"Nope. With that getup, it could be anyone."

"You think so? With that stupid mask on, I thought of you right away."

"Me?"

"Yeah. I know. Stupid. But you wear one here, and my mind went to you, and that got me thinking."

This was the point I would shit my pants and ran away screaming.

"Thinking what?"

"Things are much better at home. My daughter has gotten sassy, but she's a lot closer to me now. I fucked up with my oldest, and I don't want to screw things up with Molly. My wife even seems more friendly around me."

"Ok. What does that have to do with me?"

"I wanted you to promise to never tell anyone about what I had you do. What we did. You know."

"I get it. I don't think that will be a problem."

"Good to hear that."

There was a moment of silence.

"Hey kid."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For everything. You know, I'm taking my wife on a vacation."

"Good for you!"

"I hope so."

"And your daughter?"

"Nah. She said she wanted to stay home. Schools out in a few weeks, so I said that was fine."

"And you trust her to be by herself?"

"You know kid, I do. I was young once and then it got kind of ruined for me. I was on the same path as my old man. Sometimes you become the thing you hate."

"You're getting all enlightened on me now, papa bear."

"Call me Bjorn."

"Really? That's a cool name."

"Yeah, it is. Everyone just always calls me Mr. Behrman."

"Ok Bjorn? Anything else I can do for you? I do have work to do."

He pulled out a hundred dollar bill.

"That's for your time today kid. Thanks for listening."

"Today?"

He got up.

"The past is paid for. The future is up for grabs."

"Uh. I'm lost."

"No you're not. Just because I'm big, doesn't mean I'm stupid kid. I ain't asking too many questions because then I'll get too many answers. Ignorance can indeed be blissful. Things are going good right now, and If I look too deep for answers, I'm sure I'll come up with things I don't want to know. And if you open your mouth, other might learn something they don't want to know."

I looked at the bill on the table.

I picked it up and handed it back.

"If that's your attitude, keep the cash. There are some things money can't buy."

He stuffed it in his pocket.

"I like you Wilson."

My eyes went a little wide.

He let out a guffaw.

"I told you I wasn't stupid."

He turned around and walked out.

I looked up the boss and called off for the night. I went to a bar and started drinking. I was going to need a shrink after all of this.

The Den of Discord - Mama Bear

A friend of mine called me up a few days after this and asked if I wanted a part time job. I didn't, but I asked what it was all about. He worked for one of the big grocery chains and they had started a delivery service. They had just lost a driver...

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The Den of Discord - Papa Bear

Before I begin telling you what I'm about to tell you, I think you need to know a little about me and who I am. My name is Wilson. Yeah, that's my first name. I was never fond of it, because most people thought it was my last name. Wilson Montgomery...

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The Case of the Killer Queen (Part 1)

Holmes leaned forward and set the metronome into action, snapping his fingers in time to it for just a moment. He then settled back into his chair and stared across at the plump and mildly pompous creature sitting opposite him. "Pray continue. I...

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