Sherry's Story Part 2
#4 of Pool Pals Series
Sorry it took so long to upload this story. I hope you all like it!
To my editor, Thank you for being such a great friend.
Here we have it! Sherry's story (working title) part 2! Enjoy
Rachel was still overjoyed about what just happened. She had spent the entire night worrying that she might lose her one and only friend because of what she had said to her earlier that day while they were in town. She loved Sherry; she loved her with all her heart, even though she had only met her just yesterday. But here she was, in the embrace of a beautiful pony girl who had just kissed her on the lips.
"Sherry, you've just made me the happiest feline in the world." Rachel said as she hugged Sherry tightly. Sherry smiled happily.
"Well Ah gotta say you made me the happiest pony in the world as well." She said as she let go. Rachel, still feeling the rush from the kiss, was still blushing.
"Well uhm... while you're here, would you like a tour of the house?" she asked, "There isn't really much here that's exciting but its still something to do."
"Why sure! Ah'm sure that it'll be fun; especially if Ah'm with you." Sherry said as she winked at her lover. Rachel just blushed more and nodded.
"Y-yeah, so... let's start with the main floor." She stammered and led Sherry on the tour. "Here on this floor is the kitchen, my father's office and my mother's office as well. They spend a lot of time in there as well after work..." Rachel frowned a little. Sherry patted her on the back and said,
"Rachel, Ah'm sure they aren't avoiding you on purpose, they just have busy jobs. Ah'm sure they love you very much..."
The feline smiled, "I-I know...they love me and each other but, I just wish we'd spend more time together as a family." She said as she took Sherry to a set of stairs. "Up here will be my room and my own bathroom."
"Aww shucks, Rachel," said Sherry, "Ah wish Ah had mah own bathroom; there's always a wait to use ours at some point seeing we only have one and there are three of us." Sherry giggled and started to follow Rachel up the staircase. Sherry couldn't help but notice while she was walking up the stairs behind Rachel that she could see up her skirt; under it, was a pair of blue panties with a horseshoe on the back. Sherry blushed hard as she stared a little; then quickly looked away out of respect for her lover.
Upstairs, Rachel opened a fine oak door which revealed a gorgeous room decorated with pictures of famous pop singers, academic awards, and cute stuffed animals.
"This is my room;" Rachel said as she led Sherry inside, "I hope you like it." The room itself rivaled Tammy's in size and the bed looked so big that it could probably hold 3 elephants.
"Oh mah stars what a room!" Sherry exclaimed, thinking she could hear her echo from such a big space.
"I'll take that as a yes." Rachel giggled as she watched Sherry and her expression. Sherry only nodded and explored, looking at the various things in the room until she spotted the plush animals.
"So uh, Rachel, do you collect these?" Sherry held up a very fluffy plush of a dog. Rachel smiled and walked over.
"Yep; its a silly little hobby I guess." she blushed. Sherry grinned.
"It ain't silly; a hobby is a hobby." she giggled, "You shouldn't be ashamed of what ya like, sweetie." Sherry blushed as she was still getting used to saying such things. Rachel smiled bright.
"You're right, Sherry; I should be proud of what I like and not be afraid to show it!" she said with confidence.
"That's my girl..." Sherry smiled and patted her friend's head.
"Thanks..." Rachel giggled, "A-anyway, let's continue the tour!" she said and opened the door to her own bathroom. "This is my bathroom; it has a separate bathtub which doubles as a Jacuzzi, and then I have the shower over here." She pointed to a big shower which looked like it could fit at least five people in it. Like in Rachel's bedroom room, Sherry was once again in complete awe.
"Rachel..." she said, "This is AMAZIN'!" she finished and looked around the huge bathroom. "Ah can say that Ah'm pretty impressed. Your tub is like a pool! And yer shower... Golly, Ah could probably dance while showerin' way better than Ah could in mah own!" Sherry instantly blushed and covered her mouth but it was too late, she had already revealed one of her embarrassing secrets. Rachel started to giggle.
"My, my... I didn't know you liked to dance; in the shower as well!" she said as she giggled some more. "But I find that really cute and It can be our secret." she winked and began to blush. Thoughts of Sherry in the shower crept into her mind; wet and dancing; showing off her body. Rachel quickly shook her head trying to get those images out. 'Oh my! Calm yourself, Rachel.' she thought to herself and smiled while still blushing. 'Though I have to wonder what other cute little secrets she has.' she thought as she hugged Sherry. "Come on, cutie, let's continue the tour." She smiled and started to walk out.
"Uh...sure..." said Sherry with a blush, as she followed her, all the while thinking exactly how lucky she was to have found Rachel. She was smart, nice, and to boot, she was cute...no, she was gorgeous! 'And she says she loves me...' she said to herself and smiled brightly. Rachel smiled; she was starting to love that thick southern accent that Sherry had.
"Well then I'm sure I have one more BIG surprise." she hinted and giggled, "But, it's not up here. The rest of the rooms up here are just the usual spare bedrooms and what not. They don't get used much unless my other relatives come to visit." She continued and started to go back down the stairs. Sherry only nodded and followed.
"So uh, where to next?" Sherry asked. Rachel grinned and said,
"To the lower level of the house." Sherry was confused. Why was Rachel taking her to the basement?
'Ah know she wanted te give me a tour but Ah really don't think Ah need to see where she and her family probably keep their washer and dryer.' She shrugged and followed anyways. In no time, Rachel and Sherry descended another flight of stairs which led to a finished basement which had a pool table, a full bar and a big screen T.V.
"Wow Rachel, this is a pretty neat basement and all but Ah'm not allowed to drink until Ah'm old enough." Sherry said, a little concerned. Rachel almost face-palmed and laughed.
"No, silly, just keep following me." she said and continued to navigate the basement. They passed a small room which did indeed include a washer and dryer. They then came upon a pair of huge wooden doors and stopped. Sherry stood by the door and then caught a whiff of a familiar scent that she knew very well. It was the smell of chlorine and water. Sherry then looked at Rachel with a shocked look.
"No way!" was the only thing she could say. Rachel smiled and simply said,
"Way!" as she opened the doors to reveal an Olympic sized pool. Sherry couldn't contain herself.
"OH MAH STARS IN HEAVEN! YE GOT AN INDOOR POOL!!!" she shouted and examined the huge pool. The water looked inviting and warm, and it even had a diving board. To the right of the pool, Sherry saw that it had its own changing room and then to the left of her, she saw another room and on the swinging door was a sign that read 'Restroom'. Sherry giggled 'Well that's convenient...' she said to herself, remembering when she and her friends were at the community pool and the restrooms were broken which led to them each relieving themselves in the pool. She smiled and went back to Rachel. "Rachel sweetie...this is by far the coolest thing ever!" She hugged her feline lover. "But Ah gotta ask...how did you know Ah'd love this surprise so much?"
"I knew you would ask me that." Rachel said and motioned for Sherry to follow her. They walked back into the bar area and sat down at a table with a book. "You see, yesterday after we parted ways, I had a bit more free time and I wanted to research more about the school I would be attending. So I went to the local library and rented the most recent year book. I must say that this school is a really fine establishment with lots of activities." She smiled and continued, "Anyway I then got even more curious and kind of thought I'd... well... look you up." Sherry blushed and said,
"Golly... Ah gotta say that's a bit awkward." as she rubbed the back of her head. Rachel just rolled her eyes playfully and flipped the pages until she got to the sports section.
"I found your picture and it said you were on the swim team." She turned a page to reveal the swim teams' photos and on one of the pictures, was a group of four girls that said 'Top Swimmers'. There was a fox, a Dalmatian, and a skunk; and then there was a pony which Rachel pointed to. "Then I looked for you and found this picture! I have to admit I'm very impressed that you are one of the best swimmers at school. Of course, after finding all this out, I just knew you would absolutely love the indoor pool." She smiled. Sherry was feeling pretty flattered now.
"Aw, Rachel..." she said, "That's pretty resourceful of ya and rather sweet. Thank you so much!" She hugged her friend tightly.
Meanwhile, back at the farmhouse, Theodore was still on the phone with Tanya.
"Ah really must say, It was really nice catching up with you, Ms. Tanya." Theo said happily.
"Same here, Theo;" Tanya said from the other end, "After seeing your daughter come in, I just had to see how my favorite work horse is doing. Which leads me to ask..." she paused, "I uh... was wondering... if you would like to uhm..." she paused again, as though she was building up the nerve for something, "Go out and maybe get... dinner?" She finally spat out her question. Theo felt his heart pound.
'Dinner...? She wants to go on a date with me?' He said to himself, a big smile creeping on his face. "I'd...I'd love to!"
"GREAT!! I... I mean... that's wonderful!" Tanya responded.
"Hey, Tanya," said Theo, "Ah know a great dinner spot. If you want, Ah can pick you up later around five. If... that's ok with you." Theo chuckled; he had a surprise up his sleeve.
"That sounds wonderful, Theo;" said Tanya, "That also gives me time to get ready and what not. I look forward to seeing you." she said with almost a purring tone at the last part.
"Great!" said Theo, "I'll see you then Miss Tanya, have a nice day."
"You too, Theo." She responded and they both hung up.
Over at her place, Tanya walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror with a huge smile.
"Tanya Vincent, you still got it!" She said to herself and winked. "I better get ready! I only got 6 hours!" And she started to prepare.
Back on the farm, Theo too had a huge grin on his face.
"Gosh...A date... a date..." He spoke softly, a blush steadily growing on his face. He then looked at the clock, "Six hours... Ah got a good bit of time to do a couple of things before Ah need to get ready." He said to himself and walked into the main living room where Alice was sitting on the sofa watching The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross.
"So today, everyone, we are going to paint happy little trees on the left side of the canvas..." Bob Ross said from the T.V. Theo looked on in confusion.
"Uh... Alice? Why are you watching...? Ah never mind... guess what!" Alice looked up from the television.
"Did Coconut finally run away?" she asked with a hopeful tone. Theo looked at her with a smirk and chuckled.
"Ah don't get why you an' yer sister hate that poor rooster." Alice frowned,
"Dad, the stupid bird is evil! He doesn't listen and always causes mayhem when we do our chores. Not to mention that he always caws at the crack of dawn." she said with a hint of annoyance. Theo just chuckled and patted his youngest daughter on the head.
"Aw, come now, he's just doin' his job. Maybe if y'all would be nicer to him, he wouldn't give y'all so much grief." He chuckled again.
"Maybe so... but anyways, what was your good news, Pop?" Alice said, interested in what her dad was so happy about. Theo grinned and said,
"Alice, do you happen to remember a tiger gal who ran the breakfast place in town?" Alice thought for a few moments, and then it hit her.
"OH! You mean Miss Tanya! I do remember her. How is she? I loved her pancakes."
"Yes that's her! And yes she is doing very well." He smiled. "Well guess what.....I know this may be a bit of a shocker but....she and I are going on a date!" This revelation shocked Alice to where she was speechless almost. She wasn't mad, sad, or confused. She was overjoyed in all honesty.
"You mean...a date? Like a date, date? Like you and her going out and well...getting to know each other date?" Alice was almost bouncing on the couch in happiness. The elder horse was laughing now.
"Calm yerself there, Alice!" he said, "And yup, me and Tanya are going on a 'getting to know each other date' as you say. Ah'm excited as you are now and I bet Sherry would be ecstatic!" Alice stopped bouncing.
"Where is my sister anyway?" She asked. Theodore didn't think fast enough.
"Oh she's out with her girlfriend, Rachel." He blurted out then quickly realized what he had just done, 'Oh shoot...!'
"Girlfriend? You mean her friends?" Alice asked, kind of confused. Theo sat next to Alice on the couch.
"Darlin'...... Oh how to explain this....? Ye see; remember how Ah explained that usually a man and a woman fall in love? Well.... a girl and another girl can too. Even boys can... love each other in that way." The young pony thought for a moment.
"So... You mean Sherry loves... this other girl named Rachel?" she asked, "But isn't that hated upon? Or worse... illegal?" Alice started to worry. Theo let a slight chuckle out.
"No, no, Alice mah girl, it ain't illegal." He said, but then he frowned, "Though in this state, ye can't get married to the same gender... And even more so it is frowned upon in certain areas. But, there should be no reason te hate someone for who they love." He looked away for a moment, "Ye'll learn more about discrimination when ye grow a bit older. But in the meantime, Ah accept Sherry for who she is an' Ah'm proud that she's not afraid te just be who she is. She is still your big sis' and we should be happy for her." Theo smiled. Alice understood a bit of the things her father said.
"I agree, dad;" she said, "And if this makes sherry happy and also this Rachel girl happy, then I'm happy too. I'm also glad she found love like you did with Tanya." Theo hugged Alice.
"That's mah girl; kind, honest, generous, and accepting." He let go. "Now, How bout' I make us some lunch? Ah got a good bit of time before ah gotta' get ready for my date with.... the purrfect tiger." Alice face palmed.
"No, dad; please... don't" she sighed, "But lunch sounds great." She got up and walked with him to the kitchen.
"What!? Aw, y'all kids just don't get good jokes when ye hear 'em!" He said and started preparing lunch for the two of them.
Rachel and Sherry were eating lunch as well. PB and J sandwiches were on the menu as well as blueberry punch Kool-Aid. Sherry was the first to speak up.
"So, Rachel... Ah was wondering, are you a good swimmer?" She asked and bit into her sandwich. Blushing a bit, Rachel looked away,
"Well...uhm....to tell you the truth Sherry I...I can't swim." She said with a deep sigh.
Sherry sat there in shock. "Can't swim?!? But y'all have a big ol' pool and ya can't swim?"
"I'm sorry Sherry that I can't swim;" said Rachel, "I was terrified of the water as a kitten; it's a cat thing; some of us don't learn to swim until thirteen. Around the age of eight, I finally found the courage to try it, but that was when Mom started in her big career and became just as busy as Dad, so they aren't really around to teach me. It looks really fun but I'm scared that I'll drown." She shivered from just thinking of the situation. Sherry quickly ran over to her lover and hugged her.
"Its ok, Rachel; you ain't got nuthin' to be afraid of." Sherry told her friend, "How 'bout this; Ah'll teach you to swim if you can help me pick out new clothes. Ah'm a terrible shopper and Ah'll need help." She said with a smile. This brought a big grin to the felines face.
"Really? You will? Oh thank you, Sherry!" Rachel hugged back and gave her pony friend a kiss on the cheek, "I would also love to help you shop for clothes; I'm an expert in that area." She giggled. Sherry blushed as she felt her lover's lips on her cheek.
"Uh... gee thanks, but, well... Ah kinda don't want anything too... girly and frou-frou... if ye know what Ah mean."
"I think I have an idea... or two!" Rachel giggled and stood up. "I'll go get changed real quick and we can catch the next bus into town. I'll be right back." With that, the cat girl ran off and up to her room. She undressed and went to her closet to pick out an outfit. The closet itself was huge, ranging from cute dresses to casual clothes. She picked out a simple pair of jeans and green shirt and put them on along with a pair of skate shoes. With a quick hair fix, she was back downstairs. "How do I look?" she asked Sherry. Sherry smiled and gave her lover a look over. She was cute in that simple outfit and it showed her personality.
'Simply sweet...' she said to herself. "Ya look great! It shows yer figure nicely" Sherry blushed and smiled.
"Awe... You're so cute when you blush." said Rachel with a giggle, "Well enough mushy talk, we have clothes shopping to do!" So the two girls exited the house and walked down the driveway to the bus stop.
"Uh Rachel, shouldn't you lock the house up?" Sherry asked concerned.
"Oh, don't worry;" said Rachel as she pulled out a small remote, "With a push of this button, the whole house locks itself and sets the alarm. Neat, huh?" She pushed the red button, and Sherry looked behind her to see the house go into full lockdown. The curtains slid to cover the windows, the doors made a click noise indicating the locks were in place and the alarm beeped once to signal it was secure.
"Now that there is neat." Sherry said as she and Rachel sat down on the bus bench.
Soon after, the bus arrived and the girls entered. Much like yesterday, the same group of various business employees in suits sat lifelessly in their seats with zombie-like stares. Rachel spoke up, "Geez, you'd think these people were statues or something." She said as they both sat down in the back of the bus.
"Ah know, right?" said Sherry, "But at least they got jobs an' that means that they are working and not begin'"
"You're absolutely right, Sherry." said Rachel, "My parents always say that even though you may not have a good job, a job is still a blessing." Sherry smiled and nodded.
"Ah never thought of it like that; Ah mean, our family was always grateful for a good harvest and paid our respects though." Sherry wrapped her arm around her feline lover and pulled her close, "But Ah'm also very grateful for a wonderful gal like you to be in mah life." Rachel giggled and leaned into Sherry.
"Awww... you are just the best." she said. They stayed like that until the bus came to a stop in town.
"Whelp," said Sherry, "This is our stop; the shopping district. It's full of various shops like furniture and clothing. Mah favorite is the farm depot; it has a bunch of tough clothes and such which Ah like." She said happily as stepped off the bus and helped Rachel off as well. Rachel looked at the farm depot, and then looked back at Sherry.
"Well," she said, "I can understand why you like it and why the clothes will suit you for your WORKING needs, but," Rachel turned and pointed to a different clothing store named 'Fashion Outfitters' "I do like this store myself; we had one near our old house in Chicago. It has all types of clothing and best of all, it has great deals." Rachel smiled. Sherry pondered for a bit.
"Ye know," she said, "Ah always wanted to go in that store; its just....ah was a tad bit shy...." Sherry giggled a bit and looked at Rachel. "Ah guess it wouldn't hurt to go into this store, you are the expert." Sherry held Rachel's hand and let her lead her to the store.
They entered the building to find themselves in a maze of clothing ranging from dresses to shoes, swimsuits, shirts, shorts, pants, and accessories.
Sherry was instantly at a loss. "Well then, Rachel, where do we begin? Ah mean... Ah don't know what looks good on me? Or even what's in style." Sherry scratched her head.
"Don't worry your pretty mane, Sherry; this is where my expertise comes in." Rachel said, confidently. "Now then, from hearing you talk, you already have a variety of work clothes to wear while out in the fields. What you need now is casual clothing to wear while having fun with your friends and what not. Its pretty simple really; let's start off with shirts and pants." Rachel then led Sherry over to the fitting area and found the measuring tape; then she started to take Sherry's measurements. "Ok," she said, "Now that the mathematical part is done, the REAL fun starts." She paused; "Now Sherry, what do you think you'd like to try?" Sherry thought for a moment.
"Well..." she said, "Ah do like your outfit, but it looks a little to...urban te me. Ah'm more of a country girl at heart ya know and... well that's where its difficult for me. Ah can't find a good mix between casual and work clothes cuz they look the same." Sherry sighed in defeat.
"Don't give up, Sherry," said Rachel as she hugged her tightly, "There has to be something!" She thought for a moment while she hugged her. "I got it!" She said and quickly broke away to find certain clothing articles. Soon she came back with several combinations. "Look, I think I found the perfect mixtures of both country and casual." She said and laid the clothes out on a stand. There were several jeans, some with a worn look to them; several jean shorts, and also two pairs of shoes. A pair of fashionable boots and a pair of regular convers style shoes. For tops, Rachel pulled out some plain colored t-shirts with some plaid cover shirts. Sherry was smiling at this point.
"Ah think you're on ta something." she said, "The jeans look comfy and so do the shoes and the shirts. Then mixing them with the plaid cover shirts gives it that there country feel."
"Exactly!" Rachel said, happily, "How about you try them on to see and feel if they fit you perfectly." She handed Sherry the clothes. Sherry laughed and went into the changing booth. She quickly stripped down to her undies and decided to start with the simple shirt and shorts along with the convers. The shirt hugged her body nicely as well with the shorts. The shorts themselves were not too short like her other pair and the shoes were actually quite comfy. Soon afterwards, she stepped out of the room wearing her new threads.
"How do ah look?" the pony asked, doing several poses and turns. Rachel clapped for her.
"It's very cute! I like it, that outfit will work for those hot summer days and what not. It's simple and yet it's not too 'urban' as you say." The feline commented.
"You're right!" said Sherry, "Lemme just try on the other stuff." So Sherry went back in and stripped. She picked out the faded worn looking jeans and fashion boots. The fit was rather nice and like the shorts, it hugged her frame and showed her behind nicely. The boots were awesome; they were a snake skin design and felt wonderful on her feet. She then picked out a plain white T-shirt and then put on a red and black plaid cover shirt over the white shirt and then looked in the mirror, 'Hot golly, Ah look good!' she commented on herself and stepped out to see her girlfriend. Rachel was speechless, she saw Sherry in her new country get up and her heart started to beast faster than a hotrod.
"Oh... my... that... looks... AMAZING!" She clapped in happiness. "You look like a completely different pony!" She got up and looked over Sherry with detail. "The shirt and cover shirt add flair, also you can inter change the undershirts with any of your choosing along with different colored cover shirts. The jeans give you that tough look but add a soft side. The boots are exquisite! All in all... you're purr-fect." She finished with a purr. Sherry could only blush.
"Oh jeez... Ah'm flattered..." she said, "It's all thanks te you that Ah look this good. And darn do ah love it!" She hugged her friend tightly. "Ah love you." She said and gave her a kiss on the lips. Rachel blushed and returned the kiss.
"Gosh... that never gets old." She said shyly and smiles.
"Well ah gotta say as well that it's a wonderful feeling too..." Sherry smirked, "Anyways, now its mah turn te help you! Do ya have a swimsuit?"
"Well yes and no..." Rachel giggled, "I do but it's really small and I have not worn it in many years since I pretty much never went swimming. So to sum it up... no I do not have one."
"Ah see, well now is a perfect time to find a new one while we are here." Sherry chuckled, "Now this is mah area of expertise." She said and took Rachel by the hand and went over to the swimsuits.
Rachel looked at the various swimwear selections. "I admit that I do need a new one." She giggled and blushed hard. "I can't be swimming naked now can I?" Sherry turned as red as a fire truck.
"Ah umm... N-no we uh... don't need t-that now... uh... w-well gee..." Sherry stammered for a bit until she calmed. "Y-you're quite the tease." Sherry shyly said and looked back at the swimsuits. "Now what color do you think looks good?" She said, still stuttering a bit. Rachel giggled like a school girl seeing her girlfriend react the way she did.
"Well, I always liked the color red." she said, "To me it symbolizes passion, and courage." Sherry pondered and scrolled through the selections.
"Ok;" she said, "Ah've sorted out the colors and found this nice red one. Let me take a few measurements as well so we can get a perfect fit." She said and got the measuring tape out. A few moments passed and Sherry found a nice red bikini. "Alrighty then, this what we got, now ya just need te try it on. Of course, if you don't like it, we can keep lookin'." Sherry happily handed the swimsuit to Rachel. "And don't worry, darlin' you'll look good no matter what" she added. The feline was impressed on how quick Sherry picked out the suit. She grabbed it and went into the changing booth.
"Thank you, Sherry, that means a lot to me." She replied and winked at the pony as she closed the door. She started to undress and left herself in her underwear as well. She first picked out the bikini style swimsuit. She slipped the bottom on and then tried to put the top on. She fumbled and tried and tried until she finally was able to tie the strings in the back, 'Gosh, such a hassle just to put this thing on.' She thought to herself and then looked in the mirror. She blushed as she saw her reflection; the suit was a nice fit but Rachel herself felt a bit uncomfortable. She saw that much of her fur was exposed and she felt uneasy about it. Her tail curled around her leg in nervousness she managed to say, "Sherry, uhm... can you come in? I... I don't want to leave the booth." Sherry was confused as to why Rachel wanted her to come in, she didn't question however and just entered the booth; and what she saw made her weak in the knees. There in front on her was her lover in a smokin' hot bikini.
"H-hey Rachel... W-what's wrong?" She smiled shyly. Rachel got up the nerve and spoke.
"S-Sherry, I don't think that I feel comfortable wearing this... thing... out in public... or even in private." She frowned and held her tail in embarrassment. Sherry understood completely; she knew Rachel was a shy girl and wasn't the type to dress like that.
"Oh Rachel, its ok;" she said, "Ah completely understand what your feelin' and you don't have te wear that type of suit. Why don't ya try on a one-piece instead?"
"I think that might be a good idea..." said Rachel, "I didn't think that I would be so...exposed" So Sherry went back to look for a red one-piece. A few minutes later, she was back.
"Sorry, Rachel," she said, "They didn't have any red ones; but... Ah managed to find this one..." She held up a white one-piece swimsuit with little black specks all over it.
"That's okay, Sherry;" said Rachel, "I think white symbolizes peace and pureness." She chuckled and once Sherry left, Rachel closed the door and changed into the one-piece. She admired herself in the mirror once more and liked what she saw. The suit hugged her body nicely and she felt more secure and less exposed than when she was in the bikini. Rachel smiled and felt much more confident as she opened the booth door to show Sherry. "How do I look?" She said and slowly spun around. Sherry smiled and looked her lover over. To her, she looked like a swimsuit model and the pure, white color made it even more special.
"Wow..." she said, "Rachel, that looks wonderful! It fits you well and looks great on ya! Ah think we got a winner!" she laughed and gave her feline lover a hug. "Whenever you're ready, we can pay and head back te your place so we can start the trainin'" Rachel hugged back and nodded.
"I'm ready; I feel safe as well knowing you'll be there to help me." She replied and went back to change into her regular clothes. Once she was done, they both went and paid for their items and caught the bus home. By this time it was around 3 P.M.
It was nearly time to pick up Tanya for their dinner date and Theodore was nervous. The elder work horse stood in the bathroom staring at the mirror, looking over himself to see if everything was perfect. The window next to him was open, letting in fresh air. As he started to comb his mane, he heard some flapping and scratching until Coconut appeared on the window ledge. Theo looked over and smiled, "Good afternoon there, Coconut, how are you today?" He asked the rooster. You see, Theo knew a very well-kept secret, and so did Coconut.
"Well Sir, I must say that I am very well this peaceful afternoon." The secret being.... Coconut could talk and Theo was the only one who knew. He and coconut had been friends since the rooster hatched. He had a feeling that the rooster was different and soon found out why.
"So Coco, How do I look?" Theo said as he presented himself to the rooster. He was dressed in a nice polo shirt with dress pants as well as his special shiny polished boots.
"I say, Sir you look dashing;" Coco replied in a pompous British accent, "But, may I inquire why you may be dressed as such?" Coco said.
"Well, ya see, the reason is Ah have a date with a pretty tigress named Tanya." Theo smiled and sprayed some cologne on himself.
"Well, sir, congratulations!" Coco chuckled heartedly, "I'm happy to see you going out again. I bet the girls are happy as well knowing that they may soon have a new mother."
"Whoa, whoa there now, Coco; it's only a date and such..." said Theo, "We ain't getting married..." He blushed.
"I was only joking, Sir;" said Coco, "Worry not though; I'm sure the date will go without a hitch. Who know, she may even be the one! Just think, after a couple of dates and you two bond even more, you two might be able to married you could have your happy family again! Doesn't that sound exciting?" He said happily.
"Ah must say, Coco, it does sound quite wonderful." said Theo, "Ah also know Tanya pretty well to start because we were very good friends. Ah also hope things work out very well because Ah would like to be family once again; AND to finally and COMPLETELY erase any thought or memory of that wretched show mare of a wife I used to have." He said.
"Ah yes her.... she was quite the whore wasn't she." said Coco with a bit of disgust in his voice, "Well I'm still very happy you are going on this date and I'm very sure that the girls will be happy as well." Theo smiled and patted the rooster.
"Yes Coco, Ah'm sure they'll be very happy. They really need a mother in their lives and... well Ah think Ah would love a companion as well." He chuckled.
"That's it, Sir!" said Coco, "Keep your goals in heart and keep confident. With that being said, I wish you luck. I must take leave and make sure my brethren are in line. Ta-ta!" With that, Coconut flapped off.
"See ya 'round, Coco; Ah'll do mah best!" Theo said to himself and shut the window, "Well Theo, old boy... Its show time!" he said; and went down stairs to find Alice once again watching T.V. Only this time, it was Judge Judy.
"Listen! LISTEN! I told you that this is NOT plausible evidence, DO YOU UNDERSTAND! I rule judgement for the plaintiff... dismissed." Judy spoke on the T.V and Theo just shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.
"Alice Ah'm not even gonna ask why you watch these things;" he said, "But Ah'm going out on mah date. Wish me luck! Also remember to lock up and never open the doors to anyone you don't know. The emergency numbers are on the fridge including the Army's and the Navy's." He chuckled.
"Daaaaad!" said Alice, "I only had to call the Army once, ok! It was a huge spider and I hate spiders!" She winked and busted out laughing.
"A joker as always! That's mah girl." He laughed with her and rustled her mane. "Goodbye, sweetie; and please remember to lock up." He said as he closed the door behind him. He then remembered something, "AND BE NICE TO COCONUT!" he shouted as he got in his old truck, cranked the engine, and drove off. Inside the house, Alice cringed.
"Stupid Coconut..." She whispered and continued to watch Judge Judy.
"MR. JONES IF YOU INTEREUPT ME ONE MORE TIME I'LL HOLD YOU ON CONTEMPT!" Judy shouted from the T.V
The bus soon arrived at their stop and Sherry and Rachel disembarked and started walking to Rachel's house. Rachel waited at the bus stop so Sherry could run to the farmhouse to get her swimsuit. Sherry didn't see Alice but she then heard the shower running, so she figured she was in there. She quickly grabbed her purple bikini and left, meeting Rachel back at the bus stop. Then they started walking towards the plantation. As they got closer, Rachel spotted a familiar car in her driveway; it was a light blue BMW, and it put a smile on her face.
"Oh!" she said, "My mom's home! I hope you don't mind meeting her." Sherry felt a bit nervous, but she said,
"Not at all; Ah think it'd be great te introduce myself and know the family of my special kitten." she giggled and walked along with Rachel until they got to the door.
"Aw...! You're my special somepony too!" She blushed and opened the door. "Mom! I'm home...! And I brought a friend!" Rachel shouted and soon steps were heard. Then a pretty elder calico cat appeared.
"Hi, sweetie! Welcome home!" She hugged Rachel and then looked at Sherry and smiled. "Hello, young one; I assume you're my little girl's new friend? What's your name?" She asked politely. Sherry smiled and offered her hand.
"Ah'm Sherry Phillips of the Phillips farm next door to y'all." she said, "Mah pop, Theodor is the owner of course." The elder feline chuckled and shook the pony's hand.
"I must say its very nice to meet you, Ms. Phillips;" she said, "And I'm very glad to see that my little Rachel is making new friends and adjusting. By the way, my name is Sheryl Buchannon; I'm a physiatrist at the local medical facility in town." Rachel blushed from her mom making those cute voices and such.
"Ugh... Yes, Mom;" she said, "Sherry actually helped me to adjust more to the new area and she is a great friend!" She patted Sherry's back.
"Well I'm happy you two are friends;" said Sheryl with a smile, "Why don't you two have fun whilst I prepare dinner? Sherry would you like to join us?"
"Why shore, Mrs. Buchannon!" said Sherry, "Ah'd be honored." Rachel was happy that her girlfriend would be joining her for dinner.
"Thanks a bunch, Mom;" she said, "Sherry and I will be down in the pool area. Can you buzz us when dinner is ready?"
"Sure, honey no pro...W-wait, Rachel;" Sheryl said, "Are you sure? I hate to say this in front of your friend but... well... you aren't exactly a good swimmer..." She spoke in a concerned voice. Rachel just giggled.
"Worry not, Mom," she said, "Sherry here is one of the captains of the swim team at school. She said she would teach me how to swim." Sheryl breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh thank goodness;" she said, "Well, Ms. Sherry, thank you for teaching my little kitten how to swim. Just remember if anything happens there are life rings on the walls and you can call me on the intercom. I hope you two have fun." She patted both of them on their heads and walked off.
"Your mom seems real nice, Rachel." Sherry commented.
"Yeah... I love her dearly; it's actually rare for her to be home this early too." Rachel said and started leading Sherry down to the pool room, "To boot, she seems to have taken a great liking to you from the start." In just a minute, the girls had reached the underground pool room and set their stuff down. "Well... here we are..." Rachel said, nervously.
"Don't worry, Rachel;" said Sherry as she held the cat girl close, "Ah'll be here; plus... Ah got a safety plan in case something happens... which it won't. I'll get changed first, ok?" Sherry got her bikini out of her bag, walked into the changing room, and closed the door behind her. She started undressing one article of clothing at a time, starting with shirt, shoes, pants and undies; and then neatly folding and putting them away. She slipped on her snug purple bikini and top and stepped out. Rachel was blown away by what she saw. Her lover in a bikini was almost too much to take and all she could do was put a goofy looking smile on her face.
"You look... amazing...!" She sputtered out and stared at Sherry, Her toned body and figure were so stunning that it made her weak in the knees.
"Golly, Rachel thanks fer the compliment, but uh Ah think you better change too;" Sherry giggled and saw how she was staring at her, "Before you faint that is." Rachel blushed and nodded and walked in the changing room. She too started undressing until she noticed Sherry's clothes tucked away. She blushed when she saw on top was a pair of yellow panties with black dots on it.
'Oh my..... Those are so cute...' she smiled brightly and quickly shook any lingering thoughts out of her head. She quickly finished undressing and then slipped on her new white one-piece swimsuit and stepped out. "So..." she asked Sherry, "What do you think?"
"Ye're lookin' good, Rachel!" said Sherry. "So you ready to begin?" she asked. Rachel simply nodded for yes. "Okay then! First thing that is best done before swimming is to do warm up stretches. Like so," She demonstrated a few arm and leg stretches and concluded it with bending over touching her toes. "Now you try; don't overdo it though, it takes time and practice to stretch fully like Ah do." Sherry gave out the advice. Rachel once again nodded and did the same stretching excesises and then finished it off with the toe touching. She couldn't fully reach them yet but it was a start. Sherry was impressed on how well Rachel had executed the stretching. "Very good! Now let's get in the water. But first, put these on." Sherry said and handed Rachel a pair of arm floaties.
"ARM FLOATS!?!" cried Rachel, "Sherry! I'm not a baby...!" Rachel had to admit she was a bit upset when she was handed the items.
"Now Rachel..." said Sherry, calmly, "Ah know it may seem a bit.... childish but its only temporary until you can tread water and swim. Think of 'em like trainin' wheels. Besides, you look like a quick learner so Ah bet ye'll have them off in no time." She smiled and walked down the stairs into the pool, where she extended her hand for Rachel. The cat girl gulped, and gingerly stepped into the water. Very cautiously, she descended the stairs, wincing with every step as though immersing herself in deep water was a new experience; Sherry realized that it must have been. But Rachel was bold, and she was soon at the bottom of the stairs and right in front of Sherry; about waist deep. "Nicely done, Rachel;" said Sherry, "Now let's start with the basics; treading water." Sherry went over towards the deeper end until she could no longer feel the floor under her. "See how Ah'm floating? Just look at mah arm movements and leg movements. They are moving in same rhythm to keep me afloat. You try." Rachel was still a bit scared, but knowing Sherry was there helped her to be brave. She floated over to her and began to copy Sherry's movements. It took her a few minutes, but she began to get the rhythm down to a T and felt herself holding herself up without the help of the floaties.
"I-I'm doing it!" She said happily
"Great work, Rachel! Ah told ye you would do great!" Sherry praised her, "Next we are going to do some basic swim techniques! So get ready."
Throughout the course of the session, Sherry taught Rachel various forms of swim techniques such as breast strokes, and butterfly kicks. The floaties were all but a memory now as Rachel went from starter to moderate swimmer. Sherry even showed her how to dive and swim underwater as well; and pretty soon, Rachel got to be quite the swimmer.
"Woo-wee, girl!" said Sherry, "You're a natural! Ah haven't seen anyone learn that fast since mah friend Samantha!" She hugged Rachel tightly. "Ah'm proud to have been your teacher and Ah hope that maybe you can come swimmin' with me and mah other friends at the community pool sometime." She smiled. Rachel beamed with happiness.
"I'd love to!" she said, "I'm so happy you taught me to swim; not only is it fun and a great workout but it's very peaceful too!" She hugged back. Sherry blushed as she held Rachel in her arms; then they stared at each other in the eyes and smiled.
"You're right; it is very peaceful.... and very... romantic too." Sherry said quietly as she slowly started to move her head in closer.
"Agreed; romantic... and majestic." Rachel moved in as well until their lips met in a sweet kiss.
Upstairs, Sheryl had just finished making dinner. Her specialty dish was pasta with various breads and cheeses and some salad.
"Ah yes, a healthy meal indeed." She said to herself. She was about to hit the buzzer to let the girls know that the food was ready but instead decided to go and see how they were doing and let them know in person. 'That Sherry girl was really polite and well mannered.' Sheryl thought to herself, 'I'd say she'll make a great friend for Rachel; plus maybe Rachel will learn to be more adventurous from her...' By now she had reached the doors of the pool room.
"Romantic... and majestic." Sheryl heard behind the doors.
'I wonder what they're talking about?" she thought again and opened the doors to see her daughter kissing Sherry on the lips! 'OH MY...! Maybe... a little too adventurous...' Sheryl said to herself and stood there in a little shock. "Rachel? Sherry?" She said out loud which made the two girls nearly jump out of the water. They both turned red and looked at Sheryl with fright in their eyes.
'Oh no...! What do Ah do...? Rachel's mom is gonna kill me...! Ah won't be able to see her again! Oh no... no... no...!' Sherry thought as her mind raced a mile a second. Rachel on the other hand was on the verge of tears.
"Mommy.... Please... Please don't be mad..." she sobbed and started to get out of the water. Sherry wanted to comfort her but was too afraid to make a move towards her...or any move at that. She felt as though a spot light was on her.
"Mrs. Sheryl, Ah..." Sherry stumbled over her words, not knowing what to say. Sheryl stood there for a moment, then snapped out of her shock, went over to a sobbing Rachel, wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tight.
"Shh... Its ok, sweetie; there's nothing to be scared about." She said to comfort her daughter. Then she looked up at Sherry who was now holding back tears. "Sherry... Dearie, don't be afraid. Please come here." She spoke in a very soft motherly tone. Sherry slowly got out and walked over to Sheryl expecting her to blow up on her. But instead, Sheryl opened her arm and embraced her in a hug as well.
"M-Mrs..." Sherry started to say.
"Shh... Its ok, girls..." Sheryl gently hushed them and began to rock them gently in her arms. "I want you both to know that I am not mad in the slightest;" she said in the same soft tone, "I was just a little startled." She let go and guided them both to a table with some chairs beside the pool. "Please take a seat and I'll get us some water from the soda fountain." She smiled and walked off into the rec room. Despite the fact that Sheryl claimed not to be angry, Sherry was still very scared, and so was Rachel; she had her head pointed down in fear. Sheryl came back with some water and gave each girl a bottle. "Like I said before;" she said, "I am not angry at all; just shocked a bit. Rachel and Sherry, can you two please tell me what is going on?" Sherry was the first to speak up.
"Well, Mrs. Buchannon..." she began, "Rachel and I...."
"We love each other, Mom! We are in LOVE!" Rachel jumped in. "From the moment I met Sherry, she was so nice to me. She talked to me and we bonded like no other kids my age ever did back home. I just... fell for her." She buried her head in her mother's chest and cried. Sheryl hugged her and patted her on the head. Sherry smiled a bit and continued.
"It's true..." she said, "It hit me like a donkey kickin', the moment Ah saw her. Ah felt something in mah heart that was really special. She's real pretty, yes; but she has a charm and kindness that just took hold of me. It was honestly love at first sight." Sheryl had several tears in her eyes by the end of the story.
"Well..." she said, "I must say that is an incredible story. In all my years working as a psychiatrist and listening to people's problems and love stories I'd thought I heard it all but hearing yours and my daughter's well... gosh its beautiful." She said wiping away her tears, "Not many parents would accept their children falling in love this early. Heck, most parents would even break down knowing their son or daughters are...well....are interested in the same gender." Sheryl gently patted Sherry's arm. Rachel looked up at her mother with a bit of a smile.
"Mom... I... I know you aren't mad b-but..." She stammered. Sheryl knew what her daughter was trying to say and smiled.
"Rachel, hon, and Sherry... You both have my full support and blessings to be together." she said with a loving smile, "I wish you two the happiest of times together. I'm also sure that my husband, Jeff will be happy, especially seeing our little Rachel so happy. I've seen young love before but never this strong which makes me believe that your bond together will last an eternity." She smiled brightly. Sherry was relieved, like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Deep down though, she actually felt a twinge of jealousy towards Rachel.
"Well, Mrs. Buchannon," she said, "Ah promise to take the greatest of care of Rachel."
"And I promise to make you the happiest pony on earth." Rachel said as she ran over to hug Sherry. Sheryl smiled at the sight of the two hugging and smiling.
"Well girls..." she said, "I can't say anything else other than I'm very proud of you two. OH! By the way, dinner is ready. I'm going to head on up and set the table. You both should dry off and change so we can eat. See you two soon." She chuckled and left the pool room.
"Well Rachel..." said Sherry, "Now that mah dad an' your mom both approve us bein' together, Ah guess it's officially official." She giggled.
"I guess it is..." said Rachel, "The moment I saw my mother, I almost wet myself!" She blushed and let out a giggle. "Speaking of which, I'm going to run to the bathroom. You can get changed first ok?" She smiled and walked off to the bathroom.
'Well it wouldn't be the first time I witnessed the water warm up a bit...!' Sherry laughed to herself and went into the changing booth. She quickly dried herself off the rest of the way and changed back into her clothes. Rachel came back a short while later and changed herself and met Sherry in the hall.
"Ready to go?" Rachel asked.
"Eeeyup! Ah'm starvin'!" Sherry rubbed her belly and walked with Rachel. "Ah gotta admit, Rachel... Ah don't mean this in a mean way but... Ah'm a bit jealous of ya."
"Oh? Why is that?" Rachel asked.
"Your mother..." said Sherry, "She's so kind, gentle, and lovin'. She's also very understandin'." Rachel was confused,
"Oh? Why though, is your mom not like that?" She asked. Sherry just sighed.
"Rachel..." she said with a tear in her eye, "Ah... Ah don't have a mother. Mah parents are divorced because mah mom cheated on my dad with someone else." She frowned. Rachel was shocked at this revelation and felt bad for her friend.
"Oh gosh, Sherry; I'm so, so sorry...." She said, "That's a very awful thing for a woman to do; especially to your dad and you too. I can't stand people who cheat, it's unfair and unforgivable!" Rachel got a little angry from just thinking about it. "Listen, Sherry, you are welcome here anytime, ok? If you ever get distraught, don't hesitate to come over here; I'm sure my mom and I can help you out." Sherry smiled.
"Thanks, Rachel; that means a ton." They shared a moment to hug it out. "Now how bout we go get some grub!" She said as her stomach grumbled.
"Understood!" Rachel laughed when heard the rumble; and they both went up to the kitchen.
Whilst all this was going on, Theodore was rumbling down the road in his old truck. It was rather loud due to a leak in the exhaust, but it gave the truck character. He turned off the side roads and on to the main road leading to Tanya's house. The radio was tuned to the hard rock station, and the song 'Number of the Beast' from the band Iron Maiden was playing. Theo was jamming and driving until he finally arrived at Tanya's. He put the truck in park, shut off the engine, then walked up the walk and knocked on the door. The door opened revealing Tanya wearing a pretty red dress that went down to her knees.
"Theo! Hi!" Tanya smiled brightly and gave Theo a big hug, "Its been way to long."
"Tanya Vincent..." said Theo as he hugged back, "It has been way too long indeed. How have you been?" Tanya smiled and locked her door.
"I've been great;" she said, "Business is doing well, the weather's nice and warm; And, well... I'm doing even better now that you're here." She chuckled.
"Well that's good to hear," said Theo as they walked towards his truck, "Ah can agree that Ah'm a mite bit better too seeing you again." He opened the door for her and closed it behind her once she got in. Then he got in himself, started the truck, and drove off.
"So... how are the girls?" Tanya asked, starting a conversation.
"They're doin' very well, thanks for asking;" Theo said, "Alice and Sherry are both gettin' good grades and playin' sports in school. They both have good friends and a healthy social life." He smiled as he thought about his daughters. He wondered if he should tell Tanya about Sherry and Rachel; he figured it wouldn't hurt. "To add to that," he said, "Sherry's fallen in love recently and is starting to date." Tanya was happy to hear that the girls were doing well. She was also a bit surprised that Sherry was dating.
"Oh? Dating already? My, she is growing up fast" she said, "Ah, young love... it's so innocent and cute. Who's the lucky boy?" She asked
"Sherry ain't datin' a boy," Theo said with a smile, "She seems to have taken an interest in the ladies instead." he chuckled.
"OH REALLY?" Tanya said in a surprised tone, "I would never have guessed Sherry would turn out to be a lesbian." Theo nodded and said,
"Ah gotta admit, it surprised me at first, Tanya. But, she's mah daughter an' Ah love her an' accept her for who she is and who she loves. Ah have no problem with it at all; Ah think Sherry will make that girl very happy." he smiled. Tanya put her hand on his shoulder.
"Theo..." she said, "That right there should make you the father of the year! I'm very proud of you."
"Father of the year? Naw!" he laughed, "Ah just want te be Theodore, good father." There was silence for a few minutes, then Tanya asked,
"So cowboy... where are we going?"
"I thought we should have somethin' special to celebrate us gettin' together;" said Theo, "So Ah arranged for us te have dinner at a little place called... 'Captain's River Diner'."
"CAPTAIN'S RIVER DINER!?!" Tanya was shocked, "You got reservations for Captain's? How did you manage?"
"Yeah Ah did!" said Theo, "Every now and then Ah help fix and maintain the engines of the old boat. Me and Cypress, who Ah may add is the owner of Captain's River Diner, have been really good friends since middle school; so it was easy te get a spot." He smiled and turned down the road to the port where the river restaurant was docked.
"Wow! Theo you are just full of surprises! Farmer, mechanic, and a great father! I'm interested in finding out more about you" Tanya smiled.
"Well you just may." Theo laughed and pulled into a parking space. Once the engine was off, he got out to open the door for Tanya. "Allow me, Ma'am." He offered his hand to her.
"Oh, sir you so kind!" She took his hand and they walked up to the sailor standing by the ramp.
"Ahoy there, Theo! Nice to see you back." The gorilla sailor said as he waved to them.
"Ahoy to you too, Robert." said Theo, "This lovely young lady and myself are here for a night on the river.."
"Ah yes, the cap'n is expecting you two." said Robert, "Just head on up the ramp and we will underway in a few minutes." With that, Tanya and Theo walked up and boarded the great riverboat. Robert came up behind them and started to raise the ramp and untie the ship from the moorings. "Oi, Venom! Raise anchors!" Robert shouted orders to a black cobra sailor on the bow of the ship.
"Aye, ssssailor Robert." Venom said with a hiss and started to crank up the anchors. Theo smiled and took Tanya up to the top deck where the VIP Table was.
"I hope you like it, Tanya," Theo said as they reached the deck, "We'll be getting' an amazin' view from the top." There were 8 tables on the top deck, all were filled with various other couples except one which was reserved for Tanya and himself. They took their seats and started to look at the menu.
"This is so amazing, Theo!" said Tanya, excitedly, "I've actually tried many times to get into this place but to no avail. The sailors, the river, and the rustic old boat; it's such a romantic setting!" She actually jumped a bit in her seat. She felt like a cub again and she didn't mind showing it. Theo chucked seeing Tanya act this way. He found it pretty cute to be honest.
"Ah agree;" he said, "And it makes it even better being here with you Tanya." he held her hand on the table.
"Oh Theo..." she said, "That's sweet of you." She looked at him with bedroom eyes. It had been a while since both of them had actually been on a date and feeling passion again was very welcoming. The moment was interrupted due to Captain Cypress making his appearance. He was a 60 year old Crocodile with a muscular build despite his age. He was dressed in a vintage Captains garb from the 50's and had a pipe sticking out the side of his mouth.
"Good evening Ladies and Gentlefurs, Reptiles and Avians alike. I am Captain Cypress and I'll be your skipper on this voyage. I hope you all enjoy your meals and have a wonderful night! Also, you may enjoy the sights as we set sail down the river and the music from our live band." He motioned over to where the band was. "Now I must make myself scarce. Have a splendid time, folks!" He tipped his hat and went below deck to man the helm.
Pretty soon, the ship started to edge its way away from the dock. As soon as they were clear, the ship's whistle sounded a deep thunderous roar signaling that they were off. In that instant, the band began to play some up-beat music. It was a pleasant mix of brass instruments and other string as well. Tanya by now had the biggest smile ever.
"I must say this is the most AWESOME thing ever!!!" She said as she picked up her menu and looked it over with a glance, "My, these are... expensive."
"Ah don't worry yer pretty tail about them big numbers, Tanya;" said Theo with a chuckle, "This meal is on the house from the cap'n himself as payment for the repairs Ah made to the engines last week. So get whatever ye want." Tanya smiled in return.
"Well must I say that makes things much easier!" She started to browse the menu again. Theo started to look through it as well until the waiter arrived.
"Good evening folks!" the flamboyant macaw said, "I'm Jeremy and I'll be your server tonight. May I start you off with a drink?" Tanya went first and ordered a glass of red wine. Theo ordered a glass of whiskey, straight up with no ice. "Good choices! I'll back soon with your drinks." He chirped and walked off.
"So Tanya," said Theo, "Ah've been meanin' te ask ye somethin'. Did ya always have a major thing fer me? Even when Ah was married to.... her?" He asked with a touch of worry. Tanya blushed a bit.
"I confess that I did have a thing for you. Even when you were with that slut." she said, bluntly.
"Now Tanya, be nice." said Theo, "Oh Ah'll admit what she did was beyond wrong, but name callin' just ain't nice."
"That's one of the reasons that got me liking you so much," said Tanya, "You're so kind and caring. In the meantime you were so handsome and hardworking and down to earth. Many girls today pass that up for just looks and money. But I saw the real gem and that was you!" She smiled and giggled, "And even when gems age, they never lose their beauty."
"You're callin' me old!" Theo laughed, "But thank you for the nice comments. It has been a while since I heard them words with meanin' behind them." In another minute, Jeremy came back with the drinks and handed them out. "Are we ready to order?" he asked. Tanya spoke up first.
"I'll take the steak and fries; rare on the steak please." She said to the waiter as he wrote down the order.
"Ah'll take the Vegie burger with fries." Theo said and handed the menu to Jeremy.
"Very good!" said Jeremy, I'll be putting that in right away. I'll also be checking in on you every now and then." With that, he took off, though not literally. In the time that they waited, Tanya and Theo shared a pleasant time staring at the passing sights and talking up a storm. It was filled with laughs and loving emotions as well. Soon the food arrived and they began to chow down.
"This is wonderful!" said Tanya after her inaugural bite, "Possibly the best steak I've had in many years!" She cut another piece and ate it.
"Agreed!" said Theo, "The chefs on this boat are well trained and have the best culinary skills in the state." he took a bite of his burger.
After a few minutes of that, the plates were now empty and the waiter took them away and refilled their drinks. By this time the night sky was showing and the moon was up; revealing the city lights. The band started to play some slower songs to set the mood and a few of the patrons started to dance on the ballroom floor. Taking the last sip of his whiskey, Theo stood up and offered his hand to Tanya.
"Care to dance?" he asked.
"Why I'd love to!" said Tanya as she finished her wine. She took his hand and they walked to the dance floor. Theo got in close and got into position. Soon they were dancing in the rhythm of the music.
"Ye know..." said Theo, "Ye look absolutely stunning in that there dress." he guided her into a twirl.
"And you look handsome as well, Mr. Phillips." She got back in close and wrapped her arms around his neck and they continued to dance.
"Why thank ye..." said Theo as they slowed they dance a little more, "You know when ye called me this mornin'; Ah got really excited when you said you would like to go with me to dinner. Ye made the happiest stallion in the city." He smiled and built up the nerve to say what he wanted to, "Ah'd be greatly honored if you would like te keep going on dates with me as yer boyfriend." he blushed and looked at her beautiful emerald eyes. Tanya felt her heart skip.
'He wants me to be his girlfriend!' she mentally screamed in happiness. "Theodore... I'd be honored to be your special girl." she said in a loving tone and moved in close to then him a full kiss on the lips. Theodore felt like he was on top of the world. He returned the kiss; her lips were warm and soft. It had been so long since he felt these emotions of love and passion and they felt wonderful. After about another half hour of dancing and talking, the old boat was back at port and soon the patrons began to disembark. Theo led Tanya down the ramp and opened the door to the truck for her; then he got in himself and started the journey back to Tanya's house.
Back at Rachel's house, they had just finished playing various board games and watching T.V. After a few episodes, Rachel got up and stretched and noticed that her father was still not home.
"Hey, Mom, when is Dad coming home?" Rachel asked.
"Oh I'm sorry, sweetie; Jeff had to stay late at the lab to do inventory and restock. He said he will back late tonight." Sheryl said with a frown.
"Oh, I see..." said Rachel, "Well at least that rarely happens." She then turned to Sherry and said, "I think you'll love my dad and his profession. I'll let it be a surprise until you meet him." She giggled. Sherry laughed and then looked at the clock which read 9:45pm.
"Golly it's late!" she cried, "Ah need to head home before 10 or my pop will get upset." Rachel was a bit sad to know that Sherry had to leave, but she lived next door and she knew that she could see her pretty much anytime.
"I see..." she said, "Do you think we can see each soon? Maybe even for a swim?" she asked, hopefully.
"Why shore!" said Sherry, "Ah can teach you some more maneuvers and swim techniques." She gave her lover a big hug.
"That sounds like a great time." Rachel replied and hugged back. She walked Sherry to the door and opened it for her. "Goodnight, Sherry..." she said, "I love you." Sherry walked out the door, then turned and smiled.
"Ah love you too sweetheart." she said and winked. She then headed off to her house.
Theo was on his way home, he dropped Tanya off at her house and they shared another kiss which lasted a bit longer than the last. In fact, he still had her lipstick on his face and didn't even know it. He kept a smile on his face as he turned into the driveway. He was met with Sherry sitting on the porch waiting for him.
'Uh oh; Ah wonder what's wrong...' he said to himself and parked the truck, got out and started to walk to the house. "Sherry darlin'; is everythin' ok?" he asked.
"Oh yes, Pop;" she said, everythin' is fine. Ah just got a little worried is all. Alice was sleepin' when Ah got home from Rachel's and Ah didn't wanna wake her to ask where you were." Theo smiled.
"That's mighty kind of ye for waitin';" he said as he chuckled and stepped onto the porch, "But there ain't no need te worry. In fact, where Ah was will make you happier than a chicken in a feed factory." Once Theo stepped into the light, Sherry could see the lipstick on his face and started to giggle and laugh. She knew in that instant where he was and who he was with.
"You went on a date." She laughed.
"Yes!" said Theo, "But how did ya... know? And what's so funny?" He was confused.
"Look at the porch mirror, Pop." Sherry continued laughing. He looked at the mirror and started to blush and laugh himself.
"Ah guess the hen is outta the bag there huh? Yes sir, Ah was on a date with Miss Tanya; as you can guess and it was wonderful!" he smiled
"Ah can see that it WAS wonderful." Sherry giggled and gave her dad a big hug. "Ah'm so happy you're seein' her, Daddy. She and you make such a cute couple." Theo hugged back and chuckled.
"Ah guess yer right;" he said, "Ah felt like a young horse again while Ah was with her. She was just as happy too. We bonded like glue and had so much in common too. Our next date is next week and we're goin to the park for a walk." he let go and sat down on the rocking chair with Sherry on his lap.
"Aw, Daddy that sounds beautiful." She said and rested her head on his chest, "Ah'm glad things are finally lookin' up for us." she added.
"Ah'm glad too, Sherry dear." he said, "We should thank the good lord for our faith and patience that got us here." He started to rock in the chair as he said, "Bad things happen, Sherry; but there is always good that comes outta it, no matter how bad. It may be a lesson learned or it may teach you te be stronger. Whatever it is, just keep faith and hope." He added. For a while, Sherry and Theo talked about here day while rocking in the chair on the porch. As they talked, Coconut was on the roof above, staying silent but smiling happily hearing the good news of the day his masters had.
'Indeed sir; things are looking up and I wish you and master Sherry all the love in the world.' he said happily to himself and stayed on the roof until Sherry and Theo retired into the house to go to sleep.
To Be Continued....... :D