[fic] "Blue Moon" (Hetalia) part 3
“Yeah. See you then. Bye…” Charles hung up again. “Wolfie seems to know where they are, so I’m going to pick him up and meet Frank there.”
“We’re coming with you,” Wilhelmine said in a voice that brooked no argument.
“Mother, there’s no need for you to come.”
She narrowed her eyes at her son, and wagging her finger at him, said, “You listen to me, Charles Edelstein! If I say I’m going, then I’m going!”
“Fine, Mother, but just be aware I’m stopping by to get Wolfie on the way.”
“Why is he going? It’s not his son.”
“Because Gilbert and Roddy are as close as you can get to being brothers without having the same parents, Mother.” Charles rubbed tiredly between his eyes. “And if Gilbert is involved, Wolfie wants to be there to take care of him.”
“Oh,” Wilhelmine said, although she was not happy her son-in-law was coming along.
“Yes, now get ready to go if you’re going. You too, Shelley.”
“Okay.”
A few minutes later, Charles pulled up in front of Wolfgang’s house. He was sitting outside, waiting for them and got up as soon as he saw them. Wolfgang walked over to the car and got inside. “Hallo, Carl, Shelley.” He looked over at his mother-in-law, who was sitting with him in the back. “Hallo, Frau Edelstein.”
Wilhelmine pointedly ignored him, although the others greeted him.
“Are you sure they’re at Sal’s, Wolfie? I would have thought they were closed at this hour,” Charles said as he pulled away.
“Ja… Gilbert asked me, and Roderich too, not tell anyone where they were going, and I was sorely tempted to keep that information to myself, but…” Wolfgang trailed off, and collecting his thoughts, he continued as he looked at his watch, “But it should be over by now.”
“What should be over?” Wilhelmine demanded.
“The wedding,” he replied. “I’m sure you know the reason why by now, Frau Edelstein.”
“They didn’t! Charles, hurry up so we can stop them! My grandson isn’t marrying that tramp!”
“Mother, I’m going as fast as I can.”
“She’s no more a tramp than your daughter was, Frau Edelstein,” Wolfgang said.
“I don’t have a daughter. She died when she was sixteen,” Wilhelmine said.
“She died when she was twenty-four and left two little boys behind,” Wolfgang said, “and a husband who loved her, and still loves her, very much. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss her and when I look at my boys, I see her in them. If she were still alive, she would be very proud of them, but you wouldn’t know that, because you cut us off from you, Frau Edelstein.” And if it wasn’t for your daughter, you probably wouldn’t have survived the War… My father took a big risk in getting us all out of Germany and yet, you never thanked us… Not that I care, but treating your daughter like she was a whore and dead to you… That I can never forgive…
Wilhelmine made a little sound of disgust.
Wolfgang sighed. “I’m just thankful Carl maintained our friendship despite your feelings and that our Kinder know each other and are friends. That’s how family should be, not ‘us and them,’ Frau Edelstein.”
Ignoring her son-in-law, Wilhelmine asked, “Are we there, yet?”
“I just need to park the car, Mother,” Charles said as he pulled into the lot behind the pizzeria. After quickly finding a space next Wolfgang’s Chevy, he parked. Everyone got out and they were met by Elizabeta’s parents.
“You think they really got married?” Shelley asked Alice as she pulled her aside.
“It sounds like it, but then again, who knows?” she replied. “I mean, I know they think they’re in love with each other, but don’t you think they’re too young?”
“Well, according to my husband, his sister ran off and got married when she was sixteen because she had to, but there was all this confusion because of the War. Anyway, we were all trying to emigrate here, because it was safe, but that was before America joined the war…” Shelley sighed. She still could not believe her husband and his family had all made it safely to America, never mind her whirlwind romance with Charles. Shelley lowered her voice and said, “Whatever it was, my mother-in-law wasn’t happy about Sophie marrying a German and having a baby with him, and much to her annoyance they later turned up in here sometime after my Roderich was born. Sophie, in all the time I knew her, never mentioned how she met Wolfie or why they got married.” She shrugged.
“Yeah?”
Shelley nodded. “It quickly became evident that no one was supposed to talk about it so I let the matter drop. I liked Sophie and I wish I had gotten to know her better. She was a very sweet woman, and it’s such a shame she passed away and so young too, and those poor boys. Gilbert was a handful back then, still is…” Shelley said dryly.
“He seemed like a nice boy when he came to ask Lizzie out on a date. Very polite too.” Although, his father’s a bit of a strange one, he apparently found them kissing and he made Gilbert bring her home and apologize to us… They were only holding hands and kissing… Maybe if they hadn’t broken up over it, my daughter wouldn’t be in this mess…
Shelley shrugged. “Lord knows Wolfie tried his best with him, maybe a little bit sunk in. At least Ludwig turned out alright, but they definitely needed a mother’s touch back then. I don’t get it, Wolfie’s still young, but he never remarried, nor does he seem interested in anyone else.”
“Maybe Sophie was the love of his life.”
“Maybe or maybe no woman wanted to be saddled with another woman’s children,” Shelley said. “You never know and there was a time after Sophie’s passing when he drank heavily, so that could have had something to do with it.”
“Shelley!” Alice exclaimed, a bit shocked by the gossip.
“Oh, please, Alice!” Shelly waved the gossip with a flick of her wrist like they we discussing the weather. “If you’re really joining the family, you’re going to hear worse from my mother-in-law, so you’d better get used to it.”
“Oh… Well, we’d better get going; your mother-in-law looks fit to be tied.”
“Yeah…”
The two of them followed the men and Wilhelmine over to the pizzeria’s front door. When no one could get in, Charles knocked on the door, and after a few minutes, he tried again. This time everyone turned to see who it was.
“Oh shit…” Gilbert swore softly and Lili giggled. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay, Basch sometimes talks like that.” She giggled again.
“Yeah?” Gilbert snorted in amusement. “Hey, Specs, looks like the old lady was too late with the cavalry.”
“Yeah…” Roderich turned to face him. “She doesn’t look happy, Gil.” Judging by the look on everyone’s faces, except for his uncle’s, he had the feeling he was about to be grounded for life once his father got a hold of him.
“She’s never happy. Looks like Mr. Vargas is gonna let them in.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it, Roddy, “Elizabeta said. “We’re married now, so it’s not like they can stop us, right?”
“I hope so…” Roderich reached for her hand and held it. He drew a bit of resolve from his wife and steeled himself for whatever his family was about to throw at him.
“Gil?” Lili looked up at him and smiled. “What’s going on?”
Gilbert sighed. “I told you my cousin got married…”
“Yeah…?”
“Well, my aunt and uncle aren’t happy about it and my grandmother looks like she’s going to have a stroke.” He snorted in amusement. At her questioning look, he added, “I’ll probably get in trouble for what happened, cuz uh… my cousin and his… wife, never really got permission from their parents and my grandmother likes to blame me whenever her pet grandson does anything wrong.”
Lili’s eyes went wide. “They eloped? How romantic!” She sighed softly.
Gilbert looked at her like she had three heads. “You think so?”
She nodded. “It’s very romantic! Like a fairy tale come true.”
He grinned at her. “Yeah?”
Lili nodded again and smiled.
“Come; let’s get out of the line of fire.” Taking her by the arm, Gilbert steered her towards the back of the pizza parlor where his friends were waiting. “You too, Basch.” By now Salvatore had opened the door and let his family in and Gilbert felt it was time to run for cover.
“What do we have here?” Gilbert heard him say as they melted into the small crowd of people standing in the back.
“I’m sorry, we’re here to collect our children,” Frank said.
“There not children anymore; they’re married adults.”
“That’s what we’re afraid of,” Charles said as Salvatore led them off to the side to talk to them.
Wilhelmine, however, had pushed past Salvatore and was hurrying towards her grandson. “Roderich Edelstein, what is the meaning of this?”
“Uh…” Roderich sputtered helplessly.
“Well?”
“We got married, Ma’am,” Elizabeta said, when it looked like her husband had nothing intelligent to say.
“I wasn’t talking to you!” Wilhelmine snapped. “Roderich?!”
“I got married, Bubbe.”
“Roderich, you’re too young to get married, now stop this foolishness and let’s go.”
“I’m sorry, Bubbe, and I’m sorry I didn’t invite you or Mom and Dad, but I’m married now and I belong with my wife.”
“Oh, really? And where do you propose to live? Hmm?!”
“Ummm…” Roderich was at a loss for words as he had not thought that far ahead.
“Hadn’t thought about that, have we?” Wilhelmine said tartly.
“No…”
“Well, don’t count on coming home, with your…” Wilhelmine paused to narrow her eyes at Elizabeta, “wife.” She spat the word out like it left a bad taste in her mouth.
“Bubbe, Lizzie is my wife, please treat her with respect.”
“You’re wife’s a tramp who tricked you into marrying her.”
“Excuse me?” Elizabeta said. “Roddy…?” She looked to him for support.
“Bubbe! That wasn’t nice,” Roderich said.
“You’re just like your aunt, marrying beneath you and expecting us to like it. Well, I won’t have it. Do you hear me?”
“I’ve heard you loud and clear, Bubbe. I guess you won’t be climbing nachas from your great grandchild,” Roderich said. “And don’t worry, I still intend to go to college and get a degree in music and maybe become a teacher, or maybe I could get a job in an orchestra… or something.”
“I see. Well, I hope you’re able to find a job quickly, because you won’t get a penny from me,” Wilhelmine said.
Roderich sighed. “Bubbe, I’m sure if I asked nicely, Uncle Wolfie’ll give me a job pumping gas. It may not be performing at the Met, but it’s a job and it’ll put food on the table.”
“Oh, so now we’re settling.” Wilhelmine smiled sweetly at him.
“Uncle Wolfie owns his own business, Bubbe. He owns his own home too, like Dad, and I don’t think he did that bad. Gil says he had to learn English from Aunt Sophie when he got here and he picked it up pretty quickly too, so he’s not stupid.”
Wilhelmine made a little sound of disgust.
“Bubbe,” Roderich sighed. “I’m never going to please you and I shouldn’t have to. It’s my life and if I want Lizzie in it, well, you’re either going to like it, or not, and it’s up to you.” He put his arm around his wife and pulled her close.
Wilhelmine clearly was not happy when Elizabeta leaned on him. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it. Throwing her hands up in disgust, she headed towards the door. “Charles! Come, we’re leaving.”
“Mother, I’m not done talking to Mr. Vargas.”
“Talk to him tomorrow, I’m tired and want to go home.”
“Mother, please.”
“Carl, I can take Frau Edelstein home. My car is here.”
“Thanks, Wolfie. I need to talk to my son and…” Charles
“It’s okay, Carl.” Wolfgang looked at his mother-in-law. “Whenever you’re ready, Frau Edelstein.”
“Charles, I asked you to take m home.”
“Mother, I’m busy, so Wolfie is going to take you home instead.”
“Charles, I don’t want to go home with that Nazi!” Wilhelmine hissed.
“Mother!”
“You heard me, Charles.”
He sputtered in reply.
Wolfgang sighed. “We left Germany in nineteen thirty-nine for one thing, for another; I never belonged to the Nazi party and neither did my family. Think about it, Frau Edelstein.” He looked over to where Gilbert was talking to his friends and back at her. “Anyway, if you need a ride, I will take you, if not…” He shrugged.
Wilhelmine was seething. Used to getting her own way, she was at a loss for how to go about getting it when everyone seemed determined not to give it to her. “I’m going to sit down and wait for you, Charles, but you’d better hurry up.” She stalked over to the tables in the back, in a huff, carefully avoiding the others.
“Wolfie, I’m sorry.”
“Carl, it’s nothing Sophie and I hadn’t heard from her before.” He shrugged it off. “I can only try so hard, she needs to meet me half way, which I doubt she will. At least I kept my promise to Sophie and the kinder know her.”
“Yeah…” Charles said.
“Hey, Bubbe Edelstein! You come to join the party?” Gilbert said as he sauntered over to her, Lili and her brother in tow.
“No, Gilbert,” she said tersely.
Undaunted, Gilbert tried a different tack. “This is Lili, she’s Basch’s sister,” he said, indicating the two people he was with.
“Hi, Mrs. Edelstein.” Lili looked over at Gilbert.
“She’s my grandma,” he said, putting his arm around her. “I was named after her late husband, my zaide. His name was also Gilbert.”
Lili giggled. “Yeah?” She was confused as it was clear the old woman did not like Gilbert in the least, yet he appeared to be oblivious to it and it saddened her. Lili wondered what had happened to cause the rift in the family and she admired Gilbert for trying to fix it even if he wasn’t aware of it.
“Yup! Gilbert said proudly. “And my brother was named after my opa.”
“Opa?”
“It’s German for grandpa. When I was little, that’s all everyone spoke and I learned English along with my Vati from my Muti.” Gilbert grinned. “I think I picked it up better than he did, though. And poor Lutz speaks German about as well as Vati speaks English.” He snorted in amusement.
“Go away, Gilbert,” Wilhelmine said tiredly.
“Bubbe,” he said, his smirk quickly fading.
“That’s not nice, Mrs. Edelstein,” Lili quietly said. “You’ve hurt his feelings.”
“Hmph! That’s very impertinent, Missy!” Wilhelmine replied.
Lili smiled sweetly at her. “I’m sorry,” she said, reaching for Gilbert’s hand. Taking it, she gave it a gentle squeeze, before letting go.
Gilbert looked briefly down at his hand, momentarily taken aback by the simple gesture. Even though she had addressed his grandmother, he had the feeling the apology was meant for him. Catching Lili’s eye, he gave a goofy grin as no one had ever stood up to his grandmother before, no matter how quietly, before turning his attention back to his grandmother. “You wanna dance, Bubbe Edelstein?”
Wilhelmine pointedly ignored him.
“I do, Gilbert,” Lili said.
“Okay.” Looking at his grandmother, he said, “If you’ll excuse us, Bubbe? Oh, you too, Basch.” Without waiting for a reply from either of them, he led Lili out onto the dance floor. Someone had chosen Johnny Ace’s “Pledging my Love” and Gilbert swept Lili up in his arms. He chuckled softly.
“What?”
“I feel like we’ve got a thing for slow dancing. You brother thinks so too.” Gilbert looked over a fuming Basch. He chuckled.
Lili giggled as she followed his gaze. “Yeah…” Her expression became serious. “Do you like slow dancing?” she shyly asked.
“Yeah… It’s nice wrapping your arms around a girl and just swaying to the music.”
“It’s nice when a boy does that to you too…” Lili felt her cheeks heating up. She looked up at him and quickly looked away when Gilbert caught her eye. Holding each other close, she giggled when Gilbert rested his chin on top of her head.
Elizabeta, who was dancing with her husband, tried not to think about what was going to happen once her parents and in-laws finished talking to her friends’ grandfather. Instead, she focused on Lili and Gilbert. Elizabeta thought they looked cute together and was hard pressed to suppress a giggle.
“Mrs. Edelstein?” Roderich said as he looked into her eyes. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing, Mr. Edelstein,” she replied.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded, before looking away and back. “Well, to tell you the truth, your cousin and Lili.”
“Yeah?” Surprised by her answer, Roderich stole a quick glance at them. “I would have thought you’d say, ‘my cousin and Feli.’”
“That’s also funny, but Lili’s crush on Gil is even funnier, in an adorable way. You know, I used to babysit her when she was little.”
He nodded. “I remember that. You were the first one of us to have a ‘real’ job.”
“Yeah… I just hope Gil doesn’t break her heart.”
“Me too, cuz Basch would seriously kick his ass if he did.” He leaned in and kissed her. “But enough of them, I want to talk about us.”
Elizabeta sighed. “Mr. Edelstein, this is why I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“Yeah…” Roderich smiled at her. “I love you too, Mrs. Edel- What do you want, Feli?” he said when Feliciano walked up to them and tapped Roderich on the shoulder.
“Margherita said it’s time for Lizzie to throw her bouquet.” Feliciano handed it her. “Just toss it, cuz it looks like Grandpa’s done talking to your parents.”
Elizabeta grabbed the flowers and held them up. The girls, including Feliks, lined up to try and catch her bouquet. Lili, however, was not even paying attention to anything beyond Gilbert. Elizabeta turned around and closed her eyes. “One, two, three,” she said, tossing the flowers behind her. The girls all squealed as they reached for it, but Feliks turned out to be the lucky one who caught it.
Holding the bouquet up, he grinned triumphantly. “Look, Tori!! I’m like going to be the next one to like get married!!” he gushed.
Tori let out a nervous laugh. “Cool, Feliks…”
“Yeah!!” Feliks said.
“I think we should ask Francis for our clothes back. They’re married now and I doubt they need them or care that two of their ‘bridesmaids’ have disappeared.”
“Yeah, but like if we change out of this, then like we won’t be Knights,” Feliks countered.
“You really want to be a Knight that badly?”
“Yeah, cuz like if we were Knights, then like no one would like mess with us.”
Tori sighed. “Fine… I hope this is all going to be worth it in the end.”
“It like will be,” Feliks said. He smiled at his friend and Tori couldn’t help smiling back.
“Oh crap, someone’s in trouble,” Tori said as they watched Roderich’s and Elizabeta’s parents walk over to them.
There was a long moment of awkward silence as the newlyweds and their respective parents stared at each other. No one wanted to be the first to break the silence and it took the bright flash of flashbulb popping as Carmine took a candid picture of them to get their attention.
“Do you think the newlyweds could stand together and have your parents on either side of you?” Carmine motioned for them to stand together.
“Ummm…” Elizabeta began.
“Of course,” her mother said. “Come, Frank.” Alice reached for her husband, pulling him close.
Not to be out done, Shelley also pulled her husband close as they stood off to Roderich’s right.
My work is done… Carmine thought as he took their picture. “Wait… I want another one in case the first didn’t come out.” He popped out the flashbulb and put another one in its place. “Say cheese…” Carmine took their picture again. “You guys look great together.” He grinned. “Hey, let’s get the wedding party together too.” He motioned for everyone to gather around.
“We’re like going to get our picture taken with the bride!!” Feliks gushed. “Come, Tori!!” He pulled his reluctant friend towards the newlyweds.
“I don’t want to, Feliks!”
“Okay, how about the bride with her girls,” Carmine suggested as they hurried into position. “Say cheese!”
“CHEESE!”
He took several pictures, some with Roderich and the groomsmen, some with the newlyweds and their parents, and one of Roderich and Gilbert and another of Elizabeta and Katyusha. He even took one of Feliciano and Ludwig, much to Ludwig’s annoyance as Feliciano insisted on hanging onto like he really a girl and his friend’s girlfriend. While all that was going on, Gilbert stood with his arm around Lilly, talking to Basch.
“You really have a street rod?” Gilbert said; his eyes wide with astonishment. He was also feeling a bit jealous, until he realized he had a motorcycle and out of all his friends, only Tony had one as cool as his.
“Yeah… It’s candy apple red with flames on the fenders. I’ll show her to you when we leave.”
“Cool!! So you wanna be a Knight too?” Gilbert asked as casually as he could. He held Lili close. “A Knight always treats a lady with respect, so if I were to say…” he looked down at Lili and smiled, “date your sister, you wouldn’t have to worry about her.” And then we can talk cars and shit! We’d be bound to be friends over that! Shit, Basch, if you weren’t such an asshole, we could have been friends all through high school…
“You’d really go out with me?” Lili blinked. She felt her heart beating wildly in her chest at the thought. It was like a dream come true for her.
“She’s only fourteen, Gil.”
“So? I’d only be dating her…” Gilbert shrugged. “It’s not like I’d do anything to get her in trouble.” At Basch’s dark look he added, “Look, besides you kicking my arse if that were to happen, my Vati would be right there behind you waiting for his turn.” He smirked. “As much as everyone likes to believe otherwise, I’m not stupid.”
“I don’t know…”
“Awe… “
“Please, Basch? All the girls would be so jealous of me,” Lili said. “And the boys would leave me alone. They’d all be afraid you and Gil would kick their butts!” And you and Gil could hang out and talk about cars, instead of thinking up ways to kill him, Basch… Then I’d get to see him all the time…
Basch frowned. The thought of Gilbert dating his sister was making his head hurt as he did not trust him, or any other guy with his little sister for that matter, but he did sound sincere about the Teutonic Knight’s code of conduct regarding girls. When Basch thought about it, none of the Knights had a girlfriend. Gilbert’s cousin Roderich did, but he was not really a Knight. Basch was looking over at the newlyweds, when it hit him. Shit, I bet they had to get married otherwise they’d have waited until after graduation and never would have eloped! Damn!! And if he’s not a Knight, but they got married after that… I guess Gil would too… Then again, if he tried anything like that with Lili, I’d cut his balls off… Basch’s lips briefly tugged upwards in a wicked smile.
“Please, Basch…” Lili said as she clung to Gilbert.
“Yeah…” Gilbert leaned his head on top of hers. While he doubted he would ever get over losing Elizabeta, Lili was sweet and her overprotective brother combined with his equally puritanical father, he reasoned, would be enough to keep him from doing something stupid like breaking her heart or getting her in trouble.
“I’ll think about it.”
Lili giggled. Whenever her brother said he would think about something, it usually meant he was giving into her “demands.” Looking up at Gilbert, she smiled. Lili had a sneaking suspicion, the object of her desire really liked her former babysitter, from the way he’d look over in her direction when he thought no one would notice, but she was determined to win him over. While she had no idea how to go about doing that, she figured a kiss or two would do the trick. The thought of kissing Gilbert sent her heart racing and while she was glad Elizabeta was never interested in him; Lili thought the girl was a fool for not going out him.
“Oh good.” Gilbert smiled. He was saved from trying to come up with further conversation, by Basch’s shrewd observation.
“It looks like all’s been forgiven.” Basch looked over at the happy couple and their parents.
“Hunh?” Gilbert replied as he looked in the same direction. “That’s so not fair…” he said softly.
“What’s not fair?” Lili, who had heard him, asked.
“Nothing…” I can’t believe after all this, Specs is still their golden boy…
Basch nodded as if reading his thoughts. He found it amusing that as soon as they were married and the baby-to-be was “legitimized” both sets of parents had given them their blessings. He did not think he could ever be that forgiving if Lili ever found herself in that situation. Basch glared at Gilbert. Narrowing his eyes at him, he said, “You ever do something stupid like that with my sister and I’ll cut your balls off, and I mean it.”
“Hey! I told you before that as a Knight, I was honor bound to treat her with respect!” Gilbert jabbed him in the chest with his finger.
“Yeah and I told you what I’d do if you didn’t!” Basch got up in Gilbert’s face.
“Guys!” Lili said as she stepped between them. She was worried they would start a shoving match and it would end up with her brother changing his mind about her dating in general and Gilbert in particular, and she was not about to let that happen. “You’re causing a scene.” They stared at her dumbly for a few seconds, before realizing she was right as everyone was staring at them.
Slinging an arm around Basch, Gilbert grinned. Basch simply rolled his eyes as the tension passed. “Look, if I had a sister, I’m sure I’d feel the same way, Basch, so relax. I swear to you, I’m not going to rape her or do whatever else you’re afraid I’m going to do to her., okay? Lili’s a sweet kid… Hell, I’d kick my own ass if I ever did something to hurt her, so cool it.”
Basch nodded. He was saved from further voicing his opinion on the subject when Ludwig and Feliciano approached them.
“Hey, Brüder,” Ludwig began.
“What?” Now what…? Gilbert wondered.
“Feli thinks we should take up a collection and rent them a room at the Blue Moon Motor Lodge. And I agree, they should at least have one night alone.”
Gilbert snorted in amusement. “You’re a hopeless romantic, you know that, Lutz? But you guys are right. So you want to handle it? I’m gonna grab Francis and see what we can do about getting a discount on the bridal suite. If I’m not mistaken, Tori’s father runs the place, right?”
“Yeah,” Feliciano replied. “I guess you’re gonna go through with Franics’ plan and make him and Feliks a Knight for real?”
Ludwig looked at his brother expectantly.
Gilbert nodded. “Hey, I don’t have much of choice, now do I? Aside from Franics tricking them, they really did help out a friend in need.”
“Yeah… That’s part of the Knights’ code of honor,” Ludwig said.
“Yup! So it wouldn’t be cool to ignore that, plus it does help that, you know, we need their help, or rather Tori’s help in getting a good room.”
“Yeah… So, we’ll handle the collection, Brüder, you take care of the details,” Ludwig said.
“Yes, sir!” Gilbert saluted and his brother rolled his eyes at him, before walking away to start a collection. So while they were busy with that, Gilbert turned to Basch and Lili. “If you two will excuse me, I need to find Francis and get the honeymoon suite as wedding present for my cousin.”
“It’s okay, Gilbert,” Lili said. She sighed softly at what she thought was a romantic gesture on her new boyfriend’s part.
Basch snorted. “You know you could just threaten him into doing what you want, if you don’t think he’s not worthy of being one of your Knights.”
“Yeah… I could, but they did go to a lot of trouble to help out. I don’t know about you, but I sure as hell wouldn’t be caught dead in a skirt.” Gilbert grinned. “As it is, poor Tori looks like he’s going to end up dead in that skirt.”
Basch laughed. “Yeah… That kid’s gonna die young and probably for a stupid reason too.”
Gilbert nodded. “Anyway… I’d better go talk to him then, before he drops dead on us.”
“Go. Come, Lili, let’s see if there’s any pizza left.”
As they walked over to the where the food was set out, Gilbert headed over to where Francis was slow dancing with Katyusha. “Hey, Francy-pants! Katy,” he said. “Mind if I cut in?”
They looked at each other, before Francis looked over at him and replied, “No.”
“Thanks!” Gilbert said with a smirk, and instead of dancing with Katyusha like they both had expected, he grabbed Francis’ hand. They all laughed as Gilbert briefly danced with his friend. “Seriously, I need to talk to my friend here, so if you’ll excuse us?” he said as he let go of Francis and stepped back from him.
“Sure, go ahead, Gil. I’ll see later, alligator,” she said to Francis.
“After a while, crocodile,” Francis said as he winked. Turning to Gilbert, he asked, “What’s buzzin, cuzzin?”
“It’s time to go tell our pledges they’re Knights, or a Knight and a Lady-in-waiting in Feliks’ case. Who knew the kid was such a space cadet?” Gilbert chuckled.
“Yeah. So, uh, what’s really buzzin, cuzzin?”
Gilbert jerked his thumb in the direction of the newlyweds. “They need a room for night; Lutz and Feli are taking up donations, and uh… Tori’s folks own the Blue Moon. I figure with a lil help from Tori we could get them the bridal suite.”
Francis snorted in amusement. “The Blue Moon doesn’t have a bridal suite, Gil. It’s mostly a rest stop for folks on their way to and from Manhattan and Lake George. You know, truckers, bikers, people, who get lost on their way to the Catskills.”
“I know, but there’s no way we can afford the Holiday Inn in Saratoga Springs, Francis.”
“Yeah… So the Blue Moon it is.”
“Yup,” Gilbert said as they sauntered over to where Feliks was standing with Tori. Ludwig and Feliciano were also there, trying to get a donation and from the look on both of their faces, neither Feliks nor Tori had any money on them. “Bingo!” Gilbert said softly. “Come on, Francis.” He picked up his pace.
“Well if it isn’t our newest Knights!” Gilbert said as he approached them.
“Yeah, congratulations, boys,” Francis added.
“They’re Knights?” Ludwig looked at his brother and Francis like they had three heads.
“Yup!” Gilbert grinned. “You guys passed the initiation.”
“Like cool!!” Feliks squealed.
“Yeah…” Tori said. He did not like the way Gilbert and Francis were staring at him and Ludwig’s deepening frown was starting to get to him too. “S-so what do you want?”
Gilbert sidled up to him and slung his arm around Tori’s neck. “Funny you should ask…” he grinned.
“Yeah?” Tori nervously laughed.
Gilbert nodded. “We need a favor.”
“And as Knights you’re honor bound to grant it,” Francis added.
“We’ll like do it!” Feliks said.
“You don’t even know what they’re gonna ask, Feliks,” Tori hissed.
“Like so what? At least they’re like asking and not like threatening to beat the crap out of us,” he countered.
“But…”
“We really need your help, Tori,” Gilbert said. “Lutz and Feli here are taking up a collection to get the love-birds a place for the night.”
“Yeah…?”
“Well, your folks own the Blue Moon and we were wondering if you could get them to give them the bridal suite.”
“Gil, I hate to disappoint you, but-” Tori started.
“He’ll like do it!” Feliks said.
“But there’s no bridal suite,” Tori insisted.
“A mere technicality. I was thinking maybe your folks could give them a nice room with fresh sheets and towels and a mint on the pillow like in those classy hotels in Manhattan do,” Gilbert said.
Tori sighed. “I suppose I could call them…”
“I’ll give you a nickel,” Franics said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few coins.
“The payphone’s over there,” Feliciano added as he pointed to the area near the restrooms.
“Thanks…” Tori looked from one expectant face to another and sighed as Francis handed him a nickel. He hurried over there, before he lost his nerve, and went into the phone booth, pushing the door closed behind him. Picking up the handset, he put the nickel into the coin slot. It jingled metallically as it went down inside. A few seconds later, Tori heard the dial tone, and sticking his finger in the rotary dial, he slowly dialed home. The phone rang for a few minutes before his father picked up. “Hello, Dad? Yeah, I’m fine… No, Feliks and I didn’t get beat up for dressing like this… What? No… Anyway, Dad? Can I ask a favor for a friend? What?” He paused while his father asked him another question. “Yes, Feliks and I are now in Gilbert’s gang… What? No, anyway, can you and Mom make up some sort of bridal suite in number nine? This guy I know, Roderich Edelstein just got married… Yeah… That’s partially why Feliks and I are dressed like this… Yeah, Feliks does like dressing like that… I know, I know… So like can you?” Tori cringed when his father laughed and said he sounded like Feliks. “Yeah? And can you give them a discount…? It’ll be for a Mr. and Mrs. Roderich Edelstein… Yeah, he’s Dr. Edelstein’s son… What? Okay… Thanks, Dad.” Tori hung up. He pulled the phone booth’s bifold door towards him, opening it, and left.
“Well?” Gilbert asked when Tori came over to them to let the other know what his father had said.
“My dad said, he and my mom will get something together for them,” Tori said as he fidgeted with his skirt.
“Cool! So how much?”
“Normally, it’d be about ten dollars for the night, since they’re fixing up the room as a bridal suite, but my dad said they can have it for five, since they’re friends of mine.”
“Cool!” Francis exclaimed. “How much have you collected, Feli?’
“I got ten dollars so far, and if you guys can add another couple of bucks, they can stay two nights and have enough left over to get something to eat for dinner tomorrow night.”
“Good. Let’s get an envelope to put it in and then we can drive them over there,” Gilbert suggested. He handed two dollars to his brother for the room.
“Sounds like a plan, my friend,” Francis said.
“You’d better believe it!” Gilbert smirked. Lizzie, for your sake, I hope Tori’s parents can make you a romantic lil place to stay… He looked over at the happy couple, who were standing around, eating pizza with their parents. He tried not to sigh and wish it was him and Lizzie standing there.
“Come on, guys,” he said to Ludwig and Feliciano, “Let’s go get that envelope form your grandpa, Feli.”
Gilbert frowned as he watched them go.
“You okay, Gilbert?” Lili asked, pulling him from his reverie.
“Yeah…” He smiled at her. “We got the newlyweds a room for tonight as a wedding present. Tori’s parents are fixing up a room for them, and by the time we get there, it’ll be ready.”
“Cool! Can I come with?”
“Ummm… aren’t your parents gonna get mad if you’re out late? It’s…” Gilbert looked at the clock on the wall, “It’s eleven o’clock, Lili.”
“Nah… Mom knows I’m with Basch.” She smiled sweetly at him.
“But what about your dad?” Gilbert asked. The last thing he wanted was his father getting mad that he helped a girl break her curfew.
“My mom’s divorced,” Lili said like it was no big deal, since her was a lot happier now that her husband was out of her life, despite life being a bit harder now for her family. Besides, Lil thought her mother was really brave for doing what she did.
“Oh…” Gilbert was at a loss for words.
She shrugged. “It’s better that way. Mom says he’s a no good, lying, cheating bastard and she’s a lot happier now that that he’s gone, not that he ever was around much anyways…”
“I’m sorry, Lili.”
“Don’t be. It is what it is and no one can change it, so what’s the point of getting upset over it.” She shrugged.
“I guess so.”
Lili nodded. “So can I come with?”
Gilbert sighed. “Only if Basch says it’s okay.”
“Don’t worry; he will!” she replied and Gilbert was beginning to see why her brother was so overprotective. He had the feeling if left to her own devices; Lili would be quite the wild child. “Hey, Basch, can I go with Gilbert to see the newlyweds off?”
“Aren’t they going home with one of their parents?” Basch said around a mouthful of pizza. He took another bite and washed it down with a mouthful of Coke.
“Nope! They’re getting them a room at the Blue Moon.”
“What?!” Basch sputtered.
“Relax, Basch. We’re just dropping the newlyweds off and coming right back,” Gilbert said. “Hey! Think they could get a ride in the back of your rod?”
“No! Take your own car.”
“It’s not my car; it’s my dad’s and besides, I need to drive my bike home. Vati hates it when Lutz drives it, especially at night. Not that he’s that crazy about me driving around at night.” Gilbert sighed.
“No. What about Francis? Doesn’t he have a car?”
“Sadly no. He was going to hitch a ride home with me.”
“Beilschmidt, don’t you think you’ve done enough for one day?” Basch said as he helped himself to more pizza.
“Well, umm…”
“Take it from me, you have.” Basch ate a bite of his pizza. “Besides, the newlyweds don’t want us hanging around.” He had another bite. “So give them the money, tell them to have fun and if they were going up to Niagara Falls, I’d ask them to send me a postcard.”
Francis, who had heard the tail end of things, sighed. “He’s right, Gilbo. We got them to the church on time, now we’ve gotta let go.”
“They’ll be fine,” Lili added.
“Yeah…” Gilbert grinned. “So let’s give them the envelope and call it a night.”
Francis held up his hand and waved. “Hey, Knights, Ladies! Gather ‘round!” he said as they came over to them. “It’s time to bid the happy couple a fond farewell and send them off to the Blue Moon.” He looked at Feliciano. “Feli, would you like to do the honors?”
“Yeah!” Feliciano took the envelope over to a surprised Roderich and Elizabeta. “On behalf of the Knights and your friends and family, we’d like to present you with lil token of our love…” His cheeks heating up, Feliciano thrust the envelope full of money at them. “There should be enough in there for a bit of a honeymoon.”
Elizabeta felt her eyes welling up with tears as she took the envelope. “Thank you,” she said softly as she gave Feliciano a hug. Stepping back from him, she handed Roderich the envelope. He took it and looked inside.
“Thanks, everyone!” He grinned. Taking a quick glance into the envelope he was amazed at hwo much money they had collected. “You guys are the best!”
“Yeah…” Elizabeta said.
“I guess we’d better get going, Mrs. Edelstein.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me, Mr. Edelstein,” Elizabeta said. “Except for one thing.”
“What?”
“How are we getting there?”
“Oh…”
Wolfgang quietly approached them. “I can take you, if you want.”
“Can you, Uncle Wolfie?”
“Please, Mr. Beilschmidt?”
Wolfgang nodded. “It’ll be my pleasure and please, you’re family now, so you should call me ‘Uncle Wolfie’ too.” He smiled at his new niece.
“Thanks, Uncle Wolfie…” Elizabeta smiled back at him. “I’ll be right back,” she said and hurried over to where Katyusha was standing there, talking to Francis. “Katy?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you do me a huge favor and take the bag with my clothes in it when you leave?”
“Sure…?”
“I’m leaving in a few minutes to go on my honeymoon.”
“Awe…” Katyusha hugged her. “I guess I’ll be seeing you around…”
“Yeah…” Elizabeta said. “It’s not like I’m going to moon, well the Blue Moon,” she said and they both laughed.
“Don’t worry, Lizzie, everything’s going to be okay now.”
“Yeah…” I hope so… “I guess I’d better go, hunh?”
Katyusha nodded. “See ya later, alligator.”
“After a while, crocodile!” Elizabeta turned and hurried back over to her husband and the man who now her uncle. “Katy’s going to take my things home, Roddy.”
“Okay.”
“Come; let’s go before your grandmother decides to start something,” Wolfgang said, his quiet tone full of silent urgency.
Roderich looked over at where his parents stood talking to his in-laws. “Yeah, let’s go, Mrs. Edelstein.” He took her hand and without a backwards glance, they left with their uncle. As they passed Gilbert and Lili, Gilbert nodded, and leaning forward, he whispered something to Lili, who giggled.
Gilbert put another nickel in the jukebox and let Lili pick the song. Since Basch seemed resigned to the fact that his sister had a boyfriend whether he liked it or not, Gilbert did not care what she played, as part of the initial fun of being with her was ticking Basch off. Now that he knew her a little better, he found he did not mind getting to know her as she seemed a lot more fun, when he thought about it, than Elizabeta was. He laughed when she picked The Spaniels’ “Goodnight, Sweetheart” to serenade his cousins as they left, delighted at her wicked sense of humor.
Lovino let them out, locking the door behind them. He refused to take the money Roderich had tried to give him, telling him in no uncertain terms that everything was taken care of and that he should just go. Sighing softly, Roderich had no choice, but to do as he was told. He walked up to his uncle’s car, hand in hand with his wife as the reality of the situation hit him. He was a married man now, with a baby on the way and college looming in the not so distant future. The weight of his new responsibilities weighed heavily on him and for one brief, shining moment, he wished this was all a dream and that he would wake up to just another day in a long string of them.
“Are you okay?” Elizabeta said softly as they got into the car.
“Yeah…”
Wolfgang started his Chevy. As he backed out the parking space, he noticed the worried look on his nephew’s face. He was sure he had worn a similar face when he and others had fled Germany before the War broke out. While his nephew would have an easier time of it, since his parents, Wilhelmine’s objections notwithstanding, as well as Elizabeta’s were accepting not only of the baby, but the marriage as well, it was a lot to have to take in all at once. Shifting his car into drive, he said, “It’ll work out, Roderich,” as he pulled out of the parking lot.
“What will?”
“Everything. There’s only a month left of school, so don’t drop out and work hard over the summer like you normally would have.”
“But where are we gonna live, Uncle?”
“Your parents, or hers, will help you there and if that doesn’t happen, come talk to me.”
“Thanks…”
“You’re welcome… It’s what families are supposed to do.” Wolfgang drove to the edge of town, where the Blue Moon Motel was located, in silence. He could not stop thinking about his beloved Sophie and he had a feeling she would have loved the young woman Elizabeta had grown into. He knew she would have approved whole heartedly where the impromptu wedding was concerned.
Wolfgang sighed softly, slowing the car down to a stop when the light turned red. He frowned when he checked his rearview mirror and saw Gilbert with a girl on the back of his motorcycle. A red hotrod was behind him and he felt a moment of panic for his son’s safety, when the light turned green and he pulled away. The strange convoy followed him for the last two blocks it took to reach the Blue Moon. Wolfgang pulled into the small parking lot in front of the motel’s main office and got out. “Gilbert, what are you doing here?”
“Hey, Vati! Basch and I needed to drop Tori off,” he replied as the others piled out of the Basch’s hotrod.
“Hi, Mr. Beilschmidt!” Gilbert’s friends chorused.
Tori nervously stepped forward after being prodded by Basch. “I-I’m here to see that everything went according to plan, sir…”
Wolfgang nodded. “Gilbert, isn’t it a bit late for-” he began, when Feliciano pulled into the lot, Ludwig scrunched up behind him on the back of his Vespa.
“Hey, Vati, is it okay if stay over Feli’s house? I promised Mr. Vargas I’d help him clean up the mess after church tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Turning his attention back to his eldest, Wolfgang started again, “Isn’t it a bit late for Lili to be out, Gilbert?”
“Ummm…”
“She’s fine, Mr. Beilschmidt, she’s with me,” Basch said.
“But it’s still late.”
While his uncle tried to sort things out in the parking lot, Roderich went inside the main office with Elizabeta and Tori. “Hey, Dad! They’re here!” Tori called out at the front desk. A few minutes later, his father emerged from the back.
He took one look at his son and laughed. “Here,” he said, taking a key from on the pigeonholes behind him. “Which one of you is Mr. Edelstein?” he asked as Feliks entered.
“Like Mr. Beilschmidt wants to know if like everything’s like okay in here?”
Roderich nodded. “Tell him it’s fine, I just need to sign the registry and get the key.”
“Like okay. Hey, Mr. Laurinaitis!” Feliks waved.
“Hi, Feliks,” He said, trying hard not to laugh.
“Like me and Tori are like Teutonic Knights now. Isn’t that like great?”
“It’s the cat’s meow, Feliks.”
“See, Tori? I like told you it was great!”
“Yeah…” Tori said.
Elizabeta giggled and signed the register under her husband’s name. It felt weird to be signing something as “Elizabeta Edelstein,” instead of “Elizabeta Héderváry.” Still, she figured she had better get used to it, although, she did briefly wonder what she was going to do about school. When she looked up and met Roderich’s eye, all thoughts of anything other than her honeymoon went out of her head.
“That’s room number nine, it’s at the far end of the motor court on your right. Enjoy your stay at the Blue Moon and congratulations on getting married,” Mr. Laurinaitis said as he handed the key to Roderich.
“I guess this is it, Mrs. Edelstein,” Roderich said softly.
“Yeah…” She took his hand and together they left the main office. Once outside, they turned right and walked to the end of the motor court, heedless of the commotion their friends were making in the parking lot. Reaching their room, Roderich put the key in the lock and opened the door. Taking the key out, he put it his pocket and gathered Elizabeta in his arms.
“Roddy!” Elizabeta exclaimed as he carried her over the threshold. She giggled when he kicked the door shut behind him, before setting her gently on the bed.
“What?” He grinned at her, before going over to the door and locking it. Not that he actually thought his friends would be so crass as to intrude on their honeymoon, especially with his uncle there, he did not trust them as they could just as easily wait for Wolfgang to leave, before opening the door on them.
“Nothing… “ Elizabeta felt her cheeks heating up when it suddenly occurred to her that eh friends were probably thinking they were having marital relations. “You don’t think they’re thinking we’re… you know...” She looked away from him.
Roderich sat down next to her on the bed. “Lizzie, they probably all know by now why we got married in a hurry.”
“Oh…”
“So they’re probably thinking we’re not doing anything…”
“Why? Do you think it could hurt the baby?” Elizabeta’s eyes went wide.
“I don’t know… but I do know Feli’s got an older brother and two sisters.”
“What does that have to do with anything, Roddy?”
“Think about it…” he said as he cupped her cheek.
“Oh…” Her blush deepened.
“Yeah… so maybe it doesn’t hurt the baby and it just makes you want more of them.” Roderich smiled.
“It would be a shame to waste such a nice wedding present on sleeping,” Elizabeta said softly. She could not believe she had said that to her husband, but he didn’t seem to mind as he had closed his eyes and was leaning in to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around him and deepened it, much to his surprise.
Roderich, breaking the kiss, eased Elizabeta onto her back. He lay on his side, his head propped up on his upturned palm. She looked shyly up at him and he smiled reassuringly at her. Reaching out with his free hand, Roderich cupped her breast, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Elizabeta giggled. He had done the same thing in the back of his father’s car that night and feeling rather bold at the time, she unbuttoned her blouse for him. That had lead to a lot of kissing and touching and before Elizabeta had known it; she was sitting there, topless, while he played with her bare breasts. She remembered feeling chilly as it was a cool spring evening, and she also recalled how warm his hands felt on her cold flesh. One thing had quickly led to another and it was not long, before she was lying across the backseat with her poodle skirt and crinoline pushed up against her stomach, while Roddy was trying to get her panties off. She blushed at the memory.
“Lizzie? You okay?”
“Yeah… I was just thinking about that night in your dad’s car.” Elizabeta reached up and over, and with a bit of fussing, pulled the zipper on the side of her dress down.
Roderich grinned as he pushed the bodice of her dress down. He felt his cheeks heating up when he realized she was not wearing a bra underneath it. “Lizzie?”
“I umm… left the foundation garment I bought for it at home as I thought it’d be too tight. I’m just glad I was still able to squeeze into this dress without it.”
“Yeah..?” Roderich fondled her breast. He liked the way her nipple hardened under his touch. Even better was the way his new bride squirmed when he rolled the tiny nub of flesh between his finger and thumb.
Elizabeta moaned softly. She suddenly wanted to be out of her dress, the layers of tulle feeling very constricting. “Roddy…?”
“Yeah…?” he replied, his voice low and husky with desire.
“Can I get up? I need to use the bathroom…” she trailed off softly as he cheeks heated up.
“Okay,” Roderich said as he helped her up. Kissing her, he added, “Hurry back.”
“I will.” With a soft rustle of fabric, Elizabeta got up and headed into the bathroom. She let her dress fall to puddle at her feet, before stepping out of it and hanging it up on the hook on the back of door. She looked at herself in the mirror, cupping her breasts as she imagined her husband touching them. Elizabeta was tempted to take her panties off as the idea of being completely bare for her husband was an exciting one, but she kept them on and reached for a towel instead. Holding it over her breasts, she left the bathroom.
Roderich looked up, at his wife’s approach, as he unbuckled his belt. He pulled it through the belt loops, tossing it aside. “Mrs. Edelstein?” Smiling as he untucked his shirt, he quickly unbuttoned it, thinking he was the luckiest guy in the world to have such a beautiful wife.
“Mr. Edelstein…” Elizabeta said as she demurely sat on the bed. The towel, she clutched to her breast, did little to preserve her modesty, especially when her husband crawled in bed and took it away from her. Lying back on the bed, she covered her breasts with her hands.
Roderich chuckled at her, and scooting down by her waist, he tugged on her panties. She giggled in reply as she tried to put her legs together, but he was not about to give up so easily. Roderich simply pulled the waistband as far away from her as he could and leaned over and looked inside.
“Roderich!”
“What?”
“What are you doing?” Elizabeta, thoroughly scandalized, asked.
“I’m just taking a good look at what I barely got a good look at two months ago…” he teased.
“Oh…”
“But I need to get these out of the way first.” He tugged on her panties.
Mortified, Elizabeta nodded. As half dressed as she had been in the car, when she wantonly spread her legs for him, it was another thing to be completely naked for him. She still lifted her hips for him as he slowly pulled them down, exposing the soft tangle of auburn curls at the apex of her thighs.
Roderich paused. He thought his wife looked incredibly sexy like that, with her hands covering her breasts and her panties pulled down to the top of her thighs. While her pose reminded him of the pinup girls in his cousin’s dirty magazines, there was something less tawdry and more wholesome about his wife. The longer he looked at her like that, the harder he got, until his pants suddenly felt too tight. Kissing her stomach amid a flurry of giggles, Roderich felt her relax enough for him to get them all the way off. He thought it was adorable the way she moved to cover herself up. Leaving another kiss on her stomach, Roderich got up out of bed.
Elizabeta frown when he did so, until she realized he was about to get naked too. She blushed and turned her head away.
“Lizzie. You okay?”
“Yeah…”
“Then look at me…”
“But…” Elizabeta, despite her better judgment, turned her head and watched as he got undressed. Her breath quickened as he shrugged out of his opened shirt and she giggled when he pulled his undershirt up and over his head, the lean lines of his torso coming fully into view. Lowering her eyes in a fit of modesty, she noticed the swelling in his pants. Elizabeta remembered how he asked her to touch his penis, before sheathing it inside a condom. Now that they were married, she wondered if they would still need them, when he blurted the answer out.
“Damn it!” Roderich swore as he took off his pants. “Sorry, Lizzie, but I forgot to ask Gil if he had any condoms on him.”
“Do you think we still need one? It’s not like I can get pregnant as I already am.” She tried not to giggle when she sat up and noticed the underside of his penis was straining to break free through the flap in his boxers.
He laughed sheepishly. “You’re right.” Roderich quickly slipped out of his boxers. Clad in just his socks, Elizabeta thought he looked adorably nerdy. She leaned back, opening herself up to him as he kissed her.
Elizabeta moaned softly when she felt the head of his penis bumping against her. A few more tries and he pushed inside. She had forgotten how good his fullness felt as he thrust in and out of her. As he developed his rhythm, Elizabeta moved her hips along with him. Little jolts of pleasure ran down her spine to pool deep within her belly and she felt a moment of panic over losing the baby. Then she remembered all the times she had touched herself down there, rubbing the little nub of flesh above her folds and nothing happened, except it felt incredibly good. In fact, things felt much better than they had in the backseat of her future father-in-law’s Cadillac. Her moans growing louder, Elizabeta felt her orgasm building inside her, until she peaked. She lay there, feeling the familiar fluttering inside as she panted.
Roderich grunted softly as he thrust inside his wife. He felt his balls tightening as the pleasurable feelings built in his cock. He could also feel his wife’s insides gripping him as she climaxed and he was glad he had forgotten to bring some condoms with. He could actually feel her slickness as he thrust and picking up his pace, he started to cum. Elizabeta moaned again as another orgasm built inside her and they climaxed together. Roderich panted, his eyes closed, as he slowly came back to himself. Kissing her nose, he pulled out of her and rolled over to lie at her side.
“I love you, Mr. Edelstein,” Elizabeta said softly as her hand reached for his.
“And I love you too, Mrs. Edelstein,” Roderich replied. Picking her hand up, he kissed her fingers. “Now what do you want to do?”
“We could take a bath and go to sleep, it’s late.”
“Okay. You want to go first?” Roderich, still basking in his sexual high, felt too lazy and sated to move.
Elizabeta kissed him. She got up out of bed and picking up the towel and her panties off the floor, she disappeared into the bathroom. A few minutes later, Roderich heard the sound of running water as she filled the bath. While she waited for the tub to fill, Elizabeta took the soap and lather it up and used it to wash her panties. Satisfied they were as clean as she could get them; she hung them over the towel bar and got into the tub. Elizabeta turned off the taps. She took a washcloth and the soap and began washing herself. As much as she would have liked to have luxuriated in the bath, she hurried up as her new husband needed it.
Rinsing off the soap, Elizabeta let the water out and stood up. She giggled when he opened the door and walked over to her. He took a towel from the rack over the bathtub and after helping her out, he wrapped her in it.
“I promise to be quick, Mrs. Edelstein,” Roderich said. He kissed her cheek.
“I’ll be waiting for you, Mr. Edelstein.” Kissing him back, Elizabeta left to go wait for him in bed. She didn’t have to wait long as he was true to his word and as quick as possible. They snuggled together under the covers, wrapped in each other’s arms as they slowly drifted off to sleep.
4
“We’re coming with you,” Wilhelmine said in a voice that brooked no argument.
“Mother, there’s no need for you to come.”
She narrowed her eyes at her son, and wagging her finger at him, said, “You listen to me, Charles Edelstein! If I say I’m going, then I’m going!”
“Fine, Mother, but just be aware I’m stopping by to get Wolfie on the way.”
“Why is he going? It’s not his son.”
“Because Gilbert and Roddy are as close as you can get to being brothers without having the same parents, Mother.” Charles rubbed tiredly between his eyes. “And if Gilbert is involved, Wolfie wants to be there to take care of him.”
“Oh,” Wilhelmine said, although she was not happy her son-in-law was coming along.
“Yes, now get ready to go if you’re going. You too, Shelley.”
“Okay.”
A few minutes later, Charles pulled up in front of Wolfgang’s house. He was sitting outside, waiting for them and got up as soon as he saw them. Wolfgang walked over to the car and got inside. “Hallo, Carl, Shelley.” He looked over at his mother-in-law, who was sitting with him in the back. “Hallo, Frau Edelstein.”
Wilhelmine pointedly ignored him, although the others greeted him.
“Are you sure they’re at Sal’s, Wolfie? I would have thought they were closed at this hour,” Charles said as he pulled away.
“Ja… Gilbert asked me, and Roderich too, not tell anyone where they were going, and I was sorely tempted to keep that information to myself, but…” Wolfgang trailed off, and collecting his thoughts, he continued as he looked at his watch, “But it should be over by now.”
“What should be over?” Wilhelmine demanded.
“The wedding,” he replied. “I’m sure you know the reason why by now, Frau Edelstein.”
“They didn’t! Charles, hurry up so we can stop them! My grandson isn’t marrying that tramp!”
“Mother, I’m going as fast as I can.”
“She’s no more a tramp than your daughter was, Frau Edelstein,” Wolfgang said.
“I don’t have a daughter. She died when she was sixteen,” Wilhelmine said.
“She died when she was twenty-four and left two little boys behind,” Wolfgang said, “and a husband who loved her, and still loves her, very much. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss her and when I look at my boys, I see her in them. If she were still alive, she would be very proud of them, but you wouldn’t know that, because you cut us off from you, Frau Edelstein.” And if it wasn’t for your daughter, you probably wouldn’t have survived the War… My father took a big risk in getting us all out of Germany and yet, you never thanked us… Not that I care, but treating your daughter like she was a whore and dead to you… That I can never forgive…
Wilhelmine made a little sound of disgust.
Wolfgang sighed. “I’m just thankful Carl maintained our friendship despite your feelings and that our Kinder know each other and are friends. That’s how family should be, not ‘us and them,’ Frau Edelstein.”
Ignoring her son-in-law, Wilhelmine asked, “Are we there, yet?”
“I just need to park the car, Mother,” Charles said as he pulled into the lot behind the pizzeria. After quickly finding a space next Wolfgang’s Chevy, he parked. Everyone got out and they were met by Elizabeta’s parents.
“You think they really got married?” Shelley asked Alice as she pulled her aside.
“It sounds like it, but then again, who knows?” she replied. “I mean, I know they think they’re in love with each other, but don’t you think they’re too young?”
“Well, according to my husband, his sister ran off and got married when she was sixteen because she had to, but there was all this confusion because of the War. Anyway, we were all trying to emigrate here, because it was safe, but that was before America joined the war…” Shelley sighed. She still could not believe her husband and his family had all made it safely to America, never mind her whirlwind romance with Charles. Shelley lowered her voice and said, “Whatever it was, my mother-in-law wasn’t happy about Sophie marrying a German and having a baby with him, and much to her annoyance they later turned up in here sometime after my Roderich was born. Sophie, in all the time I knew her, never mentioned how she met Wolfie or why they got married.” She shrugged.
“Yeah?”
Shelley nodded. “It quickly became evident that no one was supposed to talk about it so I let the matter drop. I liked Sophie and I wish I had gotten to know her better. She was a very sweet woman, and it’s such a shame she passed away and so young too, and those poor boys. Gilbert was a handful back then, still is…” Shelley said dryly.
“He seemed like a nice boy when he came to ask Lizzie out on a date. Very polite too.” Although, his father’s a bit of a strange one, he apparently found them kissing and he made Gilbert bring her home and apologize to us… They were only holding hands and kissing… Maybe if they hadn’t broken up over it, my daughter wouldn’t be in this mess…
Shelley shrugged. “Lord knows Wolfie tried his best with him, maybe a little bit sunk in. At least Ludwig turned out alright, but they definitely needed a mother’s touch back then. I don’t get it, Wolfie’s still young, but he never remarried, nor does he seem interested in anyone else.”
“Maybe Sophie was the love of his life.”
“Maybe or maybe no woman wanted to be saddled with another woman’s children,” Shelley said. “You never know and there was a time after Sophie’s passing when he drank heavily, so that could have had something to do with it.”
“Shelley!” Alice exclaimed, a bit shocked by the gossip.
“Oh, please, Alice!” Shelly waved the gossip with a flick of her wrist like they we discussing the weather. “If you’re really joining the family, you’re going to hear worse from my mother-in-law, so you’d better get used to it.”
“Oh… Well, we’d better get going; your mother-in-law looks fit to be tied.”
“Yeah…”
The two of them followed the men and Wilhelmine over to the pizzeria’s front door. When no one could get in, Charles knocked on the door, and after a few minutes, he tried again. This time everyone turned to see who it was.
“Oh shit…” Gilbert swore softly and Lili giggled. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay, Basch sometimes talks like that.” She giggled again.
“Yeah?” Gilbert snorted in amusement. “Hey, Specs, looks like the old lady was too late with the cavalry.”
“Yeah…” Roderich turned to face him. “She doesn’t look happy, Gil.” Judging by the look on everyone’s faces, except for his uncle’s, he had the feeling he was about to be grounded for life once his father got a hold of him.
“She’s never happy. Looks like Mr. Vargas is gonna let them in.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it, Roddy, “Elizabeta said. “We’re married now, so it’s not like they can stop us, right?”
“I hope so…” Roderich reached for her hand and held it. He drew a bit of resolve from his wife and steeled himself for whatever his family was about to throw at him.
“Gil?” Lili looked up at him and smiled. “What’s going on?”
Gilbert sighed. “I told you my cousin got married…”
“Yeah…?”
“Well, my aunt and uncle aren’t happy about it and my grandmother looks like she’s going to have a stroke.” He snorted in amusement. At her questioning look, he added, “I’ll probably get in trouble for what happened, cuz uh… my cousin and his… wife, never really got permission from their parents and my grandmother likes to blame me whenever her pet grandson does anything wrong.”
Lili’s eyes went wide. “They eloped? How romantic!” She sighed softly.
Gilbert looked at her like she had three heads. “You think so?”
She nodded. “It’s very romantic! Like a fairy tale come true.”
He grinned at her. “Yeah?”
Lili nodded again and smiled.
“Come; let’s get out of the line of fire.” Taking her by the arm, Gilbert steered her towards the back of the pizza parlor where his friends were waiting. “You too, Basch.” By now Salvatore had opened the door and let his family in and Gilbert felt it was time to run for cover.
“What do we have here?” Gilbert heard him say as they melted into the small crowd of people standing in the back.
“I’m sorry, we’re here to collect our children,” Frank said.
“There not children anymore; they’re married adults.”
“That’s what we’re afraid of,” Charles said as Salvatore led them off to the side to talk to them.
Wilhelmine, however, had pushed past Salvatore and was hurrying towards her grandson. “Roderich Edelstein, what is the meaning of this?”
“Uh…” Roderich sputtered helplessly.
“Well?”
“We got married, Ma’am,” Elizabeta said, when it looked like her husband had nothing intelligent to say.
“I wasn’t talking to you!” Wilhelmine snapped. “Roderich?!”
“I got married, Bubbe.”
“Roderich, you’re too young to get married, now stop this foolishness and let’s go.”
“I’m sorry, Bubbe, and I’m sorry I didn’t invite you or Mom and Dad, but I’m married now and I belong with my wife.”
“Oh, really? And where do you propose to live? Hmm?!”
“Ummm…” Roderich was at a loss for words as he had not thought that far ahead.
“Hadn’t thought about that, have we?” Wilhelmine said tartly.
“No…”
“Well, don’t count on coming home, with your…” Wilhelmine paused to narrow her eyes at Elizabeta, “wife.” She spat the word out like it left a bad taste in her mouth.
“Bubbe, Lizzie is my wife, please treat her with respect.”
“You’re wife’s a tramp who tricked you into marrying her.”
“Excuse me?” Elizabeta said. “Roddy…?” She looked to him for support.
“Bubbe! That wasn’t nice,” Roderich said.
“You’re just like your aunt, marrying beneath you and expecting us to like it. Well, I won’t have it. Do you hear me?”
“I’ve heard you loud and clear, Bubbe. I guess you won’t be climbing nachas from your great grandchild,” Roderich said. “And don’t worry, I still intend to go to college and get a degree in music and maybe become a teacher, or maybe I could get a job in an orchestra… or something.”
“I see. Well, I hope you’re able to find a job quickly, because you won’t get a penny from me,” Wilhelmine said.
Roderich sighed. “Bubbe, I’m sure if I asked nicely, Uncle Wolfie’ll give me a job pumping gas. It may not be performing at the Met, but it’s a job and it’ll put food on the table.”
“Oh, so now we’re settling.” Wilhelmine smiled sweetly at him.
“Uncle Wolfie owns his own business, Bubbe. He owns his own home too, like Dad, and I don’t think he did that bad. Gil says he had to learn English from Aunt Sophie when he got here and he picked it up pretty quickly too, so he’s not stupid.”
Wilhelmine made a little sound of disgust.
“Bubbe,” Roderich sighed. “I’m never going to please you and I shouldn’t have to. It’s my life and if I want Lizzie in it, well, you’re either going to like it, or not, and it’s up to you.” He put his arm around his wife and pulled her close.
Wilhelmine clearly was not happy when Elizabeta leaned on him. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it. Throwing her hands up in disgust, she headed towards the door. “Charles! Come, we’re leaving.”
“Mother, I’m not done talking to Mr. Vargas.”
“Talk to him tomorrow, I’m tired and want to go home.”
“Mother, please.”
“Carl, I can take Frau Edelstein home. My car is here.”
“Thanks, Wolfie. I need to talk to my son and…” Charles
“It’s okay, Carl.” Wolfgang looked at his mother-in-law. “Whenever you’re ready, Frau Edelstein.”
“Charles, I asked you to take m home.”
“Mother, I’m busy, so Wolfie is going to take you home instead.”
“Charles, I don’t want to go home with that Nazi!” Wilhelmine hissed.
“Mother!”
“You heard me, Charles.”
He sputtered in reply.
Wolfgang sighed. “We left Germany in nineteen thirty-nine for one thing, for another; I never belonged to the Nazi party and neither did my family. Think about it, Frau Edelstein.” He looked over to where Gilbert was talking to his friends and back at her. “Anyway, if you need a ride, I will take you, if not…” He shrugged.
Wilhelmine was seething. Used to getting her own way, she was at a loss for how to go about getting it when everyone seemed determined not to give it to her. “I’m going to sit down and wait for you, Charles, but you’d better hurry up.” She stalked over to the tables in the back, in a huff, carefully avoiding the others.
“Wolfie, I’m sorry.”
“Carl, it’s nothing Sophie and I hadn’t heard from her before.” He shrugged it off. “I can only try so hard, she needs to meet me half way, which I doubt she will. At least I kept my promise to Sophie and the kinder know her.”
“Yeah…” Charles said.
“Hey, Bubbe Edelstein! You come to join the party?” Gilbert said as he sauntered over to her, Lili and her brother in tow.
“No, Gilbert,” she said tersely.
Undaunted, Gilbert tried a different tack. “This is Lili, she’s Basch’s sister,” he said, indicating the two people he was with.
“Hi, Mrs. Edelstein.” Lili looked over at Gilbert.
“She’s my grandma,” he said, putting his arm around her. “I was named after her late husband, my zaide. His name was also Gilbert.”
Lili giggled. “Yeah?” She was confused as it was clear the old woman did not like Gilbert in the least, yet he appeared to be oblivious to it and it saddened her. Lili wondered what had happened to cause the rift in the family and she admired Gilbert for trying to fix it even if he wasn’t aware of it.
“Yup! Gilbert said proudly. “And my brother was named after my opa.”
“Opa?”
“It’s German for grandpa. When I was little, that’s all everyone spoke and I learned English along with my Vati from my Muti.” Gilbert grinned. “I think I picked it up better than he did, though. And poor Lutz speaks German about as well as Vati speaks English.” He snorted in amusement.
“Go away, Gilbert,” Wilhelmine said tiredly.
“Bubbe,” he said, his smirk quickly fading.
“That’s not nice, Mrs. Edelstein,” Lili quietly said. “You’ve hurt his feelings.”
“Hmph! That’s very impertinent, Missy!” Wilhelmine replied.
Lili smiled sweetly at her. “I’m sorry,” she said, reaching for Gilbert’s hand. Taking it, she gave it a gentle squeeze, before letting go.
Gilbert looked briefly down at his hand, momentarily taken aback by the simple gesture. Even though she had addressed his grandmother, he had the feeling the apology was meant for him. Catching Lili’s eye, he gave a goofy grin as no one had ever stood up to his grandmother before, no matter how quietly, before turning his attention back to his grandmother. “You wanna dance, Bubbe Edelstein?”
Wilhelmine pointedly ignored him.
“I do, Gilbert,” Lili said.
“Okay.” Looking at his grandmother, he said, “If you’ll excuse us, Bubbe? Oh, you too, Basch.” Without waiting for a reply from either of them, he led Lili out onto the dance floor. Someone had chosen Johnny Ace’s “Pledging my Love” and Gilbert swept Lili up in his arms. He chuckled softly.
“What?”
“I feel like we’ve got a thing for slow dancing. You brother thinks so too.” Gilbert looked over a fuming Basch. He chuckled.
Lili giggled as she followed his gaze. “Yeah…” Her expression became serious. “Do you like slow dancing?” she shyly asked.
“Yeah… It’s nice wrapping your arms around a girl and just swaying to the music.”
“It’s nice when a boy does that to you too…” Lili felt her cheeks heating up. She looked up at him and quickly looked away when Gilbert caught her eye. Holding each other close, she giggled when Gilbert rested his chin on top of her head.
Elizabeta, who was dancing with her husband, tried not to think about what was going to happen once her parents and in-laws finished talking to her friends’ grandfather. Instead, she focused on Lili and Gilbert. Elizabeta thought they looked cute together and was hard pressed to suppress a giggle.
“Mrs. Edelstein?” Roderich said as he looked into her eyes. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing, Mr. Edelstein,” she replied.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded, before looking away and back. “Well, to tell you the truth, your cousin and Lili.”
“Yeah?” Surprised by her answer, Roderich stole a quick glance at them. “I would have thought you’d say, ‘my cousin and Feli.’”
“That’s also funny, but Lili’s crush on Gil is even funnier, in an adorable way. You know, I used to babysit her when she was little.”
He nodded. “I remember that. You were the first one of us to have a ‘real’ job.”
“Yeah… I just hope Gil doesn’t break her heart.”
“Me too, cuz Basch would seriously kick his ass if he did.” He leaned in and kissed her. “But enough of them, I want to talk about us.”
Elizabeta sighed. “Mr. Edelstein, this is why I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“Yeah…” Roderich smiled at her. “I love you too, Mrs. Edel- What do you want, Feli?” he said when Feliciano walked up to them and tapped Roderich on the shoulder.
“Margherita said it’s time for Lizzie to throw her bouquet.” Feliciano handed it her. “Just toss it, cuz it looks like Grandpa’s done talking to your parents.”
Elizabeta grabbed the flowers and held them up. The girls, including Feliks, lined up to try and catch her bouquet. Lili, however, was not even paying attention to anything beyond Gilbert. Elizabeta turned around and closed her eyes. “One, two, three,” she said, tossing the flowers behind her. The girls all squealed as they reached for it, but Feliks turned out to be the lucky one who caught it.
Holding the bouquet up, he grinned triumphantly. “Look, Tori!! I’m like going to be the next one to like get married!!” he gushed.
Tori let out a nervous laugh. “Cool, Feliks…”
“Yeah!!” Feliks said.
“I think we should ask Francis for our clothes back. They’re married now and I doubt they need them or care that two of their ‘bridesmaids’ have disappeared.”
“Yeah, but like if we change out of this, then like we won’t be Knights,” Feliks countered.
“You really want to be a Knight that badly?”
“Yeah, cuz like if we were Knights, then like no one would like mess with us.”
Tori sighed. “Fine… I hope this is all going to be worth it in the end.”
“It like will be,” Feliks said. He smiled at his friend and Tori couldn’t help smiling back.
“Oh crap, someone’s in trouble,” Tori said as they watched Roderich’s and Elizabeta’s parents walk over to them.
There was a long moment of awkward silence as the newlyweds and their respective parents stared at each other. No one wanted to be the first to break the silence and it took the bright flash of flashbulb popping as Carmine took a candid picture of them to get their attention.
“Do you think the newlyweds could stand together and have your parents on either side of you?” Carmine motioned for them to stand together.
“Ummm…” Elizabeta began.
“Of course,” her mother said. “Come, Frank.” Alice reached for her husband, pulling him close.
Not to be out done, Shelley also pulled her husband close as they stood off to Roderich’s right.
My work is done… Carmine thought as he took their picture. “Wait… I want another one in case the first didn’t come out.” He popped out the flashbulb and put another one in its place. “Say cheese…” Carmine took their picture again. “You guys look great together.” He grinned. “Hey, let’s get the wedding party together too.” He motioned for everyone to gather around.
“We’re like going to get our picture taken with the bride!!” Feliks gushed. “Come, Tori!!” He pulled his reluctant friend towards the newlyweds.
“I don’t want to, Feliks!”
“Okay, how about the bride with her girls,” Carmine suggested as they hurried into position. “Say cheese!”
“CHEESE!”
He took several pictures, some with Roderich and the groomsmen, some with the newlyweds and their parents, and one of Roderich and Gilbert and another of Elizabeta and Katyusha. He even took one of Feliciano and Ludwig, much to Ludwig’s annoyance as Feliciano insisted on hanging onto like he really a girl and his friend’s girlfriend. While all that was going on, Gilbert stood with his arm around Lilly, talking to Basch.
“You really have a street rod?” Gilbert said; his eyes wide with astonishment. He was also feeling a bit jealous, until he realized he had a motorcycle and out of all his friends, only Tony had one as cool as his.
“Yeah… It’s candy apple red with flames on the fenders. I’ll show her to you when we leave.”
“Cool!! So you wanna be a Knight too?” Gilbert asked as casually as he could. He held Lili close. “A Knight always treats a lady with respect, so if I were to say…” he looked down at Lili and smiled, “date your sister, you wouldn’t have to worry about her.” And then we can talk cars and shit! We’d be bound to be friends over that! Shit, Basch, if you weren’t such an asshole, we could have been friends all through high school…
“You’d really go out with me?” Lili blinked. She felt her heart beating wildly in her chest at the thought. It was like a dream come true for her.
“She’s only fourteen, Gil.”
“So? I’d only be dating her…” Gilbert shrugged. “It’s not like I’d do anything to get her in trouble.” At Basch’s dark look he added, “Look, besides you kicking my arse if that were to happen, my Vati would be right there behind you waiting for his turn.” He smirked. “As much as everyone likes to believe otherwise, I’m not stupid.”
“I don’t know…”
“Awe… “
“Please, Basch? All the girls would be so jealous of me,” Lili said. “And the boys would leave me alone. They’d all be afraid you and Gil would kick their butts!” And you and Gil could hang out and talk about cars, instead of thinking up ways to kill him, Basch… Then I’d get to see him all the time…
Basch frowned. The thought of Gilbert dating his sister was making his head hurt as he did not trust him, or any other guy with his little sister for that matter, but he did sound sincere about the Teutonic Knight’s code of conduct regarding girls. When Basch thought about it, none of the Knights had a girlfriend. Gilbert’s cousin Roderich did, but he was not really a Knight. Basch was looking over at the newlyweds, when it hit him. Shit, I bet they had to get married otherwise they’d have waited until after graduation and never would have eloped! Damn!! And if he’s not a Knight, but they got married after that… I guess Gil would too… Then again, if he tried anything like that with Lili, I’d cut his balls off… Basch’s lips briefly tugged upwards in a wicked smile.
“Please, Basch…” Lili said as she clung to Gilbert.
“Yeah…” Gilbert leaned his head on top of hers. While he doubted he would ever get over losing Elizabeta, Lili was sweet and her overprotective brother combined with his equally puritanical father, he reasoned, would be enough to keep him from doing something stupid like breaking her heart or getting her in trouble.
“I’ll think about it.”
Lili giggled. Whenever her brother said he would think about something, it usually meant he was giving into her “demands.” Looking up at Gilbert, she smiled. Lili had a sneaking suspicion, the object of her desire really liked her former babysitter, from the way he’d look over in her direction when he thought no one would notice, but she was determined to win him over. While she had no idea how to go about doing that, she figured a kiss or two would do the trick. The thought of kissing Gilbert sent her heart racing and while she was glad Elizabeta was never interested in him; Lili thought the girl was a fool for not going out him.
“Oh good.” Gilbert smiled. He was saved from trying to come up with further conversation, by Basch’s shrewd observation.
“It looks like all’s been forgiven.” Basch looked over at the happy couple and their parents.
“Hunh?” Gilbert replied as he looked in the same direction. “That’s so not fair…” he said softly.
“What’s not fair?” Lili, who had heard him, asked.
“Nothing…” I can’t believe after all this, Specs is still their golden boy…
Basch nodded as if reading his thoughts. He found it amusing that as soon as they were married and the baby-to-be was “legitimized” both sets of parents had given them their blessings. He did not think he could ever be that forgiving if Lili ever found herself in that situation. Basch glared at Gilbert. Narrowing his eyes at him, he said, “You ever do something stupid like that with my sister and I’ll cut your balls off, and I mean it.”
“Hey! I told you before that as a Knight, I was honor bound to treat her with respect!” Gilbert jabbed him in the chest with his finger.
“Yeah and I told you what I’d do if you didn’t!” Basch got up in Gilbert’s face.
“Guys!” Lili said as she stepped between them. She was worried they would start a shoving match and it would end up with her brother changing his mind about her dating in general and Gilbert in particular, and she was not about to let that happen. “You’re causing a scene.” They stared at her dumbly for a few seconds, before realizing she was right as everyone was staring at them.
Slinging an arm around Basch, Gilbert grinned. Basch simply rolled his eyes as the tension passed. “Look, if I had a sister, I’m sure I’d feel the same way, Basch, so relax. I swear to you, I’m not going to rape her or do whatever else you’re afraid I’m going to do to her., okay? Lili’s a sweet kid… Hell, I’d kick my own ass if I ever did something to hurt her, so cool it.”
Basch nodded. He was saved from further voicing his opinion on the subject when Ludwig and Feliciano approached them.
“Hey, Brüder,” Ludwig began.
“What?” Now what…? Gilbert wondered.
“Feli thinks we should take up a collection and rent them a room at the Blue Moon Motor Lodge. And I agree, they should at least have one night alone.”
Gilbert snorted in amusement. “You’re a hopeless romantic, you know that, Lutz? But you guys are right. So you want to handle it? I’m gonna grab Francis and see what we can do about getting a discount on the bridal suite. If I’m not mistaken, Tori’s father runs the place, right?”
“Yeah,” Feliciano replied. “I guess you’re gonna go through with Franics’ plan and make him and Feliks a Knight for real?”
Ludwig looked at his brother expectantly.
Gilbert nodded. “Hey, I don’t have much of choice, now do I? Aside from Franics tricking them, they really did help out a friend in need.”
“Yeah… That’s part of the Knights’ code of honor,” Ludwig said.
“Yup! So it wouldn’t be cool to ignore that, plus it does help that, you know, we need their help, or rather Tori’s help in getting a good room.”
“Yeah… So, we’ll handle the collection, Brüder, you take care of the details,” Ludwig said.
“Yes, sir!” Gilbert saluted and his brother rolled his eyes at him, before walking away to start a collection. So while they were busy with that, Gilbert turned to Basch and Lili. “If you two will excuse me, I need to find Francis and get the honeymoon suite as wedding present for my cousin.”
“It’s okay, Gilbert,” Lili said. She sighed softly at what she thought was a romantic gesture on her new boyfriend’s part.
Basch snorted. “You know you could just threaten him into doing what you want, if you don’t think he’s not worthy of being one of your Knights.”
“Yeah… I could, but they did go to a lot of trouble to help out. I don’t know about you, but I sure as hell wouldn’t be caught dead in a skirt.” Gilbert grinned. “As it is, poor Tori looks like he’s going to end up dead in that skirt.”
Basch laughed. “Yeah… That kid’s gonna die young and probably for a stupid reason too.”
Gilbert nodded. “Anyway… I’d better go talk to him then, before he drops dead on us.”
“Go. Come, Lili, let’s see if there’s any pizza left.”
As they walked over to the where the food was set out, Gilbert headed over to where Francis was slow dancing with Katyusha. “Hey, Francy-pants! Katy,” he said. “Mind if I cut in?”
They looked at each other, before Francis looked over at him and replied, “No.”
“Thanks!” Gilbert said with a smirk, and instead of dancing with Katyusha like they both had expected, he grabbed Francis’ hand. They all laughed as Gilbert briefly danced with his friend. “Seriously, I need to talk to my friend here, so if you’ll excuse us?” he said as he let go of Francis and stepped back from him.
“Sure, go ahead, Gil. I’ll see later, alligator,” she said to Francis.
“After a while, crocodile,” Francis said as he winked. Turning to Gilbert, he asked, “What’s buzzin, cuzzin?”
“It’s time to go tell our pledges they’re Knights, or a Knight and a Lady-in-waiting in Feliks’ case. Who knew the kid was such a space cadet?” Gilbert chuckled.
“Yeah. So, uh, what’s really buzzin, cuzzin?”
Gilbert jerked his thumb in the direction of the newlyweds. “They need a room for night; Lutz and Feli are taking up donations, and uh… Tori’s folks own the Blue Moon. I figure with a lil help from Tori we could get them the bridal suite.”
Francis snorted in amusement. “The Blue Moon doesn’t have a bridal suite, Gil. It’s mostly a rest stop for folks on their way to and from Manhattan and Lake George. You know, truckers, bikers, people, who get lost on their way to the Catskills.”
“I know, but there’s no way we can afford the Holiday Inn in Saratoga Springs, Francis.”
“Yeah… So the Blue Moon it is.”
“Yup,” Gilbert said as they sauntered over to where Feliks was standing with Tori. Ludwig and Feliciano were also there, trying to get a donation and from the look on both of their faces, neither Feliks nor Tori had any money on them. “Bingo!” Gilbert said softly. “Come on, Francis.” He picked up his pace.
“Well if it isn’t our newest Knights!” Gilbert said as he approached them.
“Yeah, congratulations, boys,” Francis added.
“They’re Knights?” Ludwig looked at his brother and Francis like they had three heads.
“Yup!” Gilbert grinned. “You guys passed the initiation.”
“Like cool!!” Feliks squealed.
“Yeah…” Tori said. He did not like the way Gilbert and Francis were staring at him and Ludwig’s deepening frown was starting to get to him too. “S-so what do you want?”
Gilbert sidled up to him and slung his arm around Tori’s neck. “Funny you should ask…” he grinned.
“Yeah?” Tori nervously laughed.
Gilbert nodded. “We need a favor.”
“And as Knights you’re honor bound to grant it,” Francis added.
“We’ll like do it!” Feliks said.
“You don’t even know what they’re gonna ask, Feliks,” Tori hissed.
“Like so what? At least they’re like asking and not like threatening to beat the crap out of us,” he countered.
“But…”
“We really need your help, Tori,” Gilbert said. “Lutz and Feli here are taking up a collection to get the love-birds a place for the night.”
“Yeah…?”
“Well, your folks own the Blue Moon and we were wondering if you could get them to give them the bridal suite.”
“Gil, I hate to disappoint you, but-” Tori started.
“He’ll like do it!” Feliks said.
“But there’s no bridal suite,” Tori insisted.
“A mere technicality. I was thinking maybe your folks could give them a nice room with fresh sheets and towels and a mint on the pillow like in those classy hotels in Manhattan do,” Gilbert said.
Tori sighed. “I suppose I could call them…”
“I’ll give you a nickel,” Franics said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few coins.
“The payphone’s over there,” Feliciano added as he pointed to the area near the restrooms.
“Thanks…” Tori looked from one expectant face to another and sighed as Francis handed him a nickel. He hurried over there, before he lost his nerve, and went into the phone booth, pushing the door closed behind him. Picking up the handset, he put the nickel into the coin slot. It jingled metallically as it went down inside. A few seconds later, Tori heard the dial tone, and sticking his finger in the rotary dial, he slowly dialed home. The phone rang for a few minutes before his father picked up. “Hello, Dad? Yeah, I’m fine… No, Feliks and I didn’t get beat up for dressing like this… What? No… Anyway, Dad? Can I ask a favor for a friend? What?” He paused while his father asked him another question. “Yes, Feliks and I are now in Gilbert’s gang… What? No, anyway, can you and Mom make up some sort of bridal suite in number nine? This guy I know, Roderich Edelstein just got married… Yeah… That’s partially why Feliks and I are dressed like this… Yeah, Feliks does like dressing like that… I know, I know… So like can you?” Tori cringed when his father laughed and said he sounded like Feliks. “Yeah? And can you give them a discount…? It’ll be for a Mr. and Mrs. Roderich Edelstein… Yeah, he’s Dr. Edelstein’s son… What? Okay… Thanks, Dad.” Tori hung up. He pulled the phone booth’s bifold door towards him, opening it, and left.
“Well?” Gilbert asked when Tori came over to them to let the other know what his father had said.
“My dad said, he and my mom will get something together for them,” Tori said as he fidgeted with his skirt.
“Cool! So how much?”
“Normally, it’d be about ten dollars for the night, since they’re fixing up the room as a bridal suite, but my dad said they can have it for five, since they’re friends of mine.”
“Cool!” Francis exclaimed. “How much have you collected, Feli?’
“I got ten dollars so far, and if you guys can add another couple of bucks, they can stay two nights and have enough left over to get something to eat for dinner tomorrow night.”
“Good. Let’s get an envelope to put it in and then we can drive them over there,” Gilbert suggested. He handed two dollars to his brother for the room.
“Sounds like a plan, my friend,” Francis said.
“You’d better believe it!” Gilbert smirked. Lizzie, for your sake, I hope Tori’s parents can make you a romantic lil place to stay… He looked over at the happy couple, who were standing around, eating pizza with their parents. He tried not to sigh and wish it was him and Lizzie standing there.
“Come on, guys,” he said to Ludwig and Feliciano, “Let’s go get that envelope form your grandpa, Feli.”
Gilbert frowned as he watched them go.
“You okay, Gilbert?” Lili asked, pulling him from his reverie.
“Yeah…” He smiled at her. “We got the newlyweds a room for tonight as a wedding present. Tori’s parents are fixing up a room for them, and by the time we get there, it’ll be ready.”
“Cool! Can I come with?”
“Ummm… aren’t your parents gonna get mad if you’re out late? It’s…” Gilbert looked at the clock on the wall, “It’s eleven o’clock, Lili.”
“Nah… Mom knows I’m with Basch.” She smiled sweetly at him.
“But what about your dad?” Gilbert asked. The last thing he wanted was his father getting mad that he helped a girl break her curfew.
“My mom’s divorced,” Lili said like it was no big deal, since her was a lot happier now that her husband was out of her life, despite life being a bit harder now for her family. Besides, Lil thought her mother was really brave for doing what she did.
“Oh…” Gilbert was at a loss for words.
She shrugged. “It’s better that way. Mom says he’s a no good, lying, cheating bastard and she’s a lot happier now that that he’s gone, not that he ever was around much anyways…”
“I’m sorry, Lili.”
“Don’t be. It is what it is and no one can change it, so what’s the point of getting upset over it.” She shrugged.
“I guess so.”
Lili nodded. “So can I come with?”
Gilbert sighed. “Only if Basch says it’s okay.”
“Don’t worry; he will!” she replied and Gilbert was beginning to see why her brother was so overprotective. He had the feeling if left to her own devices; Lili would be quite the wild child. “Hey, Basch, can I go with Gilbert to see the newlyweds off?”
“Aren’t they going home with one of their parents?” Basch said around a mouthful of pizza. He took another bite and washed it down with a mouthful of Coke.
“Nope! They’re getting them a room at the Blue Moon.”
“What?!” Basch sputtered.
“Relax, Basch. We’re just dropping the newlyweds off and coming right back,” Gilbert said. “Hey! Think they could get a ride in the back of your rod?”
“No! Take your own car.”
“It’s not my car; it’s my dad’s and besides, I need to drive my bike home. Vati hates it when Lutz drives it, especially at night. Not that he’s that crazy about me driving around at night.” Gilbert sighed.
“No. What about Francis? Doesn’t he have a car?”
“Sadly no. He was going to hitch a ride home with me.”
“Beilschmidt, don’t you think you’ve done enough for one day?” Basch said as he helped himself to more pizza.
“Well, umm…”
“Take it from me, you have.” Basch ate a bite of his pizza. “Besides, the newlyweds don’t want us hanging around.” He had another bite. “So give them the money, tell them to have fun and if they were going up to Niagara Falls, I’d ask them to send me a postcard.”
Francis, who had heard the tail end of things, sighed. “He’s right, Gilbo. We got them to the church on time, now we’ve gotta let go.”
“They’ll be fine,” Lili added.
“Yeah…” Gilbert grinned. “So let’s give them the envelope and call it a night.”
Francis held up his hand and waved. “Hey, Knights, Ladies! Gather ‘round!” he said as they came over to them. “It’s time to bid the happy couple a fond farewell and send them off to the Blue Moon.” He looked at Feliciano. “Feli, would you like to do the honors?”
“Yeah!” Feliciano took the envelope over to a surprised Roderich and Elizabeta. “On behalf of the Knights and your friends and family, we’d like to present you with lil token of our love…” His cheeks heating up, Feliciano thrust the envelope full of money at them. “There should be enough in there for a bit of a honeymoon.”
Elizabeta felt her eyes welling up with tears as she took the envelope. “Thank you,” she said softly as she gave Feliciano a hug. Stepping back from him, she handed Roderich the envelope. He took it and looked inside.
“Thanks, everyone!” He grinned. Taking a quick glance into the envelope he was amazed at hwo much money they had collected. “You guys are the best!”
“Yeah…” Elizabeta said.
“I guess we’d better get going, Mrs. Edelstein.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me, Mr. Edelstein,” Elizabeta said. “Except for one thing.”
“What?”
“How are we getting there?”
“Oh…”
Wolfgang quietly approached them. “I can take you, if you want.”
“Can you, Uncle Wolfie?”
“Please, Mr. Beilschmidt?”
Wolfgang nodded. “It’ll be my pleasure and please, you’re family now, so you should call me ‘Uncle Wolfie’ too.” He smiled at his new niece.
“Thanks, Uncle Wolfie…” Elizabeta smiled back at him. “I’ll be right back,” she said and hurried over to where Katyusha was standing there, talking to Francis. “Katy?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you do me a huge favor and take the bag with my clothes in it when you leave?”
“Sure…?”
“I’m leaving in a few minutes to go on my honeymoon.”
“Awe…” Katyusha hugged her. “I guess I’ll be seeing you around…”
“Yeah…” Elizabeta said. “It’s not like I’m going to moon, well the Blue Moon,” she said and they both laughed.
“Don’t worry, Lizzie, everything’s going to be okay now.”
“Yeah…” I hope so… “I guess I’d better go, hunh?”
Katyusha nodded. “See ya later, alligator.”
“After a while, crocodile!” Elizabeta turned and hurried back over to her husband and the man who now her uncle. “Katy’s going to take my things home, Roddy.”
“Okay.”
“Come; let’s go before your grandmother decides to start something,” Wolfgang said, his quiet tone full of silent urgency.
Roderich looked over at where his parents stood talking to his in-laws. “Yeah, let’s go, Mrs. Edelstein.” He took her hand and without a backwards glance, they left with their uncle. As they passed Gilbert and Lili, Gilbert nodded, and leaning forward, he whispered something to Lili, who giggled.
Gilbert put another nickel in the jukebox and let Lili pick the song. Since Basch seemed resigned to the fact that his sister had a boyfriend whether he liked it or not, Gilbert did not care what she played, as part of the initial fun of being with her was ticking Basch off. Now that he knew her a little better, he found he did not mind getting to know her as she seemed a lot more fun, when he thought about it, than Elizabeta was. He laughed when she picked The Spaniels’ “Goodnight, Sweetheart” to serenade his cousins as they left, delighted at her wicked sense of humor.
Lovino let them out, locking the door behind them. He refused to take the money Roderich had tried to give him, telling him in no uncertain terms that everything was taken care of and that he should just go. Sighing softly, Roderich had no choice, but to do as he was told. He walked up to his uncle’s car, hand in hand with his wife as the reality of the situation hit him. He was a married man now, with a baby on the way and college looming in the not so distant future. The weight of his new responsibilities weighed heavily on him and for one brief, shining moment, he wished this was all a dream and that he would wake up to just another day in a long string of them.
“Are you okay?” Elizabeta said softly as they got into the car.
“Yeah…”
Wolfgang started his Chevy. As he backed out the parking space, he noticed the worried look on his nephew’s face. He was sure he had worn a similar face when he and others had fled Germany before the War broke out. While his nephew would have an easier time of it, since his parents, Wilhelmine’s objections notwithstanding, as well as Elizabeta’s were accepting not only of the baby, but the marriage as well, it was a lot to have to take in all at once. Shifting his car into drive, he said, “It’ll work out, Roderich,” as he pulled out of the parking lot.
“What will?”
“Everything. There’s only a month left of school, so don’t drop out and work hard over the summer like you normally would have.”
“But where are we gonna live, Uncle?”
“Your parents, or hers, will help you there and if that doesn’t happen, come talk to me.”
“Thanks…”
“You’re welcome… It’s what families are supposed to do.” Wolfgang drove to the edge of town, where the Blue Moon Motel was located, in silence. He could not stop thinking about his beloved Sophie and he had a feeling she would have loved the young woman Elizabeta had grown into. He knew she would have approved whole heartedly where the impromptu wedding was concerned.
Wolfgang sighed softly, slowing the car down to a stop when the light turned red. He frowned when he checked his rearview mirror and saw Gilbert with a girl on the back of his motorcycle. A red hotrod was behind him and he felt a moment of panic for his son’s safety, when the light turned green and he pulled away. The strange convoy followed him for the last two blocks it took to reach the Blue Moon. Wolfgang pulled into the small parking lot in front of the motel’s main office and got out. “Gilbert, what are you doing here?”
“Hey, Vati! Basch and I needed to drop Tori off,” he replied as the others piled out of the Basch’s hotrod.
“Hi, Mr. Beilschmidt!” Gilbert’s friends chorused.
Tori nervously stepped forward after being prodded by Basch. “I-I’m here to see that everything went according to plan, sir…”
Wolfgang nodded. “Gilbert, isn’t it a bit late for-” he began, when Feliciano pulled into the lot, Ludwig scrunched up behind him on the back of his Vespa.
“Hey, Vati, is it okay if stay over Feli’s house? I promised Mr. Vargas I’d help him clean up the mess after church tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Turning his attention back to his eldest, Wolfgang started again, “Isn’t it a bit late for Lili to be out, Gilbert?”
“Ummm…”
“She’s fine, Mr. Beilschmidt, she’s with me,” Basch said.
“But it’s still late.”
While his uncle tried to sort things out in the parking lot, Roderich went inside the main office with Elizabeta and Tori. “Hey, Dad! They’re here!” Tori called out at the front desk. A few minutes later, his father emerged from the back.
He took one look at his son and laughed. “Here,” he said, taking a key from on the pigeonholes behind him. “Which one of you is Mr. Edelstein?” he asked as Feliks entered.
“Like Mr. Beilschmidt wants to know if like everything’s like okay in here?”
Roderich nodded. “Tell him it’s fine, I just need to sign the registry and get the key.”
“Like okay. Hey, Mr. Laurinaitis!” Feliks waved.
“Hi, Feliks,” He said, trying hard not to laugh.
“Like me and Tori are like Teutonic Knights now. Isn’t that like great?”
“It’s the cat’s meow, Feliks.”
“See, Tori? I like told you it was great!”
“Yeah…” Tori said.
Elizabeta giggled and signed the register under her husband’s name. It felt weird to be signing something as “Elizabeta Edelstein,” instead of “Elizabeta Héderváry.” Still, she figured she had better get used to it, although, she did briefly wonder what she was going to do about school. When she looked up and met Roderich’s eye, all thoughts of anything other than her honeymoon went out of her head.
“That’s room number nine, it’s at the far end of the motor court on your right. Enjoy your stay at the Blue Moon and congratulations on getting married,” Mr. Laurinaitis said as he handed the key to Roderich.
“I guess this is it, Mrs. Edelstein,” Roderich said softly.
“Yeah…” She took his hand and together they left the main office. Once outside, they turned right and walked to the end of the motor court, heedless of the commotion their friends were making in the parking lot. Reaching their room, Roderich put the key in the lock and opened the door. Taking the key out, he put it his pocket and gathered Elizabeta in his arms.
“Roddy!” Elizabeta exclaimed as he carried her over the threshold. She giggled when he kicked the door shut behind him, before setting her gently on the bed.
“What?” He grinned at her, before going over to the door and locking it. Not that he actually thought his friends would be so crass as to intrude on their honeymoon, especially with his uncle there, he did not trust them as they could just as easily wait for Wolfgang to leave, before opening the door on them.
“Nothing… “ Elizabeta felt her cheeks heating up when it suddenly occurred to her that eh friends were probably thinking they were having marital relations. “You don’t think they’re thinking we’re… you know...” She looked away from him.
Roderich sat down next to her on the bed. “Lizzie, they probably all know by now why we got married in a hurry.”
“Oh…”
“So they’re probably thinking we’re not doing anything…”
“Why? Do you think it could hurt the baby?” Elizabeta’s eyes went wide.
“I don’t know… but I do know Feli’s got an older brother and two sisters.”
“What does that have to do with anything, Roddy?”
“Think about it…” he said as he cupped her cheek.
“Oh…” Her blush deepened.
“Yeah… so maybe it doesn’t hurt the baby and it just makes you want more of them.” Roderich smiled.
“It would be a shame to waste such a nice wedding present on sleeping,” Elizabeta said softly. She could not believe she had said that to her husband, but he didn’t seem to mind as he had closed his eyes and was leaning in to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around him and deepened it, much to his surprise.
Roderich, breaking the kiss, eased Elizabeta onto her back. He lay on his side, his head propped up on his upturned palm. She looked shyly up at him and he smiled reassuringly at her. Reaching out with his free hand, Roderich cupped her breast, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Elizabeta giggled. He had done the same thing in the back of his father’s car that night and feeling rather bold at the time, she unbuttoned her blouse for him. That had lead to a lot of kissing and touching and before Elizabeta had known it; she was sitting there, topless, while he played with her bare breasts. She remembered feeling chilly as it was a cool spring evening, and she also recalled how warm his hands felt on her cold flesh. One thing had quickly led to another and it was not long, before she was lying across the backseat with her poodle skirt and crinoline pushed up against her stomach, while Roddy was trying to get her panties off. She blushed at the memory.
“Lizzie? You okay?”
“Yeah… I was just thinking about that night in your dad’s car.” Elizabeta reached up and over, and with a bit of fussing, pulled the zipper on the side of her dress down.
Roderich grinned as he pushed the bodice of her dress down. He felt his cheeks heating up when he realized she was not wearing a bra underneath it. “Lizzie?”
“I umm… left the foundation garment I bought for it at home as I thought it’d be too tight. I’m just glad I was still able to squeeze into this dress without it.”
“Yeah..?” Roderich fondled her breast. He liked the way her nipple hardened under his touch. Even better was the way his new bride squirmed when he rolled the tiny nub of flesh between his finger and thumb.
Elizabeta moaned softly. She suddenly wanted to be out of her dress, the layers of tulle feeling very constricting. “Roddy…?”
“Yeah…?” he replied, his voice low and husky with desire.
“Can I get up? I need to use the bathroom…” she trailed off softly as he cheeks heated up.
“Okay,” Roderich said as he helped her up. Kissing her, he added, “Hurry back.”
“I will.” With a soft rustle of fabric, Elizabeta got up and headed into the bathroom. She let her dress fall to puddle at her feet, before stepping out of it and hanging it up on the hook on the back of door. She looked at herself in the mirror, cupping her breasts as she imagined her husband touching them. Elizabeta was tempted to take her panties off as the idea of being completely bare for her husband was an exciting one, but she kept them on and reached for a towel instead. Holding it over her breasts, she left the bathroom.
Roderich looked up, at his wife’s approach, as he unbuckled his belt. He pulled it through the belt loops, tossing it aside. “Mrs. Edelstein?” Smiling as he untucked his shirt, he quickly unbuttoned it, thinking he was the luckiest guy in the world to have such a beautiful wife.
“Mr. Edelstein…” Elizabeta said as she demurely sat on the bed. The towel, she clutched to her breast, did little to preserve her modesty, especially when her husband crawled in bed and took it away from her. Lying back on the bed, she covered her breasts with her hands.
Roderich chuckled at her, and scooting down by her waist, he tugged on her panties. She giggled in reply as she tried to put her legs together, but he was not about to give up so easily. Roderich simply pulled the waistband as far away from her as he could and leaned over and looked inside.
“Roderich!”
“What?”
“What are you doing?” Elizabeta, thoroughly scandalized, asked.
“I’m just taking a good look at what I barely got a good look at two months ago…” he teased.
“Oh…”
“But I need to get these out of the way first.” He tugged on her panties.
Mortified, Elizabeta nodded. As half dressed as she had been in the car, when she wantonly spread her legs for him, it was another thing to be completely naked for him. She still lifted her hips for him as he slowly pulled them down, exposing the soft tangle of auburn curls at the apex of her thighs.
Roderich paused. He thought his wife looked incredibly sexy like that, with her hands covering her breasts and her panties pulled down to the top of her thighs. While her pose reminded him of the pinup girls in his cousin’s dirty magazines, there was something less tawdry and more wholesome about his wife. The longer he looked at her like that, the harder he got, until his pants suddenly felt too tight. Kissing her stomach amid a flurry of giggles, Roderich felt her relax enough for him to get them all the way off. He thought it was adorable the way she moved to cover herself up. Leaving another kiss on her stomach, Roderich got up out of bed.
Elizabeta frown when he did so, until she realized he was about to get naked too. She blushed and turned her head away.
“Lizzie. You okay?”
“Yeah…”
“Then look at me…”
“But…” Elizabeta, despite her better judgment, turned her head and watched as he got undressed. Her breath quickened as he shrugged out of his opened shirt and she giggled when he pulled his undershirt up and over his head, the lean lines of his torso coming fully into view. Lowering her eyes in a fit of modesty, she noticed the swelling in his pants. Elizabeta remembered how he asked her to touch his penis, before sheathing it inside a condom. Now that they were married, she wondered if they would still need them, when he blurted the answer out.
“Damn it!” Roderich swore as he took off his pants. “Sorry, Lizzie, but I forgot to ask Gil if he had any condoms on him.”
“Do you think we still need one? It’s not like I can get pregnant as I already am.” She tried not to giggle when she sat up and noticed the underside of his penis was straining to break free through the flap in his boxers.
He laughed sheepishly. “You’re right.” Roderich quickly slipped out of his boxers. Clad in just his socks, Elizabeta thought he looked adorably nerdy. She leaned back, opening herself up to him as he kissed her.
Elizabeta moaned softly when she felt the head of his penis bumping against her. A few more tries and he pushed inside. She had forgotten how good his fullness felt as he thrust in and out of her. As he developed his rhythm, Elizabeta moved her hips along with him. Little jolts of pleasure ran down her spine to pool deep within her belly and she felt a moment of panic over losing the baby. Then she remembered all the times she had touched herself down there, rubbing the little nub of flesh above her folds and nothing happened, except it felt incredibly good. In fact, things felt much better than they had in the backseat of her future father-in-law’s Cadillac. Her moans growing louder, Elizabeta felt her orgasm building inside her, until she peaked. She lay there, feeling the familiar fluttering inside as she panted.
Roderich grunted softly as he thrust inside his wife. He felt his balls tightening as the pleasurable feelings built in his cock. He could also feel his wife’s insides gripping him as she climaxed and he was glad he had forgotten to bring some condoms with. He could actually feel her slickness as he thrust and picking up his pace, he started to cum. Elizabeta moaned again as another orgasm built inside her and they climaxed together. Roderich panted, his eyes closed, as he slowly came back to himself. Kissing her nose, he pulled out of her and rolled over to lie at her side.
“I love you, Mr. Edelstein,” Elizabeta said softly as her hand reached for his.
“And I love you too, Mrs. Edelstein,” Roderich replied. Picking her hand up, he kissed her fingers. “Now what do you want to do?”
“We could take a bath and go to sleep, it’s late.”
“Okay. You want to go first?” Roderich, still basking in his sexual high, felt too lazy and sated to move.
Elizabeta kissed him. She got up out of bed and picking up the towel and her panties off the floor, she disappeared into the bathroom. A few minutes later, Roderich heard the sound of running water as she filled the bath. While she waited for the tub to fill, Elizabeta took the soap and lather it up and used it to wash her panties. Satisfied they were as clean as she could get them; she hung them over the towel bar and got into the tub. Elizabeta turned off the taps. She took a washcloth and the soap and began washing herself. As much as she would have liked to have luxuriated in the bath, she hurried up as her new husband needed it.
Rinsing off the soap, Elizabeta let the water out and stood up. She giggled when he opened the door and walked over to her. He took a towel from the rack over the bathtub and after helping her out, he wrapped her in it.
“I promise to be quick, Mrs. Edelstein,” Roderich said. He kissed her cheek.
“I’ll be waiting for you, Mr. Edelstein.” Kissing him back, Elizabeta left to go wait for him in bed. She didn’t have to wait long as he was true to his word and as quick as possible. They snuggled together under the covers, wrapped in each other’s arms as they slowly drifted off to sleep.
4