Lauras Search For Happiness

They had been married for almost 8 years. By now they were strangers living in the same house. The sex, if they had it at all, was perfunctory. It was unusual if it lasted 5 minutes. He would just roll over, pull her nightgown up over her waist and stick his cock inside her. No foreplay and certainly no cuddling afterward. No, he just rolled over and went to sleep after he had had his sexual relief.

They didn't have any kids. He blamed it on her. Telling her she wasn't fertile. But she knew better. The reason her family had moved to Bingo, Illinois was that she had had an abortion when she was 16. So she knew she was fertile. Very fertile since she had only had sex once and he pulled out before he came. So those few little stray sperm had found a very receptive womb. But he would not, could not believe it could be his problem. She had never told him about the abortion, he was very conservative and would never had married her if he had known about it.

She had met Tom, the guy who was now her husband, during her senior year in high school. He was on the football team, had a great car and could usually be found working on cars every weekend. In fact, he was an auto mechanic now. A good one. They got married right after graduation and had thought they would start a family in a few years. He was a good provider and Laura had never had to work. But without kids, she was pretty lonely.

So now she filled her time volunteering at the church and the local elementary school. She loved to watch the kids but didn't have a big urge to be a mother. Perhaps it was because she thought kids needed parents who were in love, not ones that just lived together. Don't get me wrong, he was a nice guy but she didn't love him.

She had thought about getting a divorce but didn't know what she would do for a living. Besides, Bingo only had 3000 people in it, so there weren't a lot of other men out there. Then one day her mother, Carla, came by (her parents lived next door) and said that Laura's maiden aunt Jessie was sick. She would be laid up for two months and needed someone to take care of her.

Aunt Jessie had a nice apartment in Chicago. She was a CPA but despite that, had always had the reputation as the black sheep of the family. What else would small town people say about a woman who leaves small town America for the big city to go to college, of all things. Even worse, she had never gotten married. Aunt Jessie was almost 10 years younger than her sister Carla. But family was family and someone was needed to take care of her. Laura's father was not well, so Carla had to stay in Bingo. But, as she pointed out not very nicely, Laura had no children to take care of and Tom could take care of himself with a little help from Carla.

So Laura was bundled off on the first bus to Chicago. It was her first time in a big city and she was so excited about the trip. She hoped she would have some time to see the sights. Carla told her that someone would be picking her up when she got to Chicago but she wasn't sure who. Apparently it was some friend of Jessie's.

It was a long bus ride with lots of stops at all the little towns along the way. So by the time she finally arrived in Chicago, her hair was all mussed up and she was stiff from sitting so long. Normally she was a pretty active woman, so sitting so long was pure murder for her. As she descended from the bus, she noticed a really good looking man staring at everyone getting off the bus. He was little under 6 foot tall with longish black hair that drifted into his eyes when he moved his head. It was obvious that he was used to this as his hand unconsciously would reach up to brush the hair out of his eyes every time he moved. He seemed to be in great shape with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He looked to be about 30.

Then he looked right at her. Embarrassed to be caught staring, she blushed and looked down. By the time she looked up, he was right in front of her.

"You must be Laura. Jessie told me to look for a country girl. But she didn't tell me you were a beautiful woman, not a girl. So it took me a minute to decide if you were the right person."

Seeing the look of confusion in her eyes, he said "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Robert. I live in the apartment next to Jessie's. She wasn't able to drive down here and asked me to. If I had known how gorgeous you were, I would have volunteered in an instant."

With that he took one of her hands in his and gently shook it. Then, without letting her hand go, he asked "Which bags are yours?"

Flustered for a second, Laura pointed to a rather ratty suitcase sitting by itself beside the bus. She hadn't given a seconds thought to how the suitcase looked until now. But now she wished she had gotten a new one for the trip. Then she shook her head. She was a married woman, not happily, but still married. But, oh my, he was soo handsome.

He grabbed the suitcase and then took her by the hand, leading her toward the parking lot. As they got close to the car, she noticed it was a new Cadillac. Seeing her look, he said "Oh, it's not mine. I don't have a car. Since I live downtown, it is more of a nuisance than anything else to have a car. Everything I need is within walking distance or I just take a cab. This was all that was available at the rental place."

This was so different from the guys Laura had always known. Their cars were their identity. But here was a guy who just didn't care.

Then she realized that he still held her hand, and blushingly, she gently pulled it from his grasp. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so forward. I just didn't want you to get lost in the crowd back there. Then it felt so natural in my hand, I just forgot to let go. Please forgive me."

Then realizing that she hadn't said a word to him yet, she stammered "Oh it's fine. I wouldn't want to get lost. I would have no idea where to go. I haven't ever been in a big city before."

"You haven't? Well, you are in for a treat. I teach at a private high school and am off for the summer. Perhaps I can show you some of the sights."

"I would love that. But what about Jessie? I am here to take care of her."

"Hmmm. I will let Jessie talk to you about that." With that he opened the passenger door for her and she got in the car. As she settled into the seat, she heard him open the trunk and put her suitcase inside. Then he got in beside her.

"How long have you lived in Chicago?"

"Oh, I've been here about 4 years now. I grew up in a small town in Ohio and moved here when I finished college. I wasn't that anxious to leave home, but there just weren't any jobs there. So here I am."

"How did you get into teaching? I help out at the local school and have been thinking recently how much fun it would be to teach."

"Well, my degree is in education. So it was kind of natural. I was really hoping to find a job in small town. But the schools weren't hiring the year I graduated, so I looked around until I found this one. It is a great school but I have a hard time relating to the kids. Their families are all so rich. Oh, here we are. I'll help you get your bag upstairs, and then I need to return the car."

"You don't have to help me. I can carry it by myself."

"No, that wouldn't be neighborly of me. Besides, you don't know which apartment is Jessie's."

Robert got lucky and found a parking place in front of the building. He got out of the car and got her suitcase out. Then, ignoring her attempts at taking the suitcase, led her into the building and up to Jessie's apartment. When they reached her apartment, Robert knocked on the door. It was immediately opened by an attractive woman who looked to be in her mid 40's.

"Laura. What a delight it is to see you all grown up! I'm your Aunt Jessie. But please just call me Jessie."

"Aunt. I mean, Jessie, it is really nice to see you. I thought you would be all laid up in bed."

"Well, I must admit to telling my dear sister a little white lie. I am really ok. But she has been telling me all about you and I knew I had to get you out of that fly speck town for a while. I was almost in your shoes when I was your age. But I got lucky and my guy got cold feet before he asked me to marry him. Then I got a college scholarship. After that, there was no way I was going to get married, just to stay home and knock out a bunch of kids while my husband drank himself silly every Friday night at the local bar. You were always my favorite, so much like me at the same age. I knew you couldn't be happy just sitting around the house all day. Carla told me about your volunteer activities and I knew you were capable of so much more. So I made up a story for your mother just so I could get you here for a while. I do hope you won't be mad."

"Oh my. I don't know what to say. I'm not mad. Just a little confused."

"Ladies, I need to take the car back. So I will leave you two to work things out."

As Robert left, Jessie turned to Laura and said "Isn't he scrumptious? And before you ask, we are not fooling around. I have a boyfriend who keeps me very satisfied. Robert is just a nice guy I took under my wing when he moved here 4 years ago. Now, let's get you settled. As I recall, that bus ride is terribly long."

Jessie led Laura toward the back of the apartment where she pointed to a door. "This will be your room. It has its own bathroom. My room is on the other side of the apartment. That should give you some quiet when my guy stays overnight. We get a little noisy sometimes."

Laura blushed when she heard that. But she also felt a little stab of jealousy. She had not had to worry about being too passionate for years, if at all.

"Now, why don't you unpack and take a bath. I am sure you are all worn out from the bus ride. Take a nap if you feel like it. I don't have anything planned until dinner. I thought we would eat in this quaint little bistro that just opened up around the corner. Nothing fancy but the menu looks good."

That summer saw Laura bloom from a country girl into a woman. Jessie and Robert helped her explore every nook and cranny in the big city. She even found herself giving directions one day to a couple who looked lost.

It turned out that Jessie's apartment wasn't big enough that Laura couldn't hear when Jessie and her guy got "frisky." The sounds of moaning, the little cries of passion permeated the apartment, sometimes all night. The sounds at first troubled Laura but then she began to imagine that she was the one moaning out her passion. As soon as she heard the cries begin, her fingers would creep down to her pussy where they would remain until the sounds faded away into exhaustion. These nights would frequently find Laura's bed wet from all the juices dripping and sometimes squirting from her pussy.

Her relationship with Robert was the most unsettling thing for her. He treated her with respect and never made a move on her. But they often found themselves holding hands and, at least once, almost kissed before they realized what was happening. They seemed to fit so well. He encouraged her to grow and explore. He also started pushing her to go to college, telling her that she would be a great teacher. They even talked about getting teaching jobs in the same school.

Their conversations often drifted to where they would each like to live. They both liked small towns better than the big city. They both wanted kids. He asked her why she didn't have any kids. In a moment of complete honesty, she told him about the abortion and about Tom's inability to have children. She asked him why he wasn't married. He told her that he hadn't met the right woman. He told her he had dated lots of women and, yes, had made love to a few. But they were all city women and couldn't relate to the small town values he had grown up with.

Over the summer she called Tom dutifully each Saturday. Their conversations were never very long and got shorter as the summer went on. At least once she thought she heard a female voice in the background. But when she asked, he said it was the TV. But she wasn't sure. It sounded like Charlene. She had been a year behind them in high school and her husband died a couple of years ago when he drove into a tree after spending the evening drinking at the local bar. Charlene was a very outgoing woman with a big chest. She dressed in tight dresses that showed her generous figure off very well.

Finally Jessie and Laura realized they couldn't keep this up forever. So they made plans for her to go home. Robert volunteered to drive her, saying it would be good for him to get away for a little while. Laura decided not to tell Tom when she would be home. She wasn't sure why, but it seemed like a good idea.

So one day, Robert and Laura set off for Bingo. They drove slowly and stopped at all the little sight seeing places along the way. When they were about an hour away from Bingo, they stopped at a small inn for a late lunch. The dawdled over their food but finally finished. As they left the inn, Robert pulled Laura into a little alcove. There he looked into her eyes before kissing her lightly on the lips. "I couldn't let you go without kissing you. I know you are married but I think I love you."

"Oh God! I feel the same way. I know I love you. These last few months have been the happiest of my life. I will always treasure them. But you are right, I am married and I must get back to my husband. "

With that, they reluctantly pulled away from each other and walked hand in hand to the car for the final leg of the drive. The atmosphere in the car for that last hour was somber. They didn't speak, merely held hands and stole glances at each other.

No one was home when they pulled up at Laura's house. So Robert carried her bag inside and, with tears in the corners of his eyes, turned and walked back to the car. Laura stood in the doorway and watched until his car was out of sight. Then she reluctantly turned and went inside.

Everything seemed about the same. But there was a slight smell of perfume in the house. Then she went into the bedroom to unpack. She pulled her dirty laundry out of her suitcase and began gathering up all the dirty laundry. There wasn't as much as she would have expected, since Tom had had to take care of himself so much for the last few months.

As she was folding the clean laundry she came upon a pair of lacy panties that she knew didn't belong to her. Seeing this didn't make her angry. She had suspected something was going on while she was gone. But now she had to confront Tom and get the truth.

So she put the panties in her pocket and settled down in the living room to wait for his return. It was Saturday, so he could be home at any time. He rarely worked on Saturday and tonight was his bowling night. So he had to be home soon to get his ball.

Sure enough, before long the front door was pushed open. Tom came in with Charlene in his arms. They were so involved in kissing that it was a minute before they realized Laura was quietly observing the event.

"Laura! It's not what you think! Charlene and I were just playing a game and got a little carried away. Come here; let me give you a kiss."

At this statement, Charlene angrily said "What do you mean "a game?" You told me you loved me and were going to marry me as soon as you dumped the cold fish here!"

"Baby, you....."

"Oh shut up! I am leaving." With that, Charlene stormed out of the house.

Tom turned to Laura but she angrily threw Charlene's panties at him saying "I guess you didn't have any problems replacing me while I was gone. So it won't bother you when I ask for a divorce! For now, I will be staying at mother's."

Laura went into the bedroom and repacked her suitcase. Tom just stood there, unsure what to say or do. He started to follow Laura as she went to the door but one look from her stopped him dead in his tracks. So he turned around and went into the kitchen to get himself a beer. He knew he had screwed up this time. But he hoped he could make it up to Charlene. So he picked up the phone and called her. The phone rang and rang but Charlene didn't pick up. So he just sat there and drank himself into a stupor.

In the meantime, Laura went next door to her mothers. As she neared the front door, she realized that her mother must have known about Tom's affair with Charlene. Besides living next door, a small town like Bingo has no secrets. And it didn't appear that they had tried to hide the affair. So she went inside and called the town's only cab. She had it take her to the bus stop where she caught the bus for the long ride back to Chicago.

At first she was a little numb but then she realized that this was what she had wanted with all her heart. Now she was free and could be with Robert. At the first stop, she tumbled out of the bus and hurried to the phone. Dialing his number by heart, she waited breathlessly for him to pick up. Instead, the answering machine picked up. "f course" she thought "He wouldn't have gotten home yet." So waited until the answering machine was ready to record and said "Robert, my love. I am coming back to you. I am on the 3:15 bus and should arrive about 8. Could you pick me up? I can't wait to feel your arms around me. I love you." Then the machine clicked off. So she turned and hurried back to the bus. She never would have believed she would be so anxious to get back on that bus. But every mile it went was that much closer to her love, her life.

About 7 as everyone was dozing from the long boring drive, there was a loud honking from beside the bus. It was a car that had pulled alongside. Laura roused enough to peer into the gloom to see a man waving madly out the window. Then his head poked out the driver's side window. It was Robert!

Laura jumped up and started toward the driver "Please can you pull over. I have to get out."

"Lady, you had your chance to go potty at the last stop. The next one is only an hour away. You'll have to hold it."

"But you don't understand. My guy is in that car! He is here to get me. Please, let me off!"

Robert was still honking the horn and waving madly. So the bus driver sighed and began to slow. "This is against policy lady. I better not get in trouble."

"Oh thank you. Thank you!"

The bus pulled off the road and came to a stop. Robert pulled his car right in front of the bus and didn't even turn it off as he sprang from his seat. Laura squeezed through the bus door before it had finished opening and ran toward him. They met halfway and were in each others arms, kissing each other madly, laughing and crying together. After a few minutes they became aware that there was a crowd of people around them, all of the cheering them on. One elderly black lady put her mouth to Laura's ear and whispered "Way to go honey. Now get that guy somewhere where you can really show him your love."

Smiling through the tears streaming down her face, Laura just help on to Robert as she acknowledged the cheering crowd. At that moment, the bus driver came up with her suitcase. "Best excuse to stop I've ever had. Thank you for making my day." Laura hugged him and then the lady who had whispered in her ear.

Robert took her by the hand and picked up the suitcase with the other before leading her to the car. He settled her into her seat before racing around to get in the driver's seat. As soon as he got in, she slid over as far as she could. She wanted to be close to the man she loved. They immediately began kissing again until they were startled by the sound of the bus as it pulled out onto the road again.

"I never thought I would see you again. Leaving you at your door was the hardest thing I have ever done. So tell me, what happened?"

"Darling, I caught Tom cheating and he will have to give me a divorce. I realized that my mother must have known about his affair all summer, so I couldn't go to her. Then I realized that this was the answer to all my dreams. I am free. If you will have me, I will be yours."