Chapter 74: A Birthday Present

Crystal came up behind Nathan and wrapped her hands around his waist. She kissed the back of his neck and shoulders and said, “Whatever it is that you’re cooking, it smells delicious.”

“I hope it tastes as good as it smells,” Nathan replied, and even though Crystal couldn’t see his face, she could tell that he was smiling. After a moment, Nathan chuckled, and he said, “I almost forgot that it’s your Birthday! I have a present for you. It’s in my pocket. You can get it if you’d like.”

“A present?” Crystal exclaimed happily. “For me?” After everything that had happened at the bar, she’d pretty much forgotten that it was her Birthday.

“Go ahead!” Nathan laughed and said, “Take a look!”

Crystal reached one hand into each pocket and frowned when she didn’t immediately find anything. His pockets were large, though, so she went deeper and moved her fingers all about. Through the fabric, she could feel Nathan’s strong abdominal muscles, but the pockets seemed empty. Then, just as she was about to give up, something seemed to bop the top of her fingers, and it got bigger as she explored its shape. After a moment, she was able to wrap her hand around it, and in confusion, she asked, “What’s this?”

Nathan placed his hands over hers so that she couldn’t pull away if she tried to, and he said, “That’s Little Nathan.”

“But it’s not actually in your pocket,” Crystal said. She was very confused now. “Is this or is this not my Birthday present?”

Nathan moaned, and he ignored the question. He said, “Pay attention to what you’re doing. You can’t just fumble around with Little Nathan. If he gets too big, and you haven’t yet taken charge of him, you will not be able to control him!”

Crystal’s brow furrowed. She suddenly thought she understood something about what he was saying, and she began to blush. “Can’t control the size of it?” she asked. “After all, it is yours...”

Without even thinking about it, Crystal had been playing with Little Willy the whole time that they’d been talking. Suddenly it began to twitch, and then her hand was wet. She tried to pull her out, and Nathan released his hold on her. She smelt her fingers, scowled, and said, “This is a rotten birthday present!”

Nathan laughed as he turned around. “That’s not your present,” he said. “Your gift isn’t in the pocket of my robe, silly. It’s in the pocket of my coat! On the recliner in the living room!”

Crystal groaned. “Why didn’t you stop me?”

“Why would I?” he asked. “You seemed to be enjoying yourself, and I didn’t want to spoil the experience for you.

“More like you were enjoying yourself,” Crystal scoffed.

“Same difference,” Nathan chuckled.

“Anyway, why don’t you clean your hands up and check out your real gift?”

Crystal sighed as she cleaned her hands. Then she retrieved her gift, and much to her surprise, she saw that it was from her mother. There was a card on the front, and she opened it carefully. Just the sight of her mother’s handwriting brought tears to her eyes.

The letter said: “Crystal’s favorite snack is Twinkies. Her favorite fruit is the cherry. She’s afraid of the dark, of frogs and snakes. Her menstruation is at the end of each month, and she suffers from abdominal pain and cramping while she’s on her period. During this time, she often feels insecure about her body. At that time, please give her a hug and an extra Strength Advil. It helps. And please cook pasta for her on her Birthday. Finally, please love her for me.”

At the bottom of the card, there was a pasta recipe. There was something else there, but Crystal couldn’t read it. She was crying too hard to see properly. Receiving this letter from beyond the grave had opened up all of her old wounds.

Nathan gently held Crystal in his arms. He had wanted to give her a surprise, not make her cry. He gently patted her on the back and said, “All right. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.”

Crystal pushed him away and said, “It’s all your fault.” She leaned forward, wiped her eyes on his sleeve, and then she blew snot into it.

“Fine,” Nathan said. “All right. It’s all my fault.” Nathan doted on her as if she were a child, letting her do whatever she wanted while waiting for her to calm down. Then he carried her into the dining room, sat her on a chair, and brought out her Birthday dinner.

Crystal leaned forward as she ate, and the familiar taste brought back good memories.

Nathan ruffled her hair and smiled. “How does it taste?” he asked.

Crystal nodded and said, “It’s just like how my mother used to make it. Thank you. This meal is the best gift I’ve received today.”

It seemed to Nathan that Crystal had forgotten entirely about the present, but he didn’t remind her. He was worried that it would make her start crying again.

Crystal sniffed loudly and looked at Nathan. For a moment, she thought that if she spent the rest of her life with him, it might not be that bad. In fact, if she submitted to him and gave up on her pursuit of love, it would be quite easy. “Where is your food?” she asked.

“I’ll get it now,” he replied. “You can feed me with your mouth.”

A string of noodles was hanging from Crystal’s mouth, and Nathan leaned forward to eat them, as the dogs do in the movie Lady and the Tramp. Before he could get to it, though, Crystal slurped it into her mouth at the last second.

Nathan was not to be deterred. Instead of pulling away, he bit into her lip with his sharp teeth and forced her mouth open so that he could suck out the food.

Crystal cried out in pain and anger as her mouth was filled with the taste of blood. Before she could do anything, though, he took her hands, and his touch turned her displeasure into pleasure.

Nathan approached her again, and he pressed his lips on hers. Then, in a hoarse voice, he said, “Don’t play with fire, woman.” As soon as he finished speaking, he took her into his arms and held her tightly against him.

“Professor... Davis...” Crystal would rebuke him and push him away, but she could not find the strength of will to follow through with her intentions. And the way that Crystal looked at him at that moment caused Nathan to lose his ability to think straight. His eyes swept from her eyes to her nose and finally settled on her pink jelly-like lips.

Like an animal, Nathan’s lust took control of his body. He leaned forward and kissed Crystal again, this time more passionately than before. As she kissed him back, Crystal felt all of the strength in her body slip away. She felt numb and light as a feather.

Nathan’s hands went up Crystal’s shirt, and he tore her bra away so that he could get at her girlishly small breasts. He kneaded them, pressed them flat, and when he pulled at her nipples, he felt her tremble as she experienced her first orgasm. He smiled and moaned into her ear: “Happy Birthday, Crystal!”