Treasure Quest
Chapter Two: Love is...A Chocolate Chip Cookie
Daphne drove; she might trust Fred with the Mystery Machine but not her 'Baby', a two year old Thunderbird with all the bells and whistles available. With all the colors available, only a fire engine red would do. The weather had turned warm and inviting; at her insistence Fred and Shaggy had been recruited to remove the hard top, changing the auto into a convertible.
Fred found a reasonably comfortable position, leaning back to observe the lovely driver. The fact that he loved her was not to be doubted but why was challenging. He let his mind drift to the night before.
Flashback
He hadn't been kidding when he had told her father that she was his Queen. He slipped between the sheets and into another world. They had the rest of the night and between soft kisses, exploring touches, gentle caresses, she transformed from Queen to passionate vixen.
"Do you know the difference between a good lover and a great lover?" She whispered, he knew this was no idle question. He raised his eyebrows in requesting her answer.
"A good lover knows what buttons to push, a great lover knows when to push the right buttons."
"Of course, Daph," he had responded, "there is the bad lover, he doesn't know what a button is."
They had laughed as they began to make love in earnest. Slowly at first, growing in passion as the night wore on until she had reached the point of no return, crying out his name. Only then had he allowed himself to join in her pleasure.
The pain had come suddenly, her nails biting into his back. They had been so caught up in their joint consummation; the painful sensation had been pushed to the back of his mind.
The next morning, in the bathroom, he had gritted his teeth as she swabbed the blood from the scratches; cotton ball after ball had been discarded into the trash until it was half full. She had been as gentle as possible in her ministrations but his back burned as if a match flame was contacting his skin.
After the burning came the soothing coolness of the white ointment. He looked in the mirror in front of him, catching her reflection. She was quietly sobbing, trembling as she applied the cream. She must have become aware of his gaze for she too looked in the mirror, catching and holding his eyes.
"Oh, Freddie!" He turned to take her in his arms, "I...I don't want to hurt you like that...ever again."
"It's only a few scratches, lover's battle wounds; nothing to worry about." He lifted her chin with a finger, kissing her tears away. "maybe in the future you should wear gloves."
"yes, thick mink gloves. I love you so much, Freddie." Their lips met in a soft kiss but it would be some time before she finished applying the ointment.
End flashback
She was speaking but he had missed what she said. "What was that Daph? I must have been daydreaming." 'yeah, daydreaming about a dream girl.' he thought but didn't utter.
"I said, isn't the scenery gorgeous this morning?"
"It sure is." He managed to say. 'Let's see, beautiful hair, pert nose, kissable full lips, firm breasts that could make a blind man drool, and legs that went on forever. Yep, absolutely gorgeous.' He thought.
"Will you stop looking at my legs and pay attention?"
As a connoisseur of cars there was one thing he didn't like about her 'Baby', bucket seats instead of bench. The bucket seat wrapped your seat in soft comfort, inviting you to relax and enjoy the trip. The bench seat allowed you to sit close, to touch, to caress. Her sly smile indicated she was savoring him being engrossed in the fact her skirt, whither accidental or intentional, had raised above mid-thigh.
"I need directions to wherever we're going." He would love to give her certain directions but this was business. He tore his eyes away from her attractive legs encased in her favorite pink tights.
"I think you've met Grandpa and Grandma Jones. Grandpa Jones is the local family historian I mentioned. If there is anything to know about this mystery, he'll know. And Grandma makes chocolate chip cookies that melt in your mouth. Take the second right, their house is on the corner lot."
Daphne let the Thunderbird coast to a stop and turned off the engine. She could have gotten out but love demands certain duties and responsibilities; queens may drive cars but they emphatically do not open doors. Her eyes followed as he rounded the front of the vehicle and opened the door for her. She took the offered hand, swinging her legs out, careful to allow a brief but tantalizing view before standing.
"I'm such a tease aren't I?" Her smile turned to coquettish laughter.
"You are a true minx." He let his hand slide from her mid back, lightly caressing then pinching her bottom.
"Ouch! Is that any way to treat your queen?" Her lilting laughter removed any intended sting in her words. "We haven't told your parents or mine about the engagement. I wonder what daddy will say?"
"My guess is he'll be the first man on the moon without a rocket. We can tell them tomorrow, but business first."
The man who answered their knock was tall, white haired with a bright smile when he recognized his visitors. "Well, if it isn't Fred and who is this delightful creature?"
"Who is it, Dad?" A little old lady poked her white haired head out from the kitchen area. "Why, Fred! So good to see you." She came into the living room, giving Fred a hug then they both waited for introductions.
"I think you've met Miss Daphne Blake. We just became engaged this past Saturday."
"I do believe we have met, but not as Fred's intended. Welcome to the family, Daphne. Come in and have a seat. I was just making some chocolate chip cookies for my bridge group tonight." Grandma Jones gave Daphne a warm hug and ushered them into their home.
"Could I help?" Daphne offered. "I'd like to get your recipe and you could tell me some deep, dark secrets about Fred."
"I don't know about deep, dark secrets but I'm sure the men would like for us to leave them to talk. And we can get to know each other better."
"Those cookies are ready to come out of the oven. While they're cooling we can get the next batch ready." The kitchen was warm and cozy. Daphne removed the cookies, their sweet smell filling the small room.
As the two spooned drops of cookie dough onto the next sheet to be baked, Grandma Jones indicated a cupboard, "get four saucers down would you, Daphne? We'll give the men a snack then I'll show you a secret to a good marriage. Have you two set a date yet?"
"Not yet," Daphne used the spatula to lift cookies onto saucers while the older woman poured cold milk into glasses. "He only proposed on Saturday."
The men served, Grandma Jones led Daphne through the kitchen to the back yard, "We have a few minutes while the cookies bake, shall we sit down?"
Being a corner lot, the back yard was larger than most; flower beds outlined a center of well tended grass. They sat on a wooden swing.
"Daphne, do you mind if I speak frankly?"
"Not at all, please do," Daphne replied.
"Marriage is like a chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven. No two cookies are the same, there are similarities of course. A marriage, like the cookie, starts out hot and gooey. Emotions run rampant and you think everything is as you dreamed it would be. But it cools quickly and unless you work hard, the marriage will crumble like a dried out cookie.
"Before that happens, you need something like this," she patted the swing seat, "some place where you can talk out the difficulties. Dad and I still like to come out here and just talk about anything and everything."
-Xxx
Later, Mystery Inc. Headquarters
After dinner, Daphne stuck her head into Fred's bedroom. The sounds of running water was unmistakable. Fred had never been able to carry a tune in a bushel basket, but his voice could be heard over the shower. Smiling, she crossed the hall to her room.
They had made love first on Saturday night when he gave her the ring resting on her finger now. It had been every thing she had thought it would be. They had made love again on Sunday night when she had lost control and scratched his back with her nails. It had scared her that she was capable of such fervor yet just thinking of their lovemaking made her feel warm.
They hadn't talked about moving in together or which bedroom would become 'theirs'. She selected a filmy nightgown, not that she expected to wear it for long, and certain other items suitable for the first move.
'You know what you want. What are you waiting for?' The thought entered her mind and couldn't be denied. Picking up the selected shampoo, deodorant and various creams, she crossed the hall into Fred's bedroom. She made a quick second trip for several of her favorite scented candles, lighting and setting them around the room at advantageous points.
After a quick scan of the room she lifted her dress over her head; the tights soon joining the dress. She started toward the sounds of 'singing' but turned back to lower the covers on the bed. Satisfied and another scan of the room, underclothes joined the pile and she opened the door to the bathroom.
Steam rose above the shower door. Fred hadn't noticed the bathroom door opening but didn't miss the shower being opened. "Wha...Daph! What are you doing here?"
"Turn around, I need to check your back. I'm like a chocolate chip cookie!"
TBC