Chapter 37

A Pivitol Year – Surprise!

Nolan 18, Lissa 18, Ryder almost 14, Olivia almost 11

Anna and Ria almost 6, Lucas 4 ½

Sunday, January 2

Nolan slipped out of bed on the morning of Lissa's birthday and let her sleep in. He went for a run, soaked in the crisp winter air, and stopped to chat with Jessica. When he returned to the house, he peeked in and found Lissa still sleeping. Heading to the bathroom down the hall, Nolan showered and mentally ran through his list of surprises planned for the day.

With a towel around his waist and his hair askew, Nolan tiptoed into the Master Bedroom. As he rummaged through his suitcase, Lissa stirred and softly inquired, "Looks like my birthday present is waiting for me."

Raising his eyebrows and smirking, Nolan made his way onto the bed and crawled from its foot to the pillows. Balancing his weight on his forearm, Nolan reached out and traced the edge of Lissa's chin before kissing her and whispering, "Happy Birthday."

"Come back to bed. It's too early to be awake and showered," she invited as she ran her fingers through his wet hair.

"I have a day of adventure planned for us, Blondie," he disclosed with enthusiasm.

With a feigned whiny moan of disappointment, Lissa pouted, "Can't we have an adventure here?"

Chuckling, Nolan slid his arm under Lissa's back and pulled her onto him, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," she giggled in response as they kissed. Locking her eyes on his, Lissa reached down and loosened the towel around Nolan's waist.

Nolan slid under the sheets and teased, "You have plans of your own for the day, huh?"

"I'm ready," she whispered softly as her finger traced his chest muscles.

Missing the meaning of the words he'd yearned to hear for years, Nolan lowered his brows and joked, "For what? Breakfast in bed?"

Slapping her palm on her forehead, she sighed, "Oh, Nolan!" With gentle sarcasm, she quipped, "Yes. For breakfast in bed." She giggled as she shook her head in disbelief at her brilliant boyfriend's cluelessness.

Not catching the nuances, Nolan disclosed, "Good…because I have quite the meal in mind." As he stood and threw on boxer briefs, he glanced over his shoulder as he arranged himself, claiming, "You're killing me, Blondie."

"I'm trying not to," she protested with surprise as she sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees.

Nolan scoffed and instructed, "Wait right there." Complying, Lissa fell back onto the pillows and let her mind wander until his return.

Twenty minutes later, a tray with eggs, sausage, fruit, and crumpets appeared in Nolan's hands.

"Check you out," Lissa praised with applause as she pulled herself up and leaned her back against the headboard. He sat by her side as they nibbled and chatted.

"Ok, Princess," Nolan stated as breakfast came to a close, "I'm going to run you a bath with all kinds of girly oils and bubbles." He kissed her then made good on his promise. He stepped out a few minutes later and teased, "Whenever you're ready. Is it too early to walk all the way to the bathroom? Need to be carried?"

"Get the hell outta here, Trems," Lissa laughed as she threw a pillow at him. He winked and headed downstairs as Lissa strolled to the tub. She slowly eased in to the steaming water, eventually sinking fully into the soothing liquid.

Ninety minutes later, Lissa arrived downstairs fully dressed and ready for the day. Jessica had lent Nolan her car and was eager to hear his report once the day had unfolded.

Looking up from a magazine, Nolan grinned and confirmed, "Shall we go?"

"Sure," Lissa agreed, "go where?"

"For a spa day. I'm even humiliating myself by getting a couples massage," he announced as he concluded with a groan.

"You are adorable," Lissa cried out as she bounded over to Nolan and hugged him. "What are you going to do while I'm being treated like a queen?"

He leaned over and kissed her, reassuring, "Don't worry about me, Shorty. Today's all about you." Truth be told, he would be getting a haircut and working with a photographer who would be taking pictures of the two of them together later that afternoon.

The spa was perfect – accommodating and comfortable without being snobby. The couple began with the massage, which Nolan enjoyed far more than he cared to admit. Afterward, as Lissa received a facial, Nolan headed to the salon for a new hairstyle. He'd be away for a few hours, not reconnecting with Lissa until after her head to toe pampering and primping was complete.

As a surprise, her last step at the spa was to choose a new outfit. Nolan had spoken to a personal shopper and arranged to have five choices available. With starry eyes, Lissa selected a burgundy dress with ¾ sleeves that hit just above the knee. The satin fabric was completely covered in matching burgundy lace.

With her long ash blonde hair flowing past her shoulders in soft curls and falling over the shoulders of her new gown, Lissa waiting briefly for Nolan. She hunched that he was planning to take her to dinner eventually, but it was only 4pm. Without any idea what would occur between the current time and dinner, Lissa flipped through a magazine. A few moments later, she caught sight of a young man in a suit out of the corner of her eye. He stopped right in front of her and handed her a dozen roses.

Lissa looked up with surprise, taking in the site of her cleaned up college boy, "Nolan!" After she received the flowers, Nolan kept his hand extended and helped her stand.

With deep affection, he declared, "You look amazing, Liss. Just beautiful."

"You've outdone yourself, Trems. How in the world did you afford all this?" she inquired, not knowing about his wealth. Even after all these years, Nolan saw no reason to share the details of his wealth. Their love wasn't based on money and material possessions. Besides, with Lissa's humble upbringing, the trust fund would probably not impress her.

He grinned without answering then guided her by placing his hand on the small of her back. "One more treat before dinner," he revealed as he placed his coat around her shoulders and led her outside. The photographer's studio was two doors down. They stepped inside and Lissa's list of surprises grew.

"Pictures? Aww, Nole…" she smiled sweetly.

He raised his eyebrows playfully and sounded, "I thought you'd like this part." He complied with the various poses and smiles as both Lissa and the photographer brainstormed and shared ideas. Their favorite shot of the day ended up being a picture where they were encouraged to stare plainly into the camera. Unable to do so, the two broke into laughter as they turned toward one another. The skilled photographer caught the candid expressions and captured the moment.

With joy still radiating from their faces, the couple left the studio and took a taxi to The Empress. The beauty of the ornate hotel enthralled Lissa. She held on tightly to Nolan's arm as they entered the space and walked upon its marble floor. She gazed at the stunning décor and old world charm, noticing the elaborately trimmed Christmas trees in the hallway.

Dinner at the Empress Room was an amazing experience. They were seated at a table next to a roaring fire. A dim chandelier hung above their table and complemented the traditional atmosphere. Later, as the food melted in her mouth, Lissa leaned toward Nolan and expressed concern, "Nolan, this dinner alone is more money than you should've spent today."

"Stop worrying about the money," Nolan dismissed. "Enjoy yourself. Soak in the night, Princess. You only turn 18 once."

She slid another bite into her mouth, attempting to let go of her concerns and questions. "You really amaze me, Trems. This whole day…it's been beautiful."

"I love you, Larissa," he responded as he grasped her hand.

"I feel like 'I love you' doesn't even begin to cover my feelings for you," she admitted. "but I love you, too, Nolan."

After sharing a dessert and settling the bill, Nolan led Lissa to the main entrance and hailed a cab. Within moments, the young couple dressed to the nines snuggled and made out on the faded, over-stuffed sofa from Nolan's childhood.

"Do you want to go upstairs?" Lissa asked tentatively between kisses.

"You're ready to change into comfy PJs, huh?" he chuckled.

Lissa grasped Nolan's chin in her hand and made sure his eyes met hers, "No." She stood and stretched out her hand as she led him to the stairway.

She sat on the bed and pulled at his hand so he would do likewise. Leaning in to embrace her, Nolan kissed her but refused to let himself believe what he suspected she was communicating. Finally having sex hadn't been part of his intricate plans for the day, and he'd settled long ago on the possibility that he'd continue waiting for years.

With trembling hands, Lissa loosened Nolan's tie and began to unbutton his shirt as he slid off his jacket and let it fall to the ground. After the shirt fell and the tie was pulled over his head, Lissa lifted the t-shirt he'd worn underneath. Her hands stroked his chest and worked their way down to his waist.

Nolan reciprocated by reaching around and unzipping Lissa's dress. He paused and silently sought her permission before proceeding. With a soft smile, Lissa worked the sleeves off her arms and stepped out of the dress. Wearing only a bra and panties, Lissa motioned Nolan to stand. He stripped from the waist down and wrapped his arms tightly around her tiny body. Soon, her bra hit the floor and its matching panties landed on top of it. Nolan's hands held Lissa's ass firmly as the two continued to kiss.

"I should…uh…" Nolan sputtered.

"Yeah, do you have… something? You know…" Lissa stammered.

Without disclosing the source – there would be time to laugh about Amelia's thoughtful gift later – Nolan walked over to the dresser and grabbed the bag with condoms. When he turned around, Lissa was smiling at him in a way he'd never seen. Her expression was a combination of adoration and hesitation.

"You ok, Liss?" he stopped to ask.

"I'm more than ok. And, you… your body is remarkable," she praised.

He ran the few steps to her and picked her up in his arms. After twirling her around and claiming, "You've seen all this before, Blondie. Besides, my body's nothing compared to yours," Nolan gently set her on the mattress and resumed kissing her. He set the condom on the nightstand as he explored her body with his hands. After losing themselves in kissing and caressing, Lissa grasped Nolan and guided his waist toward hers. As he began to mount her, he forced himself to pause and confirm, "You sure, Baby? It's your call."

"I'm sure," she smiled.

As he fumbled to open the condom and slip it on, he questioned, "Scared?"

"A little," she admitted.

"Me too," he shared. "I'll… I'll be slow, ok? Tell me if it hurts."

She nodded before gasping as he entered her body slowly. A soft moan escaped from her throat.

"Oh Liss…" Nolan groaned as his eyelids flickered. They lost themselves in one another's bodies, experiencing their union in an entirely new way. After a few minutes of moving slowly, Nolan questioned again, "You still ok?"

With a giggle, Lissa urged, "Nole – I won't ask about how much money you spent today if you stop asking me if I'm ok."

Chuckling, he thrust deeper and agreed, "Deal."

As he concentrated his strength into each push, Lissa patted his back and shared, "Slow down a little, Trems." He had switched from a snail's pace to a roadrunner's without any transition.

"I… can't…" he sputtered as he climaxed. She watched his face with intrigue before he pulled out and fell onto his back next to her. With satisfied heavy breaths, Nolan commentated, "That was… beyond words."

Internally, a part of Lissa wondered if those brief moments were all there was to the experience of sex. Piper had warned her that the first time was its own strange phenomena. While Lissa had enjoyed the experience of connection and though his body inside hers had been mostly pleasant, she wasn't as blown away as Nolan appeared to be. She snuggled into Nolan's now-sweaty chest as his arm wrapped around her body. He pulled his head up and kissed her.

"I can't ask…." Nolan chuckled.

After softly slapping his gut, Lissa assured him, "It was nice."

"Nice?" he asked with surprise.

"I dunno… it felt lovely," she wiggled as she searched for words. "We were so connected. I loved that."

"Lovely?" Nolan questioned. Lissa softly tickled him in his most vulnerable spot just above his hip as she kissed his chest.

"Wanna go again?" Nolan flirted with the energy of an 18 year old.

Lissa crawled on top of him and began rotating her hips on his pelvic area. She kissed him and replied enthusiastically, "Yes!"

"Be careful up there," Nolan warned as he grabbed her waist and moved her off his unprotected erection. "Let me get this on before you go to town," he urged as he reached for another condom and put it on.

The second time lasted longer and gave Lissa more satisfaction. Less apprehensive than the first time, both of them relaxed into the interaction and did not overthink it. By the time their third round was over, her vision was as fuzzy as his. Both exhausted, the young couple fell asleep with their bodies intertwined.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~``'

The next morning, Lissa actually awoke before Nolan. During the course of the night, they had drifted away from one another and ended up on opposite sides of the bed. Even so, Lissa was convinced she'd never slept so peacefully. She and Nolan had slept together numerous times before. They had snuggled, kissed, and lay together naked. Oral sex had been part of their repertoire for a few years. But Lissa decided there was nothing even remotely similar to sleeping together after intercourse. She couldn't imagine sleeping alone ever again. They were a part of one another now.

She slipped out of bed quietly and made her way to the bathroom. An overwhelming urge to share the news came over her, but who in the world could she call at 7:30am? If she contacted Amelia, she'd have to tell her details she wasn't sure she wanted to share. Breathing a sigh of relief, she texted Piper. School resumed that day, so Piper would be awake.

Lissa typed out a text, Hey.

How's Canada lovebird? Piper replied immediately.

Time for details later, Lissa wrote, but we took the next step.

Did you…?! Piper screamed through the message.

Yeah, Lissa admitted. Nolan called out from the bed, "Shorty? Where are you, Babe?"

"I'll be right there," Lissa responded as she cleaned up and awaited Piper's text.

I gotta get to class. Give that manly man my congratulations, Piper signed off.

Wrapping herself in a towel, Lissa stepped out of the bathroom and smiled, "Morning."

"What's with the towel? Come here, Gorgeous," Nolan encouraged sleepily.

Lissa threw her head down as she forced herself forward.

"What's wrong?" Nolan inquired with concern as he sat up.

"Nothing. I'm just being weird," she grinned as she rolled her eyes.

Grasping the back of her head and drawing her to his lips, Nolan quietly assured her, "That's why I adore you, Shorty."

She sat down next to him and he pulled her onto the mattress. Before kissing her forehead then leaning his cheek alongside hers, he whispered, "Let me hold you and count my blessings."