A/N
Thank you, Hannah .grahamlecter, for your hard work and dedication. You've done a great job as Beta-reader on this and I am extremely grateful. Now that you're finished checking the rest of the chapters, I'm the one catching up!
Readers, if you have a moment, check out Hannah's stories!
If you care to leave comments, reviews, or constructive critiques, I'm gracious about it (I promise). I know not everyone will enjoy this story. And there are always better ways to say something, and there are parts of the story that could (and should) be cut out. I get that, but how will I know if the readers don't tell me?
I appreciate those who have given me so much praise, ideas, and constructive reviews. Scoofuls, Szzlebtch, ElleAtGW, knothead, DragonGecko18, LolaD, Bethany, Kelly, IGDAF, and several other guests. I'm sure I've forgotten someone (and am sorry for that).
Thank you, Scoofuls, for catching those. I edited the passages.
To all, as always, please enjoy the story.
/
/
Chapter 53 - Hunting for Unicorns
/
"Betty? Lock up and re-set the alarm?" Spencer closed the door and dropped his keys in the bowl. He hurried upstairs in the dark to his closet, where he set his bag down and got ready for bed, trying to be quiet. Susan was a heavy enough sleeper and probably wouldn't wake up with him walking around.
He turned off the light in the bathroom and went to the nightstand, using his cell phone for light, to plug in the charger, then hung up his robe on the bedpost, set his watch by the lamp, and slid under the covers. The soft sound of her breathing made him ache to hold her as he laid down behind her. He kissed her hair, trying not to wake her.
Susan whispered his name in the dark. She was awake. Before he said anything, she turned over and pushed up onto her bent arm so he could slide one arm under her and the other around her. He pulled her close, kissed her, wondering if he was imagining it, or if her breasts had increased in size in the five days he had been away. She stretched and shuddered, her body soft and warm against him.
She murmured in between kisses, "I went to bed early and woke up a few minutes ago. I'm glad you're home."
"I thought you'd be asleep, but yeah, me too." His hands moved slowly down her back. "You feel so good."
She answered him with a long, slow kiss…
/
Friday morning, the only thing on her schedule was the 9 am staff meeting at the center. Susan woke up at 8 and whispered in his ear. "Good morning, Love. Would you like some breakfast?"
He smiled sleepily, his eyes half-open. "Hmm. I just need a little more sleep, Gorgeous." Susan moved over as she got off the bed.
"Sure." She leaned over and kissed him. After her shower, she dried off, dressed, and went downstairs to eat breakfast, then came back upstairs and brushed her teeth.
She got back up on the bed, on her hands and knees, over to Spencer. Softly, she brushed her lips over his.
He opened his eyes slowly. "Mmm. Any chance of you taking all that off and sliding back under the covers with me?"
"Sure, if you go back to sleep for… about an hour and a half, I'd be more than happy to do that."
He stuck his lower lip out for a moment, pouting playfully. "Of course, you can always make it up to me later." He kissed her, and as she sat back, stared at her, brows askew. "Is that orange juice?" She had two wet streaks running down the middle of her top.
"Yeah. I drank it too fast. Spilled some… so… I need to change." She pulled her top off and grinned at the surprised look on his face. "I know, right? My cups damn near runneth over. Told you the girls were gonna get bigger."
Spencer groaned, pulling her arms down gently so that she lay against his chest and wrapped his arms around her. He slid his hands down to her thighs and gently squeezed, hoping to change her mind.
"Honey, Love, I've got to go to my meeting… can't be late."
He kissed down her neck and down into her cleavage. "Mmm, wow."
"Mm-hmm… feels good. I made… breakfast and coffee for you."
"Thank you. Hmm, these are… wow." Spencer cupped her breasts over her bra. "Oh yeah, I read about this in the book." He slid his hands over her sides to her back, held her close as he kissed her again.
Susan shuddered against him and softly moaned. After another kiss, she pulled back a few inches. "Mmm. The boob fairy visited while you were away. Get some more sleep, Love. I'll put your breakfast in a container in the fridge."
"The boob fairy?" He chuckled. "You're adorable… so sexy. No, I'll get up and take a cold shower. If I need a nap later, we can curl up together. After make-up sex, that is." He waggled his eyebrows.
She laughed sweetly. "You're the adorable, sexy one."
"One more kiss, and I'll let you go, but make it a good one."
Susan stretched out against him, giving him a long, fervent kiss. He sighed as she sat up. "You'd better get going before I change my mind and not let you go." Turning over, she slid off the bed, going into her closet. She came back out, pulling on another top, and blew him a kiss on the way to the stairs.
/
Darby was at the reception desk, gathering up various papers, when Susan walked in the front door of the rec center, holding her notebook stuffed with various reports. She chirped, "G'morning, Boss."
Susan responded with a grin and a shrug. "Good morning, but you're the boss now, remember? I'm just a volunteer."
"Uh-huh." She chuckled. "Well, in that case, meeting in five. I got your favorite donut and an extra for Spencer. It's in one of the boxes on the table. I'll be right there."
Susan gave a thumbs up and headed for the conference room and said hello to the others who had gathered. She hugged Lizette and sat next to her, opening the box of donuts on that end of the table. Taking out a chocolate-covered, crème-filled donut for her and the chocolate donut with sprinkles for Spencer, she set both on a napkin. More staff members walked in.
Lizette watched her, eyebrows arched. "Poodle, you're taking this whole eating for two thing a little too seriously."
"Hey now. This one's for Spencer. But there is an apple fritter in there that looks very tempting." Susan stuck the tip of her tongue out at Lizette, wrote her name on the sign-in sheet, and passed it down.
Darby came in, handing Susan a plastic container for Spencer's donut as more of the staff members filed in. The meeting today was an all-hands-on-deck kind of meeting, including the part-timers and the volunteers, since the next day was the Spring Fling Community event. Jinny and Jesse filed in last. And both sat near Susan and Lizette.
Jesse held out his fist, popping it with hers. "Hey Doc, long time, no see." He set the apple fritter on a napkin, then slid the stack and the box to the next person. After writing his name on the sign-in sheet, he passed that down, as well.
Darby started the meeting, giving last-minute updates and asking for status reports. Susan knew promoting her to the position she deserved was the right thing to do, noting how easily she did the job.
Down the row, team leaders gave their reports. Jinny said there was a record number of vendor booths paid for, as well as sponsored activities set up for all ages. The entertainment lineup was filled with local bands and even a couple of celebrity guests. Jinny, who had been promoted to Assistant Director in Administration, had arranged for some local radio personalities to help introduce the acts in the show. On down the line, staff members gave their updates.
Alex, one of the part-time teachers—in charge of supplies, provided by several corporate sponsors—told the group he had already picked up several pallets of water bottles and that he would distribute those, first aid kits, the pop-up canopies, folding tables, and chairs first. As soon as his volunteers brought the ice from Costco, they would fill all the ice chests. "We should have everything else done by 10:00."
Jesse, who sat between Susan and Alex said he and his volunteers would run the day-long softball camp, signing up kids for the second session of the summer program, "I've got 37 sign-ups, so far but we'll have more showing up tomorrow, for sure. I'll need one extra-large ice chest, ice, and three cases of water bottles." Alex wrote the information on his list to make sure all the staff members who needed supplies would have them.
Lizette read her report, ending with, "This Spring Fling promises to be our biggest yet. The teachers and students are ready to go with their presentations. Programs for the show were delivered yesterday and are ready for volunteers to hand them out tomorrow. All the showrunners have their assignments. And DVDs and MP4l files of the class performances are already being ordered in pre-sales on the center website. The MP4 files will be emailed next week. The DVDs will be ready to mail out in two weeks."
Susan stood up next. "Working with the Accounting staff, we found a way to add to the center's yearly operating fund. Last year, we came in under budget, due mostly to over-estimating costs. Our year-end budget review will present a more accurate picture." She sat down and handed Darby a spreadsheet with all the financial information. After figuring in the salary increases to the operating costs, there was enough left over for any repairs and a few new events not already funded. Those figures didn't count sponsorships and donations, which always spiked after the twice-yearly events.
Darby said, "Volunteers, you all know who your event leaders are, for tomorrow. They will come to me if it's something they aren't able to handle. Thank you all for coming in today. The sign-in sheet is going around the table; sign it for the staff raffle if you haven't already. Tomorrow is going to be busy, and the weather report calls for sunny and warm. Please stay hydrated. And use sunscreen if you're going to be outside. That's it, for today, so everyone, thank you and have a good time tomorrow." The staff started filing out of the room and Susan talked with Lizette for a minute and gave her a hug so she could get to her class.
Turning the corner from the conference room, Susan saw Spencer standing by the receptionist's desk, talking with Darby.
He smiled when he saw Susan. "There's my beautiful wife!"
"This is a delightful surprise." She walked over, slid her hand around his back, and gave him a kiss, handing him the donut in the container.
He took it, thanking her and Darby. "You said you were going to the restaurant and pay for tomorrow's dinner order? I'll take care of that. I like Federalist Pig over in Adams Morgan, but not the long lines… or the lack of parking. It'll be nice to have a barbeque place closer to home. Also, my tablet is ready, so I need to pick it up."
Darby frowned at the spreadsheet of the detailed breakdown section of the annual budget. She showed Susan a figure. "I think there's a mistake here. It shows my raise and another 20k a year, under sals and bennies."
Susan shook her head. "The increased benefits include your vacation pay and 401k contribution. There's no mistake. Remember, our exceptional accounting staff verified this."
"Well, if you insist, Boss… I mean volunteer. I have the maintenance guys on the lookout for any repairs that need to be done. And you're sure about the raise? I'm not complaining, but Michael wants me to check. We're putting the down payment on a vacation home."
"I'm sure. Since I've always been a volunteer, Stan provided recommendations, to ensure you were compensated fairly. Oh, and the increase in funding means upping the holiday bonuses., And birthday bonuses, as well, for staff and volunteers, once we figure out the best way to implement it."
"Best not to argue, then. How are you feeling?"
"Better. I'm hoping the barfing and the blahs are over." She put her hand on her belly. "Right now, I think I look more pudgy than pregnant. We gotta go. See you tomorrow!" Spencer waved and opened the door for her. Since Henry's Barbeque was on the next block over, they walked over and went into the shop.
The owner, Henry Johnson, stood at the counter, wearing an impossibly immaculate white apron—over his jeans and polo shirt—with the name of his restaurant and a smiling pig, in profile. He waved as they walked in. "Well, hello, Susan. I'm glad to see you. My mobile grill is ready and we're looking forward to this community event. Please check your order and make sure it's correct? Tessa wrote that it's to be delivered tomorrow at 4 pm."
"Henry, this is my husband, Dr. Spencer Reid." She introduced them and checked their dinner order. "It's all good. I swear I could smell the sauce from the door of the center."
"A Doctor, hmm? Well, Doc, I use lean meats and natural ingredients in my sauce." Henry declared proudly, "No HFCS." His bright smile contrasted with his dark skin.
"I'm… actually not a medical doctor, but I am glad to hear it; it smells amazing. I'm looking forward to dinner tomorrow, but now I'm sorry we aren't having it for lunch today."
Henry held his finger up. "Hold on; I'll be right back." He left for a couple of minutes and came back with a bag, handing it to Spencer. "You try this for lunch and tell me tomorrow, what you think."
Spencer paid for the delivery order, then put his card and wallet back after signing the vendor receipt. "I may have to fight off my wife for whatever's in that bag. It smells delicious."
"There's enough for both of you. Enjoy."
"Henry, I'm so happy you're going to participate in our community event. Most of the food vendors in the neighborhood will be there, and since yours is a brand-new business, I guarantee you'll have long lines after tomorrow." Susan told him. "Thank you. See you tomorrow!"
On the drive to the electronics store to pick up his tablet, she held her face over the opening of the bag and inhaled with her eyes closed.
Spencer chuckled as he glanced over at her. "Reminds me of you in Greece… without the… vomiting. Does that give you a high? Is sniffing barbeque sauce your drug?"
She grinned. "It's nice not feeling barfy. This smells yummy and may all be gone by the time we get home, just to warn you."
He laughed out loud. "Then I'm not leaving you alone with the bag. You're coming inside with me."
There was nothing Susan needed, so she looked around while Spencer went to the pickup counter. The one downside he found to having a tablet was cracking the screen and having to get it fixed.
/
After lunch, he set the tablet on the coffee table, took the notebook and pen Susan was using, and set those on top of it, gently drawing her into his embrace. He kissed her once, twice, and then again.
She trembled in his arms. "Mmm. You taste yummy. Movie time?"
He chuckled, whispering against her lips, "Nope. Movie… later."
She turned and straddled his lap. "Mm-hmm, this is better." As she sat back, she pulled her top over her head, letting it fall onto the sofa. After several more delicious barbeque-flavored kisses, Spencer unclasped her bra, cupping his hands over her breasts. Susan shuddered, murmuring.
He slid it down off her shoulders and dropped it, holding her close while kissing her neck, up to her ears, and down slowly to her shoulders as his hands slid down the back of her thighs, pulling her against him. Susan moaned softly, shuddering…
/
They lay on their sides on the sofa; their clothes were strewn about with the blanket over them. Spencer reached for the pillow on the chaise, tucking it under Susan's head. His hand settled on her hip. "Are you comfortable, Sweetheart?"
"Mm-hmm. I can reach the other pillow with my toes. Want it?"
"Sure." He raised his hand, ready to catch it. Instead, she pinched the corner with her toes and bent her leg back, handing it to him. He nudged it between the back of the sofa and Susan's head. He sighed, blissfully content, holding her against him. "Quick nap and then a movie?"
"Sounds good." She sounded sleepy already…
/
Dressed, he walked back from the bathroom as Susan pulled on her panties and knit pants. Spencer held the bra out by the strap. "I can't understand how women make sure these… fit. In the stores, I've seen hundreds of these on display." He looked over; Susan was smiling, pulling the bra and then the top back on. "I meant to say I was passing by these on the way to the men's section."
"Mm-hmm. It's easy to measure but finding one that's comfortable and fits properly is like hunting for unicorns." Susan sat astride his lap again, and he grinned as she used his hands to demonstrate. "You measure here… for the band size, then around the fullest part of the breasts, for the cup size. Before I was a 34C before, right now, about a 34D. I'll probably go up to a double D and another inch more around."
"Thank you for enlightening me. Double D? Hmm. I kept thinking about the boob fairy reference after you left for your meeting." Bending his knees, he set his feet flat on the chaise behind her.
Susan smiled lovingly, leaning back against his thighs as Spencer inched his hands down, laying his palms over her sweet, slightly rounded belly.
They talked in soft whispers and after several minutes; she moved forward, sliding her hands around his waist, snuggling against him as he held her, gently skating his fingertips over her back…
/
/