The Ultimate Selection Of Intimate Hardware

“Well, sir,” I said, thickening my accent and stepping into his make-believe world, “I am flattered.  No finer nor more handsome gentleman has come to my aid so quickly before.”

“It’s my contribution to the great effort, sir, to sacrifice, as well.  You do have linen napkins, however, do you not?”  I asked, while batting my eyelashes.

“Of course, I didn’t mean to imply you would dine like some dirtbag Yankee merchant.  And on that note, may I offer you this dress for the occasion.  A true lady should always be in the finest of things.

He handed me the package under his arm.  I set in on my lap and unwrapped it.  Within was a white taffeta dress with burgundy trim.  I held it up.  It had high bodice sleeves that were bell-shaped at the wrists and lavishly embroidered.  Lacing up the back, and flaring out at the hips. 

“Why, sir, this is such a beautiful dress.  I’d be honored to wear such a garment.”

“I thought the color would accent your hair and eyes, and it does, beautifully.  The honor is all mine, Madame,” he said, stepping back with another sweeping bow.  “Shall I stop by…say in twenty minutes and escort you to the dining area?”

“Make that forty five minutes, sir.  I do want to make special preparations.”

“Madame, for you the clock stops.”  You stood up and pulled a beautiful antique gold pocket watch out of his pants pocket and flipped it open.  It began to play a sweet tune.  “I shall return as you requested.”

“Jimmy,” I cried, “where did you get all this?”

“Jimmy?  Madame, my name is Joseph E. Johnston” and with that he pivoted and marched out.  I stared after him, laughter on my lips.  Then I looked at the dress again and wondered what I would look like in it.

I hurried into the shower, wanting everything to be perfect in this make-believe world.  As I dried my hair, I thought of which perfume to wear.  None, I would go with the faint smell of lavender left behind by the scented soap.  I added just a lite touch of make up, a very natural look for this evening.

The dress fit perfectly, almost if it was custom made for me.  Accenting my perfect hourglass figure.  Once I had the dress on, the magic of pretending took control and I thought about how to wear my hair.  Quickly I brushed and pinned it up, just the way it a real southern lady would.  I stood there gazing at myself in the full-length mirror, wishing for the moment that our make-believe were true and I really was a member of aristocracy about to dine with a gentleman officer.

There was a gentle knock at my door.  When I opened it, Jimmy, in his costume stepped back with a wide smile over his face, his eyes brightening with pleasure.  He had a corsage of burgundy baby roses in his hands.

“Madame, you surpass even my most ambitious expectations.  Beauty has no better place to call its home but in your face and fine figure.”

Laughing, I asked,  “Where did you get these words?”

“Madame. Please.  These are the words of a southern gentleman, and the words of a southern gentleman are never trifling.”

“Excuse me, sir.” I curtsied.

“May I?” he asked, approaching with the corsage.  I stood still as he pinned it on my bodice.   When I looked into his face and he looked into mine, it was as if I were looking at the face of a handsome stranger.  He smiled and then stepped back and offered me his arm.  “Madame.”

“Sir,” I said, taking it.  He escorted me down the corridor and we descended the stairway like the lord and lady of some great manor.  Jimmy must have prepared the staff for this costume party, for none of them even looked surprised.  Everyone behaved as if this was perfectly normal.

Jimmy had the lights turned down in the dining room and candles burning in the silver candelabra.  He had soft dinner music piped in.  After he brought me to my seat, he took his and offered me a glass of wine.

“You set a fine dinner table in the field, sir” I remarked, still trying to keep the accent. 

“We make do with what we can, Madame.  These are times to try the souls of gallant men and women.   I am not one to diminish the sacrifice made by southern ladies.  However, rank does have its privileges, and I was able to manage this fine French Chablis.”  He leaned over, pretending not to want any one else to hear and in a lowered voice,  “Bought it from some smugglers.”

“Oh dear.  Well, sir, they say the higher the grape, the sweeter the wine.”

“Well put, Madame.  Shall we make a toast?”  Lifting his glass to mine, “To the return of better times when the most important thing for a man to do is make the woman of his heart happy.”

As we dined, Jimmy was charming and funny.  All that reading on the civil war, had paid off.  Like and actor who had rehearsed his part for months and months, he kept in character.  He was memorizing.  After dinner, I was feeling happy and content.  He offered me his arm and escorted me to the patio, where we were to have an after-dinner cordial and gaze at the stars. 

Standing there, I thought about how a hundred years ago, some Confederate officer and his lady looked up at the same night sky, dazzled by the same stars.  A hundred years isn’t much time to the stars, even less than a second to us.   How small and insignificant we are beneath the celestial heaven, I thought.  All our great problems are so tiny. 

“A Dixie for your thoughts”, Jimmy said.

“My thoughts that valuable to you?”

“So valuable, it makes no sense to put any momentary offer on them.  That’s why I symbolically offer the Dixie.”

“I was just thinking of how small we are under the stars.”

“I beg to differ, Madame.  You see that one star up there, the one that’s blinking brighter than the others?”

“Yes”

“Well, it’s blinking that way because it’s jealous of the radiance that comes from your face this night.  Somewhere on another planet like ours, two people are looking up at their night sky and seeing the brilliance from your eyes, the glow of your lips, and thinking how small their world is.”

“Oh, Jimmy.”  Feeling moved by the sweetness of his words.

“Joseph E. Johnston,” he corrected, and leaned over to brush my lips with a kiss.  It was so soft and quick, I could have been kissed by the breeze coming up from the Gulf and just thought it was his kiss, but when I opened my eyes, his face was still close to mine.

“I can’t be happy when you’re unhappy, Alyson.  Are you little happier now?” he asked

“Yes, I am,” I said.  I heard the way my words sounded; I felt the trembling in my body.  The cordial, the wine, the wonderful meal, had filled me with a warm glow.  The night, the stars, the very air we breathed, all conspired against that part of me that struggled to remind me how close I was to surrendering myself.

“Good,” Jimmy said, and brought his lips to my forehead.  He kissed my closed eyes and my nose and brought those warm lips to mine.  The tingling that stirred in my breasts radiated into my neck, where his lips followed. I moaned and then I pulled away.

“I’m tired,” I said quickly, “I think I should go up.”

“Of course” he stood up as I did.

“Thank you sir, for a most wonderful evening.”

“Perhaps when the war is over we can do it again, in surroundings more fitting to your beauty and stature.”  He kissed my hand and nodded as I turned and walked into the house, my heart pounding.  It was as if I really were saying good night to a beau who had been courting me and with whom I had fallen deeper and deeper in love.

I hurried up the stairs and to my bedroom, gasping as I entered and falling back against the closed door to catch my breath, my eyes closed, my blood rushing madly through my veins.

After a few moments, I stepped away from the door and went to the vanity table.  Slowly I slipped out of the old dress, but I stood there staring at myself in my slip and panties.  I unpinned my hair and let the strands fall down my still crimson neck and over my shoulders.  I couldn’t stop my body from trembling with a longing I had naively thought I could subdue at will.  My breath had quickened as I continued to undress, stepping out of my panties and undoing my bra.  Naked, I gazed upon myself in the mirror, imagining a gallant Confederate officer stepping up behind me and placing his hand on my shoulders until I turned to raise my lips to his.

Finally I turned off the lights and crawled under my comforter, luxuriating the cool touch of the linen on my hot skin.  Jimmy’s romantic words lingered in my ears.  I lay there thinking about the stars, dreaming.  I didn’t hear the adjoining door open, nor did I hear him approach my bed.  I didn’t realize he was beside me until I felt the weight of his body shift the mattress and then felt the warmth of his lips on my neck.

“Jimmy”

“It’s Joseph,” he said softly.

“Please don’t….” I began, but the words choked in my throat.

“Madame, war makes time a luxury.  If we were to have met and fallen in love before or after, I would spend weeks, months courting you, but in the morning I am to lead my troops into a desperate battle from which many will not return.”

 I spun around and when I did so, his hands cupped my shoulders and he brought my lips to his.  It was a long hot kiss.  His chest pressed against my naked breasts and his legs moved between mine until I could feel his manliness probing gently.

I started to shake my head, but his lips went to my throat, and the touch of them pushed back my resistance.  I laid my head against the pillow as his lips moved down my neck and grazed the crowns of my breasts, nudging the already erect nipples.  Outside my window, I thought I heard the snorting of horses, impatiently tapping their hooves on the stone pathways.

“I, too, may not return, Madame.  But if Death is waiting to claim me, he will be disappointed, for on my lips will be your name and in my eyes will be your face.”

“No,” I said weakly, and then, “Joseph….” The passion he had released inside me was too much to resist.  And I willingly gave in to it.

His lips came down on mine with a force that stopped my words still in my throat.  I was lost to his touch, the sound of his breath, so hot and rapid, and his sweet words.  My world was spinning, his hands touching me a way that they never had before, his lips kissing my entire body. 

I gasped as he entered me, his kisses silencing me again, hot kisses on my face, neck and chest.  We started a slow steady rhythm, gradually building until we both reached a high intensity climax, our orgasms leaving us both weak from pleasure.  We lay there, together for a moment.  Lost in time, his arms around me.  I don’t know how long, before I heard him whisper, “God bless you, Madame”, as he pulled away from me.  As quickly and quietly as he entered, he left. 

As I heard the click of the door, my mind crashed back to reality.  Part of me wanting to scream, thinking of what we had just done, the vow we had made to each other, now broken.  Another part, so content with love that was felt here.  Not just sex, but love.  We made love! 

I lay there, half asleep when I thought I heard the distant thundering of cannons.  I went to the window, but saw nothing, except the possible faint shadow of a team of horses entering the woods to the north.  Were there really there?  I’m not sure.  I returned to bed, and slept well, dreaming of my brave soldier and the night we spent together.

In the morning, I woke as the first rays of dawn entered my window.  I lay there, thinking of what had happened last night.  What would I say to Jimmy?  What would he say to me?  I don’t know how long I laid there, a couple of hours, I guess, till I smelled the morning coffee brewing.  I showered and dressed. 

As I entered the kitchen, Jimmy was there already, reading the morning paper and having coffee.  He smiled at me, his eyes just sparkled, and he glowed.  There was absolutely no sign of remorse on his face at all; I don’t think he could have looked any happier.

“Good morning”, he said as he snapped the paper in half, “Did you sleep well?”

“Uh, Yeah, I guess I did.” I was surprised that he didn’t seem any different than any other morning.  Just then Miss Catherine came out of the kitchen with breakfast.

“I took the liberty of ordering for you, hope you don’t mind.”

“No, of course not” feeling a little nervous I sat down next to him.  Miss Catherine sat down a plate of eggs, bacon, toast and a bowl of grits.  Picking at my food, not really having much of an appetite.  I nibbled on the toast as I stared at the grits, not sure if they were edible.  Jimmy ate his and told me to try them.  Picking up the spoon, all I could think of was that this is what mashed potato soup would look like, if any one ever made it.

“Ahhh, no thanks.  I’ll stick to eating the things I can identity. “  I knew that statement would earn me a “high maintenance” remark.  He is always telling me I am too picky

“There you go again, High Maintenance,” he laughed as he said it.

Miss Catherine came in, asking if everything was okay.  As she poured Jimmy another cup of coffee she commented on the storm that passed through last night.  “Hope the thunder didn’t keep you up.”

“No, I passed out almost immediately.  I followed Alyson upstairs last night and was asleep in no time at all.”  Jimmy said with a smile.  Glancing over at me, “Didn’t hear a thing, myself, how about you, Ally?”

No, I don’t think I heard anything either,” not wanting to mention the cannons.  

After we finished breakfast, Jimmy asked me if I wanted to take another walk around the grounds before getting ready to leave.  I thought that was a great idea, I wanted to talk to him, alone, with out interruptions. 

We walked for a bit, I kept waiting for him to say something about last night, but he didn’t.  So, after mustering up all my courage, I asked him if the whole evening was planed. 

“Yes, I planed it.  Hope you enjoyed it,” he said with a smile.

“You even planed the sex?”  I asked.

“Sex?”  He looked very puzzled, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Come on Jimmy, no more games.  You must remember we made a promise to each other after the first time something almost happened.  We said we wouldn’t let anything ever come between us”

“Honestly I don’t have a clue” His lips curled in a sly smile.  “I told you, after you went upstairs, I followed and passed out, dead asleep.  Now if you dreamed something, I can’t do anything about your dreams.”

Did I dream it?  Was this whole thing just a part of my imagination?  At this point I wasn’t sure.  It seemed so real, but in a way, it also seemed like a dream.

“If you are having dreams about me, just make sure I’m good, okay?”  Jimmy said with a laugh.

We turned and started back to the house, as we were crossing the yard, Jimmy pointed out that someone had taken the horses out and walked them across the lawn last night.  The ground was soft and you could see the marks from the hoofs.  My confusion grew.

We loaded our bags in the car, and headed for home.  We didn’t talk much.  I thought most of the way.  Why did Jimmy make love to me last night?  Was it to make me feel better or was it something more.  He is my best friend, the person I would normally talk to about a problem like this.  I felt a little lost.  Was I making more out of this then it was ever intended to be?  Or was he trying to tell me something, I had been overlooking.  He was acting as if nothing had happened; maybe he was regretting it, hoping I would forget it,   But I couldn’t.

I kissed him goodbye when he dropped me off at my house.  Just the same way I have done thousands of times.  But this time there was a longing behind it, one so strong, it was hard to push it aside.  I thought of asking him in, but then thought better of it. 

After arriving home I did the usual things, check the mail, listen to the answering machine, watched the news, everything just like I have always done, but I couldn’t keep him off of my mind.  I decided on a hot shower, and then just go to bed.  If one didn’t clear my mind the other might.

The shower didn’t help, I found myself just standing there under the hot running water, thinking of him, last night, everything.  What was wrong with me, it’s just Jimmy I kept telling myself.  The same guy he has always been.  Why is it he is invading my every thought.  I stepped out of the shower, and put on my robe, as I walked into my bedroom, I picked up the phone, I had to talk to him, I knew I wouldn’t sleep tonight if I didn’t. 

The lights in the room had been dimmed, had I done that before the shower, I didn’t think so.  But I pushed that thought to the back of my mind.  As I approached my nightstand, I was taken back by something that wasn’t there before.  A big beautiful bouquet of burgundy roses lying on my pillow.  I was shocked.  How did they get here, who brought them?  Nervously I walked over and picked them up, a dozen roses, wrapped in a angelic white ribbon, the fragrance was captivating, a sudden flashback to the beautiful corsage that Jimmy/Joseph pinned on me the night before.  The card stated simply,  “Let me be the man of your dreams!”  As I read it, someone stepped out of the shadows, my heart was racing already, it was Jimmy.

“How? Why?” I started to ask, my thoughts so confused I couldn’t find the words. 

 He walked over and kissed me, stopping any more of my attempts to talk.  Not the kind of kiss he had given me in the past, but one that was pure passion.  I felt weak in the knees, my body shaking, dropping the roses, I returned the kiss with the same passion, my arms around him, holding him as close as I possibly could.  He kissed my lips, check, neck, and nibbled on my ear.  I thought my heart would exploded it was beating so fast.

“Let me make your dreams come true” he whispered in my ear. 

“You already have…” I whispered back.  When I looked in his eyes this time, I wasn’t seeing the face of a stranger, I was see the handsome face of my best friend, the man to whom I had confided all my hopes and wishes, my darkest fears.  The face I had seen a thousand times, but now, tonight, I was seeing him in a whole new way. 

His hands went to my waist, untying my rope.  Slowly his hands slide it off my shoulders and let it fall to the floor.  He stepped back and looked at me.  Feeling very self-conscience I wanted to grab my robe and hide, but his smile calmed my fears. 

“I always knew you would look this good.”  There were no more words, none were needed.

I stepped forward as he pulled his shirt over his head, and reached for his jeans.  I could see how hard he was already, and the sight of him made me blush, just a little.  When we were both naked, he took my hand and led me to the bed.  I am trembling, he kiss me, his tongue meeting mine, his hands running down my back to my ass, where they stopped.  His kiss made my trembling cease. 

He laid me down on the bed, and then crawled up next to me, his hand cupping my breast as he covers my body with kisses.  Growing wetter by the second, his hands and lips find there way down the spot where, if done right, could make me fall in love with anyone.  I closed my eyes, losing my self in the pleasure.  His fingers and tongue did things to me I didn’t know were possible.  Making me climax so hard I thought I might pass out from the extreme pleasure. 

As he entered me, his kisses covered my breasts, shoulders, neck and lips.  Our bodies moved in perfect rhythm together, our breath, both hot and rapid, our kisses never ending.  I kissed his neck, and as my tongue touched his ear I heard a soft moan.  The passion that burned between us was exhilarating, our bodies moving quicker and faster.  My body rising and falling with each wave of ecstasy that passed through me, as we both reached the moment of climax together.  Feeling him exploded deep inside me I kissed him softly. 

He rolled over next to me, and he kissed me a little more on the back of my neck and shoulders.  I heard him whisper, “I love you.”

Frightened, and not wanting to ruin the mood, I struggled with the thought of whether or not to say something.  I decided against it, until I heard him whisper it again.

“I Love You!”

“Don’t say that, please don’t.  You don’t need to, it’s not necessary.  I don’t want to hear it, if it isn’t true.  I just can’t…” His finger came to my lips, as if to hush me.

 “Shhh, it is true.  I’m sorry it has taken me so long to say it and even sorrier that you never noticed before.” 

             I turned over.  Looking in his eyes, I could see that he was being truthful.  My heart filled, “I love you too, and no saying sorry.”   We held each other until we fell asleep.  It felt so right, so perfect. 

            I woke early, and needing to tell someone or something, I decided on you, Diary.  To write it all down and save it for years to come.  I don’t know what the future brings, but it is certainly much brighter now.