“Tell me what it is you do there exactly,” begged Elenwe. She was standing against the wall of the passageway, facing Turgon who was standing against the other side.
It was now a ritual for the pair to spend the time before and after the competitions chatting in the passage. Two weeks ago, it was Elenwe’s goal to take first place in the overall competition. Now her reason for coming to the meets was to see Turgon.
Turgon nodded to the group of ladies who headed into the passage and then began to explain his duties at the monastery. “Since they are charged with a vow of silence that means doing business can be rather difficult. It is my task to find buyers for their goods, and to do the actual negotiating and delivery. Also, someone needs to taste the vintages.”
“You get to taste all of the wine?” asked Elenwe, quite intrigued.
“Indeed. I need to know how things taste, so that I can sell them to the correct buyers. They take a vow of prohibitory behavior. No smoking, no drinking alcohol, no engaging in any unseemly activities.”
“Are they celibate, too?” wondered Elenwe.
Turgon nodded. “Although, taking up that lifestyle is very challenging in itself. Doing so and trying to raise a child at the same time would be more than one could handle.”
“I did not think it would have to be just for making babies,” laughed Elenwe.
There was an awkward pause before Turgon said, “Procreation, not recreation.”
“What?” Elenwe giggled. “Did you say what I think you said?”
“Procreation, not recreation,” he repeated. “There is a reason for doing certain things. You eat when you are hungry. You sleep when you are tired. You… do… that thing… when you want to have children.”
“What about—“ Elenwe waited until a coach and her team passed by before she asked, “What about pleasure?”
“What about it?” asked Turgon. “There are a lot of pleasurable things one can do without actually… doing that.”
Elenwe giggled again. “I think it is funny that you can talk about it, but you really cannot say it.”
“Procreation? I can say it,” disputed Turgon.
“No… I meant… you know.” Elenwe wiggled her eyebrows.
Turgon snorted. “You cannot say it, either.”
Elenwe considered this and grinned. “I guess you are right.”
“So, until we can comfortably say it, we should probably not do it,” he added.
“Now I know why my father liked you so much,” mused Elenwe.
“Your father talked about me? What did he say?” asked Turgon with great interest.
“He thinks quite highly of you, and was very glad that you came to ask him about me and tell him of your intentions. He has asked when you are going to be invited for dinner.”
“I am free tonight,” said Turgon readily.
Elenwe smiled.
---
The walk to the house of Elenwe’s father was not very far. She explained along the way that her family relocated nearer to the competition arena when her place with her team was solidified. “My sister still lives near the gym, of course, and I live with her, my brother-in-law, and my nephew when I am training. When I am competing, I reside here.”
The house was an adequate residence – there was a picket fence around it and chickens pecking their way through the yard. Turgon held the gate open for Elenwe when they reached it, and they proceeded immediately inside upon Elenwe’s insistence.
Within the house, Turgon was most impressed by how clean the place was. “This is a very lovely house,” he remarked honestly, looking at the winding staircase and the polished stained glass windows in the foyer.
“My mother spends all her time keeping it in immaculate condition. The first house we had was a little larger, on account of my sister and I. We used to make such a mess of things – just the usual things children do,” she added quickly as Turgon gave her an odd look.
Elenwe’s father was sitting in the foyer reading, and he closed his book as he stood up. “Good evening, daughter.” He placed a kiss on his youngest child’s head. “It is good to see you again,” he said to Turgon.
“Likewise, sir. I thank you and your wife for the invitation to dine with you,” he said. “Is that a crystal chandelier?” he asked as he looked up. The glass cast varied patterns of color about the ceiling.
“Indeed. Did my daughter not tell you my work? I am a glass sculptor. My specialty is blown glass, but now and then I do a little glass cutting. The windows are my creation as well,” he said, and he showed Turgon around the house, pointing out all of the things which he had made. “Dinner will be ready soon; my wife is in the kitchen preparing it.”
“The kitchen is on the second floor,” explained Elenwe. “That way, our dining room is located on the porch, and we can eat outside.”
Turgon sat down in the foyer with Elenwe’s father, and talked of politics and the building of houses and other such things that ellon would discuss. Elenwe quietly went upstairs to help her mother, and when she came down again to announce that dinner would be served, she overheard conversation between her father and Turgon. They were discussing the sort of windows that would be suitable in whatever home Turgon built for himself, Elenwe, and their future children. Elenwe tried hard not to smirk at the knowledge she had when she entered the room to retrieve them.
--
Following dinner, Elenwe’s parents retired for the evening and left their daughter and her suitor in the foyer. There was a pot of tea steeping and a tray of biscuits sitting on the table. Neither of them seemed at all interested in them, for they were much more interested in each other.
For a while, they tried to be very proper, but eventually they found ways to move closer and closer, so that now they were sitting so close that Turgon was able to reach out and brush a stray lock of hair behind Elenwe’s ear.
“We could keep talking about my career and your career,” said Elenwe when they hit a lull and decided to pour the tea, “or, we could...”
“We could,” agreed Turgon. He settled his elbow on the back of the couch and rested his head on his hand. “We could indulge ourselves a little, if you think your parents will not walk in on us.”
“My mother purposely told me that she and father were going to turn in early, and that we should not worry about them disturbing us.” Elenwe leaned forward and said, “Would you like to indulge yourself a little? I was a bit worried that you might want to uphold your morals.”
“What morals? Oh... the... right.” Turgon nodded. “Getting to that point this evening would be improper. Doing everything but...” He smiled shamelessly. “Shall we?” he asked as he slid his hand through her hair.
Their first kisses were soft and tentative as they tested the water. They became more coarse and needy, until they were wrapped around one another. Elenwe sat in Turgon’s lap, snuggled close against him. His hands slid up and down her back while hers dug into his hair as they kissed, full open-mouthed and hungry for one another.
When Turgon’s hands moved to caress her breasts, Elenwe moaned and pulled back. She wrapped her hands around his and panted. “I think we should stop there for the night.”
“We had better, or we might not.” Turgon’s arms went limp and Elenwe let go of them. “When can I see you again?”
“Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow sounds lovely.” They kissed twice more, and Turgon stroked Elenwe’s hair back. “I should go now.”
“Yes, I suppose you should.” Elenwe walked Turgon to the door. “We forgot about the tea,” she said as they reached the doorway.”
“I could come back in, but it is getting late. I do not want your father to think ill of me,” said Turgon. “Besides, we will have many chances for tea in the future.”
“Will we?”
“Oh, yes.” Turgon took hold of Elenwe’s hand and kissed the back of it. “I adore tea time. Not as much as I adore you, but it is among my favorite things. I foresee many teatimes in our future – especially once we are married,” he informed her matter-of-factly before leaving her smiling at the door.
