It's your girl, your sweet cheese, your good time gal (someone please shut me up omfg). Now...you know i am a Joe Toye lover, and if you've seen me recently...he is the only man on my mind. I was wondering if you might indulge me a little with a Joe Toye x reader where they're besties since young and both end up being paratroopers together but then something happens and he thinks he's lost her but she's actually fine and maybe like fluffy reunion...idk tbh i'd take anything you write and eat it up so do whatever. Love youuuuu xx
Seven
Joe Toye x reader
A/N: OMG BELLA I MISSED YOU!!!! 💖 WELCOME BACK BABE! And of course we have a fic with a T Swift reference for you hehehe
(This is written for the fictional depictions from the show - no disrespect to the real life veterans!) Thanks so much for the request, and I hope you like this 💕
Warnings: mentions of war, death
You would kill him if you knew where he was right now. And yet, here he is. Trying to reassure and comfort your mother while sipping coffee from her finest set of teacups. The same teacups, he’s now realizing, that you used to serve him water in as children, calling it tea while the two of you played house, discussing the workplace as if you had any idea what went on there, while the adults around you struggled through the lack of those very places during the thirties. It could just be a coincidence, but after spending most of his life around her, Joe Toye would like to think that he knows your mother better than that.
“And you know how hardheaded she is,” your mother is ranting, cutting a fresh slice of poundcake and placing it on Joe’s plate. “She isn’t going to listen to me. Or anyone for that matter, now that her mind is made up.”
Oh, Joe knows exactly how hardheaded you are. In no small part thanks to the times that he accidentally clobbered that very head during neighborhood football games.
“(Y/N) feels good about this, Mrs. (Y/L/N),” Joe says, unsure of what he’s supposed to say during your mother’s hour of need. She’s right, after all – your mind has been made up, and it will not be changed.
“But do you?” Your mother fixes him with a hard gaze, raised brow and all.
You were with Joe when he went to enlist. He had watched your eyes sparkle when they fell onto the sign stating that women should inquire within about an exciting new opportunity that would allow them to serve their country like never before. And he had been by your side when you both left the building, both holding papers and smiling at the thought that you would be becoming paratroopers – together.
“Yes. (Y/N) is strong. She’ll be good in – “
“Joesph,” your mother interrupts. The façade finally falls as she collapses into the chair across the table from him, head in her hands. “She’s my baby! What if something – oh, God forbid! – happens to her? I couldn’t live with myself.”
Joe is by her side in an instant. When he announced that he was joining the Airborne, everyone had clapped him on the back and congratulated him. You have not had the same experience. While everyone keeps assuring Joe that he’ll do great things, the same people have been cautioning you to be careful. Some have even warned you that you should just give up now. And it’s all only served to strengthen your determination, with every underestimation making you more sure that this is what needs to be done.
All that is to say, Joe has no clue what to say to your mother. She needs to be comforted. But he’s out of his depth.
“I’ll watch out for her,” he finally manages.
Beneath the comforting hand that Joe has placed on her shoulder, your mother freezes. Watery eyes gaze up at him. “You – you will?”
“Of course.” The two of you have grown up together. You’ve always been friends. Why would he stop looking out for you now?
Your mother throws her arms around his neck, wrapping him up in a tight hug. “Oh, thank you!”
Joe is struggling to come up with something more to say when the sound of the front door opening and shutting saves him. Your footsteps echo through the front of the house as you call out in greeting.
“Ma! I’m home!” Stepping into the kitchen, you cross your arms, leaning onto the doorframe as you let out a loud sigh. “Wow, you would almost think that Joe is the child that you’re sending off to war instead of me.” You smile, and anyone could see how much you love your mother.
She wipes her teary eyes and pats Joe’s arm as he stands, returning to his seat. “I’m going to miss having someone around who doesn’t get into trouble all the time,” she teases as she cuts a slice of poundcake for you.
Something about the change of topic tells Joe that she would rather not have you find out about their conversation. His watching over you can be their little secret. And a job that he’ll readily accept.
After all, he tells himself as he watches you laugh at something your mother says. You would do the same for him.
--
The adrenaline from taking Brécourt Manor still hasn’t worn off yet. Joe is laughing at something that Guarnere said as they head back down the road. Something about this moment makes him feel invincible. This is why he chose to become a paratrooper, he realizes.
More men and women have congregated in the town since he’s been gone. Finally glancing at his watch reveals that he’s been gone most of the day. Wow, really? It didn’t feel like the assault took that long at all. At least it kept him busy, instead of sitting around here, waiting.
Joe scans the crowd, hoping to catch sight of you. When he doesn’t immediately spot you, he stops one of the other female paratroopers as she passes.
“Hey, Lilian. You seen (Y/N) around?”
Lilian pauses, her pretty green eyes widening slightly. “Oh. No.” She bites her lip, holding back something more.
“What is it?” Joe presses.
Her hesitation is not a good sign. Then she blurts out, “No one has seen her since the jump.”
“You mean – “
“She was supposed to be in my drop zone – but she wasn’t.”
The reality of it all sets in. (Y/N) didn’t reach the drop zone. Did she even make it out of the plane? God, he promised your mother that he would look out for you. Yet, here he is, with no clue where you might be.
He may have only just reached Europe, but he’s already failed his mission.
--
The dust is settling over Carentan when the incongruous cheer and subsequent peel of laughter hits Joe’s ears. Somewhere off in the distance, someone is celebrating. Meanwhile, he’s guarding Doc Roe as the medic moves along the streets, inspecting the bodies strewn over them to see if there’s anybody still alive that he can help.
“Thanks for doing this,” Roe says as he stands once more, moving on to another body.
“Hmm?” Joe snaps his attention back to the moment at hand. “Oh, no problem.”
Except there is a problem. He’s trying to catch a glimpse of every face as Doc Roe checks the bodies. He tries to make out names on dog tags, dreading that one of them might belong to you. He couldn’t stand it if he found you here, like this. What would he tell your mother? How would he ever erase that awful image from his mind? Of the little girl that he once played house with, lying motionless on these cold streets? It’s no better to imagine you going down in a plane doing a fiery corkscrew as it nosedives to the unforgiving soil of a foreign land. But at least he didn’t have to see that.
The terrible job done, he follows Roe back to the rest of the company. Despite everything that just happened, a few smiles can be expected, along with congratulatory words. But this is more than that.
A small group of men mill about, talking, smiling, as they watch a smaller group of the female paratroopers huddled together in a group, all talking loudly and looking excited. From the corner of his eye, he can see Doc Roe glance at him, but before the medic can ask what’s going on, the crowd parts and Joe freezes.
There, in the middle of it all, is you.
“(Y/N)?” It comes out louder than he means for it to, and his feet are already carrying him, double time, in your direction before he realizes what he’s doing.
You look up, your eyes widening. “Joe!” You launch yourself at him, throwing your arms around his neck and pulling him in close.
Something rushes through Joe’s chest like a flash of lightning, too many feelings at once. There’s shock, relief, and something that he can’t quite name. Not caring about getting written up for fraternizing, Joe hugs you back, holding you close, lest you slip away from him again.
“Jesus Christ. I thought I lost you,” he says into your hair.
“I’m fine, as usual. Can’t believe you would doubt me like that.” Your voice is light, teasing, but your grip on him tightens. The usual confident swagger doesn’t leave your voice, but you admit in a quieter voice, “I, uh – I missed my drop zone. Had a hell of a time trying to find the rest of the company. But here I am!”
When the embrace ends, Joe still isn’t ready to let go. He leaves his hands on your shoulders, studying you. And you, for your part, hold onto his webbing. “I was just worried about you, is all.”
You nod. “I was worried about you, too. I – “
“Easy Company!” A booming voice interrupts. “We’re moving out!”
Quickly, while everyone is distracted, you raise yourself up on your tiptoes and press a kiss to his cheek. Heat rushes to Joe’s cheeks. He feels his eyes widen. You just smile at him, casual as can be.
“We’ve been friends since we were seven. You can’t get rid of me that easily, Joseph.” Then, you rejoin your friends, leaving him to replay the scene over and over in his mind.
He turns to watch you go, unable to move his feet from where they suddenly appear to be stuck to the ground. He’s held in place by the weight of his realization – the emotion that he couldn’t name was love, for you.
Leigh, now in her golden years, educates a rude airport employee
*This is from my story about Bill Guarnere and my original character Leigh Spencer Guarnere, "I Double Dare You - A Rendezvous With Destiny."
*For hbowar secret Santa 25.
*Author's Note: An airport employee was exceedingly rude to Bill Guarnere in real life. I depicted their interacting with one another verbatim. The info came from a podcast interview with Bill's granddaughter. T.J. Guarnere in this story is Bill's granddaughter. I gave her a different name to protect her privacy. Bill really did keep money in his pockets as depicted for gambling in the casinos.* The airline actually upgraded Bill and his granddaughter to first class for their trip back to Philadelphia.*
Bill had been standing in line for a little over an hour. He was a little irritable due to the fact that he couldn't smoke while he stood in line and he knew the situation wouldn't improve on the flight because smoking wasn't permitted. Bill decided to make the best of it and try to not lose his temper.
A middle aged woman who worked with the device to scan the passengers' luggage noticed Bill's white satin jacket with Wild Bill Guarnere embroidered on the front, many patches for Easy Company and the Paratroopers division, plus 101st Airborne Association embroidered on the back.
She approached him,
"My husband and I enjoyed "Band of Brothers," Mr. Guarnere. Thanks for your service. Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable? Would you like to sit down?"
"It was my pleasure. If it ain't too much trouble, I'd like to sit down. I don't need anythin' fancy. A foldin' metal chair would be fine." The woman got an extra chair from her work station and set it up for him.
Bill thanked her and she produced a pen and a piece of paper, shyly asking,
"Sir, may I have your autograph?"
He grinned,
"Sure thing, Doll. I'd be happy to give ya my autograph." He signed and dated the paper. The woman thanked him.
"It's been an honor to meet you, Mr. Guarnere." Leigh was smiling. She was accustomed to people wanting Bill's autograph and she knew how much he enjoyed meeting and talking to fans of the movie.
Another security check employee told him that if he wanted to remain seated for the security check, it was approved.
"I appreciate it, but don't make a fuss over me."
A young man in his early 30s who also worked in the security check area approached Bill saying that he would perform his security check. He added,
"I was in the Army, too. You're not that great." Leigh and T.J. were shocked by the behavior of this worker. Bill took it in stride.
"Whatever, Kid." Then, the security check employee wanted him to empty the pockets in his trousers. Bill always carried $1, $5 and $10 dollar bills in the right pocket of his trousers and $20 bills in the left pocket of his trousers. This was what he used on the slot machines and he called it his "wad."
"I just have money in both pockets. Do I have to take everythin' out? I don't wanna lose anythin'. "
The young man repeated his request. Guarnere tried to make light of the situation.
"It's just money, Kid. " The young man kept repeating his request. Both Leigh and Teresa noticed that the color of Bill's eyes seemed to change from brown to black. When Bill was extremely angry, his eye color seemed to change.
Teresa told Leigh,
"Grandpop's probably going to jail if he loses his temper. Do we have enough money for his bail? If we don't, I need to call Pop and get him to wire the money through Western Union."
"I don't think it will get out of hand, but I have extra money if the worst case scenario happens." By this time, a few passengers waiting in line had their cell phones out and they were recording the incident.
Bill had reached his saturation point, shouting,
"I told you, that's my wad you son of a bitch!" Still, the young man goaded him. Bill's anger increased and he shouted,
"What the fuck is wrong wit' you? I've told you a million times that I just have money in my pockets." Bill had his metal crutches propped against the chair. Suddenly, the young man picked up the crutches and threw them on the floor.
Leigh was infuriated and she told the onlookers,
"I hope you're getting this recorded." She asked the woman who helped Bill if she would please get the manager to come to the checkpoint area. The woman got out her cell phone and called the manager. Leigh then approached the young man.
"Your behavior is disgraceful! How dare you disrespect my husband like this! He's a legitimate, decorated war hero and he won two silver stars for bravery. Even an arrogant little bastard like you should know enough to respect his elders!
My husband lived through hellish situations that would make you wet your pants and scream like a little girl. You pick up those crutches and hand them to me, pronto!"
The manager arrived and several people in line told him what happened and showed him the videos they made of the incident. Meanwhile, the security check employee grudgingly picked up the crutches and handed them to Leigh.
She thanked him, adding,
"Now, you need to apologize to my husband." He sneered at Leigh,
"Don't hold your breath, grandma. Just let me do my job." Bill told T.J.,
"Your nonna is gettin' ready to hand that kid's ass to him on a platter. Her temper is locked an' loaded." Leigh then told the young man,
"Excuse me, your shoe is untied." The instant he bent over, Leigh swung one of the crutches with gusto, hitting his behind. He promptly face planted on the floor. Bill and T.J. laughed loudly.
"That's for disrespecting my husband and me, you little shit! I had another worker call the manager. If you don't come with me to discuss this situation, so help me God, I'll take you by your ear and drag you there!" Leigh walked back to join T.J. and Bill.
The manager walked over to speak with Bill and Leigh. Glowering, the employee stood up, taking care to stay out of Leigh's reach. Then, the manager told Leigh that the rude employee was terminated, effective immediately. He also said that Leigh and her family would be upgraded to first class with the airline picking up the tab for their trip home. Leigh thanked the manager for his help.
Meanwhile, the young man acted embarrassed as the other passengers laughed at him getting an impromptu spanking from Wild Bill Guarnere's wife. The manager then told the employee that he was fired. Bill told Leigh,
"That's my sassy angel! You can still kick ass, Baby, an' I'm proud of ya." Bill Teresa and Leigh laughed about the incident as they rode home on the plane. He softly repeated,
"Make you wet your pants an' scream like a little girl," he chuckled. "That was perfect, Baby. Some things never change. You still have the feisty spark that I love."
*Author's note: Wild Bill purchased a rundown beach house in New Jersey. He did construction work until the house was completely remodeled. He, Frannie and their eldest son stayed in the house on occasion. This was before the birth of his second son. Guarnere sold the house and bought another beach house to restore and selling it when it was remodeled. This information is in the book he wrote with Babe. Bill commented, "I've always known how to make a few extra dollars." He also said, "Old enough to eat, old enough to work."
The story about Augusta hitting the judge and the hit and run driver on the head with the judge's gavel and Joseph Guarnere hitting a police officer is true. It's also true that Bill's godfather punched a police officer. Augusta really told a woman in the hospital's office to "Keep him (Bill)!" This info came from a collection of letters belonging to Dick Winters that I found online. The line about "lumping the judge" with his gavel also came from the letters.
Bill was known to be largely non materialistic. This info came from his book. He often said, "We were happy with what we had. Now people keep buying more and more stuff."
The idea of paying his nephews to help him finish the first house on the beach came from my imagination, as did the backstory of the elderly nudists who were the former owners of the house.*
In the winter of 1946, Bill purchased a run down beach house in New Jersey. He intended to fix up the house for himself and Leigh to use. Guarnere intended to eventually sell the house and perhaps buy and restore another house for extra income.
He hired Maria's and Julia's sons to do construction work with him and Bill paid the teenage boys fair wages. Guarnere and his nephews finished the house in time for his one year wedding anniversary with Leigh.
She was eager to see the house and they decided to spend their first anniversary on the New Jersey shore. During the drive to the beach house, they were reminiscing on how they met. Bill told Leigh,
"When I saw ya kickin' that guy's ass at Toccoa, that reminded me o' Ma. You're fiery, like her."
"What makes you say that, Honey? I'm not calling you a liar, but I've never seen Mama acting that way. He laughed,
"Let me tell ya about somethin' Ma done when I was 15. I was out roller skatin' in the street. Some guy in a car hit my ass. It was a hit an' run. I had to go to the hospital an' I was there four days.
The cops got hold o' the guy an' he paid off the judge. We went to court, an' the judge wanted to dismiss the case due to lack o' evidence. It made Ma furious an' she went up, grabbed the judge's gavel an' lumped him on the head wit' it twice."
"Oh, my God! I can't picture her doing that."
"That ain't all, Baby. After she done that, she lumped the hit an' run guy. Then, a cop tried to get hold o' her. Pop punched him. Another cop got after Pop, an' my godfather punched him. Nothin' happened 'cause they figured the judge didn't want word to get out that the case was fixed."
Leigh was shocked, then she started to laugh.
"If ya think that's (he pronounced the word as 'dats') funny, wait until I tell ya about Ma an' the hospital bill. I got better an' I was ready to go home, but we didn't have $45 to pay the bill.
Ma talked to some lady in the office an' she said I couldn't be released until the bill was paid. That got Ma fired up, an' she said, 'Keep him!'" More laughter ensued from Leigh, and Bill joined in.
When Bill pulled their car into the driveway in front of the beach house, Leigh looked at the white one story house,
"Honey, it's beautiful! You and the boys made it look new." Bill was proud of his work and he was extremely pleased that Leigh liked the way the house looked.
"Wait 'til ya see the inside, Baby. We redid the wirin', the plumbin', we put new linoleum in the kitchen an' new carpet in the bedroom. The boys an' I kinda scrounged around an' found furniture for the dinin' room an' the bedroom. I refinished the wood, stripped the old stuff off an' it looks brand new."
He got out of the car, went to the passenger side door, opened it for Leigh and they walked hand in hand to the front door. Bill got the key from his pocket, opened the door and carried Leigh into the house.
"I wanted to carry ya over the threshold, Sweetheart." He put her down in the living room. The floor was light colored hardwood that would be easier to keep dirt and sand free than carpet.
Augusta had provided white Priscilla curtains for the windows and Bill bought the blinds. He found a good deal on a tan colored couch with matching chairs that he purchased from a co-worker. The co-worker included a nice coffee table and end tables, both light colored wood and two tan colored lamps with white shades.
Julia donated two snake plants in neutral colored planters. Maria made new covers for the throw pillows on the couch that complimented the tan coloring. Teresa bought a small radio for the living room.
Leigh smiled as she looked around the living room,
"It's lovely, Bill." He explained how his sisters helped and how he got the living room furniture.
"Ma gave us the curtains, an' everybody kicked in an' gave us a completely stocked kitchen. Sure, most of it's used, but I got a new set o' dishes an' silverware. I've been savin' some money for this place an' I wanted to get a few things. I got a new set o' sheets for our bed an' a nice bedspread from that fancy store where I bought your red dress.
I was hopin' maybe you could make some o' them embroidered pictures for the walls an' we could bring a few pictures from home. We got a copy o' our weddin' picture an' the portrait like we gave to our folks."
"I'd be delighted to make some counted cross stitch pictures, Honey. The portraits will really make it like home."
Bill showed her the kitchen, with a new white linoleum floor and light yellow paint on the walls. As promised, the kitchen table and chairs looked new.
"I didn't wanna choose curtains for ya, Baby. Maybe you could sew some?"
"I already have some ideas, Bill. This kitchen looks so cheery and bright. Look at that view of the ocean! It's gorgeous!" She noticed a wooden walkway from the kitchen door to the beach.
"Bill, it's just like something from a magazine. This is such a wonderful place." Leigh embraced and kissed him.
"I'm glad ya like it, Baby. C'mon, let me show ya the rest o' the place!" He led her to the bathroom down the hall. The floor was white linoleum. Blue and white tile covered the walls. The cabinet was freshly painted white and new silver colored faucets gleamed. A white bathtub with a shower and toilet completed the room. Guarnere opened a cabinet by the door that was at shoulder level.
"We made this big enough to hold towels, washcloths an' cleanin' stuff. It's up higher, so when we bring our kids, they won't be able to reach the cleanin' stuff. That'll keep 'em from gettin' poisoned." Leigh smiled,
"You'll be a wonderful Pop. You're already thinking ahead of their safety. This is a beautiful bathroom, Honey." Bill was pleased with Leigh's remark and he tenderly kissed her.
"Thanks, Sweetheart. You're gonna be one hell of a good Ma. Speakin' o' kids, follow me. We can use this for the kids' bedroom." They left the bathroom and walked a few steps down the hall to a small room with a window overlooking the beach. Bunk beds were set up by the window. The room was painted white.
"I bought the bunk beds, pretty cheap, from another guy at work. I redid the finish on 'em an' they're in real good shape. 'course there's the light fixture in here. We could get a night light if we need it." The room had the same light colored hardwood floor and the white Priscilla curtains as the living room. A light blue throw rug was beside the beds.
"I can picture sea shells on the window sill that the kids would find on the beach." Leigh looked to the right of the bed and saw a small wooden box with a hinged lid.
"You made a toy box! That's good planning, Bill." He grinned,
"We've gotta have a place for their toys." He crossed the room and opened a door,
"Here's the closet."
"It looks great, Honey."
"Now, come see our bedroom." She followed him to the room at the end of the hall. Bill stepped back, allowing her to enter the room first. She saw the beige carpet, a bed, end tables, a dresser with a mirror and a chest of drawers, all in light colored wood.
Beige wallpaper with white sea shells covered the walls. White Priscilla curtains covered a window overlooking the beach. An obviously new white chenille bedspread with small, beige sea shells covered the bed.
"Honey, this room is beautiful! You could do construction professionally." Bill walked up to stand behind Leigh, embracing her. He kissed her neck before replying,
"Thanks, Baby. I wanted to make everythin' look nice, 'specially our bedroom. It took a long time to get this room done, but it's worth it, knowin' ya like it."
"I love it! The bedspread really pulls everything together. Where did you find this lovely wallpaper?"
"The wallpaper came from that paint an' wallpaper store that's close to Ma's and Pop's house.
This room has a closet, too. I shoulda taken some pictures o' this place before we fixed it up. Everythin' was run down, kinda old lookin'. I've gotta admit doin' this kinda work is relaxin' in a way. I like workin' wit' my hands."
"I didn't realize you knew how to do all of these things, plumbing, wiring, hanging wallpaper and doing the floors and the tile in the bathroom."
"I learned real young. Pop would put me an' my brothers to work. He would always say, 'Old enough to eat, old enough to work.' We learned somethin' useful an' it could make money for us, too. I've always known how to make a few extra dollars.
Let me show ya one more thing." Bill took Leigh's hand, leading her to a set of French doors on the opposite side of the room. He opened the door and Leigh walked into a small portion of the yard that was surrounded by a tall white fence.
"This will be great for private sunbathing and we can also use it for a patio." Bill chuckled,
"The guy an' his wife who owned this before I bought it are about 80 years old an' they're nudists. I ain't got a problem wit' that, but, Holy God! No wonder they put up a fence. Nobody needs to see that."
"I have to ask, were they nude when you met them."
"No, thank God!"
After they carried in food and luggage from the car, Leigh fixed supper. While the food cooked, they got everything put away. Leigh ensured that they had a fresh can of coffee. Bill loved coffee and he drank several cups per day.
She asked Bill before they went on their trip about his choice for their anniversary supper. He wanted his favorite dish, spaghetti with one meatball, so she brought homemade pasta and made his favorite gravy (sauce) with Italian sausage. Leigh also had homemade antipasto, homemade garlic bread and she bought a bottle of their favorite red wine.
The table was set with a new tablecloth, yellow and white dishes, silverware, wine glasses and candles placed in antique milk glass candle holders. She lit the candles and Bill helped her serve their meal. He pulled out her chair before sitting down, then he asked the blessing. After supper was over, Guarnere told her,
"Sweetheart, ya done an excellent job wit' the food, as usual. You're like your Ma an' my Ma, one hell of a good cook."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Honey."
"I like seein' you in those pants, Baby. They show off that sweet ass." Leigh was wearing cream colored trousers, a matching short sleeved blouse and sandals. Bill was wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, black trousers, a belt, socks and shoes.
They washed the dishes together and then they listened to the radio until twilight as Bill smoked a cigarette. A full moon was out. Bill and Leigh decided to take a walk on the beach.
Leigh brought an old blanket to spread out on the sand. Bill had a small picnic basket containing two wine glasses and a small bottle of champagne that was removed from the refrigerator before they walked down the path to the beach. There was enough champagne for each of them to have two glasses.
They held hands and strolled down the wooden walkway to the beach. A full moon was out and the beach, as far as they could see, was vacant. There was no need to carry a flashlight to navigate on the walkway or the beach. The bright moonlight allowed them to see without extra light.
Leigh felt the small box containing Bill's anniversary gift gently striking her left hip through the pocket in her linen trousers. She had the cream colored trouser legs rolled up to her shins to allow herself to easily walk in the sand or wade in the surf.
Two months before their trip, she and Bill were talking while they washed, dried and put away the supper dishes. Bill was talking about a friend with whom he worked.
"Gene was showin' me a present his wife gave him for his birthday. It was a sterlin' silver cigarette lighter. The place where Annie bought it did free engravin', an' she had his initials put on it. It looked real classy. Somethin' like that is probably real expensive."
Leigh took note of his statement, because Bill rarely spoke of material things. He was content to live modestly. Still, she knew him well enough to deduce that the lighter was something he would like to have.
The following day, during her lunch break, Leigh called Teresa at work and asked if the jewelry store had sterling silver cigarette lighters with free engraving.
Teresa told her that the store charged per letter for engraving, but she lowered her voice and told Leigh the name of the jewelry store that did free engraving. Leigh thanked her sister-in-law for her help.
Then, Leigh went to the jewelry store and purchased the lighter. She had Bill's initials on one side. The other side of the silver lighter had the date of their wedding and a message, "I love you."
The clerk placed the lighter in a box and wrapped it in heavy silver colored paper with a white ribbon. After work, when she got home, Leigh hid the gift in a box of tampons, knowing that Bill wouldn't look for a gift in that location.
Leigh sat beside Bill on the blanket, resting her head on his left shoulder. Guarnere had his arms wrapped around her.
"I talked with Maxine Andrews the other day before I left work. They have a new song called "Near You" that's about to be released and I adore it. She began to sing,
"There's just one place for me, near you.
It's like heaven to be near you.
Times when we're apart and I can't face my heart.
Say you'll never stay more than just two lips away.
If my hours could be spent near you.
I'd be more than content near you.
Make my life worthwhile by telling me that I'll spend the rest of my days near you."
"That's beautiful, Baby." He moved his right arm away from holding Leigh so he could get the gift wrapped package out of his right trouser pocket.
"Just so happens that I got a little somethin' for your anniversary present." Guarnere handed her the box.
She unwrapped the small box and lifted the lid, seeing a necklace.
"Honey, it's beautiful! What kind of jewels are on this?"
"Teresa said those are moonstones. I never heard of 'em, but I thought the necklace would look good on ya. The chain is gold. Do you like it, Sweetheart? I can exchange it for somethin' else an' my feelins won't be hurt."
"I love it! You shouldn't have spent so much money. Still, I'll have to admit that I'm glad you did. This necklace will remind me of this beautiful moonlit beach. Would you please put it on for me, Honey?"
"Baby, I wanted ya to have somethin' really nice. You've done so much for me. I wanna let you know I appreciate ya." The manager of the jewelry store allowed Bill to put the necklace on layaway. Bill felt proud that he could buy something nice for Leigh.
Guarnere took the necklace out of the box and kissed Leigh's neck before he carefully fastened the clasp of the necklace. He grinned at her slight shiver when his lips made contact with the soft skin on her neck.
"It looks real nice on ya. Teresa said I could get a gold plated necklace, but I wanted somethin' that would last a long time."
" You're really good at selecting the perfect gift for me." Guarnere smiled when he heard Leigh's comment about his gift selecting skills. She added, "Honey, I know you appreciate me. You've always been very sweet and appreciative."
Then, she removed the small box from her trouser pocket and handed it to him.
"I have something for you, too." Bill unwrapped the box. Lifting the lid, he had a big smile on his face when he saw the lighter. He took the lighter out of the box and saw his initials carved on the front.
"Oh, Baby! Is this sterlin' silver? It looks classy wit' my initials on the front. Thanks, Sweetheart! I never thought I'd have somethin' like this." Leigh was pleased that Bill liked his gift.
"Yes, it's sterling silver. There's something else written on the back of the lighter. Guarnere turned over the lighter, reading the inscriptions.
"You're somethin' else, Leigh. You got the happiest day o' my life put on there. I love you, too, Baby." Bill gave Leigh a passionate kiss. After the kiss ended, she cupped his face in her hands, telling him,
"It's the happiest day of my life, too. We had such a beautiful wedding,everything was perfect, including what you told me at the altar."
"I'll never forget how I felt when I saw ya in your weddin' dress. You looked like a real, live angel. Let's have a toast to our first year as husband an' wife." Bill got the bottle of chilled champagne out of the picnic basket and two wine glasses. He undid the wire around the cork, popped the cork and poured a small serving of champagne into each glass. Then, Bill raised his glass,
"To my sweet, gorgeous baby. Thanks for makin' this date the best day o' my life." Leigh smiled and raised her glass,
"To the love of my life. Thanks for making this date the happiest day of my life. Here's to at least 80 more anniversaries." They gently tapped their glasses together and sipped the champagne.
"This is the same brand of champagne you ordered when you proposed in Paris. I remember its delicious flavor. Where did you find it, Honey?"
"I bought it in that fancy department store. A guy at work told me they started carryin' champagne. I kinda remembered enough o' this stuff's name to tell Julia. Her friend found it in stock an' gave me a real nice discount. I'm glad ya like it, Baby. I wanted it to be somethin' special." Leigh finished the champagne in her glass.
"You're so thoughtful, Bill. This is another perfect night, just like the night you proposed. The weather is perfect and we're in a beautiful place." Guarnere felt pleased that she liked his surprise gift of the French champagne. He finished his serving and asked,
"Would ya like a little more o' this, Sweetheart?" Leigh agreed to another serving and Bill poured more champagne for both of them. They sipped their drinks and cuddled as they watched the waves break on the shore. Leigh was smiling as she recalled their wedding reception.
"More than anything, I will always remember the unbridled joy at our reception. I don't think it was just my imagination. It seemed that everyone there was genuinely celebrating our marriage.
"It wasn't your imagination, Baby. I noticed it, too. We had all that great food, good music and dancin'. I think everybody already knew how much we love each other, an' they were celebratin'. Ma told me the other day, when she saw us dancin' together at the weddin' reception, she told Pop that their prayers had been answered. That was a sweet thing for her to say."
"What Mama said was very sweet. I think part of the reason people were celebrating was because the outcome could have been much worse had you not been so tough and determined to live. I still thank God for allowing you to survive." Guarnere carefully placed his wine glass on the blanket, ensuring that it wouldn't spill.
He gently took the glass from Leigh's hand, carefully setting it down and he wrapped his arms around her. Bill tenderly kissed her.
"I married an angel, ain't no doubt about it. He's why I made it, an' you played a big part in gettin' me healthy again. I don't think I could ever do enough to pay ya back for everythin' ya done for me." He gave her a tender kiss that turned passionate. After the kiss ended, Leigh replied,
"Honey, you don't owe me anything. There's no need to pay me back. If you insist on paying me back, you can do it in the bedroom and you can pay me back with some sweet babies when we're ready to start a family. Think of how much fun we'd have taking the kids to play on this beach. We could have a picnic, swim, gather sea shells and make sand castles." Guarnere smiled, imagining playing with their children.
"That would be real nice, bringin' our kids here. I don't think I'll resell this house for a few years so we can enjoy it as a family. Baby, I like that idea o' payin' ya back in the bedroom. I'm always willing' to make love to my beautiful an' sexy angel."
"I'm tempted to wade in the ocean. Would you like to come with me?"
"I'm not tryin' to be your boss, but wadin' in the ocean at night ain't a good idea. I've always heard that the sharks get a little closer to the shore at night. I don't want nothin' bad happenin' to my angel." Leigh slightly shivered at the notion of being attacked by a shark.
"Thanks for telling me, Honey. I didn't know that. No wading at night for me. If I'm attacked or eaten, I want you to be the one attacking or 'eating' me, so to speak." Bill chuckled,
"You little fireball." They decided to go back to the house. Leigh folded up the blanket and carefully placed the champagne glasses and the champagne into the basket. Bill once again insisted upon carrying the blanket and basket. They walked hand in hand to the house.
Leigh decided to move two of the dining room chairs to the fenced in area outside their bedroom. While Bill used the bathroom, she decided to put the blanket on the ground, next to one of the chairs. She had a small surprise in mind for Bill.
Once his business was finished in the bathroom, Guarnere washed his hands and went into the kitchen. He offered to wash the champagne glasses and put them away. Leigh told him to let it go until the following day, but he insisted on taking care of the task.
"Honey, when you get finished, meet me in the yard outside our bedroom."
"Sounds like ya got somethin' planned, Baby." She winked before telling him,
"I have a little...entertainment planned for us."
Leigh took this moment to go to the bedroom and put on the black lace bra, the black lace bolero bed jacket, garter belt and stockings with which she surprised him in Paris. She also inserted her diaphragm and decided to forego wearing the see-through black silk panties, recalling how much Bill enjoyed seeing her with the black lace garter belt and the black silk stockings, minus the panties.
Then, she put on her black high heeled pumps, touched up her lipstick and brushed her hair. She opened the French doors, leaving them open for Bill. Leigh quickly spread the blanket on the ground.
She decided to stand by the edge of the blanket, ensuring that Bill would see her as soon as he walked through the French doors. The thought of making love outdoors fueled her passion. Leigh heard Bill walking down the hall.
"I got everythin' done an' I wanna see what ya got planned for us." He stepped through the open French doors and saw Leigh beneath the full moon. Guarnere froze in his tracks as an extremely wicked grin appeared on his face.
"Oh, Christ! You look so fuckin' gorgeous. I love that outfit." He looked again and noticed her panties were missing. Guarnere walked over, standing in front of her. He removed his shirt, letting it fall on the blanket.
"Baby, I love seein' that beautiful pussy. There's somethin' extra hot about bein' outside like this." He pulled Leigh close to him and they shared an extremely passionate kiss. She ran her fingers through his hair while Bill gently held her ass in his hands. He reluctantly broke the kiss and stretched out on the blanket.
"C'mon over here, an' lower yourself down so I can taste that sweet pussy." Leigh's legs shook slightly as she complied. She was aroused beyond reason and she remembered how good it felt the when they did this on their honeymoon in Columbus, Ohio.
Bill's tongue licked the lips of her sex as he worked his way up to her clit. Then, his lips surrounded her clit and he gently sucked on it. In a few minutes, Leigh shivered as she came. She did her best to keep quiet since she didn't know if anyone was walking on the beach. He continued making love to her with his lips and tongue as she rode out her climax.
Leigh moved to sit on the blanket. Bill sat up, pulling her close to him.
"Seems to me that you're still wearin' too many clothes, Sweetheart." He unfastened the black lace strapless bra, allowing it to fall on the blanket.
"That's better. I love to see all o' you." Guarnere caressed Leigh's breasts, giving special attention to her hard nipples, alternating between licking and sucking them. Leigh whispered into his ear,
"Your baby needs a good, hard fucking." Bill slightly groaned, hearing her reply. He helped her stand and then he got up to stand beside her.
"Ya know what that does to me, hearin' you say that. How 'bout you bend over an' hold on to that chair." Leigh quickly followed his advice. She was extremely wet and ready.
Bill stood behind her.
"Seein' your sweet ass in the moonlight is drivin' me crazy. You oughta be a nudist, at least around here. I don't wanna share my sexy angel wit' anybody else."
"I don't want anybody else to see me. I'm all yours, Honey." Bill unbuttoned his trousers and pushed them and his boxer shorts low enough so he could make love to her.
Guarnere guided himself into Leigh, groaning at the feel of her wet sex engulfing him.
"I love how you're always ready for me. Feels so damn good!"
Then, he gripped her hips and began thrusting slowly into her. Leigh backed up against him, urging him to go deeper and faster. She could help but moan as he filled her. This was her favorite position for love making.
Guarnere eagerly picked up the pace. He wanted to go slower and make it last longer, but speeding up felt so incredibly good. He had no desire to slow down.
Both Bill and Leigh got more vocal with their sounds of pleasure. Leigh shuddered as a small orgasm passed. Soon, a bigger orgasm built. In a few minutes, she cried out as it overtook her. Guarnere felt her contracting around his cock. His thrusting got deeper and slightly off rhythm. He had an explosive orgasm, calling out,
"Fuck, yes!" He withdrew from Leigh and sat in the empty chair, pulling her onto his lap. Bill held her close, kissing her.
"You're so damn good."
"Thanks, Honey. I have a very good teacher. You're amazing."
"Do ya think ya might go around naked out here again before we go home? I like makin' love outdoors." Leigh grinned,
"Oh, definitely! As long as I get results like this, I'd gladly strip in this area. How about trying this during the day?"
"I like the way you think, Baby. How 'bout we get cleaned up an' go to bed? We need to get that room kinda broken in later, if ya know what I mean."
"Great minds think alike, Honey. I'm all for it." Bill put on his boxer shorts and trousers. He picked up his shirt and Leigh's lingerie. She took the blanket inside. They both took a bath, not together since the bathtub wasn't big enough and went to bed. Leigh kept her promise and they had some erotic adventures outdoors in the sunlight.
On their way home to South Philadelphia, Bill chuckled,
"It's a good thing I ain't in the Army now. One o' the guys, probably Luz, would see me in the shower an' say somethin' about having' a sun tan on my ass." Leigh laughed,
"I'd have to explain my all over sun tan. No regrets, though. We need to go to the shore again before it gets too cold for outdoor activities."
"Baby, that all over tan is super sexy. Thanks for the sterlin' silver lighter. That's all I'm usin' from now on."
"You welcome, Bill. Thanks for this lovely necklace. These moonstones will also remind me of making love outdoors. Thanks for buying and renovating the house."
"I'm glad ya like it, Sweetheart. If I kept the house long enough, ya might be a nudist like the older lady who used to live there."
"Who would want to see an old, naked lady?"
"When I get old, I still wanna see you naked." They both laughed and then continued talking on the way home.
"How 'bout we get started on makin' a baby when we get home?"
"I like the sound of that idea, Bill. I'm ready to start our family." Both Bill and Leigh hoped that a baby would soon be on the way.
"Viva Las Vegas! Is Stardom in the Cards for Leigh?" "I Double Dare You-A Rendezvous With Destiny"
*Author's Note: Bill Guarnere enjoyed trips to Las Vegas where he had fun in the casinos. This information came from podcasts and interviews with his granddaughter.*
In February, 1946, Leigh got a call at the CBS radio station from Maxine Andrews. She was surprised when Maxine asked her to join her and the other Andrews Sisters for a few shows in the up and coming gambling mecca of Las Vegas.
Maxine explained that the sisters were performing at the Flamingo casino and resort on the same bill as Louis Prima. She told Leigh that all expenses would be paid by the manager of the popular trio.
Leigh happily accepted the offer of a two week vacation, providing that her and Bill's bosses would agree to their taking time off from work.
Since Bill had never taken his vacation time from his government job, he was cleared to go. Leigh's boss gave his approval quickly, knowing that the CBS affiliate would get publicity.
After leaving work one afternoon, Leigh decided to do a little shopping for the Las Vegas trip. She bought a light gray , long sleeved wiggle dress with pleats at the bottom of the back of the garment. It fastened in the back with a row of small scarlet buttons. The buttons began after a sharp 'v' in the upper back of the dress.
Then, she purchased some scarlet pumps and some scarlet gloves to accent her dress. Bill had bought a brooch for her that looked like a red rose on a slender gold stem and Leigh planned to wear it on the dress.
Leigh found an excellent bargain in the same downtown Philadelphia department store where Bill bought the red wiggle dress and the red satin bra, panty and garter belt set for their first Christmas as a married couple.
She bought a coat in the same shade of scarlet as the buttons on her dress. It had faux black and gray fur trim on the cuffs, the top and the bottom of the coat. It had been reduced to 50% off the ticket price and Leigh was delighted to pay $20 for the well made garment.
Later that day, after the supper dishes were washed, Leigh told Bill,
"Honey, I bought a dress and some new items for our trip. Will you let me know if you like them? I'll model them for you." Guarnere agreed to give his opinion on the dress and whatever else she bought.
Leigh went upstairs to their bedroom. She took the dress out of the bag from the department store. Then, she took off her day dress and put on the new dress and the new red pumps.
It was a little difficult for Leigh to button the dress, but she was able to get it fastened. She walked downstairs.
"Here's what it looks like from the front." Leigh then turned around to let Bill see the back of the dress.
"That dress is really doin' somethin' to me, Baby. It's almost as sexy as the black lace set ya bought in Paris" He walked over to stand behind Leigh and he embraced her, pulling her close to him as he kissed her neck.
Leigh could feel that Bill was becoming aroused and she moved her behind against him, prompting a faint groan from Guarnere. He nibbled her right earlobe, whispering,
"Baby, ya know what that does to me. You're beautiful all over an' that dress shows your sweet, sexy ass off to perfection. Do ya have a coat to go wit' this dress? I can't go through the train station like this."
She moved forward slightly, giving herself enough room to reach back and gently stroke Bill's hard cock through his trousers.
"You would certainly attract attention this way. Let me go upstairs and get the coat I bought and see if that helps. I bought this on sale with money from my check. Honey, I don't want you to think I'm spending your money foolishly."
"You don't have to explain, Baby. I know you wouldn't do anythin' like that. You're always very careful wit' money. If you want somethin' or if ya really need it, like a new coat, let me know. I'd like to spoil ya once in awhile."
"You're so sweet and understanding. Stay nice and hard for me until I get back."
"All I have to do is think o' you in that dress, Baby. I'll be ready for ya." Leigh went upstairs to their bedroom. She took her coat and her red gloves out of the bag from the department store and put on both items.
Before leaving the bedroom, Leigh quickly unfastened her garter belt, removed her panties and fastened the garter belt again. She placed her panties in the hamper.
Next, she went into the bathroom, removed her red gloves, inserted her diaphragm, washed her hands and put the gloves on. Leigh walked downstairs to find Bill in the same spot, patiently waiting for her.
She turned in a small circle, modeling the coat and gloves.
"You look like a movie star in that coat an' those gloves. Baby, you're a beautiful, classy lookin' woman. You're gonna turn some heads in that outfit."
"Thanks, Honey. The only head I want to turn is yours. Does the coat help your...condition?"
"It'll at least let me walk through the train station wit'out drawin' attention to myself. You really look like a million bucks in that outfit." Leigh carefully took off the coat and gloves, placing both items on the coffee table.
"I have a little surprise for you. If you're still in the mood, do you want to find out what it is? You'll have to unbutton those buttons in the back to see it." She winked at him.
Guarnere had a slightly wicked grin as he replied,
"I'm always in the mood where you're concerned, ya little fireball. If you turn around, I can get to work on those buttons." Bill kissed Leigh's neck again before he started to unbutton the top three buttons on the dress.
He saw that she was still wearing her bra, so he unbuttoned a few more buttons. Leigh ground her bottom against his hard cock, prompting a slightly louder groan from him.
Bill unbuttoned a few more of the scarlet buttons to reveal the top of her garter belt. He grinned, knowing that Leigh probably wasn't wearing panties. Then, he unfastened two more buttons and slid the dress down slowly to reveal her bare ass beneath the garter belt.
He slid the dress down her legs, asking her to step out of it. Leigh complied and Bill gathered up the dress, carefully folding it and placing it on the coffee table.
Guarnere cupped her ass in his hands. He nibbled her ear and whispered,
"You look so goddamned hot, Baby. I wish you'd go wit' out panties all the time. Let's take this upstairs. We don't want anybody payin' a surprise visit, catchin' us gettin' busy." He picked Leigh up and carried her to their bedroom.
He placed her on the bed and quickly disrobed. Leigh removed the bedspread, the top sheet and the pillows. Bill removed her bra and began gently sucking on her nipples.
Leigh ran her fingers through his hair, loving the feel of his lips. A few minutes later, she was on the verge of coming. Bill abandoned her breasts for a moment as he traced kisses down her torso, pausing to look at her.
"You wanna watch me, don't ya."
"Oh, yes, Honey. It makes everything more intense when I watch you licking and loving my...pussy."
Bill groaned softly,
"Goddamn! I love it when ya say that. Let me show ya how much I love it." He maintained eye contact with her as he gently sucked her clit between his lips. He alternated licking and sucking until her hips rose involuntarily.
"Oh God, Baby that's so good!"
He continued to look into her eyes as he worked two fingers into her warm interior.
"You're soakin' wet. That's my sweet angel." He broke eye contact for a moment to devote his attention once again to her clit. Leigh watched him and that quickly sent her over the edge. She called out his name as a glorious climax swept over her.
Bill never stopped, he helped Leigh ride out her orgasm. He was proud and happy to know how much he pleased her. Once she recovered, Leigh was trying to pull him up, wanting to continue their lovemaking.
"My baby's ready, ain't no doubt about it. Tell me what ya want, Sweetheart." He stayed still despite his need to get relief for his nearly aching cock.
Leigh arched her back, trying to get him inside her. She knew what Bill was doing and it further inflamed her desire.
"I want you to fuck me!"
"Oh, hell, yes!" He moved up as Leigh slightly closed her legs, making it easier for him to enter her. Bill easily slid his cock into her.
He thrust into her, saying,
I'm fuckin' the hottest...(he thrust into her again) the most beautiful...(he thrust into Leigh again) an' the sexiest woman in town." Leigh tried a technique that Julia told her about. She tightened her grip on him with her vagina, being sure to meet his every stroke.
Bill quickly picked up the pace as Leigh grasped his ass, pulling him into her. They kissed passionately until Leigh broke the kiss, calling his name.
He loved to hear her saying his name.
"You're so good at fuckin'! Bill circled his hips and they continued, going at a frantic pace. Leigh felt another orgasm building. When she contracted around Bill's cock as she came, his thrusting lost rhythm and he groaned as he came.
In the afterglow, Leigh lay in his arms. Guarnere ran his fingers through her hair.
"Baby, I don't know what ya were doin' inside, but it was hotter than the fires of hell."
"A woman I know told me how to do that. She said it drives her husband crazy."
"I'd like to thank her, 'cause I loved it. Not that I haven't enjoyed the way ya make love, you're perfect, Sweetheart." Leigh giggled.
"You can call and tell her any time. You already have her telephone number." Bill stopped running his fingers through Leigh's hair.
"Baby, please tell me it wasn't Ma who told ya how to do that." (He pronounced the word as 'dat') Bill was greatly relieved when Leigh assured him,
"It wasn't Mama, Honey."
"I don't have that many phone numbers for people except Maria an' Julia."
"It wasn't Maria."
"Holy God! It's Julia. Oh, hell, that's more than I ever wanted to know about her an' Sal. I'm glad she told ya, but, Jesus! Knowin' what my sister does in the bedroom, I could do wit'out that part." Leigh couldn't suppress her urge to laugh.
"Does this mean that you never want me to do this again?" Guarnere quickly answered,
"Oh, hell, no! I loved it. I'll just enjoy it an' try to not think about how ya learned it."
Bill and Leigh departed Philadelphia on a cold, snowy day for Las Vegas. The trip would take several days on the train. Leigh wore the new gray dress, the scarlet shoes, scarlet gloves and her new coat.
She and Bill were treated to a private sleeper room on the train, courtesy of the Andrews Sisters' manager. The room had a bed that could also serve as seats, should they decide to stay in the room.
They enjoyed the accommodations and discovered the experience of making love while traveling at about 60 miles per hour on the new diesel engine train.
Bill and Leigh enjoyed their suite at The Flamingo hotel and casino. This trip began their love of casinos and Las Vegas. While the temperature was cool, it was warmer than the weather in Philadelphia.
Leigh met with the woman in charge of the Andrews Sisters' costumes. She eagerly accepted the sisters' generous offer of a custom made dress for the show. The dress would be a sleeveless wiggle style dress made of red silk. Patty, Maxine and Laverne now wore cocktail type dresses for their concerts.
The night of the show, Bill had a corsage of a white rose edged in a thin gold colored stripe and tied with a thin gold metallic bow sent to Leigh by a courier.
Midway through the show, Leigh did a solo as the sisters took a break. She told the audience,
"My next song, " Ooh, Papa, Do," is dedicated to my husband, Bill Guarnere. Honey, would you please stand up?" A stage hand directed a small spotlight from the stage to illuminate the area where Guarnere was standing.He was wearing a white dress shirt, black trousers and black shoes. Bill smiled as the audience applauded.
She walked to a concert sized grand piano, sat down and started to play the introduction to the uptempo song. The band joined in and Leigh started to sing.
"I've got a man who loves me, I swear by the stars above. And every night, we dim the lights, he tells me of his love. When he kisses my cheek, all I can speak is 'Ooh, Papa do, Papa do.
He lets me know he needs me. This I do declare. This much I know, I love him so, I'll take him anywhere. When he says goodbye, all I can cry is 'Ooh, Papa, do, Papa do.'
"Ooh, Papa do, do the things you do. It sets my soul on fire. Ooh, Papa, do, I really go for you. You're my heart's desire.
When time comes for him to leave me, I stand with tears in my eyes. This much I know, I love him so, he's the man I idolize. And when he holds me near, all you can hear is, 'Ooh, Papa, do. Papa, do. Ooh, Papa, do. Papa do. Ooh, Papa do. Papa, do."
Bill enjoyed the slightly suggestive lyrics of the song. He thought,
"My baby is outdoin' the singin' she did in Paris. She's lookin' an' soundin' super hot."
The following day, Maxine Andrews called Leigh. Louis Prima's wife, Keeley Smith, had to have an emergency appendectomy. Prima wondered if Leigh would be interested in filling in for her. This would be his last show since he was taking time off to help Keeley after she got home from the hospital.
Andrews didn't have to wait for an answer. Leigh happily accepted the offer. Bill was delighted with the news and he promptly called Augusta to tell her the good news.
Since Leigh was a fan of Prima's music, she was familiar with the way he and his wife performed the songs on their record albums. She needed no coaching on how to perform. Keeley was known for being the 'straight man' to Louis' humorous interpretations of some of the songs.
Of course, Prima and Leigh rehearsed, but she effortlessly stepped into the new style of performing and singing. Lacey Davis and one of her friends decided to attend the Prima show.
Both women moved to Las Vegas in hopes of finding work as singers or chorus girls. Davis had yet another job as a receptionist. Her friend was still looking for work and they shared a small apartment on the outskirts of town.
Lacey wore a wiggle dress in emerald green with matching shoes. Davis's green eyes and red hair was accentuated by the color of her dress and shoes. Her roommate Angie Shane, a tall blonde, wore a cocktail dress made of blue taffeta. She wore matching blue shoes.
Before the show began, a man in a tuxedo walked onstage to tell the audience,
"Keeley Smith is in the hospital. She had to have her appendix removed. Fortunately, an extremely talented woman performing with the Andrews Sisters here at The Flamingo will fill in for her.
Leigh Guarnere, formerly known as The Songbird of the 506th, will appear with Louis Prima." Angie noticed the sour expression on Davis' face. Lacey felt her stomach clench as she heard the name of her perceived rival being announced. She cursed under her breath.
Then, she briefly filled Angie in on the backstory of how Leigh got everything Davis ever wanted, from their days as USO performers to the present time. Shane reserved judgment of Leigh since she was also a fan of her singing after she heard the Andrews Sisters' Paris concert on the radio.
Leigh had the audience alternately applauding and laughing throughout the show. Bill was wearing the charcoal gray suit tailor made by his father for his Christmas present from Leigh, a white dress shirt and black shoes. He had a beaming smile as he proudly watched her perform.
In the middle of the show, Prima told the audience that Leigh was "married to a paisano from South Philly who fought in the 101st Airborne. Ladies and gentlemen, please give a round of applause for this paratrooper who served our country." A spotlight shone on Guarnere as the audience applauded.
Lacey,a Rita Hayworth lookalike, told her friend,
"I will never understand what the hell a good looking guy like that sees in her." Angie correctly thought that she was jealous, bitter and petty, especially after she told her,
"He lost most of his right leg in the war. Crippled men do nothing for me, they're disgusting, but I'd overlook the lost leg for a roll in the hay with him." At the end of the show,after Leigh had a standing ovation with two encores, she started to walk to her dressing room. Louis Prima approached her.
"Kid, there's someone who wants to talk to you. He's waiting in my dressing room. Looks like you just made a big break in show business." Leigh thanked Prima, who walked with her to his dressing room. After she entered the room, Louis went to a pay phone to call the hospital to find out how his wife was faring after surgery.
A tall, thin man with gray hair, wearing a tuxedo, shook hands with Leigh, telling her,
"Mrs. Guarnere, my name is Martin Beckley. I'm a talent scout for Decca Records. Please, have a seat. I need to discuss some business with you that could change your life in a big way.
After hearing you with the Andrews Sisters in Paris, I wanted to sign you to the Decca label as a recording artist. Then, the Andrews Sisters told me about your husband being seriously injured in the war and I wanted to wait to offer you this opportunity until he was well again.
Louis Prima, the Andrews Sisters and I all agree that you have the talent to become a major singing star. I realize that this is very sudden, but I need you to think about signing a contract with Decca to be our next big recording star. You can think about this for a few days and we can meet here."
Leigh was stunned for a moment by the news. This was the realization of a dream she had for many years. She saw no sense in making Beckley wait for an answer, so she told him,
"Mr. Beckley, I appreciate this offer and I'm both honored and flattered by the fact that you and four professional vocalists think that I have the potential to become a star." He smiled, waiting for Leigh to continue speaking. A look of bewilderment replaced the smile on his face as she added,
"My husband and I are planning on starting a family. There's no way I could be a devoted and nurturing mother if I toured the country doing concerts and promoting my records.
Sir, my husband fully supports any decision I make regarding a singing career. It would be highly unfair to make him the sole parent of our child or children.
I love my husband very much and I intend to be a devoted wife, too. It might not make sense to you, and I know you don't make an offer like this without great consideration, but I'm very content to keep my life as it is right now. Thank you, Sir, but I need to turn down this offer. Knowing I'm good enough to be a star is completely satisfying."
Beckley could tell that Leigh was serious about refusing the recording contract.
"I respect your decision, Mrs. Guarnere. I can't help but feel that you're throwing away the opportunity to live a financially comfortable life. If you ever change your mind, please call the telephone number on this card." He paused to get one of his business cards from an inner pocket of his tuxedo jacket, handing it to her. Leigh thanked him for the card. Beckley added,
"If I'm not available, please let one of the Andrews Sisters know if you change your mind. Their manager could then contact me. I would be happy to help you book shows here in Las Vegas whenever you would like to perform. A voice like yours will never go out of style, no matter what type of music is popular. " He shook hands with her.
"I appreciate your offer to book me for concerts here in Las Vegas. That sounds like something I'd enjoy doing." Before she left to go to her dressing room, Beckley told her,
"If that's the case, I will keep in contact with the Andrews Sisters and Louis Prima. I'm certain that they would enjoy sharing a stage with you again ." Leigh then exited the room and walked down the hall to her dressing room.
Bill was sitting on a chair in her dressing room, patiently waiting. He noticed a strange expression on her face as she entered the room. By his estimation, Leigh appeared to be stunned.
"Baby, is everythin' OK? What goin' on?" She hugged him and pulled a chair close to where he was sitting and sat down.
"Bill, Louis Prima told me that someone was waiting to meet me in his dressing room. A producer from Decca Records, Mr. Beckley, was waiting for me. He's wanted me to sign a contract since the time of the Paris concert. All this time, he kept in touch with the Andrews Sisters and he wanted to wait until you were healed from your injury before he made me an offer." She paused, wondering how to phrase the rest of the news.
"Go ahead, Sweetheart, this sounds like somethin' big."
"Mr. Beckley said that he, Louis Prima and the Andrews Sisters all agree that I could be a recording star." Bill excitedly and loudly told her,
"Holy God! I knew you were gonna make it big! Baby, this is amazin' news! I gotta call Ma an' tell her ya signed a recordin' contract. My baby's gonna be a star!" Leigh took Bill's hands in hers,
"Wait a minute, Honey. Please listen to me before you call Mama. I didn't sign the contract." He looked puzzled,
"Leigh, what's goin' on? Your dream finally came true."
"That was my dream before we met. Remember when we discussed this in Paris? I haven't changed my mind. As I told Mr. Beckley, we're getting ready to start a family. I can't be a devoted mother if I'm on the road constantly doing concerts. I want to be there for the baby's first words, the first time he or she crawls, the first steps..." Bill cut in,
"Sweetheart, think about this. You're throwin' away a chance only a few singers get. You know I'm behind ya 100 percent. I'm willin' to do whatever it takes for ya."
"Honey, I know that and I appreciate your devotion. Babies need their mother, too. How can I bond with him or her if I'm not there? Chances are excellent that we would have to move, too.
I love our life in South Philadelphia. Everything we need is at home. Being a devoted wife and mother is more important to me than any recording contract. Not going to sleep and not waking up beside you would be unbearable. My mind is made up, Bill.
Mr. Beckley told me that I could do concerts here anytime and I like that idea." Bill realized that he couldn't change her mind. He put his arms around Leigh, pulling her close to him, giving her a passionate kiss. When the kiss ended, he tenderly cupped Leigh's face in his hands.
"Baby, you mean the world an' everythin' to me. Knowin' you gave up bein' a star to be a devoted wife to me an' a devoted ma to our kids makes me love ya to the moon an' back. How 'bout we start a family after our first anniversary?"
"I'm glad you understand, Bill, and you mean the world and everything to me, too. That's fine with me. I'm honored to be the future mother of your children. You're somethin' else." They kissed again and departed the room.
Midway down the hall, Leigh realized she left her purse in her dressing room. Bill needed to use the men's restroom, so they agreed to meet further down the hall.
After exiting the men's room, he waited for Leigh to return. Lacey Davis lied to a security guard about being a friend of Leigh's since their time as USO singers to gain access to the dressing room area behind the stage. She hoped to run into Bill. Lacey's eyes brightened and she smiled as she saw him standing in the hallway. He was surprised by her saying,
"Hello, Handsome. Remember me?" Bill slightly frowned.
"I remember ya."
"How about we slip off and have a drink together. We can get caught up on everything that's happened since the last time I saw you."
"No thanks. I'm waitin' for my wife. She forgot her purse." Lacey moved closer to him,
"Oh, come on, one little drink with an old friend won't hurt anything."
"No offense, but you ain't exactly what I'd call a friend." Lacey noticed Leigh coming out of her dressing room. She waited until Leigh was close enough to see her, then she put her arms around Bill as she gave him a passionate kiss.
Guarnere was angered by her behavior. He pushed Lacey away from him, taking care not to hurt her. He glared at her as he said,
"What the hell do ya think you're doin'? Like I told ya before,I love Leigh an' I'm a happily married man." Leigh heard Bill's replies and she told Davis,
"You're really pathetic, Lacey, throwing yourself at a man who obviously isn't interested in you." Davis sneered,
"Little Miss Perfect, God's gift to showbiz.Your hubby is too much of a gentleman to do anything in your presence. I bet I could change his mind if you weren't with him." Bill angrily asked,
"Who the hell do you think you are? You don't know me! I don't want anybody else, Leigh has my heart for eternity." Leigh added,
"As you can plainly see, my husband can think for himself. If you ever touch him again, you'll be wearing one of my stiletto heels up your ass." Bill couldn't help but grin when he heard her reply to Lacey. Davis ignored Leigh as she concentrated on another way to manipulate Guarnere. She thought,
"He's fiery and passionate. I like that." She couldn't understand why Bill wasn't receptive to her. Other men were, for the most part, easy to convince and seduce. Davis honed in on what she thought would appeal to Guarnere.
"You need an experienced woman who knows how to please a man. I can do things your little wifey doesn't know how to do. No doubt you were goody two shoes' first lover." Bill turned away from her, putting his arm around Leigh's shoulders. Before walking away, he gave Davis a verbal parting shot.
"My baby is perfect at makin' love. Nobody could please me more than Leigh. The Army had trainin' movies about broads like you. They said avoid 'em 'cause those broads had so many men, a guy could get the clap or syphillis." Leigh laughed at Bill's words and the stunned expression on Lacey's face. She decided to add a parting comment,
"Lacey, Bill is absolutely dynamic and highly skilled in bed. Of course, you'll never have that experience with him." Davis's face turned red with anger and she stalked away from the Guarneres. Bill burst into loud laughter. He told Leigh,
"That's tellin' her, Baby. Thanks for complimentin' me."
"You did an excellent job telling her off, too, Bill. Thanks for your rave review about me, too."
She and Bill laughed as they headed for their suite in the hotel. Two days later, they started their trip home.
While Bill and Leigh were on the train to Philadelphia, they were unaware of an article in the top entertainment publication, Variety. Beckley immediately contacted a reporter and told him about a woman who turned down a chance to be a recording star in favor of being a devoted wife and mother.
Lacey Davis spotted the story as she read the publication. She angrily threw it in the trash, thinking to herself,
"What's wrong with that stupid bitch? She threw away the chance of a lifetime! I would literally kill to have a recording contract. It makes me sick that a big time guy like Beckley thinks she's star material. If I could get an audition with Louis Prima, he would see that I'm just as good as she is."
Lacey forced herself to snap out of her musing about Leigh as she boarded a city transit bus to get to her audition.
The elder Guarneres and the Spencers were happily surprised to learn about the offer of a recording contract to Leigh. They weren't surprised at her decision and both couples were looking forward to becoming grandparents.
A Vignette from "I Double Dare You-A Rendezvous With Destiny"
*Author's Note: This is a sneak preview of a future chapter. *
When Billy entered parochial school, he came home from kindergarten and excitedly told Leigh,
"Ma, Sister Mary Margaret wants me to be one of the three Wise Guys in the Christmas program!" Leigh hugged him,
"That's wonderful, Billy!" She controlled her urge to laugh, not wanting to hurt Billy's feelings. When he went upstairs to play, she called Augusta Guarnere, telling her Billy's comment. Both women had a good laugh. When Bill got home, Billy gave him the good news. Guarnere chuckled,
"I ain't laughin' at ya, Billy. You said somethin' cute." Bill and Leigh thought that their son went upstairs to play and was out of ear shot.
"Baby, just imagine him sayin' his lines like James Cagney or Edward G. Robinson, the best wise guys in the movies." He launched into an impersonation of the actors, making Leigh giggle.
The night of the Christmas program arrived. Most of the Guarnere family and the Spencers were in the audience. Billy had two lines,
"We're the Three Wise Men. We have gifts for baby Jesus." The time came for Billy to deliver his dialogue and he proudly said, in a voice like Edward G. Robinson, bringing down the house,
"We're the Three Wise Guys. We have gifts for baby Jesus." The audience laughed and applauded. All Leigh and Bill could do was laugh. After the show, they apologized to the teaching nun and they convinced Billy to apologize, too. She accepted their apologies. Both sets of grandparents were still proud of him. Aunt Julia hugged Billy,
"Kiddo, that's the best Christmas show I ever saw."
A few days after the program, Leigh was cooking supper. Angelina was sitting in her high chair in the kitchen. The song, "Hold Tight" performed by the Andrews Sisters was playing on the radio. Leigh was singing. When she got to the verse,
"I'm as happy as can be when the seafood comes to me. Yadda da, yadda da, yadda da," Angelina spoke the lyrics,
"Yadda da, yadda da, yadda da."
After the song ended, Leigh decided to sing the lyrics again to see if she would repeat them. A big smile appeared on her face as Angelina spoke the lyrics again. When Bill got home from work, Leigh told him,
"I hope Angelina will do this. She learned something new today." Guarnere had a radiant smile as he heard his daughter repeating the lyrics to the song.
"Won't be long until this little angel is singin' like her ma." He hugged Angelina and kissed her cheek.
Angelina wouldn't always perform on demand and she showed a very determined and stubborn nature on occasion. Both Cal and Louise told Bill and Leigh,
"We've seen this behavior before. This little girl acts just like her mother when she was her age. The stubborn streak may remain." Guarnere told his in-laws,
"I can live wit' that. I love her ma an' that stubborn streak don't bother me. If Angelina wants to sing, that's OK an' if she doesn't, that's OK, too. I love my life an' I wouldn't change a thing."
Angelina got a round of applause at her Nonno and Nonna Guarnere's house when she repeated the "Yadda da. yadda da, yadda da" lyrics during the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
Leigh and her sisters-in-law were helping Augusta bring in various platters of food. Billy looked at Leigh. He innocently thought that he was giving her a compliment when he said,
"Pop likes that dress. He says it makes your ass look nice." Everyone burst out laughing. Leigh told her son that she knew he meant well, but his comment was inappropriate. She hugged and kissed him, saying,
"You're not in trouble, Billy. I was hoping that you would be like your pop. You're a smaller version of him." Bill commented,
"There's never a dull moment wit' my family, an' I love it!"
Training was over for the day on a Friday in May, 1943. The men of Easy Company were looking forward to having a much needed break the following day.
Since the men knew in advance about their day off, Leigh planned a picnic for herself and Bill. She made sandwiches from homemade Italian sausage and homemade bread. She found some onions and garlic in the farmers' market in the village that would be cooked with the sausage.
Bill bought a good, relatively inexpensive bottle of red wine from Andrew Herriott, the owner and bartender of The Blue Boar. Leigh improvised a primitive type of antipasto from vegetables and some ham that was sold in the farmers' market. She also had a few apples and some freshly baked pizzelles.
One month before the picnic, American servicemen stationed in the Aldebourne area, the girls they dated and a few residents of the village became concerned about a peeping tom.
A soldier from Dog Company and his date thought that someone was spying on them. One week later, the same thing happened to a soldier from Charlie Company and his date. Both couples had been enjoying each other's company in a secluded pasture on a country lane.
On both occasions, when the men looked around the pasture, there was no sign of a peeping tom. The young women refused to go out with the soldiers again until the peeping tom was apprehended. The servicemen who had to wait until the suspect was nabbed by the village constable were extremely eager for this person to be caught.
Two local sisters, the Taylors, sold their parents' farm after the deaths of their mother and father. They moved into a stone cottage not far from Leigh's and Melissa's house in the village. Both women were in their early 30s and were attractive and shapely with brown hair and blue eyes.
One evening, as the eldest sister, Jean, was locking the front door, getting ready to go to bed, her younger sister, Ava, was in her downstairs bedroom. Ava preferred to sleep with the window open for fresh air. She kept the blind pulled halfway down the window for privacy.
Standing with her back to the window, Ava removed her clothing and put on a nightgown. She was planning to put her clothes into a hamper that was close to her bed when she heard the sound of footsteps outside her window.
Ava thought that someone was walking home from one of the pubs and thought nothing of the incident. She placed the clothes in the hamper and was on her way to turning off the light in her room when she froze in her tracks.
The sound of heavy breathing was unmistakable and it seemed to be outside her window. Ava went to a closet and got out her father's shotgun, sticking the barrel out of the open window. She startled Jean by shouting,
"Get away from here, you pervert or I'll shoot your bollocks (balls) off!" The sound of heavy footsteps walking away relieved Ava. Jean came into her room, asking,
"Did you see who it was? Are you OK?" Jean learned that Ava didn't see the heavy breather and that she was unharmed.She told her younger sister,
"Good job you have Father's gun and you know how to use it. I don't think we need to worry about being bothered again. Even if this peeping tom isn't in his right mind, he isn't mad (crazy) enough to risk losing his bollocks." Jean went to her bedroom and both women were soon asleep.
Early the next evening when Bill arrived for supper, Jean introduced herself and said that she was coming to speak to Leigh. Guarnere opened the door for her, telling Leigh,
"Sweetheart, Miss Taylor, the lady from next door want to talk wit'ya." Leigh welcomed Jean into the house and asked her to have a seat in the living room. She offered her visitor a cup of tea and Jean accepted it. After Leigh made the tea and brought in a tray with cups, milk, the tea pot, and napkins, she served her guest, herself and Bill some tea. She told her neighbor,
"I'm sorry that I don't have lemon slices and sugar. Lemons are hard to find and sugar rationing is taking its toll." Taylor smiled, commenting,
"It's fine. We've the same situation at our house and we're all doing our bit for the war effort." She took her tea with a small amount of milk. Guarnere and Spencer preferred their tea without milk.
Jean told Bill and Leigh about her sister's experience with the peeping tom and asked the couple if they had heard or seen anything the previous evening.
Both Guarnere and Spencer said that they noticed nothing out of the ordinary. Leigh told Jean,
"We were listening to the radio. Sorry, the wireless, and the blinds were down, so we didn't see anything." Then, Jean laughed, telling them what her sister said to the stranger outside her window. Leigh laughed and Bill asked,
"No disrespect intended, but what are ya callin' 'bollocks'" Jean slightly blushed,
"It's male anatomy, two, erm...items." Bill laughed as he realized what Jean meant.
"I'm not laughin' at ya, Miss Taylor, I never heard 'em called that name before. You ladies ain't got nothin' to worry about. A man doesn't wanna lose important parts like that."
"That's what I told my sister."
"I'll keep an eye on your place. If you ladies ever need help, just call Leigh an' I'll be glad to help ya." Spencer wrote down the telephone number and handed it to Jean. She thanked Bill and Leigh, then left while she could still have enough light to feel safe walking outside. Guarnere offered to walk her home if she was scared, but Jean assured him that she was fine.
The following day, news of the heavy breathing outside the neighbor's window made its way through the village. Colonel Sink decided to send a few servicemen to help patrol the village with the constable. The soldiers who were denied recreation with their girlfriends until the peeping tom was caught eagerly volunteered.
One month later, the colonel decided to discontinue the servicemen's patrolling of the village. The constable and Sink thought that the peeping tom was discouraged from his activities due to the inclusion of soldiers who were being trained to fight in the war.
The following weekend, one soldier and his girlfriend were sitting under a tree near a rural property lined by a fence and some trees. While the couple began to remove a few items of each other's clothing, the young woman heard someone walking near the fence line that was obscured by trees.
She looked up and was startled to see a shock of red hair. Then, she noticed brown eyes gazing back at her. She screamed and her boyfriend immediately put on his uniform shirt. He told her,
"Stay here, I'm gonna teach this guy a lesson he won't forget." As the young woman buttoned her blouse and tucked it into her skirt, the soldier walked toward the fence, loudly saying,
"Clear out of here, buddy, or you're asking for trouble." He heard the sound of someone walking away from the fence line. By the time the soldier climbed over the fence, there was no sign of the peeping tom, only cattle standing in the field.
His girlfriend was in no mood to return to their previous activities and she insisted upon going home. As they walked to the village she said,
"He must have been very short because his eyes looked to be at the level of a child." Her boyfriend replied,
"He was probably bending over to peer through the leaves." Word soon spread throughout the area that the mysterious "peeper," the name given by the residents of the village, was a "ginger" (red hair), having unkempt, long hair and brown eyes.
On the day of the picnic, Leigh packed the food into a large basket along with cloth napkins, two plates, two wine glasses and a medium sized blanket. She wore a red day dress, along with the usual undergarments, stockings and a pair of low heeled black pumps commonly called 'flats.'
Spencer brushed her hair, touched up her make up and reapplied her red lipstick. Bill soon arrived with the bottle of red wine. He insisted on carrying the large picnic basket. They left the cottage and held hands as they walked on a road leading from the village to a secluded country lane.
Neither Bill nor Leigh had been in this area before. She told him that the lane reminded her of home.
"If this is where ya wanna have the picnic, Sweetheart, it's fine wit' me. Let's look for a nice, quiet spot in case we wanna get up to somethin' later."
"In case we want to get up to somethin'? Are you falling out of love with me already, Sergeant Guarnere?" Bill noticed the impish twinkle in her eyes and he grinned.
"Ain't no danger o' that happenin', Baby. You got my heart for eternity. I love seein' ya in red. You look good enough to eat."
"Is that a promise? " she slightly blushed before adding, "I mean the part about 'eating.'" Guarnere had a wicked grin as he said,
"Oh, I guarantee it. You ain't the only one enjoyin' it. You taste so damn good!"
"Bill, not so loud, a farmer might be working close by."
"I'm tellin' the truth. 'course I don't wanna encourage somebody to watch us. Sorry 'bout that. I'll try to keep it down so everybody don't know our business."
"Thanks, Honey. You're very good at that...you know what I mean."
"You bet I know!" She laughed,
"Smart ass." They walked past a small house with a gate surrounding it. After passing the house, they went around a curve in the lane and found an ideal spot for the picnic and privacy.
An isolated pasture with three large trees was a short walk from the road. The pasture was lined on three sides of its perimeter by trees instead of fences.
Someone must have owned the pasture because the grass wasn't tall and choked with weeds. Bill looked around to see if there was a farm house tucked away within sight of the pasture.
He didn't see a house close by and he decided that this area had enough privacy for a picnic and some erotic activity. Bill and Leigh walked toward the trees in the center of the pasture.
They decided to sit under a large oak tree that was flanked by two other oak trees. A gentle breeze was blowing and they sat in the shade after they spread the blanket on the ground.
Leigh unpacked the picnic basket, setting out the food, plates, silverware, napkins and two wine glasses. Bill got the bottle opener and the bottle of red wine out of the basket. He opened the wine bottle and poured some wine in each glass.
Then he grinned as he noticed the sandwiches.
"Homemade bread an' homemade Italian sausage. It smells great! You're one hell of a good cook." He stopped himself from saying what he thought, "You'll be a perfect wife, Sweetheart" Bill didn't think it was the right time to propose to Leigh. Although he was fairly sure that she would agree to marry him, he thought it best to wait and find out how she really felt about marriage.
Leigh got out a dish with a small lid and opened it,
"I made a kind of makeshift antipasto from your mom's recipe. I hope it turned out OK."
Guarnere got a fork and put some of the antipasto on his plate. He sampled it.
"This reminds me o' Ma's cookin'. You done a good job wit' this, Baby." Leigh was pleased that he liked the side dish. They enjoyed the sandwiches and they casually talked while they ate their lunch.
Leigh got out a small box and opened it.
"How about a few pizzelles, Honey? I feel guilty about lying to our neighbor about no sugar due to rationing, but I wanted you to have some pizzelles. If you don't feel like having cookies I brought apples, too." Bill got two cookies out of the box,
"Well, ya did ration it. Don't worry about it, Sweetheart. I know ya don't go around lyin' about everythin'. Thanks for makin' the cookies for me. You're spoilin' me, Sweetheart. Ya shouldn't have gone to so much trouble."
"It was no trouble at all. I like to make your favorite dishes." She laughed at Bill sneaking another cookie out of the box.
"Eat as much as you want. I won't slap your hand if you want another cookie."
"I gotta keep my cookie swipin' in good shape for when we get back home. It's kind of a joke wit' me an' Ma. When I was a kid, she wanted to make sure everybody got equal amounts o' food.
Pizzelles have always been my favorite. I'd eat two of 'em real fast. When Ma wasn't lookin', I'd swipe a few more. One time, when I was real little, Maria an' Teresa watched me me to keep me from gettin' into the cookies.
I started cryin' 'cause I wanted another cookie. They felt sorry for me, an' they said,
'Oh, the poor baby! He must be hungry.' Then they each gave me half a pizzelle. I made out like a bandit an' I showed those dirty (he pronounced the word as 'doity') rats. I was smart, like a fox." Leigh giggled at the story.
"How many times did that work for you?"
"Just a couple o'times. Ma got a real kick out o'it, so I didn't get in trouble." He noticed that her glass was empty.
"Would ya like a little more o' the wine?"
"Yes, just a little bit. It's really good."
"The guy at The Blue Boar said this was a nice red wine. It ain't bad. I think I'll have a little more, too." Guarnere poured the wine. He leaned back against the tree. Leigh moved back to sit with him and Bill put his arm around her shoulders.
They sipped the wine and relaxed, enjoying the sunshine and the peaceful pasture. When they finished the wine, Bill decided to recline on the blanket. He rested his head on Leigh's lap.
She stroked his hair and had her arms around him. Guarnere reached up and gently pulled her close for a kiss. The kiss quickly deepened and he sucked the tip of her tongue into his mouth.
Bill reluctantly broke off the kiss,
"Stretch out beside me, Baby. It'll be easier than bendin' down to kiss me. He moved aside and Leigh lay beside him. Guarnere put his arms around her and the kissing resumed.
They enjoyed the slow, sensual kisses. Leigh sighed into Bill's mouth as his tongue explored her mouth.
Guarnere moved his hands down to Spencer's hips, pulling her as close to him as possible. He paused to kiss her eyelids, then he gently nipped at her ear before kissing her neck.
Bill loved the little gasp from Leigh when his lips touched the soft skin on her neck. He unbuttoned the top button of her day dress, kissing every inch of exposed skin as he unbuttoned the next button on her dress.
Leigh was caressing Bill's back, loving the feeling of his lips on her skin.
"If you keep this up, I'll be tempted to strip off everything and ask you to make love to me. We've never done it outdoors." Guarnere found the idea extremely arousing.
"I love the way you're kinda wild. Sweetheart, I don't wanna disappoint ya, but I didn't bring anything' wit' me for protection, 'cause I wasn't sure if ya would wanna make love outdoors."
"You're not disappointing me, Bill. I'm sure we can think of something. How about I do what you promised to do for me? I enjoy it, and I need to practice so I can be good at pleasing you that way."
"Only if ya really wanna do it, Baby. I don't want ya to think ya have to do that."
"I love all of you, and you taste pretty damned good, too."
"Then, I'm all yours. Do whatever ya want wit' me. Seems like I was gettin' ready to do somethin'..." He moved down and started to slowly trail kisses up Leigh's leg, moving her dress up a little.
Bill repeated the same actions on her other leg and Leigh felt herself becoming wet. She moved her dress up above her knees.
"Looks like my angel is tellin' me to move a little faster." He chuckled before kissing his way to her thigh. Leigh opened her legs slightly to accommodate him. Bill lowered his voice for only Leigh to hear,
"I think my beautiful baby is already nice an' wet. I'm gonna enjoy takin' those panties off so I can taste you." He moved her dress up further and licked the silk fabric between her legs.
" Baby, you taste good!" Bill sucked her silk covered clit.
"Oh, my God! That feels wonderful." Guarnere continued sucking her clit. A few minutes later, Leigh came. Bill enjoyed her sounds of passion. He began to remove her panties.
Suddenly, she heard the sounds of heavy footsteps near the line of trees in front of them. Keeping her voice down, she told him,
"Somebody is on the other side of those trees." Bill turned away, to rearrange himself in his trousers to hide the sign of his arousal and swore under his breath. Leigh quickly pulled her dress down to cover herself.
"Where did ya hear the noise, Baby?" She pointed to the trees closest to them. Bill looked in the direction she was pointing, keeping his voice low as he told her,
"I don't wanna scare ya, but I see some brown eyes an' red hair. That guy almost has hair in his eyes. He must be a nut. No wonder he's watchin', no girl would go out wit' somebody lookin' that bad. I know one thing, his peepin' days are over!"
He got up and quietly approached the area where the peeping tom stood. Leigh followed behind him, not feeling afraid since Bill was with her. She was angry that the peeper spied on them and she was ready to give him a piece of her mind.
Bill used a type of hand signal that was becoming second nature to him. He had his right hand, palm down, pushing in a downward motion.
"What does that mean?"
"It means stand down, stay back. Sorry, Baby, we've been learnin' all sorts o' hand signals lately." All at once, a large tongue appeared from behind a branch. Bill replied,
"What the hell...?" Leigh started laughing,
"It's a cow!"
She moved a small branch and revealed the face of a bovine absorbed in eating a few leaves. Leigh quickly looked down, wanting to see the underside of the animal so she would know if it was a cow or a bull. Bill told her,
"I see horns on that thing. It's a bull. I may be from the city, but I know bulls are dangerous. We gotta get movin'!"
"Cows can have horns, too. I looked at its undercarriage, so to speak, and I saw udders. You're right, bulls aren't something to mess with. If I'd seen something else, I would've kicked off these shoes so I could run faster and told you to run like hell." She looked at the cow, still munching on leaves,
"I wonder if this is the local peeper. Think about it, the cow has shaggy red hair and brown eyes. It walks with a sort of heavy step and sometimes cows sound as if they're doing some heavy breathing."
"You might be on to somethin', Sweetheart. It makes sense. No wonder nobody saw the guy when they went lookin' for him. A cow standin' in a field ain't an unusual sight around here. How can we prove what you said?" Leigh thought about a solution and carefully went through the branches to get closer to the cow.
"This always worked when one of my grandpa's cows got out of the fenced in pasture or if he was trying to get the cows into the barn to milk them." She gently swatted the cow's rump, telling it,
"Go home!" The cow turned around and started walking away. Leigh followed it,
"Don't worry about the basket and the blanket, we can get it later. Let's follow the cow home and we can talk to the farmer. Once you're in this pasture, remember to look down frequently or you could have fresh cow pie on your boots.
Cows 'go' whenever and wherever the notion strikes them, and there might be several smelly 'land mines' scattered around." Bill chuckled, thanking Leigh for her tip.
"I learned somethin' new today. Too bad we never had the chance to get Sobel in this field an' not tell him about those land mines. It would have been funny as hell to see his boots covered in cow shit." He took Leigh's hand as they walked across the pasture.
As they strolled toward the barn, Bill noticed a man who appeared to be in his late 60s walking toward the cow. The tall, slightly heavy set man was bald with a fringe of white hair and blue eyes. He wore sturdy boots, well worn brown trousers, suspenders and a light brown shirt rolled up to expose his sun tanned arms. Both Bill and Leigh heard the man say,
"So there you are, Delilah. I see you broke out of the barnyard again. I've half a mind to sell you next market day." He noticed the American soldier and presumably his girlfriend approaching him, asking,
"Young man, are you and your young lady lost?" Guarnere smiled,
"Sir, my name is Bill Guarnere, Sergeant Guarnere, an' this is my girl, Leigh Spencer. No, Sir, we ain't lost." The man introduced himself to the couple,
"My name is James Alderson and this is my farm. If you don't mind my asking, why are you following my cow?" Leigh grinned,
"This will sound as if I'm crazy. Have you heard about the local peeping tom? I have reason to believe that your cow could be the 'peeper'." Alderson looked a bit puzzled,
'Yes, I know about the peeper. Why do you think Delilah is the perpetrator?"
"Mr. Alderson, as you know, the peeper is supposed to have unruly red hair and brown eyes. Delilah wasn't in your pasture when she made her presence known during the picnic we were having.
The peeping tom is supposed to have a heavy footed walk and is also known for heavy breathing. I grew up in a rural area of Ohio and I'm familiar with cattle. I'm guessing the heavy breathing is Delilah sort of snorting, for lack of a better word.
Does she have a habit of getting out of your pasture?" Alderson considered what she told him, then he started to chuckle. The chuckle grew into loud laughter as he said,
"I never dreamed that my cow would cause havoc in the village." He laughed again, "She flummoxed the constable. He couldn't find a man and even got some of you Yank soldiers to help find the elusive peeper." He opened a gate to the barnyard and Delilah walked in, heading for some food in the barn. Before the cow got past him, Alderson patted her back and chuckled,
"You made quite a stir." Then, he answered Leigh's question, "Yes, Delilah has a bad habit of getting out of the fenced in area near the barn. She likes an occasional stroll in the village, too." Spencer asked,
"There were no peeping tom reports for a month, did you find a way to keep her at home?"
"I kept Delilah in the barn during that time. It seemed the perfect solution to her escaping, but she was unhappy. She didn't eat as much as she normally did. I rang (called) a veterinarian, thinking she was ill.
He said that she was depressed, not physically ill. I never realized that cows could feel depressed. The doctor also told me that she's getting out because she's looking for companionship. Delilah should be very happy next week, I'm getting her bred with a bull who lives down the road." Bill made Leigh blush a bit when he asked Alderson,
"In other words, Sir, are ya sayin' that she's lookin' for some action? I know I'm happier..." he noticed that Leigh was blushing and decided to leave well enough alone, adding, "Never mind, Sir, I'm talkin' too much." Alderson tried to suppress a grin as he figured out why Spencer was embarrassed.
"Yes, that's another way of saying the same thing. No harm done, Sergeant Guarnere. If you or your young lady see Delilah again, just send her home. I'm going into the village to speak with the constable and clear up this peeper situation.
Would you and your young lady like a lift into town? My vehicle isn't working at the moment, so I'm taking my horse and wagon." Both Guarnere and Spencer thanked Alderson, declining the ride back to the village. Bill replied,
"We appreciate ya offerin' to take us into town, but we need to get the picnic basket an' some other stuff. It ain't that much of a walk." Alderson excused himself in order to go to the barn and get the wagon and horses ready for the trip into the village.
Bill and Leigh left the farm and went back to retrieve their items from the picnic before they walked back to the house Leigh shared with Melissa. Residents of the village were relieved to learn that the peeper situation was over and they were amused to learn that a cow straying from her pasture was their suspect. Leigh was jokingly called "Sherlock Holmes" and "Cowgirl" by George Luz since she figured out the identity of the peeping tom.
After Bill and Leigh finished reminiscing about the peeper, Bill told Leigh,
"I had another run in wit' a cow in Normandy. The krauts shot a cow on some guy's farm. We were hungry an' a guy from C Company was fightin' wit' us. He got separated from his unit an' he tagged along until he caught up wit' 'em again.
This kid grew up on a farm an' he said we could eat some fresh beef instead o' those lousy rations. He told us that he would dress the cow an' then we could start cookin' the meat.
I didn't know he was talking' about cuttin' up the carcass for meat. I thought he was nuts an' he was gonna try to put a dress on the cow." Leigh laughed,
"Was the meat good?"
"It was real good, but we had to be careful eatin' because there was a lot o' shrapnel in it. We cooked it over a fire we built. I wonder if that guy got back home?"
"I hope he got back. I'm glad you got home, you're somethin' else, Honey. Even if you did tell Mr. Alderson that we were sleeping together." Guarnere smirked,
"Are ya telling' me you don't feel happier after gettin' up to somethin'?"
"Of course I feel happier, you adorable smart ass!" Bill winked at her,
"That's my baby!"
*Author's note: The story of the cow in Normandy came from Bill's and Babe's book. I paraphrased the story. The story about Bill's older brother and sisters giving him extra cookies is true. I changed it from doughnuts to cookies. The quotes about "Oh, the poor baby" and "Smart like a fox also came from his book.*
