Wedding Anniversary on the Beach
*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.*
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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.