Chapter 36
Jake went through the door and forty people yelled 'Happy Birthday!' in unison. Melissa was first in line waiting for him at the door. The guests at this birthday gathering were the character list for his second life. Jake was thrilled that all the people who meant so much to him were at his party. Katie and Rebecca kissed his cheek and headed over to see Vickie and Bill Greer. With Melissa on his arm, Jake went around the room greeting every single person. The Robinsons were talking to Coach Nelson as they stood by a bar set up in the corner. Jake shook the hand of his old workmate. Rafe and Janet looked good; management seemed to agree with them. They had transformed the TFA Superstore warehouse and delivery operation into a model of efficiency. The Robinsons' son Ray was telling football coach Brian Nelson about the scholarship offers he had received. Brian was trying to steer Ray towards Florida State, his alma mater. The next group Jake walked up to was the Sorensons; Jack and Teresa were talking to Sara Douglas and her aunt, Liz Moran. Jack Sorenson shook his hand and the each woman gave him a birthday kiss on the cheek.
Sven and Helga were talking to Maria and Barry Miller, Maria's daughter Marisa was with them. Marisa looked all grown up and she appeared comfortable with Barry as her mom's new beau. Jake shook hands with the men and kissed the women, Marisa kissed him back and shot her tongue into his mouth briefly. Jake smiled at her and patted her righteous ass.
"I will want another of those later," he whispered.
"I just happen to have a few more for you," Marisa replied audaciously.
Helen, Diane Phillips, and Carol Hughes were sitting on the couch chatting; Carol Hughes was fitting right in. Her husband, Darren, was deep in some scientific discussion with Carl McClelland while Charles politely listened to them pontificate about nano-seconds and near light speed travel. The men greeted Jake with slaps on the back and lame jokes about him finally being legal. Jake leaned down and kissed Helen on the cheek, then did the same for the other two women. Finally, he greeted the Greers, Victoria was wearing a maternity outfit; she, Katie, and Rebecca were talking baby this and baby that. Bill was holding his wife's arm, smiling indulgently. "What a wonder," thought Jake, "that none of the men ever show any hint of envy or jealousy toward me."
Jake walked out of the formal living room towards the sound of rock and roll emanating from the family room. The real party was just beginning in the large open room adjoining the kitchen. All the furniture had been moved back against the walls to make a dance floor. The lights were dimmed as Debbie's stereo was pumping out Carley Simon. The French doors to the pool deck were open to the cool night; couples were dancing or lounging around. A cheer went up when Jake walked in. Jake went around the room the same as he had with the adults.
Jake said hello to Brad Simmons; Brad was the only athlete from the football team playing baseball besides Jake. Brad was sitting next to Beth Owens, being very attentive. Erik and Erika were talking to Marty Sterling and her roommate Tina; Jake was going to have to ask for Tina's family name. Erik gave Jake a backbreaking hug then Erika gave him a steamy kiss. Marty stuck out her hand; Jake grabbed it, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her on the lips. She looked nonplussed but did not jerk away from him. Jake swept up Tina for a kiss also; unlike Marty, she kissed him back. Scott Hughes and Jake's sister Debbie were lining up music for the evening with Cindy and Laurie helping them. Jake gave Debbie an affectionate hug and shook Scott's hand. Cindy and Laurie both tried to outdo each other in the kiss they gave Jake. His tonsils were thoroughly palpated by the time the palpitating Laurie let him go.
Jake was surprised to see Dr. Christopher Douglas there with the teens. Dr. Douglas was in an animated conversation with Faith and Hope Phillips. The twins had pigeonholed the doctor peppering him with stereo questions about getting into medical school. Jake shook Christopher's hand and the doctor excused himself to join the other adults. Faith and Hope gave him little kisses and big hugs. Faith whispered that she and her sister were waiting for bigger kisses later. Jake walked outside while Melissa continued talking to the twins. Angie and Tyler were sitting together on one of the pool deck loungers. Jake was touched that Tyler had flown down for his party although he suspected Tyler had used his birthday as a great excuse to see Angie. The couple stood up, Angie gave Jake a sweet kiss on the cheek, and Tyler shook his hand.
Melissa came out to the pool deck to retrieve Jake a few minutes later. She pulled him by his hand to the dining room to show him his cake. Jake was impressed that Melissa, Erika and his sisters had baked him a cake. It was chocolate with chocolate icing replete with sixteen candles. The dining room table was also groaning under a cornucopia of sandwich fixings and finger food. Melissa smacked his hand as he tried to dip his finger in the cake's icing. The nook table had been brought into the dining room and festooned with festive multi-colored paper ribbon streamers. It was covered with presents with more presents strewn on the floor under it. Jake followed Melissa into the kitchen and received his first surprise of the evening; it was a double surprise. Standing at the counter fixing a vegetable tray with Gail Martin was Jody Marks.
Jody gave Jake a shy smile, "Hello, Loverboy," she said.
Jake held out his arms and she jumped into them. He told her he had missed her and how happy he was she was there. She promised to tell him all about her absence later. Jake swept Gail up and kissed her also. Jake was as surprised to see Gail there as he was Jody; he knew Gail did not like crowds. Melissa went to tell everyone that the food was ready and Jake went to find something to drink. Soon everyone was chowing down on the spread laid out in the dining room. Jake snagged a plate and went to the pool deck to eat. Melissa, Erika, and the twins joined him. Melissa seemed to be in charge of keeping the party moving along. She disappeared into the house and returned with the cake. She put the cake on the picnic table while Gail and Jody set out small dessert plates, forks, and napkins. The twins were inside rounding up everyone as Melissa lit the candles.
After a raucous rendition of 'Happy Birthday to You', Jake blew out the candles and started cutting the cake. As soon as he had butchered a couple of pieces Helen relieved the feckless lad of his serving duties. While most everyone was eating cake, Melissa grabbed Brad, Scott, and Erik to help bring out the stream of presents. Jake started reading cards and savored opening the gifts one-by-one; he really received some nice things. Most everything was a personalize gift, the kind he cherished the most. He opened clothes from his parents, cologne from his sisters, then a gold chain and a vintage St. Christopher's Medal from Cindy and Laurie in recognition of his greater free-to-travel status. The Johanssons, Maria, and Barry had pitched in together and bought him a Beretta twenty-gauge over and under shotgun in a fitted case. The Robinsons gave him a new baseball glove. The list went on and on, Jake was overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness of his friends and family and how well they knew his interests.
Melissa told him that her present was upstairs in their bedroom along with some other items that were not appropriate to open in a crowd. Jake nodded his understanding as his mind leapt in consideration of the possibilities an in-charge Melissa would entail. He thanked everyone and told them it was time to party. Debbie and Scott went in to crank up the tunes as Erika, Melissa, and the twins helped him carry everything up stairs. When Jake entered his bedroom, he stopped dead in his track. His familiar bed was gone, replaced with a king-sized platform bed. The platform had a low headboard and no footboard; the sleeping surface was much bigger than his old bed but took up just a little more floor space. Jake noticed a few cards on the bed and reached for them. Melissa said they were for later, turned him about, and dragged him from the room.
Downstairs, the party was definitely cranked up; everyone had adjourned to the family room and deck. The older couples were dancing inside and the young folks were dancing outside. Sara sought Jake out and told him that he had missed one present. He asked what she meant as she took his hand and led him towards the front door. Coach Nelson, Liz Moran, and Dr. Douglas were waiting at the door. They led Jake outside; sitting and positively gleaming in the moon light was Sara's Chevelle.
"This is a nice car Jacob but not practical for a family so Brian and I bought a BMW sedan. Brian is keeping his Road Runner; we couldn't get much for the Chevelle in a trade so we decided you should have it. Christopher had it repainted for you and Aunt Liz had some upgrade work done on the engine; it should be like new."
Jake was absolutely speechless. He took the keys from Sara's outstretched hand and gave them all hugs. He thanked them about a million times, as he walked around admiring his new ride. The black paint gleamed, reflecting light as if it were an inch thick. Goodyear H70 raised white letter tires set off the Crager S/S mag wheels. The interior had been detailed to showroom condition. Jake opened the door and slipped into the driver's seat; the interior even had a new-car smell. He fired up the big block and was surprised at the change in the sound it made since he drove it last. The Chevelle definitely had a new cam, which was obvious by the way the engine rumbled with a low growl. Tomorrow he was going to poke around under the hood to see what kind of other goodies Liz's mechanic had installed. Jake shut the engine down and got out. He wanted to take the car for a spin but he was not going to abandon his guests to go joy riding.
Jake asked who had done the engine work. Liz answered that she had Brian take it to a friend of hers named Smiley Warrick. Jake was impressed; Smiley Warrick was a legend in auto racing. His cars had won a bunch of NASCAR races and he even built a car that won the Indy 500. Smiley had a garage in Daytona aptly named 'The Best Garage Around.' Liz said that she had personally asked Smiley to build a car that a sixteen-year-old boy would love. Jake said that old Smiley succeeded. He thanked them all again and said they had better get back to the party. Brian, Dr. Douglas and Sara walked back in as Jake linger at the car with Liz.
"Have you ever done it in the back of a 1971 Chevrolet?" Jake asked.
"No, I haven't, but I don't think I'd turn down the opportunity if the right guy asked," Liz replied, looking to her right and into his mesmerizing eyes.
Jake spent the rest of the evening dancing; he took a turn with each of the women at least once. Inside he was Mr. Ballroom, gracefully leading the ladies around the floor; outside he was John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, gyrating as if his hips were out of joint. By ten, it was too chilly outside for the youngsters so they rejoined the adults. Debbie put on all slow songs and turned out the lights. Some of the revelers left about that time, the Sorensons, Robinsons and Dr. Douglas all called it a night as did Darren and Carol Hughes. Scott received dispensation to spend the night again before they left. Sara and Brian stayed for a few dances before cutting out, as did the Greers. Carl and Diane left at ten-thirty; the twins had asked to stay for a while longer so Melissa volunteered to bring them home at midnight. As the crowd thinned, the dancing got more intimate. Jake was still spreading it around among the women but Marisa seemed to get a lot more turns than the others did.
While Jake was enjoying the feel of Marisa's big breasts pressed into his chest, the twins were up to a little mischief. Hope had Marty on the dance floor and Faith was dancing with Tina. The twins separated their targets into opposite dark corners and set to work on them. Jake smiled as Marisa nudged him toward the same corner as Hope and Marty, by now Jake was discretely palming Marisa's soft butt cheeks. She was riding his thigh and making little cooing noises. Marisa asked if he had read her birthday card yet; Jake told her Melissa wanted him to wait until later to read it. She smiled and said that was good. After the song ended, Marisa excused herself and headed for the powder room. Melissa grabbed Jake and returned him to the same corner. They pretended to be dancing as they surreptitiously watched the twins in action. They grinned -- Marty looked like a deer in the headlights as Hope was unabashedly feeling her up. Tina just looked horny as Faith was licking her neck.
Melissa gave up her dance partner when her cousin returned. Marisa told Jake she needed some air so Jake walked her out the French doors to the pool deck. She took his hand and led him to the side of the house. Marisa was wearing a wool skirt and bulky cable knit sweater. Even those baggy clothes could not hide her plush figure. Marisa leaned against the house and pulled Jake's left hand under her sweater and towards her breast.
"Touch me, Jake", she said, "I took off my bra in the bathroom. I've wanted to feel your hands on me for months but didn't have the nerve until tonight."
That was an offer too good to refuse, Jake thought, as he slipped his hand up under her sweater. Jeez, were her boobs big! Jake did not know how a girl so small could carry a rack that large. Her back must kill her. Jake kissed her as he hefted her meaty mounds; he would have stayed there all night if it were not for his other guests. Jake promised Marisa a rain check as he tugged her back inside. At eleven-thirty, the party started breaking up. As the last revelers left, Jake drove Liz home while Melissa delivered the twins back to Diane. While walking the three girls to Melissa's 'Vette, Faith asked Jake if he had opened their cards yet. Jake gave them the same story he told Marisa. They giggled and Hope said Valentine's Day would be a good day to redeem the cards. Jake was mystified by the cryptic comment but shrugged it off and went in to fetch Liz.
Jake opened the door of his car (yes, his car!), for Liz and ran around to the driver's side as soon as she slid in. Jake made sure she was buckled in and started the big V-8. The engine throbbed to life; the guttural exhaust note resonated right down to Jake's groin. Damn, did he ever love this car! Liz said she was tired and lay back in her seat as Jake maneuvered toward her house. The customized engine idled a little rough but smoothed out instantly whenever he mashed the accelerator. He had to be careful with the gas pedal because it was instantaneously responsive. Jake roused Liz when they reached her house; he walked her to the door concerned about her drawn appearance. She reassured him that she was just tired and gave him a kiss to prove it. Jake took the long way home, marveling that he was going to get rich as a result of a fuel shortage while driving a car that got five miles to the gallon.
Jake made it home a little after midnight; he was still a little wired from all the excitement as he dragged his ass up the stairs. Melissa was already curled up on her side of the big bed, buried under the covers as usual. A dual control electric blanket was going on his shopping list. He sat at his desk and opened the cards he had not gotten around too. Faith and Hope's were cute and provocative; each contained an advertisement cut from a magazine. The ads were for jars of cherries; the actual brand names were covered over with a piece of paper with their names on it. Jake had an unmistakable clue of what he might get for Valentines Day if the little minxes got their way.
The next card was from Cindy and Laurie; it contained photographs of the two of them taken at one of those little instant photo booths. One of the photographs was captioned 'Now', with an arrow pointing to Laurie. The next had the arrow pointed at Cindy, 'Later' was written on it. The last card was from sweet little Marisa; Jake chuckled when he unfolded the single sheet of paper in the envelope. Marisa had cut letters, pictures, and words from a magazine also. Her letter read like a ransom note:
Jake
(A picture of an eyeball) AM red E 4 U. (A picture of a red heart) MarIsA
Jake put the envelopes in his drawer and got naked. He turned off the light and slid under the covers. Just as he was reaching for his honey to snuggle up, the door opened silhouetting Melissa in the hall light. What the hell? He turned on his bedside lamp and pulled back the covers. Marisa was lying there wearing nothing but a smile.
"Happy Birthday, Jake, sorry I didn't have time to wrap your present," she said. "But I did have time to get it totally unwrapped."
Melissa was laughing as she jumped onto the bed and kissed Jake. She told Jake that she and Erika were spending the night in the guestroom so he and Marisa could have some privacy. She reminded Jake he needed to use a condom as she headed to the guestroom through the connecting bath.
Jake turned his attention to Marisa; his dick already throbbed at the thought of being incased in her pillowy warmth. He reached out and stroked her hair, slightly surprise that she was not more nervous. She smiled up at him as he trailed his hand down her neck and onto her large breast.
"What made you decide to do this?" Jake asked. "Not that I'm complaining."
"It's something I've wanted for a while; I promised Mom I'd wait until I was at least sixteen before I did it. Mom said I should find a lover who would make it a good experience. Melissa said you would be the best person to do that for me; Mom agreed. I came up with the idea of tonight. Being with you like this has been on my mind for weeks. I liked messing around with Debbie but I'm not into girls as much as Cindy and Laurie are."
Jake nodded in understanding and started kissing her again. Her arousal built up slowly as he explored all of her curves. Her body was exceptionally explorable. He loved how her bikini had left her breasts, hips, and ass a startling white in contrast to her golden tan. He kissed his way down to her breasts, experimenting to see what felt good to her. She liked slow and gentle, so that is the route Jake took. As his lips finally moved over the point of her hipbone she started spreading her legs, making room for him. It took Jake ten minutes to coax the first orgasm from her. For those ten minutes he thoroughly enjoyed the process; Marisa had a delicious little quim. It was as pretty as a little pink flower and as tasty as honey from the hive.
Jake stayed away from her clit and concentrated on her pussy lips as she wound down from her climax. He rubbed a finger up and down just inside her until her hips started bumping up; then he went to work on her clit. Her second orgasm came quicker, her third quicker still. While she was recovering from number three, he grabbed the towel Melissa left on the nightstand and dug a rubber out of the drawer. He rolled the prophylactic down his shaft. Marisa raised her hips so he could slide the towel under her ass. One more trip to the nightstand for the k-y jelly to slick up the condom and he popped back between her legs. Jake poised himself above her on one arm as he set the head of his dick at her entrance and geared up for intromission. Marisa's eyes were wide and her pupils dilated in equal parts of excitement and anticipation as he pushed the flared helmet past the initially resisting lips of her vagina. He was immediately clasped in a snug socket.
She moaned and wriggled her ass to accommodate him and he slipped into her channel by an inch. This was some forevermore-tight pussy, Jake thought as he strained to gain more ground. His progress was agonizingly slow but he finally bumped up against her hymen. He had her raise her upper body, putting her weight on her elbows, so she could look down between her breasts and watch his adamantine cudgel half way inside her.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked.
"I am absolutely positive," she said adamantly.
Jake nodded and took a couple of short mini-strokes to get her in the rhythm; she sank back on the bed and her hips started to move with him. On the next downward stroke, Jake lunged forward, powering past her maidenhead. Marisa gave a little yelp; Jake stopped moving to let her adjust to her new status and his throbbing girth.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"It was less painful than I thought it would be", she said. "It felt like a pinch and it stings a little; but it doesn't really hurt."
Jake held still above her until she started a tentative motion with her hips. As she moved so did he, pulling out part way and easing back in. She winced with the first couple of strokes; then her face relaxed in pleasure. Jake started pulling out farther and rifling his spear home. Marisa's pussy was tight but accommodating. As he started popping her hard, she started to move her hips into overdrive. The formerly virginal Marisa was going full-bore wild under him; boy, did she ever like to screw. Then her climax overtook her. She gave a grunt and arched her back off the bed. Her fingernails dug into his back and she bit down on his shoulder like a tiger bringing down a water buffalo. "Ouch, that's going to leave a mark," Jake thought as he tried to extricate himself from her grip.
Marisa finally released her animal grip on him and fell back on the bed.
"Wow, that was far out, Jake; show me more."
Jake decided it might be better if he somewhat immobilized his energetic bedmate; so he lifted her legs over his shoulders and pinned her to the mattress in a full-Johnson. He held her hands in his above her head and went for the gusto. He was hammering her, searching for his own release, when she came yet again. She took a deep breath and held it; as she climaxed, she started drumming her heels on his back while jerking her legs back and forth. Jake straightened a little to keep her heels from damaging his spine then came so hard he saw stars. Jake slumped forward, holding most of his weight off her by balancing on his knees and elbows.
Marisa was in la-la land as she absently continued to roll her hips underneath him. Jake got up to get a cloth to clean her up. While he was running warm water on a hand towel, Melissa came in to help tend to her cousin. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Jake's clawed up back. Long parallel scratches striated Jake from shoulder blades to mid back. When she got to the bed, Marisa was sprawled out totally content. The towel under her had a small spot of blood on it and her plump nether lips were pink and swollen. Jake brought in the hand towel and gently cleaned Marisa up.
"I'm not lending you my man any more if you are going to maul him, Tigger," Melissa said flatly.
And that is how Marisa got her nickname. Melissa named her after the tiger from A. A. Milne's, 'Winnie the Pooh' children's classic. The name caught on as it cut down on the confusion caused by the many M-alliterative Thornton women: Maria, Melissa, and Marisa. Marisa loved being tagged Tigger Thornton and would for the rest of her life. When she became a lawyer, the name held doubly true as she was a tiger not only in the bedroom but also in the courtroom.
The newly popped and newly dubbed Tigger was very apologetic and helped her cousin clean Jake up with tongue and towel. Erika came in to play nurse also. Melissa dug out another of her seemingly unending supply of white negligees for Tigger; then all three women piled into the bed with Jake to further christen his king-sized playground. Jake eventually had to sleep on his side because the firm mattress put pressure on his love scratches.
Sunday morning found Jake up early and alone once again. He put on the coffee pot and snagged the paper out of the driveway. As he sat at the nook table drinking his java a short news item on page two seized his attention:
Heiress Disappears
West Palm Beach police are investigation the
apparent disappearance of former local resident
Vivian Thornton. Mrs. Thornton, the widow of
slain Palmdale businessman Russell Thornton,
was last seen Tuesday, January 18th according to
police sources. Mrs. Thornton was reported missing
Wednesday by Darla Sykes, a long time employee.When asked if foul play was suspected, a police
spokesman stated that nothing was being ruled out
as the investigation progressed. The spokesman would
not say if the police had connected the two cases of
murder and disappearance.
The article went on giving a description of Vivian and her car, a summary of the case involving Russell's murder, and asking the public for information on her whereabouts. When Melissa made it downstairs, Jake got her a cup of coffee and showed her the article. Neither knew what to make of Vivian going missing. Further conversation was tabled as Melissa, Tigger, and Erika started breakfast. The parents made it down at nine; they had been up late cleaning up. Scott stumbled in right behind them in search of significant sustenance; Debbie discretely stayed upstairs a while longer. The girls made enough food for an army; Charles muttered something about getting a second job so he could afford to feed them. Charles stopped complaining and joined in the eating when Tigger served him a heaping plate of French toast and bacon.
Debbie drove Scott home at ten; he was going to change clothes and go to Mass with her. Jake drove Erika, Tigger, and Melissa to church in his new car. The girls loved the Chevelle; Jake blanched when Erika asked when she could take it for a spin. There was a subtle but noticeable change in Marisa 'Tigger' Thornton, Jake noticed. She was not as shy and she carried herself with a certain hard to define authority now. He had seen the same transformation in Erika and Angie. It was as if losing their virginity had made them instantly more mature and poised. Tigger made it clear that she wanted an encore as soon as her little bit of soreness was gone. Jake said he would also have to heal up but was all for it.
After Mass, Jake helped clean house; by four, the house and patio were restored to normal. Melissa wheedled his keys from him to test drive his car while taking Erika home. Jake walked them out only to have his worst nightmare come to life when Melissa tossed the keys to Erika. Jake thought he might be over reacting as Erika sedately drove out of the driveway. No such luck; Erika punched it and roared down the street burning rubber.
Jake drove his uninjured Chevelle to school the next day. He was the parking lot hero as he showed the high school motor-heads his souped up 454 with the Holley 780 cmf carburetor and Paxton SN-60 supercharger. Of course, the chicks were equally impressed with the car's appearance. Yes, life was good if you were a sixteen-year-old handsome jock with a nice car. Melissa dispensed some evil looks to over-friendly girls as she dragged Jake into the school. His new schedule separated him from most of his friends but allowed him to add some new ones. His new classmates were nice enough but way too serious. Jake figured that if you could not have a little fun while in high school you were destined for a joyless life.
Baseball practice escalated to high gear that afternoon. Jake started breaking in the new glove the Robinsons had given him. The glove was a professional model with a preformed pocket; it seemed to vacuum up the baseball. Jake played baseball left handed; he had discovered he could throw more accurately as a lefty. He also felt more comfortable southpaw but he practiced batting from both sides of the plate. He quickly discovered that he could sting the ball from either side but had more power as a lefty. Baseball practice was much less grueling than football had been but Jake still had to work himself back in shape. The time off needed for his ribs to heal had taken its toll on his conditioning. As Jake ran laps around the field, he resolved to get back to running and lifting weights. After practice, he showered and headed home. It felt strange to be alone and driving by himself.
Melissa and Maria were deep in conversation at the nook when Jake came in. Randal Thornton had made the first new legal move in his quest for control of Thornton Development. Randal had filed a motion in court questioning Melissa's ability to run the company. As a shareholder, he claimed the right to question management decisions that affected his investment. Maria said it was, in her opinion, more of a nuisance than a threat; however, it was going to take time and effort to assemble the information to counter his claim.
Jake was grabbing himself an iced tea when the phone rang. He caught it on the second ring; a woman's voice he could not quite place at first asked to speak to him. He identified himself and asked what he could do for her. Jake jerked to attention and almost dropped the phone when she answered him.
"Jake, this is Vivian. I think I'm in mortal danger and I don't have anyone to turn to."
Where had he heard that before?