Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. >The Pool Girl by Leto Armitage Chapter 41 Have you ever met someone and wondered if their mother took steroids while pregnant? That was Owen. -Mr. Carlo, do you need anything before we leave? - I had tried telling him my name was Robert to no avail. -No. - I was standing at the door making sure I had everything I needed for the therapist -(TM)s office. -Would you really carry me there if you had to? - -Yes, sir. - -That scared of Lavi? - -Oh, no sir. I figure I know what Lavi would do. It -(TM)s Melissa I -(TM)m scared of. - Where was my insurance card? I paused looking for it to look up at him. We were both standing but I had to look up. -What does that mean? - He looked down as if he was used to it, which I -(TM)m sure he was. -Melissa is real nice, but nice people, you don -(TM)t know how they -(TM)ll come at you. I figure that is way more dangerous. - That made sense. -Speaking of people coming at you, did you ever hear anything about Chris Barrington and that stunt of his at Grace -(TM)s house? - I was walking to Owen -(TM)s car and Owen talked as we walked. -Not much. Everyone who still hangs with him isn -(TM)t opening their mouth around me. I want to talk to him in a nice quiet place, just the two of us but probably best if we don -(TM)t, if you know what I mean. All I -(TM)ve heard is that he -(TM)s shooting his mouth off about some kind of ace in the hole, something that -(TM)ll make everything right for him again in time for him to play in the homecoming game. - I didn -(TM)t like the sound of that but I had an appointment to keep. Three hours later I was sitting back in my living room wondering if cybernetic arms were an option yet. I hurt. Somehow it seemed as if my arm now had more nerves for pain than the rest of my body combined. -I thought physical therapy was supposed to make you feel better, - I whined. -In the long term, - yelled Ji from the hallway bathroom. I was in the living room. Owen had left and done the hand-off with Ji. Ji had become my anim(C) buddy so I was in position with a fruit juice while she had taken a sports bag into the bathroom saying she had to get ready. I was enjoying the guava juice when she came back in. Ji was not a tall girl but every inch of her legs were shown in sheer stockings while she had a bunny suit on including a bustline that showed her B-cup chest to best effect. I suspected there might be something helping underneath. She even had a fluffy cottontail and bunny ears. -Uh, hello, - I managed. -You likey? - She spun around. She was barefoot except for some clear sheer material that completely enclosed her legs in a way that had to be pantyhose of some kind. -I think I might have just developed a new kink. - -Good. - She seemed pleased. -Now, I -(TM)m not complaining, at all. But, why? - -It seemed like it would be fun. I saw you kind of lingering on Mai in the bunny suit in the show so I thought you -(TM)d like this. - -Did you go out and buy it? - -Uh ... no. - She turned a little red. -I ordered a bunny outfit for Halloween last year and it was supposed to be like a, well, you know, rabbit, all white and fluffy all over but they sent this instead. I couldn -(TM)t use it so this is the first time I -(TM)ve gotten to use it. - I pursed my lips. -You definitely could have. - -Oh no, - she held up her hand, -I do a Halloween party at the hospital for the kids each year, give out candy and that sort of thing. This was not going to be worn there. - -It -(TM)s lifting my healing spirits. - -Down boy! - She still sounded pleased. -You have to help me set some stuff up. - -Like what? - -Did you see the boxes in the kitchen? - -No, I haven -(TM)t been in there since I got back. - -Mom sent me with dim sum as snacks for dance practice. I need you to show me how to steam them though. - -I can talk you through it. We can let them steam slowly and they -(TM)ll be good by the time everyone gets here. What did she send? - -Let -(TM)s see. - She opened the box and pulled out some paper with some kind of Chinese glyphs on them. I asked later and found it was called hanzi. My gaze went down to her thighs. Damn did they look nice and every centimeter was there to enjoy. Ji didn -(TM)t have big muscular legs but they were long compared to her whole body. -Robert? - -Huh? - -You didn -(TM)t hear anything I said, did you? - -Sure, I was listening. - She gave the stink eye. -What is in these, then? - -Some dim? - I gave my most innocent smile. Ji closed her eyes, put her fingertips at the bridge of her nose, and started laughing. -You are hopeless. There are three trays here. The first is peanut, pork, and garlic. The second is beef and cabbage. The third are mushrooms, duck, and chives. She must have made a trip somewhere, she doesn -(TM)t buy duck unless it -(TM)s fresh. - I stood up and looked in at the tiny parcels of happiness. -You said your mom doesn -(TM)t cook much. - -She doesn -(TM)t but she is good at what she makes. I -(TM)ve had all these lots of times. - -The peanut and pork sound interesting, I -(TM)ve never had that combination. Mushroom and duck sounds good too. Well, so do beef and cabbage. Lavi will probably really like that one. - -Now I -(TM)m getting hungry, - she said. -Me too, but it -(TM)ll take a while to get these ready and they -(TM)re for later. - -Let -(TM)s go over it then. - So, we did. I talked her through setting up the multi-level steamer and getting it going. I watched her ass as she moved around. She caught onto everything quickly even if her instructor was distracted, which seemed to amuse her. -Now let -(TM)s take care of us, - I said. She looked at me lustfully. -What did you have in mind? - -Lunch. - Her seductive face dropped into confusion. -Lunch? - -Lunch. I haven -(TM)t eaten yet. - -I haven -(TM)t eaten either. You know, I -(TM)m supposed to be teasing you but I -(TM)m not sure who is teasing who now. So, what is for lunch? - She leaned back against the counter. I was tempted to say her but instead, I said. -There are two types of people in this world. Those who eat leftovers and those who don -(TM)t. - -Who doesn -(TM)t eat leftovers? - She had her hands on her skinny hips. -Exactly, they -(TM)re monsters. We have eggs in the fridge. How much? - Ji opened the fridge and found the plastic container. -Lots. - -Great, now we need gravy. - -You, - she pointed at me, -are not supposed to exert yourself. - -Exactly, which is why I -(TM)m going to sit here and watch you do it. - -You just want to perv on me. - -No, I want to perv on you and have gravy. - -I -(TM)m wearing a bunny girl outfit. - -Which is why we -(TM)re not going to fry anything. Trust me; fried potatoes with eggs and gravy sound awesome. - She sighed. -So, what are we going to have with it? - -Just bread, I figure open-faced sandwiches. Lavi grabbed some from a bakery that will be decent. - Ji smiled. -All right. - I showed her how to make gravy and we ate the sandwiches with forks. -I didn -(TM)t know milk gravy was that easy to make. Do you always make it with this much pepper? - -Yeah, I think pepper goes better with milk gravy than brown gravy. - -Well, I like it. And I really appreciate you taking the time to help me learn how to do this stuff. - She leaned over and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before standing up and taking the plates to the sink to rinse them off. Walking back I noticed a little sway to her hips and she pulled my chair back from the table and straddled me. -Now you -(TM)ve filled my belly, I -(TM)m still hungry. - Kissing her seemed the right thing to do so I did. It was frustrating not being able to reach around her but she took care of that for me putting her arms around my neck. She tasted of black pepper and, somehow, as insane as it might sound, sweet melon. My good hand ran over her back and she started kissing my neck. Standing up Ji backed up a few steps and wiggling managed to wiggle out of the bunny costume. I was proven right that she had on one of those half bras that had connected in the back and pushed her breasts up. I grinned. -Leave the ears on. - She laughed and tossed the costume and bra onto the table. That -(TM)s when I discovered the pantyhose was crotchless. -Thinking ahead? - She didn -(TM)t respond except by action and pulled my pants down. I started to reach down and help but she pushed my hand back. -I -(TM)ll take care of everything. - -I feel useless. - -You feel like a patient. - -A charity patient. - She froze. -What do you mean? - I took a deep breath. -I just don -(TM)t want you doing this to make an impression on Lavi or anything. - -If you think I don -(TM)t want to fuck you, you are wrong. I like you, Robert. - -Like me? - She laughed, -Yes, I like you. You -(TM)re my friend, I like you, sexually. I missed you. - She sat on my lap. -I... - She looked at me sideways. -What? - -I guess I -(TM)m just surprised. I -(TM)ve thought of everyone as Melissa -(TM)s and Lavi -(TM)s friends. - -And you -(TM)re what, just a plus one or something? - -Yeah, I guess. - She kissed my nose. -You do know that Zahra and Grace like you too. I mean, not like this, - she reached down and stroked me, -but they like you. - I didn -(TM)t know what to say so I changed the topic to something even more embarrassing. I felt myself semi-hard in her hand. -Sorry I -(TM)m a bit ... uh, it -(TM)s not you, it -(TM)s me. - -It -(TM)s fine. Melissa told me the meds were doing a job on you. You just relax. - I tried to grin. -I don -(TM)t want to relax too much, I -(TM)m enjoying it. - -Let -(TM)s just take our time then, - she said and began grinding on me and put her arms back around my neck pulling me to her chest. I suckled on her small pert breasts and felt myself slowly harden. It wasn -(TM)t an impressive show of my virility but Ji managed to work it into her and slowly worked me until I came gently inside her. A few minutes later she paused and shuddered in my lap. She hugged me tightly to her and I thought about apologizing for poor performance but as she held me I felt her melt into me and realized this hadn -(TM)t been about sex, it had been about just having a personal moment between us. I smiled and felt myself tear up a little as I nuzzled her hair. That night Melissa and Lavi were in the kitchen while I reclined on the patio. Melissa was making dinner. She had put a whole chicken in the oven to roast with lemons and herbs. I could smell it through the open patio door and it was making me hungry. Lavi had taken some small potatoes and was boiling them. Finally, they tossed a simple salad with some crisp lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and carrots. I moved to the patio table and sat obediently as Lavi began setting the table. I thought it all looked wonderful until Lavi brought out the plastic bottles. -What are those? - Lavi looked amused. -Salad dressings. Melissa got a few options. - -You know dressings are really, very, easy to make. A creamy cucumber dressing, or a ginger soy, like five minutes max. - Lavi leaned over and kissed my forehead. -I -(TM)ll get you the bacon vinaigrette. - I started to yell after her. This didn -(TM)t count as my care so I could argue but she was already back in the house. This being injured was going to kill me but realized I should get used to it. As it was they were trying to get better at cooking, I shouldn -(TM)t throw tantrums over a few shortcuts. At least I had a new Godzilla movie to watch tonight. A week later it was Ji -(TM)s afternoon to watch me again. No offense to Owen, who seemed really nice, but Ji -(TM)s company was far more aesthetically pleasing. I was lying on the couch having just woken up. I had fallen asleep minutes into something Ji had put on the television, woke up, took meds, read a little, woke up, tried to read again, and couldn -(TM)t focus, and was now just lying there. Ji was sitting in the middle and playing with my toes. I had to ask. -Are you into feet? - -Not really, - she said. -Not sexually anyway. But have you ever thought about it? I mean, our feet are amazing. All the interconnected muscles, the things that aid balance. - -A podiatrist in the making. - -Ewww, no, I don -(TM)t want to spend all day touching strange people -(TM)s feet. That -(TM)s gross. - -You -(TM)re touching mine. - -You -(TM)re not a stranger and your feet are clean. And very ... groomed. - I was spaced out and looking at the ceiling. -Lavi has taken over trimming my toenails. She said I was butchering them with my penknife. - -Typical man. We should all do a spa day. - That was how we were when Melissa and Lavi came in. They took turns leaning over to kiss me and then repeated it with Ji. Melissa looked into Ji -(TM)s lap. -Foot massage? - Ji shook her head. -Living anatomy doll. - -Ah, - my blonde nymph replied as if that made perfect sense to her. It probably did. -So, do you know what -(TM)s going on? - Ji looked at her. -Huh? - Melissa raised her eyebrows. -Check your phone. - Ji picked it up. -I didn -(TM)t hear it beep. - She then intently began reading something. -What the hell? - -Exactly, - said Lavi. I coughed. -Anyone want to fill me in? - Ji handed me her phone. It was a message from Grace that read, -Blackman has said dance team is on hold. No info. Mom said I can -(TM)t come over either. - Then there was a followup from Zahra, -Pops just called, said I have to come home right after school. - An animated gif followed of an old woman pointing down at the word NOW flashing in red. It was a group messaging thing so Lavi and Melissa both had questions following up but neither Grace nor Zahra replied. That was when my phone rang. It wasn -(TM)t a text but an actual call. The caller identification said -~June. -(TM) I answered and as I said, -Hi June, - the girls all looked at me. -Hello Robert. I know we haven -(TM)t talked since that day with Chris but I need to talk to you. Today. - For once I was not involved with the daughter of the woman saying this to me. -What -(TM)s going on? - -I -(TM)d like to talk in person, Robert. Melissa and Lavi might as well be there too. - -You want to talk after work? - -I had to take the afternoon off. I -(TM)m down the street at a coffee shop. Yussef is with me. - -Yussef is with you? - I said it so that the girls all knew what was going on. -You -(TM)re both welcome to come over but you might as well know Ji is here too. - -She -(TM)s, what, eighteen, right? - -Yeah, she is eighteen. What does that matter? - -It just does. We will be there in just a bit. - I hung up, looked at Melissa and sighed. -I can -(TM)t have whiskey can I? - -Not with your meds, - she said. -Fuck. Let -(TM)s at least go to the kitchen table. - -Why? - That was Lavi. I slowly got to my feet. -It -(TM)s time for a Talk. The table seems to be the traditional place for them at this point. - Twenty minutes later Melissa showed June and Yussef in. Neither smiled but June said, -Don -(TM)t get up, - as I started to. They sat. Lavi, -Want anything to drink? - June said, -No thank you, - while Yussef just shook his head. I tried to be casual while holding my glass of water. -What can I do for you? - June and Yussef looked at each other. Shit, this was bad. -June? Yussef? - -Robert, - Yussef started, -this is very uncomfortable for me. I -(TM)ve trusted my daughter with you and to my knowledge, you have never betrayed that trust. - I blinked. Ji, Lavi, and Melissa were all scanning everyone else -(TM)s faces but I kept focused on Yussef and June. I replied with some hesitation. -Yussef, I appreciate that and I don -(TM)t think I have. What is this about? - June cleared her throat. -I was called by principal Escobar this morning about a meeting. He insisted I come in today. When I got there Yussef was leaving the office. - Yussef, -I decided to wait for June to be finished and we went for coffee together. - -And this involves me somehow? - June, -Robert, is there anything you need to tell us, anything from a couple of years ago maybe? Anything about you and a young girl? - I stared at June. I know I was a bit stoned from the pain meds but did I really just hear that? The ice maker in the fridge started up at that instant and it was so quiet it sounded like an explosion. Then June turned towards Melissa and said, -Maybe even one we know? - Melissa -(TM)s hand tensed. Her fingernails rested on the tabletop like a claw. Her voice was cold and hard. -What are you asking? - Yussef took a breath, -We are not implying anything but Escobar asked us about some things that are very concerning. - I looked to the man who I had thought well of. -About me? - Yussef looked back at me. -He did not use names but he clearly meant you. - I shook my head and frustration creeping into my voice. -Maybe it -(TM)s because I -(TM)m out of it from the meds but I can -(TM)t even figure out what you -(TM)re talking about! - Yussef replied in an even, well-measured tone. -I do not mean to cause distress and I do apologize as I know you are still recovering but we, - he gestured to include June in this and she nodded agreement, -felt that we could not wait. - -For what? - I was getting exasperated. -Two years ago I didn -(TM)t know any of you and certainly didn -(TM)t know any young girls. Well, except the family of a few friends. And you wouldn -(TM)t be here all on edge over some kids I send Christmas cards to. - June came in on the tail of my response, -And you didn -(TM)t know Melissa, at all, in any way? Not from when her brother was here mowing your yard? Not from walking around the neighborhood or anything? - -No. - Melissa shook her head. -I didn -(TM)t mow yards with Tommy or anything. - -And I spent my outside time in the backyard. The only reason I have a front yard is that it came with the house. - Yussef and June looked at each other again as if trying to decide what to do next. It was Lavi that broke in. -All right, quid pro fucking quo time. They answered you, now you start putting something on the table. - June leaned back from the table, -We were told not to talk about it. - Melissa exploded. -Don -(TM)t play that with us! I -(TM)ll bet you weren -(TM)t told to come over here and stir things up either but you felt you had to do that so you can tell us something or I can call Escobar and ask him. - -Melissa, - Yussef started, -this is not your concern. You are a forceful young woman but - -Fuck that. - That was Lavi. She didn -(TM)t raise her voice0. Yussef went silent. -Don -(TM)t play that patronizing kharta with me. You directly implied that Melissa knew something too so this is her concern. - I didn -(TM)t know what -~kharta -(TM) was but Yussef looked like he did and it clearly wasn -(TM)t polite language. He reluctantly nodded but I could tell he didn -(TM)t like being spoken to like that, especially not by a young woman. June decided to be the peacekeeper. -You -(TM)re right Lavi. Melissa -(TM)s name didn -(TM)t come up either but Escobar clearly meant her. - She took a moment to collect her thoughts and said, -Escobar talked to each of us but we compared notes and it was the same thing. He said he had heard that Grace and Zahara were attending a school-related but not sponsored gathering of students most days after school. - We all nodded, following. Obviously, the not-practices had become known as we figured they would. -He went on to say that there is an active police investigation into a man who the police believe has been grooming a young girl for several years while she was a minor and she was helping him now groom more young women. - The room returned to quiet for several long minutes but eventually, Melissa found her voice. -This is crazy. I met Robert like a month before I turned eighteen and nothing happened until weeks after I turned eighteen. - Lavi smirked, -Might have been sooner if you -(TM)d known you were already legal. - Melissa tapped the table fiercely. -Not the point right now my love. - They turned to look at me again. I just shook my head. -I have no fucking clue what this is about. Look, my last regular, uh, partner, was ten years ago. Since then I -(TM)ve had a few dates, none under the age of thirty I don -(TM)t think. The only girls I -(TM)ve known have been the niece of my ex-fiance and the daughters of a friend who I -(TM)ve never seen without their parents present. - Yussef looked at me. -This niece - -Don -(TM)t go there, - I said. -Her name is Valerie. She -(TM)s stopped by a few times but she -(TM)s a kid and no, nothing has ever happened in any way shape, or form. - June looked at me, -Have you had any, you know, online girlfriends? Maybe you didn -(TM)t know how old they were? - I laughed. -No. Look, I don -(TM)t do online social stuff. Not that I wouldn -(TM)t but it -(TM)s ... well, weird to me. The most I -(TM)ve talked to anyone online has been over Instagram and that -(TM)s been about baking and in the last few months. - -True, - Melissa added, -he didn -(TM)t even know how to take a selfie when we met. - -I knew what a selfie was and how to take a picture. - I felt a little defensive. Melissa looked at me. -Had you ever actually taken one? - -Well, no. Fine, the point goes to you. - Melissa smirked but it was fleeting. The attention returned to June and Yussef. -I... - Yussef looked at Melissa and Lavi as if he didn -(TM)t want to continue with them present. -Out with it, - I said. -I don -(TM)t care what it is. - -Very well, - his baritone replied. -I -(TM)m not judging but perhaps you -(TM)ve hired some companionship and not known their age? - I shook my head. -No. - June, -You -(TM)re sure? Like, completely, one hundred percent sure? - -Look, I -(TM)m sure. I -(TM)ve never hired a call girl, escort, hooker, or whatever you want to call them. And no, I -(TM)m not embarrassed by it. It wouldn -(TM)t bother Lavi or Melissa one bit if I had. - They nodded casually to show it was true. -But that sounds just awful. Not the sex part, but I -(TM)m socially awkward with people I -(TM)m just talking to. Being naked too? No thank you. - June didn -(TM)t let up. -Are you saying you have absolutely no idea, NONE, why Escobar would have said that? - -No, I don -(TM)t. - I looked at everyone at the table. I really didn -(TM)t and judging from Lavi and Melissa -(TM)s and Ji -(TM)s expressions they believed me. -Well, - Yussef said, -Escobar sounded very certain. - I sighed. -I -(TM)m sure I -(TM)ll find out why. - I looked around the kitchen. I really wanted to bake something. I wondered if that bakery on Poplar still made those honey and pistachio cakes. -Lavi, grab the keys. - Yussef stood. -What are you going to do? - -Me? Wait to see what happens. And maybe have dessert for dinner. - Chapter 42 Yussef and June went to get dessert with us and a low-key grilling continued. I racked my brain for possibilities while eating. Dinner followed desert. Next door to the bakery was a Caribbean place and we all had two family-style chicken and papaya dishes with rice split between us. We went over it several times but the facts always came out the same. I hadn -(TM)t dated much since Jordyn. Over the years my friends gave up on trying to set me up. My only date in the last three years had been a woman that if she had been underage had managed to already get a master -(TM)s in hydraulic engineering and divorced really young. She had slept with me and then ghosted me. June pressed, unwilling to let go of the idea that perhaps I -(TM)d had some kind of online communication with a girl. I don -(TM)t think emails to my mother counted. Could my ex-fianc(C) have some kind of grievance? Sure, but a decade later? That seemed far-fetched to me. And so it went until everyone had beaten the horse to death and started on a nearby donkey. Before we parted ways Melissa asked Yussef if Zahra was still coming over tomorrow. She was polite but she might as well have thrown a glove at him in challenge. He took a significant pause before responding that he was going to talk to Zahra and let the final decision be hers. I think Yussef believed me but it was hard for him to not have doubts. I couldn -(TM)t blame him. June looked at me as she got in her car to leave and said she had no problem with Grace coming over. She was sure Grace would still want to. I thought I saw some doubt in her eyes but it meant something that she thought she knew me well enough to push it to the side. I decided to spend Friday wallowing, which was easy given a combination of my pharmaceutical condition and mental state. When Zahra showed up I almost cheered not because I looked forward to seeing her that much but because it felt like a validation. Lavi had already left for classes but Melissa gave her a quick sisterly hug on the way out the door. I was on the couch watching Godzilla Shows a Punk Monkey Who the King Is for the third time. I actually had more affection for Kong as a character than you might think but if you -(TM)re going to put a nuclear dinosaur versus a monkey with a pituitary gland problem I -(TM)m cheering for fucking Gojira. I had said as much to Melissa who responded that I was cute when I was a geek. Zahra smirked as she plopped down on the couch with textbooks in hand. -What, - I asked? -Mellie said you had a Godzilla thing. - I sniffed for dramatic effect. -I enjoy fine cinema. - More seriously, -Have you ever watched Godzilla? - She thought about it. -I saw the one with the guy married to that girl who did Sex in the City. - -Mathew Broderick? - -Yeah, that was it! - -That wasn -(TM)t Godzilla. - -Oh, I thought it was, sorry. - She didn -(TM)t catch my tone. -No, I mean technically it was but it totally ignored the themes of Godzilla. It was a generic monster movie with the Godzilla name. - -Wasn -(TM)t the original Godzilla just a monster movie? - -Maybe but you can -(TM)t just talk about a person by talking about who they were when they were born and ignore the rest of their life. - -Hmmm - she looked thoughtful and tapped the ballpoint pen against her lips. -Let me think on that. But for now, I need to take notes for French. Do you know French? - -If you need to translate a menu I might be able to help but if you have to conjugate something, no. - She seemed to take that as a cue to start her work. She put in earbuds and I resumed the movie. An hour later as the movie wrapped and she closed the books. -All done? - I asked. -For now. - She stretched, removing the earbuds one at a time. -I need to do poli-sci later. - -Thanks for keeping me company, - I said. -That -(TM)s sweet. You -(TM)re welcome but it -(TM)s like a null thing. - Sometimes talking to Zahra felt like I was deciphering a secret language. -Well, it -(TM)s certainly something. - -Nope. Besides, it -(TM)s nice to get out and hang. - -Even if it -(TM)s with a guy? - -Especially a guy! I know this will sound ridic but if I have to spend one more sleepover watching -~To All the Boys -(TM) again I -(TM)ll hurl or something. - -Not a fan of the movie or the genre? - -Both. I mean, it -(TM)s all a part of this -~boys are the center of the universe -(TM) thing. I don -(TM)t get it. - -You -(TM)re good friends with Lavi and Mellie though. They are pretty darn girly. - -Yeah, but they don -(TM)t exist for boys. When they dress or do their hair it -(TM)s for them. Mellie and Grace were the only ones who didn -(TM)t find it weird that I wanted to style my hair even if no one saw it. - -What if it -(TM)s for another girl and not a guy? - She gave a light, almost musical, laugh. -You mean them. Please, either could come out of a fire hideously burned and they would still adore each other. Watching Mellie be so clueless for three years was like reading the most frustrating yuri ever. - -Yuri? - -Girl love comics. Clueless attraction is an extremely common thing in them. - -Are you, uh, yuri? - -Like lesbian? No. I -(TM)m straight, hundred percent. - I smiled. -Don -(TM)t say that around Lavi, she might take it as a challenge. - She grinned. -I told her once that I ever wanted to walk on that side of the street I would definitely call her to make sure I got the best experience possible. But, that would be cheating so no. - I was surprised. -You have a boyfriend? - Her eyes widened. -On my Lordy, no, Pops would flip and homicide might happen. - -You said it would be cheating. - -On my future husband. I will be a virgin on my wedding night. Not that I -(TM)m in any hurry for that. - -I... -. I stopped myself. -What? - -I admit, I -(TM)ve been curious about a few things but especially after this police thing I really, really, really don -(TM)t want the impression I -(TM)m, you know, talking you up. - -Tell you what. You ask and I -(TM)ll know in advance you -(TM)re not hitting on me, all right? - -You -(TM)ll tell me if I make you uncomfortable? - -Oh, for sure! - In for a penny... -So, I got the impression you wanted to be more American from things the girls told me but here you seem totally on board with being a good Christian middle eastern whatever it is your family believes kind of girl. - She shrugged. -I can -(TM)t say I -(TM)ve always been of one mind. Yeah, sometimes it -(TM)s hard to feel like an outsider and growing up ... well, it -(TM)s hard, right? - I nodded in agreement. -Right. - -So I -(TM)ve had what you might call moments of weakness but all this, - she waved around us, -with you and Lavi and Melissa and now Ji - it -(TM)s like we -(TM)re all on the outside but together. It -(TM)s kind of made it easier for me. - I nodded again. I hadn -(TM)t thought of it like that. -Plus it -(TM)s kind of fun telling the world to fu ... fudge off. - She looked sheepish. -You can say fuck here. You watched porn at the kitchen table once. - She turned red. -I -(TM)d kind of forgotten that. We probably shouldn -(TM)t do that again until things calm down. - I sighed. -If they ever do. - -To all things, there is a season. Now, can I ask a question? - -Sure, fair is fair. - -So you and Ji ... slapping taints? - -I... -. I paused my brain separating the meaning from words. -I don -(TM)t have a taint to slap with. - She scrunched up her face. -Doesn -(TM)t the whole groinal thing count? - She waved faintly in the direction of her own groin. -Only for women, I think. Well, those with vaginas. Don -(TM)t tell Mellie I said women by definition have vaginas. I -(TM)ll get lectured about trans-exclusionism or something. - She laughed, -Yes, you will! Fine, are you slapping her taint then? - -I -(TM)m not sure I should answer that. It -(TM)s her business... - -It takes two to tango, it -(TM)s as much your business as her -(TM)s. - She had a point. -We are friends and we are physically very, very friendly. - She looked satisfied with that. -I figured. I could see this vibe when she -(TM)s around you and Lavi. - -And Melissa. - -It -(TM)s not the same. - I paused before saying, -Explain. - -So, she -(TM)s, like, super comfortable around Melissa and I can tell they -(TM)re really friendly but with you and Lavi, her whole body language changes. She has no barriers up at all. It -(TM)s amazo. - I was tired and didn -(TM)t know how to process that. So, I tossed the remote to Zahra and said, -Feel free to watch what you want. I -(TM)m going to close my eyes. - -I don -(TM)t want to keep you awake. - I yawned. -Trust me, you won -(TM)t. - As I was closing my eyes I could have sworn I saw a blue sedan that looked familiar slowly drive by the front of the house. I awoke to hear a soft British accent saying. -They cut his balls off, burned them, and then... - I opened my eyes to see a man strung up on a ladder in a medieval setting. -What the hell is this? - I think I mumbled it more than asked it but Zahra hit pause, seemed to realize she had paused it on a pretty gruesome scene, and then let it go forward to some woman of royalty eating fruit before pausing it. -Hugh Despenser the Younger. The Queen deposed the king and had a real mad-on for the Despensers. The Younger here tried to starve himself rather than go through everything they did to him. - -What is this, some Game of Thrones clone? - I was wiping sleep from my eyes and taking a sip of the tea on the table. The ice was long melted but it was still good. -Uh, no. This is about the rule of Edward II, historical stuff. - -Oh. - I felt stupid. -History, especially outside the US has never been a strong suit for me, - I admitted. She bounced on the couch slightly, her headscarf shifting. -I love this stuff. It -(TM)s super exciting. I want to do a tour of England and go to all the castles one day. - -Are you still doing the tea stuff for the ... what -(TM)s it called? - -The Gentle Folks? That -(TM)s what Mellie is getting people to call it. - I laughed. -Sounds like the bad guys in a Doctor Who episode. - She grinned. -That -(TM)s exactly what Lavi said. Yeah, I -(TM)m working on the high tea, it -(TM)s going to be a blast. - Saturday morning came around and my coffee was waiting for me at the bedside. I used the bathroom, sipped a bit of the blessed beans, and then decided to see where everyone was. I made my way downstairs and found Melissa and Lavi in the kitchen. I heard the music before I got there, Ariane Grande singing -you got me working side to side. - I kept half a step back from the doorway and watched them. Lavi was dressed in jeans and a nice white blouse, both conservative since she was going to the temple. Melissa was in a white bra and panties. Both had their arms around each other -(TM)s waists and they were kissing gently as they swayed gently to the music. The song reached its end and looped back to the beginning and they kept dancing. I smiled and went back upstairs and was still smiling fifteen minutes later when Melissa made her own way up and I heard Lavi heading out the front door. Melissa was still in her bra and panties but now had toasted bagels on a tray with eggs and turkey sausage. -Hey sleepyhead, - she said. -Lavi grab one for the road? - -Yeah, I kind of ran late making them. - -It happens. - We ate on the bed and when we finished I laid back down and put music on as Melissa put one leg over mine and began trailing fingernails over my chest. I kissed her forehead. -Horny? - -Always, - she purred as she snuggled against me. -I know I don -(TM)t have a lot of energy but I could... - -Robert. - -Yes? - -Shut up. - -I don -(TM)t want you to think - She pushed up on one elbow and didn -(TM)t let me finish. -Robert Christopher, over the rest of our lives you -(TM)re going to fuck me thousands of times, everywhere, in every way. We -(TM)re going to commit sacrilege and probably break local ordinances. Discretely. I -(TM)m going to bear you children. The fact that I -(TM)m always horny means nothing. Right now nothing matters except you making sure you -(TM)re around for all those future days. - -Every right now matters. - -Here, - Melissa put a leg over me and lowered herself over my waist. She fished my cock out from my boxers and stroked me hard. It felt good but these pain pills just ... lessened everything. She pulled her bikini-style panties to the side and slid so that my dick rode along the lips of her cleft and she pushed my head against her clit. She shuddered. -I masturbate when you sleep sometimes. I reach over and suck your dick in your sleep while I do. Did you know that? - -No, I didn -(TM)t. - I considered pointing out I couldn -(TM)t consent in that scenario but given that I liked the idea of her casually sucking me off I didn -(TM)t actually object. It felt good what she was doing. She said, -I enjoy it you know, that closeness with you, having you in me while I stimulate myself. - -But I -(TM)m not doing it. - -Unf, - she panted gently, -but it -(TM)s you. And that -(TM)s all that matters. You make me happy just by being. - -You didn -(TM)t think so that night we fought. - -I was being a bitch. - -Maybe but you were right. - She sat astride me for a while, gently stroking me and teasing her clit with my penis like a toy. Then she said, -You know I -(TM)m a hot mess right? - -It -(TM)s easy to forget. - She traced where we touched with her fingertips. -Carefully orchestrated lies. I need you and Lavi to know me. - -Feel free to screw up around us more often. It -(TM)ll help remind us you -(TM)re human. - She grinned. -Deal. And I promise to talk to you before I blow up in the future. - -We -(TM)ve made that promise before haven -(TM)t we? - She looked somber for a moment. -And I -(TM)ll keep making it every time I fuck up until it sticks. And I will really try each time for it to be the last. - I looked at her, her hair around her shoulder, and lifted my good hand to hold her bra-enclosed breast. -And I -(TM)ll be around after every fuck up for you to make the promise again. - -Here, I -(TM)ll vow by something this time. I vow lest your balls shrivel and die that I -(TM)ll talk to you before I blow up in the future. - She obviously thought she was clever. -Wait a second! Does that mean I lose my balls if you break your word? That doesn -(TM)t seem fair. - She grinned. -Well, they -(TM)ll give me kids so they matter. - -Well, I swear by, - I snuck two fingers underneath her and curved them up making her jump and fall back down on them quickly, -this that I -(TM)ll talk to you before I do things dramatic and self-destructive. - -Oh fuck, yes! - Her voice caught in her throat and I don -(TM)t think she was responding to my promise. I found her spot and stroked it making her buckle. She started to fall forward and caught herself on the headboard. After she regained her composure, -You must be starting to feel better, you -(TM)re playing dirty again. - -Well, it helps shore up my fragile masculine ego. - She kissed me. -Best insecurity ever. - We both giggled and then settled back down. I napped again and when I woke up she had barely moved but was reading Fer-de-lance. -Ooo you -(TM)re reading Stout. - -I was out of stuff to read and figured I -(TM)d give it a shot. - -I hope you like it. And it reminds me. I need to follow up with Coraline about her stories. - -Yeah, she hasn -(TM)t asked but I -(TM)ve been able to tell a couple of times at club meetings that she has wanted to. - -I -(TM)m starting to feel a bit more strength so I -(TM)ll try to get through the stories and finish markup. I still have plenty of time. - She stroked my foot with her own. -Still going back to work Monday? - -Just part-time again. I -(TM)ll do two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon so I can rest more often. - -Good. - -So ... I -(TM)m supposed to be getting light exercise. Want to head out with me? - She closed the book and looked at me. -Where? - -About. - -About what? - -No, about where, about here, go out and about the neighborhood. - She looked at me, her blue eyes studying me. -You, Robert Carlo, the hermit, wants to walk among your neighbors? Have you taken your meds? - -I have. But it -(TM)s time for me to put my big boy pants on and deal with things, starting with the HOA bullshit. - -I thought the lawyer said to let them handle it. - -And I will but am I correct in guessing you know who is active in the HOA? - Without hesitation, she said, -Yeah. - -Then I think it -(TM)s time to at least introduce myself. - -You -(TM)re sure? - -Not a bit but I -(TM)m pretty sure if I had a therapist they would tell me I should be proactive. - Melissa was already pulling jeans on. She had that magic ability to make them look like a second skin though she pulled them on as if they were loose. Nymph magic. -After I spent all that time in the hospital I went to a therapist. - -What did they say? - She started to pull on a shiny purple blouse. -That I -(TM)d grow out of my interest in older men. - I spun around and looked for my sweatpants and said, -Fuck therapy then. - Melissa paused, blouse in mid descent, and started laughing hysterically. Soon we were walking around. I held Melissa -(TM)s hand as we walked to a little park down the road. Swing sets and climbing equipment were surrounded by outdoor rubber safety flooring and a few picnic tables and gazebo stood to the side. It wasn -(TM)t much but a few families were there with kids playing already. Melissa waved as we passed and folks waved back. -You know them, - I asked. -I babysat for a bunch of them. - -If you could babysit for them why didn -(TM)t you do that instead of looking to mow yards? - -Babysitting doesn -(TM)t pay much. If I was going to buy a car I needed both. - -What about Linda and Rian? - -Mom thought I needed to learn the value of work and Rian ... I get along with him fine but I don -(TM)t ask him for anything. - I was going to ask more but then we arrived at our destination, a good-sized house on Birchwood Lane that looked like all the other houses in the subdivision except mine. A large woman with a deep tan was outside weeding. Melissa raised a hand, -Hi Mrs. Hutchinson! - She looked up from where she was kneeling in a flower bed and smiled. -Melissa Milton! I haven -(TM)t seen you in forever. - -Hi, this is Robert. - I had to disengage my hand from Melissa -(TM)s and wave. -Howdy, - I said. -I live down the road on the property at the end of Thorston Drive. - -Oh. - Her eyes darted to Melissa as if she was putting two things together and stopped smiling. I continued, -Can I talk to you about the HOA vote? - She didn -(TM)t look at me, only looking at Melissa. -Oh, Melissa. I didn -(TM)t know you were involved in this. - Melissa answered sweetly. -Involved in what? - -With this situation. - -You mean my boyfriend, my common-law husband? - -You -(TM)re being silly, you -(TM)re just a child. - -And that -(TM)s why you -(TM)re voting to remove me from my house because you think an eighteen-year-old is a child, - I asked. She glared at me. -I have a problem with perverts like you but we -(TM)re voting based on the HOA multiple family rules. Good day. - She grabbed a trowel and went right inside. I watched the door closed and said, -Well, a lawyer has warned them about what to say. - -I knew she was evil, - Melissa said, -she subscribes to the Martha Stewart magazine. - I squeezed Melissa -(TM)s hand. -I love you. - She smiled and it gave me strength. -Another one? - -Why not? It can only get better right? - She didn -(TM)t answer. We ran into lots of people tending yards but several doors were knocked on too. We made a circuit down Birchwood Lane to Evergreen Drive and then back to Forest Road until we got to Thorston Drive again. The second house was another woman who said she was very open-minded but it just isn -(TM)t that kind of neighborhood. One woman yelled at me that I was a disgrace and that Melissa could be my daughter. As we walked away Melissa loudly said -come on Daddy. - One man refused to even talk to us and just shut the door in our faces. Two others were in their yards but walked inside and shut the door without saying a word. The others either hadn -(TM)t been home or hadn -(TM)t even been willing to answer the door. -Well, that went well, - I said. -How about Mexican for lunch? We can go to that place near the mall. It -(TM)s pretty much generic TexMex but they make their own chips and salsa and have horchata. - She looked at me. -Had enough exercise? - I forced a smile. -Yeah, I think so. - We walked in silence for a minute and then I genuinely smiled. -What are you grinning at? - She bumped my good arm. -Do you remember when we fought, that first time and I waited outside for you? - -Seems forever ago but yeah. - -I was sitting on the steps and watched you walk towards the house, this same route. I remember I ached for you ... not sexually but to hear your voice and look in your eyes. You were walking towards me but didn -(TM)t see me and were listening to music. - She smiled. -Believe it or not I remember the song. - -You do? - -Yeah, I remember it was perfect for improving my bad mood. - I bumped her back. -Maybe it can be our song. - She grinned, pulled her phone out, fiddled, and then out of the small phone speaker a growl erupted, and over a funky bass line Bruno Mars erupted with -~This hit, that ice cold, Michelle Pfeiffer, that white gold. -(TM) I chuckled. -Let -(TM)s keep looking for a song. - She hit repeat and as we walked the last block home and we sang along. I surprised myself with how much of the lyrics I knew and being there with her singing along made all the bullshit fine. She turned off the phone as the song ended and we got closer. She glanced over at me as we walked. -You know, I -(TM)ve never asked, why isn -(TM)t your house like the rest of the neighborhood? - -Well, you know it -(TM)s on a double lot, right? - She nodded yes. -Well, when the place was originally built the company intended to offer a ton of customization options. Heck, the guy who bought the place was Thorston, he got to name the street after himself. He told me all this stuff when I bought it from him. - -That -(TM)s why all the other streets are Maple or Birch or something tree? - -Yeah, that was the second company that picked the names. That first company went bankrupt, no idea why. Another company came along and what is now my house was the only one sold. The company that bought up all the assets just built generic houses and sold them. - She squeezed my hand. -We -(TM)re not going to lose it. I don -(TM)t know how but it -(TM)s special and it -(TM)s ours. We were walking past the house of Fred, the HOA president, and I looked over to see all the flowers in his yard. -You know what, - I said. -What? - -After lunch, let -(TM)s go to the nursery. I want to buy a shit load of flowers. This asshole -(TM)s flowers don -(TM)t deserve my bees. I -(TM)ll give them a feast of flowers right now. - Melissa grinned. -Let -(TM)s collect the tigress and do it. You can -(TM)t plant them though. - I could see Lavi -(TM)s car in the driveway ahead of us. -I know what to do about that. - I pulled out my phone and found the contact. It rang and I spoke into it. -June, can I get you to come over tomorrow? I need to do some planting so I -(TM)d appreciate the help. - I paused as she spoke to me and then replied. -Yeah, we do need to talk so let -(TM)s do what friends do and do it. -