Chapter 5

When we got to Brad's house, we went inside. I sat in the living room talking to his mother, while Brad went to his apartment out back to change and get the things that he needed for our trip to Big Creek later.

To say that his mother was a little dismayed to see me would be an understatement. She was less than pleased that I was already back in Brad's life. It had been really hard on her the last time that Brad and I were together, so when I walked in with Brad and said "Hi", I wasn't surprised to see the color drain from her face. Brad missed the look since he was already headed out the back door, but she effectively nailed me to the couch with a motion and a glare.

"So, I see things are picking up where they left off. Does that mean that I can expect visits from half the town again? Or did you learn your lesson?"

"I know you're upset and less than glad to see me. I understand that you hoped never to have me in your house again. Brad and I talked over a lot last night, and we agree both of us showed an extreme lack of good judgment the last time we dated. We are gonna make a real effort to keep things quite and not ruffle any feathers this time. I've already spoken with Jim, and we've come to an understanding that'll make things different on that front as well."

"Let me guess, he offered you a place to stay and said that he didn't care what you did as long as he didn't hear about it."

I was stunned. How could she have known? Neither Janet nor I had expected that reaction. How could this person who really didn't know him know exactly what he had said? I guess the amazement showed on my face because she laughed a harsh and bitter sort of chuckle.

"You don't know him as well as you think you do. He's gonna want something from you that you may not be willing to give. My guess is; he wants in your pants. Be prepared. He won't let you turn him down and let you stay in that house. How do I know? Let's just say I've been around that block a time or two. I grew up with him remember. That's what comes from living in a small town all of your life. I can tell just by the substance of the rumor whether or not it is true."

"What? How can you do that? That doesn't make any sense. You hear someone's having an affair, or that someone is pregnant and just know."

"Well, it's more like I know the people, and that allows me to tell whether or not the rumor is possible. For instance, knowing you, when I heard that you were having Brad's twins, my first reaction was 'Well, that's possible, ' but when you didn't start to show, and the rumor was that you had an abortion, I knew that it was just a rumor. See, I am a pretty good judge of character. While I knew that you were sleeping with my son, I could also tell that you did not believe in abortion, adoption yes, abortion no."

"Close to the mark, but not exactly. I could never do it, but I believe that each woman should have the chance to make up her own mind."

"That actually fits better with your actions than what I would have given you credit for. Is this a recent decision?"

"Yeah, I guess... see over the last couple of years, I've learned to think for myself and not just take whatever's spoon fed to me as right. Much to my mom's regret, I formed my own beliefs and found that while some of them mesh with hers, most just don't. We don't talk about it much, since it offends her, but there you have it. Back to Jim, what makes you think that he wants in my pants?"

"That's easy. You are young, pretty and at his mercy. He'll do anything he can to get you in a place where you have no say. Don't go there. Make sure Brad's around or you will find yourself in a position that you don't want to be in. He is more than just a bit of a freak, but my guess is he'll be satisfied with a fuck or two a month. If you don't set the limits though, you'll find yourself being pushed into things you don't want to do. Same goes for Brad. He knows how I feel about Jim, and Jim's the biggest reason I'm not glad to see you. You're a nice enough girl, even if you do have a nose for trouble. I think that more than anything, you just like to feel good, and that leads you to do things that most people wouldn't dare"

I sat there on the couch for a minute totally dazed. She'd hit the trouble right on the head. I had a really powerful sex drive, and while not a nymphomaniac, I certainly did things that got me in trouble just because they felt good, or made the sex better.

"Before now, we might have spoken 20 words to each other. How is it that all of a sudden you have an insight into my psyche that not even my own mother has? Observant I understand, but you have not been around me enough to see that in me."

"Actually, that's easy. You and Brad are two of a kind. I can expect the same behavior out of him. I spent most of his high school days cleaning up one mess or another for Brad. I'm hoping that he has grown out of that. I'm not as young as I once was, and I don't want to go smooth ruffled feathers everyday when my time could be better spent in the garden."

Just then Brad walked in the back door. He was carrying an ice chest, a couple of towels, his trunks, and a tarp. The only thing appropriate for our trip to Big Creek was the trunks and towels. There is no beach at Big Creek. It is a spring fed creek with a bridge over it nestled in the middle of the Big Piney Woods. The banks are dirt and mud not sand and the bridge is set in concrete, so there is not a place to set up for a picnic.

I looked at him questioningly and said, "Looks like you decided on the drop off, huh?"

"No, another part of the lake. It's on private property, so we won't be disturbed. I called the owner and got permission. I also called Janet and told her where we'd be for the rest of the day. Is she all right? She sounded sick or something."

The look on his mother's face said it all. She knew. How she knew, I had no idea, but she knew that Jim and Janet were sleeping together. I looked at her for a long moment, and then said, "How did you know? I didn't know until this morning, and I practically live there. How long do you think? They are gonna try to explain later..."

"I just had a feeling. This is one of those things that I said he's capable of. As for how long, I don't know, but I'd guess since she was 14 or so. Could be less, but the only way to know that for sure's to ask, and I'd never do that. They're not gonna try to explain. What they are gonna do is try to get you to join. Remember what I said earlier. Set limits, have Brad around, and be careful. Don't trust Jim farther than you can throw him. He's worse than a snake as far as I am concerned."