Chapter 22

Megan called Mona and asked if Josh could come to supper one night.

“That would be fine,” said Mona. “Do you have any idea how late he’ll be?”

“Do you and Dick want to be alone, again?”

“Yes. Does that make me sound like I have round heels?”

Megan laughed.

“You don’t even have to get out of bed. You’re married to the man.”

“I am. And Dick remembered that, thanks to Bob.”

“Oh? What did Bob do?”

“You’re my friend, aren’t you?” asked Mona.

“Of course. We don’t spend a lot of time together, but we could if we want to. Covid doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Is that what you mean?”

“No, but I like the idea, except it might be a little awkward ... or it might not.”

“What do you mean?”

“I had Bob take some glamour shots of me,” said Mona.

“Really? What was it like? I’ve heard of that but don’t know anything about it.”

“Well, he made me look amazing. I had no idea I could look like that. And he made me feel so good while he was taking the pictures.”

“Uh oh,” said Megan. “I do know how that feels. The man knows where to find a woman’s buttons and he loves to push them.”

“Maybe he did that to me,” said Mona.

“Oh no. Please tell me he didn’t do anything ... inappropriate.”

“No. I can’t say he did that. If he had wanted to, he could have. I felt like such a slut.”

“I know exactly how you feel,” said Megan. “So ... how did Dick react?”

“Well, he loved the glamour shots ... but after we did them I told Bob to take a few naughty pictures of me in the lingerie he loaned me. And he made me feel even better until...”

“Mona, did he try to take nude shots of you? If he did I’ll just kill him! He’s like the pied piper and it isn’t fair to a woman when he turns on the charm.”

“No, not nude, exactly. And don’t say a word to him, because he only did what I asked him to. And when Dick looked at it all and I begged him to forgive me for letting Bob see me like that, he went crazy. He dragged me to bed and wouldn’t let me out for three hours! It was like we were on our honeymoon again. He strained his back, the poor man. That was the last time Josh slept over, so thank you for giving us that time.”

“You’re welcome. Josh is welcome any time, but I have to tell you he and Erica are getting very close. I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to keep her from seducing the poor boy.”

“You mean she hasn’t already? I would have bet money on it. When he comes home from your house, or from working with Bob and Erica is there, he walks around with a goofy look on his face and doesn’t pay attention to anything. I don’t know what to do about it. She’s the first girl he was ever interested in and for the last five or six years I was afraid he might be gay, or something.”

“He’s not gay,” said Megan, remembering how prone Josh was to pop a boner when Erica was around. “I can tell you something that will reassure you, but you have to promise me you’ll never say a word to Josh that I told you. He’d die of embarrassment and he’d never talk to me again. He might not even talk to Erica again.”

“This sounds serious,” said Mona.

“That’s the thing. It’s not serious at all.”

“You have my word,” said Mona. “I’ll never say a peep.”

“The very first night he stayed over, he and Erica were in her room. The door was open and I walked by them occasionally. They seemed chummy, but I wasn’t worried. Then, suddenly, Erica came running to us crying and saying she was sorry and that Josh would never speak to her again. It seems she’d gotten him excited and then too excited, and he had an accident in his pants.”

“Oh, no,” whispered Mona. “Are you sure?”

“Bob went and did damage control with Josh. Thank goodness he had a spare change of clothes. Both of them were embarrassed to tears. It seems kissing was involved. Just kissing! Can you believe it?”

“She has to be the first girl he ever kissed,” said Mona.

“Or who kissed him before he was ready for it,” said Megan. “Anyway, we got them back together again and they both cried and hugged, so Bob and I knew all they needed was some time. He and I retired for the night. The next morning both were as chipper as could be.”

“Do you think they...?” asked Mona.

“No, I don’t think so. I sent Bob to get them both for breakfast. I know he’d have told me if he found them together. And please don’t tell Erica this, but I checked her sheets, too, as well as Josh’s. There were no stains of any kind.”

“Wow. My little boy, all grown up.”

“He didn’t feel grown up. I gather Bob told him he was as normal as every other man on the planet.”

“Erica is a looker,” said Mona. “She favors you. He says she’s the best looking girl in school. I can see how a boy like Josh might lose control, if shown any affection by a girl he put on a pedestal.”

“Anyway, I don’t think you need to worry about him being gay.”

“I am so relieved. I know he only asked Erica out on a dare. Did you know that? That first study date they had here was because Josh lost some kind of bet and was required to ask her out. He was practically catatonic when she accepted, and then wanted to spend more time with him after that first date.”

“She knew he was terrified. It impressed her that he went through with it. I think that was the beginning of the attachment she has formed with him.”

“It was bad enough that he had to do it. I know he was completely terrified when he admitted why he did it. He was probably sure she’d dump him if he told her. What girl wants to know she was the payoff for some bet she didn’t even know about? I say we leave them alone, but she’s your daughter. It’s the daughter who suffers if they’re stupid.”

“Not to worry. I put her on the pill. I want her prepared for when she goes off to college.”

“I’m relieved, though I can’t imagine Josh trying anything like that. I just can’t. And, based on what you told me, he might never be able to ... consummate, so to speak.”

“So you don’t mind if they get more serious?”

“Mind? I’m elated that a girl like Erica cares about him. She’s probably more responsible for his advancing maturity than either Dick or I are.”

“Okay, then. You and Dick have another honeymoon night and we’ll entertain Josh.”

“It won’t be another honeymoon night. After the last one he didn’t get up until noon, and he moaned and groaned about aches and pains until I told him to stop. Since then he’s been very attentive. We’ll have a nice night and he’ll be attentive to me some more and I’ll love it. I’d thank Bob personally, but I might make a fool of myself.”

“Want me to give him a kiss for you?”

“Could you give him something a little better?”

“Why Mona! You’re a married woman!”

“That’s why I’m asking you to give it to him.”

“I’ll think of something,” said Megan. “Send Josh over around five.”

“I’ll be delighted to,” said Mona.

On the night Josh came to dinner again, everything seemed just like any other time he’d eaten with them, until the end.

“We need to have a family meeting,” said Megan. “And for tonight, Josh and Bob are part of the family.”

Josh looked around, blinking. Bob just sat there.

“Bob and I are getting married,” said Megan. Erica bounced in her chair and grinned, until her mother centered attention on her. “The problem is that, because Bob and Erica have worked so closely together, and because she has modeled some adult clothing, they’ve become very close.” She looked at Josh. “They both know this, of course, but I felt you, Josh, needed to know.”

“Mom! What are you doing?” Erica blurted. Megan ignored her and kept talking to Josh. Bob reached and put a hand on Erica’s knee, squeezing it, gently.

“I know you and Erica are close, too, and that you two might even have plans for the future. Because of the economic impact of Covid on both Bob and me, we have had to make some tough decisions. Bob has sold some photographs of both Erica and me to ... overseas customers. That has kept us afloat, financially. But for people to pay that much for photographs, I assume you can figure out what kind of photographs they were.”

“Mom, I told him about the ones Bob took of me. He said he understands.”

“Does he understand that to stay afloat we may have to ratchet things up to videos?”

“You mean ... you ... and Bob?” asked Erica, weakly.

“In the interests of clear communication I think you should tell your mother about what you and Josh have planned,” said Bob. “She needs to know that you and Josh may make porn videos.”

“Gee, do you think I should tell her that, Bob? I mean clearly she couldn’t possible know about that, yet.”

“As crazy as this may sound to you, I don’t care if the two of you do that,” said Megan.

There was a stunned silence at the table.

“You don’t?” Erica asked, sounding confused.

“No. That is between the two of you. I’m not worried about that. What I am worried about is how Erica feels about Bob, while all this is going on. You see, Bob can shoot videos of the two of you, but who’s going to shoot videos of him and me?” She let that hang for a few seconds. “Since Erica has observed Bob and me making love before, something Josh also needs to know, it makes sense for her to be behind the camera for that. The alternative is to hire a stranger to come do that.”

“No!” said Erica. “I’ll do it.”

“I know you’ll do it, Sweetheart,” said Megan, gently. I think you need to tell Josh what you have fantasized about for years. It’s only fair to him.”

“What fantasy?” asked Erica, as if just questioning it could make it go away.

“The one in which Bob takes your virginity?” She looked at Josh. “I know this is coming at you very quickly, but all this developed before she met you. Given time, I’m sure she’d get over it. But we don’t have time. We need to generate the income very soon, and by very soon I mean within weeks. And I’m worried that being around Bob, while he and I are ... acting ... might lead you to do something you and Josh might regret.”

“Okay, so I’ve wanted to have sex with him for a while. I have a boyfriend, now, so maybe things have changed.”

“Have they?” Megan bored in. “If you and Bob were alone would you still want to be intimate with him? Your boyfriend deserves to know.”

“Mom,” groaned the girl. “This isn’t fair. Josh barely knows me. I love him and I hope he knows that, but I can’t just turn it on and off. It isn’t fair to make me choose like this!”

“It’s okay!” Josh blurted. Everybody looked at him. “I get it.” His eyes flicked to Megan and lingered for a heartbeat too long before returning to Erica. “I’m not going to make you choose.” Again, his eyes flicked to Megan and she could tell they focused on her breasts. Boys had stared at her breasts plenty of times before and she made a leap, but it might be a leap into thin air and she needed to know, because the answer to a question in her mind could have a tremendous impact on them all.

“Wait!” she barked. “Josh, I’m going to ask you a question. It is extremely important that you answer me truthfully. Will you do that?”

He nodded.

“No, you have to say, Yes, Mrs. Blaylock, I swear to answer honestly.”

“Don’t badger him, Mom,” said Erica. “Yes, we have made love. When he slept over last time things got kind of carried away, but I’m not sorry and neither is Josh.”

“Good to know,” said Megan. “Now, can I ask Josh my question?”

“You mean...?” Erica covered her eyes with her hands as she realized she’d given away something her mother didn’t need to know.

“Now that I reflect on it, I think this question needs to be asked in private. We’ll be right back.”

Megan rose and held out her hand to Josh, who took it and followed her. She chose her bedroom intentionally, and when they were in it she told him to sit on the edge of the bed.

“I’m glad to know you and Erica have been intimate. I’ll even say I approve of that, so it’s only normal that the idea of Bob and Erica making love bothers you,” she said.

“I don’t own her,” he said. “I already feel like the luckiest guy in the world.”

“Still, I know if she decided to be intimate with you she loves you, and I suspect you love her, too. Both of you want to carry this forward in the future, right?”

“Yes. She got accepted at one college, though, and I got accepted to another.”

“Everything is already screwed up, thanks to Covid. You both missed your prom and they won’t even let you have a commencement ceremony. Erica has passed all her online tests. I assume you have, too. So your college plans can change if you both take a gap year and make different arrangements.”

“Gap year?”

“During which you and Erica can ... earn some college money.”

He blushed.

“Bob and I have talked about that, actually. There are a number of scenarios in which a lot of money can be made. If it wasn’t for Covid I would forbid it. But there is Covid and who knows how long it’s going to last? It may be that a whole generation of students will take an enforced gap year.”

“I didn’t think about that,” he said.

“Anyway, all of that can be discussed when all of us are together. Right now I want to ask you that question.”

“Okay.” He looked nervous.

“It makes you jealous that Erica wants to have sex with Bob, doesn’t it?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Josh, Covid has changed everything. I’m still a teacher, but only online. You and I have formed a relationship that would normally be banned. But facts are facts. The relationship that you and I have is not a teacher/student relationship. It is a Josh/Megan relationship and I’m not bothered by that at all. If we all start making movies, though, then all of us will be involved, either in acting or running the camera or directing. That means you or Erica might have to run the camera while Bob and I act. That would be uncomfortable for both you and me. Erica and Bob probably couldn’t care less, but you and I would need some way to adjust to that. You would see me naked and ... having sex, and I would see you with my daughter, naked and ... having sex. Am I right that this could be very difficult?”

“Yes!” he gasped. He covered his lap with both hands.

“I can think of one way this difficulty could be banished,” she said.

She walked over to him and moved his hands. With her own hand, she squeezed his erection.

“Josh, if you and I had sex on camera, then everything would be even. Erica could get what she wants, and you could get what you want. Am I right? Do you want to have sex with me, Josh?”

“Ohhh noooo,” he whined, and covered his lap again.

“What?”

Within a few seconds, while he froze and rocked, her nose told her what her eyes couldn’t, because of his hands.

“Oh, Josh, Honey, I’m so sorry. I ambushed you and I shouldn’t have.”

Tears streamed down his cheeks and she dropped to her knees. She moved his hands and spread his knees, wading between them. She put her hands on his shoulders.

“Josh, please don’t be embarrassed. You have paid me a whopping compliment.” She blinked. “Unless your erection was because of thinking about Bob and Erica being together.”

“No,” he groaned.

“Okay, then. There is not a problem, here. Josh, I am not in any way upset that you had a premature ejaculation because I offered to have sex with you. I’m proud, in fact, that I can have that effect on a man. You have made me feel very good. But you need to answer the question. Josh, do you want to have sex with me?”

He took a deep breath.

“Every boy at Hillsdale High wants to have sex with you.”

“Josh, I don’t care about the others. I only care about you. Like I said, right now we are not teacher and student. Right now I am Erica’s mother and you are her serious boyfriend. Do you want to have sex with me? Answer me honestly.”

“Yes,” he whispered.

“All right, then. We might have a possible way forward. If Erica wants to make a movie with Bob, and if you and I then make a movie, everything balances out.”

“You’d ... do that?” He sounded like he might break.

“Josh. As unorthodox and insane as that is ... yes. I would be willing to do that if it keeps the peace. I know my daughter loves you. I think you love her, too, and if that lasts then you might marry her some day. I had to think about that long before now, and so I examined you pretty closely. I had to decide if I thought you were good enough for her or not. And guess what. I decided I like you. I’d be proud if she made things permanent with you. I’m not suggesting you think about that now. It’s way too soon. I just want you to know I like you a lot. You don’t need to know my background, but Bob isn’t the first man I’ve made love with.”

“I know,” he said. “Erica.”

“True, but as you can tell by the fact her father isn’t in the picture, that didn’t turn out happily for me. But you know what? As Erica grew I realized she was a blessing, and pretty soon I was glad that guy knocked me up and left. We didn’t need him. I didn’t need any man. And then I met Bob and he unlocked something in me. Maybe I should say he thawed something in me. I don’t know. I didn’t plan on falling in love with any man and I didn’t plan on falling in love with him. But I did and I’m not unhappy about that at all.”

She tugged at his shirt, settling it in to place even though it didn’t need it.

“So here’s the deal. If my daughter loves you, then I’m going to need to love you, too. And if my daughter wants to have sex with my fiancé, then I think it’s only fair that I get to have sex with her boyfriend.” She leaned closer to him and stared into his eyes. “And Josh, I think I’d like to make love with you very much.”

Then, slowly, she kissed him on the lips. It was merely her warm lips pressing against his, but it told him she was telling the truth. And it changed his life forever.

Erica Blaylock, the hottest girl in school, had made love with him.

And now her mother, the hottest teacher in school, had said she was willing to do the same.

Megan calmly returned to the kitchen, where Bob and Erica were waiting.

“I just put Josh’s pants and underwear in the wash. Erica, Honey, would you please go get him some clean clothes and take them to him? He’s in my bedroom.”

“What?! Why?! Mom!”

“Go, go, go, go,” said Megan, making shooing sounds. “He’ll explain things to you.”

As soon as she left Megan sat on Bob’s lap.

“I may have done something that’s over the line,” she said. “I should have talked to you first, but I saw something while we were discussing the future and I needed to know where he stood before I could make a decision. Once I knew ... I made a decision. I want you to love me and support me, if you can.”

“What did you do?” Bob sighed.

“I told him that if you and Erica had sex in a video, it was only fair that he and I have sex in a video.”

Bob laughed.

“You’re an evil woman, Megan Blaylock. You know `you’re a MILF and that every boy in school dreams of just seeing you naked, and also knows he’d never get to actually touch you, and certainly not have sex with you. No wonder the poor boy popped a nut.”

“Actually, he did that before I told him I wanted to make things ... equitable, if his girlfriend insisted on having sex with you.”

“I’d love to hear how that conversation went,” said Bob.

“Maybe you’ll get to. But are you mad at me?”

“Honey, I know how fucked up all this is. If things are as serious with them as it looks like it is, he’s going to be around for a long time. If he can avoid decades of wanting his mother-in-law and feeling guilty for it, by having his mother-in-law once, sort of, then things will be a lot healthier between them.”

“Do you think so?”

“I know so.”

“So, can you think of any plots in which a fine, young stud like him might end up with a wrinkled old cow like me in bed?”

“Only five or ten,” said Bob.

“So, do you think we could make a hundred thousand dollars over the next year?”

“Honey, you alone could make a hundred thousand dollars in a year.”

Over the next three weeks all of their lives changed, radically. The only reason for this was the Corona virus, which was released, depending on who you asked, or at least emerged from China. And the way that affected this little band of people was as radical as if they had all just gotten on a plane and flown to China.

Megan was a teacher who was forbidden to teach, other than one online class. So she had to take radical action to support herself and her daughter. Erica had already been bringing in some money and putting it in a college fund, but after the big family meeting the money she had saved became a “get-by-until-Bob-can-sell-more-pictures” fund.

The issue was Josh, and not because he didn’t want to make more money to put in his secret fund. His parents were hurting, too, and any money he made could make the difference between floating or sinking in the current world.