Lean on Me
Copyright© 2025 by Danny January
Chapter 24
Romance Sex Story: Chapter 24 - The continuing chronicles of Jack Pierce. Autumn of 1982. The chronicles, in order are: 1. Feasting with a Silver Spoon 2. Summertime and the Livin' is Easy 3. Something Fishy Going On 4. Centerfield 5. Tourist Season 6. Lean on Me They are progressive and not meant to be stand-alone stories.
Caution: This Romance Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including mt/ft Consensual Heterosexual Fiction
Monday began the short Thanksgiving week. We had a couple of quizzes but no big assignments or tests. Everyone was ready for a break. In PE, we were in badminton, and I tried to revive combat badminton and was only marginally successful.
That afternoon, we finished our workout, and Mom said, “We’re just going to have a small Thanksgiving. Just a few people.”
Sure.
An hour later, Angela showed up with a turkey. Kim and I sat in the gym, talking, and sort of watching the front door. Veronica showed up. Then, Karen showed up. We had bratwurst and sauerkraut for dinner. After dinner, Mr. McTighe showed up with a twenty-four-pound turkey.
“Small Thanksgiving?” I asked.
“No. That’s silly,” Mom said. I looked at Kim, and she hid her smile behind her hand.
“I’m pretty sure you said we’d have a small Thanksgiving.”
“When did I say that?”
People started showing up at noon on Thanksgiving Day. My brother Franklin and his wife Karen were first, and they brought goodies. Mom’s best friend, Veronica, and Karen’s mom, Angela, came next with a couple of pies. Kim’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. McTighe, showed up with a couple of casseroles. Marie and Doc Tipman came with an ice chest full of drinks. Then, Doctors Legare and Calhoun showed up with a giant vegetable platter and what was undoubtedly a healthy dip. Mrs. Middleton, Mel, and Bobby came with more casseroles. Mrs. Delinger, Lori, Vince, and Lani came with some sort of covered dishes. I was surprised, but only a little, when Natalie showed up. Kim and I watched our small Thanksgiving grow. I guess it was small if only having twenty-two people qualified as small.
There was either food or people everywhere. Conversations ranged from anything to everything. I received congratulations on a couple of State titles from those I hadn’t seen in a while. A couple of people asked about cheerleading competition.
“We lost some good people. We’ve added some good people.” She looked at Mel for a minute, then said, “We have a really good new cheerleader, and I think if she does well, it will inspire others. Everybody knows how good she is.”
“Cassidy?” I asked, and Kim and Mel both nodded. Who knew? I guess I should have.
People finished eating and began to migrate to the rec room. Kim and I kicked Mom out, telling her we would clean up. She gave me the raised eyebrow look, then went to the rec room.
“What did we just get ourselves into?” I asked. It seemed like every surface was covered with food or dishes.
“Grab a big trash can. You get rid of all the trash, and I’ll start organizing the food. I know who brought a lot of it, and it can go home in the same containers, or we can split up leftovers. With the trash gone and the food all on the table, you can start on the dishes, and I’ll join you when I’m done,” Kim said. She had a plan. Mel and Bobby tried to help, but Kim kicked them out. “There’s only so much room. We’ve got it. Thanks.”
I loaded the dishwasher with all the glasses, plates, and silverware, then went to work hand-washing the bigger pots and pans. By the time I got done, the dishwasher was ready to be unloaded and refilled. Mom stuck her head in once or twice, telling Kim which food went with what. The whole thing took us two solid hours.
When we finished, we walked outside to the pool and sat at one of the tables. “Where did summer go?” I asked.
“Same place autumn is about to go,” Kim said, looking at the gray sky. “You hate this time of year, don’t you?”
“On the contrary, it’s my third favorite season. I need to winterize the pool. The heater can’t keep up with the cool temperatures. When that happens, it’s the real end of summer. Uck.”
“Do you think anyone would miss us if we went to the beach?”
“Just to go for a walk? That sounds good. I love all these people, but there’s a lot of them.”
I told Mom, and we managed to maneuver my car around a couple of cars in the driveway, and we left. We swung by Kim’s house so she could get a sweatshirt. I had my super-duper poncho. I parked near the pier and we set off walking.
The waves sounded a little bigger than normal, but they were tough to see without moonlight. We walked on the packed sand, holding hands. We walked about a half mile before either of us said anything.
“Your mom is funny. Just a small gathering. Should I ask her where Hector and his crew were?”
“No. She loves to host. Maybe we should build a huge kitchen and something like a banquet hall or something. Then, we could let her outfit it.”
“Jack? Jack Pierce? You’re funny. The party is still going on at your house, but we’re alone at the beach to get some peace and quiet, but you’re thinking about building a party house for your mom to fill?”
“Yeah. Stupid idea, I guess.”
“No, Baby, it’s a great idea. It’s just a little weird hearing it from you. I’m all for it.”
It got quiet again. I was thinking about our home design. Kim knew that I was and let me think. I knew she would have ideas. I wanted to hear them. But she knew to just let my mind run with it for a while.
“We should ask Mom.”
“I bet there are a few people at your house right now that have been to some parties at big homes, too.”
We started back for the car. Most of the cars were still at my house when we got back. I had a hunch everyone had a long weekend and was in no hurry to leave. We found Mom in the rec room. Marie was teaching some new dance steps, and Dr. Tipman was helping her. He’d improved a lot.
Kim whispered to Mom what we were interested in. She grabbed Dr. Calhoun, and we went to the relatively quiet kitchen and explained what we were interested in.
“How many people?” Dr. Calhoun asked.
“I don’t know. We have over twenty here, now. If we had Hector’s crew, we’d end up with close to fifty, I guess. I don’t know. We’re just thinking about it.”
“You would definitely want two ovens,” Mom said. “We were about maxed out for this group.”
“I’d think so. Counter space. The countertop you have is good, but if you wanted to put out food for that many people, you’d need a lot of counter space,” Dr. Calhoun added
The two of them were all over it, and Kim took notes as fast as she could. They were on a roll. We’d need a large pantry for storage, a second refrigerator or a large freezer, an island was a must, two ovens, a large cooking surface, and two sinks were all on the list. Mom said we should make certain there was enough room to work without stepping on each other.
Kim was working on her second page of notes when Veronica and Marie joined us. “Don’t forget storage room for all your tools. You’ll need a large blender, and that takes up a lot of room. Oh, and you’ll need outlets everywhere. Copper. Copper pots and pans are the best. You can hang them up when you’re not using them, and they look great.”
Marie added her input with a European flavor, but she said most homes in Europe were smaller than ours. She had a lot of good ideas about tools and kitchen gadgets. The idea was pretty exciting for all of them. While they were planning and making lists, I thought it would be great if we had a kitchen they’d want to use. That meant room to work.
“This is making me hungry,” I said, sort of out of the blue.
“After what you ate? Make yourself a turkey sandwich,” Mom answered, so I did. Kim shook her head, but she was smiling. I like turkey sandwiches as much as the next guy.
We thanked them for their input and told them we were far from done, but a lot more knowledgeable than we had been. Kim had six pages of notes, having more than enough information and ideas to start with. The party wound down, and people started to leave. Kim suggested we wait at the front door and tell everyone ‘Thanks for coming.’ That’s what we did.
When Natalie came to the door, she hugged me and then Kim without saying anything. It looked like she was about to, but she just smiled instead. Karen and Franklin had been right behind her.
“This was a big deal,” Karen said, and I knew she meant that it was a big deal for Natalie. What a strange turn of events. The McTighes took Kim home. I was exhausted. I wasn’t sleepy, but all those people had just exhausted me.
I was up early on Friday morning and worked to winterize the pool. I double checked the temperature, just to make certain the season was over. We had a great pool heater, but it couldn’t keep up with the low night temperatures. Too bad. I’d balanced the chemicals the day before, so I worked to clean it well. Once it was as clean as I could make it, I stretched the cover out, working back and forth and securing it as I went. That done, I drained the pump and filter and cleaned them thoroughly.
Summer was over. I hated it. Mom said I got like an old man after closing the pool. The temperatures got cooler, I always had on a sweatshirt and complained about the cold. Chances were that she’d already put an extra blanket on my bed while I was closing the pool. She knew how I hate cold weather, and by cold, I mean below seventy.
I grabbed a sweatshirt, noticing that Mom, true to form, had put an extra blanket on the end of my bed. Kim picked me up and drove us to the mall, parking near the giant bookstore. It was packed.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been here, but I don’t remember it being this busy.”
“It’s black Friday,” Kim said.
“What?”
“Black Friday.” My face must have been a giant clue. “The day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday. Everything is on sale and shoppers are hunting for bargains.”
“I just want a book on kitchens and home design.”
“This is the first you’ve heard of it, isn’t it? You’ve never heard of black Friday before. You don’t know holidays very well either. What else are you clueless about?”
“I’m not clueless. I just didn’t know about black Friday. What’s so black about it, anyway?”
“Businesses that have been in the red all year make money today, and they get in the black. What’s your favorite holiday?”
“Yesterday. Thanksgiving.”
“The food.”
“Exactly. So, let’s find some books on how to build and outfit a kitchen so we, too, can have feasts whenever we want them.”
“Dufus.”
We found several books on the subject, but found that the magazine section had better and more up-to-date ideas. With three magazines and two books in hand, we drove to a large appliance store to see just what the real things looked like. It was a bit underwhelming.
“We need to find out where restaurants buy their equipment,” Kim said. We went to La Esperanza for a late lunch. They had added some new dishes, and I tried the chicken mole enchilada, and it was amazing. I was pretty sure Kim was jealous. I asked if she knew where they purchased their kitchen equipment.
It was slow, so we got a tour of the kitchen, complete with gripes and recommendations. This was the owner’s third restaurant, and he’d learned a few things along the way. It was a great tour, and he pointed us toward Charleston Restaurant Supply. Another win for us.
After driving to North Charleston, we went in, not knowing what to expect. A couple of guys were trying to choose from an assortment of overhead ventilator fans. Other than that, it was deserted. I guessed everyone was at the mall or on a long weekend. Two salesmen approached us, and we told them what we were interested in and the time frame. They would have liked to sell us something that day, but they liked that we would be building a home and had a nice budget.
We got a lesson. Boy, did we get a lesson. The most important thing we learned was that if we outfitted our kitchen for that twice-a-year soirée, we might have way too much kitchen for daily life. He used a dishwasher as an example. Dishes from our typical evening meal wouldn’t begin to fill a large industrial dishwasher. He was right, and we could both see the wisdom in that.
Having a very large refrigerator or freezer wasn’t a big deal. Having a large cooking surface wasn’t either. But a large oven took longer to heat. Black Friday was the absolute best day for this. They were bored and really taught us. We left with brochures from various brands, handshakes, and an enthusiastic, “We’re here when you’re ready.” I liked them.
When we got back to the house, we started toward my office, but got dragged into the kitchen so Mom could check out our haul. She cheated. She offered pecan pie. Dr. Calhoun chuckled at how easily I could be bribed. It was pretty good pie. The three of them wanted to go over all the notes, brochures, and magazines. I decided to go to Oregon.
I died of dysentery, starvation, and the worst possible way, by drowning. I was just setting out again, this time with more food, when Kim, Dr. Calhoun, and Mom all came to my office. Kim handed me a half dozen pages from the magazines and brochures. I liked what I saw.
“These are all stainless steel,” I observed. “How did you figure out how large of a party this would work for?”
“It’s a bit of overkill,” Kim said, almost, but not quite, laughing at her characterization.
“What about what the salesman said about having appliances that are too big for the two of us?”
“The two biggest issues are the dishwasher and the oven. At least that’s what it seems like. We won’t need a giant dishwasher. You and I managed to take care of the Thanksgiving dishes with a normal dishwasher just fine. The other issue is the oven. We already thought we’d get two. We can get one large and one normal size. Tada.”
“And that would do the trick?”
“Extra counter space and a second sink won’t get in our way. A large refrigerator and freezer in the pantry would be out of the way. At the very least, I think we’ve figured out the basics. The next issue will be size and layout. There’s probably some rule of thumb or something to give us a guideline in one of your books.”
“I can cook, but when it comes to big meals like that, I wouldn’t know where to begin, so whatever you’re happy with is fine with me.” It would have been crazy to say anything else. All three ladies smiled, proving me right.
Kim and I managed to get to Oregon, but we lost a kid on the way. I told her we could make more once we got to Oregon, and she just shook her head. Dr. Calhoun took her home when she left, and I hit the sack, exhausted from spending two days surrounded by people.
After a very healthy breakfast, since I really needed to get back on track, I went out to the gym. I pulled out a camp chair and a Gatorade and waited for Bobby. I was trying to figure out my off-season when he pulled in. I climbed in and we set off for Conway. I asked a lot of questions about the College of Charleston, and he answered each one in typical Bobby Claire fashion. It was like pulling teeth.
“Jack, it’s dandified high school with a flexible schedule, an open campus, and a lot of really beautiful women.”
“That sums it up?”
“Whatever else anyone says about PG, they prepare you for college. I wrote more papers in high school. I’m not complaining.”
“You make it sound pretty good. Pretty easy.”
“The bad part about it is for social animals like you.”
“Wait. I’m a social animal?” He grinned. “Okay, what’s the bad part?”
“Tough to make friends. There are a lot more people, and they come from all over. You might see a person once a week in lecture or maybe three times a week for class. In all my classes, I think I have two people who I see more than three times a week. You’d better match your schedule to mine, or maybe Kim or Mel, or you’re going to be bored.”
“Good to know.” Bobby was the most introverted person I knew, and he was telling me about feeling alone at college. That was serious. “When Mel gets there next year, things will be better.”
“I couldn’t imagine missing someone as much as I miss her.”
“Crazy, huh?”
“No kidding. I’m honestly shocked by how much I miss her.”
“Who would have thought?”
When we got to Myrtle Beach, Bobby pulled into a little seafood place he knew about. I thought that if we flew to Sri Lanka and walked the streets of Colombo, Bobby would know of a good restaurant. At Bobby’s recommendation, I ordered the shrimp étouffée. He knew I loved shrimp. He had honey-glazed garlic salmon. If you were ever out to dinner with Bobby, and didn’t know what to order, you should just get whatever he ordered.
The shrimp étouffée was amazing.
We made our way to Coastal Carolina University, parked near the baseball field, and walked the short distance to Brooks Stadium. Bobby had picked up our tickets from Mrs. Delinger the day before, and we knew we were sitting next to her and Lani. We were on the east side, section one-oh-four, row one, seats three and four. They turned out to be in the front row on the fifty. There were no better seats. Lani and Mrs. Delinger were already there.
They were both in a good mood, and the Chanticleers were finishing up their warmup before a trip to the locker room for last-minute prep. Vince ran over, said ‘hi’, and told us to enjoy the game. He said that if they got out to a good lead, he’d be coming out of the game so another quarterback could have some real game practice. He said he knew the weaknesses in the Appalachian State Mountaineer defense and thought he could take advantage of it.
From the opening kickoff, it was clear who had the better team. Neither team was going to a bowl game, and the only thing on the line was pride. That, and individual opportunities to be recognized by larger colleges. Vince was on fire, and they drove down the field for three touchdowns in the first quarter, mostly on pass plays. When he led the team for a fourth touchdown in the second quarter, Coach Strexel pulled Vince out and put in their next best quarterback.
“That’s it for me, unless something weird happens,” he said to us. Our front row seats meant he could easily be in talking distance, even with a packed stadium and a band. He talked with his mom and Lani for a minute, then went back to the sidelines.
Lani and Bobby went to get snacks, so I had a few minutes with Mrs. Delinger. “How are you doing?” I asked.
“Oh, I don’t know. Pretty good, I guess. We knew it was coming for a long time, and I guess I’d come to grips with the reality.”
“That doesn’t really make it easier, though, does it?” I really didn’t know.
“Sometimes I think it does. I’m so glad he got to see Vince play at this level. He really enjoyed talking to you during the game, by the way.”
“I feel honored. I knew it was a big deal for him and Vince, and it was great to see it happen.”
“You lost your father not so long ago, too, didn’t you?”
“Not the same thing. He was my step-dad, and we didn’t really do anything together. Lots different.”
“I think Vin was more like a big brother than a father to Vince.”
“I have an older brother, and when our dad died, he sort of stepped up. He taught me a lot of stuff a couple of summers ago, and we go to kung fu lessons together once a week.”
“That’s the kind of thing Vin would do.”
We talked a few more minutes about the two of them, and I told her about Franklin. It seemed to me that she was handling it pretty well, but I’m not the best at figuring out that kind of thing. There wasn’t much I could do about it, anyway. At least that’s what I thought. Then she told me that tossing the ball with Vince had been a pretty big deal. Who knew?
The Chanticleers won handily. Vince came to the sidelines and we talked for a few minutes, congratulating him on a good game.
“This was probably my last college football game.”
“I just swam my last meet. It’s a weird feeling.”
“Yeah. I don’t know what to do with that. Who knows? I guess maybe I’ll focus on school some.” He laughed, and we all did. He said he’d be in town later that day and asked if he could work out with me Sunday.
Bobby had a date with Mel, so we thanked him for the tickets and hit the road. Bobby and I could have driven across the country without talking. We talked a little.
“What’s your date?” I asked.
“Magnolias for dinner and then a movie. The Man from Snowy River is supposed to be pretty good.”
“Kim wants to see it. Lots of horses.”
When I got home, I called Kim and we made plans for Sunday afternoon. Then, I called Sally. I hadn’t done that in far too long. I brought her up to speed on everything in my life and then listened to what was new with her. She was still working at Merril’s Ranch and dating Warren. School was going great, and she and her dad were getting along better than ever, and her mom seemed happier.
“Oh, I almost forgot. I got a second job. It’s not really a job. I mean, it is, but it’s not like a nine-to-five thing or anything, but it’s really fun. The money is okay, but mostly it’s just fun and different.”
“Alright, Sally, what is it?”
“Oh, didn’t I say already? I’m a model.”
“A model? No kidding. That’s great, Sally.”
“Yeah. It’s fun. I started out being a body part model. How crazy is that? Anyway, they decided they liked all of me. So, it’s not like I’m going to be a supermodel or anything, but I’ll be in the Spring issue of the Sears catalog. I have a contract to do some shoots, that’s what they call ‘em, shoots, for a couple of clothing brands. We’ll see how that works.”
“That’s awesome, Sally. I have to ask, what body part?”
“Don’t laugh. Calves. I’m in a couple of ads for shoes. They’re three-inch stilettoes. Anyway, that’s how that started. I bet you could do it.”
“Sally, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to see me in three-inch stilettoes.” We both laughed at that. She told me about how the process worked, how much she got paid, and how other girls had gone on to big things. She said she was pretty sure no one cared if you had nice calves if you didn’t have boobs, too. That was pretty funny.
We talked for a long time about big things and small. She gave me a couple of book recommendations, with Snow Queen by Joan Vinge at the top of her stack. I didn’t think she was going to rush to the bookstore to pick up a copy of Small Farm Management. She thought it was great that we were so focused.
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