Chapter 7: A Little Something on the Side

Ramon answered the door when Errol knocked at seven sharp on Saturday evening. As he stepped inside, he put his arm over the boy's shoulder and said, "Good to see you, kid! We've missed you around the hotel."

"Thanks. I've missed you guys, too." He lowered his voice and said, "Um, I did what you said. I told Mama and Juanita."

"Yeah, Juanita told me. I'm glad you took my advice. I know it must have been hard for you, but it was the right thing to do."

"Well at first, Mama got real mad, but then she got over it. I think Juanita already knew. Anyhow, I'm glad it's over with."

Mrs. Perez heard him arrive from the kitchen and came into the living room, wiping her hands on her apron as usual, and gave him a big hug. "Bienvenido a nuestra casa! You have hungry?"

Errol had spent a few minutes online reviewing some high school Spanish, and answered, "Sí. Tengo hambre de su deliciosa comida!"

She laughed in delight and said, "Oh, you talk good Español!"

"Gracias," he joked, "but very little." He sniffed the air and smiled. "Whatever you're cooking, it smells wonderful!"

"I think you like." She turned and shouted down the hallway, "Mi hija, nuestro invitado ya está aquí!"

Juanita stepped out of her bedroom and walked slowly down the hall into the living room, making quite an entrance. She was wearing form-fitting black slacks and a yellow, off-the-shoulder blouse that did perfect justice to her golden skin. She was stunning, and she correctly judged his appreciative stare. Gracing him with a smile that could melt steel, she said, "Hi, Errol. Glad you could make it."

"I wouldn't miss your mother's cooking for the world. And I guess seeing you looking so beautiful means I've already had my dessert. At least my eyes have."

Mrs. Perez didn't get all of that exchange, but she picked up enough to catch the blatant flirtation going on between them. She slapped him playfully on the shoulder and laughingly scolded, "Señor Hansen, mi hija no on menu! Por favor, you sit! We eat soon!"

"Please, call me Errol, Mrs. Perez."

"Si, Errol."

Juanita and Ramon each took an arm and guided him to the sofa, sitting on either side of him as he settled in the middle. Now it was both siblings looking at him with adoring eyes. Ramon's barely contained worship wasn't nearly so uncomfortable for him, now that he understood the boy better. Still, it was a little disconcerting knowing he was being mentally undressed by another guy.

At the dinner table, Mrs. Perez bustled around serving up one delicious dish after another, occasionally sitting to take a few bites for herself. Every new thing Errol tried, she would anxiously ask, "You like?" or "Maybe you make at restaurant, yes?"

"Mrs. Perez, I'm sure Jack Ramey wouldn't like me saying this, but you should consider opening your own restaurant. I bet people would come from miles around to enjoy your cooking!"

Ramon translated and she brushed it aside, saying, "Oh no! No have dinero for restaurante. You buy restaurante, I cook for you!"

"And I could be your waitress." Juanita added with a coy smile.

The dinner was excellent, the company and conversation pleasant, and the evening completely enjoyable. About nine, Errol left for home with a full stomach and the certainty that Juanita would be receptive to some kind of a courtship.

When he arrived back at the house, Lulu was curled up on the couch reading a book with country and western music playing in the background. She looked up when he entered the living room and asked, "So how was the dinner?"

"Awesome! That lady can really cook. Ramey should be thankful she has no interest in opening a restaurant. You look like you're having a nice quiet evening."

"Very quiet and much appreciated. Gretchen went to a movie with Charlene. She said they were going out for hamburgers afterward and that she might stay overnight if it got to be very late. If she comes home at all, it probably won't be before midnight."

Errol was good at reading people, and there was something in her expression and her comment that hinted Lulu might be amenable to a little romp if he showed any interest. She'd just made a point of specifying when Gretchen was expected home.

After spending the whole evening with the beautiful and sensuous Juanita, he was horny as hell, and he was definitely in need of some relief. But there was a little ethical battle going on in his head at the same time. Using Lulu as a convenient substitute for masturbation seemed a little sleazy.

He was about to drop the whole idea and head up to his room, when Lulu took the initiative. "Errol, come sit by me?"

He did as she asked. As he sank into the overstuffed couch, he came in contact with her shoulder and hip. She put down her book and took his hand.

She looked up and said, "I want to tell you how much Gretchen and I like having you around the house. You really have filled an empty space in our lives."

He wondered if she suspected he was thinking about leaving. "Well, you've both been very kind, going out of your way to make me feel at home. I appreciate that."

Lulu squeezed his hand and made her proposition. "Can I tell you what I think would be the icing on the cake?"

He knew where she was going, and needy as he was at the moment, he had no intention of stopping her. He ignored the ethical quandary and said, "I have an idea, but why don't you tell me?"

She snickered, "You're gonna make me say it, aren't you?"

"I have to. There can't be any question in my mind."

"Okay, here it is. From time to time, I'd like to have sex with you. I won't ask you to make any kind of commitment, just an occasional screw to relieve an itch, if you know what I mean. I'm not looking for a mate, just a sex partner. Would you have any interest in something like that?"

He lifted her hand and kissed it. "I might, as long as there are no conditions attached, and as long as it doesn't cause any problems between you and Gretchen. How do you think she'd handle knowing about it?"

"Well, I wasn't planning on making any confessions because frankly, it's none of her business. If she guesses, so what? We're grownups and we have our needs."

He stood, still holding her hand. As they headed up the stairs, he marveled at the capacity of the human mind to rationalize questionable ethical behavior in the face of overpowering physical need. It's the stuff addictions are made of.

Behind her closed bedroom door, they wasted no time getting to it. They were undressed in seconds and fell onto her bed in a tangle of arms and legs. The sex was aggressive, passionate, needy and physically draining. Their pent-up cravings came pouring out in a truly memorable joining, leaving them gasping for breath in a disordered pile of sheets, blankets and pillows.

"Wow!" Lulu panted, "That's one for my diary!"

"Amen to that! Give me an hour to recover and maybe we can try a gentler, kinder version."

"Actually, I'm pretty much sold on the version we just played. Of course, if it's too much for you..."

He rolled over and took a nipple into his mouth, biting down gently. She squealed and reached for his still semi-erect dick, kidding, "But then we old ladies can't be too damn picky, I guess. I'll gladly take anything you have to offer."

Then they heard the front door close. Gretchen was home.

"Shit!" Errol whispered as he bolted from the bed and scrambled to gather up his clothes scattered all over the bedroom. Now they heard her stomping up the stairs. He was still standing there with his arms full of jeans, shirts and shoes, hoping she would go straight to her room when the bedroom door burst open and Gretchen whined, "Mom, Charlene is a total bitch!"

When she saw him standing there in the altogether, she sucked in her breath, gaped at his still semi-erect dick and gasped, "Oh my god! Sorry!"

She gently closed the door and hurried down the hall to her own room.