Chapter 13: Dating. Finding Lisa

Wednesday afternoon after we got back from Robotix the girls were bundles of nervous energy about the impending arrival of their dates. I asked whether specific pairing had taken place, but was informed that it was the two of them dating the two teens.

Ash said, “I guess we’ll pair up after they arrive in some way, for instance, who rides next to whom in the car, or ... well, maybe who gives who a blowjob first.”

I shot an evil stare at her and she burst out laughing. “Hey, if we don’t get to tease you, this whole trip on earth ain’t worth it.” She then rolled with laughter, joined by Chris.

They spent about an hour prepping for the date with David and Jeremy, who showed up looking sleek and well-scrubbed just minutes after Ash spotted their car approaching up the long driveway. Marcia came into the living room and joined us as we waited for the arrival and pickup.

The two young men got out of the car and came to the door, ringing the door chimes. Ashley opened the door with a large grin and invited the two inside for a moment.

The jaws of the two young men dropped open and went slack. There was considerable stuttering for a moment before David got his sea legs faster than his friend; “Errr, Professor Clark ... I just didn’t expect to ... I guess no one told us ... are you the father of one of the girls?”

I frowned. I didn’t think I looked THAT old. “No. Ashley and Christine live with me most of the time for reasons I’ll let them explain to you. It’s all sanctioned by the university, I might add.” At that point I relaxed and smiled at the two and made a point to introduce my ‘girlfriend,’ Marcia Calassio. She was looking especially appealing and eatable in short shorts and a braless crop top that showed some under boob.

I took the initiative in the conversation, “I hear you’re headed for dinner and a movie. Have you picked a place to eat and a movie?”

“Oh, we were thinking of eating at Vincenzo’s Italian and then seeing the new Star Wars movie. The girls said they hadn’t seen it yet.”

Jeremy quickly offered, “The movie is a long one, so we might not be back until after eleven.”

“Good choices. Well, have fun. We’ll be here.” I didn’t add that I might be sitting up gnashing my teeth and ruing my decision to let the girls date. Maybe I was better off not knowing.

The girls herded David and Jeremy to the door again, and then to Jeremy’s car, a four-door silver sedan a few years old. Marcia and I watched them get in; Ashley got in front with Jeremy, and Chris in back with David. The car started and they pulled away.

I turned to Marcia, “I feel like I just sent my two daughters off on their first dates. I feel so old.”

She laughed. “I’m feeling like the mom, too. I resisted saying so much to them. This is a good experience for them. You know they jumped quite a few steps to be with you.”

“How’s that?”

Marcia came in close to me and kissed me. “Did you ever take them to a movie and go through the agonizingly slow process of slipping an arm around one of them? Did you ever sneak a kiss when you thought no one was watching?” She kissed me. “Did you ever walk someplace and hold their hand, and know that in that simple act you were making both your hearts beat faster? Did you even cop your first feel of one of their breasts outside their clothing, and then maybe slip your hand inside so you could feel skin on skin? I could keep going, but you get the idea.” She’d brought my hand up to one of her breasts that was struggling to escape the crop top.

“You know I didn’t. I had two nubile and very naked young ladies slip into my bed and make love with me – giving me their virginities. We kind of skipped all that preliminary stuff.”

“Let them enjoy some of that, and don’t fret; you won’t lose them. They love you, but they do need to have some other experiences. Because they’re so smart and have accelerated through school, they’ve been the nerds, geeks, or whatever passes for weird among their classmates. They were forced to skip all the dating rigmarole. Now, they have a couple of friends that might show them what that’s all about. I can see you’re anxious about losing them; don’t be.”

“What about you? Did you go through that? I did, but kind of in junior high school and early high school.”

Marcia said, “Me too, and then for a while I was just a sure thing on a second date. I’m considerably pickier now. I don’t have criteria before I allow someone to run my bases, but I sure know when I want someone to step up to the plate and try to hit a home run, even on a first date.”

“Speaking of which, would you like to see if I can hit one out of the park for you before we eat?”

“I was hoping you’d ask. Can I play with your bat and balls?”

Marcia and I were in bed dozing when the girls got home. After some prep for bedtime, they slipped into the large bed with us – naked as usual. I ended with my arms around Chris, and Marcia loving Ashley. Nothing was said, but I took comfort in their intimate actions.

Thursday, we did our university routine in the morning and then headed home. There was some generic conversation in the car about the date the night before. Did it go well? Yes. Did you like the guys? Yes. Was dinner good? Great, we should go there sometime. I didn’t push for any more details or emotions associated with the event. If the girls wanted to share, that would be up to them. Friday, we had a normal workday at Robotix.

Ash and I dropped Chris at the Dillon train station on the way to my home. Because of an impending thundershower we waited for her until we heard the train coming, and then watched her scamper from the car to the platform and board the city bound train just as a shower started. She’d have about a twenty-minute wait at City Station for the outbound train to Westborough in the city, and then get there about six-forty. She’d been in shelter at least. Chris’ mother would pick her up.

When Ash and I got home, Marcia met both of us at the door with hugs and kisses. She’d started dinner. After dinner there was a free open-air jazz concert at the Hamilton, Massachusetts bandstand. We drove over with blankets and set up on the lawn in front of the band with dozens of others to listen for ninety minutes before the six-man combo ended for the evening.

We were kind of casual: Marcia leaned against me the way a girlfriend might, and Ash leaned against her. We were mindful that Ash and I shouldn’t be seen as having anything resembling a romantic relationship, whereas with Marcia that was totally acceptable in her step-mom or big sister role.

We stopped for ice cream on the way home. As we leaned against my car eating our cones, Ash said, “I wish Chris could live with us all the time. I think these evenings and things we do on the weekend are important to building our relationships, even when we’re working on the yard or house, or just being in each other’s presence.”

I speculated, “Doesn’t she need to see her parents on the weekend? We agreed that for a few years this would be an awkward situation that we’d have to accommodate in ways we wouldn’t necessarily like. In your case, what happens when your mom comes home?”

“I think I’m going to ask Chris to talk to her parents. Maybe we can work something out. As for me, I don’t plan on moving out. I’m staying for as long as you’ll have me.”

“First, I want you for forever. Second, regarding Christy, I’d wait for a couple of weeks. The summer semester ends in ten days, then there’s a two-week hiatus, and then the autumn semester starts and we’ll have a completely new schedule.” I turned to Marcia, and asked, “What’s up with you between now and say New Years?”

“Just being a dutiful girlfriend, if you’ll have me. The art season heats up in October and November for some reason, and then dies down until after the holidays. I might have some longer days for those months but then things will get back to normal in December. I plan to close the gallery from December twentieth to January fifth, anyway.”

I broke in, “Of course, I’ll have you. Don’t doubt my feelings for you – either of you or Christy too. Are you feeling insecure about how I feel?”

Marcia said, “No, but remember your words of affirmation regarding how you feel about us. Ash and I need that love language pretty frequently, and if we don’t get it we kind of ask for it.”

Ash said, “Could we fly someplace warm over Christmas? You went to Florida and some island last year; would you take us wherever you’re going this year?”

“I haven’t planned anything yet, and what about Christmas with your mother, and Marcia what about the rest of your family?”

Ash got a little emotional, “If I ever see her again, you mean? Realistically, she’ll want to be with one of her boyfriends, probably balling him in a booth in some bar. I would be a ball and chain to what she’d really want to do.”

I had an odd feeling that Lisa would show up someday and that her absence would be vindicated in someway. I continued to marvel at how Ash showed much more maturity than her mother.

Marcia scolded, “You don’t know that, Ashley. We love you, so draw on that strength and not what you think your mom might feel for you. As for me, I can skip Christmas so long as I make an appearance at my parents for a couple of days around that time of year. My folks aren’t big on formal holidays, so it won’t matter to them.”

I said, “My parents are the same way; a few days before or after will do the trick. We could all go and visit them too; they’re in Sarasota, Florida.”

Ashley waited for a moment and said, “You know, you two and Chris are my family now. When I think of wanting to do something with my family, it’s not with my mom or her relatives; it’s with the three of you. I feel like I have a new family of my own choosing.”

Marcia confirmed that, “Me too. I’ve never been so happy in all my life as the past few weeks.”

I chuckled, “Well, we are then a mutual admiration society, because I can say the same things, and let’s see whether we can’t work something out with Chris’ folks.”

Once we got home, the three of us went skinny-dipping in my pool. There was a lot of rubbing of naked bodies against naked bodies. This provoked a high level of arousal in the three of us that could only be satisfied by even more significant rubbing together of various body parts and penetration of others.

I felt that the first body parts that should rub together were my tongue with each girl’s pussy. This seemed to be accepted as a good idea, although through the moaning and writhing it was hard to get explicit verbal confirmation. Once I added fingers, it was impossible to hear anything other than words like, “More, more; right there; and don’t stop.”

Ash telephoned Chris on her new iPhone Saturday morning. I couldn’t quite hear the conversation, but I picked up enough to know that she was asking whether Chris couldn’t spend more time with us. She had conjured up a list of reasons why this was a good idea that dealt with being with her best friend without the pressure from work or school; studying together; planning some work ideas together; and being out of her parents’ hair.

I was asked to confirm the invitation with Margaret, Chris’ mother, a few minutes later. I was surprised at her willingness to allow Chris to come to stay with us. She emphasized that she didn’t want Chris to be a bother. I countered that my ‘girlfriend’ Marcia was around most of the time, and that except for planned activities, we each did our own thing. I mentioned that Ash missed her best friend, especially on the weekends. I also played up that I had a swimming pool the girls liked.

I guess the selling job worked because Chris showed up in Dillon just after lunch ready to spend the next two weeks solid with us. She was ecstatic about the change and not having to hang around her home to show the flag, so to speak.

To celebrate the temporary emancipation of Chris we had a nude swim and patio-loving event that went on for most of the afternoon. Even though I wore out on the early side, the girls kept going and made their sexual frolicking a joy to watch. Marcia again pretended that she just HAD to deliver a lot more orgasms before the next day’s orgasmic deadline in her ongoing initiation process. No one complained, and the teens reciprocated in equal measure.

Chris had brought with her from Westborough the weekly mail from Ash and Lisa Caldwell’s mailbox. She’d arranged with her mother to capture the next load in about a week. I went through the pile looking for clues and anything out of the ordinary. Again, I paid a couple of bills to keep their house going, and trashed the junk mail.

We next heard from Lisa Caldwell on Tuesday of the following week. Another Priority Mail letter arrived, this time postmarked from Ames, Iowa. I let Ash open it and read it. She then shared it with the rest of us.

We again tried to keep the letter untouched by our hands. I called the police station and left a message for Detective Satori. He came by during the dinner hour and took the note and envelope away in an evidence bag. He was especially interested in the remarks about Marco Ricci. Satori said he wanted to follow up on the shooting incident. He said he’d be back to us the next day.