Chapter 23

Jake was at the top of his game at school Monday. He was sharp and focused in class and Mr. Congeniality when mingling with his peers. He politicked down the halls, greeting all the guys, and sweet-talking every female he met. Erika added to his good mood when she met him at his locker. She was as sweet and loving as a woman could be. She even complimented a blushing Beth on how she looked today. Beth wore a hippie regulation long gingham granny dress belted at the waist. It fit her well and showed more of her body’s shape. It was a body that was better than Jake had first thought. Mr. McClelland was in an even better mood today. He was jovial and even cracked a few jokes that his class almost understood. He called Jake up to his desk and said that Denise was going with him to the football game Friday. Jake congratulated him and, on a related matter, asked him if he would show some of the proposed football plays to Coach Nelson at lunch.

Thirty minutes later, Jake was sitting in the lunchroom enjoying the company of his friends. The group had grown to include two tables now. Jake glanced at the faculty table and saw Mr. McClelland politely talking to the Misses Doane and Smith. When Coach Nelson came to sit with them, Mr. McClelland whipped out his ubiquitous notebook and showed Coach something. They talked for a minute then McClelland put away the notebook and turned back to the two little cuties in front of him. One of the teachers at the table was reading the paper and showed something to Coach, who read it and passed it around the table. Rebecca read it, turned, and pointed me out to Miss Smith. ‘What the hell?’ thought Jake.

Jake found out ‘what the hell’ in study hall. Rebecca came to the reference room with today’s paper and gave Jake the sports section. In the high school athletics column was a picture of Jake and his story. You know, coma to star athlete, troubled youth to model student, blah-blah-blah. There were comments from Coach and a glowing testimonial from Mrs. Victoria Greer, even Principal Skinner gave him a quasi-compliment. Skinner said that Jake had come to his attention and he would be keeping an eye on the young man. Of course, the only time Jake had actually come to his attention was because of a fight in the parking lot. Jake finished the article and handed the paper back to Rebecca.

Rebecca looked around to see if the coast was clear, then leaned over and whispered in his ear, “My hero ... I wish that they had interviewed me so I could tell them about your other talents.”

Football practice was intense! Not because of anything the coaches did, but because the players wanted it that way. Forty-five young men had seen the proverbial light. They were committed to becoming the state champions. The same forty-five players almost shit themselves when Carl McClelland ran out of the gym with the usual coaches. He was wearing the same maroon gym shorts and white Kennedy athletic department tee-shirt as the other coaches. Instead of tennis shoes he had on wing-tips with black socks, his legs were as white as the chalk that marked the yard lines, and he carried three clipboards. Coach introduced him as Coach McClelland, the new offensive coordinator. It seems Coach McClelland had applied his powers of scientific observation to analyze the offense and had designed some plays to capitalize on this team’s strengths.

Coach Nelson turned the offense over to McClelland who got in the middle of the huddle. He shuffled through his clipboards, found the one he wanted, and shuffled though the papers on it for the first new play. He pulled out a sheet of paper and a magic marker and started explaining. Three minutes later, the offensive players’ eyes had started to glaze over. Coach Nelson came up to the huddle and suggested they just try the play without the preamble. Jake lined up his defense with anticipation as the offense went into one of their standard formations. The ball was snapped and everything still looked routine, but a receiver was unexpectedly wide open, and Brad hit him for a fifteen-yard gain. All the new plays they ran that afternoon netted similar results. It was as if there were an extra offensive player on the field because someone was open or there was a sudden hole for a running back on every play. Coach Nelson had a big smile on his face as practice broke up. His friend, the coach from Lake Wales, had a huge surprise coming.

Jake was home by five. Maria and Marisa were already there. Marisa was swimming with Angie, Melissa and Debbie. Helen and Maria had their heads together talking. They stopped when he walked up.

“I didn’t know you had an apartment, Jacob,” Helen said, eyebrows up.

“I don’t,” he said, “I have a key to Coach’s place. If the summer renters aren’t using it, I can hang out there, if I ask.”

“Who hangs out there with you?” she asked.

“Only one person so far, but Maria saw it yesterday. Ask her about it,” he answered.

“Well, I would like to see it for myself before you use it again, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure, Mom. No problem.”

Jake excused himself and headed inside. He was getting a drink when Maria came into the kitchen. She apologized profusely for saying anything about the coach’s apartment. Jake told her it was okay, he did not have anything to hide, and he had just never thought to mention it to his mom.

“But it sure messes up plans we had for this evening, senorita.”

She laughed and said, “Patience, my big strong man, we will get our chance.”

Charles Turner came home, forestalling Jake and Maria’s conversation continuation. Charles asked Jake if he had seen the newspaper article and he said he had. Helen walked in then and asked what Charles was talking about. Charles handed her the paper and she and Maria sat down in the nook to read it together. Then the phone rang and Jake, being closest, answered it.

“Did you see the paper?” Sven Johansson asked over the phone.

“Yes, Sir, did you have anything to do with the article?”

“Yep, we planted a bug in the sports editor’s ear, Mr. Future President,” Sven laughed.

They chatted for a couple of minutes and Sven put Erika on the phone. She told him he was expected at dinner at six Wednesday evening. Jake said he would ask his parents and tell her their answer tomorrow. He later called Gail Martin and asked her out for Saturday night. He also called Rebecca and chatted the allowed ten minutes. Maria and her daughter stayed for dinner. It was lively at the table as the women all teased Jake about the newspaper article. After dinner the girls went upstairs to yack. They were filling Marisa in on Kennedy High in anticipation of her enrollment tomorrow. Charles was working on some legal issues with Maria.

Helen grabbed her car keys and Jake and announced, “Jacob and I are going on an errand, and we will be back in an hour or so.”

Jake was a little put off by Helen’s attitude. She was being about as over-motherly as he could stand. They did not have much to say to each other as he gave her directions to Coach’s pad. Helen plowed through the door as soon as Jake opened it as if she expected to see the aftermath of some wild teenage party. She stalked through the house wordlessly being as snoopy as only a woman could be. Jake just watched her in amusement. It was an inspection a drill sergeant would have been proud of. Jake could not tell if she was satisfied or disappointed that she did not find evidence of wild goings on. She sat on the couch and patted the cushion next to her. Jake sat down and she swung around to face him folding her leg under her. Jake could not help looking at the thigh she exposed.

“I know you probably think I’m irrational for barging in here like this, but I claim a mother’s prerogative on this one. After all, you are a teenage boy no matter how mature you act. I wanted to see this place before you could come over here and clean it up. I must say that it is a pleasant surprise to find it so well kept. Secondly, I am embarrassed to admit it, but I was jealous of Maria getting to be with you here tonight. I know what she had on her mind and it was not legal advice she was going to give you. It’s harder for me to accept you being with her than the girls your own age.”

“I understand, Helen,” Jake said, “Do you want me to stop coming here and avoid Maria?”

“No, I guess not, that wouldn’t be fair. But I want you to stop keeping secrets from me.”

Jake avoided responding to that statement instead he said, “Come here. It’s a rule. If you come here with me, you have to kiss me.”

“How long has that rule been in effect?” she asked laughing.

“About fifteen seconds,” Jake replied.

She came to him eagerly and he pressed her backwards until she was supine with him on top of her. Her legs wrapped around him and she kissed him passionately. It was quickly obvious that he had a horny little mommy on his hands. Jake had her dress unbuttoned and her bra open in a flash. He began worrying her nipples with his tongue and teeth. He slipped a hand under her dress, petting her little pussy as she was grinding away on his hand. He worked a finger, then two, under the leg band of her silky pink panties and her needy pussy sucked them in. He thought he had reached nirvana as she climaxed on his fingers. He broke contact and was reaching for his zipper when she pushed him away and sat up, hair and eyes wild.

“We have to stop, Jacob. I don’t want to, but we have to get home,” she said, almost out of breath.

She started putting herself together as Jake gawked at her. ‘What a prick tease!,’ he thought. Jake adjusted his achingly hard love muscle and went to wash his face. When he returned, Helen was looking as fresh and unfazed as if she had been to an afternoon church tea. She was standing at the counter holding Erika’s favorite wooden spoon that Jake had forgotten to put away.

“What were you and Erika doing. Baking a cake?” she asked teasingly.

“Something like that,” he said, then took the spoon from her and popped her on the ass with it.

“Ohhhh,” she said as she warily watched him put it away in a drawer.

Helen drove them home and Jake excused himself while the adults were talking. He jumped into his shower and just jerked his joint. It was a cruel fate knowing that four of the six women in the house right now would have gladly and immediately relieved him of the load oozing down the drain, but he somehow could not ask for help at that moment.

Jake went down and rejoined the families. Helen and Maria were going to enroll Marisa in school tomorrow, then go house hunting. Charles was going to get with Jack Sorenson to see if the could find a place for Maria to hang her shingle. Maria was not going to tell Randal anything until she was all set up. He was flying back to Connecticut tomorrow anyway, and she hoped it would soon be a done deal. Everyone thought that his apparent unconcern with Marisa being out of school was a further sign of his distraction with Vivian and their nefarious plans. As a precaution, they agreed that someone would be with Melissa all the time. Chip called while they were talking and said that he had made it back to Gainesville without incident. He had left Vivian a note but she had not even called him yet.

Jake went up to bed shortly after Maria and her daughter departed. Melissa followed him up and they undressed for bed. Jake got under the covers and Melissa joined him. She put her head on his chest and threw a leg and arm over him.

“You know, Jacob, that if you married me it would really spoil Vivian’s plans.”

Jake kissed her on the top of her head, “Are you proposing?”

“If you promise me that I’d go to sleep every night in this position, I am.”

Jake rolled her over on her back, got on top of her, and ground his crotch against hers, “This is more like how you’d go to sleep each night, except without the underwear between us.”

“Even better,” she sighed, wrapping her legs around him.

Jake kissed her and started to get up. She tightened her legs and held him in place. When he looked down into her face she said, “I’m not completely joking, Jake. I see us married one day.”

Jake kissed her again and replied, “Let’s get through this mess first. Then we’ll talk about the future. Besides, we’re young. Who knows how we will feel in a few years.”

She let him up. Melissa already knew how she would feel in a few years. Exactly the way she felt right now as he scooched up to her butt and buried his face in her hair. He fell asleep easily. Melissa needed a bit more time, but soon followed.

Jake rolled through school and practice Tuesday. Erika brought him home and came in to visit for a while. She was wearing a smart black skirt and gray sweater combo that Jake liked on her. She was soft, feminine, and smelled terrific. Jake complimented her and she preened for him. She was sincerely cordial to everyone and was a big hit. She stayed a half hour and split, leaving as Charles was getting home. Charles got the royal welcome from the Turner females, especially Debbie. Dinner without guests for a change was fun. After the meal, everyone scattered.

Debbie dragged Charles out to the garage to spot for her as she worked out, daughter Debbie planned on subtly stepping up her seduction campaign tonight. Angie talked Helen into a short trip to the mall to buy an outfit for Tyler’s visit next week. Jake asked Melissa to take him to the beach so they could talk. Once out of the house, Jake told Melissa the real destination he had in mind. She almost wrecked the car when he asked her to take him to her old house, now the castle of Vivian. Jake needed an ally that would not go crazy about him seeing Vivian and that left out his immediate family. Melissa hated the idea but she saw the merit in it. After all, she knew Vivian as well as anybody and could steer Jake around any potential minefields.

Melissa thought up a good reason for returning to the Thornton estate as she truthfully had forgotten a few personal things she needed. She rang the doorbell and the maid let them in. They stood in the foyer while she announced their arrival to Vivian. The maid came back for them and showed them to the formal living room. Vivian swept in five minutes later in jungle print lounging pajamas. She was absolutely beautiful and knew it. She was almost dismissive of Melissa and told her to do whatever she needed. She would entertain Jake. She sat down next to Jake and started working him. With her hand on his arm and deceivingly demure eye batting in tango time, her body language let him know she wanted to add him to her collection. Jake made small talk and flirted back. Giving as good as he got, he poured on the boyish charm. He convincingly acted as if he were helplessly and swiftly falling for her advances.

She spoke in a low voice, moved closer, and inclined her head.

“Jake, it’s so lonely here now with Russell and the children gone,” was her opening gambit.

“I guess it must be really lonely for you, all alone in this big house,” he riposted.

She leaned forward, tightening the fabric of her jungle print top across her breasts so he could see their fullness and promise. “You are so right, Jake. Tonight just your being here has made it so much better. I hope that you will feel free to drop by and visit me again.”

“I’d love to, Mrs. Thornton. Maybe it would be good for you to get out of the house and go to the beach or something.” Jake was opening the door for her next move.

“Call me Vivian, Jake dear. That’s a lovely idea, but only if you escort me. I feel safe with you.”

Her hands smoothed a non-existent wrinkle from her upper thigh as she inclined her body even closer to Jake. He could smell a freshly applied oriental perfume rolling from her pyjamas.

Jake popped his plan.

“Well, we could go down Thursday evening. You know how soothing the ocean is at night. The only thing is I don’t have a car yet. I guess I could have a friend drop me off, but you’d have to take me home.”

She looked directly into his eyes, then demurely down to the floor.

“I could do that, Jake. It would mean so much to me. I’d be forever in your debt.”