Chapter 3

When Shanti arrived, the Walker family was already at the dinner table. Drummond sat on one end, Claire at the other. Laura was sitting on one side of the table, her eyes unable to meet Shanti's while a young boy rose from the other side and held Shanti's chair for her.

"Thank you. You must be Jody," she said smiling, sitting next to him.

The boy was obviously self-conscious in the presence of the beautiful young woman.

"... Yes... Jody... that's me... my name I mean," he stammered, reddening by the second. He dropped his head in embarrassment.

"Why I do believe Jody has suddenly become tongue-tied in the presence of this lovely young lady," laughed Drummond, "and you such a ladies man at school!"

"Now honey..." chided his wife, herself suppressing a smile.

"All right, all right," chuckled the boy's father, "can't say I blame him. You are quite an attractive young woman, Shanti."

"Why thank you Mr. Walker," she replied, meeting his eyes,"it's nice to hear a compliment from such a handsome man,"

Her hand found the boy's under the table. Their eyes met.

"And it's a pleasure to sit beside a young man who shares his father's good looks. I bet you have no problem getting the attention of the girls at school."

Jody reddened again, but managed a smile, his gaze transfixed on the beautiful face and eyes which held him captive.

Shanti released his hand as steaming plates of food were passed around.

"I think you met Laura this afternoon," commented Claire, indicating the daughter who looked up briefly with an embarrassed smile.

"Did you two have a chance to get to know each other?" asked Claire of her daughter.

"I... that is we..." struggled the girl.

"Perhaps not as well as we would have liked," interjected Shanti, "but we found we have a great deal in common. As time goes on I'm sure we'll have lots to share with each other."

Again Laura's eyes met those of Shanti, then fell to her plate.

"Oh dear!" exclaimed Shanti, letting her napkin slide off her lap, "I've dropped my napkin. How clumsy of me."

"I'll get it," volunteered Jody.

"No, no, I'll do it," she said, leaning down under the drapes of the tablecloth.

Laura knew at once this was what Shanti had meant earlier. She looked around the table to be sure no one else was aware.

Shanti smiled broadly as she saw Laura's hand reach under the table and nervously pull up her skirt to reveal her bare nest.

Retrieving the napkin, the dark skinned woman smiled as she returned to her meal.

"Perhaps we could get to know each other even better. If you'd like, you can come to my room later this evening and we can find out all kinds of things about each other."

Laura anxiously glanced at her parents, who were both smiling approvingly.

"Yes... I'd... I'd like that," she said, unable to meet anyone's eyes for fear of discovery and trying to swallow the lump in her throat as her heart raced.

"Jody here is on the football team," beamed the older Walker.

"Oh, not only good looking, but talented too," observed Shanti, shifting her attention.

"I'm a tight end," stated the boy enthusiastically, eager to impress the woman sitting beside him.

"I bet you are," smiled Shanti, the double entendre apparently going unnoticed, "and I bet you're very good!"

As he smiled in return, she slipped her foot from her shoe and edged it to the boy's leg where, unseen, she began rubbing his leg sensuously with her toes.

Jody looked to her in amazement, his eyes wide, his mouth dropping open. Could this be happening? Was this beautiful woman coming on to him? At first he thought perhaps it was accidental, but when she slowly pulled down his sock with her toes and smiled coyly, he knew it was no accident. Her look spoke volumes. He quickly recovered and went back to eating, although suddenly the food was not very important. Her stroking of his leg continued as did she.

"You have to be very strong to play football. How strong are you Jody?"

"... Strong enough," he said as his adolescent jitters were being replaced by excitement in playing this suddenly very grown up game.