Chapter 43

"Hi, Molly, this is Mrs. Graham. Is everything okay?" Marge replied.

"Yes, Mrs. Graham, everything is great," Molly said.

"Did you kids have a good time at the prom?" Marge asked Molly.

"Oh yes, it was wonderful! It was one of the best nights of my life."

"I'm glad you kids enjoyed yourselves. Hang on and I'll get Kim," Marge said.

Marge called for Kim. When Kim came into the kitchen, Marge covered the mouthpiece of the telephone receiver and said, "It's Molly. She wants to talk to you."

Kim took the handset from her mom. "Hi, Molly, what's up?" Kim said.

"Hello, Kim, how are you doing?" Molly said nervously.

"I'm fine. How was the dance?"

"It was the bomb, Kim! We went to a fancy restaurant and then to the dance. It was the first time I rode in a limousine." Molly giggled and added, "Tom is a great dancer."

"I know he is. We practiced before he went to Florida. Is he treating you well?" Kim said.

"Yeah, we're having a good time. We went fishing today," Molly said.

Lowering her voice, Kim said, "How about last night, you know, after the prom? Did you and Tom have a good time then?"

"We didn't do anything, Kim. I mean we slept in the same bed, but that's all we did—sleep," Molly said.

"I'm sorry, I thought Tom would..." Kim began to say, but Molly interrupted her.

"No, Tom was a perfect gentleman. He is just so sweet!"

"If you say so," Kim said.

"Kim, I really like Tom. I don't know what to do," Molly said.

Giggling, Kim said, "Do whatever you want to do, Molly. Are you asking my permission to fool around with Tom?"

"Yeah, I guess I am. I don't want to cause any trouble. I don't want to make you mad at me or Tom," Molly said.

"I won't be mad at anyone. You know I love Tom. He's my cousin and I'll always love him. It's important to me that he is happy. Molly, Tom has feelings for you. I knew it since that night on the boat you two talked," Kim said.

"He told you about that?" Molly said.

Kim giggled. "Yeah, and he told me he thinks you have a nice ass."

Laughing, Molly said, "That what he keeps telling me."

"You should believe him. Molly, Tom is shy and not pushy, if you know what I mean."

"That's for sure. Last night he didn't make a pass at me. I should get going. Tom is waiting for me in the living room. We came to my house so I could get clean clothes. All of us are staying at your house again tonight." Molly paused and took a deep breath. "Thanks, Kim."

"If there's something you want, go for it! Have fun. When we move down to Florida, maybe you and I can get together with Tom." Kim giggled. "I'd love to have a threesome with you two."

"That sounds like it would be fun. If things work out between Tom and me, I'll hold you to it," Molly said. "Oh shit, that didn't sound the way I meant it."

"I know what you meant. I'll talk to you later. Tell everyone I said hi," Kim said.

Kim and Molly said goodbye and hung up. Molly sat on her bed, thinking about the conversation. After a few moments, Molly giggled to herself. She got up and changed into a short halter sundress. Molly packed a few things into her bag and left her room.

Tom and Laura sat in the living room talking about the prom and fishing that day. Molly sat next to Tom and grinned. She listened to Tom as he told Laura how well Molly handled the boat.

"We should get going. The rest of the kids are going to be waiting for us," Molly said when there was a lull in the conversation.

"You kids have fun. I'll come over in the morning to make a nice breakfast for you. If you need anything, call me," Laura said.

"Thanks, Mom. We'll be fine. See you tomorrow," Molly said as she reached for her bag. Tom beat her to it and picked up the duffel bag.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Durham," Tom said.

Molly and Tom went to the Suburban. Laura watched Tom open the door for Molly, closing it once Molly sat down in the passenger seat. Tom glanced at Molly's legs, watching her short dress rise. He waved as he climbed in and started the truck.

Tom drove toward the house. Molly sat quietly, replaying her conversation with Kim. Remembering what Kim said about Tom's shyness, she giggled under her breath. Molly unfastened her seatbelt. She slid to the middle of the seat and searched for the lap belt. Tom smiled at her.

"I hope you don't mind," Molly said as she fastened the belt.

"No, I don't mind at all." Tom put his arm over Molly's shoulders. "This is nice."

Molly nodded as she put her hand on Tom's knee. She stroked him lightly, feeling Tom's muscles flinch at her touch. He gripped Molly's upper arm, pulling her closer to him.

Tom stopped at a red traffic light. Molly lifted her hand from his leg and placed it on Tom's cheek. Turning his head toward her, Molly gave him a tender kiss. The kiss lingered as Molly worked her tongue past Tom's lips and into his mouth. He pulled her even closer, moaning into Molly's mouth. The sound of a horn snapped Tom and Molly's concentration and they separated.

Molly sat back and grinned. Tom rubbed her arm as he pulled away from the light. Neither of them said anything for several moments. Molly removed Tom's arm from her shoulders so she could hug it against her side. Turning slightly, she rested her head against his shoulder.

"That was nice," Molly said as she wiggled against Tom.

Kim walked over to the table where her mom sat with Anne and Sally. Looking up at Kim, Marge smiled.

"What was that all about?" Marge said.

"Nothing important. Molly wanted to make sure I wasn't mad about Tom going down there," Kim said.

"Are you?" Anne asked.

Shaking her head, Km said, "No, I'm not mad. If I hadn't wanted Tom to go, I wouldn't have suggested it."

"What about when Tom gets back? What are you going to do then? Are you still going to sleep with him?" Sally said.

Marge and Anne chuckled as they waited for Kim's answer. While the parents were well aware of the relationships between Jack, Sally, Kim, and Tom, they neither encouraged nor condemned it. The four parents had many long discussions about the teens' sexuality in the past. They all agreed to let their children discover things at their own pace.

The first of the conversations happened when the kids were much younger, and before they had discovered sex. One night Marge, Don, Anne, and Marc talked about the fact their children could become involved much the same as they had. On that night, while Jack, Kim, Tom, and Sally were still preteens, they decided not to interfere if the kids began to experiment with one another. When they discovered their children had begun to explore, the parents held true.

"Yeah, at least I plan to," Kim said. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Maybe Tom won't want to," Anne said.

"Right!" Sally said and then she laughed. "As if Tom is going to stop."

"Look, I don't know why everyone is so interested in Tom and me. I love Tom. As I told Molly, I'll always love him. If Tom wants to move on I'll understand, but it won't change the way I feel about him," Kim said.

"Let's go out by the pool," Sally said while looking at Kim.

Nodding, Kim stood up. The two girls headed out to the pool, leaving their moms sitting at the table. Once Kim and Sally were out of the house, Marge and Anne chuckled.

"She reminds me of us when we were young," Anne said.

"It amazes me that those two are so different. Kim has a mind of her own, that's for sure," Marge said and then she smiled. "I think Jack is going to have his hands full with her."

"Only time will tell, Marge," Anne said. "I get the feeling Kim wants to find another boy. If you ask me, she suggested that Tom take Molly to the prom to see if there was any chemistry there."

"Do you think she's trying to let him down lightly?" Marge said.

Anne shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe she is."

Kim and Sally decided to take a swim. They removed their clothes and jumped into the heated pool. The two girls swam around for a few minutes before resting near the shallow end. They sat on the steps and began to chat.

"So, what are you going to do, Kim? Are you going to fuck Tom until something better comes along?" Sally said.

"Don't say it like that. I don't think I could find anyone better than Tom is. Not just as a lover either. Tom is the sweetest guy I know. To be honest, I don't really know what I want. Part of me wants things to remain the way they are, but I also want to branch out if you know what I mean," Kim said.

Sally giggled and then said, "I know what you mean, Kim. For me, Jack is all I want. As for having sex with others, Jack lets me do that. When we get down to Florida, I plan to get together with Brad again. It was fun when we fucked."

"You are so bad! Is that all you think of?" Kim said and then she giggled. "I think we're all going to have fun once we move. Eddie, Brad, Jenny, Kathy, and Molly are so cool."

"Yeah they are. To answer your question, sex isn't the only thing I think about, I think about a lot of things. I have been doing some research on producing the television show and the videos we talked about before. That's something I want to do. If we can get Fran and Randy to help it would be cool, but we can find someone else if they aren't interested," Sally said.

"Do you have any of your ideas written down?" Kim said.

"Yeah, I have a bunch of them listed. When we move, I want to get everyone's opinion about them. I think we can do an entire series on fishing and sell the videos. We can start with the basics and go from there. If we get a television show, we can incorporate the videos," Sally said.

"Don't forget we have the yacht too. We have to make sure we have time for Tomiko," Kim said.

"I know. We can use Tomiko in the series. You know, like a mother ship or something. If our charter business takes off, we may not have access to the yacht. Either way, we can make it work." Sally smiled at Kim. "Just make sure your new boyfriend likes to fish."

"Who says I'm looking for a new boyfriend? I might stay loose and go out with several boys. If I do find a new boyfriend, he'll have to like fishing though. He will also have to understand that he doesn't own me. I don't want some guy getting all goofy if I want to fool around with someone else," Kim said.

Sally and Kim got out of the pool. They took showers and dressed. Kim asked if she could see what Sally had been working on regarding her ideas. The two girls went upstairs to Sally's room. Jack came in, sitting on the bed with Kim and Sally.

"Hi, Sally is going to show me what she has been working on," Kim said.

Jack put his arm around Sally as she booted her notebook computer. "Are you talking about the television and video stuff?" Jack said.

"Yeah, Sally said she has been doing research and has a list of ideas," Kim replied.

"She's been working hard on it. Show Kim what you have put together, Sweetie," Jack said. His pride showed in his voice.

Kim and Jack sat next to Sally as she pulled up a Power Point of the information she'd gathered. Each set of slides showed the basis of show and video segments. As she went through the slides, Sally explained her thinking, as well as where she found the information.

"When we talk to Randy and Fran, we can have them make up the story boards," Sally said.

"What is a story board?" Kim asked.

"That's where they work out the shots and sequences of the taping. A story board is sort of like a road map of the idea," Sally said.

"It sounds like a lot of work," Kim replied.

"Not really, it's what needs to be done. If you don't know what you plan to do, how can you do it?" Sally said.

Sally finished going through the information she'd compiled. Kim told her how impressed she was. Giggling, Sally shut down her computer.

"Do you two want to go to the boat with me? I was going to wait until Tom got home, but we could do it. We have to get it ready for when our friends get here," Jack said.

Kim and Sally agreed to go with Jack. The three of them put on jeans and sweatshirts because it was still cool outside. Once they were ready, the teens told their parents what they were doing and left for the storage building where they stored the boat.

"Tom and I did a lot the last time we were at the boat, but I want to go over everything again. We need to check the lures and make sure the hooks are sharp. I guess we should change the line on the reels too," Jack said as he drove.

"Do we have fresh line on the boat or do we have to stop to buy some?" Sally said.

"We have to stop at the sporting goods store," Jack said.

"How many of us do you think we can handle on the boat, Jack?" Kim said.

"If it isn't rough, all of us should be able to fish. It'll be crowded, but we can manage," Jack replied.

"How many life jackets do we have?" Sally said.

"Eight, we need to get two more. Thanks for reminding me, Sweetie," Jack said.

Jack stopped at the sporting goods store. He headed for the fishing section while Kim and Sally looked at the clothing. Jack picked out the line and the PFDs he wanted. He went to the clothing section to find the girls. The three of them went to check out and leave.

"We sure had a blast on this boat last summer, didn't we?" Kim said as she climbed the stepladder. "I'm glad you decided to keep it, Jack."

"I know. Eddie says we can use it to fish inshore when we get to Florida. We can use Tomiko's tender too," Jack said.

"What kinds of fishing do you like the best, Honey?" Sally said.

Jack laughed and said, "Yes! I love all types of fishing, at least the ones I've tried so far."

"Me too, but then I love anything you do," Sally said with a giggle.

Jack asked Kim and Sally to get the rods and reels from the cabin. He placed the rods in holders as the girls passed them out to him. Using the battery powered drill and spool he brought with him, Jack began stripping the old line from one of the reels.

"I was checking out the calendar. We could change our trip to the end of May if we want to. Our friends could come up on Wednesday and we could leave for Grand Haven on Thursday morning. If we fish for four days, we can come back on the following Tuesday," Sally said. "We'll be finished with school and so will our friends."

"How many rooms did we get?" Kim said.

"I reserved two," Sally replied.

"I think we should get four rooms. It will be too crowded in two," Kim said.

"What do you think, Jack?" Sally said.

"That's fine with me. When we get home today, you should call Eddie and Brad to make sure it's cool with them. If it is, change our reservations," Jack replied.

"Are we going to take two vehicles?" Kim said.

"I think we'll have to. We can tow the boat with my pick up and take Tom's Expedition too. That way we'll have plenty of room," Jack replied.

Kim and Sally refilled the reels after Jack removed the old line. Once the rods were finished, they began checking the hooks on the lures and flies. The three of them made sure everything was in its place before leaving for home.

While Jack drove home, Kim called Jenny's cell phone. She told Jenny about the change in plans and asked if it would be okay. Jenny asked her brother and Brad what they thought. By the time the two girls hung up, they agreed to the new date.

"Jenny said they were headed to our house. I guess everyone is spending the night there again," Kim said as she put her cell phone in her purse.

"Are they having fun?" Sally said.

"It sounds like it. They went fishing earlier and did well. I'm so jealous!" Kim said.

"We'll be down there soon," Jack said.

"I talked to Kim a few minutes ago," Jenny told Tom when they met at the house. "We're changing the date for our trip to Michigan. Kim said she wants us to go up north the second to the last week of May. We'll be leaving the day after school ends."

"That sounds good to me. What else did she say?" Tom said.

"Nothing, that was all we talked about," Jenny said.

Eddie, Kathy, Jenny, Brad, Molly, and Tom went into the guesthouse. They put their bags into the bedrooms, grabbed their suits and headed for the pool. Erin and Frank showed up and joined them.

The teens gathered in the cabana to shower. Frank seemed a bit nervous when everyone else began to undress. Finally, with a little coaxing from Erin, he began to strip too. The teens went into one of the large shower rooms. They chatted about the fishing as they washed. Once they finished, they put on their suits, grabbed towels, and went out to the pool.

While the girls spread their towels out on lounges, the guys dropped their towels and ran to the pool. They jumped into the deep end, swimming across the pool. Brad, Eddie, Frank, and Tom swam for a few minutes before pausing to call for the girls.

"I'm going to lose my top," Jenny said as she untied the string around her neck. Kathy and Molly laughed and removed their tops.

"What the hell," Erin said and she removed her top too.

In the pool, the four boys shouted their encouragement. The girls posed as they tossed their tops on one of the chairs. Giggling, the girls walked to the shallow end of the pool. They stepped into the water, moved out, and dove under.

Molly swam right to Tom. Standing in front of him, Molly put her arms around Tom's waist. Tom smiled. He put his hand under Molly's chin, tipped her face up, and gave her a kiss. Molly pulled herself tighter to Tom, pressing her breasts against his chest.

Erin moved into Frank's waiting arms. After giving him a kiss, Erin said, "I hope you don't mind if I go topless, Sweetheart."

Frank moved Erin back a bit, leaned over, and kissed each of her exposed nipples. "Does that answer your question?"

Giggling, Erin nodded. She hugged Frank and said, "I love you so much. I wish you didn't have to go home tomorrow."

"If it weren't for school, I would see if my mom would let me stay here. I love you too, Erin," Frank said.

"Do you think you and your mom will ever move down here?"

Frank smiled and gave Erin another kiss. "I wanted to make it a surprise, but I can't wait. Mom said we're moving as soon as school is finished. She has the house for sale and we're already packing."

Erin shrieked. She threw her arms around Frank's neck, jumped up and put her legs around his waist. Kissing Frank's face, she continued to squeal. Molly and Tom moved closer so Molly could find out what was going on.

Still hanging onto Frank, Erin told Molly the news. "Isn't that great?" Erin said.

"That is good news. Where are you going to live?" Molly said.

"We're moving in with my mom's girlfriend Maria," Frank said.

Giggling, Erin said, "Take me over by Jenny and Kathy. I want to tell them."

Frank held Erin's bottom as he moved toward Jenny, Kathy, and their brothers. When Erin told the teens that Frank would be moving down, they showed their excitement for her.

"My mom asked if I wanted a graduation party before we moved. I told her I would rather get down here and be with Erin," Frank said.

"We can have a joint party. My dad is going to throw one for me and it can be for both of us," Erin said.

Kissing Frank's ear, Erin said, "You can put me down if you want to."

Laughing, Frank shook his head and began kneading Erin's butt. "I like holding you like this."

The teen horsed around in the water for a little while. Tom and Molly decided to get out and the rest of the group followed. They dried off and stretched out on the lounges.

"Do you kids mind if we join you?" Jeri said as she and April walked up. They carried sodas for everyone. "We brought sodas."

"Have a seat, Jeri. We don't mind," Tom said.

Jeri and April passed out the cans of soda. After removing the tops of their suits, they sat with the teens.

"You must workout, Frank," Jeri said.

"Yeah, I lift, run, and do other exercises," Frank replied.

"Frank practices martial arts too," Erin said proudly.

"You'll have to show us some of your moves someday," Brad said. "I remember how you handled those guys at Erin's party."

"No problem. I've been instructing at my dojo for almost a year. I can teach you guys how to protect yourselves," Frank said.

"I'd love to see some of that," April said. "Why don't you give us a demonstration?"

"Yeah, Frank, I'll be your dummy," Eddie said.

Frank and Eddie got up. They moved away from the others so no one would get hurt. "Okay, attack me," Frank said.

Eddie took a swing at Frank. Frank responded, guiding Eddie's arm past his head. Using his free hand, Frank faked a punch into Eddie's side.

"The key is to learn to redirect the other person's energy. We learn to use leverage and timing to overcome the attack," Frank said.

Eddie made several attempts to hit or kick Frank. Each time Frank deflected the attack and positioned himself to counter Eddie's moves. While he moved, Frank explained what he was doing.

"How long have you been doing this?" Jeri asked.

"Mom enrolled me in Karate when I was ten. I've been doing it ever since," Frank said.

"What belt do you hold?" April said.

"I don't test. If you have to hurt someone, it can work against you. My sensei is a master and tells me that it isn't important. I have been with him for eight years and I believe him. He taught me many things that aren't in the scope of normal karate, things that are very useful for self-defense. One of the most important lessons I've learned is that I don't have to prove anything to anyone," Frank said.

"Are you going to try to find another instructor when you move?" Tom said.

"I already have. My sensei has a friend near by that will take me into his dojo. I don't want to give it up," Frank said.

"We could use someone with your talent on Tomiko," Jeri said and then she chuckled. "Are you going to look for a job when you move down here?"

"I want to find something for the summer. I plan to go to college next fall," Frank said. "What kind of job?"

"We're looking for deckhands and stewards," April said. "Come see us when you get moved."

"If you have an application, I can fill it out before I head back," Frank said.

"Are you looking for girls too?" Erin said.

"Yes we are, Erin. It isn't glamorous work if that's what you're thinking. You would have to clean, change beds, do laundry, and things like that," April said.

Erin giggled and said, "Just like I do at home now. I don't mind hard work and I don't get seasick."

April and Jeri chuckled. "Well, that certainly is one of the qualifications. We'll take your application and go from there. Are you the jealous type, Frank? Our clients could be flirtatious and say things to Erin you may not like. That goes for you too, Erin," April said.

Erin and Frank shook their heads. "I don't think that would be a problem. I am very secure with my relationship with Erin," Frank said.

"You two would have to act professionally when you're working. You can't spend time getting all lovey-dovey, not when you're on duty. What you do on your own time or when you're in your quarters is your business. The rest of the time it's our business," Jeri said as she glanced at April.

"We understand," Erin said.

"Okay, then we'll take your applications and see what happens. There is no guarantee you know," April said and then she chuckled. "I can see you two don't have a problem with modesty. There isn't much room for it in the crew quarters."

Frank and Erin nodded. When Jeri looked at Tom, he smiled and winked. While he knew it wasn't entirely his decision, he also knew that he could put in a good word for his two new friends.

"Let's go up to our apartment and take care of the paperwork," Jeri said to Frank and Erin.

Jeri and April stood up. When Erin noticed neither of them put their tops on, she didn't either. Frank and Erin followed Jeri and April to the house.

"Do you think they'll get the job?" Molly said to Tom. "That would be so cool!"

"I don't know. It's up to Jeri and April. They will review all the applicants with us, but we'll probably do what they suggest," Tom said.

Molly smiled and nodded.

"When is the first fishing club meeting after we move down here?" Tom said.

"We have a meeting on the Thursday after we get back from Michigan. There's a club tournament two weeks later. It's a dolphin and wahoo tournament," Jenny said.

"That's cool. I think we'll be down here for the meeting. My dad and uncle said we're moving down when we get back from our fishing trip to Lake Michigan," Tom said.

"We have a money tournament two weeks after that. One of the resort hotels in West Palm is sponsoring it. It's the hotel that is going to host our fishing club meetings. The building we've been using doesn't want us there because they have something else for that night," Eddie said. "I think it will be better. From what I heard, they have a nicer room and a marina that we can use for our club tournaments."

"How did that come about?" Tom said.

"My dad said that Tom Gordon, the man that started the club, made the arrangements. I guess he is one of the owners of the resort," Eddie said.

"I'm starting to get hungry. Should we order the pizza?" Kathy said.

"Let's wait for Erin and Frank to get back," Jenny said.

Tom asked about the upcoming money tournament. Eddie and Brad told him as much as they knew. Jenny told Tom she would email the information to him. A few minutes later, Erin and Frank came back. Both of them grinned at the rest of the group.

"Jeri and April said they would meet with us again once the boat is delivered. They said they wanted to take us on a tour and tell us about our duties before we made a decision. If you ask me, it sounds like a dream job. I don't mind hard work," Frank said.

The teens chatted with Erin and Frank for a few minutes. They all went into the cabana to shower and dress. After they finished, they went to the house to order their food. When the pizzas arrived, the teens ate on the patio. They invited Jeri and April, but the two women told them they had other plans.

"Let's go watch a movie," Tom said after everyone finished the meal.

The group went into the large recreation room. Tom turned on the big projection television and handed the remote to Kathy. "Here, you can pick something," Tom said.

Kathy began flipping through the channels while everyone settled into the leather theater seats in the room. Each seat held two people, close if you raised the center armrest. Kathy found a movie and asked if it was okay. No one complained so she sat next to Eddie.

Using another remote, Tom dimmed the lights. He lifted the armrest of the chair he and Molly shared and put his arm around her shoulders. Molly snuggled closer, resting her head against Tom.

The teen watched two movies before they decided to go to bed. They planned to take the boat out for a few hours the next morning and wanted to get an early start. Tom shut off the television and lights in the main house. The group headed to the guesthouse for the night.

Erin and Frank said goodnight and rushed to their room. Jenny and Kathy laughed at them. Tom and Molly said goodnight and went to their room. Jenny, Kathy, Brad, and Eddie stayed in the living room for a few minutes. Jenny giggled and put her arm around her brother's waist.

"How do you feel about spending the night with your brother?" Jenny said to Kathy.

"Are you talking about all of us together or in separate rooms?" Kathy said as she moved next to Brad.

"I was thinking about separate rooms. I haven't spent the night in the same bed with Eddie in a long time," Jenny said.

"Why not? He sleeps in the room next to yours," Kathy said.

Turning to Eddie, Jenny said, "Yeah, why not?"

Eddie shrugged his shoulders. "Things change, Jen. I didn't know if you'd want to. I know we've talked about it, but that's all we've done."

Wrapping her arms around Eddie's arm, Jenny giggled and said, "It's time to stop talking and start acting. Come on."

Eddie, Jenny, Brad, and Kathy headed to the bedrooms. They gave each other a knowing nod before going into their rooms.

Tom and Molly stood in the middle of the room staring at each other. Moving closer, Tom put his arms around Molly. He pulled her close and gave her a tender kiss. Molly opened her mouth to accept Tom's tongue as she circled his neck with her arms. They stood against one another kissing. Tom moved one of his hands over Molly's back. He moved it down to her butt and gently stroked her.

Molly moaned into Tom's mouth. She darted her tongue against his. When Tom put his tongue into Molly's mouth, she sucked it gently. Tom moved them toward the bed. He kissed Molly's neck as he untied the bow that held the halter of her sundress up. When Tom hand the dress untied, he stepped back to let it fall down Molly's body. She stepped out of the dress and started working to undo the button of Tom's shorts.