Chapter 7

After she left, trying to work did not help. I went out and swam a hundred laps to get my head in order. Then, I went to the computer and read dreadful stories for an hour. I ran three miles. Jennifer's face was always in focus in my mental viewfinder. I mowed the grass. It needed it.

At 3:30, I sat at the breakfast counter and waited. I thought, "Brianna rides the bus every day. She doesn't need you to watch her come home."

I heard voices in the garage and soon Brianna and Cathy came into the kitchen. Brianna dropped her backpack and came immediately to hug me. Cathy came over to hold my back. Brianna said, "You've had a bad day. I can feel it."

"Worst day I have had in a good while."

Cathy said softly. "Oh, Mr. Edwards. I'm so sorry."

Brianna asked, "Anything we can do? We'll tickle you if you'll swim with us."

I hesitated. She said, "Last one in is a rotten egg!"

Here I was, late forty something, and two fourteen year-old girls were trying to prop me up. Not just trivially, but really concerned. "What the hell?" I put on my suit and went out to the pool.

I went in off the board and swam up to the shallow end. Both of them grabbed me and started very light tickling. Caressing would have been more accurate. Within seconds, I was embarrassed at my erection, so I broke away and started swimming laps.

Brianna said, "OK, we'll swim ten laps. Loser has to fix dinner."

She counted the start signal and we went after it. I had no idea how fast these little nymphs were, but they were faster than me. Their flip turns were flawless and I was easily a half-lap behind at the finish. They both wrapped their bodies around me. Cathy said, "What are you going to fix for us?"

I asked, already knowing the answer, "What would you like?"

"Can you make Pizza?"

"Yes. I make wonderful Pizza. What do you want on it?"

We negotiated the toppings and then I said, "OK, I'm making the Pizza, you guys have to make the salad."

They groaned. "Yeah, you're 'making' the pizza."

I replied, "Remember this. I'm making pizza happen. That's what you wanted."

I sent them up for a shower. They came down dressed in their school clothes and looking fresh. Brianna came over to me and said, "Why don't you invite Rachel over? I'm sure you miss her and I haven't even met her."

I looked at Brianna and saw a face of complete resignation. She was not happy, but she had the courage to carry on. I know she wanted to kiss her boyfriend and do whatever they had been doing before the hurricane and that she transferred that desire to me. I couldn't handle it.

I called Rachel, who answered quickly. "If you haven't eaten, my other girl friends want to meet you. Would you like to come for Pizza?"

"My God, you are such a sick bastard. How could I come over there and disturb your harem?" She laughed, "I'm glad you called. Nothing in my house to eat. See you shortly."

Get this. Rachel came in, wearing her brief shorts and skimpy T-shirt. Not exactly a role model for the young girls. Within minutes, they were in the kitchen chatting away and making stuff to go with the Pizza. They were seriously making things happen.

Cathy came over to me and said, "Would you like a martini?"

"Remember how?"

"I have the recipe."

A minute later, she placed my martini in exactly the same place. It was perfect."

Brianna grinned and put little crackers in my mouth as she prepared the salad. I saw her wash each individual lettuce leaf and dry it with a towel. I almost wept as I remembered my wife's doing the same thing for years.

Rachel said, "You may well be on the way to being a dirty old man. These girls want so much to please you. What did you do to them?"

I herded her into the family room and seated her on the couch. Then, I said, "Brianna doesn't want to go home to live with her mother and her mother's current lover. Cathy doesn't want Brianna to leave because they have become intimate friends in a week. I agreed to let Brianna live with me until her mother got furniture and moved into her new house in Pensacola."

"Who decided that it would be a good idea for me to come over tonight?"

"I have been wanting you for days. However, Brianna suggested that you come to eat with us."

"That's what I figured. I can tell you this. Brianna wants to be your main girlfriend. She wants to be the woman in your house." She looked at my shocked face. "Forget that age thing. Forget it! This girl loves you and not like a daughter." She breathed, "She is in the kitchen fixing your dinner. Please compliment her!"

At dinner, I poured the wine and the girls talked about everything and nothing. How can they do that? They just go on. In the end, both of the girls really liked Rachel. She was quick to respond to their questions and made sure that they knew I was her man. Strange.

I didn't have to remind them about bedtime. Both of them came to kiss me on the cheek before they went upstairs to their bedroom. Brianna said, "Rachel, I like you. You're nice." She giggled, "Make him happy, please!"

Cathy said, "Are you going to stay here with Mr. Edwards tonight?"

Rachel nodded, "Yes, I am!"

Cathy blushed slightly, "Cool!"

Rachel's eyes were large as moons. She said, "Where did Brianna come from? I didn't learn those tactics until I was 18. You may be out of your league."

In bed, I guess I substituted Rachel for Jennifer as I came onto her, licking her vulva and sucking it into my mouth. She was off quickly, crushing my head between her shapely thighs having successive spasms. I loved Rachel, too. How did I get so confused?

At 11:00, the phone rang. I was in the bathroom peeing and Rachel answered the phone. As my urine splashed in the toilet, I could hear them talking, but not their words. I heard one exchange; "Brianna thought it would be better if I were here to help. She thinks Jordan needs adult supervision."

I listened. She laughed. "Of course, you may talk to her, but I have to wake her. It's a school night." I heard words coming from the other end, and then Rachel said, "I know it's an hour earlier there. I'll tell her to call you. Hey, they're OK."

When she came to bed she put her arms around me, and her head on my shoulder. She said, "Jordan, I'm now teaching Anthropology 101 combined with the birds and the bees. You think of Brianna as too young, but in her mind and hormones, when she got pubic hair and started bleeding, she became interested in boys. She believes she is ready and I'll bet she finds ways to pleasure herself at night. Maybe they do it together? I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't ordinarily do anything with her, but she will continue to tempt you. That's what girls do. I'm glad you called me."

"I can feel her wanting. Maybe she'll find a boyfriend at school and get her mind off of me."

"I expect she had a boyfriend back home. She will soon have other guys panting over her. Hell, she's damn good looking and charming. She will not, however, give up on her main prey. You are the one." She rubbed my chest. "I know how easy it is to fall for your charms. Can't fault her for that."

"In case you're wondering, I'm glad you're here, too."

We slept together without passion or sex. I was over. We cuddled, and caressed. She slept on my chest. She moved into my spoon. I heard the alarm. I don't like alarms.

I went downstairs in my shorts and a T-shirt. Jesus! There was Rachel making scrambled eggs and coffee. Brianna sat on a chair at the bar. Rachel cooking? My first words were, "Where's Cathy?"

Brianna hugged me, "She's getting dressed. Don't worry. We don't miss buses." She then whispered, "Was she good?"

I whispered back, "She is always good, Miss Nosy."

After breakfast, they thanked Rachel, kissed me on the cheek and went to the bus stop. I simply stared at Rachel. "You made breakfast?"

"Jesus! Dimbulb. Those girls need something before going to school."

"I didn't know that you knew--"

She looked at me, almost with despair. "I know how to do these things. I learned when I was nine. I like those girls and wanted them to go off to school with protein. Would you like a waffle?" Then, tears started flowing down her cheeks. "How do we get ourselves in these messes?"

I could only think of something dumb. "One day at a time."

She snorted, "Hold on a minute while I write that down. It's right up there with Confucius." She stood for a minute and then said, "I cooked. You wash dishes. I have to go to class."

"Looking like that?"

"Oh, yeah, shithead. I have some stuff in the car."

Before she left, she came to kiss me. "Thanks for having me. Life with you is always a thrill. Sometimes, the days are even pleasant."

"Brianna wanted to know if you were good last night. I want to know if you're coming back tonight."

"I'll be here by six or so. I'm not leaving you alone with those girls. I don't even know what will happen when Cathy goes home. Brianna will have you all to herself."

When Brianna and Cathy came home from school, they dutifully came to hug me. Brianna said, "Life any better today?"

I hugged her. "Yeah. I just have to get used to it. How about you guys?"

"School is better. I know what I'm doing in most classes. I'll study more and then I'll be caught up."

Cathy said, "She is getting along well. All the kids like her." She hugged me again and said, "I have to go home, now."

I asked Brianna, "How are the kids?"

She winked at me. "Things are looking up. Uhm, can I invite a boy over to swim?"

"As long as I'm here. Sure. What would Jennifer say?"

"Something like, 'Sure, as long as I'm here.'"

"Have you called her?"

"I'll go up right now and do it. Not looking forward to it."

Twenty minutes later, she came in my office, "Well, Mom made her offer on the house and wrangled a deal to move in almost immediately. Now, she has to decorate it and get furniture. She bought a car and told me to thank you for keeping me and to behave myself." She looked distressed.

"Good news and bad news?"

"I love her and I love you. I want to be your girl, but Rachel is your girl, now that Mom isn't and you think I'm too young. I hate the thought of leaving you and going back there, even if I can't be your girl."

"It isn't that I think you're too young, God and everybody thinks you're too young. The state has laws about old guys and young girls. I'm not the first man in history strongly attracted to a beautiful young girl. That's why they passed the laws."

"You think I'm beautiful? Is Rachel coming back tonight?"

"Yes. She wouldn't leave me alone with you."

"I don't need another friend like Rachel looking out for me."

"What about Cathy?"

"Her mom came home, so she's staying at home tonight. She might be here tomorrow, though."

"Homework?"

"OK. OK. I get the hint."

I went back to the kitchen to figure out what to do for dinner. I guess I'd better tell Jennifer to email Brianna more instructions! I found some lean ground beef and decided to do a pasta dish. We had plenty of spaghetti and some good garlic tomato sauce to cover the pasta. It didn't feel right to serve the microwave dinners that I often served myself. Maybe Brianna could make a salad and I'd make garlic bread and steam some fresh green beans.

I worked a while and came back down to start the dinner. Rachel arrived close to six as she said she would. I let her in and she started immediately kissing. When she greeted me, she made it abundantly clear that she was as happy to see me as I was to see her. She pulled her head away and smiled, "Hi, old man. How are you doin'?"

"I'm better today, jailbait. I'm aware that I have some healing to do, but you're the nicest balm I know."

"I'm glad you still like me. I thought for a while you were going to leave me."

"I might if I could ever get up the courage. Unfortunately, I like having you around."

"Unfortunately I like being here too much. You're my father figure and lover all wrapped into one, and it isn't even illegal or incest."

"Thank you." I kissed her again.

"Where are the little vamps?"

"Cathy went home to her mother. Brianna is doing homework."

"I'll go check on her and warn her to keep her hands off my man." She had an evil laugh.

Twenty minutes later, both of them came down the stairs chattering. Brianna asked, "What should I do for dinner?"

"I thought you ran out of instructions."