Chapter 13

Jeff spent the next three days ordering equipment and running errands. In addition, he also spent several hours with a small accounting firm in Boulder. He promised the accountant a sizeable bonus if he would substantially, and legally, cut down on the taxes he was going to have to pay.

“Incorporate. Only eight percent of the top one thousand corporations in the US pay any taxes at all,” the accountant told him.

When Jeff arrived back home, he was more confused than when he left, but the accounting firm had a good reputation. Jeff also knew a lawyer that would gladly check up on everything they did – for a fee. Wadsworth certainly wasn’t cheap, but he had saved Jeff money when the contracts were signed. Depending on how you looked at it, Jeff thought that the attorney, with his stalling routine, had made far more money for him than the attorney had charged, not to mention the loophole that would have reaped the other lawyers still more of his money. It would be foolish not to contact Wadsworth again.

He was going to have to go back to the old house to pack up his equipment and get it shipped to their new home, but he decided to wait until he had the lab finished.

After a call to Frank to find out who built the convention center, he got in touch with the contractor and had him come out. It wasn’t going to be a significant job, but just a couple of offices and two big lab rooms. The basement had a concrete floor and a finished ceiling. All he needed were walls, wiring, doors, etc. Then again, he would need a raised floor to take care of the cabling for the computers. Still, this should not be as involved as building an extension to a house. He sketched out plans for the lab while the contractor measured and took notes. When he was finished, the contractor told Jeff he would get back with him with a price in a couple of days.

Jeff thought the man seemed exceptionally sharp and was impressed. After sitting down at the computer with a design program, he began laying out what he would put where.

Diana was sitting at the counter peeling potatoes for dinner when Ann came through the door. “Where is everybody?” Diana asked.

“Oh, they’re outside doing something,” Ann said, motioning.

“Why aren’t you with them? You aren’t sick, are you?”

“No. Not really. Not like that, anyway.” she answered mysteriously. After a couple of seconds where Diana stared at her with worry written on her face, Ann went on. “Uh, Mrs. Matthews, I’ve...”

“Ann, I’m not that old. I should have stopped your using that title long ago, so now’s a good time to start.”

“Yes, Ma’am. I mean ... Uh, thank you, but I need to ask you something – something that’s extremely important. Well, to me, it is.”

Diana, noting the serious expression on the face of Arlene’s long-time best friend and Diana’s best friend’s daughter, put the peeler down, refreshed her coffee and said, “Want some, or maybe a soft drink? Shall we go somewhere more comfortable to talk?”

“No thanks. I’m not thirsty, and right here is fine as long as we’re alone.”

After motioning for Ann to sit, Diana eased into a chair at the end while Ann plopped down in the next closest one on the side of the table. “Now what’s so serious that you can’t just ask me straight out?” Thinking about the episode in the kitchen, she quickly continued, “Have I done something to upset you?”

Ann shook her head, her hair swirling around her face as Diana noted the girl’s extended nipples that were prominently showing through her top. Something has her upset.

After a couple of minutes of silence, Ann still had not said anything, and Diana was starting to get very worried. She’s ready to cry. I wonder if one of the girls has hurt her feelings. If so, I’m going to have some strong words with somebody.

Finally, Ann stopped staring at the table and looked Diana in the eye. “I know I’m going to screw this up because I just don’t know how to say what I need to say.” She let out a sigh as Diana put a hand on hers.

“Mrs., uh Diana, I know that Arlene has told you that I’m still a virgin. Oh, I’ve come close twice. Once this guy almost raped me – date rape. He thought I wanted it, despite my telling him no over and over. I wound up scratching his face pretty badly to convince him that I would fight and not be pushed into it. Then another time, I had decided to do it but chickened out before we got to the guy’s house. He wouldn’t speak to me for weeks.”

Diana squeezed her hand. “You do that when you’re ready and have found the right person. Not until then. Don’t let anyone pressure you into it. There is certainly nothing wrong with waiting until you’re married.”

“But I have found the right one. I’ve known it since I was thirteen. That’s the reason I wouldn’t do it with anyone else.”

Diana smiled. “What’s wrong? Does he have a girlfriend?”

“No,” Ann sighed, then quietly added, “He has a wife.”

Oh, Shit. Then reality sank in: “Oh, crapppp, “ she said while drawing out the word.

Tears were running down the girl’s cheeks as she stared at the table. Finally looking up, she caught Diana’s eye. “Please don’t hate me. Oh, I’m well aware of what many people would think if they knew. After all, I’m only sixteen, and most would probably call it puppy love or something like that. But whatever it is, I’ve had it since I was thirteen, and it hasn’t gone away. I’ve dreamed about him making love to me for three years – unfailingly, every night.”

She sighed again before continuing, “I had this all rehearsed out, and it sounded so logical, but when I walked in here, I froze up. I know that you’re going to hate me for even asking, but I have, at least, to ask.“ Before she could chicken out, she went hurriedly on. “Diana, please. I want your husband to take my virginity. I won’t ask ever again, but just this once, will you ask your husband to take my virginity – to make love to me?”

Diana took a deep breath, not even realizing that her own nipples had also popped out with the stress. “Ann, my husband swears that he has never touched another woman until a couple of weeks ago when I put Arlene up to seducing him. But there was a lot more to it than that.”

“Mrs. Matthews, Arlene told us everything. I understand what happened and why.”

Diana hardened her voice, pissed that Arlene had told far more than she should have. “Then you know that Jeff has never run around on me. He and I are both messed up with this thing. How in the world could you expect to add something else, someone else,” she corrected, “to everything that has already happened to us?”

“I know he loves you and Arlene, and I know that he doesn’t love me. He hardly knows that I exist, but I’m not asking for your husband. I just want him to make love to me for only one night.”

“You’re not asking for my husband?” Diana repeated, unable to keep from grinning despite Ann’s sincerity. “You just want to use him for one night?”

Ann, flustered, said, “Well, I guess it didn’t come out quite right. I promise I’m not trying to come between you two; nobody could, anyway. You’re far too beautiful for that. I just want to give him my virginity, instead of some boy humping on me for thirty seconds and then bragging about it to all his friends.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere, right?”

With an intensity that Diana could hardly believe, Ann said, “I’m not trying to flatter you. I’ve always thought you were the prettiest woman I have ever seen, even prettier than my mother. But if she didn’t have to work so many hours and worry so much, she would be a lot prettier than she is now.”

Ann’s sincerity had tugged at Diana’s heart. Getting up, she pulled the girl to her feet and hugged her. “We have a problem, Kid,” she said in a teasing voice. “Let’s you and I go for a drive. We need to get out of here for a while.”

With keys in hand and Ann in tow, Diana went out the back. After locating the girls, she called out, “Arlene, you guys fix your food and your father’s. Ann and I are going for a drive.” When Arlene came running up to her wanting to know what was going on, obviously noticing Ann’s red eyes, Diana added, “Tell your father that everything is fine, just a woman thing. We’ll be back later.”

After unlocking the Escalade with the remote, she ushered Ann inside and closed the door behind her before hurrying to the driver’s side. Without looking at Arlene again, she quickly started the SUV, backed up, turned and headed down the driveway.

Two hours, some ice cream, a stroll through the park, a lot of talk, and Diana had concluded that other people had troubles, too.

That night, Jeff was playing video games with Melissa, Jennie and Arlene. “You’re just letting me win,” Melissa accused him.

Jeff was not going to tell her he was trying his absolute best to win. I used to be good at this stuff in college. Either I’ve lost my touch, or these girls are way out of my league. Either way, she’s beating the shit out of me. He was saved from answering Melissa when his wife came in and crooked her finger at him. “The boss wants me,” he said, relieved as he nodded to Diana.

Arlene took over in his place with Jennie looking over her shoulder and giving advice. At least Melissa will get some competition, he thought as he followed Diana out of the room.

A few minutes later, they were seated in the kitchen with hot coffee in front of them. Diana waited until Jeff had taken a sip and put the cup down before starting. “I talked with Ann today, as you know.”

“Yeah. What happened to her? Arlene said she had been crying, and you two went for a drive.”

Diana didn’t answer right away. Instead, she sat tapping her fingernails against her cup, which made an odd sound that was getting on Jeff’s nerves. “Come on, Di. What are...”

“She wants you to take her virginity.”

After a while, Jeff sighed and said, “I thought it was going to be something like that after you talked about her wanting ‘someone like me’ to be her first. Did you straighten her out?”

He doesn’t have a clue. He is so sure that I would be against this that he isn’t even interested. Now, what shall I tell him? “I told her that I thought it was a great idea,” she lied, just to see the expression on his face.

Jeff’s face flushed as if he were a teenager until he realized she was kidding. “Shit, Hon. What did you tell the girl?”

“We had a long talk, and she impressed me. All the girls are sharp, well above average. Obviously, Arlene picks smart people for friends, but Ann is very intelligent, as we both already know. Like our daughter, she has her head on straight. After I thought about it for a while, I told her I would talk to you about it. And, with some stipulations, I would try to talk you into it. As if that would be hard,” she added with a smirk.

Jeff glanced at his wife and frowned. “In other words, if Jeff gets the chance to fuck a sixteen-year-old’s pussy, he’ll jump at the chance,” he practically snarled. “Diana, dammit, I’ve had sex with exactly two women in my life, and one of them you practically crammed down my throat.”

Oh, crap. This isn’t going the way I thought it would. Have I stepped on his ego again? “No, I did not say it would be easy to talk you into it,” she said aloud. “But I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t jump at the chance. She’s sexy as can be, and she has been in love with you for years. I’m not worried about your running off with her and leaving me. So why shouldn’t you be her first? I thought all men considered a virgin the ultimate turn on,” she muttered almost to herself.

Jeff drummed his fingers on the table, unconsciously returning the irritation. “Diana, I fell in love with you many years ago. The only thing that’s changed about that is I probably love you more now than I did then. I’m still fighting the Jack thing, but I do love you, Hon. Don’t you think that I could have fucked other women if I had wanted to?” As she started to respond, he raised his hand a little, signaling her to wait. “We took some vows, way back when, and other than Arlene – who I did not go after, I’ve upheld those vows.