Chapter 20

In early April, I was outside preparing my garden for planting when Donna came home from school. It was way too cool to be nude, but I was wearing shorts and tank top, barefoot and braless. Connie was napping after sex as she usually did.

Donna put down her backpack and said, "Can I invite someone for supper? Her mom is gone and she's alone."

"Sure, honey," I said. "Anybody I know?"

"Her name is Chloe. They moved into Harper's old house."

"Connie's taking a nap, just be sure you don't wake her when you go inside."

"I won't, Mom. Thanks."

I caught a glimpse of another girl near Donna and went back to pulling roots and weeds.

Supper was sirloin steak, cooked on the grill, baked potatoes and corn on the cob. Our guest, Chloe Waters, was well behaved but rather quiet during the meal. Afterward, we sat drinking coffee and I tried to get to know her a little bit.

"Where are you from, Chloe?"

She said, "Most recently, Chicago. Before that, Washington D.C."

"What's your mom do?" I asked.

"She's a bank examiner. She works for the FDIC, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation."

"Donna said she was gone. Is she working somewhere?"

"She's in Dallas tonight. She'll most likely be home by Saturday."

"Are you going to by yourself for the next three days?" I asked.

"Probably," she smiled.

"Why don't you come over and eat with us every night then? You're more than welcome."

"Thanks," she said with a big smile. "I might do that."

Donna and Chloe went to Donna's room to study after supper, and I started cleaning up the kitchen. Connie helped put some dishes in the dishwasher, then turned to me.

"That kid is lonely," she said.

"I know," I sighed. "What can we do?"

"Feed her, I guess. Donna seems to have found a new friend."

"Donna has a good heart," I said.

"Just like her mom," Connie replied, hugging me.

I leaned in for a kiss, which wasn't enough, and hugged her back for more. I can't explain why, but Connie's touch has driven me crazy with desire since the very beginning of our relationship. I don't think I'll ever tire of it.

We broke apart after a minute or two and agreed to watch TV in the den later. When I finished cleaning, I went up to take my shower. Connie was already inside the enclosure, so I joined her. We whetted our appetites for later in the evening.

About ten o'clock, we were watching the local news when Chloe and Donna walked downstairs dressed in pajamas. I recognized the ones Chloe was wearing as an older set of Donna's.

They stood there waiting until a commercial came on, then Donna said, "Can Chloe spend the night? She's helping me with Algebra."

I couldn't read Donna's expression. It appeared that she was desperate for me to say yes. Her body language said almost the same thing; she was bouncing on her toes and wiggling nervously.

When I said 'yes', Donna squeaked and grabbed Chloe's hand.

"Come on!" she exclaimed, and disappeared by running up the steps with Chloe close behind.

I shouted, "Don't forget to brush your teeth!"

I heard a faint "Okay" and started laughing.

"Did you see her?" I asked. "It's like she's going on her first date!"

"That could be," Connie smiled. "Chloe is a pretty girl. A little flat-chested, like me, but pretty."

"Oh, you!" I said. "Your boobs are just right for me."

To prove it, I snaked a hand under Connie's top and pinched a nipple. Connie undid the buttons on her top and opened it wide. I played with one nipple and sucked on the other, switching sides often. I was thinking breasts, especially Connie's, were such marvelous things to touch. They were soft but firm, very pliable—and so warm! —and the key to pleasure. And such big nipples, too! My pussy got damp after a few minutes and we went upstairs.

Chloe ate breakfast with us the next morning, still shy and quiet, but I didn't think her eyes missed anything. Not me kissing Connie goodbye at the door, or Connie patting me on the butt as she left. She blushed a little bit, but didn't say a word. Chloe finished eating, ran to her house to change clothes and returned a few minutes later. The two of them sat at the table and rechecked homework while they waited for the bus.

Just before the bus was due to arrive, Donna got her book bag and said, "Come on, Chloe. The bus will be here in a minute."

As Chloe walked past me I smiled and she gave me a brief hug. "Thanks for letting me stay."

"You're welcome, hon. Anytime," I replied.

That afternoon, I took Donna aside when she got home and asked her, "What's the deal here? I haven't seen you so excited since Yvonne."

She held my hands and whispered, "I think she's the one, Mom! We've got so much in common I can't believe it, and I think I'm falling in love with her! Isn't she cute? And she's butch, too!"

"She is cute, hon, but how long have you known her? A few days, maybe?"

Donna's face fell and she said, "About a week now." Then she perked up and looked me in the eye. "I know she's the one." She tapped her chest and finished, "I know it here. You'll see."

I mentioned Donna's prediction to Connie that night, and got a non-committal grunt in return.

"Maybe she's right. She's happy, and that's something."

I cuddled down in Connie's arms and started thinking.

Chloe was a frequent visitor and overnight guest at our house for the next month. Donna and Chloe didn't display their affection outside Donna's bedroom, but a blind man could've seen they were in love. A smile here, a light touch there, an admonition to "Let me do that!" and a blushing agreement; it was all there, waiting to unfold. I watched it happen, moment by moment, and thought it was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever witnessed.

Chloe was Donna's only guest at her birthday party. We gave her a car, a Honda Accord that was in great condition. Donna spent the night at Chloe's house, and I didn't know if Chloe's mother was there or not, because I didn't ask. My little girl was growing up; she didn't need me to keep tabs on her every move.

We got to meet Frieda, Chloe's mother, one evening when we invited her to eat with us. Her job was very stressful she said, and she appreciated what we'd done for Chloe in her absence. She explained that she was fairly low on the Government totem pole and didn't have that much seniority, and that was the main reason she had to take whatever job came up. She regretted leaving Chloe alone, but it was necessary to keep her job.

One benefit of knowing Frieda and Chloe came in the form of pool use; Connie was thinking of having one installed at our place, and when she mentioned it in front of Frieda, she told us to use hers like it was our own. We brought up the question of nudity, and Frieda laughed.

"In my native Germany, there are nudist clubs and parks everywhere. Secretaries sunbathe nude by the banks of the rivers on their lunch hour and no one even glances at them. You Americans take bare skin so seriously!"

When the hot weather finally arrived, all three of us made the short trip down the road to swim in Frieda's pool. Chloe was inside the house, preparing snacks and wearing a suit; her mother was on the deck, cleaning the pool with a vacuum brush. She wasn't wearing a stitch.

Frieda waved us inside the fence and invited us to sit wherever we wanted. Donna walked to the pool's edge and dipped her toes, and Connie and I had a seat under the umbrella. Chloe came out of the house with the snacks, still in a suit, and her mother frowned at her. Chloe responded by pushing Donna into the pool and jumping in after her. Seconds later, their suits were thrown onto the deck.

Chloe shouted, "Happy now, Ma?"

I knew Chloe wasn't happy, you could tell by how hard she was blushing. It's one thing to show off your body—or let it be seen might be more accurate—by someone you care for, and quite another to strip naked in front of someone's mother and father. Or mother and mother, if you prefer. The two girls swam to the other end of the pool and whispered with their heads together.

Frieda said, "She's always been shy, don't take it personally, please."