Chapter 5

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

In the morning Jake was dragging. It had taken him a long time to get back to sleep. His mother, on the other hand, was positively giddy. She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. While he was eating cereal, she came into the kitchen carrying two outfits. One was a typically somber conservative skirt and blouse. The other was a light-blue dress he had never seen her wear before.

“Jake, honey. Help me decide which outfit to wear today.”

“I’ve seen you in that skirt and blouse before but not the dress. Put it on and let me see.”

She disappeared into her bedroom. She came out a few minutes later in the dress and a pair of low-heeled shoes.

Jake gasped. He stood and stared at her.

“You look gorgeous. No, that’s not it. You look like a goddess. Turn around and let me see you from behind.”

She lit up in a dazzling smile and twirled for him. His mother had always worn loose clothing that concealed her figure. Even at home, she wore sweats. This dress was snug around her waist and emphasized her bust and her hips. Her proportions were flawless. Her breasts weren’t so large that they over-balanced the rest of her body, but they were impressive and they bobbed in a captivating way as she pirouetted. The hem came to her knees and showed off her slim, muscled calves.

“I’d be proud for anyone to know that you’re my mother.”

Pride. Happiness.

“Now, go and put on the blouse and skirt.”

Disappointment.

“But you said you like this one.”

“Mom, you look beautiful. I can barely keep myself from kissing you again. There is not a man alive who, if he saw you in that dress, wouldn’t give everything he owned to have you. You’re not ready for that. Until you have learned more, I wouldn’t dare let you go out in public looking like that. We’d have to hire an armed escort for you. Please, wear the other outfit, so I don’t spend all day worrying about you.”

She felt better after his explanation and laughed when he finished.

“Yes, Jake, if you say so.”

As she walked back to her room, Jake called after her.

“You’ve ruined my life, you know.”

“What? How?”

“I will compare every girl I ever meet to the way you look right now, and none of them will live up to you. How can I ever be content with any of them?”

Her eyes teared up and she hugged him.

“That’s utter bullshit, Jake.”

“Don’t you believe it. I might as well swear off all women now.”

While his mother was changing, Jake thought about what had just happened. The new memory had obviously helped her feel more comfortable showing herself off. But why had she asked him to help her select a dress? She had never asked him to help her choose her clothes before.

“Uh, tell me, Mom,” he said as they were leaving, her to go to work and him to walk to school, “were you trying to catch anybody’s eye in particular with that dress?”

She blushed and in her mind’s eye, she pictured a tall, smiling man in a suit. Jake had never seen him before.

“No, I just wanted to look pretty, today.”

Jake let it pass.

It created something of a sensation among the eighth-graders when Jake and Jason sat with Julie and Carol for lunch. Jake knew that Jason was still uneasy that Carol had dallied with Julie, but it seemed that Jason had apparently decided that he would try to accept it. From listening to Jason’s thoughts Jake knew that that was mostly because he found the movement of Carol’s breasts so fascinating.

Jake sat next to Julie and across the table from Jason and Carol. Jake mostly ignored Jason and Carol’s conversation, although he did pop in periodically to see if Jason was saying anything about Carol and Julie having sex.

“It really was your first kiss yesterday?” Julie asked.

“It was,” Jake said. “Jason never seemed interested, so I had no one to practice with. I hope my performance was ... acceptable.”

“Oh, I found it adequate,” she said, but her tone and her smile showed she was teasing.

“Good, because I want to practice so that I can get a lot better.”

“I think that’s sweet.”

“And then, when you’ve trained me to be really good, I’ll be ready to ask your sister for a date,” he said and took a bite of his egg-salad sandwich.

After a second, Julie began to splutter.

“You jerk!” she cried out and hit him on the arm.

Jason and Carol looked over at them, as did most of the students in the lunchroom.

Jake stared at Julie blankly for several seconds and then broke into a grin.

“You don’t mind if I tease you, do you? I don’t know why, but I feel very free with you.”

“I think what you should feel is worry about payback, Jake Fielding.”

“I know we only got together for only the first time yesterday, but I already like you a lot. You have lots of spirit. Besides, I told you before why I kissed you. It’s all part of my devious plan to get to know you better.”

Her contentment and pleasure were like a balm to Jake, but then it was replaced by worry.

“You’re really okay with me and Carol?”

“It’s fine, really. It gives us something to have in common. What if we have one of those awkward moments when neither of us can think of anything to say? We can always talk about the things we like about girls.”

She smiled a little. “Thanks for not making me feel bad about it.”

“There’s a lot I like about you. You’re pretty, and smart, too. I can accept you and her. Although it makes things more complicated.”

“How so?”

“You and Carol are interested in each other. Meanwhile, I like you, and I hope you like me. If things work out between you and me then what about Carol? Are you going to keep doing stuff with her?”

“I guess I didn’t think that far ahead.”

“And what if Jason bows out?”

“Why would he do that?”

“I told him about you and Carol.”

Fear.

“You didn’t!” she moaned.

“Why wouldn’t I? It affects him.”

“What if he blabs it around?”

“He promised to keep it to himself.”

“But will he?”

“I think so. I’m keeping an eye on him. I’m not sure that he and Carol are going to work out.”

Jake glanced over at them. Carol was chattering away, and Jason was staring at her tits.

“He’s obviously found something about her that he likes,” Julie said.

Jake, chuckled. “Yes, but I’m not sure that he can wrap his mind around her bisexuality. In the long run, it might be a deal-breaker.”

“Carol can always find another guy who likes her tits.” Julie suddenly looked nervous. “Can you come over to my house after school tomorrow?”

“Just me?”

“Yeah. My mom wants to meet you. It will probably be just you, me and her.”

“Sure, that sounds like fun.”

“You’re not worried?”

“I get along pretty well with adults.”

“I’m glad you’re confident. She can be, well, prickly.”

Lunch was coming to an end and they stood up to leave. Julie was wearing a short navy-blue dress and tights that showed off her legs. They were slender and firm like a dancer’s.

“Yesterday, I said that I’d be a gentleman, but when I look at you,” he said quietly into her ear. “I think I made a mistake.”

She smiled brightly.

“You only promised you would be a gentleman at the park, so now you’re free to be your usual, uncouth self. Besides, what makes you so sure that I want you to keep being a gentleman?”

“If you’re telling me to stop holding myself back, I’m pretty sure I can bring myself to do that.”

They started toward the lunchroom entrance.

“I bet I can get your mom to show me your baby pictures,” he said.

“Don’t even try it, you rat!” she said and shoved him through the lunchroom door.

Julie and Jake walked into social studies together. Jake sat and turned his attention to reading Mrs. Harrison. She was having second thoughts. That surprised him because he had left her libido set at a pretty high level the day before, and she was still cooking along nicely.

Look at him sitting there as though nothing were going on.

Once Jake saw that her attention was focused on him, he bumped up her arousal another notch. He doubted she would be able to conduct class the way he had her so wound up.

I may leave a wet spot on the chair. How can he look so calm?

When the bell rang, she struggled to get control of herself and start her lecture. Jake dropped her libido to a level that was distracting but would allow her to get through class. He kept an eye on her thoughts.

Why was she reconsidering? She was obviously inclined toward having sex with boys. She thought he was attractive. She had been willing the day before. His manipulation of her libido should have been all it took to ensure her eagerness. He had done as much as he could without making a permanent change to her personality. He did not want to be that aggressive.

His first thought was that her reluctance was caused by a fear of getting caught. He dampened the brain center that analyzed and managed risk. He watched the result. No, she was still resisting. In fact, she seemed less interested in him than before. He restored her sense of peril to its previous levels.

If she was not worried about getting caught than what was it?

Jake still hadn’t figured it out when the lecture and class discussion ended, and the students were told to read the next assignment. Instead, he continued eavesdropping on her.

If I give in and Mark finds out, he’ll be humiliated. I want it bad, but the little bastard will have me in the palm of his hands.

Was that the real problem? She was fighting her desires because she was afraid of being blackmailed?

When the bell rang, he walked over to Julie and told her he had to talk to Mrs. Harrison and that he would see her tomorrow. She eyed him for a minute and then nodded. When everyone else was gone Jake approached Mrs. Harrison.

“Jake, I’m afraid I won’t be able to meet with you today. It’s not appropriate.”

He notched up her arousal.

“Mrs. Harrison, I know that by being with me you’re putting yourself in my hands. That must be scary.”

“In fact, it is.”

“Then let me reassure you. I won’t take advantage of you, and I will never mention it to anyone. I can’t promise that no one will ever find out, but I do promise that I’ll do whatever I can to protect you.”

He felt her concern diminished, though not entirely.

“I find that reassuring. I hope I can trust you to be discreet.”

As her apprehension receded, her sexual excitement increased, even without him pushing more desire into her.

“Mrs. Harrison, I’m looking for knowledge, not power.”

She considered him for several seconds, impressed by his unusually mature understanding of her psychology.

“If I have your assurance on that point then we can meet.”

Jake smiled broadly. “Great. I’ll be home right after class. Why don’t you come by at 3:30?”

“I’ll see you then, Jake.”

Mrs. Harrison arrived a few minutes late. She was dressed as she had been in school, a charcoal gray sweater and a tight, dark gray skirt. She had removed her bra.

“You’re a beautiful woman, Mrs. Harrison. Please, sit and let me get you a drink. I can offer you water, Coke, milk or orange juice.”

She walked to the couch, her breasts bouncing with each stride, and sat with one long leg crossed over the other, her nipples standing erect.

“Water, thank you, Jake. Call me Jan when we’re alone.”

Jake went to the kitchen and returned with a bottle of water for each of them. He set hers on the coffee table in front of her. He sat on the sofa closer to the far end than to her.

“Now, I believe you said that you want to discuss a problem.”

“Yes. Two, actually,” Jake said. “I need to understand women better, and I want to learn how men and women are, well, intimate.”

“I could see the second one coming, but the first one surprises me. What do you want to know about women?”

“I’m not sure how to answer that. Maybe I should say why I want to know.” He took a sip from his water glass. “I know this woman. I can’t tell you her real name, so I’ll call her Jane.”

Jake explained his mother’s circumstances to Jan as best he could without revealing her identity.

“So, she is stunted socially, especially with regards to men,” Jan said.

“Yes, and some of her friends and family have asked me to help bring her out of her shell,” he said.

“That’s a lot of responsibility to put on the shoulders of a thirteen-year-old.”

“Other people have tried to help her and failed. That makes me her last resort. Besides, Jane and I are close, and she trusts me. I would do anything I could for her.”

“I’m a little confused. If you want to teach this Jane how to socialize with men, why do you want me to teach you about women.”

“When I started thinking about how to help Jane, I realized that there was too much I don’t know. I want to help her become better adjusted. I’m just not sure what that means?”

“I guess that makes sense. But still, teaching you about the psychology of women is a lot more challenging than showing you how to fuck. I’m not sure that I’m up to the job.”

“To be honest, while I really, really want to learn about sex, that’s not nearly as important to me as Jane is. I would pass up sex to be able to help Jane. Still, if you can show me how to have sex, too, I would like that. I hope that I can put those lessons to use as well, at least someday.”

“Maybe someday soon. I saw you with Julie DeRizzo today. How long has that been going on?”

Jake felt himself blushing.

“Not long. Since yesterday. How could you tell?”

Jan laughed. “We’ll let this be your first lesson about women, Jake. Romantic relationships are very important to us. We start to learn about them in middle school, or even earlier. We study them more avidly than any man studies the stock market or the sports page. It is a consuming fascination for us. And we become expert at it. We can read the clues that show when a man is attracted to us. We can tell when a man and a woman are flirting. Like you and Julie today. It was, let’s say, rudimentary, but she is practicing skills that all women use on men.”

“Jane never had a chance to learn that.”

“Your Jane is coming to the party late. If she’s just starting now, she will probably never get really good at it. That will put her at a disadvantage when it comes to competing for men.”

“Jane is beautiful. She won’t have any trouble attracting men once she learns the basics. What do I need to teach her?”

“The first thing she should know is how to be safe. No matter how interesting the other lessons are, they can wait. These days a woman has to know that there are men who will target her.”

“Jane’s mother told me the same thing. How can she protect herself?”

“Until a woman really knows a man, she has to be prepared for the possibility that he might turn out to be a date rapist who will try to drug her drink. Or maybe he’s an egomaniac. Or someone who bullies women into submission. Or he might end up trying to mooch off of her. Lots of times a married man will lie and say that he is single or separated. So, before she begins dating, she needs to be aware that there are scoundrels out there.”