Chapter 11

"Uh ... Hi," Mike said. "I'm not sure who this is."

"Yes you do, Mike," Jennifer replied. "We've talked before."

"Oh! Yes, Hi! I wasn't sure if it was you. How are things going, Jenna?"

"Is anyone on the line with us, Mike?"

"Um ... no. Why?"

"I need to talk to someone, but very privately. I took a shot in hopes that you would be willing to talk to me. But not like this."

"Oh, Jenna ... well we're not allowed to..."

"I know that, Mike," Jenna interrupted. "Is there anyone else there with you at the moment? A supervisor or anything?"

"Well, no ... yes ... well, my supervisor is here, but she's in her office meeting with a new volunteer."

"O.K. then. Here's the deal. If you're interested, I'd like to talk to you face-to-face. But I need to know it would be a personal conversation. Not something you're obligated to report to anyone. I know you're not allowed. But if you want to, I'll give you my cell phone number so we can set something up. If you don't want to break the rules and you would rather not be in that position, I understand. In that case I'll just say goodbye and I won't call again."

"Wow. I've never ... yes, Jenna. I'd like that."

"O.K., great. Here's my number..."

Mike called Jennifer as soon as his shift ended. At her suggestion, they arranged to meet in the lounge area of a local hotel. Jennifer had been there for several business meetings and she was confident that they could have a private conversation but still be in public. She gave Mike specific instructions on how to find the secluded spot where she would be waiting. He showed-up as expected, right on time.

"Hi ... Mike?" Jennifer inquired before extending her hand.

"Yes! Hi Jenna. It's so nice to meet you in person." Jenna extended her hand and Mike reurned the gesture. She then motioned to leather chairs and they both sat.

"I don't mean to be too assertive, Mike. But I need to get something straight with you. I really, really appreciate you bending the rules to meet with me. But I need you to promise that you're really meeting with me in nothing but a personal capacity."

"Jenna, I promise. I really liked talking to you on the phone and I felt like I was helpful. To be honest, your story was a little shocking, despite all the wild things I've heard. But I really liked talking to you and I was ... hoping you would call again. So yes, I promise I'm just here as Mike. Call me friend or whatever you like."

"Good," Jenna said, feeling instantly more relaxed. "Thank you so much, Mike. Well, first things first. My name's not really Jenna ... it's Jennifer."

"I understand. Lots of people don't want to give their real name."

"Is 'Mike' your real name?"

"Yes, it is. So, Jenna ... I'm sorry ... Jennifer. What's the latest in your situation with your son?"

"Wow... ," Jenna took a deep breath before continuing. "A lot has happened. We, uh ... we went further." Mike nodded his head. "I ... I ... oh, what the hell? My son ... his name is Ryan ... Ryan did it with my panties again. I found them under his mattress. I found some of his porn magazines too, which is no big deal. I'm glad he's looking at them. He should be thinking about girls."

"Yes, I suppose that part is totally normal," Mike interjected.

"Right. So, well ... I kind of got ... really turned on when I found that he had masturbated with my underwear again."

Jennifer looked around to reassure herself that she could talk so explicitly. They were completely alone in the lounge.

"So anyway," she continued, "I got turned on and, among other things, I went in my bathroom and took a bunch of pictures in the mirror."

"What kind of pictures?" Mike asked.

"Pictures of me, in ... my underwear ... sometimes panties without a bra, with my boobs just covered." Mike looked down and shook his head slightly.

"Oh, Jennifer..."

"I know, Mike. Don't start. I want to get this out." Mike nodded again and refocused. "I left the pictures on a disk in his room. He came home and looked at them. And on the last picture on the disk, I held up a sign telling him to come into my room if he wanted to."

"Oh wow... ," Mike murmured.

"Yea ... wow ... exactly."

"So ... did he come to your room?"

"Uh ... yea. He did," Jennifer said, smiling weakly.

"Did you sleep with him?"

"No, I didn't. But he ... we ... we did some things."

"What exactly did you do, Jennifer?"

"Well, basically, Mike ... we ... we..."

Jennifer paused, considering whether or not to continue. She felt safe with Mike. And yet, she didn't know if she could speak the words to describe what she and Ryan had done. At the same time, a part of her desired desperately to do so.

Mike was struggling with a conflict of his own. He knew he shouldn't be here with Jennifer. He should never have agreed to keep her situation confidential. If anyone at the Help Line found out about it, he would never be allowed to serve there again. But he had not been able to get 'Jenna' and her story out of his mind. He couldn't believe that talking to her got him so turned on that he masturbated right at his phone station. While his conscience made it clear that meeting alone with her was a dangerous idea, he couldn't imagine passing up the opportunity not only to hear more about this woman's twisted tale, but to see her in the flesh.

"Mike, I don't know how you're going to feel about this," Jennifer continued, "but I've been here several times for client meetings. They have some conference suites that my company keeps on reserve and I have access to them if I need one. Would you be open to my getting one of those rooms for an hour or so, so we could talk in privacy?"

Mike couldn't believe what he was hearing. The thought notched-up his 'it's just wrong' meter. But it also spiked his 'can this really be happening' gauge. He knew he couldn't resist.

"Sure, Jennifer. As long as you feel comfortable enough with me to do that."

"I do," Jennifer said, offering him a sincere smile. "I've felt safe with you since the first time we talked. And the meeting rooms are on the first floor, right off the lobby. They have windows to the atrium and I can leave the curtains open. I just want to talk without the chance of anyone overhearing."