Chapter 7

Mark sat nodding as Penny told him about how she had met Jenn and then Tim. He didn't seem particularly interested in the story, but at least seemed to be paying attention.

"So they're going to help me with the garden," she said, finishing her abridged version of the afternoons discussion. "Isn't that awesome?"

"Yeah," Mark replied hollowly, then shook his head as if trying to shake a thought to the surface. "Wait, you're gonna grow a garden?"

Penny rubbed her temple and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, plotting her next thought. When she opened her eyes she found Mark glancing at his watch. Her eyes found the clock on the wall behind him. Almost time for football I guess.

"Yes, I'm growing a garden," she said with a frustrated sigh. "I've told you that twice already in this very conversation and two days ago I told you about it after dinner."

"Hmmm," he said, seemingly unaffected by her growing frustration. "I must have missed it."

Taking a deep breath Penny let it out slowly and then spoke again, this time fighting back emotions somewhere between hurt and anger. "I guess you did," she said slowly and concisely, trying not to let her emotions get the best of her.

Mark looked at his watch again and picked up his plate and silverware. He stepped around her and she snaked a hand out, grasping at the front of the Khakis that he had worn to work that day. She felt his cock through the fabric and grasped at it, rubbing her hand sensually across it, cupping it through the cotton. Mark looked down at her with what Penny could best describe as a sad smile, and then continued on to deposit his dishes in the sink.

Penny sat silently in the room alone, the hum of the fluorescent bulbs above her the only sound except the incessant thumping of her beating heart. Then the anger rose within her. With rapid precision she gathered up her dishes, deposited them into the sink and stomped into the family room. Family room ... Ha! That insinuates that there's a family! Let alone a marriage!

Without giving any warning to Mark, who was kicked back with his feet on the ottoman watching football on television, she reached down and unplugged the power strip that powered the entertainment center. The television went off with a flash and his attention and eyes fell upon her immediately.

"Hey," he protested. "What's wrong with you?"

"No," she yelled. "What is wrong with YOU?!"

Mark looked at her, the anger and confusion on his face evident.

"Nothing," he said quietly.

"What?" she cried out. "Nothing? You want me to believe that nothing is wrong?" He nodded without meeting her eyes.

"Something is wrong."

"Everything's fine."

Penny took a deep breath then glared at Mark. "Something is going on with you. You won't look at me. You won't talk to me. You won't tell me how your day is. You won't listen to me. You won't pinch my butt or show any interest in me. You won't even respond when I throw myself at you like a brazen hussy!" She panted to catch her breath from the tirade. "Fuck Mark! If I got down on my knees right now and gave you a blowjob or bent over the ottoman so you could fuck me however you wanted, I don't think you would show me the slightest bit of emotion."

"I tell you, there's nothing to talk about!" he cried.

Penny stood there exasperated. "Who is she?"

"Who?"

"You know who."

"No I don't know who. What the hell are you talking about?" Anger started to creep into Mark's voice. Penny shuddered at the thought that she had likely struck a nerve.

"I am talking about the woman you are fucking Mark!"

"I am not fucking anyone Penny," Mark said. His voice was getting calmer, more even, more hard. He doesn't care...

"Well you certainly aren't fucking ME!" she screamed.

"Well there's no one else," he said. He crossed his arms and sat back in the chair, shaking his head.

Penny watched him. She knew the look. He wasn't going to budge or discuss or anything. He was an immoveable object.

"Fine," she said, her voice creaking with resignation. She turned and plugged the power strip back in. "Here's your precious football. Maybe it will keep you warm at night." She turned toward the kitchen and slipped her shoes on her feet.

"Where are you going?" he asked, the hard edge still evident in his voice.

"For a walk," she replied. "Not that you give a shit!"

He started to protest. "Fuck you Mark!" she screamed and stomped out the back door. She stood on the deck, listening for the sound of him following, for him to apologize, or to open up. It didn't matter really what he said, or even if he said anything at all. If he followed at least that showed that he cared.

All she heard was the screaming roar of a crowd in some city far away and the play by play announcement as the game progessed. She fought the urge to peer in through the window and finally overcame it. He wasn't coming. Penny bit her lower lip and sighed in concession, then turned and walked through the gate and into the woods.

It was nearly half an hour later that she had found herself sitting atop a rock, watching a the water of the little stream wash all around her that she realized that she had come upon the stream below the garden. She hadn't intended to go there. In fact she had wanted to avoid it and had taken off in a random direction, avoiding the trail altogether.

Yet here she was. She recognized the tree hanging across the water in front of her as the one that shaded the trail where it crossed the stream. She rubbed the tears from her eyes and wiped them on her shirt. How ladylike. You are such a crybaby.

She cried a bit more before she got her breathing under control. It was because she was forcing herself to breathe slowly and evenly that she missed the sound of footsteps coming down the trail.

Tim stepped into view first and reached back to lend a hand to Jenn. They hopped across the stream then up the trail to the garden, gone from sight as quickly as they had come.

For a moment Penny sat silent and still as a statue. They hadn't seen her. They had passed by without so much as a glance in her direction. Maybe I should go watch them garden and see if I can learn anything about gardening. Somehow her mind rejected the thought out of hand. It had seemed that something about the way that they walked had indicated other plans. With a start and a gasp, she suddenly realized that she had been holding her breath.

With deliberate quiet she slid off of the rock and onto the nearest stepping stone. She tiptoed quietly, making sure that she didn't accidentally slip into the water, and slowly began making her way up the bank.

There were a few trees between her and the garden and she moved stealthily between them, making as little noise as humanly possible. Every leaf that crunched and stick that cracked sounded as if fireworks were going off. Soon however, the sound of lovers in the heat of passion drowned out both the sounds, and any other thought in Penny's mind. Good God these two fuck like rabbits!

Finally, after what seemed like ages Penny was able to wiggle herself into view and see what was going on. You are such a dirty slut, she told herself. You not only get off on watching them fuck but you want them to fuck you too.

Tim was leaned against a tree stump, running his fingers through Jenn's red mop of hair as she knelt in front of him, his cock deep within her mouth. Penny watched as she cupped his shaved balls in her right hand and stroked his length with her left. Her pretty lips glided up and down the veined manly flesh of his rigid member. Sometimes only the head was hidden from view, and at other times she took the cock so deep within her throat that she was able to stick her tongue out and lick his nut sack. She is a pro like me.