Chapter 20: Then She Did...

When Heather and I eventually retreated to shore and reached the windbreak of the beach houses, it felt almost balmy. We had both been too cold to talk during the pack-up and short ride back to Heather’s place. Upon hurriedly ditching the bikes at the side of her house, we finally entered the warm cocoon of her living room. Heather turned to me as we stood there trying to remember what our extremities felt like. She beamed, a deeply satisfied smile that warmed me much faster than the heat from the house did.

“One down!” she said quietly.

“Yeah. Are you okay?”

“Freezing, still,” she admitted with a smile.

I pulled her into a hug, though it felt slightly distant because of the coats. We soon laughed at the awkwardness and separation of the embrace.

“Um, no, that doesn’t work. Let’s warm up with some tea,” she suggested.

As we made our way down the hall, I could hear her parents chatting in the kitchen. Heather paused to slide the thermostat lever in the hall to the right.

“You still have your heels on,” I whispered into her ear upon hearing the clicks on the tile.

“Oh, you’re right!” she chirped, as she marched into the kitchen. “We’re here!” she called out.

Heather’s parents rose to greet me and I was happy to see them all smiles. While they made small talk with me about our trip, my family’s health, and the like, Heather put on some water for tea.

“Heather, why are you wearing those heels?” Mairead suddenly asked, an amused frown on her face.

“Matt took me to Ophelia’s. Figured I needed to dress up a little bit.”

Her parents looked at me, impressed. “Ophelia’s?”

The coffee place was called Ophelia’s, apparently.

“Yeah. It’s not that fancy, though!” I protested.

“Did you drive?”

There was obviously some confusion in the room. I felt a little self-conscious.

“No, we biked,” Heather said simply.

Mairead’s mouth opened in horror. “You biked! In your heels?”

“Why is everyone so surprised at this,” she quipped, half to herself.

“It’s freezing out!”

“Relax, Mum. We just went to the coffee shop. Do you really think we’d bike up to Ophelia’s?”

The coffee place was not called Ophelia’s, apparently.

Mairead’s eyes lit up with amusement and mischief. “No, I don’t. But then, I don’t think you’d wear heels just to go to a coffee shop.”

There was a slight stutter to Heather’s movements, as perhaps she realized the slight box she’d put herself in. It looked like she’d have some explaining to do. For my part, I stood there trying to remain inconspicuous as the ladies sparred.

“Tea?” she asked her parents, turning and smiling sweetly.

Mairead contained her satisfied smile and nodded. Aongus also accepted a pour.

“We’re going to hang out for a bit,” Heather said. “Maybe watch a movie.”

“Help yourself,” Aongus said generously. “We will probably be cleaning for a little while longer to get ready for tomorrow.”

After grabbing our mugs, we went upstairs to Heather’s room. It looked just as I remembered it from our last night together that previous summer.

“There you are!” she chirped, pointing proudly to the photo of me fishing on the Esopus Creek from her October visit. It was still a good picture of me, I thought.

“Nice. Yours is on my wall, too!”

Heather fell backward onto the bed, her arms stretched out over her head. “Ah, that feels good!” she sighed.

“Did you want to watch a movie?” I asked.

“Not really. I don’t know why I even said that.”

“What do you want to do then?”

“Rest for a second! I’m still chilled, inside.” She sat up and took another sip of tea.

“Maybe we should help them clean?” I suggested.

Heather looked at me strangely. “What did you just say?”

I repeated slowly, “Maybe we should help them clean?”

“Oh, I heard you. But really?”

I shrugged. “It would warm us up.”

Heather narrowed her eyes. “What’s up your sleeve?”

“Nothing. It was just a dumb idea,” I said, opening my palms to her.

“No, let’s do it. Should I... ?” She lifted a heeled foot.

“You can leave them on if you want.”

Heather laughed as she hopped up. “Let’s go.”

“No, we don’t have to. It’s like the movie idea. I don’t know why I said that, about cleaning! I was—”

She ignored my protests and pulled me out the door. I guess we’re cleaning. At the top of the stairs, she grabbed me and attacked me with her lips for a time, wrapping one leg around mine.

“Just remember, if you try anything naughty, we’ll need a picture of the scene. With the props.”

“I’m really doubting anything’s going to happen with your folks down there. I don’t have anything planned, you know? But, that reminds me: What if I don’t, you know, finish?”

Heather contemplated for a bit. “You mean if it’s just me?”

I nodded.

“I have no idea!” she finally chirped.

“Oh no! The project is ruined!” I joked.

She slapped my chest. “Whatever. It’s just symbolic, anyway. At least the shoes have to be there.”

“Oh, so you admit that the shoes are the real prop, then? I’m off the hook?”

Heather stared me down. Then she stuck her tongue out at me and descended the stairs. I chuckled, having witnessed her take two consecutive teasing losses. She’s losing her touch!

Needless to say, Mairead and Aongus were even more surprised at our offer of help than they were at Heather’s choice of biking shoes earlier. After the initial disbelief subsided, they suggested we dust the furniture. Mairead eyed the still-donned heels as Heather grabbed a couple of dust rags and a bottle of furniture polish from the closet. I could tell her mom was on the verge of saying something, but she bit her tongue.

Heather and I set about polishing the furniture in the living room. The work warmed us up, as did her earlier raising of the thermostat. It seemed that each five minutes of work was paid for by the removal of one layer of clothing. I was already down to my long-sleeved shirt when Heather revealed her t-shirt by slowly peeling her light sweater off. I couldn’t help but stare intently as I came another step closer to seeing her lovely form, hidden all day by the bulkier clothing. Her t-shirt was just settling back into place to cover her midriff when I heard Aongus speak behind me.

“How is it going?”

I jumped, hastily putting rag to cherry as I wondered how long he had been standing behind me while I ogled his daughter.

“Good. Almost done,” I managed.

“Very much appreciate the help, Matt,” he said heartily. “It was a long day at the shop with all the Thanksgiving orders to fill. I had to put the whip to Mairead, even,” he said quietly, and then laughed. “Well, to be truthful, she had the whip to me. I was ready to quit after lunch. Then she made me clean all night, to top it off!”

“I don’t mind helping out.”

“Kind of you, but no need to do more,” he insisted. “I am off to bed, so I will see you tomorrow for early supper.”

“Definitely!”

“Good. I hear you might be sailing with Freddy at night?”

I looked at Heather.

“He said it’s on,” she confirmed.

“Should be fun. Maybe some of us old folk will join the cruise. Perhaps your parents might like to go out?”

“Sure. We can ask them.”

“Perfect. Good night then!”

Aongus headed up the stairs, his steps heavy and slow. Heather smiled and whistled a tune as she bent over in her jeans, heels, and V-neck tee, polishing a table leg. She straightened most naturally when Mairead appeared from the hallway.

“Wow, looking brilliant!” she exclaimed. She came over to me and surveyed the furniture, squeezing me close against her with one arm. “Thank you. You are so kind, Matt. What a help! We should have you over more often. How did you ever get Heather to agree to help with the cleaning? I know it wasn’t her idea!”

I shrugged as Heather made a silly face. Her mom shook her head as she looked at Heather more closely now.

“Dia ár sábháil, Heather! Still with the heels?”

Heather stopped wiping and dangled the rag from her finger. A patient frown accompanied her pursed lips as she tapped her foot. “You know, Mum, you seem to really like them. It’s all you talk about tonight!”

Mairead waved a dismissive hand at her daughter, giving me a look. “What nonsense I have to hear!”

“No no no, Mum. You see, I think that since you like them so much, I’m going to wear them all weekend long!”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous!”

“I’m not being ridiculous at all. I promise, you’ll be seeing a lot of these heels this weekend. Just for you! Be ready for it.”

Mairead threw her hands up in the air. After issuing a huff, she gave me a hug. “Good night, Matt. I’m sorry you—” She decided not to go on, instead moving to give Heather a goodnight embrace.

“Good night, Mum. I can let you borrow the shoes sometime if you like. But only after this weekend!”

Mairead landed a hard swat on Heather’s bum and said something unintelligible. As she walked away, Heather whipped the dust rag at her mom’s backside, which elicited a wide-eyed warning. The standoff soon turned into electrified grins. Mairead eventually turned away.

“I’m so sorry you must be present company to such behavior, Matt,” she said as she passed by me.

I shrugged, grinning slightly, but not too much.

“Good night. Don’t stay up too late!” she called from the steps.

“Love you,” Heather called after her.

“Love you too, dear.”

Heather grinned wickedly at me.

“Aren’t you frisky tonight?” I whispered.

“Just working the master plan,” she said simply.

“Master plan?”

She lifted her foot from the floor and tapped her shoes. Then it dawned on me that Heather rarely lost a teasing bout. I nodded in appreciation at her talents.

“Get back to work, Matt!” Heather chided, when she saw me staring.

No sooner had Mairead reached the second floor than Heather let out a loud and dramatic sigh. I looked over to see her fanning herself with her hand. Seeing that she had my full attention, she reached for the hem of her shirt. As she pulled on it, I almost exclaimed in protest. But she didn’t take it off. Rather, she tied it into a knot below her chest, exposing her sexy midriff to my staring eyes. She sashayed her way to the other side of the room and put a slight dim to the overhead lights.

“What?” she asked suddenly, as if she’d just noticed me.

“Nothing.”

She approached me like a curious tiger might. “Are we done cleaning yet?” she whispered.

“We can be, but you just said ‘Back to work.’ Maybe we should finish dusting this room at least?”

She dismissively tossed the rag away over her shoulder and wrapped her arms around my neck. I staggered backward against the wall as she kissed me passionately.

“I guess not,” I managed to utter, when her lips briefly moved to my neck.

That feels good...

“You can clean me, now,” she murmured.

I heard the creak of the upstairs wood floors as Aongus moved around in preparation for bed. A lighter set of sounds gave Mairead away as well. I ran my hands over Heather’s body, feeling the curves I’d missed for so long. She didn’t seem to be cold anymore. Indeed, I was sweating from the work and the increased heat. Her kissing assault wasn’t helping on that front, either.

“You’re taller with heels,” I observed, always whispering.

“You don’t like that?”

“No, I do. I was just saying.”

“I can take them off. But then you know what that means.”

“What about your folks?”

“What about them? This afternoon we did it right underneath your parents.”

“True,” I said, feeling a twinge at the memory.

“And I don’t think I can wait any more,” she breathed.

“Are you still cold?” I joked.

“No, I’m too hot. And I need more heat. Touch me, Matt.”

I ran a hand down the small of her back, sliding under her jeans. Heather’s patience was breaking, because I heard the quiet buzz of a jean zipper and the pressure around my wrist loosened. The kissing resumed as we caressed and then groped. Heather’s legs kept moving, ever so gradually shimmying her jeans down. I moved my hand around to the front. That almost did us in, as a loud moan escaped her lips. I froze, though Heather didn’t. There was no sound from above besides a few creaks from the far end of the house.

I was just about to slip a finger into her panties, when Heather stepped back in an instant. Disappointment surged in me. Before I knew what was happening, she’d undone the knot in her shirt and was standing over by the light switch, pants still halfway down her thighs.

Then I heard the footsteps. The lights slowly came up a little. Heather pulled up her jeans and buttoned them just as Mairead’s robe came into view, descending the staircase. I bent to pick up the rag I’d dropped and furiously went back to work on the closest piece of furniture, which was polished to the point of absurdity by now.

“It’s boiling in here,” Mairead explained as she reached the landing.

“Yeah, isn’t it? Really hot!” Heather agreed.

I could hear the full flush of lust in her voice. I held my breath, hoping her mom wasn’t as cognizant.

“Dad probably cranked up the heat so he could sleep,” Heather suggested.

There was a pause as Mairead stepped to the thermostat and took a moment to read the setting. Then her throat issued a note of disgust.

“No wonder, it’s set to eighty! Ridiculous man!”

Mairead set the temperature to where she wanted it and then turned to us, frowning. “Still at it?”

“Last section,” I explained, much too happily.

“After this, we’re going to do the dining room,” Heather added.

Her mom looked genuinely shocked now. “No, please! There’s time in the morning to finish. Matt didn’t come all the way here to clean!”

“Oh yes he did,” Heather retorted, giving me a sidelong look.

Mairead couldn’t see the smile on her face. She just looked at her daughter strangely before turning back to me with raised brows.

“I leave you to it, then. Matt, I would like to state that you absolutely don’t have to continue. I just want to make that clear. We don’t make our guests clean the house, I assure you. But it is much appreciated, of course!” She came closer and lowered her voice. “And whatever magic spell you’ve put on my daughter, well ... I would pay handsomely for the recipe!”

I almost laughed. As if.

“Thanks, Mrs. Martin,” I replied politely. “We’ll be done soon and then I’ll be heading home.”

She nodded. “Very well. See you tomorrow!”