Finding Bathsheba Book 2Chapter 15
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Jack wasn't sure if it was the six times Allison asked that evening if she could help him with anything, the eye-rolling Abigail gave whenever she asked it, or the way they practically fought over who got to refill his water glass at dinner or put his dirty clothes in the laundry room a millisecond after he pulled them off. Whatever it was, he knew they were up to something.
Allison had just returned from taking the clothes to the laundry room.
"OK, both of you, sit down," he said, in a tone that made it clear he expected no argument.
Allison immediately sat on the edge of the bed. She blushed when he made eye contact with her. She looked nervous. Abigail had been washing her face in the bathroom, and she was still drying it when she came out. She looked a little perturbed at his forcefulness, but she didn't say anything, at least not until she sat next to her sister.
She gave Allison a smirk. "And your approach was supposed to be better than mine?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack asked, as he looked down on his two lovers. He tried to look forceful and authoritative, but they all knew he was a softy. "What are you two up to?"
"We think you should have sex with Brianna," Abigail blurted out.
"Abigail!" Allison hissed.
Jack stood frozen, his jaw open. He wasn't sure he heard his wife correctly.
"Oh, close your mouth, Jack," Abigail said, with another eye roll.
He closed his mouth, but then narrowed his eyes.
"Very funny. What's this really about?"
"She's serious, Jack," Allison said, with a sigh.
He looked from one sister to the other. "She's serious, huh?"
They both nodded.
"This is some kind of test, isn't it?" he asked, though he was pretty sure it wasn't. "You're just trying to see if I'll respond appropriately."
"I think you need to listen to Allison's reasons," Abigail said, matter-of-factly.
"I don't need to listen to any reasons! It's absurd!"
"Shh..." Abigail admonished. "You don't want Brianna to hear you REJECT her."
Jack's eyes opened wide. "She already knows about this?!"
"No," Allison said, "I wanted to wait until you agreed before saying anything."
Abigail stood up and put her hands on her hips as she glared at Jack. "Allie wanted to wait because she loves her friend enough to shield her from REJECTION."
"Why on earth would you want me to have sex with your best friend?" he asked Allison. He was still reeling.
"Oh, will you make up your mind?" Abigail asked. "Do you or don't you want to hear Allison's reasons?"
"I want to know what possessed her to come up with this idea."
Abigail gave a dramatic sigh. "Not that it will matter what Allie says, since you've already REJECTED Brianna."
Jack ground his teeth in frustration. "Will you stop saying that? I didn't reject her!"
Allison popped up from her seat. "So you'll do it?" she asked, hopefully.
Jack closed his eyes and willed himself to be calm. "I didn't say that."
"Will you make up your mind already?" Abigail asked.
"AAARGH!" Jack threw up his hands, even though he knew it was exactly the kind of response Abigail was hoping to get out of him.
"Shh..." Abigail admonished, trying not to laugh. "You don't want her to hear you RE—"
"Don't say it!" Jack growled at her. She closed her mouth, but she looked ready to bust a gut. He pointed from his wife to the bed. "You, sit down. I'll get to you later."
"Please, Jack," Allison pleaded. She took his hand and pulled him as she sat down. He allowed himself to be pulled down between the sisters. "We've talked about this before, you know, sharing the intimacy of our relationship with those we care about."
"Don't you care about Brianna?" Abigail asked.
Jack shot a glare at his wife. "Dammit, Abigail!"
She made a show of locking her lips and throwing away the key.
"We talked about this," Allison repeated.
"We had ONE conversation," he said. "We need to think this through, Allie, really discuss it. We have to look at how this will affect our relationship, how it will affect our relationship with our friends. We need to make sure it's right for US."
"It IS right," Abigail said firmly, despite her promise not to say a word.
"We don't have time to discuss it anymore," Allison pleaded. "Brianna will only be here for a short time, and with the wedding... ," she let her words trickle off.
"Why are you so insistent that I have sex with Brianna right now?"
"One of the reasons Brianna came out here was so that she could work through some things. She's confused about her sexuality. She's confused about her relationship with Merrigan, and to a lesser extent, with Ben. She's at a crossroads where the experiences of her life could push her one way or another. I want her to have everything she needs to make the right decisions."
"How will having sex with me clear up her confusion? Won't that just muddy things?"
"I don't think so. I know Brianna. She needs to know if she'll like sex with guys. Until she's been with a guy, she'll be ... unsettled. She'll always wonder, and that's not fair to Merrigan. If Brianna and Merrigan are together, I want there to be no doubts."
Jack thought about her words for a minute. They seemed absurdly logical. "I can understand that, but why me? Why not some other guy? Why not Ben?"
"Ben and Merrigan have feelings for each other, too. It's too complicated. She needs to experience sex with a guy without all the emotional turmoil. I don't want to leave it up to 'some other guy'. Too often a girl's first time is so ... so unpleasant."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "And you know this because YOUR first time was unpleasant."
Allison rolled her eyes. "Of course not, but I have friends, Jack. Girls talk. Many of my friends didn't have a first time as wonderful as mine."
"Many of my friends were in the same boat," Abigail interjected, "And I think you just proved Allison's point. HER first time WAS pleasant, and so was MINE. You really know how to make love to a virgin."
"And every other time has been pleasant, too," Allison said.
"I agree," Abigail said, "You're a wonderful lover, Jack."
Jack flopped back on the bed. "This is crazy."
Allison rolled onto him and straddled his hips. She put her hands on his chest and leaned forward. "This is the only way that Brianna can go back to Tennessee with less confusion."
"You hope," he said, but as he looked into his young lover's sapphire blue eyes, he knew he'd do it.
"I don't hope, I KNOW," she said.
"You're assuming that Brianna will want to go along with this."
Abigail slid up and nestled into the crook of his arm. "She's smitten with you, Sweetheart, she'll agree."
"What about you two?" he asked. "Is she going to make love with you?"
The girls shot each other a look, which made Jack smirk.
"Hadn't thought of that, huh?" he said, misinterpreting their look.
The girls obviously communicated without words, because Allison turned back to Jack.
"We won't be there. It'll just be you two."
Abigail slipped her arm around his middle. "When I first brought up having an open relationship, I was thinking that we'd set a rule that we were all present whenever one of us was with another person, even if all of us didn't participate. I don't think that's the right thing in this case."
Jack turned to look into Abigail's dark brown eyes, and was moved by the hope he saw there. Was he getting ready to agree to make love to Brianna ... ALONE?
"I'll only agree to this on one condition," he quietly said. "We're going to do this right. Dinner, entertainment, and a romantic conclusion right here in our apartment. I won't let it be rushed; I want it to mean something to both of us."
Allison squealed and fell on him, kissing his face until he laughed. Abigail's hand cupped his cheek and turned his head so she could soundly kiss him. "Be careful, Mr. Williams. You are liable to make her fall hopelessly in love with you."
Jack furrowed his brow. "So you think a romantic date is a bad idea?"
"I think it's perfect," she smiled, then kissed him again. "So you'll do it?"
Allison wiggled against Jack's cock, which Jack suddenly realized was rock-hard.
"Oh, yeah, Abigail," Allison giggled. "He'll do it."
"Remember the other day when I said you need to get laid?"
Brianna looked surprised by that question. "Yeah," she warily said.
"I still feel that way."
Brianna rolled her eyes. "Whatever. We already decided that Ben was off-limits."
'Actually, YOU decided that, ' Allison thought. Instead, she said, "OK, so we find someone else for you then."
Brianna's eyes narrowed. "Is this what you were doing the other day? Trying to hook me up with Chris?"
"No, I wasn't trying to hook you up with him, though it wouldn't be a bad thing, would it?"
Brianna gasped. "I can't do a casual hookup! I-I'm not wired that way. I would need to actually FEEL something for the guy first."
"So you would be open to being together with a guy if you had feelings for him?"
Brianna's eyes opened wide. "Wha--? No, wait, I didn't say that."
"Well, you SORTA did. You said you'd have to feel something for the guy before you could have sex with him."
Brianna blushed. "Well, I would think that would go without saying. But—"
"OK, so are there any guys, other than my baby brother, that you would consider?"
"I can't believe we're talking about this."
"Come on, I'm serious, Bri. You have so many doubts about your relationship with Merrigan, but you can't really even consider a relationship with her because you can't get past this sexual orientation roadblock."
Brianna's brow furrowed. "But aren't they one and the same?"
"I don't think so. Look, every relationship, even the straight ones, are faced with doubts about whether the other person is really the right one. I don't think you are able to separate your feelings about Merrigan from your feelings about being a lesbian."
Brianna blushed again. "I don't know, Allie. I didn't come out here with plans to lose my virginity."
"Do you trust me, Bri?"
Brianna didn't hesitate. "Of course."
"Then trust me when I say you need to clear up this sexual orientation thing before you can even CONSIDER a relationship with Merrigan. You need to know if guys do it for you at all."
"What's it going to matter?" Brianna moaned. "I pushed Ben and Merrigan together. For all I know she's already scribbling 'Merrigan hearts Ben' all over her Algebra notebook."
"Don't be silly. It's summer; she probably doesn't even HAVE her Algebra notebook anymore." Allison teased.
Brianna rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."
"And you know what I mean. OK, maybe you don't get back together with Merrigan, but you still need to know if the next person you should be pursuing is a she ... or a he." Allison raised an eyebrow at Brianna. "Or you need to know whether or not the gender really matters at all."
Brianna slumped back in her chair. "I'm so confused! I don't know what to think."
"Trust me?"
"Yes."
"Are there any guys, other than my baby brother, that you would consider to take your virginity?"
Brianna sighed in defeat, but looked like she was really considering the question. After a few minutes, she sighed again. "Nobody that is legal."
"You want to do it with little boys?" Allison asked, in mock surprise.
"Ew, no! I didn't mean ILLEGAL illegal. I meant illegal as in off-limits for one reason or another."
Allison crossed her mental fingers that Brianna was considering Jack. "For the sake of this discussion, let's assume that no consenting person is off-limits. Who would you consider, then? You have someone in mind, don't you?"
Brianna blushed and looked away.
Allison leaned forward. "One of the boys from school?"
"Why would I consider them off-limits?"
Allison shrugged. "Girlfriends, maybe?"
"Oh. No, it's no one from school."
"Dex?"
Brianna's blush darkened at the mention of her brother-in-law. "He's hunky, and yes, I do care about him, but he doesn't do it for me."
"So are you telling me this mysterious guy makes your panties wet?"
"Allison!"
Allison's eyebrows shot up. "Your DAD?!"
"NO! Dear Lord, Allison, I'm not interested in my dad..."
"He's a hunk."
"I love my dad, but no way. It's not even someone back home."
Allison's expression didn't change, but inside she was pumping her mental fist. She pretended to think about it.
"Well, you already said you couldn't do 'casual', so that rules out Chris and Ryan, so unless you have been sneaking off to meet some guy around here at night, that can only leave one guy."
Brianna smirked. "You already knew I had a crush on Jack. Was this game really necessary?"
"Nah, but it was fun. Besides, I didn't want to presume. Liking him is one thing; considering him to take your virginity is another."
"It's all a moot point anyway. He's off-limits."
Allison crossed her fingers—physically this time—and hoped for the best. "What if ... what if he wasn't off-limits?"
"It's a moot point, Allison, because he IS."
"Brianna, what if Jack WASN'T off limits."
Brianna gave her a confused look for about two seconds, and then her eyebrows opened wide. "What?! Jack wouldn't agree to that! Abigail would NEVER agree to that! I can't believe you would even suggest it."
A slow smile spread across Allison's face. She knew she had Brianna now.
"Well, that's where you're wrong. They've already agreed to it."
Brianna mouth opened as wide as her eyes, and she stared, dumbfounded, at Allison. After an inordinate amount of time, Allison's smile slipped a little.
"Well?" she asked Brianna, "Say something."
"Y-you g-guys talked about J-Jack and me, you know ... doing it?"
Allison slowly nodded, no longer confident in her agenda. "I'm sorry, Bri. I wasn't trying to talk about you behind your back, but I needed to see if they were OK with it before I pitched the idea to you."
"Jack wants to have sex with ME?" Brianna's eyes remained wide open as she squirmed in her chair.
Allison's grin widened again. "Oh, yeah."
"You didn't coerce or force him to say that?"
"Well, he put up socially-acceptable resistance, but it really didn't take much to convince him. He adores you, and he thinks you're sexy."
"Get out!" Brianna squirmed more. "And Abigail doesn't have a problem with this idea?"
"She thinks it's a brilliant idea."
Brianna blinked twice. "I can't have sex with Jack!"
"Why not?"
"I don't know! I can't think straight at the moment!"
Allison giggled. "Why not?"
Brianna blushed, but said nothing.
Allison leaned towards her friend. "Com'n, Brianna, why can't you think straight?"
"Because I'm horny!"
Allison laughed and clapped her hands. "Perfect! That makes two of us!"
Brianna covered her red face with her hands, but then she started giggling, too. It took a minute for both girls to settle down.
"So, how would something like this work?" Brianna asked.
"You'll do it?" Allison just wanted confirmation.
"A part of me says this is the most insane idea I've ever heard, but another part of me says why the hell not! I mean, I care about him and I think he's hot, and since you and Abigail are all for it ... My only real concern is that I would want it to mean something to Jack, too. I don't want to be a casual hookup for him, either."
"Trust me, Bri, just like you, Jack doesn't do 'casual'. He had one condition he wanted before he would do this."
"Really?"
"He insists on it being a full-blown romantic evening. He said he would only go through with it if you guys did the evening right."
Brianna was quiet for a long time. When she looked up, her eyes glistened. "You guys are so awesome! That he wants to make it special for me is so sweet, and I know I won't be as nervous with you there."
Allison frowned. "We, um, we won't be there. Abigail and I think it should just be you two."
Brianna was shaking her head before Allison finished. "If Jack can have conditions, I can, too. I won't do this unless you're there. I love you, Allie. Just having you there will keep me calm. Abigail should be there, too, since Jack belongs to both of you."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. I mean, the date part can be me and Jack. Oh, and you and Abigail won't actually have to be involved in the ... you know ... act, but when we get to that point, I want you there with me."
Allison felt her own eyes burn with tears. She hugged Brianna. "Then I wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Please have a seat," Bill said as he ushered Sharon into the dining room of the Donathon home. He pulled a metal folding chair out from underneath the card table. "Sorry, they're not the most comfortable of chairs."
"It's fine," Sharon said as she accepted the seat, still holding the apple pie she'd baked. She looked around at the stacks of boxes lining the walls. "You look like you are close to being finished."
Bill was moving half-empty boxes off the card table. "We're down to the last few boxes, and then we have to load the U-Haul, of course. Then I can finally rest."
"Oh, no, not until we clean the house from top to bottom," Barb said, as she came into the room carrying a small box. "Welcome, Sharon!"
Sharon stood. "Good afternoon, Barbara."
Barbara set the box on a stack of boxes. "Please, let me take that pie." She glanced over at Bill with a scolding look in her eyes. She took the pie from Sharon, gave the other woman a hug, and moved to the kitchen counter. "Thank you for coming by and bringing such a wonderful treat. We've been resorting to fast food and Oreos for the last three days. This smells wonderful, and will likely be our last homemade food for another week or so."
Sharon smiled at Barbara's comment. "You're welcome. So what are you plans after you finish up here?"
"We'll enjoy a short visit with our family before Bill needs to start his new job."
Sharon was surprised. She assumed he was retiring from the ministry for good. "Oh, I wasn't aware you were going to another church."
Bill moved to the kitchen to help his wife. "It's not really a new church, per se." He began pouring milk into plastic cups. He seemed too hesitant to say his next words. "I'm going to filling the position of Chaplain at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, Washington."
Sharon's eyes opened wide. "That's Abigail's hospital! You are going to be working with my Abbie?"
Bill smiled. "She actually offered me the position. She made it very hard to refuse."
Sharon felt the lump already forming in her throat. She was shocked by the news, and also by the fact that she felt jealous. They were going to be able to see Abigail and Allison, probably Analise, too! Then a new thought hit her. They could watch over her girls, be there for them when they needed parental advice. She felt ... hopeful ... for the first time in a long time.
"I hope you don't mind eating on a paper plate with a plastic fork," Barb said, pulling Sharon from her thoughts. She smiled at Bill and patted his arm as he stood next to her. "I'll just serve the pie and leave the two of you alone."
"Please stay," Sharon quickly said. "I would love to talk to you, too."
Barb glanced at Bill. "Are you sure? I know the things you have to talk about must be ... personal."
Sharon wasn't sure why she wanted Barb to stay, but there was something in having them both present ... together ... that comforted her. "I'm sure. It might be nice to have your insight as a ... as a woman ... and a mother."
Barb smiled warmly and brought two plates over. She handed one to Sharon and settled in the seat next to her. Bill brought them each a cup, and then retrieved his own pie and milk before sitting across from Sharon.
"You do that well together," Sharon said.
Barb hesitated before taking a bite of pie. "Do what well?"
Sharon found herself surprisingly at ease. She was shocked at how much she wanted to talk to them, to share her feelings and thoughts, and get theirs in return.
"Work together," she replied, "You work well together. It's obvious that you are a team."
Bill was silent, content for Barb to take the lead. "Well, yes, we do," she said. "We've always enjoyed spending time and doing things together."
"Does he often help you in the kitchen?"
"Oh, yes. He's quite the accomplished assistant."
Sharon saw the way Barb looked at her husband. There was so much adoration in her eyes. He returned her look with an identical one. It seemed almost surreal to Sharon.
"Assistant is a nice way of saying 'go-fer'," Bill laughed. "She tells me what she needs, and I go-fer it."
Sharon smiled, but was too absorbed in her observations to laugh.
Barb lovingly patted Bill on the arm again. "But your help makes my cooking possible, Dear."
"It's amazing," Sharon almost absently said, as she watched how comfortably they interacted, how lovingly they touched and talked to one another.
Barb seemed surprised by Sharon's comment. "What is, Dear? My cooking or our teamwork?"
Sharon seemed to snap out of her trance. She blushed embarrassingly at her flightiness. "I'm sorry, Barbara, both actually." Sharon looked down at her pie and finally took her first bite.
"Thank you, Sharon," Barb said. Then she pointed her fork at her pie. "You are an excellent cook, as well."
Sharon took another bite and slowly chewed, thinking about her husband. When she swallowed, she looked up and found it hard to see the couple through the tears in her eyes. "Imagine how well we could have done if we were a team."
She couldn't keep her emotions in check any longer. She covered her eyes with one hand and cried. Warm arms embraced her.
"There, there, Dear," Barb whispered in her ear, "There, there."
Sharon didn't know how long she cried, but Barb never let her go. Her tears eventually stopped and she looked up. Bill held a napkin out for her. She wiped her cheeks and nose and tried to smile.
"You are so happy together," she said, in a trembling voice. "I know it's a sin to be envious, but I can't help it. I guess I'm a sinner."
"Nonsense," Barb said, "There is nothing wrong with wanting such a righteous desire."
Sharon didn't know how to respond to that. She looked into her lap and nervously began twisting the napkin around her fork.
"Sharon?" Bill quietly said.
She looked up. "My marriage is a farce. It always has been. I was just too blind to see it."
Bill shook his head. "Don't be too hard on yourself. You weren't blind; you were hopeful. Again, there's nothing wrong with that. You couldn't have known..." He let his voice trail off.
"I couldn't have known that my husband was so despicable, so dishonest? Maybe I couldn't have known at first, but I chose to remain ignorant, in spite of the many signs around me." Sharon felt the rage boiling inside her. She knew it was just barely contained. She clinched her fists and heard the plastic fork snap. She slapped it on the table in disgust and looked at her host and hostess. "And now that vile man has cost me my family!"
They were silent for a long moment, for which Sharon was grateful, because she was able to get her emotions in check. She was left with a touch of embarrassment at her outburst, but only a touch. Barb finally took her hand.
"I might be blaspheming a bit, and I don't mean to trivialize your situation, but ... maybe your marriage has run its course."
Sharon leaned back. "Are you saying I should end it, get a divorce?"
Bill cleared his throat, and both women looked at him. "Sharon, there are times, I believe, when the divinely-anointed institution of marriage has been tainted by the failings of God's children, times when for one reason or another, there is no longer sanctity in it." He sighed. "I believe that in some cases, God removes his blessing from the union, because remaining in that relationship would be harmful to one or both of the individuals involved in it."
"And you think mine is one of those cases?" Sharon felt the sadness like a crushing weight. "Then I've failed God, my children ... myself."
"No, Sharon, you have not failed. You have remained faithful in the midst of insurmountable odds. A successful marriage requires all parties to be committed, to meet together on an equitable footing. Just as you noted earlier, successful marriage requires teamwork, people working together for a common goal. Just like a pair of yoked oxen with different goals is destined to fail, so is it with a husband and wife. I can honestly say that I believe that you and your husband no longer have a common goal, and I can just as honestly say that it is NOT you who has failed in this."
Bill's words struck Sharon in a way she'd never felt before. She was sure she was at least equally to blame, if not more so, for the destruction of her family, but for the first time she realized what Bill had been trying to say during all his hours of counseling. Even if she kept striving to follow God's will, to raise her family up in the path of righteousness, she knew Ted's divergence from that path impeded all of them. She felt a new emotion welling up inside of her. Ted's pious and hypocritical behavior had muddied the path, so she and her children were left to find the best alternative course. How many others had lost their way because of him? His power stretched far into their church and their community. He was a bully and a manipulator. Sharon's biggest sin was only that she ignored the signs that were now so clear to her. Bill's next words pulled her from her thoughts.
"You are one of God's daughters. He desires you to be happy, loved, and fulfilled. Cursed is the man who interferes with God's desire. The scriptures are full of verses declaring that God views His daughters as precious. Don't get me wrong; He feels His sons are, too, but He speaks of His daughters with such reverence, gentleness, and love."
"Even if they've sinned?" Sharon asked. "Even if they've diverged from His ways? Do they lose favor in his eyes?"
"Sharon, you have done nothing wrong. You have not diverged from His ways."
"But what of my daughters, Bill? Have they not gone astray? Have they lost His affection?"
Bill was quiet for a few moments while he appeared to gather his thoughts. "Sharon, you know the scriptures tell us that a bond between a husband and wife should be second to none, including the strong bond between them and their parents. In a perfect world, the couple's bond assimilates into the existing familial bonds and is strengthened by love and support from their parents. However, there are times when for a marriage to really succeed, for a couple to become one, they must leave their parents behind, break the bonds that already existed." Bill's expression saddened. "Your daughters were driven away by their father. It was necessary to break that bond with you, as much as it pains you, in order to build and strengthen the bond with Jack and ... and with each other."
Sharon shook her head. "I understand that concept for Abigail and Jack, but how does Allison fit in. How can it be good for her to strengthen bonds such as the ones she has formed?"
Barb squeezed Sharon's hand. "She has chosen an alternative path, one not viewed as traditional. You don't have to agree with that choice, their lifestyle, or their moral beliefs, but you could still celebrate the love and happiness they have found."
"Celebrate my daughters sinning?"
Bill sighed. "Sinning by whose standards? Yours? Mine?"
"God's!" Sharon said, but she wasn't so sure of her stance anymore.
"You mean God's standards as traditional Christianity has declared? Remember the story of Jacob, a righteous man who married two sisters. God's chosen people were the result of those two unions."
Sharon hadn't thought of it that way. Bill's example made things seem so clear, so obvious; she chided herself that she didn't see it herself. "I ... I guess there is some precedent for this, but what about Abigail and Allison. Jacob's sister-wives weren't intimate with each other."
"They weren't? Do you base this on scripture ... or on conservative Christian dogma?"
Sharon was stunned. "Are you saying that they WERE?"
"What I'm saying is that we cannot judge people based on our own beliefs if they are based on assumption and hearsay. I've counseled with Abigail, Allison, and all three together. They are happy in their union, and they sincerely believe that God has sanctioned it. You can be happy for them, love and accept them, or you can let it drive the wedge deeper into your family."
Sharon was sure that she had never heard Bill make such a bold statement from the pulpit. His view WAS contrary to all she had been taught, but she found herself becoming more accepting of this view as the seconds ticked away. She looked up at her long-time spiritual leader and his dear wife, seeing them in a different light—a brighter light—than ever before. Were they just giving her justification for her daughters' choices? Were they just giving her an easy out from her marriage? She decided she didn't care, because their words brought peace to her heart for the first time in ages. With this peace came resolve and courage.
He crept down the sidewalk. That's the only way to describe it. If Tanner could have made himself any smaller, he would have. As it was, he was hunched over, his head down, his hands stuffed into his pockets, and his feet shuffling in tiny steps. It was quite a bit earlier than Allison would have normally started out for school—her desire to get there too early was pretty miniscule—but she was worried about her friend, and not to mention a tad bit perturbed. He was shy and awkward from the...
Brianna pretended to be searching for something in her locker. In reality, she was paying very close attention to the interaction happening at the other end of the bank of lockers. She couldn't hear what was being said, but from the gestures and expressions from Melissa and Tyson, she could make a pretty good guess. Something happened between the couple, and from what Brianna could make out, it had been building. During the last month, the pair went from regular public displays of affection...
Jack closed his eyes and savored the heavenly explosion of flavor in his mouth. The crispy, toasted coconut breading, the tangy citrus of the dipping sauce, the succulent, tender shrimp meat. Abigail chuckled, but he ignored her, chewing slowly in an exaggerated show of enjoying his birthday meal. "You think you're sexy when you make love to your food," Abigail said, "But you're not." Allison giggled. "I think he is." He swallowed his bite, cracked one eye to locate his water...
Ninety-nine times out of 100, a visitor at the front door is an innocuous event: a friend over to visit, a salesperson, a politician, a wrong address. But every now and then that visit means so much more. Abigail could point to monumental moments in her life that began with a seemingly harmless knock on the door. Jack opened her parents' door that fateful fall day to be surprised by Analise's visit, a visit which led to the discovery of his affair with Allison. Her mother knocked on her...
Jack's fingers flew across the keyboard for a minute, then he clicked over to the PDFs of the financial records and scanned down until he found the next set of recurring entries. He copied the text, clicked back to Excel, and pasted them in, then typed up his notes for those entries, too. He wanted to get this done before the girls returned home so he could spend the rest of the day with them. He was enjoying his internship, and found that digging through financial documents for clues and...
Allison seemed unusually preoccupied with her pizza toppings, while Abigail rummaged through the office, looking for whatever it was she was looking for. Jack had just taken a huge bite of pizza when Allison reached over and dropped something into his can of pop. He looked at the can for a minute, then back at her. She grinned, so he raised his eyebrow. "Piece of sausage," she said, gaily. "Just like old times." Jack was confused. "What are you talking about?" he asked, around his...
The field was a mess. Between the November evening temperatures down in the low 40s, and the steady drizzle that Seattle is so famous for, Allison was pretty miserable. Mud covered her from head to toe and clung to her like a thick, freezing paste. She'd given up cleaning her cleats within two minutes of the beginning of the second half, and now her shoes felt like they were made of concrete. She felt like she was running in slow motion AND like she was running on ice. The extra effort to...
"Get up, Ben. Oh, God, please let him get up." Brianna was woozy, but she could still see what was going on. Tyson stood over Ben, a HUGE knife in his hand. He was covered in blood, and so was Ben. Brianna tried to move, but her body wouldn't cooperate. Panic welled up inside her when Tyson turned towards her, an evil grin on his face. "I'm gonna enjoy this," he hissed, as he crawled back onto the bed and between her legs. Brianna mentally screamed at her legs to close, at her arms to...
"What about this?" Brianna said, holding up a soft, cotton bag for Tammy to see. "It's for your shoes so they don't get your clothes dirty in your suitcase." Tammy was zipping and unzipping a rolling carry-on suitcase, obviously testing its durability. She looked up and shook her head. "Plastic bags from the grocery store are better AND cheaper." Brianna thought for a moment. "Good point." She hung the bag back on the hook. It was the day after Independence Day, and Tammy was...
A screaming bladder woke Jack. He looked at the clock and saw that it was a little after three in the morning. He extricated himself from underneath his wife and padded to the bathroom. The faint light from the living room peeked under their bedroom door. That surprised him; Allison hadn't planned on coming home from the after-prom party until after five. He quieted his bladder first, then pulled on his boxers and went out to check on his young lover. He expected to see her sleeping on the...
Allison glanced at Brianna as they took their seats overlooking the water. Brianna caught her and smiled widely. Allison returned the smile and went about preparing her lunch. The two friends had come to downtown Seattle to pick up the wedding gift Allison and Abigail had gotten Jack. They'd picked up the special photo album and were grabbing lunch at Ivar's on the waterfront before heading up to Pike Place Market to get fresh flowers and fruit for the wedding. "Do I get to look at the...
Sweat soaked into Allison's practice jersey as she watched the play from the sidelines. Her team was next up again on the three-on-three keep-away drill, and she was watching the other players closely, looking for their tendencies or weaknesses and trying to determine a plan of attack. This would be her third round in the drill, and so far she was feeling pretty good about her passes and her ability to anticipate her opponents passing lanes. She was a little disappointed with her initial...
"Malthus felt that man was doomed to live a life of poverty because the population, he said, would always grow faster than the food. It was this prediction that led writer and historian Thomas Carlyle to call economics 'the dismal science.'" Jack glanced at the clock on the wall behind the class. He was just concluding the second day of his new teaching assignment, and needed to take care of one last order of business before he set the students loose. "Before we wrap it up today, and...
Allison groaned as she flopped onto the floor. Abigail stepped over her supine sister to take the last box to the master bedroom, then came back out and looked down at her sister. Just watching Allison stretch out on the floor was enough to make the older girl swoon. Allison stretched her arms above her head and arched her back, which forced her youthful breasts to stretch her t-shirt, her tiny nipples little bumps beneath the fabric. By the playful expression on Allison's face, it was...
"See you in a couple of hours, Abbie!" Allison called through the bathroom door. Abigail didn't answer, so she opened the door and stepped into the steamy room. She watched Abigail's murky form through the frosted glass door. Even when she thought she was unobserved, Abigail moved with a sexiness that made Allison's heart thump. The way she glided her hands over her soapy body was mesmerizing. If Tanner hadn't been waiting in the living room, Allison would have stripped down and joined...
"Several days ago an acquaintance approached me about my family," Sharon said, as she looked down into the dark liquid that filled her cup. She noted how the liquid rippled as she cradled the cup in her trembling hands. "What did this acquaintance say?" Bill asked quietly. What did Dr. Goodwyn really say? Much of the conversation was lost in the murky depths of her frazzled mind, but she couldn't shake the feeling she got from her conversation with Dr. Goodwyn, and this disturbed her....
Ted was holed up in his home office and had been since mid-afternoon when John had called him about Tyson's arrest. He gave Sharon a cursory excuse for why he was home early, and had even refused dinner. He spent several hours on the phone putting the admittedly rusty gears in motion when the evening news caught his attention. As the reports detailing the charges against Tyson unfolded, Ted felt the urge to panic. It was one thing when the Ramirez ... problem ... surfaced years earlier. It...
Allison reached for the remote, and with a contented sigh, she turned the TV off. "Quit moving," Abigail said, "I'm almost done." Allison nestled back into her corner of the couch and arched her neck so she could see over her bent knees. Abigail had Allison's feet in her lap and was painstakingly painting a toenail. "That's such a good movie," Allison said. "And sexy, too." Allison sighed happily again. "Yeah, I'm glad Pearl stayed with Marty. He's way cuter than...
She was so beautiful, it made Jack's heart hurt. Even after being with her so many times, gazing on her, she was still stunningly beautiful in his eyes, maybe more so now. Jack noticed Sharon watching the visual interplay between the three. She snuggled her newest grandchild under her chin and turned to the others in the room. "I'll go help him with the grill. I'm not sure two men are better than one, in this case." She left the room, kissing the baby's downy hair as she...
"Hello? Anyone home?" Abigail stood up from behind the kitchen counter. "Hey, folks." Brianna and Merrigan stepped into the living room. They were dressed to work, clad in tennis shoes, jeans and t-shirts. Merrigan had a baseball cap on her head, her long red ponytail sticking through the hole in the back. "We're ready to work," Brianna said. "Where's the heavy stuff?" She flexed her biceps. Abigail smiled at the sight of the blonde's slender arms. Another figure stepped...
Allison was just closing her locker when she was verbally accosted by her two best friends. They seemed surprisingly chipper for so early in the morning. Allison was 16, but since her birthday fell in the fall, after school had already started, her parents had years ago opted to delay enrolling her in kindergarten. That made her one of the oldest in her sophomore class. Well, at least one of the oldest in the college bound track. She was also one of the few that had her license before...
They came from different worlds, hers much more privileged than his, his considerably more dysfunctional than hers. Or so he thought when they met. Jack had been to hell and back, a trip he embarked on despite the best efforts of Phil and his grandmother. He had only himself to blame for his demise. At sixteen, he was angry. Angry at God, at the world, at the system, at his grandfather for dying and leaving Jack without another father figure. He was angry at himself. He tried to find peace in...
"We'd love to! It'll be fun ... Nah, he'll be fine with it ... Sure ... See you tomorrow ... Love ya." Abigail hung up the phone. She was lying on the couch with her legs draped over Jack's lap. He tried to focus his attentions on "ER", but his curiosity in her conversation made it impossible. He looked at her, waiting for an explanation. She turned back to the TV and said nothing. "And?" he asked impatiently. Abigail kept her eyes on the TV. "What?" she asked, feigning...
"Hey, Abbie, I'm ho-ome!" came the feminine sing song call from the direction of the living room. Abigail heard the front door shut, but since she was trapped by a wall of boxes in the guest room, Allison would have to seek her out. "I'm in the guest room, Allie!" she called back. She blew some stray strands of hair from her face while she continued to stuff a box with books. A moment later she felt more than heard Allison's presence in the doorway. "Wow, Abbie! You've made some...
A quiet knock on the door woke Brianna from her fitful slumber. She opened her eyes as her mother opened the door. Light streamed in through her blinds, so she knew it was morning. "Brianna, there's a man on the phone for you," she said. Brianna just looked at her. "Jack?" Brianna jumped out of bed and ran across the hall to her parent's room to grab the phone. In the background she could hear her dad in the shower. He was singing some weird freedom rock song, as usual. "Hold on,...
Sharon pulled her housecoat on and stood before the mirror again. What a horrific night's sleep, and she looked it. Her hair was a tangled mess and her eyes were rimmed in red and carrying bags. She had hoped crying the night before would get all the emotions out, but she still felt awful. She washed her face, scrubbing away the stains of her tears, then brushed her hair in an attempt to tame it. She stepped out of the bathroom and saw Ted watching her. "Do you feel better this morning,...
Jack felt her warm body before he opened his eyes. He was just coming into consciousness and one at a time his senses activated. Sense of touch ... Allison was warm, her lean naked body molded to his. Her skin was soft and smooth against him, her supple breasts pressed into him as she lay tucked into his side and shoulder. Jack could feel her warm, moist breath blow across his chest. Sense of smell ... The fragrance hit him next, a mixture of her strawberry shampoo, flowery perfume and...
How? That was the biggest question on Ted's mind as he looked at his adversary. How did Williams find out about all this? How did he get the proof he says he has? How could Williams sound so confident and articulate? And most importantly, how could this lowlife simpleton best a man of Ted's aptitude, intelligence and power? Ted wanted to jump across the desk and strangle the devil. That's what Williams was ... a devil. Yet, Ted knew that in a physical confrontation, Williams would...
"Looovvverrrr ... Rise and shine, Lover..." The quiet angelic voice seemed to permeate every nook and cranny of Jack's exhausted body. Surely it couldn't be morning yet. He grumbled, but refused to open his eyes "Com'n, big guy. Open those beautiful green eyes of yours." Her voice was still so tranquil and sensual. Still, Jack would prefer that it just go away. Allison had fucked him senseless the night before. Now he needed sleep. He refused to acknowledge her attempt to pull him...
Allison's pussy quivered. She looked down at Jack as she straddled him, his cock wedged inside her wet cunt. He'd come over for some private time. Her parents and brothers were at a road football game, Abigail was working and Analise was visiting some friends. Allison closed her eyes and began to rise and fall on his cock. It felt so good, each time together better than the last. She smiled and then looked down at him. She realized that he'd stopped moving, and she noticed his eyes were...
Analise's stay lasted another five days, and each night she visited Allison's room. Allison was able to get herself off twice while going down on Analise, but neither was all that pleasurable. It was very apparent that all Analise wanted was her own pleasure. Once, Allison tried to stop her, but Analise only had to mention Abigail's name, and Allison's defense would be breached. Allison loved Abigail too much to let her find out about her affair with Jack this way. Allison realized that...
Allison heard the knock on the front door, but didn't move from her seat on the edge of her bed. She listened to the muffled conversation down the hallway. "Why, young Mr. Merrill!" Her dad. "Nice to see you this fine evening." "Thank you, Mr. Garner. You are looking quite well today." Allison rolled her eyes. Tyson the Charmer at work. "And you, Mrs. Garner, are looking as lovely as ever." "Come with me into the den. Sharon will go see if Allison is just about ready. Could I get...
Allison bounced up from her spot on the living room couch and practically flew to the door. She opened the door and shrieked as she wrapped Abigail in a tight, though sisterly, hug. Abigail kissed her cheek. "Hey, Allie Cat." "Abbie, I'm so glad you made it over." She pulled Abigail into the room, shut the door and hugged her again. This time Abigail kissed her on the lips. The kiss was firm, and filled with passion. Allison moaned when she felt Abigail's tongue seek hers. The kiss...
Grandma and Grandpa Fuller. Phil Goodwyn. Abigail. Allison. Jack tightened the knot on his tie as he thought of the people who never stopped believing in him. Each one did his or her part to bring him to this point. Sure, he had to change himself first before he could start on this path, but it would have been a lonely, virtually impossible journey without the people who cared about him. Leaning closer to the bathroom mirror, he fixed his collar. "Yummy," Allison said from the doorway of...
"If I try these things on, will you give me your honest opinion?" Analise asked Abigail, as they came through the door of their parents' house. "I don't want to look like a fat cow on my honeymoon." "Nothing can be as bad as that piece of granny underwear I got at my shower," Abigail remarked, laughing. "Are you talking about the atrocious shapeless one from Patty?" Analise threw her bags on the loveseat in the family room. "No doubt. It was the worst. Bet Jack loved it." "I...
Jack was sitting in his car outside of Dana's house, waiting for Allison. He was very anxious. It was Sunday morning, and he still hadn't been able to talk to Allison. By the time he dragged himself out of the bed the previous morning, she'd already gone off with her friend. Before she left, she had informed Abigail that she would be staying at Dana's that night, but would need someone to pick her up and take her home the next morning. So here he was, waiting for her to make an...
Allison lay in bed, wondering about the day and what lay ahead. She and Abigail had decided on a way to confront Analise about the rape and blackmail. Allison smiled at the mental image of Analise's face when she realized her scheme was over. However, it didn't take long for Allison's mind to wander back to Abigail. It all made sense to her now. When she was explaining her rationale for her relationship with Jack, it just all kind of fell into place. Sure she loved the way that Jack had...
"Hey, beautiful," Jack said into the phone receiver. "Been busy today?" "Definitely. We slept in, but we took a cab up to downtown and visited some of the sites. We had dinner at a great seafood place overlooking the waterfront." Abigail hesitated a moment, seemed unsure. "Jack, there's some stuff we need to talk about." Jack's blood went cold. "Um, OK. What's up?" Did she know? Had Allison confessed their indiscretions? He wouldn't blame her if she did and part of him wanted...
"Look what I bought." Abigail came bounding down the stairs into her parents' family room. Allison was reclining in an overstuffed chair flipping through a magazine. She had been waiting for her sister to arrive for their usual midday rendezvous, but Abigail was late. Allison let out a frustrated breath. Abigail was never late for these meetings. They'd worked out a nice system over the last couple of months. Abigail would come over after Allison got home from school, usually about 3:30....
Abigail let her eyes flutter open. An unusually bright light streamed through the parted window curtains. She smiled. The annual spring snowfall. Every March there was a late snowfall, and it seemed to always catch everyone by surprise. It was Abigail's favorite snowfall when she was in school because it came late enough and was big enough to force schools to close their doors and break the monotony of the spring semester. Even now she liked this snow because it was usually the wettest snow,...
"Do you think he'll be awake?" Allison asked, pointing at the clock on the radio. It was just after two in the morning. "Definitely," Abigail answered. "We vowed we'd never go to bed angry with each other. He'll be awake." The two had drifted off to sleep, wearied by the emotion of the day and the passion of their lovemaking. When they woke, they knew they had to make some decisions. The news of their sister's pregnancy threw another wrinkle into the relationship, and Abigail knew...
"You'll never see Allison again." Jack felt the anger rise inside him again. That was Ted's last statement before they parted company. Jack scoffed at the idea of leaving his wife and her sister behind, but his father-in-law was insistent. He never raised his voice, but the venom was evident. "I'm not an unreasonable man," he had said. Jack laughed out loud now as he drove his car back to his house and hopefully to his waiting wife. Ted agreed to redirect the rumors until Jack's...
Sharon quietly polished the silverware. They'd needed it for a while, but it wasn't a task she particularly liked, so she usually waited until she had something on her mind. Then she could polish and think. This was one of those times. She glanced nervously at the clock, quietly wondering what was keeping Allison. She prayed that her youngest daughter didn't do anything rash. She thought back through the day, wondering what she could have done differently, what she could have done to...
Abigail shoved the last thick file folder into the overstuffed drawer, then plopped down in her desk chair. She fantasized about working in a paperless office, and wondered if she should ask about that when she interviewed for jobs in Seattle. It was hard to believe that she and Jack—and hopefully, Allison—would be moving in less than a month. She hoped that something would pan out with one of the interviews she'd been able to line up. She checked her desk calendar. She would be flying out...
Ted stood in the doorway of his house and watched his family getting in the car. He glanced at his watch. They still had time. "Sharon," he called to his wife. "We have one issue we need to take care of before we leave. Come with me to my office." She nodded in acknowledgement and said something to Allison and Ben. Just then Brad brushed past him without a word and made his way to the car. Ted saw Sharon's eyes widen with surprise at the sight of her oldest son, who didn't even glance...
"Earth to Ja-ack!" Jack's wife said, snapping his attention back to the present. "Where'd you go?" He blushed when he realized he'd really zoned out. "I, uh, I started reminiscing. You know how the mind works. One memory leads to another which leads to another and so on. So I guess I was taking a ride on a memory roller coaster." Her eyes twinkled at him. "That was bad, Jack. Memory roller coaster?" He shrugged. "Trust me. It was quite a ride." "Want to talk about it?" He...
The day of the party arrived. Briony turned up on time and was met at reception by Tom as arranged. She was wearing a 'little green dress', dark green which enhanced her eyes. It stopped just above the knee and her forearms were bare. It showed off her pretty figure. She had pearl earrings and a pearl necklace. On her right wrist was a gold charm bracelet. Tom thought she looked stunning and told her so. She smiled her thanks happily to him. She linked her arm through his and he led her to...
The company won the contract and everyone was thrilled and delighted. There was another party but it was drinks only and Tom and Briony decided that only he should attend. Clive was miffed. He had hoped to work on Briony again. He said nothing though either to Tom or Angela who was required to accompany him. The project management team deployed. For the first three months work was devoted to site clearance, access to and within it. Then construction started: foundations and piles. All went...
At university Tom had been a member of the shooting club specialising in pistol. He still had his .22 automatic. There was no time to obtain export or import permits but he determined nevertheless to take it with him. He placed it in the middle of his hold baggage and hoped it would not be found. If it was he would just have to surrender it. He also took some ammunition. The eight hour flight was uneventful and straightforward. Tom and Susie chatted inconsequentially for a while and then...
It was clear at breakfast that Susie had not slept well if at all. Jenny was still with her. They ate their breakfast in silence. Susie only picked at hers. She was in no shape and far from her usual vibrant self. As they drank their coffee Tom took her hand in his. "Susie," he said gently, "we've got to go and report this formally to Tony." She nodded resignedly. He told her what he was going to suggest to Tony. "OK," she said listlessly. "I just want to get away from this...
Over a drink and supper Tom told Briony what had happened to Susie and what Tony was going to do about it. "Poor girl," said Briony with feeling. "Horrid, horrid, horrid. On the other hand, she didn't seem that low this evening and she called you a special man so, apart from saving a damsel in distress, what else did you do?" Tom shrugged. "Not a lot really other than be there for her. I told you about Jenny. She was super. She really was." "Go on." "Well, when we got on the...
Everything went back to normal pending the trial. There was a rumour of a possible major new project in Scotland but no more than that. Susie came prancing in the following Monday morning. "Rory would like to meet you," she said to Tom. "I'd like to meet him. Has he got wheels?" "Yes, why?" "Well why don't you both come down for the weekend? I know we haven't got anything on and Briony would love to see you again." "That sounds a super idea but do you mind if I run it by him...
As they were getting ready for bed Briony asked Tom whether he was aware that Susie did not much like Clive. "No," Tom replied. "We've never talked about him probably because she knows that I would never be disloyal about him to one of my section. What's he done to upset her?" "Suggested that after West Africa she might have a crush on you." "That's pretty cheeky." He chuckled. "I know what might have set him off though. The first Monday after it all she was absolutely bubbling...
Tom did his best to concentrate on his work but what Susie had said disturbed him deeply. Why should Clive with a beautiful and intelligent wife of his own want to pursue Briony? He must be nuts if he thought she would respond to his advances. If nothing else he knew they were only relatively recently married. It just did not make sense but yet Susie had been utterly serious. His mind continued to go round in circles. Briony has beaten him home and gave him his usual warm welcome but she...
Angela had foreseen that the weekend with her parents was going to be tricky. The sudden invitation to spend the previous weekend with her sister, Laura, had been a warning. It had been pleasant enough but she knew Laura was observing her throughout and would be reporting back to their mother. Her parents, Arthur and Pauline Foster, welcomed her warmly on Friday evening. After a drink Pauline pulled her and Arthur out to the kitchen. Once Arthur had helped everyone to a second drink he was...
Arthur rang Angela the following morning. "Presumably you want to seek divorce on the grounds of adultery." "Yes, Daddy." "In that case I suggest you move out. Has he ever knocked you about?" "No but I wouldn't put it past him." "You definitely ought to move out." "Not until after next week. It's half term." "Can you maintain a façade?" "No change," she replied bitterly. "Right, Poppet, I can't act for you myself, conflict of interest, but I'll see if Henry...
Despite what Briony had said Tom rang Angela from the station car park on his way to work. "Hello, Angela. It's Tom Clifford. Sorry to ring so early," he began. "Nonsense, Tom. You must think I'm a slugabed." She laughed cheerfully. "What can I do for you?" "Your conversation with Briony yesterday has me worried. I've never really trusted Clive after the first time he met her but do you really think that he'd be up to abduction or rape?" "If you'd asked me six months ago,...
The company dance was held at a large local hotel. There were tables of eight and a buffet supper and two bottles of wine per table. Tom and Briony put their heads together to decide who they would like on their table. Susie and Rory were naturals. Tom suggested Margaret Tennant and her partner and, because she did not belong to a section, Trish and her partner. Briony was happy to agree. With it being an official function there was a top table for members of the board. Betty Nugent had...