Check "Yes" or "No"

"Someone who wants to be in love," she said. "I've been flirting with you for years, Jacob, and you are either the perfect gentleman or you're most densemanin the world! I like that when you talk to me, you look me in the eyes instead of staring at my chest. I like that you roll your eyes at Josh Clevinger's sexist jokes like I do. I need you to know that I'm available for you, Jake, but I'm not going to throw myself at you and I want you to know that I don'tneedyou. I think that whole 'you complete me' stuff is bullshit."

"You mean you won't wait on me hand and foot and have dinner ready for me every night at 5:30?" The words were barely out of his mouth before she was all over him. Pinching and tickling and slapping playfully. They collapsed into each other's arms. Soon she had him pinned to the bed, not because she was necessarily stronger, but because he liked feeling her close to him.

"I want you to know something about me, too," he pulled back enough to look her in the eyes. "I told you this before: I'm damaged goods right now. I only moved out of my house six months ago and I've only been divorced for five weeks. Tracy and I were in trouble a year ago, but I never thought it would end the way it did. I worry . . . I worry that you're just going to be my breakup girlfriend. And you deserve better than that."

Ann Marie took a deep breath. "I won't let you use me, Jake. I won't smother you, but we can't go back to being 'just friends' either."

"I know, sweetheart," he sighed. "And that's what scares me."

Neither spoke for a long time. They just lay there, each lost to their private thoughts. Listening to each other's heart beating.

"Why don't we see how things turn out?" Jake suggested. It was bad enough that their weekend escape was coming to an end. He didn't want this somber feeling to be its final tone. "And then we'll see how quickly you tire of my snoring."

Ann Marie giggled. "I'm sure you're already sick of me hogging the middle of the bed."

"You can stay in the middle all night," he brought her lips to his. "As long as you don't push me out, too."

"I like the way that sounds," she said gently and returned his affections. Ann Marie took his hands. "You know what I liked most this weekend?"

"I'm guessing it was the French Corkscrew, because you screamed like a banshee!" Jake teased. Predictably, she assaulted him with a shower of tickles until he begged for mercy.

"No, silly," she said, finally letting him breathe. "I liked getting to know you. You're so different when you're not at school. As much as I like Mr. Eckholm, I think I like this you better. And just so you know . . . I plan on getting to know you a whole lot better."

"Now you're talkin' my language," Jacob replied. His hands went to his shirt. He pushed it off her shoulders and threw it across the room.

Ann Marie melted into his arms. Her breasts rubbed against him. She bit him just behind the ear, drawing a gasp of delight. "Thank you for this weekend, Jake. Thank you for being a great friend."

"Anything for you, Ann Marie," he nibbled his way down her neck.

"Anything?"

"Anything."

"Where should we start?" she smiled lovingly at Jacob.

"How about with you sitting on my face?" he said with a sly smile.

"Ireallylike the sound of that . . ."

**************************

"Good morning, Mr. Eckholm," Ann Marie said as she walked by Jake. He was standing outside doing his morning bus duty. She winked, glad that it waited until the social studies department's week to get cold and gray.

"Good, morning, Miss Armstrong." They shared a secret smile. She walked right by him and try as he might, he couldn't stop himself from turning to watch the swing of her hips. It may have just been him, but there seemed to be a little extra sway in her strut.

His ears were numb and his coffee cold when the last bus arrived. Jake and Mr. Spinelli were the last teachers in. They strode into the office chatting idly about the football team's chances of making the regional playoffs.

Sally Barnett bumped—accidentally, of course—into Jake as he was checking his mailbox. There was laughter in her voice. "Have a nice weekend, Mr. Eckholm?"

"I did," he put his best poker face on. She slipped an envelope into his hands. "What's this?"

"Half of the pool," Sally's face broke into a wide smile. "I won."

"Won what?"

"The When Are Mr. Eckholm and Miss Armstrong Going to Hook Up? Pool," she laughed.

"Do you guys bet on everything?" he asked with mock exasperation.

"Not everything," she winked. "Although . . . you wouldn't happen to know how many times you did it . . . just out of curiosity."

"Sorry, 'need to know' and all that."

"Spoilsport."

"And who says we did anything this weekend?" he asked, knowing that it was okay to joke around with the school secretary. He was never the kiss-and-tell kind, but he knew that anything he told her would stay between them.

"The big I-just-got-some-this-weekend look the two of you had this morning, that's who!"

"Is it that obvious?" Jake asked, momentarily concerned what everyone else might think.

"It is to me," Sally replied. "I've been rooting for you two for a long time. Ever since I found out you and Tracy were getting divorced. You and Ann Marie are both good people . You deserve better than your ex-wife's family and she deserves a guy who will treat her right. That's why I want you to have what's in that envelope, Jake. Get her something nice."

He didn't open the envelope, but he wouldn't be surprised if Sally had put everything from the pool in. And then some out of her own pocket.

"And remember this, Jacob Eckholm," Sally's voice hardened with concern. "No one around here ever looked out for her like they should have, but if you break that girl's heart, you'll answer to me."

It wasn't a warning as much as it was a reminder that his lover didn't deserve to be treated like something to be thrown away. That whatever bad things had gone on between he and Tracy, taking them out on her was unfair to both of them. That it wasn't his place to make up for her crappy childhood but just to treat her well.

"I'll remember that, Sally," he vowed. "I swear to God I will."

"I know, Jake," the other woman said with a knowing smile. "That's why I'm going to win the other pool."

"What other pool?"

"Oh, my, will you look at the time?" She walked away and Jake could still hear her hearty laughter as he strolled down the hallway to his room.

His morning classes teased him a little bit. It seemed everyone in the county knew they had gonesomewheretogether. They tried all sorts of ways to inquire about the weekend, but he stonewalled them all. It became a game and for the most part, he won.

At the beginning of fifth period, right after lunch, there was a knock on the door. His geography class was playing with Google Earth on the projector. He had just zoomed in on the Khufu's Pyramid. He went to the door and found a student there holding an envelope.

Smiling to himself, he ripped the envelope open and read Ann Marie's note.

You lost a bet, Mr. Eckholm. Would you like to come over for dinner tonight to start paying it off?

He chuckled to himself, checked the "yes" box, sealed the paper in another envelope and sent it back with the student.

"What did Miss Armstrong want?"

"That's none of your business, Hannah," he said, turning the mouse over to the set of buttons on the bottom. He pressed one and the laser pointer highlighted the Khufu's Pyramid.

"No, really, Mr. Eckholm, what are all those notes you and Miss Armstrong pass about? Did she just ask you out?"

He had to smile inwardly, but kept a straight face. "Adult stuff, Hannah."

"That sounds kinky, Mr. Eckholm." The students all smiled. In a room laden with hormone-driven teenagers, simply using the words "adult" or "kinky" was going to draw a response.

"Not unless you find insurance kinky," he said with a straight face.

"Insurance?"

"Yeah, it's open enrollment season and she can't decide if she should get the dental and vision to go with the basic health care," Jake made up something on the spot. "She asked and I just told her that I get the vision and dental. It's only five bucks more per pay period."

"You are so full of crap, Mr. E.," Jessica Taylor rolled her eyes from the front of the room.

"Insurance isveryexciting," he laughed. Then it was back to Egypt and the Giza Plateau.

The rest of his day passed quickly. He stayed after school for a little while and graded papers. When he left a little after 5:00, Jake found that he and the custodians were the only ones left in the building. He got in his truck and drove to the local grocery store.

He picked up two bottles of wine—a red and a white—along with some flowers. The cashier, who was one of his students three years ago even ID'd him and shot him a sly look. Jake only smiled then got back in his truck and drove over to Ann Marie's house.

She lived in a row house that was two blocks away from the house where she grew up, and where her mother still lived. All the houses in the neighbourhood were of the same basic floor plan and were built by the steel mill before it closed a decade ago. It was brick and had a nice, homey feel to it.

Her car was parked in the driveway. He pulled in and got out. The sun was just setting and Jake noticed that some of her neighbours suddenly and inexplicably found a reason to be out on their porches, despite the evening chill. Smiling to himself, Jake went up the steps.

The front door was wide open and he was greeted by the smell of marinara. He knocked on the screen door. "Anyone home?"

"Come on in," Ann Marie called from the kitchen. Jacob stepped into the modest living room. The television was tuned into the local news, but the volume was low. She came out to greet him and her face broke into a wide smile when she saw the flowers. As he handed them to her, she said, "They're beautiful."

"They're for a beautiful person," Jake flashed her his most charming smile. She blushed and gave him a quick kiss. She led him to the kitchen. As she put the flowers in a vase, he put the white wine in the fridge, then began hunting through her drawers.

"Next one on the right, next to the oven," Ann Marie said and soon he had the bottle opener out. "That will go great with the lasagna."

As she put the finishing touches on the salad, Jake poured them each a glass of the Rioja and they talked until dinner was ready. He found himself staring in wonder at the young lady who until recently was an enigma to him. She smiled a lot and he found himself liking the glances she shot his way.

The pair sat down to dinner at the table in her kitchen. As they talked about school and parents and siblings and hopes and dreams, Jake realised that he was falling in love. They only ate half the tray and before she could get up, Jake went to wash the dishes.

"I like a man who knows his way around a kitchen," Ann Marie said with a smile.

"Yeah, well, I've had lots of practice," he replied. "If you'd ever eat Tracy's cooking, you'd know why."

"Not that great, huh?"

"She's the only person I know who can screw up mac and cheese." As he bent over to pick up her plate, he gave her a soft peck on the cheek. "I don't think I've had seconds in years."

"I think you had thirds," Ann Marie taunted. She followed him into the kitchen and he shooed her away from helping with the dishes. After putting the rest of the lasagna in Tupperware containers, he bent over to put some silverware in the dishwasher and she whistled at him. "Looking good there, hot stuff!"

He wiggled his backside at her teasingly. Their playfulness seemed so natural. "Get a good look now, because your cooking is going to make me fat."

"Then we'll just have to find a way to burn all the calories off," Ann Marie winked. He set the empty tray in the sink and started to scrub it, when he felt her arms around him from behind. Her breasts pressed against his back. His pulse raced as she kissed the back of his neck. Her hands tugged at his shirt. "Let that soak."

Jake turned around and took Ann Marie in his arms. They kissed passionately. His hands cupped her ass and he pulled her to him.

"I've missed you," she whispered in his ear.

"It's only been a day," he said.

"It's been the longest day of my life."

"I know." His lips went to her earlobe. She let out a low, throaty moan. "As good as the lasagna was, I'm still hungry."

"You are?" There was an incredulous tone in her voice; he had deliberately phrased it so that she might have thought that he was being snide about her cooking.

"Yes," he replied, barely able to mask his laughter. "I thought you promised me there would be something else for me to eat when I got here."

Ann Marie yelped with both surprise and delight as he picked her up in his arms. She nuzzled up to his neck as he carried her into the living room.

"Upstairs," she whispered in his ear. They left the lights and the TV on. Hell, even the front door was still wide open. Neither was worried; that was just one of the advantages of living in a small town.

Along the way to the master bedroom, Ann Marie had pulled his shirt out of his khakis and had half the buttons un-done.

He set her gently on the bed. Her hands never left his body. She nearly tore the last couple of buttons off and then pulled his undershirt of his head. Her hands went to his belt as Jake began to undress her, too.

Ann Marie's blouse was first, then her bra. Her generous bosom seemed to explode into his hands. Her nipples were erect. Goosebumps covered her skin.

Jake's pants fell to the floor and soon he found his cock poking out of the slit in his boxers. She stroked him with one hand, while cupping one of her breasts in the other.

Despite her whimper of protest, Jake pulled Ann Marie to her feet and pushed her skirt over her full hips. Her black lace panties were next and she kicked them across the room.

As she reached for his boxers, he pushed her to the bed. She fell on to her back, her breasts falling slightly to the sides. Ann Marie was nude, her body splayed out in front of him on the queen bed.

Jacob devoured her with his eyes. She was perfect, he decided. Absently, Jake stroked his cock, not realising just how hard he was.

"Touch yourself," he whispered.

Ann Marie's hands went to her sex. She spread her labia and Jake could see her excitement. Purring, she rubbed the nub of her clit. Her other hand hadn't left her breast. Her large areola was stiff with anticipation.

Jake dropped his boxers to the floor and stood before her. Ann Marie's eyes were hooded over with pleasure. They watched each other masturbate for a long time. Jake was transfixed by the sight of his lover playing with herself. His cock seemed to grow longer with every pull.

Her fingers were coated with juice. He knelt before her and sucked on her index finger even as her middle finger entered her slick pussy.

"I want you in my mouth," she said softly.

"Not yet," he said. She moaned in protest, but he pushed her hands away and took over.

Rubbing her outer lips, Jake blew on her clit, drawing a gasp of pleasure. He bit the inside of her thigh, making Ann Marie arch her back. He looked up at her breasts which were thrust up into the air and smiled to himself.

His tongue began to flick back and forth across her clit. Each time Ann Marie's body shuddered. Jake teased her a little then began to really suck on her pussy in earnest.

Her hands grasped him by the hair and she bucked against his face.

"Holy shit, Jake," she gasped. "Right there . . . oh, my god! . . . Eat me . . . eat my fucking pussy!"

Varying his tempo, he used his tongue to play with her. Then he would suck her clit between her lips.

Her cries devolved into a series of unintelligible moans, which were only broken when he entered her with two fingers. His other hand stroked his cock to full mast, anticipating making love to her.

"That feels so good!" she nearly shouted as Jake pistoned his fingers in and out of her pussy.

He renewed his assault on her pussy, if only to make her feel as he did when she sucked him off in his car. Her ankles crossed behind his neck, as if she were never going to let him up.

"Jake . . . Jake . . . I'm about to . . ."

That only made him work harder. He lapped up her juices which were flowing freely.

She tried to sit up, but he pushed her back down on to the bed.

Her breaths came shorter, as if she were hyperventilating. "Don't . . . don't . . . stop . . . don't stop!"

As she bucked her hips against his mouth, Jake tried to hold onto her. He was making love to her with his mouth and she was beyond the point of self control.

Ann Marie's arms flailed around on the bed, grasping for the covers, the sheets,anythingto hold on to. Her head was thrown back and there was a wild look in her eyes.

"Oh, Jake," her voice was somewhere between an exhilarated scream and a broken sob. Her body went stiff as a board and Jake knew she was close.

He made one final pass with his lips, then pressed his tongue flat against her clit. She erupted in a flood of cum. He tried to drink down as much as he could. She let loose a piercing wail to let him know that she was cumming.

Jake felt her pussy tighten around the fingers that were inside her. They were covered in her warmth.

She continued to cum and cum. Jake milked the orgasm out as long as he could, happy to have satisfied his lover.

But he wasn't done.

As he felt the contractions of her pussy subside, he withdrew his fingers from her pussy. He stood and with one swift motion entered Ann Marie all the way to the hilt.

Her normally tight pussy squeezed him in its post-orgasmic throes. She moaned, but he silenced her with a kiss.

With short deliberate strokes, Jake began to pump her pussy with his cock. He wasn't going to last very long, but that didn't matter.

"Oh, fuck, Jake," she cried out. "I'm still cumming!"

Quickly, he built a strong head of steam, plowing his cock into her. The bed shuddered with every thrust.

Her fingernails dug into his back. She bit his shoulder to stifle a scream that would have made the neighbours think he was trying to kill her.

A second flood filled her pussy as Jake pounded and pounded away.

One hand went to her breasts and he pinched her nipple. His other hand cupped her ass. Ann Marie's legs were spread wide, allowing him to penetrate as deep as possible.

"Cum in me, Jake," she wailed. "Cum in my pussy."

"I'm gonna cum all over you," he grunted.

"Cum with me, Jake," Ann Marie wrapped her legs around his waist.

He pulled back enough to look her in the eyes. Aside from the ecstasy of their lovemaking, Jake saw something more. He recognised it immediately.

It was love.

With one final thrust, Jake pushed himself as deep inside her as he could go. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and he felt her pussy tighten around him.

That sent him over the edge. He began to shoot off inside her. His balls pumped and pumped until they were empty.

"Oh, Jake," she whispered just before her body went limp. He collapsed on top of her, trying to catch his breath.

When the room stopped spinning, Jake kissed Ann Marie on the cheek. She didn't respond. His worry evaporated as he saw her chest rise and fall in a slow rhythm.

Withdrawing his cock from her pussy, Jake rolled on to his side and waited for her to regain consciousness. A few moments later, she stirred.

"Hey, there," she said dreamily.

"Have a nice nap?" Jake returned her smile.

"Are you trying to kill me?" she reached out and Jacob leaned in to give her a kiss.

"I'm just trying to make you appreciate me."