Maxine's New Life Ch. 06

"Whatever you have is fine," he assured me.

"Okay," I said, as I pulled into the parking lot of a super Wal-Mart store. I parked the van as close to the door as I could.

"We are going to have lunch at Wal-Mart?" Lucas asked.

"Oh hell no, we are going to buy our lunch at Wal-Mart."

"Okay, but is there really a difference?" I gave him one of those mysterious smiles that meant absolutely nothing. I walked straight to the deli.

"Hello, Maxine, how you doing today?" the badly overweight woman behind the counter asked.

"I'm doing just fine, Lucy. Lucy, this is Lucas, he works with me."

"Hi Lucas, what can I get you two?" she asked.

"Don't know about the kid, but I want a Bacon and Egg Sandwich on one of those fancy rolls you used last time."

"Do you want cheese on that?" she asked.

"No thanks, but I would like tomato and mayo," I smiled.

"Don't look at me like that, Maxine, I ain't your mother. I don't care how many unhealthy things you put in your body." When she finished the sandwich, she turned to Lucas. "Now how about you, Son?"

"I see on your sign that you have turkey. Could I have a turkey with lettuce and cheese in a pita?"

"Of course you can. Now what to drink, you two?"

"Put two cream sodas in with my order." I turned to Lucas, "Kid, both of them are for me ... Just sayin," I replied to his look.

We left the Wal-Mart store and drove to the city's reservoir/marina. I led the way to the terrace of the office building. I ate my still warm sandwich and drank my soda while watching the community college's sailing class. There weren't there every time I came, but they were hugely entertaining every time they were.

"Do you do this everyday?" he asked.

"Lord, no, but I do it often enough. Today is a little chilly, but I'm going to try to squeeze a few more lunches in before the cold gets here. " Aster and Tryon both have a lot of chilly evenings in the winter months, but not too many of the days are really cold. It's a great climate overall and a lot of why I came back.

"Can I ask you something, Boss?"

"You can ask anything. I just might or might not answer."

"Okay, are you really going on a date with that college boy?"

"I am really going to the Dungeon for a drink tonight at nine. I have no idea if the kid will be there. I am old enough to be his mother."

"I guarantee you that his mother isn't anywhere near as exciting as you."

"That's a nice thing to say. I would invite you to come along, but you aren't quite old enough to go to a bar."

"I'm twenty," he said.

"Yes, and the drinking age is twenty-one. Don't worry, it will come soon enough, then they get closer and closer together as you get older."

"You know he is only a year or two older than me."

"I know, but I'm just going to have a drink in a college bar. I didn't get to go to college, it will be fun. And Lucas, it will be harmless. I won't let him break my heart."

"Good," he said seriously.

To be honest I had forgotten about the promise to meet the college boy. I would simply have not shown up if Lucas had not mentioned it. But since he did mention it, I decided to at least dress for it.

After work, I went home to wash and set the little bit of hair I had. I tried everything, but it still looked like a squirrel's ass. I gave up on trying to make it look grownup, and went to childish. I just put mousse on it and spiked it up. I looked like a fucking orphan, but it was something more than laying flat on my head. It looked a bit like pubic hair though.

I found a very expensive knit top on my metal shelf unit, which I used for folded clothes storage. It was big and bulky, so it would be warm on the chilly night. I probably should have worn jeans, but a first date usually called for something a little nicer. I had a very nice just above the knees skirt I had worn a few times. It was for a dinner now and then with someone special, or a business meeting. I was going all out for a kid half my age. Then again, he was a kid half my age; that in itself was something. I wanted to impress him in that 'Mrs. Robinson' kind of way. I also decided that if Joey was a no show, I would swing by the Cop Out. No sense letting it all go to waste.

I need not have worried. When I arrived at the basement beer bar just off campus, Joey was sitting at the bar watching the door carefully.

"You did come, I wasn't sure you would."

"I told you at the office. I don't date much."

"I'm sure that's only because you don't want to date. I can't imagine that men don't ask you out all the time."

"Well you really do know how to flatter a woman." I commented.

"Thank you. Would you like a beer or a glass of wine?"

"Beer. So, Joey, is this typical of a college bar these days?"

"Well, they all have a lot in common but the decorations are usually different. Isn't it what you remember from your time?"

"I didn't go to college, Joey. That's really why I came. I thought I should see what it was like at least once." I didn't tell him about the professor two months before.

"You really want to see what social life at college is like?" he was beaming at me.

"Well, if it isn't too dangerous?"

"Not at all. The art department is screening Rocky Horror Picture Show tonight at midnight. Would you like to go see it."

"Let's see how I feel at midnight. I'm a poor working girl, after all." I was impressed with Joey. Part of the reason I held off agreeing to the movie was that his dad was a drunk. That runs in families, so I wanted to see what he was like after a couple of hours of drinking. To my surprise, he drank very little. Actually, I had a hard time not out drinking him. I really didn't want to do that.

By 11 PM we had danced a few times. Just like the men at the Cop Out, I felt his erection. I didn't mention it, and he didn't either. I thought that was also a good sign. Nothing less romantic than a guy whispering in your ear, "Can you feel the size of the hardon you are giving me? Don't you want to suck that, Baby?" I'm sorry, guys, that just doesn't do it for me. At 11 PM we were both reasonably sober, and I for one was having a good time. Joey had a great sense of humor. He was able to laugh at his friends and even himself. That was always a good thing in a man.

"So how about that movie?" he asked.

"Sure, why not, in for a penny and all that," I said in reply. I rode to the campus with Joey in a very big SUV. "I thought all you college kids were into saving the planet and shit."

"Hell no, Max, we are all about telling you to save the planet."

"Ah now I see." I smiled, because Joey had a great way of phrasing things, so that it cut to the core.

"Here we are at the media arts building. They have a small movie theater here. The large one is in the student union building."

"How small is small. I mean this isn't a DVD on you dorm room flat screen, is it?"

"Damn, I wish I had thought of that," he said, with a smile. "No, the theater seats 250. I have no idea how many of us there will be since they don't sell tickets."

The theater wasn't empty and it wasn't full, it was just sorta full. "It's not exactly a night out kind of event. It's more a teaching event," Joey explained to me.

"So no popcorn and Cokes?" I asked.

"Exactly." he explained.

"Crap, Joey, that's the only reason I came."

"And the Juju beads," he suggested.

"Those too," I agreed.

The movie did start on time, The theater filled up to the point that there was one empty seat between us and the couple beside us. I watched the first five minutes or so and wondered if it would be really rude for me to go to the ladies room and not come back. I was at that point, when I felt Joey kiss my neck and whisper in my ear. "You wanted to know what it was like to be a college student. Well, just relax and enjoy it." I turned me head toward him to ask what he meant, instead I felt his lips on mine and quickly felt his tongue in my mouth. Joey was what I like to call an enthusiastic kisser. He was trying to turn me on with the movement of his tongue over mine. It was a cheap trick, but one that always worked.

After the kiss had lasted at least three minutes, I felt his hand lift my sweater so that he could get under it. I felt his warm fingers lift my bra so that my breast sprang free. When I remembered how young Joey was, it sent a shiver through me.

He could obviously tell from my breathing, and lack of resistance, that he had me on the ropes. He squeezed my breasts and pinched my nipples. I responded by moaning into his mouth. I could feel the heat between my legs as well as my aching nipples. I had almost no realization that anyone else was in the world, let alone in the theater. Every time I took a deep breath and realized that someone might be watching, it sent a shudder through me. It was new to me and I realized how exciting it all was.

"God, you are so sexy," Joey said.

"No, you are. God, where did you learn all this."

"Lots of practice with older women. Now open your legs and take off your panties." It was a shock to hear a twenty something year old child say those words forcefully. Nonetheless, I did as he said. I felt his hand on my thighs almost immediately. "When you cum, what are you going to do for me?" he asked.

"What do you want," I asked in my whiny voice.

"I want you to raise your skirt and sit on my dick," he said, in a whisper.

"People will see," I said, surprised that he would ask.

"Of course, they will see, do you really care?" As he asked, he slipped a finger inside me. My body sucked his finger in. I didn't just open to him, I tried to work it deeper into me. "So, do you care if they see you?"

"No, I don't care," I moaned, as he moved his finger in and out of me.

"Then do it as you cum. Stand up and come sit in my lap."

"Yes," I said, as I rocked against his hand and buried his fingers even deeper in me. Suddenly I was on the verge of an orgasm, so I stood and moved to lower myself onto his exposed cock. He wasn't huge, but he was large enough to give me a nice full feeling when I was as far down as I could go.

"God, you are tight as a virgin," he said.

"I haven't done this in a while."

"I can tell. Now rock on my dick until I cum in you, then you cum for me." I rocked on his cock for about five minutes. I felt him stiffen and try to drive even deeper into me. I began to touch my clit as I continued to rock on his cock.

I bit my tongue, trying not to make any noise. I am positive that I didn't succeed. I kept my eyes closed so that I wouldn't have to see them stare at me ... I slipped off the cock that had impaled me and slipped back into the seat I had started the evening occupying. It took me several minutes to recover, then I whispered "Can we leave?"

"Of course," he replied.

We were in his SUV beside my parked minivan when I said, "Don't ever call me again."

"I hadn't planned on it, Max, you aren't that special."

I nodded my understanding then left his SUV. Of course, it hurt my feelings, but he was right. I was terrible at relationships. The kind I had were doomed from the beginning.

20 Jen's party

Doctors at the military hospital said, "You sure do heal fast, Sergeant Stone." They were right, I heal very fast. I was past Joey's not so gentle goodbye before the sun went down on Saturday. It still hurt, but it didn't stop me from planning a trip to the Cop Out. I was enjoying my weekend, since I didn't know when one with nothing to do would come around again. With Lucas pushing me to chase bail jumpers, I might not be able to take too many weekends completely off.

"Max, what do you have planned for tonight?" I recognized the tinny voice on my cell phone as my best friend Jennifer.

"I thought I might go out for a beer later, why?"

"Bob and I are having a party tonight. I know it's late notice, but you don't really need much notice do you?"

"Well, it helps if you give a me little, yeah. Who are the other guests?"

"Why does that matter?"

"Is Marty back in town?" I asked.

"As a matter of fact he is, but this isn't really about him."

"Oh, then is he going to be at the party?"

"Yes, but trust me, it isn't about Marty."

"Then why the last minute invitation."

"It's about Tommy Thompson. You do remember Tommy."

"Tommy Thompson the high school football stud who got your virginity?" I askedm smiling even if she couldn't see it.

"Yes Max, the same Tommy Thompson who also got yours."

"I always said we shared way too much in high school," I added for her.

"At least we didn't share the clap. The bastard gave that to about half the girls in school, but it was after us."

"Yeah, we were the lucky ones." I laughed into the phone. "Anyhow, you are throwing this guy a party? What does your husband think of that?"

"He thinks it will be fun," Jen said, laughing like a loon.

"Well, I don't think it is, so I'm going to pass it up."

"You will be sorry. I saw his picture online today. He is some kind of motivational speaker these days. Very distinguished looking you know."

"I can imagine. He probably explains how he seduced almost half the females at Aster High. That includes the teachers and office staff as well, I'm told." I was having a grand time laughing at the thought of his motivations speech,

"Come on, Max, you know you want to see him."

"You have to be kidding. Why would I want to see that jerk?"

"So that you can tell him what a jerk he is."

"Jen, I really don't have anything to wear."

"Wear your jeans over. You know I have clothes in three sizes, just pick something from my skinny wardrobe."

"Right." I agreed.

"Say you will come, it's for dinner. Helen is coming over to cook for me."

Helen was hands down the best cook in town. She was so good that she picked who she wanted to cook for, and they were thrilled that she chose them. It had gotten to be a snob thing. I remembered Helen from back in the day. She was the mother of the town's infamous high school slut. The poor girl ran away over twenty five years before, and no one had heard from her since After her daughter left town, Helen just lost interest in everything. Up until that time she has been a deaconess in one of the local churches. She found God when her husband was killed in a railroad accident. After Sue ran away, she lost her faith, they said. She began cooking just to keep herself fed, the story goes.

So after all those years, Helen would be cooking dinner for one of her daughter's few friends, and one of her daughter's many tormentors. I was the friend, and Tommy Thompson was the tormentor. Life takes some really strange twists and turns along the path to the grave.

I arrived an hour before the 8 PM official beginning of the party. I did it so that I could raid Jennifer's closet. I found a little black dress that would fit well enough except that I am an inch shorter than Jen. That means that the hem struck me at the knee. Dresses should be above the knee or before the knee, but not on the knee. Not much I could do about it. I definitely did not have time to hem it myself.

Since I was at the party early, I helped Jennifer set up the house. Making an upper middle class home into a party house would require a lot more talent that either of us had, so we just faked it. The den furniture got pushed into the living room, which got closed off. The dining room became a buffet of sorts. The terrace was for dancing, even though it was a bit chilly, it would do. Especially after people had a drink or two.

"Hello, Helen, how have you been?" I asked, as she brought a big stainless steel pan of chicken wings to the dining room table...

"Maxine, I heard you were back. I heard about that thing with the gangsters, how are you now?"

"I'm fine, Helen, but you didn't answer my question. How have you been?"

"Nothing ever changes with me, Maxine, you should know about loss. I hear you have had some rough times."

"That which does not kill us makes us stronger."

"Do you really believe that?" Helen asked.

"Not really, but it's what people want to hear," I answered.

"Yes, it is the kind of empty BS they love," Helen said.

"Have you heard anything from Sue?"

"No, I keep hoping that one day I will, but so far nothing."

"Well, I'll keep a good thought for you." I suggested.

"And I'll pray for you?" she said. "Well, what passes for prayer these days."

"So, do you want a drink?" Jennifer asked. I think it was more to move Helen back into the work mode, than anything else.

"No thanks, Jen, I'm just going to be a coffee drinker tonight. Otherwise, who knows what might happen. I mean me and you in the same room with the man who popped both our cherries. Alcohol does not seem like a good idea somehow."

"Certainly not if you came with a gun?" I recognized it was a question.

"I left it locked in the car," I reported.

"Well, that's a step in the right direction."

"If you say so, but you may regret it, if Tommy is as big an ass as he was in school."

"We didn't think he was an ass back then."

"Well, we also thought dying our hair red was a good idea," I suggested.

"It was a good idea; it just didn't help our love lives."

"Well, there was always, Tommy, the guy who would screw anyone just to add a name to his list of conquests."

"Damn, Max, I thought it was true love."

"Yeah right, he truly loved getting laid. He was the first man I ever met who really believed in, 'cull not, want not.'"

"Yeah, the man had no taste."

"Oh he had taste; he just preferred to ignore it at times. When he screwed me, I was fifty pounds overweight," I said.

"Yeah, I had pimples everywhere, but he still did it to me." Jennifer said. "Now look at us, I have had my face sanded more times than a hundred year old kitchen cabinet, and you are thin as hell."

"Yeah well, let's see, all I had to do was go live in the desert three times in five years, then take a piece of steel in my belly, and for good measure, have someone rupture my esophagus. Boy, have I taken good care of my wonderful body."

"Well you aren't going to call him an asshole in my house, are you? Remember, Max, he is a guest."

"I still don't know why you are hosting this party. You weren't anymore special to this jerk than I was."

"True, but there is a better than 50/50 chance he is going to be our next senator. I want to be a judge one day. It won't hurt to have him remember me for more than a tight pussy."

"I'm sure he doesn't remember you at all," I said, with a laugh.

"I bet he will pretend to remember us both now that we are foxes," Jen said.

"Jen, you are a fox; I'm a middle-aged spinster."

"Not at all," she said.

"Jen, I went to a college bar with a 22 year old kid last night."

"See, you still have it."

"First of all how pathetic would I look with some kid hanging on me. Secondly, after I screwed him in public, he told me I wasn't special at all."

"Ouch, you did use one of those Karate moves on him?"

"No, I crawled home and cried myself to sleep."

"If Tommy is an ass tonight, go on out to the car and get your gun."

"If he is fundraising, he will be nice to everyone. Phony as hell, but charming about it," I couldn't help the smile.

"I know. By the way, Marty will be here," she said.

"You told me he wouldn't be here," I snapped.

"No, I said wasn't about him. He is going to contribute to Tommy's campaign."

"Let me tell you right now, I am going to eat a plate of Helen's chicken wings, then I'm going to shake the asshole's hand and leave. If you know what's good for you, you will follow me."

"Just talk to Marty, he wants to make a settlement."

"Why would he do that? Surely it isn't because he is an honorable man, doing the honorable thing."

"Damn it, I'm in the middle on this and I hate it." Jennifer really did appear to be in distress.