Amy Finds Her Muse

-- Wednesday, October 23.

John was waiting for Barbara when she got home from school. He had his briefcase by the door and was ready to leave for work. As she came in the door Barbara had a big smile on her face.

"Before you go John, do you have any plans for the 16th of November?" Barbara asked.

John flipped open his organizer to glance at it and said, "No, nothing at all. Why do you ask?"

"I'm taking you out for supper that night for your birthday and I have reservations for 6 p.m.," Barbara said. She was all smiles and continued, "I've arranged for Mrs. Pierce to babysit Amanda so everything is set."

-- Saturday, November 16.

John was up early but not as early as Barbara. He was having his first sip of coffee when Barbara came up from the basement where she'd obviously been working out. She was in the T-shirt and shorts she usually wore when she exercised. When she saw John she said, "I'll be out for most of the day so don't forget to be ready to go out for 6 p.m."

John assured her he wouldn't forget and after she went upstairs he went back to drinking his coffee and watching the morning news headlines on TV. As he relaxed he began thinking about how his life was going lately. The business was doing very well and he had hired another printer and had purchased more equipment so they would be able to keep up with the orders. Mary was doing exceptionally well as office manager meaning he had to spend less time with paperwork.

Mary suggested they hire a student in graphic design from the university to work part time and eliminate the contract work they had been using. This had worked out very well and the student was now working three days a week for two hours in the afternoon. Her work was better than the work turned out by the contractor. John's customers appreciated the boost in quality.

He was out with Lynn again on the previous weekend and the two of them had worn each other out in bed. He had been late getting in again and for the next couple of days he noticed Barbara had been a little distant. She had returned to her old self by Tuesday.

Amanda was changing by leaps and bounds and was using many words on a daily basis. She had been toilet trained for a couple of weeks now and was very proud of herself for the accomplishment. Her grandparents had been amazed at her progress when they heard of how she was doing.

Barbara went out before 9 a.m. and John spent the day with Amanda, reading a couple of her favorite books to her to get her asleep for her nap. While she slept he got on the computer and did some office work. At 3:30 he took Amanda for a walk and when he returned he saw that Barbara's car was back. A little after 4:30 Vicki Pierce arrived to babysit Amanda.

After showing Mrs. Pierce where the things she would need for Amanda were located, John went upstairs to shower, shave and get ready to go out for dinner with Barbara. At 5:30 he was downstairs again when Barbara came down the stairs. John wasn't aware she was behind him until Mrs. Pierce said, "Oh my gosh Barbara, just look at you!"

John turned and could immediately see why Mrs. Pierce had said that. Barbara's ponytail was gone. Her hair had been cut, layered and highlighted and styled in a way that drew one's attention to her face. Her makeup was impeccable and he could see she had had a manicure. She was wearing a black dress with a flaring, knee length skirt and spaghetti straps. The small purse she carried matched her shoes.

"Barbara, you look fantastic," John said. "I can hardly recognize you. You've gone from 17 to 21 since I saw you this morning."

"Why thank you, John. I've used up your gift certificate. That's where I've been all day. I decided it was time to change my look and everything that was included with that gift certificate lets me do it. Vicki was kind enough to alter one of Mom dresses a bit so I can wear it."

Vicki walked over to her and turned her around in a circle so John could get the full effect of Barbara's transformation. She said, "Barbara, John's right, you've become a woman from a girl."

Barbara was blushing now but still grinning from ear to ear. She walked over to John and took his arm and said, "Well Vicki, do we look like a couple?"

"You certainly do," Vicki said. "We need a camera to take a picture of you two. Do you have one John?"

John went to his office and got his digital camera. While he and Barbara posed Vicki took a number of photos of the two of them, singly and together. By the time she finished it was time for them to leave.

John escorted Barbara out to the car and helped her into the passenger seat. As he started to drive away he asked, "You haven't told me where we're going Barbara."

"I reserved our table at the Sheraton dining room. I figured that it must be good since you took Lynn there. I left the number with Vicki."

"You seem to get along with her pretty well," John said. "I didn't realize you knew her that well."

"She comes over sometimes when you're at work and we talk," Barbara said. "She is really nice."

They arrived at the Sheraton and were shown to their table. John couldn't get over the change he saw in Barbara. Not only did she look several years older, she was acting as an adult. She seemed to be neither self conscious nor lacking in self confidence. She seemed to have grown up overnight.

His realization of how much Barbara had changed was reinforced within minutes of them being seated. A waitress came by for their bar order and after John asked for a glass of white wine she asked, "And would your wife care for the same?"

John hesitated, not knowing whether to correct the error regarding Barbara's age, or her marital status first. Before he could say anything Barbara answered, "I'll just have a Coke, thank you." Her grin had returned and John had to laugh at the exchange.

They had a delicious meal and carried on a conversation that was longer and covered more serious subjects than their usual. Neither felt they could handle a full dessert but John suggested they share one and Barbara was quick to agree. Their meal had been served and eaten at a leisurely pace and the band had started by the time they finished the dessert.

The band had begun playing a slow song and John noticed that Barbara was watching the couples on the dance floor so he asked, "Would you care to dance, Barbara? I guess first I should ask if you slow dance."

"Yes I do and I would love to dance," Barbara said. "My dad taught me when I started high school. He said everyone should know how to dance to a slow song."

They danced the next three songs, until the band switched to a set of faster ones. Barbara was a smooth, confident dancer and John enjoyed being on the dance floor with her. She took his arm as they returned to their seats and John noticed a flush had appeared on her cheeks.

They returned to the dance floor five more times, whenever the band would play slow music. Both of them enjoyed their time on the dance floor immensely and by the end of the band's last set both of them were fully satisfied with their evening out. Barbara took John's arm as he escorted her out to the car. She looked radiant and John sported a big smile.

When they pulled into the garage and the door had been closed behind them, Barbara said, "There's one last thing I want to give you for your birthday." She leaned over and kissed him gently but this time on his lips. It was not a long kiss but John was very conscious of it and could think of nothing to say as Barbara pulled back and opened the door to get out of the car. John quickly recovered and hurriedly got out and around the car to assist her out.

Once inside they had an animated conversation with Vicki as they described their evening out. John made coffee and they each had a cup while they talked. Once Vicki left John took Barbara's hands and thanked her for a wonderful evening. He told her it was the best birthday he'd had in a long time.

They went upstairs together and as John stopped at his bedroom door Barbara went on to her own where she turned and gave him a small wave. "Goodnight," she said.

"Goodnight, Barbara," John said as Barbara entered her room. John entered his own room and closed his door but was awake for another hour as he replayed the evening from memory several times.

-- Tuesday, December 31.

It was 7 p.m. and John was waiting for Barbara to get ready for their night out with her parents. Fred and June had returned home on the 15th and the five of them had spent a lot of time together over the Christmas holiday. The four adults were going to attend a New Year's Eve party in the ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel. Mrs. Pierce was going to babysit Amanda.

Barbara had announced she would be the designated driver for the night so John had poured himself an ounce of Scotch while he waited. As he sat and sipped his drink he remembered the events of the last two weeks.

Fred and June were amazed at the change in Barbara since they left on their trip. Her new hairdo combined with her new self assurance had made her a new person.

John had been busy in the weeks proceeding Christmas as his business continued to grow. He was looking forward to a bit of a lull after the New Year as was normal in most businesses. He had set reduced hours for his business between Christmas and New Year's to let his staff have some extra time off. He felt they had earned it.

Christmas was spent with Barbara's parents and it had been an enjoyable time for all of them. June had placed mistletoe in the doorway leading from the living room to the kitchen and she and Barbara had taken turns catching John and Fred as they walked beneath it. John noticed that Barbara seemed to keep a close eye on him and had caught him under the mistletoe at least half a dozen times.

Fred and June decided they wanted to attend a New Year's Eve party and had been fortunate enough to find four tickets still available. They insisted that John and Barbara accompany them.

John and Barbara left to pick up her parents at just after eight o'clock when Vicki Pierce had arrived to babysit. The four of them met another couple at the party, Pat and Sylvia, who were friends of John's. The three couples sat together at one table and spent the evening dancing, talking and generally having fun. Barbara especially enjoyed being a part of the group of adults.

She danced almost every dance, if not with John, then with her father or Pat. By the end of the evening they were all tired out and anxious for the midnight celebration. When midnight approached Barbara made sure to get John up onto the dance floor. As they danced and people began the countdown of the last few seconds for that year she pulled herself closer to John and whispered in his ear, "This has been the best year of my life."

"Well, this year started out absolutely miserably for me but it's ending in a much nicer way. I've so enjoyed having you in my home. You have been such a good caregiver for Amanda. I think she loves you like a mother."

"That's such a nice thing to say John. I don't think I could love her more if she was my own," said Barbara.

Barbara leaned forward to put her head on his shoulder as they continued to dance. As the countdown reached midnight and shouts of "Happy New Year" rang out the two of them separated and John leaned forward to give Barbara a short kiss. "Happy New Year Barbara," he said. "Happy New Year," she replied.

Fred and June came over to join them and give them their best New Year's wishes. In a minute the band began to play and Fred took his daughter away to dance with her. As they danced he said, "Your Mother and I have noticed you seem to really like John. We don't want you to forget he's gone through a lot with your sister and it wouldn't be fair to him if you toy with his emotions. You're still too young to know your own heart and you could do a lot of damage to him. We trust him with you but we want to be sure we can trust you with him."

"Oh Daddy, I would never do anything to hurt John. I really do like him but I'll wait until I'm 18 before I tell him that. I promise."

They left shortly thereafter with Barbara driving. Later, in her room, she thought about her conversation with her father and how hard it was going to be to not let John know how she felt. She knew her father was right though. It took her a long time to get to sleep.

-- Saturday, March 15.

It was almost spring and the day had been warm and sunny. Barbara had gone out to get groceries and Vicki Pierce had come over to visit John and Amanda. She asked if it would be all right for her to take Amanda for a walk. John put a jacket on Amanda and watched as the two of them headed down the sidewalk. He knew Vicki would end up carrying Amanda as she would tire after a block or so.

John poured himself a fresh cup of coffee and had almost finished it when he decided to look out the front door to see if Vicki was on her way back with Amanda. When he stepped out of the door he saw that Lynn Cameron had met them in front of the house and was taking pictures.

When Lynn saw John at the top of the stairs she called to him. "I don't have time to come in. I have to show a house in a few minutes. It's just around the corner and when I saw Amanda was outside I thought I'd get a few pictures for Amy. I'll call you later in the week."

Her last picture was of Amanda and Vicki standing hand in hand on the sidewalk in front of John who was standing in the doorway. As Lynn pulled away they all waved goodbye.

-- Saturday, May 17.

John was getting ready for a date with Lynn. They were going to go to a bar they had found a few months previously. It had a house band that played good dance music and they both enjoyed the atmosphere. Barbara was also going out as she had a date and Vicki Pierce was going to babysit.

John had noticed that since the New Year Barbara had been going out on dates more than she had in the past. He didn't notice any particular guy who had taken her interest. It seemed to John that each weekend she was out it was with someone new. He was happy she had no steady boyfriend as for some reason he had felt twinges of jealousy when she was picked up for her first date of the year.

He had begun to think of Barbara as a young woman ever since their dinner at the Sheraton and the New Year's party they had attended with her parents. For a while he had thought she might have a crush on him based on the way she reacted around him. He knew she was much too young for him but the attention she had paid to him had helped him rebuild his wounded self esteem after Amy's departure.

For the past few months Barbara had been a little more distant with him and it had occurred to him that perhaps she was less interested in her job as Amanda's nanny. He certainly hoped that wasn't the case.

As John was leaving he met Barbara's date at the door. He was an average looking teenage boy, neat and without any of the popular piercings evident. As John passed him on the steps he asked him not to keep Barbara out too late. The boy looked a bit flustered as he answered, "No sir, I won't."

John picked up Lynn and they spent an enjoyable evening dancing and talking. They were quite comfortable together and really enjoyed each others' company. They left for Lynn's apartment just before midnight.

Lynn invited John into her apartment for coffee and they went to the kitchen where she made a fresh pot. While she was waiting for the coffee to brew John moved behind her and put his arms around her. He pulled her long hair aside and began kissing her neck below her ear. She laughed and said," I thought you wanted coffee."

"I do but I wouldn't mind you as well," he said.

"Well, why don't we go in the living room? We can come back in here for coffee later," Lynn replied.

They sat on the sofa and John put his arm around her, pulling her close as he kissed her. Soon she had forced her tongue into his mouth and they were fighting a duel with tongues the weapon of choice. In a minute they had both forgotten about the coffee as their kisses became more heated.

Their hands began roaming each others' bodies and when his hands became tired of caressing her breasts through the covering of her dress, he reached behind her to pull down the zipper. When he had it down as far as it would go he pulled the top of it away from her leaving her with only her bra on above her waist.

He was able now to undo the front closure of her bra which he quickly opened. He began to caress her breasts and pinch her now hard nipples. While he did that she undid his zipper and slid her hand into the opening of his boxers. In a moment, as he caressed her breasts she was squeezing and stroking his cock.

It didn't take long for the two of them to both want more so they stood and removed the remainder of each others' clothing. Soon they were both naked and their four hands were occupied with groping each other. This was sufficient for a couple of minutes but soon Lynn said, "Lie down here on the floor; I want you in me."

John hurriedly did as he was asked and when he was lying down, his cock stiff and pointing up at Lynn, she knelt over it. Using both hands she grasped his cock and aimed it at her now wet opening. When she had the tip of his cock inside of her she leaned forward, her long black hair cascading around his head. He grasped her breasts and gave them a squeeze as she leaned forward a bit further and kissed him.

While they kissed she pressed herself back against him and he was soon buried deep within her. She began rocking her hips, moving forward until he was almost completely out of her and then moving back until their pubic bones met. At first she kept a slow rhythm but as he caressed her breasts and began to slowly raise and lower his hips to meet hers, the pace began to speed up.

Sooner than he wanted he could feel the sensations that told him it wouldn't be long before he would be coming inside her. She was moaning now, driving her hips down onto him hard with every stroke. John moved his hands to her back and quickly rolled her over so that he was now on top. She wrapped her legs around his thighs as he now began to thrust into her deeply and quickly.

"Oh, God, I love the way you feel, don't stop now, I'm going to come," Lynn gasped.

John picked up the pace but knew he would come any second. In a moment he felt the familiar rush begin within him. He pushed himself as deeply as he could into her and his body stiffened as he came. Lynn was writhing below him and soon joined him with her orgasm. "I'm coming, I'm coming," she said and John repeated the very same thing.

Their moment was too soon over and they collapsed into each others' arms. Lynn released her legs from his thighs and they rolled together onto their sides. He was still within her as they lay there with their arms around each other. They lay there for several minutes without speaking and his cock slowly popped out of her. "Wow, that was great," Lynn said a bit later. "I'm going to miss these times together."

John leaned back a bit and questioned her, "Miss them?"

Lynn lay there for a moment before she leaned forward to give John a small kiss. She leaned back so that she could look John squarely in the eyes as she spoke. "Before you left tonight I was going to have to tell you that I may not be able to see you again. In a way I hope that I don't. I've met someone and I hope he might be the one for me."

"He might be the one?"

Lynn continued, "His name is Mark Arnold and he just started at the agency last month. We've gone out for lunch a couple of times but there's something about him that just feels right. I'd like to pursue a relationship with him, if he is interested, but I'm not the type of woman to have relationships with two men at the same time, especially if he and I could develop serious feelings for each other."