A Penny for a Buck Ch. 03

I'm sorry for the long delay in the story. I would suggest reading the other two stories first, to get caught up on the plot and characterizations. But to make a long story short, Buck is a very tall scientist/engineer who returns to his college town for vacation. Penny is a very petite redheaded artist who had a secret crush on Buck from back in his college days. The story continues the next day...

As always, comments are greatly appreciated.

* * *

"I need to pop down to my apartment and get some clean clothes, then let's go out and get breakfast," Penny said. She climbed off the bed still wrapped in the towel and headed toward the far end of the apartment, which if there were walls defining rooms would be the living room. I watched her little bare feet pad toward the living room. I really wanted to watch her cute bottom, but the thickness of the towel hid any allure. Especially since the towel was suited more to someone my size, and on her it went from armpit to knee and wrapped around her at least twice.

Either because of the strictures of the towel, or to prevent me from leering at her bottom as she bent over, Penny opted to kneel down to retrieve her clothes from the previous night. I hadn't even noticed where she left them, as I was asleep while she had gotten undressed.

She came back to the bed carrying her clothes and proceeded to lay them out on the bed next to me. I hadn't gotten to see her undress the night before, and was quite curious to see what she had been wearing under her blouse and skirt. The bra and panties were actually of the plain cotton variety, if very purple. They looked more like they were for comfort than for impressing a guy. I reached over to pick up her panties and felt a sharp slap on my outreached hand.

"No touching!" Penny said. There wasn't a lot of hostility in her voice, so it was hard to tell how serious she was being. She was staring at me, as if waiting for me to do something. "Well?" she finally asked.

"Well what?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"Aren't you going to turn around so I can get dressed?"

"But, I've already seen you naked."

"That's different. Now I'm getting dressed." She emphasized the last word as if it should be obvious what the difference was all about. She crossed her arms over her chest and I could almost hear her little foot tapping as she waited for me to avert my eyes.

Still confused about why it should make a difference, I stood up and walked to the closet, leaving my back to her. It took every fiber of my being not to turn around and catch a quick glimpse of her getting dressed. As I pulled some clothes out of the suitcase I still hadn't unpacked, I kept thinking about Penny standing behind me getting dressed. It didn't make sense, I had already seen her naked, and seen her showering, but the thought of her half-dressed made my towel start to rise.

I had just finished grabbing all of the clothes I would need for the day when I heard Penny say, "Alright, you can come out now."

I dropped my clothes on the bed and regarded Penny for a moment. She was again dressed in the golden blouse and green skirt. She was barefoot, her purse and shoes dangling from her left hand. Her other hand was behind her back. "I'm going to get some clean clothes now, when you're done dressing come down to my apartment, it's number 23."

She turned toward the entrance to my apartment, quickly moving her hand from behind her to in front of her. It was pretty obvious she didn't want me to see what was in her hand. I wasn't going to press her on it. As she worked the doorknob to my apartment, she shifted whatever it was to her left hand with the shoes and purse. I couldn't tell what it was but it sure looked purple. Thinking about it, whatever was in her hand was the same purple color as her underwear. That thought did nothing to quell the tenting of my towel.

Shaking my head to clear it of lustful thoughts, I quickly got dressed.

* * *

I knocked on the door to Penny's apartment. I thought I heard a "come in" over the noise of the hair dryer. I tried the door and since it was unlocked, I proceeded in. "Have a seat while I finish getting ready," I heard her call from the vicinity of what I guessed was the door to the bathroom.

Her apartment had the same basic floor plan as mine. Plenty of square footage but not much in the way of walls. Unlike my apartment, hers had definite areas of separation. The "bedroom" was divided off by three folding screens. Two towards the side walls and a third set behind the other two and in the center. The screens had gaps between the panels, so they didn't provide real privacy, but they did establish the space.

There was a sitting area, with a couple of what I thought of as relatively small chairs, and a rather normal sized divan. There was also a breakfast nook area next to the small kitchenette. I looked around a bit more, but couldn't find anything that looked like an art studio. There was a tilt-top desk that had some half-finished artwork on it, but no art supplies. How curious.

I was pondering the seating options when I decided I would rather not. The chairs were too small for someone of my size to feel anything other than ridiculous, and I didn't want Penny to come out seeing me lounging on the divan. Because in my experience you can't actually sit on a divan without lounging. So I continued looking around, walking over toward the screens.

The first one looked oriental, as if someone had taken it right out of Chinatown. The first panel was a Chinese dragon, complete with curling moustache and steaming nostrils. The second panel was composed of a bunch of fans and stylized flowers. The last panel had a guy in those oversized pants, doing some sort of dance and holding a mask to his face.

The one on the far side looked more European. I'm not an expert on art, but they really should have used perspective. The flute player at the front of the crowd looked as big as the frowning old maids at the back of the crowd. The middle panel wasn't any better with some sort of throne room scene, the king actually appeared bigger than the courtiers even though he was in the back of the room. The third panel was kind of cute though, with a maid playing with a unicorn in some sort of corral.

Both the Oriental and European screens looked like they had been purchased at a store. The one in the center seemed anything but mass-produced. I stepped closer to have a better look. Unlike the other two, this screen was all one scene and it was composed of five somewhat thinner panels. I appreciated that since it allowed the screen to stand symmetrically, with the center panel square to the viewer.

The scene depicted on the screen was a small pond in the center of a forest. Behind the pond, and off to one side was a little cottage with a bright flower garden in front of it. The cottage and garden had a feeling of fantasy to them, not quite a gingerbread house, but closer to that than what a real peasant cottage would have looked. The forest was likewise somewhat fantastic, but still very real. The colors were more vivid, and the textures more smooth that real trees would be. But the trees looked like trees, and the leaves on the trees actually looked like maple leaves and oak leaves and elm leaves.

Among the trees there were various woodland animals that were somewhere between Disney and fully real. There were the usual squirrels and deer that you would expect in a woodland scene, and a few birds. The one that stood out the most, was an owl that perched on a branch looking over the cottage.

"It isn't finished," Penny said from right beside me. I hadn't heard her approach and nearly jumped out of my skin. She gave me a hug around the waist and continued, "I'm still working on it, when I feel inspired. I have more animals to add... But it's hard. It's like each of the animals is a real person, and when I paint them I feel their whole personality. So the trees and the cottage and the flowers went quickly, but each animal took a long time. The squirrel over there is just like my friend Margot. She's moves around in short little bursts of energy, and has these amazing eyes. And promise not to tell her, but I made her a squirrel because she is always self-conscious about her big tail."

Penny told me the story of a few more animals, but skipped the owl, even though it was quite prominent in the scene. I had a feeling it represented her father, so I decided to let her tell me about it when she was ready. I got the feeling there were other things she was holding back, but she was so cute telling the stories that I hardly noticed. Her whole body got into the stories causing the pale yellow skirt she had changed into, to swirl around her. She accentuated each animal story with little pantomimes and silly faces.

She started running down, and seemed to be snapping out of her trance-like storytelling. She looked up at my widely grinning face and suddenly flushed, before looking at the floor. She said, "You probably think it is pretty silly, getting so wound up about little animal drawings."

"Penny, I wouldn't expect anything else from you. I haven't even known your for a day, well, not really known you, and I already think you are the most remarkable girl I've ever met. Getting excited about the little things is part of your charm." Feeling a bit mischievous I added, "Besides, guys love girls who get excited."

Apparently she was up for some mischief herself when she rejoined, "Especially when they get excited about the 'little things', eh Buck?"

It was my turned to flush and get tongue-tied. Penny wrapped her arms around my chest and said, "Don't worry, it's plenty big." She giggled before adding, "At least for a girl my size."

"Why you!" I hollered, in a way that let her know I was in on the joke, as I reached down toward her. I grabbed her under the arms and hoisted her up so we were face to face. She stuck her tongue out at me, so I stuck mine out at her. Our confrontation only lasted a moment before we were both laughing. She wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist and gave me a hug.

I moved my hands down to hold her bottom as she leaned back to regard me. Slowly her face reached toward mine, and her tongue which moments ago had been stuck out insultingly, was soon questing about in my mouth. We continued kissing, and I could feel her legs tightening around me almost painfully. Eventually she pulled away from me and said, "I don't know what it is about you, but if we don't cut this out soon, we aren't going to get out of here until dinner time. And if we do that, you'll have to carry me because I won't be able to walk!"

I looked down at her and considered for a moment before saying, "Well, you are pretty small, as long as we don't go more than a few blocks, I think I could manage."

"You're cute, Buck, but I'm really hungry!" exclaimed Penny, punching me softly in the shoulder. She unwrapped her legs and lowered herself back to the ground. I feigned reluctance to leave, and so she pulled on my hand and I let her drag me to the door.

* * *

We had breakfast, well more of a brunch really, at a little café with outdoor seating. It was a bit late in the year to be eating outside, but the sun was shining and I didn't mind the cold anyway. Penelope and I chatted amiably for a long time after we were done eating. It turned out that she was an avid people watcher and was constantly pointing out interesting people. I enjoyed her comments, especially as they were invariably complimentary, with none of the cattiness I had often seen when people watching with women.

"Oooh!" exclaimed Penny. "I would love to draw her. She has a lovely face and see the way she walks! It's not the normal Goth shuffle, or the Goth strut. She walks happy."

I looked in the direction that Penny was staring and could immediately see the girl she was talking about. She was taller than average, with a very narrow build. Despite her tall thin frame, she had a very feminine shape. At first glance she appeared to be a Goth, but Penny was right, the girl didn't move like the typical Goth. She was naturally pale, with long dark hair held back by a set of silver combs attached to some sort of hat. Despite her striking appearance, most of the people seemed to ignore her as they tended to ignore noticing most of the Goths.

"Why don't you ask her to model for you?" I asked Penny.

"I could never do that. I'm not that forward!" Penny exclaimed. She then looked from the girl to me and suddenly she blushed furiously. "Alright, I'm almost never that forward."

We sat for a while longer, but the lunchtime crowds were thinning, and the charm of people watching was wearing thin.

* * *

After paying for breakfast we strolled the streets looking in shop windows and just enjoying the day. Penny dragged me into a number of knick-knack stores trying to convince me my apartment needed sprucing up. Actually, I didn't need much convincing, but nothing really jumped out at me.

Our perambulation had taken us across town and we were soon walking past my old school. Penny was already talking about places a block or two away, when I stopped and pulled her into my old school. We walked up the steps and I told her I would give her a tour of where I used to spend my time. At least the time I wasn't spending asleep or at her father's bar.

Much to my chagrin they had changed the combination on my old lab's door. There also wasn't anyone around to let us in. But I was able to point through the window on the door to where my old lab table still stood. It was now cluttered with another student's project, leaving me a bit nostalgic.

I then took Penny to the department museum. This was where they displayed interesting projects that might encourage freshman students to join the department, and encourage high school students to attend the school. Penny walked around pushing the various buttons on the mechanical displays. She didn't have much patience for the ones that didn't move, or required a lot of reading to understand their significance. I can't say I really blamed her, since the ones that moved were the ones I enjoyed the most.

I watched her wander around and saw that she was in front of one of my projects. Inside a glass case was a device that looked like an oversized inchworm. On the front of the case there was a descriptive placard and two metal disks. Penny pushed the first disk and nothing happened. She pushed the second with the same result. I guessed she was debating whether it was worth reading the placard, and the inchworm didn't seem worth it.

"Cover both disks with your hand," I told her. She looked up at me quizzically but decided to humor me. She placed her small hand over both disks and was clearly surprised to see the inchworm begin inching around the circular track. She quickly pulled her hand back, and just as quickly it stopped moving.

"This was my Thesis project. Don't worry it's totally safe."

Penny placed her hand on the disks again and watched the little inchworm move around again. She kept putting her hand on the disk and removing her hand, watching the worm inch around, getting it to stop in different positions. Since I had invented the device, I could see that it was moving slightly faster each time she returned her hands to the disks. Either she didn't notice, or she didn't understand the significance, since she said, "Why not just have a button to make it move?"

Rather than answer her question directly, I placed my hand over hers as it covered the disks. The inchworm crept around and around and Penny clearly didn't understand yet. I glanced around the area to ensure we were alone, before bending down to whisper directly in her ear, "Don't move and just watch."

I wrapped my lips around her ear lobe and started sucking on it gently. This caused Penelope to immediately begin to squirm. Her little hand tried to pull free from where mine held it against the disks. "What are you doing Buck?"

"Just watch," I reminded her softly, before returning my lips to hear ear, and then her neck. My free hand worked it's way down over her body. My hand moved slowly over her breasts, giving them a gentle squeeze before proceeding down to her belly.

Penny was squirming in earnest now, and it took her a moment to realize that the worm device was squirming as well. It was no longer moving in slow plodding steps, but moving in quick spurts, taking a few quick steps forward before a slight pause.

My hand moved lower and Penny was still squirming, but her hand was no longer trying to break free from my grip. I let go of her hand, so I could put mine to better use. I cupped her breast from behind, while working my other hand under her skirt. She let out a gasp and said, "Buck, we're in public! Someone might see."

"If you want me to stop, just take your hand off the disks," I murmured, allowing my hands to continue their explorations. The hand beneath her skirt was gliding up her thigh towards her sex. I could already feel heat accumulating under her skirt, and when my hand slid over the front of her panties I wasn't surprised to feel a moist warmth radiating off of them.

I applied some pressure as my hand moved along the thin cotton covering her sex. I could feel the hard bump of her clit and the soft void that hid her sex. I pressed down harder, generating some friction, and pushing her panties against her and slightly into her. Penny was breathing more heavily now, but rather than closing her eyes, she had them riveted on the inchworm as it fairly flew around the ring.

With my other hand I could feel her nipple hardening under my palm, and I pinched the bud between my fingers. It was getting uncomfortable stooping down over her, so I knelt behind her my head now on level with hers. She pressed her body back against me. She must have felt my growing cock pressing against her thigh because she pushed her leg back and began to rub her leg against me. Moving her leg opened her sex to me even move and my fingers were soon pressing the soft material almost half an inch into her.

I maneuvered my fingers to the side of her panties, and slid them inside. It was an awkward angle, and I couldn't penetrate her more than a half of an inch, but I loved the slick feel of her juices on my finger. I transferred some of the juices to her clit and began stroking her in earnest. Her breathe was coming in short little pants now and she pressed her hips hard against my belly as I continued stroking her. Her hand on the disks pushed her back against me, and her free hand reached over her shoulder to pull my head toward hers.

I pinched her nipple and gave it a slight twist through her blouse, and continued sliding my slicked finger along her clit. My mouth was engaged sucking and kissing her ear and neck, but I managed to catch an occasional glimpse of the worm as it wiggled on its way.

Suddenly Penny froze stiff and her fingers tightened in my hair. I could hear her breathe catch, and her head dropped for a moment. She finally took a shuddering breathe, and then another, her breathing a harsh staccato. I was paying so much attention to Penny's reaction that I barely noticed that the inchworm was moving forward and backward in quick confused steps.

My finger on her clit went from a quick sliding motion to a harder pressure, pulling her back against me with pressure against her sex. My fingers on her nipple tightened slightly applying a very slow twist. Her fingers twisted into my head, and I could feel her finger nails start to dig in.

Her breathing finally started to slow, and I noticed that the inchworm was now moving in a steady motion around the track. She took a deep breathe and I could feel her whole body shudder slightly as it released the built up tension. Her hand pulled away from the disks and I could see it quivering slightly.