A Simple Look

Plus, the sheer unexpectedness of it all thrilled me. She was 'mothering' all of us, in a sense, with this holiday and her hospitality. And, everyone but me saw this sweet, loving lady playing hostess, never for once suspecting she was wound as tight as some starving cat.

I watched her slipping on her satin robe again and heading to the door. I marveled at how shocking it was that this otherwise normal woman was sneaking back across the hall to see her son.

No doubt dripping wet between her legs.

Bobby

I tossed and turned again Thursday night. But at least this time, I felt much better about things. Before I couldn't figure out where she was coming from. Now, I sensed more feeling from her.

Throughout the day, we had these different talks. She drew close at times, something she hadn't done in years, and it was like we were on our own. Those three of four times we were by ourselves, she touched my arm or I put a hand to her side or her back. We really felt closer.

What made the most difference for me were these couple of looks we shared during dinner. Our eyes locked and neither of us wanted to look away. I hadn't seen the same kind of expression from her ever before.

The fact of the matter was that I was viewing her differently than I ever had before. I always knew she had an attractiveness to her, but now I saw this allure of the actual woman she was, rather than some role she played in my life.

I started to understand there had previously been this guard up with her. A way that she was supposed to be. Now, with me older, she seemed to be viewing me as more an equal, as an actual adult for a change.

But there was something else. Now, to me, she too was different. Maybe I was seeing her like any other man might see her. And in that, no other woman, especially younger women closer to my age, could command the same kind of attention from me that she could. There was just no denying it.

This all ran through my head as I laid there. When I heard light taps at my door again, I jumped at the sound. Before I could say, 'come in,' she was already slipping inside.

As she approached and sat again on the edge of the bed, I couldn't stop smiling. I loved her showing this interest and making this effort.

"Bobby, stop grinning." She glowed herself and blushed as she said it. She looked down into her hands as she sat there quiet at first.

I propped onto my right elbow and it made me near to her. I put my left hand to her cheek and cupped it. I nearly died when she pressed her face into my palm and then brushed there. Her excited eyes searched back at mine.

"You are so gorgeous." I knew I sounded goofy, but I didn't care.

She half-whispered back. "Don't.... You shouldn't say that."

Reaching up to my hand with her hands, she pulled it to her lap. She stroked my hand as she talked and alternated between glancing to my face and back to my hand.

"I enjoyed today." She said it softly.

"I did, too."

Her words struggled, as if she looked for something to say. "I hope everyone had a great time."

I quickly replied. "I'm sure of it."

For a couple of seconds, we were both quiet. I loved us sitting alone together, but I had no clue what to say to her. It'd be very easy to say the wrong thing. I didn't want that at all.

Her eyes found their way back to mine, and it was like she decided to be very open with me.

"Bobby, what do you think is happening here?"

Her eyes flashed something I couldn't really name at first. I didn't want to ruin anything, but at the same time, I wanted to tell her exactly what I felt.

"I think there's a strong connection. Something different than ever before. Something has happened."

She bit her lower lip a second. Her hands kept rubbing mine. I moved even closer to her, and she waited till I was near her mouth to back away just a little.

"Bobby."

When she stayed withdrawn from my reach to her face with my own, I lowered my face to her shoulder. I pressed her shoulder and then turned my head to bring my lips to the bare skin of her neck. I kissed and sucked lightly.

I heard her exhale. Her throat gave the slightest flex. Her satin robe crinkled in spots.

When she didn't move away, I kissed just lower at where her neck joined her shoulder. The robe opened just slightly to show a white tee. I kissed where the tee started, and she put one hand to my head and eased me back.

"Bobby, c'mon now."

My eyes held hers a long moment and I asked the only thing I could think of. "You feel differently now, too, don't you?"

At first, she simply closed her eyes. A faint smile formed before she opened them again.

She turned her torso more towards me, and this caused there to be distance between our faces. Her smile didn't leave, and now more words were about to sound.

I looked down with her robe having pulled with her turn. At her top, more of her white tee was exposed. Harmless, nothing was revealed.

Still lower, the edges of her robe below her waist had separated some with her repositioning. Uncovered thighs appeared and the glimpse of white panties hid at the apex of the robe. I couldn't help but stare a long moment.

When my eyes returned to her face, her own eyes had widened, and her grin had faded. Her hands squeezed my hand now resting on her leg. But otherwise, she didn't move.

She whispered. "You're being bad again."

I felt emboldened. "Not yet I'm not."

She smirked and raised. She bent to me to kiss me goodnight. As she did, I tried to kiss her fully. She only kissed me a second before she pulled back. My hand went to her middle and I held near her mound with my palm.

She froze in place, and I expected some sudden reaction. But she stayed frozen in place, and when she did, I gripped more of the soft fullness, there at her upper thigh, that I had in my hand. She didn't move for a second and pushed a hard breath from her throat.

A couple of seconds passed and one of her hands found mine. She withdrew me from being almost between her legs. She raised back up fully to stand and barely smiled. "Goodnight."

I spoke hoarsely. "Goodnight."

My hands went under the sheet before she was even out the door.

4.

Friday Morning

Amy

My Friday plans for everyone came off really nicely, even if some of the results that happened I never intended. Yeah, it all wound-up being fun. But the underlying heat of it all intensified.

That morning, Corine, Jane and I were going into town for some shopping around. Meanwhile, Rick, Alan and Bobby were playing some golf. Anyone could have done whatever they wanted, and Corine almost chose golf, but it shook out as the guys going their way, and the women going ours.

At one point, Corine was trying on a dress, and it gave Fran and I some space. Fran was quick to seize the chance and raised some curiosity she had.

"So, you have to tell me. What's the secret?" Fran couldn't wait to hear.

"What secret? What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You and Bobby... these looks back and forth. What's going on?"

"Oh," I cleared my throat. Thought quickly. Wanted to be upfront with her. "It's just this thing I teased him about. Rick started it, really."

"Yeah?"

"Um, Rick thought he saw Bobby take a look at me from behind. I told him not to be ridiculous. But I teased Bobby about it."

"Ugh, yeah. It's ridiculous, but let me tell you." She shook her head. "Bobby's something else. A real dog."

She drew a little closer. "He had this thing with this professor of his back at school. Then was telling me how much he was into 'older women.' Wasn't going to see anyone even close to his age."

Corine came out and showed off a dress she was considering. It looked good on her, and we encouraged her before she went back to change.

I wanted more out of Fran. "Is he actually still seeing this professor? That can't be a good idea."

"Oh no. That was just a thing. He's not 'seeing' anyone."

She took a long look at me. More like her father, she was inclined to take Bobby's fling as negative, where I got how he was just young and passionate. Being twenty-two and having his fun.

Before Corine could make her way back over, Jane added under her breath. "Whatever you do, don't encourage him. You're safe because you're his mother and all. But some other thirty or forty year old will get their heart broken."

I smiled and understood that was her take on it. It struck me that Bobby was going to be how he was going to be regardless of whatever I said. But there was a fleeting notion that maybe I was wrong, and I should have been trying to be a better influence on him.

That notion didn't linger at all, because I was much more distracted by a different feeling. That my twenty-two year old, ruggedly athletic Bobby was going to go his hormone-fueled way however he wanted.

Standing there in that clothing store with the other two, I hoped they couldn't detect the subdued trembling that passed through me.

His drive made sense to me.

Rick

The golf was a great idea Amy had. It could have only been better if she had come along herself. I'd love to have seen her driving Bobby beside himself out there. But it was still a lot of fun.

On one of the holes where I was hanging with Bobby, I took advantage of a chance to gauge him. Maybe prod him along.

Was he really showing interest in Amy?

The prospect of that fascinated me. I had always been intrigued and gotten into older women and younger men situations, and now to even possibly explore it, even if it got nowhere, right in front of me with these two drove me wild.

Amy was such a beautiful woman, and it stayed with me how as alluring as she was, any man, especially any young man, would notice her. Appreciate her. Seeing Bobby check her out like he did may have jolted me, but I got it.

What I wanted to see was how she'd handle it. The line she'd draw wouldn't be that far. That's if she would even keep going with this. But once that look from him happened, it registered with her. I saw it.

Was I being too risky? Yeah, possibly. But knowing we loved each other, and my wanting to see her happy no matter what was enough. This was more an experiment or exercise, and I damn sure didn't anticipate any damage coming from her relationship with her college-age son.

I tried to tread lightly with Bobby.

"Your mom is so happy seeing you home this week."

"Yeah? Me too."

"You know, she actually won't stop talking about you."

He grinned. "Yeah? What's she saying?"

I shrugged. "Well, there's the usual. How much you've grown. What a young man you've become."

He nodded appreciatively.

My head tilted as I pondered. "But, I think it's more than that."

He eyed me closely. "How so?"

"I don't know. She talks about you a lot. Wonders who you might be seeing. Says you look like you're taking good care of yourself. Working out."

"She says I must be taking care of myself?"

"Yep." I shake my head. "If it was anyone other than you, I'd be jealous."

"Really?"

"Really."

After we both finished the hole, I decided to go further.

"Hey, you know what would be interesting?"

"What's that?"

I looked down and then around, again shaking my head. "Never mind."

"No, what's that? What were you thinking?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. It's pretty out there, Bobby."

"Go ahead. Tell me."

"You sure? If it's too crazy, just tell me."

"Okay. Tell me."

"See, I know her very well. And I see something with her these last couple of days. This kind of excitement. A giddiness. "

Bobby's eyes stayed right on mine. Could hardly believe what he was hearing.

I spoke carefully. "I think I see the same in you with her."

His eyes went down a bit, gazed about, but then came up with a quick smile. He nodded.

"So," I continued, "why don't you go with that some?" He swayed on his feet, clearly taken aback. I tried to help. "Sometimes, people just like being noticed. Being seen. You know? Let's see how far things could go."

Bobby's mouth dropped open. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"You don't think it will piss her off?"

"No," I said. "And if it does, blame me."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

His mouth went with a broad smile.

His next words were tentative. "You really think this is something... possible?"

The very possibility made my blood rush.

"Yes. Possibly."

Bobby

Just when I thought the holiday couldn't get wilder, there was this talk with Rick, and I was thrown by him as well. Thinking it over on Friday afternoon, I just don't think he got how intense things were with me and her. Or -- and this was what I was going to go by -- he got it alright, and he was so into it himself that he was encouraging me.

After some steam and a shower at the club, we all headed home, and I was quiet and restless riding along in the back of dad's Range Rover. My mind was reeling with everything going on. My thoughts ricocheting around enough that I barely listened to them up front, talking up some big game they were going to watch this afternoon.

Instead, I wasn't thinking at all about a football game, but rather the game Amy Cassidy Pike and I had already started playing. I couldn't hold back a quiet grin as it hit me. I was the only one in the truck who hadn't slept with Amy.

My heart drove hard in my chest as I surprised myself with my new aim. I was going to work hard to change that. These other two wouldn't compare to me. I just needed the right chance.

Rick so much as gave me outright permission. He probably just underestimated me. Normally, I guess I wouldn't blame him. But I knew me, I had known Amy for all my life, and I sensed some complacency floating about.

What Rick didn't factor in was how badly I wanted it to happen. How badly I wanted to see the look in her face when she let go. When she did the one thing sexually she would have never thought possible.

A glance up at my dad saw him checking-up on me in the rearview mirror. I could swear he was already picking-up on my intentions. He knew me quite well himself, and he was smart enough to keep in mind that I was a younger and no doubt hungrier version of himself. But then again, he'd married her when he was only twenty-one.

For a second, I wondered whether I'd marry an Amy at my age, even feeling as restless as I did. My head and my hormones said no, of course not, that I was too much in adoration of women. But my heart? I mean, she had everything. The knowing and open look in her bright green eyes. The lean former swimmer's body. That unruly blonde hair.

Plus, well, she was my mother. Once I had gone that far, and if I could go that far, what would ever surpass that? If she was as sensual and as good as I expected, maybe, just maybe, that would be enough.

Dad's voice broke the air in the truck. "You alright back there?'

"Oh yeah," I flashed a big grin.

Rick chimed in. "I bet he's thinking about his next conquest."

Rick half-turned to send me a mischievous grin.

"Yeah," I said, smiling back, "I am."

He smirked and turned back straight.

Dad's face lingered a bit. Some nerves told me that he had me all figured out. That he was two seconds from chastising me for being a sick jerk. I could tell him that I saw now the same beauty in her as he did back twenty years ago, but for me, it was intensified. By at least ten times.

Because we absolutely shouldn't be going there.

But as we kept driving along, the both of them had already moved on to something else. And it was fine by me.

I had a lot to think about. How I should approach things. What she might be responsive to. What would make me look foolish.

My eyes closed and reopened as I reminded myself the most important thing. Pay attention to her. Listen to her. And if it got to the point where it wasn't happening, then let it go at once.

The only thing worse than missing out on this chance with her was coming off as a jerk. Or, damaging things between us. I didn't suspect that would happen. I could keep my head about me. But I still needed to keep it in mind how important she was to me. That the last thing in the world I wanted was to make her feel bad. To hurt her in any way.

Facing that with myself, I got to the next part of this at the same time my dad pulled the truck into her driveway.

How was I going to make this happen?

How were we going to be together?

As close as two people can possibly be.

...

5.

Friday Afternoon

Amy

The guys got back from golf, and the male energy swooping back into the house was strong. Alan went at once to Corine upon hearing her say she picked-out a dress. She led him along nicely upstairs to their bedroom, and I imagined I wouldn't see them for a while.

Rick came right up, and to my surprise he was ready to plant a kiss, and I deftly offered my cheek. He didn't really like the move, but it was just my instinct at that moment. Rick spun from me to go over to the fridge, and this gave me a chance to speak to Bobby. Even though he was coming in last, he certainly was not the least.

His tall frame seemed so energized, a light bounce in his steps over to me. He beamed at me, and I was sure I was beaming right back.

"How was golf?" I asked.

"It was great. Beautiful day."

He clutched to me, and I squeezed right back. To my surprise he too wanted to put a kiss to me, and his tapped to the top of my head as we hugged.

As we separated, Bobby gushed about their golf. "Hey, ask who shot the lowest?"

Rick chuckled derisively over at the fridge. "Your son beat us. By several strokes."

"Yeah?" I put a hand to his cheek in congratulations. "That's my boy."

A slight wince from him got me to correct myself. "My man. That's my man."

Bobby and I were still grinning at one another when Rick broke our trance. "Well, how about you and your man go to the store and get some beer and wine. We're running low."

"Oh," I was eventually going to check on it myself anyway, but I appreciated his noticing.

I turned to Bobby. "You probably need some time to change or something. I can pop out."

Bobby wouldn't hear of it. "No, I'm fine. That sounds good to me. Let's you and I go."

Bobby and Rick exchanged a quick look. Bobby half-heartedly offered to Rick. "Want to go?"

Rick didn't need to even think about it, shaking his head and eyeing Bobby back longer than needed. "No, you guys go. I think I'm gonna shower. Get the game on."

Bobby nodded. "Okay. We'll be back."

Ricky didn't come back over to me, but he did glance back and forth at Bobby and I as he left the room.

Bobby turned back to me, and held a hand in the direction of the door. "Ready to go?"

"Sure," I said back, and instantly I worried I'd sounded too eager. Then, I kicked myself for even rethinking something as basic as saying I was ready to go. Calm down.

There was no reason to start getting nervous. Other than what had happened upstairs the night before. And, other than the fact he had been on my mind all morning, even though that was preposterous. He was my son, and here I was acting like some nervous schoolgirl or something.

As we went from the kitchen back out to the garage, I let him lead me between the cars. When he started to head over to the Range Rover, I stopped him. "Let's take my car."

"Oh, okay."

He diverted over to the 740i, and his opening my door for me ramped my adrenaline even more. I told myself to stop being goofy, but it didn't help.

When he folded his big, sturdy frame into the seat next to me, it was like the car shrunk for us. He was closer to me than I had expected, and as he started the car and checked the mirrors, I asked myself why the feeling of his driving my car stirred me.

His wide hands gripping the steering wheel and his face watching the rearview mirror struck me with a view of him different than I had ever had before. Capable, careful. But definitely in charge.