Accidental Master

"Oh. Thank you," she said, looking down at the pendant like she was a bit disappointed.

I stepped inside, and called to Lisa to ask if she was dressed. "Give me a second to put on my robe," she called back.

I turned and opened the door and invited the detective in. She stepped inside, looking uncomfortable.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked. "Would you like to sit down, some iced tea? Lisa will just be a moment, I think."

"Yes, thank you, D... Mr. Bowman," said the detective.

"'Don' is fine!' I smiled, and got an embarrassed smile in return. I moved to the kitchen and got her a glass of sweet iced tea. When I returned to give it to her, she'd unbuttoned the top buttons of her shirt, and her face remained flushed. "Here you go! You look a bit warm! This should help with that!"

"Thank you!" she said, and promptly drank about half the glass. "It's nice and cool in here! I guess the AC in the car isn't working as well as I'd like!" she laughed.

"Here's Lisa now. Would you like me to step out again?"

"Uh, yeah, if you don't mind?" the detective replied. "I think that might be... best."

I stepped out and sat on the porch swing again. The day wasn't that hot there in the shade, but I supposed that the bright sun would have made her police car feel like an inferno. I could hear the ladies talking inside, but couldn't make out the words. The tone of their voices seemed a bit different than it had that morning.

After a few minutes, Jen drove up and got out of her car carrying a bag from the pharmacy. "Whatcha doing out here, Dad?"

"Detective Abrams came back to talk to your mom again, I'm just giving them space," I replied.

"Oh. Any leads, shweetheart?" she asked, doing a bad Bogart impression.

"No idea. Not sure what there could be leads about, anyway."

"I think she thinks that those suicides are connected to what happened to Mom."

"I don't know how they could be," I said. "I guess that asshole had some women who loved him more than he deserved."

"Definitely," Jen said. "Way more than he desetved!" She paused, "Or maybe when they found out he was killed in the middle of a rape they were so ashamed...."

"It is strange," I commented. "Did you ever meet him?"

"No."

"Well, one, that's good, but two, he wasn't really the kind of guy you would expect would have multiple women fall for him, or at least not that hard. He was kind of an awkward geek, the kind of guy who would, I dunno, be part of a faceless corporation working in a cubicle somewhere if his uncle hadn't hired him, you know? Somebody who might be lucky enough to be loved that much by one woman, maybe..."

"Hmm," Jen said. "Always the quiet ones, I guess."

"No, really. This was not a guy that women would fall for. You know, at first they thought I might have shot him because I caught them together. Then they found out who it was I'd shot, and changed their minds. That's sad, but true. I'd bet you money the detective is trying to figure out how he got those other three women, let alone why they killed themselves when he died."

"Dad, don't be an ass."

"Jen, I'm really not joking. Bradley Lowenstein was not what you'd call a babe magnet."

"Okay, okay, but you never know. Some guys can be attractive to women in ways that other guys just can't see," argued Jen.

"Maybe so, but I don't think Bradley was one of them," I said. "And I don't think the detective thinks so either."

"Bet?"

"You're on."

"Okay, I'll ask her."

"Okay," I said.

Jen got up and took the meds to the door, and opened it. She walked in calling, "Mom, I'm back! I've got your meds!" She went to the kitchen and got a glass of water and went to the bedroom door.

Detective Abrams was thanking Lisa for answering her questions, and turning to leave.

"So, Detective, this Bradley guy, was he some kind of Casanova or something? Three women?" Jen asked.

Abrams stopped and looked at Jen. "No, he was pretty much a creep, from what I can tell. We can't figure out why those women would give him the time of day, let alone kill themselves for him. I mean, he certainly wasn't handsome like your dad or anything." She suddenly looked embarrassed. "Uh, sorry. I've got to go, now." She beat a retreat to the door and went quickly to her car, shooting an embarrassed smile at me.

"Huh," said Jen, watching as she drove away. "What was that about?"

"She thinks our family is sexy," said Lisa.

"What?"

"She thinks your father is sexy," Lisa said. "And she thinks you're a lovely young lady."

"Um, okay... Did she tell you that?" Jen asked, handing her mother the water and a pill.

"No, but I can tell," said Lisa with a grin. "I think she likes me, too."

Jen looked at her mother as she took her pill, then shook her head. "Well, you win," she said as I came to the bedroom door. "She said he was a creep. Then she said you were handsome."

"What?"

"Sounds like you've got a fan," Jen said, shrugging. "But she was not impressed with Bradley at all."

"Who would be?" said Lisa.

"She thinks I'm handsome?" I asked.

"Hey, I've got dibs," said Lisa. "Though if you're interested, I might be willing to share...."

"I'm a happily married man," I said firmly, but with a smile.

Jen looked at her mother, and shook her head again. "I'm too young for this conversation," she said.

"No, you're not," Lisa said, laughing. "You're just old enough!"

"Mom, if I were a hundred and three, I'd still be too young for this conversation!"

"And I'm too old for it," I said.

"Anyway, Dad, it seems like you were right."

"Mm-hmm!" I nodded. "Thank you!" Then I asked, "What did Detective Abrams want to talk about, Lisa?"

"That's... private," she said, with a hint of mystery. Then she shook her head with a smile. "Mostly, she asked me to recount again what I could remember before and after you shot Bradley."

"I saw she had that pendant I gave you when we first started going out," I said.

"Oh, yeah. The last thing I remember before, you know, was knocking it off my desk. It fell to the floor under my desk, I think, and that's when things get... fuzzy. Next thing I knew she was helping me to sit down in my chair, my skirt was up and my ass was bare. I wonder if she liked my ass...."

"Oh, no! You didn't touch her or make a pass at her, did you Mom?" Jen asked, worriedly.

"No, dear, you'd have been proud of me. I was good."

I wondered what had caught the detectives attention, why she was asking about what Lisa remembered, and why the pendant I'd given Lisa so many years ago seemed so important to her.

Jen sniffed, and suddenly demanded of her mother, "Were you playing with yourself while she was in here?" Her tone brought my attention back to the conversation.

Lisa put on that mysterious look again, and said, "Maybe. But if I did, it wasn't where she could see."

"Oh, geez, Mom," Jen rolled her eyes.

I quietly sniffed, and realized why Jen had asked the question. The smell of female arousal did hang in the air. On the other hand, I thought, that scent had been Lisa's constant companion since last night. It was a little bit different, this afternoon,, though.

"I'm going to go start dinner," I announced. "Jen, why don't you help me chop some vegetables?"

"Okay, Dad," Jen said.

"Why don't you two change into something more comfortable?" asked Lisa.

"I'm comfortable enough, thanks dear," I said, and Jen nodded.

"You stay here, Mom. Those meds will probably kick in soon."

Lisa gave a long-suffering sigh, and said, "Okay."

By the time we had dinner prepared, Lisa was very tranquil, which was actually a bit of a relief. Jen and I got her fed, and spent the rest of the evening watching television while Lisa slept.

As I was going to bed, it was time for another of her pills, and after she'd taken it, we both slept very soundly.

* * *

The next day, things seemed much more normal. Lisa was still very sexually interested, but appeared to be much more in control of herself.

I did catch her staring after Jen once, but she covered it quickly when she saw I'd noticed. Jen and I did some work in the garden during the day, and when we came back in I realized that Lisa was in the bathroom. She came out fairly quickly, carrying her phone, and joined us in the kitchen for a glass of iced tea.

After talking about aphids and the tomato plants for a few minutes, Lisa asked, "So what do you think of Lori? Detective Abrams, I mean."

"She seems nice enough," I said. "Seems competent, I guess. Very interested in the women who killed themselves over the asshole."

"Do you think she's pretty?"

"Not nearly as lovely as you," I said, recalling some comments from the day before.

"No, really, Don, I want you to tell me, do you think she's sexy?"

"My love, you are the sexiest woman in the world, and no woman could ever hold a candle to you."

Jen rolled her eyes. "You know, no kid wants to hear their parents go on like this, right?"

"Shh, honey," said Lisa. "Don. Do you think she is sexy?"

"Uh, I guess. I hadn't really thought about her in those terms, dear. She's what, half my age?"

"Probably. I was just curious. Do you think Jen is sexy?"

"Sweetheart, Jen is my daughter. I don't think of her like that."

"That woman and her daughter were having an affair with Bradley."

"Um. I'm not Bradley. And, that young lady wasn't Bradley's daughter, was she?"

"I don't think so. What I mean is, try to think of Jen as not your daughter. Would she be sexy then?"

"Mom! What the fuck?" demanded Jen.

"Look, I have a reason for asking, okay? I'm trying to understand something about your father. I understand he's uncomfortable with the question because you're his daughter. I want to know if he thinks you are sexy, in an objective way, as just a guy."

"As 'just a guy,' then yes, I think Jen is a sexy young woman, and she's going to make some guy very happy someday."

"See? That wasn't hard, was it?" asked Lisa. "'Some guy'? How do you know it won't be some girl?"

"I don't think she's... well, if she falls in love with a girl, that girl will be very lucky, then," I said, giving up figuring out where this was going. "Why?"

"I'm just trying to figure out some things. I've had some questions come up in the last day or so, all right?" said Lisa. She turned to Jen. "And what do you think of Lori?"

Jen shrugged, then replied, considering, "Detective Abrams? I guess I'd call her sexy, maybe. I'm not sure I'd go for a cop, and I really do prefer men, Mom, but as another woman, I guess I'd say she could be sexy. Objectively speaking, I mean."

"Thank you. I may ask some other strange questions, later. Please just answer them. I'm just... figuring some things out, okay?" she asked us both.

"Okay, Mom."

"Okay, dear," I said. Jen and I exchanged glances. Neither one of had any idea what this was about.

The rest of the day, Lisa seemed more like her usual self, though she did catch me in the middle of the afternoon with a seductive kiss and a marvelous blowjob between the corn rows in the garden when Jen was otherwise occupied.

A quiet day at home turned into a quiet night. After dinner, cuddled on the couch, Lisa asked what I thought of Dr. Tandy. It was another "is she sexy?" interview.

"Why do you keep asking about whether I find these women sexy?" I asked.

"Like I said, I trying to figure some things out," she replied. "I'm... having to redefine some things for myself, and I trust your opinions."

"You've never asked me who I thought was sexy before."

"I didn't need to. Now I need to ask the question."

I shook my head and sighed. "Dr. Tandy isn't what I'd call sexy or cute," I opined.

"Jen thinks she is interesting," Lisa said.

"Does she? Do you think Jen fancies women? She says she doesn't, and I thought she and David Bauer were a hot item there for several years."

"I think Jen is a Daddy's girl," said Lisa.

"She better be!" I joked, "I'm sure I'm in for a truckload of heartbreak when she falls in love and gets married and has kids, and can't be my little girl anymore."

Lisa gave me a grin. "Oh, I don't know about that," she smiled. "You'll always be her Daddy. She'll always love you. You're the man she judges all the others by."

"That's probably a low bar," I said, smiling and shaking my head.

Lisa's face turned serious. "Not at all, dear. You're the most wonderful man she's ever seen."

"Lisa, what is all this about? Why are you asking about all this?"

"It really comes down to having to figure out what 'sexy' and 'interesting' and 'loveable' mean. Things have changed a bit, in my head. Like yesterday, for me, everything was sexy, and excited me. I'm having to work all that out so I can make good decisions. Like, why isn't Dr. Tandy sexy?"

"I suppose, to someone, she is. She isn't unattractive or anything, she just isn't that interesting to me. I'm not drawn to her."

"But she is interesting to Jen," Lisa said.

"I suppose she could be. I'm not Jen, so I don't truly know what Jen finds interesting about her. Maybe it's because she listens. Maybe she's impressed with her education. Maybe she reminds her of you. 'Interesting' covers a lot of ground, most of it not sexual at all."

"Oh, that's sweet!" Lisa said, fluttering a little and getting a bit misty of eye.

"It can be hard to tell why one person finds another attractive, even if you're the person who finds the other attractive! You can't always explain it. Not everyone can be the whole package like you -- sexy, interesting, beautiful, thoughtful, hard-working, loving, caring, mother of my child, and the most important part, loving me. There isn't a reason I love you, I just do, and there are so many wonderful things about you that make that easier."

"Aww," Lisa said, and cuddled closer to me, kissing my neck. She turned around, and put her legs across my lap. "I'm going to go out and do some things tomorrow," she said, looking me in the eye.

"Like what?" I asked.

"Grocery store, health food store, maybe stop by the office," Lisa said.

"Hummm. You sure you should get out so soon? I mean, you were acting a bit, you know, over-the-top just yesterday. You sure you're ready?"

"I'll tell you what. I'll take Jen to keep an eye on me, okay?"

"What do you need at the health food store?"

"Just some vitamins and supplements. Nothing too interesting. For, um, female issues."

"Well, if you promise to behave yourself and follow Jen's advice, you should do fine. You haven't needed those meds today, and you seem to be doing so much better! Remember, you've got that meeting with Dr. Tandy, here."

"I thought maybe I'd ask to meet her at my office, since I'm going by there and that's where it happened. I figured it would be smart to have her along. The office is still closed until the police and the cleaners are done."

"Ah. Oh. Yes. Well, if you feel its appropriate. I'm not sure I'd want to go back there, if I were you."

"I do. Now, come to bed with me. I want you to do for me what I did for you this afternoon, and then I'm going to make you forget that any other women even exist, let alone might be sexy!"

I laughed. "As long as Jen can't hear what we're doing, that would be wonderful!"

* * *

I slept late the next day, and woke to an empty house.

I puttered around after my shower, trying not to be too concerned about how Lisa was doing, and how Jen was handling her if Lisa got over-excited again. After lunch, I finally gave up and called Lisa's phone.

"Hi, sweetheart!" her cheerful voice said in my ear after two rings.

"Hi, honey! How's it going?" I asked.

"Fine! I've been good, and haven't been arrested or anything!" she laughed. "We're at the health food store now. We should be home in half an hour, okay?"

"Great!" I said. "How did the office visit go?"

"Just fine. No problems. I got my stuff, and Vickie, uh, Dr. Tandy was there with Lori, Detective Abrams, so all went well."

Huh. The detective and the doctor? Well, I guess it was still a crime scene, so that made sense.

"How's Jen doing?" I asked.

"She's fine. Would you like to talk with her?" asked Lisa.

I would have said no, that was okay, but Lisa was apparently already handing the phone to Jen.

"Hi, Daddy," Jen said, just a bit breathlessly.

Daddy? She hadn't called me anything other than 'Dad' for years.

"Hi, honey! Just checking in," I said. "Is Mom behaving herself?"

"Um, yeah, she's doing fine!" she said. "Especially with Lori."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Um, look, I gotta go! See you in a bit!" As she was hanging up, I heard her say "Get the one with maca [click]."

So now Jen was calling the detective 'Lori'? And Lisa had called Dr. Tandy 'Vickie.' Lisa was friendly, and this was a relatively small town, but it wasn't Mayberry or anything, and, while I was glad the ladies were all getting along, the first-name thing was, well, just a bit odd. On the other hand, given what Lisa had been through, maybe they encouraged being more friendly than usual?

I was feeling a bit like things had changed on me, like the world I used to take for granted was different now. All these changes Lisa was going through were kind of getting to me, I guessed. It's funny how little changes in a boring, predictable life could bug you, and while some of these changes weren't little, the big ones made even the little ones more noticeable.

Besides, I still wasn't sure how to deal with having shot a man while he was raping my wife, I realized. No wonder I was having reactions to little things! Would I have even noticed when my wife went from calling someone by their job title to their first name before? Probably not, I decided. I'm starting to jump at shadows. I'm the one who should probably talk to Dr. Tandy, I thought.

It was funny, though, I thought, I had shot and killed a man in the act of raping my wife. She didn't remember it, and could not seem to care less. I mean, that was good, I guess? I'd hate it if she were plagued or tormented by it, but shouldn't she be more... concerned? At least a little? I mean, as someone who knew the guy? Or maybe feel angry at someone who had obviously violated her? But this was kind of like 'if I don't remember it, did it really happen?' Well, yes, the dead guy on her office floor should show that!

Then again, I should just be happy she's not wrecked over it! I should just stop trying to be an orthodontist for this donated equine. Cool it, Don.

I went back out to mow the lawn, and found they'd gotten back by the time I was done. I came back in, hot and sweaty, and as I was chugging a glass of iced tea, found my wife's arms enfoldimg me.

"Oh, God, Don! You're a soggy furnace! Go take a cool shower!" Lisa said, taking a napkin and wiping at the moisture I'd gotten on her arms.

"No argument, here!" I said. A cool shower would be perfect to sluice away the damp dirt and grass bits that had blown back on me as I'd pushed the old mower, as well as close the pores that had pumped out all that sweat.

When I stepped out of the shower, feeling refreshed, I found only a terrycloth bathrobe waiting for me rather than the clean clothes I'd set out. I towelled off and shrugged into my robe, and stepped into the bedroom to a surprise.

I found Lisa laying on the bed, knees spread, head propped up on the pillows, and a naked woman between them. The naked woman had a very shapely backside, fairly slender but nicely muscled, and blond hair of medium length spilled down her back.

"Uh..." I said, completely unprepared for this. For a brief, hysterical moment, I panicked, and looked to make sure that it wasn't Jen. It wasn't, of course, but that left the question of whom it actually was.

"Mmmm! Honey!" said Lisa, "Lori would love to have your cock inside her right now, come on over!"