Being Jim Ch. 06: Lessons of Life Pt. 01

"Jim, what is it that you feel when you try to talk to a girl that you fancy?" Her eyes searched mine.

"I don't know, I guess I just feel like I don't know what to say. I'm afraid I'll make a fool of myself or say something embarrassing or stupid..." I trailed off and looked away.

Maggie reached out with her right hand and took my chin turning my head back to look at her and said. "You are afraid? Jim darling, those girls feel the same way. They fear that they are not pretty enough or smart enough or they might say something embarrassing or stupid." She smiled and let that sink in to my brain. "And, they get frustrated as much with themselves as with the boys who don't or can't engage them in conversation."

"So you're saying they are insecure?" I asked looking at Maggie as if she had just grown a second head on her shoulders.

"Darling, everyone has insecurities, some hide them better than others. You'll find the boldest seeming ones are really the most insecure. Look into their eyes, open yourself up to them. The more open you are with a woman the more she will like you. A little shyness is sweet, it shows that you are vulnerable as well." Maggie went on. "But to win her over you must open up. Speak to her, compliment her on her clothing or hairstyle or her eyes and smile. Tell her how it makes you feel. I think you will find that talking with girls is far easier than you have made it out to be." Maggie smiled again and nodded her head when she saw that I understood. "And, darling, sometimes saying less is more. A simple smile can speak volumes. A touch can convey more than words can explain. I know you have that in you, I've seen it myself, you are a natural just trust your instincts. You darling, don't trust yourself and that is mostly from lack of experience I think. Tell me Jim. How many girls have you kissed? Don't be shy, this isn't a test." Maggie patted my hand that rested on the arm of the chair I was sitting in.

"Miss Maggie... I... uh..." I know I was blushing so bad my face was on fire but even so I was able to maintain eye contact with her as I tried to count in my head. I swallowed even though my mouth was suddenly dry then croaked out... "Uh... Five."

Maggie sat back in her chair as her eyebrows both rose in surprise as she brought her left hand to her lips as she contemplated my response. "Oh dear... So few? I would have thought you had kissed dozens by now. No matter..." She said as her smile reappeared and her eyebrows returned to normal. "Of those... five ladies... did you get any complaints?" Maggie asked, one eyebrow arching quizzically above her half lidded copper colored eyes. I thought my head would spontaneously combust I was so red.

"N... n... no ma'am... I mean Maggie." I stumbled flustered at such a private line of questioning. "At least none that I'm aware of."

Sitting forward on the edge of her chair Maggie put her hand atop mine and looked deeply into my eyes and asked. "Jim, you do trust me don't you?" she slowly ran her hand up my forearm to my elbow then on up to my shoulder. I felt as if I were suddenly glued to the chair. I couldn't move if I wanted to but somehow I managed to nod. Maggie leaned closer the buttons of her blouse bumping over my forearm on the arm of the chair as she brought her face closer to my own. I'm sure I must have looked like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming car, I was frozen in my seat as Maggie's face got closer and closer to mine. Her head tipping ever so slightly to one side so that our noses barely brushed one another and her lips lightly touched mine and it was if time paused. The electric thrill that ran through me should have been enough to knock me down but amazingly I was still sitting in place. Those coppery amber eyes half closed looked deeply into my gaze so close the two eyes almost looked to be a single eye. The softness of her lips on mine is nearly impossible to describe even to this day but it was magical. At some point my paralysis must have eased up because my own lips began to respond to the soft wet touch being applied to them. After what seemed a lifetime Maggie pulled back a bit and the one eye became two, her gaze almost dreamlike still held me pinned to my seat. Then I noticed something that would puzzle me for the rest of my life... no... not puzzle me, but rather make me marvel, Maggie was blushing.

"Well... Jim... darling, I think we can say that there is nothing at all wrong with how you kiss." She cleared her throat with a discrete "ahem" then sat back in her own chair and busied her hands tugging at her blouse as if to straighten it. Meanwhile I just sat there my head whirling, watching her face. Finally she had composed herself and looked back into my eyes and I swear I could have seen gears turning as she thought about what she was about to say... or perhaps do... I'm not sure.

"Jim, that was... lovely... really. However, I think that with some practice we, you, can improve upon that. After all, there are so many different ways to kiss. It will also help you to get over some of this shyness I think as it will undoubtedly improve your self confidence with time and... practice." Maggie added with a thin smile, her coppery eyes twinkling as her left hand once again reached out and settled upon my right hand resting on the arm of my chair. "I will, as will Penny... assist you, with your studies on this matter. I feel I must warn you however, Penny can be... well... enthusiastic at times. I'm sure you will find this out for yourself. Now, I trust you will continue to be discrete with this line of study as with your other lessons as we have agreed. Inside the walls of our home, you can relax but if there are other students or guests please use your better judgment. Now, for your assignment until your next session, I want you to practice being bold. By that I mean learning how and when to reach out and touch the women you speak with. Experiment with it, observe how they react. We will discuss your findings the next time we meet. Come, I will walk you to the door."

Standing up and placing her hand into my elbow we walked to the back door that I opened for her. Maggie gave me an endearing smile and we continued to the short stairs leading down to the landing at the front door. Just as I was opening the front door I heard the beaded curtain at the bottom of the basement stairs rattle and glancing back I saw Penny smiling up at me as she climbed the stairs up to the landing. A look passed between Maggie and herself and Maggie leaned over and whispered into Penny's ear. Penny drew back and looked at Maggie questioningly who smiled and nodded. Penny's smile grew mischievous as she looked intently into my eyes. She took an arm in each of her hands and leaned into me quickly and gave me a soft kiss on the lips. Again I was stunned into immobility.

Pulling back Penny looked me in the face with her brows knitted before saying. "Oh now that will just not do, it will not do at all." And she leaned back in for another kiss this one pressing though still softly it was much bolder and I was a bit startled when I felt her tongue dart between my lips and flirtatiously seek out my own. The look of surprise on my face must have been priceless as Penny pulled back smiling wickedly and glanced at Maggie who was also smiling knowingly. Then over Penny's shoulder I noticed Michelle standing at the bottom of the steps looking up at the landing with an unreadable expression on her face. I blushed knowing that she could not have helped but to see Penny molesting my lips moments before. Glancing back to Penny I noticed that she was blushing a bit as she ushered me out the door. "We'll see you Saturday Jim?" she asked. I merely nodded and turned and walked to my truck in a fog.

I still to this day do not remember the drive from there to Dom's that afternoon. I must have still been in a fog when I walked into the shop and to the back to get ready for work. Jules passed me on her way back in from a delivery and swatted me in the back with her empty pizza hot bag. "Hey Jim!" She said by way of hello as she checked out the next deliveries waiting on the ready station. At some point I must have washed my face and hands and changed into my uniform in the bathroom because my next conscious thought was counting my "bank" that we are given to make change with on our deliveries. The dinner rush was not long that night and before long it was just down to those of us closing. As we cleaned up the shop Jules started in on me about my being lost in thought.

"Hey buddy... why so pensive tonight?" She asked as she hauled another load of pans and screens to the sink to be washed.

"Just a lot on my mind Jules..." I said distractedly as I scrubbed another pan.

"Must be a girl, you still sweet on Michelle?" Jules asked as she elbowed me in the ribs before heading back to the front of the shop with the mop and bucket. I must have blushed because she just chuckled and smiled at me. Once I had everything washed, rinsed and sanitized, I was draining the sinks and wiping down the prep area as Jules mopped her way around the desk and into the back room. I helped her pick up the mop bucket full of dirty water and pour it out in the mop sink. As she rinsed out the mop bucket she picked up where she left off earlier... "So is it... Michelle... that you're thinking of?" She grinned looking at me waiting for a response. Instead of saying anything I thought back to what Maggie had told me earlier that day, I simply looked Jules in the eye and smiled then turned away to get ready to leave. A few minutes later, out in the parking lot as we were headed to our cars to go home, Jules grabbed my arm and said. "Hey, not so fast... come on now, dish."

"Nothing to tell Jules, I've only spoken with her a couple of times in passing over the last couple of weeks, she probably doesn't even know I exist." I admitted with a shrug.

"Oh Ho Ho! She knows you exist! She gave me the third degree the other night when I dropped off Sam." Jules told me.

Sam? Who's this Sam guy I thought? Looking at Jules with the question on my lips she must have anticipated my question because she went on.

"Sam, Samantha, my... uh... friend. She's Michelle's roommate." She grinned, then added "Michelle wanted to know about you. How long I've known you, if you were seeing anyone, she even asked if I knew your phone number. I'm telling you Jim that girl KNOWS you exist. I think she's more than interested in you." That shit eating half smirk half grin spread on her face as one eyebrow arched to her hairline questioningly.

I was stunned... yet again! I felt my stomach flip or maybe it was my heart, I'm not sure. Without even thinking about it I reached out and gave Jules a hug. She stiffened with alarm at first, then her stance softened a bit as I was letting go suddenly embarrassed by my own outburst. "S... sorry Jules." I spoke bashfully knowing I was blushing bright enough to glow. Jules just chuckled and swatted me on the shoulder before opening her car door and climbing in. Looking up at me as she rolled down her window she smiled at me and winked as she drove away. I thought about what Jules had said and suddenly I was floating on clouds as I climbed into my pickup and headed off for my drive home to the farm. At some point it dawned on me that what Jules told me had happened before this afternoon. As suddenly as I had lifted off into the clouds I came crashing back down and I had a sinking feeling in my gut. Michelle had seen Penny and I kissing. What would she think of that? She probably despises me now. Great! That just SUCKS! Damn it!

I was in a foul mood all the next day, my mom even asked me if there was something troubling me but I didn't explain it. I went about my chores and a few odd jobs I had to do on the farm before cleaning up and heading to town to work Dom's that evening. Despite my feeling down and all I still had the presence of mind to do my "homework assignment" from Maggie. I practiced eye contact and making conversation to every girl I ran into even if it was to simply say hello in passing. With the ladies at Dom's, my manager and trainees, fellow drivers, I tried to use touch as well. I bumped elbows, touched shoulders, nothing aggressive or "forward", just casual acknowledgement, familiarity. Apparently it was so unusual for my behavior that most seemed to notice but none objected, and most smiled more frequently. Conversations came easily along the lines of work and the like. I even noticed a few sidelong glances when they thought I didn't see them. Every time I started to like that feeling though I remembered Michelle and kissing Penny and the blues would set in again. Later that evening as I was being cashed out to go home since I wasn't scheduled to close that night, Jules tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was still mowing the teachers' yard tomorrow. I told her yeah I'd be there. She smiled and walked away while saying "So will Michelle..." Oh Crap! Well, I guess I'll find out whether she hates my guts now or what.

The next morning I was up early to do the chores on the farm before I headed to town to mow lawns and attend my "tutoring lessons". When I arrived at the teachers' house Michelle was already there and she was halfway finished with mowing the front yard. She saw me drive up but didn't acknowledge my presence. I unloaded my mower and with my head down I pushed on to the side of the garage and started up my mower. It was going to be a hot day today, I was already sweating but that may have been from my disappointment and angst over Michelle and her seeming dismissal of me. Oh well, I thought, I probably didn't stand a chance with her anyway. As I rounded the side yard and into the back yard I saw Maggie and Penney once again sunbathing. Both lying on their fronts again, with their tops loose and hanging from their loungers. Both raised their heads from their folded arms and looked my way and smiled. Penny raised her right hand and waved with her fingers and lay back down to continue sun bathing. She turned her head towards Maggie and I suspect they were conversing but I went on about my mowing. I was halfway finished with the back yard when I saw that Penny was waving an arm to get my attention. When she saw that I had noticed she beckoned me over to the patio. I shut down my mower and walked over wiping the sweat from my brow. "Yes Miss Penny? How can I help you?" I asked.

"Jim darling I know you're busy but could you be a dear and put some lotion on my back?" She smiled innocently at me with a sparkle in those light blue eyes.

"Me too, if you will?" Maggie spoke up.

Holy Cow! First kissing, now they want me to rub down their nearly naked bodies? I was floored. But like any red blooded male I jumped at the chance. "Sh... sh... sure. I can do that." I stumbled out. I took a knee next to Penny as she was the closest and she handed me a bottle of suntan lotion. The smell of coconut oil overwhelmed even the scent of the fresh cut grass. Where to begin? I squirted out a bit of lotion onto Penny's right shoulder blade and she jumped and giggled saying it was cold. I reached out with what I hope was not too noticeably trembling hands and began to push around the puddle of lotion on her back rubbing it into the skin. It was soon necessary to apply more lotion. I got all of her shoulder blades and shoulders. Penny began mewing and making soft moaning sounds of appreciation. Drawing her arms out from under her head and holding them back she implied that I should spread lotion on them as well. I worked each arm all the way down to her fine delicate manicured fingers, her nail polish a soft pink almost a nude color. When I had finished both hands, Penny wiggled her waist and said "Jim, please get all of me, I don't want to get a sunburn now do I?" I heard Maggie harrumph softly then chuckle just as softly. I squirted more lotion on the small of Penny's back and began running my hands down her sides and massaging the lotion into her skin. I ran right up to the top of her bikini bottom and halted. I could have sworn I heard Penny sigh but it may have been my imagination.

I had to stand up and reposition myself closer to the foot of the lounger to be able to put lotion on the backs of her legs. I started with her feet this time. Penny had her ever present silk slippers on her feet so I began with her ankles. I got first the right leg up to the back of her knee, then the left leg up to that knee, then re positioned myself again. Another squirt of lotion on the back of her right thigh and Penny squirmed a bit. She spread her legs a bit farther apart to allow my hands to spread the lotion completely on the skin. Massaging the lotion up from her knees to the bottom edge of her bikini bottom I again halted before crossing the line into immodesty. When I had finished with her left leg, stopping just short of the bikini bottom I stood and turned to Maggie's Lounger. Penny let out a long sigh and said as if half asleep. "Oh thank you Jim that was wonderful."

"You're welcome Miss Penny" I said. As I knelt down beside Maggie to begin much the same as I had with Penny. Maggie reached behind her with her right hand and gathered up her raven dark hair and pulled it over the top of her head exposing her fair skinned neck. I took that as a hint to begin with her neck and shoulders. Unlike Penny, Maggie didn't jump when I squirted lotion onto her skin. She did however let out a soft sigh as I began massaging the lotion into her skin. Perhaps I used a bit more grip than was necessary for applying tanning lotion because even I realized that it was more of a massage than actually simply spreading lotion. If the ladies noticed they certainly didn't object or correct me. I massaged Maggie's shoulders and spread lotion down each arm to her equally finely manicured fingers. Maggie's fingers were painted with a clear gloss that made them appear wet. When I finished with her arms I returned to her back and began working my way down her sides and to the small of her back. There was no mistaking the soft sighs and even a hint of a moan or two as the lotion and my hands crept farther and farther down. Like Penny, I halted my applications at the top of her bikini and was about to reposition further down the lounger when I felt Maggie's hand upon mine halting me. With her hand still on mine she pushed my fingers just beneath the hem of her bottoms and nodded her head for me to continue. With this unspoken direction I worked both hands just a bit under the edge of her bikini bottom and spread the lotion on the skin just below the hem, from the small of her back to the sides of her hips. With that done I stood up to move to the end of the lounger to begin working on her legs.

I noticed two things while moving. One Maggie didn't have stockings on, I'd only seen her one other time with no stockings or hose on and that was right here the first time I met her and Penny weeks ago. The second thing I noticed was that I had an erection making my jeans feel very tight. I hoped that neither Penny nor Maggie had noticed it. I applied lotion and massaged Maggie's right leg up to the knee and repeated with her left leg then re positioned again. I put lotion on Maggie's right thigh and began working my way up the leg, she too, like Penny spread her legs a bit to allow me to get lotion to the skin between her legs. This time as I neared the bottom of her bikini I took a chance and continued just up under the edge of the material of her suit. When I did this I was certain I heard a low moan come from Maggie. I repeated the procedure with her left thigh and again worked the lotion under the edge of her suit. Maggie reached down before I could withdraw my hands and squeezed my left hand in a silent thank you, before patting my hands and saying aloud.