Being Jim Ch. 06: Lessons of Life Pt. 02

I took off my tee shirt and stepped into the shower. Soon the water was coming out just a shade under steam in my opinion but I had learned that that was the temperature that most women seemed to prefer when bathing. Gritting my teeth I stepped under the shower head and got wet and was reaching for the soap when the shower door opened and Penny stepped in. Holding her hand out to check the temperature she gave me a curious look and smiled stepping closer to reach up and wrap her arms around my neck to pull me down into another round of kissing. Like earlier this kiss too was of the softer sensual variety, still though there was some tongue play and some nibbling of lips and one another's tongues. And, even though we had just had sex just a short time ago my body was reacting to the kissing as I always did, my erection grew between us. Penny giggled and reached out and wrapped her right hand around it lovingly and stroked it gently up and down as she whispered how much she admired it and was happy that it was attached to someone she admired and was so fond of as well. She was not trying to get me off, just showing affection much like she wanted as she took her other hand and found one of mine to bring to her breasts in a silent hint. My left hand holding her by her right shoulder, and my right hand fondling and squeezing her breasts each in turn while we kissed and she idly stroked my cock as we both stood beneath the steaming hot water of the shower. Had it not been for a low rumble of distant thunder we may have been carried away again or been cavorting until the water ran cold.

Alas, the thunder served to stir Penny back into the present. After she jumped reflexively she smiled sheepishly and reached for the soap and began soaping up my skin then handed the soap to me but instead of soaping up her front like she did me, I pulled her into me and reached behind her to soap her back and bottom my soapy front effectively becoming a giant washcloth. Penny giggled and wrapped her arms around my sides and gripped my ass cheeks and told me how much she liked my thinking. I reached back and handed off the soap to one of her hands as she soaped up my back and bottom. Kissing again briefly we both turned and rinsed the soap off before turning off the water and stepping out of the shower to dry off. Well, to dry each other off actually, that was much more fun after all. Once done, I reached for Penny's robe that I had hung from the hook on the back of the door. She smiled and stepped into it first one arm then the other. She pulled it to and tied the sash about her waist. I saw that she had brought my clothes from the dryer and they were folded and still warm sitting on the toilet seat cover. I slipped my tee shirt on and pulled on my briefs before pulling on my blue jean shorts. Stepping up to me after I was dressed Penny ran her right hand up the side of my left arm and idly picked at some lint or some imaginary speck with her left hand from my chest. Her head was down studiously studying that speck and the actions of her hand before turning slightly and looking up at me.

"Jim, I want to thank you for allowing me to... step away from being a teacher earlier. It really was personal. It had been such a long... long time since I have been with a man. You are a very special young man you know. You brought out a desire that I had nearly forgotten I even had. I look back now and I think it began the very first time I laid eyes on you. I just didn't realize it, fully anyway until this morning. You will always have a place in my heart. You must also know this, if there is anything I can help you with, just ask. Even if I don't have the answers I will help you find them if there is any way I can." She said smiling with what I thought might have been an errant tear glistening at the corner of her eye.

"So long as I don't call you ma'am, right?" I grinned earning myself a swat on the arm. "Thank you Penny, just remember that both you and Maggie are special to me as well. I will never forget either of you as long as I might live."

"Come on, let's have a cup of tea before you have to leave for work." Penny said grabbing a handful of shirt and pulling me to the bathroom door before opening it. Down the hall we went to the kitchen. Upon entering it we found Maggie and Michelle seated where they had been earlier in the morning. Both had a cup of tea and were studiously avoiding looking at either Penny or myself but were doing a very bad job of hiding their smiles. "Yeah" I thought, "They heard Penny all the way downstairs." I know I was blushing but I kept my mouth shut and likewise avoided looking either of them in the eye at first. Penny poured hot water into two cups set at our places at the table before returning the kettle to the stove. I pulled Penny's chair out for her before seating myself. Penny smiled at me warmly and we both put our teabags into our cups and dipped them several times. Maggie finally looked up making furtive eye contact first with me then glancing knowingly at Penny. The two exchanged a wordless communication with smiles and knowing looks. Maggie picked up the sugar bowl and asked if we would like some for our tea. Penny thanked her and took it placing it between her cup and mine.

Michelle glanced up at me with her head still tilted down with an unreadable expression on her face. Looking at Penny she still had a deadpan look on her face but she thanked Penny for drying her clothes and folding them for her. I looked back up at this noticing that she was indeed again in her street clothes and not the short skirt from earlier. It was at that moment that it finally registered in my brain the comment she had made earlier about my having underwear to put on. I nearly spit my first sip of tea out as I stifled a snort. My eyes watered and I couldn't hide the smile on my face if I had tried. Michelle's eyebrows knitted and her look of confusion was almost as funny as her earlier comment now that I had understood it. I had to cover my mouth until I could finally swallow that first sip of tea. I don't know how but I think Maggie must have understood what I found so humorous as she too chuckled and smiled like she was about to break out in laughter. Penny still didn't know what to make of either of us and neither did Michelle which made it all the more poignant. Another low rumble of distant thunder shook the kitchen window causing Penny to jump a bit and I reached out and covered her right hand with my left and squeezed it lightly. Maggie saw this and smiled to herself and nod. Michelle noticed too but only cocked her head a bit not understanding then shrugged.

We all finished our tea and it was time for me to head off to Dom's to begin my evening shift. Maggie and Penny both walked Michelle and I to the front door. There was no parting kisses this evening but Maggie took my hand in hers and squeezed it and gazed knowingly into my eyes and smiled and mouthed "Thank you" silently before wishing me a good night and reminding me to call her or Penny if I had any spare time to come open before next weekend. Penny pulled me into a fierce hug and with Michelle in front of me and not able to see, Penny grabbed both of my ass cheeks and gave them a mighty squeeze as a silent reminder. I walked with Michelle to her car after the ladies hugged her and repeated the same good nights to her as well

.

"Okay... spill it. What was so damned funny at the table earlier?" Michelle demanded as we stopped at her car. I chuckled and decided I had to tell her.

"When you mentioned dry clothes it finally dawned on me what you had said earlier this morning about being lucky to have underwear to put on. I hadn't realized until that moment what you had meant by that." I chuckled. "I had a flash in my mind of you sitting at the table with a short skirt on and no underwear... feel a little breezy did it?" I asked. Michelle grinned and swatted my arm.

"Smart ass!" she growled. "And by the way, I don't know what "lesson" you were being taught today but I think you passed judging by the sounds Maggie I and heard coming from upstairs." She smiled knowingly waiting for me to say something or defend myself. But this time I kept my mouth shut and simply smiled and nodded in acceptance. I turned to walk to my truck but then thought of something.

"You know, the lessons we are receiving from our "teachers" are not finite. The things we are supposed to be learning are things to be honed and worked on all our lives. I don't know if I "passed" today as you said, but I know I want to study more and as often as I can. And my teachers have been telling me that independent study is encouraged..." I smiled warmly and gave her a wink before turning to walk the rest of my way to my truck. As I opened the door and climbed in Michelle was still standing by her car with her hand on the door handle looking at me. I started my truck and waved as I drove off.

If Friday night, last night, had been an unusually slow night, tonight made up the difference, Dom's Pizza business was booming, just like the skies. It rained like a monsoon that evening, lots of lightning and thunder too. I couldn't help but wonder how Penny was handling it. I hoped that she was wrapped up and feeling safe in Maggie's arms. I suspected that was more often the norm rather than the exception, but that really was their business and not mine. It was a reassuring thought that at least they had each other. I couldn't help but to think that at least they were dry at the moment, unlike me. After running in and out of the rain delivering pizzas all night I was soaked to the bone, but then so were all the other drivers.

After dinner rush was over I was one of the first drivers to be checked out and sent home. I ordered myself a small pizza using my employee discount and then waited around for it to be made. Jules was getting checked out too as neither of us was scheduled to close that night. As I was walking out the door to go to my truck Jules asked me to wait up for her that she wanted to talk to me for a minute. I told her I'd wait for her in the parking lot. It was still sprinkling a rain so I sat in my truck and started eating my pizza. Jules came out and saw that I was in my truck so she hopped in on the passenger's side. I offered her some pizza then put the box on the dash.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Well you know that the rain today pretty much took the day, none of my yards got mowed... What are you doing Monday?" Jules questioned.

"I've got the dinner shift here Monday night but I'm not closing. I had kind of thought about mowing the teachers' yard Monday since it'll still be too wet tomorrow." I told her and saw her smile.

"Cool, that's what I was going to ask you. I already talked to Michelle, she's going to be there Monday too." Jules told me. Somehow I got the feeling that mowing the yard was not the only thing that she wanted to talk to me about so I just waited. Chewing my pizza and taking a sip of Pepsi, watching her face as she searched mine, I knew she was waiting for me to say something so it was a bit of a game. Finally Jules broke.

"Okay, spill it! Michelle said that you and Penny were making all kinds of noise today... What happened?" Jules spat out. I just continued chewing and smiled at her raising one eyebrow. "Jim! Talk to me!" Jules growled in mock anger. I washed down my pizza with another pull from my Pepsi and shrugged my shoulders.

"Jules, you know I'm not at liberty to talk about my lessons, I made a promise, just like you did. Besides, a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell." I stated matter of factly and took another bite of pizza.

"Oh Ho Ho! From what I heard there was more than kissing going on today... a LOT more!" Jules decried. "And what was that about 'independent study'?" She asked.

"Oh, so Michelle told you that too huh?" I chuckled. "Didn't you get the same advice?" I asked with a straight face. Jules looked at me like I'd grown a second head or something, I could almost see the gears turning in her mind as she thought back.

"Just who are you and what have you done with Jimbo?" Jules asked looking perplexed.

"Jules, I'm off tomorrow so I'm going to spend the day at home with my family and catch up a bit, I'll be at the teachers' house Monday morning. When do you want to start working on the painting job?" I asked.

"You're changing the subject Jim..." Jules said then sighed. "Fine! Keep your secrets, asshole!" Jules snipped at me but grinned so that I knew that she was not serious. "It'll be another couple of weeks on the painting job but I'll let you know. I might see you Monday, I've got to stop by Maggie and Penny's to make a couple more measurements. See ya then farm boy." Jules said as she opened the door and got out of my truck. I saluted her with my slice of pizza and smiled as she walked around my truck to get into her car. I started my truck up and headed home for the night.

I spent all day Sunday on the farm with my folks and brother and sisters. It was good to catch up with everyone. Mom kept looking at me off and on all day and after dinner, as Dad and I were sitting on the back porch watching the sun go down She asked me if something was bothering me, that I seemed different. I told her I was fine. I don't think she bought it but she didn't ask anymore. After Mom went back in the house Dad asked me...

"So what's her name?" He just looked at me and smiled knowingly. I knew that I had to throw him a bone, knowing full well that mom would hear every word from him later.

"Am I that obvious?" I asked grinning sheepishly.

"No, actually you kept it pretty well to yourself, but your mother knows her baby boy better than anyone, and I was a young man once too." Dad commented sagely.

"I guess..." I sighed.

"So?" Dad prompted.

"Michelle..." I told him. Not offering any more information.

"A cutie I'd bet." Dad said smiling as he took another drink of his iced tea.

"And how!" I admitted. "She has these little gold flecks in her blue green eyes" I added.

"Red hair?" Dad asked, one eyebrow raised.

"No... she's not perfect." I chuckled, then sighed and sat quietly watching the sun go down. I went on to tell my dad that because of the rain Saturday that I've still got a yard to get mowed and that I had planned on doing it Monday morning. I told him I was also supposed to meet with a friend at the same house to do some measuring for a painting job that I had been asked to help with in a couple of weeks.

-To be continued-