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

"Oh nonsense, you were anything but cruel, and you DID mean to tease me... That's a great deal of the fun when two people are intimate, testing the limits of how far one can tease the other before they concede and ravish you out of unchained desire. I loved it young man! As I said, you are a natural and will make many women happy in your life. That's not to say that you can't still learn a few things and should refine some of the things you already know." Penny sat there smiling at me then after a moment her smile faltered and she frowned slightly and looked a little apologetic towards me and added. "There's also the matter of your experience today being so terribly one sided in my favor. That was fairly thoughtless of me Jim, for that I am sorry. Had this been a planned exercise this would not have happened... leaving you in the lurch so to speak. Again you have proven yourself the epitome of a gentleman, mature beyond your years. Your kindness will not be forgotten however, of that you can be assured. I only hope you can forgive an old woman for her weakness in the heat of the moment." She added and smiled a bit sheepishly herself. My brows knitted and I cocked my head to one side and looked at her in puzzlement.

"Who is this old woman you keep talking about anyway, I thought there were only you and I in that room earlier?" I stated the question as seriously as I possibly could. Oh My God! Penny's jaw dropped and she actually blushed! I couldn't help but to break into a smile as she slowly began shaking her head side to side as her jaw closed and those beautiful lips turned up into a dazzling smile. She stood then and reached out her hand to me and led me to the beaded curtain and up the stairs. I noticed as I looked through the window in the door that it was dark outside, just how long had I been here this afternoon anyway? Still holding my hand Penny turned me to face her, reaching up with her other hand she held my right cheek softly in her hand before brushing the hair on my forehead aside in a motherly fashion. Her smile was so soft and warm that I could have melted like warm butter under her touch. She wrapped that hand around the back of my head and pulled me down a bit as she stepped in close and kissed me gently on the lips. A soft warm sensual kiss full of a love and passion all its own by its simplicity. Pulling back after the kiss Penny again looked deeply into my eyes, hers softened by something I'd never quite seen there before. She smiled and asked if I might be available again this week before Saturday. I told her that today was my only full day off but I may be able to come by early Friday if I didn't have anything come up on the farm like today's fence repairs necessitated by yesterday's storms. With the mention of the storm Penny involuntarily shuddered and rubbed her arms as if to ward off a chill. She nodded and told me that if it was possible she and Maggie would welcome me to stop by for a lesson of some kind that morning. I told her I would call first if I could make it and if not then I would certainly be here Saturday to mow the yard, and for a lesson. With that I went out the door and headed to my pick up and then on my way.

I stopped by Dom's on my way home and ordered a small pizza and a drink. I sat in the back with the assistant manager and Jules while my order was cooking. It was a slow night and Jules was getting ready to do some pre cleaning prior to closing that night, but she was on break when I got there so we cut up and carried on a while. I had come in in the middle of a "girl talk" between Jules and the assistant manager. They had been discussing a new girl working at another Dom's location. Ordinarily they would have clammed up but it was me so they just kept on. I think Jules might have been a little cruder in her observations though, just trying to get a rise out of me and of course, as usual, to make me blush. At some point she asked me what I was doing here on my night off. I told her about my day, fixing fences and then having a flat tire and having to find a replacement. I mentioned that I had stopped by to see the Teachers for a while but I didn't go into any detail about that. And with a knowing smile, Jules refrained from asking for any details about what might that have entailed. But she did ask me if I was okay after a moment or two when I guess I looked a little somber or perhaps just too thoughtful. I of course told her I was fine, just had some things on my mind. Part of my mind was screaming at me wanting me to ask her if she had ever asked Penny about her feet or if she knew about it at all. Had she ever seen Penny cry? So many questions but I had promised to be discrete and this was a private matter. So in the end I simply shrugged and smiled as if everything was okay. When my pizza was ready I grabbed a cold bottle of Pepsi from the cooler and headed out to my truck. I ate a couple of slices before I fired up the engine and started my drive home. I was lost in thought, and I really don't recall anything else about that night, the drive home, cleaning up, going to bed, nothing. But I dreamt about today as I slept. Oh boy did I dream!

It was Friday before I had any more free time for anything other than work, having been kept busy with responsibilities on the farm, and some other odd jobs I had committed to, as well as of course working at Dom's. Summer was fast coming to an end and the new school semester at University would be beginning soon, I wondered how I was going to juggle everything else and still concentrate on my classes. Of course, with the changing of the seasons, things like mowing lawns and trimming hedges and the like would soon taper off and stop all together, that would free up some time. I mentioned some of these thoughts to Jules Thursday evening as we were again closing up the shop at Dom's. I asked her what she did over the fall and winter months when the yard work was put on hold.

"First thing I do is take a vacation!" Jules said as she hefted another armload of make line bins into the sink for me to scrub clean. "Then I become a painter." She added as she returned up front to continue cleaning the shop. 'Painter' I wondered?

"What kind of painting are you talking about?" I asked her on her next trip to the back where I was scrubbing away.

"Rooms... bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, hallways... interior rooms of houses. You'd be surprised how many people want to do home decorating before the holidays." She informed me as she ran a bucket full of hot water for the mopping.

"I hadn't thought of that, do you keep pretty busy, painting?" I asked thinking that this might be something to look into myself.

"Not every year, but you never know until people start calling about it. I've already got three jobs lined up for September and one more maybe that's still thinking about it." Jules paused by the end of the washing station and looked at me pensively. I could almost see the gears turning in her mind. Her hands wrapped fist over fist around the handle of the mop that was standing in the wheeled mop bucket at about the height of her chin that was conveniently resting on one of her hands. She cocked her head to one side and gave me a sideways glance. "Have you ever done any interior house painting Jim?" She asked. I already knew that she was thinking about getting me to help her out if I was available, she's one crafty opportunistic woman. That and she considered me a good source of reliable help I suppose.

"Well, not as a job, but my whole family helped with remodeling the old farm house that we live in now after we moved to the farm. We had to do a lot of renovations before we could move into it, everything from flooring, to drywall and of course painting." I shrugged and continued washing pans as she worked it out in her head.

"So you have some experience then." Jules said hanging the statement out like a flag to see which way the wind was blowing before finally coming out with the question. "Do you think that you might be able to help me out on a job now and then if I get more work than I can handle? I would pay you fairly..." She looked at me with that one eyebrow reaching for her scalp and a teasing grin on her face. She already knew I would say yes but she had to ask all the same.

"Sure..." I told her. "...As long as it doesn't interfere with my classes or of course conflict with my schedule here at Dom's." I shrugged again and smiled. Jules straightened up and beamed at me before throwing me another teaser... and that's what it was I'm sure of it because, well... she knew me too well.

"Oh... and by the way... Michelle has already told me she'd be happy to help out with painting jobs too this fall. So..." She turned her head away from me again looking at me sidelong and smiling that knowing smile as she pushed the mop bucket up front to mop the floor. I shook my head and smiled knowing that Jules was working angles and making plans... meddling in my personal life and having a blast doing it. Ugh!

Friday morning I got to have breakfast with the whole family for a change. I wasn't scheduled to work at Dom's until dinner rush and then close again, and I had no other odd jobs to tend to that day. Mom was happy that I and everyone else was actually at the table for a change rather than passing in small numbers on different schedules. Only one breakfast to cook this way. Over breakfast I told about my being asked to help out with some painting jobs this fall. Of course mom's first question was whether or not that might be a problem with my classes. I reassured her that I had already made that point to Jules and we were going to work around it. That made my parents happy knowing that I put my schooling first. That also brought up the subject of my tutoring. Now that summer was coming to an end and mowing the lawn in exchange wouldn't be possible, was I going to continue with them and if so how? How indeed? I had been thinking about that for over a week now and still hadn't come up with any ideas. I told my parents that I was actually going to call my tutors that morning and see if I could get in for a lesson today before work at Dom's and I would ask them about further payment or classes as well. That said, I made a call to their number.

"Jim darling, we were just talking about you." Penny cheerfully commented.

"You were? Funny, I was just talking about you and Maggie with my parents as well." I told her before getting to the point of the call. "I find that I am free of obligations until this evening when I work at Dom's for the dinner rush and closing afterwards. I was calling to see if you or Maggie had any time for me today."

"Of course darling, we'll be expecting you, and thank you for calling Jim." She effused all but blowing me a kiss before she broke the connection by hanging up. I told my parents that I was headed to town early to see my tutors and to ask about possibilities of continuing working with them this fall around my classes if we could work out some sort of payment plan. I grabbed my book bag and stuffed my Dom's uniform in it along with some clean socks and a change of tee shirts and a pair of pants to replenish my spare clothing at Maggie and Penny's house. I was out the door and on my way minutes later.

I was a bit surprised when I pulled up to the Teachers' house and I noticed that Jules' car was parked outside. Now I knew that she of course was responsible for their yard work, mowing the lawn and what not, even if she had other people to do the work. I also suspected for quite a while before I found out for certain that she was a former 'student' of the teachers' as well. But I had not expected to run into Jules here all the same. Penny greeted me at the door when I rang the bell, as pleasantly as ever, a good sign perhaps. Once more, she was fully dressed in her 'work clothes' as she referred to them. Work clothes being business attire, in her case a modest skirt suit with jacket and sensible shoes. Today's ensemble was a not so frumpy pencil skirt with a peach colored blouse with a ruffled button down front and a close collar. Over the blouse was a lightweight jacket that matched the skirt in color at least. Penny's half frame glasses hung from her neck by that beaded necklace that I suspected was actually made of real pearls. Her nails of course, always impeccably manicured were painted today in the same peach color as her blouse. It still amazes me to this day how much effort some women put into their makeup and wardrobe. And yes, Penny actually had on makeup today, or at least noticeably more than she would normally wear on any given day.

"Jim, darling! Come in, come in." she bubbled as she held the inner door open for me to enter. As I stepped inside, Maggie and Jules stepped halfway through the beaded curtain at the bottom of the stairs to the lower level.

"Well speak of the devil..." Jules said sarcastically and grinned up at me, Maggie too was smiling in a cryptic sort of way.

"Jim, could you join us downstairs, we need to ask you a few questions." Maggie spoke before withdrawing along with Jules back behind the curtain. I looked at Penny and she simply smiled and motioned with her right hand to proceed. Shrugging, I nodded and headed down the stairs. Pushing through the beaded curtain, I saw Jules and Maggie standing by the table behind the student desks that had the projector on it. Jules was bent over a note pad scribbling something down. Maggie was bent over accordingly as they were discussing whatever Jules was writing down. What a site, Jules dressed... well... as Jules. Her go to outfit usually consisted of an old comfortable pair of jeans and some sort of tee shirt or sweatshirt as the temperatures outdoors cooled. When in uniform for work at Dom's Jules had to wear at least a training bra over her board flat chest but only to conceal her nipples. A cruel joke by Mother Nature I suppose to compensate for her lack of breasts, Jules had inordinately large nipples, furthermore, they were pierced. Jules always had some sort of jewelry in them. Out of uniform of course she rarely wore a bra so those big nipples and her decorations often were clearly visible through any tee shirt, just as they were today. She had an old baseball cap on her head. From behind, unless you knew her, you would think you were looking at a guy. Standing next her was Maggie, she was dressed according to 'house rules', which today was a ruby red silk robe with black trim and a sash belt tie. Her legs, as usual were encased in a pair of stockings, black to match the trim on the robe I suspect. Where Penny was never without her silk footies, Maggie was rarely if ever without stockings, even if she were not wearing shoes like today. Maggie's nails were in a shining blood red as well. Noticing me come through the curtain, Jules motioned me over with a toss of her head.

"Hey buddy..." Jules said in her familiar greeting. "Last night you told me you would maybe help me out with some painting jobs this fall, right?" She asked more like making a statement than a question.

"Yeah, sure, but I didn't expect to start today. What's up?" I asked hesitantly.

"Oh it's not today, I'm just talking with Maggie here about a job she asked me to do in a couple of weeks. I thought that since you had helped me out by taking over the majority of the work mowing the lawn here, that you might consider a similar working trade by doing some cleaning and painting, here in the house." Jules looked me dead in the eye, her lopsided grin highlighted with that quirky raised eyebrow and the knowing look in her eyes that told me that yes, girls do talk. And, it was obvious to me that Jules had colluded with the Teachers to make an arrangement to keep me 'employed' as it were, and thereby present and available to continue my 'lessons' for a while yet. I turned my head a bit looking jules in the eye with a bit of a sidelong glance and knitted brows as I thought about what she said as well as what I suspected the reasoning was behind the words. Jules must have thought I was having second thoughts about helping out so she glanced at Maggie before looking back at me and raising her other eyebrow and adding. "Michelle already said she'd help out here too, but we're really going to need another set of hands if you could help out..." Oh that conniving, manipulative... wonderful bitch! She had to go there didn't she? I heard Maggie stifle a snort of a chuckle before it got away from her, it sounded like a choked off sneeze.

"Well?" Jules prodded.

"Fine! I can help out... as long as there are no conflicts of course." I had to add. Jules turned on her brightest smile and nodded as she looked at Maggie and winked thinking I didn't see it. Maggie just smiled that subdued smile of hers trying to look serious but I knew she was pleased all the same.

"Oh wonderful!" I heard Penny say from behind me, apparently she had followed me downstairs as well and I hadn't been aware of it until she had just spoken.

"What or where am I, or 'we' going to be painting?" I asked Jules, stepping closer to the table now that I was officially on the painting crew. She and Maggie went on to tell me about their plans to refinish the rooms here in the lower level beginning with the 'apartment', moving on to the downstairs bathroom and eventually some work here in the 'classroom'. Penny said that it would be nice to finally brighten up these dark dingy walls and ceilings to make the rooms brighter and more inviting. She and Jules discussed the merits of different colors and shades before coming to a decision to go with a flat white for all the ceilings and the entire apartment. The bathroom was still undecided as Penny still preferred a shade of light blue, the classroom would be decided on after the first two jobs were nearer to completion. Maggie mentioned that she was considering having new carpet installed throughout the lower level as well, but that would also be done after the painting was finished. After about fifteen minutes of holding one end of a measuring tape for Jules as she measured the walls in the various rooms so that she could calculate the amount of paint that would be required she told the Teachers that she'd call them with some prices and work out a schedule in a day or two. As Jules made ready to depart, Maggie took her by the hand and thanked her. Penny on the other hand, being Penny, grabbed Jules from behind wrapping her arms around her and hugging her tightly snuggling her chin into the nape of Jules' neck softly saying.

"Thank you Jules... thank you, thank you, thank you darling." Jules smiled but blushed as she patted Penny's arms and tipped her head over to rest briefly against Penny's. Penny then released her and Jules looked at me with a blank expression on her face, but there was a twinkle in her eye that she could not hide, at least not from me. I smiled and told her I'd see her at Dom's later tonight. She then saw herself out leaving me standing in the classroom with Maggie and Penny who were exchanging looks and smiling. I could have sworn there was an entire unspoken conversation going on between those two, but not a word spoken.

"Okay ladies, I don't suppose it matters really, who contacted who, but I find it quite the coincidence that I had intended this very day to ask you about making arrangements to continue my lessons by way of some sort of trade for labor. Like we have had with my mowing your lawn. Now, honestly I suspect that Jules may well be the instigator on my behalf, either way... Thank you." I spoke with a humble voice and a genuine smile.

"Why Jim, darling, I don't know what you're talking about, Maggie and I have been planning this work all summer, Jules only today realized that she would need... some help... with being able to complete the work. Of course it's fortuitous that you already work with her and we are all acquainted with one another. It also helps that we know you are hard working and are imminently reliable and... trustworthy." Penny smiled coyly as she ambled closer to me and took me by the arm and leaned in to give me a peck on the cheek. Maggie just stood there with that enigmatic half smile, those coppery amber eyes shining brightly. Penny looked at her wrist watch and huffed with a slightly perturbed frown then glanced to Maggie before she said. "Darling, I have to leave for an appointment, I'm sorry. I will see you tomorrow morning though, yes?" She asked with a slight bob and tilt of her head. I nodded my assent and she smiled and continued. "Maggie will see to your lesson today. Until tomorrow then?" Penny patted my arm then turned and made her way upstairs.