Being Jim Ch. 06: Lessons of Life Pt. 03

"Um... did she say my name? I mean say that it was me, when she was talking about it with Sam?" I asked nervously. Jules stopped moving and turned her head slowly to look me full on in the face and her frustrated demeanor slowly turned into a big goofy grin.

"Actually... no. No she didn't! Jimbo! You're a genius! She just kept talking about 'him'. Sam didn't know who that was and I didn't tell her. So I guess Michelle has been good so far and is being... discrete... sort of." Jules started chuckling and then it turned into a full on belly laugh until she couldn't breathe. Wiping the tears out of her eyes when she pulled herself together she reached out and slapped my left knee. "Okay, one problem solved... Now... about that little exercise." Jules locked my eyes with her stare and waited for me to offer anything up.

"Um... well... I don't know I shouldn't say anything really..." I began knowing that it would be killing her to find out and for once I could enjoy toying with Jules a little. Jules let her jaw drop as she thought I might not give up anything at all and she let out a frustrated groan.

"Jim!"... She whined plaintively.

"Jules!" I replied in kind.

"PLEASE!!" She begged holding her breath.

I sighed dramatically and took a deep breath and held it as if contemplating a great weighted decision being made. I sneaked a glance out of the corner of my eye at Jules who was hanging on my every breath at this point. This was just too much fun. In the back of my mind I could hear Maggie's and Penny's voices telling me how I should use my better judgment and trust in my instincts. I knew Jules better than most people and I trusted her like few friends that I've ever had. I knew that anything I told her in confidence would be held in trust and kept secret from anyone else. But I had to make her say it before I could finally relent and give her anything she wanted to hear.

"Jules, you know I love you right?" I began, that caused her to sit up straight and actually lean back away from me as she registered what I had just spoken. A look of what could only be some sort of shock displayed on her face. "I made a solemn promise to the ladies that I would be discrete and not talk about things that I was being taught and what went on in their home..." Again Jules' face began to show disappointment. "But..." Her eyes snapped back to mine and I could imagine her holding her breath. "I think I can trust you if you promise not to tell any of this to anyone else." I couldn't help but to smile a little as both of her eyebrows shot up and her eyes opened wider. Jules nodded her head in agreement but I wasn't going to let that be enough. I ducked my head a bit to prompt her for more.

"Jim!" She whined again this time in anticipation. "Fine! I promise!" She barked out.

"Promise to what? " I prodded more.

"You're killing me! UGH! I promise not to speak of this to anyone else! Okay?" Jules growled. "Now tell me what happened!" She pleaded as she scooted over a little closer to me.

I went on to tell her how Michelle and I had both showed up Monday to mow the yard as it had as she knew rained that previous Saturday. After finishing with the mowing we had gone on to continue with our 'lessons' from the ladies. Penny had approached me about an unusual exercise that they, Maggie and she had in mind to work with Michelle. She had explained to me that they were in need my assistance if I were willing to give it. I told Jules how I was literally blown away in the first place but how I was still nervous as all get out too. Of course I had to accept and try, right? Jules sat there as if in a trance and she just nodded her head waiting for me to go on... she had a goofy grin on her face. I went on to tell her about being led to the couch and placed sitting next to Michelle and prompted to kiss her. Too, how Michelle seemed so nervous and almost reluctant but the look in her eye telling me that she wanted to do this as much as I did but was afraid to say it. It was so awkward at first. I told her how soft and timid it seemed at first and then how Michelle seemed to get carried away and felt like she were forcing it or something and how I stopped her and asked her to slow down and relax. Jules sat bolt upright at this mention and gasped.

"You told her to stop?" Jules asked aghast.

"Uh... yeah." I admitted wondering if I had messed up somehow.

"Oh Man! You Stud you!" Jules guffawed before chuckling. Again I was puzzled by her reaction and concerned that I had made a mistake. "Jimbo you got some balls on you man!" Jules giggled. "What did she say or do?" She asked.

"She didn't say anything, but she did look a little sheepish. She slowed down and we kind of got swept up in the moment I guess... the next thing I know the doorbell is ringing and Penny and Maggie are coming out of the kitchen. Funny, I don't even remember them getting up from the couch and leaving the room." I said feeling my face warm as I blushed. Jules giggled sounding more like her usual self as she declared.

"That must have been me ringing the doorbell. Man! I wish I had known you two were all hot and bothered going at it like a couple of teenagers on the couch just a few steps up." Maggie and Penny never let on a bit. Those old foxes! I should say something to them about that." She chuckled, but I was in a near panic hearing that.

"Jules! You promised me!" I pleaded. Jules sighed and reached over and patted my knee again.

"Don't worry Jimbo I won't say a word about it to anyone, even Maggie and Penny." She said reassuringly.

"Especially Maggie and Penny!" I stated still worried a little even as I realized that was just Jules messing with my head again, because she could.

"So is that the day that you got Michelle's phone number?" Jules asked as she leaned back still gripping the edge of the tailgate as she stretched her back and arms releasing some tension.

"No, I just asked her for it today as we were leaving the house and I was coming to work here." I explained before I realized that I would now have to give up some more information. Jules cocked her head questioningly knowing there was more to come and that I realized I had opened up my mouth so now I had to continue. I sighed and told her about my gutter job getting canceled this morning and how I called Maggie and Penny to see if they had time for me to stop by for some more tutoring. I did not tell her how Maggie met me at the door somewhat flustered and disheveled, or how she had basically attacked me after she closed the door. How she practically dragged me downstairs to the apartment and nearly raped me in her haste to scratch an itch that apparently Michelle or Penny or both of them had started before I had arrived at the house. I didn't tell Jules how I suspected that Penny and Michelle had been in the middle of something upstairs that sounded very interesting, at very least, while Maggie had her way with me downstairs. I did tell her that Maggie had quietly prompted me to ask for Michelle's phone number at the end of our 'sessions' and had even slipped me an ink pen with which to write it down with after asking her for it. I rubbed my palm where Michelle had written the number, grinning at the memory of her taking my hand and writing it down herself on my skin.

"So you two weren't kissing again today?" Jules asked.

"Well... Not each other anyway." I let slip quietly knowing I was teasing Jules a little bit again.

"Uh. Okay. I'll stop asking mister Mysterious." Jules chuckled and she slid off the end of my tailgate and turned to stand in front of me crossing her arms and cocking her head to one shoulder as she looked me in the face silently for a moment or two. She dropped her eyes and asked me quietly, almost sheepishly.

"Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?" I asked.

"Earlier, when you said..." Jules swallowed a lump in her throat. "That you loved me." She said and looked up at me through her eyebrows with her head still tilted downward. It struck me then just how much those little words could impact someone else, especially if they weren't used to hearing them even from people who did love and care for them. I wondered just how starved for affection, and well, love that Jules really was. I recalled Maggie telling me how sometimes the boldest people we know are often the most insecure for whatever reason. For all her bluster and show Jules was still at heart a girl, a girl who like most others had her own insecurities and fears even if she hid them better than most. I raised my left leg up and bumped the outside of Jules' right leg giving her a nudge.

"Yeah, I meant it, but if you repeat it to anyone I'll deny it." I grunted and grinned at her sheepishly.

"Asshole!" Jules grunted back and smiled as she swatted my knee yet again and then turned to walk to her car to go home, or wherever she was going. As she got into her car and started it I watched her surreptitiously reach up and wipe her eyes thinking I didn't see it. I smiled and thought to myself I had just witnessed a side of Jules I didn't even imagine before tonight. I closed up my now empty pizza box and put my empty Pepsi bottle in a plastic milk crate I keep in the back of my truck just for trash, then hopped down off my tailgate. Shaking my head at so many changes and events that I've had over the last couple of weeks and days, I turned and closed my tailgate before walking around to climb in the cab.

When I got home to the farm Dad was just going in the house from the back porch. He told me he was surprised to see me home so early on a Friday night. I laughed thinking that I guessed that some might think 11:00PM was early but I had work to do the next day so I couldn't be out all night goofing off. He patted me on my back as he ushered me into the house before closing the door behind us.

The next morning was unseasonably cool, I actually caught a chill dressed in cutoff jeans and a tee shirt while I tended to the animals before breakfast. Once back at the house I opted to change into another pair of jeans instead of shorts. I grabbed some bacon and a couple of pieces of toast and an apple on my way through the kitchen on my way out. Mom told me I should slow down and sit down to eat but Dad told her to let me be as I was working. I gave my mom a kiss on the cheek and smiled at Dad as I headed out for the day.

When I got to Maggie and Penny's house Michelle's car wasn't there yet, it was odd I thought as she always seems to get there before I do. I unloaded my mower and gas can and was pushing towards the back yard when I saw Michelle pull up. I stopped at the edge of the garage as she walked up the slight hill of the front yard to the garage door. Michelle paused at the door looking at me and smiling a little sheepishly and biting her lower lip. She seemed to come to a decision and walked over to me as I stood from filling my mower's gas tank. When I turned to say hi she smiled brightly and said hi back shyly. "Man!" I thought to myself, this is getting weirder and weirder all the time. What happened to that brash bold girl that I thought I never stood a chance of getting to know? Before I could contemplate further though I was shocked when Michelle stood up on her tiptoes and kissed me on the lips with a quick peck. As she settled back to her feet she bit her lower lip again and her eyebrows danced and she tilted her head a bit to one side before she turned and kind of bounced back to go into the garage after the old dinosaur mower. I stood there for, well... honestly I'm not sure how long really but I saw Michelle pushing the mower out of the garage and she looked over at me and smiled and winked at me. After I snapped out of my dreamlike state, I shook my head to clear the fog and smiled as I started my mower and pushed on to start mowing.

As I rounded the side of the garage into the back I saw Penny sitting alone at the Glass topped table with a large mug in her hands, her elbows propped up on the table. She waved with one hand and smiled sweetly. I smiled in return and continued mowing.

I was about halfway finished with the back yard when I noticed that Maggie had joined Penny at the table under the umbrella where they were both shaded from sun. Maggie had on her usual dark stockings of course and some slippers of some kind, along with a dark blue robe with black trim, the collar turned up at her neck hiding what I knew to be an easily spotted hickey had the collar been turned down. Her hair was twisted and pinned in a bun atop her head and her dark sunglasses made it hard to determine her mood as she held her own large mug of something in her delicate hands. Maggie was sitting back in her chair with her legs crossed and her elbows resting on the arms of the chair as she held her mug. I got the distinct impression she was watching my every move, but with the sunglasses on it was hard to tell really. Penny on the other hand was openly gazing in my direction with those big beautiful blue eyes shining. She had a wry grin on her face as she too sat back in her chair now with her legs crossed, those ever present silk slippers idly flipping as if waving to get attention. Penny's robe was a light aqua marine blue with yellow polka dots and yellow trim at the collars and sash. Of course her slippers were the same yellow. The cloud of curly strawberry blond hair on her head bounced and waved with the slight breeze blowing and whenever she moved her head as she talked softly with Maggie.

As I neared finishing with mowing the back yard I saw the ladies get up from the table and head inside the house. I pushed my mower around the garage and to my truck to load it up. As I walked up to the garage to go to the kitchen door Michelle met me coming out of the garage.

"Hey." She said stopping and smiling at me. Her hair still pulled into a pony tail and tucked back through her old ball cap. I don't know how really but she somehow made that ratty old grey sweatshirt she was wearing look good, and her faded jeans were, well, it was all I could do to keep from staring. As I took in all of her it crossed my mind that she was headed the wrong direction.

"Hey back at ya. Getting something out of your car?" I asked

"Nah, I gotta take off. I've got family in town for a visit and my folks wanted me to make an appearance at their barbecue today. I just told Penny and Maggie that I'd have to make up a lesson sometime, maybe Monday." She told me standing on one foot with her thumbs hooked in the front pockets of her jeans and kind of swaying back and forth with her head tilted down a little shyly.

"Yeah, they're pretty flexible with the lesson times, or have been. With school starting back up soon though it'll be hard to work things out during the week. Well, for Penny anyway, Maggie's retired now so she'll be around I guess." I offered as I silently wished I could schedule more time with Michelle myself, just standing this close had my heart beating faster. "Uh... are you doing anything Sunday afternoon?" I asked before I realized the words had actually come out of my mouth. Michelle actually stopped swaying for a moment.

"I don't think so, you think the ladies might let me come by tomorrow?" She asked. My face faltered as I realized that Michelle thought I was still talking about her lessons. I guess it must have shown on my faces as she her eyes suddenly got big.

"Well the probably would but that's not what I meant... Uh... I thought that maybe if you had time, that maybe you... Uh... You might like to see a movie or... something like that..." I trailed off uncertain if I just wanted to run screaming for sounding so goofy or just faint dead away and fall over and pretend to have a stroke or something. Michelle started swaying again and her head tilted to one shoulder as she smiled brightly, those blue green eyes sparkling with those golden flecks looking like fireworks.

"Why Jim! Are you asking me out on a date?" She asked coyly raising one eyebrow and biting her lower lip, while giving me an impish grin.

"I guess if you say yes then it might be... If not then I guess it was a stupid idea and a mistake..." I said and swallowed silently chanting "Say yes... Say yes... Say yes... Say yes..." Michelle just stood there swaying and continued that impish grin as she made me sweat out the wait. I think all women do these things to guys, they must relish the power they have over us... keep us dangling on a string, like cats toying with a mouse. This mouse was ready to bolt though.

"Honestly I'd much rather go to a movie than sit around listening to vacation stories from my Uncle Roy... I'll see what I can do. Call me tonight after ten and I'll let you know then. Okay?" she asked.

"Okay, after ten tonight. I can do that." I told her grinning sheepishly as I realized that she didn't say no anyway. It was kind of more like a "Maybe." Michelle said that was great and took two steps closer to me and bounced up on her toes again and gave me another quick peck on the lips before skipping off down the drive to her car. She turned and waved at me then got in and was soon driving off. I realized that I was still standing at the entrance to the garage with one hand to my face, my fingers feeling my lips that Michelle had just kissed, for a second time today. Both kisses had been her doing, and not prompted. Wow! As I turned still in this dreamlike state to start again towards the kitchen door inside the garage I saw Penny standing behind the screen door leaning against the door jamb with her arms folded over her abdomen as if holding her robe closed. She had a soft smile on her face as she watched me approaching the door.

"So Michelle told you that she had to attend to a family matter today and wouldn't be here for her lessons." Penny stated as she stood up straight and opened the screen door for me.

"Yeah..." I breathed out still stunned by the unexpected kiss, as I stepped through the doorway into the kitchen. Penny tapped the remote switch to close the garage door then closed the kitchen door to the garage.

"Jim darling, why don't you go have a shower. When you've dressed Maggie asked to see you in her room for today's exercise." Penny said as she rubbed a hand on my right forearm ushering me towards the hallway and the bathroom. "And Jim... you need to pay close attention to Maggie today, this lesson is very important. Important for you to learn... and for Maggie, personally. I'm afraid I can't explain it further, but I'm sure you will understand. Trust your instincts, they haven't failed you yet." Penny added cryptically in a very soft voice that bordered on a whisper. I was puzzled by what she meant but was instantly on guard as it seemed to me that she was trying to tell me something important but not wanting anyone else to hear it. Stranger and stranger.

I walked down the hallway and into the bathroom where I kicked off my sneakers and disrobed from my jeans and tee shirt. Socks, shirt and briefs all I rolled up and set them atop my folded jeans on the toilet seat cover. After a quick shower I wrapped myself in a clean towel and grabbed my shoes and clothes and walked down the hallway to the guest room where I had clean clothes in the dresser. I put on a tee shirt and silk boxers before stuffing my dirty clothes roll into my book bag. Dressed now and still not clear what Penny had tried to tell me in the kitchen earlier I walked down the hallway a few feet to Maggie's room and knocked softly on the closed door. I heard Maggie say to come in so I opened the door and stepped in. She asked me to close the door behind me.

Maggie was sitting in the middle of her bed, her back propped up at the headboard by some pillows. Her dark red silk robe with the black trimmed collar and sleeves was closed and tied with the black sash and covered her to about mid thigh where the tops of her dark silk stockings were just peeking out from underneath the hem. Maggie silky covered legs were crossed at the ankles and her right foot was twirling and twitching idly as she lowered the magazine she was reading and looked over the top of her half framed glasses perched on her long patrician nose. Her lips looked to have been just glossed lightly with a dark plum lipstick. Her long raven hair of course as usual was twisted into a bun and secured with her lacquered chop sticks. Today her fingernails matched her dark red robe and shone as if they were still wet. Maggie patted the bed beside her indicating she wanted me to come have a seat. From the foot of the bed, near the door I walked to the right side of the bed and sat on the edge tucking my left leg under me so I could face her.