Book Club Memories Ch. 05

(Usual Disclaimer Time: All the characters in this story are 18 years old or older, and since we're living in the wide wonderful world of porno-land here, where clichés roam free and things might get a little unrealistic from time to time, please remember it's all in good fun.)

(Author's Note: This story requires a little explanation before we get too deep into it. Book Club Memories is a much-requested spin-off tale from my vaguely epic story Senior Year Memories, taking place between chapters 40 and 41 of that tale. All of you who have read that far in the story will hopefully enjoy the continuation of various storylines, but as for the rest of you, I want to let you know now that it is NOT necessary to be a Senior Year Memories expert to enjoy this story (though it certainly will help for overall enjoyment). I'm doing my best to write it as both a continuation, and a miniseries that will stand on its own for your reading pleasure. As we're wrapping things up, this one's a little more lore-heavy than usual, but I try to provide all appropriate context. I hope you all enjoy!

Further, I would like to thank the readers whose votes helped determine some of the action that did (and didn't) happen in this story. As always, I want to give special thanks to fellow Literotica author Lil_kitty for her excellent work as my editor and acting as a second set of eyes on this chapter, and for letting me know what did and didn't work; if you get a chance, please check out her work and drop some stars if you enjoyed, she writes some very hot and fun stories.)

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SUNDAY AFTERNOON

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I consider myself pretty fortunate in life that I haven't had many people I'd call "enemies". There are some who have antagonized me, or some I worried about being problems, but on a long enough timeline those are the kinds of people who've either faded out of my life, or in some cases actually became some of my closest friends. From the year I'd had so far, I could count Sophie and Rachel and Peter as people I thought would be problems, and were now among those I held near and dear.

Unfortunately, just because I haven't had many enemies in life, didn't mean I had none, and by this point in my senior year I hadn't had a greater foe than Kyle Bowman.

Kyle *fucking* Bowman.

Kyle Bowman with his charmed life, wealthy family, decent looks and almost as decent football skills (by our school's standards, anyway). Kyle Bowman who liked to make sure that everybody knew their place and stayed in it, and had chosen me as his personal punching bag for years. Kyle Bowman who had me scared into doing his homework for god only knew how long, before I said no, and he cold-cocked me and briefly put me in the hospital.

I was just starting to understand how I wanted to live my life when this asshole tried to take it away from me... and he would've gotten away with it, too, if I didn't have some great friends in my corner.

I'd gotten my revenge on Kyle and gotten him expelled from school the night he was declared Homecoming King, and for a while, it seemed like that would be the end of it.

I knew that Kyle wouldn't be the only "enemy" I'd ever have in life, and he wasn't, but I thought I might be able to make it through this year without anyone else resembling trouble.

And then, in the past weeks, I'd started finding cookie trays at my house addressed to "The Collins Men" from Kyle's mom, Karen Bowman, and hearing about how she was throwing her weight around trying to get Kyle back at Regan Hills High School. What she wanted from me to make this happen was something I didn't have the slightest clue about, but it didn't seem like she was giving up over my complete lack of response to her efforts at sending an olive branch.

I'd hoped that this seemingly inevitable confrontation with her could be put off... well, forever certainly would've been nice, but with our mutual attendance at the Book Club retreat, it was now an unavoidable certainty.

So, rather than hide away for the rest of the weekend and hope this would all blow over, I sucked it up and pulled myself together after my sex with Ana and Brandy, grabbing a quick shower and doing a little intel gathering with the other ladies from the retreat.

The opinions I got on Mrs. Karen Bowman were... well, mixed, to say the least.

From Viola: "She's not that bad once you get to know her... but it's an effort to get to know her. But once you do, she can be a good friend once you get her to get over herself."

From Lauren: "She can be fun after a lot of wine. A *lot* of wine. Just don't start talking politics with her."

From Valerie: "I mean, she's not the first woman I'd have chosen to party with if I didn't know her... but I do know her now, and that bitch knows how to party. Just don't get her started on anything that gets her blood up, and she's a lot of fun."

From Erika: "Pass."

From Ana: "I mean... *I* like her. Most of the time, anyways. She can get really opinionated and bitchy... but who hasn't?"

From Wanda: "If that bitch threatens one more program at this school... well, I wouldn't be surprised if there was an accident or two at the Bowman house."

I knew Wanda Harker well enough that she was just blowing off steam and wouldn't actually make good on threats like that, but still, it didn't exactly put me in the best mood going into my planned meeting with Karen.

This was supposed to be a weekend of fun and relaxation and consequence-free debauchery with a whole bunch of stacked MILFs, and suddenly having to worry about a woman who wielded power around town and school and had every reason to have it out for me... well, that was hardly fun.

Still, this wasn't something I could hide from, and if I had to prepare for war, I was going to prepare for war. I searched through my bag and got one of my cleaner t-shirts, some decent underwear, and my best remaining pair of shorts. It was hardly formal clothing, but I hadn't planned on wearing much this weekend, and if Karen Bowman was going to have a problem with it, well, she was going to have a problem with it.

She wanted to meet me in the house's office at a specific time, but not wanting to give her the advantage to prepare, I found out what bedroom she'd be staying in (naturally she demanded a room to herself this weekend), and sought to confront her there.

Was it mean to try to purposefully throw her off her game and take away whatever advantage she had from setting the meeting place? Maybe, but I was pretty sure at least Sun Tzu would be a little proud of me. You know, if he were alive, and cared about the sex-filled and soap opera-esque lives of those in the town of Regan Hills, California.

And so, while most of the women of the house were still occupied by whatever fun they sought out of the retreat, I made my way to Karen Bowman's bedroom before she could set the terms of engagement. With moans still audible in the distance from the other women bringing a distinct smirk to my face, I crept down the hallway toward Karen Bowman's room, and found the door closed.

A promising development.

Craning my neck to the door, I heard someone moving around inside, and even a faint humming in a voice I didn't recognize.

Here she was.

Taking a breath, I steadied my hand, and knocked.

"Go away!" the woman's voice on the other side of the door demanded, impatient and angry.

I was taken aback for a moment, but didn't let this surprise me for too long. Kyle was always an impatient asshole, and to see where he got it from, well, that made some sense.

I knocked again, more insistently this time.

"Go away! What are you, deaf?" she yelled again, more venomous than last time.

Yeah, that seemed about right. Still, this was a day I was going to seize, and I wasn't going to let this bitch ruin it for me.

I knocked again, and this time I didn't stop, rapping more insistently at the door so that she couldn't simply ignore me.

"Really? Is that how we're fucking doing this?" she grumbled, before the sound of insistent footsteps made their way toward me.

I braced for impact, and wasn't disappointed when she practically slammed into the door before pulling it open with enough force that I was impressed she didn't pull it off its hinges.

With a look of pure spite on her face, she spat, "This had better be goo-"

And that was when Karen Bowman stopped to take me in. She had to look up to meet my gaze, but then her eyes shot over me quickly, not looking terribly impressed for a second, but even she couldn't help but look down to check my bulge, no doubt wanting to confirm the stories her friends had told. I wasn't hard yet, but if I had to look at her any longer, I didn't doubt that that could change.

She wasn't the only one here taking in the person standing across from them, and as my eyes rolled over her, I was forced to admit that, to her favor, there was a fair bit to take in.

For a woman of 41, Karen didn't look half bad, even if she probably did absorb slightly too much sun. A fit 5'5" and packed into a tight yet modest and comfortable red dress and matching heels that showed off just how fit she was, she was fairly well put together. Her long, wavy blonde hair fell about her shoulders and was clearly well taken care of, while her gorgeous face had slightly too much makeup to highlight her existing features. Her blue eyes were clever and quick to take any opportunity, and her pink lips, while full and no doubt soft, looked on the verge of spitting acid at me over the slightest provocation. This was a woman that I could tell you'd be better off not crossing, and that I had made what most would consider a tactical error by coming here the way I had... but rather than be scared off, I stood my ground and continued taking in the full picture.

And what a picture it was.

Her widened hips led to a round, bubble butt that even I could see from this angle, while her chest... well, it had a way of holding your attention. Though she had clearly chosen this dress for its modesty, there was very little hiding the fact that she had an impressive set of DDD-cup tits, with a fair bit of cleavage visible even with the more conservative cut of this dress. I'd caught her off guard, so I knew this dress wasn't for my benefit, but while she still wore this... yeah, I was going to enjoy the view.

I had to admit that she was pretty much what I expected, at least the part of her that looked like a modern equivalent of a 50s housewife. That this 50s housewife looked like she also moonlighted as a porn star... well, score one more point for the uncommonly beautiful/stacked women of Regan Hills.

We only stood in the doorway looking at each other for a couple seconds, but by the time we'd gotten the run of each other, Karen's attitude changed quickly. The venomous scowl on her face was overtaken by one of the biggest, fakest smiles I had ever seen as her tone suddenly became sweet and motherly.

"Well, you must be Ryan Collins!" Karen said, positively beaming.

"And you must be Kyle's mom," I said, giving a half-assed, sarcastic bow. "Charmed."

Not even a flicker to her smile. I had to give it to her, she was pretty good at this bitch in sheep's clothing act.

"The pleasure is all mine, I assure you," Karen replied. "There must have been a miscommunication, I wanted to meet you at-"

I couldn't let her keep control of this meeting, so I interrupted her. "Well, I'm ready now, so, if you want to talk, let's talk."

This approach seemed to take her aback, as she hardly knew what to do with herself as I slipped past her, then sat down on her bed. I made sure to be quick and decisive to throw off whatever strategy she had in mind, because I knew that I wasn't going to win this with words alone; Karen had been manipulating people for a long time, and I knew if I played her game by her rules, there was no way she wouldn't get everything she wanted.

Karen stood by the doorway for a moment, thoroughly confused, before closing the door and approaching me.

She looked me over briefly, then smirked slightly. "I see you must be having an... *entertaining* weekend? My friends can certainly be accommodating, and with a strapping young man like yourself around-"

I interrupted her again, "You and I both know I'm hardly 'strapping', and the flattery is pretty obvious. Let's be honest: flattery doesn't suit you. If there's something you want to talk about, let's talk plainly and get this over with; I've got better things to do."

The smile faded from her face, only slightly, but that cocky little smirk remained. "You want to pretend we can discuss this matter like equals, fine. Let's talk."

Karen strolled over toward me confidently in her high heels, taking advantage of the height disparity that came with me sitting down to tower over me. Surely, she must have enjoyed this, because her tone was positively arrogant as she continued.

"I trust that you and your father have been enjoying my cookie trays?" Karen began.

"Yeah," I said. "They're alright."

"Oh, please, I'm a much better baker than 'alright'," she scoffed. "I can give that bitch Martha Stewart a run for her money with my cookies."

"Well, get me some of hers and I'll compare," I replied.

Karen was undeterred. "So, you've been enjoying my cookies, and not once have either of you attempted to contact me? Not even to return the trays?"

I shrugged. "My father's a busy man."

"And you?" she asked. "You couldn't take a few minutes to call me back?"

I shrugged again. "I'm a busy... teenager."

With the number of girls I was having sex with, this wasn't a lie. And it saved me from admitting that I threw away all the cards she'd written her number on.

"I'm sure you are," Karen continued, looking thoroughly smug. "You know, your activities around this school are hardly a secret? I know exactly what kind of a *busy* year you've been having, Mr. Collins."

Without thinking, I joked, "So does Kyle."

It was impressive how little this remark registered on Karen's face, though I swear I could see a light behind her eyes fucking explode at the comment. It's very likely that I crossed a line there, but, well, Kyle crossed it first, so I didn't feel *that* much guilt over it.

Karen continued, "Kyle has had... an admittedly difficult year. The overblown accusations that led to his exile-"

"Overblown accusations?" I laughed coldly. "I was in the fucking hosp-"

Now it was her turn to interrupt me. "-were a dark mark on my son's record, but he will recover. After continuing his education at the St. Hubbins Institute for Tremendous Youths, he has more than made up for the hit his grades took after those indiscretions damaged his reputation."

That school name sounded familiar. "The St. Hubbins Institute? Isn't that the place where rich families send their embarrassments hoping that everyone will forget what they did?"

Karen looked scandalized, puffing herself up impressively. "The Institute is a place of fine learning for young men who have had their reputations damaged by overzealous systems and misguided accusations, and Kyle has distinguished himself there."

That didn't sound like the Kyle I knew, but considering that this was likely a place where you could buy whatever grades you wanted for your embarrassing offspring, this didn't surprise me at all.

"Well, good for him then," I said, making it clear in my tone that I couldn't give a rat's ass about how well he was or wasn't doing. "So, why do I think this is all going to circle around to me and those cookies again?"

"Because you're an astute and intelligent young man who knows how to read a situation," Karen replied.

I shook my head. "Remember what I said about flattery?"

Quickly, her smile completely disappeared. "Fine, you want me to talk plainly? I'll talk plainly. After negotiations with Principal Carpenter and other people in a position to make the necessary arrangements, I've created circumstances where Kyle can return to Regan Hills High School, and all of the unpleasantness of these past few months can be forgotten."

This was about where the cold sweat began, and it would be a while yet before it stopped. To my credit, I didn't let the shaking get too out of control, but fear began to overtake me rapidly at the very thought of Kyle returning to school.

"That sounds like something you'd do," I said.

"That's something *any* good mother would do, and believe me, Ryan... I'm an *exceptional* mother when it comes to protecting my children from anyone who would try to make their lives anything less than they deserve," Karen said, proudly. "If you fuck with them, believe me, I will fucking destroy you with a thousand times the burning rage you unleashed upon them."

I didn't doubt this about her. I didn't doubt this at all. Looking at her now, I could see a coldness to her that I knew well from her son, and I suddenly found myself fearing her almost as much as I feared him. Rationally, I probably should have feared her more, because this was a woman with power and influence, and there was little that I could do to fight against a power like that.

And yet...

Maybe I had had more experience and confidence in the months since Kyle's banishment, but I felt like there might be a chance that if I stuck around, this was something that I could still turn to my favor. I wasn't confident that I could take Karen Bowman, but I had a nagging voice in the back of my mind that this might be possible if I just waited for the right moment.

I said, "Again, I ask... what do you want from *me*?"

Karen placed her hands in her lap and continued confidently. "As I said, I've arranged matters with Principal Carpenter and all other people who have a say in the matter for Kyle to make his return... but much of that decision apparently hinges upon you. It's apparently rather well-known what Kyle did to you, and what you did to him (which, strictly speaking, you should have gotten in a lot of trouble for), and your forgiveness is rather important for his redemption. If you will sign a letter forgiving Kyle, and explaining how this was all a misunderstanding that got out of hand, we can return the status quo, and life will be ready to get back to normal..."

I felt like I was on a roller coaster about to drop over the edge of a long hill, and I knew this wasn't the end of it from her. "Why do I sense a 'but' coming along?"

Karen laughed, lightly. Under better circumstances, it would have sounded pleasant and polite, but here it felt downright threatening.

"Oh, there's no 'but' to this conversation, Mr. Collins..." she said, before looking over my shoulder to the window outside and smiling blandly. "Though I do have plenty that I can hold over both you and the people you hold dear that I think will make you think hard on whether or not you've got the stomach to say no to me."

If she thought that this might inspire more cold fear inside of me, she would have been surprised. Hell, I was surprised by the hot anger that grew inside of me; I'd grown up pretty well used to threats and bullying, but turn it on anyone I cared about and suddenly I saw red.

Karen was clearly unaware of my change in temperament, continuing on. "I have sway at the school... and I'm sure you've heard that I've been a thorn in the side of Wanda Harker's aspirations for a spring play? Right now, I've got a say in what the show is, but make this difficult for me and I can ensure that those pitiful little drama geeks and their blow-up doll of a teacher don't have a play at all this year. I can raise all sorts of troubles around the curriculum to make things difficult for, well, pretty much every teacher in school, and any students who love their classes for that matter... and you're a part of the school paper, aren't you? Wouldn't it be a shame if someone argued that the school doesn't actually *need* a student newspaper, and that that money would be better spent on getting the football team some new uniforms or athletic cups or whatever?"