Bringing the 'A' Game

"You mean people like Jane?"

Mrs. Gresham shrugged her shoulders, "Just because you loved each other in high school doesn't mean you should spend your lives together. At the same time your first true love is nothing to be trifled with."

"Does she know about all of this?"

"I don't think anyone has told her, but she's not a dumb girl. We are getting away from the point though. You take work seriously, and you take school seriously. You need to take friendship seriously as well. Do you understand?"

"I think so."

"You have to work at friendship. It's not always easy."

Jane was sitting on a concrete bench in the shade of the front porch when her mother returned with Billy. As they got out of the car, she searched their faces for some sign of what they had been discussing.

"Is everything alright?" She asked.

"Yea, everything is fine," Billy replied. "Where's Chad?"

"I dropped him off at the airport this morning."

"Aren't you going back?"

"I have some important stuff to take care of. Do you want to talk here or in your camper?"

"The camper is going to be too hot."

Jane took Billy's hand and led him into the theater room. She sat in the love seat and said, "Sit here next to me." Billy obliged.

"Before I try to explain why I invited Chad, I want to tell you how feel about you, me and the two of us."

She took a deep breath, "When I'm with you I feel good about myself. When I visit you at your camper I feel like I'm visiting Thoreau in his little cabin at Walden pond. You're living deliberately, and I get to breathe that deliberate air. We do things together that make me proud of myself. I don't think I've ever been more proud of myself than the night we saved Bob. It destroyed my plans for the evening, but I felt like a hero. And when you were getting all 'C's in school I felt like we were pulling off a grand caper. You make me feel like a meaningful person, and I like that feeling. I want it all the time."

"...and Chad?" Billy asked.

"Chad is just the campus Casanova who had me pegged as a conquest. He's probably telling anyone who will listen how crappy I am in the sack."

"Did you sleep with him?"

"Of course not. He was smooth on the outside and yucky everywhere else."

"Why the hell did you bring him home?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time. He wanted me, and I was flattered. Plus you hadn't been writing as much, and I thought it might make you a little jealous. Anyway, it was a mistake. I'm sorry." Jane gave him a weak smile then looked down apologetically.

"If you bring every guy that wants you home your parents are going to have a lot of company. You should take a page out of Thoreau's book and be more deliberate."

"Living deliberately isn't as easy as it sounds."

Billy conceded the point, then ran his fingers through her hair. "Would you like to know how I feel when I'm around you?"

Jane gave a hopeful smile.

"For the most part, my life is just a grind. I ride my bike to work at 3:30 in the morning. I work until 8:00 when I ride in to school. I sit at the back of my classes and guzzle coffee to stay awake. I study until 5:00, when I ride home, heat some food, and I try to get to bed by 8:00."

"When you opened the door yesterday it was like the sun broke through the clouds for the first time in months. It was like I saw colors for the first time. I would give anything to see those colors all the time. I would give anything to see you everyday again."

"Anything?" she asked.

"Anything!"

Jane gave a cruel laugh, "That could cost you."

Billy leaned over and kissed her on the lips. Jane kissed back, so he pulled her closer. Their tongues swam together, mingling and probing while their hands performed a similar dance on the surface of their skin.

Billy broke the embrace to ask, "Don't you have some important stuff to take care of?"

Jane smiled and said, "I'm working on it." She then reached her hand behind his head and pushed his lips toward hers.

Eventually Mr. Gresham opened the door and turned on the lights, "There you are! I've been looking all over for you."

"Sorry dad, we were just getting reacquainted."

"Your mom wants to know if Billy can stay for dinner."

"I would love to."

"It's just leftovers."

"From last night?"

"Yes."

"In that case I'm definitely staying for dinner."

"Smart lad," concluded Mr. Gresham. He closed the door, but left the lights on.

Billy leaned back in the love seat and stared at the ceiling. "Your mom told me some interesting stuff this afternoon." He then gave Jane the abridged version.

Jane responded, "Well that explains why your math teacher made such of fuss about the odds of getting exactly 75% on every assignment."

"I thought I was clever, but I guess I could have been smarter. I should have asked for help."

Jane threaded her fingers between his. "Maybe you took the road less traveled."

Billy smiled, "And that has made all the difference." He leaned in and kissed her again.

Dinner was less formal than the night before, but every bit as good.

Jane started the conversation, "Daddy, what would you think if I transferred to the local community college?"

Mr. Gresham looked from Jane to Mrs. Gresham and back while he finished chewing his food, "You can go to school wherever you want as long as you apply yourself. It's only when you slack off that I get angry."

Jane looked to her mother.

"I think your father has said it." She said.

They ate in silence for a few moments, then Billy asked, "Do you think I should move out of the camper?"

Mr. and Mrs. Gresham exchanged glances. Asking for advice was new from Billy.

Mrs. Gresham was amused by the course of the conversation. Evidently, the battle for Jane had been decided.

Mr. Gresham said, "You've been making good choices so far, why doubt yourself now?"

"I just wonder if I'm using all my resources. Maybe I could learn some things the easy way."

Mr. Gresham paused and thought about the time that he had spent with his father as a young adult. He thought about hunting and fishing trips, but more important were the trips to the hardware store and the time spent fixing the washing machine and the car. Billy had missed all of that.

Mr. Gresham pondered conversations they might have. They could talk about apartments vs. houses, renting vs. leasing, and living alone vs. having roommates. They could talk about insurance, car payments, loans and credit cards. They could talk about the importance of separating colors from whites, how to tell if hamburger had gone bad, and how to drink responsibly. But right now there was only one conversation he needed to have with Billy.

"I understand you had a conversation with Mrs. Gresham this afternoon," said Mr. Gresham as he guided Billy through the house and led him into his study.

"As awkward as this is, I suppose I'm the only one that can have this conversation with you, and I believe we need to have it sooner rather than later." Mr. Gresham open the drawer to his desk and pulled out a 12-pack of condoms.

"You know what these are?"

Billy gave an embarrassed smile and said "Yes, sir."

"Be sure that you use them. You can get into a heap of trouble in no time if you don't."

Billy took the condoms and turned to leave.

"Wait, that isn't what I have to say."

Billy was embarrassed, but he imagined that Mr. Gresham was embarrassed too. He looked Mr. Gresham in the eye.

Mr. Gresham paused then continued, "The first time you're with a woman it will be tempting to just jump on her and start banging away. Try not to do that. It's better if you try to please her instead of pleasing yourself. Does that make any sense to you?"

Billy nodded. He appreciated what Mr. Gresham was trying to do, but the conversation was simply too uncomfortable.

"Pay attention to her and how she reacts to what you do. I'm going to warn you, this is a lot harder than it sounds, especially in the beginning, but it's the best advice I have for you."

Billy was thoroughly embarrassed. He was relieved that Mr. Gresham let it go at that.

After the kids had left for Billy's camper Mr. Gresham found Mrs. Gresham reading a book with the TV off.

"How was your conversation with Billy?" she asked without looking up.

"About as awkward and uncomfortable as possible. But I think it was a good investment for our daughter." He lifted his wife's foot from the ottoman, sat down and started to massage it.

She smiled. He now had her full attention.

Bob shambled out of the back door as soon as he heard Jane's car come to a stop. "Hey you two," he called.

"Hey Bob, we've got a present for you. You like guacamole don't you?" Billy held out Chad's guacamole and chips.

"I surely do. I've got something for you too." Bob held out a letter for Billy.

Bob hugged Jane, "I sure did miss you."

"I bet you say that to all the girls."

Billy opened up the camper and straightened up a bit while Jane and Bob talked. Hit lit a couple of candles that he'd waited three months to use and closed the curtains as well as he could. He emptied his pockets into a drawer, rediscovering the letter. It was from his mother. He propped it up behind the sink, sat down and regarded it.

"Are you alright?" Jane asked as she came through the door. She squeezed in next to Billy and ran her finger around the edge of his ear while she waited for him to answer.

"The letter is from my mom." Billy stared across the table at it.

"What did she say." Jane looked at the side of Billy's face.

For a few moments Billy was lost to her, then he turned his head, "I haven't opened it yet. I've waited two years for her; she can wait one night for me." Billy took Jane's face in his hands and drew it in. He kissed her firmly on the lips, then kissed her again and again. He stopped and said, "Would you mind turning off the lights?"

She stood to reach the switch, and he followed her out of the little dinette. He was standing when she turned to sit back down. He ran the back of if fingertips along the lines of her face, down her neck and along her arms to her fingertips. They laced fingers as their lips touched. They kissed lightly at first then more passionately as their tongues penetrated through their accepting lips.

Billy released her hands to place his at the small of her back. He pulled her in close, pressing his erection against her as he moved his hips from side to side.

Jane grabbed Billy's butt with her hands and pulled him hard into her body. She pressed her lips against his ear and asked, "Are you going to take me?"

"I'm going to take everything."

"Take me now," she purred into his ear.

"But I need to know what you want me to do to you," he said as he pushed with his hips.

"Everything."

"Do you want me to suck on your breasts?"

"Yes."

"Tell me."

"No, you have to undress me first."

"Do you mean like this?" Billy asked as he slowly worked the top button of her blouse. Once he had the button undone he kissed the newly exposed flesh while blindly working on the next button. He repeated the process down to her skirt.

Jane held his head against her chest with her hands. "That is pretty good, but I think you can do better."

Billy reached the bottom button and pulled her blouse up from her skirt. He laid the blouse on top of the schoolbooks on the table. He then reached behind Jane's back and unhooked her bra. He slid it off of her shoulders and placed it on the blouse.

Her breasts were spectacular. They were the size of oranges and they appeared to float on her chest unaffected by gravity. Her pink nipples were large and hard.

He lightly licked then kissed the right nipple. "Tell me now," he whispered while playing with her nipple.

Jane's head was back, and her eyes were closed. She let Billy play for a moment before she said, "I don't think you're ready for my full breast. You need more time with just the nipple."

Billy could hardly contain himself. He knew Jane would play, but he hadn't expected this. His cock ached to be inside her, but his mind was more interested in the next tease and the next denial. His mind prevailed with the knowledge that eventual release was assured.

He nibbled at her right nipple, then circled it with his tongue. Meanwhile he fondled her left breast with his right hand. Gradually he took more and more of her breast into his mouth. He pushed to see how much she would let him get away with.

Eventually, she broke the flow. "Stop. Stop. You are being very bad." Jane spoke as if she was the Queen of Hearts in command of Alice. "You need to be punished," she said as she guided Billy up by the chin.

Once up, she pulled off his shirt. Billy was thin and sinewy. His muscles were small but well defined and there was no fat to be seen. Billy's thinness was accented by large, deep-purple bruises at his ribs. He recoiled when she touched one of them.

"Oh my god," she said, "Let's see the rest of you." Jane unbuttoned Billy's pants and slid them off with his underwear. He was naked before her. She had him turn around, and she took her time soaking him in. His legs were covered in bruises to match his ribs, and his cock pointed to the heavens.

Jane was shocked by how badly beaten Billy's body was. Anything but the most gentle sex would clearly be painful. She gently pushed him down and said, "I think you've been punished enough for one weekend. Maybe you are ready now." She crawled in on top of him. The nipple of her left breast dangled just above his lips. She rested her hand on his leg, just below his erect penis, which throbbed in anticipation. She teased it by softly stroking his leg and occasionally brushing his pubic hair.

She dipped down and let Billy take her buoyant breast in his mouth, and then raised herself up and made him fight for it. When he fought too hard she raked her fingernail up the length of his stiff shaft - he would briefly shudder and then collapse.

Billy counter-attacked by running his hand up her inner thigh towards her pussy and then veering off to one side or the other. His attempts at teasing were overcome by his desire to touch her. He soon had his hand in her panties with his middle finger deep in her wetness.

"Do you want me to suck on your cock?"

"Yes, please."

"You have to ask me."

"Please suck on my cock."

"What will you do for me?"

"I think maybe you have something in mind?"

"You have to make an offer. What will you do for me?"

"Would you like me to suck on you?" Billy was out of his depth. He had a vague idea what she wanted but nothing more.

Jane turned off the tease long enough to get Billy back in the game. She took off her skirt and panties and spread her legs in front of him. She gave him a short course in clitoral and vaginal stimulation. "It is really easy to be too rough, so take is slowly okay?"

Billy took a few moments to study her body. He slowly caressed her and touched each part she had named, the labia, vagina, clitoris and its hood.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"This doesn't seem like a fair deal to me. I've got just one cock for you to suck. You've got all these parts for me to attend to." As he spoke his finger slowly explored the inside of her vagina. There was a firm bit behind the clitoris that was interesting.

"Yes, but your cock is so much bigger than any of my parts." She had wrapped her fingers around his cock and was slowly moving her hand up and down its length. She was keenly aware that Billy had found a sweet spot inside of her. She was starting to lose control, so she tried to distract him by stroking faster and squeezing harder.

Billy noticed her change of focus which morphed into a lack of focus. He took the initiative and began to ramp up the intensity on the firm bit in her vagina. Her hand stopped moving on his shaft. Her head tipped back, and she started to breath more rapidly. All the while, his finger circled on the firm bit inside of her.

"You don't like this do you?" he whispered into her ear. His finger pressed firmly against her.

She didn't reply.

"You want me to stop don't you?" He lightened the touch of his finger.

Her eyes opened and looked at him in mock terror.

"You would do anything for me to stop, but you can't. You have lost control." He pressed more firmly again.

Her eyes closed again.

"There is nothing you can do."

Her body was convulsing in shallow waves.

"You are mine now."

Billy pressed his finger deeper and harder.

"OH FUCK ME." she yelled. Her body tensed and held firm for a few moments. Then she relaxed, and her focus then returned to him.

It was disturbing, but Billy couldn't help but think that her father would have been proud of him.

"You have been very bad." she said. She had a firm grip on his cock and had moved her pussy out of his reach. She began to move her hand up and down his shaft.

Billy watched her face and her hand in motion.

Jane dipped down and kissed the tip of his penis. "You didn't kiss me did you?"

Billy shook his head.

She dipped down again and lightly nibbled at his foreskin. "You didn't bite me did you?"

Billy tried to relax.

She dipped down again and took him in her mouth. "You didn't..."

Before she could finish Billy interrupted. "Wow, wow, stop. I don't want to go like this. I want to be inside you."

He got off the bed, got one of the condoms Mr. Gresham had given him and put it on.

"I thought you would use that condom." Jane pointed to the condom framed with the greeting card on the wall.

"That has too much sentimental value. Your dad gave me this one."

"My dad gave you a condom?"

"Twelve condoms."

Jane was bemused.

"Do you want to hear what he said to me?"

"I'm not sure."

Billy climbed back into bed. "He said that I would be happiest if I focused on making my partner happy."

"He must really like you," she said.

"Maybe, but I'm certain he would do anything for you."

Jane smiled, "That reminds me of someone else I know." She kissed him on the lips as he slid inside her. A few quick thrusts later and Billy was as happy as he'd ever been.

Jane looked through a break in the drapes at the dead weeds in the yard. She thought about Billy's insane schedule, the letter from Billy's mother, and what it would be like to live in the camper. She thought about her sorority sisters and how dropping out of college would affect her education. She wondered what it was like to grow up with nothing. She wondered if she had the strength she would need to live with the choices she was making now.

Billy touched her on the arm. "I'm very proud of you."

She turned to face him. "Why."

"Most people in your position would have picked the easy path. They would have chosen Chad."

"By choosing you I've picked the hard path?" She asked.

"It's not that you've chosen me. You've chosen to live deliberately."

Was there a life more meaningful than that of country clubs and luxury cars? Jane didn't know, but together with Billy, she was going to find out.