Pyrotechnic

"Oh, I like macaroni salad just fine." Syn said. "And one sandwich."

"I've got tuna and chicken salad, unless you'd prefer peanut butter and jelly."

"Tuna salad's fine, Jean."

While Jeanmarie fixed their sandwiches and poured two glasses of lemonade, Synnove Ersson watched the middle aged woman intently. A profound dignified elegance exuded from Jeanmarie. Splashes of watercolor pink and blue flowers populating the music teacher's lovely dress went well with her coppery, dark chestnut hair, swept up in a fat sock bun. Syn wished she could style her hair the same way, but it took so much work--and too many hairpins! She often wondered how Jeanmarie managed it on her own.

POPPOPOPOPOPOPOPOP!!

Jeanmarie brought everything to the table. She returned to the fridge and refilled her glass, sighing in exasperation. "Someone's at it again." Syn laughed.

"Shut that window, dear. There's an air conditioner upstairs, but I think we'll be fine with this fan turned on." Syn didn't notice the turquoise colored box fan perched and tilted on a stand in the corner near the door. Jeanmarie turned the thing on, and joined her young guest at the table. While they ate, the room was filled with the droning lull of the fan motor. "I'll just give you this one, if you like." Jeanmarie said between bites of her sandwich. "It's one of my old classroom fans and I have another just like it in the other room."

"Thanks, Jean, you're a lifesaver!" Syn gushed.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll thank me later somehow." Jeanmarie said. Her face flushed with sudden unbearable heat when she realized what that must've sounded like. "I mean...the Fourth. Something's usually bound to come up; something unforeseen."

"It's okay, I know what you mean." Syn reassured her friend. "But I wouldn't worry. The kids sounded great. Even Pastor Bales said they sounded perfect."

"Maybe I'm overthinking things."

"A little too much." Syn said. "Just relax. At least you're not in charge of the barbecue!"

When they finished eating, they moved to the living room. This room, like the kitchen, was spacious and fastidiously tidy. A few minutes later, Syn excused herself to use the bathroom. "Would you like another glass of lemonade, dear?" Jeanmarie's voice floated at the girl from the kitchen. "Yes please." She said. "This will be another one of our little secrets." The music teacher said as she handed the girl her glass.

Syn took a drink and paused. She held the liquid in her mouth and her eyes narrowed in suspicion for a moment before swallowing. "Wasn't expecting that!"

"Vodka." Jeanmarie said. "Just a little something to make a bright day a little brighter."

"What Pastor Bales doesn't know won't hurt him." The two of them had a laugh over that.

As the two friends sat and talked, the early evening deepened into twilight. Jeanmarie drew the heavy drapes and switched on a lamp.POPPOPOPOPOPOPOPOP!! "Sounds like they're at it again." She said. "And it's terribly hot in here!" She paused, as if trying to think of something to say next. "You know, I've got a lovely piano and an old phonograph in the basement. It's a bit cooler down there. I often go down there to practice and...think."

"Sure, why not? Mind if I use the bathroom again?"

"Of course; you go right on ahead."

Synnove lingered in the bathroom after washing her hands, staring at her reflection in the mirror. The diminutive brunette's fay features and large walnut eyes drew attention to her natural berry red lips, lightly pursed together. She too, had a quiet and dignified elegance in her youth. Her shorts and strawberry print t-shirt made her look deceptively innocent and a little naïve though she'd already been in the teaching game for a handful of years now.

She was no stranger to Jeanmarie's house, having been here numerous times before. But somehow this visit seemed different. She bit her lip, affecting a demure expression in the mirror, and the faintest hint of a smile struggled to fight its way through. "I think Jean wants something to happen. You think so too, don't you?" She murmured at the glass. "But she's afraid, I think. She's afraid of someone finding out."

Syn shuddered, feeling a sudden wave of shrillness piercing the space between her legs. She reached down and tugged at the crotch of her shorts, trying to distract herself. The prospect of joining Jeanmarie Hollem in the basement on the end of a glass or two of spiked lemonade felt strange and exciting. Though Syn joked around with her students and Sunday school kids, she was often just as serious as she was fun. She had to be. It was all part of maintaining order in the classroom; something Jeanmarie taught her repeatedly during her time student teaching at Fisk.

The plucky sound of fingers nimbly dancing across the keys of a piano floated up from somewhere below. Syn cocked her head slightly toward the wall, listening.Sounds familiar... Sounds of a bright refrain tinkled and mixed with the muffled pops and cracks of distant fireworks somewhere outside. The girl left the bathroom and headed for the basement.Ah, I know that song!

Jeanmarie sat at the piano playing away and looking, for all intents, like she was having the time of her life. On a nearby side table, she noticed an open bottle of Borzoi Imperial with its blaring red and white label. Two highball glasses were half filled with what she presumed was more lemonade. Syn picked one of the glasses up and drank. "Helloo, back already, dear?" Jeanmarie laughed while she continued to play.

Syn issued no reply. She stood there staring at the middle aged music teacher, and her mouth opened a little in surprise at what she saw. Jeanmarie's hair, always beautifully styled, draped across her shoulders and down her back in thick, buff cascades of deep umber and titian highlights. Her hair, like Syn's was long, but not overly so. The locks framed the high-toned elegance of her face and cheekbones, bouncing along with the tune of the piano.

"Something wrong, Synnove?" Jeanmarie asked.

"No, no. Keep playing. I like that song." Syn said, not wanting to ruin the moment.

Jeanmarie stopped long enough to switch the sheet music in front of her. Seconds later, another plucky banter filled the cool space of the basement. Syn started tapping her foot to the beat while she hummed the tune. "Remember this? Sunday school kids performed this one two years ago for the Fourth of July."

The music teacher, playing the refrain, started singing:

I love those dear hearts and gentle people

Who live in my home town

Because those dear hearts and gentle people

Will never ever let you down

"I remember, that was a lot of fun!" Syn laughed. The girl, already bobbing to the melody, twirled and emptied her lemonade. "You sound just like Dinah Shore!" She set the glass back down with the other, still dancing and loving the moment. Now both women burst into song.

They read the good book

From Fri till Monday

That's how the weekend goes

I've got a dream house

I'll build there one day

With picket fence and ramblin' rows

Syn barely noticed when the piano stopped. She twirled and shuffled her feet, bumping into the music teacher who joined her. "Ohmygod!" She gasped. "I didn't mean to--"

"It's my fault." Jeanmarie confessed. "You started dancing and it looked like fun...I just thought maybe I'd join you." Syn, still a little shocked, laughed. "I'd love it if you did."

Again, to Syn's surprise, Jeanmarie took the lead. The slim young pixy moved into the middle aged woman's arms. She thought she felt a rush of painful pinpricks and tingling heat race back and forth between them; the effects of lemonade and vodka pulsing through their veins. Jeanmarie seemed unconcerned, even somewhat cavalier, as their bodies moved to the soft sound of her voice.

There's a place I'd like to go

And it's back in Idaho

Where your friendly neighbors smile and say hello

It's a pleasure and a treat

To meander down the street

That's why I want the whole wide world to know

I love those dear hearts

I love the gentle people

Who live in my home town

Because those dear hearts and gentle people

Will never ever let you down

As usual, the older woman's voice was pitch-perfect and haunting. Syn closed her eyes, listening, as they continued to slowly sway. The arm around her shoulders tensed, drawing the girl closer. Syn put her head against Jeanmarie's chest and closed her eyes. The woodsy, floral scent of Jeanmarie's perfume filled her nostrils. She breathed deeply, sighing. Their bodies slowed now, almost stopping. Syn looked at Jeanmarie, eyes meeting. The boundaries between them were quickly crumbling as their eyes met. "Do you remember the time when I visited you for lunch and we talked about first kisses?" Jeanmarie softly asked. "Yeah." Syn replied.

"When you told me what it was like to kiss another woman, I..." Jeanmarie's voice trailed off for a moment, and then she went on. "I don't think, in all my life, I've ever felt that way. Porter was a lovely young man; very handsome. But I just never felt that way with him. I never felt anything."

"It's an amazing feeling...almost spiritual." Syn said. "Everyone deserves to feel that way--you deserve to feel that way too. There's nothing stopping you."

Jeanmarie's lips stretched in a weak smile. "That's a lovely thought, but I'm afraid I'm a bit too old for the dating scene."

Syn's eyes flashed and her face hardened in castigation. "Stop it, Jean!" Her words came sharp, almost spitting. "I don't want to hear anymore! You're beautiful and you light up the room with your signing. Why, if I was even half as beautiful as you--" Her wide, dark eyes stared into Jeanmarie's, almost pleading. "Sorry," she muttered, looking down. She was biting her lip now, trying to stave off the tears threatening to race down her cheeks.

"No need to be sorry, dear, I shouldn't have said all that. It's probably the lemonade talking." Jeanmarie sighed, then impulse took over. She brushed a few loose strands of hair from her young assistant's cheek, tucking them behind the girl's ear. Her touch was tender and her nimble fingertips lingered for a moment.

Now impulse turned its attention to Syn, working an ineffable spell on both of them. Her eyelids fluttered, closing at last on the sight of Miss Jeanmarie Hollem. The older woman leaned closer, but before Syn could open her eyes again, she felt the blessed touch of her mentor's lips pressing reverently against her brow. The girl's breath caught in her throat. She strained to hear Jeanmarie's whisper.

"I love you, Synnove...and I've loved you for a very long time."

The girl pulled back just enough to look at Jeanmarie, silently admiring the courage she had to summon for such a confession. "I love you too, Jean." She said. "And when I was upstairs in the bathroom, I sort of hoped that--"

What happened next, happened so quickly, both would've struggled to guess which of them actually initiated it. Jeanmarie's eyes closed. She felt her body leaning in, almost bearing down to get closer. And before her mind could make sense of anything, their lips touched at long last.Is this God's will? Or is it simple fate driving us to the edge? The drop will be sensational when we finally fall! In that moment, Jeanmarie Hollem stopped caring. She let herself go, giving in to her natural predilection and the kiss that drew them closer.

The first kiss came light and lovely as a warm summer breeze. Syn briefly touched the polished glass beads around Jeanmarie's neck before resting her palm against the older woman's chest, feeling the racing cadence of her heart.She's right, Jeanmarie thought.It's spiritual--as if God himself came to earth to deliver his message through the breath of life! Their noses brushed as they pulled away.

"Wow," Jeanmarie breathed. "I never would've guessed it would be this way...with someone so young and beautiful!"

"You know, when I came downstairs and saw that you'd let your hair down--quite literally--I didn't know what to say. I've never seen you like this before...and I want to see more."

The lovers leaned in once more, sharing another kiss. This one, like the last, was perfect. Syn's soft lips pressed insistently against Jeanmarie's. The bite of hard liquor against citrus sweet lemonade lingered between them. Impulse stayed at the helm, compelling Jeanmarie to gently nudge the crevice between the girl's lips with her tongue. Syn parted them, drawing another breath, while the older woman's tongue slipped inside. "Hmmm..." Syn sighed. The music of her contentment tickled the skin around Jeanmarie's ears. The girl relaxed fully, practically melting in her lover's firm embrace. An electric surge of sensation ripped through Jeanmarie's center. Her dominant side--a side she never knew existed outside the context of a classroom--came alive.

Gently, yet firmly, she grasped the girl's face, pulling her in. The cool basement air felt a little heavy. An eerie silence surrounded them, like the buildup to a lightning strike with the inevitable crash of thunder that follows. They kissed again, and it seemed to Jeanmarie that everything around them disappeared. Their tongues met, cavorting urgently. She wanted to get closer. Sheneeded to get closer! Over and over they traded this gift between them. Jeanmarie and Syn, just the two of them. The feeling wasn't just amazing, it was downright transcendent!

They broke the kiss, both panting. "There's a little guest room, just through there." Jeanmarie said. The ever present lilt to her voice was more pronounced; almost sultry. "Or I can show you the way to my room...whichever you like."

"Let's just stay down here. It's cooler down here anyway." Syn said.

"Good idea." Jeanmarie lead the girl through an open door on the opposite side of the finished rec room. "Be it ever so humble." She said.

The small windowless room was indeed humble, but tidy and tasteful. Syn stood beside her friend and mentor, taking it all in. There was a full size bed with a light blue chenille spread. Jeanmarie turned the spread down and switched on the bedside lamp. Its soft light bathed a solitary shelf with its figurine occupants in a soothing golden glow. "Tonight has been full of surprises." Syn said. She turned and found herself in the music teacher's arms again. "You're very beautiful, Jean. You should wear your hear down more often."

Jeanmarie looked a little flustered; unsure of what to say to that. "Thank you, dear, but...in the past, I found that loose flowing hair can be a distraction."

"Why don't you just kiss me and forget about distractions." Syn cooed.

The music teacher leaned in, pulling the girl towards her. Her lips brushed against her young assistant's cheek, and Syn shivered from the touch. Jeanmarie paused. "If you aren't sure about this, tell me." She whispered. "Something's come over me. I don't think I can stop--"

"I don't want you to stop. Just listen...and do." Syn whispered back. The girl reached around the older woman's neck, pulling her in. Jeanmarie drew a breath which was cut off, lost against her young lover's mouth. The kiss was, at first, tentative and gentle. But Synnove Ersson seemed adamant about what she wanted. She grabbed the short sleeves of her lover's shirtwaist dress, knotting her fists as she pulled harder. A soft groan erupted in Jeanmarie's slender throat, soft at first, then a little louder.

One kiss became two; then two became more while the urgency escalated. Syn was first to pull away. She kissed her lover's cheek and jawline, reaching the music teacher's ear. The young girl brushed a few dark sepia waves of stray hair aside, giving attention to Jeanmarie's ear and the space just beneath. "Ahhh..." Another soft moan escaped Jeanmarie's lips when she Syn's mouth pressed against her neck. Her eyes rolled back, closing, while the butterfly kisses against the graceful curve became deeper. Syn dragged her lips and tongue against her lover's fair skin, almost sucking. "Oh my God!"

It was Jeanmarie's turn to pull away. She looked at the girl for a moment, lost in her youthful beauty. Syn's eyes flashed with a look of something like hunger and raw lust. "I love you, Jean." She whispered. "I love you too. You've no idea." Jeanmarie's breath audibly trembled when she uttered those words.

Her confidence slowly returned, drawing strength and sustenance as she buried her face against Syn's neck. Jeanmarie kissed the girl with aggression, not caring whether she left a mark or not. Still, the idea of possibly marking Syn as hers was incredibly arousing. And the sexy little whimpers and moans she provoked only stoked the flames and fueled her aggression. "God, yes, baby..." Jeanmarie's voice hissed. She could feel the girl's hands roaming, touching the front of her dress, inching closer to her breasts. "May I?"

Jeanmarie simply nodded. She took the girl's hands in hers, delivering a reverent kiss, before placing them directly onto her breasts. Syn gasped. "Nearly a perfect fit." Her palms closed in, gently kneading and rubbing the hidden mounds. Jeanmarie moaned into the girl's neck as she kissed, producing a titillating vibration that nearly sent her into orbit. Before she knew it, Syn snatched the front of her lover's dress, fumbling with the buttons and failing to get them apart.

"Wait!" Jeanmarie pleaded between hitching gasps. "My necklace...let me get this off first. And my earrings..." With visibly shaking hands, the music teacher removed both earrings and necklace. She deposited them next to the lamp on the small bedside table. "There." She said, a little breathless. In seconds, her nimble fingers coaxed the buttons on her dress apart. "Made things a little easier, dear."

Jeanmarie slipped out of her shoes and kicked them aside. She stood there now, waiting. Syn gazed for a second at this silent invitation before moving in. She teased apart the fabric belt cinching the older woman's slender waist, letting it fall to the floor. "You're so beautiful, Jean." The girl softly murmured. She caressed her lover's breasts in turn, still contained in the sculpted cups of her white bra. The anticipation while the girl explored was exquisite torture. Syn sensed it too, though Jeanmarie tried her level best to hide it.

The elegant shirtwaist dress opened further, sliding off Jeanmarie's shoulders and body to the floor in a crumpled pool of light floral fabric. She gasped when the girl's wandering hands and lips returned, bringing a flurry of kisses and sensuous touch. A deft flick of the wrist freed her breasts from their fabric and lace prison. The heat flooding her cheeks was unbearable. She felt exposed and vulnerable, yet oddly enough, she wasn't concerned. Always one to take care of herself, Jeanmarie Hollem certainly cut an impressive figure of a lady.

She was neither busty nor flat, but rather somewhere in between. The taut curves of her sylphlike frame balanced things nicely, drawing the eyes to admire Jeanmarie's feminine assets. Twin fleshly globes, capped with small areolas, pointed almost accusingly at Sian. The nipples stood sentinel, visibly anticipating whatever the girl had in mind.

Jeanmarie racked her brains, struggling internally, to find the words to describe how Syn's hands felt against her bare breasts. She thought about her days before she became a teacher. She'd had a few boyfriends in college besides the oddly named Porter Cheadle. Kissing and sex were as natural and normal as football games and student mixers. But this was different. Syn's touch was gentle but sure. There was a tenderness in her ministrations that no man could replicate.

The music teacher closed her eyes, surrendering to her young lover's touch. Syn caressed and gently kneaded the (still) pert mounds. The music teacher's lips parted, whimpering softly, when Syn's attention turned to her nipples. "Oh, God..." The girl pressed her pillow soft lips against the pebbled areola, kissing. She pulled the distended left nipple into her mouth, suckling, before releasing it to lavish attention on its eager twin. "I don't think I can stand much longer." Jeanmarie murmured.