Rent

I penned this story as part of the Violet story in the Arrangement (https://www.literotica.com/s/the-arrangement-24, 11/26/2020), Inevitable (https://www.literotica.com/s/inevitable-11, 11/21/2023), Violet (https://www.literotica.com/s/violet-5, 12/3/2023), Ivy (https://www.literotica.com/s/ivy-5, 12/17/2023) series. It made the Violet story too long and added nothing to the arc of that story. I present it here as a standalone story, not part of the series even though it features the same characters.

Ivy, her brother Josh, my brother Casey, and I, Lori, grew up together, went to school together and are now attending the same university together. After high school, Josh and I developed an intense sexual relationship and Casey and Ivy did the same. After a number of inconvenient living arrangements and with financial help from our parents, we settled in a two bedroom apartment on the second floor in a two story building near campus with only four apartments.

We sold our parents on the financial benefits of the apartment and the arrangement concept that Ivy and I would share one bedroom, and Josh and Casey would share the other. The actual arrangement was somewhat different. Each couple shared each of the bedrooms and our living arrangement was very casual with a dress code that frequently included complete nudity and the exchange of sex partners.

The landlord and manager of the apartment was an elderly lady who lived in one of the apartments on the first floor. Mrs. Wordsly was a quiet, private individual and our interactions with her were minimal, polite and uncomplicated. Any issues with the apartment were attended to with a single call to her and a workman she contracted with quickly correcting the situation.

Each month, I wrote a check for the rent and deposited it in a small box outside Mrs. Wordsly apartment door.

We rarely all left the apartment for any long period of time except during the school winter break when we all drove the four hundred miles home for the holidays. Over the years it became a tradition for the families to have a joint New Year's Eve feast. It was also tradition that at midnight all of us kissed all of the rest of us, a tradition that certainly contributed to the relationships between Casey and Ivy and Josh and I.

Our parents became aware of our living and sleeping preferences and graciously agreed to Josh and me sharing a bedroom and Casey and Ivy sharing their own bedroom during our visit. We drove the four hundred miles back to our apartment after a joint New Year's Day feast and one more night in our old bedrooms.

We got back to the apartment late Monday, January 2^nd. I hadn't paid the January rent, so I wrote a check the next morning and took it downstairs to Mrs. Wordsly. The small box that I usually left the check in was missing, so I knocked on her door. Mrs. Wordsly answered the door wearing a pink robe edged with white faux fur and matching fuzzy slippers. She saw who it was and immediately invited me in. "I just want to give you the rent check," I said holding out the check.

"That's fine," she said. "I was just making tea. Please come in and share a cup of tea with me."

"I don't know," I replied. "I should get back upstairs."

"Nonsense, dear," she said. "You have to have time for tea with an old lady."

The way she formed each word, the overall tone of her speech and the way her eyes glowed and her body moved, said that she was more than just an old lady, there was more to her offer than just tea and that I would be rude not to accept her offer.

"I guess I have time for tea," I said and allowed myself to be drawn into her living room. The room was tastefully furnished with a comfortable looking sofa and chairs with rolled arms and beige brocade upholstery. The various tables and shelves were decorated with tchotchkies that I assumed related to important memories of her past.

"Have a seat, dear," she said. "I'll be right back with the tea and some biscuits."

I sat on the sofa and waited. The atmosphere in the room was evocative. It had an erotic feel that permeated my body almost to the point of a rattle. Mrs. Wordsly wasn't in the room and still I felt as if I was being seduced somehow.

Mrs. Wordsly returned with a silver tray containing two bone china tea cups, a matching tea pot and a small china plate with a half dozen cookies. She poured a cup of tea and handed it to me. She put the plate of cookies on the table in front of the sofa, poured herself a cup of tea and sat on the sofa next to me, closer than I expected. It was a trifle unsettling but I resisted moving out of respect for her age that my parents instilled in me.

The initial conversation was mundane. At one point I mentioned the number of collectables on the tables, especially the small articulated jester on the table at the end of the sofa. Mrs. Wordsly smiled broadly at my comment and explained that the item was from Italy and it was a gift from her husband on their honeymoon. "It's my favorite souvenir and my most precious possession."

"Where is your husband?" I asked. "I haven't seen him around."

Mrs. Wordsly's smile faded. "He died in Viet Nam two months after we were married," she said softly.

"Oh. I'm sorry," I said reflexively.

"Don't be," Mrs. Wordsly said. "It wasn't your fault and it was a long time ago. Dear," she continued. "I'm getting old and, unfortunately, I've forgotten your name."

"Lori. My name is Lori," I told her.

"Lori. What a beautiful name for a beautiful woman," mulled Mrs. Wordsly. "My name is Catherine and I'd prefer you to use it instead of the awkward Mrs. Wordsly," she added.

"Thank you," I responded. "Catherine it is and I'm flattered by your description of me."

"Lori," smiled Catherine. "It's not flattery when it's true. You are a beautiful woman with a beautiful body."

I must have blushed at her further description. "You're too kind," I commented.

"Lori," she continued. Your breasts are incredible. You should sit up straighter to emphasize them more," she suggested.

Her suggestion was unexpected but I felt my back stiffen involuntarily. "I wish my breasts were as nice as yours," Catherine continued.

When I didn't respond, Catherine kept talking. "It's difficult to properly assess the differences between our breasts clothed as we are," she insisted. "Here, let me show you."

Catherine unknotted the belt of her robe and opened it. She was not wearing a bra and her breasts were on display. I was astonished and impressed. I don't know how old she was but she had the breasts of someone much younger. At least a woman in her late thirties or early forties.

"You know, Lori," Catherine continued. "You really should show me yours for comparison."

I had a vision of where the conversation was heading. First breasts, then pussies and finally her bedroom. I admit that I was tempted but, in the moment, I was unsure. I needed time to consider where the relationship with her could go. I wasn't concerned about her age. Sex with people older than me was commonplace with the relationship between the four of us and our parents. "Catherine," I said. "I'm extremely flattered by your interest in me and I'm tempted to explore the possibilities with you but not without enough time to do justice to it. I'm sorry to say that today, I don't have the time. I really have to get back upstairs."

"Oh dear," she said. "I'm truly sorry that you have to leave."

Awkwardly, we made our way to her door. We stood in the open door for a moment, Catherine's robe still open and her breasts still on display. "Maybe next time?" she asked.

"That would be nice," I told her. She closed the door as I hurried up the stairs.

I was distracted for the rest of the day thinking about Catherine and how much I would like to touch her breasts. I imagined holding them in my hands and kissing her nipples. The thoughts alone rattled me and I didn't say anything to the others.

The next month, I wrote another rent check and planned to take it downstairs. I was mentally prepared to visit with Catherine and I had the time. I was hoping the little box next to her door was still missing.

As I sat, getting ready to leave, Josh walked by and saw the check on the table. "Here," he said. "I'm on my way out to have breakfast with a couple of classmates and review class notes. Let me take that and I'll drop it off."

I couldn't let that happen. I was ready. "No. No. No," I said. "I'll do it."

"Don't be silly," Josh retorted. "It's not a bother for me and you don't need to climb the stairs an extra time." With that, he grabbed the rent check and left the room before I could object again.

"Fuck," I complained with the lost opportunity. I headed for the refrigerator. Was it too early for a beer?

I was sitting alone in the living room curious about Josh's morning when he came home again. "How was the study group?" I asked.

"Study group?" asked Josh.

"You know. Your breakfast and notes review with your classmates," I reminded him.

"Oh," he remembered. "I never got there."

I knew what had happened but I wanted him to tell me. I patted the seat next to me on the sofa. "Sit and tell me what happened."

Josh sat but he was reluctant to talk. "Come on," I urged him. "It can't be that bad. Let me start for you. You took the rent check and went downstairs to give it to Mrs. Wordsly."

"You're right," Josh started. "I took the check downstairs. The small box next to Mrs. Wordsly's door was missing, so I knocked on her door." His voice got stronger as he talked.

"And she answered the door," I prompted.

"She did," he agreed. "She was wearing a robe right out of the eighties and fuzzy slippers."

"And she wouldn't take the check unless you came inside and had a cup of tea with her," I moved the story along.

"You've had tea with her," Josh realized.

"I have but I want to hear your version," I said.

"Well," he restarted. "The tea was good and the cookies better. She didn't remember my name. When I told her, she told me her name was Catherine. Then conversation wandered off into more personal topics. She was complementing me about my body physique and even told me she wanted to see it. When I hesitated, she showed me her body to help me feel comfortable."

"She opened her robe and showed you her tits?" I asked.

"She did and I have to admit she has beautiful tits," Josh admitted.

"Like someone half her age," I guessed.

"Yeah. I was surprised," said Josh. "I'm telling you she has the tits of a thirty year old and the stamina of a teenager."

"Whoa," I uttered. "You fucked her?" I asked.

"She asked me to touch her tits and then she wanted to touch my chest. One thing led to another and we ended up in her bedroom naked," Josh described.

"And you fucked her?" I asked again.

Josh hung his head. "I did," he whispered. "Are you angry with me?"

"No," I told him. "I knew what you were walking into. I'm pissed at myself. I should have stopped you but you were too quick to grab the rent check and head out the door. Full disclosure, I was hoping to have tea with her myself this morning."

"But you did have tea with her last month when you delivered the check?" asked Josh.

"I did but I left after she showed me her breasts. I was hoping to go further this month," I confessed.

Josh and I talked more for a while. We decided that we needed to share our experiences with the others and consider how we are going to handle it. Then I took him into our bedroom and reclaimed his body.

That night, after dinner, I called the group together in the living room. Josh and I described our interactions with our landlady. "Jesus," said Casey.

"No, Catherine," I quipped.

"I never suspected," admitted Ivy.

"None of us did," I said. "The question is, what are we going to do about it?"

We explored everything from moving to nothing at all and rejected all of them. Throughout the conversation there was an undercurrent of neglect. I looked at Casey and Ivy. "You're feeling left out somehow?" I asked.

Casey was reluctant to speak but Ivy spoke up. "Yeah. I feel as if I missed something," she admitted. "Tell me how was it? Should I go downstairs and have tea?"

"I don't know any more that what I told you," I said. "I never got passed the see my tits phase."

"I don't know how Catherine would be with another woman," Josh commented. "But, as a man, I'd go back for seconds if I had the opportunity."

That started an entirely different conversation. We decided that we'd take turns delivering the rent check to Mrs. Wordsly. We also decided to visit her the next morning and explain our decision to her.

That night I slept with Casey and Ivy slept with Josh. Twice during the night, Casey mumbled Catherine's name in his sleep.

After breakfast the next morning, the four of us walked downstairs. I knocked on Catherine's door. She answered the door wearing slacks, a crisp white oxford shirt and black flats. "Oh," she uttered in surprise. "All four of you?"

"May we come in?" I asked.

She looked bewildered at me. "We need to have a discussion with you and suggest a proposal."

She opened the door wider and we all walked into her living room. We sat on the sofa and two chairs. Catherine stood in front of us as if she was on trial. "Catherine," I said. "Relax. It's not as bad as you think."

Josh got up from his chair and offered it to her. He went into kitchen, fetched a chair and sat on it in a convenient space.

Catherine relaxed and then her face brightened. "Let me get tea for us," she said.

Before she could get up, I said, "Let's save the tea for later if you still want to have it."

Catherine sat on the front edge of her chair. "Okay. Let's hear it," she said.

"Catherine," I said. "You are clearly more than a little old lady with an apartment house. We believe you are an erotic woman with needs and desires that any woman in your position would seek to satisfy. I, and Josh to an even greater extent, can testify with great specificity that that is the case. We also admire your beguiling routine to achieve what you desire."

"Are you here to tell me that I should refrain from approaching you or your friends?" Catherine asked.

"No," I stated. "I'm here to tell you that we support your goals and that you don't need to be indirect in your approach. You can skip the tea routine with us and get immediately to the sexual satisfaction routine."

Catherine sat poised on her chair for a moment. A smile formed on her face. "I'm astonished," she said. "That's not at all what I expected and I didn't realize that I was that transparent."

"The transparency is obvious when the final result is revealed," I told her. "In addition," I said, "you should know that we've dispensed with indirect approaches between us years ago."

Catherine looked at each of us with a new understanding. "I get it," she said happily. "What do you propose?"

"For starters, I suggest that we will take turns delivering the rent check each month," I informed her.

I watched Catherine's face. She seemed accepting of my suggestion and disappointed at the same time. I looked at Ivy, Casey and Josh and saw similar reflections in their faces.

"I can see that all of you are already trying to figure out how to increase the frequency of contact between Catherine and us. Let me suggest that once a month is not the only option. We are all individuals with individual needs and wants. Contact between consenting adults is fine as long as it doesn't severely interfere with the commitments we already have with each other. And, Catherine, I must tell you that we are open and honest with each other and will be aware of any contact any of us has with you. I also concede that you may share your activity with us with others of your association. I can only hope that you are judicious in who you tell and what you tell them."

"Agreed," committed Catherine and we all visibly relaxed. "What's next?" she asked.

"Are you suggesting something further now, this morning?" I asked.

"I'm suggesting that the tea and cookies have been served and we should proceed from there," offered Catherine.

"All four of us?" asked Ivy somewhat surprised at the sudden turn in the conversation.

"Of course," confirmed Catherine. "I think it would be fun."

"Amazing," said Ivy.

"So," said Catherine as she stood up. "Would you like to see my tits?"

We left Catherine's apartment late in the afternoon and a little worse for wear. Josh's description of Catherine as having the stamina of a teenager was a miscalculation. Catherine's hunger for sexual attention was insatiable. She consumed each of us and was always ready for more.

That day was the start of a new schedule between us. We all wanted to spend time with Catherine, either alone or in groups of various sizes and composition but not without a significant break between meetings. It wasn't long before Casey spent an entire night with Catherine and we realized she provided an outlet for each of us that left the other three free to spend the night together without concern about leaving one of us alone without company.

In April, my father called me. He asked if I was paying the rent each month. "Of course I am," I told him. I write a check each month and one of us delivers it directly to Mrs. Wordsly."

"Well," he said. "I haven't seen a rent check clear the bank since last December."

"She's getting them," I reiterated. "Maybe she isn't cashing them."

"That's probably the case," he said. "But keep on writing them. It's a requirement of the lease."

"I will," I agreed.

By the end of May, Memorial Day to be exact, we invaded Catherine's space with all four of us again. Catherine was delighted and we decided to include time between all five of us on holidays and other special occasions during the year.

Late in the summer, Ivy returned from a morning with Catherine with the information that Catherine's birthday was during the next week. We instantly agreed that her birthday was a special occasion and planned to surprise her with a group gathering. I remembered that Catherine was prone to collecting physical mementos of the events of her life and suggested that we needed to give her a gift as well.

Everyone endorsed the idea and assigned me to purchase a suitable gift. I pondered about an appropriate gift for a couple of days and settled on a collectable tea cup. I concluded that it was a perfect memento of the start of our relationship with her and included a humorous bonus. I researched possibilities on the internet and settled on a Japanese Royal Sealy China Cup and Saucer Set manufactured in the 1940's which I estimated to also be the decade of her birth. It wasn't inexpensive but it fit within our budget.

I wrapped the tea cup in a royal blue paper with white ribbon and bow and we presented it to her on her birthday. We all sat expectantly in her living room as she carefully unwrapped the box. When she saw the contents of the box, her face exploded in joy and tears formed in her eyes. "Oh my God," she exclaimed and she remove the cup and saucer. "This is incredible. You've brought this old lady amazing joy. I will cherish this cup for the rest of my life. I don't know how to thank you enough."

She rushed around the room and kissed each of us. The rest of her birthday present was almost anticlimactic.

The rest of our time in Mrs. Wordsly's apartment house was a continuation of the days and nights we already had. However, all good things must come to an end. Casey and Ivy graduated and found employment and Josh and I graduated a year later. With all of us employed and facing the future, we realized that we wanted to actually be married and it became obvious that we needed to find improved living conditions, probably separate apartments at first.