Skin in the Game Pt. 01

They knew, though, that there was no telling if Roy would show up on time.

***

They didn't talk much as they prepared the casserole. Jason chopped half an onion and the celery. Leanne did the rest to mix the ingredients into a proper casserole. She sprinkled buttered breadcrumbs on the top of the casserole. Shredded cheddar went on top of that.

As she stirred, sprinkled and bent over to access the oven, Jason hung back at the kitchen table behind her.

The casserole dish slid into the preheated oven with the hiss of glass rubbing metal.

She wondered if he was watching her as she worked. She thought she could feel his eyes on her, but that could be her imagination. She'd worked hard on her body, and she enjoyed the idea of a man -- a man like her Jason -- appreciating it. Was he admiring her ass through her track pants?

Before closing the oven door, she whipped her auburn head around to see. Yes. He was staring at her sculpted ass, and squeezing at the front of his jeans. He really sees me, she thought with spasm deep in her cunt. And he REALLY likes what he sees!

Leanne stood and closed the oven door in one movement. She brushed at some crumbs on the counter top. This granted him another moment to appreciate his mother's hard won results.

Why am I giving him this? Why do I want to?

She was got wetter by the second.

This needed to stop.

She turned to face her son. He had completely recovered. He stared out the window, but there was nothing there.

Leanne looked at her watch. "Okay, we've got maybe an hour. Let's talk."

***

Roy was an hour and a half late. This was not unusual for the last two or three years. But the unorthodox mother-son conversation occurred with typical interruptions; getting something to drink, using the toilet, taking out the casserole and setting the table.

An hour had already passed by the time Leanne had finished describing the morning events. The ladies had arrived, explained how they knew what they knew and agreed to keep it a secret. She said Betty had told her version of the events that led to Leanne finding them naked and connected at the groin.

Jay smiled most of the time. "What did she tell you?"

Leanne laid out the story in physical and dialogue terms. She left out Betty's thoughts and feelings. He couldn't confirm any of that anyway. Jason locked his eyes on his mothers'. There was no shame in his game. He was proud of what had happened, even if Betty felt shame and Leanne felt betrayed by her friend.

"You got her completely naked in her kitchen?"

"Yeah. It was a crazy moment."

"And you were still dressed?"

"I never heard a complaint from her. Believe me, I was listening closely. If she'd asked me to stop or to bring her to the bedroom sooner, I'd have done it. Did she mention that she popped a few buttons getting her dress off in the kitchen?"

"No, she forgot to mention that."

"She seemed thrilled by every second."

"Yeah," Leanne murmured to herself. It sounded like Jay had given her exactly what she craved. The neighbor's only regret was the collateral damage it did to their friendship.

She pressed on, and confirmed that events went pretty much as Betty had described.

Jason seemed to puff up more with every detail.

"You seem pretty proud of yourself," Leanne leveled at him.

He shrugged. "I can't deny it. I made Betty happy. She's been so unhappy for so long, and she's been like a...like family since forever. I wanted her to feel happy. I wanted to make her feel good. I figured out how to do it. Of course I'm glad that I succeeded. I wasn't sure I'd be up to the task, but I wanted to try. I'm happy I did. Of course I'm proud I pleased her."

"Was this some sort of game for you?"

"No. My desire was real. I've been interested in...older women...for some time now."

Thinking of Francine, this revelation was no surprise. But she hadn't mentioned the blonde's attendance yet, so she let him continue.

"It means a lot to me to be enough...you know; mature enough, adult enough, man enough to interest an older woman. Even more that I managed to satisfy her. I've always thought Nick was nuts to neglect Betty. She's sexy...one of the sexiest women in our neighborhood."

"So you're proud of what you've done?"

He took a moment to organize his answer. "I'm proud that I gave pleasure and satisfaction to someone I care about. I'm proud that I was man enough to thrill and please a grown woman; a woman who knew what she wanted, and was able to get it from me."

"And what about me?" Leanne asked, surprised at the high pitch and volume of her question. Didn't he care at all that he was undermining her friendship with their closest neighbor?

Jason's eyes got wide and glazed. He leaned forward and opened his mouth to answer. All that came out was a simple phrase, "I would..." His face, his body language and even the tone of those two syllables seemed to carry a message. Misunderstanding the question, he seemed to say, I would take amazing care of you! Give me a chance! I would fill you and amaze you! You can get everything you need from me.

But before the words could follow his body's message, he caught himself. He realized she was asking about her friendship with Betty.

Leanne's body reacted with a tingling rush. Her nipples hardened under her bra, and her thighs were shivering. She didn't take time to assess what the rest of her body was doing, but she cooled it immediately.

She'd read a tremendous volume into a chopped off sentence. There was no way she could seriously believe that Jason had intended all that. What sort of mother would want her son to intend something like that? She leaned back, and pushed away what she imagined Jason wanted to say. She let him give his chosen answer.

He coughed and cleared his throat. Then he said, "I'm sorry what we did hurt you, Mom. It was a one-time thing. I never thought you would find out. I never wanted to hurt your friendship."

He looked at his feet to express his shame and hide what he'd nearly said.

"Thank you. I'm going to have to forgive you both anyway. I don't want people -- especially not Nick or your father -- asking questions."

"Hm. Good point. That's really insightful, Mom." He looked at her with admiration.

She felt an uninvited flush of pleasure at Jason's approval. She wouldn't mention that the idea came from Betty. Tonight she would keep her son's praise to herself.

"Soooo," He looked at her sideways. "Does this mean you might be coming back around on the trip to the cabin?"

I'm impressed that he waited a few days before bringing it back up. "I don't know, Jay. It hasn't been at the front of my mind. Why are you so adamant about going to the cabin? You were never so eager for that trip. Hell, you dreaded it as a teenager."

He shrugged. "I don't know. Wouldn't it be nice to get away? You know, Hallidays only. I guess I'm reaching a point in my life where I can enjoy a trip like that. It would be a chance to strengthen bonds."

"You're serious."

"Yeah! I've done serious damage to our relationship, Mom. I figure a family trip to the cabin could be a chance to build things back up. I want to make things better than ever."

She nodded at the thought. Then she took another breath, and said, "Well, it's over anyway. I made all the ladies promise to keep their paws off you, so I won't need to worry —"

"Wait a minute. What did you do?" The humor and light nature was gone from her son's face.

"I made them swear that there will be no funny business with you going forward." She looked at him; mystified at his disappointment. He must have known that she would need assurances. "What's the problem?"

"You and three other women sat down to make decisions about my sex life without consulting me. A bit insulting, don't you think?"

"Four, actually." She held up four fingers.

"Four what?"

"I made the agreement with four other women. There were five of us total, but of course I didn't have to swear to anything. Pshh! Haha!"

He pressed down a finger for each woman as he said, "You, Betty, Mrs. Walker (Nora,) and Mrs. Marks (Neesa) makes four. Who was the fifth?"

Leanne looked her son in the eye and said, "Francine Carlisle."

It took him a moment to process the name, the meaning and the connection to his sex life. He put both hands on his eyes, leaned back and made a long gravely "Ohhhhhh Nooooo!" Then, to Leanne's surprise, Jason burst out laughing.

"Oh yes. You seem to be taking this pretty well."

"Ha ha ha. Am I? Heh. Yeah, I guess I am. Oh, man. Francine? Ouch."

"Are you embarrassed?"

He chuckled some more. "Well, yeah! Didn't she tell you what happened when we finally got down to it?"

"Yes."

Jay hung his head, and shook it. She could hear him chuckling at himself some more. "Well, I guess there's no loss in her promise to keep her hands off. After the way I let her down last summer, I'm sure it was an easy promise to make."

"She remembers your time together fondly, Jason. She was happy with how things went between you two."

"Yeah? That's great to hear. I'm glad she feels good about that. It means a lot to me."

Leanne couldn't resist saying what came next. "In fact, after she heard Betty's story, Francine said she'd be curious to give you another try." He looked up at his mother. She brought down the hammer. "Of course that was before I insisted she stay away from you."

He grimaced, but he laughed too. "Oh! How can you be so cruel?"

From deep inside, she wanted to assure him, I'll make it up to you. But how the Hell would she do that?

An answer to that question came in a sudden flash. She saw them naked and sweating, putting that misguided energy where it belonged.

She waved the image off and said, "I'm sure you'll endure my cruelty just fine." It was not quite as far from the earlier thought as she'd wanted to go, but it would have to do.

"But that's what I mean! It's my sex life. How dare you, the five of you, make decisions about my sex life?"

"I asked Nora and Neesa to make a certain agreement about their sex lives, Jason."

"Only Nora and Neesa promised?"

Leanne rolled her eyes. "Betty and Francine know how much they stand to lose if they mess around with you again."

"Sure. If that's how you want to sell it."

She leaned forward and touched his thigh. "I am sure that your sex life has a bright future, Jason, even without those four women." He put his hand on hers, but she didn't register the contact. "There are millions of girls -- women -- out there who will be very happy to spread their skinny little legs open for you." She hadn't intended the bitterness at the end, but a mother has the right to be jealous and protective of her son.

His eyes locked on hers, searching for a certain meaning behind her words. She noticed his hand on hers on his thigh. She sat back, withdrawing from the contact.

Jay abandoned a dozen things he wanted to say about whose skinny legs he might want to part, and opted for a question. "Why did you only make the school teacher and the aerobics instructor promise?"

She was glad for the question. It provided relief from the pressure that was building. "Because they've got nothing to lose by spilling our story."

"What do they have to lose now? A broken promise?"

"It was the best I could —" Her answer was broken by the keys hitting the door. Roy was home.

She stood to greet her husband. Only then did she realize that Jason's hand had been on her thigh. It dropped off as she stood.

"We can talk more later," she murmured to her son.

***

Roy arrived eighty minutes later than expected.

Roy sat at the table and ate the tuna noodle casserole. If Roy enjoyed it, no one could tell.

Roy didn't ask about their day. This was one of the rare times Leanne was grateful for the oversight.

Roy didn't want to bore them with talk about his work, but Roy was lost in work-related thoughts. The inter-office softball team?

Jay had no interest in playing for them. He'd found other interests (The sounds Betty makes with three fingers inside her, for example.)

Jay did not struggle to keep a conversation going. He had tried for over a week after his return from university, but tonight he was in his own thoughts like his father.

"What's on your mind, hon?" Leanne asked her son.

She knew better than to ask Roy. Roy was thinking about work. Roy didn't want to bore them with talk about work.

Jason turned to the beauty, and said, "I'm thinking about our conversation before dinner." He watched her reaction with care. Even with Roy checked out as much as he was these days, he knew his mother wouldn't want to discuss that in front of him.

Leanne's eyes rounded in a moment of fear, and she stole a glance at her husband.

Roy sat at the table and ate the tuna noodle casserole.

Jason sat, not even trying to explain. "I'd rather talk about it later, Mom, when I've fully formed my thoughts."

When the hard-bodied red-head saw her boy wouldn't go on, relief flooded her tummy. She squeezed his thigh under the table to signal her gratitude.

Roy took a second helping of tuna noodle casserole.

"This is good, honey," he said without looking at the stunning beauty at his side. "You did a good job."

"Thank you, Roy. Jay helped me prepare it."

He finally looked up from his dish, and glanced at his son. "Thanks Jay. It's great that you're giving your mom a hand."

"I wish I could do more," Jason answered, turning to look at Leanne as he said it.

Roy didn't notice. He'd already returned his attention to his second helping of tuna noodle casserole.

"Aw! Thanks, sweetie," Leanne said to Jay. She leaned over and rubbed his thigh like one would a frisky puppy.

Jason straightened in his chair. She'd accidentally rubbed the lump in his jeans. There was a lot to rub, and she'd run her hand up and down almost the full length. She drew back like she'd touched fire.

She mouthed the word, "Sorry," to her son.

He made a stiff, big-eyed, grimace, and shrugged. He wasn't sorry.

Leanne looked down at her plate. Holy FUCK, what a cock! She thought to herself. That piece of equipment isn't a lady-pleaser. That's a goddamned dragon-slayer. A pussy-slayer. She blinked at her flatware, and acknowledged the final thought. It's a mother-fucking cunt-stuffer!

Jay blushed, but he ate with a smile.

Roy sat at the table and ate the tuna noodle casserole. He was checking out more and more every day.

***

The Halliday patriarch planned to watch some television in the den. Leanne asked him to watch the television in the bedroom. She and Jason wanted to talk about some stuff without disturbing him. This offered a double appeal to the increasingly absentee husband. Leanne generally resented the television in the bedroom. She said it created an opportunity to ignore her when they were alone up there. This was a pleasant change to Roy's thinking. Second, it spared him having to listen to whatever nonsense Jay and his mother needed to go over.

With a "goodnight all," Roy retreated a little bit further from the life he claimed to be working for.

Mother and son watched him climb the stairs. Neither was ready to address (out loud in plain words) Mr. Halliday's slow-motion disappearing act. But they held hands as he went. They didn't think about it. They just held on tight.

***

"You had something on your mind at dinner?" Leanne asked her strapping son.

"Yeah. I've got a question or two for you. But, if you don't mind, can we get dressed for bed? These jeans feel kind of tight since dinner."

Leanne blushed. "Sorry about that, sweetheart. I swear that wasn't on purpose."

"No, it's fine. I got it when you said you were sorry at the table. But I uh..."

She looked at his jeans.

Oh my. It keeps growing, doesn't it?

"Yes. You need to...uh...adjust things a bit. Tell you what: Let's both go change, and meet back down here in about twenty or thirty minutes."

***

Roy was brushing his teeth in his bedclothes when Leanne entered the room.

They didn't speak. They'd fought about his increasing distance over and over. There was nothing for her to say that he hadn't heard before.

Well, I suppose I could tell him that our son is the stud of the cul-de-sac. That would be something new.

She kept quiet. There was no reason to open that door. She would only make trouble for Betty. She surprised herself. How easy she found it to forgive her curvy friend's trespass. She even felt a small pang of sympathy for the neighbor. But she's not getting her hands on my Jason a second time, she thought. There was a possessiveness she didn't dare to explore.

Roy finished brushing and flossing. He climbed into bed as Leanne pulled on the top of her pajamas. It was a simple pink top and pants. There was nothing sexy about it. Why would I put on something sexy? I'm going down to talk with my son. By the time I get back up here, Roy will be asleep.

But the tight cotton panties she'd drenched over the day were in the hamper, and she'd changed into a loose soft silk pair. I don't want anything tight and restrictive, that's all.

She turned off the light on her way out of the room. She heard Roy thank her. He had the T.V. to provide all the illumination he wanted.

Fuck you, she thought. The spiteful anger caught her by surprise. Fuck me, she thought next. She shivered. She didn't even know what her own thoughts were about anymore.

She tried not to wonder what sort of underwear Jason would wear tonight. It didn't matter, right? She wasn't going to find out anyway.

***

Jason was staring at the dark television screen when Leanne came down the stairs. The TV was off. Her son seemed lost in thought again. He wore a tattered T-shirt and an oversized pair of basketball shorts. They were loose enough that it was clear from a glance that he had resolved his not-so-little problem.

He turned to face her. He seemed clear-eyed and serious.

Maybe I should have rubbed one out before coming down here too, so my head could be in the right place, she thought.

They took turns saying, "Hey."

"What's on your mind, Jay?"

"I'm thinking about Mrs. Walker and Mrs. Marks."

"Right, what about Nora and Neesa?"

"I've seen how much all this has stressed you out, and I want you to feel sure that there's no chance of anyone talking."

"Thank you, Jay." She had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. "I think that everything is pretty well taken care of...as long as you shower your...uh...affection on —"

"You're so sure you can trust them? I mean, I know Betty won't say a word. She'll suffer the worst consequences if she does, and she loves you like a sister. Francine won't risk others learning about our little fling. It would make a mess she doesn't want. Control is her watchword."

He paused for a moment to keep his thoughts in line, and give his mother a chance to add something.

She shrugged and raised her eyebrows. It almost felt like a normal moment between the two of them. It would be the first time in a week.

"But Neesa and Jack Marks don't have any allegiance to you. They're a sharp pair of businesspeople. For now talking about this doesn't serve any purpose for them. But if you come up against them in some project..." He shook his head. "I would only give even odds that we're safe. At the very least they could use it to 'encourage' you to bend a few ears at the school board. You know get the school system to buy sports equipment from Mr. Marks or send some other kind of business Neesa's way."

"That sounds a bit far-fetched, Jay."

He shrugged like she had done a moment earlier. "Stranger things have happened."