Skin in the Game Pt. 01

With Betty, this couldn't be dismissed as a bluff. She was never at a loss for words, and she was unafraid of making a scene.

"Okay, Okay. I just said...I told her..." She took a steadying breath, and spat it out. "I told her that I'd take the offer in a heartbeat if he weren't my son."

She turned, blushing even more furiously, and speed-walked home. For once, Betty was speechless.

***

"Shit!" called Betty in a shouted whisper. "Leanne! He's coming out."

"It's about time." Jay's mother grumbled more to herself than to her friend. "Pat tore out of their driveway hours ago."

"I'm not sure it's been more than two or three hours at most." considered the bob-haired brunette with the crystal blue eyes.

"Whatever. Feels like it's been days."

"Jay's hair looks wet."

"Really? Ha! He used their shower when he was done. Damn. When my boy delivers justice, he delivers it tenfold." Leanne felt a burning in her chest and stomach; a mix of pride, impatience and jealousy. She was stumbling at the border between motherly protection and territorial possessiveness. She looked over Betty's shoulder, out the window. "Look at his smile."

Her son looked around.

Betty and Leanne ducked back out of the window, but neither could bear to stay hidden for long. When they peeked out again, Jay glanced at his car. It was parked at the curb in front of the Walker house. He swaggered back towards his home -- very much the cock of the walk. He left his car in front of the household of Pat-the-Pig and Nora-the-not-so-subdued.

Mother and friend fell backwards, trying to make sure they weren't seen. Both laughed. It's not like Jay had any illusions that what he and Nora had done was a secret from Betty and his mom.

Betty sprang to her feet, and pelted for the front door. Leanne was on her feet and walking after her, when she heard her new old friend call softly to Jay, "Hey stud. C'mere!"

Jay turned and saw both of the women; their eyes were alight with illicit knowledge. He froze, unsure whether to respond to such a flirtatious call. He was spent, and in no mind to piss off his mom. He looked over Betty at his mother's wicked smile.

She beckoned.

He came to her.

Betty spoke first, of course. "Wow, you two really got into improving that story, Jay."

He smiled an almost-embarrassed smile. "Heh, yeah."

"Yeah. I know, 'Yeah.' Nora must have thought you were making some really interesting points, the way she was agreeing so loud we could hear her from here."

He looked briefly to his mother, but she was used to Betty's bawdy side. She'd already heard far worse. It hadn't been long since she'd thought worse.

"What can I say, Betty," he said, turning back to the neighbor. "You know that I work hard, and I do a good job."

"I'm not sure I really know, since the job wasn't done when you left last —"

"Nance," Leanne interjected. "Not cool! Not okay!"

"Shit. Sorry." Betty seemed to be really struggling. It wasn't even clear to whom she was apologizing. Leanne recognized what she saw on her friend's face. The green-eyed monster was rearing its ugly head in the blue-eyed brunette. She put a hand of support on her shoulder.

What was that pang Leanne felt in her gut? It had been triggered watching her son strut around in post-coital bliss. I don't want to think about it right now.

Whatever it was, Jason saw it on her face. He put on a more serious face, and said, "I can't stay and talk now. I need to get back to the house."

"Well you don't need a shower; that's for sure," spat Betty. Leanne couldn't tell if she said it with spite or if she was just teasing.

Jay somehow managed to blush, and look down at his shoes (Right, Leanne thought. Give us that 'aw shucks' routine after we sat here listening to you fuck Nora Walker into singing like an opera diva all evening.) "No," he said, refusing eye contact. "I kinda need to lie down for a bit." He glanced up at the ladies, but he only made eye contact with his mother.

She couldn't stop her body from self-lubricating, and she wouldn't pretend to herself that it wasn't happening. Last time he laid down for a while, the walker house sounded like a porn studio.

"Go on home," mother assured son. "We'll talk later."

"M'kay. See you around Betty." He looked again into his mother's green eyes, and said, "Just come and knock on my door whenever you want to talk, Mom. I'll just be stretching out, not sleeping."

A muscle group in her abdomen clutched. She smiled back and nodded.

Betty's face was ashen when she turned back into her house. She and Leanne had already discussed this while they sat together listening to the school teacher's high pitch cries of pleasure. Betty admitted freely she envied Nora getting a beginning, middle and end with Leanne's son. But when she thought about it, she didn't really want to see Jay like that again. But it seemed unfair to her.

I have loved her like a sister for two decades, she thought. But she's nuts if she thinks I'm going to sit around here and listen to her go on about how she was deprived of an hour or two more of my son's dick.

She felt an overwhelming urge to get back to the house; to Jason's room.

"Okay. That was weird. I'm going to head home too; see what Jay has to tell me."

"I expect you to spill all to me later."

Leanne stumbled, resisting the urge to sprint out the door.

She found only enough patience to look back, and say, "We'll see."

***

When Leanne entered, she found Roy setting the kitchen table. She checked her watch and was mildly surprised to see how late it was. Of course, she admonished herself. Jay didn't even head to the Walker house until he was sure Pat was home from work. No wonder it's so late.

Without a word, Roy started boiling a half dozen over-sized hot dogs. Leanne mixed a salad.

They each took a turn asking about the other's day. Work was fine.

Roy said he saw Jay head up to his room for a nap. He didn't look sick or anything. Roy was sure Jay was fine.

Leanne had stopped over at Betty's for a little chat, but they must have lost track of time. Betty was fine.

Everyone was fine.

Everything was fine.

It was barely worth talking about. So they barely spoke.

They agreed to give Jay another fifteen minutes to rest before calling him down for dinner. Leanne went upstairs to change out of her work clothes and into a more casual outfit. Roy stayed in the kitchen and tended to his wieners.

***

Dressed down to her sky blue bra and panties she looked at the mirror. Well manicured feet supported muscled calves and thighs; lean, not bulky. Her high hipped panties covered her round firm bottom and her womanhood. On a whim she'd shaved it nearly bald the night before. She felt smooth, sensitive and sexy beneath the soft fabric. Her stomach was flat and well defined. Her breasts swelled under the push up bra, and her nipples had ached since this afternoon; longer than that, now she thought about it. She had sculpted herself as close to an ideal as anyone could hope. Her skin was supple and smooth. She was leaner than Betty, more fit than Francine and offered sexier curves than Nora. Yet, she'd gone far longer since feeling a man's touch.

She traced the gusset of her panties with a long fire engine red fingernail; ever so gently. She could barely feel it, but when she closed her eyes it sent shivers all over her. She felt a tingling, like sweat popping out of every pore.

She concentrated on the pressure she was making on the fabric hiding her clitoris, and tried to listen for the sound of her fingertip rubbing against the material.

Did she hear a sound behind her? In her mind's eye she saw someone peeking at her through the open door.

She opened her eyes and turned quickly. No one was there. The door was closed tight. "Jason?" she half whispered half gasped.

There was no sound. She was alone in the bedroom. On bare feet, Leanne padded down to her son's door. It was open a crack. Slow breathing could be heard on the other side. She stepped inside, and found Jay sound asleep. He was fully dressed.

Of course he is! What did you expect?

Could he be feigning sleep like when he was a kid? She leaned in to get a closer look. No. He was definitely off to the land of nod.

When Leanne stood upright, she realized how strange this moment must look. She stood over her sleeping son in his bedroom wearing nothing but her bra and panties.

I've got to get out of here, she thought, and scurried back to her room.

***

In loose trousers and a light button down blouse, Leanne re-entered Jay's room.

"Hey, sleepyhead. You wanna get up for some hot dogs?"

Jason came out of sleep, but into a stupor. He looked like he was trying to rise from deep waters. Again, she confirmed to herself that he had been asleep.

Why did I imagine he was peeking in on me? Did she want him to be looking in on her? How would she feel if he had seen her touching herself through her underwear?

No time for that now.

"It's dinner time, Jason. Do you think you can come down for Mommy?"

'Mommy'? she thought. Where did that come from? I haven't used that word in about a decade! Whatever.

"Or do you want to stay in bed for a while longer?"

Jason shook his head. "No, I want to eat." If he'd noticed the 'Mommy' thing, he didn't acknowledge it. "Just...first...I need to splash some water on my face."

"Okay, sweetie." She realized her hand was on his thigh. Without thinking she looked to see if he'd developed morning wood. The sheets were not tenting, but she thought she could see a hefty impression of his flaccid member.

I've got to get out of here. What the Hell am I doing?

"Okay. Don't take too long. I'll wait for you."

***

Dinner drove Leanne crazy. She wanted answers about what happened at the Walker house, not food. But she was in the minority tonight.

Roy was concentrated on steadily eating his dogs, and Jay wolfed three down before his father was half way through his second.

"Quite an appetite tonight, son," said the father, a small measure more attentive than usual.

"Yeah," agreed Jay. "I had quite a workout today." He shot a smile at his mother, and tore into the remnants of his jumbo dog.

"Lifted a lot of weights, then?"

Leanne couldn't suppress a rush of irritation. The man knew nothing about working out. If he'd ever wanted to learn about it he could've found his way into the workout room in their own house and asked her!

"Hmm," Jay constructed his answer. "Yeah, I did a bit of lifting. Some squats. Stuff like that."

"Squats, eh?"

Ugh! Just eat the rest of your damn hot dog, go to your damn room and watch your damn T.V. The thought caught Leanne in a rush. She felt shame a second later. It's not a bad thing if the man wants to try connecting with his son. I just wish he would do it after I've had my chance to talk with him. She poked at her salad and nibbled at her wiener. Patience. It's a virtue. It will be rewarded in time.

"Yeah, but today I overdid it, because I mixed it with intense cardio exercise."

"Oh, cardio. That's cool." Roy scraped up some of his salad, and looked down as he ate it. He was already losing interest.

Jay stared at his mom. "It was wild; really worked up a sweat, you know? Tried a bunch of different styles of cardio."

"Hmm," murmured his father. "That's...uh...running and swimming and stuff, right?"

"Sure, but even a Walker can get a good workout," Jay said with a grin. Leanne wanted to look shocked, surprised, disappointed and discouraging. She wanted to urge him to stop this game.

But she smirked right back at Jason. She couldn't help it. There was no holding it back. Even Nora Walker could get a good workout from her son. That lucky bitch, she thought without rancor.

Roy was drifting fast.

"Huh," said Leanne. "You'll have to tell me about this Walker workout. I'm dying to hear about it."

There was a twinkle in Jason's eye; a shared secret. She imagined the twinkle was mirrored in her own.

"Sure, but maybe after dinner. I don't want to bore Dad."

Roy was already carrying his plate to the dishwasher.

Finally! thought mother and son.

***

Leanne urged Roy off to their room. She didn't even deny that her reason was that she was eager to hear about Jay's "Walker workout."

Roy looked bored at the very idea, and went directly to his room. After a few minutes of bustling around the kitchen and making the living room couch comfortable for a good long story telling session, they heard the en suite bathroom shower running.

But there was one final interruption they could not ignore.

There was a knock at the door. Jay looked through the peephole, and then pulled the door open.

"Yes, officer? How can I help you?"

"Evening. Sorry to disturb you. Are you Jason Halliday?"

"Yes."

"Did you leave your Nissan Versa parked a few doors down, in front of your neighbor's house? The Walkers?"

"Yes. I did."

"Well, it seems that Mr. Walker has hit your car with his."

"What?" cried Leanne from behind her son. "How bad is the damage?"

Before the cop could answer, Jay asked, "Is Mr. Walker okay?"

"Oh, sure. He's got a black eye, but I'm not even sure that happened during the collision. Otherwise he's...more or less okay."

"That's a relief."

His mother appeared behind him, and grabbed onto his upper arm; to give or get support. "Yes. Thank goodness."

The cop's expression warmed at the sight of the gorgeous redhead. "Evening, ma'am. Yes, he's okay. A bit too drunk to have been driving, but otherwise unharmed." It was an open neighborhood secret that this would not be Pat's first DUI.

The policeman turned back to Jay. "Your car has a pretty nasty indentation on the driver-side door, and the window's cracked too. I don't think it should have any trouble driving, assuming you climb in from the passenger side." Both Hallidays relaxed. "Do you want to come and check the damage?"

Leanne stepped in. "No, thank you, officer. Pat has auto insurance, and I'm sure they'll take care of it."

"Yeah," added Jay. "I've had a pretty heavy day. I'll look into it tomorrow."

"Well, we're going to bring him down to the station. Not his first offense like this. Do you want to get his insurance information before we do?"

"No thanks. I'm sure his wife will give me whatever I need."

The cop got a funny look in his eye. Perhaps Pat had said something to give the policeman an idea of Jay's double entendre.

Leanne looked away so she wouldn't give anything away, but she squeezed at Jay's bicep.

"Right," said the cop. "Well, last thing before we go: Do you want to press charges against Mr. Walker?"

Jason looked shocked. He'd never considered filing charges, but he said, "Uh...I don't know. Do I have to decide right now?"

"Jay! He's our neighbor!" Hadn't they already done enough to Pat? Even if he was a pig?

"You don't have to decide now. I was just asking for my own paperwork."

"Okay. Then, I guess if he asks you can tell him I probably won't press charges, but I'm not one hundred percent sure."

The cop nodded to them both and turned away.

Leanne closed the door, and turned to her son. "Pat's insurance will take care of the money. Why in the world would you want to press charges against him?"

"It's not about what I want, Mom. It's in case Nora wants anything."

***

Finally they sat on opposite ends of the couch. The front door was locked. They could hear the television upstairs if they both held their breath. Roy hadn't even heard the cop knocking.

No more interruptions. It was time to hear what Jay did today at the Walker house. Leanne found herself vibrating in anticipation.

"Remember our deal. I'm going along with all this, but I want you to tell me everything," she said. "I don't want you to hold back. I know there's going to be sex and nudity and body parts involved. I'm not a glass flower that will break if you use dirty words or describe sexual acts and positions. I want to know every detail." She hoped this would be enough to motivate him to tell her all the dirty talk that had been involved.

As her handsome son started his prose, she realized that they were equals now. She didn't know when that had begun or if it would remain in the coming days. But, at least for this moment, she watched and listened to him as an equal; as a man.

Her son - her young man - began.

***

I parked in front of the Walker house [began Jason] when I could see that Pat, Mr. Walker, had his car in the driveway. I know it seems risky, but I've known that puffed up hypocrite for what he is for years. He talks a half-witted game to justify doing what he wants, but he's not the type to get physical in a conflict.

I saw him from time to time last summer, when I was working with Lou Rhodes' Contractors. We would go down to Stuckie's Bar for burgers and drinks after work. (Remember, it was Dad's advice that I spend time after work with my co-workers.) Pat was there sometimes, acting like his intellect matched his fat head. He hit on women there. When they would point out his wedding ring, he'd launch into this bullshit routine about how he was in an open marriage.

Once he was hitting on Black-Eye Mary Saunt.

(Oh, don't worry, Mom. She doesn't have that nick-name because she's got a black eye. It's because she's notoriously good at handing them out.)

Mary asked, "Your wife is really okay with you playin' around out and about? And she gets with other men?"

Pat got a little red in his face, and spouted off, "I spend my time as I want -- with any woman I want -- and I don't keep it a secret from her. She knows all about it. And I've told her plenty of times she's free to do the same if she wants. She never does, though. String bean like her has more than enough with what I give her. She knows not to bother looking. Too bad she just doesn't satisfy me. So this is just how it has to be."

Lou Rhodes started grinding his teeth when Pat went into that. "Which means," he grumbled low to our table, "he's cheating all right. Just flaunting it at her, piece of shit."

I was more shocked at how he called Nora a "string bean." She's slim, but in that sweet willowy kind of way.

"Damn straight," Lou agreed. "If I wasn't an honest married man, I'd be more than happy for a roll in the clover with Nora Walker. But I'm not going to fuck my own marriage to un-fuck the Walker's house."

"But, she could take up Pat's offer any day of the week," I thought aloud.

"Sure. Problem is, the one who doesn't believe it is Nora. That woman needs an injection of confidence."

"I'd give her an injection of something," Ricky Lambert said. It was typical humor for the group. Lou didn't want to look at Pat let alone think of him, so we let the conversation devolve further into the sort of empty bravado the crew enjoyed so long as it was never tested.

Black Eye Mary pushed Pat off that evening, and his cowardice showed. He didn't act affronted or apologize like a gentleman who wouldn't be there in the first place. He hunched over, and slunk out of the bar.

I guess he must have worn her down over the year I've been gone.

Anyway, I knew that Pat would talk, but he'd never throw a punch.

I knocked on the front door, and watched Nora's approach.

Her dress was a typical summer dress with warm yellows, oranges and reds, but it wasn't one of those formless outfits she usually wears. It wasn't crazy tight or anything like that. It just let her curves be seen; assuming you're looking for them. And she does have curves! They're on a narrower frame, but her hips flare out and her waist pinches in like any woman would want.