Sleeping on the Terrace Ch. 05

Jason chuckled and patted Mike on the back as they exited the restroom.

Out in the lobby Rachel and Janet stood near the theatre entrance waiting for the boys.

"So...what do you think of him?"

"At first it was kind of awkward, but then again, what relationship isn't at first."

"And?"

"Oh Rachel, he's so cute, adorable really. He's not like any other guy I've ever met. He actually listens to me. It's so great between us but I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop."

Sarah reached over and touched Janet's arm. "What? Do you think something bad is going to happen?"

Janet sighed and smiled winsomely. "No, but it's just been my luck with guys. As soon as things start to go well it turns sour and before I know it, it's over."

"Jan it takes two to make this work. I like Mike too, he's funny and charming in an awkward sort of way that's quite endearing."

"I know he's trying hard and so am I. I'm just afraid it'll be like so many times before."

Rachel grabbed Janet's hands and looked her in the eyes. "Stop living in the past, Jan. If you think that way, it's going to happen. Look, I'm the last person to be giving relationship advice but the way I see it, if you want something you have to work for it and not wait for it to come to you."

"I know, I know, thanks. Rachel, you're a good friend, I... Oh, here they come."

*><*><*

After the performance Mike and Janet followed Rachel and Jason over to the late night place she mentioned. The dessert was every bit as decadent as Rachel promised.

Janet dabbed her mouth with her napkin to wipe away a smudge of chocolate. "You know, I thought that play was going to be a huge bore, but it was great."

Jason nodded. "I need to send a note to my friend Carl in the drama department, his students did a great job."

"Were they all students? I thought some of them looked a bit old to be college students."

"I guess that's the advantage of being in a community college, you get people from all ages."

Rachel grinned as she leaned over and kissed Jason on his cheek. "Well, I thought they did a marvelous job, you can tell your friend Carl I said so."

"Thanks, I will."

The waitress stopped by their table and dropped off the bill. Mike grabbed it up before Jason could get it. "My treat," he grinned as he pulled out his wallet.

Jason smirked and dropped his napkin on his plate. "Then it's my turn next time."

"Deal."

They all stood up and Jason held Rachel's coat for her to slip on. "We probably should get going; I've got a ton of homework waiting for me tomorrow."

After Mike helped Janet with her coat he slipped his arm around her waist. "Me too, no rest for the weary."

Janet hugged Jason and whispered in his ear. "Let's do coffee next week just us girls, okay? I'll call Rachel and set it up."

Jason whispered his reply. "Jessie's still very shy Janet."

Janet smiled sweetly and sighed. "I know, but maybe just this once?"

Jason glanced at Rachel who nodded back at him with a gleam in her eye. He looked at Janet and shrugged his shoulders.

Janet snuck a tiny peck on his cheek and hugged him again then she hugged Rachel. "I'll call you, okay?"

"Okay."

They continued to whisper as Jason walked over and shook Mike's hand. "See you Monday, Mike."

Mike grinned and glanced over at Janet and Rachel. "What's going on?"

"Girl talk, most likely."

Mike nodded with a knowing smile. "Let's do this again sometime."

"Okay, sounds great."

They stepped out of the cafe door and were greeted with a gentle rain.

Jason shook his head. "Of course, I forgot my umbrella."

Mike grinned. "Me too, see ya." They scrambled for the parking lot to bring their cars around for the girls.

*><*><*

That night Jason and Rachel sat on his couch watching the rain dribble off the awning outside his terrace door. They turned out all the lights, lit several candles, and made gentle passionate love to the rhythm of the falling rain.

She straddled him as he thrust into her, her nails dug into his shoulder as she clenched around his shaft while he moved in and out of her body.

She remembered her aunt Louise telling her once when she was barely sixteen how, if she was willing to look hard and be patient, she would someday find someone who was perfect for her. And Jason was perfect, so beautifully perfect.

She felt him begin to swell; his thrusts were coming faster, stronger, more demanding. She knew he was close. She slammed her body down, squeezing his cock, holding him inside her, possessing him, and never wanting to let him go.

He erupted inside her, coating her vagina with his seed. She hugged him tightly, wrapping her arms around his neck and smothering him with kisses. "Mmm, you make me feel so good...so incredibly good." Her breathing was still rapid and her body glowed with perspiration. Nearly spent, she collapsed against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

They stayed there, listening to the gentle patter of the rain, and locked in a lover's embrace. He intoxicated her. The smell of his sweat mixed with the scent of his soap and shampoo. How did she ever get to be so lucky? She guessed her aunt was right...patience brought her someone perfect.

He whispered softly in her ear. "Penny for your thoughts."

"I was thinking about that first day we met. The day I painted your toenails red and slipped my white sandals on your feet."

"I gave you quite a shock that day, didn't I?"

"Uh-huh. You know I still don't know what possessed me to do it, paint your toenails red, I mean. I've never done anything as daring as that before, especially to a complete stranger. I bet you thought I was crazy."

"No, I didn't. I thought you were cute. For that matter, I have no idea why I decided to let you do it, then stand up and walk into my kitchen. I've never done that before either. I've always been so shy about wearing heels in front of anyone, let alone a beautiful woman. It still amazes me."

"I'm glad you did." She felt him soften and begin to slip out of her. She snuggled closer.

They sat quiet for a while, cuddling on his sofa. The rain had slowly tapered off to a fine mist. The air smelled fresh and clean and the streetlights below shimmered with a misty halo. It felt magical.

"What are you thinking about my love?"

"Nassau, that beautiful white gown, and the perfection that is you."

"I love you Jason Davies, with all my heart."

"I love you Rachel Clark, with all my heart too."

=THREE=

"I'm glad you're driving Rachel, this whole thing is so distracting. I know she's going to be pissed. I hate disappointing her, but I just can't be Jessie in public."

"I understand sweetie. I'm sure that Jan will understand too."

"I hope so."

Rachel pulled into a parking lot of a cozy little suburban dinner and parked Jason's car near the entrance. They got out and walked through a portico to the front door. The mid-morning breeze was soft, the air was warm and the setting was delightful. Rachel was wearing a cashmere sweater, Capri pants, and a pair of three inch pumps. Jason was dressed casually in slacks and a golf shirt.

They walked up to hostess. "Hi, we're meeting Janet Tabor."

"Yes sir, right his way, she's waiting for you outside."

They followed her out to the terrace. Janet had selected a table shaded by beautiful old oak trees.

Janet stood up and Rachel wrapped her arms around her. "Hi girl, you look great."

"Thanks, I'm glad you two could join me. Oh. I thought Jessie was coming."

"I'm sorry Jan, I just couldn't."

Janet looked disappointed. "But why?"

Jason sat in a chair next to Rachel. "Jan, even going to Sarah's as Jessie was killing me. I was a nervous wreck the whole time. Besides, I sort of got dragged into that party." He glanced across to Rachel.

She stuck her tongue out with a smirk. "But it was fun wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was fun but I was on pins and needles the whole time. At the same time, Rachel and I wouldn't have met you so that part was actually okay. I wish I could make you understand. You can't imagine the fallout if Mike or any of my colleagues, let alone one of my students, ever discovered that part about me."

"I'm one of your students, sort of."

Jason slumped his shoulders and sighed. "Janet...I'm sorry. I just can't."

"I think I understand Jason, I was the same way before I decided to live full-time as a woman. And after that, it was still difficult. It's hard to overcome all the stereotypes let alone the social prejudice."

"But I've never wanted to live as a woman."

Rachel came to Jason's defense. "It was always about the shoes Jan, he loves them. You can't blame him, I love them too."

Janet reached forward and touched Rachel's hand. "We all do!"

Rachel giggled. "Honestly, I've tried to get him into a dress, I think he'd look really cute. But he'll have none of it."

"I'm sorry Jason, I'm not trying to make you feel bad, it's just...I had a such a wonderful time talking to Jessie at Sarah's that, well, I guess I'm a little jealous, I wanted to see her again."

Rachel grabbed Janet's hand. "Hey, I know, why don't you come over to my place next Saturday?" She turned to Jason. "Do you think Jessie will be around?"

"As long as it's just the three of us, I'm sure Jessie would love to join you."

"I'll see if I can get him into one of my skirts." Rachel winked at Janet.

"Not even funny, love."

Both girls giggled and Jason blushed.

"So, how's it going with Mike?"

"I think I'm really falling for him Jason, but I'm nervous. Rachel tells me that everything will be fine if I don't push it. But if I go too slow I'm afraid that he might get tired of me and leave."

"I think you and Mike are really great together. But even in a perfect relationship the devil is in the details. I'm with Rachel on this one. Go slow and savor the moment, don't just jump into bed and expect to ride off into Shangri-La. Sometimes that works, sometimes you hit a few bumps and if you're unprepared to handle them you can end up in a ditch. I know you like him and you want to show him how much you care, but you can find other ways to express yourself."

"Yes, there's nothing wrong with good old fashion necking." Rachel purred as she curled her arm around Jason's, he blushed crimson and smiled shyly.

Janet stood up and drew them into a huge hug. "Thank you guys, you two are the greatest. I can't tell you how much this means to me."

They sat back down as a waiter brought them their desserts.

Rachel's grin grew as she spooned a bite into her mouth. "Hmmm, scrumptious. This place is so quaint, we'll have to come back."

"Jan, Mike told me your a massage therapist, do you have any openings next week?"

Janet opened her purse and pulled out her day planner. "How about Thursday afternoon at two?"

"That works for me, Rachel?"

"Me too, I'll schedule in a medical appointment that afternoon."

"Great, and for you guys it's on the house."

Jason shook his head. "No way, Mike told me you're putting yourself through school. Freebies won't pay tuition."

Rachel nodded. "Yes, and we're heavy tippers too."

A waiter showed up again with coffee and the conversation drifted towards Janet's school plans, her hopes and dreams.

The afternoon slipped towards evening and they parted with promises to meet at Rachel's on Saturday.

=FOUR=

Rachel stood in her kitchen, her cellphone cradled on her shoulder, stirring a large pot of soup. "Uh-huh, sure, I'll tell Jason as soon as he comes home."

She heard the familiar thump that announced Jason's arrival.

"Wait, I think he just got home. Hold on I'll go get him." Rachel walked out onto her terrace and stepped over the small dividing wall. She walked over to Jason's sliding door and rapped on the glass.

Jason slid the door open and leaned forward to give her a kiss. "Hi sweetie."

"Jason, my sister's on the phone. She wants to know if we can meet her for coffee tomorrow?"

"Sure, where?"

Rachel put the phone back to her ear. "Where do you want to meet sis?" She paused a moment and then she whispered to Jason. "How about Murray's near Woodhaven?"

Jason nodded and pulled off his coat and tie.

"Okay sis, two o'clock tomorrow. We'll see you then." She walked into Jason's apartment and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "You know you're going to be under the microscope don't you."

Jason grinned as he hugged her. "It was bound to happen sooner or later."

"I suspect this is all a prelude to inviting us over for Thanksgiving too. Hanna's big on family gatherings. They usually end disastrously but she loves them anyway."

"Great, I haven't been to a big family dinner since I was a kid." He picked her up and twirled her around the room. "Bring on the drama! Is something burning?"

"Oh shit, my soup!

*><*><*

Murray's was a little Ma & Pa diner that survived on good food served quickly with old-fashioned service. Jason and Rachel walked in the front door and were quickly led to a booth near the front of the restaurant. A woman stood with open arms and she reached forward to grab Rachel with glee. Both girls almost giggled like schoolgirls.

"Hanna, this is Jason."

Hanna reached out her hand and took Jason's in a firm handshake. "Hello, Rachel has told me all about you and I've been dying to meet you."

"Hi, I'm glad to meet you too."

They sat down in a nearby booth and a waitress handed them their menus. Rachel glanced around and sighed. "Nothing's changed, it like it's frozen in time."

Hanna smiled, following her survey of the restaurant then laughed out loud. "I know, even some of the waitresses haven't changed either." She looked at Jason. "Daddy used to take us here when were just girls on Sunday mornings after church. We used to live on Brandon Avenue so it was closer too. He'd tell us that Sunday was Momma's day off too so we'd all pile in the car and head over here for a big brunch." She paused a moment and looked at Jason. "Are you from around here Jason?"

"The world actually, my parents were both in the military. We moved around a lot. Before I left for college I lived in Ohio, near Dayton."

"Do you see your family often?"

"We're not very close and they're both in Europe right now. I see my grandmother from time to time or talk to my cousin. But that's about it for my family. Could you excuse me for a moment? I need to find the restroom. I'll be right back."

Hanna was quite taken by Jason's charm. She told Rachel as much when Jason left.

"That's good because I love him."

"You sound like you're hearing wedding bells."

"Not yet, but maybe."

Hanna sat there for a moment her mouth hanging open in shock. "Has he asked you?"

Rachel blushed crimson and covered the growing smile on her lips. "Nope."

"Oh stop being coy! Tell me!"

"Trust me, my darling sister, you'll be the first to know but there's nothing to tell...yet."

Hanna looked askance. "You sure this isn't puppy love?"

"Sis, it isn't. I've never felt like this about anyone before. He's simply marvelous. He took me flying last month," she squealed.

"What? Where?"

"Kitty Hawk, on the outer banks in North Carolina. It was a promise he made to me when we flew to the Bahamas."

"Wait, what? The Bahamas? You flew? This is coming way too fast."

"Jason suggested we fly to the Bahamas for fall break at his school. He had a four-day weekend. I took some time off from work and we went. Oh Hanna, it was wonderful. We stayed in this dumpy little hotel near the beach but that didn't matter. We were never there anyway. We were either snorkeling, or sailing, or shopping. I loved it!"

"Were you together, I mean in the same room?"

"I'm a big girl Hanna, but no we had separate rooms. We started out just two friends going on a vacation to the Bahamas and we ended up falling in love.

Hanna glanced up but didn't see Jason yet. "You simply must come to Thanksgiving dinner next week. Everyone has to meet Jason. Besides, he took you flying? You mean he flew a plane and you went with him?"

"No, I flew, by myself, in a hang glider. It was crazy fun."

Hanna sat there stunned. "Amazing. Are you even my sister?"

"I know, my life has changed so much. It's been like a magic carpet ride." She sighed blissfully. Then Rachel snapped out of the dream and back into the moment. "So, Thanksgiving. Who all is coming?"

Hanna took a moment to catch up then smiled. "Just Bob and the kids, and Bob's sister Susie, and her husband and two boys. I'm hoping I can pry mom and dad out of Florida for the week as well but I'm not holding my breath."

Rachel fiddled with her menu a moment then looked up. "Is Susie still married to Glenn, the ex-marine?"

"Yes, why?"

She glanced out the window then looked at Hanna, determined. "Because he's such an a-hole, I don't see what she sees in him."

"Rachel, it's the holidays, please come. The family hasn't met Jason yet and he hasn't met the family. I'll ask Bob to speak to Glenn and ask him to cool the conservative rhetoric."

"The right-wing whack-job bombast you mean."

Jason returned from the restroom and slipped back into the booth next to Rachel. "What did I miss?"

"Just girl talk. We're going to Hanna's for Thanksgiving."

"Okay, what can we bring?"

"I love this guy! What other man would think to ask something like that?"

Jason blushed as Rachel kissed him on the cheek then she turned to Hanna. "We'll bring a salad."

*><*><*

Later that afternoon Janet joined them for coffee in Rachel's apartment. She arrived wearing a silky blouse, slacks, and a pair of five inch beige stilettos. Her long hair was pulled back into a bob and she was sporting a fresh coat of pink polish on her nails. When the door opened and she saw Jessie she flew into his arms. "I've missed you Jessie."

"I missed you too Janet, I love those shoes. Did you get them at Sarah's?"

Janet took in several large breaths. "Oh, wait, I have to catch my breath. You didn't tell me there wasn't an elevator."

"Yeah, sorry about that. It's our daily aerobics, three flights at a time."

Janet nodded and sat down on the couch. "There, that's better." She crossed her legs and lifted one foot higher in the air, admiring her shoe. "Yes, they were on sale too. Sorry I'm late; I had to stop by and see my Aunt Jillian. She's going in for eye surgery next week and she's a basket case of worries.

Jessie poured a cup of coffee for Janet and set in on the table for her. "Eye surgery? What's wrong?"

"Cataracts."

Rachel moved over and sat down next to Jessie. "Really? How old is she?"

"Not that old but she teaches metal sculpture at the Art Center. The welding gets to you after a while. I like that blouse Jessie, the color suits you."

"Thanks, I borrowed it from Rachel."

Janet sat quietly for a few minutes. The silence was a bit awkward for everyone. After stirring the cream in her coffee she continued to fiddle with the spoon. It was obvious that something was really bothering her. "Look, I don't know how else to ask this so I guess I'll just blurt it out. I know you two said to go slow and savor the moment but I'm...I don't know, I just want to...you know."

Rachel leaned closer to Janet and squeezed her hand. "I know exactly what you're talking about Jan. I felt the same way about Jason. Too fast, too slow, I nearly went insane trying to decide what to do."

"What did you do?"

"I waited until I found the perfect moment. It wasn't planned, it just happened."

Jason looked a bit shocked at her revelation. "You mean you didn't plan that white dress on the terrace in the Bahamas?"

"No sweetheart. Sure, I packed the dress, but I didn't know if I was ever going to wear it until I talked with Jason that night on the beach. At that moment, there standing in the surf, I knew in my heart that the time was right." She turned back to Janet. "Sometimes you just have to be the one who leads, or at least gives them a gentle push. The difficulty is knowing when and only you will know that."