Spirits in the Material World Pt. 05

"Well, as I told your sister, the instant I saw your picture on her phone, I declared you to be a stone-cold fox, and you are. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently! Have a good night, my kitsune. Sleep well."

"Good night, Davey. Hugs and kisses in my dreams to yours. Goodbye."

"Bye, Magpie."

= = =

At 9:02, Alan's phone rang with Rose's call.

"I saw you made it home safely. I really hope you weren't texting and driving," Alan stated.

"No, I had Maggie read your text and answer you."

"Ah-ha. That kind of explains things."

"What did she text you from my phone? I can't see my messages right now."

"I seem to recall the words, 'I can't wait to intercourse with you again'. That's kind of funny."

"Funny? Hang on a sec." Rose muffled the phone, although not completely. "Margaret Kathleen Lawson! Get in here, now!" A minute later, Rose's hand must have slipped from the microphone, because Alan could hear the discussion clearly. "What in all the blazing ... why did you send Alan that message from my phone?"

"Which one, Mom? The one about 'can't wait to intercourse with you again'?"

"Yes, that one."

"Mom, what's a four-letter word, ending in 'K', which means intercourse? Cat got your tongue? How about the word 'talk'?" Alan snorted, softly.

After about ten seconds, Alan heard, "Please go to your room now. I'm a bit too perturbed with you to be sensible. We WILL talk in the morning."

"Alan? Are you still there?"

"Yes, Rose, I'm still here and laughing. In case you were unaware, she is very, very bright and very quick-witted. Your hand slipped off the microphone, so I heard her explanation. I think she would be an incredibly great match for David. Talk is not the first go-to definition for intercourse, but she was totally correct."

"Now you're taking her side?"

"No, just trying to de-escalate the emotions involved here. Let it go for tonight. Yes, you should talk with her tomorrow, but sleep on it first, please," Alan tried to pacify her.

"Ok, you're probably right. Just like with her, my red hair does not lie. I have a temper."

"I am aware of this, Rose. I know we rushed things a bit last night but I have no regrets. Do you?"

"Absolutely none, dear man. Absolutely none whatsoever."

"You have to work tomorrow until when?" Alan asked.

"The bank is open from 9:00 until 1:00, and then there's the tallying up. I'll be here until 2:00 pm."

"Which means you and Maggie could be back here by 5:00, right? Just in time for supper and an overnight? Do you want to have another go at this, this time completely above board with everyone?"

Rose immediately replied, "YES! Oh, I like the way you think, Alan."

"I'd also like for all six of us to attend worship on Sunday before you have to head back. I know it's a lot of driving on your part. I'll fill your gas tank if you'd like. I'd fill your other tank if you'd like as well."

Rose gushed, "Oh, you fill my tank so very well, Alan."

"Again, this is probably rushing things, but if you will get tested, I'll get tested and once we know we're in the clear, I'll commit to an exclusive relationship with you and the condoms can be allocated elsewhere."

Rose squealed with delight. "Alan, you are making my pussy gush. How are you doing that to me? Yes, I'll get tested! I can't wait to feel you bareback in me!!"

"Rose, you have the sexiest wiggle, especially when you're on top. But I want more than just sex with you. I think we need some serious courting, hand-holding, and talking time, don't you? I want the whole enchilada with you, Rose. But the sex will be there, too, never fear."

Her heart was zinging with his words. He wanted a relationship, already! It wasn't just for the sex, although the sex was very nice.

"Alan, do you want to play a little now?"

"Way ahead of you. Little Alan is not so little right now and standing very much at attention. By the way, why can I smell you? This can't just be a memory."

"No, it's not. Check your pillowcase, sweets."

Alan found the used panties she had left for him, and immediately pulled them to his nose, inhaling deeply and letting all that sensation go right to his brain.

"You know what to use those for, right?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah. Right away." And he wrapped them around his manhood and began to stroke it with them.

Much like David and Maggie's time, Alan and Rose talked each other to wonderful orgasms.

"So, Rose, we'll see you around 5:00 tomorrow?"

"Barring incident, absolutely. And I'd like to go to worship with you on Sunday. Julie talked about it a little when they were up here on Tuesday. How dressy should I plan to be?"

"Well, the pastor often wears jeans and a dress shirt with a tie. Some of the older congregants wear fancy dresses and hats and three-piece suits whereas many of the younger ones are happy in jeans. I usually wear Dockers and a dress shirt, no tie. So, a nice dress or skirt and blouse is fine, as is a pantsuit. But I really like your legs, so a dress or skirt would be my preference."

"As you wish," Rose said, channeling 'The Princess Bride'.

They talked a little more and ended the call before 10:00.

= = =

Tom and Julie headed up to bed around 8:00 and lay there, touching, kissing, and snuggling. They talked about their perceptions of the Lawsons' visit and the impact on the Harrisons' lives. Sometime after 9:00, they fell asleep, happy and secure in their love for the other.

= = =

Saturday:

Alan's alarm went off at 6:00 am, and for once he shut it off and tried to go back to sleep. But he couldn't. He reached for his phone and saw one text message from 1:23 that morning.

Rose: *Kisses*

She must have had to get up for something in the middle of the night. Alan sent his return text.

Alan: *Hugs and kisses. Thinking of you. Eager for tonight*

When nothing was immediately returning, he decided to get up and get with the day. He showered and was going to shave but decided to leave it for later. Dressed in shorts and a t-shirt ("The Old Goat Patrol" from his scouter days), he headed to the kitchen to get the coffee going. He thought a better breakfast was called for, as yesterday was toast and juice and tomorrow would be donuts at church. He was going to do pancakes and sausages, but they were out of sausages, so he went to his backup plan, scrambled eggs and bacon. Knowing the smell of cooking bacon would likely draw the guys, he sat at the kitchen table, drinking his coffee and reflecting on the recent changes to his life.

Maria Villamonte teased him and paid for their meal on the date but got angry and kicked him out when he insisted on putting on a condom. What was that all about? Was she trying to entrap him? Or was that just her Roman Catholic background coming out? Maria had not been at work on Wednesday. Maybe she had planned to take the day off. Was she alone for Thanksgiving Day? They had a bit in common, but ...

Rose Lawson threw him for a loop. God, she looked great in her business suit and heels! And the dancing was a wonderful time. Who else would have thought of that? He could envision them dancing, vertically, very frequently. They had quite a bit in common, and those commonalities were lining up nearly perfectly, almost like the missing pieces to a puzzle. But it was their differences that made the feeling so rich. It was sad that she lived 100+ miles up the road. She had her career in Centreville, and he had his in Middleburg. They even meshed physically really well. She was all for his using the condoms, despite having had her tubes tied. And she wanted them both to get tested.

And dreaming of Laura. Where did that come into play? And the contents of those dreams. Where did they come from? His subconscious? Did he want Laura to approve of his taking up with Rose? He did not dream of Laura last night. He dreamed of Rose and of a life with Rose.

Alan mulled over all these things while he had his coffee, and still had few answers. Well, it was time to start the bacon. He also made another pitcher of orange juice.

= = =

David smelled the bacon cooking first. He woke with a huge smile on his face, his nose twitching, and his cock hard with morning wood. God, that was great last night! Sure, it wasn't 'real' sex, but it was a whole lot better than he had been doing by himself. He dealt with his pressure, envisioning Maggie, first in the dress and those boots from Thursday, and then in her yoga pants and t-shirt. Dancing with her was so pleasant. And then the pressure released.

David got up and quickly made his way to the bathroom to clean up and take a quick shower.

= = =

Tom woke first. The odor of bacon cooking had a way of almost levitating him, be it from a sleeping bag or from his bed. He sniffed, deeply. Bacon cooking combined with Julie's shampoo. What on earth could ever be better than this, he wondered. He was "starfished" on the bed, and Julie had "octopused" to his left side, with her left arm over his stomach, her head on his left shoulder, her left leg wrapped around his left leg. It would be nearly impossible for Tom to extricate himself from her clutches without waking her.

But the sun was up, and bacon was cooking. They both needed to get up. Tom heard David finish with his shower and head back to his room, so Tom gently pulled Julie off of him so he could address his hygiene needs. Julie woke slightly and moaned, but Tom's bladder wasn't taking 'Later' for an answer. So motivated, Tom scurried to the bathroom.

Having completed his ablutions, he returned to his bedroom and nudged Julie a couple of times to get her up and moving. She looked adorable in her t-shirt and pink bikini panties. Yummy! Tom's alter ego thought the sight was quite yummy too. Enough of that! Tom got dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt then made his way to the kitchen.

Julie returned to an empty bedroom but quickly figured where her boyfriend had gone. Now, would he bring her a cup of coffee, or would she have to go get it herself? She waited, brushing her hair and giving him five minutes, but Tom did not return. A little chuffed with him, she put on some shorts and then headed for the kitchen. A mug with creamer and coffee awaited her on the counter, but Alan had dragooned Tom into preparing and buttering toast. So, maybe there was a reason he had not brought her a cup. Maybe. Still, the mug was prepared for her, so give him some credit there.

Alan was now scrambling a large pan of eggs and had gotten out the shredded cheese for her. He was so thoughtful, she mused. She supposed Tom was equally so, just subject to others' conflicting wishes sometimes. She was over her pique with him now. It wasn't his fault that he was so considerate. She ferried the plate of bacon to the table, then came back, passing David who had his hands full of plates, silverware, and juice cups.

"Any more help needed her?" she asked.

"Nope, think we've got it. Please go have a seat, Miss Julie," Alan answered.

Tom followed her with the toast, and Alan came in with the eggs. They took their now customary seats and linked hands.

"Would you please do the honors this morning, please, Julie?" Alan inquired.

"Gracious Lord, we thank you for the night of rest. Bless this food to nourish and strengthen us. Guide us and protect us throughout this day. We ask all of this in your Son's name. Amen." Julie prayed, without hesitation, to Tom's great joy. Sincere and brief. The best kind of prayer, in his estimation.

The four quickly consumed the breakfast, and the younger ones thanked Alan for being the cook, which he accepted.

"So, the menu calls for sandwiches and chips for lunch, and we're having Mexican for supper. You can make a bowl or a burrito or such, and we'll have rice, refried beans, and tortilla chips. Acceptable?" Alan queried.

Seeing nods all around, David responded, "Seems to work for us, Dad. Are you cooking supper too?"

"I'll get things going and dragoon whoever I need at the appropriate time, thanks."

David remembered there were freshly cleaned linens in the dryer, so he headed to the basement laundry area to address that. He needed to be sure all his clothes were clean and ready for his return to school on Sunday. Whatever he wore to church would be staying behind. He quickly folded all the sheets and pillowcases and placed them in a laundry basket for transport to the linen closet.

Alan observed Tom's attire choices and suggested that he wear something a little more acceptable for public consumption. Alan wanted Tom to accompany him and David to get the Jeep so that Tom could drive Alan's car back home. So Tom went up to put on jeans, socks, and sneakers. He added a sweatshirt over the t-shirt. Julie was sitting on the bed looking a little troubled.

"What's up, Jules? You look upset or something," Tom observed.

"I really need to do a load of delicates before we go to church in the morning. I'd like to wear the dress from Thursday, but I need underwear and hosiery cleaned."

"Well, Mom had a sink downstairs for using Woolite for delicates, or you could trust the machine on delicates mode while we're out getting the new Jeep."

"Come and show me, please," Julie requested, grabbing his hand and heading out the door. David had just finished putting the linens away, so there was an empty laundry basket handy, so Julie grabbed it and went back to their room to gather her laundry. "Tom, would you please carry this to the laundry area for me?" she pleaded. Tom showed Julie where the sink was, behind the washer, and she opted to hand wash her delicate items and do a load of her other clothes so she would be well set to return to school on Sunday as well.

Alan, David, and Tom, all acceptably attired for public viewing, left in Alan's car to finalize the purchase of the new Jeep for David's use. Once David and Alan rolled off the lot in the new (to them) vehicle, Tom made tracks directly home for some snuggle time with his favorite girl.

At 12:45, Alan and David rolled up to the house in the Jeep. Alan was smiling, as the newer vehicle had many whistles and bells not present in either his Volvo or the deceased junker. David was ear to ear with smiles for his new ride. He was contemplating some weekend trips to Centreville on the sly, and the Jeep was comfortable to drive.

With everyone home, the four set to making lunch and enjoying it. Julie questioned David on some progress he had made to the acrylic painting in his studio.

"Well, I've added the foreground stuff you see now. I would not mind Dad's or Tom's input on what else might be worth including. Once I'm done with it, I'll probably donate it to the Troop for use in the Silent Auction the next time they have a Trivia Night fundraiser."

"You don't keep much of your artwork, do you, David?" Julie asked.

"No, not really. The piece I did of Mom is exceptional in many ways. One of those ways is that I wanted to keep it. To me, the artwork output is merely a byproduct of the effort that is the art. I was happy to give your mom those charcoal pieces of you and Magpie just like I was thrilled to give the kitsune piece to her."

"Magpie?" Julie questioned.

A little embarrassed, David admitted his pet name for Maggie had come at Maggie's request.

"So, what's her pet name for you, David?"

In a perfect imitation of Goliath, he replied, "Davey," which sent Tom into a gale of laughter. When Tom could not get a breath to answer Julie why that was so funny, David explained that he had just asked Tom NOT to use that name for him. Seemed a bit ironic to David, but it was better than 'Sugar Lips' or 'Snuggle Bunny' or something else totally stupid.

Tom got out one of the decks of cards, and the four played B.S. for a couple of hours, proving to all that David's mastery the other day was no fluke at all. Alan simply could not believe that his youngest was so good at both reading people and bluffing so convincingly.

When enough B.S. had been spread around, Alan stated that he needed to do some prep work for supper and that he would appreciate all willing hands to assist.

= = =

Rose woke at 7:00 by her alarm and felt rather refreshed. She stretched and flexed and then noticed that she had a message on her phone, the one from Alan. Such a sweet man, she thought after reading it. She needed to get ready for the day at the bank and to get Maggie going without telling her too much. Coffee was made and the shower was had cleaning away all traces of her telephonic fun of the night before. She would have to remember to keep a damp washcloth handy for cleanups.

Dressed for business, she rapped on Maggie's door at 8:15, to get a muffled, "Huh?" from her youngest. Rose stepped into Maggie's room and immediately noticed the kitsune caricature up on the wall in the place of prime location. That brought a broad smile to Rose's face. She had not yet determined where to put the two of Julie and Maggie up. Obviously, that caricature of David's was very important to her daughter.

"Maggie, dear, I need you to be awake and to understand what I'm telling you, please."

A hand appeared from under the covers, flexing, and the muffled request for a drink of Rose's coffee came out soon thereafter. Allowing the hand to grasp the mug, Rose enabled the hand's owner to sit up and to drink deeply of the remaining coffee.

"Ok, Mom, I'm clear enough to hear, understand, and even remember what you wish to tell me."

"Well, dear heart, I need you to prepare another overnight bag, this time with some nice jeans and a pretty blouse in addition to sleepwear. Before you ask, I'm not giving you any more information than that. You simply will have to trust your mother to be doing what I think is best. I have to work until 2:00, so expect me home between 2:30 and 2:45, and we will be rolling out immediately. Now, please repeat back what you understood."

"Pack jeans, a nice blouse, and sleepwear. Be ready to go at 2:30. Don't tell David or Julie we're coming."

Rose was silent for about thirty seconds, then came out with, "Damn! You are entirely too bright and perceptive for your own good. Yes. Another night in Middleburg, and we're going to church with them tomorrow morning. Jeans are acceptable for your age group, but do look nice and presentable, please."

Handing the coffee mug back to Rose, Maggie stood up and hugged her mother. "Thank you, Mom."

"For what, specifically?"

"For liking Alan enough to stay another night. For allowing me more time with David. Maybe we could all dance again tonight?"

"That sounds like a lot of fun, Mags. I'm sure we can talk the guys into it. I have to go now. Be ready at 2:30, please."

"I'll be ready to go in about 15 minutes, Mom. I do want to talk to you on our trip back there, though."

"We'll have over 100 miles to talk, sweet thing. See you later. Bye!"

Rose poured a go-cup of creamed coffee and headed to the bank branch to be the big, bad, manager-in-charge. Maggie lay back in her bed and her hands migrated inside her panties to find her pussy was already getting charged up. She rubbed out a quick little release, then got up to have a good shower. She, too, would want to take a damp washcloth to bed with her. It would make the cleanup a bit neater.

She now had to decide what to wear, both today and tomorrow. Jeans and her favorite cream blouse with hand-stitched embroidery would be fine for tomorrow. Tonight though demanded a skirt. She needed to think about this one. Maybe she could borrow one of Julie's. In the interim, she was going to assemble a Spotify playlist with some dance songs a little newer than the ones they danced to on Thursday.

The rest of the day passed quietly for both Rose and Maggie. Maggie did find a teal skirt in Julie's closet which came to just above her knees, and she found a long-sleeved white silk blouse to wear with it. She added some nacre earrings but left her neck bare (just right for David's lips, she thought). And she chose some really silky feeling pantyhose, ideal for running hands along, with the boots from Thursday that caught David's interest. And then she paused. What a girl I've turned into, she thought. All this just to make a guy happy. But he's such a great and nice guy. And she was good with her decisions. Now for a possibly difficult discussion with her mom.