Synchronicity for Six Pt. 07

"Katie, are you okay tonight?" Maggie was becoming concerned for her friend.

"Yeah, I'm just perfect, Mags. But thanks for asking." Katie gave her mother's phone number for Maggie to pass along, not that Katie thought it would be needed.

"Please come for supper tomorrow, Katie," Maggie invited, knowing that she would not have to clear it with Rose or Alan.

"Okay," Katie sobbed, then disconnected the call.

= = =

Rose entered the bedroom and made for the master bathroom.

"Alan, come here, please, and talk to me while I get better prepared," she called to him. Quickly rolling off the bed, he followed her with a smile. He leaned against the counter while she took care of her needs.

"So, now that you've had some time to consider some new information, what are your thoughts about buying a new place together and selling this house?" she inquired. "Please understand that I'm not trying to change things simply to change them. We need some more space and need to consider future generations of Harrisons as well. This house has seen a lot of love over the years, and I'm sure it has a lot more love to share with others. But your circumstances have changed, my love. What is it you say about change?"

"Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine. Yeah, I get it, Rose, my dear heart. And I'm hearing what you're saying about not changing just to change. I also hear what you're not saying, and I appreciate that." 'And thank you for not mentioning Laura,' he thought.

"I was flabbergasted by the 'zestimate' on the website for this place. That's a lot of equity to just be sitting idle. I probably have not shared enough of my financial picture with you, so I'd like to start the discussion tonight and continue it over the coming months.

"The life insurance payout when Laura passed paid off the balance of the mortgage. I own this place, free and clear. And I have a little north of $50,000 in an online savings account. I keep paying the premiums on a term life policy for myself at $1,000,000 which the boys are the designated beneficiaries. I have a 401k balance with my previous employer that I should roll into a rollover IRA somewhere, and I'm starting to contribute to my new employer's 401k plan as well. Neither Tom nor David have any student loans for their education, and I'd like to keep it that way, if possible. Oh, and I keep a $25,000 minimum balance in my checking account."

Rose blinked at his sharing of those figures. She knew she had chosen wisely in choosing him, but all this just exceeded her expectations. She finished her needs and grabbed a bottle of K-Y lubricant from under the sink. Her bare bottom swayed as she walked back to the bed, putting a little extra wiggle in her behind. She knew that he could not take his eyes off of her backside and that helped to increase her desire for him.

They pulled down the bed covers, but before getting in, she commanded Alan to strip as she tugged her blouse off, tantalizing him briefly with her breasts still cupped by her bra. With both of them naked, Rose poured some lube on his stiffening member. She began to stroke it, sliding her hand up and down, slowly.

"Alan, I've been lucky to have $1,000 in my checking account after all the bills have been paid. I'm so afraid that I'm bringing so very little into our relationship, aside from being able to give you pleasure. Julie has about $30,000 in student loans that she'll need to begin paying back once she graduates. Fortunately, Maggie's been offered a full ride at State, so that's a blessing."

"Rose, would you please turn over and spoon with me now? I've got to have you and I want to please you, but I want to keep talking, too. Please, honey? I want to be in you right now!"

With a big smile of success, she turned around and quickly slotted him into her well-lubricated entrance. He reached under her and pulled her close to him as his hands ended up cupping her breasts with their very hard nipples. His mouth was very close to her ear as he softly said, "I don't care how little you have. It's the overwhelming amount of what you are that matters to me."

After a few minutes of coupling, Rose climaxed while Alan was still going strong. Slowly, gently, and fully in control of her, Alan had his way, much to her steady delight. Finally, the inevitable conclusion arrived and she reveled in his appreciation of her body. She loved to feel his warmth inside her and how he claimed her as his woman.

She rolled off of him, regrettably, and out of bed with her hand cupping her groin. She waddled to the bathroom and returned a few minutes later with a warm washcloth. Before she would apply said washcloth, she took him in her mouth and cleaned out everything she could. Then she cleaned him up and kissed him soundly as he lay there recovering.

When she returned from the bathroom yet again, they set the alarm, turned out the lights, and pulled the covers up. Alan wasn't done answering Rose's question from earlier, though. Pulling her back into a spooning position, he fought to keep his hands off her breasts, but he managed.

"To try to answer your earlier question, while I had not considered selling this place and buying a new one, everything you've been saying makes so much sense. We do need a bigger place with more room for a larger family and, eventually, multiple generations. I hope that grandchildren are not too far off in the future for us. You could probably tell that I got excited about the prospect of having a pond on my property.

"We do need a place that is ours; not mine, not yours, but ours. I don't believe we could ever separate Julie and Tom or even Maggie and David now."

"Not even with dynamite," Rose interjected, chuckling.

"What was that?"

"Just a joke between Maggie and me, dear. Please continue. I'm sorry for interrupting."

"I don't know the particulars about the house you showed me, but I would like to know more about it and why it might be available."

"It popped up on my monthly report of potential trouble loans on Monday. I don't know a whole lot about it other than that, but I'd be happy to investigate more."

"Please do, my love, my life. Do we wish to start our day off on the right foot?" Alan asked with a lilt in his voice.

"Oh, yes, Alan!"

= = =

Thursday, February 4

David Harrison was looking forward to going home again on Friday. This was the third week of the semester, and there was a quiz given on Thursday during their double-length period. David and Amanda had helped each other to review the night before, and both were smiling when they emerged from the classroom. Amanda reached out to take David's hand. They walked a few steps before he realized what was happening. He gently separated his hand from hers and looked at her squarely in her eyes.

"Mandy, this can't happen. Obviously, you feel you did well on that quiz because I helped. I think I did well, too, and I believe quite a bit of that is thanks to your helping me to study the material. I think we make a good study team for this class. However, as we are both in committed relationships, we cannot give anyone the impression that we're more than just friends. Don't get me wrong," he added as her face was beginning to screw up to cry, "I love you, in that I care about what happens to you. But Maggie owns my heart, if not my soul. I'm happy to be your friend as well as Rob's, but it cannot be anything more than that!"

He wiped his thumb under her eye, catching the pooling tear before it could leave a track on her cheek. She had a complex expression on her face, one of horror, dismay, and at the same time, desire. He pulled her face into his shoulder and stroked her hair. That was safe, keeping her face to his chest. A couple of body shudders later and Amanda dried her remaining tears on David's shirt.

"We will have to tell Rob and Maggie, but not just yet. We will have to tell them in a way that everyone understands it was only hand‑holding and only for a few seconds. We just need to be on our guard from now on."

"You're right, as usual, David. Nothing happened and we just need to be sure that nothing does happen. Don't worry, I won't do anything to damage anybody's relationship." Amanda had a more resolute expression showing now. "But thank you, kind sir, for being the sort of friend that you are." They went their separate ways from there.

= = =

Rose went to work a half‑hour early on Thursday because she wanted to find out more about the property that had caught her eye and sparked Alan's interest. She determined that it was now owned by the daughter of the previous owners, and she lived three states away. Rose got the names of the deceased parents, the daughter's name and address, and the name of the attorney handling the title and loan transfers. The amount owed on the loan was only $100,000, but there was the monthly loan payment plus taxes, insurance, and bare-bones utility fees mounting. No payments on the loan had been received since November. Rose almost pulled the trigger to contact the daughter and the attorney but held off for a couple of reasons. One, she needed to consult with the AgCU's legal counsel to see if there could be issues with her, as the AgCU General Manager, being involved in purchasing the property, as well as determining what information in the records could be disclosed to Alan. Two, she recalled recent points of controversy within her family about not doing things together.

Even though they would both be committing to purchase whichever house they selected, she needed Alan to decide how to proceed. After all, it was going to be mostly his money that would buy the new house. He would not accept being led to a specific decision, and he would not take it well if he thought certain facts were being withheld. But if she gave him all the needed information and kept subtly reminding him of their love for each other, she was confident he would make the correct decision as well as get her buy-in on it. Besides, he had already admitted that he liked the idea of a private pond.

= = =

When Tom returned to the apartment after his scheduled tutoring time, Julie was already in the kitchen, preparing their supper. It was a very simple tomato soup and Caesar salad meal, but all he could do was stand in the doorway and watch her. The outfit she wore was not what she had on when they had lunch together. This was a rich blue satin top pulled down to expose her shoulders and a billowing full skirt that descended to her knees. She was barefoot, and the crimson polish on her toes was new and caught his attention. She was humming and almost dancing while she busied about getting their meal ready.

Tom's eyes flared with his desire, and his groin gave a mighty twitch. He swallowed, hard, because the sight before him appealed to his baser instincts, and he fought to maintain control. It didn't help matters that the song Julie was almost singing to was Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me". 'She has to know what she's doing to me,' he thought.

Julie knew he was watching her. The thrill that gave her was indescribable. She pretended she did not know he was there. She could practically feel him staring, so she kicked things up a notch. She had painted her toenails when she got back from class, and she had picked up the blouse and skirt when she had gotten the 1950s dress from Goodwill. She swiveled her hips in a mock-coitus motion and would flip her hair back over her shoulder, highlighting the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra and emphasizing the bareness of said shoulders. She would occasionally kick up a foot, emphasizing that she was barefoot.

She turned and pretended surprise that he was standing there, watching her. She twisted her lips in what she hoped was a sexy smirk, and it became evident to Tom that she had applied some light pink lip gloss. Yes, indeed, this whole scene was premeditated. He was sure of it. Well, he would never be one to let an artistic effort go unappreciated. Making sure her hands were empty, he gathered her up in his arms and pulled her tightly against him. The kiss they enjoyed lasted nearly three minutes, and Tom made sure Julie was aware of how she affected him.

Releasing her, he helped to convey their meal to the table while she lowered the lights and lit the candles for a nice, simple, romantic meal with her man. By custom, there was little talking while they ate. When they had finished, they both took their dishes to the sink. While Julie ran the water for washing, Tom stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her torso, just beneath her breasts. He leaned down and kissed her neck and ear, which caused her to dance slightly and rub her bottom against the front of his tenting jeans. That, in turn, caused his trousers to tent even further while his hands slipped up to cup her breasts through her blouse.

"Oh, God, Tommy! You know what that does to me," she moaned.

"The only things missing from this picture are my ring on your finger and a baby growing in your womb," he hissed. "But you knew that, didn't you? Well, Jules, my precious jewel, let me dry these dishes and get them put away, and we can have a practice session."

Julie gave a little squeal. 'I love it when a plan comes together,' she thought as she finished the washing and rinsing. Then while Tom stood there drying the dishes, she sidled up behind him and ran her hands over his ass, squeezing it occasionally, trying to be as much of a distraction as she could without actually getting in his way.

She felt him beginning to turn, so she quickly backed away and hurried to their bedroom. Tom had to stop and blow out the candles, be sure the doors were locked, and turn off the lights. He hoped there was a whole floor between their bedroom and Bruce's. They were likely going to make some noise that night.

= = =

Katie walked in the door of Johnson's Jewelers at 4:25 on Thursday afternoon, to Maggie's delight. At the sound of someone entering the store, Jack poked his head out of his office. He recognized Katie from church and correctly figured she was there for Maggie.

"Margaret, you may go home now if you wish," he said with a very loving expression on his face. "I think we'll call it a day now. I expect Saturday to be a busy day, though, so rest up if you can. Is David coming home this weekend?"

"Yes, Mr. Johnson, he'll be home for supper tomorrow and return to school on Sunday afternoon."

"It will be good to see him again. We haven't seen him since that Sunday ..." Jack's voice trailed off as Maggie smiled and nodded. "I've asked you please to call me 'Jack'."

"Yes, I know, and I agreed as long as you remembered to call me 'Maggie'; but you just called me 'Margaret'. Gimme a minute, Katie, if you can give me a lift home." At Katie's head bob, Maggie slipped into the back room, retrieved her lunch bag and coat, and gave Jack an affectionate kiss on the cheek. Giggling at the beginnings of a blush on him, she scurried to the door, pulling Katie by the hand. "See you tomorrow, Jack!"

Jack's hand was still on his cheek where she kissed him as he murmured, "Until tomorrow, Maggie."

The girls piled into Katie's Civic, smiling and giggling. Fastening their seatbelts, Katie turned to Maggie.

"What was that all about, Mags?"

"Relax, Kat. In addition to being my employer, he's like a surrogate grandfather to David, Tom, Julie, and me. I love to surprise him now and then, though. Besides ..." and Maggie held up her right hand, palm outward, as she twisted the ring around.

Katie sighed in envy. "You seem to have the best life, Mags."

"Well, I do have this great new friend who is helping me learn to drive in exchange for help with her 'Evil Trigonometry'. Is that why you came by?"

"Yeah, I've got a test tomorrow in fourth period and I have a standing invitation to supper from your mom, so ..."

"Then let's go see what we can do. Joy may be calling tonight as well; I'm not certain."

Maggie pulled her phone from her purse as Katie pulled away from the curb. Texting Rose, Maggie informed her that Katie was coming for supper, asking what the plans were for the meal. "Grilled cheese sandwiches and Chicken Noodle soup," came the reply just as they arrived at the house.

"Park here on the street, please, so they can get to the garage," Maggie requested. The girls entered and quickly settled into the media room, spreading out Katie's book and notes.

"Did you have a practice quiz?" Maggie asked, and Katie shook her head.

"I wish." A sorrowful expression clouded Katie's face, and Maggie quickly pulled her into a hug.

"What's wrong, Kat? You can tell me."

"It's my whole life, Mags. My mom and dad don't seem to care anymore. My brother and sister have pretty much ignored me for the last five or six years. I haven't even seen my grandparents in years. Apart from math, I'm just coasting in school. I'm just hanging on and hoping that college will be very different for me."

Maggie simply could not contain her feelings about Katie's situation. She wrapped her friend in her arms and pulled Katie's head to just beneath her chin and just held her friend close. Maggie started to rock and give soft assurances that everything was going to work out.

"It will be okay, Katie. I know it in my heart. It just may take a little time. Our first task is to get you to do a pre-test to show you what you know. Now, go freshen up in the hallway bath and come right back. I'll get a quiz ready for you, okay?" Katie nodded and slowly disentangled herself.

"Everything's gonna be okay? Promise?"

"As okay as Mom and I can make it, yes. Go wash your face, girl," Maggie chided, then made a shooing motion with her hands. She quickly put together a five-question quiz over the topics they had been working on this week, then wrote out the answers on a second piece of paper. When she looked up, Katie was standing in the doorway, watching, with Rose hovering in the background.

"Katie, Maggie informs me that you're joining us for supper. It's soup and sandwiches tonight. I hope that's acceptable to you." Rose surprised Katie a little with her words.

"Gosh, Miss Rose, that would be wonderful!" Katie spun on her heel and wrapped Rose in a very tight hug. Smiling, Rose kissed Katie on the forehead, then turned to see about supper.

Maggie waved Katie to come sit and see what she could do with the quiz Maggie had devised. It took Katie nearly twenty minutes to answer and re-check before she handed it to Maggie. About that time, Alan stuck his head in the door and smiled at both young ladies, getting greetings in return.

"Supper is in ten minutes, girls. Soup and hot sandwiches are never good at room temperature," he admonished.

"Gotcha, Dad. We'll be there," Maggie answered for them both, then returned to examine Katie's answers and how she got them. Maggie had been a stickler for "show your work" during the tutoring sessions, and it paid off a little. She was able to circle where Katie had gone off track on one of the questions, then she stood.

"We'll come back to that after we've eaten, Kat. I hope Joy calls for help; I'd like for her to take that same practice quiz and see if she messes up where you did. If so, it may point back to a flaw in the way I wrote that question for the quiz, or something I need to shore up in my tutoring. Come on, let's join Mom and Dad for supper."

Joy did call Maggie at 6:45 asking if Maggie could help her before a test the next day. Laughing, Maggie confirmed her availability at 7:00 and added that Katie was there for the same reason. That drew a chuckle from Joy. Maggie thought to ask if Joy had been given a practice quiz by her teacher, to which Joy responded negatively, and they disconnected the phone call.

The girls had everything ready when Joy joined the Zoom conference.