The Beat Pt. 05

The continuing story of Mary Houghton a married middle-aged woman and the exploration of her sexuality. How she copes with finding her true self, and how she deals with her husband and 3 children. How she finally came to accept who she really is.

There is no underage sex as per Lit policy and guidelines.

This is an original work of fiction by the author and nobody is real.

Please leave a comment and a rating, preferably a nice comment and a good rating.

**WARNING**

There is some accidental incest in this Chapter if that offends you then 'look away now'.

They say a woman's work is never done. Whoever said it must have had a husband and 3 teenage children.

Mary's two daughters shared a bedroom, the youngest of the 3 children was Angie, 13 and in her second year at high school, while her eldest child Sally was at University and rarely home but she and her younger sister got on very well, kindred spirits of sorts. It was mostly tidy, most of the time. Apart from the clothes, they always seem to miss the wash basket when it came to putting the dirty stuff out. And recently young Angie had started to do her own underwear washing. Becoming a woman can be messy at times.

Her son, 15 yo Charles or Charlie, was a stereotypical teenage male, football, his mates, video games, acting the goat, and then his many girlfriends a different one every two weeks. His father Paul has had words about 'breaking young girl's hearts' and he assures us that he wouldn't do anything wrong to hurt them. Mary sighed, boys she thought. It did occur to her to sit him down and spell out that his manhood will get him into more trouble than his attitude at school. Paul had told her that his son was well aware of the differences between being silly and stupid. She wondered if he did; on more than one occasion she had found somewhat suspicious messages on his phone. She told herself, I didn't pry, his phone was on the kitchen bench when a message arrived, I just read it before him.

It was obvious to her that he was the most academic and intelligent of the 3 children, but he was in cruise control for most of his school life, never standing out or fulfilling his potential. Whereas his sisters had to work twice as hard at school to finish with the same marks. Charlie hardly did homework, never swatted for exams or tests and was satisfied with his B+ average. When told by everyone that he could be so much more, his standard reply was, "I'm happy where I am,"

It was while Mary was running the vacuum over the girl's room that she came across some very sexy underwear, obviously Sally's by the size of them. Mary held them up and the crotch-less panties in a sexy black lace were something that a quiet, modest young woman wouldn't be seen dead in, so why did she have them and why were they tucked away under her bed was a mystery. They still had the sales tag on them so still unworn. If she had to hide them then she knew her parents wouldn't approve. She made a mental note to have a discrete word with her.

Mary was certain she wasn't completely innocent, there had been occasional boyfriends at high school but she had been brought up right and knew the consequences of fooling around with every Tom, Dick or Harry. Of late she had been working hard in her courses at Uni and didn't seem to make too much time to socialise. Mary wasn't too concerned, there will be plenty of time for socialising once she has finished University, she thought to herself.

Meal times were all over the place, Mary stuck fast to her principles that she would serve dinner for everyone at 6 pm, if you weren't home you went without. No raiding of the pantry after 8 pm. The only exception she made was for Charlie on Tuesdays and Thursdays, when he had football training and then for Angie when she got asked to play netball for the high school state team and practice was Wednesday nights from 7 to 9 pm. Angie had an early snack and fore went any dinner. She kept Charlie's dinner warm in the oven but he sat at the table and ate it, not in front of the TV, PC or with a phone in hand. He seemed ok by that, normally after football training, he would woof down his food in any case. Mary made certain she kept them all on a good diet with well-balanced foods and regular meals, what they actually ate when they weren't home was up to them, they were all told "don't come asking for a handout of cash just because hungry," She always made certain there was fresh fruit available by the bucket loads. She had no idea where they put it all. Hollow legs she told herself more than once.

Mary was lost in thought as she continued her housework, the cleaning never seems to finish she was thinking. Tomorrow was her day out, a lunch in the city with friends was all she ever mentioned if she was asked. She never was. The fact she ended up at the OWLS Club in Port Adelaide was a complete mystery to them all. It seems her daytime activities were as opaque to her family as she sometimes feels she is. Not unloved, hell no, she knew she was. Paul always kissed her goodbye every morning and the occasional pat on the behind as a forewarning he was in the mood that day.

The kids were extremely loving, OK Charlie not so much when others were around, especially his sisters or his dad, but when it was just him and his mum, he would help out doing things for her, cleaning, washing even, preparing meals. He even offered advice about trying new recipes after reading a cooking book she had opened for one of the family's meals. He was told, if he wanted to try it he should cook it for the whole family one day and she wouldn't say a word about it. It was their secret to 'mums' new dish. She smiled and he said thanks. He was asked if he wanted to do the shopping for all the ingredients and his answer was a look of sheer fear. "I'll take that as a no," She told him. She remembered those times with each of the children.

Her and Paul's 20th wedding anniversary was coming up and she wondered what this one was called. She had to google it not that Paul would remember, although he might surprise her one day. She grabbed the tablet in the kitchen and punched in the required details. The traditional gift for the 20th is China and Emerald green is the colour. HHHHMMMMM she thought, some nice Emerald earrings would be nice. That would give her an opportunity to get some new outfits. Then she returned to her reality, 'wishful thinking girl' Elizabeth is more likely to give you something, even if Paul remembers. And she has only known you for less than a month.

She snapped out of her daze as the vacuum cleaner caught hold of the tassels on the edge of the rug she was cleaning. Why all of a sudden had Elizabeth popped into her mind? She asked herself. Elizabeth had been tucked away in her sub-conscience purely for her night-time entertainment, once she was certain Pauls was fast asleep. Oh, sweet Beth, on her full lips she always wore a full gloss lipstick, always immaculately dressed, always sexy underwear and her perfume, such a gorgeous scent, she always lingered on long after she had left her. She felt a tingling in her knickers. Mary closed her legs tight. Took a deep sigh, smiled and thought, no, I won't go and relieve myself, I shall wait until tomorrow.

She heard a key in the front door and wondered which one was coming home mid-afternoon. She walked into the entrance and found Sally, smiling at her, "Surprise," She said.

"What are you doing home?" Mary asked her eldest daughter.

"I've come home to change, a friend has invited me to a private gallery to see some famous paintings," She told her mum. "I won't be home for dinner tonight, we are going for a meal afterwards" She yelled over her shoulder as she headed down to her bedroom.

Mary remembered those panties she found and what a perfect opportunity to get her to explain them she thought. She followed her down to the bedroom, the door was closed, so she knocked. "Sally, can I have a word with you?" She spoke through the door.

"Hang on mum," came the reply. And then the door was opened and Sally was wrapped in her house coat. It must be said that Sally wasn't a model or a movie star in her looks, she was 18, not carrying any weight, wore glasses, had brown mousey hair shoulder length, was hard to keep tidy and she dressed conservatively, didn't like standing out in the crowd a very standard looking wall flower. The number of times they have had a conversation about her trying harder to dress herself up a bit, well Mary had lost count and lost out. It seems even the basic makeup was out of the question.

Sally stood there with her bedroom door half open. "Can I come in?" She asked.

"Oh sorry, just a minute," She scurried away and Mary heard her shuffling things around, "What's going on Sally," She asked as she entered the room.

"Nothing mum, just some business from University, I was asked to look after some works that my friend doesn't want to be seen just yet,"

Mary looked at her daughter with suspicion, she had never been secretive in the past, strange behaviour she thought, but only momentarily. "I found something of yours that you might miss," She told her.

"Oh, what's that," Sally asked.

Mary handed her daughter the crotch-less knickers. Sally turned bright crimson. "What were you doing going through my underwear drawers?" She asked her mum.

"Don't be ridiculous, Sal, I don't do that, they were under your bed, I found them while cleaning." She was told.

Sally hid her face in the knickers laughing, you think I'd wear these do you?" She asked.

"Well no, I don't, which is why we are talking all alone,"

"Mum, you are adorable, you really are. I lost a bet over some silly argument and had to go and buy something from a sex shop and take some photos while inside, and these were the only things I would dare to put on the counter and pay for," Now it was Mary's turn to turn bright red.

"What did you think mum? That I had all of a sudden become quite promiscuous and started wearing such things to turn someone on or something?"

"Well, I didn't know what to think, to be honest," She replied.

"Your father and I have never pried into your private life but we are here if ever you need to talk to us, about anything or anyone?" Mary told her.

Sally sat there giggling, "Is this the talk about the birds and the bees mum?"

"Ha, not likely, if you don't know about them by now then nothing I will say to you will be informative, I'm betting," She told her.

"That's true. Now I need to shower and throw on some glad rags, my lift will be here shortly,"

Mary smiled and patted her hands.

She went back to the kitchen and looked at the clock on the wall, three thirty. She put the coffee machine on and yelled out to Sally if she had time for a coffee before she had to go. She got a "No thanks mum,"

She made a fresh pot just the same. She sat and went through her phone and found a message from Elizabeth a few hours earlier: ' So looking forward till tomorrow, lunch upstairs and spa and maybe take you by the hand and lead you through the maze?' she smiled at the thought. She tapped out a reply, 'sorry for the delay but yes please' she hit the send button and felt a warmth inside of her. Almost instantly she got a reply, 'I forgive you, and what time, I have the whole day set aside for you'. Mary stopped and thought for a moment, she will have the house to herself by 8.30 am but knew that was asking too much, plus she didn't know what time the OWLS Club opens. So she sent a message to her, 'I'm free from 9 am onwards'. A message came back so fast, '9.05 it is then'. Mary smiled to herself once again, 'not keen are you'. Again it came back straight away, 'does it show?'. Mary replied 'a little, gotta go'. Mary put the phone face down, she had her mum's phone cover on so everybody knew who it belonged to. Even Paul never interfered with it. But she will delete the messages as soon as she is alone.

Sally came out dressed in a short skirt and a buttoned-up plain blouse, her dress was also plain. Her hair was pulled back but it wasn't long enough to have a true ponytail. Unknown to her mother she had on the recently purchased black lace crotch-less panties. "Sal sweetheart, isn't that a little drab for a date?" Mary asked a little disappointed in the look.

"Mum, don't start, please. For starters, it isn't a date and this it is how I feel OK, there is nothing wrong with this look, it is very in vogue," Sally replied with a straight look on her face. Mary thought for a moment and threw up her hands, "If you feel comfortable with it, fine, it is up to you sweetheart,"

"So what are you going to see, these famous paintings?" Mary asked her.

Sally was standing in front of the pantry, trying to figure out what she might snaffle for a mid-afternoon treat and answered absentmindedly, "Henri Toulouse-Lautrec,"

Mary froze, then continued casually asking where the gallery was. Her body began to shake. Was there more than one place with his paintings in Adelaide? Surely that is the answer. Sally wouldn't be going to a woman's only club, surely. She had not seen any signs that Sal her Sally was that way inclined. She stopped herself before it became noticeable.

Sally came back with a health bar in her hand and said she wasn't certain, "Well, let me know I'd like to see them too while they are in town,"

This time it was Sally's turn to stop before answering. She had never knowingly lied to her parents, not even as a child, so she chose her next words wisely when she spoke.

"I don't think it is a public gallery mum, but I will ask if you can see them too," She replied.

"Oh, ok, so someone's private collection then, lucky you. Who is the lucky boy taking you out then?"

"Mum, please, it isn't a date OK. Someone from Uni who knows someone who has a friend, sort of thing," She said while leaning back on a cupboard and chewing on her health bar. There was a knock on the front door, "I have to go now," She told her mum.

Mary followed her to the front door, told her to enjoy herself and looked out at the car picking her up, not a taxi or Uber that she thought, but a limousine no less. Mary's eyes opened wide as the driver opened the rear door, Mary didn't see who was in the back but someone was. The car drove off. Mary was perplexed. Had she gotten it all wrong all of her daughter's life?

She sat in the kitchen finally getting her coffee that she started almost half an hour ago. She sat there thinking. And asked herself, why not. If she at the ripe old age of 46 is asking questions about her own sexuality then why shouldn't her daughter of 18? She picked up her phone and started to delete the earlier messages from Elizabeth and wondered why she felt like a bad mum.

The evening meal that night was just her and Paul along with Angie and some simple spaghetti Bolognese. Easy to reheat for Charlie when he came home from football training. Paul asked after Sally and Mary told him for the third time that evening that she was out with a friend looking at a private collection of Henri Toulouse-Lautrec paintings. He did ask in his male way if it was a "Come up and see my etchings," type of arrangement, Mary stopped mid-mouthful and glared at him. Then looked at Angie. Who was completely unaware of the conversation around her? Mary sighed and said to her husband not to be so crude and silly. He just shrugged and said he was neither. Then asked his youngest if she thought her dad was silly. "Don't answer that Angie darling," Her mother said while smiling at her and they both laughed at him.

Mary lay awake waiting on Sally to return home. It was after midnight when she heard the car outside. She listened to a muffled exchange of words, some giggling and then a car door closing. The outside light to the front door had been left on as were the kitchen lights, nothing worse than coming home to a dark house. Sally had to go past the main bedroom door to get to her and Angie's bedroom, and as she went passed Mary got out of bed and spoke to her before she got away.

"Sally it is after midnight, if I didn't know better I'd say it was a date," She had a smile on her face as she said it. And Sally smiled then poked her tongue out at her mum. Mary raised her eyebrows and signalled to her to follow her to talk. She closed her bedroom door quietly, in truth a bomb wouldn't wake Paul before the alarm went off.

She grabbed Sal by her hand and sat her down at the kitchen table. "OK spill the beans, who is he, what happened, are you taking precautions,"

"Mum, stop, it was a lovely night out with a 'friend', and we had a nice meal at a very upmarket restaurant, and the paintings were magnificent or as the French say 'magnifique', they were truly so special and before you ask, no as it is a private club and only members with visitors are allowed,"

Mary was now convinced that her daughter had been to the OWLS Club. She wondered who the mysterious person was in the car. She wondered if her daughter was gay.

"When the time comes and you want to tell us who this mysterious person is who takes you to private galleries and drives big limousines and wines and dines you at 'upmarket restaurants' we'll be here all ears. Now quiet and don't turn any lights on and wake Angie. What time do you need to get up in the morning?" she asked her.

"My first lecture isn't till after lunch, so I'll sleep in,"

"You set your own alarm then because I will be out most of the day tomorrow catching up with some friends, so good night sweetheart," She kissed her on her head and went off to bed.

Sally got herself a glass of water, took some paracetamol and went off to her bedroom as quietly as she could in the dark.

She started getting out of her clothes, it seems her new crotch-less knickers were missing, so she just laid her top and dress on the end of her bed, took her bra off and got into her PJs. She was just snuggling down when Angie asked her, "Did you tell her?"

"Shut up and go to sleep Ang,"

"I can't sleep, when are you going to tell her," She asked again.

"I don't know," Sally replied. "It's not that easy sis,"

"Sure it is, mum will be really good about it and dad, well dad still thinks the sun shines out of your, you know what, I'm the one that has to over-perform around here, Charlie does as Charlie wants, you're at Uni and it is me who gets the third degree about homework, and boyfriends 'touching me' and you know what, I am so over it all," She continued.

All she got in response was a "huh ha"

They both went off to sleep.

Sally slept through the morning chaos. Mary got her normal kiss goodbye with a tap on her bum. She smiled at him and nodded. Angie dragged her 13-year-old backside off to school when her friends came by and Charlie was late as per normal, then scooted off when he saw how late he was.

Mary cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher, then jumped in the shower, she shaved everything that needed shaving, underarms, pubic down to a landing strip and her legs. She made sure she was looking good. Gone were the days when she didn't wear her most sensual underwear, not expecting anyone to see her semi-naked. These days she can hardly wait to let Elizabeth see how she dresses for her. She had over the past month bought more lingerie than at any other time in her marriage. Not that her husband ever got to see her in any of it.

She put on a nice red thong and thigh-high stay-up stockings, neutral but dark in colour. She chose a push-up bra, half cups, that gave her plenty of cleavage and to make sure they were put on display her dress was low cut and short, she decided on normal heels for her, no more than 2". Elizabeth will enjoy the view she thought.

As she exited her bedroom, dressed to thrill, Sally came out of her room to use the bathroom. Did a double take and said, "MUM! What on earth are you wearing?"