The Journey Ch. 01

Only Bobby didn't even give her a second glance. "Nat, have you seen my wallet? I can't find it anywhere."

Switching legs, Natalie sighed inwardly. Once upon a time, he would have thrown her on the bed and ravished her, even at the mention of her wearing thigh highs. Now, he didn't even blink. "Did you check the top of your dresser?" she suggested.

"Ah, thanks, babe." No kiss. Not even a hug. He was gone as quickly as he'd arrived. And from the way he slightly slurred his words, he'd already begun drinking. As always, it left her feeling miserable.

She and Bobby had been married for ten years. As a young woman, she hadn't been sexually experienced when she met him at University and had pretty much learned as she'd gone along. At first, they couldn't keep their hands off each other. They'd found ways to be alone—anywhere at all—and made love at any hour of the day or night.

For a while, it continued that way after they were married, until everything began to grow stale. They began to drift apart. Bobby's business went through a rough time and suddenly her husband was drinking more than he should. Sex took a backseat. Drink became more prevalent. It had been like she was married to a different man.

She'd hoped that having kids would salvage their floundering marriage. She'd hoped that if they had something to share with one another again, they'd find that spark that they'd lost. But the drinking continued. He'd get into fights when he was drunk, and had been arrested a couple of times.

Now look at things! His business was now flourishing. The kids were no longer babies. And yet things were no better than they were before. If anything, they'd gotten worse. Natalie wasn't an idiot. Bobby had never been interested in other women before and now she had no option but to watch the way he flirted, particularly with a few drinks in him.

Her only consolation was that he saved the worst of it for when the kids went to bed.

Half of her dreaded this evening. It was nice of the senior most partner to invite her to his Fiftieth Anniversary bash, especially since she'd only been back for a few weeks, but she had a pretty good idea how the evening would progress. Bobby was already well on his way to drinking too much, and he'd flirt inappropriately with someone half his age, make a fool out of the two of them, then pass out.

She'd be making excuses for him all night.

She looked back down at her mobile, remembering Dan Rogers' message again. Can't wait to see you tonight... The fair-haired Romeo would be there and he'd try and make a move at some stage tonight. And Bobby probably wouldn't care, even if he was sober enough to notice for once.

She thought about her other 'near miss' with Dan at Bill Kenwright's home. The fifty-five year-old senior partner had the firm over, celebrating them on the most successful year to date. It was over a year ago, and Natalie had already taken her leave in order to raise the twins. Dan cornered her in the kitchen, complimented her on bouncing back from her pregnancy so fast. When he told her how much he missed her already, she believed him.

Or wanted to. She needed to hear that kind of affection, after getting none of it from home.

When he took her by the hand and dragged her towards an empty room, she didn't say a word. She barely remembered to breath. If it hadn't been for the Kenwright kids screaming playfully across their path, goodness knows what would have happened.

But the kids' laughter had reminded her of her own children and suddenly snapped her out of that big mistake. In her darker moments, she regretted that...

Maybe that was why the thought of working closely with Dan again made her body feel warm and numb? And he'd be there tonight. He was back in her life, and she wasn't sure if that made her excited, or terribly afraid.

The Party

"No, I don't want a cigarette," Jessica said firmly. She didn't smoke, and even if she did, she wasn't about to go anywhere alone with the Lassiter brothers. They were bad news and she wasn't about to get mixed up with them.

"I said, 'Join us for a smoke.' I didn't say anything about cigarettes, little Jessie," Tommy Lassiter, the older of the two drop-outs, corrected.

The way he looked at her was unnerving. She shivered. "Uh huh... well, thanks but no thanks."

The Coopers were from old money, and their land holdings once stretched across the county. They'd sold it all off years ago, turning a healthy profit as the area became one of the hottest growing neighbourhoods outside of London and renovated Greystone Manor back to its former state.

Watching from the raised, marble staircase that walked off the back of the house, the scene stretching out before Jessica could have been straight out of a period piece. A shallow pool stretched along the backyard, lined with large, pale yellow lights whose reflection shimmered from the water in the darkness. It was all so romantic, and yet Jessica was being hit on by the two 'bad boys' of the neighbourhood who were after only one thing.

"Come on, brother," Tommy said gruffly. "This slut's not worth it."

The young blonde gritted her teeth but didn't say a word, listening to make sure they retreated back into the house. Fuck them, she thought. She loved sex. So what? That didn't make her a slut, did it? Unlike some of her friends, she certainly wasn't in the business of sleeping with any guy who dangled a hard on in front of her.

"Can I get you a drink?" a man's deep voice asked behind her. Jessica sighed. She'd only been here a half hour and this was the third guy to hit on her.

"I'm okay," she softly said, turning to him and offering a chipper smile. Hmmm, he was much older than the boys she ran around with. Quite handsome, too. He made up for the receding line of his dark hair with his broad shoulders and rugby frame. Pale and a little round around the edges, he was probably the kind of guy who spent an unhealthy amount of time inside a local pub.

"You sure? Your glass is nearly empty."

She glanced down and drained the rest before holding the glass up to him. This guy couldn't be any worse than the Lassiter brothers, besides he was married. She could see his ring. "How about a gin and tonic."

Bobby smiled as he took the empty glass and quickly returned with a refill. He wasn't going to let this sexy little stunner get away.

Jess thanked him as she took the drink, deciding that the older man just wasn't her type. He represented the real world, one she had yet to enter. Still, she smiled sweetly as she listened to him talk about his construction business and how the market was turning around. She found herself growing bored, glancing off the landing at the people below them, in search of better conversation.

She didn't know or care what 'the market' was.

This was all a little too adult for her. Besides, he was well the worse for drink, even at this early hour. It made him seem a little ridiculous, really.

Sensing her waning interest, the inebriated man decided to make his move. Reaching out, he ran his fingers along her bare shoulder. His eyes dipped down into her cleavage—not for the first time—before he whispered, "You're a very pretty girl, Jessica."

The blonde sighed to herself. Here we go again. Usually it was boys of her own age hitting on her and now she had an older guy—and a married one at that. She braced for impact, turning ever so slightly away from his touch. "Thanks," she said sweetly, glancing at his gold wedding band. It was scratched and faded, but it was there. She wanted to suggest that if he was going to try and pick up girls half his age, he should at least make the effort to remove it.

"I'm getting a little cold," she said, looking for a way out. "I should..."

"Want my jacket?" he offered, not taking the hint.

"No, keep it," she said as he began to struggle with his blue blazer. "I'll just go inside..." She looked up at him, meeting his eyes strongly as she handed him her glass, slopping some of the drink onto his hand. "And you're going to need it out here..."

This time, Jessica couldn't suppress her smile. The befuddled look in Bobby's face was just too amusing. He blinked his eyes, a little stunned, as she turned and sauntered indoors, clutch purse tucked under her arm. She even gave a sexy wiggle, jut to rub it in. It occurred to her that his wife may even be here. What a slimeball...

"You handled that well," a husky voice observed as she passed between the open French doors. Looking up, she saw that a woman had been observing her, leaning like a shadow just inside the house. She held two glasses of champagne, and offered the blonde one. "You're eighteen, aren't you?"

***

Natalie felt fury seethe from her pours. She was in a conversation with Bill Kenwright, his wife, and one of the new junior partners from Williams Kenwright and Cooper, but all she could concentrate on was her husband. How could he? And in such plain sight?

The night had started off on a bad footing. Bobby was too drunk to drive even before they left the house and Natalie wasn't in the mood to stay sober, so they taxied to Greystone. Her husband went straight for the bar, and Natalie knew it was pointless to stop him. She watched him go and then went in search of someone she knew.

Bill Kenwright was probably the most involved of the senior partners. He was the youngest at fifty-five and still enjoyed litigation more than he did spending time on the golf course, although he admitted that the balance was shifting to the links with each passing year.

He was excited to hear that Natalie was considering returning and his wife had begun throwing out names of nannies she'd heard good things about.

It was when she happened to glance back at the house that the night truly devolved into a nightmare. There was her drunk of a husband, standing on the top landing of the marble staircase that could have served as a stage to the whole back yard, openly flirting with a blonde girl who looked like she was still in high school!

There was no doubt that he was interested. Even from her distance away, she could tell what he was up to. Natalie's only consolation was that the beautiful teenager didn't seem too interested in her husband—not that it was much consolation at all. It was still humiliating. She only prayed that no one she knew would look in that direction.

"Have you seen Dan this evening?" Kenwright asked as he stole another glass of red wine from a passing tray.

Even the mention of Dan's name barely registered through the thick haze of her anger and embarrassment. "Not yet."

Kenwright started to look around, his eyes drifting back to the house. Her face flooded with heat. "No!" she yelped, fearing he'd see her philandering husband. Three sets of eyes immediately turned back to her, all of them trying to gauge her sanity. "I mean... not yet." Shit, she was making a mess of this. "I think I may have had too much to drink, too fast."

They all laughed.

Up at the house, she watched as the blonde pulled away from Bobby's touch and excuse herself into the house. She watched him stand there dumbly, scratching his head and wondering what went wrong. How could she have fallen for that man, once upon a time? Had he tried the same tricks with her when she was a tender nineteen years old?

He moved down the stairs, no doubt heading for the bar again, spilling drink from one glass while drinking from the other.

"Excuse me," the brunette told the couple. Her husband was unsteadily walking in her direction and she was in no mood for a confrontation. "I need to use the ladies room."

Circling along the opposite side of the reflecting pool, she excused herself into the house.

***

"You're eighteen, aren't you?" the woman asking looked both young yet mature. Jessica reasoned it must have been her slinky black dress, and the way she wore her make-up. Her loose, light brown hair was masterfully tussled around her bright and beautiful face.

The young blonde accepted the drink. "Just last week," Jessica said. The woman's hazel eyes felt like a pair of heat lamps on her. It wasn't an entirely unwelcome feeling.

"Yes, I thought so," the woman went on, sipping at the bubbly. "I've always thought you looked like a young Jessica Simpson, though your hair is a little shorter and you're so much more adorable."

"Is that a compliment?"

The wavy haired woman laughed. "Hell, yes. She's such a sexy little thing. I'm Alison, by the way. You go to school with my son."

Jessica's brown eyes widened a little. Alison Brownlee had a reputation in the neighbourhood. Rumours were that she and her husband were active swingers. The blonde teenager had often wondered about that lifestyle. Open relationships, casual sex. No boy had ever interested her enough for her to label as a boyfriend.

Maybe she was a swinger at heart?

"Well, if I am, then you look like Kathleen Turner," Jessica said, holding her glass up with a smile.

"Kathleen Turner?"

"Film actress. You must have seen Body Heat... surely?"

"Never watch movies, dear. But tell me, is she as sexy as Jessica?"

"Which Jessica?" the eighteen year old teasingly asked, with a twinkle in her eye. Two could play this game. "Me or Miss Simpson?"

Alison laughed a little more loudly than seemed necessary. It was a throaty, sexy laugh that all of a sudden made Jessica that they'd begun to flirt—and that this was with a woman, not some giggly female like Margo. Suddenly she felt very grown up.

"Oh you, dear. Definitely you. I've had my eye on you for a while. I just needed to wait until your birthday."

Jessica felt her heart flutter. Did she really say that? Grasping, she asked, "Had your eye on me?"

"Absolutely."

"Are you coming on to me?"

"How would that make you feel?"

Their eyes never left one another's during the exchange. Jessica felt butterflies in her stomach. It wasn't that Alison Brownlee was a woman. Jessica would freely admit that she didn't discriminate between girls and boys. It was that this was Alison Brownlee coming onto her, a woman that her teenage friends spoke about in such revered terms.

The Brownlee's were definitely considered to be the 'hip' couple in the neighbourhood. Mrs. Brownlee really did have a Kathleen Turner vibe, with long, wavy hair highlighted in hues ranging from light blondes to soft browns, and an unlined, timelessly beautiful face. If she had to guess Alison's age, she wouldn't put her over thirty, although that couldn't be true. Not with an eighteen-year-old son, Rodney.

Rodney had also been the subject of some speculation among her friends. Jessica had always liked the tall gawky lad, even if he wasn't regarded as the sharpest tool in the box. He was amiable enough and had a sort of innocent sexiness about him. Of course, all the rumours revolved around his cock, which was reputed to be the size of a donkey's. Jessica smiled. Maybe she could check that out by asking his mum?

"Something amusing?" Alison asked, raising an eyebrow as she broke into the teenager's thoughts.

Jessica shook her head and took another sip of bubbly. "She is," she said, raising the glass.

The older woman shot her a puzzled look. "She is...?"

"Kathleen Turner. She is as sexy as Jessica."

Alison's smile broadened. She reached out, running her fingers along the young girl's bare forearm. "And I remind you of her?"

"Oh yes. Definitely."

The older woman smiled. This was much easier than she'd anticipated. "So... you're off to University soon?"

Jessica shook her head, feeling goosebumps run through her from the feather light touch of those stroking fingers. "No, I'm looking for a job."

Alison's fingers stiffened for a second. "Really? What sort of job? Maybe I could help?"

"I doubt it," the teenager laughed, ruffling her short blonde hair. "Your son is too old to need a nanny."

Alison joined in the laughter. "Well, I'm absolutely sure he'd be interested in meeting you. But at the moment he seems to be engrossed in chatting up your mother."

Jessica's face twisted in surprise as she followed the older woman's eyes. God, he was, too. The two of them were giggling together about something. Jessica was happy to see her mother smile, but thank goodness her father was a couple of hundred miles away.

She giggled to herself. When she'd suggested her mother let her hair down, she hadn't meant with donkey-dick.

"But listen, dear," Alison continued. "It does so happen that I know of someone who needs a nanny. Natalie Walker. Do you know her?"

The teenager shook her head.

"She lives nearby in Virginia Water. Works for Cooper's law firm. I'm sure she's here somewhere tonight. In fact, that was her husband you were flirting with just now..."

"I wasn't—"

Alison ignored her protest. "She's got three young children and wants someone to live in. Would that be a problem?"

Jessica's deep brown eyes lit up. Leaving her mother to her dad's mood swings wasn't the best idea, but she just had to get away from the horrible atmosphere in her house. "No, that wouldn't be a problem at all," she said quickly. "That would be fantastic!"

"Then I'll introduce you later in the evening," Alison murmured, taking the young blonde's elbow and guiding her across the room towards the blaring sounds of Motown coming from the next room. "As a reward, how about dancing with me? Don't you just love Marvin Gaye?"

Jess nodded, wondering who the fuck Marvin Gaye was. The room allocated for dancing was dimly lit and though she'd never been a shrinking violet, that somehow made her feel more comfortable.

They danced a foot or so apart, in keeping with the others in the room. For a while, her mind was filled with the possibilities of becoming a nanny. Talk about fate. As soon as they'd finished dancing, she'd try and find this Natalie Walker. She leant in to say that to Alison, but it wasn't easy to make conversation against the blare of the music.

When she began to step back, she realised that the woman's hand had snaked to her waist, pressing their bodies closer. Their stomachs, thighs and breasts all slowly rubbed against each other, ostensibly as if they were still dancing to the music. Jess knew better.

Alison had taken advantage, was making the first move. And the way she swayed her slim body against Jess brought the goosebumps back again.

The older woman leant even closer, breathing into the teenager's ear. She was murmuring something, though Jessica couldn't hear the words. Instead, she felt the overpowering heat of Alison's body and the way the sexy woman's wet mouth touched her ear, as if by accident.

Then the music died away for a few seconds as the tracks changed.

"Have you ever been with a woman?" the husky voice whispered.

The teenager nodded as she felt one of Alison's hands make its way onto her ass. She could feel the caressing fingers through the thin material of her short blue dress. Glancing around, it seemed dark enough for the movement to remain unobserved.

"That's good. What about watching sex?" the seductive older woman continued, her heavy breathing warm against the teenager's cheek. "Have you ever watched two people fucking?"

Jessica felt a thrill surge through her. Even with her friends, they didn't talk quite so openly as this. Have you ever watched two people fucking? She began to realise what it was about this woman that was so... mesmerising. Her breath caught in her throat. It was as if she was being seduced and there wasn't a thing she could do about it.

"George and I enjoy being watched," Alison continued, her teeth now nibbling on the young blonde's earlobe. "Maybe you'd like to join us sometime? What do you think?"

Jessica couldn't reply. Her legs suddenly felt weak. It wasn't just the words, it was the heat of the experienced woman's breath against her cheek. It was the way Alison's teeth pull down on her earlobe.