The Yellow Cottage

Almost exposed as a liar, because Jess practically never spoke of her family, Scott said smoothly, "That's what I mean, your leadership in helping her through those times when hormones are rampant, adversely affecting behaviour, allowed her to navigate the morass awaiting her with ease."

"Oh really? I was unaware of that. What a lovely thing to say about me, both of you."

Scott was on a roll. "Also you were inspirational when beginning dating guys."

Monica turned scarlet. "What? I was out of control and on numerous occasions mom bawled me out at called me a slut."

Scott dredged deeply, thinking frantically to avoid deepening the hole he was digging for himself. "Jess saw beyond that, calling it your experimental phase and she admired you for not running away from home after being so humiliated by your mother."

"I thought about it."

"But you didn't"

"No, well obviously you guys are on a similar plane and your life together is not all about rutting. You obvious think Jess is a good lay?"

"Yes, Miss Perfect."

By then Scott had dragged an arm around Jess in case she fainted in the face of his titanic series of deceptions he was heaping over her sister.

"Little Miss Perfect. Oh yes you were Jess and I love you so much. I'm very happy for you to be with such a lovely man," Monica said, kissing Jess who looked white, her eyes enormous. Scott fixed that by squeezing her butt, bringing a surge of colour to her cheeks.

"Oh, I forget the flowers for your mom."

"What flowers?" asked Jess.

"Flowers I bought earlier today that are in the boot of the car. I won't be a minute."

Scott saw the eyes of Jess's mom widened at her first glimpse of him and her lips curve into a smile when she saw the flowers he was carrying. He knew he'd already scored a home run and that would be confirmed by Monee, er Monica. Even her dad liked him when Scott accepted an offer of a whisky rather than asking for a beer.

As they headed to Awarua Beach, Jess said, "I can't believe how easy it was to you to deceive my sister like that."

Scott laughed. "You know what I am -- easy come, easy go and rather loose morally."

"But she's my sister."

"So?"

Jess sighed and said he just didn't understand. Scott disagreed, saying he was great on theory but practised to suit himself.

"Then is that all I can expect of you?"

"If we're talking ethics here, yes. Your sister didn't see fit to challenge my utterances."

"Well, she couldn't, could she? Although I hadn't told you anything about Monee and growing up with her, you were right on the button. You have a fine mind, even when you use it deceptively. When you said those things to her I almost thought I was putting those words into your mouth because that's what really happened. She was my role model or, as I thought of it, my guiding light when I was young. And I was ever so scared that she would run away from us when mom berated her for behaving immorally with guys."

Scott was interested in hearing more of Monee's experimentation phase in growing up. "Immorally -- are you sure?"

"Mom caught them at it twice and I was old enough to understand what 'it' meant. And I was old enough to understand the real and horrible meaning of the word slut. Even so, I never judged Monee to be a slut. She always knew what she wanted."

"So now life had left her by because she's stuck at home with two school age children?"

"Oh no, but how did you know she had two children?"

"There's a photo on the piano in your mother's house of her and husband and their two children."

"Oh, thank God you were unable to get that right without assistance. Your mind is beginning to overwhelm me, as is your persuasive tongue. I didn't have a chance against you when your decided you must have me, did I?"

"Think what you like. If you must know I gave you ever chance to back away as soon as I realized you were a young woman of substance and could benefit from having someone like me alongside you."

"I know how to get sex when I want it."

Scott shook his head, catching Jess's attention. "I'm talking beyond that. I meant you were struggling with your novel, losing confidence in yourself and you were lonely and I suspected you were in need of toughening up."

"So making me constantly challenge you is supposed to toughen me up?"

"Not at all. I haven't changed but you may be taking a closer look at me which was inevitable anyway if you've arrived at the point of wondering should you marry me."

"Marry you. God, is there no limit to your creative thinking? You can forget about my thinking I'd like to marry you."

"But you had thought about it before tonight's upset?"

Jess looked away but could not hide the truth and she was shaking slightly. He goaded her, asking for the truth. She replied yes, she had begun to think of him favourably.

"Jess, now listen very carefully. Look at this problem that has risen in your mind about your perception of my morality and consider whether you are viewing it fairly, in perspective, or are you in danger of allowing it to race away like a bush fire. Unless you are capable of operating a globally perspective and thinking globally you lessen your chances of becoming an author of merit. A great author out-thinks and out-wits her or his readers, presenting them with new perspectives and perhaps even introducing them to new concepts. I've never claimed to possess heroic qualities and although I openly admire you I've never expected you to possess heroic qualities and to have my heart pierced should you ever disappoint me. You come close to being Miss Perfect but I'll never be Mr Perfect nor attempt to hide my real self."

Jess lost her nerve, yanking down hard on a shank of her hair. "I think this pause make a good break Scott. I'm emotionally over-wrought right now."

"That's good thinking. If Monica is not wasting away home alone while the children are at school, what does she do?"

"She's a hospital specialist in haematology and oncology with a particular interest in bleeding and clotting disorders. She works from 7:00 to 3:00 so is home when her children arrive from school."

"That's impressive. She's raised the bar so the prospects looked good for you. What about your other sister?"

"Beth is a TV producer, working at present in Wellington, and Ralph is a partner in a law firm."

They arrived home, still distanced. Scott thought about sleeping in the spare room to give her space but then decided to jump in beside her. Jess turned away from him immediately and merely grunted when he said goodnight.

Sometime during the night Scott awoke to find the sheet had been removed from him. Jess was straddled over him attempting to press an unready penis into her. As soon as Scott became aware of that the penis took care of itself. Jess began moving and reached down to place Scott's hands on her flying breasts. It was affirmation that the wee crisis had ended. Scott made sure he worked on her like a treat.

Jess emerged at 8:00 to make coffee, smiling congratulations when Scott said he'd been working for almost three hours, halfway to his minimum target. Jess went off to start reading the second of three theses and that indicated they were falling into a nicely paced work routine. Late lunch would be walked off with Razor and they'd then have coffee with Marion and joined by his stepfather Basil if he were home. Both Marion and Bazz were already displaying affection to Jess. On those walks Scott encouraged Jess to talk about novel development and adding his pennyworth. Jess, who was back to kissing him again without having a conscious reason, told him she was aware he was acting as his literary coach and it seemed to be working marvellously. In the spa at evenings much of the conversation was about her novel, in development, and his novel, in gestation.

The routine was good, perhaps too good. Socially nothing was happening for them apart from Sunday night dinner with his folk. Scott began thinking he ought to arrange an outing when Linda called him.

"Hi, this is not to ask you about progress," she said. "My husband is home and I'm having a dinner party. I'd like you to come and please bring Jess."

"How did you know my girlfriend's name?"

"My understanding she's more than a girlfriend," Linda said dryly. "My aunt whom I stayed with at the village stayed with me last weekend. She knows your mother, knows of you, and knows Jess. She told me Jess was a published author so I read her latest book."

"And?"

"Not bad but a romance with the inevitable conclusion. Despite the well-crafted storyline, good propose, passionate passages that riveted me somewhat and characters who developed as the story progressed I ended the read thinking, so what? It was just another variation of a whole sea of similar stories set adrift aimlessly."

"Agreed, and she's now accept that guidance. She's just started a new novel, fact-fiction."

"Oh well, with your influence we hope to hear from her in due course."

"Thanks for the invitation. We accept."

"Good, this Saturday at 7:00. I'll email details."

"Much appreciated. By the way, that eighteen hours with you were memorable."

"Me too. I could scarcely walk next day. Bye."

Scott walked back into the cottage and told a delighted Jess about Saturday night.

Jess became ecstatic, cheeks really glowing when the email details arrived next morning and stated dress was to be all white and imaginative. Within the hour Jess, dressed in a tight blue dress that seemed made for her body, the hem stopping mid-thigh, was towing a semi-reluctant partner to his vehicle, Scott protesting that tomorrow or the next day would be fine, but found himself ignored. They chattered away for twenty minutes until reaching a fancy dress hire shop on the floor above the premises of an antique dealer's shop with a faded notice on the door stating 'back in five minutes'. But upstairs was open and a smiling middle-aged woman with cheeks like over-ripe spotted red apples and dressed like a gypsy came forward and greeted them tiredly.

Half and hour later, leaving the untidy rooms emitting a faint smell of dust, mothballs and stale body sweat, the couple happily went down the stairs, Jess giggling behind Scott and attempting to pinch his ass to hurry him along. She had persuaded Scott to book the White Rabbit suit and Jess booked the Swan Lake ballerina outfit. They arrived home just after noon and she was hinting 'bed' but a good surf was raging so off they went to the beach and were bashed around so much and had such an exhilarating time that they agreed it was rather much like having great sex.

After consuming a salmon salad -- Jess was attempting to wean Scott off eating so much meat so often -- they sat on chairs under the neglected and ancient big apple tree and Jess outlined her thoughts on her two principal characters, pausing to write down some of her coach's comments.

Jess was pleased the name Sandy Malone for her heroine greatly appealed to Scott.

"That name fits and energetic powerhouse blonde, beautiful though with freckles, who has a sleek body, big tits and fearlessly kicks ass. Malone suggests her paternal descendants originated from an Irish guy, probably having crossed from Belfast to Liverpool to take charge of a Squire's stables and was deported for the crime of trying to lift the petticoats of the Squire's wife. He was convicted and despatched to the Colony of New South Wales."

That description left Jess with her mouth open and she squeaked, "H-how could you build such information from just a name?"

"I closed me eyes and pictured the young woman suitable to fit such a name and what her background would be."

"This is absolutely amazing," Jess spluttered. "I have in mind a blonde with a sun-aged face through the growing harshness of the Australian climate affected by global warming. Yes, she is beautiful, athletic and bows to no one. But you were wrong about her breasts -- I propose they will be twin tennis ball size. And yes, several generations back the last of the line of males in her father's branch of the Malone's left Ireland, I haven't decided from where, to settle in Liverpool to work his way up to take charge of one of the stables operated by the Municipality of Liverpool. He wanted to save enough money to pay for his fare and to settle successfully in New York. So you were wrong about the Squire and wrong about him being caught by the Squire interfering with his wife's clothing. His overseer caught Danny Malone with his hand down the top of the overseer's youngest daughter's dress. The overseer berated Danny but was too fearful of Danny because of the young man's powerful build so trumped up a charge that Danny had stolen money from him. Danny was convicted of minor theft and sent to the convict settlement in the Colony of New South Wales."

Jess stared at her partner and tilting her head, scratched it, now looking perplexed. She went to say something, hesitated and then, "Do you posses extra-sensory perception?"

"No."

"Then how...how could you picture Sandy like that? I have thought so much about her that she's now resident in my mind. Do you know me so well that you can read my mind?"

"No."

"How then?"

"You left a sheet of paper on the bench titled, 'Final draft details: Sandy. I read it."

"You big tease," she yelled, launching at him. The chair creaked alarmingly at their combined weight so Scott rolled off on to the grass ensuring he landed under her and broke her fall. Dressed only in shorts -- it was a summer hot day -- he then rolled over on to Jess, dressed in only a sundress, and kissed her. She responded enthusiastically. Scott lifted up on his hands and said he could smell pussy.

Jess yelped and called him gross, but not looking upset. Teasing excited her, she confessed. Scott crabbed downwards and lifted the dress hem, spread Jess and began licking while she pulled her top down and fiddled dainty with her breast, smiling with her eyes closed. They didn't hear the roadside gate open.

"Scott -- you disgusting oaf!" Marion called. "And let the poor girl escape your irresponsible clutches!"

Jess's body turned rigid and she gasped, "Oh hell." She couldn't believe it when Scott completed two tongue thrusts and turned to look at the intruder and say, ever so casually, "Oh hi mum. Hi Razor -- don't come over here." He allowed Jess to roll free and she ran into the house.

"This is your first visit," he said, wiping his mouth on to his forearm and walking to his mother who backed away a couple of steps and hissed, "Don't kiss me."

Scott grinned. Oh, sorry, of course not. Come in for a drink -- I'm so happy to see you. You're our first visitor."

"I shouldn't wonder. Other people would have fled."

"Good one mom," Scott acknowledged, relieved to see a smile.

"Well you're obviously giving Jess the attention she wants so good luck to you both. Our generation started off a little screwed up about sex. Your stepfather is rather conservative as well."

"Enjoy it while you can mom, but you're smart and will already know that. Sit here under the tree while I nip in and calm Jess down. I'll shower and bring out refreshments plus another chair."

Jess was stepping from the shower box when Scott entered the bathroom grinning and said he was coming to finish her off.

"Finish me off? I'll finish you off with the meat cleaver you big...um...big oaf."

Scott shrugged, wiping away his grin. He apologized for the embarrassment and said lamely, "I suppose you know these things happen?"

"They may happen to you but not to me," she said icily. "I'll prepare afternoon tea. I don't know how I'll ever face your mother again."

"Jess, now listen. In the scope of life it was a one-minute embarrassment that could linger a little. After mom had time to gather herself she said oh well she could see we had a good thing going for us. She understands Jess and I know she'll privately feel pleased we are uninhibited and are enjoying each other. Just wear the same dress, but add panties and bra. Then I want you to walk to the door and call in your brightest voice, "Marion, club sandwiches with wine or tea, she doesn't like coffee till the evening. She'll think oh, isn't she lovely giving me a choice? You have faced her, the sky didn't fall in on you and in fact she smiled when she replied 'Tea thank you darling.' I'll take out another chair and something for Razor and you join us as the perfect hostess. Will you do all that for me?"

"Yes darling. You are such a sensible coach."

After a very quick shower and combing his wet hair Scott entered the kitchen and decided not to slap the butt poking towards him as Jess was bent over at the pink refrigerator. He was sure the ass wiggled as Jess called, "She's chosen wine -- the bottle and three glasses are on the tray alone with a bowl of water for Razor. I'll bring out a couple of slices of old bacon I've found for him if that's okay."

"That's very okay. Nice butt."

The nice butt wriggled, signalling everything was okay.

"I love you," she called as he'd neared the backdoor, almost stumbling. He knew that some women responded well under a crisis but he'd not expected the shock had stiffened her backbone to the extent she could turn that bottled-up thought into a declaration.

After a glass of wine, the slightly bored Scott excused himself from 'women's talk' by saying he'd walk Razor upriver. When they returned Marion took Razor's lead and kissed them both, saying to Jess, "You're caring for my lovely son so beautifully Jess -- he hasn't looked so good for years."

As Razor walked Marion away, Jess said, "I've invited Marion for dinner on Friday night as your father..."

"Stepfather."

"Don't be so pedantic Scott, you disappoint your mother by referring to him as your stepfather so pointedly."

"She told you that?"

"Yes, but understands your attitude."

"So what about my father?"

Jess smiled and said his father would be over-night in Wellington. She pulled at her shirt collar as if knowing he'd look at her breasts. "Why don't you take him fishing one weekend, hiring a launch?"

"Because I don't much like fishing."

Jess said the idea was to build family ties and a weekend away fishing and hosting his Basil could well push them towards becoming buddies. "Or don't you like him?"

"He's okay?"

"Then do it -- I'll pay half the costs."

"Why would you want to do that, not that I would accept such a generous but weird offer?"

"Too many families allow the family to disintegrate whereas other people wish they had family around them."

"That's impressive reasoning."

Jess took a half bow and said she was an impressive lady, blushing slightly when catching Scott looking at her thoughtfully. They watched a tui land in the tree above them and squawk briefly before flying off. "Take a couple of babes with you if you think your father would like to extend it to a naughty fishing weekend -- I won't mind."

"What? You would mind." He eyed Jess, forcing her to reply.

"All I require is for you to continue liking me better than any other woman you know. Your mother told me you had enjoyed a promiscuous life from the time you entered university."

"Aha, so mom's incited you to make me bond with Bazz and came up with the idea of the fishing trip but I bet she'd not mention taking a mother and daughter with us."

"Marion simply mentioned her desire to see you and Basil loosen up. She made no mention of a fishing trip or other ways for you to cultivate a closer relationship with Basil. I assume that's because you are old enough to not be told how to behave."

"Okay, let's stop this jousting. What you propose is not a bad idea -- the fishing, I mean. I'll make some enquiries as he's joined a group charter-fishing out of Leigh. Did mom tell you why she didn't change her name after marrying him a couple of years ago?"