2 comments/ 5586 views/ 6 favorites A Tale for the Middle Ages Pt. 01 By: cerrotorre In the first story "The Reluctant Neighbour" Rob has met Shannon, a woman less than half his age. You don't absolutely have to read it before this story but it is best that you do. This is the first in a several part sequel to that tale. I hope you enjoy it. ************************* This was a moment Rob revelled in during their lovemaking. He was in awe that this incredibly smart and successful woman would allow him to be in her bed, to be deep into her body, to release herself into the moment with him. He loved seeing her beautiful sweaty back from this position but mostly he just enjoyed staring at her hips, her behind, her thighs while slowly moving in and out. He loved to lean over her, push her hair off to the side and run his lips over her neck, around her ears and to hear the soft moans coming from her mouth. From behind and leaning over her to the side, pressing her back into his chest, he can just see her smiles and her fluttering eyes, sometimes squeezed tightly in pleasure and then wide open in surprise as he thrusts deeply. From here they can dart their tongues out and just touch the ends, tongues straining to be close and in each other's mouth. He loved to pull Joanne up and back and wrap his hands around her breasts and stomach. He loved the soft feel of her ass as it nestled into his stomach, his cock buried deeply inside her. He loved the whimpers and moans when he drops his hands down to her sex. For this brief moment he almost feels like he is in control. Rob flipped her over and re-enters as he is getting close. He prefers ending with lips touching, face to face. This is really now about him. He had gotten her off earlier in the evening in her favourite ways - gentle massaging of her her vaginal lips, finger in and thumb on her clitoris, then his tongue applying the right pressure. This now is about his orgasm. Joanne is simply enjoying Rob's passion for her. Thighs rubbing his and legs wrapping around his , hands grasping at his ass and then her hand reaching under and caressing and squeezing his balls. Her hand on his balls brings him seconds away from orgasm. He pins her hands off while he steadies on the crest. In the end he can't resist the feel. He moved his hand off hers and she moves her hand back to his balls and squeezes again and he crashes over the edge, shaking and pumping and gasping. After coming down for a few moments he said, still shaking, "Joanne, have I ever told you that your hands are amazing when you do that?" "What Rob, do you mean mussing up your hair? Yes, you tell me that every time, but keep doing it, I like to hear it," Joanne said smiling. "Yes of course, the hair, absolutely nothing to do with the hands, down there." He shudders again at the memory of her gentle touch. He also realizes how much he is beginning to love this woman. What she really thinks about him, however, is locked deep behind those eyes and he is afraid to probe there. He also loses a bit of the glow at the thought of the conversation he has to have with her tonight. Joanne sends Rob down on a mission to the kitchen while she heads for the bathroom. Picking up the bottle of merlot off Joanne's kitchen counter , he pads back upstairs to his bedroom, clad only in his boxers. Joanne is sitting up in bed smiling, her small but beautifully shaped breasts resting on the covers as he returns to the bed and pours them each a glass of wine. Joanne was thoroughly enjoying the afterglow of sex. This is what she enjoyed the most about her relationship with Rob. While he was smart, good looking and funny he also knew how to unwind her and then make her body hum. And then, contentment. Rob met Joanne through his sailing club. From her office high above the city core she had looked out over the harbour towards the islands for probably 15 years, watching the coming and goings of the ferries and sailboats. She had never really focused on anything particular in this view. Her mind was always on the details of the cases on her plate when she gazed over the water. One beautiful day she looked out and watched closely for the first time a boat turn into the wind, raise its main, unfurl its headsail and then move across the water towards the passage out to the lake. At that instant, after all these years she decided that she had to have that experience. That desire to be on a sail boat had led her to Rob and his crew. And not long after it had led to their affair. Joanne had made partner in the law firm after only four years. Her mentor was one of the most respected and well known lawyers in the country, almost a household name which was very unusual for that profession in Canada. And now Joanne was about to eclipse even her mentor's notoriety. Recently Rob had been spell bound while watching the evening news as she stopped and spoke briefly on the courthouse steps with her famous client standing passively behind her, his fate mostly in her hands. She had stood serenely above the crush of pushing photographers, journalists and police as she spoke with quiet authority. Rob shook his head slowly thinking that this brilliant woman was going to be in his arms - and more - that night. He was in awe of her intellect and power and couldn't believe his good fortune that some small part of her was his. Rob had carefully crafted this moment - post sex and with a good bottle of wine, in fact he dug deep into the higher end section of his wine cellar for this occasion. And during their love making he had paid particular attention to her favourite things, taking her into a very satisfied space. However, Joanne sensed he was a bit edgy. She wasn't sure if she was amused by his tiptoeing around or edgy herself about what might be on his mind. Rob took a couple sips of wine while laying on his elbow beside her. With his free hand he gently ran his fingers up and down Joanne's side paying particular attention to the curve of her breast and then he gently nibbled on her earlobe. While enjoying the attention, Joanne also sensed a chit chat was coming. Finally, "Hey, did I mention my young neighbour at the resort in Vietnam?" Rob said acasually. 'Well ... here it is' Joanne thought. "Hmm, lets see, I heard about nice beaches, lots of young people, primitive accommodations and facilities, okay food, passable Australian wine, but I don't think you mentioned neighbour. But please do tell." "Nice kid, a little aloof at first, but warmed up to me - the old fart living next door," Rob said casually. "And let me guess, female?" Joanne asked, a little interest stirring on the subject. "Um .. yes." "Boyfriend with her?" Joanne probed. "No one, surprisingly. She was on a victory tour after undergrad, financed by the Parent Bank. Her girlfriends had gone home to Calgary for work reasons." "Hmm, alone then? Pretty young for that I would think. Were the other guys on the beach not interested or was she not so attractive?" Joanne asked, wondering why he was mentioning her. "Well, lets see, yeah, I guess she was attractive and she didn't seem to care a lot about the guys, not sure why. They were definitely interested in her." "Okay, lets clarify this point." Joanne, ever the lawyer, slipped into cross examination mode. "How attractive? Lets use the 1 to 10 scale." "Hey, its tough as, ... well, I think all young women are attractive, from my perspective of course, so the scale is a bit skewed." Rob knew Joanne would call him out for waffling so he added, "... okay, 9 or 10." "Wow! A 10 maybe! And I think you're a hard marker! Give me some details." Rob was hoping that he could get the Shannon story out while skipping the details and particularly the full details of their relationship. The hope of getting off easy was now fading. "Ummm ... long honey blond hair, umm ... great legs, ahh , very cute facial features, very short in height, all in all very attractive," Rob replied. He blushed a bit as the image of Shannon smiling at him while walking out of the surf on the deserted island, totally naked in all her glory, was coming into focus in his mind." "Rob, from the colour of your face I think I could take a guess at the rest of her 'features' okay." Joanne was definitely curious now, but mostly about why they were talking about her. She decided there was an important piece of information that she had to have and it might take some of her skills to extract out of him. Even that wouldn't explain everything. She decided to start with name. "Her name?" "Shannon." "So, Shannon just completed undergrad. That would make her about 22, give or take, correct?" Joanne asked. "Yep." "Were you and her buddies right from the start or was there some ... hmm ... I'm searching for a word other than 'seduction', but lets go with that for now, was there some seduction involved?" "Joanne, REALLY!? You know I don't chase younger women, PLEASE." Rob said, a bit taken aback about the suggestion. In reality, he thought, there had been seduction going on, but it wasn't from him, and he had mostly missed it. However he knew he wouldn't easily make the case that Shannon had been doing the seducing. Rob continued while slowly circling a finger tip around the aureola of Joanne's right breast, but not touching it or her nipple, "I barely noticed her the first couple of days and she definitely was showing no interest in me. That changed somewhat after she came home really drunk one night. I don't think she was much of a drinker but had got caught up in drinking games with some Auzzies. Anyhow, after they dragged her home, sometime later, she stumbled out towards the communal washroom and had a violent retching fit on the ground outside our veranda. We shared adjoining rooms and verandas in the same hut. To make a long story shorter, I got concerned about the puking and her general state and went out to see if she was okay. I helped clean her up and get her back to her room. After that incident she started to warm to me just a bit." Rob slid a leg across Joanne's thighs and started to massage and kiss her breasts. He was becoming aroused and started to regret bringing up the subject of Shannon. Joanne could feel herself respond to Rob as always, however she knew they hadn't got to the point of the Shannon narrative and she was becoming more curious. She turned on her side slipping Rob's leg off her, took his hand in hers and between kisses to his fingers asked, "Rob, when you say 'warmed' I'm assuming you mean you became friends, or are you trying to tell me there might be more to it than 'friendly neighbours'?" "Umm, at first she just seemed to hang out with me on the verandah, my verandah to be exact, or she followed me to the beach for my morning swim. We went for a long walk on the beach once and even went sailing one day over to an offshore island," Rob explained. On the mention of the sailing trip he blushed while remembering frolicking in the ocean with a naked Shannon and then caressing her ass with suntan lotion while skimming his fingers over her anus. Joanne could see the uncomfortable look cross his face. "Okay, I think I'm getting a picture here. Rob please tell me you didn't push yourself on a vulnerable 22yr old? I really thought you had more integrity," Joanne said, getting concerned as to where this was going. She stopped kissing and licking his fingers and stared hard at him while still holding his hand. Even if he did, why was he telling her this now? Rob was now very much regretting starting this conversation as he foresaw the rest of the evening taking a bad turn. He continued with the narrative, "No! It wasn't really like that at all. I was probably misreading or missing entirely all the signals from her. I really didn't think she was interested at all in me as - well you know what I mean - as a man" "Do you mean as a lover?" Joanne asked. "Yeah, I guess so" "Go on," Joanne prompted. When a witness is about to hang himself, don't get in his way was her instinct as a lawyer. "Frankly you know I was mostly there for work reasons and I was making progress, however one evening she was hanging out on my verandah and was becoming agitated and annoying. When I finally had enough I insisted she get what ever was on her mind out into the open so I could deal with it and get on with my work. You will never guess what she said?" "I'm stumped, please go on." "She said that I was treating her badly by not showing any interest in her sexually and that I must think she was fat, homely and I was making fun of her," Rob continued. "So what DID you think of her? I thought you said she was very attractive. Were you thinking of her at all that way? Joanne pressed for an explanation. "Hey baby! You are my fantasy woman - PLEASE. Yes, she was gorgeous which any guy with a beating heart and an ounce of blood flowing could see, and yes I thought it would be fun to sleep with her, which I tend to think in a cerebral sort of way about many young women. But really, I wasn't seriously lusting after her. I really wasn't planning or expecting anything to happen. The age difference was just too significant," Rob said, trying to be convincing, but while true, he suspected most women thought all older guys constantly lusted after younger women. "Rob, what did happen?" Joanne asked "I told her that I thought she was gorgeous and that she lit up the day for me. If so, she said that she didn't get why I had never tried to be intimate and I think she was hurt by that. She is really very sweet. She also has a sense of entitlement which I think comes with the age these days and she made it clear that she wanted me and that I was hurting her by not returning any interest. I was having a hard time believing she really did want me. I didn't get it. There were lots of younger men around." "Rob, I'm being direct and honest here. You are a beautiful man. You are also charming in your own unassuming slightly nerdy engineer kind of way. And likewise, all heterosexual women with a beating heart and blood flowing are going to be attracted to you on some level. A woman of her age might not see it immediately but trust me, in that kind of setting its going to happen to her." Joanne continued, "And now - deep breath, I'm ready for the truth, did you and Shannon do it? "Yes" A long pause ensued. Both were lost in their own thoughts. Rob had rolled onto his back, pulled the sheets up, picked up his glass and slowly sipped his wine. Finally, Joanne almost whispered, "How was it?" She didn't really know why she wanted to know this but felt the story had to be completed. He swung his head towards her, peered into her eyes and asked, "Do you really want to know?" "Yes," she said quietly. Rob sensed he had nothing further to lose so went on, "Joanne, her body is flawless. Shes tiny, but perfect. In the end I couldn't resist that perfection. I hope I'm not risking everything here but I savoured every inch of her. I loved how she responded. She was going crazy on me. I thought the whole resort was going to pound the door down she was so vocal. You have to believe that for some reason she desperately wanted me and I could see the lust and want in her eyes. There was going to be no stopping that. I think in the end it was also her basic sweet nature that I couldn't resist. It wasn't just her body. Have you heard enough? Do you want me to leave?" There was a long pause. "Yes, and no, at least I don't think so. But I'm going to put my jammies on for now if you don't mind." Joanne, got out of bed totally naked, pulled some pyjamas out of her dresser, quickly slipped them on and then got back onto the far side of the bed. Rob loved the sight of her body and was wistful as she covered up. Worse yet, the pyjamas were pink with images of flying pigs on the fabric. The night was turning out worse than he thought. But when you just admitted to your girlfriend that you were sleeping with a another woman half your age on the other side of the planet, what really could he expect. Rob was despondent, "Okay, I'm not surprised. Thanks for maybe letting me stay. I'll go if you want. I guess I'm just a jerk." After letting that statement hang out there for a while she finally said quietly, "Rob, if you knew some of the men I have defended and what they have done to women, you are a saint in comparison. Still, there is one thing I don't yet understand, why are you telling me all this now? It can't be just guilt, can it? But first, was this once only or did you continue to have sex?" Joanne asked, still a bit perplexed. "Frankly Joanne, once that line was crossed, well, ... she had a lot of pent up tension and energy. Soooo ..." Rob admitted. "Okay, I'm not really surprised," Joanne continued. She revelled in Rob's lovemaking. He projected a desperate need for her body when they made love. To a horny 22 year old, he would be irresistible despite the age gap. His enjoyment of sex was really centred around a woman's pleasure and Joanne shuddered at the thought of not having sex with him again. "Now back to why are you telling me about Shannon?" "She lives in Calgary where her father is an oil patch exec, a very highly placed one I gather. She did her undergrad in biology at UBC and applied to med schools around the country," Rob said. "Un huh, I think I know where this is going," Joanne replied. "Yes. She is coming to Toronto, U of T med school." Rob added, "She asked if she could stay with me while she finds a place to live." Joanne then said, "Whew, I guess I may get to meet this perfect package. Or do I? " She continued, "Rob, I get that you are uncomfortable with this situation. Its uncharted waters for you and maybe me. But keep in mind: we are not married. I don't own you. You are still a free man to do as you please." "Joanne, please believe me I have no intention of losing you over this. Yes, I fucked a gorgeous kid, we fucked a lot in fact. I'm not overly proud of doing it, but through all of it I never stopped wanting you, needing you. I am falling for you so unless you kick me out of your life I want you. Okay, please tell me you understand how much you mean to me despite the fuckup I may be." Rob implored her, desperation creeping into his voice. "Rob, seriously?? Okay, we are going to have to talk" "Joanne, I will talk with you anytime for as long as it takes. Please let me hold you." A long pause ensued. They both stared at the wall across from the bed. "I don't want to talk now though. I'm going to turn over and go to sleep. You can curl up to my back if you want," she finally replied. "And Rob, You know this is going to be complicated?" Yes, Rob had already guessed that. *************** Thank you for reading - and voting. Please check back for the next chapter in "A Tale for the Middle Ages". Also, please add your comments. The positive ones encourage me to continue writing and the constructively critical ones help me to become a better writer, which is a large part of the reason for writing these stories. Thanks! A Tale for the Middle Ages Pt. 02 Part 2: Joanne meets Shannon, Rob arrives home Shannon is arriving in Toronto and Joanne is somewhere between apprehensive and curious about meeting her. Rob is expected home. He is unsure how he will relate to Shannon. This is the second chapter in this story. I hope you enjoy it. ****** Early on through her life experiences, Joanne accepted that a flip philosophical nugget was actually one of the truths of the universe: the only sure things in life are death and taxes, everything else is random. Don't be too surprised at the weird twists and turns of life. One of those quirky twists was about to play out as she made her way through traffic to the airport. She had to smile to herself about the upcoming scenario. She was about to meet Shannon, Rob's young friend and lover from his sojourn in Vietnam. Was this simply absurd, or worse, weirdly twisted, or just mildly entertaining or some combination of the above? Rob was compelled by the circumstances of his work to travel to a client's site in China. A junior engineer would not put out the fires erupting over the test facility under design for the Chinese auto manufacturer. Their Big Man was demanding the VP of Engineering, Rob to be exact, deliver the design revisions in person. Rob had to go and he had to break a promise. Shannon was arriving from Calgary and he had promised to meet her. ***** Since last seeing her at the resort in Vietnam in May and up to the present, in early August, Rob had gone from mild indifference to the memory of Shannon to desperately wanting to see her again. Some days she was entirely out of his thoughts. At other times, in the middle of work or play, Shannon would enter his mind and everything else would be crowded out. It was the warmth of her unconstrained smile and the glow in her deep blue eyes, framed by the sun lightened honey brown hair flowing down below her shoulders that swept into his vision. But also her smoothly shaped and tanned legs, her softness and the texture of her beautifully shaped ass, the deliciousness of her nipples on her small but perfect breasts, the gentle curves of her slim hips and the firm but smooth skin of her stomach. Rob tried to convince himself that Shannon had just been a treat, like an exotic special flavour of ice cream, to be enjoyed but when it was gone, it was over. He didn't like thinking of another human being in those terms but how else could he reconcile the interlude with her. At 22, and him at 49, it wasn't as though she could be his girlfriend. And then there was Joanne, truly his girlfriend, or so he hoped. While Shannon really didn't hold much back in projecting what she wanted, Joanne was still an enigma, despite the time spent together, the lust they had shared in bed, the nights with her cuddled in his arms, the slow lazy weekend brunches. Despite this he was never sure what, if anything, she was holding back. And she had never really said the three words he wanted to hear. He was afraid to speak them first to her for fear of how she might react. ***** Joanne in a way couldn't believe that she was spending four or so precious weekend hours traveling to the airport to pick up some girl she had never met. A girl who had supposedly seduced her lover, or at least that was Rob's story. Someone who would then be staying at his house. When Rob asked if Joanne could simply check in with Shannon once she found her own way down to Rob's home, Joanne found herself offering to actually meet Shannon upon arrival. 'If you are so far out side your relationship comfort zone why not push further out into left field and go meet the girl,' was Joanne's rationalization. Still questioning her own judgment about the whole venture, Joanne scanned the people emerging from the domestic arrivals carousel area. Rob had shown her some pictures of Shannon on his phone and Shannon was also looking for Joanne, having received a text before departure in Calgary. Lots of families, business types, young people and then, Joanne locked on this diminutive girl with long blond hair tied back in a ponytail lugging a rolling case and a largish backpack. Joanne gasped, knowing this had to be Shannon and thought, 'Rob, she doesn't even look close to 22, how could you have?' Shannon anxiously scanned the people waiting and then locked on Joanne's eyes herself. This had to be Rob's girlfriend. Even though Rob had shown her photos of Joanne taken on his sailboat and had described her as attractive, Shannon had no idea a forty plus lawyer could look this good. 'Wow,' she thought, 'She is so pretty!' Feeling very awkward, Shannon walked over to Joanne lugging her bag and then cautiously asked, "Joanne?" "Hi, and yes, and you must be Shannon?" Joanne replied with a big smile. And then Shannon's next action took Joanne completely by surprise. Shannon threw her arms around her and and gave her a big hug. "Thank you, thank you Joanne for coming out here and meeting me. I'm a small town girl and Toronto is intimidating. I've never really been here as an adult and what I saw while circling the city looked huge. I didn't know there were this many people in the country let alone one city. I would be terrified on my own." Joanne, now feeling awkward herself, replied, 'Hey nice to meet you and really, Calgary isn't the cow town it used to be.' Joanne gave Shannon a gentle hug back. Shannon did a quick check of Joanne, noting the tailored pants, white blouse and tailored jacket, very business like for a rush trip out to the airport. Shannon had correctly guessed that Joanne was concerned about her public image. She thought she noted several people doing double takes at Joanne. Shannon was well aware of the media frenzy that surrounded her current case. For Joanne's part, she studiously ignored any attention directed at her. Shannon, on the other hand was dressed in faded blue jeans that were ripped and frayed in all the right places and had a Calgary Flames t-shirt on top. Anyone would have guessed that she and Joanne were mother and daughter meeting at the airport. "Oops, sorry for being so, .. uh ... familiar ... its just that Rob said so much about you that I feel like I know you, and well ..." Shannon said blushing slightly. This was news to Joanne. Rob had never mentioned discussing her with Shannon. In a way she was pleased that Rob had even thought about her in Shannon's company. However, the knowledge that she had been a topic for the lovers made this situation now seem just that more weird. "Its fine. If this is all your stuff lets get out of this crazy place and make our way downtown. I think you'll find Rob's neighbourhood very friendly and lots of fun. Very cool, being so close to the University." Shannon chattered away during the drive down about her med school applications, phone interviews and final decisions. This visit was to find accommodations in Toronto and get settled. She planned to stay a couple of weeks and then a final visit home before the term started. She described her going away party that her friends had thrown for her the night before at a dance club in Calgary. Some details were left out however. ***** Shannon's on and off again boyfriend Josh had shown up at the club. He had just returned from an extended tree planting work session and hadn't seen her since the spring trip. Shannon's thoughts had drifted back to the end of the evening. All night he had not really left her alone. In her mind, even before the trip to the far east, Shannon had thought she and Josh were over. And then there was Rob. On the dance floor Josh's hands had slid up and down her hips, brushing her upper thighs and lightly caressing her ass. At the table he grabbed her and sat her down in his lap. He had nuzzled his nose into her hair and had breathed into her ear, nuzzling her jaw and lips. Shannon still had warm feelings for Josh. He had been her first true lover. The had shared their virginity with each other in their last year of high school. She was torn. In her belly and her core she was warming to his hands caressing her thighs and hips. As he slipped his hand under her black miniskirt she had held it there, not so much because of the friends all around - the low lighting of the club was a cover for all sorts of groping - but more so because she really hadn't wanted him to be that intimate. He moved his hands back to her upper hips and ran them up her sides grazing the edge of her breasts. He continued to nuzzle her neck while landing soft kisses on her cheek and the side of her mouth, just grazing her lips. He was being very sweet and very turned on. Shannon thought that Josh was cute and basically good at heart. He was also a horny young guy and was enraptured by her. For Shannon, her world had changed in a subtle way that spring. She just felt that she had moved beyond Josh but to where, she was really not sure. Rob had opened her up to a much wider world of relationships. Before him, she had never really looked at or considered any guy older than early twenties. She had been blown away by the love they had made in Vietnam She was smart enough to know that not every older man would be this experienced and incredible in bed, but she now sensed that the relationship horizons were wide and almost infinitely exciting. She found herself looking at men in their late twenties, in their thirties and even older. She had even caught herself staring at particularly athletic, well dressed confident looking men in the downtown office building where her father worked. Once, a particularly distinguished looking guy with graying hair had caught her staring. He simply smiled warmly back, obviously enjoying her serious blushing. She also realized that the much older guy she really wanted wasn't available. And now that she had finally met Joanne she knew that she could never compete with beautiful, successful, uber smart and to top it off, very pleasant if early impressions were true. The night at the club had not really ended well. Shannon had let Josh talk her into going back to his place, or rather, his parents home - they being off on a vacation - on the basis of three other couples being there with them. After a lot of bittersweet talk between the friends about the different directions and paths their lives were about to take, the party slowly broke up as couples drifted into other corners of the house, taking advantage of unused bedrooms and couches. Shannon mostly wanted to go home, but was drunk enough to feel the effects of Josh rubbing her thighs and moving slowly to her core. She was enjoying it, but there were pangs of guilt over her inability to tell Josh that they were over. Finally deciding that Josh really did care for her and was trying his best not to push too hard, she had slowly moved her hand to the zipper of his pants which were stretched out by his erection. Carefully unzipping him and then reaching in, she had grasped his erection. Hissing and moaning through clenched teeth, he had quickly opened his belt pulling down his pants and shorts to give her free access. Shannon had slid off the couch to kneel between his legs. His penis was really quite beautiful and it was the first one she had seen and held. She wasn't in love with Josh but there would always have a place for him in her memory. She lovingly stroked his penis and then began to kiss and lick the tip. She liked giving blow jobs because she loved looking into the guy's eyes when she had her lips wrapped around their cocks. Shannon found excitement in her partner's wild lust, knowing that her tongue and lips and loving caresses were driving the passion. The more lust, the more fervent the licking, kissing and sucking of the guy's penis. But this time she didn't really want to see what was in Josh's eyes because she knew she couldn't return it. The blow job was an act of friendship and she enjoyed the fact he was going crazy. She forced herself to let him cum in her mouth and let him enjoy her sucking everything out of him while he slowly calmed down. Josh had opened his eyes, pulled her up and had said, "Shannon baby, that was incredible, I so missed this when you were away. I want to taste you too." "Josh I know you do ... but I can't get my mind off the early departure tomorrow, could you just take me home now. I will take a rain check on that offer." She smiled sweetly at him but really was trying to smooth over the hurt in his eyes. "Later please, I can't fully enjoy it now." This she knew was probably dishonest, however the potential future for her and Josh was as uncertain as anything else. Reluctantly Josh had taken her home after a couple cups of coffee in the kitchen. ****** As Joanne carefully edged the car up north of Bloor Street, Shannon liked what she saw out the window. Old but carefully maintained three story brick houses with funky landscaping in cedar and bushes lined the street and the sidewalks were covered in massive maples and oak trees. There were lots of baby carriages parked on porches and many people strolling in the heat of a late summer Toronto afternoon. Maybe Toronto could be livable after all, she thought, even though her beloved Rockies that she had enjoyed from the time she could barely walk were so far away. As they were approaching a stop sign Shannon, who had been quiet for several minutes, turned to Joanne and blurted out, "Did Rob talk much about his time with me when we were in Vietnam?" At that, Joanne stomped on the brake way to hard, pitching them both forward against their seat belts. The 300 pound gorilla in the car was growling. "Oops, sorry, you just, um, caught me off guard a bit. Are you ok?" "Yeah, no worries, I've driven with lots of crazy boys in pickup trucks" Joanne wasn't sure what to think of the analogy, then said, "Umm yes, Rob mention the nice time he had there in your company." Joanne then though to herself, ' How evasive is that??' 'Nice time!!,' Shannon gasped to herself. 'Serioulsly??'. To her it was crazy wild over the top sexy and totally lustful, but 'nice??.' After that first awkward, slow motion but eventually lustful evening of sex she couldn't get enough of him. Virtually every waking moment after that first night she visualized his beautiful penis buried into her or his magic tongue gliding around all her favourite places. This was between the actual real life sex. She jumped him every chance she got even though she knew he was working to some challenging deadlines. Rob had sent her on frequent errands to get wine, beer and food just so he could work between their lovemaking. Shannon had never been restrained around sex - when she wanted something she didn't hold back and she wanted Rob badly. She was enthralled by the fact that every time they fucked he would add something different to the amazing sexual experience they shared. And he had described this as a 'Nice time?' But really how else would he have spoken to Joanne about them. Maybe Rob never owned up about their relationship. 'Dishonest coward,' she thought, 'No, probably not.' They had talked a lot about Joanne and Shannon was truly sympathetic to the conflict their relationship presented to Rob. Shannon had told Rob to remember the age difference and that Joanne should never see her as real competition for him. Better to be truthful they both agreed. Shannon stressed that she had given Rob no choice. It was either a mean and hard rejection of her or succumb to her desires and Shannon had done everything to ensure it was the latter. ****** Two days later Shannon arrived back at Rob's home, dispirited from a discouraging day shopping for grad school accommodation. The apartments or flats were either student ghetto dumps or insanely expensive. Even with her parents helping out in a significant way she couldn't really get herself into that depth financially for one of the acceptable places. She shook herself out of these mundane thoughts with the growing excitement that she would be seeing Rob again. He was returning from China in the afternoon. It had been many months since they parted ways in Vietnam. She half expected him to be there when she arrived but the house was empty. Walking into the kitchen she saw a note on the counter beside a vase with a single rose in it. 'How sweet,' she thought smiling. The note read, 'Hey gorgeous, sorry I missed you. I decided to try to make my rugby game tonight. I'll hurry home after wards. Please help yourself to anything that looks edible in the kitchen. We can order something in if you are still hungry when I get home. Joanne might be able to join us later also. Really looking forward to seeing you again, Rob' Shannon digested the note and then made a snap decision to go find the game. Rob had mentioned the Hart House playing field on the U of T campus as one of their game locations. She had seen the field on her tour of the campus. It was very old world English and spoke of University traditions going back centuries. Certainly it was one of the more beautiful places she had seen so far on the campus and in all of Toronto. Deciding to splurge on a cab, she headed out the door and down to Bloor street to hail a taxi. **** Rob got the ball on the first lateral pass after the other team's post goal kickoff. His team was trailing but the game was close. He first noticed that Shannon was at the game when he glanced over and saw her scooting down the field jumping up and down yelling, 'Go Rob Go'. He was usually oblivious to the typically small crowd of curious student passersby and the occasional wife or girlfriend who might come out to watch the rugby game. Most women, however, thought this game was the absolute epitome of stupid male machismo and avoided it at all costs. When he glanced to the side lines and saw Shannon after all these months, hollering his name excitedly he got distracted for a second and then was promptly decked by an opposing player. She shrieked in fear when seeing how hard he had been hit, starting another round of yelling, asking if he was okay. He held onto the ball and in the ensuing scrum, Tim, a thirty something teammate asked during all the grunting and scuffling for the ball, "Who is the cute babe yelling your name?" The play raced away before an answer but Rob groaned a bit, suddenly realizing that Shannon's presence in any other aspect of his life was not something he had considered. He was the oldest guy on the team and the one who decided that each game was day by day whether to continue or not. And now he had this petite gorgeous young woman screaming his name as the play went on. At their half time break he was the centre of attention. Shannon had caught everyone's eye on the other side of the field. She was dressed for Toronto in an August heatwave, loose fitting tangerine coloured mid thigh shorts, a loose fitting camisole over a sports bra, with all the straps showing. On her feet she was wearing a simple pair of sandals, which together with the shorts accentuated the smooth toned shapeliness of her beautiful legs. Her hair was untied from its customary pony tail and it was flying gloriously in the breeze. In all she was unmistakeable and stunning and at this distance she looked young enough to be a teenager. Rob groaned at the potential for embarrassment in front of his teammates. In answer to her wild wave from across the field he gave her a small wave back. "Rob, Who. The Hell. Is that girl? Please tell me she's your niece or something," Tim demanded. The whole team leaned in close while sucking on oranges. They wanted to hear the answer. "Yeah, right, my niece. So we are going to win this game right? We can beat these guys," Rob said wanting to change the subject. "Hey not so fast partner," Ryan, another younger team mate jumped in, "We'll let you off the hook for now if you promise to bring her out to the pub after. Any niece of yours is a friend of ours." A Tale for the Middle Ages Pt. 03 Dear readers, this chapter is part 3 of a multi-part story. I would recommend that you first read part 1 and 2 and even the pre-quel, "The Reluctant Neighbour". Hope you enjoy this (and like the characters as much as I do). ***** "Hey Rob, are you up yet?" Joanne shouted from the bottom of the first floor stairs. She heard the shower running and headed up to the second floor and Rob's bedroom. Joanne had worked late on the day Rob arrived home and had not met him after the rugby game as planned. She decided to stop by Rob's home on the way into the office the next morning. Seeing the guest room door open, she poked her head in looking for Shannon as well, but was surprised to see that the bed was untouched. No one had slept in it last night. Joanne groaned. She moved down the upper floor hallway and, seeing that Rob's door was open, peeked around the corner. Stepping back quickly Joanne gasped. At first it looked like Rob's rumpled king size bed was empty. But at the top corner a wave of dark blonde curls cascaded over a pillow and then turned toward her. Shannon! Shannon's eyes opened at the sound of footsteps coming into the room. She just caught a glimpse of Joanne as she stepped back into the hall. "Joanne! Wait! Please!" Shannon called out, trying to shake the sleep from her head. Joanne ignored her. She quickly slipped down the hall and then the stairs to the first floor. Shannon came to the top of the stairs and yelled again for Joanne. But she was gone. ***** Rob had promised Joanne this wouldn't happen. He was completely honest about how much he enjoyed sleeping with Shannon at the resort in Vietnam but he insisted it had been a combination of circumstances that had led to their affair. Away from the resort and back in Toronto Shannon would have a world of men to pick from and he would have Joanne. Joanne trusted the sincerity in his words. Her success as a lawyer depended on her ability to cut through the lies that guilty people invariably put forward. She believed him. But then she had met Shannon and began to doubt. Joanne sensed that, to most men, Shannon was simply irresistible. But would it be inevitable? After all, Rob was old enough to be her dad. Besides having an almost ethereal beauty, a combination of delicate and extremely cute facial features and subtle curves on top of the smoothest, sexiest legs Joanne had ever seen on a woman, Shannon was naturally charming. Underlying what was a genuine sweetness Joanne also sensed a very competent mind. There was no possibility of her being accepted into UofT med school without a very high level of intelligence. Joanne's was reeling - a state of mind she rarely experienced. She thought, 'So where does this leave me? Do I just walk away from Rob and let him play with his little sex kitten?' That thought sent a shudder down her spine and a tightening of her stomach. Rob had come into her life after a long spell without any serious relationships. She was enjoying the stability and wanted more. Through her twenties and thirties Joanne had exactly two extended relationships. One began while still in grad school and she had expected to marry Phillip, a fellow law school classmate. Phillip ended their relationship when he became interested in a legal assistant at the small law firm he worked at. Joanne sensed he was uncomfortable with her success as a criminal lawyer at a prestigious firm. Phillip mostly worked on real estate transactions and occasionally a divorce case while Joanne was becoming well known amongst the small circle of very prominent trial lawyers. Still, she was shocked when he abruptly ended their relationship. They had shared an apartment for over 4 years and Joanne and Phillip had talked children in the context of marriage. They both had agreed they wanted kids when they were ready. In retrospect, she suspected their waffling on marriage had more to do with his uncertainty. The stories of how the legal profession was devastating to personal relationships abounded but somehow she never saw it happening to herself. Tom had come along in her early thirties. He was a member of her evening running group. Tom was a software developer who specialized in having fun outside of his job. He took everything lightly and Joanne enjoyed his take on life. It was very different from the world of criminal lawyers whose private life, if they allowed one at all, would centre around building their fortune and the material world around them. Tom was happiest when playing with his toys; his kayak, his mountain bike, his many different skis and his rock and ice climbing gear. He expanded his world to include Joanne, who was drawn into his life of outdoor adventure. She liked the distance it provided from her law practice and it was fun. Tom was fun and their physical relationship was as fun as the games they played. Slowly during this very hectic relationship Joanne came to the realization that Tom would never really move beyond his games and pursuits. He seemed determined to be a big kid for the rest of his life. After five years or so of fun Joanne knew that Tom would never have children, would never want to build a home and a future beyond his next adventure. As much as she enjoyed being with him on all his activities she started to yearn for more. She never officially ended their relationship, she just stopped going on his trips. After some time of distancing herself from him she just accepted that it was over. While he seemed genuinely disappointed that she wasn't joining him on trips, or in his bed, he never delved into the real issues of their relationship. After Tom, she had resigned herself to being permanently single. And then, Rob had come into her life **** In her office, high above the city streets, Joanne sat staring out the window. 'Is this it?' she thought, 'The end of yet another failed relationship? Is it me? Do I give up without a fight? Let him have his little babe and forget him?' The hollowness this left in the pit of her stomach was unbearable. 'I can't accept its over,' she moaned to herself. 'We are good together. Shannon is only an aberration for Rob. He can't help himself around her. But do I want to be around them now? Not really. Its just too weird.' Deep in thought, she startled when her cell phone rang and vibrated. Shannon! She recognized the 403 area code of Shannon's Calgary phone. Hesitating only a few moments, she punched the connect button. 'Okay', she thought, 'lets hear what she has to say.' "Joanne here," she said as flatly as possible. After several seconds of blank space on the line Shannon almost whispered, "Joanne, hi, its Shannon." "Hi yourself. What can I do for you?" Joanne asked coolly. "Umm, I think I should apologize." "You think? For what?" Joanne shot back. Silence again, then, quietly, "Sleeping with Rob." "Hey kitten, Rob's a big boy. He picks you. Enjoy." "JOANNE, NO! Its not really like that. He doesn't pick me at all. I ... I force myself on him. I can't seem to stop myself. I'm so sorry!" Joanne was taken aback by her forthrightness. For a moment she drifted back to her early twenties and tried to envision herself around a guy like Rob. Rob was strongly built with wide shoulders and a powerful chest. Unlike many guys his age his stomach was flat and toned. The greying hair around his finely chiseled facial features really only accentuated his male beauty. She remembered profs that had some of those features and recalled, during lectures, how she got lost in fantasies about what it would be like to be in bed with them. As much as she wanted to tell Shannon to go fuck herself she couldn't do it. In her heart she knew Shannon wasn't evil. Still, the hurt she felt when she saw Shannon in his bed knotted her stomach up. "Joanne?" Shannon whispered, "Are you still there?" "Yeah" "Can I meet you for lunch or after work?" "Why Shannon?" Joanne shot back. "Well ... its .. just. Okay, I've only known you for a short time and really I've only known Rob for a bit longer but I really really would like to be your friend, to both of you." "Shannon, this is real life. Sleeping with my boyfriend is not exactly a great strategy for working your way into my heart." "Yes ... and I know apologies really don't apply in this situation. I'm acting like an immature brat. I can't fix what has already happened but I will move out of Rob's place as soon as my lease starts. I'm also going back home to get the rest of my stuff. After that I will be moving into my own place in September. "And I promise I will behave. Please believe me that I appreciate what you and Rob have together. I am also envious. I know that no matter how much I throw myself at him I could never have him the way you do." Joanne quietly reflected on Shannon's words while her anger slowly dissipated. Taking a different tact she asked, "Are you planning on sailing with Rob and his crew tonight?" "Umm ... yes, I hope to, if you think its okay?" "Shannon, despite my advanced age and experience, I have really no idea whats okay and whats crazy in our little threesome. I mean our scenario; you, Rob and I." Shannon giggled and then felt embarrassed for laughing at Joanne's slip. "Sorry, I know this is serious but ... I kind of liked 'threesome'." And with that she giggled again. "Honestly, can you get sex off your mind? Joanne said lightly, deciding that it was time for a partial capitulation. "Yes. come out for the sail. You can meet Melissa, the brains behind the racing crew. And don't you dare let her know you were sleeping with Rob. I don't need two young women jumping him. I think she has wanted to for months now if I read her staring at his butt and other parts correctly. Honestly, young women today!!" Shannon giggled again, genuinely liking the turn in the conversation. She then asked, "Are we really that bad? "A girl can only take so much temptation." "Yeah right. Lets meet at the ferry docks at five pm and we can ride over and talk. Rob and Melissa will be over there early getting the boat ready." Quietly she said, "Joanne, thanks for being ... well ... so understanding. I'll see you at five. Bye." Shannon ended the call. Joanne spun around on her desk chair and resumed looking out the window. Telling Shannon to get lost would have been a much shorter conversation and maybe the right one, but there was something about Shannon that stopped her from being mean. Still at a loss as to how she should react, Joanne decided to just simply view Shannon as a horny kid finding her way around relationships. And hopelessly drawn to a beautiful older man. Anyway, that would do for now. Work was calling, but first she had to talk to Rob. Picking up the phone, she texted Rob: *Lunch at Franco's, 12:30. I'll reserve. Rob texted back 'OK.' At 12:15, Rob left his office. The late summer heat wave had eased off somewhat but the humidity was still uncomfortable. He was already feeling uneasy and, combined with the moist air, he could feel the sweat trickling down his back. Shannon told him Joanne had stopped by his place while he was in the shower, and that she had left in a hurry. No words had been spoken. Shannon had also asked if she could talk to Joanne before he did. Not knowing whether this would be good or bad but not really knowing what to say to Joanne, he agreed. Rob spotted Joanne near the back of their favourite Italian eatery. While the bistro was busy with the lunchtime crowd she had picked the quietest table. He sat down warily across from her without giving her their customary light kiss. He started to open his mouth and Joanne held up her hand and stopped him with the gesture. "Rob, wait, I don't want apologies or whatever, lets get right to the point. "Rob, lets face it, she is a stunningly attractive young woman absolutely at the height of her beauty. If I was a guy in your place, I couldn't say I would resist her any better than you do. What I find most perplexing about her is how really personable she is, no, absolutely sweet she is. I want to dislike her, hate her even, but I can't. And she knows she shouldn't be taking advantage of male weakness, pardon me for saying that - you guys really let your dicks do a lot of your thinking - but she can't resist you. "And frankly, I can't resist you either," Joanne almost whispered, gazing down at her fingers. Rob felt a flood of relief flow through his body. She was giving him a reprieve; a get out of jail free card that he certainly didn't deserve. Slowly he moved his hand over to her fingers and touched them lightly with his. He looked into her eyes and said, "I don't deserve you. I will try to make up for what I've done." Her eyes briefly flashed anger at him. "What I don't want is deception or dishonesty between us," Joanne continued. "Don't tell me what you will or wont do with her while she is staying with you. You two figure it out. While she is at your place I will stay away. Three in a bed is just too crowded for me." Rob reflected on this for a few seconds and then, pushing his luck, asked, "Could we get together at your place?" "Maybe. Let me think about it. By the way, I confirmed that Shannon would come sailing tonight." Rob let out a visible sigh of relief. "Okay, thanks, we're short crew and I want to test out the new spinnaker before the next race. I was hoping you wouldn't find it ... well, awkward." "Rob, 'awkward' is a bit mild to describe our situation. I am in new territory here. "For now, lets just enjoy being out on the lake tonight. It should be a beautiful evening." Forty minutes passed, filled with quiet conversation about their day. Lunch over, Rob moved close to Joanne as she stood up. He reached up and put his hands on either side of her face. Looking into her eyes for a few seconds, he gently kissed her quickly. "Joanne, you really do mean so much to me. Thank you." Joanne looked away and her lip trembled. "Okay, thank you for saying that. You mean a lot to me too. "Oh, and do you think you can keep your hands off her tonight - at least while I'm around," Joanne said with a hint of a smirk. "Baby, you are the only female I will fondle tonight - my boat aside, of course," Rob replied with a chuckle. "Oh great! How do I compete with 40 sexy feet and kevlar sails," Joanne bantered back. With that they parted until the evening. **** Shannon arrived early at the ferry docks. There was nothing quite like this in Calgary. She loved the waterfront park in Toronto and was particularly enjoying watching all manner of people waiting for the ferries to take them over to the Islands. Moms and kids with grandparents in tow, young couples holding hands, people who looked like they were coming from work and commuting home to the Ward's island community, lots of people with dogs, large families with the women dressed in saris and the men holding picnic baskets and cricket bats all added to the lively scene. Shannon could see sailboats out on the water, the sight of which sent a tingle down her spine as she remembered her last sailing trip with Rob off the coast of Vietnam. Her thoughts drifted back to Joanne's slip about them being a threesome. She knew Joanne hadn't used the term in its sexual connotation knowingly. By all social convention there was no way Joanne should be meeting her tonight for anything. Getting caught sleeping with her boyfriend should have made that a no go. But Joanne was different from the twenty somethings Shannon knew. There was a depth of experience and maybe a different sort of understanding that motivated Joanne's response. And to a certain point, the situation with Rob at the centre was outside of either of their experiences. Shannon was sure about two things. She wanted to be friends with Rob and she wanted to get to know Joanne better. The third thing she wasn't so sure about. Could she have one and two while sleeping with Rob? Shannon gazed out on the water deep in thought when Joanne came up and touched her on the shoulder, shaking her out of her deep reflection. She turned to look at Joanne and the word 'threesome' jumped into her thoughts. Maybe she could have one, two and three and just maybe more. Purely in the moment she jumped up and gave Joanne a big hug and bigger smile. "Great to see you!" "Likewise, lets line up, we will be taking the Hanlan's point ferry to get to Rob's boat. You'll like the boat." Joanne was startled by the warmth and familiarity of Shannon's hug. Hadn't she just been caught sleeping with her boyfriend? Perhaps social conventions had changed for Shannon's peer group. Joanne smiled ironically at how dated she suddenly felt. On the ride over Shannon chattered away about her explorations of the city. She expressed continual amazement about how much the city dwellers revelled in their summer. She was finding the vibe to be surprising and exciting. Toronto was turning out to be not so big and bad as most westerners thought of the city. Leaving the ferry dock they walked towards the boats. Approaching Rob's slip a scowling girl greeted them. Shannon guessed this had to be Melissa. She was surprised at how young Melissa was, and how pretty. Shannon had expected someone much older and 'saltier' given how her reputation as a gifted seaman had proceeded their meeting. "Engine!" Melissa scowled. "No lake water cooling, probably impeller. Rob's taking it apart now. This sucks!" "Oh dear," Joanne commiserated. She was a bit embarrassed by Melissa's lack of social skills. She was completely ignoring Shannon in her fit of pique. "Ummm... let me introduce you. Melissa this is Shannon. Shannon, Melissa" "Nice to meet you. Have you ever set a spinnaker before?" Melissa wasted no time getting to the point. "Well no, Rob did teach me sailing in Vietnam. Is a spinnaker a lot like a jib? Oh, and by the way, nice to meet you too." "Yes and no. You can mostly observe tonight. Joanne will teach you. "So you met Rob in Vietnam." She looked Shannon up and down coldly. "So what else did he teach you?" Melissa almost hissed the question at her. "Ummm ... well ... how to get over a hangover," Shannon said lightly, trying to brighten the conversation. Shannon continued, "He mentioned that you are really knowledgeable about race strategy and are key to his crew's success." Unspoken by Rob was how good looking Melissa was. Shannon felt a twinge of something that felt dangerously close to jealousy. "I'm really looking forward to seeing how the crew works together." Shannon wanted to deflect the conversation. "Yeah, well, lets hope we can sail tonight. If its the impeller we will be ready to leave in about an hour. That will give us still a good hour and a half under sail." Sensing Melissa's grumpiness and veiled antagonism to Shannon, Joanne decided that a walk for an hour was in order. "Hey Shannon, while we wait lets go for a stroll. Melissa, can you tell Rob we're here and will be back to check on progress soon." "Okay, I'll text you if we get the motor running early. See you in a bit, I hope" They started down to the south end of the island. Shannon spotted a map and studied it carefully. "Wow! I would have never guessed it but Toronto the Good has a clothing optional beach and its just to the west of us. Can we go and check it out?" "Oh, good god! OK. I had completely forgot about it. Sure we can go over there." "Yea! I really liked the beach below UBC. Its fun to swim in the nude." "Oh, and just so as not to be disappointed, most of the beautiful naked men you will see there won't be interested no matter how good looking you are." Shannon smiled at this. "Hey, I've long accepted that the more beautiful a man is the more likely he is gay. Pardon the term, however 'our guy' being an exception. Thank god there are a few good looking men who aren't into each other!" A Tale for the Middle Ages Pt. 04 Dear readers, apologies for the long delay in posting this chapter, however I hope you enjoy this. If you are new to this story I would suggest you read the earlier chapters as well as "The Reluctant Neighbour" which introduces the main characters . *** Shannon looked down at the no-slip deck shoes on her feet and sighed at how ugly they were, to no avail. Melissa was standing back looking on approvingly. "Do they fit?" she asked nodding her head. "Umm, they're okay. You're sure I need them? Are they that much better than my runners?" "Yep. The first time you race in bad weather with water all over the deck and a big heel you'll be glad you have them. I hate man overboard situations. You're guaranteed to lose the race." Melissa's motivations were clear. If she was stuck with Rob's new bunny as a crew-mate then at least the girl will have the right gear. Shannon looked apprehensive. "Overboard! How often does THAT happen?" she asked, rethinking the wisdom of no-slip footwear. She was a Prairie girl and poking through the marine equipment store at Harbourfront was a very novel experience with all kinds of shiny bits and pieces and a lots of expensive looking electronic gear. Melissa explained that the electronics were for navigation and communications. Shannon was somewhat intrigued by the obvious complexities of a modern racing yacht. "A couple of times a year," Melissa replied, not very reassuringly. She continued, "That's enough for now. I'll lend you some of my old foul weather gear - jacket and over-pants for this season but if you are still hanging out with Rob next year you'll want to get your own." Shannon frowned at the thought of next year. 'What would next year bring in her relationship with Rob ... and Joanne?' she thought. Melissa continued, "Lets go grab something to eat and a beer." Walking along the waterfront Shannon drifted back to the Saturday night at Rob's. She had tried to give them space, but the sounds of lovemaking coming from his room, made by the two people she liked and respected most in the city, were disturbing. They made her feel very alone. Also, she could not talk away her physical attraction to Rob. She wanted him. But strangely, she also felt a pull towards Joanne that she had never felt towards another woman. She was drawn to her poise, her confidence and her success. Shannon's experience didn't even begin to help with the triangle she found herself in. These people were old enough to be her parents. She didn't really understand what was happening. Sitting on their bed, after Joanne had heard her in the hall and had held her hand and brought her in, was so comforting. But it was also arousing being with them. Even more strangely was how arousing it was sitting beside Joanne, wrapped in a towel and then, only partially covered by the towel. Rob had sat with his back resting against the headboard, his knees up under the covers, trying to hide a growing embarrassment as Shannon and Joanne bantered back and forth over Joanne's state of undress. He had finally said that despite how erotic it was having two nearly naked women sitting on his bed he had to catch an early morning flight to Seoul. With a sigh, Shannon had scooted up to Rob and given him a quick kiss. She had then turned back to Joanne and given her a warm hug and then moved back into Rob's guest room. **** Shaking herself out of her reverie, Shannon followed Melissa into the noisy waterfront pub. She wasn't really much of a beer drinker or really a drinker at all, however it was important to keep Melissa on side so she ordered a cream ale on tap. Melissa was a dark ale girl herself and ordered the 20 oz draft brown ale. After a few sips of the tasty craft ale Shannon found herself enjoying the lively early evening crowd and had even started to feel comfortable around Melissa. Melissa was warming to Shannon and the initial sharpness in their relationship was gone. Their conversation was light and friendly. Out of the blue Melissa, looking very pointedly at Shannon, asked, "Sooo ... did you sleep with Rob in Vietnam?" Shannon snapped back in her chair, blushed a deep red and stared back at Melissa, completely taken aback by her forthrightness. "Whoa! Where did that come from and isn't that question a little personal?" "Sorry. You're right. "By the way, you don't have to answer. Your reaction and face tells me all I need to know." Shannon looked at the people in the room around them and then took a long drink of her ale. She had nothing to say to that. "I'm really sorry. Its just that ... " Melissa looked down at her fingers for a few seconds and then continued, "Okay, I'm jealous I guess. I really like him. At first I just liked his boat. My parents have a tub - most parent's boats are tubs. They're typically more interested in the salon cushions and the size of the wine storage. Rob's is a legitimate racing boat and I knew we could win races with it." Shannon continued to stare at Melissa who stopped to take a long swig of her draft. "At first I just saw him as another one of the older guys around the Marina. Somewhere along the way I realized that he really was quite good looking - in a middle aged sort of way. I thought, 'Too bad he wasn't younger.' I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you haven't already figured out. Then I came to the realization that I didn't really care how much older he was, I just wanted him to .. well ... you know, make a move on me. I'm still waiting." Shannon decided that she at least had to respect the Melissa's honesty. She decided that she would respond with some of her own. "I didn't give him any choice in Vietnam. I did everything I could to get him to make a move and then I just backed him into a corner, so to speak, and wouldn't take no for an answer. You sound like you play more fair than I did." "Yeah, well that approach hasn't got me anywhere." After a silence and more sips of beer, Melissa blurted out, "Sooo , how was it?" Shannon looked quickly away and rested her face in her hand and then stared back at Melissa speechless "Okay, Okay, I'm getting the message." Shannon waited a few seconds and said, "Melissa, he has Joanne. Yeah, we could be cute toys for him but she is amazing. Nobody that smart and successful should be so good looking as well. He is also really conflicted about ... about .. you know, sleeping with younger women. He doesn't see much of a future in it for us, well for me anyhow. "And yes - he is a very good lover and that doesn't make it very easy for me. I'm trying to stay away from him. Oh and by the way, I really have come to like Joanne as well. That makes it doubly hard." Melissa gasped, "Sorry, I'm still stuck at 'very good lover' but I won't ask you to elaborate." Shannon hesitated, looked around the room and then came back to Melissa who was fidgeting with her fingers again. "Its not that he is a wildly crazy lover or has a huge .. you know what ..its just that he .." Shannon had never put this into words before. There was really no reason to but now she felt she had to say this, for herself, and for Melissa. "He is all about ... making you and your body feel amazing. Making you feel like the most important thing in his world. Maybe this is an older guy thing but he just seems to worship my body. Maybe patience for his own pleasure comes with maturity but I don't know really. All I know is that I'm crazy to have him touch me. "Its just so fucked up. I can't get my mind off of him. I don't know what to do!" A tear glistened at the corner of Shannon's eye. She dabbed it off and then turned to face Melissa and gave her a weak smile. "Wow!" Melissa gasped. She then took several deep breaths. "Okay, so at least I now know I'm not totally nuts to want him. Fat chance of getting him I suppose." "Why do you say that?" "Well like you said, he has Joanne. And if that's not enough, he has you. Why would he want me." "Umm ... okay, I'm not following. So this isn't a competition I hope but why wouldn't he want you?" Melissa looked away and then replied, "Because you're hot. I mean totally smoking hot." Shannon gasped. "Hey thanks, but I'm not sure I have what guys want in a girl these days and I'm kinda short. "And I think you are amazing as well." Melissa just looked at Shannon and slowly shook her head as she realized this was insecurity coming from a girl she thought was truly beyond gorgeous. Shannon was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. She wanted to move it elsewhere. "By the way, thanks for helping me learn how to sail. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow night's race. Are we going to be okay without Rob?" "Yeah. Clive is good. He and Andre can do the head sail changes and you and Joanne can handle the main. We should be okay." *** The Wed night race was the last one in August. The crew, minus Rob and skippered by Melissa, held on for a second place finish. Melissa had driven them hard after a rocky start when they were forced off the start line by a leeward boat. They did a tight turn but were late getting underway. Shannon thought it was amazing that they caught all the other boats except for the winner. Melissa didn't care as she was grumpy about being outmanoeuvred at the start line. The crew met in the pub to celebrate a solid race and even a grumpy Melissa loosened up. She had texted Rob about the screw up at the start but neglected to mention they still finished second. He had to pry the story of their near victory out of her. He was also relieved to hear the boat had performed flawlessly. The conversation had flowed easily between the crew and particularly the women. Joanne found that being around the younger women was refreshing. Shannon was impressing her more and more with her openness, humour and intelligent insights. She had some interesting thoughts on the whole yachting scene and the motivations of the individuals, particularly the tacticians and the skippers. Joanne's opinion of Shannon had moved quickly from cute but immature, slightly ditzy overachiever to insightful, truly intelligent and very pleasant to be around. Joanne really had no younger friends other than Shannon. She stayed away from the social activities of the younger staff at the law firm. At the end of the evening she found herself inviting Shannon over for dinner on the upcoming Friday. **** "Hey, you didn't tell me you had a hot tub," Shannon said as she gazed over Joanne's carefully manicured urban garden and deck, their dinner of Fettuccine Alfredo just completed. Taking another sip of her wine Joanne replied, "Oh yes, I keep it running in the summer but don't use it much. Its mostly a winter indulgence for me. Rob likes it too. We enjoy soaking under the stars or watching the snow fall around us. Toronto Hydro loves me for it. I keep half a reactor in business." "I love jumping into a spa after a ski day. Hey, tonight is cooling off just fine. Can we go for a hot tub?" "Sure, let me bring up the temperature and get the cover off. Would you like to borrow a bathing suit?" Shannon hesitated while looking around the enclosed yard and then asked, "Do I need a suit? Your rear deck is quite secluded, surprising as it's in the middle of a huge city." "Umm, okay. I'll dim the lights a bit but yes, we are quite secluded. I work on the landscaping and shrubs to give as much privacy as possible," Joanne replied. She was feeling hesitant in reality. She thought of seeing Shannon naked again. The episode on the nude beach and how unsettling it was came to mind. Joanne couldn't put a name on it but in reality Shannon in the nude was simply erotic. "Great! Can I drop my clothes in your room and grab a towel?" Taking a deep breath, Joanne led Shannon upstairs to her bedroom. Shannon locked eyes with Joanne and slowly shimmied out of her shorts and then pulled her t-shirt over her head. Looking at Joanne she asked, "Could you unhook me please?" She turned her back to Joanne and lifted up her hair. Shannon sensed Joanne's nervousness as she fumbled with the clasp of the baby blue lacy bra. Mission accomplished, she let out a sigh and then a small gasp as Shannon slipped off the bra freeing her breasts. Shannon turned and smiled, sensing Joanne staring at her. "Am I a bit small on top or do you think my boobs are okay?" Joanne gulped, "They are beautiful! Wow!" Shannon giggled and replied, "Thanks. I'm really not very curvy but some guys seem to be OK with me." Joanne choked at this, stifled a gasp and rolled her eyes. "Really Shannon, are you serious - some guys? Men drop in their tracks behind you. And speaking of guys, Rob is a puppy in your presence." "Lets talk about Rob in the spa. Are you going in naked as well? I don't want to be the only one with a bare butt." "Hmmm ... Okay. Let me get some towels - and a really big one for me, the old lady." Joanne scurried into the en suite and pulled out two large fluffy towels. She handed one to Shannon in the bedroom and retreated towards her walk in closet. " I can meet you downstairs on the deck while I.. umm .. get ready." Joanne was conscious of Shannon standing there naked looking at her. Shannon had removed her matching baby blue panties and was wrapping the towel around herself. "Its okay. I'll wait for you." Joanne turned away and slid out of her pretty sun dress, hanging it up in the closet. Still facing away from Shannon she counted to five and fumbled reaching back for her bra clasp. "Hey, let me help," Shannon said, moving behind Joanne and reaching out to unclasp the bra. She then slid the straps over Joanne's shoulders and ran her hands down her arms. And then she turned Joanne gently towards her. Shannon giggled at Joanne's blushing face. "Hey your boobs are beautiful too, much more woman like than mine." Joanne's breasts were more rounded and larger than Shannon's. "I hope mine look this good when I'm a few years older like you." "Ha! A few years older she says. Try about twenty," Joanne laughed at Shannon's compliment. Shannon giggled too, still staring at Joanne's chest. She was now blushing as well. They both stood facing each other for a few seconds and then Shannon said hesitantly, "Umm Joanne, would you mind if I touched yours? I've .. well ... never touched another woman's breasts and I've wondered if they would feel the same as mine." Shannon looked hesitantly into Joanne's eyes. Joanne was transfixed by the request. Outside of a medical checkup, no woman had ever touched her and she was stunned at the request. She also felt her temperature rising and the blush deepening. At a total loss for words, she blurted out a shaky "Umm ..Okay." Shannon locked her eyes on the very deeply blushing Joanne and took a step closer. She slowly, tentatively reached up both hands and gently touched the sides and curvature of Joanne's breasts at the bottoms. She gently squeezed them while moving her thumbs to the other side of each boob. Both women then looked down and saw how enlarged and rigid Joanne's nipples had become. As Shannon gently massaged her breasts Joanne's knees began to tremble.. She was lost in the sensations from her body and her thinking was shutting down.. Shannon giggled. The sound brought Joanne back. "What?" "I can't believe how good your boobs feel. Now I get why men go a bit nuts over our breasts." Joanne was transfixed as she looked down at Shannon's tiny hands on her breasts. " So soft .. so gentle," Joanne almost whispered. Shannon thumbs moved slowly to the edge of Joanne's areola and gently touched her rigid nipples eliciting a gasp from Joanne and a giggle from a very aroused Shannon. The jolt Joanne felt shook her out of her daze. "Ummm ... the tub should be up to temperature. We should go get in." "Yep, lets go jump in. But I have to tell you your boobs are sooo beautiful ... and soft but firm at the same time. I love the feel of them. I think it takes me back to my mom when I was a baby." Joanne gave a deprecating laugh at that and replied, "So says she with the perfect set. Come on kid, let me grab a towel and get in before all that electricity goes to waste." With that she wrapped a towel around herself and both women padded down stairs and out onto the deck. Shannon loved the feel of the warm water flowing around her body, particularly in a tub without the heavy chlorination of public or hotel tubs. Joanne's equilibrium had returned to a manageable state. She tried to relax and chat with Shannon as the naked young woman floated around the spa. Shannon was very curious about what led Joanne into the Legal profession and why she chose criminal litigation. She asked about her boundary cases: the worst ones, the most satisfying ones, the hardest losses and whether she could defend a client who was clearly guilty of a heinous crime. Rarely had Joanne opened up to a non-colleague about her experiences. Most people just wanted to hear some of the sensational aspects of certain cases. Joanne shut down these conversations as politely as possible. She could not and would not talk in any detail about her clients, particularly to satisfy someone's idle curiosity. However, she sensed in Shannon a deep intellectual interest in the practise of Law and tried to answer questions on the hypothetical situations as honestly as she could. As Joanne leaned back against the jets she closed her eyes while explaining the path she took into criminal law. Shannon floated towards Joanne and leaned against her knee while concentrating on Joanne's narrative. With a start Joanne opened her eyes as Shannon rested an arm across her knees, balancing in the bubbling water and resting her chin on her arm. "Sorry, am I distracting you?" Shannon asked lifting her head off her arm but leaving it on Joanne's knee. " I'm really intrigued by your reasoning. The need for everyone, even brutal criminals to have a proper defence as a basic requirement of our justice system is something I know intellectually but I've never really felt it in my emotional brain. There is an undeniable tendency in our culture to read the papers and decide on guilt or innocence based on the journalists bias, overt or subtle. I think I'm guilty of that as well." Shannon said this all the while looking intently at Joanne. "I admire what you do even if I don't fully get how you can be around these people." Joanne sensed the depth of this young woman's intellect. There was an understanding and light in her eyes that sent shivers through Joanne. She couldn't comprehend the feelings Shannon stirred in her body. They took her to a different place. It wasn't just Shannon's closeness that was shaking her. It was the total package - her youth, her intellect, her matter of fact unashamed manner, her sincerity and with a gasp Joanne knew it was her body as well that spoke to her. The conversation continued on while Shannon drifted around Joanne, holding onto her knees and sometimes running her hands down her calves all the while never missing a beat when speaking. Shannon seemed oblivious to her touching of Joanne. She seemed absorbed in Joanne's professional experiences. Joanne was thrilled that Shannon was so clearly interested in what she had to say. And Shannon seemed unconcerned when Joanne lost her train of thought from time to time. In truth, Joanne would get lost in Shannon's deep blue eyes and virtually forget what planet she was on. Joanne would shake her head and allow her deep training to bring her back to the topic and make sense of her thoughts. The logical part of Joanne's mind was simultaneously trying to comprehend how this tiny girl could be throwing her off her game, the intellectual process that made her a familiar name in legal circles and beyond. 'What is she doing to me?' she thought.