35 comments/ 78083 views/ 6 favorites Tom Prentice Ch. 01 By: jake60 This story is the first of several which will build on these characters and the situations introduced here. Each will stand on its' own and as such I decided not to make it a story in chapter form. ------------------------------------------ Tom Prentice walked into The Embers Restaurant and took a look around. It was not any different from his last visit, over 4 months ago. Laney was serving Mr. Parker and hadn't seen him yet. He wondered if she was still going out with Jeff. Tom saw that his favorite booth was empty, so he decided to seat himself. He hoped it was in Laney's section. Tom has lived here in Elmville all his life. He's just over 6 feet tall, 170 pounds, dark hair and grey eyes, and not bad looking. He was attending the local college until his world crashed and burned. After withdrawing from classes on January 26th. he has been living in Omaha with his uncle Frank and aunt Pearl. Until yesterday that is, when he decided it was finally time to come back and resume his life. That and having received a letter from the funeral home asking him to please come and pick up his mother's ashes. Tom began the year the only child of Jack and Mary Prentice, but by mid January he was an orphan, and most of his mom's family were angry with him. God, he sure had needed to get away, and it was a big relief when his uncle Frank had offered to take him back to Omaha with them. Frank was his dad's older brother and so much like his dad that staying with him he could almost forget his dad was no longer around. Well, he couldn't forget, but at least he could pretend. At that moment he was stirred from his thoughts by the arrival of his waitress. Damn, it wasn't Laney. "Hey honey, what can I get you?" she said. "Uh, would it be ok to send Laney over to serve me? She's an old friend" "Well, we both have sections and she's already busier than me." He reached into his wallet for a ten, and asked her, "Then could I rent this table from you for her, just until I'm gone?" "Honey, you got it. Less work and my best tip all week. I'll send her right over." The ten disappeared and so did she. Tom began thinking of all that had happened since he'd returned from Omaha. First off he'd gone back to what had been his family home, and carried in his suitcases and the boxes of food his aunt Pearl had sent with him. He'd been afraid of what he'd find when he opened the fridge, but someone must have cleaned it out for him as there was no fungus farm waiting for him. He'd left a key with Mr. Douglas next door, so he could keep an eye on things while Tom was in Omaha, and he or Mrs. Douglas must have cleaned it out. The house seemed no different than when he'd left. The house was a large one, with a second story where the 3 large bedrooms, bathroom and a storage room were located. The 3rd bedroom had evolved into the family computer room, and contained a desk, where Tom had always done his schoolwork, as well as his bookcase. The main floor had the kitchen, formal dining room, living room and a den where his father had had his desk and kept a small office. The basement had the laundry room, a full home gym, a bathroom complete with 2 person shower and a jacuzzi and a nice workshop he and his dad had used to work on a variety of projects. They had built everything from birdhouses to a radio controlled WW2 era Mustang fighter plane. Damn, he'd sure miss his dad. Once he'd put the food away and taken his suitcases up to his room, he'd gone through every room in the house, making sure everything looked ok, checking lights and water, and re-acquainting himself with his home. It had felt really odd walking into his parents' room. Seeing his mother's dressing gown lying on her side of the bed, and a pair of his dad's shoes by the closet door made it seem like they'd be back at any moment, but he knew that wasn't going to happen. When he checked their attached private bathroom, their toiletries and personal items were just as they had been left. He knew he'd have to decide what to do with their things soon. On his way out of his parents' room he stopped to look at a photo that they had hung on the wall by the door. It was less than a year old, and showed them with their arms around each other in an embrace, their upper bodies turned so they could look at the camera. His father was definitely the mold for Tom, as he too was 6 feet tall, with the same dark hair and grey eyes. While both were good looking men, Jack Prentice had a more rugged appearance. Mary Prentice's beautiful smile radiated from the photo, enhancing her good looks. She had short brown hair that framed her face and matched her eyes. She was 5 foot 7, with a classic 36, 25, 36 figure. Both of his parents wore shorts and T shirts in the photo, and their fit bodies were evident. Tom removed the photo from the wall and took it to his room, where he stood it on a shelf of his bookcase. It was a great photo of his parents, and it reminded him of happier times. After checking out the house, he'd called Mr. Douglas to thank him, and told him he'd be over to see him in a day or two. A few more calls, to let some of his friends know he was back were next. When he'd completed the last call he grabbed a couple of the sandwiches his aunt had sent with him, as well a can of soda from the fridge and wolfed them down. He sure had been hungry. After eating he decided to go get a bit of rest and had laid down on his bed. The tiring drive from Omaha and the emotions brought out by moving back into the house caught up to him there and he'd dozed off, not waking until this morning. "Hey there Tom! So you're the big tipper." Laney had come up from behind him, and Tom was startled by her arrival. He looked up to see her smiling face, and marveled at how pretty she was. She'd cut her dark brown hair since he'd last seen her, and it was now at about shoulder length. Her large brown eyes seemed to glitter as she appraised him. As far as he could tell she had very little makeup on, not that she needed any. "Hi Laney. Hope you didn't mind me asking for you." Tom was embarrassed that she knew about his 'tip', and colored a bit as a result. "Of course not. I haven't seen you in months. I heard you'd left town, but no one seemed to know where you went. You know, I was at your father's funeral, but I had to stand at the back because there was such a crowd. I don't think you saw me." "Gee, no I didn't see you. I'm sorry, it was just so hectic. He knew a lot of people and I think they all came. And then there were the problems with mom's family. They were upset with me because they wanted a double service, and I knew my dad wouldn't have wanted it. What a mess. I guess you and everyone else in town knows that though. It must have been the big topic of conversation in here for quite a while. I've been in Omaha, staying with my aunt and uncle, so I was able to miss most of the effects of the news and gossip." "Yeah, for a few days it was all over the news," Laney said. "But no one's been talking about it for a long time now. All the talk is about the layoffs at the auto parts factory." "I heard about that. Made the Omaha paper even. I hate it for the town, but it's better for me. I was afraid I'd be a center of attention when I came back. Hey, maybe I better order before your other customers get after me." Laney stepped away and looked over at her section, before coming back to his booth. "No problem, everyone's got their orders and there are no new tables," she said. She moved a bit closer, and lowered her voice before saying "I hope you don't mind my asking, but some people said they heard things that the papers didn't mention. Is that true? I mean, that the papers never said some things about what happened?" Tom hesitated, then said "No, nothing that happened was left out of the newspapers. They had the whole story, right from the beginning." Tom's eyes had clouded over, and his smile had disappeared. After a moment, he smiled up at Laney, and said "Maybe I better get my order in, so you can check your other tables. We can talk more when you come back. I don't want to get you in trouble. I'll have a small steak, medium, fries and a coffee. Oh, and some pecan pie." "Sure thing," she said. "I'll be right back with your coffee. Your meal won't be long." She smiled at him as she left. Tom watched her leave, and noticed how nicely the material of her uniform slacks molded to her butt and emphasized its' delicious curves. He realized he wasn't the only one taken by the view of Laney's butt as he saw a grey haired man at one of the tables swivel in his seat to watch her walk away. As the man turned back, his eyes caught Tom's, and the two shared a grin. While he waited for Laney to bring his order, Tom recalled his busy morning. He'd woken early, after a good, restful sleep. He was amazed at what a difference being in his own bed could make. After a trip to the bathroom for his morning rituals, he'd thrown on sweats and a pair of runners and headed for the basement gym. A near hour spent on the machines and weights had left him tired, sweaty and hungry, so after a nice hot shower he'd headed to the kitchen to make himself breakfast. He was grateful now that his aunt had sent him home with basic supplies as he was able to make himself a decent omelette for breakfast. As he ate he realized his mom had done a good job of teaching him how to cook. Damn, he sure was going to miss her too. On a normal morning she would have joined him in the gym, and they would have made and eaten breakfast together. Man, there were days she could outdo him in the gym, and it had showed. He'd heard a couple of his friends refer to her as a MILF, but they'd always denied it when he'd called them on it. In truth he knew he couldn't really argue with them, as she had been one good looking lady, with all of her curves in the right places. Neither of his parents had hit the age of 40 yet, and his mom had looked barely 30 to him. After eating he'd cleaned up his dishes and wiped down the stove and counter top. If this home was his now, he intended to keep it in shape. Once he was done with the cleanup, he headed next door to thank the Douglases, and get back his spare key. They emphatically refused his offer to pay them for their homesitting help, so he made a mental note to get them a little gift and a certificate for a good meal somewhere nice. He knew he'd be needing their help and advice again, as he wasn't experienced with home ownership. His thoughts were interrupted by Laney. as she brought his coffee. "Here you go Tom," she said, "Your meal won't be long." She smiled as she set down the cup, then hurried off with her coffee pot to refill cups at her other tables. Tom was only able to say his "Thank you" to her departing back, and again he watched her beautiful butt as she walked away. Damn, maybe he should just ask her out, he thought to himself. The worse thing that could happen is she'd say "no" if she was still seeing Jeff. It wouldn't be the first "no" he'd heard, and unlike some of his friends, he felt he was able to handle rejection without major embarrassment. Once Laney disappeared from sight, Tom was able to get back to thinking about his morning. He had driven to the lawyers' office and then spent several hours there, signing papers to take over the house in his name, as well as forms and applications that would allow utilities and operating expenses for the house to be billed to him. There had been forms for opening new accounts and credit cards in his name at the local bank, as well as forms to sign for the insurance companies. After he had completed these tasks, he had sat and spoken with Mr. Greenstein for quite a length of time. He decided he liked Fred Greenstein, and felt he would be able to ask him for advice when it was needed. When he was finished at Mr. Greenstein's office, he had gone to the bank to deliver the new forms and make a withdrawal from his new account. At least he would have enough cash to take care of day-to-day expenses for the next week or so. He knew he would have to make a visit to the local supermarket to stock up on more food and supplies. When he had finished all of these tasks he felt it was time to stop for lunch and where better than at The Plaza Restaurant. Laney appeared again at his table, and set down his meal. "Here's your lunch," she said, "I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I'll be back later with your pie. That will be around my break time, so if you don't mind I'll join you for coffee then." "That would be great," Tom said. "I was hoping to talk to you a bit more." Tom attacked his meal with gusto, and about the time that he jabbed the last french fries with his fork, Laney brought his pie and her coffee. She sat across the table from Tom, smiling up at him as he slid the pie in front of himself and picked up his fork. He took his first bite of the pie, and said "They sure don't make pie like this in Omaha." Not much conversation took place while Tom finished his meal, but once he had finished they chatted like the old friends they were, about the people they knew and the things that had happened during their time together in high school. Laney had been a year behind Tom, was just finishing her senior year, and would be going to college in the fall. She wanted to know what Tom thought of college as she was nervous about starting her studies there. She also filled Tom in on all of the things that had been going on around town, especially those which affected the people they knew. It seemed like no time at all had passed when Laney glanced at her watch and said "Gee, I had better get back to work, my break is almost over." "Wow, that was fast," said Tom, "you just sat down. I wanted to explain more about my mom and dad, but there isn't time now. Maybe I could call you this evening, if you don't mind." "No, I don't mind at all. That would be great. Here's my cell number," she said, and slid a slip of paper over to Tom. "I was meaning to ask you something Laney," Tom said. "Are you still going out with Jeff? I wouldn't want him to think I was messing with his girlfriend," he laughed. "Oh no, that's not a problem. I haven't gone out with him for two months," she said, and then laughed. "Oh, OK," said Tom, "I'll give you a call later this evening then." They both stood, and Laney started picking up their cups and Tom's plates. She smiled and said, "I'll be looking forward to your call." Tom got out his wallet, and selected a $10 bill for Laney's tip. He left it on the table, and went to the cashier to pay his bill, as Laney finished clearing his table. Tom made a stop at the supermarket, then returned to his house and set about putting away his purchases. It had been quite an eventful day for him, so he decided to just take it easy for the rest of the day. He went into the den and took a look at the papers and records his father had kept there. He slowly sorted them out, as best he could, and when finished he had a large pile of things to get rid of. This type of task really bothered him he realized, as it reminded him of his father. He knew he had a lot more of these tough jobs ahead of him. He decided he'd earned a break, so went and got a cold drink, then went to the living room where he decided to sit in his father's favorite chair and relax a while. As he sat there the tears began to form as he thought of his parents. He set down the soda and went to his room where he pulled his father's letter from the drawer in the bedside table. He took it downstairs, sat down again, and began to read it. He'd read it many times before, but found reading it helped him to calm down when his emotions ran high. ******** The letter ******** My dear son; I hardly know how to write this, I'm so upset. I need to explain to you what's happened, and I'm not sure if I can. Also, I may run out of time if the police show up. I'm hoping they won't be here that quickly though. First some important stuff. My lawyer is Fred Greenstein. He's a friend and a good lawyer. Take all of this to him, as I'm sure he'll help you with everything and I trust him to do right by you. I have $500,000.00 in life insurance, and the mortgage on the house is insured as well. Both your mother and I have insurance and retirement accounts at work. Fred can check with our employers as to the details. Our safety deposit box key is here on the table. All of the insurance papers are in it, as well as some other things. I'm sorry, I can't think. Dad's pocket watch, mom's rings, plus more stuff is in there. Our wills are here on the table. We both have individual accounts at the bank, as well as joint accounts. The only thing I can do is start from the beginning I guess. Yesterday morning, just after my coffee break, I got a call on my direct line. It was a woman, but I didn't recognize her voice. I asked later but she wouldn't give me her name. She just said she was a friend. She told me your mother was having an affair, and would be meeting the man again today. I asked her how she knew, who he was, and why I should believe her. All she'd say is she'd done her duty by telling me, and what I did about it was up to me. I told her I didn't believe her, and she hung up on me. I tried all day to forget what she'd said, but it kept coming back, it was almost constantly in my thoughts. It seemed so impossible to believe, but I couldn't figure out what reason she'd have to phone me with a story like that, if it was all made up. You know the story of how your mother and I met the first day of high school. How we've been together ever since. By our senior year we'd promised ourselves to each other. We were each others' first and only lovers, and our vows meant everything to me. You've heard your mother call me 'Her one and only.' That's what she meant. It was our joke together. Well, all this stuff about the call and our vows to each other kept eating at me all day. All of last night I know I was very quiet and preoccupied. It was all I could think of. I was tempted to just ask her, but I knew if I did, if she was innocent she'd be pissed I had to ask, and if she was guilty she'd deny it and I'd probably never be able to find out the truth. So I said nothing, and it upset me all evening. Thankfully your mother didn't notice my mood. I went to bed well after she did, and she was asleep when I got there. I barely slept. What I finally decided to do was to take the day off and follow her for the day, to prove the call was a hoax. I got up earlier than she did, and left before she came downstairs. When I got to work I went to my boss and told him I needed a personal day off, which he agreed to. Then I went to Ralph Simpson, a co-worker, and asked him to switch vehicles with me for the day. He wanted to know why I needed to do that, so I told him someone was bothering your mom and I was going to keep an eye on her. Since she had said she could look after herself and didn't need my help, I told him I needed a vehicle she wouldn't recognize, as she'd be upset if she knew I was following her. He was quite eager to switch car keys once I told him that, and then he volunteered that he had a .25 caliber automatic wrapped in a rag under the seat, if things got rough. I knew your mother worked 9-12 today, and since I start at 8 I had lots of time to get home before she left. I was parked at the end of the block, and had to wait about 15 minutes before she came out and drove to work. I was a block behind her all the way, and spent all morning across the street and down the block watching her car in the lot. I had myself convinced I was an idiot for sitting there, and for doubting her. I almost left at 11 o'clock, but decided Ralph would really wonder about me after the bullshit story I had told him. She came out at 12:15 and I almost missed seeing her because she'd changed her clothes since she went in to work. She had her grey business outfit on when she went in, and when she came out she had on a red skirt a bit above her knee in length, and a white blouse with a low neckline. It's the outfit she wore last month when we went out, if you remember it. Anyway, seeing her in this outfit really bothered me and I was almost sick. She didn't need to change clothes to go home from work, so I was very worried about the turn this was taking. Tom Prentice Ch. 01 When she pulled out of the lot she turned the opposite way to what she does to drive home, so I had to make a U-turn to follow her. I was just able to keep her in sight, and I was so close to throwing up I almost had to pull over. She finally turned onto First Avenue and went into the parking lot for The Embers Steakhouse. I started feeling better as I thought she was just going for lunch, but she went into the bar entrance, not into the restaurant. So now my stomach started churning again. I waited for a half hour before she came out. Tom, she wasn't alone when she came out. There was a tall, dark haired man with her, about our age, wearing a suit. When they got to her car he put his hand on her ass and pulled her close and kissed her. That's when I knew that something was wrong. My heart began pounding so hard, and I felt so faint, I almost passed out. My eyes teared up, and I could feel the tears running down my cheeks. She got in her car and he got into a black BMW, and they both turned out of the lot right in front of me. They were a block away before I could get the car in drive and pull out to follow them. It was all I could do keep them in sight, as I had to keep wiping my tears away. I don't remember the route we drove but we ended up at the motel at Front Street and Third Avenue. I think it's called the Flamingo. I parked on the street and your mother drove around the back. The guy in the BMW went to the office, then came out and drove around the back too. I waited for fifteen minutes, praying your mother would drive back out, but she didn't. I decided then to walk around to the back to see what was going on. While I was waiting there I had decided that if your mother was in a room with that guy I'd divorce her, and that calmed me down a bit and stopped my tears. She had gone there by choice, and I knew I couldn't forgive that. I had grabbed my digital camera (the one that I use at work when I'm estimating a job) when I left my office and I'd forgotten I had it. I should have taken a picture of them kissing but I guess I was so upset I never even thought of the camera. I figured if I could get a picture of them together getting a divorce would be easy. I was half way to the back of the motel when I remembered Ralph's automatic, and decided to go get it as the guy was bigger than me. Even though I was just going to get photos, I figured it wouldn't hurt to have it so he couldn't get the camera away from me. I found the gun right away, and stuck it in my jacket pocket. When I got around to the back of the motel, both of their cars were there, about half way down. They were the only cars back there. If they wanted privacy, I guess they got it. First I took pictures of their cars, and one that showed your mother's car and the room door with its' number. I was hoping there would be an opening on a window I could use to get a picture and just leave, but the curtains were tightly shut. I can't believe how calm I felt right then. It was sort of like I was just a spectator, not really there. When I saw that I couldn't get a picture through the window I decided to listen at the door. I pushed at the door a bit and it moved slightly, so there was a small gap by the frame. I stuck my ear to it and that's when I heard her. There have been nights I know you've heard your mother and I when we were making love. We weren't trying to be obvious, but there were times we didn't realize how loud we were until it was too late. When you were younger you'd be embarrassed at breakfast the next morning. You'd even avoid looking at us. Lately you've told us to 'tone it down a bit' when we were at breakfast. I know you've heard your mother yell out 'Oh, oh, oh, oh my God, oh my God, harder, harder, I'm coming!' more than once. Well, that's what I heard at that door, and I lost it. I backed up about ten feet from the door and rammed it with my left shoulder so hard the door just flew open. There were wood splinters and pieces flying all over. I almost fell down, but I didn't, and managed to lift up the camera and take several pictures before either of them moved. Tom, they were both naked, and your mother had her arms and legs wrapped around him. He was fucking her! I hate to give you that image of your mother but I have to let you know what was working on my mind in there. My heart was breaking Tom. I just stood there, and it all seemed like time stopped. Your mother was screaming, then the guy hollered 'What the fuck!,' and started climbing off the bed. The next thing I knew I had taken the gun out of my pocket and had fired at him. I don't know what he'd have done if he had kept coming. I hit him right in the groin, and he fell on the floor, screaming. I don't know why, but I aimed at his head, said 'You bastard,' and shot him again. He fell over backward on the carpet. I killed him, Tom. Your mother was crying and started saying 'No, Jack,' and 'Please forgive me.' I walked to the end of the bed and my mouth was moving but I couldn't say anything. Finally I was able to ask her 'Why, Mary,' but she never answered, she just kept saying 'Please forgive me,' and 'I love you, Jack,' over and over. She was sitting there crying, rocking against the headboard of the bed, hugging her knees to her chest. She'd pulled the sheet up over her knees, and just sat there rocking and saying the same things over and over again. I kept asking her 'Why, Mary,' but it was like she didn't even hear me at all. Finally, I reached over and got a handful of the sheet, and pulled it slowly toward me. It was like slow motion Tom. I've had this part go through my mind over and over, and it's always in slow motion. As the sheet slid down her knees, her pussy came into view, and I could see his semen slowly dribbling out onto the bed. Tom, I just totally lost it. I started crying again and then I screamed at her, 'Why?', but all she did was to stop rocking. She still just cried and said 'I love you, Jack'. I said 'I thought you said I was your one and only.', and raised the gun and shot her in the head. The last thing she said before I shot her was 'No!' Tom, I'm so very sorry, but I killed your mother. After, I just stood there, I don't know for how long, looking at them. I slowly came out of it, like it had been a dream. I could see their 2 bodies there, not moving. Your mom had sort of slowly slid sideways across the headboard, and was lying across the pillows. Her 'friend' was sprawled on the carpet, and his hands had fallen away from his groin. I could see my first bullet had hit him at the base of his cock and I think it went through one of his balls. I don't know if that shot was good or lucky, but I was glad it hit him there. After I got back to feeling more aware I realized what I'd done, and how badly I'd screwed things up for you. My stomach heaved and I vomited violently onto the carpet right there at the foot of the bed. I retched and retched until nothing more would come up. I began wondering what I should do next, and expected the police to show up any second. The more I thought, the more I realized I had to get home to try to explain to you what happened, before the police had to tell you. There I was in a room with 2 bodies and the door wide open. I expected a crowd to be looking in the door at me, and police sirens, but when I looked out the door there was nothing but their two cars parked at the door. That's when I realized maybe I could get away and tell you this story of what had happened. Your mother's purse was on the table by the bed so I grabbed it and found her keys. I figured I could save some time if I used her car to come home, so that's what I did. I was just opening the car door when I saw the motel room door was wide open. I didn't want everyone to see her naked, so I stuck her purse on the seat and went back and was able to jam the door shut with one of the big splinters off the frame. On my way home I figured out what I would have to do to make sure this mess doesn't ruin your life too. Tom, I want you to realize that everything I've done since I shot your mother and that bastard is for your benefit. I wasn't thinking of you at all while I was in that room with them, and I apologize to you for that. I hope one day you'll forgive me. I've been expecting the police to show up all afternoon, and now it's 5 pm, and they still haven't shown up. I think if the bodies were found they have no way to identify your mother. I took her purse and car. Hopefully I can finish what needs to be done before you get home at 6, or they show up. I feel very content, now that it looks like my plan will all work out. In our safety deposit box there is a deed for our cemetery plot at Shady Grove. We bought that last year for the two of us. I do NOT want to be buried with your mother. If I'm buried in that plot, find another one for her. I'm sorry, but I'm feeling less and less forgiving towards her, the more that I think about it. If she had kept her vows, and 'forsaken all others' this mess wouldn't have happened. If I were to be buried with her, it would seem to all the world that we were a devoted couple. I thought we were, but I was wrong. Tom, you probably think I should have stayed and hired a good lawyer. The problem is, I doubt even a good lawyer could get me off. We'd end up bankrupt, the house and savings gone, and I'd still end up in prison. I don't want to spend the rest of my life in a cell. With no money left you'd have to give up college. The worse part is the publicity and people talking about it. It would go on and on for months, until the trial was over, and you'd be hounded by reporters and gossips. I don't want that for you. This way it's all over cleanly and quickly. Please see that the digital camera gets back to the office. I've deleted the pictures I took. No one needs to see those. Ralph's keys are on the table, and his car is on the street in front of the motel. Please apologize to him for me, for getting him involved. If he gets fined because of the gun, or if the gun gets seized, please pay him back. If the police haven't seen this letter by the time you read it, put it away. I don't want some reporter getting hold of it and publishing it if it can be avoided. They don't need this letter to figure out what happened. I'll write out a confession for them and leave it on the counter. Doing this my way will leave you well off, with a home. We've had the insurance policys long enough that the suicide clauses are over. They just last for 2 years. You're old enough to get by on your own. If you need advice ask the Douglases, my brother Frank, your aunt Pearl, or Fred Greenstein. Please try and forgive me Tom. I really wish things had gone differently, but what's done is done. If the police haven't shown up by the time you've read this, call them. Tell them to go to room 122 at the Flamingo Motel. I'm going to go into the back yard. I'll be under the oak tree behind the garage. Your loving father. When he finished reading the letter, Tom reclined the chair and closed his eyes. He didn't sleep, just sat there and thought about his life and how it had all changed so much. Time passed quickly as he sat there thinking, and when he finally sat up and to check his watch he realized his eyes were full of tears. After wiping his eyes he was able to see it was time to call Laney. He picked up his cell phone, dug the paper with her number out of his wallet and started punching in her number. Tom Prentice Ch. 02 I have changed my mind, and this story about Tom Prentice will now be in Chapter form. I just couldn't get it to work out properly the other way. Chapter 2 - Laney... Tom hung up his phone after spending the last hour in a pleasant conversation with Laney, explaining to her what had happened about four months earlier when his parents had died. She now understood what he had gone through, and why he had left home for Omaha the day after his mother's funeral service. He had explained to Laney why he hadn't had the service with his father's, but instead had scheduled it for the following day. His father's service had been complete, with the burial in the plot they owned in the Shady Grove Cemetery. Since Tom had decided not to bury his mother's ashes in the same plot with his father, he still had to get a plot for her and have the graveside service. Before Tom had ended his call to Laney they had made a date for Friday night. He'd asked her to go with him to watch stock-car racing at the local dirt track. Laney had never gone to the races, and he was a big fan. He was hoping she would enjoy them as much as he did. There were three days to wait before that date with her, but he knew he had lots to do. The next morning Tom took his time, and after a leisurely breakfast he left the house to begin his jobs list. His first stop was at the Motor Vehicle Department to put the two family vehicles in his name. Fred Greenstein, his lawyer, had already done the paperwork with him, so all Tom had to do was to deliver the forms and pay the proper fees. From there he went to the funeral home and picked up his mother's ashes. They seemed to be happy to have the urn containing her ashes taken off their hands. His last stop before lunch was at the Shady Grove Cemetery, where he met with the director and eventually selected a plot for his mother's ashes. It was about 50 yards from his father's grave, with a large oak tree situated so that you could not see one gravesite from the other. He thought that would have received his father's approval and just hoped that his mom's parents wouldn't object too much. They had been happy enough with the service he had arranged for her, and he hoped that the choice of burial plot he'd made wouldn't be a problem. Tom went to the Plaza Restaurant for his lunch, even though he knew that Laney wouldn't be working. He had been lucky to catch her the previous day, as she only worked that one afternoon during the week. Every other weekday she had classes, at least until her school year was completed. He had a leisurely lunch, and when he finally left he headed for his grandparents' home. Tom knew he had to see them, to let them know he had purchased a plot for his mother, and to find out when would be the best time to have her burial service. He was more than a little nervous as he approached the door of his grandparents' home. He hadn't spoken to them very often while he was away at his uncle's, but they had seemed pretty friendly on the phone when he did. They must have seen him coming, as his grandfather met him at the door. "Tom, come on in! It's so good to see you." Bob Nolan grabbed his grandson in a bear hug, and then quickly released him so that Tom could enter the house. He was about Tom's size, with dark eyes and prematurely gray hair. He was in his late fifties and very fit. "Mary, come out here! Tom's here." Mary Nolan came into the living room from the kitchen, a large welcoming smile on her face. "Tom, it's been so long since we've seen you. You're a sight for sore eyes." "Grandma, it's so nice to see you; you too, Grandpa. I've been thinking of you both often." Tom hugged his grandmother and then gave her a kiss on the cheek. The three of them entered the kitchen, where they insisted that Tom join them at the kitchen table for a cup of coffee. "So, how have you been, Tom? How was Omaha? We were beginning to wonder if you were ever coming back," his grandfather said. "I've been fine, thank you. Omaha is nice, but it's not home. It's really nice to be back here," Tom said. He was glad to see that his grandparents were happy to have him back in town. They hadn't been quite so happy when he had told them that it was his father's wish not to be buried with his mother. Tom explained about having purchased the plot for his mother's ashes, and asked them when they thought he should arrange for the burial service to be held. Eventually they all agreed he should wait until he'd spoken with a minister and made arrangements with him. They reminded him that headstones would have to be purchased as well, something that Tom hadn't even considered. He thanked them for reminding him, and said he would arrange for it right away. The three of them had a pleasant visit and caught up on everything that had been going on in their lives. When Tom eventually arose to leave his grandmother took him by the arm and said, "You realize we've forgiven your father for what happened, don't you? We both accept that Mary helped bring this upon herself, and while we wish you're Dad had chosen some other way to handle the situation, life doesn't always work out the way you want it to. We've moved on now, and we really hope you will forgive us for being so hard on you about the funerals." "There are no hard feelings at all, Grandma, and I'm glad we've gone past all that." Tom gave his grandmother another hug and then stepped back to look at her. She was so much like his mother, and he could imagine his mother would have looked exactly like her if she was her age. As Tom went out to his car, his grandfather went with him. "If there's anything you need Tom, be sure to call us. We want to be able to help you in any way we can." Tom thanked him for their offer and then waved goodbye as he drove away, greatly relieved they had received him so warmly. By late Friday afternoon Tom had completed all of the arrangements for his mother's funeral, and as well he had contracted for headstones to be engraved and installed for both of his parents. He had even been able to get to the college to make arrangements for getting back to his studies as soon as possible. The counselors had been very helpful, and he was now enrolled in two summer courses. They felt that he would be able to completely catch up within the next 12 months if he didn't mind a little extra work. At four o'clock Tom arrived at Laney's house to pick her up for their night at the races. He had told her they would stop for burgers on the way, and not to have her supper early. When he knocked at her door it was answered by a woman Tom assumed was Laney's older sister. Her hair was shorter than Laney's, but they both had brown hair and brown eyes, and Tom could see a strong resemblance in their facial features. "Hi, I'm Tom Prentice, and I'm here to pick up Laney," he said. The woman smiled and turned, before calling, "Elaine, I hope you're ready; your date's here." This was the first time that Tom had ever heard Laney's proper name, as no one had ever called her anything but Laney in high school. Tom was still registering this surprise when he heard Laney answer from inside the house. "Mom, you know I hate that name. Please just call me Laney, like everyone else does. I'll be right there." Tom was so surprised to find that this was Laney's mother that he said, "You're Laney's mother? I thought for sure you were her sister." "Why thank you, Tom. That's a very flattering thing to say. I'm Grace Frost, Elaine's... I mean Laney's, mother." She smiled as she extended her hand to Tom, and shook his hand firmly. "Come on in, I'm sure she'll be longer than she says, so you may as well wait inside." Tom and Grace stood in the living room and talked about the high school while they waited for Laney to join them. When she arrived, she went over to her mother and gave her a hug and said goodbye. Tom was able to compare the two of them as they stood side by side and said, "There is no doubt that the two of you look more like sisters than mother and daughter." He looked back and forth between them, and was still finding it difficult to believe Grace was Laney's mother. Laney laughed, and said, "We'd better leave, Tom. Mom will want us to stay here for the evening if you keep talking like that. I've told her plenty of times that she doesn't look her age, but she didn't believe me; maybe now she will." The two of them said goodbye to Grace and headed out for their first date. It wasn't very far down Main Street to the most popular of the local burger restaurants, and as they drove they exchanged small talk about high school and mutual friends. Once there, and with their orders in hand, they moved to a table in the back where they continued their conversation. "I'm seriously surprised that your mother looks so young, Laney." Tom took a bite of his burger while Laney responded to his statement. "Actually, there's quite a story to all that. My mom is only 34; her birthday was less than a month ago. She had just turned 16 when I was born," Laney said. "Boy, that is sort of young. You don't hear of that sort of thing very often now. It's no wonder she looks like your older sister. What about your Dad?" Tom said. "Well, I don't know a lot about him, just what my mom has told me. He died in a car accident a couple of months before I was born. When I was little I used to visit his parents, my grandparents that is, quite a lot, but my grandmother died when I was six, and my grandfather moved away a few years later; he phones from time to time. It's just been my mom and I since he moved; Mom's parents died a few years ago as well." "So your mother raised you by herself? That must have been hard for her." "Yes, it was. Her parents helped a bit, but they weren't able to do a lot as they both worked just to make ends meet for the rest of their family. Mom was able to finish high school by correspondence and got a job as a secretary at the auto parts plant. She's worried now though, as she knows her hours are going to be cut soon." There was a look of concern on Laney's face as she told Tom about her mother's worries. "Wow, your mom sounds like she's had a bit of a rough time of it." Tom had a real feeling of respect for Laney's mother, a woman who had handled single motherhood, completing her education, and holding down a job. "It was hard, but my mom always made sure we'd have what we needed. Sometimes she works a second job, waitressing in one of the bars downtown. She doesn't really like to work there though." Their conversation continued while they ate their meal, shifting from the story of Laney's mother to a discussion of the racing they would see that evening. By the time they had finished their meal and then driven to the track, Laney had learned a lot about what to expect that evening. When the last race ended at 11 p.m., Laney was almost as big a fan as Tom was. She had picked a favorite driver, and was excited to see her favorite edge out Tom's at the last checkered flag of the evening. At about the middle of the evening, as they had passed through a milling crowd in front of the concession stands, Tom had taken Laney's hand to prevent the two of them from being separated by the crowd. It seemed so natural a thing to do that Tom hadn't thought about it in advance, and they had walked hand in hand back to their seats. After that time, though, both of them had taken the opportunity to take the other's hand as they moved about between races, and at the end as they returned to their vehicle it was again hand-in-hand. As they left the congestion of the track parking lot, Tom asked, "Would you like to go out to the lake for a while, before we head back into town?" Tom was hoping Laney would agree, as he really wanted to have some time alone with her. He'd always found her attractive, but now that he had gotten to know her a little he really liked her, and was anxious to hold her in his arms and kiss her. Just the thought of it had him excited, and he was hoping she wouldn't notice his aroused state. Laney thought about his question for a few moments, and said "Not tonight, OK Tom? I really enjoyed this evening with you, and maybe we can go to the lake another time. My mom and I have an agreement that any time I date someone new, I'll get to know them well before we spend a lot of time alone." Laney looked apprehensively at Tom, knowing that several of her previous dates had become angry when she explained her rules to them. She was afraid she may have misjudged Tom, and that he would be one of those to take it poorly. "No problem, Laney. I've really enjoyed our time together, and I wouldn't mind taking you out again soon. My parents had rules for me too. Even though they're gone, I still try to live by them." Tom turned to Laney and smiled at her. A smile immediately appeared on her face, and she said, "Thanks so much for understanding, Tom. My mom and I are really close, and I could never really go against her wishes. I'd love to go out with you again, just let me know when." She reached over and took his hand, squeezing it before she let it go. They stopped for soft drinks on their way home, and continued their cheerful conversation before agreeing to have another date the following Friday night. Their plans were tentative, and they agreed to decide later in the week where they would go the next time they went out together. When they arrived back of Laney's home, she quickly leaned over to give him a quick, soft kiss before she said goodbye and opened the door. As she unlocked her front door she turned and waved as Tom drove away, a big grin on his face. ++++++ The next week started with Tom finalizing arrangements for his mother's burial. It was arranged for 2 p.m. the next Sunday afternoon. He made many calls to family members, both of his parents' former employers, as well as couples that he knew were friends of his mother and father. A newspaper announcement was arranged for the Friday paper. On Wednesday he phoned Laney, and they agreed to go to a movie on Friday night. Once she had confirmed that Tom had no plans for supper on Friday night, Laney let him know that her mother had invited Tom to join them for supper before their movie date. Tom was happy to accept the invitation for a home-cooked meal. While he could cook reasonably well, cooking for only himself meant that he tended to make a lot of quick and boring meals. Tom kept himself busy for the rest of the week, and even began the task of sorting his parents' clothing and personal items. He decided to offer his grandparents and his aunt and uncle first choice of the clothing before taking the rest of it to Goodwill. The job was very difficult, as he was constantly reminded of the fact that his parents were no longer there. Hopefully he would begin feeling better once the last of these everyday reminders was gone. On Friday afternoon he arrived at Laney's home just after 4 p.m. and brought along a bottle of his parents' wine, one of the many bottles they had kept in a large wine rack in the basement. He knew that he and Laney were both not legally able to have any of it, but he wanted to thank her mother for the invitation to supper. The bottle of wine was well received by Grace Frost, and for the next hour, while she and Laney finished preparing the meal and the table, the three of them enjoyed a pleasant conversation in the kitchen. After insuring that the young couple wouldn't be leaving for the movies until well after seven o'clock, Grace decided to pour each of them a half glass of the wine. It was something that Tom had been used to with his parents, as they felt a bit of wine with their meal wasn't going to corrupt him. He was happy that Grace felt the same way. They had finished the wonderful supper, and Tom and Laney were busy washing the dishes, when Grace asked, "Tom, if you don't think I'm prying, I was wondering if you knew much about the man that was with your mother that day?" "It's not a problem that you ask; I just don't really know anything about him beyond his name. It was Frank Nelson, but that was already in the newspapers several times, so I'm sure you knew that." Tom stopped drying the dishes and quietly turned to Grace before he said, "One thing that has really bothered me, and that I will probably never know the answer to, is why my mother would have been involved with him. My father's letter made it obvious that he didn't suspect there was a problem, and I know I certainly knew nothing of it." Grace arose from the table and stepped forward to put her hand on Tom's wrist before she said, "I'm sorry I asked; I didn't want to dredge up bad memories for you. I've never been able to understand why a happily married husband or wife would risk everything over an affair, but since it seems to happen so often I would guess they just never expect to be found out." "That's OK," Tom said. "I've had lots of time to think about all of these questions, and more, since it happened. Not knowing the answers bothers me a lot more than hearing or thinking of the questions. When I was in Omaha my uncle had me meet with his Pastor, and he tried to explain the situation biblically, discussing temptation and the commandment against adultery. It helped a bit, but I'm resigned to the fact that I will probably never get some of the answers." He became very somber before he continued, "It was very difficult to understand how my father could do what he did, but after realizing just how seriously infidelity is looked upon in some people's eyes, I guess I can understand him a little better." Their conversation drifted to other topics, and by the time the dishes had been washed and put away, all three of them were in a good mood. They had moved to the living room, where Tom and Laney sat on the sofa and Grace was comfortably seated on a loveseat across from them. At some point during their joking around, Tom suggested that Grace join them on their movie date. She had been sipping on a second glass of wine, and started laughing at the suggestion, saying, "You kids don't want an old lady along with you, I'm sure." Laney quickly answered, "You're no old lady, Mom!" She took a quick look at Tom, and then said, "I'm sure Tom meant it. I don't mind if you come along, if you don't mind sitting in the row in front of us so that we can have some privacy," she giggled. Laney's comment brought a blush to Tom's face, and he quickly said, "I really was serious. If you'd like to join us I'm sure we could have a good time together." After a bit of persuasion, Grace agreed to go along with the young couple to see a movie. True to Laney's suggestion, Grace sat in the seat in front of Laney, and didn't once turn to spy on the young couple. Had she been so inclined, she could have turned to catch them in the midst of their first real kiss, or one of the many others that followed it. As it was, she turned to them only when one or the other whispered to her, offering a share of their popcorn, or taking the opportunity to joke with her about her position as their chaperone. After the show their group date continued at the Plaza Restaurant, where they enjoyed a snack and their shared jokes. Tom couldn't get over the fact that Grace really did look like one of their crowd and that she could so easily shed her role as Laney's mother. Later, as he drove his pickup back to the Frost residence, Laney put her arm on Tom's shoulder and snuggled up close to him. Her mother was seated beside her, trying earnestly to ignore the young couple. It was the only occasion on their chaperoned date when she really did feel she was imposing. When they pulled up outside of the house a she immediately opened the door and got out, saying, "I really want to thank you two for taking this 'older woman' with you on your date. It was the most enjoyable evening I've had in a long time." She smiled broadly at both of them, and said, "Don't stay out here too late, Laney. Goodnight Tom, and thanks again." Tom Prentice Ch. 02 After saying their goodbyes to her mother, Tom and Laney soon returned to the kissing they had experimented with in the theater, and it wasn't long before their tongues were dueling, and their temperatures were rising. Tom's fingers were on the verge of embarking on a voyage of discovery down from their position on her shoulder when Laney said, "As much as I'm enjoying this Tom, I have to go in now." She disengaged herself from his arms despite his good natured protests, and slid over on the seat before returning for one last kiss. As she went back and opened the door she said, "I'll see you on Sunday at the service for your mother. Goodnight, Tom. I've really enjoyed myself." Tom was quick to say, "I really enjoyed your company tonight, Laney. Be sure to bring your Mom on Sunday, too. The service should only be about 20 minutes long. After that I plan to have coffee and some cake at my place. My aunt and uncle are coming in from Omaha, and my grandparents will be there." After they said their final goodbyes, Tom drove off, realizing that he was as hard as a rock, and began making plans to have a shower when he got home so that he could take care of that situation. ++++++++ Tom spent Saturday preparing his house for the company he expected following the graveside service. He sorted the remainder of his parents' clothing and other items that he didn't think he would want to keep. His plan was to have his grandparents and aunt and uncle join him for supper Sunday night, and he would then offer them their choice of his parents' things, before he consigned the balance to Goodwill. He prepared some burger patties and salads for the Sunday meal, and picked up enough cake and pastries for the expected visitors after the interment of his mother's ashes. Sunday morning gave him the opportunity to finish his preparations for the afternoon. Finally, after lunch, he felt that everything was done, and so he got himself ready for the Cemetery service. He arrived 20 minutes early with his mother's ashes, just ahead of his grandparents, and joined them to wait for the minister and the rest of the mourners. The last 10 minutes were a bit confusing as it seemed that everyone arrived together. Tom lost the opportunity to circulate amongst the people who arrived as he was overwhelmed by a steady stream of people who came to offer their condolences and support. Promptly at 2 p.m. the minister began his graveside service for the approximately 40 people in attendance. As expected, it was over in 20 minutes, and Tom was able to invite everyone that wished to join him and the family at his home for coffee and cake. Within just a few minutes his grandparents left with his aunt and uncle to be there to welcome the guests, while Tom remained, speaking quietly with the minister. As the minister finally said goodbye to him Tom looked up and noticed that besides himself only Laney and Grace Frost and one other woman remained at the Cemetery. After thanking Laney and Grace for coming, and insisting that they join everyone else at the house, Tom approached the last straggler, a pretty, blond, fortyish woman who seemed to have been waiting for him. He could tell that she looked a bit upset, but didn't recognize her as being a family friend, or anyone that he had met previously. "Hello, I'm Tom Prentice. I'm afraid I don't recognize you. Were you one of my parents' friends?" The woman seemed a bit more upset and said, "I'm pleased to meet you, Tom. My name is Liz Nelson. My husband Frank was the one who was with your mother when... when your father... when everything happened. I've wanted to speak with you for quite some time now, but I couldn't reach you." "I was in Omaha since after the funeral services until just a couple of weeks ago. Was there something in particular that you wanted?" Tom was a little concerned about what she may have in mind, and it occurred to him that she may even intend to sue over the death of her husband. She had been standing about halfway between the separate graves of his parents, and as they talked they had walked slowly over to stand beside his father's grave, away from the minister who now stood talking with Laney and Grace. The woman was very clearly upset now and said, "I wanted to say how sorry I am for everything that happened. I feel it's all my fault. I was the one who told your father that your mother was going to see my husband again. If I hadn't said anything, none of this would have happened." She began crying now, and Tom hesitantly put his arm around her shoulders. "Please, don't feel that way," he said compassionately, before pausing and then continuing, "My father wrote me a letter after he... after, you know.... and he didn't blame you at all; and I don't blame you. It was just the circumstances that led to... everything. The gun wasn't his. He just happened to have it, and except for that unexpected turn of events, the worst that could have happened would have been a big fight." She had turned her head into his shoulder and was still crying. After perhaps a minute she began to calm down, and Tom said, "What can you tell me about my mother and your husband? Can you tell me why they were together, or if she was going to leave my father and me for your husband?" Tom held his breath, hoping that she could shed some light on this event that had so changed his life. Liz Nelson straightened up and removed a handkerchief from her purse. When she had dried her eyes she said, "Frank had a number of affairs over the years we were married. He never intended to leave me for any of the women he... met. Frank was a salesman, a very good salesman, very suave and quite handsome. He seemed to be able to convince a number of otherwise happily married women that he had something to offer them. I just got so fed up with it; that's why I called your father. I had hoped he would find a way to put an end to it, but I never once thought it through to this kind of a conclusion." She was crying again. "So you don't think my mother was in love with him? This was just a fling that he managed to talk her into?" Tom was finding it difficult to believe that everything was brought about by a sophisticated seducer who somehow got to his mother. After wiping her eyes once more, Liz Nelson continued, "I doubt very much that it was any more than Frank selling himself so well that he was able to convince your mother to meet with him. I had spoken to a couple of his past...conquests, and they've told me that Frank worked very hard to wear down their resistance. I know what he was like; he convinced me to marry him, and every time that he got involved with another woman he was able to convince me to take him back. He was wonderful with words, and I loved him in spite of his affairs." She began to cry quietly again. Tom realized that he was not likely to ever fully understand his mother's actions, but at least now he had some idea of how it might have occurred. It was difficult to reconcile this with what he knew of his mother, but then he decided that it was no more difficult than for him to understand how his father could have reacted the way he did. He thanked the woman for telling him what she knew of his mother and her husband; that it helped him to comprehend the situation. She was still softly crying as she turned to leave. Tom remained standing in front of his father's grave and quietly said, "Does hearing that help you understand what happened, Dad?" He stood there for a couple of minutes until the tears began to clear from his eyes, and then he slowly left the empty cemetery and headed for his pickup so that he could join the others at his house. Tom Prentice Ch. 03 Chapter 3 - ...Laney... As Tom made the drive from the cemetery back to his home his mood slowly shifted from one of deep melancholy to one of resignation. He knew his parents were both gone and no amount of wishing would change that fact. His short conversation with Mrs. Nelson had made him accept that the death of his parents could be viewed as the culmination of a tragic set of circumstances. Each of them could have changed their actions at some point, and if they had, things would have been a lot different for all of them. About the time that he got to that conclusion he pulled up in the driveway of his house. The street in front was full of cars, and he felt a bit surprised by the number of them. Tom entered the kitchen by way of the back door, coming in just in time to almost run into his grandmother who was rushing across the room with a carafe of coffee. His aunt was cutting a cake and putting the pieces onto a serving tray, along with some of the pastries he had purchased, and then she quickly followed his grandmother around the corner into the dining area. Tom immediately went to the coffee machine to set up another pot. The next half-hour was very hectic, as people were served and dirty dishes were brought back to the kitchen. Tom got a chance to mingle with the guests, speaking with those he hadn't already talked to at the cemetery, and being introduced to a couple of his mother's coworkers who had attended. The net result of the day's activities had been to make him really realize that there were a lot of people, many whom he hardly knew at all, who had been deeply saddened by the deaths of his mother and father. He received many offers of assistance, should anything come up that would require it. Fred Greenstein and his wife were most emphatic about their desire to help him, not as a legal client, but as friends of the family. As quickly as the rush had started, it was over, and soon only his grandparents, his aunt and uncle, the Frosts, and his next-door neighbors, Al and Sara Douglas, remained. This comparatively small group now had the opportunity to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee together. Tom made the introductions, and in the process managed at one point to introduce Laney as his girlfriend, a faux pas that brought the color to his cheeks and a couple of small laughs from his guests as he stumbled to correct the record. He noticed that Laney didn't join the laughter, but simply smiled at him. When their coffee cups were empty, and the Douglases had returned home, Tom offered to show Laney and Grace around his house while the remaining dirty dishes were cleaned up by his aunt and grandmother. They were impressed by the size of the house, and surprised to find out that Tom now owned the home free and clear, the mortgage having been covered by insurance. While they were upstairs he had shown them his room, and then, just before returning to the main floor, had shown them his parents' former bedroom. They both commented on how large that room was, and Grace followed that with the casual suggestion that perhaps Tom should consider moving into it, once the room had been cleared of his parents' things. It was a thought that hadn't occurred to him, as he always considered the room belonged to his parents. It made sense, though, that he should now think about moving into it himself. Later that night, as he thought again about their suggestion, he realized that it might go a long ways in helping him past the fact that his parents were gone. When Tom returned to the main floor with Laney and Grace he tried to convince them to join his family for supper. They both thanked him for his offer, but told him that it was better that he spend some time with his family, and that they would join him for supper at a later date. Now that Tom was alone with his family they relaxed together in the living room. He managed to find a couple of bottles of beer in the fridge for his uncle and grandfather, and opened a bottle of wine for his aunt and grandmother to enjoy. The five of them had a long and pleasant conversation during which his grandparents expressed concern about how he would be able to manage on his own. Tom explained to all of them the basic state of his finances, and that Fred Greenstein had taken care of all of the legal requirements necessary to transfer his parents' estate into his possession. Once he had explained everything, the others were visibly relieved that he was very well taken care of. His aunt and uncle had known some of these details, but Tom's recent visit with Mr. Greenstein had covered a lot of things that none of them, including Tom, had considered earlier. Later in the afternoon Tom got each of the adults another drink, and then after he convinced them that he could handle it, he began to prepare supper. He had made a Greek salad and a large bowl of potato salad to accompany the burgers he would be preparing on the barbecue in the backyard. He set everything up including the condiments in the kitchen, and prepared the table on the patio for use for their meal. In less than an hour the burgers were ready, and he called everyone to prepare their plate buffet style in the kitchen and then take a seat at the table on the patio. Tom was pleased by the reception his meal and preparations received. He was able to tell them he was proud of the kitchen abilities his mother had taught him, and accepted their compliments graciously. Showing them that he was able to prepare and serve up a good meal for guests seemed to remove their last lingering concerns about his abilities to make it on his own. Tom was relieved that things went so well, as it bolstered his sometimes shaky faith in himself. Later, after the meal had been completed and the five of them were once again relaxing in the living room, Tom reminded them that he would like them to look through his parents' possessions, mainly clothing, that he had decided to dispose of. Each of them found certain items that would be of use or would fit them. There were still a lot of things left, though, when they finally returned downstairs and prepared to say their goodbyes. His aunt and uncle were staying with friends, and were going to return to Omaha the next morning. His grandparents made sure that Tom knew he could visit them at any time, and made a promise to drop in on him often. Finally, a long day was over, and Tom was able to sit down and relax. It seemed to him that a major turning point had been reached, and that he was now able to strike out on life on his own. From this time forward he knew he could make his own decisions and take responsibility for them. It was a relief, but it was also a bit frightening. Later that evening, when the last of the cleanup from the day's activities had been finished, Tom phoned Laney. He thanked her for coming to the service that afternoon and apologized for his misspoken introduction. "I don't want you to think that I wouldn't want you for my girlfriend, but I suspect we should get to know each other a little better before I make that presumption," he laughed. Laney was laughing too as she said, "You don't need to apologize. Actually, I was quite honored." As their conversation continued, Tom mentioned that he still had a lot of his parents' clothing that he would have to box up for donation to charity, and said there was a lot of his mother's clothing still in the bedroom. "What type of clothing is that," asked Laney? "Oh, skirts and blouses, some dresses, and basically all of her lingerie. My aunt is a bit larger than my mother was, and my grandmother's taste in clothing wasn't the same as mom's was. They both selected a few items, but not many." "Do you know what sizes any of her things were? If you're going to be getting rid of them anyway, maybe there's something my mom could use, if you don't mind my asking. Now that my mom's hours are going to be cut back, she's quite worried about money." Laney sounded reluctant to have asked, and Tom immediately replied, "I don't mind you asking at all, Laney. Give me a moment and I'll tell you what some of the sizes are." Tom got up and carried the cordless phone upstairs with him as he went to his mother's closet. "I see Medium, 12 and 14 on some of the clothing in the closet." He walked over to the bed and began sorting through some of his mother's lingerie. "Her bras are mostly 36C, and I see Medium on a lot of things." Laney was quiet for a moment, and then said, "Well, it almost sounds as if a lot of those items might fit my mom, or even me." "I'll tell you what, Laney. I won't pack away her things for a day or two, if you and your mom would like to take a look at them." They decided that Laney and Grace would drop in after supper the next night to see whether any of Mary Prentice's clothing would be of use for them. After they had ended their call, Tom walked over to the bed and picked up one of the fancier sheer bras and a matching pair of bikini panties, both of them a beautiful shade of blue, and imagined them on Laney. He was smiling to himself as he placed the two items back on the bed before leaving the room. +++++++++ The next day marked the start of one of the summer classes that Tom was signed up for. The previous September he had begun taking the required courses for a degree in computer science. He had managed to finish the first semester, before dropping out just after the beginning of the second semester when everything had fallen apart. The two summer classes, combined with an extra class each semester, would put him back on track by the end of his second year. It felt good to get started on these two classes, as he knew that it was another step in getting his life back on track. He and Laney had discussed their individual plans for the future, and she had told him how she had hopes of becoming an Occupational Therapist. She had mentioned to Tom that this degree wasn't available at their hometown University, and that she would be enrolling at the State University, a four hour drive away. Their separate educational tracks meant that their budding friendship seemed destined to develop into, at most, nothing more than a summer romance. Tom wasn't sure what Laney thought of this, but he knew that he felt a distinct measure of disappointment at that thought. Tom spent the day on the campus, immersing himself in the education system once again. He had had some doubts whether he would be able to step back into that life, considering everything that had happened since his last time spent there, but by the time he left to return home he was once more anxious to pursue his classes and get his education completed. He was actually looking forward to his next day there, later in the week. He would be obliged to spend two full days a week on the campus for the duration of the summer, but he could see that it was not going to be hard to get himself motivated to do it. At about seven o'clock that evening, Laney and Grace Frost arrived to take a look at his mother's wardrobe. He told them how happy he was that they had wanted to do that, as it somehow seemed better than simply dropping the clothing off in a collection box at the supermarket. When they entered the bedroom, the women were surprised to see how many items were spread out on the bed. "My God, there's a lot of clothing here! I sure hope that some of it will fit us," said Laney. "There's more here in the closet," said Tom. He opened the doors to a large closet, one which now contained only his mother's clothing on hangers, as he had removed his father's remaining things; those were now in several boxes in the corner of the room. "Everything seems to be in very good condition," Tom advised them. "My mom was pretty picky about how she looked, and it was one of the reasons she worked. She wanted to have the money to be able to dress well." "This will probably take a little while, as we're going to have to try on a lot of them." Grace picked up a dress from the closet, and then looked at Tom expectantly. It took him a couple of seconds to realize the implication, and he soon blushed and said, "Right! I'll go downstairs and make us some coffee. There is a mirror on the back of the door, and the shower door in the bathroom is also a mirror." He quickly left the room, closing the door behind him. He was still a bit embarrassed as he made the coffee, wondering why it had taken him so long to realize he couldn't stay in the bedroom while they tried on the clothing. Thinking about it though, he began to visualize the two of them as they stripped to change from item to item. He found that an extremely arousing exercise. It was about 20 minutes later that the two women came down the stairs, laughing and talking to each other. Tom had almost finished his cup of coffee by then, and got up to pour theirs and refresh his own. "So, did you find anything you could use?" "Did we ever! It was sort of like being a kid at Christmas. There is hardly anything that didn't fit one of us, if not both of us. Your mother had good taste in clothing, and I hope you don't mind if we take a lot of the things up there." Grace was clearly excited, and Laney stood right beside her nodding her head and smiling in agreement. "You can have anything you like. I'm just happy to see it going to someone that wants it. I had visions of a lot of the outfits ending up in bundles of cleaning rags sold to the service stations." Tom was truly happy to hear that his mother's clothing would have a good second home, and his enthusiasm showed it. Laney came up to Tom, a big smile on her face and said, "Your mother's blue dress would be perfect for my graduation dance; it's the second Friday from now. I wasn't going to go, because I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a new dress, and nothing I had was suitable. Mind you, I didn't have a date, either. I'd really like you to take me to that dance. It's the same day as my 18th birthday, and I'd be really happy if you could be my date. It was really funny, because mom was going to be there helping out, and I had no plans to even go to the dance. Please do me the honor of going there with me." Tom was all smiles as he said, "I'd love to, Laney. I remember that blue dress, because mom wore it when they went out for their anniversary. It really is a beautiful dress." Laney was excited after finding out that she would be going to the graduation dance after all, and hugged both her mother and Tom. "I'm so excited. I wasn't even thinking of going anymore." Tom had thought about what she had been saying, and asked, "How can it be that you didn't have a date for it? That's hard to believe." "Well, I was supposed to be going with Jeff, but then we broke up. He asked somebody else to go, and it was too late for me to get a date; all of the other guys in our class had already made their plans." Grace now joined in with, "I had already agreed to work at the dance, checking tickets and sort of helping oversee things. I didn't want to back out of my commitment, but it seemed strange that I would be going and Laney would be at home that night. Then when I found out that my hours were being cut back so much, we just didn't think she should spend money for a dress when she didn't have a date." Grace was beaming, and had her arm around Laney shoulders as she continued, "This has worked out so well. Not only does she have a beautiful dress to wear, but she also has a handsome date to take her there." Tom clapped his hands together and said, "Now that that's all decided, how about we have our coffee, and then I can help you pack everything up and put it in your car." He laughed and continued, "If it will all fit. If not we can take some over in my truck, or in my mom's car. I had it running just a couple of days ago. It's clean, and we wouldn't crease everything up by cramming it into your car." The three of them had a lively conversation as they finished their coffee. Tom helped the two women pack away the clothing they were going to take, and then helped to carry it down to the car. There was more than one car could easily handle, so they put the remaining items into Tom's car, and he drove it back to the Frost residence. Laney made the trip with Tom, excitedly telling him about her upcoming graduation and describing the plans for the dance afterward. By the time they got to their destination Tom was eagerly looking forward to that day, as excited as Laney was. +++++++++ The next Saturday Tom and Laney made plans to spend the afternoon at the beach and then go out for supper. It turned out to be a beautiful day at the beach, and the two of them spent almost as much time in the water as they did stretched out on the sand, working at getting a tan. The highlight of the afternoon for Tom was being given the opportunity to apply tanning lotion to Laney as she lay there face down on her towel. He started with her ankles and worked his way slowly up her legs. She didn't say anything, but he noticed that she kept her legs squeezed together as he worked his way up, closer and closer to her butt. He was careful to not quite touch the bottom of her suit as he applied the lotion, nor did he approach too closely to the junction of her thighs. Being so close to her nearly naked body was tough on him, and he had to readjust the lump in his suit more than once. As he worked his way past her shapely ass and began massaging the oil into her back, he got a little less nervous, and asked her, "You don't mind if I take my time while I'm doing this, do you? I'm really enjoying the scenery back here." Laney laughed, and said "You are, are you? I was wondering why it was taking you so long. While you're at it, though, would you undo my top so that you can put the lotion on all of my back?" She waited a few seconds while he did as she asked and then said, "Just don't forget to do it back up now that you're finished." She laughed again. "Darn, foiled again!" Tom was laughing as he refastened her top. "There, you're done. That was the most pleasant job I've had for a long time. Anytime you want some more put on, just ask. Anytime!" They were both laughing now at his comments. They lay there side-by-side for the next half hour, soaking up more sun. Tom had put some of the lotion on the front of his body, and was lying on his back with his eyes closed, wishing he'd asked Laney to apply it. He and Laney were talking and joking back and forth as they lay there, until finally she said, "I hope there's some of that lotion left. It's time for me to roll over and get some sun on the front of my body." She laughed and continued, "I guess I can trust you to put the lotion on me again, can't I?" Tom was a bit flustered by this request, and said "Sure. I... I'll get right at it." He moved down to her feet, and nervously squeezed some of the lotion into his hands. Working his way up from the top of her feet, he slowly approached the bottom of her suit which seemed smaller and more revealing, the closer he got to it. He noticed that her legs had moved slightly apart, so that he could slide his lotion covered fingers along the inside of her legs as he worked his way upward. When he got close to the juncture of her thighs he got even more nervous, and stopped his application at least 2 inches below her suit. He was glad he was wearing his sunglasses as it gave him the opportunity to really scope her out as he did his job, carefully applying the lotion. The suit was quite snug and he could see the prominence of her mons just inches away from his nervous fingers. He noticed that there weren't any wisps of her pubic hair escaping from the suit, suggesting to him that she was either well trimmed or maybe waxed. He wondered momentarily if he would ever find out which it was. Having chickened out while well away from the bottom of her suit, he continued by applying the lotion to her stomach, just above the top of the suit. It was anticlimactic as he attended to her stomach and carefully covered her soft skin with the sunscreen. He wasn't nervous now at all as he completed the area by making a pass with his hand just touching the bottom of her bra. They were both wearing sunglasses, so when he glanced at Laney's face as he finished the application by carefully coating her shoulders and upper chest, he couldn't tell whether she was watching him. He wondered if she was checking out his body the way that he was checking out hers. Tom Prentice Ch. 03 The moment eventually passed as he put away the sunscreen and resumed his position on his towel beside hers. As they lay there side-by-side, Tom couldn't know that as much as he was thinking of her and how sexy she looked in her blue bikini, she was having similar thoughts of him. A short while later they decided to have one last swim to wash off the remaining sunscreen and the sand that had stuck to it. When their swim was completed they gathered their towels and clothes and had a race back to his pickup. Tom allowed Laney to win that race, mainly so that he could enjoy the view as he trailed her to the parking lot. After quickly slipping their shirts and shorts over their swimming apparel, they headed back to town to get ready for their dinner date. The rest of their evening went by quickly and successfully. They had both returned to their homes to shower and change into something more suitable for a fancy dining room, as Tom had made reservations at the best steak house in town. After a good meal accompanied by a lot of great conversation and playful joking, Tom said, "How about we pick up a movie and go back to my place to watch it." Laney quickly agreed, saying "Sounds like a great idea. The only problem is deciding whether we should pick up a chick flick or an action movie I guess." Tom laughed and said, " We could solve that dilemma by getting one of each. Then we could flip a coin to decide which one we watch first." It turned out to be the final decision, and half an hour later they were entering Tom's house with the two movies in hand. After getting a soft-drink for each of them, Tom said, "Before we watch the movies, I'd like to show you what I've done to my new bedroom." Together they went upstairs to what had once been Tom's parents bedroom. The moment that they entered the room it was easy to see Tom had completely changed the atmosphere of it. He had rearranged the furniture so that the bed faced one of the two double closets in the room. One chest of drawers had been removed completely, and the main dresser with its mirror had been moved to a different wall. A couple of racing pictures adorned the walls, along with several photos of Tom with his parents. "Well, what do you think? This room sure gives me a lot more space." Laney looked around with interest at the changes that Tom had made. The room was not looking at all like it had the last time she had been there. "You've really made this room your own, I see." Tom smiled and said, "I particularly like this change." He moved to the closet that faced the bed and opened both of the doors to reveal a stand that held a TV, a DVD and VCR combination, as well as a small stereo system. "Now if I feel like watching TV or listening to music before I go to sleep, it's no problem at all. The other closet has more than enough room to hold my clothing." Laney took a close look at the entertainment system in Tom's closet and chuckled before she said, "I hate to burst your bubble, but were not watching these movies while we lie on your bed." She laughed again and continued, "It ain't going to happen!" Tom got red immediately and said, "No, no, no! That's not what I intended. We're going to watch these movies downstairs." The shocked look on his face was very convincing as well, and Laney could tell he was telling her the truth. "That's OK, Tom. I understand." She smiled and took his arm as they left the room, saying, " Maybe we can watch a movie on that TV another time." Tom immediately looked at her, trying to judge whether she was joking, but her face revealed nothing to him. The subject wasn't brought up again, but Tom thought back to Laney's last comment several times as they began watching the first movie, the chick flick, together. These thoughts were soon driven from his consciousness as the two of them began kissing and making out when action on the screen slowed down. While Laney was able to maintain some semblance of understanding of what was happening in the movie, Tom was soon ignoring it almost completely, instead focusing his attention on Laney. By that time the show ended Laney had also given up on the movie and was matching Tom caress for caress and kiss for kiss. Tom had managed to slip his hand beneath her blouse and had pushed her bra up so that he was able to caress her breasts and tease her nipples. They were both breathing hard when the phone rang to break the mood. It was Grace Frost, asking to speak with Laney. She had a quick question about one of the details for the upcoming graduation, but it was more than enough to bring the two of them back down to earth. Both of them had unasked questions about where they were headed in their relationship, but the answers to those virtually identical questions would have to wait for another day; they agreed it was time for Tom to take Laney back home. They spent another 10 minutes enjoying each others lips while parked outside of the Frost home, before saying goodnight. Tom had a lot to think about as he drove back home, as he was beginning to realize that Laney was affecting him a lot more than any of his other girlfriends had ever affected him. When he got home he went directly to his new attached bath and relieved the builtup tensions under a refreshing shower. In no time at all he was again as hard as a rock, as he lay in his bed thinking of Laney, while the action movie he had selected played in the background, totally ignored. -continuing- Tom Prentice Ch. 04 CHAPTER 4 ...Laney.... The next morning, Tom had been up for an hour when he got a phone call from Laney. He was invited for supper with Laney and Grace, and was happy to accept, as it gave him a chance to spend more casual time with Laney. Tom arrived at the Frost residence just before four o'clock, and brought along one of his parents' bottles of wine. Even if they didn't have it with their meal, he wanted to bring something to contribute. Grace warmly received his small gift, and promised to share it in moderation with Tom and Laney. While they were waiting for the oven to do its work, the three of them sat at the kitchen table and talked about Tom and Laney's upcoming date for the graduation dance. It reminded Tom that the night would also be a celebration of Laney's birthday, and that he would be having to decide on a birthday gift for her. After getting a chance to speak with Grace alone, Tom decided that upgrading Laney's cell phone, with unlimited calling and texting would be both well appreciated, and a way to make sure they would be able to easily remain in touch while she was away at University. It was when they were discussing the costs of having Laney attend the State University that it became apparent that her mother was a bit concerned. Tom wasn't able to secure the full details, but Grace did mention that she had an upcoming appointment with the bank to secure a loan to cover the balance of Laney's University costs. Grace had been forced to tap into Laney's education fund when the heating and air-conditioning system in their home had suffered a terminal breakdown. Their casual discussions about graduation and University were ended by the ring of the timer that Grace had set to indicate that the meal was ready. With Tom's help the three of them soon had the table set, and the meal was ready to enjoy. The wine that Tom had picked went well with the meal, and they all enjoyed a small glass as they ate. Being able to eat a meal with others with whom he felt so comfortable was an enjoyable experience for Tom. The past few weeks he had been eating solitary meals at home for the most part, with the odd restaurant meal included, and had enjoyed one meal with his grandparents. This evenings' opportunity to share a meal with good company was very welcome indeed; it made him long for his parents once again, something that happened with regularity. The evening ended with a pleasant conversation in the Frost living room, with Tom and Laney sharing the sofa, and Grace seated across from them. It once again made Tom aware of how much like sisters the two Frost women were. Grace was able to speak as an equal to a variety of subjects like modern music, styles and the latest fads. At one point Tom made the comment, "Are you sure you aren't sisters?" before laughing at his statement with the two of them. Just before nine o'clock Grace excused herself for the evening, not wanting to interfere with the young couple on the sofa. Her departure led to almost an hour of mutual admiration in the form of caresses, kisses, and a lot of heavy breathing. The young couple was getting more and more comfortable together, and they were both disappointed when it became time for Tom to leave. They were looking forward to the following Friday, and the graduation dance that they would be attending. Laney walked out to Tom's pickup with him, and Tom used the opportunity to suggest that maybe they could end the upcoming Friday evening at his place. There would be several post dance parties they could attend as well, and they decided to wait until after the graduation dance ended before making a final decision. The fact that Laney didn't rule out the possibility out of hand left Tom with the opportunity to let his imagination run wild. He could only hope that his imagination was at least half right. +++++++++ The days leading up to the graduation dance passed quickly for both Tom and Laney. He was busy with his summer classes, and Laney was kept occupied with preparations for graduation and the dance. One afternoon Tom arranged for the upgrade of Laney's cell phone plan, effective the following Monday. By prepaying the plan for a year he even managed to get her phone upgraded to a fancier model. Friday was a busy day for Tom and the Frosts. The afternoon was taken up with Laney's high school graduation ceremony, at which she received her diploma while Tom and her extremely proud mother watched from the audience. Because she had completed her high school education by correspondence, Grace had never been able to take part in a graduation ceremony herself, and became very teary-eyed as Laney strode confidently across the stage for the presentation. The hour after the last diploma had been handed out was spent getting lots of pictures of Laney and her mother, Tom and Laney, and Laney with various of her high school friends. Documenting this important day in Laney's life was left mostly to Tom, and he managed to do an admirable job. He filled two memory cards with numerous views of the two Frost women and himself. There was enough time between the afternoon graduation and the evening dance that Tom was able to take the two lovely ladies for a nice supper. After the meal, Tom gave Laney her birthday gift, the nicely gift wrapped cell phone. He explained that she would be able to call as often as she wanted while away at University. She was very thrilled by the gift, and gave Tom a sensuous kiss right there where he sat. Grace's laughter did nothing to ease his slight embarrassment with the very public demonstration of affection. It was soon time to return to their homes to prepare for the evenings long-awaited gala. Just before eight o'clock Tom returned to the Frost house to pick up Laney. When he arrived, she was nervously waiting for him. Grace had just left to help the other volunteers prepare for the dance, so Tom was able to spend a few minutes alone with Laney. He managed to take a couple of pictures of her in the blue dress that his mother had once worn. "You look even better than my mother did in that dress, Laney," he said. It fit her perfectly, and his unasked question was answered when she said, "I never even had to make an adjustment to it, Tom. It's almost like it was made for me." She was smiling broadly as the two of them walked from the house to Tom's pickup. As he helped her into the pickup, he was treated to a quick flash of her thighs, and was pleased to be able to notice that she was wearing stockings, rather than pantyhose. That image flashed across his mind numerous times as they drove to the dance, and even prompted Laney to ask him what was on his mind when he appeared distracted as she spoke to him. Rather than explain what had been the focus of his attention, he made an excuse that he was concerned about whether he had locked his front door. During the first couple of hours of the dance their time was spent visiting with friends, a bit of dancing, and talking to Grace at the table where she was looking after admissions. As the evening wore on, more of the music was of the slow variety, and Tom was able to enjoy numerous slow dances with Laney. It was as they were leaving the dance floor after a particularly slow and sensual dance that Tom noticed Grace standing by the door, watching the crowd on the dance floor. "Your mom seems to be enjoying the music," Tom said. Laney looked over at her mom standing there, and watched her for a while before saying, "I think she is thinking back to her own high school years. She never got to go to the graduation dance that all of her friends went to. She was busy with me at home." The two of them walked over to where they had been sitting at a table by the side of the dance floor, and just before they sat down Laney said, "I'm going to go to the ladies room with one of the other girls. I think my mom would really enjoy being able to dance at my graduation, since she missed out on her own. Would you mind asking her to dance, Tom?" Tom looked from Laney to her mother, where she stood across the dance floor and said, "Of coarse I wouldn't mind, Laney. Just don't get jealous," he laughed. She hit him softly in the arm before saying, "Like I'd be jealous of my own mother!" She walked away, spoke to one of her female friends, and the two of them were soon headed in the direction of the ladies room. Tom watched Grace for a moment before heading across the dance floor. He could see that she was staring intently at the couples entwined closely together as they passed in front of her, and she didn't notice Tom until he said, "Would you like to dance, Grace?" He had startled her, and she quickly replied, "I'm sure you'd rather be out there with Laney. I'm supposed to be working here, not dancing," she laughed. "Laney is freshening up her makeup, and I'm sure you won't get fired if you take a few minutes off from your duties to have a dance with me." He took her hand and started towards the dance floor before she could object. Grace followed him without argument, and when he turned to take her in his arms she was smiling broadly. "Thank you so much for asking me to dance, Tom. I love to dance, but I haven't had very many opportunities." As they started to move across the floor Tom noticed that her eyes were a bit shiny, and he wondered if she was remembering her high school years, and the graduation dance that she didn't have an opportunity to attend. They were just completing their third song when Grace noticed that Laney had returned and said, "I see your date is back, Tom. Thank you so much for letting an old lady relive her youth. I really enjoyed getting the opportunity to dance with you. You're a good dancer, Tom Prentice." Tom quickly said, "You are no old lady, Grace, and the pleasure is all mine. I'm just happy that I didn't step on your feet," he laughed. They ended the song close to where Laney was standing, and Grace gave Tom a quick hug before saying to her daughter, "I borrowed your date, Laney. I hope you don't mind. He is a really good dancer, so make sure you get him out there on the dance floor as much as you can." Just as Grace turned to leave Laney said, "You can borrow Tom for another dance later, if you like. I don't mind, if Tom doesn't." Grace turned and smiled as Tom said, "I'd be happy to join your mother on the dance floor anytime, Laney." Tom and Laney continued their busy time dancing, hardly missing any of the songs that were played. Soon the band announced that they were going to play their last five numbers, and then the evening would be over. As soon as she heard that, Laney looked around for her mother and then said to Tom, "Would you mind dancing the first two songs with mom, and the last three with me? I see she has been standing by the door for the last few minutes, so I think her work is finished for the night." Tom quickly agreed, and was soon on the dance floor with Grace. She had protested at first, but he soon convinced her that he wasn't going to take no for an answer. The first two numbers seemed to end quickly, and Tom then switched Grace for Laney for the last three songs that were played. It was hard to believe that the dance was over, and that the evening would soon be drawing to a close. As the graduates and their dates slowly made their way to the exits, Tom and Laney met Grace and the three of them headed for the parking lot together. "Mom, I don't want you to expect me home tonight. Tom and I may go to a graduation party or two, and then we're going to go to Tom's." Laney looked at her mother for a few seconds before continuing, "I'll be spending the rest of the night at Tom's. I'll give you a call in the morning." Tom was surprised by the ease with which Laney described their plans to her mother. It was obvious that she and her mother were comfortable with each other, and that Laney knew her mother wouldn't be creating a scene over her daughter's plans. Grace turned to the two of them and said, "I want the two of you to have a good time, but be sure to not drink and drive. You're both adults now, and with adulthood comes responsibility. I know I can depend on both of you to be responsible in every way." She was smiling as she gave each of them a quick peck and then turned and walked to her car. Tom hadn't been able to think of anything he could say that would add to the thoughts expressed by Grace and Laney, so he just shook his head as he realized that his dream was coming true, and that Laney would be spending the night with him. A few minutes later they were on their way to the first of two house parties that they attended briefly. Some of the other graduates had changed into more casual wear, and the two parties were a mixture of clothing styles. Some of the less responsible party goers had already imbibed too much while celebrating their official departure from high school, but the majority were content to simply have fun. By two o'clock in the morning Tom and Laney were headed back to his place, with Laney trading the safety of her seat belt for the chance to snuggle up against Tom as he drove. It was a short drive on quiet residential streets from the last party to Tom's home, and he wasn't about to forgo the chance to have Laney this close to him by insisting she buckle up. They were both laughing as they entered his house from the garage, and when offered a choice between a glass of wine or a cup of coffee Laney decided to have the wine, a choice that was echoed by Tom. As they drank their wine they were listening and dancing to music in Tom's living room, but when their glasses were empty Laney said, "Why don't we take these CDs upstairs and play them on the stereo you have in your room. We can get a lot more comfortable there." Tom could hardly believe his ears, as Laney had solved the problem he was unsure of how to approach. He had almost suggested the same thing and said, "It's true what they say; great minds do think alike. I was just going to say the same thing." "Well, I sort of thought you might, but I didn't want to wait all night for you to get up the nerve." Laney was laughing as she said this, and moved comfortably into his arms as he pulled her to him. After a deep kiss they picked up the CDs, turned off the lights and walked hand in hand upstairs. Once they were in his room Tom put a CD of slow music onto his small stereo system and rejoined Laney for a quiet and slow dance. In spite of her aggressive statements to her mother in the parking lot and to Tom when they were downstairs, Laney was now noticeably nervous and slightly embarrassed, as the added pink in her complexion showed. As they finished dancing to the song, Tom gave her a deep kiss and then said, "Why don't we get out of these formal clothes. We can always dance to another few songs in just our underclothes. It wouldn't be much different than being in our swimwear." He moved his head back to watch her as she answered his suggestion. Laney's self-confidence was definitely waning as she said, "I... I guess that would be okay. I just.... I don't want you to think I'm easy or something. I'm not a virgin, but I'm far from... experienced." She got even more embarrassed as the deepening of the red on her face and neck showed clearly. Tom visibly relaxed at her statement and said, "I'm glad you told me that, Laney. I'm in the same boat. A couple of times in the back seat of my mom's car don't qualify as experience I would say. Why don't we just take it slow, and see what happens." Tom cupped Laney's head with his left hand and leaned in to give her a soft kiss before continuing with, "I really like you a lot, and I don't want you to have any reason to be disappointed or upset with me. Please let me know if you're uncomfortable with my suggestion, or feel you want to slow things down." Laney looked relieved and smiled tentatively before she said "I really like you too, Tom. I'm glad we cleared the air about our... situations. My experiences were far from the wonderful, earth shattering events I had hoped they would be. I think that was mostly because I felt rushed." She leaned forward to give him a brief kiss before stepping back to say, "How about you unzip me so that I can take off this lovely dress." She turned her back to him, but not before he could see that she was getting very pink once again. Tom smoothly unzipped the blue dress that had once been his mother's favorite, and Laney carefully stepped out of it. Tom could see that she was wearing the pale blue bra and panty set that had also been his mother's, and that he had admired the night of the funeral service. His fantasy of seeing it on Laney had come true, and Tom quickly began removing his suit and the remainder of his clothing, leaving on only his underwear. Laney had glanced back at him as he did this, and patiently waited for him to finish before shyly turning to face him. The transparency of the underwear she was wearing left little to the imagination, and Tom's appreciation of what he saw was obvious on his face, and elsewhere. "My God, you are beautiful Laney. I remember that bra and those panties, and I have to tell you that I was trying to imagine them on you at the time." After looking down at Laney's legs he continued, "The stockings add so much! Reality is so much better than fantasy." He chuckled and opened his arms for her. Laney was still blushing and trying to figure out what to do with her hands and arms as she alternated between trying to cover herself with them and letting them hang at her side. "You've been a main feature of my fantasies too, Tom Prentice." She moved forward into his arms and within moments they were deeply involved in trying to touch each other's tonsils with their tongues. Their temperatures rapidly rose as they continued their lengthy kiss, and all interest in dancing to the music was forgotten as they began to caress each other and investigate each other's bodies with their wandering hands. It was hard to tell which of the two of them initiated a slow movement towards the bed. It could have been either of them, but it wasn't long before they bumped against the side of it. Tom broke their kiss, walked over to the nearby wall switch and dimmed the lights in the room to a level just above darkness. While he did that, Laney pulled back the covers on the bed, got onto it and moved to the center. She was sitting there when Tom turned from the wall switch. He was also a bit flushed, but he smiled and quickly joined her, lying on his side and looking up at her. She lay back and joined him, and they were immediately back in each other's arms with their lips connected and their hands wandering. It took almost 15 minutes for the two of them to get naked together, as neither one of them wanted to rush. Eventually Tom broke his kiss with Laney as he rolled over to remove a condom from the drawer in the bedside table. "I wish we didn't have to use this, as I would like to know what it's like without one." He opened the package and was about to roll it on when Laney said, "I've never done it without one of those either. Some of the girls say it's nicer without them." She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I am on the pill, so we don't need it for that, and if we both have never done it without one before, then there shouldn't be any worry about STDs. Maybe we can just forget about it. What do you think?" Tom smiled and said, "I've heard the same thing. If you're cool with it, I know I am too." He turned and put the condom on the nightstand before moving back to Laney. Over the next hour they made love twice, both times in the standard missionary position, and on the second go around they enjoyed a mutual climax at the end. Neither of them attempted to try any of the things they had heard about, or seen in the porno films each had viewed on a couple of occasions. Tonight was strictly for enjoying each other and getting to know one another intimately. Both of them were thinking that they would enjoy having this relationship grow and continue. Eventually they both fell asleep in each other's arms and slept soundly together until they were awoken by the ringing of the telephone, a wrong number as it turned out. Tom Prentice Ch. 04 There was slight embarrassment on both sides, as the two of them awoke for the first time while in bed with a lover. They shared a very quick kiss, as each of them was concerned that the other might be offended by too much intimacy before they had brushed their teeth and showered. Tom was quick to invite Laney to join him in the bathroom where he provided her with a new toothbrush, and then joined her at the sink as they brushed their teeth. Both of them were naked and stealing quick looks at each other, and both of them liked what they saw in the full morning light. The next stop was the shower, and together they managed to actually get washed in spite of their attempts to stimulate each other. The shower lasted long enough that they finally shut it off and got out to dry each other, afraid that they would soon run out of hot water. Neither of them wanted a cold shower to put even a momentary end to their mutual arousal. "How about we go back to bed, and pick up where we left off last night," Tom said. As he spoke he was drying Laney's ample breasts, and she was trying to pull him closer, as she wanted to feel his erection against her stomach. She smiled at him, and rather than answer she simply took his hand and started walking back to the bed. They spent another hour exploring each other's bodies, and this time they experimented a little, with Laney assuming the cowboy position and taking charge. Tom lay back and let her control things and set their pace. He spent his time fondling her heavy breasts as they hung above him, occasionally bringing one or the other of them to his mouth. It was obvious that Laney enjoyed what he was doing even though she was initially a bit shy about being the one in control and so obviously open to Tom's gaze. It was eventually apparent that Laney enjoyed this position, and the control it gave her, as she got over her initial shyness and was doing her best to bring them both to orgasm. Seconds before she was joined by Tom in getting off in a wonderful, mutual explosion, she leaned forward and joined him in a deep and satisfying kiss. As the two of them enjoyed the afterglow of their simultaneous orgasms, she slowly relaxed, ending up lying prone on top of Tom. It seemed like several minutes passed before she broke their kiss and said, "Oh Tom! That was everything I hoped it could be. Now I know what other girls meant when they said sex with the right person was the most wonderful thing ever." Tom rolled the two of them onto their side, maintaining his intimate connection with Laney as he did so and replied, "I know what you mean, Laney. When I had 'The Talk' with my dad he told me how much I would enjoy being with the right girl." He was deep in thought for a minute before he continued, "I think I can see a little better now how deeply affected my father was when he realized my mother was having an affair." He suddenly realized what he had said and continued, "Don't take that wrong, Laney. I just mean that sharing an experience like that with someone you care for is special, and not something to be squandered." He stopped, unsure if Laney understood what he was trying to say. He looked at her and saw that she was thinking about something. He was about to apologize for his comments when she said, "I can see what you mean, Tom. I know you're not trying to compare our relationship to your parents marriage; after all, we don't really know each other well enough yet." Laney considered what she had just said and then continued, "I hope you don't think I'm being too critical, it's just that we are both too young to be considering our relationship any more than that of a boyfriend and girlfriend." Tom smiled at her remarks, and immediately replied, "I'll accept the boyfriend and girlfriend scenario for sure. I'd be pleased and proud to be considered your boyfriend, if that's what you're saying. I think after spending the night together were probably more than casual acquaintances, that's for sure." "That's what I mean, Tom." Laney gave a little laugh and continued, "Don't get the idea that I would ever spend the night with just anyone, Tom. I'm hoping that we'll be together for the summer, and we'll see what happens when I go away to university. That might make it pretty hard for us to remain a couple." Tom frowned at this statement, but he realized that she was right. He had gotten them started on this topic, and now he wondered how he would change the subject. His concerns were eliminated when Laney said, "I'm hungry, Tom. How are you at making breakfast?" Realizing that his concern had been taken care of by Laney's sudden request for breakfast, he immediately promised her a complete breakfast, and the two of them separated and got up to get dressed. Tom loaned her a track suit to wear over her underwear, and he quickly dressed in similar attire. While Laney set about fixing her hair and makeup, Tom left for the kitchen to prepare some food. In just a few minutes the smell of coffee mingled with the scent of frying bacon, and Laney followed her nose to the kitchen. After a leisurely and pleasant meal together, Laney phoned her mother to let her know that she was on her way home, and the two of them went out to Tom's pickup to make their way to the Frost residence. Laney was a bit pink in the face as she met her mother for the first time after spending the night in Tom's bed, but her mother soon put her at ease when she said, "I can tell by the looks on your faces that you both enjoyed yourselves after the graduation dance." She laughed at their discomfort and continued, "I can't be the one to judge the two of you. I'm just glad that Laney is on the pill, and that she has such a wonderful man to make her happy. Now, let's not have what we all know happened last night affect our relationships. You are still my daughter Laney, and you're still the nicest young man I've seen my daughter date, Tom." Grace's statement settled the young couple down, and they quickly moved on to new topics of discussion, starting with the success of the graduation ceremony and the dance the night before. Grace once again thanked Tom for dancing with her, saying she knew that he didn't have to do that, but that she very much appreciated it. Tom remained at the Frost residence until the early afternoon, leaving after enjoying a light lunch with Laney and her mother and accepting an invitation for supper with the Frosts on Monday. He had already promised to visit his grandparents and spend the night with them. His grandfather had a few jobs that he wanted help with, and Tom intended to take care of those obligations as well as spend some time with the two of them. They were the only family he had in town, and he knew they were too important to him to ever allow himself to drift away from them. He quickly changed and packed an overnight bag before heading for his grandparents' place. As he drove there, he found himself reliving his night with Laney. He still had the big smile these memories brought to him when he arrived at his grandparents' home. [this story will continue in a couple of weeks] Tom Prentice Ch. 05 Tom Prentice Ch. 05 ---------------- Tom and Laney did indeed find a bunch of their friends at the lake, and it was almost midnight before the group completely broke up, couples having left intermittently over the course of the last half hour. Tom had greatly enjoyed the evening with Laney, both dancing when the mood struck them, and making out under the stars when they decided to take a break from the music. Of course, Tom spent a lot of time wondering exactly what Laney had planned for the lingerie and her mother's négligée. They were headed back to the city when Tom said, "Are you still planning on coming to my place for the night, Laney? I don't want to assume anything. I'd hate for you to think that I was taking you for granted." Laney undid her seat belt and slid over beside Tom before she answered. "I sure am planning on it, Tom. You seemed so fascinated with the lingerie I had on last time that I thought I'd give you a mini fashion show, that is... if you're interested?" She laughed quickly as Tom snapped his head to the right and immediately said, "Of coarse I'm interested, Laney. I... I just didn't think that you would be... serious about it. I sort of thought it was probably clothing you were going to wear tomorrow." "I might wear some of it when I leave, but you made me feel so sexy when you saw me in the blue lingerie when I stayed after the graduation dance, that I thought I would see what you thought of some of my other outfits." Tom turned quickly to get his attention back to the road and let his imagination run wild for a few seconds before softly replying, "Oh yeah, I'm definitely interested." He put his arm around her and held her close for a few seconds before saying, "I think maybe you should put your seatbelt on, though, in spite of the fact you feel awfully good sitting right there. It would definitely be safer." Shortly after Laney re-buckled her seatbelt Tom said, "I was meaning to ask you about what you said to your mom just before we left. I heard you mention Peter, and that your mom should call him. What's that all about?" Laney gave a little laugh and replied, "I'm not sure if I should answer that, Tom. My mom might be embarrassed or upset if she knew I told you about Peter." She seemed to think about it for a few moments before continuing, "There's no real reason she should be though, so I'll tell you about him. He's an older guy that works in the office were mom works. I think he's about 55, maybe. Anyway, his wife died years ago, and he and my mom have a thing going." She turned towards Tom before explaining, "They get together every couple of weeks, although sometimes it's less often than that. She used to go over for a few hours in the evening so that she could be home with me at night, but the last couple of years she quite often stays overnight at his place." Tom glanced at Laney before saying, "Are they serious about each other? Do they plan to get married, or move in together?" "No, Tom. It's not like that." She hesitated for another few moments before continuing, "I think you could consider them as friends with benefits, if you know what I mean. I've met him a few times when he's come to pick up mom for a banquet or party to do with their work. He's nice, but I know they're not serious about each other." "My mom never really dated much in all the years since I was born. I'm glad she's got Peter to make her happy. I can always tell when they've been together, because my mom is always happier for the next few days." She reached over to caress Tom on the arm before continuing, "Sort of like I was happier for the next few days after I spent grad night at your place." It was too dark for Laney to see that Tom was embarrassed by her comment, but he did say, "I made you happy, did I?" "Oh yes, Tom. You certainly did." She giggled and then remained silent for the next couple of minutes, while both of them thought back to their night together after the graduation party. They drove in silence for those few minutes before Laney said, "I bet my mom did give him a call, you know. Tonight would be the perfect night for her to do that, when she knows I'm not planning on coming back home. I'm going to try calling her." Laney pulled out her cell phone and after waiting a few moments for her mother to answer she closed it and laughingly said, "She isn't home, Tom; I got the answering machine. I bet you if I phoned Peter's place I could get her, though." She laughed again and continued, "I better not do that. She'd probably be upset if I phoned at just the wrong time. I'm sure we wouldn't appreciate her calling me at just the wrong time, would we?" Tom could only grin and nod in agreement. A couple of minutes later they pulled up at Tom's home and quickly dashed inside. Tom made sure he brought the case that Laney had given him earlier. ++++++++++++++++ It was early afternoon on Saturday when Tom returned Laney to her own home. They had slept in, something that was necessary if they had intended to have anything like a normal night of sleep. It had been well after 2 a.m. when they had turned off the bedside lamp and spooned together to get some well-earned rest. As they rushed into the house they met Grace in the kitchen. "Slow down, you two!" She laughed and continued, "You're both old enough to know that you don't run in the house." Tom and Laney had been having an informal race to see who could get to the living room first. Laney had a chick flick that she wanted Tom to watch with her, and he was hoping to watch a bit of the NASCAR race that had just started. Once Grace had busted them they agreed to watch part of the race and then check out the movie. When the two of them got comfortable on the sofa Laney whispered in Tom's ear, "Did you notice the nice pink color on mom's face, and how she started smiling at us even though she'd just been on our case? She's always like that after she visits Peter." Tom smiled as he replied, "Your mom always seems to be smiling, and I think her color is the same as usual. You being able to pick up on that must be a woman thing." He laughed and ducked as she pretended she was going to hit him in the shoulder. "Men! What my mom and her friends say is true. Men just can't pick up on the little clues in a woman's appearance." The two of them managed to spend the afternoon and early evening happily taking turns with the remote so that Tom was able to watch most of the race, including the thrilling finish, before he watched the movie with Laney. Grace surprised them with a homemade pizza for supper that the three of them enjoyed together while the movie was paused. Tom had plans to accompany his grandparents to church services the next morning, something that they had let him know they would very much appreciate, so he didn't stay too late. Just before he was getting ready to leave Grace came into the living room. "I was wondering if you would be... interested... in joining us for Sunday supper, Tom. I'm planning on roast beef and apple pie." She laughed as Tom reacted to her stress on the word 'interested'. Tom knew what she meant and quickly replied, "I would be happy to join you two lovely ladies for supper, if you're sure about it. I don't want to put you out." Tom had been watching Laney as this brief conversation took place, and it was obvious that Laney saw nothing unusual about it. +++++++++++++++++++ On Sunday evening when Tom returned home from his wonderful Sunday meal he opened the folder that contained his copy of the loan agreement with Grace and added a page that noted that she had paid the months 'interest' in full. The page would be more than big enough to handle a lot of similar entries. When that was done he leaned back and thought to himself that the arrangement seemed to be a real win-win situation. In some ways he felt he was getting the better part of the deal, because being able to enjoy the meal as well as the company of Grace and Laney seemed like a double payment to him. He became a bit pensive though when thinking about September when Laney would leave for University. That could be a real test for their relationship. To be continued.