by E. C. Towers
There were no physical differences in his mom; she more or less looked the same as she always did. Her wavy, reddish-brown hair was always brushed but never styled in any particular way, and a slight hint of a dimple on her left cheek arrived when the ends of her mouth were slightly upturned, so she looked like she was smiling even when she wasn't. Jacob always thought he had the cutest mom because, even at 47, she had about her a childlike air. But to him, she did look different but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. She put on a good front of being her usual chatty self when he was around or whenever his aunt came to visit, but her wide smile didn't translate into her eyes and more than once he had caught her gazing out into nowhere, deep in thought.
Something was wrong, but every time he asked her if something was troubling her, she would laugh him off, telling him he was being silly or blame in on an imaginary migraine she never took anything for. Jacob tried to be there for his mom as much as he could and even though he went to school nearby, with his full schedule of classes and part-time job as a busboy, he didn't get home until after 8:00 p.m. on some nights, so she was by herself most days.
One night, after arriving home from work, he was surprised to find the living room in complete darkness. His mom's usual spot on the edge of the couch was empty, and the most recent book by Stephen King that she was reading was on the end table where she had left it this morning, seemingly untouched. Jacob picked up the book for a closer examination and found her bookmark not even halfway through. His mom started this yesterday and by now, she would have been done or at least close to finished.
"Mom?" he called out into the empty room and received no answer. Jacob chest tightened with anxiety as he tried not to panic. Maybe she had just gone to bed early, he thought. He glanced at his phone to look at the time. It was 9:45 p.m. It would be an early bedtime for her, but it wasn't unrealistic. He reluctantly walked down the hallway to her bedroom and tried to turn the knob. It turned, but the door didn't open easily. He pushed a little more, thinking maybe the area rug had bunched up by the door again, and when the door finally gave way, he realized it wasn't the rug that was keeping the door from opening. It was his mom who was lying face down on the floor.
Jacob screamed out to her and immediately tried to resuscitate his mom by giving mouth to mouth, but he knew it was all in vain. She was already stiff and cold to the touch. Defeated, he called 9-1-1 a few minutes later, who declared her dead on the scene. An autopsy later revealed that she had taken a lethal dose of Valium, and judging by how long she had been dead before he arrived home from work, it appeared as if she had taken those pills as soon as he went to school. After she had been taken by the coroner, Jacob walked around her bedroom in a daze, trying to find some clue as to why his mom would kill herself. He was in tears as he tore open her drawers in frustration. Why didn't he do something? He knew something was wrong; he just didn't think it was this bad. He collapsed onto her bed in defeat and noticed her laptop open on her nightstand. He sat up and saw that she was still logged into her Facebook account. He grabbed the laptop and saw that she had been messaging his father. In fact, it appeared as if they messaged each other on a regular basis. Jacob was infuriated as he read through hundreds of messages between them. His mom had begged him to return to her while he dangled the carrot in front of her, claiming how sorry he was that he had ever left her. Jacob saw a pattern of his father raising her hopes, speaking of the possibility of getting back together and then suddenly cutting her off with a cold letter, claiming that she needed to move on. A few weeks would pass, and he would be back, reaching out again when he was having a fight with his wife, apologizing and promising to make things right with her when they got back together. It was a game he had been playing with her for months. The last message was another attempt at breaking it off with her again.
I'm sorry, it has to be this way. We were never meant to be. My love for her is something I won't ever give up.
It was the usual song and dance he had written to her already, but his mom decided that it would be his last.
"I'm so sorry about your mom," their 70-year-old neighbor, Allie, gave him a hug and sobbed on his shoulder at the funeral a few days later. She was just one of 50 or more mourners who had shown up to pay his mom their last respects. Everyone wondered why she had done it and why she didn't at least leave a note or any kind of explanation to Jacob.
Note or not, it wouldn't have mattered; he knew who to blame for this. His bastard father tried showing up to her funeral service but before Jacob could confront him with his fist, Jacob's aunt blocked him from coming in and made it clear that he wasn't welcome. His father shrugged his shoulders and left without a fight and Jacob wasn't surprised. His father was good at leaving.
8
A Bottle Of Wine
The fragrant ocean scent breezed through the back of Linda’s neck as she got out of her car and she shivered slightly, walking up the driveway.
HER driveway.
She looked at the quaint wrap-around porch and saw a package near the door. Linda inspected the box as she got closer, peering inside the open top and saw a gift basket inside with an envelope that had her name written in large letters of red ink. She lifted the basket up out of the box and sat down with it on the shabby-chic oak bench that was pushed up against the house, under one of the front windows.
Wine, cheese, crackers, chocolate; nothing too interesting. Linda snacked on one of the chocolates as she tore the envelope open. It was a thank you card from her real estate agent.
If only more of my clients could be as easy to work with as you! Congratulations on your new home. Please don’t hesitate to contact me should you need any help!
- Cory
She snickered at the cheesy gift basket that was totally expected from Cory. She loved him, and he was a great real estate agent, but the man was made of schmaltz and big grins. He had taken on his role with such open arms that he was a salesman 24/7, and even when he wasn’t making a sale, his actions bore a hint of insincerity. This card might as well have said, “Thanks for paying full price and making commission so large. I don’t have to work the rest of the year if I don't want to. Call me if you want to fuck.” Linda probably would have respected him a lot more if he actually wrote that instead.
She wasn’t surprised by his sentiments, though. Linda had been easy. She decided that maybe she didn’t feel at home in Driftwood because she didn’t really have a home in Driftwood.
When she moved into her yacht full-time after her husband had passed, she never thought about whether or not it would be a permanent move. But why buy a house, she figured. The yacht was bigger than most of the beachside houses on Driftwood, plus it gave her the privacy that she wanted. But now it felt like she was the Driftwood resident who always had one foot out the door. If she wanted to feel more at home, she needed a proper home. So Linda called Cory and told him exactly what she wanted. A beachside home, just a few miles outside downtown Driftwood, so she didn’t have to deal with the traffic and tourists during the summer seasons.
The seaside cottage with a wraparound porch and red door was the second house Cory had shown her. It was tucked away, sitting on top of a small hill with only a local vineyard down the hill as her neighbor. It was surrounded by trees that shaded the cottage perfectly during the afternoons and made a delightful noise when the wind blew through the leaves.
Best of all, it offered a million-dollar view of the Pacific Ocean that belonged on a postcard. This view, coupled with the house's location was exactly why Linda paid $5 million for a three bedroom, two bath, 2,400 square foot house that, if placed anywhere else, would have probably only sold for $400,000. She told Cory she would pay full price, agreed to all the sellers terms, signed the proper documents, wrote a check and now here she was eating Ferrero Rocher chocolates from her wraparound porch.
I definitely needed this; she smiled to herself as she prepared to watch the first sunset from her house. It would be the perfect quiet moment of her drea
ms, and it was abruptly interrupted by a moving truck lumbering up her driveway to park behind her red Tesla Model-S. It was a loaner car from the dealership. She had wanted to try it out, and they gave it to her for a week, hoping it would result in a sale, which it did. Linda loved the car even though it looked somewhat garish and gaudy next to her elegant little cottage. It was still a great ride, and she was happy to be behind the wheel again after having employed chauffeur for the last few years.
The delivery men hopped out of the truck with one of the guys running to the back of their vehicle, while the driver stopped to admire her Tesla.
He let out a long whistle, “That is a fine looking car.”
“Thank you,” Linda responded as if he was complimenting her. He looked up in surprise.
“Oh, Ms. St. John, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there. This car is just…wow.”
He took off his hat and wiped his brow as if the car was making him hot.
“That’s fine. It is a nice car. Is he unloading my sofa?” she nodded over towards the second guy at the back.
“Oh, yes, ma’am. It’s your new couch and your new bed.” The driver handed her his dirty clipboard and a pen. “Just sign at the bottom there then we’ll unload it all, and you can tell us where you want it.
She signed and returned his clipboard. The driver threw it on his front seat and ran to the back of the truck to help unload her furniture. “All right, Jacob, let’s get that couch out first!” the delivery guy yelled.
Jacob?
She didn’t dare look to see if the second delivery man was the Jacob. Linda hadn’t heard or seen from him in weeks, which was odd in a small town like Driftwood. She had thought maybe he was either purposely avoiding her or had moved out of town. Linda held the door open as the two men carried her couch inside. As they moved past her, Linda saw that the second delivery guy was exactly who she thought it was.
He winked at her in recognition, and she discreetly smiled at him. It didn’t appear as though he held any grudges towards her after she had abandoned him in Mexico, but felt slightly uneasy that he now knew where she lived. Linda knew the fear was irrational, everyone in town knew she had bought a house, it wasn’t a secret. Jacob would have found out sooner or later. But still, as happy as she was to see him, she was as anxious to get her couch and bed moved in and have them both out of there.
They didn’t exchange any words throughout the entire transaction, except for a quick ‘thank you’ after she tipped them both before they went on their merry way. A few hours later, there was a knock on her door, and she knew exactly who it was.
“Yes, Jacob? How can I help you?” Linda opened the door, greeting him politely, the coldness in her voice still detectable.
“I’m sorry, Linda. I don’t mean to bug you... it’s just after seeing you today, I think we need to... well, I need just to have some closure with you and... us. I just don’t want it to be weird between you and me, you know?”
Jacob cut right to the chase, surprising Linda, who was well used to Jacob’s hemming and hawing and ‘awe shucks’ attitude that was both charming and annoying at the same time. This time, it was different. His straight posture and glimmer of determination in his eyes displayed a man on a mission.
“So, let’s have us some closure then,” she smiled, opening the door wider and stepping back to let him in.
“Thank you,” he said, relieved and accepted her invitation to step inside.
“No need to thank me,” she waved his mannered response off and led him to the kitchen.
Jacob sat down at one of the stools by the island as she went to the other side to grab a bottle of Moscato. She poured herself a glass and waved the bottle at Jacob.
“You want some wine, young man?”
“Sure.”
Linda poured him a generous amount before handing him his glass.
She stood at the opposite end of the island facing him. They had a quick toast, clinking their glasses together before tasting their wine. After a few minutes of silence, Jacob broke the ice.
“Linda, I’m not looking to have a relationship with you, not anymore. I did think we could have something together but I know you’re not in that place, and I honestly don’t think I am either. But after all that’s happened between us, I at least hope we can still be friends.”
Jacob was the opposite of Cory Welsh; everything he said and did was absolutely 100% genuine, and she believed that he indeed did want to be friends with no strings attached.
“Jacob, it’s my turn to apologize because you were right, I wasn’t clear with you about my feelings and gave you a pretty harsh welcome home reception.”
He laughed, “Yeah, you could say that.”
“If you were mad at me, I wouldn’t blame you. So if we're to be friends, be honest with me now: were you mad at me?”
“Yes. Well, for a little bit. But not at anymore, I promise,” he smiled at her again before enjoying another large swallow of his sparkling white wine.
“Well like I said, I don’t blame you for being mad. I was not clear before. So let me be very clear now. You’re right, I don’t foresee anything happening between us, as far as the possibility of a relationship, but...” she paused, taking a drink and then refilling their glasses without asking.
“Yes, I do want to remain being friends with you. In fact,”
Linda walked to the other side of the island to let him see her eyes, “I was hoping we could agree to a special kind of friendship.”
She figured if he was going to be straight forward, then so would she. The effects of the wine, Jacob’s newfound confidence and seeing him sit there in his weathered leather jacket, white shirt and jeans, under the soft light looking like a modernized James Dean, she was immediately aroused.
“Like friends with benefits?” he asked.
“Yes, kind of like that. Only, when it comes to sex, I call the shots, okay?”
She could tell that this was the last thing he had expected to hear from her today, and his mind was reeling.
“When I need it. When I want it. You come to me, do you understand? Can you just be that guy that’s there for me when I want it and not let it go anywhere else?”
This was risky, and she knew it. In situations like this, feelings were to come up with one party or another, but Linda couldn’t help herself. She did have regrets about not bedding Jacob, and she would be lying if she said she didn’t entertain fantasies of his large cock buried deep inside her pussy while she masturbated. Now that Linda had informally put an end to her parties, she needed an outlet to channel her sexual energies and seeing Jacob again with his newfound confidence was all it took for her to proposition him to be that outlet.
Jacob grabbed her by the waist and kissed her hungrily.
“Yes, I can. I’d be more than happy to,” he whispered in between kisses.
He then kissed her deeply, pushing her tongue up against his and sucking on her lips.
“Mmm,” he moaned. “I can taste the wine on your tongue. Delicious.”
He reached for the bottle of wine from the counter and poured a little into her half open mouth that he immediately captured with his tongue and drank from her. They tasted each other as they kissed and groped each other. Jacob slipped the straps of her dress from her shoulders and her breasts were exposed as he pulled the dress top down to her waist.
Jacob poured a little wine between her breasts and licked the drops up slowly as they trickled down to her belly button. He poured a tiny bit more on her stomach, following the trail it left with his tongue. She slipped off her dress completely as Jacob sat her down on a stool. He knelt in front of her open legs, her panties revealing that Linda was already wet and very ready. Jacob poured a little wine on her silk panties until they were soaked then sucked up her juices along with the wine. He slipped her wet panties completely off and spread her legs wider. He again poured a little more wine on her stomach and she gasped as it trickled down between her lips. The sensation of th
e bubbling wine tickled her hard clit and was heightened by Jacob's hot tongue lapping up the liquid, making her ache with pleasure.
Linda shivered with delight as he buried his face in between her legs, the stubble of his beard tickling her inner thighs. Jacob dutifully drank in her pleasures as he unzipped his jeans to pleasured his hardened cock. She almost came at the site of him jerking himself off and moaned with delight, watching him work his delicious meat into a frenzy. Jacob stopped for a moment and grabbed the wine bottle. He placed the neck of the bottle between the folds of her wet pussy and slowly rubbed it up and down. The chill of the glass bottle sent spasms of pleasure all over her body. Jacob spread her wetness all over her with the bottle before deftly slipping in about an inch of it inside of her. She gasped in surprise at this unexpected intrusion but welcome the probing sensation as Jacob licked her hard clit, slowly slipping it in a few more inches inside of her as she writhed.
“Yes, oh please…” she convulsed and jerked as she had a powerful orgasm.
Jacob continued sucking on her swollen clit as she came again.
“Please…” she begged. “Put yourself inside me, Jacob, please.”
He put the bottle aside and replaced it with his dick, plunging his hardness inside her and feeling her vaginal muscles tense and the heat from her pussy envelope him. Grabbing her ass, he thrust himself deeply inside her and did it again and again, knowing that if he kept fucking her at this pace he would burst any second now, but Jacob didn’t care. She felt so good and so deliciously wet that he barely pulled his cock out before thrusting it inside of her again.
Linda watched the reflection of his tight ass on the stainless steel refrigerator door as he pounded relentlessly into her. She gripped those marble cheeks in that terrible rhythm to pull his delicious cock even harder into her. She felt his ass clench up as his body prepared to come, but he then suddenly pulled out of her. Jacob lifted her up off the stool and laid her down on the kitchen island. He positioned himself by her face and jerked his cock fiercely while she watched. He grabbed the wine bottle again to poured a little on the tip. The white liquid dribbled down his dick, and Linda licked it off before it fell. He poured a little wine into her mouth which she swallowed before she devoured his massive cock into her mouth. She sucked and licked him off, enjoying the delightful taste of wine and cum as he shuddered from an intense orgasm that left him gasping for breath.