Coming of Age

Chapter Six

The House of Cards

Carlton was befuddled by Kaylee's behavior the previous week. She never showed up late. The previous Thursday, after calling on the Peters' residence, she got back three hours late. He noticed that Lena Peters was again scheduled to be serviced last, and that Kaylee had a two hour gap in her schedule before she was scheduled to be back at the shop. That seemed strange.

Kaylee showed up early, bright and chipper instead of her brooding mood earlier in the week. She was going through the bed of the truck, making sure she had the chemicals and equipment she needed that day. As usual, or so she thought, Carlton did a perfect job.

"So a short day today, eh Kaylee?" Carlton asked, wondering about why the day was cut short.

Carlton didn't usually ask questions like that one. They were usually centered on the weather.

"Oh yeah, it just seemed like a good idea to have a few hours off. I've got some other stuff I need to do," Kaylee said, hoping his question was benign and her answer was adequate. It wasn't. Carlton decided to probe.

"If you do have some spare time this afternoon, I'd sure appreciate you helping me with inventory this afternoon."

Carlton didn't have to do the inventory that day. Ted asked him to get it done any time in the next week. But Carlton was sure Kaylee would come up with some excuse. He could see her formulating a lame excuse in her mind as his question hung in the air. Kaylee usually wanted to be helpful, but of course wild horses couldn't drag her away from her "date" with Lena.

"I already promised my mother I'd help in the office," Kaylee said on the spur of the moment, grasping for an excuse.

Carlton wanted to smile but didn't. He'd smoked her out. "Oh that's fine. Sandy needs you more than I do." Now he knew something was up. He'd already laid the groundwork for finding out what was really going on.

* * *

The morning service calls zipped by. It was a bright summer day and Kaylee could think of nothing else than her visit with Lena later that day. She was scheduled to go there right after lunch, but it occurred to her to have lunch there. She texted Lena to see if that was possible.

Kaylee: Should be done by noon. Any chance I could come by early?

Her message was read immediately. Kaylee watched as three dots flashed on her screen as Lena was typing her response.

Lena: I've got a call at noon that I can move. Why don't you come by the main house? You can skip the pool service. The pool looks fine. I cleaned the skimmer this morning, added some chlorine and brushed the walls of the pool.

Lena really is looking forward to my visit, Kaylee thought. Lena had already taken care of the basic pool service. Kaylee was right. Lena had never touched her pool before, other than to swim in it. But she had done the work that morning so that she and Kaylee could spend as much time as possible together.

* * *

Kaylee arrived shortly before noon. She drove to the main house, recalling her first encounter when she was too flustered to notice any of the details. This time she drove up slowly to the magnificent steel and glass structure. She took time to appreciate the meticulously maintained garden on the approach to the house, as well as the pond that surrounded the house. She rang the bell, and moments later Lena showed up wearing her bikini with a sheer cover-up. For forty, Lena still had a killer body. Kaylee couldn't helped but be awed by the house and Lena's imposing physical appearance.

"Come in, come in," Lena beckoned, her amiable greeting in sharp contrast to her hostile welcome the first time they met. Kaylee now noticed the colorful and beautiful mosaic tile work adorning the entranceway.

"You have a gorgeous house Lena," Kaylee said, admiring her surroundings.

"Thank you," said Lena. "Let me give you a quick tour."

Kaylee was shown the large kitchen, Lena's study, the living room, the formal dining room, and the walk-in wine cellar adjoining it, that were all on the ground floor.

Kaylee had never seen a house like Lena's in person, only in magazines.

"And upstairs is the master bedroom and two en suite guest bedrooms. Did you want to see them?"

Kaylee nodded and followed Lena up the open wooden staircase. The master bedroom was the size of three of the bedrooms in Ted's house, and boasted a window wall that stacked together so that when open it felt like the bedroom was outside. Lena pushed the window wall open so that they were essentially outside.

"All the advantages of the outside, but with all the comforts of inside," Lena said. Lena went over to the small bar that was in her bedroom.

"Would you like anything to drink?"

"Just water please," Kaylee said. She remembered getting zonked the previous week on the spiked lemonade.

Lena fixed herself a gin and tonic with Hendrick's, her favorite gin, and sat on the bed. She'd been around the block too many times to dance around the elephant in the room.

"So where's this going Kaylee? You're obviously young and beautiful. What are you doing with someone old enough to be your mother? I'm flattered for sure."

"I'm not sure," she answered. "I just know I want to be here."

"Maybe it's the sex."

Kaylee blushed, which Lena found to be adorable. "You made me feel things I haven't felt before."

"Me too," Lena said.

"You?" Kaylee asked, surprised.

"I've never been with anyone like you. Maybe it's because I'm older and jaded, but it was refreshing to be with someone who didn't have an agenda."

Kaylee laughed. "That's true. I can't even figure out what's on the agenda, let alone let it dictate our relationship."

"Should we just live for today?" Lena asked.

"Why not," said Kaylee. She started taking off her "Ted's" polo shirt, revealing one of her nicer bras.

"No dinner and a movie first?" Lena asked in jest.

"Let's skip to dessert," said Kaylee, unclasping her bra.

"I love dessert," said Lena.

* * *

While the two women were talking . . . and more . . . Carlton drove onto the property in a "Ted's" truck, purportedly to check on Kaylee. He had purposely shorted her on chlorine (which Kaylee didn't notice), so his excuse was he was delivering her more. It was 1 p.m., Kaylee's appointed time to be there, but when he drove back to the pool she wasn't there. He looked around the entire pool area for any trace of her, and did notice the pool was sparkling and clean. He gave up and was driving out when he spotted out of the corner of his eye Kaylee's truck parked in front of the main house.

"Strange," he thought. The pool was the other direction. He decided to wait outside. Maybe Kaylee was there to speak to the owner. After thirty minutes of waiting, and no sign of Kaylee, he had two choices, to knock on the front door or to leave. He didn't have the stomach to confront Kaylee so he left.

* * *

Kaylee had taken all of her clothes off. Lena was still finishing her drink, admiring the young blonde's impromptu striptease. "Ahhh, to have the raging hormones of a twenty year old," Lena mused at seeing Kaylee's eagerness.

"Why don't you undress me while we kiss?" Lena said. The first time they got together was ruled by animal passion. This time would be a slower burn, which Lena found to be much more fulfilling.

Kaylee kissed her, and found that kissing could be as exciting as anything they'd done. She helped Lena shed her cover-up and her bikini top.

"Have I told you much I love your body?" Kaylee asked.

"Repeatedly," Lena answered. "Though I never get tired of hearing it."

The younger woman's fingers skimmed across Lena's breasts, the softness of her skin feeling like velvet to her fingers. They found the nipple and lightly pinched it.

"Roll it between your fingers," Lena told her.

"Like this?" Kaylee asked, rolling the hardened nipple between her thumb and middle finger.

"Ahhh," Lena gasped. "Just like that."

It felt divine to have a young lover. "Now harder honey."

Kaylee pinched her fingers together, causing a sizzle of pleasure to the older woman. Her other hand went lower, easing Lena's bikini bottom off. Her hand found Lena's vagina, inserting a finger, then two. Lena's wetness, and her moans, were an incredible turn-on to the young blonde. Lena kicked off the covers so they could lay on her cool, designer sheets. She sprawled out, panting and wanting.

"Love me Kaylee," Lena implored. She couldn't believe that a young woman could have such an emotional impact on her. She realized her life was an empty shell, a pretty one to be sure, but with no emotional attachment to anyone. She felt a connection to Kaylee, and making love with her made that connection even stronger.

Kaylee had never shared this kind of physical intimacy with anyone, and to her everything was bright, fresh and new. Her lips explored Lena's neck, the swell of the older woman's breast, full and round, the flat belly and then the junction between her thighs, wet and pungent with desire.

"Oh God yes," Lena cooed as the younger woman dragged her tongue up the velvety soft channel of her pussy to her clit. Her feet tensed and her toes curled as Kaylee sucked the tiny pearl of flesh into her mouth, swirling her tongue around it to tease it out of its protective hood.

Kaylee reached up to fondle Lena's breast while licking her, pinching her nipple in pulses. Lena's head found a life of its own, rocking back and forth on the bed as her pleasure crested, her loins tightened, and that familiar rumble made her legs shake and her breathing labored. She used her hands to press the blonde's head against her pussy as her orgasm made her cry to the heavens.

"Ahh . . . ahhhhh . . . ahhhh," she moaned, not wanting this feeling to end.

Kaylee didn't either. She was one with Lena for that magical moment, and it was the most fulfilling moment of her life. Lena's hands fell off Kaylee's head as the older woman's body settled into the twisted sheets, her eyes closed and her mind content and stilled. Kaylee lay next to her, using her finger to trace up and down Lena's nude body, the light touch causing her to involuntarily shudder. They both basked in the wonderful peace that follows satisfying sex.

The lovers rested, but not for long, as Lena's hunger for Kaylee was stoked by her climax. She wanted to share with the younger woman the joys of lesbian sex.

"Kiss me Kaylee," Lena asked her young lover. They was laying on their sides, facing each other.

Their lips touched, then pressed together as their tongues coiled around each other. Lena's hand went to the source of Kaylee's heat, her nether lips wet and swollen. She fingered Kaylee as they kissed, but her hand wandered lowered this time so the slick fingers could explore the rippled flesh of the blonde's anus. Kaylee had never had anyone touch her there, and the sensitive nerve endings fired for the first time, causing the blonde to gasp loudly.

Kaylee broke the kiss because she had lost control of her breathing.

"Ohhh . . . ohhhh . . . my . . . what . . . what . . ." Kaylee babbled. The sensations were too new, too raw, and the thought of Lena's fingers on her anus was both repulsive and exciting.

Lena too was excited at the young blonde's reaction, as anal play was a staple in her lovemaking. Her moistened fingers rimmed Kaylee's anus as the puckered star winked repeatedly.

Lena laved the blonde's firm tits, then down further to her weeping lips, all the while teasing and pushing against the powerful ring of muscle, working her finger inside. Having uninhibited sex with an older woman in her opulent lair flooded Kaylee's mind with swirling, dark eddies of emotion.

Lesbian . . . anal . . . older woman . . . an illicit affair that scaled unimagined heights for the young woman. Everything was so wrong . . . yet felt exactly right.

Then the orgasm. Kaylee's fingers never made her feel like this. Instead of starting in her head, it started in her back channel, bubbling upward to her swollen breasts and nipples and then to her head, exploding in a full body orgasm that made her thrash like a landed fish. It drained every ounce of energy out of her. Lena was euphoric. Sweet, young love. She never thought she'd experience that again.

They rested again, lost in their own thoughts, and stunned by the paradise of the place they'd just visited together.

Lena wanted to say "I love you" to Kaylee, and though she felt that way after just two meetings, and was certain, she didn't say anything because she didn't want to burden Kaylee with that message and the gravity of its import. She knew that Kaylee was young and trying to sort out her own feelings, and would soon return to college where they'd be two thousand miles apart. The future was murky with uncertainty, so it was better unsaid. Instead, she watered down her message.

"I'm very fond of you Kaylee," Lena said. She ran her fingers through the blonde's wavy hair and touched her face. She kissed her lightly on the lips, tasting herself.

Kaylee too wanted to use the word "love" but she too was uncertain as to whether she really felt that way, or was being carried on a wave of emotion. She decided to share her exact feelings.

"I'm wondering if I'm falling in love with you."

The door was open for Lena to share her true feelings.

"Are we falling in love with each other?" Lena asked. "My heart says that we are, and I want it to be that way. Kaylee, I've been married before and I've been with many partners, both men and women, and I've been searching for the feeling I have with you in all of that time. I want it to be true. But my head is resisting this feeling. You're too young and you have too much of your life ahead of you. I worry that I'm robbing you of your chance to experience your life with a woman closer to you in age. If I really love you, then maybe I don't want you. Does that make sense?"

Kaylee sighed. "It does. I've been thinking about us for the past week. Being with you confirms this is what I want. But there's a big price to pay. And you know what that is."

Lena had her share of heartbreaking romances and of course the pain of divorce. She'd already paid that price more times than she could count.

"Unfortunately I do," she said, "and it's for you to decide whether you want to move forward. I told you the last time that I'm not the stumbling block here. I know what I'm getting into and have my eyes wide open. You're young and this is all new to you. You have your parents to deal with, not to mention your career. I've made my bones with this world."

Kaylee had enough of the heart wrenching discussion. They were nude and in bed, and her hormones were still raging.

"You know. That thing you did with your finger . . . down there . . . could you do that again?" Kaylee asked.

"I'll do one better," said Lena. "This time I'll use my tongue."

* * *

Carlton arrived back at the shop angry and frustrated. He was angry at Kaylee for lying to him and strongly suspected she was having an affair with the Peters woman. He was also angry with himself, for pouring so much of his unrequited affection toward Kaylee with no return whatsoever. His frustration boiled over when he went into the business office where Sandy was shutting down her computer for the day. She'd known Carlton since he was a baby, and knew instantly that something was wrong.

"Out with it," she said. Carlton had confided with her over the years and she knew that he had a crush on her daughter.

"It's Kaylee," he said.

Of course it was, she thought. "So what's she done this time?"

"She left this morning without checking her gear, and I discovered she'd forgotten to bring a full supply of chlorine," he said in a half truth. He didn't tell her that he purposely shorted Kaylee to give him an excuse to chase after her.

"That's not like her," said Sandy.

"No it's not, and when I discovered she left it in the shop I went out to the Peter's residence, her last call of the day," said Carlton.

"That's right," said Sandy. "I saw the job sheets this morning. She was going to finish early and then spend time at a friend's house."

Carlton's face dropped. Another lie. "She told me she was going to help you with some office work."

"She didn't say that to me," said Sandy, her antenna now up. "So what happened when you went to the Peters' residence?"

It was the moment of truth. Carlton's anger overruled his instinct to protect Kaylee.

"She was parked at the Peters' main house, not at the pool. I'm not sure she ever made it to the pool."

Sandy was trying to process what Carlton had said. She'd seen the new client sheet for Lena Peters. There was no Mr. Peters as far as she knew. And suddenly it clicked in her head when she saw the message on Kaylee's phone - Lena.

"Are you saying Kaylee was with Mrs. Peters?" Sandy asked, wanting it not to be true.

Carlton shrugged his shoulders. The cat was out of the bag. "I don't know what I'm saying Mrs. Montgomery. All I know is that Kaylee's truck was parked at Mrs. Peters' house and I waited a half hour for her to come out."

Sandy's head was spinning. She'd gotten whatever Carlton knew, so her first reaction was damage control.

"Carlton, don't mention this to anyone, including Ted. Let me deal with it."

She gave him a stern look to make sure he knew she meant business.

"OK, Mrs. M. This is between you and me."

"Thank you Carlton. I'll get this sorted out."

Carlton wasn't satisfied, but he knew he probably spoke out of turn and had gotten Kaylee in a mess of trouble. He left without saying another word.

Sandy sat back down in her desk chair and stared at her blank computer screen. She knew that there was now a mile of distance between her and her only daughter, but a lesbian? With an older woman? None of that made sense. There must be another explanation. She decided she needed to find out the truth before she spoke to her husband.

* * *

Kaylee did come home for dinner on time and nothing seemed to be amiss. Even though Sandy's stomach was churning inside, she did what most Midwestern mothers did in this situation. She pretended nothing was going on and internalized all of it. It wasn't until dinner was about over that Kaylee got the first hint that something wasn't quite right.

"Kaylee, I need a bit of help with the dishes. Can you stay and help me with them?"

Ted and Chad were oblivious to any undercurrent in the household. Ted drifted off to the living room to watch football and Chad went to his room to play video games. Kaylee also would usually go to her room and talk on the phone with Sarah. Sandy usually didn't ask for help.

Sandy stood at the sink, waiting for the water to get hot to start on the dishes. Kaylee held a dish towel to dry them. Focusing on the dishes, and not making eye contact with her daughter, Sandy started the conversation with something that seemed innocuous.

"I was talking to Carlton this afternoon," she said.

"Oh? What's going on with him?"

She expected to hear some mundane news about his studies at college, or maybe his job aspirations. She wasn't prepared for what Sandy said next.

"He said he went to the Peters' residence this afternoon. Apparently you were short some supplies so he went out there to deliver them to you."

Kaylee heartbeat quickened. "Carlton? He never said anything to me about that."

"He didn't because he couldn't find you. Apparently your truck was parked at the house and not at the pool. Carlton said he waited a half hour and you never came out. What were you doing there?"

"Doing there?" Kaylee repeated. She was in shock. This was not happening, she told herself. But it was.

"Yes, you heard me. What were you doing there?"

Sandy's voice became accusatory, which triggered Kaylee's defense mechanisms.