Switching

Mona's last question was one that kind of stunned Sandy:

"Sandy, honey, this Johnnie, do you care for him yourself?"

"Ohhhhhh, "Sandy moaned, "Mona, I don't know; I hope not. It would complicate things awfully. Plus, it's April that he's interested in. I'm yesterday's news."

"Don't you say it, girl!" Mona chimed in immediately, "You are way beyond gorgeous and some day just the right guy is going to get into your pants!"

"MONA!" Sandy fairly yelled, as she gave in to giggles.

"Well, it's true!" Mona said.

"Good night, Mona," Sandy said, grinning still.

"Think about it, sweetie," Mona said.

And then Sandy had herself under control enough to answer:

"I promise that I will."

April and Johnnie had another date within the next few days, and Sandy, for the time at least, began to breathe more easily.

The following Saturday, Sandy had a long morning run. During her run she was looking around, and realizing that she was looking for Johnnie. Mona's question had never left her mind but she was no closer to answering it now than she'd been, when it was first asked. She was merely and constantly aware of the fact that Johnnie was interested, for better or worse, in April.

After her run, she kept her running clothes on and was going to do some garden work. April found her there in the garden on her hands and knees.

"Sarah and I have plans today," April said, "So, I'm off."

"Okay, honey," Sandy said, "Enjoy yourself."

"I will," April said turning and leaving.

It was about a quarter of an hour later that Sandy heard a truck out in front of the house. She didn't think much of it, just that it was the neighbors. Her own property and yard took up one whole side of the cul de sac where it was situated. The back ran up hill to woods and was wooded on two sides, kind of hemming the garden in. But Sandy liked the way it was framed by the woods.

She was humming to herself and was on her knees, when she heard a voice:

"Son of a gun, prosecutor, plumber's crack again and a thong!"

Sandy straightened up immediately, realizing that Johnnie Marley was there, staring at her butt crack, she didn't even need to feel back there this time, since she was, indeed, wearing a thong and he'd only know that, if she were displaying it.

"It's assistant prosecutor," she said, "And you stop sneaking up on me and staring at my butt crack!"

Then it dawned on her that April was doing it again.

"Oh, Johnnie," she said, "April's not here. Did you have a date with her?" She said this with great regret.

"Well, yes, I did," Johnnie said, "But I didn't come to see her."

"No?" Sandy asked, looking up at him.

"Of course not," he said, laughing, "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me!"

Sandy smiled at his wisdom finally.

"No," he said, his voice unsure of itself but walking toward her, "I came to see you, I think."

"Me?" Sandy said almost with a squeak.

He chuckled then involuntarily and said: "Maybe I just came to stare at your ass, and that marvelous plumber's crack."

"Johnnie Marley," she said softly, and the statement this time was by no means a complaint.

"In that case," she said, "I guess that I hate to get up, but I'm going to, Johnnie."

"Yes," he said. "Yes."

So that by the time she got up from the ground, he was standing right next to her, almost up against her.

"It's you," he said, "It's been you. Once I realized that by going out with her and putting up with her foolishness, I'd be able to still be in touch with you. I just figured it out."

"You did?" she said, unsure of herself.

"Well, actually," he chuckled again, "It was Beth that told me. Told me about how I looked at you in church and all but I realize that she was telling the truth."

"Oh," Sandy said, now standing her feet. Then she added:

"Why didn't you just ask me?"

"Scared to, I guess; afraid that there was no way you'd go out with me. This way I got to know you better, maybe get on the inside, I guess."

There was a silence but she was smiling.

"I'm not sure what to do here just now," Johnnie said.

"What you want, I guess," she said.

"In which case," he said now grinning and getting on firmer ground, "Then you'd better get back on your knees and show your butt crack again because I want to get at least my hand down there."

She giggled but gave him a suspicious look.

"Truth now, Johnnie; I will not be toyed with or anything like it. Just truth. Are you here with me now to get April jealous?"

"There is no April," he said desperately. "There never was an April. There was only your niece and the fact that with her I'd get a chance, maybe to become close to you.'

"Ohh," she said softly.

Then she got a decisive look on her face and said:

"What's Beth's cell number?"

"Why?" he wanted to know.

"Johnnie, I'm a lawyer; I cover all the basis. Just give it to me."

He did and she called the number.

"Hi, Beth, this is Sandy Krause."

Sandy said a few pleasantries and then said:

"Yes, he's here; he's been staring at my ass, not for the first time! Yes, I know that men are that way. I need to ask you because I think that you know. Why has your brother been dating my niece."

"What?" Sandy said then, and "Repeat that please; I'll put you on speaker."

Then Beth's voice was heard and she said:

"He was never interested in your niece; it was always you that he's been trying to get close to. That's why he's staring at your ass."

"Thank you, honey," Sandy said, turing off the speaker then. "Yes, I'm going to let him stare at my ass a bit now, and, yes, lunch soon. Bye."

Sandy was resolute at that point. She had the virtue of being able to stick absolutely to what she needed to do, when her mind was made up.

Johnnie was looking at her and grinning. She said to him, as she got back down on the ground.

"Fireman, I have only two more to plant here; you just stare away, and then, when I get up, then it all begins."

"Yes," he said, "It all begins."

Sandy got down on her hands and knees to plant again. She raised herself up on her knees and reached behind her. Then she did the most courageous thing that she could ever remember doing. She grabbed her lycra pants by the waist band and pulled them down to her knees, so that this time, when she got down and leaned forward to plant, her ass cheeks, with the sting of the thong wedged between them, were on display.

"Is that what you had in mind, fireman?" she asked, smiling at him over her shoulder.

"Oh, yes!" he said sighing.

"Well, we'll graduate to touching in just a second here," Sandy went on, "But first these bulbs have to go in."

"Yes, looking," he said, "Just looking now and then touching; do the bulbs first but let me say, Sandy, that you are just a vision of loveliness!"

"Thank you, Johnnie," she said.

And he went on then and said: "And what an ass on you!"

She giggled and went on with her planting but managed, while he watched to shake her ass cheeks a little.

"Oh dear!" he said, absolutely absorbed in what he was watching.

"There," she said rising, and pulling her lycra pants up. "All done."

"Oh, too bad," was his first comment and she laughed.

"Warning here, Johnnie," she said, "I've had my run and then worked in the garden; I'm a dirty girl just now!"

"A treat just now is what you are," he said solemnly.

"Then come," she said, and held her arms out. "Let's try this out."

"Oh, yes," was his comment as he went into her arms.

They kissed, a first kiss. It was warm and soft. Her lips were what the poets called 'yielding' and his heart was thumping away.

They broke the kiss with her whispering:

"Wonderful! Exciting! Oh, Johnnie!"

Then, after he'd kissed her neck just a bit, she raised her head and she kissed him again. It was even better than the first kiss.

She reached for his hand, as they kissed, determined to get all from him that this moment would allow. She might have been playing 'hide and seek' with her emotions up until now, where he was concerned, but she wasn't going to any longer. Once she grasped his wrist, she pulled his hand downward, until she left it resting on her ass cheek.

"Oh my!" he whispered into her open lips, grazing then her tongue with his, and feeling the wonderful ass on her.

"What a girl! What a babe! What a woman!" he praised.

Sandy lowered her head onto his chest and sighed. That was the position that they were in, in the back yard, when April came home and found them.

"Aunt Sandy!" she simply screeched.

Sandy and Johnnie broke apart immediately.

April was immediately in her element. She didn't let anyone get away with things with her.

"Bitch!" she spit out, "Stealing my boyfriend. Old bitch!"

Sandy loved Mona like there was no tomorrow, and she had always treasured her niece, especially, she discovered of late, when April was far away. But she had limits to her tolerance and what she would allow and countenance.

Without even a thought, Sandy hauled off and slapped April's face. The slap was hard enough to rock April back on her heels. Then Sandy waded into the girl and slapper her other cheek, sending Sandy reeling the other way.

April began to cry. No one had hit her, it seemed, ever. She couldn't remember a time when that had happened. This kind of thing was so new to her that she didn't know what to do.

"Be quiet, young woman," Sandy said in her court voice and April was indeed quiet.

"Now remember who I am and where you are; remember your manners or I'll slap you again. Just be quiet and let Johnnie tell you what's going on and has been going on."

Johnnie just stared at the two women. He was taken aback by Sandy's immediate reaction to the name she'd been called. He began to speak softly:

"April, I was never interested in you; it was my way to get closer to your Aunt, whom I've had feelings for, for a long, long time. Why else would I have put up with your infantile actions, the wasted dates, the no shows."

April continued to cry, simply not knowing what to do.

Sandy gave Johnnie a quick kiss and said:

"Johnnie, leave this to us to sort out. I'll be in touch with you later."

"I'll be at the fire house," he said, "My shift begins tonight."

"Can I come there and see you?" she asked.

"That'll be a hoot; the assistant prosecutor coming to visit me at the house!" he said.

She smiled and he moved toward her. They ignored the weeping girl near them and kissed each other again.

"Lovely," he whispered. "Just lovely."

Then directly into her ear: "You even smell nice! Love the 'sweaty you' smell, woman."

She kissed him again and he left.

When she came back from seeing Johnnie out, she spoke up before April had a chance to:

"Okay, young lady, I've been entertained by your nasty ways, your selfishness and your tongue about long enough. My life and job are stressful and I will not allow my home to be. Go upstairs and pack your things. You're leaving. By the time you come down with your suitcase and things, I'll have your Momma on the phone.

April began to cry harder at that point. It only then began to dawn on her what her own willful temper had accomplished.

Mona answered after only one ring.

"Hello," she said.

"Mona, it's Sandy."

She could tell that it was trouble by the sound of Sandy's voice.

"What did she do now?" Mona asked softly.

Sandy explained it, what Johnnie had said and what happened, and then April's reaction and the names she used.

"Oh, dear!' Mona said, "Sandy, I'm so sorry."

"Honey," Sandy said, "I meant it, when I said that I'd pay for her living expenses, if she weren't going to live here. I apologize to you, love, but I don't want the stress in my house any more."

"I understand," Mona said.

Then Sandy broke in with: "She's coming into the room now; I'll put you on speaker, unless you want to talk to her privately."

"No, put me on speaker," Mona said.

At that point April was standing miserably with her bags. She still had tears on her face.

"Momma," she said, sounding genuinely sorry.

"What have you done, you silly girl?" Mona asked. "You knew that your going to the university was marginal for me on my salary and all depended on you living with your Aunt Sandy, and now look at what you've done!"

"Sorry, Momma," April said quietly.

"And I don't blame your Aunt Sandy for putting you out; I know how difficult her job is. I know also that she's a woman from whom you could learn a lot that would benefit your life, and all that you can come up with is calling her an 'old bitch'!"

Again April started to cry and mumbled a 'sorry'.

"What do we do now?" Mona asked.

"I don't know, Momma," April said.

"Of course you don't know;" Mona fumed, "But that didn't stop you from treating people in a terrible way and when it backfired on you, going into one of your nasty tirades."

"Mona, honey," Sandy broke in, "April and I will find a place for her to live. I'll call you, when that's taken care of."

"Thank you, sweetie," Mona said. Then to April she said:

"And listen to me, April; your Aunt Sandy has been kind enough to indicate that she'll pay your rent, wherever you happen to go. And I will tell you outright. If you don't make this work, then you have to drop out of school. Do you understand."

"Yes, Momma," the chastened girl said.

"One more thing," she said then. "Apparently your infantile games with Johnnie Marley didn't work out. I don't want you interfering with that man again. He is apparently interested in your Aunt, and you just leave it. Do you hear me, April?"

"Yes, Momma," April said again.

"I'll call, Mona," Sandy said then, and hung up.

There was a long silence then but finally April struggled to talk to her Aunt. The experience that April had had with first her Aunt's anger, and then with her Mom has chastened her a great deal. She and Sandy finally had a sit down talk then. April, more cooperative than Sandy had ever seen her, was all help and chagrin. She said, after they talked a bit, that she thought a friend of hers might be looking for a room mate and she'd call her. She seemed quite serious about letting her attitude mess up her Aunt Sandy.

She made the call and it was arranged. April was relieved and Sandy refused to leave her until she'd made the transition and gone to the friends to move in. On the way there Sandy told April that she wanted her to make sure that she let her know what she needed in terms of rent and sundries.

April thanked her Aunt very kindly, and apologized again, crying all the while.

Once Sandy had dropped the girl off, she went back and took a shower, finally! In the shower, she realized how much she was looking forward to going to see Johnnie that evening.

It was only a little later that Sandy got a phone call. It was from Beth.

"You don't mind my calling do you?" Beth wanted to know.

"Oh, no, of course not," Sandy said quickly. "I want to be good friends."

"Making cup cakes here," Beth went on, "Am going to take the batch over to his fire house after a bit, and I was wondering if you'd like to come along."

"Oh, thank you for asking," Sandy enthused, "Do you think that I could take something too? Maybe scones?"

"They'd love it; they eat everything in sight," Beth said laughing.

"Is he . . .is he working through the night?" Sandy asked.

"No, crafty one," Beth said laughing, and Sandy joined in the laugh.

"He's on a twelve hour shift, will be done at 3 AM," Beth answered.

"Beth," Sandy said, "Hesitating. . ."

But Beth knew what Sandy was going to say:

"Don't mind a bit," Beth said softly, "Ask him to come over, when he's done. It'll be early morning, but I bet he would."

"Look," Sandy went on then, with sudden inspiration, "Can I pick you up, I mean after I do the scones, and we'll grab dinner somewhere?"

"Oh, that would be nice!" Beth said and then offered:

"I'm wearing only jeans and a tee."

"Jeans and a tee it is," Sandy said ringing off.

She busied herself then for a good hour or so making a batch of cranberry scones. She was all out pleased to be baking for the fire house. She liked the idea and liked even more the accompanying idea that she was baking for the fire house because her man worked there.

While the scones were cooling, she took another shower and dressed. She knew that it probably wouldn't make a difference but picked out her prettiest pink panties and a matching bra. She picked out a Florida tee shirt, a pink one also, and, being a bit adventurous put on a pair of older jeans that were, she thought, getting a bit small.

She modeled in front of her mirror and liked the way that she looked in the jeans.

"Hmm," she proclaimed to herself, "Nice and tight in the ass! Johnnie watch out. Here comes the assistant prosecutor with her tight jeans showing her ass and her big, beautiful 36s poking out." It sent her into a gale of giggles.

She picked up Beth on time. Beth put the cup cakes into the back of the car and slid into the front seat.

"I love your car!" Beth said.

"One of my indulgences!" Sandy said. "It's like the car and the house for me, or has been. I love the luxury of the car and gardening is my delight."

"Oh," Beth proclaimed, "I like that too; it's just that we have so tiny a back yard at the apartment building. I never get to do any."

"I could always use some help," Sandy said. "Maybe you could do your own bed. My back yard is so huge."

"Really?" Beth asked. "That's so nice of you to mention it."

The thought pleased the two of them. When they got to the fire house, Sandy parked in the side lot and they went through the big front doors. Immediately a voice rang out:

"Lovely ladies bearing gifts! Johnnie Marley, front and center. Watch out, Bud, one's a lawyer!"

Johnnie came out around the ladder truck grinning from ear to ear. He moved toward Beth, who said severely:

"Johnnie Marley, don't you dare hug me first!"

Johnnie grinned at his sister and took the tray of scones from Sandy, passing them off to eager hands, who took the tray of cup cakes also. He then enfolded Sandy in his arms, and they took time to kiss.

Another voice rang out then: "Uho, romance on the floor; all hands!"

Guys appeared from nowhere before Johnnie was done kissing Sandy. They were suddenly applauding and Sandy, blushing, hid her face in his uniform shirt

Then with a dramatic, cavalier type of gesture, Johnnie said:

"Gentlemen, this lovely baker is Sandy Krause, assistant county prosecutor and my main squeeze. Sandy these are the no accounts of the fire department."

They hooted at him then for what he'd said, but were polite and quiet, as Sandy said:

"Pleased to meet you," to all of them.

Then he moved to give Beth a big hug and kiss also.

"Thanks, you two, for baking and bringing goodies," he said putting an arm around each of them, and walking them back toward the common room, where already the cup cakes and scones were disappearing.

They sat and talked for a bit.

Beth said to her brother with obvious relish:

"Sandy has invited me to put a garden bed in, in her back yard."

"Hey, great idea," Johnnie said, knowing how much Beth would like that.

He turned to Sandy and said: "Beth is coming down the home stretch in her nursing studies. It's been a long haul but absolutely worth it. Having a garden has been one of the main frustrations of the apartment, where we live. That's so nice of you."

They were walking back toward the front of the fire house, after a bit. Beth smiled and went on, while Johnnie and Sandy lingered a bit

"What time to you get off?" she asked quietly.

"Three AM," he said, "This is my twelve hour shift today."

"Would you call me?" she asked.

"Really?" he said, "You'll be sleepy."

"Easier to take advantage of me then," she said with a grin.