Penns Goil

Four lonely years Penelope waited for Jack to return from the Trojan wars of college, like the wife of Odysseus had patiently waited for her conquering hero. She didn't care if he'd gained worldly experience as long as he'd share everything.

'Boys will be boys', she thought. 'But he's a man now.'

***

The train ride east was torturously slow for Jack. Penelope was meeting him.

She'd changed significantly. The tomboy, affectionately known as 'Penns goil', with grease under her nails and exhaust fume fragrance didn't match the adult letters they'd exchanged last month.

Watching a dappled moon rise over a field of corn, the cool light flashing between the rows in time with the clackity wheels, sent a chill through him. Life moved so fast. He wanted to hold this moment of anticipation forever.

"Stewartville, next stop," said the conductor, as he patrolled the aisle, inspecting passengers to make sure no one slept through their destination. "Hey, buddy. You awake?" he asked, touching Jack's arm.

"Yeah, man. Thanks," he said, dragging his pack out from under the seat.

The bathroom was empty. Splashing water on his face, he pulled himself together as the train slowed. The reflection altered by four years of study and parties looked angular and hairier.

Back in his seat, he peered out at the platform. Pods of grinning strangers glided by and he worried she didn't come, or worse, he didn't recognize her. Then suddenly, like a beacon, there was Penelope's new hat -- a straw hat with a turned up brim and a red ribbon. It sat atop a shadowy head with shoulder length hair. The night was cool. The trim woman wore an open sweater, tee-shirt and jeans. With one hand pressing down on the quirky bonnet and the other gripping a suitcase, without a backward glance, she stepped aboard the train.

Everything was going as planned.

***

The porter helped Penelope stow her luggage and then tipped his cap when she paid him. "Thank you, Ma'am."

"Is it okay for me to walk through the cars?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Feel free to stretch your legs. It's a long run to Michigan."

"Thank you."

As the engine began to accelerate out of the station, the car rocked and Penelope sat down before she fell down. The pounding in her chest and lightness in her head was frightfully thrilling. 'So, this is what it feels like to be carefree.'

A few occupants were sprinkled about. None looked remotely like Jack. Although a pudgy salesman type, with a thick valise and venous nose, smiled broadly when he caught her eye.

'Jack probably sat near the front so he could see me get on,' she thought, and eased away from the bulbous nose.

Each car had a smattering of people -- some were couples and families, others just business travelers. But no Jack Crandall. No magnum cum laude smarty pants. The old cigar band felt strange on her finger and she fiddled with it. 'I'm a silly dope for keeping this and wearing it tonight. I've been a fool for love too long.'

"Penny?"

Her name spoken by an unfamiliar deep voice made her quiver. Turning, she looked up into her benefactor's matured face and smiled, "Hello, Jack," she said, unable to prevent a slight vibrato. "It's so nice to see you again. My, you've grown from a cute boy into a handsome man." Her cheeks burned with the bold truth. All those years growing up next-door and it only took four to make him a stranger.

A sudden bump caused a loss of balance until Jack steadied her with a firm grip and a quick smile. Tears welled up when he said, "It's wonderful to see you too, Penelope. You're prettier than I ever imagined."

She pulled away to hide building emotion. "Shut up!" she laughed. "You were always a smoothie. And please, call me Penny," she answered, while sitting down, sliding over to the window to stare blankly outside, gathering her scrambled wits.

"Did you think this would ever happen, Penny? Can you believe we're still keeping our promise after all these years?" His warm hand engulfed hers.

"Jack, I've always believed in you."

Gentle fingers pushed her chin until she met his warm eyes. He said, "Me too you."

Lifting her left hand, he inspected the ring finger. "You kept it," Jack said, proudly. "I knew you would, Penns. We had some great times, didn't we?"

He began to toy with her hair and she liked it. Penny asked, "Remember how we always greeted each other? The one question we'd ask?"

Without a pause, he answered, "What's the good word, Penns?"

Historically, she would answer something like, 'Peanut butter -- spread the word,' and they would giggle childishly. Tonight was not child's play. It was time to put aside the things of youth and move on to serious answers to adult questions. Turning on the bench, bending close, she whispered, "Lips -- spread the word, Jack."

There was a delayed reaction to his response, perhaps a reluctance to change their innocent ways. Maybe she'd been wrong about his desires. Then, like a powerful shift in her magnetic field, Jack's mouth was stuck to hers, at first soft and tender and then pressing. She felt his tongue enter, tease and withdraw. Responding with urgency, her tongue invaded his mouth and replayed his kissing lesson with fervor, letting the teacher know the student was a quick study and applied knowledge willfully.

They sat quiet for twenty miles, nestled against each other, as reality set in.

Jack broke the silence, as he rummaged through his bag. "When do classes start?"

"The day after Labor Day."

He held out an envelope. "Here's the first installment."

Penelope took it and held it with both hands on her lap.

"Go on and open it up," he said. "I know how you feel. But get over it. I used every dime you sent me and I expect you to do the same."

She continued to stare at the virginal whiteness.

"Listen, there are no strings attached. Just like when I went to school." His voice was anxious. "You can live on campus or take another roommate. You don't have to live with me."

"You don't want me too?"

"I didn't say that."

Jack was obviously struggling with the arrangement. "I lived up to my part of the bargain," declared Penelope, "now I expect you to live up to yours. Don't get prudish about this."

"I won't, Penns." His face softened. "Just making sure you didn't change your mind. Women change their minds, a lot."

Obviously Jack needed reassurance. "I worked my ass off and lived in that shit-hole trailer with a stinking drunk to help you through college and now I want my payback. You promised and I'm going to make you keep it." Boldly, she pulled him down and kissed him again.

Grinning against her agile lips, Jack said, "I'll do my best, Penns."

Foreheads touching, she whispered, "That's all I ask, Sweetie."

She separated from him and ripped open the envelope, extracted a check, and gasped. "Holy… Jack, this will pay for my entire first semester!"

"I know," he said, with a smug look. And then added in a dopey voice, "I got me a good job, thanks to you, Penns."

Life was never this good. Holding out her arm, Penelope closed her eyes and said, "Pinch me, Jack. I must be dreaming." She heard the bench squeak as he turned. Affectionate fingers pinched in a way that was unbearably good. His hand passed by the proffered arm and tweaked a nipple -- firing lightening bolts to her clitoris. When the pleasure receded Penelope opened her eyes and said, "I am dreaming."

***

The lights were dim. Jack rested against the black window and Penelope leaned against him. She was still a beauty, inside and out. This quid pro quo arrangement seemed perfect. If only the guilt would leave him alone.

"What's bothering you, Jack?" With her cheek pressed against his chest, she said, "Your heart's pounding like a carpenter on speed."

Burying his nose in her sable tresses, Jack inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the deliciously filtered air before answering. "I haven't waited for you, Penns. You know that don't you?"

She turned slightly but her body remained soft and molded to him. "And you know I didn't expect you to. So what's the problem?" Her body sudden went rigid. She asked, "Are you in love, Jack? Am I taking you away from someone? I wouldn't want to…"

"Shh," he interrupted, "You're not taking me away from anyone. The only woman in my life now is you."

Her body relaxed. "Did you think about me at all? I wanted you to, but I wanted you to have your freedom."

The memory of a nubile Penelope giving him a hand job on his last day home filled his mind's eye. "Are you kidding? You gave me a send off I'll never forget."

"Just what I meant to do." Stretching her legs out on the bench and looking up at him, she smiled, saying, "I wanted to be the first naked girl to touch you."

"And I wanted to be the first naked boy to touch you, but you wouldn't let me."

"Well, Jack, that was then and this is now. I want you to be my first."

The temperature seemed to be rising inside the train. "Penns, no one's ever… touched you?"

"Not unless you count my sloshed Uncle Burt. He crawled in bed with me one night and grabbed my boob through the sheet. I just shoved him onto the floor and slept in the car until he sobered up."

"Aw, Penns, I'm so sorry. Your life must've been hell."

"I'm used to it," she mumbled in a matter of fact tone and then smiled, adding, "Did you get the Trojans I sent?"

"What? You sent me rubbers? When?"

"About the second month of your freshman year."

"That was you?" He murmured in disbelief, "I thought it was Fred."

"I had him write the address label to throw you off." Picking up his hand, she pressed her small palm against his, and said, "I wanted you to be safe and… I didn't want any baby Jack screwing up our agreement."

Pulling his hand free, Jack wrapped both arms around her chest and hugged. "You're an amazing woman, Penns."

Giggling as he kissed her neck, Penelope corrected, "I'm an amazing coed, now."

"Mmm, yes you are. And tasty!"

Jack scanned the nearly empty car. Everyone appeared asleep or preoccupied. Picking up Penelope's discarded sweater, he blanketed her torso.

"I'm hot, Jack. I don't need that."

"Yes, you are a hottie," he said. When his fingers slipped under the hem of her shirt he felt her abdomen tighten. "Like you said, Babe, that was then and this is now."

No opposition was raised as his hand snaked up along her tummy until it reached the brazier.

"Front or back?"

"Hmm?" she sighed, distracted.

"The clasp. Is it in the front or the back?"

Before answering, she wriggled her back into his chest, closed her eyes, and affectionately rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. "Front."

The other hand slipped in to help unhook it. Gently, his palms brushed upward to move aside the silky fabric and tease her flesh. The nipples became hard pleasure bumps, provoking a squirm and a soft moan when caressed. Jack had fondled bigger breast and he'd fondled smaller ones, but he'd never fondled better. There was a new element in this sex act and it had him trembling with a higher level of want. What was it? Gratitude? No one had ever meant as much to him as Penelope. Or was it her fidelity? Through all the pain of home life, she'd waited for him. There was powerful mojo at work.

Pinching and rolling her nipples, touching her ear with his lips, Jack promised, "It's your turn now, Penns. Your life has just begun."

With a sudden arching of her back, barely audible, she squeaked, "Oh, I'm coming."

Surprised and delighted, Jack covered her mouth with his until the crisis passed.

"Wow, I didn't know I could do it like that," she sighed, reaching back and running her fingers through his hair.

"You feel so good, Penns," he said, continuing to massage the soft skin. "You're my childhood fantasy come true."

She just smiled in answer.

A while later, they fell asleep with his hands still hidden.