They gathered again for their weekly meeting, which they had been doing now for over a year. Three were neighbors, the other two long time friends. It began casually, occasionally suggesting titles to one another, and briefly comparing opinions until the idea of a formal neighborhood book club arose and became a weekly get together.
Lola was hosting today's club meeting. This would be her last for several months as hosting duties rotated on a monthly basis. She was happy about that. While she enjoyed these gatherings, more for the camaraderie than the meeting's actual purpose, having to come up with clever food items to pick on every week was exhausting. Fortunately, the women were not too particular about the Chardonnay Lola served--as long as it was wine.
They always spent several minutes catching up with each other before discussing the book of the week. Often, the catching up portion lasted longer than the book reviews, and it seemed, there were times when no one really cared about the publication.
Since they saw each other every week, the catching up portion didn't always take long. So, the time came to get down to business.
"So, did anybody like this book?" Lola asked to affect the transition.
"It was depressing," Lisa said, speaking up.
"I agree," Jennie said. "It was an effort to get through it."
"Yeah," Anne chimed in. "It was so dark; I don't even want to discuss it."
"The next book we choose needs to be lighter," Nicole said. "Maybe even a comedy."
"Does anyone else not want to discuss it?" Lola asked.
"I don't need to discuss it," Lisa said. "I've said pretty much all I can say about it."
"How about a sexy book next?" Jennie suggested.
The others all chuckled.
"Sexy in what way?" Lola wanted to know. "Like a how-to, or a sexual novel?"
With a smirk, Jennie asked, "Do any of you
not
know how?"
That elicited laughter.
"So, no how-to," Lola deduced. "Any of you have a title in mind?"
No one did.
At that moment, the front door opened, and a virile young man entered carrying a backpack and suitcase. He obviously did not know there was a gathering going on.
The five women merely stared with mouths agape.
When the man approached the ladies, he stopped to take in the scene. Lola stood excitedly.
"Paul!"
Lola stood and ran to him, hugging him tightly. "I didn't know you were coming home today!"
The remaining four women stood and surrounded their friend greeting her son.
"I was able to get an earlier flight," Paul explained. He was returning from naval deployment. "Am I interrupting something?"
"Just another weekly book club meeting," Lola said.
"And
no,
you're
not
interrupting," Jennie said. "You're a welcome intrusion."
"Yeah," Lisa agreed. "Book club was getting a little depressing."
"Put your stuff down and join us," Anne suggested, taking him by the arm and leading him to the sofa. "How about some wine?"
Paul went along. "Beer would be better."
Nicole, who was a neighbor, went into the kitchen and returned with the requested brew. When she returned, Paul was sandwiched between Anne and Jennie, with Lisa close to Jennie. Handing the bottle to him, Nicole sat alone on the perpendicular love seat.
Lola was amused to see her friends clamoring around her son as though they had not seen a man in a long time. Jennie's arm was linked in Paul's, and Anne was leaning against him, rubbing her foot against his calf.
Paul was both tickled and also amused by the sudden attention he was receiving from these women he knew fairly well. Of course, Nicole and Lisa were long time neighbors. Paul was even friends with their kids who were roughly his same age. Anne and Jennie had been friends with his mother for as long as he could remember. They were all very attractive women. As a teenager, he'd always had an eye for them. And even now, in their forties, they were still women to be noticed. Although, seeing Nicole sitting alone on the love seat, he noticed that she seemed to have put on a few pounds. She had always been the most beautiful. She still was, though now she was chubby or pleasingly plump, but she was still a looker.
"So, tell us about the Navy," Jennie said. "You've been on a ship?"
"Yes," Paul confirmed. "For several months."
"So, you haven't been with a woman for--"
"Several months," Paul said.
"There are no women on your ship?" Anne asked.
"There are four."
"Not enough for a ship full of men," Anne deduced.
"They're off limits," Paul pointed out. "Not to mention they're not very attractive in working uniforms."
"So, you must be pretty horny," Jennie surmised.
"Jennie!" Lola called out. "Seriously? That's a little
personal."
"It's okay, mom. We get asked questions like that all the time. And,
yes,
I am horny."
"I can tell," Jennie said.
"Jennie!"
Lola again called out.
"Well,
hell,
Lola," Jennie shot back.
"Look!"
Jennie ran her hand along the obvious bulge in Paul's pants. "Wow! That's
massive!"