Horner Springs the Institute

To Anonymous who told me to stop writing this story: Stop Reading This Story!

*****

Justin Heityme, Lecturer in Environmental Science with a dual-track position in Human Sexuality, spent Friday afternoon doing research until dinner time. Then he closed his books and left the library, climbed into his battered mini-pickup and drove home to the comfortable log house he shared with Laurie Beindre, Ph.D. (UCSF), Chair of the Department of Human Sexuality and, just incidentally, Justin's live-in lover. Or perhaps it was the other way around since she was old enough (just barely) to be his mother and the owner of the home. He puzzled over a shiny new Land Rover parked in front. He hadn't heard of any of their friends getting new wheels so he wondered about it as he sauntered in the front door. Sitting in the living room with martini glasses in hand were two spritely-looking octogenarians. He gaped.

"Aunt Hester?"

"Justin, darling! Come give your old great-auntie a kiss. And this is Thaddeus. We met in Las Vegas at the Show Jumping World Cup last year and haven't been apart since. He's as rich as I am and the best part is, everything still works!"

Thaddeus raised his glass in greeting. "Justin, m'boy, your aunt has been going on and on ever since the family got wind of your appointment here. Congratulations! We've been out to see the stables. Migawd, but Laurie has a fine lookin' stud. Never been into mustangs m'self but havin' had a look at hers I'm beginnin' to understand the appeal. And Kigers? The zebra stripin' on them is a wonder."

By now Laurie had her hand over her mouth to keep from bursting into giggles. Hester and Thaddeus had appeared unannounced on the porch, introduced themselves and breezed in as though they were family. And they obviously were. She had started out deferential to their age but after no more than a quarter hour it became equally obvious that they had been serious hell-raisers in their youth and hadn't given up much in the years that followed. Thaddeus' stories of the sexual shenanigans at the Rome, Tokyo and Mexico City Olympics had both Laurie and Hester (who had been there!) in stitches. Laurie was even getting mildly aroused.

Justin was totally flustered. To him, his great aunt had always been an august, slightly distant figure who dictated to the rest of the family and was held in awe, especially by his generation. The idea that she had been a socialite and very serious party girl in her youth, with lovers on three continents, was a shock.

"And why shouldn't I have had, dear boy?" she asked, "I was young, pretty and very fit from all that riding. I attracted the men and my lusty young body appreciated their attention. Naturally I had all the fun I could. And when I finally decided to settle down with your Uncle Edmund and have babies I wasn't tempted to stray because I'd already done that. Then between raising your cousins, riding herd over the rest of the family and breeding hunters and Standardbreds, I was kept busy until poor Edmund passed away. By then your cousins were all grown so I could return to my wanton ways without anyone giving a hoot. And I have. Thaddeus is a delightful lover and companion and so we are traveling the world, attending equestrian events and doing the best to squeeze the most out of the time we have left. And you, it seems, are cast from the same mold!"

Justin opened his mouth but no sound came out.

"Well, he was a bit slow out of the starting gate," Laurie said with a grin, "but he's made up for lost time."

"And with 'n expert in BDSM?" Thaddeus was gleeful, "I call that jumpin' in the deep end of th' pool, so to speak."

Laurie raised an admonishing forefinger. "That's

expert on

BDSM, not

enthusiastic practitioner of

. I study the subject but am not heavily involved."

"Truly?" Aunt Hester raised her eyebrows in surprise, "I've long felt that a sharp spanking was a great way to get the foreplay off to a good start. Why, I remember Roderigo. A couple of months before Edmund proposed I was down in Buenos Aires for a polo match and met this dashing Argentine. Every time we were alone I ended up over his knee with my skirt up and my panties down. Once he had my bottom nice and red the rest of my clothes went flying and I was on my back with him inside."

"Sounds excitin'," Thaddeus allowed.

"A bit too much so, actually. Besides, I got the feeling his family disapproved. They wanted him to marry someone with more money than they thought I had. It never pays, I believe, to let a new lover know how rich you are. Fortunately for Thaddeus and I we're both on Standard and Poor's so a few moments with a smart phone cleared the air marvelously."

Laurie lowered her head and raised an eyebrow at Justin enquiringly.

"Alright!" he said, starting to blush—again, "when I turn twenty-one I get total access to the trust fund. And, yes, it's big. Auntie, how big is it these days?"

Hester shrugged. "Dear, that all depends on the Market on any given day, but safely? A hundred million or so. His great-great-grandfather," she said turning to Laurie, "had an incredible eye for property and securities and set things up so that the following generations would have to be utter idiots to not stay rich. We aren't and we have. This gave my grand-nephew, fiery little genius that he is, the wherewithal to save as much of the planet as he can. Of course, Justin dear, we do hope you do so prudently. It wouldn't do to make the rest of the family bail either you or any issue of yours out."

"So," Laurie said with a wicked grin, "you could fund your own Heityme Chair in Environmental Studies and have an international consulting firm as a sideline?"

Justin looked down at his lap. "Mmm, yeah" he mumbled, "I guess that's what I may end up doing." He looked up with tears in his eyes. "I mean, I'll have to. I—I can't bring myself to leave you, Laurie. Somehow I have to stay in Horner Springs!"

Laurie slid over next to him and pulled his head down against her breast. "And you shall, darling. Van Kanaal, Jake, and the rest of us aren't about to let a brain like yours get away. You've already impressed Administration enough that they have an Associate Professorship waiting for you as soon as you finish the doctorate. Don't worry, Justin, you have a place right here."

Aunt Hester leaned forward and patted his knee. "Typical Heityme," she mused, "Bonk like bunnies for the fun of it but when we do fall for someone, we fall hard! That's exactly what happened with my dear Edmund. Once I tied the knot with him I didn't want anyone else for the next thirty-one years. In fact, it was two years after he died that I finally got enough libido back to start playing around again. Now, Laurie, I know there's this age differential between you two but are there any prospects for children?"

"Not with me, Hester, but Justin has such a reputation on campus that half the women in the program would be only too happy to provide some. I'm sure that eventually one will show up who doesn't mind being part of our 'arrangement'."

A slow, sly smirk spread across Hester's face. "One already has, though she doesn't know it, yet. Her name is Michelle Tarbox. Her family fell on slightly hard times so she couldn't go to Vassar like everyone expected. Bright little girl and cute as they come. Her grandmother tells me she's here for pre-med but I doubt that's her real first choice. What the girl really needs is financial security and babies to raise.

And

, you two, before they had to sell the stable, she was a polo whiz."

Before Justin could protest, Laurie pulled out her iPhone and spun through the apps. "Ah, here she is. My goodness, Justin, she

is

cute. Ooo, Debbie Witherspoon would be all over her? You know, sweetheart, I think you need to make her acquaintance. My inner grandmother is starting to wake up and smell the coffee."

*****

Michelle read the immaculately calligraphied script in the note.

Dear Michi,

I'm so sorry things didn't turn out the way we all hoped but you should know that I talked to Dr. Kaultberg and he told me you really have done quite well. Even though Vassar has the grand reputation and tradition you wanted to be part of, Horner Institute's pre-med, especially pre-psychiatry program is among the best in the country.

So I hope you don't mind but I had these all ready for you to take to Poughkeepsie and it seemed a shame and a waste to not give them to you. Maybe you will find a use for them on some nice spring day.

Love,

Aunt Caroline.

In the box was a button down collared Oxford cloth blouse, a Shetland V-neck sweater with coordinated knee socks and a glen check plaid cashmere blend skirt. Michelle stood open mouthed looking down on them when an impertinent hand fondled her butt and her roommate's contralto voice asked, "Hey, Michi, what came in the mail? Oh, look at these! Girl, these are beautiful. What a wonderful outfit. Who sent it to you?"

At that point, Michelle broke down. Throwing herself into Heather's arms she sobbed out the story.

"I w—was supposed to go to Vassar. I—I had been accepted a—and everything. But then our portfolio tanked and suddenly half my college money was gone! We couldn't afford for me to go on our own a—and we had too much money for a scholarship. I wanted to go there so bad! A—and my auntie got this for me to wear at college in New York but I could only afford to go to Horner, instead. S—so she sent it to me here!"

With her arms still tight around the hysterical girl, Heather sat down on the bed and pulled her smaller roommate up onto her lap. She rocked the freshman back and forth until the tears finally let up and Michi could talk again.

"Michi, I'm really, really sorry. But Horner is an amazing school with its own set of traditions. Yeah, they're traditions we don't usually broadcast but they're ours. And, honey, even though we don't usually think of preppy clothes out here in the sagebrush and cottonwoods, that outfit, even sitting in the box is wonderful. Now go wash your face and come back here and try it on. I really want to see it on you."

Her face washed and hair brushed and glowing again, Michelle stripped down to her very scanty underwear and put everything on. There was even a coordinated Alice band to hold her long deep brunette hair in place. She took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror. Heather stood across the room looking both the girl and the image up and down.

"Your auntie is a stylist? I mean, she has your colors pegged, girl."

"She's a senior buyer for J. Crew."

"Well, damn, that explains it. You grew up dressing like that, didn't you? And I'll bet finding yourself out here in Levi-and-leather country was a shock. But, Michi, you look so hot. Suggestion? Ditch the panties. You wear that and you are going to get laid so often there's no sense putting them, anyway. You'll be constantly taking them off and trying to remember where you laid them down. And if a guy asks for them, tell him it's really uncool to go around collecting girls' lingerie. That's just not done at Horner."

Michelle stood looking at herself in the mirror for a long time, the tears welling back up in her eyes again.

"No," she said at last with a sniffle, "I'll just put them away to wear when I go home to visit. The last thing I need is to go around looking like some scrumptious dessert when all I want to do is cry. Maybe next year."

That night, Michelle woke up with a start. A warm, naked body had crawled in next to her and wrapped its arms around her. Her eyes popped open and she opened her mouth to protest but Heather's lips were already on hers, the tongue probing and caressing the inside of the younger girl's mouth. A thigh slipped between hers and started to rub her mons. A moments' struggle resulted only in her being rolled onto her back and expertly pinned down. And Heather's kisses were so hot that soon the struggles ceased and Michi began to hum and whimper in response. Finally, the kiss broke.

Michelle, still panting, looked up at her roommate and smiled ironically. "Well, I guess there's a first time for everything. Don't stop, for gawdsake."

"First time? You've never been done by another woman before? I thought . . . "

"No, I haven't."

"I—I'm sorry, I never gave it a thought. And I couldn't get the vision of you standing there all preppy looking out of my head and . . ."

"I said, don't stop. Now that you've got me turned on, finish me off."

A predatory light gleamed in Heather's eyes and a sly smile spread across her face. "Right. We'll do this the real lez way. Pick your leg up."

*****

The next morning Michi and Heather walked across campus. The September wind held a nip that promised serious cold for October and deep snow on the mountains surrounding Horner Basin by Thanksgiving. As they strolled they encountered a young man, sitting in the sun and doodling on the screen of his tablet; his eyes stared dreamily toward the distant horizon. Heather waved.

"Hey, Justin!"

The youth started, looked up and waved back, grinning. Social pleasantries over, he returned to whatever it was he was doing.

"Justin?" Michi looked quizzically at her roommate.

"Mm-hmm. Justin Heityme. He's the fair-haired boy of the Environmental Engineering department, in fact he just got appointed as a lecturer! Everyone fully expects him to develop an international reputation within ten years. Brilliant guy, but the inside of his head so fascinates him that it's a little hard to get his attention sometimes. But when he does concentrate—wow! He was in my Intro to Bondage class two years ago. He came in as a virgin, if you can believe that, but by the end of the class he did a project in Shibari Japanese rope work that earned an A+ for the semester."

Michi stopped in her tracks. "Intro to Bondage? They actually

teach

that here?"

Heather leered. "Do they ever! Justin installed a heavy-duty hook on the wall of his lab booth? And tied his partner Amanda up like a package? And then he used a light block and tackle to suspend her from the hook! When Professor Beindre came in to inspect the work she was so impressed she called the entire class in to see what he'd done. It was amazing."

Michi was astounded. "She was hanging from the wall? Naked? In front of the whole class?"

"Oh, yeah. We all wanted to rush back and try it for ourselves but Professor Beindre said it was a very advanced technique, too advanced for most of us. The next weekend, though, she sponsored a seminar that she and Justin led. All the girls got suspended and then the guys walked around groping us. It was so hot! And now Administration has

him

teaching it."

Michi shook her head. Horner Springs was well known for its free love lifestyle but the thought of dangling helplessly while ten to fifteen men took turns feeling her up was a little much. However, Heather had said it wasn't part of the normal curriculum so probably if she was careful it wouldn't happen to her—she hoped!

"Uh, if that was 'too advanced', what does the regular part of Intro to Bondage consist of?"

"Oh Michi, don't be such a poop! However, if it makes you feel better the class is mostly about buckles and cuffs, fur-lined ones. They're really soft and comfortable and hold you down just enough to restrict how much you can wiggle while getting fucked. Great fun but a little tame after you've been suspended."

"Nothing wrong with tame." But as they walked, Michi wondered about what she'd said. Heather sure hadn't been tame last night. She'd grabbed Michi's ankle, pushed it toward the ceiling and scooting between the smaller girl's thighs pressed their pussies together. She'd started to rock. After a few clumsy minutes the girls got their rhythms coordinated. As they rocked they got hotter and hotter until first Heather and then Michi shuddered and moaned. Heather refused to stop until a half hour later Michi pleaded for release. They were both so sweaty they'd had to shower again and fell asleep in Heather's bed. Did that actually quality as 'tame'?

*****

Justin shook his head in wonder. "Aunt Hester invited Michelle to come for a visit?" he asked Laurie, "You know, I'm not surprised. She's a dear, sweet, generous soul but when it comes to what she thinks is best for the family, she's as remorseless as a crocodile. But she does know the Tarbox's so I guess it's only polite that Michelle should visit while she's here."

Neither Laurie nor Willow made much attempt to 'manage' him but first Becky and now Aunt Hester were seriously getting in the way of his 'independent' life style. And what was he to do? He adored both of them, in different ways of course, and he was too well-brought up to get stubborn. So, with an overly dramatic sigh he set the table for six. It seemed Heather was coming, too.

Laurie, carefully keeping a straight face, found this all terribly amusing. Hester, she'd been told, was the eldest sister of four children and had had four of her own. Of course she would run everyone else's lives. Mothers know best, after all. And if it turned out that Michelle was a good match then Laurie would get the chance to practice a bit of mothering of her own. And if not, Futter College had plenty of eligible young women. It was merely a matter of time.

*****

"Let me get this straight," Heather impaled her roommate with a skeptical glance, "you and I have a dinner invitation with the chair of Human Sexuality and the hottest guy on campus? And just how did that happen?"

Michelle shrugged slightly as she continued donning the Vassar outfit. "An old friend of the family is here on a visit and it turns out she's Justin's great aunt. She and her boyfriend, if that's the right word for a man in his eighties, are staying with Professor Beindre. And by the way, you never told me that Justin was living with her! Anyhow, this is a social obligation for her to invite me to dinner and for me to accept. That's how things are done in my circle.

You

are invited along because you're my roommate and it would be rude to leave you out. That's also how things are done in my circle. It's an Olde Moneye thing, for those who still have old money."

"Justin is old money . . ."

Michelle leaned back on the bed. "It didn't register with me at first when you said his name was Heityme. I haven't seen any of them for a couple of years but it's quite possible that I met him once or twice. The Heityme's made their first fortune in whaling. Then they expanded into clipper ships and canals, then railroads and banking. Rich? You never hear of them because they prefer it that way but that family could buy and sell Donald Trump and give you change in Kennedy's! But they stick to themselves, never deal in politics and mostly breed and ride horses. I can't imagine what one is doing out here in Horner Springs!"

"Oh my

god

! Well, this Heityme is majoring in Environmental Science and, rumor has it, intends to "Save the World". He also is a Tantric adept who teaches Multiple Male Orgasm and, yes, lives with the Chair of Human Sexuality even though she's old enough to be his mother. I never had any idea . . ."

"Well, you were the one who said that the inside of his head is more interesting to him than the rest of the world. That may or may not be true but tonight we're going to find out."

"Yeah, I guess we will . . ."

*****

"Michelle, sweetie, how long has it been? You've not only grown but grown out beautifully. Why the men must be following you around drooling." Hester was playing the role of giddy social hostess to the hilt and Michelle knew it. Heather, on the other hand, was totally taken in and had no idea that serious plotting was in the works. Laurie watched with interest. Here was a game totally outside the Bakersfield, California experience and, if she understood it right, was one played not just for keeps, but for blood.