Family Affairs

Passion In James County XIX

Family Affairs

By D.C. Roi

Chapter fifty

The orchestra was already playing when the four of them arrived at the big hotel. Matt was excited. The prospect of holding Mary in his arms while they danced had him more than a little stirred up. She slipped her arm in his as they walked into the hotel. That made the young man even giddier. He never dreamed he'd wind up going to the prom with someone as pretty as Mary. He was aware of the jealous looks of several of the other guys in his class were giving him as he and his date walked into the ballroom. He could almost see the other boys wondering, "What's going on?"

The four of them sat at a table in a far corner and, shortly after they were seated, the band started playing a slow tune.

Rick turned to Dianna. "Want to dance?" he asked her.

Dianna smiled at him. "I'd love to," she said.

They walked onto the dance floor and Dianna came into his arms, her body molding itself against him. Delightful feelings swept through Rick. This was fantastic.

Dianna's soft hair tickled Rick's face as she snuggled against him. He couldn't remember having a more delightful dance partner. Having the lithe, lovely blonde in his arms was a little like being in heaven as far as he was concerned.

Matt looked at Mary and smiled. "I can take pictures a little later, I think I'd like to dance first, how about you?" he asked.

"I thought you'd never ask," Mary replied.

They followed Rick and Dianna out to the dance floor and came into each other's arms. A tingle of delight raced up Mary's spine when Matt's warm fingers landed on her bare back and she pressed against him.

"This is really neat," he whispered as they glided around the dance floor.

"It's heavenly," Mary replied.

When the dance ended the two couples walked back to the table, sat down, and chatted for a few minutes.

"I better get some pictures," Matt said. He got his camera out of his camera bag and started moving around the hall, snapping pictures of the couples seated at the other tables.

Dianna leaned over, kissed Rick softly on the cheek, then she squeezed his arm. "Tonight is wonderful," she said softly. "I'm really glad you invited me."

Rick kissed her on the forehead. "I'm having a great time, too," he said. The band swung into a fast tune.

Dianna grabbed his hand. "Come on, let's dance," she said. "We can talk later."

Out on the dance floor, he couldn't keep from staring at Dianna. She was, in his opinion, poetry in motion. Her lithe body moved incredibly well as she danced. He swallowed hard and pinched himself. He couldn't believe she was actually here, with him. His date.

Immediately after the fast dance, the band began a slow tune. Dianna came into his arms and once more they glided around the dance floor. The pressure of Dianna's body against his was doing wild things to Rick, who made no effort to hide them. If she felt the erection growing in his pants, pressing against her wonderful body, she gave no indication. She didn't back off from the close embrace he held her in.

When the slow dance began, Matt began making his way back toward his table, but before he could get there, he saw the principal, Mr. Tompkins, talking to Mary, who smiled, nodded, then rose to her feet. The young man stood there, feeling a surge of jealousy go through him, as he watched Mary walk out onto the dance floor with the principal.

"I must say, Mrs. Forrester, I was very impressed when I heard you'd taken Matt in after the terrible tragedy that took his parents," the principal said while he and Mary walked out onto the dance floor. "Especially in view of the fact that you and your husband are divorcing. There aren't many people who would do that."

"Thank you, Principal Tompkins," Mary said. She almost giggled when she saw the confusion on the man's face as he tried to figure out where to put his hand while they were dancing."

"Ah...please, Mrs. Forrester, I'd like it if you called me Armand," the principal said. "How have you been coping with the fact that you have double the number of teenage sons?"

"And I'm Mary, Armand," Mary replied. "Actually, there hasn't been much change. Matt helps around the house a lot. Having him there hasn't really put me under any additional strain." "Actually, he's done a lot to relieve my tension," she found herself thinking, and had to bite her lip to keep from giggling.

"Yes, I've always found him to be a wonderful boy," the principal said. "How are you managing the aftermath of your, ah, divorce, if I may ask?"

"I'm getting by," Mary said. "You know, being a single parent keeps you busy."

"Ah, yes," the principal said, "but does it allow you time for a social life?"

"Well...I..." Mary began to say. She realized where the conversation was heading. Fortunately, the fact that the orchestra stopped playing removed the need for her to continue the conversation.

"Thank you so much for the dance, Mary," Principal Tompkins said. "Would you mind if I asked you for another later?"

"No, of course not," Mary said.

Mr. Tompkins walked her back to her table. Matt was careful from that point on to make sure he was fairly close by when songs started and, except for the fast dances, and a few times he and Rick swapped partners, he danced most of the remaining dances with Mary.

It was getting near the end of the evening when the principal finally managed to get another dance with Mary, much to Matt's discomfort. He'd gone to get them refreshments and heard the orchestra start a slow tune. By the time he got back to the table, Mr. Tompkins and Mary were once again out on the dance floor. He plunked down in his chair, looking glum.

"I'm sorry, Mary," the principal said as they moved into each other's arms and began moving around the dance floor. "I had hoped to have more than two dances with you, but here it is, near the end of the evening."

"That's all right, Armand," Mary said. "I'm sure you've been in demand."

"I certainly have," he said. "Despite our best efforts, some people do try to ruin things for the rest of us. Some boys, whose names I won't mention, actually tried to bring some liquor in."

"Well, I'm glad you were here to stop them," Mary said. "I've always felt safe knowing that Rick is in your hands at school." She had no idea why she was buttering him up like that, it just felt like a fun thing to do.

"It's nice of you to say that, Mary," the principal said. "And since you feel that way, I was wondering; how would you feel about putting yourself in my hands?"

"Armand, what, exactly, are you asking me?" Mary replied.

The principal's face turned bright red. "I...I'm sorry, Mary, I...I got carried away, I...I didn't mean that like I'm sure it sounded," he stammered. "What...what I meant was...well...would you consider going out with me? I am, as you may know, a divorcee, too."

"Armand, it's really sweet of you to ask me," Mary replied. "And I must say I'm honored. But, well, I guess you might say I've already made a commitment to someone."

"I'm sorry to hear that," the principal said, looking a bit crestfallen. "I really am."

Fortunately, once again, the song ended, saving Mary further discussion. Two more slow dances followed, and she danced with Matt during both of them. Then the orchestra leader announced that the next song would be the last one for the evening.

"It's hard to believe the prom's over already," Matt said as he and Mary glided around the dance floor. He began moving his fingers lightly up and down her bare back and felt her shudder. "What's the matter, does that tickle?" he asked, grinning.

"It does more than that," Mary responded as tremors of pleasure vibrated through her in response to his caresses. "And you know it."

"We're going to be able to do something about that real soon," Matt said.

"We better," Mary responded. "What...what you're doing really has me turned on." His fingers were stealing daringly low on her bare back, slipping under the low-cut back of the dress, tantalizing her bottom.

Mary wasn't aware of the plans he'd made for them after the prom. He knew she expected to go home, but that wasn't what they were going to do.