Warning: For some of you that have been following Daniel and Jill's journey this chapter is going to blow your mind. It will certainly challenge certain societal views of what love and romance truly are. Please keep an open mind and heart for the rest of this amazing journey into true love, soul mates, and redemption. But hold onto your seats, folks, because things get really interesting from here.
***
Jill nibbled on pretzels as the three women giggled and laughed. This it seemed was another tradition. A sexy shopping trip to end all shopping trips. She was just glad that they had separated once they got to the mall. She blushed as she thought of the contents of the purple and gold bag on the floor next to her.
As if reading her mind, Simone lifted her pink and silver one, "Show and tell time, ladies," she announced to her friends.
Jill was glad that Trisha moaned along side her, at least she would have an ally, but from the willful and determined look on her best friend's face it would be a futile fight.
"Come on, Simone," pleaded the stunning red-head that looked out of place in their curvy women's club. But the only response was a stare down.
"I'll go first," Simone offered. "Rule is just one item, but it has to be your wildest purchase."
Jill fought back another wave of nausea at her words.
"You sure you're feeling better, sugar?" Trisha placed her perfectly manicured hand over hers on the table.
She nodded but the action only made the situation worse. "I'll be fine. The doctor said these things could take a few days to clear up," she smiled.
"You went to the doctor?" demanded Simone.
"No, what would be the point? It's obviously the food poisoning that Bel had."
"How do you know that if you haven't seen him?" asked Trisha. "I mean you don't have a fever or the diarrhea. And this is lasting way longer. What is it five days? Six now?"
Jill nodded, "I haven't actually thrown up in two days though. I was reading up on these things on the Internet though. It said that every body is different. Maybe since I have a milder case it is just taking longer to work it's way out of my system?"
"Or it isn't food poisoning at all?" Trisha giggled, "Have you thought it could be morning sickness?"
Jill went even paler at her friend's words, "This is anything except 'morning' sickness. I feel great in the morning. It's the afternoons I have to worry about. Besides I'm forty-five years old, do you know the odds of me getting pregnant?"
She regretted her spontaneous words the moment that she saw Simone's face. The pained look was like slamming the car door on your own hand. She reached across the table and covered her friend's chunky hand. "I didn't mean...You are not forty-five."
Simone forced a smile, "I know what you meant. But Trisha has a point, sweetie. Fertility might decrease after forty, but that is not birth control. If you aren't feeling better in a couple of days, I think you should see the doctor. Just to be sure."
Jill rolled her eyes, "Come on, you two."
Their conversation was making her more than a little uncomfortable. It was something she really had not even considered. Sure, she and Daniel had never really taken any precautions. Hell, worse yet, they had never even discussed it. She blushed deeper at the memory, except for his erotic fantasy at the lake.
She frowned as she thought about it. Pregnant? As unlikely as it was, she could not stop her heart from racing a bit. Another baby. Daniel's baby. Their baby. Her throat tightened and she fought back the moisture that threatened her vision.
She drew a deep breath and forced her mind back from that path. Like she told them, at forty-five the odds were most definitely against her conceiving. Seriously against it. What would be the point of getting her hopes up? It was not worth thinking about, let alone talking about with these two.
In desperation, she took up her friends earlier challenge, "All right, Simone. Show us your worst. Or do I go first?"
Trisha moaned, "Not you too."
Simone smiled and pulled something from the bag. In one hand she held a small black box with an array of mechanical buttons. Attached to it by a long cord, she held a string of shimmering pink pearlescent beads in the other.
"What the hell is that?" demanded Trisha.
Jill chuckled knowing exactly what her friend held in her hand. The two women responded almost simultaneously, "Butt beads."
Simone pushed a button on the black box and there was a soft buzzing sound, "Vibrating butt beads."
The red head drew back and shivered, "That's disgusting. Ain't nothing going near my ass."
Simone winked at Jill, "You don't know what you're missing, sweet cheeks. All right, Jill, your turn."
Jill hesitated. The contents of her bag were shocking. She knew that. In fact, she was still not certain if she would find the courage to use any of it. It had been years since she had released that side of her. She smiled at those memories.
Truth was that despite the battle with this stomach bug, things had never been better between them. That day by the pool, and in the water, had freed something inside of her. Something she feared was dead. She loved the feeling of making love with Daniel naked. Oh, she still got shy at moments, but he either teased her through it or just pushed down her walls.
He even seemed to enjoy some of her wilder and more wanton ways. Her potty mouth as it had been called even seemed to drive Daniel to newer and higher levels of passion. Her pleas for him to 'fuck me hard' always met with moans and compliance. But this was so much beyond all that.
"Come on, girl friend. Give it up," Simone demanded, pulling Jill back from her thoughts.
She lifted the bag and peeked inside. The leather bustier, the blind fold or the riding crop. She was glad now there had not been a hardware store in the mall. Rope might have won out as the kinkiest. As it was she slowly drew the leather riding crop from the bag and laid it on the table.
Trisha's eyes flew open, her red lips forming a perfect O. Simone laughed, "Wow, girl friend, props to you. I'm not sure even I would trust Samuel with something that dangerous looking in his hand."
Jill smiled at the stunned look on her friends' faces when she replied, "Who says it's for Daniel to use on me?"
***
Daniel watched Britney and Ashley double team poor T.J.
"Hey, man, that ain't fair?" complained Travis. "There are two of them."
Samuel chuckled, "Hey, give him another twenty years. Bet he wouldn't be complaining then?" He winked at his friends as they shared babysitting duties. "So any bets about what the girls bring home?" he teased.
