Vision of the Spirit

Penny felt emotionally drained, as she left the hospital and walked to her car. The doctor was satisfied with her father's improving condition. On Monday, a medical transport would move him to Mercy General, near her home. She'd be able to visit him everyday.

A gust of cold mountain air sent a shiver through her, while she leaned against the car fender and phoned home.

"Hello?" said a timid voice on the other end.

Automatically, mother-mode kicked in. Penny smiled. "Hi, Linda. How are you doing?"

"Mom!" Linda's excited voice turned away from the receiver and yelled. "Hey, Guys! Mom's on the phone!"

The connection rattled as multiple extensions picked up. Questions were fired at her from three directions. After answering them all, Penny asked an important question of her own. "Where's Dad?"

"He's not here."

"He's not?" She fought to keep suspicion out of her tone. "Did he say where he was going?"

"He went to get a part to fix the kitchen faucet."

She looked at her watch and doubted. "Okay. He should be home soon."

Oldest son, Brian said, "Yeah, right."

"I'll be home tomorrow. You call me if you need anything."

They said their goodbyes and hung up.

Immediately, Penny called her husband's cell phone and it went directly to voice mail. She sat in the parking lot for several minutes, fighting for composure. She could choose to be angry and hurt, or she could choose to live in the moment and enjoy life as it comes. Long ago, she'd learned how not to be a victim. She'd learned to control her emotions and make the best of the situation.

Peter was out doing whatever made Peter happy, and now she was going to do whatever made her happy. First, she had one more errand to run.

At night, the Midway motel still made her uneasy. Tom wasn't in his cabin, so she wandered around the grounds, looking for him. The 'No Vacancy' sign was turned on, although there were only two cabins that appeared occupied.

A faint guitar gave her direction and she followed it to the barn. The big door was open. Tom sat silhouetted in the yellow light, strumming bluesy chords. His long hair was loose and disheveled. Beer bottles sat in a bucket of ice at his side. Empties lay scattered in the dirt.

"Hey! How's it going?"

Startled, Tom straightened up. He was bare-chested and acted a little embarrassed. Nervously, he combed a hand through his hair, and mumbled, "It's all good. How's Mr. Wentworth?"

"He's doing better. Dad would like to see you before he leaves on Monday." As she explained her father's transfer to another hospital, Penny admired his chiseled physique. He was a handsome young man, full of life. She wondered how his muscular chest would feel pressed against her. The vision of his potent virility focused on her body made her flesh warm, but she couldn't take advantage of him like that. Not like they took advantage of Hannah. "Aren't you cold?"

He held up his beer, and said, "Antifreeze. Would you like one?"

"No thanks." Penny walked into the barn and flicked off the lights. "Tom, come with me. I have a proposition for you."

After he closed the barn door and put on his shirt, Tom followed Penny back to the motel office.

She led him into the living room before speaking. "Dad isn't coming back. He's too old to take care of this place. We talked it over and, if you're interested, we'd like you to run the place. Dad's attorney will check in with you, periodically. The motel is paid for, so the only thing it needs is some management and maintenance. Whatever profit you make after expenses you can keep, for now. Everything happened so fast we're kind of winging it. Because you saved Dad's life, he's giving you this opportunity if you want it. If not, we'll just close the motel and put it on the market. I'm sure it would sell quickly."

Tom looked a little wobbly and she wondered if he was sober enough to make a rational decision. "You can sleep on it, and let me know what you want to do tomorrow. I've packed up most of Dad's personal stuff. You can move in here tomorrow night, after I'm gone. We'll work on getting the rest packed later." Reaching into her pocket, she said, "One more thing," and pulled out a slip of paper. "Here's Hannah's email address, at least she said it was. I'm leaving the computer here. We can keep in touch over the Internet. Dad's username and password are taped to the bottom of the keyboard. You can use them to log on, until you get your own account." She placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled warmly. "Good night. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks, thanks a lot, Mrs. Skinner." Tom followed her out and waited until she was safely away.

Penny relaxed behind the wheel, satisfied every detail was complete. The rest of the night was for her personal gratification only. She didn't think it would be too difficult to get what she wanted. What she wanted was sex -- hardcore, sweaty, recreational sex. She deserved it, and she wanted to have it with Willie.

'Twenty years ago, he should've been my first lover. Life brought me back for a second chance.' Instead, he would be her first adulterous lover. The only hiccup in the plan was Annie, his wife. The gossip from Hannah was that Annie wanted to swing with another woman, before settling into motherhood. Well, if that's what it took to get into bed with Big Willie, then so be it. A ménage à trios and lesbian sex would just be two more firsts.

Getting naked with Annie would be strange indeed, thought Penny, but the earlier disguised fondling felt very nice. In fact, the cute little redhead's touch was quite exhilarating. Also, if Annie were involved, Penny wouldn't feel guilty about screwing her husband. Consensual sex would make everyone happy.

Penny pressed a little harder on the accelerator.

Little Freddie was awake and fussy when she walked in the front door of the Morris residence. Annie was sitting on the living room sofa, trying to get him to drink from a baby bottle.

"Hi, how's it going?"

Annie smiled weakly. "Not so good. I think he wants the real thing."

Penny unbuttoned her blouse. "Okay little man, calm down. Mommy's here." She plopped down next to Annie, grabbed Freddie, and stuck her left nipple into his eager mouth. "Ouch! Take it easy."

Annie watched with captivated interest, as Freddie engaged in resolute sucking. "I think he missed you."

"I'm sorry if I was gone too long. There were a lot of details to take care of. Freddie didn't cry the whole time, did he?"

"No, he's been great. The first feeding was no problem. But I guess two bottles in a row was more than he could stand. How's your dad doing?"

"Much better, thanks. Monday, he's being transferred to a hospital closer to home. But, I have to leave tomorrow. I phoned home and found out Peter's left the kids alone, again. He can't be trusted to do the right thing." Penny closed her eyes and tried to put aside the tension in her marriage. She took a deep breath and sighed. "I love this time with my babies. It's so peaceful and I feel so close them. It makes me important and needed, like my life means something."

"You are important." Annie said, and laid a hand on Penny's arm. "Raising children must be very satisfying. Meeting you has given me hope. I'm a little scared. I'm afraid I'll lose my individuality."

"You will, for a while. But kids are worth it. They transform us into unselfish people. Are you going to breastfeed?" She opened her eyes. Annie still watched Freddie suck. The old familiar tingle vibrated to Penny's nipples.

"Yes, I am. You've convinced me," said Annie, meeting her eyes with tenderness beyond kinship.

Again, Penny was reminded of their physical contact earlier in the day. The incident had planted a seed of sexual curiosity, and Penny decided to let it grow and flower.

But what she really wanted to sprout and grow was a different sort of stem. "Where's Willie?"

Annie shrugged, and said, "It's after ten o'clock. He's in bed." She stood up. "I'm going to make some red raspberry leaf tea. Would you like some?"

Disappointed by the absent Willie, Penny managed a small grin and said, "That sounds delicious. I'd love some, thank you."

Freddie fell asleep. Apparently, he just missed his mommy and wanted her familiar comfort more than her milk. Penny carried him into the spare room and laid him down in the playpen. She watched him sleep, while trying to determine what to do. Finally, she decided to let Annie lead the way.

'After all, tomorrow I'll be gone and no one will be the wiser. This is probably my last chance to experience sexual freedom… or maybe it's more like sexual healing.'

Out in the hall, Penny noticed the master bedroom door was open. She couldn't resist a peek inside. Willie was asleep. The television was still on, and the remote control rested under his large hand. A sheet was spread low on his hips, and dark pubic hair sprouted along the edge of white cotton. A prominent bulge marked his cock. He slept nude, just like she'd pictured him for so many years. There was a lot more hair on his chest than she remembered. Some of it was gray. His stomach was nearly flat, but not as well defined. The physical changes of age didn't take away any of her lust, they only made it ache with regret. When Penny returned to the living room, Annie was already seated on the couch and sipping tea.

Penny sat down and picked up her steaming china cup. "Mmm, this is delicious."

"It's supposed to be good for pregnant women."

Silently, they savored their tea while glancing around the room, neither woman willing to broach their palpable nervousness.

Consciously, Penny tried to swap the sexy thoughts about Willie with visions of Annie. She enjoyed the fantasy of someone new and different wanting her. The attention from another woman felt curiously intriguing. Too much time had passed since she'd thought of herself as attractive. Although careful to maintain her figure, no one really looked at her sexually, anymore. She was just a mom, doing mommy things.

If her husband found satisfaction outside of their marriage, then why shouldn't she? But Annie wasn't flaunting the same impulsiveness she had earlier. Penny thought, 'Maybe I misread everything. Maybe my own pathetic need has tainted my perception of what really happened.' The silence became uncomfortable. "So, Annie, do you have any questions about breastfeeding?"

Annie set down her cup, curled her legs up on the cushion, and said, "As a matter of fact, I do. I was wondering… You mentioned if my nipples got sore, my baby might not be latching on correctly. I don't understand. What's the right way?"

Maybe this question was meant as an opportunity, an invitation to acknowledge interest. Penny smiled warmly, and thought, 'Don't jump to conclusions. It's just a question.' Unbuttoning her blouse, she answered, "Here, it's easier to show you." After unhooking the nursing bra flap and exposing a breast, she circled the dark areola with her finger. "Your baby should suck in as much of the breast as possible, not just the nipple." The tickling touch made the nipple expand. Penny trembled with apprehensive excitement.

Annie leaned forward for a closer examination. "Your skin is beautiful -- flawless. I'm so sick of my freckles," and then asked in an offhand way, "You had an orgasm from the breast pumps, didn't you?"

Embarrassment colored Penny's face. Speaking about it seemed scandalous, like confessing a secret. But she wanted to be honest and felt compelled to encourage the mother-to-be. "I tried to stop it. But you guys made me feel so good, I couldn't help myself. You gave me a nice little skimmer."

Penny's blush must've hinted her self-consciousness. Annie quickly added, "It's okay. Willie and I were very turned on, too." She slid over and began to toy with Penny's blonde hair. "After you left, we made love out on the deck. Thank you for the unconventional foreplay!" Annie inched closer until their legs touched, and whispered, "I think he was pretending I was you."

They exchanged smiles, Penny didn't know what to say, but she liked the imagery.

Annie's focus wandered down to Penny's still exposed breast. "Another thing I wonder about … how does breast milk taste?" Her left arm snaked around Penny's shoulders, as her right hand moved to support the show-and-tell C cup. "May I?"

This was the point of no return. Penny's answer would start them down a path she'd never traveled before, or ever dreamt about. The hand was so delicate, felt so different than any other's touch. Penny became speechless. The word, 'yes', wouldn't form on her lips, so she nodded permission.

Annie bent down and Penny cradled the back of her head.

Penny closed her eyes to shut out everything except the sensations. First, Annie rubbed her cheek against it. The smoothness of Annie's skin was so unlike a man's bristly cheek, it surprised her. She felt a tongue circle the nipple with teasing slowness. Seconds later, warm lips closed around the tormented point and gently sucked. Then, Annie broke the connection to blow a cool stream of air across the damp tip, sending shivers to Penny's clitoris.

Annie whispered, "Tell me if I latch on the right way, okay?" and then put her mouth back over the nipple and drew in most of the areola.

"Oh, yes. That's very good." Penny's body responded. She tangled her fingers in the soft red hair and massaged Annie's scalp. Her other hand came up to support Annie's back. She felt her milk flowing into the young woman's mouth.

Annie moaned at the rush of flavor.

In response, a different sort of liquid began to flow between Penny's thighs. Unannounced, another small hand slipped inside her open blouse, edged underneath the bra and teased her other nipple. Shockwaves of pleasure pulsed with every pinch and pull. This new thrill created a confusing mix of emotions. Too soon, it ended.

Annie sat up and smiled. "Your milk tastes sweet."

Still quivering, Penny waited until her heart rate returned to somewhere near normal. "I know. Peter likes it in his coffee."

Casually, Annie picked up her teacup. "Really? I'll have to try that sometime."

With no reason to stay exposed, Penny tucked her breast back into her bra, but left the blouse unbuttoned.

They returned to casual tea sipping and quiet tension.

Glancing at Annie, Penny struggled with her confusion. Part of her wanted to continue this exploration down the Lesbos path, part of her wanted to run away, and a third part wanted to run into the master bedroom and fuck Willie Morris until her head exploded. She had the distinct impression that Annie was waiting for a decision. Penny didn't know what to do. She'd never been a seducer of men and certainly not of women. She always preferred the man to be the aggressor. Perhaps Annie just needed a little confirmation.

She thought, 'If I show a little forwardness, maybe Annie will take over.' In the interest of tit-for-tit, Penny offered, "You know, Annie, if you'd like, I could show you how a proper breast feeding would feel."

Annie's face beamed with pure delight. She answered in a sultry tone, "Would you? That would be very helpful."

Once again, they set down their cups and saucers. This time, Annie pulled off her baggy tee shirt. "I like the easy access of front clasp bras." With that said, she parted the garment in the middle and let both breasts pop free. The bra was tossed on the floor along with the shirt.

The women smiled at one another.

Penny let her eyes drift down to Annie's chest and swollen belly. Unsure of how to proceed, she stalled for time and asked, "When are you due?"

"October."

Penny moved closer. Her hand trembled, as it traveled to rest on the younger woman's pregnant stomach. The skin was taut and smooth, like her own had been. Her eyes wandered back to the freckled chest. Annie's areolas were much smaller than her own, but the nipples were just as erect. "I like your freckles." The words quivered, and it pained her to hear it. She didn't like revealing any vulnerability.

Annie placed a hand on Penny's shoulder. "Thank you. Willie likes them, too. He says they're cute. But I'm tired of being 'cute'. I want him to say I'm hot." She leaned back and closed her eyes.

Penny was glad that Annie closed her eyes. It gave her a private moment to contemplate another woman's nudity through voyeuristic eyes. Her body looked pretty much like hers. It had the same equipment, except firmer. The idea of having sex with the same parts remained oddly enticing. This other woman also had regular sex with Willie, and Penny envied that. "I think you look hot. You're body is filled with new life, made by love." She grazed the side of Annie's breast with the back of her hand.

Annie flinched and then relaxed.

Heart pounding, Penny thought, 'this is kind of thrilling. I can't believe I really want to do this. I want to fondle another woman.'

Annie's chest had a pink, sun kissed hue. Her eyes were still closed, but an expectant grin curled her lips.

Penny didn't hesitate anymore and quickly bent down to suck the right nipple without warning.

Annie's body jerked from the rush of sensation.

The size of the nipple felt very different in her mouth than a man's -- spongy, and more surface to play with. For long seconds, Penny sucked as a child would, until Annie began to squirm. She stopped, and tried to sound clinical. "Okay, that's what a good breast latch feels like."

Before Penny could sit up, Annie grabbed the back of her head. "Please, show me on the other one, too."

Amazed at her own excitement, Penny didn't hesitate to say, "All right." This was definitely not an instructional experiment anymore. She applied soft, inflammatory kisses across her chest, on the way to the other side. Annie's chest turned a darker shade of pink. The realization of what she was doing with the wife of her first love struck home. She paused over Annie's heaving chest, and asked, "Do you love Willie? Is he good to you?"

"What? …" In a dreamy voice, she answered, "Of course I love him. No one has ever treated me better."

Reality had passed the point of her fantasy. The moment was genuine and electrifying. Penny licked circles around the sensitive tip and traced the abandoned nipple with her fingertip.

Annie responded with sighs of pleasure, and said, "You know how to tease a woman."

"How about this?" Penny pinched Annie's nipple between tight lips and ground her jaw side to side, while flicking the tip with her tongue.

A moan leaked from Annie, as she arched toward Penny's mouth. "Ooo, Willie likes to do that."

Penny sat up and moved one cushion away. "I know. He did it to me, a long time ago."

"Really? You remembered? That's… amazing."

The tea was gone. They had no more props to stall with, no educational charade to perpetuate.

After a minute to ponder, Annie turned, leaned back against the arm of the sofa and put her feet up on the cushion between them. Boldly, she lifted her fanny, pushed her shorts and panties down to her ankles, and spread her knees.

Penny had seen the face of lust on women before. She'd seen it acted on the movie screen thousands of times. But to see another woman directing that wanton gaze toward her was intimidating. Peripherally, she could see the other woman's shiny pink lips. Her mind registered the complete shave. Penny felt the erotic magnetism pulling her eyes downward between the gaping thighs. Her consciousness screamed, 'this is what you wished for!' But, she couldn't break eye contact. Penny wouldn't allow herself the initiative.

Annie said something, but it didn't register. Louder, she said, "Penny?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Did you have this dark line down your abdomen when you were pregnant?" Annie's fingers floated down her chest and over her belly. They traced the thin, brown line from Annie's navel to her open crotch.