Barstow - Neighborhood Lothario

Whoop Whoop Whoop!

Our fourple is sitting in the kitchen picking at mostly empty dinner plates, lacking any hard plans for the evening. Jackson's phone has just gone off with the weird ringtone he's chosen for unknown numbers. Steve scowls at him for the obnoxious alert. He usually does on the rare instances somebody out of the blue calls Jax.

"Hello?" Jax answers, after noting that the number is a local landline.

"Is this Jackson? Jackson Foster?" asks the female voice.

"Yes."

"Hi. This is Roz."

"Roz?"

"Rosalyn Davenport, from down the street. You have a moment?"

Jax's eyes get really big, he blocks the microphone with his hand, and mouths to the others, "(Oh fuck! It's Davenport!)"

Cy, Em, and Steve try hard not to laugh out loud in their astonishment.

Back to his phone, "Sure. What's up?"

"Well... uh... I know Steve and Cyan have had a hard time with me, but Gloria suggested I contact you anyway. Would it be too forward to invite you over to my place for tea, dessert, and conversation tonight? I hope I'm not imposing."

"Gosh. This is unexpected. But no, I have no plans, and would enjoy the opportunity to meet you. Seven o'clock okay?"

"Perfect. See you then."

"Very good."

She ends the call.

Steve laughs. "Well that was awfully gracious of you, Jackson. What does she want?"

"To meet me. Tea and dessert."

"Out of the blue?"

"She's been talking to Gloria."

"Fuck, Jax."

"Yeah, that's what I think, too."

Emily and Cyan are snickering at this predicament.

"You gonna turn her down when she gets around to dropping hints?"

"Dunno. Depends."

"I need to warn you she is certainly an attractive lady. If she's kept her figure since the last time I saw her..."

"Oh boy."

"Totally up to you. I already told you guys she was a really good fuck back in the day."

"But you said something about her divorce being messy."

"Not all

that

bad. I knew I wasn't the only guy she was doing behind Gary's back, I was just the one who got caught. The love was gone between them and it all boiled down to support and distributing the assets. No kids."

"And she obviously got the house."

"I suspect Gary's still paying on the mortgage, too."

"You think he's still in her life? Maybe she has other guys now?"

"Not that I've noticed. No strange cars in her drive that I've seen. She does come and go on weekend nights. When I'm up early on Saturdays I'll occasionally see her arriving home. Make of that what you will."

"Bar pickups."

"Probably. She was hanging out at the Palomino Club while the divorce was in process."

"Palomino Club?"

"It's the bar inside the pizza joint on Webster. Used to be the preferred pickup bar around here, but not since the ownership change. My guess is she's found another place."

"Won't bring it up."

"It's 6:30, so you'd better get yourself gussied-up for 'er."

"Ha ha. What should I wear?"

"Comfy casual. Just be a neighbor."

"Okay. Thanks, Steve."

Jackson excuses himself to their bedroom.

Cyan and Emily burst into laughter.

Em starts, "Oh, this is going to be choice, Stevie!"

Cy confirms, "I hope it doesn't turn into a big mess!"

"It's all on

him

," Steve scowls. "I'm keeping my nose out of it."

"Yeah, right," Cyan snarks. Emily just chuckles at their silliness.

=====

Jackson steps to the front door at Roz Davenport's house and rings the bell.

The door swings open to a quite attractive, slender woman in her early forties, wearing skinny jeans and a nice blouse. No bra.

"Come on in, Jackson!" she cheerily greets, grinning on his noticing her nips poking into the gauzy fabric.

"Hi, Roz. Nice to meet you." He offers his hand for a light handshake, she takes it and lets it linger.

"Pleasure's all mine. Tea and cake is waiting for you in the kitchen. You know, Glo said you were a fine specimen. She was right about that!"

"Gosh. I was told you were lovely, too. Really nice."

"Have a seat. How is that bastard doing?"

"Steve? He's doing great."

"Judging from the parked cars at your place every weekend, he must be doing every woman in Christian County."

"I don't judge. But Sangamon County, too."

Roz laughs. "Along for the ride, you are?"

"I love him and Cyan, if that's what you mean."

"Oh, you're okay. He's a special person. Too bad we parted on not the best terms."

"So I gather. So Gloria intimated you needed to meet me."

"She did. And here you are."

"What did she say about me?"

"May I speak frankly?"

"Of course."

"Glo said you have a great bod, a really nice cock, and are a super fuck."

"Uhhhhh..."

"You weren't expecting that. I apologize. Too much too soon."

"No. You're okay. We've barely met, and already we're down to the truth."

"Your Steven taught me that."

"He cuts to the chase, that's for sure. Now that it's all out in the open, what are your plans for us?"

"For starters, chat here for a bit, and linger over the cake. Would you care for something a little stronger than tea?"

"I'll have whatever you're having."

"You sure about that? I suspect Steven told you I can bend an elbow with the best."

"He hinted."

"Thirty-year-old scotch it is, then." She reaches for a bottle in the cabinet above the fridge.

"He teach you that?"

"Nope.

I

was the one who brought

that

into the relationship. Did he tell you about the threesomes?"

"Oh, really? No."

"Cyan and I would take turns wearing his sorry ass out. Here."

They touch glasses commemorating what is looking like a promising friendship.

"Somehow I can see that. You and Cy have certain similarities."

"Skinny, for one. Don't care for kids. Like to screw... a lot. You said you love her."

"I do. When the four of us met it was nearly instant. Cy and I were sucked into each other hard, and Steve and Emily were... ohmygawd... two peas in a pod."

"Glo said something I didn't understand about you guys meeting in the desert."

"Sort of. Barstow. Wide spot in the road 'tween L.A. and Vegas. Em and I were hitchhiking trying to get to her parents' house in Albuquerque. Times were hard."

"And they picked you up. Those two can be over-sexed, so I'd guess their intent was to screw both of you."

"Nope. We had a Dalmatian puppy with us."

"Ohgawd. No wonder. Those dogs are sure a weakness for them. 'Specially Steve."

"But it didn't take too long before we realized that the four of us were deep into loving swinging, which just compounded the attraction."

"Well good for you guys. Jax?"

"Roz?"

She stands up from the table, downs the rest of her drink in one gulp, and starts to unbutton her blouse.

"No beating around the bush here, Jackson. You're going to fuck me. The bed is ready for us."

"We suspected this was the end game starting with the phone call."

"Steve didn't try to wave you off?"

Rosalyn kicked off her shoes there in the kitchen and is unbuttoning her jeans fly.

"Nope. I get the sense that he looks back fondly on what you guys had together. You haven't made it easy, however."

"No. It took me years to get over my snit from him blowin' me off after Gary left."

"Do you know that Judge Pendleton tore him a new asshole about his involvement in the whole affair?"

She sighs, "Yeah. Steve didn't say as much, but I eventually suspected that was the case. He broke it off when it came out in depositions that Gary discovered us in the act. You like what you see?"

"Uh huh. Surprised you're smooth. That's a young girl's game."

"I'm young, and I date around, Jackson. Your turn."

Roz softly gasps when Jax lowers his boxers. He's semi-hard.

"Glo was right. You have a nice one. All mine. At least for the moment."

Jackson manages a grimacing smile, and subtly shakes his head.

He sort of scolds, "Since you and Glo seem to enjoy talking about my private parts, are you two scheming a threesome?"

"No, not really. Multiples might be in you guy's playbook, but I got that out of my system with Cyan back then. Gloria and I might talk a good game, but I have no interest in being naked in the same room with her. One on one with a guy is my limit."

"It's not all that bad, Roz."

"To you. Glo told me you guys are nude nearly all the time at your place. She's seen it!Even your guests!"

"Saves on laundry."

"Very funny." She shakes her head. "Ready?"

"After you." They step down the hall to the bedroom. "Uh huh. Mmmm. Nice ass."

"Steve always said the same thing."

"Both of us are married to Cyan, Roz. We have similar tastes."

"Apparently. And you fuck around like he does, obviously. Here. On your back. I want to warm-up on you in cowgirl."

"Good enough." He lays down on the sheets, the bed already turned down for them.

Roz settles down on Jax, taking his penis into her, but it's not frantic. More like settling into a comfortable easy chair. She closes her eyes into the moment.

"You know I watch you guys' comings and goings with the parties. Some of what I saw out front was insane. Haven't seen that in over a year. What happened?"

"Steve and Emily were playing with her nude out on the old railroad field one evening and somebody called the cops. Cop didn't see it himself, so he couldn't make that one stick, but made it his mission to stake-out the house every chance he could. Chief Norton told Steve to cool it. Steve had to put everyone on notice."

"Ah. My favorite was like four years ago. About a dozen naked men were fighting with a bunch of college kids on the front lawn. Super Bowl Sunday, I think."

"Before our time there, but they told us about it. The frat bros were party crashers. They'd rushed the door."

"Anybody arrested?"

"They didn't say. But Steve said the chief told him to notify on the big parties and he'd add a unit to the patrol."

Roz gently bobs up and down on Jackson's cock. "Mmmm. Nice. Ohgawd, this sure brings back memories of

that night!

"

"What night?"

"The night Gary walked in on me and Steve. The beginning of the end."

"Steve said he pulled a gun."

"He did. Steve didn't have a thing to worry about. Not only had I hidden the clip, I had thrown away all the bullets. When you were fooling around like I was at the time, it was cheap insurance that a mishap wasn't going to turn really bad."

"But Steve said Gary was a nice guy who didn't have the mettle to pull the trigger, anyway."

"True. He and Gary got along pretty good, too. Steve would come over every time he heard Gary having problems with the lawnmower. He is a wizard with a wrench. It was amazing how Steve could keep a straight face around him and then turn around and fuck me stupid the next day."

Jackson laughs. "Yeah, he has that 'cad' thing down to an art."

"I suspect the apple's not fallen far from the tree here. Let's get stupid."

=====

Emily, Cyan, and Steve are slouched around the kitchen table sipping coffee -- and Cy's tea -- cooling off after a little bit of fun in the hot tub. It's not often that Steve has both the ladies to himself, and the tag-team play in the warm water was both gratifying and exhausting.

They are chuckling softly to each other in anticipation of Jackson's return home and the full report. Steve thinks he hears somebody punching in the combination to the front door lock, but waits until hearing the subtle hinge squeak before drawing any conclusion. He doesn't hear the door latch close, however.

"Nice try, Jackson!" he announces.

"Well,

shit

," is the mumble from the foyer.

"We're in the kitchen. Pour you a cuppa?"

"Yeah, I guess. Lemme lose my clothes first."

"How was she?"

"Can't you just wait a second?"

Steve chuckles, "We're going nowhere, you know."

The three softly laugh at the incoherent grumbling going down the hallway.

After a few moments, Jax appears in the kitchen doorway.

Steve makes it a point to check his crotch. "Yep. I recognize that degree of flaccid, Jax. She did that to me all the time. So she's still got it, apparently."

"You were right. She looks

goooood

, Steven. And she's a total fuckmonster."

"Were you..."

"Able to do it twice? In an hour-and-a-half? Yep. She said you could do that, too."

"Well, yeah. Nearly fifteen years ago, though. You guys make another date?"

"Not at this point. She fucks around, too."

"No surprise. Where does she hangout these days? Did you ask why she doesn't bring any of 'em home?"

"The Backyard. She is bothered about us and the other neighbors knowing her business, so doesn't want strange cars in the drive."

"Did you tell her about what I've noticed?"

"She did. Wasn't happy about it, but acknowledged that you, particularly, would be tuned into that. She still likes you, Steven."

"Hard to tell. She sure gave us a lot of shit over the past several years. Been easier lately, however."

"It dawned on her that you might have been under some pressure to avoid her. I told her about Pendleton. It was an 'aha' moment."

"Any thoughts about patching things up?"

"No, not really. She's further away from 'the swinging shit', as she put it, than she was back when she was sharing you with Cy. 'One-on-one these days,' she said."

"Oh, well. Would you do 'er again?"

"Yep. You put it succinctly, that she's a great fuck. But it's her call, anyway."

"Good enough."

=====

Several mornings have passed. "Any regrets?" Steve asks Jackson over the breakfast table. "Between Glo and Roz your open nights are being taken up. The rest of the polycule is noticing."

"A little. There are only but 24 hours in a day. Good thing, though, that Roz seems to be into quickies. How she can get off in only twenty minutes of straight fucking boggles the mind."

"A skill acquired from the old days. On a good night when Gary was out of town she'd have three of us, one at a time."

"Who were the other guys?"

"Don't know. She'd make strict appointments, apparently. On some nights she'd rush me out of there after she came even if I didn't. My guess then was she'd clean up for the next one and do the same to him."

"You wised-up, I take it."

"Yeah, sometimes I'd see a car drive up after I had walked back home. It didn't matter to me, but I was curious and confronted her about it. She admitted what she was doing, and we developed a better relationship, her making more effort to assuring both of us were sated and could have cuddle time. It was a good thing."

"Have to ask..."

"Like was she getting paid for it?"

"Yeah."

"Nope. She was a fuckmonster then, too.

Loved

to do it."

"Yet never into traditional swinging?"

"Nuh uh. Just a weird take on serial monogamy."

"Takes all kinds, I guess."

"Hey you two," Emily chuckles as she steps into the kitchen, dressed for work. "Sounds like pretty serious guy talk."

"Roz," Jax admits.

"And not Gloria?"

"Nope," Steve confirms. "Glo was sort of normal, and not all that frequent. Rosalyn, however, was a piece of work back then. Just confirming a couple of things for Jax."

"Well he can catch me up on the way in. Time to go, sweetheart."

She tenders a sweet kiss to Steven, pausing for Jackson to do the same. They close the door to the garage behind them and Steve hears the big door opening.

Cyan walks in just that moment. "Did I miss them?"

"Yep. Just left."

"Damn. You'll have to do, I guess." She chuckles as she leans down to kiss the seated Steve. "Any plans for today?"

"Ashley said she wanted to come over on an extended lunch break. Only two clients on the board today, so she's free for a couple of hours."

"Oh that sounds good. Anything else?"

"I think I'll give Rich a call. We haven't chatted in weeks."

"That's a good thing, Steven. Things have certainly calmed down since he put Jeremy on notice, and Roz has backed-off."

"I even wonder if Jeremy's still with the department. Anyway, you going to sit with me over your tea?"

"Not right now." She presses the button on the kettle. "I'm going to let this next cup steep while I finish this insanely long article."

"

Times?

"

"Yeah."

"Nice you have the patience for it. By the sixth excruciating paragraph they've lost me. They need an executive summary version. So many of their columnists are full of themselves."

"You keeping up with anything else?"

"No, unfortunately. Ownership gutted

WaPo

and the L.A. paper. I dropped the subscriptions. Spineless jerks."

"Oops! Didn't mean to get your hackles up, sweetie!"

"'S okay, dear. So much these days does."

"Ash and I will soothe what bothers you, I'm sure of it."

"Thanks. Your water's ready."

Cyan pours, then drops the teabag into her cup, dispensing a quick kiss for her husband as she passes through on her way to the living room to resume her reading.

=====

Steve is barely resisting throwing his mouse at the computer screen after reviewing disappointing number after disappointing number from what is a clearly awful day in the investment markets after yesterday's clearly awful performance. Taking a deep breath, he knows from vast experience to set the emotional impulses aside, and let the good choices he's made take care of themselves. They always have.

Ashley isn't due to arrive for another hour, so he takes the opportunity to ring-up Taylorville's police chief for an overdue check-in. He has Richard Norton's direct number, so can skip past all the screening.

"Norton," is the immediate response from the other end. "Oh, it's

you

, Steven. What's going on?"

"Hi, Rich! Nothing, for a change."

The chief chuckles, "Yeah! I noticed. Haven't heard from Davenport in at least a couple of months, and I have news, anyway."

"Oh?"

"Humphreys moved on. Found an assignment down in Mount Vernon. Their department is more his style, I think, so it's a good match."

"So Jeremy is okay, then. Glad to hear. Nothing personal from my end, he just got carried away."

"Curious about Roz Davenport, though. You and your troupe doing anything different?"

"Not a thing. My intel is that she seems to have buried the hatchet. Birdie told me she figured out why I had to break things off with her so abruptly way back when."

"Yeah. Nate told me -- gosh, years ago -- that he reamed you a new one for precipitating their divorce, and it coming out in a deposition. Not the kind of paper trail you want to have around."

"I wasn't the only one, Rich. I was just the one who got caught."

Rich laughs. "You don't want to know what I know."

"What? That you were one of her side men? I sorta did."

"Gawd, Steve!

You've kept that to yourself all these years?

"

"You were a cocky young buck back then. It amused me greatly when I saw you going into her place right after I'd had 'er. In uniform, too!"

"Wow. You are certainly a great friend to have, Steven. My hat's off to you for never using that."

"Appreciate your saying so, Rich. Given my own closet overflowing with skeletons, I'm never one to cast the first stone. Or any stones."

"You said 'birdie'. What's going on?"

"Jackson is doing 'er now."

Rich has to hold the phone away he is laughing so hard.

"Gawd, Steve!"

"Recent. Just a couple of times so far. Gloria Appelbaum started it."

Rich chuckles at that. "I recall

she

was on your neighborhood rotation, too."

"And yours, I take it."

"What can I say? It was a randy part of town. So Jackson has taken the baton."

"Apparently. He doesn't mind. And I've moved up to bigger and better things."

"Yeah. When I heard you had hooked-up with Caroline Hester my head exploded."

"Thanks. She's a sweetheart and a super friend. Gawd, Rich. They

all

are."

"I admire you for what you have accomplished. I wish maybe a little I could retire to a life like that. Debra would throttle me for even mentioning anything like it. Hey, somebody's trying to get my attention. Great hearing from you, Steven!"