Good Neighbor Karen Ch 05

A shiver of anxiety coursed through me when I saw Marjorie's name on my cell phone screen.

"Oh, fuck," gasped Jeremy as he too looked to see who was calling me. He rose quickly, pulling his still surprisingly hard penis from me with haste.

I held up my hand to still his movements. "It's okay, honey," I said, "just relax, sit down and be quiet. I've got this."

He looked at me somewhat dubiously but sat down, his eyes slightly fearful, almost as if he somehow believed his mother might know what had just occurred in my living room.

I sat up and crossed my legs as I answered the phone. "Hi, Marjorie," I said, trying to sound upbeat and cheerful. "What's up, girl?"

"Hi, Karen," responded Marjorie, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I seem to have misplaced my son," she said with a little laugh. "By any chance, is he over there with you?"

"He IS," I responded cheerfully. "Did you want to talk to him?"

"No, that won't be necessary, she responded quickly. "I was just curious as to where he might be. I called his cell phone and heard it ringing in his bedroom, so he must have forgotten to take it with him."

I glanced at Jeremy who rolled his eyes and smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand as if to say, 'Stupid me'.

I found it a bit strange and unsettling that, out of all the places Jeremy might have been, she chose to wonder if he was with me. Noticing a curious tone in her voice, I quickly began to devise a scenario that might hopefully dispel any suspicions she might have and ease her mind.

"Well, yes, he just dropped by a little while ago to make sure it was still okay for him to mow my lawn tomorrow," I explained. "And... I was actually glad to see him. I had a bunch of heavy boxes full of clothing for donation that I needed to move into the garage and he kindly offered to help me with them."

"Oh... oh, good," she responded, sounding somewhat mollified. "As long as he's not being a bother."

"Not even a little bit," I said with a laugh. "I enjoy the company sometimes. I just sat him down and gave him a Coke. Should I send him on home right away?"

Marjorie laughed softly, "There's no hurry, Karen, keep him as long as you need. I'm just happy to know where he is."

"Thanks, Marjorie, I'll send him on his way as soon as he finishes his coke."

We said our goodbyes and I hung up. Jeremy smiled at me, "Wow, you're really good at making stuff up on the fly," he said. "I would have been stammering and stuttering and sounding all guilty. You did great."

"Thanks," I said, feeling pleased with how calmly and collectedly I had handled the conversation with his mother. "Still, she did sound a bit concerned, so you should probably head home soon. I don't want to add more fuel to the fire if she's at all suspicious about our relationship."

Jeremy nodded as he pulled up his shorts, "Good idea," he said, "because I think she already is."

"What?" I gasped as I slipped into my robe. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Jeremy shrugged, "Well... I mean, just the other day she said she thought I might be over to your house a little too much."

My eyes widened. "She said that?" I asked, concern evident in my voice.

He shrugged once again, "I think she's mostly worried that I'm being a pest and shouldn't be bothering you so much."

I smiled and nodded, "I get that," I said, "I have a mother too. I think it's every mother's job to be completely anal about their children, which... " I said, giving him a pointed look, "makes it all that much more problematic for us now. We have to be a little more careful."

We resumed our seats on the sofa and I took Jeremy into my arms, embracing him warmly.

"I'm glad this happened between us today, Jeremy," I murmured, kissing the top of his head as he leaned into me. "I hope you feel the same way because I hope we can continue what we've started."

"I hope so too, Karen," he said sincerely, looking directly into my eyes. "Today has been the most beautiful day of my entire life."

"Well, it was pretty damn nice for me too," I responded with a laugh. "I like you, Jeremy, and I care about you very much. And I hope you feel the same way about me."

"I do," he said, raising his head to kiss my lips gently. "I'm almost wishing I didn't have to go off to college. I'd almost rather stay here with you."

"I think what we have is very special," I said, looking into his eyes and smiling. "But let's not get carried away, okay? You need to focus on your future and going to college. Speaking of which..." I added as the thought occurred to me, "When exactly will you be leaving for California?"

"Three weeks," he responded, "I leave in three weeks."

"All right then," I said, bending to kiss him warmly. "Let's make the best of the next three weeks, shall we? I want to spend as much time with you as I can without alerting your mother."

"I'd like that," he responded with a broad smile.

"Give me your cell number," I said as I picked up my phone. When he gave me the number, I sent my phone number to him in a text message.

"There," I said, "we can at least communicate without physically being together."

"Can I maybe call you later tonight?" he asked, looking hopeful.

"I would like that very much, honey," I responded, kissing him once more.

As our kiss became more passionate and his hand slipped into my robe to cup my breast, I gently pulled away. "Before we get carried away, I'm going to send you home to your mother," I smiled.

I kissed him once more at the door and then watched him through my front room window as he crossed my front yard to his house.

******************************************************************

As it was still early evening, I showered and dressed for bed. It was still blistering hot in Las Vegas, the sun was still making its slow descent into the west even this late in the day. I wore a filmy pair of loose-fitting short-shorts and a little camisole, my usual fare for summer nights.

I got into bed and turned on the television. Lately, I had been binge-watching a program called 'Only Murders In The Building' and enjoying it very much. I had poured myself yet another glass of wine, a smaller one, just something to sip while watching.

It was just after eleven o'clock when the latest episode ended, and I switched off the television. I glanced at my phone on the night table and thought of Jeremy. He had asked if he could call tonight and I had hoped he would have called by now--I'd been looking forward to a cozy conversation with him while we were both in bed.

Marjorie's untimely phone call left us with precious little time to discuss our spontaneous and unplanned sexual encounter, leaving so much unsaid between us, especially after he revealed he had been a virgin.

I was just about to resign myself to having that conversation with him another time when my phone buzzed on the night table. Glancing at the screen, I smiled broadly--it was "Lawn Service," the name I had assigned to Jeremy's number as an extra measure of security.

"Hello...this is Karen, every man's dream goddess," I answered facetiously.

Jeremy laughed, "Well, hello there, dream-goddess Karen," he responded with equal tongue in cheek. "This is Jeremy. Remember me? I'm that devastatingly handsome, hot young dude that mows your lawn every once in a while."

"Oh, dear," I responded with a teasing smile, "you must have me mistaken for some other goddess named Karen, because I usually hire a scrawny little neighbor boy to mow my lawn."

Jeremy laughed aloud and I joined him, very much enjoying the witty banter.

"It's getting late," I said, "I was beginning to think you weren't going to call me."

"I know, sorry...but I had to wait until my mom went to bed. She's been watching that show... something about murders in the building, and had to wait for it to end."

"Interesting," I replied with a smile, "because I was just sitting here in bed watching the very same show. Some coincidence, huh? Are you in bed now too?"

"I am," he replied. "I thought it might be too late to call you, but I just looked out my bedroom window to see that your bedroom light is still on."

"You can see my bedroom window from your bedroom?" I asked, thinking it was almost impossible to believe. He had pointed out his bedroom window to me one day when we were in my backyard, but the way his second-floor window was positioned, it looked down on the side of my house, not the back where my bedroom window is.

"Well, no," he said. "But from here, I can look down onto your backyard and see the light from your bedroom window shining on the grass. I hope it's still okay that I call you like this. I hope it's not too late."

I laughed, "It's never too late for you to call me, Jeremy. I'm glad you did."

"Me too," he replied, again with a smile in his voice. "So, now that you've told me that you're in bed, it makes me curious to know what a goddess like Karen wears when she goes to bed?"

I laughed aloud, "God, Jeremy, with that old 'what are you wearing' line, you sound like such a typical guy."

"Hey," he responded with feigned defensiveness, "Be careful... because I happen to resemble that remark."

"Well then," I replied with a teasing smile, "just to satisfy your typical male curiosity, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you--I'm not wearing any sexy, slinky lingerie to fire up your imagination. Sadly, my summer sleepwear is far from alluring. It's usually just a pair of baggy nylon shorts and a small camisole."

"Wow," he replied, "now that you've managed to fire up my imagination, I have to say, I think what you're wearing sounds sexy as hell. I bet you look almost as good as you did in that bikini."

I laughed out loud. "Why, Jeremy... If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were flirting with me. And you're even making me blush too."

"You know," he said, his voice low and sexy, "I've seen you blush before... more than once. And I bet you don't even realize how beautiful you look when it happens, do you?"

"It's not something I've ever thought about," I said, warmed by his lovely compliment, "But, thank you for saying so."

When he didn't respond right away, I continued, "And now, it's your turn to enlighten me--what does a devastatingly handsome, hot young lawn-mowing dude like yourself wear to bed?"

"Well," he began, "I hope you won't be too disappointed, but I'm not wearing any sexy, slinky lingerie either."

We both laughed at his witty remark, which played off mine: 'Usually, I just wear my briefs to bed."

"So, here we are, Jeremy," I said, "In bed together... virtually speaking."

"I kind of like being like this, Karen," he said.

"So do I, Jeremy," I responded, "especially since your mother's phone call cut short our ability to talk about everything that happened earlier. There's just so much I seriously wanted to talk to you about."

"Like what?"

"Well, for starters... let's talk about the elephant that was in the room today... your virginity," I said. "That shocked the hell out of me, honey. I wish I had known."

Jeremy laughed softly. "I'm sorry," he said. "But it's not something a guy likes to brag about, or even bring up in casual conversation with a girl. You know what I mean?"

"I understand that, certainly I do," I responded, "But finding out after the fact really knocked me for a loop."

"Again, Karen, I'm sorry. But... I mean, everything happened just so fast.

"I know, honey," I said sadly. "And that's my fault for being so... I don't know, what's the right word? Needy? Horny? Or maybe just slutty?"

Jeremy laughed, "I wouldn't say any of those words at all, Karen. I just think you were every bit as turned on and excited as I was, that's all."

"And, you're okay that your first experience happened the way it did?"

"What? Are you kidding? Having sex with the sexiest, most beautiful woman I've ever seen?" he responded with mock astonishment. "On what planet would that ever be NOT okay?"

I laughed softly and shook my head. His words pleased me immensely and eased my mind. "Thank you, Jeremy," I murmured.

"But, now I have a question for you," he said, his voice turning more somber. "I mean, because everything happened so quickly... I mean... I didn't even think about how maybe I should have been wearing a condom or something."

I smiled broadly at his discomfiture, "You can relax, honey," I said, "The likelihood of my becoming pregnant is relatively non-existent. Even if you DID manage to fill me up completely inside."

"Oops, sorry," he said with a laugh. "No, wait, now that I think about it, I'm totally not sorry at all. And if you ever give me another chance, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Then again. And again... and again."

I laughed aloud, "Hey there, young lawn-mowing dude," I said, "Be careful about making those kinds of promises because I WILL hold you to them."

When he was silent, I continued. "So, tell me more about you, Jeremy. I'd like to know more. For instance, I find it hard to believe that a devastatingly handsome dude like you doesn't seem to have a girlfriend. What's up with that?"

I could almost hear him shrug as he sighed. "You sound just like my Mom," he said. "She's always telling me to get out and meet other people. She thinks I play video games too much."

"Well, you know what they say," I said with a smile, "playing video games and having girlfriends don't usually go hand in hand."

"Yeah, I get that," he said with a laugh. "None of my online gaming buddies have girlfriends either. It's not that I don't want one, it's just... the girls I'm interested in never seem to feel the same way about me."

"So, what type of girls interest you?" I queried.

"You mean, other than you?" he replied with a laugh.

"Yes," I responded, "What kind of girl attracts your interest?"

"Hmm... well," he began tentatively, " She'd have to be pretty, right? And smart too."

"So, what's the problem?" I countered, "There must be thousands of smart and pretty girls out there."

"Yeah, I know, but then I also have to be able to talk to them. You know, they have to GET me and my stupid sense of humor. I mean... just look at us," he continued, "you and I can talk and joke around. It's really comfortable talking to you. So far, other girls aren't like that."

I nodded in complete agreement, he and I did share a commonality of spirit and humor that felt comfortable.

"I'll tell you something my mother told me when I was a young girl," I said. "When it comes to finding love, you most often find it when you are no longer looking for it."

Jeremy laughed aloud, "Holy, shit," he exclaimed, "My mom has told me that many times too."

"That's probably because there is a lot of truth in that statement," I said.

"So, what about you, Karen? Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked.

I took a deep breath and sighed, "Not currently," I answered, pursing my lips thoughtfully. "Since my divorce, I've dated a few times but nothing ever came of it. Most of the time they just wanted to fuck me and I just wasn't ready for that kind of relationship. You're actually the first man I've been with sexually since my divorce."

"Do you think you'll ever get married again?" he said.

"You know... I won't rule it out. I'm open to it if the right guy ever comes along. But I'm not looking either. I don't go out to bars to meet men or go to online dating sites. I'm happy to masturbate instead."

"So, do you masturbate a lot?"

I laughed aloud, "I guess that depends on what you consider to be a lot. I probably do it every day. Is that a lot?"

"I wouldn't say so," he said, "I mean... I pretty much do it that much too."

"There, you see?" I said with another laugh, "Yet another thing we have in common."

"So, did you masturbate today?" he asked.

"Almost," I responded with a smile, "I was actually trying to do it when you rang my doorbell."

"Oh... sorry," he said, not sounding all that sorry.

"That's okay," I replied with a broad grin. "I let you to fuck my brains out instead."

Jeremy laughed aloud and I joined him.

Suddenly there was a loud rustling of the phone and I heard another voice in the background.

"Geez, Mom, okay," I heard Jeremy say, his voice a distance away from the phone. Moments, later he was back, "I'm sorry, Bob," he said, "I gotta go, my mom's giving me grief. I'll see you tomorrow."

With that he was gone. I sighed, hoping he wasn't in too much trouble. A few minutes later my phone dinged to tell me I had a text message.

It was Jeremy, of course, and he sent the following: "Sorry, Karen. Mom got up to get something in the kitchen and heard me laughing. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

I texted him a good night as well and then switched off my light.

*********************************************************************

The next day, I awoke refreshed and quickly showered and dressed in my usual long sundress for working in my garden. I thought it might be fun to wear the bikini beneath it, but reasoned it would be too hard to keep the bra wrangled over my breasts.

I made a pot of coffee and poured myself a cup before retiring to my front porch to enjoy the morning.

To my surprise, I saw Marjorie out in her yard pruning her rose bushes along the side of her house. We exchanged waves and I held up my coffee cup, "Come over for a coffee," I offered.

She nodded and I quickly retrieved another mug from the kitchen and returned to the front porch.

"Thank you," she said, taking the coffee and sitting in a patio chair before sipping.

We talked for several minutes about her rose bushes, she had a beautiful crop this year, the entire side of her house was filled with lush red blooms.

"No demonstrations for you today?" I asked.

Marjorie nodded, "Yes," she said, "In fact, I'll have to be getting my things ready very soon, I have a showing up in North Las Vegas."

Jeremy came out of his front door. He gave us a strange look, waved, and then went back into the house.

"I guess we're not speaking this morning," offered Marjorie with a frown and a shrug of her shoulders.

"Uh oh," I said, "What's going on?"

Marjorie sighed and sipped her coffee once more, "Oh, nothing serious," she said, "he's just doing what all young men do at his age. Pushing the envelope toward independence... while I'm still being a Mom. Sometimes it's hard for me not to think of him as still my little boy. He was up very late last night on the phone to one of his friends and I made him cut his conversation and go to bed. So, he's a little upset with me this morning."

"Ah," I said with a nod. "A girlfriend maybe?"

Marjorie frowned, "I don't think so," she responded thoughtfully, "He doesn't seem all that interested in girls these days." She giggled and leaned close to me, lowering her voice, "I've often wondered sometimes if he might be gay," she said with another giggle.

I almost choked on my coffee, but I recovered with a laugh and shook my head. "I doubt that," I responded, "Just you wait and see. Once he gets into that college in California and sees all those cute little California girls, before you know it, he'll be bringing one home to meet you over the holidays."

She raised her cup to me in a toast to my sentiment. Moments later, after finishing her coffee, she thanked me. "I better be getting ready," she said as she returned home.

**********************************************************************

Less than thirty minutes later, I saw Marjorie driving away to her demonstration through my front window. Moments after that, Jeremy arrived pushing his lawn mower.

He joined me on the front porch, sitting in the same chair his mother had occupied earlier, and gave me a sad smile.

"I'm sorry about last night," he said, averting his eyes. "Sometimes my Mom can be a real pain in the ass. You know what I mean?"