Jessica stood beneath the large shower head high above, her head bowed forward, her forearms crossed lightly over her large white breasts, turning slowly, dreamily back and forth, much as she'd done the night before when hesitating as Mr. Jenkins patted the couch next to him with a swat of his large, deformed hand bidding her to sit. She let the hard, hot spray work the tendons along her shoulders and neck and spine. She was thinking of Matthew and how he'd kissed her so tenderly that morning when they'd parted in front of the locker rooms.
She was so in love with him. She hadn't thought of Mr. Jenkins at all that morning or what had happened because it was just get up and go, a quick coffee with mom, then she pulled her sweats on, got her stuff, kissed the waking kiddos goodbye, and out the door to Matthew's truck so they could both hit the school gym before class. She hadn't thought of Mr. Jenkins until they pulled out of her drive and rolled down past the Jenkins's place and there he was standing on his porch with his coffee and cigarette. Then it all horribly came back.
Matthew waved and gave a honk like he always did and said, "Hey Mr. Jenkins," in that voice you use when you know someone can't hear you but you say it anyway. Jessica froze. It all came back. She didn't wave. Neither did Mr. Jenkins. Was he grinning? He looked like he was gloating.
"That's weird," Matthew said, "he didn't wave. He must have something on his mind. I guess he's got a lot on his mind with poor Mrs. Jenkins's stroke and all."
Jessica felt like she might throw up. Her stomach was doing somersaults and the cab of the truck felt like a hundred and two degrees.
"Matthew, could you please turn this heat down!" She flailed at the control panel and Matthew looked at her bewildered. He reached out himself and tapped the temp down and eased the fan on.
"I'm sorry babe. You're always so cold in the morning. I wanted the cab nice 'n toasty for ya..."
And then she let it out. A torrent of sobbing and tears and wailing. Matthew touched her shoulder with his right hand while holding the wheel with his left and trying to watch the road. She was inconsolable. He put his hand on her thigh then, right above the knee and squeezed just like Mr. Jenkins had the afternoon before, and that really set her off. She started screaming, "No!" and pulling at her hair. Matthew stopped at a turnout. He reached over and easily drew her to him, cradling her in his lap, she in a fetal position and slowly calming to sobs, but shaking pretty bad.
"Oh my God, babe, what is wrong? My poor baby... poor baby..." he gipped her tightly to him and rocked her and blew "shhhh...shhhh" in her ear, saying softly, "it's ok baby. You're ok. It gonna be fine. It's all good. You're with me baby. It's all good. That's it, that's my girl," and he rocked her and held her like that and he didn't press her, he just let her cry it out. And when she was sniffling with just a mild whimper, he smoothed her hair back from her forehead and waited without asking any questions and they just sat there on that country road in his big, warm truck with the rain starting to splat on the windshield and pelt the roof and hood in the thick round drops of the beginning of a storm.
"You know what babydoll?" he finally spoke up, quietly and tenderly, "Let's just skip the gym today. Mama was makin' Daddy some hotcakes when I left home. And if I know him, he asked her for too many, and if I know her she made him wayyy too many. Why don't we swing over to my house and eat hotcakes and have some more coffee, and sit in our sock feet by the stove before school?"
My God he's such a sweet and tender boy, she thought, standing there in that hot shower post work out. Of course she said no, and, like she always did, she pulled herself together and gave him a cute smack on the cheek and forced a big smile and giggle and said, "Matthew Riley, you and I have scholarships to win. We are going to go work out, now come on now boy!" and she reached out and hit the knob on the stereo cranking up the Taylor Swift and singing along.
Now she couldn't remember what she'd babbled about on the walk from the parking lot to the gym, only that she hadn't stopped talking since they'd got back on the road and pulled up at school and walked from the lot to the gym. But when they walked in and went to go to their locker rooms, Matthew had stopped her. He held her by each arm tightly with his giant quarterback's hands and he just looked down into her eyes. And his eyes were full of tears! He then put his mouth to hers and gave her the most tender kiss ever.
"You're all I really care about, Jess. No matter what."
That big sap! she thought, releasing the tension from her naked body in the hot spray, he was crying for me!... and he should hate me... but no she thought to herself, what's done is done. It was a mistake. Jessica, she told herself, you are allowed a mistake or two. It's a hard world and you are working your fanny off!
She soaped her body, willing herself back to business, back to now. What's done is done and you have to move forward to get what you want in this world, she said to herself as she soaped her heavy breasts, being gentle around but not able to entirely overlook the scabbing raw bits on her big pink nipples where Mr. Jenkins had bit down a little rough, and she soaped her pussy very thoroughly and rinsed down there for a long while, not thinking long about why, just getting herself very, very clean. She didn't notice the clump of grayish semen that had slipped out and washed down the drain. Today was the first day of the rest of their lives, and it was going to be exactly like she and Matthew had imagined it.
