Helping Her, Saving Me Ch 2
Many thanks for the feedback and comments on the first chapter, which have encouraged me to continue -- which is great, as I felt this story had the potential to go on for a while longer. All characters are over the age of 18 and, regrettably, are not based on anybody I know.
Like most Lit authors, it's always a thrill to log in and see that somebody's left a comment. Please do, even if it's just a few words of praise or criticism. Thanks.
I made my way more than a little nervously down the stairs.
I was acutely aware of the ridiculousness of the naked male body. I was in reasonable shape, but now I wished I'd spent more time exercising and less time in the library. And how could any woman look at male genitals in their unaroused state and want to do anything but laugh?
I could hear Belinda talking to the girls in the kitchen. As I came into the room there was a moment of silence.
They were all naked too, of course. Ellie was leaning on the breakfast bar with her bottom angled towards me and her breasts almost touching the counter. In any other circumstances it would have looked provocative and saucy, but at that moment it looked perfectly natural and innocent. Jessica, her younger sister, was perched on a stool eating a piece of toast. Her mouth formed a perfect 'o' as she stared at me.
They were, of course, quite gorgeous. Both were blonde, though Ellie's hair was much more at the yellow-ish end of that spectrum and Jessica was darker. Jessica was also slightly bustier than her sister, though both seemed perfectly proportioned in that department to me. Their tanned, glowing, taut skin exuded youthfulness and health.
But I was careful not to ogle them too obviously, of course. The only woman who mattered to me, at that moment, was their mother.
Belinda was pouring some water into the coffee machine. She looked at me, a brief mischievous glance, and then asked me casually if I'd like a cappuccino.
"Er, thank you," I said. "That'd be nice."
I may have been discreet in my inspection of them, but Ellie and Jess quite blatantly looked me up and down. I stood up straight and tried not to look too obvious about sucking my stomach in.
"So," Ellie said, "you've come over to the dark side. I wondered if you would."
"Holy fucking shit!" said Jess, finding her voice.
Her mother tutted.
"Sorry... but... like... wow!"
"I hope you don't mind," I said. Which was a fairly gormless thing to say, but I challenge you to find the right words when you're naked for the first time in front of your lover's equally naked daughters.
Ellie looked at me once more, then at her mother, then back to me.
"So does this mean, you and mum, are like... together?"
I decided to let Belinda answer that one.
"Yes," she said. "Rob and I are... together, as you say. He's decided to stay here, for the time being at least. In town, I mean."
I looked at the girls for their reaction.
"That's great!" Jessica's delight was clearly genuine. "Penny's going to be so pleased!"
"I hope so," I said.
"Oh come on! You know she will be."
I looked at Ellie. She didn't seem to be taking the news quite as enthusiastically. She didn't look downcast, not exactly, but she certainly didn't seem as pleased as her sister.
"I hope it all works out for you," she said, slightly coolly, and went back to looking at her phone. Belinda and I exchanged glances. Belinda just seemed amused, but I was a little more worried. Jessica and Penny would be off to their college soon, a ninety-minute drive away, but Ellie was going to be living here. More than that, I was going to be a student at the same place as her, so we'd be seeing a lot of each other. If she didn't approve of her mother's new boyfriend, that was going to be difficult.
But, for now, I found myself on a stool, with Belinda on one side and Jess on the other, all of us completely naked and sipping our drinks. I wouldn't say I felt comfortable, it would be some time before I stopped even thinking about the novelty of not wearing any clothes -- but I did feel strangely liberated. It was like when you realise you have an ability to do something that you'd previously been unaware of, or doubtful about. And then, when you do it, you wish you'd done it earlier.
**
A week later I drove Penny to college while Belinda followed in her car with Ellie and Jessica.
We found her hall of residence where she'd be sharing a room with Jess on the campus for the first year. I carried an unfeasibly large number of bags from the car up to her room, then found myself doing the same for Jess.
"You're so... useful," said Jess, appreciatively. "I mean, men can be quite stupid and boorish sometimes, but you are great at carrying stuff."
"Thanks," I said. "That's the words on my tombstone sorted."
"I think he's very useful in all sorts of ways," said Belinda, taking my arm and squeezing it gently.
Jess rolled her eyes. "Oh please! Don't be gross! I don't want to think about that!" But she was smiling as she did so. I thought the men on campus probably wouldn't know what hit them once Jess and Penny hit their stride.
Belinda and Jess went back down to the car where Ellie was waiting, and I was left alone with Penny to say goodbye. We hugged each other, a little tentatively at first, and then I felt her body relaxing and she held me tight. I kissed her cheek.
"Keep safe," I said.
"You too," she said. Then she seemed to hesitate. "I just wanted to thank you again for... you know, staying on. In the house."
"I told you, Pen. I like it there. A lot. It's a new start for me too."
"Yes, I know... but..." She didn't seem able to find the right words. "Well, I just wondered if it was... at least... a bit for me?"
I stared at her. "God, Pen, of course it's a bit for you too. More than a bit. Yes, I'm staying because I like it, but... the fact it makes you happy, the fact you wanted me to stay... that's the most important thing for me. I love you, and..."
I stopped, suddenly aware of what I'd said. And then suddenly our gentle hug was a much, stronger, genuine one. It felt good. She cried a little, and it's possible I may have cried a little too.
After a few minutes we got ourselves composed. "Drive carefully on the way home," she sniffed.
I shook my head. "Belinda's driving. Though I have to say I'm a bit scared about that."
"But what about your car?"
I'd actually been waiting for her to ask that. I fished in my pocket for the keys and held them out to her with a slightly dramatic flourish.
"Not mine. It's your car now."