The Week-end Away (Part 1)
Dr. Jimmy Baker had met Michelle on one of those free dating websites. The got together at hers and his several times; for dinners together, watching movies at their respective houses, and playing board games as well. But as far as anything romantic was concerned, there was "no spark", Jimmy said. They had even spent a week-end away together at her family's rural cabin in The Poconos. They each tried to get something going, but his willie wouldn't cooperate.
It was all mental on Jimmy's part, because for the entirety of their friendship, she complained constantly about her hip hurting, her back pain, her headaches, and having to sit in a certain way so that she'd be more comfortable, moaning and groaning as she climbed stairs. She was certainly kind enough, pleasant enough, had a good sense of humour, generous enough, but it was like trying to get romantic with an 80-year-old woman. Jimmy hadn't had this much trouble getting it up in a while, and Michelle wasn't making maintaining an erection any easier in the event that he ever would get together with anyone else... as I said, it was all mental.
It affected him greatly and in the effort to be completely honest, when they met again at her house after that week-end away, Jimmy informed Michelle that he liked "hanging out" with her, playing games, watching movies, sharing meals, but that anything romantic between the two of them would be out of the question. If she was all right with that arrangement, then they could continue seeing each other, but that would be the extent of it. Michelle's reaction was predictable, "is there someone else?" Jimmy assured her that there wasn't, and after several days of her "thinking about it", she rang him up and they had dinner at hers again. She attempted to get things started, but Jimmy reminded her of their previous conversation, and she said that he'd better go, then. She rang him back two days afterwards and apologised for her rudeness, and hoped that the episode didn't irrevocably damage their friendship. He said it didn't and said they'd talk more in a day or so.
Now, Michelle had an 18-year-old daughter, named Ali, who lived at home and commuted to university in the area. Jimmy never did anything to encourage Ali as to anything romantic either. It wouldn't be right to date the mother and screw the daughter. OR date both of them. Besides, Ali had a boyfriend and Jimmy had spent a few evenings when they were around, barbecuing, and the other activities he did with her mum. They were a cute younger couple.
So when Michelle asked Jimmy to go away for another week-end to the family cabin, she informed him that Ali would be coming along.
"She just broke up with her boyfriend," Michelle explained, "I don't know who broke up with whom, she won't say. But I think she could use a week-end away. Is that all right?"
"Sure, the more the merrier," Jimmy said, again, with no romantic intention towards Ali or Michelle at all. "It'll just be a fun week-end away for all of us. I'll bring snacks, games and my guitar and let's do it."
He arrived on Friday noon-time, the time Michelle said she wanted to leave, but as usual, she was only half packed, had only a bit of food assembled and had petrol to get, as her car was close to empty. Ali was still visibly shaken by her separation and was quietly sat on her completely packed suitcase, texting on her phone. She had been upbeat and laughed quite easily during his previous visits to Michelle's, but not today.
"Is she always this late for things?" Jimmy asked Ali, full-well knowing the answer.
"Always," Ali replied, not looking up from her phone.
"Look, it's his loss, Ali," Jimmy said, "I don't know what happened, but if can't see what a catch you are, he doesn't deserve you."
Ali looked up at this, "Thanks, Jimmy," she said, "but that wasn't it. There were 'problems'. I don't want to talk about it.'
"That's ok," Jimmy answered, "I'll be here if you need me." And Ali went back to texting her friends.
At 1:30, they finally hit the road, Michelle driving Jimmy "shotgun" and Ali on her phone in the back seat with the suitcases, bags of food, Jimmy's week-end bag and collection of games, and his guitar. They got to the cabin be 6:30, and quickly unpacked. They all changed to more comfortable clothes (Ali in a midriff shirt and 'bedroom' trousers), Jimmy in a track-suit bottom and long-sleeve tee shirt, and Michelle, in sweat-pants and a woolly jumper) ate dinner and the three polished off a litre-sized bottle of wine that Jimmy had brought.
After dinner, they decided to play 3-handed cribbage and every time Ali showed her hand, she bent over and her mid-riff shirt rode up a little higher, then came back down when she sat back. Close to the end of the game, Ali chimed in with:
"Byron and I played strip-cribbage once," and laughed.
"Who won?" Michelle asked and then looked at Jimmy, embarrassed.
"I did of course," Ali said cheerfully, "I always won. I was so much more competitive than Byron." And shot Jimmy a look that he hadn't seen from Ali before. And she giggled.
"Well," Michelle said, "looks like this week-end is just what the doctor ordered. Oh, I didn't mean you, Jimmy." And they all laughed.
Ali then went up to her loft bedroom and Michelle and Jimmy switched to backgammon, which Jimmy won easliy.
"I've gotta do the dinner dishes," Michelle said, then calling up, "Ali. Do you want to play Jimmy a game of backgammon?"
"Is he good?" she called back down.
"He beat me," Michelle said. "I'm gonna do the dishes."
"Do you want me to help with the dishes?" Jimmy suggested.
"No, you guys play and I'll probably have the dishes done to take on the winner." Michelle said, moving to the kitchen area behind Jimmy's position on the couch in front of the fireplace.
"Probably not," Ali said as she bounded down the stairs, the mid-riff rising and falling with each stair. Jimmy, without staring, could see that she had nothing on underneath the shirt. But her body was so slim that her bare breasts never showed. Ali moves to Jimmy's left in an easy chair, so that she could see her mum which Jimmy cannot. She crosses and tucks her bare feet underneath her in the chair.
This game was close, and again, as Ali moved her pieces around the board, her shirt rose and fell, but it was tight around the neck, so from his frontal vantage point, there was nothing visible. In the end, with a double 5 roll, Jimmy narrowly won and Ali just stared at him in mock anger. Michelle was still doing the dishes in her typically slow style.
