Author's note: This is a non-consent story. If you don't like non-consent stories, don't read it. (Story tags provide some spoilers so toggle to see them at your own peril.)
Part I
Chapter 1
Mary O'Connor was a good mother and a dedicated wife. Her husband worked hard to support their family of five, and she filled every day with kids' activities and volunteer work.
Despite all the time she spent volunteering at the school, she had failed to make any solid friendships with the other mothers. They were pleasant and cordial, but superficial and petty under their pleasant façades.
Jack Pierson was a breath of fresh air infusing levity to their parental meetings and extending friendship to all the women, including Mary.
Jack's son, Ollie, was in the same class as Mary's fraternal twins, Jenny and Kara. Jenny took after Mary in looks and personality, while Kara and their son, Sam, took after Mary's husband Sean.
When Jenny came home in tears, Kara explained that the boy she liked had picked on her and stolen her new hat. Kara informed Mary that Jenny had a crush on the new boy Ollie.
After the next parent volunteer meeting, Mary approached Jack.
"I know they're eight and very much so still figuring out life, but my Jenny is very sensitive and very attached to her new hat. I don't want to tell you how to parent your own kid, but if Ollie could return her hat, I'd be grateful."
Jack handed her the hat from his coat pocket. "This the one?"
Mary's face lit up. "Yes! Thank you!"
Jack said, "Ollie wouldn't tell me where he got it, but I knew it wasn't his. We had a good long chat about right and wrong last night. Hey, you think you'll chaperone for the field trip at the beginning of next month?" He leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, "It would be nice to be around another parent who doesn't expect the world to revolve around them."
Mary put her hand on Jack's arm significantly more flirtingly than she planned. "I already planned to," she said with a husky voice that surprised her. Jack was attractive and affable, but certainly not worth ruining her marriage over.
Jack thankfully seemed unphased as she withdrew her hand from his arm in a rush of embarrassment. "Thank goodness. Maybe we can get the kids together for a playdate before then, it'll help me figure out why Ollie started acting like a degenerate teenager long before he should."
They exchanged numbers and addresses and compared calendars to set a tentative date a week away.
Jack came over with Ollie and the kids all played in the yard, while Sam had his own friend over. It was a warm fall day, the air had turned chilly the week before but a tantalizing few days of summer graced the week. Mary offered Jack a drink and he sipped at his wine while they observed the kids from the patio.
Mary learned that Jack moved here after his divorce was finalized. Ollie's mother had died seven years ago in a car accident and Jack had jumped into marriage with the closest support person he could find. She also happened to be a gold-digging menace. Mary tempered the tale of her vileness with a dose of realism knowing she was hearing only one side of the story.
Mary shared her history, high school sweethearts with her husband, community college before they both transferred to a nearby four-year college and graduated. They married at twenty-three, had Sam two years later, and the twins at twenty-eight.
Jack wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pointed discreetly at the kids.
Whispering into her ear he said, "I see the problem. Ollie and your Jenny are experiencing their first crush." His breath tickled her ear, sending moisture straight to her crotch. "Watch them closely."
Perhaps it was the wine, perhaps it was how good he smelled or how nice it was to finally have a friend at thirty-six who wasn't her husband, but she snuggled into Jack's arm and watched the kids.
She turned to tell Jack she saw what he was talking about, but when she faced him, his eyes were already on her, studying her face. No, he was studying her lips.
His free hand came up to brush her chin and she could feel herself melting, tipping her chin up to greet his lips.
A well-timed, blood-curdling scream pierced the moment and Mary pulled away to see what had happened. Both hers and Jack's parental instincts kicked in and they were on their feet running towards their kids when they saw the swarming wasps.
Tended stings and an investigation later, they determined that wasps had been building a nest under the pachysandra and had inadvertently been disturbed by an errant soccer ball.
"Thanks for the wine, Mary; let's do this again soon. Maybe at my house next time while you clear the wasps." He bent down for a hug, and she kept him at arms' length. He still whispered into her ear. "We can do a little experiment and see where this goes."
Mary pushed away aghast at his audacity. "I'm a happily married woman," she hissed.
Jack smirked. "I know you're married. I was talking about the kids." He discreetly pointed at Jenny and Ollie.
Mary's face flushed at her presumption. She hadn't imagined the almost-kiss, though, had she?
The garage door machine sounded, and Sean emerged as Jack left out the front door, steering wide of the wasps' nest. Jack looked back over his shoulder in time to see Sean plant his obligatory peck on Mary's cheek. Before Mary could make a show of it, Sean was headed to the bedroom loosening his tie.
"How was your day, honey?" she asked, following him to their bedroom.
"I made a big sale today. Looks like we'll be able to get that present for the kids after all this Christmas." There were always prying ears. Despite being vague, Sean mouthed the bit about the present. They were finally going to be able to take the kids to Disney.
"That's wonderful, honey. We also have a wasp nest in the yard we need to deal with. The twin's new friend, Ollie, Kara and Sam all got stung earlier."
