On Tuesday's, after teaching an early morning biology class, Samantha had time to use the university gym for an hour of cardio. She liked to finish at around 9:30 when the locker room shower was usually empty.
The last thing she wanted to hear was a student of hers, present or former, saying hello or asking questions about class, while she was dressed in nothing but a towel. Or worse... while she was naked...
It seemed like a normal day as she rinsed the shampoo from her hair and let her muscles relax after running five miles on a treadmill. The good mood was slightly dimmed when she heard two college girls enter the private stalls nearby. Sometimes a few students from the fitness class (yes, they still give credit for that) would leave the gym early and shower.
Their giggling laughter ruined her alone time. Knowing there would be more students coming, Samantha decided to move along with her day.
She turned off the shower and reached for a towel. Suddenly, one of the girls had said something which caught Samantha's attention.
'Henry.'
She immediately recognized the voice of the college girl who said it.
It was her son's girlfriend!
Under normal circumstances she'd say hello to Lan, a pretty and polite Asian girl from Hong Kong. Samantha liked her very much and they got along well. She considered wrapping a towel around her body to approach Lan, but then realized the college girls were likely naked. In the end, she felt it best to avoid the awkwardness all together.
After drying off, Samantha was about to head back to the locker room to get dressed. Then she heard their conversation strike a more serious tone.
"I don't know,"
Lan sadly expressed.
"I think I might break up with him. I'm still mulling it over and it hurts."
"Really? How come? Henry is the hottest guy in Advanced Calculus."
Samantha's ears were piqued; she had suddenly become an eavesdropper on a private conversation. The voice absolutely belonged to Lan, and they were definitely talking about her son, Henry.
A break-up? She knew her son would be crushed. The young couple had been inseparable for the past few months. They were always laughing and spent a great deal of time together.
Worse, Lan's father was a rich investor who recently became a partner at an American investment firm in the same city. He offered Henry an internship with the company after graduation. Henry, of course, was thrilled at the prospect of heading straight to the big leagues. He always dreamed of working in finance.
Lan continued,
"It's kind of awkward."
"Come on, tell me. If you're breaking up with him, there's gotta be a good reason."
"Ughh. Well, to be honest. It's about sex. I mean, he's great in bed and I really love sucking his dick. But most of the time he won't return the favor. If he does, it's really half-assed."
"He doesn't eat pussy?" the friend inquired with blatant disgust.
"Never more than a few lazy licks."
"God, what an asshole."
"He's not an asshole. Just inexperienced and he refuses to learn. It's unfair and it goes against my ideals. Equality is important in the bedroom. If I suck him off and swallow his cum, the LEAST he could do is lick my clitoris until I climax. He knows how sensitive my clit is when I'm aroused. Every time we mess around, I practically beg him to go down on me, but he never seems to get the message. Nor does he appear to care."
The friend replied,
"Well, if you're looking for a good pussy eater, I can give you a few references. Trust me, you should forget about Henry. There are plenty of guys with amazing oral abilities who would love to return the favor for a hot Asian chick like you. White guys usually love tasting Asian pussy, as you must know."
"Henry must not be one of those guys," Lan giggled.
A mortified Samantha listened to the rest of their conversation. Lan genuinely seemed reluctant to leave Henry, so there was hope.
Aside from all that, Samantha was greatly disappointed in Henry for his apparent failure in the cunnilingus department. She had raised him to strive for excellence in all areas. He was a top scholar, athlete, had perfect manners, and was a great looking guy. How could this have happened?
While they had never talked about sex before, Samantha assumed Henry would be thoughtful enough to return oral favors to women. That's how healthy relationships are supposed to work in the modern era.
She shook those thoughts from her mind. This was her son! It was wrong to think about his sexuality on this level. However, she definitely wanted to help him overcome this inadequacy and save this loving relationship. And she certainly didn't want Henry to lose his big internship over his lack of oral talent.
Samantha snapped out of her internal musings. She needed to get the hell out of the shower before more students arrived. With only one towel, she had to cover her face or risk being spotted by Lan.
So she did what she could. As the college girls were still engrossed in their sexualized conversation, Samantha tossed the towel over her head, pretending to dry her hair, and walked right past them in a naked state with her face obscured.
Luckily Samantha made it to the locker room fairly certain she hadn't been recognized.
***
It was early afternoon when Samantha had arrived home. She had texted Henry to come meet her there. At this hour, she knew he had finished class for the day and was either studying or hanging out with friends.
As expected, she made it home first. So, she slipped into a more comfortable outfit and poured a very generous glass of red wine. She had absolutely no idea how to even broach this topic with Henry.
She pondered the situation until his car pulled into the driveway. Even then, her plan still hadn't been finalized. As he approached the doorway, her thoughts raced. She wondered how she would break the news and what she'd recommend. In reality, she wasn't even sure of her ultimate goal. It was all up in the air.
Unfortunately, this was a time sensitive matter. She met Henry at the door and she told him to get comfortable. They sat in the living room on the opposite ends of the same couch.
In the beginning, she fell into her typical parenting mode and politely interrogated her beloved son. Starting with general topics, she asked about school and his social life. She finished her wine when the easy questions were done.
Samantha finally got to the point. "How are things with you and Lan? You seem very happy together."
"Things are great," Henry replied emphatically. "Honestly, I've never felt so connected to a woman."
"Do you see yourself in a long term relationship with her? Does she feel the same way?"
Henry nodded. "Yeah, this is the longest relationship I've ever had. But we're not discussing marriage if that's what you're afraid of."
The response was mildly amusing to Samantha and she resisted the urge to drop the bomb abruptly. She was well aware that his young heart might soon be shattered.
No one ever said motherhood was easy.
"You're a fine young man," she said. "And I'm sure you have plenty of other dating and career options."
"Mom, you're acting strangely."
She sighed. "I know. This is rather difficult."
"Just say it. Otherwise we'll be here all day."
Samantha took a deep breath. "Are you sexually active with Lan?"
Henry was immediately taken aback. "Why?"
"Answer me. Are you and Lan sexually active?"
"Yeah, we are," he replied hesitantly. "We're both young adults in a loving relationship. Are you worried that I'll get her pregnant or something?"
"Maybe. Are you two using protection?"
Naturally, he tensed. "We use condoms. Why? You never asked about this when I dated other girls."
"This is a little different," she replied.
"Is it?"
Samantha could tell Henry was uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. But as much as she loathed having to do it, this discussion needed to happen now. It wasn't too late to fix the problem.
At long last, Samantha said, "When I was in the campus shower today, I overheard Lan saying she wants to break up with you."
Henry was completely blindsided and Samantha watched his heart slowly break. As a mother, she just wanted to comfort him, but a lesson needed to be learned. This tough conversation would only help him.
"What do you mean you overheard? Who was she talking to? What did she say?"
Samantha took another deep breath. "Lan was talking to a friend. Nothing has been confirmed. She still seems rather undecided on the matter and she still has strong feelings for you."
"But... why? She said she loves me. And I love her too."
The only thing Samantha could do was scoot a little closer to him, reach out for his hand and reassure him that everything was going to be okay. He was taking the news as best he could. But it obviously stung.
"It's okay," she said as the moment had arrived. "Do you really want to know why? This may be embarrassing for you."
"Tell me already. I have to know."
"Oral sex," she said bluntly.
Henry was instantly taken aback. "Huh?"
"The truth is, no matter how smart, funny, or handsome a guy is, women still have sexual needs. Just like men. Lan is a sweet young woman, who's also intelligent and charming. But she has desires like anyone else. As sexual creatures, these needs are part of our biology."
Henry shook his head. "I don't understand. I take care of her needs several times a week."
"Henry, you really don't understand. I overheard Lan saying that she... let me put this mildly... she goes down on you quite often. Is this true?"
Naturally, Henry seemed a bit shaken. Having a frank discussion about sex with his mother hadn't exactly been on his agenda that day.
"Well, yeah. I mean, she enjoys doing it. And I appreciate it."
"I'm sure you both enjoy it," Samantha replied. "Many women enjoy performing that for a man. Obviously, men enjoy receiving that type of attention. But do you return the favor in an equal manner?"
"Ummm.... sure. Of course, why wouldn't I?"