For a few days, an unedited version of chapter four was accidentally posted as chapter three, so you may have already read the unedited version. Be sure not to miss the new chapter three. A special thanks to the readers that pointed this out to me, and I am sorry for the confusion it caused.
Please enjoy the fourth chapter in this work of fiction. Mom's panty sniffing son is the youngest of the characters, and is nineteen years old. A special thanks to the volunteer editors who have helped me get this published β
Taylor VanCannon.
*****
Darlene was in the middle of emptying the dishwasher when she glanced down at the vibrating phone and frowned. It had been months since she last heard from Mandy McCabe. She reluctantly accepted the call and put her on speaker.
"Hi Mandy," Darlene said, "it's been a long time." Mandy had dropped out of sight after her sister was arrested, along with her boyfriend, for running a prostitution ring of local, middle aged mothers. The newspapers were ruthless, calling them the MILF Crew. Fortunately for Mandy, they cut a deal with prosecutors to get themselves out of the headlines, and were serving time upstate.
"Too long," came the reply. "How have you been?"
"Good," Darlene replied, suddenly sympathetic to Mandy's predicament. "That business with your sister must have been hard on you. I should have been there for you." They became close friends when Derrick tutored Johnny, getting him through his high school math and science classes. Johnny was a natural football talent, but had trouble maintaining his academic eligibility, pretty much the exact opposite of Derrick.
"I appreciate that," Mandy said, "but I was in no shape to see anybody. It was just too embarrassing."
"How's Johnny taking it?" Darlene asked, stacking clean dishes on the counter.
"Is somebody with you?"
"No," she replied, "I'm alone. You just caught me cleaning up the kitchen. You're on speaker, I hope you don't mind."
"Okay," Mandy said, exasperation in her voice. "The investigators were horrible. At one point, they even thought Johnny was part of my sister's crew."
"What? How on earth could they think that?"
"It's a long story, are you sure you want to hear it?"
"Absolutely," Darlene said, ignoring the dishwasher and taking a seat at the table. "I can take a break."
"You heard about Johnny's football season?"
"Oh yeah," she replied, "that's all Derrick could talk about when State kicked their asses in the bowl game. Awarded MVP, and in his freshman year. Wow."
"Well," she started, slowly, "that got him a lot of attention from the girls, if you know what I mean."
Darlene laughed. Johnny was a real stud, athletic and handsome. "Like he needed any help in that department."
"Yeah," Mandy said, "and I didn't do much to discourage it."
"How so?"
"Ever since his father died," she said, "I've had to pick up where Butch left off."
Darlene detected a note of sadness in her voice. "That's understandable, but from what I've seen, you've done a pretty good job."
"Thanks," she replied, "but I think I got a little too involved... with his love life."
Fuck! Darlene was struck by the possibility that she wasn't the only one fucking her son. "Ummm, you and Johnny..." She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.
"Darlene! No!" Mandy said, emphatically. "Why would you even think that?"
Now she'd stepped in it. There was no way she could tell her why that thought came to her mind. Think.
Mandy instantly regretted the accusation. "I'm sorry Darlene, that didn't come out right. Johnny and I have alway been open with each other, and he has always confided in me... you know... about the girls that came his way. And... maybe I've been a little too helpful... you know... telling him how to handle these inexperienced girls."
"Really?" Darlene asked, happy to have dodged a bullet.
"Yeah," she said, wistfully, "I know I shouldn't indulge him, but..."
"Let me guess, you're not seeing anyone?"
"Nope," Mandy said, slightly annoyed. "I was too focused on raising Johnny. Anyway, my sister has pretty much fucked that up. As soon as a guy hears my name... well, you know..." Her voice trailed off, then she said, defiantly, "Fuck! I didn't have anything to do with what they did, but I'm paying the price."
"I hear you," she said, suddenly curious to hear more about Johnny's exploits. "But... listening to Johnny... it must get you pretty wound up."
"No shit!" Mandy said, thankful for her friends understanding tone.
Darlene was treading in uncharted territory, and desperately wanted to hear exactly what Johnny had been telling her. She slipped a hand inside her robe and gave her breast a tender squeeze, flicking her nipple, instantly making it hard. Oh yeah, she definitely wanted to hear more, but was afraid of pushing Mandy too hard. "Why did the investigators suspect Johnny?"
"You met her boyfriend, Jerome, when you guys came to my place last summer," Mandy said, "remember?"
"I do," Darlene said, "I remember thinking Cindy had done very well for herself. The guy was smooth, good looking and a real stud."
Mandy laughed, "Yeah, he was quite an upgrade from her deadbeat ex. But, you don't know the half of it."
"Tell me."
"I know about it now," Mandy replied, "but when they dated last summer, I didn't have a clue."
"About what?"
"The guy was what you call a gigolo," she said with a note of disgust, "he never worked a day in his life."
"I don't get it," Darlene said, "your sister isn't that well off, is she?"
"Exactly," Mandy said, "Cindy has a head for business, but she's the one paying alimony to... well, you know."
"So, why would Jerome be interested in your sister?"
"He was in looove with her," she said, sarcastically, drawing out the word.