Afternoon Delight Read online

  AFTERNOON DELIGHT

  a steamy love story

  LES MOOD

  Contents

  Title Page

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  THE END

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  OTHER WORKS BY LES MOOD

  CHAPTER ONE

  Maddy

  I was a faithful wife for nearly twenty-five years. It was easy. I loved my husband. David and I had met when we were both grad students at Wichita State and we got married two months later. Our daughter Flo was born seven months after that. There’s a reason I’ve given my daughters the ‘safe sex’ lecture so many times. While David wasn’t the only man I ever slept with, he was the best, and I don’t say that just because the first time we did it he knocked me up. Did you know that if you carry a condom around too long it no longer provides much protection? My nerdy husband did not.

  Before David, the best sex for me had not been with guys, it had been with members of the other fifty-one percent of the population. Even in high school I knew that I liked boys and girls with an equal passion, but indulging that passion with girls had fewer complications. Flo is an example of one of those complications. Luckily I fell in love with her father – after she was conceived but before she was born.

  I’ve often wondered what would have happened if I’d fallen in love with a woman instead of David. Would we have formed a life-long partnership, marriage between women being only a pipe dream then. I’d like to think I would have, but that’s easy to say now because the issue never came up. Many, if not most, of the girls I slept with were just experimenting. They were called the LUG’s in those days – Lesbian Until Graduation. Girls who wanted a sex life in college but weren’t looking for a husband yet. That search would start after they had a degree in hand. I wasn’t like that. I had always been attracted to females, and have continued to be. Would I have had what it took to have a committed relationship with a woman? Maybe, maybe not. I would today.

  Flo is a mother herself now, and her son was born over a year after she married Hal, a testament to either the quality of my lecture or the durability of modern condoms. My younger daughter Andi is a sophomore in college at Springfield where she shares an apartment with three other girls. She gets the ‘talk’ in some form every time she comes home. It annoys the hell out of her, but I don’t care. I want her to graduate before she makes the happy mistake David and I did.

  After we both got our master’s, David and I packed up what little we owned, plus our baby daughter, and moved to Omaha. He went to work as an actuary for a large insurance company and I started teaching English at a middle school. By the time he passed away last year he was the Vice-President of Actuarial Services and I had been teaching at the Metro Community College for some time. David came down with a cold while he and I were vacationing in the Rockies. No big deal, we thought. We laid the blame on the altitude. By the time we got back home his cold had worsened. After I had nagged him, no other word for it, he went to the doctor where we discovered it had not been a cold, he had advanced lymphoma. He died three months later, leaving me a forty-six-year-old widow.

  David has been gone well over a year now and my girls have been nagging me, no other word for it, to get out and find someone. While I’m sure they mean some man, I don’t think any man could replace David in my life. He was the only man I’d ever truly known, and the only one I ever loved.

  When David passed away the girls and I moved his recliner to the family room in the basement. It had always been his favorite chair and I had pleasant memories of him sitting there, pretending to watch golf on television while he napped. When I start missing him I go down and sit in his chair to feel close to him. Often, when something is troubling me, I will sit there and discuss things with him. I know it’s a silly, emotional pretense, but it always makes me feel better. One of the things I’ve talked with him about is my need for companionship. “I don’t want another man in my life,” I told him, “but I am lonely.” Without getting too maudlin, I decided, and I felt I had David’s agreement, that if I did look for someone else to share my life, or at least my bed, it would be another woman. One of these days I’ll get out of my funk and start looking for one.

  After David’s cancer diagnosis I was off work for the entire school year and now have gone back part-time, teaching two English Comp classes every week. While I was sitting at home I started reading Romance novels. Please don’t tell my department head about that. English teachers are required by an unwritten but inviolable law to sneer at Romances, so it remains my secret vice. I started out innocently enough sampling a few historicals, Amanda Quick and Mary Balogh being my gateway authors. After exhausting those books, I moved on to the harder stuff, contemporary stories by Susan Elizabeth Peters and Jennifer Crusie. Then one Saturday I went to an estate sale and picked up two boxes of books for a couple of bucks. Included in them was Curious Wine by Katherine V. Forest, my very first lesbian romance. I was hooked. Since reading that one I’ve scoured the bookstores for more of this genre, although mostly I get them from Amazon. Not a lot of LGBT booksellers around here.

  Wednesday evening I was sitting at home with a cup of tea and my newest book purchase. I was just getting to the steamy part when Andi called unexpectedly. Both of my daughters call at least once a week and Andi’s call almost always comes on a Saturday morning. Like her mother, she’s a creature of habit. Flo’s calls are more random but just as frequent. I know the main reason they call so regularly is because my daughters worry about me being alone. While I’m touched by that, sometimes it gets on my nerves that they think I can’t take care of myself. After reading the steamy parts in these books I’ve taken care of myself a lot.

  “Mom, are you going to be home Saturday?”

  “Of course,” I told my daughter. “What’s up. Is there a problem? Do you need me to come down there?”

  “No, no problem. And I you don’t need to come here, I’ll coming home this weekend. There’s something I need to talk to you about.” It’s nearly a six-hour drive from Springfield to Omaha. Not that far, but not close enough for someone to want to make the trip on the spur of a moment. Andi seldom came home except for holidays or when she was completely out of clean clothes.

  “You are still coming Thanksgiving, aren’t you?”

  “Of course, Mom. Flo will be there too, won’t she?”

  “Yes. She and Hal and Davey.” Hal’s her husband, Davey her one-year-old. They live in St. Louis where Hal works for Boeing. “But I’ll be here all weekend. Are you sure nothing’s wrong?”

  “No. I just want to talk and was hoping you wouldn’t have, you know, a date or something.”

  “As you well know, the last date I had ended with me marrying your father.”

  “Flo and I appreciate that,” my daughter said with a laugh. “And I am coming for Thanksgiving. I’d like to bring my friend Pam, if that’s okay.”

  “Sure it is, you know that. And I will be here this Saturday.”

  “Good. I’ll see you then.”

  “Are you coming by yourself?”

  “Yes, Mom. And I’ll be careful,” she said, anticipating my next comment.

  “Make sure you stop and walk around a couple of times. Stretch your legs and get some fresh air. That’s a long drive to make by yourself.” I say this every time she comes home and could picture her mouthing the words along with me.
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  “Yes, Mom,” my daughter said in that voice that verified she was still a teenager.

  “Text me when you leave Springfield,” I told her, knowing I’d spend the next three days trying to figure out what it was she wanted to talk to me about, and how bad it could be. I decided not to worry about it and went back to my book. I considered fixing another cup of tea and fretting over what my daughter thought was so important she’d drive all the way to Omaha, then decided against it. I would find out Saturday, and my book was calling me. Eva had just stuck her hand under Penny’s skirt and I was hoping to pick up some tips in case I ever did have a date.

  My reading was interrupted – again, darn it - when my friend Elaine called. Elaine and I taught English together at Central High back in the day. She and I used to be very close, but haven’t been as close the past couple of years. Still, I wasn’t surprised to hear from her.

  “I’ve got a favor to ask. Since you don’t have any classes Friday afternoon, do you think could you pick my sister Jo up at the airport. She’s coming in for a job interview Monday and didn’t want to rent a car.”

  “I can do that. Is she moving to Omaha? I thought she and her partner were settled in the Twin Cities.”

  “They broke up. I don’t know any details, but they’re selling their house and splitting the proceeds. Jo wants to make a new start somewhere.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad. Hadn’t they been together a while.”

  “Nearly five years. Like I said, I have no idea what happened between them, but Jo doesn’t seem too upset.” Elaine herself had been divorced for years. Her husband, who was a complete jerk, had been cheating on her for years and she finally threw the bum out. Or he left her. It depends on who you listen to.

  “I’ll pick her up at the airport, no problem. Will she need a ride to the interview?”

  “No, she’ll take me to school Monday morning, then use my car. Thanks so much for this. I’ll owe you.”

  “You won’t owe me a thing. That’s what friends are for,” I told her. “Text me the details will you, I’m right in the middle of something right now.” When Elaine and I do talk we usually take time to get caught up with each other, but I cut the call short this time as I had another priority. Penny had just pulled Eva’s panties down.

  Thus, at three-thirty Friday I stood in Eppley Airport looking for Elaine’s sister instead of sitting at home, worrying about my daughter or whether Eva would break Penny’s heart. I’d met Jo a couple of times, but it had been several years. All I remembered about her was that she’s very tall, something over six feet, and has, or at least had, dark brown hair. I watched the passengers as they came dragging through security, most of them looking ready to end their week on the road. In the last group to come by I spotted her.

  Even wearing flats, she was easy to pick out over the crowd. Her hair was a lot shorter than I’d remembered, falling just to her ears, but still dark brown. She was wearing a pair of khaki cargo pants and a brown sports coat over a light blue shirt. She was thin and small-bosomed with a garment bag thrown casually over one shoulder, frowning at the iPhone in her right hand. A good-looking woman, except for the frown. She looked a lot like I pictured Eva. I was glad I’d dressed up to greet her. I’d put on a pair of a pair of silvery gray slacks that made my short legs look at least a little longer, along with a white camisole under a light blue cardigan. Then, right before I’d left the house, I changed my mind and put on a light green sweater that fit more snuggly and showed off my curves. Made me feel a little bit like Penny. “Jo?” I asked as I walked up to her.

  “Yes, you must be Maddy,” she said. When she looked down and I saw her eyes I wanted to lick my lips, they were the color of rich caramel and seemed to see right through me, or at least right through my clothes. Slowly those eyes drifted downward, stopping when they reached my chest. Yep, I’d chosen the right sweater.

  “At your service. Do you have any checked bags?”

  “One, yeah.”

  “Then let’s head downstairs. I’m parked in the lot across the street.” While we waited for her bag to come out Jo glanced at her phone once, then stuck it in one of the side pockets of her pants. When we got to the parking lot we put her suitcase and garment bag in the trunk of my Lexus. On the drive out to Elaine’s home I commented, “Elaine told me you’re interviewing for a job Monday. At the Union Corp?”

  “That’s right. In their IT department.”

  “So, you’re leaving Minneapolis. I was sorry to hear about your breakup.”

  “As I was sorry to hear about your husband’s passing,” she said, taking the focus off her failed relationship.

  “It’s been over a year, but I still miss him. Probably always will.”

  “But you’re doing all right? Elaine said you’d gone back to work.”

  “Yes, part-time. I just teach two Comp classes now at the community college. That’s enough. David had a lot of insurance, so I don’t really need to work, I just need to keep busy.” As an executive at an insurance company, he had insurance out the wahoo. The girls and I were both well taken care of, financially at least. But the money had been no help with the loneliness and loss. I knew my daughters were right about getting out of the house and spending time with people, but it was so hard to start over. At least I had my books to give me the illusion of romance.

  We got to Elaine’s house in the Dundee district just as she was getting home from work. I pulled in the drive behind her and when we got out of the car she rushed over to give her sister a hug. “Bring your bags in, Jo. I’ve got your room all ready.”

  “My usual room?” Jo asked.

  “Sure. Same as always.”

  Jo grabbed her suitcase and went inside while I got her garment bag and carried it in. Elaine directed me upstairs, “It’s the bedroom next to the bath,” she told me. When I got to the room Jo had her suitcase open on the bed. “I’ll take that,” she told me, taking the garment bag from my hands. “I’ll get my stuff put away. You go on downstairs.”

  When I got to the kitchen, Elaine asked, “Can you stay for dinner, Maddy? There’s chili heating in the crock pot. I can make some cornbread to go with it.”

  “I thought I smelled something good when I came in. Sounds great to me,” I told her.

  “Would you like a drink or a cup of coffee?” Elaine asked.

  “No thanks, I’m good,” I told her and she poured a cup of coffee for herself, adding a generous amount of Jim Beam to it. Another reason we aren’t such close friends any more – Elaine drinks a lot more than I’m comfortable with.

  I had planned on going back home, but decided dinner with friends sounded nice, and it would give me a chance to get to know Jo better. I followed Elaine to the kitchen where she set the table with three soup bowls and small plates.

  When Jo came down from her room we were just getting the bread out. She had taken off her jacket and opened a couple of buttons at the top of her shirt which made her even more attractive. “Any chance you have any beer to go with that chili?” Jo asked, opening the refrigerator.

  “Of course. I bought some of that Mexican stuff you like,” Elaine said.

  “Do you want one?” Jo asked, turning to look at me, almost catching me checking out her ass.

  “Uh, no. I’ll just have water,” I said, hoping I my face wasn’t giving me away. She has a nice ass.

  “How about you, Sis,” she asked.

  “No thanks, I’ve got a drink,” Elaine said, holding up her cup. She added more bourbon to it before sitting down.

  As we ate, I asked Jo, “If you get this job, where do you plan on living? Are you going to rent or buy something?”

  “When Sal and I get the house in Minneapolis sold I should have enough cash to make a down payment on something here in Omaha. I’d like a two-bedroom place. One story if possible.”

  “Do you have something specific in mind?” I asked.

  “I wish you could get something in this neighborhood,” Elaine said. “
It would be nice having you close.”

  “Not likely. All these houses are way too big for me.” The Dundee neighborhood where Elaine lives is a well-kept, older area made up primarily of large, two-story homes. She was only a few blocks from where Warren Buffet lives, although he’s not much on mixing with the neighbors. There were a few smaller homes, but they were few and far between. “I thought I’d go out Sunday and look around the town. Why don’t you two go with me?”

  “I need to spend Sunday grading papers,” Elaine said. “But I’ve got another idea. Maddy, why don’t you show her around? And you two can get to know each other better at the same time.”

  “Of course, I’d like that. My daughter will be here Saturday, but she’ll be leaving Sunday morning. She goes to school down in Springfield. I could pick you up around one. Then we could drop in on some open houses. You want to check the ads and make a list of those that sound interesting to you?”

  “Sounds great to me,” Jo said. “It’s a date then?” Date? I thought. Could house hunting really be a date? I had no idea, but I didn’t mind the thought of having my first date with this sexy woman.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Jo

  I had begun to hate Minneapolis. I’d been there over nineteen years, the last five living with Sal. The house we bought was close to her office – and a forty-minute drive to mine. When we first moved in together it was in an apartment equal distance from both our offices. We were happily crowded and anxious to get home to each other every night.

  When she got her first promotion four years ago she talked me into buying a house. “We’ll finally have a place of our own, babe,” she’d told me. “And think of the investment value. Hell, we’re just throwing out money away renting this dump. This could mean our future.” Yeah, like we had a future. So we bought the house, a convenient drive for her. “Hey babe, I know it’s a long way from downtown, but I’ll be working all that overtime. It’ll be quicker for me to get back home in your arms. We’ll get you some nice wheels. Maybe a Beamer. You’ll look so sexy in one of those.” Like anybody could look sexy on a long commute. When I bought my big Ford SUV, suddenly she had to have an Escalade at twice the price. “I’ll need the space to haul all my stuff around, and it’s a fantastic investment. I’ll get my money’s worth out of this beauty, you wait and see.” And so it went. Art work, “Fantastic investment potential.” Expensive cookware, “Nothing but the best for me and my babe.” Like she ever took the time to cook. Furniture, “None of that cheap shit for us.” Clothes, my god the woman spent more on underwear than my whole wardrobe cost – underwear I seldom got to see and never got to see her take off.