She brushed it away. “Someone does, you know. She’s just enamored with you.” A smile spread across my face as she closed the distance between us, and I luxuriated in the soft, tender kiss that followed. It was one of many we shared before Sandy had to go. I walked her out onto the porch, arm around her.
“So I can’t come over Friday, I have a meeting with a drug rep.”
“You can’t just blow them off?”
Sandy smiled. “They bring lunch for the whole office, so I wouldn’t just be canceling on them. I’ll see you after the game though?”
“Yeah, when you win maybe we can celebrate by you taking me with the strap-on?”
Sandy grinned. “And if we lose?”
“Well, then we can commiserate by you taking me with the strap-on.”
That made Sandy laugh and kiss me again, and I waved as she drove away.
***
We had a lovely weekend. The girls won Friday night, although the tension from the Perry’s was still there in spades. The team we were playing double teamed Adrienne almost constantly, but she played very well, tallying assists on all four goals the team scored.
Sandy and I celebrated late into the night. Unfortunately nature had kept me from doing much for my lover, but that hadn’t abated her own enthusiasm, and my pussy was feeling well and deliciously used by the time Sandy left for work Monday morning.
I picked Will up from debate and headed straight out to Charlie’s robotics competition. We didn’t make it home until almost eight. As I waited for a car pulling away from in front of the neighbor’s I noticed the Jeep Wrangler in the driveway.
The boys and I were greeted by the smell of garlic and oregano when we entered the kitchen. Paige was standing at the counter, slicing a loaf of French garlic bread while Sandy pulled a tray of meatballs out of the oven.
Sandy smiled at us as we entered. “Hey guys, welcome home. Hungry?”
I was grinning ear to ear. “What did you guys do?” I gave my daughter a hug as she answered.
“Coach and I made dinner.”
Sandy shrugged as I stepped closer. “Just spaghetti and meatballs.”
“Homemade meatballs.” Paige chipped in as I kissed my girlfriend while all my children watched. God, that felt amazing.
I looked up at her, my eyes shining. “Really?”
“Yeah, half pork, half beef, just like my grandpa Roselli taught me. Didn’t know I was one quarter Italian, did you?” I shook my head.
“Will, Charlie, set the table?”
“Yeah, Mom.” They answered together, and I headed over and sat down, watching the whole scene unfold before me. Sandy carried in the huge pasta bowl, and we all took our places. None of my kids were shy at all about digging in.
“This is really good, Coach Dalton.”
I looked over at Will, who’d spoken, a little surprised, but pleased with the politeness in his voice. I sat back, taking a sip of wine as Sandy thanked Will for the compliment before asking Charlie about how his competition went. God I wanted this. She was amazing with the kids, and I’d love to raise a child with her.
Paige and Will got in a little, good natured argument, and Sandy looked across at me as they went back and forth, giving me one of her little smiles that told me she was trying not to laugh. I couldn’t help but smile back, and imagine what could be.
I walked Sandy out to the car after sending the kids up to get ready for bed. “I thought that went really well.”
She grinned at me. “Yeah, what got into Will? He was almost civil to me.”
I shrugged. “He’s a good boy. I just hope his grandmother and his father don’t beat it out of him before he solidifies into a good man.”
Sandy stepped closer to me. “Well, with the mom he has, I think he’s got a really good chance. They all do.”
I smiled up at her, feeling very warm inside. Her mouth closed the distance between us, and we kissed, passion firing through my veins at the closeness of her.
“Yeah, Mom!” I broke away, looking up at Charlie’s room, where he and Paige were looking out his open window. Paige slapped her brother on the shoulder and pulled him back inside.
Sandy and I both laughed and turned back to each other, slipping our arms around each other’s waists. I looked up at her. “Where were we?”
She pulled me close. “I think, here.” She kissed me, soft and tender. No tongue, in case the kids were still watching. We parted, and I longed for the day that she wouldn’t have to go home, that when we finished dinner and put the kids to bed we’d already be home, the both of us.
I lay in bed that night and thought about that. Would I ever be strong enough to stand up to my family so I could give us a chance? I thought so. I was working that way. What I didn’t know was that I was going to have to make that choice a lot sooner than I was comfortable.
***
“Oh, god, Melanie, that was amazing.”
I leaned my cheek against Sandy’s inner thigh, licking her nectar off my lips. “It helps that I’m getting a lot of practice recently.”
She smiled down at me, running her fingers through my hair. “Oh, baby, you can have all the practice you want. Can I take you out to dinner Saturday? Maybe dancing afterwards?”
I kissed her outer labia before crawling up into her arms. “I have the kids this weekend. You know that.”
“I do. Instead, I could bring takeout here, we could watch a movie.”
“You could stay the night?”
She gave me a little sweet kiss. “That’s up to you, Melanie. If you’re comfortable with it.
“Let me think about it, but I want to get there. Definitely yes to the rest.”
We reluctantly got dressed, and I walked Sandy out, kissing her goodbye on the patio. I told her I’d see her at the game tonight, and she drove away. I was still working through that anthology of short stories, definitely a step up from the technical stuff I had been doing. Normally I liked to do a non-intensive, casual reading of a short story before I dove into it, giving me a feel for the author’s style and letting me enjoy the story, so I didn’t get caught up too much while reading for mistakes.
I’d just sat down on the couch with my tablet to begin the next story when my phone rang. For a moment I hoped it was Sandy, but when I picked it up the words ‘Lost Valley High School’ were displayed prominently across the screen.
I sat up and hit the green ‘accept’ icon. “Hello?”
“Mrs. Pierson?”
“Yes?”
“Hold for Principal Harrison, please.”
The woman’s voice, who I recognized as Nancy Ridge, Principal Harrsion’s secretary, was crisp and formal. I heard a click, followed only by a few seconds of silence before her boss picked up. That was long enough to get my heart racing, though.
“Melanie, thanks for taking my call. I’m afraid we need to talk, in person, as soon as possible.”
“What’s going on, Patrick?”
I heard him take a breath. “It, um, has to do with Paige. She’s not in any trouble, and she’s not sick or hurt or anything like that.”
“Then what is it?”
“We’ve received some images, photos, that indicate she might be in an inappropriate relationship. I’d like you to come in, this afternoon if possible.”
“What do you mean, inappropriate relationship?”
“I’d really rather discuss it in person, Melanie.”
“Fine. Have you called Bill?”
“No, you have primary custody, so legally I don’t have to involve him. So I’ll leave that up to you.”
“Legally? What the hell’s going on?” I tried for a few minutes, but I wasn’t able to get any more information out of him. He did tell me that he’d cleared his schedule for the afternoon, so that any time I could get there he’d see me right away. I grabbed my purse and headed out immediately. I decided not to call Bill, not until I knew what exactly was going on.
About five minutes after I left, my car’s display informed me of an incoming call from Sandy.
“Hello?”
“Melanie?” Her voice sounded shocked and numb. “I just got a phone call from Tom Martin that I’ve been suspended, effective immediately.”
“Oh, shit. I’m on my way to the school. I just got called in by Principal Harrison. He said it had something to do with Paige.”
“Okay, I’m going to call Tom back and demand details. Let me know what you find out.”
Well, that narrowed things down a bit. The school was less than fifteen minutes away, and I parked in the visitors lot and headed inside. I approached the front desk. “Melanie Pierson, Principal Harrison is expecting me.”
“Yes, Mrs. Pierson.” Brittany, the cute, young receptionist stood and opened the little half door in the counter to let me into the back. I thanked her as I stepped through, and she motioned back towards the Principal’s office. I wove my way through the tight space to where Nancy was sitting at her desk, her work phone held up to her ear. I could see a shadow moving on the other side of the blinds, which blocked the view through the window into Patrick’s office.
Nancy pressed the intercom. “Melanie Pierson is here.”
The shadow moved towards the door. It cracked open, and Principal Harrison’s arm reached through, beckoning me inside. As I entered Patrick continued to talk on the phone. “Yes, detective. Like I said, I received it the same time you did. I actually have the student’s mother with me now. Yes. Go ahead and send me your information, I will inform you of anything I find out.”
He motioned towards a chair, and I sat down as he completed his call. He hung up, letting go a heavy breath as he did.
“What in the world is going on, Patrick? Were you talking to the police?”
He met my eyes levelly. “Yes, I was. I’m afraid this is serious.”
“You better tell me what it is.”
“Yeah.” He walked back to the other side of his desk. “A few hours ago I received this email.” He turned his monitor, where a series of photos were thumb nailed in a window. He clicked on the first, and it clearly showed Sandy and Paige walking out of the school building together. There wasn’t anything incriminating about it that I could see.