“Hey buddy…” Jules said in her familiar greeting. “Last night you told me you would maybe help me out with some painting jobs this fall, right?” She asked more like making a statement than a question.
“Yeah, sure, but I didn’t expect to start today. What’s up?” I asked hesitantly.
“Oh it’s not today, I’m just talking with Maggie here about a job she asked me to do in a couple of weeks. I thought that since you had helped me out by taking over the majority of the work mowing the lawn here, that you might consider a similar working trade by doing some cleaning and painting, here in the house.” Jules looked me dead in the eye, her lopsided grin highlighted with that quirky raised eyebrow and the knowing look in her eyes that told me that yes, girls do talk. And, it was obvious to me that Jules had colluded with the Teachers to make an arrangement to keep me ‘employed’ as it were, and thereby present and available to continue my ‘lessons’ for a while yet. I turned my head a bit looking jules in the eye with a bit of a sidelong glance and knitted brows as I thought about what she said as well as what I suspected the reasoning was behind the words. Jules must have thought I was having second thoughts about helping out so she glanced at Maggie before looking back at me and raising her other eyebrow and adding. “Michelle already said she’d help out here too, but we’re really going to need another set of hands if you could help out…” Oh that conniving, manipulative… wonderful bitch! She had to go there didn’t she? I heard Maggie stifle a snort of a chuckle before it got away from her, it sounded like a choked off sneeze.
“Well?” Jules prodded.
“Fine! I can help out… as long as there are no conflicts of course.” I had to add. Jules turned on her brightest smile and nodded as she looked at Maggie and winked thinking I didn’t see it. Maggie just smiled that subdued smile of hers trying to look serious but I knew she was pleased all the same.
“Oh wonderful!” I heard Penny say from behind me, apparently she had followed me downstairs as well and I hadn’t been aware of it until she had just spoken.
“What or where am I, or ‘we’ going to be painting?” I asked Jules, stepping closer to the table now that I was officially on the painting crew. She and Maggie went on to tell me about their plans to refinish the rooms here in the lower level beginning with the ‘apartment’, moving on to the downstairs bathroom and eventually some work here in the ‘classroom’. Penny said that it would be nice to finally brighten up these dark dingy walls and ceilings to make the rooms brighter and more inviting. She and Jules discussed the merits of different colors and shades before coming to a decision to go with a flat white for all the ceilings and the entire apartment. The bathroom was still undecided as Penny still preferred a shade of light blue, the classroom would be decided on after the first two jobs were nearer to completion. Maggie mentioned that she was considering having new carpet installed throughout the lower level as well, but that would also be done after the painting was finished. After about fifteen minutes of holding one end of a measuring tape for Jules as she measured the walls in the various rooms so that she could calculate the amount of paint that would be required she told the Teachers that she’d call them with some prices and work out a schedule in a day or two. As Jules made ready to depart, Maggie took her by the hand and thanked her. Penny on the other hand, being Penny, grabbed jules from behind wrapping her arms around her and hugging her tightly snuggling her chin into the nape of Jules’ neck softly saying.
“Thank you Jules… thank you, thank you, thank you darling.” Jules smiled but blushed as she patted Penny’s arms and tipped her head over to rest briefly against Penny’s. Penny then released her and Jules looked at me with a blank expression on her face, but there was a twinkle in her eye that she could not hide, at least not from me. I smiled and told her I’d see her at Dom’s later tonight. She then saw herself out leaving me standing in the classroom with Maggie and Penny who were exchanging looks and smiling. I could have sworn there was an entire unspoken conversation going on between those two, but not a word spoken.
“Okay ladies, I don’t suppose it matters really, who contacted who, but I find it quite the coincidence that I had intended this very day to ask you about making arrangements to continue my lessons by way of some sort of trade for labor. Like we have had with my mowing your lawn. Now, honestly I suspect that Jules may well be the instigator on my behalf, either way… Thank you.” I spoke with a humble voice and a genuine smile.
“Why Jim, darling, I don’t know what you’re talking about, Maggie and I have been planning this work all summer, Jules only today realized that she would need… some help… with being able to complete the work. Of course it’s fortuitous that you already work with her and we are all acquainted with one another. It also helps that we know you are hard working and are imminently reliable and… trustworthy.” Penny smiled coyly as she ambled closer to me and took me by the arm and leaned in to give me a peck on the cheek. Maggie just stood there with that enigmatic half smile, those coppery amber eyes shining brightly. Penny looked at her wrist watch and huffed with a slightly perturbed frown then glanced to Maggie before she said. “Darling, I have to leave for an appointment, I’m sorry. I will see you tomorrow morning though, yes?” She asked with a slight bob and tilt of her head. I nodded my assent and she smiled and continued. “Maggie will see to your lesson today. Until tomorrow then?” Penny patted my arm then turned and made her way upstairs.
I turned my full attention to Maggie who was still standing by the projector table, her arms crossed over her breasts and her head with a pensive tilt giving me a slightly side long glance. She bowed her head a fraction or so and took three steps slowly towards me to close the gap between us. I didn’t know what she had in mind but I could tell that she was working out what she was about to say to me. When she was mere inches from where I stood she raised her head up and tilted it back a bit as if she were almost looking down her nose at me but I did not get the sense that she was being condescending in anyway but rather she was about to say something of great importance. Those wide thin lips were pursed almost to the point of pouting, the bottom lip extended just a fraction. Her copper amber hued eyes were hooded, framed by her dark eyelashes, those raven eyebrows straight, immobile and very stern looking. I felt a bit of a chill run down my spine. This was all too similar to the look I used to get way back in high school in her typing class… at least early in the semester anyway. I stood my ground, waiting, curious if even a bit apprehensive. My eyes never wavered from Maggie’s. Finally after what seemed like several minutes, though it couldn’t have been more than a few moments, Maggie spoke.
“You understand that Penny shared with me what you did yesterday.” She stated in a firm but neutral voice and paused.
Somehow I didn’t think she was waiting for a comment, only informing me of her knowledge. Of course my mind instantly began a rapid mental recap of what happened yesterday with Penny. About the tour of the downstairs apartment, my questions about Maggie, and Penny, and about the two of them. I recalled my exploration of Penny’s body including her peach. I thought about Penny showing me how she liked to be touched, and about her using my hand as part of that act. I wondered if that was too forward of me and had I stepped out of bounds somehow. I swallowed and broke eye contact momentarily steeling myself to begin an apology but before I could utter a word Maggie continued.
“I thought I knew you better than I obviously do. I’ve always thought you to be a kind sensitive and thoughtful young man…” Again she trailed off, perhaps searching for words. I felt my ears burning with the beginning of a sense of shame.
“Maggie… I’m sorry if I pried into your private life, I didn’t mean to offend in any way…” I began only to be brought up short when Maggie spoke over me halting my words.
“You continue to push my perception of your true depths, and your warmth. I knew you were far too observant to have not questioned the relationship between Penny and I or that perhaps either of our orientation or preferences. That you asked does not bother me in the slightest, HOW you asked only reassures me of your maturity and sensitivity. No Jim, what I’m talking about what you did when you discovered one of Penny’s greatest personal secrets, perhaps her greatest insecurity. No one, not a single person male or female, other than myself has ever showed her such understanding and… Love. You touched her heart. And…” Maggie paused with a catch in her throat that she swallowed, her eyes went soft as the closed slowly for a moment, her eyebrows actually rose slightly and those wide thin lips turned up at the corners ever so slightly as she leaned in to me and kissed me so softly as to make me hold my breath in wonder. As she pulled back smiling she added. “…You touched my heart as well. To fill her heart with joy is a gift that will not be forgotten.”
It felt as if my heart had suddenly climbed out of my chest and was now in my throat. I knew beyond a doubt that Maggie’s words were heartfelt and sincere. I simply had not realized just how deeply Penny had felt about my simple show of acceptance and reassurance. To assuage her fear of being thought of as a freak or ugly was not something I had even thought about, it was impulsive or instinctive perhaps. Maggie was still looking into my eyes and seemed to realize my own thoughts even without my speaking them aloud. She nodded and smiled then reached out and took my left hand in her right.
“Come with me.” She said as she led me down the hall and to the door of the apartment letting me in after turning on the lights and closing the door behind us. Maggie stood and silently looked around the ‘den’ as she called the front room with the couch and television. She released my hand and walked over to the wet bar and removed a glass from the cabinet, turning to give me a look of askance. I shook my head no and she turned back to get a decanter of an amber liquid. Removing the glass stopper she poured a splash or two into the glass before replacing it and closing the cabinet. Picking up her glass she brought it to her face holding it in both hands and sniffed at the liquid that she swirled around in the glass. Her eyes closed and she bowed her head slightly as if in prayer before tilting the glass up to take a sip. With a momentary grimace as she swallowed the drink her eyes reopened and she settled her gaze once more upon me.
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