Chapter 7
Joyce picked up the phone absently, without taking her eyes off the article in the newspaper she was reading, and said, "Hello."
"Good morning," Reta said brightly.
Joyce put the paper down and said, "Oh. hi, Reta. How's it going?"
"I was going to ask you the same thing," Reta said. "Why did you leave so early last night? You missed a lot of fun."
"I had about all the fun I could handle in the time I was there," Joyce replied.
"It doesn't sound like you had much fun," Reta said.
"I don't think orgies are for me, Reta. Everything happened so fast, and it was so impersonal. Wham-bam, I don't have time to thank you ma'am, now turn me loose so I can go stick somebody else. I didn't even get kissed, for Pete's sake!"
"You just didn't go about it right," Reta said. "I got kissed a lot, and I kissed a lot. At an orgy, you get what you ask for, sweetheart. If a guy's moving too fast, slow him down and either show or tell him what you want. I say guy because a woman knows how to treat another woman and seldom moves too fast." She chuckled softly. "But I'm sure you wouldn't know. You did get your pussy licked and get to suck a little cock before you ran away, didn't you?"
"Yes, but it all happened at once, and as I said, so fast, I didn't have time to really enjoy it."
"Did you get off?"
"As I remember, several times," Joyce said, "but it wasn't really satisfying. Something was missing, Reta. I don't know exactly what, but I do know that it was missing."
"Well, next time, you'll know what to expect, and it'll be better."
"There won't be a next time, Reta. I guess I needed to find out what it was like, but I won't do it again, and you won't be able to needle me about not knowing until I try."
"Joyce, I didn't mean it that way."
"I know, honey, I was just needling you," Joyce said. "I take full responsibility for my actions. You might have pushed a little, but I didn't have to say yes. I guess I'm just a romantic at heart, honey, and grappling with a stranger in a room full of naked strangers isn't my cup of tea. Besides, I don't know how I would ever explain it to Danny if he ever found out."
"Are you going to tell him?"
"You know better than that," Joyce laughed.
"Well, I certainly wouldn't tell him without asking you first," Reta said, "so how would he find out? As far as I know, he doesn't know any of the people who were there."
Something sounded amiss to Joyce, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "No, I don't suppose he knows any of the people who were there."
"I flew out to the coast on a buying trip a couple weeks ago and I saw a photo layout of his in one of the airline magazines on the plane," Reta said. "He does good work."
"Why didn't you ask about him, Reta? You were good friends before he moved to Denver."
"We're still good friends, sweetheart," Reta said, "and I still talk to him every week to ten days."
"That's more often than I talk to him," Joyce said.
"Well, my relationship with him is different than yours, sweetheart." Reta chuckled. "At least, I think it is."
"Now, just what is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that we're more than just good friends, sweetheart," Reta replied, speaking quietly, even a little hesitantly. "We're intimate friends, if you know what I mean."
"You and my Danny," Joyce exclaimed. "God. I had no idea. How long has this been going on?"
"Listen, I didn't want to tell you, and I certainly don't want you to be hurt or get the wrong idea."
"I don't know what kind of idea I have right now," Joyce said. "How long has it been going on?"
"Four years," Reta said. "You remember the night of his nineteenth birthday party, don't you?" '-
"Well, I remember that you were there, and that after the party was over, he left with you to go someplace or the other." Joyce said.
"Do you want the whole story?"
"Yes." Joyce said. "I most certainly do."
"If I tell you, will it destroy our friendship? Yours and mine, I mean. You're the closest friend I have. Joyce, and I don't want to do anything that will damage our relationship."
"I don't think it will hurt our relationship if you tell me," Joyce said, "but I know it will if you don't. Don't ask me why I have to know, because I don't know. Just accept the fact that it's very important to me."
"Well, that makes sense, in a convoluted way," Reta chuckled. "We went to my house, and he stayed all night. I can't say that he slept with me, because I don't remember that we got any sleep."
"Whose idea was it? Who hit on whom?"
"Did I go after an innocent young man, you mean? I might be a lot of things, sweetheart, but I'm not a predator who lurks in the shadows waiting to debauch virgin males. He wasn't all that innocent, by the way. He wasn't the smooth, accomplished lover then that he is now, but who is at that age? Anyway, it was mutual. We were talking about what he was going to do with his life and right out of the blue he asked me if I thought he was too young for me, and I replied that I might be too old for him. He said that he wasn't asking me to marry him, and I replied that I wouldn't, even if he got on his knees and begged. We had a good laugh, the electricity built up too strong to be ignored, and the rest, as they say, is history."
"You seem to remember every little detail pretty well," Joyce said.
"Only where he's concerned," Reta replied. "He's very special, dear, and I think the world of him. Just as I think the world of his mother."
"Yes," Joyce agreed, "he's very special." She paused a moment, then said, "That's the first time you've ever called me dear. I like it. It makes me feel very special."
Now that the crisis had passed, Reta laughed gaily. "Does that mean that you'll let me have my way with you?"
"What are you trying to do," Joyce teased, "make it with the whole family?"
"Just two of them," Reta chuckled. "You know how I felt about your dearly departed husband."
"This is a crazy thing to say, but I almost wish that Carl had hit on you, or somebody. At least I would have known that he had some interest in sex."
"You didn't answer my question," Reta said, ignoring the reference to Carl. She wouldn't have touched him with a ten foot pole, not because he was her best friend's husband, but because she despised him, mostly for the way he treated her best friend. There was a lot more to Joyce than even she knew, and they could have worked it out.
"No, you can't have your way with me," Joyce laughed. "I'm strictly hetero, and I'm going to stay that way. I even got flustered when Char kissed me on the mouth."
"Yeah, I noticed," Reta said. "Well, it looks like twenty-some-odd years of trying have come to naught. Too bad, you've got a lot of fire in your soul, sweetheart. You don't know it, and won't let yourself go, but it's there."
"Well, I guess you'll just have to be content with my son," Joyce said. "By the way, how often do you see him?"
"Usually once a month, when I go to Denver on buying trips."
"Well, at least he doesn't sneak into town to see you and doesn't even call me."
"Oh, sweetheart, he wouldn't do that to you," Reta said. "He thinks you're just about the greatest thing since sliced bread, and talks about you all the time."
"Did you teach him a lot, make a good lover out of him?"
Reta chuckled sexily. "Why, are you thinking of trying him out?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Joyce exclaimed. "I was just wondering, that's all. I don't want him to be like his father."
" He isn't anything like Carl," Reta replied. "If he's like anybody, it's you, both in spirit and personality. The only difference is, he likes himself and enjoys life. But to answer your question, again, it was mutual. I taught him some things, he taught me some things, and we learned some things together."
"He taught you some things?"
"Sweetheart, I told you, he wasn't as innocent as you thought. He needed some polish, but he had the right idea and he was very inventive that night. He still is, of course, and get this, he's hung like a stud horse."
"You're teasing me again," Joyce said.
"Only a little, sweetheart, and not about how well he's hung. Surely, you know that young men never get over their crush on their mothers.
It's like homecooking, sweetheart, nobody does it like mama."
"Now, I know you're teasing," Joyce said adamantly, "he'd never have thoughts like that about me."
"One never knows," Reta laughed. "Listen, I'm tied up until the weekend, but why don't we get together for dinner and maybe a movie Sunday night? I promise, I won't hit on you any harder than I usually do."
"I'd like to, but I was going to call Danny today and see if I can pay him a visit. I haven't seen him in nearly six months. I'll call you when I get back, and we can get together."
Reta laughed mischievously. "You might not come back, not after you sample what he's got to offer a gal."
"Reta, go wash your mouth out with soap!"
Reta laughed mischievously again, and Joyce hung up. She didn't know that her woman friend had such a filthy mind. She was as bad a dirty old man!
Joyce poured another cup of coffee and sat a few minutes, digesting the fact that her son and her best friend were lovers, had been for four years, and she never suspected.
"God, I'm so naive," she muttered.
She picked up the phone and dialed Danny's number. He answered on the second ring, and just the sound of his voice gave her the shivers.
Good God, she thought, what's wrong with me? It's Reta's fault, she put those lascivious thoughts in my mind.
"Hello," Danny said again.
"Oh, I'm sorry, honey," Joyce said, "I got sidetracked for a moment."
"Mom," he said, his voice full of happiness, "how are things in Albuquerque? Most important, how are you?"
"Lonely, honey," she replied. "This house is too big, and I rattle around in it like I'm lost. If it's okay, I thought I'd come up and spend some time with you. I know that fish and guests start to smell after three days, so I won't stay long, but I just wanted to see you, to spend some time with you. You've been living in that house for almost a year now, and I've never seen it." She knew she was rattling, but couldn't help herself.
"My, you're all wound up," he chuckled. "You aren't fish or a guest, Mom. Come on up and stay as long as you want."
"I'll drive up, and I can be there in four hours. I'll be okay. I'm a good driver, and it's interstate all the way, practically from my front door."
"Slow down, Mom," he said, chuckling again. "I know what a good driver you are. You taught me to drive, remember. Do you have the map I sent you?"
"Not right here in front of me, but I've got it in a safe place and I can read a map and you made it very detailed, so I know just how to find your house and I'm not afraid to drive in heavy traffic."
"Mom, is there something wrong and you're not telling me? You sound like you're wound tighter than a cheap alarm clock."
The worry in his voice finally got through to her and she took a deep breath and told herself to slow down. "No, nothing is wrong, honey, I guess I'm just excited about seeing you again. It has been almost six months."
"I know, Mom, and I'm sorry that I haven't been able to get away, even for a weekend, but I've been busy. I was on my way out the door when you called. I've got a shoot in the mountains, but I'll be back by noon tomorrow."
"Oh, well, maybe I ought to wait and come up some other time," she said, unable to keep the disappointment out of her voice.
"No, you come on up today," he said. "I don't have anything booked for the next three days, then we'll see how it goes from there. But that doesn't mean you can stay only three days. I might be in and out, but I'll make sure that I have plenty of time to spend with you."
"Well, if you think it's okay," she said, and this time she couldn't keep the happiness out of her voice.
"I'm sure," he said. "Be careful on Raton pass. We're having Indian summer here, so the weather is beautiful, but it's been snowing a lot in the high country. When you get here, face to your left and count three rocks out from the walk. That rock is fake, and you'll find the key in it. There's plenty of food in the fridge and cupboards, so make yourself comfortable, and I'll see you tomorrow."
"Thank you, honey," she said softly. "I love you."
"I love you, Mom. Oh, if you have car trouble or something, call and leave a message on the answering machine, and I'll check it every few hours."
"Okay, honey, I'll be out of here in an hour."
"Drive careful."