Author: Thinking Horndog
Title: Second Best
Part: 039
Universe: Second Best
Summary: A full-length novel that follows several young couples and their
families through the period immediately preceding their Senior Prom.
Keywords: nosex

Keywords for full story:  F-solo, Ff-inc, M+F Ffm MF mf oral anal bd D/s Mg-
inc Fm-inc mm mmf rom MF-reluc

Chapter 39
Thursday evening: Hardesty's

	To say that it was with some trepidation that Terry and Jackie
entered Jackie's home would be to understate the case somewhat.  Jackie was
surprised at the level of irascibility that her mother had displayed over
the subject of her dating - and Terry was flat out scared.  The discovery
that, as planned, Jackie's mother wasn't home yet, made things easier for
them.  Once again, however, as at the Michaels', they had to settle for a
somewhat less than perfect working area for the sake of propriety.  The desk
in Jackie's room might as well have been on another planet given the
reaction that they would get if found using it - so they settled for the
kitchen table.  Jackie spread their notes around while Terry started his
laptop, and the two settled in to - ostensibly - work.  The reality was that
only one of them at best was working on the project; the other was usually
providing a welcome distraction of one type or another.  So it was that
Jackie was pounding away at the keyboard, and Terry was leaning over the
back of her chair, looking on (having just kissed her on the neck) when
Jennifer walked in.  Terry's car parked out front made it obvious that
Jackie was following through on her threats (at least that's how Jennifer
thought of them), so Jennifer was agitated and somewhat combative when she
marched through the door.  The scene that greeted her was a LOT less than
she had been prepared for; the lurid necking on the couch thing that
Jennifer expected from Jackie in her rebellion was pretty much a pure
construct of her imagination - not anything that Jackie was REALLY going to
foist upon her.

	The scene presented was pretty innocent, and the boy... Well, the
slight, brown haired, rather owlish looking boy Jackie presented as 'Terry'
obviously wasn't a ravenous molester of teenage girls.  He was only barely
taller than Jackie, polite, and extremely nervous.  Jennifer ran out of
steam, and was hard pressed to continue to be aggressive.  "So, what are you
doing?"

	"It's a data processing project.  We're adding the capability to
conduct bank transfers to the accounting program that the class is doing,"
Terry explained.

	Jackie provided the challenge.  "We're going to take in a movie
tomorrow night.  Oh, and Terry's taking me to the Prom."

	This allowed Jennifer to build a new head of steam, which she
unloaded on Terry, "So, why are you dating my daughter?"

	"Because I like her..."

	Jennifer pounced, "What about her reputation?  Are you s..."

	Fire suddenly spat from the colorless boy's eyes.  "Her 'reputation'
is pure bullshit, concocted by three assholes in order to keep their sorry
asses out of jail - which is where they should be!  As for my expectations
regarding sex, I expect we'll get around to it if and when Jackie feels like
it, and not before!"

	Jennifer was taken aback.  Terry seemed to grow three inches during
that outburst.

	Jackie simpered, "Any more questions?" examining her manicure.

	"No, I guess not..."

	"Last week, he made a boy with 20 pounds on him give me a public
apology after a crack he made at the dance..."

	Jennifer turned bewildered eyes on this creature out of a romance
novel that had attached himself to her daughter. 'He can't be for real!' she
thought.  'On the other hand, who could have faked THAT?'  Gathering
herself, she announced, "I'm gonna go change.  Let me know if you need
anything."

	The pair locked eyes for a moment, then Jackie replied, "Okay, Mama.
What are we going to do about dinner?  Can Terry stay?"

	Jennifer, caught in the middle of her attempted retreat, had to stop
and consider the situation, "Uh, I don't know... Pizza?"  The couple locked
eyes again, and Jackie nodded.  "Sure, he can stay... No problem."  Jennifer
resumed her retreat.  She hadn't cleared the door when Terry hooked Jackie
in close by wrapping a hand around her neck and delivered a long, hot kiss.

	"That went a lot better than expected!" Terry exclaimed.

	Jackie grinned, "Well, you did your patented fire-breathing dragon
impersonation!  Considering the subject, Mama had absolutely no defense!  Of
course that kiss could have undone everything..."

	"Well I'm done playing 'Mr. Squeaky Clean' so everybody can be
happy.  She'll just have to get used to it.  That goes for my folks, too!"
He pulled Jackie in even closer, and started a tongue war.

      Jackie found herself panting and rubbing his back.  "Mmmmm.  Still,
there's no need to rub anybody's nose in it immediately..."  She took his
hand and nodded to the work scattered across the table.  When Jennifer
returned to order the pizza, she found them head down, discussing a
flowchart - but casually holding hands.

      When the pizza arrived, Jennifer took a couple of pieces and retired
to the living room.  She could find absolutely nothing in Terry to complain
about, but the aura of casual intimacy that the couple exuded
caused...feelings... that Jennifer couldn't explain.  She found herself
watching them, almost voyeuristically; trying to discern what kind of magic
was operating between them.  She had no urge to separate the pair (which was
odd in itself), but she could not relax, ignore them, and concentrate on
something else.  It was with some relief that she said goodbye to Terry as
Jackie escorted him to the door.  She purposely absented herself; the
evening's observation having gently given the lie to Jackie's casual
description of the relationship, Jennifer accepted without thought that they
would want a bit of privacy for their goodbyes.

      When Jackie came back from the door, she tilted her head, quirked her
eyebrow, and asked, "So, what do you think?"

      "I think you're not just lab partners.  How long has this been going
on?  Six months?"

      Jackie blinked. "No, about a week.  Why?"

      "Because you're so comfortable with each other.  You seem to read each
other's minds."  Jennifer shook her head.  "I've never seen anything like
it."

      Jackie shrugged.  "It just happened.  We met at the dance last week.
I might never have noticed him, but Bobby McCormick started ragging me, and
he did that fire-breathing dragon thing he whipped on you tonight!"

      Jennifer laughed.  "Yeah, that was something!  One moment he was
totally colorless - the next, he grows 4 inches, whacks my head off and
hands it to me!"

      "Exactly.  I've talked to my friends about it - we run in the same
circles - and it's happened exactly twice.  Once that night, and once
tonight!  Nobody'd ever seen him act like that before.  He actually
threatened to whip Bobby's ass!"

      "Huh.  Back to the other thing; a week?  You expect me to believe
you've only been seeing him for a week?"

      "I don't understand why, or how - I just know that he asked me to
dance, and I said 'yes'.  He took my hand, and we were comfortable.  When we
danced, everything just fit.  When we sat down, we STILL fit.  It's like
he's my other half.  I get excited - he calms me.  He NEVER gets excited -
EXCEPT where I'm concerned.  It's reaching the point where I'm not
comfortable unless he's there - and I KNOW it's mutual!  Other people have
noticed the communication thing; they think it's kind of spooky, like
telepathy.  I don't think that's what it is, but when he looks at me, I know
what he wants, and vice versa."

      "Well, I have to admit - I didn't think you stood a chance in the
world of finding a boy I'd approve of - but I can't find a thing about him I
don't like!  I'm", Jennifer searched her emotions, "...Jealous.  Yeah, that
it!  I'm jealous!  It's too weird to be real, and I'll be looking to prove
that it isn't - but if it is, you've pulled off a one in a million shot!
There just aren't that many decent guys around!"

      Jackie cocked her head and frowned, "Mama, you need to give men
another chance.  I don't think the odds are actually that poor..."

      "I - I can't." Jennifer sighed.  "But Terry IS a powerful argument for
your position.  I'd have to meet a man that I KNOW can't lie to me -
otherwise, I'd poison the relationship with distrust, even if it DID stand a
chance!"

      Jackie came forward and hugged her mother.  "Let's hope this miracle
man comes forward before it's too late!"