Author: Thinking Horndog
Title: Second Best
Part: 098
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 98
Various departures and arrivals

      Rick presented himself for his mother's inspection, looking natty in a
tux with a powder blue cummerbund.

      Merry, gloriously nude, examined her son's attire with a critical eye,
while reflecting wryly that the previous evening's activities had put a dent
in her capability to be unselfconscious about her nudity around him.  She
made a miniscule adjustment to his tie, stepped back to examine the result,
and announced, "Not bad!  You'll make a fine compliment to Mandi.  Be sure
you compliment her on her look - she has gone to some effort!"

      "Hmph!" Rick retorted.  "I prefer her dressed as YOU are!"

      But he didn't add a leer, and Merry managed to hold onto her aplomb as
she replied, "I'm sure she prefers it, too, but this is a public gathering.
When are you leaving?"

      "Fifteen - twenty minutes," Rick replied coolly.  "I'm taking Denise
back home with me, as soon as they're done upstairs, touching up Dina's body
makeup."

      "How far along is she?" Merry asked.

      "Who, Elvira?" came the laughing rejoinder.  "The little showoff might
as well glow in the dark in that paint job!  I will admit, though, that it's
got sex fiend written all over it!"

      "Sometimes..." Merry started.

      But Rick cut her off, "You wish you could control the weather, too?"
He chuckled.  "You'd have about as much luck..."

      Merry shrugged, something that caused some distracting ripples in the
vicinity of her chest. "I can dream, can't I?"

      Moments later, Dina made her entrance.  The effect of the body paint
was striking, the painted-on shadows producing a set of illusory rounded
curves that transformed her normally pixie-like face and pert body into
something ultimately sultry that exuded sex - despite its monochrome color
palette.  In fact, the only visible part of her body that wasn't black,
white, or a shade of grey was a narrow band of bright red lipstick
deliberately covering only part of her lips, imparting the illusion that
their base color was black.  "Well?" she demanded, posed dramatically on the
stair, "How do I look?"

      "Like the queen of the vampire hookers!" Rick retorted.  "But
seriously, Sis - it's...striking!"

      "It's supposed to be!" Dina sniffed.  "By the time I'm a senior, there
will be only one choice for prom queen!"

      Rick screwed up his face in mock confusion.  "Denise?"

      The young lady in question, poised a couple of steps above Dina on the
stair, made an unsuccessful attempt to smother a snicker as Dina favored her
brother with a cold glance.  "Keep it up, Big Brother, and I'll make you
wish you'd never been born!"

      "Yeah, whatever," Rick returned, indifferently.

      "I guess we should get a picture or two," Merry hazarded, just as
Robert entered from the den.

      "Holy cow!" he exclaimed, "You're going out like that?"

      Dina bestowed a look of martyred patience on her father, "Yes..."

      "Bobby'd better take a gun!" Robert observed. "You, too, I think."

      "I'll be fine," Dina insisted, "It's all in the attitude."

      "Hmmm, Yesss," Robert replied, only partly convinced.  He exchanged a
look with Rick that said 'Keep an eye on her,' quite loudly.  Rick
acknowledged the instruction with a nod.

      Meanwhile, Merry had retrieved the camera.  She brandished it,
directing, "Go stand next to your sister!"  There ensued several minutes'
worth of posing and flashing, at the end of which Merry directed Rick, "You
be sure Helen gets some shots of you and Mandi - I want a couple!"

      "Okay, Mum," Rick moved toward the door.  "Ready Neesy?"  Denise gave
Dina a quick sisterly peck and preceded him out the door and into Robert's
BMW, on loan for the evening.


      Similar activity occurred at McCormick's, made a bit more rocky by the
fact that cameras saw little use there.  Finally, Mike found the thing and
Big Al induced it to work a couple of times.  "I hear Dina's a real sight!"
Big Al announced, "Be sure I get to see it!"

      "Okay, Dad," Bobby agreed.

      Mike stopped shambling toward the door on his crutches. "You sure this
is a good idea, Dad?" he asked.

      "It is," Big Al opined, "but ONLY if you think you can carry it off!"

      Mike considered for a moment, then: "Yeah, she's worth it.  Let's go!"
He led Bobby through the front door.  Big Al watched them get into the car
and drive off, then began setting out preparations for a quiet evening
entertaining his beloved.


      Tim pulled up in front of Brown's.  "Wait here," he directed Eddie.
"You know, I'm kinda glad you're here," he announced, "Otherwise I'd be
afraid Dolores would slide out of her dress on the way there!  It's
flattering, but scary - I've never seen or heard of a girl that wanted to
get laid so bad!"

      Eddie chuckled.  "She just wants that hawgleg of yours all to herself,
and can't wait to bait the trap!" he laughed.

      "Well..." Tim grinned, "Its mink lined..." This drew another snort of
laughter from his younger brother.  "I don't see you hiding from Denise..."

      "Nope," Eddie agreed, "I just stand there and take it, no matter HOW
incredibly pleasurable it is!"  He turned serious: "Thanks, Big Brother.
You have no idea..."

      "You both needed it," Tim demurred, waving it away.  "I take it you're
off probation?"

      "Very definitely.  For a couple of days..." Eddie's smile could have
only one source.

      "Thought so," Tim nodded.  "Be back in a few."

      Marcus let Tim in, exuding a proprietary air, and turned to reveal a
nervously smiling Dolores.  Tim's breath caught in his throat - Dolores was
a vision!  Her normally flyaway cloud of raven hair had been pulled back and
tamed along one side, but allowed limited freedom on the other.  The low cut
cocktail dress exposed considerable cleavage, above a wide skirt that
provided a refreshing departure from her normal look.  Tim fished her
corsage out of the box he was holding, and stood there in consternation,
trying to figure out where to affix it, until Padma came forward and
collected it, attaching it to the flimsy-looking bodice of the gown.  "You
like?" asked Dolores, hesitantly.

      "Huh!" Tim replied, "Like doesn't BEGIN to cover it!"

      "Husband!" Padma announced, "We must get pictures!"  Marcus nodded,
bemused, and wandered off, returning in a moment with a single-use device
that he and Padma expended the remaining film in rather quickly.

      Tim led Dolores to the door where she turned, saying, "G'night, Mama,
Poppa!  See you tomorrow!"

      Marcus frowned momentarily, then he shrugged and his face cleared.
Padma, rushed forward. "Daughter!  Don't forget your case!"  She picked up a
small case that had been sitting unobtrusively beside the door and pressed
it into Dolores bemused hands while kissing her cheek.  "Good night,
Daughter!"

      Marcus said nothing until the door closed. "Tomorrow?"

      "Yes!" Padma replied with a hint of impatience. "They are spending the
night in a hotel!  You knew that!"

      "I did?" Marcus rumbled, confused, "A hotel?  Where?  Not some..."

      "The Colonial, downtown," Padma cut off the thought process.  "Not
some fleabag.  They're sharing a two room suite with another couple.  Tim
was holding out for a nice place to take Dolores' virginity."

      "What?"  Marcus began to cloud up.

      "Husband!" Padma rasped.  "Before you go accusing Tim of anything you
should know that your daughter has been trying to drag him into bed for over
a week and that it's taken considerable effort on both his and my part to
get her to delay things until tonight!  Besides, this isn't a casual thing -
in a few weeks, they'll be married!"

      "Hmmph!" Marcus rumbled.  "Wasn't thinkin'.  Knee-jerk reaction.  But
I didn't know!" he asserted.

      Padma frowned, "Maybe not.  It's been such a fight to keep Dolores in
her panties, I assumed that you must be aware of it.  The boy actually has
displayed commendable restraint!"  She reached out and slid a finger along
his zipper. "What would YOU do if I begged you to take me to bed and make a
woman of me?  What DID you do?"

      "You've got a point..." Marcus grinned, "I didn't wait!"  Marcus'
inability to resist Padma's hair-trigger sexual response had compressed
their courtship to a matter of hours - not that either of them regretted it.
Marcus shook his head as the thought percolated, 'Somehow, Bruce's boy
always manages to step up to the plate...'

      Padma smiled.  "You know," she teased, "we have all night..."


      Terry brought his small station wagon to the curb at the now familiar
spot in front of the Hardesty residence, then got out and looked at it
wryly.  Well, it wasn't sexy, but it was his!  He turned and wandered up the
walk, feeling a certain ambivalence.  He knew he looked okay, but was it
good enough?  The white tux he had ended up selecting had everything to do
with Jackie, and very little to do with his preferences; he figured that it
would make a nice backdrop for Jackie's hair.  Fortunately, the trousers
were dark - he didn't have much of a track record for keeping white pants
clean... The thought process ground slowly to a halt as he collected himself
and pressed the doorbell.

      Jennifer Hardesty answered the door, intoning "Good evening, Terence,"
rather formally, but there was a glint of humor in her eyes.

      Terry responded, "Good evening, Miz Hardesty," rather automatically
while he puzzled over her mode of address. Terence?  It was his name,
certainly, but how would SHE know...

      The momentary distraction left him doubly off-guard when his eye lit
upon his date.

      Jackie stood in the living room clutching a little purse, looking
anxious.  She needn't have worried; Terry went goggle-eyed.  Jackie's hair
was piled in ringlets atop her head, with a couple of curls spiraling down
along her cheekbones.  Bits of body glitter accentuated the pattern of
silver stars that flowed along the V of the plunging neckline and down along
the slit in the front of the narrow skirt of her blue dress.  The silver
slippers that matched the purse (and the stars) were 2 inches high, and
threatened to make her height equal to that of her date.  The look couldn't
have been more startlingly different than her normal, jean-clad tomboy look,
and Terry was struck between the eyes by it!

      Terry got his gaping mouth under control and exclaimed "Wow!  Jackie,
you look...incredible!"

      The anxiety flowed out of Jackie's stance and she murmured, "You clean
up pretty good, too!" and moved to take his arm.

      "Uh uh!" Jennifer squawked, "Not without a picture!"  The couple's
shoulders drooped, and Jennifer admonished, "Hey!  This is a historic
occasion, and you two have NO IDEA how good you look!  Now come on!"  She
chivvied them into a position with good light and a decent background, and
began fiddling with a digital camera.  As they tried different poses, Terry
decided that this wasn't so bad, after all; Jackie's body felt good in his
arms, and the occasional wafting hint of her perfume had him a bit worried
about being arrested for drunk driving, given the effect that it and the
other sensations were having on his senses.

      Finally, Jennifer released them, and they staggered toward the door.
"Jackie!" she called, "Don't forget your bag!"

      The enormity of planned events struck both simultaneously as Jackie
groped for a garment bag and a small case containing items for the rest of
the evening's activities.  Terry looked somewhat anxiously over his
shoulder, but Jennifer was smiling.  Apparently, things were going to be
okay, after all...

      "G'night, Momma!" Jackie called from the door.

      "Good night Jackie!  Have a good time!"  Jennifer and Terry locked
eyes, and for the first time, THEY communicated without words as his silent
promise answered her equally silent entreaty.  Terry turned and escorted
Jackie out, taking the garment bag in hand.

      Terry handed Jackie into the car, treating her like fine china, and
they set off - but a lone figure leaning on crutches at the corner caught
Jackie's eye.  "Isn't that...?  Pull over!"

      Terry, also recognizing the malingerer, pulled up at the corner.
Jackie rolled down the window, leaned out, and asked, "Mike?  What are YOU
doing here?"

      Mike McCormick chuckled as her closed the distance to the car, "Trying
to be inconspicuous while I waited for you to get clear," he replied,
"Unsuccessfully, apparently."

      "Why?" Jackie asked, a smile beginning to quirk her lips as she
anticipated the answer.

      "If Mohamet won't come to the mountain..." Mike replied, "I'm going to
shame your mother into letting me in, and I'm not going to leave until we
settle this little problem that's come between us!"

      "Now THERE's a task that needs doing!" Terry exclaimed.

      "Think it's possible?" Mike asked, anxiously.

      Jackie considered a moment.  "If you're firm," she guessed, "and you
don't let her push you away too quickly.  Frankly, if you're just there long
enough, I think she'll crumble.  She's fighting herself, as well as you.
Don't be too firm, though - but you know that; you're a gentleman."

      Mike smiled wryly, "I appreciate your confidence in me."  Changing the
subject, he exclaimed, "My, but you two look fine!"

      Jackie leaned forward, "You like?"

      Mike moved back hastily. "Absolutely!  But you should know that from
up here, Honey, I can see all the way to your navel when you do that!"

      Jackie's eyebrows shot up, and she sat back in the seat, but she
turned to Terry, "See!  I SAID he was a gentleman!"

      Above Terry's chuckle, Mike ventured, "You're lookin' sharp, too,
Terry!  You're a fine lookin' couple!"

      "Thanks, Mike!" Terry replied, "But tell me..."  The look turned
significant, and Terry smirked, his brow wiggling.

      Mike pretended to consider for a moment, then confided, "Wait until
she's seated, then over the shoulder should provide the right angle - unless
she sits with her back arched all night!"

      "Oh!" Jackie feigned outrage for a moment, swatting Terry on the arm,
before turning to Mike. "I take back everything nice I ever said about you
Mike McCormick!" she exclaimed, but her grin took the sting out of her
words.

      Mike chuckled and stepped back, "Guess I'd better let you two go..."
he murmured.

      Jackie locked eyes with him. "Take good care of Momma!" she pled.

      Mike's face also sobered. "I will if she'll let me.  Have a good time!
And I hope to see you in the morning..."

      "Okay."  Jackie pulled her head back into the car, and the pair waved
as they drove off.


      Having completed his 'secret mission', Bobby McCormick arrived at the
Nellis residence.  Merry let him in, an effort in feigned nonchalance for
both of them.  "Thanks, Mrs. N," Bobby said, nodding as Merry stepped back
to let him pass.  Bobby used looking for Dina as an excuse to keep his eyes
from lingering on her exposed breasts - and he found her, just rising from
the couch. "Holy shit!" he exclaimed, taking in Dina's somewhat outré look,
"Did you plan this all along?"

      "No," Dina replied, "but the opportunity presented itself, and I
couldn't resist!"  The pair shared a grin.

      The paint job, while effective, merely augmented the dress, which,
while of demure length, had its own statement to make.  The skirt, while
floor length, was slit a good distance in front and almost to the crotch in
back.  Since it would otherwise have been pretty restrictive, this was a
good thing, but it allowed plenty of leg to be flashed.  Dina was NOT
wearing nylons, largely because the paint job extended to her legs.  The top
portion of the dress featured a pair of spaghetti straps that connected to
the front panel at a point just at the base of the breasts, swept up and
crossed over an otherwise backless expanse, then dropped over the shoulders
to support the curving folds of a valence-like panel of semi-transparent
cloth that obscured while accentuating Dina's bust.  There was an opaque
panel beneath parts of this expanse to comply with any requirement for
modesty, but it wasn't much - and what no one else in the room knew was that
Dina had done a few creative alterations to the ensemble, one of which was
to render it totally ineffective!

      Merry acquired another set of photos, this time featuring Bobby as the
male escort, and the pair made for the door.  Robert, watching from the den
doorway, admonished Bobby, "Bring her back in the same state, young man!"
But he was grinning even before Dina's retort of "Not likely, Pop!  Busting
my cherry is high on both our agendas!"

      As they reached the front hall, Dina suddenly stopped and exclaimed,
"Whoops!" broke her grip on Bobby's hand and dashed upstairs, returning in a
few moments with an overnight bag.  "Got to bring along the tools to get
this stuff off, later!" she grinned.  Bobby grinned and kissed her, but she
limited it, ducking his embrace with a murmured, "Easy, now!  You can ruin
me later!"  Bobby shrugged and threw open the door, and they made their
departure.

      Robert shook his head.  "Ah, well... Are we ready for tonight?" he
asked Merry.

      "Ohmigod!  I forgot!  What do you think we'll need, Master?"  They
fell to discussing preparations for Ann's arrival.


      Denise preceded Rick through the Giannelli's door by a few seconds, to
find Mandi standing there, fidgeting in the hall.  "Relax, Sis!  He's right
behind me!"  Mandi's anxiety merely shifted modes from 'Where is he?' to
'Will he like it?' and she continued to quiver.

      Rick arrived in the door, looking natty in a powder blue tux selected
to coordinate (without actually having seen it) with Mandi's gown.  They
were fortunate, too - the shades were very close.  "Stop wringing your
hands, Silly!" he chided, "Lemme look at you!"

      Mandi dropped her hands, put one leg forward, and dimpled in relief as
Rick took in the sights in obvious approval.  He whistled, then declared,
"Man!  You clean up pretty good!"  Mandi rolled her eyes, but continued to
smile as he made the rounds, examining her from all sides.  The dress swept
down backless from a halter top to a full skirt that barely allowed the toes
of her matching heels to peek out below it.  It didn't show any leg at all,
but Rick decided that it wasn't a matter for concern.  Mandi's hair, the red
highlights emphasized, was pulled up and back in an effect that looked
stylish, yet fragile, with little wisps trailing to her neck, lending an air
of delicate fragility to it.

      As he rounded the back, Mandi regarded Rick over her shoulder, her
eyes crinkling in a smile as she grasped the sides of the halter top and
pulled it open.  "Here is the access you requested..."

      Rick stepped up behind her and slid his hands through the gaps to
cradle her breasts while pretending to evaluate the quality of the access.
"Yes," he declared in mock seriousness, "this will do..."  He squeezed the
rounded orbs gently, then withdrew his hands and stepped back to continue
the inspection.  "God, you're beautiful!" he announced as he once again
stepped before her.

      Mandi leaned in and wrapped her arms around him.  "I bet you say that
to all of your women!" she simpered.

      Rick took up the tease, "Well, maybe, but with them, I'm just trying
to keep up morale; with you, it's the truth!"

      Mandi leaned in for a kiss that Rick was only too happy to supply -
and that's how Helen and Denise found them, moments later.

      "Don't you two have somewhere to be?" Helen chided gently.

      "Yeah, you two need to get outta here," Denise complained, "or Momma
won't, and she'll catch me bringing Eddie in to keep me entertained!"  This
sally brought a round of chuckles, and the pair turned for the door, hand in
hand.  "Wups!  Hold it!  We got a photo op, here!" Denise amended.

      "Oh, my!  She's absolutely right!" Helen exclaimed, and bustled off to
collect the camera, a reasonably new digital on a 35mm frame that
theoretically belonged to Mandi.  Mandi didn't complain, however, and the
couple stood still for several shots (two of which were 'ruined' by Denise
standing behind them, making devil's horns over their heads).  Finally, the
forms had been obeyed, and the couple made their exit, Rick collecting
Mandi's bag, one of two poised in the doorway.  "Have a good time, Dear!"
Helen called out.  Mandi waved, and they were gone, Rick depositing her in
the passenger seat of his father's BMW and carefully easing it out of the
driveway.

      "Now we come to you!" Helen announced, eyeing Denise.  "Are you going
to be able to console yourself adequately with Eddie?"

      "Absolutely!" Denise grinned, "I plan to wear him out! When I get done
with him, you'll be able to wipe up the leftovers with a mop!"

      "Well, I don't want to have to!" Helen retorted. "For that matter, I
don't know when I'll be getting back tomorrow.  Al's getting...possessive!
Will you be okay?"

      "I'll be fine.  Besides, I'll know where you are..."  Denise paused.
"Speaking of possessive - when are you going to let him go for broke,
Momma?"

      "I don't know... Do you really think he's going to?" Helen asked,
anxiously.

      "Yes," Denise affirmed, "And soon!  And you'd better have an answer
ready, because if you trip over your tongue..."

      "I just don't know..." Helen temporized.

      "Momma, Al and my father are night and day.  Al is absolutely honest,
if not terribly romantic - you're in no danger of being lied to.  And a
blind man could see the chemistry between you!  Go for it!" Denise advised.

      "I don't know.  Things are complicated.  Where would we live?"

      "There, probably," Denise replied.  "Face it, Momma - Mandi's outta
here!  That wheeze about Rick's dad is a waste of good worry, if only
because you can't rape the willing!  She and Rick's mom are like sisters,
and most of it is basic mindset - let her go to her man and be happy!
There's room at McCormick's for me, and Bobby's not THAT insufferable -
besides, I've always got Dina's help ganging up on him!  I'm not worried -
why are you?"

      "It took me a couple of years to get comfortable with being
independent..." Helen began.

      "...And you needn't be, ever again, unless I miss MY guess!  If you
want to bus tables, bus the one in Al's kitchen!  God knows those boys need
to be exposed to real food!"

      "What about this house?"  Helen demanded.

      "Put it on the market and bank the proceeds," Denise advised.  "If
things don't work out, you can buy another, and if they do, you can use it
for retirement  - or college money..." She eyed Helen sidelong.

      "You've got it all worked out, haven't you?" Helen demanded, somewhat
irritated.

      "I know a good thing when I see one!" Denise retorted, "And Al's as
good as you're going to get!  Tell him you'll live in sin with him for a
while, if you can't get up the guts to do it right!"

      "Maybe I will!" Helen announced and flounced out the door, simmering.

      Denise watched her go, hiding a grin. "G'night, Momma," she murmured
under her breath.