The Babysitter Beta 10

Sunday morning brought a chorus of birdsong from the tree beside the window, the cry of a toddler impatient for breakfast, and the steady noise of music from my Spotify Playlist blasting through my phone. All of which I slept through. I awoke to an empty bed, where Penny’s warmth had faded, replaced by a stack of pillows turned sideways so I wouldn’t notice she was gone. My arm and leg stretched over the pillows, and my chest rose and fell with a deep breath as I opened my eyes. 

The dim room had bright mid-morning sunlight peeking around every edge of the curtains over the windows. The fireplace was off, as was the overhead light. My phone was on my nightstand beside the bed. I rolled over to see the alarm clock, and my eyes shot wide in time with the sound that must have woken me: The doorbell. 

It was eleven in the morning, far too late for me to be asleep and far too early for my cookout plans with Lana. So who was at the door? 

“Abuela!” The mangled toddler pronunciation shouted from the bottom of the stairs made me sit bolt upright in bed. Abby’s Abuela? My mother was here? 

I rapidly dashed around the room and dug through my dresser drawers, pulling on clean boxers, cotton flannel pajama pants in red and black checkers, a blank black t-shirt, and my crimson terry cloth robe. I tied the sash around my waist, slipped on my slippers, and descended the stairs like rolling thunder with every step. 

Abby, Penny, and my mother looked up at me from the living room. Abby hopped in her Abeula’s arms until released and ran over to me, hugging my leg. 

“Sorry, Mister Castillo. I was just explaining to Mrs. Castillo that I was here to take care of Abby so you could get some sleep.” Penny said, her eyes glittering as they scanned me to my bed-tousled hair and sleepy expression. I lifted Abby, and she kissed my cheek good morning. 

“Have you been having fun with Miss Penny?” I asked Abby, who was only too happy to divulge everything she’d done since waking up in the rambling story-telling only a three-year-old could produce. 

Penny moved over and took her from me as Abby told me all about breakfast and how she’d had a big pancake with lots of chocolate chips. I smiled and let Penny take her as my mother stepped forward and looked me over head to toe. 

<“You look tired.”> She said, speaking Spanish. <“And a live-in Nanny? You need a wife.”> 

I smiled weakly. “Hello, Mami. Good to see you, too.” I answered her in English and kissed her cheek. She kissed mine. “Where’s Papi?” 

<“He’s coming. He had to meet with some committee for the Independence Day celebration plans with his Veterans group. We drove home separately from church, and when I didn’t see you at Mass, I decided to check on you. Only I find you don’t need your Mami; you have hired a Nanny for my granddaughter when she should be spending time with her Abuela.”> My mother’s rapid-fire deluge of explanation and accusation poured forth in Spanish without her needing to break for breath. 

I sighed, and my mother reached for Abby. Penny handed her over after glancing at me. 

“We should speak English.” I said. “It’s rude to speak espanol in front of a guest.” 

<“Is she a guest? Or the help?”> My mother asked, eying Penny. “You’re very young. Are you sure you know how to take care of a child?” 

Penny smiled as though expecting the question. Not the least bit deterred by my mother’s rudeness. “Yeah. I’ve been helping out with Abby since she was born.”

“Oh?” My mother looked at me. “You’ve had a nanny all that time?” 

“No, Mami.” I said, shaking my head. “Penny is the neighbor’s daughter. She watched Abby for me and Charlie sometimes during her appointments.” 

That settled my mother into a more somber mood. However angry she might be at finding that I’d hired someone to watch Abby rather than ask her when she lived over an hour away, she wouldn’t lash out at a widower after the mention of my dead wife. At least, not until she noticed the ring wasn’t on my finger. 

“Are you dating again, Julio?” She asked, as if surprised. “When did you take off your ring?” 

“Recently, and… yes, Mami. I’m dating again.” I said, sighing. “It’s not–” 

“Good!” My mother exclaimed, tickling Abby in her arms, who laughed with her. “It’s not good for a man to be alone. You need a wife! And Abby needs a mother.” 

“Mami!” Abby exclaimed and reached for Penny from my mother’s arms. 

The color drained from my face, but Penny reached for Abby with only an awkward and apologetic smile to my mother. 

“No, not Mami. Penny.” My mother corrected Abby. “Miss Penny.” 

Abby frowned, looking at her Abuela as if wondering whether this woman had the authority to impose any kind of rule in her life. In true three-year-old fashion, she decided against accepting any gray-haired authority. “I want Mami!” She repeated and struggled to get out of my mother’s arms and into Penny’s. 

“I’ll take her.” Penny said, trying to soothe things over. “Why don’t we go play?” She said to Abby, then looked at me with a small smile. “We’ll let you two catch up. Coffee’s in the kitchen.” 

“Thank you.” I said, nodding to Penny as she swept a laughing Abby away toward the playroom. 

“Don’t worry.” My mother said, patting my arm. “It’s natural. Children get confused sometimes, that’s all.” 

I realized I wasn’t worried about Abby calling Penny by the wrong name. It made sense that Abby considered Penny her mom, even though she knew her real mother, my late wife, by her picture. I nodded, not sure what else to say, and my mother shoved me toward the kitchen. 

“Come! I’ll cook you breakfast. You need to eat.” My mother led the way into my kitchen as though this were her house, and I followed. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out the ingredients necessary for omelets and a few unnecessary ingredients I knew she planned on cooking with them. 

“Let me help, Mami.” I said, pulling out the pots and pans. 

“You sit!” She smacked my hip. “No men in my kitchen.” 

“It’s my kitchen, Mami.” I protested. 

“Not when I’m here, it isn’t!” She pointed to the chair at the kitchen table, on the other side of the island, where she put a mixing bowl and the eggs. “Sit!” 

I sat, but only after pouring myself a cup of coffee. 

“So, tell me about this dating. You found a nice girl at church?” My mother loved me but lacked subtlety. 

I laughed. “Ah… no.” I said, smiling. 

“So, who are you dating?” My mother asked, cracking an egg against the side of the mixing bowl as if it had done something to deserve it. 

“Well, Alejandro set me up on a date with a girl he knew, but it didn’t work out.” I said, shrugging. My brother was well-intentioned, but I wasn’t ready then. I spent the entire date talking about Abby and showing her pictures. I was a mess of nerves and emotions, and things hadn’t gone well for it. I might as well have approached a stranger and asked them to be Abby’s mother without introducing myself, which was essentially what I’d done. 

“He didn’t mention anything to me.” My mother frowned. “When was this?” 

“A few weeks back.” I said, shrugging. 

“Well, that’s okay.” My mother assured me. “The first one is always the bad slice.” 

“The bad slice?” I asked, confused. 

“When you cut a cake. The first slice is never perfect. It falls apart. It isn’t quite equal, but the second slice? The second is perfect. So the second girl you meet, you’ll be better.” My mother said, smiling. 

I appreciated the thought, even if I didn’t quite follow it. Though, there was some truth to it. My date with Lana had gone much smoother, and I’d been far better. Penny held a great deal of responsibility for that. She took the pressure off, for one thing, and without her encouragement, I never would have gone out with Lana. 

“Have you met this second girl already?” My mother asked, a knowing gleam in her eye as she watched my expression and mixed milk into the eggs. 

“Yeah.” I said, smiling softly. “Last week, I asked someone out, and I have another date with her this evening.” 

“Oh? That’s good news! Is that why you have the nanny? Do you need to go get ready?” My mother asked. 

“No, she’s coming over later for a cookout.” I said, realizing my mistake too late as my mother’s nod turned determined. 

“This is good!” My mother said, smiling. “I can’t wait to meet her.” 

“Ah…” I hesitated. A typical family might have had the option of placing a boundary and explaining that I wasn’t ready for her to meet the entire family. My mother would argue that she wasn’t meeting the whole family because my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents weren’t there. Besides, this was the same woman who’d told me ‘boundaries are toxic’ when I’d tried to place them before. “I should let her know you’ll be here.” 

My mother smiled the smile of a triumphant woman, and I knew when I was beaten. 

“It’s her first time meeting Abby, too. I don’t want to scare her away, though.” I said, explaining myself. 

“What’s scary about me?” My mother asked while holding a ten-inch iron skillet in one hand. “I’m not scary. Besides, your Papi and I must approve of this girl if you’re dating her.” 

I tilted my head. “Mami… I’m a grown man. A father. I can date whoever I want.” 

“No.” My mom shook her head. “You cannot. You are a father. You must date a woman who will be a good mother and take care of you and Abby like a woman should.” 

My mother’s traditional views were etched in stone crisper than any commandments from heaven. I had stopped arguing with her long ago but knew I couldn’t let her say something like that to Lana. I didn’t know if Lana was the housewife type. She seemed pretty happy with her job, and whatever her career plans were, they probably didn’t involve giving up her independence for domesticity and full-time parenthood. 

“Please don’t say anything like that when you meet her.” I said, sipping my coffee. 

“Why not?” My mother asked. “She should know your expectations.” 

“Those aren’t my expectations, Mami. They’re yours.” I said as my mother turned her back on me to cook on the stove. 

“Si, si, but they should be yours, too. I raised you right. You’re a good man, and you have a house that’s paid, a good job, and a daughter who needs a mother and her Abuela, not a Nanny.” My mother poured the eggs into the skillet. “Your wife, why should she need to work for some company when she can work for herself? For her family?” 

I knew better than to argue against stay-at-home mothers and housewives with my mother. Despite her part-time jobs over the years, she’d always been a more traditional woman. She enjoyed her place in the home. Nothing she said was wrong to her ears, and she might even have a point, but she couldn’t force that opinion on Lana. I was perfectly fine if Lana wanted to continue to pursue her career instead of giving it up to be a wife and mother. That was my expectation, honestly. I didn’t imagine Lana wanted to be a Trad-wife.

We hadn’t discussed the future nearly as much as the past on our dates. Learning about each other involved exploring our pasts and our present, not our futures. I drank my coffee and let it wake me up to the point where I could consider engaging with my mother more, which took about the length of her finishing the omelets and sitting across from me as we ate. Lunch for her, breakfast for me. I smiled at the familiar taste of the tomatoes, onions, peppers, and heavy seasoning in the eggs. 

My nose and taste buds took me back to weekend mornings as a kid when Alejandro and I would call a cease-fire long enough to enjoy a meal before going to church with Mami and Papi. The nostalgia of it settled into me as I ate, and my mother watched me from across the table. 

“So what is this woman’s name?” My mother asked after an appreciable silence. 

“Lana.” I said before taking another bite of my omelet. 

“Oh, that is a nice name.” She said, eating her omelet. “Where did you meet Lana?” 

“At work.” I answered. “She’s a coworker of mine; we went out for an after-hours get-together and hit it off.” 

“Oh.” My mother nodded. “That’s nice.” 

I nodded. “She’s nice, yeah. We complement each other’s taste in books, get along well, have some interests in common, and she’s very pretty.” Not to mention sexually active and a bit of a freak, but I wasn’t going to tell my mother. 

“Who else?” My mother asked. 

I looked up from my plate. “What?” 

“Who else have you been dating? Or is it just this Lana woman?” She asked. 

“Uh…” I hesitated. 

“Ah ha! I knew it! Who else?” She knew me better than most. “If there was no one else, you would have said so, not gaped like a fish and gone uh… uh… like a moron.” 

I took a deep breath but chuckled through it. My mother lacked tact, sensitivity, and sometimes awareness, but never insight. She knew my face like a favorite book and often perceived things I wanted to keep hidden. Unfortunately, I couldn’t answer her. I couldn’t very well tell her that Penny spent the night in my bed last night, the thought of which must have given me an expression I hadn’t meant to take. 

“Oh, you like this other woman better, I think.” My mother said, smiling. “Who is it?” 

“What are you talking about?” I asked. 

“You speak of Lana, and your face says nothing.” She gestured at my face. “You don’t speak of this other woman; your face says everything. Now tell Mami, who is this other woman? The one you like better than Lana? Are you worried I won’t like her? Is that why you keep her hidden?” 

I shook my head. “It’s not like that, Mami.” I said. “I was just amused you thought there was someone else.” 

“Liar.” My mother reached across the table and took my plate away, setting it beside hers. I chased it with my fork, but she smacked my hand. “No! No food for liars. You tell me about this other woman. Is she pretty?” 

I sighed, giving in. “Si, Mami, she’s gorgeous. Now, can I have my eggs?” I reached for the plate, and she passed it to me. 

“And?” She asked. “Where did you meet her?” 

“She lives in the neighborhood.” I said, trying to be as vague as possible. “She’s very good with Abby, and they get along well, but it won’t work out.” 

“Why won’t it work out?” My mother’s eyebrows furrowed into an angry glare. “She’s not married, is she? You’re not a homewrecker?” 

“No, Mami. She’s not married. She doesn’t even have a boyfriend.” I said, regretting my inability to lie to my mother’s face. If she pressed much further, my options became: try to lie and fail, or admit to my mother that… what? That I’d been screwing Penny? That I had feelings for her? No. I couldn’t do that. I ate more eggs as my mother scrutinized my face for clues. 

“So what is the problem? Is she a lesbian or something?” My mother asked. “Is she moving away? Is her family strict? Do her parents not like you? Do you think your Papi and I will not approve?” 

“She’s… or something.” I said, shrugging it off. I had some idea of how Penny’s parents would react to the news that we were fucking, or dating. I had no idea how my parents would respond to it. They’d undoubtedly see me as a lecherous older man who should know better. 

“Well, if you like this girl, get over it and tell her. Work things out, whatever they are. I see it in your eyes. She makes you happy. You feel for her. You feel things you don’t feel when you speak of this Lana woman.” My mother finished her omelet and stood. “Does she take care of you?” 

I nodded. “Si, Mami. But maybe she shouldn’t.” 

“Of course she should, Julio.” My mother reached over the table and pinched my cheek. “My boy, so handsome. You go and get that girl just as soon as you finish breakfast. We’ll have dinner with her tonight instead of Lana.” 

“No, Mami.” I shook my head. “I’m not going to do that. Dinner with Lana should proceed as planned.” 

My mother sighed and glared at me, but her scrutiny didn’t force me to divulge anything else, so she sighed. “Fine. What am I making for dinner?” 

“No, you don’t have to make anything, Mami. I was going to run to the store and grill something for dinner tonight.” I explained. 

“Okay. I’ll make fajitas on the grill.” My mother agreed, nodding. “I’ll take Abby with me. You send the Nanny home, shower, shave, and get yourself ready to impress your lady friend. I’ll take care of everything.” 

I rubbed my temples, trying to produce a reason such a plan wouldn’t work that my mother would accept. “Don’t you have church tonight?” 

“No.” My mother shook her head. “I went this morning. Now, go. You smell like sweat.” My mother dismissed me after my last bite of omelet and shooed me from the table as she ferried the dishes to the sink. I sighed. 

“Gracias, Mami.” I said as I left the kitchen. She blew me a kiss and cleaned the dishes as I ascended the stairs. 

She meant well, and she liked taking care of me. Honestly, I brought this on myself by not inviting my parents to dinner over the last few weeks or taking Abby to see them. The lack of an invite wasn’t intentional, but life was busy, and things often slipped my mind. It was only a matter of time before they showed up uninvited and unannounced. If my mother was staying for dinner, my father was coming too. I had to message Lana and let her know. 

I found my phone in my bedroom and texted her as I undressed to use the shower in my master bathroom. 

Julio: Just a heads-up, my mom has hijacked our dinner tonight. If you want to bail, I totally understand. 

Lana: Lol, what do you mean hijacked? 

Julio: She showed up this morning because she hasn’t seen Abby in a while, and now she’s running to the grocery store to cook things for tonight. She plans on joining us. 

Lana: Wow, okay. I guess that’s really sweet of her? She’s excited to meet me? 

Julio: Yeah, but I understand if it’s too much too soon. I wasn’t planning on overwhelming you with the whole family at once. 

Lana: The whole family? 

Julio: Just my parents, unless my mother invites my brother, his wife, their kids, etc. I should probably make sure she doesn’t do that. 

Lana: lol. Ah, so that’s what you mean by hijacked. 

Julio: Yeah… sorry. 

Lana: It’s okay. I guess I should make Anne stay home, though. She was planning on showing you the video. 

Julio: It’s finished already? 

Lana: Yeah. It’s pretty hot, ngl. 

Julio: Yeah, my parents definitely can’t know about that. 

Lana: lol. Of course not. Is your family spending the night? 

Julio: No, but they’ll probably be here pretty late. 

Lana: Anne and I were planning a surprise for you… should we still do it?

Julio: What kind of surprise? 

Lana: A sexy one. 

Julio: It would have to wait until after my family leaves. 

Lana: Naturally. How late do you think they’ll stay? 

Julio: Probably nine or ten o’clock? They’d expect you to leave before they do so they can fill me in on their opinions. 

Lana: lol. Well… let’s save the surprise for another night, then. Pity. It’s a delicious surprise. 

Julio: Well, now I’m curious. 

Lana: Should I bring Anne anyway? It might be nice to have some backup in case your parents don’t like me. 

Julio: Sure. We’ll make it a casual thing instead of a formal dinner. 

Lana: How casual should we dress? 

Julio: Respectable, for sure, but we’ll be out on the patio by the pool for a while, so nothing too warm. 

Lana: Oh, a pool? I have some ideas. 

She sent a winky face, and I shook my head. If my parents weren’t joining us for dinner, I’d love to see Lana in her bikini in person. I’d like to untie its dangling strings and run my fingers over her narrow tan lines. Unfortunately, that wasn’t in the cards for tonight. Our third date would be a family dinner, not a sexy romp after Abby went to sleep. 

Lana: What time should we get there? 

Julio: Let’s say five. 

Lana: See you then! 

I put the phone down and finished undressing for the shower. The warm water cascaded over me in a caress that was as soothing as anything I’d ever known. Something about standing under the barrage of water and closing my eyes took me away from everything and relaxed me almost as much as sleep. Not worrying about my daughter or keeping an ear out for the monitor was another boon. 

I jolted when I heard the click of the door, however, and I peeked out of the shower to see a naked Penny tiptoeing toward me. 

“Penny?” I asked, surprised. 

“Hey.” She said, smiling. “Your mom took Abby to the grocery store, so I figured I’d join you? I didn’t want to wake you by showering this morning. I still smell like chlorine from last night.” 

I chuckled slightly, nodding and waving her in. She slipped in through the shower curtain, and her hands immediately caressed my back, sliding lower and squeezing my butt. 

“We don’t have time for that.” I warned. 

Her arm wrapped over my hip as her breasts pressed against my back, her hand trailed against me until she wrapped her fingers around my girth and stroked me. I was half-hard from seeing her luscious naked body, and within three strokes, I was steel in her hand. 

“Penny…” I sighed. 

“Julio…” Penny answered me, kissing my shoulder blade and resting her head against me. “I’ve never fucked in a shower before. Can we?” 

“It’s not as sexy as it seems in porn.” I warned her, having found that out the hard way, just like pool sex, hot tub sex, floor sex, and others that the porn industry seemed keen to invent and portray. 

“You’re sexy, Julio.” Penny said, kissing my back again. “Don’t you want to pin me against the wall and fuck me under the waterfall?” 

I bit my lip, trying to push the mental image out of my head. Penny, her breasts trapped against my chest, her legs wrapped over my hips, her body impaled on my dick, thrusting into her from below against the steam-warmed tiles. Desire overtook sense, and I turned around to face her. 

She smiled at me through half-lidded, lust-filled eyes. Her hand found my cock again, and she pulled me toward her, jacking me off with the tip of my dick pressed against her flat stomach. 

“Every morning, when you’re in the shower, and I’m taking care of Abby, I think about what I’d do if I were here with you.” Penny said, her eyes feasting on me as she jacked me off. 

I feasted on her in return, letting my eyes caress her heavy breasts and their pointed nipples. I lowered my mouth to hers, kissing her, the water falling against my back and the steam wrapping around us like a blanket. I stepped back, pulling Penny with me and laughing as the water fell against her. She scrunched her face but relaxed against the harsh water pressure and temperature after a moment. 

She tugged, twisting her hand over my water-slick cock as she pumped her arm. Her nipples stood at rigid attention, and I couldn’t help myself. I lifted one and bent my head forward, sucking her breast into my mouth. She leaned back to give me access and moaned low in her throat. 

“Oh…” She panted. “God, I love it when you do that. It’s weird, but it feels so good. Especially when your tongue–”

I circled my tongue around her nipple and flicked it in a cross pattern. 

Penny gasped. “–Does that. Fuck… you make me so wet, Julio.” 

I couldn’t tell if she’d intended the pun, but I took her statement as genuine, given her lack of laughter. The shower water cascaded over us as she stepped back out of the stream, and I shuffled into it, letting it fall against my back. Water droplets trailed over her smooth skin in tiny rivers, dripping from the peaks of her breasts and fingers and leaving water trails over the curves of her hips, thighs, arms, and shoulders. I groped her breast, palming her nipple and closing my fingers to catch it. I was gentle but firm, drawing moans from her as I played with her. 

“I think I can cum just from that if you keep it up.” Penny said. 

I had my doubts, but I wasn’t about to complain that her breasts weren’t sore or dead to the pleasure I wanted to give them. On the contrary, they seemed very responsive, as did she. 

“It’s supposed to feel good.” I said, squeezing the underside of her boobs, one in each hand. “You have the most beautiful, most amazing breasts.” 

The blush crept across her face as she lowered her gaze, but she accepted the compliment. 

“What else do you like about me?” Penny asked, her voice quiet. 

“I like everything.” I said, not entirely understanding the question. “Your breasts are amazing. Your body, in general, is amazing.” I ran my hand over the parts of her body as I mentioned them. “Your legs are nice and long. Your thighs make my mouth water. Your pussy…” I traced my fingers over her pussy lips, just gently caressing the outside. “Is gorgeous. And your clit?” I groped it between my thumb and forefinger, making her gasp and move to her toes. “So easy to find, so fun to play with.” 

I released her, sliding my hand over her shaved mound. “Your flat stomach is so sexy.” My hands ran over her hips, one on either side. “The curves of your hips are perfect half-moons. I want to hold them and never let go.” I slid my hands behind her, squeezing her ass and pulling her body against mine. “Unless it’s to hold your round, perfect ass.” I smacked it, making her giggle and squeal as she stepped into me, spreading her legs over my thigh. 

“Your back is beautiful.” I said, trailing my fingers over her spine. “And your neck…” I trailed my fingers over her throat, then moved her chin aside to kiss the nape of her neck. I let my fingers linger, holding her head in place as I trailed kisses over her shoulder. “And your shoulders… your arms.” I ran my fingers down her arms to her wrists and lifted her hands above her head. She left them there as I lowered my finger to her mouth and pressed the tip of my index finger against her soft, pillowy lips. She sucked my finger into her mouth, swirling her tongue over it as I closed my eyes. 

“Your lips are so soft… so delicious.” I said, withdrawing my finger and replacing it with my lips. I kissed her, wrestling her tongue against mine. “Your tongue…” I said, pulling away. “I love kissing you.” I said and kissed her nose. “Your cute nose is too adorable for words. And your eyes…” 

I gazed into her eyes, and suddenly, I knew what Rowan meant about how she looked at me. I saw love there in her eyes. Love beyond lust. Worship. Similar to what I thought I’d seen last night in my bed. I hesitated at the corny line my brain conjured but followed through. 

“Your eyes make me believe in magic again because I swear every time I look into them, they cast a spell to keep me there.” 

If Penny thought I was corny, she didn’t say so. She practically threw herself against me, wrapping her arms over my shoulders, and kissed me so passionately I nearly slipped. I managed to brace myself on the wall behind me, holding both of us up as she devoured my lips and tongue. I surged in response and turned, pushing her against the wall. She didn’t complain when her backside pressed against the tiles. On the contrary, she lifted her leg, standing on one foot and wrapping her other thigh over my hip. 

She reached between us and grabbed my cock, sinking onto it as she moaned my name. “Julio…” 

She rose and fell from the ball of her foot to the flat of her heel. I thrust against her in tiny movements, matching her speed, filling her, partially withdrawing, and filling her again. She moaned my name. “Your cock…” She gasped. “I love your body, too.” She said, clawing my arms and grasping me for balance. “Your arms… Your legs. Your pecs. Your cock. I love it. I want you, Julio. I want you so bad…” 

“I’m right here.” I grunted, fucking her against the wall while the water battered us from the side. Her leg on the tub floor blocked the cascade from washing away her natural lubrication, which there seemed to be plenty of. I worried our opposite sides would grow cold, but the steam held up, and the exertion warmed us with our wet bodies rubbing against each other with minimal friction. I planted my legs firmly apart, and her leg climbed higher over my hip until I hooked my arm under it. 

“Ah!” She cried as if I’d found some secret she’d meant to keep hidden. She shivered, shaking against me and clinging to me more fiercely than before. “Tell me I’m yours, Julio.” She whispered. “Tell me…” 

“You’re mine.” I growled the words through gritted teeth as I did everything I could to hold back my impending explosion. 

“Gah!” Penny gave a high-pitched cry of surprise, and her insides clamped around me like a trembling iron vice. I felt her orgasm rip through her without warning or mercy with our bodies pressed together. She opened her mouth to cry again, but no words or breath escaped as she trembled, stretching her neck toward me. I kissed her, and she closed her eyes in bliss and did her best to stay standing. 

I released her leg, and she let it slide against me until her toes found the tub floor. Penny stood as still as she could as I withdrew my cock from her molten pussy. 

She melted against the wall, sliding to her knees and shifting so she was entirely under the spray of the water. She put her hands flat on the tub floor and looked up at me, her breasts framed by her arms in front of her. Then she sat back on her heels and squeezed her breasts with her elbows, lifting them slightly. “Cum on my tits, Mister Castillo.” 

I swallowed and started jacking myself off as I observed her body before me. 

Not satisfied to watch me, Penny reached for me and pumped me herself. Then, she took me into her mouth, swallowing me into her throat as the water cascaded over the back of her head, flattening her hair against her body. She held onto my thighs for balance and fucked me with her face. Her eyes remained locked on mine until she saw the tightness in my body and felt the trembling in my thighs. 

Just as I was about to cum she leaned back, releasing me from her mouth, pumping me with her hand, and making me spray my release onto her face and tits as she looked up at me open-mouthed, hungry, and waiting. 

I trembled with my release, bracing myself against the tile wall as jet after jet left me and painted her. She swallowed what entered her mouth. Licked her lips, curled her tongue over her upper lip, took a deep breath, and leaned back, letting the water wash my jizz away as though it were her soap and shampoo. 

Exhausted, I was more relaxed than I’d ever been between the hot water and my release. I trembled slightly, holding myself up with my forearm against the shower tile wall until I recovered. 

Penny looked proud of herself, smiling as she rinsed off below me. She reached for me, and I helped her stand. She threw her arms under mine and hugged me. I wrapped my arms over her and embraced her, holding her close as the water fell over us. The slick touch of our bodies made every point of contact a frictionless rub. She kissed my pec. 

“Thanks.” Penny said. 

“I feel like I should be the one thanking you.” I teased. 

Penny reached for the shampoo as our shower together became shower business as usual. “I’ve been fantasizing about that for a while.” 

“Happy to help.” I said. “Anytime.” 

Penny grinned, rinsing her hands and taking up the soap as we traded off washing and rinsing. “I might just take you up on that.” 

“I hope you do.” I said, almost laughing. It amused me that this was Penny’s fantasy, not mine. Sure, I’d fantasized about different women in my life, including Penny, over the years. I wasn’t a monk or a saint, but I’d never thought such a thing could happen until it did. 

Now, we had something much more than the initial pitch of stress relief and fun together. Fuck buddies didn’t say “I love you,” and Penny had. We didn’t talk about it, but I’d noticed how frequently the word ‘love’ left her lips today. Was Penny in love with me? Was this something more than a schoolgirl crush or a fling for her? What was she to me? And was it fair to even have this date with Lana if I had feelings for someone else? 

“Should I cancel my date tonight?” I asked Penny, who stood there watching me as I rinsed under my arms. 

“Why?” Penny asked. “I thought you liked Lana.” 

“I…” I hesitated, trying to think of a way to explain myself while wondering why I had to. “You aren’t jealous that I’m bringing another woman here?” 

“No.” Penny said. “I’m turned on by it. You’re a stud, Julio, and you deserve whatever makes you happy.” She shrugged. “Maybe I’m broken or something, but when I picture you fucking her or anyone else, I don’t get jealous. I get… horny.” 

It didn’t make sense to me. When I pictured Penny and Rowan together before I met him, I didn’t get horny. I got angry and jealous. That was normal, right? Though, I supposed one could argue it wasn’t healthy. Maybe her response was the healthier option? Still… It seemed weird. 

“Maybe it’s because I started fantasizing about you when you were with someone else.” Penny said, shrugging. “So when I pictured you having sex, it wasn’t with me. I was like… an observer.” 

I didn’t want to poke that too much, but I was curious. “Well… Lana’s into threesomes. At least she was with Anne. Do you want me to ask her about having one with you?” 

“Maybe.” Penny said, shrugging. “I think I’d have to meet her first.” 

“And if she says it’s her or you?” I asked, turning off the shower water since we’d finished washing and rinsing. 

Penny paused, holding herself and shivering against the sudden lack of steam. “Then I guess you have a choice to make, and we…” She trailed off, glancing at my face and then looking away. “We go back to being a fantasy if that’s what makes you happy.” 

I scoffed, drawing her attention at the dry, incredulous laugh. I pulled my towel into the shower and wrapped her in it, drying her off. “I don’t think I could be happy going back to you being a fantasy instead of a reality.” I said, realizing the truth of it. “I’m not sure that you and I would work as a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship for obvious reasons, but… I can’t go back to pretending that there’s not something here between us that’s more than just fuck buddies.” 

Penny swallowed, nodding to accept my words without answering them. She took the towel and dried herself off as I stepped out of the shower and took another towel from the towel closet for myself. I dried off, doing my best not to leer as Penny’s body shook from the efforts of her towel. 

“Keep your date tonight. See how it goes.” Penny said. “Maybe… if you play your cards right, you could have both of us?” 

I hesitated at that, staring at Penny as I dried myself. “You realize that’s ridiculous, right?” 

Penny shrugged, and she knew what she did as my eyes dipped despite my effort to keep them locked on hers. She smiled and wrapped the towel around herself like a mini dress, tucking it low on her breasts. She stepped from the shower and joined me on the bathmat, taking the towel from me and drying my hair as she raised her hands over her head to reach. 

“As ridiculous as fucking your nineteen-year-old babysitter on the regular?” Penny asked as her hands slid from my towel-covered head to my chest and lower. “Or her wanting to fuck you right now after you just satisfied her a few minutes ago?” She gripped my dick in her hand, drawing a slow stroke as I stiffened in her hand. 

“Yes.” I said, laughing at myself. “As ridiculous as that.” 

“As ridiculous as fucking your babysitter’s mom and your babysitter being okay with it?” Penny asked. 

“...Yeah.” I said, frowning at the reminder. 

“I’m a ridiculous woman.” Penny said, stroking me as her voice turned breathy and sexy. “Get used to it, Mister Castillo, because even if you and Lana end up getting serious, I’m going to want to fuck you, and if you’re not okay with me being the other woman, I’ll just have to settle for masturbating to the thought of you together, or whatever videos you make.” She kissed me to silence my protest, and I let her, returning her kiss with a surprising hunger. 

A knock at the door caused us to freeze in place. 

“Julio?” My mother’s voice bludgeoned through the door. 

“Yeah?” I asked, my eyes wide as Penny caught my gaze. 

“We’re back from the store!” My mother said. “You get ready, I’ll get Abby something nice to wear.” 

“Okay! Gracias, Mami.” I said. “I’ll be out soon, I have to shave and get dressed.” 

“You want me to pull some clothes for you?” My mother asked. “You should look nice!” 

Penny stifled a giggle at the thought of my mother dressing me for my date. I might have found it amusing if I hadn’t found the suggestion so annoying. 

“I know what I’m wearing already, don’t worry about that!” I said, trying not to let myself sound so exasperated. “I’ll meet you downstairs in a few minutes!” 

“Okay!” My mother called through the door. 

I relaxed after several seconds passed and no further voices floated through the doors. Penny released my now-flaccid cock and giggled, biting her bottom lip and shaking her head. 

“Wait, where are your clothes?” I asked, realizing Penny was still naked and had been naked when she entered the bathroom. 

Penny’s laughter stopped, and her eyes went wide. “I tossed them to the other side of the bed, near the hamper.” She said. “Your mom might not have seen them?” 

I took a breath. If my mother had seen them, she would have mentioned it or asked about it, right? Right. There was no way she would have respected the boundary of finding women’s clothing on my floor without asking questions, especially when those clothes had been on Penny earlier. 

I took a deep breath, then realized we had a different problem. “How are you going to sneak out of here?” I asked Penny. 

Penny shrugged. “You can text me a coast is clear signal if you take your mom to the pool or something?” 

I considered that. 

“Or, I could just hide out up here.” Penny said. “If your date’s a bust, I can fuck you out of your slump.” 

I laughed. “And if the date goes well?” 

“I’ll either join in or watch from your closet.” Penny suggested. 

“Creepy.” I said, assuming she was joking. 

Penny smirked at me and kissed my cheek. “Either way, I’ll hide out in here until you tell me it’s safe to go into the bedroom.” 

I nodded but had to shave first. I went through my after-shower routine and finished by combing my hair. Penny sat on the closed toilet and watched me, waiting patiently. I cracked the door, peeking into my bedroom to see it was empty, but the bedroom door was open. I closed the bedroom door and gestured for Penny to follow me. 

She came out of the bathroom without her towel and found her clothes on the other side of the bed where she said she’d put them. She re-dressed, climbed onto the bed, crossed her legs, and pulled out her phone. 

“I’ll be here reading until you tell me otherwise.” Penny said, smiling. 

“Oh?” I asked. “What are you reading?” 

“Erotica.” Penny answered matter-of-factly. 

My surprise must have shown on my face because Penny grinned at me and shrugged. “There’s a poly-am series I like that just updated. The author is slow, like, one chapter a month, but he’s still working on becoming a full-time author, so it’s a free-time project for now. It’s kink-heavy for my tastes but super hot, and I love the characters.” 

“Okay.” I said as I finished dressing in the outfit I’d planned to wear for dinner. “I’ll give you the all-clear signal as soon as I can.” 

Penny gave me a thumbs-up. “Or I could just hang out up here.” 

“You’d need to eat dinner, too.” I said. 

“You could always take a break at some point and feed me my favorite sausage.” Penny winked. 

I laughed, shaking my head as I finished pulling on my shirt. I tugged the hem, checking myself in the mirror. 

“Looking good, Mister Castillo.” Penny said, appraising me. “She’ll love it.” She gave me a thumbs-up. 

I still wasn’t sure how I felt about this, but I nodded my gratitude for the encouragement. “Thanks.” I said. 

I hesitated at the door, cracking it before checking the hallway to make sure it was clear of my mother. Penny waved farewell from the bed, and I slipped through the door, closing it behind me after a brief wave in return. 

Tonight was getting complicated. I took a deep breath and descended the stairs.