Massage Mat Ch. 08

"That's a nice necklace," Jason began, then he saw what she was holding, "Oh. That's one of those...um...yeah. I forget what they're called." he ended lamely.

"It's called a Star of David," Leah explained. "It means, dear Jason, that I am one of the Chosen People. A child of Israel," she said sweetly.

"What? You mean you're an Israeli?" Jason asked incredulously, "I didn't even know they played lacrosse over there." Leah laughed out loud.

"No, you nitwit," she giggled, "I'm an American, but I'm Jewish. You know. Hanukkah. Hava Nagila. Passover..." her voice trailed off as she saw him staring blankly. "You DO know what Jewish is, right?" she finally asked.

"Wow," he said softly, "Yeah. I mean I heard of Jewish people. I just never saw a real one," he blushed crimson as he realized what he had just said. "Oh fuck, I'm sorry, Leah. I didn't mean that...I mean..." he was at a loss for words. "I mean, but you seem so...normal." A pause. "Oh shit, that didn't sound right either. What I'm trying to say is...I don't know what being Jewish means really except that you seem like a great girl to me and that's all I care about I guess. There just aren't too many Jewish people where I come from, so I don't know enough to be...I don't know...whatever I'm supposed to be." Another pause.

"Should I be freaked out? Is this bad?" he asked sincerely.

Leah took his hand and kissed it. "No, you shouldn't be freaked out," she said softly, "At least not by my being Jewish. It's just that....well, some gentiles are...they don't want to...um...oh shit this is getting complicated." She stopped. Jason just looked at her.

"I mean...some non-Jewish people don't want to...er...intermingle with Jewish people. So I figured I'd put that out there since you didn't seem like you were really aware of that part of me."

Jason gazed at Leah, captivated by her beauty. He had never felt quite this way in the presence of a woman. Yes, he loved his mother, but this was different. Intense. Overwhelming. Leah gazed back at him steadily, never wavering.

"Hey. Take a chance," she teased softly, "I don't bite. Well, maybe I'll nibble a little, but only where it makes you get horny."

Jason leaned forward. He wanted to kiss her so badly. Just as they prepared to embrace, though, a flood of emotions overcame him. He looked into her eyes and saw a beautiful young woman, bursting with love for him.

Then he saw his mother, scowling at him. "Jason Miller," she scolded, "what are you doing with this tramp? Don't you want to be with me?"

He saw himself, cowering, afraid to make a mistake.

Then he saw her...it. The demon. Evil incarnate. It was laughing at him. "That's right. Kiss me you sucker," it sneered, "Then I'll have you for good." The demon cackled its evil laugh. "I'll make sure the whole world knows how you like to fuck your mother. And you will rot in hell."

"Jason. What's wrong?" Leah asked, putting her hand gently on his. He looked so strangely angry. Furious.

His face hardened, and he laughed. "You almost had me there," he sneered. "Yep. I almost fell for that one. Hook, line and sinker."

She withdrew her hand. "What do you mean?" she asked, baffled.

"Don't play dumb with me, Leah. You're a pretty sharp cookie," he said cruelly. "I know all about you. You thought I was so dumb that I'd fall for you and you could pull the wool over my eyes forever, right?" She saw his hands curl into fists. "Well, I'm not going to be your little boy to play with. Got it?"

"Little boy?" Leah asked, hurt. "Jason. You've got it all wrong. I want a man. A real man—someone who can really love me." She looked away for a second to hide the tears. "I haven't ever had that," she added sadly. He just sat, glowering at her.

"Look Jason," she continued, "I...er. It seems like your mom has told you everything." She put her hand gently on his fist and patted it. "Well, that's ok with me. I would have told you anyway. I mean, I wasn't planning on today...I figured I'd start the 'true confessions' with the Jewish thing and take it slow...but I wanted you to hear it from me. But anyway. It's ok. She told me all about you guys, too."

She took his clenched fist in both of her hands and held it. "Don't you see, Jason?" she pleaded, "We're even. We can do this...together."

Jason stared at her, angry and confused. "My mother didn't tell me anything about you." He pulled his hand away. "What 'everything' are you hiding from me Leah?"

This was getting them nowhere, Leah realized. And Jason's voice was getting louder and attracting sidelong glances from the other people in the coffee shop.

"Well, it seems like this is the time," she said, making up her mind. "But we can't talk here—not in public—not about this." She thought for a minute. "Let's go to the athletics building. We can use one of the study rooms."

Jason grudgingly agreed, and a few minutes later they were in the small study room with to-go cups of coffee. Jason just looked at Leah, waiting.

"Ok," she began, "you said that you knew all about me. I'll tell you all about me, but first I'd like to ask what you meant when you said that. What do you know already?" She looked directly at him.

Jason banged his cup down on the table. "This isn't the Spanish Inquisition, Leah, but since you ask I'll tell you. I know that you're a scheming little..."

"Whore?" Leah interrupted. "Ok. So you must know about the night with Mac. Everybody on campus does." Jason harrumphed. "But you didn't hear that from your mother." She took a deep breath.

Then she told him about the night he was in the hospital.

She told him everything, speaking from her heart, sharing every bit of herself—the good, the bad and the ugly. If he could have seen clearly, he would have seen how good, bad and ugly can add up to beautiful—especially when combined with honesty.

But, unfortunately, Jason was not ready for honesty.

"You little fucking whore," he hissed, "You expect to fuck your father like a goddamn whore and then pollute me with your filth? You are a cesspool, Leah. A pool of shit."

Leah loved Jason. She did not doubt that for an instant. But she also didn't back down from a fight. And she wasn't going to start now.

"Wait a fucking minute," she said, and now Jason could hear the steel in her voice. "So you run off to your mom's hotel room to fuck her silly every time she comes to town, and that's ok, right? I mean, that's what all the guys on campus do. They're running around screwing their mothers. That must be why us girls are so desperate to find a man, right?"

She gave him a pitying look. "You are so fucking clueless, Jason. You're not a cesspool. You're just stupid. You don't even fucking know what Jewish means, and you're so goddamn wrapped up in yourself that you can't fucking tell how anyone else feels. You can't see...anything."

She paused, then added sadly. "You're so lost, Jason darling, but I can't help you. You have to figure this one out on your own."

"So what am I supposed to do with that?" he shouted, "Confess to you that I'm in love with my mother? Is that what you want me to say?"

"Jason, I just want to be honest with you, that's all." Leah began to cry. "And I want you to be honest with me. It's so simple. Really. That's all there is to it. Just be real."

"Well, here's some reality you little bitch," Jason sneered, pushing her out of his way. "You are a fucking whore." He pulled open the door of the room and shouted down the hall, "Leah Rubin is a whore! A goddamn fucking whore! $50 a pop. Come and get it!"

Leah swiftly elbowed him out of the way and kicked the door shut. He took one menacing step toward her, but stopped instantly when a withering slap felt like it tore off half of his face. He felt blood in his mouth. He wondered if she had knocked any teeth loose. She was one tough bitch.

"Oh hell no. Oh hell fucking no," she shouted, "That shit just will not fly." He had never been on the receiving end of Leah's anger. Until now. She looked like she was ready to tear him limb from limb.

Except that he was bigger, stronger and more aggressive. And he was beyond reason. He decided to kill her.

Leah saw Jason's expression change, like something clicked in his brain. He focused his gaze on her, and for one of the very few times in her life, Leah felt raw, physical fear. She knew that he could injure her badly—hell, he really could kill her with his bare hands.

Fortunately, she was closer to the door. She quickly tore it open and ran out. He took two steps to follow her, then stopped when he saw other people in the hall. Leah turned to face him.

"Jason," she hissed, "go fuck your mother." She turned and ran away.

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"Mom?" Beth heard her son's voice. It sounded so strange.

"Yes, sweetie, what is it?" she asked. "You don't sound like normal. Is everything all right?"

"I don't know. I don't feel good right now. I..." his voice trailed off.

"Jason, darling, is it your head?" she asked with growing concern.

"Yes. No. I mean... Mom, I can't think straight anymore," Jason said. There was a long pause and then Beth heard him crying.

"Jason? Jason? Can you hear me? Jason. Talk to me...tell me that you can hear me," his mother spoke firmly.

"I can hear you," she heard him reply through his sobs.

"Jason. I'll be right there. I'm getting on the next plane. Do you understand? I'll be there very soon," she told him.

The sobbing turned into softer sniffles. "That would be great mom. I don't know what's wrong. I need.... I mean, like I..." again, Jason stopped, unable to find the words to express himself.

"Jason," his mother broke in. Her voice had a firmness to it that he had not heard in a long time. "Everything is going to be ok. Now listen to me. I have to hang up now and arrange a flight. Do you understand? Good. Now, I want you to call your team doctor and tell him that you're not feeling well. Do you understand that? No, Jason. Not in the morning. Now. As soon as we hang up. Promise me you will do that. Good. Thank you. I'll call you in the morning and let you know when I'll be there, ok? I love you too, honey. More than anything. And I want you to be in good shape tomorrow—so call the doctor right now. Yes. That's right. Well, I sound like your damn mother because I am your damn mother. Now do as I say. Ok. I love you. I love you very, very much. Talk to you soon."

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"You're sure you will be ok?" he asked for what seemed like the 10,000th time.

"For the last time, dad, I'm going to be fine," Leah replied, exasperated, "I've lived on my own before."

Mark Rubin walked over to his daughter and hugged her.

"I know," he said, kissing her on the forehead. He pointed to the sky. "Your mother wants be sure that you'll be ok. We have to make sure that she gets the message too," he said with a wan smile.

"Well, please tell mom that I'm fine," Leah said. She smiled and added, "the next time you talk with her. Have a great trip."

Her dad smiled. "I'm actually looking forward to it. I haven't been back to Europe in a long time—and this could be very good for the business, too." He frowned. "But it's a long, time, Leah. That's the only reason I'm concerned about you. Please be careful. Please." Now that he had his daughter back, he couldn't bear the thought of losing her.

Leah rolled her eyes. "I can take care of myself. I promise," she told him sincerely. "You go and have a great time."

He hugged her. "I will. I think this will be good for both of us, Leah. Just be careful."

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The Lexus pulled up and the window lowered.

"Hey handsome, want a date?" called an attractive woman. Jason laughed and hopped in.

"Jeez. You got an amazing car this time," he said, feeling the luxurious seats.

His mother laughed. "Upgrades, my dear boy, upgrades. I'm becoming a frequent traveler. Now tell me how to get to this doctor's office."

Once they were on the way they fell silent, lost in their own thoughts. As they passed the stadium, Beth turned to Jason and asked, "So how is Leah doing? Have you heard from her lately?" Jason squirmed awkwardly in her seat.

"Well...she's been pretty busy, so we haven't seen each other much," he lied. His mother could tell, but she said nothing.

At the doctor's office, Jason checked in and was whisked back immediately. On a hunch, Beth took out her phone and called Leah. There was no answer, but she left a message that she was in town and would love to see her.

After a couple of minutes the nurse came for Beth.

"Mrs. Miller?" Beth stood up. "Jason asked that you come back so you could get information for him." She moved closer and spoke softly, "The doctor thinks it would be a good idea, too. Jason is a little forgetful since his injury."

After the exam, the doctor left Jason to get dressed and took Beth into one of the consulting rooms.

"Mrs. Miller?" the doctor said, "Please take a seat. I'm so glad that Jason agreed that you should get his information." Beth frowned.

"Doctor, does he have brain damage?" she asked, concerned.

"No, no," he said hastily. "He's just having difficulty remembering things. It appears that Jason has something called PCD. Post-concessional disorder. This occurs occasionally after concussions.

"There are many symptoms—and they can come and go—but Jason's symptoms fit: fatigue, irritability, memory problems, problems tolerating emotional stress, sensitivity to alcohol and caffeine, changes in personality. There are others, of course, but these are the ones that are giving Jason the most problems. These should go away over time. The task at hand is to manage them until he recovers fully."

"What do we need to do?" Beth asked.

"First off, Jason should absolutely not drink alcohol, coffee or any caffeinated sodas. Second, he needs a supportive environment. Try to meet his emotional needs and to keep him calm. It's best if he doesn't get emotionally worked up. If he does get angry or upset try to get him calmed down again as quickly as possible."

Beth didn't know how to ask the question, but she knew that she needed to. She steeled herself.

"Doctor," she began, "what about, um, sexual activity?" Seeing the look on the doctor's face, Beth quickly explained, "He has a girlfriend and they...well..." her voice trailed off.

The doctor smiled. "Well, Jason is physically very fit. The main concern from the standpoint of PCD is emotional stress. A good, stable relationship would probably help keep him on an even keel. And, as you know, sex has a cathartic effect and can relieve stress and induce a sense of well-being. But no one-night stands or emotionally fraught relationships. Those are not good for him at this time."

He prescribed a sedative and an anti-depressant saying, "These should moderate the mood swings a bit. They should also help his concentration. Hopefully we will get him back on track in a week or so." Soon, Jason rejoined them and the doctor repeated the instructions for him.

Jason was still a little wobbly from the tests that had been done, so Beth took his arm to steady him and they left the doctors office. Walking through the crowed lobby on the way back to the car, Jason suddenly put his arm around his mother and pulled her to him, giving her a deep kiss. Beth returned the kiss briefly, then pulled away.

"Jason, sweetie, not here," she said softly. "We can't do that in public." He looked at her blankly. She patted his cheek and led him to the car. Fortunately no one had taken much notice.

Beth decided to change the subject. "So do you want some Mexican tonight?" she asked. When Jason nodded, she added, "Ok. Why don't you phone Leah and see if she wants to join us?" He hesitated, but realized there was no graceful way to avoid it. He pulled out his phone and hit "send."

Leah heard the barking dog ringtone as she was making dinner. She looked at her phone a long time. "Call from Jason" glowed brightly.

"Fuck you. Leave me alone," she said, tossing the phone under a pillow. It seemed that the dog barked for a long time.

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"No, Jason. I think that you should get some rest tonight, sweetie," Beth said firmly.

He glowered at her through narrowed eyes. "You never refused me before," he said, hurt. Beth crossed the hotel room and sat next to him on the sofa. She had secured a very nice suite in her usual hotel. It had a large sitting room with an elegant hardwood floor and a luxurious bedroom.

Stroking his hair gently, Beth said softly, "Jason darling, you know that I would love to be with you tonight. But I want you to get better. You need to rest, honey."

Jason looked at her. "Mom, I'm so...wound up that I feel like I'm going to explode. I'm going crazy...and..." he slumped, "I just NEED you right now. I really do." He was almost pleading.

Beth considered the situation carefully. What had the doctor said? Jason shouldn't get emotionally worked up—she should try to keep him calm He also did say that a normal sex life might help relax Jason. And he did look so tense...

She smiled and sighed, "All right, you win. You know that I can't resist you."

He pulled her to him and kissed her like he had been caged up for a year. Beth thought about trying to slow him down, but realized that her son was so tense that he needed release. As they kissed, she could tell that there was more than the need for sexual release. She could sense that he had a tremendous amount of pent-up anger and frustration.

As he kissed her, more urgently and roughly than usual, she decided that she was going to help him get the release he needed—in every way. The brief thought, "I hope he doesn't hurt me," flashed through her mind, but she knew her son. He needed this very badly, and he would never hurt his mother. Besides, she was totally committed to doing whatever her son needed to make him well.

She bit his neck playfully. "C'mon, stud," she teased, "you better get me while you got me. I might change my mind."

"Fuck that," Jason growled, pulling off her sweater. Beth reached around and unhooked her bra.

"Remember these?" she asked coquettishly, wiggling her tits in his face. When he hesitated, mesmerized by her amazing breasts, she added, "What's wrong little boy? Don't you know what to do with a set of tits?"

He didn't need to be asked twice. He immediately grabbed her breasts and began kneading firmly. As she began moaning, he continued kissing her and began working her nipples.

"Stand up," she commanded suddenly, "I need to get your pants off." Jason complied and they stood facing each other.

She unfastened his pants, pulled them off, and took out his hard cock. As her son began to play with her nipples again, she spit on her hand and began to jack him off. As she did so, he pushed her back, hard, pinning her to the wall. There was no tenderness in either of their caresses, only urgent, raw desire.

"I need to fuck you right away," he growled.

"No. I want to blow you first," Beth teased. "You always last longer the second time and I can come more than once with you inside me that way," she said, lifting his shirt and licking his nipple. She looked him in the eye.

"Besides, I love the taste of your cum," she said, sealing the deal. Jason knew that his mother could be very persuasive when she needed to be.

Her hand returned to his throbbing cock and she jacked him slowly, tantalizingly. As she made her slow, teasing strokes she kissed him, letting her tongue dance in his mouth. As they deepened the kiss, she gripped him more tightly and sped up her strokes.

"Ahh fuck, you teasing bitch," he growled, capitulating. "Get your head on my cock and take your mouthful. You're just going to get fucked harder." She looked into his eyes and saw a person she couldn't recognize—so angry. Fierce. She did not, however, slacken the pace of her teasing. She meant to have him so wild that he would completely lose control.