The Clinton Enterprises Saga Pt. 01

I questioned her, "Have you gone over in this thing?"

"Only once, when Beth tried a jibe and the wind got us."

I told her, "I was with your cousin one time at Marblehead when he tried for a mooring just as the first big gust hit us. We capsized and beat the hell out of one of his friend's yachts. He didn't get over that for a long time. We may have to make a quick decision when we get to the marina entrance. Are you up for that?"

"Alec, you're the skipper and in charge. Even if you weren't, I'd do as you ordered." The pale blue eyes were unblinking. Over the wind noise, she said, "I might have to marry you."

I looked sharply at her. This was a frozen moment in time. Dear God, if we capsize and drown, I'm a happy man. Holding on to the tiller and main sheet for dear life, I leaned over and gave her my best Marry Me kiss.

"We have to talk."

"Before or after you drown me?" She grinned.

The race with the squall line was touch and go. I said to myself that there was no way our sixteen footer was going to survive that first blast. And we'd better not be close to the rocky breakwater when it hit or all they'd find is splinters and our bodies.

We were about a quarter mile out. I gave her the main sheet to hold and leaned over. "We need two or three minutes inside the breakwater in order to get into the slip safely. Right now, we have it, but if we lose that margin, I'm going to veer downwind and put us up on the beach right over there," gesturing to the sand in front of the village park.

The next ten minutes were very, very tense. We shot thru the entrance to the marina and had a lucky break as our slip was directly upwind. Emma jumped out and got the bow and stern lines as I frantically downed the sails. Emma wanted to run for the car, and I told her to go ahead while I stayed in the boat getting out the cockpit cover as best I could. She wouldn't go without me and hopped back in the boat with the wind howling and rain coming down in sheets. We'd got it three quarters fastened when she said, "Get underneath, we can finish from inside."

It worked. We lay there in each other's arms, totally soaked, with the storm all around us. The boat banged against its bumpers, the rain made a terrific racket on the cover a few inches above us. She clutched me tightly. Her wet hair was in tangles in her face. Emma never looked lovelier.

In a few minutes, everything let up as the storm passed. The sun came back out. She wriggled on top of me. "Captain Ahab, you've saved us from the sea and the great white whale. Can I join your crew?"

Before I could answer, a voice from the pier said, "Ahoy the sailboat, are you ok?"

We undid the line holding the cover down and sat up, blinking in the sunlight. The gentleman hailing us looked concerned.

I responded, "Yes, we're fine. A pretty close call though. I should have watched the weather sooner."

As Emma pulled her hair back, he said, "My goodness, Emma, I haven't seen you down here in ages."

"Clarence! It's a joy to see you too."

She turned to me and said, " Alec, this is Clarence Goodwater, my first art patron. He runs a gallery that bought my first painting when I thought I didn't have any career in art. Clarence, this is a friend of the family from the Boston area."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, young man, that was a nice piece of boat handling that got you in here in time."

While Emma and Clarence chatted, I bailed the boat and tidied up. Charlotte would no doubt find fault with my work, but such is boat ownership.

The three of us walked up to the parking lot, talking amiably. Clarence and Emma made a date for dinner in a week.

I got towels out of the back of the wagon and spread them across the seats. The wet and the adrenalin letdown had us both shivering. With the heater on full blast and my foot heavy on the pedal, we made it home in good order.

Chapter 3 - Saying Goodbye to Janice

We stood in the steamy hot shower until the water temperature dropped. As I toweled us off, Emma said, "We have to talk."

"I thought you said I got a hot toddy first. And I thought that was my line about talking."

"Come along." She marched to the kitchen.

I found the bread and fixed cinnamon toast while Emma did the honors on the toddys.

She said, "Let's take these upstairs."

We arranged the pillows so we were very close. She put one leg over my thigh and spread the other out below the bottom of her shorty robe. Her pubic hair stood up proudly in trim curls.

"How are we going to talk with you displaying yourself like that," I teased.

She pulled up my own robe revealing my very fresh and pink cock.

"Does that ever get hard anymore?" she teased back.

"You said I can't get over sex. I think you're right. You told me this morning that I made you feel good. Am I permitted to say you make me feel good?"

She sipped her drink, gazing out at the sun and clouds over the lake. Then she took our mugs and put them down on the side table and crawled into my arms. Not saying anything, just hugging. Then shaking with quiet sobs. I kissed her forehead.

"Oh my god, Alec, you do things to me. I've never in my life had a cry on a man's chest. All of a sudden, I'm all soft and squishy inside. "

I reached for a tissue and she snuffled into it. I turned her face up and kissed her. Those were very nice kisses last night and this morning. This was different. This was two people putting something special into the meeting of their lips.

I felt a sinking sensation. Then said to myself, you asked her to marry you. More than once. Did you have love in mind? Or what?

She straddled me and sat up. The eyes weren't pale blue and quiet. They were red and wet and somehow darker.

"I meant what I said out there. I'll marry you if you want me. But Alex, you have to be sure this is what you want. When we come up for air after loving and lusting, there's a long list to making a life together."

I held her and thought about the intimacy of the last few days. Something had driven us together.

Very together. I'd never had better sex. An image flashed through my mind of Janice in her apartment, naked and enticing and going out of my life to follow her ambition to be someone important. Someone not a man's wife, or slave or mistress. I'd given her a good fuck that night, a good hard fuck that she had liked.

I'd hugged her and kissed her, said something soft and nice, and wondered whether she would pull it off.

"You're very quiet. What are you thinking about?"

Back to Emma, in my arms, in her bed, with the dark lake in the twilight spread before us.

"I was putting something in my past to rest. Making history of it. Detaching my emotions from it."

Emma stirred and sat up. "Something that important must have been a woman. Janice?"

I pulled her to me again and said, "Yes."

"Tell me."

"One of life's mysteries is how men and women go into and out of each other's lives. Hard, soft, messy, angry, tearful. I suppose a departed lover is like the dead, don't speak evil of them."

She kissed me. "That's a gloomy thing to say. Tell me about the best time you ever had with her."

I smiled at her. "With sex, or without?"

Emma reached down and squeezed me. "I'm not jealous of your lovers. I hope you aren't jealous of mine. Life is too short not to enjoy the good moments it gives you."

I wondered if she knew how her quiet eroticism was drawing me tighter and tighter to her.

"Janice met me at a grad student party. She was cool, almost cold. She'd finished her PhD and was looking for a job with industry. Told me she didn't want to rot in a professorship. I asked her for a date and almost didn't get it. We went to one of those upscale fish places along the waterfront in the city. She looked glamorous and was trying to act glamorous. But one martini let everything loose. The parental pressure. Being the youngest of three talented siblings. Realizing an honors PhD just raised the stakes for her next step.

"She took me back to her apartment and started taking her clothes off as soon as we got in the door. Pulled the cover off her big bed, turned out the light and said, "Fuck me." I did. She came. I didn't. I'd never met a personality like hers. Super controlled right up to the edge of the cliff, and then she couldn't get enough of my cock. She came again. I didn't, making a contest of it, having trouble holding back. My body wanted to finish, but my brain said she was too greedy and selfish. I got up, put my clothes on and walked out.

"I didn't see her again for a week. I was still whipping my dissertation into shape and my thesis advisor was being a prick about the details. Told me it was good enough to be widely published and if his name was going to be in it, there couldn't be any mistakes.

"I was sipping a beer in the corner tavern with a buddy from the lab when she came up behind us and said, "You didn't finish what you started last week. That's not very nice."

I moved over to give her a seat and offered a drink. She ordered a double martini up and stared at me. Neither of us blinked. My buddy got lost. She had on jeans and a soft flannel shirt. Running shoes. No makeup. A touch of scent. More glamorous than the little black dress and very high heels from last week. I asked her, looking down, "Do you run in those?"

"She answered, "Yes. What's it to you?"

I said, "Forget the martini, let's go for a run. We have issues to talk about."

She said, under her breath, "I think you're a good for nothing prick, but let's find out."

The running loop on the Charles is about five miles, and the park lights are ok to run under. When we finished, she was soaked with sweat and said, "I think we're ok now. I'm pretty good with an omelet, do you want dinner at my place?"

As we walked in the door, she said, "Are you going to do me before a shower, or after?" I grabbed her fine ass and pulled her in. She rubbed our crotches together but leaned back and said, "No fair holding off this time. Ok?"

I yanked her running shorts down and licked her to orgasm right there in the foyer. She kept saying, 'You good for nothing fucker. Why am I doing this?' Then she came again.

I wrestled her down on the thick rug in the living room and jammed myself into her. It was a fine cunt and I didn't hold back. As my hot spurts filled her, she kept saying, "Oh my god, oh my god."

"She wanted me to stay the night, but I had an early meeting the next day and went home to my apartment.

"In the morning on the T, after coffee and a Krispy Creme my waist didn't need, I asked myself if I was getting romantic about Janice. One part of me, below the waist, said she was something special. Another part of me, above the neck, said she was a bundle of trouble. The debate didn't get settled by the end of the ride and I left it sitting there.

"Janice and I had very busy lives those days, but both of us sought the other out every week or two. We had an informal deal that Friday at 5 at the corner bar was a good rendezvous. If one of us wasn't there, that was ok. One warm afternoon we were free early and I got a boat from the sailing club and we went for an outing on the river. She had running shorts on and kept pulling them to the side to show me her wet pussy, daring me to let my stiff one loose on her. With highrises all around, I decided neither of us needed to see that kind of picture on the Internet. I did pull her into my lap, kiss her hard, pinch her nipple, and get her off with my fingers.

"But our relationship didn't progress. Put crudely, it was meet, greet, fuck, eat, go home. One night, lying on her bed after especially good sex, I asked her, 'Where is your life going, Janice?'

"She turned on her side and said, 'Alec, I'm wired to be the boss of something big. I don't know just what yet, but I'm working on that. I don't suppose you want to go along for the ride, do you?'

"I looked at her, feeling sad, and shook my head.

"We only went out one more time after that. A mutual friend told me afterwards she was in London, doing leveraged buyouts in the City."

By the time I finished my Janice story, Emma was asleep. I covered her and slipped out of bed. My computer was in the back bedroom downstairs. I hadn't checked email for a day and there was a short note from Beth, saying she would be back a few days early because one of her meetings was canceled. The flight was due at Logan four days away. I logged out and went to the front porch and sat in Emma's rocking chair. It made a small comfortable creak, creak.

Would Beth be mad or happy about Emma and me? Both, I guessed. Mad that her own son was wasting his virility on a grandmother, especially when the grandmother in question was her own mother. Happy that two people she loved were finding joy with each other. Confused about how life could get so screwed up.

Emma leaned close to me, the short robe not covering much. I reached out my hand for hers.

She crawled into my lap again. "Alec, whenever I go looking for you, you're sitting somewhere waiting for me to get into your lap!"

My hands were exploring under the robe. "So, you're unhappy about some lazy loving with me?"

"I think lazy loving with you is the best thing that's happened to me in a very long time. Please don't stop."

We kissed gently. I ducked my head and sucked on her hard nipple. "You better stop that or we'll have to go upstairs again."

"I could do you on your living room rug like I did Janice on hers!"

"You really are a bad boy. I gushed all over my fingers when you got to that part."

I extracted my hands from her lovely pussy and said, "I have mail from Beth, she's getting back early."

We stood up and moved toward the kitchen. "Will she have any time off? Can she come here and join us?"

I mixed us a drink while Emma started dinner. "I think there is good news and bad news with Beth coming here."

I got a surprised look. "Why?"

"The good news is that she has been unhappy about a bunch of things for a while, and maybe wouldn't mind a chance to talk them out. The bad news is that it won't take her long to see what is going on with us."

"Going on with us? What on earth are you talking about, Alec?" She smiled from ear to ear.

I pulled her into my arms and gently bit her neck. "If we get her into that big bed, what will happen?" I kept working at her neck where it joined her shoulder.

"Stop that. I'll take away your privileges."

"What privileges? You've been mistreating me ever since I got here."

She kissed me hard. If I took her upstairs, which is what her body was asking for, it would be a long wait for dinner.

"All right. Truce. Let's have some food. And then figure out the Beth strategy."

Chapter 4 - Beth Comes Home from India

Beth arrived in midafternoon. She hadn't taken my advice to fly up. Typical independent Beth.

I went out to her car to help carry things. She looked tired and thin but gave me a big hello and hug. "Alec! I'm so glad to see you."

"You're thin," I said, picking her up and twirling.

"How did you get to be such a muscular hunk while I wasn't looking? Last I noticed, you were thin yourself and all stressed out to get that damn dissertation finished."

We walked up to the house together. I wondered how to approach the next few days. Emma was on the top step to greet her wandering daughter.

"Beth! I thought you'd never get back. After you're settled, I want the whole story. Would you like some tea?"

"Actually, I need a shower, and maybe a little nap. Is that ok?"

We took her things upstairs into the front bedroom. The big bed had an especially beautiful New England handmade cover on it in fall colors.

"This room has such nice memories. I guess I'm not the only one who has them," she said, looking at us.

Emma hugged her. "Get your rest. Alec and I have some chores to do, and then we'll have drinks up here."

We went out to the barn. Emma pointed to the woodpile, which was leaning badly. "Some of that can go to the house, but a lot of it needs restacking. Are you feeling strong?"

"Do I get a reward for fixing it?"

She laughed, "Haven't you gotten a lot of reward already? My body, the rest of my life?"

Her eyes were serious. I pulled her into my arms. "I'm liking being in love with an older woman! Will you still marry me?"

She rubbed herself on me. "I called you a rogue the other day and you are! I can tell you are worried about Beth. I want you to follow my lead this evening. I think we can work something out."

By five o'clock, the woodpile was looking much better and I was covered in chips and sawdust. I stripped off at the back door shower and scrubbed up. Emma came out and stood watching me. A week ago I would have been self conscious standing naked in front of her. Now it seemed very comfortable to have my new lover admiring me.

"I've fixed some hors d'oeuvres. Do you want to pick a wine?"

I climbed the steps and tweaked her breast as I went by. Her hand flew up and swatted me on my bare ass. I said, "Let me find some clean shorts and I'll get a bottle of that Pinot we had the other night."

When we walked into the bedroom with a tray and glasses, Beth was in the bed partly under a sheet, her bare back showing. Waking, she turned over and smiled at us. "Oh, the party is coming to me. How nice. I feel pampered." She stood up and went to her suitcase. "Emma, all this is dirty, can I borrow some shorts and a tee?"

Emma tossed shorts and shirt to Beth from her dresser, who unselfconsciously put them on. Looking at me, she said, "Not much to look at anymore, eh? What's with that hot girlfriend of yours?"

I debated which question to answer first.

"She dumped me for a career in London. I've decided from now on, I'm going chase older women with bodies like yours. Ones who know about good sex and want to share." I grinned at her.

She came back with mock outrage. "Alec Clinton, you are bad, very bad. I suppose you think every forty year old who goes by is aching to jump into the sack with you? What arrogance!"

I walked over and hugged her, my hands squeezing her bottom. "Just give me a chance, honey, to demonstrate my love."

She jumped back and swatted me. Hmmm. Both women in my life don't mind a little rough stuff? Something to explore.

Emma said, "Let's sit on the porch and catch up." She sat in her rocker. Beth tucked her legs under her on the sofa. I served wine and crackers. There was a comfortable silence.

Beth began, "One reason I've come up here is that things are so screwed up in my life."

She looked at Emma, "You know, after you rescued me from teenage idiocy and I got that job with the publishing company, I thought I had figured out a career that would work."

"But here I am, fifteen years later, with no job, a victim of the Internet. And not much of anything saved because I made that dumb decision to buy a house. And last week, Rod told me he'd met someone and we were history."

There were tears running down her face. I pulled her into my lap and kissed them. This just let loose a sobbing embrace that went on for a while.

Emma and I exchanged looks. She said, "I'm glad you are here, Beth. Does it surprise you that Alec came up because he thinks his life is in trouble too?"

Beth sniffled and looked up at me. I kissed her on the mouth, gently. She hesitated and then pressed back firmly.

Her wet eyes smiled back at me, "So it's not just me that's fucked up in the Clinton family?"

Emma laughed, standing and going over to the rail. "Fucked up is the word, young lady. Come over here, I want to show you something."

Beth untangled herself from me and walked across the distance to her mother's arms. The two embraced for a long minute, then Emma turned and leaned over the rail.

"The day after Alec got here, we were having drinks and watching the sunset. Just like this. He came over and stood behind me. He's really very male now, and I was feeling a little tingle at his closeness. He put his arms around me from the back and felt up my breasts, teasing my nipples through the cloth of my dress. I didn't have a bra on and I was very aroused. Then he undid the straps of my dress and let it drop to the floor. He kissed the back of my neck and pressed his fingers into my sex.