Page 59 of Private Pleasures

to see a fine lady upon her fine horse.

With rings on her fingers, and bells on her toes,

She will make music wherever she goes.

And he laughed a thunderous rumbling laughter as he plunged his cock up and down within her. “You’re making grand music, lass!” he told her. “Lean back, and I’ll go deeper.”

Half conscious with her pleasure, Nora leaned back, his big hands bracing her. She felt him slide deeper and deeper within her. “Oh, my God!” she moaned, and after a few moments she climaxed as a hot wave of delight swept over her.

“Isn’t he good?” Carla’s voice was penetrating Nora’s brain. “So is your Kyle. After I came, the naughty fellow ran right up my arse hole, and gave me quite another thrill. Caleb is too big to ass fuck me. I always have to get one of the other men to do it. How did your Kyle know that I wanted that?”

“He’s very intuitive,” Nora said, coming to herself again as Caleb lifted her off his lap. “You are a talented man,” she said, and kissed his rough cheek. “Move over!” She sat down next to him and took a deep swig of the mug of rum in front of her. “We must have given the innkeeper quite a show, but I didn’t notice. Did you?” She fixed her blouse, pulling it back up again and tying the strings.

“I was bent over the table,” Carla said. “I never saw a thing,” she laughed.

“Well,” Nora replied, “now that we’ve all been properly introduced, let our lads recover, and you tell me what is happening in the other reality. How long have I been gone? How are the kids? Is Jeff beginning to cave?”

“The kids and your mom are fine, but I’m having a helluva time keeping them from a vigil at your bedside. You’re at Shorecrest now. You’ve been gone two months. It’s already the end of February.”

“Time seems to have no meaning here,” Nora remarked. “Jeff?”

“Hard as nails,” Carla responded. “He and Heidi are coming to the house on the weekends. He had all your clothing packed up and put in the cellar because they’re in the master bedroom.”

“He’s moved into my house with his girlfriend?” Nora was astounded.

“Just the weekends,” Carla assured her. “He says he doesn’t want to leave the house untenanted all winter. He’s had Kramer go back into court to try and get the judge to let him sell the house come spring as he intended. Kramer told Rick that your forty percent will be put in the bank for you. Rick has spoken to the judge, and she isn’t happy with the suggestion, but she also knows Jeff is on the hook for the co-op. Rick says she is sympathetic to you, but she also plays fair. Nora, if you stay here much longer, your health insurance is going to run out for the nursing home. They will have to draw on the moneys you get from the house. You’ve got to do something now! Oh, yeah, and Heidi isn’t happy at all. I ran into her at the wine shop the other day.”

Nora was silent for a long few moments, and then she said, “How unhappy is she?”

“I think she’s really in love with Jeff, though why I can’t imagine. But he’s a lot older than she is, and this divorce is starting to stress him now too.”

“Then why won’t he give in?” Nora said.

“If the judge gives him the go-ahead, you’ve lost,” Carla replied.

“Tell me about Heidi, Carla. What did she say to you? How did she act? And why did she even talk to you?” Nora wondered.

“I think she talked to me because I was a friendly face. I saw her wandering around the wine store, and she looked kinda beat. Our eyes met, and I couldn’t help myself. I smiled at her. The next thing I knew she was yakking at me. I listened, and nodded a lot.”

“What did she say?” Nora asked, and slapped Caleb Snow’s hand off her thigh.

“Oh, how she hates to come out every weekend when everything is so exciting in the city in the winter. And Jeff goes to bed so early out here. She’s stuck in the den watching television all night. She is sooooo bored. And he forgets his Viagra every weekend, and she is beginning to think it’s deliberate.” Carla giggled. “Jeff taking Viagra! It boggles the mind, doesn’t it?”

“If she’s bored, you should introduce her to The Channel, Carla,” Nora said softly.

“Are you crazy?” Carla almost shouted.

“No, I’m not. Hear me out. It isn’t Jeff who’s beginning to crack over this divorce. It’s Heidi. You know I don’t care if he marries her or not. I just want my house. But now if the judge rules in his favor regarding the sale, I could lose the house. He’s not caving, but Heidi is. That’s why he’s had Kramer go to the judge. Get Rick to ask the judge to wait another month for me to show signs of recovery. Have Rick say if I haven’t woken up by then, he’ll agree to the sale of the house as my caretaker.

“Heidi will have to wait another month. The young aren’t good at waiting. They always want everything now. Tell Heidi that since she’s so bored you’ll let her in on a little secret, but Jeff can’t know. Explain to her that The Channel is a place where all her fantasies can come true. Tell her you know she won’t believe you, but to call Suburban Cable and order it when Jeff goes to bed. Warn her, though, that if Jeff is around, it won’t work. And then tell her that if she tries it and doesn’t like it, you’ll work on Rick to agree to sell the house sooner. That’s the bait that will hook our little fish.”

“Why do you want her to know about The Channel?” Carla asked, curious.

“Because like the rest of us she’ll have great sex here, and when she does, do you really believe she’ll want to stay with Jeff? Why would she need him then?” Nora answered her best friend.

“You could be right, but what if you aren’t?” Carla played devil’s advocate.

“Then I lose,” Nora said, “but I have to give it my best shot, Carla. I don’t want my kids coming home to some dinky one-bedroom apartment, if I can even afford that. I don’t want to leave Egret Pointe. It’s my home.”