Age is Just a Number (nladisha & Jacie)

[Jacie]

"Come on go do it!"

"Yeah come on, you scared?"

"I think she is."

"Look at her shaking in her shoes!"

They teasing and laughing as they sat outside the house. At the moment they were sitting in Aaron's yard, more specifically the backyard that contained a tire swing which was where the young girl being teased sat at. Her name, Jezzebelle. At the moment she had been dared to go and flirt with Aaron's mother; Susan. Why? Well she unfortunately admitted to her friends who she thought could keep a secret, that she had a crush on the woman. Yeah, getting a crush on your friend's widowed mother, yeah real smooth and smart.

But she couldn't help it. Susan had been really kind and nice to the younger girl the moment she arrived here, and Jezzebelle quickly fell for her. The young girl had come fresh from a huge divorce, left to her father by her mother, forced to move away from her home; she needed some comfort and Susan quickly gave her that.
At first Jezze thought it might have been just platonic but it didn't take long for her to realize it really wasn't.

"Come on, don't be a coward; just flirt a little. Susan's hot, she might like it~" One of her guy friends by the name of Ryan said as he smirked, Jezzebelle looked over at him; her gray looked over his face trying to see if he was trying to tease her or if he was being genuine. "Look Aaron is at baseball camp, she's alone, it's a hot summer day. This might be your only chance to do this, it's not like you're confessing your never ending love to her." Shit when did Ryan get this smart?!

"...Fine!" She replied before quickly pushing herself up from the swing, Jezzebelle pushed her reddish brown hair back; the humidity was making it get curl up and frizzy which was a huge pain. "Fuck, no hair ties." She muttered to herself as she started walking to the door, Jezze took a deep breath before knocking; here goes nothing...she hoped.

 

[nladisha]

On a warm summer's weekend, with neither work nor children to occupy her, Susan relaxed in her den reading a smutty novel - or trying to anyway. Around the old tire swing her late husband had erected for her daughter, so many years ago, a group of her son's friends gathered to pass the time away. Susan didn't bother chasing them away. If she'd wanted, she could have erected a fence at any time. However, Susan liked the sight of children playing. She'd wished she'd have had more, but two had been enough. Besides, soon enough Susan would be alone. Her daughter was already gone, and her son would soon follow. Sure his absence would end with baseball camp, but in 2 years, he too would be gone. He'd already expressed his desire to follow after his sister; a trait he'd exhibited since he was old enough to crawl after her. Susan's daughter eagerly awaited her brother's arrival; which only encouraged him to anticipate his departure all the more. It was obvious where his loyalties lied. In the meantime, Susan at least had the neighborhood children for company. She was an attractive older woman, and she got a bit of devilish pleasure with the knowledge her huge, round breasts and flat, smooth stomach could still attract the attention of younger men.

As she watched, it soon became apparent there was more going on here than a bunch of teenagers utilizing thier favorite spot. The laughter seemed directed at the only girl in the group: Aaron's friend Jezzebelle. Susan didn't like it. Even from her distance, and the sanctuary of her den, Susan could tell that whatever the boys were laughing at, it was at Jezzebelle's expense, and was causing her discomfort and distress. Susan had a mind to get up, go outside, and teach those boys a thing or two about how to talk to a lady.

Soon enough, though, Jezebelle rose from the tire swing, and stormed forward toward the patio door. Sensing the girl needed someone to talk to, Susan also rose. She slipped on her heels, and smoothed out her tanktop. She left her book balanced on the arm of her chair. She walked in her smooth, graceful way to the outer screen door, and arrived just as Jezzebelle knocked. Susan opened the inner door, and smiled at Jezzebelle through the screen mesh window.

"Jezze," she said warmly. "How are you doing? You're not in any kind of trouble, are you?" She glanced up past Jezzebelle towards the boys around the tire swing.

 

[Jacie]

She was surprised when Susan opened the door, she was quick. Jezzebelle stared for a moment, shit she really was hot; somehow she had forgotten the extent of it. It took a moment for the older woman’s question finally made it’s way to Jezze’s brain. “O-Oh, no I just…” What was she suppose to say, she couldn’t just come out and tell her that she had been dared to come flirt with her. “Nah, they’re just guys, laughing at some stupid thing that happened to me.” Jezzebelle lied smoothly as she chuckled and looked back at the guys who looked at the two women before laughing and waving, Jezze just frowned and waved back before turning back to Susan. “See, no hard feelings.”

The younger girl shifted slightly, feeling rather nervous if she was honest. It was just flirting, she might get a pity laugh from Susan. “I actually came over here to see you, I know it must be lonely with Aaron at camp.” Not to her, he was kind of a jerk at times; but he was their idiot jerk. “Which makes me wonder how a woman of such beauty like yourself isn’t even dating, I’m sure it’s not from a lack of suiter asking you out; I’m sure just taking a walk you have a ton on you like flies.” Jezzebelle teased as she smirked up at the older woman, the younger girl crossed her lightly tanned arms as she felt confident about this; it wasn’t too bad. “Maybe you have some secret guy you haven’t introduced to Aaron, if you do then too bad, I guess I missed my chance already.” Fuck, that might have been a little too much; Jezze should have really shut her mouth when she was ahead. Her facade didn’t fall as she kept smirking and leaning slightly on the doorway, she needed to look calm before walking away to beat herself up for what came out of her mouth.

 

[nladisha]

It was clear the guys were watching this whole encounter intently. The way they laughed and waved was too conspicuous. Susan was much too old and wise to not understand what was happening. They were expecting something - a prank of sorts, perhaps. Susan rolled her eyes. Aaron's choice of friends had really deteriorated now that he no longer walked in the same social circles as his sister - not that her friends had been any better.

Jezzebelle's speech, though was quite unexpected. This was something she'd have expected from one of those snickering little boys, not a girl. Suggesting she was "lonely" because she was not dating to pass the time away until Aaron returned... Susan blushed slightly at Jezzebelle's suggestion that she had a secret guy friend she was seeing. True she had no lack of suitors, but she was a very busy woman, both at work, and at home. She had 2 kids to support... well... just one semi-independant teenage boy, and an adult girl who just needed a check once a month to clear her rent and utilities...

Jezzebelle's last sentance brought Susan out of her momentary bout of depression. Jezzebelle was hitting on her, just like one of those boys probably imagined doing. It tickled her, not so much that a teenager was flirting with her, a woman nearly 30 years thier senior, but that it was a girl doing it. Jezzebelle certainly didn't look like a lesbian - she didn't even look like a tomboy. What indeed was she doing with a pack of sophomoric delinquants?

"Jezze, did those idiot boys put you up to this?" she asked the girl. She decided to play along with the joke; at least until she and Jezzebelle could figure out a way to thwart the boys' joke. "I would hope not. It's guys like them - even as old as I am - that turn me off from men. I guess that's why I've never dated since Kevin died..." She paused for dramatic effect - not that she didn't miss her husband dearly, but she'd accepted his absence and moved on. "But with Aaron gone, and his sister away at college, it does get rather lonely here. I could use a little comfort - I mean - company..."

 

[Jacie]

She stayed quiet as Susan seemed to be processing what the younger female had said, Jezzebelle knew she shouldn’t have said it. She had gotten caught up in the moment and said too much, no Jezze didn’t regret it; she just thought it was a little too thick and too early. She looked down at her cyan and pale yellow polka dotted shoes and hoped that maybe the ground would just just open up under her feet and swallow her whole; that seemed to be the most comforting thought at the moment.

Jezzebelle was brought back as she looked up at Susan who had just asked her something, the red-brown haired girl was about to reply when the older woman kept talking and it made her eyes widen, did Susan really just say that? ‘Shit! Jezzebelle thought to herself as she stood there looking up at Susan. Right now the short girl was trying to find her tongue and try to say something before Susan started asking why she was acting so weird. “W-Well aren’t you glad I’m not like them.” Jezze finally replied as she smiled a little and straightened up a little, she didn’t realize how much she had started slouching and trying to hide from Susan’s view. “They actually didn’t put me up to this...Actually...They kind of worked like an encouragement to motivate me to come talk to you on my own; funny how stuff works, huh?” She asked before chuckling, a little color showed on Jezzebelle’s cheeks as she kept talking. “Well, maybe I can keep you company. I’m kind of tired talking and hanging out with the guys, what do you say, Ms. D?” Alright so she was getting a bit cheeky now, she kind of felt like she was on top of the world right now.

“It’s quite hot out here.” Jezze tugged at the collar of her top as she fanned herself. “Shall we go inside?” She smiled innocently before holding her hand out to Susan. “Come on, we doing need these boys.” Jezzebelle leaned back on the heels of her feet as she looked up at the older woman. “Let’s have fun.” She gave a glance back at the boy as she kept smirking, too cocky? Maybe but she was going ride out this high.

 

[nladisha]

Susan wasn't sure if Jezzebelle was telling the truth when she said the boys had encouraged her to come say what was already on her mind. That could have been part of Jezzebelle's script to make this encounter seem more realistic. After all, it didn't matter if children were 6 or 16: tattle-tales were tattle-tales, and no one liked tattle-tales. Then again, Jezzebelle's slight blush suggested she did perhaps feel something (in secret), and had let it slip out in front of those immature boys. Or, that blush could have been simply from embarassment at the lengths she was going through to convince the boys she really did have a crush on Susan.

The heat and humidity were indeed oppressive, though Susan wondered how much of that heat was from Jezzebelle's own adrenaline, and how much was part of her cheesy pick-up script. Keeping with the spirit of the game, she leaned against the doorframe, and placed her hand against her forehead.

"You're right. It is hot out there. And here I am, all nice and cool inside. Please, do come in." Susan opened the screen door, and gently grasped Jezzebelle's wrist. She delicately guided the girl inside, closing the screen door and inner door behind her; shutting the two women off from the boys' prying eyes and ears.

"So really, Jezzebelle," she said once she released the girl's arm. "Did those boys make you come over here say all those things?"

 

[Jacie]

Jezzebelle had hoped that Susan would invite her in, she could see the guys watching them. Their giggling had subsided as they started to realize that she wasn’t being turned down, or at least they didn’t believe she was; Jezze hoped she wasn’t. The brunette turned back as Susan invited her in, she smiled as she nodded. ‘Take that Ryan.’ She thought to herself, Jezzebelle happily took Susan’s hand...well kind of. She more or less ended up being dragged away by the attractive older woman; a last glance to her friends she saw a look of shock in their faces. Once inside Susan let go of her, Jezzebelle was actually pretty nervous now. Yeah she really liked the older woman but being here alone with her was making her head swim a little, and a lot of her thoughts weren’t completely pure.

Then Susan spoke and Jezze’s nervousness fell to something more sad, she blushed a little. “I already told you...They didn’t. What I said was real, it was true.” She muttered as she looked down, the cloth of her white vest tightly gripped in her hand, she was shaking a little. Was she going to be rejected now that Susan didn’t think it was a joke? “They were just laughing because they knew and they also knew Aaron would kill me if he found out.” Jezzebelle replied before looking up at Susan, it was true that the younger girl didn’t look like a stereotypical butch lesbian; she usually thought of herself as a lipstick lesbian...or at least a chapstick one.

 

[nladisha]

Susan was genuinely surprised. She had never taken Jezzebelle for a lesbian; but then, it was obvious the girl was a bit shocked too, as if she couldn't believe what was just going on. Perhaps it had started as an innocent, childish crush from a girl confused about her sexuality; but now things had escalated for her to a point where she was unsure of what to do. Niether was Susan.

She liked the young girl, but she wasn't sexually attracted to her. Still, the way Jezzebelle looked back up at her with that sad, sick look of someone cringing with the expectation she was going to get her heart stomped on and ground into a pulp...

Susan, however, was quick to collect herself. "Would you like to come sit down?" she asked the girl. "Perhaps we can talk about it. Just so you know: I'm not offended or disgusted by it or anything. I won't laugh. I'm just... curious. What's a pretty girl like you doing swooning over an old woman like me?"

 

[Jacie]

She was going to cry, she knew it. Jezzebelle could already feel the ache behind her eyes as she stood there, she didn’t want to cry in front of Susan but she couldn’t help it; it hurt. ‘Maybe I can just laugh it off and just leave, I can just walk home.’ She thought to herself, it would be better than to end up sobbing in front of the older woman. Just as Jezze was about to excuse herself and leave, Susan spoke and it made the brunette looked up at her crush. “W-What…?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, Susan thought she was old.

“You’re not old, not at all! You’re just...mature.” Jezzebelle said before blushing and slowly lowering her head. “Like fine wine.” She finished quietly before letting Susan lead her away to sit down, maybe that would be better as Jezze couldn’t trust her legs right now. “You’re beautiful and nice, and kind.” Well there was no use holding it back now, her mouth was already running. “I really like you, I have since I met you...At first I thought maybe it was just platonic because my mother didn’t want me anymore, maybe I was looking for a mom in you; but I realize that wasn’t it when the wet dream started.”

 

[nladisha]

Susan sat down beside Jezzebelle on the love-seat in the living room, in the front part of the house, where she normally recieved visitors. She smiled when Jezzebelle called her "mature" and compared her to "fine wine." She'd heard those lines a million times before from men ranging in age from her daughter's age to thier early 60s. They were old and tired lines that sounded rather cliche and shallow. Yet from the mouth of a teenage girl, they sounded exciting and flattering; if not heartfelt and sincere. The flattery only continued as Jezzebelle revealed how long her infatuation had lasted.

Perhaps, Susan reflected as she put an arm around Jezzebelle's shoulders and reached to touch the teen's cheek, she should let Jezzebelle down gently, and explain to her that she was merely confused. Just because she was having "wet dreams" didn't mean she was in love with or lusting over Susan. Susan used to have lurid, sexually charged dreams about her younger brother, but those were just wierd dreams brought on by being young and going through puberty. No doubt that was what Jezzebelle was experiencing.

Instead, Susan lightly caressed Jezzebelle's cheek, and gently turned her head to face her.

"I like you too," she told her. "You are - like another daughter to me. Don't worry; I'm not wierded out by all this, but..." Susan hesitated as she noticed how she was leaning in towards Jezzebelle's face. "Are you sure about this? I mean - and I'm speaking objectively - I know a lot of Aaron's friends have crushes on me, but they're just childish infatuations. Have you really felt this way since the day we met?"