This chapter is longer than usual and I hope you find the story well worth your time. As usual, you'll get a lot more out of it if you read the preceding chapters. Note that this particular adventure is a two-parter so don't worry if all the loose ends aren't neatly tied. The next chapter is being written as we speak. Please remember to rate and comment. --Petitmort
In the days following his adventure in Big Sur, Paul had some clean-up to do.
After asking Meredith to go with him to the Ventana resort, and being turned down by her because she had to work, he decided to invite Jasmine instead.
The problem wasn't that Jasmine was only 18 and in her first year at Cal.
And it wasn't that they'd spent two wild days and nights in the honeymoon suite having wild, orgiastic sex.
And it wasn't even that she seemed to be developing major feelings for him.
No, the problem was that, at the same time all this was happening, Paul was having an intense physical relationship with Jasmine's mother.
Jessica Devereux, a divorcee and local philanthropist, had been his main benefactor and "guardian angel" for the past several months. She'd helped him grow his 'handyman' business from a struggling sideline to a thriving, money-making operation.
He, in turn, became her yoga student, personal masseur, and lover.
And now, here he was, a day after returning from Big Sur, being questioned by Jessica in her kitchen.
She said to wanted to have "a talk".
"So, you and Jasmine have been seeing a lot of each other. What's going on between you two?"
Paul wanted to be straight with her. He'd always been honest with Jessica and he intended to keep it that way.
"We've gotten to be good friends," he answered. "Really good friends."
"You shared a room for two nights at an adults-only resort. So, I assume you're more than just friends."
"Yeah, um, it's definitely gotten physical," Paul said. "It started when we met here at the house. I hoped it'd give her a shot of self-confidence. I think it did. Then, she asked me to take her to the party in Berkeley and it kinda built from there."
"So, what's your status exactly? Are you two... dating?"
"We don't really say that anymore."
"I know, I'm hopelessly old."
"We hook up from time to time. When we're together. But she knows about Meredith. And that I see other women. She doesn't know about you and me, obviously."
"And I want to keep it that way."
"Yeah. I want that too. I'll make sure she doesn't find out."
Jessica got up from her stool, taking her coffee cup to the sink.
"It just seems like an unnecessary risk. For the two of you to be involved. It'd be a lot simpler if it was just you and me."
"I know."
"Can't you make that happen?"
Paul frowned.
"It's complicated."
"Why is it complicated? Just tell her you don't want to see her anymore. Come up with an excuse. You live too far apart, things are heating up with Meredith."
Paul chose his next words carefully.
"I just don't think that'd be good for Jasmine right now. Emotionally. She's in a good place. She's confident. And strong. She's feeling really positive about school. If I just dropped her like that, I'm worried she wouldn't take it well. It'd be too much like what Chad did to her. I don't want her to go to that dark place again."
Jasmine had struggled with depression after breaking up with her longtime boyfriend, Chad.
"No, we definitely don't want that."
She leaned against the sink, thinking.
"At the same time," she said, "I don't want her to get in over her head with you. She brings you up all the time in conversation. Paul said this, Paul did that. I'm concerned she's becoming...infatuated."
"Well, like I said, I'm making it clear to her that I'm not available. And I'm encouraging her to meet guys at school. Slowly but surely, she's getting there. I really think that's the best path. Keep building on a foundation of confidence."
"Slowly but surely."
"That's right."
She thought about this.
"Well, you've been remarkably good for her so far."
Paul nodded.
"I'll be careful. I promise."
She nodded, though he could still see a look of concern in her eyes.
As Paul walked back to his apartment, he thought about his conversation with Jessica.
There was a lot he didn't tell her.
His own feelings for Jasmine had evolved significantly over the past month.
What started as a purely physical relationship, had developed into something more.
For both of them.
He'd gotten together with Jasmine initially as a favor to her mom. The Jasmine he met that first day was a tentative young woman, nervously clutching her paperback copy of
Moby Dick
in her bikini.
Paul was supposed to give Jessica a massage that day, but ended up giving one to Jasmine instead.
Without the bikini.
They spent the afternoon together making love. Slow, sensuous love. He made sure she had time for the pleasure to build, using the skills Maddie'd taught him during her love lessons.
Jasmine not only came, she came like she never had before. Screaming orgasms as he stroked her deeply from behind. In the gazebo overlooking the ocean.
As he got to know Jasmine, he found her to be not only beautiful and sexy, but smart and funny as well. He was so taken with her, he agreed to see her the next weekend.
She asked him to accompany her to a school event in Berkeley, pretending to be her new boyfriend. That night, they stayed at The Claremont, a fancy hotel in the Berkeley Hills, having multi-orgasmic sex late into the night.
And Paul didn't tell Jessica about everything that went on in Big Sur either.
How they told the hotel they were just married and were given the honeymoon suite. They ended up having red-hot sex in every nook and cranny of the place.
They even made love in a public hot tub, while being watched by a sexy European couple.
Each time they got together, it got more adventurous. More passionate. More erotic. Their sex was becoming more intimate too, face to face, kissing and cuddling, whispering something soft and kind into each other's ears.
Paul felt like he was developing feelings for her as much as she was for him.
He didn't tell Jessica any of that.
At that same moment, Jasmine was in her room in Berkeley, working her phone. She was between finals and making preparations for her girls' weekend in Pleasure Point.
Her mom was leaving for the East Coast on Friday. She told Jasmine she could use the house, with a small group of girlfriends, to celebrate the end of the school year.
Jasmine invited Paul to come too. To help entertain her friends.
She was firing off texts to the three friends she'd invited to come -- Mackenzie, Taylor, and Chelsea. All three were housemates at the sorority house. Chelsea was her roommate.
im thinking old-fashioned slumber party - music, movies, popcorn
don't forget your pjs and fuzzy slippers
oh... and bring some sexy lingerie too
for when Paul's there ;-)
The replies came in almost instantly.
ooh la la
gettin' spicy already
ill bring my see-thru body stocking
Jasmine fired off more texts.
ha ha forecast says its gonna be high 70s
So bring your bikinis
btw Paul likes em skimpy
The replies were swift.
