"The real leadership of the church. Michelle (who would be highly amused to learn that Dean has her so high on his To Do list) is quite insistent about this, and I think Daryl might hold the key to the whole situation."
"You're not - no, you can't be," spluttered Jennifer, breaking out in almost hysterical laughter. "You're not suggesting that Dean gets, um, sorted out by Daryl?!"
"Why not? These types who make the biggest noise about detesting gays are so often the ones who are secretly harboring desires to, well, you know, take it up the bum!"
"Oh my god, that would be so funny! Dean getting 'straightened out' by Daryl!"
"I'll get working on it," said Marcia. "Do you think Alicia's the type of woman who can keep a secret?"
"Look, she will find the idea as hilarious as I do. Well, good luck with your planning. You're very resourceful and very determined. I'm sure you'll come up with something."
"Look at the time!" Marcia said, checking her phone for the first time in hours. "I have unfinished business with you, young lady, but it will have to wait for another day. I've had a fabulous time."
They kissed one last time and then Marcia drove off to pick up her boys from school and ponder the way forward for Dean. First, she tried to put herself into a man's shoes and think about how a man (say Connor, the man she knew best) would feel about kissing another man. She instinctively felt that the intimacy of that action would be too much for a first step. For two women it was the natural way to initiate things, but not for two men, she concluded. So how would she kick things off if she were a predatory man, who had set his eyes on demolishing the defences of his target, his prey?
It had to be touch, she decided, and it had to be by touching the part of the body that all men treasured above every other. First, through the fabric of the pants, then, when the penis had been released, directly with the hands. And then of course the tongue. Yes, Marcia could envisage such a scenario quite easily. Once the dominant partner had brought the submissive one to orgasm, he would have him where he wanted him. In his aroused, not to mention, weakened, state, it would not be such a big deal for the dominant man to get his partner on all fours and ease his penis into the other's asshole - however tight it might be. Anyway, the tighter the better, as Marcia herself had found out!
It was not as if she would be coaching Daryl, of course, but, who knows, she might be the liaison and it would be as well that she was as knowledgeable and prepared as she could be. For this reason, once the boys had settled down to the projects their school had set them, Marcia used the half hour productively by settling down in her locked office to view some gay porn. She deliberately chose a scene with men of similar ages to Daryl and Dean - and similar physiques. She wasn't interested in guys who pumped iron and drank protein shakes. Contrary to expectations, she found the scene engaging and even arousing. The encounter pretty much followed the pattern that Marcia had mapped out in her own mind - the two men kissing only after they had had sex.
Later that evening, when the boys were in bed and Connor was watching sports on the big screen in the den, Michelle called. Naturally, she wanted to know how her meeting had gone with Jennifer. Marcia didn't want to keep Michelle on the line all night, so she gave a potted version of events, mentioning the pool but quickly moving on to the activity upstairs. Michelle wasn't having any of this, making Marcia relate the juicy details of her "seduction" of the blonde beauty in the water. Michelle laughed at Marcia's naivety, but was delighted that she had chosen her for this missionary work, as she liked to call it.
When Marcia shared her plans with Michelle for Dean, her ears really pricked up. She knew that Daryl was gay, but was unaware that he was already buddies with Dean, or for that matter that Dean lusted after Alicia. (Marcia decided not to tell the Pastor's wife at this point that
she
was on his hitlist too.)
"Excellent work!" said Michelle. 'Leave it with me. I think I see a way to bring them together."
Keen to waste no time, once she was off the phone to Marcia, Michelle called Alicia and, after the barest minimum of small talk, asked her if she could visit with her on the following day. Alicia told her she had something on in the morning, but said 2.30pm would work for her. As she ended the call, Michelle reflected on the words "something on in the morning". She had heard of Alicia's penchant for young men, and could well imagine that she would be closeted up with a tennis coach or a golf pro, or perhaps her personal trainer.
Chapter 37
Michelle wasn't going to make any effort with her wardrobe, but changed her mind at the last moment. She put on a light blue denim shirt with the long sleeves rolled up to her elbows and a dark blue knee-length denim skirt with a substantial slit at the front. For footwear, she chose fawn coloured ankle-wrap gladiator sandals. To complete the Roman theme, she wore a sterling silver cuff bracelet on one wrist and a cluster of matching bangles on the other. She looked at herself in the mirror, applied a bit of make-up and set out for her meeting.
Alicia, who was around Michelle's age (perhaps a little older), had clearly put some thought into her appearance too, which pleased the Pastor's wife. She was wearing a long cream slim-fit sweater dress with matching soft leather calf-length boots. The dress had a V-neck, below which lay three over-sized buttons. Apart from a broad waistband area, the whole dress, including the long sleeves featured a ridge pattern. It was a simple look, and not, Michelle, thought, an expensive material (acrylic, perhaps), but it became the slender woman very well. Michelle sensed that, whoever Alicia may have fucked that morning, she would not be averse to a more sensual round of lovemaking with the Pastor's wife.
The two women greeted one another with a peck on the cheek, Michelle taking the chance to breathe in some of the woman's exquisite fragrance. Looking round the living room, to which Alicia had led her - Michelle deliberately seating herself on the white leather couch - Michelle felt that the word "exquisite" summed up her host's taste. She couldn't believe that Daryl would be the driving force behind the acquisition of the many beautiful artefacts that adorned the room, but then she thought "Hey! he's gay, though", laughing inwardly at her little joke.
Before Alicia went out to the kitchen to get Michelle a drink (homemade peach tea), the Pastor's wife complimented her on her dress. Alicia shrugged off the praise, saying it was the first thing she saw in her closet when she opened it that morning. Somehow, Michelle didn't believe her, especially as Michelle's hair was still a little wet at the ends - evidence that she'd had a shower upon returning to her house after her busy morning. She could have taken the opportunity to express her approval of Michelle's outfit in return, but didn't. Michelle wasn't put out, though; she liked women with spirit - and she could tell that this one had plenty of that.
When Alicia returned with the tray of drinks and some unsalted nuts and dried cranberries, she chose to sit not next to her visitor but in the armchair opposite. They talked about the church, mutual friends and a little about Daryl. Michelle noted that Alicia was actually quite comfortable talking about her husband - her husband whom, if what folks said was true, she had never consummated the marriage with. Alicia once again didn't return the favor by talking about Michelle's husband, even though he was pastor of the church.
Sensing that delaying the introduction of the subject that was the reason for her visit would not be the right thing to do with a woman like Alicia, Michelle told her that she had a favor to ask of her. Her response was to ask if it had to do with Daryl. Trying not to show any surprise or curiosity, Michelle said that yes, her favor had everything to do with Daryl. Somehow Michelle knew that Alicia knew that it had nothing to do with his professional skills. There could be only one other reason why the Pastor's wife had seen fit to visit with her like this.
"You want him to meet with someone," Alicia said - not as a question but as a statement.
"Indeed," replied Michelle. "The person in question is Dean Schwartzman."
"Ah," Alicia said bringing her hands together so that the tips of her fingers met - a bit like Sherlock Holmes. "A rather charmless character. Not subtle, not overly intelligent. No match for his wife, I should say."
"Indeed," Michelle agreed. "And we felt that Daryl could help to, well, how shall I put it?, if I may borrow your word, make Dean a little less charmless."
