Penny & Squirt: A Love Story

by T. M. Haught

  Penny’s brows were knit in an apologetic frown. “I’m sorry I overslept! Forgot my alarm.” She threw a quick glance to Jonah.

  “That’s okay,” Rebecca told her. “It’s the last day of your little ‘suspension vacation.’ Just don’t do it tomorrow. Back to school, you know.”

  “Yes!” Penny said, and quickly took her seat at the table.

  Jonah took his seat as well, but paused long enough to place two stapled pages from his printer alongside Robert’s place at the table, to the right of his coffee cup. “I wrote the preliminary statement for my science fair project last night,” he said. “I’ll turn it in tomorrow when we go back to our classes. Thanks again for the info, Mr. Mathews.”

  “You’re welcome,” Robert said, picking up the document as he sipped the last of his coffee. He quickly scanned through it, then nodded approvingly. “Sounds fine to me. How long before you start building the actual device?”

  “Probably next week. I’ve worked out the circuitry design,” Jonah replied.

  “Great,” said Robert. “Give me a list later of the parts you’ll need and I’ll try to get them tomorrow.”

  Rebecca brought plates of scrambled eggs and hash browns to Penny and Jonah, then dropped slices of bread into the toaster for them and pushed down the lever. “I kept your food hot for you, but you two will have to finish your breakfast by yourselves, I think. Robert and I will have to be leaving soon for the drive to his job and mine, too, since we’re car-pooling.”

  Penny pouted as she picked up her fork. “That’s another reason I’m sorry I’m late,” she said. “I had wanted to help out and fix you something for lunch.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Rebecca said. “I already made sandwiches and packed those and some brownies, even some soft drinks, in the small cooler. We’ll put that in Robert’s SUV, and he can drive over at lunchtime and let me know he’s there. The parking lot at Myri-Sinclair has a lot of shade trees. We can eat lunch in the SUV.”

  Penny smiled. “Kind of a picnic.”

  Rebecca shrugged. “Well… not quite. But it’s practical under the circumstances.” The toast popped up and she put the slices on small plates and took those to her son and to Penny, then moved the jam jar and the butter closer to them. She took off her apron and hung it on the peg, then checked her watch. “Hmmm. About time to leave.”

  “Don’t worry about the dishes,” said Penny. “I’ll do ‘em.”

  Rebecca smiled at her. “I appreciate that. You’re a dear.” She drained her own coffee cup, then washed her hands and dried them on the towel by the sink. “Do you have anything else on your agenda?”

  Penny was about to take a bite of her eggs, but hesitated so she could form an answer. Her mind raced. “It will be a few hours before we get our assignments by email, so maybe I’ll do the laundry.”

  “Careful…” Rebecca told her “…you’ll spoil me.”

  Jonah said, “I’ll probably work on the schematic for my signal booster circuit.”

  Rebecca tousled his hair as she started past him, then gave him a kiss on the forehead. “Okay. But don’t let Penny do all the work. Be sure and give her a hand when she needs it.”

  Jonah’s expression froze and he said, “Sure. I’ll help her.”

  Rebecca went to the end of the counter and picked up the small cooler by its handle and then gave it to Robert as he got to his feet and reached to take it for her. She gave a quick glance around the kitchen to be sure all the stove burners were off and everything else seemed safe. Everything appeared to be fine.

  Penny stayed seated, but glanced at her father with a serious look. “Please be careful, Dad. Drive safely.”

  Robert shifted the lunch cooler to his left hand and briefly put his right arm around Penny to give her a hug. “I will, don’t worry. See you later tonight. Don’t forget to check in with us once in a while, and immediately if there’s a real problem.”

  “Okay,” said Penny.

  Rebecca went around to where Penny sat and gave her a kiss on the forehead, too. “We’ll be okay. You and Jonah be careful, too,” she cautioned. Then her look softened. “I know you’ll both look out for each other.”

  “Absolutely,” said Penny.

  “Of course,” Jonah said.

  Robert and Rebecca paused in the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room, each throwing smiles at the two teenagers, then they left, heading for the front door. Their footsteps faded as they reached the living room, and the sound of the door opening and closing, followed by the sound of the main lock and the deadbolt being secured, was replaced by a lingering silence from the front part of the house. A few minutes later, the sound of the SUV’s engine starting up and revving a bit could be heard. Even that faded as the vehicle backed up and left the driveway before starting down the street. The low-key music on the kitchen radio kept the room from being starkly quiet.

  “Your mom’s so cool,” Penny said at last between bites of breakfast.

  Jonah nodded. “I’ve always thought so.”

  “Seriously,” said Penny. “She always seems so calm and collected, like she’s got everything under control.”

  “Yeah,” Jonah replied. “On the outside, anyway. Sometimes I think there’s more going on below the surface, especially this past year, but she never shows it.”

  “Hmmm. I know what you mean,” Penny said. “I’ve seen my dad at times like that, putting up a brave front, but…” She shook her head after a moment, as if to clear her thoughts and change the direction they were taking. She quickly spread butter and jam on her toast. “Anyway, I can’t believe how good this food tastes! I think I worked up an appetite, between our roof adventure last night and the close call this morning.”

  “That would do it,” said Jonah. “Not to mention what you were doing before our roof adventure! Wonder how many calories you burned off with that one?”

  “Hey! Keeping our muscles toned is good for us.” She took a bite of toast, but managed to say, “Hopefully.”

  Jonah ate a bit more, then said with a grin, “Speaking of hopefully… will there be any more ‘exercise’ today?”

  Penny wiggled her eyebrows. “Maybe. Ask me again after we do the dishes, and after you help me fold the laundry.”

  “Deal,” said Jonah. “Three things on our to-do list.”

  “Clever boy….”

  * * * * * * * * * *

  “I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this,” said Jonah.

  “It’s not too late to change your mind,” Penny told him.

  “Oh, yeah. It is. Really it is.” He took hold of her hand and followed her out the back door, exiting the kitchen and stepping out into the enclosed patio beyond. He did manage to shift his attention from her just long enough to make sure the button in the doorknob was not pushed in, but remained unlocked… just in case they had to make a hasty return indoors.

  It was just a few minutes past 11:00 in the morning. They had finished the breakfast dishes quickly, then gathered up the laundry and bed linens to take to the laundry room, so near to where they were now. While those were in the washing machine and dryer Penny had sent text messages to some of her friends, and Jonah had worked briefly on his electronics schematic. They had carried the laundry back inside the house in the baskets they had used to gather it up, then worked together to fold it all while they chatted, comparing notes.

  And now they were back on the patio, with its areas of dappled sunlight, the bright colors of its flowering plants and the pleasant scents of fresh air and garden growth. At this hour the roll-out canvas awning provided shade for about a third of the patio area. Penny headed straight for the outdoor chaise lounge, a simple piece of patio furniture made of wood with wheels at the back end and a basic framework that was flat for two-thirds of its length, armless, and with the back propped up at about a 90 degree angle. A weatherproof set of cushions covered it, orange on the tops and green on the bottoms.

  Penny held her hand on the level part of th
e cushion, checking the temperature of its surface since the lounge was in the full sunlight now. She seemed satisfied with what she felt.

  “It’s a little warm, but not hot at all,” she said. She took the folded bath towel from under her arm and spread it out across the center part of the cushion, then she went to the foot end of the lounge to reach for the edge to lift it up. “Help me move this over there farther, so it’ll be in the shade.”

  “Sure,” said Jonah. He lifted it up a few inches so the feet would clear the patio stones, then they worked together to turn it and pull it forward on its two back wheels until they had lined it up just below the outstretched part of the awning.

  “That should work,” said Penny. She walked around it, checking it out, then took out her cell phone and placed it on the glass-topped table. She also took a quick look around the patio. “Everything looks safe and secure. I don’t think we have to worry about another incident like last week.”

  “Hope not!” said Jonah. “What now?”

  “Well, this for starters,” said Penny. She walked up to him and started unbuttoning his shirt. When she reached the bottom she tugged the shirt tail out of his slacks and removed his shirt, tossing it expertly onto the table nearby. “You’ll need to get out of those shoes and socks, Squirt.”

  He quickly helped out with those, placing them on the patio stones next to the table. He started to unfasten his slacks, but Penny gave his hand a little slap.

  “Let me do that,” she told him, winking.

  Penny unbuckled his belt, unhooked the waistband and unzipped his slacks, letting them drop to his ankles. He stepped out of them and she picked them up, tossing them on top of his shirt on the table.

  “Almost there!” she said.

  Next she stripped his T-shirt off of him and added it to the pile, then provocatively worked his boxer shorts down his hips and legs in a teasing see-saw descent, until he was able to step out of them as well. She tossed them on top of the other garments.

  “You next, I presume?” said Jonah.

  She gave him the smirky look. “Well, yeah!” She reached into the pocket of her jeans, where there was a small bulge. “Let me get this out first.”

  What she pulled out was the little bottle of Uberlube with the sprayer top. She sat it on the patio stones near the lounge.

  “Just in case we need it,” she said. “I kept it in my pocket so it wouldn’t be cold.”

  Jonah proceeded to unbutton her blouse, fumbling a bit with the two middle buttons and frowning at his own clumsiness. “Sorry.”

  Penny gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t be nervous. Take a deep breath. Let it out slowly. This is just you and me, having fun. No bad guys here. Relax.”

  When he got down to the last button above the top of her jeans, he unsnapped the waistband and slowly slid the zipper down. Hot pink fabric peeked out.

  “You wore your panties,” he said.

  “Of course,” Penny replied. “I was trying to dress normally today, just in case there was a schedule change. Besides, I’m wearing jeans. Zippers and pubic hair can be a dangerous combination.”

  “Don’t I know it!”

  As she kicked off her own shoes and stood there barefoot, Jonah slid her jeans down to the patio stones and helped her step out of them. He tossed them on the pile of clothes on the glass topped table and removed her blouse to add to them. He flexed his fingers a second, then reached around her to her back, leaning close, to unsnap her bra. He slid the straps off her shoulders, gently allowing the cups to slip off her breasts. He added the bra to the pile, then turned back to hook his thumbs in the waistband of her panties and tug those down. As he got them down to her ankles, Penny placed her left hand on his shoulder for balance and picked up her left foot to clear the panties, but stopped after she put that foot back down.

  Jonah looked at her. “The other foot?”

  She acquired a playful look. “Wait a minute. Let go of the panties. I’m gonna try something.”

  “Okay,” he said, puzzled but intrigued.

  Penny twisted her lips as she stared at the table, gauging the distance. Then she suddenly kicked her right foot up, propelling the panties off her toes and landing them squarely on top of the pile of their clothing. The motion of her leg as it moved up in the kick and then returned to the ground was oddly elegant.

  “Good shot!” said Jonah. He smiled with renewed appreciation. “You’re very graceful.”

  “Thanks,” she said. “Did I ever tell you that I took dance classes, back when I was sixteen?”

  “No, but I’m not surprised. I’ve thought for awhile now that you have the legs and moves of a dancer.”

  Penny actually blushed a bit. Then she shrugged. “I didn’t stick with it for more than about six months.”

  “Why not?”

  She smiled oddly. “Well, they were mainly teaching classic styles, like ballet. Don’t laugh, but I kinda wanted to learn other dance styles, like what Shakira did in that ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ video I had seen earlier.”

  Jonah shrugged. “Why would I laugh? I bet you’d be good at it.”

  “Maybe,” Penny told him. “I kinda learned it on my own anyway. Nobody’s ever seen me do it before. Wanna be the first?”

  “Sure!”

  “Well… okay,” she said. “Of course, it would really look better with the right costume.”

  He flashed her a goofy grin. “That’s debatable.”

  She opened her mouth in mild surprise. “Tsk, tsk. You used to be such a shy boy!” She winked.

  “You’re helping me get over that,” he told her. “But only with you.”

  “Good,” Penny said. “On both counts! Now I’ll need some music.”

  She went to the table with the clothing and got her cell phone, then brought up a menu for her stored music. She scrolled the screen and touched it a few times, then set the phone down as music started up through the speaker. It was a full orchestra with drums and brass playing a jazzy song with a hot, driving Latin beat.

  “Here goes,” she said.

  She pulled a few strands of her long blonde hair over her shoulders to drape appealingly around her breasts, then she struck a pose with her hands behind her head. She waited a second so she could synchronize with the music, then launched into it full tilt.

  Penny did two sharp hip lifts to the right, then swung her pelvis in the other direction and did two sharp hip lifts to the left, all in time with the music. She repeated that a few times, right and left, then went into a series of hip circles, rolling her pelvis in a circular pattern at the same time she did a little routine of footwork that slowly rotated her entire body until she had made a complete revolution and was facing him once more.

  As Jonah watched with rapt attention she next extended her arms out to her sides with her palms up and did three repetitions of torso undulations that alternately arched her back and lifted her breasts, and then reversed the curve of her spine. Every motion she made, every gesture and glance, was perfectly timed to the drumbeats. She partially closed her eyes, getting totally lost in the rhythm and raw power of the music.

  She did a shoulder shimmy that also moved her breasts in a provocative way, then a series of head tosses, to the right and to the left, that flipped her long hair whip-like through the air. Penny was fully into it now, with increasing energy.

  Then she did a left foot, right foot heel and toe routine that worked her legs and hips in a different way, before starting over with a repetition of the sharp hip lifts she had begun with, followed by the rest of the sequence. As the song ended she crossed her legs gracefully and leaned forward in a bow, holding the pose a moment.

  She glanced up, hoping for applause. “Well? How’d I do?”

  Jonah was standing there with his brows knit in a look of intense longing, his manhood fully at attention and his stance rigid. He swallowed hard.

  His voice cracked as he said, “Amazing! That was so amazing. I could get off just watching you danc
e that way.”

  “Well don’t start without me!” she cautioned, straightening from her bow. “Maybe I’d better let us both cool down a little before we go any further.” She winked slyly. “A little… but not too much.”

  “Good idea,” said Jonah. “Right now I’m afraid to move.”

  “Hmmm,” Penny said, her finger to her chin. “Quick—what’s the square root of 3844?”

  Jonah frowned. “Ah… 62.”

  “Now, what are the three primary colors?” she asked.

  “Red, yellow and blue,” he said. “Why?”

  She glanced up. “Do I hear a helicopter?”

  Jonah’s eyes widened and his gaze jerked up toward the sky. He scanned the areas he could see, leaning out a bit from under the edge of the wide awning above them to look straight up. He listened a moment, then frowned, realizing that he heard nothing. As he looked back to Penny he noticed the smile on her lips.

  “Very funny,” he said, a touch peevishly.

  She approached him, her look softening as she touched his face tenderly. “Not trying to be funny,” she said. “Bet you can move now.”

  Realization dawned. He discovered he was in fact more relaxed now, and in glancing down he noticed that his erection was deflating. He looked back to Penny’s gaze and couldn’t help returning her smile.

  “Okay. I understand now. Well played.” He took her hand and gave it a kiss. “Of course, it may take me a little longer to get back to where I was, mood-wise.”

  Penny arched her eyebrow. “Good, Squirt. Taking longer works for me.” She steered him toward the lounge. “But let’s get cozy before we completely lose our edge. Go ahead and stretch out there, like you normally would.”

  Jonah sat down on the chaise lounge, centered where the towel covered the cushion, and put his legs out straight with his back resting against the angled part of the chair. He kept his knees close together, figuring she would straddle him as she had on the regular chair their last time on the patio, or as she had in bed a number of times. Then he watched as she did exactly that, but not in the way he expected. Instead of climbing atop his lap facing him, she turned the other way, with her back to him and her hands on his knees.