At Seventeen

by Gerri Hill

  Shannon gave her mother a quick smile. “Thanks, Mom.”

  By Saturday afternoon, though, Shannon still hadn’t seen or talked to Madison. She sat in the gazebo, her legs stretched out, an unopened biology book on her lap. She was a little afraid that maybe Madison was angry with her, maybe she’d taken it too far and now Madison was avoiding her. But really, Madison was the one who had started it. She was the one who had suggested dancing.

  Footsteps approached and she turned, hoping to find Madison. She was shocked to see Mr. Lansford instead.

  “Hello, Shannon.”

  Shannon swung her legs to the ground, suddenly feeling nervous in his presence. “Hello, Mr. Lansford.”

  “It’s not often I find you out here without your shadow,” he said with a smile.

  “I hope you don’t mind. I can go back inside and—”

  “No, of course not. We rarely use this anymore. I know you and Madison have claimed it now. I actually was hoping to catch you alone. I wanted to thank you,” he said.

  Shannon stared at him. “For what?”

  He smiled again. “Despite my wife thinking Madison has suddenly turned into a mathematician, I know we have you to thank for her good grades.”

  Shannon blushed. “I…I only helped her a little,” she admitted.

  “I know from Alice that you are a straight-A student,” he said. “I also know my wife thinks Madison is tutoring you.”

  “I’m sorry. We—”

  He held his hand up, stopping her. “Not to worry. I only wanted to thank you.” He turned to leave, then stopped. “And I think it’s best if Mrs. Lansford is none the wiser, don’t you?”

  Shannon smiled. “Yes, sir.”

  “Good.”

  Shannon relaxed, again stretching her legs out. Over the last five years she’d only had a few conversations with him and never alone. She had always been afraid of him. He was a tall and imposing figure, and she tended to avoid him as much as possible. She was afraid of Mrs. Lansford too but for many different reasons.

  She finally opened up her biology book, intending to read the next two chapters when she again heard movement. This time it was Madison. She smiled at her, her stomach doing flip-flops just from the sight of her.

  “What are you doing?”

  Shannon held up her book and Madison made a face. “Is that all you do is study?”

  “That’s why I make all As,” she said.

  Madison sat down opposite her, a slight smile on her face. They stared at each other, and Shannon felt her heart start to speed up. She tried to think of something to say, anything to break the spell Madison had on her.

  “I…I saw your father,” she said.

  “Oh yeah?”

  “He came out here. He wanted to thank me,” she said.

  “What for?”

  Shannon grinned. “Your math grades.”

  Madison laughed, then sobered up. “Was he angry?”

  “Not at all. He also promised he wouldn’t tell your mother.”

  Madison nodded. “Yes, that’s the difference between them. He’s more concerned with my grades rather than the perception that I might not be smart enough and need a tutor.”

  “You’re smart enough,” Shannon said.

  “Not smart like you.”

  Shannon shrugged. School came easy to her, sure, but she did study more than Madison did. Of course, she didn’t have all of the extra activities that Madison had. She had more time to study.

  They were quiet, just staring at each other, smiling. Shannon could feel the electricity between them. She wondered if Madison had put a name to it yet.

  “You…you dance a lot better than Stephen does,” Madison finally said.

  “Oh yeah? How was the dance party?”

  Madison looked away. “It was okay, I guess.” She paused, then looked back at Shannon. “He wanted to do what you did.”

  Shannon unconsciously licked her lips. “What’s that?”

  Madison was wringing her hands together nervously. “He…he wanted to touch my breasts.”

  Shannon felt her heart lurch in her chest at her words. Her gaze dropped to Madison’s breasts for long seconds before looking back up. Their eyes held, and again Shannon felt her heart hammering in her chest.

  “Did you let him?” she asked quietly.

  Madison shook her head. “No. I didn’t want him to.”

  Shannon felt a sense of relief at her words. “I’m glad.”

  Madison looked down, again wringing her hands together. “My parents are going out tonight,” she said. “They’re going to a dinner party. They won’t be home until late.”

  Shannon raised her eyebrows. It was Saturday. Madison usually did something with her friends—or Stephen—on Saturday nights.

  Madison met her eyes again. “Maybe…maybe you could come up to my room?”

  “You’re not going out?”

  Madison gave a quick smile. “I’ll cancel.”

  Shannon nodded. “Okay.”

  Madison stood. “Good. I’ll see you later then.”

  Shannon watched her walk away, her eyes glued to her backside, following the easy sway of her hips. She let her breath out with a heavy sigh, wondering what the night would hold.

  Chapter Six

  “Oh my God, that is so sweet. I think you have the best first-time story ever,” Tracy said.

  “Sweet? I was a nervous wreck,” Shannon said. She picked up the last of her garlic bread and took a bite. “I’m stuffed,” she said.

  “I hope you saved room for dessert.”

  Shannon eyed her carefully. “What did you make?”

  “Tiramisu.”

  Shannon nearly moaned at the thought of the decadent dessert. “I suppose I’ll have to force it down.”

  “I know it’s your favorite, so don’t try to sound put out,” Tracy said with a laugh.

  Shannon looked at Charlotte. “How do you stay so thin?”

  “I hope you don’t think she cooks like this all the time. The only time I get dessert is when you’re over for dinner.”

  Shannon grinned. “Damn my sweet tooth.”

  Charlotte leaned her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands. It was a pose Shannon knew well. Charlotte was now Dr. Rimes and she wasn’t trying to hide it.

  “Did you think you were gay or did you think you were experimenting?”

  “I had the hots for my best friend. I had no interest whatsoever in boys. Yeah, I was pretty sure I was gay.”

  “And what about Madison?”

  “Honestly, at that age, I think she was just experimenting. Being gay wasn’t acceptable for her. It wasn’t a possibility,” she said. “It was never a possibility.”

  “Even though you became lovers?”

  “Even then. Whatever excuse Madison needed to make for it, she did. But being gay was never it.”

  “That must have been difficult for you.”

  “Yes, Dr. Rimes, it was very difficult.” She met her gaze head-on. “It still is.”

  “Which is why you avoid going home at any cost. Even to see your mother.”

  “Stop trying to make her feel guilty,” Tracy said. “I’m loving the story. Tell us more. Tell us what happened when you went to her room that night.”

  Shannon smiled. “What do you think happened? My hormones were raging and I was fifteen.”

  * * *

  “We’re going to watch TV,” Shannon said.

  “Don’t stay too late,” her mother warned.

  “I won’t,” she said as she headed up the stairs and into the mansion. Once on the second floor, she paused, listening, but all was quiet. She jogged up the next flight to Madison’s rooms, stopping to catch her breath before knocking lightly on the door.

  “Come on in,” Madison called.

  Shannon pushed the door open, finding Madison on the sofa, the remnants of her hamburger dinner spread out. Whenever the Lansfords had dinner plans elsewhere, her mother would prepare someth
ing for her that they rarely had—hamburgers.

  “I was hoping you’d come up and have dinner with me,” Madison said.

  Shannon stood there, her palms sweating slightly. She wiped them on her jeans. “I was going to, but my mother had everything set up for us down there.” She walked deeper into the room, standing beside the sofa. “How did you get out of going out with Stephen?”

  Madison smiled and gave a fake cough. “I’m sick. Very, very sick.”

  “He was okay with that?”

  “Doesn’t matter,” she said dismissively. “One of his friends was having a guy party. He was just as happy to go there.” Madison patted the seat beside her. “Come sit.”

  Shannon did as instructed, her heart hammering nervously in her chest as she felt Madison’s thigh brush against hers. The TV was on, but Shannon had no clue what program they were supposed to be watching. Her thoughts were solely on Madison.

  “Are you nervous?” Madison whispered.

  Shannon nodded.

  “Do you like kissing me?”

  “Yes.”

  “I like kissing you too,” Madison said. “Is it wrong that we do?”

  “Your mother would kill me,” Shannon blurted out. Madison laughed.

  “That is true.” She reached over and took Shannon’s hand. “But I’d much rather kiss you than Stephen.”

  “Why?”

  Madison tilted her head as if thinking. “It doesn’t…feel the same when he kisses me.” She made a face. “And he’s all slobbering and stuff.”

  Shannon grimaced, trying to imagine kissing a boy. She was fairly certain she would never kiss a boy. But right now, she wanted to kiss Madison. She looked into her eyes, trying to find a hint that Madison wanted her to kiss her. She found more than a hint.

  She leaned closer, their breaths mingling as their mouths drew together. It was almost like that first time, just the barest of touches. She heard Madison sigh and felt her fingers tighten around her hand. Shannon deepened the kiss, her mouth fitting perfectly against Madison’s. Her pulse sprang to life and she moaned against her lips. They drew apart slightly, breathing fast. Their eyes met and Shannon thought there was a touch of fear in Madison’s gaze. Fear of what, she had no clue. She was about to pull away, thinking Madison was having second thoughts, but Madison stopped her.

  “Kiss me again,” she whispered.

  Shannon complied, taking her mouth again. Her intent to go slow faded when she felt Madison’s tongue trace her lower lip. She opened her mouth, her tongue touching Madison’s. They moaned and Shannon felt Madison’s free hand clutching at her shirt. Madison shifted and lay back, pulling Shannon with her. For the first time, their bodies touched completely as Shannon rested her weight on top of Madison. Their kisses became scorching, and Shannon’s brain couldn’t keep up with her body. She wanted to touch Madison. Oh, she wanted to do so many things. She felt weak thinking of them. They finally broke apart, their need to breathe superseding their need to kiss.

  Shannon leaned up, again searching Madison’s eyes for a sign of what she wanted. She didn’t have to ask. Madison took her hand and moved it under her shirt.

  “Touch my breast,” she murmured.

  Shannon was afraid she would faint when her fingers traveled across Madison’s smooth, warm skin to touch the silky fabric of her bra. Feeling more confident than she should be, she lowered her mouth again, kissing Madison as her fingers traced the hard peak of her nipple. Madison moaned and arched her hips into Shannon. Shannon felt lightheaded at the contact, and her tongue darted into Madison’s mouth. Her hand seemed to have a mind of its own as her fingers impatiently shoved the bra away, seeking the taut nipple. When she found it, she rubbed her index finger across it, again hearing Madison moan.

  “Feels so good,” Madison whispered.

  “Do you want me to…kiss it?” Shannon asked, praying she would say yes.

  Madison’s thighs parted, and Shannon’s lower body slipped between them, their hips moving together instinctively.

  “Yes,” Madison breathed. “Kiss it.”

  Shannon sat up enough to shove Madison’s shirt higher. She licked her lips at the sight of Madison’s breast. Not having a clue as to what to do, she tentatively kissed the area around her nipple, loving the sounds Madison was making. When her lips bumped her nipple, her tongue came out, flicking across it. This caused Madison’s hips to jerk. Shannon whimpered as her hips pressed hard into Madison.

  “Suck on it,” Madison murmured. “Please.”

  Surprised she didn’t pass out right then and there, Shannon closed her lips over the hard pebble and sucked the tip into her mouth. Madison groaned loudly, and her hand threaded its way through Shannon’s hair, holding her tight against her breast.

  “Oh God, Shannon…that feels so good.”

  Yes, it felt too good. The dampness between her legs told her how good it felt. It also told her they needed to stop before things went too far. She eased back, trailing kisses across Madison’s stomach before lifting her head.

  “Don’t stop,” Madison begged.

  “We have to,” Shannon said as she bent to kiss her again. “Your parents will be home soon.”

  Madison pulled Shannon into a tight hug. Shannon lay on top of her, trying to catch her breath. Madison finally loosened her grip, letting Shannon sit up.

  “Did you like that?”

  Shannon nodded.

  “Next time…I want to do that to you.”

  Shannon felt her heart jump into her throat at the prospect of Madison’s mouth on her breast. She couldn’t find her voice and simply nodded.

  Madison smiled at her and leaned closer, placing a light kiss on her lips. “Thank you.”

  Shannon wasn’t quite sure what she was thanking her for, but again, she nodded. They sat back, pretending to watch the TV when all they were doing was looking at each other. Before long, their hands were clasped again and their thighs were pressed against each other. And one look into each other’s eyes was all it took. Their kisses were frantic now, tongues battling wetly and both moaning into the kiss. Shannon felt Madison’s tentative touch at her waist, felt the hand slide higher. Before Madison could touch her breast, Shannon pulled back, gasping for air.

  “I should go,” she said between breaths.

  Without waiting for Madison’s reply, she hurried to the door, not daring to look back at her.

  Chapter Seven

  “What a tease she was,” Tracy said. “How did you stand it?”

  Shannon pushed her dessert plate aside and literally rubbed her stomach. “That was so good, but I am stuffed,” she said.

  “We don’t see you often enough,” Tracy said as she brought the coffee carafe over to the table. “Were you in love with her?”

  Shannon smiled. “I think I fell in love with her when I was ten.”

  “Do you feel like she manipulated you?” Charlotte asked.

  “No. Believe me, I was a willing partner in everything.”

  “Yet she controlled it,” she said.

  “I assure you, dear Dr. Rimes, that the fact that I was making out with my best friend—at her bidding—since I was fourteen did not scar me. I never once thought she was manipulating me. Madison was as emotionally invested as I was. The difference was, I could accept that I was gay. She could not. She was predestined to not only date Stephen Cole, but to marry him as well.”

  “And was that something you accepted?”

  Shannon stirred a little sugar into her coffee, thinking back to those times. “Yes, I accepted it. There were no options as far as Madison was concerned. Her mother had her life all neatly arranged to suit her. Madison had very little say in anything she did. I think that’s why her time with me was so precious to her,” she said. “It was the only thing she ever did that was her choice, the only thing that didn’t have her mother’s fingerprints all over it.”

  “But you didn’t see each other that much, did you?” Tracy asked.

  “No. Espe
cially when we were in high school. Madison had so much going on, we were lucky to see each other once a week. Even then, we weren’t always alone. My mother was always there, and if her mother was home, we didn’t dare go to her room.” Shannon smiled. “It was becoming very dangerous for us to be alone,” she said. “We were like an inferno ready to explode.”

  “What about you?” Charlotte asked. “Did you have any friends? Did you have any after-school activities?”

  “I had a few friends,” she said. “I mean, I wasn’t totally blind as to what was going on. I knew Madison and I had no future. I knew what my role was in her life. So I made some friends in high school. I did some of the normal things you do. I’d go to movies with them and hang out at the pizza place.”

  “But no one knew about Madison?”

  “No. They knew where I lived, knew my mother worked for the Lansfords, that’s it.” Shannon shrugged. “I never told anyone I was gay.”

  “So when did you take things to the next level?” Tracy asked. “Since you didn’t have much time together anymore, I mean.”

  Shannon sipped from her coffee, smiling slightly as she remembered the first time she’d touched Madison, the first time she held Madison as she climaxed.

  “It was a Sunday. Her parents were at an estate auction and we had the afternoon. I was sixteen.”

  * * *

  Shannon stood outside of Madison’s door, trying to calm herself down. She was as nervous as she’d ever been. Two weeks had passed since she and Madison had been alone together and, even then, it was only for a few minutes. Not long, but long enough for them to kiss, to touch each other’s breasts. There was nothing shy anymore about either of their touches. And today they would have hours together. Shannon actually trembled at the thought.

  She took one more deep breath, then knocked on the door. It was opened immediately. Their eyes flew together, and she realized that Madison was as nervous as she was.

  “I came as soon as I heard them drive off,” she explained.

  Madison took her hand and tugged her inside, closing the door behind her. And then she did something she’d never done before. She locked it.

  When she turned back around, there was a look in her eyes that Shannon hadn’t seen before. It didn’t frighten her in the least.