by S M Mala
Nodding in agreement, she let him in.
Esme had thought about him non-stop and even went on the internet to see if she was obsessive. That’s what she was obsessed with. The idea of being obsessed with Leon. The dog and tail scenario immediately came back into her head.
Then she remembered what Melanie said about him being rampant on Saturday afternoon. It was the cooling water she needed to dampen her from being on heat.
Walking back into the large living room, she glanced up again. Where she hadn’t removed the ceiling wallpaper, there seemed to be a bulge. That’s when she figured out the plaster was going to fall.
Esme thought hard and noticed a broom in the corner of the room.
She might need to help things along.
Taking it, she held it by the brush edge and gently tapped the ceiling. Dust came down and she could clearly see, so was some of the ceiling.
‘What are you doing?’ Leon asked, poking his head around the door.
‘Helping things along.’
‘That’s pretty dangerous.’
‘It’d be more dangerous if one of us is up a ladder and it falls down.’
‘I think you should stop.’
Taking the broom away, she let out a hefty sigh and looked up at the plaster. It was just then she heard something bang above her head and looked around.
‘Esme!’ Leon shouted and she noticed the plaster was about to fall on her.
Before she could move, Esme was pushed up against the wall; Leon protecting her with his body. There was a loud sound of debris crashing to the floor. She waited for it to stop and then looked up through the cloud of dust.
Leon was staring at her.
‘Whoops!’ she whispered before smiling as he laughed. ‘Thank you for saving me.’
It was her who kissed him on the lips.
‘Sorry,’ Esme said, pulling back.
‘Don’t apologise,’ Leon whispered, kissing her again and this time, pushing his tongue through her lips.
That’s when Esme wasn’t quite sure what was happening.
She couldn’t pull away and felt her libido go into overdrive, as well as her hands. Unable to control herself, she pushed up his t-shirt and was getting to grips with his back.
And he smelt good, which she knew from last time.
He was also getting a good feel; squeezing her breast through her top and pushing his groin into her.
They had to stop because she knew he would only regret it.
Or worse.
Become traumatised.
As she pulled her head away, parting their lips, Esme looked straight into his eyes.
She didn’t know what she was feeling, but he was staring back with an expression of wonderment.
It could have been the shock at kissing an old one again, but she didn’t want to go there.
They locked lips and this time everything was going a little faster.
Leon was undoing her jeans, and she was manhandling his shorts. He tugged her clothing down to her ankles, along with her knickers. His fly was undone, and she didn’t know whether to push her hand inside.
It was too late as he picked her up, his lips now on her neck, kissing her frantically before reaching her mouth. She felt his tongue delve deeper and then he pushed himself inside, making them both jolt.
They both stopped and took a moment.
Once again, they were off.
He started to move quite quickly, grabbing her breast and kissing her hard. Esme held onto his back, letting one leg of her jeans come off so she could wrap her thighs around his sides.
The man felt amazing.
Thrusting hard, as she was held up against the wall, and kissing her simultaneously.
She was fit to burst.
That’s what it felt like.
And her appreciative groan was pretty loud while he breathed heavily.
‘Oh!’ she gasped when having a surprise vaginal orgasm, which was very rare for her.
Her muscles were contracting tightly around him, and she didn’t know what to do, other than hold on tight.
When he came, he buried his face in her neck.
That sent shivers down her spine.
It felt amazing.
Then she heard him say something.
‘God, that was much better than a wank,’ he mumbled.
And Esme’s world, pretty much like the ceiling, came hurtling down.
‘What did you say?’
Leon heard Esme ask, but he couldn’t catch his breath.
The sex they had was ball breakingly good, but she pulled him out and jumped away. He put his head against the wall, hoping his heart would stop beating so fast.
‘Did you say that was much better than a wank?’ he heard her mutter then looked at her pulling up her jeans quickly. She looked beautiful but angry. ‘You should have had a wank if that’s what you think!’
‘It’s not what I meant.’
‘Of course it’s what you meant!’ she said, looking increasingly upset. ‘You make love to women but having sex with me is pretty much similar to jerking off and…’ Esme turned her back to him. ‘And we didn’t use protection.’
‘It’s not as if you can get pregnant,’ came out of his mouth.
That’s when Leon realised what he said, regretting it immediately.
Esme turned and looked at him, now an expression of devastation appearing on her face.
‘Just because I’m twice the age of your girlfriend, and I’m too old for you, doesn’t mean you have to be horrible, okay. I was talking about sexual diseases, not babies.’
Then he noticed a tear trickle down her cheek.
‘Esme, I didn’t mean to upset you.’ Leon stood up straight and realised his dick and arse were pretty much exposed due to his shorts being around his shins.
‘It doesn’t mean I’m less of a woman because my child baring days are over, but I do have feelings.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ he said, seeing she was getting very upset.
‘You probably think I’m a desperate old fuck, that’s more like it. Not even worth thinking about! Instead of a friendly cup of sugar, you get an old screw. I have to go! I’m so ashamed!’
Then she ran out of the house.
‘No Esme! Let me explain!’ he shouted, but as he ran, he felt over onto the floor; tripped by his shorts and the broken plaster. ‘Oh, shit!’
‘Shit, shit, shit!’
Never in her life had someone been that mean to her after having sex.
It was awful.
All the way home, while driving back, she wiped her angry tears. If ever she made a fool of herself, it was then. Screwing the young next door neighbour in the most unromantic place in the world.
As soon as she got back, Esme ran to her bathroom, flinging her clothes in the wash basket and taking a shower. She scrubbed and scrubbed while crying her eyes out.
He was used to firm, young flesh not mottled sagging skin.
What hurt the most was his comment about her unable to get pregnant. It was so throw away. Even if it was true, it still touched a nerve.
The wank observation had thrown her if she was honest.
After getting out of the shower, she could hear her mobile ringing and decided not to pick up. Going to her bedroom, she drew the curtains to avoid looking onto the garden.
‘How am I going to get out of this?’ she mumbled to herself, throwing an old summer dress on, and covering her body in too much moisturiser, it made her skin clammy.
Then she caught a reflection of herself and knew what she did was wrong.
She had only herself to blame.
‘What an old fool!’
He looked so young, close up. His skin was smooth and healthy. She wondered what he thought about the experience. It wasn’t probably up to scratch. Leon had slept with an older woman, Ethan’s mother, so he was used to feeling mature skin.
‘Maybe he has an old woman fetish!’ she shouted out, putting her hand over her mouth.
Esme rushed to the front bedroom and saw Leon park and then get out of his van. He seemed in two minds whether to go in.
She didn’t know how she was going to face him.
His company sign ‘Shoots and Leaves’ seemed more appropriate than ever before.
He shot off, and she left.
Walking down the stairs, but being exceptionally quiet, Esme stood in her living room, looking out towards the large, glass doors. Her blinds were usually open, and she pondered whether to close them.
Then her heart sank, knowing Mali would be upset if she pretended not to be in. There was no other option; she would have to leave her home and hide.
Her phone was on the table, and she looked at the number.
Leon had called but didn’t leave a message.
Now she realised he was going to tell her it was a big mistake and to keep it a secret. He would ask if she had a disease like woodworm, due to her age. Or a fanny mould that affected women over the age of fifty.
The guilt she felt about not using protection, when she had practically brainwashed her son into making sure he even used disposable rubber gloves, in the event of ever touching someone new.
The problem now facing her was every time she closed her eyes, all she could think about was the quickie. Had he kept his mouth shut, it would have been pretty amazing.
She felt so alive, as did her body and not to forget, her fanny. It was still throbbing, a sensation she rarely felt even with Oscar.
Leon was the first man, other than her ex, she had slept with in a decade.
‘What sort of woman am I?’ she groaned into her hands. ‘Why do they have to be in a relationship?’
Standing by the wall that separated their kitchens, she could hear him opening his patio doors.
Esme grabbed her keys and bag, running out of the house and down the road, all so she could avoid facing the man who gave her a good seeing to less than an hour earlier.
And compared her to a wank.
‘I’m an idiot!’
Leon was sitting in his garden after putting Mali to bed.
His daughter wanted to see Esme, but he told her she had to go out, and she would be around on Thursday. He knew Esme was going out on Wednesday afternoon. Hence, she couldn’t look after Mali.
But Leon’s emotions were all over the place.
Something happened when they made love.
He couldn’t explain.
‘Daddy, can I have a drink of water?’ Mali said. She was standing at the door, with Moo Moo in her hand and her nightdress stuck in her knickers. ‘Why do you look so sad?’
Leon got up and pulled her nightdress down to cover her bottom.
‘I put a bottle of water in your room,’ he said, seeing she didn’t want to sleep.
‘Can I go and see Esme? Has she come back home?’
‘I don’t think so,’ Leon replied, going to the fridge and getting a bottle of water. ‘Go to bed.’
‘I not tired,’ she yawned. ‘I want to stay up and talk to you.’
Scooping her in his arms, he took her back to bed as she rested her head against Leon’s shoulder, sticking her thumb in her mouth.
‘What does Nana say about doing that?’ he whispered.
‘Not care. She not see me.’
He laughed and put her into bed.
‘You need to sleep,’ he said, stroking her hair, pushing her long fringe out of the way. ‘You’ve got to get this cut.’
‘Esme’s friend is going to cut it for me next week.’
‘Okay,’ he said, wondering if Esme would be speaking to him by then. ‘Go to sleep.’ He kissed her cheek.
‘Kiss Moo Moo too,’ she said, pushing it in his face. ‘She likes kissing.’
‘So do I,’ he mumbled, remembering kissing Esme that same day, pondering if he would ever do it again.
And hoping so.
Later on that evening, he sat on his patio and looked at the stars.
He couldn’t stop thinking about her and then heard something stir. Getting up, he peeked through the hole in the fence.
Esme was sitting down on a chair outside, with her back to him.
It was now or never.
‘I know you’re there,’ he said quietly, seeing her jump. ‘I want to tell you something, so you don’t think I’m a tosser.’
There was no reply, so he continued.
‘I didn’t mean to hurt you about the pregnancy comment. I thought I was being reassuring but I realised when I opened my mouth, it sounded worse. I did say weeks ago you were too old, but I was wrong. Esme, I really like you.’ He took a deep breath. ‘My friend Graham and I have a scoring technique for when we have sex; we have done since we were younger. It’s pretty stupid, to be honest.’ Leon noticed she shook her head from side to side. ‘And being better than a wank is the highest accolade you could get. I thought what happened today was amazing. I like you.’
He watched her get up and walk back into the house, closing the door.
Leon had ballsed it up, once and for all.
And he felt sick to his gut.
‘And everything’s okay?’
Esme was talking to Tracey the following afternoon after bunking off from work. She wasn’t in the mood. The plaster falling down had been a Godsend as Carl got into major trouble and would have to repair it all.
‘Are you all right?’ Tracy asked, sounding concerned. ‘You’re not ill?’
‘The plaster nearly landing on my head gave me a little fright,’ she lied, knowing the man who gave her more than a little surprise was only a few metres away from where she was standing.
After hearing what he said the night before, she was confused.
It was an odd apology, and she still didn’t understand the wank ranking system.
She wasn’t quite sure if she wanted to. But the words sounded sincere though she wasn’t sure what was going to happen next.
‘Are you okay about covering for me? I’ll send you a breakdown of the extra money,’ Esme sighed, feeling tired from not sleeping the night before.
‘I need it for next week. Half term costs a fortune. Enjoy the rest of the day.’
Hanging up, she glanced at the time, knowing Mali would be coming home from school. She walked to the front window and noticed Melanie was dragging the unhappy little girl down the road.
‘That’s no way to behave!’ the woman scolded the child.
From where Esme was standing, she could see Mali had been crying.
It was the young woman who wasn’t behaving properly.
Immediately Esme could sense something was wrong. She quickly opened her large doors and sat on the patio, listening out.
Then there was a knock on the front door, and she hurriedly opened it.
Ralph was standing there, without his usual smile.
‘Can I come in?’ he asked, and she let him walk through. ‘I’m not staying for long.’
Knowing it was best to keep her mouth shut, she listened to see what he had to say.
‘About the party,’ he said, turning to look at her as she walked back out into the garden. ‘I thought your behaviour was appalling.’
‘Pardon me?’
‘Throwing food over my head was totally unacceptable.’
‘Constantly trying to grope my breasts and backside is totally unacceptable!’ she snapped back, instantly riled by the comment. ‘What do you think I am? Gagging for it? You speak to me in a rude and insulting manner. How dare you?’
Ralph started to go crimson and shook his head.
‘I need you to apologise,’ he said, his nose going up in the air.
‘I won’t!’
‘I won’t!’ Esme then heard Mali shout before hearing a very loud slap and the child scream.
Even Ralph looked horrified.
But the second smack sounded louder, and Esme sprinted down the garden and flung open the fence door.
Melanie was holding the little girl by the wrist, slapping her legs.
‘Get off her!’ screamed Esme, charging forward, seeing Mali was scared and incredibly upset. ‘It’s against the law to slap a child, do you know that?’
Rushing forward, she took Mali out of Melanie’s grip but not before pushing the young woman backwards, onto the grass.
‘How dare you! What’s it got to do with you?’ the woman angrily shouted, standing back up. ‘She’s a nasty little girl and needs to be taught a lesson.’
Picking up the child in her arms, who was sobbing and holding on for dear life, Esme could see Ralph looking in.
‘Never, ever, touch her again! Do you hear me?’ seethed Esme, shaking while holding the small body against her skin. ‘Go home!’
‘You wait!’ Melanie said, grabbing her phone from her pocket. ‘You’re nothing to do with her and you can’t poke you nose into my boyfriend’s affairs.’
‘I want my daddy!’ cried the little girl. ‘Esme, help me!’
‘I will, baby. I’ll help you.’
She marched out of the garden and into her house. Ralph followed.
‘Oh Mali,’ she whispered into her hair. ‘It’s okay. You’re safe.’
‘I’ll call Leon,’ he said, trying to take control. ‘What’s he doing leaving her with someone who doesn’t know how to behave?’
‘Daddy!’ Mali screamed out, and Esme gently let her go, making her stand up.
‘Let me see what she did,’ Esme said and noticed the bright red slap marks. She took a few photos, before shaking her head furiously, then looked at Mali. ‘Stay here for a minute. I need to do something.’
‘Don’t leave me!’ sobbed Mali, who looked completely shaken.
‘One minute.’
She angrily rushed out into Leon’s garden, seeing Melanie furiously stamp the ground. Esme went up to her.
‘Don’t you ever fucking lay a finger on that child again or I’ll smash your fucking face in. You are incapable of looking after her!’
Then she ran back before Melanie could open her mouth.
Mali came towards her when she got into the house, flinging herself into arms.
‘I not like her!’ she cried. ‘She nasty to me and said I was horrid! I not horrid! She’s horrid!’
‘I know, I know,’ Esme said, feeling more upset than Mali. She looked at Ralph. ‘Can we talk another time? Did you get hold of Leon?’
