Ch. 6: Preview #5

Jen noticed Alice through the window as she approached the front porch.  The young woman waved her inside, clearly preoccupied with – ah, Theo.

Oh my oh my.  Alice snuck in and quietly watched from across the room as Jen took a hands-on approach to overseeing her father’s workout – quite literally.  She was crouched beside him and had her hand against his lower back, preventing his back from arching even the slightest as he floundered his way through some of the most pitiful ‘Mountain Climbers’ Alice had ever seen.

“I … I can’t…!” he wheezed, sweat pouring from his body.

“You’d better,” Jen retorted flatly.

He did barely one rep for every three counted out by the workout instructor on-screen, and still slowing.  “But … I-I can’t!”

“Gee.  Guess you shoulda thought of that before running your mouth yet again.”

He shook on the verge of collapse, yet his aggravation seemed to grow with each grueling rep.  “N… Not my fault!” he cried out.  “’Cuz … y-you’re being …”

Jen’s brows rose.  “Go on,” she challenged.  “I’m being what, exactly?”

He didn’t reply, just grunted and wheezed in a bit of a too-loud, exaggerated sort of way.  Jen looked over at Alice and rolled her eyes.  Alice suppressed a laugh as she commiserated silently.

After a dramatic countdown from the instructor, a horn sounded on the TV and all four men on-screen fell flat to their mats, panting almost as hard as Theo.  Alice could see Jen consider making him keep going, but ultimately relented and rose beside him.  “Done,” she said simply.  “For now, anyway.  What the hell gives with your attitude, though?  You were better yesterday.”

He didn’t have a response for that; just lay face-down, sucking in breaths.

Jen sighed, displeased.  “Just … I dunno, go to your room.  I’m so done with you right now.  Take some time to cool off and start over.  ‘Cuz this attitude ain’t gonna fly.”

He made a disgruntled sound – as if about to protest again! – but fell silent.  Jen had to prod him with her foot to get him moving.  “Bedroom.  Now.  Come on.”

Wow.  Jen’s demeanor had been so electric last night over the phone, but Alice seeing it in person was utterly intoxicating!  And oh my, if anything she seemed even more maternal than big sister today...

The chastened guy still had no idea Alice was there as he disappeared and shut his bedroom door.  Jen blew a loud sigh and plopped onto a barstool, shaking her head at Alice in a suffering way.  “He is just such a …”

“Stubborn ingrate?” Alice supplied.

Jen blinked.  “Errr … yeah.  But I’m kinda surprised to hear his girlfriend say that.”

“I’m his girlfriend, true,” said Alice.  “But between you and me, sometimes I feel more like, well, his mother.”

Alice’s probing remark produced a marvel of expressions on Jen’s face: surprise, hesitation, then a guilty wince of admission.  “I guess I … kinda know what you mean.”  She looked around, bit her lip, and dropped her voice.  “Sometimes this morning he’s seemed almost, geez, a little bit … childish.”

Alice’s smile erupted in triumph.  FanTASTIC!!  This was possibly the most exhilarating thing the young Mighty could’ve said.

“What?” Jen blushed, seeing Alice’s reaction.  “Is that really bad of me to say?”

Alice let out a melodious laugh.  “Hell no.  You’re far from the only one who’s begun to have such thoughts about a man – or men, plural.  And for good reason, I’d say.”

“Really??”

“Oh yes.  The fact is, women are becoming more skilled, more capable, simply all around better in their new roles with each passing day.  Obviously men would start to look different in women’s eyes as a result.  And, compounding that, some men don’t take to their new circumstances well and they, frankly, ‘act up’ about it.  I’ve seen it plenty of times.  And somehow don’t seem to realize it only makes it worse.”

Immediate recognition flooded Jen’s eyes.  “Ohmygod, yeah!  Like, what does he seriously think he’s gonna accomplish by glaring at me, or balling his fists, or stomping around?  He literally did all of that this morning!  And I’m over here thinking, like…”

“‘Are you trying to act like you’re twelve’?”

Jen snorted before she could cover her mouth.  “Yes!  I mean, I know inside he’s still obviously a grownup, and I should treat him as su—”

“I,” Alice interjected gutsily, “think you should treat him however he deserves.  And however is best for you and your team.  ‘Father’, ‘daughter’, ‘grownup’ … Those are just labels, aren’t they?”

“Oh.”  Jen blushed, her eyes flitting toward the fridge.  “Umm, it’s funny you should say that.”

Alice followed her gaze – and gasped.  “Jennifer Atwater … is that a list of House Rules??”

Jen bit her lip.  “Yeah.  I wasn’t sure how you’d …”  She winced.  “Well OK, take a look.”

“Oh, yes please!” Alice said with relish, feeling butterflies in her stomach already as she traipsed across the floor to retrieve it.

“Be gentle!” Jen appealed.  “Some of them, I kind of … uh …”

“Ohhh,” Alice breathed, clutching and scanning with glee.  The first rule.  The second.  The THIRD!  “Oh my.” 

“Did I go too far?  … Oh gosh, I did, didn’t I?”

By the end, Alice just about creamed her pants.  She’d never say this to Jen, but these rules were sooooo goddamned erotic.  She bit down on her tongue just thinking about little Theo reading these to himself, one by one, and what he must’ve been thinking!

“Just say something, Alice!” Jen protested, increasingly doubtful.

Alice let out a little laugh, collected her thoughts, and managed not to rub her pussy as she raised her sparkling gaze to Jen.  “A masterpiece.  You are good, Jen.  Verrrrry good.”

Jen blinked.  “I-I am?  So it’s not too much??”

“Neither a bit too much nor a bit too little.  Stern and authoritative, but clear, concise, and rational.  That’s just how any woman-in-charge should to be.  The little guy knows exactly where things stand now and exactly what to expect.”  Alice grinned.  “The finger-snapping thing is an especially nice touch.  And ditching that whole ‘father’ and ‘daughter’ business: it’s like you read my mind.”

The redhead exhaled in relief.  “Thanks!  I thought so too.  I just felt like that old mindset doesn’t do us any favors anymore.”

“Quite right,” Alice agreed.