Chapter 1: The Jam-Making Cover Story
Sarah flopped onto her dorm bed, the springs groaning in protest. Late afternoon sun slanted through the dusty blinds, painting stripes across the faded band posters and the chaotic explosion of textbooks and laundry covering her tiny room. She picked up the chunky, corded phone from her nightstand, its spiral cord tangled like a sleeping snake. Dialing home was a weekend ritual, a lifeline to normalcy amidst the chaos of sophomore year.
"Hey, Dad!" Sarah chirped into the receiver, absently twirling a strand of her dark hair around her finger.
"Sarah!" Robert's voice came through, warm but carrying a slight edge she couldn't quite place. "Good to hear your voice, sweetheart. How's campus treating you?"
"It's... intense," Sarah sighed, kicking off her sneakers. "Professor Davies assigned, like, fifty pages of dense theory reading for Monday. And I think my roommate, Chloe, is trying to single-handedly keep the local coffee shop in business. The smell is permanent."
Robert chuckled, the sound strained. "Ah, the joys of higher education. Burning the midnight oil builds character, they say." There was a brief pause, filled only by the faintest rustling sound on the line. "You sound tired. Getting enough sleep?"
"Sleep is a myth invented by people who don't have Organic Chemistry," Sarah joked. "Seriously though, mostly okay. Just swamped." She shifted on the bed, the mattress protesting again. "How's Mom? Is she around?"
Another pause, longer this time. Sarah frowned slightly. Her dad usually handed the phone off to her mom with cheerful efficiency.
"She's... uh..." Robert's voice hitched oddly. "She's... Christ... busy right now, honey." The words sounded thick, forced. Sarah heard a muffled sound, almost like fabric shifting rapidly, followed by a tiny, wet gasp that definitely wasn't her dad.
"Doing what?" Sarah asked, her brow furrowing. It was Saturday afternoon. Her mom wasn't usually that busy. "Gardening? Did she finally tackle that jungle she calls the rose bushes?"
"Preserving!" Robert blurted out, his voice cracking sharply on the word. "She's... preserving... jam! Yeah. Strawberry. Tons of it. Very... sticky situation." His breathing sounded suddenly ragged, punctuated by another faint, choked sound Sarah couldn't identify. "Whole kitchen's... uh... operational. Steam everywhere. Can't possibly... interrupt."
"Jam?" Sarah echoed, skepticism creeping in. Her mom hated making jam; she always said it was too much work for too little payoff. And the sticky situation comment? Weird. "Since when does Mom make jam? And why does she sound... busy... on a Saturday afternoon?" She strained to listen. Was that a faint gagging sound? Like someone coughing?
"New hobby!" Robert gasped out. His voice was tight, almost pained. "Surprise! Wanted... wanted to surprise you. With homemade... preserves. For Thanksgiving." He drew in a sharp, shuddering breath. "Very... focused. Technique is... crucial. Needs... absolute concentration."
The explanation was bizarrely detailed and delivered with unnatural urgency. Sarah pictured her usually calm, methodical dad flustered in the kitchen, steam billowing, pots boiling over. Maybe her mom had decided to tackle jam-making with unexpected fervor. Stranger things had happened. The choked sounds could be coughing from hot steam or dropped utensils clattering. Her initial suspicion eased, replaced by mild amusement at the image.
"Okay, okay," Sarah conceded, a small smile playing on her lips. "Tell her not to burn herself. Or the house down. Homemade jam sounds great, actually." She relaxed back against her pillow. "So, about next semester..."
Two hundred miles away, Robert gripped the silk sheets with white knuckles, his knuckles bone-white against the deep crimson fabric. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead. Below the waistband of his hastily unbuttoned trousers, Eleanor’s lips were wrapped firmly around his thick length, her tongue swirling deliberate, agonizingly slow circles just beneath the sensitive head. The phone receiver felt slick in his other hand. He watched, mesmerized and horrified, as his wife’s wedding ring glinted with each rhythmic bob of her head, catching the dim light filtering through their bedroom curtains.
Sarah’s innocent voice filled his ear, oblivious. "...I'm thinking of swapping Intro to Psych for that new Digital Media class. Professor Thorne is supposed to be amazing. What do you think? Should I ask Mom later or..."
Eleanor chose that precise moment to hollow her cheeks violently, creating a sudden, intense suction. Robert’s hips jerked forward involuntarily, stuffing another inch down her throat. A wet gag echoed faintly from Eleanor, muffled against him.
"...or do you think Psych is more useful?" Sarah finished, hearing only a strangled gasp from her father. "Dad? You okay? Sounded like you choked."
Robert squeezed his eyes shut, fighting the overwhelming surge of sensation, the terrifying proximity of exposure. He forced air into his lungs, his voice a strained rasp. "Fine! Fine. Just... swallowed wrong. Jam fumes." He cleared his throat desperately, trying to sound normal, authoritative. "Psych is... solid. Foundational. But... Thorne... good reputation. Either... either is fine, sweetheart." He felt Eleanor’s hand slide up his inner thigh, her fingers pressing possessively, urging him deeper. He bit back a groan, focusing on the mundane details of course codes and credit hours Sarah was now listing, clinging to the banal conversation like a lifeline while his body thrummed with illicit, dangerous heat. The phone cord stretched taut across the rumpled bed as Eleanor, eyes locked on his, increased her pace, her movements silent but devastatingly effective. Robert pressed the receiver harder against his ear, the plastic digging into his skin, a desperate anchor to the world where he was just Sarah’s dad, talking about class schedules, not a man trembling on the precipice of discovery.
Robert pressed the receiver harder against his ear, the plastic digging into his skin, a desperate anchor to the world where he was just Sarah’s dad, talking about class schedules, not a man trembling on the precipice of discovery. Eleanor knelt between his legs on the rumpled silk sheets, utterly naked except for the thin gold chain around her neck and her wedding ring catching the low light. Her dark hair fell forward, obscuring her face, but Robert could feel the intense focus radiating from her. Her lips were a warm, wet seal around him, her tongue a relentless pressure against the underside of his shaft.
"...so Psych 101 fulfills the social science requirement," Sarah's voice chirped brightly in his ear, oblivious worlds away. "But Digital Media counts as an elective and towards the communications minor. Chloe says Thorne’s lectures are actually engaging, which feels like a miracle."
Eleanor’s head dipped lower, taking him deeper. Robert felt the familiar, terrifyingly pleasurable pressure building at his base. He clenched his jaw, forcing air through his nose. Focus on Sarah. Focus on the credits. Focus on anything but the heat.
"Uh-huh," Robert managed, his voice tight but miraculously level. He stared fixedly at a water stain on the ceiling, willing his body into submission. "Engaging... good. Important." His knuckles were white where he gripped the sheet beside him.
Eleanor pulled back slowly, almost completely, leaving just the tip encircled by her lips. Robert dared a glance down. Her eyes flicked up to meet his, dark and knowing, holding his gaze as she deliberately hollowed her cheeks. The sudden, intense suction pulled a low groan from deep in Robert’s chest before he could choke it back.
"Dad? You sure you're okay?" Sarah's voice held a note of concern. "You sound... strained. Is the jam really that stressful?"
Robert cleared his throat violently, the sound echoing slightly in the quiet bedroom. "No! No, sweetheart. Fine. Just... uh... tasted a spoonful Eleanor offered. Still hot. Scalded my tongue a bit." The lie tasted sour. He felt Eleanor’s silent laugh vibrate against him. Her hand slid up his thigh, fingers tracing idle patterns on his skin, a maddening counterpoint to the rhythmic pull of her mouth. She maintained that devastating suction, her cheeks deeply indented, her eyes never leaving his face. It was an assault on his senses, a deliberate test of his control.
"Okay, weirdo," Sarah laughed, the sound tinny through the receiver. "Be careful. So, back to the schedule... If I drop Psych, I could maybe fit in that ceramics class I wanted? It’s Tuesday nights."
Robert squeezed his eyes shut. The dual sensations were overwhelming: the warm, wet velvet of Eleanor’s mouth working him with practiced skill, and Sarah’s bright, innocent voice discussing pottery. He felt sweat bead along his hairline. Don’t move. Don’t make a sound. Just breathe and talk.
"Ceramics... sounds... creative," he ground out, each word an effort. He felt a tremor start in his leg and clamped his muscles tight to stop it. Eleanor’s tongue swirled deliberately, a slow, torturous circle right where he was most sensitive. He bit the inside of his cheek hard, the sharp pain a momentary distraction. "Tuesday nights... manageable?"
"Yeah, totally," Sarah replied, her voice brightening. "It starts at seven, ends at nine-thirty. Plenty of time after my poli-sci seminar." She paused, and Robert heard the rustle of papers. "I just need Mom’s opinion on whether dropping Psych is smart long-term. She’s the strategist."
Eleanor chose that moment to sink down again, taking him deep, her throat muscles fluttering slightly against the head. Robert gasped, a sharp intake of breath that sounded painfully loud in the quiet room. He clamped his free hand over his mouth, muffling the sound.
"Dad?" Sarah’s voice sharpened. "What was that?"
"Nothing!" Robert rasped, his voice strangled. He removed his hand from his mouth, forcing calm. "Knocked... knocked the spoon off the counter. Clattered. Scared me." He glared down at Eleanor. She pulled back slightly, a faint, smug smile playing on her swollen lips before she resumed her slow, deep bobbing, her cheeks hollowing powerfully with each pull. Her wedding ring glinted with every movement, a stark reminder of the absurdity and danger of the situation. "Jam... everywhere," he added weakly.
Sarah sighed, a sound of mild exasperation. "You guys are a mess today. Okay, well, tell Mom I need her brain when she’s done battling the strawberry hordes. I’ll call back later?"
Robert felt a surge of desperate hope. Yes! End it! "Later sounds... perfect," he breathed, relief flooding him prematurely.
Eleanor’s hand tightened possessively on his thigh. Her eyes locked onto his again, fierce and commanding. She shook her head almost imperceptibly, a silent veto. Then, maintaining eye contact, she took him impossibly deep once more, her nose brushing his skin, holding him there, her throat working. Robert’s vision blurred slightly. He couldn’t end the call. Not yet.
"Actually," he choked out, fighting the overwhelming urge to thrust, to groan, to simply react, "she might... uh... be a while. Big batch. Lots of... sterilizing." He felt Eleanor’s approving hum vibrate through him. "Why don’t you... tell me more about... ceramics?" The words felt thick and alien. "The... glazing process?" He was grasping at straws, any topic to keep Sarah talking while Eleanor continued her relentless, silent assault beneath the sheets, her naked body a furnace against his legs, her mouth a velvet trap he was powerless to escape. The phone receiver felt like a lifeline made of ice against his burning ear.
The phone receiver felt like a lifeline made of ice against his burning ear. Sarah’s voice, discussing kiln temperatures and clay types, was a fragile thread tethering him to sanity. Below, Eleanor’s mouth was a furnace, her cheeks hollowed impossibly tight as she drew hard on him, the suction a deep, relentless pull that vibrated up his spine. Robert clenched his jaw until his teeth ached, forcing air through his nose in slow, silent bursts. Ceramics. Focus on ceramics.
"...and apparently the studio has these amazing gas kilns," Sarah was saying, her voice bright with academic enthusiasm. "Chloe says you can get these incredible glaze effects you just can't achieve with electric. Reds that look like molten lava, blues like deep ocean water..."
Robert felt Eleanor’s tongue flatten against his underside, pressing hard as she slid down, taking him impossibly deep. Her throat muscles fluttered against the sensitive head. A strangled sound threatened to escape his own throat. He choked it back, turning it into a harsh cough.
"Dad? Seriously, are you sure you're okay?" Sarah’s concern was sharp now. "You keep coughing. Did you inhale jam steam or something?"
"No!" Robert rasped, his voice scraping raw. He cleared his throat desperately. "Fine. Just... dusty in here. All the... sugar." He stared fixedly at the ceiling fan, its blades motionless. Don’t look down. Don’t feel. "Gas kilns... sound...complex." Each word was a battle. He felt Eleanor shift slightly, her hand sliding from his thigh to cup his balls, her fingers applying a gentle, maddening pressure. Her eyes flicked up, meeting his panicked gaze. She held it, unwavering, as she intensified the suction again, her cheeks collapsing inward sharply. Robert’s hips twitched involuntarily. He slammed his free hand down on the mattress beside him, fingers digging into the silk.
"They are!" Sarah agreed, oblivious to the silent war raging two hundred miles away. "But Professor Aris is supposed to be a total wizard. Supposedly he studied in Japan for years. Mom would love that, right? The precision?"
Robert couldn't answer immediately. Eleanor was holding him deep, her nose buried against him, her throat working rhythmically. The sensation was blinding, a white-hot pressure building low in his gut that had nothing to do with ceramics. He fought it, focusing on the mundane details Sarah offered like anchors. Japan. Precision. Glazes. "Y-yes," he managed, the word tight and breathless. "She... would." He felt a bead of sweat trace a path from his temple into his hairline. Eleanor’s thumb rubbed slow circles against his perineum. Christ. "Very...meticulous."
Sarah chuckled. "Unlike your jam-making operation, apparently. Sounds like chaos."
Robert felt a hysterical laugh bubble up, instantly stifled. "Organized chaos," he corrected weakly, his voice trembling. He dared a glance down. Eleanor’s dark hair fanned across his thighs, her shoulders moving subtly with the effort. Her wedding ring flashed with each slight adjustment of her head. The intimacy of it, juxtaposed with Sarah’s innocent chatter, was surreal, terrifying, and unbearably arousing. He was suspended between two worlds, one brightly lit and safe, the other dark, humid, and perilously close to shattering everything.
He clung to Sarah’s voice. "So, Tuesday nights for ceramics, Thursday mornings for poli-sci... that leaves Wednesday afternoon open. Maybe I could squeeze in that yoga class Chloe keeps raving about? Supposed to be good for stress..."
Stress. The word echoed bitterly in Robert’s mind. Eleanor chose that moment to pull back slowly, agonizingly slowly, her lips maintaining their tight seal until the very tip was exposed to the cool air. Then, with a soft, wet pop, she released him completely.
Robert gasped, a ragged, involuntary intake of breath that sounded deafening in the sudden cessation of that devastating suction. Relief, profound and dizzying, washed over him. The immediate, overwhelming pressure eased. He sagged back against the pillows, his muscles trembling with released tension. For a blessed, fleeting moment, the only sound was Sarah’s voice detailing the benefits of downward dog and Eleanor’s soft, quick breaths near his hip.
He closed his eyes, savoring the reprieve. Safe. For now.
Then Eleanor moved. She didn't sit up or speak. Instead, she pushed herself up onto her knees, her body a pale curve in the dim light. Her eyes, dark and intense, locked onto his. Before Robert could react, could even process the shift, she swung one leg over his hips, straddling him. Her hand reached down, fingers wrapping firmly around his still-hard length, guiding him towards her entrance. Her voice, when it came, was a low, husky whisper, barely audible but carrying the weight of a command, cutting through Sarah’s chatter about breathing techniques.
"Not done," she murmured, her gaze unwavering, a small, dangerous smile touching her lips. "Not even close."