A life saving lesson..
On Tuesday's, after teaching an early morning biology session, Jenna had time to use the campus gym for an hour of cardio. She liked to finish at approximately 9:30 when the locker room shower was typically vacant.
The last thing she wanted to hear was a student of hers, present or former, saying hello or asking questions about class, when she was clothed in nothing but a towel. Or worse... while she was naked...
It felt like a normal day as she rinsed the shampoo from her hair and let her muscles relax after jogging five miles on a treadmill. The joyful mood was slightly muted when she heard two college females enter the private bathrooms close. Sometimes a few students from the fitness class (yes, they still grant credit for that) would leave the gym early and shower.
Their chuckling laughter disrupted her alone moment. Knowing there will be more pupils arriving, Jenna opted to continue about with her day.
She switched off the water and sought for a towel. Suddenly, one of the girls had mentioned something which attracted Jenna's attention. 'Kyle.' She immediately recognized the voice of the college student who said it.
It was her son's girlfriend!
Under normal conditions she'd say hello to Sigu, a gorgeous and courteous Asian girl from Hong Kong. Jenna loved her very much and they got along great. She considered wrapping a towel around her body to approach Sigu, but then remembered the college girls were likely naked. In the end, she decided it best to avoid the unpleasantness all together.
After drying off, Jenna was going to head back to the locker room to get dressed. Then she heard their discourse strike a more serious tone.
"I don't know," Sigu sadly said. "I think I might break up with him. I'm still mulling it over and it hurts."
"Really? How come? Kyle is the cutest man in Advanced Calculus."
Jenna's ears were perked; she had suddenly become an eavesdropper on a private conversation. The voice obviously belonged to Sigu, and they were definitely talking about her kid, Kyle.
A break-up? She knew her son would be crushed. The young pair had been inseparable for the last few months. They were usually laughing and spent a great deal of time together.
Worse, Sigu's father was an affluent investor who recently become a partner at an American investment firm in the same city. He offered Kyle an internship with the company after graduation. Kyle, of course, was excited about the possibility of heading directly to the big leagues. He always dreamed of working in finance.
Sigu said, "It's kind of awkward."
"Come on, tell me. If you're breaking up with him, there's gotta be a solid reason."
"Ughh. Well, to be honest. It's about s*x. But most of the time he won't return the favor. If he does, it's extremely half-assed."
"God, what an asshole."
A humiliated Jenna listened to the rest of their chat. Sigu truly appeared reluctant to leave Kyle, so there was hope.
While they had never talked about s*x before, Jenna imagined Kyle would be thoughtful enough to repay oral favors to ladies. That's how good relationships are meant to work in the modern era.
She shook such ideas from her mind. This was her son! It was incorrect to think about his sexuality on this level. However, she surely wanted to help him overcome this deficiency and save their love partnership. And she surely didn't want Kyle to jeopardize his huge internship over his lack of oral talent.
Jenna jerked out of her mental musings. She needed to get the hell out of the shower before more pupils came. With only one towel, she had to cover her face or risk being spotted by Sigu.
So she did what she could. As the college students were still absorbed in their sexualized chat, Jenna tossed the towel over her head, pretending to dry her hair, and went right past them in a naked state with her face concealed.
Luckily Jenna made it to the locker room quite positive she hadn't been recognized.
***
It was early afternoon when Jenna had arrived home. She had texted Kyle to come meet her there. At this hour, she knew he had finished class for the day and was either studying or hanging out with buddies.
As expected, she made it home first. So, she shifted into a more comfortable dress and poured a very substantial glass of red wine. She had absolutely no idea how to even begin this matter with Kyle.
She contemplated the subject until his car pulled into the driveway. Even then, her strategy still hadn't been finalized. As he approached the threshold, her thoughts raced. She considered how she would break the news and what she'd recommend. She wasn't even sure of her final goal. It was all up in the air.
Unfortunately, this was a time sensitive affair. She met Kyle at the door, and she told him to get comfy. They sat in the living room on the opposite ends of the same couch.
In the beginning, she fell into her regular parenting mode and sweetly grilled her adored son. Starting with broad issues, she enquired about school and his social life. She finished her wine when the simple questions were done.
Jenna eventually got to the point. "How are things with you and Sigu? You seem quite happy together."
"Things are great," Kyle said emphatically. "Honestly, I've never felt so connected to a woman."
"Do you imagine yourself in a long-term relationship with her? Does she feel the same way?"
Kyle nodded. "Yeah, this is the longest relationship I've ever had. But we're not considering marriage if that's what you're terrified of."
The remark was moderately funny to Jenna and she resisted the impulse to drop the bomb abruptly. She was well aware that his youthful heart may soon be crushed.
No one ever said motherhood was easy.
"You're a fine young man," she said. "And I'm sure you have plenty of other dating and career options."
"Mom, you're acting strangely."
She sighed. "I know. This is quite challenging."
"Just say it. Otherwise we'll be here all day."
Jenna took a big breath. "Are you sexually active with Sigu?"
Kyle was immediately taken aback. "Why?"
"Answer me. Are you and Sigu sexually active?"
"Yeah, we are," he said nervously. "We're both young adults in a great relationship. Are you concerned that I'll get her pregnant or something?"
"Maybe. Are you two using protection?"
Naturally, he tensed. "We use condoms. Why? You never questioned about this when I dated other girls."
"This is a little different," she said.
"Is it?"
Jenna could see Kyle was uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. But as much as she dreaded having to do it, this debate needed to happen now. It wasn't too late to address the situation.
At long last, Jenna stated, "When I was in the campus shower today, I overheard Sigu saying she wants to break up with you."
Kyle was absolutely blindsided, and Jenna watched his heart slowly crumble. As a mother, she only wanted to console him, but a lesson needed to be learnt. This unpleasant conversation would only improve him.
"What do you mean you overheard? Who was she talking to? What did she say?"
Jenna took another big breath. "Sigu was talking to a friend. Nothing has been confirmed. She still seems very undecided about the topic, and she still has strong love for you."
"But... why? She claimed she loves me. And I love her too."
The only thing Jenna could do was slide a bit closer to him, reach out for his hand and comfort him that everything was going to be well. He was absorbing the news as best he could. But it certainly stung.
"It's okay," she said as the moment had arrived. "Do you truly want to know why? This may be embarrassing for you."
"Tell me already. I have to know."
"Oral s*x," she said bluntly.
Kyle was instantly taken aback. "Huh?"
"The truth is, no matter how brilliant, funny, or gorgeous a guy is, women still have s****l desires. Just like males. Sigu is a sweet young woman, who's also intelligent and charming. But she has desires like anyone else. As s****l organisms, these needs are part of our biology."
Kyle shook his head. "I don't understand. I take care of her needs multiple times a week."
"Kyle, you really don't understand. I overheard Sigu saying that she... let me put this simply... she goes down on you pretty often. Is this true?"
Naturally, Kyle seemed a bit shaken. Having an honest chat about s*x with his mother hadn't exactly been on his schedule that day.
"Well, absolutely. I mean, she enjoys doing it. And I appreciate it."
"I'm sure you both enjoy it," Jenna said. "Many ladies adore executing that for a male. Obviously, men appreciate receiving that type of attention. But do you repay the favor in an equal manner?"
"Ummm.... sure. Of course, why wouldn't I?"
"Are you positive? I overheard Sigu remark that you scarcely do anything in return, beyond a few 'lazy licks.' Is this true?"
"No, it's not true! I mean... I guess I could put more effort."
"Yes or no? It's not complicated."
Kyle heaved a big sigh. "I could try harder. There's always opportunity for improvement and I want her to feel wonderful."
Kyle was visibly flustered and furious. Jenna reversed strategy and turned to a more caring approach.
"Look, I know this is an extremely awkward conversation," Jenna stated in a reassuring tone. "But we're having this talk for three reasons."
"I'm listening," Kyle answered, trying to make sense of this chaos.
"First of all, Sigu is a remarkable girl. You two make an incredibly gorgeous couple. And you seem quite happy together."
He nodded. "You're right."
"Secondly, and I know this sounds shallow, but her father has arranged for you to gain valuable experience in the world of finance."
"You're right about that too," Kyle exclaimed.
"Lastly, I've always taught you about the principle of fairness. The idea that you're so ready to have Sigu go down on you without responding, simply doesn't set right with me. If I dated a guy who pulled that behavior, I'd think he was a jerk. Plain and simple. That's how Sigu feels about you on a certain level. You're sexually insensitive and you only care about your own pleasure, not hers. You're acting like a sexist pig."
Kyle sat in disbelief. "Wow. I don't know what to say. I'm speechless."
"I had to get that off my chest. This isn't how you were raised."
"Mom! Really? I'm getting called out by my own mother. Sigu enjoys herself when we have regular s*x. She doesn't complain about that."
Jenna shuddered at Kyle's reaction.
Kyle paused for a time and contemplated his mother's wise comments. While she was known for reaching to extremes, Jenna was usually right, and always achieved her aims.
"There's still hope," she remarked. "I'm giving you rough love for a reason. It's not too late for you to become a better man in the bedroom. Treat her with respect and make her satisfaction a priority. A gorgeous young woman like Sigu can easily move on with anyone she likes."