(For readers outside Australia, a few notes: University = College. Colleges are the residential halls attached to Universities. Mobile = Cell Phone.)
In 'Mr D and the Babysitter' I set the scene for this and other stores to come. The first four stories included Rachel, a beautiful young woman who, soon after her 18th birthday, moved in with Mr D and Sarah. Mr D's wife, Debbie, had died tragically when Sarah was only five years old. Sarah was her daughter from a previous marriage but they treated each other as father and daughter, at least for this time. Firstly a live in babysitter Rachel became deeply involved with Mr D. Their exploration of each other included a sexy massage game which they explored with friends, leading to some amazing spin off relationships. Sadly, the relationship between Rachel and Mr D. didn't last, as will be explained in this story. At the time of writing Sarah is now 12, nearly 13.
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When Sarah's teacher asked to see me I was not surprised. She had seemed to be very distracted lately. I had no sisters and the mysteries of the female body were still ... a mystery to me in some ways. When girls my age were ... that age ... I was not that interested. They were just as annoying to me as I am sure I was to them.
Sarah was a brilliant student and I had no doubt that she would excel and get easily into University at the other end of secondary school. Now, though, her grades had been falling and whenever I asked what was going on I got screams telling me to stay out of her life followed by dark sullen silence. A mystery.
Sarah's grade seven teacher was newly graduated from University with her teaching degree. She had only come to the school new this year and so I had not met her often. I had seen her at the group gatherings of parents and we had a 'one to one' parent teacher interview at the end of the first term. At that time everything had been going well and Karen, the teacher, was distracted with trying to deal with a few troublesome children in her class with little experience to draw on. Over time she would develop more skills and wisdom but in her first year she was floundering a bit.
We were well into the year and another parent teacher interview was scheduled in a few weeks' time, but Karen sent me a text asking if we could meet sooner to talk about Sarah's progress.
I had raised Sarah mostly on my own. I married her mother, Debbie, when Sarah was three. Two years later Debbie was killed in a car accident, leaving me with this beautiful girl who clung to me as the only constant in her life. Over the following two years Sarah began also to rely on Rachel, a teenager from next door who baby sat her while I worked. Soon after Rachel turned 18 her parents left Perth to go east. Rachel moved in with us and she and I got 'involved'. Deeply intimately involved.
That was great for a couple of years then Rachel began to change. She had always been a bit wild but her Uni life seemed to take her into new paths. In particular it introduced her to drugs. I was horrified when I found out. The first time I confronted her about it Rachel was actually stoned and dismissed my concerns, telling me to "chill out."
Yes I loved her. I had even been beginning to wonder if perhaps we might marry. She was only a few years younger than me. But the drug use affected her. She began to take less care of herself and less care of Sarah too. It was devastating to watch. Sarah adored Rachel and when Rachel began dismissing her and even spoke harshly to her Sarah was shocked to the core. Finally I confronted Rachel and said that either the drug use had to stop or she would have to leave. She was stoned again and told me to "fuck off" and called me a sad old fart.
Once she had come down from the high she did apologise but the damage had been done. Sarah had cried when treated so badly by Rachel and she cried even more when Rachel moved out. There was part of Sarah that still looked at Rachel as if she were the mother she barely remembered.
Over the next three years we bonded again, just the two of us, and we were close. I felt we were doing fine until this recent change in Sarah. Now I was the enemy and her school work was failing and I had no idea what to do.
Karen had agreed for me to meet her after work on the next Friday. Sarah was old enough for me to leave her at home for a while these days. For a short time at least. Even though it wasn't really a social get together we arranged to meet at a bar nearby our house. I was surprised to find that it was Karen's 'local' too and she lived just a couple of streets away from us. Perhaps not surprising really as Karen had come from interstate to study and now work in Perth and had no family here, so she had rented a place close to the school, which was at the end of our street.
When I arrived at the bar I didn't recognise Karen at first. Dressed for school she had looked very 'formal', 'contained', even 'boring'. I am single and I certainly am attracted to beautiful women, especially intelligent and lively women, AND with focussing on raising Sarah I had not taken many opportunities to date since Rachel moved out. There had been occasional opportunities but I was wary and very careful not to do something that might upset Sarah or potentially cause her harm. So I kept the occasional fling very discreet and the women who were wanted more drifted away again.
Karen had appeared 'boring' but the stunning brunette who turned and smiled at me as I approached was anything but boring! She was gorgeous. How could I not have noticed this before?! As if she could read my mind Karen said, the laughter bubbling in her voice "I expect you are wondering what I did with the schoolteacher?! I make sure that I keep my work life and private life very separate, you see. And so I dress there in ways which remind me to focus on my job and not encourage any other distractions."
I wondered and so I asked "So why is this different. I thought that this was a meeting about Sarah?"
"Yes it is," Karen said quickly. "But ..." and she blushed "But I thought I would allow myself to relax a bit. When I come here I always dress as me, not as the teacher. And ..." More blushing "And I thought I would like you to see me as I am really. Sorry. That sounds like I am hitting on you and desperate and ... sorry Mr D. Should we do this another time. We could meet after school, at the school, if that would be better?"
I just smiled and said "What are you drinking?"
Relieved, she replied, "Riesling please. Skillogalee if they have it."
"I haven't heard of that one before but I will ask." When I returned with two large glasses of the deeply coloured white wine I told her, "You are in luck. They had some. Clare Valley wine. Is that where you come from? I know you came here from interstate."
"Looks like I am sprung. Yes I grew up near there in a little place called Penwortham. No one has ever heard of that though wine is an important part of the economy over here in the west so many people have at least heard of the Clare valley. This is my favourite Riesling, and not just because it comes from home!"
