After dropping Jenn off at the train station, I was expecting 5 days of undisturbed peace and quiet. I figured I'd get some resumes out, hit the gym and do some hiking while Jenn was gone. I'd only been back at my apartment for about an hour after dropping her off that my phone rang. It was Jenn.
I let it go to voicemail and then listened to the message.
"Hey honey. Sorry I missed you. I need you to do me a favor. Apparently my mom's driving up to see me and obviously I'm here. I need you to let her into my apartment and give her your key. I told her you were a friend so don't worry about her judging you or anything. I gave her your number so she'll be calling you when when she gets into town. Love you!"
Ugh, just what I needed. I dumped the rest of the beer down the sink and got dressed. As I was throwing on a shirt, the inevitable second call came. Unknown number - this must be Jenn's mom.
"Hello?" I answered.
"Hi. Is this Nathan? This is Sandra, Jenn's mom. I'm told you might have a key for me." her voice was friendly and cheerful.
"Oh, hi Sandra. I do have a key. Jenn wanted me to water her plants but I guess you'll be taking care of that now" I lied, not sure Jenn even had plants but I felt the need to keep my true relationship with Jenn secret. Especially with all the trouble it had already brought me.
"Well, it's seven now and I should be there in about 20 minutes. Do you want to meet me there or should I come find you?"
"I'll meet you there,"
"Okay thanks. I've got a yellow Mustang," she said and then hung up.
I headed over to Jenn's. It was a fifteen minute drive. I waited in the parking looking for her car when a late model Mustang pulled in. I don't know what I was expecting but I was certainly surprised by the legs that emerged from the open door. Long and slender, perfectly shaped stems leading up into her tight white shorts. She wore black pumps which completed the look perfectly and when she finally emerged from the car completely she showed herself to be a fit older woman, probably close to my own age of thirty-eight.
Her shirt was a black sleeveless button-down number. The plunging neckline revealed two pert breasts about the size of grapefruits. Nowhere near the size of Jenn's gazongas but clearly a head-turning balcony.
She had a pretty face framed by shoulder length black hair. Silver earrings dangled playfully and bounced against her neck as she stood to pop the trunk. As she reached in my eyes were fixated on the perfect curves of her rear. In an earlier day - or perhaps even now - she could have been a model. Whatever the cause of her split with Jenn's dad, it wasn't because she'd let herself get out of shape.
I had never met Sandra previously at the group home. She didn't visit often and my schedule was often overnights so she wouldn't recognize me either. Hopefully the agency didn't give her a "courtesy call" telling her about her daughters taste in much older men.
I got out of my car to help her with her bag. She let me take it with a wink.
"Oooh! Such a gentleman," she smiled.
I led her up the three flights and put the key in the door. It stuck at first. I had never used this key and I never tested it when Jenn gave it to me. I rattled it around to no avail.
I looked at Sandra. "I'm afraid I've got some bad news. This key is bad. I'll have to call a locksmith."
"Oh no. Do you think they'll come out this late?"
"Well, we've just got to see." I used the map program on my phone and hit the link for the locksmith. An old man answered and said he'd be by in about ten minutes.
Sandra was relieved at that and sighed.
We sat on the stairs and waited for the locksmith.
"So how do you know Jenn?" she asked.
"We met at the gym," I lied. I didn't really want to bring up the exact nature of our relationship.
"Oh she didn't tell me she joined. I've been after her to do something physical. It's hard to lose weight once you gain it. Trust me, I know."
"Really?" My eyes rolled back in surprise.
"Oh yeah. I wasn't born like this. I had ballooned out to two-hundred and twenty pounds at my heaviest, three years ago. Once I couldn't fit onto a ride at a fair and it was just so humiliating I resolved to do something about it. I thought about surgery but decided to eat clean and exercise."
"It seems to have paid off."
"Well, my husband couldn't take it. He liked me fat, but it was an abusive relationship. I think he liked to control me with food and abuse. Once that carrot and stick were gone, he had no power. He left me for a three-hundred pound twenty-year-old from his work."
"And you're not seeing anyone now?" I asked.
"No. The divorce just became final last week. I came here to celebrate with Jenn before I went on my "victory cruise." Who knew she'd have gone to see her dad. Now I've got four days to kill and no one to kill them with."
She laughed at the irony of the situation and the footsteps of the locksmith interrupted us.
He ascended the stairs and took a look at the lock.
"It should be an easy fix but I need $75 up front for emergency call service," he said with a thick european accent." I took out two twenties while Sandra fumbled in her purse and handed him the remaining thirty five dollars.
"Thank you very much. This take about thirty minutes. Why not you two get drink across street and let me have room. I call on cell phone when I'm done."
Sandra and I looked at each other and seemed to agree. Walking across the parking lot the chilly late summer air felt a little raw. Especially after the day's rain. Sandra rubbed her arms briskly.
"Boy it got cold. Maybe I should run back in and grab something with long sleeves?" she said.
