All Sexual Activity Is Between Characters Who Are 18+ Years Old
******
Edward Trotter walked along the empty corridor leading to the main office of George Washington High School. He was homeward bound after having just deflowered young Cynthia Hart in his last period Algebra class, which, coincidentally, she was failing. He gave his armpits a quick sniff and was relieved that his body odor seemed no different than at the end of any other long humid day of teaching math in the stuffy old building.
In the office he waved to Miss Thompson, the spinster secretary to the Principal, Mr. Fowler. "Good night, Miss Thompson," he called cheerfully, knowing she kept tabs on the teachers' comings and goings and was quick to report delinquencies. "Have a nice weekend."
He was turning toward the faculty mailboxes when Miss Thompson gratuitously reminded him, "Check your messages, Mr. Trotter... your wife called nearly forty-five minutes ago."
"Cheese Louise," Trotter thought to himself, "thank goodness the old biddy didn't take it upon herself to BRING it to me!" He waved again and pulled the paper slip from his pigeon-hole. "Thanks! Got it..." he replied as he left the office.
Once again alone in the hall, he opened the note and read, "Pick up son at home and meet wife at White Star CafΓ© at 6 p.m. Don't be late!" Ted did not know what Mary actually said, but he was certain Miss Thompson had appended the command herself. Shoving the note in his trousers, he consulted his silver Elgin pocket watch and noted he had exactly one hour to collect Art and get to the cafΓ©. "Plenty of time, Pal," he said to himself, "but you won't be able to shower or shave."
Trotter stroked his five o'clock shadow and smelled his shirt front. "No tell-tale scents," he mused, "and she'll not mind my scratchy face, so long as I shave before we fuck tonight. Exiting the building, he pondered what occasioned dinner out. "Must have burned the chicken," he muttered with a chuckle as he pushed the door's crash bar and stepped into the sultry mid-May late afternoon.
At 46 1/2 Garvey Street, Arthur Trotter was in his room, between his parent's bedroom and the front parlor, building play forts out of dominoes, on a Samson folding card table. When he heard Ted come in the front door, he ran into the hall and called, "Hey, Pop! Is Mother with you? She wasn't here when I got home from school."
Ted picked the boy up in his arms and skyed him up to the ceiling in the entry way, exclaiming, "Hey, there, Champ! How's my boy?" Putting him back on the wooden floor, he continued, "Yeah, son, I don't know... something came up, I guess... I got a message at school that WE are supposed to MEET her at the White Star." He playfully Dutch-rubbed Arthur's towhead brush cut. "Grab your cap and let's take a hike!"
"Hooray!" Arthur shouted gleeful approval of the idea and scampered back to his room. When he re-appeared with his favorite green felt beanie, Ted took his hand and led the way to the alley. They laughed over nothing as they went. Trotter strolled while the boy he thought was his own skipped beside him.
A block-and-a-half later they reached the cafΓ© at 105 Central Avenue on the corner of Flint Street, where Jock's thirteen-year-old maroon-and-red REO sedan was parked at the curb. Arthur waved through the restaurant's painted plate-class window at Cecilia McGuinness, while Ted held the cafΓ© door open. Katy Oleson greeted them heartily and led them to the last two open chairs at the big table, already populated with Cecie, Mary, Isabel and Jock, who bellowed, "HERE'S the rest of the 'fam-damily' at last! Bring on the Blue Plates, Katy!"
After a hearty meal, including big slabs of hot apple pie, the jubilant family set out for the Bijou Theatre, two blocks away, at 220 Dorchester Avenue. They were early for the 7:30 p.m. showing of 'Pinocchio', which was a good thing. The popular animated film was ending its run that night and the ticket line was longer than they had expected. While the rest of the family chattered about this and that, Jock noticed a familiar feminine form ten feet ahead of him in the crowd. Excusing himself, he stepped forward.
The good-looking, mid-thirties, brunette woman who had attracted Jock's attention was conversing with a younger, darker-haired, girl and did not notice his approach. She turned, slightly startled, when Jock touched her shoulder and asked, "Arlene? What are YOU doing here? I thought you were sick."
Arlene Hart coughed and replied, "Oh, good evening, Mr. McGuinness... well, YES, I WAS ill... this MORNING." Her black straw fedora brim tilted as she cast her eyes to the pavement and lowered her voice, "Umm, you know... women's, er, issues. I'm sorry I couldn't come to work, but I'm feeling much better, now." She looked Jock in the face and smiled apologetically.
"Huhn!" Jock snorted and felt helpless. He took in Arlene's shapely figure, wrapped lightly in an open-back pale green cotton dress with huge sunflowers all over it. The gold metal buckle of her wide black belt, high at her waist, accented her full top while the dress skirting hugged her hips before flaring out to her knees in shallow pleats. "Well, I MISSED you... I had to get someone else to come and deal with the payroll reports for the home office."
"Oh gosh," Arlene said, "I AM sorry about that, really. Can I make it UP to you at all?"
While they talked, Trotter walked over. He recognized the girl beside the unknown woman and was moderately concerned about the conversation's potential. Jock introduced him, "Ted, this is my accounting clerk, Arlene Hart... Arlene, this is my son-in-law, Ted Trotter." Ted smiled warily, and made surreptitious eye-contact with the girl beside Arlene. She smiled back at him with twinkly brown eyes.