I originally wrote and published this story under a different pen name and title. All characters portrayed in any form of sexual activity are fictional and 18 years of age or older.
I was glad it was Friday, and my last meeting at 4.00 p.m. was canceled. When I was just about to head into a sports bar to have a few drinks with a few of my colleagues before heading to my empty house, I received a call from my niece Amber telling me that she was on her way to clean my house and she would like to talk to me about something when I got home. Amber had just completed her first year at the state university and was home for the summer. When she couldn't find a summer job that she liked, my wife Nora hired her to clean our house and do the laundry as Nora was out of the house most of the time. Nora worked as an airline stewardess. Her regular routes were between Detroit and Tokyo and a quick turnaround to Singapore. Nora liked the path since she had a nearly thirty-six-hour break in Tokyo, where she visited her aging parents. By employing Amber, Nora thought we could spend more time together without worrying about household chores when she was home.
As my sister's only daughter, we adored Amber and supported her whenever possible. Nora also treated her as her own, perhaps due to not having our own children. Amber knew we loved her, so she always found warmth and love with us. I should also say that I always had a soft spot for her and admired her for her beauty. Besides being gorgeous, she was outgoing, funny, and blessed with a sharp tongue that never lacked words.
I pulled into the driveway around 5 p.m., and Amber's car was already there. When I walked inside the house, she was in the kitchen cleaning dirty dishes that I had piled up during the last few days. My first glimpses of her were her back while she was facing the sink. I immediately gasped that she was dressed in a tight short skirt with a somewhat formal-looking blouse, which was at least good two sizes too small for her. I thought it was strange since whenever she came to clean the house, she typically wore types of denim or some raggedy old clothes. Running my eyes below her well-rounded buttocks, stretched to the limit and struggling to break the fabric they covered, I noticed she wore high heels at least four inches tall. It was not funny, but I laughed, as I had not seen her dressed as such whenever she came over to clean the house.
"Hi, Uncle Jim. I am glad you were able to make it home early today!" Amber greeted me with a warm welcome smile looking over her shoulder. Then, she grabbed the end of her apron to dry her hands, came over, and hugged me warmly. "Why were you laughing? What was that about?" she asked, rolling her eyes.
"I wasn't laughing at you, Amber. But I thought seeing you dressed so formally to clean the house was odd." I replied and patted her back.
" By the way, clothes are something that I want to talk to you about." Amber left my arms and returned to the kitchen sink. "Can I talk to you after I am done with this?"
"Of course," I said. "Meanwhile, let me get out of these clothes, shower quickly, and I'll hear all you have to say after that, okay? I am a little tired this evening" I hung up my car keys in the kitchen and headed upstairs to the bathroom.
The warm water did have a soothing effect. I jumped into my comfortable shorts and a T-shirt, poured myself a drink, and landed on the sofa. Amber arraigned plates and glasses in cabinets. No sooner than she was done, she rushed to the family room and stood before me, wanting to discuss whatever she had on her mind.
"You know Uncle Jim, Brenda's wedding is coming up in two weeks," she said, making a bleak face.
I laughed and asked her what Brenda's wedding had to do with me.
"Well..., I am wearing Mom's old high heels and clothes today to show you. Mom gave me $100.00 to buy a dress and shoes for the wedding, but I couldn't find a decent dress and matching shoes. She asked me to wear her shoes, which were too small for me. The cheapest outfit I can find will cost over $100.00, and all my other friends have spent a small fortune on their outfits." Amber stopped and looked at me as a little girl trying to plead her case, but I wasn't sure where the conversation was going, so I waited to hear the rest of it.
"A store at the mall has some nice shoes, but they cost about $150.00. Adding a fashionable dress, evening purse, and other stuff will cost at least $500.00, and I am $400.00 short." Amber paused and grinnedβa made-up smile. "And mom said I could wear one of her dresses, but her dresses either look like potato sacks or are too tight for me. I don't want to be the laughingstock at one of my best friend's weddings. The one I am wearing that she lends me is so retro. Nice dress and shoes will cost at least $500 these days." She repeated.
"Hundred and fifty dollars for a pair of shoes...? I hope they massage your toes and make coffee while you walk," I said jokingly.
"Well, Uncle Jim, a good pair of shoes cost about that" Then Amber paused for another moment, wrapped her index finger around her necklace, and toyed with it, looking for me to continue. It was no longer a secret that Amber asked me to give her $400 - $500 to get her a nice outfit for her friend's wedding. Although, she didn't directly ask for the money.
"$500 is lots of money. I don't know, Amber; I'll have to talk to your mother before giving you that much money," I said hastily, finishing the remaining gin and tonic and placing the glass on the end table. "Besides, you know what your mother is going to say?"
"I've heard her mantra whenever I asked for a dollar or two - Money doesn't grow on trees. Let her earn it." Amber said, and I repeated the same verse after her.
"Please don't tell mom. If you do, I'll get yelled at, you know? See this... see how my feet don't even fit into these old shoes. Besides, how can I possibly earn that much money in a short time? " She displayed her right foot by raising it. She wasn't lying. Her toes and heels were visibly sticking out of my sister's old shoes that Amber had on.
"Is there anything that I can do to earn $500.00?" Amber asked with a smile. I guess she knew I would give in to her sooner or later and give her the money, but I didn't want to commit to it immediately. So instead, I thought I would wait for her to plead her case more.
"Uncle Jim.... I'll do anything, I mean anything, to earn $500.00," she appealed, and I couldn't hold back my laugh the way she said "Anything."
"Oh, sweetie, that sounds like a proposition. You better check your words before you use them next time," I said, laughing once I could control my laughter. Then Amber shocked the hell out of me by saying, "I meant it, Uncle Jim. May I pour you another drink? What are you having?"