This story, as is all stories, isn't written for everyone. If you enjoyed it, thank you very much and you're welcome. If not, thank you for visiting.
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It was the first of July. I was out back spray washing the patio chairs. Our daughter, two years of college completed, was sitting reading. Quiet. She had been quiet since she got home. We call her Fawn because when she was little she fell in love with the name Fawn and wanted to be called Fawn so we did. Still do. Everybody does.
I sat down at the table, resting, and Fawn said, "Mom, do you know any sane men? The kind that are rational. Somebody that can have a normal conversation. I'm looking for someone mature. All the men I meet seem to be half-wits. It's really discouraging. Most men can't seem to hold a normal conversation."
"I know a couple, maybe," I said. "I probably know a few. Actually I know a good number of men in that category."
She turned and looked at me and said, "Do you know any that doesn't try to get into a girl's pants every five minutes?"
I laughed. "Sorry I laughed Fawn. Been there, done that. You're a young, lithe, sexy woman and the men are going to be coming at you for some time. What you need is better social defenses and more social knowledge. Worked for me. When I was in that position I could let them in or turn them away and if I turned them away they went away happy and remembered the experience."
"Mom," she said. "Who do I learn that from?"
"The best person would be a man," I said. "One that doesn't see a girl that he might can get into her pants but a girl that happens to be wearing pants. In other words a man that respects you, and all girls, and everybody."
She said, "Do you know someone you might could recommend? Someone I could talk to and ask questions. When guys come on to me I don't know what to do. It's embarrassing. I mean if I said yes I wouldn't know what to do next."
"I know some like that," I said. "Men that have good instincts and know women. They can explain what men want and you'll know what to expect. They know how to seduce a woman and you'll know how to respond and seduce him back. They'll know what they want from a woman and you'll know what to give back.
"Different men have different needs or expectations but you have to learn that as you go. However, the men I know are older than college men. That doesn't mean they're old, just older. It wouldn't be college level conversation. It would be like talking to me."
"That's ok," Fawn said. "I like more mature men anyway. They don't act so nutty. I'm more comfortable. I hate to say this to my own mom but could you fix me up?"
Pausing for a bit I said, "Let me see what I can do."
A week later I went looking for Fawn and found her reading. I sat down and said, "Fawn, I found you someone. I only told him the bare minimums so you have to fill in what you want when you see him. Here's where you meet him and the time." I gave her a slip of paper. "Wear your silky soft red blouse. He'll find you. It's a very nice open lounge. Lots of tables spread around. Lots of private places."
Fawn took the slip and read it. Looking up she said, "Thanks mom. I really appreciate it."
"Glad to help," I said. "Go early so you can have some wine and relax so you won't be nervous."
Fawn got there early and got some nice red wine and found a single fairly private booth with high backs all by itself. She couldn't see the entrance but there were several so it didn't really matter. She brought along a paper from one of her professors she wanted to read and was slowly working through it. Getting engrossed in it she soon forgot everything but reading and the wine.
She noticed a pair of legs next to the table and a voice said, "Are you Fawn?" She looked up and he said, "Hi, I'm Doug. You have to be Fawn. You have on a red blouse."
Fawn looked at him for a moment and said, "Dad?"
He said, "No. I'm Doug. I'll be dad another time but for now I'm Doug. May I sit down? Are you having wine? Looks good. Would you like another?" He motioned to a waiter and pointed to the wine with two fingers raised before she could answer.
Momentarily losing her wit she said, "Sure. What are you doing here dad?"
"Doug," he said. "I go by Doug. For a long time. Why don't you say it once or twice. It'll be more familiar that way." He was smiling brightly and she was half smiling, eyebrows spread.
"Doug. I'm, uh,"
Doug stuck his hand across the table and said, "How do you do Fawn. It's a very nice pleasure to meet you. Your mom asked if I could maybe answer some questions you might have."
Fawn slowly stuck out her hand and they shook just as the waiter dropped off two glasses of wine. Doug took a good sip, smiled and looked right in her eyes. He said, "If I may suggest, take a breath or two and say 'Doug' and let's start again."
She took a couple of breaths and a sip of wine and said, "Dad, uh, Doug." Laughing delightfully she said, "Wow. You caught me off guard. I guess I'm a little lost in the moment. Do you know how hard it is to call you Doug?"
"Sure," he said. "It's as hard as it is for me to call you by your first name instead of Fawn. If you would like to give me a try tell me what you need and we'll go from there."
She smiled and took a couple sips of wine and said, "Ok Doug. Here's what I said to mom."
She took her time and explained the whole problem. She explained more extensively, more detailed. It was difficult but she got through it. When she was finished she nodded her head a couple of times and sipped some more wine. The waiter had replenished the wine.
The problem Doug recognized was someone trying to get into her pants every five minutes. Nobody probably has and she's probably developed a mental block. Now nobody would or it would be a problem for a long time. All the other things she mentioned seemed to radiate from that or a lack of life experiences. Same thing maybe.
