Sons & Lovers; Part 1.
(This is a fictionalization. All of those involved were older than 18 at the time of the events recounted here.)
"Oh, my God; did he just slap my ass?
Did my 20 year-old son just slap his mother's ass? I can hardly believe it, but he did! The little devil!
I know I'm supposed to be indignant, take him to task for touching a woman without her permission( never mind his mother), but I'm too amused by the audacity of his gesture, maybe a little flattered by his attention; okay—I'm a lot flattered—and, I'm afraid to admit it,
more than just a little bit excited.
Were we flirting? Was I flirting with my own son? Was he flirting back? Who started it? I don't remember now, but I'm not going to forget the mild sting of his palm against my backside.
Is he attracted to me? Is that normal for boys his age? Maybe he likes my ass? It's always been my greatest asset, no pun intended. Like father, like son, I guess.
The best I can muster is a flirtatious "mock indignation", coupled with a coquettish giggle. Is that an invitation to do it again? Or to continue the flirtation? I think it is!
Dear lord, what am I doing?
And where is that supposed to lead? Nowhere , of course-I certainly don't want to encourage him, or any fantasies...do I? Oh come on, it's harmless fun, a sweet show of affection, nothing more. Where's the harm?"
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What is it they say about the flapping of butterfly's wings? Their movement here becomes a cyclone half-way around the globe? That the same could be said of a playful slap on the ass would have seemed absurd to me we're I not to become an enthusiastic participant in the resulting tsunami.
We had been cleaning out the basement in preparation for an upcoming renovation. Thick plastic garbage bags filled with the detritus of ten years accumulation of whatever gadget had fallen out of favor, lost a part or simply stopped working. Brooms kicking up more dust than we couple possibly collect; all to the soundtrack of top-forty AM radio, circa 1974. Amidst the hustle and bustle there were good spirits and lots of joking; my son, home from college for summer break, was surprisingly willing to help with the project, even though it meant working around the house for a few days, rather than hanging out with his buddies. The work was not too strenuous, the company pleasant, and we were having a good time joking around and catching up on the recent events of each others' lives.
We'd always been close; he was my only child, and among the most surprising developments of motherhood was that as my son had matured he became a person with whom I found it easy to talk with; a confidant, an advisor, a friend—my best friend. He knew about the periodic difficulties his father and I had had in our relationship; my frustration with my husband's emotional distance; he shared my passion for art and music; we spent hours talking about our favorite musicians and many afternoons playing our favorite records for one another. I cherished our special relationship and the time we spent together, as did he. Despite our emotional closeness, we did not have an overly physical relationship; there weren't a lot of hugs or kisses, at least -not at the time of the basement renovation. That I did not hug or hold him a great deal as he was growing up is a mystery to which I have no answer-but I certainly made up for it later on.
I was wearing a tight pair of navy blue polyester knit pants and a black short sleeve top, white sneakers and a red kerchief holding back my thick, shoulder length auburn-hair, Jackie-O style. I was dressed for light work and comfort; I had no inkling what my attire might arouse in Greg.
I was well aware I had a good figure, and to put it bluntly, a nice ass; but that wasn't a consideration when I got dressed that day, and as I was bending over to pick up one thing or another off the floor, Greg just behind me, I didn't imagine my son was staring at his mother's ass.
Or did I? It's a question I have asked myself over and over and never come to a satisfactory answer. I knew men looked at me, and despite some nagging insecurities, I knew I was attractive. Over the years I'd caught many a wayward glance from my husband's friends and colleagues, enough so I was well attuned to when I'd caught someone's eye. And while I would never admit it to myself, I had sometimes seen that look in my son's eye as he focused his attentions on me, followed by that furtive expression of embarrassment when a young man is caught looking and quickly turns away.
We had been been joking; I'd taken to calling him "Mr. Muscles" as he hauled heavy bags of garbage out of the basement, praising his strong arms and threatening to put him to work on a myriad of jobs around the house. He responded with something about worker exploitation and we had a playful back-and-forth. Were we flirting? If it had been any other man I would have said so with certainty; but my son? Had there been someone in the room with us, I'm sure they would have confirmed it, but at the time, I never would have admitted it.
So as he stood behind me holding a broom, and I bent over in front of him to pick something up off the floor, displaying my shapely bottom for his penetrating gaze; was I asking for what followed? Or was I as innocent as I've allowed myself to think all these years?