Tuesday night, Christy's mom, Sarah, was lying in bed next to me. She was wearing a cream colored negligee, and, try as hard as I might to find her sexy, I just couldn't. I had tasted the forbidden fruit of her eighteen-year-old daughter Christy, and, having knowledge of her, I could never return to my previous ignorance.
For a woman of Sarah's age, she was reasonably attractive. She kept herself in shape. But her hair was dry. Her skin was dry. She didn't have that fresh scent of youth. She had wrinkles around her mouth, and next to her eyes, and on her forehead. She wore thick, horn-rimmed glasses. I felt bad, and wished things could be different. But reality was what it was.
We weren't cuddling with each other on the bed. We were a foot apart, each in our separate territory. For all the closeness we had, there might as well have been a barbed wire fence between us.
"So," she began. "Christy tells me that you offered her a job."
That wasn't entirely true. The truth was that Christy asked for a job after I came inside her, and I agreed to put in a good word. But I wasn't going to admit to that of course.
"Yeah," I said. "Christy's graduating soon. She needs a job, and I figured I could help her out."
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea."
"Why not?"
"Well, Christy has some growing up to do. She needs to leave the nest. She needs to be out on her own. I'm afraid that if she just gets a job through you, and sees you every day, she'll never be her own woman."
"Hmm. That's a good point," I said. "I'll have to think about it."
"Don't think about it. I'm her mother after all, and I can call the shots in her life. I'll tell her how it's gonna be. I know how you cave in every time she flashes one of her sweet smiles."
"Yeah, you got me," I admitted sheepishly. "I don't stand up to her as well as I should."
"That's okay sweetie. I'll be the bad guy. You just tell her that your hands are tied, and that her mom says no."
She looked over at me and smiled. She placed her hand on mine. She crossed her firm, toned legs over each other, and squeezed them tightly together.
There was a time when seeing Sarah squeeze her shapely legs together would have driven me mad with lust. But those days were gone. I smiled back, rolled over, and caressed her legs, doing my best to rekindle what was lost.
"That's okay honey," she said. "If you're not into it tonight, we can wait."
I laughed to myself. She read me like a book. Sarah and Christy, each in their own way, could get inside my head.
"Goodnight honey," I said, and kissed her on her drying, chapped lips.
"Goodnight sweetie."
- - -
The next day at work was fairly typical. I was happy to think that the Christy drama wouldn't escalate. Sarah would see to it that Christy wouldn't work for me this summer. She would work somewhere else, and meet new people. Our relationship would fade away, and neither of us would say a word to anyone.
Then again, I knew Christy. And one thing I have learned is that the drama with her always escalates. But for the time being, I kept that thought out of my head, as best I could, and focused on work.
At 4:30 p.m., I got the call. It was Sarah.
"Honey," she said. "Can you pick Christy up from the mechanic? Her car broke down, and she got towed to the shop. Sweetie, I'd pick her up myself, but you know I'll be working late on a presentation tonight. I've been talking about this presentation to you and Christy for weeks, you remember? I'm not even sure why Christy called me first. She must have forgotten I'd be working late tonight. I told her you'd pick her up. Can you?"
Oh Christy. Of course she remembered. Her games were always so fun, and I decided to play along. This game was called "Allay Sarah's Suspicions."
"Honey," I answered. "Can't one of Christy's friends pick her up?"
And that's when Sarah let me have it. "Steven!" she shouted. "Don't be so selfish. Christy called me in tears about her car. She said she nearly got into an accident when it broke down. She's worried sick and kept calling me 'mommy' and begging me to pick her up. It breaks my heart that I can't be there for her. It was all I could do to convince her to let you pick her up. And now you want to pawn her off onto one of her friends? If you want to call her up and tell her you're not coming, and make her call her friends, and deal with her tears, then be my guest."
"That's okay, baby," I said. "I'll pick her up. It won't be for at least another half hour though."
"Fine," Sarah replied. "Call Christy and tell her. She's really shaken right now."
"Okay babe," I agreed. "I'll call her."
- - -