Chapter One

I stopped my rental car about three hundred yards down the road from the civil aviation gate at the airport just after departing there, headed for town. What I saw was different, to say the least. Especially here.

“What’s a thirteen-year-old girl doing out here in the rain? You a runaway? Your mom and dad drop you off hoping you wouldn’t find your way home? Like an unwanted kitten? Sorry. Maybe not funny, huh? Not a lot of places for you to find shelter at the back gate of an airport in Alabama. Can I be of some assistance?”

“I’m seventeen, not thirteen, and I dress like this to tempt and attract men who are infatuated with younger girls. Men like you. Horny men that think with their dicks and their money.”

“Back off with the accusations, honeybunch. I didn’t try to seduce you, hire you, or in any other way worm my way into your hold, you petulant little brat. I asked if you needed help. I’m sorry for trying to be funny. You look like you haven’t eaten in a couple of days, haven’t slept in a week, and haven’t bathed or done your hair in much longer than that. I’m just trying to help you out here.”

“Sorry. I guess after the last couple months, I’m a bit defensive. I’m healthy, and clean, but the rain and the humidity are ruining my makeup and making my hair a frizzy mess. I am a bit hungry, though. Breakfast was pretty early this morning.”

“Oh. Good to know, I guess. Want some help and we can talk?” She nodded. “I promise to be good and not take advantage of you, if you’ll let me give you that. First though, let’s trade names. I’m Charlie. Charles Cantrell.”

“Jackie. Jacqueline Hanson.”

“Where are you from, Jackie?”

“Des Moines. Can’t go back, though.”

“Oh. Come on. Get in. I promise to be a good boy, if you’ll be a nice girl. You aren’t armed, are you?”

She smiled as she threw her bags into the back seat and climbed into the front next to me. “No. Not so lucky. If I had a gun, there’d be two dead bodies on the pavement by the airplanes back there and I would be in a hotel right now. One of the pilots tried to get a bit nasty with me when we landed. He wasn’t very nice about it. The quote gentleman from California unquote that drugged me the other night was going to help him until the man I was to be let off with stopped them both. I would have tried to go off with that other guy if I had killed the bastards,” she smiled, “but I really don’t want anything to do with any of those people anymore. Smarmy crowd, in my opinion.”

“Wow. So, you were just on one of those planes?”

“Not one of those. The one I was on dropped me and another guy off and left. Probably headed for Washington, D.C. The swamp, I think The Donald calls it. I understand more about what he means, now.”

“Sounds like there is a lot more to this story. I have an idea, and I want you to think about it, then I can figure out what to do for you, OK?”

“Sure.”

“First though, why hang around here?”

“Money. There is money here. That airplane you just got out of means you have money. You can help me. I can trade services, personal services, for that help if I need to, but I know which end of the economy can get me where I need to be. I made a terrible mistake, but it’s too late to un-ring any bells, and I can only move on from here. I choose to move forward and look up.

“Mr. Cantrell, last April I applied for a summer job in Aruba. The money they were offering was good and free round-trip airfare, housing and meals were provided. $20 an hour plus tips. I was sixteen. My parents had a shit fit and told me if I went, not to come back. Hindsight is 20-20. They told me it was probably not on the up and up. My hindsight is 20-20. Their foresight was 20-20. I don’t even want to call them for help. I love them, I just don’t want to face them. As a matter of fact, I don’t know that they’d answer the phone, knowing it was me. I’ll let them know I’m alive and well at some point. I’m seventeen now, and if I can somehow get my feet on the ground and finish high school, I might just be able to recover.”

“What were you doing there?”

“Party hostess at a private resort, I think is what it wound up being called. The application was for event hostess and waitress at a private resort. Yeah, right. A fucking whore, Mr. Cantrell. I went down the end of May. For two months I wound up being a fucking prostitute. Literally. I have well over nine thousand dollars on me. Tips are pretty good for a sixteen-year-old girl fucking a businessman from California, and they’re even better for riding a politician from New York, or European royalty, to a noisy come.”

“Wow. How did you get away?”

“I asked to come home. I was fine with what I was doing for a while, Mr. Cantrell…”

“Charlie, Jackie. Just Charlie, for now.”

“OK, Charlie. I was willing and able for a while, but one of the men drugged me, the one I just mentioned, and I told the owner I couldn’t stand for that. I’ll have a drink now and then, but drugs suck. I asked him to send me home. He tried to talk me out of it, but I refused. That was yesterday. This morning, I was put on the plane and was dropped off here with Congressman Will… Ooops. Never mind that. Anyway, he’s the one that intervened and kept me from getting assaulted.

“I’ve been outside this gate for a total of two hours, sitting on my suitcases and praying someone else would come out of there and stop to help before the guard saw me and called the police. Like I said, Charlie, I went willingly, stayed on my own, willingly, promised to keep my mouth shut, and made a bunch of money. I was given clothes and jewelry that I would never be able to afford on my own. I also had a lot of fun, at first, but I wouldn’t do it again for any amount of money. Sex just for having sex, or as in my case, for ‘tips’ (she airquoted), is kind of like eating ice cream, or a good steak. It might be really good, but it gets old after a while. Especially the ice cream.” She cracked a small smile.

“Wow.”

“Yeah, I know. What’s this idea you mentioned? I’m looking for options. Anything but Des Moines sounds pretty good right now, and I need to finish school and get started on my future.”

“Let’s get you cleaned up, dry, and fed, then we can see if I can be of assistance. I have a feeling you are a good person, down deep. What kind of grades were you getting last year?”

“As and Bs. I’m good at math and science, but not so good with history and writing and stuff. English is OK, but I’m better at analyzing the structure than I am structuring my own. Did that make sense?”

“Completely. You’ll make a wonderful engineer, chemist, or doctor but a lousy playwright.”

“Yes! Finally, a boy that understands me!” She laughed.

I chuckled and shook my head, seeing the humor in it, and hearing the mirth in her voice, causing her to look over at me as I drove up the highway. I glanced at her and noticed something I thought was profound. My expression changed and it must have set her back a bit.

“Sorry, Charlie. I should have said, ‘Finally, a man that understands me.’ My bad.”

“NO! Not at all, hon. That wasn’t where my face came from. When you looked at me, I noticed your eyes. They’re gorgeous. Pull your hoodie back, Jackie.” She pulled it back and pulled her hair out from inside the damp lightweight fleece jacket she was wearing. Her frizzy red hair, down past her shoulders, got my attention. “You have beautiful eyes and your hair really sets them off. You’re a very pretty girl, Jackie. I’m glad nothing nefarious happened to you while you were down there. I’ll share a couple of horror stories with you, if you’re interested. You were lucky to be in the company of whoever it was you were with.”

“I know. I’ve heard. The senator’s wife told me that a girl accepted a job like this in the Virgin Islands and wound up as a tribal fuck toy for ISIS somewhere in Syria. She said not to do it again, then finished me off with her tongue. She was a nice old lady. I promised her I wouldn’t do it again after I went home. She was fun. She had a thing for young girls, too, I guess. Believe it or not, I have her card in my stuff. She hugged me that night and told me if I ever needed anything to think about calling her. Scary thought: what I know, who I know, and that they let me come home. I just thought about that.”

“Interesting that you should just think of that, now, while sitting in a car with a strange man, in a strange town.”

“I’m just turned seventeen, Charlie. I’m not some astute barrel of knowledge and understanding. I just want to get away from my past. That’s all. If I don’t give anyone a reason to care about me, they shouldn’t care about me. Anyway, I have to take a chance on you now. I can’t just sit on the side of the road and die. All the money in the world won’t help me in the middle of nowhere, no phone, no car. On the bright side, you certainly don’t seem to be my worst-case scenario, as they say.”

“Good way to look at it, for now. Come on. We’re here.” I was able to get my reservation changed to two adjoining king rooms, so we went up and put our stuff in them. “I’m leaving my side open, Jackie. Get cleaned up for dinner and we’ll go find something to eat. Anything you can’t do?”

“I’m pretty flexible, Charlie. You have no idea how rich people eat and what I’ve been exposed to. They eat all kinds of crazy stuff.”

“Jackie, that jet back there was mine. Not my company’s. Mine.” I laughed. “But I understand. I had ramens for a snack last Saturday night. That’s pretty crazy. I know how pompous people eat and show off and do pompous things. You’ll find I’m not a pompous ass. I may remind you more of the Senator’s wife than the Senator.”

“Interesting. Give me a bit and you can feed me then, Richie Rich.”

“Richie? Not Charlie?”

“Charlie Rich is a real person. Or was at least. Maybe still is. Richie Rich is the rich kid in the comic books. I was kidding. Next time I’ll warn you. Sheesh!!”

That got me to laugh. She was cute, and funny, and I was so uptight I missed it. Something to think about.

An hour later, she came through the adjoining door in a violet sundress and white high heels. She looked twice the age she did when I found her. Absolutely gorgeous.

“I’m trying the other attraction method since the little girl thing didn’t work for you.”

“They both worked, Jacqueline. You are a stunningly cute, pretty little girl and at the same time, or more accurately an hour later, still a beautiful woman. Trust me on that. I think I remember, however, promising to be a good boy, so I’ll hush now.”

“You did promise. I appreciate that and I’ll keep it in mind. Ready?”

We went to Texas de Brazil, about a block away. I figured she’d mentioned ice cream and steak, so we could have steak and then some ice cream. I was trying to play it safe, if only in my mind. It worked famously, and she was happy with the choice. It was within walking distance of the Battle House Renaissance Hotel, and she had no problems in her high heels as we walked together. She hooked her hand on my arm, a nice, friendly gesture, but kept her distance at a couple of inches so as not to project intimacy. Interesting, to say the least. I had a funny feeling in the two months she was working in Aruba, she was able to learn a lot about how to put a man at ease and not be pushy, yet be there for him. Catching flies with honey and all that.

The walk was comfortable for both of us, evidently. A conversation flowed continuously, not ending until we were in the hotel bar hours later.

It started over dinner. Salads had us talking about her parents, their strict religious attitudes and overbearing rules and her wanting to get away from that. I explained about not having my parents anymore, losing them to an auto accident involving a drunk man in a big truck not too long ago.

Bacon wrapped filet medallions, sautéed mushrooms, and seasoned mashed potatoes had us talking about our educations, and how she wanted to finish high school and go to college, not sure yet which of the non-liberal arts careers to follow. Her grin was contagious. She asked about mine and I told her of graduating with my mechanical engineering degree and spending about eight years flying planes for my rich uncle’s airline. Her questioning look had me explaining that when I was commissioned into the Air Force, my aptitude for flying was high, but I was a bit too wide and tall for fighters, and my demeanor fit well with commuter and passenger aircraft. So, I spent a couple of years learning to fly, then a couple passing gas, she grinned at that, air to air refueling flying in tankers, the explanation causing a giggle, then four years flying people around in little jets similar to the one I owned now.

The ice cream with hot fudge on it found us discussing the option of me taking her home with me and her trying to live her life with a strange man that really appreciated the offer, but didn’t need her ‘personal services’ in trade for what he was offering.

We walked back to the hotel, this time hand in hand, instead of arm in arm. Her hand felt good. As we walked, I could feel comfort. I had no explanation for it. None. I sat her at a table in the bar then brought us over a drink, her a hot chocolate with Bailey’s and me a coffee with American Honey.

“I certainly do appreciate your offer, Charlie. I also appreciate the declining of my reciprocal offer. I don’t want to be that anymore. I don’t want to screw for a living. I didn’t want to then. It just happened, and I was overtaken by events. It’s over now, though. I want to go back to just being a girl. A young woman. A student. I’m probably still not ready for all that other stuff. There’s a possibility that no one is. Ever.” She paused for a bit, rotating her cup around, just pondering it. “Thank you, Charlie, for the offer. Can I just say yes now, after only a short time, and try it?”

“I’d like that, Jackie. You’re a nice girl. I can tell that. Maybe a bit off course for a few months, but a nice girl with a good attitude. I’m pretty good with women. Not good with them, exactly. I normally get tongue tied and can’t talk well, can’t form coherent sentences and all, when confronted by a pretty woman, but I mean around them. I can tell a nice person, male or female, from an evil one, and can pick out a crook, a shyster, or a gold digger in a heartbeat.

“You aren’t a gold digger, Jackie. I don’t think so, even though you admit you waited outside the airfield because that’s where the money is. I understand your motivation for that. Don’t take advantage of me, and I’ll see you through this. Keep me company with your beautiful eyes and pretty smile, and I’ll be at your side to help you reach your immediate goals.”

“Keep you company?”

“Over breakfast, dinner, laundry, and all that. I’m not asking for your body, Jacqueline, just your smile and your wit.”

“My wit? Oh. OK. I like that idea.”

“Come on. I need to get to bed. I have a meeting in the morning. I didn’t come here to pick up strays and talk little girls into going home with me. I actually have a job and a company to run.”

She smiled at me. “I’ll ask about that tomorrow, OK?”

“Sure, but there’s not much to tell. I build stuff and sell stuff. It’s not like I’m a professional baseball player or something exciting. No, hon, my job is not exciting.” She took my hand again and we walked to the elevators.

Once we were at the rooms, she hesitated, looking up at me, not letting go of my hand. The look on her face indicated that she had made some sort of a decision or come to some realization. The lightbulb over the head look, like in the comics, maybe. She used her keycard, opened her door and pulled me into her room. She walked me over to the adjoining door, opened her side, and since mine was already open, walked me into my room. Standing in front of me, she looked up and took my face in her hands.

“Thank you for dinner, Charlie. Thank you for your offer. Thank you for your kindness. Thank you.” She pulled me down by my cheeks and kissed me softly. It warmed me. The kiss warmed me to my center. “Good night.” She turned and left me standing there wondering what had just happened. That, I think, was the first time I realized she was so small, so fragile, so cute. In her high heels, she was still six inches shorter than me. But it was the warmth from her kiss I was thinking of when I fell asleep.

The alarm pulled me from a deep sleep at about seven, but I took one trip around the inside of my eyelids with the snooze button delay. The second time I opened my eyes, she was sitting on the edge of my bed, looking at me. She smiled, getting one in return from me.

“Mornin’, glory. Did my alarm wake you?”

“No, I was awake both times I heard it. Good morning to you, too. Are you… Are we staying here tonight or what kind of schedule do we have?”

“Yes, here tonight, leaving tomorrow. I’ll be busy at least until well into the afternoon or early evening, then I’ll come back here, we’ll find something to eat, get a good night’s sleep and fly home in the morning. Sound good?”

“Yes. Yes, it does. There’s a shopping center down the road and I can keep myself busy for the most part.”

“Do you need any money?”

“Thanks, but as I mentioned, I have nine grand and change in my bag. I’ll handle it this time. Charlie, what’s your favorite color?”

“It used to be blue, but with your red hair and gorgeous bright eyes, that may change. I can tell you’d be absolutely adorable in green.”

“Mine is blue, too. Go to work. I’ll see you this afternoon.” She leaned over and kissed me again, with her hands on my cheeks. The warming feeling was back. With a vengeance.

I managed my way out of bed, into the shower, and got dressed for the meetings and quality inspections. It was tough keeping my mind on business, but I did. Our subcontractor in Mobile was making a circuit board for us that had a little mechanism attached. We were fortunate we found them, or they found us, during the bid process. It was a small company that subbed to another subcontractor we’d used before here in Mobile. They weren’t the low bidder but could start right away since they already had almost everything set up and didn’t have to change much to prepare their production line. With their efforts, we would be able to deliver sooner, and that would make my contracting officer, and the project officer, both very happy. Not to mention the people in boots that needed the little doodad we were making. Enough of that. Everything was on track, and we’d get delivery of the first forty units a bit ahead of our schedule, which was WAY before the official schedule.

I walked into the lobby of the Battle House and coincidentally saw my new roommate approaching the elevators with a few bags in her hands. She looked like a million dollars in her tailored blouse, miniskirt and high heeled pumps.

“Hold that elevator, young lady,” I yelled as the doors opened.

She turned to see me, a beautiful smile blooming from her beautiful face. I took the bags as we stepped into the car and as the doors closed, she reached up, taking my cheeks in her hands and pulled me down for a kiss.

“God, you’re gorgeous.”

“Thank you. Have a good day, Charlie?”

“Yes, hon, I did. Very good. Good meeting, good news, and the future is bright. How about you?”

“Excellent. It started very nicely, I found some nice things, and I just kissed a really nice man. My future appears bright as well.”

The doors opened and we stepped out of the elevator, me following her down the hall to the rooms. She used her keycard, since my hands were full, then led me to her bed and took the bags from me to put there. She made sure not to let me see in any of them, then smiled at me, pushing me to the other room. Once she had me in mine, she told me to clean up and try to look nice, if I had anything that fit that description. “Give me about an hour,” she said. She did the kiss thing again, and smiling, she walked out. The kiss created a warmth that lasted through my shower and my getting dressed for dinner. I had some slacks and a sports coat, so I wouldn’t be going out too awfully casually dressed. I knocked on her door not believing my eyes as to who answered.

She was wearing a royal blue tailored shirtdress, in silk. It fit her slim, petite hourglass figure like a second skin yet looked soft and hung lightly like good silk always does. A diamond necklace graced her upper chest, just over her cleavage, which was quite substantial. I honestly hadn’t noticed her bust prior to this. I took in all five foot eight or so inches of her in the sky-high blue leather sandals adorning her stockinged feet. She was at the very least a walking dream. She had her hair up perfectly and looked every bit the socialite ready for a night at the gala of the year. She reached out for my face again, and the prettiest woman I had ever met pulled me down for another warming kiss. Jacqueline Hanson finished stealing my heart the second evening I took her out for dinner. I would be a good boy, but I would pray she would let me into her life. Just thirty-six hours after I had met this woman, I knew. I knew I wanted her.

She had located a club where we could eat, then stay for music afterwards, and maybe dance a little. A carnal education was not the only thing she’d picked up in Aruba. She’d been exposed to the finer things in life while she was there, evidently. Using my name for reservations, she had us all set up so that when we arrived the hostess took us to a nicely located table and made us feel like royalty. She ordered for both of us, drinks, salads, meals, and all, making sure I didn’t have to suffer through beef two nights in a row. She was truly a little wonder.

I don’t remember ever having a better time, and to be honest, this wasn’t my first date. It wasn’t even my first date in Mobile, come to think of it, but that was a while back and doesn’t deserve the rehashing of any specifics. I’ve only been out of the service for a couple of years, but the first trip here after I’d left and taken over the company, I met a girl at a different hotel, and we went out. It came to nothing. She was one of the gold diggers I had spoken to Jackie about. She doesn’t have my number, my address, and my name is not as unique as I thought it might be. Suffice to say she wasn’t quite who she said she was.

Since I was a young man, a boy, in fact, I’d had many dates, come to think of it. I’d always been single, so when the opportunity came up during my travels in the military, and even afterwards, I’d go out and spend time with the fairer sex. I’d even met a few women with whom I’ve gone on to have ‘sexual relations’, as Brother Bill called them, but I’d never met one that projected the attitude, personality, and, I hate to say loyalty, that I desired, needed, and required in a lasting, monogamous, permanent, childbearing, no condom relationship. I wasn’t a virgin, but I’d never gone out to a party without a raincoat.

We talked more, danced, talked more, and the more we talked, the more I knew I was making the right choice in offering this young woman a part of my life. I felt it deep down inside. After hours together, we were back at the rooms, and again, she pulled me through hers, to mine, and backing me up to my bed, told me to sit. Standing between my knees, she hugged my head to her tummy, then held my cheeks and kissed me. When she let go, I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her to me with my hands on the backs of her thighs, pulling her to me, the side of my head pressing into her abdomen.

“Thank you, Charlie. Again, thank you for everything.”

“No need, doll. My pleasure. We’ll be leaving at about one o’clock tomorrow afternoon, headed for home. If there is anything you’d like to do in the morning, or…”

“I don’t need anything, Charlie. What I wanted to do, I did today. It evidently worked. Good night, sir.” She kissed the top of my head and walked out.

The warmth from the kisses built and adding the one on my head, I felt flushed. I could blame it on the two drinks I’d had, but I won’t. This little girl is affecting me. Tremendously. Deeply.

Morning came and again, after a go ‘round with the snooze button, I opened my eyes the second time to take in the beautiful woman I took to dinner last night. This time I noticed she was in a green chemise with black lace trim. It just barely stopped at the tops of her thighs. Her legs were gorgeous.

“Good morning, Charlie.” She leaned down and kissed me.

“Jacqueline…”

“How do I always know you are going to say something profound when you use my name like that, Charlie?”

“Probably because you ARE that astute barrel of knowledge you claim not to be. Jacqueline, your kisses warm me. Be careful with me, please. I’ve never felt that before. You’re not the first woman to kiss me. You are, however, only the first woman that affects me this way. Again, please be careful. I’m not as strong as I look.”

“Likewise, Mr. Cantrell. You aren’t the only one feeling a little magic. We need to talk about something serious, then we can get back to the fantasy world where you would like to take me home and make me your cute little girlfriend. I’m going to want to see a doctor when we get wherever we are going. I also need you to know that I just turned seventeen. Just week before last. Don’t let that cause you any problems. I don’t care. I’ve been with…”

“Jackie, I understand. No need to explain, unless you feel the need to talk. I can surmise from the few conversations we’ve had about your last couple of months that you’ve been with men older than me. Maybe younger than me.” She shook her head. “OK, maybe not. In any case, let’s forget about Jacqueline Hanson’s past and work on her future. Would you like that?”

She nodded. “Very much so. I really thought I was going to be a waitress and a hostess at a hotel or something. I did what I did, after I knew what was going on, but that wasn’t my original intention. In any case, thank you. We’ll do it your way.”

“Good. By the way, Jackie, I was right about you in green. Devastatingly adorable. I’m going to get dressed, then we can eat and pack and be on our merry way.” She giggled and shook her head. “What’s wrong. No desire to be merry?”

Jackie laughed and replied, “I’m having enough trouble just being Jackie.” She kissed me again, shooting warmth down through my knees and left.

I’m so sunk if she doesn’t like me.

I took care of business, showered, shaved, and was almost dressed. As I was pulling my shirt on, finishing up dressing, she knocked and entered. Again, I was a bit in awe. She was wearing white short shorts, a light blue T top, and stiletto high heeled strappy natural leather sandals. Her little necklace highlighted her scrumptious neck. She was, in my eyes, perfection. She was also tanned. Not always the norm for redheads, but she looked like she had a bit of a nice tan. That was another thing I hadn’t noticed before, but now, as one after another view of her shook my senses, I saw it plain as day. It might have helped that I had the room curtains wide open, the sun was finally shining, and she was under completely different lighting, as well. Nah, I’ll stick with the infatuation theory.

She held her hand out for mine and off we went for breakfast in the hotel café. We talked some more about the future, her going back to school and such. She asked about where I lived and being in town, mostly, she shouldn’t have much of a problem. I asked about records and documents and all, so she volunteered that with her passport, birth certificate, social security card, and driver’s license, she didn’t think she’d have too much trouble getting around or getting back into school.

We talked about getting her records transferred from Des Moines and seeing a doctor, then she shared that she had an IUD installed before she even knew about the job in Aruba. She had a boyfriend that said he was serious, but after he took her virginity, he took her best friend’s, ruining all three’s relationships with each other and pretty much turning Jackie’s mind off relationships of any kind. “Hence the job in Aruba. Away from everything and everyone I knew and thought I cared about. It was funny, Charlie. I actually cared more for Alice than I did for Rick, but I didn’t know it until I had lost them both. It’s funny now. It wasn’t then. That warm thing you talked about last night? I had that with Alice. Not with Rick. I misunderstood what it meant then. It doesn’t matter now. If she felt the same about me, she wouldn’t have screwed my boyfriend. All in the past. As I have previously implied, onward and upward from here.”

“True, that. Let’s go up and pack and go home, Jackie. I hope this works out for you. I really like you. I do.”

She smiled and took my hand. “I hope so, too, Charlie. I truly do. You seem… Never mind. It’s mushy. We’ll talk later.” I nodded, hoping she was going to say I seemed nice or something. Off we went.

The flight home was short and sweet. She sat next to me in the co-pilot’s seat, watching and listening as I made adjustments, talked on the radio, raised and lowered the landing gear, while all the time letting her know what I was doing. She seemed interested, so I figured it would keep her occupied. Spending all that time talking about exes and such isn’t fun for anyone. Even I know that, and I’ve never had a serious one.

We landed, filled and parked the plane, got my truck out of the hangar, and headed home. I asked if she was hungry and getting a negative reply, I just figured I’d feed her out of the freezer or take us out later. Her impression of the house made me feel good. She liked its simplicity, the layout, where the kitchen was, and had good things to say about all of it. Her comment about it being small enough to take care of without help threw me for a loop, though.

“We had help,” she said. “A maid. She lived over the garage. She cooked sometimes, too, but mostly just cleaned and all. I still had to do my own room and everything, but… Never mind. Onward and upward.”

“I didn’t realize. I just thought…”

“You thought I was just some broke ass high school kid wanting to make some money and found that job, right?”

“Yeah, basically.”

“It’s more true than not. Father is a bank president, and owns a large chunk of it. I had to make my own money for college, though. Everything but tuition and books. If I had a car then, I’d have had to take care of it myself. If I wanted to go to a movie, buy a school sweatshirt, etc., all on me. So, after Alice and Rick screwed me over, quite literally, I just thought it would be perfect. I thought Mother and Father would get over it, but they didn’t, at least haven’t. As of just a couple weeks ago, I was persona non grata in Iowa. Speaking of that, do you mind if I call them and let them know I’m alive?”

I handed her my phone and told her, “Not at all, and we need to get you one of these tomorrow. Oh, and call the clinic listed in my contacts about an appointment for yourself. Use my name.”

She called and since no one answered, left a message that she was back in the United States, not too awfully far from them and was doing just fine. She had a place to live and would be starting back to school in a few weeks. She apologized for making them so mad, but felt it was something she needed to do and said she hoped they would forgive her, and they could all get along later in life. Class act.

The call to the clinic went even better. They wanted her tomorrow since they had a cancellation, and all would be well. They asked about insurance, so I had her tell them to put her on mine and I’d be responsible for any costs. The call was finished.

“Charlie, thank you, but I do have some money.”

“I know, doll, but you’re going to need that for sweatshirts. You told me that already!” She laughed and jumped up on me, hugging my neck with her legs around my waist. “Cheerleader?” She nodded. “Cool, I’m finally… OH! Oh. No, I’m…” She interrupted me.

“You can say it if you take me to dinner. You’re finally dating a cheerleader. I take it you didn’t when you were in school?”

I shook my head. “Resident geek. No cheerleaders for Charlie.”

“Well, they missed out. You turned out quite studly, Mr. Cantrell, and you have one now, so… Dinner?”

“YES! DINNER! Then I can say I’m dating a cheerleader. Are you sure, Jackie? After only a couple of days?”

“Yes, Charlie.” I grinned. She looked at me and smiled. “Dating, not boinking, Mr. Cantrell. Dating. I’m sure. If more happens, we’ll know then. For right now? I’m sure. Now, put me down and feed me. Something simple. Casual. I don’t want to change clothes yet.”

Dinner was acceptable. A simple salad at the local neighborhood chain, then a stop at a grocery store and the drive home. We lived at the edge of town, almost in the country, but not quite. There was a quarter to a half mile between houses out here, and we each had enough property that several of the neighbors had horses. It was considered part of the city even though it was just outside the city limits.

We went our separate ways that night, her kissing me and telling me good night with a hug, and me showering before bed since I had been as active as I was that day. I heard hers run, too, I thought. Then I thought about Jackie Hanson showering. Not something a good boy would do, but… I also thought about Jackie Hanson kissing me, and what I was feeling when Jackie Hanson kissed me. I fell asleep in minutes, smiling, I’m sure.

Once again, the alarm went off, I pushed the snooze button, and the second time I opened my eyes, she was looking at me. Her green chemise looked so good on her. She leaned over to kiss me.

“Good morning, Charlie. Can you get off work so you can run me around town today?”

“I’ll see what I can do. Hang on, I’ll call the boss.” I held my pinky to my mouth and my thumb to my ear in play phone fashion. “Charlie, can I have the day off? Yes, Charlie, take the day off. Cool. That was easy. Remind me to call in later, though, seriously, so they don’t worry.”

“Oh, yeah, huh? You told me you owned the company. Cool. I don’t want to keep you from it, but the first day here, I’d kind of…”

“Say not more, damsel mine. Squire Charles is at your service.”

“Goofball.”

I fed her breakfast, showing her where most everything was. She said she liked to cook but hadn’t done much of it and wasn’t all that proficient. I told her we’d play in the kitchen together, as I loved it, and DID do it quite a bit. I chose not to have staff, because I liked to take care of myself and have things my way. I was chided about it quite a bit by peers, both business and social. Nothing stranger in this day and age than a very wealthy man cutting his own grass and putting his own dishes in the dishwasher. She laughed as I explained it.

“Understood. Father had a service for the outside and Mother had a maid and service for anything she needed on the inside.”

I told her, “Mine had neither, although, if Dad was going to be out of town for a while, he’d have one of the kids up the street help out mowing and stuff. If I was home from college, then later in life, on leave, I’d take care of it. Even after Dad hit it big and they had lots of money, we still lived in the house in town and did our own chores. Mom had a lady come in once or twice a week, but she played tennis and bridge, so was a bit busy at times. It was funny. She’d spend hours cleaning up before the cleaning lady got there. Me? I just want to do my own for as long as I can. I hope that’s OK with you.”

“You have a riding mower for the yard?” I nodded. “I’ll answer your question by having you teach me how to drive it.” That got her a kiss. “I’m not a spoiled brat.” Another kiss. “Yet. Keep that up and you’ll ruin me.” One more for the road. “What about the pool?” I shrugged. “Teach me how and I’ll help.” Still another kiss. “I’m spoiled!”

We cleaned up the kitchen and the dishes then headed into town. We had some time to kill, so we got the phone taken care of at my favorite phone place. They know me since I’m so hard on my phones. I have broken or lost five of them in the last four years. I put the insurance thing on them. I’m one of the few people that get their money’s worth.

At the doctor’s office, I signed as the responsible party, paid with a card after the appointment and got the low down skinny on the way home. She had to wait for the tests to all come back, and it would be a few days for most, longer for a couple, but she was healthy now. “Charlie, about ninety-nine percent of the sex I had, and it wasn’t anywhere close to ninety-nine times, more like fifteen or twenty, condoms were used. Naturally, the senator’s wife didn’t wear one, but that was different. I had one fellow that didn’t use one, and one that broke. If either of those two guys have AIDS or anything similar, our country may have a bigger problem than I do, from a purely leadership view that is. Point being, I’m probably OK, but we’ll know for sure in a matter of a couple of weeks. I get the heebie jeebies thinking about stuff like this, but welcome to the real world, Jackie.

“I told the doctor I was sexually active and with more than one person in the last six months, which is true and takes Rick into account. His fell off, so I guess that’s three.” She got a frown.

I laughed. “Stop, honey. Let it go. We’ll be fine, no matter what happens. Let’s go grocery shopping and go home. There are a few things I can do this afternoon for work, and then we can play in the kitchen a bit this evening.”

That was our norm for a few weeks. She mowed and swam and tanned and played around on the computer and game console. I turned her loose in the car so she could get used to the area. I’d let her drive it to school and I could use the truck once the time came. She liked that idea, although the car was a bit big, she loved the way it handled.

I worked and even had her take me to the office and go shopping a couple of times, having her promise to come back for me. She laughed and said there was no way she’d leave me out there for other girls to find. She wanted me for herself for now. She’d inadvertently made that clear. She never asked me for anything. I always offered, though. I didn’t really want her spending her school money for anything I could pick up. At least not now.

On the Friday night before her school started up on Tuesday, the day after Labor Day, I was sleeping when I felt the bed move. Looking at the clock, it was one in the morning. That made it Saturday.

“You all right, doll?”

“Nervous. School’s starting. New kid on the block. All that. Hold me, Charlie?” She laid down next to me, facing away, so I pulled the sheet up over both of us, wrapped my arm around her and snuggled her up next to me. “Thank you. Again, and for everything, thank you.”

I kissed her head as it lay in front of me. A tear fell on my arm. I’d have to ask her about that tomorrow. Apprehension? About being here? With me? I fell asleep worrying about her future. Very selfishly worrying about her future… Her future with me.

When I woke in the morning, she was looking at me. “Good morning, Charlie.” She kissed me. “Thank you for holding me last night. I cried. I’m sorry. I’m a bit afraid. We need to talk.” I must have made a really terrible face. I know it was a cold rush of fear I felt that went through me. “Not that kind. The other kind.”

“Whew. Good. What’s up?” I put my arm under her and pulled her to me, holding her to my chest.

“I’ve been here for what, three and a half weeks now?”

“Pretty much.”

“How do you feel about us? I need as much information as you can afford to share. It matters.”

“I want to keep you. I want a chance to love you. I want you to want me to keep you. I want you to love me in return, and as much. I still get warm flushes when you kiss me, Jackie. I’ve never experienced that before. We like the same things, we eat each other’s food, and finish each other’s sentences. We laugh together. You cried on my arm last night and I felt fear run through me. Fear that you wouldn’t give me a chance to love you with all I have. Do you believe in serendipity, or love at first sight?”

“Both. I think we’re on the same wavelength. Charlie, I think I can honestly say, at this point, I love you. You seem genuine. That was the term I almost used before we came home that morning. Genuine. You are kind, loving, sharing, very intelligent… All that, and genuine.”

“I was just hoping for ‘nice’ when you stopped yourself.” She giggled. “I’ll take whatever you want to call me, as long as you call me. Thank you. We can move forward now?”

“I hope so. I don’t want to tell you I love you and have you drop me off at the bus station with a hundred bucks and a ticket to Des Moines. That would be problematic.”

“Are you going out for cheerleading here?”

“Not a chance. I’m done with that, too. I want to study and come home to my boyfriend. Cheerleaders are nothing if not bait for the freaking football team. I’ve moved on, I guess you could say. Unless you play football, in which case…” I interrupted her.

“I get it. Good. If you go out for sports or whatever, I’m behind that, but I’d like to be there and watch.”

“We’ll see, but don’t hold your breath. Charlie, is this real?”

“I hope so, Jackie. I really do. Come on, let’s eat and mow and relax out back for a while. It’s the last Saturday before school starts, and I want to make the most of it.”

We did, and she seemed to cheer up a bit. I tried to think of any of my acquaintances or employees and whether they had kids in their senior year of high school, but I couldn’t think of any. Then I told myself she’d be fine. She’s quite a lady and probably learned a hell of a lot of people skills this summer. And she was. Fine, that is.

Evenings through the first week I got reports of meeting people, discussing the area and all with the people she’d met. She even met one girl who was from Sioux City, Iowa and had moved here just a few years ago. She’d been asked out twice a day each day after Tuesday.

“Does that bother you, Jackie?”

“No, it doesn’t bother me, but… Charlie, am I wife material? Is this long term, or…” I interrupted her.

“Absolutely. If you’re ready for a step like that, I certainly am. We’ve only been together for a few weeks, a month, a little more I guess, now, but Jackie, I know I want you for the duration. I’d love to put a ring on your finger to indicate that someone else loves you very, very much and wants to keep you for their very own.”

“I am. I’m ready. With you. I’d love that, too. I’m sure.”

“Will you go out with me tomorrow night? The Stardust?” I’d told her about the Stardust Lounge. It’s a dinner and dance place like we went to in Mobile, but the music is a little more ‘classic’ if you will.

“Of course. I’d love to. I have just the outfit, too.” She kissed me, helped me do the dinner dishes and spread her homework out on the table.

“Homework on Friday night?”

“Hell, yes. Date night tomorrow night. I need to work on my tan tomorrow while the weather’s still good enough and then help my now very serious boyfriend mow the lawn on Sunday. I may even drag him off to church one of these days. He won’t have an excuse not to go when the grass stops growing. We’ll see!” She laughed and got to it.

I worked a bit on Saturday morning, but spent most of it with her, rubbing oil on her back and watching her swim. I watched her a lot. She’s fun to watch. At about one-thirty, I asked her if she was about oiled enough, and that I had an errand to run. “Can you do without me for a bit, hon?”

“Yeah. You just did my back. If you’re back in less than an hour, check on me and make sure I’ve turned. Charlie, I love you. Be careful.”

I kissed her head and left. It was about the only place without oil on it. I was off to the jewelry store. I had a pretty good idea of what I needed, and they might have it. I arrived, talked to the sales lady by the engagement rings and found exactly what I wanted. An almost duplicate set, in the same size, of engagement rings. One was a bit smaller stone than the other. I wanted her to have one for school and one for everywhere else. Call me paranoid. The little one was three quarter carats, very high grade round diamond set up in the mounting, and the other was the same setting with a two-carat flawless round stone in it. Both had trim stones and were pretty good looking rings. Now I was armed for battle.

I got home, fifty-five minutes later, patted her rump and told her I’d bring her a sandwich. She turned. “Thanks. You get your thing done?”

“Sure did. Be right back.”

I fed her and we swam for a bit before going in to get ready for the evening. I didn’t see her again for a couple of hours, but when I did, I got another gobsmacking. She was in green. A green lamé work of art that made her body appear to be an hour-glass. A very thin waisted physique. She had color matching satin pumps, an emerald necklace with matching earrings and bracelet, and a clutch made of the same material as the shoes. Strikingly attractive.

“Jeez, Jackie. So gorgeous. Just beautiful.”

“Thank you. You look good, too, Charlie. Let’s go to dinner. I can’t wait to dance with you again. We had fun in Mobile, didn’t we?” I had to agree, so I did, and we took off.

That was a preview of My Astute Barrel of Knowledge. To read the rest purchase the book.

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