Once Upon a Fantasy Ch. 05-06

"Well, even when my two are gone, I think I'll want you to carry on if you're willing. I'm not much at cooking and cleaning, so I'll need someone."

"Don't you plan on getting married again? You're still a young man, Norman. Don't give up just because you had a bad experience. Sometimes you need to be a bit selfish you know. You're a good man and I think almost any woman would be lucky to have you as a husband. It's not like there's a shortage of possibilities out there," she smiled.

I chuckled. "I'm not really in the wife-seeking mode at this moment. The divorce will be final next month and I don't know how I feel about that. I suppose in time I'll get interested in finding another wife some day. It just isn't on my mind right now."

"You still seem a little bewildered about what caused your wife to do what she did."

I nodded. "Yes. There are two things nagging at me. The first is why and how she went from her first affair to this one with Kurt Howell. It was almost as if she was saying 'Oh well, the first one didn't take, so I'll try another.' The other thing that really surprised me was her willingness to give up the children as quickly as she did. That just doesn't sit right with me."

"Why don't you ask her?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'm afraid of the answers. She said Howell didn't want to be responsible for raising older kids that weren't his. He wanted Andrea but he didn't want what came with her. He must have known that if the divorce had gone to court that she most likely would have been granted custody. Maybe some day I will ask her. I'd like to know just for the peace of mind."

"I think you'd get a lot more peace of mind from a good woman at your side," she smiled.

I returned the smile. Frances Ormstead was a nice lady and was exactly right for us as our housekeeper.

Chapter 6 Adjusting to Circumstances

It was difficult watching Brandon's car disappear around the corner as he headed off to college. We had carefully packed his clothes, toiletries and laptop. His sister seemed as anxious to help as I was, even though I wasn't in a rush to see him leave. We promised to visit in a month or so, after he'd become adjusted to living in the dormitory and college life in general. He would be home for Thanksgiving and Christmas of course, but that seemed like a long way away.

Candy was upbeat as always, although she confessed she would miss her brother. They had always gotten along well. There was no sibling rivalry to be concerned about. We phoned him that night to make sure he got there safely and that he was properly moved into his room. He assured us all was well and that he was anxious to begin classes next week.

There would be no football or baseball for him that first year. Students were not permitted to play organized varsity sports until they had completed their first year. Even then, grades would determine their eligibility. He said he would play intramural flag football instead. I liked the school policy, although it was probably unfair to students like Brandon who would take their studies seriously and put them first before sports.

Candy, Deb Penny and Vanessa Wilmore were close and had spent the summer "hanging out" as they called it. I got the impression that hanging out might include a few boys now and then, but I never got any proof of that from the girls. Candy would go out on dates on the weekend, but usually it was with a different boy each time.

"We switch around, Dad," she explained one day. "We don't want to get serious with any guy right now, so we kind of trade partners when we go on dates. The guys don't seem to mind. Once in a while one of them will get a little upset that he can't be with one of us, but if they want to go out at all they have to play by our rules."

I knew that her mother had given her "the speech" about boys and dating some time ago, so all I had to do was worry that she was still abiding by her commitment not to do something she'd later regret. I knew she was on birth control pills. I didn't think that it meant she was having sex because she assured me that she wasn't. At least ... not yet.

She was of an age when at least half of her contemporaries had already experienced sexual relations and some of them on a regular basis. I remembered the pressure guys used to put on girls to put out, and about all I could do was hope she was strong enough to resist. The fact that there didn't seem to be any one guy she was dating gave me some hope.

I got an unwelcome surprise on the second last Monday in August. Barry LeDane handed in his resignation.

"What's this about, Barry? You know I'm not holding your affair with Andrea over your head."

"Yeah, I know. You've been good about that. No ... it's related though. I feel bad about what happened between you and me. I'm not comfortable here any more so it's time to move on?"

"Have you got something lined up?"

"Yeah. A friend of mine has been after me to take on a partnership with him in a business he owns. He sells gas and wood pellet fireplaces and stoves, along with barbeques. That's the only thing that we'd be competing with you on, Norm."

"No problem," I said. Barbeques were a very small part of our business.

"Yeah, anyway, I've been able to scrounge enough money together to buy in. Once Janice is married, I'll be able to make it happen."

"You won't have long to wait. She sent me an invitation for the wedding. It's on October first."

"So I heard. Anyway, I'm sorry about leaving here, but I think it's probably best. This is a legitimate opportunity for me and I'm not too old to take advantage of it. I want to thank you for being the great guy you are. Not many men would want me around with what I've done to you."

"Forget about it, Barry. It's a new start for you, so good luck. When do you plan on leaving?"

"Is two weeks too soon?"

"No ... I guess not. I'll start looking for someone right away. In the meantime, I'll fill in the gap when I can."

That was that. My best sales rep was leaving and I had to replace him. I didn't know where to start other than to advertise the opening and hope I could find someone I could live with. You don't lose nearly twenty years of know-how and pick up another talented and experienced person just like that.

We were having what was traditionally called an Indian Summer that September. It was warm and generally sunny. I'd brought in a few high-end barbeques and it was time to move the unsold ones. I decided to put a small tag on our weekly newspaper advertisement about an end-of-summer special. I would discount the remaining six units I had down to cost and hope to move them rapidly.

I guess the weather had some influence on the response I got. Four of the propane barbeques were sold the first Friday that they were on ad. On Saturday morning, I had a customer approach me as I was repositioning my two remaining units.

"Hello, Norm." It was a nice, feminine voice and I responded by turning to face it immediately.

It took me half a second to react. "Kim! How nice to see you. How can I help you?"

"Nice to see you too. Our barbeque died a couple of weeks ago and Lou was going to see about fixing it. I think it's beyond repair and when I saw your ad in the paper last night I thought I'd see if you might have something to replace it with."

"Absolutely. I was just putting my last two units in place now. They are all stainless steel and will last a very long time. Did you have a budget in mind?"

"No ... not really. I'd just like something that's easy to clean, starts every time and won't wear out in two years."

"I think either one of these two will suit you just fine. If you want a larger one with more shelf space, this one has all the features," I said, pointing to the big, shiny unit.

"No ... I don't need anything that large," she replied, shaking her head.

"Then this is better for you. It has a roasting element, a side burner, electric start and all stainless steel construction, including the burners. It's only five feet wide with both shelves installed. Comes with an all-weather cover, a three year warranty and I'll deliver and set it up for you. It's on sale for $449.00."

She looked it over carefully. "Do you own one of these?"

"Yes. In fact I have this very model. It's more than enough for plenty of visitors and small enough that I can cook for two without a lot of fuss."

She looked at me and gave me one of her amazing smiles. "I'll take it."

"Great. Let's go over to the counter and we can write it up with the warranty and I'll arrange to get it delivered this afternoon."

"That quick?"

"Only for friends," I grinned. Normally, Saturday afternoon deliveries were fully booked by Friday evening, but it was an opportunity for me to do something for a very nice lady who was, in fact, a friend.

"Thank you. It looks like it's quite heavy. I want to put in on my back deck. Lou said he would be available if I needed him."

"I'll need his help," I chuckled. "I'm still in physical therapy from the last time I tried to be a hero and I don't want to go back there."

"Oh ... of course ... I'd forgotten all about that. Candice told me about your accident. Are you all right now?"

"Yes, I am. I need to be careful not to do something stupid, and there are some restrictions on what I can do, but otherwise, I'm fine."

We stood at the counter while I filled out the sales slip, the warranty card and passed her the paperwork. I kept the delivery slip for later that afternoon. I determined that she had some propane in her existing tank, so we could at least test the unit when I set it up. I told her I would be by her house around four that afternoon.

I hated to see her go, but I would be seeing her again in a few hours. Even in a pair of snug jeans, a cotton blouse and sneakers, she looked fabulous. I'm not sure if I was caught staring as she walked out of the store, but I could have been. I found it very hard to take my eyes off her.

It was just after four when I pulled into Kim's driveway. I had brought my hand truck and an extra web belt to secure the unit when we pulled it up the stairs onto the back porch. I had no idea how many steps I would need to navigate so I walked around the back to announce my presence and check out the porch. Although no one was visible, I could see I was in I was in luck. There were only five steps up to the deck and they weren't steep so I was fairly confident I could cope.

I walked back to the front and rang the door chime. In only a few seconds Lou appeared and welcomed me.

"Hi, Norm. Good to see you again."

"Same here, Lou. I'm glad you're here to help. These things are a lot heavier than the old barbeques."

"No problem. We'll strip it down before we try and take it up the stairs. Then it'll weigh a lot less."

Within ten minutes we had the unit stripped of grilles, propane tank, shelves and burners. I was about to help Lou when Kim appeared by my side.

"You take one side and I'll take the other," she ordered.

I looked at the stairs and realized they were much wider than normal. There was room for both of us and the barbeque.

"Are you sure, Kim? This unit is heavy."

"I'm a big girl," she stated proudly. "And I'm in shape. I work out every day with weights. I can handle it. Besides, I don't want you getting hurt again. You shouldn't be doing this at all."

"I'll be fine," I said, not wanting to appear a wimp. "I can handle this."

She gave me a doubtful look before Lou signaled he was ready to go. It was almost effortless and we pulled the cart and unit up the shallow steps and onto the porch.

"That was easier than I expected," I noted.

"You just needed a little extra horsepower," Kim teased. "Maybe you should be doing a little lifting during your workouts."

"How do you know I do workouts?" I asked.

"Candice told me. Besides, you told me you continued your physical therapy. Every weekday morning you go to the same gym I do."

"When do you go?"

"I go mid-morning. Lou joins me sometimes if he's got the time."

Lou and I began putting the barbeque back together under Kim's watchful eye. I was pointing out some of the features of the unit as we went along. I think she was surprised that it could do so many different things.

"I really prefer the barbeque in the summer months so I don't heat up the kitchen as much," she commented.

I checked the tank on the old barbeque and it felt like it was a little less than half full. It was also showing signs of rust, so I recommended that she not refill it again and used the new tank that came with the barbeque. I didn't get any argument on that.

"Where can I get rid of the old barbeque?" she asked.

"I'll take care of that for you. If you can give me a hand, Lou, I'll stick it in the van and it will magically disappear."

"Now that's what I call customer service," he said, looking pointedly at Kim.

"Yes," Kim chimed in. "That's a big help. Thank you Norm. You really do look after your customers."

"You're welcome. I've hooked up the propane tank, so let's test it to make sure everything is working okay before I leave."

I turned on one of the burners and the automatic start clicked once, then twice before I heard the burner catch. In sequence I started all the others, including the roast element. Everything started up fine. I shut the unit down and declared it ready to go.

"Norm, why don't you collect Candice and bring her here for dinner?" Kim asked. "We'd love to have a chance to say thank you for all you've done today."

I looked at my watch. It was after five and she had made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Well, to be honest, I didn't want to refuse.

"That sounds great. Let me check and make sure Candy doesn't have plans."

I pulled out my cell phone and called home. She answered on the second ring. I didn't have to beg her to come. She said she'd be ready to go when I got home. I told her I wanted a few minutes to get cleaned up, then we'd be on our way and she was fine with that.

"Looks like you've got a couple of dinner guests," I said with a smile.

"Wonderful. Come when you're ready. It's a nice evening and we can eat on the porch if that's alright with you?"

"That will be fine. I'll be on my way and back before long."

Lou gave me a hand with the much lighter old barbeque and within a couple of minutes we had it loaded into the van and tied down. I stowed the hand truck and was on my way in short order. "How about that," I thought. "I do a good deed and get to have dinner with my fantasy woman."

Fantasy woman was the right name for Kim. I remembered how she had made such an impact on me the first time I met her earlier in the spring. Her arrival in my store this morning reminded me just what that effect was.

For the week following our first meeting, Kim was in my dreams at night. I'm not good at recalling dreams but they were very pleasant and imaginative. They had to be since she was naked in most of them. The dreams subsided until Candy came home from her vacation in Quebec. I stopped to thank Kim and Lou once more and immediately fell under her spell. The dreams were rekindled and lasted for at least a week until they disappeared. Now, I was about to spend some time with her and I was sure those erotic dreams would begin once again.

I didn't waste any time getting home and washing up, putting on a clean polo shirt and a pair of cargo shorts. When I saw the scars on my knee I thought better of it and changed into khaki slacks. Candy was waiting for me and had an all-knowing smile on her face.

"What are you grinning at?" I asked as we headed out the door.

"You. You didn't waste a second getting washed and changed. You are hot for Mrs. Penny and you can't deny it."

"I can too deny it." I don't think she believed me based on the snort of skepticism she uttered as we got into my car.

Candy was driving. She had a restricted license as all youths did. She had to have a licensed adult in the car with her if she drove at night. I wanted to enjoy my evening with "Lady Fantasy" and I didn't want to be worried about how much wine I had. It had become a common thing for my daughter to drive when we went out together and I think she enjoyed the responsibility as well as the experience. I had no plans to get drunk. That would not be cool.

It was just coming up six o'clock when we arrived at the Penny home. The sun wouldn't set for another hour-and-a-half and it wouldn't be dark for some time after that. It felt like it would be plenty warm that evening and I was looking forward to spending it with Kim.

Lou and I were the designated barbeque chefs and I thought we did a great job on some baby back ribs. A liberal basting of Kentucky Smoke Sauce and a pan of damp hickory chips made them come out just exactly right. Kim had cooked them first to tenderize them and we were just browning them slowly on low heat. I warned Lou that this barbeque would produce more heat than the old one, so he should beware of that.

Lou was a really nice guy and I found him to be an interesting man to talk to. He knew a lot about a wide variety of subjects and I guessed that he was very well read. We even ventured into the dangerous area of politics and found we had common ground.

In the meantime Kim had made a tossed salad and microwaved some seasoned pasta. She had opened a bottle of California Zinfandel and we pretty much finished that off during the meal preparations. I had brought a bottle of Pino Grigio which was already chilled that we saved for the meal. The girls had made themselves scarce until dinner was called when they appeared like magic.

A glass-and-a-half of Zin had put me in a very comfortable mood as I put the platter of ribs on the table. Evidently everyone was hungry, as the meat, salad and pasta disappeared at a rapid rate. The table conversation was light and pleasant as all five of us participated. I wondered to myself if Lou had a girlfriend. I knew he wasn't married and he had never mentioned anyone. I had only ever seen him on his own, when I visited Kim.

I did my best to stretch the evening out as long as possible. Lou left shortly before eight o'clock. He had been careful not to drink after our meal and I thought he was sober enough to drive. I wasn't, but my daughter would take care of getting me home. I was busy basking in the company of one very beautiful woman.

The girls had disappeared and Kim and I were left alone on the deck. I'd had enough to drink that I was feeling brave and when I thought the time was right, I took a chance.

"Kim, if I asked you out sometime would you go out with me?" My question was a bit awkward, but it was obvious what I wanted.

She gave me one of those wonderful smiles I so loved to see. That had to be a positive sign, right?

"I don't know. Can I trust you to be a gentleman? The way you look at me is the way a fox looks at a plump hen."

Oh shit. All my attempts at subtlety were wasted. She could see right through me. I was sure I had lust written all over my face.

"Ah ... well ... okay, I'm guilty. I find you incredibly ... striking." Where the hell did that word come from? I was afraid to tell her the truth, that's where.

"I noticed that," she said, this time with a very different smile. She had found me out and I wasn't going to escape without some bruising.

"I don't know how to apologize, Kim. I'm a guy ... and you're a very beautiful woman. It's just my reaction to you I guess."

"Do you feel you owe me an apology?" She was teasing now. That much I could tell.

"Yes. The truth is, I haven't asked a woman for a date in over twenty years. I haven't allowed myself to even look at a woman other than my wife in twenty years. I guess I'm not handling this very well. I'll understand if you don't want to."

"Don't want to what?" She was continuing to taunt me.