The School Spinster Takes A Chance
(An Original Story by rutger5 - Copyright 2012)
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“I’m telling you under the circumstances you’re doing the right thing Julie” her friend said to her as they sat sipping their coffee.
“I know you’re right Lauren, but it’s so difficult. After all these years, heck my whole life really. I’m thirty seven years old and I’ve never made an adult decision on my own. Now I have to decide everything for myself and I’m so overwhelmed.”
“I know Jules, I know, but truthfully you should have been more independent earlier. I’m not saying you should have abandoned her for God’s sake, you just should have spread your wings a tiny bit. She didn’t do you any favors by “protecting” you from the world, she just isolated you to keep you with her all these years. Now she’s gone and in some ways you’re almost helpless.”
“Mother meant well Lauren and she did it out of love no matter what you think. After what happened in her marriage she just was doing what she thought was best for me so I didn’t get hurt like she did. That’s why she moved us from the city to a nice small town so I could have a safe life here.”
“Listen I’m glad you moved to Juneberry or I’d never have met you. I’m just saying you have to live life not seal yourself up in plastic to avoid anything bad from happening to you. That’s not living, it’s just existing.”
“Well be that as it may I have started to move forward some. I left a notice on the bulletin board at the supermarket as well as one at the library and the church. Plus I left my cellphone number as the contact number. Hopefully I’ll get a reply from someone who isn’t afraid of hard work.”
“Wow I’m impressed and to think that a little over a year ago I had to almost force you to get a cell and join the twenty first century.”
Julie let out a tiny laugh and she smiled before replying to her younger friend.
“Yes you were right there as well but I told you that soon after I first got it smartypants.”
Lauren was still thinking of a reply when the bell rang announcing that their break was over and the next class would soon be starting. The two high school teachers exited the faculty lounge and with a friendly goodbye they headed in separate directions for their respective classrooms.
Ten minutes later Julie was going over her review of the Romantic poets for the upcoming test on Friday. She’d always favored giving tests on that day to help her students remain focused on their studies the whole week. For the most part they seemed to be paying attention though no doubt some were bored to tears and if she weren’t mistaken Rachel Hughes was playing with her phone, no doubt the pretty cheerleader was texting someone. Well as long as she sat in the back quietly and didn’t bother anyone else then Julie would just ignore her.
Of course she should warn her or even give her detention but Julie was too softhearted for that and truth be told that girl had a way of making her feel two inches tall. There would be times where she would be conversing with her friends, all popular, pretty girls like herself, and she would make some mocking veiled comment that was obviously about Julie who would be within earshot.
Julie tried not to take it personally as Rachel was indiscriminate in her insults and everyone but her own circle of friends or ‘hot guys’ would be subject to her withering comments. After all Julie was used to it and had received such treatment since she was a student in the same school from her own classmates who’d openly mocked her frumpy wardrobe and lack of social skills.
A few hours later Julie was in the parking lot saying good night to Lauren.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come along Jules? You know you’re always welcome.”
“No I don’t want to be a third wheel Lauren. You and Jeff enjoy yourselves. Besides I have papers to grade and in case someone replies to my ad I really should start to prep things so work can begin.”
“All work and no play makes Julie a dull girl and you know if you just give the word Jeff could arrange for one of his co-workers to come as well so we’d be a foursome.”
“No I’d just bore him as school is all I know how to talk about. But have a good time and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Lauren made a grimace at her friend’s reply. She had been trying so hard to break her out of her shell as well as away from that mausoleum she called a home. Well Rome wasn’t built in a day and in the past year progress had been made but Lauren had hoped now that Julie was alone she might hasten the process.
“Okay my dear be that way if you want. But if Jeff’s friends are unacceptable what about one of the men from your church?”
“Now that’s funny Lauren. Let me tell you that I’m like one of the youngbloods there. There are no single men within ten years of my age. There’s a couple of elderly widowers and a handful of men far too young for me. So that idea though no doubt well intentioned is going nowhere.”
“Well maybe one of the young studs…” Lauren began but she stopped when she saw the shocked expression on her friend’s face. “Okay fine Miss Goody Two Shoes and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Julie climbed behind the wheel of her little Honda Civic and started the ignition. She waved to Lauren as she pulled from her parking space and drove off. Fifteen minutes later she was parked in her driveway and getting out. Before she got halfway to the door a gray ball of fur streaked towards her legs coming from the overgrown hedge that bordered her and her neighbor’s yard. As Julie proceeded to the front door the feline rubbed against her ankles affectionately.
“Hello to you Emily. Did you have a nice day sleeping in the sun and stalking prey?”
Julie spoke from first hand knowledge as the little furball had often deposited ‘little gifts’ of torn and bloody rodents and birds for her mistress and seemed to enjoy the discomfort they provoked. Julie unlocked the front door and followed Emily in, picking up the mail on the floor from beneath the slot. Julie deposited both the mail and her bag on a table and headed to the kitchen with Emily eagerly trailing.
The cat food rattled against the dish as Julie poured some in before placing it on the floor mat near the sink and then added some fresh water to the other bowl. Julie then headed upstairs so she could change from her schoolmarm clothes. She entered her bedroom which hadn’t been updated since before she had returned from college. Her high necked white button down blouse was the first thing she removed then she unzipped and slipped out of her long pale blue skirt leaving her in her plain and modest white undergarments.
When she reached for a sweatshirt her eye caught her reflection in the mirror. Julie stopped for a moment and studied her reflection. She saw a pretty woman wearing no makeup except for a trace of pink lipstick staring back at her. There were a few very faint lines by the corners of her big brown eyes but good genes and clean living made her appear years younger, thirty at the most.
On a whim she reached back and unhooked her bra and slid it from her shoulders exposing her small perfectly shaped bosom. They were pert and slightly upturned topped with pink nipples. Julie turned one way then the other as she dispassionately took in her appearance. She had always been tall and slim, a skinny Minnie her mother always said in a pitying manner, but Julie had remained the same dress size since college while many of the girls she’d attended school with had become larger the older they got. In fact some of her fellow students now had children whom she taught and it gave her a tiny bit of pleasure to see how the popular crowd hadn’t aged quite so well though she felt guilty about her reaction. Not quite what a good Christian should feel but some of them had been so cruel to her.
She slid the sweatshirt over her long brown hair as she pulled it on. It felt nice against her bare nipples but she tried to put that out of her mind, no time for such thoughts now. Maybe if she had time later after taking care of things first she could treat herself later. But first she had work to do. As she pulled sweats on she couldn’t help but notice that her walking and stair climbing was paying off.
At school she would often walk the stairs between classes and there were times she would spend a free period doing that or walking around the track in good weather. Julie had realized that as she got older she had to do something or nature would take its toll so she had started an exercise regimen. As of yet she hadn’t even confided in Lauren that she was doing it but Julie had noticed that from her calves all the way to her buns she was firming up. Not that there was anyone, meaning a man, to notice and appreciate her hard work.
‘Hold on Julie, stop feeling sorry for yourself. There are plenty of people worse off than you. You should be grateful for all your blessings’ she chided herself.
Next she twisted her long locks and slipped a scrunchy over her hair leaving it in a ponytail so it would be out of her face. A pair of sneakers completed her outfit and then she headed up to the attic. The attic had been cluttered since she could remember but if she was going to get the house in order she had to tackle it as well. A few hours later Julie was dirty and sweaty and her arms and back ached from her efforts but she’d made a dent she realized. She also knew that maybe she needed to add some upper body exercises to her regimen to balance things out because she was really feeling it from the work she’d done.
In the freezer she removed a Lean Cuisine frozen dinner which she popped in the microwave. She ate it while she graded papers and she continued grading long after she was finished dinner. Finally a crick in her neck made her stop for the night and she slipped the papers in her bag and stood. Wearily she climbed the stairs after first checking that the doors were locked and turning off the lights.
Once the water was to the right temperature Julie stepped into the steaming shower. For the first five minutes she just let the water hit her right between her shoulder blades helping to loosen and relax her tired and sore muscles. Finally when she gained some relief she actually started to wash herself running the washcloth over her body. However when the rough material brushed against her sensitive nipple she felt a jolt that traveled all the way to between her legs.
From that moment on Julie hurried up and within five minutes was wrapping herself in her terrycloth robe. She padded back to her room and after slipping her flannel nightgown on slipped under the covers. She made a pretense of reading the book that sat on her nightstand at first but she knew what she needed. Putting the book down she reached to the bottom drawer and pulled out her laptop and turned it on. In a few minutes she was on a certain website - her guilty little secret that Lauren had told her about.
It was a triple-x adult site that had both videos, which she couldn’t bring herself to watch after witnessing the misogyny she had seen the one time she tried as well as erotic stories which were more to her liking. There were many that weren’t to her tastes due to non-existent writing skill or unpalatable themes but there were some hidden gems located there that really got her juices flowing. With pleasure she realized that one of her favorite female authors had just posted a story and she eagerly began to read.
It was a tale heavy on romance but with some very hot sex included and according to the author was based on true people and events. Whether that was true or not and Julie certainly had her doubts it turned her on without question. By the time the characters were naked in the barn making love Julie was very aroused herself. She shut the computer off and put it away before she pulled her nightgown up past her chest and lay back.
Her trembling fingers first lightly brushed her nipples sending signals to nerves across her body. Julie closed her eyes as she always did and let her imagination take over. In her mind she wasn’t alone but her mysterious lover was beside her. She had never pictured his face but she knew he was devastatingly handsome the way all literary romantic characters were. He had dark, thick hair and was tall of course and she could picture his body - muscular but not bulky and perfectly proportioned.
He existed only to bring her pleasure and he was good at his job. His strong yet gentle hand cupped her breast and squeezed it with just the right amount of pressure to stimulate without discomfort. As her passion grew his actions increased in intensity. A hand found its way between her legs and stroked her wet sex. Her legs involuntarily parted wider and Julie threw her head back and moaned softly as her juices flowed freely now. Both her breast and clit were being manipulated expertly and exactly as she preferred.
Her slim fingers slid into her moist furnace making her gasp as her thumb now circled her nub. Julie could feel herself getting close to release so she increased the tempo of her fingers pushing them deeper and faster. Her tunnel clung to them as they worked in and out making a sucking sound with each thrust.
Right when she reached the precipice her thumb and forefinger pinched her nipple as hard as she was able to. That touch of pain in combination with her fingers reaching as deep as they could go was more than enough to send her senses reeling. Julie bit her lip so hard that a drop of blood escaped and rolled to her cheek. She thrashed on the bed for a minute, her limbs writhing like serpents, as her climax overwhelmed her.
It took a couple of minutes before Julie opened her eyes revealing that she was back in her own room again and alone. She withdrew her fingers which were wet with her dew and pulled her nightgown back into place. Her breathing had also returned to normal by now and only her still flushed cheeks and satiated expression gave a clue of what had just happened. Julie switched off the table lamp and pulled the covers around herself. Emily had not appeared and Julie wished that she had as it would be nice to cuddle with something alive now. But that’s how cats were - if you wanted them then it was unlikely they’d appear.
Julie arrived a trifle early the next morning and after putting on sneakers she had climbed the stairs until her calves ached dully. If she got an opportunity she wanted to ask her friend Mrs. Deen who was a phys-ed teacher for some advice about some upper body exercises that might work for her. She could just imagine what her mother would have said about this if she’d still be alive. Obviously she wouldn’t have approved. Julie could hear Mother’s voice in her head saying so.
‘It is very unladylike to perspire especially when doing physical activity like exercise or labor. Perhaps for those who have no intellectual capacity it can be forgiven partially but I suspect even then it’s a sign of moral turpitude.’
However that had never prevented her from working Julie like a mule when it suited her. The number of times Julie had rubbed her hands raw scrubbing the wooden floors or doing garden work was beyond count. But there was no sense being bitter Julie thought as she headed to her classroom. The morning moved by quickly and before she knew it she was having lunch with Lauren.
“So how have the monsters been behaving today?” Lauren asked.
“Don’t call them that, its not nice” Julie replied before letting out a tiny giggle.
“Oh come on you know its true, at least for some of them.”
“Most of my students are very nice and the rest are just misguided and in need of direction” Julie answered as she delicately nibbled on a corner of her tuna salad on whole wheat sandwich.
“Yeah okay but if you just had the class I did you’d be singing a different tune honey. Not only did I have to stop an argument before it became physical but one of the geniuses told me in response to a question that the Magna Carta was a sixties rock group.”
Julie couldn’t help but laugh at that tidbit but she still felt her friend was being too harsh.
“Lauren they are still kids and you are being a trifle too cynical I think. Well anyway how did last night go, did you have a good time?”
“Yes I did as a matter of fact, more than once in fact” Lauren told her before winking.
Julie put her hand over her face in mock embarrassment though by now she was used to such comments from her younger friend. It was that openness that had helped Lauren break Julie out of her shell if only partially.
“Well I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks and what about you, have an exciting night doing paperwork Jules?”
“I’ll have you know that I also got a lot accomplished organizing some things to help with the house.”
“How exciting. Speaking of that any responses to your notice?”
“No I haven’t and frankly I’m surprised. What with the economy so bad you’d figure I’d get a little interest but not one call.”
Lauren sat there with her brow furrowed which she often did when she was thinking before her expression changed.
“Don’t take this the wrong way Julie but is your phone even on? You have the habit of leaving it off for days at a time. More than once I’ve called it only to get your voicemail.”
With a sheepish look Julie opened her bag and rummaged around until she pulled her phone out. Unwilling to meet her friend’s eyes she took it from its case and turned it on. Once the screen went up Julie saw that she had three voicemails.
“Oops maybe I did get some responses and don’t you say you told me so” she told Lauren to cut her off at the pass.
Lauren just sat there with a smug expression as Julie went to her voicemail and listened.
“Hello my name is John Colt and I’m inquiring about the ad for work. I’m skilled in carpentry and I can certainly paint and move things. I’m competent at least in electrical and plumbing and I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty either. Hope to hear from you.”
The message concluded with him leaving his phone number and had been left the day before. There was something about the voice that stirred her memory but she couldn’t quite place it as the phone started to play the next message. This one came from an actual contractor whose business must be hurting if he was answering her ad but there was something about the way he spoke that she didn’t like. It was as if he sounded drunk and wasn’t even attempting to mask it. Finally the third message came on and with a start Julie heard it was the first caller again.
“Umm, hello this is John Colt again. Sorry for calling again but I was just wondering when I might be hearing from you. The thing is I just received an offer for a job but it’s from out of town so I need to make a decision. Thanks. Uh and by the way I could be wrong and if I am then I apologize but the ad said Miss Jones and I was curious if you’re the Miss Jones who taught an English class of mine. Either way hoping to hear from you soon.”
For a minute Julie was speechless. No wonder his voice and now his name seemed familiar to her. He had been in her class six or seven years ago and last she had heard he had moved out of town soon after graduating. Well he must be back she thought as memories from then came back to her.
“Hello earth to Julie, are you here or in space somewhere? And what are you smiling about?”
Suddenly Julie realized she was grinning like an idiot and quickly changed her expression to a more normal one.
“Sorry Lauren I was just thinking about something and how it really is a small world.”
“And what made you come to that conclusion, one of your messages?”
Julie nodded in assent to her friend’s query before speaking.
“One of the people calling about the work is a former student of mine if you can believe it.”
“Why not Julie, I don’t doubt that a large number of people in this town have been taught by you. It was only bad luck on my part that you didn’t teach me as well. So anyone that I know?”
“I’m not sure, he’d be younger than you by a few years. His name is John Colt.”
“Johnny Forty-five! You got to be kidding me Julie. Of course I know him, he and my younger sister used to run with the same crowd back in the day.”
“Johnny Forty-five?” Julie said with a puzzled expression on her face.
“Duh yeah. You know like a Colt .45 gun. I swear Julie sometimes I wonder about you. I remember he was quite the hottie back then. My sister and her friends drooled over him I can tell you that. Are you going to hire him?”
“I don’t know Lauren, I haven’t talked to him yet but I didn’t like the sound of the other applicant. I guess I’ll give him a call and we can discuss it.”
“Well if you’re going to meet with him give yourself a little time to fix yourself up first.”
“Lauren first of all I’m looking to hire him to do some work for me not for romance. Secondly he was my student and he’d be much too young for me even if…”
Lauren held her hand up to stop Julie from continuing and arched her eyebrow as she did.
“Let me tell you something. One - I saw your face when you were listening to his message and you didn’t seem to be considering his job qualifications. Secondly he’s not your student now and in case you haven’t heard Julie, older women/younger men is all the rage these days. Cougars and their cubs and all.”
As her friend went on Julie’s face turned as red as a beet and she cast her eyes down.
“I knew it, I knew when you were thinking about him earlier that something was going through your mind. Go on tell me Julie as you know I’ll get it out of you sooner or later.”
“It’s not like that Lauren, really. But you are right that he’s very good looking, I do remember him always wearing one of those black motorcycle jackets. And he is actually smart as well.”
“That’s a new one to me, I had no idea about that.”
“I doubt he advertised that fact, maybe it wasn’t cool for him to show that side of himself. I mean I don’t ever remember him raising his hand in class or volunteering an answer. But I graded his tests and he had a high average and there were a few times he answered an essay in such a manner that I couldn’t help but to be impressed with his mind. And we’re talking about poetry Lauren. No he is actually intelligent.”
“There you go then. We agree that he’s handsome and he’s also smart and knows poetry. Sounds perfect for a single friend of mine, she should call him.”
“You’re hopeless but I will call him - about the work.”
After saying that Julie sat in silence for a couple of minutes until Lauren spoke up.
“Well what are you waiting for? Oh I get it you don’t want to do it in front of me. No problem Jules I have things to do.”
Lauren rose to her feet as soon as she was finished speaking and picked up her bag from the table.
“Lauren you don’t have to go” she said but her friend just smiled as she headed for the exit.
Still having a little time remaining in her lunch period Julie swallowed hard then punched in the digits of John Colt’s number. She was ready to hang up after three rings when suddenly she heard his voice.
“Hello” it said and for a second Julie’s mouth wasn’t working. “Hello is anyone there?”
“Y-y-yes I’m sorry. Am I speaking with John Colt?”
“Yes you are and this is?”
“Hi John this is Miss Jones, Julie Jones returning your call. And before you ask it was me that taught you in high school.”
“I knew it, that’s so cool. So your ad said you needed a lot stuff moved with some painting and minor repairs as well. Is that right?”
“Yes, my Mother passed during the past winter and I’m trying to get the house in order and there is a lot to do. It’s been many years since anything was updated and I’m afraid a lot of things have been accumulating.”
“Well I’m sorry to hear about your mom. The thing is as I said in my second message I do have an offer from out of town. Do you have an idea of how long this job will take and to be honest what the pay would be?”
“The pay would be competitive I’m sure as I do have adequate funds available to draw from. The length of time however I’m not sure about. Truthfully I don’t know how long it will take, that depends on a lot of factors including how much repairs and updating gets done as well as how fast you can do the work. Maybe if you look at what has to be done you could give me an idea on how long you think it will take.”
Julie heard him chuckle before replying.
“Good thing you said that to me and not some people. Some might hear that and exaggerate the difficulty to jack up their price. Tell you what, is it okay for me to come by today and take a look? Then I can give you my best estimate of the time involved and we’ll go from there.”
“Um okay John. I should be home around three thirty so anytime after that will be fine. Let me give you the address.”
The rest of the day seemed to crawl by it was going so slowly. Every time Julie looked at the clock it seemed not to have moved. Finally her last class concluded and the students filed out. As she gathered together her belongings Julie heard a noise and looked up to see Lauren approaching.
“Well?” she asked.
“Well what?”
“Don’t try and be cute Julie. I saw you on the phone as I was leaving so tell me everything.”
“There isn’t much to tell” Julie began trying to act nonchalantly about it all. “He agreed to come and take a look so he can let me know how long he thinks it will take. Then I guess we’ll discuss money and if possible come to some kind of agreement.”
“Mmm and when is this all going to take place if I may ask?”
“Later this afternoon” Julie answered in a low voice which prompted a near shriek in reply from Lauren who then covered her mouth for a second.
“Sorry about that Julie but my God you move fast. I’m proud of you and thankfully you have me to help you.”
“Help me in what way?” Julie asked nervously as her friend went and closed the classroom door before returning with a smile on her face.
Lauren opened her purse and removed a small zippered bag from inside and put it on the desk.
“To fix your face of course and make you even more attractive then you already are. And don’t say anything as you have no say in the matter. Don’t worry Julie, I will be very subtle. Even your own mother wouldn’t have been able to criticize you for looking ‘whorish’ I believe is the term she liked to use.”
“You know I told you how sorry I was about that Lauren, but Mother was set in her beliefs. I did get cross with her and told her off.”
“I know sweetie and believe me it didn’t bother me really. Good thing she didn’t know what a sex maniac I am or she would never have let us be friends. Just kidding, now you sit back and let me work my magic.”
Reluctantly Julie sat back in the chair and closed her eyes. Soon she felt Lauren applying something around her eyes and a short while later brushing something soft across her cheeks. Though not much time had passed, certainly under ten minutes, Julie started to get apprehensive when she heard Lauren’s voice.
“Okay all done, now take a look.”
Julie opened her eyes and saw her friend standing there holding a small makeup mirror which she gave to her. Fearing what she’d see Julie held it up to her face and was pleasantly surprised, in fact she was elated. Whatever Lauren had done made her eyes stand out in a good way and the only other change she noticed was just a hint of color on her pale cheeks.
“So Julie what do you think? I went for a very understated look, just a tiny bit of rouge to give you some color and I highlighted your eyes to make them pop. I think they are one of your best features but what do I know. Your skin is so healthy and fair that you really don’t need much for it. Sometime if we get the chance and you let me I’d like to go all out you even if afterwards you wash it right off.”
“Thank you Lauren, it really does flatter my eyes. Who knows, maybe I will let you experiment on me some day. But thanks and I really appreciate what you did. Well what you always do for me, I don’t know what I did to deserve such a good friend.”
“Oh stop I’m not a saint or something and you’re a very good friend to me too, you know. Anytime I ask for something you’re there for me. Damn that time I had the flu you kept coming over and bringing me soup that you made yourself. I’m the lucky one.”
The two women hugged after Julie stood and together they headed out to the parking lot. Once they said goodbye they went their separate ways. As Julie approached her house she observed a big black pick up truck parked in front with a man leaning against it. She pulled into the drive and killed the engine then seeing her reflection in the mirror smoothed her hair. Though it was foolish she felt very nervous and delayed getting out until she could calm herself.
Breathing in a controlled manner she climbed from the car taking her bag with her. As soon as she emerged the man straightened up and headed in her direction. With a tiny gasp Julie realized that John was even better looking than she recalled and that his body had filled out since school. Years of hard work had made him muscular but he still appeared lean. When he reached her he extended his hand in greeting.
“Good to see you again Miss Jones. Wow you haven’t changed a bit since school.”
“Likewise it’s good to see you John. I’m afraid that I can’t agree with your assessment but you look well.”
While she spoke Julie noticed that John had discreetly run his gray eyes the length of her body as men tended to do though usually not to her. He flashed a perfect smile before answering her.
“I stand by what I said Miss Jones and believe me I studied you a lot in class.”
Julie blushed from his frankness and turned toward the house at a loss of how to reply. She wasn’t used to being flirted with, even of the innocent variety since her college years. That was the only time in her life she had been away from home and had acted somewhat free.
“The house is impressive Miss Jones, how old is it?” he asked to try and change the subject since he had seemed to embarrass her. ‘You idiot’ he thought to himself ‘you see her for the first time in years and you make a fool of yourself and even worse offend her.’
“It is quite old John” she said happy to be talking about anything but her appearance “I believe it was built in the 1880’s or 90’s. Thankfully they built them solidly back then or it would have fallen apart long ago from the lack of attention it’s received recently.”
They walked to the front door as they spoke but John continued studying the house as they approached. What she said was true about the neglect to the building and he noted more than a few items needing repair or replacement.
“I know that what we discussed was about the interior but I can’t help noticing that there are some exterior issues as well” he said as she fished her keys from her purse.
“Oh dear John, I hope nothing too serious” Julie replied as she opened the door.
Like clockwork Emily decided to appear but seeing the stranger she hung back until the door stood open at which time she darted past them both. He was surprised as the feline seemed to come from nowhere but Julie paid no attention to the cat. John regained his composure and began speaking again.
“Well the gutters look to be in bad shape and the chimney has a few cracks at the least. It’s hard to tell from the ground but if that’s all it can be repaired easily. Now if it was me, and the budget allowed for it, I’d say install new gutters as well as many windows as possible. Those old ones must be very drafty and inefficient and you’d recoup the money with lower energy bills.”
“Yes during the winter months it’s very hard to keep the house as warm as I’d like. Can you do these things? Because to be honest I hadn’t even thought about such things. I’m afraid I’m not very knowledgeable on such matters.”
“I could certainly do the window and gutter work though obviously it wouldn’t be cheap. Just the cost of purchasing the windows will add thousands as you have a lot of windows. Then depending on the style you want will affect it as well.”
“Oh dear now my head is spinning. It seems like I haven’t really thought this out well.”
“Listen Miss Jones I’m sorry for confusing the issue. That wasn’t my intention. You’re the boss about what gets done and if all you want to worry about is the interior that’s fine. It’s a big house and just painting the inside will take time. But if for example you decided to replace the windows it would make sense to do before painting the interior of the room.”
“That seems practical I must admit. Well how about at the least you see what has to be moved either to be thrown away or given to charity and also get an idea about the size of the rooms to be painted.”
“Good plan, lead the way.”
For the next hour they walked the house from the crowded attic to the damp cellar and all in between. Julie had felt very self conscious when they had entered her bedroom as she hadn’t made her bed that morning and her flannel nightgown was lying across it but he didn’t say a word. After they were finished with the inspection they went to the kitchen where Julie first fed Emily before joining John at the table.
He had been going over some numbers on a pad, figuring both the time required and how much materials would be needed depending on what Julie ultimately decided to do. Finally on a separate sheet of paper he wrote what he would require for himself though he did give her a break there. John slipped the papers across the table to Julie. When she noticed the price her eyes widened a bit but she didn’t comment.
“Now feel free to shop around but do understand that I will need an answer soon. I’d prefer to stay in town as one of the reasons I returned was my Father hasn’t been well but I can’t go any lower as it wouldn’t be worth my while financially.”
“No I understand John, I just have no experience in these matters. However it seems reasonable. I tell you what, at the least I want to do what was originally mentioned plus replace at least some of the windows.”
“Great, then I tell you what. I can start tomorrow morning and the first few days I’ll be busy just moving a lot of the accumulated stuff from the attic and other rooms. Then whenever you get an opportunity you can look at some paint colors and window styles and we’ll go from there. So what time do I have to be here tomorrow so you can let me in?”
“Well I usually leave at seven thirty so can you make it before that?”
“No problem Miss Jones and it’s really good to see you again.”
“Likewise John and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She walked him to the front door and saw him off, waving as he drove away. When she closed the door behind her she leaned against it a minute and definitely her heart was beating rapidly.
‘Stop being silly Julie’ she told herself ‘not only is he far too young for you but I really doubt you’re his type and no doubt he was just being polite about your appearance or more likely was complimenting you to help him get the job.’
Still Julie stayed in a good mood that night even singing aloud more than once. She labeled a lot more items to go as since she was turning over a new leaf she decided to go all out. Only when she went to her mother’s room did she turn somber. Ever since she had discovered her mother there that morning she had hated the room with a passion. Because of this she decided to put off working there for now and once she left her mood improved.
The next morning John arrived at seven fifteen dressed in jeans, work boots and a black t-shirt which matched his short dark hair Julie thought. He carried a small cooler and a support belt for his back.
“Just my lunch” he told Julie as way of explanation holding up his cooler.
“There’s no need for that John, my refrigerator has plenty of room. In fact it’s usually half empty. Give me that and if you want some coffee there’s a little left in the pot.”
“Thanks” he answered as he handed her the cooler.
She opened it and put the items inside including one beer bottle.
“Just a beer with lunch, hope you don’t mind. If you prefer I won’t drink it.”
“No John its fine, I’m not much of a drinker myself maybe a glass of wine when I’m out to dinner with friends sometimes. Mother never approved of spirits.”
“Well a glass of wine is good - after all Jesus drank wine right?”
She smiled as she answered. “That’s true I guess. I have to go and you have my number if there’s a problem. One last thing, you met or at least saw my kitty Emily yesterday. She tends to come and go as she pleases but now that the weather is getting warmer she’s out a lot. But if you hear her scratching on the door could you let her in?”
“No problem Miss Jones and have fun at school.”
“Thank you John and have fun moving things” she replied and started to leave but she stopped and turned back to him. “And since with you working here for a while and certainly no longer a student you can call me Julie if you prefer.”
“Okay Julie and that’s a very pretty name” he said and just managed to stop from saying ‘for a pretty woman’ but after embarrassing her yesterday he was being careful.
“Thank you” she said quietly.
For the next few hours he worked his ass off and managed to make quite a dent removing material from the attic. Most of what he got rid of was labeled trash in Julie’s neat flowery script and this he placed on the side of the driveway. He wasn’t sure what day the house received trash pickup so he thought it best to leave it there for now. The remaining items Julie hoped to donate to charity, with the majority being furniture along with some items in boxes. These he transported to her garage which she only used to shelter her car during the winter months. It was during one of these trips there that he saw a face peering through the hedge that bordered the property.
“Good morning” John cheerfully called out.
The face disappeared like a shot causing John to laugh but he put it out of his mind and resumed work. Later he needed to retrieve a tool from his truck to help him break a large piece of furniture into sections so it would be easier to move. As he closed the truck door he couldn’t help but notice that there was a couple sitting on the front porch of the house next door.
“Hello” called out the man as he stood and waved to John who returned the wave. The man gestured for John to come over with a motion. He had no idea why but he’d been going non-stop so he welcomed the break and turned up the neighboring sidewalk. When he reached the porch the man extended his hand and gave him a hearty handshake.
“How do you do. My name is Jack Russell and this lovely lady is my better half Edna.”
“Glad to meet you, my name is John Colt” he replied and nodded at the gray haired bespectacled woman who sat close by and who he recognized as being the person who had been watching him earlier.
“Not to be nosy but the little woman told me that you seem to be moving some things out of the Jones place.”
“Yeah that’s right. Just trying to get the place in order for Julie, uh Miss Jones.”
“And you’re a friend of hers?” Edna Russell inquired eagerly as she leaned forward.
“Truthfully I’m working for her though I’m a former student of hers” John replied to which Edna sighed and clucked her tongue before answering.
“That’s too bad, she’s such a nice girl but she seems to be unlucky when it comes to love.”
“Now dear maybe you’re just projecting what you think is best for Julie” Jack told his wife.
“Who are you fooling you old goat, you know that you agree with me. I blame her mother, God rest her soul. She was just too overprotective and now Julie is past the age where she’ll find Mr. Right probably.”
“Well it was nice meeting you but I should be getting back to work” John said as he felt uneasy with where the conversation had gone.
“Now look at what you’ve done, scaring John away with such talk” Jack said to Edna.
“No really it’s not that. I just need to get back to work is all. But the job just started so I’m sure I’ll see you a lot. Take care.”
That afternoon as Julie ate her lunch Lauren had peppered her with questions about John. She had replied truthfully though her answers didn’t seem to satisfy her friend.
“What do you want me to say Lauren. He’s there working and that’s all there is to it. Sorry to disappoint you but this isn’t a story from you know where” she said, lowering her voice for the final part.
Lauren smiled wickedly at a thought that came to her after her friend’s declaration before she spoke.
“If I was you Julie I might be a little nervous with a strange man alone in my house. If he’s anything like men from stories on xnxx.com then by now he’s jerking off into a pair of your dirty panties. Can you imagine?” she said with a laugh.
“Oh my God! Don’t say that Lauren, even kidding around. He’s not like that, is he? What do you know about him that you’re not telling me?”
Looking around to make sure that no one in the lounge was listening first Lauren replied to her friend.
“I’ve never heard anything like that but you never know with men, they’re all beasts. But I did remember something I heard about him. If you’re interested that is?”
“Of course I am Lauren. Tell me” Julie whispered as she leaned closer to her fellow teacher.
“Well one time years ago when I still lived at home I happened to overhear a conversation between my sister and one of her friends. It seems they were at a party and John and his girl at the time had gone into a bedroom for some privacy if you get my meaning. I guess the girl was a bit loud and not just moaning but she was a talker as well. Some pretty wild things were said but the thing is some guy being a smartass happened to open the door while they were going at it. A lot of people including my sister managed to see into the room and from what I heard there was another reason they called him Johnny Forty-five. It seems he has a BIG gun if you follow me.”
“Oh my God Lauren! What are you saying? Never mind” Julie said, her face crimson.
Lauren just smiled in a knowing way at her friend.
When Julie arrived home that afternoon she was surprised to see how much had already been accomplished. The amount of stuff removed boggled her mind but what really shocked her was that when she went into her house she found John sitting in the kitchen with Emily sprawled on his lap purring as he stroked her behind her ear.
“Hi” he said as she walked in the room “I hope you don’t mind but I was just taking a break and Emily decided to hang with me. We kind of became friends when I gave her a little of my lunch earlier.”
“Why would I mind but she doesn’t usually warm up to most people quickly so I guess that means she approves of you. I saw you managed to get a lot done today. It’s a good thing I hired you because it would have taken me a lot longer to do and it probably would have put me in traction on top of that.”
“Yeah in that at least it makes sense. The way things are going I’ll be done tomorrow with removing stuff from the house and you’ll have to make your decision on how many windows you want to replace and what style so start to think about it. I guess I’ll call it a day and I’ll be back bright and early tomorrow. Have a good night Julie and I’ll see you too Emily” he said as he gently put the cat on the kitchen floor before standing and departing through the kitchen door.
Emily yawned and stretched before rubbing her nose against her mistress’ ankle as she waited for her supper. Julie fed the cat and scratched Emily’s head as she chowed down.
“What do you think Em, about John I mean? You like him and he seems nice and here I am asking my cat for advice. God I’m losing it.”
Julie walked the house again looking for things to get rid of that she might have missed in her initial survey while also inspecting and taking a count of her old drafty windows. She made her final decision on the colors she wanted a number of rooms painted as well. Satisfied with what she’d done Julie had her dinner while doing schoolwork the rest of the night.
That night she didn’t sleep well, tossing and turning then waking up bathed in perspiration. Unfortunately she knew the reason why. Her dreams were causing this reaction and not only were they of a sexual nature but John featured prominently in them. Finally desperate to get some sleep she pulled her nightgown up and let her fingers do the walking. For the first time her mystery man had a face and it appeared identical to her former student and current worker’s. And he delivered an earth shaking climax to her after which she sank into a contented sleep.
In fact Julie slept so soundly that she snoozed right through her alarm clock (yes, an old fashioned kind) and it was the ringing of her doorbell which awakened her the next morning. She pulled her nightgown down though she clearly remembered doing that last night before again going to sleep. She rushed downstairs and threw open the front door to see John standing there looking gorgeous holding two cups of coffee.
“Sorry I’m running late” she said “have to hurry.”
Julie left him at the door and ran up the stairs in a panic on her way to the shower. She took a quick one then brushed her teeth and practically bolted out the door. Unfortunately at that moment John was carrying a box from the attic and had just emerged into the hall. They collided though John managed to turn his body lessening the impact with the only casualty being that Julie’s robe which hadn’t been fastened securely came somewhat undone.
John had been about to apologize when his jaw dropped as he caught a glimpse of Julie’s charms - two small and perfectly shaped breasts topped with bubble gum colored nipples. He managed to close his mouth and turn away. Mortified from what had just happened Julie pulled her robe together and fled without a word to her room where she swiftly dressed.
Fortunately for her he remained in the attic allowing Julie to slip out of the house with the tattered shreds of her dignity. By the table near the front door sat a cup of coffee with a sticky note labeled Julie. She took it in passing as she left. In between figuratively kicking herself as she drove, Julie took some comfort in the thought of John bringing her the coffee which then triggered her embarrassment anew.
She just made it to class before the first period bell rang and she was not at her best. Since it was Thursday that allowed her to tell the class to review their lessons to prepare for the following day’s exam. She sat there seemingly going over her own notes and lesson plans while actually replaying the scene over and over. That would have been bad enough but it actually started to arouse her knowing that John had seen her breasts. No man had since her college days when finally freed of her mother’s control she had actually lived life a tiny bit.
There had been mixing with the opposite sex and dates with college boys and even a couple of short term boyfriends during those four years. It was when she had lost her prized virginity, taken during a frat party when she had one too many glasses of spiked punch. The worst thing about it was she barely remembered the actual incident but it was also the last time she heard from Kyle who had deflowered her. Still she hadn’t let that stop her from continue trying to live life.
About that night she vaguely remembered there had been some pleasure involved on her part which she wished to experience again. Unfortunately the next boy she dated named Harold had been more than willing to sleep with her but he had not a clue when it came to a woman’s erogenous zones. Fumbling clumsily with her breasts a moment as he positioned himself was the extent of foreplay and once he was in her he would thrust weakly for a couple of minutes before pulling out and ejaculating on her aroused yet unsatisfied body.
On a few occasions she had delicately tried to broach the subject of her enjoyment, or lack thereof with him, only for him to respond that any girl who thought in such a way must be a slut. Since that was the last thing that Julie wished to appear as, she let the matter drop. They continued to date until the end of the semester at which time he informed her that he had transferred to a college closer to home and they wouldn’t be seeing each other again.
Maybe she should have been offended but truthfully Julie felt relieved. The thought of continuing to date and maybe one day marry Harold left her cold. He was smart and not bad looking but he was dry and boring with a very narrow view of things. In no uncertain terms he’d informed her that no wife of his would work and she had set her sights on becoming a teacher. Even worse was the thought of years of marital relations when her desires would get scant attention.
That had been the full extent of her sex life. Once she’d returned home after college her mother had reasserted her control, not that the men had been breaking down the door to get to her. Still from then on Julie dressed and conformed to what her mother thought was proper. The skirts she had worn in college that ended just above the knee were thrown out as they were too revealing even to be donated to charity. Julie had retreated back into her shell and the only time she felt alive was when she tried to impart her love of literature and poetry to successive classes of students.
It was when Lauren had joined the staff and befriended the painfully introverted English teacher that again Julie felt a yearning for something more. Of course by then her mother was in poor health which gave her another means to control her daughter but though Julie complied she lived vicariously through Lauren. They would talk and tell each other everything though as Julie confessed she didn’t have much to reveal. Still it was from Lauren that she learned about masturbation and that there was nothing wrong with a woman achieving orgasm. And now Julie couldn’t wait for lunch so that she could again confide in and ask advice of Lauren.
She was waiting anxiously at their regular table when her friend breezed in. Right away she sensed that Julie was on edge as she sat down by the way her eyes were darting around and by the fact she was continuously twisting and untwisting a strand of her long brown hair.
“Okay spill it! I can tell something’s bothering you Jules.”
“I really made a fool of myself this morning and I’m hoping you can do me a big favor” she began. “Is there a chance you can come with me to my house after school?”
Lauren raised an eye brow at the suggestion and shook her head.
“Julie, Julie what have you done that you need my protection for?”
“Well not really protection, well maybe a little, but more for moral support.”
Julie proceeded to tell Lauren everything from how she had dreamt about John and actually relieved her stress fantasizing about him and her to where she overslept because of that and up to the point where her robe opened revealing her breasts to him.
“I don’t know how I’m going to face him again and the job has just started” she concluded.
Lauren had listened to everything her friend said with a mixture of amusement and concern and thought a few minutes before replying.
“If you want Julie I’ll come with you but in my opinion you should go alone. It doesn’t matter if it goes anywhere. You should just get some. How many years has it been? Go have fun.”
“No I can’t. Lauren you’re right that I need it and all but I can’t. Just throw myself at him I mean. Especially after what happened this morning. Come over to pick something up and that way I won’t be alone with him because he’ll leave once I get there.”
“Fine if that’s what you want.”
That afternoon Lauren followed behind her friend’s car as she drove home. The two of them entered the house together and John soon came downstairs. He was sweaty and dirty but he smiled when he saw them.
“Hey Julie how are you?” he asked and his eyes narrowed when he saw Lauren. “Hey I know you, don’t I?”
“Hello Johnny, I’m Lauren and you hung out with my sister Trish back in the day.”
“That’s right, how is she doing? I haven’t seen her or really a lot of the old crowd since I got back to town.”
“She’s good, married now with a little boy. They live over in Andersonville a few miles away.”
“Let me get you that book” Julie said to Lauren as she slipped away. As she headed upstairs she heard the two of them gaily chatting about the past. When she came down she handed Lauren her lesson plan book though she had been carrying it the whole time with her.
“Thanks Jules and I’ll see you tomorrow. Nice seeing you again Johnny, I’ll be sure to let Trish know you’re back in town.”
“Yeah cool Lauren, I better go now as well and let Julie have her house. Goodnight Julie. ”
She closed the door behind them and watched as they walked to the street where they both were parked. They talked for a minute more before climbing into their vehicles and driving off. The next morning Julie made sure she was up early and in fact she was ready to leave before he even arrived. When he did she attempted to hurry past when he stopped her.
“Julie before you go we need to talk.”
“Okay” she said with her heart in her throat, dreading what he might say.
“Well I’m kind of at an impasse with the work. Until you let me know what windows you want done and which rooms to paint first, as well as the colors, then I’m almost out of work. I have a few more hours’ worth and that’s it. We really have to discuss it.”
“Sure no problem, I understand John. After school today we’ll talk” Julie answered, relieved that was what he wanted to talk about. “See you later, have to go.”
With that she was gone leaving John alone. He shrugged helplessly as he really wished to talk about more than that but wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. It was fairly obvious that after yesterday morning Julie was uncomfortable around him. He could understand it especially given her shy nature but it had been weighing on him as well. Last night all he could think of was the sight of her naked breasts and how much he wanted to suck on them.
He hadn’t lied when he told her he studied her back when he was a student. Julie was a lot more attractive than she gave herself credit for he thought and though she did her best to conceal the fact, her slender body was sexy as hell to him. Plus he fondly remembered the way her face would get wistful or passionate when she would read certain poems back in class, usually a love poem by one of her favorites. It was true he wanted to stay in town due to his father but the other reason John took the job was he hoped now that he was older he might have an opportunity to tell her how he felt and maybe have a chance with her.
Since there was nothing to be done about it until later John went to work. He finished removing the remaining unwanted items before noon, leaving him precious little to do. He next took accurate measurements of all the downstairs windows in case she wished to replace them. Finally he measured the windows upstairs including in the bathroom as well as in Julie’s mother’s room and the spare bedroom which was used as a storage room. Her bedroom he avoided as he didn’t wish to invade her privacy in that way with how things were at the moment.
John killed time playing with Emily for some time, dragging a string across the floor and watching the cat pursue it until finally the feline got bored and wandered off to take a nap in a sunny window. When Julie arrived that afternoon she was surprised to see John sitting on the porch next door sipping lemonade with the Russell’s. They waved to her and she returned the greeting but she made no move to join them instead standing at the curb with her arms folded.
“Time for me to go it seems, thanks for the lemonade folks” John said as he rose from the wicker chair.
“You’re welcome anytime John and you let Julie know the same. Here we are next door neighbors and we rarely talk to her these days” Edna told him as he departed.
Once he reached her at the sidewalk Julie made a sour face before asking “So what’s up with the busybodies next door, trying to squeeze you for information about me?”
John kept his face serene as he answered her. “No, not really Julie. I mean the other day when they first saw me they asked if I was doing work ‘in the Jones house’ but I think that’s kind of normal under the circumstances. They see some strange guy moving stuff out of your house and all.”
“Yeah okay but you have no idea how nosy they can be. That’s why Mother planted the hedge after we moved in so it made it harder for them to spy on us.”
“I think it’s good for neighbors to watch out for each other’s houses. By the way they told me to tell you that you’re always welcome there.”
Julie rolled her eyes from that little tidbit and John couldn’t help smiling at her reaction as he expected something along those lines from her. They had moved up her walk as they talked and now went inside. Emily was no where in sight and it had been a while since he had seen her.
“So have you made any decisions on the windows Julie?”
“I’ve decided that it makes sense to do them all now. I have the money available so what’s the point in doing some now and then doing more down the road. I’m not sure what style to get yet though.”
“I think you’re making the right decision Julie. And as far as the style, you take a look at the styles and costs and decide from there. You might get some of a cheaper model for some rooms and nicer ones for others. Personally since you have an older house with nice woodwork I’d suggest you get the kind where the interior section is wood and the exterior is vinyl so it blends in seamlessly in appearance. Some have built in lattices or other features but they add to the cost so it’s up to you. I took the liberty of measuring most of the windows as I ran out of work earlier. I just need the dimensions of your bedroom windows.”
They proceeded upstairs where he took the measurements as she stood just inside the room. A few minutes later they were again on the street where John unlocked his passenger door to allow Julie to get in. As they drove he figured now was the best time to broach the subject.
“About yesterday morning Julie, I apologize. If I had waited until you left before starting to work…”
“No John, it wasn’t your fault. If I was watching where I was going instead of rushing blindly into you like that, so no apology is necessary and we won’t mention it again.”
He knew there was no way he could forget what he saw even if he never mentioned it but he held his tongue - for the moment at least. With a sidelong glance he noticed that Julie’s face was red as a beet so he continued to keep his face turned straight ahead as he drove.
“You have an idea of what color paints you want?”
“Uh huh, for the most part.”
“Well then you just have to decide what rooms you want done first. If you want I can work tomorrow and get a number of windows done if they have them in stock which will allow you to have the rooms painted according to your schedule. I figure when I paint your room you might want to sleep somewhere else for a night or two because of the smell.”
“I’ll think about it but I probably want my room done first if that’s okay” she said softly.
“Whatever you want Julie.”
Things worked out well at the home improvement mega-store. She was able to get all the paint colors she wanted and they actually had some of the windows she chose in stock. The bathroom window wasn’t available as it was an odd size and the glass needed to be opaque but the rest of the second story windows and the paint were soon loaded in his truck. On their way back John decided to try something.
“Julie, with all this running around what do you say I take us to dinner? There’s a nice Italian place coming up and we can work out a time