Johnny Pulaski Chapter 5

Posted: February 22, 2006 - 10:30:39 pm

I love springtime in Florida. From about the middle of March until early

June the weather is perfect. The humidity is low with temperatures

rising to the mid eighties during the day, and dropping into the sixties

at night. College spring break begins in late March, first for the

Canadian then for the US schools. The college kids hit the beach about

the same time that we locals start spending more time on them. If we

wanted to check out the college talent we drove a dozen miles north to

Daytona; if we wanted to enjoy the beach we stayed in Palmdale.

It was during Palmdale High's spring break that I found the next female

that resonated with me. When I say I found her I meant that I discovered

the link, I already knew her and had for seven years. Us finding each

other was an exhilarating and yet highly vexing situation. You see, the

woman in question was Denise Drake, Richie and Jen Caldwell's mother.

On the first day of spring break I was at loose ends so I grabbed my

bathing suit and cruised over to Richie's house on my bike. Richie

wasn't at home but his mom said I was welcome to use the pool. Mrs.

Drake looked sort of unhappy so I asked her to join me in the pool.

"You don't want to be bothered by an old woman like me, ' she said sadly.

I put my hand on her arm to tell her that wasn't true when I felt the

tingle that let me know I was with someone on my personal wavelength. I

squeezed her arm slightly and amended what I was going to say.

"That's comical Ms D, cause you are the prettiest mom in town."

I radiated every iota of sincerity I could muster in my voice and touch.

It worked. She gave me a tentative smile.

"Okay but just for a little while, you sweet talker you."

I went out to the pool while she went to get her suit. I was floating on

my back when she knifed into the pool and came up beside me. Denise was

a petite woman, probably less than five feet three. She couldn't weigh

much more than a hundred pounds. Jen and Richie were both short like

her. She had a nice figure, largish breasts compared to her small frame

and womanly flaring hips in proportion to her size. She was wearing a

black one-piece bathing suit, as was her conservative nature. She always

dressed well but, I guess because she was on television, nothing too

revealing.

We joked around and I got her to laugh a lot using the teasing banter I

had learned with Rachael. She asked me how school was going and I told

her that I was on the 'A' honor roll again this term. She congratulated

me and said she should hire me to tutor her daughter Jennifer. I said

I'd do that for her if she wanted. Tutoring was an easy ten dollars an

hour and usually would include a nice bonus for improved grades. She

said she'd think about it but with Jenny being a cute girl and she

didn't know if I could stay focused. I touched her arm again.

"Ms Drake, Jenny is just a friend. I don't feel any attraction to her.

No offense but she is a little immature for my tastes."

Denise regarded me seriously for a moment. "Yes, I heard all about your

hot older girl friend from my daughter. She was quite put out that you

were seeing her."

"I only dated Rachael a few times; without going into details, she

squashed my heart."

This time she took my hand in hers. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring

up bad memories. Are you dating anyone now?"

"Not really, I take a girl named Caroline Hernandez out once in a while

but we are just friends."

We talked for a while longer then got out of the pool. I toweled off and

put my shorts on over my suit. Denise put on a short terry robe and

snagged us a couple of Diet Cokes. I listened sympathetically as she

lamented about getting older. She was afraid her television station

would replace her with a younger woman any day now. She said it wasn't

fair; after all, she was only thirty-nine. I decided then and there I'd

do what I could to restore her self-esteem.

When I left she stood on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek.

"Johnny," she said, "when we are alone call me Denise, okay?"

And that's the way it started. My relationship with Denise evolved into

a long slow dance as we both wrestled with our consciences. I was torn

because she was married and the mother of one of my best friends.

Denise's only problem turned out to be that I was so young.

Look, I know I could have kept anything from happening by just staying

away. But Denise was unhappy and I sensed it was from more than just her

job. I really wasn't thinking about sex at first, heck I was getting

that in spades from Caroline. But this connection thing I share with

certain women makes me feel as if I need to make things right for them,

if that makes any sense.

The television show Denise co-hosted, "Palmdale In The Morning", aired

from seven to nine. She had to be at the studio at five-thirty but was

home by ten. Her routine was to take a shower then a nap. It had always

been a rule that Jen and Richie have no one over between ten and noon.

The local Fox affiliate, like the network in general, was decidedly

politically conservative. Denise had the same political bent. She was a

member of the Republican Women's Club and an active member of the

Republican Party. She and my grandfather would get along great. I

mention her conservatism because it spilled into her personal life and

outlook. Denise firmly believed that problems were solved by

self-reliance and hard work. When she started having all these doubts

about herself, she bottled up her feelings and kept up her public face

through her inner turmoil.

The day after our swim together I went back over to see her, Richie was

home that day so our time alone was limited, but she was genuinely happy

to see me. She went shopping soon after I arrived but did ask me to come

over that evening to discuss tutoring Jenny. Stan came over to swim too,

then the three of us went to Stan's to work out. When I had a chance I

tactfully quizzed Richie about his mom.

"Richie, your mom seems kind of down lately. Is she okay?"

"I don't know man, but she and Dad argue all the time. My dad has some

new job that keeps him on the road a lot."

"She is thinking about hiring me to tutor your sister. How come Jen

isn't doing better in school?"

"Beats me, she has never been a good student though, too many other

interests. Now that she's discovered boys it's even worse. She is also

jealous about this Disney gig I have coming up. She will be a big pain

in your ass if you take the job."

Denise had wrangled an audition for Richie for a part in a pilot for an

after school show Disney was producing for ABC. Richie got the part, it

wasn't the male lead, but it was a start for him. I was pretty sure that

Richie's good looks and sparkling personality would take him a long way

as an actor. I could see Jen being jealous; she was such a prima donna.

Stan and Jen were no longer an item as both had moved on. Jen was a

junior varsity cheerleader and, of course, she was dating the

quarterback of the junior varsity football team.

That evening I showed up at Denise's at seven. Richie had a date and Jen

was at a sleepover with one of her cheer teammates. Mr. Caldwell was who

knows where. Denise got us a drink and we sat in the family room, me on

the couch and her in a nearby wing-backed chair. She was wearing tan

slacks and a cream-colored cashmere sweater. I noticed that her

trademark short shag cut hair had been recently brushed and she was

wearing make up.

"You look very nice this evening Denise, although I think you look

better in a skirt."

She actually blushed! "I'm getting spider veins behind my knees, I'm

afraid my skirt wearing days are over."

I shrugged, "So you wear stockings, yeah, thigh highs would do it."

She gave me a look as if I just landed from Mars.

"Maybe, but I don't know how appropriate it is for us to be talking

about skirts and stockings."

I decided to try something different. I reached over and took her hand.

"Hey, I'm your friend; I was just thinking that maybe a little wardrobe

change might make you feel better. Why don't you try it next time I'm

over and see?"

She hesitated a second before saying maybe again. That was all I wanted,

just to get her to think about it. It was obvious that Denise wasn't

going to reinvent herself ala Rachael without a little nudging from me.

I changed the subject to tutoring. We agreed on two nights a week for an

hour and a half. I though the twenty-five dollars she offered to pay for

each session was outstanding. Business completed I asked Denise if she

would mind sitting out by the pool with me, it was a nice night and I

wanted to enjoy the fresh air. Denise refreshed her wine and my iced tea

and we sat at the patio table next to the pool. It was fairly dark with

only the muted glow of the pool lights denting the inky stillness. I

moved my chair close to hers and encouraged her to talk. She was

reticent at first but as I held her hand she started.

She told me that television was a fickle business, one that based a

person's value on the latest marketing data. It didn't matter that you

had dominated your time slot for years; two consecutive quarters with

slipping numbers put management into a tizzy. Her show had suffered such

a decline and rumors were flying that changes were imminent if the

numbers slid again. The most persistent rumor had the station manager

contemplating aiming for a younger demographic by totally revamping the

show. The new version would be faster paced, with new sets and hip new

hosts.

"What does Mr. Caldwell say about it?" I asked.

She snorted. "He says I don't need to work anyway and that I could find

some other hobby. Can you believe it; he called my career a hobby. I

think Jack is like our station manager, looking for a younger

demographic. He has this incredibly beautiful young assistant that seems

to travel with him a whole lot. Johnny, I just don't know what I am

going to do if I'm washed up at forty."

She started crying then so I pulled her toward me. She resisted a little

but finally slid into my lap and cried on my shoulder. I held her and

let her get it all out. Finally she sniffled and sat up.

"Look at me, crying like a baby. That's not my style at all. Why do I

feel so comfortable with you Johnny? I'm the adult yet I feel so

protected and safe with you. And I've got mascara all over your shirt."

I laughed as she tried to rub the wet mascara off my collar.

"Don't worry about it, it'll wash out. You feel comfortable with me

because we have a connection and you trust me. That's how it is with

some people and me."

"I feel that, Johnny Pulaski, but I'm still making a spectacle out of

myself crying all over you."

She made a move to get off my lap but I held her firmly in place.

"Stay where you are, I should get equal time to just hold you like this

without you crying."

She gave me a little laugh and punched me in the arm.

"You are /sooo/ bad," she said.

But she stayed right where she was, comfortably snuggled in my arms.

Jeez, she was tiny. After about ten minutes I reluctantly let her up. It

was after eight by now and I had to get home. She let me hold her hand

as she walked me to the door. Before I left she wrapped her arms around

me and hugged me tight.

"Thank you for listening to me Johnny. I'm sure you had better things to

do."

"Not at all Sweetie," I said, "even at your worst you are the best

company I could be keeping."

That got me a kiss on the lips. It wasn't a big kiss but it was a start.

The next day was Saturday and already Saturday was synonymous for

Caroline. And Caroline was synonymous for hot monkey sex! She had to

watch her younger brothers and sisters while her parents were at her

oldest brother's soccer game; so she didn't get too my house until one.

She came in and talked to Dad and Katrina while I finished mowing our

lawn. I think Dad suspected about our Saturdays but Katrina knew for

sure. The Moose took no pity on me when I came home dragging ass.

I had my backpack laden with supplies just like last week. In addition,

I had purchased a tube of surgical lube. Last week on a whim I slipped a

finger coated with our juices into Caroline's ass while I was munching

muff for about the fifth time. When I did that she came unglued, she

arched off the bed and warbled an air raid siren wail. The little trick

was something I picked up studying erotica on the Internet. During my

'research' I learned that if the girl in the story liked a little finger

wave she might also like a little Kong action back there. Who knows,

maybe I could show my little sexpot something new for a change.

It was almost one-thirty by the time I put away the mower and took a

shower. I apologized to Caroline for being late. She said no problem;

she had enjoyed hanging out watching me sweat. Once we were at Rachael's

I took charge and slowed my over anxious little Latina down. I undressed

her myself this time, savoring every flawless dusky inch of golden skin

I uncovered. When she was naked I asked her to do the same for me. She

complied and stripped me. She looked at me questioningly when we both

were naked. I motioned for her to lie down on the bed on her back.

When she was in position I crawled onto the bed and started kissing her.

When I had kissed every square inch of her front I flipped her over and

started on her back. I took notice of all the little places that felt

good to her. This was all new to Caroline. I was amazed that none of her

previous lovers had wanted to do this for her. She had such a succulent

little body that seemed made for kissing. When I had her again on her

back I dove down to taste her little quim. She was ready and came after

only a few swipes of my tongue. She was still quivering with her orgasm

when I slipped on a rubber and pushed into her. When her hips started to

gyrate I pulled out and told her to slow down. She looked at me as if I

was crazy but moved slower when I slid back into her.

I made slow and tender love to Caroline for almost thirty minutes,

stopping often when one of us was ready to climax. When we did come it

was together and it was gigantic. When we were close to breathing

normally I carefully rolled us over until she was lying on top of me.

She pushed herself up to a sitting position. She shook her hair off her

face, her expression bewildered.

"That was the most incredible feeling, Johnny. No one has ever made me

feel that good before. I don't think we can do that any more or I will

end up falling in love with you."

"Honey, there has to be some love between us if I am going to keep doing

this. I don't necessarily mean the boyfriend-girlfriend type but maybe

friends who love each other or something. Just hopping in the sack with

someone doesn't do it for me; I'd rather just masturbate."

She considered what I said for a few long moments, then tentatively

agreed that if the results were like we just experienced I might have a

point. I had stayed hard even after my first orgasm so I was able to

hold on to the rubber as she dismounted. I stripped off the dead latex

soldier and Caroline cleaned me slick as a whistle with her mouth. I

started to reach for another condom when she stopped me.

"I just finished my period yesterday and started the pill today. I think

I'm pretty safe. I wanna try it bareback."

I agreed provided we use the sponge spermi-thing, just in case. Boy it

was good without the rubber between us! Oh yeah, and we got to use the

KY lube I bought too. We both thought it was okay for a change of pace

but didn't see it being a focal point of our love making. We had too

much fun doing other stuff. I was tired when she took me home at five

but not as dogged as the week before. I sure was satisfied though and

judging from Caroline's smug little glow, so was she.

I didn't go to the Caldwell's that Saturday but Denise did surprise me

by calling me about eight that night. My dad took the call and yelled up

that some girl named Denise was on the phone. Denise got a kick out of

him mistaking her for a teenager. We had a really nice chat on the

telephone. I think Denise was surprised at how much I knew about

politics and the current political landscape. I don't see why she would

have been though, because we were in Florida, the world epicenter of

fucked up politics. I keep up with politics mainly so I could argue with

my grandfather. I loved to take the opposite side of the debate just to

get a rise out of him. Politics weren't all she and I talked about though.

"I went shopping today," she said.

"Oh? What did you buy?" I asked.

"I bought a couple of short pleated skirts, not minis, but definitely

above the knees. And I bought some stay up thigh highs, black ones and

some smoky gray ones. I was surprise at how good they looked on me.

Well, I guess you are going to have to decide that, though, aren't you?"

"Yes I will. Do you think I could see you in some of them Monday?"

"I think that could be arranged, if you dropped by at about four or so.

Which would you prefer, red or navy?"

"Red," I said, "and black stockings, and maybe some short heels."

She gave me a throaty laugh. "You are incorrigible, but I'll see what I

can do. Bye-bye Johnny Pulaski, I miss you."

She hung up before I could say anything else.

Sunday was family day for us as it was one of the rare occasions that

Mom was home. Mom was Director of Shuttle Operations now and was

struggling mightily to restore a seriously broken program to its former

glory. One effect of her new job was that she was taking a greater

interest in her appearance. Gone were the schoolmarm clothes,

black-rimmed glasses and hair in a bun. Now she wore fashionable

business suits, contacts and her hair was in a stylish pageboy. She

looked professional and very good. Mom was there physically but you

could tell she had a lot on her mind. Mom's parents, Gus and Syl, were

down for a week also, taking spring break along with their students.

At three in the afternoon Papa Janus had about as much of Gus and Syl as

he could stand. Mumbling that he had to go let Jethro out he grabbed me

and booked. We took Jethro to the park so he could run. I brought a

Frisbee thinking I'd toss it for Jethro like all the guys were doing

with their Border Collies and Sheep Dogs. I tossed the Frisbee and

Jethro took off after it like a shot. But unlike the other dogs, the

Doofus picked it up and ran it the other direction. He got about fifty

feet from us, lay down and began to eat the Frisbee. When he finished

reducing the Whammo Deluxe to a small wad of shapeless plastic he stood

up and looked around. As soon as he spotted another Frisbee in the air

he rocketed after it. With a truly phenomenal leap, he intercepted the

disk and hauled ass with it. Papa looked at me and shrugged.

"I think Jethro is too smart to play the game the normal way so he

invented his own rules."

God love him, only my grandfather could use the words Jethro and smart

in the same sentence. It took fifteen minutes to corral the big goofy

hound as he proceeded to disrupt every activity occurring in the park

that involved flying objects. Papa was so impressed by Jethro's athletic

prowess he went to McDonalds and bought him two orders of Chicken

McNuggets. Jethro daintily ate the nuggets, boxes and all. By the time

we reached my grandparents house we were riding with the windows down as

Jethro cut loose with some impressively prodigious farts.

Papa tied Jetro to his runner in the back yard and we headed back to my

house for supper. Jethro had to be tied up because there wasn't a fence

in town Jethro couldn't get over, including the six-foot privacy fence

around my grandparents' back yard. And no one wanted Jethro on the

loose. Jethro would run around the neighborhood chasing cats and playing

with kids until someone called my grandfather or worse called Animal

Control. To insure Jethro's safe return from one of his adventures his

collar was fitted with this big engraved metal dog bone. The dog bone

read: *'JETHRO PULASKI - POLISH WONDER DOG - 386-555-4271.*

I worked for my grandfather Monday from seven until three in the

afternoon. He was starting a kitchen remodel and needed my help with the

demolition of the old kitchen. I enjoyed working with Papa and the money

was damned good. Papa would always double what he promised me to keep me

ahead on my father's fifty-fifty rule. I had to bank fifty percent of

everything I earned working. I didn't really gripe too much about having

to save because I had a nifty little five-figure balance before I even

turned sixteen.

Once home, I showered off the layer of drywall dust I was coated in and

put on a nice pair of slacks and a button down collar shirt. Then I

splashed on some aftershave. I figured Denise would appreciate my

efforts. At three-fifty I rode my bike over to the Caldwells', my

swimsuit and a towel in my backpack.

I was ringing the doorbell at the Caldwells' at four sharp. Denise

answered the door wearing slacks and a turtleneck knit shirt. Not quite

what I expected. I guess I let my disappointment show because she smiled

and hugged me.

"Jennifer is upstairs getting ready to go to the mall. Be patient, okay?"

"No problem Denise, you still look gorgeous. I'll just go over and see

Stan for a few minutes."

Stan wasn't home either, but Michelle was. She was waiting for Jen to

come over. Mrs. Hoffman was the one taking them to the mall. Michelle

invited me in and led me to the rec room. We sat down on the sofa and

caught up on each other's lives. Michelle was fifteen now and dating.

She was going out with a junior named Wayne Collins. Girls my age dated

older guys because they had cars and could really take them out. I

teasingly asked Michelle if she was expanding on our pool of sexual

knowledge.

"God, Johnny, doesn't it seem like years ago that we made that pact? I

was so immature then. It's funny because I had to teach Wayne how to

kiss me and make me feel good. I'm still a virgin, it just doesn't seem

as important to get rid of my cherry now as it did last year. How about

you Johnny? You getting any?"

I cracked up when she asked me that. It was her brother Stan's favorite

saying. I wasn't about to tell Shelly about my love life. I never talked

about the girls I had been intimate with, that would be disrespecting them.

"I might have a couple of things that I could show you," I said.

"Hmmm," she said, "I might take you up on that one day soon. After all,

I promised that you would be my first."

"I'm not going to hold you to that, Shelly. You said it in the heat of

passion. Maybe you want to save that for someone you fall in love with."

"Maybe," she allowed, "but I know in my heart that you are the one that

can make my first time special. I just feel safe and cared for when I'm

with you."

"Yeah, we have a bond Shelly and always will. If you still feel the same

way when the time comes, I would be honored to be your first. After all,

you were my first for most everything, too."

We didn't get to talk further because Jen came breezing in. Jen didn't

have much to say to me, I wasn't one of her favorite people for some

reason. It bothered me that she felt that way, it would make tutoring

her difficult. I left Michelle's and took a leisurely ride around the

block before going back to the Caldwells'.

This time when I rang the doorbell Denise called for me to come in. I

opened the door and she was standing inside the foyer. She was wearing

exactly what we had discussed, a short red pleated skirt, the nylons and

shoes with heels about two inches tall. For a top she had on a scooped

neck white silk shirt that was very daring for her. It was the first

thing I'd ever seen her in anything that showed cleavage. The outfit was

classy and sexy at the same time. She giggled at my 'Wow' and did a

pirouette so I could see the back.

"What do you think?" She asked.

"I think you look even better than I imagined you would, and that's

saying a lot. But what do you think? Is it a look that you can be

comfortable with?"

"I think I look sexy in this but I don't know if I can wear it in

public. I'm a little long in the tooth to be flaunting my body like

that. With you it feels good but with anyone else it might not."

"You need to stop putting yourself down right now. I'm going to tell you

one last time you are not that old. You are an attractive woman in her

prime so start acting like it."

She gave me this strange look and I thought she shivered a little.

"I'll try, Johnny," She said meekly.

I was getting the idea that Denise liked it when I was forceful around

her and told her what to do. Maybe she was tired of having to be in

charge all the time and me telling her what to do made it easier. I

didn't waste any time testing my theory.

"Good, now come here and hug me like you mean it."

She gave me a sweet smile and flew into my open arms. She giggled when I

picked her up and twirled her around. I sat her back down and tilted up

her face. When I kissed her she gave a little hum and kissed me back. I

didn't try to french her but I held the kiss for a few seconds. When I

broke it she stayed in my arms and laid her face on my chest.

"What are we doing Johnny?" she asked.

"Right now we are being friends; we'll worry about other stuff later."

Denise nodded against me and squeezed me before stepping back.

"Will you stay and have dinner with me?" she asked.

I agreed and followed her into the kitchen. I sat on a stool at the long

counter top bar and we chatted about inconsequential stuff as she

efficiently made us a light supper. We ate salads and sandwiches side by

side out by the pool as the sun sank slowly behind us. I helped Denise

carry the dishes and drinks back inside. She poured herself a glass of

white wine and we went back out on the pool deck. When I sat down Denise

looked at me shyly.

"Can I sit in you lap again, Johnny? I felt so good there last time. No

one holds me and hugs me any more. Jack is always gone and when he's

not, he and the kids pretty much ignore me."

I scooted back the chair and she slipped into my lap. She sighed and

cuddled up against me.

"I don't know how safe you are sitting here, sweetie," I said resting my

hand on her thigh. "I'm a guy and you are a sexy and pretty girl."

She raised her head off my shoulder and looked me in the eye.

"I'm as safe as I want to be," she said.

Then she surprised the crap out of me by giving me a scorching hot kiss,

her little tongue forcing its way into my mouth. I kissed her back with

enthusiasm. Her arms tightened around my neck and she moaned into my

mouth. I moved my hand on her thigh in firm little circles as we kissed.

When she finally broke the kiss she laid her head back against my chest

and started talking, her voice low and husky.

"I haven't kissed anyone like that in years," she said. "I thought

because I was getting older I'd lost the desire. Jack doesn't kiss me

any more even when we sleep together. He just gets himself off as I lay

there thinking about grocery lists and what I'm going to do the next

day. For years now, my life has been all about comfort and aging

gracefully. Now you come along and all of a sudden my blood sings in my

veins."

Not much I could say to that but coupled with what she told me about her

job it sure explained her unhappiness. I tilted her chin up and kissed

her again. This time I was the aggressor, worming my tongue between her

lips. She stiffened monetarily when I cupped her breast then sighed and

relaxed. Her breasts were a really nice pliant handful. She didn't

protest when I fished under her blouse and unhooked her bra. We were

both breathing hard when we came up for air.

"I want to make love Johnny," she whispered into my ear.

"So do I Denise but we can't do it now. I want it to be perfect for you

when we do. No rushing, no worries about someone coming home. You are

too special to me for that."

She stared at me and her eyes got moist.

"That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Are you going to

make me fall in love with you Johnny?"

I answered her by kissing her again. We made out for a while longer. I

ended up getting her off with my fingers as she moaned and bit my neck.

When she tried to do the same for me I stopped her.

"This is your evening Sweetie. Next time it will be our day."

I went home at eight so Denise could get to bed. She had to be up at

four-thirty to get ready for work. I told her I would find a way for us

to spend some special time together. She kissed me passionately at the

door and told me it needed to be soon because I was responsible for

waking up her sensuality. I left with a severe case of self-inflicted

blue balls. I had to jerk off twice before Kong would let me sleep.

Tuesday morning I was up bright and early, I had slept great. I was

dressed in jeans and my Red Wing work boots for another day of helping

my grandfather. Dad was already up so he and I shot the shit for a

while. Dad told me that he had a line on a used pickup truck for my

birthday but wouldn't give me any details. My dad ran across good deals

on vehicles all the time in his line of work. He was the one who turned

Mr. Hernandez on to the Geo that Caroline drove. Cars really didn't

interest me that much but I loved pickup trucks. I think it must be

genetic with us Pulaski men because my dad and grandfather were the same

way.

At seven my dad left and I turned on the tube while I waited for Papa J.

The people whose kitchen he was remodeling were still living in the

house so we couldn't start before eight. I clicked the remote over to

channel sixteen to catch a peek at sweet little Denise. I could tell

right away that Denise was in a good mood, she was vibrant and witty.

She looked good too, wearing a skirt and blazer and the shoes she had

worn last night. Under the blazer she was wearing a red silk shell that

almost looked like a camisole. It was a daring ensemble for her.

Papa showed up at a quarter after. I hopped into his truck and he took

us to breakfast at Mama's Café. Mama's was my grandfather's favorite

hangout. He said it was for the food but I was betting it was the

waitresses that kept him coming back. Mama's had two spectacularly built

women serving the small restaurant. And my grandfather had big eyes for

one of them. She was about forty-five and sharp as a tack. Watching her

flirt with Papa was a treat.

We pulled up to the job at ten after eight. Papa held a brief conference

with the homeowners before they left for work then we finished tearing

out the old kitchen. We ripped out everything including the appliances.

The range was a fairly new model glass topped GE that was in excellent

condition so we loaded it onto his truck. Papa thought that Maria

Hernandez, Caroline's mom, might want it. Being an immigrant himself he

had a soft spot for the Hernandez family.

At nine thirty my cell phone vibrated and beeped letting me know I had a

text message. I flipped my phone open and read the message. */'I miss

you and can't wait to see you again, love Dee'/* it said. I showed the

text to my nosey grandfather and he clapped me on the back.

"You're a true Pulaski," he said proudly.

We worked steadily and by noon were finished with the demolition and

clean up. We took a break for lunch then spent the afternoon repairing

dry wall. Papa called his drywall finishers to make sure they were set

to prep the walls the next day then we headed home. My grandfather was a

whiz at scheduling his subcontractors, that's why his jobs were

completed so quickly. He had finishers scheduled for Wednesday and

Thursday and painters on for Friday. Tile setters were coming in Monday

to put down the slate floors.

I called Denise as soon as I got home. She was happy that I called, she

practically purred on the phone. She asked me to come over after supper

so we could sit down with Jennifer and talk about the tutoring. I said sure.

With my mom gone so much we ate a lot of meals at my grandparents. Nana

was a great cook and loved feeding us. Usually it was just my dad and me

for supper because Katrina was at her part time job at the library. What

with work, school, sports and dating we saw about as much of the Moose

as we did my mom. I couldn't help but notice our family fragmenting. But

then I thought about the rock like presence of my dad and knew that

somehow he'd make everything right. Even my grandfather felt that way;

Paul Pulaski just inspired that kind of confidence in people.

I arrived at the Caldwells' at sevenish. Denise met me at the door with

a quick kiss and a lingering hug.

"I can't believe how much I missed you and how happy I am to see you,"

she said, her voice soft and sweet.

"I missed you too, Dee, I even watched you on TV this morning. And by

the way, you sparkled."

"You did?" she said, pleased as punch. "I felt so good this morning I

just let it out on the air. The station got a lot of calls about it. My

boss said whatever I was doing to keep it up. I'd love it if you called

me Dee all the time, it can be your special name for me."

"You got it Dee-Dee, now let's go talk to my new student." I said as I

spun her around and swatted her on her butt. She was wearing a snug calf

length skirt and another one of those cashmere sweaters, both in a pale

green. She was some classy woman.

Dee laughed gaily and wiggled her ass saucily as she led me to the

family room. She told me to sit down then she went upstairs to get Jen.

She returned in a couple of minutes with her daughter in tow. Jen

plopped down on the couch next to me, curious about what was going on.

Denise sat primly on the edge of an over-stuffed chair across the coffee

table from us.

"Jennifer, I am hiring Johnny to help you with your schoolwork," Denise

said without preamble.

Jen looked at me in surprise. "Really!?"

"Yes, really, I don't want you to fall behind and I want you to be able

to keep up you extracurricular activities. I though a tutor would

accomplish both things. What do you think?"

I could almost see the wheels turning in her conniving little brain as

she though for a minute.

"I don't know but I guess we can try it. But I'm not stupid or anything

you know."

I jumped in then.

"Jen, I've known you for years, I know you are anything but stupid.

Sometimes though, it helps to have someone study with you to help you

focus. I see that being the way we approach this."

Jen nodded and asked how it was going to work. I told her that I'd spend

an hour and a half with her on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Jen agreed to

give it a try. We talked about details for a few minutes then Denise

asked Jen to excuse us so we could work out financial arrangements. When

Jen was out of sight up the stairs, Denise took her place on the couch.

"That went amazing well, Johnny, thank you."

"No problem Dee, she really is a smart girl you know. She's just

unfocused and full of herself."

We talked about the tutoring for a few minutes and agreed that I would

start at seven next Tuesday. Then Denise took my hand and led me thru

the kitchen into the laundry room. She closed the door behind her and

melted into my arms. I lifted her into the air and sat her on the

washing machine then stepped between her legs and kissed her. We made

out for a few minutes until we heard Jen calling for her mom. With a

final kiss and a promise to call tomorrow, I slipped into the garage and

out the side door.

That night I wracked my brain for a romantic spot to take Denise for our

first time together. I didn't want to take her to Rachael's because

someone might see us there. I finally hit on a plan that would protect

Denise and still give her the experience I thought she deserved. I'd

need a little help but knew exactly who to get that from. I fell into a

contented sleep as soon as I took care of the Mighty Kong.

Next morning I was up early again, despite not having to work. I again

had coffee with Dad, Mom had already left for the Cape and Katrina was

out for her morning ten-kilometer run. As soon as Dad was out the door I

turned on the tube and called my grandfather. I knew Papa was at loose

ends today with nothing to do but check on his drywall finishers so I

asked him if he could do me a huge favor. Since he and Nana lived to do

stuff for Katrina and me, he jumped at the chance. I asked him to pick

me up in an hour or so, hung up the phone, and turned my attention to

the television.

My Honey was in rare form again and looked even better than yesterday.

She was dressed a little sexier and her hair was done up subtly

different. She looked at least ten years younger than she use to. The

segment I was watching had a famous chef from one of the marquee Disney

hotels as a guest. Denise was making him look good by feeding him

compliments and questions. Her persiflage had the guy eating out of her

hand by the time he pulled his spinach soufflé out of the oven. I shook

my head in awe as I headed up to throw on some clothes and brush my teeth.

Papa picked me up at eight and insisted we go to Mama's for breakfast,

even though I'd already eaten. Papa's favorite table at the diner was

mysteriously available even though the place was packed. Tina, the

waitress, came swishing over and parked her hip against Papa's shoulder.

Papa snaked his hand around her and hugged her to him.

"Tina, when are you going to come to your senses and run off with me?'

Papa asked.

"Jan, if I thought you meant it I'd do it in a heartbeat," she answered.

She was at least thirty years younger than him but I could tell she was

dead serious. Papa laughed and patted her on her shapely butt. Anyone

else would have gotten a right hook for that move; my grandfather got a

smile and a coo.

While I worked on my second breakfast of the morning I told Papa what I

wanted to do. I didn't mention names but he guessed it was the

mysterious Dee from yesterday. Papa agreed to help, so as soon as we

finished our breakfast we headed out to the western end of the county.

We pulled in to Mermaid Springs State Park and went into the visitor's

center. The park was the winter hangout for a large cluster of manatees

because of the constant seventy-degree temperature of the spring's

water. This late in the year though, the manatees were back in the ocean

so on weekdays the park was nearly deserted. The park had a dozen small

log cabins they rented as well as a full service campground. I was

interested in a cabin. Cabins were available so Papa used his credit

card and rented one for me for Thursday and Friday.

Papa drove me home and agreed to pick me up tomorrow at three. I had

some things that I wanted to get to put in the cabin and he needed to

sign for the keys after four. As soon as he drove off I sent a text to

Denise's cell phone. */'Dee, don't make any plans for Friday, it's our

day, Love JP3'/* was what I sent.

Denise must have gotten my message when she woke up from her nap because

she called me shortly after noon. She was jubilant and full of

questions. I told her that it was a surprise and that I would text her

Friday morning with directions. She said she couldn't wait.

I didn't go to the Caldwells' that evening, instead I went to Stan's. We

had a really good work out while he told me about the new girl he was

dating. Stan had gotten his driver's license the week before spring

break and Patricia was the first girl he was actually taking out on

dates. He said I should ask Michelle out and we'd double date. I knew

Patricia Miller by sight, she was a fox and I told him so. He asked me

about my love life and I gave him a sanitized version of it. I told him

I saw Caroline Hernandez every so often but we were just friends.

"That's a shame Dude," he said, "because I know of at least four girls

that want to go out with you, most especially my sister."

I changed the subject and lamented that we saw so little of Richie any

more. We talked about that for a few minutes. Stan said that according

to what Jen told his sister, Richie was set to do the series if ABC

picked up the pilot he was making. He said Richie might not even come

back to school next year until shooting for the season was over. I told

Stan that I hoped his new fame wouldn't change Richie too much. Stan

said he didn't think it would because Richie was a genuinely good guy.

Then he added, too bad you can't say the same for his sister. Stan was

still smarting over the way Jen had dumped him. I could understand where

he was coming from because of the cavalier way Rachael kicked me to the

curb.

Thursday, Papa came through like a champ. He didn't bat an eye when I

asked him to buy me a couple of bottles of good champagne. He waited

patiently as I bought a dozen roses and a vase at the florist. Then he

had the idea that we might need something to eat so he drove us to

Albertson's and helped me pick out a picnic type lunch that would keep

in the small fridge in the cabin. I picked up plastic champagne flutes,

napkins and plastic flatware as well. He insisted that I also get some

bubble bath. I wasn't about to argue with his sixty years of experience

with women. Papa took my loot and me to the park and signed for the

cabin key. Then he helped me set up my little love nest. He dropped me

off at my house at six with the promise to pick me up at eight in the

morning.

I stayed home that night knowing the anticipation would make tomorrow

even more special. I did talk to Denise on the phone though. She tried

hard to wheedle information out of me. I told her I had watched her show

for a while Wednesday morning and was impressed with the way she handled

the chef. She said it was my doings because I had given her a new

outlook that spilled over into her job. She said she loved the idea of

me watching her show and sometimes she did things just because she knew

I'd like them.

I was up at six the next morning, too excited to stay in bed another

minute. I came downstairs just as Mom was hurrying out the door on her

way to another twelve-hour day. I impulsively hugged her at the door and

told her I loved her. She seemed bemused by my actions but said she

loved me too. I poured myself a cup of coffee and stared off into space

thing about my mom. I knew she loved me but her work was really her

life. Sonia Pulaski was an extraordinary scientist and manager but she

struggled as a parent, especially as Katrina and I grew up and became

more complex persons. For Katrina it was no big deal, she had set sail

on her own course by the age of twelve. It wasn't that easy for me.

I had the ritual cup of coffee with my dad but passed on breakfast, my

stomach was too nervous to contemplate raisin bran. The Moose stopped by

and said hello on her way to run. She was even more fanatical about her

fitness since she received word in January that her appointment to the

Air Force Academy came through.

Katrina retuned from her run and hit the fridge for a glass of orange

juice. The woman was a machine; she just clicked off a ten k run in

about forty minutes and wasn't even breathing hard. She surprised me by

sitting down at the table. Usually she went straight up to shower.

"So, who is she?" Katrina asked.

"She who," I said stupidly.

"The new girl you are seeing. Nana said her name was Dee."

Damn I hoped Papa was keeping the rest of my business a better secret.

"Uh, she's just a girl I met, you don't know her."

I think I was technically correct in that Katrina and Denise had never

met to my knowledge. Of course Katrina, I was willing to bet, was very

well acquainted with Denise's son Richie. I'd also bet the Moose would

shit a brick if she found out.

"When are we going to meet her?" Katrina demanded. Geez, she was as

relentless as a prosecutor.

"Probably never," I said.

"Why not?" she pressed.

This was getting dicey.

"There are complications, just let it go at that," I pleaded.

"No way," she said, 'you get in trouble too easy. What kind of

complications?"

Here it was; she had pinned me down knowing I wouldn't lie.

"Er, the husband kind," I mumbled.

She looked at me incredulously.

"Jesus Christ, Johnny don't you ever learn! It was only four months ago

when a grown woman broke your heart and five weeks since a guy kicked

your ass over another woman. And now you are potentially rolling both

things into one."

Before I could say anything else Katrina disgustedly jumped up and

stomped up stairs. Even though I regretted making her mad, I still

watched her legs as they made an ass out of themselves going up the

stairs. I sure hoped there was at least one Amazon like her in my future.

After my sister left I turned on the television and watched my Honey at

work. If she had been good the last few days, she was magnificent today.

She radiated a subtle classy sexiness that was hard to miss. I glanced

at the clock willing time to speed up.
Joe J
Chapter 6