Tommy Finds a Lovely Woman

He was awake well past midnight wondering if someone from the family had the sense to drive Laurel home in her new vehicle when his phone went.

He saw the caller was Laurel but decided not to tease her and ask was she a call girl.

"Hi. You had a great birthday."

"Oh yes, it was magnificent. I'm very grateful for your present but really it was a zillion times over the top. What am I expected to do in return?"

Tommy wanted to say she had to fuck him for the rest of his life, to cherish him and to obey him... but that was no way to speak to a lady without first stoking her up.

"I don't require you to do a thing. I just felt generous, that's all. Just enjoy it."

"Tommy I really can't..."

"You can accept it with no strings attached darling, believe me. You brought me such great happiness when we were in New Zealand and I felt finally released from my nagging despondency. That in itself was a great gift Laurel of untold value."

"I-I'm pleased to be told that. I'm sorry I was unable to spend more time with your at tonight's function... just a handful of minutes in all."

"I could see and assess the situation so no sweat. You performed like the ultimate party girl, sharing your time with everyone."

"My mother likes you."

"I gained that impression. Ivy appears to be quite a hard case."

"From whom I inherited my contrasting softness. Will you come to dinner tonight? My houseguests will go after lunch and I would like to dine with you and my daughters. They'll return to Chicago about 8:00."

"Yes I'd like that. So what did they think of me?"

"I'm unable to tell just yet. When I asked them both an hour ago they appeared to be somewhat shell-shocked. They must have consumed too much alcohol. So 5:30 tomorrow for cocktails?"

"Wonderful."

"Good night darling," she said, sending Tommy's mind reeling. The warmth in her voice in voicing that endearment had been unmistakable.

"Good night my lovely birthday girl."

Tommy thought yeah, Laurel appeared to be just right for him. She had class, humor and was soft and forward-looking and liked to wine and dine and possessed a great attitude towards sex. God half the women her age were already thinking they were old and becoming immobile. Above all, she was fun to be with and to share with.

Just after 8:00 that morning Laurel's daughters jumped into bed with her, as they continued to do whenever they visited.

"Thank you darlings for helping make my Big 50 such a wonderful occasion.

Elizabeth said everyone could see her mom had been really enjoying the occasion and looked so happy and was so inclusive.

"Yes mom, you were quite the birthday babe. You appeared to be celebrating your Big 40."

"Oh darlings how sweet of you. Everyone appeared to be having a good time. Oh before I forget, what is your impression of Tommy?"

There was silence.

"Oh dear."

"Mom he knew I was pregnant. Why did you tell him?"

"Oh but I haven't told a single person darling; it's your affair."

"I didn't," Jo sniffed.

"Then it's true," Laurel smiled. "When we were looking at mountains colored by sunset and sipping the most adorable Pinot Noir wine imaginable Tommy told me his grandmother lived on a small farm of milking goats when he was young and said she taught him how to tell when does were in gestation which takes approximately 150 days."

Elizabeth and Jo looked horrified but after initial shock Laurel smiled and told Elizabeth she must make allowances for Tommy because he had lived alone for two years and probably had not associated with younger people for a great number of years. But despite that he was usually well mannered and fairly sensitive for a man. He was probably surprised to read Elizabeth was pregnant.

"Read? What do you mean," Elizabeth demanded. "You know I'm not showing."

"Darling," Laurel began diplomatically. "How can I put this...?"

"Oh god," said Elizabeth, "But I am to a guy who knows goats."

"And perhaps deer," Jo joked because that misfired and Elizabeth demanded to be told what did Jo know about deer breeders.

When that was sorted out Laurel asked gently, "And your first meeting with Tommy when well Jo and he complimented you on your good looks, youth and vitality?"

She looked away, visibly shaken.

Elizabeth pounced. "Omigod he identified you for what you are?"

Laurel cautioned Elizabeth but too late. Jo burst into tears and turned to be hugged by her mom and Elizabeth reached a hand across sympathetically to pat her.

"It was awful and although no one would have overheard him I was ready to die of embarrassment... I mean shame."

"Omigod," the other two women said.

"I invited him to take me to a club and h-he... the asshole spoke to me as if he were my dad."

"You father left that sort of thing for me to handle and that's been partly the problem," Laurel sighed. "What did he say after turning you down darling?"

"He alleged I appeared oversexed and if I continued to have sex excessively at my young age, later on I might not be in a fit condition to marry and have children."

Laurel spluttered, "He can't say that to you. That's outrageous."

"Yes, a little over the top but do we doubt the accuracy of the comments?" Elizabeth asked, choosing her words carefully.

Jo was raked with sobs and said, "You think he's right don't you mom?"

"A woman's body is wonderfully resilient darling but who really knows what harm we do to ourselves? You two know I have always told you what my mother always has told me and that is, 'everything in moderation'. Do you think it might be best for you to find a really nice guy and proceed... um, well normally, not wildly excessively?"

"I'm already thinking there is more to life than sex and I do want to have darling babies."

Elizabeth said, "Well it's only that asshole's theory. I mean what the hell does he know?"

"Mum?" Jo sniffed.

Laurel looked embarrassed. "Now you must not repeat this. Tommy was a flight engineer in the Air Force and his record of sexual promiscuity became of such concern to the off-base authorities in Germany they asked Tommy's superiors to have him reassigned and instead his commanding officer arranged for Tommy to gain early retirement on compassionate grounds. He worked in civil aviation and married a doctor who divorced him when she found he was having sex with several of her female patients."

"Gee Jo, it was a case of one sex maniac talking to another."

"He must have many good qualities otherwise mom would not have associated with him."

"Thank you dear. He wanted children but his wife found she could not conceive and regarded that as an omen. However his second wife wanted children and..." Laurel began crying uncontrollably. Her daughters comforted her.

When Laurel calmed she told them how Tommy's pregnant wife met her death heroically during and aborted supermarket robbery.

At that point all three of them were crying.

During the next period of calm Laurel said, "I don't want you mentioning anything about what I've just told you because Tommy will be joining us for dinner tonight."

"Well you can count me out," Jo said defiantly and Elizabeth said she would have to think about staying for dinner.

Laurel was adept at managing them. "I shall just leave you girls to decide in your usually mature and responsible manner."

Both daughters fought to hide their grins.

* * *

As usual, Jo answered the doorbell and had in mind to snarl, "Oh it's you."

But Tommy looked dazzling dressed in a beautifully fitted charcoal and white pinstriped jacket, white collarless shirt with a gold medallion hanging high on his neck, off-white pants with a black plaited belt with stainless steel buckle and burgundy loafers.

He kissed the mouth-opened young woman on the mouth and she gasped, "For me?" as he handed her one of three bouquets of white roses he was carrying. Some jerks in the past had given Jo a single flower but this was the first time any male had given her flowers. She appeared to wobble on her knees and she screeched, "Mom!" and stood politely aside, taking more glances at this handsome ageing man.

Laurel and Elizabeth arrived beside her and they were kissed and handed flowers.

Jo noted only Elizabeth was kissed on the cheek. Was that Tommy picking his favorites? A fuzzy feeling came to her. She served the drinks and dinner went splendidly, everyone being on charm-alert and avoiding getting up anyone's nose.

When they were resting between mains and dessert Tommy asked, choosing to appear nervous, "Elizabeth and Jo; have you any objection if your mother invited me to stay tonight?"

"No of course not," Elizabeth smiled and Jo looked at her pink-cheeked mom and said, "No and I believed that is meant to happen." A silence followed, broken by Tommy grinning and said, "Well thanks but I guess I should be truthful and say any objections would have been ignored and I would have stay whether or not I received an invitation."

Laurel looked at Tommy from the other end of the table and said, "I trust you have booked out of your hotel Tommy. Please stay here with me tonight and as many nights as you wish."

"Well that's produced smiles all round," Jo smiled. "We have half an hour before we need to return to Chicago. Tell us about yourself Tommy, warts and all."

"That will be my pleasure," Tommy said. "Being so young you need to be satisfied you are leaving your mom in the capable hands of someone she can trust."

The resume took almost ten minutes and included those three 'black' spots in his life that Laurel had mentioned to her daughters.

"So there you have it in brief," he said. "All I can say is with Tommy Crago what you see if what you get."

When the girls were leaving Elizabeth kissed Tommy on the lips and said, "You are a lovely man Tommy" and his mother and sister knew that was pretty cool for Elizabeth to say something like that.

"Thanks. May I touch your belly?"

"Sure."

"Look after this little bundle, it's probably not twins. I was please to see you not drinking alcohol. I think you'll make a splendid mother and you have a fine role model to follow."

The three women looked at Tommy keenly but nothing was said.

As to be expected, Jo pressed into him without embarrassment, kissed him quite passionately and said, "Goodbye. You are quite off the top shelf from what I can see Tommy. Mommy is very lucky."

"Thanks baby. Just set some obtainable, desirable goals for yourself huh?"

Jo just smiled at him hugely.

Laurel and Tommy waved the girls off and Laurel led him inside.

Tommy removed his jacket. "Well let's attack these dishes."

Laurel almost whimpered, "Um don't you want to do something else first?"

"Thanks for being so keen honey but in this instance work comes first. To misquote, into the kitchen dear friend." She laughed. "God you are like a fresh breath of air in this family. Have you any idea what a huge hit you have been?"

"Oh don't be misguided. Jo is what I call a butterfly impressionist but she is likely to mature well."

"No, I mean with Elizabeth. She was the one who most yearned for my husband to act like a real father and has always been tentative with any male for the first month or two after meeting him. Tonight you had her eyes shining and she hung on to very every word as if you were an oracle."

Tommy was startled. "Oh Christ, she'd not to see me as what I'm not."

"Tommy please..."

The appeal in the dark brown eyes persuaded Tommy to back off. "All right I'm prepared to offer the role of mentor but dammit Laurel a mentor is considered to be a wise and trusted person."

"Darling all I ask is for you to just be yourself. Elizabeth is quite used to being kicked around verbally and you are really mild in comparison, I'm telling you. I believe both my daughters would benefit from some close immersion with you."

"Okay but you keep between Jo and me. That young women regards sex as open social intercourse."

"No if it happens, it happens but I would prefer not to know."

"Jesus Laurel that is really heaping me with responsibility."

He began filling the basin with water with Laurel loaded the dishwater and thought about what she'd just said.

"Darling you called me. So it's still fully on?"

"Yes," she said simply.

"Well say the words."

"Tommy I'd like you to move in here with me and share half of the house-running costs if you stay longer than a month."

"You mean live like a married couple?"

"That's what I had in mind."

He smiled and said, "Then let's do it. I'm already halfway here as I arranged to sell my house the other day and so only have to tie up some things and adjust my financial affairs and I'll be free to leave town for good."

Laurel kissed him and said that made her very happy. "In the meantime could you come here some weekends?"

"Yeah why not? We've already proven we can live together amicably."

THE END