What The Future Holds

"Timmy you know that you are not allowed to answer the door to strang-." was all she could manage to say as Carol turned down the hallway and came face to face with Jamie.

"Carol did I hear Timmy say that someone was here? Sherry asked as she came around the corner to see her son standing in the doorway.

"Oh my God your home!" His mom exclaimed throwing her arms around her son and weeping into the collar of his jacket.

"What's going on out here?" His father asked as he entered the room to find his wife still clutching to their son.

"Oh James your home." He said. Then to his wife he teased "Boy Sherry you could at least let our son step two feet into the house before you go and attack him, gee what the neighbors must be thinking! He exclaimed winking at Carol.

"Oh you just shush Joe Mantle, or the only thing you'll be having for supper tonight is my foot." Sherry replied while reluctantly letting go of Jamie's neck.

"Why don't we all go into the living room and relax." Joe suggested.

"Would anyone like something to drink?" Joe asked.

"Could I have a soda Grandpa?" Timmy asked first.

"Sure Tim, anybody else?" He called out.

I'll have a glass of juice if you don't mind Hun, Sherry answered. "A bottle of water for me Dad." Jamie said. "Water sounds good to me as well, thanks Joe". Carol replied.

"Timmy why don't you come help me get drinks for everyone? Joe asked.

"Here you go Mr. um." Timmy started to say.

Holding out his hand to the youngster Jamie replied "You can call me James, is it alright if I call you Timmy? Jamie asked.

"Sure that is my name." Timmy said somewhat confused by the question.

"Timmy, why don't you go in the other room and watch some TV?" Carol asked more as a command then a question.

"Ok Mom. It was nice meeting you James." Timmy replied as he left the room before Jamie could say the same thing back to him.

"You're looking good Jamie." Carol said finally getting up the nerve to speak to him.

"You don't look so bad yourself Carol, and actually I prefer being called James now." Jamie replied.

"Oh I'm sorry James." Carol apologized.

"That's all right, Mom probably just forgot to mention that to you, like she forgot to mention to me that you had a son." Jamie said leaving an open invitation for someone to explain why he was never told about Timmy .

"Actually James, I asked your parents not to mention him to you." Carol replied looking nervous.

"Well we can all discuss that a bit later. For now why don't you tell us how that business of your is doing?" His father asked trying to diffuse the start of a possible argument.

Jamie silently agreed with his dad that now was not the time to hash out their problems, so for the next couple of hours everyone just seemed to avoid the sensitive topics, leaving their conversation to flow with ease.

"Mom I'm bored, will you play a game with me?" Timmy asked.

"I'm sorry honey, but I have to help your grandma with supper." Carol Replied.

"I'll do something with you Timmy." Jamie replied to the surprise of everyone.

"You will! That would be great! Do you know how to play space warriors?" Timmy asked.

"Sure I do. That's a pretty cool game." Jamie replied.

"Wow! Grandpa, will you set it up for us in your computer?" Timmy asked.

"Oh I think that we can manage that ourselves, don't you Timmy?" Jamie asked.

"Is that ok with you dad?" Jamie questioned.

"Sure James. I setup an old computer in the den for Timmy to play with while he was here. Help yourself to whatever you need." His dad replied still a bit stunned.

For the next hour the two women stayed in the kitchen preparing the meal, while Tim and Jamie bonded over the destruction of the alien invasion force. When it was time to eat Timmy did not want to quit playing, but soon realized that filling an empty belly was suddenly more important than the rescue of the free world.

Thanksgiving Dinner was outstanding as Jamie could not remember a time where he had ever consumed so much food. After practically being pushed out of the kitchen by the two women, who completely refused all offers he made to help with the cleanup, Jamie adjourned to the living room, where he and his dad spent the next hour enjoying each watching football, until Timmy once again demanded his attention. The pair continued to play various games until desert was served. Jamie had no idea how, but he did manage to polish off the large piece of pie ala mode that his mom served to him despite his near bursting stomach. When the evening had come to an end, Sherry had some leftovers for Carol to take back home and Timmy had fallen asleep on the couch.

"Well I suppose that I can take these across the street first, and then come back to get Tim." She said.

"Ah he looks so peaceful laying there that I hate to wake him!" Sherry exclaimed.

"I know, but he can't stay there all night." Carol replied.

"Look, why don't we do this, throw a blanket over him, and if Carol can manage the food I will carry Timmy back home. If we're lucky he won't even wake up." Jamie suggested.

"You really don't have to do that."Carol protested.

"I know, but he has had a long day, and if he were to wakeup now he might not be able to get back to sleep. I'm sure you ladies will want to be up early tomorrow to hit the after thanksgiving sales, and the last thing that you need is a tired and cranky little boy on your hands." Jamie reasoned.

"Well if you really don't mind that would be great, thank you." Carol said.

"No problem." was his muddled reply.

Wrapping Timmy in a blanket, Jamie quickly lifted the tyke in both arms and walked the short path to Carols house. Directing him to Timmy's bedroom Carol stood in the doorway and watched Jamie lay the boy comfortably in his bed, before pulling the covers up around him and bending down to place a small kiss on Tim's forehead prior to leaving the room.

"You are just wonderful with him!" Carol exclaimed in awe.

"He is a great kid." Jamie replied.

"You're going to make a terrific father someday." Carol stated.

"I've been very careful not to let that happen." Jamie said.

"Don't you want kids? She asked.

"It's complicated." Jamie answered.

"James, can you stay and talk for a while? She asked as he was about to leave.

"I don't think that would be a good idea." Jamie said.

"Are you afraid to be alone with me?" Carol asked in a playful voice.

"I wouldn't use the word afraid, more uncomfortable." He stated.

"Why?" she wanted to know.

"Because the last two times that we were alone together are not very pleasant memories for me." Jamie replied.

"That was several years ago." She said meekly.

"I have a near photographic memory." He reminded her.

"James, I was going to try and make it right, but you wouldn't let me." She pleaded.

"By sleeping with me?" Jamie asked.

"If that's what it would have took, then yes James I would have had sex with you." she replied.

"Carol, why don't you just tell me the truth. I know that you did not treat me like that over some damn lost assignment. Did I do something to make you hate me, or do you have some sick sexual fetish about beating your students with a paddle and trying to destroy their lives! Jamie accused.

"Oh God no! Please tell me you don't think that way?" See pleaded.

"I still have no idea what to think. I just find out today that you have a kid. Did you not want me to find out about him, because I know what you are capable of doing to people under your care?" Jamie asked.

"You can't believe that I would ever hurt Timmy?" Carol asked in horror.

"Before what happened, I would have never believed that you would hurt me either, but we both know you did, and I have the pictures to prove it." Jamie stated.

"What do you mean pictures?" She asked.

Jamie reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved three photos, which he threw on the coffee table.

"Here is a little memento of your handy work. I was going to send a copy of these to you every year as a sort of anniversary present, but I decided that a clean break from you was better for my well being.

Carol looked at the pictures with complete repulsion.

"Oh my God James, did I really do this to you?" She said through her tears. "I didn't realize I had hurt you that badly!" "You should have gone straight to the hospital. No wonder you hate me. You could have easily had me brought up on charges of abuse, why didn't you? She was finally able to ask.

"Carol, despite what you may think I never hated you. I was angry with you, and remain so to this day, but I never wanted to destroy your life. I never let my parents, or anyone else know how bad you hurt me. I prayed every night that you would see the error of your ways, and never do to another student what you did to me." Jamie said.

"James I swear to you that I never used that paddle on anyone since. It remains in my classroom with a big red cardboard X attached to it. Written across the X are the words NEVER AGAIN! Every year at the beginning of the semester I tell my students the story of how I used the paddle to wrongly punish one of my students and how he never forgave me for doing it. More importantly I tell them that I never forgave myself either. I am still a very tough teacher, but now I have worked out a deal with the track coach to make my problem students run laps as their punishment." Carol replied.

"Well assuming that you are telling the truth, I am at least glad that I don't have someone else's beating hanging over my head for not reporting you." Jamie answered.

"I would still like to know the real reason that you struck me with that damn paddle, or why you had my parents keep Timmy's existence from me. He calls them grandma and grandpa, do they think that I'm his father? Would you have had me believing that way if I took you up on your offer for sex all those years ago? Is that really why you asked me to sleep with you in the first place? And what ever happened to Tim's real dad? We both know that it's not me." Jamie finally finished.

"Everything happened so long ago. Can't we just leave it all in the past?" Carol asked nervously.

"We can do anything you want Carol. You are the one who asked me to stay and talk, not the other way around. If you are done talking, then I guess I had better leave." Jamie said in a huff as he got up and once again started for the door.

"No James please wait! You are right! I do need to tell you everything. You of all people have a right to know. Please sit back down, and I promise to answer all of your questions." Carol pleaded.

"Can I get you something to drink before I get started?" Carol asked.

"No! If you are actually going to tell me the absolute truth this time, I think that I had better be stone cold sober to hear it." Jamie testily replied.

And so Carol began to relay the long story of how she was always attracted to intelligent men. She talked about her affair with her college professor, and how she had become horny watching Jamie during the jeopardy contest that he'd won. James was surprised to hear how she was able to read his body language well enough to know that he was letting his opponents answer questions first, so that he wouldn't win it by a landslide victory. Carol held nothing back. She told him of how she was unable to bring her sex toys with her to the contest making her all the more frustrated. She mentioned stopping off at her boyfriend's house on the way back home for a marathon fuck session, which ultimately left her pregnant with Timmy. She regaled in her plan for the romantic evening with Brian, only to have it blow up in her face when she caught him in bed with another one of his students. She talked about how in her clouded mind she had somehow transferred the blame from Brian to James, reasoning that she would have never had been tempted to go visit Brian to began with, if Jamie hadn't gotten her so excited. She told him of how recklessly she was driving that night, and the reason his paper managed to fall to the back seat of her car. Carol described how she felt betrayed by all men, and when she couldn't find his report she felt like he was laughing at her as well. She told him that somehow rage had overtaken her senses that day, and she didn't even know what she was doing when she was beating him. Next she left the room, and came back a few seconds later with an empty prescription bottle and handed it to James.

He read the label and recognized it to be a very strong anti-depressant hormone supplement. He also saw that the date it was subscribed was only a short time after he had left home.

"After you left I confessed to your mother that I was pregnant and whom the father really was. She suggested that I seek the advice of a physician, and this is what he prescribed. The doctor said that my pregnancy was causing a major hormone imbalance, and that along with my depression was impairing my judgment. I only wish that I had gone to him sooner. If I had things may have turned out very differently." She said.

After thinking for a minute Jamie said "Carol you are very good with a computer. How do I know that you didn't print this label yourself and paste it on to an empty prescription bottle just to fool me?" Jamie questioned.

Looking down. "I guess I deserve that!" she replied.

"No Carol you didn't, but I had to do something to lighten the mood!" Jamie stated grinning.

"Oh You!" She said laughing through her tear stained face.

Jamie got up and walked to the bathroom. He returned with a slightly damp washcloth for Carol's face.

"But why didn't you tell me sooner, and how come you felt the need to keep Timmy a secret all these years?" Jamie asked.

"When you left you were barely 18 years old. This is a lot to handle for someone so young, even if you were mature beyond your years. I was still missed up at the time, and a full explanation is a bit sexually embarrassing." She replied.

"As for why I kept you in the dark about Timmy, I was worried that you would think that I had gotten myself pregnant, and then tried to have sex with you to claim you as the father. I swear to you that I would never had done that. I was also concerned that after hearing my story you would feel sorry for me and forgive me. I don't want your pity, and I sure as hell don't deserve your forgiveness she said as she picked up the photos one last time and looked down at them, adding especially after what I have done." she finished.

"How do you know I wouldn't have liked to have been his father?" Jamie asked a totally shocked Carol.

"James! What are you talking about?" She asked bewildered.

"Carol, It's my turn to tell the truth. I have been in love with you for years. I knew that nothing would happen between us during high school. My plan was to go to college, get a great Job, and come back here to try and win your heart, if it was still available by then. I was very angry at what you did to me, but maybe not for the reasons you think. I realized that after the beating you would always remember me as that little boy laying across your desk, crying hysterically and begging you to not hit him anymore. You took away my chances of me ever becoming a man in your eyes, and robbed us of our possible future together. When you later offered to bed me and take my virginity, I couldn't bear the thought of knowing that it would only be a onetime affair because you were sorry for what you had done, and would never truly love me or see us as a couple." Jamie explained.

"I never knew you felt that way James. I admit I suspected that you'd developed a crush on me in high school, but I thought that it was just the raging hormones of an 18 year old boy. I have seen pictures of you with all those gorgeous women in the society pages. Surly one of them is much better suited for you then an school teacher who is 5 years older then you are and the mother of a nine year old son." She questioned.

"I have never found anyone that I feel even remotely as strong about as I do you. As for all those ladies that you have seen pictures of I must admit that Mrs. Tate has some fine looking women working for her." Jamie answered

"Who is Mrs. Tate?" Carol asked.

"She is the owner of the escort service I use for personal appearances." Jamie replied smiling.

"You use an escort service? Do you sleep with them as well?" She had to know.

"Well there was this one time that we fell asleep after doing it, but if you mean do I have sex with them, the answer is yes, Sometimes I do. I always wear a condom though, and I have regular checkups with my physician to make sure I stay healthy." Jamie added.

"James, I don't know what to make of all this. I am very confused right now." She confessed.

"Look Carol, this has been a long day, and I suspect that we both have some thinking to do. I suggest that we call it a night for now, and if you want we can get together before I leave and talk again. Remember that we are suppose to go shopping with mom tomorrow. She would never forgive us if we stayed up all night, and then begged off going with her on the busiest day of the year." Jamie stated.

"You're probably right James." She agreed as they finally reached the door of her foyer leading back outside. "Would it be asking too much to get a hug before you go?" She sleeplessly requested.

Jamie reassuringly pulled her into his arms and held the embrace so tightly she thought he would never let her go. As his arms finally loosed he bent down and whispered the three words that she feared would never cross his lips.

"I forgive you." He said as she burst into tears and pulled him into another bone crushing hug.

After she started to calm down they reluctantly released their hold on one another. He gently lifted her face, and using his thumb wiped away a stray tear from her eye, before bending down and capturing her lips with his for the most pure and sensuous kiss either of them had ever experienced.

"Goodnight!" He whispered as he left her standing there holding onto the front door to support her wobbling knees as he made his way back to his parents house and an uncomfortable lonely bed.

Morning came far too soon for the tired pair as they were shoved hear first into the insanity commonly referred to retailers and consumers alike as Black Friday. Although being in the mood for holiday spending for the first time in many years Jamie found the small town shopping mall to be very limited as to their selection, and overly priced on most things. Instead of fighting the mammoth crowds at the checkout line, he made his way into a nearby coffee shop, which was jam-packed enough for his taste and ordered his morning brew before finding a corner table and using his smart phone to capture a few online deals.

"I don't believe my eyes, that can't be Jamie Mantle sitting there with his nose in his phone oblivious to the world can it?" Asked a voice from his past.

"Hello Trish, You're looking well, and I usually go by James now." Jamie replied slightly annoyed that he had been discovered, but not really surprised by it.

"So what are you doing back in town?" She enquired.

"Just here visiting the folks and got drug into the madness of the season. So is it still Olson, or has someone convinced you to change monograms?" Jamie asked.

"I've never heard it put quite that way, but to answer your question, No I am not married. I came close once, but that is a long story better saved for a less hectic day." "If you're going to be in town awhile I would love to get together with you and hear about you and the Vice President first hand." She asked.

"Actually Trish, I am only going to be here another day, then I have to get back to work, and quite frankly I have told that story so often that even I am tired of hearing myself speak about it." He replied.