What The Future Holds

"Well I hope that you enjoy your visit James. Don't worry. I won't alert the town media to your presence. I do have to say one thing before I go. My dad finally admitted how I ended up being valedictorian, and I swear to you James if I would have known at the time I never would have accepted it." She timidly stated.

"Trish, I believe you had nothing to with what happened, and you were just a pawn controlled by someone else's actions, as was I. Things worked out, and because of that I was able to prevent something really bad from happening to a nation that has already seen its share of grief." Jamie declared.

"I heard that you were shot during that ordeal. It's not fair that to help the country you had to sacrifice yourself." She soberly replied.

"Trish, that is the decision that every soldier faces when he decides to enlist. At any rate it is starting to get late, and you had better get back to shopping before all the deals are snatched up." Jamie said indicating that he wanted their conversation to end before it got too intense.

"Yah you're probably right. Anyway it was great seeing you again, and I am glad that you don't blame me for what happened." She stated before leaving.

Jamie spent the rest of the morning, and part of the afternoon trying to dodge the horde of fanatical bargain hunters as they wreak havoc upon the lives of the over worked and underappreciated sales clerks manning the registers this holiday season.

After stopping for lunch, everyone headed back home for a much needed afternoon nap. No one seemed to get quite enough sleep the previous couple of nights, and the rest would surly do them good. After his "forty winks" so to speak, Jamie spent the remainder of the afternoon and early evening chatting with his parents. Nothing really earth shattering was discussed, but Jamie did promise to return to their home for the Christmas Holiday. After Joe and Sherry went to bed, Jamie walked over to where his Mom left her cell phone for overnight charging. Thumbing through her directory, he came across the information he sought after.

"Hello?" She said in a curious voice, as her caller ID read out of area.

"Hi Carol, this is James. I hope that I am not disturbing you by calling so late?" He asked.

"No James, I'm fine. Timmy and I went back to bed after we got home, and I'm afraid I may have slept too long, because now I am wide awake." She replied.

"Yah, I did pretty much the same thing. Listen, I know it's a bit late, but seeing as neither one of us are tired, and Mom and Dad have already gone to bed, I was wondering if..." Jamie started to say before Carol finished his sentence.

"You could come over for a bit? Yes, I think that is a wonderful idea. Grab your coat I'll be waiting." She offered.

A few minutes later, Jamie was walking into Carols house for only the second time in many years. He had remembered to leave the back door unlocked, as he no longer had a key to get into his parents home, and ringing the door bell in the middle of the night could prove to be a most embarrassing situation. The thought had entered his mind to overlook this measure, in hopes of procuring an invitation from Carol to stay the night, but Jamie quickly realized that their relationship was still far too fragile to risk the complications of engaging in a sexual encounter at this time, especially with Timmy asleep in the next room.

Knowing that he had given up his house key years ago Carol too had considered the possibility of James locking himself out of the family home. She was about to mention this to him on the phone, when something stopped her.

For the next few hours the pair sat in Carol's living room drinking coffee, and talking. While tonight's topics seemed much less intense then their previous discussions, there was a hint of tension in the air as nether of them wanted to broach the more serious issues they faced. Although Jamie freely admitted to himself that he still had feelings for Carol, he had so long ago dismissed any possibility of them ever being together. Now his mind was starting to reevaluate that assessment, and with that came a series of questions, for which he held no real answers.

Carol was having much the same quandaries as Jamie. Her thoughts kept bouncing between what her heart wanted to happen, and what her mind kept telling her was unlikely to occur. As their conversation hit a lull the pair suddenly came together in a passionate embrace that when finished left them both gasping for breath. Hands started to explore each other's bodies with a vigor that neither of them had experience up to this point. They had both yearned for this moment for so long, and yet knew that their timing was not to be.

"James, I want you so bad right now that I can hardly contain myself, but we can't do this, not with Timmy in the next room!" Carol reluctantly said.

"We could go to your room." Jamie suggested.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't risk him seeing us together. He is young, but very perceptive. I don't want him finding us in the morning. Tomorrow you'll be headed back to California, and we will still be here. Maybe when you come back for Christmas we can work out some way to be together for an evening or two." Carol replied.

Although Jamie had wanted to argue the point, he decided against it. Sensing that Carol would have caved to his will if he were to only push a bit harder Jamie Instead reluctantly bid her a fair goodnight before returning to his parents home with a plan already beginning to form in his mind.

Back in California, Jamie suddenly found himself struggling to stay focused on his various tasks. With him mind now on Carol, he started for the first time to delegate his daily responsibilities to people whom he knew were more than qualified to handle them, but were never really trusted to do so before. This left Jamie with the time he needed to attend to some important personal issues.

"Hello Carol it's James." He said into the phone.

"Wow James, you have great timing. I had just walked into the teachers' lounge when you called. Please tell me that you haven't changed your mind about flying back for Christmas." She asked in a dejected tone of voice.

"No, I am still planning on coming home for Christmas. The reason that I am calling is to ask for a favor. I have a couple of Christmas parties that I must attend this weekend, and I need a date for them." He said.

"So you're telling me that you plan on using that escort service again!" She exclaimed angrily.

"Of course not sweetheart, I want you to be my escort, um I meant date for these events." He corrected.

"James, how is that even possible? It's Friday afternoon, and I'm here at school, and you're in California, and I have test to grade, and I have Timmy, and" She stammered.

"Look Hon, my Mom has already agreed to keep Tim for the weekend, I have a private plane waiting for you at the airport, an appointment for you to pick out an evening gown, get your hair, nails and makeup done, and a limo to bring you to me afterword's." Jamie stated.

"James I couldn't possibly just fly off to meet you at the drop of a hat. I need time to get ready, and what about the test I need to grade this weekend?" She asked.

"Are the test essay, or multiple choice?" he asked.

"Multiple choice." She replied.

Do you have an answer sheet made up already?" He asked.

"Yes." She said.

"Weren't you telling me about a teachers' assistant you had this year named Linda. Why couldn't she grade the test for you?" He suggested.

"I couldn't possibly ask her to do all that work by herself. I have three classes worth of test." She pleaded.

"Didn't you mention that Linda was having a bit of financial problems lately? Jamie asked.

"Yes, but that is a private matter, and I really shouldn't have told you about it." Carol replied.

"Don't worry, I am not going to let on that I know anything about it, I will just make her an offer if she will agree to handle the grading of those tests." Jamie calmly said.

"But James?" She started to argue.

"Honey please listen to me. You are the first person that I could honestly see myself being with long term. I am not ready to retire yet. I need to see how you fit into my world if we ever plan to take this relationship to the level that I am hoping for it to go. Now may I please speak to Linda?" He asked a stunned Carol.

After convincing Linda that he was the real James Mantle, and that they were not staging some elaborate hoax on her, he agreed to pay an exorbitant sum of money to procure her service in grading the test papers. This left Carol without any further excuses. Joe watched Timmy, as Sherry drove her friend to the airport beaming with excitement over the possibility of a relationship forming between the two of them.

"Carol, my son may be a stubborn jackass at times, but I truly believe that he has always felt a strong bond with you. If you give it a chance you may just find the same type of love and support that his father and I share." Sherry suggested.

"I feel the same way about him. That is the reason that I was so hurt, and was so hard on him when I thought that he did not turn in his report, well that and the hormone problem I was having due to the pregnancy. He claims to have forgiven me, and even if it's true I am just so afraid that all I'll ever be to him is just some old infatuation from his youth. How do I compete. He is rich, good looking and successful. I have never met anyone smarter, and he has a great sense of humor. I am nothing more than a small town school teacher, five years his senior, and with a kid to boot. How do I fit into his world?" Carol humbly asked.

"Carol honey, you don't have to compete with the other women, they have to compete with you. You're the one to capture his heart a long time ago, and even after all that has happened I still believe that you hold title to it today. If that unfortunate mess had never happened in high school, I think that you would already be married by now. his Mom replied.

"But Sherry it did happen. What if I don't measure up to his fantasy, or for that matter his previous conquest. Please don't tell him that I told you, but he has been with several professional women. What if I'm not good enough to meet his needs um sexually that is." She asked.

Carol, I am his mother, and believe it or not I do know him pretty well. He fell for you a long time ago, not just because of your body, but because of your mind and personality. He can talk to you, and most of the time you understand what he is saying. I know that there are any number of women who would love to sink their claws into his huge bank account and the lifestyle that goes with it. I am sure that he has bedded plenty of gold diggers, but what he is looking for in a spouse is someone who can excite him mentally as well as physically. I believe that person is you." Sherry replied.

"Sherry, I am just a small town girl, with a son. How are Tommy and I suppose to fit into his world. I have seen pictures of him at these parties surrounded by beautiful women and high class celebrities. What if I embarrass him, or don't measure up to the women from the escort service he uses." She pleaded.

Carol, how do you really feel in your heart about my son? If you could choose what would you like to happen between you. Before you answer that, please remember that I am his mother, and although I have resided myself to the fact that he is a sexual being, there are still some images that I wouldn't feel comfortable imagining, if you know what I mean." She asked.

"To be honest Sherry I have been trying to avoid answering that question, even to myself. The truth is that I fell in love with him back when he was my student. I tried everything to convince myself otherwise. I focused all my anger from what Brian had done to me onto James. When I finally found out that he was innocent of what I wrongly accused him of I felt physically ill. I tried to make amends, but he was so hurt and angry at the time that he wanted nothing more to do with me. I don't know if I should be telling you this, but I even offered to sleep with him if he would forgive me. He flat out rejected that idea stating that he would rather pay for his first time, then have a mercy fuck with me. I found out over thanksgiving that is exactly what he did." Carol said.

"I have thought for years that the two of you were perfect for each other. I have to admit that I am not sure how I would have responded to you having sex with him back then, but if you truly love each other then I would suggest that you hold nothing back, be yourself and do whatever is necessary to rock his world this weekend." Sherry said as they pulled up to the airport.

"Well sweaty we're here. Time for you to go be bell of the ball. Just be yourself tonight, and remember, sometimes the way to a man's heart is not always through his stomach" Sherry said blushing.

The two women said their goodbyes, and after showing her identity to the man at the counter Carol and her luggage was escorted to a private plane, and almost immediately cleared for takeoff. Her last thoughts as she left the ground were "I guess this is the kind of treatment I will have to get used to dating a man of means."

Upon arriving in California, Carol was instantly whisk away by limousine to a high end formal dress shop in the heart of Beverly Hills. It was there that she was flaunted over by the store employees, whom she suspected were paid on a commission basis. James had already left word as to what she needed for the weekend, and the staff were only too happy to oblige his request. She felt like a runway model trying on gown after gown to the scrutiny of the fashion police. After selecting more than enough garments for the weekend activities, including some very special intimates, that if they were lucky James would get a private viewing of later that evening, Carol was taken to a hair stylist, where some flaming gay guy named Raphael took her simple hair cut, and turned it into his own show stopper masterpiece. By the time she was to meet with James Carol had been fluffed, polished, cut, waxed and flossed.

"My God, you look amazing!" Jamie exclaimed as he watched Carol emerge from the limo. She was a vision of grace, standing tall in her two inch heels. Her black dress, which ended just above her knees accentuated her ideal figure and beautiful curves. She was perfect in every way, and best of all she was his, at least for the evening that is.

Jamie had made sure that Carol was fed before she got ready for the party. He would have loved to dine with her, but was busy with work and preparing himself for the evening. Carol felt that all eyes were upon her as she strolled on James arm through the entrance to a grand ball room where they were formally announced to the other guest. Jamie introduced her to just about everyone they came in contact with. He said to just act like you belonged there that no matter who they were treat them as you would the husband or wife of a coworker. It was ok to comment of their latest album of movie, but make it sound like casual conversation, and not an obsessed fan.

By the time that the night was wearing down Carol was in good spirits. James advice helped, and she ended up laughing and joking with people whom only a few hours earlier were nothing more than mere fantasy characters portrayed on television and the movie screens.

Hello gorgeous! Wow you are really stunning. Mrs. Tate must be raising her standards hiring someone like you!" Exclaimed the slightly intoxicated man before her. You must be new, because I haven't seen you on the menu as yet. Tell me your name and hours, so that I may request your company the next time that I have to attend one of these drab affairs?" He inquired.

James was just returning with fresh drinks when he overheard what the guy standing next to Carol had said. A definitely miffed, but slightly amused James decided to walk up and make the introductions.

"George Staple, I would like you to meet my date Carol Dawson. Carol is a school teacher back in my hometown. We have known each other for years, and recently reconnected when I went to visit the folks during thanksgiving. I invited her here as my guest for the evening. By the way, she does not now, nor has she ever worked for Mrs. Tate, or any other escort service. Carol, George here is a business associate of mine, and as soon as he can manage to remove his foot out of his mouth I'm sure that he will have something proper that he wishes say to you, isn't that right George?" Jamie asked in a serious tone.

As a sick look appeared upon his face George managed to stammer out a half hearted apology, before fleeing the pair with his preverbal tail between his legs.

"I'm so sorry that you had to deal with that." Jamie apologized.

"Don't be. That was the most fun I've had all evening. The look on his face when you told him who I am was priceless, and besides it was nice to know that I could pass for one of Mrs. Tate's girls. I have seen them standing next to you in the society column, and they all are gorgeous." Carol replied.

"Well, they don't hold a candle to you, and come tomorrow it will be your picture that everyone will see in the paper." James stated.

"Oh my God are you serious!" She asked.

"I would think that would've been obvious with all of the reporters and cameras here tonight." Jamie replied.

"I guess that I should have expected that. Anyway, how do you know that Mrs. Tate's girls don't hold a candle to me, when you have yet to experience my talents? She flirted.

"Are you offering? Jamie asked excitedly.

"I wouldn't have agreed to attend this weekend if I wasn't" Carol replied.

"Well in that case, let's just say goodnight to our host, so that I may get you home where I can properly evaluate your skills." Jamie bartered to an amused Carol.

As their limo pulled into the driveway Carol sat awestruck at the site before her.

"I never much liked condos. Jamie stated as they exited the car. There is just not enough privacy with them." He said.

The house was huge. A mansion by anyone's standards. There were 8 bedrooms, with a bath off of each one. The dining room could sit at least 50 people, and the kitchen looked like it belonged in a fancy restaurant, rather than a person's home. He had a formal lounge for parties, a media room for watching movies, a pool, whirl pool spa and even a fountain. The pool area was surrounded by a glass like wall. It could be used year round, enclosed in the winter, as it was now, or opened up for summer time enjoyment. The dome like ceiling allowed for a perfect view looking out, but completely obstructed the cameras of the paparazzi if they flew overhead. The house was near perfect, although it could use a women's touch here and there.

"I took the liberty of having your luggage placed in our master bedroom. I hope that is acceptable." Jamie asked.

"Our master bedroom? I wasn't under the assumption that any of this house was part mine." She said.

"Would you like it to be?" He wondered out loud.

"Why don't we just enjoy the evening, and see what happens after that." She suggested nervously.

While Carol showered and changed in the master suite, Jamie had done the same in the exercise room. After lightly knocking he opened the door carrying a tray of Champaign, which he nearly dropped when he saw her standing there in a very revealing black teddy with frilly lace.

"Dear God woman where did you get that!" He asked in shock as his blood started traveling south for the winter.

"One of the sales girls help me pick it out today. Why do you think it is too much?" She asked worried.

"Too much hell! I hope you can remember which lady helped you, because I am going to have to send her a big thank you tip. You look absolutely ravishing." He stated while trying to calm his libido.