Ben’s Comeback

"You are one of the best Rhonda. We should do this again."

"I don't know if we will but then who knows? Goodnight you darling man."

Ben tiredly swaggered into the rooming house, a little over half an hour before the door was locked for the night.

Mrs Harrington-Jones came out to see who was arriving.

She looked closely at Ben and said, "You've been with a woman."

"Yeah and it was great. Do you frequently couple with a woman?"

"God you have a foul mind. Go to bed and pray for your salvation."

CHAPTER 2

Ben awoke the morning after pounding Rhonda front and back feeling in great shape. It was the first sex he'd had in eight weeks and felt like his manhood had been restored.

As he approached the store he saw Sarah putting out the open sign. He thought when she said good morning to him he ought to say would she like a fuck. But then thought that was crazy because she might say yes.

"Why is my daughter inviting your to dinner?"

"And good morning to you Sarah. She hasn't invited me to dinner."

"Well she will when she sees you. Hugo, Carl and me have been told to eat out."

"Ah Rita did say she must cook for me some time but she didn't say when."

"Well when is tonight and we have to eat out. I don't like eating out midweek."

"Well stay and eat with us."

"What and get an ear bitten off."

Ben sighed and though no matter what he said it would be countered. Sarah was in one of those moods that women plunge into at times. He never got moody. Oh yeah?

"Do you think Rita is aiming to fuck me?"

"The little bitch. How can she be so blatant?"

"Desire would be a good guess."

Sarah considered that and nodded. "The over-sexed little bitch."

Ben decided it was safer to make no comment.

"Why aren't you commenting?"

"Jesus Sarah, get off my back. If you must have a go at someone bite Rita's ass."

"You leave my daughter's ass out of this."

Omigod, Ben concluded. Sarah was being consumed by jealousy.

"I'll be in the john."

"Stick your head in it while you're there," she snarled. "Oh god Ben I am so sorry for saying that. I don't know what's come over me this morning."

"I'll make you feel better. I'll decline Rita's invitation."

"No please accept it. If she has sex so what? It's when she's not getting it that I worry."

Rita arrived and a few minutes later found Ben and he accepted her invitation to dinner.

She cooked him a magnificent three-course meal during which she revealed the reason she'd invited him. She was keen to get married and have difficulty keeping a regular date and conceded she did tend to have other dates while she and her boyfriend considered they were going steady.

Ben put her right on that and then told her the other things he believed guys expected from their girlfriend and the things that Rita could do to impress a guy and to intensify his interest in her. He then told her about the even more difficult task of appealing to the guy's mom.

"I don't care a shit about the mother. She is immaterial."

"Oh Rita," Ben said ever so seriously, "have I got news for you."

He left and they kissed on the porch like, er, cousins. He'd had a very enjoyable evening and told her so. He gathered she was not interested in him as a possible partner because he was in a low-paid job and without prospects.

Fair enough, he sighed, as he walked home thinking of the awesome way Rhonda Phelps could waggle her ass while squeezing her cunt to seize him in a stupendously erotic milking action.

She was unbelievable.

Next day a heavy-set guy in a beard in his early sixties came up to Ben and asked if he was Ben Caine.

"Yes sir. How may I help you?"

"My wife wants you to come to lunch on Sunday. Here's a map how to get to our ranch."

"Thank you sir but..."

"Don't call me sir. Call me Andy, Andy Kennedy."

"Oh Mrs Kennedy's husband?"

"What kind of intelligence did you need to figure that out? Don't be late."

"What time is on time?"

"Noon, we are ranching folk."

"Thank you Andy."

Ben walked out with Andy to confirm he was driving the uncared for Oldsmobile. He was, confirming the Mrs Kennedy of that car was Summer's aunt. He optimistically expected Summer would be there for lunch on Sunday.

The ranch house looked a dump and Ben would learn there was not much money because the income came off only 77 breeding cows, 23 sows and 14 hens. The Kennedy's preferred using their Oldsmobile as an all-purpose vehicle rather than adding a pickup to their farm costs. Their grumpy and frumpy daughter arrived for lunch. She was forty-eight and had with her an unexpected 'gift', the late-arriving Summer who was... surprise-surprise ... only five and although lovely was too shy to come close to Ben and she wouldn't look at him straight on. But as hosts the Kennedy's were lovely.

Their daughter didn't bother to join her parents when they went out to wave Ben off as his began his 11 mile pedal back to the city on a borrow bicycle.

What a wasted Sunday, he grinned on the way home. But he decided to stay friendly with the Kennedy's who'd lost their big ranch to the bank eight years earlier after three years of summer-autumn drought and the final straw being fire destroying all their vehicles and farm machinery in a barn, none of it insured. He thought good on the Kennedy's for making the effort to re-establish themselves rather than renting a hovel in the city and finding low-paying jobs like working in a feed and grain store.

He thought what the hell was he doing hiding away in a feed and grain store waiting to jump out on some poor unsuspecting woman to have sex with her, er with her consent? He'd struck gold with Rhonda and that had truly been unexpected, almost miraculous, although it was more than unlikely a woman of her quality and expertise would fall into his lap again if he continued working at the feed and grain store. Yeah he must plan to move on.

Huh?

Ben slipped back into loser mode and thought when back at the city he'd try to get Sarah Schmidt to meet him at the store and fuck her but he couldn't even managed to commit to do that. He thanked her when returning the bicycle at Sarah's home. She smiled warmly and said the others were out, would he like to come in for coffee. He shuffled his feet and had difficulty eyeing her and mumbled thanks and said he'd better get home to wash his socks.

"Oh darling I'm only too happy to do your washing for you."

"No thanks."

"Darling," she purred. "At least come in and keep me company. The others won't be back for at least a couple of hours. I'd... um I'd like to hold your hand."

"Nah thanks, better get going," he said and walked off wearily, feeling defeated.

Next morning Ben awoke feeling more like his old self. He stroked his morning erection and suddenly worked out that Sarah the previous afternoon had been attempting to line him up for sex. He thrashed the erection happily and resolved to become really friendly with motherly Sarah but he'd never fuck her, having no wish to do the dirty on Carl who'd virtually lifted him out of the gutter.

* * *

"Ben two bags of pet food for senior dogs to the office please."

He grinned thinking Sarah must have gone without breakfast.

"Ben this is Miss Franklin. She noticed my computer is going again and I mentioned you had fixed it. Her home computer is playing up and she would like you to take a look at it. She'd taken it in to the IT department where she works and they just laughed and told her to dump it."

"It's almost ten years old," Miss Franklin said apologetically, "but it's an old friend."

"Yeah I'll call at the weekend if you give my your address."

"Go with Miss Franklin now," Sarah smiled. "We are a full service store."

Miss Franklin, who was in her late fifties, drove as if she was still a learner driver. But they made it to her home without incident although the near misses were a little scary for Ben.

He recognized the brand and model of computer instantly, having done computer studies as an optional minor at university when studying for his property management degree.

"This laptop is an old warhorse Miss Franklin. You did well to buy it."

He booted it while she watched anxiously.

"Hmmm."

She looked even more anxiously.

"The hard drive is worn. Have you been dropping data?"

She looked puzzled.

"Um missing keystrokes and files failing to open and the message saying something like corrupted file."

"Oh yes, one or two. Several actually."

"Well there's no need to buy a new computer. In my opinion the hard drive is working itself toward a seizure. It needs replacing and while we are doing that we ought to replace the power supply and double the memory."

"We?"

"I was including you as the owner/client Miss Franklin."

"Oh how sweet. Please call me Evelyn."

Miss Franklin dropped Ben back at the store. She wanted to give him a hundred bucks for his time but he declined to accept it with a smile and said he was already being paid and it was a pleasure to help a woman in distress.

Evelyn marched into the office.

"All fixed Evelyn?"

"Yes Sarah. I believe it's going like a dream. I offered Ben this money but he declined, saying he was already being paid. Then you take it Sarah."

"No thank you Evelyn. If Ben decided his services to you were free, then who am I to over-rule him?"

"My goodness, this is a wonderful example of good old-fashion service."

Sarah smiled and invited Evelyn to join her for coffee. They talked about Ben and Sarah said he was a young man who'd fallen from grace for inappropriate behavior at his office."

"What for stealing money or fighting?"

"Um no, for attempting to have sex with the eager daughter of the CEO in the office mid-morning."

"And he was fired for that perfectly natural performance?"

Sarah boggled a bit wondering how a spinster could manage to have such an enlightened attitude. Evelyn was a church elder.

"Yes the CEO was beside himself in rage."

"Sarah that boy seems over qualified to be doing what he does for you."

"I know but there's no prospect of advancement for him here."

"What if I were to try to get him a position with us?"

"In real estate agency? Well why not. Um he does have natural charm with women."

"So I've noticed," Evelyn said patting her hair. "Well?"

"Yes please try. Please come to the office and I'll look us his background details for you. To be truthful I've never read them. Carl hired Ben."

The women looked amazed when they found Ben had a degree in property management and had been managing the property management division for a bank with eleven branches at the time his employment with the bank terminated almost two years later.

"They must have been satisfied with him until that unfortunate incident occurred," Evelyn said. "How was it he was caught out?"

"Well you did ask," Sarah said blushing. "They were just about to do it on a table in the staff café when staff walked in for their mid morning coffee break."

The two women hugged into a giggling fit.

Shaking her head, Evelyn said, "He would be well-suited to real estate. Some of our people have the morals of alley cats."

They were giggling again.

* * *

"Ben a Mrs Fields to see you."

Ben went up to the intercom and held down the reply switch.

"What's Mrs Fields' order?"

"She wants to take you for lunch."

"What with hayseed in my hair?"

There was a brief silence and then, "Mrs Fields says you may use her comb."

Ben laughed holding down the switch and said she sounded a honey.

"Well Sarah, he sounds as if he has personality."

"Turn it on Beth and you might get lucky," Sarah said to an old friend and they cackled.

Ben arrived and was introduced. He complained, "I'm not dressed to enter a restaurant."

Beth who'd eyed Ben appreciatively said well they'd buy take-outs and eat down at the lake.

He grinned and said she was a sound thinker and held out a hand.

"What?"

"He wants your comb Beth."

"Oh," she said flustering.

"No don't bother," he said. "I'll use a curry comb from stock."

"But they are for horses. No please use my comb."

"Okay but please wash it later."

Beth watched the waves reappear in his hair and the movement of rippling chest muscles under his shirt and thought omigod Angie, look what mommy has found for you.

They sat at a lakeside table eating hamburgers and drinking light beer.

"This will be an unusual lunch for you Mrs Fields."

"In the city yes, but not when were are up at our cabin. I could have a position in our company for your Ben. Sarah is aware of this and encourages this."

"Are you sure?"

Beth pulled out her phone but Ben said just your confirmation will suffice.

"She is very happy about it, believing it would restore you to where you should be. Now call me Beth and tell me about yourself Ben and take it slowly. I'm interested to learn about your education and work experience and why you are working in your present lowly job."

Half an hour later they were done and Beth dropped him back at the feed and grain store.

"Thanks for your time Ben. Come to our office when you finish here at 5:30 and expect my husband David to give you a real grilling about property management. Although our daughter heads that department I don't want her involved until we reach the stage of talking about a job offer should we process that far."

"Understood Beth. Sorry I denied you a restaurant meal."

"The fresh air did me good young man and thank you for making it such a pleasant time."

As Ben entered the store Sarah said, "Well? Come through for coffee."

She learned that the informal interview had gone really well and this evening he'd be interviewed by Beth and her husband.

"Excellent. I want you to leave at 4:30 and get a haircut and then have a shower and dress in your best clothes."

"Why?"

"To make a good instant impression."

"No thanks Sarah. I shall wash my face and go straight from here. I want the husband to see me exactly as I am."

"All right but borrow my comb."

"Okay but wash it later."

She smiled and said she really hoped he secured a position with Greenfields Realty.

"I might struggle selling real estate."

"Greenfields is the dominant property management company in this city. Didn't Beth tell you that?"

"No. Well now I'm really interested but I'll stay with your guys until Carl finds my replacement."

"Carl told me to tell Stewart should he ask that you can start in two weeks from today."

The interview went fine and Ben was invited to the Fields' home for dinner that evening.

"I want you to meet our daughter," Stewart said. "If she likes you we'll make you a job offer. Carl called me and said you could start here in two weeks from today."

"Gee that would be great. Any tips on how to impress your daughter?"

Beth said, "Just be yourself Ben. Angie can read people better than either Stewart or I can and we think we are pretty accomplished at that."

Ben went to the rooming house and waited his turn to secure one of the showers. He washed his hair and later trimmed and cleaned his fingernails. He dressed in his suit and then took it off and dressed in tight light blue jeans and a floral shirt that he left hanging out and put on loafers without socks, deciding he'd show Miss Fields the modern male look and flirtatiously wondered about leaving his jeans unbuttoned but decided against that. Miss Fields could think about unbuttoning him if the occasion arose.

Beth answered the doorbell and looking at him, eyes widening, kissed him full on the mouth and whispered, "God you look great. Don't rush her. She's very picky."

The woman a little over thirty had the classical look, tall, blonde, full-breasted and faking the appearance she could survive without a male.

Actually she really looked as if she could. Her jaw was set and pushed out a little aggressively. Obviously she was pissed off with her parents attempting to recruit someone for the vacancy over her head.

"This is our daughter Angela," Stewart said fondly. "We call her Angie."

"Hi Miss Fields, I'm Ben Caine and work as a roustabout at Schmidt's Sunset Creek Feed and Gain Store although I have worked in property management hence we have a common interest."

"Mom said you were fired from your PM position. How did that happen?"

"Angie please," said he mom.

"No it's okay Beth. She needs to know. It my view it was a totally unjustified dismissal, out of kilter with the offence that I do admit was unsavory and ill managed. I was attempting to seduce the CEO's daughter, who was willing, on a table in the café when staff walked in."

"And with no regarded of that being appropriate behavior from a manager?"

"Oh no. It was very inappropriate, in fact unbridled lust."

"Oh god," Beth groaned while her husband remained silent, his face impassive.

Ben noticed the daughter's eyes flicker and her mouth relaxed and then she said, "Daddy we are ready for drinks. Come through to the sitting room Ben. You sound like an honest man. Are you?"

"Almost totally Miss Fields but they are times when a lie is merited."

"Yes I would agree. Please call me Angie. That's a lovely shirt."

Two hours later Ben had accepted the position of assistant manager of the property management department at a salary that totally satisfied him.

Angie then said good night and wandered off and Ben left a few minutes later. He couldn't help sustaining excitement. He had the feeling he was back.

As Ben approached the store next morning, Sarah was putting out the open sign. He raised his hands high in victory. She turned and fled inside.

Oh shit.

After that little display he'd expected Sarah to give him a rough time but she was fine. On the last day he worked at the store he went out to dinner with the family where they joked about his replacement, a guy recently released from jail after doing time for embezzlement. As Carl said, the guy would fit and strong and he had to get past Sarah to get his hands on money and who'd want to steal birdseed or watering systems.

CHAPTER 3

The property management department at Greenfields Realty had two women in admin another female involved in client liaison, new business and troubleshooting, all directly under Angie's control. Ben had been placed in charge of the five maintenance crew who included a woman and that including allocating and inspecting their work. Angie had warned him the staff would be resentful he'd been appointed assistant manager because it had been assumed that Thelma, the client liaison and new business officer, was a sitter to take that post.

"Well anyway, welcome to your first day here and may your problems remain small. I suggest you have sex with Thelma and win her undying loyalty."

Ben was appalled that Angie has said that to him but he had to smile when she took him out to meet the team. He saw that Thelma was pushing fifty and also pushing 200 lbs. Angie caught his grin and winked.

Ben's briefing continued for the remainder of the day, including going through details of the twenty biggest clients. Everyone had gone by 5:45 when Angie yawned and said that was it. "Come through to dad's office for a drink. He's at golf and mom leaves around 3:30 each day."

That offer sounded great but Ben doubted that Angie would be in the mood to stretch out over her father's desk for him. Her manner toward him had been rather reserved.

She hauled out a bottle of wine from the fridge in her father's drinks cabinet and tossing the bottle to Ben to open, sat on the settee and kicked off her shoes and opened the top three buttons of her asymmetrical-styled tunic dress. He caught the glimpse of breast swell and the end of a ruby-red bra. He looked up and by her frown knew he'd been caught peering. He diverted by asking where were the glass and she told him.