Lessons from Days Gone By Ch. 01

Monday, March 12, 2018

I was sitting in my office today, reading the online newspaper from my home city. I didn't log in over the weekend and was trying to catch up. I scrolled down clicking on articles that caught my eye. I saw one that was titled, 'Heiress, Charitable Foundation Head Loses Heroic Battle with Cancer.' I felt as if my heart stopped.

I read the name in the first line and stopped. Laura Parker. No, it couldn't be. I scrolled further down and there was her picture. In the photo, she was older than I remembered, but I would never forget those eyes or that smile, as long as I lived. I scrolled down to the bottom of the article and saw that her funeral was planned for tomorrow. I knew I had to go. I buzzed Emily and asked her to book my flight. Then I called my Aunt Evelyn to let her know I would be in town tonight and would like to take her to dinner.

Emily, my 27-year-old administrative assistant, walked in a few minutes later and handed me my boarding passes and rental car confirmation. She walked behind my desk and sat on my lap. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling my head to her chest. In addition to being my day-to-day right hand, Emily had been my lover since shortly after she started working for me 7 years before. She looked at the news story still displayed on my laptop.

"I'm so sorry, baby," she said comfortingly.

"She's finally gone...," I answered. As I held my sweet Emily against me, I began to remember days gone by.

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I'd met Laura on May 21^st, 1992, when I knocked on the door of her palatial home, hoping to talk her into letting me handle her yard care that summer. I'd graduated from high school the previous Monday night and I was desperate to earn some more spending money for college. I'd been fortunate enough to add two other large yards in her neighborhood to my schedule that same morning. Competition was keen in that area, and I was eager to win new clients as I knew that those people typically gave generous tips in addition to the weekly rate.

She answered the door politely, "May I help you?"

I still vividly remember seeing her for the first time. She was a gorgeous brunette, in her early 30's, I guessed. She wore a beautiful, red dress and black heels. Silky, tan nylons graced her legs. She was a remarkably attractive woman and had a warm, friendly smile. I stood there dumbstruck for an uncomfortable moment, just looking at her.

"Um, yes, ma'am. I was hoping that maybe I could help you. I'm Mike Tanner." I handed her one of the business cards my mom insisted on having printed. "I was wondering if I could give you a bid to take care of your lawn work this summer."

"It's funny that you stopped by, I was just thinking about that. My husband typically takes care of all that. Well, he used to anyway. We recently divorced and I'm learning to do some of the things that he would take care of," she explained.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." I said.

She smiled again, "Thank you. So, what do you think you'll charge?"

"Could I look at the back yard, first," I asked.

"Yes, you certainly may, follow me," she smiled and waved me through the door. I followed her through the massive house. I couldn't imagine the cost of a place like this. I'd grown up the son of a successful doctor and attorney, but our 4,000-square foot home was like a wing of this palace. I couldn't have imagined meeting such a beautiful woman that morning, either. I admired her figure as she walked in front of me. We weaved through what seemed a maze of hallways, before we finally reached the large, ornate glass doors that led to the back yard. There was very little grass to mow due to a large concrete patio, huge swimming pool and hot tub. There was also a large pool house. I noted several large shrubs that hadn't been trimmed back properly the previous summer, but the remaining landscaping generally consisted of low-maintenance species.

"So, what do you think," she asked with a smile.

"You have a beautiful home, ma'am. Those shrubs really need a good trimming. I think $250 for the first time, and $175 a week after that would be fair."

"Are you sure," she asked. "I believe my ex-husband was paying much more than that."

"No ma'am. I think that's fair," I replied.

"Fine, I just don't want to take advantage of you. I'm Laura Parker by the way," she said. We shook hands.

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am." I pulled my note pad out of my back pocket and wrote down her name. "Will Friday mornings work for you?"

"Yes, that should be fine. I'm usually here most mornings, though. I'll give you my phone number in case you need to reschedule," she offered. She wrote her phone number on my note pad. I pointed out my pager number on the business card, in case something changed on her end.

"Thank you, ma'am. I look forward to doing a good job for you. I'll see you tomorrow morning," I said.

"Fine, but please call me Laura and save the ma'am for your mother! You make me feel like an old lady," she smiled and gave me a wink. I still couldn't get over how beautiful she was.

She led me back through the house and I walked down the sidewalk hoping to find more customers. I'd be very lucky to find another client as beautiful as Laura, I thought to myself.

The next morning, I showed up at her house. I unloaded my mower from my trailer and was already working when I saw her walk out the front door. She waved at me, retrieved her mail and then went back inside. She was wearing a dress again, except this time it was black and she wore black nylons. The dress was cut just right, showing off her hourglass figure. She was older than me obviously, but I couldn't believe how great she looked.

It struck me as funny that I was admiring Laura so much, like I would have any chance with a woman like her. I could barely even talk to the girls I went to school with. I was a three-time all-state football player and wrestler with a perfect GPA, but I completely fell apart when I was in front of pretty girl. I was about 6'3" and a solid 220 pounds at that time. I wore glasses and had an unruly head of blond hair. The girls at school always said I was "nice" or "sweet", but not dateable for some reason. My jock friends continually made fun of me about my lack of charm, but no one seemed to have any advice regarding the "keys to success." I assumed they were hardly any better off than I was.

After mowing, I trimmed the shrubs in the back yard. I was loading my mower and the shrub clippings when Laura came back out. She had an envelope in her hand.

"The yard looks great," she smiled and handed me the envelope.

"Thank you, Laura. I always try to do my best. If you ever see something you don't like, let me know immediately, and I'll fix it."

"Oh, I think you'll do just fine," she said. I looked at her closely. I wondered what she looked like when she was my age. She was still undeniably gorgeous.

"I was telling Valerie, one of my girlfriends, that you were going to take care of my yard work this summer. She said you were a big-time football hero. Her daughter graduated with you," Laura said.

"Oh really? Who's that," I asked, with a smile.

"Clarice Jennings," she replied.

"Yeah, I know Clarice. We had a lot of classes together. She's a really nice girl," I said. I'd had a crush on Clarice since middle school, but never found the courage to ask her out.

"Yes, she is. A real sweetheart, like her mom. She wanted me to ask you where you going to be playing next year."

"I'm going to school at State, but I'm not going to play football," I said.

"No? Why not? Valerie said you were really good," she replied.

"Mostly, it's because I know it's going to be different than playing in high school. It's a full-time job in college. My dad played when he was in school, and he told me it was hard to play and stay on top of schoolwork," I said.

"I can imagine that was a very difficult decision for you to make."

"Yeah, it was. There were a lot of my friends that told me I was stupid, but my school is paid for at State because of academics. So, I still get free school and I don't have to tackle anybody for it," I smiled.

"Ha," she laughed. "That's funny."

"Thanks." I had this amazing feeling. I was standing there talking to this beautiful woman and I wasn't making a complete ass of myself like usual.

"You have a great sense of humor. The girls must love that about you," Laura said.

"Nah, most of them don't seem notice," I replied.

"No? That's really a pity. I like a handsome man with a sense of humor," she smiled. She gave me another one of those little winks I'd noticed the first day. "So, what do your parents do," she asked.

"My mom is attorney, my dad was an obstetrician, but we lost him to cancer last summer," I said.

"Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that. I lost my father when I was about the same age," she said.

I nodded my understanding. "It was hard. He was a great guy," I said.

"I can imagine so."

"I should be going. I have a lot more to do today," I said.

"I'm sure you do. Have a great rest of your day," she said.

"You too," I replied. She gave me a very sweet smile. If she'd been my age, I would have taken that as a very good sign! When I got in the truck, I opened the envelope. There was $250 in there, but also a piece of folded pink stationary. I unfolded it and saw two additional crisp Ben Franklins. At the top of the stationary it read, 'A Note from a Very Sensuous Woman.' I read what she'd wrote below that.

'Michael,

Never cheat yourself in life.

Laura'

That struck me as curious. Only my mother called me Michael.

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The next week, she came out again to talk and pay me after I'd finished. She must have just returned from the gym because she was in a sports bra and spandex shorts. She had her long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, and I couldn't believe how good she looked. Every bit as good as the 18-year old girls I'd graduated with.

"Did you just get back from the gym," I asked.

"Yeah. I was doing some things around the house and hadn't changed. You work out a lot too, don't you," she asked.

"Yeah, I lift weights. I'm trying to get a little leaner this summer."

"I think you look just fine." She grabbed my right biceps and gave it a gentle squeeze. I felt like electricity surged through me when she touched me.

"Thanks. What do you do at the gym," I asked.

"Usually just aerobics and the Stairmaster," she smiled.

"You can't argue with the results," I blurted out. That surprised both of us. She got a very devilish look on her face.

"You think so, do you," she asked.

"Yes, you're so fit-," I said.

"For a woman my age, you mean," she asked, with a sly smile. I immediately started trying to backtrack.

"No, no, I'm sorry. I don't mean it that way, I meant for any age. You're in better shape than a lot of girls I graduated with," I tried to explain.

"Thank you, but I doubt that. I'm not 18 anymore."

"Your body looks it, Laura," I replied. Where this sudden influx of confidence came from, I still don't know. For some reason, I just felt more at ease with her than I did the girls from school.

"Thank you." She gave my arm another squeeze. "I guess I should let you get going."

I wanted nothing more than to stay right there on the sidewalk talking to her, but I did have several other yards to mow and I was going out with my friends that night.

"Yeah, I probably should. I'll see you next week," I said finally.

"Not, if I see you first," she laughed.

"Yeah, I guess so," I grinned.

"Get going." She smiled at me and turned to walk up the sidewalk to her door. I stood there for a moment watching her. Her ass was a masterpiece in those spandex shorts. I always loved when girls wore spandex, but none had ever done them justice like Laura did. Her hips had more curve and her ass was so much fuller and rounder than the girls at school. She glanced back over her shoulder and caught me staring. She smiled and shook her head. I waved to hide my embarrassment, before getting in my truck.

The next week, I didn't see her until I was just about to leave. She pulled up in a cherry red Ferrari that I'd never seen before. I admired the car and the gorgeous brunette that got out of it. She swung those toned legs out of the car as I watched. She was wearing tan nylons I saw, with red heels and another sexy red dress. Damn, she was just amazing. She saw me staring and smiled, shaking her head. She walked over and took off her sunglasses. She looked up at me with those brilliant green eyes.

"I'm probably old enough to be your mother. You know that, right," she asked.

"I'm sorry, but you just really look great today."

"Thank you. I gave a speech at a ladies' breakfast this morning," she replied.

"Oh, okay."

"You're all finished, I see," she said.

"Yes, I was just getting ready to leave. I was hoping I got to see you first," I smiled.

"Please," she said, rolling her eyes. "Let me get my purse." She walked back to the Ferrari. I watched those sexy legs as she walked. She had an amazing set of calves, accentuated by her sexy high heels. Naturally, she turned around and caught me watching her.

"You really should take a picture. It'll last longer," she laughed, as she walked back towards me.

"I don't have a camera," I replied.

"Are you flirting with me, young man," she asked.

"Maybe, I guess. I'm not really good at flirting with girls," I admitted.

"I'm not a girl. I'm a woman. There is a difference between the two, you know."

"I can tell," I said, as I looked her up and down.

"You are impetuous. How old is your mother," she asked.

"45."

"How old do you think I am," she replied.

"32," I said.

"I'll be 38 next month."

"So, I was wrong," I smiled.

"You shouldn't flirt with women twice your age. That can be dangerous for a young man like you," Laura said. She flashed me a wicked smile and squeezed my arm. I made a note to wear a tank top every day I came over. I loved having her touch me.

She handed me the envelope for mowing.

"Thanks, for doing a great job, again," she smiled.

"You're welcome. I'll see you next week," I said.

"Do you mow on Saturday and Sunday, as well," she asked.

"Just Saturday. I like having one day off," I replied.

"Yes, I can understand that. I hate to ask, but would you mind helping me on Sunday," she asked.

"Doing what," I asked.

"I need to move some furniture. I hate to hire someone for such a small thing. I thought maybe you might want the extra money," she replied.

"Sure, how long do you think it will take?"

"Maybe just a couple hours," she said.

"Okay. After lunch, maybe?"

"Yes, that'll be fine," she said.

"Sounds great. I'll see you then," I said. She smiled and winked at me again. As I drove home, I kept thinking about getting to spend more time with her. I really enjoyed talking to her and trying to flirt with her. I felt my confidence grow each time we talked. I was sure that was going to help me meet girls when I got to school in the fall.

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Sunday arrived and I was having lunch with my mom. I explained that I was going to help one of my lawn clients move furniture.

"Oh, that's nice of you," Mom said.

"Yeah, she's really nice and she said she'd pay me," I said.

"Oh, I see," Mom replied. "I need to go to the office this afternoon anyway. The Centrex trial starts Wednesday and I have a ton of things I need to do."

"Mom, you haven't taken a day off in three months," I said.

"Michael, this is an important case," she replied.

"Mom, they've all been really important since Dad died," I said.

"Honey, we've been through this. Everyone deals with things differently. I'm not going to just mope around here all day every weekend by myself. You're going to be gone today anyway," she countered.

"I'll just be gone for a couple hours, Mom," I said. I should have known better than argue with a lady that did that for a living, but I kept trying.

"Let me go to the office and see what I can get done. I'll page you later and let you know when I'm on my way home," she said. She smiled, but I don't think she believed a word of it any more than I did.

"Okay, Mom. Good luck at the office," I replied. I helped her clear the table and told her I'd wash the dishes when I got home. I kissed her on the cheek and left. On the drive to Laura's house, I thought about my Mom. Until Dad passed away, she rarely worked on weekends. Now, it was all the time. I secretly hoped she'd met a new man and was just sneaking away to see him. Deep down though, I knew she was just working. I wasn't sure how I was going to help her.

I pulled up in front of Laura's house. I noticed the Ferrari was sitting in the covered driveway as I rang the doorbell. I was dying to ask her for a ride in it. Maybe before the end of the summer, I thought. I'd grown up watching Magnum, P.I. and a little red Ferrari always made my heart race. Not to mention when they were driven by a beautiful lady like the one whose high heels I heard clicking towards the door.

She opened the door and glanced at her watch. "Right on time. I love a man that is punctual." She gave me another one of those smiles that gave my stomach butterflies.

"I try to be," I smiled.

"Come in," she said, waving me past her. She was wearing a black dress that day. It fit her well, showing off her hips and bust. I wondered what her wardrobe had cost, as everything she wore looked so good on her. I looked up and noticed she had caught me staring again. She smiled and led me to her spacious living area.

"Okay, first thing I want to do, is move this couch over there where the chair is and then put the chair over there." She pointed to where she wanted it. "My ex-husband liked having it where it's at and I always thought it was out of place."

"Okay, I can do that," I smiled.

"I need to make a phone call. I'll be back shortly," she smiled and winked at me.

She turned to walk out of the room. My eyes followed her, watching her ass and toned nylon-covered legs. When she turned around the corner, she glanced back and saw me looking. She shook her head and smiled.

"Please get to work," she jokingly chided me.

"I am, I am," I replied.

I'd just finished moving everything when she walked back in.

"Oh nice! Doesn't that look better," she asked. She had a big smile on her face.

"Yeah, I think so," I answered. I wasn't sure there was that much of a difference, but she thought there was, and that's all that mattered to me.

"You want a soda or something," she asked.

"Sure, that would be great."

"I'll get you one, have a seat," she said.

I sat down on the couch I'd just moved and waited for her. When she returned she had a can of Coke for me and a glass of wine for herself. She sat down on the couch next to me.

"Thanks," I said as she handed me the can of soda.

"You're very welcome. So, I'm curious, how can you be so shy with girls at school, but be daring with a woman my age?"

"You think I'm daring," I asked, smiling.

"Yes, I do," she said.

"Maybe it's because I know that I don't have a shot with you, and that I can't really mess anything up. I can just be myself," I said with a smile.

"You could use a bit of self-confidence. Women like that, you know."

"Ha, yes, I know. It's true with you, though. You must have guys falling all over themselves to take you out," I said.

"You might be surprised. Single men my age, are usually looking for a twenty-something. That's not me. I'm an old hag. And I'm not at the point in my life where I'm willing to accept some old man."

"Laura, you are not a hag. You're the sexiest woman I've ever met," I said.

"Surely, that's not true," she smiled.