Slow Burn

The following fictional story is a slow burn. Like passions, the smoke is a signal that a fire that will ignite eventually, but not until the conditions are right. This is your story if you like a "slow burn" and we all know that everything good is worth waiting for. Enjoy. It's only the beginning of a series from "stormyknight".

All characters are over 18.

10:30 on a Monday morning. I was getting my business week started. The phone rang, and I expected a typical business call. I work at home, so for those who do likewise, I am accustomed to the 'mental shifting of gears' around the house when the phone rings during the 8-5 period.

I picked up the receiver and announced myself expecting the usual reply, but heard only the sharp intake of breath. I spoke my name again, and heard a tentative, almost questioning "Hello..." then click.

"It was probably a wrong number," I thought to myself, and then resumed work at the desk. I checked the Caller ID which read "blocked" and ignored the call.

I was busily typing away at the computer again when my thoughts were interrupted when several minutes later, the phone rang again.

"Another 'Blocked' call. Oh, you again," I thought. I picked up the receiver and announced myself this time personally, hoping to keep the mystery caller on the line. But, nothing. I held the receiver without speaking, baiting the caller to speak.

It worked. The same tentative female voice said "Hi..." then paused.

Mondays are not the time to play around. I had a full week ahead of me and wanted to get down to business. But my intriguing mystery caller was getting the best of me.

I responded with a curious but inviting "Hi, this is Jay," and again waited.

"Hi Jay. Do you know who this is?"

I really wasn't expecting a mysterious call like this, and the voice didn't immediately connect to a face. But, it sounded so familiar.

"Not really. How about a hint," I played along hoping to buy some time when she answered.

"It's Mandy, I 'm back in town." A much unexpected reply.

Mandy was Julie's daughter, my step-daughter. Mandy went away unexpectedly. She had a falling out with her mother during the summer following high school and moved about five years ago. Our long held plan was to have her attend the local university. Before then, Mandy and I were close and always got along fine. She would turn to me before as a confidante during the previous encounters with her mom.

We had a close father-daughter relationship. Over the ten years we had together, I was aware that she often depended on me to be the steady one in her life. But one day, she really got into it with her mother and moved out in a fit of anger and frustration, without as much as a goodbye.

She couldn't get far enough away from her mom, and didn't let us know where she was living. Still, trouble at home continued.

Julie and I got divorced about a year later, and she died shortly thereafter, drunk behind the wheel of her car. I always thought, "What a waste of a promising life. Finally, she was at peace with her troubled mind."

I loved Julie, and after this heartbreak, never married again. So, needless to say, I lost track of Mandy...until today.

My thoughts returning to the present, "Are you okay?" I asked, dreading that she was hurt or in trouble.

"No, I'm okay. But I've been thinking of what a jerk I was to you, by leaving and not keeping in touch. I missed you."

I replied, "I missed you too, but had no idea where you were, and how you were doing. Where are you now? Oh, sorry. Too many questions, too fast."

Mandy began to cry softly and said, "Can I see you? I was such a fool. I made such a mess and have so much to undo."

I just let her keep taking, relating the guilt of her departure, death of her mother and the general chain of events over the past five years. We spoke for nearly an hour, and then arranged to meet for lunch at a small cafe near her hotel, which was only a short drive from where I live.

Two hours later I pulled into a parking space at the cafe, took a deep breath to try and calm my swirling emotions. I sat there for a moment, looked around and then saw her at a table outside in the shade of an umbrella.

She was seated and still, holding her drink inches away from her lips, obviously lost in thought.

The closing of my car door did not interrupt her deep and heavy thoughts. It had been years since seeing her, but I knew how emotions played on her face, and could tell this was hard for her to handle.

I walked towards the table and was only a few feet away when the movement caught her attention.

She looked at me briefly, and without speaking lowered her swollen red eyes, setting the cup on the table. Tears fell as she buried her face in her hands. Her shoulders bounced with the soft sobbing of overwhelming sorrow. I suppose it was just the flood of all those emotions stored up for the past five years.

My thoughts raced, "God, it had been so long since I'd seen her and I really didn't know what to say, or what was on her mind." As I neared, she stayed seated but raised up her head, wrapping her arms around my waist and burying her tear-streaked face into my shirt.

I stood there, cradling her head against my stomach and just let her cry it out. My hand stroked her hair as the sobbing lowered to a whimper, then slowed to an occasional sniffle.

I pulled the nearby chair closer to her, turned it her direction and sat knee to knee with both of her hands in mine, her face lowered again. We sat there for a couple of minutes, still neither of us speaking as I allowed her to fully gain her composure.


I offered a napkin from the table to dab at the remaining tears. Finally, after a deep single sigh, she raised her face and whispered "Thank you."

I looked at her and saw a small smile begin to draw across her lips, and smiled back, nodding acknowledgement.

I interrupted the silence, "You had me worried there for a minute."

She forced a smile again and said "Yeah, a lot has happened."

I listened as she told the details of the argument with the mother, her moving away and the experiences of life alone over the past five years.

At 23, she was still cute and vibrant in a youthful way, but had also taken on a womanly beauty. She still had the long glowing amber hair. Her features were more defined and some of the girlish roundness was gone. But there was no doubt that she was becoming a beautiful young woman.

As we sat and talked, I looked at her. Now lost in my own thoughts, and realized that something had been missing for the past five years. I enjoyed our relationship before. Somehow. I had closed off the hurt of missing her. Seeing her again now made me realize after all these years, that she had been an integral part of my life.

Mandy interrupted my thoughts "Jay, can we do this again sometime?"

"Um, sure...how long will you be here?" I asked.

"I am 'home' now. It's time stop running and settle down." She was now fully composed and spoke purposefully about her desire to get her life back together.

I could tell that she had been thinking about those words for some time and had made a deep commitment to fulfilling them.

It was a good visit, healing for both of us. We talked about old family friends and good times in the past during lunch, trying to keep it light after the earlier pouring out of emotion. But, both of us could tell something painful was just below the surface.

After lunch, we agreed to meet for coffee on Wednesday. Until then, Mandy would be busy looking for work, and finding a place to stay. She had some friends from before that still lived in town, and hoped to find one willing to share an apartment. We hugged and I walked her back to the hotel across the street. She hugged me again as we said our goodbye in the lobby.

"What an unexpected and pleasant surprise," I thought.I replayed the events of the last two hours over in my mind during the walk to my car.

Mid-way home, my mind and car took a detour through the old neighborhood. I stopped in front to the old house, misty eyed for a moment. After Julie died, I sold the house, moved across town to a three bedroom condo. I didn't need all the yard and extra space of a house, not to mention the haunting memories.

I really loved Julie and had many good memories. Julie was a talented artist and passionate lover at times. It's just that the shortly before Mandy left, and into the following year, Julie kinda lost it. She wouldn't listen to my pleas and those of our family and close friends.

Again I recalled, "What a waste of a potentially good life when someone ignores help and throws it all away."

Although I moved, I kept in close contact with my family and friends during my mourning process of the next year or so.

Friends would regularly invite me over for dinners and gatherings, hoping some single female there would pique my interest. But to no avail. Although our frequent and enjoyable visits continued, they accepted my decision graciously, recognizing that I had come to terms with life, and was content.

At the office, my personal assistant and business associates were a great source of support and encouragement. I was financially secure and cut down my case load to half during this time, allowing me to work from home with necessary trips to the office for monthly meetings.

They allowed me to work from home only on the condition that I would return to the office space if I started to withdraw. I had regular contact by telephone and e-mail, not to mention our passing conversations daily at the health club. Plus, there were frequent business dinners and golf trips with clients.

They could tell I was doing fine. What was more interesting, is that I had a surge of creativity during this period. Call it focus or just re-channeling that extra energy, but either way, my working at home turned out to be a successful and permanent condition.

I enjoyed decorating my condo and have decent taste, so as you might have guessed by now, it's far from a bachelor pad. My master suite is well furnished. My office is high-tech both for work and audio-visual entertainment. I have an inviting guest room for out-of town family and visitors. I return the invitations by having friends and business guests over often. It feels like a home. It's just that I live there alone.

Wednesday morning came, and I met Mandy at the local Starbucks at 3PM for a mid-day break. We hugged and ordered or coffee, taking a small table in the corner by the window.

She looked much better this time, dressed in her pin-striped business suit and white blouse. She had a familiar sparkle in her eye. She eagerly told me about the job prospects from the two interviews yesterday and one more this morning. There is no doubbt that she's a go-getter.

Duirng our visit mady shared that she had earned her degree as a graphic artist while in college. She was a bright girl in high school, and I'm glad that she had at least applied herself scholastically over the past few years. Although personally, she had made some bad choices in relationships. She had allowed herself to be taken advantage of by some real losers.

However, at twenty-three years old, college degree in a solid career field, and good looking, she was off to a good start in life again. And, starting with a clean slate in the relationship area.

Mandy went on to tell about the various career prospects, and her new life so far. She was still staying at the hotel.

Continuing with conversation, out of concern I asked "So, where have you been eating?"

"Restaurant food is good, but only for a couple of days. It gets old really fast. Not to mention the guys hitting on a single woman at a table," she added with a snarled lip.

"Well then, how about dinner with an old friend tonight. Me."

"Really?" she lit up for a moment then said, "I know you have good taste, but I don't know if I can handle another restaurant."

"Well, I'm sure we can find something to put together at the house. How about if you come over at 7PM. We'll keep it casual." I offered.

Her face lit up again, signaling acceptance. We continued talking about her job prospects and finished our visit at nearly 4PM, walking together back to the hotel, as on Monday.

I stopped on the way home and picked up an appetizer tray of meat and cheese, some chicken and fresh vegetables, along with a chilled bottle of wine. It took just a little while to wrap up some business on the computer and return a call before preparing for dinner.

Before starting dinner, I stripped and hung up my suit, then stepped into a soothing shower. The water felt good as I closed my eyes and let it run over my head, washing away the day's concerns. I finshed, turned off the water, then toweled off. I was sensing the anticipation of the evening as waves of fresh air played across my body, causing a slight erection.

"Where did that come from?" I wondered aloud. Then, splashed on some cologne as I continued to dress.

I had a few minutes to relax before starting dinner. The table was set, sauce was on and the olive oil, chicken and vegetables were set out waiting to be sautéed in the skillet. Water was in the pot ready for the right time to start the fettuccini.

I had just settled into the chair when I heard the doorbell.

Mandy was standing there wearing a haltered but conservative sundress and sandals, hair loosely falling over her shoulders. She was cradling a plant with slender delicate hands. She was a vision of beauty. broad smile, white teeth and dreamy baby blue eyes. Her shoulders were tanned, smooth and looked moist and soft. I could just imagine her rubbing lotion across her shoulders and chest before dressing...My thoughts were interrupted.

"Consider it a housewarming gift. Better late than never," she said as she placed it on the small table in the entry, then turned to offer a soft embrace.

I could smell the perfume in her hair as she nuzzled her face under my chin.

I invited her into the kitchen to check on the sauce first, then offered to give her the 5 cent tour.

The condo has a kitchen and family room, with bedroom and bath on the main floor. My bedroom and office are on the second floor affording me the opportunity to go downstairs and 'get away from the office' whenever necessary. The master bedroom has a private balcony overlooking the river.

The other residents are primarily business and professional singles which sets a comfortable atmosphere for me.

I specifically selected the condo at this location, considering that if I was going to sell my house, I wanted to at least enjoy the luxury and comforts of home.

"Make yourself at home" I said to Mandy. She did so, settling onto a nearby barstool viewing my gourmet activity in the kitchen. I stood at the end of the counter and admired her shapely legs.

"Yes," I thought to myself, "It has been a long time since she has graced me with her presence."

"Some guys golf for pleasure. I cook," I said playfully flipping a small slice of cheese her direction in order to get my thoughts back on track and out of the gutter.

We made small talk and had a glass of wine while I prepared the rest of the dinner. It did my heart good to see her relax and be her old self again.

It was nearly 8 before we finally took a seat at the table, but time was not a concern. The sun was setting and I lit a couple of candles to set a pleasant mood. We stayed away from the earlier conversation of the day, not avoiding topics, just recognizing that sometimes things have to come out in small doses to avoid being overwhelmed.

After dinner, Mandy offered to do the dishes since I cooked. I told her I would have nothing of it, but would enjoy the help. We stood at the sink, shoulder to shoulder, just enjoying the time of closeness.

It had been so long since I enjoyed the simple times together with her like this. I reached up to put the last item in the cabinet, turned back toward the counter and was met with a hug and a squeeze.

Mandy held her arms around my waist, and I asked "Well little lady, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Mandy laid her head against my chest, shrugged her shoulders and said "Just because!" then gave another squeeze before letting her arms fall away.

I suggested that we go outside to the downstairs patio and enjoy the last glimmers of twilight.

Mandy followed and took a set beside me, kicking off her sandals and curling one foot under her leg. We sat shoulder to shoulder. Mandy scooted farther down into the cushioned chair and rested her head on my shoulder.

We sat and talked about this and that, the sound and sights of birds in the distance over the river. Mandy reached up and slipped her hand under my elbow, surrounding my arm with her hands as conversation continued. Soon, I realized that she was asleep.

I figured it must have been the comfort of company, the warm evening and the security of being near someone you love. It was nearing 11PM and I didn't want to disturb her but knew that she had to get back to the hotel. I could feel her softness and warmth, and smell the intoxicating perfume from before.

"Mandy" I whispered, then repeated "Mandy. Wake up princess."

She sighed deeply and partially opened her eyes. "Sorry. I fell asleep. The week really caught up with me," she smiled and hugged my arm tighter with her hands for emphasis.

As she began to stand, she toppled, causing me to reach out for her instinctively. I slid my arms around her waist to keep her from falling to the pavement. My left hand was resting on her breast, and I didn't move it out of concern for her possibly falling. Mandy regained her balance as I held her and she explained that her leg fell asleep while curled under her.

As she spoke I realized that I was still holding her close to me, with my hand still on her beast, and her face only inches away from mine. In that moment I studied her face in detail, noticing the changes and admiring her beauty.

"Are you okay," I asked as she tested the weight on her foot. I held her steady until I was assured that she could stand.

Mandy seemed a little embarrassed perhaps by her fall, and perhaps by our closeness. She stood straight and smoothed out her dress.

I offered to drive her back to the hotel, and waited while she gathered her things.

As we traveled she thanked me again for the dinner and the good company. During the ride I asked her if she was making any progress with finding a roommate. She said that her friends were all glad to see her. But they have all changed or are at a point in their lives where they want independence, and a place of their own. She was still looking, but planned to stay at the hotel for a little longer.

When we arrived at the hotel, out of the blue, I offered "You know Mandy, we're not strangers and I have the extra room. You could stay for a while. "

"No, Jay. I couldn't do that. I mean, you have your life and your work at home. I would be intruding."

"I wouldn't offer if I didn't mean it. Think about it. I mean it," I said with conviction.

"Well... thanks, but I just couldn't. Something will open up for me,I hope" she said with uncertainty.

Just as before, I walked Mandy to the elevator. She stopped, turned and hugged me, then looked up at me, holding her arms loosely around my waist.

"Jay," she said, "Thank you for everything tonight. You were wonderful. You've always been there for me." She leaned forward and kissed me lightly on the lips, then hugged deeply again.

As Mandy let go, I stood there in the lobby, watched her smile and wave before heading off to the elevator. That night as I lay in bed, as I drifted off to sleep I could still smell the faint aroma of her perfume lingering on my shoulder. "Sweet Dreams," I said to myself.