Summer, Autumn, Adelaide Ch. 01

Significant change comes with every new season. Summer brings warmth, and Autumn lets the leaves fall, but Adelaide might be the grandest upheaval yet.

Adelaide Walker was the new mom on the street, and I was just some 20-something-year-old underemployed college graduate still living with his parents. We hardly shared the same life experience despite living across the street from one another. Yet there was more common ground than one might imagine.

While the Walker family had moved in across the street about a month back, nothing was noticeable about the couple and their toddler-aged son. The father seemed to always be in a rush, with his phone often cradled between his shoulder and head as he went to his car or grabbed the morning paper. Their son seemed to be a plain old toddler too. He would walk down the street with a face filled with enchantment, the kind that fades with age. Overall, the Walkers seemed to be just some run-of-the-mill suburban transplants. Or, at least, that was what I thought until I noticed Adelaide's morning jogs.

Adelaide's long chestnut hair was tied in a tight ponytail every dawn. What caught my attention was that this 40-year-old mom had a body many women would never achieve. Her abs were visible, her body was compact, and her figure was slender. It was like waking up to street art every morning when I looked outside to see her running, always on schedule.

Like all good things, her schedule eventually did come to an end. At least for one day, it did, when I peered out my window hoping to catch her routine but was greeted by a knock at the door instead, and Adelaide had come bearing blueberry muffins.

"Well, howdy there, neighbor." Adelaide greeted me with a fresh smile. I was sure she would have some Southern analogy beyond my comprehension to describe the feelings her pleasantries invoked in me.

"Hi, you are the new neighbors, right?" I asked while extending my hand, hoping it was not as sweaty as I was nervous.

"We are fresh off the turnip truck, as we might say down South."

I cracked a smile, and she paused before shaking my hand. At that moment, I glanced straight into her hazel eyes, drowning in their wonder and curiosity. This was the first time I had seen the mother up close. And while her body was fine, her face was equally picturesque. She had thin eyebrows, an oval-shaped face, defined cheekbones, dimples to die for, bow-shaped lips, a lovely broad nose, and golden skin.

"My name is Jason, Jason White." I stumbled with my words as I took in her ravaging appearance.

"It is mighty fine to meet ya Jason, and ya are just the man I hoped to see."

"I am?"

"Yessir, I have been noticing ya peeking out yer window just about every morning. And--"

"Who is at the door!" My mother calls out from the other room.

"Just the neighbor dropping off some homemade muffins."

"Well, invite them in!"

I locked eyes with Adelaide, but she just glared back. "Well, aren't ya gonna invite me in?"

"Yeah, sure."

I motioned for her to step inside. She wipes her feet on the mat by the door as she enters. Then Adelaide struts right past me toward the other room where my mother is, but I dare not follow. I fear she will say something about me ogling her through my bedroom window. Moments later, I hear them laughing in the other room and am increasingly confused. Adelaide walks out of the room toward me with the basket of muffins gone, clearly given to my mother already.

"Take me upstairs so we can chew the fat."

I guide her up the stairs by the front door, knowing this next part will be uncomfortable. When I opened the door to my room, it revealed that clothes were everywhere, old soda cans were littered, my bed was unmade, and I had stacks of books.

"Bless yer heart. It looks like a tornado blew threw here."

"Thanks," I mutter.

Adelaide walks into my room and uses a blanket to cover my bed as she sits down. Only now do I notice her chest because I looked down at her sports bra. I also see how toned her legs are in those yoga pants. This truly is a masterpiece of a person.

She pats a spot on the bed beside her, "Sit."

I do as instructed. "What did you want to chat about?"

"I was coming here to have a heart-to-heart about yer starin', but now ya do not have much else. You live with your folks, your room is unsightly, and since you seem to be gone for 8 hours 5 days a week, I assume the job is not paying you what it oughtta."

I waited to see where this was heading because I was expecting to get told off here, but to my luck, Adelaide was showing some godly restraint in her approach.

"Do not read me wrong. I do not want my son or husband to see you give me that kind of attention daily, but the Christian in me wants to offer some of God's grace to a neighbor."

She stopped to mull over her next words, but the suspense killed me. "Meaning?"

"Well, sugar, my husband's got to work late tomorrow night, and I was thinking about making some of my Mama's famous vegetable soup for dinner. It's hearty and delicious, and I'd sure love for ya to come over and share it with Henri and me. What do ya say? Are ya up for some good eatin' and good company?"

I blink at that offer. Just days ago, my interaction with this gorgeous woman was limited to staring out my window and checking out her Instagram feed. While seeing her jogging was a sight, her social media was all about health and wellness since her job seemed to be as an influencer. Yet, this mirage of a woman might be an oasis.

'How about it?" She snaps me back to attention.

"I would be happy to."

We flash a keen smirk at one another before she gets up to let herself out. Then, thinking about what she said, I ask, "Who is Henri?"

"My son, the little tike ya have probably seen runnin' about." Adelaide looked back at me to inform me of the one fact I could not find while scouring her digital footprint.

"I just hope you know my name is Adelaide by now." She begins to move away again before recalling something else. "Oh, and that tall stretch of water ya see on the phone all day is my hubby, Jed. Just as an FYI." Adelaide winks at me.

"Why is his name Henri if you are from the South?"

"A bit of inspiration from my time studying abroad in Marseille, but we can get to that and a whole lot more tomorrow nite."

With that, Adelaide vanished, not to be seen until dinner the next night.

------------------

The following evening I march across the street to the most luxurious house on the block. It is the only one with an outdoor pool and columns by the porch that even Ancient Athens would envy. It was no mansion, but it was undoubtedly upscale.

I knock at the door gently, still in awe of how this all went down. To think I am going to be invited into the home of possibly the sexiest woman I have ever met. It was like I was a vampire simply waiting for permission to cross the boundary.

Adelaide opens the door, and I am surprised to see her in skinny black jeans, converse sneakers, a white crop top, and a backward Atlanta Braves cap. I wore one of my nicest button-up shirts and chinos for what was more casual than that.

"Well, I do declare, would you look at you! You're all spiffed up and ready for a night out on the town."

As I enter the foyer, I am struck by just how neat everything is despite her having a toddler and a day job. I cannot keep my space clean, but she had this place in tip-top shape a month after moving in.

Adelaide waved me through the kitchen area and into the dining room, where Henri was already strapped into his high chair with a big bowl of soup in front of him. Adelaide had me sit while she fetched the rest of the soup from the kitchen and brought it in for us.

"Thank you for inviting me." I admired the soup and inhale its rich aroma before picking up my spoon, ready to dig in.

"Just wait a minute. We have to say grace."

I halted in my tracks, forgetting this woman was a devout Southern Baptist. She may not advertise her son's name on her social pages, but she sure does plaster her religious affiliation for anyone to see there.

I joined hands with Henri, the toddler, to my right and Adelaide to my left.

"Heavenly Father, we come to ya today with grateful hearts for the blessings ya have bestowed upon us. As we gather around this table, we give thanks fer the food before us, which sustains and nourishes us. We pray that ya would bless this meal and the hands that prepared it and that ya would fill our hearts with joy, love, and fellowship as we share it together. We ask that ya would bless each person here and that ya would guide us in all that we do, both now and in the days to come. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen."

After we broke from that delightful prayer, I could shovel soup into my mouth. I have only had to say Grace a few times, but I have disdain for the practice in every instance.

"So, how long have ya lived in Pittsburgh?" Adelaide begins the conversation.

"My whole life. Except for a few years when I was a kid, I have lived in that house you were in yesterday."

"I take it you're familiar with the suburban Midwestern life then?"

"I guess you could say that. At least the school system is good here. I'm guessing that is why you and your husband chose this neighborhood for Henri."

"The school may be mighty fine, but your pay hardly seems fair and square from where I'm sittin'."

"You may be right about that, but I am choosing to work at a nonprofit, so, I suppose I deserve some of the blame for my wallet being light."

"Back in Atlanta, I used to volunteer at one of them places."

"Oh yeah, which one?"

"The Atlanta Track Club, it was what got me started with that jogging you so like to watch."

I laugh that jab off before changing the subject. "So tell me about your time in Marseille studying since you seem to have so many experiences."

"Well, when I was goin' to Auburn, I was given the chance to go abroad, so I decided to jump on it. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I figured I could always use that for something."

"What did you do there?"

"Nothing much just saw a few soccer games, ate some croissants, and had some deep thoughts."

Adelaide was beginning to intrigue me more each second she spoke. "Deep thoughts?"

"I was studyin' psychology at the time, and France sure had a lot of smart folks with some powerful ideas. It was something' else, let me tell you, learning about all those philosophers and thinkers over there. It laid the groundwork for me and opened my eyes to humanism as I'd never seen it before. When I came back to the States, I was seein' things in a whole new light, and it was an important experience that stayed with me for years to come."

"I dabbled with philosophy in college a bit. Mostly Plato, Aristotle and those people, but I believe you when you tell me it was life-changing. Heck, those introductory courses to philosophy certainly had an effect on me."

"What did you study, honey?"

"Journalism, but I decided I had no use for it by the end of my studies."

"Why was that? Sounds like a waste?"

"Well, it seemed to me the most successful people in that field chased the story no matter the wider consequences, and that did not sit right with me. I felt like I was always going to be set up for failure because I did not have the mindset needed to get the story by any means necessary."

"At least you learned that about yourself while you're a youngin'. It gets harder once you have responsibilities."

By now, I was getting to the bottom of my bowl of soup, and it seemed like Henri was growing weary. Despite his age, the kid had been immaculately behaved throughout our dinner chat. I was impressed, but it was clearly his bedtime.

Adelaide scooped him up and carried him up to his bedroom while I waited in the dining room, devouring the last of my meal. At this point, I was wondering what the purpose of my being here was. Was it really just because she wanted some companionship? I know I feel a tinge of loneliness at least once a week, but surely someone this incredible is not hurting for friends. This woman has a successful business, an adorable child, an immaculate home, is blessed with beauty, and has at least a few interesting tales in her past. I would be her friend even if she had zero further interest in me, which is the likeliest outcome.

"Was it to your likin'?" Adelaide wonders aloud as she saunters back into the dining area.

"It was phenomenal." I could feel a smile creep across my face as I spoke, it was a genuine feeling.

"Well, alright then, I guess I did you right."

Adelaide sat down across from me and continued with her portion of the dinner, all with a smile from ear to ear. It appeared I had made her day with just three words.

"Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Shoot, darling."

"Do not take this the wrong way, because I am enjoying the occasion, but why did you ask me here tonight?"

"Well honey, Jed's been working longer hours than a one-legged cat in a sandpit, and these other suburban moms and their two-faced shenanigans, well, bless my heart, I just can't get along with them no matter how much Southern charm I pour out. But when I went to your house yesterday, I saw someone going through it too. Granted, for different reasons, but struggling just the same. I figured we could be there for each other, even if it were an unconventional friendship. Having a friend sure is nice."

"Friends? Well, it is nice having more of those."

"You're right as rain about that. And I can see plain as day that you're a good soul, and you don't care one bit about my accent. Truth be told, those folks around here who judge others for how they talk or look are a bunch of narrow-minded fools if you ask me."

It was refreshing to hear someone from the South talk about discrimination in a way that did not fit the stereotype. Adelaide was a woman of Southern class, but there was much more than met the eye. I was looking forward to our friendship growing into whatever it could be.

"Now tell me a little more about yerself, Jason. Since we're new friends and all."

"I am an only child, I went to a local university ---- and I am actually in graduate school now."

"Graduate school, fer what?"

"Considering what I said earlier, you might laugh, but media studies." I chuckled nervously.

"Don't we have a hypocrite right here? For what reason are ya still studying something ya do not believe in?"

"I developed my skills for four years and still enjoy the actual work, so I think it would be a waste not to use my talents."

"Sure, sure, but what are you planning to do with that in terms of your career?"

"I figure I can go into PR, marketing, or something. I am not really dead set on anything. Opportunities will come."

"Sweetie, this ain't the field of dreams. If you build it, they won't come. You gotta seize the moment yerself, or someone else will seize it first."

"Maybe you are right, but how did you get to where you are." I gesture to everything around me. "You seem to have a few things figured out, at least."

"I rolled up my sleeves, and I worked hard for it. I come from a working-class family in Northern Georgia. We did not have much, but I still got myself here."

"Brava," I do a bit of a sarcastic clap. "I was more asking for the step-by-step than anything else."

"I see someone is getting a bit big for their britches here, sardonic clappin' and all that." Adelaide used a serious tone before she broke out into momentary laughter, unable to keep a straight face.

"Well, I reckon I had some years as tough as boot leather. That first year after Auburn, when I landed in Atlanta, was one for the books. Took me a right smart time to find my footing, but finally, I ended up teachin' yoga at a studio. That put me on a path that's led me to where I am today, and I wouldn't trade it for all the sweet tea in Georgia."

"See, I get that. But it feels like opportunities are not distributed like they used to be. At least not to me anyway."

"Well, honey, ya just gotta be ready for whatever comes yer way. I was a good ol' Southern gal, but when the opportunity to read that Kama Sutra presented itself, I didn't shy away from it. In fact, I dare say I enjoyed it! I didn't listen to what society, my family, or anybody else had to say -- I just did what felt right for me. The yoga job came out of that exploration."

"Wait, what?!?" I almost choked on my water, thinking about what this suburban housewife told me straight-faced. "How did you even come across books like that in your circumstances?"

"Let me tell you, darlin' after I got back from France. I started reading all kinds of folks like Maslow, Rogers, and Frankl. But when I got into Jung, things started to click. I started to get into astrology, the Kama Sutra ain't too distant from that, and the rest is history. By the way, in case you were wondering, I'm an Aquarius through and through."

Humanism to astrology to a sacred text to yoga. I was awestruck by how she got from one point to the other: "at this point, nothing should surprise me about you."

"Hold on now. I did all them Southern things too. I went to youth group and cotillion and learned to curtsy and dance like a proper Southern Belle. I even debuted at the Debutante Ball in my hometown of Blue Ridge. But ya know what? That don't mean I can't break the mold and do my own thang too."

"You are too much. You should have a Youtube channel or something."

"I do have a whole slew of social media accounts, including Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest. But I reckon you already knew that, didn't ya? A fine gentleman like you must have already taken a peek at my photos and videos online."

I could feel my face getting hot as I blushed, "yeah, maybe just a little bit."

"Well, there's another reason I invited you over here. As I said before, my hubby's been working longer hours than a one-armed paper hanger since we moved here. And with all these other folks around here with their noses in the air, I just ain't got no one to turn to. So, I was thinkin', maybe you and I could help each out in a different kind of way."

"---different kind of way?"

"I was just thinkin' that maybe we could be a little more than friends. Ya know, like those young'uns say these days, 'friends with benefits'. But only if you're interested, of course."

"Are you actually asking what I think you are?"

"Sure am."

"What about your husband and your kid."

"What they don't know ain't gonna hurt'em none. We're just two consenting adults having a little private arrangement if you catch my drift. No need to go blabbin' to anyone else about it."

"I mean, I am flattered, and you understand what I think of you physically, but I just do not know."

Despite being given the keys to the kingdom, I was still deciding if I even wanted to unlock the door and let this positive chaos in my life. But, just in this past conversation, it had become clear to me that sometimes a chance like this will not come twice, and as Adelaide said, you have to make it your moment.

Adelaide pulled her trump card, "I'll drop to my knees and git 'er done straight away. So, how about it?"

Internally, I hesitated, but externally my body knew what it wanted. I nod, just ever so slightly.

"Don't be shy now, darlin'. I need a straight-shootin' yah or nay, as crystal clear as the blue skies over yonder. So what'll it be?"

"Yes, yes!" I can feel my desire overtaking me. "Please suck my cock."

She did not need to be asked twice as she darted to my seat. She yanked my chair over, away from the table. Then ran into the other room and came back with a throw pillow. Adelaide tossed it on the hardwood floor in front of where I was sitting. Once kneeling before me like a church girl at a pew, she quickly undid my belt and unbuttoned my pants. After she got my fly undone, she grabbed the edge of my pants and boxers.