Summer Job

"I apologize if I still smell like I've been out working all day," he told her when he came back into the kitchen. "I could only wash so much in the sink, but I did clean it up."

"Nonsense! You have been working all day and I'm not a dainty little flower."

Oliver laughed then surprised her when he said, "Scent of a man?" as he kind of leaned his head down and gently 'sniffed'.

For some reason that struck Casey as funny and she laughed again to the point where she had to cover her mouth.

"Maybe so," she said feeling very happy again. "It isn't something I think about, but I'm certainly not put off by a man who works hard or...the way he smells."

She couldn't keep looking at him as she said that, and that, too, surprised her as she looked away.

What in the world was going on with her? After all, they were just eating lunch and after that she'd pay him and quite likely never see him again. So why was she feeling almost...giddy...at the thought of having lunch together?

She shook off the feelings and said, "Please have a seat. I'll get you that cup of coffee."

"Oh, no. I don't actually drink coffee except in the morning," Oliver told her. "Water is just fine."

He had his G2 with him, but he'd finished all it of by noon and was very thirsty but not for coffee.

"Okay. Bottled or tap?" Casey asked.

"Either is okay," he told her.

She set a bottle of Dasani water in front of him then said, "So...what's in the bag today?"

"Well, the same thing that's been in it every day, I'm afraid. Ham and cheese."

"Can I heat it up for you?" she asked. "I was thinking about making a grilled cheese for myself so it's no trouble."

"That's all right. I wouldn't know what to do with anything that isn't cold," he said in a joking manner.

Casey smiled then said, "Gee, join the crowd."

Oliver gave her a quizzical look, but as always, didn't ask.

Casey's smile returned before asking, "Do you live alone, Oliver?"

"I do," he told her. "I have a small apartment near the university."

"So you don't cook for yourself?"

Oliver laughed and said, "Not too often. I'm not exactly much of a cook, and then there's the whole 'starving college student' thing meaning I tend to live off peanut butter and Raman Noodles. Ham and cheese is a rare treat."

Casey turned on one of the burners after setting a pan on it then asked, "Why don't you let me make dinner for you tomorrow? You know, as my way of thanking you for all the hard work."

"That sounds very nice, but I don't want to..."

Casey turned away as he was speaking and before he could finish said, "Sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. A young man your age as handsome as you undoubtedly has a girlfriend to spend time with and besides..."

Now Oliver cut her off by saying, "No. It's not that. I...I don't have a girlfriend. I just didn't want to..."

"No. I...I get it," Casey said doing the same thing to him again. "Spending time with a woman my age isn't exactly your idea of having fun so..."

"Wait! Hold on just a second, okay?" Oliver said interrupting yet again.

Casey glanced over her shoulder at him but didn't really look as she reached for the bread.

"First of all, I don't have a girlfriend. Second, I would love to spend time with you. But I just assumed your husband wouldn't want a third wheel hanging around after the job is finished."

Casey didn't say anything for a few seconds. She buttered the bread then dropped in the pan before replying.

"Jack won't be back for at least three more days so that isn't an issue. But please don't feel obligated. I just thought it might be nice to have some company, but I understand."

The tone of her voice told Oliver yet again there was more to her words than just the words themselves.

"Is...is everything okay?" he asked knowing he probably shouldn't be asking.

Casey didn't answer his question, she just went to the refrigerator and got out some mayonnaise.

"Maybe I'm weird, but I like mayo on my grilled cheese sandwiches," she said without looking at him or answering his question.

Oliver took that to mean it was none of his business how she was doing and dropped it immediately.

"Yeah, I don't think I've ever heard of that. It actually sounds good, though. Maybe I'll try it next time I um...save up enough to splurge and have a grilled cheese sandwich."

Casey laughed and Oliver was relieved hoping that whatever tension had built up was gone.

"I'll let you try a bite if you'd like," she said as she turned around and looked him.

"I don't want to steal your lunch," he told her as he pulled his sandwich out of the plastic baggy he'd put it in earlier that morning. "I mean, as tiny as you are, I'm guessing you don't eat a whole lot."

"I think I can spare a bite," she told him with a smile.

"Okay. Then I accept your offer," he said smiling back.

"For the sandwich or to have..."

Her voice trailed off and she didn't finish her sentence.

"If you really wouldn't mind me being here, I'd enjoy having dinner with you," Oliver told her sincerely.

"Are you sure?" Casey asked.

"Yes. I'm sure," he let her know. "It's not like I had any big plans or anything."

"Ha! Now I get it. You're really scraping the bottom of the barrel by hanging out with me, huh?" she told him playfully.

"No. I don't agree with that. In fact, I've really enjoyed talking to you, Mrs. Wh..."

"Casey," she said wondering if he'd already forgotten.

"Sorry. Casey."

He hesitated then told her, "That's a very pretty name. I don't hear it too often."

"Oh. Thank you," she told him as she flipped the sandwich over exposing one golden-yellow side.

Two minutes later she sat down and joined him. The two of them ate and talked and even laughed several times.

"I can't believe you're not taken," Casey told him at one point. "Not married, of course. It just seems like you'd have a girlfriend. Is there a reason you're not dating anyone? If you don't mind be being nosy, that is."

"Not at all. I guess I'm just at a point where I've had it with all the superficial..."

Oliver paused for a second then said, "I was gonna say 'relationships' but I can't really call any of the things I've had a relationship."

He smiled then said, "Gee, maybe that's why they're all superficial, huh?"

Casey laughed again then said, "Well, you will definitely be quite the catch one day."

Oliver sighed deeply then said, "One day. Maybe."

"Don't be in any big hurry, Oliver. Marriage can be wonderful, but it isn't always what's it's cracked up to be."

That 'distant' tone was back, and Oliver wanted to ask questions but decided not to.

"I'm not in any hurry," he assured her. "But I'm also not against getting into a serious...relationship...should I ever meet someone who see's marriage and life the way I do."

"Well, as handsome as you are, you're going to have all kinds of such opportunities. Trust me on that one, okay?"

Oliver smiled politely then said, "It isn't so much the lack of opportunity as it is the lack of the kind of girl I'm looking for, I suppose."

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to share what it is you're looking for, would you?" Casey asked knowing she was being nosy again.

Oliver laughed again before answering.

"I'm not sure I can answer that without talking for a good while, but if you ask me again tomorrow evening, maybe I'll be able to try and explain."

"I really wasn't trying to pressure you into having dinner with me, Oliver. I really did just want to thank you for all the hard work. So if you'd rather not please tell me, okay?"

"No, I really would like to have dinner with you, Casey," he reassured her.

"Okay. Fair enough," she told him. "And I will you ask you again tomorrow."

Her smile was amazing and Oliver couldn't help smiling back.

"And I'll be happy to try and explain it," he said as he folded up his paper bag again.

She watched him do it and said, "I take it that means you're ready to head home?"

"I really should be going. I don't want to take up any more of your time than I already have."

Casey sort of rolled her eyes and said, "You're not taking up my time, Oliver. It's me who's worried I'm taking up yours."

He laughed again then said, "No, you're not taking up mine, either. This was very pleasant, and I'll look forward to talking with you again tomorrow evening."

"Me, too. You're very easy to talk to and you really listen," she said sweetly.

She sat bolt upright and said, "Oh, my goodness! I almost forgot. Your check!"

Casey got up and went to the study, picked up the business checkbook, then went back to the kitchen.

"I did ask Jack if he was okay with giving you a little extra," she said as she began writing.

"No. That's not necessary," Oliver told her.

"Yes, it is," Casey said without looking up. "You earned every dollar of this."

She signed the check, tore it off the stub, then handed it to Oliver.

He glanced down then handed it back immediately.

"I can't accept that," he told her.

She'd written it for $3,000.

"That's not a tip," he said quietly.

"Please?" she said handing it back to him. "Would you please take it as a favor to me?"

He watched her eyes and her face trying to understand why she was doing this.

"Your husband is okay with this?" Oliver asked.

Casey had sent him a text, and his reply had been very terse.

"Hell, no! We made a deal. Two-thousand. If you want to throw in a few bucks out of your private stash, fine. But we shook hands on two grand and not a penny more!"

As always there was no 'love you' or any hint of affection. In fact, he almost certainly wouldn't have even answered had it not involved money.

Casey had a fair amount of money she'd been setting aside just in case, and it was hers to do with as she pleased. Of course, half of everything they owned was hers, but she knew that trying to convince her husband to let her spend money on things she wanted was out of the question. She got a monthly 'stipend' and was expected to make do with it while 'Jack's money' went back into the business or into the bank or on whatever new toy he wanted. Yes, they had a beautiful home, and she had a newer-model car and beautiful clothes, but lately it was more a big, empty, lonely box than a home.

"Yes. He's very okay with this. So...please?" she said again as she pushed it further toward him.

"This is incredibly generous," he told her before finally accepting it.

"We're still way ahead on the job, Oliver. So, again. Thank you very much for all your hard work."

"My pleasure. And thank you, Casey. And please thank Mr. Wheeler for me, too, okay?"

"Oh, sure. I'll definitely do that," she said forcing a smile and knowing she'd never say a word about it.

They agreed on 7pm for dinner after Casey did a little probing to find out what he liked, and just as importantly, what he didn't like to eat. She had no desire to spend a couple of hours making a dinner only she would eat, so she took the time to ask, and just as she expected, Oliver preferred lighter, healthier meals than her husband, who was a classic meat-and-potatoes kind of guy.

"Okay, I have a pretty good idea what to make for you now," she said as she walked him to the door.

"I have preferences, but I really will eat anything you make," he told her—again.

"I believe you. I'd just rather make something you like than something you'll eat out of a sense of being polite," she told him back.

"I'm sure I'll enjoy whatever you make," he said with a smile. "Oh, and thanks again for this very generous check. It's all going toward my college expenses."

"You're a senior next year, right?" she asked making sure she'd picked up on something he'd briefly mentioned earlier.

"Yes. Two more semesters."

"Ah! Light at the end of the tunnel, right?" Casey said.

"I hope so. Or at least that it isn't a freight train barreling down on me," he quipped with a laugh.

"See you tomorrow, Oliver," she told him as she laughed with him.

As she closed the door Casey couldn't help but think back to when being with Jack had made her feel the way she was feeling right now. In this case, it certainly wasn't romantic, but it was such a pleasant relief to spend time with someone who didn't make her feel guilty or small and unimportant.

No, Oliver definitely didn't do that. He made her feel...well, he made her feel...special. He made her feel like her opinions mattered and that she was valuable. And yes, he also made her feel pretty, something she hadn't felt in a very, very long time.

Casey headed to the bathroom and took a careful look at herself in the mirror. She had the tiniest of fine lines around her eyes, but they were only visible when she smiled. And when she did, she still had no creases around her lips and no 'laugh lines' in her face.

"Not bad for 40," she told herself.

By the time Oliver arrived the next day, Casey had something akin to butterflies in her stomach. It was an odd feeling considering who it was coming to have dinner. And it was just dinner. She dismissed it as nothing more than looking forward to having someone to talk to rather than spending another evening alone.

So why had she put on her makeup and worn something nice? And she just happened to wear her shoulder-length hair down. She rarely did any of those things, and for a moment, that challenged her belief this was just a friendly dinner. But she wasn't looking for anything more than that, and if she was, it wouldn't be with someone his age. And yet, here she was wearing a cute little sundress high heels as well as earrings and a necklace and even lipstick.

The doorbell rang interrupting her internal dialogue.

She stopped at the door, took a deep breath, smiled, then opened it.

"Oliver! Hi! It's so nice to see you. Please come in," she said cheerfully.

"Thank you and same here," he told her.

It only took one glance to see she looked like another, even more beautiful version of herself so Oliver said, "You look..."

He wanted to say 'gorgeous' or 'stunningly beautiful' but both seemed inappropriate so he settled for, "Very nice."

"Oh, thank you. I don't have company very often so any excuse to get out of jeans and a tee-shirt, right?"

Oliver didn't reply so Casey said, "I hope you're hungry."

"Starving."

"Great. Well, come on into the kitchen and I'll get things going."

"I don't expect to sit there and watch you work," he told her.

"Oh, it's okay. I enjoy cooking."

"Okay, but the least I can do is help you out. Unless you think I'd be in the way."

Casey laughed then told him, "No, I don't think that at all. I just assumed that, like most men, you wouldn't be interested in helping."

She paused then said, "That didn't come out right, did it?"

Now Oliver laughed.

"I understood what you meant, and while this may not come out right, either, I hope I'm not 'most men'."

Casey smiled sweetly at him and said, "No. I definitely don't think you're most men, Oliver."

An hour later, dinner was on the table, the two of them having spent time chopping, cutting, dicing and talking together the entire time.

Some forty-five minutes later, they were done eating, but hadn't stopped talking as they ate.

"Would you care for a glass of wine or maybe something softer?" she asked remembering he was very fitness-minded.

"Um...sure. A glass of wine sounds nice."

As she poured she told him she was surprised he accepted.

"I rarely drink, but then I rarely enjoy anyone's company this much," he said in a way that didn't sound 'forward'.

"Well, for the record, same here," she said as she handed him a glass.

"Do you maybe want to go sit somewhere a little more comfortable?" Casey suggested. "These wooden chairs aren't exactly soft."

"Sure. Lead on," Oliver told her as he followed her into the living room.

"Okay, I promised I would ask you again what kind of woman you're looking for in a future wife, so..."

"Ah, yes. I did promise to try and explain that, didn't I? Okay. Let me give this a whirl."

It was almost ten o'clock, and the two of them had never stopped talking having spent a good half hour on the qualities he was looking for.

Casey sat there listening as he rattled off one thing after another that she, too, believed in as a part of a successful marriage. Those things led to others which led to even more.

They'd covered all the standard topics people go over when they're getting acquainted, but to Casey's surprise and great delight, he proved an able listener as she poured her heart out about her marriage, the death of their child, as well as many other personal things.

Oliver was so easy to talk to and so open about himself that Casey found herself discussing many things two people who had really just met would never talk about. As a part of the 'what are you looking for in a woman' discussion, she directly asked what he preferred in terms of the way she looked or dressed or acted. At one point, the topic of sex even came up, and Casey found herself wanting to ask what Oliver most enjoyed in bed, but was able to draw the line there although she didn't want to. What she found she couldn't do was a draw a line where her growing and very inappropriate feelings were concerned. She did, however, tell him how long it had been since she and her husband had made love, and that was two days before the fatal accident.

Outside of the main question he'd promised to answer, Oliver listened intently the entire time, offering an occasional thoughtful, insightful comment while otherwise just sitting quietly and letting her talk. Listening was a critically important skill where women were concerned, and Oliver was a superb listener, and that wasn't lost on Casey Wheeler.

By the time she realized it was nearly ten, Casey had teared up several times.

She glanced at the clock then said, "Oh, my goodness. I had no idea it was so late. Oh, Oliver. I am so sorry! I've sat her just going on and on for hours and you've been so patient listening to me...blather."

"I'm just glad you trust me enough to share things that are so personal. And I can't tell you how sorry I am about your daughter. I...I can't even imagine."

"Thank you," Casey said sincerely. "It still hurts, but I am better—whatever 'better' means."

The television was on in the background, but neither of them was paying any attention until Casey heard something that caused her to look over.

"Oh, my goodness! That's one of my all-time favorite movies."

"Which one?" Oliver asked as he turned to look, too.

"Doctor Zhivago. It's so romantic. I...I cry every time I watch it."

"I've never seen it, but I'd be willing to give it a try if you're not sick of me yet."

"Oh, no. I wouldn't ask you to sit through it. It's nearly four hours long and even has a no-kidding intermission built in."

"Okay. I just thought I'd offer," he said before standing up to leave.

"But...if you'd really like to stay, I...I wouldn't mind."

Oliver smiled then said, "I'd love to. And I can keep the tissues coming when you um, do your thing."

"I will cry. I promise you that. Especially at the end. I'm already sad thinking about it."

"Don't spoil it for me!" Oliver said lightheartedly.

"Oh, sorry. I won't say another word. But I will make some popcorn, okay?" Casey suggested.

"Now that sounds like a plan!"

The movie was just starting as Casey set the popcorn between them on the couch.

"That smells great," Oliver said as he thanked her for making it.

"Sure. Thank you for staying to watch the movie," she said very sweetly before giving him a quick overview of what the movie was about before turning up the volume.

Forgetting about her promised, Casey couldn't help but set the stage.

"It's pre-revolutionary Russia. Yury Zhivago, played by Omar Sharif, is a doctor who ends up getting captured by the partisan army which forces him to tend to their wounded. He's married to one woman, but in love with another named Lara. That should be enough to help you make sense of it all."