The Issue that is Holly

"I looked forward to our sessions, too" she admitted. "I could tell right from the first time we met that you were different from the other tutors; you cared, and you were interested in my situation. What really impressed me was you weren't a 'one size fits all' type but you spent time finding out how I saw things, what happened to words in my head, and you would prepare new things to try for the next session." She picked up her coffee mug and took a sip.

"That time we tried the yellow filter and the writing stopped hurting my eyes, which was just magical. I knew it wasn't a magic bullet and it had to be refined, but it made a huge difference. Once I could see the words on the pages clearly, you taught me how to read them, to write, even how to do maths. You went further though and explained how to read timetables, and maps for the bus routes and trains. I learned how to read menus and clothing labels. Mr D, you opened a whole new world to me, and because of you I have a new part time job, and I can finish my schooling."

"I'm sure I have told you this before, Holly, but you can't teach someone who doesn't want to learn. You wanted to learn, and I was just your guide and mentor. Yes, I prepared material for us to go over, and a lesson plan, but you are the one who did all the hard work, and any success is a direct result of your efforts. Take the credit for what you have achieved."

"Well, thanks anyway, Mr D. I appreciated all you did for me, how you helped me become the person I am now."

"Holly, you've always called me Mr D, but you can call me Callum now."

"I know, but I'd prefer to stick with Mr D, at least for now. It feels more comfortable, somehow. Reminds me of the good times we had."

"OK, then. Whatever you are comfortable with. Still, what about the future, I'm really looking forward to hearing about the Holly you will become. What are your plans?"

"This may sound corny, but I want to help people how you did. I know what a struggle it was going from one disinterested tutor to another, each one trying the same cookie cutter methods and workbooks, with the only difference being the business name and logo. Honestly, I was ready to give up and I know Mum was well over it. And then we found you. My ambition is to achieve my high school diploma and then study to be a literacy tutor and help people change their lives like you did mine." Holly went bright red then, saying, "Heck, I told you it was corny. Sounds like hero worship."

"It sounds like a brilliant ambition, and I would be happy to help in any way you need. Now, would you like another drink?"

"What's the time? Oh hell," she said, standing up, "I have to go, or I'll be late for work. I've enjoyed this visit, Mr D. It was nice to see you again."

"Yes indeed, you too, Holly. Maybe we can do it again sometime." Callum said, walking her to the door and opening it.

Holly went to leave, then turned around and gave him a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek again going bright red and, looking a little flustered, ran off to her car.

Callum closed the front door slowly, collected the mugs from the table and rinsed them out in the sink. Pouring himself a fresh mug he went back outside to the deck, intending to focus on his lesson plans for the coming week, but ended up sitting there, thinking about Holly and her mum and all that was said, and all that went unsaid.

Taking a sip of coffee, he realised with a sinking feeling that he didn't have Holly's phone number.

***

Callum's work week went as it typically did, biking to the office, morning staff meeting, client sessions, 1:1 coaching with his team to review clients, session plans, discuss any difficulties and celebrate their successes. At the end of the day he would bike home, make a meal, and either catch up on work or relax. He still tried to get into the book he wanted to read, but all too often he just wasn't in the right head space.

Every night he went to bed disappointed that he hadn't heard from Holly. He was thrilled for her plans and wanted to discuss them further with her. He realised she was what, 21 years old and was busy working and studying while he was 36, nearly 37. He knew she wouldn't be interested in spending lots of time with him, but he had enjoyed catching up with her.

Saturday morning Callum again did the household chores, and to save having to go out in the heat of the day, had the groceries delivered. These were now put away, as was the vacuum cleaner and steam mop. Time for coffee! Water in the tank - check, new filter - check, fresh beans in the hopper - check, flask in place - check, power on — Damn, the phone. Unknown number. Telemarketers don't usually call on the weekend, he hoped, answering the call.

"Hello."

"Hi Mr D, it's Holly. Are you busy, can I visit?"

"Holly, of course you can visit. I was just making a coffee, how far away are you?"

"Turn it on in 10 minutes and I should be there when it's ready. See you soon."

True to her word, Callum was inviting her in when the coffee machine announced it was done.

"Perfect timing, Holly. Milk, no sugar, right?"

"That's me, too sour to sweeten."

"Sweet enough, I'd say." Callum quipped, then quickly turned away to pour the drinks, feeling colour rush to his cheeks. Rein it in, you fool he told himself.

Picking up the full mugs, he suggested that as it was so nice out, they should sit on the deck. Holly agreed and grabbing a packet of biscuits from her bag carried those out and set them on the table to share.

"This is really nice, Mr D. I didn't realise the back yard was so big, and OMG you have a pool. How glorious! I love to swim; in fact, it was the only thing about school I enjoyed. You don't need to read to swim, and I won a few awards in the swimming sports."

"I never knew that, why didn't I know that?"

"I guess swimming wasn't really relevant to my learning to read and I never thought about talking to you about it. Do you use the pool much?"

"I do, it helps me stay in shape. I bike to and from work most days and try to do a few lengths in the evenings. I sometimes invite friends over for a BBQ and a swim. It was a great investment."

"I would love to have a pool but there's no room at Mums. Could I come over and have a swim sometimes? Only if you don't mind, and you don't have to say yes, I won't mind if you say no. In fact, don't worry about it, it was wrong of me to ask. I'm sorry."

Giving her a quizzical look, he asked, "What was that all about, Holly? I was going to say yes. You wouldn't be imposing."

"Really, do you mean it?"

"Of course I mean it. I do know how to say no, you know," he said with a smile. "My only stipulation is I don't want you here swimming alone, there's far too many Health and Safety laws these days. Still, it's not like you could get to the pool without going through the house. It is totally secure and private out here."

"That sounds really good. Maybe next weekend if the weather's OK."

"I'll be home all weekend so that should work."

"Thanks, Mr D. Now, tell me about some of your clients? Do you have any interesting cases?"

They spent the next half hour with Callum talking in general terms about some of his students, and Holly asking about how he arrived at the best way to help them. They discussed the more common reasons why people struggled to read, from the most obvious like needing glasses or even just finding reading boring, to more complex and challenging issues.

Callum invited Holly to lunch, asking if she was hungry.

"Lunch already, why, what's the time? Oh shit," she said, standing up and gathering her things. "I'm officially late for work. I'm sorry, Mr D, I always seem to be rushing away, you are so easy to be around I lose track of time. Rain check on lunch?"

"Good to know it's my fault," he said with a laugh. "Of course, rain check on lunch. Maybe next weekend?"

"Yes, I am free all weekend, too." They walked to the front door and Callum again opened it for her. Holly pulled him in for another hug goodbye, but this was longer and tighter than previously, and she held her kiss on his cheek.

"I hope you don't get in trouble for being late. Let me know how it went."

Holly said she would as she ran to her car, driving away sensibly.

Callum made a sandwich for his lunch and, taking it back outside he ate while again trying to read his book.

***

In the week that followed it rained.

Callum was again kept busy with work however in the evenings when he had some down time, he was tempted to send Holly a text, just to say hello and to see how things had gone with her boss on Saturday. After thinking it through he talked himself out of it. What really would he say to her? Texts were all too often misinterpreted as the written word didn't have inflection and body language to help with the understanding of the intent. And he didn't want to be 'that guy' and talk about the weather.

Plus, she was 21, he was 36. Get a grip, he told himself, she's just being friendly, don't make a fool of yourself and read anything into it!

Saturday dawned bright and clear. As usual Callum was awake and out of bed early and made a start on the household chores. By half nine he had finished the inside and was out mowing the lawns, pleased he had started early as it was getting hot when he put the mower away.

He put away the groceries he had ordered the previous night once they arrived and as he was preparing a coffee his phone rang.

Checking the caller ID, he answered, "Good morning, Holly."

"Hey Mr D. Is it OK if I visit today?"

"Of course it is," he said, as the doorbell chimed. "Hang on, there's someone at the door. Probably Jehovah's Witnesses, won't be a tick."

"Surprise," Holly said with a smile as he opened the door.

Today Holly wore a baggy tee shirt and loose linen shorts, perfect for the sunny day. She walked in and pulled him into a tight hug, giving him a not very quick kiss on the lips. They again sat outside, this time laying back on the sun loungers, shaded by a large parasol. Putting their mugs on the table between the seats they chatted about their weeks.

"Mum wasn't impressed when she found out I had visited you, I think she was worried your review of her visit would be different from how she described it. She said I wasn't to see you again, that you were a dirty old man trying to take advantage of an innocent young girl. Well, when I told her that her lifestyle had stripped any innocence away from me years ago, you should have seen the look on her face. It was classic. She did the whole huff-n-puff thing and stormed out of the house."

"Is that going to cause problems for you when you get home?"

"Nah, she'll get over herself." Smiling at him, she said, "once she figures out how to make it your fault everything will be back to normal." Holly looked around the back yard area admiringly, "It's nice out here, Mr D. You live in a quiet neighbourhood. I can hear birds singing; don't get that at home."

"I love it, my own little private slice of paradise."

"I bet you are out here skinny dipping all the time, hey?"

"And why not, Holly, the whole area is private - no neighbours can see in," he replied with a grin. "I did have one scare, though. A hot air balloon drifted overhead. I didn't know it was there until they fired up the burner to gain altitude. Good thing I was lying on my stomach."

"Oh heck, I'd die if that happened to me. They'd see my big white arse and wonder what the hell I was."

"Stop fishing for compliments, I'm not going to comment on that," Callum tactfully responded. "Now, different subject, would you like some lunch? I'm thinking BLEATs, but I'm open to suggestions if you would prefer something different. Heck, I don't know if you are vegetarian. I know you aren't vegan because you haven't told me every five minutes."

"I'm an om-nom-nom-nivore, I eat practically anything. I'm familiar with BLATs but I've never heard of a BLEAT. What is it?"

"It's a BLAT with egg as well. It's meant to be a fried egg, but I prefer to use boiled eggs mashed with a little garlic aioli, salt, pepper and a dash of tabasco. To me it adds a whole new dimension to the sandwich."

"Sounds tempting. Come on, let's make them together."

Callum and Holly set to work, gathering the ingredients, grilling the bacon and putting eggs on to boil, making toast, slicing and dicing. Holly seemed to know exactly where things were in the kitchen, so much so that Callum stepped back from the bench and asked, "Have you been spying on me? How do you know where I keep my pots? You just went straight to the cupboard."

"Spying on you? In your dreams, Mr D. I just know how your mind works. Pots and pans in the cupboard between the sink for the water and the stove. It seems obvious to me."

"Huh. There I was thinking I was a man of mystery; instead, I'm just an open book."

"You say that like it's a bad thing. Would you prefer me to look helpless, with the back of my wrist to my forehead, asking for directions? Not gonna happen, bucko."

"Fine, OK. I'll try not to weep over my broken ego. Do you want to plate the sammies and I'll grab a couple of glasses and a bottle of wine."

"Oooo, are you wining and dining me? I feel special, Mr D," she said fanning herself with her hands. "Be still, my beating heart. Feel my pulse, it's all racing and I feel faint."

"Did you study sarcasm at that fancy school you went to? Because I'm sure you received a Diploma for that class. But that Southern Belle accent was simply hideous." Callum reached into the fridge for the wine.

"I never was any good with accents, but, hey, I never let that stop me." Holly replied, putting their lunch on plates. "Ma is the goddess of sarcasm in my family, I'm still beginner level compared to her."

Bottle in one hand, glasses in the other, Callum waved Holly through the back door and put their drinks on the table.

"I thought this one would be great with the sammies. I hope you like it. And lookit, it has a screw top, don't even need a corkscrew. Does it get any better?"

"I'll let you know once I've tried it. All the screw top wines I've had have been cheap crap."

He poured a few glugs into each glass and after handing her one, picked up his, saying, "What shall we drink to?"

"The King was the traditional first toast, but I guess Charlie has a huge wine cellar full of plonk. How about 'to friends reconnecting'," and she held her glass out.

Callum clinked his glass to hers. "To friends reconnecting. I like that." They each took a sip.

"Oh wow, that's a nice wine. What is it?"

"A New Zealand Pinot Gris. This is from the Central Otago region in the South Island. I really enjoy the crisp fruity taste, perfect for a hot day."

"It's traveled well," she said with a smirk.

"Heathen. Hush your mouth and eat your sandwich." So, she did.

With her first bite Holly's eyes opened in delight and she pointed at her sandwich saying, "Damn, Mr D, this is good, and that wine was a good choice. Top marks to you."

With a grin, Callum replied, "Why thank you, I try, and sometimes this mere male gets it right."

Once lunch was finished and tidied up, they resumed lazing on the loungers, both drifting off to nap land.

Holly came to first, and sitting up, gave Callum a gentle punch in the arm to wake him.

"Hey, slacker, did you know you snore?"

"Harsh! And it's only when I sleep, kiddo, so stop whining."

"Can I go change and have a swim?"

"Yes, good idea. Use the spare room, second on the left up the hall, just past the bathroom. I'll go and change too. Meet you out here."

When Callum came back out wearing his trunks, with a towel around his neck and one in his hand for Holly, she was leaning against the door jamb facing the pool, waiting for him, wearing a near-transparent beach wrap over her bikini. She heard him walking towards her and turned to face him.

"Mr D, I ... um ... heck, you're quite buff. I didn't realise what you were hiding under your clothes. Mum said you were shirtless when you answered the door to her, now I understand why she's upset you turned her down." She slowly untied and removed the wrap, revealing herself to Callum. The bikini she wore consisted of three small triangles and covered practically nothing.

Callum just stood there gob-smacked, struggling to reconcile the stunning beauty before him with the young woman he had recently lunched with, or the person he had tutored.

Pulling himself together, Callum partly regained control of himself and, dragging his eyes up her body back to meet her eyes, he stammered, "Bloody hell, Holly. Did they forget to sew the rest of the fabric on that?"

"I get the feeling you like it," she said with a smile. "Wait until it gets wet, you'll really enjoy it then." She stepped forward, took his hand and dragged him outside. "Right then, put the towels down here ... that's right, well done ... now come and join me in the pool."

Holly performed a graceful dive causing hardly a ripple, gliding across the bottom of the pool to the opposite side where she stood, swept back her hair and wiped the water from her face. She watched him staring at her, enjoying the effect she was having on him.

Callum suddenly realised that after watching the practically naked water-sprite he needed to get in the pool quickly, and following her example of diving in, he did a graceless belly flop, causing a huge wave to inundate Holly. He then dog-paddled across to her and stood, gasping, while he tried to rub away the red rash on his front.

"Well," Holly said. "I see all those swimming lessons your parents paid for were a good investment."

"Well," Callum said mimicking her, "I've never seen a competition swimmer wearing an outfit like yours. More's the pity. Talk about distracting." Then realising what he said Callum went bright red, and floundered trying to think of something to say so he wouldn't appear quite as much of a letch.

"Guess what, Mr D. I know how I look in this and if I wasn't comfortable with you looking, I wouldn't have worn it. While it's nice of you to try to act all gentlemanly, you don't need to. In fact, come with me." She again grabbed his hand and led him to the shallow end and up the steps to the decking. Walking out of the pool, she let go of his hand and stepped away from him a pace and lifting her arms above her head, did slow twirls in front of him.

"Let's get this out of the way, shall we? Have a look, see me, know I am happy about it, and then we can get back to how were when dressed. And make no mistake, Mr D, I'm scoping you out, too. You look really good," and with a slow lick of her lips continued, "and you fill out your trunks very nicely."

Taking her at her word Callum admired the slender goddess before him. While her eyes openly caressed his body, he returned the favour, seeing how she smiled back at him, eyes full of delight and mischief.

Her shoulder and arm muscles were still well defined from her swimming sports at school. Lifting her arms had also pulled her breasts up, and though they weren't large, maybe a B-cup, they were now at risk of falling out of the bikini top. She was right, Callum thought, her bikini is awesome when wet.

Holly had a gentle tan and though her areolas were small and only slightly darker than the skin of her breasts, they were clearly visible through the transparent material which at the moment only half covered them, and each had a pronounced bump centered in their middle.

Her chest gracefully slimmed to her slender waist, with a slight rounding to her stomach rather than a six-pack, and as she turned her back to him, he could see the tiny bikini string vanish between her pert butt cheeks.

Completing the turn, the way Holly now stood while facing him again caused her bikini bottom to gape slightly, showing Callum that she was at least mostly shaved. Her lips were hidden but he could just make out the top of her clitoral hood. Continuing down her strong and well-muscled legs to her feet he couldn't help but chuckle at the yellow and black smiley faces painted on her toenails.