The School Spinster Takes a Chance

(An Original Story by rutger5 - Copyright 2012)

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"I'm telling you under the circumstances you're doing the right thing Julie," her friend said as they sat sipping their coffee.

"I know you're right Lauren, but it's so difficult. After all these years; heck my whole life really. I'm thirty seven years old and I've never made an adult decision on my own. Now I have to decide everything for myself and I'm so overwhelmed."

"I know Jules, I know, but truthfully you should have been more independent earlier. I'm not saying you should have abandoned her for God's sake; you just should have spread your wings a tiny bit. She didn't do you any favors by 'protecting' you from the world; she just isolated you to keep you with her all these years. Now she's gone and in some ways you're almost helpless."

"Mother meant well Lauren and she did it out of love no matter what you think. After what happened in her marriage she just was doing what she thought was best for me so I didn't get hurt like she did. That's why she moved us from the city to a nice small town so I could have a safe life here."

"Listen I'm glad you moved to Juneberry or I'd never have met you. I'm just saying you have to live life not seal yourself up in plastic to avoid anything bad happening to you. That's not living, it's just existing."

"Well, be that as it may, I have started to move forward some. I left a notice on the bulletin board at the supermarket as well as one at the library and the church. Plus I left my cellphone number as the contact number. Hopefully I'll get a reply from someone who isn't afraid of hard work."

"Wow I'm impressed and to think that a little over a year ago I had to almost force you to get a cell and join the twenty first century."

Julie let out a tiny laugh and she smiled before replying to her younger friend.

"Yes you were right there as well, but I told you that right after I got it smarty-pants."

Lauren was still thinking of a reply when the bell rang announcing that their break was over and the next class would soon be starting. The two high school teachers exited the faculty lounge and with a friendly goodbye they headed in separate directions for their respective classrooms.

Ten minutes later Julie was going over her review of the Romantic poets for the upcoming test on Friday. She'd always favored giving tests on that day to help her students remain focused on their studies the whole week. For the most part they seemed to be paying attention though no doubt some were bored to tears and if she wasn't mistaken Rachel Hughes was playing with her phone, no doubt the pretty cheerleader was texting someone. Well as long as she sat in the back quietly and didn't bother anyone else then Julie would just ignore her.

Of course she should warn her or even give her detention but Julie was too softhearted for that and truth be told that girl had a way of making her feel two inches tall. There would be times where she'd be conversing with her friends, all popular, pretty girls like herself, and she would make some biting, veiled comment that was obviously about Julie who would be within earshot.

Julie tried not to take it personally as Rachel was indiscriminate in her insults and everyone but her own circle of friends or 'hot guys' would be subject to her withering comments. After all Julie was used to it by this time for she'd received such treatment since she was a student in the same school from her own classmates who'd openly mocked her frumpy wardrobe and lack of social skills.

A few hours later Julie was in the parking lot saying good night to Lauren. "Are you sure you don't want to come along Jules? You know you're always welcome."

"No I don't want to be a third wheel Lauren. You and Jeff enjoy yourselves. Besides I have papers to grade and in case someone replies to my ad I really should start to prep things so work can begin."

"All work and no play makes Julie a dull girl. You know if you just give the word Jeff could arrange for one of his co-workers to come as well so we'd be a foursome."

"No I'd just bore him as school is all I know how to talk about. But have a good time and I'll see you tomorrow."

Lauren made a grimace at her friend's reply. She had been trying so hard to break her out of her shell as well as away from that mausoleum she called a home. Well Rome wasn't built in a day and in the past year progress had been made but Lauren had hoped now that Julie was alone she might hasten the process.

"Okay my dear be that way if you want. But if Jeff's friends are unacceptable what about one of the men from your church?"

"Now that's funny Lauren. Let me tell you that I'm like one of the young bloods there. There are no single men within ten years of my age. There's a couple of elderly widowers and a handful of men far too young for me. So that idea, though no doubt well intentioned, is going nowhere."

"Well maybe one of the young studs-," Lauren began but she stopped when she saw the shocked expression on her friend's face. "Okay fine Miss Goody Two Shoes and I'll see you tomorrow."

Julie climbed behind the wheel of her little Honda Civic and started the ignition. She waved to Lauren as she pulled from her parking space and drove off. Fifteen minutes later she was parked in her driveway and getting out. Before she got halfway to the door a gray ball of fur streaked towards her legs coming from the overgrown hedge that bordered her and her neighbor's yard. As Julie proceeded to the front door the feline rubbed against her ankles affectionately.

"Hello to you Emily. Did you have a nice day sleeping in the sun and stalking prey?"

Julie spoke from first-hand knowledge as the little fur ball had often deposited 'little gifts' of torn and bloody rodents and birds for her mistress and seemed to enjoy the discomfort they provoked. Julie unlocked the front door and followed Emily in, picking up the mail on the floor from beneath the slot. Julie deposited both the mail and her bag on a table and headed to the kitchen with Emily eagerly trailing.

The cat food rattled against the dish as Julie poured some in before placing it on the floor mat near the sink and then added some fresh water to the other bowl. Julie then headed upstairs so she could change from her schoolmarm clothes. She entered her bedroom which hadn't been updated since before she had returned from college. Her high necked white button down blouse was the first thing she removed then she unzipped and slipped out of her long, pale blue skirt leaving her in her plain and modest white undergarments.

When she reached for a sweatshirt her eye caught her reflection in the mirror. Julie stopped for a moment and studied her reflection. She saw a pretty woman wearing no makeup except for a trace of pink lipstick staring back at her. There were a few very faint lines by the corners of her big brown eyes but good genes and clean living made her appear years younger, thirty at the most.

On a whim she reached back and unhooked her bra and slid it from her shoulders exposing her small perfectly shaped breasts. They were pert and slightly upturned topped with pink nipples. Julie turned one way then the other as she dispassionately took in her appearance. She had always been tall and slim, a skinny Minnie her mother always said in a pitying manner, but Julie had remained the same dress size since college while many of the girls she'd attended school with had become larger the older they got. In fact some of her fellow students now had children whom she taught and it gave her a tiny bit of pleasure to see how the popular crowd hadn't aged quite so well though she felt guilty about her reaction. Not quite what a good Christian should feel but some of them had been so cruel to her.

She slid the sweatshirt over her long brown hair as she pulled it on. It felt nice against her bare nipples but she tried to put that out of her mind, no time for such thoughts now. Maybe if she had time after taking care of things first she could treat herself later. But first she had work to do. As she pulled sweats on she couldn't help but notice that her walking and stair climbing was paying off.

At school she would often walk the stairs between classes and there were times she would spend a free period doing that or walking around the track in good weather. Julie had realized that as she got older she had to do something or nature would take its toll so she had started an exercise regimen. As of yet she hadn't even confided in Lauren that she was doing it but Julie had noticed that from her calves all the way to her buns she was firming up. Not that there was anyone, meaning a special man, to notice and appreciate her hard work.

'Hold on Julie, stop feeling sorry for yourself. There are plenty of people worse off than you. You should be grateful for all your blessings' she mentally chided herself.

Next she twisted her long locks and slipped a scrunchy over her hair leaving it in a ponytail so it would be out of her face. A pair of sneakers completed her outfit and then she headed up to the attic. The attic had been cluttered since she could remember but if she was going to get the house in order she had to tackle it as well. A few hours later Julie was dirty and sweaty and her arms and back ached from her efforts but she'd made a dent she realized. She also knew that maybe she needed to add some upper body exercises to her regimen to balance things out because she was really feeling it from the work she'd done.

In the freezer she removed a Lean Cuisine frozen dinner which she popped into the microwave. She ate it while she graded papers and she continued grading long after she was finished dinner. Finally a crick in her neck made her stop for the night and she slipped the papers in her bag and stood. Wearily she climbed the stairs after first checking that the doors were locked and turning off the lights.

Once the water was to the right temperature Julie stepped into the steaming shower. For the first five minutes she just let the water hit her right between her shoulder blades helping to loosen and relax her tired and sore muscles. Finally when she gained some relief she actually started to wash herself running the washcloth over her body. However when the rough material brushed across her sensitive nipple she felt a jolt that traveled all the way between her legs.

From that moment on Julie hurried up and within five minutes was wrapping herself in a terrycloth robe. She padded back to her room and after slipping her flannel nightgown on she slipped under the covers. She made a pretense of reading the book that sat on her nightstand at first but she knew what she needed. Putting the book down she reached to the bottom drawer and pulled out her laptop and turned it on. In a few minutes she was on a certain website - her guilty little secret that Lauren had told her about.

It was a triple x adult site that had both videos, which she couldn't bring herself to watch after witnessing the misogyny she had seen the one time she had tried, as well as erotic stories which were more to her liking. There were many that weren't to her tastes due to non-existent writing skill or unpalatable themes but there were some hidden gems located there that really got her juices flowing. With pleasure she realized that one of her favorite female authors had just posted a new story and she eagerly began to read.

It was a tale heavy on romance but with some very hot sex included and according to the author was based on true people and events. Whether that was true or not, and Julie certainly had her doubts, it turned her on without question. By the time the characters were naked in the barn making love Julie was very aroused herself. She shut the computer off and put it away before she pulled her nightgown up past her chest and lay back.

Her trembling fingers first lightly brushed her nipples sending signals to nerves across her body. Julie closed her eyes as she always did and let her imagination take over. In her mind she wasn't alone but her mysterious lover was beside her. She had never pictured his face but she knew he was devastatingly handsome the way all literary romantic characters were. He had dark, thick hair and he was tall of course and she could picture his body - muscular but not bulky and perfectly proportioned.

He existed only to bring her pleasure and he was good at his job. His strong yet gentle hand cupped her breast and squeezed it with just the right amount of pressure to stimulate without discomfort. As her passion grew, his actions increased in intensity. A hand found its way between her legs and stroked her wet sex. Her legs involuntarily parted wider and Julie threw her head back and moaned softly as her juices flowed freely now. Both her breast and clit were being manipulated expertly and exactly as she preferred.

Her slim fingers slid into her moist furnace making her gasp as her thumb now circled her nub. Julie could feel herself getting close to release so she increased the tempo of her fingers pushing them deeper and faster. Her tunnel clung to them as they worked in and out making a sucking sound with each thrust.

Right when she reached the precipice her thumb and forefinger pinched her nipple as hard as she was able to. That touch of pain in combination with her fingers reaching as deep as they could go was more than enough to send her senses reeling. Julie bit her lip so hard that a drop of blood escaped and rolled to her cheek. She thrashed on the bed for a minute, her limbs writhing like serpents, as her climax overwhelmed her.

It took a couple of minutes before Julie opened her eyes revealing that she was back in her own room again and alone. She withdrew her fingers which were wet with her dew and pulled her nightgown back into place. Her breathing had also returned to normal by now and only her still flushed cheeks and satiated expression gave a clue of what had just happened. Julie switched off the table lamp and pulled the covers around her body. Emily had not appeared and Julie wished that she had as it would be nice to cuddle with something alive now. But that's how cats were - if you wanted them then it was unlikely they'd appear.

Julie arrived a trifle early the next morning and after putting on sneakers she had climbed the stairs until her calves dully ached. If she got an opportunity she wanted to ask her friend Mrs. Deen, who was a phys-ed teacher, for some advice about some upper body exercises that might work for her. She could just imagine what her mother would have said about this if she'd still be alive. Obviously she wouldn't have approved. Julie could hear Mother's voice in her head saying so.

'It is very unladylike to perspire especially when doing physical activity like exercise or labor. Perhaps for those who have no intellectual capacity it can be forgiven partially but I suspect even then it's a sign of moral turpitude.'

However that had never prevented her from working Julie like a mule when it suited her. The number of times Julie had rubbed her hands raw scrubbing the wooden floors or doing garden work was beyond count. But there was no sense being bitter Julie thought as she headed to her classroom. The morning moved by quickly and before she knew it she was having lunch with Lauren.

"So how have the monsters been behaving today?" Lauren asked.

"Don't call them that, it's not nice," Julie replied before letting out a tiny giggle.

"Oh come on you know it's true, at least for some of them."

"Most of my students are very nice and the rest are just misguided and in need of direction," Julie answered as she delicately nibbled on a corner of her tuna salad on whole wheat sandwich.

"Yeah okay but if you just had the class I did you'd be singing a different tune honey. Not only did I have to stop an argument before it became physical but one of the geniuses told me in response to a question that the Magna Carta was a sixties rock group."

Julie couldn't help but laugh at that tidbit but she still felt her friend was being too harsh.

"Lauren they are still kids and you are being a trifle too cynical I think. Well anyway how did last night go; did you have a good time?"

"Yes I did as a matter of fact, more than once in fact," Lauren told her before winking.

Julie put her hand over her face in mock embarrassment though by now she was used to such comments from her younger friend. It was that openness that had helped Lauren break Julie out of her shell, if only partially.

"Well I'm happy for you."

"Thanks and what about you, have an exciting night doing paperwork Jules?"

"I'll have you know that I also got a lot accomplished organizing some things to help with the house."

"How exciting for you. Speaking of that, any responses to your notice?"

"No I haven't and frankly I'm surprised. What with the economy so bad you'd figure I'd get a little interest but not one call."

Lauren sat there with her brow furrowed which she often did when she was thinking before her expression changed.

"Don't take this the wrong way Julie but is your phone even on? You have the habit of leaving it off for days at a time. More than once I've called it only to get your voicemail."

With a sheepish look Julie opened her bag and rummaged around until she pulled her phone out. Unwilling to meet her friend's eyes she took it from its case and turned it on. Once the screen went up Julie saw that she had three voicemails.

"Oops maybe I did get some responses and don't you say you told me so," she told Lauren to cut her off at the pass.

Lauren just sat there with a smug expression as Julie went to her voicemail and listened.

"Hello my name is John Colt and I'm inquiring about the ad for work. I'm skilled in carpentry and I can certainly paint and move things. I'm competent at least in electrical and plumbing and I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty either. Hope to hear from you."

The message concluded with him leaving his phone number and had been left the day before. There was something about the voice that stirred her memory but she couldn't quite place it as the phone started to play the next message. This one came from an actual contractor whose business must be hurting if he was answering her ad but there was something about the way he spoke that she didn't like. It was as if he sounded drunk and wasn't even attempting to mask it. Finally the third message came on and with a start Julie heard it was the first caller again.

"Umm, hello this is John Colt again. Sorry for calling again but I was just wondering when I might be hearing from you. The thing is I just received an offer for a job but it's from out of town so I need to make a decision. Thanks. Uh and by the way I could be wrong and if I am then I apologize but the ad said Miss Jones and I was curious if you're the Miss Jones who taught an English class of mine. Either way, hope to hear from you soon."

For a minute Julie was speechless. No wonder his voice and now his name seemed so familiar to her. He had been in her class six or seven years ago and last she had heard he had moved out of town soon after graduating. Well he must be back she thought as memories from the past came back to her.

"Hello earth to Julie, are you here or in space somewhere? And what are you smiling about?"

Suddenly Julie realized she was grinning like an idiot and quickly changed her expression to a more normal one.

"Sorry Lauren I was just thinking about something and how it really is a small world."

"And what made you come to that conclusion, one of your messages?"

Julie nodded in assent to her friend's query before speaking.

"One of the people calling about the work is a former student of mine, if you can believe it."