There it was again, the slight vibration of my phone. You sure? the text read as I picked it out of my pocket.
Yeah, I replied. Get some sleep.
I put the phone back in my pocket and looked at the time. I had to pick up Jack and Thomas soon.
I got up from my seat and walked to the front. "Excuse me," I said to the tall Latin man behind the desk.
"Yes?" he asked as he looked at me.
I had worn my sweater today just so that there would be no cleavage to stare at, but he was still staring, this time downwards at my ass. Even though I was standing face to face with him, I could feel him undressing me.
"You said, it would only take an hour to fix my car," I smiled as I tried to be polite.
"Yes, that was thirty minutes ago," he nodded as he didn't take his eyes off my ass.
I hated having curves sometimes. I hated how my thighs, ass, and hips would bring me as much attention as my chest.
"No," I said, shaking my head. "I have been waiting for over two hours now."
"Yes, but we only brought your car into the shop to be worked on, half an hour ago," he smiled as he continued to stare at me.
I shook my head, then returned to my seat. Another hour went by, and I could still see my car on the lift with no one working on it.
"We are waiting on a part," the man said as if sensing my frustration. "Can we offer you some more coffee?"
"No," I said, shaking my head. I was highly aggravated; I had seen people come in that had arrived after me leaving already. All I needed was my brakes done.
"Stop it!" I yelled at him as he stood over me, trying to get a glimpse down my sweater.
He quickly ran off. A few moments later, the manager came out. "I know we…"
"No," I said, shaking my head. "I don't want an explanation I want my car, take it down, I will go somewhere else."
"Okay," the manager said. As he walked away, I could hear him say the word 'bitch' under his breath.
I wasn't a bitch, I had made an appointment two weeks in advance, told them exactly what I wanted and they had told me they had the parts and it would be done in under an hour. Here it was nearly four hours later, and my car had no work done to it just because they wanted to stare.
"Next time I talk to Teresa, I will let…" I started to say as they began to lower my car.
"No," the manager said. "Teresa isn't your…"
"My mother in law, yes," I said as I looked at him. "And I am going to call her soon as I…"
"We are sorry," the manager said. "I will get it worked on right now."
"I don't want…" I started to say.
"For free," the manager pleaded. "No charge, since you have been waiting for so long."
"Okay, but," I started to say as one of the other guys ran out to tell the other.
Quickly my car was lifted back up. All of the guys rushed around it, and the wheels were taken off.
"It won't take us long," the manager said.
"Okay," I smiled.
I was starting to like the advantages of being Teresa's daughter.
Within the hour, the manager was holding my keys, and my car was parked outside. "You won't tell Teresa about what I said, will you?" the manager asked.
"No, not at all," I said, standing up. "Thank you."
"No, thank you," the manager said, stepping aside.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"I told you, that you should get a reduction," Tina said as we lay out on her deck.
"Nope," I said, shaking my head and enjoying the warm breeze, for once the weather was beautiful. We knew it wouldn't last; soon the cold would come back, but for now, it was sunny, without a cloud in the sky.
"If you weren't as big, they would have had your car ready in a heartbeat," Tina said.
"And I would have had to pay for it," I pointed out.
"They didn't get you the money off," Tina smiled. "The fear of your mother in law did," she said as she reached for another drink.
"But they kept me in there long enough for that fear to get the job done," I nodded. "They are keepers."
I laughed ever since we got the measurements done six months ago. Tina had been trying to convince me to get a reduction so she could feel significant in the chest area again.
I had no intention of getting rid of my large breasts. They had been a part of me from high school.
Just got up, hope you didn't stay long at the shop, the text from Ned said.
Not too long, I replied. Heading for the gym?
Yup got to get the work in, he replied.
"I can't believe you are still friends with a convict," Tina said.
Text me when you get out, I replied to his text.
"For a psychiatrist, you sure are judgmental," I said to Tina.
"Not judgmental, realistic," Tina said, defending herself.
"So, does that also go for cheaters?" I said.
Tina immediately shushed me as she looked back inside to her new husband, who was playing video games with two of his friends.
"Thought so," I said.
"You said you wouldn't tell," Tina said as she made sure her husband didn't hear me.
Not only had she cheated on her husband not even four months into her marriage, but the man she cheated on him with was also sitting two feet away from him. They had claimed it was the alcohol at my twin's birthday party, but I knew different; they had been signs leading up to the disaster months in the making.
"I didn't," I said. "You were going to say once a criminal always a criminal," I said, looking over at her. "Once a cheater…"
Again, Tina shushed me. "Okay, fine, will you stop!"
It was a disaster because they had nothing in common, not even with their clothes off. Tina had said it took them ages to get into it, and it lasted only a few seconds. Now they barely looked at each other.
"He is still coming tonight?" Tina asked.
I sighed. "Yes."
"Fine," Tina shook her head.
I loved Tina, but she was the hardcore conservative type; don't get me wrong; she was a great person and would give the shirt off her back to anyone as long as that person fit in her perfect lifestyle.
I, on the other hand, was the middle of the fence type. My ex-husband would have loved Tina. He always said there was no middle ground in politics or life. It was bullshit because he was fucking both men and women, so he was as middle as you can get, and he was cheating on his wife.
"I am just saying that…" Tina said.
"Hey, Gary," I said out loud.
"Bitch!" Tina said under her breath.
"Yeah?" her husband yelled back.
"Who's winning?" I said with a smile.
"Trevor," Gary responded.
"You've made your point," Tina said with a smile.
"Good, because the next time you make a snide comment about my friend, I will say something," I scolded her. "Ned and I are friends, terrific friends, and if something did happen between us, it is between me, my kids, and him and not you. Do you understand?"
Tina was my best friend, and I wouldn't trade her in for anybody, but there were times I had to put my foot down, especially when it came to certain things.
Tina reluctantly nodded. "Okay, but and just one but," she added. "If things go south and he messes up."
"You get to say you told me so," I smiled.
"That's all I am asking," Tina said.
Tina was the queen of I told you so's; anytime she could get that line in, she would, and once she said it, she wouldn't stop for the world.
Tonight, was the first time they were going to meet Ned as I had invited him to come to the bowling alley. Gary was on a bowling team. They had made it to the semi-finals.
I had to admit that when Ned told me he had been to jail and served for a lengthy amount of time I was worried, I kept him at arms' distance, especially when it came to my younger children. The older ones could take care of themselves. Ned respected my opinion and my rules, but slowly he had gained my trust. He never went against his word, including getting autographs for Robin; she literally screamed her head off when he presented them to her.
She had loved a country singer but was unable to attend the concert. Ned got her a signed shirt from all the members and got them to take pictures with the shirt. It was becoming a daily thing to hear Robert and Ned talking shit to each other over their games.
So, he had earned my trust through my kids. So far, anyway, tonight was going to be the biggest test. If he could earn Tina's faith, it would go a long way.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ned's View
"Seriously, still just friends?" Jacob asked as he spotted me on the bench.
"Yup," I nodded as I pushed the bar upward.
"Absolutely nothing?" he asked again.
"Nope," I replied.
"She invited you over for Christmas dinner, you've been hanging around her and her kids, even went out of your way to get one of them those autographs, and…" he said as I gave him a look. "Fine."
Jacob, my gym friend, couldn't believe that Staci and I were just friends without any kind of benefits. "I am just saying for a woman she is…" Jacob said as he moved his hands out to his chest, "and that ass, I mean holy fuck!"
"You're exaggerating," I said as I got up.
"Hey, Terry," Jacob yelled out to one of the other guys.
"What up?" Terry said as he came over.
"How would you describe that woman that dropped Ned off, a few weeks ago?" Jacob asked.
"Damn!" Terry nodded. "Those are the only words that fit her, but that ass though, holy fuck," Terry said. "I bet when you hit it from the back, the waves that come off it push you backward! Right!"
"Guys!" I said. "We are just friends, nothing more."
"Are we talking about the woman with the huge knockers?" Simon said as he approached. "Don't motorboat those fuckers, or you will suffocate."
Now I had three of them standing around my workout area talking about Staci's big boobs or her huge ass.
"She isn't like overly huge, like some of those women," Simon said.
"You mean the beached whales?" Terry said.
"Yeah, like the one that Jacob was hitting," I laughed.
"Hey," Jacob said.
"Dude, she was freaking huge, she waddled when she walked," Terry laughed.
"On that note," I said. I knew when it was time to call it quits. Gym talk was excellent occasionally, but these guys took it to a whole new level.
I had other things on my mind. Tonight was going to be a big deal as Staci had invited me to go with her and a few friends to a bowling tournament. Being around actual people and not work colleagues was going to be different. I had no real friends of my own, well, none that I could call loyal friends; gym friends, sure, but nothing outside of the gym. I had made some associates while I was in the inside, but now that I was out, I had no intention of calling them my friends.
I had to get home and get prepared, something I hadn't planned on doing for a long time. "See you guys tomorrow," I said as I exited the locker room.
"Good luck," they all said together.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Ready," Staci said as I got out of my car and met her at the entrance to the bowling alley.
"Sure," I said as I caught up to her.
"Just be yourself," Staci smiled.
'Damn,' I thought to myself. Staci wasn't making matters more relaxed; she was wearing tight black jeans with a gray top that did nothing to hide her colossal sweater puppies.
I had gotten used to not staring, especially when she was paying attention; staring ahead I could see other guys noticing my friend’s assets, or should I say front torpedos. Her ass looked perfect in those jeans as it swayed from one side to the other.
'Just friends,' I tried to remind myself. 'But if we weren't just friends, god dayum, the things I would want to try,' I thought as a smile came across my face.
"You must be Ned," a tall woman said as we approached.
"You must be Tina," I said, shaking the woman's hand. "And you're Gary, right?" I said, shaking the hand of the man that stood beside her.
"Yes," Gary said. "It is good to meet you finally."
"Yes, likewise," I smiled as I stood next to Staci.
This felt more a couple's date than just meeting friends. "He's here," Tina giggled as she took Staci's hand.
"Marcus?" I asked Gary as we followed right behind them.
"Yup," Gary nodded. "Tina has been trying to set them up for two weeks now."
My heart sank a little bit as I had heard all about the stock market genius that had Tina and Gary raving about him for months.