My summer started with my mom telling me that my aunt was having a baby and that she’d need help. Mom intended to move in with Aunt Mary for the entire summer to help while her husband was deployed overseas. Mom thought this would be a great opportunity for me to gain some independence and responsibility. She decided to give me a little money for food and necessities but told me to start looking for a job to pay for my own fun. There was something exciting about being alone for months but terrifying for the exact same reason. Getting a job didn’t really bother me; I wouldn’t have much else to do, anyway. 

The weekend before school ended, Mom set up a dinner with our neighbor to let him know the summer plans. He had insisted that we come to his home, where he’d make us dinner. We obliged. That Saturday I had been out with friends doing some shopping before going home to swim, take a nap, and get ready for dinner. I wore a simple black cotton dress with pockets so I could politely keep my phone on hand without keeping it on the dinner table. I threw on my black Vans before leaving with my mom leading the way.  

The front door was open with a screen door holding its place, and before either of us could knock, Mr. Thompson called from inside to come in. Food wafted outside smelling of pasta and garlic, which only got stronger when we fully entered his home. It was set up very similarly to ours, but slightly larger, and decorated differently. His place was very mid-century-modern, mixed with modern touches. For a single man, it was really cool and well executed. We found him in the same area where our kitchen would have been bustling around finishing a few things and turning off appliances.

“Good timing!” He beamed. “Take a seat at the table and I’ll bring everything in.”

Despite his offer, Mom nudged me to be courteous, so I took a platter with cheese, tomatoes, and basil to bring to the table.

“Thank you, Jenna.” Mr. Thompson smiled down at me.

I had always forgotten how tall he was. I see him from our yard all the time working on his car, mowing the lawn, or walking his dog, of course always saying hello and sharing a few words, but I always forgot just how big he was. Because it wasn't just how tall he was, but he had broad shoulders and a deep chest. He reminded me off the cop from Stanger Things in a lot of ways. He had a thicker beard and more hair on his head. Mr. Thompson, I was realizing, was very attractive for a man more than three times my age. I shook that thought before finding space on the surfboard-shaped table and taking a seat. He and Mom went back of forth with pleasantries for an innumerable amount of time before I realized I had been asked a question.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “I didn’t hear the question.” Looking back and forth between the two of them, trying to figure who had asked me something.  

Mr. Thompson spoke up. “How’s swimming been?”

I hated this question. I was an athlete in school before I’d gotten injured and could no long swim on the competitive level anymore. I mostly floated around the pool nowadays and let my upper body do most of the work. I tried to find the simplest and least emotional response possible, because it always made me emotional.

“An injury got me out of it, unfortunately,” I said with a small crack in my voice.  

“I’m sorry to hear that. Truly, I know how much you loved it. I couldn’t pull you or Sarah out of the pool when you were younger.” He sympathized.

My memory forgot that Mr. Thompson’s ex-stepdaughter was one of my friends. Since the divorce, she never talked about him, and I don’t think they had any contact. I used to spend half my summers in this house, but it looked completely different now.  

Mom explained the whole story to me, seeing my emotions start to boil over. She moved directly into discussing the plan for our summer.

“The reason I wanted to chat was to see if you wouldn’t mind keeping an eye out on the house, and on Jenna. I would prefer for her to stay over there, but I understand if she gets spooked in the empty house. I’d like to make sure we all have each other’s numbers in case of emergency and give you a key to the house as well. Are you okay with that?” She asked finally.  

I know my mom didn’t like asking a man to keep an eye on me, especially a single, childless man. I think she trusted him because he did at some point care for a child, a friend of mine at that, and his ex-wife didn’t slander him after the divorce, so he seemed to be in the clear. 

“Of course I’m okay with that, Gina.” He took the house key attached to a little keychain from our road trip to Texas. All three of us then pulled out our phones and traded numbers. I went to add his contact name as Mr. Thompson, but he saw and requested I put him in as Doug.  

“I hate when people call me mister. I know it’s meant to be respectful but something about it irks me.” He says while mimicking a shiver. My mom and I both giggle lightly.  

The table’s energy has lightened a little. Mom is more at ease knowing there is a safeguard while she’s away. I am more comfortable having reinvigorated our neighborly relationship. And Doug seems very happy to have us back in his house like old times. I help clear the table before we say our goodbyes.  

Four days later, Mom gets the call that Aunt Mary had gone into labor. I was still in class (my second to last day of school) when I got the call. I was excited to go home and play my music loudly and do whatever I wanted unbothered. And I do just that. I throw my bag on the kitchen table scattered with open mail and packages, connect my phone to the BT speaker, blast Paramore, and slump into a chair to scroll my phone. Thirty minutes later, I get a message that interrupts my scrolling. It’s Doug:  

“Sounds like Mom is gone” followed with a musical note emoji.  

Me: “I’m sorry, do I need to turn it down?”  

Doug: “Noooo” 

Doug: “I love Paramore”  

Doug: “Just giving you shit, and checking in” 

I paused to think of how to respond.  

Me: “Yeah, she left earlier. I still have school tomorrow and an interview for a job right afterwards so you might not see my car in the driveway till a little later.”  

Doug: “Ooo job hunting sucks. Good luck. I’ll keep an ear out if I hear of any cool places to work.” 

Me: “Thanks” 

After my long day, I shoot over a few quick texts to friends about plans for the summer, and one to Mom for a quick update and to see the new pics of my new cousin. It’s a bright spot in my otherwise rough day. One friend is gone for the first few weeks to go visit her grandparents, and most others are off to a swim camp for more training. Then the interview for a sever position, which had been at a local restaurant, was looking for someone with experience in the industry. I ran to my room to grab the first clean swimsuit I could find and jumped in the pool to relax my nerves. There is a little bit of sun left, and I float on my back to let it warm my face.  Before I realized it, the sun in completely gone, and I hadn’t eaten yet. I get out of the pool and towel off a little while standing on the deck. I’m a little startled to find that Doug is also in his backyard, grilling. He hadn’t seen me.

I wrap the towel around me and call over the fence, “Hey Mr... I mean Doug!” He turns to me and waves.  

“Hey what’s up? You need something?” He responds. 

“No, I just wanted to say Hi, make sure you knew I was alive. I'm just going to warm something up and watch a movie.” I let him know.  

Before I turn to leave, he gets my attention. “Come eat with me. I made enough for leftovers, and you look like you need company.”  

I hesitate. He sees me hesitate.

“Don’t even think about it, just wrap that towel on and get over here. It’s almost done.” Doug insists.  

“Okay," I finally say.

I step off the deck and to the side of the yard with the gate, lock it back behind me and open Doug’s gate to enter his yard. By the time I get to him, he is plating skewers of chicken, peppers, and mushrooms. We go inside together and enjoy the kababs with rice while he asks me about school. Towards the end of the meal, I ask him what he does.  

“Oh, I’m a retired business consultant. I still do some freelance work part-time, but I spend most of my time with the restaurant I own. Mostly numbers and business stuff, not so much the cooking or management stuff. I have managers for that. I work mostly from home,” he tries to explain. I’m not fully understanding, since I’ve never worked before.  

We finish eating and help Doug clean and do dishes, but while I’m drying plates, my towel, which had been tied and tucked above my breasts, falls off. I suddenly feel very self-conscious, but try my hardest to be nonchalant about it. I kick it aside and keep drying whatever I had in my hand. Doug hadn’t noticed yet, but when he hands me the next dish, he does his best not to gawk.  

“Sorry I kept it on, so I didn’t get your house wet and it kept me kinda warm,” I meekly say while avoiding eye contact.  

“Honey, it’s fine, I just think your suit is a little small for you. We should go shopping sometime, and I’ll get you a new one. I know your mom is so busy as a single mom and working all the time she must have forgotten.” He responds humbly.  

I then started to notice that I grabbed the suit from two years ago when I was an A-cup. Now a full D-cup, my tits were spilling out in every direction, not to mention that the bottoms didn't even cover my ass crack. My face was fully red; I could feel it.   

“Please don’t be embarrassed; you’re beautiful.” Doug paused and eyed me more slowly now. “I just think you should have a new one, that better suits your new... assets.”  

We finished in silence and, when everything was put away, went to grab my towel to leave when Doug spoke up again. “You had mentioned watching a movie. Want to stick around and watch a movie?”  

“I should get back and... FUCK!” I cursed.

I had locked myself out when I latched the back gate behind me. I was so eager to get over here that I had forgotten to keep it wedged open.

“I locked myself out.” I groan  

“Look, let me go get a pair of sweats and a shirt for you to get comfy in. You can stay the night, and I’ll use my spare to get you back in there tomorrow.” He offered.  

I thought for a moment. I wasn’t sure how I felt about staying here, but I also wasn’t sure if I wanted to be alone just then.

“Okay. Can I get a shower before we watch the movie?” I asked.

He nodded and found me a fresh towel, some sweatpants and a clean, white undershirt. Doug directed me to the master bathroom because the hall bath didn’t have shampoo or soap. I locked the bedroom door and the bathroom door behind me. His bathroom had been upgraded, making it look way different from my mom’s. He had a huge walk-in shower and a separate jetted tub. In the shower, I found his shampoo and bodywash, making sure to get all the chlorine off my skin.

When I was dry and getting dressed, I had to roll the pants up multiple times to have them not drag on the floor. The shirt was long, too, so I tied it in the back with a little knot. I realized when I did this, it pulled tight across my chest, leaving the fabric a little see-through. In the full-length mirror in his bedroom, I admired myself. I was hot; why hadn't I noticed that till just now? Learning this about myself gave me the boost of confidence I could have used in the kitchen. Better late than never. I looked around the master bedroom. Bed was made with a simple burgundy red duvet and massive pillows. The furniture was very similar to the sixties style in the rest of Doug’s house.  Back downstairs, Doug sat on his couch with a steaming app pulled up on his TV, scrolling on his phone waiting on me.

“All good?” he asked. 

“Much better, thank you.” I said, plopping down next to him.

I felt his stare on me in his clothing, with my nipples pressed against the thin shirt. Doug shifted. Regaining focus, he mentioned that there was a new vampire movie out that he heard was good, so he purchased it, and started it, dimming the lights with a different remote. The energy immediately felt like the one date I’d been on that year. There was tension where both parties wanted to touch each other. Back when it was a classmate, I just wanted to hold his hand. Now I want to cuddle up to this older man. I wanted to nestle into his chest and feel how warm he was and feel his scratchy beard on my face when he kissed me... I was getting itchy sitting there in silence.  

While my mind was whirring, it seemed like Doug was fully invested in the movie. His feet kicked up on an ottoman and arms stretched across the back of the couch, eyes firmly on the screen. I found a throw blanket on the back of the couch and pulled it onto me, in the process, nudging myself closer so that one of his arms was now stretched behind me on the couch. He looked over to watch me get comfortable again.

I focused my attention on the movie again as the scene was changing to a suggestive one. Suggestive turned into a full-blown, full frontal, sex scene. The energy in the room buzzed again. I inched closer. Once the scene was over the rest of the movie got kind of boring, so I focused my attention on getting closer. Finally, before the end, I was resting my head on his shoulder, in what can honestly be described as innocent, like when someone falls asleep on a plane and accidentally leans their head on a stranger’s shoulder. Which is what I did. I fell asleep. He made me feel safe and warm.  

When I woke up, I was still on the couch, still on Doug. My head was in his lap, and his hand was resting on my side while he scrolled on his phone. It must have been three in the morning. I don’t think he knew I was awake, but he shifted to get up, and I thought he’d leave me there, but he instead leaned down and got his arms under me to carry me to a bed. To his bed, he carried me into his bed! Lifted the covers and set me down before covering me up again. I heard him pad off to the bathroom and lock the door behind him. I couldn’t fall asleep. I was in his massive bed. Where was he going to sleep? Why did this excite me so much? Why didn’t I want to go back to my house? 

Ten minutes into his shower, I heard a loud grunt and sigh. A few minutes later he stalked into the room, he caught me with my eyes open. His towel hung loosely around his hips, showing off his toned stomach and bulky chest. In the glow of the light from the bathroom, he was fucking perfect.  

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to wake you, I’m just gonna get some shorts and I’ll get out of your way.” He whispered from his dresser.  

“It wasn’t you; it was a bad dream.” I lied.  

“Are you okay?” He asked worriedly. 

I shrugged. I caught a fake choke in my throat like I was going to cry, which actually made me teary. You could tell he wanted to help but didn’t know how, and also still needed to not be naked. He first focused on shorts, then coming to my side. He sat on the edge of the bed and comforted me.

“Do you remember what it was?” he asked.  

I shook my head. I slid closer to him and laid my head on his leg. He put a hand on my head and pet me slowly.

“I miss having girls in my house. Helping during things like this always felt so good.” He knew exactly what do now.

He had me scoot over and got in the bed next to me. The next thing he did was surprising. He pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around me with my head against his chest. Did I want him to be my dad, or did I want to marry this man? Was both an option? I fully nestled in. Before I knew it, Doug had let me go, and we ended the night sleeping with me in his arms, still facing his chest, his chest hair tickling my nose.  

I woke up sprawled out, my shirt pulled nearly over my tits, the duvet tossed all over the bed and Doug nowhere to be found. I found him in the kitchen with a cup of coffee on his laptop at the table. Likely answering emails and doing work stuff.

“Good morning, Lovely.” He beamed.  

“Morning.” I smiled groggily. I took a seat across from him before anyone said another word. 

“I thought we could go back over to your house, get you fresh and changed, then maybe go get a fancy coffee and do some shopping. My treat. Plus, I wanted to talk about something while we are out.” Doug suggested.

That last bit made my anxiety bubble in my stomach, but I focused on Doug wanting to spoil me for the day. He waited downstairs while I washed up changed and put on a little makeup. I didn’t really like leaving the house without a winged liner and mascara. I found my favorite pair of black jeans and a cropped tank top. Downstairs, my sneakers sat by the door with my purse.  

“Leave your purse; just grab your phone. And do you have, like, a jean jacket?” he asked, looking at the hooks near the door.  

“Jean jacket? It’s like 95° outside.” I balked.  

“Just trust me.” He winked, and I swear I melted on the floor in a puddle.    

“Yes, sir,” I said a little mockingly. 

I found the jacket in question, and we strode back to his house, where he unlocked his garage and wheeled out a motorcycle. Back in the house, Doug pulled out two helmets and directed me to connect the little device on the side to my phone.

“These can make it so you can listen to music through the helmet, and so I can talk to you.” He informs me.   

“Awesome.” I slid the full-face cover helmet over my head, and Doug helped me fasten it. I watched him put his on and turn his device on. 

He handed me a backpack and asked me to put it on.

“I’m going to get on first, then use me to get your foot on the peg and swing the other leg over the sissy bar.” He instructed.  

When I got into place, I felt the need to hold on even though the bar was behind me. We sped out of the neighborhood, and about twenty minutes later we pulled into the mall parking lot finding a spot in the garage where the bike would bake in the heat. Once in the mall, I located the coffee stand and ordered a medium ice hazelnut latte while Doug ordered himself an iced tea. We waited at the counter together where the barista called Doug’s name. We strolled down until we found a place selling swimsuits. He didn’t give any input while I strolled up and around the store. They also had clothing and shoes that I browsed a little before picking a pile of things to try on. I found an employee who unlocked a dressing room for me and found a spot where Doug could sit and wait for me.  

“I love that your dad comes out with you shopping! So sweet!” The girl said. We both looked at each other. I think both deciding it best not to correct her.  

“Spoiling her a bit while I have her for the summer.” He smiled at her.

She told us to holler if we needed help, and she stepped off back to stocking. I decided if he was buying that he needed a vote. I took pictures of all the bikinis I’d picked with me in them. Nothing was overly revealing, but I made sure to pick out a few with cheeky bottoms or tips with tons of push-up support. I texted him the lot and tried on the shorts and T-shirts I’d also picked up while I waited for a response. I wished I could have seen his face when that text came through.  

Doug: “You look fantastic in all of them.” 

Me: “You’re paying, you get a vote.”  

Doug: “My favorite is the dark blue with flowers, and the purple one.”  

I grabbed the things I wanted and found the rack for clothes that I didn’t pick. “Is it okay that I grabbed these shorts too?” I asked lifting up a cutoff style I’d liked.  

“Of course, Lovely.” He cooed.  

We paid and left as the employee chittered to her coworkers about how cute we were. Doug took me to a handful of places while there. I had only expected to grab the bikini and then head back, but he stopped us at a bath supply store and picked out a few things for me, scents he thought felt right for me. There was another clothing store or two, and then he stopped in front of a lingerie shop gave me his card and said, “Whatever you want,” before sending me in and telling me he’d meet me back outside the store in thirty minutes.  

As badly as I wanted to go crazy, I didn’t. I found the table with the 5 for $25 sale and picked a few different panties and one lacy but practical bra. On the way out, I admired a mannequin styled in a matching set. It was light looking without the padding on the cups and with delicate-looking lace. It was a classy deep magenta color with lite pops of lighter pink in flower petals. They paired it with a matching robe and slippers. My find flew to a woman in a massive bedroom, lounging like she had no worries in the world with champagne in one hand, and an open window looking down on a European courtyard.  

Just outside the entrance on a bench sat Doug with his legs crossed, leaning back casually, watching me. The way he carried himself was wildly attractive. Moments when he didn’t have his phone on his face, when he was putting on a show of overt kindness, he was simply cool. He’d worn a well-fitted t-shirt under his leather riding jacket it tugged around his chest just right. Paired with an old pair of dark wash jeans and combat boots with the laces wrapped around the ankles, he could have been Jeffery Dean Morgan’s brother.  

The image of the older neighbor, whom I barely spoke to in eight years, quickly became my obsession. Doug took the bag from me and rolled it neatly, adding it into the backpack with our other things. It’s looked more stuffed than it had before. Back at the bike, Doug strapped the bag to a little rack behind me before starting the bike and helping me get my helmet on again. I watched him slide his leather gloves on his hands before swinging his leg over to straddle the seat and motioning for me to do the same. We didn’t drive straight home. Instead, we stopped at a restaurant for lunch. A cute cafe tucked in the corner of a different shopping center.

He held the door open for me and told the host," Two please, somewhere quiet if you don’t mind.”  

The girl, about my age, led us up a set of steps to the balcony. Only one other table of two sat up there at the other corner of the building. I couldn’t help but keep my head on a swivel. It was a beautiful place. Italian themed but not in the kitschy way. It was tasteful. A server came to us shortly and Doug ordered for us.  

“Is this yours?” I’d asked, gesturing around the building.  

“It is.” He said confidently. “Do you like it?”  

“I love it.” I cooed.  

He smiled before taking a sip of the beer he’d ordered himself.

“So, what I wanted to talk about…” he paused so I could focus in. “It seemed like your interview didn’t go as planned, you seemed off yesterday, then that nightmare. You didn’t have a good day.”  

“Yeah, they wanted someone with more experience. I didn’t take it personally; it was just a drop in the bucket of a stinky day.” I scrunched my nose up to emphasize. 

“I’m sorry to hear about that. What else happened?” He probed.  

I sighed before answering. “Well, most of my friends are on the swim team, so they are doing swim camp most of the summer. Other friends are vacationing or visiting family elsewhere, so it will be a lonely summer. Having the house to myself is great and all, but it looks like it will be lonely. Especially if I don’t get a job.”  

Doug simply nodded. He leaned back in his chair the same was he did on the bench at the mall before he spoke again.

“I have a proposal for you. I thought retirement meant I wouldn’t be working so much, but it seems like I spend more time working than I did with a full-time job. I’d like to train you to be my personal assistant. I’d pay you of course. I have an office downstairs, and I’d get you your own computer that you can use for school or work or whatever the hell you want. I’d give you a key to my house and this place. Hopefully, you’ll learn enough to help me maintain my household chores a little and keep up with all the little emails and admin duties with my freelance and business.” He finished.  

My eyes widened, and I couldn’t find the words. He tried to give me time to process the offer.

“I… uh, don’t know what to say. Wow, that’s so wildly generous,” I said.   

“Look there is no pressure. I want you to make this decision on your own. Take the rest of the day to think on it. And if you have any questions, please ask away,” he interjected my thoughts.  

“I got back to school in September. it’s my last year, and I want to make sure I…” I started before Doug stopped me.  

“I will never let my work interfere with your life. We will work together to maintain hours that make sense for whatever you have going on at the time. I’m hoping that maybe this can be like an internship that you can use as experience when or if you go to college.” He assured.

The server came back to check on us and bring refills. They let us know that the food would be up soon. I saw in her eyes that she was trying to figure out who I was to Doug. She clearly had met him a few times.

“Hey Kimmy, how's the new hostess doing down there?” He asked her before she walked away.

I think he had sensed what I had. She knew he didn't have kids, and she'd likely never known him to have extended family like nieces. Kimmy was suspicious.  

“Can’t complain. She’s a baby, but she’s putting in the work, which is better than the last one. Couldn’t keep a rotation to save her life.” The woman rolled her eyes.  

“Glad to hear it. This is my neighbor’s daughter Jenna. She’s interested in business and restaurant shit, so I’d thought I teach her a few things this summer. You might see her around running errands for me, so be nice.” He shot her little goofy glance over the top of his sunglasses, but there was some intent in the look.

I got the feeling that Doug was an amazing boss, but that he also didn’t fuck around. It was slightly intimidating. Kimmy walked away and we continued our conversation.

“What are your thoughts?” He restarted.  

I sat back in my chair to think for a moment. Spending more time with him, and he was inviting me to... HELL YEAH! But I didn’t want to seem too eager or that I wasn’t taking the time to truly weigh my options.

“I want to say yes, but I have a stipulation or two.” I sat up straight as I spoke.  

He eyed me, a little surprised. “Oh, yeah?” he grinned, impressed.  

“I don’t want it to be under the table. I want there to be an official contract or employment document with a W-2 or 4, whatever it's called.” I didn’t know much, but Mom had imparted a few things on me before she left.

“I would like to make at least $25 an hour.” I was shaky on the last request, but I’d always heard to ask for more that way you can negotiate down.  

He tipped his head at me, impressed with my requests.

Nodding, he said, “Good girl.” 

I died. That was it. Then and there I exploded into a million tiny pieces. If he only ever called me ‘good girl’ for the rest of my life, I would die happy. I felt the blush rise to my face and chest as he planned his next words, while watching me flush.  

“I’ll get my lawyer to write up all the paperwork this week, and as soon as he gets it to me, we can start. But instead of $25 an hour, I’d like to pay you a steady amount, more like a salary. How does this sound instead?” He asked while pulling out his phone and typing something.

In the calculator app, he had typed out $1,000.  

“That’s so much though...” I gasped quickly.  

“I believe you’ll be worth the investment.” He winked at me just as Kimmy came up the stairs with our food and drink refills.

We ate in silence for a moment. I could feel him watching me eat the truffle grilled cheese he’d ordered me and take sips from his beer bottle.

“Off topic,” he said before continuing. “Why isn’t your dad in the picture?” 

“Died,” I said matter-of-factly. “He was in the army, just like my uncle is now, but my dad died in Iraq.”  

“I’m so sorry.” Doug said genuinely. “You don’t seem upset about it.”  

“I was young, like three or four. I don’t remember much of him. I do remember that feeling though.” I trailed a little remembering what I did last night.      

“What feeling?” Doug asked. 

I paused a little, embarrassed. “The warmth of a warm chest. The comfortable feeling of being smothered by big arms.” 

He nodded in understanding.  

Back at his house, we dismounted the bike and brought all our shopping inside. I moved to collect all the bags and take them to my house, but Doug took them from me.

“Hey, what are you doing?” I laughed.  

He motioned for me to follow him up the stairs. Just to the left of the landing was one of the other three bedrooms not including his own. His house was a bit bigger than ours; we only had three bedrooms and no extra office space. I wondered why a single man insisted on keeping a big house when he didn’t have the family he once did. But inside the room were a spare bed and other furniture. He took out the first bag, removing the tags from the clothing and neatly folding things to put in a drawer.

“I had a thought this morning. You might end up here occasionally, and it would be nice to have your own clothes so that you don’t need to hike across the yard to change or shower.” He continued with the next bag.  

“You don’t like sharing your clothes with me?” I teased as I watched him open the bag containing a pair of thong panties.  

Without hesitation, he removed the tag and folded them nicely into the top drawer.

“I certainly don’t mind at all. You looked very cute in my clothes, but I’m sure you’d like your own as well. And a bikini to have, if you want to swim here.” Doug giggled.  

Hearing him call me cute did something to my nervous system that I couldn’t contain. I flopped on the bed to let the energy out in a way that would have me putting my foot in my mouth. The next bag he grabbed was black with no logo, he set it aside and grabbed the paper one with the shampoo, soap and other hygiene things.

“Wait, what’s that one?” I asked, reaching towards it. 

He snatched it up. “Not yet. It’s a surprise.” He barked.  

It shocked me so I pulled back a little. He motioned for me to follow him again. Across the hall was a bathroom, large enough to have a separate tub and shower like his, but not nearly as large as his. He placed all my things in the appropriate places, and we walked back to the hall.

“You can go pretty much anywhere you want in this house, it’s only more spare rooms, an office, maybe a bit of storage junk. But please, I'm asking you to trust me, and trying to get your trust with the next request. Please don’t try to go in this room, don’t ask about the room, don’t even think about this room.” He unlocked the door with a key from his bundle of them and dropped the black bag inside, closing and locking it again.

Turning back to me, he suggested, “Let's go for a swim.” 

Out back, I found myself having a hard time doing anything but thinking about the room. I stepped on to the first step on the pool and waited for Doug to reappear. Which he did in nothing but his sunglasses and some pretty short inseam shorts for a man. I’d say maybe four inches long or so. I knew they came even shorter for men; I just didn’t expect it from Doug. Then again, I was finding more surprises by the second with him. 

At the deep end he dove right in, gracefully, before resurfacing and swimming up to me.

“I’m sorry I got a little intense there. That is just my one cavate to having people in my house again.” He apologized. 

I nodded. 

“Talk to me. Tell me everything. I want to get to know you.” He smiled at me.  

“Like what?” I giggled.  

“You mentioned friends, but do have a boyfriend or a girlfriend or anything?” Doug prodded.  

Floating into the middle of the pool, I told him how I'd been on a date or two, but it never ended in anything more than a kiss. Never a relationship. I just never got attached like that. We talked about how I liked early 2000s emo music and modern metal stuff. He told he’d been to Warped Tour back when all those bands were less cool. I asked about the couple of tattoos that he had, and he told me none of them had any meaning.  

When had relaxed by the time he asked me to get on his shoulders and jump off. Nervously, I went along. He dove under the water and then under me and slowly brought me upwards, taller and taller until my feet were out of the water. Once we got steady, I took the leap and splashed back down. When I resurfaced and caught my breath I wooed loudly and laughed, clearing the water from my eyes. When I opened them again, I saw that Doug couldn’t look away from me. Looking down, I saw why. My suit was hanging around my neck because the bottom tie had undone. I was submerged up to my neck, so there was very little to see, but the implication was there. I turned around quickly and covered myself with an arm while I tried to swim to the shallow end. In my struggle, I felt my leg cramp, and I yelled out. Doug snapped out of his stupor and got to me quickly getting an arm under my knees and another around my shoulders. He hoisted me out of the water and to a shaded lounge chair.

“Is it your injured leg? Should you even be swimming? Your mom will kill me.” He was rambling.

I was squirming a little while trying to keep myself covered.  

“Yes, it’s my injured leg. It’s just a cramp. I don’t use it as heavily as I used to, and when I do, it cramps up.” He immediately started to massage my calf. I lay back and let him, because it was helping.

“I’m okay. It’s okay. It happens,” I tried to assure.  

“You should do training to strengthen it again.” He kept massaging.

“Relax. Trust me. You're safe,” he said, like he could tell I was struggling to keep it together while keeping myself covered.  

It started with my legs. I released the tension that held them rigid. It slow crept up my body until I finally let my arm fall. Both breasts out in the sun.

“Good girl,” he cooed again, while still working my calf.

“You don’t have anything I haven’t seen before. And I’m much more focused on making sure you're okay.” He moved his hands up and down my calf looking for the source of my pain.  

Once we had calmed and my leg was as good as it was going to get for now, Doug left to get a drink. In that time, I could have easily taken a second and fixed my top, but I chose not to. I liked the attention he gave me. The obsession was quickly building, not just with Doug, but with the act of doing things that brought attention. Watching girls at school do it always bugged me, but now I understood. The fear of being exposed still whispered in the back of my head. Up to this point no one else had even seen me this nude, except when changing with the swim team.  

In all honesty looking down at my lounging body, I had another moment of clarity. My belly was soft with a small pooch that blended into my hips and thick thighs. I had a goddess’s body. I shifted myself into more of a pose for Doug’s return, the bikini top now on the pavement.  

He handed me a sports drink to help with hydration. “You wanna go inside or...”  

“I’d like to be in the water still; do you have an inflatable I can use instead of treading water?” I asked. 

He went to the shed in the corner of the yard and came out with a round tube. 

“Perfect.” I exclaimed.  

I floated around in the pool. Topless. Meanwhile, Doug took a lap or two under me before stopping and leaning on the tube with me. He was near my feet, with a perfect shot of my tits.

“How’s the leg?” He asked.

“Better.” I said simply.  

“You look great by the way. I know you’ve been fishing for me to notice you.” He glazed.  

I scoffed. “Excuse me?!”  

“Last night with the tied-up shirt, the pictures from the dressing room, now all of a sudden, quiet and shy Jenna is bold and topless in my pool.” He mocked. 

I didn’t have a response.  

“You’ve only had the pleasure of being romanticized by men your own age, so I’ll give you the benefit of being naïve. So, here’s your chance to be open and honest. What are you trying to do here?” He antagonized.  

“Nothing!” I blurted out too quickly.

Then I calmed myself. By now he was using his legs to paddle me around the pool in circles. He had paused to give me an eyebrow raise like he was waiting for me to continue.

“It started as nothing.” I began. “Something in me saw a father figure in you at first and was desperate for that warm touch, and when I got it, I thought that was all. But something happened when I saw you on the bench outside the lingerie store, and when I watched folding my underwear.”

I must have been beet red at this point. I couldn’t even make eye contact with him; I was so nervous. 

“You think I’m sexxxxyyy,” he sang. 

I took a deep breath and crossed my arms over my chest.  

“Don’t be upset with me Lovely. I think it’s sweet. I’m just teasing you,” he said softly.  

Before I knew it we were back at the steps of the pool, my leg was tender and didn't want to take much weight, so Doug scooped me up again and walked us into the house. We didn’t make eye contact once, but I could feel him holding me tighter than before. He brought me straight upstairs and set me on the closed toilet. Starting the shower, getting a fresh towel from a high shelf and telling to wash up.

“I’m ordering pizza for dinner. Come down when you’re ready.” And he laid a kiss on the top of my head.  

I touched myself in the shower. I was too pent up and too frustrated. It took me no time to be hunched over against the wall panting. Ten minutes later I was dried and clothed in a pair of exercise shorts and another one of Doug’s white shirts. I had to go to his room to get it, but I really wanted a big shirt to be comfy in. 

Downstairs, Doug sat on the couch watching sports highlights from the previous hockey season. When he heard me enter, he asked me to come sit down next to him while we waited for the pizza. There was a hairbrush on the coffee table and a towel in his hand. He turned the TV down before placing the towel over my shoulders and brushing my hair for me.  

“I used to love brushing Sarah’s hair for her. I really love caring for women. It brings me a lot of joy and purpose. Thank you for trusting me with your honesty.” He said softly.

Doug had finished brushing and placed a hand on the back of my head to guide my neck backyards, when he leaned in and kissed me deeply. The shock wore off quickly and I let myself melt into his touch.  

For the rest of the evening, Doug didn’t do anything more than cuddle me and kiss me. I learned later that this was one of the most innocent nights we would ever have together, because things changed quickly by the next morning.         

More to come...