The Bully (MadMax 🙵 Jaclyn)

[Jaclyn]

She heard the front door slam and his footsteps running to his room and his door slam too. Kids! She got the casserole into the oven and went down the hall in our small apartment to listen briefly at his door. Yes, crying again. Sigh. Maybe he’ll tell me tonight whatever it is. 4th Grade has been tough for him. And making their way without adults has been tough on them both. State aid has barely gotten them through and her job at the pizza place pays her college tuition. Why oh why did Mama have to get her ass killed by the John? At least there were three trying to make it in the world and now they were just two.

Back in the kitchen, she opened her textbooks and worked more on her homework. The timer on the oven chimed and the took the casserole out to cool the bubbling cheese. Two bowls, two spoons, to glasses of water and supper such as it was was ready. Thank goodness Billy got breakfast and lunch at school, she wasn’t looking forward to how she’d feed him after school was out. She went back to his door and knocked.

“Supper Billy. Come get it before it’s cold.”

Back in the kitchen, she portioned a third of the cheese and noodles with hot dogs into one bowl and put it at his place, a sixth into hers. Hopefully this would be dinner tomorrow. She heard his door open and watched him in the shadows before the kitchen light hit him.

“Oh my god Billy what happened to your face? Let’s get some ice on that!”

His eye was swollen shut and his cheek was red and puffy. She filled the plastic grocery bag with ice and wrapped it in a dish towel before carefully placing it on his cheek. He winced but his hand came up to hold it in place. He took a bite of dinner.

“Thanks Sis. This good!”

It wasn’t but they had agreed that whatever they had was good and so it was. Another tiny piece of magic in their lives. They ate in silence. He finished his and took a sip of water.

“I ain’t going back to school, Sis. That Ty Bastion is too big to fight and the other kids just laugh when he beats me up. He got me a good one in the gut today too, I’m really sore and hope I don’t puke my dinner.”

The first time she heard the name of his bully! Manny Bastion’s kid? Really big name in their small town.

“Billy, you have to go to school. You know we don’t have enough food for what you and me both need. Please try to avoid him. Okay Billy? Please? For me and Mom?”

The old appeal was all she had. Billy knew it. And knew it had to be enough. He took the ice back to his room to do his homework and promised to refill the ice. She spent a few minuets on her old iPhone and got a phone number for Bastion Advertising and Media. The answering machine said to call back after nine in the morning.

She rinsed the dishes into the sink and went to her pizza job until 11. She took the water bag off sleeping Billy’s face and went to sleep. Her alarm had her up at 7 to get him off to school with promises to avoid this Tyrone fellow. She dressed and rode the bus to the community college for her 9 o’clock class. At 10 o’clock, she called the number again. A woman answered.

“Hello, my name is Missy Rowan. May I please speak to Mr. Bastion? It’s about his son and my son.”

 

[MadMax]

It was about 10:00 AM and Manny Bastion had just finished interviewing a young starlet for an upcoming advertising shoot for a lingerie company. The model had barely left when his phone rang. It was his secretary, Amanda..

"There is a call for you, Mr Bastion on line 1. Some Miss Rowan calling about your son and her brother. Sounds important to me or I would not have interrupted your meeting."

"Sure, no worries Amanda. My meeting just finished. I can talk."

Manny pressed the button and was instantly connected to the caller on the other side. He was dressed in his usual work outfit of a black suit, white shirt, light blue tie and black leather shoes.

"Hello there. This is Manny Bastion, may I know who is calling and the reason for your call?"

Manny was a handsome man, with deep brown eyes and short black hair. He was tall, standing at over six feet one and muscular, his frame strong and burly. He was divorced last year and won custody of his son, Tyrone, who was now turning into a problematic boy. Lack of a mother in his life and with Manny traveling often for work, Tyrone felt neglected and sought attention. Since his divorce, Manny had married a young actress, Sadie Elizabeth Bastion, née Sinclair. She was more of a trophy wife and busy with her acting and modeling career.

Tyrone was tall and strong for his age and had started bullying his classmates at school. There had been repeated complaints and no improvement in his behavior. There was one boy in particular who had been at the receiving end of Tyrone's bullying. Manny was sure this was another of those calls, a parent calling to complain about Tyrone bullying their son.

Manny did not like to get involved in these issues, hoping the kids would sort it out themselves. "Part of growing up and getting tough." This is what he usually said to kids who were on the receiving end of the bullying. In a way, he had some traits of a bully himself, possessing a dominating and assertive personality. The apple didn't fall far from the tree it seems.

 

[Jaclyn]

The admin asks her to hold and she will see if Mr. Bastion will take her call. She’s not optimistic yet young and hopeful. Many people are bad and she’s hoping fervently that Mr. Bastion isn’t one of them. The admin tells her to hold for Mr. Bastion, and she hears his voice. Strong voice, she thinks. Commanding.

“Good morning Mr. Bastion. My name is Melissa Rowan. My younger brother Billy—I’m his legal guardian—goes to school with your son Tyrone. Billy came home from school yesterday with his eye swollen shut and a bad bruise on his cheek and told me that Tyrone beat him up. I’d, uh, I’d like to work with you Mr. Bastion to see if we can keep these two apart. Billy’s life is rough enough without having to deal with fights and getting hurt. May we, um, meet, Mr. Bastion? Try to get our two boys to leave each other alone?”

There, she’d put it as neutral as she could. Not blaming either boy for the fight or whatever it was. Hopefully Mr. Bastion will hear the need to keep them apart as something other than bullying or worse.

 

[MadMax]

He had guessed correctly, it was unpleasant but had to be dealt with. The call was indeed one of the many he received every week regarding his son's bullying behavior. Usually the irate moms called, demanding to meet and put an end to the intimidation. This woman sounded young to his experienced ears. She was relatively calm and polite to a fault. He usually would explain on the phone, make promises to rein in his son and hang up. Meeting the parents usually escalated the matter and turned things unpleasant.

"Nice to meet you Ms Melissa Rowan. My name is Manny Bastion, but please feel free to call me Manny. I am so sorry for my son's behavior. Hope Billy is okay." He had repeated his name incase she missed the first time. There was no need to, she must have looked him up, to find the name of his company and the office phone number. He paused to catch a breath, to think what to say next. The earnestness in her young sounding voice had him intrigued. She said legal guardian, so it was not the Mother. It may not be a bad idea to meet and sort it out.

"Ms Rowan. I feel awful hearing that Tyrone beat up Billy and bruised his cheek. I am going to have a talk with him this evening and warn him to stay away from Billy." He decided to take up on her offer to meet up and figure this out together. It was Friday and Manny was looking forward to the weekend. He had a game of golf planned in the evening followed by drinks and dinner with friends. Tyrone would be home doing homework and then playing video games. But, he was curious about the woman on the other side of the phone.

"I would be open to meeting you, together we can figure out to deal with this situation. How about this evening, say 6:00 PM at my house? I will ask Amanda, my assistant, to text you my home address. Or you could give me your phone number and we can coordinate directly. If you are not free tonight, let me know what time would work for you."

 

[Jaclyn]

His voice reminds her of the good male teachers she had in school. Confident. Strength that didn’t need to be emphasized. Experience. Meet tonight, Friday. She had to work. But Billy … At his home. Manny’s home. She could ...

“Oh thank you so much, Mr. Bastion. Manny. Please um, please call me Missy. Um, 6 o’clock at your place sounds good. I’m, um, supposed to be at work at 6:30 but I’ll tell them I’ll probably be a little late tonight. Yes, this is a cell phone so I’ll look for your address. please.”

Should she hang up? No, wait for him to close the conversation. She’ll have to wear her work uniform, it was the pink tonight which meant her feet and calves would suffer too. She hoped his address was near a bus stop, hiring an Uber would be tough on their budget unless one of her driver friends could cut her some slack.

 

[MadMax]

She suddenly sounded flustered, probably not expecting he would agree to meet easily and so soon. Her calm voice turned unsure, the older man seemed to have this effect on women. His voice was deep and assertive, used to having his way.

"My evening is free, Missy, so 6:30PM works fine too. Do you have a car or shall I pick you up? I will text you my address on your phone. You can text me your pick up location, if you are comfortable with me picking you up."

They were meeting early in the evening, so will have to arrange for dinner. Or, if she agreed to be picked up, they could grab something to eat and chat. This meant, he would need to cancel his golf outing and decline his friend's invitation for drinks tonight. "Hope this is worth it." Manny mumbled under his breath, so it was not audible to Missy.

"Will you be bringing Billy? I think it would be good for the boys to meet too, and we can sort it out. But, I am fine if you just want the two of us to meet first and talk this through.

He would wait for her replies before hanging up.

 

[Jaclyn]

Oh, um ...

“No um Manny, I don’t have a car. If you’re close to a bus route I’d do that. Or take Uber if I had to. A ride would be nice. Earlier is better too. I normally work 6 pm until close on Fridays and Saturdays. Close can be as late as 3 in the morning if we have customers. Late night pizza and more beer, y’know.”

Bring Billy?

“Oh, no, Billy stays with his Aunt on weekends. I work a second job Saturday and Sunday mornings at Hot Brunch down on the corner by the grocery store. I barely have time to eat and sleep on weekends. But I can’t turn down 54 hours of work, right? I live at Jiffy Aire Apartments, so the corner of Main Street and the entrance to the complex. I’ll, uh, be wearing my pink weekend work uniform. Hope it’s not raining, my umbrella has a rip.”

Now why did she tell him about her umbrella? Hopefully the duct take will hold for a few more times.

“So what time should I expect you? I like to be prompt.”

 

[MadMax]

She needed a ride, which was not a problem. The apartment she mentioned was not too out of the way on his work commute.

"No worries, Missy. I can pick you up on my way home. Let's say 6:00 PM then, given you are free. That will give us more time to catch dinner and talk." He would wait for anything else she had to say before hanging up the phone.

She was not bringing Billy alone, so Tyrone can stay out of this for now. He would tell his son to continue with his normal routine of basketball practice in the evening, shower, dinner, homework and some TV or video games.

Missy had given him a glimpse into her life. She worked low wage jobs at a pizza place and Hot Brunch. So, either not well off, or for pocket money. Was she a student? The apartment she was living at was not particularly posh, so probably not wealthy. He on the other hand was the owner of a company and lived in a huge mansion on the hill.

Manny did not give this much thought, getting engrossed in his work. He was not sure why he offered dinner, there was no need, but a polite thing to do if meeting someone in the evening, particularly a woman who would be coming alone.

The clock stuck 6:00 PM and he was promptly in front of the Jiffy Aire Apartment, his eyes on the entrance door, waiting for her to emerge. He was driving a nice black Mercedes Convertible.

 

[Jaclyn]

6 o’clock. Now back to school. Two more classes and homework in between, then the bus home. Work wasn’t happy with her announced tardy but she was experienced and loyal in the tight job market so they said they’d do what they must but ‘please to not be too late you know how Friday can get Missy.’ Usual schedule to get ready for work except she didn’t need to make the 5:40 bus. At 5:40, she headed for the street, her heels clicking on the sidewalk. Normally she wore runner for the bus ride but today, her work pumps with ankle straps were needed to complete her look for Mr. Bastian. For Manny. Was she trying to impress him? No, just enough to get him to take her seriously trying to get Tyrone to leave Billy alone.

The skies were dark and she hoped the rain would hold off long enough to get in Manny’s car. The first drop hit as the bank clock in the next block turned to 6:00. She carefully opened her patched umbrella against the wind and it held thank goodness. ‘Please be prompt, Mr. Bastian!’

 

[MadMax]

Finally the wait was over and a young blonde emerged from the building entrance prompt at 6:00 PM. His eyes widened and he was in two minds, whether to wave and indicate his presence. They had not met before, so Manny did not know how she looked. Missy had not given him any clues on how to recognize her when they spoke on phone earlier. The girl was a little young to be Billy's legal guardian. The first droplets of rain had started to fall and he pulled the convertible top while driving closer to where Missy stood. He would take a chance and ask. It cannot be a coincidence that she had emerged from the Jiffy Aire Apartment exactly at the time they had discussed and all dressed up for the evening.

"Hello, you must be Missy. I am Manny Bastion. We were meeting here at 6."

He lowered the car windows and peeked out to introduce himself and confirm that she was indeed the right girl. His eyes checked her out. She was wearing some work uniform that was a tad sensual. The short baby pink dress ended at mid thigh, showing off her long smooth legs. Her ample cleavage peeked just above the top buttons of her dress top. The pumps with ankle straps completing the dressy look.

Manny would wait for her to confirm and then opened the door to help her into the passenger seat. Then, he put the car into gear, and drove off towards his home where they had planned to spend the evening and sort out the matter.

"I am glad we could meet to sort this out. Hope the wait was not too long."

He smiled to break the ice. She smelled nice, a feminine scent filled the insides of the car as he gave her a once-over.

"How are you related to Billy, if I may ask? You said legal guardian, but you look a little young for that."

 

[Jaclyn]

A car pulled up as raindrops spattered around her. The window rolled down and the voice introduced himself.

“Hi Mr. Bastion. I’m Missy Rowan.”

The door unlocked and she slid in, carefully closing the decrepit umbrella. She lifted up in the seat and smoothed her short skirt under her, and held her knees together. Lots of leg showing, no way to avoid it. She fastened her seatbelt as he rolled up the window. They rolled back out onto the main street.

“Nope, the wait wasn’t too long. I’m glad the rain held off. This old umbrella is on its last and I can’t afford a new one, or rather the ones I can afford don’t last one gust of wind.”

He asks the inevitable question, how is she Billy’s guardian.

“I’m his guardian as closest surviving relative over 18, that’s what social services said anyway. Our Aunt was our guardian until I turned 18 and then she dropped out because her boyfriend hates us. Billy still spends weekends there but doesn’t dare come out of the basement. Oh, Ma was murdered three years back workin’ late out at the Eaze Inn Motel out by the truck stop by the highway.”

She didn’t tell him she was workin’ in one of the rooms and the John didn’t feel like payin’ what he owed. Bastard. Cops never caught him either, if they even tried. She remembered the cop who told her and Billy at the apartment, ‘Your Mom was just a whore, shouldn’t expect any better.’ They were still heading out Main St.

“I work at Pizza Dive coming up on the right, Manny. We could go in there to talk and then you wouldn’t need to drop me off later. Not very busy yet.”

 

[MadMax]

"Nice to meet you in person, Missy. You look more beautiful than I was expecting, and young."

He quipped, certainly liking what was in front of him. Manny got a nice glimpse of her long smooth legs as Missy sat down, and her short dress rode up her thighs. She held her knees together, surely the girl was demure and ladylike.

He listened to Missy intently to frame a picture of her personality and her situation. The decrepit umbrella was on its last legs and she could not afford another one. Raised by her Aunt after her Mom was murdered, and Dad's whereabouts were unknown. She worked minimum wage jobs to pay herself through college, besides taking care of her brother. The blonde was certainly short of money and had taken up a big responsibility at a young age.

"Oh, so you are the big sister."

His admiration for her suddenly shot up. The young 19 year old blonde was also a guardian to her brother.

"Well, all I can say is, you have a rough life. On top of that, my son has caused further problems. I will do what I can to help through this."

The car turned the corner, and sped down Sunrise Boulevard that led straight to Notting Hill where he lived in a nice suburban gated neighborhood.

"Instead of going to the Pizza Dive, why don't we go to my house as we decided on the phone? Not sure if you want to be seen with an older man at your work location and have to explain later to your curious colleagues. Also, I have already asked my assisted to get some nice dinner delivered to my house this evening."

Manny would wait for Missy to decide. He was not keen on the Pizza Dive. He needed someplace more comfortable, cozy and quiet to talk to her privately. To connect with the young blonde. Maybe even probe her if she would be interested in a job at his company.

"My wife is out of town for a movie shoot, so you don't have to worry about somebody interrupting our conversation. Tyrone would be likely in his room, after basketball practice and dinner. I will drop you back to your apartment after we are done."

 

[Jaclyn]

Missy is confused.

“So Manny? Please, I need to work tonight. I wish I had an evening to chat with you, you seem a very nice person and all. But my life is work and school. We’re paycheck to paycheck. And if I don’t show at work, I’m fired. It’s how they are. And this is a good job as such things go, okay tips and all at least from the college kids who recognize their own. I handle more tables than the others too, I’m good at this.”

Oh and that.

“Manny, that place I live? Half the couples are mixed. Lots of single moms of all colors who are all taking care of our kids. The rest are old people who are already talking about me getting into your car and I don’t give a shit. Okay? But please Manny, I don’t have tonight off to hang out, okay? I can’t afford a night off and I can’t afford to be fired.”

 

[MadMax]

She was in two minds at his suggestion, so Manny turned the car towards the street that led to Pizza Dive. Probably another day if they get to meet again. Or later in the evening if she changed her mind.

"No worries, Missy. I thought we had discussed over the phone about meeting at my place and I had even arranged for dinner. But, we can absolutely go to Pizza Dive, if that is what you want and have limited time this evening."

Manny thought about asking if she would be interested in a job in his company. He was looking for an assistant who could take care of his meetings, arranging travel and other things. The blonde looked smart and hardworking. But, that can wait. She was here to talk about his son bullying her brother, and that had to be dealt with first.

They reached the Pizza Dive and Manny parked the car. Then, he stepped out, walked to the passenger side and opened the door for Missy, behaving like a perfect gentleman.

Inside the restaurant, Manny grabbed a table in the corner and ordered a pepperoni pizza and coke. He waited for Missy to get in her order and then settled in.

"So, tell me what you wanted to talk about Miss Rowan."

 

[Jaclyn]

He apparently finally understands her and turns the car around. The drive silently to Pizza Dive and park. She’s about to get out when she sees he’s coming to her car door to open it for her. The first time in her life anyone has done that for her.

“Thank you, Manny! That was nice.”

She walked toward the door to Pizza Dive and he held the door for her there too.

“Thank you, Manny.”

Inside, the counter staff and hostess all looked at her and the man with her.

“Number two booth please, Rachel. I hope to punch in soon but I have stuff I gotta take care of first.”

Rachel handed her two menus and she led Manny to the booth where she set the menus on the table and waited for him so they both slid in together. Brenda came over and Manny ordered a pizza and coke.

“I’ll have a Sprite please, Brenda. Thank you.”

And Manny asked his question. She folded her hands in front of her.

“I believe you’ve already resolved our question, Manny. You said you would do what you could to stop Billy getting hurt. All I can offer is if Billy says that Tyrone beat him up is that I’ll call you to say so. And I’ll try to learn more of the circumstances to see if I can help Billy avoid Tyrone. Billy sometimes gets mouthy and he has to learn to control that if he’s going to survive.”

Brenda delivered the sodas and gave Missy a long WTF look. Missy smiled and turned back to Manny.

“So I think we’re good for tonight, Manny. Shall we have your pizza boxed up for you to take home? I’ve told you a bunch about me and Billy, what’s up with you? I just know you have a well known business here in our small town but I don’t know what your business does.”

 

[MadMax]

Manny and Missy slid in together to settle into the booth, behind the table, sitting side by side. He was tempted to glance down to get a peek at her bare thighs, which was becoming a familiar sight every time she sat, and her dress rode up her hips. Rachel had handed them the Menu. Brenda took the order and brought them drinks. Missy seemed to know the girls at the Pizza Dive and was on a first name basis with them. They were giving her a curious look, surely would probe for the story later.

"Yes, Missy. I did say that I will make sure that Tyrone stops bullying your brother. If he hits Billy again, do give me a call and I will discipline him, ground him, whatever it takes to make him a civilized human being and not a savage."

Then, she abruptly ended their meeting.

"Oh, I did not know that you wanted a quick meet up. If I had known, I would not have canceled my planned golfing outing and dinner with friends. Anyways, it is okay, no need to box up the pizza. I will eat a quick slice and will be on my way."

He was disappointed with the evening getting cut short. If he wanted to meet again, he will have to force her to call him in future. So, let his son continue to bully her brother? Then, she asked about his business.

"Well, I own an advertising and media company. We make short films and promotion videos. We also do ad shoots for companies that they use to market their products. Think of actors, models, photographers, cameramen and voice artists."

She did not ask about his personal life, and he did not feel the need to share. Probably not the best time to talk about his trophy wife, who had replaced his ex wife who was also Tyrone's mother.

"Why do you ask? Are you looking for a job?"

 

[Jaclyn]

The bench in the booth had her between the outside wall and Manny. He’s let her slide first and had gone next to her. Her leg occasionally bumped his tweed trousers. She tried to avoid that, did not want to lead him on. He cancelled something to meet her?

“I’m sorry you had to cancel your golf Manny. I felt our boys were most important, but maybe they weren’t.. Relaxing after a hard week is important.”

As if she ever was able to take time off but he was sorta a customer so got sympathy. But a job?

“I’m always looking for my next job, Manny. I try to be a great waitress and I hope someday to find a job as an admin or clerk. I’m studying graphic arts and hope I can help with advertising art stuff. I do okay or so my teachers tell me. Associates in another year plus and hopefully I can work to an Arts degree..”

She felt a tension. Did he want to hire her or did he want to buy her attention? He was cute, she couldn't deny that to herself.

 

[MadMax]

She did not seem to care that he had cleared his evening for her. Manny had been clear on the phone that they were meeting at his house, not the Pizza Dive where she worked. It was no use rue over a spoiled evening. He quickly finished a slice of pizza and washed it down with a few sips of coke. He was ready to leave.

"Well, if you would be interested, why don't you come for an interview at my office tomorrow morning. Say, 9:00AM?"

It seemed she was interested. He did not want to sound desperate, lest she think he was trying to buy her attention. His offer did make sense for a number of reasons. First, she was young and cute. Second, he could use a hardworking assistant and she seemed smart and a thorough professional. Third, having her work for him may force Tyrone to change his ways. He would be less inclined to bully the brother if he knew that his dad liked Missy.

"Just give me a call if you would like to come over. You have my number."

Manny leaned in to give her a light hug and got up, saying good night and walked out the door of the restaurant. As he drove back to his house, he thought about the girl. She was beautiful and feisty. That is how he liked his women. He knew they will meet again. Either she will call for a job interview. Or, forced to call him next time Tyrone bullied Billy. He was going to win her over either ways.

 

[Jaclyn]

Something isn’t going right, she thought to herself. But couldn’t put her finger on it. His large presence right next to her felt different from other guys who had crushed her into a booth. This was a man, she reminded herself. Not a boy. And a well off one too. And he had gone out of his way for her and Billy. Lots of plusses with this guy. Only minus was he was maybe 15 years older than she was. He quickly ate one slice of his pizza. His hug was not unwelcome and she leaned into it just a little.

“I’ll see you Monday for sure, Manny. Maybe call Sunday after work if I’m not so tired I need 14 hours of sleep. Thank you!”

He left her with the bill for the pizza and coke. He probably forgot, she thought to herself. She got up and took the rest of the pizza to the back where the waitresses hung out, like they did with kitchen mistakes. And punched in and did her shift, helping close at 3:00 and catching a ride home from the assistant manager who closed. She napped and was up 5:15 to quickly dress and catch the 5:50 bus to be at Hot Brunch minutes after 6:00. She made coffee and was ready to pour for the first customers to roll in shortly thereafter, a couple of fishermen heading out onto a foggy pond somewhere. She drank her first cup and thought about Manny. His hug still felt nice. Her shift ended at 2:00 and she caught the bus back to her apartment. Nap and shower and another shift at Pizza Dive and another shift at Hot Brunch and at 2:30 Sunday afternoon she was so zinged on coffee that she decided to call and see if Manny might be interested in hanging out. She dialed.

“Hi Manny, it’s Missy. I’m free for the rest of the day if you want to get together and if you don’t mind that I’m caffeinated to the gills. If not, I’m still planning on coming by for that interview in the morning.”

 

[MadMax]

As he drove home, Manny realized that he did not pay for the dinner. He felt embarrassed. A wealthy older man making a young student pay for their dinner. He knew that she was working two jobs to pay through college. So, even a small amount would mean she would have to forgo something else in future. As soon as he reached home, Manny pulled his phone out, looked up her number and checked if she was on Venmo. Luckily she was, what young college student was not on Venmo these days. He sent $50 and under "What this is for?", wrote:

Sorry about that. I feel so bad not paying for our dinner date.

He called it a date on purpose to tease her with some playful words. She had not resisted his hug and even leaned in a little. Her young breasts had brushed against his rugged chest and it felt nice. Missy had taken up his offer to interview for a job. Which meant, he would see her on Monday morning. If he was lucky, she may even call him after work on Sunday. He was looking forward to it.

His weekend was fairly uneventful. After missing the golf and dinner invite of Friday evening, Manny took it easy through Saturday and Sunday morning. It felt good to sometimes do nothing and recharge. Though, it felt a little unsettling, given her was an active man and could get bored easily when not doing anything. Then his phone rang. He had a nice pool in the backyard and Manny was enjoying a nice swim. His Sunday afternoon ritual.

"That sounds amazing, Missy. I am glad you called. I have nothing planned for today, so if you want to get together, I would love that."

He wondered if she needed a ride.

"Being caffeinated is good. That means you won't feel sleepy anytime soon, that would give us plenty of time."

His lips curled in a mischievous smile which the young blonde could not see.

"Do you want me to pick you up?"

 

[Jaclyn]

Her phone beeps, a Venmo? Oh! He remembered and paid for the pizza plus a nice tip! She showed Brenda and they settled the tab with Pizza Dive and they’ll settle in cash as tips come in. IOUs are common.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

He asks about picking her up.

“Sure yeah please Manny. I’m pretty sure the bus doesn’t go by your place and Uber costs money. I’ll be ready in 15 and waiting where you found me Friday afternoon.”

She stripped and put on clean panties and a clean whit T-shirt and torn off jean shorts and runners. Not dressy but he hadn’t said what they were going to do so this was it. Tiny bit of makeup and lipstick. With her phone and wallet in her macramé purse, she headed for the street.

 

[MadMax]

"15 minutes? Sure, I would be glad too."

It was a little too soon, but he did not mind. The swim will have to wait. Manny quickly toweled himself dry, donned a pair of sky blue shorts, navy blue shirt and flip flops before driving off to Jiffy Aire Apartment. He met Melissa on the street and picked her up promptly, before driving back to his house.

"I like your outfit, perfect for outdoors on a Sunday afternoon."

He parked the car in the driveway and helped her out. Manny led Missy into his huge house. It was quiet, which meant his trophy wife was not home and Tyrone must be in his room upstairs. The hallway from the front entrance led into a large living room with wall mounted TV and plush leather couches. The living room was connected to the dining and kitchen area. French doors opened up into a barnyard porch and a private swimming pool. The floors in the house were paved with distressed wood and the texture felt nice against the feet. One wall of the kitchen was converted into a bar. The kitchen island lined up with barstools.

"What would you like to do? We have a few options. Settle on the couch and chat or watch TV. Enjoy a swim in the pool. Whatever you would prefer."

 

[Jaclyn]

Her eyes were big as she looked at the house as they drove up. She’d seen houses like this from the street but never been inside one. Some of her schoolmates lived in these houses but she was never invited. And now this good looking guy was inviting her inside. The carpet felt deep, not the shag or the hard carpet she was used to. The furniture was all unpatched and shiny, and leather! She ran her hand along the back of the big couch. She thought about Manny’s question.

“I didn’t think to bring my swimsuit. I’d love to swim but don’t have the stuff for that. Um, can we sit outside? I spend too much time inside.”

She noticed the bar. She didn’t drink, having seen what drinking did to the men around her mom and even to her mom on occasion. It looked impressive though! The stools like at a lunch counter except taller. Wow, just wow.

 

[MadMax]

"Outside sounds great. The weather is nice, and I have some chaise lounge chairs if we want to relax." Manny led Missy outside the house in the backyard and pulled a chaise lounge for them to sit side by side. The pool was not very large, but enough for a nice swim or just to relax in the shimmering blue water. High walls covered the backyard to offer privacy from the street or neighbors.

"I should have asked you to pack a swimsuit. You could borrow one from my wife, but she is not home. Skin dipping is always an option, if you are up to it." He smirked and took off his shirt to reveal his muscular hairy chest. Then he changed into his swim shorts before settling down.

"Would you like a drink? I was thinking of something light, like beer or some white wine?"

It was only mid-afternoon and they had the entire rest of the day. Manny was thinking of all the activities they could do.

 

[Jaclyn]

“I’ll remember my swimsuit if we do this again, Manny!”

She sat on the lounge chair and watched him take off his shirt. He was very fit! He asks what she’d like to drink.

“I don’t drink booze, Manny. I saw too much of what that did to my Dad and my Mom’s friends. So a soda would be fine. a Lemon-Lime something like Sprite or 7-up would be great.”

She watched him walk back inside. Then she took off her shoes and walked over to dip her toe in the pool. Water was nice! She sat down on the edge with her feet in the water and swirled it slightly. The only places she’s swam were the city pool when she was a kid taking free lessons during the summer.