FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... (Part 92f)

I was already familiar with the problem with that drawer having been in it just a few days earlier but she didn’t know that. I watched her try to get it open and saw that it was jammed. I stepped up and hit one side freeing it up and then let her continue. She explained that it would get jammed from side to side and was really annoying. She made another attempt and had another jam. I asked if I could try to get the drawer out and she stepped back indicating it was OK. In a way I couldn’t believe that she was going to let me see all her ”intimates“.

With a little ”jiggling“ I managed to get the drawer free and out. I knew everything that was in the drawer but I still had a a hard time keeping my eyes off them even with Jan standing right there. I set the drawer down on her bed and returned to the dresser. I knew nothing about furniture and how it was made but when I saw this wooden ”bar“ running from the front to the back I instinctively knew that it was  ”guide“ for the drawer. It was obviously worn and there were two grooves worn into the main cross bar. That led me back to the drawer itself. I lifted the front and took a peek at the underside. The problem was self evident. One of the two battens that were supposed to be attached to the bottom to make a channel for the ”guide“ was missing. I had Jan take a look and asked if, by chance, she’d seen anything like the one that was still partially attached. She immediately reached behind the dresser and like magic, the batten appeared.

I’d gone this far so decided I’d do the right thing and try to fix it while I was there. The room was so small that I couldn’t even think about working on the drawer in there so carried it out to the dining room. The area with the most open space was in front of the side board. I put it down and then tilted the drawer up to get a good look at the problem. When I did most of the contents slid out and onto the floor under the sideboard. I apologized to Jan but what could she say. With that damage done I stood the drawer up on its back and could clearly see what had to be done. I determined that if I could find some little nails and some glue I could repair it in a matter of minutes.

From my time living with my grandfather I knew he kept an ”odds and ends“ bucket in the pantry. I’d used his tack hammer a number of times in the past and hoped there would be some small nails in the bottom. My father insisted that there be some Duco Cement (glue) in the house at all times because, in his mind, he could fix anything with it (BTW: I still use the stuff!). It only took a few minutes to find what I needed and, with Jan looking on, I proceeded to attack the project. I had to turn the drawer completely over and when I did I apologized to Jan once again. I remember her just shrugging her shoulders.

As I projected, it only took about fifteen minutes. The only thing was that I didn’t want to do was to put the drawer back in place until the glue was dry. My grandfather called out to find out what the ”banging“ was all about and Jan went in to explain it to him. I dumped all the things I’d used back into the bucket and, still on my knees, saw the pile of bras, panties, slips and socks under the sideboard. I swept up as much as I could into my hands and put them up on the dining room table. I was in the process of gathering up the rest of the items when Jan walked back in. As I remember it she let out a little cry and I could clearly see she was upset. She wanted to know what I was doing. To me, it was obvious... I was picking her things up off the floor.

I immediately tried to explain that since I was the one who’d dumped out the contents of the drawer and was already on the floor it seemed like the right thing to do. I know she didn’t like it but didn’t say anything. Trying to defuse the situation I asked what seemed to be a simple and reasonable question... asking how she liked the Lollipop panties. Now she really was embarrassed. I’d already dug myself into a ”hole“ so decided to keep on going. It wasn’t exactly the truth but I told her that Elle liked them because they were so much softer than the ones she’d worn before and a little more comfortable. That got a little response from her and she half heartedly agreed that they were quite soft. What I really wanted to know was what had made her change from nylon panties to the cotton.

At this point I was probably a bit like Ali (from whom I'd purchased the Lollipop panties) when she was in her ”sell“ mode. I tried a different approach and told her that if she didn’t like them that I’d buy any that she hadn’t used back from her. That got her attention and she, enthusiastically, said that she really liked them and wanted to keep them all. Having ”broken through“ I, boldly, charged on. Making it up as I went on I told her that Elle had changed from nylon to cotton because she found they were warmer in Winter and actually cooler in Summer. Elle did really think that but it certainly wasn’t her reason for the switch. I continued on, telling her that I’d bought some fancy, frilly nylon panties for her to wear on special occasions. I told her that I thought all women should have some special lingerie and then pointed to the pile of things on the table and asked if she didn’t have a few for herself. That question really embarrassed her. She didn’t say a word and stood there looking down at the floor. At that point I didn't know if I’d gone too far.

To be continued...