SUMMER... and a whole new life (Part 33e)

As I stated in the Prologue, I got a ”promotion“ after working for AJ for around five weeks. It was early in July, somewhere around the 4th, when something I hated to do became somewhat of a pleasure. I had mentioned that one of my chores was to interact with the track photographer, a person who didn’t like me. AJ had won a couple of races and the owners wanted pictures. I went to the office to pick them up, expecting the usual ”grief“ from ”Red“ but found the office door locked and a sign posted that someone would be there at 5pm. One of the horses in my care was racing that night in the first race so there was no way to do it that night. I thought that if I saw ”Red“ in the paddock I’d ask why the change in office hours. But I didn’t see him. What I did see was a red headed girl with a camera and a nap sack walking through the area. I asked someone who she was and was told it was Red’s daughter. She was striking!. Not just from the long red hair but the fact that she was about 5’10” tall. I was far too busy to go over and ask about the change in hours but hoped that she would be in the office when I did get there.

Her name was Patricia but she demanded to be called “Pat”. I did make it the following night and was pleased, in more that one way, to find out she was replacing her father for the rest of the Summer. I found out she was going to be a Senior at McGill University in Toronto in the Fall and wanted to become, like her father, a professional photographer. Talking with her I couldn’t help but notice her freckles. As big as she was they actually “softened” her look. There weren’t many girls that I knew that were as tall and big as she was. She definitely wasn’t fat. “Solid” would be a much better description as I noted that her shoulders were wider than mine. She did have a “figure”, although dressed as she was (a loose fitting plaid sleeveless top and khaki pants) it didn’t jump out at you. In the first 10 minutes with her I’d talked more than I had with her father in more than a dozen separate visits. I left the office feeling that she and I would get along well.

The track was located in a valley and sometimes when the weather got really hot and humid it would get to be almost unbearable. Pat had changed the hours that her office was open because of that. They didn’t have air conditioning and the morning sun beat on the outside wall of the office. If she opened up at 5pm, the sun would be around to the other side and the temperature inside would be 5 to 10 degrees cooler. She also liked to sleep in in the morning so felt that it was more productive to do her developing duties after the races. It was a few weeks later when, again, I’d had a horse in an early race and couldn’t get to her office before my evening duties started. She told me that when that happened I should just come by after the races were over. By the time I finished up my chores that night the lights around the track had been off for a while. Being tired, I debated with myself as weather I should walk all the way up there (about 10 minutes) when it was so hot. I think the reason I did it was that I pretty much knew that with the heat I wouldn’t get much sleep anyway if I did try to go to bed.

I knocked on the door but no one answered. I tried the door and it was open. There was a small lamp on over in the corner and a lit sign beside the door to the dark room that read, in red, “DO NOT ENTER”. I’d been there enough to know that was where the film was developed and the only light was some sort of purple that didn’t affect the film. I was about to turn around and leave when the door opened. I know she wasn’t expecting anyone... for two reasons. The first was the scream she let out when she saw me. The second was the fact that she was standing there, half in and half out of the room, in only her bra and panties. She immediately retreated into the room but almost as quickly stuck her head out again. I’d like to be able to say that I got a real eyeful... but I didn’t. Her scream scared me almost as much as my visage scared her. I don’t remember who spoke first. Maybe we both spoke at the same time. In any case, she asked me to hand her her clothes which were lying on a chair. I’m laughing as I write this because I think my hands were shaking when I did.

She explained that with all the humidity that night that she was very wet from perspiration and without clothes and with a fan on on the dark room she was moderately comfortable. I think I just smiled. She gave me a tour and showed me what she was doing. Truthfully, it was very interesting. I even asked somewhat intelligent questions. At least they were enough for her to ask if I wanted to come back some night and watch the whole process. I knew I did but, with the uncertainess of my schedule, I didn’t know when.

To be continued...