CONTINUING... surprises & changes (Part 139j)

CONTINUING... surprises & changes (Part 139j)

I had a married friend who was always telling me that any time he did something that his wife didn’t like he’d get “Hot tongue and cold shoulder” as punishment. I’d had a few nights like that and I was anticipating one (or more) when I drove up the drive with my ‘new’ used car. Being near 6pm Elle was getting supper ready so hardly noticed my arrival so hadn't seen the car. But then I realized that being a woman and not into cars she wouldn’t really notice since both cars were black. So, I decided to keep  my mouth shut. It had been a day and a half since she’d last spoken to me and I wasn’t expecting a change that evening. When she spoke up right after I walked in it took me by surprise. She wasn’t mad or upset and, to my visual delight, was dressed in short shorts, something I rather liked. Because I’d walked in on the defensive I missed picking up on one of the ‘games’ she’d play when there was something she really wanted. It started out like a fencing match would begin... “En garde!”  We both started speaking at the same time. We both stopped and, again, started together. That brought a smile to each of our faces. So, I told her to go first and I stepped back and listened.

Long story short... Because Elle had spent so much time at the sailing club taking and picking up the two older girls for their sailing lessons during the Summer she’d become friendly with  some of the other mothers. In talking together they’d decided that it would be nice if they could have their own sailing lessons. One of the women in the group had been a fairly good racing skipper before having kids and she volunteered to give the other women lessons. The only problem was that they needed boats. Since the kids were using their family boats for their lessons they would have to get another boat. When Elle got to this point I could see her getting coy. I’d deciphered the message (and request) without her having to ask.  I only had a few seconds to completely re-position my approach to telling her about the car. I knew it was an opportunity to ‘escape’ if I did it well. Being able to think under pressure had usually been a positive trait of mine and I hoped it would come to the fore once again.

I opened with the news that we’d be getting the monies that I’d paid into my retirement account back after the first of the year so that purchasing another Sunfish was quite “doable”. I honestly think she jumped a little off the ground when she heard it. I let that news sink in a bit before telling her about the present I’d bought for her. I told her I had surprise out in the car that I knew she’d like. When I headed for the door to go get it I hadn’t expected her to follow me. When she did I thought I was in trouble.

When we got out to the car and she hadn’t said anything about it I knew I had a real chance to ‘escape’. I grabbed the package from the front seat and then quickly guided her back towards the house. By then the kids were clamoring for their supper so I tried to calm them down while watching for Elle’s reaction to the new clothes. Realistically, I knew the OK to get another boat was the primary thing but she really did like the clothing choices I’d made. She readily knew that the name “Villager“  on women’s clothing stood for quality and that fact was noticed right away. I remember one of her comment’s was that she was sorry that she’d have to wait until Fall to wear them. Seizing the opportunity I told her she had to try it on now, to make sure it was the right size. She looked at me with an unbelieving look and started to protest but, instead, smiled and promised that she’d do it after supper. I know I breathed a sigh of relief when she walked back into the kitchen.

When I went to change my clothes I made sure I had the camera ready for after we’d eaten. It seemed like it took a long time to make it through supper. The clean up, even with my help, dragged on forever. Elle sent the kids on out to the playhouse to give us some privacy. We’d been on the patio when I gave her the clothes and the box was still out on the picnic table. She wanted me to bring it inside but I told her she could do it outside. That brought a frown but only for a few seconds. She was unbuttoning her blouse as she stepped out onto the patio. As you already know, pictures could sometimes be a turn-off with her so I decided to wait until after she’d tried the clothes on. After stripping off her blouse she grabbed the new print blouse and slipped it on. It was obvious that she liked it as she made a few comments on some other clothes she had that it would go with. When she stepped out of her shorts was when my bulge started in earnest. I could see she was wearing two pair of panties. I immediately recognized the top pair as being Shadowline and probably one of the ones we’d traded for with Ginger when we made up her dribble panties. I knew the only way to tell who made the underneath pair was to see her bend over but I couldn’t ask her to do that without raising suspicion. The cord pants were next and the size was right on the money. Snug across the rear but not tight... perfect for VPL’s. The jacket was last and she really looked like a model as she stood there. Naturally, she had to go inside to see herself in a full length mirror.

When she returned she had taken the jacket off as it was way too warm for anything like that. She wanted to give me a hug so I stood up and we hugged and kissed for a few seconds before my hand slipped between her legs. She wiggled herself away but with an impish grin. As she stepped out of the pants I sat down on the bench and proceeded to pull her over to my lap. Once there my hand, again, went between her legs. Then I heard her say something along the lines of ”Well, I guess you earned it...“ We sat motionless for a few second before I felt the wet warmness on my fingers. It wasn’t a lot but it sure felt good when I rubbed the nylon satin of her panties. The whole time I was doing this she was looking out at the kids, afraid they’d make a mad dash back to the house for something. I think she stayed on my lap for maybe two minutes and then got up and unbuttoned the blouse. While she was doing that I reached under the bench and pulled out the camera. As soon as she saw it she shook her head and repeated ”No! No! No!“. At that point I knew she wasn’t going to pose for me and that my only hope to capture the moment was for a candid. The Polaroid camera didn’t handle motion very well but I was willing to try for a couple anyway.

VanRaalte underneath and Shadowline on top...

To be continued... 

 

CONTINUING... surprises and changes (Part 139i)

CONTINUING... surprises & changes (Part 139i)

The name of the restaurant was Traveler’s Rest. Over the years I’d driven past it hundreds of times but had never been inside. As I approached it I was surprised to see cars parked along the road. Technically, parking was not allowed in that area but it hadn’t been a problem so wasn’t really enforced by the police. I decided to take a chance and joined all the others. Walking up to the door I saw Cliffy, my racing friend, leaving with two large pizzas. I hadn’t seen him since the night “BigB” sold his race car. We chatted for a few minutes before he suggested that I join him and his pit crew at the shop telling me there was plenty to go around.

I knew Phil as he was, like Cliffy, a classmate of Elle’s in high school. I’d seen Alan and Joe at the track but at first didn’t recognize the little guy. It took a minute when I realized it was Buster, the kid that had lived right across the road from the gas station that I’d worked at as a teen and where my first race car was garaged. He spent most of his waking hours hanging around the race car and it appeared that he was still doing the same. Cliffy had decided to change race tracks and was now racing further to the West. I noticed that the number on the car had changed as well. They tried pressuring me to join them at the races on Saturday night but I, knowing things weren’t good at home, declined saying I’d get there one of these nights. Before I left I asked Cliffy what I should ask for my ‘55 Chevy. After he and the others looked at it he suggested asking $325 and hoping to get $275. By the time I left it was almost 11pm. That, definitely was not good.

All the lights were out when I arrived home. Even when I was working on “Big B’s” race car and wasn’t getting home until after midnight there were always lights on the patio and in the kitchen. I made my way up the stairs and, once in bed, found Elle way over on her side. At least I had my own bed to sleep in. When she got up to use the bathroom I didn’t make any effort to speak to her. When her alarm went off at 7am I decided to take my clothes downstairs and to get dressed there. Without any breakfast I headed for work as there was plenty to do. The first thing was I had to write up the minutes from the Board meeting. Because it had been unlike any that I’d been a part of I wasn’t sure how to go about it as the others had been simple and straightforward.

By the time Joanie showed up I had a rough draft done. It certainly was easier to do it without interruptions. When I saw Joanie she had, again, done her hair differently. I wondered if it wasn’t Laura’s influence. She’d chosen to wear her khaki pencil skirt. I liked it because there was the possibility of a VPL. I’d only seen her wear it the day she’d come down to work with Trish and hadn’t really gotten a chance to look her over closely. I didn’t have to wait long for my chance. I was standing in front of her desk and slid the draft of the minutes onto it just as the front doors opened. A blast of air swept a page off and onto the floor. Without hesitation she bent over to pick it up. Voila... a perfect VPL including the crotch line. It wasn’t very big which, to me, was an indication that the panties were what I called ‘common’ meaning that they weren’t branded like a VanRaalte or Vanity Fair panty. But that didn’t make any difference. I was happy to have just that. However, wearing a pencil skirt (to just above the knees) meant little to no chance of a peek. I could only hope that her new clothes would bear fruit in the coming days.

After Joanie typed the draft of the minutes I decided to take them up to have Bert (the president) look them over. I talked with Lena, his secretary, first and she said she’d let me know when he was free. While she was on the phone she commented on how nice Joanie looked with her new clothes and the change in her hair. I was smiling as I listened to her. Then I remembered that she was the one who’d been with her to help her pick the clothes out and complimented her.  I still remember her exact words... “Our little project...” .

When I got back from lunch there were two messages for me. One was from Bert (the president) telling me to come up to his office at 2pm and the other was from someone named Jeremy. That one puzzled me. I was hesitant at first to call but I did anyway. It turned out that it was the kid who worked for James at his service garage who wanted to buy my old car. When I told him how much money I wanted all I heard was silence. I was the first to speak and then he asked if that was a firm price. I’d thought about the price range Cliffy had given me and decided that if I could get $300 it would be perfect. So, I asked what he was prepared to pay. Again, silence. Finally he said he could pay me $250 now and would I let him pay the other money off over time. In hearing those word I was reminded that now Joanie would be paying me back over time as Laura was. I got the feeling that I was becoming like the bank... loaning out money. The difference was that the bank charged interest and I didn’t.

I didn’t waste much time before saying that I’d do it. I told him I’d be up sometime after 5pm to sign the car over to him. I had all the paperwork for both cars and after clearing it with Bret decided to go over to the County Center and get the license plates changed after the doors closed at 3pm. What it all meant was that now I’d have to tell Elle about the new car that night because that was what I’d be driving. WHEW!

Bert (the president) looked over what I’d written up for the minutes and made a few changes. I did appreciate his comment that I’d done a good job with them. When I left his office Lena stopped me to tell me that Joanie had spoken to her about paying the money back and was worried about it. I told her that I’d speak to Joanie the next day.

Going to the MVA (motor vehicle administration) was always a horror. There was a smudge on the vehicle identification number for the new car and they couldn’t find their records for it. Luckily I’d made some friends in the department when I worked for the County and asked to see one of them. I was led to a small office and told to wait inside. From there I got a good look at people waiting to have their numbers called to be waited on. In the front row was a women who was busy talking with another seated in the row behind her. The one in the front row had turned sideways and in so doing had left one leg facing out and the other right up against the bench. The view was incredible. It was probably one of the best upskirt crotch peeks I’d had because her legs were at an almost 90 degree angle. I was disappointed when my friend walked in and I had to give up this beautiful view. (BTW: my friend solved the problem and I got my new plates.)

To be continued...  

Time out for Santa...

Time out for Santa...

For the first time in over 25 years we’ll be in our own bed on Christmas eve. For all of those years we would travel to our kids homes. Never once did they come to our house using the excuse that their kids needed to spend Christmas at their own homes. Now the grandkids are grown and have Christmas plans of their own. So, we decided to stay put and enjoy a quiet, travel free holiday. But... surprise! One daughter decided to come visit us and we’re really pleased. She arrives this afternoon so we’ll be busy throughout the weekend. That leads me to offer you, the readers of this tome, all the best wishes for a Happy Holiday. Hopefully all, or at least some of you, will be with some members of your family and you’ll be able to share warm and loving time with them.

To set the mood I’ve chosen a few pictures that fit the season... :-)

From a Christmas in the past. Enjoy...

CONTINUING... surprises & changes (Part 139h)

CONTINUING... surprises & changes (Part 139h)

It was almost 3:30pm before the door finally opened. When it did a few of the Trustees came out to use the rest room so the meeting didn’t get started right away. To save time the reading of the minutes was bypassed as were the details of the July financial report. Normally, the mortgage submissions were the last item on the agenda but after a motion, duly passed, they were moved up. J J came in and presented the items and, even though I’d only attended a handful of these meetings, I was puzzled by how quickly they were approved. I think even J J was taken aback by how rapidly they moved through the list.

By the time the agenda item titled ”Old Business“ came up the meeting was less than twenty minutes old. The first item was to be a final report on the gift campaign. However, one Trustee made a motion to table it and it was seconded. There were a few other reports that were also tabled. Finally, the Chairman of the Board announced that Gee, the trustee/attorney, would be presenting the salary committee’s final proposal concerning changes to the bank’s employee retirement plan. That was the item I was primed for both on a personal level as well as to provide specific facts if needed. Before Gee made his proposal ”Polak Joe’ stood up and demanded to know why the bank was taking on such an obligation (returning all the monies paid into the retirement system) for no obvious benefit to the bank as a whole. Gee ruled him out of order and reminded him that under the sanctions that the Board had placed him he had no voice or vote on any matter brought before the members. Joe continued to stand and to challenge a few of the members directly to give a reason why this should be done. Gee, now getting a little upset, told him to sit down or be asked to leave. With that a member stood up and told him to “Shut up!”. At first I thought there was going to be a fist fight.

Joe sat down and order was restored. The proposal was made and before any discussion could take place one member made a motion to accept it and another seconded the motion. It was after that when the discussion took place. I learned one thing by that maneuver... get the motion made and seconded before opening the topic to discussion. Once a motion was made and seconded, regardless of how the discussion tended to go, it had to be acted upon... and it was. In spite of some negative comments made by a few members, the motion passed seven to four. As I said I had all kinds of information had I been asked as well as one personal piece... the amount of my check if I was to receive it at the end of the month. It was over $1,100. I think I took about three deep breaths after the vote.

However, the naysayers still had some fight in them and they put forth another motion to delay payment until after the first of the year. They won that one by a six to five margin. My happiness became quickly tempered. I’d come up with the perfect presentation for Elle concerning the purchase of the car but it was predicated on getting my hands on the money around the end of the month. Now it was ‘back to the drawing board’.

With that item out of the way it was on to new business... and the answer to my question of what had been transpiring all day up in the Board room. Bert, (the president) had received a call from the State banking department that the branch application had been given tentative approval. As soon as the chairman of the branch committee heard he called the members together to review the architects renderings for what the branch would look like. They had spent the morning trying to decide which one looked the best. I sat there wondering why it had been such a secret when everybody knew they were waiting for approval. It was just another item for me to add to my ever growing list of things that the Trustees did that didn’t make sense (at least to me).

Of course, the whole Board wanted to see which design the committee had chosen so they got the rendering out and spread it on the table. It didn’t take long for some of the men who weren’t on that committee to ask to see the other drawings and that led to more wrangling. Finally, the Chairman of the Board announced that it was approaching 6pm. That was when one of the Trustees who’d wanted to see the other drawings made a motion to call a special meeting in order to let all the Trustees see all of the drawings and then to have all of the members vote on which one would be chosen. It took a little time before that motion was passed and by the time I let the last Board member out the back door it was after 6:30pm.

I went back to my desk to clear it off and was sitting there thinking about some of the idiots who were in charge of overseeing the fortunes of the bank. These men were supposed to be leaders in the business community. I was sitting there shaking my head when Ward, the man who owned the company that cleaned the bank each night, walked up. That told me it was definitely time to go home... not that I wanted to face Elle and tell her about the car.

Pulling in the driveway I took a couple of deep breaths. As I approached the top I saw the station wagon was gone. Approaching the screen door to the kitchen I saw a piece of paper taped to it. Aurelia was having a pool party for her kids and their friends.. and my two older girls were among them. That was something I really didn’t understand... why have a pool with all that work and expense when you had two perfectly good, clean bodies of water to swim in at no cost. But, to the kids it was something different and exciting. Inside I hoped to find something to eat but the counter top was bare and there was nothing in the refrigerator that looked like it was ready to warm up. While changing out of my suit I had an idea. One of the guys who had gone to school with Elle had recently gotten out of the service. He and his father had purchased a small restaurant and decided to offer pizzas as a specialty. I felt like pizza!

Normally I would use the downstairs toilet but I realized that it had been since 2pm or so since I’d last gone so walked down the hall. There was no reason to look in the tub but for some reason I did... and there was a pair of Elle’s shorts and a couple of panties lying there on the bottom, obviously wet. I looked at them longingly, wondering how long it would take for me to get back in her good graces and to be able to have some ‘wet fun’ again with her.

To be continued...     

CONTINUING... surprises & changes (Part 139g)

CONTINUING... surprises and changes (Part 139g)

Joanie’s house was but a few minutes from James’ service station. I hadn’t transferred the registration or plates on the ‘new’ car and wanted to tell him I’d try and do it on Thursday. When I pulled in I figured I might as well get gas. James wasn’t there and the young man who came out to wait on me (remember... this is the 60’s when you did get service at a gas station) was new to me. He knew who I was as he mentioned my ‘new’ car saying it was really nice. I appreciated the comment and wasn’t expecting what followed when he asked what I was going to do with the the ‘55 that I was driving. With everything that had been going on in the past week I really hadn’t given any thought to it. He anxiously awaited my answer but I didn’t have one. He gave himself away when he blurted out that he wanted to buy it. That was a nice surprise but I didn’t have any idea what to ask. I can’t explain why I’d not given any thought to selling but I hadn’t. I finally told him I’d get back to him. He was disappointed but before he got to the office he turned, called back to me to please not sell it before talking to him. That was something else to think about on the way home but it was a good thing.

Even though I had the new clothes for Elle I decided to wait. I needed more time to figure out how to tell/explain about the ‘new’ car. The one thing I remember was that between the upcoming Board meeting, Joanie’s situation and the car I didn’t get much sleep. I was in early to work the next day so that I could find out how Joanie had made out with her father. If she was wearing one of the new outfits it would be a good sign. But, before she arrived I saw one of the Trustees walking across the lobby and he was quickly followed by two others. That was one of the frustrations of being a junior officer... not knowing what was going on around me. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Joanie wearing the dress she'd picked out. Her hair was still down but the bangs were back. Even with that she looked more mature than she’d been before. I waited until Laura showed up to speak to Joanie and when I did I asked how her father had taken to the new clothes. She made a face but didn’t say anything. I called Laura over and the three of us retreated over to Hobie’s desk area.

In a perfect world I would’ve been able to talk with Laura before that meeting. The long and short of it was that Laura was very supportive of Joanie’s changes and confirmed everything I’d told Joanie about the arrangement Trish and I had with her. There was one surprise though. Laura asked if Joanie would be interested in some suggestions concerning her hair. She’d been learning how to be a hair dresser and told Joanie that she had some ideas that she might try. I ended up being nothing more than a spectator as the two chatted until I saw a customer over by the gate.

Bret had commented on the ‘new’ Joanie the day before but when I returned to my desk he was waiting for me with another. He had a big smile on his face. When I asked what was so funny he said that he was really enjoying the ‘new’ Joanie. I smiled in return. It was at least an hour later before I found out what it was that had him smiling. I was talking with Liz, the Auditor, just in front of his desk. I happened to look over at Joanie as she was rolling her chair to the side to get to the low file cabinet. As she did she spread her legs to get the chair to move sideways and it was quite a view. The contrast of the gray material of the dress and the white of her panties was unmistakable. Thankfully she was concentrating on getting to the file and the contents and didn’t see me looking at her. It was the first time I’d had more than the one VPL when she first came downstairs to work with Trish. I will tell you that at that point I was jealous of Bret.

As much as I wanted to follow Joanie’s movements I had to get the final preparations for the Board meeting completed. I’d noticed a few more of the Board members arrive during the morning and at lunch there were about a half dozen leaving together. I debated with myself about giving a call upstairs to J J to see if he had any idea why the Trustees had been in so early on a Board meeting day. I knew he was still upset about Hobie and I ‘borrowing’ Joanie and wasn’t sure he’d be receptive to my inquiry. After a few minutes I decided it was worth the effort... but it wasn’t as he told me that he’d seen them come in, talk with Bert (the president) and then go into the Board room. He told me he’d even made a cursory pass by the door only to find it shut, something that only happened when there was a meeting. Since I’d been working with Lena on the ‘Joanie project’ and she’d been receptive to my asking for her help I decided to give her a call to see if she’d shed some light on the situation. If she did know anything she wasn’t willing to share it with me but closed the conversation by asking me what I thought of Joanie’s new dress. Of course I said it was great but  the answer wasn’t about the look of it but the fact that I’d gotten an upskirt while she was wearing it.

When the president and Board members returned as a group they again retired to the Board room. Normally for a Board meeting I, as the acting Secretary, would place an agenda at each member’s place along with a full copy of the previous meeting’s minutes at the end of the table nearest the door. That way any member who wanted to see the detail of them could peruse it prior to the start of the meeting. When I went up to do that the door was still closed. As I waited more of the other Trustees arrived and walked on in. I wasn’t sure what to do so I asked one to have Bert come to the door. When he did and saw me he seemed surprised and told me to wait for another few minutes. This secrecy was driving me crazy. What was going on in there?

To be continued... 

CONTINUING... surprises & chnages (Part139f)

CONTINUING... surprises & changes (Part 139f)

When we reached the foot of the stairway I reached out and tapped her shoulder. I startled her but quickly said I wanted to go take a quick look at the clothes the manager had told me about earlier. She didn’t protest and followed me up the stairs. The main floor was laid out into three basic areas. The Junior sized female clothes were  on the right as you reached the top with the  women’s misses sized clothes on the left. The mens clothes were all the way in the back. I was familiar with the Villager products and knew they were in the misses section so I turned left. It was obvious where the new display was going as there were numerous boxes piled up in the aisle. We walked back to where they were and upon first viewing I liked what I saw. There was a rust colored corderoy pants suit along with a print blouse Upon closer look the print appeared to be of autumn leaves. My mind went into overdrive at that point. I still had to tell Elle about the new car and there was nothing for her. I knew that a few items of clothing wouldn’t offset a car but at least it was something just for her. I quickly looked at the price tags. As I said, I was familiar with the Villager name and knew they were quality goods... and a bit pricey. The total for the three items was over $40. Even with that I decided to buy them.

After picking out the sizes I needed for Elle I turned to Joanie who was patiently standing there and asked if she and Lena had taken a peek at any clothes in the junior section. She smiled and pointed to the blouse she was wearing. Then I prodded her a bit and asked if she’d seen anything that she really liked. I could tell from the look on her face that she had. I asked her to show me but she didn’t want to. Asking why, she said it was too expensive. I won’t say I demanded to see it but she, reluctantly, walked over to pull a plaid jumper off a rack. Not unexpectedly, she was embarrassed as she held it up in front of her. When I told her to go try it on she stood there with this look of shock on her face. I waved her towards the dressing area but she just stood there. I walked up to her, put my hands on her shoulders and turned her around.

When she walked out I wasn’t impressed. Not yet fully developed on her top side, she did have a nice figure but it was hidden. It was obvious that it was too big. I asked if she knew what size it was and she indicated that she hadn’t looked. I went up and looked down the back for the tag... size 11. Even though Elle didn’t have much in way of junior sized clothes I did know enough that she was either a size nine or possibly a size 7. I then went over to the rack and pulled out a size 7 and handed it to her. By then she really didn’t want to continue but I made a face and asked her ”Please?“

What a difference! She now had a figure. The outfit was perfect for her even though the hem was a bit higher than the new skirt she’d been wearing. I guided her to a full length mirror on a pillar that was nearby. Still noticeably uncomfortable, I did detect a bit of a smile when she turned around. I still had the size 9 in my hands and quickly looked at he price... about $25. It was wool and when I looked closely I could see it was fully lined. It definitely wasn’t something she’d be wearing for a few months but, like the outfit I’d just bought for it was a Fall offering. When she took if off and returned I asked if I could ask her a really personal question. She just stood there in sort of a a panic. Finally she nodded an OK. I asked when was the last time she’d bought or received any clothes that she really wanted. She sort of wrinkled up her brow and said she didn’t know. I prodded her a bit throwing in some hints like birthdays and Christmas. I clearly remember her shaking her head from side to side. I can honestly say that I felt sorry for her so I said that the jumper was hers. Then she blurted out a loud ”NO!“ along with something about the price.

When I went to pay for the things I’d chosen for Elle, the jumper was included. When I was doing it she was as animated as I’d ever seen her (not that I’d seen all that much). When we got to the car, with her on the passenger side, she wanted to know why I was doing this for her. It wasn’t a question I was prepared for so told her the truth... that I saw a lot of potential in her and wanted her to have a good chance for succeeding. It was obvious to me that there was some doubt in her mind. That doubt was what triggered me to tell her about what Trish and I’d done for Laura in loaning her the money to get work appropriate clothes. That got her attention. I told her that I’d bring Laura over the next morning to tell her about it herself. That news seemed to ease her mind a bit but not all the way. It was when we got to her street that she asked me to stop the car and that she wanted to walk the rest of the way. She was back to being uneasy again and I mentioned it. She let out a sigh and said she wasn’t sure her father would approve her choices, especially the shortness of the skirts. I do remember laughing at that. I had to tell her how Laura had overcome that same situation by bringing her clothes to work and changing there. I was sure she didn’t believe that part so, with a big smile, I said ”Just you wait until we talk with Laura!“ and then added a ”Good luck“ as she got out of the car.    

To be continued...

CONTINUING... surprises & changes (Part 138e)

CONTINUING... surprises & changes (Part 139e)

To be truthful, I did a double take. It wasn’t the clothes that caused me to do it but it was the fact that her hair was down and and not in the pony tail that I'd become accustomed to seeing. Her bangs were swept aside giving her face an entirely new look. After staring at if for a few seconds my eyes caught the rest of the new look. She was wearing what I’d call was a moderately fancy light blue blouse along with a deep blue pleated skirt that was about two to three inches above her knees. Unfortunately, the total effect was muddied by the fact she was wearing penny loafers. But... she was definitely ‘in style’ and looked more mature. It was definitely progress.

Standing there at the gate right behind her was Lena. I caught her eye and nodded in an affirmative way. She got the message and then turned towards the elevator. Looking back at Joanie I got the definite impression that she wasn’t totally convinced that she liked her new look so I went up to her and told her she was on ”the right track“. That embarrassed her and she looked down at the floor. Then, almost immediately, she looked back up at me, pointed at her shoes and said something like ‘except for those’. I smiled and she did too. By then Cara had come over to comment in a positive way. Bret also chimed in which only served to embarrass her more.

As other employees passed by her desk that afternoon there were more positive comments. I was hoping that they’d serve to make her more comfortable but I couldn't tell. After the doors were closed to the public I had her come over to my desk and told her I’d give her a ride home and that on the way we’d stop and pick up the rest of her choices. I used that as an opening to ask just what else she’d picked out. I could tell she was uncomfortable so just said that she could show me later.

I spent the rest of the day preparing for the full Board of Trustees meeting that was to be held the following day. I’d gotten the final agenda for it from Bert (the president) and Joanie typed it up... twelve times. It actually annoyed me because the bank was still using a wet copy machine and most of the copies weren’t legible. So, to make the Trustees happy, it had be typed 12 times. She hadn’t quite finished when 5pm came so she volunteered to stay until they were done. That worked for me because it pretty much eliminated the possibility of questions being raised why she was in my car.

We pulled up to the back of the department store and entered the lower level. Krazy Korner was to the left as we entered and I asked if she and Lena had stopped there. She, now very bubbly, stated that everything she’d picked out except the blouse she had on had come from there. That, to me, was good news. The customer service window was up in the front of the building right behind the stairs to the main floor. There were two aisles around the staircase. The one to the right was right through the lingerie department. I started in that direction but she went the other way. I thought it funny but didn’t say anything. She gave the clerk her name and in a matter of seconds she was back with Joanie’s clothes.

Right on top was what appeared to be a plain gray cotton skirt. The price tag was right there for me to see. $4.99 was written across it but I could still see the original printed price under it... $9.49. Not quite 50 % but still a really good price. The clerk took it off and started folding it exposing the next item, a beige skirt that, as she did, appeared to be a wrap around type. I couldn’t see the price on it but if it had come from the Krazy Korner I knew it would be a good one. A white blouse was next followed by a light gray dress with what looked like white vertical stripes. As the clerk wrote out the ticket the store manager, who I knew from the Chamber of Commerce, came out of his office. Seeing me he asked if I’d seen the new clothes for Fall. I said I hadn’t and when I did he told me to go upstairs to check out the new Villager line of clothes the store had taken on. He added that they were just setting up the display and the signs probably weren’t up yet but, to introduce them they were offering them for 20% off. l thanked him and he walked on by. The clerk had handed the sales ticket to Joanie so I reached over and took it from her. The total was just under $36. That was when I asked about the clothes she was wearing. She smiled and said that Lena had paid for them. I signed the ticket and then started walking in the direction of the lingerie department.

I made the turn from under the stairs before realizing that Joanie wasn't with me. Turning around I saw she was at least five or six steps behind me. I immediately picked up on the fact that she really didn’t want to be seen in that department with a man. I thought it was funny. When I had approached the area I saw a rack with nothing but half slips hanging on it. There were probably a dozen and they were displayed with the shortest to the left going to the longest on the right. It triggered the thought of just what was Joanie wearing for a slip under her new skirt as the dress she’d worn to work was knee length. I stopped and waited for her but she had stopped also. So, I turned and walked back to her asking what was wrong. I remember her standing there slowly shaking her head from side to side. Then I asked if she and Lena had purchased a slip when they’d been there earlier and at that point I could see her cheeks were flushed. I had to ask that question again to get her to answer and it was that they hadn’t. I told her, and I remember being rather firm about it, that she needed to have a slip that went with her new clothes. She said she didn’t. Then I asked why not and she just stood there with her still rosy red cheeks. So, I reached out and grabbed her hand to pull her into the lingerie area. Reluctantly, she followed but only for a few steps. Meekly, she said she’d go pick one out but not if I was with her. Reluctantly, I agreed and walked back to the service desk. I watched as she went to the rack of slips and took a few off and held each one against her skirt to check the length. When she was satisfied, she walked back to where I was standing and I pointed towards the service desk. The clerk bagged it up and wrote out the sales slip. After signing it and we headed for the stairs only this time she led the way and it was through the infants section and not the lingerie area.
     
To be continued...

CONTINUING... sorprises and changes (Part 139d)

CONTINUING... surprises & changes (Part 139d)

It was about 4:30pm when Joanie told me that she was needed upstairs. I was hoping that it was Lena that had called. She returned just before 5pm and when she did she gave me a funny look. That didn’t make me feel all that good and I immediately thought that I’d gone too far. She was gathering her things up to leave when I decided to approach her on the clothing subject. As soon as I opened my mouth I could see her cheeks flush. At that point I decided to push on and asked if Lena had spoken to her. At first she didn’t answer and was looking down at the open drawer in the desk. Concerned, my next words were to apologize to her and that got her to look up. When she did she blurted out a ”Thank you... but...“ I apologized again and this time she said that she knew I was trying to help her but that her father would never let her do it. I didn’t see Lena walk up so when she spoke it surprised me.

I don’t know how to describe my reaction when she told Joanie that she would like the opportunity to speak to her father. What was really a shock was that she told Joanie that she as willing to loan her the money to buy some appropriate clothes for work. I started to say something but Lena indicated for me to keep quiet. Lena then offered to drive Joanie home. I was taken right out of the equation. It didn’t really matter to me because my whole intent was to help Joanie and if this was the way then I was all for it.

If it was apparent that I would be home by 6pm I would usually stop at the post office to get the mail. In our small town there were two places you could catch up on the latest rumors... the post office and the hardware store. I’d known the post master since I was a little boy and as I grew up I considered him to be a friend in spite of the age difference. On this night he was just about to lock the doors when I approached so he called out to me to hurry on up. Once inside I headed to my box but as I did he started talking to me asking if I’d ”heard the latest“. With him, the ”latest“ could be on any number of subjects so the safest answer was to say ”No“ and let him tell me what was the hot topic. In this case it was about the school, school board and all the changes that were coming. He was still at the door when I got there and for the next ten minutes I got an ear full.

According to him the big news was that the school board was going to have an open meeting for the public on Thursday night. That was fact. The rest of what I heard was rumor and conjecture but the gist of it was that there were to be some major changes on how the school was to be run... and that it was going to cost a lot of money which, in turn, would mean our property taxes would be going up... not good news.

As soon as I got home I asked if Elle had heard anything about an upcoming open school board meeting. She seemed surprised at the question and said she hadn’t. I asked if she’d seen Ginger, Phyl or Nanci (from the ”Group“) recently and she, again, nodded her head in a negative way. Before I headed upstairs to change my clothes I picked up the phone to call Bob, Phyl’s husband and a board member. We’d become really good friends due to his involvement at the sailing club so I felt that I had an ‘in’ with him and could get some definitive answers. Not so. He said that he wished he could but that they would all be answered at the open meeting on Thursday. I told him of the rumors and his answer was something along the lines of ”Well, it is a small town“.

After hanging up Elle told me that some lady from the bank had called and left a message ”that the situation at the bank had been resolved“.  I was first puzzled by who the lady might’ve been and then by what ”situation” she was referring to. Of course, Elle wanted to know as well. I wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t know. I was eating my dinner when it came to me. It had to have been Lena that called and the ”situation“ was Joanie. Now, the question was just how was it resolved.

I was a bit apprehensive on the way to work and concerned that Joanie might be upset and that it might reflect on her performance that day. I was pleased to see her walk in with Lena. I ‘played dumb’ and didn’t say anything about the situation from the previous afternoon hoping that Joanie would say something. But it was a call from Lena that put it all together for me.

When she'd spoken to Joanie’s father he said he wouldn’t allow her to borrow money for clothes. Lena said he was highly indignant that anyone would think that he couldn’t provide for his family. But Lena said she almost had to plead with him that that wasn’t her intent and that it was for Joanie’s well being at work. She said she finally got him to relent and that she, Lena, would also help Joanie pick out appropriate clothes. At that point she told me she was willing to put $20 towards the project and that the two of them were going shopping during their lunch break. I thanked her and told her that I’d been thinking about a budget of $50. She said she’d do her best. I then told her to take the clothes they chose to the customer service desk and that I’d stop after work to pay for the. After hanging up I leaned back and gave a sigh of relief.

I watched the two of them leave at noon time and, naturally, wondered what they'd end up with. Before they left I managed to suggest to Lena that they start their shopping at the 'Krazy Korner' at the new department store and she acknowledged that it was probably a good idea. Bret was just returning from his lunch break when Joanie reappeared. The look on his face was one of shock. I hadn't yet seen her so when she made the turn thru the gate I understood why.

To be continued... 

CONTINUING... surprises & changes (Part 139c)

CONTINUING... surprises & changes (Part 139c)

We had a nice visit but my mother elicited a promise that Elle would bring all the kids over soon. I really didn’t have a choice. It wasn’t that Elle was avoiding going there but the Summer had been so busy it was hard to find the time. When we got home I brought the subject up and it was obvious that Elle wasn’t pleased. But, after thinking about it for a minute or two decided that the next day, Sunday, would work for her. She’d been going to the sailing club while I raced and liked interacting with the other ladies but with Summer almost over there would be even less time once the kids were back in school.

Sunday morning, as I’d been doing all Summer, I got up and headed for church. It had been church policy that at least two members of the vestry attend the 8am service to act as ushers and to pass the offering plate to the parishioners at the proper time. I tried to be a little early to get the weekly hand out ready and the offering plates in their proper place. I’d go into the office to get them and on this morning two of the ladies auxiliary were blocking the door. They were there to brew the coffee for the ‘meet and greet’ that was held in the undercroft (basement) after the service. They were upset about something and the minister was trying to calm them down. Seeing me he asked if I could help them out. One, very vocal, demanded to know what was going on down in the undercroft. I couldn’t give her an answer so headed down the stairs. I was still in the kitchen area when I could see the cause of their concern... at least ten cardboard boxes piled on, under and around the tables. As soon as I saw toys it came back to me about my new neighbor and her day care program. If the women weren’t there I would’ve cursed. Even though this wasn’t the exact problem that I had envisioned when I warned the members of the vestry about what dealing with the woman would be like. However, it was just another example of how her mind worked... no one else mattered but her.

I told the two ladies that I’d clear some space so that they could put out their goodies and coffee. By the time I finished the church service was under way. I did get upstairs to help hand out the offering plates and to guide the people who wanted to partake of the coffee down the stairs. However, I also got to ask the minister why he’d allowed the things to be just dumped all over the place. His answer... ”She told me she’d be back to put it away...“ I wanted to scream.

I’d calmed down by the time I got home. Approaching the garage I could see clothes on the wash line. I remember thinking that they better be ours or I was going to go tear them all off and throw them out into the farm field. I headed right into the house. Elle still wasn’t dressed, which if I wasn’t so upset would’ve been a good thing. I asked if the wash was hers and she said it was but wanted to know why I wanted to know. Of course I expressed my distaste of the neighbor... which didn’t make Elle happy. She turned and walked away leaving me to fix my own breakfast.

I have no record or memory of how the racing went that day. When I got home I found a note that she and the kids were eating at her mother’s house that night. There was no suggestion for me to join them so I was alone... and hungry... and really mad... at the lady next door.

Monday morning I was out of the house by 8am. I wanted to be at the bank when Joanie arrived just to make sure she understood what her priorities were and that she wasn’t too nervous. When I saw her walking across the lobby I was a bit taken aback. She looked just like a high school girl. She was wearing a print dress that was more appropriate for a girl of about 14. Because she worked upstairs and I’d had little to no contact with her and I didn’t know what she regularly wore to work. On Friday she’d worn a khaki skirt that came to her knees. It was fairly tight around her hips and I liked the look. Elle didn’t have anything like it and I didn’t know what to call it (I subsequently found out it’s called a ‘pencil skirt’).

I wanted to talk to her about it but pretty much knew that if I did she probably wouldn’t take it the right way. I watched her start to settle in at Trish’s desk and walked up to tell her not to worry, that Bret and I would be there to help her out. Standing there I could see the egg shaped stain on Trish’s chair from Friday night. I’d forgotten about it so asked if she wanted me to get something to put over it. She looked at the spot, let out a nervous laugh and then said something that really surprised me. She said that it wasn’t necessary because she might add to it by the end of the day. I know I blinked a few times after hearing that... but didn’t say anything. Before I walked away I asked her who of the people who worked upstairs she had the most contact with. She didn’t hesitate at all before saying that it was Lena, the president’s secretary.

What I had in mind was to have someone who she knew and was comfortable with to possibly speak to her about appropriate clothing for the workplace, especially when dealing with the public. Lena was perfect. In her late thirties, she was truly the fashion icon for the bank. She was always impeccably dressed and certainly ‘in fashion’. She was not afraid to wear the shorter hem line styles in spite of her age. There were only a few female employees who wore skirts more than an inch or two above their knees and she was one of them. As soon as I could I headed upstairs to talk with her.

I explained my dilemma and she readily agreed with my assessment about Joanie and her clothes. In her job upstairs she didn’t deal with the public and often worked in the back office. What I ended up doing was telling her about how Trish and I had spoken with Laura and offered to help her transition from clothes for school and clothes for work. At first I wasn’t comfortable in telling her that Trish and I had loaned Laura the money but, of all the regular employees she was probably the most trustworthy. I asked that she speak to Joanie and suggest that the two of them go take a look at some clothes that were both work appropriate as well as in style. I warned her that Joanie would protest about not being able to afford any clothes and told her about her family situation. I told her when it got to that point to get me involved. I could see she wasn’t convinced that it was a good idea but did agree that she would speak to Joanie.

To be continued...      

CONTINUING... surprises & changes (Part 139b)

CONTINUING... surprises and changes (Part 139b)

As it turned out the visiting girls were a blessing. Elle was totally focused on making lunch for them and setting them up to eat out on the screened in porch. The only recognition I got was a request for me to mow the lawn around the playhouse while they were eating so that I wouldn’t disturb them later. It couldn’t have worked out any better. Even though I was hungry (I hadn’t eaten before I left to go move my new car) I was actually smiling as I headed for the garage and the lawn mower. The only negative was that I’d be mowing in the heat of the day as I was usually finished by 10am. Even though Elle had specified the area she wanted me to address I figured I had time to do the whole back yard and that way would be in position to get a good look at what was hanging on the wash lines. I started on the East side along the back property line. That allowed me to make a number of passes that would get me even closer. As I remember it I made four passes before I had to address the grass underneath the hanging clothes. I stopped the mower and got down on my haunches pretending to adjust the motor. What I was doing was assessing just what was hanging right above me.

I’d noticed something a little strange when looking at the sheets. The one closest to the driveway was definitely for a full sized bed but the was only one sheet. There were also two pillow cases on the one line along with the five pastel panties that I'd seen when I drove up the driveway. The next line back had but one single bed sheet and it had a flowery. There was also one matching pillow case hanging next to it and then at least ten pair of band leg cotton panties with some sort of print on them. Their smaller size told me they had to belong to the two pre-teen girls. Then there was a pale pink single bed sheet and pillow case and this is where it started to get interesting. There was a mix of nylon and band leg cotton panties that filled the rest of the line. I know I counted them but don’t remember how many of each. But the last line, right above me, held my interest the most. There was a yellow sheet and pillow case and then at least eight pair of white band leg panties... and the staining in the crotch was similar to the way Elle’s heavy cotton panties that she wore to bed in looked.

I made a quick trip to the garage to get the gas can. It was really to just make sure Elle was occupied and that no one from next door was headed in my direction. Elle was no where to be seen and the yard between the garage and house was empty. I hurried back to the mower and immediately grabbed a pair of the stained panties off the line. The label read the same as the first pair I’d seen and inspected right after the family moved in... Lollipop, size 14... and with the double panel across the whole back. Standing there holding them I glanced at the cotton panties on the line in front of them and they looked the same with one exception... they didn’t seem to be stained nearly as much. I reached up to feel the back on them and they also had the extra panel. I was totally perplexed. I stood there for almost a minute before hanging the pair I had in my hand back up. By then I knew I had to get going on the lawn because the kids would soon be out to the playhouse.

The double panel held my attention most of the time it took me to finish the lawn. Then the staining in the crotch area took my focus and the possibilities from that. I’d only seen the second oldest daughter that one afternoon a week earlier and I remembered that she was short, like her parents but very ‘bubbly’ and full of life. Could she be incontinent, like Elle?

It was into the early afternoon when I finished the lawn. There were things I could do around the yard but I saw that Anne, our middle daughter, was moping about. She hadn’t been allowed by her sister to join in with her and her friends. Elle was trying to cheer her up but she wasn’t accepting of the effort. As I said, I really didn’t want to get started on another project so came up to where they were and asked if she wanted to go sailing. I honestly think that there wasn’t anything that she would rather do. Her sailing instructors had told Elle that she, in spite of being the youngest in the class, was actually the best pupil. So, it didn’t take much persuasion for her to say “yes’ to the offer.

Even though there were no formal activities at the club on Saturdays, there was always a crowd there. I had no trouble getting help to launch our Sunfish and as soon as the sail was up Anne had her hand on the tiller to steer it. I hadn’t sailed with her since the beginning of Summer so was mildly surprised at how much she understood the nuances of wind and how to adjust for it. I asked where she wanted to go and she suggested that we sail down the bay to my parents house. Since we’d become active again at the sailing club we hadn’t made many visits to see my parents. My mother had a special bond with Anne and she thought it would be fun to surprise her.

With very few suggestions (corrections) from me we made a quick trip to the beach in front of my parents house. My mother was in her chaise up on the lawn on the shady side of the house. She was really glad to see us and, as always, had fresh lemonade in the refrigerator. As I stood looking out at the water waiting for her to return I thought back on what a wonderful time I’d had growing up there. I got to wondering just what had happened to all the kids I’d palled around with. If I was thirty then they would be around the same age so I wondered how many kids they had and if they ever got to come back. I was looking down the beach towards the East and trying to remember the names of the kids that lived in each of the houses. When I got to the house where Bobbi, the girl who had crewed with me when I first returned from racing the horses, I remembered that her aunt ran a children’s clothing store where I first saw the Lollipop panties being sold. I hadn’t been there in quite a while but it was located just down the street from where the service bureau that was going to be doing the bank’s account processing was located. I knew I’d be going there in September for training and when I did that I could stop in and maybe find out about the mysterious back panel in the panties I’d seen on the clothes line earlier. I was glad that Anne had decided to visit her grandmother.

To be continued... 

CONTINUING... surprises & changes (Part 139a)

CONTINUING... surprises & changes (Part 139a)

I spent more time with James and Peggy than I’d intended to. James gave me a ride downtown to get my old car. He had to go and jump start a car in the municipal parking lot. For him to go past the bank was out of his way so I told him I could walk from where the distressed car was parked. It was directly behind the newest department store. Although I could’ve made my way back to the bank parking lot quicker without going inside I chose the long way. The store had recently expanded and now was using the whole basement for retail. One of the departments down there was the one for lingerie. Never one to miss a chance to see the newest things, I made my way inside.

I was greeted with a big banner that hung just inside the vestibule. It read “Krazy Korner” with a big red arrow pointing to the left. There were racks with clothes, both men’s and women’s along with bins of children’s clothes an miscellaneous items. A quick glance told me that it was the remnants of the Spring and Summer style clothes. Even though I was running way behind (I still had to make a run to the town landfill as well as cut the lawn) I made a turn to the left. I was hoping I’d find some panties in with the miscellaneous items. No such luck. But, I did see something flowered in the pile and reached for it. It was nylon and when I pulled it free it was a skirted bathing suit only there was no bottom for it. I checked the label and saw it was a size 10, Elle’s size at the time. I started rooting through all the other things in the bin hoping to find the missing piece. Elle already had one like it but it was showing it’s age and this really looked nice. I finally gave up and was about to put the suit back when I heard my name called. I looked up and it was the manager. I’d met him through the Chamber of Commerce right after the store opened. He asked what I was looking for and I held the suit up and said that the panties that went with it were missing. He laughed and said that was probably why they were in there in the first place. I honestly don’t know why I asked but I wanted to know what the price on it was. He said to just go ahead and take it and he reached under the nearest counter and handed me a bag.

Driving home I had three things to muddle over. First was to come up with where I’d been. I left before Elle and gotten up. Second was how and when to tell Elle about the car. I knew I’d mix in the refund money for the retirement fund but, again, timing would be crucial. And third, the bathing suit without a bottom. The last was the least of my worries because I’d been able to persuade Elle to wear the suit that she had that was like it without the matching bottoms when we were alone and felt I’d be able to do it again. I had put in for the first real vacation time since I’d joined the bank. Up to then I’d taken random days when I needed to. But, Elle had figured that Labor day week would be a good time for us to have time without the kids. Two of them would be back in school and Kaye, the youngest, could spend a day or two with Elle’s mother. I had in mind to borrow Big B’s sailboat, weather permitting and this new suit would come in handy.

Pulling up the driveway I saw clothes on our wash line. What was strange was that there were five or six pastel panties at the end of the line closest to the driveway. Elle didn’t own but a few pink and blue ones and unless I set them out for her to wear they didn’t get worn.  By the time I stopped the car I realized that they as well as all the other things hanging there belonged to the neighbor. I thought that I’d clearly stated to the older daughter, before I left, that our clothesline wasn’t to be used by them. A bit ‘steamed’, I forgot about my three concerns and went looking for Elle.

I found her doing her usual Saturday morning cleaning chores and, more or less, surprised her as she was cleaning the shower and hadn’t heard me drive up. I didn’t give her a chance to speak, demanding to know why the neighbors clothes were on the line. Clearly taken aback, she sort of stammered while trying to answer. I kept up my attack reiterating what I’d told the daughter before I left. She finally got a word in by saying that she didn’t know that I’d spoken to the girl. I took a deep breath and then let her continue. Both the mother and girl had come over after she was up and about and Elle said they were as nice as could be. Hearing that, I already knew Elle was against saying anything negative to them so just made a face. I stated that I thought the woman was taking advantage of us along with everybody else she came across and walked back outside to collect the garbage. At least I didn't have to explain where I was

While piling it into the station wagon I got a chance to look at the wash lines and from where I was standing could see there were more panties than just the group of pastels I’d already seen. I thought about not going to the landfill and just starting to mow the lawn. That way I’d have an excuse to be out and about their laundry. My thought process being that they chose to hang it out there on my lawn mowing day. However, looking at all the trash I’d loaded into the wagon I knew I better take care of it hoping that their wash would still be there when I returned.

The landfill was a strange place. I always seemed to run into someone I knew. On this day it was the president of the commercial bank just up the street from where I worked. Ray was easily ten years older that I was but he had a daughter in the same grade and class as my oldest, Jean. I saw her sitting in the car while we chatted. He pointed to her and asked if I could do him a big favor. I said sure and hoped it wasn’t something that would disrupt my afternoon. It was really simple... take his daughter to my house where she’d been invited for the afternoon. It was news to me but of course I said “OK”.

Judy was different. She was almost as tall as her father and yet she was only around eight years old. I remember Jean’s class picture form the previous year and she was, by far, the tallest in the class. There was something else about her... it was like she didn’t really have a chin. Those things notwithstanding, she was willing to talk with me on the trip home, something that most kids her age wouldn’t do with someone they didn’t know all that well. I found out that there were two other girls from their class that would be there. At first I was thinking, “Why didn’t I know about this?” Then it all came back... the situation with the bikini panties the night before and then leaving before Elle got up. I asked if they had anything planned and she smiled and said “No.”

To be continued... 

MORE... surprises and changes (Part 138n)

MORE... surprises and changes (Part 138n)

There was a lot going through my mind on the trip home that night not the least of which was how to explain the car. As I walked up to the kitchen door I decided to wait to tell her until I could asses what kind of mood she was in. Being that it was around 7pm I knew the kids had been fed but sometimes Elle would wait for me to eat. I was hoping that was so. Usually, the first thing I’d do after walking in was to go to the end of the kitchen counter and peruse the mail. Approaching it I saw a bunch of bikini panties spread out there. I looked for Elle but there was no one in the room. I can tell you that I had turned a shade of cooked lobster red after seeing them.

When I returned from my visit to the city when I purchased the bikinis I’d planned to put them with all the other new panties I’d been collecting. Standing there looking at them I remembered that I was tired that evening so just stuffed them, still in the bag, behind my shoes in the clothes closet. Then I promptly forgot about them. WHEW! Elle had heard the car come up the drive and had been waiting for me to see them before appearing. She walked in with a sneer on her face and her arms across her chest in somewhat the same manner that Mala had done just a little earlier. She didn’t say a word. I pretty much knew the drill... she would wait for me to speak first. I think I shrugged my shoulders and said something inane like ”They’re bikinis...“ and waited for her. ”For who? Your girlfriend?“ I know I frowned at that and responded ”For you!“  As I remember it she spit out a ”HA!“ and then, knowingly, stated that she didn’t wear bikinis plus they were a size 4. That last bit of information surprised me because I knew she wore size 5. I reached for a pair and there. plain as day, was the tag with size 4 printed right on it. I stood there remembering the table that they were on. There had been rows of them, in each size, and I was sure I’d taken the size 5’s. Standing there holding the panties I knew I’d screwed up, big time.

Without taking you through the rest of the discussion the end result was that she believed me. The fact that they were nylon satin and that I’d briefly hinted at having her try bikinis earlier in the Spring gave her pause and she backed off on her ‘attack’. It ended up being a ‘chilly’ night even though the temperature was in the 80’s.

Discretion being the better part of valor I decided against telling her about my purchase. I’d come up with the idea of mentioning it when I told her about the refund of the retirement money but wanted it to be under better circumstances. I still needed to borrow the dealer plates so I could move the car from the bank parking lot. I grabbed a bite to eat (a peanut butter and honey sandwich) and headed out towards the garage. I was halfway there when I heard a voice from the side yard. I turned and saw it was the oldest daughter, Mo, of our new neighbors. She was carrying a wash basket loaded to the brim with clothes. She said a cheery ”good morning“ as she caught up to me. I know I was frowning when I asked where she was going. Still bright and cheerful she announced that she was going to hang out the wash. I stopped and I don’t remember just what it was that I said but it was abrupt enough to make her stop in her tracks. I asked if she asked my wife if she could use it knowing that Elle usually did the sheets and towels on Saturday. She looked surprised at my question and after a few seconds told me her mother had told her to go do it. I know what I wanted to say but quickly realized that she (Mo) was only the messenger so kept my response somewhat civil. I told her to go tell her mother that if she wanted to use our clothes line that she would have to clear it with my wife. The girl just shrugged her shoulders and headed back for the opening in the hedge.

I can honestly remember standing there at the end of the path shaking my head. The woman (the principal’s wife) was unbelievable. No one mattered but her. Standing there I thought about Sabrina and how I thought she was a PITA (pain in the ass) but I’d take a dozen Sabrinas to just one of this woman. I debated as to weather to go warn Elle but decided against it. She was the one who wouldn’t let me go tell the woman off when I'd wanted to so I figured it was now her problem.

I stopped at the Chevy dealership to see Henry. the GM to see if I could borrow the dealer plates. He had no problem with it. I thanked him for the info on the pricing of the car the night before and he said he didn’t know anything about it as he stood there smiling. I took the opportunity to ask about how the delivery of the new car went and he just shook his head. He made some sort of disparaging comment about the transaction and having to deal with Mala’s husband but did say the sale, thankfully, went through.

When I got to the bank it was the first time I had actually sat in the car. It was a clean as on the day it was delivered. There was only 30 something thousand miles on. When I started it up and the motor just purred. Lifting the hood, the engine looked like it had just been installed and the tires looked fairly new (not like the ones on my old car). I felt pretty good about it. I’d come up with the idea of asking James if I could leave it at his service station for a few days until I got the registration changed so headed on up to his place. I had continued to frequent his place for gas but hadn’t seen him in quite a while. Pulling in I spied his daughter, Peggy, pushing a baby carriage through the front door. As soon as I saw her I felt badly because I hadn’t followed up on how she was doing. However, I did notice that she’d lost some of the weight she’d gained during her pregnancy. I also noticed that she was wearing short shorts and as she bent over a bit to give a gentle push to the carriage up over the sill I saw a little snippet of white from both leg openings. It brought back memories of the last Summer Elle and I lived in the mobile home. In a way it was sad seeing her. She was still a teen (19) but was already a widow with a very young baby. She looked much older than that but a lot of it had to do with the extra weight. When I'd walked into the office and she saw me I was embarrassed but she seemed genuinely glad to see me. It was obvious that she was in a much better frame of mind than the last time I'd seen her. When she smiled she was still a pretty girl.

To be continued...
 

MORE... surprises and changes (Part 138m)

MORE... surprises and changes (Part 138m)

As I’d previously written, Gina was the teller that was to be on vacation for the upcoming week. Actually, she wasn’t eligible for vacation time (employees had to pass their one year anniversary first) but had accrued some sick days. She wasn’t going ‘on vacation’ but was going to be staying with her daughter in the hospital. She’d been born with a congenital heart condition and this was the third operation for her. Because of the situation caused by Bret letting it be known that Lorie was to become the chief clerk, Gina felt betrayed and blamed me. The best way to describe our relationship after that was ‘strained’. However, when I found out about the upcoming operation I went to Hobie to see if the bank could make a bit of an exception for her and it was approved. I let Bret be the one to tell her and I stayed in the background. But, being a parent and truly concerned I decided to take the initiative and to have a talk with her before she left for the night and for the week.

After she’d proved up, when I tried to get to her she was on her way out to pay a bill. She promised to return and she did, right after Trish had left out. The two of us went to the back work area where I’d waited for Trish to make her exit since there was no one there. I told her how much I was concerned about her and her daughter and, more or less, pleaded with her to forget about what had happened with the chief clerk position. I wanted her to know that I really cared about her as a person and that if there was anything, money included, that she needed, to let me know. As I looked at her I could see she was holding back tears. I patted her arm and told her to get going. The last thing I needed at that time was an emotional woman on my hands.

By then it was close to 5:30pm and I wasn’t about to start in on a project, especially being a Friday night. All I wanted to do was get home to tell Elle about the ‘windfall’ we were about to receive with the return of the dollars I’d paid into the bank’s retirement system. I had just sat down to clear my desk when I saw Mala headed in my direction from the back door. I hadn’t seen her leave but then again many of the employees would leave by using the back stairs which weren't visable to me. She never hesitated when she got to the gate and blasted right on through. She hadn’t reached my desk when I heard her blurt out ”Eight hundred dollars!“ I could see she was agitated and, it hadn’t been all that long since her mother, also agitated, had left Cara’s window. I had no idea what the dollar figure meant and just stared at her. She could see I was confused and then blurted out ”For the car! You asked me about it last week!“ I remember taking a deep breath as I tried to put it all together. Finally I asked if her husband was willing to sell it to me and explained that the last I’d heard from him was that he wouldn’t sell it to me if I was the last person on earth. For whatever reason hearing that that made her more upset as she crossed her arms across her chest. Then she asked if I wanted it or not.

I sat there trying to put all the pieces together and after a minute or so told her that not only was this the first I’d heard that I could buy it but it was also the first time I’d heard a price. I told her that was what I’d wanted from her husband when he called but he’d blown me off. I told her that I had to think about it for a bit and also had to call my wife. She backed away and had a resigned look on her face as she did. I asked her to wait in the lobby while I called. She turned and headed for the benches on far wall of the lobby.

I had no intention of calling Elle. I knew the General manager of the local Chevrolet dealer as he was a steady customer at the bank. I knew that Mala’s husband was a die hard Chevy man and wouldn’t buy any other kind of car so that the new car that Mala’s mother had referenced was a Chevy. I hoped that in making a deal that he'd tried to negotiate a trade-in and that if he did I’d use my friendship with the GM to find out what they’d offered. Henry (the GM) was a really good guy... a straight shooter... and told me they’d offered approximately $600 as a trade-in. Then I asked what he’d put it out on the lot for. He hesitated a bit and said that they’d probably ask $850 but would take $800. Before we hung up Henry said he was to turn over the new car to Mala’s husband that evening. That was nice to know. I thanked him, hung up but pretended to stay on the line. I needed the time to rationalize my purchase of the car.

My car was a ‘55 Chevy and was really starting to show it’s age. The 55’s would rust out over the headlights and to fix that was pain. I was going to have to get tires before Winter so that was the (economic) basis. The other part (subjective) was that one of the guys that worked up at my friend James’ service station knew Mala’s husband and joked about how much he loved the car. I’d never looked at the mileage but everything on and about the car was pristine. In fact, Bret told me that until he married Mala, the car hardly ever was out in the rain. Then... there was the performance factor. The 1962’s were the first of the new higher powered 327 cubic inch V8 engines and this one had a 4 barrel carbuerator and a special 4 speed transmission. I wanted it.

When I put the receiver back in the cradle I went to Cara’s window, filled out a withdrawal slip for $700 and got seven $100 bills. The whole time I was doing this Mala was watching. With the money in hand I called her over. I waved it in front of her and told her I’d pay $700 and not a penny more and made sure she saw all seven of the bills. She never said a word. After staring at me and at the money she headed for the back door. By then I pretty much knew her husband was outside but, because he was such a jerk, he wouldn’t come in because he'd be embarrassed by talking to me after what had been said the previous Friday. Sure enough, Mala was back in less than five minutes, shaking her head and saying $750. I turned to Cara and told her to redeposit the money back into my account. Mala just stood there but after a few seconds sort of shouted out ”Wait!“ and headed for the back door once again. By then it was almost 6pm. We’d had very little lobby traffic so Mala and I’d been putting on a ‘show’ for the other tellers and Joanie.

I wasn’t surprised when Mala came back with a look of relief on her face. She said he’d take the $700. But, that was when I said I wanted him to write out a bill of sale with the car’s serial and motor numbers, and sign it over to me before I’d give him (or Mala) the money. By then she was really upset. While this negotiation was going on Cara had volunteered that Mala’s mother had probably gotten on him so bad about not paying cash for the new car that he’d backed down. Since Mala, her husband and baby lived with her mother, it made sense.

It was at about 6:20pm that I became the official owner of the car. Since they’d taken the plates off it the car had to stay in the bank parking lot. I knew I could borrow a set of dealer’s plates from Henry but there was no way I was going to do it that night. With Mala and her husband headed there when they left I didn't want to get close. It would have to be on Saturday which actually worked out better as it’d give me time to break the news to Elle.

To be continued...