Peg spent the day running errands and carting kids around. She became accustomed to the rhythm of her week and didn't mind not having to commute to an office daily, but she sometimes missed the way she felt when her mind was busy solving business problems. Peg got a job in marketing out of college and had worked her way into a creative role at bank, not exactly the sexiest of employers but the pay was good and the work was steady. Peg helped put Chad, her husband, through law school with that work and once their first was born, Chad was more established which enabled her to reduce her hours eventually opting to stay home full-time after their second child arrived. Today Peg volunteered at the children's school in the morning and managed to get a workout in before lunch.
She liked to stay fit. Peg had a beautiful body. She was curvaceous, her round backside was plump but firm and her breasts were an ample D. She was about 5' 7" and had beautiful long legs. For someone in her late-thirties, it was hard to imagine she had birthed any children. Her belly had softened slightly but was still very much a beauty. She wasn't above having some help to maintain her appearance, but she was also blessed with uncommonly youthful genes. Once when she was 29, she was alone for the day, which at that time was a rarity, she purchased some cigarettes and had gotten carded at the grocery store. She wasn't much of a smoker. It was never a vice that consumed her but when she was drinking or feeling particularly naughty, she liked to enjoy a cigarette, usually with girlfriends. She was surprised and flattered that at 29 and a mother, she was still passing for someone in their late teens. She hadn't aged much since. Her baby face hollowed slightly but her face was still youthful looking without many fine lines that usually start to develop at this age. She had long auburn hair and beautiful green eyes. Her skin was soft, and unblemished. She had a smattering of freckles from having spent a lot of time in the sun as a kid but for the most part her skin was creamy. Peg wasn't the type to obsess about her looks. She was a chubby kid with buck teeth that had grown out of it but for whatever reason, she always felt somewhat dorky and because she wasn't naturally extroverted like her husband, felt self-conscious about initiating conversations.
Men found her attractive, but she rarely noticed. She had been with Chad since high school. He was self-assured and always seemed to know what he wanted and since she lacked confidence, let him take the lead. She was content with that for a long time. A couple times in college, she had a fling with someone else but eventually she and Chad would find themselves back to the familiarity that had developed between them. Given her chaotic childhood, she craved his steadiness. As they got older, she began to see Chad's confident façade fade, which belied some deep insecurities. He was often distant and sullen, overworking much of the time so that he could make partner at the firm. She chalked that up to the stress of work but parenting two small children kept her busy and drained most of the time, as well. After some years, they connected less and less physically and while neither of them had much to fight about, they also didn't have much to talk about either. The only time Chad really seemed to perk up was when he was trying to make a good impression, although Chad seemed to not be able to tell when he overshot his mark and veered into overbearing territory. His work environment was quite competitive, and he seemed not to be able to shut that off outside of work. It was an effective if not a convenient partnership, but often Peg would find herself wondering if there wasn't more to life than having financial success. Then she met Ray.
Ray was tall and handsome. He had a darker complexion and deep brown eyes. Ray seemed naturally self-assured although he wasn't extremely talkative, was comfortable shooting the breeze with the neighbors. He moved in about 5 years prior and started meeting the neighbors the first summer during the national night out. Usually, they blocked off the neighborhood and everyone gathered to share food and drinks. Ray brought a cooler of beers, which most folks appreciated. He wasn't going to cook anything, and it seemed like a great way to win folks over. Peg and Chad introduced themselves, but Peg didn't really say much. It wasn't until Ray saw Peg struggling with her lawn mower, that they actually chatted.
Peg normally liked to mow their lawn. It was one way to keep in shape. She usually had a nanny come a few days a week in the summer to give herself some time to run personal errands and she'd usually use that time to also work on her garden, something she enjoyed immensely. On one day a few summers back, her lawn mower wouldn't start. Ray lived only two doors down and he too was getting ready to mow his lawn. He watched her struggle for a bit and thought he should go check to see if she needed help, but he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. It was only after Peg seemed to really lose it and he could see kick the mower a few times that he got the nerve to call over and ask her if there was anything he could do, at which point Peg exclaimed with an unusual use of expletives, "This fucking machine is going to make me nuts. I am ready to throw the god-damned thing over my fence." This made Ray chuckle. He didn't expect to hear salty language coming from such a pretty face. He walked over and said, I'd be happy to look at it if you want. Ray was handy but small motors weren't exactly his forte. Still, he had a modicum of knowledge and could at least rule out anything that required repair. After looking at the mower, he noticed that the locking mechanism that prevented the blade from engaging was stuck shut. He jiggled it and got it to free up and gave it a pull. It started. Peg attempted to thank him, but it was loud and she didn't want to have to re-start it, so she made hand signals to show her gratitude. After she finished her mowing, she walked over to tell Ray thank you. He had finished by that time as well and invited her to his back deck for a drink. She didn't see the harm in it and agreed.
She hadn't spent much time alone with another man since having children and it felt great to hang out with Ray, but she also felt very self-conscious. He was obviously attractive, and she had a hard time looking him in the eye. She'd start to think about him without his shirt on and would start to feel her face getting hot. Ray was affable though. He enjoyed making small talk with her and Peg was an engaging conversationalist. She was curious and would ask Ray questions because she liked to know what makes people tick. She even worked up the nerve to find out if he was partnered. The rumor around the neighborhood was that Ray was a bit of a ladies' man. He had a live-in girlfriend for a year and occasionally, he'd bring a date to neighborhood gatherings. Usually, those relationships were short-lived. Ray told Peg he was currently unpartnered. He had started traveling more for work and it was hard to meet someone who was comfortable with his absences. Peg sympathized with the women and acknowledged it would be tricky for someone to start a family having to be away often, but she knew of couples that made it work. He thought this was a sweet gesture. Ray honestly wasn't sure if that was the life he wanted but he wasn't ready to tell someone he didn't know well, that. He knew family was likely important to Peg. After about an hour Peg realized she had been talking his ear off and then also realized how nice it was to have a conversation with a man. She couldn't remember the last time she and Chad had a nice conversation like that. Rather than staying, she felt a small panic building and made an excuse that she had to go. If she stayed, she knew she'd want to continue talking to him all afternoon. Ray didn't seem in any hurry to make her go, either. It was mid-week, and he was home for a few days on a rare break between traveling. He enjoyed her company, and she was really cute. He didn't feel any pressure to make conversation. Peg seemed to know how to steer things. He guessed adult conversation was likely a welcomed change for her.
"Oh my," Peg exclaimed, as she finished her beer, "I think I've taken up enough of your time. I am sure you have better things to do with your day. Thank you again so much for your help with the mower. I'll have Chad take it into the small engine repair shop and have that locking mechanism looked at."
"It was my pleasure," said Ray. "Glad to be of assistance."
"If all men were handy like you, well, there would be a lot of women with shorter 'honey-do' lists," she laughed.
"Well, I am good with my hands I guess," Ray said with a little smile. He couldn't resist flirting with her a little bit. She was a lot of fun to talk to.
"Oh, you don't say?" Peg giggled inquisitively. She knew what he meant but also was a little flustered. She didn't want to push her luck. He was so sexy and the thought of him getting all sweaty was starting to make her panties feel a little wet. "Well, that's good to know should I have any other moments that make me want to put a power tool through a wall!"
"Well, we can't have you doing that although, I'd pay good money to watch you lose your shit again. You're cute when you swear."
