Introduction & Disclaimer - Set in the city of Adelaide, South Australia, this is the tale of what happens when divorced single mother Louise moves in next to Paul, a never-married high school teacher. Paul is immediately taken with the pretty redhead but cannot work up the nerve to ask her out, finally getting the courage to do so after plenty of encouragement from Jane, Paul's co-worker and platonic friend.
But while it is fairly obvious why Louise is single - she is a divorcee - the reasons why 41-year-old Paul despite his nice personality and good looks has never married are not so clear. Was Paul unlucky in love, never meeting the right girl at the right time? Has shyness with the ladies always been a problem that led him to bachelorhood? Was Paul in his younger years a playboy who played the field until he found himself alone as middle age approached? Or is there more to Paul's story than meets the eye? Find out by reading 'Learning to Love Louise'.
All characters and events in this story are fictional, with similarity to real persons living or dead coincidental and unintentional. I hope you enjoy my latest submission, and please rate and comment.
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Paul Johnstone exchanged a wave with his neighbor Louise Bradshaw as she climbed into her small blue car, reversed out of her driveway and headed for Adelaide city and her job as an accountant in a bank. Her tall slim figure attired in a smart black jacket and knee length skirt with a white blouse, stylish black boots on her feet, 38-year-old Louise looked pretty fine this morning, especially when the rays of the sun on this beautiful South Australian autumn morning reflected from her long red hair, this when combined with Louise's fair skin and unusual pure green eyes made her a woman of stunning beauty.
Louise had been occupying 41-year-old Paul's thoughts more and more recently, and this morning was no exception as he got into his own car, reversed out of his own driveway and drove the ten kilometers to his own job at a high school in Adelaide's northern suburbs, where Paul was employed as a high school teacher.
Paul much like Louise retained the good looks and fit physique of his younger years, and the highlights of his handsome face were his deep blue eyes and blonde hair. He waited at a red light and thought more about the pretty divorcee who had purchased the house next door and moved in 18 months ago with her two young sons, Tyler and Josh aged 10 and 8 respectively. Paul always admired the way single mother Louise raised her boys, she was always firm but fair, a really good mother. Football-crazy Tyler and Josh were generally both good kids, but tended to get a bit hyperactive at times especially when other boys in the form of their friends or cousins came to play, so therefore it was lucky that Louise was no pushover. As a high school teacher, Paul certainly wished there were more parents like Louise around given some of the teenage kids he had to control and try to convince that studying geography, history, economics and accounting were more interesting to them to online games and social media.
The light turned green and Paul proceeded through the intersection, his mind still filled with thoughts of Louise. The only man he had ever seen call to the house was Louise's exceptionally good looking former husband Simon to collect their sons for access visits, and Paul was always amazed that such a beautiful woman didn't have a new man in her life. Paul often thought about how much he would like to fill this role, but each time he tried to muster up the courage to ask Louise out on a date nerves overtook him and he did not put the plan into action, or he would come up with any number of reasons why asking Louise out was a bad idea.
Paul arrived at the school and got out of his car, seeing a small white hatchback pull into a parking space a short distance away, and Paul smiled as the driver got out. Paul had never been married and could not pluck up the courage to ask his neighbor Louise for a date, and it could be assumed that he was extremely nervous around women. However this wasn't the case, as Paul's best friend was a woman and who at the age of 25 was 16 years his junior, in the form of science teacher Jane McKinnon. It was extremely unusual for a man and a woman so different in ages to be best friends especially when one of them -- in this case Jane -- had a partner, but their platonic friendship worked so well. Paul always felt so relaxed with Jane, he could talk with her about anything.
Pretty and petite with long dark brown hair and beautiful deep brown eyes, Jane was attractively attired as always, today wearing a blouse and a short skirt that came to just above Jane's knees. A brilliant smile filled Jane's attractive face as she made her way towards him, the young woman giving Paul a friendly wave, a gesture he returned.
"Hi Paul, how was your weekend?" Jane asked as she walked alongside him into the school buildings.
"Yeah, pretty good," said Paul. "How about yours?"
"Really good," said Jane. "Yesterday my partner and I and some of our friends went out cycling around the river, then up through Woodville and out to Port Adelaide."
"That's a great ride, really scenic," said Paul. "So, you're fit and fired up for first Monday morning class?"
Jane laughed and put a fake grimace on her pretty face. "Year 9 physics. I think not."
Paul and Jane rounded a corner and passed Henry, one of Paul's fellow social studies teachers who was coming in the other direction. Henry, an extremely portly man aged in his mid-50s was juggling his text books and always looked stressed thanks to his shrill and domineering wife, this morning no exception. Despite this he managed a smile. "Morning Paul."
"Morning Henry," said Paul, he and Jane walking towards the staffroom.
Getting right to the point, Jane asked, "So Paul, did you ask Louise out like you promised me you would last week?"
Paul blushed. "Um, no -- ah I wanted to, but the opportunity never came up."
Jane laughed. "Come on Paul, you've used that excuse before. Time to think up a new one, or even better ask Louise out. What have you got to lose?"
"Louise might say no," Paul offered.
"Yes, but at least you'll know for sure," said Jane. "A nice-looking lady like Louise, if you don't make a move some other guy will, and then you'll wish you'd taken a chance."
"But we're neighbors, don't you think it might be a bad idea?" asked Paul.
"No, not neighbors," said Jane. "Asking out somebody you work with, that's a bad idea. But there's nothing wrong with asking out a neighbor."
"Yeah, but I'm sure Louise has enough on her plate without me bothering her asking for a date. She's got her two sons, her job and other things going on in her life." Paul looked at Jane. "Maybe I could join an introduction agency instead? Then I can get matched up with somebody by a consultant."
Jane nodded. "Sure you could do that. You could call into an introduction agency and sign up when you're returning your videos to the rental shop, when you're dropping in your photos to be developed at a one hour photo booth, or when you're buying a dot matrix printer."
Paul laughed. "Okay Jane, point taken, there's no introduction agencies any more, everything is online nowadays. But I certainly wouldn't try online dating."
"I don't blame you, there's too many weirdos and strange ones out there," said Jane. "But I'll tell you who isn't online. Your neighbor Louise who you have a crush on."
"I don't have a crush on her, I never ..." Paul stammered.
"Yes you do, there's no fooling me," laughed Jane. "If you were kids in school, you'd be annoying her by following her around the playground asking her if she likes stuff. So come, be brave and ask her out. If you don't, I'll only keep bugging you about it until you do."
"Okay then, I'll give it a try if only to keep you happy," said Paul.
The first bell of the day rang. "I'd better get to my class," said Jane, turning to head towards the science block. "So, I'll see you at lunchtime then Paul?"
"Yes, see you then Jane," said Paul, turning in the other direction to go and teach a class of 16-year-olds who would rather be anywhere else but school learning about double entry accounting. Still, talking with the bubbly, supportive and peppy Jane had gotten the day off to a good start, and her words had given him the encouragement he needed to finally ask Louise out at the first opportunity that arose.
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This opportunity seemingly presented itself to Paul much earlier than expected. When he arrived home from work and pulled into the garage, he could see that Louise was home from work and had changed into an old shirt, jeans and sneakers, and was busy pruning the bushes in her front garden. Piles of cuttings were around her, and Paul immediately worked out his strategy. He would go over to her, volunteer to help her rake up the clippings and put them in the wheelie bin, and as they conversed while they were doing this he would pluck up the courage to ask Louise out on a date.
Butterflies fluttering in his stomach from nerves, Paul closed and locked his garage door and walked over to next door, Louise turning around to see him approach and greeting him with a friendly smile. "Hi Paul, how are you?"
"Good thanks, Louise," said Paul. "How was life in the bank today?"
