With an acknowledgement to Willie Nelson's "I Just Dropped By" for the idea (but not the detail, of course!)
ALL CHARACTERS IN THIS STORY ARE ABOVE THE AGE OF CONSENT FOR SEXUAL CONGRESS.
THAT OLD HOUSE
Gary Simmonds is a forty-five year old divorced man. He has two daughters aged nineteen and twenty-two who, when not following their own interests and desires, live with his ex-wife and her new husband. The new husband was the reason for the divorce, so Gary was, not surprisingly, not keen to visit Maureen at their old marital home. This made it difficult for any prolonged relationship with his daughters.
The girls, Holly and Ivy, loved their dad and would always fall in with his rather tentative meeting arrangements. Gary always seemed to be on the move, changing flats at a moments notice for various reasons. It was either lower rent, better accommodation or, more usually, the landladies. They were either too demanding or not interested in him. He only wanted a bit of company, with a bit of sex thrown in of course. Needless to say he was not very successful.
Gary was reasonably attractive, in his own opinion. He was Sales Manager of his company and had been with them for twelve years. He had been divorced now for five years. It was time to take stock and do something positive with the rest of his life. First of all he had to get some decent accommodation; somewhere the girls could come and stay without feeling isolated and he could get to know them much better. He knew that he needed a regular woman friend, possibly two or three.
He had moved away when the divorce went through. Not too far, about fifteen miles from Greenborough. His work took him all over the country from time to time but he did not want to move too far away. Anyway, above all costs he wanted to stay close to his daughters.
Almost by chance one Wednesday afternoon he was passing through the small dormitory town of Oakby. Or was it by chance? He used to live here with Maureen when they were first married. The girls had been born here.
Without thinking he meandered through the streets, seemingly without purpose but always getting nearer to Beech Avenue. Eventually he turned into the cul-de-sac and stopped; there was number 27, almost opposite. He looked around; quite a lot had changed. The trees and shrubs were all bigger, as expected. Number 23 had had an extension built, number 20 was a completely new colour and number 18 seemed to be falling into decay.
Gary felt a bit sad but also nostalgic for the old Avenue. He wondered what their old house looked like inside now. He and Maureen had lavished such care and attention on it. He hoped that it was being well cared for.
He was five yards from the front door before he even registered that he had even got out of his car. He rang the doorbell without really thinking his intentions through.
oooOOOooo
The door opened.
A woman stood there. He hardly registered her. He didn't know what to say or how to behave.
"Hello," he gasped. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ring your bell; it just happened. I'm sorry for disturbing you."
The woman just stood there. Gary vaguely registered short blonde hair, glasses and a woman's figure.
"Why did you ring on my doorbell? Who are you? Are you selling something?"
The questions brought Gary to his senses.
"No, no, I'm not a salesman. Well, I do work in sales but not knocking on doors. I, I used to live here; in this house I mean. I don't know what possessed me to ring the doorbell, I really don't!"
"You say that you used to live here? How long ago? What's your name?"
"Gary, Gary Simmonds. We lived here until about five years ago. There were four of us, myself, my wife and our two daughters."
"I recognise you now Gary. I've only been here for two years but I found a photo of you and your family at the bottom of an old chest of drawers. Come in and I'll show you."
The woman turned and moved inside. Gary followed cautiously and followed her into the kitchen. It was in the same position in the house as he remembered it but there had obviously been a complete refit. He would not have recognised it as the same room.
She noticed his surprise and smiled.
"I had the kitchen completely refitted as soon as I moved in," she said. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," rejoined Gary; he looked around. "I like it. It's very modern and very tasteful."
"Thank you, kind sir," she smiled. "My name's Gerry. Would you like a coffee?"
"I'd love one," smiled Gary, relaxing for the first time since the opening of the front door. "I'm really glad I called now."
"So am I," said Gerry as she turned to put the kettle on. "I do like my own company but it's nice to have visitors now and again. I'll go and fetch that photo now; I know exactly where it is."
Gary felt deserted and a little uncomfortable after being left on his own. He looked out of the kitchen window into his old garden and wouldn't have recognised it. The shrubs were different and the lawn was a different shape.
Gerry returned and put a photograph in front of him. It showed all four of them sitting on a bench on the seafront at Bournemouth. The girls were about eleven and thirteen. Maureen looked so attractive; Gary wondered if she already had that bastard Alan's baby inside her! He couldn't put the dates in the right order but he knew that she was already seeing Alan when the picture was taken.
"Thanks," he said as Gerry put his coffee in front of him on the breakfast bar. He sat down on one of the stools. "I'll take this away with me but I'll probably destroy it. I think that my wife was already pregnant by her lover when this was taken."
"That's a real shame," said Gerry as she leaned against the kitchen sink. "Do the girls live with her?"
Gary thought about his daughters as he looked over at Gerry, examining her properly for the first time. He noted that the short blonde hair was immaculately coiffured and that her make up was perfect without being overstated. He suddenly realised that she had applied her make up after he had arrived. Her body was very attractive too with broad shoulders and prominent breasts completing the top half with a definite waist at the division. Her stomach was flat, with hipbones showing at the sides and just a hint of a mound at her crotch. Gary's cock twitched a little as he idly wondered what her bum looked like!
"Yes. Well, they used to but they are more independent now. Holly is twenty-two and is just about to start a job in Birmingham. She is looking for a flat. Ivy is nineteen and in her second year at Bristol. She's in student accommodation this year."
Gerry smiled. If she was aware of Gary's appraisal of her body during his reply she made no sign of it. She was wearing a tight woollen thin sweater, patterned with navy blue and white hoops. Her denim skirt was navy blue with her attractive knees showing clearly. On her feet she wore Nike trainers with white socks covering her ankles.
"What will they say when you tell them that you've been on a nostalgic tour of their childhood home?"
"They'll be jealous I expect," said Gary as he looked at Gerry with increasing confidence. God, he thought, she is a really attractive woman. Probably somewhere between thirty-five and forty, he guessed; what has she done with her glasses?
"Then you must bring them here if they would like to come," smiled Gerry. "I would really like to meet them."
"Really?" gasped Gary, "but you don't know me. I could be a really undesirable person as far as you're concerned."
"I think that a man who used to live in this house and who is prepared to bring his daughters to meet the present occupant can probably be trusted, don't you?"
"I take it that you live alone here Gerry or is there an absent boyfriend? Can you see me properly? What did you do with your glasses?"
Gerry laughed. "You noticed then? You caught me unawares at the door a little while ago. I'm afraid I'm a little embarrassed to be seen wearing them. I've only had to wear them for the last two years or so."
"If you normally have to wear them then wear them for me," said Gary. "I remember that first glance that I had of you. You looked great! Tell me, is there anything else I should know about you before I invite you to dinner tonight?"
Gerry grinned at him and left the room. She returned after about ten seconds, wearing her glasses. They were of large lens, with tortoiseshell frames and a few diamante stones glistening all around.
"There, these are my going out best ones," she said. "As to your question; my full name is Geraldine Watson, I am thirty-seven, divorced with a grown up son. He is presently on a school trip in Scotland and will not be home until the end of next week. I have a brother who is a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy. I teach English at the local girls secondary school, which I presume your girls used to attend. Do you still have a question for me?"
"Gerry, I would deem it a great privilege if you would have dinner with me tonight. Do you know if the 'Black Swan' still serves great steaks or is that too close to home?"
"I accept your great offer and the 'Black Swan' is fine by me. My ex doesn't use the Swan as far as I know. Now, shall I show you the rest of your old house?"
Gary had a thought; he was now in seduction mode.
"Why don't you show me the downstairs now?" he said. "I suggest that you show me the upstairs when we know each other a little better!"
"Naughty, naughty," said Gerry. "I have to warn you though Gary that I don't waste much time fooling around. After my divorce I decided that life was too short so if I see something I like I go for it."
"That's fine by me Gerry. I agree with your sentiments."
Fifteen minutes later they parted on Gerry's doorstep.
"Until seven-thirty then," Gary grinned.
He immediately drove down to the Black Swan and reserved a room for tonight and booked dinner for two at eight o'clock.
oooOOOooo
He picked Gerry up at seven fifteen. She was wearing her 'best' glasses but he could see little else as she had on a long beige coloured coat that covered everything else. She kept it on all the way into the bar at the Black Swan and only slipped it off to give to the waiter when he delivered the menus. She turned around to face Gary.
"F'. My God Gerry, you look gorgeous!"
