I've had this story idea sitting around for literally years, waiting for me to start writing again. The pandemic gave me the time so I got to work and am finally ready to publish. Simultaneously I was working with Sam of Sams_Island (another imprint of the Island Chain) on a Corona story that it published. I decided to check out the Similar Stories to "Corona Exposure" and came upon "The Journey" by rgjohn. Imagine my surprise when I started reading "The Journey" only to find it featured a married couple named Tim and Janice; the same names as the couple in "Knockout"! Coincidence? As I read further into "Journey" I realized I have read it before sometime in the long past. A great story, written well and perhaps it stuck in my subconscious? Well, I've decided to stick with Tim and Janice; you can consider it an homage to rgjohn.
Small_Island
An imprint of Island Chain Publishing
### ### ###
KNOCKOUT
Pick a Spot
As Tim pulled into his driveway, he saw their lawn boy, Jerome, packing up his gear, having just finished with their yard.
'Lawn boy?!' Tim laughed to himself. 'Need to start calling him, Yard Man.' He remembered the scrawny kid who'd shown up one summer day offering to do their yard work. He'd looked so young that Tim had thought he was 11 or 12, only to find out he was close to 14 and would be starting high school in the fall. Now Jerome was 18 and just weeks away from graduating. Over those four years he'd sprouted a good eight inches and now stood 5' 11", as tall as Tim. He'd also gotten into football and weightlifting and weighed a solid 175. He was naturally lanky and had had trouble putting on even that much weight, but it was good enough to be a 2-way starter at his small school, playing wide receiver on offense and cornerback on the D.
He was also a smart, articulate kid, with a great sense of humor and had become much closer to the Stanleys than just the teen who cut their grass. They'd had him and his parents over for barbecues and holiday parties and had been regular attendees at Crowley High football games during Jerome's Junior and Senior seasons.
So, it was with a happy smile that he greeted the young man after parking his car. "Jerome, really glad I caught you," he said.
"Hey, Mr. Stanley," the teen answered. "What's up?"
"Man, I told you to drop that Mr. Stanley stuff when you turned 18."
"My mom says, 'You never outgrow good manners'," the boy said, smiling.
"That may be true, but I'm only ten years older than you. And if you don't care about making me feel older than I am, I'd hope you'd think about Janice. I see her checking herself for gray hairs every time you call her Mrs. Stanley."
Jerome laughed and said, "All right, I'll try; for Mrs. Stanley's, I mean, Janice's sake."
"Speaking of Janice," Tim said, looking around. "Have you seen her recently?"
"You just missed her by five minutes," Jerome answered. "But she said she was only walking down to Thompson's for something she needed for dinner, so she should be back soon."
"That's okay, I wanted to talk to you alone," replied Tim in a conspiratorial tone. "I need your help with something."
"Well," Jerome half-laughed, taking on a deep, old codger voice. "It's always nice when you young people remember and respect your elders' experience."
"Actually, it's the other way around," Tim answered with a laugh of his own. "This is an old guy needing some young advice. You see, our wedding anniversary is coming up and I have an idea I think Janice will really like; I want to take her dancing."
"So, what's the problem?" asked Jerome. "You guys dance pretty good. Hell, kids at school are still talking about how I blew their minds when I got out there and two-stepped like a cowboy at the spring dance; a dance you guys taught me."
"Well, that's the thing," said Tim. "I can do a fair two-step and even hold my own with pop hits, but I have something else in mind. You remember that
iPod
playlist you put together for Janice's birthday?"
"Sure, that was no big deal," Jerome said.
"Oh yes it was," Tim replied. "She loves it. That's what she listens to when she works out now, and Hell, I swear I've seen her dancing to it even when she's gardening." Jerome laughed.
"I shit you not," said Tim. "Down on her knees, pulling up weeds from the vegetable bed, and rockin' side to side in rhythm to one of the tracks you gave her."
On the outside, Jerome laughed again, but inside he twitched with a mental image: Mrs. Stanley in those Daisy Duke cutoffs she wore while gardening, down on her knees, with her fine, fine ass swinging side to side.
"I just know she'd love to go out dancing at a club where those songs are played," continued Tim. "But I don't know where those clubs are. I'm hoping you do."
Jerome shook himself out of his reverie. "Well, to be honest, I took a lot of that playlist straight from the DJ at 'The Bounce,' it's the hottest club in the city. I did weave in some extra Old School and Motown, 'cause I know Mrs...er, Janice, likes that, but most of it was stuff I heard at 'The Bounce.'"
"Oh," he added hurriedly. "Please keep that to yourself okay? I really don't want to have to explain to my folks about sneaking into a 21-and-over dance club."
"No problem," Tim promised with a smile. "Your secret's safe with me. As long as mine is safe with you. I want this to be a surprise for Janice. So, this 'Bounce' place is good for music; what's the atmosphere like?"
Jerome pulled up short. "Um, actually," he said, looking at Tim with his blond hair and pale blue eyes, "I think Janice would be very welcome there, but you might feel a bit...um...uncomfortable?"
"Uh huh. Uncomfortable," the older man mused. "And perhaps unwanted?" he added.
"I'm afraid so," Jerome admitted sadly.
"So," Tim mused, "I'd already figured I'd have to let a few other guys dance with Janice, since I'm not really up to speed on those particular moves, but I'd really rather not have to wait for her out in the car the whole night."
"Yeah, that would not be good," said Jerome. "Hey, wait a minute, there is another place that I think will work. There's a place my folks have enjoyed when they do retro nights, but on Fridays and Saturdays it's a younger crowd. They're better at checking IDs there, so I haven't been in myself, but I've seen their playlists posted on their website and I think Janice would really dig them. Plus, to be blunt, I think white dudes can go in without getting their asses kicked."
"Good music and I won't get my ass kicked; sounds like my kind of place," Tim laughed. "So, where is this cultural mecca?"
Jerome gave him the name and location and the two young men parted ways. Pushing his lawnmower down the sidewalk, Jerome thought about cutting open the crotch of Janice's cut-offs while she kneeled in the garden and slipping his hard cock into her tight pussy. Heading into the house, Tim thought about his wife twerking naked against his cock in their hotel room after a night of hot dancing.
Over the next few days Tim checked out the club Jerome had suggested on the Web and found that it did indeed seem to be a place where dance was the focus. The photos on its site showed a mix of people of different races, mostly early 20's through upper 30's, nicely dressed. It was on the other side of the city, close to the airport, which explained why Tim hadn't come across it previously. The airport proximity also meant he could find them a nice hotel and restaurants nearby, so they could have an exotic weekend without really having to go far from home.
"Chick Flicks and Thai Work Every Time"
Two weeks before their anniversary, Janice had had to stay an hour and a half late on Friday to put the finishing touches on an important presentation for Monday. Tim responded to her text about the delay with his own note saying he'd pick up some Thai for dinner and that she should give him a heads up when she was leaving. She replied with three Emoji's: a thumb's up, a kissy face and a big heart.
When she came in the front door, Janice saw that he'd set up the take out on the living room coffee table. As she put down her purse and briefcase, Tim came out of the kitchen with a bottle of wine and two glasses. "Hi, baby," he said with a big smile.
"Hi, yourself," she answered. "This smells great and I am so hungry. Mark hit me with a bunch of changes for Monday's presentation at 11 o'clock and I had to make due with peanut butter crackers and a
Coke
from the vending machine for lunch."