Lois and her husband returned the following day as Meagan had informed me. The following week Meagan would begin what would her final year of high school as a Junior. She would then go on to graduate top of her class, win a most coveted scholarship to prestigious university and disappear to the other side of the "pond."
Today the weather had turned for the worst with rain extending in the forecast on into the weekend. So early Monday I found myself back at the gym. I hated the gym during the summer. So did many others as there were relatively few cars parked outside when I arrived. However, that there was that one large white SUV. It gave me hope. Checking in, I scanned the building. With unexpected enthusiasm, I saw Lois waving to me. I waved back before ducking into the locker room.
With purpose I hit the stair stepper first. No one bothers you there. Ear plugs in, listening to Bonamassa belt out "Bridge to Better Days," I was doing setting fifteen when a light touch of fingernails grazed my right calf. I opened my eyes and looked down. It was Lois.
My knee was about head height to Lois. Looking down upon her from above, I realized there was something very different about her. Her smile was warmer than usual and there was a glint in her eyes that I had never seen before. But that wasn't what was capturing my attention. It was the cleavage.
"Hey, why you working so hard today?" Lois asking in a joking way.
"Oh, just working out some frustration I guess. How have you been. Haven't seen you in here since early spring."
"Life. I got busy and then we just now got back from a month in Europe. It was fabulous. We rented a narrowboat and toured the canals. Brian could only stay for ten days but my two sisters were with me. We had a blast."
"Wow. I'm envious. You should have called me. I would have gladly run the locks for you."
"Now you tell me." Lois groaned before her newly warming smile looked back up at me. I shut the machine down. Grabbing my towel and drink bottle I stepped down to ground level. Lois was about four inches shorter than me and standing closer to me than usual to me. To my credit, I nearly leaned forward in a maddening desire to kiss her glossy red lips. But I thought the better of it.
"You know that me mum was from England?" I informed her. "War bride. WW Two. I'm the only one in the family who's never made it back over there. I would really like to some day. And," I added, "narrowboats have long been a fantasy of mine. I'll bet you enjoyed every moment of it."
"Oh we did. We had perfect weather. The three of us became old hands at it. We met some amazing people there and perhaps we'll all do it again some day. Maybe you'd like to come along next time and crank all those doors open for us," she teased.
As Red had warned Andy, "Hope is a dangerous thing." Lois had set the agenda of my dream world for the foreseeable future. I smiled at her and looked away before jokingly saying, "Me and three women on a narrowboat for a month? You all would be the death of me." We both laughed.
I couldn't get over the fact that Lois now had breasts. Nice breasts. Noticeable breasts. Breasts that a man could handle and enjoy. I forced myself to continually look over her, away from her, any direction except directly at her. For I knew if I did not advert my eyes from that cleavage, I was going to ruin this new found level of friendliness this effervescence was bathing me in.
"Meagan told me about you," the petite woman suddenly blurted out.
It was a cold slap in the face. My heart stopped beating. Fortunate beyond recognition, she cold cocked me just as I had turned away to say hi to the trainer as he walked by. The sudden fear on my face at the moment could never have been disguised. Turning back toward her with a smile while laughing nervously, I countered with a, "Really?" I stretched out the word in a surprised but jovial bantering way.
"Yes. She informed me that it was you who gave her that bicycle. You shouldn't have done that. She's spoiled enough as it is, you know."
