After spending the afternoon working out at a private gym I go to, I showered, shaved, and dressed casually. I chose a comfortable pair of button-down Levi's, and a soft cotton polo shirt, added a bit of cologne then headed to Candi's parents house which was an easy twenty minute drive away.
For twenty minutes I had time to recall the events that led up to this invitation to dinner with Candi and her parents. Seeing the van in my office parking lot that appeared to be kidnapping a woman, the chase, the fight, pulling a scared young lady from her captors and seeing the fear and hurt in her eyes, followed by an uneventful night in jail. Dinner with parents should be a piece of cake compared to that I thought, no reason to be nervous, so why was I?
As I turned into the neighborhood I tried to imagine living in one of these beautiful homes. The perfect landscaping and white picket fences seemed too nice to be reality for me. Most of my accommodations over the years had been pretty modest; some even with dirt floors and outdoor toilets. When I pulled up to the address I had been given, it led up a long driveway that wrapped neatly around a water feature, to a nice parking spot under a canopy.
I stepped out of the Hummer, rang the bell and waited just a few moments. The little ankle biter was the first to the door, followed by Candi's dad, Walter. Walter sent the dog away,introduced himself, and graciously invited me into the grand entry, where I handed a bouquet of bright, spring-like flowers to his smiling wife, Alice. I recognized them both from the picture on Candi's desk at the office. Walter was taller than I realized, with balding grey hair and a sturdy build, and his wife Alice had the long legs, black hair, black eyes, and a voluptuous chest that she had passed on to her daughter. It was apparent that they both worked at staying in shape, and I have to say it was working well for them.
Introductions were made with Walter and Alice thanking me for accepting their invitation and letting me know how much they appreciated what I had done for their precious daughter. It turns out Candi had been sharing an apartment with another student while going to school and working at my law firm, but since the night of the attack she had pretty much moved back in with her parents, not feeling safe enough to go back out on her own.
Walter let me know that if there was anything in their power they could do to help me out, they wanted me to say so, and they would do what they could; Alice reaffirmed his words with a smile and nodding of her pretty head. They offered a financial reward, which I declined as I had plenty of money, and really didn't feel right accepting theirs.
We made small talk for a few minutes until Candi came down the grand staircase in bare feet wearing a snug pair of bluejeans, a conservative turquoise blouse with toenails painted to match, and a delicate gold necklace with a matching ankle bracelet. She looked beautiful, even with tears welling up in her eyes, and we embraced. Candi cried in my arms for a few minutes, while her parents slipped away to give us some privacy. This young ladies perfume was intoxicating, and I felt a stirring in my own jeans as her young, perfect breasts molded around my midsection, head on my chest, nearly squeezing the breath out of me. She felt wonderful, and for a moment I thought that I might like to get used to this feeling.
Candi eventually pulled herself together, apologized for being emotional, and thanked me for coming to dinner. She stood on her toes and kissed my cheek, flashed her million dollar smile, then held my hand as she led me into the kitchen where her parents now were, still wiping an occasional tear from her eye.
Alice proved to be a terrific cook, and dinner was amazing. The conversation was easy, and for some reason I felt oddly comfortable and welcome, almost loved by Candi and her parents that I had only met a short time ago. I felt like I belonged here, more than I had anywhere else since leaving the team. The ladies left the table to clear dishes while Walter and I walked out to the back courtyard and continued to make small talk.
Walter eventually got a little serious, and asked what it was that I thought I would like to do with myself now that I had quit the law firm. He was genuinely concerned, and suggested since I had worked so hard to become a lawyer, that I should find some way to stay working in the legal field. He mentioned that Candi was nearly done with law school, and only had a few semesters left, but she had taken a break and hadn't finished the classes she was working on at the time she was attacked. It was too scary for her to go back to school just yet, especially for any night classes that she needed.
Being the wise man he is, Walter suggested that since I had been through some pretty traumatic events over the years, maybe I could spend some time talking with Candi and helping her through the range of emotions she had experienced since that terrible night. He hoped that I might influence her enough to convince her to finish law school.
I joked that the University could hire me as security for the students, and Walter chuckled, saying he was friends with the school Chancellor and could make a call to suggest just that. About that time the ladies came outside talking and giggling, and Alice suggested to Candi that since she hadn't been out much since the event, maybe the two of us should get out for a walk or a movie, anything to get her out of the house. Candi looked at me with a shy embarrassment at what her mom had said, and I told Alice and Walter I thought that was a great idea, and if they didn't mind, I'd take Candi out for the evening and jokingly asked what time her curfew was. Walter surprised me with a reply that she was a grown woman, and was free to come and go as she pleased, he knew she was in good hands.
With that I thanked them for the dinner and the pleasant company, offered Candi my arm, and we made our way back through the house where she grabbed a pair of sandals and carried them to the Hummer. I opened the passenger door for her, and chuckled as it took her two tries to get up and into the big truck. "Good thing I'm not wearing one of my skirts from work, huh?!" Candi quipped as she looked over her shoulder, busting me as I was admiring the amazing way she filled out her jeans.
"Oh, I don't know about that!" I replied, "I have to admit I kind of liked those skirts every now and then." I quickly stepped around the truck, and with a bit of a pull on the grab handle, slid comfortably into my seat. The truck rumbled to life, and we started to drive. Now, my Hummer is a big truck, and the way Candi nonchalantly slid across the seat and saddled up close to me made me think that this could possibly turn into more than just a friendly drive around town. Again, I was somewhat taken back and surprised at how comfortable and natural it felt to have this young beauty sitting so close that our arms and legs were in constant contact, and her left hand rested comfortably inside my right knee.
"What do you say we stop for ice cream?" I asked.
"What do you say we stop for a drink instead?" she replied. "I could seriously use a shot of tequila for desert" she smirked, flashing that incredible smile my way. There was no way I could say "no" to those pearly whites, especially with that mischievous look smoldering out of those amazing black eyes.