Tommy's Uncle Dave was away on a sales trip and Kim hadn't gotten home from college yet, so the young man and his aunt were going to be alone until Sunday night.
At breakfast Saturday morning, his aunt asked the young man if he'd mind mowing the lawn. Tommy, glad for something to do, happily acceded.
"I have some things to do at church," his aunt told him as they cleared the breakfast dishes. "I may not be home for lunch."
"No problem," Tommy said. "After I get the lawn finished, I think I'll take a run down to the municipal pool and get in a swim."
His aunt smiled at him. "After getting all hot and sweaty mowing," she said, "a swim will probably feel wonderful." She headed for the door. "See you at dinner."
"'Bye, Aunt Karen," Tommy said. He watched his aunt go out the door.
The lawn didn't take as long as he thought it would. His aunt and uncle lived in a modern ranch house, all on one floor. The yard around it was large, but they had a riding mower, so the job went very quickly.
He put the mower in the garage, swept the grass clippings off the sidewalks, then he went into the house. The phone was ringing when he walked in, but before he could get to it, it stopped. "Oh, well," he thought, "if it's important, they'll call back." He went into his room and got his work clothes together, then he changed into his swimsuit and got ready to head to the municipal pool. He was just about to leave when he heard a car pull into the driveway. He looked out the window to see who it was.
He saw Aunt Karen getting out of her car. He was surprised to see Reverend Ben Grayson, pastor of the church his aunt and uncle attended, get out of the passenger side of the car. The couple headed for the house. The door to his room was ajar, and Tommy could her his aunt and the minister talking as they came in.
"His car's here," Aunt Karen said, "but nobody answered the phone when I called a little while ago. He likes walking places, so he probably walked to the pool. I'll check his room, just to be safe."
Karen was nervous. She shouldn't be doing this, bringing a man other than her husband to her house, but Ben had balked at her suggestion they make love in the church office and his wife was at the parsonage so they couldn't go there. She convinced the pastor to come to her house after she called to make sure Tommy wasn't there.
Tommy didn't know why he did it, but he stepped into his bedroom closet and closed the door just as his aunt entered the room.
"Tommy, are you here?" Karen said. She looked around and saw no sign of the young man. She relaxed. Her nephew wasn't home. It was safe to do what she'd brought Ben home to do. Ever since her husband had begun taking long sales trips she'd been lonely. At the same time she and Ben, who was so nice and so sweet, had grown friendlier and friendlier while they were working together at church. Then, one afternoon, without either of them intending to, they'd found themselves in a hot kiss. Things had gotten out of control from that point on.
Tommy knew he should have responded to his aunt's call and he wasn't sure why he was hiding in his closet. Mostly he also was curious about what his aunt and the minister were up to, so he kept silent. Maybe he could find out what was up.
"I guess he walked," his aunt said. "He has to go to work afterward, so we have plenty of time."
"Come here," Tommy heard the minister's rich baritone voice say, then things got silent.
Quietly, the young man pushed the closet door open, walked to his bedroom door, and peeked down the hallway. He couldn't believe what he saw! His aunt and the minister, standing in the living room, were locked in an embrace, kissing! It wasn't just a friendly kiss, either. They were really going at it! The young man swallowed hard and bit his lip to keep from gasping out in surprise. Aunt Karen, who he thought was a strait-laced, church-going woman, was having an affair with the minister! He looked again, wanting to be sure he hadn't been imagining things. He wasn't. It was happening, right there in front of his eyes!
