Like any sequel, this story needs to stand on its own and I think it does. The reading of it, however, might be a richer experience if you first read, "The Grannies Next Door". I submitted that last fall and for me it was my first acceptable effort in writing as a male...a goal that had eluded me for years. I was lucky to get some decent feedback in that regard and inasmuch as it was fun for me to begin with, I've penned this follow-up story. I hope you enjoy it and I promise that while I will gratefully welcome any comments favorable, I will also embrace - perhaps even especially embrace, any constructive criticism. You will help me be a better writer and I thank you for that in advance.
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My name is Colin Early. I am a draftsman by trade but currently take work where I can get it as a carpenter and general handyman. I live alone in a small one bedroom apartment on the far east side and in general keep a pretty quiet life. I'm out early in the morning and work most days until at least dinner time or beyond. That gets me home near dark when I usually fix a quick meal and dig into the books to keep track of my accounts, take care of the billing and so on. After that I get in a workout then a shower and following the late news, it's to bed for me only to do the whole thing all over again the next day.
I'm not complaining about my life as it is, mind you. I get my daughter every other weekend and that's endlessly joyful for me. When I don't have her, I get in some golf, occasionally go sailing with friends and I still appreciate my own company so that even a down day of taking in a movie by myself or just relaxing at home is fine by me.
Dorothy and Fay are my next door neighbors. Their dining room sits half way down the very narrow unpaved driveway that separates our two houses. There is no garage back there but rather the driveway ends at a clump of overgrown bushes toward the rear of their house. Their dining room windows face directly into my two big kitchen windows. The driveway, while no longer in use, is barely the more than the width of a car so two panes of glass and a distance of no more than 12 feet is all that separates our two rooms.
I've developed a very interesting relationship with them which began soon after I discovered they were covertly watching me in the evenings when I'd come naked into the kitchen after my workout to get some juice and rehydrate. For a couple of 70 something old ladies, they turned out to be a lot of fun and getting together with them has provided some odd scenarios, more than a few of them on the naughty side. I don't think we'd ever have sex but there has been nudity and partying and somehow, as bizarre as it seems, it sort of works for us.
It had been more than a week since I'd seen or heard from them. I came home late one Thursday to find a note taped to my door. It was penned on scented lavender stationary. It read:
"Colin. We'd very much like it if you would join us next Sunday for a party. We're hosting our life-long friend Katie who will be visiting for the weekend from upstate. She knows all about our times together with you. She insisted we give her every tiny detail and we did but I assure you we haven't revealed your actual identity. We wouldn't do that. She is very much hoping to meet you. Please say yes Colin. We'll have a good time. I promise. Kisses, Fay."
I called Friday on my lunch break to accept. Dorothy answered the phone and after exchanging pleasantries, I asked her what I could bring. She said there was nothing I needed to bring but not to worry, "...we'll find a way for you to contribute to the party. We'll be looking for you at 5 sharp."
It was already 10 after 5 Sunday when Dorothy called me on my cell. I was only running a few minutes behind but I guess that was a few minutes too many. "Where are you, dear?" she demanded. "I don't see your car out front. Are you coming over?"
"I had to make a quick stop," I told her, "but I'm only a minute away. I'll be right there."
Fay had obviously been watching for me and had seen me coming up the steps because as I raised my hand to knock, she pulled the door open wide and greeted me with the cheeriest hello. He smile was broad and genuine. She reached out, took me by the elbow and pulled me into the parlor, all the while going on about how happy she was to see me again. I had three bouquets of flowers in my other hand behind my back
Dorothy, standing just inside the door, leaned forward to kiss me on the cheek as I entered. "Mmmmm, you look great darling," she said, "Please come in and meet our dear, dear friend Katie."
I hadn't yet seen her but when Dorothy stepped aside, there she was standing in the middle of the room, hands clasped behind her, staring directly at me and a trace of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
She nodded at me, made the faintest hint of a bow and maintaining eye contact throughout, she closed the 5 steps between us to extend her hand.
"Very pleased to meet any friend of Dorothy and Fay," I said, meeting her stare and smiling down at her. Her features loosened immediately and she smiled warmly, her second hand coming up to cover the back of mine in a two-handed shake.
"So you're Colin," she said, seeming to search my eyes for a moment. "Well Colin," she continued, "I am very pleased indeed to make your acquaintance," nodding her head as she spoke.
I repeated that the pleasure was all mine and with that, I pulled the flowers from behind my back and made a great show of presenting them to each of the three women, one at a time. All smiles, they thanked me for the flowers and motioned for me to follow them to the kitchen where they'd find some vases. It was plainly obvious as I followed them that they had dressed up for the occasion.
Dorothy wore a gauzy amber tunic over a satiny midriff camisole with white linen slacks and white sandals. A thin gold chain hung around her neck and looped through a brilliant golden topaz gemstone ring.
Fay, the taller of the two but only slightly, wore a sailor's outfit of white skinny jeans and low cut canvas deck shoes, a short sleeved navy v-neck pullover top with red and white piping around the sleeves and the wide, squared off collar. She had a red, white and blue kerchief around her neck, neatly knotted just below her throat. She wore small glasses, the kind with no rim and they looked so delicate that they'd snap into pieces if she ever dropped them.
Now Katie was another story. She was the shortest and heaviest of the three. Like Fay and Dorothy, she had stopped coloring long ago and the result was a truly beautiful shock of bright white curls that framed her tanned face in a striking way. And her light eyes set in that tanned face were compelling. Even for her age at 70 something and a few extra pounds notwithstanding, she would surely get a second look on any street corner in America.
This must be some kind of theme night I laughed to myself. Fay in her nautical outfit, Dorothy in her resort fashionista linen slacks and now Katie, sporting a Hawaiian 'look' with her light blue Capri pants. She wore a long sleeved Oxford cloth button up top of pink and white pin stripes, her collar opened to the third button and small pieces of pink coral dangling at the end of her gold earrings. This was all set off by a Hawaiian lay of lush blue and white blossoms that hung provocatively around her neck.
I couldn't identify what type of flowers they might be or for that matter whether or not they were even real but if not, they were terrific copies of the real thing. And to this day, weeks later, I still remember the smell of her when she first said hello and took my hand. It didn't seem like perfume to me but more that she just smelled fresh and airy and light. I was immediately a little smitten with this woman.
Fay had fished three vases from under the kitchen counter and Dorothy and Katie began filling them with water and arranging the flowers. She came over and reaching up to put her arms around my neck, she pulled herself up to give me a sweet kiss on the cheek. I hugged her back and acknowledged the kiss with a smile and a nod. I bent down and kissed her lightly on the forehead.
She put her arm around my waist and ushered me to the open doorway that led from the back of the kitchen to the enclosed porch on the rear of the house. Still holding one arm around my waist, she motioned out there with her other hand and said, "Well Colin, this will be the setting for our party tonight. Isn't that right girls?" And with that, the other two chorused in agreement from behind us just as Fay dropped her hand to rest on my butt. I presume they saw that.
I hadn't really known what to expect tonight. I didn't think it'd be a formal affair but knew it wouldn't be about mall clothes either. I had on a pair of chinos, a tucked in white shirt, an open collar with sleeves rolled up and a pair of brown, leather flip flops. And I had a fresh shave.
I knew not to be surprised by anything from these two gals just as I learned not to underestimate them. They might be pushing 75 but there was nothing prim and demure about these 'little-old-ladies'. I knew also from Dorothy's note that they had probably told Katie everything about the times we'd had together. I think Fay was setting the tone for the night with that butt grab.
"Look out you two. Comin' through." said Dorothy, and we stepped aside as she and Katie carried the flowers out onto the porch and set them on the buffet table.
Fay let go of me and followed them out. "Colin," she said, turning to me from the array of bottles on the table, "we got some light beer for you but we're all wine drinkers. Would you care for some white or some red maybe?"
"No Fay. Thanks. I'm sticking with the beer for now." I replied.
And thus the party began, the three of them drinking wine by the glassful and me drinking Bud light. There were several different kinds of cheeses that had been sliced to bite size, cut up pieces of fresh fruit in a bowl on ice, a plate of fruit tarts (raspberry I was told), an assortment of crackers and a plate of cut up celery and carrot sticks along with some French Onion cheese dip. It certainly isn't what I'd put out when my buddies come over for Sunday afternoon football but then the beer was free and the butt grab told me something naughty was in the wind.
The wine flowed freely and the music was great. I had jacked my MP3 player into their stereo and used Pandora to call up some easy cross-over country. I didn't know if they'd like that or not but soon they were dippin' and bobbin' to the music and they all wanted to dance with me for the slow dances.
With the hellos and the introductions, the presentation of the flowers, fixing them in vases and so on, we didn't really get started on the drinking until well after 5:30. It was around 6:30; after we'd taken a break from dancing that Katie broke the ice on what I felt was going to be an interesting evening.
