What If?

Chapter 7 - Serendipity

It was a Thursday morning in mid-fall. Ted and Willy wrapped up their work on the truck that had almost been totaled. The engine had been rebuild. Every system had been inspected, all fluids had been drained and replaced, all filters had been replaced. The truck was ready to be fired up and taken out on the road. Willy told Ted, "You were the lead mechanic on this one, you're the one that needs to take her out and put her through her paces."

Ted got in the cab. The rebuilt engine was brought back to life. The air tanks were resupplied with compressed air and the truck was ready to roll. Ted eased the truck out of the garage and out onto the street. He moved out onto highways that had progressively higher speed limits. Everything was working well. It was time to take it onto the freeway and get it up to 70 MPH. No more Mr. Nice Guy. He went through the gears accelerating as quickly as possible to get into traffic and keep up with traffic. He was going west, because he knew of a steep hill out there that he wanted to climb to test the power of the engine.

He got off the freeway and headed towards the hill which was on a county highway. The engine showed its power and Ted was content that all systems were go. He headed back to the garage. As he entered the outskirts of the city and saw billboards advertising fast food places, it hit him. It was past his lunch hour and he was hungry. He decided he would try to stop at a fast food place to grab a meal. He pulled off the freeway when he saw a sign for a restaurant, but as he approached it, he realized that he would never get the big truck into their parking lot. He headed on down the street, hoping to find another fast food place when he noticed a small mom and pop diner with a parking place in front of it that would accommodate his truck. He pulled into the space, shut down the truck and walked into the restaurant. He sat at a table in the middle of the restaurant, and his seat faced the front door. The waitress came and gave him a glass of water and a menu, telling him that she would be back shortly to take his order.

As he sat there a woman walked in from the office building across the street. She was impeccably dressed and had long blonde hair. She was quite tall, and not slim, but looked like she could be quite shapely. Her face was pretty and looked somewhat familiar, but he could not quite place it. The waitress walked up to her table with a glass of water and a menu, and greeted her: "Hi, Carol. Do you know what you want to order or do you want a menu?"

The tall blonde took a menu. Then it hit Ted. The tall blonde was Carol Mather. But then he was not sure. If it was, she had lost a lot of weight and changed her hair color. But the waitress had called her "Carol," and her voice sounded like Carol's voice, if he remembered correctly, so he took a chance. He got up from his table and walked over to her. "Carol? Carol Mather?"

She looked up at him. She did not immediately recognize him. Working on heavy machinery for a year and a half had added size to his arms and shoulders. Furthermore, while at school he had grown a beard, which he kept nicely trimmed. "Should I know . . .," she interrupted herself in mid sentence. "Ted, Ted Watkins. Oh, my goodness. Long time no see. What brings you here?"

Ted first asked whether he could join her for lunch, and when she said yes, be brought over his water and menu. He explained how he showed up at the diner. The waitress came to the table to take their orders and Ted quickly said, "This will all go on my bill." After the order was placed, he asked her, "And what brings you here?"

She explained that she worked across the street in the office building and often came for lunch. Ted still was not very smooth around girls. "You know, you look quite a bit different from how you looked in high school. I hope you don't think this to be inappropriate, . . . but you're gorgeous. I'm not saying that you ever were a duckling, but now you are definitely a swan."

Carol blushed a little, thanked him for the compliment and changed the subject, asking him how he liked his job. Ted talked a little bit about this latest job and then ask Carol about hers. She mentioned that she was still living at home, which gave Ted a sense of relief and excitement at the same time.

Then Carol looked at her watch. She was supposed to be back at work five minutes ago. She became all flustered. "I'm sorry. Time has just flown by. I was supposed to be back at work five minutes ago. Can we do this again tomorrow? Please? I'll get an hour off. They owe me. I'm sorry I've got to run." And with that she was gone.

"Looks like it is going to be tomorrow at 1," he said to himself. "I wonder how I'm going to manage that." The waitress came with the bill. "It looks like we're going to be trying this again tomorrow at 1 - for an hour. Wish me luck."

"I do wish you luck," the waitress said. "Carol is a nice person. She spends too much time alone."

As soon as Carol got to her office, she realized what she had done. She called the head of the secretarial pool to tell her she was back and then went on: "I'm so stupid and selfish. I met this guy at the diner and we hit it off and when I realized I was late I just told him to meet me back at the diner tomorrow and I don't even know if he can get off of work and even if he does he has to drive a ways to get here and I don't know whether I can get an extra half hour off for lunch and he probably thinks I am just a self-centered bitch but it was so good to see him . . ."

All of this came out in a rush and finally at this point the head of the secretarial pool was able to interrupt to say: "I've never heard you so excited about anything in the year and a half you have been here. If he saw any of that excitement in you, he'll know you were not being a selfish bitch. He'll know your interested in him. And if he has any sense at all, he'll pursue that interest. As far as getting an hour off for lunch - remember, your on salary, dear. You've stayed late on numerous occasions when important meetings have spilled over into having you order and bring in carry out food for the execs. Friday is usually a slow day, so I can monitor your phone calls for an extra half hour without a problem. Just slow down and think about what you want to do when you see him tomorrow."

"Thanks, Wanda," said Carol realizing she needed to calm down and think about this logically. Suddenly she was hit with panic again. "What an I gonna wear?" she said to herself and anyone within earshot. All she had were the clothes she wore to work, her old sweats and jeans that she cinched around her now much smaller waist but used to work around the house and even go grocery shopping. "He's going to be dressed in - - - whatever mechanics wear when they're not working, and I'll be dressed like the administrative assistant to the president of the company. I can't help but think that will make him feel a little ill at ease," she thought to herself. Then she had an idea. She called Cheri and explained her situation to her. Cheri could tell from the speed at which she was talking and from the urgency in her voice that this was really important.

Cheri asked, "Where you work do you have a "casual Friday" or "jeans Friday" or something like that that would allow you to dress down just a little bit?"

She replied that Friday was casual Friday for almost everyone, but that Mr. Wainwright always wore a suit and tie so she always dressed formally as well. But Mr. Wainwright would be out of town so she could do the "casual Friday" thing without it causing a problem.

"Meet me at the main entrance to my store in the mall as soon as you can get there after work. I'll be off the clock, and we'll go shopping, girlfriend."

Carol called her mom and told her she would be coming home late and would explain when she got home. When she got to the meeting place the first thing they did was go to the cosmetics counter to talk with Janiqua for some suggestions for a little more dramatic makeup. Then it was off to Victoria's

Secret for foundations and stockings followed by a shoe store and several other stores which catered to a younger crowd than the typical business and professional women's department attracted.

It was while they were at Victoria's Secret that Carol expressed the concern, "I don't want people saying I look like a slut."

Cheri turned to her and said rather sternly, "Calling you or me a slut when we look good is just an indication of jealousy on the part of people who do not want to make the effort to look good themselves. You're a beautiful woman. You've worked hard to become a beautiful woman. If you are really interested in this man, there is nothing wrong with showing him that you are a beautiful woman. That's the way nature works. Men are attracted to women who strike them as being beautiful. You have every right to be proud of the beautiful woman you have become. Now let's get you some sexy undies."

Carol got home from shopping around 8 PM Thursday night. No sooner did she get in the door than the telephone rang. Her mother answered it, but called out, "Carol, it's for you."

Carol came to her mother, took the phone. It was Ted.

"How did you get my number?" she asked. "Oh, I'm so stupid. That sounded so selfish. It's a wonder you ever called at all. I just ran off assuming that you could get off of work and drive across town. That was really presumptuous of me. I'm so sorry. I was just so excited to see you and really wanted to see you again - so much so it seems as though I lost my senses. I'm so sorry."

Finally Ted could get a word in. "Whoa, whoa, slow down. I got your number from the telephone book. You said you were still living with your parents. I remembered the street name from when I picked you up for prom and I just looked for Mathers living on that street. Your family is the only Mather family living there. It was elementary, my dear Watson."

"Well, I'm still feeling very sheepish about being so selfish and presumptuous and if you're calling me to tell me you can't make it tomorrow, I'll certainly understand - completely."

"No need to feel sheepish," replied Ted. "When I went in to my boss to ask for some personal time off, he, like, jumped at the chance. We have a truck coming in late tomorrow afternoon that needs routine maintenance before it goes out early Saturday morning. He was thinking that he would have to ask someone to work overtime. Instead, I can take all the time I want for lunch, clock back in, do the maintenance on the truck and put the cat out when I'm done and he won't even have to pay anyone overtime. He called it a 'win-win deal.' So as far as I'm concerned, we're on for 1 o'clock tomorrow afternoon. I'm really looking forward to it."

"Oh I am too, Ted, I am too."

"Well, see you tomorrow, then."

"Yes, you will. Thank you for calling."

"Good night."

"Goodnight."

Ted had no idea what he was going to see.

Chapter 8 - The Vision

Carol had talked with her parents on Thursday night. She told them what was going on: That Ted had just accidentally shown up at the diner and that both of them had changed so much in their appearance that they hardly knew one another but that once they started talking they just felt so comfortable together. She had talked to Cheri and had purchased some clothes for her to wear for casual Friday - but not really for casual Friday, but to keep Ted's interest.

She was telling this to them, because she would feel very self-conscious wearing it in front of them and so didn't want them to say anything about what she was wearing when she came down for breakfast on Friday morning. They agreed to honor her request.

Since her mom's heart attack, Dorothy, (her mom) had lost her excess weight. She had taken heart rehab therapy, and when she was done with that, was able to continue to exercise at the hospital's physical therapy building for a reasonable price during the off hours. She, too, eventually had excess skin removed by a plastic surgeon and had breast augmentation surgery to reduce the sag that resulted from her weight loss. She was having her hair done regularly and saw Janiqua for makeup advice.

How did she pay for all of this when they had lived on a rather tight budget for most of the time Carol was in school? Her dad who was a construction laborer was promoted to foreman. He got a raise and a better health care package. Her mom was feeling much more energetic and had taken a job in a large building supply store, where she could remain on her feet, walking all day long. She kept on eating healthy and the walking was good exercise.

Taking a clue from her daughter, she wanted to look good and worked at it. She had started to buy more fashionable clothing herself, and her husband was delighted in the change in her health, attitude and appearance. Even though Carol's room was upstairs and her parents' room was downstairs, there were times when Carol could tell they were getting it on. Some Saturdays her dad did not bother going down into his shop.

Carol came down to breakfast. Her mother had it all prepared. Her father was sitting at the table already. She came into the room and they said their good mornings. Carols sat down to eat. They all ate and talked about the day, checking to make sure they would all be home for supper. Carol was asked whether she would be home to make supper, and she answered in the affirmative. When they were done eating and they all rose from the table, Carol said, "Aren't you going to say anything?"

Her dad piped up, "You told us not to."

"Well I'm taking it back," she said.

"If you don't have him following you around like a puppy dog and eating out of your hand, he's blind as a bat and stupid, too," said her father.

"That's bold," said her mother. "You just upped your game by a thousand. Looking like that you'll not just make heads turn, you'll make heads spin. You're beautiful, darling."

She gave her parents a hug and a kiss and went to work. It was the look she wanted to have.

Not many people saw her at work. A few may have seen her in the lobby of the building before she entered the elevator. With Mr. Wainwright gone for the day, the fifteenth floor was a pretty quiet place. At 12:45 she got a phone call from Wanda saying she was back from lunch and would take Carol's phone calls until she got back. She finished with, "Good luck."

Carol went to the washroom and touched up her makeup, checked her hair, earrings, necklace, even the piercing in her navel. When she passed her own inspection, she went to the elevator. It seemed to take forever for it to arrive. Finally she exited the building wearing aviator sunglasses, and walked to the corner where she could cross the street with the light.

Ted was standing in front of the diner, waiting for her, watching the entrance to her office building. Then she appeared. Once again, he was not sure he recognized her. Walking out of the building was this tall blonde girl, ramrod straight. There were big gold hoop earrings in her ears. She had on black knee high boots with four inch heels. Tucked into the boots was a pair of stretch skinny jeans. She was wearing a peplum style black soft shiny leather jacket. Under that jacket was some kind of white blouse with long sleeves that had ruffles at the end of the sleeves sticking out of the sleeves of the jacket and similar ruffles that extended out over the lapels of the jacket. She looked like someone right out of the pages of a high end fashion magazine. He watched her walk to the corner, cross the street, and then walk toward him. He could not take his eyes off of her. She knew. Even though the sunglasses hid her eyes, she saw him watching her every step of the way. She knew she had his attention. She walked right up to him, even invaded his space a little bit, lifted up her sunglasses, looked him straight in the eyes, and with a smile on her face, she asked, "You like?"

Ted couldn't help it. He had not planned it. He didn't really know what he was doing. He put his arms gently around her waist, pulled her a little bit closer to himself, kissed her on the lips, just a short kiss, and said, "I love." There was an awkward pause. Ted didn't know what to do next. Neither did Carol.

She turned to the entrance of the diner and Ted opened the door for her. She entered. The back of the jacket scooped a little lower than the front, nevertheless, he was treated to a view of those long legs and the bottom curve of her ass. He thought, "She's a wet dream walking."

The waitress had been expecting them. She said to Ted, "When you told me you'd be coming back today I thought I would try to keep a booth in back open for you if it worked out, and it did. I've got water and menus on the table for you and will be back to take your order in a little bit."

Carol got to the booth. She would sit with her back to the back wall, Ted would sit across the table facing her. Before she slid into the booth, she stood there with her back to the wall, facing Ted, and slowly unbuttoned and took off her jacket. The "blouse" that she was wearing was actually a long sleeved crop top which ended right under her breasts. Without the lapels of her jacket holding the ruffles around the collar of the blouse, the deep "V" of the neckline and the lift that the black lacy bra provided allowed Ted to see a generous amount of the top of her breasts. But most stunning of all was the bare midriff. Her tight, skinny jeans were also very low cut. So between the bottom of her crop top and the top of her jeans there was probably twelve plus inches of taught abdomen. And in the middle of that a navel piercing with a dangling item of jewelry about an inch and a half long hanging down from it.

Words escaped him, but Ted knew he had to try. "Carol, you look absolutely stunning. I'd like to say you look sexy, but that word kind of cheapens it. Maybe sensual is a better word. I cannot adequately put into words how beautiful you are. Just to be with you makes me the luckiest man in the world."

This was a little more that Carol expected, but she could tell that Ted was being sincere. She didn't know exactly what to say, but felt she needed to move on. "Thank you. I really wanted to look good for you, but I don't want this to be all about me. We had such a nice conversation yesterday, I wanted to continue it." And so they did. The waitress took their order. They ate and talked and talked and ate and again the time slipped by way too quickly.

It was Ted who said, "Carol, could we continue this tonight? I'm going to have to work late, but I think I can get done and home and all cleaned up and be at your house by 7:30?"

Carol was delighted. She told Ted that she'd understand if he ran late, but she would be waiting for him. It was time to leave. Carol got up. She grabbed her jacket. She walked past Ted, handing the jacket to him. She asked, "Will you help me on with my jacket?

This was the first time Ted had seen Carol from the back with her jacket off. The jeans were very low cut in back as well. Rising above the low waistband of the jeans was Carol's black lace thong. It was the first time he had seen a whale tail live. He took his finger and placed it on the middle of her back. Making the sound "SSSSST" he quickly removed his finger. "What was that?" asked Carol.

"You're hot," said. Ted.

Without thinking, Carol replied, "Fuckin' hot."

Ted didn't know what to say. He grabbed the bill and walked to the cash register. He paid the bill and walked her back to the office building and to the elevator. He had mixed feelings about this, because part of him wanted to stand back and just watch her move. As they waited for the elevator, they looked at one another. She removed her sunglasses. He would have loved to grab her in his arms and give her a long sensuous kiss. But he thought better of it. He had never kissed a girl the way he wanted to kiss Carol, and he didn't want to make a fool of himself. So he simply said, "Tonight at 7:30." Then he added, "Promise?"