Chaperone: A person who accompanies and looks after another person or group of people.
'To our wonderful Chaperones: Thanks so much for agreeing to supervise. There's a bottle waiting for you in the den! Love Steve and Miriam'
As Frank drove them both across town Laura recalled the message that their best friends had sent them before they left. A couple of months earlier their best friends had asked for a favour. Bound for the Caribbean for a week they had intended to leave their large, detached house in the care of their son, Liam. For a nineteen-year-old, he was quite trustworthy, so, ordinarily, Laura didn't think they would have had a problem leaving him in charge.
But then Liam asked about the possibility of a party whilst they were away. To his credit, he asked his parents for permission to which they happily agreed. But their acquiescence came with a proviso: Laura and Frank would have to be there. They may have trusted their son, but thirty plus teenagers in one house will always have the potential to be a handful.
Laura knew that Liam would be okay with the two of them supervising. Having been friends with his parents for many years, they knew him well and had always got along fine. He knew they would allow him and his friends to have fun and just be there in case he needed assistance.
Anticipating a quiet evening, Frank had suggested they might even be able to make the most of it. with a little adult time for themselves. Smiling at Frank, she caught his eye. His wink told her his thoughts were similarly engaged. Underneath the short skirt and loose blouse, Laura had dressed to excite, and she hoped there would be a chance to show it to Frank later.
Pulling up on the drive, they saw the door was open and as they both got out of the car, Liam appeared at the doorway with a big smile.
"Hi guys." Over the last few years, they had watched their friends' son grow into the handsome teenager he now was. Six foot tall, with short brown hair, he looked athletic and strong - but not like he spent every moment in the gym. Looking at him, it struck Laura that he reminded her of Frank at the same age.
"Hi Liam, how are you? All set for tonight? Anything we can do to help?"
"I'm great, thanks, looking forward to it. Everything's ready to go! You can just relax!"
At that moment Frank's phone rang. Glancing at the screen, Frank said "I have to take this, sorry," and walked slightly away from the house.
Moving inside, Laura saw that Liam's assessment was correct. Everything was tidy, the dining table was loaded with food (and a big bowl of punch) and the home bar looked well stocked.
"Well, you've been busy, Liam! Good work!"
"Thanks. I've put a few things down in the den for you guys as well."
Laura smiled at him in thanks. "You're very sweet."
"Although I don't know why you think you need to hide down the end of the garden, you'd be more than welcome to join us."
"Oh, Liam, thanks, but I'm sure you and your friends don't want two oldies cramping your style."
"No way! Everyone would love it. Besides, you could easily pass for a teenager."
The appreciative look on his face made Laura wonder, not for the first time, if Liam 'liked' her, more than was appropriate for a friend's son.
"Flatterer!" said Laura, laughing. "Bless, you, Liam, but my days of fitting in at teen parties are long gone. We'll be fine in the den."
Like anyone she was still susceptible to being complimented. But whenever she glanced at herself in a mirror, she was proud of her thirty-eight-year-old body. Regular exercise and a good diet meant she was still trim. Laura was average height, had a flat stomach, firm breasts and dark hair cut into a bob. Okay, she didn't have the body of a teen anymore, but she thought she still looked damn good!
"Now, your guests are coming from eight, right?" Liam nodded. "Okay. So, Frank and I will install ourselves in the den and I promise we won't get in the way, we'll let you guys enjoy yourselves. If you need anything just call us on the extension and one of us will come up. Otherwise, we will stay put. Unless we run out of snacks, of course!
Liam chuckled. "Thanks. Come up to the house any time, you'd be welcome."
At that moment Frank came into the room with a rueful look on his face. "Sorry, love, crisis at the plant, I'm going to have to go and see what's happening." Frank was a senior engineer at the power plant. An interesting, well-paid job that gave them both a comfortable lifestyle, but it did come with a lot of responsibility.
She knew she must have looked disappointed as Frank quickly gave her a hug and said quietly in her ear, "Don't worry, I promise you'll still get your sexy time." Out loud he said, "Looks like there's the possibility of power cuts if we can't get a fix in, so might be best to be prepared if you can." And with a pat on Liam's back, he was out of the door and in his car.
As she watched him drive away, she asked Liam if they had any candles. "Oh sure, they're in the den."
"Ah good. I'll drop my bag down there and then bring some back up whilst you finish off up here."