Money was in short supply in our house, and we needed to find a way out of the hole. With this thought in mind one evening, I sat browsing the internet when I came across an ad on the local rugby club's website looking for host families to take on players from South Africa for a year.
'Look at this, Katherine,' I said to my wife, the hope obvious in my voice. The city's rugby club will pay us £400 per month to take on an academy player for a year. And other than providing a room, we wouldn't have to do anything. What do you think of that? Should we do it?'
Katherine's pretty eyes widened with interest, and she walked over to where I was sitting so that she could read it for herself on my laptop. Sliding in beside me on the sofa, I took in the softness of her legs and the warmth of her body as she spent a few moments pondering the ad. She then surprised me by her expression of willingness. 'You know what?' she said. 'Let's do it.'
Filled with relief that our financial difficulties might finally be addressed, and with an enthusiasm over being on the same instinctive page as my wife, I immediately filled in the form online to get the vetting process going. The next day, I got a call from the rugby club convenor, Brian.
'Tom Williams?' he said when I picked up the phone. 'My name is Brian Wells from Newton Rugby Club. Thank you for filling in the online application for hosting a visiting player. Give us a few days to do the background checks, and I'll get back to you with a response, but I expect there won't be any problems.' And so it was that three days after that, we found out we were going to have house guest for a year from South Africa.
His name was Mike, and on the back of the details we were provided by the club, we looked him up on Facebook. He was nineteen -- nearly twenty -- and I was in awe when I saw what he looked like. He appeared to stand at well over six feet tall. He had a handsome face with tussled blond hair and blue eyes, and he had a build that definitely set him apart as a rugby player. I thought of a gladiator when I saw him, although I am not sure what Katherine thought, as when I showed her his profile, she went pretty quiet.
Two months later, it was time to pick Mike up from the airport. I had to attend a work meeting at the same time his flight was due to arrive, so it meant Katherine would have to make the long drive on her own. She was not at all happy about this, because it meant we had to get someone to look after the kids for the evening, while she would be stuck greeting, then driving in a car for almost an hour with, a young man whom she did not yet know. Katherine was naturally introverted and quite shy around people when first encountering them, and decided ahead of time that this would be a painful experience. But she did what needed to be done nonetheless,
Arriving at the airport for 8:30 p.m., she got into the terminal building and waited only a minute before Mike appeared. Almost as soon as he did, though, all her frustration and nervousness disappeared. It was as if Mike had a sixth sense for how she would be feeling, because he strode right up to her, gave her a hug, and thanked her for coming to get him.
'Katherine, it's great to finally meet! Can I call you Katherine?' he said. 'I looked at where your house was on the map, and realise it must have taken you a while to get here. I really appreciate it.' He spoke charmingly fast, with natural enthusiasm. 'I have to say, I spotted you the moment I walked through the arrivals gate. You're prettier in real life than on Facebook.'
Katherine blushed at the compliment. 'Hi Mike. Good to meet you too. Let's get your stuff outside, and we can head home.'
'Of course,' Mike replied. 'But I will carry everything. I don't want you to lift a finger.'
On the drive home, Mike told Katherine about his rugby career, what he hoped to get from his time with us in the UK, and - most importantly for us -- that he came from a wealthy family. Because of this, he stressed, we could enjoy the extra £400 per month we were getting to support him, as he would be personally contributing to all groceries and other expenses, so that we would not be put out in any way. Of course, this was good news to Katherine, but of greater significance was the fact that the two of them got along so well. After the frustration over having to drive out to the airport to pick Mike up, she was now feeling completely at ease with him. Happy even.
By the time they reached home and I met them at the door, it was as if they were fast friends. Katherine was smiling, which pleased me, because I had expected I would be apologising profusely for putting her through the ordeal. Rather, the three of us spoke at length together, until Katherine started showing signs of fatigue, and we decided to head to bed.
When I got up the next morning, showered, dressed, and went downstairs, I found Katherine already there making lunches for the kids, and sipping at a coffee. Her beauty struck me as she stood at the counter. Her face was always pretty, and her long, dark hair beautiful; but this morning, her long, sexy legs clad in a simple pair of black leggings, and her small breasts making only the slightest appearance under her t-shirt, really made an impression on me. Maybe we were both just feeling lighter of heart, knowing that some of our financial concerns were going to be taken care of for awhile with our knew house guest, but the positive energy in the house was palpable. I didn't have long for such thoughts, though, as much to my surprise it turned out that Mike was there too, sitting with the kids at the breakfast table, and making them laugh. He had apparently woken up early, and decided to introduce himself to the boys while they ate and he had a coffee.
'Morning, Tom,' he said to me when I stepped into the kitchen.
'Morning Mike', I replied. 'I can't believe you're up this early, especially after spending yesterday travelling. Aren't you tired?'
'No. Not really. It's not like I had to cross many time zones to get here, and besides, I'm normally up working out by this time anyway,' he said.
'Ah, well that explains the clothes,' I smiled in response. I had noticed as soon as I saw him that he was wearing nothing but a pair of black lycra shorts and a t-shirt, along with some pretty expensive-looking trainers.
Katherine chipped in happily, 'And Mike said he would walk the kids to school, too!'
'Yeah, well I figure Katherine probably deserves some time just to read and enjoy her coffee in the morning, so if it's alright with you both, I'll be happy to walk the kids in as part of my morning routine,' Mike said.
The kids looked excited. 'That's alright, isn't it, dad? Uncle Mike can let mummy relax!'
I raised my eyebrows quizzically. 'Uncle Mike is it?'