MRS. M
In love, my dearest, there is no self-respect.
- Maurice Barres -
Love in Thule
-
Mrs. M was sort of a surrogate mother for the kids in the neighborhood. That's what they all called her: Mrs. M., and her husband was known to the neighborhood kids as Mr. M. They had two kids of her own: Alan, Jr., whom everyone called just Junior, and Robert. Junior had turned 18 just six months ago, and Robert would turn 18 in another 6 months, but Robert was already taller than Junior. Since they were so close in age and were only a year apart in school, they had mutual friends: Troy, Stewart, who were also 18. and Jason and Carl were the ones who hung around the most.
They lived in a middle-class neighborhood, and the parents of most of the kids both worked, leaving their kids pretty much alone a lot of the time. Mr. M worked long hours, but Mrs. M was a stay-at-home mother; so the kids in the neighborhood took to hanging around with Junior and Robert at her house since they had been about 11 or 12. They'd mostly show up after school with her kids and play video games and wrestle and joke around, or in the summer, swim in their pool.
Mrs. M treated all of them almost as if they were her own kids. She'd have little celebrations for them on their birthdays, baked them cakes; bandaged scraped knees, hug them when they were sad, congratulated them when they accomplished something to be proud of; many times having them for dinner when their parents had to work late.
Troy had lost his father in a car accident a few years back, and was left alone the most because his mother had to work long hours to support them, so Troy subsequently spent more time at Mrs. M's. He also was Mrs. M's favorite. He wasn't the best looking kid; he had a big mouth, and he wore his hair long like a girl's. In fact, if you were to take a picture of Mrs. M and him together, their red, curly hair was almost the same length and cut in a similar style. Troy was always laughing and kidding around. He always had a witty comeback for everything, but was never sarcastic. He never seemed to take anything seriously, yet got the best grades in school and had his life planned out at a young age. So also, at about the age of 12, he began wisecracking and bantering back and forth with Mrs. M. But he would also talk to her as if he were older, about subjects more of an adult nature, about his dreams, his aspirations. He declared he was going to go to the Air Force Academy and become a Jet Pilot.
One evening, he said to her: "You know, Mrs. M., I've decided that when I grow up, I'm going to marry you."
Mrs. M., taking the remark as a joke, replied, "Really, Troy? But I've already got a husband whom I am very much in love with."
"Yeah, at present, that does create a little problem," he said.
"What do you think we should do about that?" she asked.
"You'll just have to divorce him."
"But I love him, Troy, and I'll never divorce him."
"Well, he's old, so maybe we just wait for him to die."
"He's not old, Troy, he's only 39. And I don't want him to die; I'd be very lonely and sad if he died, so I hope he doesn't die for a very long time."
"Hmm. I guess then I'll have to do some serious thinking about that."
"Be sure to let me know what you come up with, Okay?"
And the subject was dropped and never came up again.
***
Mr. M left for work each morning at about 7:30 and didn't return home till between 9 and 10 in the evening. Mrs. M would cook dinner for herself and Mr. M and the kids, then wrap Mr. M.'s in cellophane and put it in the fridge and warm it up for him in the microwave when he got home. They would then have a drink together and talk about their day and whatever was going on in their lives. On Saturdays, however, he arrived home between 5 and 6 pm. and they and the kids would have dinner together. Sunday mornings Mr. M cleaned the pool and cut the lawn, the rest of the day was 'family day.' No kids from the neighborhood in the pool, just Mr. and Mrs. M and Junior and Robert.
That was when the kids were young. In their middle- and upper-teens, they were allowed to just enter the side gate and use the pool whenever they wanted, as long as they obeyed the rules. No horse-play, no diving in the shallow end, no running around, no glass containers. And they obeyed the rules. No one wanted to get on Mrs. M.'s wrong side and be banned or give up her cookies and cakes and parties. So, even on Sundays in the summer, the house and pool area were filled with teenagers. Those who were dating began bringing their girl friends around.
Sometimes, on Saturday evenings, when the boys didn't have dates, and they got tired of video games, the kids would all sit at the kitchen table and play penny-ante poker. Many times even Mr. and Mrs. M would join them. In fact, Mr. and Mrs. M furnished the pennies. They kept a large jar filled with pennies just for that purpose. At the start of the games, everyone would be doled out a certain amount of pennies with which to play, and at the end of the evening all the pennies would be returned to the jar, so that no one ever won or lost anything. The games were played only for bragging rights.
When the kids were out on dates or whatever else they might be doing on Saturday nights, leaving Mr. & Mrs. M alone, they drank together and danced or maybe, went skinny-dipping together in the pool. The yard was surrounded by an 8' fence, so there was plenty of privacy.
One Saturday night, Mr. and Mrs. M were cuddled together after a heavy session of love-making, Mr. M said, "You know, that kid Troy has one gigantic crush on you."
"Don't be silly," she answered. "He's just a kid."
"He may be, but that doesn't mean he can't have a crush. I remember when I was that age, I had a friend, Roger, whose mother every kid in the neighborhood had a crush on. We all thought she was hot. If I were to bet, I'd bet that every one of them masturbated just thinking about her."
"But why would any of these kids think that about me? I don't dress sexy in any way, I usually have on baggy jeans and some old wrinkled, ugly shirt. And they are all friend of our sons, and I am twice their age. Why would you even think that?"
"Pay attention next time. He follows your around everywhere you go. He helps you clear the table. If you even mention wanting something, he jumps up and gets it for you. And when he's not following you around physically, he follows you wherever you go with his eyes. He's got it bad. And I'd bet he's home masturbating right now thinking about you."
"That's a terrible thought. How could you say such a thing? These are all such nice, well-behaved boys. None of them could ever be like that. Don't ever say such things again."
He said no more. He fell quickly asleep in her arms. She, on the other hand, could not get what he had told her out of her mind. The thought of a boy half her age thinking that way about her, after all, was kind of flattering. Thinking about it was giving her a tingling in her groin, even though she had just been very sexually satisfied. She finally fell asleep with a smile on her face.
She never again thought of Troy in the same way as she had previously. More and more the thought of his wanting her crowded into her head and brought on an unexpected, but not unpleasant, sense of arousal.
***
One evening the boys were all sitting around sharing a pizza, talking about their upcoming senior prom, and what girl they were going to ask. Every one of them had a date lined up except Troy and Carl. For Carl it was understandable. He was shy and probably a little slow. He just sort of hung around with the others and never seemed to want any more than that. Troy, on the other hand, was a puzzle.
"Why not?" Junior asked him.
"I don't know how to dance, and I can't ask a girl to the prom and then not dance. How would I explain that? She would laugh at me."
"My mother taught Robert and me to dance. Why don't you ask her if she'd teach you? In fact, I'll ask her for you.
"Hey, mom, would you teach Troy to dance so he can go to the prom?"
"I guess I could give him a couple of lessons. C'mon Troy, let's go to the den."
Part of the den was uncarpeted, which Mr. and Mrs. M used to dance with each other and where she had taught her boys. She now led Troy there, with the rest of the boys following. Junior turned on some music and they began. She had to start wit the basics: how to hold your partner, where to put the hands, etc. At first he had two left feet, but he was a fast learner and once he got the hang of it, he progressed quickly.
Three straight evenings she taught him. She always made sure she kept her distance from him, never letting him get too close to her, whether a slow or a fast dance. And Troy was always a perfect gentleman, never attempting more than she allowed him. He finally asked a girl at school to the prom, and she accepted.
