"The Lady Is a Tramp" is a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical "Babes in Arms." It was introduced by former child star Mitzi Green. That song has nothing to do with this story.
I was a fairly normal teenager -- except that I was really big for my age (not fat), all over, and I had been held back one year in school because I had a year-long illness when I was six years old. When I was 18, and a junior in High School, I was six foot four, 235 pounds, could bench press 350, and squat 500. I was considered a "gentle giant" however since even though I was stronger than any guys on the football team at the High School that I attended I didn't play football. Instead I was in High School theater productions.
Only one person ever tried to mess with me in High School.
As I and four other theater students (three girls, one guy) were leaving the theater when after-school rehearsals were over a group of four or five football players were walking in the same hallway, having just finished football practice. I knew the football players, though not well; I did know that one of them, John Brandt who was a senior defensive tackle, was a bully and an asshole.
As we walked along for some reason John got it in his pee brain that he could mess with me. He called me a sissy because I was in theater (he had never seen my gym workouts) and caught me by surprise when he pushed me over.
My friends tell me that I went ballistic -- I don't personally remember anything that happened once I hit the floor except for five foot three inch Jessica Steele -- the very brave female lead in the play I was in at the time -- holding my face and saying "Calm down Lucas Higgins -- it's all right -- it's me, Jessica -- you can stop now. He's unconscious; you don't need to hit or kick him again."
When my mind regained clarity I looked down at prone John Brandt. His face was a pile of goo, and he was out like a light. Two of his teammates were tending to him; they had bewildered looks on their faces. My friends led me away with encouraging words.
I later found that when John Brandt was released from the hospital he said he didn't remember anything about the attack. In his case I think that it was a lie -- in my case it was the truth.
Up until that time I was a virgin. While I had dated quite a few times most of the girls were under 18 and not in theater. For some reason the fact that I knocked out a bully football player and didn't even remember it was like an aphrodisiac to the senior girls in theater (who I found were much more free-spirited than most girls in our school, and all over 18). Jessica was the one to take my cherry (I didn't take hers), and we hooked up on and off for the rest of the schoolyear. Carolyn, Charlene, Betsy and Winifred all gave me a try (actually several tries each) after I got rave reviews from Jessica. Although none of these were serious romances they were eminently enjoyable because all five of them were extremely active and passionate. I do believe that I was the most sexually satisfied male at Redmond High by the time that the summer after my junior year rolled around.
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The centerpiece of this story is not the senior girls in theater, but Desiree Cain. The summer between my junior and senior years when I was still 18 Desiree Cain was a thirty-something woman in our neighborhood. She both terrified and intrigued most of the teenage boys, and all of the teenage girls. She fascinated most adult males, and offended many adult females.
Desiree was married to Samuel Cain who seemed to be kind of a quiet, milquetoast guy who also happened to be the wealthiest person in the suburb of a big Midwestern city that I lived in. While his and Desiree's house was the nicest, it wasn't pretentious. From what I knew by keeping my ears open listening to adults talking, Samuel could have afforded to buy all of the houses in our entire neighborhood.
Desiree was more flamboyant than Samuel, but seemed to keep a relatively low profile for most (but not all) things. He drove an innocuous two or three year old Mercedes sedan; she drove either a new Tesla S Plaid, or a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ (suggested retail price $522,000) depending on her whim at any particular time.
The reason why Desiree fascinated and frightened so many people was because she was beautiful, rich, mean, nasty, and exuded sex. It seemed that the only person she treated well was Samuel. She went through domestic staff like water going over a dam. She didn't seem to have many female friends, although she did seem to have a group of hangers-on who followed her around probably because she bought things for them when shopping, and because they thought that being associated with someone as beautiful and sexy as Desiree made them "cool."
To make money I started mowing lawns and landscaping during the summer. I knew Samuel Cain only well enough to say hi to him; the most I ever talked to him was about fifteen minutes during a neighborhood barbeque with two or three other people. He was always friendly to me, however.
One Saturday morning when I was getting ready to go out and mow a couple of lawns for clients, and trim their bushes, Samuel Cain approached me. "Hi Lucas, good to see you," he said with a smile, shaking my hand. After a few minutes of chit-chat he got to the point.
"Lucas, our third landscaper this summer just quit. Apparently my wife Desiree is difficult to work with. I was hoping that you could take over mowing our lawn and doing some other minor landscaping work -- and maybe something else," Samuel said.
"Uh, I am looking for work Mr. Cain, but what makes you think that I would be able to get along with Mrs. Cain any better than the other landscapers?"
"For one reason, I've made it clear to Desiree that if she alienates you she'll have to do the lawn herself. Another reason is that the other landscapers used their own equipment which included many gasoline powered implements which she claimed were polluting and too noisy, whereas I want you to use the ride-on mower and other tools in our gardening shed, all of which are battery powered electric. If you're interested can you give me a price?"
"Gosh, Mr. Cain, that sounds really good. Do you know how much lawn area you have? I know that you have a big back yard with a fenced-in pool."
"According to the other landscapers, who I believe are correct, the lawn area is right around an acre and 1/4" Samuel replied.
I gave him a price that was 25% more than I normally would have charged, anticipating problems with Desiree. He smiled in reply.
"That's very reasonable, Lucas, I'm happy to agree. However, I have another proposal that is in addition to landscaping. How would you like to make twice that for helping me out with something else that should not require much of your time?"
"Wow -- I probably would," I grinned.
"I am concerned that some of Desiree's activities are not the most appropriate or desirable. I want you to do mowing every Monday and other landscaping work every Thursday, and keep your eyes and ears open and report to me anything that seems off-kilter."
'Uh...you mean...like...spy on her?" I stammered.
"No, not really; don't go out of your way to monitor her activities. Just keep your eyes and ears open and report anything suspicious. On this card," he continued, handing me a business card, "is my personal cellphone number."
After I thought for a few seconds I said "You don't want me to go through the trash, or install listening devices, or anything, do you?"
"No Lucas; just keep your eyes and ears open when you're around our house, or her," he smiled.
"Great...yeah Mr. Cain, but you don't have to pay me twice what the landscaping costs to do that," I humbly replied.
"Great! I insist on that payment Lucas, and prefer to deal in cash. Here's a thousand dollars up front; you just call my cellphone when the cost of your services exceeds that, and I'll give you more cash. I do not want an invoice at any time. Please start this coming Monday; when you arrive knock on the door to let Desiree know that you're there, then just go to the shed; here's a key for the shed; it also works on the lock for the pool fence gate."
I was blown away -- but not too startled to refuse the cash, which I brought inside my house after Mr. Cain left.
So Monday at 10 a. m. found me knocking on the front door of the Cain mini-mansion. When Desiree answered the door herself -- not a maid -- I knew that this job was going to be both really challenging and rewarding. She had on a string bikini that left little to the imagination. In two seconds I had the answer to the question often speculated on by teenage boys: "Are her DD tatas real or fake?" The answer was definitely "real."
Hoping that I wasn't gap jawed or tenting my pants when Desiree asked "Yes?" in a tone more bored than nasty, I replied "Mrs. Cain, Mr. Cain said to knock on the door when I was ready to start to mow your lawn. With your permission I'll go to the shed now and get out the riding mower and other equipment."
"OK, knock yourself out," she replied as she closed the door. Again her tone was more bored than nasty but the smug look on her face seemed to say "Caught you looking at my tatas, pervert."
My Johnson was at half-mast just from a five second look, and I had already started to sweat even though it wasn't yet even 80°F.
Monday and Thursday proceeded without incident. The second Monday when I knocked on the front door there was a two or three year old Ford in the driveway next to the four car garage. A maid answered the door. She was cute, obviously of Eastern European extraction. I asked her to tell Mrs. Cain that I was there. Her English wasn't good but I thought I understood her to reply "Mrs. Cain know you here and is to look around pool before go." I told her that I would; I found out later that what she really meant was DON'T look around the pool.
After I mowed the lawn with my key I opened the pool fence gate. The pool fence was seven feet high and solid to provide maximum privacy, undoubtedly because Desiree tanned topless given the golden brown hue on her tits when I saw her the first Monday.
When I walked into the pool area it sure looked like Desiree was naked on a chaise lounge and a nude big dude was above her. They both saw me, and I quickly closed the gate, and exited, red-faced. I immediately went to the shed and put all of the equipment away. As I was walking past the pool fence on my way to my pickup truck the pool gate opened and the guy who had been with Desiree -- now clothed -- came out, followed by Desiree.
