My name is Derek. I am 50, 6'0", 182 lbs, and a local ACE hardware store supervisor. The love of my life died three years ago of cancer, and we never had children. It's not that we didn't want children, but Rebecca never got pregnant. We loved each other, and if god (or fate) did not allow us to conceive, we didn't complain or search for a cause or another option to have a baby.
In the first year after Rebecca died, I was devastated. Slowly, I returned to being my old self again. Friends and employees tried to convince me to look for another mate, "You are still young and in good shape. Plenty of women will be happy to share their lives with you. It's easier than you think to find a nice lady on dating sites, in Church, or parties".
My wife was my sweetheart since high school, and I was reluctant, even embarrassed, to look for a suitable woman. It was a combination of not knowing how to choose, being scared of rejection, and frankly, it wasn't 'my thing...'
Nowadays I live alone in the house. I have a routine that I keep. Every workday, I eat breakfast and read the latest news online. Then, I drive to the store and work 8-12 hours daily. I work four days a week and every other weekend. When I arrive home, I usually warm up a ready-to-eat meal and watch TV until it's time to sleep. I go to LA Fitness three evenings a week for an hour of exercise and a leisurely swim. I learned to schedule all my errands on my free days and, touch wood; I never had a significant problem until now.
...
In the last year, I've noticed my young neighbor leave her home and return at similar hours. I knew very little about her. Except for 'hello' and 'hi,' we never spoke. I knew she was young, living alone, with long brown hair and a cute face.
One day, she knocked on my door. I was surprised to see her but assumed she probably needed my help. I smiled and let her in, "We were never officially introduced. My name is Derek. What's yours?"
She smiled shyly, "I am Lorna. We have been neighbors for more than a year, and we have never talked. It's my fault. I should have been more friendly. I have a request, but if you refuse, I'll understand."
I smiled, "Why don't you give me a chance..."
She hesitated, "The other day, my old Chevrolet Cavalier died. I had it towed to the nearest service center, and they notified me the engine was kaput. I am saving money to buy a new car, but I am not there yet. I see you going and coming almost the same time I do. If you could drive me both ways, I'd work for you, like cleaning your house, cooking, and even the laundry."
"Lorna, I'll happily drive you, and you don't have to do anything in return. On second thought, each time you see me, smile... Nothing else is necessary."
"But sir, I'll feel guilty taking advantage of you."
"First of all, 'sir' was never my name," I smirked, "If you don't want to call me Derek, we can compromise on HRH,"
She glanced at me, "What, or who, is HRH?"
"It's His Royal Heinie... I meant to say His Royal Highness."
She stared into my eyes and laughed heartily, "I love your humor. OK, Derek it is. It's nice of you to agree to drive me despite not knowing where I work."
"I planned to ask it later. I am a supervisor at work and can be late occasionally. But we could start earlier if I have to drive you in the opposite direction.
She gave me the address, which would add about 10 minutes to my driving time.
I faked concern, "This will add too much to my daily commute. Your smile better be a big one!"
"Sir... Sorry, Derek, I like you. Are you ever serious? Do you joke like that at work? I mean, the employees may not take you seriously..."
"I have four workers, and each is a friend. They do their best, and my job is not to order them to do stuff but to help when they need clarification, to ensure that merchandise arrives on time and the books are kept in order. Visit us if you have free time, and see for yourself. I promise you'll get coffee and a doughnut."
She grinned, "I'll think about it. I want to do it, but don't forget I don't have a car..."
"Lorna, you are right. I guess once I turned 50, dementia is already kicking in... Look, if you have free time and are curious about us, call me, and I'll drive you both ways."
"Derek, can we begin the driving tomorrow?"
"Absolutely. Be ready 10 minutes early."
...
When I exited my house, Lorna was already standing by my car. She smiled broadly.
I grinned, "Thank you for the cutest smile I've seen in a long time. I hope you didn't wait long."
"I came two minutes ago." She sat down, "It's a nice car, what is it?"
"It's a three years old Lexus."
"The seat is very comfortable, and the radio sounds great."
"I like Lexus because it's reliable. Except for the routine maintenance, it had never seen a car service department."
When I drove, Lorna examined the car's interior. I peeked at her now and then. As I mentioned, her face was cute and framed nicely with her long hair. Her short-sleeved blouse accentuated her ample breasts. The summery skirt exposed shapely legs.
I reached the destination, and Lorna thanked me. She pointed to a hair salon, "I work here."
"Good to know. I'll be here around 4 pm to pick you up."
The day was hectic, and I almost forgot I was supposed to take Lorna. When I entered the car, I smelled her perfume, and it reminded me...
She wasn't outside, so I tried to enter the salon. A large middle-aged woman blocked the entrance, "Sorry, mister, but we do women only."
"I am here to pick up Lorna."
She stared at me up and down and yelled, "Lorna, your boyfriend is here."
Lorna came out, "Thanks, Takisha, see you tomorrow."
When we were in the car, I asked, "Why didn't you tell her I am not your boyfriend?"
She giggled, "I wanted her to be jealous of me. She likes to talk about her gold jewelry and successful daughter, so I let her think you are my guy..."
"Lorna, you look beautiful. I do not know how old you are, but I guess you are about half my age. You are proud to have a boyfriend who is as old as your father?"
"Derek, don't sell yourself short. You are tall, handsome, funny, and a gentleman. It's not easy to find a man with these qualities; trust me, I tried multiple times. Most young people I thought of dating were too egocentric, too talkative, and were more interested in sports and going to bed with me than in serious relationships. Others were using hard-core drugs. You are not using illicit drugs, are you?"
I chuckled, "Not yet."
"You see what I mean - You are perfect!"