Mrs. Chamberlain: Chapter 07 Barb and Randy alone once again
Five and a half hours after leaving the hotel in St. Louis and an hour and twenty minutes after dropping Barb off at the airport to retrieve her car, Randy pulled into his mom's drive way. After a moment of reflection, he got out of the truck and walked up the sidewalk to meet his mother who was anxiously waiting for him at the door. She hugged and kissed him. She hadn't seen him since just before he deployed the last time.
"Randall....It's been way too long since your last visit."
"I know mom, I've been busy."
"Too busy to come see me once in a while?"
"Mom, you know I'm stationed twelve hours away. I can't just pop in on the weekends. I'm a sergeant now, I have responsibilities. It's not as easy to get away as it used to be," Randy said as he made his way through the door and to the sofa.
"Honey, I know. I just wanted to bust your chops. How's Cora?" she asked grinning.
"She's well. She sends her love."
"Randall, I do love her like a daughter. When are you gonna give her our last name?"
"Mom....We've been over this a hundred times, we don't need... We don't have a traditional relationship."
"Traditional? No, I would say not. She loves you. I talk to her quite often, you know."
"Yes, I know. Let's talk about something else. How's Kim?"
"Your cousin is doing well. She's busting her butt running that quarry. She could use some help though. Your uncle left it to both of you. You should consider quitting the Army and coming home to help. I think she misses you as much as I do."
"She doesn't need my help."
"I know honey. I thought I'd try to guilt you into not reenlisting."
"Mom, if you or she really needed me home, I would move heaven and earth to get here. Neither of you need me here."
"Where are your bags? I know you have some wash that needs done."
"In the truck mom. I'll do it later."
"Nonsense Randall, I'll do it. Go get it."
"Mom really, it's ok, the Army taught me how to do my own laundry."
"Go get your laundry."
"Yes mother."
Randy did as he was told.
*****
Just as he was about to close the door to his truck, his cell phone dinged with a text message. He sat his things down and checked his phone. It was Cora.
I miss you already.
Randy replied:
I miss you too. Just got to moms.
He picked his stuff up and carried it into the house. Before he made it inside his phone dinged twice. He sat the laundry down in the laundry room and his mother squeezed past. His phone dinged again.
"Is that Cora?" she asked.
"Probably" he answered as he checked. It was Cora, but the first two were Barb. Cora wanted him to give his mom her love and to remember to tell her all of the juicy details when he eventually left Barb's.
Barb had let him know that she was home safely and asked if he wanted to have dinner with her?
He answered Barb:
Dinner sounds wonderful.
She responded almost immediately:
Give me a heads up just before you head this way. Do you need directions?
Randy:
Wilco. No I'll find it.
Randy sat talking to his mom while she got up occasionally to attend to his laundry. He really didn't want her to fuss over him but knew that she really wanted to.
Their conversation ranged from the war and his duties in the Army to the family business (quarry) and of course Cora, which he tried to deflect. Randy didn't know it but his mother knew full well the nature of his relationship with Cora, as she and Cora had had a heart to heart long ago, but she liked to give him grief anyway.
As she finished folding the laundry for him, she asked from across the room, "Are you staying for supper?"
"Sorry mom, I've made plans. Maybe tomorrow."
"Oh really? With a He or a She?"
"Mom! Does it matter?"
She smiled, "No dear it doesn't, but she might want these back" she said as she waved a pair of red satin panties in the air. "These do belong to her don't they?"
Randy stood there not knowing how to answer.
"Randall, Cora told me not to expect you to stay, that you would be busy tonight... What Randall? Cat got your tongue? From what I hear, last night it was two cats."
His mouth was now open and no words would come out.
"Close your mouth dear. I don't understand why Cora allows your.....whatever it is she allows but she assures me that you two are happy and that your relationship is healthy. That's all I can ask but I do hope that you will marry that girl some day. Now, when do you have to be wherever it is you have to be?"
"Uh...erm...no real time planned."
"Randall, I raised you better than that. Are you just leaving her guessing about when you're gonna be by?"
"No, I'll call her before I head over as we arranged."
"I just don't get these arrangements that these women have with you."
"No mother, I don't expect that you do."
"Ok dear. Let her know that your obligations have been met and that you will be by shortly" she said grinning.
"Mom, I really don't have to go at any certain time. I can stay a bit longer."
"No dear, she's waiting. One should not keep a lady waiting too long."
Randy cocked his head and could see that she wasn't mad and was having some fun at his expense. He texted Barb that he would be over in about one half hour.
She texted back:
I can hardly wait lover.
*****
Randy arrived at Barb's house having missed only one turn. She opened the storm door just as he stepped onto the stoop. "Damn nice digs Barb. They must pay teachers more than I thought."
"No Randy, this is all Thomas' doing. I would have been perfectly content with something more modest but he had to keep up appearances at work."
Barb ushered him in and gave him the tour.
"Drop your things there Randy," she said as they entered the Master suite. She lead him on through the house and out to the back which overlooked a wooded valley in the distance.
"Nice view of the river Barb. If you look really hard," Randy pointed, "way over there past the bend, you can just make out our quarry."
"Oh, your family runs it?"
"Yeah, it's been in the family a while now. My dad and uncle started it when they were younger than me. Mom did the books. Dad died, and then several years later so did my uncle. It actually belongs to my cousin and me but she runs it. Does a damned fine job too. I tell everyone that that's where I learned to blow shit up."
"So she does the work and you make all the money?" Barb asked jokingly.
"Yes, she does the work. No I don't take a share. Kim makes sure that mom's taken care of though. Maybe when I get out, I'll pick up the slack."
"Sounds like you're close to her, your cousin I mean."
"Yup. We were almost like siblings...always there for one another. I learned a lot about women from her. We were roommates in college; those that didn't know us thought we were a couple. We had a lot of the same classes and we went everywhere together. I had to go with her... she had the 'company' car" Randy said chuckling.
Barb led him into the kitchen and sat him down at a small table. "I hope its ok. I thought we'd eat light since it's getting late."
"It's fine Barb. Hell I could have grabbed a pizza or something. I hope you didn't go out of your way."
"No lover. I needed to get some things at the store anyway, so I grabbed one of their rotisserie chickens and a salad from the salad bar. I'll warm up a canned vegetable and we'll eat real soon."
"Sounds good to me, need some help?"
"No lover, relax. I miss having a man in the house."
The meal was finished and Randy insisted on helping with the dishes. He got off easy by rinsing them and putting them in the dishwasher. He thought to himself that it would have been nice to have a dishwasher when he was growing up.
They sat out on the back deck for a few minutes after cleaning up and shared some light conversation.
Barb eventually got a bit more serious though. "Randy...These last few days have been a whirlwind for me. I've had so many new and exciting experiences with and because of you. Thank you."
"Barb, I hope things haven't overwhelmed you. I hope that you haven't felt pressured or coerced into anything. Cora can be a handful....She sure took a liking to you. I almost began to feel left out there for a bit" Randy said, only half joking.
"Oh no Randy, nothing happened that I.... I don't regret anything that happened" she said as she straddled his lap and kissed him passionately. "Mmmm...I think I can still smell her on you." Barb stood and dragged Randy by the hand. She was smiling wickedly, "Come lover, I have a treat for you."
"Barb, I hope you haven't gone to any trouble."
"Shush, no trouble at all. But I do hope you will relax and allow me to attend to you" she said while leading him into the en-suite bath.
She began to draw a bath in the humongous tub and giggled. "Strip lover, its bath time."
"Yes Mrs. Chamberlain" Randy replied.
Barb gasped excitedly.