A big thank you to blackrandi1958 for the invitation to her "
When A Man Loves a Woman
" writing event and for her editing talent.
Allie Loman and her best friend, Traci Simpson, were lounging by the pool in the Loman backyard on a sunny June morning sipping ice tea when their conversation got around to Traci's love life... or rather, the lack thereof.
Traci, 39, had been divorced for nine years. She had dated sparingly in that time. Allie, three years older than her friend, had spent those years encouraging Traci, pointing out that she was a pretty woman who was smart and fun to be around. She could practically have her choice of most of the single men around in her age range, she often told her friend.
"You know, you just have to be a little less picky, Trace. I've seen the way some of these guys look at you," Allie said as they sipped their tea.
"I'm not looking for a series of one-nighters, Allie. You know that," Traci answered. "I want to find a good man... and someday try this marriage thing again.
"You know, a good man... just like your Roger. He wouldn't happen to have a brother hiding someplace, would he?"
Allie and Roger had been married for 19 years, and been neighbors of Traci for the last 13. Traci and her then-husband, Lou, moved into the neighborhood a year after the Lomans. The four turned into tight friends, until Traci caught her husband cheating and divorced him. Traci, a schoolteacher, wound up with the house in the divorce.
As the women continued to drink their tea, Allie's 21-year-old son, Roger Junior, called RJ for short, was just starting to mow Traci's backyard. It was a job he had done for Traci since the divorce. He saw his mother and Traci and gave a quick wave.
Allie looked at her son, then gave a sideways glance at Traci.
"You know, Roger doesn't have any brothers running around, but he does have a good man for a son," Allie said brightly while looking Traci directly in the eyes.
Allie and Traci had been friends long enough that Traci immediately picked up on Allie's look. She colored red.
"Oh, please, Al! Do you have something stronger than tea in your glass?" Traci asked in a lighthearted manner.
"You said you wanted a good man..."
"Hahaha," Traci laughed heartily. "Like any 21-year-old would ever look at an old lady like me... and like I would ever date your son. Hell, I've known him since he was a little kid. He's the closest thing I have to a child."
The women grinned at each other. Traci glanced over at RJ, and noted the youth's lean, athletic body and the same good looks as his father. She didn't realize the she was blushing, although Allie noticed. "Hmmm," Allie thought.
Allie looked over at her friend. She noted that although Traci was probably about 15 pounds over her ideal weight, the woman was still more than an attractive package. She had shoulder-length, curly blonde hair, cobalt blue eyes and large breasts, the latter which sometimes seemed to dominate her 5-4, 130-pound frame. Through the years, Allie had seen plenty of men, including both her husband and her son, admiring Traci's body.
That night after dinner, Roger and Allie were cuddled together on their sofa watching a movie while RJ was out with friends. Allie was fidgety, which to Roger meant a serious discussion was about to ensue. He reached over to the remote and hit pause.
"Spill, woman. What's grinding through the gears in that brain of yours?" Roger asked.
"Can't hide anything from you, can I?" she said with a sheepish grin.
"It's not like we haven't been together for a hundred years," Roger responded.
"You still look pretty buff for a centenarian," Allie said.
"So..."
"What would you think if Traci were to date a younger guy?" Allie asked.
"What would I think? Why would she, or you, worry about what I would think?" Roger asked. "Oh, wait. How much younger are we talking?"
Allie colored and hesitated. Roger raised an eyebrow.
"Pr-pretty young," Allie whispered.
"Wait. Are you trying to fix her up, or is this Traci's idea?" Roger said.
"Does it really matter? Would you think less of her?"
"I mean... maybe. Wouldn't it be awkward for everybody if the guy was considerably younger?" Roger questioned.
"Well, maybe... but what if it was a really good guy?"
"You keep answering questions with questions, Al. I'm starting to get the feeling you've got an 'I Love Lucy' hare-brained scheme coming up," Roger said.
Allie sat up and turned sideways to face Roger directly. His stomach roiled a bit. He had been in this position before, and rarely had things ended well.
"What if... RJ were to go out with an older woman? Would that upset you?" Allie asked.
Roger was normally a perceptive man, but sometimes his wife was even too obtuse for him. He looked askance.
"How much older? Is he going to be dating a 25-year-old? A 35-year-old? And how does this tie in with..."
Roger stopped in mid-sentence and looked like the "victim" in an Alka-Seltzer commercial.
"Allie, you know I love Traci almost like a sister, but... you can't be serious? You want to pair up your best friend with our son... our 21-year-old son?"
Allie looked briefly in Roger's eyes, then looked up and down. She briefly clutched at her stomach before taking a deep breath.
"Hear me out, Rog. Please. Hear me out. It's not as crazy as you think it is," Allie said.
"God, I know I'm going to regret this. Let me get some alcohol first," Roger said.
Roger brought back a whole bottle of Angel's Envy rye and a glass. Allie gave Roger her whole plan to have their son take Traci out for a few dates before going back to college in August. Roger listened quietly for a few minutes as Allie explained, before beginning the discussion.
"Are you listening to yourself, Al? You want to have our son date your best friend?" Roger spluttered. "I mean, don't you think it would be weird... at the least, for you to go out on a date with one of RJ's friends? What the hell would you talk about? Wouldn't you feel like a creeper?"
