Thanks to Todger65 for editing.
*****
My name is Thom, always spelled it with the "h." I grew up in a typical suburban Long Island community. My Dad was a building contractor and I worked weekends and summers with him from the time I was old enough to swing a hammer.
One of my uncles was a roofer and I worked on numerous jobs with his crew.
Another uncle was a heating and air conditioning contractor. It was not unusual that we often worked on the same job sites. I preferred the nuts and bolts and more technical aspects of my uncles' heating-cooling work and started learning that trade more and more.
As was typical of the time, the late 1960's, the community was served by volunteer fire departments. My Dad, Uncles, and other family members were all involved, so naturally I joined when I turned 18 the summer I finished high school.
I became good friends with Harry, an older firefighter who worked in the dispatcher's room at the fire station. Working in the dispatch room on winter evenings could be a long boring shift if there were no alarms, and I would stop by and play cards with him. One night, during one of our Gin Rummy games, Harry's niece Margie stopped in to "say hello" to her uncle. I am sure Harry arranged this "chance" meeting. Margie joined our card game; we enjoyed each other's company, and soon we were dating.
Margie, I was to learn the first week we were dating, was 16 and a junior in high school. We continued our courtship, sometimes with my friends, other times with her friends. It was a bit different when we were in the company of her crowd as they were younger and had different interests than I. Several houses away on Margie's street lived her best friend, Christina. Tina, as she was known, was an only child and considered Margie to be like an older sister, Margie in turn treated Tina as a younger 14 year old sister. As was to be expected there were noticeable differences in maturity levels, but, the two were nearly inseparable.
Now Margie's mother and step father were not overly friendly; at first I believed it to be that I was considered too old for their daughter but I soon learned that they just had sour dispositions. If Margie's parents were standoffish, Tina's parents, Tony and Bella Valentini, were at the opposite end of the spectrum.
Tony, Tina's Dad, was friendly and always on the go. He worked 6 days a week at an auto parts store about a 45 minute drive away. Evenings he worked 3 nights part time at plant security. He was also heavily involved in several service organizations like AmVets. My 6 foot frame set me nearly a head taller than Tony; though he was small in stature, perhaps 5' 5", he was Herculean as a family provider.
Bella was in her early 30's, just about 15 years older than me, slim, shapely, 4'10" with a friendly disposition, and shoulder length dirty blonde hair. I guessed that she was a "C" cup in the bosom department, however, her small frame made her breasts seem larger than they were.
When first introduced I immediately recognized her as the lady that worked in the local pharmacy, a lady that I often fantasized about. At the pharmacy Bella was always impeccably dressed, always with a bit of enticing cleavage revealed. I hoped that she didn't remember me as the young man who would come in occasionally to purchase "rubbers." You see, back in the day, condoms were kept behind the counter and had to be asked for. The first time I found a need for a condom, an older friend told me to just go up to the counter and ask for a box of prophylactics. Standing nervously before the counter at the pharmacy that first time, I fumbled through the rehearsed speech required to obtain the product I desired.
"I would like a box of prophylactics please."
"Half or a dozen?" Was the lady's cryptic response.
Thinking quick on my feet, and with high expectations I replied "A dozen should do."
A slight smile on her face she countered, "Wet or dry?"
"Err, what?" I croaked out.
"Wet it is."
Smiling broadly and good-naturedly at my discomfort, she reached under the counter and plopped a box on the counter. Red faced I paid and departed. If Bella did remember me, she was being discreet about it. Thereafter I learned to just act the man of the world and ask for "A dozen Trojans, wet." However, after meeting Bella, this was at another pharmacy.
Tony and Bella had a finished basement where the "young people" could hang out and play records, dance, or just talk. They also had an in ground pool in the yard, so Margie spent quite a bit of time there. The house rules forbade mixed company, male-female unless Tony or Bella were home. The "rule" didn't affect me as I worked and never was there until well after parental guidance was in effect.
Usually by the time I would arrive, Bella would be out her work clothes, dress slacks and nice blouse, and be in a smock top over a house dress. Even at home there was that ever beckoning cleavage to draw my eyes. Always busy in her kitchen, she would start to prepare dinner. She would often be the person that answered the door and allowed me to enter.
"Good afternoon Mrs. Valentini," I would always call her when I arrived.
"Hi Thom, they are in the basement," was her usual greeting. Though one day she caused my face to redden when with a mischievous smile said, "I haven't seen you at the pharmacy in awhile."
Bella was a "kitchen person", she seemed to love being in her kitchen. She was a great cook and enjoyed making others happy with her culinary skills. Though busy preparing tasty treats, she was always aware of what her daughter's guests were up to. Usually she was out of direct sight, supervising without being obvious.
One day as I drove down the road to Margie's house I noticed a competitor roofing company's truck at Tony and Bella's place. Later on when the truck was gone I wandered down to see Tony about the roof.
"Yeah I've been meaning to have the entire roof replaced for awhile now. It is just about all patches," Tony said. I told him I don't know how much the quote was that he received but we could knock out the job ourselves and save him a bundle. Explaining that I had experience in the roofing trade through my family, I'd price out the materials and give him a hand. Together we measured out the roof, talked over the work plan, and called it a day.
The next time Tony was supposed to be home from his busy schedule, I stopped by to give him the information I had gathered. The cost of material was all it really would take as far as cash. I wanted nothing for my part; was just helping out a friend I explained. The tools and ladders I could borrow. All that was needed was some able bodies to do the grunt work.
Tony jumped at the price, and agreed to provide some relatives, and all the food and beer we could handle. I mentioned that it was already June, it would be getting hotter, and we should get this done as soon as possible.
Two weeks later on a Saturday morning we began the job. At first it was a bit slow going, a group of older men taking direction from "a kid." They all soon realized that I knew what I was doing and they readily took orders from me.
During the morning Bella would shout up to the roof if we wanted coffee or something cool to drink. At midday we took a lunch break. Bella played hostess and hovered about and seemed to really enjoy serving us. Wearing shorts and a tank top with a bit of her ever present cleavage showing, and smooth perfectly formed legs, she held my attention, and I believe she caught my eyes wandering. I was starting to see her in a different light; more as an attractive woman rather than a subject of my fantasies.
By early evening we were nearly finished and I realized the "crew" had partaken of too much beer and work was starting to slow to a crawl. It would only take me perhaps an hour or so to complete the project by myself, so to their relief I declared an end to the day. I explained to Tony we could finish quickly the following day, besides we wouldn't want someone falling from the roof.
Bella insisted that I have dinner with them, and Tony picked up on the invitation and said they would not except a "no'' as an answer. I replied that I was filthy and sweaty, would head home shower, and return.
"Shower here," said Tony.
"I'd have to put back on the same dirty, sweaty clothes, Mrs. Valentini," I replied.
"Stay Thom, I'll find you something to put on," Bella chimed in.
