This is my first story. I welcome all feedback from readers. I sincerely hope you enjoy.
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"Mr. Mark."
Sitting on my back patio, drinking a single barrel whiskey and smoking a cigar, was my normal nightly routine as I let the day settle down.
Rufino, my landscaper, was calling from the side of the house.
"Rufino, what are you doing here on a Wednesday and at 7 o'clock?" Thursday was his normal day to care for my yard and usually during the early afternoon.
"Mr. Mark, I came a day early because my wife and I are going to Mexico to visit my wife's sick mother. I thought I would come by a day early to get your yard done before we leave. I am not sure how long I am going to be gone so I arranged my daughter and her friend to work my accounts until I get back."
Rufino has been keeping my yard for many years. He works hard, fast and for a fair price. I constantly give him a bonus every quarter for his hard work because I really think he doesn't charge enough for his service and he does a fantastic job. Rufino has 4 children whom I have met over the years and a beautiful wife.
"Rufino, I am sorry to hear about your wife's mother. I hope everything will be o.k. and don't worry too much over the yard I am sure I can remember how to start a lawn mower." Not that I really want to remember.
"No, no Mr. Mark, my daughter will make sure that the lawn is mowed and edged every week."
"Rufino, isn't your daughter only about fourteen or fifteen? Doesn't she have school and how would she get the truck and equipment here?"
Rufino looked at me like I didn't know what I was talking about and then laughed. "No Mr. Mark, Camila is now nineteen and she is out of college for the summer and needs a summer job. She is going to work for me three days a week when I get back, but for now she will work full time while I am gone."
"Jesus, nineteen already? When did that happen? And she is going to college? Good for her."
"Yes, she will be the first one from both families to go to college."
"No problems Rufino, you and the wife have a safe trip and take as long as you need."
"Thanks Mr. Mark got a lot to do before tomorrow better get to it."
With that Rufino disappeared around the corner and shortly after, his equipment was drowning out my thoughts. This was a good time to go inside before my allergies kick in.
The following Friday, as usual, I was sitting out back reflecting over the week and really looking forward to the weekend when I noticed that my yard was not cared for since Rufino was last here. I just brushed it off thinking that his daughter was not doing to well as a fill in. Who could blame her? She was nineteen and on summer break, not to mention it has been unusually hot this year. I am sure the last thing she wanted was to work outside in the heat on her vacation.
Well I guess I will have to remember how to start the mower. I wonder if it still works. It has been sitting in the shed behind the pool for the last six or seven years.
Saturday morning arrived as it usually does and I was sitting out on the patio with a coffee and the paper in only my cut off sweats. The sun was already warm; it is supposed to reach 100 degrees later today. As much as I hated to mow the lawn I thought I should get it finished before it got any warmer, then after I can take a quick swim to cool down.
Opening the shed I pulled out the mower, put in fresh gas and to my surprise it only took a few pulls to get the thing running. It sounded a little choppy, could probably use new oil and plugs, but for today it will be fine. I started in the front since it faces the south and gets the most sun then proceeded to the back to finish up.
With the lawn cut I quickly remembered why I hated this chore and was glad that Rufino was around to do this for me. I wasn't about to edge, trim or weed. Those can wait till Rufino returns.
I put the mower away, locked up the shed, removed my shorts and dove into the pool. Under water I swam the length of the pool and surfaced in the shallow end. Bending at the knees, my head was the only thing out of the water as I let the cool water cool me down.
My back yard is not visible by either of my neighbors to the side and a long hedge runs the back of the property with a small park on the other side. It is private and very serene, which is why I love my evenings out here when the days wind down. The yard is not large. The backyard is half full of concrete and swimming pool. There is a spot of grass and lots of plants surrounding the perimeter. The front yard is mostly plants and a small amount of grass there as well.
I shouldn't complain too much about mowing, it's just that I really don't like yard work. My wife actually did most of it, but after her death eight years ago I tried it for a year then decided to hire Rufino.
As you probably gathered my name is Mark. I am 46 years of age, 6'4" and weigh 215 pounds. I work out daily after work to stay in shape and eat well. I do have my vices of cigars and whiskey of which I partake of nightly, but other than that I am rather healthy. Since my wife's death I stay pretty much to myself. Sure, I have had the periodic date, sometimes three or four with the same woman, but I cannot get myself to really be serious about it. I do hire a professional on occasion to satisfy some of my primal urges, but a relationship is something that I don't see happening in the near future.
The women that I have dated recently all want to be serious and married, especially those with children. I get that, at this age. I am sure they want the security and future I can offer. I am self-employed and make a very generous living. What would be ideal for me however would be a friend with benefits scenario.
Ducking back down in the water I swim back to the deep end and climb out of the pool. Without drying off I put my shorts back on and slipped into the kitchen for a glass of lemonade. I settled back out on the patio to finish reading the newspaper. With nothing else that needed to be done I was going to enjoy the warm summer day to the fullest.
After a few minutes I heard the side gate open and close and heard female voices talking and laughing. When they rounded the corner I looked up to see that Camila is indeed not fourteen any longer, WOW was all I could think as my tongue fell from my mouth and my eyes bugged out of my head. Camila has indeed grown up.
In preparation for the heat of the day she was wearing a royal blue bikini top, probably a size too small, and a pair of daisy dukes, with the button undone and folded over which caused them to ride low on her hips and just covered the crease of her ass. Looking down her long brown legs to her feet I let out a slight chuckle. Her sexy outfit was complete with a pair of work boots and socks pushed down around her ankles. That was when she saw me sitting there.