Tyler's Seduction of Mrs C
by The Big Bopper
My name is Lisa and I'm a prime example of modern-day empty nest syndrome whereby the kids leave home to make a start on their own family lives and the husband and wife quickly discover they no longer have all that much in common... or maybe never did, and only bonded over raising a family. My husband of over 30 years reached a decision on his part that we'd be better off living apart, even before the last of our kids have left home.
I have three sons and a daughter and all but my youngest son are off and married now. My youngest boy is now 20 and, quite sensibly, he's not in any rush to settle down. He was almost an after-thought for my husband, Tim, and I, coming along six years after the last of the other three. They were all close together and are now 31, 29 and 26.
Matthew still lives with me in what was the big old family home. He has a job and is making a few new friends through his workplace. I mean, Matt's old friends were all the boys - and some girls - that he went through school with, so I've known all of them for over ten years.
But lately, I've seen a couple of new faces call by to pick him up on the weekend; Matt doesn't have his own car. I have noticed one young man, not merely because he's tall and very handsome, stands around 6'5" (196 centimetres). He's quite well spoken and I suspect better educated than Matty and his buddies. All four of my kids went to the local state school whereas I'm guessing that this young man - I think I heard Matt call him Tyler - may have gone to some hypha luting private school. He looks older than Matt too, I must ask my son what age his new friend is.
I am beginning to make it sound like I am interested in this young man for more than just being my son's new friend. Hardly! I will be 56 next birthday. No, I am just curious how Matt would make friends with someone like that. What does this new young man bring to the table that Matt's old school friends not have? I must ask him when I think of it.
An opportunity arose the following Sunday evening. Matt had been out with Tyler all afternoon and his friend came in with him when he dropped my boy home. He is such a polite young man and he stopped to have a short conversation with me before saying goodnight to both Matt and I and heading off home.
"What is the attraction of Tyler, Matt? He seems so much different from your old school friends."
"That's the thing, mom... that he is different. All my old buddies from school don't seem in any hurry to grow up. They still do stupid things, play practical jokes on each other. I find it embarrassing now when I go out with them. Tyler works at an adjacent workstation to me in my new job. You know, he is almost on a different wavelength, always coming up with interesting things we can do and places we can go. I've never been to most, like museums and art galleries and concerts. But not just arty things though, he suggested we go to a horse race meeting one day soon. He's a lot of fun."
"Umm! That's interesting! How old is he?"
"Why such interest in Tyler, mom?"
"No, I don't have any special interest in the young man, I am just curious as to why you do. But it's all good, you explained it very well. Thank you!"
My son begins to leave the room, but pauses at the door to say, "He's 24, mom."
"Oh, a fair bit older than you then."
Later in the evening, my son mentions his new buddy again, "Mom, when we were talking about Tyler earlier, I forgot to ask you if he could stay over next Saturday night. We have booked tickets for a concert that we don't expect will finish until close to midnight. Tyler lives across the other side of town, it's about an hour drive and we are both competing in a charity fun run on Sunday morning, so he doesn't want to do the long drive twice in a few hours."
"That makes sense, Matty. Yes, no problem at all. We have enough spare bedrooms these days with your brothers and sister gone. I was only thinking how the house is too big for us now. I am sure if your father was still around, we'd have downsized into an apartment by now."
"You still sound bitter about dad taking off, mom?"
"Yes, I probably am, we went through a lot together, I mean raising you four kids, creating a family. So, to bail out at our age... well, it seems like a cop out to me. I heard from one of our old friends the other day that he now drives a bright red convertible and has a younger blonde bimbo in tow."
By Saturday afternoon, I am beginning to regret having agreed to Tyler staying this weekend. I have nothing against the young man, and he has only ever been most polite when he's called in to pick up Matt. I guess it is more the nuisance value of having to make up a bed in one of the spare bedrooms and do the extra washing after the weekend. Boy, I'm sounding lazy? I'm not really... I am just set in my ways now with only ever having Matt and I in the house.
Tyler comes by around seven on Saturday evening to pick up Matt for the concert. He is carrying only a small overnight bag, "Hi, Mrs. Collins, I thought I'd put my bag in my room, don't want to be disturbing you when we get in. Could be around midnight."
"Oh, you won't disturb me, Tyler, I never go to bed until after midnight. I've always been a bit of a night owl. Come on, I'll show you to your room. I think Matt's close to being ready."
I lead our young house guest down the hall and into the third bedroom that was previously occupied by my other two sons before they went off and got married. "Two beds in here but I've only made up the one by the window."
Tyler drops his bag onto the bed nearest the window, "Thanks Mrs. Collins for letting me stay. It's such a long drive home and we have to be up early for the start of the fun run."
"You travel light, guys usually do. We women pack several changes of clothing, even if we are only staying one night."
"I only brought my running gear in the bag, and a tracksuit to put on after. I don't bother with pyjamas, I always sleep buck naked, I find clothing too constrictive to sleep in."
"I hope you don't sleepwalk then." After Tyler and Matt go off to the concert, I think back that it was a silly thing to say. It was simply a flippant throwaway remark, the first thing that came to me as I actually had a vision in my head of this handsome young man sleeping naked in my house tonight. The first time I've been conscious of Matt's new buddy in a sexual connotation.
If the truth be known, I did actually consider that Tyler might be gay. I've never had any such suspicions about Matthew, but it was just the fact that he and Tyler go out together every weekend and they don't seem to be having any interplay with young women. At least not that they've said.
As I now do most nights, being a single woman again, I sit up reading and watching TV until very late. About 11.30, I hear the sound of a car outside, then Matt's key in the front door. Both the young men come into the living room, where I am curled up at one end of the sofa watching TV, my legs tucked under me. I'm dressed for bed, wearing a light summery nightgown with a dressing gown over it.