Preface: This first chapter is more establishing the two main characters.
For those of you old enough to remember the "adult bookstores," long before there was the internet, remember how all the erotic novels were prefaced with disclaimers that the story to follow was a psychological study in human behavior? That always gave me a good laugh. Don't think of this as an erotic story. This is a story about a woman who's life is forever changed as the result of one fateful encounter in college.
John drove home mentally and emotionally exhausted. It had been a long night with the Sheriff's Department. First, a domestic dispute that went sour before he and his fellow deputy even got in the door. Then while he was filling out the report for that, a call went out for back-up with an armed robbery at a convenience store. So, by the time he drove into his sub-division, as the sun came up, he was looking forward to spending some quality time with his friend, Jack Daniels, and then a long days sleep. 'At least I have the next three days off, and then it's back to daytime,' he kept saying to himself.
John had joined the Army right out of high school. After doing his four years with the Army he went back home to the Chicago area and decided he didn't want to live there anymore. He packed up what little he had, and the money he'd saved while he was in the Army and moved to Florida. At the age of 23 he was already sick of winters in the Midwest. He didn't care how hot it got in Florida, it would always be better than those cold winters in Illinois.
He'd visited Daytona Beach a few times during his teen years, when his parents went on vacation there. He loved it there. So that's where he settled. He got himself an apartment and then settled in. After several months of working several jobs to pay the bills, he heard the Sheriff's Department was hiring. So he applied. His military background was a plus for him, and he was hired. That was twelve years ago.
John was a quiet guy. He'd always been that way. He developed one love interest after he'd been in the department for a couple years. A nice girl named Shannon. They'd been introduced to each other by a mutual friend. She was an attractive girl with a great sense of humor. It didn't hurt that she had a great figure, with a set of tits that would have made Dolly Parton envious. He'd always tried to be respectful of women, and not treat them or think of them as sexual objects. But his kryptonite was big tits. And Shannon loved having hers played with.
He and Shannon were good together, in and out of bed. They began talking about marriage. But the closer they got, the more their differences became evident. Shannon wanted him to "share" his day with her, every day after work. Most days John didn't want to talk about all the stuff he had to deal with. John had never been much of a "talker" when it came to his day. Most days he didn't want to even think about it, let alone talk about it at the end of his shift. He didn't want to shut Shannon out of his life. He just didn't want to talk about that part of it.
Their break-up was an amicable one. But it left John realizing he had some issues that would probably always stand between him and a lasting relationship. He had several friends in the department, both male and female, that had the same issues. He understood why the divorce rate was so high among cops.
John focused on his job and making money, taking security jobs in night clubs and any where else he could when he wasn't on duty. He eventually made enough to buy a nice house in one of the new sub-divisions in the Daytona Beach area. A house at the end of a cul-de-sac that backed up to some wooded wetlands.
He waved at a couple of different neighbors, getting in their cars just starting their day, as he drove back to his house, looking forward to the end of his day. He was fortunate enough to have good neighbors who looked out for each other. Most of them also loved the fact they had a Sheriff's deputy living in the neighborhood. They usually had a couple block parties every year, to which he always brought the most popular dish. He always made his version of a sloppy joe that went before anyone else's dish. He made it with a couple different ingredients the women were always begging him to tell them what they were. John was not only a bachelor, he was a handsome man who kept himself in shape because of his job. His efforts were not lost on any of the women. He loved the attention his recipe and his looks brought him from most of the ladies, especially Jeana Sanchez.
Jeana had just had her third child, and she was breast feeding. He did his best not to be a lecherous pig. But there were far too many times he'd catch himself staring at her bouncing udders as she would talk with him in her animated way. But she knew what she was doing whenever she dressed for their block parties. She enjoyed showing off her huge tits for all the men to gawk at. Her husband liked it too. Tony had a trophy wife, and he knew it. He loved it when other husbands would drool all over themselves looking at his wife.
He saw Amanda Goodman standing in front of her car with the hood up as he pulled into his own driveway. Amanda had just moved in next door a couple months before. John had just met her casually once before as he drove by her place, rolling down his window and welcoming her to the neighborhood. They had talked for a few minutes. Amanda was a school teacher who taught at the local elementary school. John worked extra hard to keep his eyes on her face as they spoke that first time. Amanda was another woman who had been blessed with an ample chest.
John was lousy at guessing people's age. As they spoke that first time, he guessed Amanda was in her mid-thirties. She was an attractive brunette. She kept her hair short, which probably helped make her look younger than her age of forty-five. She had a few extra pounds on her. But not enough that would qualify her as being fat. She had just transferred from the panhandle of Florida as a third grade teacher.
John walked across the yard that separated their two houses. He could hear Amanda sobbing as she stood in front of her car with the hood up. "What seems to be the problem?" He asked her as he walked around the car and stood next to her. The two stood side-by-side staring down at the engine as most people do when they have no idea why it won't start. As though staring at it will somehow miraculously fix the problem.
Amanda's face was streaked with tears. "I don't know." She tried to force herself to stop crying. "I'm just so sick of everything. Now this. My life has just gone to shit." She tried to choke back the tears but wasn't doing a very good job of it. "Now I'm going to be late for class."
John didn't want to put his arm around her thinking that might be too forward. So he just touched the side of her arm with his hand. "It's going to be alright. We'll get this figured out." He climbed in the driver's seat and tried to start the engine. Nothing. "I'm no mechanic, but I think you've got a bad starter."
Amanda threw her hands up. "Great! Another expense I can't afford right now!" She sobbed.
John had had enough emotional people in the last ten hours. He just wanted to calm her down. He climbed out of the car and stood in front of her, grabbing her by the shoulders. His eyes dropped to her heaving chest. 'I am such a fucking cad!' His brain screamed at him as he forced himself to look her in the eyes. "Calm down." He said softly. "Do you have a mechanic?"
Amanda shook her head. "No. I haven't had time to find someone I trust."
"Ok. Not a problem. I'm going to call my mechanic, who also has his own towing company. He takes care of all the county vehicles."
John pulled his cell phone from his pocket. "Hey Charlie. This is John Bonnar. I've got a lady here who needs some help. How busy are you?" John listened for a few seconds. "Could you tow her in this morning and work on it? You know I'm no mechanic. But I think it's her starter." John listened some more. "You can! That's great. Her house is right next to mine. I'll leave the keys under the front seat. I need to get her to work. Thanks man. I'll take care of you." John shoved his phone back in his pocket.
He smiled at Amanda. "All taken care of. Now let's get you to work. Get whatever you need out of your car and then put your car key under the front seat. I'm going to go change clothes real fast. Come over as soon as you've got everything you need.
John walked out of his front door. Amanda was waiting for him with backpack slung over her shoulder. "You ready?" He asked smiling at her. She nodded.
She climbed in the passengers side, stood the backpack between her legs and buckled up. "Thank you so much for helping me this way. You're so kind. You have no idea how much this means to me."
John just smiled as he kept his eyes on the road, knowing if he looked at her chest again it would probably result in an accident. "I'm glad I can help you. I'm sorry I haven't had the chance to get to know you better since you moved in. Life's been kind of crazy busy for me lately." That wasn't completely true. It had been crazy busy for him for years.
Amanda's mind immediately returned to the problem of her car. "Do you have any idea how much the bill will be for the car?"
John could hear the worry in her voice. "Well the towing is going to be free. I'm going to have him tow you under my AAA account. I never use all the tows I'm allowed anyway. As far as the repairs go, I'll tell him to give you the cop discount he has for all the cops he takes care of." John smiled as he glanced at her quickly.
Amanda was speechless. There was something about his demeanor that she knew he was just being genuinely kind to her. He had no ulterior motives. She'd known too many men who showed her kindness, only to come back expecting some type of "payment." She was hoping John didn't turn out to be one of those guys. But for some reason she didn't he was.
"Thank you so much." She felt herself wanting to cry again. But this time it was that release you feel after the stress you were under is suddenly relieved. "That's so kind of you. I don't know what to say." She hesitated before her next statement. "How can I repay you?"
