The sight of Darla, gently padding naked into the kitchen the next morning was one of the most satisfying yet arousing vista's I ever beheld. That I must have been gaping was obvious when Darla returned my gaze with a stink eye. I pulled my jaw taught, forced a neutral expression on my face and said,
"Good morning, Darla. After breakfast we can work out and then it's off to your studies. We both know that you are a smart woman but boys, and goofing off took precedence over your studies. If you want another chance at college you are going to have to sharpen your mind. I have set out a course of studies for you. But first, a refreshing and nourishing breakfast."
Darla seemed to drink my words in and replied, "OK, can I have some clothes, Daddy? I feel funny being naked all the time, and I don't like the way you sometimes look at me."
"If you get passing marks in the quizzes you take after your first week of studies, you will earn yourself some clothing. The higher your grade, the better your subsequent wardrobe. Squeak by, and you get little more than rags. Ace everything and you get an entire designer outfit. Somewhere between the B's and D's and you get intentionally garish and ugly outfits that a supposedly stylish young woman like yourself would not want to be caught dead in. I KNOW that you can excel Darla and I will settle for nothing less."
"Daddy, do you think a college will really admit me again? My ears are still burning from the insults my adviser screamed at me when I flunked out."
"If you posses evidence that you have the capacity to learn and that you are serious the second time around. It should not be a problem. You also have an ace in the hole, a rich father who will give the university a nice donation in exchange for admitting you."
I winked and Darla laughed. We ate and fell into easy conversation. I had heard rumors about how much of a nutcase Bonnie, my ex-wife had become, but Darla's stories were a revelation. Bonnie was obsessed with young guys to the point where Darla stopped introducing her boyfriends to her because Bonnie would try to put the Mack on anything reasonably attractive in trousers between the ages of eighteen and twenty five. Bonnie had also been drinking, a lot. Even the admittedly bizarre living conditions I had imposed upon Darla, even the mandatory nudity, where more comforting living with her mother.
"Do I get any rest time, Daddy?"
"There are breaks built into your day. When school and other instructions are over you can hang out by my pool. I expect you to fill your down time with reading and grasping topics such as art appreciation."
"So none of my friends can come over?"
"If you do well, you might have a small birthday gathering with a few friends."
"What about boys?"
"Darla, " I began, "Boys are one thing you definitely need to put out of your mind for a season or so. Your taste in men is appalling in any case. Perhaps after a year or so you will be able to discern young men who are worth dating from those only interested in screwing you."
"And what would the right kind of boys be like, Daddy." Asked Darla suspiciously.
"Well." I replied blushing, "I'm not too bad as far as men go."
"Daddy!"
"I'm serious, Darla. If you remember I was a rather conscientious father and a responsible man. The divorce was certainly not MY doing. Think Darla, you and your mother have the SAME taste in men. Aside from me, has Bonnie ever picked out a winner?"
That realization really affected Darla and she was silent for many moments.
"But what if I get horny?" she asked when she spoke again.
"We will cross that bridge when we come to it. In any event a little celibacy never killed anyone."
I paused and took a look into her deep green eyes, "In any event, so long as you live here, I have final authority of whether you have sex or not. Right now you are far too immature for a relationship. When you have matured some, there MIGHT be a chaperoned date or two."
"Chaperon?"
"Yes IF you do win yourself the right to date, you won't even get a chance to neck. Our great grandparents had marriages that lasted a lifetime and when their dating consisted of nothing more scandalous than holding hands."
"Killjoy!"
"I'm not doing this to be liked, Darla. I'm doing this to save your life. Metaphorically, there are days ahead when you will fight every moment when I am dragging you out of the rip tide. Now finish up you have to do thirty minutes of spinning and then then twenty of yoga. After that we hit the books."
Darla surprised me by applying herself very well that first day. It was amazing how comfortable we became with her constant nudity. Darla seemed to understand that the focus and educational opportunities I was offering was a transitory thing. If she did not grab and hold on this time she would never have another chance to win the rodeo. I let her knock of early and even rewarded her with the movie of her choice in my home theater room.
I wasn't sure if I should make it a rule that I be solely responsible for bathing her. That idea seemed a bit extreme and might ultimately prove counterproductive. Still I preferred that she take her baths or showers off of my bedroom so that I could control how much time she spent in the tub and regulate the length of her showers.
Often, we had a hart to heart talk afterwords and when I tucked her in that first night of instruction, she kissed me on the cheek. This became a routine that continued. Just being under my roof seemed to take a ton of stress and frustration from her. In so many ways she seemed decades younger. Her body however was all woman.
