He leant back in the black leather rocking chair, nothing had changed in the four years he had lived in England, nor really since his childhood, he found it reassuring.
"So you say you've got money problems, Dad gives you more than the alimony that you agreed to."
"He does, but he puts conditions on it, you know I'm not allowed to remarry or live with a boyfriend for example so it limits my chances of getting a boyfriend and remarrying."
He agreed with his Dad, why should Dad pay for her to have a lover, Dad had always said he would still pay the actual agreed but reduced alimony. He stayed silent. There was another reason, about which he felt guilty, she'd visited him while he was in England numerous times
"I've ran up some bills on my credit card, it's the interest rate that's killing me".
She looked down at the hem of her skirt, it was made of slub silk a stiff fabric, it's cream colour complimented her pink blouse also made of silk.
She nervously played with the hem of her skirt, she raised it slightly appearing to inspect it, lifting her skirt revealed the welt of her stocking, the view was enhanced when she crossed one knee over the other, he had a slight glimpse of thigh. He was slightly discomfited.
It brought back memories of childhood, his Mother would wait until the last moment before putting on her dress, she wanted it to be perfect, no creases, or marks on her dress, it left him with a fascination for women in stockings and garter belt.
She was still engrossed in her hem, eyes down as if looking for a break in the stitching, then suddenly as if reaching a decision, again she slightly raised her skirt hem and threw it over her knee and spoke out.
"I have a solution, I've been accepted to take part in a quiz show, answer a question correctly and voila, a thousand dollars" she informed him, looking pleased with herself.
"What's the catch?"
"Well for a wrong answer one of the competitors has to remove an article of clothing."
He breathed out a long sigh and asked for a full explanation, it appears that it is a social media channel, not a normal channel, it consists of a mother and son, the mother has to remove her clothes if she gives a wrong answer but the son achieves a $1000-00 prize for every correct answer, the questions are the same for each of them, hence the son is placed in a cubicle isolated from the main event which was the mother stripping off her clothes.
"I've agreed five articles of clothing which I'm willing to remove."
He nodded his understanding of her explanation up to this point.
"These are blouse, skirt, full-length slip, bra and panties, I keep my stockings, garter belt and high heels on, that means they will allow me five wrong answers for the first five items and three for the last three, that means you will get at least eight chances to answer any question that I can't answer, but if I answer any questions it extends the questions to beyond eight, we could win maybe $10,000-00, what do you think?"
He released his pent-up breath, the talk had provided him with an erection, the thought of women stripping to their stockings. He asked if the first five questions she answered wrong meant that for the subsequent three or more questions she would essentially be naked apart from some very sexy stockings, belt and heels.
"Yep, you got it", she grasped her hands together, looking pleased.
"Are the questions general knowledge or a specific subject?"
"I've already had to choose, the ones they regard as difficult earn $1,000-00 if you answer correctly", she emphasised the 'you'.
"When you were in England you spent some time studying British political history, so I chose that, they don't expect an American to know much about it."
He nodded it made sense except for one thing. "What do you know about the subject"?
"Oh, I am fully prepared to lose my clothes" she shrugged, "they probably think I'm some sort of airhead, but they don't know about you, not so stupid eh?"
He didn't know what the best response was to that so shrugged his shoulders and pursed his lips.
"Okay, but I recommend you do some practising."
She shrugged that of, "what's the point, they limit you to $10,000-00 so I only need to answer two."
"Practise taking your clothes of is what I meant, they'll have cameras at every angle, think about it."
She responded with a "humph" and a shrug and then, "I'm all dressed up, take me out to lunch?"
He nodded his agreement and off they went.
The Quiz.
Come the day of the quiz her outfit had changed, she explained to the host, Rick, that she wore a petticoat with a built-in bra, he had no problem agreeing to her taking off four articles of clothing and receiving four additional questions instead of three.
"And you must be Ryan, I can see the likeness, our sponsor is already showing particular interest in you both, so much that he's going to keep your appearance to himself, he's looked at the photos you sent in and thinks you've got class. Okay to call you Ryan, no surnames, just initials of course"
Ryan looked over at his Mother while shaking hands with Rick, no doubt about it she exuded class alright.
"Ryan, you'll be in a booth and all you'll hear is the question, however your Mother's answer and any conversation we have you won't hear, it will mean there'll be a gap when you hear nothing, you okay with that?"
"Sure, I think better in isolation."
"That's the spirit, Mrs N.; Ryan, should we get started?"
Despite Rick's slightly overeager and hurried spiel, Ryan found him okay, "sure let's start."
His Mother took a small step up to the podium ready for the first question.
"Your looking really sexy, by the way and you've still got all your clothes on" she giggled.
Ryan felt it was taking ages but when the first question came he answered it feeling better for having secured $1,000-00, his mother had already taken her blouse off to the delight and approval of Rick, it was quickly followed by her skirt, showing a short dusky pink mini-slip which flared out from the waist, it was short enough to reveal her stocking tops.
The next question saw it go leaving her topless.
"Mrs N. The sponsor is in my earpiece could you turn to the side, he's not normally a breast man but he is smitten by yours", she slowly turned one way then the other. Rick responded with along drawn out "fantastic."
Having failed her fourth question she hooked her thumbs each side of her panties, leaning forward she tastefully slid them down her thighs, over her stockings and lifting one leg and then the other she was stood there in all her glory.
Ryan noticed a considerable easing of the fifth question and figured it was so his Mother could answer and spend more time in her semi-naked condition, he shrugged to himself, at least she'd prepared herself for this very situation.
When he left his cubicle he pretended surprise at seeing his Mother in her underwear, he didn't fancy Rick asking awkward questions, "what do you think Ryan, your Mother is very attractive, she's made a big impact on us in the studio and especially on our sponsor?"
At this Ryan felt obliged to look at his Mother, she was shuffling ever so slightly from foot to foot looking all the more enticing, he momentarily struggled to speak "you said it Rick, if the show was on live they'd be storming the studio."
"Actually I need to congratulate you, 10 out of 10, perfect score".
"Thanks but I'm not the star here" he nodded over to his still undressed Mother, she'd placed her hands behind her back, hiding nothing, "yes of course, would you like to get dressed" Rick asked?
"Gosh, yes, I was so pleased at the result I forgot" and with that she reached for her pink slip and pulled it over her head smoothing it out, she took a further moment to position her breasts in the fitted bra then reached over for her handbag and removed a pair of new panties, Ryan just had to admire his Mom, she'd thought of everything except how to put them on when no stool was available. There was nowhere to sit, she needed to place her arm on Rick's shoulder for balance, this left her standing on one leg whilst waving the other in the air, ineffectively using the remaining hand to loop her panties over her high-heeled shoe.
"Here let me help" and Ryan took her briefs and opened them up looping first one leg over her right foot and then the left, he had an excellent view of her labia and his face coloured red, seeing this was too personal she quickly took over and hoisted them into position.
"Thanks Ryan, you're a real darling" she gave him a peck on the cheek. After more jokes and banter they were allowed to leave clutching a generous $10,000-00 cheque and a promise that Rick would be in touch very soon, a promise Ryan took to be a polite way of saying farewell.
Rick gets it touch
Ryan was mildly irritated when three days later he found an email from Rick when checking his computer, the quiz had worked out better than expected with no lost privacy as the programme had not been screened, Ryan suspected that the other contestants only pretended to be Mother and son, dyeing their hair in order to appear alike. He'd being doing some research, the sponsor was a company that specialised in discrete DNA testing, Ryan suspected fathers checking that the children were theirs. Ryan opened the email and was rocked back on his heels when he read, he calmed down and read it again more slowly this time, his Mother came into his room, his door being open, "what's wrong Ryan it looks like you've seen a ghost," she looked over his shoulder, "it looks as though Rick has plans for us" he indicated towards the screen.
"This says they want us to perform in front of the camera again, what is it another quiz?" she sounded matter of fact,"