Summer Maintenance

by Jennifer Foor

  “Oh yeah. He did.”

  I waited for Callie to grab her things and we walked back together. She told me about the meal he’d made, and how it was something she hadn’t eaten since she was kid. She said Brice had offered to take her to the police station to fill out a protective order against Derrick. From the way she spoke of him it seemed like they were old friends. I wondered if Brice was being kind to Callie to fill the void of losing his wife. They both had nothing else left. Maybe that fact was connecting them in some kind of cosmic way. At any rate, she seemed content, unafraid. It was a huge change from the other night when she feared for her life.

  It wasn’t until around eight when Brice stopped by my trailer. I expected him to apologize for skipping out on me for the walk we never took, but he didn’t mention it. “Did Callie come here? When I got home her stuff was gone. Ross got that idiots card deactivated, so he can’t just come in whenever he wants, at least not driving anyway. It’s a far walk, but I still wouldn’t put it past him. Guys like that are vindictive. He won’t stop until he teaches her a lesson.”

  “I hope you’re wrong, Brice. I really do.” I opened the door for him to come inside. “She’s here. She’s safe. Thanks for checking up on her. It kind of feels like we’re parents, doesn’t it?”

  He smiled and shook his head. “Yeah, something like that.”

  When I saw him staring over at her I moved out of the way. “I’ll let you two talk. I was making dinner. Did you want to stay?”

  “I don’t want to impose.”

  “I have plenty,” I added.

  “Yeah, I’d like that.”

  Brice walked over toward Callie and sat down while I got started. Out of the corner of my eye I watched the two them. Neither were talking, instead just watching something on the television.

  Maybe I’d been wrong about the two of them after all. It was obvious Brice was only being nice. I could say the same for me. Sure, he’d said he wanted to kiss me, but I wondered if he really meant it. Perhaps he was only testing out the waters to see if I was more interested than a friend. Who knew?

  We ate dinner at the table like an old family. Brice talked about how they were going to pull the trailer out in the next few days. He kept looking at the clock on the wall, reminding me he had somewhere else to be. After he helped with the dishes, we walked outside together.

  This particular night was breezy. I rubbed my arms as I hugged them around the front of my body. “Burr.”

  “Yeah, it’s chilly. I might open the windows tonight when I sleep.”

  “You’ll finally have your bed back.”

  “I know. I didn’t mind it. I’m glad she felt safe.”

  “I have to babysit tomorrow. Will I see you around later?”

  Brice shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. People are starting to get in touch with me for all kinds of jobs. Apparently the old maintenance guy wasn’t timely on his responsibilities. He promised a lot of things he never went through with. Now I’m stuck dealing with the repercussions.”

  “Yeah, I suppose he had a problem with priorities.”

  Brice looked out at the burned trailer. “I guess you’ll be getting new neighbors eventually.”

  “Who knows. That lot could sit vacant for years.”

  He smiled and looked at me. “Thanks for dinner, Patty. If I don’t see you tomorrow, maybe we can hang out this weekend. Maybe Callie would want to cook out?”

  “I’ll ask her.” I felt jealous he was including her. Maybe he didn’t want to be alone with me. That’s the only thing that made sense. “I’ll see you around then.”

  “Okay, see you later. Tell Callie bye for me.”

  Chapter 12

  Brice

  Poker night with a group of residents – all male. I knew I’d enjoy myself. I just didn’t know how much. Somewhere in the middle of the night I was lingering around the streets which all looked the same in my drunken stupor. I hadn’t had this much alcohol in years, and obviously had lost any kind of tolerance. After feeling like I’d walked in circles, I finally saw the little dirt lane that led to my cabin, with a little help from my English bulldog buddy. He barked when I entered the house, so I threw him some boneless chicken before locking up.

  I don’t remember getting in bed.

  I woke the next morning still dressed, including my boots. After making sure I was in fact in my bed, I rubbed my face and tried to think back to the events that brought me to this degree of being hung-over.

  A vibration in my pocket startled me, causing me to sit up and address the caller. I pulled out my phone and answered immediately.

  “Hello?”

  “Is this Brice?”

  “Yeah.”

  “This is Pam. I run the salon here in the resort. Are you familiar with its location?”

  Had there not been a sign out front I wouldn’t have. “Yes, I know it.”

  “Someone busted the front window in the middle of the night. They came in here and cut every single cord too. I’ve been here with Ross and the police filling out my report, but Ross suggested I call you to get the window covered up in case it storms. Do you think you could fit me in today?”

  “I can be there in ten minutes to take down measurements.”

  “Perfect. I’ll see you then.”

  With no time to spare for a shower, I changed my clothes, slapped some water on my face and brushed my teeth, before heading out the door. Ross had hooked me up with a golf cart to get around in. Apparently it had been included with my position, but was being worked on. The new batteries wouldn’t need to be charged but once a week, which was good for someone like me who often forgot little details.

  The police and Ross weren’t at the salon when I arrived. The woman had been right on the phone. Her place was a disaster. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be the only property destroyed that week. Every other day there was a call about something being destroyed. Sometimes it was vehicles. Personal property was the main problem. We interviewed everyone staying on the property, but we had no leads, officially that is. Patty, Callie and I all knew who the culprit was, and it was proven when Callie finally put her phone back together to listen to her messages. Threats, including some insinuating bodily harm filled her voicemail. He’d even mentioned the salon in particular, as if he were proud of himself. He claimed the manager had wronged him, and that because he paid his rent on time he deserved fair treatment.

  Two weeks after the trailer burned down Callie was still on edge. She refused to leave Patty’s trailer on account of fearing for her life. I tried to stop by as much as I could without drawing suspicion to my reasons for doing so. It was hard seeing my child so frightened and not being able to reach out and let her know I’d die before I let someone hurt her.

  Patty appreciated my visits, and as the time passed by, she seemed to not pry into my history like she’d done before. I’d like to say we were dating. We took walks at night, spent time together alone, and had even kissed several times.

  I liked her, which only complicated my situation. I’d wanted to stick around for Callie, but now I had more reasons. For so long I’d been alone, now there was a woman who enjoyed my company. Aside from the drama going on in the development, I found myself becoming settled. My daughter was in good hands, and I got to see her as often as I wanted. It felt like this plan of mine was going to work. Sure, she’d probably never know who I was, but at least I’d always be close to her.

  Since the police were making visits to the property so often, we were rarely alone. Callie was afraid, and neither of us blamed her. One particular night Patty was sitting on my porch when I was finished making my rounds. She was dressed up in a little red sundress. Her hair was down and curled, and she’d even been wearing heels, not that I knew how she’d walked in them to get to my place. She had a little more makeup than usual, and I had to admit, I’d never see her so beautiful.

  As I took a few steps to meet her on the porch she stood to greet me. Her lips brushed over mine ; somet
hing I was getting used to. “What are you doing here?” I asked. “You look very nice.”

  She shyly looked away when she replied. “I thought I’d surprise you. Callie is babysitting tonight for the autistic boy, so we agreed I could make you dinner and not have to worry about her being alone.”

  “Dinner?”

  I hadn’t noticed a bag next to her seat. She picked it up and handed it to me. “It’s lasagna. There’s also fresh garlic bread and a salad. I wasn’t sure of the dressing, so I brought two.”

  I could tell she was nervous, but I didn’t know why. We were comfortable together. This wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” she almost stuttered it out. “I just feel like this is a real date, even though I never asked if you were interested.”

  I took her hand to reassure her. “Of course I’m interested, Patty. You should know that by now.”

  “It’s just… well, it’s been a while for both of us, and I was thinking maybe tonight would be the night, ya know?”

  Was she assuming we were going to be intimate? I smiled and shook my head before replying. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

  “Well, we’ve been hanging out for almost a month now, and I know your life has been full of drama since you got here, but I’m hoping this thing between us was moving in a good direction. We’re both adults here, Brice. I’m obviously attracted to you. I’d like to spend the night, if that’s okay?”

  My eyes widened. I’d never been with a woman who was so forward. It was intriguing. “Yeah, it’s more than okay. I’m not real sure how good I’ll be. I haven’t had much practice in a while.”

  “I’m sure it’s like riding a bike. If you fall off at first, we’ll just put you right back on to try again.”

  I liked this spunky side of her. She got a reaction out of my cock, causing my mind to forget about everything else going on in my life. I didn’t care that I was lying about who I was, or that my daughter was living with her. All I cared about was getting this woman into my bed and keeping her there, because sixteen years without the touch of a woman was entirely too long.

  Neither of us said much during dinner. We didn’t need to. We both knew what it was leading to. Dishes were left unattended as I led her into my bedroom. I pulled the blankets down and removed my shirt as she climbed in. With one kiss to reassure her I was one-hundred percent interested in pursuing this, I stepped into the bathroom and turned on the shower. It had been too long for me to mess it up from smelling like sweat. This had to be perfect, not just for me, but for Patty too. This wasn’t a one-time thing. It was more and we both knew it.

  I tried to hurry, relieving myself while washing my appendages. I knew if I did this first I’d last longer, offering her longer pleasure. The bathroom door swung open. I turned and peeked out the shower curtain to see her standing on the other side, loosening her dress until it fell to the floor beneath her. She watched me watching her as she unfastened her bra, and then lowered her panties off her hips until they joined the rest of the clothing at her feet.

  Standing in front of me completely naked, Patty took ahold of the curtain and pushed it to the side. She looked down, checking out a part of me that was still a stranger. It was obvious she was impressed, or at least felt it would do the job. A sly smile escaped the corner of her lips. “I didn’t feel like waiting.”

  I backed up, suggesting that she could join me. This was the pivotal moment that would change our relationship. I was taking a step forward, cementing the lie I was living into something permanent. I wasn’t thinking about repercussions. I wasn’t worried I’d get hurt worse in the long-run if my past was discovered. I was living in the now, because let’s face it, I needed this.

  Every touch was a caress. Every kiss, a beginning to explore the unknown. I was undeniably losing myself in the encounter so much that rational thinking was thrown out the window. Patty was naked, her skin brushing against mine, her fingers tracing my hard chest. I reached around and grabbed a chunk of her wet hair and pulled her into a deeper kiss. Emotions were raw and unadulterated. Pushing her against the wall to show control was apparently what she wanted. I lifted her legs and placed them around my waist while balancing her between my body and the tile behind her. The skin on her neck was so damn smooth, mixed with the flowing water constantly trickling down her chest. Her arms wound around my neck, holding me in place as our mouths and tongues traipsed in harmony. My stiff erection, so apparent beneath her, was ready to erupt.

  I couldn’t stop myself though. I had to keep exploring every inch of her body, tasting and sampling parts I’d only imagined of seeing until now. As we pulled away to catch our breath, Patty took the bar of soap and began washing me, starting with my chest, but narrowing in on a lower area. She lathered my cock and stroked it a few times, sending my head back as I felt the need to focus on anything else but the ecstasy she was bringing me. She’d never be able to understand how hard this was – being this close, touching, kissing, stroking – after so long. Patty only assumed I’d been with my wife last, that Brice had been with his wife. She had the wife part right, but not the years, or the guy. I’d literally waited almost half my life to feel this kind of connection again.

  As the lather rinsed off I watched her sinking down, focused on what was still in her gripped hand. She looked up at me while sucking on my tip. I scrunched up my face and closed my eyes, begging my body to cooperate for a little while longer. Her strokes became more aggressive, causing a reaction I could no longer control. My body shook profusely, an unhinged eruption suddenly overwhelming every inch of me. My release was swift and crippling. My knees buckled and I had to cling to the shower walls to keep from collapsing.

  Patty stood up and wrapped her arms around me. She was quiet, making me feel as if I’d disappointed her. “I’m sorry,” I whispered against her dripping hair.

  She pulled me closer and ran her thumbs over my cheeks. “Don’t be. We’re just getting started. I figured you’d need a little warm-up before we got into bed.”

  I looked away. It was embarrassing.

  “Don’t Brice. It’s obviously been a while for you. I get it. Trust me, this won’t ruin my night whatsoever. Like I said before, we’re just beginning.”

  The water soon began to chill, so we climbed out and shared a towel before heading into the bedroom. Actions such as being alone with a naked woman seemed so new to me again, like I was a teenager experiencing it for the first time. I wanted to play with her breasts and test out my remaining skills everywhere else.

  I suppose I underestimated Patty. From that moment in the shower she’d taken control of the situation. Once I was able to recuperate, we made love for hours on end, her always leading me to extreme pleasure. She was my seductress, skilled precision with her hands to meet every need I could ever have. She was passionate, slow, and exceptionally thorough. I admired her ability to read me, to understand this was what I required during our first encounter, and as the night progressed until morning, we were both left satiated beyond belief.

  This highlight, the night we shared together had strengthened our relationship. I was a new man with a new life, and a future I could be in control of.

  Chapter 13

  Patty

  I was falling in love with him. I probably knew it for a while before accepting it to be true. I’d been hurt too many times to let myself gravitate toward being okay with it.

  Brice was everything I wanted in a man. He was gentle, kind, caring, and above all, honest. I appreciated those qualities in him so much.

  As the weeks passed I started staying at Brice’s overnight more. Callie was getting comfortable being alone in the trailer, and the vandalizing had finally stopped. Peace was back inside of the gates at the Happy Ending Resort, and it was a good thing, because it was almost time for the annual Forth of July party.

  Everyone attended and brought dishes to share. The lakeside was full of residents, families and of course children. Most
wore the customary red white or blue, and the atmosphere was always cheerful.

  Brice had settled into his job and new home admirably. The residents loved him almost as much as I did. His calm demeanor allowed him to be liked, even when he mostly kept to himself. On occasion he’d play cards with the guys, but Brice liked his solitude. He enjoyed living in the cabin off the beaten path.

  With Brice and Callie in my life I felt whole again. No longer sat a void in my heart where a family should have been. I suppose in many ways we all three needed each other. Sure, there were parts of Brice’s life he didn’t like to talk about, but I was okay with it, because we were living in the now, instead of dwelling in what we could never change.

  After getting a change of clothes, and checking in on Callie, who happened to be babysitting, I headed over to Brice’s to stay the night. Since the next day was a holiday, neither of us had to get up for work in the morning. I looked forward to watching a movie and cuddling up in his arms until we headed to bed.

  Much like every time I spent the night, Brice fell asleep before me. The window air conditioner he’d installed wasn’t making the room cool enough for his strong arms to be draped over my midriff, so I got out of bed to wash my face and cool off.

  Needing a washrag to accomplish the task, I went into the linen closet to search for one. I’d no sooner grabbed one when I realized something was wrapped inside of it.

  In my hand was an item that caused me to cover my mouth to prevent from saying profanities out loud. I couldn’t believe my eyes. There was no reason he’d have this. In the dark room I was unable to make out the images clearly, just to be sure it was what I thought, I went back into the bathroom and turned on the light.

  That’s when I was met with a brutal reality.

  This was the keepsake picture Callie had thought burned in the fire. As I focused closer on the people in the images it all began to make sense to some degree.

  I don’t know how she hadn’t seen it. Maybe my intimate knowledge of him made it easier to point out the resemblance. Tears began to fall down my face. I didn’t understand. Callie said her father was dead. Brice said he never had kids. None of it made sense, yet it was uncanny. Sure, the hair was different, much shorter now. He wasn’t wearing a ball cap, and he didn’t have a face full of stubble.