Chapter 2

After several hours working in the garden, Mrs. White invited me in for lunch. Unable to hide my depressed state, she pried out the previous night’s episode. She looked dismayed and tried her best to console me.

When I was leaving, she remarked, “You and your mother are strong. I have no doubt there will be a positive outcome from your misfortune.”

Before heading home, I decided to stop by the bank. As a surprise to Mom, I was going to withdraw my savings, which should be close to six thousand dollars. Even without Dad contributing anything, I had managed to sock away a substantial amount of my earnings.

The surprise was on me. The bank manager informed me Dad had transferred the funds to a different bank a day earlier. My first hard lesson about shared accounts.

Once home, I decided not to tell Mom about my savings being pilfered. That would only upset her more, and I hated to see her so depressed. By the time I left for school on Monday, Mom felt better. When I arrived home in the afternoon, Mom was unusually happy. A firm had called her and offered her a position.

Mom was jubilant and excitedly exclaimed, “Can you believe it, Jason? They didn’t seem concerned that I have no training or experience. Someone referred my name to them, and they hired me without an interview. I start tomorrow.”

“That’s great, Mom. What company is it?”

“Franklin Investments. It’s not even a long commute. I knew we’d come out of this.”

Overwhelmed with joy, she skipped over and hugged me tightly. She didn’t see my smile, as I knew how her good fortune arrived. I had noticed a plaque from the firm on Mrs. White’s wall. She was involved in helping us. It didn’t surprise me as she was so kind to me.

For the next three years, Mom and I grew closer. Dad had done us a service as our happiness flourished. Mom stayed in shape and could have easily dated anyone she wanted, but preferred to spend all her spare time with me.

She helped me succeed in school and made certain I looked my best when going out on dates. It was a little embarrassing how she grilled every girl I hooked up with, but I didn’t mind. She was still protecting me.

Three months after my eighteenth birthday, I graduated from high school. Mom beamed throughout the ceremony. When we arrived home, she hugged me for a much longer time than normal. Her soft breasts beneath her thin bra felt good pushing into my chest, and I made no attempt to back off. Slightly pulling back, she looked me in the eyes and lightly kissed me on the lips. “Congratulations, honey. You’ve made me so proud. I can’t wait until you attend college this fall.”

“Thanks, Mom. I couldn’t have done it without you, though.” She smiled widely. I wanted to lean down and kiss her full, inviting lips, but feared it would ruin the moment.

Knowing she was concerned with my college tuition, I added, “Working through the summer should boost my savings, so my expenses shouldn’t be a burden to you.”

“Don’t worry, Jason. We’ll manage. We owe a lot to Mrs. White, maybe more than we know.”

Several days later, Mrs. White invited us for dinner. After our arrival, we were seated and served by Rebecca. The nervousness of the situation was broken by Mom. “Mrs. White, I’d like to thank you for dinner and for providing work for my son for all these years. We appreciate everything you’ve done for us.”

Mrs. White’s smile widened as she replied, “Please, call me Ethel. Your son has been a godsend to me. Frank praises his great work ethic and tells me what a joy he is to work with. I was the lucky one in this case. He’s turned out to be a fine young man.”

“I’m glad he’s been helpful, Ethel. And please, call me Monica.”

Once the ice was broken, they took off and chatted through the rest of the meal. They made plans to dine together again in a few more days.

After a few weeks and several dinners later, Ethel invited me in after a hot day’s work. Sweat poured off me, soaking my clothes. Leading me to one of the bedrooms, she told me to take a shower and leave my clothes outside the door so she could dry them. There was a thick, cotton robe hanging in the bathroom to wear in the meantime.

Clean and dry, I walked out to the living room where Ethel was seated. She directed me to a comfortable chair several feet opposite hers.

We talked for ten minutes while we waited for my clothes to finish, when Ethel’s tone turned serious. “Jason, do you know what happens here on those few times each year I don’t allow you to work?”

I knew what she was talking about. She hosted some kind of a three-day gathering. Neither Frank nor I was allowed to work in the yard during the event, affording both of us a mini-vacation. Walking by her house when it was off-limits, I noticed several cars on the property at different times of the day. I suspected she still had business connections and figured it had something to do with one of those companies.

“Nope, not a clue. If I had to guess, I’d say something to do with the firms you’re associated with?”

“It’s a personal pursuit of mine. You should be well aware by now that I’m wealthy. There are certain pet projects I invest in. One of them is improving relationships between mothers and sons. Under the pretense of a contest, I bring five couples closer.”

Fidgeting in my chair, this was getting a little too personal. Did she think Mom and I weren’t getting along? Seeing my conflicted expression, she continued, “Your mother is attractive, isn’t she? Her legs are one of her best attributes. I’ve noticed she wears heels when she comes here for dinner. I’m sure you noticed how it improves the appearance of the backs of her legs. Don’t you shiver with excitement when her soft breasts press into you when you hug?”