"Breakfast will be ready in about fifteen minutes." Mary Austin said as
she adjusted the belt on her robe. "You have time to grab a shower if you
want."
"Sounds like a good idea." A.C. said as he slipped out from under the
sheets and stood up. Strange as it seemed, given the events of last night,
but he felt a little funny standing naked in front of Mary. He did however
take note that she hadn't offered to join him in the shower. The night was
really over.
A.C.'s showers was brief and he stepped out of the bathroom ten minutes
later. As he stepped out into the hall, he was so preoccupied that he
didn't notice the tall figure standing alongside the bathroom door.
"I hope you had the decency to bring your own clean underwear." said the
deep male voice from behind A.C.
"Josh!" he said as he whirled around.
The two friends exchanged hugs, it was as if it had been days instead of
months since they'd seen each other. It took only a few minutes to bring
each other up to date.
"I hope you haven't left my bed the mess you usually leave yours in."
Josh said as he took a step toward his room, the one closest to the
bathroom.
"Oh shit!" A.C. said to himself, horror flashing through his mind.
Josh's bed was as crisply made as it was the previous afternoon. It would
be obvious that A.C. hadn't slept in it.
"I knew it!" Josh exclaimed as he stepped into his room.
"Josh, I...." A.C. said as he followed him.
Horror turned to relief as A.C. saw that the bed was an appropriate
mess. Mary had even thought of that.
"..... I was just going to get to that." A.C. finished.
"Hey, I'm only kidding." his friend laughed. "Let's get down to
breakfast."
Breakfast was as good if not better than last nights dinner. By the
time the two young men were done, both of their plates were empty. A.C.
couldn't remember the last time he'd had such an appetite.
Mary was about to say something when the phone rang. Josh started to
get up when she said she'd get it.
"If that's the office, tell them I died." he quipped.
The call turned out to be from Mike Ford, one of the teachers at the
school that both boys had attended long ago. Mary still did some volunteer
work for the PTA. The conversation was brief, merely a confirmation of
previously agreed on plans. It was the tag at the end of their chat that
surprised the two young men at the table.
"Oh Mike, does that offer of dinner still hold for Saturday night?" Mary
asked. "It does? Well then why don't you pick me up around 07:30. Good,
I'll see you then. Bye."
Josh Austin looked at his mother in shock. Mike Ford, a widower
himself, had been asking Mary out for three months now. On every other
occasion, she gave him the same pat answer - that it was too soon. Josh
had begun to think that she would still be giving that same answer until
long after anyone stopped asking.
"What brought on this change of heart?" he asked. "Not that I'm
complaining."
"Oh I don't know." Mary said as she picked up the two empty plates. "I
guess A.C.'s visit made me realize that I should stop acting my age - or at
least how I thought a woman my age was supposed to act."
"That's my friend A.C." Josh said as he slapped him on the back. "I
always said you had a golden tongue."
"I can attest to that." Mary said too low for her son to hear, but the
wide smile on her face was evident to all.