Chapter 4: Getting to Know the Neighbors

Life seems to go through peaks and valleys. Mine was doing the same. Monday morning found me back at work.

"What's the matter, couldn't stand it? Thought I told you to take two weeks vacation. Geez you just don't get it do you. There is more to life than this job." Jeff couldn't quit banging on me about the vacations.

"I had to come back boss, I need to be busy besides I need to do some bragging." I said enthusiastically. "You have to see my new place and where it's located. You're gonna shit when you find out."

This got his interest. "Okay, I'll bite. Just where is this new place of yours."

"Would you believe Wilson Country Club?" I said with my chest puffed up.

"No way you live on the grounds." Jeff stated. "That place is so exclusive you have to have government clearance to just talk about it."

"So how about coming out to the house say Saturday morning around six and I'll take you golfing on that oh so exclusive course." I stated warily. "But then, you may not pass the security clearance. Oh well."

I ducked a pencil thrown my way and laughed all the way to my cube. I checked up on my email before looking at all the projects that I had been working on. Almost everything was stalemated, waiting for somebody else to do something. Just about the time I was closing down everything, thinking of lunch. Jeff poked his head into my cube.

"Wanna do lunch?" He asked.

"Sure, lets do it." I said rising to go at the same time.

We went to Vera's Lunch Counter and both of us ordered one of her magnificent roast beef subs with pepper jack cheese, horse radish sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and of course jalapenos. We sat in a booth and began devouring our subs chasing the toxic peppers with cold iced tea.

"Are you telling me the truth?" Jeff asked.

"About what?" I returned.

"You know, about a golf game at Wilson?" Jeff asked again.

"Yes sir. Saturday morning, you'll be our forth. You'll have to ride a cart for this. You can only walk Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday." I answered.

"You really bought a house on Wilson Country Club?" Jeff asked again astonished.

"Yes sir. Found a lady that needed to sell her house quickly. We made a deal and I moved in last Tuesday. Great place. I'll try to have you and Jill over for dinner soon." I said smirking a little.

"Geez," Jeff exclaimed. "I live in Pearlcrest, one of the most exclusive country club subdivisions around and it doesn't hold a candle to Wilson and its traditions. The mystique alone has got to be worth a couple of hundred grand much less one of those mansions out there."

"No big deal Jeff." I answered. "I live in the poor section of Wilson. Not the main country club area. My block is on the opposite side of the golf course, on the other side of the woods. A nice neighborhood but considered the poor area of town."

"Poor area?" Jeff asked. "No where near Wilson Country Club is poor. I'm obviously paying you way to much for you to live out there."

"Actually Jeff," I continued. "You will be surprised when you see the front of my house. It looks to be the smallest house on the block. Like I said, come out Saturday morning and I'll show you the house after our golf game."

"You're on buddy. I can't wait. I gotta see what kind of roses you fell into. No wonder you won't date or make passes at the girls in the office. You've been saving up for something special for a long time." Jeff said all of this with a big smile.

Saturday morning, just before six o'clock, Jeff pulled up in front of the house. I opened the front door for him as he approached the door.

"Morning Jeff." I greeted.

"Good morning Chuck. Are you sure this is part of Wilson?" He asked as he came in.

I brought him through the living room into the kitchen and had him seated at the counter. "How do you want your coffee."

"Black is fine." He said.

I did the espresso thing and created our individual coffees and sat across from him at the counter.

"How did you get this place. It sure is bigger than it looks." Jeff asked looking around while sipping his coffee.

"Luck. I found a lady wanting to move to Hawaii and was willing to carry the mortgage for me. I had a decent down payment and she wanted to sell. The rest is history." I said feeling pretty good for myself.

"Man you have done well. This is a nice place."

"Wait till you see the rest. When we get back I'll show you around. You won't believe what I have in the garage. You're gonna shit." I said teasingly.

Giant Jack walked in the back door scaring poor Jeff. "So this is your boss Chuck?" He asked. "Ready to play some golf?"

"Holy smokes you are big," Jeff exclaimed.

"Not really," Quipped Jack. "I'm only big in comparison to wimps like Chuck here and Charlie standing outside."

"Okay guys lets go." I said heading toward the door.

Jeff seemed to note all I did was pull the door closed and not lock it. As soon as we went out back a behemoth canine came running. I thought Jack was going to wet himself.

Toy sniffed around Jeff then came up to me and licked my hand then stuck his head under my hand.

"Jack, go get your clubs. Ours are already over there. We'll wait." I said.

Jack got his clubs and we all went through the woods with me telling Toy to go home. As we crossed the fairway Jeff asked. "What was that back there, a dog or what."

Charlie spoke up. "That's Toy our special security around the neighborhood. He seems to love ole Chucky. No one will mess with Chuck's place as long as Toy is around."

"I've never seen a dog that thick, that big," Jeff said with wonderment in his voice.

We played our eighteen holes with Jack and Charlie doing their low 90's and me actually breaking a hundred. Jeff surprised us all by doing an awesome eighty, just eight over par. We were all patting Jeff on the back all the way back to the house. Jeff wasn't as surprised when Toy met us on the house side of the woods.

Jack elbowed me to get my attention then pointed toward Charlie's back yard. There lay Alice, Myra and June all face up. All bare as the day they were born. Myra had some large mammarys but June's were bigger and seemingly didn't sag to the side at all. Alice's were huge but their size pulled them to the side but still stuck up large enough to make you have to take a second look. Jack shook his head and Charlie put a finger to his lips so I didn't mention anything to Jeff.

I gave Jeff a complete tour of the house before guiding him out to the garage. I stood him in front of the far right door and pushed the button. As the door opened, Jeff gasped. "Where did you get that?"

"Came with the place," I said smugly.

"Is it real?" He asked.

"Take a look." I said.

I went into the garage and got into the '57 Bird. I cranked it up and waited for it to oil, put it in drive then let it move forward until it cleared the door.

"Oh man," Jeff exclaimed. "This is a real beauty. Not that your T-Bird isn't nice, but this is magnificent. You really got this as part of the house?"

"Yep. The lady couldn't take it with her so she gave me the Bird, the pickup, and the Taurus. Guess it was a pretty good deal," I said.

"Good deal? Oh my gosh, I guess so. What did you pay for all of this. It's gotta be close to a half," Jeff gushed.

"Not even close. But it really is part of the deal not to disclose what the deal was." I said trying to avoid the issue.

"Whatever it was, I'm payin' you far to much for you to have all this." Jeff panted. "I don't know whether I can bring my wife out here or not. She will probably throw me out and make a play for you. You know how good looking she is. You could never resist her."

I laughed and said. "Well I'm not too good with women as you've noticed. She would probably snub me on the way by. Anyway, why not come with me this next Monday. I'll take you two out to the club for dinner. It's a prime rib special. My treat." I of course didn't mention that it was free to my guests as well as to me.

"We'll be here. Does she need to dress special?" Jeff asked.

"I don't think so, but I'll ask around. Have her call me at the office on Monday." I said.

"This place is awesome. You lucky dog. I'll see you Monday and Monday night too. And hey, thank your friends for letting me play with them today." Jack said as he left through the front door.

I walked Jeff to his car and waved goodbye.

As I walked back to the house I heard, "Hi Chuck."

I turned toward June's house to see Sunshine sitting on the porch swing gliding back and forth.

"What are you up to Sunshine?" I called.

"Just reading." She said still gliding back and forth. Strange how she answered and didn't even look at me.

"See you later Sunshine." I said and waved.

She turned her head to me and seemingly looked at me through her dark glasses and said. "Talk to you later Chuck."

Monday's night out with the boss and his wife went great. Jill, Jeff's wife loved the house. Thought the walk through the woods to the club was great though she almost wet herself when Toy came running up to her and stuck his nose right into her crotch. Toy backed away as soon as I admonished him but Jill was still pretty taken aback by the monster.

The meal was great. Jill probably had one martini to many, along with a couple of glasses of wine to many as well. She had a little trouble navigating back to the house but made it even with Toy greeting us on the other side of the woods. I told Jeff that we could use him Saturday for our foursome if he was up for it. He said he would be there and they left.

Life was good. Work was fun. The house was paradise. I worked out at the club every morning at six thirty and was back home and to work by eight. My house was thoroughly cleaned every week. My clothes were washed and ironed and back in my closet and drawers. My yard was as near perfect as it could get. And, I had competition on my pool table. Tommy was pretty good. It was nice to have someone to play against at home.

About four months after moving in, I discovered one morning that I was out of coffee. I naturally walked next door to June's and knocked on the back door. Sunshine was in the kitchen when I knocked and called out, "Come in Chuck." I didn't see her look toward the door but went in anyway.