Chapter 2: Corrupting the Daughter

While in the military service I had met dozens of women like Monica, most of them the wives of fellow officers. They had married just out of college and devoted themselves to their husbands. All their lives they had sacrificed themselves to the wishes of others beginning with their parents and continuing with their boyfriends, husbands and families. The boyfriends, husbands and families took them for granted as they were focused on their own interests and ambitions. These women were starved for attention and affection. They were easy prey to any unscrupulous man who would listen to them and tell them what they longed to hear. Monica was very attractive, indeed. She stood about 5' 6" with a slender frame. She had the same blond hair and blue eyes that she had passed on to her daughter. I guessed her weight at 115-120 well-distributed lbs. If she called me, I would be happy to listen to her and tell her what she needed to hear. I had little doubt that she would call within the week.

On the way home my friends and I talked about our impressions of the meeting. In his usual paranoid persona, Blinker commented on the hostility of some of the audience and speculated darkly on the possibility of reprisals. I scoffed at his concerns. Paul and I discussed the reactions of the people who knew us since our childhood. They were obviously surprised to find out how deviant from community norms we had become. Barry, the horndog, wanted to know how to get in touch with some of the cute high school girls that had been there. Marlene and Studly just took it all in with quiet amusement. We had all met at the house on Black Snake Road where Paul and I lived, though none of the other participants lived there, Since the following day most of us worked or had classes, everyone dispersed shortly after we arrived home. As I was hanging up my coat, I felt a scrap of paper in the left pocket. When I pulled it out, I read a hand-scribbled note:

Mandy
555-1644
3:30-5:00
ONLY!

It was clear that Mandy must be Monica's daughter, Amanda. Perhaps like Monica, she wanted someone to tell her what she longed to hear. Despite Monica's admonition to stay away from her, I resolved to give her a call.

In the university employee hierarchy, instructors are the low man on the totem pole. Most of us were graduate students working our way through school. The only positions lower are the graduate assistants who are virtual slaves to the professors they serve. Classes are assigned by level in the hierarchy. Thus I taught classes in German 101 at 8:00 every morning Monday through Friday. One section met 8:00-8:50 MWF, the other met 8:00-9:15 TT. It wasn't really that bad. After two years in the army, I didn't mind getting up early. Plus it meant that I got most of my work out of the way the first thing in the morning leaving the rest of the day free for my own studies, classes and leisure activities.

My last class on Monday ended at 3:00. Rather than hang around campus as I often did, I headed home to call Mandy. Not wanting to appear too eager, I waited until 4:00 to call. The phone rang. The voice answering the call sounded like a teenaged girl, "Hello."

"Hello," I said, "My name is Bill Hadley. I was given a note to call this number and ask for Mandy. Would you call her to the phone, please."

"This is Mandy," she replied. "Thanks for calling Mr. Hadley. I heard you speak at the Baptist church. I heard you tell someone that you would be happy to answer questions. I have some questions that I didn't want to ask in front of my friends."

"OK," I said, "First of all my friends call me 'Bill'. Mr. Hadley is a bit too formal, don't you think?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever," she answered with an uncertain voice.

"Secondly," I continued, "Do you want to ask your questions now or did you have something else in mind?"

"I'd really like to ask my questions face-to-face if you don't mind," she said. "Besides we don't have that much time before my mother gets home. Could you meet me at the university library some afternoon? I have a current events paper to work on so I can get my mother to take me."

"I could do that." I agreed. "In fact tomorrow afternoon my schedule is clear. What time would you want to meet?

"I can't go until after school," she said. "I could be there by 3:30."

"OK," I said, "I'll wait for you in the main reading room toward the back. You know what I look like. By the way, what is the topic for your paper?"

"It's sooo boring," she groaned. "I have to write about the cold war and its historical context."

"Well," I said, "You're doubly in luck. I have an undergraduate degree in history and I just completed two years with the army in Europe translating Russian documents. You might say that I am an expert on the cold war. I'm sure I can help you get a good grade on your paper."

"Oh, wow," she exclaimed with delight, "That would be so cool."

"It's a deal, then," I replied. "I'll see you in the library tomorrow afternoon at 3:30."

We each said 'goodbye' and ended the call. She was going to be so easy. I was sure that if I wanted to I could have her virginity within a week. I wasn't sure that I wanted to do that, but I intended to play it by ear. I went to my room to do some reading for my courses. It was a little over an hour later when the phone rang again.

I picked up the receiver and said, "This is Bill Hadley, may I ask who is calling?"

The voice on the phone answered, "So formal, Mr. Hadley, this is Monica Stuart."

"It's nice to hear your voice again, Monica," I said. "And please call me, Bill. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

"You are very charming, Bill," she replied, "Not at all what I expected of a devil worshiper."

"I must be quite inept as a speaker," I said, "To have left you with the impression that I believe in anything supernatural."

"No," she admitted, "You were very clear about that. I was just trying to pull your chain. After all, you are a very disturbing young man."

"It was not my intention to disturb you," I lied. "I must offer you an apology for having made you feel uncomfortable."

"Well," she said, "You did say some things that I find disturbing. That is why I called. I would like to discuss them further to be sure that I have understood you correctly."

"If I have bothered you," I replied, "Further conversation would be the least I could do to make it up to you. Did you want to have that discussion now or are you suggesting an alternative?"

"I would rather have that conversation face-to face," she answered. "Are you available tomorrow afternoon after 3:30?"

"Unfortunately," I said, "I have a tutoring obligation at that time. However my schedule is clear on Wednesday after 3:00. Would that work for you? If so, where would you like to meet?"

"Yes, Wednesday works for me," she said, "I believe that I can meet with you Wednesday afternoon. I teach at the high school so the soonest we could meet would be 3:30. Are you familiar with the Left Bank Coffee Shop?"

"Yes," I said, "I know where it is. I shall be happy to meet you there at 3:30."

Having agreed on the time and place of our next meeting, we concluded the call. I marveled that the daughter and mother both asked for face-to-face meetings. It was clear to me that they each had more on their minds than getting answers to questions about atheism. There was no way for me to know just how far they were willing to go for the answers they sought. However as Joni Mitchell's lyrics say, "Life is for learning."

I arrived early at the library and staked out a table at the back of the reading room as I had promised. Mandy bounced in shortly after 3:30. She scanned the room for a moment or two, spotted me and headed back. When she arrived, I stood up to acknowledge her arrival and sat back down as she took her seat. She sat across from me putting her book bag on the table. She was quite cute. Standing about 5' 2" she couldn't have weighed more than 100 lbs. She had small breasts and an ass that were perfectly proportional to her height and weight. She was wearing her hair in a ponytail. Had it been free it would have hung down to her shoulder blades.