Chapter 11

“Mommmm, what’s for supper,” Jim called as he came through the door on Monday night after football practice, “I’m starving.”

“Of course you are, dear,” Lily laughed. “You’re always starving. I swear you must have a hollow leg. How do pork chops and baked potatoes sound?”

“Mmmmm ... terrific!”

“You got some mail today, Jim. Aunt Debbie sent you something.”

“Oh?” Jim said as he kissed his mother on the cheek in greeting.

Lily handed Jim an envelope addressed to him in an obviously feminine hand. And, sure enough, it had Debbie’s return address from the lake on it. Jim took the envelope and went to his room to get a head start on his school work before supper.

He tore open the envelope and read the letter.

Dear Jim,

I hope that you are enjoying being back in school. It’s kind of lonely here at the lake right now. Susan and the twins had to go home, of course, and there’s been no one else up here since you all left. Good thing I have a lot of books!

Do you remember me asking you if you would come up this fall for a weekend to help me get the place ready for winter? I need to get the Chris Craft out of the water and winterize the boathouse. I’d pay you, of course. We could do it after football season so you could come up on a Friday night and spend the weekend.

Let me know what works for you.

Love,

Debbie

P.S. You can call me collect anytime you like.

Jim smiled as he thought about spending a weekend with Debbie. He missed her, and he wanted to tell her all about what had happened to him since he’d left the lake. He opened a notebook and took out a fresh sheet of paper and started his reply.

Dear Aunt Debbie,

School has been good so far. The twins must have tipped off a few of their cheerleader friends from my school because they’ve been a lot nicer to me this year. A LOT nicer.

Football has gone really well too. I’m starting defensive back and in our first game I had an interception and made a few solo tackles.

Classes are OK. I really like my Social Studies teacher, Miss Hunt. She’s also our debate coach. I think you would like her too. So would Susan. I’m enclosing a picture of the Debate Team taken for the Yearbook so you can see what she looks like. I’m the tall one in the back.

I’d love to come up and help you get the place ready for winter. Football is over around Halloween, so maybe the first weekend in November would work if there isn’t a debate tournament.

Well, I have to get some homework done before supper so I’d better close this. I’ll call you some time so we can talk more.

Love,

Jim

Jim folded up the paper and carefully addressed an envelope, put the letter and photo inside and went out to the kitchen to ask his mother for a stamp. The front door opened and closed and that meant his dad was home – supper would be on the table shortly.

Two days later, Debbie went to her mailbox and saw that Jim had written back already. She smiled, and, taking his letter along with her other mail back to the house, she sat down with a cup of tea and opened it.

“Cheerleaders, eh? Treating him well? I suppose that means he’s getting laid anyhow. Better than I’m doing at the moment. Miss Hunt? And, Susan and I would both like her? I wonder ... You don’t suppose ... No ... He wouldn’t ... Well, if he did, I’d have no one to blame but myself. I’m going to have to meet this woman some time and see what she’s like. Oh, there’s a picture too. Let’s see what the boy looks like when he’s not wearing cutoffs and a t-shirt.”

Debbie’s tea cup made a loud “clank” as it missed the saucer and tipped over onto the counter.

“Oh. My. God. It can’t be.”

Debbie stared at the team photo, which, by custom, also included the coach. There, looking out at her from the team picture was someone that Debbie hadn’t seen since college but recognized instantly. There could be no mistake. There was only one Dawn Hunt in the world, as far as Debbie knew, and certainly only one who looked like that.

Debbie absently picked up the tea cup and placed it on the saucer, then went to get some paper toweling to clean up the spilled tea. Dawn made another cup of tea and sat down with the photograph in front of her.

She opened her date book, found a telephone number, and went to the phone.

“Susan? It’s Debbie ... Yes, I miss you too ... How are the twins? ... Good ... Why did I call? Well, you’ll never guess who Jim’s met. Remember Dawn Hunt? ... Yes, that Dawn Hunt. We lost touch with her after college. Last I heard she was in the Army or something. Well, it seems she’s a teacher at Jim’s high school, and his debate coach. He wrote to me about her and said that both you and I would like her. I think he’s having sex with her ... Well, why else would he say that both you and I would like her? ... Uh-huh. Yup, I think one of them has seduced the other, and knowing them, it was probably mutual ... What am I going to do? For starters, I’m going to go down there and see if it’s really her. It shouldn’t be too hard to find out where she lives ... No, I’m not telling Jim ... Of course I think it’s a good idea ... OK, I’ll let you know how things turn out ... Love you too. Bye.”

Debbie looked at the calendar and circled the first weekend in November, hoping that Jim would be able to come up. She missed him more than she really wanted to admit. The past summer was the best she’d had since her husband had been killed. She had warned Jim not to fall in love with her, but what about her feelings for him?

“Follow your own advice, Debbie,” she murmured to herself as she took another sip of tea and thought about what to do next. She picked up the telephone again and dialed directory assistance. Two minutes later she had a phone number and address for Dawn Hunt and the beginnings of a plan.

She showered, dressed, put on makeup and fixed her hair. Then, she grabbed her purse, her car keys, and headed out the door. She was on a mission. All the way down, she thought about what she would say to Dawn when she found her. She had no right to accuse Dawn of anything. Teachers weren’t supposed to fuck their students, but aunts weren’t supposed to fuck their nephews either.

Debbie and Dawn had been good friends in college. They hadn’t gone to the same school, but to two different schools in the same town. They had been officers in the same sorority though and had also been occasional lovers. Susan had known Dawn too and the three of them had been involved in some pretty wild parties – parties that Jim’s mom hadn’t been a part of since she was already engaged to Jim’s father at the time and had always been more “straight-laced” than Debbie in any case ... Debbie had actually been surprised that Lily had introduced her to the man she would marry. They were friends, but if Lily had known half the things she and Susan had been up to she probably wouldn’t have thought her a suitable match for brother Bob.

When she got to town Debbie stopped at a filling station to ask directions. Then, she drove to the address she’d gotten from the phone company, parked her car, and waited. She’d brought a book. It was just after 2:30. About 4:30 a green and black Pontiac Grand Prix pulled into the parking area next to the building and a blonde woman got out.

“Yes,” Debbie said to herself, “that’s her alright.”

Debbie got out of her car and caught up to Dawn as she was opening the door of the apartment building.

“Dawn Hunt?” Debbie said.

Startled, Dawn turned and looked at Debbie.

“Debbie?” she asked in disbelief.

Debbie smiled. “Yes, it’s me.”

“My God!” Dawn squealed as she took the three or four quick steps needed to put her within range of a hug. The two women embraced warmly like long lost friends, which, of course, they were.

“Debbie, after all these years! What are you doing here?”

“I’m glad you asked me that Dawn,” Debbie said, cryptically. “May I come in and explain? I know it’s an imposition, but I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

“Of course you can come in. I’m just an old maid school teacher – it’s not like I have any social life,” she said with a laugh. She took Debbie’s hand and the two walked up the stairs to Dawn’s place. Soon they were sitting on the sofa, drinks in hand.