Chapter 3

It was Monday morning, and I had just parked in the lot at work when my phone rang. It was my son. “Hey.”

“Hey Babe, want to talk?”

“John, you’re an idiot.” I hung up and laughed. I guess he got over the embarrassment, and now he was going to tease me. I was proud of him. He called Laura yesterday and broke off their affair and did not involve me or use me as the reason he was ending it.

I got three more calls from my son during the week. One to find out where his favorite shirt was and two, ‘Hey Babe, want to talk?’ I told him where his favorite shirt was and hung up on him twice. Although I still laughed when he called.

It was a little after 11:00 p.m. on the next Saturday night when my phone buzzed. ’Who the hell is calling this time of night?’ “John?”

“Hey Mom, what-cha doing?”

“I’m reading.”

“Is that all?” he asked.

I knew what he was alluding to, but I certainly wasn’t going to indulge him in such foolishness, “What did you think I would be doing?”

I heard him chuckle. “I don’t know. Maybe doing what some people do at night alone in bed.”

“Cut that out. You’re being silly now. I am not going to have phone sex with you.”

“Well, maybe not like the other night when I called from the car. Maybe we can just talk and let me hear your voice.”

“Okay, but no funny business. What do you want to talk about?”

“Tell me about work.”

“Work is good. We landed a big project last week, and Mr. Chambers bought pizza for everyone for lunch.”

“Tell me what you girls talk about at lunch.”

“A little of everything, our kids, politics, work stuff, ... guys.”

“Are there any guys the girls are checking out?” he asked.

“They are always checking them out and gossiping about them,” I replied.

“Is there anyone in particular that you check out?”

I thought it was an odd question, but it felt good to talk to my son about something other than when will you be home? What do you want for dinner? Did you do your laundry and change the sheets? “I shouldn’t tell you this, but there is one cute guy that I kind of check out when he walks by.”

“Tell me about him.”

“He is good-looking, wavy hair, Nice eyes, and very friendly. Cute butt.”

“Hey, Mom, you’re not such a prude after all.

“Very funny.”

“Does he talk to you?” John asked.

“Sometimes.”

“Do you think he will ask you out?”

I giggled. Even the thought of him asking me out was funny, “Oh my goodness, no. He is way too young and married. He’s just eye candy.”

“What would you do if he were not married and asked you out?”

“He can’t be more than twenty-five. Why would he ask a forty-one-year-old lady out? And why would I go with him?”

“Some guys like more mature women,” he informed me.

I could not help but tease, “And who would we know that fits that description?”

John laughed but did not answer my question. “Would you go out with him if he did ask?”

“We are being ridiculous now.”

“Come on, Mom, go with it. What would you do if he were single and asked you to go out for a drink after work?”

“I don’t know, maybe. Okay, sure, I would go for a drink.”

“What if he came on to you? Would you let him kiss you?”

“Maybe. Hmmm, yes, I would give him a goodnight kiss now that I think about it. He is damn cute.”

“Would you sleep with him?”

I don’t know why I did not see that one coming. This conversation was getting a little too personal. I needed to end this. “Honey, I think it’s time that we stopped this. It was a nice little fantasy, but it has gone far enough. Goodnight. Now go to sleep.” I hung up, plugged my phone into the charger, and turned the light out. I snuggled down under the covers as visions of Peter, the cute guy from work, danced in my mind.