Chapter 4: Lynn

In two weeks the school year would be ending thought Don who was still on a downer because of the phone call he received from Jessica two months ago. That she was giving her ex-husband a second chance was not news Don wanted to hear. He accepted that it just wasn’t meant for him to be with Jessica and somewhat reluctantly hoped she would be happy. She was a nice person and she deserved to find happiness in her life.

Don also knew he needed to get on with his life. He thought or maybe hoped there was a woman out there that was meant for him. How to go about finding her was a question he didn’t have an answer for.

Since he would have free time in two weeks when school ended now he thought this would be a good time to purchase the items necessary to update one of his two bathrooms which was going to be his major home project for this summer.

At the Home Depot he purchased ceramic floor tie, thin-set mastic, grout, spacers and some tools along with a thick wax ring for the toilet and a new electric light fixture. Also among his purchases and on his cart were a faucet, sink and a gallon of white and a gallon of brown paint. He had ordered and was told he could expect the new vanity and counter top along with the sliding shower door to replace the shower curtain next week. He still was undecided if he was going to replace the toilet but that could be decided later.

Pushing the loaded cart out to his SUV wasn’t a problem but Don was thinking this updating was getting to be more expensive than he had thought it would be.

As he was loading his SUV he heard, “That’s you Coach Carlson isn’t it? How are you doing?”

Looking up to where he heard the voice he saw that it belong to Lynn Cole. Lynn’s son Mark was a starter on the basketball team two years ago. He was an adequate high school player but he just didn’t have the height or the talent to be a college player.

Lynn and her husband were both dentists and attended most of the basketball games both home and away when Mark was on the team. Don also knew that a little over a year ago Lynn became a widow when a drunk driver going about fifty miles an hour decided to ignore a red light and hit the car Dennis Cole was driving squarely on the driver’s side killing him instantly.

“What is all this?” Lynn asked pointing to his purchases.

“It’s my project for the summer. I am going to update one bathroom this summer and the other one the following summer.”

Seeing that Lynn had a cart which contained three gallons of paint he asked her what they were for.

“This is my project for the summer, I just purchased the paint for my two bedrooms and a handyman comes over and does the painting.” She laughed after saying that.

“Seriously though I do miss coming to your games and if you have time maybe we could go across the road to the McDonalds and you can tell me how the season went.”

Don said he would meet her there and watched Lynn push her cart to her car. Per his practice he looked at her backside in the tight jeans she was wearing and gave her ass a nine on a possible score of ten.

Sitting at a table and after ordering coffee Don told her about the basketball season.

“It was a so so season in which we should have done better but we wound up in third place in conference play. In the State tournament we hit our stride. We won the District and wound up playing for the Sectional Championship. We were up by one with 15 seconds left to go in the game. They had the ball and their player drove to the basket. There was contact between their player and my player. I thought it was a charging foul but the referee called a blocking foul. They had a one and one and they made both shots. We lost by one. The ironic thing is that the referee who made the call was Kenny Pyle. Kenny and I played together on the same college team. In looking at the video and being honest about it I guess the call could have gone either way. But enough about me, how are you and Mark doing?”

“Mark is doing fine. He is at Western and decided he wants to become an electrical engineer. Math is a little bit of a challenge for him and he stayed down there to pick up some courses during the summer.”

“As for me and in being honest with you, I will say that it has been difficult but I am trying to put Dennis’s passing behind me. The house that we had with Dennis now gone and Mark away at college was lonely and much too large for me besides being filled with memories. I just sold the house and bought what I think is a nice condo. Being busy at work has been a help with my trying to put this tragedy behind me. Paul Casey who is a few years out of dental school has joined the practice which helps.”

“My friends have been urging me to get involved in some of the social activities but so far that hasn’t happen. An example of that is a daughter of a friend of mine is getting married next weekend and while I have been invited, I am reluctant to go. I know if I show up by myself my well-meaning friends will be all over me expressing their sympathies and I don’t need to hear them doing that anymore.”

“It sounds to me that if you showed up with an escort you would surprise them and some of your friends would hold off in expressing their sympathies.”

“You are probably right on that but I don’t have an escort.”

“If you want I could escort you to the reception.”

“You would do that?”

“Yes I would.”

“I know two of my friends would wet their panties if I showed up with a tall good looking man.”

Don laughed at her comment but it felt good to hear her say that about him being good looking. Arrangements were made as to when and where Don would call for her next Saturday.

On Saturday when Lynn opened her condo door Don was pleasantly surprised. She was dressed in a four inch above knee length form fitting red dress. Her auburn hair was worn down and her makeup was impeccable. She looked younger than Don in spite of knowing that she was a few years older than him. He could see she appreciated the wolf whistle he gave her.

During the drive to the banquet facility she expressed to Don that she was nervous. He told her not to be but she should be prepared to fend off all the males there that were going to be hitting on her. Lynn smiled and gave Don a friendly poke on his shoulder when he said that.

The number of cars that were already parked at this banquet facility indicated to Don there was a large number of invited guests.

They found the card indicating the numbered table they were to sit at and proceeded to one of the wet bars that were set up there for a cocktail. Don said he would momentarily leave her to get the drinks which he did. He was back in five minutes and could see Lynn was surrounded by a number of people. She took the drink he handed her and introduced him to the people that were there.

One of the couples he was introduced caught his attention. This couple was Ted and Tracy Putnam. Ted was as tall as Don and about five years older than Don. He was also some twenty five pounds overweight. It was Tracy who caught Don’s attention. She was of average height but she had a gangbuster body and flaming red hair that came down both sides of her pretty face to the tops of her breasts. He sensed an immediate attraction to her and by the looks she gave him he wondered if she had a similar attraction to him. Besides being damn good looking there just was something about her that was giving Don a number of erotic thoughts.

Lynn and Don sat at a table for eight and had the basic banquet fare of a chicken dinner. They heard the usual speeches given on how the newlyweds were meant for each other and would have a wonderful life together being blessed with many children. Don hoped for them that was true but he knew the odds now were becoming fifty fifty on that happening.

After the Bride and Groom had the first dance and the parents joined in, the dance floor was open to all the guests. Lynn accepted Don’s invitation to dance. In dancing with Lynn there was no body to body contact but every now and then the tips of her breasts would touch his chest.

“I can see that you are getting a number of looks here from the men who appreciate a good looking lady,” said Don.