Edited by BarneyR. Any mistakes are from me messing with it.

I came home to the wrong attitude and she had the wrong idea that I would be “A clueless wimp who wouldn’t do anything even if he knew.”

Let’s start with introductions; I am John (Jack) Winslow. I am a 32 year old field service engineer for a bank equipment company. The title is just that, a title. I have been working on various types of equipment for most of my adult life. I was trained by the Army for that kind of work and thinking. That was after I realized that I wasn’t cut out for college.

I have always earned a salary that would allow us to be upper-middle-class without my wife working. She insisted that she wanted to, and then she complained about ‘all the assholes’ that she worked with.

I was married to Sara (nee Crosby) for almost six years. She is 29, and a beautiful woman of diminutive stature (she’s short). She has long reddish blonde hair and does not look like the mother of two children. She is a real estate agent, and we have a nearby daycare for the kids.

The kids are June and Jerry, 4 almost 5 year old twins. Sara is a great mother, but just couldn’t overcome the daily boredom she experienced as a stay at home mother.

We met when I was looking for a house. I had a good job, most of my military pay, and a medium sized inheritance from my paternal grandmother. I wanted to buy not rent. Sara was the agent at the office I went to. She showed me several listings for homes, but when she saw that I was not pleased with any of them, she sat me down and asked me specifically what I was looking for and what amenities that I desired. I told her I wanted a house on some land and three or four bedrooms and two baths minimum. The land should be wooded, and I was not adverse to a stream or lakefront.

I found what I wanted, but the price was, at least for my thoughts, too high. The 160-acre parcel had been on the market for almost two years. It had a creek running through a small portion of the land and that led to a pond that covered the neighboring federal land. The pond was the back property line of the parcel. The major drawback was that the house had been unoccupied for a few years and needed major work because of that. The next day I checked with the county tax officer to get the assessment value and found out that the property was marked for tax foreclosure if the spring taxes and all the back taxes weren’t paid. It seems the owners had died and the son was living in California, and he thought he should get Cali prices for the place.

I went back to Sara and told her what I had discovered. I told her to make an offer to the current owner of 75% of the assessed value, and I would assume the tax burden. She thought I was crazy and wasn’t going to submit my offer when I pointed out that by regulation she had to.

She admitted that she knew that but she didn’t want to waste her time.

I came back with, “Fine, the property goes on the delinquent tax rolls in February, and if I buy it then, you will not get any commission.” I turned and headed for the door.

“Stop; alright, I will submit the offer.”

I nodded, signed and then went out the door.

Well, I didn’t get the property then because the seller rejected my offer and did not make a counter-offer. I bought it in at a tax sale the next February for less than $150,000 and moved a single wide used mobile home on the property. My intent was to have the house fixed up to code and some minor upgrades.

A couple of weeks later, I literally ran into Sara at the local Lowes. I had some sheet rock and lumber on a cart, when I was looking for something and I let go of the cart when I thought I had it stopped. The cart continued for a couple of feet, and when I turned to catch it I knocked Sara into it. I caught her instead and steadied her so she wouldn’t fall.

“Sara, are you OK? Did I hurt you?” as scared, embarrassed and ashamed as I was, I knew I should have been more careful.

“Yeah Jack, I’m fine. I wasn’t hurt, and your catching me saved me from even getting bruised.”

“I was just trying to correct my own carelessness. You were the fair damsel that needed my gesture.”

“Well, I think a just punishment for your carelessness is to buy me coffee and catch up on things.”

“OK”

We had a great talk, and she told me she had tried to get the people to counter-offer but it was an estate, and the west coast guy felt he should get west coast prices for the property. She then added, “I know they lost the property to back taxes, and someone bought it and is living in a mobile home while they or he is fixing it up.”

I laughed and she gave me the stink eye. “You bought it didn’t you? I heard there was only one bidder on the place and it went for just the taxes owed. The family got nothing.”

“Yeah, I bought it. I’m fixing it up. Doing what I know I can do myself and letting professionals do what needs done by skilled trades. I hope to be able to move in by next summer.”

We talked a few minutes more, and I told her I would call for a ‘proper date’ if she wanted one. She did.

Well, between my work, and fixing the farmhouse, We didn’t get to date much. Sara said she understood, and added that as we were not exclusive, she would go out with me any time I asked as long as she hadn’t planned something with someone else. We did date for about two months, but it was only three dates.

I was not feeling like we were getting closer, so seeing as she not so gently let me off the hook for dating, I didn’t call for a couple of months. When the pros completed their work, I finished the house, removed the mobile home and started living in the house.

I was in the house for about a week, when my cell phone rang. The number was Sara’s. I assumed that this would not be a good call.

“Jack, why haven’t you called for a date. I told you I would go out with you when you asked. Did I do something wrong?”

“No Sara, you didn’t do anything wrong. You were honest and up front about where I stood in the hierarchy of you dating plans. If you remember, you uttered the sentence ‘I will go out with you whenever you ask as long as I don’t have something with someone else planned’.

That told me where I stood, so I decided to put your position in my hierarchy were it was for my peace of mind. Just so you understand, I have not dated since we last went out almost two months ago. When I have dated someone more than twice, I expect some exclusivity, but that wasn’t in your plans, was it?”

I heard silence and looked at my cell. “Call ended 2:07”

About two weeks later she called again. “Jack, I know I put you down with that comment about dating, but I really didn’t mean to. I need a plus one for an awards banquet this coming Saturday, and the non-existent other dates are not available. Would you please let me take you to dinner Thursday or Friday and to the banquet Saturday?”

“What do you mean no-existent dates? Are you telling me you were not and are not dating anyone else?”

“Yes, that is what I am telling you. I was trying to keep you at arm’s length because you do something to me that scares me. I have managed to stay out of any serious relationship because I want a career. Then this ex-soldier with a great smile and a confident attitude walks into my office and I see I’m in trouble.”

“So, let me get this straight, you pissed me off because you were attracted to me?”

I got a stifled, “I’m sorry, but yes.”

I laughed a full belly laugh. “That is funny, but also very strange. That is the most original defense mechanism I have ever heard.”

“You’re not mad?” she quietly asked.