Chapter 5

Taylor prepared an elaborate meal for dinner, one that included two different wines with the meal and a third with the dessert. There was no hurry in eating and the table discussions ranged from Julie’s teaching experiences to Mindy’s ideas for a career. They both listened in awe as Taylor explained about his life as a young man and then how it had changed after his father’s death. He did not hold back in his description of things after that happened.

“I was away at school and at some point, my father began to feel unwell. He was not so sick as to require hospitalization, but he did remain at home, working as best he could until he began to get weaker. My mother was supposed to be taking care of him, but she had what she claims was a busy ‘social schedule’ but I have since learned that she was already being courted by individuals anticipating her pending availability and the inheritance that would accompany her.

“As I said the other day, my father received some excellent advice from his attorney regarding the structure of his will, and at the reading of that will, my mother vocally demonstrated her absence of emotion regarding my father’s passing.

“I mentioned that she does receive a monthly stipend, or an allowance if you will, and she spent six months of that allowance fighting to have his will overturned. Of course, all of that became public knowledge, as well as her premature dalliances with several men from the area. The result was that her friends stopped calling, invitations to events became far less frequent, and she now spends half of her days travelling with some man she met on a cruise ship.

“So, here I sit with two degrees, an estate that could provide its residents a very comfortable life, and a bank account sufficient to allow me a life of leisure if I so choose. I have no fiancé, not even a steady girlfriend, and no clue as to how to resolve that either. I am in the company of two wonderful females, both of whom I have had and enjoyed sex on several occasions over the last two days, but who are anxious to escape the entrapment of the snow and return to their home.

“My suggestion for this evening is that I will be happy to sleep on the sofa here while you ladies get a full night’s sleep. Will talk about the future in the morning.”

While there may have been a little sense of disappointment at his plan for the evening, given their extensive physical activities throughout the day, neither Julie or Mandy complained.

When the sun came up, Taylor heard the snow plows working on the highway and the road that ran past his house. He checked his phone and found enough bars to make a call to a friend who agreed to tow the car back onto the road later in the morning.

“Rise and shine,” he called out with a somewhat commanding voice while he stood in the hallway between the two bedrooms. “Get those gorgeous bodies out of bed and come get some breakfast. The snow is melting and we have things to discuss.”

Initially there was not much discussion while they ate, but as they sat at the table later, Mindy expressed her sadness. “I have given you everything that a girl can give to a guy, and I have no regrets about that. What I wish is that it could go on and on. I know that I am too young to get married now, but I wouldn’t be in four years or so.”

“Mindy, you are a wonderful young lady, you are intelligent, you are beautiful and you can be very sexy. But truthfully, during the next four years, you will experience an astounding number of different things that will impact your life. Committing yourself to me during that time would deprive you of so much that it would be truly sad.

“Your mother is in the same situation. For the first time in her adult life, she has experienced a happiness unlike anything she had ever felt. While she is older than either of us, she is still a very young woman and is certainly charming and capable of becoming involved in a social scene with people of a similar age. Wanting to become significantly involved with me, with out age disparity, is the furthest thing from her mind.

“Yes, I could certainly afford for you to both come here and live with me, but what kind of life is that? I’d like to suggest that, once we get your car freed up, you go on to your home and resume your lives as you had been. There may come a time, maybe next weekend, maybe next month, maybe never, that you decide that another weekend at Taylor’s place might just be the ticket, and you should know that I will be here for you.”