Chapter 5

Julie gulped down her martini, her eyes fas-tened on the young boy outside, who was busily mowing the lawn. She wondered if she had made a mistake in hiring such a youngster to take care of the garden. She remembered her desperation of that morning and how, over her usual soli-tary cup of black coffee, she had finally decided to take matters into her own hands and do some-thing about the chaotic state of the garden.

Ideal Garden Help, the ad in the local paper had read, and promised all kinds of garden work done. The final sentence in the imposing ad, Satisfaction Guaranteed, had clinched the matter in her mind and she decided to ring them.

An hour later, this young man had arrived, He was only about fifteen and he was tall and dark with almost swarthy features and intense moody eyes. She guessed he must be of Portuguese extraction, as there was a settlement from Portugal in the city. His name was Eduardo, and she had felt ill at ease from the thorough visual examination he'd given her when he first came. His eyes seemed old beyond his years, and they had burned into her making her feel as if her body had been laid bare to his rather insolent gaze.

Her martini finished, she found that she was constantly looking at him. The drink bolstering her confidence, she decided to go out in the garden and see how the work was progressing.

He looked up at her as she walked across the lawn to him.

"How's it coming along, Eduardo?" she asked cheerily.

"Very well, ma'am," he said, a faint smile brightening his deeply tanned youthful face.

"When do you think you'll be finished with the lawn? There are a few more things you can help me with."

"I'm at your service anytime ma'am," he said, his dazzling white teeth flashing, as he bowed slightly.

"Good, Eduardo. I'll probably need you for several days."

"Thank you, ma'am," he said simply, his eyes wandering over her body, brazenly taking in the outline of her nipples pressing against the thin material of her dress. His stare brought a flush of embarrassment to her face. She gave the boy a cold look and walked briskly back into the house.

Once back in the safety of the house, Julie tried to pass off his look as the product of his lack of upbringing. Poor boy, she thought, he's probably been underprivileged all his life! She sat on the living room couch engrossed in a copy of a Homes and Gardens magazine. Her recent preoccupation with their own garden had led her to buy several glossy magazines portraying magnificently laid out gardens, well-appointed houses and sumptuous interiors.

Her mind wandered as she gazed at the lovely colored pictures, secretly envying the owners of such well-manicured grounds and she pictured how their own place would look when Eduardo was finished.

He was really a nice boy, she mused, probably just a trifle overawed in her presence, hence his familiarity with her. And he really was very attractive. He had a good build, too. She wondered what kind of girl friends he had. Little dark girls like himself, she supposed. She had heard about how passionate they were too.

As she read, she sipped another dry martini, and when she'd finished it, she found she wanted another. Outside, she watched as Eduardo continued his work, and gradually over her third drink, she stopped reading completely to watch the young boy.

She was so absorbed in her own thoughts, that she didn't notice when he turned to watch her watching him... not until he had smirked insolently and smiled as though he knew her every secret thought.

She blushed profusely when she saw, and looked quickly down to her magazine, the printing and photographs a blur to her martini-dulled eyes. She dared not look up again, and as she held the magazine, she noticed that her hands were trembling.

"Silly fool," she said to herself. "What on earth's wrong with you anyway? After all, it wasn't as though I'm dealing with a grown man. He was just a child... hardly anything to get all upset about!"

All of a sudden she squealed, nearly jumping out of her skin. Eduardo had entered the house through the side door, and was now breathing heavily over her shoulder. She could smell a slight waft of animal perspiration from his work in the garden, and although she expected to be rebuffed by it, there was something about it that she liked. BUT WHY WAS THIS BOY LOOKING OVER HER SHOULDER THIS WAY? She felt unable to cope with anything... WHY HAD SHE HAD THAT LAST DRINK?

"Pretty pictures!" Eduardo smiled, flashing bright beautiful teeth at her. "You like your garden to look like that?" His hand snaked out, and brushing past Julie's cheek, pointed directly at a luxurious garden in the magazine.

"Why... of course," Julie found herself stammering... "Who wouldn't? But shouldn't you... I mean have you finished for the day?"

He hadn't budged an inch, his youthful face was still dangerously close to hers, hand still extended across her shoulder to the open magazine page.

"I like the way you look at me..." he grinned pleasantly, still not budging.

"Why whatever... I mean I don't think I've looked at you any special way... you're a very nice boy, but..."

"Oh!" Suddenly Julie gasped aloud, shivers of fear tingling her nerves. To her horror, she felt hands on her, one on each breast, and she was so stunned at the shattering reality of this fact, that it was moments before she could make a move. In those split seconds, her terrified eyes saw the dark young face of the young gardener looking down at her, his eyes boring into her.

He shifted slightly, lightly licking his lips and moving closer to her. The movement broke the strange spell and with a cry, she struggled to break away from the child's embrace.

"How dare you!" she cried indignantly. "Take your hands off me! Why I'm almost old enough to be your mother!"

His only answer was a small, conceited laugh, squeezing harder on her straining breasts and then he began to manipulate them slowly beneath the prying of her fingers at his hands.

"I saw how you looked at me," he whispered sensuously. "I'm not a boy... I'm a man... you'll see!"

In spite of her initial anger, a kind of dreamy torpor was enveloping her as she listened to his soporific voice and waves of unwanted desire began to flood through her deprived body.

It felt so good! How was that possible?

For a moment, she wondered just how much of a man he actually was, but it didn't really matter, what mattered was getting away from him. She struggled against his hands again, but a general weakness invaded her and she fell back to the couch. It wasn't so very wrong... a voice said. She had to have some consolation for her husband's disgraceful treatment of her... and besides, it wouldn't go any farther than this, it was harmless enough... she was a grown woman, after all!

Eduardo slid around and noiselessly sat down beside her, his hands rapidly returning to the older woman's breasts. He had her where he wanted her, now. He'd seen that look on women before, and he knew what it was they wanted. And this one was really stacked, not like that skinny Mrs. Hertz he'd worked for a few weeks ago! Oh, he knew what she wanted alright, and he was fully capable of getting what he wanted... a piece of her high and mighty, Miss Priss, pussy!

He smiled and inched closer to Julie and releasing one hand from her breasts, tried to pull her toward him, so that her head was on his chest. Julie resisted feebly, she'd had too many drinks and the confusion in her head had let the entire situation get out of control. Julie heard the whine of a dress zipper and then she felt a hand sliding confidently inside her dress. She must stop him now, before it was too late, he was going too far now!