Chapter 6: Small Threats and Invitations

All the recreational leagues were finished after the tournament weekend. My soccer club wasn't starting for a couple of weeks, so I was a free bird the last part of June. I slept in a lot, until my parents noticed that I was unoccupied and put a crimp in my plans on being lazy. They left me a list each week of chores they wanted done around the house, such as painting the garage, weeding the flowerbeds, and mowing the lawn. It still left me plenty of time to keep up with my running and working with the ball. In addition, I was still working with the three boys twice a week at the park.

I was very nervous about seeing Wendy the first time after the tournament when she dropped Justin off at the park for our practice, but she was acting perfectly normal.

"Uh, Mrs. Marcus..." I stammered.

She whirled around, looking behind her and to the sides, a humorous glint in her eye.

"Is Arthur's mother here?" she asked teasingly. "She's the only person who fits the description of 'Mrs. Marcus' that I know."

I could feel myself blushing. "Okay, then, Wendy," I reluctantly agreed. "The other day, at your house..."

"Oh, my, Sean, are you embarrassed? How cute!" She reached up, placing her palm against my cheek. "I could just eat you up!" She patted my cheek. "In fact, if the boys weren't here..."

I backed up nervously, not wanting her touching my face. "Look, Mrs. Marcus," I began, but she didn't give me an opportunity to continue.

"Seriously, Sean, don't trouble yourself over anything," she interrupted. At least she didn't try to move closer to me again. "It's just me, you know? I just like to relive my youth occasionally."

"But..."

"Besides," she continued, "I really enjoy the... attentions... of younger guys. Their ability to just keep on going is, um, enjoyable, to say the least. And, if I remember correctly, you enjoyed yourself, too, didn't you?"

"Well, yes, but..."

"Enjoyed yourself twice, if I recall."

"Uh..."

"And I don't remember any protests at the time. Do you?"

"No, but it was all so..."

"And I wouldn't mind an encore sometime," she steamrolled. "That is, if you enjoyed yourself enough to consider paying a visit on an older woman," she continued with a mischievous smile.

"Well, yeah, but..."

"Ta, Sean," she said, turning back to her car with a swish of her well-remembered backside, leaving me standing there, speechless and practically breathless. "Lori will pick the boys up in an hour," she said, over her shoulder. She got into her car and waved gaily as she drove off.

Hoo boy, what a ride on a rocket this is turning out to be.

I turned back to the boys, trying to regain a little control over the moment, and over myself. I had to admit it. Wendy rattled me.

During those first few weeks, Jake Lehigh and I would go out in search of a pickup baseball game, or maybe meet up with some of our other buddies and just goof off, riding bikes through some empty lots across town, or hanging out at the DQ, during the early part of that summer. He had girl problems of his own, so it was easy for us to fall back into our old habits together. Oddly, I didn't see his sister, the lovely blonde Kayla, she of the I Dream of Jeannie costume, hardly at all at the time.