Don And Zach free porn video

Next morning was Saturday. A funny thing happened. I got up when the sun came in my window, which was early because it was June. I got up and stretched and yawned, did some actual stretching exercises, and plodded off to the bathroom. I had been sharing it with Sis but now it was all mine. I started to brush my teeth, looked up into the mirror, and choked! Sis was staring back at me, with her mouth all foamy with toothpaste. I had forgotten all about yesterday! I have heard that you should wash off makeup every night or you will get zits, but I had missed doing it last night and my skin still felt okay, so I just touched it up here and there. Memo to self: Brushing your teeth is murder on your lipstick. Renewing the pink line inside my lower eyelids made the tears come again but I liked the warm friendly appearance it gave me. It's like, I really want to seem warm and friendly anyway, but have trouble convincing anybody that it's how I want to be toward them. Now it was just easier to express that. Along with the touch of pink on my cheeks I believe it made me look smiley. Hmm, could that be one reason why everybody had been so nice to me? I did a quick sponge bath, cleansing my body from the neck down. Hmm...my elbows, knees and ankles looked a little rough, somehow. I had never noticed it before. What did Sis do? Something with a loofah, or a bath pouf, and some exfoliator and toner and moisturizer. There was a lot to get used to with this morning routine. No wonder Sis used to take such a long time in the bathroom! But I found the right ingredients and went through the whole routine. The bottles were nearly empty; she probably bought new ones to take with her to camp. When I got done I could not tell if I looked better, But my skin did feel tingly and it seemed to me as if it glowed. Just a subtle glow, but healthy looking. I hand washed the undies I had worn yesterday, and hung them over a curtain rod in my room to dry in the sun. I removed the bust enhancers so the bra would dry quicker. I just toweled off the enhancers and stuck them in my top drawer. Time to get dressed. First, the deodorant I had used yesterday. Then new silicone panties; this pair were gray. A gray bra to go with it; the label read "microfiber" I figured it was over a quarter inch thick in the cups, and held its own shape. Under that I put another pair of silicone enhancers. Would they slide around? This bra had no pockets. I tried different arm motions but everything stayed snugly in place. I noticed that this time it had been easier to get the bra on. Today I chose shiny purple leggings and a green leotard with ? sleeves. The neck came down kind of low, and below that was what mom called "shirring", little puckers down the front that gave it more shape. I wanted to try dance exercise later, so I put on some dancing slippers, black, very slippery and easy to slide around it. Now to work. I wanted to finish my own room so I found my remaining boxes and hung everything up. Then I folded up the boxes and took them down to the basement; once we were all unpacked, we could take the boxes to the transfer station to be recycled. I also found my other two posters, one of a stunt biker and one of Adele. People say she's fat but that's just mean. She's pretty and she has a fantastic voice. I stepped back and looked at the room. The stunt bike poster was bright red and yellow, it didn't fit at all. Down it came; I rolled it up and put it in the closet. Now what was it about that closet? The more I looked at it, the more something bothered me. With a shock I realized that what bothered me was that all these clothes were ugly! Baggy, drab, oversized, covered with buckles and zippers, ugh. I shivered. They were disgusting. I found some other boxes that had been emptied, and stuffed my old pants and sweats in there. Same with my so called "dress up" stuff. I marked the boxes "Thrift". Would anybody be answering the phone at the Thrift shop on Saturday? "Oh hi, yes, we're open, well not officially open yet but we're all here, but Mr. Thomas can't come, we need him to help serve the customers today. If you have damaged clothes though, you can just drop them in any of our bins around town. Where do you live?"I told her my address and she gave me directions to the nearest bin. I put all my underwear into two bags, hopped on Donna's bike and dropped them off. The drop-off box turned out to be right across from the Italian American place where I had eaten last night. They did not open until eleven, but Rosie the waitress was out front sweeping off the sidewalk. She smiled at me and waved, and I smiled and waved back. What a nice place! .....Back home, I moved all of my sister's things into my own room, drawer to drawer, hanger to hanger. All I left was the makeup, because I needed to use her vanity when I put it on. ...There. Now my closet looked better. I began to wonder if I might be crazy. Nobody ever did this kind of thing. You never hear of it being done. Sis would absolutely kill me if she came home unexpectedly. I had just basically thrown away my whole life. I felt lightheaded. Maybe some exercises would calm me down. I cleaned a space in front of the tv and found a tape Sis likes to use. They played jazz music, and the exercise people were doing dance steps. It looked like jazz dancing but if you follow their moves you would get a great workout. The tv was against the back wall of the big living room; the sunlight through the open door (it was so hot, again) cast my shadow over that wall. "?nd up- and back- now around in big circles- now back the other way- high leg kick!" But I kicked so high I lost my balance and landed on my bouncy butt. From behind me, a voice said "Don't quit! If you fall off a horse, you have to get right back up and ride again, or you'll get too scared to ever try!" "Are you mocking me?" I was shocked to be discovered like this but instead of being embarrassed I was just mad! I jumped up, spun around and placed my hands on my hips in an angry pose. "Who are you, mister exercise critic?" I glared. "Whoa, whoa, don't you remember? Zach, the paper guy. I put you last on my deliveries this morning just so we could have time to talk." "Oh wow, I'm so sorry! I totally forgot. Come on in." I was forgetting everything, it seemed. My mind was a mess. "Please come back to the kitchen. I'm thirsty, would you like something to drink?" ....."Sure, thanks, it's a long route and a warm morning." We both had orange juice and Zach told me a little about himself, how he had the biggest route at the paper and made surprisingly good money, but it caused problems. He could not play on any school teams, because of the time taken up by his work. He felt kind of isolated from a lot of the activities. "Zach, I should tell you right now, you seem like a really nice guy who wants to be friends, but I don't want to befriend you under false pretenses. That girl you talked to? She's my big sister Donna. Big. Sister. Not me. She's at camp so I basically stole her stuff and I don't even know why really, maybe to see if I liked her look...." I felt so nervous, I was shaking. I was glad I hadn't bothered to fix any breakfast for myself, because my stomach was doing flip flops. "Well, do you?" "Do I what? Oh yeah, well, yeah, kinda," I blushed. "The whole thing has become some sort of fixation with me now." "So the girl I talked to is Donna. Amazing, you could be her twin." "That's very nice of you to say. I always thought she was so, well, vivacious and pretty." "Just being honest. So, can you tell me your own name then?" I gulped; it was hard to swallow. "Ah, I...Don", I stammered. But Zach just nodded and kept smiling, the same way Mr. Thomas had done. "Nice name! So what sort of stuff do you like?" I could scarcely believe this; I took him to my room and showed him Adele and he said he liked her too, and then I talked about marathon running, and swimming. "But I am not a very good swimmer," I confessed. "The coach at the pool said my body is too compact; I tend to sink like a stone. I do admire good swimmers, though. And we have a pool now, so that's great. Do you like swimming, Zach? Maybe you could help me break in our new pool!" "I do swim, but I don't have any trunks with me or anything. Maybe another time; I can come over in the evening. We have to go to school one more week but there are no tests or assignments so my evenings are free." "So, what other things do you like?" I asked. This was great, we already trusted each other like old friends. "My family are musical, we all play different instruments. Dad is in a jazz combo, he would enjoy the music on your exercise video. Otherwise, for me it's mostly horses." "Oh, you have a horse!?" "Don't I wish! I rent one, but I am saving up to buy my own. My folks will get a piece of land, and put up a stable and a fence, but I have to buy the horse with my own money. And feed it. That's the deal." I nodded appreciatively. "They didn't have many horses around my old home town, it was too hilly. Just cute little ponies. I'd like to see the one you rent. Is it a great big slapping stallion named Excalibur or something?" Zach chuckled. "She's a mare named Angie and she hates to break a sweat. I almost never can convince her to gallop." But I smiled and said "Angie sounds like an angel. I'm sure she's very sweet, and I'd love to meet her." "Great! Next Sunday would be a good time. Do you ride?" "Only ponies, remember? But I am willing to learn." Zach told me his folks were both designers, but his dad designed buildings while his mom designed clothes. "Oh wow, does she have showings, with lots of models?" "Nah, she just does individual pieces, and she only does a few at a time, too. Dad is the same way, if a project does not look like fun, he won't take it. Right now his big thing is stained glass." "You mean like churches have?" "Sort of, I guess. His are mostly 1920 style , he calls it art nouveau style." "Sounds fancy and way over my head." "You should come over! He's got two in his studio right now. And one of them really is 'over your head', it's a skylight, and he's got it hanging in the air." "Oh! Now I'm curious. I can almost picture it. Sure, I'd like to, that would be great!" I remembered Sis saying she was not flirting, she was just interested in people. It was impossible not to be interested in such an interesting guy, but was I really flirting? Had I turned into her completely? I was not trying to, but it just seemed to come naturally. "He's done some outstanding places around town. I could give you like a guided tour. If you're not doing anything tomorrow afternoon...?" "That sounds wonderful! I have tried to explore a little bit by myself already but I only covered a few blocks and I really would like to see more of the city." "Well, how's this? You come over to my place for dinner, and afterward we can ride around and see a few things." "I'd love it! But I don't know what to wear." Which of course was true. I had been a dinner guest before, but never while wearing girls' clothes. "Could you maybe help me choose an outfit?" Zach said he was sure I would be fine, but he agreed to help, so I showed him my closet. That closet was mine, but the clothes were really Donna's. Zach pondered a minute. "Hmm, I see a lot of school stuff, some exercise gear and dance outfits, but that's about it. What do you wear to church? That might work for Sunday dinner." "We don't go to Mass except on Christmas and Easter. Mom says it's not enough but at least it's better than nothing. " Finally he chose a short plaid dress, plum and gray, with pleats. Gray stockings went with this, silky ones, not woolen. "What do you think, black shoes or white?" he asked. I held them both up to the dress, and ended up selecting a pair of white Mary Janes. We were sitting on the bed in my room, talking. Zach looked at the posters again and asked me about running. I said I liked marathons for distance but also enjoyed cross country and he said runners used the bridle paths in the forest preserve for cross country. It was a whole forest, a conservation area, inside the city. "It's not too far from here, either. You'd like it, they have free concerts each week during the summer, down in the outdoor amphitheater. They have a naturalist, and kids' programs. I volunteer there a couple afternoons a week in the summer, teaching about horses and their care, and about riding safety." "The guy from the thrift shop volunteers two days a week too. Is everybody here this noble?" Zach started laughing as if he couldn't stop. "Who, me?" He slapped his knee and bent over double, and grabbed my knee to steady himself. I didn't think I had been all that terrifically funny. Knock! Knock! Some guy barged in without waiting for an answer. "Hullo? Pool guy here!" "Uh, hi! Be right with you!" I said, but he peered around the doorway to my room and saw Zach with his hand on my knee, and smirked. "Don't let me bother you!" he chuckled. I jumped up and stormed at him, jabbing my finger in his face. "Listen here mister, you weren't invited in. So go on home, your services are no longer required. You are FIRED!" "Wha-? I done nothin' wrong. We got work to do here." "What's the name of your supervisor?" "No use knowing it, he's off work today." And he turned around and yelled "Get going on that pool, guys; ignore this troublemaker." I ran to the phone and dialed 911. I explained that I had trespassers who refused to leave. The pool guy got really mad, and tried to grab the phone out of my hand, but Zach grabbed his wrist and they started scuffling. The operator asked "Do I hear fighting? Are the trespassers aggressive?" I said yes and gave her our address and before you could blink the police were there. "Who made the call?" "Me, officer." "Name?" "Don Symonds." He was on his phone. "Yes, that matches the name of the new owners. So, what exactly happened here?" "This guy walked into our house without being asked. He was so rude, I told him we did not want his services, and told him to leave. He refused. So I called 911 and he tried to grab the phone away from me but Zach here got him off of me." "Name and address, young man?" "Zachary Adams, 112 Crescent Court." "Your business here?" "I deliver the paper. I met the family two days ago and asked if I could come over Saturday and get acquainted. They agreed. So when my route was completed this morning, I stopped over for a visit. Just getting to know each other better." "Not what I saw! It was more like statutory rape. He was all over her," blustered the pool guy. "Where was this, sir?" "Why, right in her room! There they were, in bed together." ....."Were you invited into that room?" "Why, ah, she, her mom...Yeah sure, she said come right in!" "Is that true?" the officer asked me. "No sir, he never called ahead or waited to be let in or asked for permission or anything." "Listen here now! Your momma hired us and only she can fire us. We're a reputable business, we go in people's homes all the time, it's part of our work. We've got a job to do. This troublemaker is costing us money." The officer got his name and the names of the two guys in his crew and wrote them all up for defiant trespass. They were allowed to go home rather than to jail, because they had caused no injury or damage. As the crew left, muttering, the officer took me aside. "These guys can be rough," he advised me. "They only ever get seasonal work, not steady jobs. Watch out, they might try to retaliate." I realized how big and empty the house was. I would be here all by myself tonight. And the night after that.... "Could you please stay here tonight, Zach?" The officer said that might be a good idea. They would send a squad car around a few times tonight, and it would stay in a nearby driveway with its lights off at other times. "Do you have an alarm system?" he asked me. "Yes sir, but I have never learned how to operate it." I gestured to a box on the kitchen wall. The officer swung it open, wrote down some information on his note pad, and said "This is a good system. We see quite a few of these around this neighborhood. See, here is the house system, and this part is for the yard and grounds. Once you activate the house system, it will notify us whenever it goes off. Usually people do not bother using the yard portion, since stray animals can set it off. Cats mostly, but we do have raccoons around here too. With your permission, I will now activate both systems. They will signal our station if there is any disturbance." "Oh yes, please, that would really make me feel much safer." Zach made a quick call home, explained the situation, and got permission to stay over. "I'm just sorry I can't stay tomorrow night too, but it's still school the next day, and the papers of course." "But don't you also have Sunday papers? And they're so big and heavy." ....."Yeah, but they go out later than the weeklies, and only half the people buy them, because they cost so much more. We keep telling people they will more than make up the cost by using all those Sunday coupons, but some people are just not into couponing. So, it's sort of a break for me." So I thanked the police. They told me to keep the patio door locked and check all the windows. Whenever I left, I should lock the door to the garage from inside, and then take the key and lock the front door. By now it was past noontime and I was famished. Zach and I decided to have toasted cheese sandwiches, and I split a can of chicken noodle soup. "Comfort food," Zach said, "because I think you could use some comforting. Me too, for that matter." I am no great chef, but I am a pretty good basic cook. Some diner somewhere could make good use of my skills, mac and cheese, meatloaf, chicken salad. My sandwiches were browned to perfection in a buttery pan, with the cheese perfectly melty without oozing out too much and getting burnt. For a while we just chewed away contentedly. Finally Zach said "I told you what my folks did, but you never told me about yours." "Well, Dad was a firefighter. You can see some of his pictures on the walls of Mom's bedroom. He got killed fighting a fire at a paint store, the whole place just blew up like a bomb. The city lost five firefighters that day. There is a little park right in town just for them. It has a nice garden." I sniffled. Zach looked sympathetic but didn't try to say anything. Sometimes saying nothing is the best thing you can do. "I only have vague memories of him because I was so little; I don't remember doing things with him, for instance. But I remember him holding me in his big strong arms, and singing to me in his deep warm voice. And I remember his smell, like my boots and raincoat only stronger, because of the gear he wore. Dad and his crew were insured by the city, so we got a fair settlement. Mom used it to go back to college and then become a real estate broker. She's good, the best in town. She just bought out a business here, so I expect you will soon be seeing her name on signs all over town. She sometimes works long hours, but she always has time for us. Like dinner. She always has dinner with us, except when she is away at a conference. And most times, she takes us along when she goes. These conferences are at resorts, and there are pools where I can sink like a stone, and game rooms. One place where we went in winter had a big ice skating rink in the courtyard with two big Jacuzzis on either side. Sis and I sat in the hot bubbly water and watched people skate by. Our hot breath made huge clouds of steam overhead, as if we were dragons." Zach had just been sitting there looking at me and listening, and I was afraid I was boring him, but now he smiled. "You describe it so well, it's like I am there seeing it with you. Speaking of outdoor recreation, maybe we should check the pool area , make sure the shed is locked and everything is secure. Maybe we should move the patio furniture inside too." ....."Right". So that's what we did. The shed had a mower and other lawn equipment, and also a net and other pool stuff. It had a padlock with a combination. I did not know what the combination was but I locked it anyway. It might not slow the bad guys up much, but if they broke the lock it would be clear evidence of burglary. .....Back inside, we found a switch for the yard lights and turned them on. Then we set the timer that was beside the switch. I hoped it would not bother the neighbors, but we needed the extra security. Then we locked the patio door latch, and jammed a metal bar into the sliding door so that it could not be moved. We checked every window; many had been opened, because of the heat. After we locked them, we had to find the central AC and turn it on. We had to check the basement too. There was storage there, and a workbench and table, an air hockey game and a billiards table. One room was full of shelves, empty now but obviously once meant for something. "Canning", Zach said with a nod, pointing to an old stove over in the corner. "Mom does some canning too. It can get a little messy in the kitchen so it's nice to have a special room just for that." Zach's cell phone beeped. "Oh, okay Mom, that's right, I forgot. I hope you don't mind? Okay, I'll look for you then. Here's the address." He told them where we lived, and turned to me and said "Mom is going to bring over a change of clothes for me for tomorrow, I forgot about that. Of course I'll have to change for church when I'm done but I always do that. Oh, and she got a sitter for Index; I usually watch him on Saturday nights, when Dad has his jazz engagements and Mom is at the garden club." "Index?" I queried. "That's an odd name." "My little brother Dexter, we call him that because he came as almost as an afterthought, way at the end, like the index does in a book. He's only 2. So," he went on, "it looks like you get a free security guard for tonight. I can help you move in, too." "Fantastic! But how can I pay you back?" There was a twinkle in his eye. "Hmm...dinner? Are your dinners as good as your lunches?" "Yes, if you like spaghetti and meatballs." I explained about my mania for Italian cooking. "Works for me," he said. I blushed. "Sorry, that was just a joke, I had Italian just last night. Maybe chicken stir fry?" "Sounds great." The house was nicely cooled by now, so we did not get too hot and sticky from moving boxes around and unpacking them. "We'd better not unpack the boxes in Mom's office," I suggested; "I'm not sure where she wants everything." Honkl! Honk! There was a car in the driveway. Zach ran out and gave his mom a hug. She smiled and handed him a suitcase. "Oof! This weighs a ton! I thought this was just a change of clothes?" "A clock radio, for music, and to get you up in the morning. A couple books, and a light that clamps onto them so you can read in bed. Your bathrobe and slippers, for after the shower. Some snacks and drinks. A few other things, just in case." I smiled to myself. She was a very motherly mom! "This is my new friend Don," said Zach with a flourish. She smiled warmly at me, never even blinked. "Happy to meet you! It will be good to have young people in this area again." "Pleased to meet you as well. I have had a great time with Zach, learning about horses, and the town, the forest preserve, your design work, even about Index." His mom put her hands on her hips in mock disapproval. "Telling all the family secrets so soon?" "Nothing I'm not proud of, mom." "Aww, that's my boy." "So it's okay if I have dinner here then?" "Certainly, it's all settled. It does mean however that we will have a social debt to repay." "Oh not at all Mrs. Stuart! I am in Zach's debt for all the help he has been giving me." "Debt or not, I would like to have you over at our place tomorrow for dinner. We'd all like to get to know you better, and it will give you a break from moving in, and from these current anxieties." I considered it. She was so friendly and nice. She was so friendly and nice, just like her son. "I chose something (actually Zach did, but I didn't want to share that information), but I am not sure it is up to your standards". She looked perfect, a softly draping suit with a silk shell, just for a Saturday afternoon errand! It occurred to me that she probably designed her own outfits. "Not to worry," Mrs. Stuart replied. "Just wear what's comfy. If you'd let me, it might be fun to dress you up. It's what I do, you know; it's what I love. It will make me happy, and I guarantee you'll have something to wear to your next engagement! But it's up to you. I think you are fine just the way you are." In exercise clothes? I stewed inwardly. Was she really being as nice as she seemed to be, or was she actually trying to improve me? Zach chimed in. Was he trying to change the subject? Why was I worrying so much about it anyway? "So, erm, what time do you expect us tomorrow?" "Well, you can just ride over home when you're done and change as usual, and I'll get your friend later. The bike has to come home some time, you know. I will need some time to start dinner prep. Would noon be all right?" She was looking at me. I felt my cheeks burning. "Ah, sure, yes thank you!" I blurted out. Zach and his mom hugged one more time, and she got back in her van and drove off. "I like your mom, Zach, she's so friendly. But she is so well dressed, I feel like a dork wearing basic school clothes." Zach got serious. "She would never embarrass you. I can tell she likes you. What she said is true, you look just fine. And the other thing she said is also true: She really does want to dress you up. No matter how tastefully they dress, some people will just never look very good. Then there are people like you, who would look fine whatever they wore. I think that's why she wants to try things out on you, because you would make such a great subject, a good model." A model? Maybe for children's clothes. I was not tall, and had few curves (none, really). I guess my face was okay, now that I was copying Donna's look. "It's not your fault, Zach. You and your mom are just about perfect. You have been wonderful to me. Maybe I just have a poor self image." "What can I do to reassure you?" Zach asked seriously. I tried to smile. "You don't have to do anything. Just go on being who you are, and give me time. I may just need to...to get used to myself." He nodded and we went back into the cool house. The AC was probably costing a fortune but we had no choice, for now. It was good to have help for the bigger, heavier boxes. Those took two people. The artificial Christmas tree was really a beast, it weighed a ton and was bulky and awkward trying to maneuver down the basement stairs. The heaviest were the boxes of books. They did not look too big but they felt like they were filled with lead. Or bricks. I sort of remembered which books went in which bookcases, so before too long we were able to get all those out of the way. Where to put the laundry supplies? D'oh, there was a laundry room, of course. Brooms, mops, cleaning stuff? I chose a small closet near the top of the basement stairs, it seemed like a sensible choice. Exercise gear, dumbbells (light ones), a stair climber, a giant ball you grabbed for some of the routines, jump ropes, stretchy rubber bands you pulled with your arms and your legs, a floor mat. A roller like a giant wheel on an axle. I had no clue. Somehow the basement seemed too out of the way for these things we would be using every day. "How about this pink room?" Zach asked. It was in a good spot, central to the house plan. "Why not? I can guarantee it will never be a bedroom!" I was not sure how our guests would accommodate themselves, although the sofa and one of the chairs both converted into beds. Our new home was really shaping up. It felt amazing to be the one in charge of organizing, especially in the kitchen. I did a lot of our cooking anyway, and now everything would be exactly where I wanted it. I did a little happy dance. "Whee! I feel so good. Just look at all we've done! Mom thought it would take me all week. Thanks, Zach!" I beamed at him, and he beamed back. He gently touched my forearm. "So, have we earned a break now? How about me showing you the forest preserve? We could take a tour and be back in time for stir fry." "Great! Let me take a sec to change first." I put on a green tee, the color of a frog, and black stretchy jeans. Little sock liners went inside a pair of black canvas sneakers. "There! Now I feel ready for a bike ride." "You remind me of my mom, she always loved to change clothes," said Zach with a gentle smile. He was right, I was enjoying these changes. I never used to change clothes at all. Why bother? One hoodie was like another, and the baggy jeans were interchangeable too. He took the lead and I followed close behind. This city had wide safe bike lanes, well marked. So far this place had not had one thing to complain about, other than the pool guys. This direction was all new to me, around a corner from the house and then down a long sloping hill. We turned again. Tall trees overhead sheltered us from the hot sun. I should have worn a hat; I noticed Zach was wearing a ball cap. The street began to weave and curve, back and forth. "Some developer years ago thought it would be fun to put in all these twists and turns," Zach said over his shoulder. "It's not fun in the winter snow, though. The snowplow guys hate it." Now we were riding beside a stone wall, about four feet high. Healthy, lush green trees of many varieties raised their heads on the far side. "Nearly there, ah, that's the gate." We turned under a high stone arch with the donor's name on it, and went one way and another. It was mostly just a forest, although well cared for. But there were many lovely gardens, pools, and specimen trees too. We came to the bottom of a dell. On one side, nestled in the crook of two hills, was a large bandstand with a shell behind it and a stage in front. There were some log benches fanned out around it, and a lawn where I guessed people could put their own chairs. "The amphitheater," Zach said. But I had already guessed that. On the other side were basketball courts, tennis courts, a horseshoe pit, and some playground equipment. Oho, there were also public restrooms. I needed to use one, badly. I parked my bike and ran up to the boy's room door but dodged into the girls' at the last minute instead. I mean, Zach might know I'm a guy, a weird guy (I had told him so, right?) but I did not want to freak out the general public. There were several stalls in there, so I chose one. It took me several minutes to wiggle out of my silicone panties. Somebody else was in here, so I tried to push those panties down inside my jeans so that nobody could tell what they were. What was this? A dispenser machine on the side wall of my stall. I leaned over and read: "sanitary napkins." How embarrassing. After wiping, I had to wiggle myself together again and then wash up. Looking at my reflection, I went "tsk tsk." The warm bike ride had caused some of my mascara to run. I had not brought a purse! It was so hard to remember everything. I tried dabbing around my eyes with a tissue. "Here you go, dear," said a kindly older voice. A silvery haired woman was handing me a triangular cosmetic pad! "Don't worry, it's unused," she winked, "I always carry several."She dabbed gently at her own nose. "Thanks so much, ma'am!"I didn't often call people "ma'am", but it seemed just right for this lady. She beamed at me as I left. "Welcome back to civilization!" Zach joked. "Care for a lively game of horseshoes?" That sounded just right. It was too hot and sticky out for basketball. A man was in a little building where they kept the gear. It was free, we just had to sign out for it, with our address and phone. I had forgotten my own phone number! They let Zach take care of it, I think the guy knew him. I did okay. I lost, but it was close. It's exciting when the shoe hits with a loud "clang". But, after clanging, mine often bounced off. "You have good aim," Zach said, "but your arc is low. If you can get the shoe on a higher arc it will just drop down and stay there." He tried to show me how to do it, but I couldn't get the right motion. So he came behind me and held my wrist with his right hand. His chest was touching my back. Step, step, step, he went right with me, and swung my hand low and lifted it high. First, I held on too long. Then, I didn't throw far enough. The third time it was just right. "Like Goldilocks," I giggled. "Her third try was always just right."He had me repeat it a few times with his help, and I did get better, which was why the final score was respectably close. "Have you worked up an appetite yet?" I asked as we returned our horseshoes. "Sure have, and it's uphill most of the way back, so I'll be absolutely starved by the time we get back to your place." He was right, I was tired and hungry by the time we got back, but felt absolutely wonderful. I just splashed a little water on my face and started dinner. I quickly parboiled some chicken tenders and sliced them up. While browning them in oil on medium heat, I sliced up mushrooms, carrots (very thin, they fry better that way), and broccoli. I added some pre-sliced water chestnuts. Adding baby corn and more oil I turned up the heat under the wok and stirred vigorously. In a saucepan I boiled up a bag of rice. "I am really cheating, the rice shouldn't be instant or anything. And I am going to be using a bottle of sauce too, instead of making my own." "Sounds terrible," said Zach, "maybe I'll just order out some pizza." I kicked at him but the laces on the black canvas sneakers had loosened up from all that biking, and my shoe flew off and whacked him in the knee. "Okay, I give up! Now you're forcing me to eat it." "Grr, I should just dump it on your head." Soon we were ready. "What to drink?" I asked. He chose iced tea; I had lemonade. He finished before I did, and walked over to the stove for some more. As he loaded up his plate, I teased "Still being forced to eat?" He put one hand behind his waist and lifted it up toward the back of his neck. "Ow! Ow! Stop twisting my arm! Oh, the torment." "You bum," I said, and kicked my other shoe at him. This time I missed completely and it landed in the sink. "That reminds me, I need to shower and clean up," he said. "Can I use your bathroom?" ....."Better yet, use Mom's. That way we won't keep bumping into each other." "At least accidentally," he said, giving me a playful bump on the forehead. I decided to wait to shower until after he left in the morning. It was going to be a long drawn out process. I remember how bored I used to get waiting for Sis to finish up her preparations in the morning. We chose a video, one about dragons. We'd both seen it before but it was still good. He went to sleep in Donna's bed. I locked the garage door and the front door. I took off all my clothes, but put on her black swimsuit with the built in pads. I added a light black nightie over it. It just felt wrong not to have that shape now. How could I have become so used to it in only, what, thirty hours? That night we did have a scare; the back yard alarm went off, the bright security lights out there flashed on. The phone beeped. "Is there trouble at your place?" The police were right on the ball, linked in with our alarm system. Two cats were screeching and knocking each other over. "Sorry officer, just a couple of cats." "That's fine, to tell the truth, I wish all our calls were only caused by cats." We turned the security lights and alarm off, but the cats still made a horrible racket. "I wish they wouldn't fight like that, it's so ferocious and wild!" I exclaimed, hugging myself by the elbows. "Somehow I don't think they're fighting", Zach said quietly. What? He just gave me a strange sideways look, over his shoulder, saying nothing. I noticed he was wearing black pajama pants, and a black karate jacket, open to the waist. "Well, g'night then." "G'night".