When you least expect it

A Short Story by Scott Lakewood

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I knew I didn't want to take that turn, but I was late getting home and I needed to cut a few minutes off my time on the road. Life always has surprises in store, especially when you least expect it...

Papers had piled up on my desk, and before I realized it, the digital clock on the wall read 7:32 PM. The day had started with a beautiful sunrise, and as I prepared for work, I noticed the note on my dresser. He hadn't "meant to hurt me," he said, but our relationship wasn't "going where he wanted it to go." I remembered the bitter tears staining my pillow when I had re-readit the night before. I wondered at the time what was wrong withme, that I couldn't keep a man in my life. I was a good woman. I loved with a passion and depth that most men couldn't handle. Maybe that was it.

I had gone out to my car, stepping lightly, excited at the prospect of spending my first night in his house, with him, and found the note on my windshield.
"My dear." it began. "I can't tell you how much these past few months have meant to me, but..." At that moment, I knew this couldn't be good. I hurriedly opened my car door, fell heavily into the driver's seat, and continued to read. As the tears welled up in my eyes, I read the note that crushed my spirit, my soul, and my heart.
"I love you," he wrote, "But while I love you, I find that I am not in love with you." My heart stopped. I knew at that moment that I was going to be alone again.

As I dressed for work the next morning, I felt the need to be feminine. I wanted to feel feminine, and that meant that I had to leave my normal suits in the closet. I needed to feel like a woman that day, because the night before had left me numb, bereft of anything except a crushing sense of loneliness. "Well," I decided, "I might as well go all the way, no man will ever get to see under this skirt, so I might as well get some enjoyment out of it myself." I replaced the normal utilitarian slip in the drawer, and took out the black garter belt and thigh-highs I had bought as a surprise for my date the previous evening. The one he hadn't shown up for. The one where I had intended to give myself to him completely. The one that would never be. I selected a shorter-than-normal skirt/suit from the closet. It was bright red, and while I normally wore more conservative grey or navy blue to work, I had worn this one once before. I remember the looks I had gotten that day, and felt a tinge of pleasure at the knowledge that I could still draw male attention in my mid-forties. I hadn't lost it, and I felt like showing it off today. As long as I could draw attention, I was still desirable. Thinking that way would make me feel better. I needed to feel better. If no man would draw pleasure out of it, I surely would!

I arrived in the parking lot at the usual time, and the security guard drove by in his little golf cart. He slowed down to look me over as I exited my car. That was the beginning of what I hoped would be an uplifting day. I made it to my department, with a bounce in my step that I really didn't feel. As I opened the door to my private office, I found that my secretary had already taken the previous evening's papers, and left another stack of work for me to attend to. He also had already started coffee. I smiled inside at the thought that I had the only male secretary in the entire company. "It's fitting," I thought, "Here I am, the only female executive here, and I have the only male secretary." As I sipped my first cup, the feeling of amusement inside me abruptly died. I thought to myself, "Damn, he'll make a good wife for someone." Wife. Something I won't ever be. Something I want to be but can't, because of my work. "Damn this job." I said aloud to an empty office. The day dragged on, and while I received more than my normal share of sidelong glances from the men in the office, none of them seemed to notice my firm legs in the silk stockings, or the curve of my hips filling the skirt, as they swayed from side to side when I walked in the heels that were a bit too long for office wear. Still, I felt strangely sexy, as though I were still dressing for him. "Damn him" I raged inside. "How dare he dump me like that! He didn't even have the guts to tell me to my face. What a sorry bastard." I knew that if I stayed angry, the hurt wouldn't turn into pain, and the tears would stay locked inside. I resolved to leave the office at an early hour that night, for I wanted to go out and enjoy myself. I was planning to go to the country club where most of the other executives of my company were members. It was an exclusive place, and the men there were good-looking, wealthy, and powerful. As I thought about the after-hours relaxation I had planned for this evening, my secretary buzzed me.

"Ma'am," he said, "I wanted to remind you about the staff meeting at 3PM today. It's ten minutes till, and I don't want you to be late."
"Thanks," I replied, "I'd better get myself in gear, and get over to the conference room."

I pressed the button on the intercom thinking, "He is so great. For a man who's only in his mid-twenties, he sure can keep me organized." Which was true. He literally kept my life in order for me. At least my work life. I picked up my briefcase, and walked to the door. I took my seat at the table in the meeting room, and watched all the other executives arrive. They were all laughing, and joking around as men do in corporate boardrooms. "Look at all these powerful men." I thought. "Why can't I find one like one of these?" The meeting started, and as I listened to the drone of sales projections, and production figures for the next two hours, I realized that I simply wasn't able to concentrate on anything but an empty house, and an empty bed. I felt like crying, but I couldn't. Not in this room full of men who couldn't possibly understand. The meeting finally ended, and as I walked out to my car, I remembered that I hadn't finished the personnel figures for the next quarter. "Damn!" I raged. "I wanted to get out of here at a reasonable hour today, and it isn't going to happen. Oh well," I thought. "I'm not going home to anyone, and I don't have to be anywhere to meet anybody." I trudged wearily back to my office and found my secretary sitting at his desk, doing paperwork.

"I wanted to stay, and see if there was anything else you needed before I went home," he said. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"No," I replied. "You can go on home for the day."
"Thanks," he said with a smile on his face, as he picked up his briefcase. "I've got big plans for tonight. I'm going to ask my girlfriend to marry me."
"That's wonderful," I said. "She's a lucky girl."
"Well," he said, "I was going to wait until I finished night school, but we've been dating for four years already, and I don't want her to think I'm not in love with her." He smiled again, and left for the night.

"Four years," I breathed, as I watched the door close behind him. "That's an awfully long time." More than I had ever been able to stay in a relationship. The bitterness welled up inside me, and I sank into my chair in despair. I started in on the pile of documents on my desk, oblivious to everything but the seemingly endless pile of paper. The minutes slid away, merging into hours, and I looked up at the clock as I signed the last hiring slip. Good grief! It was almost 7:30! I quickly gathered up my suit coat, my purse, and my briefcase. I felt rushed as I realized that I had wanted to go out tonight. For a moment I wavered, trying to decide between going out and having a few drinks, and going home to cry into a lonely pillow. The drinks won out, as I realized I could stay as long as I wanted. It was Friday, and the pillow could wait. It would always be there. Briskly, I walked down to the parking lot, unlocked my car, and started out for the club.

I arrived at the bar shortly thereafter, and walked inside. It was still early for a weekend, and the place was only about two-thirds full. I looked around, and almost everyone seemed to be paired off already. Most of the men were with younger women, women who were in their early twenties. The disgust washed over me as I thought, "Look at all these young girls. They have perfect bodies, perfect smiles, and youth on their side. Look at those firm, high breasts! Those tanned, athletic legs. What do they know about running a department in a corporation? I'm a strong woman, with experience and money of my own. I have power too." I felt low, as I realized that I was no longer young. "45 isn't so old." I tried to console myself. "I still have a great figure, and I know how to please a man." The bartender came over to take my order. "Maybe that's my problem." I thought, as I settled into my seat at the bar. "Maybe these men can't handle a powerful woman. A woman who is their equal." Yes, that had to be it! "Men are such simple creatures. They can't handle the thought of a strong woman." I thought. The bartender placed my drink on the bar, and winked at me. "He's not such a bad-looking fellow," I thought, as I took a sip. "He makes a really good Kahlua & Cream too." Nevertheless, I knew that just a good drink couldn't make an empty life be any better. I sat there, thinking nothing in particular. I let my gaze wander around the room and thought again of all the couples and groups of people having a good time. I finished my drink, and the bartender placed another one before me. As I sipped at it, I looked around the place once more, and realized that no one was outside on the patio. "What better place to be alone, in a bar full of people?" I said to myself, as I lifted my drink from the rich brown wood of the bar, and walked outside. I sat down at one of the empty tables, and looked out at the beginning twilight. As I looked out over the golf course, I thought about what sort of man could handle a woman like me. "He'd have to be young," I thought. "At least 10 years younger than I am, maybe more." A giggle escaped my lips as I daydreamed about a younger man, one who wasn't a stuffy executive. "Perhaps a working man." I mused to the empty space. "Yes, some young guy who works with his hands. A construction worker. A bricklayer, or a carpenter. Yes, that would be great. A guy who toiled with his hands, who sweated for his living, working outside at some dusty construction site." I thought to myself, "I surely didn't need money, what with my career, so I could make him be whatever I wanted him to be."

The waitress came out to my table, with a smile on her face, bringing me yet another drink unbidden. I realized that I hadn't ordered it, when she said to me, "I saw you through the window, and it looked like you needed another one, are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine." I replied. "Just lost in thought. I had a long day at the office."
"Okay," she responded, "I just wanted to check on you."

I watched her walk away, and noticed the sway of her slender hips. I remembered a line from a Bob Seger song I had liked in my youth.

"A little too tall, could have used a few pounds. Tight pants, points hollerin' out. She was a black-haired beauty with big, dark eyes, and points on her own, sittin' way up high."

"She is pretty," I thought wistfully. Any guy would be lucky to have her. "Maybe what I need is a woman!" I chuckled to no one. "No," I thought, "I need a MAN in my life." I smiled. "A dusty working-man. One who knew how to make hot, sweaty, I-want-to-scream passions erupt within me. Someone who knew his *Night Moves*." I laughed aloud for the first time in days at the thought. "He's out there," I said to myself. "I know he's out there, and I'm going to have him when I find him." I blushed at the thought, feeling a tingle inside. I envisioned a strong young guy, in tight jeans and a denim shirt, with a hard hat, and tool belt cinched about his waist. I squeezed my thighs together, and felt wetness between them, and realized that I was really turned on at the thought. I had actually made myself aroused over this fantasy working man. "I can have my fantasies if I want to. No one would ever know what I was thinking, and I'll be damned if I have to be a prim, proper executive woman all the time." I thought, angrily. "Woman," I said out loud. "That's what I am, by God, and how I'm going to act from now on. No more dry professional decorum. If I want to dress sexy, and act sexy, then I'll be damned if I'm going to do anything else just to please some corporate boardroom full of stodgy old men."

I drained my drink, and flushed with embarrassment. "This has got to be the liquor talking!" I thought. "I don't normally think things like this. What's wrong with me?" I wondered aloud. "Here I've sat, through three strong drinks, and convinced myself that some fantasy-guy is out there, waiting for me to come along so he can sweep me off my feet, and into my bed." I got up, reached for my purse, and the cute brunette waitress came out.

"Are you leaving?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm afraid so." I replied. "I've got some things to do tomorrow, and I want to get an early start on them, so I'm going home. To bed."

I hoped I hadn't placed too much emphasis on "bed" for I thought she was really cute, and I actually wondered for the briefest moment what it might be like, but she just shrugged, took my money, and left. I realized that I was still slightly aroused from my thoughts of a few minutes before, and went to the ladies room. As I lifted my skirt, I realized that my panties were soaked through! I couldn't walk back through the club like this, so I unclipped my stockings and removed them. The heady scent of my arousal wafted to my nostrils, and I thought, "Imagine the looks I'd get if I went through the crowd trailing this aroma. I bet I could get a man like this!" I giggled. I wrapped them in some tissue, and dropped them into my purse. I cleaned myself up, straightened the seams on my stockings, and left the ladies room. I walked out to my car, and realized that it was still on the upside of 10:00. I hadn't been at the club for two hours yet, and while the cool night air helped to clear my head, I still felt frustrated at the thought of going home to an empty house, and empty bed. "Oh well," I said. "That's what you get for not letting all those sweaty construction workers have their way with you!" The dissonance of the humor did make me feel sheepish, and I was no longer angry at the world. I started my car, and realized that my pager was going off. I reached over in the other seat, and unclipped it from the top of my briefcase. I punched the button, and didn't recognize the number. I pulled my cell phone from the case, and dialed. It was my next-door neighbor!

"Hello," she said. "I'm sorry to bother you so late, but I wanted to let you know that I have to leave for a short trip."
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Oh, nothing really," came the reply, "I just have to drive up to my parents' house in the mountains for a week. They're having company coming in from out-of-state, and wanted me to come up to help them get the house cleaned."
"Oh, well. Do you want me to watch your house, and take care of your pets?" I asked. We had an arrangement to do that for each other.
"Could you? I hate to do this on such short notice, but I'm leaving right away. In fact, I was just waiting for you to call back before I left."
"No problem," I replied. "I'll be happy to."

I punched the kill button on the phone, and thought, "Well, I need to get on home." I drove away, out of the gates of the club. As I got back on the highway, I realized that I needed to get home a little faster, to check on my neighbor's animals. I knew there was a side road that would take me directly to the entrance to my neighborhood, but there was no one that lived on it, and no businesses. It was literally a straight stretch of totally empty road. I never took that road at night, because if I broke down, there was no one nearby. I'd have to call for help, and wait alone for it to get there. "What the hell," I thought. "I just had the car tuned up, and nothing can happen." I took the turn, and started to drive a little faster. I was almost halfway there, when suddenly there was a loud pop, and the car began to shudder and swerve! I'd had a blowout! "Oh no!" I thought, fighting to keep the car under control. I slowed down, and pulled over to the shoulder of the road. It was totally dark and not a single light, house, or building could be seen. "This is just what I needed!" I got out of the car, and saw that my right-rear tire was completely shredded. I didn't know how to change a tire! I had the Auto Club for that! I realized that I was going to have to wait for someone to come out to change my tire. I looked into my purse for the card that contained the number to the repairman, and couldn't see it through all the junk. I began tossing out things from my purse on the seat. My still-damp panties went first, and then my compact, my change purse, and checkbook followed. I couldn't find that card! I dumped my purse onto the passenger seat to make things easier.

Just about then, I saw lights coming down the road in my rear-view mirror. I quickly locked my car doors, and hunched down in the seat. Maybe they would pass by without noticing me here all alone. As the vehicle approached, I suddenly wondered why I was so fearful. What if this were someone that could help me get my car fixed? I reached up onto the steering column, and flicked on the emergency flashers. As I sat and waited, I realized I was trembling. "What if, what if?" kept running through my mind. The lights got closer, and I could see that they were slowing. The car stopped, and a figure got out. I felt silly for a moment, and thought, "Hey, I live in the south, people still stop to help stranded motorists here." He came to the window, and a gasp escaped my lips. He was about 29 or 30, tall, with dark hair, piercing eyes, and a great smile. The denim shirt was slightly dirty, and a tool belt hung from his slender hips! I couldn't believe what I was seeing! He motioned for me to roll down the window, and as I did, he smiled again. He was beautiful!

"Can I help you?" he asked softly.
"I seem to have a flat tire." came my reply.
"Well, let me help you change it." he offered.
"Sure thing, let me open the trunk."

I knew there was a trunk release inside the car, but I wanted to get a better look at him, so I opened my door, put my leg out, and began to exit the car. His eyes traced the length of my thigh, and down my calf to my black pump. He stepped back, with a small look of embarrassment, averted his eyes. I got out, and as I leaned back into the car to set the parking brake, I could feel his gaze wander over me. It sent a shiver through me as I realized he was admiring what he saw. I turned, fingered my keys, and looked him over. He was about six feet tall, slender, and well built. I let my eyes trace the curve of his buttocks that were encased in his tight, dusty jeans. I felt a sudden urge to run my hand over his behind, and felt the same tingle in my stomach that I had felt at the bar earlier. Much to my surprise, he glanced over his shoulder, as if to catch my eyes tracing the curve of his bottom. He took off his tool belt, and threw it in his car.

"Do you have a flashlight?" he asked.
"Umm, I, uh, I don't think so." I stammered. I was feeling somewhat light-headed now, as if his voice were having a hypnotic effect on me. What was I thinking? What was I feeling? Was he having an effect on me simply because I had dreamed him up?
"That's okay," he reassured me. "I think I have one in my car." I handed him my keys, and as he opened my trunk, I saw the muscles in his arms ripple as he removed my spare tire. "Could you look in the back seat for my flashlight?" he asked. "I think it's on the floor on the passenger side."
"Uhh, sure." I mumbled. "Damn, but he was sexy!" I was thinking. "I could really let a guy like this have whatever he wanted."

He closed the trunk of the car, and as I let the beam of the flashlight play over the wheel, he began a slow, steady rhythm of movement as he jacked up my car. He loosened the nuts holding the tattered tire to the car, and deftly placed them in the hubcap.

"There." He said. "All I have to do is put on the spare."
"I don't know what I would have done." I said. I watched him lift the spare to the car, and effortlessly seat it on the wheel.
"Almost done now." he said.
"I really can't thank you enough for stopping to help me." I blurted. "God only knows what would have happened if you hadn't come along."
"Oh, I don't know," he replied, as he worked. "I see you have an Auto Club sticker in your window, I'd guess you were about to call them when I showed up." He smiled up at me.
"Yes, that's true," I said. "But anyone could have come along. You could have been some sort of perverted rapist!" What the hell was I saying? I didn't want to give this guy any ideas! Or did I? He seemed like a nice young guy, but I really didn't know anything about him. Was I drawing him a road map?
"Well, I'm not," he laughed. "I just thought about my sister being stranded out here, and, well, I'd want someone nice to stop and help her." He seemed not to notice that I was breathing a little heavy, and there was no way he could know that I still had a tingle of passion in my loins from my thoughts of earlier in the evening.
"I'm glad," I replied. "A woman all alone is an easy target out here on a lonely road." God! I was going to give myself away talking like this. I didn't want this guy to know that I was aroused by his presence. What in hell was I doing?
"There," he said, as he tightened the last nut. "That's it. I'm glad I was able to come along at the right time to be ofhelp to you."
"Thanks." I said, thinking furiously. I suddenly wasn't in any hurry to let this one get away. I remembered that I wasn't wearing any panties, so I leaned back on the hood of his car, and put my foot on the bumper. I watched his eyes trace the curve of my thigh. He saw the tanned skin of my leg, over the top of the lacy stocking, and he realized that I was showing myself to him.

"How can I possibly repay you for saving a damsel in distress?" I breathed.
"Uhh, well..." he started to say.
"Oh, I'm sure I can think of something I can do to pay you back for being so gallant." I was actually enjoying his discomfort at my brazen attempt to get him to examine me. I felt a trickle of dampness on my thigh, as I leaned back even further onto the hood of his car.
"Well, I, uh..." he stammered."Come here," I commanded. I raised up onto my elbows, spread my thighs slightly, and began to unbutton my blouse. "Isn't there anything you want me to do for you?"
"God," he breathed.
Time for me to throw caution to the wind. I pulled my skirt up, and exposed my womanhood to his suddenly hungry gaze. He stepped toward me, and I reached for him, pulling him tightly to me.
"Take me. Here. Now" I moaned.
"Are you sure?" he questioned.
"Oh yes, Take me." I breathed. "Do it now."

His fingertips began to trace the outline of my erect nipples through my lacy bra, and I began to unbutton his jeans. I felt the tip of his firmness through his shorts, and he jerked as though he was touched by an electric current. I slid from the hood of his car, and knelt on the ground in front of him. As I looked up at him, his eyes met mine, and held them locked in a passionate gaze that told me that he was prepared to accept whatever I had in mind. I slowly slid his jeans down, and hungrily leaned into his hips. As my lips met his hardness, I felt a pulsing through the fabric imprisoning his hardness. I gently released it from the confines of the elastic band, seeing a pearl of fluid form at the very tip. I grasped the hard shaft, and traced the tip of my tongue over, and into the tiny slit. As I slid my hand over the base of his manliness, I took him between my lips. I felt him shudder as my tongue flicked across the underside of his length. I took him again between my lips, and slowly slid my hungry mouth down the entire length of him, until my lips and nose were pressed into the soft hairs at the base. I heard him moan, and I worked him around the moist interior of my mouth and throat, as I grasped the muscles of his bottom to steady myself. I looked up at him again, and saw his eyes roll back as he raised his face to the starlit night sky. I withdrew him slowly from my mouth, as he grasped my shoulders. He pulled me up to him, and pressed his lips to mine. I moaned with pleasure, as he leaned me back against the trunk of my car, and pulled my skirt up around my waist.

"My God!" he breathed, as he lowered his face to me. His tongue traced gently around the edge of my garter, and then he slowly pressed his thumb to my pulsing femininity. I entwined my fingers in his hair, and he gently parted me with his tongue. I was trembling with passion as moans escaped from my lips. His tongue traced the petals of my silky passage, and I felt the tip of it enter me. I pulled sharply on his hair, and he stood before me. His manliness throbbed, standing away from him like the fleshy branch of a manly tree, and he stepped closer. I reached for him, and guided his hardness to the soft, wet opening between my thighs. I threw my head back as he plunged deeply into me, and waves of pleasure coursed through the both of us. Deeper and deeper he explored the depths of my womanhood, and each thrust drew me closer to the brink of climax. I could feel the hardness inside me, and as he drove into my depths, I wanted nothing more than his explosion inside me. As if he sensed my desire, he slowed his movements, and began to caress the softness of my ear with the tip of his tongue. I felt him stiffen, and as waves of pleasure began to radiate throughout me, I felt the warmth and wetness of his explosion deep inside of me. It felt as though he were filling me up with the liquid of his desire, and I could feel the power of the pulses as they slammed against the inside of me.

We clung together for a moment, and I slowly straightened up. He stepped back, breathing heavily, and I again slid to my knees again before him. I took him gently into my mouth, and swirled my tongue over the length of his fading manliness. He cupped my face, with his hands and drew me up to him.

"This is unbelievable," he breathed.
"Yes," I replied. "And I hope that I've thanked you enough for helping me."
"More than I could have imagined." he said.

For a moment, we looked deeply into each other's eyes, and I gently drew his jeans up and fastened them, he asked if there was anything else I needed.

"I appreciate the offer, but I have to be getting home now." I said. I turned away abruptly, leaving him standing there. I looked back at him once more, and got into my car. He was standing there gazing at me, as if to say, "How can I find you again?" I started my car, trembling from the intensity of the passion we had shared, and drove away into the night leaving him standing there.

I've often thought of him since then, and even though we never told each other anything about us, not even our names, I've always known that if I ever had car trouble again, he would be there to take care of it, and me. Love comes to us in strange ways, and when we least expect it.