Douglas Dodd

"That so-called incident brought shame on our family thanks to your mother Irma and it was exacerbated by Desmond running away instead of staying to attempt to clear his name."

Irma's head drooped.

"That's enough Kathy," said her father. "We accept you suffered some fallout at school but that's a long time ago and months later before Irma's birth. You are welcome in this home Irma."

"Yes indeed," Kate said, patting Irma's arm and looking at her daughter.

Kathy said, "It is only right that my parents should welcome you to our home, Irma. We must become friends."

As Douglas let Irma out at the back of the motel he said, "Well that was a very satisfactory evening and thank you for accompany me. I believe it helped clear the air. What now?"

"You mean tonight?"

"Yes."

"Wind up your energy my boy. This will be an exception when I decided to fuck on a first date."

She darted out of reach, giggling, as Douglas lunged to grab her but was restrained by his seat belt.

CHAPTER 2

Both Douglas and Irma had a clear idea they were committing to a relationship when Irma had checked with the night manager and arrived to the honeymoon suite with chocolates and machine-brewed coffee.

Douglas was wearing only a white tee and black briefs.

"Welcome," he said, "to the bearer of seductive gifts."

Eyeing him she said a little shakily, "Take off your top."

Douglas obliged and then went into a brief display of muscle rippling that left Irma quite breathless and she spilt coffee into both saucers.

Irma dropped a chocolate, holding her dress front open, and said he may fetch her chocolate.

Douglas went in growling like some kind of beast, highly exciting Irma. By the time he began pushing in what Irma called his young beast she was so wet and slippery it shot in as if it belonged there.

She climaxed far too early and noting the disappointment she cooed, "Lick me you lovely man," and climbed on to her hands and knees. What followed was a very long session that left them both ejaculating with pretty good timing and both feeling temporarily exhausted, so they slept.

Douglas awoke at dawn to find her gone and cursing went back to sleep. Irma arrived with two breakfast trays just after 8:00, stripped off and joined him in bed and stayed till mid-afternoon when she was advised by a phone call the maintenance engineer had found a problem in the boiler-room.

Three hours later Irma called Douglas, waking him.

"Into the shower you expert rutter. I'm taking you to dinner in half an hour. Would you like to move in with me to allow me to get some money out of the honeymoon suite?"

"Um I'm happy to pay full rates and stay here but which would you prefer?"

"It's good for business to say yes the honeymoon suite is available."

"Oh, that was put with the verve of an accomplished businesswoman. Yes I will move in with you pending finding my own place."

"Good and then I can tell my people you are sleeping with me and then I won't have to scuttle around here like a guilty teenager although I'd think my non-appearance for much of today would have sent tongues wagging."

"That's fine. They'll all know a young woman needs a guy although my age will shock. Possibly that will be a useful diversion."

"Yes, I'd thought that too."

At the restaurant Irma said, "Ah, about my mother."

"Are you thinking we should call on her?"

"No because tactically that would give her an advantage of being on her ground."

"Then what about here, for lunch. A restaurant is neutral ground."

"Good man. That was my thinking."

"Will you say it's to meet me?"

"Yes."

"Then your mother might refuse to come, not wishing to revisit the past."

"Apart from that one incident in allowing herself to be pressured into naming you as the impregnator I have not known my mother to be a coward."

"Well do what you wish and take time to think it through because this could prove emotionally punishing on you."

"Yes, a good point and I've already thought deeply. Is tomorrow lunchtime convenient for you."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes it's the day that comes after today."

Douglas smiled and said softly, "You know you remind me very much of your mother, although you don't look much like I remember how she looked."

"Thank you. It may interest you to know apart from that one black incident in my mother's life I am very proud to be told I share her characteristics. She's not an easy person to love but I do love her."

"Well may I say that pleases me?"

"You may and thank you for injecting happiness back into my life."

* * *

Next morning Douglas went to a meeting with the business agency that had promoted the sale. Also attending was Irma's attorney whom she'd given power of attorney at the time of her husband's death to complete any sale. She had no interest in retaining it as an investment and installing a senior engineer-manager.

After completing documentation and handing across the check, Douglas went to the leased premises to meet the two engineers and support staff. He'd not visited prior to the purchase, relying on details supplied by the agency. He'd also talked extensively to Donna and Andrew on phone calls so it had been almost as good as being on-site and the premises were leased so an inspection of them had not seemed necessary.

Gloria from the business agency who'd managed the sale made the introductions. Donna, although appearing a little shy, kissed the new boss and Andrew shook hands confidently and the young Scots immigrant only recently married smiled and said the whole team was pleased the future of the office appeared assured.

After the support staff had been introduced and went back to their work Andrew said, "We have some matters on hold to discuss with you Mr Dodd and the pile of work is more than Donna and I can handle."

"Well I'll return mid-afternoon for discussion on referrals and will put in full days from tomorrow. Do we work Saturdays?"

"No sir," said Donna.

"Well I know people have family commitments but we best work till 1:00 Saturdays until we reduce the backlog. You organize that Andrew. I take it the previous owner had you also working in the role of office manager?"

"Yes, that's correct but the assistant office manager is pretty self-sufficient but I know the directive we work Saturday mornings is my responsibility."

"Yes and think about working a skeleton support staff on Saturdays and think about calling for volunteers and even working people on rotation. In my experience most people hate working Saturdays but welcome the extra money. If anyone resists working Saturdays make sure they have good reason otherwise fire them and have the assistant manager engage suitable replacements. I don't want you bogged down in admin. Perhaps we need to upgrade the skills of your assistant office manager and even look at promoting her to full office manager in time or bringing in one."

"Yes sir, that is something to review."

"Well I'm off. Good to meet you two. Oh Andrew, email everyone internally that I'm to be know by everyone as Douglas."

"Yes um Douglas."

"Good man. Irma Tomlinson who plans to revert to her former name of Irma Goldsmith told me you are expecting a baby Donna?"

"Yes Douglas," she blushed shyly. "I-I'm not yet showing."

"Well this is a happy time for you. We will follow employer's responsibilities to the letter but if you require even greater considerations you talk to me about it, do you hear? And I want you back here as a young mother even if it means bringing in a temporary replacement."

Donna's face shone. "I'm very please to learn how you feel about my situation."

"I treasure good people around me Donna. Although I come from a partnership I had my own core of support people and am well aware of the truism that treat people well and build and hold a good working environment around them, one ought not be surprised at the outcome."

"I couldn't agree more sir... I mean Douglas."

* * *

As suggested by Irma, Douglas arrived for lunch almost half an hour after mother and daughter were due to meet. Irma had suggested that and added playfully, "It will give mother time to look at you as you approach and if necessary bolt for the emergency exit."

They'd laughed. Douglas was left with the thought that all-in-all Irma appeared to be a delightful young woman. He knew of few women who were willing to tease a guy and suspected she was working on appealing to him to ensure they embarked on a relationship. He was pleased her manager's apartment was even bigger than the honeymoon suite and also included an office that she used only for storage. He would of course look around for a suitable home and invite Irma to move in with him. His latest thinking was she could install a motel manager and become his office manager but decided to move forward one step and the time. They had yet to learn how they would handle disagreements and to emerge from fearsome rows, if they occurred.

* * *

Ida Goldsmith had felt her chest restrict and thought it was a prelude to a heart attack when Irma had called around to say Douglas Dodd was back in town and forty hours later came the really huge shock that Irma had taken up with him. That was Irma's exact words and she'd added the three of them should meet, perhaps over lunch. Ida had wheezed she didn't know about coming face to face with her victim in public and had been berated for calling Douglas a victim because it appeared he thought of his derailment as nothing more than being wrongly accused.

"God you make me sound as his executioner," Ida had said, wincing but immediately went on attack when her daughter said in a voice dripping with sarcasm, "Well weren't you."

"Now look here young lady..."

"Stop right there mother. You raised the word executioner and you know you remain as guilty as fuck."

"Don't you dare use such a word to your mother."

"Sorry," Irma had said sarcastically. "What's another word for executioner?"

They both knew Irma's objection was at the use of the word fuck so ended up laughing.

Finally Ida had said they shouldn't be laughing and then Irma had said something that really appeared to get to her mother. "Nor do I think anyone needs to cry over this. I don't know how Douglas thinks about it psychologically but when we discussed it I reckon I judged him accurately to be no longer bearing you real malice."

"So you think so?"

Irma had replied that was only her impression and her mother had sighed deeply and said she would meet him over lunch. "Let's get this over with."

"Lunch tomorrow."

"Yes. Now young lady, let's talk about you becoming involved with a much older man, any much older man."

That discussion tailed off inconclusively and there was no further mention of Douglas on that occasion.

Ida watched Douglas approach their table. Christ how could she blame her daughter, not that she'd share that thought with Irma. She wouldn't mind a piece of him herself. She had three regular gentlemen callers and so wasn't exactly hanging out to dry as a sexually inactive spinster.

"Here he comes," Irma said unnecessary and Ida enjoyed watching her daughter blush when she said, "One could be excused for thinking he wasn't a day over thirty-five. God look how straight his back is?"

If that wasn't approval, what was?

But acid hit when Douglas joined them, standing awkwardly and saying formerly, "Good afternoon Ida or would you prefer me calling you Mrs Goldsmith."

"Sit down," she commanded. "This is as awkward for me as it is for you and I daresay really embarrassing for Irma."

"True."

"Then say what you have to say and let's get this over."

Douglas didn't lose his smile. "What you did to me was terrible Ida but it's long past and nothing can be changed except you now have the opportunity to make it easier for Irma and me. We have committed to live together with or without your blessing. I haven't entered the relationship to spite you and I accept Irma's word that she is not attempting to help make old wrongs right. Now with that off my chest do I order champagne to celebrate my arrival back in town and to bury the past or do I order bitter coffee?"

"I-I need time to think."

"But you are not being given time Idea... yes or no."

"Yes champagne if you wish to be a big spender."

Douglas called for the wine list and it listed only one label of French champagne. He ordered.

"Thank you for cooperating Ida. Now tell me you are sorry for what you did for me and that's our past buried."

Ida looked at Irma who said warmly, "Go on mom."

"Douglas, I am indeed so terribly, terribly sorry and while you are entitled to think of my as a hard-nosed bitch I can tell you I used to have nightmares extending over years about what I had done to you. And yes, let's bury the past and I will speak to all me extended family about this. I want it ended."

Thereafter the conversations were friendly and careful and an hour later Douglas left saying he had business awaiting him. "You might like to tell Ida about my purchase and being completely unaware of the linkage," he said, kissing his lover.

Ida couldn't help being moved by his daughter's reaction at being kissed by this man. "I welcome you back and take loving care of my daughter."

Douglas smiled and nodded but knew it was too soon to kiss Ida. The revulsion he'd felt for her over the years still lurked. Perhaps one day he might feel he could touch her with normalized feeling. The bitch had robbed him of some of the best years of his life. Now ironically his future lay with her daughter. As he drove off to the office Douglas thought he must discuss with Irma about her coming off her anti-contraception program. They would feel complete with children. Irma had already told him she'd always wanted to have a full family.

THE END