Madeline and Jerry and Janet

Madeline was beaming. "Isn't it nice mommy! I do my homework down here when I get home from school because it's so nice!"

A month ago, Jerry asked if it was okay if he gave Madeline a key to his place so she could let Sadie out for a bathroom break before he got home. I had no problem with it. He gave me one too but I never used it. But I guess Madeline had made herself at home and I saw her school books when I looked down at the beautiful Southwest-looking coffee table in front of the couch. There wasn't a single inch of the room that wasn't immaculately decorated. It must have cost a fortune and Jane or Jerry or both of them had excellent taste. And there was a huge honking TV built into one wall. Whew! I was blown away!

"Wow! Jerry! This is beautiful! It could be in one of those house magazines."

He smiled. "Thanks. I like it. It reminds me of when Jane and I were in New Mexico but I'm not interested in sharing it with strangers. It's a private room with special feelings."

Then he smiled at Madeline and me. "But I'm happy to share it with you and Madeline. You're not strangers."

He looked me in the eye. "You're welcome to visit as well. You have a key. No need to ask if I'm not home and you want to have a beer or wine and sink into the couch and get lost in the desert. The TV has great sound if you want to listen to music and the iPad on the table has Spotify loaded so you can listen to just about any song in the world."

He looked at Madeline. "And the tile floor is bulletproof. Madeline has dropped multiple glasses on the floor but the tile is shatterproof and cleans up easily as do cookie crumbs. Now I give her plastic cups. Right, Madeline?"

Madeline looked surprised at being outed and frowned and gave Jerry the evil eye but he just laughed.

Madeline and Jerry showed me the main floor but it was nothing special. Jerry said he would get to it eventually but was working on another room.

We went upstairs which was divided into two rooms. One was being used for storage and the other had a 'Do Not Enter' sign on the door and Madeline was grinning at me.

"What's in there?" I asked Madeline.

"It's a secret mommy!"

I looked at Jerry but he just smiled as well. Obviously, it was a secret and I'd have to wait!

"Well, sweet pea! It's time to go home."

Jerry thanked us for visiting and I thanked him for the food and tour.

He smiled. "Would you like some beers to take home or homemade wine? I have red and white."

Hmm! I loved red wine and if it was as good as the beer I'd love a bottle.

"Are you sure?"

"Definitely. It's meant to be enjoyed and feel free to drop by with Madeline any time you want. "

I ended up walking home with six of the killer beers and a bottle of white and red. I had a small glass of red later that night. It was delicious and I could tell it packed a punch as well.

I thought about the day. Things were so easy with Jerry. I was hungry and he fed me. He even thought about feeding me before I was hungry. I like a man with foresight who knows when I'm hungry before I do! Madeline and he had become quite close. I had no idea she did her homework at his place. Although I don't blame her. The room was way more inviting than our kitchen table.

Jerry's help made life so much easier for me. I didn't need to worry about her biking to school on her own. Jerry went with her. He was home before I got home so she wasn't alone as long. He spent time with her which allowed me to have naps or run errands. And that room! Oh, my God! it was so beautiful! I definitely wanted to see it again. Even the bathroom was amazing! I might just go over there and sit my butt on the toilet seat and look at the walls the next time nature calls!

I looked at the wine and decided to have another glass! It was so good!

I don't think Madeline's brain (and mouth) ever shuts down. She's always thinking about things. One day, we were eating supper and she shared her latest thought.

"Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Did you know that Jerry was a bachelor for years before he met Jane?"

"No, I didn't."

"Well, he was and because he was alone he learned how to cook. He makes lots of food and I'm allowed to look in his fridge when I come home from school if I'm hungry."

"Madeline! You have food at home. I always leave food in the fridge for you. You shouldn't be eating Jerry's food. I don't want him thinking I don't feed you."

"He doesn't think that mommy. I told him you make good food but Jerry makes different food and lots of it. He says the recipe's always make enough food for lots of people so there's always food left over. He gets tired of eating leftovers and often gives the rest to Sadie. But the vet said Sadie's not supposed to eat too much human food. She'll get fat. So Jerry said I would be doing him a favor if I helped him eat his food. He said you can have some too. There's a lot."

Hmm! Jerry's beer and wine and burgers were delicious. I wondered what kind of food he made. It must be somewhat different than what I make or Madeline wouldn't think it was different. It wouldn't hurt to try it out.

"Sweetie?"

"Yes?"

The next time you're at Jerry's can you bring some of his leftover food home so I can try it out?"

"Sure, mommy!"

Madeline brought some the next day. I wasn't sure what all the ingredients were but it was very tasty. Madeline told me what the different items were because she said she helped Jerry make it.

"Mommy, that orange thing there is a sweet potato. And that green chunk is a brussel sprout. And the white meat is chicken. And that soft white chunk is a piece of apple. And it's all pink from the cranberry sauce. Jerry says it's very healthy and we've never had it before. Do you like it, mommy? I really like it."

I loved it but Madeline only brought me a small sample. "Honey?"

"Yes?"

"Is there any more left at Jerry's?"

"Lots! And Jerry has already had it twice. He doesn't want anymore."

"Is Jerry home yet?"

"I don't think so."

"Can you use your key and get a big serving for me before he gets home?"

"Sure!"

Madeline was back in minutes with a huge bowl and I was starving. I poured myself a glass of Jerry's delicious white wine and heated up Jerry's creation in the microwave and chowed down. It was yummy! I definitely was going to help Jerry with his leftovers. We wouldn't want Sadie getting fat!

I was curious about something. "Did you say you helped Jerry make the food?"

"Yes."

"Is he showing you how to cook?"

"I asked him what was in the food I ate one day because it was yummy. He told me he could show me how to make it if I wanted. The next time he made it he called me over and we made it together."

"Have you made other things?"

"A few."

A negative thought crossed my mind. "You don't cook things at Jerry's before he gets home do you?"

"No. He told me to never turn the burner or oven on when he wasn't there. And I'm not supposed to cut anything with a sharp knife in case I cut myself. I'm allowed to have cereal and make toast and microwave leftovers. That's it. And I can eat fruit!"

That was a relief. It's the same rules I had for Madeline but I was glad Jerry had the common sense to tell Madeline. For a guy who never had kids, he seemed to have a lot of common sense with them. I wouldn't leave Madeline alone with some guys for five minutes! Hell, I wouldn't leave Sadie alone with some guys for five minutes! But I had zero worries about leaving Madeline with Jerry.

"Do you like cooking?"

Madeline smiled. "I like making things I like to eat!"

"Would you like me to show you how to make some of your favorite meals? We could make it together on the weekend. We could even make some of the dessert items you like."

Madeline looked excited at the mention of dessert. "That would be great!"

"How be we make one of your favorite meals and ask Jerry if he'd like to come over for supper?"

"That would be good! Could we make lasagne with garlic bread and a caesar salad?"

"Yup!"

"Okay! I'll go over and ask Jerry if he wants to eat with us. I bet he will!"

Jerry did want to eat supper with us but it was a weeknight and I didn't get home until six and supper wasn't done until seven.

He arrived at six-thirty as requested by Madeline. I liked a punctual man.

And he bought a bottle of red which would go well with the lasagne. I liked a thoughtful man.

And he brought some flowers for Madeline. I liked a sweet man.

And best of all, he dressed up. I don't mean a suit. But he wasn't in work boots, work pants, and a hard hat. He had on some leather loafers, snug blue jeans, and a beige cotton dress shirt. He looked good!

I didn't mention Jerry's looks before because he has grey hair and that's the first thing I noticed when I saw him. My mind associates grey hair with older people and then it was confirmed when I learned he was forty-five. So, my first impression was that he was an older man.

But then he started doing things with Madeline. And I started to think of him as a nice man.

And then he did more things with Madeline. Things that I really appreciated and I started to think of him as an even nicer man.

At some point, I didn't notice Jerry's grey hair anymore. He'd become a great guy who loved my daughter and she loved him back.

Then he fed me and invited me to visit anytime. Then he was an even nicer man!

And whenever I saw him he always seemed so upbeat and friendly. I didn't see an older man. I saw a vigorous man full of life and love.

Then the other day Jerry was cutting the backyard lawn and it was sticky and humid and he had his shirt off. I saw him out of the kitchen window and went to Madeline's room to get a better look. Where do you think she got her nosiness from?

Hmm! Jerry looked not bad! He's six feet tall and built like the Marlboro Man with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and muscular arms. His face is weathered but ruggedly handsome. And his sweaty chest and flat stomach looked pretty damn good! I didn't notice his grey hair at all. Did he have grey hair?

Then he looked up and waved! Shit! He caught me checking him out and I made it worse by ducking like an amateur which made it obvious I was checking him out. At least, Madeline, had the brains to wave back and not panic but that was easy for her because she wasn't checking his body out. She was just being her incorrigible nosy self and didn't mind getting caught.

So, to put things in perspective, at the beginning of the night, Jerry's grey hair was gone. He wasn't old in my mind anymore. He was youthful and friendly and loved my daughter. And he looked good cutting the grass in the backyard with his shirt off.

Then he shows up looking nice and bringing gifts for me and my daughter. More brownie points!

So when Jerry handed me the flowers I noticed, for the first time, how big his hands were compared to mine. And I noticed how rough the skin on his hands felt. Madeline had told me about it but I'd never felt it myself. He had strong, manly hands.

I was setting the table and the oven timer went off so I asked Jerry if he could take the lasagne out of the oven. When he bent over I checked his ass out. Sorry! But it was right in my face! It looked nice!

Madeline and he talked throughout supper while I looked at Jerry. I didn't notice a single grey hair but I noticed his chiseled face and large strong hands and flat stomach and his lovely smile and how Madeline smiled at him.

The conversation was easy and became easier the more wine we (I) drank. Jerry hardly drank any.

When supper was done, Jerry jumped up to help with the dishes. I usually washed and Madeline stood on a stool and dried. Jerry helped Madeline dry. I liked men who helped with the dishes. Another check mark for Jerry!

Madeline burned bright in the day and then crashed at nine. It was nine so she said goodbye to Jerry and I tucked her in.

I wasn't the least bit tired.

Jerry said he needed to make another hair appointment with me because his hair was getting too long. I laughed. He almost had a brush cut.

"Jerry! Your hair is not long!"

He frowned. "I know but I hate it long when it's hot and the next few weeks are supposed to be hot so I should get it cut soon."

I smiled. "You know Jerry, it only takes me ten minutes to cut your short hair and then you give me an obscene tip. It doesn't seem right."

"Well, I need to get it cut somewhere so why not with someone that I know."

Then he paused. I could tell he was hesitating about saying something. Then he said it with a boyish, half-embarrassed grin. "Plus it's nice to have an attractive woman's hands on my head."

I smiled inside. Jerry had just flirted with me in his ever-so-polite manner. Which endeared him to me even more.

I was feeling flirty myself. Have you ever heard the expression 'liquor's quicker'? That was me. I was feeling no pain and there was a warm throb between my legs. The Marlboro Man's body was close to me.

I smiled and went on the offensive. "You know Jerry, I could cut your hair here. You don't need to go to the hair salon."

Then I grinned and locked eyes with his and cranked up my sexual energy to the max. The next words slithered out of my mouth, sultry smooth.

"Then I wouldn't need to worry about rushing your cut. I could spend as much time with my hands on your head as you wanted. Would you like that?"

Poor Jerry! He turned beet red. He was obviously shy around women and I'd been too aggressive. So I turned my sultry voice off and cranked my sexual energy down and became 'Janet' again, Madeline's mother and friendly next-door neighbor.

"It's up to you Jerry but it would be easier for both of us. You could pop in at night or on the weekend when Madeline is here. She always likes to see you. And I know what you mean about having your head touched! It always feels nice having someone cut your hair." I said in a non-sexual tone.

There! How did I do? Was it a good recovery? Did I re-establish myself as innocent Janet from next door and mother of fatherless Madeline? My comeback must have worked because Jerry slowly relaxed and his face returned to its normal tanned color. He probably thought he'd misunderstood my previous intent (which he hadn't) because I obviously wouldn't invite him to a sexual haircut where Madeline was present.

I think he was still a bit rattled though because he excused himself a few minutes later but not before he made an appointment to stop by my house and let my hands roam his head.

Now that I'd spent the night thinking about Jerry as the Marlboro Man and noticing how big his mitts were and how nice he filled out his jeans I wasn't thinking about him as an old man anymore. You can't put those thoughts back in your head once they've escaped!

I slid under the covers and slid my hand under my panties and rubbed myself to several delightful orgasms fantasizing about what Jerry would be like in bed and what lay between his legs. Hmm! Yummy! My body had been without the touch of a man for way too long!

The next morning I felt better which means that my raging horniness from the night before had subsided to a low simmer.

I made a point of delivering some leftovers from the previous night to Jerry. I brought Madeline with me so Jerry could see I was the same Janet he knew before. He seemed okay but I checked him out again in his shorts and t-shirt because I wasn't okay. He looked as good as the night before.

Jerry showed up right on time for his haircut and Madeline was sitting with us oblivious to the smoldering sexual energy between my legs as I slowly cut Jerry's hair and gently touched his scalp as many times as possible without being too obvious. It was a technique I had perfected over the years when hunky guys came in for cuts and I wanted to touch them without being obvious.

Jerry seemed okay and gave me a big tip again and left. I don't think he noticed my arousal.

===

Apparently, the do not disturb sign on the second floor at Jerry's house was gone.

Madeline was just about bursting out of her skin as she and Jerry led me to the room. Madeline told me to close my eyes and led me to the room where I was told to open my eyes.

The door had a sign with big letters on it:

"MADELINE"

Then I walked in. Wow! It was a girl's room. A young girl's room. Lots of pink. A cute single bed with a pink headboard. There were some stuffed animals I recognized on the bed. They were some of Madeline's sleeping buddies. Pink and pastel colors were everywhere.

Madeline was beaming and so was Jerry. I loved seeing both of them look so happy.

"Mommy! This is my room for when I sleep over. You can go out with your friends now instead of always having to stay home with me. Or you could visit the cottage of that lady at work who is always inviting you and I could stay with Jerry and sleep in this room! Mommy! I designed the room! I looked on the internet at different rooms to decide what I wanted. Then I helped paint the walls! Doesn't it look nice? I brought over a few of my sleeping stuffies to get them used to the room. That way they'll be ready for when I'm ready. And see down here! There is a small night light that I can turn on if I need it. I don't think I will but it's there if I need it. And here is a small dresser for my clothes. And that's a book rack with some of my favorite books so I can read before I go to sleep, and a table with a mirror."

I was speechless and got all teary and nodded my head in thanks to Jerry. He smiled back in his usual selfless manner. Oh my God! What a great guy! If there was ever any doubt that I wanted Jerry in my life it was gone.

===

It turned out that Madeline had a sleepover before I did.

I'd been thinking a lot about Jerry but behaving myself because it would be the end of the world if I blew the relationship Jerry and Madeline had. Madeline had to come first. She finally had a daddy.

But, what if I could finally have a man that loved me as much as Jerry loved Madeline? That would be even better.

So I invited myself over to Jerry's place the night Madeline was out. We sat in the Southwest room because it was so beautiful. I had a drink because I was nervous but stopped after one because I didn't want lust to guide my actions and words. I wanted love to guide them.

Jerry also seemed like something was on his mind.

Fortunately, he started first.

"Janet?"

"Yes?"

"When I first moved in I was in a pretty low place. I was still grieving over Jane. It was nice when you greeted me on the first day. You seemed friendly and I hoped I had a good neighbor. And I thought you were pretty. I loved your strawberry blonde hair but I didn't think of you that way. You know. That way. I just thought you were pretty."

"Then I saw Madeline biking to school in the morning with a big backpack and assumed she was your daughter because of the strawberry blonde hair under her helmet. She stopped on the third day and smiled and waved to me. She had a nice smile. Then I saw her looking at me twice when I was out with Sadie in the backyard. I waved and she waved and then she was by the fence with Sadie licking her hands and she asked if she could visit and play with Sadie."

"I was pleased that she liked Sadie and Sadie liked her. Madeline visited more and more and talked more and more. I learned that she didn't have a dad and your mom had died and you guys were tight for money. I never asked Madeline private questions about your background. She just told me."

"I always wanted to have a child and quickly fell in love with Madeline. She was so outgoing and fearless and energetic and observant and curious. It was nice to have someone who enjoyed my company and wanted to do things with me. And I wanted to do things with her and help in any way I could. So, I volunteered to walk her to school in the morning because she told me you worried about her. It made me feel good to help and I enjoyed her company and she enjoyed mine and I knew you would worry less. It was good for everyone."