She stopped, the guilty pose of an accused woman. “Well if you must know it's just that I'm surprised to see Kade,” Shit! “I mean Karl – K.” Now Ralph's antenna were really up.
Frustrated with herself Francine put the water bottle down and tried to get a grip on herself. “The last time I saw- K, it was under very different circumstances.” Francine tried to speak very carefully now. She wasn't sure what was going on with whoever that was upstairs, but she was sure he was not here to get a lot of unwanted attention and raising Ralph's red flags would not help his cause for remaining unnoticed. She put her hand on one hip and tried to appear nonchalant.
“Well is this man stable? Are you going to be safe around him Francine?” Ralph had approached her now and placed his hand on her arm. He was so warm and solid, warmth rose from him, it would be so easy to go and find comfort in his ready arms. But now, especially now that was impossible, with Karl upstairs.
No matter what happened this was her chance to tie up all the loose ends with their relationship and she would. She would do what was fair to everyone involved. “Yes Ralph, I am very safe with Karl and always have been.” When she said it the words they settled around her like a warm blanket. “He'd never to hurt me or anything. She looked down at the floor thoughtfully. “If he's here it's like he said, it's because he'd like to see me and maybe needs a friend.” Francine looked up at him and made a significant step back. “And I'm going to be here for him. Now if you don't mind - all this excitement. I think we’ll just unload the truck tomorrow and take it easy for the rest of the day. I'd like to get some sleep myself, maybe take a nap. Better yet, I think it better if I just see you on Monday.” She turned away from him, unable to say anything more.
Irritated, but accepting of her decision Ralph turned and left through the kitchen door. Francine finished the water and hung her head. What a shitty situation. He really was a good man she thought as she watched his long legs stride across the yard and round the house in search of his T100. None of this was fair, but it's not like she had really been sure she wanted to be with Ralph anyway.
Upstairs a lively little tune played and then went silent. Was that her phone? Where was her phone anyway? Wait, there it was again! That wasn't her ring tone. Tossing her empty water bottle in the trash Francine crossed her kitchen and sprinted up her glossy wooden stairs back to the second floor where the jaunty little tune echoed across the empty halls, there it was again! Coming from, Karl's room?
Padding across the hall she slipped through the door and quietly pulled it open. He was still curled up on his side, the persistent cell singing and dancing, delighting in it's own little world. Whoever it was was simply not going to be ignored.
Maybe she was not the only one who had missed this man after all this time. Impulsively before she could she change her mind she picked it up and slid the animated bar over to answer it. “Hello.”
“Hello?” A mature female voice answered. Oh no, not a wife? Again, more urgently now, “Hello! Is my son there?!”
Chapter 27
“My name is Margaret Augustus and I'm very worried about my son, can you please help me?”
“Yes, yes, of course!” Answered Francine. By this time Karl was starting to become agitated so Francine took the phone from the room into the hallway. “Ma'am my name is Francine Anderson and your son is with me. I'm an... old friend.”
She could practically see the sigh through the phone. “May I speak with him please Francine?”
“Well Ms. Margaret, he's really - ill right now and he's taken some medicine.”
“Ill? Been in another one if his fights? Fuck! I’m getting too old for this shit.” Then it’s like she seemed to collect herself. “I’m sorry dear.” Hearing profanity come from that very cultured voice had Francine’s cheeks burning.
She just continued. “Anyway, That's why he didn't wake when the phone rang, but I will tell him to call you as soon as he wakes up.”
“How bad is it Francine? Will he be OK?” There was a pause.
“How about I take a picture and send it to you?” She said.
“You'd do that?” His mother responded.
“Of course!” Francine laughed, trying to keep it down. “Hold on, we have to be quiet.”
Francine snuck back in and crept around to get a shot of Karl's sleeping face, he really did look a mess. Oh well. Once back outside she sent the picture. “Oh -my!” Francine could tell she was trying to edit herself. “It looks like he took on a semi this time!”
Francine laughed, “Yes ma'am” taking the phone down the hall to her master suite and out to her deck to sit and talk to Ms. Margaret while she looked over her property full of it's fragrant flowers. “Oh, please call me Margaret dear.”
“OK, Margaret.”
“Francine, I've been so worried about Karl, do you mind if I ask where you are?”
“I own a flower nursery in Kendalwood, VA.”
“Oh, that's wonderful! I live in Riverland County, Maryland! I know it's presumptuous, but I haven't seen Karl in over two years and I've been so worried. Might I come down tomorrow and see him? I promise not to stay long and it would mean the world to me.”
Oh god what to do... Of course we know what curiosity did to the cat. “Of course Margaret! I'd love to meet you.“ He had called her after all, otherwise, how would Margret have had this number?
“Great! Text me your address! I'll be down tomorrow!”
* * *
And that's how Karl woke to the sound of not one, but two female voices from his past at the kitchen table talking and laughing and enjoying coffee and fruit at Francine's kitchen island the next morning when he hobbled downstairs to get breakfast. Here too there are plants, a healthy spider growing over the sink in front of the window, it’s babies springing from its round belly. Beneath it on a little ledge are various mini cacti, a few of them colored. He’d never seen any colored ones outside of a book. Off the kitchen there was another room with some azalea plants so healthy and strong she had strung them up into the wooden rafters above. Was that a potted pine down there by the fireplace? Good Lord.
“Oh there's my baby!” Karl's mother moved forward and took him in a gentle but firm hug. Slender as a reed in her Cesar shoes with her pedicured mauve toes and long summer dress she smelled faintly of #19 perfume and acted like she might break down at any moment now that her “baby” was back in her arms.
“Oh Mom,” murmured Karl. He glanced up at Francine who placed her cup up to her lips to hide her smile enjoying the whole scene. This just got better and better.
“Oh my God, but you look just awful!” She pulled back and gave him a once over. “Karlton Samuel Augustus, this really must stop!” Samuel?! My, oh my. “ I mean I was just telling Francine here about all of your accomplishments, your an Olympic champion, you have an MBA from Yale, for God's sake! You simply cannot continue to get beat up like this, at your age really! I mean, well, it simply will not do! I mean what would your grandfather say?”
Francine had to smother another laugh tucking an errant blond hair behind her ear as Margaret led her “baby” to a chair next to the island and Francine poured him a cup of coffee. Francine studied the two of them sitting together both with their glossy hair so dark it looked almost black and matching dark eyes. They all sat around together for moment in silence sipping dark rich coffee as Karl shot one more set of daggers at Francine.
It was her house dammit, let him stew. Besides it was all worth it – Mrs. Margaret was something else!! She looked at her in her beautiful white dress with it's soft painted summer flowers. Her face was smooth except for when she smiled showing the gentle creases of a woman who liked to laugh and laughed often.
“Well you know your father wanted to come down as well, but I didn't want to wait for him to get home. The way you stick and move I was afraid I'd miss you again if I didn't take action right away. You know you're my favourite son.”
“Oh Mom-” he took her hand.
; “Well your brothers Keith and Kent are fine,” again Francine had to suppress a laugh knowing those had made her guessing list, “but you're the one who's going to make my heart stop one day. The whole family knew what was going on with that slave ring.
Everyone else was willing to let the authorities handle it, but not you, you had to get involved didn't you and now look at you,” She pushed his hair back gently from one of his cuts with her slender tapered fingers. The tips were done in a pretty mauve with that new gel paint Francine tried and quickly gave up on, “You could have been killed.”
Francine froze, so that’s what he’d been doing, all that time, working undercover. “All that nasty business, and in more than one of our properties no less! But Francine, it's never been like my Karl to see an injustice, especially against a woman and let it slide, oh no he has to just jump right in there don't you?”
“Well, there are some bad men out there Mom, you know after what happened to Susie...”
“Well, that was a nasty business with your sister, but that was not your fault, that was nobody's fault, and she didn't approve of you going undercover either. You Karl are not a trained FBI officer, which these bruises prove.”
Silence settled. Wanting to keep the conversation going Francine asked “So what happened with Susie?” She crossed to the fridge and removed some eggs and thick cuts of bacon.
“Oh Karl's sister was young and very stupid. Fell in love with the wrong man. Basically he was using her as the proverbial punching bag. We finally figured out what was going on after Karl won his medals for swimming and rowing.”
“I was busy training. Too busy to spot what was going on with my own sister.”
“Karl, all of us were distracted.”
“Yes, but I should have seen it because...”
...because of his lifestyle. Francine silently answered for him. That's why he blamed himself, all these years, but not necessarily. He may have seen, he may have not. The bottom line was we all had to walk our own path, even if he had seen she may not have been ready to get out.
Instead she filled the silence with “How old was Susie at the time?”
“24” answered Margaret. “An immature 24. While Karl was a very mature 18, weren't you son?”
“How do you like your eggs Margaret?” Margaret smiled and answered. As the yellow and gold kitchen filled with the scents of bacon and the warmth of companionship everyone’s heart was a little more full. Margaret and Francine gathered the full breakfast dishes and plates, Karl hobbling behind them to the lower level of the wooden deck outside overlooking Francine's flower garden.
Margaret stood at the railing for a moment enchanted taking it all in, after a slow deep inhale, “Oh goodness Francine, but this is just beautiful. What a magnificent place to enjoy our breakfast.” The air rose from the gardens warm and thick surrounding them with it’s fragrance. Her lovely white dress blow in the warm gentle breeze before she came to the table tucking it underneath her, sitting down across from Francine. Karl sat between them extending his wrapped ankle, positioning it the best he could for comfort. “And the fragrance!” She tucked an errant hair behind her ear. “You must never get tired of that wonderful fragrance!”
“I do enjoy it.”
“Well you must tell me, what made you interested in owning your own nursery?”
“Well, I was at a “crossroads” in my life.” Francine saw Karl's eyes dart up as she settled in with the familiar story she told people who inquired into the after Karl times. Well she had gotten all up in his business. Fair was fair right? The expression on his face said it was, and that he was very interested (nosy bastard). The unedited version simply wouldn't do. I was at this crossroads because your son has just spend weeks tying me up and forcing me to orgasm with tools and his cock.
“Your son is very lucky to have you, my family is all dead unfortunately” See Ms. Margaret, I don't have anyone, then the one person I sort of had up one day up and left without a word, heartless bastard, much the same way he left you. Hey, while you're here wanna start Karl's anonymous for when he's ready to do it again? All of a sudden Francine's eggs turned to ash in her mouth, she would have to be very careful here. Susie had been young, immature, what was her excuse?
“So anyway I was staying at a long term hotel not far from here, trying to decide what to do with myself next. I met Mr. Wright who owned this farm. I liked him right away, he was older and I agreed to work for him, only accepting a small salary to help him manage things around here. You have to understand Margaret that I would have worked for him for free. I’m a scientist and I needed a place to do studies. Mr. Wright’s property, that is this property had the conditions I needed to grow and nurture my samples.”
“So our relationship just seemed to work out. I was able to help him increase production and he was able to help me with my work. After a while he shared with me that while his business was doing OK, it not doing well as it used to because he was getting older and keeping up with the books, the vendors, the house, the physical labor. He was getting old and the business was getting to be more than he could handle, but he couldn't find a buyer to meet his price and he had to get his price or else he couldn't retire, he was trapped. Well, like I said, I loved this place, it was perfect for my work and I knew I could make it profitable. It just so happened I had recently – come into some money.” ...again because your rat bastard son possibly paid me off for services rendered. Now that he's here I can't decide.
Margaret was nodding her attention rapt, Karl simply continued to eat, it was his turn to have the “inner secret” at the table and the small smile around his chewing showed he enjoyed it. “And so it just seemed like a fair exchange. I have a good friend who works for a very well respected firm not far from here, they took care of all the legalities. I fired a few people, hired a few of my own and here we are.”.
“Well, that's great! Isn't that great Karl?”
“Yeah, Mom, it's great.” Said Karl nodding.
The conversation continued for the rest of the morning. After that Francine offered Margaret a tour of the grounds, a tour that Karl couldn't experience due to his wrapped foot. Too bad, so sad.
The two ladies enjoyed themselves and that afternoon Francine asked “Are you sure you won’t stay Margaret and leave in the morning?” At this point she had antagonized Karl so badly she was a little afraid to be alone with him again. But Margaret said, “Oh you’re a dear, but I'm going to visit and spend time with another friend out here on my way home. Karl dear-” She grabbed her clutch before taking him in her arms one more time. “Goodbye, You be good now.”
“Yes ma'am”. He responded.
With one more look up at him Francine says, “Margaret, let me walk you out.” and she did, out to her sporty little gold BMW Roadster parked in front of the garage.
Before she got in she turned around and said “Thank you dear for a lovely day and by the way, I approve.”
“Approve? Oh, of the house?”
“Oh no, of you dear!”
“What?”
“Oh, Karl has gone on and on about you, that's why I came” and then she embraced her. Francine’s eyes went wide over her slender shoulder. She pulled away smiling. “I love you already.” So much for Karl's anonymous.
Chapter 28
Francine closed her front door and turned the lock before she faced the back of the house where she knew Karl was still out on the deck. Her hands went absently to the screw backs of her earrings. He had noticed them right away. It had taken her a few days to decide to put them on, but once she did, she rarely took them off except to get them cleaned and the prongs checked at the jewelry store. She had so little to remind her of him and now here he was in her house. Slowly she approached feeling a bit like a stranger in her own darkening home. The sun had already set and Karl was in the midst of doing some new stretches she had not seen before.
She just stood there for a bit staring. Already were they going to go back to their old patt
erns? He doing his thing? Her watching from the corners? She couldn't help comparing his lean physique to Ralph’s larger size. There was nothing wrong with Ralph's body, but there was not an inch of fat on Karl. This she remembered from stripping him last night after he fell asleep exhausted in bed.
He was all lean , flat plans which she now knew came from a lifetime of stretching and swimming. There was no way the average man, no matter the diet of healthy carbs and weights could compete with the background and the discipline of an Olympian.
She gasped as he suddenly lost his balance, the wrapped foot making him awkward. As she moved forward to help him she realized that he was actually smaller than she remembered and commented on it. “I haven't been keeping to my usual eating schedule. My family are not naturally big eaters, you’ve met my Mom.” He looked at her pointedly as she steered him into one of the nearby graceful black wire chairs they had eaten in earlier.
Francine had the grace to blush as she looked down at her jean clad legs, “It’s OK Francine, it was good to see her.” He worked on adjusting his leg again.
“Would you like your pain medication now? It’s time...” Francine asked. The sun had sunk into the rolling plains and night had set over the white farmhouse; fireflies were out providing their own sparkle. Seeing Francine in her red short sleeve blouse, cotton designer shorts that showed off her sleek legs and smelling her gentle perfume, like vanilla and jasmine Karl could think of something he’d like a lot more than his medication; but seeing as how he’d just tipped over like a t-pot…
“I should probably eat first.” It had been a long day.
“OK. I’ll make something. Let’s go inside.” Karl didn't want to ask Francine for help, but any reason to touch her silky skin was a good reason. She was so soft beneath his arm, her hair was curling up again and was like silk. If he wasn't afraid it would make him fall like a deck of cards he’d reach down to her cotton clad behind and grab -. “Just sit here until I finish dinner.” She said interrupting his musings as she led him back inside the dark house and steered him into a raised chair next to the center island in the kitchen.
Natural Submission: Book 1 of the Submission Series Page 18