BOMAW Vol. 10-12 (93 page)

"You gots to know ma'am."

"And who am I?"

"My mama, Sheila!"

"That's right, and your mama will be checkin' on you, best believe it baby! And you will be checkin' in with me, you got it?"

"Yes ma'am - ah - mama!"

Everyone had broke into laughter, half expecting him to salute to her.

For that reason, Jake left his son behind knowing that he was in good hands.

Before they left, all stayed by Sheila's for dinner, laughing and talking until it was time for them to get on the road. Now that they were gone, Paul asked Vivian to use the truck so that he could go by the lady's house he would be working on during the week. They'd gone by there twice during the day and no one had been home, so he wanted to try one more time before it got too late.

Although reluctant, Vivian trusted him to go out, understanding that he wanted to try his wings a bit, she really couldn't blame him, however warned, "Don't be gone long, I want you back here and in the house before I have to head to bed for work tomorrow."

"I promise, I'm going right over there, see if she's there, and if she is, see if and when I can help her and then, right back."

So there he stood, on her front porch, waiting on her to answer the door. He knew that someone was home because there were lights on inside. Then her voice carried to him from inside the house through the opening of her front window, she was telling one of her kids to get their room cleaned up and now! He grinned, mother's were all the same. She came to the door, "Who is it?"

"Hi, uh - Paul McPherson! My father, brother and I - did Mr. Hunter's place for him, and Mrs Dorsey, behind him."

He heard the chain on her door being rattled as she slid it back, undid a couple of locks and then flipping on the porch light, she opened the door and peaked out at him. Upon seeing him, she smiled and opened the door wider. "Well - you came back."

"Yep, said I would. I'm a man of my word ma'am."

"Okay, well come on in, where's your father? Your brother?"

"My father had to get back to where we live, he has a great deal going on tomorrow, so - he left me behind to take care of you, if you don't mind?"

She closed the door behind him and turned smiling, "No, don't mind. Long as you know what you're doing." She added looking him up and down with a pleasant smile on her gentle, pretty face.

"For what you need ma'am, I'm plenty."

She was amused by him, flirty, "Are you now? You sure about that?"

Paul blushed, he was quick to pick up on the double-entendre. Looking away from her to the floor, bashful, he tried to stick with the reason he came, "I just wanted to meet with you, see if we could agree on a schedule for me to return and work on the place during the day?" He finally looked back at her.

"Perhaps, I should properly introduce myself, Paul - you mind if I call you, Paul?"

"No ma'am, that's my name." He blushed some more.

"And a nice one too, I like the name Paul, it's a name of integrity, strength, biblical as well."

"Yes ma'am, that's true. And, your name?"

She held her hand out to him, "Jackie Pemberton, nice to meet you, Paul McPherson."

He smiled, shaking her hand, "Nice to meet you ma'am."

"Jackie, Paul ... Jackie is just fine. Now, before we go any further, I have a confession to make."

"A confession, about what?"

"This house. You see, I wasn't completely honest with you, your dad about it. I decided, that if you came back to help me out, I would tell the truth. So, before we go any further, I will make my confession and if you still wish to help me, then the blessings all mine."

"I see, okay, what would you have to confess?"

"I'm not renting, the house belongs to me. It belonged to my parents before me, they passed away and left it for me. Unfortunately, with all that needs fixing on it, and having two children to see to, paying of taxes, home owners insurance, bills - you name it - I've neglected it because, well - can't get blood out of a turnip. There you have it. If you choose not to do the work, I understand."

Paul smiled, "This is fantastic! You see, the problem we had earlier discussing you, was that if you were just renting, we'd be doing these repairs for a landlord that might take the work for granted, but hearing you say you own the house - well - that takes care of everything, doesn't it?"

Jackie smiled at him, "Well I guess it does. Care to have something to drink?" She offered him walking past him further into her home for him to follow her to the kitchen. He turned and did so, "Okay, sure - whatever you have is fine."

Just then a seven year old, little, pecan brown, girl came walking from the side hallway, hair in three little braids, she had her pyjamas on, carrying a black Raggedy Ann doll that was half of her size, into the kitchen where they stood, "Mama, Ronnie bein' mean 'cause he got to clean his room, he throwin' stuff in my room! Messin' it up!" She whined out and then saw Paul, her eyes got huge in her dark face.

He smiled at her, "Hi, what's your name?"

She stared at him a moment more with wide eyes and open mouth then turned and darted from the room back into her own.

Jackie laughed shaking her head, "You'll have to excuse her, she's shy not used to anyone being in the house but us. Let me see to them and I'll be right with you." She explained handing him a Sprite.

Then disappeared from sight.

Paul popped the tab, looking around the moderately spacious kitchen. There were cracks in the ceiling, while freshly painted and clean. The cabinets were old, but sturdy, wood and the floor squeaked and was uneven. He listened to her straighten her son out, and make her daughter get into bed and stay there. He took a deep drink of the soda, looking around and then checked his watch, he had to get going, he promised Vivian after all. A moment later, she re-entered the kitchen.

"So Paul, what's your plan?" She asked coming back and getting right to the point.

"Well, it depends on when it would be a good time for you. Where I could come back during the day, do a thorough check over the house, see what you're needing the most, and doing what I can to help you in that."

"How much?" She asked gazing up at him. He stood a little over 5'10 - not as tall as his father and brother. She was just over 5' ft, barely. 31 years old, looking 22 - stunning compact figure, gentle smiling expression, brown skin, brown eyes, nice full mouth, a slightly square jaw, and medium length brown hair. Dressed up, made up, she could turn a many heads.

"How much?" He parroted.

"Yeah, as in, charge me for the work."

"With your list of bills, two kids to take care of, I don't know if that's a good idea, charging you."

"Can't let you do it for nothing."

"I'm not doing it for nothing ma'am, uh, Jackie - trust me, I'm getting something out of it. Experience, a public relations profile, portfolio, plus, I came to help someone who needs it. Who knows, maybe in turn, you'll give back in whatever way you can, to someone else I mean." He blushed red again.

Jackie smiled up at him, "You are some kind of bashful, blushing all red, with your young cute self. Okay, well - I'm off work for the next two weeks, so - your timing is good. I take my kids into summer school to keep them busy part of the day, I'm back home about 9:30 - don't have to leave again until 1:30. But if you're already here, of course you can keep on working while I'm gone. Don't worry about food or anything, if you're helping me out, I can feed you. That okay?"

Paul nodded, then smiled, "That's fine. It's getting late, I better get going. See you tomorrow, somewhere around 9:30?"

"Sounds like a plan, Paul - see you tomorrow." She walked him to her door, he nodded at her there, blushed, making her grin some more and departed. Jumping into his dads truck and off, making plans for what he would need to bring back the next day.

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*Footnote - Recipes found here ...
http://tonidunlap.com/kitchen/

, Amber Swann Publishing inc. - All Rights Reserved.

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L.A. Jeremiah's place...

"I'm in love, this, has to be, the best stir fry shrimp I've ever tasted!" Deidre gushed in sublime pleasure, savoring the shrimp and the taste of wonderful spices bursting upon her tongue. "I can't believe you put this together right before my eyes, emmm!" She groaned in pleasure, talking with her mouth full, eyes rolling back from the bliss of it.

Jeremiah sat across the table from her, smiling, taking satisfaction from watching her enjoy it, "And you might have noticed, that my shrimp are thoroughly de-veined." He pointed out with his index finger from the same hand holding his wine glass, "Some how, the idea of willingly consuming shrimp shit, goes against everything I know."

Deidre almost lost her food from bursting into laughter, shaking her head, she saved her mouth full, fingers to her lips, chewing it, she swallowed, took a sip of her wine and informed him, "For that I am equally grateful." She grinned, her eyes flashing at him. "What's amazing to me, is that you cook just as good as Shawn did, perhaps, better?" Her eyes spread wide at the look that suddenly closed him off to her; she wanted to kick herself. Immediately, Jeremiah's smile dissolved as he stood from the table in smooth grace, taking his plate with him, heading for his slot kitchen to clean up.

Deidre sighed, thinking how could she have been so stupid as to bring Shawn up? She stood from the table, picked up her empty plate as well and padded it to the kitchen on bare feet, comfortable at his place. It was the one place where Charlie didn't have to baby sit her. In fact, she had the night off, dropping Deidre off at Jeremiah's, which were his instructions to her. Beside him now, Deidre slipped her plate into the sink where he'd seconds before placed his own. He was about to wash the dishes. "Here, let me." She offered softly, nudging him aside with her hip, trying to recapture their light hearted mood.

"I'll clean up the rest." He moved away, putting things away.

Deidre exhaled and turned, her hands in the dishwater, "Jer'miah, I'm sorry - I didn't mean to bring him up."

"I don't mind saying, you do it a bit too much. I don't like being constantly compared to your first husband."

"I know - and I'm sorry. There really is no comparison." She went on, looking at what she was doing as she cleaned the dinner dishes. "As I've mentioned to you before, Angela was our only compatibility."

"If that be the case, why do you keep bringing him up? Maybe there's something left that-..."

She cut him off.

"There's nothing left in me for him - nothing! The only time he comes to mind is when I have to prepare myself for dealing with him."