She had learned not to expect the person the match the house. So far they had been to a trailer park, several low rent apartments, old and new subdivisions, farm houses ,and some almost mini-mansions. Nice, mean, clean, sloppy, polite, rude could be found in any of them. The two women were barnstorming the neighborhood inviting people to their church and this house was the end of the road. Not the literal end but the last house on their list. It was a fairly new mid-sized brick house. The yard was nicely landscaped and the lawn was freshly mown.  This time she was a little surprised when the door opened. She knew the man standing there. Not really knew him but he was familiar. They went to the same gym and she occasionally saw him at the supermarket. They always managed to meet going different directions in the same aisle and exchanged smiles and hellos as they passed. She knew he planned his route so this would happen and was flattered he would go to the effort. At the gym she would catch him looking at her, not staring, but always glancing in her direction. If she smiled at him, which she often did, he would break into a warm smile too, just like now.

“Well hello” he said as he stepped down onto the porch. Most people stayed inside their house, looking out at them through partial closed doors, or down on them from the top of the steps. He still looked down on them even when on the porch since he was over six feet tall and, even though he was much older than her, he was in excellent shape.

"Oh. Hello. I didn't know you lived here." How would  I, she thought, what a stupid thing to say. It was as if she was nervous.

"Do you know each other?" the other woman asked looking closely at him.

"Yes. Well, not officially" he replied to the other woman. "We go to the same gym. Just the two of us...and about thousand other people." He turn his smile back to her and extended his hand "Mike".

"Megan" she said as she took his hand. He didn’t shake her hand but held it in a firm grip as he stared straight into her eyes. She felt her face flush and said “And this is Clarissa.”  He held her hand and her eyes for another second before letting go and turning to other woman.

“Nice to meet you Clarissa.” He smiled at her but did not offer his hand. “What can I do for you ladies today?”

Clarissa launched into her prepared spiel. They were members of the local church and were visiting people in the area to invite them to visit. She wrapped up her prepared statement with “Do you attend church Mike?”

“Not in a long time but I doubt it has changed much. ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘turn the other cheek’ and such. But I am curious, do they still believe women are to be submissive to men?”

Clarissa looked at him with a blank expression, then “Oh, No. Uh, yes, but it is not women and men. It’s husbands and wives. A wife is to submit to her husband. Yes, we still believe that.”

“I like the idea of a woman being submissive. Don‘t you?” Mike said as he turned his smile from Clarissa to Megan, giving her a quick wink. Megan could feel the color rising in her face for the second time. “Ah, I guess my memory is a little cloudy. But it has been a while since I have been to church. I guess you could say I am the seed that has fallen on rocky soil.”

“Well, we hope that is going to change. I think you will like our little church. Come visit with us soon” Clarissa called as they turned and started up the sidewalk.

Megan stopped and turned back. “I’m sorry. Did you say something?”

“Yes, I said I like your new haircut.”

“Thank you.“ Megan had cut her long thick honey blond hair. It still reached her shoulders but it has been much longer and now to her it seemed very short. She watch as his eyes moved from her hair to her eyes and then traveled down the length of her body and slowly returned to her eyes.

“You should come back so we could talk in more detail. Friday would be good. I have some landscaping to do and I will be here all day.”

“Uh, I, I  can’t. I have to work and its…it’s hard to take off at the last minute” Megan stammered. She felt as if he had just undressed her right there in front of his house and now he had the nerve to ask her to come back for a visit! Did he know she was married? Why was she making excuses? Just say no and leave.

“Do you always wear dresses to work?”

“Um, not always but most of the time.“ Wow, where did that question come from? “Why?”

“You are always wearing one when I see you at the store. Wear one Friday you think I will like” he said with a smile.

“I don’t think...I...I can’t come Friday.”

“I am curious to see what dress you pick for me.“ Again that smile but maybe warm is not the word. Devilish might be more appropriate.

She turned and hurried up the sidewalk to the driveway where Clarissa was standing by the car.

“What was he saying?”

“Oh, he was talking about what to wear…to church … and the time it started and stuff like that”

----
A preview of
Part Time Pet, the First Encounter

It was a few minutes after one and Mike was tamping down the dirt around a bush he had just planted when her car rolled slowly down the driveway. She rolled down her window as he walked over to her car. She noticed the hairs on his chest glistened. Megan was not used to seeing a man with hair on his chest and legs. All the young men shaved now. He was hot and covered in sweat. Even the pair of blue jean shorts he was wearing were wet. She could see now just how in shape he was. Large, well defined chest and arms. If he lost a couple of pounds he would be sporting a six pack.

“Hi, Megan. The garage is open if you want to pull in out of the sun. It’s brutal today.”

As if on auto-pilot she pulled into the garage. Why don’t you tell me to hide my car so the nosy neighbors don’t see it she thought and then was glad he had the foresight to think about it. What am I doing she thought for the hundredth time since she had left work early, telling her boss she felt nauseous, which she was now.

“Let’s go in. I am in desperate need of some cold water” he said as he led her into the house. “Can I get you anything?

“No, thank you.” She watched as he drank his water. His back was wide and  tapered at the waist. Also, he obviously wasn’t one of those guys who only did upper body exercises. His legs were muscular and his butt was….oh lord, she thought, why I am looking at his butt.

He turned to her and said “So this is the dress you picked out for me.” When she started to say something he said, “No, let me have a good look at it you.  Turn around for me.” When she hesitated he repeated “Turn around for me, slowly” but this time even though his voice was not louder the tone had more force, more authority, to it.

Megan turned around. Slowly.

“This is a very…what would you call this…sensible dress? Or is this your armor? You wanted to wear something to hide, to make you feel safe. But who are you hiding from Megan? Me…or yourself? I think we will find  the answer on our journey. Now, take it off.”

to be continued....