It was only about a mile or so to the bowling alley from Kelly's house. In that few minutes, she told me that her job as an Office Administrator really helped with the family expenses, but her mom always insisted she keep a part of her paycheck for herself. Her dad and Rick were collecting unemployment while her mom was lucky enough to work as a hostess for an upscale restaurant that got a government loan that paid most of her salary. And Rick had a buddy that owned a car repair shop and was able to give him a bit of work every so often. Everyone was hoping to get back to work when things opened up a bit more.
We pulled into the parking lot and parked near the entrance. Only a few cars were in the parking lot. Before all this, at six on a Friday evening, the place would have been full. Bowlers, because there were leagues; the restaurant and the early crowd at the bar. Once the bowling lanes were open, it should get a bit more crowded. I had heard they were going to open only half the lanes and were in the process of adding plastic barriers. Plans for disinfecting areas and balls between customers were in place.
I grabbed a Ziploc bag of disinfectant wipes from the console and we went inside. One of the waitresses we knew, Bree, was there waiting tables and recognized us right away, masks and all. We got situated at a table and I handed Kelly a wipe and we wiped down everything we might touch.
"We do that between customers, but you can't be too safe," Bree said.
She brought us single-use paper menus and plastic glasses of water and asked if we wanted anything else to drink. We barely looked at the menu as I ordered my usual “breakfast food” of an omelet and hashbrowns, while Kelly ordered a California burger and fries. Although we had talked some when she had bowled with the team and I knew a little about her parents and Rick, of course, she filled me in on more, and I told her about my family. It was nice talking without a mask on, though we were both careful to turn our heads just a bit so we were not breathing directly on each other.
She told me that since she works from home, she needs privacy and a quiet place to work which is why she was taking Rick's room. It was rather small, smaller than hers, but would be good enough for her for now. Sarah and her mom would take Shelle’s room as it was large enough to accommodate both of them. Their basement was partially finished, so Rick was going to take over one corner and he and his dad were putting up a couple of walls so he would have some privacy and later it would make a great guest room. There was a small bathroom with a shower, so that would help the congestion with the upstairs bathroom.
Sarah’s mom was putting most of their personal stuff in a friend’s garage. She was bringing the two twin beds and a small chest of drawers from Sarah’s room to use in Shelle's room and a few pieces of living room furniture would go in the basement for the time being. Most of the rest of her furniture was older, so she was just donating some to Goodwill and tossing the rest. It would be cheaper just to replace it once she got back on her feet rather than pay for a larger storage place for who knew how long. Except for any food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies, they were only bringing the clothes for the season and a few personal items as well as one TV. Everything else was in the garage where it could be easily accessed if they ended up at Kelly’s for very long.
I also learned that while I'm twenty-eight, Kelly had just turned twenty-six. I had thought she might be a couple of years younger than that since her petite size and pixie-like looks made her appear younger. Bree, as usual, came by a few times to check that everything was okay. When we'd both finished our meals, I asked Kelly if she might want to have a beer and go outside, where seating had been set up. She was all for it, so I got Bree's attention.
"Can we order a couple of beers to take out to the patio area and then I'll pay for everything at once?"
"Of course."
I looked at Kelly. We'd stopped after bowling a couple of times for a beer and so I was pretty sure what she would order, but asked anyway.
"Mack and Jack's?"
"Yes!"
I ordered our drinks and waited for them and the check, and took a better look around the restaurant. Half the tables were gone and the remaining ones widely spaced. The booths that had been in one section forever were also gone. Too hard to keep clean and distanced, I'd read. The extra space was being used for additional tables. A bottle of hand sanitizer was on each table and dispensers were by the cashier, front door, and by the restrooms. Plexiglas barriers were all around the cashier area and the long bar was only open to order a drink, but no seating was available. Things certainly were different.
Bree brought our beers and the check. I grabbed the check and Kelly said it was really ok for her to pay her share. I said, since I had invited her, it was my treat.
“At least let me pay for the tip.”
I nodded and she left some money on the table while I went to pay the check. There were a few people out on the patio and they had moved two of the dart machines outside. They were not supplying house darts. If you wanted to play, you had to bring your own, and wipes were provided to clean the buttons after each game. One pool table inside was open for use, but people had to get a cue stick from the bartender as well as a clean set of balls, which were then returned to the bar when the patron was done.
We found an empty table in a quiet corner and I brought up the subject of golf to Kelly. I mentioned that the public course was taking reservations and spacing players out. I asked if she might like to go play a round with me. I said if we played after four, twilight rates would apply, so it wouldn’t put too much of a strain on her finances.
“And I will pay for the cart since I would have rented one anyway.”
“I’d heard some courses were opening for limited play and I would love to, and it’s been ages since I have played. But when were you thinking?
I got my phone and did a bit of searching.
“Would tomorrow work for you? Or would one day next week be better?”
“Well, we could go tomorrow as long as it is later than four-thirty.”
I looked at the schedule for openings and found one.
“There’s one at four-fifty. I can pick you up at four-thirty, which should give us time to make it to the course and since it doesn’t get dark until around eight, we should be able to get in eighteen holes in time as long as we don’t dawdle. Shall I book it?”
“That would be awesome! You’ll probably destroy me though.”
"It is totally not a competition. I like you. We're friends. We certainly can use the exercise, after months of little or none. It will just be fun. We don’t even have to keep score if you don’t want to. Also, I have a season pass, so it will be even less than the normal twilight rate for guests. And as I said, I was gonna get a cart anyway, so that’s on me. And, the weather is supposed to be gorgeous tomorrow, high seventies and mostly sunny with only a light breeze."
We were both finished with our beer by this time, so we put our masks back on and headed to the car.
"Shelle, can I see your place?"
I could see that she was blushing as I nodded.
"I mean, it's close to here and to my house, and all. You've talked a little about it, and now I'm just curious.”
"Let's go!"
As we walked, I noticed the sun was low in the sky now. We'd been there enjoying each other's company for nearly two hours.
"I hope one of these days things will get back to a more normal time and we can actually talk face to face and not just when we are eating, or have a plastic shield between us.”
"I hope so too, Shelle. I'm not really used to the masks that much, most always just being around Mom and Dad and Rick."
I felt some concern as we drove the few minutes to my house. It is very small, just around 500 square feet. One bedroom, a three-quarter bath, a small living room, and a small kitchen with a little alcove for dining. But I love it and it works wonderfully for me.
In the few minutes since we had left the light was fading but it still wasn't dark when we arrived. The automatic headlights on my Jeep had come on though and illuminated the front of the house as I pulled up. There was no real driveway, just kind of a bare spot the previous owner had spread some gravel and where I parked all the time. I kept the small patch of lawn in front and the back yard mowed and had planted some flowers and other small plants along the front of the house. I had also repainted it just last summer, so the pale blue with dark blue trim was still fresh and very clean looking. My Landlord was more than happy to give me a break on the rent in exchange for work that increased the property value.
"Oh! It's blue!" Kelly giggled. "And cute and gorgeous and it speaks TOTALLY of you!"
I lead her to the back door, which is where I usually enter and exit as it opens into a small mudroom that is where I keep my bowling and golf equipment.
"Oh yeah, pretty new Taylor Made clubs. Quite impressive!"
"An early birthday present to myself last year", I giggled.
We made the left turn into the small kitchen. Basically, there is a sink, about four feet of upper and lower cupboards to the right side. On the left side - the outside wall - is the stove and fridge and another short counter. Above the stove is a small microwave. To the right is a curtained doorway behind which is the small bedroom. It is just large enough to hold my full-size bed, a small nightstand, and a dresser. In the far corner is a small closet that is more than enough room for me.
Opposite the bedroom is the bathroom. No tub, but I love it! It's clean and everything I need, since I can't even remember the last time I took a bath. The shower is cute and unique. The floor is concrete, with about a six-inch high concrete 'curb' around the bottom. The shower walls are what I assume to be very old, dark blue, ceramic tile. When I first moved in, I re-glued a few tiles that were coming loose and re-grouted all the tile with a fresh, white grout that I then sealed with a glaze. The rest of the bathroom I painted a pale yellow and the trim around the small window and the shower's concrete a pale blue. I thought Kelly would explode when she saw it.
I was quite proud of the shower curtain and installation. I had located a curved shower rod and then my uncle and I sized it to fit perfectly, having to cut off both ends, so the curve was centered. It took me a ton of online searching, but I finally found white and blue curtains, one with a golf theme and another with a bowling theme. At this time of year, the golf curtain was up.
Kelly was excited now and rushed out through the kitchen to check out the living room. The space is rather long and narrow, with the front door near one end and the old-fashioned oil heater on one wall. There basically is room for a couch or a couple of chairs and I had opted for a pair of oversized recliners.
I spent many hours in one or the other of those chairs, watching a romantic movie and dreaming of the day when I would find someone to share that chair with me. I thought of the two of us sitting there naked, the TV tuned into some romantic movie, while we were paying more attention to each other, our hands roaming and exploring each other’s body. Our lips would be locked together as our tongues wrestled and our legs interlocked. Eventually, we would make our way to the small bedroom where we would lie in the bed.
Kissing would intensify and spread over our entire bodies. Our mouths would find the other’s breasts to be tasted, nibbled at and sucked. Working our way down each other’s stomachs and finding the way to the warm wet spots between our legs, where tongues and fingers would start slowly, building to a crescendo where we would both explode together. After giving each other several orgasms, we would lie entwined and fall asleep, waking up in the morning in the same position.
A small T.V. was set up on a stand I had picked up at a yard sale and on the east wall, my computer set up. When I moved in, the living room floor was old, very ugly linoleum, and very cold in the winter. In exchange for part of my rent for a couple of months, the landlord let me get some carpeting that my uncle helped me install.
We had removed the oil heater, adding a rubber mat under it before reinstalling. I had located a carpet remnant that was a mottled mixture of beige, white, charcoal, and dark brown and matched the off-white walls and the chocolate brown trim beautifully. The recliners were a dark gray, so the room tied together well. Kelly stood in the middle of the room, turning a full circle.
"This place is just so YOU, and it's so cute and perfect. I really love it!"
Though I really liked my house and had always thought of it as okay, I was aware of how tiny it was, compared to other homes, even others in the same neighborhood. So I had been concerned about what Kelly would think about it. I guess in contrast to a more elaborate place. I felt embarrassed by her enthusiasm until I thought for a moment about her own circumstance of still living in her parents' home and probably in the same room she'd had all her life. And with two more people moving in, it would be even more crowded. My little house must look pretty appealing compared to an eight-by-ten bedroom.
“If you ever want to just get away from the crowd in your house for a little while, you are more than welcome to come here. It’s a short walk or bike ride, so easy enough for you to grab your laptop, and head over. You can easily set up on the table, and even if you just want to visit or get away for a while, you are more than welcome. If you like, I could give you a key so you could come down even if I am not home.”
"You'd do that?"
"I would.”
“Thank you, Shelle. That is so kind of you to offer that.”
“It’s no problem. Hey, I might have a beer in the fridge or some juice, if you'd like?"
"Actually, if it's at all possible, I adore an evening cup of coffee."
"Oh, me too! I'll have some ready in a few minutes."
While I was in the kitchen, I heard Kelly try out a recliner and check out the old oil heater. I supposed she'd never seen one before. I hadn’t either. I had to get instructions and a brief technical explanation when I moved in. She came into the kitchen, saying she had to tinkle and wondering if she could use the bathroom.
“Of course you can.”
My earlier thoughts had my pussy tingling and I was tempted to stick my hand inside my panties and give my kitty a little tickle, but Kelly’s appearance in the kitchen snapped me out of my daydream. By the dampness I was beginning to feel between my legs, I knew that I would be using my fingers once again as soon as I got back from dropping Kelly at home.
To be continued…
