I lived in a small three-bedroom house with a two-story deep basement on six hundred and forty acres out near Hebbronville. The place was over ten miles from town and the closest house was well over two miles away. To say I had my privacy is a huge understatement. I had a one hundred by one hundred steel-framed shop as well as a large steel-framed barn for working on my vehicles. It held up to six cars as well as a couple of tractors.
I leased out the bulk of the land and lived on five acres with fruit trees and a large garden. I grew almost all my own vegetables and the rancher who leased the land would provide me with two butchered steers a year. The compound was powered by wind and solar power and many months out of the year I actually put power back into the grid for a little money in my account. All in all, I did not need much money and for cash, I worked on cars and tractors as a mobile mechanic.
I lived in the basement as it was the coolest part of the house and had the Master and my main living space there. The normal part of the house had three bedrooms, a large kitchen dining room. If I ever wanted to entertain I would do so there and no one knows about my lower levels. I had a good size weight room with several cardio machines, a steam sauna as well as a large whirlpool for soaking in after a hard workout. Twice a week I had a housekeeper come in and take care of the cleaning and it was really not much as I always cleaned up after myself.
Julia was in her mid-forties as I was in my early thirties. She had keys to the house and the alarm codes and we seldom saw each other. I paid her two hundred a week and knew I was overpaying, but there was never anything not done. Bathrooms were always spotless, clothing and bedding were always washed and changed and the house actually smelled clean all the time. Julia was not thin by any means and had nice hips and her chest was always covered by bulky shirts.
I was home one day when she arrived and she went right to work and the whole house including laundry was not taking her long. I had been working out and she told me “Go strip and give me your stuff and I will run the last load as I have no plans for the afternoon, but looking to add a few more clients.”
I must have looked puzzled for a moment and asked “You need more work? I thought you had enough clients.”
Julia sat down in one of the large club chairs and put her face in her hands and began to cry. “My husband died a few years ago and there was not much insurance. The medical bills have eaten all our savings and I sold the house and everything I could just to pay most of it off.”
“I can let you stay here rent-free for a while as I do not use hardly any of the space in the house,” I said as I knelt down next to her. “I know it is near the end of the month so why not go and get your things. I will bring the truck and trailer for us.”
She looked up into my face and reached out and hugged me tightly as she was sobbing and unable to speak. We stayed like this for a bit until she got herself. “Steve are you really sure I will not be a bother for you?”
“Like I said I have a lot of space and it will be nice to have someone else living here. Oh, but one thing I am a naturalist and in the evenings I wear a pair of boxers or nothing at all. I hope this will not upset you.” I said as we stood up.
She smiled at this and asked “Really you are a naturalist? I would never have thought as there are no nude pictures or signs of you being one.”
I laughed and told her. “I could show you right now, but this is not the best time for doing so. Come on let’s go and get you moved in.”
“There is no need for a trailer as I have no furniture as the one-room flat is furnished and I just have a kitchen, bathroom, and my bedding is all I have,” she said as she hugged me tightly. I had no idea she was in such bad shape and just wanted to help her out.
It took us under thirty minutes to clear out her room and soon we were on the way back to the house. I stopped in at the grocery store where I had an account and had her put on the account so she could get anything needed in the way of groceries or paper goods. I got a couple of bottles of Merlot and I called in a couple of pizzas for dinner and we picked them up on the way home. It was just after five in the evening when we got back and I parked the truck in front of the house. Julia took the pizzas in and put them in the oven while I unloaded her things and put them into the Master Suite on the ground floor I never used.
“I thought I would be in one of the Guest Rooms.” She said as she looked around in a daze.
“Nope this is all yours and I will live downstairs as I like the quiet down there and when I play my bass it will not bother you up here. Now go open a bottle of wine and get the pizza ready as I will go change into something more comfortable. I suggest you do the same as you live here now.” I said as I walked past her.
I had cleared the room as I heard her say. “Dinner in five minutes and be prompt.”
I went downstairs and stripped out of my work clothing and slipped on a pair of powder blue cotton boxers and a t-shirt after washing my face and arms. Then upstairs to the kitchen to find her in a robe that was just above the knee and from the way she moved it was obvious there was nothing under it. We sat opposite each other and ate dinner and soon finished both pizzas as well as two bottles of wine. I looked at Julia and told her I needed to go downstairs and get some work in on a manuscript I was working on and would be late and see her tomorrow morning.
She looked at me and said she had a few jobs to do early and should be home in the late afternoon. When I woke up I did some light cardio and took a shower before getting dressed and heading upstairs. I smelled coffee and bacon and remembered Julia was here. She was dressed in snug-fitting jeans and an oversized shirt. She was sitting at the table and pointed to my plate and chair. There was black coffee and on the plate scrambled eggs and a couple of hunks of bacon. We ate in silence and when finished I got up and cleared the table.
“I got the kitchen this morning so you can get a jump on your work. See you this afternoon as I have a light day as it is just a tune-up and oil change for a client and then cleaning the garage to make room for your car. Hate to see it parked out in the weather.” I told her as I started washing the skillet and all the dishes. Being single I had learned to clean up after myself so this would not take me long.
Julia slipped on her shoes and grabbed her large purse and said, “See you about five as I have a full day, and again thank you for taking me in.” she walked out the door.
I finished cleaning the kitchen and went to my truck and headed off to get all my work done for the day. Like I had told her it was an easy morning, I came home and moved two of my project vehicles, a 1970 Mustang Coup as well as a 1962 Ford F150 truck to the barn as well as the rolling toolboxes.
It was hot and dirty work as I had planned on doing this much later in the process, but they both rolled and I was able to push them into place without too much effort. I had pulled off my shirt and was covered in sweat and grime and I heard Julia’s car pull into the drive. I stepped out of the barn and pointed to the open garage where she was to park her car and keep her cleaning supplies as I had also cleared and scrubbed a workbench clean. I helped Julia unload the car and saw she was tired so I pulled my phone out and called in reservations to a nice restaurant that was quiet and out of the way for us.
“Tell you what, go inside and take a shower and put on a nice dress as we are heading to the French restaurant for dinner. I have reservations for us in an hour and a half.” I said as I watched her walk towards the house and I walked behind her. She went to the upper Master Suite and I went down to mine and had a long hot shower.
I relaxed a bit and went upstairs dressed in a pair of black slacks, a dark purple shirt, and a black silk tie. I wore new cowboy boots and had a sport coat as I knew the restaurant had a dress code of jacket and tie. Not long after I sat down in the kitchen Julia came out wearing a little black dress cut rather low to show off some ample cleavage with bare legs and a pair of medium height heels. She looked stunning and I stood up and held her arm and walked her to the Tucson I drove for general driving. I opened the door for her and as she sat down and turned to get in her dress rose up and I looked away as a gentleman should and took my time walking to my side to give her time to adjust her dress. We made it to the restaurant early and sat in the lounge and I ordered a glass of Merlot for Julia and I had some club soda with a twist as I was driving.
“Steve thank you for this, but a date was not needed tonight,” she said as she crossed her bare legs.
I smiled and said. “A date? This is just two friends going to dinner and when we get home relaxing on the sofa and watching a movie.”
“Steve I want this to be a date.” You are a wonderful man and I can not thank you enough for all you are doing for me. Besides, I am a mature woman who knows what she wants in life.” she said and then had a sip of wine.
A Waitress cut our conversation short and I walked Julia to the table and I ordered for us. A simple meal and she had a couple more glasses of Merlot and as we left she leaned into me as I held her arm as we made it to the car. I turned the air conditioner on cold to try and sober her up and I did not want her drunk, but just to have had a nice evening out.
I parked the car at the front door and saw Julia was walking much better and there was no longer a glazed look in her eyes as I rolled myself a joint and took a couple of hits off it to calm myself down from being worried. Julia sat on the sofa and took off her heels and laid back with her head over the back of the sofa and her feet spread about shoulder-width on the floor and her dress was way higher than it should have been.