January’s Warmness – Chapter 27

Chapter 27 – Saul’s recovery and the Trial

Saul continued his recovery at home with Gail taking care of him as much as she could. He started feeling better after a week or two. He was getting stronger and stronger everyday. His doctor called and checked on him every other day. Gail went back to work. While she was gone to work, Saul would get on his computer and play his online games.

They got the tests results back from the fertility testing that was done at the hospital. The results showed that there was nothing physically wrong with either of them. Gail made an appointment with the gynecologist for the next week to see what else they could do. Saul agreed to go with her and agreed to go.

Saul finally got back to work. He chest had healed very nicely. He was still a little sore from time to time, but he could at least work through it. He received an award from the bureau for his work in the jewelry store case. He ended up going to Tony’s trial. The jury convicted Tony on the charges. The next week he was sentenced to one year in jail for being an accessory to the robberies. Hal again congratulated Saul for his work on the case.

Saul and Gail continued on with their life. Saul was given a new case to work on. It was a drug case this time. Gail made Saul promise to wear a kevlar vest from now on when he was in the field. They went to the gynecologist and got some more things to try before the gynecologist would do anything more drastic. Gail really did not want to take fertility drugs. They continued trying to have a child using some of the techniques and ideas that the gynecologist had given them.

On the Monday after the weekend trip, Jed called Saul from the hospital and invited him to dinner with Gail and Charlotte on Wednesday evening. He thought it would be nice to get together. Saul and Jed had started to become friends as they saw each other more and more. Saul even forgave Jed for wrecking his car. He also thanked Jed for saving his life. Saul thought it would be nice to meet Charlotte again, especially since she was dating Jed and this all started from a simple car accident. Saul talked to Gail about Wednesday night. She said she would have to trade shifts with someone but she could do it. They agreed to meet Wednesday night a Luca’s Chophouse for dinner at six pm.

January’s Warmness – Chapter 26

Chapter 26 – The Weekend Trip

Friday afternoon had finally arrived. Steve and Miranda met Jed and Charlotte at Jed’s house. They loaded everything in to Jed’s Tahoe. Jed told them that if it fits in the Tahoe, it will fit in the plane. They all went inside and had a cup of coffee, then Charlotte threw the dishes in to the dishwasher. The four of them headed off to the airport. Jed and Steve rode in the front seat so Miranda and Charlotte could talk on the way there. Steve told Jed that he had rented a Tahoe at the airport and Jed told Steve and Miranda about the hotel they would be staying in. Charlotte and Miranda talked about how excited they were to be spending the weekend together with Jed and Steve.

When they got to the airport, Jed showed Steve and Miranda the plane and where the storage was. The boys unloaded the Tahoe and then Jed carefully loaded everything in to the storage compartment of the plane. The four of them climbed in to the plane and Jed taxied to the runway. They took off and were in the air in no time. Charlotte sat in the co-pilots seat once again and Miranda and Steve sat in the two back seats. The weather was clear, so they could see for miles. The fresh snow on the trees glistened in the setting sunlight. Jed remarked that the plane was roomier in the summer when everyone was not all bundled up. Once the course was set and the plane was stable, Jed again let Charlotte fly for a little while. The flight lasted about two hours before Jed landed in Traverse City.

Once on the ground, Jed unloaded the plane while Steve went to get the rental car. Charlotte and Miranda continued talking about how glad they were to be spending time together. When Steve got back, him and Jed loaded up the car. Steve drove, Jed rode up front with him, and the girls continued talking in the back seat. Jed got out the directions to the hotel and navigated for Steve. The ride went smoothly. The roads were a little snow covered , but the four wheeled drive Tahoe handled them with ease. Steve even remarked that he would have to look in to getting one for himself.

When they got to the hotel, Steve, Miranda, and Charlotte were awestruck. The name of the hotel is the Tamarack Lodge. It is a hotel / condominium complex. Some of the rooms are rented out, and some of them are sold. It is a four story building with a beautiful, enclosed, wood beamed, covered entry. The landscaping was beautifully done, even in the snow. It was located right on the beach on Grand Traverse Bay. They could tell that this was an upscale place. The four of them unloaded the Tahoe and placed their luggage on the cart provided. Steve parked the Tahoe and joined the rest of the group at the door.

When they walked in to the lobby they were astonished. The lobby was beautifully done in wood panels with wood beams supporting the ceiling. The counter’s bases were made of brick, capped with a granite counter top. The decor was outstandingly done. There were globe hanging from the ceilings and beautiful lamp lighting the counters. They walked up to the counter, checked in, and got their keys.

When they got up to their rooms, they were just as impressed. Jed had gotten him and Charlotte a two bedroom suite. This impressed Charlotte as well as Steve and Miranda. Each room was beautifully decorated and did not look arts and crafty like other hotels. The bathroom was absolutely gorgeous. There were two pedestal sinks and a round bathtub in each bathroom. The patio door in each room led out to a large balcony that overlooked the bay and snow covered beach. Each room had a sofa and chair in it and a fireplace. The rooms made them feel invited and at home. They agreed to meet in the lobby to go for a late dinner in thirty minutes. Each couple put their things away and got ready for dinner.

They met each other in the hall outside their doors and headed down to the lobby. The four of them asked the counter person about where they could find a good place to eat close by. She suggested Capone’s Cafe down on Front St. and handed them a menu with a map from under the counter. She told them the restaurant specializes in Italian cuisine but also has sandwiches, burgers, seafood, and pasta. There is also a bar attached called Lil Jo’s. They then headed out the door and to the cafe.

When the got to the restaurant they walked in and were again amazed. They were seated at one of the tables and the waitress quickly brought them each a glass of water. She asked each of them what else they wanted to drink. They all got coffee. She handed each of them a menu and told them she would be back shortly to take their orders. The waitress came back and they placed their orders. Their food was brought to them quickly. They were all impressed with the speed and efficiency of the wait staff. They talked about dancing during diner and decided to go over to the bar after eating. The food was delicious and everyone ate until they were full and could not eat anymore. They paid the bill at the cafe and then headed over to the bar. They found a table close to the dance floor and sat down. They each ordered a drink, except for Steve who planned on driving so he drank only coffee. There was a band playing that night. They played mostly country music and classic rock. It was a pretty good mix to dance to. Jed and Charlotte were the first to go out and dance. Steve and Miranda soon followed. The four of them danced the night away. Before they knew it, it was after midnight. Exhausted, they climbed in to the Tahoe and headed back to the Tamarack Lodge.

The couples told each other goodnight and went in to their rooms. Jed explained to Charlotte that he got a two bedroom suite so that Charlotte would not feel pressured to sleep with him. Charlotte giggled and told Jed that if he did not mind, she would prefer to sleep with him. Jed smiled and told her he would like that. Charlotte went in to the second bedroom while Jed went to the first to get ready for bed. When Charlotte walked in to the bedroom where Jed had already got in to bed, she was wearing a sexy, red, baby doll negligee. This immediately got Jed’s attention. Jed told her how sexy she was and Charlotte blushed and then moved closer to the bed. She snuggled up to Jed and they both quickly feel asleep.

The next morning, Charlotte woke up in the same place that she had fallen asleep. She woke Jed up and they quickly got dressed. They knocked on Steve and Miranda’s door and were let in. Steve and Miranda had already been up and got dressed also. The four of them looked over the brochures they had picked up in the lobby and started planning their day. They decided to go to breakfast, then the casino for a few hours, then lunch, do some wine tasting, and then go back to Capone’s Cafe for dinner and dancing. They had a big day planned. They all agreed that it should be a lot of fun. They grabbed their coats and headed out of the room and to the lobby. For breakfast, they chose a little diner on Front St close to Capone’s Cafe, and headed outside and to the rented Tahoe.

Breakfast went smoothly. Once again, they were impressed with the wait staff and service they received. They talked about the casino that they were going to next. Charlotte had not been to a casino before and neither had Miranda. They hoped that it would be fun. Jed encouraged them and so did Steve. They ate breakfast and headed for the casino.

When they got to the casino, they split back in to couples and agreed to meet in the casino lobby at noon to go to lunch. Jed and Charlotte went up to the cashier and got change for the slot machines. They started out on the nickel slots and won about twenty dollars each. They moved up to the quarter slots. There were no machines open that were next to each other so Jed showed her how to play the slots. He also told her about the odds of winning or losing. Then he found an empty machine three machines down and sat down to play. Charlotte started carefully putting money in to the slot machine and pushing the button. She would win here and there, nothing big, but enough to keep playing. Jed was doing about the same on the machine he was playing.

After an hour or so of playing, Jed heard Charlotte let out a squeal. He rushed over to where she was, and to his surprise, she had won a jackpot of four thousand quarters. Charlotte was so excited she was jumping up and down in the aisle. When she calmed down, she cashed out and put the slip in to her purse. Her and Jed then went in search of Steve and Miranda. They found Miranda first. They told her about the money that Charlotte had won. Miranda told them that she was running pretty even. They found Steve over in another section of the casino playing quarter slots and told him. Steve told them that he was down about twenty five dollars. Jed laughed and told Steve he was down about the same. They all cashed out and agreed to go to lunch. Charlotte walked out with over one thousand dollars in cash. Jed and Steve both mumbled, beginner’s luck, at the same time as they walked to the car. They looked at each other and laughed. The girls laughed too. They headed to the diner for lunch. They ate lunch at the diner and then headed for the wine tasting places they found on the brochures.

They went to several wineries in the area. They observed the different methods that each used to make wine. They also tasted several different wines at each winery, except Steve of course, who took it easy on the wine tasting because he was driving. The view in the area was beautiful. It was decided that they would fly over this area when they left to go home. The terrain was very hilly, with wine plants as far as one could see. There were several old barns that stood out and reminded everyone of the barns you would see on a calender. They even thought that one of them was on a calender they had seen somewhere. One of the wineries they visited was owned by someone in Madonna’s family. They thought that that was odd since she was so famous, but then realized that she did not own it, but someone in her family did. After they were done wine tasting they headed to Capone’s Cafe for dinner and dancing.

While they were eating dinner, they decided to leave a little earlier than planned so that Jed could fly around and they could explore the sites, especially the wineries and the bays in the area. They also wanted to see if they could spot the elk herd over near Atlanta, MI. Jed explained to them that it would take longer at the airport because he would have to check in and alter his registered flight plan. After dinner they headed over to the bar and had a great time drinking and dancing. Jed told Charlotte that she was a great dancer, and she told him the same. Miranda and Steve watched them dance for five or six songs and thought that they danced very well together. Then, Steve and Miranda joined them on the dance floor. Charlotte and Jed danced to every slow song, and to a lot of the faster ones too. They danced until the bar closed and then went back to the lodge.

Jed and Charlotte slept together once again. Charlotte again wore her sexy negligee. They snuggled, kissed, and just held each other all night. Charlotte thanked Jed for the wonderful time she was having and he told her that he was having a great time too.

In the morning, they got up and got ready to go to breakfast. They packed everything up so they would not have to come back to the lodge. Jed and Charlotte again went over to Steve and Miranda’s room and went in while they got their stuff all packed. Miranda and Charlotte ended up in the bedroom alone and began talking about the wonderful time they were having. The guys did much of the same in the living room while they organized stuff at the door. The girls finally came out of the bedroom and the four of them took everything down to the lobby. Steve went and got the Tahoe and they loaded it up. Then they left for breakfast. On the way there, Jed told everyone that he was thinking of getting one of the condos that they had at the lodge. They discussed the pros and cons of getting a condo there. Jed told them that he really liked the atmosphere in the area and would like to go there more often. They all agreed that the area was really great. At breakfast they continued talking about the area and Jed’s idea of getting one of the condos at the lodge. Steve suggested that he should probably check around and see what else was available before making a final decision. Charlotte and Miranda agreed. Jed explained that he was not an impulse buyer and would check out all options before making a final decision. Breakfast went good and they headed for the airport.

At the airport, they unloaded they Tahoe and loaded the plane. While Jed and Charlotte filed the new flight plan, Steve and Miranda turned the Tahoe in to the rental agency. They met back at the plane and everyone climbed aboard. Jed again taxied to the runway and took off.

Jed headed north west to where they could see the wineries in the area. Everyone loved the view that they had from the air. The fresh snow on the ground glistened as they flew overhead. You could see the miles and miles and rows and rows of grape vines. The barns and other buildings really stood out in the air too. Jed circled around and headed in an east south easterly direction toward Atlanta. Hopefully they would be able to spot one of the elk herds in the area of Atlanta from the air. It was close to noon by the time they flew over Atlanta. Jed circled around and found a herd of over thirty elk. Charlotte was amazed by the shear size of the elk and the size of their antlers. Jed flew as low as he safely could to get a better look without scaring the elk. They were beautiful animals. He then set a course for south south east and home. Everyone enjoyed the sights along the way. Jed had never taken this flight path before and even enjoyed the sights too. They skirted the edge of Saginaw Bay, then flew over Bay City, then Saginaw, and then landed in Flint. While Jed went to get the Tahoe, the others carefully unloaded the plane. They loaded up the Tahoe and then they decided to go out to eat lunch somewhere before going back to Jed’s house, which they did.

When they arrived at Jed’s house, they unloaded the Tahoe. They loaded Steve and Miranda’s luggage in to Steve’s car and then went inside to talk some more. They all agreed that they are going to have to do this again sometime. They discussed going in two more weeks. Jed’s rotation was such that he had to be on call Saturday of the next weekend. Jed figured they could check out the other condos in the area then. Charlotte was thrilled as she had such a good time this time. Steve and Miranda thanked Jed for the trip and with hugs to all. Steve and Miranda went out the door and headed home.

Charlotte stayed with Jed for a couple of hours. They talked more about the weekend and about going again in a couple of weeks. Then they talked about getting a washer and dryer for the house. They decide they would got look at washers and dryers on Monday. They were both exhausted from the long weekend so Jed helped Charlotte with her coat and she went home.

 

 

 

 

 

January’s Warmness – Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Jed and Charlotte awoke in each others arms. Jed got up and got ready for work while Charlotte made the bed and got some coffee. Jed drank a quick cup and they headed out the door to take Charlotte home so she could get ready for work.

Charlotte arrived at work and found Miranda in the locker room. She told Miranda about the weekend in Traverse City idea that Jed had proposed. Miranda immediately called Steve to check with him and ask if he wanted to go. He told Miranda that he would have to call her back later that day and let her know as he did not know if he had to work yet. Charlotte and Miranda agreed to meet for lunch and hopefully by then, Steve would have called. The morning went smoothly.

At lunch, Miranda told Charlotte that Steve did call and they would be able to go. Charlotte told her that she would call tonight from Jed’s house and together they could set up plans to go. That way they could take care of the plans in one phone call with the men present.

When Charlotte got out of work she went home and grabbed some clothes for work the next day, her toothbrush, and a few other necessities in case she spent the night again. Then she went to the grocery store to pick up what was needed for dinner that night. Jed called when she walked in to Jed’s house and told her that he would be there in thirty to forty minutes.

When he got home, Charlotte greeted him at the door with a hug and kiss and took his coat while he took off his shoes. Then she handed him a cup of coffee in the kitchen and then planned their meal. It was decided that Jed would make the salad and set the table, and Charlotte would prepare the pork chops, potatoes, and green beans. The two of them worked together effortlessly in the kitchen. It surprised both of them a little how well everything went and how well they worked together.

When everything was done, they sat down at the table to eat. Charlotte told Jed about her conversation with Miranda at work. Jed thought that calling from his house was a good idea and they agreed to do so after dinner. They talked about how their respective days went. Jed noted that it had started to snow outside. Charlotte told him that she heard on the radio three to four inches by eleven that night. She also informed him that she had brought clothes just in case she got snowed in for the night. He told her that was a good idea. After dinner they did the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen together.

Charlotte and Jed then went and sat on the sofa together. Charlotte called Miranda to discuss the weekend plans. After consulting back and forth on the phone, they decided to leave Friday late afternoon like around five and come back Sunday around the same time. Jed told them that he would arrange for the rooms. Miranda insisted that they pay for their own room since Jed was taking them in his plane and that they wanted to pay for the rental car. Charlotte told Miranda to call for rental car reservations and her and Jed would call for hotel reservations. Miranda stated that she had never traveled in a small plane before and asked what she could bring with her. Jed told her how much room they had for luggage in the plane. Once everything was settled, Charlotte hung up the phone.

Charlotte and Jed snuggled on the sofa for a hour or so before Charlotte looked outside to see how much snow had fallen. Jed asked her to spend the night again and she agreed to. The Red Wings were playing again that night so they decided to watch the game. Jed went in and got out the quilt and put it over Charlotte and then slipped under it himself. During the game, Charlotte again kissed Jed only when the Red Wings scored. They did snuggle the whole game though, only separating for coffee and potty breaks. After the game, which the Red Wings won, Jed led Charlotte back to the bedroom.

January’s Warmness – Chapter 24

Chapter 24 -

The next day, Jed again picked Charlotte up after he got out of work. They went back to Jed’s house and started with the clean dishes in the dishwasher. They decided on where to put what in the cupboards. They rearranged some of the things that Charlotte had put away the night before. After getting all the stuff put away in the kitchen they sat down and rested for about ten minutes. Jed got up and got the vacuum box. They unpacked the vacuum cleaner, read the instructions, and plugged it in. Charlotte started vacuuming the living room while Jed moved furniture back and forth. When the living room was done, Jed took the vacuum from Charlotte and vacuumed the two spare rooms. Charlotte sat and drank coffee. When he was finished, he joined Charlotte in the kitchen for coffee.

“Now what?”, Jed asked Charlotte.

“You need food”, Charlotte replied smartly.

“Do you want to run to Walmart?”, Jed replied.

“Sure”, she answered.

So off they went to Walmart. They picked up all the groceries that they thought they would need for a couple of weeks. They got spices and condiments, bread, milk, cereal, and of course, more coffee, cream, and sugar. They paid the cashier and went back to Jed’s house. They spent the next hour or so putting away the groceries. Charlotte made sandwiches and they sat down to eat.

“This is the first time I have ate something made in this house”, Jed said with a smile.

“How long you been here”, Charlotte asked.

“About two and one half months now”, Jed replied proudly.

“Wow, that is a long time to not make anything here”, Charlotte observed.

“I eat out almost everyday, sometimes I order pizza or something like that”, Jed replied.

“Well, maybe we can fix that”, Charlotte stated.

“What do you mean?”, Jed asked with a puzzled look on his face.

“Well, you have foot in the house now. You can cook at home”, Charlotte stated.

“I don’t like eating alone”, Jed replied.

“Who eats with you when you order pizza or something like that?”, Charlotte said smartly.

“That’s different, I meant to say that I don’t like cooking for one”, Jed replied back.

“We could eat together some nights. I love watching a man cook for me”, Charlotte stated with a sly grin.

“That’s sounds like a good idea”, Jed stated.

“Or I could cook for you, either way we won’t be eating alone every night”, Charlotte replied.

“Why don’t you drive over after work tomorrow and we’ll whip something up together?”, Jed asked with a smile and chuckle.

“Okay”, Charlotte said chuckling along with Jed.

“Let me give you a key in case you get here before me”, Jed stated as he took the spare key off the key ring.

“Don’t people usually keep their spare key separate from the key they use?”, she stated poking fun at Jed.

“When they gave me the keys I just put both of them on the key ring and never took one off”, Jed said defensively.

“Oh, okay, I guess that makes sense”, She replied.

“Here you go”, Jed said as he handed her the spare key.

“Thanks, hopefully you won’t have to work late tomorrow”, Charlotte replied as she slipped the key on to her own key ring.

“What do you want to make tomorrow?”, Jed asked.

“I could stop and pick something up on my way here. Do you like pork chops?”, Charlotte asked.

“I love them”, Jed perked up and said.

“Okay, I’ll pick up the stuff and we can whip it up when you get home”, Charlotte said smiling.

“If I’m going to be late I will call you as soon as I can. You can answer my phone if it rings”, Jed stated.

“Okay”, she replied.

“You ready to go home or do you want to stay for a while?”, Jed asked.

“I can stay a while if you want me too, I know we’ve done a lot this week. You must be tired”, Charlotte observed.

“We’ve gotten a lot done, haven’t we?”, Jed replied and then added, “I love to have you stay for a little while”.

“I’ll stay. Do you have cards? Or would you rather just go sit on the sofa and listen to music”, Charlotte asked.

“Let’s sit on the sofa. I’ll turn on the radio and we can just relax and snuggle”, Jed replied.

“Okay”, Charlotte said as she filled their coffee cups back up and then walked to the living room.

“Thanks again for helping me with the shopping”, Jed said as they sat next to each other on the sofa.

“Not a problem”, Charlotte replied.

“Do you have any plans for this weekend yet?”, Jed asked.

“No, what did you have in mind?”

“I was thinking about seeing if you wanted to fly up to Traverse City for the weekend”, Jed stated and then added, we could invite Steve and Miranda along too if you’d like”.

“That sounds like fun. I’ll talk to Miranda at work tomorrow and let you know”, Charlotte replied excitedly.

“I’ll go either way though”, she added.

“I think it’d be fun to hang out with them for the weekend”, Jed stated.

“It would, they’re good people”, Charlotte replied as she snuggled even closer to Jed on the sofa.

“The hockey game was fun with them”, Jed stated as he too, scooted closer and put his arm around Charlotte shoulders.

“It was”, Charlotte observed and then leaned over and kissed Jed.

By now, they could not keep their hands off of of each other. Jed finally stood up after about fifteen minutes and took Charlotte’s hand. He led her back to the bedroom and shut the door.

January’s Warmness – Chapter 23

Chapter 23 – The Shopping Trip

Charlotte hurried home from work. She wanted to make sure that she was ready for Jed when he got there. She hoped that Jed had the same tastes that she did in decorations and curtains. She began thinking about what curtains would go with his blue sofa and chair. Maybe, she thought, she could talk him into a couple of live plants. She figured that it would add life to the house. She got out her big, yellow pad of paper and started making a list of what Jed had in the living room. She remembered the sofa and chair, the tv and tv stand, one end table with the phone on it, and the computer desk. The carpet was blue, and sort of matched the sofa and chair. It might be a little hard to find something that matches. Maybe a white curtain would work better, she thought. We need something for the end table too, she continued thinking. Charlotte continued making a list of the things that Jed needed to get. Remembering the dust bunnies in the spare rooms, she added a vacuum cleaner to the list. Charlotte drew a line at the bottom of the list she had just made. Now, she was going to list the stuff needed for the kitchen. She started out the list with dishes, and then added pots and pans, bake ware, and drinking glasses. She thought for a couple of minutes and added curtains for the kitchen window and dish clothes and towels. This will be a good start, she thought to herself. Charlotte heard Jed’s Tahoe pull in to the parking lot and slipped her coat back on. She headed out the door and met Jed halfway up the walk. Jed greeted her with a hug and kiss, and then walked her back to the car. On the way to the store, Charlotte pulled out her list.

“Oh, you’re a list maker”, Jed remarked.

“I just don’t want to forget anything”, Charlotte replied back.

“That’s okay, I make lists sometimes too”, Jed said with a smile.

“I usually don’t, just for important stuff”, Charlotte smiled back at him.

“Me neither”, Jed replied.

“How was work?”, Charlotte asked changing the subject.

“Good, how about yours?”, Jed replied.

“Good, we had a bunch of tours today. It was a lot of fun, mostly elementary school kids”, she replied as she put the list away.

“Good, I’m glad you had a good day”, he smiled back as he pulled in to the Walmart parking lot. They got out of the Tahoe and walked in to the store. Charlotte grabbed a shopping card and led Jed to the housewares section. Jed was indecisive when Charlotte would show him something. She started with curtains. She asked Jed what he thought of this one or that one. Finally, Jed told Charlotte that he trusted her judgment and to get what she thought would look good. Jed dreaded shopping. That’s probably why the house was not furnished yet. Charlotte sensed this and decided to just take over. She decided on white curtains for the living room and put them in the cart. She picked out a nice conservative pattern for the kitchen curtains. Jed just nodded his head in agreement as Charlotte placed things in the cart. She picked out towels and dish clothes to go with the curtains in the kitchen. Then she drug Jed over to where the dishes were. Jed just smiled at her as she looked at all the different patterns. She decided on a pattern and color that went with the curtains also. They were Corel dishes, just like Jed’s mom’s dishes only a different pattern. Jed again nodded in agreement. She picked out glasses to go with the dishes. Next was the silverware and then the pots and pans. As Charlotte made her selections, Jed would just look at her, smile, and nod his head in agreement. She then selected a set of baking pans, and various spatulas, spoons, and other small kitchen gadgets like measuring cups and spoons. Charlotte talked to Jed about changing the blinds also. The ones in the house were off white. She told Jed that she thought white would look better. He nodded in agreement. She told Jed that they would have to measure them first and come back another time. Charlotte pulled out the list and started checking off the items that were already in the cart. The only items left on the list were the plants and the vacuum. They headed to where the vacuums were. Jed helped a little more with the selection this time. They agreed on a vacuum and Charlotte handed it to Jed. Jed looked at the cart. It was full to the top. Charlotte asked Jed to stay put, then went back up to the front of the store and got another cart. She pushed it back to where Jed was still standing. He placed the vacuum in the empty cart. He asked her if there was anything else on the list. She told him yes and started pushing one of the carts to where plants were. Jed followed with the other cart. Charlotte knew what she was looking for. She wanted to get two Philodendron plants. She had read somewhere, she could not remember where, that the name derives from the Greek words philo or “love” and dendron or “tree”. Charlotte searched the isles and finally found what she was looking for. She had Jed take the vacuum out of the cart and carefully placed two of the Philodendrons in to the bottom of the cart. She instructed Jed to place the vacuum side ways on top of the cart. She also chose two pots for the plants and some potting soil, and placed them on the shelve under the basket of the carts. She told Jed that was it and they headed for the checkout. Charlotte placed items on the conveyor belt and the cashier rung them up. Jed was at the other end placing the items back into the now empty carts. The total came to $663.54. Jed pulled out his wallet and handed the cashier his Visa card. Not bad for a whole houseful of stuff, he thought to himself. Jed and Charlotte each pushed a cart back to the Tahoe. They loaded up the Tahoe, put the carts in the cart corral, and then climbed into the car and headed to Jed’s house. When they got there, Jed backed the Tahoe in to the driveway and they unloaded it. Everything went in to the living room at first. Charlotte joked about having to go home. Jed laughed. Then the started the task of putting everything in its rightful place. Charlotte hung the curtains in the kitchen while Jed opened the boxes of dishes and such and filled up the dishwasher. Half the boxes were still left unopened. Charlotte finished first so she helped Jed with the dishes.

“We make a good team”, Jed stated with a smile.

“Yes we do”, Charlotte replied with a smile.

“Want to sit and relax while the dishwasher runs”, Jed asked, hopeful that she would say yes.

“Sure, we can take a ten minute break”, Charlotte responded as she poured them each a cup of coffee.

“Thanks for helping”, Jed said as he took one of the cups from Charlotte and put the cream and sugar in it.

“Glad I could help, it’s kinda fun actually”, Charlotte replied with a smile.

“What’s next? The dishes will be another half hour”, Jed asked.

“We could start with the curtains in the living room”, she replied taking another drink of coffee.

“That’ll work”, Jed said as he took another drink.

“What do you think of the curtains in here, don’t they look good with the counter top?”, Charlotte asked.

“They look great”, Jed smiled and said.

“I’m glad you like them Jed”, she replied.

“Mom will really like the place. She’s been pestering me since I bought it to get it decorated”, Jed stated.

“Let me know what she thinks”, Charlotte smiled.

“Let’s get back to work”, she added.

With that, they sat their coffee cups down and headed for the living room. They worked together to hang the new curtains. Jed brought the step ladder in from the garage and took down the old curtains. Charlotte took the old curtains off the rod and placed the new ones on it, then handed them to Jed. Jed carefully placed them back up over the window. They stood back and looked at their handy work and both smiled. Charlotte grabbed the old plaid curtains up off the floor and carried them to the kitchen and threw them away. Jed chuckled and told her how glad those were gone. Charlotte went back in to the living room and found a home for each philodendron. By then, the dishwasher was done so they headed back to the kitchen. Charlotte put the clean dishes away in the cup boards while Jed started opening more boxes. When Charlotte had the dishwasher emptied, Jed filled it up with the rest of the dishes they had bought. It was starting to get late. Jed asked Charlotte if she was ready to go back home and they would finish tomorrow after work. She told Jed that she’d like to sit and relax for a few before they left. Jed poured them each another cup of coffee and they went and sat of the sofa. Jed put his arm around Charlotte. Then, they snuggled on the sofa. After they finished their coffee, Jed helped Charlotte with her coat and then took her home.

 

January’s Warmness – Chapter 22

Chapter 22 – The aftermath

The next morning when the alarm started blaring, the two of them woke still holding each other. Jed asked Charlotte if she needed to use the bathroom before he took a shower. She told him no, as long as he did not take to long. Jed quickly got out the clothes he would wear to work that day and headed for the shower. Charlotte got out of bed and put Jed’s button up shirt on and buttoned the bottom three buttons leaving a generous amount of cleavage showing. Charlotte put on her panties. She walked out of the bedroom and headed down the hall where she caught a whiff of the fresh brewed coffee in the kitchen. She then made it to the kitchen for some much needed coffee. She drank one cup and then another before Jed joined her in the kitchen, now fully dressed. He saw Charlotte in his shirt, and spoke.

“Wow, you really look sexy in my shirt”, he said with his mouth wide open.

“Easy there stud, we need to go to work”, Charlotte replied with a sly alluring smile.

“I’ll be right back”, Jed replied as he headed down the hall to his bedroom. Jed quickly made the bed and returned to the kitchen.

She poured him a cup of coffee and placed it on the counter in front of him. Then, she put her arms around him and gave him a big hug and kiss. She released him and resumed drinking coffee. Jed put cream and sugar in his cup and starting drinking his coffee too. Charlotte headed down to the bedroom. She picked her scattered clothes up off the floor and got dressed. She rejoined Jed in the kitchen. Charlotte remarked how good Jed looked. They sat at the table and drank coffee for another ten minutes before Jed got up and got her coat. Charlotte put the coffee cups in the sink before Jed returned and he helped her with her coat. Jed put on his coat and they headed out the door. When they got to Charlotte’s apartment, Jed walked her to her door. They embraced and as Jed walked toward the car, Charlotte said, “See you after work.”

January’s Warmness – Chapter 21

Chapter 21 – Jed’s house guest

Charlotte got up the next morning with a smile on her face. She’s normally not a morning person, but this morning she was in a good mood. Charlotte went in to the kitchen and drank a cup of coffee. Then she went in to the bathroom and took a shower. She went in to the bedroom, got dressed, and made the bed. This was not her typical Sunday routine. Usually, she stayed in bed late, wore her pajamas for the better part of the day, and just vegged out, as she calls it. She had a wonderful time with Jed the last two days and it showed. She was so full of energy that by ten am she had the apartment dusted, vacuumed, and the bathroom all cleaned up. By eleven, the dishes were done and put away and her bedroom was all cleaned up. She then started doing her laundry. The laundry room was in the basement of the building so she had to lug the clothes up and down the stairs. She carefully sorted her clothes and headed downstairs with the first load. She decided to call Miranda while the first load washed so she picked up her phone, sat on the couch, and dialed her number.

“Hello”, Miranda answered cheerfully.

“Hi Miranda”, Charlotte responded, just as cheerful.

“How was your date last night?”, Miranda asked knowing that it went well or Charlotte would not have been so cheerful.

“It was great! Jed’s mom is totally awesome”, Charlotte replied.

“What did you guys do?”, Miranda inquired.

“Jed’s mom made, like the best ever spaghetti. Then we sat up for hours playing Canasta. His mom kicked our butts, but it was still fun”, Charlotte answered with an excitement in her voice that Miranda had not heard in a while.

“You got along good with his mom then I take it”, Miranda stated.

“We got along great. She has a beautiful house just a few blocks from my apartment”, Miranda said gleefully.

“Jed showed me around the house and his old room. We talked all through dinner. Mrs. Polson even offered to give me the recipe for her family’s spaghetti sauce!”, she continued now even more cheerful.

“Wow, that is real good. Old people don’t share there secret recipes if they don’t like you”, Miranda stated.

“I know, isn’t that awesome”, Charlotte stated.

“So, what else happened?”, Miranda asked almost begging for more information.

“Jed drove me home and I invited him in for coffee”, Charlotte said with a smile.

“Oh, I see. That’s why you’re in such a great mood”, Miranda stated with an accusing tone of voice.

“No, it’s not like that! We just drank coffee, sat on the sofa, listened to music, and talked. Then Jed went home and I went to bed”, Charlotte stated defensively.

“Drats, I thought I was going to hear a juicy story”, Miranda said with a little giggle.

“Miranda, you know I’m not like that”, Charlotte defended herself.

“There’s always hope”, Miranda laughed.

“I got to go throw my clothes in the dryer so I’ll talk to you later”, Charlotte said as she walked over to the sofa.

“Okay, talk to you later”, Miranda said.

“Bye”

“Bye”

With that, Charlotte placed the phone down on its base and headed to the basement with her second load of clothes. She took the clothes out of the washer and put them in the dryer. She turned it on and then threw the dirty clothes in the washer and turned that on and headed back upstairs. She sat on the sofa and picked up her book and started reading. After about ten minutes, there was a knock on the door. Charlotte got up to answer the door. When she opened the door, to her surprise, the delivery man handed her a long, narrow, box. I didn’t order anything, she said to herself. She thanked the man and carried the box to the kitchen table where she opened it. The box contained a dozen, red, long stemmed roses. How sweet, she thought. Also in the box was a small card. She picked up the card and read the message. Thanks for a wonderful evening. Love, Jed, the card read. Tears started to drip from her eyes as she started getting the vase out from under the sink. The tears were not from the flowers, but from the message. Jed had not told her that he loved her before. She carefully put the roses in to the vase and carried the now full vase to the living room where she placed it on one of the end tables. She smiled as she sat back down on the sofa and returned to her reading. After another twenty minutes, she went down with her last load of clothes, switched the laundry over, and came back to her book. She finished the book about thirty minutes later. She turned on the stereo and listen to music while she waited for the laundry. She finished up the laundry and put it all away. She returned to the sofa and continued listening to music and just relaxing. By now, it was three in the afternoon. She thought about what she was going to do with the rest of her day. She finally decided to go to the store and do a little grocery shopping. She slipped on her coat and headed out the door. She drove to the Walmart, picked up her groceries and headed back home. She carried the groceries in and put them all away, then went to the living room where she noticed she had a message on her answering machine. She pushed the button to listen to the message. Jed had called while she was at the store. She listened intently to the message. Hey Charlotte, just calling to see what you’re up to. Give me a call back, was all it said. Charlotte quickly grabbed the phone and then realized she did not know Jed’s number. She dug through her purse for the number from the accident. After a few minutes, she pulled out the paper that Jed’s information was on and dialed the number on the paper. It’s okay to call him, he called me first and I am just returning the call, she remarked to herself remembering what her mother and grandmother told her about calling boys. Jed answered the phone.

“Hello”

“Hi Jed, I just got your message and thought I’d call you back.”

“Charlotte, hi. I called to see if you’d like to go get something to eat.”

“I’d love to. Hey, Thanks for the flowers, they’re beautiful!”

“I hoped you’d like them. Want to go to Damon’s over on Dort Highway?”

“Sure, sounds good to me. What time?”

“Will five thirty give you enough time to get ready?”

“That will work fine.”

“See you at five thirty then”, Jed replied.

“It’s a date”, Charlotte stated matter of factedly.

“See you then, bye”, Jed said.

“Bye”, Charlotte responded as she hung up the phone.

Charlotte walked in to the bathroom and looked at herself in the full length mirror. She decided to do something were her hair, but her clothes were fine. This time, she decided, she was going to wear her hair down. Usually she had it in a pony tail or up in a bun in the back. She quickly brushed her hair and sprayed it with hair spray. She went to the kitchen and grabbed another cup of coffee. Not bad, she said to herself, ten minutes to spare. She sat on the sofa and drank her coffee. Jed knocked on the door and she let him in with a hug and kiss to greet him. Jed helped her with her coat. He also remarked how beautiful she looked with her hair down. Charlotte gave him a sly grin. They headed out the door to Jed’s car and drove off. Damon’s is a real nice restaurant. It is mostly a steak house and grill. A full service bar is placed in the middle of the restaurant with tables all around that. The kitchen is in the back. The decor inside is mostly patterns of red swirls and other designs. They have a full menu, but mostly concentrate on steaks and sandwiches. The restaurant is packed when Jed and Charlotte arrive. Jed finally finds a parking spot and pulls the Tahoe in to it. They get out of the Tahoe and walk into the restaurant. The hostess takes their name and directs them to the bar to wait for a table. They sat at the bar for a little over twenty five minutes before they were seated. They were seated near the back of the restaurant. The waitress came by and brought them water and a menu. Charlotte carefully scanned the menu and decide on the seafood salad. Jed decided to order a t-bone steak with baked potato. Jed thought the prices were reasonable. The waitress was very polite and seemed to be happy with her job. While they were waiting, Jed and Charlotte starting talking about last night.

“What did you think of my mother?”, Jed asked politely.

“I just loved her, she’s really sweet”, Charlotte smiled as she said.

“I think she really liked you too”, Jed replied smiling back.

“She doesn’t usually take to people like she did with you”, Jed added.

“She reminds me a lot of my own mother”, Charlotte said, not meaning to bring up her mom.

“How so?”, Jed asked.

“Just the way she talks, cooks, and how she treats guests”, Charlotte replied.

“Did you like playing canasta?”, Jed asked.

“That was a lot of fun”, she replied still smiling.

“Mom and I played that all the time when I was growing up”, Jed stated.

“Our family played too. That was some of the best times growing up”, Charlotte stated agreeingly.

“Do they still get together and play?”, Jed asked.

“We do, around the holiday’s and birthday’s”, Charlotte replied.

“What did you think of my huge apartment?”, Charlotte asked, trying hard to change the subject.

“Huge? It was great, it looked homey, comfortable”, Jed replied with a smile.

“It really is, isn’t it”, Charlotte replied smiling.

“How long have you been there?”, Jed asked.

“A little over a year now”, Charlotte said as the waitress brought them their food and placed it in front of them.

The food was fantastic. Far better than either of them suspected it would be. The two of them just sat there eating and talking back and forth about nothing in particular or anything important. They finished up there meal and started talking again.

“How long you been in your place Jed?, Charlotte asked.

“Just a couple of months, would you like to see it?”, Jed asked.

“I’d love to”, Charlotte replied eagerly.

“We can go there after we leave here if that’s okay”, Jed replied.

“Great, if it’s anything like your mom’s house I’m sure I’ll love it”, Charlotte replied as she stood up to put her coat on. Jed gentlely took the coat from her and placed so she could put her arms in and then gently placed it on her shoulders.

“Thank you sir”, Charlotte told him.

“You’re welcome madam”, Jed said playing along as he put his own coat on.

The two of them walked out of the restaurant and climbed into the Tahoe. It was a little longer drive to Jed’s house, about fifteen minutes. When they pulled in to the driveway Charlotte spoke first.

“How charming”, she said as she noticed the brick ranch home where Jed parked.

“Thank you, would you like to come in, or do you just want to admire the outside?, Jed said jokingly.

“Haha, of course I want to see the inside”, Charlotte joked back.

“Here you go”, Jed said as he opened the Tahoe’s passenger door for Charlotte to climb out.

“Thank you”, Charlotte said as she reached for Jed’s hand.

“I have to warn you, it’s pretty empty inside, I haven’t had time to decorate or anything”, Jed stated trying to prepare Charlotte for the emptiness of his small house.

“We’ll work on that later”, Charlotte said as Jed opened the front door.

“Watch you step there”, Jed said as Charlotte stumbled a little on the thick threshold.

“Wow, it is pretty bare”, Charlotte said as she gazed into the living room empty of anything but the furniture.

“Nice curtains”, she added with a smile, knowing that Jed could not have possibly picked those.

“Let me show you the rest of the house”, Jed said grabbing her hand to led her around.

“To the left we have the kitchen slash dining area”, Jed said trying not to sound like a tour guide.

“Are you making fun of me Jed?”, Charlotte responded.

“No, not at all”, Jed replied as he realized that Charlotte was a tour guide and he was giving her a tour of his house.

“I’ll be more careful”, Jed added with a smile.

“That’s okay. Keep going. I think it’s cute”, Charlotte smiled back as she said it.

“Okay”, Jed said as he turned Charlotte around to go down the hall on the other side of the dining area.

“Here on the left, is the bathroom. On the right is the first bedroom”, Jed said as he opened the door to the empty bedroom.

“Nice dust bunnies”, Charlotte remarked with a laugh.

“Thanks”, Jed said as he closed the door and turned to push open the bathroom door.

“Nice bathroom”, was all Charlotte could say as she looked into the clean and empty bathroom.

“And further down the hall we have the other two bedrooms. The one on the right is mine and the other one is empty”, Jed said not wanting to lead Charlotte down and show her his room.

“I don’t get to see your room?”, Charlotte inquired.

“I . . . I didn’t want to imply anything”, Jed replied with a slight stutter.

“You’re just showing me the room, that doesn’t imply anything Jed”, Charlotte said laughing.

“Okay, the other room is empty too, but this is my room”, Jed said as he opened the door, forgetting that he hadn’t cleaned the room.

“Wow, nice room Jed”, Charlotte remarked as she looked over the room with clothes on the floor and an unmade bed.

“Sorry, I didn’t know I’d have visitors today. It’s usually cleaner than that”, Jed said apologetically.

“That okay, it looks nice other than that”, Charlotte replied with a smile.

“Would you like some coffee?”, Jed said as he led Charlotte down the hall toward the kitchen.

“Sure”, Charlotte said as she sat at one of the chairs at the kitchen table.

“Here you go”, Jed said as he handed her a cup of coffee and the container of cream and sugar.

“Thank you”, Charlotte said as she put cream and sugar in to her coffee.

“You’re welcome”, Jed said as he took a seat next to Charlotte.

“This is really good”, Charlotte exclaimed after she took the first sip of coffee.

“Thank you”, was all Jed replied.

“Do you want to play cards or something?”, Jed asked trying to entertain his guest.

“Aren’t the Red Wings on tv tonight?”, Charlotte offered.

“I think so, do you want to watch the game?”, Jed asked.

“Sure, I think it starts at seven o’clock”, Charlotte told Jed.

“Let’s move to the living room then”, Jed replied as he stood back up and reached for Charlotte’s hand.

“Good, it will be fun”, Charlotte replied while placing her hand in to his and pulling herself up.

“We really need to get you some new curtains for that window”, Charlotte remarked as she sat down on the left side of the couch.

“Would you like to work on that tomorrow night? We can run up to Walmart after work and you can help me pick something out”, Jed said as he sat next to her and turned on the tv and found the right channel.

“Sure, I don’t have anything going on after work, I’d love to”, Charlotte replied as she put her hand in his.

“Good, I’ll give you a call when I get home”, Jed stated

“Okay”, Charlotte said as she nuzzled up to Jed.

The hockey game started on tv. Jed and Charlotte sat, snuggled up on the couch and watched intently. Not a whole lot was said while the game was on. They just sat there nestled on the couch holding each other. The game was a very exciting, closely played game against the Chicago Black Hawks. Whenever the Red Wings scored a goal, Charlotte would give Jed a kiss. It was a really sweet kiss. Jed was hoping the Red Wings would score a lot after the first two kisses in the first period. During the first intermission they got up and got more coffee. Jed thought that Charlotte was getting a little chilled so he went back to the bedroom and grabbed a quilt that his grandmother had made. When he came back, Charlotte remarked how beautiful it is. They took their seats as the second period started. Jed wrapped the quilt around the two of them and they snuggled in to each other. The Red Wings did not score during the whole second period, which disappointed Jed. He was missing the kisses that he got when they scored. Charlotte started poking fun at him and refused to kiss him anyway. She told him she didn’t want to break tradition. When the second intermission started, Jed asked Charlotte if the no kissing rule applied during the intermissions. With a laugh and smile, Charlotte, wanting to kiss him too by now, told him no. They kissed passionately during the whole intermission. When the third period started, Charlotte pushed Jed away with a laugh and told him that it was time to watch the game. The score was tied at two goals apiece. There was a lot of action on the ice, but nobody scored during the third period. Charlotte joked to Jed that it was because they had kissed during the intermission. Jed got up and got coffee to get ready for the overtime period. Charlotte stayed on the couch, warm from the quilt that Jed had brought out. Jed sat back down and snuggled in with Charlotte. Two minutes into the overtime period, The Red Wings scored the winning goal. Charlotte reached around and her and Jed started another passionate kiss. They held their embrace for several minutes. Then Jed spoke.

“I better get you home, it’s getting late”, he said, not really wanting the evening to end, but not wanting to show disrespect for Charlotte either.

“Wow, it is pretty late. But I can stay for a little while though if you’d like me to”, Charlotte responded, not wanting to leave either.

“Want to go back to the bedroom?”, Jed asked nervously after a few more minutes of holding each other and kissing.

“I thought you’d never ask”, Charlotte replied, glad that he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

“It’s really late, do you just want to spend the night with me?”, Jed asked hopefully as he took another sip.

“I’ll have to be home by six am if that’s okay”, Charlotte replied.

“It’s a deal then, home by six. I can do that”, Jed replied with a smile.

“I’m so glad you called, well I called you back”, Charlotte replied smiling back at him and taking another sip of coffee. They sat for a few more minutes and then Jed took the almost empty coffee cups to the kitchen and placed them in the sink. He then set the coffee maker up and changed the timer to five thirty. He went back into the living room and reached for Charlotte’s hand. Jed led Charlotte back to the bedroom, leaving the quilt laying on the floor. When they got to the bedroom Jed started to take off Charlotte’s shirt. At the same time, she starting unbuttoning Jed’s shirt. Jed gently kissed her neck and explored her body with his free hand. Finally getting each other’s shirt off, they threw the shirts on the floor. Jed reached down and started taking off his own pants and Charlotte did the same. Jed reached around with his hand and, with one hand, released Charlotte’s breasts from the confines of her bra. While Jed was doing that, Charlotte reached down and removed her panties. Jed used his other hand to remove his boxers. Charlotte then grabbed Jed’s hand and placed it on her chest. He gently touched her chest and Charlotte moaned in excitement. She took her free hand and placed it on his thigh. Jed moaned in excitement and shuddered. He then started kissing her on the neck and shoulders. She placed her other hand on Jed’s chest and in a circular motion, rubbed it gently. Jed guided her to the bed.

January’s Warmness – Chapter 20

Chapter 20 – Meeting Jed’s Mom

Jed went to pick Charlotte up as planned on Saturday. Charlotte greeted him at the door with a hug and kiss. She had decided to wear jeans also. She also wore a wool sweater with a mock collar underneath. She wore her long hair down with a pony tail in the back. She also decided to take it easy on the makeup as she figured that with Jed’s mom being old fashioned, that would be wise. Jed told her she looked beautiful. She thanked him with another hug and kiss. Jed grabbed her hand and opened the car door for her. Then, they headed to Jed’s mother’s house. Jed pulled in to the driveway, got out, and opened the car door for Charlotte. Charlotte got out of the car and looked over Jed’s mom’s house. Her house was a single story brick ranch home. It had forest green shutters and double hung windows. The driveway was cement. There is a two car garage. The yard is well manicured with large trees in the front yard and even bigger trees in the back. She lived on a dead end road that was real quiet. There was a nice shoveled path on the sidewalk to the front door. Jed grabbed her hand and they started walking up the sidewalk. Mom opened the door before they got half way there. When they got to the door, mom reached out and gave her son a hug. When she let go of her embrace, Jed introduced her to Charlotte. Charlotte reached out her hand to give mom a handshake. Mom grabbed her hand and pulled her toward her, and wrapped her arms around Charlotte with a gentle hug. Jed led the two woman inside and shut the front door. Mom was an average size woman. She was about five foot six inches tall, with a medium build. Her age showed, but she was still a beautiful woman for her age. Charlotte hit it off with his mom right away. Mom appreciated the fact that Charlotte dressed conservatively and wore little makeup. The two just jabbered away. Jed stood there in silence, not wanting to compete or interfere in their conversation. After about ten minutes, Jed made a comment about being hungry. Mom told him to keep his pants on, it would be ready when it was ready. Charlotte chuckled. Mom went in to the kitchen to check on dinner. Jed led Charlotte over to the living room couch and sat down. Charlotte surveyed her surroundings. The living room was very nicely decorated. There was a sofa on one wall, and a matching love seat on another. In the corner was a recliner. They all matched. There were several end tables and matching lamps. There were also pictures of Jed growing up on the shelf along the wall opposite the couch. The carpet was a soft feeling, deep blue color, with a thick nap. Charlotte did not sit. Instead she followed the path his mother took and looked over the kitchen and dining room. She walked through an arch in the wall to the dining area first. There was a large, oval, oak table sitting in the middle with six chairs placed evenly around it. On the table sat a round oak tray that was on a swivel. On the tray there was a salt and pepper shaker, a sugar bowl, and a container of nonfat coffee creamer. Six place mats adored the tabletop. In one corner there was a cabinet that displayed some beautiful china. The floor was made of the new Pergo floor system. Between the dining area and kitchen, there was a counter with four bar stools sitting up to it on the dining area side. The cabinets were oak and perfectly matched the table in the dining area. The appliances were white and very clean. As a matter of fact, the whole house appeared to be spotless. The kitchen floor was tiled with a beautiful light colored ceramic tile. Mom was standing at the kitchen sink rinsing and tearing lettuce for a salad. Charlotte asked if she could help with anything. Mom told her no but thanks for asking and sent her back out to Jed who was now standing in the arch. Jed asked Charlotte if she would like the grand tour and then started to lead her down the hall. First, Jed showed her the bathroom. It was beautiful, not at all what Charlotte expected. Jed explained that his father liked ducks and that mom did not have the heart to change it after he died. The bathroom was painted a creamy white color and had a border at the top that had hunters green stripes at the top and bottom. Between the stripes there a rows of mallard ducks. There was a large oak medicine cabinet over the vanity with a set of six globe lights above that. The vanity was oak, as was the cabinet in the corner that Charlotte assumed held the extra towels. The sink, toilet, and bathtub were white. The shower curtains were hunters green. The bathroom was so clean that Charlotte could have ate off the floor. Jed led her down the the next door on the same side of the hall. Jed explained that this was his old room. The room was neat and clean. There was a queen size bed along one wall, a large dresser along another, and an empty desk across from that. Jed stated that the room was just as he had left it. As they entered the room, mom yelled down to him to keep the door opened with a laugh. Jed blushed. He then pointed to the closed door across the hall and told Charlotte that that was the spare room. He further explained that mom had her sewing machine set up in there along with her ironing board. Mom called it the craft room he added. The last door was also closed and Jed explained that that was his mom’s room. Jed told Charlotte that the laundry room was down in the basement. Mom offered the pair a cup of coffee, so they sat down at the dining room table. By this time mom had the salad done and was working on the spaghetti Jed leaned over and asked Charlotte if she liked spaghetti. Charlotte told Jed that she loved it. He smiled and told her that was good cause mom always makes a lot. While the noodles were cooking, mom brought over a large salad bowl and dishes. She also brought over silverware and each of them a tall glass of water. Charlotte could smell garlic in the air, apparently coming from the oven where garlic bread was baking. Mom told Jed and Charlotte to start eating some salad and asked Charlotte what kind of dressing. Charlotte told her Italian dressing, of course. She liked ranch dressing better, but wanted to make a good impression, so she picked Italian. Mom brought Jed ranch dressing and muttered to herself, ranch dressing with spaghetti Jed and Charlotte got themselves a nice helping of salad and put their dressing over it. Mom came over and sat down and got herself some salad. She then poured some Italian dressing over it. Charlotte smiled. This is going good, she said to herself. The salad was very good, the leaves were ripped not cut. It contained diced fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and of course, lettuce. The timer went of for the oven and mom got up to take out the garlic bread. She also checked the noodles on the stove. They were done, so she pulled them off the stove and carefully put them in the strainer. She rinsed them off and placed them in a large serving bowl and then poured the sauce over the top. She brought, first the spaghetti, and then the garlic bread over to the table. It smelled delicious. Jed finished his salad first and started to reach for the spaghetti when mom quickly smacked the back of his hand.

“Guests first”, she stated strongly.

With that, Jed, now blushing again, removed his hand and waited. Charlotte finished her salad and Jed handed her the serving bowl. She took a small portion of spaghetti and placed it on her plate.

“No wonder you’re so skinny”, mom stated, attempting to start a conversation.

“Mom!”, Jed responded, again blushing.

“That’s just the first scoop Mrs. Polson”, Charlotte said as she placed another helping on her plate.

“Mrs. Polson, Mrs. Polson was my grandma. You can call me mom”, Mom stated emphatically.

“Okay, mom it is”, Charlotte responded.

“No parmesan cheese mom”, Jed said as he got up and started heading for the refrigerator.

“Oh, goodness gracious, I knew I was forgetting something. It’s on the top shelf in the door”, mom replied.

“Found it”, Jed replied as he closed the refrigerator door and headed back to the table.

“Would you like some Charlotte?”, he added as he reached the table and held it out for Charlotte.

“Thank you”, Charlotte replied as she grabbed the cheese from Jed and started sprinkling it on to her spaghetti.

“You’re welcome”, Jed said as he got the cheese back from her. “Mom?”, he continued as he handed the cheese to his mother.

“Here you go Jed. Thank you”, mom replied handing the cheese back to Jed. Jed sprinkled the cheese on his spaghetti and placed it on the table.

“Jed tells me you are a tour guide at the museum”, mom stated.

“That’s right, I really like it there”, Charlotte replied.

“That’s good, it’s always good if you like your work”, mom stated.

“I do. I’ve been there for awhile and I do enjoy the kids that come through”, Charlotte replied, now smiling before she took another bite.

“This is really good”, she added.

“It’s my mother’s recipe”, mom replied proudly.

“It’s very good, is it a family secret?”, Charlotte inquired.

“No, I’ll give you a copy later if you’d like one”, mom replied.

“Thanks, I’d love one”, Charlotte replied as she took another bite.

“Mom makes the best spaghetti ever”, Jed stated proudly.

“Thank you Jed”, mom said, now blushing.

“Eek!”, Charlotte screeched as she felt something brush against her leg.

“Sassy! Go lay down.”, mom stated in a stern voice.

“Sassy is mom’s cat. She usually doesn’t come out when there’s a stranger here. Sorry I forget to warn you”, Jed stated apologetically.

“That’s okay”, Charlotte replied.

“Now that I know, I can watch out for her”, she added.

“I think you scared her as much as she scared you”, mom chimed in.

“Garlic bread”, Jed stated as he handed the plate to Charlotte.

“Thank you”, Charlotte replied as she grabbed a piece off of the plate.

“Mom?”, Jed said as he passed the plate to his mother. Jed then grabbed himself a piece and placed it on his plate.

“Excuse me, I need to go to the lady’s room”, mom stated as she stood up and walked to the bathroom.

“What do you think of my mom?” Jed said leaning toward Charlotte in a hushed voice.

“Ewww, garlic breath!”, Charlotte stated as she pulled away.

“Sorry”, Jed replied blushing for the fourth time tonight.

“I like her”, Charlotte smiled and said.

“I’m back”, mom said as she returned and sat back down.

“Did you take her flying yet Jed?”, mom asked.

“We went last weekend mom”, Jed replied.

“That’s good. What did you think Charlotte?”, mom asked now turning to face her.

“It was a lot of fun. Jed even let me fly the plane”, Charlotte replied.

“What else you kids been up to?”, mom asked.

“We went to a hockey game last night mom”, Jed replied first.

“Your father liked hockey”, mom replied.

“I really enjoyed it too, it was Charlotte’s idea”, Jed stated and then added, “We meet a couple of Charlotte’s friends there”

“Jed’s been taking good care of me”, Charlotte added as she ate the last bite off her plate.

“Here, let me take your plates”, mom stated as she was standing up to get them.

“Sit down mom, I’ll clear the table mom. You and Charlotte just relax”, Jed stated as he reached for the plates. He carried the dirty dishes to the sink and returned a couple of times to get more.

“Where do you live Charlotte”, mom asked.

“I have a small apartment in Grand Blanc”, Charlotte responded.

“Oh, where is it?”, mom inquired further.

“It’s close to here, just off Saginaw Street by the mini mall”, Charlotte stated.

“Have you seen Jed’s house yet?”, mom inquired, now prying.

“No I haven’t been there, Jed told me about it though”, Charlotte stated with a smile.

“It needs a woman’s touch”, mom stated as Jed took the last of the dishes off the table.

“Mom!”, Jed piped in, “Don’t tell her that”

“Now Jed, you know it’s true. That house is as bare as Miss Hubbard’s cupboards”, mom replied now laughing.

“I just haven’t got around to it yet, I will”, Jed stated, blushing again.

“I wouldn’t mind helping decorate the house Jed”, Charlotte volunteered.

“We’ll see”, Jed replied and walked back in to the kitchen.

“Let me help you with the dishes”, Charlotte yelled to the kitchen.

“I’ll get those later Jed”, mom yelled to Jed.

“I didn’t buy that fancy dishwasher just to have it sit there”, mom added.

“Okay mom”, Jed replied as he walked back to the table.

“Do you play cards Charlotte?”, mom asked as she got up and walked toward the cabinet in the corner.

“Yes, what game?”, Charlotte responded.

“Canasta, would you like to play a game or two?”, mom asked as she threw two decks of cards on the table in front of Jed.

“Sure, I’ll play. You’re going to play too, aren’t you Jed?”, Charlotte said smiling at Jed.

“What are the house rules?”, Charlotte asked.

“Draw two cards, discard one. Two canasta’s to go out”, Jed answered as he started shuffling the cards.

“You deal Jed”, mom said as she grabbed the paper and a pen off the counter and returned to her seat.

“One for you, one for you, one for me”, Jed stated as he was handing out cards.

“Jed, quit being silly”, mom stated seriously.

Jed dealt out the cards until everyone had fifteen. The three of them sat and played three games of Canasta. Mom won all three games. Jed tucked the cards neatly in to the boxes. He told his mom that they had to get going home. After giving Jed and Charlotte a hug each, mom opened the front door. With a quick wave goodbye, Jed and Charlotte got in to the car. Jed pulled out of the driveway and headed to Charlotte’s apartment to drop her off. Jed swung in to the parking lot and hurried around the car to open the door for Charlotte. He grabbed her hand and helped her get out of the car and then walked her to the door of the apartment.

“Thank you for a wonderful time”, Charlotte said as she turned to give Jed a hug.

“Any time Charlotte”, Jed replied as he embraced her gently and kissed her.

“Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?”, Charlotte asked sheepishly.

“I’d love to”, Jed replied as Charlotte opened the apartment door.

“Come on in”, Charlotte replied as she grabbed Jed’s hand and pulled him in.

“Have a seat on the sofa while I make a fresh pot”, Charlotte said as she directed Jed to the living room.

“Okay”, Jed replied as he sat down in the middle of the sofa.

“I love your mom”, Charlotte yelled from the kitchen.

“She’s wonderful isn’t she”, Jed said proudly.

“Darn it, I forgot to get that recipe from her”, Charlotte said as she poured water in to the coffee maker.

“I’m sure you’ll see her again”, Jed replied.

“There, we should have coffee in about ten minutes”, Charlotte stated as she walked in to the living room and took a seat right next to Jed.

“Good”, Jed responded as he put his arm around Charlotte’s shoulder.
“Do you want to watch tv or listen to music Jed?”, Charlotte said as she nuzzled up to Jed on the sofa.

“Music would be great”, Jed replied.

“Country music okay?”, Charlotte asked as she reached for the remote next to her on the end table.

“Sure”, Jed replied.

“I’ll be right back”, Charlotte stated as she got up and went in to the kitchen. She returned with two cups of coffee and handed one to Jed.

“Thank you”, Jed said as he took a sip.

“How did you know how much cream and sugar to use? It’s perfect.”, Jed stated.

“I have seen you get your coffee ready and just used the same amount that you put in”, Charlotte replied proudly.

“Oh”, Jed replied sheepishly.

“I’m glad you took me to your mom’s house. I had a good time”

“I’m glad I took you. I knew mom would like you”, Jed stated as he put his arm back around her shoulders. Charlotte nuzzled in once again. The two of them sat on the sofa for another half hour drinking their coffee, talking, and listening to the stereo. Jed started to yawn before he caught himself, but Charlotte saw it.

“I better get going”, Jed stated.

“I’m starting to get a little tired”, Jed added.

“Me too”, Charlotte replied as the two of them stood up.

“I really had a great time”, Charlotte said as she led Jed to the door.

“I did too”, Jed replied as he slipped on his coat and headed for the door.

“Good night Jed”, Charlotte said as she wrapped her arms around Jed.

“Good night sweetie”, Jed replied as he gave her another kiss.

“Drive carefully”, Charlotte said as she opened the door and let Jed out.

“I will”, Jed replied as he starting walking toward the parking lot.

Charlotte carefully shut the door. It was too late to call Miranda so she went and got ready for bed. She laid down on the bed and quickly fell asleep. Jed drove home and he too went to bed.

January’s Warmness – Chapter 19

Chapter 19 – Saul’s recovery

Saul remained in the hospital for the rest of the week and half of the next. His recovery was a slow process and he was still sore and weak after ten days. Gail came up to see him every day as did Paul and Hal. Paul kept him filled in on the judicial proceedings against Tony McLean. Saul was disgusted that Tony had made bail and was on the street. Paul was not pleased with it either. Hal was livid. Gail ended up going to the doctor without Saul. Her doctor arranged to have Saul tested while he was in the hospital. She even came in to the hospital one day with Gail for a conference. Saul thought that that was very nice. Gail did too. They really wanted to find out what the problem was. Gail continued visiting every day until Saul was finally released after two and one half weeks. He was still quite sore from the surgery and Jed had told him he would be for a couple more weeks. He was looking forward to sleeping in his own bed, even if it was uncomfortable. He mostly just wanted to sleep with Gail. He told Gail that that was the hardest part. He was so used to sleeping with Gail that he had a hard time sleeping without her. Saul missed his computer too, although he did not tell Gail that. She knew it anyway. Gail was not dumb, she knew that Saul spent a lot of time on the computer. She also realized that it was a stress reliever for Saul, so it did not bother her a whole lot. Besides, it kept him out of her hair when she was trying to get stuff done around the house. Gail was looking forward to having Saul all to herself again. She missed him in bed too. Jed had warned Saul that he should not be engaging in any sex for at least for a month. He also told him that he would like to see him before any other strenuous activity was started. Gail assured Jed that she would keep Saul out of trouble and that she would take good care of him. When they arrived back home, the first thing Saul did was go to his computer. He turned it on and checked his e-mail. When he got done going through the thirty or forty e-mails, he started playing one of his games. Gail yelled in for him to not get too excited and reminded him what Jed had told him about too much excitement. Saul yelled back to let her know that he heard her and continued playing. Saul quickly got tired and headed off to bed. Gail joined him. He started to get frisky and Gail again reminded him that he would have to wait. Saul went to sleep dejected.

January’s Warmness – Chapter 18

Chapter 18 – The big game

Jed and Charlotte went out to dinner at the Whistle Stop Cafe in Clio. Jed picked Charlotte up at her apartment. He opened the door for her and held her hand when they went in to the restaurant. They sat toward the front today as all the tables in the back were taken. Meg was their waitress today. She is the more experienced of the three waitresses there. She brought them their coffee and cream and took their order. Jed and Charlotte sat and talked while they were waiting for their food. They had a pleasant conversation. Jed talked about flying again next weekend. Charlotte was thrilled and hopeful that he would ask her to go again. Charlotte still did not tell Jed what her family had said about her not seeing him. When dinner was over, Jed and Charlotte headed to Perani Arena to meet Miranda and Steve. Jed talked about how his was looking forward to meeting them. Charlotte just knew that Miranda would like Jed. She also hoped that Steve and Jed hit it off. They arrived at the arena and Jed opened the door for Charlotte and they walked hand in hand up to the entrance. Jed held the door open and Charlotte walked in, Jed followed. Miranda and Steve were standing next to the ticket booth when Jed and Charlotte walked in. Miranda ran to greet Charlotte and gave her a big hug. Charlotte introduced Jed to Miranda and Steve. Jed and Steve shook hands. Miranda just stood there and stared at Jed. Charlotte nudged her and Miranda reached out her hand. Jed shook her hand. The four of them walked up to the ticket booth and purchased their tickets. Jed was about to offer to take Charlotte’s coat until they walked in to the arena and he realized how cold it was inside. Jed asked if anyone would like anything from the concessions. They all decided to stop and get a large coffee before they sat down. They got their coffee and loaded it up with cream and sugar and headed for their seats. The girls sat next to each other in the middle with Jed on one end next to Charlotte and Steve on the other end. After sitting for about five minutes, Steve got up and moved the girls down one seat and then took the seat next to Jed.

“Miranda tells me you are a pilot”, Steve stated trying to strike up a conversation with Jed.

“Yes, I own a Cessna 172SP. I’ve been flying for a little while”, Jed responded.

“Do you get to fly much?”, Steve continued.

“Once or twice a month when my schedule allows it”, Jed replied smiling as the hockey game began.

“Do you like hockey Jed?”, Steve asked.

“It’s okay I guess, I’ve never been to a game before. I watch the Red Wings on tv once in a while”, Jed replied trying to sound interested.

“It’s a lot more exciting in person. You can see all the action at once. The fans reactions add to it too”, Steve said excitedly.

“Charlotte said that she liked hockey so I figured I would give it a try”, Jed said.

“She does, we go to a game or two every couple of weeks during the regular season, and all of the playoff games at home”, Steve replied.

“I could never take that much time off work to go that often. Let’s see how this game goes though”, Jed said hinting that he’d like to watch the game.

Steve had the girls move back to their original spots and he took his seat at the end again. The action on the ice was intense. Players were flying up and down the ice with blazing speed chasing the puck. The action was so fast that Jed could barely keep up with the puck and who had it. Charlotte told him that it is easier to follow once you know the players better. Jed was starting to enjoy the game. He remarked to Charlotte that watching the game was much better in person. During the first intermission, the four of them went back to the concession stand and got more coffee. They talked about how the first period went. The Generals were up by one goal. The score was two goals to one. They talked on the way back to their seats about how the game was going. Jed asked Steve what he did for a living. Steve told him that he was an electrician for a local company. He further added that he did mostly residential work wiring houses and garages. They talked about Jed being a surgeon. They got back to their seats just as the second period was starting. Charlotte could tell that Jed was starting to enjoy the game as he was watching quite intently. Jed would follow the puck from one end of the ice to the other. Jed reached down and grabbed Charlotte’s hand. Whenever there was a close play or someone got hit by another player, Jed would squeeze Charlotte’s hand. The more the game went on, the more intent Jed got. By the time that the second period was ending, Jed was yelling along with the rest of the crowd. He was having a good time. Charlotte was glad that Jed liked the game. At the end of the period, They went and got their coffee refilled and came back to their seats. Steve and Miranda sat holding hands, as did Jed and Charlotte. The Generals were still up two goals to one when the third period started. There was a lot of action on the ice. The teams would go from one end of the ice to the other. About halfway through the third period, the Generals scored a goal. Charlotte bent over and planted a kiss on Jed’s check in excitement. Jed gentlely put his hand on her cheek and turned her head to his. He then gave her a passionate kiss on the lips and told her thank you for bringing him. The Generals were up three goals to one. Two minutes later, on the time clock, the Mallards blew one in to the net. That made the score three to two. The crowd groaned. A couple of minutes later, one of the Generals got a high sticking penalty. During the ensuing power play, the Mallards scored again to tie the score at three to three. The crowd groaned again when they scored. There was two minutes left in the third period, when one of the Mallards players was penalized for boarding. The Generals were on the power play. Jed squeezed Charlotte’s hand. The pressure was on for the Generals, they had to score to win. Most of the action was in the Generals offensive zone. With twenty two seconds on the clock, one of the General’s players hit the back of the net with the puck. He scored. The crowd jumped to their feet and cheered. Charlotte put her arm around Jed and gave him a big hug and kiss. The crowd remained on their feet for the final twenty two seconds. No one scored. The Generals had won the game. The crowd filed out of the arena. Jed and Charlotte told Steve and Miranda goodnight and headed to the car hand in hand. Jed once again opened the door for Charlotte and she climbed in to the car. It took quite a while to get out of the parking lot. Jed and Charlotte started talking.

“So, what did you think of the game?”, Charlotte asked hoping that Jed did enjoy the game.

“That was real exciting. I did not realize how much better the game is live and in person”, Jed replied excitedly.

“We picked a good game to go to, and, the Generals won”, Charlotte replied just as excitedly.

“I could not believe how much faster the game is live. It seemed to only take an hour or so to play. I can’t believe it was almost three hours.”, Jed stated.

“It was. It was a very good game”, Charlotte replied.

“Do you want to go grab a coffee and talk for a bit?”, Jed asked hopefully.

“Sure, I don’t have to get up in the morning. Do you?”, Charlotte responded.

“No, I have tomorrow off. I am going over to my mom’s house for a couple of hours in the afternoon, but other than that I have nothing else planned.”, Jed replied.

“Let’s get coffee then”, Charlotte stated with a smile.

“Okay, let’s”, Jed replied as he pulled the car in to Starbucks.

The two of them ordered their drinks and then find a table to sit at and continue their conversation.

“How’s your mocha?”, Jed asks Charlotte as she takes a sip.

“Good, how’s yours?, Charlotte stated taking another sip.

“Good. Do you have any plans for tomorrow?”, Jed asks.

“No, none really, I was just going to sit home and read or putter around the house”, Charlotte replied.

“Would like you like to meet my mom?”

“I’d love to”, Charlotte responded with a smile.

“Good, can I pick you up around four thirty?”

“That would be good, what should I wear? Should I bring anything?”, Charlotte replied nervously.

“I’m wearing jeans and a sweater. Just bring yourself”, Jed replied with a smile.

“It’s a date then!”, Charlotte replied.

“Mom is making dinner so come hungry. She is kind of old fashioned, so be prepared to eat. When I was still living at home, she’d make enough for four even though it was just the two of us.”, Jed stated.

“My mom does that too. Only she always made enough for an army. My brother were big eaters though. So I guess she had a reason.”, Charlotte stated and then stopped because she realized she was starting to ramble.

“Moms are like that I guess”, Jed reassured Charlotte.

“Yea, they are aren’t they”, Charlotte said trying to recover.

“I wanted to call you the day after the accident but mom gave me a hard time about. Good girls don’t call boys she said. I was real glad when you called me.”, Charlotte continued.

“My mom is like that too, she always had a fit when girls called me at home.”, Jed stated reassuring Charlotte that her mom was normal.

“I’ll remember not to call you at your mom’s then”, Charlotte said with a chuckle.

“You can call me anytime, we’re dating now so it would be okay”, Jed said with a smile.

“Yes, we are, aren’t we”, Charlotte smiled back.

“Mom will like you, you seem to have your head on straight. You seem to know what you want and you go after it. Yes, she’ll like you”, Jed reassured her.

“I hope so, cause I really like you Jed”, Charlotte stated with a smile.

“I like you too Charlotte”, Jed responded back smiling.

“Did you really like the hockey game?”, Charlotte asked, changing the subject.

“It was a lot better than I thought it would be. I did enjoy it. The company was good too.”, he said with a chuckle.

“That’s good, I’m really glad you enjoyed it. It was real nice going with someone else to share the excitement with”, Charlotte replied back.

“I was glad I went. I enjoy your company Charlotte”, Jed replied with a sly smile. “It was nice meeting Steve and Miranda too”

“She’s been my best friend since college. I was real happy when she married Steve. He’s a good guy and he treats her good too.”

“He did seem nice. I like Miranda too.”, Jed said as he took the last drink from his coffee.

Looking at the time, Charlotte told Jed that they had better get going. Jed grabbed for her hand and led her out the door. He took her home. Jed walked her to the door where he put his arms around her and gave her a kiss on the lips. They told each other goodnight and Charlotte went inside. Jed got back in to his car and drove home.