Nobody

Another Glass of Wine

After a long while I got up and started making dinner. I settled on Miss Mary-Beth's casserole, finishing off the last of it, mainly because I was feeling lazy and I liked tater-tot casserole. I sat on the back deck, smoking cigarettes and watching the sun go down, thinking about nothing. Finally, as twilight set in, I went back inside, put the dishes in the dishwasher, and headed for the computer room.

Tires crunching on gravel warned me that someone had decided to drive up. Curious I closed the door to the computer room and went in and stood in the front room, staring out the big picture window. I stood in the dark of the front room, watching them park in between my trucks. I could tell when they got out it was Miss Mary-Beth.

The coincidence made me chuckle.

She had another casserole dish in her hands as she climbed the steps, walked across the deck, and knocked on the door.

When I opened the door she smiled, dressed in a dark blue, almost black, dress with colorful flowers on it. She had a hat with flowers around the brim again.

"I thought you could use another meal, Mister English, so I thought I would help the good Lord provide," She said, giving me a smile. I could tell she was nervous.

"Just finished off your other one," I told her with a smile that seemed to relax her slightly. "Your casserole dish is in the dishwasher. Please, come in," I moved to the side and motioned.

"The Good Lord works in mysterious ways," She smiled, moving into the front room and handing me the still warm casserole dish.

The only light was from the little lights above the kitchen island as I went in and put it in the fridge. I considered and then discarded the idea of turning the lights on.

"How long would you say it'll take for the dishwasher?" Miss Mary-Beth asked me, taking off her hat.

I shrugged. "Forty-five minutes, maybe an hour? Not sure."

"May I?" She asked, pointing to the couch and setting her hat on the coffee table. I nodded and she sat down, pointing at the cigarettes and Zippo on the table. I nodded and she picked them up, lighting two as I moved over to her carrying a dish-towel and sat down next to her.

"I hope you don't think unkindly of me, Mister English, for what transpired during my last visit," she said softly. She took a long drag off her cigarette and gave a long exhale of pleasure, staring at the smoke for a moment before turning to me and smiling. "The Lord knows my husband hates it when I smoke."

I smiled at her. "I don't mind, Miss Mary-Beth. Bowling league night?" She nodded and I patted her knee. "Good to know."

"How's your recovery coming, Mister English? Well I hope, the Good Lord willing," She said softly.

"I'm a lot better now. Doc Rutheford told me to I need to exercise a bit more though," I told her.

Miss Mary-Beth flushed and slapped my leg playfully. "Mister English, what in God's name are you suggesting?" her voice was mock-outraged as she turned to face me.

"Nothing untoward, Miss Mary-Beth," I told her, still smiling. I reached up, playing with the top button of her dress. She smiled and put her shoulders back, lifting her breasts.

"Good thing, Mister English, after all, I am a married, church going woman," She told me as the first button came undone. She glanced down and inhaled slowly when the second button came undone.

"I wouldn't dream of doing or saying anything that might impugn on your reputation as a God fearing woman, Miss Mary-Beth," I said as the third and forth buttons came undone to reveal a heavy duty white bra.