One Hour Photo

Astrid Wagner checked her small to-do list as she walked

out of the Central Avenue Bank. The thirty-nine year old redhead

had been running errands all morning and only two items remained.

The last was to pick up groceries and would be done on her way

home. That just left dropping off two rolls of film to be

developed.

Checking her coupon wallet, she found the discount

certificate she remembered getting in the mail earlier in the

month. Despite the substantial insurance settlement following her

husband's fatal accident the year before, Astrid still tried to save

money wherever she could. Checking the address on the coupon,

she saw that the store was only four blocks over. Dropping it back

into her purse, she decided to leave her car where it was parked

and walk over.

There were two customers ahead of her in line when she

entered the store, so Astrid had to wait a few minutes. The black

haired young man behind the counter, dressed in a blue T-shirt and

jeans, quickly handled the short line and it was soon her turn.

"Welcome to Photo World, how can I help you today?" the

slim teenager asked with a smile as Astrid stepped up to the

counter.

"I'd like to have these developed, please," she replied,

returning his smile.

"I think we can manage that," the young man, whose

nametag identified as Alexander, grinned. "Would you like one hour

service or would tomorrow be soon enough?"

"Tomorrow would be just fine," Astrid answered, thinking

that she never understood why so many people needed to have

photos developed in an hour. Especially since the exposed

canisters had probably sat in a dresser drawer for the longest

time before they ever got around to bringing them in.

"If you'll just fill these out then," Alexander said as he put

two envelopes in front of her. "I'll be right back." he added as

another customer stepped up to the other end of the counter.

Astrid quickly filled out her name and address, along with

the number of prints she wanted. She decided on double copies

since both rolls were of her new grandson's baptism and

undoubtedly the proud mother and father would want copies as

well.

While she waited for Alexander to finish the other

transaction, Astrid glanced around the store. In addition to quick

developing, the small shop also sold frames, albums, various photo

equipment and of course film. What also caught her eye was a

'help wanted' sign near the door that she hadn't noticed when

she'd walked in.

"What kind of help are you looking for?" the short haired

redhead asked as Alexander came back to take her envelopes.

"Someone to run the developing machine, work the counter,

that sort of thing," he answered as he checked the envelope to

make sure that all the information was there. "Pretty much the

same things I do."

"You need someone with experience then," Astrid asked,

"to work the machine I mean?"

"Not really," came his reply. "A few days training and

almost anyone could handle it. It's almost idiot-proof."

Alexander paused a second to drop the envelopes into the

appropriate storage tray and then rang up the sale for the rolls of

film she had also bought. As Astrid handed him a few bills, he

asked. "Did you know someone who might be interested?"

"Actually, I though I might be," she said as he handed back

the change.

"Really?" Alexander said, a surprise in his tone. "I really

didn't expect someone like you to be interested in a job like this."

"Too old to learn?" Astrid asked, more in humor than

anything else.

"No, no definitely not," Alexander quickly replied, having

taken the quip far more seriously than she'd intended. "It's just

that usually we wind up with high school or college kids, basically

because of the money if nothing else. I mean it's better than

minimum wage, but not exactly going to make anyone live the good

life."

"And which are you?" Astrid asked out of curiosity.

"Somewhere in-between," Alexander said. "I graduated last

month and start college in the Fall. Plus my Dad owns the store so

if you're really serious, you'll have to talk to him."

Astrid considered it for a moment, asking herself if she was

indeed serious. The idea of getting a job had been on her mind for

a while now, just not urgently. With her daughter, Karen, married

and now a mother, and her son, Karl away at school, the house was

quite empty. It wasn't a matter of needing to make money to live

on, just the need to have something to do every day. Something

more interesting than just watching the soaps and cleaning a house

that only needed it once a week.

"Do I need to fill out an application?" she asked, making up

her mind.

"Not really, at least not until Dad has a chance to interview

you. Do you think you could come back this afternoon, say after

two? He'll be in by then."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Astrid replied as she glanced

up at the clock on the wall. "I'll see you after two then."

-=-=-=-

With two hours to kill, Astrid decided to have lunch in town

rather than make the thirty-minute drive home and then back

again. Dayton's Diner was always one of her favorite places to eat

and she was sure she'd be able to get a table even at this time of

day.

Sitting in a corner booth, enjoying the special of the day,

Astrid asked herself one more time if this was something she

really wanted to do. After all, it wouldn't be fair to the man who

owned the store to take the job if she wasn't really serious about

it. Finally, after spending almost an hour thinking about it, she

decided that she was very much so.

Sitting in an empty house was driving her crazy, that much

was pretty evident. Even more so were the attempts by her

friends to make sure that she got through what they referred to

as 'her time of grief'. Undoubtedly, a few of them would see her

taking this job as a side-effect of that grief, something she

wouldn't have done had she been in her right mind.

Yet the truth was, not that any of them would understand it,

was that she was more in her right mind now than when Pete was

alive. If he hadn't died in that car crash when he did, they

would've wound up in divorce court by the end of the year. The

marriage had been a sham for the longest time, with Pete playing

around on her so openly as not to care anymore. Added to that, his

drinking had brought them to a point where they were more

roommates than husband and wife.

No, she had hardly been devastated by his death. If

anything, she had been reborn by it. Astrid was of course sorry

that he'd been killed, if only for the man he once was. But she'd

be damned if she was going to spend the rest of her life mourning

the man that he'd become. No, in the end, all the good that had

come out of their marriage had been the children and a large

enough insurance policy as to make a new life possible.

After lunch, she still had a little time to kill and decided to

walk off lunch. Glancing at her reflection in the glass display

windows along the avenue, Astrid saw a woman just slightly past

her prime. She'd always tried to take care of her body and, as a

result, weighed only a dozen or so pounds more than she did when

she'd graduated high school. Her medium sized breasts were still

noticeable, if not as firm as they'd been back then, and she'd also

managed to hold the line when it came to other parts of her body.

Most of the girls she'd grown up hadn't fared as well with that

battle.

The bell on the courthouse clock stuck two o'clock and

Astrid headed back to Photo World. It was a short walk, but one

in which each step told her she was doing the right thing.

-=-=-=-

Stepping back into the store, Astrid had no problem picking

out Alexander's father. In his early fifties, the salt and pepper

haired man was an equally handsome older version of his son. Fit

and trim, something to be admired in a man of any age, he also

sported a two-tone van dyke beard.

"Welcome to Photo World, how can I help you today?" he

said, echoing his son's greeting of before.

"Hi, my name is Astrid Wagner," she explained, "I was here

a little earlier and I'm interested in the position you have open."

"Oh yes, Alexander told me about you," he said with a warm

smile. "I was wondering if maybe you'd come to your senses and

decided not to come back."

"Hardly that," Astrid grinned.

"Well if you're still interested, why don't we step into the

back office and talk about it," the older man said as he called for

his son to come out and take over the counter. "I'm Nicholas

Jennings by the way."

"Nice to meet you," Astrid replied as she followed him

around the counter and into the back room. As she passed

Alexander coming out, they two of them exchanged a smile as he

silently wished her good luck.

The back room doubled as both office and storage room,

with a number of boxes piled up against the far wall. Nicholas

stepped over to a coffee machine atop a filing cabinet and poured

himself a cup, offering her one as well. Directing Astrid to the

seat on the far side of the desk, Nicholas took his own chair and

asked her why she wanted the job.

Repeating the thoughts she had gathered during lunch,

Astrid explained that she was a widow and while she didn't need

the money, she did need to find something to occupy her time now

that her children were grown. She thought the job might be

interesting and while she hadn't worked in a number of years, she

promised to give it her best effort and learn what she needed to

know as soon as possible.

Nicholas said he appreciated her candor and wanted to be

just as candid in his response. This was just one of three stores he

owned, with plans to open a fourth over the summer. Because of

that, his time was split among all three, soon to be four, locations.

It was important, therefore, to have people who could run the

stores on their own with minimum supervision and handle any little

problems that might come up.

He was glad to be able to hire a responsible adult rather

than the students the position normally attracted. Not that he

hadn't had some fine young men and women work for him in the

past, his son of course included in that group, but they tended to

be few and far in-between.

It was at that point that Astrid lost track of what exactly

Nicholas was saying. She knew it had something to do with the

duties the job entailed, but the words had become something of a

blur. In the confines of the small office, and with the worry about

getting the job out of the way, the redhead suddenly became much

more aware of Nicholas Jennings as a man.

During the beginning of the interview, she was sure she'd

caught the photo store owner checking her out. His eyes lingering

on her legs for just a moment too long. That happened often

enough to reassure her that men still found her attractive.

Normally, she only gave such looks a cursory notice, but this time,

it made her feel quite warm, and not a little wet between her legs.

Rather than feeling embarrassed, after all this was a job

interview, Astrid found herself wondering if Nicholas and his wife

were still happily married? Did they still rock the sheets, or had

their marriage bed grown as cold as hers had been at the end.

What kind of fuck was the man sitting across from her?

"Any questions?" Nicholas asked as he concluded the

interview.

"Excuse me?" Astrid asked in turn as those final words

registered through her idle musing.

"Was there anything you'd like to ask me?" Nicholas

repeated.

"I guess the only thing to ask would be when do I start?"

she lied as she forced the more inappropriate questions from her

head.

"Tomorrow would be soon enough," came the reply.

They emerged from the office a minute later, with Nicholas

telling his son that Astrid had the job. He added that he was

depending on him to show her the ropes and he knew that

Alexander wouldn't let him down.

"Don't worry Dad," the eighteen year old promised. "A

week from now she'll be better on the developer than I am."

Astrid was too busy taking a last admiring look at the elder

Mr. Jennings to notice that the younger was pretty much doing the

same to her.

-=-=-=-

That week came and went and while Astrid would hardly

make the claim that she was better on the developer than

Alexander, she did become quite skilled at it. She guessed the

whole process was idiot-proof after all.

Along the way, and in the weeks that followed, Astrid and

Alexander struck up a pretty nice friendship. To the teenager, she

seemed more an older sister than a contemporary of his mother

and Astrid quickly forget that her co-worker was a year younger

than her own son.

The summer passed quickly, and by the time August rolled

around, Astrid felt that maybe that boast from the day she'd been

hired might now be true after all. On the flip side of the coin, she

also now felt a little sad that with the start of school only a month

away, she was going to miss working with Alexander.

"Welcome to Photo World, how can I help you today?"

Astrid said, having also adopted the standard greeting.

"Is Mr. Jennings in?" the dark haired gentleman asked as he

placed a roll of film on the countertop.

"I'm afraid he won't be in until later today," Astrid

answered, "I'm sure I can help you though."

"I'd rather Nick develop this," he insisted as his fingers

closed defensively around the canister, "he takes care of all of my

photos."

Astrid thought the request rather silly, but the first rule of

business was making the customer happy. Besides, since it was

obvious the man was on a first name basis with the store owner so

his request probably not that unusual.

She filled out the envelope and wrote across the top that it

was for the personal attention of Nicholas Jennings. Of course,

they wouldn't be ready until late this evening when Nicholas came

in, she told the customer, but he didn't seem to have a problem

with that at all.

A few minutes later, Alexander returned from lunch,

escorted by two attractive young ladies. One was Samantha

Montgomery, a curvaceous blonde that Alexander had been dating

since his junior year. Actually, the two had known each other since

grade school, but had only gone from friendship to something more

serious in their late teens. The other girl, a brunette almost as

well developed, was Doris Sullivan, who had been Samantha's best

friend even longer. And by association, she had become

Alexander's friend as well.

"Have a good time?" Astrid asked as Alexander lifted a

moveable section of the countertop and stepped behind it.

"It was great," Samantha answered for him.

Astrid turned towards Alexander to see if he agreed, but

only got a weak smile in response. Perhaps there was a problem

between the two, she thought, no relationship was perfect.

Hopefully it was only a minor one. Since meeting her earlier in the

summer, the redhead had developed a real liking for the younger

blonde, and thought she was real good for Alexander. It was a pity

that they were going away to different schools next month,

something that would put a strain on any relationship.

"We're going to have to hurry if we're going to make the

movie, Sam," Doris pointed out as she looked up at the wall clock.

"What film are you going to see?" Astrid asked, turning her

attention from Alexander back to the girls.

"Girls Night Out," Samantha replied.

"I've heard that is supposed to be pretty funny," Astrid

noted, thinking that she'd also heard that it was somewhat racy as

well.

A helpful idea popped into the older woman's head. Turning

back to Alexander, she suggested that maybe he'd like to take the

rest of the afternoon off and go with the girls to the movie. She

would, she assured him, be able to handle the store alone.

"Thanks," Alexander said, "but it's okay. I really didn't

want to see that movie anyway."

"Suit yourself," Astrid shrugged, thinking that he was

missing the point. It wasn't what was on the screen that mattered

as much as who was in the seat next to you.

Samantha leaned over the counter and gave Alexander a

quick goodbye kiss, telling him that he was the greatest. Hardly

the comment of an angry woman, thought Astrid. Then again,

there were plenty of times she didn't understand her own

teenagers, so who was she to judge anyone else's.

Wanting to change the subject once the girls left, Astrid

mentioned the special order request to Alexander. He said that

there were a few customers like that, but didn't think anything of

it. As long as they didn't expect instant service, and in this case,

they didn't, it was okay.

Figuring he was right, Astrid put the matter from her mind

and turned her attention to the backlog of one-hour orders that

had piled up during the lunch hour. Between the two of them, it

didn't take long to catch up.

Alexander had told her this morning that he had to leave at

four, which wasn't a problem since Nicholas was due in at

four-thirty. Astrid had momentarily forgotten that when she

suggested he leave to go to the movies. That he was working a

short day as it was might have been the reason he didn't want to

make it any shorter. Any problem between him and Samantha

might've been all in her imagination.

-=-=-=-

By the time Alexander left for the day, business had slowed

down to a trickle. In fact. they had only one customer come in

after he was gone. Although a regular, the woman now standing at

the counter was never one of Astrid's favorite people.

"Good afternoon, Monica," Astrid said with a smile. putting

her business face before any personal feelings. "How can I help

you today?"

"I just need to get a few blow ups made," Monica Brown said

as she laid two strips of negatives on the counter. "The first two

on this strip and then the second on the other."

Astrid picked up the strips and held them up to the light for

a moment to check the numbers. Then she took two negative

holders from under the counter and marked off which ones she

wanted.

"Did you want 5x7's or 8x10's?"

"5x7's would be fine," Monica replied.

Astrid quickly marked off the appropriate box, glad that she

could send this particular customer on her way. Monica, however,

didn't seem to be any particular hurry to leave.

"Is Alexander around?" she asked, glancing at the closed

door to the back room.

"No, he's already left for the day," Astrid replied. "In

fact, I was just getting ready to close up myself."

"How bout Nicholas?" Monica asked, totally missing, or at

least ignoring the hint.

"He's not coming in today," Astrid said, hoping that the

store owner didn't show up in the next few minutes to prove her a

liar.

"Too bad, I was hoping to say hello," the long haired blonde

smiled, more than a touch of regret in her tone. "That, is one fine

hunk of man," she added, "but then I guess I don't have to tell

you that."

Monica's innuendo reminded her once more why she didn't

like the sales clerk from the deli across the street. The two

women were just about the same age, but the blonde hardly acted

it. She constantly dressed like a woman still in her twenties, at

least one that was constantly on the prowl. Even today, she had on

a tight fitting top that looked at least two sizes too small and thin

enough to show off her nipples.

"Well tell Nicholas I was asking about him," Monica said as

she turned and strutted out the door.

"Yeah, sure," Astrid said under her breath.

There was little chance that she was even going to mention

to Nicholas, when he did show up, that the little tramp had even

been asking about him. With all the stories she'd heard from

other people in the block's Business Improvement Association, she

didn't feel unjustified in applying that nomenclature to her.

Following that first interview with Nicholas, Astrid learned

that his was indeed a happy marriage. She had met Mariel

Jennings several times and liked her a great deal. If Astrid had

anything to say about it, Monica would never have the chance to

come between the two Jennings.

-=-=-=-

Five o'clock came and went and still no sign of Nicholas. By

the time five-twenty rolled around, Astrid began to become

concerned and tried a few times to get him on his cell phone. She

got him on the third try and learned that he'd blown a tire on the

way back from the new store and wouldn't be there until at least

seven.

Hanging up the phone, Astrid remembered the special order

that she had promised to be done by six. All of the rest of the

day's prints were done, so she decided that there was no reason

why she should let that one sit there. She knew she had promised

that she would have Nicholas do it, but it wasn't like they were

charging anything extra for it. It seemed pretty silly to leave that

roll for him to do after having to deal with the problem of the

blown tire.

A few minutes later, the first prints began to come off the

machine and Astrid had to say that she doubted that even Nicholas

could've done a better job with the equipment at hand. It wasn't

until the fifth and sixth prints dropped into the tray that she

realized why the customer had been so insistent that only the

store owner develop them.

Just about every print featured the man who had brought

the roll in, and a woman who, Astrid assumed, was his wife or

girlfriend. Unlike most of the prints she'd processed that day, the

couple in these had a noticeable lack of clothing.

"Oh my God!" Astrid gasped as the last half dozen prints fell

into place, filled with images of the sort she hadn't seen since

she'd found the pile of dirty magazines Pete had kept hidden in the

garage.

Lifting the pile out of the tray, Astrid went through them

again, this time with a more discerning eye. Once the surprise

wore off, they didn't shock her as much. After all, there was

nothing in them that she hadn't seen, or done, before. In fact, the

brunette in the pictures seemed to be definitely enjoying herself.

That was something the film developer hadn't been able to say

about herself for the longest time.

After having gone through the pile of photographs for the

third time, Astrid began to wonder what she should do about them.

Was it even legal to print such things? She debated the dilemma

for a few minutes, then made a decision. Stuffing the prints and

negatives into an envelope, she locked them in the countertop

drawer.

Just in time as the owner of the prints walked in the front

door a few minutes later. Hoping he didn't ask for the undeveloped

film back, Astrid explained that Nicholas had car trouble and that

the prints wouldn't be ready until tomorrow. To her relief, he said

it wasn't a problem and he'd be back the next day.

Only one customer came in after that, and Astrid was glad

to be able to lock up after they left. Even though the workday was

over, she decided to wait for Nicholas to show up. She wanted to

ask him what she should do with the X-rated pictures.

Which he did ten minutes later, thanking her for staying.

Astrid told him about the pictures and how the customer had

personally requested that Nicholas develop them. Apologizing for

taking it upon herself to do the work, she handed him the envelope.

Nicholas didn't bother to open it to see what was inside, instead

only taking a moment to glance down at the name on it before the

older man apologizing to her in turn.

"I guess I should've told you about special orders," Nicholas

said, "and what to do about them."

"I wasn't sure if I was even supposed to print pictures like

that," Astrid pointed out.

"Well as long as there aren't minors involved or anything like

that, there's really nothing illegal about them," Nicholas

explained. Still, different companies handle them different ways.

Most mail order places or the big stores will just destroy them on

the spot. That's why few people send them to those places. Local

shops usually have a more flexible set of rules. It's really up to

the owner."

"I see," Astrid nodded.

"And to be honest, I don't see any harm in it," Nicholas

went on. "You can see a lot worse on almost any newsstand. Most

times it's just simple nude shots, but some people like the Taylors

like to take it a little further. With all the digital cameras out

there now, it's been a while since we got a roll like this."

"Is that Mrs. Taylor?" Astrid asked out of curiosity.

"Yes it is, nice lady," he added. "They live two blocks away

from me. Her husband owns a hardware store over on Maple."

"So I guess I'll just give them to him when he comes in

tomorrow."

"If that's a problem for you, I'll take care of it," Nicholas

offered.

"No, not at all," Astrid replied. "I wasn't offended by the

pictures, just surprised."

"Well if any more special orders ever come in, I'll leave it up

to your discretion about what to do with them," Nicholas

concluded. "I'd just rather that Alexander not develop any of

them."

"I understand."

"Oh don't get me wrong," Nicholas explained. "I'm not

naive enough to think that my son's never seen pictures like that,

or maybe even done some of the things in them. After all, he's

eighteen years old. I'd just rather not put him in the situation of

having to deal with a customer he'd just developed nude

photographs of. That might make him feel a little awkward."

"Of course," Astrid agreed, finding herself wondering how

she was going to feel when she handed those pictures to Mr. Taylor

tomorrow.

"Well, lets call it a night," Nicholas said as he told Astrid to

take off and he'd lock up.

-=-=-=-

To her surprise, Astrid didn't feel even a hint of

embarrassment when Mr. Taylor came in the next day to pick up

his photos. She was as calm and professional as could be, At least

she was until Mrs. Taylor also joined them at the counter.

"We almost done here, Tool Man?" she asked her husband as

she checked her watch.

"Just paying for the film, Jill," the man said as he took his

change from Astrid.

Watching them leave, the redhead thought it strange that

actually meeting the woman in those photos had left her so

flustered. If wasn't as if she'd never seen another woman naked

before. Then again, none of those naked women had been sucking

their husband's cock at the time.

"You okay, Astrid?" Alexander asked as he noticed her

flustered look.

"I'm fine," she smiled. "I must be getting old, I just had a

hot flash." she joked.

"You're not old," Alexander pointed out.

"You didn't think so the day I walked in here and asked

about the job."

"Well, I think you've gotten younger since then," the

teenager smiled.

Astrid had to also smile. In her own view, Alexander had

become a lot older over the last few months as well.

"Oh by the way, would you be able to close up for me

tomorrow night?" she asked. "I know it's Saturday and you and

Samantha might have plans, but I..."

"Hot date?"

"Well a date anyway, I don't know if I'd call it hot," Astrid

said. "In fact, I haven't even met him yet, my sister-in-law set it

up."

"A blind date!" Alexander laughed. "I didn't think anyone

still went on those."

"Well they do if they can't think of a graceful way out of

it," the older woman said. "So could you?"

"Consider it done," Alexander replied. "You've covered

often enough for me."

-=-=-=-

Stepping out of the shower the next morning, Astrid walked

naked into her bedroom and took a good look at herself in the

mirror. Slowly she turned all the way around, checking out every

aspect of her body, from her breasts to the cheeks of her ass.

"I'd give me at least a six," she told herself, "or maybe

even a seven."

For women in her age group, that wasn't bad, she added.

Mrs. Taylor, star of naughty photos, she decided would merit an

eight or nine. The mental image that flashed through her mind

reminded Astrid of just how long since she'd enjoyed the games

that had been captured in those photographs and how much she

missed them.

"You know," she told herself as she looked at the underwear

she had previously laid out on the bed and decided to replace them

with something more interesting, "if this Doctor Dale Kingston is

really all Susan says he is, tonight could be his lucky night. Or

maybe I should say mine."

Slipping on a pair of fire engine red, lace bra and panties,

the thirty-nine year old wondered what her children would think of

her considering fucking a man on a first date. A wicked curl

formed at the corner of her mouth as she imagined their replies.

Karl of course, being the more conservative of the two, would be

shocked. There were times when her younger child couldn't even

acknowledge that his parents had sex in the first place. It was as

if he and his sister had been conceived through immaculate

conception. Karen, on the other hand, would not only tell her to 'go

for it' but would give her a few pointers as well.

"I knew there was a reason I always like Karen the best,"

Astrid laughed as she reached into her bra and adjusted her

breasts, making sure it was still a comfortable fit.

The dress she had picked out was one she hadn't worn in

years. It didn't quite cry out 'slut', but it certainly wouldn't pass

for church wear either. All-purpose black, it was short enough to

show off her legs, and low enough on top to give a tantalizing view

of her mounds. She completed the outfit with a pair of black high

heels, and sheer stockings to go with the garter belt she had

previously put on.

"I almost seems a shame to take it all off," she told herself

as she admired the final product in the mirror, "at least if there's

no one there to admire it as you do."

Still, it would hardly do for her to show up at work dressed

like that. Instead, it would all go into a garment bag and she'd

change for her date in the back room. There was a small bathroom

with a large enough mirror for her to do her makeup, and more

importantly, a lock on the office door that closed from the inside.

So, reluctantly, it all went away, to be replaced by a simple

pair of tan slacks, a dark blue blouse and a well-worn pair of

sneakers. Hopefully, the next time that dress came off, it would

be to an appreciative audience.

-=-=-=-

Five o'clock came soon enough and Astrid excused herself to

get ready for her date. After washing up and putting on her

makeup, it took almost no time at all to change the rest of her

clothing. Everything she'd worn to work went into a gym bag that

she'd take home tomorrow since there was no room in her trunk

and she didn't feel comfortable leaving the bag on the back seat.

"Whoa, sexy lady," Alexander gushed as Astrid stepped out

of the back room.

"Not too much?"

"I hope this doctor is a heart surgeon," Alexander replied,

"cause you're going to be causing heart attacks all over town."

Astrid smiled, that was exactly what she needed to hear

right now.

"Hold on, let me get a picture of you," Alexander said as he

grabbed one of the disposable cameras off the rack and quickly

tore it open. "Something for you to remember this night by."

"I really don't think..." she started to say, but then stopped

when she saw that he already had the camera ready to go. "Okay,

just a quick one."

The quick one turned into four, five and then six, as

Alexander snapped away as fast as he could advance the film in the

cheap camera. Finally, Astrid said she had to go and said no to one

final pose.

"Well have fun," Alexander said as he watched her walk out

of the store.

"Hopefully," came Astrid's whispered response as the glass

door closed behind her.

-=-=-=-

Dinner turned out to be excellent, the food the best Astrid

had tasted in years. The restaurant was superb as well, right down

to the dim lighting and roving violin player wandering among the

tables. Unfortunately, it didn't take the time for them to even get

to the main course for the redhead to realize that neither of

those adjectives could be applied to the man sitting across the

table from her.

At first, when she had met the good doctor in front of the

restaurant, Astrid had thought she'd struck gold. The man was

gorgeous. Six one with a muscular build, a thick head of blond hair,

and a face that little reflected the age that Sue had told her,

Astrid quickly concluded that the man had to have been gay, or at

least have a string of ex-wives to need to go on a blind date to

meet someone.

It didn't take long, however, for her to discover that

neither of those suppositions were true, but a third, equally

damaging one certainly was. There seemed to be only one topic of

conversation that Doctor Kingston enjoyed discussing - namely

himself. By the time the dessert cart rolled around, Astrid knew

more than she ever wanted to know about the career of Dale

Kingston. The vibrator she kept in the night table by her bed had

more of a personality she thought, and that was the only thing that

was going to be pleasing her tonight.

"Oh dear," Doctor Kingston said as the beeper on his belt

came to life and he lifted it up to read the text message. "I'm

afraid that we're going to have to cut the night short. I'm needed

at the hospital."

"That's a shame," Astrid lied, thinking instead that if she'd

only thought of it, she'd have had him paged herself, "and we were

having such a good time too."

"Perhaps I could get someone to cover for me," the Doctor

suggested, much to the redhead's consternation.

"No, that wouldn't be right," Astrid quickly recovered.

"I'm sure they wouldn't have paged you if they didn't need your

particular expertise."

"I suppose you're right," he agreed as he called over the

waiter to asked for the check.

"Absolutely," Astrid said, reinforcing his personal sense of

importance. "And don't worry about me, I have my car and can

drive myself home."

From the look on his face, she realized that how she was

going to get home never occurred to him. For all he'd known, she

could've come to the restaurant on the bus.

Ten minutes later, safe in her car, Astrid vowed never to let

her sister-in-law set her up again. Hopefully, for whatever

emergency they had paged him for at the hospital, the good doctor

actually was really as good as he thought himself to be.

"Oh shit," Astrid called out as she started the car and

realized that the night wasn't getting any better,

The key ring in the ignition was missing the other half of it,

the one with her house keys. She had to have left it with her

clothes back in the gym bag. Throwing the car into gear, she

headed back to Photo World.

-=-=-=-

It was already well after closing and the front door to the

store was locked. Luckily, those keys were on the half of the ring

that Astrid still had. Letting herself in and then locking up behind

her, she noticed that the lights in the back room were on. Also,

Alexander's backpack was still sitting on the floor behind the

counter.

"I wonder what he's still doing here?" Astrid asked herself

as she reached out for the doorknob, hesitating for a second as

she considered the idea that he might not be alone. Having a

private place to play was always a concern to a young couple on a

Saturday night. "Better cover up, Alexander and Samantha, if

that's who's in there," she thought, "cause I need those keys."

"Excuse me," she called out in warning as she pushed the

door open and stepped inside. It took a moment for her eyes to

adjust to the brighter light, but when they did, it took all her

self-control not to laugh.

Alexander was in the back room all right, and almost to her

disappointment, quite alone. Sitting at the desk, his pants were

down around his ankles and his right hand was wrapped around his

cock. He was so wrapped up in the pumping motion he'd been

making, it took a few seconds for the teenager to register Astrid's

presence.

"Fuck!" he exclaimed as he dropped his cock and tried to

quickly pull up his pants.

Astrid tried to avert her eyes, looking at anything but his

bulging manhood. She did get enough of a look at it, however, to

have been suitably impressed. Samantha was indeed a lucky girl.

"I'm sorry Alexander," she apologized as he finished closing

his belt, "I didn't mean to..."

It was then Astrid noticed the half dozen photographs

spread out across the desk. They were only a few hours old, and

quite familiar. The pictures of her he'd taken with the disposable

camera.

"Oh my God!" she gasped as the teenager turned the

brightest shade of red possible.

Alexander stood there silently, not saying a work. Astrid

took a few long, deep breaths, looking again at the collection of her

photographs. This just didn't make sense to her.

"I think we need to have a little talk," she said as she

looked back at an embarrassed Alexander.

Giving in to the inevitable, Alexander nodded his head yes.

Pulling up one of the chairs, Astrid set it next to the one

Alexander had been sitting in and motioned for him to sit back

down. Then she did the same.

"I can't say that I'm not a little flattered," she began,

making reference to his choice of jerk off material, "but I'm also

a little stunned. Why would you want pictures of me, or anyone for

that matter, when you have a such a beautiful and sexy girlfriend

as Samantha?"

Alexander hesitated a few moments before answering.

When he did, the answer came as quite a surprise to Astrid.

"Samantha and I really don't do anything like that," he

confessed. "All we've ever have done is kiss."

"The two of you have never done anything?" Astrid asked,

thinking how unusual that sounded in this day and age. Sure, maybe

the two of them weren't fucking, but this was a generation, she

reminded herself, that viewed oral sex as part of petting.

"No," was his one word conformation.

"I'm sorry," Astrid said, still somewhat surprised. "I just

always assumed that the two of you were..."

"Samantha's gay."

"What?"

"Samantha's gay," Alexander repeated, "she's a lesbian."

"Did she tell you that?" the redhead asked, not believing

what she was hearing, but knowing that sometimes teenagers went

through some confusion about their sexuality. Her own daughter

had once spent the night with a girlfriend and wondered if she

might be gay for months after that.

"Yes, back in the summer before our junior year," Alexander

responded.

"Your junior year?" Astrid repeated, feeling even more

confused. "Then why were the two of you going out all this time?

The answer suddenly came to her in a flash. You just had to

look at the situation from a different angle.

"All this time," the redhead said as it became clear to her,

"it wasn't Doris tagging along when the two of you went out, it was

you going along with them. But why?"

"Samantha's parents are really religious and would've

disowned her if they knew she was gay," Alexander explained,

nodding his head in acknowledgment of Astrid's conclusion. "If she

could keep it a secret until she was eighteen and went away to

college, then the money put away for school would be hers and no

one else could touch it."

"Alexander," Astrid asked, "why would you do such a thing?

I know you wanted to help a friend, but at what cost? As long as

people thought you were with Samantha, you couldn't see any other

girls without seeming like you were cheating on her."

"That's okay," he said, not wanting to look right at her as if

he wanted to hide something. "There never were any other girls

that I was interested in."

"Alexander, are you interested in boys?" Astrid asked,

thinking that was what he was trying to say.

"No, I'm not gay," he said, looking up at her. "It's just that

girls my age really don't excite me."

"Oh," Astrid said as she glanced down at the pictures on the

desk and the last pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

Now it was Astrid who hesitated before saying anything

more. Alexander's revelation had put so many little things

between them over the last few months in a new perspective.

"Alexander, have you ever actually been with a woman?"

Astrid asked, wondering as soon as the words had come out of her

mouth why she had even asked such a question.

"Yes I have," Alexander admitted.

"Well that's something," Astrid said.

"Monica Brown," the young man unexpectedly clarified.

"What?" Astrid gasped, more shocked at that revelation

than the one that Samantha was a lesbian.

"Last December after the Business Association's Christmas

party," Alexander added, thinking that Astrid was looking for

more information. "She invited me back to her apartment."

The look of continued shock on Astrid's face told Alexander

that he had been very wrong about that. He might've just made

this whole situation even worse by being so open. A stillness filled

the air for long seconds as both just looked at each other.

"And now you must hate me," Alexander said, breaking the

silence as he turned his head away.

"Now that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard you

say," Astrid said as she reached out and, placing her fingers

against his cheek, turned his face back to hers. "I could never

hate you."

"You couldn't?"

"My God, of course not," Astrid said. "We're all entitled to

make a few mistakes. I care about you. If things were different,

if you were older and I was younger..."

Astrid paused as she realized how trite those words

sounded. At the same time, Alexander looked deep into her eyes,

the depth of his feelings for her clearly evident in his own.

"Alexander... I...."

The words never came out as the young man leaned forward

and kissed Astrid on her lips. It was a soft kiss, but full of

promise nevertheless. It took the redhead by surprise, but before

it ended, she found herself responding to it. He kissed her again,

this time more intimately. She opened her lips without hesitation,

taking him into her mouth.

Back and forth they traded kisses, even as their hands

explored each other's bodies through their clothes. Part of

Astrid's mind told her this was wrong, that she should stop

immediately. But it was a voice rapidly overtaking by much

stronger drives.

"Alexander, we can't," she said with her last bit of

self-control. "If I do this then I'm no better than Monica."

"No, you're nothing like Monica," the eighteen year old

insisted as he kissed her again. "She just wanted someone to fuck

her. If it wasn't me, it would've been someone else. I only want

you, only you."

"This is so wrong," Astrid told herself as her thoughts

swirled in confusion. "We shouldn't be doing this."

Yet, how could she convince Alexander of that, when she

honestly couldn't convince herself. After a few more minutes of

sharing each other's touch, Astrid finally realized that she wasn't

even trying to do that any longer.

-=-=-=-

Rising from her chair, Astrid swung her right leg over both

of Alexander's and sat on his lap. She kissed him again, this time

letting their lips brush together for only a fleeting touch. The

stiff hardness pressing against her crotch told her that he was as

excited as she was, ready to let their wants and desires take over.

But the last rational part of her mind held sway for one moment

more.

"Are you sure?" she silently asked with her eyes.

"More than I've ever been sure about anything," came the

reply in much the same manner.

With that, rational thought was swept aside, taking away

any barriers that may have existed between the two of them.

They were now simply a man and a woman, both eager to fulfill the

other's need.

Astrid reached down and took hold of Alexander's T-shirt,

pulling it up and over his head. Never taking her eyes from his, she

dropped the blue top onto the empty chair next to them. Her

hands caressed his smooth, almost hairless chest, her fingers

running back and forth across his nipples, causing them to grow

stiff and hard.

Letting out a deep sigh at her touch, Alexander reached

behind her neck and pulled down the zipper of her dress, causing it

to loosen around her body. Astrid pressed her feet against the

floor, lifting her body just high enough for the teen to lift her

dress up over her head. He held on to it just long enough to make

sure that it also came to rest on the spare chair and not the floor.

"Oh God!" Alexander exclaimed loudly as he took in the

sight of Astrid, now clad only in the bright red lingerie she had

wore underneath. "You are so beautiful."

Now more than ever, the redhead appreciated her decision

to add something more daring to her ensemble this morning.

Alexander ran his outstretched palms across her stomach, along

the lower edge of her bra and to her back where his fingers closed

on the clasp that held it together. As they worked it open,

Astrid's own hands rubbed the back of his neck, moving down to

his shoulders and back to the center of his chest.

Alexander slid the straps of her undergarment down along

her arms, freeing the ample mounds within. His eyes grew wide as

her hard pink nipples came into view. The appreciation sent a thrill

deep inside Astrid. It was one she was certain she wouldn't have

felt had it been Doctor Dale beneath her.

"I hope you're not disappointed," Astrid said as she brushed

her hand against his cheek.

"How could I be disappointed when I've been dreaming about

this every night for the last few months," Alexander said as he

ran his hands along the sides of her breasts.

"Are they better than Monica's?" she couldn't help but ask.

"No comparison," Alexander replied as he kissed her.

Astrid wrapped her arms around Alexander's neck, leaning

forward and pulling the two of them closer. Her chest pressed

against his, flesh on flesh, even as their mouths again came

together. It was a brief contact but full of the excitement yet to

come.

Alexander took firm hold of her breasts as they separated,

squeezing them with his fingers, enjoying the softness of her flesh

and the hardness of her nipples. Astrid continued to massage his

neck, working her way down his back.

Back and forth they went, enjoying the rising heat of each

other's body. All the while, Astrid could feel the press of his cock

grow even harder against her cheeks.

"Can I suck your tits... I mean your breasts" Alexander

asked unexpectedly.

"Honey," Astrid laughed softly, "you can do anything you

want. And you can call them whatever you want too."

Alexander's choice of words actually added to her arousal.

Breasts were a word to be used in the doctor's office during your

exam. Tits on the other hand were more suited to when you

wanted to be fucked.

Filled with enthusiasm, Alexander lifted Astrid's left breast

high enough that he could close his mouth around her nipple. His

tongue washed over the dark tip, pulling it deep between his lips.

Like many young men his age, his technique was clumsy, lacking the

skills learned through experience. Still, Astrid didn't mind,

thinking that Pete hadn't been much better their first time, and

she had hardly been the first girl who'd let him explore their body.

Alexander moved on to her other mound, doing no better,

but again no worse. Content to just let him enjoy himself, Astrid

thought there would be plenty of time for the teenager to learn

another day. She let him play a while longer, then gently

disengaged his mouth and slid as far down his legs as she could

without falling off them.

Her fingers closed on the belt buckle he had so hastily

closed before. It came undone in a moment, followed by the zipper

of his pants. Reaching down into his trousers, Astrid pulled his

stiff manhood out into the open air. As it rose to its full height,

the older woman had to gasp.

In her entire life, Astrid had only ever seen three erect

cocks. There was Pete's of course, with which she's spent half of

her life playing with. Then there was David Ryan, the only other

man she had ever gone all the way with before she'd been married.

That last had been her younger brother, Stephen, on whom she'd

walked in on one afternoon when he'd been masturbating and had

forgotten to lock his bedroom door. A snap comparison of all four,

the redhead decided, ranked Alexander as the second best she had

ever seen. Honesty compelled her to place Stephen on the top of

that list. She also decided that he really didn't count because

there was never any chance of her even touching it. Therefore, if

only on a technicality, Alexander had just been bumped up to

number one.

Suitably impressed, Astrid ran both hands up and down his

cock, enjoying the warmth and hardness of his flesh. Alexander

moaned as her fingers played with his manhood, stimulating the

sensitive flesh. It was hard to tell who was enjoying the simple

massage more.

Still holding his cock, Astrid slid all the way off Alexander's

lap and down to the floor. Her hand pumped his cock a few times

more, then tilted it just enough as to be able to take it deep inside

her mouth. Alexander let out a loud sigh as he felt her wetness

engulfed him as his cock disappeared between her lips. She

engulfed his whole length in one quick movement, taking it in as far

as it would go. His sigh grew to a loud moan as Astrid's tongue

rolled over and around his shaft, sucking on it lightly at first, then

with more force. The tiny pleasures her hand had produced now

doubled and tripled.

Ever so slowly, Astrid moved up and down on his cock,

fondling his balls with her hand as her tongue left a tiny trail of

delight in its wake. Alexander's moans grew in volume and

frequency as she took his entire length. If it was one thing she'd

learned from her marriage, it was how to give great head. When

she wanted to, she could make Pete last for an hour. Or, depending

on the circumstances, bring him off as quick as a twenty-dollar

hooker.

This time, Astrid decided on something in-between as she

worked his cock back and forth between her lips. Two decades of

practice came into play as she brought him to the heights of

delight, then slowly took him down a peg or two so they could start

all over. This went on for almost a good half hour.

"Oh God," Alexander gasped as he felt his self-control

weakening and the pressure in his balls passing the point of no

return. "this is even better than I ever imagined it could be."

"So, Monica never went down on him," Astrid thought as she

ran her tongue once more across his balls and then back up the

length of his cock, guiding the crown back into her mouth.

"Should've known she'd be a selfish bitch who just wanted him to

get her off and not waste any time making him feel good."

It was a realization that made her want to make his first

blow job be as memorable as possible. If she couldn't be the one

who'd taken his virginity, then she'd at least leave him with some

other memories that he'd never forget. Astrid took him deep into

her mouth once more, bobbing her head up and down, her short

hair tossing every which way. In only a short time more, she had

him ready to burst.

"Aaaaahhhhhh..." Alexander groaned as he released a torrid

of youthful vitality into Astrid's mouth. The redhead swallowed

most of it with practiced skill, letting only a few wayward drops to

spill down her chin.

"That was the best thing I've ever felt," Alexander said in

gratitude as the older woman let his now semi-soft cock slip out of

her mouth.

"Really?" a surprised Astrid smiled up at him as she climbed

off the floor, mentally adding that, despite her reputation, Monica

must truly be one lousy fuck.

Was it possible, she asked herself, to lose your virginity

twice? Maybe, she answered, if you could wipe out the memory of

the first time. That was a goal she was now determined to

accomplish. She no longer worried about the consequences of her

actions. After all, having just sucked off the boss's

eighteen-year-old son, how much more trouble, the thirty-nine

year old thought, could she be in for screwing him as well.

-=-=-=-

"Oh God, Oh God, Oh My God!" Alexander panted as, again

straddling him face to face on the chair, Astrid rode his cock.

Up and down she went, the walls of her womanhood wrapped

tightly around his erect cock. She held him tight as they rocked

back and forth, her own breathless cries encouraging him onward.

"Fuck me, oh baby fuck me," she called out loudly as her

breasts bounced in front of his face. "Give me that big, beautiful,

hard cock!"

She had started off slowly enough, gently taking hold of his

re-energized manhood after a little break and guiding him into her.

She had gently massaged his cock with her tightness, sharing with

him the desires that had been denied for much too long. In no time

at all, they'd built up a rhythm that increased in tempo until they

were crashing against each other with wild abandon.

During their brief rest, Alexander had, in response to

Astrid's inquiry, described his solitary encounter with Monica

Brown. By the time he'd finished the story, she understood why it

hadn't been repeated and the details filled her with an even

stronger loathing for the woman across the street.

Despite the fact that she knew that it had been

Alexander's first time, which in itself should've been enough for

her to make an effort to make it all the more special, the

narcissistic bimbo had instead made it all about her. For all she

cared, Alexander might as well have been a man-sized dildo,

existing for no other reason than to fill her hole. No wonder the

encounter had left the young man with an impression that sex was

little different than masturbation, only using someone else's body

instead of your hand.

Determined to change that impression, Astrid had taken

Alexander's hand and guided it between her legs, pressing two of

his fingers deep inside of her. A look of astonishment filled his

face as he felt the warm wetness engulf him.

"Do you see how wet you've made me already?" Astrid asked

as he pumped his fingers in and out. "And you've barely even

touched me yet. Imagine, just the thought of you being inside me

has gotten me this hot."

Carefully, Alexander withdrew his fingers and brought them

up to his face, drawing in the scent of her passions. Curious, he

slipped one finger into his mouth and tasted the sweet nectars,

following it quickly with the other one.

"I'm told it's a lot sweeter at the source," Astrid

suggested. "That is if you want to try. I know that some young

men don't really go in for that sort of play."

The truth was that Astrid loved having her pussy licked,

sometimes even more than being fucked. But she promised herself

that she'd let Alexander take it all at his own pace and not

pressure him into anything he wasn't ready for. After all, it had

taken her six months after Pete had started fucking her to finally

get him to trade his cock for his tongue.

"No, you did it for me," Alexander responded as he

withdrew both fingers from his mouth. "The least I can do is to

try it."

With that he traded places with the older woman, sitting

her down in the large, cushioned chair, and spreading out her legs

wide, dropped down to his knees. He took a few moments to study

the carefully trimmed mound in front of him, reaching out with one

hand to part the way with his fingers.

Astrid assumed that since, according to the account that

Alexander had given her, Monica had slipped off her panties from

under her skirt and then just lifted the latter to give him access,

that the teenager had never seen a real woman's sex before. So

she was more than happy to let him study it a while and figure out

what part was what. After all, there was only so much you could

learn from pictures.

Having come to that conclusion, Astrid would later be quite

surprised to learn that, even if he'd never actually touched one,

Alexander had indeed had a previous opportunity to see a woman's

sex up close. Not only that, but he'd also been fortunate enough

to have been given a quite informative lecture on how to orally

please a woman. After all Alexander had done in covering for her

the last few years, Samantha had felt it was the least she could do

to thank him. So while conceptual knowledge would never

adequately replace hands on instruction, the dark haired teen was

starting from a much better position than Astrid might've

imagined. He more than knew what part was which.

"Oh my," Astrid gushed as a wave of tiny delight radiated

from between her legs. "I was wrong about this boy, real wrong."

she mentally added.

Those small sparks, fired by Alexander's darting tongue as

it followed the road map outlined by Samantha, quickly grew into

massive starbursts. The teenager could feel her body reacting to

his touch, soft moans spilling from her lips as she leaned back in

the chair and closed her eyes.

"Ooooooo," Astrid cried out as a particularly powerful wave

washed over her.

Erotic waves that continued as the enthusiastic young man

improved with each passing motion. Sam would be proud of him, he

thought as he ran his tongue across her clit one more time.

"Fuck me," Astrid cried out as Alexander once more struck

home with the tip of his tongue, "I want you to fuck me, fuck me

hard!"

Those were the most beautiful words Alexander had ever

heard.

-=-=-=-

Astrid continued to ride her young lover for another quarter

hour, alternating between a slow leisurely pace and rapid bursts of

passion. Then she lifted herself off him and turned to face the

picture covered desk.

"I want you to fuck me from behind," the redhead said as

she stretched her naked body over the desk, her breasts coming to

rest against her photographs.

Alexander moved behind her, taking hold of her ass with

open hands. He rubbed his cock between Astrid's cheeks a few

times before wrapping his fingers around its base and bringing it to

rest against the entrance of her pussy.

"Fuck me, please," Astrid intoned as she spread her legs

even wider to give Alexander better access.

Access he took full advantage of as he pressed forward and

slipped deep inside of her. Calling to mind some of the porn films

he and his high school buddies had sometimes secretly watched,

Alexander emulated the actors he'd seen, pumping his cock in and

out of Astrid as fast as he could. Quickly catching his timing,

Astrid met his thrusts with equal enthusiasm. slamming her body

back to meet him halfway.

"Oh yes," she purred as she felt his hardness fill her all the

way. "That feels so good."

Alexander closed his eyes, never missing a beat as he felt

the tightness of her body drawing him even deeper. A feeling of

pure bliss washed over him as their bodies became one. This was

nothing like his encounter with Monica. That night had been little

better than the times he'd taken satisfaction with his own hand.

The strange thing was, he began to realize, was that those

memories were becoming ever fainter. In fact, he wondered if

after tonight he would even remember it at all.

With the idea of purging them once and for all, Alexander

pulled out of Astrid and rolled her onto her back, sending her

photographs scattering across the floor. Astrid was impressed by

his initiative, and happy that he took no time in filling her once

again.

She gasped and cried out in ecstasy as her body shook with

orgasmic pleasure. Her cries were matched by Alexander's even

louder moans as he tried to enter her as many times as possible

before he totally lost control.

Their fucking grew more intense as Astrid wrapped her legs

around Alexander's waist. She drew him deeper inside, both

narrowing the length of his thrusts and increasing their frequency.

Continuing to meet his efforts with her own, the older woman

pushed her body forward to meet his.

Astrid's entire body suddenly tensed up, as a wondrous

feeling that had been absent much took long from her life overtook

her. Her moans abruptly stopped as a violent orgasm rocked her

with thunderous force.

As his lover's climax crashed through her body, Alexander

shared its delight as he felt the walls of her sex contract around

his own. It had taken all of his self-control to hold back this long,

and he knew immediately that he couldn't last a heartbeat more.

The eighteen year old groaned loudly as he felt his own body

explode, the force of his orgasm enough to make him dizzy. He

could feel his cock explode, the dynamism of his eruption enough to

leave him totally drained. Exhausted, he collapsed into Astrid's

willing arms, his eyes slowing closing as she wrapped them around

him and held him close.

-=-=-=-

Astrid felt more than a small measure of sadness as she

stood at the entrance to the Photo World and watched Alexander

pull away in the new car that his father had bought him to take to

school. The last few weeks had been more than incredible and she

was sorry to see them end.

Still, she was content with the memories they had left her

with, tempered by the knowledge that her young lover understood

that their sexual relationship had come to an end. No one had ever

found out about the two of them, or their almost daily trysts, but

in the end, both had decided that it was better than they revert

to friends rather than try and remain as long distance lovers. It

had impressed Astrid to no end that Alexander was able to make a

choice like that. She doubted she would've been able to do so at

his age.

"Makes a father proud to see his son set off in the world,"

Nicholas Jennings said as Astrid stepped back behind the counter.

"I know," Astrid agreed, remembering how she felt when

her own children had done just that. "I'm glad he stopped by to

say goodbye one more time. I'm going to miss him."

"I'm sure you will," Nicholas said. "Just as I'm sure he's

going to miss you as well. Hopefully, some cute co-ed will help take

his mind off that before too long."

"Excuse me," Astrid said, trying to project a look as if she

hadn't the slightest idea of what Nicholas might be talking about.

That effort lasted less than half a minute as she looked into

her employer's face and realized that the last few weeks might

not have been much of a secret as she thought.

"Oh shit!" the redhead said softly, then added, "I guess I'm

fired."

"Why, have you been stealing from the cash register?"

Nicholas grinned.

"No, of course not," Astrid said automatically, "I just

thought..."

"That I was going to fire you because you slept with my

son?"

"Yes," Astrid admitted awkwardly.

"I'd look pretty silly if I tried to do that," Nicholas grinned.

"Seeing that, as I pointed out before, Alexander is legally an adult

and able to make his own choices. Although I did have my doubts

about some of those."

"Like me," Astrid offered, feeling at the moment like she'd

robbed the cradle.

"Actually, I was thinking more in the lines of Monica Brown

and Samantha Montgomery."

Astrid's mouth dropped open as she thought, "My God, he

knows everything."

"Yes, I knew about both of them as well," Nicholas said,

almost as if he read her mind. "I saw Alexander and Monica sneak

off after the Christmas party last year, and I knew she wasn't

looking for him to help her trim the tree. Stuff her stocking

maybe, but..."

Astrid couldn't help but laugh, then stopped as she reminded

herself that this wasn't a laughing matter.

"I'd probably feel differently if I had a daughter instead of

a son, but you deal with the world like it is, not like it might've

been," the older man went on. "I've known that Alexander had a

thing for older women since he was thirteen and I discovered that

he made duplicate copies of photos of women he found attractive.

It seemed harmless enough, so I just let it pass. Maybe not the

most professional thing to do, but I think any parent bends the

rules a little when it comes to their kid."

Thinking back to her own son and daughter, that was a

sentiment that Astrid had to agree with.

"And to be honest, if he was going to have a fling with

someone older, I'd much rather it be with someone like you rather

than that slut, Monica. She's been trying to get me to stop by

after work for over three years now."

"Is that why you hired me?" Astrid asked, suddenly feeling

a little used.

No, not at all," Nicholas quickly insisted. "I want you to

believe that."

"Then you still want me to work here?"

"Yes, but with a little different arrangement."

Astrid wasn't sure she liked the sound of that. Could she

have been wrong about Mr. Loving Husband? Did he think that just

because she had slept with his son that there was now an open

place in her bed.

"I'd like you to take the Assistant Manager position now

that Alexander's gone, and hire someone to take your place,"

Nicholas explained. "Of course there would be some more money in

it for you too."

"Oh," Astrid said, feeling a little foolish at what she'd been

thinking.

"You don't want the job?" the bearded man asked, thinking

that was the meaning of the look on her face.

"Oh no, I mean yes, I want the job."

"Good."

"I was just wondering about what you said earlier," Astrid

lied, not ever wanting him to even think what she had been

thinking. "About Samantha having been a mistake."

"Well, it was just that I though it rather strange for a

young man to have a lesbian girlfriend," Nicholas went on. "Mind

you, I'm not like Samantha's parents. I believe that everyone is

entitled to live the life they want, and the chance to be happy. In

the beginning, I wasn't sure he realized that she was gay, but once

I understood that she wasn't playing him for some kind of fool, I

figured he knew what he was doing."

"How did you know?" Astrid asked curiously.

"I've been looking at pictures of people for over thirty

years, and you can't do that without learning how to recognize

certain looks on people's faces. Things you might not notice as

they happen, but can be pretty obvious when they're frozen in a

photograph."

"I still don't get it," Astrid said.

"I must've developed a hundred rolls of film over the last

few years with Samantha, Alexander, and Doris in them. The truth

is pretty obvious for anyone to see, if you just know what you're

looking at. When you look at the photos, you can see the glow in

Samantha's face when she looks at Doris. A glow that wasn't

there when she looked at my son. He and she shared a friendship,

but not love. Once I saw that in the pictures, it wasn't hard to see

it in real life as well."

"And no one else ever noticed that?" Astrid asked, then

realized that she had been totally oblivious to it all as well.

"People often see what they expect to see," Nicholas said,

"its just human nature."

"And you never told her parents?" Astrid asked.

"Not my place to do so," he answered, "That's between

them and her. Personally, I hope they learn to accept her. Who

she loves doesn't change who she is. I know that's what I like to

think I would do in that situation."

"You know, I think I know now why Alexander turned out to

be such an extraordinary young man," Astrid said, changing the

subject. "He had such a great example to follow."

"Talk like that isn't going to have any influence on the

Manager of Photo World," Alexander said in a stern, warning voice.

"It might, however," he added in a much warmer voice, "convince a

proud Dad to take a good friend of his son's out to lunch to

celebrate her new promotion."

"You don't have to do that."

"I know, but I want to," Nicholas smiled.

"Okay, let me get my purse," Astrid relented.

"Good, I know a great place over on Knickerbocker, the

owner is a good friend of mine," the taller man said as he held the

door open for her, then locking it behind them. "In fact, Mariel

and I were thinking just the other day that the two of you might

hit it off."

"I'm not too keen on set-ups," Astrid said, remembered her

sister-in-law's attempts.

"You go out, you have dinner, if you don't click, you say good

night," Nicholas said. "What could happen?"

"What could happen indeed," thought Astrid as she climbed

into the passenger side of Nicholas's truck. If there was anything

she'd learned in the last month, it was that things had a tendency

to develop in ways that you never expected.

END