by Rose St. Andrews
Paula Auburn was a unique woman living a unique life. She was a genius toymaker, which was how she'd made a couple of million dollars from a licensing deal with a major toy company. Now, at the age of twenty-eight, she had her own computer game company in Norfolk, Virginia. To look at her, no one would believe she was a 'Type A' personality. At well under five feet, she was proud of her petite build, although she did wish she had a better figure. Without make up and her sexy clothes, she was practically boyish, and could easily pass for a pre-teen girl.
Bruce Putnam was everything she wasn't. Although tall and powerfully built, he was a quiet gentle fellow. Friends and co-workers called him Mr. Mellow. And yet, he could be strong and firm when necessary.
Recent events had thrust Paula and Bruce together. First Bruce had come to work for her company, then Paula's doctor had told her she needed to relax. She said Paula had a 'Type A-Plus' personality and she was destined for early death due to overwork if she didn't calm down. That led to Paula dating Bruce - at Paula's insistence.
Then came the accident. Paula was texting and talking on the phone while driving, and ended up causing a crash. In the aftermath, Bruce stepped up to the plate and helped her. He moved into her house, an old colonial-type place located in a secluded area along Kings River, and he took care of her. While she initially hated it, especially when he forced her to relax and play with her collection of toys, she eventually grew to enjoy their time together. Then he spanked her, and afterwards they made love and she experienced her first orgasm.
Now Paula's life had entered its unique phase. She was still CEO of her company and was incredibly creative. Yet she only worked three days a week, and often wore little girl panties under her business suit. She and Bruce carried out an age play relationship at home, one they kept hidden from friends, family and co-workers. He set out certain rules and chores for her, and punishment followed any infractions. One thing he definitely insisted on was her cutting back on work and relaxing more.
As the days ticked off, Paula began to feel an itch and it was one Bruce could not help her scratch. Her Type A+ personality was re-asserting itself. She wanted to create more, talk to more clients, and just plain work. So, being a genius, she came up with a simple solution. At night, after Bruce was asleep, she'd slip out of bed and go down to her office, and work. She was so light that she could walk around without making any creaks or squeaks of the flooring. As far as she was concerned, she now had the best of both worlds (and she hoped it wasn't the Hannah Montana t-shift that made her think of that). She could relax and be a kid, and she could work as much as she wanted. She was supremely confident Bruce would never find out. What could possibly go wrong?
Then, one morning in mid August, something happened that was sure to change their happy little home life. Paula was out on the swing, swaying as hard as she could to get herself as high as possible. This was another of her favorite things. Not only was it a simple joy of life, it was also a link to her parents, and that was something truly special. As she held onto the chains and kicked her legs with all her might, the world pitched and swung about her, and the wind whistled through her hair.
"Hi, my name's Sarah," a little voice called out. "Are you our new neighbor?"
Paula was snapped out of her combination daydream and memory. Looking around, she saw that a young girl and two adults (obviously her parents) were standing near the other house. The neighborhood was largely empty. Years ago, when her parents had bought their lot and built their house, the area had held great potential for growth. It never lived up to that potential.
Their house sat on a small cul-de-sac, and only one other house was ever built on the entire street - right next door. When Paula was a little girl, there'd been a nice family living there. Then her parents died tragically, she went into foster care, and the family moved away. It had only been a few years ago that she got her house back and began the restoration process. The other place had sat empty for years. Until now.
She quickly stopped swinging and climbed off to stand next to the set. The house was a bit far for her to run to, so she just stood there as the trio drew nearer.
Shit, now what do I do? I'm dressed like a kid. What do I say?
The man stepped forward, a smile on his face. He was tall and firmly built (of course, not nearly as tall as Bruce), and dressed smartly. If Paula had to guess, she'd say he was military. He just had that look about him. His wife was sweet-looking and soft, yet also had some height to her. As did Sarah. She was quite the blending of her parents. She had her dad's flaming red hair, milky white skin and freckles, and her mom's piercing dark eyes and Asian features. Again, Paula's guess was she was in her early twenties. Maybe she was in college. In one respect, she made Paula think of Bruce - Sarah had legs that seemed to go on forever, and they were strong. She had to be an athlete, maybe she ran track.
"Hi, cutie-pie. I'm Phillip Williams. This is my wife Michi, and you've met Sarah. What's your name?"
"I-I..." she stammered, looking toward the house.
"Phil, back off, you're scaring the poor thing," Michi said.
Sarah nodded. "Yeah, and I bet she's been taught not to talk to strangers."
"We're not strangers, we're neighbors."
Michi slowly shook her head. "Oh, Phil. We know that, but she doesn't."
"Hey there, folks, how are you doing?" came Bruce's voice.
Paula turned just in time to see him coming down the porch steps. She smiled and heaved a sigh of relief. Thank God! Now we can sort this out. Let's see, we can tell them that... what, I'm dressed up for a costume party we're going to? Huh, I don't know, sounds a bit of a stretch.
He trotted up next to her, and then formal introductions for the adults followed. Paula, other than shaking hands, just smiled and nodded, waiting for him to take the lead on an explanation.
"So, I see you've met my daughter," he said casually. "This is Paula, and she's twelve."
Paula's jaw dropped. What the fuck did he just say?
"Oh, such a cute name," Michi said. "This is Sarah, she's eighteen. Well, guess you two can play together."
What the fuck did she just say? Eighteen? Sheesh, the girl's at least a head taller and two cup sizes bigger than me! And look at the build on her. What do they feed her? I thought Asian women were all petite.
They chatted some more, and it turned out that they were renting the house. Phil wasn't military, but he was doing some work for the Navy and hoped to get a teaching position at Annapolis in a year, and then they'd move there.
"I'm not trying to be nosy here, folks, but I am curious. How in the world did you end up in a house way out here in 'East Overshoe'?"
Michi chuckled. Sarah giggled, and Phil blushed.
"Well, that was my dear husband's doing. We were stationed in Japan when he got the transfer. So, he contacted a local rental agent, and they lined this place up for us."
"Yeah, even sent us pictures and a full listing," Phil explained. "It said great location, waterfront property, big house in a quiet neighborhood. It wasn't until we flew in and rented a car, and punched the address into the Magellan that we figured out just where it was. We also learned that the owner only decided to rent it because they couldn't sell the place. Not exactly a sterling recommendation, eh?"
"Ah, don't let it bother you. It is a nice area, and the harbor area isn't far. You need some help getting your things inside?"
"Oh, no, we're fine," Michi said. "We've only got our suitcases. Another reason we took this place - aside from the incredibly low rent - is that it's fully furnished."
"Ah, okay, I didn't think of that. Well, once you get settled, let us know if you need anything - dishes, pots and pans, linens and towels etcetera. You can borrow some things until you get to the store, and I can also tell you where the best stores are."
"Thank you, Bruce, we appreciate that," Phil said.
"Glad to help. Oh, you got something for lunch? If you want, once you get your things inside, come on over. I've got leftover lasagna for us, and there's plenty."
Sarah's eyes lit up. "Lasagna, my favorite!"
Bruce laughed. "I take it that's a yes?"
All of the adults chuckled.
"I'd say so," Phil replied.
"We'll be over as soon as we get unpacked," Michi added.
"I'll throw everything in the microwave. Paula, come on, you can set the table."
He took her hand and pulled her along, her mind still in turmoil. She waited until they were inside, and then lost it.
"Bruce, what the hell are you doing? I can't be your little girl!"
"I thought you already were," he said, painting a sad puppy dog expression on.
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah-yeah, I am, but that's just here, between us. Now you've sold our tale to others, how are we supposed to do this?"
"Paula, you over think things. Come on, just roll with it, live life on the edge. What's the worst that could happen? They find out, think we're weird, and move away."
"I-you ... you can be such a, such a man sometimes."
He chuckled, slipping the food into the oven. "I would hope so. Now, set the table, young lady. You know the rules."
Her eyes widened. "Now, wait a minute, you're not-we're not-we can't continue to do that with them around!"
Bruce set the timer and turned to her. His expression was firm and strict, and he just nodded.
"Bruce, nooo, what if they hear or see? I'll die of embarrassment."
"Then maybe you should behave," he said simply.
Paula felt her blood pressure shoot up about thirty points. She shut her eyes and slowly counted to twenty before opening them. She was about to tear him a new one when Fate intervened. A knock came to the door. Turning, Paula saw three happy smiling people standing there. The Family Williams. Painting a smile on her face, she let them in, and then got to work setting the table. Sarah even pitched in to help, and then they sat down to eat. They asked a number of questions, and Bruce answered all of them. Paula was still trying to process the whole situation, so she remained silent. At times, she was hard pressed not to roll her eyes.
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