The Road to Redemption (2 page)

“Well, I’ll see what I can do.”

Susie handed him the yo yo but as she did, her naked knee rubbed up against him. He felt the lump in his groin coming up again. Did she do that on purpose he wondered?

As he tried to undo the knot Susie leaned over watching him. He could smell her sweet perfume and her tits looked even larger and more inviting close up.

“So Susie, what have you been up to lately?” John asked engaging her in conversation.

“ Not much Mr. Mason, do you like my new locket, my boyfriend gave it to me?”

With that Susie leant forward so John could see it. Of course as she did her blouse fell forward, giving him a full view down from the locket around her neck.”

John struggled to control his words. He now had a full view of her tits and beautiful erect nipples.

“That’s..... a lovely locket!..... but aren't you a bit young to be getting gifts from boyfriends?” John managed to blurt out.

Cool as a cucumber Susie replied,

“Mr. Mason, I have had boyfriends since I was twelve. I have been going with this one for nearly a year now.”

I’ll bet you have, thought John, just as the knot came out of the yo yo.

“Got it, that's right now,” said John, handing it back to her.

“Thanks..... Mr Mason,” she said slowly in her husky voice and this time, as she reached for the yo yo, she rubbed her arm against his shoulder.

That little tart, there could be no doubt now, she was definitely doing it all on purpose and it seemed like she was totally aware of the effect she was having on him, judging from that provocative look on her face.

Again, she caught his eye as she turned and left the room, with that same wiggle of her tight little arse. He was really quite turned on now. But suddenly a voice from the kitchen brought him tumbling back to reality.

“Could you come and cut the roast for me Hon?”

Chapter 2  In the Beginning

The home John was sitting in, was a far cry from his origins.

He had been born and brought up in a two bedroom, 1920’s Californian bungalow, in a working class suburb. Typical of these homes it had the two bedrooms at the front, with a hallway, splitting into a lounge and dining room. This led through to a kitchen and small breakfast area, at the rear. It had a driveway down the side and a timber garage out in the small backyard. Very ordinary and with small windows, making it a bit dark inside. His mother although a caring woman, was not much of a home decorator and as finances were limited, the furniture was old and the carpet worn in places.

As an only child, John had the smaller of the two bedrooms and had made it his own by pasting up pictures of his favourite pop stars, all around the walls. John’s bed consisted of a mattress on a wooden base, that his father had made. It was sufficient, but had a dip in the middle and really should have been replaced. His father had also made him a desk to do his homework at and a rickety chair, that John was sure was going to collapse one day, especially when he leant back on it, as he was quite often inclined to do.

His father was a plumber, but a lousy businessman. At one time he had tried to run his own business, but had nearly gone bankrupt and had almost had to sell the house. In order to prevent this, his mother had got a job in the local sandwich shop, to help pay off the debts.

Not that John’s father was a bad plumber; in fact he was very good at his work and always did an excellent job. However he was a kind hearted man, who would do work for free for little old ladies and others who were down on their luck. John always suspected that many of these people, took advantage of his father’s good nature. He also employed an assistant, who was down on his luck and was a bit of an “alcho”. At least John always thought he could smell alcohol on his breath. What with, under charging, paying the alcho, who was not carrying his weight in the business and not keeping his paperwork up to date, he had got into financial trouble and finally been forced to work for someone else.

He liked nothing better than a beer at the pub with his mates. His idea of a night out was fish and chips at the local RSL Club.

John liked his father but not his lifestyle. He was determined to do better.

With his father almost going bankrupt, John was encouraged to leave school early, to lessen the financial burden on the family. He had finally agreed with his father, that he would get a part time job to help out, if he could continue at school. He asked around at the local shops and with other local businessmen, but times were tough and there were no part time jobs available. In the end, John decided he would have to start his own business. For many years he had been doing most of the gardening around the family home so it was natural for him to start a gardening business, using his father’s lawn mower and other garden tools. After school he did a letterbox drop and put leaflets all around the neighbourhood. He got three replies and he was in business. However this was a working class suburb and people were not prepared to pay much for gardening. John was working hard after school and on the weekends, growing the business, but not making much money.

He had a think about it. He knew that there were some rich suburbs over the river, only a few kilometres away. Not only did people there have larger gardens, but he reasoned they would likely also be prepared to pay more. He did a letterbox drop and presto, he got two hits. He was moving up. To get his equipment there, his father helped him build a type of trailer for his bicycle and off he would go after school. He called himself the “lawnmower man”.

This is how he had first met his wife Audry. She lived in one of the big houses where he was the gardener. It was a fine double story house, with a pool, tennis court and an orchard house out the back. A mansion compared to John’s parents house. Audry’s father George was pleased with the work John was doing and also gave him a job to clean the pool. This meant John had to go there more often and would sometimes talk to Audry, as she was coming home from school.

Audry’s friend Elizabeth told her she shouldn’t get so familiar with John, as he was only a gardener and not like the private school boys they usually hung out with. However Audry found John fascinating. He was very cocky and forward for a gardener. She could sense he was a guy who was going places. He was handsome into the bargain and looked very fit from all his gardening work.

It wasn’t long before John and Audry were meeting secretly. She would often sneak out at night and meet John at the local shopping centre. By the time John turned 17 he had saved enough to buy an old ute. It was pretty rough and he did most of the work on it himself, to save money. He could now pick Audry up from school, but would drop her off around the corner, so her parents wouldn’t see them.

As well as sneaking out, Audry started to ask John along to various parties she was invited to. She told her parents she was going with Elizabeth and sometimes they actually did take Elizabeth with them, in the ute, while other times they went alone.

This was introducing John into a whole new social scene, but he did not like most of the private school boys who attended these parties. He called them toffs. However, in a number of cases their fathers were working class men, who had worked their way up. John had no trouble getting on with these guys. He actually got some gardening work from a couple of them.

Eventually it had to happen. Audry's father found out about them and fired John. John protested that he had always done a good job.

“Stay away from my daughter,” George had threatened.

But of course he didn’t. They continued to meet secretly.

One day when he was gardening at one of the large houses, a BMW pulled up and two guys in dark suits, got out. An older man and a young guy about John’s age. The older man went inside, while the young one waited outside.

“What's happening?” asked John

“Nothing much, we’re Estate Agents, just giving the owners a quote on their house.”

John looked at the guy his age standing there in his dark suit looking all professional, while he was in his old clothes, all sweaty and dirty.

The older guy came out of the house, shook hands with the owner and walked passed John, totally ignoring him as if he wasn’t even there. For the first time in his life, John felt inferior. He was on a lower social level. He was just a hired gardener. A second-class citizen to be ignored.

John could not get the estate agents out of his mind. He had a good think about it that night. Here he was slaving his guts out for peanuts, all dirty and sweaty, while these guys were all dressed up, driving around in a BMW, just for talking to people. It was no contest, he had the gift of the gab, he was going to become an Estate Agent.

The next day, he used what little money he had saved and went and bought himself a suit and tie, just like the guys he had seen wearing. He then went door to door, calling on the local estate agents. The first four said they didn’t have anything available, but at the fifth one he struck gold. A woman who the staff called “Boss Lady” ran it. She happened to be at the front desk when John walked in. She liked to have good-looking young men around the place and invited him in to her office. John’s cockiness and self-confidence impressed her and by the time he left, he was the new Property Manager. I’m a Manager thought John. It appealed to his ego. Of course he didn’t realize that next to the receptionist, this was the lowest job in the agency. In some agencies the receptionist also doubles as the “Property Manager,” or what it really involves, looking after the rent roll. This involves letting out rental properties, finding tenants, making sure they don’t get behind with their rent and attending to repairs and maintenance.

John was a fast learner and he thrived in the job. On one particular day he was conducting an open house, or in this case an open home unit, whereby potential tenants could inspect the property, during a one-hour period. Being a unit, quite a number of young couples had been through, when a guy walked up to him and asked:

“How Much?”

“$400 per week,” John had replied.

“No, not the rent how much to buy it?”

“We are not selling this, only renting it,” said John.

The guy was about to go when John ever alert, sensed an opportunity.

“Are you looking to buy a unit?” John asked him.

“No,” said the guy. “I’m actually looking to sell. I saw your sign outside and noticed people going through, so I thought this unit was for sale. I own the one next door, it’s very similar to this and I was just trying to get an idea of what my unit might be worth.”

“I can help you with that,” bluffed John,

“Why don’t I call around after I close up here and I can give you an idea of what your property is worth?” The guy agreed.

John in fact had no idea what the property would be worth, but that wasn’t going to stop him. As soon as the guy left, John rang his “Boss Lady” and asked her what the unit he was trying to rent out, might be worth. She gave him a figure and wanted to know why he was asking.

“ I’ll tell you when I get back to the office,” he said

John finished the open house and closed up. He knocked on the unit next door and an attractive woman, a few years older than him, answered

“Hi, my name’s John. I met your husband next door and he said to call round.”

“You must be the estate agent, come in. My partner has just gone down to the shops to get a packet of cigarettes. He said you may call round.”

“Nice place you have here,” said John. “And I like the way you have decorated it.” He immediately started to work his charm on her.

“Much nicer than next door and I love your decor.” That was always a good one to put in. Everyone likes to think their property is better than their neighbour’s and that they have better taste. Of course it was pretty much the same as next door. John had seen some very nice homes via Audry’s friends and this could hardly compare. However the woman was already impressed. A good-looking young man had turned up on her doorstep and complemented her on her taste in decor.