Free Strangers by Iris Deorre

Chapter One
    I t felt like yesterday that it all happened. The memory is still fresh in my mind. The sounds, the smells oh and I giggle each time I think about it. Who knew a forty year old single woman with a child would one day be getting her freak on with – let me pause for just a minute – yes that’s it, with the sexiest man I’d ever seen. Perhaps I should start from the beginning, from the very day I made the phone call. The day my life changed for good!
    I’d just received a new washing machine a day ago. It was lovely with all the bells and whistles to go with it. The first day I’d tried it out it had been okay, well not really. I’d struggled with the start button. You see my old washing machine was great, all you had to do was push in the button and wala it was on. But not so with this one, this one was a little funny. At first I pushed the start button and nothing happened instead it got stuck and wouldn’t come out. The next move was to push the rinse button that in turn pushed out the start button and suddenly the machine would blow into life.
    Why am I telling you all this? Well now, a story must be told right from the start, I mean if I miss out all the basic parts you’ll wonder how I got from point A to point B. Anyway, I wasn’t chuffed with this washing machine, I had forked out a fortune for it and the least I expected was for it to work and that is what led me to the phone call.
    There was a number on the booklet that came with the washing machine. The call was made and may I say I was a little abrupt; I had forked out the cash for this thing to work the first time.
    ‘I’m very sorry you’re experiencing this problem Mrs Jacobs.’
    ‘It’s Ms, please.’ I’m very particular about that, I’m not a Mrs, or a Miss I’m a Ms. What’s the difference you may think; well to me it’s part of my identity, part of going from a Miss, to a Mrs and now to a Ms. Happy? Good. Now back to the call.
    ‘Yes urm sorry Ms Jacobs, could you please hold the line while I find an engineer to come and have a look at your machine.’
    ‘Certainly.’ I waited. Tapped my feet and gazed at my nails, they’d been newly done. A woman has to spoil herself once in a while. Not for anyone in particular, at least not in my case, but just to look good.
    ‘Hi Mrs Jacobs –’
    ‘Ms!’
    ‘Ms Jacobs, the next available appointment is tomorrow between 8am and 6pm.’
    ‘Are you kidding me? Do you expect me to wait the whole day for an engineer? I have a life you know.’
    You must be thinking bitch of a woman, yeah I totally agree, the thing is with me is that when I pay for something I expect it to work.
    ‘I’m sorry about that, the engineer will call you an hour before he arrives.’
    ‘That hardly helps.’
    ‘That’s the best we can do. Is there anything else we can help you with?’
    ‘Hardly,’ I said then put the phone down.
    I’d spent two weeks without a washing machine and now the brand new one was no good either. I must admit I do exaggerate at times but hey, when a woman’s single she always has to fight her battles alone.
    Now guess what happened? Nothing immediately but the very next day my life was about to change. He rang at about ten the next morning to say he would be at the house at eleven.
    ‘Do you know how long it will be? I have a child to pick up at three thirty.’
    ‘It won’t be long Mrs –’
    ‘It’s Ms.’ Why oh why do I have to correct everyone on this one? Surely it had to be on the paper work.
    ‘It won’t be long Ms Jacobs,’ he said politely and this made me smile a little. I was being a little over the top.
    ‘Okay thank you, see you then.’
    This gave me time to nip to the local shop for some milk. When I got back I had the strangest idea. Well not strange but I had the urge to change and put on some makeup. Who does that? Me of course, it was totally random but I had this crazy idea and I had to act on it. I pulled off my jeans and the boring top and