Harry sat in the stands, watching Linda face off against Jacob in the finals. He couldn’t help but marvel at her skill, barely able to contain his admiration. It was an intense match; both Linda and Jacob had triumphed over everyone else to reach this final showdown. With one final, decisive strike, Linda scored against Jacob and clinched the victory.
Breathless and beaming, Linda made her way to the stands where Harry waited with her purse.
“Great game, Madison! I had no idea you were so talented at tennis,” Harry said, his gaze lingering on her. “I’d love to train with you sometime.”
“Thanks, Harry,” Linda replied, still catching her breath and wiping sweat from her brow. “But I’m not as young as I used to be. I can’t push myself too hard anymore.”
“Maybe you could coach me then,” Harry suggested eagerly. “I wouldn’t want to miss the chance to learn from someone as skilled as you. I think we’d make a great team.”
“I’ll think about it,” Linda said politely. “Right now, I need to shower. I’m drenched in sweat.” She then realized, “Oh no, I don’t have any clothes to change into…”
Harry quickly offered, “I’ve got some spare clothes you could use. I won’t need them since I got eliminated early. I can get them for you.”
Linda hesitated, feeling a bit awkward about wearing male clothing after her shower. “Thanks, Harry, but it’s alright. I’d rather not.”
“No, really, it’s no trouble,” Harry insisted. “The clothes are actually quite similar to what you’re wearing now, except for the shirt. You might find them comfortable.”
“Alright, then,” Linda relented. “Just leave them next to the shower door, please.”
Tired from the match, Linda headed to the showers, leaving Harry in the stands. As he prepared to fetch her clothes, he noticed Linda’s phone ringing from her forgotten purse. Despite his hesitation to intrude on her privacy, he thought it might be important.
Searching through the labyrinth of her purse, Harry finally found the phone. It was her son calling. “I’ll let her know later who called,” Harry murmured to himself, placing the phone back in her purse. “I just wish Madison felt the same way about me,” he said wistfully, daydreaming about Linda, as he did, he felt a strange warmth emanating from the purse.
On the other end of the line, Jon grew frustrated when his mom didn’t answer and kicked a chair in exasperation. Still, he tried calling again.
When Harry heard the phone ring a second time, he answered, thinking it might be urgent. “Hello?”
“MOM! Did you pick up a stone from my room before you left? It’s really important!” Jon’s voice came through, filled with desperation.
“Hi, this is Harry, your mom’s boss,” Harry said, trying to be helpful. “I’m not sure about the stone, but I can ask her when she’s out of the shower.”
“Harry?” Jon’s tone suddenly changed, becoming enthusiastic. “Oh my god, Harry! I’ve been wanting to meet you! You should come over for dinner this weekend.”
Harry was taken aback. Had Linda spoken highly of him to her children? Not realizing how weirdly eager Jon was being, he thought that this might be his chance with her. “Really? Are you sure about this? Jon, right? Shouldn’t you check with your mom first?”
“No need to, I’m sure she’ll love it,” Jon said with a mischievous tone. “Just don’t tell her—it’s a surprise! I’m looking forward to having you over this weekend!”
Harry could hardly believe his luck. This was the perfect opportunity to break the ice and get closer to Linda now that her secret was out.
Linda, meanwhile, enjoyed a refreshing shower, the hot water easing her tired muscles and washing away the sweat of the intense match. She felt revitalized, though her thoughts still lingered on her new clothes.
Sure they were comfortable and seemed to suit her current needs, but are they going to be hers forever now? Despite Jon’s wish, a part of her still missed wearing her old heels, she had wore them for a whole lifetime now, it would take a lot of time to get used to this new reality. But for now, she couldn’t do anything about it but see how this will go.
As she stepped out of the shower, she noticed Harry had left a neat bundle of clothes by the door, just as she had requested. The clothes looked like what a stereotypical thirty year old guy would wear. A pair of jeans shorts that sat at her hips and just reached the top of her knees, and a simple white and red striped polo shirt. The only thing missing would be a change of underwear, but since she’s heading home right after, she chooses to go commando.
Quickly changed into the spare outfit, feeling a bit self-conscious but also grateful for Harry’s thoughtful gesture, she feels a bit of discomfort from not wearing underwear. Despite that, the outfit fit surprisingly well, and she couldn’t deny that what Harry had brought to her was quite comfortable.
As she exited the locker room, Linda spotted Harry waiting in the stands. His face lit up with a genuine smile when he saw her. “Wow, you look great! The clothes seem to suit you perfectly.”
“Thanks, Harry. They’re actually pretty comfortable,” Linda said with a semi forced smile, not fully happy with her clothes, but trying to show gratitude. “I appreciate you lending them to me.”
“I’m glad you like them,” Harry said, visibly happy. “So, how about we discuss that coaching opportunity sometime soon?”
“I’ll think about it later; I’m just really tired after today’s games.”
Harry nodded understandingly. “I can imagine. You put on quite a show out there. Anyway, before I forget, there was something else I wanted to mention.” He paused for a moment, recalling how Jon started the call. “Your son called twice. I picked it up because I thought it was an emergency. Sorry for intruding,” Harry said, looking a bit sheepish.
Linda frowned slightly but then relaxed, letting him continue. “He asked about a stone you had?”
“He probably means this,” Linda said, showing him the stone. “I think it’s a gift he got from his grandpa.” She slipped the stone into one of the shorts’ pockets, almost like she was used to wearing shorts with real pockets. “He left it in my room, and I was going to give it to him this morning if he hadn’t been sleeping when I left…” She said with a slight, disapproving look.
“Case solved then. Alright, Madison, tomorrow’s a day off, so see you on friday, kitten!” He says playfully, before quickly leaving.
“See you later, Harry!” Linda started to leave but stopped, realizing what he had called her. “Wait, ‘kitten’?” She turned around, but he was already gone. She shrugged it off and headed to her car, feeling uncomfortable because she wasn’t wearing any underwear.
Desperate to sit down and sore from the chafing, she dropped into the driver’s seat and was quickly reminded of the stone’s presence by a sharp pain in her rear. “Ouch!” With that, the soreness from the games, and, most of all, the chafing due to lack of underwear seemed to hit all at once. She grabbed the stone, trying to ease the pain, and muttered, “Son of a—, that stings!” She then added, “I really wish I had some decent underwear right now. Maybe I wouldn’t be so uncomfortable.”
The stone seemed to warm up a bit as she put it in her front pocket. While doing so, she felt something like boy shorts under her shorts but brushed it off. What she didn’t know was that they were actually her son’s boxers under Harry’s jean shorts.
