Hidden From Life Chapter 1

Hidden From Life
Chapter 1

"I'm telling you, under the circumstances, you're doing the right thing, Julie," her friend said as they sipped their coffee.

"I know you are right, Lauren, but it is difficult. After all these years, heck, my whole life. I am thirty-seven years old and have never made an adult decision alone. Now I must decide everything for myself, and I am so overwhelmed."

"I know, Jules, but truthfully, you should have been more independent earlier. I am not saying you should have abandoned her, for God's sake; you should have spread your wings a little. She did not do you any favors by "protecting" you from the world; she just isolated you to keep you with her all these years. Now she is gone, and you are almost helpless somehow."

"Mother meant well, Lauren; she did it out of love, no matter what you think. After what happened in her marriage, she did what she thought was best for me so I did not get hurt like she did. That is why she moved us from the city to a nice small town, so I could have a safe life here."
"Listen, I am glad you moved to Juneberry, or I would never have met you. I am just saying you must live life and not seal yourself up in plastic to avoid anything bad happening to you. That is not living; it is just existing."

"Well, regardless, I have started moving forward. I left a notice on the bulletin board at the supermarket and one at the library and the church. Plus, I left my cellphone number as the contact number. Hell, yes, I will get a reply from someone who is not afraid of challenging work."

"Wow, I am impressed. And to think that a little over a year ago, I had almost to force you to get a cell and join the twenty-first century."

Julie let out a tiny laugh, and she smiled before replying to her younger friend.

"Yes, you were right there too, but I told you that soon after I got it smarty-pants."

Lauren was still thinking of a reply when the bell rang, announcing their break was over, and the next class would soon start. The two high school teachers exited the faculty lounge, and with a friendly goodbye, they headed in separate directions for their respective classrooms.

Ten minutes later, Julie was reviewing her review of the Romantic poets for the upcoming test on Friday. She had always favored giving tests that day to help her students focus on their studies the whole week. They were paying attention, though no doubt some were bored. If she was not mistaken, Rachel Hughes was playing with her phone; no doubt the pretty cheerleader was texting someone. If she sat in the back quietly and did not bother anyone else, then Julie would ignore her.

Of course, she should have warned or even detained her, but Julie was too softhearted for that, and truth be told, that girl made her feel two inches tall. There would be times when she would be conversing with her friends, all popular, pretty girls like herself, and she would make some mocking, veiled comment that was obviously about Julie, who would be within earshot.

Julie tried not to take it personally as Rachel was indiscriminate in her insults, and everyone but her circle of friends or 'hot guys' would be subject to her withering comments. After all, Julie was used to it and had received such treatment since she was a student in the same school from her classmates who'd openly mocked her frumpy wardrobe and lack of social skills.

A few hours later, Julie said good night to Lauren in the parking lot.

"Are you sure you don't want to come along, Jules? You know you're always welcome."

"No, Lauren, I do not want to be a third wheel. You and Jeff enjoy yourselves. Besides, I have papers to grade, and if someone replies to my ad, I should start to prep things so work can begin."

"All work and no play makes Julie a dull girl. And you know, if you give the word, Jeff could arrange for one of his co-workers to come as well, so we would be a foursome."

"No, I had just bore him as school is all I know how to talk about. But have an enjoyable time, and I will see you tomorrow."


Lauren grimaced at her friend's reply. She had been trying hard to break out of her shell and away from that mausoleum she called home. Well, Rome was not built in a day, and progress had been made in the past year, but Lauren had hoped that now that Julie was alone, she might hasten the process.

"Okay, my dear, be that way if you want. But if Jeff's friends are unacceptable, what about one of the men from your church?"

"Now that's funny, Lauren. Let me tell you that I am like one of the young bloods there. There are no single men within ten years of my age. There are a couple of elderly widowers and a handful of men far too young for me. So that idea, though no doubt well-intentioned, is going nowhere."

"Well, maybe one of the young studs," Lauren began, but she stopped when she saw the shocked expression on her friend's face. "Okay, fine, Miss Goody Two Shoes, and I'll see you tomorrow."

Julie climbed behind her little Honda Civic wheel and started the ignition. She waved to Lauren as she pulled from her parking space and drove off. Fifteen minutes later, she was parked in her driveway and getting out. Before she got to the door, a gray ball of fur streaked toward her legs from the overgrown hedge bordering her and her neighbor's yard. As Julie approached the front door, the feline rubbed affectionately against her ankles.

"Hello to you, Emily. Did you have an enjoyable day sleeping in the sun and stalking prey?"

Julie spoke firsthand as the little furball had often deposited 'little gifts' of torn and bloody rodents and birds for her mistress and seemed to enjoy the discomfort they provoked. Julie unlocked the front door and followed Emily in, picking up the mail from beneath the slot on the floor. Julie deposited the mail and her bag on a table and headed to the kitchen with Emily eagerly trailing.

The cat food rattled against the dish as Julie poured some in before placing it on the floor mat near the sink and adding fresh water to the other bowl. Julie then headed upstairs so she could change from her teacher's clothes. She entered her bedroom, which had not been updated since before she had returned from college. Her high-necked white button-down blouse was the first thing she removed. Then, she unzipped and slipped out of her long pale blue skirt, leaving her in plain, modest white undergarments.

When she reached for a sweatshirt, her eye caught her reflection in the mirror. Julie stopped for a moment and studied her reflection. She saw a pretty woman wearing no makeup except for a trace of pink lipstick staring back at her. There were a few faint lines by the corners of her big brown eyes, but good genes and clean living made her appear years younger, thirty at the most.

On a whim, she reached back and unhooked her bra and slid it from her shoulders, exposing her small, perfectly shaped bosom. They were pert and slightly upturned, topped with pink nipples. Julie turned one way then the other as she dispassionately took in her appearance. She had always been tall and slim, a skinny Minnie, her mother always said in a pitying manner, but Julie had remained the same dress size since college while many of the girls she had attended school with had become larger the older they got. Some of her fellow students now had children whom she taught, and it gave her a bit of pleasure to see how the popular crowd had not aged quite well, though she felt guilty about her reaction. It was not what a good Christian should feel, but some had been cruel to her.

She slid the sweatshirt over her long brown hair and pulled it on. It felt friendly against her bare nipples, but she tried to put that out of her mind; there was no time for such thoughts now. Maybe if she had time after taking care of things first, she could treat herself later. But first, she had work to do. As she pulled her sweats on, she could not help but notice that her walking and stair climbing was paying off.

At school, she would often walk the stairs between classes, and sometimes, she would spend a free period doing that or walking around the track in pleasant weather. Julie realized that as she got older, she had to do something, or nature would take its toll, so she started an exercise regimen. Yet she had not even confided in Lauren that she was doing it, but Julie had noticed that she was firming up from her calves to her buns. Not that there was anyone, meaning a man, to see and appreciate her hard work.

'Hold on, Julie, stop feeling sorry for yourself. There are plenty of people worse off than you. You should be grateful for all your blessings,' she scolded herself.

Next, she twisted her long locks and slipped a scrunchy over her hair, leaving it in a ponytail so it would be out of her face. A pair of sneakers completed her outfit, and she headed to the attic. The attic had been cluttered for as long as she could remember, but if she were going to get the house in order, she had to tackle it as well. A few hours later, Julie was dirty and sweaty, and her arms and back ached from her efforts, but she had made a dent, she realized. She also knew she needed to add upper body exercises to her regimen to balance things out because she felt it from her work.


She removed a Lean Cuisine frozen dinner from the freezer and popped it in the microwave. She ate it while she graded papers and continued grading long after dinner. Finally, a crick in her neck made her stop for the night, and she slipped the papers in her bag and stood. Wearily, she climbed the stairs after first checking that the doors were locked and turning off the lights.

Julie stepped into the steaming shower once the water was at the right temperature. For the first five minutes, she let the water hit her right between her shoulder blades, helping to loosen and relax her tired and sore muscles. Finally, when she gained some relief, she started to wash herself by running the washcloth over her body. However, when the rough material brushed against her sensitive nipple, she felt a jolt that traveled between her legs.

From that moment on, Julie hurried up and, within five minutes, was wrapping herself in her terrycloth robe. She padded back to her room and slipped under the covers after falling on her flannel nightgown. She made a pretense of reading the book that sat on her nightstand at first, but she knew what she needed. Putting the book down, she reached the bottom drawer, pulled out her laptop, and turned it on. In a few minutes, she was on a specific website - her guilty little secret that Lauren had told her about.

It was a triplex adult site that had both videos, which she couldn't bring herself to watch after witnessing the misogyny she had seen the one time she tried, as well as erotic stories that were more to her liking. Many were not to her tastes due to non-existent writing skills or unpalatable themes, but some hidden gems got her juices flowing. With pleasure, she realized that one of her favorite female authors had just posted a story, and she eagerly began to read.

It was a tale heavy on romance but with some extremely hot sex included and, according to the author, was based on trustworthy people and events. Whether that was true or not, and Julie certainly had doubts, it turned her on without question. By the time the characters were naked in the barn making love, Julie was very aroused herself. She shut the computer off and put it away before pulling her nightgown past her chest and laying back.

Her trembling fingers first lightly brushed her nipples, sending signals to nerves across her body. Julie closed her eyes as always and let her imagination take over. She was not alone in her mind, but her mysterious lover was beside her. She had never pictured his face but knew he was devastatingly handsome like all literary romantic characters. He had dark, thick hair and was tall, of course, and she could picture his body - muscular but not bulky and perfectly proportioned.

He existed only to bring her pleasure, and he was good at his job. His strong yet gentle hand cupped her breast and squeezed it with just the right amount of pressure to stimulate it without discomfort. As her passion grew, his actions increased in intensity. A hand found its way between her legs and stroked her wet sex. Her legs involuntarily parted wider, and Julie threw her head back and moaned softly as her juices flowed freely now. Both her breast and clit were being manipulated expertly and precisely as she preferred.

Her slim fingers slid into her moist furnace, making her gasp as her thumb now circled her nub. Julie could feel herself getting close to release, so she increased the tempo of her fingers, pushing them deeper and faster. Her tunnel clung to them as they worked in and out, making a sucking sound with each thrust.

Right when she reached the precipice, her thumb and forefinger pinched her nipple as hard as she was able to. That touch of pain, in combination with her fingers reaching as deep as they could go, was more than enough to send her senses reeling. Julie bit her lip so hard that a drop of blood escaped and rolled to her cheek. She thrashed on the bed for a minute, her limbs writhing like serpents, as her climax overwhelmed her.

It took a couple of minutes before Julie opened her eyes, revealing that she was back in her room again and alone. She withdrew her fingers, which were wet with her dew, and pulled her nightgown back into place. Her breathing had also returned to normal by now; only her still-flushed cheeks and satiated expression gave a clue to what had just happened. Julie switched off the table lamp and pulled the covers around herself. Emily had not appeared, and Julie wished she had, as it would be nice to cuddle with something alive now. But that's how cats were - if you wanted them, they were unlikely to appear.

Julie arrived a trifle early the following day, and after putting on sneakers, she climbed the stairs until her calves ached severely. If she had an opportunity, she would have asked her friend Mrs. Deen, a physical education teacher, for advice about some upper body exercises that might work for her. She could imagine what her mother would have said about this if she had remained alive. She would not have approved. Julie could hear Mother's voice in her head saying so.

'It is unladylike to perspire, especially when doing physical activity like exercise or labor. For those who have no intellectual capacity, it can be forgiven partially, but I suspect even then it is a sign of moral turpitude.'

However, that had never prevented her from working Julie like a mule when it suited her. The number of times Julie had rubbed her hands raw, scrubbed the wooden floors, or done garden work was beyond count. But there was no sense in being bitter, Julie thought as she headed to her classroom. The morning moved by quickly, and she was having lunch with Lauren before she knew it.

"So, how have the monsters been behaving today?" Lauren asked.

"Don't call them that; it's not nice," Julie replied before giggling.

"Oh, come on, you know it's true, at least for some of them."

"Most of my students are very nice, and the rest are just misguided and in need of direction," Julie answered as she delicately nibbled on a corner of her tuna salad on a whole wheat sandwich.

"Yeah, okay, but if you just had the class I did, you'd be singing a different tune, honey. Not only did I have to stop an argument before it became physical, but one of the geniuses told me in response to a question about the Magna Carta, a sixties rock group."

Julie couldn't help but laugh at that tidbit but still felt her friend was being too harsh.

"Lauren, they are still kids, and I think you are being a trifle too cynical. Well, anyway, how did last night go? Did you have a good time?"

"Yes, I did, as a matter of fact, more than once," Lauren told her before winking.

Julie put her hand over her face in mock embarrassment, though she was now used to such comments from her younger friend. Lauren's openness had helped Julie break out of her shell, if only partially.

"Well, I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, and what about you? Have an exciting night doing paperwork, Jules?"

"I will have you know that I also got a lot accomplished organizing some things to help with the house."

"How exciting. Speaking of that, are there any responses to your notice?"

"No, I have not, and frankly, I am surprised. With the bad economy, you'd figure I'd get a little interest but not one call."

Lauren sat there with her brow furrowed, which she often did when she was thinking before her expression changed.

"Don't take this wrong, Julie, but is your phone even on? You have the habit of leaving it off for days at a time. I have called it more than once only to get your voicemail."

With a sheepish look, Julie opened her bag and rummaged around until she pulled her phone out. Unwilling to meet her friend's eyes, she took it from its case and turned it on. Once the screen went up, Julie saw that she had three voicemails.

"Oops, maybe I did get some responses, and don't you say you told me so," she told Lauren to cut her off at the pass.

Lauren just sat there smugly as Julie went to her voicemail and listened.

"Hello, my name is John Colt, and I'm inquiring about the work ad. I am skilled in carpentry and can certainly paint and move things. I am competent in electrical and plumbing and am not afraid to get my hands dirty. Hope to hear from you."

The message concluded with him leaving his phone number, which had been left the day before. Something about the voice stirred her memory, but she could not quite place it as the phone played the following message. This one came from an actual contractor whose business must have been hurting if he had answered her ad, but there was something about the way he spoke that she did not like. It was as if he sounded drunk and was not attempting to mask it. Finally, the third message came on, and with a start, Julie heard it was the first caller again.

"Umm, hello, this is John Colt again. Sorry for calling again, but I was wondering when I might hear from you. I just received an offer for a job, but it is from out of town, so I need to decide. Thanks. Uh, and I could be wrong, and if I am, then I apologize, but the ad said Miss Jones, and I was curious if you are the Miss Jones who taught an English class of mine. Either way, I hope to hear from you soon."


To be continued