MILKSOP Chapter 35

Looking 10 years younger
courtesy free clip art

After a time of silence Archie said, “We had better get on the road and you can tell me all of your secrets on the way home.”

She agreed it was time to leave but said, “Perhaps some of my secrets but certainly not all.”

They had a quick bite to eat, packed and were on the road in an hour. They talked about the good time they had and things in particular that they enjoyed.

He then said, “I think it is time to explain yourself, milady.”

She began by saying, “Normally I wouldn't go into detail about my past but since I have gotten to know you these last couple of years. so I will tell you and trust you will keep it to yourself.  

To start with I was thirteen when my parents both died and I went to live with some relatives who were rather poor.  One of the first things they told me was I would have to support myself for they didn't have the money for my keep.

I got an after school job at a market helping to keep their books straight. They were not very good with all that was involved in booking keeping.

Since I was good with figures I soon caught on to how to handle their books, and at the same time I took some books out of the library on book keeping.

In school I was able to hone my typing and ten key skills and after two years when I was fifteen I left school and got a full time job as a junior accountant.

I dressed like an older woman, put my hair in a bun put some eye shadow under my eyes and got horn rimmed glasses which were plain glass for I didn't need glasses.

There were some other things I did that helped me look much older and to say the least I wasn't very pretty.”

Archie said, “And so you passed for being twenty?”  

She said, “Yes, I passed for older than that, it was then I invented a husband for myself.”

She continued, “In the process I became a pretty good liar but it was only because I had to.

I would never have been hired if they knew how young I was, and besides I had to earn some money, as my Kin-folks I was staying with couldn't keep me any longer so I had to leave.

When anyone asked me about my husband or would like to meet him he was always out of town, him being a salesman who had to travel.

Finally they quit asking me about him for they always got the same answer.

Since I didn't socialize I had plenty of time to take evening classes, and here I am what you see today.”

Archie said, “Then you are over ten years younger than you pretended to be all this while?”

She said, “Yes that's about it.”  He asked, “How long have you been doing this?”  She answered, “About eleven years.”

Then she said, “Just so you don't have to remove your shoes to count, I'm twenty six my last birthday.”

He said, “I never paid much attention to you except to give you orders and to take care of business, but you know I thought you were getting younger every day. It never dawned on me that you were this young!”

She said, “Are you going to fire me then?”

He said, “Goodness No, you are the best secretary I've ever had and I'm going to keep you.”

She laughed said, “Thanks, I would hate to have to break in a new boss.

    
Tomorrow the horn rimmed glasses have to go, and that is the last of my old lady look.

Over the next weekend it will be a new hair do and make up that goes with my skin tone rather than the harsh colors I have been wearing.

Archie said, “You won't have to wait for the weekend you can take off tomorrow and the next day if necessary. 

If I'm any judge you will need to start fighting the guys in the office off for I can already see you fixed up and you are going to be something.”

As she blushed she said “Maybe I don't want to fight them off!”

This took Archie by surprise and he didn't know how to respond to that!

To be Continued