Brad parked his SUV before a bright yellow building with the words ‘Welcome to The Recycling Center’ painted in blue on the wall. “Let’s get this over with,” he grumbled as he climbed the metal steps and entered the cavernous interior. He stood staring in amazement at the hectic scene before him. Rows of people in brown coveralls stood next to moving conveyor belts filled with trash, deftly plucking cans, bottles, foam cartons and other items from them and dropping them down brightly colored chutes.
He jumped as a horn blared and a voice shouted, “Watch it, comin’ through.” A yellow forklift carrying a cube of crushed tin cans passed in front of him, the female driver scowling.
“May I help you, young man?” Brad turned to see a tall woman with a shapely body and long blonde hair with streaks of silver woven through it, smiling at him. Her eyes were bright blue, set in an oval-shaped face. Her aquiline nose, generous lips and delicate chin gave her a friendly, yet dignified look. The wrinkles and laugh lines around her eyes and mouth defined her age, but did not diminish her attractiveness.
She’s beautiful, Brad thought as he replied, “Yes ma’am, I’m looking for Ms. Daisy Carpenter. Is she around?”
“You’re looking at her,” the woman replied. “And I’ll bet you’re the young man Judge Barstow said would be stopping by. Let’s go to my office and talk.”
Brad followed Daisy into a small room built against the building’s wall, his eyes watching her ass the entire way. A window overlooking the sorting floor flooded the small room with light. Daisy sat behind a battered metal desk piled high with papers and manuals, motioning Brad to a folding chair.
“Judge Barstow told me you had been in a bit of trouble, Brad,” Daisy said with a grin, shuffling the papers on her desk. “Something about a stolen Weiner dog balloon as I recall.”
Brad immediately felt comfortable and he began a detailed recounting of how he and his friends had stolen the balloon from a restaurant’s roof and put it on the roof of the City Library. By the time he was finished, Daisy was laughing and wiping her eyes on the hem of her tie-dyed blouse.
“That sounds like something I did when I was young,” she said, leaning back in her swivel chair. “How did they catch you?”
“Climbing down we set off the burglar alarm,” Brad said with a chuckle. “We all ran for it, but my buddy and I ran right into a police car coming to investigate. What we did was stupid, but it was fun.”
“And now you are here for one hundred and twenty hours of Community Service,” Daisy replied. “Let me see, what shall you do? We are conducting our Blitz for Bottles and Crusade for Cans campaign in conjunction with the Earth Day events next week, so we need to clear some space on the sorting floor. You look like a strong fellow. I think I’ll have you carry the crushed aluminum cans to the baling machine.”
“Whatever,” Brad replied, shrugging his broad shoulders.
***
Three weeks had passed since Brad’s assignment had begun. As she watched her young charge, his muscles rippling as he lifted the heavy loads of cans and bottles, Daisy felt attracted to him. He reminded her of the numerous boys she dated in college. With her free-spirited nature, she could never stay true to one boy. There was always another seeking her out, craving her attention, pledging his love-all taking her to new heights of ecstasy as they fucked in their dorm rooms, vans and secluded places on campus.
Before she knew it, she had graduated, been recruited by a major corporation, and was working as a division manager in the corporate world she had once decried. She still enjoyed a healthy and varied sex life. Men appeared and disappeared in the whirlwind of her life. She left a trail of broken hearts behind her when a new, more virile individual struck her fancy. There were the parties, the vacations in exotic locales, the fun and adventure. The years passed quickly and Daisy never stopped enjoying life, never settled down.
Then her employer forced her into early retirement, and she took the position as manager of the recycling center out of boredom and financial desperation. No longer in the social mainstream, she was lonely. Her life had become humdrum and predictable until the fates brought Brad to the center to pay for his foolish prank. Now, she looked forward to going to work, as she knew he would be there. Daisy began considering the young man as her chance to give something back to the world that would live on after she was gone.
Daisy saw in Brad a reflection of herself at that age, strong, ambitious and full of promise. She observed his innate capacity for problem solving and leadership, which she carefully cultivated. In measured increments, Daisy encouraged him to take on more responsibility, to lead and motivate his co-workers. He became her protégé’, her assistant and then before she knew it, she began to develop a genuine affection for him, his energetic demeanor making her feel young again.
As the days went by, Brad also began to feel attracted to Daisy. He guessed that she was as old as his grandmother, yet she was so different. Unlike many other women her age, Daisy appeared young and full of life. She had the body of a much younger woman, diligently maintaining it with a regimen of diet and exercise. The silver-haired beauty was so interesting to talk with; her varied interests and life experiences so unlike the girls his own age whose conversations revolved around the latest fashions, music and the club scene. More importantly, she seemed genuinely interested in him and treated him as an equal, interested in his thoughts and ideas, listening intently as he shared his plans for college and his future.
They began to sit together in Daisy’s office or in the break room, laughing and talking, thoroughly enjoying each other’s company. As their feelings for each other increased, the little smiles and touches they exchanged made it apparent that they were becoming more than friends. When Brad’s responsibilities to the court ended, he continued to work for Daisy at the Center, neither wanting to be apart as their relationship deepened into love.
***
Brad dashed up the metal stairs, across the sorting floor and into the office; a bouquet of yellow daisies and a gaily-wrapped box held behind his back. “Happy Birthday,” he cried, holding out the flowers and gift.
Daisy looked up from her laptop, her face wreathed in a smile. “Oh my, you remembered,” she said happily, “This is so nice.”
“And I’m taking you out to dinner,” Brad said excitedly. “I made reservations at The Country Garden.”
Daisy rose from her desk, took the gifts from Brad’s hands and leaned forward to kiss him. When their lips met, Brad took her in his arms and pulled her to him, kissing her passionately. The box and flowers fell from Daisy’s hands as they embraced, their bodies moving together as their desires intensified. Brad’s cock stiffened as Daisy rubbed her breasts and pussy against him, moaning softly.
He crushed his mouth on hers and grabbed her ass, kneading it in his hands. Daisy gripped Brad’s stiffening cock through his coveralls, stroking the throbbing shaft. He pulled her skirt up, bunching the fabric around her waist, fondling her pussy. Daisy unzipped Brad’s fly, her slim fingers encircling his stiff dick as his fingers probed into her. He groaned as she pumped his pre-cum coated cock, pulling it free from the restraining fabric. He pushed her on the desk, spreading her legs and pulling her panties aside.
The harsh buzz of the desk phone startled them and they pulled away from each other. Brad licked his fingers, tasting Daisy’s pussy juice as she talked on the phone, his frustration evident until he suddenly remembered the office window and wondered if anyone had seen them. Daisy finished her phone call and smiled at him, her face flushed and her eyes alight. “I want us to fuck so much right now I can taste it,” she purred. “Unfortunately a school tour is outside and I have to show them around. You need to get back to work too. What time is dinner tonight?”
“I’ll pick you up at seven,” Brad replied, picking up the flowers and gift and placing them on the desk. “Do you have time to look at your present?”
“Of course I do,” Daisy replied, tearing the wrapping paper and opening the box. She grinned and removed a heart-shaped locket on a thin gold chain as Brad leaned forward and kissed her.
“Wear it for me tonight,” he whispered. Then he was out the office door as Daisy stared at the locket for a moment, sighed and placed it in her desk.
***
“Thank you for a wonderful evening Brad,” Daisy said happily as they stood at her front door. “Dinner was wonderful and the exhibition at the art museum was a nice surprise.” She pulled him close and kissed him, saying, “Would you like to come in for some coffee?”
“I could use some coffee,” Brad replied, returning the kiss. When Daisy turned to open the door, he put his arms around her and rubbed his stiff dick against her ass. “With lots of cream,” he whispered in her ear, making her laugh as she wiggled against him.
Daisy locked the door behind them, took Brad by the hand and led him to her bedroom. Kissing hungrily, they quickly undressed each other, eager for the touch of warm skin. Daisy sat Brad on the side of the bed and knelt before him. He gasped as she took his cock in her warm mouth, licking the velvety head, hands stroking the pulsing shaft.
“Ahhhh… feels so good…,” he moaned as Daisy’s lips engulfed his rigid cock, pushing it deep in her mouth, tongue circling the warm flesh. Daisy’s head bobbed as she deep throated her lover, his hands tangled in her hair. He could feel cum rising in his balls as he fucked her mouth. He tried to hold off and enjoy the sensations, but her licking and sucking became too much for him.
“Ohhhhh…fuckkk…” he groaned, squirting a rope of thick cum down her throat. Daisy swallowed it eagerly and continued to suck him until he filled her mouth again, finally slipping his softening cock between her lips, licking cum from it.
Brad pushed himself back onto the bed as Daisy crawled in and lay next to him.
She sighed as she felt his hand on her breast, his palm grazing her stiff nipple. He rolled on top of her, settling between her thighs, her ankles locking around his waist. He rubbed his stiffening cock against her soft belly as he sucked gently on her breasts, shivering as her fingernails traced along his back and shoulders. Daisy moaned as Brad sucked one breast, then the other into his warm mouth, his tongue teasing her aching nipples. “Fuck me,” she gasped. “I want you in me …ohhhhhh.”
Brad lifted his hips and slid his rigid cock into Daisy’s juicy pussy, the slick walls gripping him as he buried himself in her. Daisy squealed in pleasure as her lover’s cock surged inside of her, slamming her hips against his as they clung together, gasping and moaning in their passion. He gritted his teeth as he felt the tightening in his balls. His cock felt so good in Daisy’s pussy, her rippling vaginal muscles stroking him. Daisy humped frantically against her lover, grinding her stiff clit against the base of his cock with every thrust.
Brad rubbed his face in Daisy’s silvery-grey hair, sucking and biting on her neck as he pumped into her. She whimpered and clawed at his broad shoulders, impaling herself on his thrusting cock. Finally, Brad knew he was close. “I can’t hold on,” he gasped. “I’m gonna cum.”
“Cum in me,” Daisy whimpered, “I’m cumming with you…” Bucking and thrashing, they pounded against each other, Brad’s thick jets of cum swirling with a flood of Daisy’s warm juices as they climaxed together, their cries of ecstasy echoing in the room. Brad lifted himself from Daisy, his softening cock slipping out of her gooey pussy, wanting to make her cum even more. She gasped as he dove between her legs and sucked her juicy pussy, his fingers driving inside the pink folds as he sucked on her stiff clit. Daisy’s back arched as her lover brought her to another shuddering orgasm.
Panting and sighing they clung to each other until their sweaty bodies stopped shaking. They kissed tenderly, then embraced and fell asleep; Brad’s head pillowed on Daisy’s breasts, her fingers tangled in his soft brown hair.
***
Brad and Daisy worked together and were lovers for the rest of the summer, the difference in their ages meaning little as they discovered new ways to bring each other to the height of ecstasy. Lying in bed one night Brad whispered, “I love you. I don’t want to leave. I’ll skip college for a semester, maybe a year. I’ll work for you in the center so we can be together.”
Daisy snuggled against her lover, wrapping her legs around his hard body. “I love you too, my darling. I want only the best for you and I want you to continue your education. Don’t put it on hold for me. We can see each other between semesters and on holidays.”
Brad hugged Daisy and nuzzled her neck, shivering as her hand caressed his stiffening cock. “I hate the thought of us being apart. You mean so much to me.
I’ll e-mail you every day and we’ll talk on the phone. I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want you to forget me.”
“As if that would ever happen,” Daisy said laughing. She straddled Brad and brushed his cock head on her pussy lips, sucking on his nipples as he groaned in pleasure. Brad’s hands gripped Daisy’s tight buttocks and pulled her down, his pulsing shaft driving deep in her juicy pussy. Daisy mewed in pleasure as Brad’s cock filled her, their hips grinding as she rode the thick shaft. Brad sucked a stiff nipple in his mouth as Daisy rubbed her throbbing clit in his wiry pubic hair, sharing open-mouthed kisses as they moved in practiced rhythm.
Brad groaned as he pumped a load of hot cum into his lover’s soaked pussy. Daisy shuddered and released a flood of sweet juices over her lover’s cock, her back arching as her orgasm ripped through her. Brad cried out and squirted into Daisy’s pussy once again as she rode his thick shaft to another mind-numbing orgasm. Wrapped in each other’s arms, Brad drifted into sleep as Daisy gazed at him lovingly. It was fitting somehow that this virile and handsome man would be the lover she most adored in the autumn of her life. A tear trickled down her cheek at the thought of saying goodbye, but he had his whole life ahead of him and she knew she must let him go. She snuggled against him, his warm breath on her neck as she joined him in slumber.
***
Then the day of Brad’s departure came, a day they had both been dreading. Brad parked in front of the Recycling Center and went to Daisy’s office. He closed the door behind him and she ran into his arms. Tears coursing down their cheeks, they hugged and kissed. They had made love for hours the evening before, parting reluctantly when Brad left to pack.
“You must leave now, my dear one,” Daisy said, her voice sad and breaking. “You have a long drive.” Brad nodded, wiping his eyes on his sleeve, unable to speak. They walked slowly to the SUV and Brad slid behind the wheel, unable to release his grip on Daisy’s hand.
“I love you,” he said in a low voice, “I don’t want to leave. I never thought it would be this tough.”
Daisy kissed him, pulled her hand from his and closed the door. Reaching through the open window, she caressed his cheek and said, “I love you, too. I’ll be here when you return for the holidays. I’ll be waiting.”
Brad nodded, kissed her hand and started the engine. “I’ll call you the minute I get there,” he replied. Daisy stood watching as he drove away, not moving until the vehicle disappeared from sight.
***
Returning from class, Brad turned on his laptop and logged in, eager to see if Daisy had sent him a message. They e-mailed and phoned each other once a day. He would tell her of his experiences as a freshman in a major university, she would describe what had happened in the recycling center, sharing stories and gossip. They were already making plans how they would spend the holidays and the fun they would have. Brad smiled as he saw another message from his lover, read it quickly and rushed to answer it; that evening they would talk on the phone.
In November, the emails and calls stopped and Brad thought it odd that he did not hear from her. He thought that perhaps she was busy and would contact him the next day. When he did not hear from her the next day or the next, he began to worry. His calls went to voicemail and his e-mails went unanswered. The interim manager at The Recycling Center said Ms. Carpenter was on a temporary leave of absence, but knew nothing more.
Brad began to wonder if she had found someone else and his jealousy grew. Had a new man come into her life? Had she forgotten him so easily? He thought she really loved him, as he loved her. As the days passed with no word, his anger and resentment increased. When he returned, he would confront her and demand she explain why she had abandoned him. In the meantime, there was a campus full of lovely young women to meet; he would not waste his time mooning over someone who had obviously moved on.
Until now, he had ignored the smiles, the flirting and the party invitations, wanting to stay true to Daisy. Now, since she had forgotten him, he would forget about her. Soon he was partying whenever he could and he thought of Daisy less and less as the weeks passed. When the semester was over, he prepared to leave for home on Holiday break. In spite of the fun he was having, a part of him was still curious to learn what had happened to his silver-haired lover.
While he was packing, a registered letter arrived. As he signed for it, his heart skipped a beat as he read the return address, the Sheltering Arms Hospice. A hospice, why would a hospice be writing to him? Worry tore through him. Hands trembling, he ripped open the envelope and began to read. We regret to inform you that your friend Ms. Daisy Bryant Carpenter passed away while in our care… the words swam before Brad’s eyes as they filled with tears.
He had misjudged her. She hadn’t forgotten him, she was not unfaithful. He had been out having fun while she was dying. Why had she not told him of her illness? He would have gone to her in an instant. He paced back and forth in his dorm room, unable to erase the image of his sweetheart lying in bed, becoming weaker, needing him. His rage and sorrow boiled over and his dorm mates found him punching the wall with bloody fists, his body wracked with sobs.
***
A light rain was falling as Brad stared at the simple granite slab in the green grass. “Daisy Bryant Carpenter, 1945-2006,” he read aloud, “A friend to all and an enemy to none.” He smiled at the inscription. He had thought of that when he visited the hospice and they had told him she had asked that he make the final disposition of her remains. He knelt in the wet grass and traced the inscribed letters with his finger, as if trying to draw some of his lover’s essence from her grave.
“You never mentioned the cancer,” he murmured. “They said you didn’t want to worry me and distract me from my studies. You were so brave, acting as if nothing was wrong up to the end. I love you Daisy and I always will. I’ll never forget you.”
Brad’s warm tears mixed with the cool rain on his face as he walked slowly away, shoulders heaving as he completed the final goodbye to his lover and friend. A bouquet of flowers lay on the grass before his beloved’s grave marker, their yellow petals blazing in jaunty defiance to the leaden skies.