Mae hollered, like women of her ilk were want to do, “Paul, you sad sack, where you been?”

Paul stopped well short of the screen door held open for him, smelling the usual bacon and greens, “Afternoon Mae, I just…”

“Quit yer jawing and come in. I got steaks what need grillin’.”

“No, thank you kindly, Mae. I can’t today.”

She screwed up her eyes and a thick hand found met curvy hip, “You ain’t never refused me before.” She grinned and gave a bawdy wink.

“This I know, Mae, all too well. You have fed me and my…appetites on many occasions, for which I have to apologize. My intentions were not pure but driven by baser instincts.”

“Hell’s bells boy, you ain’t found religion, did ya?” He had to smirk at how she ran the last few words together. She could always make him smile, some ways chaster than others.

“S’pose you could call it that, or maybe I just been properly motivated.”

“Ooh, I seen ya motivated, boy.” She let it go at that, returning to her kitchen with a chuckle, confident he’d return.