“Oh Eddie, I didn’t know you were home!” Ellen had just stepped into her cedar-lined sauna surprising her son’s eighteen-year-old friend who had been lying quietly on one of the benches.
He sprang upright on the bench. “I’m sorry Mrs. Feinman, I guess I should have asked if I could use your sauna,” he replied embarrassed.
Ellen waved her hand reassuringly. “Nonsense. I told you when you came out here that for the two weeks you’re here with James and me, my house is your house. And that applies to the sauna as well.” She started to reopen the door. “If you prefer, I’ll come back when you’re finished.”
“Oh no Mrs. Feinman, don’t let me put you out.”
The older woman pulled away from the door. “Great, it’s always nice to have someone to talk to while you’re working up a good sweat. But some people prefer their privacy.”
“Not me,” he answered although his nervous nature betrayed his true feelings. He hadn’t anticipated that James’s mother would be joining him and all he was wearing was a pair of small gym shorts.
“Well good,” Ellen laughed. “A nice looking boy like you doesn’t have anything to hide.” She winked knowingly at him.