Chapter 20
My Dad got to the door before I could when Cary rang the bell. I could hear him talking as I approached. "Well, just so you know. If you and your kids ever need a place to hunker down, you can always come here," he was finishing.
Cary was dumbstruck. After a moment, she smiled timidly. "That's incredibly generous of you Mr. Baker. I really appreciate it."
"Ah. Here's His Royal Highness now," Dad joked as I came up behind him. "And please, call me Neil. Well, you kids have fun." So saying, he sauntered upstairs.
Cary followed me to my room, making light, normal conversation. I had already moved my Genesis in there so that we could run video game music while we talked. And maybe even actually play some games if we felt like it. Mostly, I just wanted a chance to sit and hold her hand and be close to her. As soon as the door closed, Cary fell into my arms, and we stood for several moments just embracing.
"How are you,
mon amour
?" I asked
Cary squirmed. "Oooh, French. I could get used to that." She turned and leaned her back into me, pulling my arms around her middle. "I feel like I've been walking on clouds all day. It doesn't seem real. I've never been this happy."
I turned her head towards me and kissed her. She twisted in place to face me and pressed herself against my chest, kissing back. Then, as if remembering something suddenly, she drew back. "Did you talk to Liss and Sascha?" she asked.
I nodded, then chuckled, sliding the on-switch for the Sega up. As the blue logo spun onto the screen, I sat down. "Sascha was ready to tear me a new asshole because she's friends with Carla, and had already heard that I showed up with 'a hot college chick.' You should know that she was fiercely indignant on your behalf because she thought I was leading you on and then fooling around with some foxy mystery girl."
Cary blushed. "You're making that up."
I raised my hand. "Cross my heart, hope to die," I swore. "She told me that if I broke your heart, she'd never hang out with me again. She's definitely in our corner."
And a good thing, too
, I thought to myself. "In fact, she said she'd go cast some spells for us. I mean, I don't actually believe that sort of stuff works, but it's nice to know that she'd do that."
Cary smiled. "Liss?"
"A harder sell." I switched
Streets of Rage II
to sound test mode so that music could play continuously while we talked. "She's worried about how Eric will try to hurt you. Or me, actually. She said she won't cover for us, but she won't tell my parents until we give the go-ahead."
"Hmmmm." Cary sat on my bed and leaned back. "I sort of expected that. She's pretty protective. And she's right to think that Eric is a jerk. Apparently my landlord Rio thinks he saw Eric's car waiting in the parking lot for an hour or so around 11pm. I'm thinking I'll need to ask for a restraining order if he keeps this up." She sighed. "I talked to my friends, too."
"Tell me about it," I said.
"I will. But did you hear what your dad said?" Cary's face was alight with wonder.
"Yeah, I did. Dad may be a little odd sometimes, but he really does mean well. They knew Eric showed up after they left, and were concerned for you." I found myself thinking of my parents more as individuals recently than as a familiar parental presence. Maybe hanging out with Cary had made me look at people older than me less as background characters and more the heroes of their own stories. After all, the gap between my parents and Cary's ages were nearly the same as between myself and her. They probably thought of her as sort of like a kid sister.
"Okay, so--my friends." Cary took a breath.
=====
"When I went home, I couldn't sleep. I was too excited--and I felt somehow that if I went to sleep, it would break the spell of our night together. But eventually I knew I needed to get some rest and tell my friends. So after I put my dress and the rest of my clothes away, I called Sami. I knew she would want to hear first, and I was sort of dreading telling Lori anyway.
Sami came over--it was her ex-husband's weekend with her kids, so she had time. You might not remember, but Patrick and her little daughter Melanie are in the same grade. She actually saw Jack when he came to do that pioneer presentation that led to me first meeting you. Oh, look at you smile!
Anyway, Sami came over. She took one look at my big grin, and guessed immediately. I told you last night that she had been taking me to bars since Eric and I separated, and suggested that I just sleep with you. What I didn't tell you is that part of the reason she's been so worried about me not... not "getting any" as she puts it, is that she takes home a different guy from a different bar every time she goes. So, I'm not used to her being jealous of me.
But when I told her about how you faced down Eric and chased him away--about how you made me your plus one and took me to that fancy, magical, excitingly naughty party, about how you
gave up a free car
for my sake... well, let's just say she spent more time calling me a "lucky bitch" than not. Anyway, she was thrilled for us. I'm not sure she understood that I intend for this to be more than a fling. She mostly concentrated on how fun it is to sleep with somebody younger who has so much energy.
Ha! You should see your face. But it's true. No need to be embarrassed.
Anyway, she wanted all sorts of details. Don't worry, I kept it R-rated, if not PG-13. I told her about the games at Ty's party, and the relative anonymity, and the fact that you had given me a pseudonym to protect my reputation. She was really impressed by your forethought, by the way. And of course, I told her I won the vacation to Mexico.
Oh, she wanted to know all about the night afterwards, too. I told her that you were everything I hoped for and more, and that you really knew how to treat a girl right. Ah, there's that smile again. But I didn't give her any details except to say that we didn't get a great deal of sleep, and that I was a little sore--but in a good way. And that yes, you... ahem, "got me there" more than once.
Well, she said she was happy for us and that she'd keep a lid on things until the divorce goes through. And then she announced that she was going home to her wine and her vibrator. She always knows what to say to make me blush, even after I've just described a night with you. Maybe especially after that.
After that, I took a nap. Samantha was next, although I almost needn't have bothered. Sami had called her while I was asleep and told her nearly everything. She wanted to know what I wore, which Sami and I hadn't discussed. And she told me in no uncertain terms that when I get back from vacation, the three of us are going to lunch: you, me, and her. No, I don't know for sure what she has planned, but I wouldn't be worried.
The next call I had planned worried me a little more--I decided I should probably call and talk to Lana--Sascha's mother. Lana's a bit older than me--more your parents' age. She and I met when she bought one of my earlier paintings for her house. As far as I know, it's still up there. Which one? I think it was the one of somebody's hand trying to push a book into a VCR slot.
Anyway, I didn't tell her as much--just that I had a new boyfriend and that he was younger than me. And that I was very happy. I didn't think it would do to tell her right away that you were also Sascha's friend.
Lori? Yeah... she was a little more hard-nosed about it. She told me that she wasn't surprised--that I had been sending out signals since the first time she met you at your bluegrass gig at the restaurant. And she said that I was acting like a silly lovesick schoolgirl--which I don't disagree with, because that's how you make me feel. But that's not the whole picture. You really have no idea how remarkable it was that she gave you the time of day and thinks reasonably well of you.
Anyway, she said I was acting foolish, and that I should really give myself time to get used to being single and self-reliant again before jumping head-first into another relationship--especially one with a younger man. Hey, don't look so stricken! I'm just letting you know what she said. I finally got her agreement not to spread it around the gallery or anything until I get paperwork signed.
It wasn't exactly support, but it wasn't as much pushback as I expected, either.
Also, I got a call from the travel agency, and worked out an addition to the package for taking my kids! We'll be leaving next week. I bet Eric will be furious, imagining me having all sorts of fun somewhere that he can't stalk me. Of course, that means that you and I have to make up for the time we won't have together, too."
=====
I sat back. While Cary had talked, I had switched tracks a few times on the game to keep up the sounds. After a moment, I stood and stretched. "Are you good for a walk?" I asked. "I feel like we've been cooped up down here long enough."
Cary raised an eyebrow, but levered herself up. "Sure! Where did you have in mind?"
It was late spring, so the stars were just beginning to glimmer in the dusk sky as I pulled my crappy old hatchback into the parking lot at Breakenridge Park. Several other cars were still parked, but I didn't mind. Cary hopped out of the car with the enthusiasm of a kid at Christmas, and immediately glued herself to my side.
We had hiked perhaps hundreds of miles collectively on various trails throughout the area in our nine months of friendship, but this time, everything felt new. My arm was around Cary's waist, and she had her hand in my back pocket, lightly squeezing my butt as we walked. It took us a moment of laughing to try to sort out a gait that didn't have us stumbling over each other as we walked. However, once we found a good pace and rhythm, it felt completely natural.
The stars seemed brighter, and the smell of the slowly-greening rocky landscape more pleasant. I was enchanted by the slow, smooth swing of Cary's hips under my arm as we walked and talked. Having seen her naked did nothing to make her seem less magical or beautiful in my eyes--if anything, knowing what was underneath made me want her even more. Occasionally, we would stop for a slow, tender kiss.
"We should go practice shooting my new Kentucky rifle before the Rendezvous," I murmured. Then something occurred to me. "Oh, hey! You never told me what my graduation present was. If it was you in that dress, it was the best present ever." I considered my statement. "Except for what came after. That was even better."
Cary giggled into my chest and started walking again, this time grabbing my hand and swinging it back and forth as we strode into the gloom. "Nope. You'll get it soon enough. It's a surprise." She thought. "You might have to wait until after I get back from Mexico, though."
As we passed through a stand of close-clustered scrub oak on a dusty strip of gravelly trail, I leaned towards her. "So. When we were helping to unpack, we found a series of books that started with
