Remembering those days.
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Before I moved to my country estate, I lived in an older restored area of Columbus known as Victorian Village. Victorian Village was a little beyond walking distance from downtown, but I could walk it, if I missed the last bus. These days I drive the lengthy commute to the office, but in those days, I rode the bus. Yes, the public transit system. There were, and I assume still are, nice things said about the Neil Avenue bus that runs through Victorian Village, the number 7 transit, the bus that brings downtown workers from the bottom of the Ohio State University campus into the heart of the city. Neil Avenue itself is a tree lined drive with huge Victorian homes, most of which have been painstakingly restored to their earlier elegance. And those who rode the bus, those same faces that I saw every work day, we became a social crowd, guys and gals that I became friends with and still greet today.
There were regulars who rode the bus, certain attractive women, some of whom I got close with, and some whom I didn't. Guys and gals, other lawyers, accountants, government workers, mostly what is called the young professional crowd. These people all rode the bus, boarding at different intervals depending on what time they were due at work. Rarely was the bus more than half full. After seeing someone every morning, simple hellos led to conversation and to friendship. The entire ride downtown only took ten minutes, and then I was at the door of my office. And friendships also were made with the bus drivers, the same driver was there every day too. One driver was John Paul, who drove the return home 5 o'clock route. On good days he would announce each stop, sometimes singing out the street names.
One crisp spring morning, at the Goodale Avenue stop, a perky blond boarded. She was about 5'4. She had on tight jeans, sandals, and a black tee shirt. Immediately she caught my attebtion, I hadn't seen her before. Her braless boobs bounced as she stepped up into the bus. Her hair was slicked back and wet, she was obviously only a few minutes out of the shower. Under one arm was a huge artist's carrying case, and I guessed that she was a student at the prestigious Columbus College of Art and Design. This woman had the face, the chest and the look, of Bo Derek. High cheekbones, square jaw, and firm high boobs that had never nursed a child. Her top was mated to a tiny waste which then curved out to a small fantastic ass. And no makeup, no need for it, nothing to hide. We each got off the bus at the Broad and High intersection in the center of town, which was where my office was located.
As we walked toward the corner stoplight, I spoke first.
"Hi. So you go to CCAD?" I asked, as the rising sun shone directly on her face, there at the northwest corner of Broad and High.
"Well, OK, smart guy, do you hit on everyone this early?"
"Iโฆ.uhโฆwellโฆ"
"Why don't you go fuck yourself, and leave me alone!"
With that verbal slap, I walked away. Nothing lost there, I thought, just trying to be friendly. Apparently she didn't want any friends like me.
But the next day I saw her again. She was at the bus stop immediately below my office, waiting to board the return ride up Neil Avenue, around 5:00 p.m., and wearing the same clothes as the day before. That line ran every 20 minutes, and I was ready to go home. I went on the bus first, she followed, and to my surprise she sat down and shared the bench seat with me.
"You're the guy from yesterday," she said.
"Yeah, I am. My name's Elliot. How are you?"
"Well I'm fine, if you care. I'm Bonnie. Bonnie Lou Hutchinson. And stop trying to cover up your wedding ring, I can see that you're married."
Twice she'd slammed me, and I didn't even know her.
"Are you married?" I asked.
"No, not to you at least. But I am 28, I know yesterday from tomorrow."
Then another woman came on board, and she sat directly across from us. She had brown hair, and wore a tight white blouse and tan slacks. On anybody's scale, she was attractive. She said hello to Bonnie, and when they recognized each other, they embraced. Bonnie stood up, the other woman stood up, and they shared a passionate kiss in the aisle of the bus, an open mouth tongue twisting passionate kiss. Next they exchanged whispers. The only thing I overheard was "I'll call you", which came from Bonnie's lips.
Sitting back down next to me, Bonnie spoke. "I haven't seen her in years. We used to dance together at King Tut's on Morse Road. She's the first woman I ever kissed, I mean romantically kissed. And the first woman I made love to. I hope we get together again."
At that moment, I was confused. I tried to absorb the different sides of this stranger, and I wondered if I wanted her in my life. She was open about things such as her bisexualality, as open as she was about her refusal to wear makeup. We sat the next few minutes in silence, and I wondered what went on in her head.
"Why don't you come to my house?" she said as she leaned against me on the bus seat. "It's right up the street, and my roommate won't mind."
It wasn't late, late for me meant after 7:00, so I went home with her. She rented an old brick townhouse apartment, a unit she shared with another woman. Once inside, there was no roommate. The only one greeting us was Bonnie's dog, who responded to the name Black Dog. I wondered how she would call for him, should he ever be lost. We bumped around a bit, making small talk. The place showed every aspect of a student dwelling - makeshift bookshelves, old worn furniture, used pots and pans. But there was no artwork. Other CCAD students, whom I visited, their apartments always were full of their own works, their projects, their successes and their failures. Bonnie had none of that.
We stood in the kitchen and talked, as she fed a sliced apple to her dog. I worried that she would poison him, but he seemed really hungry. In fact he looked starved.
"I was dating this guy," she said as she stood at the kitchen sink, "who took me home to meet his parents. He was pretty much a jerk. We dated for a while."
I wondered why she was volunteering information about other men.
"If he was a jerk," I said, "then why did you continue to date him?"
"Sex. Tits and ass. That's all he wanted from me. But he drove a BMW and would buy me dinner. And I get pretty hungry. Anyway, when I met his parents, his father was really cool. He was a dentist. His father kept coming on to me. Then I dumped the boyfriend. After I did, his father called me up. I went out with him, he took me to a nice restaurant, and I ended up fucking his father's brains out."
"Was this dentist married?"
"Sure, but I like married men. They are always a safe bet."
"A safe bet?" I asked.
"They don't demand commitment, and they go home at night. They always look their best, and they always try to impress. It's easy."
I watched as Black Dog ate the seeds of the apple.
"This may sound odd, but I haven't had a bath in a couple of days," she said. "Do you mind if I take a shower?"
"Of course not. I'll run over to the Big Bear and buy us some wine. Leave the door open so that I can get in when I come back."
The Big Bear grocery store was only a half a block away, and in ten minutes I was back with the wine. The door was open and I let myself in, and I sat the wine bottle on the table. Glancing up the stairs, I saw steam flowing from the bathroom. I walked up the steps and the bathroom door was open. Then I heard the clang of old plumbing as the water faucets were shut off.
"Bonnie," I said loudly, "it's me. I'm back." I loitered around hoping to catch a flash of Bonnie nude.
"Can you hand me a towel? There's a clean one on the rack."