A week later after our high school reunion Rhonda and I decided to spend the whole weekend all to ourselves. Ever since that night in the school cafeteria we've grown closer, getting to know more about each other than ever before. Hard to believe she was that same girl who played volleyball like a pro with a tomboyish attitude to go with it. After leaving her phone number on my bathroom mirror I decided to call her up, see how things turned out once we hooked up. It was all worth it once that first call was made.
Together we went to the movies, saw a show, and paid a visit to her mother. Mrs. James was the one person I wanted to meet; responsible for Rhonda's transformation into the goddess standing beside me. The forty something year old was strikingly beautiful herself and seeing them both together you'd think they were siblings instead of mother and daughter. Rhonda and I had had enough for the day, spending the whole evening at my place, relaxing comfortably on the couch watching the latest football game on television. Rhonda laid her pretty little head on my lap, munching on a bag of chips and wearing one of my old striped denim shirts.
"Come on!" I yelled at the quarterback on screen, playing like a three year old on the field. "You had the ball in your hands!"
"He should put glue on those hands," said Rhonda, barely paying attention to the game.
"My grandma can throw better passes than this bum."
"Maybe you should give her a call."
"If she were young and strong, I would."
"I'm running out of chips. You want the last one?"
"Don't mind if I do," I said, taking a bite of the one chip sticking out of her mouth, kissing those juicy lips having the taste of salt and grease still on them.
"So," she said, sitting up on her knees. "How about we call it a night and plan our next rendezvous tomorrow?"
"I thought you were watching the game?"
"You are watching the game. Show me one volleyball game and you got my full attention. Why don't we go to one for a change? It could be a lot of fun, just like back in high school."
"There aren't that many volleyball games in town. You could always wait for the Olympics."
"I hate waiting for the Olympics. If I wait for the Olympics any longer I'm going to scream."
"Don't get excited. Just relax and watch the game."
"I don't like football, Aggie. There has to be some volleyball tournament on TV. Give me the remote and I'll find one."
"No way. The only one who handles the remote is me and only me."
"Shut up and give it to me."
"No, you'll break it."
"I'll break you in a minute. Do I have to hurt you to get my hands on it?"
"You're not getting it."
"The hell I ain't."
"The hell you are."
"Let go of it."
"If you break it, you're buying me a new one."
"I ain't buying shit."
A sudden knock on the door drew my attention away and Rhonda easily took the remote from my hands. I let her play with it for awhile as I got up to answer the door. Waiting out in the hallway was the landlady, Mrs. Tate, who recently gave me a break when I came up late with the rent. Even though she hated when her tenants paid their rent late she was patient, very understanding, and well respected by the entire building.
"Good evening, Robert," she said.
"Mrs. Tate," I said. "What can I do for you?"
"I believe your time is up. Do you have the rent?"
"Yeah, I have it. Give me a second."
Rhonda waved at her and said, "hi, Sandy."
"Hello, dear. Did I come at a bad time?"
Mrs. Tate referred to me standing there without a shirt on and wearing only my boxer shorts. Lucky for me I wasn't completely naked or that would have been embarrassing, especially to a lonely old widow like Mrs. Tate, who hasn't had too many dates lately. Though there had been rumors that she'd been messing around with younger men in this very building.
"I'm afraid you did," said Rhonda. "But we forgive you."
"My apologies to the both of you," said Mrs. Tate.
"Pay no attention to her, Mrs. Tate," I said. "I have your rent over here."
I approached my flat screen television where the envelope full of cash was tucked safely underneath. I was about to hand it over to Mrs. Tate when Rhonda snatched it from my grasp, and refusing to give it back to me.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Come get it," she said.
"Not now."
"Come and get it."
Rhonda tucked the envelope right behind her pink underwear. No doubt she wanted me to go in and grab it, leaving me no choice but to play her silly little game. I started things off taking one step forward, but she backed away from me. I took two more steps, making her climb onto the couch.
"You're too slow, Aggie," she said.
"You're very annoying," I said. "You couldn't find one volleyball game on television, is that it?"
"I told you, I don't like football."
"It's not my fault you like one sport."
"Come on, Aggie, you're really starting to bore me."
"I'm starting to bore you? Mrs. Tate, are you seeing this?"
"You kids today," said Mrs. Tate, enjoying the show we were putting on. "I could come back in an hour if you like?"
"That won't be necessary, because we're going to end this right now."
"Bring it on," said Rhonda, climbing down off the couch. "Let's see what you got."
I pointed at the TV screen and said, "isn't that your old coach?"
"Where?"
Rhonda turned her head towards the screen, giving me the one chance to spin her ass around and grab that envelope on time. I could tell by the look on her face that she was not happy with the move I made.
"You bastard," she said.
"Sore loser," I said, giving her a pat on the ass for her troubles. "Here you go, Mrs. Tate. Sorry for all the trouble she may have caused you. I promise I'll have her spayed in the morning."
"Thank you," said Mrs Tate. "Again I'm sorry I interrupted you both."
"Forget about it."
"Well, goodnight."
"Nightie night, Sandy," said Rhonda.
After I said goodnight and locked up the door, Rhonda continued teasing me when she decided to hide something else behind her back. Obviously, she was looking for some payback after embarrassing her in front of Mrs. Tate.
"All right," I said. "What are you hiding this time?"
"Take a guess, Aggie," she said. "Come on, take a guess."
"You want to continue playing games?"
"Don't you want to?"
"No, not really. If that's my remote you're hiding, you better hand it over."
"Or else what you'll punish me? You want to teach me a lesson, Aggie?"