Moon Dancer, 2
Ya'know how sometimes you can't sleep because your brain just jumps from thought to thought? Well I didn't sleep well Saturday night. After dinner I'd poured myself a little Scotch and dialed up an old Western. One of Wayne's classics. Didn't help. I kept thinking of Marge. Yeah, her legs and belly, and her hair. But mostly her eyes; hazel with flecks of gold. And that little smile.
Or was I just imagining. Just being a lusty old man that hadn't touched another woman since his wife died? And was she just being friendly so I'd take her and the kid sailing? Am I betraying Sue? All night. Back and forth.
I'm sure I got some sleep, but Sunday I wasn't worth shit. Just puttered around. Went into the garage and waxed the Jag. Finished that and went into the house and put the ball game on.
About three the phone rang. Without thinking I picked up. "Yeah?'
"Mitchell Randall?"
"I'm not buying, I'm not selling."
"No, no. I'm Jim Hatcher, you took my son sailing yesterday."
"Yeah so? And how did you get this number?"
"Margaret gave it to me. Listen, Mike told me you went sailing and saw whales. Is that right?"
"So?"
"Well I'd like to see your boat?"
"Why?"
"You had my son out there and I don't know you or how safe you are."
Aw shit. One of those. Enough of this bullshit. "No. You may not see my boat."
"I didn't okay that. And what are you doing with Margaret?"
"I'll say this
One Time
. He was with his mother. I understand you're divorced. Her business is hers." And I hung up. He tried calling again. I blocked him.
Then Marge called. "Did he call you?"
"Yeah. I didn't appreciate him having my number."
"I'm sorry. He has a way of hounding me until I give him what he wants. It's one of the reasons we split up. If it weren't for sharing time with Michael I'd have nothing to do with him. I'm really sorry. What did you say to him, he was really angry?"
"He wanted to look me and the boat over. Wanted to approve me and you. I told him no. Came close to telling him to pound sand."
She sighed and the line was quiet for a bit. I could hear her breathing. It sounded a bit ragged. "What does this do to us?"
"To us?"
"Are you going to want anything to do with a woman and her ass hole ex-husband?"
"I thought about you last night. All night. Didn't get much sleep. I don't know. I'm pretty rummy right now and he didn't help my mood. Let me grab a couple hours sleep. I'll see how I'm doing then. I'll call about seven."
~~~
She picked up on the second ring. "Are we okay?" There was real tension in her voice. When I said yes I heard her let out her breath. She was holding her breath? Shit, she was more serious than I thought. Or my imagination was going crazy.
"Do you still want to come down Friday night? Maybe watch a movie and share pizza?"
"Mitch... did you really think about me all night? Yes, I'd like that. Then out on the boat Saturday?"
~~~
Friday. Damn. I was nervous all damn day. Luckily I had a busy work day. But after work, at home, I couldn't think straight. Paced. She had called to say she might be a bit late as she was trying to wrap up an important job. I did remember to ask pizza and movie preferences.
"Something spicy, the more on it the better. And I really don't like those ultra thin crusts. Movies... This may sound strange, but I've never seen Casablanca."
The pizza was easy, Casablanca took a bunch of hunting and then I found it on Amazon Prime.
~~~
She arrived a little after eight, apologizing like crazy. Looking like a million bucks. My brain is going "Mitchell me boy, you are fucked. She. has. you." I didn't argue with myself. Truth is truth.
From top to bottom; honey blonde hair swirling around her face and down to her shoulders. Just a light touch of makeup to highlight her eyes. Light red lip stick. A light yellow sun dress with thin shoulder straps and low cut to show the swell of her breasts - which didn't seem to be encased in a bra. The dress hem only came mid thigh, showing lightly tanned legs. Toe nails painted to match her lips and fingers. Strapped sandals. Yeah I looked. I'd be a fool if I didn't. "Wow. You are as beautiful as I remembered."
"Why thank you sir. I like the shorts and Hawaiian shirt, they suit you. Can I come in? Or are we setting up on the porch?"
I muttered a quick apology and then said it was all her fault for looking so good. That earned a slap on the arm, and a smile. "Oh, I almost forgot, I brought a wine to go with the pizza. You do drink wine, don't you?"
I popped the pizza in the oven - hey, I didn't know what time so went the safe route with a take and bake - and took her on a tour of the house. Three bedrooms, two bath. Nothing special, mid 50s ranch style. The back one my office. I told Marge to put her stuff in the right hand bedroom. "Where's yours?"
"Across the hall."
The kitchen had been through one total remodel and a couple appliance replacements over the years. The rest of the house still as it was built. Except for layers of paint. The living room doubles as the den and on the walls are several pictures of Sue, one standing at the helm with feet braced that I shot from the cabin hatch. Another of her laying on a cockpit cushion. But the one Marge really studied was a close up of Sues face; her dark hair blowing in the wind, a smile on her lips and her brown eyes squinting just a bit against the unseen glare. "She was beautiful wasn't she?'
"Yes." I choked just a little. Marge seem to notice. "Do you still miss her?"
"I can go days, sometimes weeks and be okay. And then some little something connects and I tear up. Have you ever seen the Costner movie 'Open Range'? With Annette Benning? Costner rides off. He's all banged up from shoot out with the bad guys. She's working in her garden when she hears a horse snort. She pauses and then looks around. Costner limps around the house corner. She looks at him and he says "I love you Sue. I have since I first saw you...", every time I see that scene I tear up. Can't help it."
~~~
I'm not a wine connoisseur (yes, I looked up the spelling) so Chianti with pizza sounded right.
In the living room we sat on the floor with the coffee table before us. Marge wolfed down a couple pieces. "Sorry, I missed lunch today to make deadline. I'm starved."