“June 12th,” she answered, folding her arms against herself, flustered.
“Well, that’s not too far off. I guess there’s a lot of planning to do, huh? I assume you’re having an extravagant wedding?” he asked, once again leaning back against the tree. It stung to hear her tone, but he had invited it. He couldn’t let it get to him. There would be another day. And though she was frustrated with him, she noticed his articulation. It didn’t match his rough boy appearance. Odd.
“Yes we are,” she responded, “and I have tons to do!”
He knew she came from a well –to-do family, and he assumed it was the same story for her fiancé. It was, socially speaking, a natural pairing. Kyle had never dwelt on issues of wealth and class, or been cognizant of the standard world view. He was not materially minded, and as was the case with many artists, he created his own universe, believing that the wealth of a person’s life consisted of the invaluable moments and experiences in love and friendship. He felt Leigh may be of the same stripe, but there would be a lot of external pressures in her world, a lot of expectations, that may be too powerful and engrained for him, or her, to overcome.
“I bet,” he replied. “All the bells and whistles, right?”
She stared hard at him, trying to understand why he hadn’t kissed her just now. Had he suddenly developed a conscience about her relationship status?
“Right,” she responded, glancing down at her watch. “Well, looks like lunch is just about over.”
She looked back up at him and he was smiling warmly. His eyes, ever dazzlingly beautiful, were sincere and captivating. The ice around her heart began melting.
“Leigh…” he started, but she held up her hand.
“Let’s just forget about it, okay?”
“Can’t possibly do that,” he replied. He pushed off the tree and took her hand gently in his. She started to resist, pulling back, but he wouldn’t let her do it, gripping her hand more firmly. “I can’t forget you, Leigh.” He released her hand, and it fell limply back to her side as she stared at him, bewildered.
“I’ve got to go,” she said, shaking her head.
She walked off, and as she went he watched the motion of her hips under her tight skirt; her lithe, sexy body. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, he thought. And if there’s a way…I will.
And with that thought, he followed.
CHAPTER 5
Cheryl Thompson walked into the den of her home and found her daughter sitting cross-legged on the sofa, busily keying data into her laptop. Her long blond hair hung around her face as she bent over the keyboard, concentrating on the work at hand. Before she spoke, Cheryl thought of the hard fact that her only child would soon be married. Leigh had come home to visit and spend time with her mother as often as possible during college, and had moved back home after graduating. They had both grown closer and dependent on each other for solace and emotional support after Austin’s death. A year ago, when Gene proposed, Cheryl had been delighted for her daughter; but she had also naturally dreaded the day when Leigh left and she would be alone.
“What are you doing home this evening, hon?” she asked. Startled by her mother’s voice, she jumped slightly. Cheryl laughed.
“I’m sorry. Did I scare you?”
“Whew, yeah!” Leigh responded, patting her chest. “I was just totally engrossed. What’s that you said?”
“I was just wondering what you’re doing home on Friday night.”
“Gene’s working over, again,” she answered.
“Looks like you are, too.”
“Just catching up,” she sighed.
“Seems to me you’re both working a little too much lately,” Cheryl chastised. She walked over to the couch. “Mind if I have a seat?”
“Not at all.” Leigh moved her papers off the couch onto the coffee table to make room, and Cheryl sat down beside her.
“How are things going for you honey?” her mother asked concernedly. “You seem a little distracted lately.”
“So I’m told. Things are okay, I suppose.”
“Who else told you that?”
“Well, Gene said the same thing the other night when we were out,” she responded.
“Anything you want to talk about?” Cheryl pressed. “You’ve got your wedding coming up, and I know it’s a trying time. I remember how uptight I was, although I didn’t have much time to feel that way.” She smiled, remembering how quickly she and Austin had married when he returned from the Navy.
“Not really…..well... I guess I do have a question, mom.” She turned sideways on the couch to face her. She had struggled with the idea of talking to her mother about her recent feelings; she didn’t even want to admit them to herself. But she couldn’t deny her attraction to Kyle, and after they had parted earlier today, she was terribly confused. She had concluded that something must be wrong if she was entertaining the idea of kissing another man at this point. She needed some support for what she kept telling herself: that this was natural, that it wasn’t anything to worry about.
“What was it like before you married?” she asked.
“What do you mean, dear?” Cheryl responded with a quizzical expression. Leigh sighed and continued.
“Was there anyone else? Any drama?” she asked tentatively, realizing the question was loaded. “I’m just curious, mom! Don’t go guessing on me, okay?”
Cheryl smiled. She knew her daughter was on an emotional roller coaster right now. She quickly filed through her mind, but she couldn’t recall anyone else in Leigh’s life that she had been serious about. It could be someone from her college days. Lord only knows, she thought, and realized she was doing exactly what Leigh had asked her not to. She had always been supportive of the engagement; indeed, she had her part in gently nudging the two together when they came of age. But she wouldn’t be entirely surprised if Leigh was having second thoughts about marrying Gene. She had wondered at times, in recent years, if she was truly happy with him, or if she was just staying on a safe and familiar path, denying herself the opportunity to explore her heart. She knew Austin’s passing had profoundly affected Leigh, and there had to be some measure of comfort in the roots of her long relationship with Gene. But she also knew one couldn’t build a future on the past. She knew that as well as anyone.
“Well, you know, there was some drama, as you put it,” she replied. “I’m sure I’ve told you this before; at least of how your father and I met. But there is a back story.”
“Let’s hear it,” Leigh demanded, “and don’t leave anything out!”
“Okay. What I’m sure I haven’t told you about was a boy named Chris Bollinger that I had been dating for a while before your father came along.”
“Really?”
“That’s right. We attended the same church, and we had known each other since we were children. My parents liked him, or at least mother did. They were strict puritans, and I wasn’t allowed to even look at a boy without grief! Chris finally got up the nerve and came calling one night to ask my father’s permission to take me out. He was petrified! You should have seen him!”
“I bet!” Leigh exclaimed.
“My father begrudgingly gave him his permission. I was so excited, and boy crazy of course!” They both laughed at this. “Anyway, Chris was nice, and we got along real well. Everything seemed right. We dated for almost two years, and I was, naturally, planning my life with him. But one day, a girlfriend and myself happened to be at a diner in Newport News when a group of sailors came in,” she continued. “But you know this part of the story,” she said, waving her hand dismissively.
“No! Go on! It’s been a long time, and I want to hear it, mom!”
“Alright,” she replied.
“So what in the world were you doing in Newport News anyway?” Leigh asked. “I don’t think you’ve ever told me.”
“Well, my friend, Janie, had taken a job as a nanny for a couple there,” she explained, “and she wanted me to visit her. She sent me t
he bus fare, and I went without hesitation! I had turned eighteen that March, and I had never been further than fifty miles from Asheville. I was ready, let me tell you!”
“Wow, I’m sure,” Leigh responded, trying to imagine her “home body” mom actually venturing forth.
“Anyway, one particular sailor took a fancy to me, and was brash enough to come over and plop down right beside me in the booth. I couldn’t believe it!”
“Dad, right?” Leigh asked, remembering that part of the story where her mother and father had met.
“That’s right,” Cheryl affirmed. “I’d never been in that situation before. I was in a strange place, and I certainly didn’t have a great deal of experience with men. What was I to do? Anyway, I don’t think he would have moved if I had asked. Besides, your father was so handsome in that uniform!” Cheryl’s eyes took on a faraway look, and she smiled as she drifted back in time. Leigh smiled also, mentally comparing her mom’s story of her father’s boldness with the way Kyle had sat down across from her at the picnic table.
“He talked to me so forward, as though he had known me all of his life, so confident. He asked me all kinds of questions, where I was from, what school I had gone to. After I got over my shock, I found it easy to talk to him. He told me he was from Charlotte, and the more we talked, the more attracted to him I became. He was so different, so handsome and charming! He asked me for my phone number before he left, and I gave it to him.”
“Why mom?” Leigh asked sincerely.
“I can’t tell you why, but I knew in my heart it was the right thing to do, Leigh,” she answered firmly. “He told me he was going to be discharged in three months, and said he would call me whenever he got in. When he had to go, he took my hand and said, “Wait on me.” Right then and there, I knew that I would.”
Leigh sighed.
“Within a few days after I got back home, Chris asked me to marry him. Had the ring and everything.”
“No!” Leigh exclaimed.
“He did,” Cheryl affirmed. “He couldn’t possibly have known anything about Austin, but he must have sensed something was amiss.”
“How did you handle that?”
“I just put him off, told him I wasn’t ready, that we were too young. I simply had to see your dad again. When he got out of the service, he phoned me and told me he would be in town that Saturday, and he wanted to pick me up and take me to dinner and a movie. I accepted, and he showed up wearing his dress whites. My parents were shocked, wanting to know who Austin was, and “where I thought I was going?” Chris was supposed to be at a young men’s meeting at church, you see, but he came over that evening while I was out. And, although my parents tried to save his feelings, when he pressed, they told him where I was.” Leigh was listening intently, and Cheryl noticed she was absently nibbling on a fingernail.
“Stop that,” Cheryl gently scolded. Leigh’s hand flew down to her lap. “You’ll ruin your pretty nails! I’m so proud you’ve let them grow out, and you don’t need to...
“Okay, okay!” Leigh exclaimed. “Go on, mom.”
“Anyway, before the night was over, I knew I loved that sailor, brash, bold and all. I met with Chris the next day and told him everything. He broke down bad, bless his heart, and it was hard for me to do, but the way I felt, I didn’t have a choice. I went where my heart took me, and I thank God I did,” she finished.
Leigh was staring silently at the floor, and Cheryl watched her for a moment, wondering what was going on in her daughter’s life.
“Listen, honey,” Cheryl advised. “One thing I can say about marriage: It’s not a matter of logic, or…a blueprint you follow. If it’s for any other reason than love, it’s not the real thing, and it won’t last.” She paused a moment. She wanted her words to be helpful, to mean something to her daughter. “I want you to be happy, Leigh. That’s all that matters to me. But a man and woman must share that unconditional love, that caring for each other. Your father and I didn’t have much starting out; Lord knows we struggled there for awhile! But we loved each other, and I can honestly say that despite all of the success that came after, some of the best times of our lives were when we had the least. Money, a nice home, those things are nice. But if there’s true love, it will live in a cave as easily as a mansion.”
Leigh had been staring down throughout her mother’s speech, and now looked up at her with eyes full of confusion. She and this Chris had known each other since childhood, just like she and Gene? And her dad, all charm and swagger, sweeps her mother off her feet? Seriously? Her mom couldn’t possibly have known that her story would parallel so closely to her situation with Kyle and Gene right now. It certainly did nothing to reinforce the idea that her attraction to Kyle was harmless. But Cheryl understood much more than her daughter realized. She leaned over and hugged her mother tightly.
“Thanks for sharing that mom,” she said sincerely. Cheryl stroked the back of her head, as she had so many times when she was a little girl and needed comforting. How quickly she had grown up!
“I hope I’ve helped in some way. I am always here for you, you know that don’t you?”
“I know mom, and I appreciate it.”
“Do you want to talk about what you’re feeling?”
“No,” she responded. “It’s really no big deal. Nothing I can’t handle.”
“You know Leigh,” her mother said, placing both hands on her shoulders and looking directly into her eyes, “you’re going to be just fine. This is not an easy time, I know!”
You can say that again, she thought, but said: “Thanks mom.”
“So, have you picked out your wedding dress yet?” Cheryl asked. “You’ve narrowed it down to about fifty now, haven’t you?”
Leigh laughed, and was about to reply that it was more like a hundred, when the house phone rang. She sprang off the couch to answer the call, and watching her, Cheryl was reminded that her “spring up” days were definitely far removed. Ah youth!
“I’ll get it. It’s probably Mindy.”
“Good!” Cheryl exclaimed. “You two should go out and have some fun!”
She answered the phone in the kitchen.
“Hello?”
“Hey,” replied the voice on the other end. It wasn’t Mindy. It was a male voice, and she knew immediately who it belonged to. Her heart skipped a beat.
“Hello Kyle,” she answered in a whisper, shocked that he had called her at home. She glanced behind her to see if her mom had followed her into the kitchen. She wasn’t there….yet.
“I hope you don’t mind my calling,” he said.
“No...yes...I mean...its okay, I guess,” she stammered.
“So which one is it, all of the above?” She laughed nervously.
“It’s…ah… fine,” she replied. She gathered herself somewhat. “So how did you get our home number, anyway?”
“Well, there are quite a few Thompsons in the phone book, let me tell you,” he replied. “A few of them were nice.”
“You called down the list?”
“Yep.”
“You’re a trip, Kyle,” she replied. “So why are you calling?”
“Well, you know I don’t mind a good race, right? And neither do you, huh?”
“Funny.”
“I got to know a couple of the guys at work, and they challenged me to race down on Summerville road tonight. You know where that is?”
“Uh...” Her mental gears spun for a moment as her fingernail clicked on the phone’s receiver, and then she remembered.”Yeah! Yeah I do.” She was aware of that stretch of back road and the illegal drag racing that went on there. It had been going on as long as she could remember.
“I told them I was game. I figured, since you like racing, you’d like to come and watch me do some damage.”
“How do you know you will?’” she asked, amused at his confidence.
“Well, I’ve already run against the best, haven’t I?”
“Very good!” she exclaimed.
“So I’m ready. These guys couldn’t be nearly as hard to beat as you were.” She laughed out loud, cupping her hand over her mouth and looking back over her shoulder toward the doorway.
“It would be extremely hard if we raced again, I assure you!” she responded, helplessly charmed.
“You’ll get your chance. What do you say?”
Against her supremely better judgment, she found herself actually considering it. It was foolishness, of course; but Gene was working over late, immersed in his case, and she knew it would be midnight before he came up for air.
“Well?” he pressed.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve got a lot of work to do.”
“All work and no play make Jane a dull girl,” he replied. Oh temptation, you have a name! How did I get caught up in this conversation?
“What time does it start?”
“Nine o’clock,” he answered. “I’d really like to see you there, Leigh. What do you say?”
It was insanity. Accepting his invitation would be inviting trouble and all of his friends along for the ride. She wasn’t any stronger now than she had been earlier today, when his lips had been so close to hers, so close to a kiss. That bit of unfinished business begged to be concluded, even as her mind railed against the idea. And her mother’s tale, far from dissuading her, had breathed life (on purpose?) into the possibility of undiscovered romance. What to do? She touched her forehead, leaning against the kitchen wall. On the other end of the line, Kyle waited patiently. He could almost hear the back and forth going on in her head.
“Okay,” she said finally, softly biting her bottom lip, “but I can’t stay long.”
“Great! I’ll see you there.” They hung up, and she folded her arms against herself, glancing at the clock on the wall: 8:15. I have lost my mind, she thought, and then went quickly upstairs to change into something a little more complimentary.
Cheryl had started toward the kitchen, but paused just around the corner when she overheard a snippet of her daughter’s conversation and realized it wasn’t Mindy on the phone. Her daughter’s whispered tone, together with the fragmentary content she had heard, told her it was a male, and it most likely wasn’t Gene. She would be there if her daughter needed her, but she knew Leigh would ultimately have to work out the issues of her heart on her own.
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