"Oh, I understand." David said.
Kit and David rode the elevator to her floor. Upon entering, she noticed the packages, and set the envelope on the sideboard. Addressing them, she tore the brown paper coverings from one corner just enough to reveal a small section, confirming what she had guessed. They were the two paintings she had done of David.
"Good," Kit said, "I'm glad you're here. These belong to you!"
"I'm touched, really," David said, "but considering what your paintings are worth; I mean, I could never hope to get you such a great gift."
"You dopey Cowboy, you already have," and she pulled her locket out revealing the lustrous gold chain, he had presented her. "And don't forget my wrist-rocket," she added, smiling.
David smiled broadly, pulled her close, and gave her a passionate kiss.
"I really don't deserve you,” David said, seriously.
"That's true!" Kit said, light-heartedly, "Now just keep thinking that way, Cowboy!"
Julia entered the apartment and immediately noticed the unopened envelope on the sideboard. Then she spotted the packages.
"Kit, I'm home," she announced.
"I'm in here!" Kit called to her.
Julia found Kit in the living room, on the couch with David, watching TV. They were sharing a bag of chips and a couple of sodas.
"Hi Julia," they both said.
"Hi Kit, Hi David," Julia said, "nice to see you, David.”
"I see you got the paintings,” Julia said.
"Yes, I already gave them to David," she replied.
"That's sweet. Why didn't you open the envelope? It's addressed to you."
"I saw the gallery logo, so I figured it was gallery business; and you said you would handle all that. Besides, I didn't feel right opening it without you.”
"So, why don't you get it, and we'll open it now!"
"Okay," Kit said, and retrieved the envelope."
"Kit, I have to confess, I already know what's inside. So go ahead and open it."
Kit tore open the envelope. She read the statement, with a description of each of her paintings, with a sale price listed after each one. A baffled look came over her.
"I don't get it,” Kit said, "Is that how much she's trying to sell my paintings for, because if she is, she's crazy? No one will ever pay that much."
"Kit, there's another piece of paper in the envelope," Julia said.
Kit found the check, and looking at it; her jaw dropped as she silently mouthed the amount.
"That's not what she is asking; that's what they already sold for," Julia confirmed.
"Julia, that's too much,” Kit said, her voice shaking, "It's not right. It can't be. It feels like stealing!"
"I know it's a lot to take in Kit, but if it's any consolation, that's what people think your talent is worth, and in my opinion, as a fellow artist, I think it's under-valued. But it is a good starting point. Your future work should bring even more, as you become better known."
Kit rolled it over in her mind. That someone thought her art was worth that much.
"Why couldn't this come when my mother had gotten sick, she could have quit work, gotten the best medical care? Why now?"
"I don't know baby, sometimes that's just the way life is." Julia said, trying to help her make sense of it.
Kit folded the check and stuffed it in her pocket. "Come on David," she said.
"Where are you going?" Julia asked.
"To the bank, of course," Kit answered, "no way I could sleep, with that much money on me!"
"Sorry Honey, it's after five, the banks closed. It'll have to wait until tomorrow!"
"You want to stay over tonight, be my bodyguard," Kit asked David.
"I think that check will be safe for one night. Just don't go telling anybody you have it,” David tried to convince her.
"Please Julia, could he stay over?" Kit pleaded.
"Kit," David said, "it's not fair to put Julia on the spot, like that!"
"Actually, I have no problem with David staying over... providing he takes the couch!" Julia added.
No one was more shocked than David at Julia's suggestion.
"See, she says it's okay. We can stay up late, watch movies, pop popcorn. What do you say?" Kit implored him.
"Well, if it's okay with Julia," David said, "I'd have to call my Pa.
"Call him now," Kit urged, excited.
David called his father and related Kit's invitation.
"You sure Julia said it would be alright," David's father asked. David could imagine his father's eyes rolling, on the other end of the line.
It was true; Julia was okay with David staying over. She had complete confidence in her decision, and faith in him. David was an honorable boy! She was actually more worried about Kit. She had been a latchkey kid much of her life, used to making many of her own decisions. Julia thought, perhaps; she might not have the maturity to make wise decisions where boys were concerned. There were, after all, a lot of girls out there, having sex at Kit's age, or even younger. The peer pressure could be overwhelming.
Still, another reason she wasn't worried; she would be in attendance, serving as chaperone, even if she had to stay awake all night.
Chapter 30 - The Sleepover
Kit and David went out to pick up some movies and snacks in preparation for his sleeping over. Kit teasingly criticized his selections of some old John Wayne movies, but she really didn't care. She was just happy that he had consented to stay over.
"You'll get used to it," David said, "Cowboys watch cowboy movies."
"I knew you were going to say that," Kit laughed.
"At least these are in color," she commented, "some of those old black-and-white movies put me to sleep."
"What did you pick out," David asked.
"Well, you can't have a movie night without at least one scary movie," she said, "I picked Texas Chainsaw Massacre."
"You like that stuff?"
"Sure, once in a while. Besides, you'll protect me, won't you?"
They picked up a wide assortment of chips, dip and microwave popcorn and made their way back home.
Julia commented, as they emptied their sacks, that they had enough "junk food" to feed an army. Kit and David stretched out on the couch, while Julia made herself comfortable in Paul's favorite old recliner. She remembered how she had tried several times to talk him into getting rid of the worn-out chair. It was shabby and scruffy compared to the rest of her home's furnishings. In the end, she had relented, knowing how much he loved it. Oddly enough, now she would not part with it for the moon. It had become that dear to her, for sentimental reasons alone. She also hadn't realized just how comfortable it was; given that with him always seated in it, she hadn't had many opportunities to discover that for herself. She couldn't remember how many times, when as a small child, that Emily had sat on his lap, or fallen asleep in his arms, in that chair.
Julia and Kit had already devised a democratic and random way of selecting which movie they chose for the first viewing. All the movie titles were written on a slip of paper, placed in a hat, and blindly picked out. Kit couldn't complain when she drew David's selection of John Wayne's movie, Rio Bravo. She gamely watched while she snacked, but talked incessantly during the film. David seemed not to care.
"Isn't it funny how you really notice horses in movies more, once you've ridden yourself?" Kit commented.
"So you wouldn't notice if John Wayne, raced across the screen riding, say a camel, or an elephant?" David asked her.
Julia busted out laughing from the absurdity of the remark until they all were laughing. At one point, Julia laughed so hard, that she let out a loud snort.
“Did you just snort”, Kit teased.
“No, of course not,” Julia lied. “a lady does not snort!
Before long, John Wayne rode off into the sunset and Kit again fished another title out of the hat. She read the title to herself and groaned.
"Another John Wayne movie," she said flatly.
>
Julia started laughing and could not stop.
"That's okay," David said, "We can watch your scary movie."
"No, that's why we have a system,” Kit explained, "it's a fair system."
"What's Chisum," Kit asked, as she read the movie name again.
"That's the character, John Chisum, that John Wayne plays, and also the name of the movie." David patiently explained.
"Do all the characters he plays, also have the same first name as him," Kit asked, with deadpan seriousness?"
Julia could not help herself, and started laughing again.
"Judging from Julia's laughing, I'm guessing that was a dumb question, wasn't it?"
"No, Sweetie, not dumb, just funny,” Julia said, and continued laughing.
"Does anyone know what John Wayne's real name was?" David asked.
"Oh, oh," Julia said excitedly, "I know this one. Marion Morrison," she answered proudly.
"Marian, like Maid Marian, from Robin Hood," Kit said, with surprise. "Marians’ a girl's name!"
"Nowadays, it is." David said, "but years ago, it was a common man's name, but it is spelled different also.
Kit looked back at the screen just in time to see a rider's horse shot out from under him, violently stumbling to the ground.
"Oh that poor horse," Kit mourned.
Kit decided that the best part of having David over was being able to snuggle up against him. She felt so safe and secure. About half way through Chisum, she was asleep. Julia peered across to David.
"Is she asleep?" Julia asked in a whisper.
"Lightweight," he said, gesturing at Kit.
"No, she usually outlasts me by quite a bit. I think the second movie was a little boring for her."
"John Wayne, boring?" David said, "Never!"
Julia rose out of her chair. “Will you carry her in to bed, David.”
"Sure!" David said, carefully standing, so as not to disturb her peaceful slumber. He deftly scooped Kit up in his arms, with Julia leading the way. Once in Kit's room, Julia folded down the covers and David laid her gently in her bed. She pulled the covers over her, softly kissed her goodnight then turned off the light.
"David, I'm pretty tired myself, I think I'm going to turn in too. Feel free to finish the movie, if you like," she said.
"No, that sounds good to me too,” David said, stifling a yawn.
"You have everything you need," Julia asked, trying to be the good host.
"I'm good,” he said, "Goodnight, Julia."
"Goodnight, David, sweet dreams."
Julia rose the next morning, put on her robe and walked to the kitchen to make some coffee. It had become a habit, a vestige of those days with Paul. Holding her cup, she decided to look in on David, to see if he was up yet. What she saw caught her off guard, and she gasped. David was lying on his back, dressed only in boxers. Kit lay beside him; in her oversized sleep top and panties, one leg slung over his. Both were still asleep. David had an obvious erection, and Kit's right hand rested upon it. Julia sat down and contemplated the scene. She returned to the kitchen trying to decide what she should do next. Why had she consented for David to stay the night; she chastised herself? Should she wake them and ask what happened. No, perhaps it was all very innocent. But how could it be; she tortured herself. Her hand was on his erection.
Julia decided that the best thing to do was not over-react. If she made accusations, and was wrong, it could do irreparable damage to her and Kit's relationship, especially, if she confronted her in front of David. She would be embarrassed and humiliated. What if they were having relations? How would she react to that news? She wondered. Was it possible that she had misread David so completely. He was, after all, a man, and only human. It might have been too much temptation for either to resist. She had practiced having, "The Talk," with Emily, in her mind, but was robbed of that, Mother-Daughter moment, with her passing. No, she would speak to her privately, after David left. Yes, that would be the best way. For now, she would say and do nothing. Julia returned to her room and closed the door. She laid back down on her bed while her thoughts raced.
David woke slowly from sleep, blinked twice to clear his vision, then noticed Kit's head resting on his chest. He had a questioning look on his face. He raised his head slightly and looked down toward his legs. He saw, and felt, Kit's hand resting lightly on his morning wood. He shook her and spoke her name in a loud whisper. Kit stirred, squinting slightly, and looked into his eyes.
"Morning," she said, as a smile came to her face.
"What are you doing?" he asked; his head gestured downward insistently.
"Huh?" she said, only half-awake, then looked where he had gestured. Kit suddenly noticed that her hand was resting on his erect penis. She pulled it away sharply, then struggled to sit up on the couch. David sat up also and attempted to cover his tent pole with his hands.
"Why are you sleeping on the couch with me," he asked her, still in the loud whisper.
"I woke up thirsty in the middle of the night, then went to the kitchen for a drink of water."
"I wanted to see if you were still watching movies. You looked so beautiful; I decided to lay down beside you. You didn't wake up when I hugged you, and it felt so good just to be next to you. I was going to go back to my room, but I guess I fell back asleep."
"What if Julia had come out and seen us like that, you with your hand on my...” he said,
"Yes," Kit laughed softly, "that would be bad!"
"You think,” David said, she could detect a measure of quiet panic in his tone. Kit leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Against his will, he felt his erection rising again...
"You're actually enjoying this!"
"Yeah, I guess I am,” she smiled, teasingly, with a slightly wicked grin.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked her, clearly agitated.
"Relax David, nothing happened!"
"So you wish something had happened?"
"No, I'm not ready for that yet. However, I do think you're making too much of this. I happen to like laying with you, and holding you, and sleeping with you, and I don't think that makes me bad."
"But what if Julia finds out?"
"Oh, she'll find out, because I'm going to tell her!"
"What? Why?"
"Because she's my friend, and we tell each other everything."
"Everything?" David asked, a worried look on his face.
"Everything!" Kit replied, with absolutely no sense of shame or worry.
"Well, I think I'm going to get dressed and get out of here for a while."
"No, you can't go yet. Just stay for breakfast. Julia taught me how to make a Spanish omelet, and I want to make you one.
"I am hungry,” he admitted, “Just promise me you won't tell her what we were talking about until I leave."
"Alright, you big chicken, but I've found that I can discuss anything with Julia. Besides, anything else would just be a lie, and we promised we'd always tell each other the truth!"
The smell of food cooking signaled to Julia that Kit and David were up and about. She again, put on her robe and came into the kitchen. She said, Good Morning, asked how they had slept and tried to act nonchalant.
"I'm making Spanish Omelets, do you want one," Kit asked her. In view of what she had seen earlier, she had no appetite, but feared that declining might alert them that something was up.
"Sure, sounds good!" Julia remarked. "I'll help grate some cheese."
When they all sat down to eat, David focused on his omelet and was making quick work of it. He hadn't decided if his haste was from hunger, or a desire to not be present when Kit dropped the bomb. Noticing that he was nearly finished, Julia said she was full and offered the rest to him. He readily agreed, sliding her leftovers on to his plate.
"Well, I better get going Kit; I still have those errands to run today," he said, making up an excuse.
"Oh, okay Baby," Kit said, "call me later."
David bent and gave Kit a lingering
kiss, as she sat finishing her omelet.
"Look at them,” Julia thought to herself, "looking all innocent."
David saw himself out.
Kit and Julia sat quietly at the breakfast table. Julia slid a magazine in front of her and casually flipped through the pages.
"Oh, by-the-way, I slept with David on the couch last night, but you already knew that. I saw the fresh coffee in the pot with one cup down from where you usually fill it."
"Uh," Julia stammered just a bit, "You slept with David, or you SLEPT with David," Julia inquired, placing the emphasis on the second "slept."
"Julia, nothing happened!"
"Whew," Julia was relieved.
"But it occurs to me that if you walked in on us after you got your first cup of coffee, you might have seen the same thing I did when I woke up, and gotten the wrong idea."
"And that would be what?" Julia asked, casually.
"You might have seen my hand resting on David's morning hard-on."
Julia was mid-swallow drinking her orange juice and suddenly sputtered, inhaled some, and coughed. When she stopped coughing, she struck her fist against her chest and said, "Excuse me... went down the wrong pipe,"
"You want to talk about it," Kit asked.
"If you want to," Julia said, clearing her throat, while trying hard to act both casual and unconcerned.
Kit repeated how she had come to be sleeping with David, exactly as she had told him. Julia listened intently.
"I'll tell you the same thing I told him," Kit said, "I like laying with, holding him and sleeping with him, and no, I'm not ready for sex yet, but you'll be the second one to know, when I am. Oh, and I don't think all of that makes me a bad person."
"I agree!" Julia replied.
"With what part?"
"With all of it!" Julia said, there was an awkward pause. "I'm glad we had this little talk."
"So you're not going to freak out when I invite David to sleep over again?"
"No," Julia said, "sounds like you're approaching this very maturely and sensibly."
"Would you promise me something?" Julia added.
"Sure!"
"Would you promise me that we'll talk about this again, before you actually do have sex?"
The Ghost Locket Page 19