In his office the Wurlitzer stood out like a machine from outer space. She smiled. The dream. Now, she understood. “Want a Coke? Some bubble gum?”
“Yeah. Three red bubble gums.”
“No, you need at least six in your mouth. You need to work up a good spit. Then you drink the Coke. We can blow bubbles. You any good at that?”
Ariel thought about her pricey porcelain and how gum stuck to her caps. “I can try.”
“Can I buy you a Coke?”
“Absolutely.”
“Wanna dance?”
“With the Coke and gum or without?”
“I don’t know. I never did this before. What do you think?” Ariel set her soda down and stuck the gumballs in her pocket. “I would very much like to dance with you, with your arms around me. Then, when we’re finished dancing, I think you should light that fireplace and buy me a Coke and some gum. How does that sound?”
“Is that how they did it back then?”
She wanted to tell him she was as green about teenage protocol as he was, but instead she said, “If memory serves me right, it is. I was never allowed to hang out the way the other kids did. Does it really make a difference?”
“Yeah, it does. I’ve waited for this moment all my life. I want it to be right.”
Ariel sat down, cross legged, on the floor. “Let’s talk about it. We’ve both seen movies on how it’s done. We should do whatever feels right to you . . . to us.”
“Do you think I’m crazy, Ariel?”
“Oh, no, Lex. Not at all. This is your dream. I want it to be right for you. We can’t move on until you’re happy with your memory. It’s too important. To both of us. I’m just so delighted to be a part of it. I want to be a part of everything in your life from now on. So, are you going to ask me to dance?”
“I’m not a very good dancer. And, I’m in my bare feet. Pick a song, Ariel. I would have let you pick the tune if this happened thirty years ago.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I was always a gentleman.”
“You were, Lex. That was one of the things I loved about you. You were always so gallant. Of course, at the time, I really didn’t know what gallant meant. The money, please.” Lex handed her a dime. She dropped it into the slot and pressed a button. She turned to step into Lex’s arms as Hank Williams’s golden voice gave life to “Your Cheating Heart.”
At first they were all over each other’s feet as they circled the room. Then they both relaxed at the same moment, their bodies glued to one another. “You fit just right in my arms,” Lex said.
“I was just going to say the same thing. Boy, this dancing is making me thirsty. How about buying me a Coke? I’d like some bubble gum, too, if you have enough money,” Ariel said shyly.
Lex threw his head back and laughed. “My pleasure.” He dropped money into the slot and waited for the Coke to settle into the opening. He plucked it free, uncapped it, and handed it over with a flourish. Then he bought himself one. “We should make a toast,” he said. “Think, Ariel, what should we drink to?”
“Let’s drink to Hollywood. If it wasn’t for Hollywood, we wouldn’t have found each other. Then we can make a second toast to long life and happiness.”
“I like that,” Lex said. They clinked bottles before they each took a healthy swig. “Jeez, two gulps and it’s gone. Guess when we were kids we didn’t think about that, huh?”
“I wasn’t allowed too many sweets. My mother said they’d rot my teeth. I can’t wait for those bubble gums you promised. I want all red ones.”
When they sat down by the fire again, Lex had two Cokes under his arm and a fist of the colorful little gumballs. “Let’s see how many we can chew at one time.”
Later, relaxing against a pile of pillows, the juke box playing softly in the background, Ariel said, “That was fun. Was it all you expected it to be?”
“And more. Because of you. Without you, I probably would have played the juke once, drank one Coke, and chewed a few gumballs. Then I probably wouldn’t have done it again. This was perfect. We have a lot of catching up to do.”
“What I want to know is when are we going to bed?” Ariel said, blowing a bubble the size of a grapefruit in his face.
Lex, in turn, blew a bubble almost the same size. He moved slightly so that the two bubbles were actually touching. Their eyes locked just as the bubbles burst. Sticky, pink gum plastered both their faces. Ariel burst out laughing as she tried to peel it off. “I think you should lick it off, chew it off, something. You said this was going to be fun. Is this?”
“I’m having a hell of a time.” Suddenly his breathing was ragged and husky. He fell back against the pillows, taking her with him. He found her eager mouth, returning her kisses with a bittersweet ardor. Hers were the softest lips he’d ever kissed. His kisses wandered over the planes of her face, to the dimple in her chin, in the waterfall of silvery hair.
His hands caressed her body, finding it as beautiful as he remembered. He drew in his breath, sighing in contentment as womanly curves fit snugly against manly muscle.
Ariel exerted pressure against him, forcing him to his back where she followed, her knees tightly clamped to his sides. She looked down into the face that was as dear to her as it had been once, so long ago. Love swelled deep inside her. Her hair created a curtain as she bent to kiss him . . . long, loving kisses meant to touch the soul and stir the senses.
Lex smiled up at her when he felt himself being taken within her. This was Aggie, the Aggie he loved . . . his equal, sharing the best of herself, giving, always giving.
Their joining was loving, tender, and filled with joy. It had been too long since they had been together this way, equally hungry for what each could bring to the other.
“Ahhh,” Lex said.
“Oh my,” Ariel said as she snuggled into the nest he made of his arms.
The only sound in the private room Lex had never shared before was the rustling of their bodies against the pillows and the soft sound of their murmurings. Ariel nestled against him, burrowing her head into the hollow of his neck, the silky strands of her hair falling over his shoulder. She breathed the scent of him, mingled with the fragrance of her own perfume. Her fingers teased the light furring of his chest hairs; her leg, thrown intimately over his, felt the lean, sinewy muscle of his thigh.
They were like light and shadow, she silvered, the color of moonlight, and he dark, like the night. He held her, gentle hands soothing her, bringing her back down from erotic heights.
It was the best of all times, these moments after making love, when all the barriers were down and satiny skin melted into masculine hardness. This closeness was the true communion of lovers who had brought peace and satisfaction to one another.
Ariel burrowed deeper into Lex’s arms. He drew her close, his arms tight and protective. He loved this woman. He nuzzled the softness of her neck.
She sensed the immediate change in him and allowed herself to be carried with it. One moment his arms cradled her, soothing her, the next they became her prison, hard, strong, inescapable.
His hands were in her hair, on her breasts, on the soft flesh of her inner thighs. He stirred her, demanded of her, rewarded her with the adoring attention of his lips to those territories his hands had already claimed. And when he possessed her it was with a joyful abandon that evoked a like response in her—hard, fast, then slower and sweeter.
She murmured her pleasure and gave him the caresses he loved. Release was there, within their grasp, but like two moths romancing a flame, they played in the heat and postponed the exquisite instant when they would plunge into the inferno.
“Ahhh,” Lex said.
“Oh my,” Ariel said.
“Woof,” Snookie barked softly.
“Ahhh,” Lex said.
“Love me, love my dog,” Ariel said.
“Forever and ever,” Lex said.
“And then some. C’mere, Snookie.”
The shepherd trotted ove
r to the pile of cushions. She lowered her massive head and licked Lex’s face. Then she walked around to Ariel’s side and licked her face. She woofed once, then twice. They watched as she trotted toward the door. She inched it closer to the jamb, allowing just enough room to get out into the hallway.
“Ahhh,” Lex said.
“Guess that makes us official,” Ariel said.
“Guess so,” he said as he smothered her face with kisses.
“It’s wonderful. We get to love again, and again, and again,” Ariel said.
Twelve
“It’s sad when you pack up belongings,” Ariel said. “At least this time, I know it’s for good. Why do I feel like we just did this? I wish somebody would tell me where this stuff comes from.”
“You’re a pack rat. You have your first pair of knee sox. Ariel, I need to talk to you. Serious stuff. Don’t turn away from me. We can’t . . . avoid this . . . Both of us know it isn’t working. I don’t like Bonsall. You and Lex don’t need me, you have each other. That’s okay, it’s the way it’s supposed to be. I’m selfish, I want things to be the way they’ve been for the past thirty-five years. It can’t be, and I’m realist enough to know it. You know it, too, you just don’t want to look it in the eye and deal with it.”
“Dolly, what will you do? What’s wrong with Bonsall? Mr. Able said you could stay on here and work that goldarn computer and he’s willing to pay you handsomely. You could drive down every day. I wouldn’t make demands on you, Dolly. Please . . . don’t go.”
“Shhh,” Dolly said, taking Ariel in her arms. “You know better than anyone that nothing in this life is forever. This is your time, Ariel, to be the wife you always wanted to be with the man you love. He needs you. You’ll have each other. We’ll always be friends, that will never change. I’ll be a phone call away. We’ll visit. I’ll be back for your wedding and yes, I’m going to be your matron of honor. I think it’s wonderful that you two are getting married all over again.”
“Please, Dolly, don’t go. I’ll try and spend more time with you. Lex will understand.” Ariel hated herself for begging, for showing her raw emotions.
“Don’t you see . . . did you hear what you just said? You said you would try. Lex is your top priority now, not me. Of course he’d understand because he is a good, kind, caring man. But, it will get old real quick. There are no choices here, Ariel, no options. It’s what it is.” Dolly continued to cradle her best friend in the whole world, crooning softly.
“Dolly . . .”
“Don’t even think about it, Ariel. You cannot choose between Lex and me. I’m okay with this.”
“You still haven’t told me where you’re going. God, Dolly, this is worse than . . . than having someone die. You aren’t getting any younger. You’re almost . . .”
“Sixty! Go ahead, Ariel, say it. It’s a damn number, and let me tell you something else. One of the stunt coordinators who came to help pick the avocados has been calling me. Actually, I kind of like him. He’s my age and he has a little house up in the hills. Okay, it’s a big house up in the hills. The property has a cottage on it and he’s promised me he’ll rent it to Carla, who, by the way, just snagged herself a real good role on one of those nighttime soaps. I’m going to be taking care of both of them. You know, cooking, cleaning . . . whatever. I have enough money put by so I’ll be comfortable. I know how to be frugal, and in a few years I can draw on my social security.”
Ariel flopped down on the side of the bed. Dolly was right, nothing was forever. How stupid she was to think things would remain the same. Selfish, too. She stared at her dearest friend and wondered if she had to make a choice, who she would choose, Dolly or Lex. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. “So you’re going to take care of Carla and what’s-his-name. Is it really what you want, Dolly? If it is, then I can accept it. I don’t want you to settle for something as a way out. We can talk this to death and come up with something. I want you to be happy. If you aren’t happy, I can’t be happy. That’s the bottom line.”
“It sounds, Ariel, like you don’t believe what I’m telling you,” Dolly said with an edge to her voice.
“Of course I believe you. In all our years together, I never once questioned anything you said, and you damn well know it. If you’re haying second thoughts, now is the time to voice them so we can work it out. We, Dolly. You and me. There wasn’t anything we couldn’t settle or solve when we both worked at it.”
“I like Max. He likes me. Who knows, maybe it will lead to something. I think I’d like it if it did go somewhere. You should see his house, Ariel, it’s gorgeous. He has a big garden, grows his own vegetables, and he has all kinds of berry bushes and he loves blackberry pie. We have a lot in common. We both know the movie business. He doesn’t cat around. You have to be careful today.”
“If he’s so damn wonderful, why do you have to clean up after him? Why can’t you get an apartment and date him? Just how old is this guy? Another thing, Dolly, old men are usually looking for someone to take care of them in their twilight years. They’re looking for nurses! I read that in . . . in something.”
“So what!! He’s agreed to pay me $750 a week. He says he’ll contribute to my IRA’s. He’ll be paying for my social security and health care and boy, are they good benefits. He has his own little business—he hires his stuntmen and provides all kinds of good stuff for them. I’ll be on the payroll. What more could I ask for? Plus, I get to do all the cooking and baking I want to do. You know how I love to watch men eat.”
“What’s this paragon of virtue’s name?” Ariel asked sourly.
“Max Petrie.”
“What about Carla?”
“She’s doing all right. She told me to tell you she asked for a sizable advance so she can pay you back some of the money she owes you. She held out for some big bucks and she got it. She said it was the only way she could ever get enough money together to repay you. I’m real proud of her. Are you proud of her, Ariel?”
Ariel burst into tears. “Of course,” she whispered. “I told her more than once she didn’t have to pay me back. I helped her because I wanted to and because she needed help and no one else cared. I never expected to be paid back. She’s my friend, for God’s sake. I don’t want her money—tell her to bank it. She has no nest egg at all.”
“You have to take it, Ariel. It’s important to Carla to repay you. You’re just upset that she doesn’t need you anymore. You should be happy for her, and for me. Look at us—you, me, Carla—we’re all coming out on top. My big question is, what are you going to do all day up in Bonsall? You know, after Lex goes off to work. How are you going to fill your hours? Did you get that far in your thinking, Ariel?”
Ariel listened to the edge creeping back into Dolly’s voice. “No, I haven’t given it a whole lot of thought. You rammed me between the eyes with your decision. I’m trying to sell this business back to Mr. Able, trying to get this house ready to be put back on the market, and then there’s my wedding. It’s turning into some kind of national event. If you want something off the top of my head, I’ve thought, a little, about opening a small acting studio in town. I also thought, a little, about maybe opening a children’s theatre. They’re just thoughts at this time, but they do keep coming back so I know I’ll pursue something. I’m not going to stagnate on the ranch. It won’t be an all-day thing—weekends, four or five hours a day. Lex offered to help. It’s something we can do together if we decide to go ahead with it.”
Dolly stared at her for a long time. When she was satisfied that Ariel was telling the truth, she grinned from ear to ear. “That makes me feel a little better about leaving. I’d hate to think of you turning into some dumb, fat, happy housewife eating bonbons and watching your old movies all day long.”
“Not likely. I wish you were staying long enough to give me some cooking lessons. That pile of cookbooks on the counter scares the hell out of me.”
“Doesn’t Lex like egg and ketchup sandwiches?” Dolly teased.
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br /> “If you put refried beans on the top, he does. Actually, he’ll eat anything. He’s not a bit fussy.”
“That’s good, Ariel, because you can’t cook worth a damn even using a cookbook. You could hire someone.”
“I thought about that. Tiki promised to come out and help. There’s always Lean Cuisine. God, Dolly, I’m going to miss you. You aren’t even gone and I feel so . . . so . . . alone. So many years, Dolly. I wish . . . I wish I knew what the future holds for both of us. Scratch that, I don’t want to know. Besides, I’m tired of wishing my life away.”
“Now, that’s the Ariel I know and love. C’mon, let’s get cracking here. If we put some gusto into it, we can get this done in another hour and haul it all up to Bonsall.”
“What am I going to do with all this stuff, Dolly? Lex’s house is furnished. His stuff is all so . . . manly. There isn’t a doodad in the whole place. I need a few ruffles and frills. He said I could redecorate, but I think he was . . . he likes things the way they are.”
“Then why don’t you keep this house instead of selling it? You could come down here whenever ranch life . . . you know, gets to be too much. You spent a fortune decorating this place. It’s not like you need the money. This is the 90’s, you know. Women do things like this all the time. They don’t want to give up what they worked for all their lives, not to mention their identities.”
“I have thought about it. However, while Lex didn’t come right out and say so, I know he would see it as temporary on my part. Don’t ask me how I know this, I just do. Both his feet are firmly planted in another decade and I don’t even know which decade it is. Part of me wants to keep things the way they are, the other part—the part that loves Lex heart and soul—wants me to give it all up so I can snuggle in with him. God, did you hear what I just said? I’m not making a decision today. Like Scarlett, I’ll worry about that tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow is going to come sooner than you think, Ariel.”
“I love you, Dolly, I really do.”
“And I love you, Ariel Hart Sanders.”
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