“Honey!” he shouted through the door, “come open the door. We have our hands full with the specimens!”
“Specimens?” said Phil, turning to Crawley. “What’s in the cups, seedlings or—”
“Spiders,” said Crawley, smiling prettily at him.
“Spiders?” Phil asked, turning white as a sheet.
“Black widows, to be precise,” said her father.
“Black widows,” said Phil, his stomach dropping out.
“Don’t worry,” said Crawley, giving him a reassuring nod. “They can’t get out of the containers. And even if they did, their bite usually isn’t lethal.”
“Usually,” said Phil.
The door opened and a middle-aged Caucasian woman answered the door. She was short, barely over five feet tall, and slightly overweight, with a thick crop of curly, dirty blond hair. She smiled warmly at Phil.
“Oh, Tran, how could you put this nice young man to work? Shame on you.”
She stepped out onto the porch, and Phil gratefully handed her his arachnid burden.
He followed the trio into the interior of the house. The living room was on the other side of the front door. A large flat-screen TV hung flush against the wall to his left. A comfortable-looking leather couch was adjacent, its back against the wall adjoining the living room to the dining area. A matching recliner took up most of the remaining space, along with a tall floor lamp that spread a surprising amount of light off the high ceiling to illuminate the room brightly.
“Have a seat on the couch,” said Tran as he headed for a door in the dining room, “while we stow these safely in the basement.”
“Thanks.” Phil shuffled into the living room. He sat down on the couch and found it to be quite cozy. He leaned back and stroked the smooth, soft surface with his fingers. He idly scanned the decorations on the wall. There was a large family portrait, taken fairly recently, hanging on the wall directly across from him. Knick knacks sat on a darkly stained wooden shelf, just below what he took to be a clock with a starburst design.
He had turned his attention to the stack of magazines on the glass top of the end table near his elbow when something caught his eye. The dinner-plate-sized clock on the wall seemed to have moved. Squinting his eyes behind the spectacles, he leaned forward a bit and scrutinized it further. The clock appeared to be spider-shaped, incredibly realistic in design except for its impossible size. His brow furrowed at the apparent lack of numbers or hands on its surface.
“How do you tell time on this thing?” he asked, getting to his feet. “Sure is creepy.” He walked over the nicely polished hardwood floor to stand a foot below the object. He blew out a sigh, which caused the clock to move. With a sudden, terrifying moment of clarity, Phil realized that the clock was not a clock at all, but an actual living arachnid. A huge arachnid, one far larger than he had ever thought possible.
He would have screamed if he had been able. Instead, his breath seemed to catch in his throat, and all he could do was make a tiny strangled noise. He found himself standing on the couch, back plastered against the wall, trying to find his voice.
The spider, a dark gray furry thing with a leg span over a foot wide, moved at a quick clip toward the corner nearest the TV. The uncanny speed at which it was able to move despite its size caused him to find his voice at last.
“Help!” he called out. “Help!”
The sound of feet dashing up stairs heralded the arrival of the Crawley family. Her father stared at him suspiciously, while Crawley and her mother appeared concerned.
“There’s a spider,” he said, pointing in the corner frantically. “There’s a spider that got loose!”
“Oh,” said Tran with a grin, “so that’s where the Sri Lankan Huntsman got off too. Help me catch it, Ellie.”
“I’ll just be on the porch,” said Phil, dashing out the door.
Crawley’s mother followed him out, her face warm with sympathy.
“It’s all right, honey. That would be enough to scare anyone, especially if you’re not ready for it!”
“What’s with all the spiders?” Phil asked, flabbergasted.
“We harvest their venom for use in the medical field. You know, antivenin, pharmaceuticals.”
“Oh. Uh, that’s actually a pretty neat job.”
“If you can get used to the spiders. It took me years before I could stand to touch one. But Eleanor takes after her father.”
As if on cue, the gorgeous young woman stuck her head and shoulder out the front door, an amused smile on her face.
“It’s safe now,” she said with a giggle.
Soon they were riding in Crawley’s Eclipse, slipping beneath the city lights.
“Sorry if I freaked out,” he said, unable to meet her eyes. “I’ve kind of got this thing about spiders, and that thing was huge…”
“Oh, don’t worry about it, hon. If it means anything, the Giant Huntsmen aren’t dangerous to humans. He was probably more scared of you than you were of him.”
“Impossible,” said Phil with conviction. They both laughed, their eyes meeting briefly.
“Thanks for asking me out,” she said, turning her gaze back to peer out the windshield. Her fingers tapped rapidly against the wheel.
“Thanks for saying yes,” he said with a chuckle.
“You know…I kind of had a crush on you in high school.”
“Really? No way!”
“Oh, yes way! You were smart, and good-looking, and really good at drawing…but you never talked to me. You never much talked to anyone except your BFF Rich.”
Phil caught the mild note of admonishment in her tone. He cleared his throat before speaking. “I was kind of shy in high school. Never had a date until I was in college.”
“No way! I didn’t either.”
“Why not?”
“My daddy wouldn’t let me. He’s kind of conservative. His mother came from the Philippines, and there’s a lot of Roman Catholics there.”
“I see.”
“The last thing he told me before I left the house was to be a lady.” She shot him a grin full of mischief.
He smiled back weakly. “I’ll always treat you like a lady.”
“I know you will,” she said with a shy smile. “You’re a good guy. I can tell.”
He smiled back, relaxing a bit against the cool leather seat.
Chapter 9
“HEY THERE, STEVE,” said Miss Stone, catching him by surprise both with her presence and her polite tone.
“Hello.” He wasn’t sure what his staff supervisor was doing in his room about two minutes before he was about to head home.
“I can see you’re about to go home, so I won’t keep you long. I just wanted to make sure you were getting ready for the Christmas play.”
“Oh, yeah. We’ve been practicing ‘Jingle Bells’ every morning and afternoon. I think we’ll be ready.”
“Excellent.” She stared at him for a moment, and he could almost feel the wheels turning in her mind. “Miss Gallo says she saw you at Applebee’s last weekend with a young woman.”
Steve’s blue eyes narrowed. “I’ve been dating her for almost two months now. Is that a crime?”
“No, not at all. I think it’s great, personally. I mean, there are certain…stereotypes…about men who teach primary grades.”
“Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course.”
“No, of course not. But you have to admit, it makes you look more normal.”
“I am normal,” said Steve.
Miss Stone chuckled, then turned on her heel and left. Steve thrust out his tongue at her retreating back and then turned to glance at the clock. Way past time he should be leaving.
Steve practically ran down the hall and burst out the heavy metal doors leading to the parking lot. His breath caused streams of steam in the cold air, and he wrapped his black trench coat more tightly about his large frame. Once he was sitting warmly on the train, he dug out his phone. He pursed his lips
as he scanned his missed calls and messages. Autumn had called twice, which was unusual since she knew he tended to keep his phone off in the classroom. She had not left a voice mail, and was not responding to his texts, causing his brow to furrow. He jogged the short distance from the underground station to his building, stopping when he saw Autumn cast in a pool of radiance from the nearby streetlight.
She was sitting on a black vinyl suitcase, two bulging trash bags next to her on the sidewalk. When she turned at the sound of his feet and their eyes met, he saw that hers were bloodshot and limned in red, dark circles lurking beneath. Her hair was hidden beneath a thick wool cap with ear flaps, though a few dark bangs could be seen sticking out near her forehead. A black overcoat was wrapped around her, and her arms were crossed over her chest to ward off the cold.
“Autumn,” he said, confusion evident in his tone as he trotted up. “Why are you sitting out here? Didn’t I give you a spare key the other day? It’s freezing!”
“Hey,” she said, sniffling. He took her hands in his, rubbing them vigorously.
“Your hands are like ice! What’s wrong? What’s all this?”
He looked toward the bags sitting near their feet.
“Um…about that…”
“C’mon, you can tell me.”
“I kind of need a place to stay.” Her bottom lip quivered slightly, tears welling up in her eyes.
“What?”
“We got kicked out of our apartment today,” she said through her tears. “My stupid cunt of a roommate was taking my half of the rent and using it to pay her fucking meth-head boyfriend’s bookie off. She hasn’t paid the rent in over six months, and they changed the locks and threw my stuff on the street and I’ve got nowhere else to go and nobody but you and…”
“Shh,” he said, taking her in his arms. She put her head against his chest, sobbing softly. He stroked the back of her head, squeezing her tight in his arms. “Of course you can stay with me. You spend the night here all the time; it won’t be much different.”
“Yes it will,” she said, her voice muffled by his chest. “It’s always different.”
“Different isn’t always bad.”
“Most of the time,” she said, pushing away slightly to look in his eyes. She had stopped crying, smiling sadly up at him. “Why are you so good to me?”
“Because…” Steve put his hand on her cheek. “Because…”
He took a deep breath and spoke in a rush. “Because I love you,” he said, stroking her cheek gently with his thumb.
Autumn was weeping again.
“Oh no. I knew it was too soon to say that. I’m sorry, you don’t have to say it ba—”
“You’re so fucking stupid!” she said, smiling through her tears. “So fucking stupid…”
He kissed her, unmindful of the dampness on his face from her tears and mucus. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him like a rock in the storm tossed sea.
“Let’s get your stuff inside,” he said, pulling away and snatching up both trash bags. He slung them over his shoulder using the yellow handle ties.
“I could barely lift those, you ape,” she said with a smile.
They made their way up the narrow stairs.
“This can’t be all your stuff.”
“Most of it. I had a nice little nineteen-inch flat-screen that got stolen, but otherwise this is the sum total of my life’s possessions.”
“Jesus. I’m sorry.”
Soon they had deposited the trash bags on his bed. Steve wiped the sweat from his brow, flexing his sore fingers. Autumn plopped down on the end of the bed and slipped off her boots. She held her socked feet next to the heat register, sighing in satisfaction.
“Man, I need to be Doctor Who to get all this stuff in here,” he said, clearing room in his tiny closet for her clothes.
“Doctor Who? Is that like Dr. Seuss or whatever?”
“Uh, no,” he said, hanging a pair of her dark work pants on the scratched aluminum bar. “British Sci-Fi hero. He had a phone booth that was a lot bigger than it looked on the outside.”
Autumn leaned back on the bed, looking at him upside down. “You’re a nerd, but I’m glad you’re my nerd,” she said with a self-satisfied smile.
He turned toward her, a bundle of her clothes in his hands. A shadow crossed his features even as he tried to smile.
“What’s wrong?” Autumn’s smile faded. “Me moving in…It’s a little fast, isn’t it?”
“No!” Steve shook his head. “It’s not fast enough! It’s just that…” He sat down on the bed, shoving the bags out of his way.
She took his hand in hers, stroking it gently. “You can talk to me. I promise not to make fun of you for five whole minutes.”
He grinned, gave a weak chuckle. “Five whole minutes? My lucky day! Don’t think I’ll need that long, though.”
“Hon, the clock’s ticking.”
“Right. I’m just scared that, well, that you’re going to get bored with me.”
“What?” she said with a laugh.
“Seriously. I’m not a musician like Phil, or a tattoo artist like your ex, or a wrestler like my father. I’m just a plain old, boring kindergarten teacher. And you’re so, well, you’re creative, and funny, and beautiful, and you could have anyone you want. I guess I can’t believe that you want me.”
She sat up on the bed and pulled her knees under her. Her still cool hand caressed his cheek, her thumb brushing his bottom lip. “You’re not as boring as you think,” she said, giving him a quick kiss. “And you’re really sweet, and supportive, and you put up with my smart mouth, and my bitchiness, and…” She suddenly sneered at him, punched him in the chest.
“Ow!”
“You can disagree with me anytime, jerk!”
“About what?”
“About my being a bitch, my smart ass.”
“Who says I disagree?” he said, furrowing his brow in mock consideration.
“Now you’re getting your ass kicked,” she said, pummeling him lightly with the bottom of her fists.
He grabbed her wrists and flipped her onto her back, pinning her to the bed.
“You’re not a bitch,” he said once their laughter subsided. “You’re…opinionated.”
“Opinionated,” she said with a giggle. “I like that, but I think you’re being generous.”
He gazed at her with half-lidded eyes, released one of her wrists to gently stroke her jet black hair. He moved his face close to hers, eyes closing as his mouth opened.
“Wait.” Autumn put her hand on his chest when their lips were scant inches apart. He felt her warm breath on his skin. “I…I love you.”
He stared at her for a long moment, eyes shining. Then their lips met in a lingering, passionate kiss. When he pulled away from her, his face was solemn.
“That’s all I need. That’s all I need in the world, to hear you say that.”
“God,” she said teasingly, though the adoration in her eyes did not lessen. “You’re such a pussy…”
He mashed his mouth atop hers, eliciting an exited squeal from her. They rolled about on the mattress, knocking the bags to the floor as she ended up on top. Her painted nails picked at the front of his shirt, undoing the buttons. She grinned as the fabric peeled back to reveal several dark circles on his muscular chest.
“Got a little carried away the other day.” She kissed the spots gently. “Sorry.”
Steve grinned. “They don’t hurt, they just look awful.”
“At least I don’t leave them where they show,” she said, nibbling on his flesh.
“It’s fine, it makes me think, ‘wow, I must be some stud.’”
She laughed, moving her head sinuously upward so their lips could meet. He fondled her breasts, toying with the buttons on her shirt which seemed tiny in his large fingers. A hard knock at his door startled them. He slapped his head as he recalled that he had been expecting company.
“Totally forgot that I’m supposed t
o help my sister with her laptop.”
“It’s all right,” she said, getting up off of him. “I’ll be around.”
“Yes,” he said, suddenly rising to his knees and wrapping her in a hug, “yes, you will be.”
They kissed again, his hand slipping down her spine to caress her rear. The smacking of their lips was interrupted by another, harder knock. Autumn giggled as he cursed, stomping toward the front door.
Susan was standing with her arms crossed over her chest, tapping her foot as he swung the door open. She was dressed in a thick pink coat, a maroon scarf wrapped around her neck. Pushing past him, she placed a leather case on his kitchen table.
“What took you so long?” she asked, eyes scanning his partially exposed chest. “And what happened to you?”
He glanced down, embarrassed at the sight of the monkey bites. He fumbled with the buttons as his cheeks reddened.
“That was my fault,” said Autumn, coming out of the bedroom while fixing the top button on her own garment. “Hey, Susan.”
“Hey,” said Susan with a touch of coldness. “Steve didn’t say you were gonna be here.”
“She’s kind of living here now,” said Steve, unzipping Susan’s computer case and taking the laptop out.
“Really?” Susan asked, turning to look at Autumn. “That’s great! Things are moving really, really fast for you two.”
Her face seemed to contradict the warmth of her words, as her smile was forced and her eyes cold.
Steve grunted, not truly paying attention, as he hit the power button to the computer. “You say it comes on, but after you put in your password it goes to blank screen?”
“Yeah,” said Susan, still trying to smile at Autumn, “can’t figure out why.”
“Probably an update to Flash or some bullshit.”
“So what do you think? Can it be fixed?”
“I think I got it. Yeah, it was an update that didn’t install right. Had to restart it in safe mode and re-run the program.”
“Great,” she said, checking the device. “Haven’t been able to check my mail in days. Let me pay you back. I’ll take you guys out to eat, my treat.”
Forever Autumn Page 10