by J. Darling
Getting in his truck, he stopped at the end of the driveway and checked the mail. Nothing. Damn, where the hell was it? If the last four weeks were good for anything, it was for him to take an inventory of his life, and see in glaring detail how little he had to offer a woman. He needed to hear soon, or he’d never be ready to start classes come January eighth.
Walking into the Bottle Shop on Main, he waited while Harley finished with a customer. “Hey Harley, let’s see what you got. I’m not expecting anything though, so I’m not sure what this could be.”
Harley lifted a medium sized box onto the counter. It landed with a clunk, and you could hear glass clank inside. What the hell was it? Opening it, he couldn’t help but smile, then busted out laughing. Jules had ordered a big box of Kleenex tissues taped to a case of his favorite beer. She’d also included what looked like a shirt of hers, that said “Packer Smacker” on it, and he quickly put it to his nose because it smelled like her. There was a little note inside. Opening it, he read what she’d written.
“Love the flowers, been thinking of you too. Jules XOXO”
Ten feet tall. He felt like he was ten feet tall, and so strong he could bench press a herd of heifers. Yes! He was floating on cloud nine. Next to her first kiss, this was one of the best gifts he’d ever received. Smiling like the Cheshire cat, he looked at Harley. “Thanks. This was worth the drive in, for sure.”
“You know what it’s about then? Because I sure the hell don’t. I was told when that shirt arrived, I was to tape the biggest box of Kleenex I could find to the beer, put it all in a box, and call you.”
“I do,” Jake answered happily. “A friend and I have a little bet over the Packer-Bear’s game next week, and it appears she thinks I’ll need Kleenex to keep from crying in my beer. But you know what? The Packer’s are going to win, I can feel it, and I won’t even need to open that box.”
Harley smiled, and said with a shake of the head, “Gotta love a good old fashioned rivalry. Nothing like it to get your blood pumping. I’ll be watching the game too, rooting right along with you. The Pack will definitely be on a bear hunt.”
Grabbing the box, Jake said his goodbye and headed out to his truck. He was going home and getting his chores done fast. Then he was going to get Jules’s phone number from Linnie and contact her tonight. He couldn’t go one more day without talking to her.
*****
Jules’s phone started ringing as she walked into her little house located in the Jefferson Park area of Chicago. Checking caller ID, she picked up the phone. “Linnie, how are you?”
“I’m great, how are you? You just getting home?”
“Yes, I just finished working, and I’m on call tomorrow, so I plan to go in early and get some things done, clean up my desk a little.”
“I hate that you’re working on Christmas, and that you’ll be alone,” Linnie stated.
“It’ll be alright. So tell me, how’s married life?”
“Fantastic, I’m loving every minute of it,” Linnie gushed. “I’m sure Nate would agree. He’s doing well, and is going to the VA several times a week. We’ve seen improvements, so we’re all happy.”
“That’s great,” Jules said with enthusiasm. “I’m happy for the two of you. It’s Christmas Eve, do you have plans?”
“Yep, this evening with his mom and dad, a candlelight church service later, then tomorrow with my family. So, I wanted to call you before we leave, check on you, and see if you’re doing alright.”
“Ahhh, yeah…I’m good.”
“Juuules, come on. You’re about as good of a liar as me. What’s going on?”
“Nothing, really.”
Linnie chuckled. “Oookay, here’s the deal. Jake’s been moping around here for weeks, basically ever since you left. Then late this afternoon, he comes racing in the house with a box, and the biggest smile we’ve seen on him since he won first place at the county fair when he was twelve. Might you know what that’s all about?”
Jules couldn’t stop from giggling, then answered with a smile in her voice. “Maybe.”
“Aaaahaaa! I knew it! Something happened between the two of you, didn’t it? Why didn’t you tell me? Nate’s going to get it. He hasn’t said a thing, but I bet he knows. Spill it, Jules. I want details.”
Jules laughed. “Nothing much, just a friendly bet over the Packer’s and Bear’s game next week, and we held hands, hugged a little. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t know how serious it was, but he’s been sending me flowers every week, and well, yeah... So, I sent him a little something, that’s all.”
Linnie squealed in delight. “Aaaaannd?” she prodded.
“And what?” Jules asked in confusion.
“Oh for heaven’s sake,” Linnie said exasperated. “Do you like him? Come on Jules, tell me, give me something.”
“Well, he’s very kind and considerate. He was a gentleman the whole time I was there. You know how nervous and scared I was, but for whatever reason, with Jake, I don’t feel so scared, and I’m only a little nervous. So that’s nice. I certainly think he’s handsome, and when I’m with him, I feel something different, tingly like, and I had this overwhelming urge to put my head on his shoulder, so I suppose you could say I’m attracted to him. I think he maybe feels something for me, because he suggested we make a bet over the game on New Year’s Day, and we agreed that if the Packer’s win, I’ll come back for a week over Valentine’s Day.”
“Jules, he likes you honey, for sure, and yes that tingly feeling and desire to be close to him means your attracted to him, which is great. Did you two, maybe kiss, or anything?”
“Um, well, maybe once, twice. I kind of asked him to kiss me, and well, I’m not sure that I should have.”
“No Jules, it was perfectly alright,” Linnie assured her. “It was totally perfect. That’s how it goes, and it was perfect.”
Jules let out a huge sigh. “Really? Because, well, I liked kissing him, and I liked when he kissed me.”
“Yaaaaay!” Linnie cheered. “Your first real contact with a man, and it was perfect! I’m so happy for you.”
Feeling giddy inside, she answered, “That’s true you know, I’ve never let a man kiss me before. The closest I’ve ever been is a handshake, so it was kind of scary, but with Jake, not so much so. He was thoughtful, and it was like you said it would be, he was protective, and took me under his wing. I felt safe. I do feel bad though, Kris and Nik are angry, but I just don’t feel the same around them as I do with Jake, if that makes any sense.”
“It does. There’s always been a bit of a rivalry between the three of them. Generally, Kris being the oldest just takes what he wants, and Nik being the youngest usually begs to get what he wants. But Jake, well, he generally works for what he wants. That’s why of the three of them, he’s the one I would’ve picked for you, because I knew he’d be patient, taking the time to do what needed to be done to make you feel comfortable.”
Reflecting on her stay, Jules answered, “You know, I can see that, I can see what you’re saying. That’s interesting, I never realized it till now. Nik kind of begged a lot for my time and attention, and on Thanksgiving, when we were sitting down for the meal, Kris grabbed my hand and pulled me into Jake’s chair so I’d sit by him. That was so uncomfortable, I thought the two of them were going to get into a fight.”
“A fight? Because you sat in Jake’s chair?” Linnie responded perplexed. “That doesn’t sound like Jake.”
“No, over my plate of food.”
“What?”
“Kris made a huge mess of my plate while serving me, and Jake fixed it by giving me his plate instead. Kris was furious.”
“Oh boy, I didn’t know that happened. I’m sorry, Jules. I guess that explains how he got rid of Kris, and then we had the snowmobiling incident with Nik. So in other words, he pretty much claimed his territory.”
Jules suddenly felt nervous. “I’m worried, is everything going to be okay?”
“Yep. They mus
t’ve worked it out. It’s a male, slash, brother pecking order kind of thing. It doesn’t matter if it is over girls, or popsicles, it’s all the same.”
Jules sighed. There wasn’t much she could do about it anyways. “Okay, if you say so.”
“So, how about New Years, do you have plans?” Linnie asked, changing the subject.
“Maybe.”
“Really? Like what?”
“Well, I thought I’d possibly spend it in Luck, with you. If you’ll be there, that is.”
Linnie squealed for the second time. “Yes, yes, yes! When?”
“Well, I get Thursday and Friday off in lieu of working Christmas day, and then Monday will be New Year’s Day, so I won’t have to be back till Tuesday. How about I go into work early on Wednesday, and then fly out Wednesday afternoon?”
“Perfect!” Linnie exclaimed.
“I’d like to keep it a secret from Jake though, make it a surprise. What do you think?”
Linnie laughed deviously. “Oh yeah, let’s keep it a secret. Rule number one, Jules, never make it too easy on them. Keep them guessing.”
Now Jules started laughing. “Linnie, you’re terrible, poor Nate.”
“Oh, please, poor Nate my butt. He’s lucky, that’s what he is, and he’s going to get it for not telling me what’s been going on.”
Jules giggled. “I’m glad you called. I miss staying up and gabbing with you like we used to do.”
“I miss it too. We’ll see you in a few days. Let me know your arrival time, and I’ll be there.”
*****
Dishing up a plate of food, Jake felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Nate was going to try and get Jules phone number so he could call her. After gulping down his food and washing his dish, he headed for his room. Pulling out his phone, he looked at the message. Score! Nate had gotten it, and added a little note that he’d managed to get it without Linnie knowing. Even better, he thought. He wanted to keep this quiet in case nothing came of it.
Opening up a text message screen, he began typing. “Hey Precious, love the gift. Will make good use of the beer, but you should have kept the box of Kleenex because I won’t be needing it. Better get that dress shortened, sweetheart.” After hitting send, he got up to get a beer when he heard his phone ding. Had she answered him? Already? Checking his phone, he read the message.
“Already done, bebis,” she’d replied.
Bebis? What the hell is bebis? He texted her back, “What’s bebis?”
She responded, “Look it up, amo.”
What the hell? He texted her back, “You playing with my head again, sweetheart?”
She answered, “Si, novio.”
Damn, now he had homework. Getting out his computer, he looked up the words. It took some time, but he found them. Bebis was the Swedish word for baby, amo was the Latin word for love, and novio was the Spanish word for sweetheart, or boyfriend. She could speak all these languages, he knew it without even asking. He shook his head in wonder. She was so damn interesting, and the best part of it all, he’d barely scratched the surface. Damned if he didn’t feel like beating his chest like an ape and howling like a wolf again, and she wasn’t even here.
He texted her back, “Can I call you?”
She hit him back, “Si, tesoro mio.”
Okay, what did that mean? He grinned. She was flirting with him, and he loved it. Si means yes in Spanish, so what does tesoro mio mean? Hmmm. Found it! His heart stopped. Awww man, she was something else. Si, tesoro mio, “yes, my darling” in Spanish or Italian. He picked up his phone and called her.
“Buongiorno,” she said, when she answered.
He stopped, thought about it, then answered tentatively, “Hello.”
“Very good!” she said excitedly. “Mi sei mancato cosi tanto, Jake.”
He smiled as he shook his head. “Okay, see, I’m not even going to try that one, but whatever it is, you sound very sexy saying it.”
With a softness in her voice, she translated for him, “I’ve missed you so very much, Jake.”
He closed his eyes and put a hand to his heart. “I’ve missed you too,” he answered, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. “You doing alright, you need anything?”
She let out a long tranquil sigh. “I’m doing well, thank you for asking.”
“How are things at the office, anything new and interesting happening?”
“Yeah, we hope to have approval to market one of our medications for fibromyalgia treatment soon, hopefully in the next few months. So that’s good, and I’m up for a promotion. One of the managers is leaving, and I’ve been asked to interview for the position. So, we’ll see.”
He was happy for her, but his heart sank. “That’s great. Good for you. What else have you been doing?”
“Painting, drawing, going to the bakery from time to time, putsy stuff.”
“Fixing your sweet tooth, huh?”
“You got it,” she responded, with a smile in her voice. “Was there today, had a few ginger cookies, and a slice of cake.”
His head spun. She’d taste sweet and spicy. “What’ve you been painting?” he asked, feeling curious.
“Mmmm, can’t tell you, Novio, can only show you,” she said with a laugh.
Novio…“sweetheart,” wasn’t it? Yeah, it was. Damn, he’d used that line on her in the kitchen when she’d wanted to know what the royal treatment was. “Not fair,” he responded. “I have to wait to find out. You, on the other hand, received an immediate answer to your inquiry. However, the silver lining in all this is that it implies I’ll see you again, so I still win.”
She laughed, “I was so glad I asked, plus it was the best chocolate milk I’ve ever had.”
“There’s more where that came from, bebis,” he growled.
She laughed, then answered, “I’m impressed, you’re a quick study.”
His smile wouldn’t leave his face. “How many languages do you speak?”
“Well, let’s see, I studied Latin in depth, so I can communicate fairly well in Latin based languages like Italian, Spanish, Portugese, and French. They’re considered the romantic languages, and I like Italian the best. Then of course Nana taught me Swedish, which shares a lot of similarities with other Nordic languages, so I do fairly well there also. I guess you could say I speak four or five fluently, and then another four somewhat decently.”
“Wow! That’s impressive. You paint, draw, speak different languages, and let’s not forget you know football, and then that trivium, quadrivium thing. What else? What else do you know?”
She laughed again. “I don’t know, just stuff. I just know a bunch of stuff. It’s hard to say. How about you, where do your interests lie?”
He took a deep breath. “Well, it always used to be cheese making, but now its animal science, farming, sports, stuff like that.”
“Animal science? Really? Tell me what it’s all about for you? It sounds intriguing.”
He shook his head. “Yeah, I don’t know about intriguing, but I have an interest in breeding stock, along with the general care and health of animals. I suppose you could talk on the lines of a veterinarian, but I don’t want to go that far with it. I’m singularly interested in dairy farming and producing top quality stock, so we give our customers the best product we can.”
“I love that!” she responded. “So animal husbandry and selective breeding is where your interests lie. Has your experience been mostly hands on, or have you received formal instruction?”
“Right now, hands on, along with some internet research, but I’ve applied to the University of Wisconsin, and hope to finish up there with a major in Animal Science and a minor in Veterinary Technology. I took some college level courses my senior year of high school, and then started college right away after, so I have a few years under my belt already.”
“Good for you. I’ll cross my fingers. It’ll go fast once you get started. What breeding technique do you prefer?”
Holy hell, she was speaking h
is language! None of the women he’d dated in the past knew or cared about this stuff. He couldn’t believe he was able to share this part of his life with her and have the discussion be meaningful. “Well, dad’s always had a bull on the farm, but I wonder about artificial insemination and what we could accomplish there.”
“Fantastic. Great minds and discoveries always start by wondering and asking questions, then seeking out the answers. So what’s this about cheese making?”
Settling back on his pillows, he answered, “For many generations my family made and sold specialty cheeses. My dad’s mom, my grandma, taught my mom how to make several of the cheeses before passing on. My dad helped some with the heavy stuff, but was never interested in making cheese, and therefore never learned how. I, on the other hand, always wanted to make cheese, and carry on our family’s tradition. My ultimate goal was to get my master’s mark.
“So, the plan was for mom to teach me. I helped here and there while I was growing up, but it wasn’t until I started working towards my dairy science degree that we became serious about my learning the trade. She started me out in the ripening rooms, because she felt the key to making great cheese was in the art of affinage, or maturing cheese. We were just getting into it, when she struck a deer coming home one night and was killed. We lost it all with her death.”
“Oh, Jake, I’m sorry, I know that must’ve been difficult for you.”
“Yeah, it was.”
“So, you know how to ripen cheese, but not how to make it, is that right?”
“Yes, to some degree, I was learning the ripening process, and have a decent foundation of knowledge where that’s concerned, so that part’s good. But it’s more like we don’t know our family’s trade secrets, what it was we did to make our cheeses better than the rest, not to mention several of our cheese recipes were for rare types of cheeses that are not easily found outside of Europe. It’s been four years since we sold the last of it, and people still call looking for what we used to make.”