Nick arrives at the near-desolate campus lot with a beach towel, trunks beneath his shorts, a small bag with some tennis shoes, an extra t-shirt and standard issue low-rise briefs. They had agreed on 7:30 in order to soak in all the daylight that could be squeezed out of a summer day. He also had stopped for donuts for the trip, leaving about 77 bucks in his wallet.
Just as he stands up he can hear a mild roar approaching, sees a dark jeep with top down and a driver with flaxen locks blowing all around. Somehow the doubt actually grows as the jeep makes its way right next to him, Noreen just grins beneath dark glasses, and he remembers to grab his shades from the Cordoba as she powers down.
"Whacha think?"
Nick just shakes his head. "Did you somehow plant that little vision into my head subliminally?"
"Would you believe me if I told you?"
"Alright lady, I'm all yours, sorry 'bout your luck."
She had walked around to meet him and he picks her up in a hug.
"OOOHH that's good for my back."
"Glad to be of use."
"Stop it. So, the engine is a bit loud and you know it'll be blowing, here's the deal - ever been to Grant Lake?"
"Heard of it, we used to camp up at Sangchris a time or two."
"Splendid, well this is to the south and east, just over an hour, not quite into Indiana."
"Got it. Can't believe we finally get to get away."
She leans in for a two-beat kiss, "ready? ...set..."
"Oh, does it have a cover?"
"Yeah, its tucked away back there just in case but I think we'll be OK."
They get going, munching on donuts. Nick had been part of this way at some point but most of it was new, all his relatives are along other vectors. Just a few passing clouds so far. He's starting to wonder if there's a V8 in the doghouse, it has the feel of someone's toy, decent sound system too. Noreen had put it on an oldies station at first, eventually they whip out the Stones' Tumbling Dice, one that he'd never really caught before, but sure is perfect for cruising in this weather. Eventually she motioned him to shop around the dial if he wanted, dangerous to offer that to a radio geek type.
At some point he finds En Vogue's recent hit, Never Gonna Get It and she cranks it, he can't tell where the bass is coming from, must be a sub hidden somewhere, but damn it's thick as a poured wall. She grooves and teases the words at him.
The commercial hits quick and he is the first to cut it down, then eventually finds that new Poison track starting up, So Tell Me Why, turns it up some, and she again bumps it the rest of the way. Nick waits for the one line...girl i'm gonna do to ya things that ain't never been done, then runs a finger down her arm. She just reacts to the tickle then squeezes his hand.
After that track he just looks for somewhere to park the dial, finds oldies again, wealth of scenery to take in. He's ever inspired by rides like this, even in flat lands, to some it's all the same but there's always a nuance, a lonely bobbing oil rig, remains of an ancient tractor, rolling fields. He could do without some of the dairy-air from the huge cattle farms but ain't that America. The radio hasn't played that particular Mellencamp tune yet but he sure wouldn't mind.
Noreen has on tan plaid shorts over her navy blue one-piece and a white tank top, and they're both wearing flops. She appears to have gelled her hair as usual, but again, who's noticing. He wonders what she's thinking about, probably in high English accents. Every once in a while she glances over and smiles. One thing's for sure, she's no stranger to a stick shift, jams it around like a senior enlisted base chauffeur. Nick had always wanted to drive a stick but hasn't yet gotten the chance, seems those are less maintenance than an automatic but no one in his family wants to fool with it in town with a lot of starts and stops.
Eventually he sees the brown sign for the public beach access, and she grabs a spot right by the sand, in the shade even. This is why you do this on a weekday, beach has just a woman and her small kids wading a few feet into the water, seems a bit early to get in yet.
"It's a pretty lake," he observes as soon as the engine is off.
"Yeah we used to come down here a lot. There's camping on around that way, and places to eat, hell you could almost walk from here."
He takes a deep breath and gets out. Trunks are sticking to the cheeks just a bit already.
"Anything you want locked in the glove box?'
He sticks his billfold and keys in there, not wearing a watch.
"You'll love this..."
Noreen looks around, then stands between him and the jeep, reaches under her tank top and produces a good size knife in a sheath, probably 5 inches of blade and slips it into the glove box. "Hey, you never know."
"You can take da girl outta da south side..."
"I'm sayin', honey." She puts her small leather purse in there, locks it, snaps the key ring onto a looped rope and puts that around her neck, makes a comical grin to Nick, "ready Freddie?"
Nick can't resist a quick Elvis via Freddie for the chorus, Crazy Li'l Thing Called Love, then doesn't wait for reaction, "By the way what's under the hood?"
In a sultry purr, "Why, you scoundrel."
"We'll get to that, but how bout this beast?" and smacks the hood. It's 70s vintage, not babied but well cared for, plenty stories left to tell.
"Pop the hood and take a gander."
So he does, 8 cylinders, dual exhaust.
"I think it's a 304."
"That sounds right, AMC's five-liter, this could have come from a Matador or such."
"I drove this puppy to high school, but with the original engine, again, my brothers..."
"Well hell of a job, I'd love to redo the Cordoba but you know, too many things with wires, " and then takes several angles of views at the doghouse.
"Are we gonna stand here and yank it all day?"
He slams the hood, "Alright alright, where to first?"
They take slow stroll along the land-pier that extends out next to the beach. Seagulls are in full-on mode.
"Do they have boat rental around here?"
"Yeah but they all have motors I think, I'd rather canoe or do the foot paddles."
"Could rent a pontoon."
"But then how many times would we get buzzed by some stupid water skiers."
"Yeah I spoze. Canoeing is better in a small lake or a river. We did that a couple times with the church."
"That reminds me. Do you still go, to the church?"
"My folks go to a different church than they, well we, used to. Another long story."
"I got time, and I'm curious, I'm supposed to be Catholic but my parents didn't stick with it. They put us kids through catechism but then we just had our own traditions that we try to keep going."
"Yeah my folks started going when I was in grade school, and I never really got it. In fact, well..."
"Tell me."
Nick spots what must be an ill-fated fish that was partially gobbled up by gulls, but pushes that aside and continues, "I ended up in jail a few years ago."
She stops walking and takes off her shades. "Nick?"
"Yeah...it was my sophomore year, our youth pastor Kevin was frustrated with the leadership and the elders, the board...the way he saw it they were just worshiping the status quo - that's how he put it. They couldn't handle new ideas and basically equated those with sin, or communism, or wherever the fuck."
"Nick we don't have to talk about it if it's sore -"
He reaches across her shoulders and draws her close. "It's fine, I should probably get it out in the open, don't think about much anymore...and you're great to talk to about things."
"I'm glad."
He holds her hand. "So, we got to talking and he knew a guy from college with access to some sound equipment, and figured we'd shake things up a bit."
"And how'd that go?"
"We snuck everything in on a Saturday night, didn't get to test it, pastor was out of town so we could keep it all hid. During the service we put in a CD of some sound effects, rushing winds, thunder - we were back there with our heads between our knees it was so freaking loud. Then his friend, had put on a sheet - and this was just plain dumb, but he was going to go out and we would kill the lights and he'd just show up looking like a, well, a returning Christ."
"You didn't."
"Like I said, the idea was to shake things up. Unfortunately it damaged some windows, and - oh, Kevin's friend, who had access to those subs, he had just taken an allergy medicine he'd never taken before, so he was pretty loopy, didn't even get fazed by the sound....OH, and the best part, Jameson's police chief lived two doors down, thought a damn bomb had gone off -"
She had her mouth covered, "Nicky...I know you’re not a radical, but this is so hard to believe."
"Well it's a bunch of idiots getting what they deserved, and, well, I mean the four of us involved, we didn't intend for it to go that far. Some lady had to go to ER with chest pains but she was OK, and...this is awful, but we had a man who isn't all there, if you know what I mean, pissed his pants -"
"Hold on a sec," and she leans against a tree.
"You OK?"
"Yeah, just, wow...."
Nick looks around and hopes he hadn't freaked her out too much. "It's a lot, yeah, and we got picked up and questioned, I called a lawyer friend of mine. After about two hours they told me to go home, I just walked, took my time. Mom and Dad were driving around looking for me, they were just freaked out and worried."
"Oh I bet." She reaches for his hand. "Nick, I had no idea. It seems you and your folks get along wonderfully now."
"Yeah, it was weird at first, they didn't go to service for a couple of weeks, Kevin was dismissed by the board, no surprise, and I, well, I think some of the folks blamed my parents for me being involved, or else it kinda got nasty. They started attending another church and didn't expect me to go, they would ask and sometimes I would, but it's just not my thing, not really into people."
"Well we all have different needs and comfort levels. Sounds like your folks stood up for you and did the right thing - I mean, if I can say so."
"Yeah they really did. And Tim was pretty close to going after the chief asshole on the board who was trying to throw us under the bus, Dad had to stop him. But Tim wasn't really involved at that church, he pretty much ended up wherever...this or that girl went, and then he was off to Uncle Sam soon anyway."
"Your brother?"
"The one and only."
They stroll back toward the jeep and get their towels and sunscreen from beneath the seats.
Nick asks, as they head to the sand, "So, any notable drama in your life?"
"Can't compete, was engaged about 10 years ago, his family was very religious and conservative, I think I was a bit too free spirited, he sent me a letter and called it off. Last I heard he'd gone into the Navy."
"Aren't there all kinds of trouble to get into in the Navy?"
"Yeah don't think about it too hard, I'm pretty sure it was his way of getting out of the house. Nick I'm not really good at talking about myself, but just ask me questions, I don't mind, and if I do mind I'll kick you in the shin and run."
"I thought that means a girl likes me."
"That's if she gives you a wedge. Well, sometimes."
They spread the blankets, she turns away from him to release the beast, first the tank top, then the shorts. He tries not to stare but he's waited so long, she's just fascinating, and, yes being with an adult woman is still a novelty. She starts to turn around and he whips his shirt up and drops his outer shorts.
She smiles and hands him the sunscreen, "I don't think you'll mind," turns around and sits down. He tries to be gentle on her shoulders and neck, top of the exposed back, down both arms as he leans in, and manages to sneak a peck at the nape of her neck while she's still facing downward.
After a slight jerk and ghasp, "Alright sport I'll take it from here, then you need some, that's an order."
"Yes m'aam. Yeah I bet you'd crisp up pretty quick, are you full Irish?"
"Irish, Scots, some German, the usual."
"I think we are British and Irish, maybe some Welsh."
"Anglo-Celtic."
"And then there's Dr. Stone."
"Oh that one, yeah he's the real deal, tepid eyes, but never an unkind moment, I think he taught at my undergrad for a while, but after I was done."
"Where was that?"
"Main campus of the U."
"OHH OK, so you just did the half and half."
"Yeap, I'm a total geek, just kinda blew through it."
"And learned the violin."
"Well that started when I was young, Mom's idea, she loves when I play."
"Should I ask?"
"Yeah...well, Mom is still alive but in a home. She has dementia."
"I'm sorry babe."
She scoots closer and takes his arm. "Us kids take care of things, the way we've always known. Dad passed a few years ago."
"I can't imagine."
"Well, don't, just don't be thankful. Remember I'm the baby and my parents are older."
"So you all took a trip last summer?"
"Yes we did, late summer actually, it was awesome, we got a group rate and we took Mom, probably the last - shoot, I don't want to dwell on that, sorry, but yeah a sister in law took that picture when we were all there, I didn't really want her to but now I'm glad I had one to make for you."
"We both are."
"So do you all live close?"
"Oh too close, some of us are still on the property, it's in a trust, my brothers keep the shop going and I took the cabin."
"Cabin?" Nick lights up.
"Yes, Dad built it back when I was a kid, just to have a place for guests or to hang out. Since my marriage plans didn't work out, for the better, I just gradually took it over and had the phone line put in."
"Is that where you paint?"
This gets a fresh smile. "Sometimes, when I get inspired," and offers another peck. "So, do you have anyone you hang out with very often?"
"Not so much anymore. I used to hang with Vance quite a bit, but then not so much after the, well, what I told you about over there."
"Oh was he part of it?"
"Yeah it sounded fun, but then when shit got weird, things weren't the same. He started playing varsity hoops right after that, I went to some of the games with Dad. We didn't hate each other or anything, just didn't have as much in common I guess."
"Sometimes that happens. Are you close to your brother?"
"Ehh, in all seriousness we keep in touch through Mom since he enlisted. Just started another hitch, he must be worth the space he takes up, wants to make sergeant I guess."
"Sounds about right. Has he made it back yet to visit?"
"I think in a couple weekends. I dunno, with school and stuff, it's all just happening, you hang out on campus -"
"Do you know how many parties there were Friday night?"
"One of the MET guys from one of the towns, I forget, said there was one at some bar."
"Yet both of us went home and got comfortable, at least I did."
"I showered and watched Star Trek on the couch."
She lights up, "The Next Generation?"
"The one and only."
"Oh Nick I never miss it!"
"Maybe we can watch over the phone sometime. I need to catch up on those, all this school stuff kinda threw me off the wagon."
"Maybe we shall, one of these crazy ol' nights. Hey it’s getting, um...wanna cool off?"