Tuesday
"Hi."
Our hero had not yet realized someone stands to his left for staring at his screen with a template contract for a gig. To get to this point he gotten a hold of Deke yesterday,
"Glad to hear it, you're moving up in this world. You should start with a book, that campus library is sure to have something, use that for starters then I'll go over it with you over a beer or two, or you can bring Chinese - the EXPENSIVE stuff," then laughs maniacally.
And before that he had gotten an enthusiastic confirmation from Goody,
"Nick this is why we're here, to help you get on a vector to, well, whatever is next - your hours are a guaranteed minimum, so we can certainly work around whatever you need to do, go for it."
He turns and takes a pause to drink in a sight for sore eyes, top to bottom and back. Deej had mentioned an interview on campus, something for which Bob was more than glad to excuse an absence, and for this she had put together a burgundy top, black pleated skirt just above the knee and black tights and soft flats. He hadn't seen her so 'cleaned up' in quite a while and this is the epitome of Deej-ness: tall yet modest, adorable yet capable.
"Hi yourself."
There's an informal lab in that room so she leans into a quiet giggle, "Like what you see?"
"Wish I had a picture."
This causes a slight flush and she looks to the side, "Stop it."
"How'd it go, slick?"
"Pretty good I think, she was hard to read but said I'd hear soon."
"Is it admin of sorts?"
"Yeap, at the gym."
"Right up your alley."
"Well you WORK in an alley."
"Yeah yeah, did you get the whole day off from roofing?"
"Too damn windy today so it worked out..." then glances at his screen, "hey, is that what I think it is?"
Nick jumps up and pretends to shield it.
She grabs his ribs and he reacts rather nasally, she fights off a laugh.
"You always were ticklish...dork."
"And you have sensitive knees."
She takes a swipe, "You know..." looks around and lowers her voice, "you know what that did to me, I shouldn't have hit you so hard but, anyway..." and she may have flushed a bit again.
"Well I learned a lesson I won't forget."
She looks right at him, "Well we both did. Anyway, you going to lunch in a bit?"
"Yeah...finally got a hold of Noreen, you could join -"
"No, Nicky, go catch up with her, tell her hi."
He pauses a second. "Okay...but are you free later?"
She pauses and slowly smiles, and looks down at him still seated, fishes keys out of her purse, contorts her face and points a key at him, slowly twists it, and in a growl, "call me if you daaarrre."
He stands up but she just scampers off while staring him down with a wry grin that drives home the dare, and almost...almost fulfills a pleasantly freaky dream he had a while back.
Girls.
------------------------
Nick arrives at the cafeteria and tries to spot her inside but doesn't, turns around to check the influx and there stands his summer gal.
They exchange a smile and hesitant shoulder hug.
"You've been busy," he starts.
After a hesitation, "Probably on purpose," and she looks at him with a dullness he’s rarely seen.
"You look well rested at least."
"It's getting better, just...you know."
"Yeah." He pretends to know but can only guess. "My treat?"
She smiles. "Kay."
For some reason they have swiss cheesesteaks today and he can't resist, she just gets a salad. They find a couple spots across from each other, she seems lethargic and doesn't look at him much.
"Are you OK with this," he asks.
She smiles a little, "Nick I have to be OK with this, it's a calling and...I think we both knew..."
"Yeah...no regrets?"
"Nick - you know better."
"Just suremakin'"
Smiles and shakes her head and takes a bite.
After he finishes a bite, "I thought about asking if you needed someone to take proofing work, but then that seems pretty specific and, well, sporadic."
She thinks and nods, "Yeah it is but if anyone asks, is Danni interested?"
"I mentioned it and she's willing to check it out, but today she interviewed over at the gym, that would get her off roofs for the most part."
"Oh that's great, hope it works out, tell her hi."
"She says hi as well."
"Really like that gal, maybe a bunch of us can do something before I take off."
"Yeah she would agree."
Noreen offers her water cup for a toast, they toast and drink in agreement.
After a couple more silent bites, she goes on, "How's the car?"
"It's working out, love the mileage."
She grins. "Just not as much room in back..."
He throws her a droll look and she has to put her head down to laugh.
"So, I have to ask, are you....OK?"
He finishes a bite. "Still adjusting, but....this has been a hell of a year hasn't it?"
She takes a deep breath, "You can say that again."
Nick starts to repeat it and gets a look, then wisely leaves it at that. Then remembers, "OH, I may have a side gig, office PC upgrade, Deejay's dad is the manager of a shop."
Her eyes pick up, "Wow, not bad."
"Deke is helping with the contract."
"There ya go, good luck hon - um, dude."
He throws her another look.
"I know, I know, just trying to be careful."
"We didn't get where we got by being careful, dear."
She sighs and takes a bite, gets that down, then adds, "We had such a safe space, for me at least, hopefully for you as well...I wouldn't have been able to be in that space...otherwise, you know, how things worked out."
"Yeap. Same here."
She smiles and keeps on digging in.
Nick looks around, he's done with his sammich. "I think I'm getting close to being a true alumni, alumnus? Of this place, into the wild."
"One step at a time."
"Think you'll settle back around here?"
She pauses, smirks, "I'd like to but, you know how it is...how many of the, like the Ph.Ds…the phuds… they're from all over."
"Your boss is from England."
She points her fork at him in agreement, "Exactly. A gig's a gig, just like in music."
"Do you have a place there yet?"
She clears her throat, "This past weekend I saw three, dragged Arden with me for good measure, any one of them will do with the stipend."
"OK good."
She takes a studied look, "What are you thinking."
"Well, there could be moments where I'm tempted to run up for the weekend..."
She kicks his shin under the table. "And I'd be tempted to rip something off of you and mail it to your house, dig?"
Nick bends over and rubs the affected area. "How do I attract such violent women?"
This gets the show-ending laugh. "You OK?"
"Yeah I'll live once the blood stops squirting."
"Alright, I gotta get back, walk with me?"
"If I can."
So they bust their trays and they stroll to about the midway point, settle for a mutual cheek peck, "Don't be a stranger," in her usual admonishment.
------------------------
Well, Deej can definitely cook, not that he had any doubts. He accepted the dare and gave her a ring around 3:30 and she offered two choices, a quiet evening or double date, with her preference being the former. This is surprising for a normally group-friendly gal, but the biggest surprise was April meeting Vance over at the Pondo.
"Yeah, I guess he finally got curious enough."
"Man to be a fly on the wall..."
She giggles and takes a bite of garlic toast, that's all she's having after she guaranteed him safety from not feeling the greatest and expecting a visit from Uncle Frank - evidently Aunt Flo is too obvious.
This was the first time Nick had been inside the Dawson's place. The parents were bowling tonight and so they had the house to themselves.
"So how's things over at your home place?" He asks between fork loads of spaghetti she'd made the night before.
"About the same, Sam's back at school but seems bored. I’m torn since I wish I could be there, but then, Mom and Dad need to figure some things out, so..."
"Yeah. Are you still gonna show her some martial arts?”
"Hoping to get some gals together, maybe some moms and April. Noreen if she wanted to."
"Ahh I see."
"Are you about ready with that contract, or whatever?"
"Yeah pretty much, just need to take it over to Deke's along with a bribe, I'll grab some Chinese."
This gets a laugh, then she thinks, "I don't think I ever got to meet him, is he still working?"
"Pretty much retired but still on the bar, that's a nice spot if you're healthy, which he seems to be. You get to pick your work and just help out when you want."
"That's awesome."
"Yea really neat guy."
They are finished with supper and Nick takes his own plate to the sink.
"You are trained well, Young Jedi," she observes with some sauce.
Normally he would reach for a hug but she seems guarded from not feeling the greatest.
"Wanna watch some TV for a bit? I'll probably turn in early and read my old letters - thanks so much for those.
"Nuthin' to it."
He sits on the couch first to set the scene and she eases down about half a foot to his left with the remote and starts flipping around.
"What sounds good?"
"I usually watch Cheers if anything," which of course brings to mind the lake adventure with Noreen.
"OK," and she flips around but can't find it, then hands him the remote, "Here." Right about then she puts a hand on her lower belly, "mmmm."
Nick can hear gurgling.
"Not good," she says while getting up and ducks into the hallway john.
Nick tries to find Cheers but can't concentrate enough to remember which channel it would be on, their lineup seems off, must be a different provider out here. Finally he settles on Happy Days and right about then he hears a flush. Not long after this she emerges from the door with a washcloth on her head and stops in the hallway.
"Are you OK?" he asks.
"I feel hot and think I'm coming down with something, I don't want you to get it."
"I hate to leave you like this though."
"I know, but this ain't my first rodeo, gonna lie down."
"Good idea. Call me later if you can't sleep?"
"Maybe, talk to you for sure tomorrow, sorry it's a short date."
"Better than nothing."
She smiles while leaning against the wall and it feels like he's in the way of her recovery.
"Want this on still?"
"Nah."
"Well get some rest and feel better."
She blows him a kiss, "Be careful."
So he is careful and arrives home around 7:30.
Irene is at the piano, a good sign.
"Hey did you see Danni?"
"Yeah we ate but she started feeling feverish and sent me home."
Irene just looks at him.
"She thinks it's a bug, probably what I had a couple weeks ago."
Irene smiles, "Well I hope not too serious, was starting to wonder if you got her too...excited..."
"Mom!"
She laughs and lets him off the hook. "Did you eat something?"
"Yeah she made spaghetti last night and I had leftovers, she just had a piece of toast."
"The poor thing, well she's a trooper to want to see you in that condition."
Nick just shakes his head and starts up the stairs.
------------------------
About 10:30 the phone rings.
"Nick?" Guess who.
"Hey, how do you feel."
"Started feeling a sore throat so I grabbed some stuff and went to my old bedroom, after all...(takes a sip)...after all the Dawsons have done the last thing I want is to make them sick."
"Well, hope this doesn't knock you out and Mom says so too."
"She's the best. Can you talk a while?"
"As long as your voice holds up."
"MMM, well maybe the night's not a total loss then. I thought of a bunch of questions, do you mind?"
"Deej..."
"I know, I'm silly, but....remind me, what do you watch on TV?"
"Stupid shit, I tape the Mystery Science Theatre for rainy days, got into Python this year."
"Oh, that makes sense for a wise guy."
"Hey I try. Howbout you? Well besides the mysteries."
"Promise not to be too hard on me?"
"Umm..."
"Well...let me rephrase...."
"I promise."
"Okay...I kinda got hooked on 90210."
"Well that's not so bad...has some nice scenery."
"Oh...yes...it...does."
"Something for everyone. So is that what we'll curl up and watch one of these days."
Silence.
"You OK."
"Nicky..."
"What?"
"I think you know."
"So you're talking quietly."
"Yeah just so little ears aren't too nosy."
"Could anyone else be on the line?"
"Nope, we never got phones in our rooms, which is probably a good thing, if that makes sense."
"Yeah it can be."
"Anyway...um...since we're alone..."
Nick tries to deepen his voice but sinuses keep it raspy, "Yeass?" He also switches on some classical.
She lowers her volume, "If we were ever really....really...alone, do you want the lights on or off?"
"Well..."
"Be honest."
"Don't take it the wrong way, I'd rather feel than see."
"That's what I thought."
"And...sometimes it's nice if not all the clothes are off."
He just hears a sigh then "mmmmm."
"Are these all the right answers?"
"No complaints from this end....OH...oh...so, when we were younger...did you look at my butt?"
"Does a deer shit in the woods?"
She snickers, "Touché!"
They both crack up.
Nick continues, "Umm, every chance I got. Especially in that long skirt, damn."
This gets a hard sigh, "OH you stop it right now, I'm blushing all over."
"Like I said, shroud of a thousand mysteries."
She pauses. "OK, so now that some of those mysteries are known...um...did you like it, the other day?"
"No complaints here."
"Nick...that was...you did...well, I don't want to go into detail but...you knew what to do. I know you've had some practice, but...just so you know…wow."
"I bet you taste heavenly."
Silence.
He waits it out this time.
Finally she clears her throat. "Nicky, how do you do that?"
"What?"
"I swear you're a perfect crime."
"I wish I'd thought to say that."
Another pause. "Mmmm, anyway...I think you know me well enough, there's so much going on, sometimes...I just need to think about good things."
"Deej, you know you don't need to explain."
"I know, I'm probably trying to figure it all out."
"Aren't we all?"
"Yeah. I know I keep saying it, but thanks for being there."
"Hon I'd rather me be here than someone else."
She giggles. "Me too."
"So were you gonna work tomorrow?"
"Bleh, I think Bob was going to keep me on a reserve status kind of thing, they're on a smaller job. Nick they are so gracious, I swear they think of me as a cause, it's so sweet."
"Well you help out around the house right?"
"As much as I can yeah."
"And April is their only daughter?"
"Yeap, after two boys, which probably factors in."
"Yeah. So was she back yet when you bailed?"
"Nope, her folks had just gotten back when I left, her mom seemed a bit concerned about her but then this is new ground, she’s usually such a homebody."
"Hmm, yeah."
"Anyway they might have decided to see a movie, I don't think we're worried."
"Nah."
"They didn't really want me to come here but understood."
"Sounds about right."
She sighs.
"Are you still thinking to enroll in the winter?"
"Yeah probably, the wheels are in motion."
"Good."
"And next week - oh shit, hope I'm better - next week we have that trip to the ol' lady doctor."
"And I have no comment on that."
She laughs, "Yeah, sorry, joy-joy-joy."
"Are you gonna vote?"
"Yeah, oh yeah, I never changed my permanent address so I'll vote here. You?"
"Yeah, plan to, talking to Noreen gave me a lot to think about this year."
"She's an academic so I think we're on the same page."
"Probably."
"I love you, Nick."
"Deej."
"I snuck that on you, sorry."
"Deej, we've been in tune for a long time now, pretty sure we know how to love each other."
Silence. Then sniffs.
"Isn't it crazy how we can communicate through letters and like this?"
"Yeah...(draws a breath)...yeah it sure is."
He lets that float.
"Nicky...just so you know, when we get to be...really...alone...you don't have to please me, just whatever..."
"Deej...sometimes it's good just to rub."
She pauses, "Like, with the clothes on?"
"More or less."
This gets an ornery giggle, "Mmmm hmmm. It's just, when you kiss me, like on the trail...my God I forgot where I was."
"I think I did too for a second."
"Yeah guys are different, and you are probably wayy less emotional than I get, and you know me I’m usually, you know, but....mmmmm."
"It goes by too quickly."
"It really does. Just...you know I need you to keep me on earth, I don't want to get carried away. I mean, I don't...well..."
"Deej, we'll be fine...but do you mean alone time or in general?"
She laughs, "Actually I think you just psyched me out, that's it. I'm probably more afraid of going nuts than losing control."
"Umm, you're the sanest person I've ever met, at least that I know so well."
"Thanks. Still, I've never been here - listen to me, who the hell HAS ever been here?"
"I love you, Deej."
Silence.
Silence.
"I know, Nicky." She sighs.
"Are you more convinced we're gonna be OK?"
"Actually, I am."
"How do you feel, the cold or whatever?"
Pause. "It's still there. Probably the last few weeks catching up to me."
"It'll do that. I had the crud just before you got back here."
"Yeah I remember now, how bad was it?"
"Well I went to work even though it was questionable, got to the school and Sue - our dean - denied me entry and sent me home. Spent Friday and Saturday in quarantine then it let up after that, just slept in and out, soaked in the tub."
"OOOhh that's gonna happen soon, will give me some....alone...time..."
"Gonna wash those naughty thoughts away?"
"A bath would be nice to share..."
"That would be for the advanced class."
"Something to look forward to."
For some reason a Spock quote comes to Nick's mind, about having not being always as good as wanting, but it doesn't really apply. Still,
"I think I asked, but you ever watch Star Trek?"
"Oh god, if you can believe it my parents geek out on that. I watched some but, you know."
"What if we're curled up?"
"Your place or mine?"
"It's a date."
"Oh Nicky, we're gonna be just fine."
"You know it."
"Well, you gotta work and I gotta rest up. Actually, hell I might just soak."
"It does a body good."
She giggles, "You don't want to know where my mind went."
"Umm, pretty sure I do know after the other night."
She cracks up for nearly a minute.
Nick just enjoys her laughter.
"Alright smarty pants -"
"Hey do you ever watch the British shows?"
"Yeah sometimes like on PBS?"
"That Are You Being Served is hilarious, they show it late at night since it's pretty naughty."
"Is that the one where the lady talks about her pussy and it's all double entendres?"
Now Nick laughs for about a minute.
"What? I suppose I win a prize?"
"OHH honey, that's the one."
"Yeah those are pretty funny, sometimes we girls would try to watch when the morality police weren't around."
"Oh joy."
"Yeah good times for all."
"Well we got a lot to look forward to."
"Yes we do, I'm gonna think about it in the tub, love you and...sweet dreams."
"Love you Deej. Feel better."
"Nite."