Mudslide

September, 1990

Starting classes at EIT came with an elaborate buildup since the quarter begins mid-September. It felt kinda cool at first to not have to start up another level with the "kids", ones you know plus some kindy-gardners you never would. You hear your classmates making plans, changing plans, enlisting, having babies, as if anyone knows what the hell to do.

Nick tries to start a thick slab of a Stephen King paperback as he would have as a freshman back in the Reagan years, but a nagging, shadowy sense of loss gets in the way, that daily circuit has been broken, folks you don't talk to but have known essentially all your waking life, now frozen in amber. These days you run into one of the guys at Sears and actually have a conversation, as if that were the norm all along, you hadn't actually spoken since eighth grade. He gets to know most of the characters in It before classes begin then puts it away for good before the reunion gets going.

He first became familiar with the campus when his folks would take family walks on holidays or nice weekends, there's a couple miles of trails throughout the woods, and they even cross-country ski when enough snow cover. At one point you come to a small pond full of bobtails behind one of the buildings, and there's a solitary playset, with a slide and swings. Nick tried to picture college students playing on it but that didn't seem right, it wasn't until he heard that EIT has an Early Childhood Development program with a student-run daycare that it begins to make sense.

At the end of his hazy junior year he took some kind of fill-in-the-dot-with-a-number-two-pencil test at the campus on a Saturday, but then never learned the results of it; principal seemed to have forgotten about them sending students by the time his senior year started. Nick figured he just didn't do well enough on it to stand out.

But the office definitely announced the recruiting event that EIT Engineering Tech department was holding, so Nick signs up and finds out that he's the only one in a class of 180 that showed interest to go, so if you have transportation just sign out and have fun and bring us back the excuse. At the campus he's quickly immersed in a bus load from one of the small town schools, hangs out with an affable dude who seems popular and in good terms with the babes. They get an intro from the ET director, the faculty introduce their programs, tour the facility with some poor students on hand to demonstrate here and there.

At the point where they tour the EET lab he makes a point to introduce himself to Al Glass, one of his dad's former comrades from the early days, and finds out they still call him Goody. They provide lunch at the cafeteria and it's the only time Nick had ever downed two whole hamburgers, it smelled too good in there. No fries, just magic patties and steamy buns that somehow didn't need any toppings. It was clear that EIT wanted to make a good impression on prospects, nothing wrong with that, maybe they knew these greensters still thrive on the basics, protein and calories.

It was a feelgood day, they sent you home with the application, have your school send a transcript, he did all that, and he got the acceptance letter just after graduation. The deal was that his folks would pay the tuition as long as he would work and pay his own gas and daytime meals and such, it all seemed to fall into place. He went out to register on the designated evening, in the auditorium for some reason, the director Sue whats-her-name was there and gave a welcome as she signed the slip, no problems since it's right in line with the catalog, just take this to the registrar.

Sometime in August he receives his schedule and heads to Kmart to grab a new Trapper, although the simplicity of a five-subject wirebound has its attraction too. Yeah, maybe just some durable folders and the wirebound, there's pens at home, this will be fun. This is where things start to turn up after losing Paps.

"Nick he was so proud of you for getting accepted, we know you'll do great."

One afternoon, to bide his time before work he finds a piece of his mom's typing paper and draws a grid, five columns and, lessee, one-two-three...the first class is at 9am and the last ends at four, then there's that lab twice a week. They use R for Thursday, and instead of an F the failing grade is an E, hopefully we won't see many of those. So with some colored pencils that he'd gotten in the extended family gift exchange a couple years ago he makes a Color Schedule to hang on the corkboard next to the workbench.

Then finally the first Monday arrives, overcast but not too cool, math course begins at 9 but he gets to campus around 8 since they were warned that parking will be crazy at first, until folks start to ride share or just bugger out. Nick sits in the Cordoba a while and tries to relax, but the tummy gurgles, the egg sandwich hit the spot but then, nerves. This is so silly. It's just sitting in a class, taking notes, maybe answering questions, he's surely already seen the material, but he needs to unload. It's not urgent but needs to happen.

Nick gets out with his books under arm and heads to Gelding Hall, the first building from when the U initially branched here back in the 50s or so. There's a really neat sculpture of a winged motorcycle at one end, or at least there used to be, need to check on that. But not now. He heads to the basement and thankfully it seems pretty vacant, seems there's a mens' - ahh there's the door. No one around, pick the middle stall, balance the books on the T of the doors, might need to see about a backpack, wipe down the seat, pull 'em down.

Mudslide. Good lord. This is so silly. This is one of those times you stand, flush, then sit back down to clean up. All better. Some things the body does when the mind is uncertain will just never make sense. Moving on.

He heads over to the Tech building and finds the room, but settles in the little lobby for now. There's a couple dudes there but not talking, they are probably fellow greens, first day here officially. Eventually one of them checks the clock and heads down the hall, and that prompts the other two. The clock-checker heads past but Nick and the second one slip into Room 153 for some math.

The schedule had just said "Staff" as the instructor, but then in walks George King, one of the Electronic Tech instructors. Gradually the room fleshes out and George takes roll, does the intro, sets the pace, and just starts into some equations when the door opens and a character strolls in, or rather, winds in, with some kind of hip condition that sets his gate into a pitcher-windup sort of motion, long scraggly hair and some beard, wide eyes and smells like an oft-damp basement. King George, as Goody calls him, verifies his place on the roster as Harvey Stump. Mixing with 'adults' was certainly gonna be interesting. The dude who had first joined Nick in the room was named Dave.

Later in the day he gets to the English Comp class on the third floor of Gelding, taught by a Chicagoan named Dan, and after the introduction passes out a syllabus as people straggle in and things gradually get organized. Some can't find a seat and not everyone can even see the prof, and so he says he'll have to request a bigger room, so on Wednesday there will be a sign outside the room of this door.

Wednesday arrives and people gradually trickle into the new room. Dan gets established at the front and does a reset, and makes sure everyone has a syllabus, goes over a few things, then passes out the first assignment, a one-pager to get the ball rolling, due on Friday, and ends the class with "Good luck." Nick had heard that some college instructors would drop you to a C for just misplacing a comma, but that must be in advanced university courses, this seemed pretty laid back, but still, time to roll.

On Thursday Nick found the Apple II lab in the library and brought his old 5.25 inch floppies from word processing class at JHS. There were some dumb notes to girls still on there, he wonders if they appreciated his wit, never got any comments, but also a rather ambitious case study of computer larceny from the same time span. In less than an hour he has his page typed, formatted, and spit out in that same font that all ImageWriters seem to spit out.

The second Monday starts with clearer skies and mind, we know what to expect, even if the drafting class seems a bit rigid, he's not good at neatness when it comes to pencil lead. They all file into English Comp and he takes a seat at the back next to a petite gal who had graduated from one of the township schools, Dan wheels in an overhead projector and starts putting some of the papers up to review in a group, with the author's name redacted of course. Nick tries to keep calm when the second one up is his own.

7 1/2 WPM

The dahs and dits faithfully float in across the ether just as Nick floats in and out of consciousness on a breezy afternoon. He caught the slower code practice and just lets it roll,

A S W I T H H A N D H E L D S O F T H I S S I Z E ,

He's pretty sure that a handheld is a handie-talkie, which is what ham types call walkie-talkies, and this sounds like a product review. The speed picks up after they identify themselves and say which issue page of the journal is being tapped out today. So does someone sit there and tap it out each time? Sounds too perfect. Must be a tape or maybe they automate it with programming and one of those sound cards for the PC, which would make a killer project some day if one had the funds.

He can copy pretty good into the seven and a half words per minute range, and some at the ten words.

Taking the license test would be a breeze if he could get it done soon, at least for the lowest class license. Actually, shouldn't say 'lowest', it's the entry-level class with the least privileges, ya gotta start somewhere. Actually if he does the code then he could get the higher frequency range as well as selected slivers of the shortwave bands, might as well do it all at once.

Nick had thought about contacting some of Pap's old club mates to see about the test, but it would mean taking a day to drive up there, and if he did that he'd feel obligated to stop by Gramma's.

"Now honey you wouldn't have to see her, she'd love it though, I might even go with you and stay with her," his mom would offer.

At one point he had asked Goody if he had any local contacts, he did, and was thinking of getting into radio himself.

After the code gets past his comprehension, still in the cattails but mentally rested, the gal floats into range as if astride the tallest horse in the cavalry, unstoppable, and even when they begin the inevitable fantasy she's impermeable, unwavering, willing yet not revealing any secrets, even though he can't help but imagine them completely unclothed, her bouncing on top, getting and giving as if in a deep state of worship, concepts he'll never understand in a thousand lifetimes-

"NICK what sounds good for supper?" Irene yells from the bottom of the stairs but somehow pierces like she's a foot away.

He jumps a foot and before trying to think of an answer he has to grin at how some things just never change.

NX

Cheers from every seat in the arena roar as the Administrator and her aides stride toward her motorcade, it was a rousing address giving hope and inspiration to millions. Known as NX, although her charisma cannot be summed up in a mere name, the symbol of all that is good in the world and the uniting force for the path forward.

"So you dreamt this-"

"Yeah, before I woke up, it kinda hit me in a flash."

"So this NX looks like me."

"She IS you."

"What does she wear?"

"It's red, a, what do you call it, maybe a leotard?"

"Oh please, I don't have the body for that."

"Your body rocks, and so does NX."

"Well, maybe with a matching shawl, we'll work on it. So she rules the world?"

"She leads the people."

"And does she have a consort?"

"What do you mean?"

"Does she have a fellow to support her?"

"He goes by NS."

"And does NS wear a leotard?"

"He usually wears a hot tub."

Noreen pauses for a second. "You are way too good at this for your own sake, you know that?"

"What, it's just something that popped in my head."

"God if you ever got me in a hot tub..."

"Sounds nice."

"Honey, nice wouldn't have nothin' to do with it, believe me. Anyway...mmm, next topic, Mom was glad to see us, said we seem happy together, and was trying to get me to admit certain things."

"Moms are like that, you gotta stay ahead of 'em."

"Well they usually know what's going on but want to hear you say it."

"Yeah it's always chess with them."

She just sighs. "Nick what are we ever going to do with you?"

"I get that a lot."

"Your poor mother, I should pick her some flowers."

"Bring 'em with you tomorrow."

"So are you inviting me to over?"

"Mom said you're welcome here anytime, Timbutt will get here in the afternoon, we'll eat later, then the Forth with grandparents, Sunday with Mom's gang, Monday we're fishing with Dad."

"Very good, yeah we're gonna do a big fire pit then they'll be blowing things up into the wee hours. How about...if I get there around 4?"

"That should be perfectionism."

"Alright, that should give me time to do some things and clean up, then come to her aid."

"And see me."

"Yeah I suppose you'll be there too, oh well."

"Now about that tape..."

"Ooh did you like it?"

"It's sexy, it's sweet, it sounds like you...is that Thorogood live? Rockin' and a reelin', wheelin an a dealin..."

"Yeah I tried to find some rock stuff, brothers come in handy like that."

"I think 106 played that track later at night back in junior high days, brought back memories."

"Bring back any from the drive in?"

"Uhhh yeah that too, oh, and the second side was interesting."

"Yeah...wait, what, second side?"

"Mmmm hmmm."

She pauses, "What the hell was on the second side, do I wanna know?"

"Well it starts out some voices, then a count, then drums, then a bass kicks in, then it sounds like you singing Steve Miller with a dude."

"Oh buggah."

"Was I not supposed to hear it?"

"Nick you should probably ignore that."

"Honey you should know it's too late. I've played it several times, can't get enough."

"Oh man...I got so wrapped up finding all the tracks and dubbing I forgot to check the other side...OK, yeah that was the time Arden wanted to see what it was like to record music, the boy has a creative side that never fully developed, outside the shop at least."

"Ahhh huh."

"That's really it, we couldn't get a good sound but it was nice to mess with my bass again."

"I thought of running it through an EQ to try and clean it up some, would be fun to play it in the car."

"Yeah right, if you want we could just try it again sometime, dummy still has his drums and you could join in somewhere."

"Hmmmm."

"Well, just be warned...um...at the time he was trying to get inspired with certain herbs, if you catch my drift."

"Oh so it was hazy-dazy."

"Yeah hazy-dazy, I didn't take a puff but started feeling pretty warped by the third time through, I guess it fits the song though, midnight toker."

"Great band name, Hazy Daisy."

"No shit, I might have gone with that back in the day. Just never made the right connections outside of the classical stuff, different worlds, you know."

"Prog bands kinda blend it all together."

"Those guys are usually geniuses from England though."

"You've got the accent down pretty good at least."

In her perfect Brit, "why thank you, good squire."

Edna

Tuesday, June 30, 1992

The campus snack bar is open lunchtime hours during the summer and does full menu if you don't mind waiting for things to be made fresh, and it's much more peaceful without the in-house radio rocking out in the background. Nick and Noreen are at the same table at the back where they got reacquainted just a few weeks – actually, wow, months ago. She actually brought in her own salad and he thought a fish sandwich sounded good, not like they didn't mind the wait, despite spitting precipitation keeping them off the patio.

He had been wanting to stop by the lab and touch base with Brian, so they went over some things. It sounded like there was about 20% routine matters and then the rest was come and go, most equipment was all set but there would be a few calibrations due soon, but nothing major. Brian had gone ahead and checked parts inventory and gotten an order ready but would leave that for Nick if he wanted. Sure, why not.

Noreen caught up with him, right on schedule Goody had to ask if she'd gotten her eyes checked recently.

"I don't think it would do either of us any good, so we'll leave well enough alone."

So they take their time after eating, the day has a mixed vibe, he gets to meet her mom today.

"Nick have you ever been in a nursing home?"

"A few times, mostly as a kid."

"OK, just wanted to make sure. Some things a person can never be fully ready for."

"I know." They squeeze hands as she stares out the window.

He isn't concerned about what he might face, this just feels right.

The weekend had been somewhat of a drag, the wet weather was fitting. At one point he listened to a severe weather net on the scanner and thought that might be good to help with at some point, but he wasn't otherwise motivated, couldn't ride the bike, work was filled with the pangs of landing back on earth, the morning reared its head too soon, he was never good at catching up on sleep. A lot of things were started then abandoned, tried to watch TV, ended up dozing off to music here and there.

He almost called her during jazz but it seemed too soon, things were still aglow, words get in the way. A long shower after work was just plain soothing. He would have to let the jazz do its work tonight and let Sunday come.

And it did, she rang late morning with a question about computers that didn't fool anyone, chalk it up to her sense of humor, even if at a subconscious level.

"It's good to hear your voice," he admits. "Wish we could watch some of this stuff I've been taping."

"Hold onto those, we'll get a chance, gotta plan it right, you know where that will lead if we curl up,  plus it will be colder in a few months."

"Yeah good point."

"So, do you have some time this week, did you want to go with me to see Mom?"

With more rain in the forecast they were going to have to pick a day and make it a good one, so far so good, although Nick seems to be enjoying it more. She walks with noticeably less pert than usual, he's just glad she can be herself, but he tries rubbing her shoulders some.

She smiles, "Sweetie I appreciate you coming with me and trying to make me feel better."

"That's what we do isn't it?"

She moves her chair next to his and leans on him, tears up a bit, and pretty soon he realizes her weight feels like a warm bag of sand, bushes dance for them in the weeping window.

After a bit she draws a breath, "Ready hon?"

"Ready Freddie."

This gets an ember of earnest smile.

Thankfully he's parked closer and offers to do the driving. They get on the main road, and he tries, "I hear Coverdale and Page are gonna do an album soon, might tour."

She's still in a funk, "Hmmm...wait, who?"

"David Coverdale, from Whitesnake and Jimmy Page from LedZep."

"Oh yeah, groovy, sorry, not with it today."

"So what do you listen to mostly?"

"Oh I'm an omnivore, but whatever fits the mood, sometimes I sleep with classical, but in the car I just flip around."

"But enough about the other night."

This gets a laugh while she looks away. "So when do I get my bra back?"

"Come and get it."

"I'll just take something of yours hostage, you know how this works."

"Want my undywears?"

"Shut up and take the next left."

"Oh...my brother is s’posed to be back this way for the weekend, so be warned."

"Well if he's nothing like you...wait, that could still be a bad thing."

"It's worse than very bad, run, just run."

"I supposed I have to bite the bullet at some point - listen to me, haven't even met the guy."

"Mom mentioned doing some cooking and hinted that would be a good time to have you over, if you can make it."

She just throws that expectant look, "Nick, you know I'll move heaven and earth to be there....I just love the way you get around to mentioning things. Your poor mother...if it happens to come up again then you better mention and hint that I'd love to get there early and help out. Can ya handle that?"

Nick just sighs and shuts up. Noreen waits for a straight stretch in the road and pecks him on the cheek and puts a hand on his shoulder. 

They arrive at the facility and find a spot, he parks, they just sit there. After another deep breath she looks up at him to signal and they pull up their hoods and head into the lobby then down the right-center of the four hallways that fan out. Staff float here and about as Nick meets eyes with many of the residents that look up, some smile, some stare blankly. It smells like a hospital.

She's not in her room, one of the staff says try the game room, so they do, and Noreen approaches a woman with short gray locks seated at a table staring out into the blender they'd been in and out of all day.

"Momma, hi," to get her attention.

She turns to face them and smiles, "Hi dear," then stands up and they hug.

"Mom this is Nick."

"Oh hi, good to meet you, call me Edna."

Nick takes both her hands, "I'll do just that, Edna, good to meet you."

"What brings you out today?"

Noreen jumps in, "It had been too long, Mom, I get too busy, I know, the boys are better about it -"

"Just glad to see a familiar face, the weather looks awful."

"It's much nicer in here for sure."

They all take seats and the gals catch up a bit, are they treating you well, Noreen is getting back in front of a classroom and Nick has been a great help, they both glance at him now and then.

As they kinda rattle on he pulls a checker board over his way and assembles the checkers to see if they're all there, and they are. Nick hadn't played in years, not since with a granddad, and he couldn't remember if they still had a set at his house.

After a few minutes a fellow in a wheelchair pulls up, "Hey wanna rack 'em up?"

"Sure, why not, you may have to remind me how," as he situates things and moves chairs.

"Nuthin to it. I'm Roger by the way," and reaches for a shake.

"Nick on this end, alright, what's yer pleasure?"

Roger takes reds and goes over the kings, which is the part Nick had long forgotten. Such a simple game, nothing to lose but pride, these old timers usually wipe up the floor with you it seems like.

They get going and Nick finally gets a king but can't do much, but it's all in fun, his opponent is a retired machinist with MS, body is not what it used to be but he's sharp as a tack.

Noreen glances over and prods her mom to do the same, they seem amused, good for them. At one point they go back to Edna's room for a few minutes, he and Rog keep resetting, Nick is behind 1-2 but who's counting.

They aren't gone long and take up positions to watch the action, as it were, Nick's remembering a few things, maybe he played this more than he'd thought over the years.

Rog kept egging him on, "Keep on mixin' em up son, you know the moves, there's a million ways ain't they?"

He gets the idea that Noreen is about ready to head out, so this will be the last, then somewhere in that thought,

"FUCKETTY FUCKATASH," at a piercing volume from the next table over, everyone looks to find a stout lady who'd just spilled some clear pop on the table and herself, and the staff are quick to pop in and calm her down, nothing hurt but pride.

Edna just grins, Roger has her back to the scene and is almost biting a lip, Nick has to turn to the window till he can get his composure back.

But speaking of hurt pride, final tally is 4-2 but they shake hands and pledge a rematch.

Nick gets a hug from Edna, she's happy with him tagging along and it's good that her girl has a nice friend.

On the rainy trip out to the car Nick can't get over it, "God, fucketty fuckatash, how have I never heard that before."

"Awww I'm tellin' you said a bad word."

He unlocks the passenger door, she gets in but pulls him in after, and they squeeze inside the closing door.

She looks him in the eye for a moment, "Nick you have no idea, I've been dreading this but somehow it was totally 180 degrees, I mean, she and I don't always have a lot to talk about, but this really worked, and you playing checkers was so adorable."

"Adorable getting my ass kicked."

"I'll make it up to you...wish I could right now actually, I could throw you down back there and eat you up right now."

He rolls the dice on this being a shut-up-and-kiss-moment, and that appears to be the right answer.

Since the windows are starting to fog up they decide to head out, before he starts the car, "take a look in the glove box."

She does and pulls out her bra, "you ASSHOLE!" Then lassos his head with it and pulls him close, two beat kiss.

"Won't that stretch it out?"

"Please, this is the only way I'll ever stretch a bra. Maybe I should have fertilized them."

He pinches her left one, "didn't we do that right here the other day?"

She retracts the makeshift harness, "Alright we're taking up valuable parking space, start this thing up, move, SCATTAMOOSH."

This leads way to the expected Wayne's World-ish bout of Queen improvisations, mamma sang bass, she takes the low parts and he the higher ones, as she snaps his right arm with the bra, then eventually it ends up on her head with the cups over the eyes. After that gets a laugh she puts it on rightly over her top.

"Keeping 'em warm are we?"

"Since your hands are busy..."

They banter on to the campus lot, decide they have no further business at the school, he has to work later, and then, Noreen admits,

"It turns out I had some ransom for my wayward undergarment all along," then pulls a cassette out of her purse and plops it into his deck.

The first track is bluesy, sung by a powerhouse female, love me baby, like my back ain't got no bone. Noreen just watches him for reaction, he chimes in, "Interesting."

"Recognize the voice?"

"Wow is it Bonnie Raitt?"

"You know it, from like 20 years ago, you were shittin' in diapers."

"This is hot."

"It took me a while to put it together on Bart's stereo, I hope you like it."

"Thanks babe."

They take their time saying goodbye and he watches her drive off as long as she's visible, takes in a couple more tracks, then heads home.

Delano

 March, 1987

This was always a weird month for who knows why. Maybe the weather changing every ten minutes, everyone's either sick or getting over sickness or coming down with sickness, spring is not yet her and winter is dead. On its back. Tits up. Dead.

Nick had lasted 4 days of varsity track, Coach is a great guy but runs his team as John Wayne's General Sherman. One of the student helpers had told him that Coach wanted to talk to him about why he'd stopped showing up but Nick can't find the time or the words and just ducks it out. He hadn't really connected with anyone on the team, not many freshmen went out, he's not a fast sprinter and doesn't have the poop for distance, so much for that.

Plus, there had been a revival series at church and it was convenient to duck for cover in the meetings. These always seem to attract the latest loose-ends to show up on the teen row, including one Tommy Delano. He's a tall, dark featured bloke, and done time in the joovie joint, evidently smooth with the ladies, sports a thick mullet, probably from a less advantaged background than most church folk yet has a way of transcending whatever he wears. For a couple of nights Delano sat on the other side of Miss Jenny Pratt and got most of her attention as Nick was just glad to lean back against the edge of the pew instead of running across some field in cloudy wind.

So a couple weeks later Nick signs out of the school cafeteria to hit the head, and is almost there when he turns around to find Delano about five feet behind and switching his expression from cunning to smile. At the urinals Delano brings up how he'd gotten with Jenny on some youth trip that Nick had been able to miss, sounded like second base was involved. Nick doesn't know what to say and gets squirreled by the tune in his head, from the VHS of Headbanger's Ball that his brother had scored, and asked Delano if he'd heard of them.

"Yeah I heard a couple of theirs, they're OK. You need to come over sometime we can jam, find some chicks."

"We'll see."

They go back to their respective tables, and in about a week Delano's mom moves them out of the Jameson district.

Drive In

Friday June 26, 1992

A summer night is a field of mysteries, in four dimensions, ageless and wide as the universe on a clear night. It goes on, it never stops, good things, bad things, invokes our instincts to move to shelter, take stock, secure our interests and draw near to someone.

But it’s still a hazy late afternoon when Nick pulls onto the property, just before the sign McDONNELL’S AUTO AND FABRICATION and he spots the cabin up off to the left, looks as well made as its contents, sturdy, blocks and lumber.

He’d brought a cooler and grabbed six bottles of 7Up since that’s what sounded good, pulls up in front of the cabin which looks like gets mowed with a wide deck along with the rest of the vast property. From what she’s described it goes back quite a ways into the woods. He’s got some butterflies for the usual reasons.

What certainly doesn’t help his nerves is when this blond steps out of the cabin, with a cooler and her purse, wearing a light button-up top, beige plaid skirt above the knees, tan strap-on shoes and those shades, it’s all a bit more voltage than he’s wired for. She gets into the car and he just takes it all in as she buckles up, looks his way, “Hi there.”

“Who you tryin’ to kill, lady?”

Noreen just looks away and acts exasperated, channeling Sally Field, “Does this thing move?”

He pulls her in slowly and she ends the kiss after two beats,

“Take a left out of the driveway, unless you just want to sit here all night.”

“I’ll go wherever you want."

This gets a smile, “Thanks though. I’m tempted to think you’re exaggerating to make me feel good but I’ll take it.”

They proceed on and get to the state route, she’s quiet but seems content, Nick can’t think of anything to say, except, “what do you think of this election?”

“I try not too. It could be worse...well, let me say this, I try not to talk about it with my family since I don’t see things like the guys do, and my sis-in-laws just stay out of it.”

“Oh, yeah, I don’t tend to talk about politics much. Things are pretty much gonna be what they are, I just dwell on technical things and vote best I know how.”

“That’s refreshing Nick. Since you asked...I’m getting fed up with those who need to be part of a wolf pack, you know, dig in to their views so hard that they either attack or retreat together, and just fight it out and nothing gets done. I suppose we have to have the parties but it just seems like no one wants to compromise.”

“Gridlock.”

“Yeah that’s a symptom of it. This Perot character would be a real kick in the nuts if he got in but I don’t see it happening.”

“Me neither. He’s biting a big hunk of Bush it looks like.”

She just giggles and tries to hide it.

“What?”

“Biting a big hunk of bush.”

“Oh my God I didn’t even catch that.”

She laughs it out some, “Sorry, feeling giddy...anyway...yeah you might say I’m an independent but I care about a lot of things that you’d call left of center, like education, health care and people things. You’ve got folks that are afraid of big government but they forget that it’s supposed to be OF the people, and that fear just takes over. I dunno, just frustrates me.”

“We’re all in this together, aren’t we.”

She grabs his right hand that’s dangling off the armrest, “yep.”

In a couple more turns they are at the drive-in and finding a spot, they agree way at the back. They oriented the screen facing north and so the setting sun is still on their side but not much of a threat.

“Wanna eat in here or out on the trunk? I brought a bankie.”

“Wow check out the boy scout, are you always this well prepared?”

“Just thought it might be nice.”

“Howbout the hood and we can people watch?”

So they set up camp on the ample warm white-ish hood, munch on the bologna and cheese and she brought a fresh bag of Lays and some watermelon slices.

“Wow, she was in my high school class,” Nick says while eyeing a gal heading up to the playground area with two toddlers, “She must have squeezed out twins.”

“Yeah I never understood how or why anyone would let that happen when you’re that young.”

“When we walked at graduation there were at least three or four waddling with a bump.”

“They must have forgotten to pick the seeds out of their watermelon.”

“Is that how that works? This is really good by the way.”

“I could live on this stuff in the summer, forgot to bring some salt.”

“Doesn’t need it.”

“Looks like they took down the speaker things now that everyone has FM capability.”

“I used to have one of those from a flea market but our old church was able to use it for choir monitors, at least for a while.”

“Those could be collectible someday.”

“Yeah didn’t think of that. So what’s the first flick?”

“Usually they do the most family-friendly first, looks like Beethoven with the big dowgie, then Sister Act with Whoopi, then the night owls get Cousin Vinny.”

“How late did you wanna stay?”

“I’m here as long as you are.”

Before long the previews start and Nick switches on the radio, but since they can hear it just fine from everyone else they just stay on the hood for now. There’s an ad for Pic mosquito strips, Nick wonders,

“Doesn’t seem like many mosquitoes this year.”

“No been pretty dry, we’ve been lucky out on the property even with all the trees.”

Beethoven gets going and they hold hands on the hood a while, then decide it’s cool enough to regroup on the front seat, that magical breeze has made its debut. They move the bench all the way back then Nick wads up the blanket to lean against on the driver’s side and she leans back on him. There’s still plenty of daylight left and the evening is fully charged. She takes her shoes off and sets her feet on the passenger door. Nick can’t keep his eyes on the screen, she has her feet crossed, and he can’t quite get a mental fix on what else is going on, except that her legs are smooth as glass, eventually he wonders if she had done anything special like waxing. He wonders what she thinks of his reaction to all this with what’s beneath her lower back, things are starting to come alive.

After a few more moments Noreen softly sighs and maneuvers her left hand to the affected area, and starts massaging. “I can see we’re going to have to deal with this sooner than I expected.”

“I didn’t mean to...”

She squeezes and he shuts up. She continues the same pattern for a bit then slides down to where the back of her head is able to keep massaging that. It’s becoming quite clear that she’s on a mission of sorts, with a knack for knowing just when to take a turn and keep him guessing.

“Keep watch,” she commands, then turns over and curls up on the seat. She doesn’t hesitate to undo the fly and dig out his eager friend. “It’s about time we met, don’t you think?” as she gently strokes.

Nick is still in suspended disbelief, in a way this feels like a setup but he’s not about to complain.

She takes him in her mouth, fully, with that hair splayed all around as it had when she was reviewing his lab report, just kneading, going somewhere but not in any hurry. She just keeps on and he tries to keep watch out at a new landscape of cars, people walking around, too far to see, and many with similar goings on to conceal. None of them matter. He’s got the right gal and she’s a bit too much but never in a wrong way. The St. Bernard bops around the screen and it all goes on. He has no idea what the plot is. We’ll get the tension out of the way then enjoy the other movies, but then, let’s not end it too soon.

The sky grows darker and the air a tad cooler, and at some point she finds a spot that makes him churn. “You got something for me?” She keeps on that spot and he knows it’s near, in a strange way he hopes she likes it but that seems silly, she always seems to, and this time it’s not making her sick, so-

The moment arrives and he jerks, she puts a hand on his chest as if to reassure, and once it’s done she plants a kiss on the end.

“Mmmm now I have part of you inside me.”

Nick feels paralyzed but she repacks his shorts and curls back up on his chest. This has never happened, a female so caring and understanding. He can tell she’s no expert at the technical aspects, but took her time and made the slow burn worth it. He thinks he dozes off for a few minutes and she just lays still.

Eventually he finds the movie winding up as one might expect and he starts thinking about what’s beneath that skirt.

“Wanna move to the back?”

“Nick what are you up to?”

He motions for her to help move the front seat forward, and she cautions, “just don’t bump the horn.”

They each look out for witnesses then crawl over the armrest. Nick grabs the blanket and repacks it on the same side then they lean on it and he just looks at her a few moments, they kiss, and he undoes her blouse. “Time for me to get to know these better.”

She helps with the bra and he finds them alert and ready. “Nick you might need to go easy, I tend to be pretty sensitive.”

So he finds the right balance, thankful for the admonishment, they’re so thick but he resists the urge to chew, plenty of room in between, she’s getting antsy, better explore further.

He slides down onto the floor and caresses her hips, kisses her knees, they taste as good as they always look, then starts up a thigh. “Nick you don’t have to.” He just keeps going, slowly, she seems unsure, he keeps going, he waits for her to pull back the Shroud of Mysteries, he keeps going, then slips his hands on her hips inside the Shroud, until he makes First Contact.

She’s definitely not wearing panties. He pauses and looks up at her in surprise, she smiles, “I had a feeling they would just get all messed up one way or another, hell they would have been drenched over an hour ago.”

Nick shrugs and starts licking again back at her inner thighs, then moving back in, around the lips, then he had a feeling where to head next, on the hood -

That was it, she jerks slightly and gasps, so he uses the same technique as upstairs, gentle, mix it up, then before she has to ask he explores within, first with the tongue, then with the fingers, lick the hood some more, find that spot in there.

This rhythm becomes hypnotic, it seems to be headed somewhere, and at what seems like an odd moment, she explodes.

It hits with a force he could not have been ready for, let alone the volume. In a split second he realizes he needs to reciprocate and take in as much as possible, so he swallows, then coughs-

“Oh baby you OK?”

“Yeah,” coughs some more, “just went down the wrong way.”

He gains his wits then leans in to continue, but she laughs, “Nick it’s OK, I finished, you finished me, the way that only you could.”

“Wow,” he says, then fishes under the passenger front seat and produces a hand towel.

She looks at it and at him, “Mister Boy Scout strikes again,” then grabs it and cleans up, then he does the same.

“How do you feel?”

“Better than you felt I bet, but it’s not a race, it’s just amazing, you know how to reach me.”

Then despite where he’d been she pulls him up for a kiss while lowering the Shroud.

After a few moments she speaks up. “OK, I really need to step outside for a minute.”

She crawls back over the front seat, slips out the driver door then squats out of view, and he can hear liquid hitting the ground.

As always, Nick can’t resist, “You really are wasting that out there.”

“Shut up and gimme that towel, Sport.”

So he does, and he exits after she climbs back in to do the same thing.

“Need the towel?”

“Nah I get three shakes remember?”

“Do you need any more shakes?”

“Not at the moment, no.”

“Good just checking.”

They reassemble as before in the front seat, in a haze of spent, and rejoin Sister Act already in progress. Noreen had said she was looking forward to the musical numbers and it’s cleverly done. Finally this gets to be very comfortable, almost too much so, for being in a car among mostly strangers in subdued lighting, but then, it’s an understood thing, a community of the moment, a when taking part in a musical group.

At some point Nick gets hankering for another pop and they share one. Not too long after that he thinks he smells a strange earthy aroma that he associates with that illegal plant that seems to show up here and there.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“God that stinks.”

“To be honest, I have partaken before, but usually just one or two hits to make the rest of the room seem more tolerable, if that makes sense.”

“I never have, it would probably make me cough up a lung.”

“Yeah it’s harsh, but look at it this way,  if folks feel relaxed enough here to blaze up then we’ve got little to worry about.”

“Good point.”

Despite his best efforts, Nick starts to think about her body again. He resists the urge to explore in her shirt some more, since there’s no way things will top what happened earlier, so he just holds off, sometimes the wanting can be good too. He’s not ready to do the deed, not yet, it’s somewhere off in the ether, but not here and not tonight. She has a wonderful flavor, everywhere he’s explored, almost too good to be true.

“I can feel that you know,” she pipes up.

“It’s your fault.”

She just lets it drop. It’s completely dark now and you can hear a few bugs mixed in with the sisters. Some cars have left but more have arrived, but none too close to the white Cordobeast back in the corner. Maybe it looks too pimp to mess with.

Once the film goes to credits she flips over again, “OK buster, got any more where that came from?”

“You’re welcome to find out.”

It’s darker and she’s bolder. She undoes her top and slips her bra completely off, then perches on one elbow and undoes his shorts completely this time. She takes out his stuff and massages, stroking, then whispers, “play with my tits.”

So he does, and they play together, sometimes it’s just good to play, even if it doesn’t result in anything, but eventually, it does, and she leans in and makes sure it gets rubbed in.

“If you’re trying to kill me I like your style.”

“No I need you around too much.”

“Glad to hear it.”

She finds the famous towel and cleans him up then buttons her shirt back up and returns to where she was on his chest. Sometime during the beginning of the last feature he makes his way beneath the Shroud, she doesn’t mind, but gets into it quickly, and so begins the next slow burn until she twitches and dozes off.

Nick never completely falls asleep during Vinny but is able to follow it for the most part, very witty dialog and they are going out of their way to juxtapose two cultures here. But his awareness of her presence never goes away, they are cemented with their vital fluids, this is as close to mated as he’s ever known and beyond imagination, strange, yet, just right.

Vinny winds up and goes into credits. Nick takes a deep breath but she doesn’t stir. Engines start up and she is still asleep.

“Sweetie?”

“Hmm?”

“Movie’s over.”

“No. We stay here.”

“How long till the cops show up?”

“You’re not helping.”

“Yeah I suck.”

“I’ll do the sucking around here if you don’t mind.”

“Did you hear any complaints?”

She pops up with a tired, wry smile and leans in for a peck. “Nick this has been the best.”

“Aren’t we celebrating something?”

“Yeah you got a job.”

“Oh I sure did.”

This earns a very dirty look, then she looks to the side, smiles, “Well I did too so there ya have it. Alright, if we must, but this is under protest.” She plants herself in the passenger seat and buckles up.

“It’s over too quickly.”

“Well we just have to look forward to next time.”

“To next time.”

He fires up the Cordobeast and they head into the star-filled universe.

Nick pulls into his driveway at half past two, and thankfully sees her bra in the back seat before it has a chance to attract attention. He falls asleep quickly with it beneath his pillow.

Marantz and Pioneer

Spring, 1984

Nick mans his spot in the living room in front of the entertainment stand at a time when no one needs to hog the TV or complain about the music.

For most folks an outdoor TV antenna is just that, a way to bring in signals when the bunny ears won't do it. Jameson sits about 50 miles from the nearest full-power TV station, with most a bit further than that.

So when the Swansons first settled into their Cape Cod, Ned went ahead and put in a 40 foot sectional tower and secured it to the side wall at the apex of the roof. Being familiar with the staff at the local electronics retailer he was able to get the longest Channel Master plus a downlead amplifier. With the rotor normally parked northward they could get the Springfield-ish market channels, or turning the other way it would bring in those from Terre Haute. Sometimes in the mornings they would get the big Chicago guns, or those drifting in from St. Loo or Indy.

At times Nick could make a day out of chasing signals, running it all over the map whenever no one else wanted to watch, and when the signals seemed to come from a particular direction. Sometimes he would get Louisville and those down down by Evansville. Sometimes he could get one from Lafayette, Indiana, and even South Bend, and sometimes up into Michigan. A few times Rockford drifted in, and the Quads, and the grand prize was a Channel 12 from Milwaukee.

At some point Ned spent a bonus on a decent Marantz receiver and Pioneer speakers. This brought a wide, selective FM tuner into the mix and opened up a whole new world with the regional drift of signals. With the antenna toward Chicago he could pick up some of the ones from Sears tower just about any time, and there were very few quiet spots. He had a notebook just for this. The first pages were things as he could ID them, then the latter were attempts to organize by city or area, which the industry would just term a DMA. Naturally Tim gives him shit for geeking out but then Tim doesn’t seem to have purpose in life so who cares.

Eventually he got a low-power stereo for his room and hooked it to the antenna. Sometimes he could just lie there and listen to B96 out of the big town, with just a bit of hiss in the background. This was the soundtrack for the confident, well dressed people who went to parties, those who lived in a fascinating world. As a bug to a flame, Nick could bask in the energy that an equally confident major market Top 40 FM gave off, they were in the middle of it all, whatever that really means, if any one really knows. His parents say that WLS was the big deal at one point but Nick can’t even imagine AM having this kind of impact, with out that crisp (albeit compressed) stereo sound.

Nick had a scale of classifying stations on the FM dial, at least those that played some kind of rock. There were the ones that seemed to appeal to a more adult type, what we'd call Adult Contemporary or Soft Rock would go in the notebook as Rock I. Then the Top 40 is Rock II, since they are more daring and sometimes whip out the hard stuff or with edgy lyrics.

At the top of the scale were a few of the Rock III that were almost purely the hard stuff. Once in a while one of those would hit his room like a storm, as if the sound could hurt you if you took in to much or played it too loud. Tim had gathered a few tapes so far of bands like Triumph and Helix, even Iron Maiden, but to Nick these were still a bit much and he'd still run out of the room when Tim would crank it just enough to get yelled at from downstairs.

That hard guitar stings like a bee with nothing to lose, and the lyrical freedom, some say she do...some say she don't...some say she will...and some say she won't...does that have to do with the stuff that older guys like to do if they can lure a female into the back of their van at night? The sound is a lot like Rick Springfield but harder, but not as heavy as Quiet Riot that everyone keeps talking about.

Late one night one of the Rock II stations whipped out a pretty hard one, chorus goes Rock You Like A Hurricane, had the fastest guitar playing he had ever heard. How is that humanly possible, is it a tape trick of sorts? (For the record, NO, not a tape trick!)

There were some good ones that got obscured from local stations, since all Jameson had was a powerful Country Lovin' on FM 94 but actually 93.9, and then the easy listening, Sounds Of The Good Life, Stereo 102. The latter was the only thing his mom approved of after the station "we" support, the Christian WJLT up in Colton, which part of the church-school where some of his classmates ended up over the years. Although, the public classical stations seemed acceptable too but no one was really interested.

Some of the guys at school would rave about what they could pick up on AM at night, Boston, Minneapolis, Toronto, New Orleans and even Spanish stations that had to be way south. Whenever Nick tried AM, even on the Marantz he would just get a buzz. It seems he would be able to mess around with his own radio upstairs and pull those in, but all he could hear was a buzz, even behind the local 1280. His dad didn't know what would cause it, but then one night, Nick was messing with an old transistor radio in the den and turned off a dimmer switch they used on a lamp, and voila, the skies opened up.

Signals would drift in, sometimes over top of each other, then one would take over, then they both fade into the distance. There's be the old-time jazzy music, with the brass going WHUH WHUH-WHUH...WHUH...WHUH...floating in and out of the ether without a care in the world.

Time for a new notebook.

All said, it's more about the journey than the destination, and to some, even when there's nothing on, the signal is a bigger deal than the content.

Colluding

 Noreen picks up after the machine answers, just before 10 on Thursday night.

"Hey you...how'd it go?"

"I'm in. Filled out the paperwork and start in about a month."

"Nick I'm so glad, we need to celebrate."

"Tomorrow night?"

"You remembered me saying that."

"Hard to think about anything else."

"We can make that happen, I can pack sammiches if you want too."

"Sammiches are awesome, I can bring pop."

"Sounds like we're colluding once again. I'll tell you how to get here, it's just about half an hour, if you leave at, 6:30 is that ok?"

"It's perfect, i'll get to see your place."

"Well from the outside, for now, I need to clean it up."

"If you say so."

"Nick I've been living alone here for years and don't get visitors much, so it needs some work."

"I can help."

"Nick."

"What?"

"I can't ask you to do that."

"Aren't we a team these days?"

"Yes we make one hell of a team, but still..."

"I've got a lot of time before the lab gig starts, so-"

"Well we can talk about it later, for now I'm geeked that you'll be at the school. I should find out any day now but I get the feeling I might get two lectures in the fall."

"That'll be awesome - OH, are you watching TNG?"

"Shit, forgot, lemme switch on."

"I was also thinking..."

"Uh oh should I ask?"

"I'd like to meet your mom."

She's quiet for a few seconds. "Nick that's very sweet, she'd love to meet you I'm sure, we'll try to do that before you start the lab gig."

"Good, I'd just feel better." He can hear her softly sobbing. "Hon I didn't mean to upset you."

"Nick I'm not...this is just so sweet. I'm not used to having someone, it's just...wonderful, thank you for being there."

"Not sure where else I'd be."

She takes a deep breath, "alright, looks like we've got Feringis tonight, great. From what I heard they were supposed to be the new Klingons but they're too damn funny."

"Yeah they drive me nuts sometimes."

"I think they're supposed to."

They watch for a while, then during a commercial Noreen gives him directions, then Nick remembers,

"Oh I've been taping some MST3k for you."

"Nick I have no intention of watching those alone, you know that don't you?"

"That could prove interesting."

They watch a bit more then say good night, Nick grabs a dictionary to figure out that cool word she used.

Dean Sue

It's raining on Thursday morning as Nick tries to find the closest spot to the building, thankfully not hard to do in the off season. He fishes a hand-me-down umbrella from beneath the Cordoba's bench seat and heads in, donned in a clean pair of jeans and presumably clean tan and blue checkered button-up short-sleeved shirt. Goody had advised him to just wear what he'd normally wear to work, the apex of professional and comfortable.

He checks in with the receptionist just as Goody walks up, they shake hands and proceed into the Dean's office where he's greeted with another handshake. Sue Richards is one of those gals who seems a lot taller than her actual stature.

"Have a seat, gentlemen, would you like some coffee?"

They both decline, Nick was already a bit wired anyway.

"Very good, well Nick, we are very glad to have you join the faculty. Will you be up to teaching five or six classes this fall while Alfred and George are on sabbatical?"

Nick just raises an eyebrow, and after a couple seconds she winks and lets him off the hook, he can see Goody chuckle towards the other wall.

"Just having some fun with you Nick, we're very glad you are interested in watching over the electronics lab."

"Good one, Dean."

"Please, call me Sue. And this meeting is really just a formality, I believe you are aware of what it entails, the responsibilities?"

"I think so, we covered that a few weeks ago and it's seemed like the right thing to do."

"Well we do as well, Nick, it's an honor to have one of our top students on board."

"Thank you, Sue, that's very kind."

"Not at all. So...just to coordinate, I believe you could start, what is it, the...third...week in July, Alfred?"

Nick grins and can't resist, mumbles, "Alfred."

Goody chimes in, "yes that's when Brian is finishing up," then turns and fires, "Nicholas."

"I can see this is gong to be a good time with you two. Nick will you be wanting to start at that time? That's fine with us, or you could start a bit later into August if that works best."

"I'll go ahead and get started at the earliest date, been looking forward to it."

"Excellent," as Sue makes some notes.

Goody chimes in, "will you be moonlighting for Emmett?"

"No...no, I'm done."

"His loss is our gain."

Sue rejoins, "Nick I believe you worked previously as a tour guide?"

"Correct."

"Very good, so the office should have some of your info on file, but could you see them on your way out and take a letter? They may ask you to re-apply, and all that. If you can stick around a bit we can get that ready for you."

"That sounds great, and I really do appreciate this opportunity."

"Well again, we appreciate you and what you've accomplished here. It seems you'll have access to the lab, and other perks like being able to audit courses for free, just work it out with Alfred. Just keep the lab and students enabled and we'll be all set."

"That fits my understanding."

"Good, and I wanted to mention, just remember that you are not here to assist students but to assist the faculty. Of course you are free to assist students if you wish but don't hesitate to explain your role, and I believe instructors mention this in class as well-"

Goody affirms.

"Perfect, so Nick if you have any questions or concerns I'm sure you know to get with Alfred, but I have an open door policy with my staff Nick, just check with the desk out there and we'll talk as soon as possible."

"Sounds great, Sue, I appreciate that."

She smiles, stands up and reaches for a handshake, "Welcome aboard, Nick."

*****

He wanders around the lab a bit, still familiar but yet so much yet to explore. The VAX and PC labs are not open today. It would be nice to have a key to those but they are maintained by the business department.

Not sure what else to do, he bugs Goody about the VAX and asks if he would still have an account.

"Yeah you'd have staff access to whatever you need or can use, just talk to Jim Gordon. I believe it has a modem too but there's only a single line and they like it to just be used for quick things, you know, to check messages or whatever."

"Cool, just kinda curious."

"If you were wanting to do some programming I believe it has C and several other languages. You can always telnet into it from anywhere on the building network too."

"Yeah we did C on there, hadn't thought of the network, never got to use it before."

"Welcome to the machine, son. By the way, are you still talking to that young lady?"

Nick turns out the door, "You know I think the office has that letter ready, better go-"

"Get outta here, see you in a few weeks and call if you need to talk about anything."

"Will do, coach, thanks."

Peolotonia

On Saturday night about half past ten, Nick is settled in with windows open, lights low, and had a full day helping Ned with some staining they finally got around to. Once again he's the good kind of tired, having bathed. The dial on the 25-watt Scott shelf receiver says 91.7 as it provides jazz at a sleeping volume.

He dials her number and it rings 3 times, then a recorded male voice, not Bart's but a different one says leave a message. Nick is usually thrown off by machines but figures he'd just take it slow and see what comes out. At the sound of the beep,

"Just me...had the jazz on and thought-"

Phone picks up, "Hey you."

"Well hello."

"Yeah I usually let that pick up, especially at night."

"Smart girl."

"If you say so."

"I know so."

"Well I'm not in the tub but I did turn on the radio, was doing some reading."

"I was on my feet most of the day, helped Dad with some woodwork he'd been promising my mom for a while."

"Well at least he's getting some use out of you for once."

"Hey you'd be surprised."

"Nick you never cease to surprise me."

"So how's our favorite jeep?"

"Believe it or not still sitting there like a lame duck, he had a big job in the shop already."

"Ahh."

"Yeah, he's been giving me shit about breaking it, told him I'll break his ass next time."

"Siblings."

"You can pick your nose but you can't pick your family."

Nick makes a snort, smacks his mouth,"Tastes like chicken."

"Alright you sicko, did you get to talk to your future employer yet?"

"Well I went against orders and checked his office, wasn't in yesterday so I'll try Monday."

"Suspense."

"Gotta have something to balance out the lazy hazy crazy days of sum-mer," with Noreen joining about halfway through the chorus there.

"I just hope it works out sweetie, I'm still excited for you."

"So I was wondering..."

"Uh oh."

"Oh relax, would you like to take a bike tour of my wonderful town?"

"Oooh, love to, but I don't have a bike."

"Well we have several, and we can mix and match parts to do whatever."

"Can I have a banana seat?"

"Only if I'm the banana."

"Hmmm."

"As for the bikes, we have a nice seat that has pads for the inner hip bones, very comfy, and my mom's old bike has one of those wide comfy seats."

"That might be the ticket - is it a speed bike with gears or the reverse-pedal to brake?"

"It's a coaster brake, no gears, I think they won it in a contest and she barely rode it."

"Sweet."

"Yeah we can adjust the height if needed then we can ride then I'll sniff your seat."

"Good lord..."

"Miss me?"

"Well I was missing you...but now I don't know."

"Could you come out in the morning when it's cooler?"

"Maybe."

*****

Noreen arrives Tuesday morning to find Nick in the garage cleaning up the old Hawthorne, chain is lubed and pedals are nice and spinny. She gets a big welcome and just as he notices her goosebumps, she says,

"Let's get going, but just one request."

"Anything."

"Can we not go past that parsonage today?"

They laugh, he promises, the bike is just right for her frame, they embark.

Although most of the commerce has grown out on the main drag, the middle of town has kept the usual mix of barber shops, a bakery, and a few other curiosities, but those will have to wait. They explore vacant school yards, play on the swings. Nick is a bit disappointed none of them have the big tiles like that campground, but doesn't feel like mentioning or explaining that.

The grain elevator is where it's always been, has a few tubs to load up, Nick had always subconsciously wondered whose money built those elevators. Farmers in ball caps roam about in pickups, as they always have. There's the stretch near the tracks with the nondescript buildings with garage doors, surrounded by high fencing to protect piles of half-rusted I-beams, weathered crates and classic cars showing more vegetation than metal. Seems someone should be welding in there but there never seems to be any activity. Rows of two-story houses with a brown exterior, people on plant-filled porches just staring or reading, a few kiddie pools with a few kiddies in and about, free of most concerns of the headlines.

No tour would be complete without a stroll past his old leaf-raking haunts, Mrs. H has moved out but they try Deke's place to no avail, seems he takes an extended trip this time of year, guess that's the perks of being somewhat retired.

They get to a city park which does have the tiles but there's too many people around. They ride along the riverside walk and stop to gaze a while, he leans on a tree and she on him.

After just over a couple hours they get back and head inside.

Irene greets, "How was it?"

Noreen pipes up first, "Well I'm not sore!"

Nick remembers the bikes are still standing in the garage and puts those away, then comes back to find them both on the couch just gabbing away.

"Hey why don't you go upstairs and play, I want to talk to your mom a bit."

Nick just looks at her. She smiles with an expectant plea. Outnumbered, he heads upstairs and flips on the PC, might as well see if anything's new with the chess club. He also flips on the Icom to see what's on the distant shortwaves, deep down he really doesn't want to hear any of the conversation downstairs, things will be a lot better the less he has to try and understand about it all.

The paper's BBS hasn't changed much since the last visit, although the chess club are holding an open night soon. Might be tempting at some point, nerds are nerds. That other private one rings busy. None of his games sound good, and the airwaves are sparse, but he finds some music from who knows where with a host speaking who knows what. He lies down.

"Hey..." Noreen perches next to him. "Oh you dozed off, I'm sorry babe."

"Must have."

"We're making sandwiches."

"Is it safe down there yet?"

"Stop it. I just remembered how hard it was on my mom, well, from what I gathered, I'm the youngest and all...but when boys get a girlfriend it can be hard on the mom. And I am a bit older and don't want her to think I'm trying to pry you away"

"Well I didn't hear anything."

One-beat kiss. "Well we didn't just talk about you. Did you know she's thought about going back into teaching?"

"Seriously?"

"You need to talk to her more, dork," then looks around, "so this is where it all happens."

"It hasn't happened here yet that I can recall."

She lowers her voice, "I'll have you know I'm not going to deflower a young man in his poor mother's house."

"Well where then?"

Noreen grabs his thigh, Nick finds some ribs and she quickly folds his arm and puts the kibosh on further escalation, "get your (lowers voice into Queen's English) blooming arse down those stairs before I give you a proper what-for, " then flies out of the room before he can chime in.

Nick goes down there, finds a sandwich, piles on some chips and fishes out a dill slice. As the gals have already started back in, he turns to head upstairs,

"Sit!" Noreen commands in her usual tone. He hesitates a second then realizes this round is a wash, then plops at the other end of the table and digs in.

Irene is beyond impressed, "Honey we need you around here more often."

After lunch Nick is back at his desk with Noreen siting next to him on an old milk crate. He's fiddling through the bands on the Icom, finds a net on the 14 MHz segment and they listen a few minutes.

"They sound like they're on helium," she observes.

"Single sideband does that, it's like AM but without the carrier, the receiver basically has to reconstruct the signal."

"Why don't they use FM?"

"The idea is to use less bandwidth down on the lower frequencies. They only use AM on certain frequencies here and there, seems to be a special interest. But for local stuff they use FM, sometimes I listen to repeaters on a scanner."

"Oh we always had a scanner growing up, I kinda miss it."

"I'll have to see what's in Paps' stuff, haven't made it through it all yet."

She allows a pause. "Is it still hard to do?"

"Yeah it's different. I have his keyer here," and points to a side-swipe paddle key with a small metal box.

"So you're named for him..."

"Oh God she told you."

"Nick remember I saw your license, I knew your middle name."

"Maybe some other time you can help me go through the other boxes."

"It's a date."

She looks around and locates a guitar case, "what have we here."

"Yeah that's gotta be majorly out of tune."

Pretty soon she's strumming and trying to find at least one true pitch to go on. "Will she mind if I use the piano for this?"

"I always did."

Nick turns back to the PC and hears her plinking and picking through the lower strings, he decides to try some pinball. Before he knows it she's back through the door and situating on his bed.

"You'll make my pillow smell nice tonight."

"Shut up or I'll fart on it. Have you ever played a classical? They have those thick necks like a boat oar."

"Nope, just some electrics over at Duggard's and a couple pawn shops, shared that one with my brother."

Noreen strums a familiar tune, and after she kicks in with the arpeggio he blurts, "Oh, Yes...from Fragile I think, the instrumental by Steve Howe."

"Mmm hmmm, got this stuck in my head as a kid then bugged people to teach me."

"Not bad, for a fiddle player."

She pauses strumming and glares. "Show me what you got, hot shot," and hands it to him.

Nick heads to the woodshed for some 12-bar, then fumbles through Mary Had a Little Lamb on the low frets, a F-G bar-chord vamp with some pinky-notes that make it sound kinda jazzy, and then the riff from the Bangle's treatment of Hazy Shade of Winter.

"Don't quit your day job," as she reaches for the instrument.

She goes back to playing and him to his pinball. Eventually she sets it back into the case and takes her hair clip loose to re-secure things. He watches her do this and she sticks her tongue out.

"Can I try that game?"

He tries to get her to sit on his lap but she flushes a tad and makes him move, "you know what that gets us." In about three rounds she blows away his highest score.

"Lady luck."

"I ain't no lady."

"You're my lady."

This wins her over to putting her legs on his. "Nick I'm really glad we got to do all this today, thanks for asking me."

"Yeah it was nice."

She leans on an elbow, smiles that way she does and goes into thought mode.

"What's going on in that little blond head?"

"Um...there's a drive in about 15 minutes from where I live."

"Is that so. What's playing."

"They do some kind of matinee on Friday nights, if you're interested."

"When do I pick you up?"

She leans on him and they just sit there a while, to the tune of the music from who-knows-where.

Coffee Machine Coffee

Monday, January 21, 1991

Nick sits in a section of the wide hallways in the Tech building, in the rear part near the mechanical equipment labs such as hydraulics, testing, machining, and things he hasn’t needed to see. This is known as the smokers' lounge being one of the few indoor spots on campus designated to allow it, such as the snack bar beneath Gelding hall and he's noticed that some of the mech labs allow smoking as well, by default, given the open, ventilated space.

No lines or anything demarcate the smokers' lounge, it's evidently an honor system. Maybe you have to be within normal conversation distance of the chairs. That works.

There's one other occupant a few chairs away quietly reading a paper that someone left, no telling how old it is. Cork boards with announcements that Nick hardly reads are along the wall that heads to the front door, about 200 feet away. From this corner he can see the heart of the engineering technology labs, as his EET labs are to his left down the shorter hall toward another side corridor.

There's a snack machine and one of those Servomation hot beverage deals, the coffee had always smelled good so he gets a cup, it's 5:45 PM and he'll be around till almost 9. One of the required labs meets once per week for 4 hours and it's self-paced, so one is free to take a break whenever it seems best.

After a full quarter under the belt he's gotten a good taste of world life. Many of the folks in his GS classes are close to finishing up their degree, some working on two degrees. Seems it's about 4:1 non-traditional students, those who had been 10, 15, 20 or more years in a career and starting over, or else laid off from one of the nearby factories and getting incentives to pursue here.

This is when you realize all the things that adults never told you before. Most of the women talk about their families and come across as motherly or sisterly, at least to a young green fellow. Others make it clear they would be a sure thing, tell of their exploits with male 'friends', how some of the reciprocating machine tools remind them of a porn pic someone had brought in to work with the same model machine rigged with a phallus.

To a high degree, the men are worldly and inspiring, in a lab situation they make one believe we can solve any technical problem that comes along. Quick with a joke and have been around, been there, albeit, sometimes offering advice no one asks for. Then there are some that look like they crawled out from beneath a rock or wondered out of the hills and can't find their way back.

Is this is what it's really like at Dad's plant? Some of them had worked there.

One of the non-trads had come to tech writing class in a suit, been interviewing but not finding much success, surprising to Nick since Dwight seemed like the cream of the crop: seasoned, confident, hard working, dependable; the affable yet capable everyman with qualities that seem unattainable. It's tempting to think that this is the way it will be: cold weather, cold world, few opportunities.

Nick is thankful for the ones that are about his own age, since he was an oddity in his high school it's refreshing to be funneled in with those more like-minded, granted, a lot of them have a more rural and farming background.

So he sits at the apex, leaning back, the halls converging at each end, one where he entered, one where he'll be for a while, then eventually, somewhere where the long hall's lines finally intersect, he'll start whatever. Wherever.

This is not some prestigious back-east institution whose importance never made sense to Nick. A school is a school. People are realizing their fulfillment here, some bound for leadership or other high-functioning occupations, at a school founded in the latter 20th century as the result of legislative action.

Yet the halls are timeless. Names and dates on the corkboard change, the walls go on.

The stories these walls could tell. They go on.

At unseen hours there must be crews that sweep these floors. They go on.

The perpetual fluorescent lighting which seems purposefully too dim for much reading, and sometimes you'll see folks nodding off through here, Nick has never seen those shut off, and he hates that this has to share image space with Orwell's Minitrue.  

Nevertheless, It goes on.

The stories told in and around these chairs, god how they go on. And on.

At work this past weekend, an affable fellow, Lucas, who's engaged to one of Nick's coworkers said he'd heard they were enlisting the draft, which he had half-believed. During a half-hour mid shift lunch Nick walked to Taco Bell, then while venturing through a quiet parking lot through a light snow had visions of riding in a transport truck with other GIs. It has the allure of adventure, to a point, but not the life for him. They hadn't even deployed Tim's unit yet, and was almost sure they don't conscript all siblings.

This didn't stick in his mind long, especially after the positive press over the weekend, SCUDS v. Patriots, seems there always has to be conflict in the world. It goes on.

The small cup of coffee has gone from sips to gulps to empty. Time to empty the bladder and get back to wire wrapping. Thankfully, for now, it goes on.

Daytrip V

The phone rings before either of them are close to awakening. Noreen picks up in the middle of the third ring.

"Hello...well it's about time...yeah it's the motel right off 258....right, on the main drag...lemme make sure..."

She puts down the receiver and hops over to look out the window. Nick is barely awake and still facing the wall.

"Yeah plenty of room to load up, we pushed it, easily, yesterday, from across the lot....OK, we'll be ready and then check out when you get here, we might - huh? Yeah, and we might run and get something to eat or whatever, if I can wake his butt up-"

"I'm awake," Nick groans.

"Well howbout that, OK, you know the way...alright, byes."

"Yayyyyy. What time is it?"

"Crap, yeah that might be helpful to know." She rummages through her purse and finds a watch, "looks like it's somewhere around 20 after 6. We better be ready to roll just after 7:30.

"Sounds about right. Coffee sounds about right. Is it daylight yet? If we take a walk I'll get a little hungry, unless we'll stop on the way."

"Yeah it's light enough to hoof it soon, lemme get ready then we can go whenever."

She disappears into the bathroom and Nick dozes off again, to awaken to feel her towel get whisked off the bed.

"OK I'm up."

"No hurry there."

"Well no use holding up the show, early to bed early to rise and all that."

Nick gathers up his things into his bag, including what's left of the shampoo for some reason, goes ahead and brushes the teeth. "I think that's everything, so we can grab n go."

This time she whips around and points a warning finger.

"What?" he asks knowingly, and gets a two-beat morning kiss.

"Ready for a stroll to get the blood pumping? We can always doze off along the way, Bart's not a big time yapper."

She's back in her suit, tank top and shorts, plus her watch, and keeps track of the hotel key again after they lock up. It's shaping up to be another nice morning, fewer clouds than yesterday.

They continue hand in hand and decide to try the little bakery behind the row, surely they are about open by now.

"You know..." Noreen purrs.

"Yes dear?"

"Well...when you were asleep earlier I got dressed out in the open."

"Damn."

"I know I promised but...it just was different to get to do that with someone in the room."

"Glad I could help. Do you know how to grunt or whistle?"

"You just put your lips together, and -"

Nick pulls her about and plants a good one on there, akin to the way they put the punctuation on graduation day nearly a week ago. They embrace for a good while in front of a vacant storefront while a couple early risers drive by in their own universe. After a quick squeeze they are back on their way. He finds his hand on her opposite hip and she doesn't bother to move it.

"I kept expecting someone to tell us to get a room."

She punches his ribs, "Ba-dum crassshh. I have to ask..."

"Anything."

"How sure are you, about us."

"Sure enough to know I'll call you before long."

They walk on a little bit before she replies. "The crazy thing is, we're, what, six years apart and both late bloomers, if you don't mind me saying."

"That's fair. Anyone else saying that I might mind, but I think you nailed it."

"Um, and if you don't mind, you last had someone in your life, what, a year or two ago?"

"Sheesh, yeah, that was when I started on campus. She worked at the snack bar, where we talked, but ended up quitting and I think she moved over to Indiana, family stuff. It wouldn't have really worked but, you know."

"What was she like?"

"Well, quite beautiful, she had asked me to help out with some things at her house and we ended up watching a movie I rented. It got pretty...interesting, then we talked about it later, but then I couldn't get a hold of her for a while, then things got busy with classes and I wasn't going to ask about her where she had worked, she just wasn't there anymore."

"Was she your first?

"In some ways yeah, we had that one night, and she was older - and I mean, slightly older than my parents."

"Wow, Nick..."

"Well I never really had much interest in girls at school, we didn't have much to talk about, and Rosie and I just clicked."

"Did it hurt?"

"It was confusing, when it just faded out like that, but then it became clear that things would have gotten, you know, weird or awkward, maybe she knew that too and didn't know how to say it."

"Well she was lucky."

"I'm lucky now."

They walk on and find the bakery already open and serving, coffee smells great, they get a bag full of fresh goodies and head to a bench to consume.

He asks, "Who was your last interest?"

"Nick it was probably a guy I met through my freelance writing gigs, he would call me once in a while but I could never tell what he wanted. I'm not sure if he even knew, we would talk about going out then he'd never ask, and I wasn't going to. He didn't really stir anything in me, so I eventually just stopped answering and returning his calls, and that was that."

"I could have been that guy, to someone else."

"Now it just feels like I'm in a whole new season, a renaissance, professionally and otherwise. Nick you know I don't have expectations for us, just hopes, and I don't know what shape or form, just...just know I look forward to more."

"More will hit the spot."

They gaze for a while, Nick caresses her hair, then he stands and takes her hand, they start back.

The walk lasts just as long as their coffee, then MST3k is somehow back on the TV again, She has the curtain pulled back. Nick calls home like a good son, then before long a red full-ton pickup rumbles in towing a two-wheel hauler. "Our chariot awaits."

They grab their stuff and head to the truck and Noreen throws it onto the truck's passenger floor. Bart introduces himself to Nick with a firm handshake, he's a tall, tan, boisterous king of the backwoods with a hard-working build.

"You boys get that thing ready and I'll go settle the room."

"Don't worry, dude, she's always this bossy."

Before long they are pulling out of the lot, windows down, Bart holding a lit Swisher Sweet between two left fingers, never minded the smell of those, but Noreen insists on opening the back pane to keep clear of it. She doesn't hesitate to put her legs on his and sit facing the window and they settle in.

"So did you two kids just talk last night?"

"No we got down with whips, chains and Great Danes."

"Hey you're too young for that shit."

A couple intersections along, Bart tries again, "So Nick, see that rig there holding up those stop lights, how it stretches out over two lanes?"

"I reckon I do."

"So, uh, if you were to drop your breeches how would things compare to all that?"

"Well, maybe in colder weather..."

That's as far as he gets before Bart explodes into a fit of coughing guffaws and eye rubbing and the whole bit. "Son you're all right and sis you're all set to go with this'n, Lord, almighty."

Somewhere in all that Noreen just shakes her head and pleads not to encourage him.

From here they pick up to highway speed, Bart asks, "Did you guys hit all that construction yesterday? Hell of a mess."

Noreen answers, "No, nothing, they must have just started."

"Oh Nick, you should have seen this critter back in high school, with the lime green hair, wanted to be a Talking Head."

Noreen: "So I idolized Tina back then, even got a bass for Christmas that year but Mom couldn't stand it, even on low, just set her off so I put it away."

Nick: "Are there any pictures?"

Noreen: "What? You say you wanna walk home?"

Nick licks her nose.

Gradually things quiet down save for the low big-block rumble and rush of the wind. Nick is just about to doze off again when she whispers,

"Do you have any idea what I was thinking about last night."

"English accents?"

"It has nothing to do with the English language...more body language..."

"You may have to teach me that language."

"I think you have already taught me more than I can teach you, but I'm willing to try...I'll try anything, give you anything..."

"Noreen you know I'm just glad to be here with you."

"I know you are, but...(sighs)...we've proven we can behave and respect each other's space, and when a man can do that, you have absolutely no idea...the effect that has on me..."

"Well, it seems neither of us are in a hurry, I hope I'm not holding you back-"

"Nick...(kisses his cheek)...Nick you've treated me with immeasurable respect, you know when to say things, when to listen, and...you just...sometimes a girl runs out of words, and then...."

"Body language..."

"So do you have any idea...Nick until we met three years ago I had thought I had dried up...do you know what i mean?"

"Interest?"

"Think what you were playing with in the water yesterday...."

"Oh..."

"Yeah that...back then I had just started feeling tingly here and there, but I didn't have anyone in mind, then I saw you that night, you did what you did and it hit like a tidal wave..."

"Well, I remember...if I can say it..."

"Say it...."

"I remember it sounded sloshy down there, when you were, you know..."

"Nick it was a freaking mess down there, sloppy, slippery, slidey..."

"Wet banana."

"Oh I'd get your banana wet alright."

"I'm still not used to the idea that girls...women really like that kind of thing."

"Nick if it's the right guy then we want it ten times, a hundred or thousand times more..."

"That's not fair."

She muses, "you're sweet for saying that but fair or not, I could really put you through the paces if you don't watch out, those boxers, I wanted to reach in there and get it ready and jump on and ride, just ride, and bounce and ride into the sunset."

"Ride 'im cowgirl, but I wouldn't have lasted long."

"Then I'd ride your face."

"That would work."

"Nick you would drown under there, god...have you ever seen an orange juicer, the kind where you push the orange onto it over a glass..."

"I'd love to be your juicer."

"Oh I could grind on you for hours, we'd stick to everything, just remember if you get too close it might squirt you in the eye."

"I have an eye that might squirt back."

"Your eye can squirt anywhere, inside me, outside me, I'll take you in my mouth and then have something of yours to keep."

"There's lots of cream in the filled stick."

"Mmm I want your cream. I could have jumped in the shower with you last night, sucked all the cream out of your stick, or maybe, I'd drop the soap and pick it up for you, let you do what you want..."

By now she's fidgeting with his shirt, he presses on, "I love your cupcakes, with the candy on top, seems nice and chewy."

"I want your cream all over my cupcakes, chew on the candies, squeeze my cupcakes, give 'em everything you-"

Bart fires up, "HAND CHECK!"

Nick raises up his hands, Noreen just holds up a middle finger. She readjusts to get her mouth closer to his cheek.

"Where were we...oh, yeah...your beard is always just right, I'd let you rub it all over me."

"I'll rub it in your beard, down in the promised land."

"What else you gonna do in the promised land."

"I hear there's some great pie there."

"Honey I got all the pie you'll ever want, fresh and tangy."

"Like a grapefruit, might get a squirt if I'm not careful."

"I'll squirt in your mouth if you're not careful."

"Fair is fair, you can squirt anywhere anytime."

"You have no idea how bad I want you inside me, right now, if we were alone, you'd be all mine, I'd melt all over you."

"I'd eat your cupcakes and pie first, I'd eat you all over, even around back."

"You can have around back whenever you like, but you know what I really want."

"I really want you to squirt for me."

Right about then they hit a series of bumps and the truck slows down, Nick opens his eyes to see the construction crews ahead. The flagger is waiving them through, more bumps, more bumps, Noreen gasps and he things he felt something against his left leg, like a twitch, and it had gotten pretty warm down there. After a couple miles they clear the work area and she's sound asleep, Nick tries to settle in place despite the dire need to readjust his hardware.

After a couple short dozes, Bart asks, "Are we dropping Nick at the schoolyard?"

Noreen stirs and clears her throat, "Yes."

They take a turn toward familiar skies.

She gradually stretches and comes alive, and Nick realizes he's picking up a slightly sour, earthy aroma he hadn't known for over three years, almost too subtle to detect.

A bit too soon they are pulling up next to the Cordoba, Bart motions, "Does it rock?"

"Not bad for a 318 but needs love."

"Bring it our way sometime we'll see what's what."

Nick grabs his things and exchanges a up and down hi-five with the driver, "Catcha down tha road."

"Later days."

Nick forgoes the better lays part given the circumstances. He and Noreen step out next to the truck. "Did you get your keys," she motions to the poor jeep.

"Yeah all set. You look tired."

"Just very....relaxed."

They hold a gaze, she says, "You go home and tell your mother that you were the perfect gentleman, and-"

HOONNNNNNNNNK

Noreen turns to the open door, "FUCK OFF!"

She closes her eyes and draws breath with the look of about to murder a fool, then pulls it together,

"Nick you were beyond my wildest dreams, seriously, tell your mom I said that, you are wonderful and she should be proud."

"I will. Do you have a lot to do today?"

"Just get home and try to salvage these shorts," as she subtly brings his left hand to meet with the promised land, which feels like an oven-fresh buttery roll. She raises an eyebrow coyly.

Nick's eyes get huge once he puts it all together.

She grabs a two-beat smooch. "Do like I told ya," then smacks his ass, hops into the truck, slaps the dashboard, "Home, Jeeves," as she pulls the door shut.

He just steps back and watches as the truck goes into gear, she turns his way with a commanding look, points at the car, at him, then the road.

As they drive off he gets into his car, well rested, feeling more human than ever, starts it up, fastens his seatbelt, thinks a minute, takes a long whiff of his hand, then drives over to the other lot to see if Goody is around.

Daytrip IV

 Nick dials home after Noreen checks in with her sister-in-law.

"Hi...yeah...turns out her brother is at a drag race and won't get home till later. Yeah Noreen figures he'll come to rescue the jeep and we get to ride along...yeah, we checked in and then walked to a KMart...oh about, less than a mile, got some toiletries and then grabbed something to eat...yes I'm minding my manners and no I haven't been making body noises, sheesh. She's just over there reading one of those auto trader things they had at the desk...oh, yeah, says she's gonna find a jeep that runs..."

Noreen just shakes her head and tries not to laugh.

"She's geeked that we get to watch Start Trek later...yes she knows I'm the bigger geek, alright... do you want the number? OK lemme see..."

Nick hangs up, "Think I'll hit the shower."

"Don't drop the soap," then watches her turn away and cover her mouth.

He enters the bathroom to find she had hung up her swimsuit on the hook that came with her mermaid T shirt, and he can't look away from it, until he realizes it's been a long-ass day, he's the good kind of tired, takes a long soak and uses half of the remaining half of the little shampoo bottle.

After drying off he has to ask her to fetch the boxers, she tosses them so they land about three feet from the door. He uses his towel to reel them in, then emerges wearing those plus his T-shirt. "You make one hell of a roommate you know that?"

She finally explodes laughing, to the point of tears and buries her face under an arm.

He spreads out his beach towel on the further bed and fires up the ol' tube, finally settling on reliable NBC Thursday Night Musty TV, deep in the throes of summer reruns. They had been running the wall AC on low and he asks if they still need the noise, she says try it off for a while, so far so good, might be OK with the sun going down. 

Nick just closes his eyes and lets the TV become noise of familiar cadence, the day is now its own rerun, he feels like he's known her all his life, or at least for every day of the past three and a half years, same span as the tribulation preachers preach about. He thinks he dozes off a couple times. He looks over and she had found a handout in the motel office that had a blank back page, she seems to be drawing and in her own world. Good for her.

He hears the Cheers cold opening and repositions to give it a college try, hadn't seen many of these. In the early years the Diane character drove him nuts most of the time, now he is starting to understand why, having a similar caliber of babe on the next bed, she just gets under your skin in all the right ways, keeps you guessing, and when you untie one knot you find another inside it and you can't wait to start all over again. 

Thinking out loud, he says, "I wish we'd grabbed candy bars or something."

"I think there's a machine close by, I'll go with."

Between his loose change from the day and cajoling a dollar bill they each got a Snickers.

"What are you drawing?"

It's the face of a rugged looking man, white and eastern, maybe Siberia. Thick brows and mustache. 

"Boy he'd kick your ass soon as look at ya. Is that Big Brother?"

She looks up at him, "No more than I'm Julia."

He picks her up and jostles her around, they embrace, she says, "Did your mom sound OK with all this?"

"Yeah she was having fun with it."

"You know, with you out of the house there's no telling what they'll be up to..."

Nick winces, "Please-"

"Maybe even in your bed."

He reaches for his forehead.

"OK I'm gonna get sleep ready before TNG."

He pinches her bum, "Make it so."

Nick throws away his Snickers wrapper and takes a drink of water since he'd already brushed, good thing for those wrapped plastic cups they leave in here. He secretly hopes the tap water doesn’t come from the lake.

He plops back down as she emerges from the bathroom and kills her light. He's hesitant to look. All of a sudden she's standing next to his bed with her towel, "Scooch."

"What are you doing?"

"We're gonna watch Star Trek, right?"

He just looks at her for a second, then gets up to move his towel. After they get situated he realizes he can no longer bend to see the screen, gets up and grabs a pillow from the other bed, then lies straight. 

She must have thought this a good idea and follows suit. Night Court is finishing up, never one of his favorites but, hey, Markie Post. It seems these last seasons have gotten a lot better than when he was in high school, some of those were embarrassing to watch with the 'rents.

When he reaches for the remote to switch channels she grabs his left arm and puts it beneath her head so she can put her back against him and see the screen. 

The cold open starts, she says, "Ahh, the Crystalline Entity." Nick had remembered one of the early ones dealing with it. About three commercials in he hears her doze off. His arm is thankfully not falling asleep too but he's not used to this, kinda needs to move it a tad, but this is not the time.

Eventually she stirs and flips around, head on his shoulder. Funny how if she were across the room he'd have a hard time not ogling, but this somehow takes the view of her legs, and the bralessness, not to mention soft buttocks beneath the long mermaid shirt out of the equation, it makes her a someone again. 

About the time that the visiting scientist completes her plot to destroy the entity, she lifts her head up, looks at the screen, "Sorry, didn't mean to fall asleep."

"That's usually the best sleep you'll get."

"I know, but -"

"Noreen, this is as good as good as I've ever had it."

She just looks at him, plants a kiss, holds a gaze, then finally, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Is it OK if I call you babe?"

"Um, yeah. I guess I let it slip a couple times today."

"Thank you." She then touches his face, then snuggles back onto his shoulder. 

TNG wraps up, bum-bum-bum-bum. "Well it's pretty much reruns or bad news at this point. I'm ready to call it a night if you are."

"Turn it off if you want." So he does, and she repositions so she's just holding his left arm.

"Noreen."

"Yes."

"Did you ever intend to sleep in the other bed?"

"Go to sleep."

He drifts off fairly quickly, then awakens, has to pee already, does that, back down in his spot and lies facing the back wall this time. This is still strange in a way, but good company has it's way of transcending just about anything. He drifts off again.

"BANG BANG BANG" on the door. They both jump up, she whispers, "shit." 

Another round of bangs. She gets up and a few seconds later the bathroom light comes on. She fiddles for her knife, and Nick unplugs a lamp and stands with it in front of the bathroom door, his heart pounding in his throat. 

Next there's an unintelligible voice from behind the door, then a cough. 

Noreen whispers, "some goddamn drunk."

Nick rolls his eyes. The sound of dragging steps, more slurred speech. After a couple of quiet, seemingly endless minutes a car pulls up, then a clear voice, "Hi there Charlie, made it this far tonight did we?"

Another voice, "get him over here in case he has to yack."

"God I hope he doesn't yack," Nick says to her as they stand down the alert. 

She uses the bathroom as he goes back to his original position, this time with pillows surrounding his head.

He faintly hears a flush, then shortly thereafter, "You OK?"

"Yeah, that was a bit much though."

She pecks his cheek, spoons in behind him and rubs his forehead and part of a temple. Once his breathing slows down she rests her hand on his head and they drift off. 

Nick awakens at one point with an understandable log in his boxers, but it's mostly just that time of the night, plus the fact that he had an accompanied discharge yesterday, almost as intense as their original encounter, and it seems lucky boy always expects an encore at a certain point thereafter. 

He can think of voices he's heard, asking why you don't just go for the gold. After a few distraught minutes he concludes, shut the hell up, this is the gold.

She's sleeping soundly and he finds that reassuring, soothing. After the hydraulic situation calms down Nick has he best sleep he's had since the month-long holiday break before last Christmas.

Daytrip III

After their umbrella-shade lunch they take a drive around the lake, to fill in the blanks from the previous limited vantage, and see the beach from the side they were staring at from inside the water. Nick finds out what it feels like to be the one riding in a jeep with a babe, a cool babe. A thinking babe. A someone. The slightly humid air feels like the water did earlier, it bathes and gives buoyancy. Everyone about seems carefree as they are. Summer is supposed to be this.

She parks it and powers down near a pier, in the shade and they take a short walk.

Then they return to the beach and get back into the water, there's more activity now, prime time, but plenty of room for everyone, they just float, play tugboat, and let innocence take center stage.

"So were you a feisty girl?"

"What do you mean were? So, WERE you a stubborn child?"

She floats to his side, he holds on to her, she launches off and swims a few yards, then back, repeat. The clock moves when you don't watch it, but at some point the sun's angle taps you on the shoulder.

"Nick what do you think? I was hoping we could take our time getting back, grab another bite, then see the sun setting again from campus."

"I think you have something there."

They slowly make their way to shore. "Oh," she adds, "I wanted to stop by the drug store for something, then we'll come back here for a few for the restroom."

"Everything OK?"

"Yeah, but just to be careful, lake water and all."

"Ohh, OK."

"Yeah."

So they pack up once again and head back over toward the main drag, which has a Walgreens or such.

While in the turn lane the jeep starts to stutter, and she guns it to get into the lot, where it nearly stalls out. They get to a spot and it dies before she can shut it off.

"Rut Roh." she says. Tries to start it up but it won't catch. Battery seems fine.

Nick gets out and pops the hood, removes the intake. "What's the gas gauge say?"

"Just over half, was gonna stop on the way back."

"Wish I had something to stand on to see down the throat, but can you tap the gas?"

She does. Nick doesn't hear anything flow from the jets. "Are there any tools on board?"

They find two screwdrivers and a pair of channel-lock pliers. Perfect. He's not entirely comfortable with this, but does it anyway, takes off the fuel line from the carb. "OK, can you try turning it over, just for a few seconds?"

She does that and his instinct was right, unfortunately, "Shit. There's no gas coming from the pump."

After a few quiet seconds he finds her just head down against the wheel. "Noreen? Hey..."

She just shakes her head slowly.

"Come here," and he scoops her off the seat.

She draws a breath, forlorn, "I wanted this day to be perfect."

Nick puts everything back where it was and closes the hood while she thinks. He puts his arms around her. "Hey these are older machines, it happens."

Slight smile, "glad you see it that way." Then thinks a bit. "Is there a pay phone around here?"

Nick locates one outside the drug store. "Yep straight ahead six O'clock."

Noreen grabs her purse and they proceed, digs out a calling card and punches in numbers, waits for ringing, "Hey, is turdball there?" She listens for a bit, looks around, then finally, "OK, well the fuel pump in this thing is out. I don't think he'd want anyone else working on it, so...yeah, well, we're at a pay phone right now, should I try in an hour? OK, thanks hon, will do." Hangs up,

"Well he's not around and she's not sure when he's getting back."

"I can see if my folks can come get us, but I guess then we'd have to leave it."

"Nick I'm so sorry."

"Hon don't be sorry, this is an adventure, it's nice out, we're here."

She kisses him for the untold time today. "Well, that's a last resort, " pointing to the motel across the lot. "I'd put it on my card, of course, and settle up with my brother later."

"I've got some cash too if we need it."

"Nick, this isn't your problem to solve."

"Still."

"Feels like we're stuck."

"I'm gonna call home."

She insists on punching in her card number first, it rings, Irene answers.

"Hey."

"Hi Honey, are you two having a good day?"

"Yes we are, just hit a snag though, fuel pump went out."

"Oh, is someone coming to get you?"

"We will find out in about an hour, she borrowed her brother's jeep."

"I can see why on a day like this. Is there someone you can stay with if he can't get to you?"

"Well, we'd have to stay in a motel."

"I understand sweetie, these things happen. Just keep us in the loop, it will all work out."

"I know, we aren't worried, she just wanted the day to be perfect and is kinda down."

"She seems like a good lady Nick, just be a gentleman, I know you are."

"I will Mom-"

"Oh, before I forget, your professor called today, about the job, said he wants to set up a meeting with you and the dean, what's her name?"

"Sue Richards, wow, cool."

"Yes I agree. Well I won't keep you, just call when you find out."

"I will, love you."

He hangs up.

"That was sweet, Nicholas."

"Well, she seems cool if we have to check in over there, told me to be a gentleman."

She hugs him. "We might as well take a walk around the storefronts."

They change into better shoes and take a stroll within eyeshot of the jeep, holding hands, not saying much. The world around them is still bustling, people making supper in the surrounding homes, grilling out.

"So, if he can't make it up tonight, we can just check in then hit the drugstore for some things, to brush our teeth and stuff."

"Think we could make it clear to KMart?"

"That's a good idea, they might have a cheap T-shirt to sleep in."

"I'm liking this more and more."

"Nick you're incorrigible. I'm going to try to behave, I can't speak for you, but I didn't plan it his way."

"I know, let's just relax and watch some tube. You know what's on later..."

"TNG!!"

"And we won't have to be over the phone."

"Here we are colluding...I still need to call him one more time to be sure he's not on his way already."

When they make it back to that phone it had been just shy of an hour, and of course Bart was nowhere to be seen. "OK, we'll go ahead and check in and I'll get you the number, OK, thanks, bye."

"Should we push it closer to the motel?" he asks, then they do just that, under a light and snap the cover on. She re-deploys her knife before they go any further.

They find the motel clerk next to a fan, feet on counter, and staring glass-eyed at a small black and white TV. He asked to see Nick's ID, even though his beard had come back, and Noreen grabs it and says, "thanks for telling me when it was your birthday dork."

"It never came up."

She just rolls her eyes and asks for two beds, then adds she's a restless sleeper before making a goofy face back at Nick. They are pretty much all vacant ahead of the weekend but choose closest to the office with a clear view of the vehicle.

Before they get a look inside she muses, "I'll probably sleep on my beach towel nomatter what."

Nick agrees. They unlock to find the expected, drab walls, institutional drapes, that timeless dank formaldehyde aroma, but everything seems to have been cleaned since the last use.

"Hey I'm gonna go ahead and shower, do you mind?"

"Knock yourself out."

She disappears into the bathroom so Nick lies back on the furthest bed and clicks the TV on.

About 20 minutes later, after he's dozed off a couple brief times, she emerges to find him staring at MST3K. "Oh I love these, they're such smart asses. Hey I'm ready when you are."

"I'm all set babe."

She gives him a wry smile. They head out, hand in hand. Once past the drug store, she asks, "Have you hacked any Pentagon stuff with that modem yet?"

"Well I found a few utilities here and there, and that Jameson has a vibrant underground Chess club that exchanges barbs on the newspaper board. I keep expecting something dark or pervy but I suppose they'd put the kill on that."

"One would think."

"So could two home users with modems connect to each other?"

"Absolutely. Yeah you can exchange files, albeit small ones, and slowly, and type back and forth for what it's worth."

"Hmmm. Can you connect to anything at the campus?"

"I think the VAX has a modem line but I haven't logged into that for months, might - OH, did I tell you what Mom told me? Goody called and wants me to meet with Sue Richards about the lab tech."

"NICK!!" She jumps on him and they nearly fall over.

"Don't take it so hard."

"Shut up you dick, that's freakin' awesome and you know it."

"Well I don't know if it's an interview or what, I'll talk to him after we get back."

She just keeps her hand on his arm. "I don't have to say how proud I am of you."

"We'll see how it goes."

"I know you aren't the excitable type, it's just so cool. They gave me a solid 80% plus of having a couple lectures in the fall."

He kisses her forehead. "So what got you into English Lit?"

"Just always loved the accents."

"I can tell."

Sticks out her tongue. "It has a fairy-tale kind of quality, and so much of later fiction and life as we know it are based on those works."

"Holy Grail."

"Oh Holy Grail...yes, and even more subtle things, similar to the nursery rhymes we all know, stuff like that, it's impossible to separate out from our culture, it's so ingrained."

"Wish I would have had you in high school."

"Umm..." and she raises an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean."

"Who all did you read?"

"Senior year I had Mrs. Walloughby, from, well, a few counties south of here. I got along with her great outside of that class, but, God...got off to a rough start with BAYOH-wulf."

"Oh my, that would tend to let the air of of things."

"I couldn't tell you a thing about the story. Ended up pulling a B+ out of the semester. MacBeth was a little better but I think we had hit on that in an earlier year."

"Yeah love Shakespeare of course, you always catch something new. Howbout Hamlet?"

"Ahh, Hamlet was the year before, different instructor, she was awesome, we did some parts when this drama group came in."

"That always helps."

"Well it's about an angry young chap so I could get into it, he was pissed and someone had to go down."

"I'm impressed with that synopsis, Nick, umm, should I be concerned?"

"I think we covered that this morning,"

"Uhh, yeah, fair point."

Nick just looks ahead at the sidewalk.

"You OK?"

"Just remembered, before Hamlet we did Orwell."

"Oh GOD, Orwell is so depressing, I avoid him like the plague."

"Humanity at it's worst, but...Julia...."

"Julia?"

"That was just after our encounter...they were sneaking around, finding, well, the only love they would ever know."

Noreen pauses a bit. "Nick, I don't know what to say. That's...wow, never thought of it that way."

"It brought some hope to the story for me, well, for a while..."

"Do you see any scars up here?"

Another peck on the forehead and they press on, KMart within sight, then they move over for a couple juveniles on bikes, one who shouts, "WHY DON'T YOU FUCK HER? I DID!"

Noreen whips around, "Hey you better get back to your mommy I bet she's horny again by now!"

Nick is blown away, "Oh my GOD!"

She's still looking backward, and before he can look for himself she covers her mouth, busts in laughter, and has to kneel on the sidewalk, "oh that dumbass."

Nick looks back to see one of the kids lying on the sidewalk, next to his bike, and the other one riding around waiting for his buddy to get up.

"That little shit turned around to flip me off and ran right into that post," and she can't stop laughing.

He gathers her up to her feet, "let's get the hell outta here."

They continue on to the Mart of K, where the air conditioning hits the spot. They grab cartage and head toward HBA. Tooth brushes, Colgate, deodorants, he asks her if she still wants to fulfill the drug store visit and she does, can't hurt, he resists the urge to ask to watch. They stroll toward the softlines and she finds a $3 clearance T shirt with a mermaid.

"Will this do? And why did the suggestion peak your interest?"

"Those legs..."

"Whatever, although they have gotten me this far I guess."

"Back in junior high track it was a treat to see a girl running in a t-shirt long enough to hide her shorts. We called it: inspiration."

She pokes his left rib and he jumps. "Did you want to look for anything besides inspiration?"

"Think I'll grab some boxers."

They head back to the men's and he finds standard red/black scotch pattern. "Eh?"

"Will it all fit in there?"

"Both of us?"

She grabs the boxers and throws them in the cart. "By the way, all this is getting charged to my brother, no arguments."

"I'm still getting us dinner."

"’Kay."

After checkout they still had to pick something from ye olde restaurant rowe. He points to Taco Bell just because it's closest, but

"That always gives me the shits," she warns.

"Well there's the little Chinese place,"

"How about some other time, I have a wok by the way."

"There ya go. Didn't we pass a Wendy's?"

"Oh I could go for a baked potato. Are we gonna just grab n go?"

"I'll grab you go," and she jumps clear before he can get a hold of her.

There's no blood or carcass at the scene of the bike wreck, and they agree in hindsight they – supposedly being adults - should have waited around to make sure the kid got up. They gradually find the parking lot, the jeep, and the motel just where they'd left it, just not as well lit and maybe a tad cooler.

"I didn't see a sign, does our fine hostelry even have a name?"

"We'll make one up if we have to."