The Lock-In

Greeted by a squeeze at the door, along with the smell of summer veggies frying in oil, maybe some garlic bread, Nick asks, "so you've been painting today?"

"Yeap just put on some Steely Dan and zoned out."

"It's really nice. How come you never paint while I'm here?"

"You know why?"

"Why?"

"Why ask why?"

"BUD DRY!"

Noreen gets a firm grip on his buns. "My how you've grown up nicely."

"Since I'm a working man now?"

"You tell me, did Al keep you busy like I asked him to?"

Nick almost gets sidetracked by the idea of them colluding, but brushes it off, "We had lunch with a couple other faculty and the computer lab director was around, I learned a few things."

"Well we can never do that enough. So is there much work?"

"Absolutely nothing, which is expected, I have time to get used to the space."

"I'll have to visit your space soon, have meetings later this week."

"Smells awesome, kinda Italian?"

"Howbout Midwest Italian a la Nori."

"What happened to Steely Dan?"

"Ooh didn't think you were into them."

"Mostly Led Zepp from that era, but I try to get to know the classics."

"Never was big on Led Zepp but kinda got into Robert Plant in the 80s."

That brought to mind a fellow at Ned’s plant, sat at a drafting table and would work listening to stuff like Robert Plant, gave an air of sophistication.

"So much music..."

"Is something bothering you?"

Nick stares over her shoulder for a moment. "Just letting it all sink in."

"Well sit or stretch out if you want, I need to check on the kitchen."

"I'm sure it's where it's always been."

She heads toward the kitch and wiggles her rear in response.

Nick pops off the kicks and leans back sideways on the sofa, one foot on the floor. She has the windows open and a couple fans running. "Too bad I didn't think to bring shorts."

"Hey didn't I end up with those boxers from our lake adventure? Lemme check..." She finds those and he changes in her bedroom, which feels like a dream in itself, checks out the kitchen scene and holds her while she works.

"You're trying to make me screw this up aren't you?"

"It's going to be marvelous...mahbelous, zeemply mahbelous..."

"That's more like it, was starting to wonder if you'd seen a ghost recently."

"Well, kinda..."

"Alright, spill it Fritz."

Nick draws a breath and leans on the wall. "So yesterday afternoon my mom made a special request..."

"Oh the dinner, anniversary?"

"Yeah Bud and Louise, we've known them since time began, they were part of the old church, 50th anniversary."

"Oh that's so sweet."

"Yeah it was short notice and in the middle of the afternoon, or we would have seen if you wanted to come over."

"I understand, next time if you want, I'd love to, just ask. So how'd it go?"

"Huge crowd, they know everyone, but for some reason I was surprised to see one of the gals from the old group, Kandy."

"OOOhh..."

"Well, we weren't involved, she was...well...I never knew what to think of her. She's very outgoing, likes people, her sweet sixteen party filled out their house. She used to sing in front of the church during offering, things like that, always dresses up."

"Sounds like a popular girl."

"Yeah, she liked to have a lot of guys around her."

"Owwww...go on."

"At the camp meeting one time, sheesh, back in 7th grade she wanted me to sit with her and like 3 other guys, I started to go but it seemed weird so stayed with my folks."

"Sweetie that sounds about right for you."

"Anyway, she showed up with her kids last night, and it reminded me of the big youth thing at the Y."

"Oh I've been in your Y, it's an older building?"

"Yeah, they had the pool open, I went with Vance and we just walked around, there were hot dogs and baked beans, fart food -"

She laughs into her hands, "Oh honey"

"Well that's what they always have...you still with me?"

"Keep going, you putz."

"Alright, well we went up to the top level, the running track, and there's a small hallway, so we took that and figured we'd try an unmarked door, it was unlocked, and we found the roof."

"Ohh cool."

"Well, at first..."

"Utoh."

"We heard voices, so we crept along, Vance went ahead and looked around a corner, then he pulled back with eyes like saucers. I took a look, and it was her, well, part of her..."

"Oh God, how old were you?"

"Freshman year, well, my freshman, her junior at one of the private schools.

"Oh the academy?"

"You know it...and she ended up getting pregnant the next year and had to finish at Halloway. So...there she was leaning against, I think, the rail, couldn't see past her waist, but we could see this dude named Tad, tall blond, muscles, girls thought he was hot shit but basically a cock."

"So where was his cock?"

"It took me a minute to figure out exactly what was going on, he still had his trunks on, but she was standing on something, I knew those black shoes, short heels, and her french-cut swimsuit, that used to get the moms buzzing."

"Oh I bet it would in that setting."

"Yeah and, well she kinda had the dimples, on the thighs, back there..."

"Cellulite?"

"Sounds right."

"Well if she's still that confident with her body I have to admire that, sassy heels, good lord, but still, this was at a church thing?

"Totally a church thing, you know, several congregations put this on every year, I think they moved it since then, but anyway, yeah, we hightailed it out of there, and for whatever reason I didn't bother to close the roof door."

Noreen busts up laughing.

"Did you tell anyone?"

"Nope, we were done, slipped out then walked around town then got home about the same time we would have, needed to let it wear off."

"Um...let what wear off exactly?"

"Huh? Oh the shock..."

She chuckles, "I'm messing with you."

"Oh...no, I had never thought of her that way, she just seemed a tad creepy, I couldn't trust her."

"Sounds like somebody did. So is he the father of her kids?"

"Probably not, they're black."

"Oh, wow....progressive."

"Yeah that caused a stir."

"Among a bunch of white church folk? Wouldn't have guessed..." with a knowing look.

"So yeah, seeing her now, pudgier and less talkative, she's preoccupied with kids and I just stayed out of her way."

"I dunno, did the facility have a roof?"

"Ill roof YOU."

After a good once-over they have the bodacious summer feast, watch the news, some MST3k, some frolicking, they make love slowly, on their knees, in their underwear, with a Night Ranger tape playing at low volume, facing the open window towards the woods, with Nick glad to be alive, to be here, at this time, and with her.

A Long Bike Ride In The Country

August 2, 1992

Sunday morning, regardless of one's location or level of involvement, is ingrained into many as a time of reflection and reckoning. There's clearly a reason for the rhythm we've come to know as sabbath, sabbatical, time set aside for rest. A critical eye will note that this rhythm is as old as any written history; we are stuck with it and it with us – and within us - as flies in amber.

Even when there's not much of a set routine during the week, although Nick pretty much keeps the same hours at the store, or did, he wakes up to the smell of breakfast cooking which has always been the tell of a Sunday or maybe a holiday, or in earlier years that family was staying with them.

So they enjoy pancakes and eggs around 7:30 then Nick usually ends up back in his bed, then once his folks head to church he switches on the FM or puts on a tape. Back in the day Irene once jumped his case for finding cartoons on some distant channel on a Sunday morning as they got ready, so he tries to respect the space, at least, for as long as it's shared space.

Tomorrow he starts the new gig. Sue had called and asked if he could start a week later than planned, since they realized it would be much cleaner on the books, and this was no problem, Bain wasn't going to mind. In fact, Nick is pretty sure he won't be officially off the payroll anytime soon.

There's a point in the summer where it turns into a fever dream of sorts, the conscience takes a partial shutdown, fancies and ethereal forays take over. The season has nothing left to prove, it's here and happening, we'll make things hot if we want, storm if we need to, but not always. He finds himself longing for a bike ride on a country road to visit that girl he never would have visited, she knew things, it was in her silence, she'd seen or done things she couldn't come out and say, or maybe she was trying to, just in a foreign tongue. Cat-eyed and outgoing, had a fine body, probably still does, even after a couple of kids at this point, last he'd heard, but she's someone else's mystery to solve, if ever, even if at a point in time she had shot lightning into his soul and triggered a mass eruption onto his poor mattress, on a Sunday morning.

It had all started the time he saw her across the foyer, the way she stood, looking downward with her eyes but with a hint of awareness, her face and her bosom seemed to form a teardrop of sorts, whatever she was feeling, or thinking, her countenance: a teardrop.

Things are so much mellower now, somehow, the stakes aren't as high, paradoxically. Work makes sense, it brings purpose, solving problems, and lo, some things can't be solved.

Without thinking he looks at Noreen's tender gaze from the corkboard across the room. She brings order, yet, can be crazy as a weasel at times, he feels he owes her the world. Perhaps he does. She asks so little, very independent, as is he, still...she tells him we'll take things day by day. In circuits we use this and that component to regulate voltage and current, he can say one thing, the relationship feels well regulated, maybe he should tell her so, worst case, she'll laugh.

Day by day.

Despite the lab becoming one of his favorite places in the world, this would be different, not school, no smell of fresh notepads to fill up with scribbles that will be utterly incomprehensible in just a few hours, no filling out a schedule page to have it changed during the first week. Nick has to choke back fears that this is not a good idea. The first thing will be to make the space his own, and then, well, go from there. Day by day.

He gets dressed, leaves a note on the counter,

Taking a long bike ride in the country

And so he does, and he follows the leading, despite reservations, out to Bechner road, that homestead with the barn where he'd stopped with his mom to drop something off. It's still early enough to be pleasant with the smell of dew starting the ritual bake off the lawns, then fields as he gets further out. Not many cars to deal with at least, then he sees the place.

Consciously or not he had worn a cap and shades, despite the near-total cloud cover. The house is as he remembers but the barn is somehow different, maybe that dream made it what it needed to be for its purpose. As he draws closer he sees kids playing near a small swingset, and a blond pony tail and an arm draping over the back bench swing, Nick's blood runs ice cold.

He nearly retreats but keeps going, trying to steal a subtle glance here and there, but she doesn't seem to notice him, one of the kids needs attention and she hops up, unfettered bosoms flop in a loose-fitting sundress, she's added some weight but carries it well, looks completely at home. Good for her.

Now that the spell is broken, at least for the moment, he gambles that the next road will circle him back around where he needs to go, the next task is to get home, flip on the Icom, mess with the modem, have some lunch, and go from there.

HORSESHIT

 "Hey...have you been OK lately?"

"Yeah, just don't know what to think."

"About..."

"Starting the lab thing...us..."

"Do you have doubts about any of it?"

"Not doubts, just don't know what to think."

"Do you need a break from...us?"

"No, I just can't get my head around all of it."

"Sweetie now I'm concerned, do you need some time to yourself?"

"Tell me about your day."

"Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"I do, just having some kind of brain fart."

She sighs and he can hear a smile in her voice, "well I suppose that's better than the other kind....OK...slept in some, did some editing and such all morning then watched some brats while Sandy went to play in town, should get some income this week which is always nice..."

"Hold on....*sniff*...*inhales*...HORSESHIT!"

Silence.

"You there?"

After a bit of silence. "Ahh bloody hell...*rustling*...*clank*...*water flowing*...*sigh*"

"You OK?"

"(giggling) Yeah, all that lemonade from the house hit right as you had to sneeze like that, good lord - do you do that within earshot of your folks?"

"Dad just smirks and Mom has never caught on to my knowledge, or won't acknowledge it, whatever, Tim and I started that crap years ago."

"Man that's too much, you're killing me tonight you know that?"

"So does the lemonade still look the same as -"

He hears the phone hit the floor then muffled laughter in the distance.

Out Back

Ned carries the folding chairs and Irene a big bowl of fruit salad, about an hour after their ballcap-wearing son had given his girlfriend a brief yet thorough manhandling just inside her front door before they they headed over to the fire pit to help set up.

After introductions it's not long before the ladies are in a gaggle and Bart gives a grand tour of the shops. At one point Nick notices a poster he hadn't noticed before, with a professional sheen and stylized "turd AUTOMOTIVE", mixed in on a wall with the muscle cars and girls and hot rods.

"What the?" He pipes up.

Bart tunes in, "Oh yeah, that was a joke someone showed us a while back, you'd be surprised how many folks never bother to notice it, or admit they do, same difference."

Ned just shakes his head as Nick has to lean on a bench laughing, turns to Bart, "I never met this guy."

"Aww he's a good 'un, never seen Sis this happy."

At one point there's a welding bench with both wire and stick plus brazing tanks, plus the obligatory topless calendar that always shows up in a welding shop, obvious silicone-based highbeams staring them in the face. Bart notices the guys grinning at the calendar and points to it, "You didn't see that," then heads toward the door to the auto bays.

Eventually they head back to the fold, Nick finds his gal with hair clipped up on one side, and Ned finds something in the cooler, Nick's still not comfortable drinking alcohol in front of his folks. Evidently the hog has been cooking in the pit since last night and they're about to carve it a new one.

He asks Noreen, "So do we make sammiches with the hog?"

"I usually just chew on a leg."

"Later."

This gets him a threateningly raised eyebrow. "Mister I don't think you can handle later...if we can get away we can check on Billy's place, they left me the key, and there's a pool out back..."

"Hmmmm."

"Yeah. It's a clear night too, should be stars."

"I doubt my folks will stay past nine if that. Didn't bring my trunks tho."

She just grins and holds her gaze.

"Oh, right...out back."

"Now yer catchin' on, sport."

And then onto mingling and eventually a plate of shredded pork from somewhere on that hog, with a sweet Hawaiian bun and slaw, it seems her dad had spent some time down south and wouldn't have a cookout without it, funny how you reach an age when you can appreciate certain things.

As predicted, his folks had a wonderful time but needed to turn in soon, they head out and not long after Noreen starts giving him a look. He responds with an inquisitive gaze of his own and she leads them past the cooler, grabs a brew and sneaks it to him, "Keep this cold."

She drives. "So did you catch any eye candy over by the welders?"

"Bart says we didn't see that."

"Sounds about right. Actually that's a tradition, Daddy again, claimed it kept the welder sharp and focused, then Mom would sew or knit knickers and brassieres to glue on whenever she felt feisty."

"Classic," Nick grins.

"Was glad your parents could make it tonight, hope we didn't scare them too bad."

"This felt like one of Dad's company picnics actually."

"That works."

"Bart seemed to notice us sneaking off, made me wonder."

"Well he's about 4 or 5 beers deep at this point so don't wonder too much."

"Have you ever read the BC comic strip much?"

"Yeah sometimes."

"Starting to think he reminds me of Curls."

Noreen puts her hand to her mouth and giggles for most of a mile. Sooner than later they pull into a driveway and make their way through a well-kept house and to the back patio.

They crack the beer while slowly shedding outerwear and settle at pool's edge with four feet in. There's still the last bit of sun to hide behind the trees but there's no one else in sight or sound.

Before long she pops of her remaining underthings and slips into the water, artful backstrokes, confidently as always, giving him a peep of this and that here and there. 

"How's the water?"

"Like always, chilly at first."

"I can see that."

"Bite me."

Nick finishes the last of the can and joins her.

The embrace is familiar enough, and sultry, continuing where they'd left off earlier, but he feels he owes her, so he makes his way down her front side with his mouth then sets her on the edge and goes to town, downtown, gradually at first then kicks it in, fingers, teeth, explores everywhere with the hands, going for the gold, gets a knuckle deep into the back door, just to stay acquainted.

She gasps, "Nick, sweetie, you have nothing to prove."

He just continues, she responds, this time with a burst of air from wherever, a petite Bronx Cheer, then rests on the deck. Nick climbs out and scoops her up into his arms. "You said to bite you."

She doesn't even respond and he lets her rest a few minutes.

Eventually she stirs and clasps his arm, then feels around in her groin for a second.

"Anything missing?" He can't resist.

She looks up at him and pulls out the hair clip, slides back into the water, then pulls his arm. "Alright smarty, gimme what I came for."

Nick gets in and she wraps herself around him, feels his upper body then finds his member, kisses him, then heads to the edge to grab a flotation board and uses it to swim back to him. She faces him then leans back against the board and keeps a hold of it while wrapping her legs around his waist.

Once inside her he feels a mile wide, no need to hurry, the night is young, they move for a while, then stop a while, she just smiles into the stars, and eventually, she gets what she came for.

No-Nos and Old Boys

November, 1976

Nick and Tim are camped out on the dark green sofa staring at Hee Haw on a Zenith console as Ned relaxes with a beer and  grandma June and Irene cackle in the kitchen, at least the adults are having a good time. The old toys have been put away since the boys can't stop fighting over them and at this point are too tired to even pick at each other, not so much a physical tired, but tired of all the no-nos and getting growled at, they had to eat turkey and potatoes AGAIN, sometimes it's just too much work.

Ned's dad is busy with the radios and so they have to stay in here and be quiet until he is done, then they can visit him, although Tim really wants to play with the basement games but no one else will humor him while digesting. They are here for the night and then to grandparent's church in the morning for some unwanted attention.

Just as the twins with the guitars finish singing and they cut to commercial, "Boys? Wanna sit with me?"

He looks up and Paps is standing there with that half grin, "Come on."

So Nick gets up and looks at his brother, just slumped in the couch and looking hopeless, he doesn't appear much alive let alone interested. Tim’s been a pain lately anyway. Nick has been trying to experience a rocket launch with his bike along the sidewalk, which launches after a countdown from ten then you have to accelerate, and keep accelerating, to reach the moon. For it to work, someone else would need to run point and try to keep everyone else off the sidewalk or at least warn if there’s a car, but Tim usually just rides off to screw around. 

Screw ‘im, Nick makes his way back to the shack. It's a small, paneled room with a lot of shelves and the postcards with the letters and numbers, all different colors, and the aroma of pipe tobacco is stronger here than anywhere else in the house. Some of the shelves have books but the center piece are two layers of boxes with knobs, most say "Heath" but one has a red stamp that reads COLLINS.

"I just finished up the traffic net, sorry I had to shut everyone out but after all these years I still get distracted too easy."

Paps eases into his squeaky wheeled chair and dominates it, seated at an angle to the desk, his hand rests next to the thing he uses to send the clicks and beeps. After a burst of inspiration he starts tuning around on the Collins. "Lessee if any of these ne'er-do-wells are still around, we'll skedoo on up to sideband-land."

He reaches for a microphone, pulls it front and center and hits a few switches here and there. After a few turns of the dial there's a sound that's like a voice but just the cadence, then turns into a duck full of helium, then eventually he hears a thin voice that appears to be frustrated with deer hunting.

After a few more sentences Paps taps the base of the mic,"Haven't you learned to shoot straight yet? W9EAU."

"It's about time you piped up Jimmy, heard ya on the CW there, come on in."

"I just heard you so far Dave so I'll turn it back to the next in line, got my grandson Nick here, my younger boy's gang is up from Jameson."

A different voice, "WA9OVQ here- I'll pick it up, good to hear you Jim, Hi to Nick and tell Ned he needs to come join the hunt, and Dave, I know what you mean..." and he goes on.

Nick could smell a kind of heat in the air, similar to the back of a TV set, he asks Paps, "Do your radios have the bulbs inside?"

"Heh, yeah they have tubes in 'em, we're not to the point to have these rigs all solid state, shouldn't be long, I hear the Japs are working on it hand over fist, no surprise there."

The radio voices ramble on and Nick is content, he'd get hugged in the kitchen and otherwise it's the couch, but then pretty soon Ned and Tim appear at the door.

Paps looks up and says, "Watch this, " and motions Nick over.

"W9EAU with special guest, go ahead and say hi to these guys Nicky."

Nick steps up toward the mic, looks at Paps grinning, then up at his dad, also grinning, Tim is just slumped against the opposite doorpost, so Nick kinda shrugs and says, 

"Hey there old boys, whatcha doin?"

Paps simply unkeys the mic and puts his head down to chuckle, Ned bends over laughing, and there's a chorus of laughter from the speaker."

"Hey there Nicky, good to hear your voice, bud - Jim you better get this kid licensed before long."

"Roget that," another joins in.

"Hey Mister Nick."

Paps shakes his head and keys up, "Well there ya have it, he knows what he's talking about doesn't he? I think we're gonna head downstairs and play the table games with these monkeys, I'll QRT for now, have a good night if I don't make it back on here, whiskey-niiiinnnne-echo-alpha-united...seven-three."

After the round of seven-threes and guunites Paps keys for a final "gunnite all" and shuts down the boxes with the glowing bulbs inside.

Fair '92

Nick pulls into a grassy spot at the fairgrounds as directed by dude with the orange wand.

He muses, "That guy looks like he could be the shortest member of some garage band."

"Ever seen Green Day? He looks a lot like their front man." Noreen had shown up in a skirt and black flats that threw him off kilter, he'd complimented her at first sight and she duly flipped him off.

He goes around the Cordoba to meet her at her door, she's tugging the skirt into place when he hears a very clear quack-fart, after which she gives him a girlish look with full dimples.

After about a full minute of leaning over the trunk laughing she finally breaks in, "Are we just gonna do this all day dumbass?"

"Oh shit...yeah let's go."

Nick continues chuckling as they head to the gate, hand-in-hand. "You realize I owed you one."

"That's fair, you totally won tho."

"Don't forget it, either."

Still grinning he asks for two adult passes, and he goes into another guffaw, Noreen just crosses her arms. They proceed through the gate and get stamped, still chuckling, she drags him off to the side.

"Listen you motherfucker." Her face is really serious,

Nick sobers up.

She draws a breath and smiles slightly. "I love you."

His eyes widen.

"I wasn't sure when...you know..."

"Noreen."

She looks off to the side. He touches her face. She touches his hand, "Nick you don't have to say it back, I just couldn't wait, and I know you aren't very sentimental with words, hell neither am I, but this is..."

He pulls her close. After a few moments he softly kisses her lips, she gradually surrenders, then they're on the same page. The kiss ends and she rests on his shoulder for a bit.

Nick asks, "You ok?"

She draws a breath and looks at him, then turns to the midway and they join hands, and keep holding hands past the barkers, the vendors, the livestock, the 4H displays.

Once they've cased the joint, Nick pipes up, "Wanna ride anything?"

She digs her nails into his hand and he cringes. "So there's some rather attractive girls smiling at you I noticed."

"Yeah I saw a few from school."

"You didn't circulate much did you?"

"Nah."

When she doesn't respond he looks over and barely catches her grinning before she turns away.

"What?"

"There was a gal in one of the barns, tall and...um, rubenesque, looked at you as if you were a ghost."

"Oh, Bessie."

"Bessie?"

"Bessie Bessie Bessie. She's always here, must be volunteering for the 4H or whatever."

"Go on..."

"Back in junior high I had to use the can and the gang went on ahead, said I'd catch up, then while wandering about she introduces herself and trails me through a barn."

"Sounds romantic."

"She rambled a mile a minute and somehow managed to mention her parents are pretty strict but she thinks tickling is OK."

Noreen has to look away and laugh.

"She wore the same getup as today, long skirt...she can walk pretty fast though, like she has wheels under there..and I could swear she would undo a shirt button whenever I wasn't looking."

"OK you're shitting me now...although she does have pretty big jugs," as she sobers up her face enough to taunt with raised eyebrows.

"God, and big everything else, not to be mean but I only see a St. Bernard in glasses."

Noreen hugs his shoulders and kisses his cheek, still chuckling, then tuns to the vendors, "Ooh I smell vinegar fries...you getting hungry yet?"

Nick had to pause a minute, as a kid he practically turned green at the thought of vinegar fries when his folks would get those, but now they sound kinda good.

"Yeah actually, what could go with 'em?"

"Hmmmm...they have coneys...brats...burgers..."

"The usual list of suspects."

"I might just get a dog."

"Yeah same here, wanna split a mess a fries?"

They get that and a couple slushies, look for a table, then someone calls her name, and they join an older couple that she knows. Nick eats in peace while Noreen does all the talking, and he realizes this is a cozy arrangement.

* * * * *

The sky had gotten progressively darker so they left just after Nick found a decent billfold at a leather goods vendor.  He asks her if she wants to hit any stores and she giggles.

"What?"

After a pause, "I had a dream last night..."

"Should I ask?"

"You just did...so...we were at some department store, we were joking around like we do then...well, all of a sudden, my pants were down and you were spanking me."

Nick stops walking.

"Well you kinda asked."

He takes a deep breath, "Interesting."

"That's one way to put it." She traced her fingertips on his arm then took his hand, leaned on his shoulder and they walk on.

Not sure what else to do, he suggested they head out then he headed back to his house, Noreen just let the bench seat cradle her, she folded her arms and subtly beamed at the front window, eyes usually closed.

They arrive and find a note from his folks, they were helping Gramma June with something today and won't be back till after supper. As Nick read the note Noreen was still finger-doodling on his arm.

She asks, "Everything OK?"

"From where I'm standing it couldn't be better."

They embrace and kiss right on cue. He cradles her back and lifts her out of her shoes. At the point where she breaks it off to catch her breath he scoops her up and carries her up the stairs, something he normally wouldn't attempt.

Gradually their shirts come off and they work the upper decks. She pulls off the skirt but leaves on her soaked panties, he reciprocates, the begins rubbing his on the outside of hers, curious they had never done this before.

She admonishes in a hearty tone, "Honey you keep this up you're in for a wild ride."

Nick just keeps sawing away while holding down her elbows as if she would wiggle loose, she never sounded like this, not a pure mmmm, but more guttural, a tad nasal, mnmnmnmnmn...then rrrrrrgghhhhh...

He pauses and reaches down to find her clit enraged and tight, then moves her panties to the side. "Are you ready?"

She just pants.

He starts parting her lips, she turns her head to one side, breathing too hard to speak, eyes glued shut.

Gently he inserts. Her eyes roll into her head.

They begin to rock, pure instinct.

She digs her nails into his triceps then lets go and rubs the back of his head. This is all too new to Nick and the bewilderment serves him well, to hold out longer. Eventually he realizes she's juicy as a pressed peach down there, amazing to have her hot scent in his room finally.

Before long she moans softly, “back to the gypsy that I was...the gypsy that I was...”

Her moaning changes to rhythmic mmmm mmmm mmmm and he wonders if she's close, but he won't have long to wonder, she's tightened up and it's feeling that good dirty, finding an adult magazine on the side of a road while riding a bike, getting a peak up a skirt, hitting that right spot, and she continues, stronger voice, seems familiar to Nick but he can’t quite place the song,

“...lightning strikes maybe once...maybe twice...lights up the night...you see your gypsy...see your gypsy...”

When the squirting starts she freezes into a sculpture, hands clenched and she twitches inside, jerks a few times, then he eases down on top of her and she tries to help keep him in but falls asleep. 

The eagle has landed.

Nick gets up to grab a washcloth and can't help but give her a good look over, his angel asleep on a cloud, the face wrapped in a birds nest of blond locks, nipples now relaxed, knees still apart, showing a bit too much at the moment. He cleans up his business then places the cloth in her loins as he takes a place next to her, she jumps slightly, clears her throat, "Oh thanks," then positions the cloth and turns over to lean on him.

She drifts back off and he does briefly but gets to take it all in, lightning indeed strikes when it does, these past months. Back in the teen years they tell you to wait, wait till marriage, wait till you're in love, but at some point it just ain't gonna wait.

After a bit she comes to and draws closer, seemingly, little by little, regaining her wits.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Bo Peep..."

She buries her face in his shoulder. "Well almost anything."

"I didn't mean -"

"Nick, it's OK, you just have a way of getting to the heart."

"I don't think I'd ever thought to ask after all this time."

"I was dreading it, but...not in a bad way."

"Is there a story?"

"Bo peep is the story, the first thing I remember Dad reading me, from an old book that is still in the family."

"Oh."

"Yeah. He finally had a girl to read that too, told me to count sheep and fall asleep. Sometimes I still count sheep."

"I figured it was something special, since you never asked to see the card."

"One of these days I will sweetie."

"I know."

She kisses his cheek and lightly strokes his beard.

"I wish you didn't have to leave tonight."

"We'd get awfully crowded in here."

"It seems to work just fine."

"Nick you just made me feel things I didn't know were possible."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Do you hear any complaints?"

"Do we get our own tent on the camping thing?"

"You bet your sweet bippy."

"Interesting."

She knee-kicks him in the side of the thigh. "Hey that's gonna bruise."

"Good."

After a while he asks, "Are you OK with today?"

She responds by messing with his member, then when he gets close,

"Wonder if Bessie ever got tickled."

But our hero remains undeterred and soon they need the washcloth again, then they manage to get dressed and raid the fridge for leftovers before his folks get home.

Safety Belt

The radio bug had been biting harder lately.

Not so much with continuing the RTTY decoder, that will be there, this is summer, circuits can be built anytime but antenna work is seasonal, and some time well spent now will get things in place.

In the back of his mind, Nick was starting to wonder how long he would be living at home. He wasn't about to bring it up, but one has to wonder.

But such wondering goes better when we have something to tinker with, to listen to. The idea was to get his Novice radio license soon, hopefully before classes start. The Novice gives you mostly Morse code (CW) privileges here and there, which is where he is hoping to break in. His little wire in the tree was OK for listening but it's time to level up the game some.

Pap's library once again has the answer that feels right, a multi-band dipole, fanning out from a central point as the initial spans of a spider web. Ned had given his blessing to use the TV tower, these days exclusively used for Nick's signal fancies anyway. The catch is that Nick would have to do his own climbing.

These days his ready access to RadShack is truly a blessing, didn't need many supplies except the U-bracket and some cable, by the foot and yes the staff discount, got a few extra feet for good measure, plus the current license exam prep book. He figures out anchor points for the legs of three dipoles, six legs total, an insect for the spider, heh. 33 feet for 7 MHz are the longest then down to about 9 feet per leg for 28 MHz. This will be close enough to use Pap's old tuner, worst case, and may even work well enough without it.

Once everything is soldered it's time for a climb on a warm afternoon. It's shady at the bottom but won't be at top, hence a ball cap. He has to drag the apex to the top of the tower and clamp it on with the nuts and lock washers, then that's it for the tower, just need to attach the legs hither and yon.

The legs are already extended with the steel wire that should get them where they need to go. Nick didn't bother tracking down insulators, only had three of the old ceramic eggs, and PVC pipe is easy to cut, used it for the apex as well.

Ned is still on shutdown and coaches from the ground as he ascends from the roof using Pap's old climbing belt. Irene wants nothing to do with it and found some errands to run. Nick had packed his belt and pockets well, even with extra hardware in case he drops something. Rung by rung, foot by foot, finally gets a rhythm, just lean against the belt it will do its job, legs are a bit shaky after a while, kinda like being alone with Noreen. Sometimes you just gotta hit the pause button and think about Noreen.

"You OK up there?"

"Yeah, just having a moment."

"Oh I bet."

Alright, only halfway there, keep going...rung...rung...they all look alike. He gets to the top and the now-what sets in, a tingly free-floating kinda vibe, draws a breath and doesn't look down but around, so many roofs and trees, some tower tops at his level, and has no idea what he's doing there. Time to get fidgety, reaches for the clamp, massages it through the gray PVC, threads make a vruummmp and it's set, now the clamp with a shorter vrummp, second clamp around the tower, vrmp, now the blasted fasteners, body doesn't feel right, is this how it is for astronauts fixing shit in space?

Subconsciously Nick notices the rusty clamps holding up their 20-ish year old TV areal which probably hasn't been seen this close since it was put up, although it still works great, no telling if the clamp he's presently affixing will ever earn that much oxidation.

He uses an old Craftsman 7/16" combo wrench to seal the deal, doesn't drop any hardware, yayy, then realizes he didn't practiced with this belt near the ground. There's a whiff of honeysuckle now and then.

"Take your time on the down trip."

Nick pauses to think this through, then it hits, duh, just hold on and lean in, the belt slacks, woop, there it is. Before long he's back at the roof, disengages the belt and takes a seat.

"Was it everything you dreamed?"

"Oh and more, just hard to think up there."

"It definitely takes practice. Are you all set for the other stuff?"

"Yeah, thanks Dad."

"Just don't lose any tools or you'll be sleeping up there."

"Actually I'll come down and use a ladder to tie on."

"Good call, you know where it is."

The smaller legs will anchor nicely tied around gutter nails, the larger ones can tie to the fenceposts. Nick keeps hearing a song in his head while climbing around, a female black gospel lead heartily singing a kind of jingle,

"It ain't eeeeeaaaasssy when you're livin' in the...summer-time"

No idea where that came from but it's catchy, although things haven't been hard at all lately, time to refocus, look to what's next, working here and there just to keep a sense of structure, the money is always handy. The Cordobeast needs gas and he's starting to think about downsizing, hadn't brought it up with Ned yet.

He routes the feedline coax into his room, through the window for now and insulated with foam, pops a connector on and powers up. The 7MHz band is a tad noisy but has some decent signals, someone with a desk mic obviously sounds like he's right in the room, some CW ragchews further down. The higher bands have a few light, distant signals, time for a sandwich and nap.

* * * * *

"Are you watching?"

"Yeah just got back here flipped it on, looks like Klingon stuff tonight."

"So I found the concert listings."

"Anything good?"

"Well the newer bands are here and there, but then KISS is not till mid-fall."

"My brothers might want to hit one of their shows."

"And the big deal is Metallica and GNR."

"Bleh...."

"Yeah too much drama, never really warmed up to that Axl. Metallica kicks ass but-"

"What else ya got?"

"I gots...OH - Def Lep will do a couple nights in Chi-Chi at the end of August."

Silence.

"Hon?"

"What are the dates?"

"It's the last weekend in August, looks like Friday then Saturday nights. Why does it sound like you're up to something?"

After a devious laugh, "Can I call you back?"

"Yeah, what are you-"

"Talk in a few, watch the Klingons." Click.

Nick just shakes his head and grabs some grapes from the fridge. About 20 minutes later the phone rings.

"Hey..."

"Do I wanna know?"

"Shush, I just got a hold of Mindy, went to school with her and Rob, they basically fell in love at a Def Leppard show around the time we graduated, they've been so busy, blah blah, she didn't even know they were coming around but might want to go, sound good?"

"Well yeah, sounds like a late night."

"Oh don't be such an old fart, we can split the driving, Rob might do it all even, he's that type. I'm gonna check on tickets tomorrow."

"I'm covering both of ours."

"Nick-"

"No arguing."

She pauses, "This just sounds so cool, I hope it works out."

"So I got an antenna put up today."

"Wow did you climb the tower and everything?"

"Yeah and the ladder a bunch of times."

"Are you feeling it yet?"

"A little, Dad said to keep the Tylenol handy the next few days."

"Any good signals?"

"The usual but they sound better now, just need the ticket to ride."

"I'm glad you have radio sweetie, we all need something like that."

"And someone like you."

She just sighs. "Nick-"

"What? I though of you while climbing."

"Umm, that could go a number of ways."

"Made me feel at ease."

"I'm glad."

"Too bad AC/DC isn't coming around, heard one that made me think of you."

"Do I wanna know?"

"Touch Too Much..."

"Oh I remember that one, is this damn woman gonna drive you insane?"

"Well if I had to lose my mind what better way to go..."

"The mood of that tune is pretty hot, lights down, nuthin' on but music..."

"Can I get a mmm?"

"I think you know too well how to get a mmmm Swanson."

"So what have you been up to this week?"

"God, always with the tease...well, the usual, should hear from the campus soon, they're getting enrollment figured out."

"So how does that work, which classes to offer?"

"They're in the catalog, already technically offered, just have to see who signs up for what."

"Kinda what I thought."

"Well having me close saves 'em from getting someone to drive from main campus three days a week, and that's just awesome."

"Ahh yeah hadn't thought of that."

She lets it linger a few seconds. "Thanks for looking up the concerts babe, That will give us something to look forward to...OH...just remembered...there's been rumbles around here about tent camping down at the lake, would be right before classes start back, maybe two nights on a weekend, if you can handle it."

"Can you handle me for two nights?"

"Listen bucko -"

"That sounds great hon."

They watch a few more minutes of TNG then call it a night.