Chapter 35: Good Dreams

I must have slept well because when I woke up I wasn't drowsy. A quick trip to the bathroom to wash my face, and I was awake. Back in the living room, I was feeling very upbeat, until my thoughts went to Dana, and tonight. I didn't want to have an episode with her like the one I had last night. Going over Kathy's CD collection, I looked for something that would help improve my mood. Bruce Springsteen did the trick.

Kathy arrived shortly, and as I expected, gave me a critical look, like doctors do to see if their patient has been good! She tried to be inconspicuous about it, but she wasn't very successful. When I raised an eyebrow prompting her, she responded with a shrug, and said, "You know me. This morning you didn't look good, and I had my doubts if you'd be careful with your work out."

"So, what's the verdict?"

"You must have been good," she retorted.

"Thanks, Ma."

Ignoring my response, she asked, "Did you really go to the gym?"

"Yeah. Light work out and an hour under the sunlamp."

She scrutinized me for a few seconds. "It looks good. I hate you. You always tan so easily. One or two more sessions, and nobody will notice it," she said, tracing her fingers along my cheek.

"What can I say. Like father, like son," I teased.

It was something from our childhood, and still continued to this day. Like Dad, I tanned easily and quickly. Three days by the beach, and we had a good tan, and the rest of the vacation, we would continue deepening our tan, as if putting new coats of paint on a wall. Kathy and Mom had fairer skin, and they had to be careful not to get sunburned the first few days. But after a week, they would have almost as good a tan as Dad and I. However, we got to keep our tan for several months, whereas Mom and Kathy lost it after a month or two, depending on the length of the vacation and their exposure. The last several years, I was almost permanently tanned, because I was exposed to the sun while I worked and during my off time. Even in wintertime I didn't loose my tan too much; I managed to benefit from the little bit of sun offered by the moderately warm Mediterranean climate in the southern coastline or complemented by visits to the gym and the sunlamp.

Grasping my chin between her fingers, she squeezed hard, and said, "Be nice to your sister."

"I'm always nice to you, Kathy. The dinner is more than half ready."

"You did not!"

I nodded.

"I thought we would do it together," she pouted.

"Well, there were a few things that needed to be prepared, and then there's the actual cooking. I wanted you to take it easy."

Her eyes softened, and she gave me a kiss.

"Umm... I need to change the sheets on the bed," I said, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Getting ready for Dana?" she teased.

"Be nice. And, try to be quieter tonight," I returned fire.

She blushed beautifully, not expecting my quip, and before she could respond, I added, "Just kidding. I'm glad I'm not cramping your life."

"Sarah and you were pretty noisy, too," she responded, but I shrugged it off.

"Don't tell me you don't know how noisy she can get," I replied. "Now, go get me the sheets and take a shower. Then we get to cooking."

After her shower, she joined me in the kitchen, and I went over the menu, explaining what I was planning. She was curious about the salmon dish. Even though we were familiar with different cuisines, including Chinese, this was going to be a first for Kathy. I had had sushi with my sensei a few times, and I liked it very much, but still, eating raw fish wasn't something I was used to, and I knew Kathy never had any Japanese food. Well, this wasn't going to be exactly Japanese, being slightly modified for our taste buds, but it was something different. We were busy for a while preparing the starters, salads and setting up the table. She told me Mark would be arriving around eight, and Sarah had called her to tell her she was staying at home to study and finish her reports.

It was getting close to seven when I drove to the airport to meet Dana. I was a bit early, and checked the information board for any delays, but her flight was on schedule. I went to the cafe/bar she mentioned in her message, to wait for her, while having a cup of coffee. I heard the announcement that her flight had landed and about twenty minutes later, she was walking into the cafe/bar, looking for me. When I stood up, she smiled, and walked to the table. As she took her seat, she gave a quizzical look.

"I got tired of looking old and tired," I offered, then told her about Kathy's reaction when I overdid my work out yesterday. "I'm still a bit sore and stiff from that work out."

As we were driving to Kathy's I told her Sarah was studying and would not be joining us for the dinner, and Dana asked me to drive by her place to say 'hello, ' and see if we could change her mind. When we knocked on her door, Sarah was surprised to see us, but very pleased as well. We stayed for a few minutes. There was a stack of papers, files, and a big box of pizza on the low table in her living room, and from the looks of things, she was getting ready for a long night. Thus, we didn't insist on the dinner invitation, and left her.

Back at Kathy's, Dana dropped her overnight bag in my room and went for a quick shower, while I sat with Kathy and Mark. Dana joined us, and we enjoyed the starters and white wine, chatting, to let Mark and Dana unwind from a busy day. A half hour later, I went to the kitchen and started on the salmon, and they sat at the table, talking and enjoying the starters. Ten minutes later, I was serving, and we had a pleasant dinner. I was gratified to see everybody enjoying my experiment, and Dana asked how and why I learned cooking, which gave the opening for Kathy to talk about our childhood. After dessert and coffee, Dana offered to help her with washing the dishes. Of course, Kathy refused, reminding her that she was a guest, but Dana was very insistent.

"Nonsense. We can gossip, and you can tell me embarrassing stories about Mitch's childhood," she retorted shooting a teasing look at me. Then, she added, "They will find something to keep busy."

"Oh, I'd better tell them when we're all together. You wouldn't want to miss his expression, would you?" Kathy responded, joining in the teasing.

While the girls were busy at the kitchen, Mark and I retired to the living room. I asked about his day, wondering how it was going, and he told me he had spent most of the day visiting people, checking out offices, and discussing prices. He had decided on one particular place, which had the office space, as well as extra space that could be used for storage and to set up a workshop to do repairs and maintenance. The only problem was price, and he was trying to negotiate a better deal; he had already talked with his boss about the high costs. Strangely enough he had not gotten any flack or resistance from him, except to try his best, and look for possible alternatives. He told me he had found a cheap alternative spot, but in the outskirts of the town. The traffic was horrendous, and the location would not offer a high visibility to their clients because it was located at a very out-of-the-way spot.

Finishing the clean up the girls joined us, and we talked about inconsequential things, until Kathy asked how we met. I wasn't expecting the question, and it took me by surprise. I should have expected it, since Dana was here, and I couldn't figure out whether Kathy was just being curious or was probing. Dana was smooth, and she replied I was having a bit of difficulty at the airport, and she had offered help, which gave me time to collect myself, and come up with an explanation.

"I was pretty beat up from the last few days at the rig, and she must have noticed it in the plane," I said, getting a nod from Dana. "So, at the airport, when she saw me looking confused and lost, she helped me. I didn't want to show my face looking like that and worry you and Mom, so I decided to spend the night in a hotel. At the hotel we had dinner and had a great time talking and well... one thing led to another."

Kathy was still wondering why I would be lost or confused. Then, there was the issue about my past, and why I would talk about something like that with a complete stranger. I knew she didn't buy my story, and probably she guessed there was more to it then what I was telling her, but she couldn't probe further without being impolite. To ease her suspicions, I told her that Dana had studied nursing before she became a flight attendant, at which point Dana picked up the conversation, and told Kathy about how she remembered me from the flight, and offered help at the airport, because her nursing instincts had kicked in. Kathy seemed to be satisfied, but I wasn't sure.

"You saw how I was the next day. If I had showed up looking the way I did at the airport, I think Mom would have had a stroke. I hadn't slept for more than 30 hours before I boarded the plane," I added, for good measure, trying to ease her suspicions.

Kathy chuckled, and said, "I must say you're right. You didn't look bad, but I remember how Mom reacted. And Dana wouldn't be here if things had turned out differently."

The conversation moved to other subjects, and we talked about our respective families. Kathy mentioned a few childhood memories, selected strictly by the degree of embarrassment they would cause me, and got quite a few chuckles and laughs from Dana. The rest of the night was uneventful, but my mind was busy with my nightmare, and I was thinking about how to broach the subject with Dana when we were alone. Before long it was bedtime, and Dana and I retired to my room, while Mark helped Kathy tidy up the place before they went to their bedroom.

We were in the bed, sitting, with Dana snuggled to me, running her hands over my chest. She sensed I was preoccupied with something, and was waiting for me to talk about it. I was reluctant, because I didn't want to worry or scare her, and I really didn't want to tell her about my dream. It had been very violent, unlike other dreams or nightmares I had had. But, when she gave me an imploring look, I knew I couldn't avoid it.

With a resigned sigh, I said, "Last night I had a bad dream. Sort of a nightmare. First one in a long time, and... I'm worried about scaring you with another episode like that tonight."

"Do you remember what it was?" she asked, when I didn't continue.

"I remember it was bad, and scary," I said, not wanting to go into details.

Running her hand on my arm to sooth me, she prompted, "Mitch, you're forgetting I have a bit of experience with trauma and similar problems. Can you tell me more about it?"

"I remember parts of it, but... I really don't want to get into it," I replied. "It must have been very unpleasant because my blanket and sheets were on the floor when I woke up. I must have been thrashing."

"Do you have any idea why it might have happened?"

"I'm not sure why it happened. Perhaps because I was too tired. I don't know. Sometimes, I had had nightmares on the rig when I was too tired. I don't usually remember them."

After giving me an appraising look, she asked, "There's more to it than that, isn't it?"

"Kind of. It's usually some kind of a strange dream, a memory or similar that gets jumbled up, triggered by something that relates to the past. Yesterday, my mind had been busy with the past, and I was expecting something like that. This was different, and violent. I remember that much."

"Is that why Sarah wasn't with you?"

"No, she went back home after dinner to study."

She raised an eyebrow, making me smile.

"Sometimes I wonder if you're telepathic. No, she really had to study, but I was relieved. I wanted to be alone if something happened."

"Don't you think it would have been better if you weren't alone? She's your friend, she's a doctor, and she cares about you."

"I... I don't want her scared, didn't want her to witness something like that. I don't want you to witness something like that."

"Why?"

It all came back to the same thing: being a burden. I didn't want to be a burden, even though I knew I should share my problems, as well as my happiness. We had talked about it a few nights ago, but...

When I didn't answer, she said, "Mitch, I know it's a big change. I understand that. You've been independent, self reliant, and now you find yourself in a difficult situation. One part of you tells you to keep it inside, and another tells you to share it. You're not..." She paused as if she was searching for the right word, before she continued. "You're not a burden or a trouble, when you talk about your problems. We've talked about that."

"I know... it's just that things happen so fast. After so long time, you're in my life, and then Sarah. I'm happy. You can't know how happy I am, but I'm also concerned how I seem to grab onto that happiness with such hunger at times. It makes me feel guilty. I don't jump in like I did, you know?"

"I know. But I want to be there for you," she said, with a small smile, and held my eyes for a long moment. "Sarah wants to be there. Kathy also."

I remembered something, and was thinking about it, while she waited for me to speak up my mind.

"I don't remember if I read it in a book or heard it in a movie, however it's a phrase that has a ring of truth: 'Don't get involved with somebody who has more problems than you have.' When I think about us, it looks like there seems to be no end to my problems or issues, and I end up dropping them into your lap. That makes me uneasy, and I feel guilty. I can't help but think you might be better off with somebody else."

She sat up and moved to face me, before she held my chin. Looking in my eyes, she asked, "Because I don't need that kind of complications in my life, is that it?"

I nodded, hesitantly, not trusting myself to speak up. She was quiet for a few seconds.

"Do you know what I see when I look at you?" she asked softly. She looked up. When she had my attention completely, she continued. "I see a very good man, who's lost in a deep tunnel under the ground, struggling to walk under the sun again. I want to be there when he's finally out of that dark tunnel, and to see him walk under the sun. He's already shown me, and continues to show me how to walk in the sun. But, that's only part of it. He's passionate, strong willed, and he can do so much better. Because he has so much to give. He's somebody I would like to know, and have as a friend. He has good people around him, people I want to get to know more, because I believe they can make my life rich."

As I stared at her, stunned, she added, "It's not as one sided as you think, Mitch. You enrich my life, as much as you think I enrich your life."

Before I could say another word, which was impossible because I was still tongue tied at her words, she kissed me, making my head spin. After the kiss, I tried to talk, but she put a finger on my lips, shushing me, then wrapped her arms around me, resting her cheek against my chest. When I got over my shock, I managed to collect myself enough to wrap my arms around her and held her, my nose buried in her hair, smelling her fragrance. We sat like that for long minutes, until we heard faint sounds drifting from the other bedroom, the soft moans of a woman in the throes of passion. I felt Dana shaking, and then I heard her giggles.

"She must be having a very good dream," she quipped, making me chuckle.

As we caught the faint sounds of their lovemaking, I felt her getting aroused. Her nipples were swelling and in a very short while they were hard, digging into my side. I was getting hard as well. Our hands got busy exploring each other. Eventually we heard what sounded like a short scream, and Dana quipped, "I think I'd like to have what she's having."

She arranged us in the middle of the bed. I was sitting with my legs stretched, and after making sure she was wet, she straddled me, sitting on my lap with my cock buried deep inside her, and locked her feet behind my back. We made love slowly, entwined with each other, caressing, sharing kisses. She made little moves, rubbing her clitoris on my pubes, but mostly stayed motionless and used her inner muscles. It was dreamy, and we found ourselves connected more than physically, sharing something deeper. It felt like we were riding above the clouds, with the sun shining on us, warming us, melting us, making us meld to each other.

I was so lost in that dreamy feeling that I didn't even realize I had come, or that we had changed position-she later told me. I became aware of my surroundings when we were having our second round. I found myself on top of her, her ankles on my shoulders, and her body bent in half. I was thrusting into her at a very slow pace, while she clutched my neck and kissed me, moaning into my mouth. She broke the kiss to catch her breath, and gave a short scream, quickly pressing her head to my neck to stifle it. Thrusting into her depths, I joined her in her orgasm, shaking with the intensity of it. When she came down from her orgasm, I let her move her ankles, and she urged me to roll us to our side. A few minutes later, we fell asleep, still connected to each other.

I woke to her movement, feeling chilled. I realized she was covering us with the sheet and the blanket. When she noticed I was awake, she kissed me, then moved down under the sheets. I felt her lips around my cock, and she got me hard with her ministrations. Assuming a spoon position, she guided me inside her, then pulled my hand to her tit, holding my hand in place with her hand. With a sigh, she let her body sag against me, and whispered, "Let's sleep."