Chapter 28

I know I shouldn’t admit this, but driving back from the strip club to my apartment my mind was in such turmoil I wasn’t paying the least bit of attention to my driving. I had confirmation Hollis and Price not only were responsible for Slim’s demise, but Hollis was the person we were all looking for now. I also hoped maybe there might be a lead on how to go about finding Hollis. I knew I should probably call Jeff L. and tell him about Lan, but I wasn’t ready to talk to him just yet. And now I was headed home, and my mind was more consumed with Sharon and how I was going to resolve a relationship with her without damaging our friendship.

When I pulled into the garage, I was stunned to see I was already home. I didn’t remember a thing about the drive home from the strip club. I found that troubling. Was this God’s way of trying to tell me I wasn’t supposed to be driving? Glancing over at Sharon’s parking spot I noticed her car sitting there. I hoped it meant she was home.

Since leaving Walter and Thien, my thoughts had strayed often to Sharon. Last weekend with her had been like no other I’ve ever had with a woman. Last weekend was what poets write about, why there are love songs—the stuff of dreams. I’ll admit if this was what true love was all about, I’m hooked.

I took the elevator to my floor. When I reached my place, I headed towards the back door to let BJ outside do her thing. I walked with BJ to the end of the walkway and while standing at the end, I heard the steel mesh door open and then clang shut. I turned. I watched as Sharon came towards me and at that moment, I thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. She slipped her arms around my waist and said, “I’ve missed you. You were gone for so long.” Her voice was a whisper.

“I’m sorry. Walter and his wife asked me to stay for an extra night and I did. I would have called, but he’s so far out in the toolies, there isn’t any cell phone service.” Then I said something I’d thought I’d never say to a woman again, “I missed you, too. And you know something else, I love you.” Her eyes were big and round, her lips in a little grin,

“Really?”

“Really, really. We need to talk.”

Sharon frowned, “Oh shit, is this a good ‘we need to talk’ or do I need to have a drink first?” Sharon winked at me, so I knew she was kidding. “You’re not telling me you love me just to appease some part of you that feels bad, because of last weekend?”

“NO! That’s not it at all. I’ve discovered I really do love you, and yeah, we do need to talk.”

Sharon’s smile would have melted an ice cube, “I’m telling you a secret, but I’m glad you were gone for a couple of days. By Sunday night my pussy was sore, but it was heaven. However, last weekend frightened me.”

My voice went up an octave, “You! I’m the one they call Mr. Cool and all I can think about is you.”

Sharon kissed my cheek and told me, “When BJ finishes, I’ll be in the front room. It’s cold out here.” After Sharon left, I kept encouraging BJ to finish her business, and as always, she had to fool around sniffing all the foliage in the lot. Finally, she finished, and we came back down the walkway. The weather was cold enough, the moisture on the walkway was icy, and I had to move carefully in order not to slip.

When I got to my front room, Sharon was sitting on the couch with a drink in her hand, looking off towards the canal. There was another glass on the table in front of her for me. I sat down beside her, and with her snuggled next to me, we just watched the movement on the canal for a while. We observed a couple of small boats braving the cold evening as they moved up and down the canal, their lights reflecting off the water. We sipped our drinks, looking at the lights making patterns on the water. I can’t really describe it completely, but in that moment, I was at peace with the world. I knew Hollis was somewhere out there and I hoped the police were looking for him. I knew there were still problems with the houseboat I needed to resolve, but just sitting with Sharon on the couch stilled my soul.

I turned my head to look at her, “I talked about you with somebody the last couple of days.”

“Who?” Surprise in her voice.

“Did I ever tell you about Walter?”

“The dude who saved your life in Nam and then you took him over to the peninsula somewhere?”

“Very good, one and the same.”

“Why did you ask me about Walter?”

“Well, he built a cabin on that piece of land I owned over there, and I gave part of the land to him.” I chuckled and revised my statement, “Perhaps cabin isn’t really the best word to use. The place is perhaps the most unusual structure you’ve ever seen. It’s a cabin of sorts, but more than that, it’s truly a work of art. Walter has done the most spectacular job you could ever imagine. He used stuff he found over there scattered around the forest, fallen trees he bucked up and then split, burned logs which had the burls exposed that he turned into tables, coffee table and end tables. Then there’s the river rock. He packed up the mountain from the stream and made this amazing fireplace. Sharon, the whole place is a work of art.” I paused as I reflected over what he’d created out of materials lying about.

“Anyway, after I took him over there and he decided to stay and live up in the mountains, he came back to retrieve his stuff from down in Chinatown. Back in Nam, Walter befriended a family, and he was instrumental in getting them out of the country when things started to fall apart in ‘75. The family he saved have a daughter, Thien, who was, or should I say is, in love with Walter. She’s much younger than Walter and at first, he didn’t want to take her with him. She insisted, and now they live together in his cabin. Now she’s pregnant.

“Thien and I had a talk about you. She could tell from something in my face you and I had spent some time together. I don’t know how, but she could sense I was trying to deal with how intense things had become between us, and my emotions regarding you. Just from the way I looked, she told me a few things which pointed out how special you are. She seems to possess some sort of ability to see inside the soul. She helped me understand how special you are. She also wants me to bring you over so she can meet you. She believes you have some very special magic to tame someone like me.” Sharon laughed.

I continued, “Last weekend when we made love, it was special to me. I couldn’t get enough to you and now it’s something I want more.”

“I know, it took two days for me to recover.” She giggled.

“Well, I hope things are ready to go because I am so in the mood.” Sharon started to talk, but I put my finger to her lips. “Please, let me finish. I want us together; but not like married, at least not yet. I want you with me, because I want us together, not because we have some piece of paper saying we’re together. It’s important to me that we’re together, because I want to wake up next to you, to share my life with you, and not because somebody grumbled some words over us. I want us together because that’s what we both want, not because the law says we are. And the amazing thing is I’m even telling you all of this.”

I stopped and took a breath, “My turn?” Sharon asked. I smiled and she returned the smile. “Okay! I want us together, the same as you. That time I was in so much pain because my patient died, and when you took me in your arms, the pain went away. When you made love to me, it was ... well, like magic. I know it sounds so stupid, but I lack the words to properly describe it. My body wanted you again, but I was afraid because that time with you was so intense.

“After last weekend, I want you so much it borders on hunger. When I think about the things we did I become wet, turned on, and wanting you. Matt, that doesn’t happen to me. At one time, when we had sex, it was more combat than making love,” I nodded. I understood exactly what she meant. “Lately, it seems to get better and better. I crave you; I need you. I agree, I like the idea of us being together and not just because we have a license. I totally understand. I love you too.”