Chapter 5

Tuesday

The worst thing about having a window over the pool is that when the sun comes up right over the water it lights up the bedroom with no consideration for your lack of sleep. I’d slept fitfully.

As I got up I half considered dressing up a little, trying to look nice but then thought about what Melissa had said. She was going to get me how I am. Jeans and polo shirt it would be then. I did spend a bit of extra time shaving and bothered to brush my hair though. I could pretend to be a member of civilization. As an early to rise sort it was only 6 AM. Wandering down to the cave, my basement office, I checked email. All of my projects were on or ahead of schedule. The last few samples from South America were showing that my projections were dead on so far. It would be months before we did the first deep samples but it was looking like a home run. I didn’t take many vacations so I decided a second day in a row wouldn’t hurt and let my boss Tony know after answering a few routine emails. I think there is some sort of form to fill out but I figured someone would take care of it. Grocery delivery wasn’t until tomorrow and I had planned trying out some new quiches today and tomorrow but I decided on something more robust for my guests.

I picked up my phone. I had waited all night to call but fortunately, 6:15 wasn’t early for cattle farmers. Someone picked up on the third ring,

“Molson Farms.”

“Hi Katie, it’s Rob Carlo.”

“Hey Rob, what can we do for you?”

“I’m looking for some hanger steak, fresh if you’ve got any.”

“We’re doing delivery to some restaurants in a few hours. I don’t know what’s on the order but I’m sure we can do something and put it in your delivery for next week.”

“Actually, and I know this is sudden, but I was hoping I could come to grab it this morning.”

“Wow. OK. Um ... Look, you’re a good guy Rob but we don’t do special orders and let people come pick stuff up like this.”

“I promise you it’s special and I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t. It’d be a big favor.”

“And I heard you right, you’re coming to get it? Shin can’t bring you stuff today.”

“Yep, I’ll drive out there. And I need enough for three people.”

Katie’s voice changed to curious. “How long have you known these people are coming over?”

“Well ... she texted and asked last night.”

“She?”

“She.”

“And the other?”

“Her friend.”

Katie’s voice changed from stern to curious. “How long has she been worth a favor?”

“Every second since I met her but I didn’t really know it until a few days ago.”

I heard her laugh through the phone. “And this is your first interrogation isn’t it?”

“Something like that.”

“OK, you’re lucky I’m a romantic but you better get steady with this girl because we’re not doing this again.”

“I can come to get it?”

“You can, you goat, and you better bring me a jar of your honey.”

“Yes ma’am, I will.”

By 10 AM I was home with not just the steak but half a dozen other things I wanted fresh. My phone dinged just as I was back in the door.

M: still good for lunch?

R: all good, about to start miss en place R: er, mise en place, sorry autocorrect

M: wha?

R: getting everything ordered before I start

M: u r sexy when you’re like this

R: like what?

M: like u

I’d didn’t have anything else to say so I closed the messenger app and opened up the smart home apps. The soundbar and lights came on in the kitchen and in another minute I had music starting to play. The next few hours went by faster than I would have thought and by 12:30 I had just pulled the steak off the stove from searing it and was letting it rest when I heard Melissa’s voice echo through the hallway.

“Hey, Robert!”

“Kitchen” I yelled back and platted the squares of steak.

In walked Melissa, in a dress for the first time in a long time, a sleeveless dress that went to mid-thigh, paisley in reds and blues but dark enough to pair well with the black sapphire earrings she wore. The girl with her looked exactly like her Instagram photos. She was a few inches shorter than Melissa with a bust at least a cup larger. It was on glorious display in a bright blue dress that seemed to be more of a smock. It flowed freely around her hips and legs disguising any shape but the front was cut out in a deep V to make sure you could see everything. A smaller chested woman would have problems wearing it I imagine unless it was supposed to go to their navel. On Lavi, her magnificent globes tented it out. Her skin was a rich olive color you don’t get from tanning and the only thing that interrupted the expanse was a single cross strap. I wondered what that strap was because it didn’t look like part of a bra but it had to be as I don’t think she could have walked a few steps without shaking free otherwise. She had the body shape of one of those fertility statues they’ve dug up from the Stone Age just without the belly. She wasn’t fat but where Melissa was toned and strong Lavi was curvy and the curves were soft.

I held out my hand to her and she took it a bit warily, obviously not used to shaking hands.

“A pleasure. Robert.”

“Lavi.” She smiled and looked to Melissa, “You were right.”

Melissa tried to hide her amusement and failed.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing,” Melissa said. “It smells amazing, please tell me we’re going to eat.” She sighed as she said the last of it.

“Sure but you have to earn your keep. Lavi, there is a pitcher in the fridge of sangria, another of water, grab both. Melissa, grab the bowl of salad, it’s in there too to keep it fresh. I’ll get the steak and veggies. Plates, utensils, glasses are outside already.”

We walked outside and I’d made the poor decision to walk first so I didn’t have the view of them in front of me. We all placed our dishes and carafes on the outdoor table under the awning and fan. It was hot but pleasant in the shade, a perfect day for eating outside. I pulled out Melissa’s chair.

“My Bee.”

That earned me a kiss on the lips that made my step lighten. I pulled out Lavi’s also to be polite but stepped away quickly after nodding my head in acknowledgment.

“I hope you enjoy it.”

“Wine?” That was Lavi.

“Well, that’s for me, I didn’t know if you’d like any. It’s sangria, not very strong and further diluted by the mango and pineapple. We have water too.”

Melissa reached for the carafe, filling her glass and mine. “If I drink you’re not contributing to the delinquency of a minor but Lavi is only seventeen. And driving.”

The brunette did not appear happy.

“But,” I offered, “I won’t tell if no one else does. Besides, it’s not strong and we’ll only have a glass or two.”

Both smiled at me and I had the sense that I had just passed some kind of test. Melissa was radiant as I held up the carafe and Lavi held her glass for me to fill.

“So, what is this all?” Lavi asked.

“Well, morsels of hanger steak, in the sous vide for two hours to keep the moisture and then seared with my own rub. Arugala salad with pine nuts and feta, a lite raspberry vinaigrette, I made it while the meat cooked. The Brussel sprouts are baked with truffle oil and black pepper.”

Both girls looked at each other with some apprehension. I grinned. “Give them a try. Brussel sprouts are usually gross but they’re also usually not cooked well.”

Melissa was the braver of the pair, took one from the tray with her fork and put it past her delicious lips. Her face was stoic and then slowly turned to pleasure.

“That’s fucking brilliant.”

Lavi then took one with a bit of determination to not be shown up. She looked concerned that it might, in fact, be poisonous. She held her mouth open in a little O and then slowly put it in, closed her lips and then ... well, she wasn’t going to be calling it brilliant but she did seem surprised.

“Not bad.”

“Yeah,” I offered, “I hated Brussel sprouts as a kid. Still don’t like them usually but I do like them like this.” For a few moments, we ate in silence while everyone tasted everything. It was Lavi who broke the silence. I tried not to stare down the canyon between her mountains.

“So, what do you do Robert?”

“Me? Nothing interesting. Computer stuff.”

“It’s more than that.” Melissa contributed between bites.

“Like computer programming?”

“No, no. I do a little but not the big coding stuff. I work with data, take rock drilling samples, survey data and create an analysis for where the best next place to do samples is.”

“So ... that’s...”

“Boring.” I provided. I liked my pun but they didn’t get it.

“How they find oil, gases, rare minerals,” Melissa added.

“Woah, that’s big money stuff.”

I groaned internally. I’d had this conversation before.

“Not for me. I work for a non-profit. We help them drill indirectly, find ways to get at deposits that won’t destroy ecologically sensitive areas, things like that. It usually ends up costing them a ton of extra money so we can’t charge much.”

“So, you’re some kind of eco crusader?”

“No.” I ate more steak. “I just like what I do.”

“No office or anything?”

“Just my bat-cave.”

“Your what?”

I smiled. “Lots of computers in the basement.”

“Oh.”

“I attend a virtual meeting once every two weeks. Once a year or so I might suffer through a conference.”

“No customer meetings?”

“No, my bosses keep that stuff off me. We have an unspoken agreement.”

“Which is?”

“I don’t go work for a big company, they don’t make me feel like I’m working for one.”

Melissa remained quiet during Lavi’s interrogation but made great progress on her steak. I went ahead and put two more pieces from the central dish on her plate and she smiled. I had been sipping my sangria and she refilled it.

Lavi blurted, “Did you two get married and no one tells me? Holy shit.”

Melissa and I both looked up at her.

“Adding to her plate, her refilling your glass, you’re not even looking at each other much less talking. My parents have been married for nineteen years and don’t do that.”

I shrugged and took a bite of salad after looking at Melissa’s blue eyes. She seemed amused.

“What about you, senior in school this year, like Melissa?”

“Yep.”

“How long have you known each other?”

“Since 8th grade. My parents moved here from Israel. I was the outsider, my English was rough and Mel was held back so we were the two freaks.”

“Sisters since.” Melissa declared it as she and Lavi high fived in a melodramatic and lazy way over the table. It was cute.

“You mentioned being held back a grade, what happened?”

Melissa looked at me. “I got sick.” Another piece of steak went into her mouth, chewed slowly.

“For a year?”

Lavi, “Yep.”

“What was it?”

Melissa, “Dengue fever.”

I blinked. “Dengue fever?”

“Yep.” Lavi again answered for her. Melissa just nodded.

Melissa sighed and then seemed to decide to get it over with, “I got it and it came back like it was dormant in my system. Again and again. It was bad. It escalated to what they call hemorrhagic. And it kept returning so they kept me in a special ward until they were sure it was gone. Took months and months and by the time it was done they didn’t want me coming back to school, or really around anyone even though it doesn’t work like that. Only mosquitos carry it.”

“They couldn’t bring you assignments and stuff? So that you didn’t get held back.”

She shook her head.

“Mel wasn’t in a good headspace at the time,” Lavi offered.

“You didn’t know her then did you?”

“Not until the next year, but I wish I had.” Melissa smiled wanly at her and I reached over to rub Melissa’s forearm.

“That’s why my mom gets psycho when I get home and am a bit ... off-kilter. She’s afraid I’m getting sick again.”

“But it’s been what, three years?” I was having trouble keeping some of this straight.

“Four,” Melissa countered.

“How did you get dengue fever?”

“No one’s sure but our neighbor had just come back from Vietnam. Maybe a mosquito somehow got into her stuff and then bit me. Shouldn’t have survived in a trans-pacific cargo hold. She wasn’t sick, no one in her house was, I didn’t go in her house but it’s the only link anyone could make a guess to.”

It was a weak smile. I could tell that took a lot.

“I understand there is a medical journal article about me.” She was pushing the salad around on her plate.

I looked at Melissa, stood up and walked around, putting my fingers under her chin and kissed her. She tasted of sangria this time. “Well, I’m not surprised you’re a medical marvel, you’re pretty amazing every other way so why not when you get sick too?”

“Some people get kind of freaked out by it.”

I looked down at her. “I got strep throat a bunch when I was in 8th great. I threw up on the floor of the pharmacy because they were so slow.”

“I bled from my rectum.”

“You win.”

We kissed again, me standing over her, her head tilted up. I was back in my seat when Lavi cleared her throat and said,

“Bleeding from your rectum, then butt stuff won’t be too gross huh?”

Melissa actually spit part of the sangria she was drinking out onto her plate and I think I went bug-eyed for a second. Lavi started laughing and it was infectious and soon we all were. The laughter started to die out and then from nowhere, it began again. By the time the second wave had laughed, we were all much more relaxed.

“So, your Mom was worried, last night...”

“Yeah, but Lavi is with me. Lavi is like my emotional support girlfriend.”

“Yep,” Lavi supplied, “some girls get a dog, Mel gets a pair of tits.” She unceremoniously shook them again. I noticed but I was talking to Melissa and ignored them.

“Lavi has been my backup since we met, especially since Tommy was in a different grade after I went back. She even went out for cheerleaders just to watch over me.”

“It sure wasn’t because I enjoy spending my summer busting my ass practicing.” It was a jib but clearly good-natured.

“Well, some of us need to work on our flexibility more and watching tv less.”

“Bitch.”

“Skank.”

They were both now smiling widely.

“Yeah, cheerleading was good for my mom,” said Melissa.

“Not you?”

“I don’t really care. I did it for mom in 7th grade. Then in 8th I just couldn’t face it once I went back. I thought maybe I was gone from it. Mom certainly didn’t push it but it was like living under a microscope. By the time I started high school ... I would give anything to get back to normal. And I did like cheering, not some of it but the dancing and tumbling parts are fun. I guess it convinced Mom I was normal again or she wanted it so bad that she was willing to give up hovering over me a bit. I don’t know.”

For a few minutes, people just ate until we were all just drinking and the food was gone. I collected plates in an inelegant pile and said I’d be right back. I returned with dessert plates and poached pears in a honey sauce. Melissa’s eyes immediately lit up.

“Ooooo honey.”

“That’s my bee.”

“This honey is so good,” Melissa said to Lavi.

“I don’t see the bees,” Lavi said.

“They’re around the corner,” I offered. “I wanted their corner to be private so they wouldn’t get stressed by people moving around a lot.”

“How do they deal with the yard crew?” Melissa asked.

“The yard crew doesn’t mow that part of the yard. I go out there occasionally with a quiet electric mower and trim it when it’s needed.”

Pure silence was only broken by a few delighted throat sounds from the two girls which I took as a compliment.

“So, do you two have to head out after lunch or can you hang around some?”

“Weeeelllll,” Melissa drew the word out. “I didn’t ask but I was hoping we could hang out at the pool while you work.”

“Hmm...” I took a slightly melodramatic air of deliberation. “There is one problem with that.”

“You don’t want two hot girls doing who knows what while you’re working in your boring old basement?” Lavi asked, leaning forward for emphasis.

“Something like that.” I looked into Melissa’s eyes though. “I took the day off again.”

Melissa glowed when I said that. Lavi threw up her arms and yelled “Party!” I think the sangria was having an effect.

Melissa, “So, it’s OK I didn’t ask I take it.”

“You could move in and I wouldn’t bat an eye.”

“Is that an offer?”

“Not yet. Would you accept it?”

“Not yet.”

We leaned over the table and kissed again.

Lavi looked like she was going to say something snide and then stopped and instead chose to have more wine. I started gathering up the dessert dishes.

“Nope, we got these,” Melissa said, “Now, get in some swim trunks so you can join us properly.”

I walked calmly in the door and once out of sight took steps two at a time at a run and may have set a new land speed record for changing into trunks. I was at the bottom of the steps when I heard them in the kitchen.

It was Melissa’s voice. “So, who won?”

“Tommy was kinda right, I didn’t think I was until I saw him look at you.”

“He’s not a creep out to despoil me or anything, mini-mom.”

“Not a creep or not out to despoil you?”

“Not a creep. He’d better want to keep despoiling me.”

“He’s not like that chess geek you led around either.”

“Darrel. Darrel was nice, just not for me.”

“Your mom hated him.”

“That was a bonus but just not my type. I liked him as a friend though.”

Dishes were being rinsed off and put into the dishwasher.

“And they call me a bitch!”

“I didn’t say that to him.”

“Thank god. Seriously though, you’re sure you know what you’re doing?”

“Well ... no. I don’t exactly have a string of ex-lovers twice my age to base my actions on.”

“There goes my role model.”

“Bitch.”

“Slut.”

“Only for him.”

A pause.

“You’re sure about this?”

“As much as I can be. Where the hell is the soap for the dishwasher?”

I heard cabinets open.

“I’m kinda jealous.” That was Lavi.

“Why?”

“He looked at me. Saw me, then ignored me. You know I don’t wear my tits out so that guys, or girls, ignore me.”

“He thinks you’re hot.”

“He told you that?!?” She seemed shocked.

“No, but I can tell.”

I took a few steps back and walked down making sure I hit the steps a bit more loudly. The voices stopped by the time I got there. The dishwasher was now running.

“Did you ladies bring suits? Need the bathroom?”

They smiled at me. Melissa moved first but Lavi not liking to be outdone hurried to catch up. I watched Melissa. Her dress came up and like that first day ... was it only a few days ago ... she showed herself, her perfectly flat stomach and then as it rose past them, showing wearing a bikini top underneath. It was blue with white flowers and the cups held her tits in perfect globes. Not willing to miss it entirely I looked briefly over at Lavi whose dress was lifted in one swift motion showing a classic V of white material covering her crotch with black stripes and a red thread reaching over her hips. The red strip I’d assumed was part of a bra turned out to be part of a matching bikini top that just barely fit her.

This time I let my gaze linger a bit longer and she giggled. Looking back so did Melissa as she dropped her shorts showing a matching bikini bottom as well. Her’s was more modest but that was relative. Both turned around giving me a 360-degree view. Melissa’s just barely covered her ass and was tight but Lavi’s was a thong. Where Melissa had a perfect bubble but Lavi had what could only be called a booty. They turned back and held hands.