Friday morning brought the end of the week but the first of October and my first day with Tina. I’d spent a month with Fallon and one with LuAnn and they were great. I was certain I’d spend the rest of my life with one or the other of them but I still didn’t know which one. It was a pleasurable dilemma. But October was for Tina. I didn’t have high hopes for October. It wasn’t because I didn’t like Tina. I did. I really did. I just thought she was out of my league. She was the only one of the Musketeers that had dated before and it had always been older, more experienced guys. Still, I knew I’d learn from it and maybe it would help me figure out whether Fallon or LuAnn was right for me.

For the first time in two months, I drove straight to school. Tina didn’t need a ride. Fallon and LuAnn had both been anxious to get one. It didn’t seem right but it was what it was. I made it through an uneventful History and American Lit class and got to Trig early. I waited for Tina and when she came through the door, she did not disappoint. She had on a brown and red, long sleeved western shirt, with tight jeans and boots. She was dressed much as she was for our first date, two months ago. She wore turquoise earrings and a turquoise necklace that dropped low on her neck. I was jealous of her necklace. She wore an almost brown shade of lipstick that went great with her deep, bronze tan. She always looked good but she’d taken it to a whole new level. If she was already so far out of my league, why had she dressed to impress?

Her boots clicked across the classroom and every eye was on her and she knew it but had her focus on me. That felt great.

“Hey cowboy.”

“Damn, Tina. I’m pretty sure it’s against Mesa school rules to look this hot.”

She put a finger on my chest and pushed me into my seat. “Down, boy. Save it for later.”

I got some ribbing for that from guys in the room while the girls shot daggers at her. They didn’t like a sophomore coming into a junior class and stealing their spotlight. There wasn’t much they could do about it though. Tina was hot.

Class started and Mr. Applebee continued the previous lesson on conversion from degrees to radians. He was talking about curves but the only curves I was interested in were next to me. We walked together to our next class, Chemistry.

“You look good, Tina. Really good. Is this a hint that you want to go riding again?”

“I hadn’t planned it that way, but I’d definitely like to. Your Purple belt test is tomorrow, isn’t it?”

“In the morning. I don’t think it will last more than an hour. Lower belts have shorter tests. I think a Black Belt test is all day.”

“Is that something I could go to? Your test.”

“No. You’d have to wait outside. They have a rule that no one can watch a test they haven’t passed yet. Mystery factor, I guess. Do you suppose I could get a kiss before we went in to Chemistry?”

“And smudge my lipstick? Huh.” I wasn’t sure if she was kidding or not but she gave me a flirty smile and I followed her in. We sat across from each other and dug into the fascinating world of moles and mole math. I knew it would get more interesting but the foundations were boring.

After class, we walked to her locker so she could grab her Yosemite Sam lunchbox and then to mine for my brown paper bag.

“Maybe I should get a lunchbox. I feel like I have a second-class lunch.”

“You could, but you couldn’t top Yosemite Sam so you may as well stick with paper.”

We sat together. LuAnn had a different lunch period so I’d spent September sitting with guys from the water polo team. Tina and I shared two classes and lunch, much better.

“How was September?” she asked.

“Good. What do you really want to know?”

“Kind of an open-ended question. Whatever you care to share, I guess.”

“I like LuAnn. We had a really good time together. She’s like an Eagle Scout Susie Homemaker and I had no idea, so that was kind of fun. She seemed to have a good time.”

“Is that why she was smiling Thursday?”

“No comment.”

“None needed. Good. LuAnn’s a sweetheart. I hope you treated her right. I’m sure you did, as evidenced by that smile.”

“No comment.”

“No. I wouldn’t think so. That’s nice, by the way. Nice to date someone who doesn’t brag about the girls he’s been with.”

“That’s always been a mystery for me. Why would any girl go out with a guy with a blabbermouth?”

“It’s their way of bragging without bragging.”

“I don’t get it.”

She put her hand on mine and looked me in the eye. “Of course, you don’t and it’s sweet that you don’t. If a guy goes out with a girl that’s not popular or people don’t think she’s pretty, it doesn’t matter what he does. Who cares? Is he going to talk about that in the locker room? No. But if everyone thinks you’re pretty or desirable, then he will. If you’re worth being talked about, it must be because you’re pretty and desirable.”

“That’s a pretty backward way of looking at the world but it sort of makes sense.” I thought about it for a minute. “So, the girls that go out with blabbermouths are insecure and they need that for an ego boost?”

“Pretty much.”

“So, you wouldn’t go out with a guy like that.”

“I’m going out with you.”

“That’s kind of an ego boost for me.”

“It’s nice that you think so. Can I get a ride home today?”

“Yes. Absolutely. How’d you get to school, anyway?”

“LuAnn’s mom.”

“Is that normal? I don’t remember you doing that before.”

“A little out of the way for them. I just wanted to talk with Lu on the way in.”

“Make sure she was okay?”

“Something like that. We talked about it a week ago. Fallon had a wicked tough time of it so I talked with LuAnn a little early.”

“Wicked tough?”

“My sister Tara’s fiancé is from Maine. It grows on you.”

When lunch was over, we walked to her next class, which I discovered was Latin. It’s like she signed up for the toughest classes offered. She finished the day with Biology and a PE class but I didn’t know which one.

After school, I met her in front of the gym and we walked to my truck together. I opened the door to let her in, but put my hand on her shoulder.

“Do you suppose you could smudge your lipstick a little, now that the day is over?”

“I might smudge it a little,” she said and kissed me.

Fallon was an eager, enthusiastic kisser and lover. LuAnn had the most sensual lips in the world and had become an outstanding kisser. Tina was different. Tina kissed me like she knew she was giving me a gift by kissing me and that was true. But she also kissed like she was getting one, too. And she made me feel like I was giving better than I was getting and I wasn’t sure how that was possible.

I gave her my arm and she climbed in. I went around and climbed in and started my truck.

“I’d put on some country music but I don’t have any,” I said.

“If you’re being serious, try one oh one five, FM.”

“Really? You listen to country music?”

“Not usually. But I know where it is on the dial.”

We arrived at her house and I parked on the street to keep the driveway clear and we went in. She hollered but the house was empty, which sounded good to me. She grabbed a Coke for me and a Fresca for her from the Fridge and we sat together on the couch.

“So, what’s next?” she asked.

“That kind of depends on you,” I answered.

“No. Bigger picture than this month. What’s after high school?”

“Ah. College.”

“Which one and what are you planning to major in?”

“Not sure yet. For either. I might just go across the street to Coast for the first two years.”

“It’s cheaper but the question remains. What do you want to do when you graduate?”

“I don’t really know.”

“I bet you do. If you had to decide what you were going to do for the rest of your life, and you had to decide right now, what would it be?”

“Law. I’d go to law school.”

“Because your parents are both lawyers?”

“A little of that, I suppose. They like what they do and I like the way they talk about it.”

“Which college? USC, UCLA, Irvine, Stanford, Berkley, someplace out of state?”

“Probably USC.”

“Criminal or civil?”

“Criminal. Definitely.”

“Defense or prosecution?”

“Defense.”

“Family, criminal, what?” she asked.

“Criminal.”

“How about that. You do know. What about water polo? Going to play that in college? Or is your butterfly good enough?”

“My butterfly might be good enough. I need to play varsity water polo for at least a year to know if I could take it to the next level.”

“What would keep you from taking it to the next level?”

“Size. I’d need to put on at least twenty pounds of muscle.”

“Huh. I thought you said you weren’t sure. Sounds like you’re pretty sure to me.”

“Tina, I’ve never even thought that through before.”

“Yes, you have. You just didn’t do it purposefully.”

“What about you? Do you have it all figured out?” I didn’t think she would have.

“My grades are good enough to compete for an academic scholarship. When I get one, I’ll go to USC for a double major in mechanical engineering and pre-med.”

“Wow. You know that already. And then?”

“I plan to be a Biomechanical Engineer. I want to design prosthetics that have greater functionality and aesthetic appeal.”

“Dang, Tina. You have thought this through. That’s why you’re in Trig and Chemistry.”

“That’s why I’m in Trig and Chemistry and Biology and Latin.”

“About the only thing that doesn’t line up with your career goals is PE.”

“What makes you think it doesn’t?”

“What are you taking for PE?” I couldn’t imagine what would help her become a better Biomechanical engineer.

“Weight training.”

“You’re taking weight training? Are there any other girls in the class?”

“Just me. I like it. Plus, I never have to wait for equipment.”

“I bet. That’s pretty awesome, Tina. So, what happened that got your fire going for this?”

“You’re the first guy to ask. On the other hand, you’re the first guy that knows what he wants to do, too. My uncle got his leg blown off in Vietnam. He’s got a prosthetic leg. It’s bad. Long John Silver had a peg leg that worked about as well. There have been such pathetic advancements in it. I just think people that have lost an arm or leg should be able to get a functional replacement that allows them to live a life like they’re not some sort of creepy cripple. It’s not their fault. But they are the red-headed stepchildren of the world. It’s embarrassing. There are people in wheelchairs that would rather be walking and could be if someone would invent decent prosthetic legs. Have you seen people with steel claws for hands? Yikes.”

“Wow. I’m impressed. And you know what? I believe you could do that. Mom says you’re a force to be reckoned with. That’s not a description my mom would throw around lightly.”

“Your mom also thinks you’re going to date LuAnn on November first and marry her and live in the country and have lots of little grand Lulus Michaels.”

“I kind of think she does.”

“City or country?”

“Ah. I like both. I mean, I like what’s in the city and that’s where my job would be.”

“Of all the homes you know of right now, if you could have their home, whose would it be?”

“That’s easy. The Covingtons’ ranch outside Laguna.”

“Country but not too far from the city.”

I hadn’t talked about any of this stuff with either LuAnn or Fallon. It was a little intimidating but exciting too, that Tina had thought so far ahead and I told her that.

“You can either let life happen to you or make it happen.”

“Yeah. I guess that’s true enough. I just hadn’t thought of it that way before. It’s still a little intimidating.”

“You’ve thought about it now. Just now. What do you think a wife is? What do you think she’s supposed to do?”

“Holy crap, Tina. I don’t know.”

“She’s supposed to support her man. She’s supposed to be there for him through thick and thin and encourage him. I don’t want you to feel intimidated. I want you to feel encouraged. All the stuff you said you wanted to do? I believe you could do it. I know you could put on twenty pounds of muscle. That, by the way, would be a huge turn-on. You’re already pretty solid. Twenty pounds, though. Mmmm. I know you could get into USC and get a law degree and find a good job as a criminal attorney. I have absolutely no doubt, and I know that because I’ve been in your Trig and Chem classes and know how you think. You can do it. No doubt. None.”

“Wow. I guess I believe it too.”

“That’s what your partner in life is supposed to do.”

“Okay, that’s pretty cool. That’s what Mom does for Dad but it’s what he does for her, too. All the stuff you said you want to do. I have absolutely no doubt that you could do it. No. I have no doubt you will do it. In fact, I might have to become a patent attorney so you have someone you trust to take care of your inventions.”

“I like that,” she said and gave me a kiss.

It was an easy kiss, just lips sort of playing but then her hands got involved. She put her hands on my upper arms, and I could feel her squeezing, not hard, but enough to feel my strength and it felt good. We scooted closer together and I put my arm around her and let it slide low on her back. It was awkward on the couch and we stood together without breaking the kiss.

I dropped my hands lower and held her tight little ass. We pulled close together and I let my kiss trail down her neck. I took her face in my hands and moved my kiss back to her lips again, tasting her brown lipstick. Smearing it good. I touched her upper lip with my tongue and ran it once from side to side, then tasted her lower lip.

She broke the kiss and stepped back. “Someone’s been practicing,” she said and she was a little out of breath.

“Maybe. Maybe no comment.”

“That was really nice, Michael. My heart is about at its limit. I think that’s good for today.”

“Really? I was just getting warmed up.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. If I kiss you more, I’ll want to do more and I can’t.” I looked mystified. “Girls are on a schedule. Normally, I’d be cramping bad right now but I’m lucky this month. Didn’t want to get too specific there but it is what it is.”

“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t think about that. But you know your schedule.”

“Like clockwork. I should be good tomorrow. Believe me, I’d like to play but it wouldn’t be much fun. That’s a bad way to start.”

“Okay. I hear Lisa complain when it’s her time of month so I know it can’t feel good. But, you know, I feel like getting a kiss from you is a compliment. Does that sound weird?”

“No. I feel the same way. I don’t deserve you. But if you feel that way too, we’re both winners. Tara will be here soon. I’ve got some stuff to deal with before she gets here. Do you mind?”

“No. Yes. I’d like to stay. But I won’t.” She walked to the door with me and I was about to leave. “Tina. I have a feeling that October is going to be a good month.”

“Me too, Stud. Me too.” I’d been Sport last month, but in October I was Stud. I could live with that.

I sat in the truck for a few moments wondering what the hell just happened. It seemed that Tina liked me just the way I was but at the same time, I felt like I’d need to up my game. Damn, she looked good too.

When I got home, I went to the back patio with my Karate technique checklist and ran through each of them slowly, then medium and finally at street speed. I had only one kata and it was easy but I practiced it a couple of times too. I thought my test would be a breeze but I also thought that overconfidence could be a real killer. I went through it all one more time before Dad called me to dinner.

We had Chicken Parmesan and it was just what the doctor ordered. Mom and Dad talked about his case and what the motions meant and the best way forward. I watched and listened to them as a team rather than just my folks for the first time. I liked it. They bounced ideas back and forth without judging each other. I got up to refill my drink and when I returned, all eyes were on me.

“You ready for October, Buddy?” Dad asked.

“Don’t have much choice. Here it is.”

They didn’t seem satisfied. “Did you drive Tina home today, honey?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You spent some time with her, I gather. Do you have plans for the weekend?”

“Just my test tomorrow. We talked about a lot of stuff but didn’t make plans. That’s kind of weird.”

“What did you talk about?” she asked.

“I’m going to USC to study law. I plan on bulking up a bit so I can compete at the next level. You know, the usual stuff.”

“That’s not exactly the usual stuff. You decided that today, young man?” she asked.

It was pretty quiet around the table. “Yes, ma’am. This is really good,” I said, taking a bite.

“I suppose you know what kind of law you’re going to practice, too.”

“Yes ma’am. Criminal.” I took another bite.

“And you decided this today?”

“More like I realized it today. I guess it seems that way, though. Yeah.”

“And Tina?”

“She’s going to double major in Mechanical Engineering and pre-med so she can work as a Biomechanical Engineer.”

“You don’t say?”

“Yup. I should probably be surprised too, but I’m not, which is actually just as surprising.”

“That’s a pretty good afternoon. Why don’t you have her over for dinner?” Dad said.

“Yes. You should have her over for dinner,” Lisa added. It was funny.

“I’ll ask her to check her social calendar and we’ll see.” I excused myself and took my dishes to the sink. “I’ll come back and wash dishes in a bit, if you like.”

“I’ve got it,” Dad said. “Let me know if you see my son.” Ha, ha.

I went to the den where my parents kept their law books and skimmed titles in the bookcase. Most of them seemed pretty specific but I found one that seemed general in nature and pulled it from the shelf. I read the table of contents and it seemed like it might give me a decent overview.

“Starting tonight?” Mom asked as she joined me.

“Got to start sometime.”

“Let’s talk. Just you and me.”

“Okay.”

“It seems that Tina has made quite an impression on you, especially considering it’s only the first of the month.”

I relayed our conversation and how Tina seemed to have a vision she was pursuing and that it seemed good. It seemed that I had one too but had never bothered to pull it out. I told her that my own vision or purpose or whatever it was wasn’t very deep. It just needed a little coaching to come out.

“She pulled that out of you today? This isn’t the end of a conversation you two have been having for the last two months?”

“No. Today.”

“That is pretty neat Buddy. Anything else?”

“Yeah. She wore a western shirt and tight jeans and I almost died. She was smokin’ hot. Turning heads all day. I’ve been sitting next to her for two months and she’s never looked like she looked today.”

“So, she stepped it up today?”

“Pulse racing, Mom. Like, heart attack inducing.”

“Do you remember me telling you that she was a force to be reckoned with?”

“Yeah. You weren’t kidding.”

“No. I wasn’t. You be careful, young man. If she’s all that, great. But don’t lose sight of LuAnn ... or Fallon. Don’t let her...”

“Beguile me. Don’t let her beguile me, you were going to say. Have my men lash me to the mast, lest the siren-call destroy me.”

“That might be a bit dramatic, Odysseus, but it catches the flavor.”

“You think LuAnn would be best for me. I get that.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you do. It’s been in your tone for quite a while, plus the way you choose your words. I’ve picked up on how you read people and I’ve learned a bit of it too. You have a definite order of preference for me and I understand that. It’s LuAnn, then Fallon, then Tina.”

“I just want you to be careful.”

“Am I wrong?”

“I don’t want to sway you one way or the other. I just want what’s best for you.”

“LuAnn. LuAnn would not be bad for me. But neither would Fallon. Fallon would be great for me, as a matter of fact. Fallon is over the top amazing. But it’s just the first of October.”

“Yes, it is. I’ll back way up and give you room, okay?” She sensed my tone getting pretty defensive.

“Okay, Mom. Sorry. It’s just that it seems like you and Dad, and even Lisa think I should date LuAnn. I’d be happy with that. Totally, completely, one hundred percent happy with that. Except for two minor details. Fallon and Tina. So...”

“Start with this,” she said pulling a book off the shelf. “Introduction to Constitutional Law. Everyone needs that whether they go down the criminal or civil route.” She handed me the book and left. I think the book might have been some sort of peace offering. When I was dating Fallon, Mom hadn’t pushed or coaxed or anything because LuAnn was coming. Then when I was dating LuAnn, she was all supportive. But now, with Tina, it was cautions and warnings. I wasn’t sure if I’d pissed her off or not, but she had kind of pissed me off, a little.

I took the book to my room and set it on my desk. I’d read it later. I was trying not to be pissed. It seemed like everyone knew what was best for me but me. On the other hand, Tina hadn’t steered me one way or the other and I still had a law book on my desk. As I let stuff ping around inside my head, I realized that Fallon hadn’t said one unkind word about LuAnn or Tina. LuAnn hadn’t said anything bad about Fallon or Tina and Tina certainly hadn’t. I hit the sack early but didn’t fall asleep right away so I went through my techniques in my head one more time.

The next morning, I was up and at the Karate school early. The test took longer than I thought. I didn’t realize that rising blue belts would be testing at the same time. I knew I couldn’t watch their test. When we had all done our yellow, orange and purple belt material, the three of us testing for purple had to sit on our heels facing the back wall so we wouldn’t see the blue belt part of the test. We all passed, although I thought one guy was close, and I was officially a Purple belt. I asked, and one of the new blue belts taught me a couple of new techniques and a big chunk of the next kata. I hit the heavy bag for a while and then worked on my roundhouse kicks. Front kicks seemed pretty natural and even side kicks weren’t that hard but roundhouse kicks were awkward for me. Other than that, I was eating the stuff up.

I went home, showered and changed, then called Tina. We hadn’t made plans for the day.

“How’d your test go? That’s a silly question. I know you passed.”

“I did. I’m now a Purple belt, working toward blue. How are you feeling?”

“Much better. Mom and Dad want to talk with you sometime soon. Not a big deal but they know I’ve been burned a couple of times and my sisters have a bad history with men. They just want to make sure you’re not a jerk.”

“Cad.”

“Right.” She laughed. “What would you like to do? My day is remarkably free.”

“I am ready to get out of this house. I don’t have anything in particular for the day but I’ve wanted to go back to The Roadhouse for two months.”

“That sounds good. My folks are up so if you want to come over here now, you can escape your house.”

“Good. I’m on my way.”

“My parents are Tammy and Sonny Wells. Not Klimenko.”

“Ah. Because you have your bio dad’s last name.”

“Bio dad. A little Fallon rub off on you?” Fallon was adopted and there were always foster babies at her house.

“Yeah. Funny, huh? But that’s it, right? He’d have to adopt you for you to be a Wells.”

“Yup. I’ve been a Klimenko my whole life. I don’t want to have to learn how to sign my name a different way. How do you even write a cursive capital W?” I was sure that was a joke and maybe there was more to it.

“On my way. I’ll talk with them and then we can go grab lunch or something.”

I managed to leave the house without having to talk to anyone and drove to Tina’s house. I parked on the street since the driveway was full. Sonny Wells had a white Ford pickup truck that looked like a work truck and Tammy had new Ford Squire station wagon with the faux wood paneling. As I walked past, I noticed that it was spotless inside and there was room for five with one of those rear facing seats in back. I hoped Tina never had to ride in back. The indignity.

I knocked and waited. Tina got the door and ushered me into the kitchen where her folks were finishing up a late breakfast. She introduced me and Sonny reached up to shake my hand.

“What do you do for a living, Michael?” I’d never been asked that before.

“I have a pool route. But it’s not really what I do for a living. I’m a student.”

“Of course, you are. I was just kidding. But you do pools huh? That pay good?”

“It’s actually not too bad. Some people make a living at it but I only work a few days a month.”

“Gas and dates, huh?”

“Yes sir. For the most part.”

“Call me Sonny. If you call me sir, I’ll have to put you to work. Tina tells me you stood up to Tige Williams a while back. I appreciate that. He’s a big guy though and you’re what, maybe a buck seventy-five or so?”

“Yes sir, almost exactly. I think I can handle myself but I won’t underestimate him.”

“That would be smart. He messes with Tina again; she’ll whack him with Yosemite Sam.” He saw the curious look on my face. “Ah, you didn’t know about that.” He nodded to Tina and she reached up and took her lunch pail off the top of the fridge and handed it to me. It probably weighed five pounds. “I welded a steel plate to the bottom.”

“So, the day I came to rescue you, you would have clobbered him?” She nodded. “That’s pretty funny. I think I’ll just stay back next time and let Tina hit him with Sam.”

“Tina says you’re studying Kung Fu like the guy on TV. I don’t know if that shit’s real but if you’re doing it because of her, I hope it is.” I nodded. “I like that. I think you’ll be okay. Tammy, you have any questions for this young man?”

“You ever ride a mechanical bull?” she asked me.

“No, ma’am. I never have.” I knew where she was going with the question. “I’ve ridden ten-foot waves but Tina is kind of like North Shore.”

“North Shore?”

“North Shore of Hawaii, ma’am. They have thirty-foot waves. Way out of my league.”

“Probably like a mechanical bull, tough to hang on. Good luck, sweetheart.”

“Thanks Mom,” Tina said. “I don’t think he scares easy.”

Sonny laughed. “Dating you, that’s pretty much a given, isn’t it?

“Does Tina have a curfew?” I asked.

“Not on school nights. One on Friday and Saturday.”

“Okay. But that sounds backwards.”

“She’s got a full load. She knows when to be home on a school night.”

“Ah. Trust is a wonderful thing,” I said. It seemed like we were done so I shook hands around and then Tina and I left.

“El Guapo’s okay? I know it’s still early, but I didn’t eat breakfast.”

“Me neither. El Guapo’s is good.”

El Guapo was Spanish for The Handsome Man, which was pretty funny since the owner was a short, overweight guy with a receding hairline. We ordered fajitas for two and relaxed. We both breathed a sigh of relief at the same time and laughed.

“What was that for?” I asked.

“You first.”

“It’s nice to have my belt test out of the way. It wasn’t so bad and I really wasn’t worried. It’s nice to meet your dad and have that out of the way. He seems nice. It’s nice to be out of my house, especially after last night. And, it’s pretty nice to be with you. Not necessarily in that order.”

“Sonny’s a good guy. My mom did good, especially after the fiasco of her first husband.”

“You’re here. So even if your mom’s first husband was terrible,” I pointed, “You. Tada.”

“Nice. Yeah. I guess that’s true enough. Hell of a price to pay, though. What’s up at your house?”

“Ah. Well, I told them I was going to USC to become an attorney.”

“Was that a bad thing?”

“No. I don’t know if I should really say what else.”

“That’s okay. You don’t have to.” She took a long look at my face, trying to read me. “Unless it’s about us. Then you have to tell me. If it’s not, you don’t.”

“I guess I have to tell you then. Maybe I’m projecting or something. We can talk, right? What we say stays between you and me?” She nodded. “Okay. Well, I just have this feeling that my mom and maybe my sister are trying to steer me toward one of the Musketeers and it irks me.”

“LuAnn.”

“You didn’t even hesitate.”

“No need. It’s okay. Your mom and sister have an opinion. Will they be upset when you get stuck with me, though?”

“No. I don’t think ... hey. I see what you did there. Nice. No. They love you. They just think that LuAnn and I are perfect for each other. Don’t get me wrong. I love LuAnn, had a great month with her and life would be wonderful with her. But it’s a little disconcerting to have other people make decisions for you.”