Chapter 3

“Five o’clock, Cully, okay?”

She’d called straight-up noon. I’d just finished cleaning the house. Only the vacuuming remained.

“Sure, I’ll be there.”

“Cully, Tommy is going to drop me off at the front of Skaggs and then pull into the parking lot. He doesn’t want to leave until you pick me up. Isn’t he sweet? So, please don’t look at the parking lot in search of him. He’s so nervous. And don’t pick me up and hold me up in the air. And no Dutch rubs. Okay, hon?”

“What’s wrong, Girl?”

“He’s a little down this morning with having me leave and all. I told him I’d call this evening and we could talk and that he could come over early tomorrow, say about noon, instead of in the evening. Cully, please, would that be alright? It would mean so much to him. And to me, darling.”

I jumped in immediately, both clodhoppers:

“Girl, why don’t you just stay the night then you can both come in tomorrow. That wa...” She cut me off.

“No, Cully, this will work. We need some time for one another. I want to be with you, Cully. Just you and I. It feels like forever. Tommy will be fine.”

My heart soared, my mood along for the ride.

“If you say so, Girl. Hey, I cleaned the house. It’s sparkling.”

“Thanks, Cully. You’ve been so patient during this time. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

A pause.

“Oh, Cully?” That voice, that particular one.

I was poleaxed.

“Yes, Miss?”

“Get my key, Cully-boy, choose a pair of panties, white, or pink, your choice, and retrieve my belt.”

There was a pause, a ten count, perhaps more. I awaited the entire count. That voice crackled like a lightning strike:

“Understood?”

“Yes, Miss. It shall be done as you so direct, Miss.”

Again the voice changed:

“Goodbye, Cully. See you at five, pumpkin.” The line went dead.

“Cully, Miss hasn’t surfaced in what, three months?”

My voice was shaky.

“Maybe more.” It’d been a while.

I stared into that glass wedding photo frame again ... her past words coming to the fore:

“Cully, you don’t ask. Miss will be here when she so desires and not one moment sooner. If you ask, it only delays her arrival.”

“Understood, Girl. I’m so sorry.”

“I’m confident you are.” Girl

“All this agony, son, it’s all been worth it. Glory B, Dale, glory B in the highest! Girl and Miss will be here tonight!”

I bellowed like the MGM lion. Then just to cover my soon-to-be scorched buns I checked the Road Runner, then took luncheon in front of the children, all of them...”All My Children.”

First, though I checked (the key).

“Present and accounted for, sir!”

And then her belt.

“Present and accounted for, sir!”

Broke two salutes off then raided the Kelvinator.

I chose pink, then reconsidered and, switched to white. Back and forth I went for a while.

“Try them on?”

“You know better.” I bitterly countered myself aloud. I knew better. How could I even approach myself with such a foolish notion?

“No wearing them unless you’re under the belt of Miss, right, Cully?”

“Yes, Miss.”

“They remain freshly laundered under lock and key in this box-three white pair. three pink pair, no more, no less.”

I hesitated my response.

“Cully!”

“Yes, Miss.”

“That’s a good boy, a good Cully-boy.”

The afternoon flew by. I stood sentinel to the phone just in case everything went to hell in a handbasket, but, phone silence held.

“Yes, sir!”

“Yes sired!” the whole afternoon. Saluting everything that I approached.

In the end, I decided on white, reserving the right to change my mind just before pulling them on when so directed by visiting Miss.

“Now, what?”

“Have you checked the time?”

“No, sir!”

“Go ahead, you should be in the ballpark of departure.”

Everything was going my way. After four, pulled my duds on.

“Duds!!!” I screamed.

“Dress casual!!!” I hissed.

Combed my hair. “Vitalis!!!” Went back to the scream.

Brushed and gargled. “Charge!” I commanded.

Thought about firing it up to spite that Welt fuck.

Reconsidered---in the finest traditions.

“You ain’t gettin’ me, you side-show lookin’ motherfucker, you.” Another hiss.

And tooled the wrong way down the one-way entrance road.

“And stop going down that one-way road the wrong way, or, I’m notifying Bellevue PD!”

She was standing exactly where she said she’d be. Not standing, but, rather sitting upon a very large storage chest.

“What now?”

Next to her sat a vase of blood-red roses, at least a dozen.

“Thank God you didn’t bring flowers.”

Girl was all smiles, as she stood up and waved me close. I shut ‘er off. The instant silence and lack of throb a welcome relief. I was getting too old for this meat grinder. Felt liked I’d aged ten years the last three days.

“What have you got here?”

“Cully, give me a hug, you.” I’d forgotten how she smelled. My heart fluttered and tears threatened.

“Oh, yeah.” Though I figured with him out there in the parking lot watching she’d not want affection. I was mistaken.

“I missed you.” She looked like a million bucks. The love juiced mini dress traded in for a pair of jeans that were simply astounding. Had to be painted on.

“Girl, you look incredible. My goodness, youngster.”

“Thank you, Cully.”

“No, seriously, I’m in awe.”

She loved compliments. Getting it from a stranger, a new man had increased her beauty, somehow.

“Cully, that’s so sweet of you. Thank you. A make-over at the mall.”

I could only imagine how much that cost him.

“Youngster, what’s in here?” Just gave it a slight lift and found it was not going to be an easy pick-up.

“Be careful, you’ll knock my roses over.”

Then in a moderated tone:

“He’s still out there so don’t look.”

It was all I could do not to pick the little screwball up as high as I could.

“What are you going to do with me now that you have me up here?”

She’d inquired upon her arrival back at Eppley Airfield on her return from Cleveland---Christmas last when I’d held her aloft.

“That’s all the things that Tommy bought me and your gifts as well, Cully. Plus he gave me some pots and pans from his kitchen. We’re going to share. C’mon, help me load this trunk into that trunk.”

She pointed.

“You think it’ll fit, boy?”

It was close, but, we got ‘er in.

She put her bucket in her bucket.

“Okay hand me my roses and be careful, Cully.”

“Is that everything?”

“Yep ‘er do, got my purse. C’mon, get it fired up, take me home, don’t spare the horses and, don’t look left as you go out.”

I ran around the car, got in and, didn’t look left as I went thru. I cheated a bit with my peripherals, but, couldn’t see a thing.

“He’s a bit sad, Cully. It was hard to leave him alone like that.”

“You should have had Tommy caravan over with us. It’d be okay.”

“No, now that wouldn’t be right. I told him I’d call him as soon as I got home though. He’s going to beat feet it back to his place so we make that phone connection.”

I’d missed her more the more she talked.

“Cully, can I trust you not to root thru this trunk while I phone Tommy?” We’d got it into the house.

“Well, when do I get my presents? They’re in there?”

“As soon as I get done talking to Tommy. Yes, they’re in there, but, that trunk is very well organized and I don’t want it tore up. Now, can you wait, or, should I help you haul it into the bedroom?”

As I pondered, Girl decided for me. “Grab an end, sweetheart. C’mon.”

“No, I’ll do right.”

“Cully!”

We each grabbed an end and transferred it.

“This is better anyway, it’s nice and cozy in here. Cully, the house looks so nice.”

“Well, I wanted it to be special.”

“Cully, would you like to stay for the phone call, it’s going to be a little sensitive? I don’t mind, honey.”

I didn’t want to intrude until I’d had my say and my confession. And I didn’t want to do that until after Miss came and went.

“No, I’ll step out and give you some privacy. And there is no hurry. You take as much time as you need.”

I got the phone out of the kitchen and strung the extension line.

“I promise I won’t be long, honey. Thank you.”

It hurt a little to see that closed door, I won’t deny it. But, I was so thrilled to have Girl home I didn’t care. My little girl. Mine. I’d worried for nothing. The relief was one sweet feeling, the presents awaiting me a fine bonus.

I sat down, left the television off and, just thought. He’d be in this house by noon the next day. The original 7 PM arrival was now a noon arrival.

“How had that happened?”

I had the answer:

“Slowly but surely, my friend.”

How in the world was this going to work? A black man in the same house with us. It seemed inconceivable that the time had passed and had now arrived.

“You have to make this work, Cully.” I whispered. I enjoyed hearing my voice now.

“I will, I promise.”

It was an adventure, an exciting adventure for her. I could see that. I felt some excitement, consternation, yes, but, a lump of pleasant anticipation had taken root. A real hunch that it was going to work out pretty darn good.

“Perhaps it already has. You’re both still alive. If you’d a flipped those last two carburetor jets at that speed?”

It had cost a small fortune to have that (6 Pack) work done.

“Yes, Cully, yes.” She’d finally relented.

I put those thoughts of disaster and calamity away and replaced them with the thoughts of her in the arms of another man, of Tommy’s arms and, found it warmed my innards, caused me to relax instead of imagining that car disintegrating at a 120+mpg smash up.

“You’re fortunate, man.”

I reminded myself. I knew that as well. I had a bit of a flashback from that Sunday night brush with severe legal wrangling if not death itself.

“What if you’d lived and Girl was killed?” I’d not considered that until this moment.

“How bout you dying and Girl living?

“Cully, don’t leave me here.” Why did I keep pondering her words from that wedding night?

“Christ, I pray it is not a harbinger.”

“Me too.”

And then answered:

“Because it’s germane to what happened and what almost happened. You’ve got to grow the fuck up, Cully. And with the arrival of this man, this Tommy, now would be a great time to start that revelation, that makeover, if you will.”

I’d never seen her more gorgeous. I’d been mesmerized in that parking lot. Perhaps it’s the influence of Tommy. I didn’t want to compete though, the thought withered me. I’d tell her that whenever we finally got down to it.

“Cully? Baby? Cully!”

I’d missed her return.

“Hey, youngster.”

“I’m sorry it took so long, hon. He’s fine. I’ll call over one more time before we hit the old sack.”

She settled onto my lap, warm and soft, her hair like a dream.

“Cully, hold me, I missed you. I thought about you so many times.”

The hug was the tightest we’d had in some time. It was so peaceful, I could almost hear our hearts beating.

Then a hissed whisper into my ear:

“Cully, I heard that Miss is coming tonight. Is this true?”

Girl would do it like that. Play it out hard, make it special like a third person was involved. And she’d see it thru if I met her at the point. She’d get into that frame of mind and it was just surreal. She wouldn’t break until I broke first. She was there right-this-second: Tommy, that trunk full of wampum, those designer jeans, the make-over, all of it had caused her to set that point, bring me to it.

She’d started, so, I cautiously, though, eagerly followed in:

“What kind of mood do you think she’s in, Girl?”

“Probably a special one, I’d bet my bottom dollar.”

She’d emphasized “bottom.”

I knew when Miss was close. and Miss was close.

“Pink.”

Oh-my-God. Miss had arrived---She was no longer holding me.

In panties I was to dispense of my part, comb it straight back after substituting Vitalis with Brylcreem.

“Cully, it’s right here for when Miss comes.” She’d showed me. Twixt visits I’d secretly do the substitution, look at it in the mirrors, then shower it out before Girl arrived home from work.

My hands shook as I worked it in, then hard brushed it thru. We’d put in special lighting and it helped.

One morning I’d spied her looking at her bottom with the same hourglass hand mirror as I held now. We’d found it at an area swap meet. “It’s antique, boy, let’s get it.”

She was naked, white, and, gleaming. She angled it one way to the wall of mirrors in her bathroom. Then changed the angle, back and forth, up and down, around and around she moved, her face impassive, eyelashes extended, at the last freezing her body in place as I backed away from my vantage point.

I possessed that antique mirror now. I wasn’t as adept at angling it though: the reflection of pink panties and near jet black hair was amazing.

“Boy!”

“Man, you’re getting her pissed!” I chided myself, aloud, everything was aloud now.

“Damn lunatic.” I snatched up her belt.

“Let’s go.”

I wasn’t permitted to make eye contact. “Cast your eyes to the floor.”

It’s laid out as follows: master bedroom, master bath, laundry room, back patio doors, kitchen, living room, spare bedroom and bath. Straight shot, 80’x14’.

I would try and get a quick look as I passed into the kitchen. There was a five foot square opening in the wall twixt that kitchen and living room. I would level my head and try and catch her, but, it was very difficult. Just a glance. Had on the same black stretch pants and that same gray sweatshirt. And the glasses. Large frames. I’d searched that house top to bottom after Girl left for work and could not find those damn glasses. She didn’t wear glasses. It was the only article she’d donned that appealed to me aside from the adorable pink tennis shoes Miss wore, probably for traction. They were so sweet. I wanted to be on top with Miss’s legs spread wide at matching and precise angles with those pink tennis shoes on. I wanted to love Miss and have Miss love me. Alas, those shoes too I searched for---in vain. And that sweatshirt. I’d wondered what she was hiding under there. I wanted to know.

“You dummy, you, it’s Girl, she’s got the same damn thing.”