Chapter 4

During the 20-minute trip from her apartment to Kat’s place, Emily tried to think of what kind of clothes she should get, what kind of relationship did she want to have with Mark, did she even want a relationship with Mark, and the even more important question for her; did Mark want one with her? She knew enough about his past, from talking with Kat, to know that Mark wasn’t the kind of man to rush into things and that he cared deeply about his daughter. Finally, she arrived at Mark’s home and got out of her car. From one of the barns, she could hear the crackle of a welder working and could see its light dancing on a far wall. Since she hadn’t seen Kat yet, Emily decided to head to the barn. Now Emily had never been around any kind of metal working but she knew enough to know not to look directly at the welding torch without shielding. So, she waited by the door until she heard the welder stop. When she looked in, she was shocked to find that not only was Mark welding but Kat was too. Almost as soon as Emily saw them, they saw her and both came over to her.

“What, surprised to see a girl welding or just someone as smart and well-dressed as I am?” demanded Kat “It shouldn’t surprise you; I am a farm girl after all.”

“No, it’s not that” blurted Emily. Not even convincing herself.

“Then WHAT, Emily?” demanded Kat.

All through this Mark wasn’t even trying to stop himself from grinning. He had seen Kat do this before and he got a kick out of it every time. He was wondering how long Kat would keep up the act.

This question from Kat shocked Emily completely and suddenly she deeply regretted even knowing Kat. Emily’s emotions were going in every which direction: regret, fear, even disappointment in herself. She was a big supporter of women’s rights after all and yet here she was surprised to see a woman welding.

Then just as Emily was about to turn and run, Kat’s expression suddenly shifted from stern disgust to a very warm and cheerful smile. This confused Emily even more and Mark’s comment deepened that feeling:

“So, you and Kat going shopping, eh? You know Kat I’m surprised that you gave up in such a short time. This might be a new record for you.”

“It probably is Dad, but Emily looked as if she was about to start crying and I can’t stand seeing one of my friends cry because of me.”

“Your entire outburst was an act?” Emily asked weakly.

“The anger, of course, the actual words, sort of. Sorry about that but it’s a reflex from dealing with idiotic high school boys and “too good for you” girls. I am truly sorry Emily. I can only ask that you forgive my outburst for it wasn’t directed toward you in any way.” With this, Kat bowed her head.

Emily just stood there for a second still in a bit of shock and trying to understand what Kat was telling her. It only took a couple of seconds for her to fully understand Kat, after all, Emily had the same types of reactions during her high school days.

“You know Kat, I use to have the same reactions back when I was in high school, Damn, saying that makes me feel old. I still have those reactions once in a while when someone questions me being a trauma surgeon.”

Mark just let out a chuckle. He viewed everyone as an equal no matter who they were unless they proved themself to be an idiot. He couldn’t stand idiots. He just didn’t care about gender, or race, or any of the other superficial markers that society uses to separate people into groups.

“I’ve got a question for you ladies, are you going to eat out, or are you wanting to eat here before we going fishing?”

“I don’t know. What do you think Kat?”

“I think we should eat here. Not only is daddy’s cooking the best but it will be cheaper and healthier than eating out. Plus depending on what we decide to eat we can spend more time shopping.”

Mark blushed a bit at Kat’s description of his cooking.

“Well, I’m guessing that Kat wants a chicken salad. What would you like Emily? And don’t say nothing. That’s NOT an option.”

“AH ... I’ll just have whatever Kat is having.”

“You have any food allergies?”

“No, but thank you for asking.”

“Come on Emily let’s go SHOPPING!”

“See you ladies later,” laughed Mark. “Food at 3.”

“Ok, Dad. Love you.” Called Kat over her shoulder as she was pulling Emily back to her car.

“What’s your rush?”

“I’ll explain in the car but I think you already know.”

“You know I’m looking for a new wardrobe?”

“I suspected as much.”

Emily shook her head.

“Fuck, I keep forgetting how damn smart you are.”

“That’s ok everyone else does too. Even Dad forgets once in a while.”

Back in the car and on the way to town; Kat grilled Emily on not only her sizes but also her taste in clothes, music, food, and almost everything else, including guys.

“Why all the questions, Kat?”

“How can I help you pick out clothes without first knowing you?”

“Ah, but that’s not the only reason for the questions, was it?”

“Of course not. I was curious if you and my dad have similar taste.”

“Well, do we?”

“That’s for you and my dad to decide, but I’ve got the answer that I need.”

They rode the last few minutes in complete silence. Emily wondering if Mark did indeed have similar taste to her; Kat was just relaxing, confident in the knowledge that as long as neither one of them screwed up that her dad and Emily would likely get together. She hoped that they would for she liked Emily and thought that Emily liked her too. Emily was almost like the big sister that Kat never had and she longed for the day that she could call Emily; mom.

Pulling into the mall’s parking lot Emily asked:

“Where to first? It’s been years since I’ve done any serious clothes shopping.”

“That depends: how much do you want to spend, do you just clothes for fishing this evening or a completely new wardrobe? Even though we won’t have time for that today we can at least get started.”

“Money isn’t a problem and I do need a new wardrobe.”

“Well let’s start at Macy’s, get you sized, and go from there.”

The next three hours were a whirlwind for Emily. Kat would hand her things to try on. Everything from shoes to hats, shirts, shorts, dresses both formal and sun, swimwear, skirts, and even to Emily’s complete embarrassment; underwear. Emily was told to put on and model whatever Kat gave her and don’t argue. By the end, Emily was tired but pleased and Kat was giddy because she got to play dress-up with a real-life barbie doll. The girls finally walked out of Macy’s with Emily’s complete sizes and a couple of bags of things. Kat and Emily went from store to store looking at everything and occasionally buying something. Finally, the ladies ended up in front of Victoria’s Secret and Emily hesitated. She hated the way that women were objectified and felt that if a man didn’t like her comfortable underwear, then too bad for him.

“We don’t have to buy anything, hell we don’t even have to go in Emily for I share your opinions, but in your case, it might help you to go in.”

“And why pray tell is that?”

“For one it might be fun for you and me for that matter. Two, you might be surprised what sexy underwear can do for your self-confidence. And three it might just be that little bit of extra help you need to finally break out of your shell.”

“You mean help me seduce your dad?”

“I would be lying if I said that wasn’t a perk” giggled Kat. “But I highly doubt that you of all people would need extra help for that. Dad values intelligence over beauty and since you’re very intelligent you shouldn’t have a problem. But why refuse a little extra help.”

“Fine, ten minutes” huffed Emily.

Although she didn’t buy anything the trip inside did have one positive thing. Emily started to get serious ideas on making sure that Mark was interested in her. Looking at the time Kat said:

“We’ve got time for one more store and that store isn’t in the mall.”

“What store is that?” asked a curious Emily.

“Rural King of course,” said Kat like the answer was obvious.

“Ah ... why??”

Kat just gave Emily the look that said that was the dumbest question on Earth so figure it out for yourself.

“Because you and your dad live on a farm, I should be dressed like a farmgirl?”

“NO, because Dad and I live on a farm you should get some sturdy work clothes. That is unless you’re not serious about my dad. Besides, I just happen to know that he loves the real country girl look.”

“The real country girl look?”

“Yep. The girl that isn’t afraid to wrestle the pigs, the girl that’s not afraid to get covered in grease while working on a tractor, the girl that can drive a tractor, the girl who looks forward to running through a hay field during a summer rain. You nail that look and the only problem you’ll most likely have with my dad will be his eyes will probably pop out of his head and he will probably have to find some privacy quick.”

Hearing this Emily fell to the floor for she was laughing so hard. She would have peed herself if they didn’t happen to be in front of the bathrooms, during the conversation. After she finally recovered, all she said was:

“On to Rural King!” Earning a goofy smile from Kat.

Stepping into a farm store was one hell of a culture shock for Emily. She had grown up in a gated community and had gone to a very high-end private high school. She only joined the Navy to get away from her parents for a few years and get some free schooling. All this meant that she had done her clothes shopping at the mall or in high-end boutique shops, with her friends who had similar taste; where comfort and durability came a distant second and third to style. Yet here was a store where comfort and durability reigned supreme. Kat immediately took her to the women’s clothes and within three minutes had an arm full of things for Emily to try on. After shopping with Kat for the last three hours Emily knew better than not to trust this teen’s judgment of clothes. Trying the clothes on Emily was shocked at just how comfortable the clothes were but at the same time just how damn good she looked in them. Finally showing Kat how they looked, Kat’s eyes almost popped out of her head and even she was rendered speechless for a few seconds. Something that didn’t happen very often to Kat.

“Well how do I look?” teased Emily.

“Damn Emily. You’re giving me thoughts of going lesbian so that I can try to seduce you!”

“Sorry Kat, but I’m strictly dickly.”

“You know Dad is probably going to cum in his pants the second he sees you in those clothes.”

At this, both girls burst out laughing.

The thing was what Emily had on was just a red plaid shirt that just happened to make her eyes and hair pop and a pair of Dickies jeans that hugged her legs and tight ass but flared at the bottom because they were boot cut. After this, the girls went over and got Emily a pair of Ariat cowgirl boots, ones that were meant more for work than show, and a pair of lace-up work boots that were waterproof and steel-toed.

“Why the work boots Kat? I feel more like a guy in them” whined Emily.

“Few reasons: one they will last you years, two it’s better to wear those when you’re doing serious farm work then to get your feet soaked or your toes crushed, three they are far better to use when you have to kick people’s asses, and four they are work boots not something for a party.”

“Ah”

After they started heading home Emily asked:

“Should we let your dad know we are on our way back?”

“Naw, he’s just making chicken salads and we should be home right on time. Dad knows that I would never miss a chance to go fishing. Especially where we are taking you. And before you ask it’s a surprise.”

“Oh ... ok”

“Don’t worry Emily, everything will be fine.”

“Well, what should I wear fishing?”

“You swim right?” Emily nodded. “I would recommend you wear that skimpy green bikini that you got and put over it a light-colored T-shirt and a pair of shorts. Grab your flip-flops as well. It hurts like hell to get a hook in the bottom of your foot. And yes, I’m speaking from personal experience. Also, don’t worry, we have plenty of sunscreen.”

“Ok. Thank you for inviting me.”

The girls just smiled at each other. Nothing more needed said.

Getting back to Kat’s, Emily could see that Mark already had his truck hooked up to the boat and was ready to go. The boat was an 18-foot aluminum boat with a full V hull, two outboards, and a trolling motor on the bow. The girls grabbed Emily’s bags and took them into the house, putting them in the guest room. Coming into the house, Emily could smell the chicken that Mark had made for the salads and she instantly got very, very hungry and she had made herself a big breakfast that was usually good enough to last her until supper. Which for her was about 8 PM. The girls went into the kitchen to find Mark setting the table.

“Food will be ready in a minute.”

Emily looked at the food on the counter and was stunned. First, the salads were huge, second, they looked and smelled like they belonged in a five-star restaurant.

“Foods ready” Mark stated as he finished setting the table and set out everyone’s salads with the choice of toppings.

“Sorry, Emily. I don’t know what you like.”

“Everything is excellent Mark. I’m just wondering how I’m going to eat all this.”

“So, you have salad leftover. That’s what glad wrap and the fridge are for after all.”

Emily just looked at Mark and gave him the warmest most loving smile she could manage. This made Mark blush deeply. It was so bad that he tried to hide his face but Emily wasn’t having it. She reached over and gently took Mark’s chin and turned it back toward her. Looking straight into Mark’s baby blue eyes she was stuck by his mix of emotions, obviously embarrassment for blushing but also a look of care. Mixed in and buried under the more obvious emotions was love. Love for his daughter and Emily hoped love for her too.

“Thank you, Mark, for everything,” Emily said still staring into Mark’s eyes. Yes, it was love she saw. But it was much more than that, Emily realized for there was a bit of lust in there as well. The kind of lust that only couples who are deeply and completely in love with each other show. Emily blushed and hoped that Mark saw the same look in her eyes.

Kat cleared her throat loudly. This snapped Mark and Emily out of their trances. Emily realized that she and Mark had just been looking into each other’s eyes for five minutes!

“So, we going fishing? Or do you two have something better to do?” Kat said smirking.

Mark and Emily looked at each other than as one they looked at Kat and stuck their tongues out and blew her raspberries.

“Ya real mature you two. Let’s get ready and get going.”

“I’m ready. Just waiting on the women. Just as men have done for centuries” teased Mark.

“I’m ready. How about you Emily?”

“I just need to change quickly. Be out in two minutes.” And in two minutes Emily was ready. Walking to the truck, Emily could almost feel Mark’s eyes following her every curve and move. Normally she hating this feeling but with Mark, she was quickly finding that she relished the attention that he was giving her body. Getting to the truck Kat took the back seat before Emily could say anytime and pointed to the front seat for Emily. Emily climbed in as Mark did a final walk around to make sure that he hadn’t forgotten anything. Climbing in Emily asked:

“So, what kind of fish are we after?”

“Whatever is biting” stated Mark.

“Well, what kind of fish are in the lake we are going to?”

“The main species are: bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass, channel catfish, rainbow and brown trout are. Trout are usually our main targets there, especially during the evening.”

“So why are we leaving so early since it doesn’t get dark till about nine.”

“Kat and I like to get there early to get some swimming in plus Kat likes to do some tanning before the fishing heats up. Also, it takes about an hour to get there”

On the way, Mark and Emily talked about almost everything from music to politics, and everything in between. The entire time Kat sat back and smiled to herself. Emily was quickly becoming Kat’s best friend and she was getting along with her dad. Kat did cringe when the conversation turned to religion, knowing her dad’s feelings on this subject. Her Dad hated religion with a passion. Not only did he feel abandoned by God but Mark also understood that most of the world’s wars were the result of religious disputes. Sure, it was bound to come up some time, she just hoped it would be later. But she quickly found that she didn’t need to worry. Emily and Mark were both mature enough to respect each other’s opinions without arguing. This trend continued through discussions on economics, politics, climate change, child care, and every other subject that could and usually did piss people off. While on most subjects Mark tended to be more conservative than Emily, after all with everything that had gone wrong in his life, he was of the firm notion that if things aren’t fucked up to the point of being intolerable it’s better not to try and fix them. Where Emily tended to go more liberal and tried to fix things that while weren’t broken could be made better. On some subjects, they both found to their surprise that they were on the same page. Medicare was one of them. Emily hated the government being in healthcare because they would just dictate the prices and there were no negotiations, plus politics tended to get mixed in with medicine and that almost always harmed the patient with the doctor usually ending up getting the blame. Not to mention the government paperwork. Sure, private insurance could be just as bad but at least with them, the healthcare people could earn some money. While they lost money with Medicare. Mark didn’t like it because of how he was treated by it when he was in foster care plus, he was smart enough to look at how the VA was run and the last thing he wanted was for his regular doctor visits to be that fucked up.