Chapter 3: MLK

“Feeling like cooking again?” Knut asked ‘Becca on Monday.

“Oh Dad! Could I?”

“Feel competent? Ready to cook for company?”

“All I can cook is hamburgers.”

“So why don’t we invite Mrs. Jenkins over on Saturday for your hamburgers?”

“Saturday? You promised to take me and Marilyn and Jill to the movies.”

So he had, and that was more treat then was good for ‘Becca on one weekend, but she wouldn’t ask where he’d been if he took Sarah home and stayed for an hour. “We could do both.”

“Would she come?”

At the dinner table? he thought. But the joke wasn’t appropriate for ‘Becca, even if she would get it -- which he devoutly hoped she couldn’t. “We could ask.”

And, Tuesday night, he did. “This is Knut Gustafson. Is this a bad time to call?”

“This is fine,” she answered.

“You’ll be by yourself this Saturday?”

“Yes.”

“Rebecca and I would like to invite you to dinner,” he said. “Are hamburgers okay?”

“They’re fine.” Her tone sounded less enthusiastic than her words.

“She’s cooking, and sixth graders don’t have a great kitchen repertoire.”

“Thanks. I’m sure that it will be fine.”

“Well, you won’t have to eat first.” He could say that about his daughter’s cooking. “Five-thirty okay? You know our address, or maybe you don’t remember. It’s 1217, left-hand door. We met you in the Sandovals’ apartment, which is the right-hand door.”

‘Becca made the salad and shaped the hamburgers by herself. He cooked the green beans on one burner, before she fried the hamburgers on another. He was slicing tomatoes and an onion while she cooked -- out of the way, but there if the pan caught on fire. He four of the onion slices, and she fried them last. She was straightening out the table when the door buzzed. He went down to let in Sarah.

She was nice about the meal, but she didn’t take any onions -- not even ‘Becca’s cooked ones. So, not being a fool, he let the onion slices alone. Two of the patties had got overdone, and he took them. He hadn’t asked about dessert, but Sarah seemed to enjoy Rocky Road.

He warned her about the movie expedition, and she agreed to ride along. He drove her back, walked her to her door, and followed her in. He lifted her chin up for a kiss before she took off her coat and sat on the couch. He took his off, too, and joined her.

He unbuttoned her blouse and stroked her breasts for a while. They were such a delightful shape that he had to feel their texture. “Lean forward, will you?” he asked. She did! The touch of her breasts was all that he’d dreamed. The taste of the smoothness was equally delightful.

When he finally got to her nipple, she said “oh!” And, if his mouth hadn’t been busy at the moment, he would have echoed her.

He held that luscious shape while his tongue met hers again. “Wouldn’t you be more comfortable without these?” he asked holding her blouse. She took off her own bra.

The clear view was wonderful, but the touch was better. As he kissed her, he hugged her with his right arm so that those fingers could just brush her smoothness. His left hand could cup that breast and feel its heft.

Her mouth was delightful, but those breasts called. Shifting to reach them moved his right hand away. So he moved that to her legs. He caressed her pantyhose, going higher and higher without an objection from Sarah. Finally, he reached her center. “Oh Sarah,” he exclaimed. He returned to her mouth for one more kiss while his fingers felt her dampening center through layers of cloth.

Far from rejecting him, she clasped his face to hers. She clasped tighter and grunted into his mouth. He’d brought Sarah, darling Sarah, off! He pulled his hand out. “Oh, Sarah!”

He hugged her. She trusted him enough to relax there. The trust was almost as arousing as her orgasm had been, but he had no idea how long they had spent like this. He glanced at his watch -- still ten minutes before he had to go. He cradled darling Sarah some more.

The next time he looked at his watch, the deadline had passed. Softly he said, “Look, I could hold you like this forever, if it was just me; but there will be three girls coming out of a movie theater onto a dark sidewalk in ten minutes. They’ll be overheated and the street will be cold. I’d better be there.”

“Thanks for the dinner,” she responded. “Thanks for everything.”

“The pleasure was mine,” and he hated to leave it. “Thanks for the company.” Then, he had a thought. “I almost forgot. On for shopping tomorrow?”

“Yes.” She was answering his question, a simple question. Still, he loved to hear that word.

“Good, same constraints apply. I’ll call before one- thirty.”

Knut ran to the car once he’d left Sarah’s building. He’d cut the time too short, but the visit had been worth it. When was the last time a girl had had an orgasm in his arms? And this was a woman. Well, Candice was a woman, too -- in body if not always in spirit. Still, he felt like he’d conquered the world. He hoped Rebecca felt sleepy after the movie. He would need his privacy tonight. He wouldn’t need much privacy, though. The cabinet could stay locked. He had held a real woman in his arms.

The girls hadn’t come outside yet when he reached the place. He circled once, and then parked. They were coming out of the main part as he entered the doors. Rebecca winced when she saw him. She didn’t even try to come up into the front seat when he let the other girls off.

“I’m sorry, Dad,” she said from the back seat.

“When are you supposed to leave the movie?”

“When the main feature is over. I look for the car and leave the building if I see it.”

“Okay,” he said. “I was running late, too. I suppose I can’t fault you too much when I was equally at fault. Don’t do it again.”

When they were in their own apartment, she gave him a hug. “I love you, Dad.”

“I love you, too, ‘Becca. Discipline is one way of showing that love, whatever you think.” And relaxing discipline was a very mild form of child abuse. But he was in too good a mood to even pretend to be harsh with her. And she’d been great with Sarah earlier.

The next day provided the pleasure of Sarah’s company again, if not much access to her body. He carried the heavier bag of groceries up and got a sweet kiss in return. That woman could get anything from the delivery boy with the tips she gave.

He called Wednesday night. “Would it be too parental to take Billy and you to a restaurant which would broaden his culinary horizons?”

“Really?” she asked. “Really, I don’t know.”

“Then, why don’t we split the difference. Why don’t we go to a Thai restaurant on Saturday? Some of the stuff is hotter than Chinese, but I’d warn him about that.”

“Who says we’re going anywhere Saturday?”

He’d been too demanding again. “Why you, of course. Or, rather, you say whether you’re going anywhere on Saturday. This was an invitation. It’s just that -- instead of my asking you to a Thai restaurant, take it or leave it -- I’m respecting your parental judgment. You can say that you think that the Chinese would be better.”

“I’m sorry, Knut. I don’t know why I’m feeling bitchy.”

“And I’m sorry, too. Look, this sounds like a bad time, but you’ve been warned. Don’t take me to task for issuing the invitation so late.”

He knew he was no fun at the office that week. He constrained himself around, ‘Becca. Still, he would bet she was happy to go off with her mother on Friday night. He waited until Billy should be asleep to make his second call.

“This is Knut. Is this a bad time.”?”

“A good time. I don’t know why I felt you were taking control last time.”

“Moi? Who could think that of me?” That got him a laugh. She had such a sexy laugh. For that matter, everything about her was sexy.

“Anyway,” he continued, “it was my fault. I should have asked if it was convenient.”

“I don’t know why.”

“Because I don’t want to annoy you,” he told her. “Anyway, if it’s not convenient and I don’t ask, tell me ‘Not now.’ Hang up if it’s really inconvenient.”

“I was rude enough. I couldn’t do that.”

“Well, if you want to, do. To change the subject abruptly, would the two of you like to eat out tomorrow night?”

“Thank you,” she said. “I’m sure you could get more pleasant company.”

“Company in a better mood, maybe. Company whose presence I’d enjoy more, no. So, it’s not as if I hadn’t warned you. Chinese or Thai? That’s assuming your ‘thank you’ was a yes.”

“I’m not sure I could put up with a tantrum just now. And the Chinese place does have his favorite food.”

“Chinese it is. Another change of subject. You aren’t working on King’s birthday. Billy and Rebecca are off school. Would you like a joint expedition to the Museum of Science and Industry?”

“Surely, you’re working then.”

“The office will be open. The rush will be over. I don’t really get comp time, much less overtime. But, after the hours I worked, nobody is going to object to a day off. On the other hand, the museum will probably be overrun with kids.”

“So would the apartment. I thank you very much. I accept.”

Having asked Sarah out on a joint expedition, he needed it to be joint. “You’ll be home Monday,” he said to ‘Becca when she returned Sunday evening.

“I won’t let anybody in. Can I go out to the park if it’s warm enough?”

“Well, I thought of taking a day off. How’d you like to go to the Museum of Science and Industry?”

“Cool!”

“I think I’ll invite Billy and his mother to go with us. I don’t know how much they’ve seen the place. Can you show Billy where you go?”

“Dad! He’s a second grader.”

“Therefore he needs the guidance of your superior experience.”

“His mom’s grown up, a teacher.”

“So?”

“So she won’t need you to show her around.”

Some days, he wondered if ‘Becca had learned anything. This was one of the times she seemed to know everything. “We’ll manage to find our way around. Probably following you.”

“Okay.” Which could mean anything. It might just mean that ‘Becca would rather share the good times with Sarah and Billy than be bored at home.