Chapter 6: Negative Ions

Kayla began to stir around 9 a.m. There was a delicious smell of brewing coffee and a robe laid out on the bed. She sat up on the edge of the bed (slowly!), then grabbed the robe and padded into the bathroom for a pee and a hot shower.

Out in the kitchen she found Nio fussing over the stove. “Hey, sweetie, have a good sleep?” “You know I did. How long have you been awake?”

“A few hours; I bought food, took all the clothes to the dry cleaners, and then left your car with my mechanic to get your a/c repaired.”

“What? Nio, I can’t afford to fix that car right now!” “It’s my treat, Kayla, I want so badly to spoil you. Last night was glorious. Now, please, let’s have a nice breakfast and plan the rest of our Saturday together.”

“Alright, wise guy. I’m too hungry to argue with you now. Let’s eat!” Nio had plated scrambled eggs and sausage for them, with mugs of fresh coffee and small cups of orange juice.

Kayla finished her breakfast with a satisfied grunt and pushed away from the table. “That really hit the spot, Nio, thank you. Now what can I do for you?” “You can watch me clean up; I’m Mr. Tidy!”

“No way in hell, Nio, you can watch me!” She draped her robe over the back of her chair and brought the dishes to the sink. By the time she was done, he was fully erect and panting. Scrubbing the pans had caused thrilling movements in her various parts. “I should have dirtied more dishes!” he thought.

“Sweetie, let’s go over to Santa Monica while we wait for your car. It will be cooler by the ocean; we can walk the beach and enjoy the negative ions.” “Ions?”

“Don’t worry, Kayla, ions are your friends. I’ll show you when we get down there. Just go look for a swimsuit and comfortable clothes in Janaína’s room.” “Your sister has a beautiful name. Won’t she mind that I’m using her clothes?”

“Kayla, my sister is working up north near San Francisco. Janaína’s clothes here are for when she visits me. Please, go get ready and we’ll lock up and go.” Nio gathered together a small pack with water and sunblock. He wore a Dodgers cap, a “Rio 2016 Olympics” T-shirt, shorts, and sandals.

In Nio’s car, Kayla made herself comfortable and pulled out her phone. “Hi, Dad. Yeah, I did. Yeah, he did. He made me breakfast, too. We’re going to the beach in his Audi while my car is getting fixed. Audi, Dad, A-U-D-I; it’s a German luxury car. He’s a lawyer, that’s how. I know, don’t worry. What are you telling Mom? I see. Yeah, I’ll be home tomorrow for Sunday dinner. We can talk more then. Thanks, Dad, love you! Bye.”

“Sounds like your father is a good guy” observed Nio. “So what’s the deal with your mama?” “The truth is, my mother thinks I should be a virgin on my wedding night. Then I should have four of her grandchildren in the next three years for her to spoil. She doesn’t understand how I finished college without an MRS degree.”

“MRS? Oh, I get it. What was your major?” “I doubled, English and Communications. I’m actually an excellent editor/proofreader. I can also keyboard like a crazed weasel.”

“Crazed weasel? Good thing you’re dating a lawyer!” remarked Nio. “Let’s find a parking space and hit the sand. The car says it’s already 78° so you should be OK in the swimsuit.”

“Let’s put your stuff in my bag. I have a waterproof baggie for my Audi keys and wallet. It’s a beautiful day. Let’s walk!”

“Now, sweetie, time for science class. When water moves through the air, it adds and subtracts electrons from the oxygen atoms. The negatively-charged atoms fly around and interact with the body in several ways, all of them good. Waterfalls, beaches, rain, and showering all work this way. See how you feel in ten minutes.”

They continued walking, companionably. “So, ‘Doctor’ Tex—oops, ‘Teshierra’—what kind of lawyer are you. Is it just a lot of hot damp air?”

“Kayla, you wound me! I actually specialize in two areas: family law and torts.” He held up his hand. “Before you ask, torts are non-criminal wrongs. Torts are actions or failures that cause injury or loss. It includes product liability and negligence.”

“To be clear, my tort practice subsidizes my family law work. I try to do custody and divorce cases on a sliding fee scale, and sometimes for just a token amount. I represented one girl for two dollars to get her away from her rapist father and abusive mother.”

“Nio, you can’t expect me to believe that.”

“No, Kayla, I’ll give you her name and number. Sheila is 22 now and married. And there’s four other women who I’ve helped in similar situations who can also vouch for me. With new clients, who are naturally distrustful of men, I ask these women to help out.”