Chapter 30

Kim and I stood outside IHOP waiting for Cheryl and Mickey. We tried to find a subject to talk about that didn’t involve sex but every time we did, we just laughed. They showed up at quarter after and Cheryl apologized. Mickey was probably twenty-five and had the look of a middle linebacker, big but athletic. He seemed like the kind of guy that would have a five o’clock shadow before noon. He gave us both the once over.

“You didn’t tell me they were kids,” he said to Cheryl.

“He didn’t tell me how good looking his girlfriend was,” Cheryl responded.

“No kidding. How old are you?” he asked me.

“Fifteen.”

“No shit. And this is your girlfriend? Okay. Fine. He must have something going on,” he said to no one in particular, and then to Kim, “You are smokin’ hot! Damn.” He shook his head and turned back to Cheryl. “If we’re going to talk to these two about sex, with her across the table the whole time, you better have the rest of the day off, Babe. Just letting you know.” I don’t think Cheryl minded that at all.

We got a booth that didn’t have people on either side of it and ordered. Kim ordered Belgian waffles and I ordered the Swedish crepes with lingonberries. I didn’t know what they were but the picture was mouthwatering. For the next hour, Mickey and Cheryl asked questions and then offered some suggestions. Every time the waitress came around our conversation would stop. I think she was catching bits and pieces of our conversation because she gave us a curious look each time she came around. They talked about toys and some of them sounded pretty fun and some of them sounded bizarre. The whole thing about anal play was pretty weird and I didn’t think either of us wanted to do that too much. Maybe just a little.

Mickey had a hard time keeping his eyes off Kim and I didn’t blame him. Cheryl was really encouraging and Kim was pretty curious. When we finished, I don’t think she was worried about me asking Cheryl for advice. I paid for breakfast and we walked out to the parking lot together.

“Are you two going to try to do this today,” Mickey asked. “Because I’d seriously pay to watch. You are too hot for this guy. No offense.”

“None taken.” He was right.

“Not today,” Kim said. “I owe Jack and am going to make good on that today.”

“Damn. I don’t know what you’ve got going on, buddy, and if you told me, I’d probably try to sell it and make some serious money.” Mickey was funny and I liked him.

“Cheryl, when is a good time, at Bad Kitty? I might want to get some of those toys but I don’t want you to get in trouble,” Kim said.

“Appreciate that. I come on at four from Tuesday to Friday and the earlier, the better. Not Friday, probably.”

“Thanks. And thanks for all the tips and advice you’ve been giving Jack. I know I’m the big winner in that.”

“I get to tease him,” Cheryl said.

“As long as that’s all it is,” Kim said, smiling. I’m pretty sure they liked each other and that was fine by me.

“Anything else, Kim?” I asked.

“No. I hope you two are worked up. I don’t want to be the only one,” Kim said.

“You’re not, honey. Come on you big stud. Make me smile,” Cheryl said to Mickey.

“Back to the grindstone,” he answered, laughing, and they got in their car. I noticed that he didn’t open the door for her and it wasn’t a truck.

“What do you think?” I asked.

“Numbers don’t seem that important to me as they might have before we came in. I just want to be with you.”

“That’s what I thought. Mickey’s right though. You are smokin’ hot.”

“And you have something going on. I thought I would want to go for some sort of record, you know, like a personal best but now, I don’t think so.”

“Yeah. They gave some good advice and a lot of it seemed really fun.”

“But not all of it,” Kim said. “Not going to be any threesomes. Nope.”

“You don’t think...”

“Nope. And neither do you, Jackson. Not even in your dreams.”

“I was just going to say...” I started, trying not to laugh.

“Nope. You were just going to say, ‘nope’.”

“That’s exactly right. I wonder...” I couldn’t let it go and we were having fun.

“You used to wonder. You don’t anymore. What time do you need to be back?”

“In time for dinner. I think after last night, Mom’s lengthened my leash a little.”

“There’s not much wind but I think there’s enough,” she said. Ten minutes later, we pulled into the marina.

“What about you? Is your mom more comfortable with me as crew?”

“Yeah. She didn’t set a time but dinner is good.”

We worked to get the Inherit ready, enjoying the anticipation. “What did you think of some of their ideas?” I asked.

“Some of the toys sounded fun and some of them sounded kind of nasty. I don’t think I want your dick in my ass.”

“That sounds painful. I don’t blame you. I’m not sure who would benefit from that, you or me. I don’t see how I would. Mickey seemed like he liked it. Not sure about Cheryl.”

“It actually felt kind of good when you stuck your finger in mine. Want me to stick my finger in yours?”

“No. Thanks, but no.”

“That was a pun. Butt no.”

“Yeah. I’m clever that way.” I didn’t realize it until she said it. “Apparently, we’ve been skimping on lube. I don’t see how, though. You seem to be making enough. I like your lube.”

“I bet you do. How good do you think I could make you feel? Right now. How good? And you have to promise not to think about Cheryl. She’s pretty. And he’s a stud.”

“You like that, huh? Big guy.”

“I bet he pounds her,” she said, wistfully. I think she was trying to pay me back for mentioning a threesome.

“You like that. When I get on top and do my jackhammer impression.”

She looked at me with a look that could have gotten me hard if I hadn’t been already. The lust in her eye would make any guy hard. “I do. I like it. I like it when it feels like you own me. I like it when you feel like you want me so bad that the only way to satisfy that is to pound me hard.”

“Damn, Baby. The only time I don’t feel like that is when I’m asleep and sometimes I dream about you.”

“Come on you big stud. Let me make you smile,” she said, playing on what Cheryl had said earlier.

We got the boat ready to sail and I asked about leaving it in the slip, since there wasn’t much wind, but she asked how I’d feel if her parents decided to come to the marina and wait for us. That didn’t sound good. I looked out at the harbor and there were a couple of sailboats going out. It was beautiful weather and maybe the wind had picked up just a bit. I started working again. We’d had a pretty good aerial tour of Charleston the day before and we set out for Deewees Inlet to see it from eye level.

We motored toward the harbor entrance and raised sails. Sure enough, they caught and Kim killed the engine. As we sailed north, we looked at everything we’d seen the day before with a totally different perspective. We passed the Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse. It had looked tiny from the air but it certainly looked tall enough from our perspective on the water. The contrast was almost humorous. We passed the Isle of Palms and when we got to Deewees Inlet, it looked a little busy so we continued north to Capers Inlet and it was nearly deserted. We dropped the sails and chugged into position, away from other boats, dropped the anchor and went below.

“What do you want?” she asked. “Anything. What do you want?”

“I want to see you. I want to see you without your bikini. All day, yesterday, I kept imagining taking it off.”

She pulled her T shirt up and off and stood in front of me in her bikini. This one was smaller than what she’d had on the day before. She reached behind and tugged the string loose.

“You should see your face. I wish I had some lingonberry syrup to pour on my boobs.”

Her bikini top came loose and she dropped it on the bed. I traced her tan lines with my eyes. She’d gotten sun the day before and the lines were more distinct. Her nipples were already crinkled and erect, stiff with desire for me. I had to adjust my shorts and she smiled when I did.

“More?” she asked and shook. There wasn’t a lot of movement in her boobs when she did that but I loved that she did. “Thirty-five Cee if you’re going to put this in your journal, she joked.”

“Not unless I get the girly kind with a lock on it. I’ll just write perfect and that will be good enough. You look amazing.”

“Feel my ass,” she said and turned. I squeezed her cheeks and they were pretty solid. “It’s from squats and lunges. I hate those but love the results.”

“I have no complaints. I want to bite it.”

“Uh huh. Probably be best if my shorts weren’t in the way.” She pushed them down and wiggled way more than she needed to to get them off.

“Baby, it’s like your body’s sole purpose is to give me a hardon.”

“Yeah? What about when I’m old and wrinkled?” she asked.

“We’ve had this conversation. I’ll have cataracts and it won’t matter.”

“You’re a doofus. See? Feel how firm,” she said and backed her naked butt toward me.

“You know, I see your tight little ass in front of me and the idea of sticking my dick in it becomes pretty attractive.”

She looked over her shoulder at me. “You’d do that?”

“You have an amazing ass, baby. It’s really tight. I don’t see how it could feel better than your pussy, though.”

“When you pushed your finger into me, I loosened up. I don’t think my ass would ever loosen up that much, though. It would probably squeeze you pretty hard. All that talk.”

“Yeah. Maybe. Not today though. You want to make me happy today?” She nodded with a wicked smile. “Good. Then I want to own you. That would make me happy.”

“Oh, god. What a coincidence.”

“I want to do pretty much what we did the other day. I want to go down on you and bring you to orgasm and then cum inside you.”

“Today is supposed to be about pleasing you.”

“That would please me very much. In fact, nothing would please me more.”

“But...” she looked at my face and realized there was no point in arguing about it.

“I know how you can please me more. Pose. When you get into a sexy pose, I get to enjoy looking at you.”

“That’s it. Just pose?” I nodded.

She did a couple of silly poses to start things off and then she raised her hands over her head, lifting her boobs. I liked that one. She did a couple more and then did a backbend, and I groaned out loud. She was smiling when she came up. She did the splits, facing away from me and I groaned again. Her tight little ass was just begging to have me spear her from behind. Room in the little cabin was limited and as the boat rocked with waves it was hard for her to balance sometimes. I took her shoulders and pushed her back onto the bed.

I maneuvered her around so that she could put her legs over my shoulders and began to eat her like a Swedish crepe. We’d both been wound up since breakfast and she didn’t last long. When she was about to cum, I eased off, delaying her release. I toyed with her for a few seconds, ignoring her begging and then began again. She ramped up really quickly and I had to ease off fast or she would have cum. I was leaking like crazy and wasn’t going to delay her again. When she started to cum, I let my tongue go crazy on her and she thrust her pussy up at my face. I sucked because it’s the only way I could hang on.

When she relaxed, I quickly stood, lifted her legs and aimed myself to enter her. She was ready this time. I slid into her, then held her legs together, making my fit into her seem even tighter. I moved both of her legs so they were together over my right shoulder and began.

“You feel crazy tight this way. Mikey said this was a good position. Feel good to you?” I asked.

“Mmm. Do me, Jack. Own me.”

I did. I owned her a couple of times but the truth was, she really and truly owned me. We made love several times without keeping track of numbers and we didn’t try anything too new or crazy. We’d save any of that for another day. It was much nicer just to love my baby than it was to worry about the mechanics of it all.

We were just about wiped out when Kim said, “I am pleased. I like that. Poor little guy,” she said looking down. She stuck her lips out in a pout. “You need to take him for a swim and rinse a bunch of sex off of him.”

“I will if you will.”

“Naked?” I nodded. “I’ve never done that,” she said, smiling, and we both raced for the back of the boat, laughing.

I hit the water and my dick shriveled up all the way. It was cold. I rubbed my hands over my body to wash everything off and I was ready to get out. I looked over at Kim and her wide-eyed, I’m cold face.

“Is little Kimmie a little chilly?”

“Little Kimmie is a popsicle. Crap. I forgot to put the ladder down. And something just bit my foot.”

“Something big or something little?”

“Little, I think. It nibbled my toe. Not funny. Ladder?”

“I’ve got it,” I said and hoisted myself up. I flipped the ladder over and down into the water and waited for her to climb out. I gave her my hand and when she was on the top step I noticed just what the cold water had done to her. “Damn, Kim. Look at your nipples.”

“Not sexy. I’m freezing.”

“Looks sexy to me. Towels in the cabin?”

We dried off quickly and got dressed, wishing we had warmer clothes. The Atlantic takes longer to warm up than our pool. I checked the bedding and it seemed surprisingly clean so I just remade the bed. Kim took a little longer and by the time she was dressed, I’d raised the anchor and turned us south toward Charleston.

“You’re getting the hang of this,” she said.

“What? Sailing or making love?”

“Both. I think I will have to tutor you for a while longer,” she said as she stood next to me at the wheel.

“Speaking of tutoring, why didn’t you tell me about Susan?”

“Speaking of tutoring, why didn’t you tell me about it before I found out from Susan?” she asked.

“I hadn’t exactly decided on the whole thing before I’d left my name on the list in guidance. I’m going to be tutoring, by the way.”

“Saving your pennies?”

“Something like that.”

“Hmm. Better be something good.”

I didn’t think I could keep it a secret. Not for long. I decided not to worry about it. “The best.”

“Care to share?”

What the hell? “I’m taking a job this summer with Hector, too. I’m saving up to buy something important?”

“Uh huh. Care to share?” she repeated.

“I’m saving up to buy a ring.”

Silence and then more silence and then, “You’re not!”

“I am.”

“Oh, my god, Jack. You really are, aren’t you?”

“I really am. It can’t be inheritance money. That’s why I need a job.”

“Why can’t it? I can’t believe it.”

“Because if I don’t sacrifice for it, it doesn’t mean much.”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“Yes. I’m saying yes.”

“I heard you but...” I looked at her and she was beside herself happy. “You can’t say yes until I ask. That’s not how it works.”

“I’m practicing. I can’t believe you. You know what though? You know what, you keep surprising me. In good ways. I’m happy, Jack. I’m really happy.”

“Good. I’ve made eight dollars so far so you’re going to have to hang onto that happiness for a while.”

“I can do that. You’re crazy.”

“Crazy, in love. Do we go to the left or right of that buoy? Left, wait, port.”

“Correct. I love you, Jack. I really do.”

“The water was cold but I feel pretty warm right now. I think I want to be an engineer.”

“That was out of the blue.”

“Connected. Future.”

“Ah.” She nestled up against me as I steered toward the marina and I felt like the luckiest man in the world.

We lowered the sails and started the noisy engines to take it the rest of the way. The engines weren’t really that loud but after you’ve been under sail for a while, they seemed that way. She let me steer it all the way in. I felt like I was getting better at that part of it, too. We docked and secured the Inherit then double checked it to make certain it looked good to go for next time. Kim decided she would pack an extra set of sheets and clothing for future use and store it in her truck. I suggested it would be okay to sail naked and she gave me one of those how-immature-of-you looks. I didn’t mind and told her she would make an outstanding naked sailor.

She dropped me off at home. She had a paper due the next day and hadn’t started on it. Five pages for history but she didn’t want to wait. We hugged in my driveway as though it was the last time. Mom watched from the top step. Kim drove away and I took the steps two at a time until I was on the step below Mom.

“Feel good?” she asked.

“The best.”

“Anything I should know about?”

“Kim knew I was tutoring and I decided I couldn’t keep my plan a secret so I told her why I was working.”

“What did she say to that?”

“Yes.”

“She said, yes?”

“I told her it was a bit premature and she needed to wait until I asked her but she said she was practicing. I have eight dollars.”

“You’ll get there. I believe it. You believe it and now Kim does too.”

“I want to change clothes and get something to eat. Would you take me to the mall?”

“Sure. Going to spend those eight dollars?”

“No. I want to look at rings though to see how much I’ll need. It will be better if I have a goal.”

“Makes sense. Want to go out for dinner after that? You could skip the snack and we could have an early dinner.” I looked at her like she was a space alien. “Or, you could have a snack and we could still have an early dinner. You eat all the time and have something like five percent body fat. I wish I had a teenager’s metabolism.”

Thirty minutes later I’d changed and had a sandwich and we were on the road. Mom told me about a better place to shop. I could get a ring at one of the jewelry stores at the mall or she could take me to a store on Sam Rittenberg Boulevard where they specialized in diamond jewelry and would give me an education on diamonds so I would understand the differences and buy with confidence. That made sense to me and there was a Thai restaurant I liked practically next door.

When we pulled into the parking lot mom froze.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“That looks like Dane’s truck,” she said. “I don’t know his license plate number but it’s got an MUSC parking pass.”

“Oh. Well, that’s cool. Maybe he ... oh. Oh.”

“What if he’s ... no,” she said, realizing the possibility that Dane could be shopping for her.

“What if he is? Come on.”

“Wait a minute. Let me think. Maybe he’s here for something else.”

“Specializes in diamonds, you said.”

“I didn’t think we were this far along. I’d hate to go in and put him on the spot or surprise him and then, I don’t know.”

“I’m going shopping,” I said. “You coming? Come on, Mom. Either he is shopping for a ring for you or he isn’t. Lots of people shop together anyway. And if he isn’t, it’s just a fun coincidence.”

“But what if he is?” She asked.

“Okay. I give up. What if he is?” I had already concluded they would get married. Apparently, Mom hadn’t ... yet.

“What do I say?”

“I don’t know. Yes, comes to mind, unless of course, it’s no. If it’s yes, that’s a good thing and if it’s no then there’s no harm done by being here.”

“Everything is that straightforward for you, isn’t it?” she asked.

“I guess it is. A lot of the time, at any rate. Not always. Want to help me?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know if you want to help me or don’t know what to say if he’s shopping for you?”

“The latter. What should I do?”

“You help me shop. Come on,” I said and was out of the car and went around to get the door for Mom.

“If he asked and I said ‘yes’ would you be okay with that?”

“If I ask Kim and she said ‘yes’ ... again, would you be okay with that?”

“It’s not the same.”

“It’s exactly the same. I want you to be happy. I’ve spent hours with him and we’ve talked about adult subjects. He treats me like I’m an adult or at least close to one. I like Dane just fine and to be honest, I feel like I know him better already than I ever knew Ronnie.”

“It’s true, isn’t it? What a mess!”

“No. It wasn’t. It really wasn’t. Just not what you expected. And besides, if he asks and you say ‘no’ Veronica is going after him.”

“No.”

“I’m messing with you.”

“This is serious, Jack.”

“I know it is, but it’s fun, too.”

“Fun,” she said slowly, trying to imagine it being fun.

“Do you love him?”

“It’s crazy.”

“You do, don’t you?”

“You did this to me. Doggone it Jack. Why do you have to be so damned decisive? You’ve got me doing it.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“It’s unsettling. I guess I do, though. I shouldn’t. Not yet.”

“Because there’s a magic amount of time necessary for this to happen?” I’d been through this myself and I’d been through it recently and thoroughly.

“Yes. No. I don’t know.”

“How long did you date Ronnie or Victor? You can get it right or screw it up in days or weeks or months. Right?”

“You’re impossible. Yes. How do I look?”

“You look amazing, Mom. Come on. You’re helping me shop and you don’t know why he’s there. Maybe he’s helping a doctor friend shop or he’s thinking about buying a jewelry store.”

“Right, I bet that’s it,” she said with a healthy dose of sarcasm. “Fine. Let’s go,” she said, and I almost laughed but I checked it.

“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead,” I said under my breath and we went in with Mom shaking her head. The potential awkwardness was not lost on me. I was actually pretty happy with myself, thinking I’d had a hand in whatever was going on.

It was a fairly large store, considering it was a specialty shop. A salesman greeted us and asked what we were shopping for. I told him while Mom spotted Dane at a counter across the shop. He had his back to us and was talking with a saleswoman. Mom pretended to be fascinated with the counter in front of us while watching him out of the corner of her eye.

The salesman was happy to describe the distinguishing features of any diamond; cut, clarity, color and carat. He began to go into detail on cut when I noticed Dane had looked up and saw us in a mirror behind the counter. He faltered for a second then looked at me and smiled. I smiled back. I don’t think Mom caught it. “Kim” he mouthed and I nodded. He smiled again and looked back down. This would be okay. Mom was in the store, even if it was reluctantly, and Dane smiled when he figured out what we were doing. I started asking questions about color and clarity.

“Ma’am, I was wondering if you could help me out.” Dane had two rings in his hands and had crossed to us without Mom noticing. “I’m shopping for a ring for the woman I love and I’d like to get a woman’s perspective. Which of these do you like better?”

She looked at Dane and then at me. I put my hands up in surrender.

“Did you two arrange this?” she asked me.

“I didn’t even know this place existed. I wanted to go to the mall, remember? This is all you. Help the guy out, Sis. He’s trying to make a tough decision.” Dane smiled.

She looked back at Dane. “I think a smart woman wouldn’t care all that much about the ring design as long as she loved the man giving it to her.”

“Ah. See, that’s the problem. I’m not sure if she does or not. Love me, I mean.”

“I’m sure she does,” Mom answered.

“Am I missing something?” the salesman said and all three of us turned to him and shushed him.

“Would you be so kind as to try this one on, then. I think she’d like this one better,” he said and slipped the ring on Mom’s finger.

“Yes,” she said, very slowly, and drawing the word out as though she were testing the sound of it. “I think this one looks really nice.” She hadn’t even looked at it.

“Good. I think it looks good on you. I suppose I should make it official. Christie, I love you. Would you marry me?”

Mom looked at me and I put my hands back up. “Are you sure?” she asked.

“Sure that I love you or sure that I want to marry you? Yes, either way.”

“Oh, god. I do too. I mean, I am too. I don’t know what I mean.”

“Just say, ‘yes’ Mom and that will probably cover it.”

“Yes. Yes, Dane. This is crazy, but yes.”

“So,” I said to the salesman who was still wondering what was going on, “for about two thousand dollars, I can get a one carat stone with good color and clarity. Is that right? E color and VVS2 and I can get that in a six-prong solitaire setting.” I’d been paying attention to his lesson, even in the middle of all the silent drama.

“Yes sir. That’s correct. And this is for you?”

“For my girlfriend.”

“And that’s your mother?”

“Yes sir. Does that change things, somehow?”

“No. Not at all. And you are...” He was clearly confused by what was happening.

“Fifteen. That’s what you were going to ask, right?” Of course, it was. It’s what anyone would ask.

“I don’t mean to pry.”

“But you are all kinds of curious.”

“Quite right, but it’s none of my business.”

“I’ll tell you the whole story when I come in at the end of the summer to buy a ring. By then, I’ll be at the ripe old age of fifteen and a half. Thanks for explaining everything to me. I’ll be back.” I turned to the two of them and Dane had just finished paying. We walked out together.

Mom stood behind me and put her hands on my shoulders and let them slide down my front as she settled her chin on my shoulder. “I’m ... happy.”

“Good. I’m happy for you, Mom. I think you both did okay.”

“I think I did better than okay, Aquaman. Thanks,” Dane said.

“What are you thanking him for? Mom asked cautiously.

“Jack reminded me of what I already knew but was hesitant to admit to myself. That Christie Pierce is hot and that she’d make a helluva catch and whoever married her would get more than they bargained for.”

“You said that?” Mom asked.

“Something along those lines, I think.”

“When did you say that?” Mom asked me but Dane answered.

“Yesterday at the pool. He told me women like a decisive man so, here we are,” Dane said with a pretty happy-with-himself smile.

“Is that right? Dane, did I hear that right?”

“Yes. I took dating lessons from your son, who, by the way, interviewed me for the job under false pretense.”

“I’m hungry again. Can we get Thai, please? I’m dying for some Ong Bak. I can walk over if you two want to get all mushy in the parking lot.”

They agreed to go to dinner, rather than continue that conversation with my help. We zipped across Sam Rittenberg and parked in a nearly empty lot. Even after shopping at the diamond store, we were still early. We ordered and Mom went to use the bathroom.

“Thanks, Jack.”

“For what?”

“Kicking me in the pants, yesterday.”

“Yeah? I didn’t think that’s what I was doing.”

“Christie and I have been on a dozen dates but we’ve spent a lot of time together. We’ve had some very full days together. I think I’ve spent more time with her than all the other women I’ve dated since high school put together. I know I have. I wanted to. On most of my dates, I wished they were over about half way through. That’s kind of a big deal. And when you asked what more I needed to know, I realized I already knew it.”

“Most people date for a year or something, though.”

“You didn’t.”

“No. Sometimes you just know.”

“Christie said that’s what you thought about Sally, too.”

“It is. Out of my hands, though. Did she tell you about Kim and me before Sally left?”

“Yeah.”

“That was pretty tough. I think it worked out right.”

“You think she’ll say ‘yes’ when you ask her?”

“She’s already practicing. She knows why I’m working. It’s not like I could keep my jobs a secret for that long so I just told her. She said ‘yes’ and I told her she couldn’t until I could ask her officially, so she said she’s practicing.”

“She’s as decisive as you are.”

“Sort of seems that way. Oh, you know how Veronica gave Kim a ride home? That was after we shared with her what your assessment was.”

“What?” he said, more than a little incredulous that we would tell Veronica his thoughts.

“We didn’t say it was your assessment, since we didn’t ask permission, but I agreed with it. We did the sandwich thing. Something good, constructive criticism, something good.”

“How’d she take it?”

“About as good as you could hope for. I think it made a lot of difference that Kim did some of the talking and we convinced her we were trying to help. She actually seemed to relax some as we were talking. I guess we’ll see what happens.”

“You’ve had quite a year, haven’t you?”

“No kidding. Starting when Ronnie died. No, I guess really, starting when Franklin decided to start acting like a dad or big brother. He taught me a lot. A real lot. And I got more from Karen. I can talk to her about anything but I mostly talk to her about girls. And then Birch. That was crazy. I really liked Kim and when I set her up with Birch, I thought that was a done deal. Over before anything started. Oh, yeah, I learned a lot from Sally. And she’s the one that got us to Mink’s and Timex. He gave me some boxing lessons. We’d been dating for a while before I even found out she played piano and she’s really good, by the way. Mom gave me a lot of advice. Coaches for swimming and baseball and Mr. McTighe. Then Kim taught me how to ride and sail. So, yeah, it’s been a pretty good year.”