Chapter 29: Planning An Excursion With Karen

So Tuesday I woke up at an ungodly hour for me, in the summer anyway. Seven-thirty? I tried to go back to sleep, but sleep had fled, so I got up and showered, and had coffee and even scrambled a couple of eggs with toast. I was becoming very domestic in my old age.

I had to kill some time before I could go to the mall, but soon enough it was time. She saw me as I entered and held up two fingers and mouthed “Two minutes.” I waited outside and in no time she ran out, carrying her purse.

“Tom,” she said. “You’re looking particularly bright and cheerful this morning. Just get back from your jog?”

“You know me so well, Karen. I get such a rush from running to the point of exhaustion. I recommend it.”

“I’ll put it on my to-do list, right after do-it-yourself wisdom tooth extraction.

“So, I called in a favor, the estimable and very discreet Bailey O’Connell, whom I may have mentioned yesterday on the phone. My mother was in the room, so I had to make it up as I went.”

“And a fine job of it, too. I was able to read between the lines. We should become government spies or something.”

“Bailey has a phone in her room, and that’s the number my parents have, so if they try to get in touch, she’ll just say I’m in the shower and will call back. She’ll call me -- you’ll have to give me your aunt’s number -- and I can call my parents back. But that’s just in case, and it’s unlikely to happen.”

We got to the coffee place and I ordered my usual, and yes, they did have donuts this morning. Karen got hot tea and a muffin.

She stirred her tea, then looked at me. “I don’t know why, but I’m a little nervous about being with you again.”

“Is something I’m doing or might have said making you uncomfortable?”

“No, I don’t think so.” She was talking quietly now, trying to keep her voice low so other tables couldn’t overhear.

“I think what it is, and I’m not sure, is that the first time we were together it was so special, so ... much better than I had expected, that I’m almost afraid the next time will be a little bit of a disappointment.”

“Oh, boy. That puts the pressure on.”

She sat upright and looked appalled. “Oh, no, Tom, I didn’t mean to imply that you would disappoint me, I meant that I might not be as responsive, or something like that. I mean that it might be my problem to deal with.”

I thought about what she said for a bit. “I think I can see where you’re coming from, but I also think it’s really unlikely. Maybe the best thing we, the both of us, can do is try not to set expectations for what it will be like. I don’t have a lot of experience, but my intuition tells me that every time you’re with someone it’s a little different, not worse or better, just different, and we have to do our best to be with our partner in the moment, not try to compare it to something that happened between us earlier, or even something that happened between you and another person a different time. Am I making sense?”

“Like ‘live in the now’?”

“Something like that. Listen, I can only speak for myself, but when I’m with you I see something new in you each time, so I look forward to seeing you every time to find out what the new thing is. And I don’t just mean sex either, I mean talking to you at lunch in school, or going to one of your dad’s famous cookouts, or even just sitting here and having coffee with you right now.”

“That’s very sweet. Thank you. I’ll think about what you said between now and Saturday. Listen, I’m going to have to get back to work. Give me your aunt’s address and phone number, oh, and their names. What time should I get there? I’d usually head over to Bailey’s around six or so.”

“That sounds perfect. Let’s do that.” She gave me a quick peck on the cheek and ran off again. I sat admiring her retreating backside until it went around a corner.

I could not believe how slowly the week passed. I would set myself a task like reading a chapter of a book, then when I could read no more I’d look up and only fifteen minutes had gone by. The closer I got to Saturday, the more I started thinking about her, the way she looked last time, what I hoped we’d try this time. The more I thought about it, even an overnight would not be enough time. Finally I told myself that for my own sanity I had to put her out of my mind until Saturday.

Jeffy came over on Thursday after work and he looked like he had something to talk about. We went up to my room and he closed the door as he came in after me. “So, Jeffy, what’s the latest with you and Marla? Did you get her alone again?”

“Well, sorta. We couldn’t find a place where we wouldn’t be heard, so we couldn’t fuck, but I did get her into the garage -- she told her mother she was going to look for her old skateboard and lend it to me -- and we sucked tongue for awhile and I was able to finger-fuck her till she came.

“Then she got down on her knees and gave me a blowjob, and it was great, she went almost all the way down, and when I came, she just swallowed it all. Man, it was so sexy watching her lick the leftovers from her lips. But I really wanted to fuck her again. I don’t know when it’s gonna happen.”

“Yeah, life plots against us sometimes. But keep the mind working, you’ll come up with something.”

He looked like he wasn’t so sure. I told him, “Look, Jeffy, Marla’s hot, and I hope you get another chance with her soon. But remember, you’re not exclusive. She hadn’t told you you’re the one, has she?”

He shook his head. “Nah, sometimes I think she maybe isn’t all that interested in me, it’s like she’s preoccupied or something.”

I thought, you don’t know the half of it, kiddo.

But what I said to him was, “Well, maybe she hasn’t decided yet, or maybe you’re just a boy-toy for her. Women are weird. So, my theory is, if they haven’t committed themselves to you in some way, maybe they say they really like you, or they can’t decide between you and another guy, or maybe they want to be exclusive with you -- some kind of statement of commitment, then I think you’re free to look around, too. If she can’t decide, there’s lots of girls around who’d be thrilled if you paid attention to them.”

“You think so? You think I should be looking for somebody else?”

“Well, it’s not cheating if you keep your eyes open, maybe make note of a few possibilities, just in case she decides she wants to become a nun or something.”

He laughed. “Yeah, a nun, I can just see that. Maybe you’re right. That Kate McGregor’s kinda cute, you know her?”

I didn’t, but I’d take his word for it. Maybe that was enough push to get him started on the road away from Marla.

Through pure willpower I got through Thursday and Friday, only occasionally thinking of Karen. I realized that I didn’t have a picture of her. I’d have to ask her for one. and now that I thought about it, I didn’t have a recent one of me. What if she asked me for one in return?