Chapter 6

I was now convinced, as if I needed it painted in front of my own eyes, that I had somehow engineered these trysts that had overtaken me, unless somewhere on my back was a road sign: yield!

I had decided to stay here, near dad's farm for some time so I called Nick, to let him know.

When I got Nick on the line, I expected him to be cross, or indignant, or perhaps even threatening!

But he was none of that; in fact, he was so apologetic that I almost came home!

I could even detect a trembling in his voice as he digested my new agenda.

I no longer felt I needed space from Nick, so I naturally told him to hop a plane and join us, and he lit up so much that you'd think I just gave him a Christmas present!

I told dad that Nick was coming and he knew it meant I was going to be around for a while, but also that Nick would be a presence.

By now, I figured Celia might've let slip to dad what I told her about Nick, so I sat him down at the table and began putting my own spin on the recent past.

"Dad", I began, "I didn't just come for this visit to talk about Nickie's penis. He, uh,... we, um,... well, and it happened with you, much the same way. I didn't start out trying... "

I was making a mess of it, but dad was reading between the lines quite accurately and told me he understood, and that he now understood why I was trying to match him up with Celia - so he could have a relationship with a future!

None of them knew, yet, about my moment of weakness with Raymond, and HE wasn't likely to volunteer anything, so I felt all the bases were covered by the time Nick arrived.

It was already late at night and we all had barely enough time for the gratuitous hugs and kisses when it was time to 'turn in'.

Celia was staying, too, in her own room, while Nick and I also had our own rooms, so if there were going to be any hanky-panky, it would entail plenty of footfalls.

Round about midnight, I imagine, it started!

First steps I heard were definitely dad's, as he bypassed me and went to the next room. Good! He liked Celia. This was working.

But then I heard more steps, and still more steps!

I closed my eyes and imagined some old Bugs Bunny cartoon where the chasers and the chasee were bounding from room to room until I gently laughed and yanked to covers over my head. I wanted to release myself back to sleep.

Then, all went quiet. Had I dozed off? There wasn't a sound to be heard.

But I could feel a presence in the room with me, now, and it made me quite nervous, so much so that I held the covers in a death grip, unwilling to look.

Oh, shit; they were sitting ON my bed now, two of them, one on each side, and hands were hugging me, not prying, just holding me, as if to grant the famous request: I just needed to be held.

I was relaxing, so their hugs were working, and I turned down the cover, not quite discerning anyone in the low light.

Then, the figure on my right slid into the bed, next to me and I knew there was hanky-panky a-stir, and I hadn't done ANYTHING, this time, to bring it about.

It's a good thing for them that I had the queen size bed (or was THAT the reason they were here?) because there wasn't much room for anyone else!