Chapter 15

"Get up!"

I groggily became conscious. Someone was shaking me.

"Get up, Joe! Tina!"

Sharon's voice.

I opened my eyes. Sharon stood next to the bed in boxers and a t-shirt, looking alarmed. Tina stirred next to me, shifting so she could see Sharon.

"My mom's coming back in a couple of minutes. You need to get in the shower, Tina!"

"Huh? Oh!" Tina bounded out of bed, looking around wildly.

"I told my mom you were already in the bathroom getting ready for your shower—so you need to go!"

Tina nodded and then turned and looked at me. I nodded. Sharon had already cracked the door to the hallway and was peering out. She motioned with her hand.

"Coast is clear!"

The two women disappeared through the door. I slowly sat up. A few minutes later, sounds of a running shower filtered into the room. I figured I'd better get up as well.

While Tina had gotten at least partially dressed the night before, I was still naked. That meant my first order of business was finding clothes. I got out of bed and crouched over my suitcase, deciding what I wanted to wear. The door suddenly opened behind me. Startled, I turned. It was Sharon.

"Don't you knock?" I asked. I grabbed the nearest fabric, which was a shirt, and whipping it in front of my crotch.

"Sorry!" Sharon said. "I didn't want Mom to see me standing in the hall."

"Um, okay," I said, glancing around for my other clothes.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Sharon turned around. "I won't look."

I snagged some underwear out of my suitcase and grabbed my jeans.

"After last night, I don't think it matters if you look or not," I said as I pulled on my pants.

"I'm sorry about that, too," Sharon said.

"Don't worry about it," I said, more annoyed at the current intrusion than anything. "Tina got to see you, so it's all even."

Sharon groaned.

"So that's why she didn't come back," she said.

"Yep," I answered. I'd gotten my pants on and decided the shirt I was holding was good enough to wear, at least until I got my own shower. "Mind you, I would have pulled up a chair and watched, but Tina's got more decency than me. Okay, you can turn around."

"I know she's got more decency than you," Sharon said as she turned, "but that doesn't mean much. How would you like it if a woman walked in while you were ... busy?"

"I'd probably like it," I said, frankly.

Sharon rolled her eyes. "You probably would," she muttered.

"So what exactly is going on?" I asked.

"My mom knocked on my door this morning to let us know that breakfast was going to be ready soon," Sharon explained. "When I didn't immediately answer, she opened the door, saw me by myself, and asked where Tina was. Fortunately, I was awake enough to say that Tina must be in the bathroom. Mom made a comment about there being enough time for one of us to shower and I told her that Tina would probably take hers and I'd discuss it with her when she got back. Then she asked me to wake you up."

"Which you did."

"Yeah. And since Tina's in the shower and you're awake, we may have gotten away with it."

"Hmmm," I replied. Could Sharon have successfully lied to her mother, or was Mrs. Meyers just not calling her on it?

"I'm going to go get dressed," Sharon said, before heading toward the door. I waved as she slipped out and then grabbed my shoes before heading out for breakfast.

"Good morning, Joe!" Mrs. Meyers called when I entered the kitchen. "Sleep well?"

"I sure did," I answered, sinking into a chair at the table.

"I believe that," she said.

I looked over, but her back was turned so I couldn't read her facial expression. When she turned back around, she was smiling, holding a plate heaped with French toast, scrambled eggs, and sausage.

"I hope you're hungry," she said, setting the food down with a flourish.

"Oh, Mom, you really didn't have to," Sharon said as she walked in.

"You young people need to keep your strength up," Mrs. Meyers protested. "Besides, I like doing things for you and your friends."

"You still don't have to," Sharon muttered as she settled into her own chair.

Mrs. Meyers immediately put a huge stack of French toast in front of her daughter. Sharon dutifully dug in. A few minutes later, Tina walked in, smiling, her hair still damp.

"My, you look radiant this morning!" Mrs. Meyers declared upon seeing Tina, who blushed.

"Thanks," she said, "I slept well."

"Good!" Mrs. Meyers replied. She quickly inundated Tina with food, too.

"So, what are you kids planning today?" Mrs. Meyers asked where there was no more food to shovel in front of us.

I bristled a little. I didn't like being called a kid at twenty-three.

"Well, we both have to get on the road after lunch," Sharon answered, "so I thought I'd take them up the tramway this morning."

"Oh, that's a great idea!" Mrs. Meyers gushed. "It's a really nice view. A nice ride."

Tina and I looked at each other and then turned and nodded. Why not? It was one of the nicer sights around.

We managed to get Sharon and me rolled through the shower fairly quickly and on the tram by ten. Then we found out Mrs. Meyers was right. The view ended up being spectacular.

"So, do you think your mom figured things out?" Tina asked as we glided up the mountain.

"Mmmm, I don't think so," Sharon mused. "She would have said something if she had."

"Well, at least she didn't try to wake Joe up first," Tina said.

"She wouldn't have done that," Sharon stated. "She would have been worried about catching Joe naked."

"Something that obviously her daughter doesn't worry about," I said, looking pointedly at Sharon.

"I said I was sorry," she replied with a shrug.

"Well, I saw you," Tina said to Sharon, "so we're all even."

Well, not quite, since I hadn't seen Sharon naked, but now was not the time to point that out.

"Joe said you had. So I guess that does make us even."

"Unless you count walking in on me this morning," I interjected. Tina's gaze bounced from Sharon to me. "I was getting dressed and hadn't quite gotten my clothes on."

"Ah," Tina replied.

"It's not a problem with me," I said, "other than the surprise."

"Nor me," Sharon said. "Though I will remember to knock next time. Sorry."

"Well," Tina rationalized, "so we've all seen each other. It is just skin, after all. It's not like there was any touching."

"There was touching," I said to Tina, smirking. "You and I touched quite a bit."

She gave a mock scowl.

"No inappropriate touching," she said.

I nodded in agreement to that.

"Well," Sharon said, "I just didn't want any of us to get in trouble."

Tina and I both nodded in agreement before we all fell silent.

"That actually reminds me of one time I did get in trouble," Sharon said, "not over sex or boys, but over borrowing the car." Sharon proceeded to spin a story about borrowing the car when she was fifteen and not legal to drive and then heading up to Los Alamos to visit a friend. That led to Tina and me telling our own "naughty teenager" stories, though Tina's were mild in comparison.

After a while the conversation drifted to the tramway and other sights we'd seen. We spent the remainder of the morning joking and laughing and gently teasing each other. When we returned to the Meyers' house, Mrs. Meyers had lunch waiting, which was again more food than any of us could handle.

"This is too much," I said, seeing the table laden with sandwiches, soup, fruit, cheeses, and a few pastry things I couldn't immediately identify. "I'm not sure I'll be able to eat again for a week!"

Mrs. Meyers glowed at the compliment.

"I thought you might need your energy for the road," she said. "Besides, I'll wrap up the leftovers and send them with you.

"Will they keep?" Tina asked. "It's going to be almost midnight be the time we're home."

"Midnight?" Sharon asked. "I thought Tucson was only seven hours."

"We're going to stop in Las Cruces and see Allen," I explained. "That tacks on a couple of hours of driving plus the stop."

"Oh."

"I can send you with a small cooler," Mrs. Meyers said. "You can return it to Sharon later. I'll go get it."

I started to protest, but it was too late—she was already down the hall. Instead, with a sigh, I settled into a chair at the table for lunch.

After the meal, we began packing our suitcases. Mr. Meyers materialized from wherever he'd been hiding to help load both my and Sharon's cars. We exchanged a round of hugs in the driveway.

"Call me when you get in," Sharon said into my ear during our farewell hug.

"It's going to be late," I said. "I'll call you tomorrow."

Sharon nodded as she pulled away.

"It was really good to meet you!" Tina said as she and Sharon hugged goodbye.

"I agree!" Sharon replied. "We're going to have to get together again."

"I'd like that!" Tina said.

They smiled at each other for a moment before Tina pulled away and joined me at the car. With a final round of goodbyes, we were all on the road, Sharon north and Tina and I south.

"So what do you think?" I asked, once we'd cleared the Albuquerque city limits and the traffic had died down.

"Of Sharon? I like her."

"Good! I hoped you would."

"She's fun! She's also easy to talk to. I was a little worried about that before we came."

"Well, you guys certainly found plenty to talk about," I said. "Even if it was mostly at my expense."

"Oh, you loved it!"

"True," I admitted. "Though I must admit, I was nervous about what the two of you might come up with. To torture me, that is."

Tina chuckled.

"Somehow I think you would like that too," she said. "While Sharon may tease you, she really does care for you. She's rather fierce in your defense."

"Really?" I asked. "I don't see that very often."

"Huh. I don't think she tries to hide it from you."

I thought about that for a while. Tina was right—Sharon had expressed outrage at the wrongs done to me. Even when she thought I was the one doing them to myself.

We talked a little more about the visit with Sharon. Despite repeated hints from me, Tina refused to tell me what they'd discussed the first night. Eventually we just settled back, listening to the radio, until we arrived in Las Cruces in the late afternoon.

Allen and Jenna lived in a small adobe and brick house north of the University. Flowers filled a small garden near the door. I noticed a fair number of cacti in and among them while we waited for Allen to answer the door.

"Hey, bud! C'mon in!" Allen said as he opened the door.

Tina and I entered to find a striking blonde standing in the living room.

"Hi," she said. "I'm Jenna."

"I'm Joe," I said, "and this is Tina."

"Good to meet you again," Allen said to Tina. She looked confused. "I was there, at the poster shop, when you met Joe."

"Oh, that's right," Tina said, nodding. "You came in with him."

"Yeah," Allen said. "Anyway, welcome to Las Cruces."

"Nice house," I commented.

Jenna grinned and nodded her head.

"Thanks," she said. "Do you want the nickel tour?"

I looked at Tina, who shrugged.

"This is the living room," she said, gesturing to where we were. It was furnished in a southwest style, but felt comfortable rather that artsy. The kiva fireplace in the corner helped. Jenna led us through the room to the other side.

"The kitchen, where Allen does the cooking," Jenna said.

"Cooking?" I asked. "When did you start cooking?"

"Hey!" Allen said, "just because there was no chance to show off my skills in the dorm doesn't mean I don't know how to cook."

"He's very good," Jenna gushed.

"I may not be able to do much," Allen said, "but there are three things I'm very good at. Cooking is one of them."

"Joe's just learning," Tina said. "It's one of the things we do together."

"Oh, we don't cook together," Jenna said. "Allen insists on having complete control. Not that I mind! It's really nice to come home to dinner already prepared."

"I can see that," Tina replied, nodding.

I paused. I'd always waited for Tina to show up before I got beyond the initial cooking prep.

"Allen takes good care of me," Jenna said.

"Have to earn my keep," Allen joked.

"You're not working?" I asked.

"Oh, I've got a few shifts tending bar," Allen answered. "I can't start school until the fall."

We fell to talking about his academic plans, which mostly consisted of getting some biology classes under his belt so he could apply to a program in criminal forensics. Tina asked Jenna about her classes and Jenna proceeded to tell us about sports medicine. I didn't follow half of it, but it didn't seem to matter. Tina caught enough of it for the two women to get deep into the conversation while Allen and I stood and watched.

"So how's life otherwise?" I asked him, as an aside.

"Great," he said. "I'm very happy."

"So am I," Jenna chimed in. "Much to my surprise."

Tina looked quizzically at her.

"Given the distance, Allen and I had originally planned to just be 'friends with benefits, '" Jenna said with a sly smile. "So I was surprised when it turned into more." She looked at Allen, who just shrugged.

"What can I say?" he said. "When you actually gave me a massage, I was putty in your hands."

Jenna laughed. "Just like I only want you for your cooking," she joked back.

"Well, speaking of which," Allen said, "I should get started. How about if you show them your studio?"

Jenna let out a happy sigh and turned to us.

"Allen's been encouraging me to paint, so we converted the second bedroom into an art studio. It's not much."

"It is," Allen said. "Besides, if you show it to them, it will get you out of my kitchen!"

We laughed and let him shoo us out of the room. I rolled my eyes. I wasn't used to seeing Allen so loose and playful. Not with Sharon. Not on his own.

Jenna led us down a short hall to a room with an easel and a makeshift stand holding oil paints. Multiple partially-finished canvases sat along the foot of one wall, crowned by two hanging above them. Both were landscapes of desert scenes, one with the sun setting and one in a brighter but bleaker daylight. They reminded me a little of Georgia O'Keefe's work, but not quite. While the colors were equally vibrant, the lines were more fuzzed and soft.

"I used to dabble in high school," Jenna said as Tina and I inspected her work more closely. "Allen persuaded me to get them back out."

"These are pretty good," Tina said.

"I agree," I added.

"Thanks," Jenna said. "I wasn't so sure, but Allen found a gallery owner who wants to hang some of them."

"These?" I asked, pointing to the landscapes.

"Like those," Jenna said. "We've already delivered them to the gallery."

"What's this?" Tina asked. She had been thumbing through the canvases on the floor against the wall and pulled out one of the ones in back.

"Oh, ahem," Jenna said. "Allen also suggested I try some subjects besides landscapes."

Tina turned the picture so I could see. It was a male nude, turned away. The pose emphasized the muscles in his back.

"Allen?" I asked.

Jenna nodded.

"I told him that if I was going to paint, he was going to have to pose. He agreed."

"That's not a bad trade," Tina mused, still looking over the painting.

"Allen is so supportive of me," Jenna said. "I really lucked out."

"Maybe you both got lucky," I said.

Jenna smiled in response but didn't say anything.

We looked around a little more and then headed back to the kitchen. I brought up the rear and stole a few peeks at Jenna. Her body was toned and sleek. I had no trouble imagining her keeping up with Allen on mountain bikes. In the living room, Jenna asked Tina about what we'd done in Albuquerque. Allen poked his head out of the kitchen and gestured to me.

"You're the wine snob," he said. "You open this."

He handed me the bottle.

"Chianti Classico," I said. "Not bad. What are we having?"

"Italian," he said. "Pasta in a salmon and dill sauce, grilled asparagus, and a salad. With bruschetta as an appetizer."

"Wow," I said. "I'm impressed."

"Good." Allen disappeared back into the kitchen.