by Debbie Zello
“I like it,” she said taking a sip of her cup. Her smile told him it was good.
“Well, I hate to disappoint you, but all I did was stick the plastic cup in the machine and smash the lid down. That poked two holes in the cup and the hot water poured in through the hole and into the coffee cup under the spout. Voila! Coffee!”
“You cheated. My way is more romantic.”
“Agreed,” he chuckled. Everything about her was more romantic. Her husband must be a complete idiot, was the very thought that ran on a loop through his mind. “Drink up so we can go on a scavenger hunt down the beach. I’m intrigued with all of the goodies you find.”
They finished their breakfast. Cheri got her basket. Gareth took the basket and her hand before they started walking. They got past his cottage and the Hollywood house came into view. Gareth said, “What do you think of this house?”
“It’s huge and gaudy. Men who own big houses like that are compensating for some other thing they’re lacking.”
“Really? Like what?”
“You know; they drive monster trucks or flashy sports cars. Live alone in mansions with twelve bedrooms. The truth is they’re hung like hamsters and they need the big things to compensate,” she said, matter-of-fact. Gareth had to drop her hand and bend over as he was laughing so hard he could barely stand. When he could finally breathe he said, “Hung like hamsters? Where do you get this stuff? I’m picturing some fat dude laying back on a chaise with this little tiny dick. Oh my God, that is so funny.”
“Funny for you. How would you like to be him?” she said continuing to walk. He stood there for a moment looking at his house before he turned to follow her.
“Would you spend the day with me?” he said changing the subject from compensating egomaniacs to her.
“I was going to the town tag sale, if you want to come with me.”
“The town tag sale? Really?”
“Every Wednesday a few of the towns have a tag sale of sorts. The townspeople bring the things they don’t want and leave them. Then they look through the things the other people didn’t want. If they find something they can use, they take it. No money is exchanged. It’s just repurposing your stuff.”
“I’ve never heard of anything like that.”
“It cuts down on the waste, and some of the stuff you find is great. I found two glass dishes that I love. If the stuff piles up, they call a charity, and they come and take a lot of it away.”
They walked a long way down the beach before turning to walk back. He reveled in the feel of her hand in his. It was small, warm, and felt alive. The hands he was used to holding were polished and unused.
Cheri liked having this gentle giant walking next to her. He stole kisses like a teenage thief. He made her feel like she was the center of the universe and the only person worth talking to.
When they got back to their cottages, Cheri went to hers to dust off her feet and grab her purse. Gareth went to his to grab his keys, after telling her he would drive. When she rounded the cottage, she saw him in her driveway, in the sports car that he had rented for the month. The sleek, white Corvette convertible he’d thought was the best chick-magnet made.
She opened the door and got in. She kept her head down, working her teeth against her lips trying her damndest not to laugh.
He sat there looking at his lap and tapping his index fingers against the steering wheel in time to the passing seconds.
She finally lost the battle with her funny bone and burst out laughing, still trying not to look at him. He said, in as serious a tone as he could muster, “Go ahead and say it.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had a sports car or I would have never insulted you like that. I’m sure you have more than a hamster,” she said, uttering the last word in hysterics.
“Well, let’s just say there won’t be any more skinny-dipping for me. I knew that you peeked.”
“I did not peek. And you had another suit on, so I didn’t see anything anyway.”
“Then you’ve been looking in my windows. Admit it, you’ve peeked!”
“No, I swear. I would never do that.”
“There is no other logical answer, Cheri,” he teased. This continued all the way to the town garage.
Chapter Five
Gareth followed Cheri around as she lovingly picked up a few items, looked them over, then gently set them down. He watched with interest as the few men in attendance undressed her with their eyes, mentally ravaged her, and set her back on her feet.
Both he and his hamster part were thinking of doing the very same thing. A low growl worked its way from his chest to his throat as he thought of another man touching her in that way. When she looked at him, hearing the noise, he excused himself, dismissing it as gas. Although he knew the difference. That kind of gas was the beginning of possession.
He wanted her. This was turning out not to be the vacation he had envisioned. Falling in love with the girl from “the cottage over there, the white one” was not on the agenda. However, as sure as he was standing there next to her as she picked up the ugliest lamp he had ever seen in his entire life, that was exactly what was happening.
Cheri turned her head slightly sideways to get a good look at the lamp. She thought with a few adjustments and some imagination she could use this lamp in her extra bedroom. She needed more light in that room. More light in her life in general.
Insisting that this lamp was the find of the century, Cheri placed it in the trunk of Gareth’s hamster-mobile as he had taken to calling it, for now.
“You’re never going to forget I said that, are you?” she asked timidly.
“Not until I feel you have sufficiently squirmed under my constant reminder of your disparaging remark,” he said, kidding of course.
“Fine you can say something about my huge butt. My tiny boobs or that you think I smell funny,” she said seriously.
“You’re kidding, right? Your butt is luscious and your breasts are delectable. And you smell like sunshine and springtime. Your one faulty attribute is that you continue to talk to me. I have no understanding of that.”
They stopped at a mom and pop diner for a quick lunch, and then headed back to the cottages. Carrying the lamp for her, Gareth asked, “Do you want to sit on the beach and soak up some sun this afternoon?”
“Okay. I’ll meet you in a few minutes,” she said walking into her house. Gareth almost fell over his own feet trying to get back to his house and changed before she came out. He wanted to watch her walk out in her bathing suit so badly he was breathless by the time he spread the blanket on the beach, staking their spot. The only other people on the beach were very far down and almost out of view.
When she came out of the house, he was kneeling on the blanket facing her house. Cheri had an almost regal gate as she made her way to where he was.
His eyes dilated as he took in her body with the strips of material covering only the most intimate parts. He felt stirrings begin in the place where he could least afford it. He tried to calm down the heat and convince himself that it was a bad time to sport a boner while wearing a bikini Speedo. There would be nowhere to hide.
Cheri smiled at his attempts to adjust himself without actually touching anything. “Is everything okay?” she asked, mirth dancing in her eyes. She found everything he did amused her and made her happy. Was it possible to be so comfortable with a man so soon after meeting him?
“Great. I had to wrestle a passing dolphin for this prime spot, but that’s all in a day’s work.”
“It’s a great spot, you did well!” she said sitting down next to him. He leaned in to kiss her again.
“You rock that bikini, miss.”
“Thank you.”
“What are you going to do with the lamp?” he asked making himself comfortable with a towel stuffed under his head.
“I’ll clean it up and maybe paint it. A new shade and, I don’t quite know yet. Sometimes I have to wait until it tells me what it wants to look
like.”
“So you’re an artist?”
“Far from it. My work life is ordered and regimented with appointments and meetings. No artistry at all,” she said sadly.
“You’re a doctor, lawyer, or an accountant. But I’m leaning towards a lawyer,” he said, eyes narrowing.
“Good guess. I did criminal defense for three years. I was my husband’s partner. I sold my half after the divorce, and now I’m in private practice here, doing wills and real estate.”
“Do you like the change?”
“I miss the kill, the adrenaline rush from proving someone’s innocence. But I could never have worked with him again, so this is okay for me for now.”
“I don’t see the aggressive attorney in you. You hide it well.”
“I keep her bottled up when I’m at the beach. I can be the other me here.”
“So what else do you keep bottled up?”
“I swear constantly.”
“No you don’t. You haven’t sworn even once.”
“Oh, I do, really, in paragraphs. I have a whole dictionary full. Sometimes in all caps,” she said seriously.
“When?”
“In my head. You should hear it. It would make you blush, the things I say,” she grinned. Gareth rose up and balanced his head on his hand. He looked at her smile and then covered it with his lips, ending the conversation. He loved her taste, her warmth, and her mind.
It rained the next day. When Gareth got up, he went to the window that looked over at Cheri’s cottage. He could see her out on her porch, sanding that lamp. She captivated him. Everything she did fascinated him. He wanted to spend every minute with her and he was wracking his brain trying to come up with something to do in the rain. What he would like to do is spend the day in bed making love. That was his go-to rainy day idea, but he doubted she would agree.
He dressed, made two cups of coffee, and went to see her. He stuck the jar of Vaseline that he’d found in his pocket. One way or the other, he was quieting that squeaky screen door today. As he crossed the sand between their cottages he shouted, “Morning, neighbor.”
“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
“Great! All the fresh air and sun yesterday did a number on me. I slept like a baby. How about you?”
“I slept well but the rain woke me early,” she said as he handed her the coffee. “I can make you coffee, you know.”
“I don’t know if I can do orgasmic coffee this early in the morning. But I’ll take a rain check for tonight,” he said thinking he was so clever figuring out a way to see her for coffee.
“Okay. How about you come over for dinner. I’ll make pasta and salad,” she offered.
“I love pasta. I’ll bring wine. What time would you like me here?”
“Come early, like five. It’s supposed to rain all day so maybe we’ll play cards before dinner.”
“I’m not a great card player but I’m up for a challenge. Are you going to work on your lamp today?”
“It started talking early this morning. I know what it wants so I thought I’d do it today,” she said, all bright and cheery. Gareth could not think of anything to say that would change her mind about the day, so with a Herculean effort he said, “Great, so I’ll see you around five.”
The time passed with the speed of a turtle. Gareth found that staring at the kitchen clock didn’t help make it go any quicker. He flipped on the television and with an annoyed glare attempted to find some drivel worth the effort to watch, but to no avail. He shut it off within a few minutes. In a huff, he went to the car to go for a ride.
Cheri sanded her lamp and painted it a very pale violet. With her trusted glue gun, she placed a few pieces of her beloved driftwood around the base. She had dried a vine she’d found on one of her walks, and she wound it around the body of the lamp, gluing it in places.
She heard Gareth leave. A few minutes later, she went out to find the perfect lampshade. The little shopping center she liked had a small department store. They had a little of everything and their prices were within reason. Cheri wasn’t struggling, but she no longer had the kind of income she’d had with her ex. She’d always been careful with her spending, now she was slightly more so.
While cruising through the aisles, she found the perfect shade. Problem was, it was on another lamp. The eleven-dollar price was reasonable and she would have paid that for the perfect shade alone. So, good shopper that she thought she was, she bought the lamp, for the shade, and would now bring the unwanted lamp back to the sale the next time she went. Her smile at her plan was enough to cinch the deal.
As she was walking towards the front to pay for her lamp, she noticed a small stuffed hamster that might even be a cat toy. She picked it up to look at it, trying to decide if she should get it as a joke for Gareth. A little something to remember.
With her two purchases safely in the car, she drove to the bakery to pick something up for dessert. The smell of apples settled over her as soon as she walked in. They had fresh apple tartlets in the display case. When asked what she wanted she happily said two of them, deciding she would warm them and serve it with vanilla ice cream and fresh whipped cream.
Still smiling, she brought her lamp, hamster, and tartlets into her cottage, setting them on the counter. The first thing she did was remove the shade and put it on her reclaimed lamp. It was perfect, just as she thought. White with just a few tiny pansies in small clusters. She would leave it out so she could show Gareth when he got there. She took the hamster and put it away as she didn’t know yet what to do with him.
Cheri checked the tomato sauce she had left simmering, giving it a good stir and a little taste. She placed the tartlets in a pie plate and covered it so she could pop it into the oven to warm it later. Just as she finished, she heard a knock at her door. Figuring it was Gareth; she opened it and said, “What, you couldn’t wait?”
“Couldn’t wait for what? Or should I say for whom?” the man replied. Cheri’s virtually constant smile since meeting Gareth faded. Before her was the reason for her last three years of torment. David.
Chapter Six
Cheri was stunned and remained silent. As the uncomfortable seconds ticked by, she relived that shower-scene in her mind. David finally broke the silence and asked, “Am I interrupting something important?” He knew that what he had to say was much more important than anything she was doing.
“I just got in, David. But I suspect you already knew that. What do you want?”
“Constantly succinct, Cheri. I always liked that about you. I have a problem that I’m going to have to involve you in.”
“I’m out of your problems, David, remember? If you’ve lost your copy of the final decree, I’ll send you a duplicate,” she said, maintaining her practiced cool demeanor.
“Well done, darling, but I have my copy. I’m being sued by my…friend. In discovery, some discrepancies in client’s funds were exposed. My friend is confusing the time line, for our commencement of affections, and I need your testimony as to the exact date of your discovery. He places it several months later than the actual time.”
“I’m not helping you. I know you’re accustomed to getting exactly what you want. I’m sorry to disappoint you this time,” Cheri said beginning to close the door.
“Why didn’t you at least let me explain what I was feeling? A lot of this is your doing. If I could have enlightened you as to my proclivities, I’m sure we could have come to an understanding. Why wouldn’t you return my calls?” he demanded, staring holes through her.
“Not talking to you was my way of coping with my hurt and anger. You brought him into our marriage, into our house and bed. Where we made love and lived.
“You weren’t worried about protecting me. Do you have any idea what it was like for me to have to go to my doctor and ask for an HIV test? Not because of my behavior, but because you were promiscuous. For him to look for hideous sexually transmitted diseases, while I was naked and exposed in front of him.
&
nbsp; “You hit me where I lived. I experienced the pain of loss and I refuse to go back. You’re on your own, David,” she said defiantly.
“Can’t you remember before, the good times, and use that?” he begged.
“I can’t go back to remembering when we first met…fell in love. We were alone in the world. You let him into our marriage…not me,” she said quietly shutting the door, shutting him out.
Gareth found her an hour later, kneeling in the sand, the rain pouring down on her. She was cold, shaking, and completely soaked through. Picking her up and cradling her in his strong arms, he took her back to his cottage to care for her.
He kicked his door open, walked to the couch, and pulled the blanket from the back. He laid her down on it and covered her. Retrieving more towels from the bathroom, he continued to dry her hair and face. When she continued to shake, he lay on top of her, balancing his weight on his arms. As she warmed, he shifted her to lie beside her, pulling her to his chest for warmth and comfort.
Not knowing what had transpired to put her into such a state of despondency, he would tread lightly when speaking to her. He said, “Cheri, can I make you some tea or coffee? It might warm you up a little.” She nodded. “Coffee?” he asked. She nodded.
Gareth popped in the coffee and went to the extra bedroom to grab the bedspread and blanket. Her clothes had soaked through the blanket covering her and the towels. In his room, he yanked off his wet shirt and changed into a dry one then took his sweatshirt out to her. “We have to get you out of your wet clothes, Cheri. Will you let me help you, please?”
Cheri sat up and started to take off her shirt. Gareth kept his eyes on hers. As soon as her shirt was free from her head, he shoved the sweatshirt over her shoulders. Standing her up to lean against him he gingerly unzipped her shorts and slid them and the sweatshirt down her legs. His sweatshirt fit her little body like a nightgown, covering her completely.
He swiped all of the wet towels and the blanket from the couch and placed the dry one there, sitting her back down and wrapping her up again. “Thank you,” she whispered.
