Beautiful Days (Jason Of The Valley Book 5)

by Jason K. Melby

  "I don't. I really don't. I love you, fat or thin." Cynthia leapt up from her seat and her eyes were afire.

  "You think I'm fat!?"

  "You know what I meant."

  "I absolutely do. I know what goes on in the mind of men. You forget most of my friends are men."

  "Gay men."

  "You're all the same. It's all about the package." Douglas got up and grabbed Cynthia by her shoulders and held his gaze to hers.

  "I love this package. No matter how it's wrapped, because it's what's inside I love."

  "Then you're in luck because there's so much of it!" Cynthia shook free from Douglas' grasp and then the sound of Ronny's crying echoed through the house.

  "I'll get him. You finish your meal." Douglas said as he rushed away. Cynthia slumped back down onto her chair. She had half of her meal left, but she saw Douglas' plate sitting across from her. She saw smears of apple glaze and crust crumbs on it. She snatched it and licked it clean in record time. She felt a bit of a rush as the processed sugars worked their way into her body. It gave her just enough pep to actually finish her own meal at last.

  Cynthia was feeding Ronny, and lusting for his strained peas more than she realized when Douglas breezed in. He was dressed and pressed for the day ahead and the thick scent of his aftershave filled the air.

  "You look nice."

  "I have to. Clients are coming over to walk the site."

  "They do realize you don't wear a suit and tie at the work site, don't they?"

  "I have to assume they do, but it seems to make them feel better if we keep up the charade. What do you have planned?"

  "Oh, the usual. Nothing exciting." Douglas slipped behind Cynthia and wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her.

  "I love you." He whispered.

  "I love you too." Douglas then looked over to his son and planted a gentle kiss on his head.

  "Same goes for you, little man. I'll see you tonight." Douglas then hurried out to the garage and Cynthia waited with anticipation for the sound of the garage door opening. As she heard it roll up, she then heard the familiar sound of his truck coming to life and then it rolled away. Cynthia relaxed as she heard the garage door come back down and then she had Ronny finish up his meal.

  "All right, sweety. I only allow you to witness this because I know all your memories of this time of your life will fade." Cynthia got up and ran over to the television and popped a disc into the DVD player. The screen lit up and her exercise video started to play. She had added it to her regimen without telling Douglas. It was clear he thought she was doing enough already, but her lack of results said different and Cynthia knew she had to up her game.

  She ran into the bathroom and quickly changed into her sweat suit, complete with headband, and took her place before the TV. She pressed play and the video began. She hated doing the workout because it felt like she was obeying the orders of the television which made her felt a little uneasy, but it was a small price to pay if Billy Blanks could help her achieve the results his infomercial had promised.

  Cynthia had done the workout enough times that she could anticipate the moves, but not so well that it wasn't still a challenge. As she stretched and kicked, she could hear Ronny giggle and squeal. She understood that he was just a baby and her sudden and odd movements probably appeared amusing to his developing brain and wasn't malicious, but still it didn't make her feel too great either.

  She could feel the sweat pouring out of her skin. Her arms were aching and her back was sore, but she knew the pain meant she was doing something right and kept going.

  After her vigorous workout, she set Ronny in his play pen and took a quick shower. As she stepped out, the pain in her arms and legs became more pronounced and she reached for a towel like a robot and did her best to dry herself without bending her elbows. As she finished with that, she noticed the clock on the wall. It was almost nine, and she didn't want to be late again. She dressed as quickly as she could and ran out to get Ronny, but when she returned to him, she found Ronny fast asleep, sucking on the arm of his teddy bear.

  Cynthia arrived with Ronny at the park just a few minutes past nine. She had her ankle weight strapped on and Ronny had a full bottle and a bag of Cheerios loaded with him in his stroller. Cynthia could see Linda Fowler sitting on the bench where she usually sat while she gently rocked her daughter in her stroller.

  "There you are. Only five minutes late. For you, that's early." Linda said as she stood up and wheeled the stroller around.

  "Sorry. I just had a rough start today."

  "A fight with the hubby?"

  "Not even close. I just had a moment today."

  "Tell me."

  "I just don't know why it's so hard for me to get back into shape. I used to be a super vegan health freak. I mean, why is it such a struggle to get back to that now?"

  "I don't know, honey, but it is. I used to be a size zero, if you can believe it." Cynthia took another look at Linda and she honestly couldn't believe it. Linda was a full figured woman with particular largeness in her hips. It was hard to believe she was ever a single digit size, much less a zero.

  "I just hate my body so much! I'm this close to just chopping it all off."

  "That's not totally out of the question. Plastic surgery is really coming down in price these days."

  "No. I can do this. How about four laps today?"

  "Four?"

  "Every step is one less calorie." Linda grumbled a bit.

  "Fine." She said with a roll of her eyes.

  Cynthia and Linda made their way around the park four times, as was their routine. They had agreed to be each other’s weight coaches in hopes that attacking the problem together would yield better results. Linda informed Cynthia that she had lost three pounds the previous week.

  "Three pounds? In a week!?"

  "Yes. My doctor says that's a very good rate of loss."

  "I haven't even lost a full pound in one week."

  "Well, look at me and look at you. You've got a lot less to lose than I do, and it's always the last bit of weight that's the hardest to get rid of. Which is why I don't know why you're making such a big deal of all this. You look fantastic."

  "Thanks, but I've looked better. I've felt better. You should see the way the other moms look at me at the mall. They think I'm old and fat."

  "So what if they do? Who are they? Just a few bleached out tramps that got knocked up in high school and their only option was latching onto the poor sucker who dumped their seed in them. Trust me, give them five more years and they're going to be us. Only bigger and more unhappy."

  "Thanks, Linda. That's sweet."

  "How much weight have you lost?"

  "Not much."

  "How much?"

  "About three pounds total." Linda then parked Becky's stroller in the shade of a large tree and Cynthia followed.

  "Okay. Now stand straight and put your arms down to your sides," Cynthia did as she was instructed and Linda looked at her carefully. "Can you feel your arms on your hips?"

  "No."

  "I use my hips as cup holders. Honey, the only problem you've got is how you see yourself. You've put on some weight, yes, but you're still a knockout."

  "Really?"

  "Absolutely. You know what you should do? Go visit Douglas at work and get all dressed up. Put on some sexy mini skirt and treat him to an extra-long lunch." Cynthia listened to Linda's words and they bubbled in her brain for a moment. It had been a while since she had surprised Douglas like that and he did say that he didn't mind her larger frame. A nooner could be just what she needed. Something to blow the cobwebs out of the basement.

  "I can't get a sitter for Ronny on such short notice."

  "I'll take him. I'm off from the fabric store today."

  "Really?"

  "Sure. I'll take him and you go get yourself suited up. Find your sexy."

  "I will. Thanks, Linda. You're a life saver!"

  Cynthia returned home and ran to h
er closet and dug through it to find something sexy and alluring to wear. She found mostly just pants suits, but then she hit the back of the closet where all her old clothes were hidden away. She found a cute red skirt and she could remember how she used to look in it so she decided to try it on. As she pulled it on, she was quick to notice how it felt a bit more snug in certain places than it did before. Her arms felt pinned to her body and her legs were a little stiff as she walked. She went to the mirror and took herself in and nearly had a heart attack. It was stretched a bit more than normal, but it held together rather well. She considered herself in the mirror and decided she didn't look too much larger in the dress and deemed it passable.

  Cynthia didn't bother to call ahead to Douglas to warn him she was popping in. It was usually not a problem since he spent most of his day in his office anyway. She drove up to the work site and she saw the boys working hard. She was about to open the door, and then stopped as she realized that they would see her too. She couldn't believe that she hadn't seen that before she left the house. Her heart began to pound. It was one thing for Douglas to see her like that, but anyone else, she would just die. She looked forward and saw Douglas' trailer just a few yards away. She thought for a moment and realized she could make it without being seen, if she were fast enough. She waited a moment and when it seemed that everyone was facing away, she took a deep breath and pushed the door open and shuffled toward the trailer, but she wasn't able to get the traction she had hoped for. Her legs were pinned together so tightly, she could barely take a full step.

  She was half way to Douglas' door when she heard the first whistle. She stopped and soon her face became as red as her dress.

  "Lookin' good, Mrs. S!" One of the workers shouted from above. She waved up at him with a nervous smile and continued on.

  Cynthia made it into the trailer and as her eyes focused, she saw that Douglas wasn't there. She did notice a new face though. A young girl was sitting behind the desk in front of Douglas' office. She looked up and smiled at Cynthia. She couldn't have been more than twenty.

  "Good afternoon. How may I help you?"

  "I was, uh, I was looking for Mr. Smythe."

  "Douglas? Oh. He's not here. What would your business be with him today?"

  "I'm his wife. Cynthia." When she said this, the young girl seemed surprised.

  "Oh. Mrs. Smythe. So nice to meet you. I'm Mavis Donnelly. Douglas' assistant." Mavis got up from her seat and walked over to Cynthia. She was gorgeous. She had long, flowing brown hair, a slim frame and legs that most people would have to pay to have. She flashed her smile, revealing her perfectly white and proportioned teeth as well as her shimmering green eyes.

  "Nice to meet you, too. Douglas didn't mention he had a new assistant."

  "I just started a few weeks ago."

  "Did you? How lovely," Cynthia felt heat rising up her neck and settling in her cheeks. She wasn't sure if she were more angry or embarrassed. "Well, since my husband, and father of my child, isn't here, I'll just get out of your hair."

  "Should I tell him you were here?"

  "Oh, no. Don't do that. I'll tell him that myself. Tonight."

  Chapter 9

  Strain

  When Mike had called Ken earlier and informed him that he was intending to call in sick from the bistro and wanted to take him out for a nice lunch, Ken envisioned them going to a nice little lunch spot in Hollywood followed by some early afternoon cocktails. Instead, they wound up at the mall in Woodland Hills enjoying double cheeseburger combos in the food court. Ken wasn't ungrateful, though. His mother had taught him never turn your nose up at a free meal, and since his money situation was becoming more desperate with each passing day, he couldn't afford to be picky.

  "What did you think of David?" Ken asked.

  "He was nice. Jason seemed really happy."

  "He sure did. They left just an hour after you arrived."

  "You know how it is with new relationships. They just want to nest together."

  "I have to be honest; I never thought Jason would get over Matt."

  "I'm just glad that he did. I love Matt, too, but I think David is good for Jason."

  "And how about you?"

  "How about me what?"

  "Dating anyone?"

  "I'm kind of taking a break from the game. I'm still a little weirded out by my parents."

  "They're human. They have sex. This can't be the first time you've ever had to acknowledge that."

  "No, but it's not something I really want to think about too much. If at all."

  "So, you're shifting into workaholic mode again?"

  "No. I think it's time to find a balance. It's just I'm not in any hurry." Mikes eyes then wandered away and then back to Ken. He had been darting back and forth ever since they sat down. Mike seemed to be in a state of awe as they ate.

  "You've been to the mall before, Mike."

  "But not on a Wednesday afternoon. It's so empty."

  "That's because most people are at work." Mike's glare left Ken and traveled to a group of young men in tank tops coming their way. Mike tried to keep his jaw from dropping too quickly as they passed. They were all handsome with wild, long hair and well-toned bodies. Their arms were gently curved with developing muscles and their shirts puffed out just a bit with their growing pecs.

  "Holy shit! Did you see that?"

  "Easy, boy. Jail bait."

  "Damn. Where were the guys like that when I was in high school?"

  "It's probably for the best. If they had been in school with you, you would have ended up pregnant before the end of your freshman year."

  "This is crazy. It's like a whole other world. Hot mall ass everywhere you look and empty stores," Mike took a big bit of his burger and popped a few fries in his mouth. Ken just poked at his fries as he sipped his drink. "What's the matter, bud? Did you not see those guys?"

  "I did."

  "And?"

  "Sorry if I don't get all rabid when some hot boys walk by. I have a man, remember?"

  "Oh, right. Off the market. Doesn't mean you can't do a little window shopping."

  "I'm not really in the mood to drool over man boys today, okay?"

  "Okay. Geez. I thought taking you out would cheer you up."

  "I'm sorry. It is. Really. Thanks for this. I really needed to get out of the house today. I spend all day sending out resumes and calling leads. I was going to go crazy."

  "Sorry about that. If I had an opening at the bistro, it would be yours."

  "Thanks, but it's okay. I've decided I may need to set my sights a little lower, so I actually applied to some retail jobs." Mike cringed for a second.

  "Retail hell?"

  "I know, but I don't really have a lot of options. Plus, this being out of work thing is really putting a strain on me and Adam. In the beginning he was fine being the bread winner, but now that my unemployment benefits have dried up, things have been getting a little more challenging."

  "Are you guys okay?"

  "Yeah, we're fine. We may argue a bit more than we used to, but we're working through it. Adam's been kind of wanting to jump up a level."

  "Jump up a level? You're living together. Don't tell me he wants to get married now." Ken smiled a bit and popped a fry in his mouth.

  "I'm sure at some point, but now he's actually been talking kids."

  "Kids?"

  "Ever since Cynthia had Ronny, he's been kind of feeling the pull."

  "How about you?"

  "I don't know. I never really thought about having a child before. I think I'd make a good father, but there's so much to consider. The expense. Our love life would be destroyed. Not to mention the stigma of our kid having two daddies."

  "Fuck that! There are more gay couples having kids than ever before, and if the rest of the world can't deal, fuck 'em!"

  "Wow. Touched a nerve?"

  "It just bugs me how we have to censor our lives to make those right wing fossils happy. It's America. We all have a right to l
ive our lives."

  "Amen," Ken looked down and saw that they had both finished their meals. "Now, if you're off your soap box, how about we take a few laps and work that lunch off?"

  Mike and Ken were wandering through the mall with no real goal in mind. They just passed by the stores and stared into the windows. Ken felt a bit frustrated. As they walked, he could remember how it wasn't so long ago he could walk into any store and find something to his liking and just buy it. He didn't have to worry about when his next paycheck was coming and he didn't have to do any quick money math in his head to make sure he could afford to spend twenty bucks. Those days were gone. It seemed like he had to contemplate any purchase over ten dollars lately, and he hated it.

  They stopped in front of a clothing store and Ken saw one of the dummies in the window was sporting a blue polo shirt that just screamed at him. He was transfixed. Mike came up behind him.

  "It's nice."

  "It would be perfect. Look at that color. Those lines. Wouldn't that look good on me?"

  "It sure would." Ken squinted his eyes and he could see a tag dangling from the right sleeve. He pressed his face against the window and finally he could see the numbers on the tag. He stepped back as his face fell.

  "Thirty bucks."

  "So?"

  "Not really in the budget."

  "You're telling me you can't afford to blow thirty bucks."

  "That's exactly what I'm telling you. I still have a few bills left to pay off this week and when that's done, I will just have thirty bucks left over, and that's earmarked for food and gas." Ken turned from Mike and stepped away. Mike ran over to him and as he spun around, Mike could see tears trailing down Ken's cheek.

  "Dude! It's just a shirt. Hell, if you like it that much, I'll get it for you. My treat." Ken let out a strained laugh as he tried to smile.

  "It's not that. It's just a shirt. I'm just so sick of struggling like this. I hate that my whole world hinges on thirty goddam dollars!" Mike wrapped his arms around Ken and held him tightly.

  "It's going to be all right. You'll find something." Ken then pulled away.

  "When? When am I going to find a job? By market standards, I'm aged out. I have limited experience, limited education. How am I going to find a job as good as my last one?"