by J A Fielding
Leslie spoke first, “I’ve never, I mean no one has ever....” She was lost for words to describe the depth of what she had just felt.
“I know me either. My limited sexual experience had never included anything that wonderful,” he said, kissing her neck. “Thank you.”
“I’ve never let a man do anything like that before, but I know I can trust you,” she said, turning her head so she could kiss his lips softly.
They reluctantly untangled themselves, dressed, and headed back to the house. It had been a long day, but Leslie felt better than she had in a long time. Although not solved, her problems with her father were at least out in the open and there was a chance that they could come to some type of an understanding before she had to go home.
They joined her parents for dinner but everyone worked hard keep the conversation on trivial subjects. Her mother caught her up on all of her classmate’s activities while Ken and her father discussed farming and sports. Everyone went their separate ways early, anticipating a busy day tomorrow when the rest of the family would descend in full force for what had turned into a full-fledged family reunion.
Her mother had explained that so many aunts, uncles, and cousins had been calling to come for a visit that she had decided it would be easier to bring everyone together for a barbeque. Leslie was pleased to hear this; they had planned to made some visits to other people in the family, but the rain had delayed their trip and she hadn’t know if they would be able to see everyone she wanted to see.
She was worried that it might be a bit overwhelming for Ken. There would be almost a hundred people there tomorrow and he would be expected to meet and greet all of them.
“I hope you don’t mind about the barbeque tomorrow. I remember some of them from when I was a kid. It was one of the few times I could really relax and enjoy myself, with so many people around my father was always on his best behavior. Plus my family never paid any attention to the fact that I was different than everyone else,” she said.
“Well, since I intend to be around for a while, I might as well meet them all at once,” he said, crossing the room and pulling her into his arms.
With her head on his chest and the sound of his heartbeat in her ear, she felt as safe as she had ever felt in her life. It felt so nice to be able to lean on someone and know that they would be there for you. “I think I could get used to that,” she said, lifting her face for a kiss.
What had been a chase kiss on the lips turned hot almost at once and there was little talk for the rest of the night.
*****
The next morning dawned bright and clear. Leslie was out of bed before Ken awoke, showered and in the kitchen helping her mother by 8:00 a.m. She was excited about seeing all the family and getting a chance to connect with her nephews and nieces. As they prepared breakfast, her mother tried to get her up to speed on everyone and their offspring.
After ten years, there were so many names she didn’t recognize, she finally gave up with a self-depreciating laugh. “You would think that I could keep all these names straight, I can tell you who everyone is in Hollywood but when it comes to the family, I’m lost.”
“That’s okay, sweetheart. You were only a kid when you left. Most of these people were probably just a vague face in your mind then. But they’re all going to be here today and that should help. If you get lost, just holler and I’ll trace as many branches of the family tree as I need to.”
“I suppose you’re right. What time are people going to show up?”
“About noon, I would think. So Ken seems like a good man. How long have you known him?” her mother asked, no longer able to control her curiosity.
“You know, he really is. I think I might be falling for him. For the first time in my life I’ve found a man I think I could love. It’s very scary.”
“Oh, honey. I think he’s just perfect for you. We spent some time together yesterday, when you were with your father and he seems like a great guy. I was concerned because he is a lot older than you, but I think he’s maturity is part of his appeal.”
“I’ve known his for a while, but the romance is new. I guess you could say we were friends first. I’m sure that’s why I feel so safe when I’m with him. But I’m also scared of what his family is going to think. I don’t think their only concern will be out age difference,” Leslie said, sinking down into one of the kitchen chairs, suddenly realizing that their perfect romance had some major issues they hadn’t talked about.
“And I don’t know how we’re going to balance our schedules so that we have any time together. He works just as many hours as I do, and I’m certainly not giving up my career.”
“Hey, calm down,” her mother said, coming to stand behind the chair and putting her hands on Leslie’s shoulders. “Just like when you were a kid, making problems before they occur. If you two love each other it will all work out in the end. Don’t rush things.”
“Your right. Good thing you’re my mom, you always know how to calm me down.”
Her mother kissed her on top of the head and they got back to work on the food for the crowd that would be showing up on their doorstep in just a matter of hours. Leslie didn’t manage to completely erase her worries, but her mother’s words had made her feel better. She would talk to Ken as soon as they had some time alone.
Ken awoke to find Leslie gone, but he could hear voices in the kitchen and knew she was helping her mother get ready for the barbeque. He stretched and though about the day and night before. Leslie was the best thing that had ever happened to him and he knew that he was already deeply in love with her.
Her generosity and spirit had won his heart, the fact that she extended that generosity to their bed was an added benefit that he hadn’t anticipated. He had heard other men talk about how wonderful a generous woman could be in bed, but had never experienced it himself.
He knew that what they had together was more than just good sex, they had a connection that went deeper than that. Stretching lazily, he thought about the last few months and realized that he had been lost that day when he had offered her the documentary and her eyes had lit up at the prospect. From there it had been easy to let her take his heart. He wasn’t sure if she was ready for this, but it was going to happen anyway. She just needed time to come to terms with her feelings.
He didn’t fool himself into thinking that his family would accept her as readily as hers had accepted him, but they would come around eventually and if they didn’t then he and Leslie would figure that out together. He gave himself the luxury of looking into the future and liked what his mind had created.
A little house with two kids and a minivan in the driveway came to mind first, but then he discarded that from something closer to what would be the truth. Leslie loved her job and she wouldn’t want give it up, nor would he ever ask her to do that. It was something they would have to discuss soon; once they returned to the city, real life would be knocking on their door.
Pushing those thoughts aside he got out of bed, showered, dressed, and found his way to the kitchen where Leslie and her mom were hard at work. They stopped their preparations and served him a wonderful breakfast.
“I’m going to get spoiled having two beautiful women fussing over me,” he said, surveying his heaped plate of food.
Blushing, Leslie set a cup of coffee down in front of him. He noticed that she had fixed it just the way he liked and was warmed by the gesture. “Well, you’ve been drafted to help Dad set up the barbeque pit. Here in Mississippi, we do things big. You’ll need to dig a huge hole, big enough to cook a whole hog.”
“Well, that sounds like a great way to spend the morning,” he said, making a face.
“Don’t worry, there’ll be plenty of help. A lot of bossing and plenty of help,” Leslie’s mom said, laughing.
“Sounds about right if your family is anything like mine,” he said, finishing his breakfast and taking his dishes to the sink.
“Yep, some things are the same no matter where
you come from. Now get going, Lawrence is out by the barn, loading the tools on the tractor.”
They watched Ken cross the yard then got back to work. Little time remained and they had lots to prepare. Only a few minutes had gone by before there was a knock at the door and Leslie’s oldest sister came stumbling in, her arms loaded down with bags and boxes.
Dumping everything on the table, she rushed over to Leslie and gave her a big hug. Leslie was overwhelmed at first, but quickly relaxed into her embrace, remembering all the times she had read Leslie books before bed. Funny, she hadn’t thought about that for a long time.
“Oh, look at our baby all grown up and a big important producer in Hollywood. I always knew that you would make something of yourself someday. Lulu and I talk about it all the time,” her sister, Blanche, said, releasing her and looking her up and down.
“Where is Lulu?” her mother asked.
“She’s just behind me, but you know how slow she drives, it’ll be hours before she gets here.”
“Are you talking about me behind my back again Blanche?” Lulu asked, making a grand entrance as she always had.
As Leslie watched her sisters with her mother, she realized that not all her memories of this place were bad. There had been some good times, times she had been happy here. Few of those memories included her father but that was okay, it was good to remember happy times.
By the time the rest of the family arrived, the men had dug the barbeque pit and the women, along with help from the older kids, had set up the tables, chairs, and canopies. The kids had pulled every outdoor game they could find out of the shed and were busy planning tournaments of all kinds.
The rest of the family gathered on the grass, visiting, and gossiping. There were adult games underway and Ken had been tricked into playing chess with the older men after he bragged about his skill. Leslie was content to wander among the family, reconnecting with those she remembered and making new connections with those she didn’t.
No one had even batted an eye when Ken was introduced as Leslie’s boyfriend and several of her cousins gave her the thumbs up when they saw him. She blushed furiously which made them even bolder. Ken ignored the whole thing and quickly made his way to the men with a big smile on his face.
By the time the roasted pork was ready, Leslie felt as if she had never left home. Her dad seemed to be a new man, and his love of his family was clear on his face. His grandchildren seemed to love and respect him and showed no fear when they were around him. In fact, they vied for his attention.
After seeing this, Leslie decided that she would try to spend some time alone with her father on her next visit. She was sad to have to leave so soon, but much of their time had been spent waiting for the rain to recede, and they both had commitments back home that couldn’t wait.
The rest of the day went by in a blur of old stories and plans of the future. When asked about her plans, Leslie found that she wasn’t sure where the next year would find her but was excited to find out.
Chapter 9
The next morning, they all had breakfast together and Leslie found herself telling her father about the documentary she was filming for Ken. As she talked, her heart began to beat faster in anticipation of the moment her father began to criticize her work.
It had been his pattern to feign interest, then slam her down with a cutting remark. No matter how many times he’d done it to her, she just couldn’t resist the temptation to show him how hard she’d worked. She was surprised to find that he was asking intelligent questions about not only the towers but about how she would actually put the film together. It was so nice to have him genuinely interested in her, she hardly knew what to do.
“I don’t know where you got this talent, but it sure is impressive. I’m sure this will be the best piece you’ve ever produced. I hope you’ll let me know when it’s done so I can get a copy for my collection,” he said, with sincerity in his eyes.
“I’ll make sure you get one of the first copies,” she said, glad she had made the trip home, for so many reasons.
One of those reasons was making motions that they needed to get on the road. They weren’t returning to Savanna to fly home, having made reservations at a closer airport. It would speed their trip home, and Leslie was anxious to get back to work on the documentary.
She was ready to get home and get the project finished, time away had cemented in her mind the path they would now take to finish it. Making their goodbyes, Leslie decided that it might be a great idea to invite her parents to the opening night of the documentary which would be shown at the theater at Paradise Towers.
It might never be shown on the big screen again and Leslie was actually quite excited to see her work larger than life, if only once. As they drove to the airport, Leslie was busy making notes on her laptop, which she had rescued from the trunk where it had been all week.
“Guess it’s time to go back to work, it was a wonderful week. I didn’t want it to end.”
Reaching out and taking his hand, Leslie gave it a squeeze, “It’s been wonderful, but I hope we can make this work, Ken. Our schedules are so crazy, we might not ever get to see each other.”
“I know it might not be easy and the only time we may see each other is at night when we’re sleeping, but I think it’s worth the effort to try. We both have commitments right now that we can’t ignore. When the time comes that those commitments are no longer there, we’ll figure out where we’re going from there.”
Leslie still had another year on her contract with the studio, but after that, she could do just about anything she wanted. Money wouldn’t be a problem since she’d lived frugally, rarely spending money on anything; she had a nice nest egg. Ken was right, the future would sort itself out and she would rather only see him a few hours a day than not at all.
*****
Their flight had hardly landed before Ken was barraged with calls from his people. He had given them strict instructions not to bother him while he was gone, but once the flight touched down, his assistant figured he was fair game.
Laughing at the look on his face as his assistant chattered away, Leslie grabbed their bags and hailed a cab. She dropped him at the towers, still on the phone, but did manage to wrestle the phone away from him long enough to get a proper goodbye kiss.
Ken had given her the key to his apartment, but she wanted to spend this first night back at her little house. So much had happened over the last week, she needed some time to process it all. Plus she needed to work and all her things were at home; no way was she moving anything tonight.
They hadn’t really talked about what that key meant, but Leslie knew that Ken expected her to decide just how much time she would spend at his house. She was glad that he hadn’t put any pressure on her, she needed some space now.
With only a little over two weeks to go before the grand opening, she had a lot of work to do if the documentary was going to be finished. She unpacked, then called Bruce to plan the last stages of production. The crew would be there and ready to go in the morning, they would begin the actual process of compiling the film tomorrow.
Time flew by, Ken and Leslie both fighting a deadline, grand opening for Paradise Towers. Once Leslie immersed herself in the project, the dialogue as well as the narration came easily. The film was just long enough to give the viewer a complete picture of what Ken and his friends had accomplished without a lot of boring detail.
She had discovered during filming that Ken had many friends around the country. She wasn’t surprised, Ken had a way with people. It made her smile to think of him, they had seen very little of each other since they got back and she missed him.
Most nights they crawled into bed, exhausted from a long day, and fell asleep. They made love in the early light of dawn then went their separate ways for the next 18 hours. The lack of time together was beginning to put a strain on their relationship but each knew it couldn’t last forever and tried to be patient.
“Let’s reschedule everyth
ing for today and just take a day off,” Ken suggested one morning as they lay in bed together.
“You know I’m way behind schedule. There’s no way I can do that,” Leslie said, annoyed that he had even suggested it.
“Well, pardon me for wanting to spend some time with you,” Ken said, getting out of bed.
“It’s not that I don’t want to spend time with you, but when I’m not there, work just stops,” she said, defending herself.
“You’re telling me that your crew is so incompetent that they couldn’t handle things for a day without you?” Ken challenged.
“Well, no, but I have to be there. What if something comes up that they can’t figure out?”
“I think you just have a hard time letting someone else take the lead. Think about it, you have tons of faith in Bruce, but when do you ever give him a chance work on his own?”
“Well, but...” she stammered.
“Just think about it. I’ve been down the road you’re on. There has to be a balance between work and your personal life. You can’t live your life with only your work to sustain you. Think of all your family back home. They were happy that you’re so successful but that’s not why they love you.”
“I hear what you’re saying but old habits are hard to break. I’ve always relied only on myself. Handing things over to someone else is just not something I’ve ever been comfortable with.”
“Well, it just might be time to start working on that,” Ken finished, giving her a kiss on the top of the head, and heading for the bathroom for a shower.
Leslie did think about what Ken had said over the next few days and made an effort to give Bruce more responsibility. In the process, she discovered that Bruce had great insights of his own. He added elements to the film that she wouldn’t have thought of and it was refreshing to work with someone on the creative process and vowed to do so more in the future.
