Anna squeezed Luke’s hand as she lifted it to her lips. She kissed each finger and then placed the cool hand upon her warm cheek. She soon smiled, placing her head on Luke’s right shoulder for the rest of the ride home.
Chapter 13
It had been weeks since Luke had taken Anna to visit his father. The anger and disappointment was still evident in Luke’s eyes every time Anna brought it up. She could see the pain through his unspoken words, and simple gestures to remain silent. Anna was aware of his extreme need to change the subject anytime she would bring up any event that happened on that Father’s Day.
The summer was in full swing. Luke was steadily working at the community center while Anna had taken the liberty to request less hours so that she could see Luke more often before transferring to “Ole Miss.” She changed her days to Wednesdays and Thursdays, allowing her to spend Friday through Tuesdays in Hattiesburg. Luke worked Monday through Friday, and usually during the morning shift.
Luke enjoyed the extra time with Anna, but once again he became consumed with the idea that in just a few short months, she would be leaving him and moving to Oxford for her last year of school. He also found himself worried about his younger sister. She too was transferring to another school once she moved in with their mother in Savannah. Nicole and Luke were very close in age and always considered each other twins. They had everything in common, and over the years, they had become best friends.
It was a sunny Friday afternoon at the indoor pool, when Luke received a call. He calmly asked his co-worker to watch the pool before answering his phone. He looked at the caller ID on his phone to discover that it was his father. He took a deep breath and accepted the call.
“Hello?”
“Luke?’ Michael said, ‘this is your father. Are you busy right now?”
Luke takes a moment to take another deep breath before responding, “Uh, kind of. I’m at work. What do you need?”
“Don’t talk to me with that tone, son.’ Michael continued, ‘I wanted to call and apologize for the other day. I had no right to judge someone so harshly and you are right. I don’t know her. So, I came up with an idea: this weekend, I’m taking Nikki, Leah, and Sharon to the beach house in Gulf Shores. Why don’t you and Anna join us?”
Luke became silent as he processed the emotional turmoil of his father’s offer. He placed the phone to his chest and wiped the tear from his check before finally responding, “Yes, I mean, that sounds like fun. I’ll call Anna up and tell her to prepare for the beach.”
That evening, Anna entered through the apartment front door and noticeed Luke sitting on the couch in the family room. She approached him, placing her bags at the end of the hall. She sat next to Luke and asked, “Is everything okay, honey?”
Luke turned away from the television, seeing Anna for the first time in three days. He gently kissed her lips and said, “Yeah, babe. I’m good. Did you bring the stuff I asked you to bring earlier?”
Anna smiled, “I sure did, honey! I’m looking forward to spending some time with you at the beach.”
“Yeah,’ Luke continued in a flustered voice,’ I am, too. I just… I just want it all to be okay. I mean it should - there is no reason for it not to be. Maybe I’m just not accustomed to not being mad at my father yet.”
“Well,’ Anna continues, ‘it certainly seems like he is trying.” Anna paused and kissed Luke on the cheek. “By the way, what is the plan?”
“We are driving to Gulf Shores. My family owns a house down there. We’ll meet my dad and my sisters there tomorrow morning. Both my brothers weren’t able to make it this year, so it will be just me, my dad, and all you girls.”
Anna laughed as she began playing with Luke’s hair.
The next morning, Luke woke to the sound of his alarm clock declaring its presence through high pitch squealing. He shifed to the side of his bed and gently shook Anna until he heard a sign of life from her motionless body. He rose to his feet and began making his way towards his bathroom.
It had been quiet around the apartment since Seth moved to the Coast. The apartment seemed almost like an empty shell compared to its former self. Even the city of Hattiesburg was different compared to when Luke first moved there. Enzo and most of Luke’s other friends had either graduated or moved back home for the summer. All Luke had around him were the people at work and his beloved.
The two soon loaded into Luke’s vehicle and made their way down Highway 49, turning onto Interstate 10. Over an hour and half into the drive, they crossed state lines and found themselves heading further south toward the beautiful beaches of Alabama.
They arrived at Luke’s family’s beach house, located just west of the tall towers labeled “The Beach Club.” Luke pulled into the sand covered driveway and unloaded his and Anna’s overnight bags. He lead the young beauty up the stairs and into the tall light green building.
Luke placed their bags in the second to the last room on the right, just eleven feet from the entrance to the hallway. He then walked up to Anna. She appeared to be basking in awe with the overall size of the house. He looked at her and while wrapping his arms around her, he said, “So, what do you think?”
Anna looked over Luke’s shoulder, noticing the large framed painting of a man fishing in an open stream, and responded, “I think it is wonderful! What the hell do your parents do to afford something this nice?”
“Well,’ Luke continues, ‘my father is a psychologist, one of the best on the Coast! My stepmother is an orthopedic surgeon.”
“Oh,’ Anna thought for a moment, ‘that explains a lot.”
Luke laughed along with Anna then showed her the rest of the house.
It wasn’t long before Michael pulled in behind Luke in his extravagant SUV. Luke looked from the open balcony on the second floor to see Nicole walking towards the house. Confused, Luke ran down the stairs to ask his father, “Dad, where are Sharon and Leah?”
Michael set his luggage on the sandy ground and looked at Luke. “Your step mother decided to go to Miami this weekend with her friends, and she took Leah with her. Sharon is in Tennessee, visiting her husband’s family. It’s just going to be me, you, Nicole and Anna this weekend.”
“Oh, okay. I guess that will work.”
Luke continued talking with his father. He then reached for Michael’s bag as well as Nicole’s overnight bag and headed back up the stairs.
He walked past Anna heading towards the staircase. He stopped her and said, “Hey, sweetie, my dad was telling me about this great place downtown to eat. Are you ready for lunch?”
“Yeah,” Anna affirmed, “I’m pretty hungry. I’m going to get my makeup bag out of the car first. I’ll see you guys in a bit.”
Anna continued to descend the stairs after Luke handed her the keys to his vehicle. Luke walked into the family room where Michael and Nicole were resting on the couch under the cold air conditioner.
Luke walked towards the middle of the couch and took a seat. He rested his head on the soft brown material. While focusing his eyes on the tall ceiling fan that moved slowly in circular motion, he said, “Thanks, Dad, for inviting me and Anna down this weekend. This is exactly what we needed.”
“No problem, son. Nicole told me on the way here that Anna is leaving to go to ‘Ole Miss’ this upcoming year. How is that supposed to work?”
“She is leaving next month a d won’t be back until Thanksgiving. She is only going to be gone a total of one year, then she will graduate the same time I graduate and then she is moving back to the Coast or wherever we decide to live, I suppose.”
While folding his arms on his chest, he replied, “You really think that you are going to marry this woman, Luke? You have only known her for not even a year. Don’t you think that is moving too quickly?”
It was at that moment when Nicole stepped up to help her brother.
“Dad, Anna is a great girl. Luke tells me all the time how good she is to him. I think she would be very good for him. I like her, and I’
m glad that she came this weekend. I look forward to getting to know her more.”
Michael returns to his previous position. He remained quiet, resting his head and slowly closing his eyes.
That afternoon, Michael drove the group downtown to a popular Caribbean style restaurant. While at a stop light, the curious older man directed his attention towards Anna and asked, “So, Anna, what do your parents do?”
“My mom is a teacher and my father works for the city.”
When the light turned green, Michael turned right. He continued increasing the speed of the large SUV until he reached his desired speed. As the noise from the engine settled, Michael asked, “What are you going to school for?”
Anna looked over at Luke and while biting on her bottom lip, she responded, “Well, I started going to school for fashion design, but then I decided after I met Luke that business was a better fit for me. I changed my major to business administration with a minor in design. I figure one day I could start my own fashion company.”
Anna squeezed Luke’s hand, becoming nervous about any other questions that Michael may have for her.
Nicole sat in the passenger seat and turned her head around to face Anna to say, “That is really cool. I’m moving to Savannah this upcoming year. I have heard that there is a really good art school there. It would be neat if you and Luke decide to move to that area, you could even go to the school. At least we could all be in the same city.”
Anna smiled at Nicole as she noticed the young woman wink before turning her head back towards the front.
Michael soon pulled into the parking lot only to see that it was packed with many other tourists visiting around the area. He pulled into an open spot and placed the SUV in park. He addressed the rest of the group.
“I don’t know about you guys… but I don’t feel like going through this crap today. We may be waiting for an hour or so to get seated, then another fifteen minutes to order, and then another hour or so waiting for the food to arrive. I don’t want to spend my holiday weekend in this place. Why don’t we just go to the grocery store and select something to put on the grill at the house?”
The rest of the group nodded their heads in agreement. The wise older man placed his SUV in reverse and heads towards another area of town.
They soon arrive home with raw chicken legs and breasts and a case of water. After placing the items on the island in the center of the kitchen, Nicole asked, “Hey, who wants to go lay out with me?”
Anna looked over at Luke and then redirected her attention toward Nicole and responded, “I will - that is, if the guys don’t need me to help with cooking or anything.”
“No,” Michael replied, “you ladies have fun. Luke and I will prepare the yard bird.”
Nicole and Anna sprinted down the hall to change into their bathing suits, leaving Luke and his father standing in the kitchen, prepping the piece of poultry for a soothing marinade.
Luke watched Nicole holding Anna’s hand as she ran out the door, both giggling like they were teenage girls. Luke looked over at his father. Michael was mixing a variety of spices and sauces in an open glass container. The careful amounts of each of the ingredients were crucial to delivering the perfect tasting afternoon meal.
Michael looked to his left to see Luke leaning on the counter, watching. Holding the first piece of chicken in his hand, he said, “You know how I do my chicken, don’t you son?”
“I do. I’ve watched you do it since I was a kid.”
Michael paused for a moment, then presented the chicken leg to Luke and said, “You are a man, son. Why don’t you get the food ready? I’ll sit back and watch. If you need any help with any of it, just ask.”
Luke smiled and wiped his hands on the sides of his pants. He reached out and retrieved the meat from his father and placed it in the open pan.
While Luke enjoyed the time with his father, Anna and Nicole remained busy lying out on the hot beach. They decided to lay several feet away from the crashing waves. All around them were tourists of all kinds. Nicole recognized a small amount of the people as being residents from the area, but didn’t know them well enough to initiate conversation.
The two ladies continued to bask comfortably on their long colorful sheets of thin cloth without a care in the world and relaxing under the July sun. With beads of sweat dripping from the top of her forehead to the side of her cheeks, Anna turned to Nicole and said, “I want to thank you for helping me back there in the car. That means a lot to me. I don’t think your father thinks too much of me and I’m not sure why, but it’s great to know that someone has my back.”
“No problem,” Nicole said. “I know you are good for my brother and anything I can do to keep him happy, I will do. I know you love him and that he loves you, too, so why not keep a good thing going?”
Anna chuckled and agreed with the young woman. She then returns to her position on her back, enjoying the sun’s long and delightful rays.
It was just after one in the afternoon when Anna received a text message from Luke, declaring that the food was ready. She and Nicole gathered their belongings from around their towels and walked back to the house. Having to pass several other people as they wove their way barefooted through the scorching hot pieces of mineral, they reached the house and walked up the stairs and entered through the front door.
The smell of perfectly cooked chicken filled the space. A small cloud of white smoke was centered on the kitchen’s granite island. Luke and Michael were setting out plates and placing bags of chips next to the pan of cooked chicken. The two ladies took their seats at the kitchen table and observed as the gentlemen served them.
Later in the afternoon, Luke and Nicole stayed in the kitchen, cleaning the dishes. Michael and Anna continued to sit across from one another in the dining room. Michael took a sip of his cold ice water and placed the glass back on his napkin. While wiping the condensation off of his hands, Michael looked at Anna and inquired, “What did you think of the meal?”
Anna looked at him and while gently shaking in her chair, she responded, “I thought it was delicious, Mr. Cardellini.”
“Good,” Michael replied, “it was an old recipe from my aunt. You see, when I was a kid, my parents had just emigrated from Italy. There were a total of seventeen of us. We didn’t really have a lot of money to spend on quality food, but chicken was very easy to get. So, needless to say, we ate a lot of it.”
Anna laughed along with Michael. She felt the nervousness of her body begin to calm. She reached for the pitcher of water in the center of the table and refilled her glass. Before returning the pitcher, she looked over at Michael and offered more to him. When he declined, she placed the tall cylinder container back in its place and continued to her seat.
She took a long sip from her glass and wiped her mouth with the thin napkin placed in her lap. Michael consumed the last chip on his plate and proceeded to rise to bring his plate to the kitchen. He pushed his chair under the table, looked over at Anna, and declared, “I know you treat my boy well. I just worry about him. After what happened with Marion, it’s a miracle that he is still walking among us. With all the therapy and counseling that that boy should have needed to go through after Marion did what she did... Thank God for his friends in Hattiesburg for helping to pull him through, but that is all in the past now. Just promise me that you will take care of my son. He deserves it.”
Anna looked up at Michael as he lifted his plate from the table. With a sincere nod, she responded, “I promise I will, Mr. Cardellini.”
Michael smiled then walked towards the kitchen. He stopped before fully passing the end of the table, turned around and said, “Please… call me Michael.” Anna smiled, watching him continue walking through the entrance to the kitchen.
Later that evening, Luke and Anna lay resting on top of the soft queen size mattress. Luke began feeling a nudge on his lower back. He turned around to see Anna wearing a mysterious grin. She winked at him among the sneaky moonlight that found its w
ay through the closed curtains.
Luke smiled back, realizing what Anna woke him up for. He turned towards the bedroom door, squinting his eyes for a better focus. After establishing that he had properly locked the door, he turned back to Anna and began kissing her lightly moist lips.
Luke placed his hands on each side of Anna and lifted her on top of him. Anna, leaning forward, continued to kiss him. Luke felt his pressure begin to build in his lower region. He placed his hands on Anna’s large, delicate breasts, massaging them slowly. He felt her hands tug at his bare chest, scratching and rubbing intently.
Luke felt the warm moisture from Anna surround his groin area. The eager randy young woman lifted her body slightly as Luke placed himself inside of her. She lowered herself back onto Luke’s lap, soft and easy. She felt his thick and large member penetrate deep inside of her.
Anna began to moan, forcing Luke to place his hand over her wide open mouth. Smiling, he whispered, “My dad and sister are really close by. You are going to have to hold in the verbal expression.”
“Ooh,’ Anna continues, ‘I can’t, love. You feel too good. I just have to scream!”
Luke hoisted himself into a sitting position and immediately covered Anna’s mouth with his own lips. He placed his hands on the bottom of Anna’s rear, lifting and shifting as he approached climax. With his mouth placed firmly over Anna’s, he felt her body begin to vibrate. Her nails dug deep into the flesh that covered his backside. She continued to moan louder and with each attempt to let out her high pitch tone, Luke placed his tongue deeper into her and continued to consume her mouth inside of his until her body rested in his arms.
He placed Anna next to him before making his way back to his sleeping position. He lay comfortably on his side and watched Anna’s eyes open once more. While attempting to return air to her lungs, Anna said, “That was amazing. I love it when you take control like that.”
Adaptation of the Chameleon Page 17
