Do not feed after midnig.., p.10
Do Not Feed After Midnight, page 10
Stevie pulled off the highway onto the shoulder and threw her door open, and doubled over. I jumped out of the car and ran to her side to help her. She didn’t actually vomit, but she was nauseated. I let her lean against me, and I hugged her while she calmed down. Still shaken, she held her arms around my waist, and I held mine around her shoulders, her head against my chest.
She said, “But we swore that if it was possible, we’d do it. If I could fall in love with you the way that Miranda did, then we’d be open to a... you know, a throuple relationship.”
Looking up at me, she said, “Jake, I love you so bad right now it hurts. And you care about me. About me being protected and pampered and precious and pretty. And you don’t mean in general. You want to do that for me, not just hope that someone will. You want to do that! I know you do.”’
I said tenderly, “I do, Stevie. You’re right.”
She said, “So, will you do it? Miranda told you to, right? Seduce me? Because we won’t survive if you don’t? But you already did. I’m not wearing undies, and I might never wear them again, except that you bought me these really nice ones and I have to wear those, and if we can’t do this, it will never matter what I wear so I’ll get the ugliest things imaginable and eat until I get... so that I don’t look like the photo we made for you.”
Stevie was crying hard and getting more upset every second. I didn’t think things through. I didn’t have to. Miranda was right: at this point, nothing else made any sense. Stevie was still looking up at me, pleading for some comforting sign, and I took her face in my hands and kissed her. I didn’t know what to think when she suddenly pulled back with a look that I interpreted as horror, but then just as suddenly, she grabbed my head and forced her tongue into my mouth.
I don’t know that either of us were great kissers. But right now, we didn’t have to be. I don’t think we even knew what we were doing. There was no sexual arousal, really, just passion based on a flood of emotions and a desperate need to connect. We needed to be held. We needed to know that it was going to be OK. Our bodies responded to those needs by reaching out for each other and kissing as hard and as deeply as we could. After a minute of oral fumbling, we parted. We still clung to each other, but her face was crushed to my chest, not my mouth.
Trembling with emotion, she said, “We didn’t know it would go like this. Miranda teased me that I would fall for you, but we didn’t think I really would. Not this quickly. Not this hard. We made this plan in case it happened, but we never thought it would. Damn, this is so stupid!”
I spoke gently, “How is it stupid, Stevie?”
She said, “I don’t know! How is it not stupid? You’ll run away and wish you never met me. And Miranda won’t get to be married to you, and I will never fall in love again! It’s all stupid now!”
I said, “Do you want some pizza?”
Looking up at me in surprise, she said, “Pizza? OK.”
I said, “Do you want me to drive?”
I hoped that doing something less intense, like eating lunch, would give us a chance to regroup and figure something out. Anything. Just to lower the intensity and pretend to be normal for a few minutes.
Stevie said, “No, I can drive. I need to drive. But Jake, what are you going to do?”
I said, “I’m going to take you to lunch. I’m going to finish our date. I’m going to get to know you. I’m going to keep doing everything we’ve been doing. There’s no reason to change anything now, is there? We’re doing pretty good, aren’t we? We’ll settle down, eat some pizza, relax, and then we’ll have some more fun. Somewhere along the way, we’ll talk this over and make a plan.”
She said, “But you aren’t running away?”
I said, “No. We’ll talk when our heads are clearer. First, we eat.”
Stevie got back in her seat, and I closed her door for her and went to the other side of the truck. I told her to head back the way we had come but to take it easy. We weren’t in a hurry now. We had a lot more information now than we did an hour ago, and it was all we needed in order to figure things out, as long as we could think straight about it. We would eat, summarize what we knew, and figure out where to go from here.
As we entered town, Stevie said, “Jake, I’m not supposed to call Miranda again until tomorrow.”
I said, “OK.”
She said, “I’m supposed to spend the night here now. Our plan was that if we got close to this point, I was supposed to get a hotel room and spend the night with you. Not necessarily sleep with you, but stay the night. Miranda had some idea that you would do that, even if we weren’t going to have sex. I don’t know what to do about that now. I was planning to keep up the kidnapping thing and make you spend the night, but it’s all different now.”
I said, “Is it? I think our best bet is to stick with the plan. We have enough unknowns as it is. Anything that’s already decided makes things easier.”
She said, “I was planning to get you to extend our date to overnight by telling you I was too tired to drive back or something and make up some excuse why you couldn’t drive my truck because we needed to hide out from Miss White and stuff like that. As part of the game.”
I said, “Then make a left turn up here and head up the steep driveway right there.”
Stevie made the turn, and we parked at the top of a hill in front of the office of a hotel that I liked here.
As she turned off the engine, I said, “It’s too early to check in, but they might have a room ready this early on a weekday like this. If they do, we’ll take the room, then go get a pizza, bring it back, and eat it here in private. OK? Is that what you want to do?”
She said, “Yeah, if that’s OK with you. I brought you a new toothbrush and deodorant and stuff for an overnight stay. Just in case.”
Getting out of the truck, I walked her into the lobby and said, “Just in case? Didn’t you think it was really going to happen?”
She said, “I guess I did. I was sure it would. I just figured we would be staying and didn’t think about not staying. Miranda assumed we would stay too. We didn’t know it would be so intense if it really started happening.”
At the desk, I acknowledged that we were early but wondered if they had a room for the night. The man at the desk checked his computer and said that they did have some open rooms. The one I wanted was the Ocean King Spa Suite. It wasn’t exactly a suite, there was only one room, but these had great views, a big Jacuzzi tub in the room, and a nice bathroom. The rates weren’t much more than the other rooms in the middle of the week.
He said, “I have one available on the third floor if that’s OK. Pets or no pets?”
I said, “No pets.”
He said, “OK, checking in this afternoon and staying how many nights?”
Stevie jumped in and said, “Two. Two nights.”
He said, “OK, I can have the room ready in about 45 minutes if that’s OK. Fill this out with names and vehicle information. And I’ll need a credit card.”
Stevie took the lead and filled out the registration, put down her license plate number, and handed the man her credit card. When I gave her a look like I was happy to pay, she waved me off with a smile. I was actually relieved. I hadn’t planned on her paying when I asked for the suite, but now that she was, I was grateful. I’d have done the same even if I was paying, but cash flow was going to be tight enough after buying the bed and everything else last night.
The guy showed us a map of the hotel, where our room would be, and where we could park.
Leaving, I said, “The pizza place is a little too far to walk. We need to go back to the north part of town again.”
Stevie said, “We could drive up there, order the pizza, and shop for a few more minutes.”
I grinned and said, “Stevie, you look great in that dress. Normally, I’d say that the dress looks great on you because you look great all the time, but you look terrific in that.”
She paused before getting in the truck and said, “How?”
I said, “You look sweet. Beautiful. Comfortable. Stevie, you look soft.”
Giving me a surprised but pleased look, she kissed me quickly and climbed into the truck.
It took just a few minutes to drive to the pizza place. There was more than one, but this was my favorite. We were fortunate to find a parking space on the street, right in front. The town was pretty quiet today. The wet weather and the weekday during the school year meant that there weren’t that many visitors. After ordering the pizza and some sodas to go, I took her back to the street.
As soon as we reached the sidewalk, she said, “You could put your arm around me if you want to.”
I reached my right arm around her back and slid it down to her hip as we walked. No, she wasn’t wearing a bra or panties. Just the light camisole. It didn’t show, she looked spectacular, but I guess you could tell that she might not be wearing a bra, but probably most people wouldn’t even notice, and if they did, it wasn’t out of place, anyway. The point was that I didn’t feel any straps around her back or any strings at the side of her waist. She noticed that there weren’t any either.
She said, “My butt never felt so good. I don’t think my um, breasts have either.”
I smiled and said, “Why did you hesitate?”
She grinned and leaned into my ear and said, “Because I wanted to say, I don’t know, boobs–or tits, or something.” Walking with her head up again, she said, “This is weird. So weird. I never have trouble saying things like that. The girls on the team are all pretty open and ribald. But this is different now, isn’t it? I mean, Jake, I care what you think of me now.” Then looking shocked, she said, “Oh... my... god! This is what she was saying!”
Chapter 10 A Pizza Context
I said, “Saying about what? Who was saying? Miranda?”
Stevie was walking beside me, my arm around her waist, and we had just turned the corner onto the main street and headed for the shop I had in mind for our next stop.
Stevie said, “Yeah. That stuff she told me about taming each other. That’s this, right! Shit, sorry, I shouldn’t swear. But that’s what this is. I’m reacting to context. I’m feeling different because of our relationship. I’m reacting within this relationship. Wait, oh fuck! Oh, sorry again. But we have a relationship. Like this bubble we are in together. We influence each other. Just being with you changes me. Because we are in this. Inside a relationship. In the same space together. But normally, having people in my space makes me more cautious and maybe a little angry. If one of the girls ever brought a guy over, he’d get in my space, and I have to act differently because it’s my space, and he doesn’t belong there. I can put up with it, but I don’t have to feel comfortable with it. Where are we?”
Stevie hadn’t noticed as we walked up to a door and went in. We were standing a few feet inside now, and I had closed the door behind me.
Looking around, she said, “Is this a toy store? Oh, Jake, this is wonderful. Look at this stuff. It’s like a trip back in time. Like the candy store.”
We were standing in front of a wall full of stuffed animals. All kinds of them. From tiny things smaller than my palm to great big things four or five feet tall. Hundreds of them crammed against each other tightly, from floor to ceiling.
Stevie stood and stared and finally said, “You have to buy me one!”
I said, “I’ll get you whatever you want.”
She said, “But I have to pick it out. But you will buy it for me. I just know you will. I know it. This is so weird. You’ll buy it because I ask for it. It’s this one!”
Stevie grabbed a medium-sized furry animal from the shelves and hugged it to herself. It was a floppy brown pony about as long as her forearm.
Turning to me and grinning as she petted it, she said, “Buy me a pony.”
I smiled and said, “Of course I will, Sweetie. Anything you want. It’s your special day.”
She looked at me and said, “It is, isn’t it? Do you want a toy, too?”
I said, “Not really. I just wanted to bring you here.”
She said, “You are some kind of magician, Jake Savage. Can I have another one? Oh, of course I can. Inside this relationship, we can have anything we want. Um, I have more to say about that, but let’s buy me these first. Where is she? Oh, here she is!” and Stevie picked out a strange little doll, half the size of her pony.
It wasn’t really strange. It was just plain. Very simply made with yarn for hair. Tied in pigtails. It wore a simple dress, and its feet were just the rounded ends of her legs. But I could tell that Stevie loved it for some reason.
Looking at her pony and her doll, she said, “Get me out of here. Buy me presents, and let’s go.”
We walked to the counter, and Stevie let the girl ring up the toys, and I paid for them. She didn’t let the girl put them in a bag but asked for help getting the tags off. Apparently, she intended to “Wear these home,” the same way she had the dress she was wearing now.
On the sidewalk, she said, “Thank you so much! These mean so much to me. Um, that African store, or whatever is right here, isn’t it?”
I said, “Right here. We’re standing in front of it.”
She grinned and said, “Let’s go in. Um, I’m going to want another present, OK? I know I was going to pay for everything, but that was before. We’ll work something out so that I don’t bankrupt you. The stuffed animals were more expensive than I thought they would be because it’s a beach town, huh? But this won’t be so bad. And I promise you’ll be happy with it. OK?”
I said, “Stevie, I’ll buy you whatever you want. You know that. If you want me to get you something, I’m excited to see what it is.”
She smiled, and we went in. She didn’t go to the back where the dresses were. Instead, she went to the knitted hats first. Apparently, she knew exactly what she wanted. Picking up a coarsely knitted gray hat that looked like it was made in the Andes, she tried it on and told me to hold it. Finding a matching sweater, a thick thing that was almost like a wrapping shawl with two buttons at the front, she tried it on quickly and then handed that to me as well. Taking a quick look around, she confirmed that there was nothing else she needed. But before we made it to the register, we passed a rack of handbags, and she stopped.
She said, “Pick out a bag for me. For this dress and the things in your hands.”
I saw something I thought would fit and pointed to it. Stevie didn’t even really look at it but added it to our purchases, throwing all of them on the counter.
She said, “I know what I said before, but I’m buying these. These are a present for you, so I have to pay for them,” and she shoved her credit card at the girl behind the counter.
She had the girl put everything in a bag, and we left the shop. It was time for us to pick up the pizza around the corner. It was ready for us when we walked in. Stevie couldn’t stop smiling. She didn’t talk as we drove the mile or so to the hotel. Our room was ready, and after getting our keys, we drove to the upper parking lot and found a space. I carried the pizza, and Stevie carried her duffel bag and everything we had bought so far. Her luggage was small. Apparently, she packed light. I liked that. She was prepared to stay for two nights and needed just one little bag. Maybe she planned to buy more when she got here, but she had left her apartment with what she thought both of us would need. I didn’t have anything, not even a change of clothes. I guess I did have the T-Shirt and pants we bought that Stevie had been wearing before we got her a dress. She really did look good in that dress.
We took the stairs to the third floor. There was a tiny elevator, but I’d never seen anyone use it. The doors to the rooms were all on the outside of the building. I guess it was more of a motel than a hotel in that respect, but the rooms were great. The name of the place didn’t actually say “Hotel”–it was an “Inn and Suites” according to the sign. That probably made it sound more attractive than being a motel. As far as I was concerned, it was the second-best place in town. The best place was booked at least two to six months in advance and cost twice as much per night–minimum. This place was my favorite for those reasons. Maybe I’d take Miranda to the other place for our honeymoon. Um, Miranda and Stevie? Yeah, we needed to talk about a few things.
When we opened the door to the room, Stevie stayed outside for a second and grinned, saying, “Carry me in.”
I didn’t question her. We dropped our bags, and I set the pizza aside and started to pick her up.
She said, “No... carry me over your shoulder. Caveman style!” She sounded excited about it.
I didn’t question her. I crouched slightly, put my arms around her hips, and hoisted her over my shoulder. I considered throwing her on her back onto the big king-sized bed, but I didn’t. Instead, I walked to the glass doors that went all the way across the room and sat her on her feet in front of them. Turning her by the shoulders, I let her take a look at the view from the room.
I went and got our baggage, and more importantly, our pizza and sodas, while she took it in.
The room was on the third floor of a building built on a 170-foot bluff right on the beach. It looked directly over the Pacific Ocean. You could hear the low waves cresting and falling continuously. That would go on all night, even with the windows closed.
Stevie said, “Jake, this is nice. I’ve seen the ocean from hotel suites so many times I can’t count them, but not here in the northwest. It’s different. Wilder. I like it.”
I had forgotten that Stevie, and for that matter Miranda, had traveled a lot more than I had. They were taken all over the world for competitions. They had been to the Olympics, for Pete’s sake. And my little suite might feel a little underwhelming. I thought I was going to show her something spectacular. But no, by her standards, this was simply “nice.”
