Sam her father's beautiful, expansive home on one of the long boulevards of Beachwood. Buzz had guessed correctly about her living at home, but for the wrong reasons. Bucky was all Ellie had, and Ellie held on tight. She had no mother. Divorced and gone.
After a quick nightcap with Bucky, Sam and Ellie paused on the front porch. She kissed him again, this time on the cheek.
On the drivehome, Sam was driving too fast. He didn't care. He lucked out, and avoided the speed traps. He remembered the kiss on his cheek, and rubbed his fingers over the spot, smiling to himself. He tuned the radio to an alternative rock station, and turned the volume up. It was a haunting tune, Under the Milky Way, by a group called The Church.
He replayed the events of the evening over and over in hismind. It was a dream. Beautiful woman, chance meeting. Great dad.
The only sour note came when the words of Donna Beck swam into his dreaminess. Who do you thank, Sam?
3
Donna cried herself to sleep that night.
4
"Sure, Buzz, I'll wind up early today. I'm dragging after last night," Sam told his surprised friend over the phone. He looked at the neat but large stack of work in the in-box and shookhis head. The list of action steps on his computer screen was even bigger. "I want to tell you about Ellie. She's something."
"Great," Buzz said. "I want to hear all about her."
"Where are we going, anyway? Why won't you tell me?"
"Because you might not go otherwise. Remember, I'm a highly manipulative person, Sam. But I'm up front about it. A Machiavelli you can hug."
"I appreciate that. Butthere's another way. You could trust me. Or treat me like an adult."
"That's a novel concept. I'll give it some consideration. Did you read that in a self-help book?"
"Yeah," Sam replied. "It's a book called Hug Me, by Dr. Gwynne Woodward."
"I'll have to read it. Pick you up in a half hour."
5
Sam pulled open the door to Buzz's car and asked, "Where's Donna?"
"She had to go to some family-thing.She's taking the bus later," Buzz replied. He saw Sam make a face.
"That girl needs a car."
"You know, Sam, not everybody can afford one. Besides, Donna's from a non-car culture–the big city."
Sam frowned. She still needs a car.
Buzz pulled out of the parking lot of the building where Sam's office was located and lit a cigarette. Sam rolled his window down.
"So, where are we going, Buzz–or shouldI put a blindfold on?"
"You'll see when we get there. Tell me what happened with you and Ellen."
Out of the corner of his eye, Buzz noted a rare smile come to Sam's face. Too bad for Donna, Buzz thought.
"She's great, man," Sam started.
"Very descriptive."
"She likes me," he continued.
"Better…"
"Mostly, I talked with her dad. They're members at the Garden Club…"
"Very nice." Buzz whistled inadmiration as he took the entrance onto I-90.
"What should I do next? Do you have any experience with women?"
"Mostly bad experiences, Sammy. But experience? Yes. The best advice I can give you for women is to assume that they won't feel or react or think like a man does."
"Huh?"
"Look Sam, I read this article in Reader's Digest once, and it made a lot of sense. I was in high school, and was goingon my fifth girlfriend. The article confirmed everything I ever knew about women. It's like playing pick-up basketball–there's all sorts of unwritten rules, and if you follow them, you get to play the game.
"Anyway, the article was by this love doctor, and it was about how long it takes men and women to fall in love. Did you know that women fall in love after an average of fourteen meetings andmen fall in love after an average of four?"
"No. Makes sense, though."
"Sure does," Buzz continued. "Women have different internal clocks and thermostats, that's what I think. They think it's cold when we think it's warm. My wife used to turn the temperature up all the time on me; drove me crazy. Their clocks are even more off kilter–"
"Clocks?" Sam asked. Talking about women
After a quick nightcap with Bucky, Sam and Ellie paused on the front porch. She kissed him again, this time on the cheek.
On the drivehome, Sam was driving too fast. He didn't care. He lucked out, and avoided the speed traps. He remembered the kiss on his cheek, and rubbed his fingers over the spot, smiling to himself. He tuned the radio to an alternative rock station, and turned the volume up. It was a haunting tune, Under the Milky Way, by a group called The Church.
He replayed the events of the evening over and over in hismind. It was a dream. Beautiful woman, chance meeting. Great dad.
The only sour note came when the words of Donna Beck swam into his dreaminess. Who do you thank, Sam?
3
Donna cried herself to sleep that night.
4
"Sure, Buzz, I'll wind up early today. I'm dragging after last night," Sam told his surprised friend over the phone. He looked at the neat but large stack of work in the in-box and shookhis head. The list of action steps on his computer screen was even bigger. "I want to tell you about Ellie. She's something."
"Great," Buzz said. "I want to hear all about her."
"Where are we going, anyway? Why won't you tell me?"
"Because you might not go otherwise. Remember, I'm a highly manipulative person, Sam. But I'm up front about it. A Machiavelli you can hug."
"I appreciate that. Butthere's another way. You could trust me. Or treat me like an adult."
"That's a novel concept. I'll give it some consideration. Did you read that in a self-help book?"
"Yeah," Sam replied. "It's a book called Hug Me, by Dr. Gwynne Woodward."
"I'll have to read it. Pick you up in a half hour."
5
Sam pulled open the door to Buzz's car and asked, "Where's Donna?"
"She had to go to some family-thing.She's taking the bus later," Buzz replied. He saw Sam make a face.
"That girl needs a car."
"You know, Sam, not everybody can afford one. Besides, Donna's from a non-car culture–the big city."
Sam frowned. She still needs a car.
Buzz pulled out of the parking lot of the building where Sam's office was located and lit a cigarette. Sam rolled his window down.
"So, where are we going, Buzz–or shouldI put a blindfold on?"
"You'll see when we get there. Tell me what happened with you and Ellen."
Out of the corner of his eye, Buzz noted a rare smile come to Sam's face. Too bad for Donna, Buzz thought.
"She's great, man," Sam started.
"Very descriptive."
"She likes me," he continued.
"Better…"
"Mostly, I talked with her dad. They're members at the Garden Club…"
"Very nice." Buzz whistled inadmiration as he took the entrance onto I-90.
"What should I do next? Do you have any experience with women?"
"Mostly bad experiences, Sammy. But experience? Yes. The best advice I can give you for women is to assume that they won't feel or react or think like a man does."
"Huh?"
"Look Sam, I read this article in Reader's Digest once, and it made a lot of sense. I was in high school, and was goingon my fifth girlfriend. The article confirmed everything I ever knew about women. It's like playing pick-up basketball–there's all sorts of unwritten rules, and if you follow them, you get to play the game.
"Anyway, the article was by this love doctor, and it was about how long it takes men and women to fall in love. Did you know that women fall in love after an average of fourteen meetings andmen fall in love after an average of four?"
"No. Makes sense, though."
"Sure does," Buzz continued. "Women have different internal clocks and thermostats, that's what I think. They think it's cold when we think it's warm. My wife used to turn the temperature up all the time on me; drove me crazy. Their clocks are even more off kilter–"
"Clocks?" Sam asked. Talking about women
Similar Books
The Billionaires Hired Baby Mother: When the wife and surrogate are two different people
BWWM Club, Tyra Small
