actually
intrigued Trina. But she had to be
careful. She knew about these community
centers and how they were always hard up for cash. She didn’t want this man buttering her up to
hit Reno up for money.
“Will you at least consider it?” Sully asked
when it looked as if Trina would waver. For some crazy reason he really wanted to see more of this woman.
“Sure, I’ll consider it,” she said. “But I don’t want to commit to a place that
won’t be around for long.”
Sully looked at her, puzzled by that. And then smiled. “Oh, I see,” he said. “But don’t worry. We don’t need your husband’s money, I assure
you of that. I personally bankroll the
place myself, so we don’t have a cash flow problem. We have a people problem. We need more volunteers.” Then his eyes glanced down at Trina’s body,
and then back up into her eyes. “Like you,” he said.
Trina felt the heat of his glance, but figured
he was just pulling that little flirtatious routine he pulled on all of the
females here in Crane. But she had
Reno. This guy, just like any other guy
in America, would have to get up a whole lot earlier than he was getting up to
impress her that way.
But the idea of actually doing something that
would be of help to young people made her hopeful. Although she wasn’t ready
to commit just yet.
“Maybe I’ll swing by in a couple days,” she
said, “and check out the place.”
Sully’s heart inwardly soared. “My real estate office is right next door to
the Center, so just say when, and I’ll make sure I clear my schedule just for
you.”
Clear his
schedule ? Trina thought. It wasn’t that serious. At least not
to her. But it was , she also had to admit, very thoughtful of him.
Then he smiled as an old school staple, Do the Hustle , complete with the
whistling, started blaring on the surround sound speaker system.
“Dance with me,” he said as he stood up.
“Dance with you?” Trina said. “To what? That old song?”
“Yes! Come on!” And Sully started
moving his hips and arms from side to side and popping his fingers the way
Carlton used to do on the Fresh Prince of
Bel-Air TV show.
Trina laughed out loud as he demonstrated the
old dance.
“You’re crazy!” she said. “That’s not the Hustle!”
“But it’s good dancing,” Sully said. “That’s all that matters!” And then he grabbed her by both hands and
stood her up.
Just as he did, Reno came out of the house and
appeared on the patio. He had lost track
of Trina. First he looked at the couples
on the patio, nodded in their direction, and then he looked across the lawn and
saw Trina. And she was laughing heartily
as Sully had her by both hands and was swinging her arms and doing some
ridiculous dance. But it warmed Reno’s
heart.
This was what he wanted. He wanted to see his wife laugh with that
carefree abandon he’d seen in other men’s wives. Those men didn’t have Reno’s baggage, and it
showed in their wives. Trina, he felt,
always carried the burdens of his baggage with her, and therefore always had to
temper her joy. He felt the guilt of
that temperance every single day. But
right here, and right now, she seemed genuinely happy. This was why he wanted them to move. This was what he wanted.
He made his way to the dancing couple. As soon as she saw him, Trina broke from
Sully and ran to meet him. In her short,
summery dress and sandals she looked like a fresh-faced teenager to Reno, as
she ran to him.
“Having fun?” he asked as he slung his arm
around her waist to stop her momentum.
“Sully’s crazy, Reno,” Trina said, still
laughing. “You remember Carlton, don’t
you? From Will Smith’s
show?”
“Carlton?”
“From the Fresh Prince of Bel Air? He
played the cousin who couldn’t dance.”
“Oh, yeah,” Reno said, although he didn’t
remember any such
intrigued Trina. But she had to be
careful. She knew about these community
centers and how they were always hard up for cash. She didn’t want this man buttering her up to
hit Reno up for money.
“Will you at least consider it?” Sully asked
when it looked as if Trina would waver. For some crazy reason he really wanted to see more of this woman.
“Sure, I’ll consider it,” she said. “But I don’t want to commit to a place that
won’t be around for long.”
Sully looked at her, puzzled by that. And then smiled. “Oh, I see,” he said. “But don’t worry. We don’t need your husband’s money, I assure
you of that. I personally bankroll the
place myself, so we don’t have a cash flow problem. We have a people problem. We need more volunteers.” Then his eyes glanced down at Trina’s body,
and then back up into her eyes. “Like you,” he said.
Trina felt the heat of his glance, but figured
he was just pulling that little flirtatious routine he pulled on all of the
females here in Crane. But she had
Reno. This guy, just like any other guy
in America, would have to get up a whole lot earlier than he was getting up to
impress her that way.
But the idea of actually doing something that
would be of help to young people made her hopeful. Although she wasn’t ready
to commit just yet.
“Maybe I’ll swing by in a couple days,” she
said, “and check out the place.”
Sully’s heart inwardly soared. “My real estate office is right next door to
the Center, so just say when, and I’ll make sure I clear my schedule just for
you.”
Clear his
schedule ? Trina thought. It wasn’t that serious. At least not
to her. But it was , she also had to admit, very thoughtful of him.
Then he smiled as an old school staple, Do the Hustle , complete with the
whistling, started blaring on the surround sound speaker system.
“Dance with me,” he said as he stood up.
“Dance with you?” Trina said. “To what? That old song?”
“Yes! Come on!” And Sully started
moving his hips and arms from side to side and popping his fingers the way
Carlton used to do on the Fresh Prince of
Bel-Air TV show.
Trina laughed out loud as he demonstrated the
old dance.
“You’re crazy!” she said. “That’s not the Hustle!”
“But it’s good dancing,” Sully said. “That’s all that matters!” And then he grabbed her by both hands and
stood her up.
Just as he did, Reno came out of the house and
appeared on the patio. He had lost track
of Trina. First he looked at the couples
on the patio, nodded in their direction, and then he looked across the lawn and
saw Trina. And she was laughing heartily
as Sully had her by both hands and was swinging her arms and doing some
ridiculous dance. But it warmed Reno’s
heart.
This was what he wanted. He wanted to see his wife laugh with that
carefree abandon he’d seen in other men’s wives. Those men didn’t have Reno’s baggage, and it
showed in their wives. Trina, he felt,
always carried the burdens of his baggage with her, and therefore always had to
temper her joy. He felt the guilt of
that temperance every single day. But
right here, and right now, she seemed genuinely happy. This was why he wanted them to move. This was what he wanted.
He made his way to the dancing couple. As soon as she saw him, Trina broke from
Sully and ran to meet him. In her short,
summery dress and sandals she looked like a fresh-faced teenager to Reno, as
she ran to him.
“Having fun?” he asked as he slung his arm
around her waist to stop her momentum.
“Sully’s crazy, Reno,” Trina said, still
laughing. “You remember Carlton, don’t
you? From Will Smith’s
show?”
“Carlton?”
“From the Fresh Prince of Bel Air? He
played the cousin who couldn’t dance.”
“Oh, yeah,” Reno said, although he didn’t
remember any such
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