dinner.
Sharon had come home from work early, taking advantage of a couple of hours of
her vacation time.
I went to my room and put on my bathing
suit before meeting Sharon out by the pool. Most everyone was still at work or
busy with other things, so we had the pool to ourselves. We swam for a while,
eventually climbing up to sit on the steps in the shallow end of the pool,
enjoying the cool water.
“What’s for dinner tonight?” Sharon asked.
“I don’t remember.”
“Would you go check? I’m getting hungry.”
“Okay, I’m about ready to get out of the
pool anyway. If I stay in much longer I’m going to turn into a prune. It sure
felt good to cool off though.”
I stood up and turned around to climb out
of the pool, and Mike was standing there watching us.
“Hellooo,” he said. I could hear a note of
admiration in his voice and felt unexpectedly embarrassed. He’d never seen me
in anything but jeans or slacks before, and now I was standing in all my glory,
wearing a bathing suit which was equivalent to almost nothing.
“Hi,” I said, padding over to get the
shirt I’d brought out with me.
He followed me. I looked back at Sharon
and she was laughing.
“You look, uh, great in a bathing suit,”
he said.
“Thank you,” I mumbled.
He laughed. “Why are you embarrassed? You
shouldn’t be.”
I wouldn’t look at him so he took hold of
my chin and turned my face upward so that my eyes met his. He smiled at me.
“You do look great,” he said
quietly. “I’m sorry though, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”
“It’s okay.” I could feel my face heating
up. “I’m going inside to change my clothes. I’ll see you later.” The more we
talked about being embarrassed, the worse I felt. I just wanted him to let it
go.
Reaching the house I looked back and saw
him and Sharon talking. I smiled to myself. Embarrassment aside, I had to admit
I was pleased.
I changed into my jeans and stopped to
talk to Lucy. She’d already started dinner and said she didn’t need any help
and things were under control, as usual.
Mike walked in, looked at me and grinned.
Lucy glanced at him questioningly, but he just shook his head.
“Kelly,” he said, “can I talk to you for a
minute? In the other room?”
I nodded. “Sure.”
We walked to the living room where we found
Josh and Marion reading. Mike took my hand and led me to the dining room. Ruth
was snacking and looked like she wanted to crawl under the rug when she saw us.
“Oh, for crying out loud!” Mike said
disgustedly. “Come on.”
Ruth cringed, but continued snacking.
He led me outside, onto the front porch.
“All I want to do is ask you to go into
town with me on Saturday night. I don’t think the whole house has to be in on
it though.”
“I’d like that. What did you have in
mind?”
“I thought we could go out to dinner and a
movie. Nothing fancy, just an evening out. Neither one of us has been out since
I moved in here, and I think we both need some personal time.”
“I know. I’m always taking care of the
house, and you’re always working on your building stuff.”
“My building stuff? You really have a way
with words.”
“You know what I mean. Drawing plans,
working on projects. You know, stuff .”
“At least you know what I do for a living.
You had me worried there for a minute,” he said, laughing.
We sat down on the porch steps and talked
about what movie we wanted to see, finally agreeing on one.
“Do you like to bowl?” he asked.
“I’m not very good at it, but yes. I was
on a league once. My team liked me because I gave them such a good handicap.”
“Good. We’ll go bowling soon. Work is
going to slow down for me during the winter months, so if you want to, we can
do things together sometimes. I know there’s not a lot of action in the small
towns around here, but we can always find something to do.”
“That sounds nice.” Nice? Couldn’t I have
thought of something
Sharon had come home from work early, taking advantage of a couple of hours of
her vacation time.
I went to my room and put on my bathing
suit before meeting Sharon out by the pool. Most everyone was still at work or
busy with other things, so we had the pool to ourselves. We swam for a while,
eventually climbing up to sit on the steps in the shallow end of the pool,
enjoying the cool water.
“What’s for dinner tonight?” Sharon asked.
“I don’t remember.”
“Would you go check? I’m getting hungry.”
“Okay, I’m about ready to get out of the
pool anyway. If I stay in much longer I’m going to turn into a prune. It sure
felt good to cool off though.”
I stood up and turned around to climb out
of the pool, and Mike was standing there watching us.
“Hellooo,” he said. I could hear a note of
admiration in his voice and felt unexpectedly embarrassed. He’d never seen me
in anything but jeans or slacks before, and now I was standing in all my glory,
wearing a bathing suit which was equivalent to almost nothing.
“Hi,” I said, padding over to get the
shirt I’d brought out with me.
He followed me. I looked back at Sharon
and she was laughing.
“You look, uh, great in a bathing suit,”
he said.
“Thank you,” I mumbled.
He laughed. “Why are you embarrassed? You
shouldn’t be.”
I wouldn’t look at him so he took hold of
my chin and turned my face upward so that my eyes met his. He smiled at me.
“You do look great,” he said
quietly. “I’m sorry though, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”
“It’s okay.” I could feel my face heating
up. “I’m going inside to change my clothes. I’ll see you later.” The more we
talked about being embarrassed, the worse I felt. I just wanted him to let it
go.
Reaching the house I looked back and saw
him and Sharon talking. I smiled to myself. Embarrassment aside, I had to admit
I was pleased.
I changed into my jeans and stopped to
talk to Lucy. She’d already started dinner and said she didn’t need any help
and things were under control, as usual.
Mike walked in, looked at me and grinned.
Lucy glanced at him questioningly, but he just shook his head.
“Kelly,” he said, “can I talk to you for a
minute? In the other room?”
I nodded. “Sure.”
We walked to the living room where we found
Josh and Marion reading. Mike took my hand and led me to the dining room. Ruth
was snacking and looked like she wanted to crawl under the rug when she saw us.
“Oh, for crying out loud!” Mike said
disgustedly. “Come on.”
Ruth cringed, but continued snacking.
He led me outside, onto the front porch.
“All I want to do is ask you to go into
town with me on Saturday night. I don’t think the whole house has to be in on
it though.”
“I’d like that. What did you have in
mind?”
“I thought we could go out to dinner and a
movie. Nothing fancy, just an evening out. Neither one of us has been out since
I moved in here, and I think we both need some personal time.”
“I know. I’m always taking care of the
house, and you’re always working on your building stuff.”
“My building stuff? You really have a way
with words.”
“You know what I mean. Drawing plans,
working on projects. You know, stuff .”
“At least you know what I do for a living.
You had me worried there for a minute,” he said, laughing.
We sat down on the porch steps and talked
about what movie we wanted to see, finally agreeing on one.
“Do you like to bowl?” he asked.
“I’m not very good at it, but yes. I was
on a league once. My team liked me because I gave them such a good handicap.”
“Good. We’ll go bowling soon. Work is
going to slow down for me during the winter months, so if you want to, we can
do things together sometimes. I know there’s not a lot of action in the small
towns around here, but we can always find something to do.”
“That sounds nice.” Nice? Couldn’t I have
thought of something
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