"The special guest of honor is to arrive any moment, and no Charlotte." Rachel was fretting about the matter at her desk.
"That Derrick guy?" Parker squinted.
"Yeah." Rachel shrugged as if she had no intention of meeting with him. "You've really been helpful and well, I'm glad you took on the book club for me."
"Well, thanks, Rache," Parker made and effort to smile then. "Glad I could help." He kept looking for her to say something else. But it was as if she was waiting for him. "You want me to take care of Derrick if Charlotte doesn't show?"
"She'll show." She did something on her computer then.
"Aren't you going to ask how my 4th was?" He then asked.
"How was your 4th?" She said so dully.
"It was great. My brother is in town." Parker faked a smile. "And I don't think his boyfriend is going to leave."
"What do you mean?" Rachel looked back at him.
"I think he wants to move here." Parker shrugged.
"What for?" Rachel squinted.
"I dunno." He kept hugging himself then as if he didn't really want to be a part of it.
"What's this really about?" Rachel sounded interested then.
"Just when I am pretty sure I won't have any family involved in my life. And its just me and Kat. I have Dan now."
"But he's your brother's boyfriend." Rachel reminded him as she swiveled in her chair.
"I think."
"What? He came on to you?" Rachel looked him straight in the eye then.
"No, he thinks Kat is his new best friend." Parker told her.
Rachel had to smile at that. That was pretty funny to her.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
this
Charlotte was looking at Rosco as if he'd forgotten something, but she was the one who had to get to work.
"Are you going to stay in bed all day?" She looked at him. He hadn't budged from where they slept.
"No," he said, squinting slightly. "I'm going to get my job back at the grocery store."
"Really?" She pondered a bit. "But not right this second?"
"Do you want me to make breakfast or something?" He rose up on his elbows then, noticing she was not going to let him sleep.
"No." She sounded as if she'd hate breakfast. "How long did you sleep when you were, you know, there?"
"Definitely, not enough." He shrugged as she got back in bed with him fully clothed in her Express Yourself at the Library T-shirt and her rolled up cut-off shorts with the black stockings underneath. "Are you sure they'll let you wear that to work?"
"I'm expressing myself." She smirked slightly and kissed him on the cheek then.
"But I thought there was a dress code." He kissed her back.
"So."
She left it at that because she didn't leave the T-shirt on long.
"Are you going to call in sick?" He asked as he laid back on his pillow and watched her in her red polka dot bra.
"Maybe." She smiled, and she French kissed him then. "Or I could just be a little late. Rachel would kill me if I missed the entire day." She sighed and laid back on her pillow then.
"You did get drunk on the 4th, you know." He remembered.
"And you, didn't?" She laughed. They were both pretty hammered and kept running around like idiots in the rain. It was baffling they didn't get a cold.
"God, Floyd is a mad man." He rolled into her with a laugh. She knew what he was thinking.
"Please tell me you'll never set off fireworks just in you jock strap." She laughed too.
"I swear if I do, you must stop me. You must." He kept laughing, and he kissed her then. Really, it was the kissing she missed the most. This. Right now. Morning. Talking. Kissing.
"Are you going to stay in bed all day?" She looked at him. He hadn't budged from where they slept.
"No," he said, squinting slightly. "I'm going to get my job back at the grocery store."
"Really?" She pondered a bit. "But not right this second?"
"Do you want me to make breakfast or something?" He rose up on his elbows then, noticing she was not going to let him sleep.
"No." She sounded as if she'd hate breakfast. "How long did you sleep when you were, you know, there?"
"Definitely, not enough." He shrugged as she got back in bed with him fully clothed in her Express Yourself at the Library T-shirt and her rolled up cut-off shorts with the black stockings underneath. "Are you sure they'll let you wear that to work?"
"I'm expressing myself." She smirked slightly and kissed him on the cheek then.
"But I thought there was a dress code." He kissed her back.
"So."
She left it at that because she didn't leave the T-shirt on long.
"Are you going to call in sick?" He asked as he laid back on his pillow and watched her in her red polka dot bra.
"Maybe." She smiled, and she French kissed him then. "Or I could just be a little late. Rachel would kill me if I missed the entire day." She sighed and laid back on her pillow then.
"You did get drunk on the 4th, you know." He remembered.
"And you, didn't?" She laughed. They were both pretty hammered and kept running around like idiots in the rain. It was baffling they didn't get a cold.
"God, Floyd is a mad man." He rolled into her with a laugh. She knew what he was thinking.
"Please tell me you'll never set off fireworks just in you jock strap." She laughed too.
"I swear if I do, you must stop me. You must." He kept laughing, and he kissed her then. Really, it was the kissing she missed the most. This. Right now. Morning. Talking. Kissing.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
and then.....
"Are you better now?" Archie's words hit a nerve with Emily as if she were sick in the head or something.
"NO!" Funny, how this had all gotten out of hand, and she knew it was her fault, and it was the fact that she thought he'd lived in a vacuum all this time and was saving himself just for her. But evidently he hadn't.
"I hate your brother." She meant it to. She really did. It was a fact. A fact he didn't even know and wasn't suppose to know.
"Why?" Archie looked at her puzzled. "You didn't even know him."
Flem was stuck in her throat and well, she didn't want to get in to that with him.
"I still hate him." Tears welled up in her eyes. "The things he did to you." It was very simple wasn't it. "Brothers just don't do that."
"Well, we weren't exactly the Osmonds, even though my Mom claimed we're distant cousins. Her grandfather was a Mormon. You know, old school, back when they had more than one wife." Archie shrugged as if he didn't know what more to explain. He looked tired, and she knew she hadn't let him sleep as long as he'd liked last night.
"I still want us to get married." She told him.
"You do?" He sounded surprised.
"Of course, I do." She winced and pulled out her parents wedding bands along with her Mom's engagement ring from her undie drawer. "See if it'll fit."
Archie looked at the gold band wide eyed as if he'd never seen one before. He tried on her father's wedding band then. It fit.
"He hadn't worn it since 1984. His fingers got to fat." Emily told him.
"Wow, that's a long time ago." He pulled it off as if he might be cursed with the same thing, but it had fit perfectly.
"See my Mom's ring works great on me." She smiled.
"But I wanted to get you something new. And then there's my Mom's ring and, and I don't know what you want." Archie looked sad.
"We should recycle. That's what we should do. Because, well, really do we want to spend a fortune on something-" She huffed. "Look, I'd be fine with these if you are."
Archie nodded.
"I'm going to let Bella help me find a wedding dress at a thrift shop." She told him. "And she thinks we can find everything we need without it costing a fortune. She also said we could get married in their back yard."
"Have you looked at that back yard?" Archie reminded her.
"Not really." She shrugged.
"Its kind of a forest back there." He told her.
"Then I guess you and Fish will have to clean it up." She ordered.
"Just when do you have all this in mind?" Archie winced.
"By August."
He nodded as if he could get it done by then.
"Serena said she could make the wedding cake." Emily smiled.
"Well, did you know about that place for rent around the corner, not to far from sister's place?" Archie asked.
Emily grinned. Things were really looking up.
"NO!" Funny, how this had all gotten out of hand, and she knew it was her fault, and it was the fact that she thought he'd lived in a vacuum all this time and was saving himself just for her. But evidently he hadn't.
"I hate your brother." She meant it to. She really did. It was a fact. A fact he didn't even know and wasn't suppose to know.
"Why?" Archie looked at her puzzled. "You didn't even know him."
Flem was stuck in her throat and well, she didn't want to get in to that with him.
"I still hate him." Tears welled up in her eyes. "The things he did to you." It was very simple wasn't it. "Brothers just don't do that."
"Well, we weren't exactly the Osmonds, even though my Mom claimed we're distant cousins. Her grandfather was a Mormon. You know, old school, back when they had more than one wife." Archie shrugged as if he didn't know what more to explain. He looked tired, and she knew she hadn't let him sleep as long as he'd liked last night.
"I still want us to get married." She told him.
"You do?" He sounded surprised.
"Of course, I do." She winced and pulled out her parents wedding bands along with her Mom's engagement ring from her undie drawer. "See if it'll fit."
Archie looked at the gold band wide eyed as if he'd never seen one before. He tried on her father's wedding band then. It fit.
"He hadn't worn it since 1984. His fingers got to fat." Emily told him.
"Wow, that's a long time ago." He pulled it off as if he might be cursed with the same thing, but it had fit perfectly.
"See my Mom's ring works great on me." She smiled.
"But I wanted to get you something new. And then there's my Mom's ring and, and I don't know what you want." Archie looked sad.
"We should recycle. That's what we should do. Because, well, really do we want to spend a fortune on something-" She huffed. "Look, I'd be fine with these if you are."
Archie nodded.
"I'm going to let Bella help me find a wedding dress at a thrift shop." She told him. "And she thinks we can find everything we need without it costing a fortune. She also said we could get married in their back yard."
"Have you looked at that back yard?" Archie reminded her.
"Not really." She shrugged.
"Its kind of a forest back there." He told her.
"Then I guess you and Fish will have to clean it up." She ordered.
"Just when do you have all this in mind?" Archie winced.
"By August."
He nodded as if he could get it done by then.
"Serena said she could make the wedding cake." Emily smiled.
"Well, did you know about that place for rent around the corner, not to far from sister's place?" Archie asked.
Emily grinned. Things were really looking up.
Monday, July 6, 2009
this time
Archie really did it this time. Of course, at the time it happened, he didn't know he was doing anything. Just having fun in those adolescent behaviors of setting off firecrackers. Archie had a cigarette because it was so much easier to set them off that way.
At the time, he didn't even know that Emily knew because she was full of laughter and partook in the rum festives in the midnight hours while he was out with Fish and Floyd lightening up things.
"What is the big deal?"
She woke him up at 4 in the morning to shout about it. Evidently, the rum hadn't exactly gave her a restful sleep.
"I can't believe you did that?" She turned on the lights and everything, and he was afraid with that sort of voice, which he didn't even know she had, would wake the whole house.
"Why? I've smoked." He winced then told her she should really keep it down. One more reason they needed a place of their own, but honestly, he didn't want to wake up to anymore of these discussions.
Especially when she fought for the covers with her feet and not leaving a bit of any for him.
"When?"
"When I was 14?" He squinted. "I used to smoke with my brother all the time."
"Smoke what?" She was concerned.
"Nevermind." He didn't want to get into this with her. Not really. It was long ago. He'd quit. Possibly, because he was cheap and didn't have to really kick the habit.
"Smoke what?" She wouldn't let it up.
"All right, I was eleven when he let me have a joint," if she had to know.
"I DON"T KNOW WHO YOU ARE?"
"Jesus, Em, be quiet." He'd never had this sort of jolt of reality in his life with her. Never. It was like seeing a whole new side of her.
"What does it matter? I didn't even get high the first time." He shrugged. "I wasn't much good at it, and he said I was wasteful so I-I prefer a cigarette now and again, but I never really had to have a smoke. All right."
Of course, he could have used one right then.
"That's really funny shit." Fish told him the next day. "Better to have these fights now than later."
"I don't think it was a fight." Archie wasn't sure what it was.
"You make up?" Fish kept his hands in his pockets and nudged Archie in the shoulder with his while they were out staring at the car that Fish couldn't fix in Emily's family driveway.
"No." Archie sighed.
"Thats the whole point. The make up sex." Fish just grinned as if he'd know what to do, but Archie hadn't a clue.
"What do I do?"
"Tell her you'll never do it again. Tell her what she wants to hear." Fish shrugged.
Archie wish he could write it down. He wasn't sure he could remember this stuff.
"You gotta believe it, yourself, you know. Otherwise, she'll see right through you." Fish's final words.
Archie just nodded.
At the time, he didn't even know that Emily knew because she was full of laughter and partook in the rum festives in the midnight hours while he was out with Fish and Floyd lightening up things.
"What is the big deal?"
She woke him up at 4 in the morning to shout about it. Evidently, the rum hadn't exactly gave her a restful sleep.
"I can't believe you did that?" She turned on the lights and everything, and he was afraid with that sort of voice, which he didn't even know she had, would wake the whole house.
"Why? I've smoked." He winced then told her she should really keep it down. One more reason they needed a place of their own, but honestly, he didn't want to wake up to anymore of these discussions.
Especially when she fought for the covers with her feet and not leaving a bit of any for him.
"When?"
"When I was 14?" He squinted. "I used to smoke with my brother all the time."
"Smoke what?" She was concerned.
"Nevermind." He didn't want to get into this with her. Not really. It was long ago. He'd quit. Possibly, because he was cheap and didn't have to really kick the habit.
"Smoke what?" She wouldn't let it up.
"All right, I was eleven when he let me have a joint," if she had to know.
"I DON"T KNOW WHO YOU ARE?"
"Jesus, Em, be quiet." He'd never had this sort of jolt of reality in his life with her. Never. It was like seeing a whole new side of her.
"What does it matter? I didn't even get high the first time." He shrugged. "I wasn't much good at it, and he said I was wasteful so I-I prefer a cigarette now and again, but I never really had to have a smoke. All right."
Of course, he could have used one right then.
"That's really funny shit." Fish told him the next day. "Better to have these fights now than later."
"I don't think it was a fight." Archie wasn't sure what it was.
"You make up?" Fish kept his hands in his pockets and nudged Archie in the shoulder with his while they were out staring at the car that Fish couldn't fix in Emily's family driveway.
"No." Archie sighed.
"Thats the whole point. The make up sex." Fish just grinned as if he'd know what to do, but Archie hadn't a clue.
"What do I do?"
"Tell her you'll never do it again. Tell her what she wants to hear." Fish shrugged.
Archie wish he could write it down. He wasn't sure he could remember this stuff.
"You gotta believe it, yourself, you know. Otherwise, she'll see right through you." Fish's final words.
Archie just nodded.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
just another 4th
Nobody had seen a 4th like this in years. It was raining. The baseball game was off. So were the fireworks at the stadium.
"We're still doing them." Floyd informed Gordy who got everyone over to his place for the 4th. "We will shoot off fireworks or else." It was late when the rain let up.
So the whole gang was there at Floyd's. Even Bella and Fish. Possibly the house had never been this full of little kids.
"I don't know about this," Rachel hesitated to go, but she knew Charlotte would be there which meant Rosco, Kal and Whitney would be there too. And somehow Emily and Archie got in the mix. Rachel brought along her famous pretzel dessert with cream cheese filling and Jello on top. It was only the kind of thing that was perfect for maybe an hour or two and then it went soggy and in this weather it didn't have a chance of having that certain crunch to it.
"The girls can just watch." Gordy wasn't going to let them touch one firework. Of course, the next thing she knew Floyd was telling the girls. "I got sparklers, especially for you."
"You didn't have to. You really didn't have too." Rachel had nightmares of someone getting burned. She could even see Gordy getting his face burned off. "We really should have gone to a nice movie tonight. Wasn't that new Ice Age movie showing?"
"We'll be just fine." Gordy kept comforting with his arm around her.
Naturally, Serena had gone to great lengths to have so much to eat. So many dips and chips. She'd made cupcakes especially for the girls. And everyone couldn't help but be nice to her. Of course, only she, Whitney and Charlotte were drinking the hard lemonade.
"Well, as soon as they leave, we'll get out the rum," Serena told Whitney and Charlotte as if the real celebrating wouldn't happen until Rachel was out of their hair.
Rachel was getting blue.
"Well, look, you can eat anything you want to eat," Bella informed her. "Try my diet. No sugar. No caffeine. No fat. That leaves very little to enjoy. Be happy with what you've got." Bella told her she'd probably never be able to drink alcohol again with her diabetes if she wanted to keep it from getting any worse.
"Be happy." Bella smiled and Rachel wasn't sure she liked her attitude, but she supposed she'd embraced her situation.
Of course, they had to watch Fish act like the biggest kid of all. It looked like he was making bombs instead of setting off fireworks in the drive way.
"He's from Texas. He hasn't gotten to set off fireworks in years," Bella told her. "Last time he set off fireworks he set a mesquite tree on fire."
"What is that? Like a burning bush?" Rachel wondered.
"Yeah, he almost set off his grandpa's pasture on fire."
"Oh," Rachel winced. "What is the big deal about setting off all these firecrackers and rockets?"
"You don't get to do it everyday. And well, its celebrating Independence day." Bella shrugged as she stayed on the porch with Rachel to watch the fireworks with her and the girls.
"But from what I read on the site where I bank, we didn't really start celebrating the 4th like a major holiday until 1942." Rachel shrugged.
"I dunno. Everybody likes to set off something to explode." Bella laughed.
Smoke thick in the air. Rachel shook her head. It was a war zone as far as she was concerned. Just her luck they'd all be sick with asthma someday because of all this smoke in the air.
"We're still doing them." Floyd informed Gordy who got everyone over to his place for the 4th. "We will shoot off fireworks or else." It was late when the rain let up.
So the whole gang was there at Floyd's. Even Bella and Fish. Possibly the house had never been this full of little kids.
"I don't know about this," Rachel hesitated to go, but she knew Charlotte would be there which meant Rosco, Kal and Whitney would be there too. And somehow Emily and Archie got in the mix. Rachel brought along her famous pretzel dessert with cream cheese filling and Jello on top. It was only the kind of thing that was perfect for maybe an hour or two and then it went soggy and in this weather it didn't have a chance of having that certain crunch to it.
"The girls can just watch." Gordy wasn't going to let them touch one firework. Of course, the next thing she knew Floyd was telling the girls. "I got sparklers, especially for you."
"You didn't have to. You really didn't have too." Rachel had nightmares of someone getting burned. She could even see Gordy getting his face burned off. "We really should have gone to a nice movie tonight. Wasn't that new Ice Age movie showing?"
"We'll be just fine." Gordy kept comforting with his arm around her.
Naturally, Serena had gone to great lengths to have so much to eat. So many dips and chips. She'd made cupcakes especially for the girls. And everyone couldn't help but be nice to her. Of course, only she, Whitney and Charlotte were drinking the hard lemonade.
"Well, as soon as they leave, we'll get out the rum," Serena told Whitney and Charlotte as if the real celebrating wouldn't happen until Rachel was out of their hair.
Rachel was getting blue.
"Well, look, you can eat anything you want to eat," Bella informed her. "Try my diet. No sugar. No caffeine. No fat. That leaves very little to enjoy. Be happy with what you've got." Bella told her she'd probably never be able to drink alcohol again with her diabetes if she wanted to keep it from getting any worse.
"Be happy." Bella smiled and Rachel wasn't sure she liked her attitude, but she supposed she'd embraced her situation.
Of course, they had to watch Fish act like the biggest kid of all. It looked like he was making bombs instead of setting off fireworks in the drive way.
"He's from Texas. He hasn't gotten to set off fireworks in years," Bella told her. "Last time he set off fireworks he set a mesquite tree on fire."
"What is that? Like a burning bush?" Rachel wondered.
"Yeah, he almost set off his grandpa's pasture on fire."
"Oh," Rachel winced. "What is the big deal about setting off all these firecrackers and rockets?"
"You don't get to do it everyday. And well, its celebrating Independence day." Bella shrugged as she stayed on the porch with Rachel to watch the fireworks with her and the girls.
"But from what I read on the site where I bank, we didn't really start celebrating the 4th like a major holiday until 1942." Rachel shrugged.
"I dunno. Everybody likes to set off something to explode." Bella laughed.
Smoke thick in the air. Rachel shook her head. It was a war zone as far as she was concerned. Just her luck they'd all be sick with asthma someday because of all this smoke in the air.
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