Marathon Girl

********************

Friday

Run, Forrest, Run!!

"I thought I told you no more signs," Lelanni shouted back at Will with a broad grin. "And besides, it's Lelanni!"

"Last one I promise, couldn't resist!", he answered with a shameless shrug. "Nice to meet you, finally! Watch out for the bricks!"

With a shake of her head, Lelanni was back in stride, virtually pain-free and determined to make the elusive checkpoint of the day's training run. That one really takes the cake. Hmmm, I may not be a smart girl…but I DO know what LOVE is. Isn't that how it goes, Forrest Gump? Well, for two years, I've told myself that I did. Surely I do.

Don't I?

********************

"Is the fruit OK?"

"Yes. Thank you." Makul broke off a stem of purple grapes and popped one in his mouth. "These from the Fresh Market, right?"

"No," Lelanni replied. "Kroger. Had some 'organically grown' on special. They looked pretty good, and…you're not really going to spit that out, are you?"

Makul had already expelled the once-bitten grape into a napkin before Lelanni got the question out. He used the well-manicured fingernail on his left pinky to root out any further remnants of the offending orb from between his teeth. "Well, like I've told you before, I only like the fruit from the Fresh Market. Is all this from Kroger?"

"No," Lelanni sighed. "Just the grapes. You honestly think you'd have known the difference if I hadn't told you?"

"You would have lied to me?"

"No, I didn't say that. I'm just…"

"Because we have no trust if you're not truthful with me."

"Makul, we're talking about grapes here."

"Precisely. And if you'd lie about grapes, then who knows what else?"

Lelanni was in no mood for the Daily Argument About Nothing. "Well, I think they're delicious." She grabbed a handful and continued with her mouth full, much to Makul's chagrin. "If I keel over, please be sure to dial 911, though I s'pose you're far enough along in med school to revive me if you have to."

"I don't think we have to worry."

"You're probably right. You didn't miss the lecture on fruit poisoning, did you?" No reply. "I'm pretty pleased I hit the checkpoint today. It was…"

"…the first time in three days. Hit mine every day this week."

"Well, it might do you good to miss one then."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Never mind. You going to keep your nose buried in that anatomy text all night?"

"Got to. Between my studies and the marathon training, what choice do I have?"

"We all have choices, Makul." Lelanni inched closer to her boyfriend, hoping he'd catch a whiff of the Paco Rabanne scent she'd just bought. God knows he'd said nothing about how she looked in her black halter and faded jeans that hugged her dark well-toned form. "Perhaps some hands-on training might be in order. Been awhile."

Makul's "I'm-not-going-to-have-sex-until-the-marathon-is-over-didn't-we-agree-on-that" Face wasn't all that different from his "I-just-ate-a-grape-from-Kroger" Face. With a dismissive wave and no small amount of irritation he half-glared at Lelanni: "I'm puzzled with your attitude lately. Your focus isn't where it needs to be."

At least he noticed SOMETHING about me.

"Makul, this race. It's consuming you. And I suppose it should. You're a brilliant runner. As for me, I'll be lucky to crack the five hour mark…"

"Five hours is better than six. We must all strive to be better, to be our best."

"I remember something we're pretty good at. Let's take a night off." Lelanni reached out to touch Makul's face just as he turned his nose back down down to re-bury it in all things Human Circulatory System.

"Do you MIND??" he bellowed, startled by her light touch to his cheek, as if she'd swatted a patch of sunburn on his back. "I really need to get back to this. Don't you have some painting to do or something?"

"God, you're jumpy. See you later. Off to do some painting. Or SOMETHING!"

********************

Do you MIND?? The words still stung like the tears that streamed down her cheeks. He'll never see me like this. No one will. Lelanni squinted as the headlights of an oncoming car burned through her rearview mirror. The car passed the spot where Lelanni's car was parked, and pulled into the driveway next door to the Tyler residence.

Should I or shouldn't I? Lelanni debated as she looked through a bedroom window where the lights from a television flickered. No, she thought, finally. For yourself! Do it for you! Not BECAUSE of him. She cranked the car up, momentarily startled by the blare of the music from the radio, having forgotten how loud she'd been playing it on the way over, and she drove back home.

********************

"Morning, Debbie."

"Hi there, Will. How's the Chancellor today?"

"Doing OK. Be sure to come see him some time."

"I'll be sure to try. As usual, I don't have a minute! Sit still, sweetie, let me get you buckled in." Debbie Wickman managed to get the last of her three kids secured in the Town and Country, two on their way to daycare and the oldest to Barrow Elementary, all to be dropped off before Debbie's ten o'clock client meeting. Forget it, US Army, it was Debbie Wickman who did more before 9AM than most people did in a day! "How's the love life, Will?"

Other than you being replaced atop my masturbatory fodder list, you mean?

"Not much going on. Don't really have the time."

"You got time to make up posters every day now, don't you? How are those working out for you?"

"So you heard about those, huh? Or are you the new neighborhood Gladys Kravitz?"

"Not me! Seems you've gotten the young lady's attention." Debbie didn't tell Will she had seen Lelanni parked outside the house a few nights before. "Stop beatin' around the bush, Will the Thrill. Tell a woman what you think and how you feel. You might even get laid every now and then!"

"You cut to the chase, don't you?"

"Don't have time for anything else."

"OK, then. Debbie, I want you. Now!" Will said, grinning, but not before he was certain Debbie's side doors were closed and her charges were out of earshot.

"You couldn't handle it, my friend. I gotta go. Late as usual. Really, think about it darlin'. It'd sure beat jerkin' off in the driveway now, wouldn't it?" Will was dumbfounded. "No worries. Your secret's safe with me. Just be grateful it was just little old me who saw it." Debbie winked as she backed up WICKMAN5 to start yet another Manic Monday.

********************

"Lelanni?!" Will was surprised to see her at the door. "You OK?"

Chest heaving, much to Will's delight, and out of breath, Lelanni managed, "I think I'll live, but this knee. It's really killing me."

"Come in, come in. Let's go into the kitchen and sit down."

"Thanks. I think I'll be all right. Tried resting it the last couple of days. Maybe I should have waited another day."

"You may want to have someone take a look at it."

Someone already has, Lelanni thought, and HE chastisted me for taking the weekend off!

"You're probably right." Lelanni couldn't help but eye the bowl of grapes sitting on the kitchen table as she half-sat, half-plopped into a chair, not realizing how close she came to tipping herself over and fucking herself up royally.

"Oh, my manners."

My manners? Lelanni suppressed a smirk.

"Would you like some? I just washed them."

"Are they for Chancellor Tyler?"

"No, no, he already ate."

"Well, I don't mind if I do." Lelanni broke off a stem and grabbed two grapes to stick in her mouth. "Are these from Kroger by any chance?"

"No, I picked them up at the Fresh Market."

Fuck.

"Funny you should say that, though. I usually buy them all my fruit including grapes at Kroger. But once in a while I just like to splurge, I suppose."

That's much better. OK, he scores some points. Gotta deduct one for using the word "splurge", though.

"Missed seeing you running by this weekend," Will continued. "But don't worry, I didn't have any signs prepared."

"That's fine. Sorry about barging in on you like this. I know you're working and God, I'm a sweaty mess." Lelanni became acutely aware of how she looked at the moment versus how she did on Friday night, wondering again just what she was doing. She pushed her hair behind her right ear with the hand that still held the two grapes, looking back at Will in a moment of awkward silence.

"Horses sweat. Men perspire. Women GLOW!" Will quickly tried to fill up the dead air.

"Well, I'm glowing like a pig!"

"You're still welcome at any time. And I'll take your Sweaty Mess Look over anyone else's! I'm glad you're here." Will had nothing else to say but was rescued by a stir from upstairs coming through the monitor. "You feel up to meeting the Chancellor? He's up now. I mean, it's upstairs and everything. I hate to ask you to take the stairs if you're…"

"I'll be fine, thanks. And yes, I would like to meet him." Lelanni popped the grapes in her mouth and followed Will up the staircase. Will paused and motioned to take her by the arm.

"Let me help you. I don't want you to hurt yourself." Lelanni clutched his beefy arm and liked how it felt. She didn't really need any help climbing the stairs. But she was eating up the chivalry like candy. Or a bowl of grapes.

From anywhere.

********************

"Hello."

"Chad, I want you to meet Lelanni." Everyone called Chancellor Tyler "Chad". He'd insisted on it his entire adult life.

"Nice to meet you, Chancellor Tyler." Lelanni hadn't gotten the memo.

"Chad's the name. What'd you say your name is again?"

"Lelanni."

"You a friend o' this guy over here?" Chancellor Tyler pointed his thumb toward Will and rolled his eyes, his shakes seeming to be in check for the moment.

"You could say that." Lelanni scrunched up one side of her mouth as she looked back at Will, revealing a small dimple in her cheek he'd never seen before.

He started to wonder the same thing she did earlier. Just what is she doing here?

"It's about time Will brought a woman 'round heah," the Chancellor bellowed in his still very dignified Foghorn Leghorn, Ph.D. voice. "The scenery here's been a bit dull." That earned Will another eyeroll.

"I'm sure they miss you over on campus." The Chancellor didn't appear to hear her.

"So are you Hawaiian?" he asked her.

"Just a little bit. A quarter. Mostly Indian, though."

The Chancellor thought about that for a moment. "Took a trip to India years ago. I think we had an exchange program with a University there. That was it. It's wasn't far from a girls' orphanage. Francis came with me." He stared up toward the ceiling and smiled broadly. "We sponsored one of the young women there for years. Francis loved those girls." Will couldn't tell if Chad thought she was alive or not. "Young lady died of cancer. They sent us a picture of her at the funeral. It was nice, but poor Francis, it really shocked her." He chuckled.

"I don't think she's home right now."

Alive.

"Maybe you can meet her sometime."

"I hope so. How long have you been together?" Lelanni hadn't gotten that memo, either.

"Since 19 and 60. I proposed to her the next year at Yankee Stadium. Right during the seventh inning stretch. She'll tell you all about it."

"You need anything, Chad?" Will broke in, hoping to avoid a lengthy discourse about the M&M boys.

"No."

"We're going head on downstairs." Will took Lelanni by the arm. "Whaddya think about a walk a bit later, Chad?"

"Maybe tomorrow." His answer for the last week. Will made a mental note to mention that to Chad's daughter, who would be conferring with the physician the next day.

"OK, Chad."

As they walked out the door, the Chancellor called after Will: "Keep hanging on to her." Will smiled but didn't say anything. "It's nice to meet a pretty lady. Sure beats the scenery we've had around her lately. Nice he's finally brought a woman around." An impish smile spread across his face. "I was starting to think he was a homo!"

********************

After the quick debrief on the way back downstairs (Francine died/call him Chad/don't ask about the Yankees/I'm not a homo), Will and Lelanni sunk into the "I was sitting here first you go somewhere else, yeah but I was just sitting there MOVE" comfy couch in the family room. Lelanni plopped down sideways, digging her toes just beneath Will's thighs.

"Hope you don't mind. I thought the sofa was a little longer."

"Naw, I don't mind."

"He seems pretty with it for someone with Alzheimer's."

"It's very early stage, just diagnosed. It's not unusual for patients to remain pretty lucid for awhile. But," Will chuckled, "he hardly sounds like the Chancellor who once helped advocate for gay rights on the Georgia campus." He exhaled, glancing back upstairs. "He's just not quite…"

"…himself?"

"No, and he'll never be. Sad. But we'll aim to make the rest of his life as comfortable as we can."

"You have a good heart."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. The way you look at him. Care for him."

"It's my job."

"Well, you're good at your job. But it's more than that. He matters to you. That's the difference. And like…" Lelanni paused and glanced downward. She drew her feet out from under Will and wrapped her arms around her knees. The mini-stretch made her sore knee ache a little. But it was a good kind of pain.

"…like what?" Will asked, swallowing.

"Like, with me. I can be such a bitch sometimes, but…"

"…actually, no." Will started to laugh.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I wouldn't say it's an act. More of a, ummm, defense mechanism. You just like to keep your guard up." Will found himself somewhere between waxing philosophically and rambling. "I think lots of women who THINK they're, uh, bitches, sorry-your-word-not-mine, really aren't. They even fool themselves."

"Maybe." Lelanni cocked her head, as if sizing Will up for the first time. "And maybe, we all have our little ways of being guarded. You didn't let me finish what I was going to say. Don't you want to hear it?"

"S-sure." That stutter wasn't something in his throat.

"ANYWAY…like with me. You might have just told me to fuck off once you saw I hadn't seriously hurt myself that day. But you showed me kindness."

"K-killed you with it, huh?"

"You knew how upset I was, and you didn't take it personally."

Will felt a bead of sweat on his temple begin to trickle toward his ear. He wished he could stop swallowing. Be honest. With yourself. With her.

"I'm sorry, I'm just a little n-nervous."

"Why, Will, are you afraid of me?" Lelanni toyed, but not too much.

"Listen, I like you, I think you're g-gorgeous. Damn! I don't know why I keep stuttering, I sound like Fonzie not being able to say 'I'm wr-wrong'! Oh wait, you're probably too young to remember Happy Days, aren't you?"

"I'm familiar with it."

"TV Land?"

"Correctamundo. Now. Tell me something nice."

"What?"

"Let me make this a little easier for you. I like you too. Tell me something nice. I need to hear it."

"The first time I looked in your big brown eyes, I was lost in them."

Lelanni savored the warm fuzzy. That felt nice!

"That's a good start. You're eyes are quite striking as well. And I like the way they look when you look at me." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "What else?"

"Your skin. It's like bronze. Yet it looks so smooth." They both realized Will wasn't stuttering.

"Would you like to touch it?" Lelanni didn't wait for an answer. She took his thick hand in hers and squeezed it, her long fingers easily wrapping around his. She lifted the hand and placed it on her cheek. "Smooth and silky?" she asked.

He stroked her face and swallowed hard again. He brushed her hair away, feeling the perspiration that lingered in her hair. His paw found its way to the back of her head. As he drew her closer he asked, "OK if I kiss you?"

Lelanni rolled her eyes and giggled. "It's more than OK," she beamed. Tilting her head up slightly and rocking forward, knees still up, Lelanni felt Will's arms envelop her as her lips met his. They lingered for a moment. Lelanni teased his nose with hers briefly, then crinkled it up. "This is a little uncomfortable," she said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't…"

"It's OK." She draped her legs across his and wriggled her butt up closer to him. Draping her arms around his thick neck she smiled, "Much better."

"Much better indeed," Will said, wondering if he sounded the least bit suave. The next kiss was much more comfortable. Eyes closed and completely in the moment, Will explored the fullness of Lelanni's lips and the sweetness of her tongue as he tasted it with his. He found himself stroking her leg, his hand enjoying the feel of her calf and her thigh. "I hope that's OK."

"Stop asking permission. Of course it is. Feels good. It feels nice to be…well, yes, go right ahead." Lelanni caught herself in a little gulp of her own.

"I didn't want to hurt your knee further."

"Don't worry about it. It doesn't really hurt so much anymore."

Will narrowed his eyes playfully. "Did it EVER hurt at all?"

Lelanni matched his look. "Well…maybe just a little. Your hands make it feel that much better." Their kisses became deeper, longer, hungrier. "I could just inhale you right now." She longed to touch his broad chest she had come to admire over the last few weeks, groping at his shirt when her cell phone rang.

"Don't pick it up."

She gave his pecs a little pat. "Damn, I'd better. Hold these thoughts…Yes? Hi…no not a chance, knee's killing me. I had no business being out there today…you're there now? At the checkpoint?"

"There was a Checkpoint Charlie, he didn't crack a smi-i-ile." Will sang. Softly. Lelanni didn't recognize the Elvis Costello snippet, but did recognize the attempt to distract her.

"STOP!" she mouthed, trying to keep from laughing. "Yeah, I'm here…I'm outside, yes…" Will rolled his eyes. She smiled again and threw a pillow at him. "That neighborhood with the big hill…I'm just walking right now…if there's a problem I'll call you…I know you won't have time to pick me up, I'm not asking you to…I'll be fine, I'll just go real slow…I gotta go…why?...Battery's getting low…OK…OK…I will…OK…Bye." Lelanni flipped her phone shut and let out a frustrated exhale.

"Chivalry is dead," Will said.

"Hardly," came the reply. "And before you ask, I don't want to talk about it."

"Who's asking? I'm assuming if all was well in paradise I wouldn't be smooching with you right now."

"So where were we anyway?"

"By the way, how are you going to get home?"

"I said I didn't want to talk about it." And with that, Lelanni kissed Will again, opening her mouth wider as if she really were inhaling him.

Will shifted as the erection pressing against his jeans became uncomfortable. Lelanni drew back, "I'm sorry, did I kiss you too hard, it's just…" She looked down and contemplated the huge bulge in Will's pants. "…oh, I see. Seems I'm not the only one getting a little, carried away," she said, with raised eyebrows and a purse of the lips.

Will flushed with embarrassment at the size of the bulge. "It's just you're, so sexy. And I've never kissed anyone as sexy as you. I haven't kissed much of anyone lately…"

"You like that word sexy?"

Gulp. "I like the sexy, I mean…"

"Would you like to see how sexy I can be?" Lelanni rested her hand on the bulge while drawing herself nearer, pressing her breasts against Will's chest. "Sit back." Lelanni unbuttoned the top of Will's pants with one hand while unzipping the fly with the other. She could hear his breathing get heavier as she caressed the bulge, teasing it with her fingernails.