We Need To Talk

Chris' heart sank. He, too, had wished. Matching her tone, he replied, "My manager called me yesterday. There's a relatively new travel card service pushing into the Northwest market, and they want some feedback on merchant responsiveness. It usually means several visits to the same merchant, using different cards or offering to pay with two or three to see which they prefer. It's normally a week long assignment, including travel going and coming."

"Anything I can do to help you get ready? Or while you're gone?" As they walked into the house, his arm found its way around her waist.

"No, I think I'm all set. One of the perks of these assignments is that I get to keep a lot of the stuff I have to buy, including personal supplies, and I usually average a new suit, or its equivalent in sportswear, every eight to ten weeks. Is there anything I can get for you?"

She was pensive for several seconds. Shaking her head, she responded, "Just come home." Her face and voice were both full of the wistfulness he had heard outside.

He called her daily, describing his experiences, asking about hers. She told him about the feeding station she had built out of scrap wood she found in the barn and the animals which had quickly found it.

One night, it was after ten, local time, when he got back to his motel. Thinking it was too late (It would have been one AM on his hilltop), he went to bed without calling. The next night, when he did call, Sue was so anxious and upset he promised to call everyday, regardless how late he got in. When the assignment was extended twice, he shared his disappointment and frustration. By the time he started for home, he had been gone a month.

As he walked down the concourse toward the exit, he thought it would be nice to take Sue along next time. At the exit, he saw her waiting at the top of the ramp, wearing tight boot cut jeans which showed off her hips and legs to perfection. She had borrowed one of his white shirts and had the tails tied under her nicely proportioned bosom, displaying her tanned toned abs. Her smile let him know he had been caught checking her out, and she didn't object. "Hey there, traveling man, need a ride?"

"Actually I need something to tell me I'm not dead and gone to heaven. You look great! What have you been up to you haven't been telling me about?"

"Just running and swimming. I should have had you get me a new swimsuit. The one I have is so big I swim right out of it when I dive in the pond, and I wind up skinny dipping."

"And what's wrong with that?" he grinned. She responded with a smile and an elbow in his ribs.

Back at the farmhouse, he dropped his bags in the living room. "God, it's good to be home. I missed you, even talking every day. It's just not the same."

"I know. I missed you, too. It's funny how easy it is to get used to a routine, and to having someone around. But you're back, at last." She stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She tilted her head back and reached up on tiptoe to give him a quick peck on the lips, but it lingered a bit longer than she planned.

When they separated, Chris looked at her, a question in his eyes. Then he leaned down and captured her lips with his, in an open mouth tongue invading kiss, which she returned. As he pulled her close, into a full body hug, he felt himself grow erect and press into her. As she felt it, she pressed back into him. His hand moved up and rested against the side of her breast. When she felt herself open and dampen, she pulled away, her face red with passion and embarrassment.

She looked at him. "I can't..." and ran from him, locking herself in her bedroom. He followed her, and knocked on the door. "Just let me alone, Chris, please."

Dejected, he got his bag from the living room and went to his room to unpack. When that was done, he went to his office to catch up on his correspondence and start his reports. Some time later, he heard her leave her room and go to the kitchen. He followed her.

"Sue?"

She looked up, startled. "I was just going to put supper on to warm. I made a chicken fricassee. It won't take long to heat."

"Sue!"

"Don't, Chris. Please. As soon as I can find a job and a place to stay, I'll be leaving."

"Susie, that's not necessary. There's no reason to leave."

She shook her head, and lowered her eyes. "Oh, I don't know. I think this afternoon showed there is plenty of reason. Christ, look at me. It's not even a year since Tommy died, and the first man to show me some kindness and attention and I'm ready to screw him to the floor." She put the chicken in the oven and turned it on, not looking at him. " A few months ago, we could barely speak civilly to each other. I was afraid to call you on the phone for fear we'd end up fighting. And suddenly, I want to make love to you so bad I can smell it." She looked at him. "If you didn't like me before, what must you think of me now? And why should I care?" She bowed her head and shook it. "I'm so freakin' mixed up"

Chris gave a short laugh. "Maybe this will help. Susan Davis, I'm in love with you. I have been in love with you for twenty years. I was jealous of my brother, and resented him all to hell when he ran you down, like he was always doing. There were so many times I just wanted to grab you and run away....

"When she left me, Ellen didn't know who, but she knew there was someone else. She couldn't understand my attitude toward you. For me it was simple, being nasty was the only way to protect myself, and you and Tommy, from being hurt by letting my true feelings show.

"I can't tell you how happy I am that you're here, to be able to ..." His voice started to choke. "I don't want you to leave. I'll honor any boundaries you want to establish. But it's your choice. Whatever you choose, I'll help you anyway I can. Just let me know how."

She nodded, dumbfounded. His statement came as a total surprise. In spite of his protestations, she had viewed his behavior since she had arrived through the filter of his statement at the airport. And it wasn't just him. It had been a fact of her life since she entered puberty.

His declaration did help to explain some stories she had heard over the years. Like the time he had stopped Tommy from hitting her while in a drunken rage. And the report from her sister about Chris reading Tommy the riot act when he had reduced her to tears with his insults about her family.

Tears streaming down her cheeks, she walked over to her brother-in-law. As he started to reach for her, she brushed his arms aside and beat her clenched fists softly againsst his chest. "Why?....why?.....you fool, you sweet wonderful fool," She left the kitchen and walked to her room.

Chris turned off the oven, put the fricasee in the fridge, cleaned up the kitchen and made himself a sandwich. He watched TV for a bit, hoping she would come out and join him. He puzzled on her response, wondering what it meant.

After the news, heart heavy, fearing she would decide to leave, he made his way along the hall. He paused by her door. There was no light under the door, and no sound from the room. She must have fallen asleep. He hoped he could.

He showered and toweled away the wetness. Then, as usual, crawled into bed, nude. He switched off his bedside lamp and rolled onto his side into his sleeping position. He thought he heard the door open.

When he reached to turn on the light, he felt a weight on the bed, the covers lift and settle, then a warm, nude body cuddle up to his.

"We need to talk," she said.