Aspiring Novelist Pt. 02

"Well I do have to eat somewhere. And I do know Austin a little."

They agreed to meet at Barton Creek Square Mall at the Nordstrom Café because it would be easy for Billie to find.

She asked, "Why do you wish to meet me?"

"Because Elsie told me I should."

"Well that's a reply simple enough to be honest."

They laughed.

CHAPTER 4

As arranged the night before she left the ranch when Sam called her, Billie wore the white Stetson Ben and Martha had given here as a memento of her visit. In return she'd told them at the extended family farewell she had a strong intention to write a novel set on a ranch but it depended on the outcome after she'd given it considerable thought, a process necessary in novel preparation.

"It's no use starting something with anything less than one hundred percent commitment because that leaves one open to a growing possibility of capitulating and shoving it into the too hard bin.

Ben had said he'd agree with that. At least he'd achieved something because Billie was now riding horses and had no marked fear of horses.

"It's been lovely, absolutely lovely having you here," he said, offering the toast, "To our lovely young woman Billie and may she write herself to fame."

Billie gave Martha and Elsie each a signed copy of her biography on Celeste plus a bottle of French perfume and because the effort Ben and Amos had put in teaching her things and talking to her for hours about the attitudes of ranchers and the things that were important to them she gave them both a 15-inch MacBook computer, they both being regular uses of old Apple desktop computers.

She was 20-minutes later entering the café and thought the guy receiving a fresh cup of coffee and having his old cup cleared away would be Sam because there was something familiar about him, and that related to his sister's appearance although at twenty-nine he was three years older than Elsie.

They greeting one another warmly and he was interested to learn about her time on the ranch. Billie noticed he didn't ask how were her parents and didn't ask about Elsie and his family. Although he'd called her the previous night he'd not asked to speak to his parents. Well that was his business. About forty minutes later he asked did she wish to stay the night, and she assumed he meant with him.

Billie answered politely she thought she ought to push on and at that he shrugged and appeared to lose all interest in her. So she stood, he stood and she kissed him goodbye and that was that.

Well, she thought critically, compared with his sister he was a cold fish.

As soon as Billie pulled into her half-formed driveway Silvana has rushed from her home and opening the vehicle door joyfully said, "Oh thank goodness you're back home. I have missed you so much and mom has been the perfect bitch. She appears to control herself when you are about. Will you take me fishing in the morning?"

"You'll have school."

"Tomorrow is Saturday."

"Oh I must be back in Rockport not knowing what day it is. Oh bliss. Darling come into the house with me for a minute."

She handed Silvana the printout of the corrected manuscript of 'Wretched Rachel.'

"Invite you mom to read this. It's my latest novel and please tell her I'd commenced it before I arrived here but some of the things I experienced with you two are incorporated in later chapters but changed so much you are unlikely to recognize the incidents; but then again perhaps you will. Tell her I'd like her to read it to perhaps gain understanding and perhaps you ought to read it as well."

"It's a scary title. Is this girl Rachel doing drugs?"

"She experiences drugs but is not a junkie. The crux of it is she has difficulty communicating her thoughts and explaining her actions to her mom and her mom is too close and too emotionally distracted to take a clear view of the problems between them."

"Oh god if I tell mom that she'll be over to deal with you with her broomstick."

Billie laughed. "Well if you lack the courage to tell her that I'll do it for you."

"No it's cool. I'm really not scared of mom... I'm just careful when I'm around her."

Billie looked at Silvana in surprise.

"What?"

"What you just said to me. Have you used those words before?"

"No because no one but you is interested in the relationship between my mother and me. Why do you ask?"

"If you read the book you'll find out why."

"Does Rachel say something like that?"

"You are very bright Silvana. That line about being cool, not being scared, just being careful is more of less what Rachel says to the psychologist who is attempting to find in Rachel is as dysfunctional as her mother claims she is."

"Omigod, mothers may hate you for this novel... er at first but I suspect they will come onside as they get into the novel and remember how it was with the brat."

"Indeed Silvana. An author tries not to get permanently off-side with his or her readers."

Silvana called four hours later. "Mom was interested to receive the manuscript and to hear me relate what you said I should tell her. She replied she respected you for your sound commonsense and asked me to get dinner and began reading. She stopped when dad arrived home for dinner and now he's watching TV and she's gone off to the bedroom to read."

"Have you heard screams?"

"No, just some chuckles I suppose they were and a few Omigods. Is that good?"

"Yes very good I suspect. Be over here at 6:00 in the morning. I'll bring our breakfast with me. Everything is ready including the boat is hooked up down the lawn for the short trip down into the water."

"Um do you think the story of Rachel and her mom could improve things between mum and me?"

"I'm being optimistic here but if you both read the story then I'd say definitely."

"Jesus."

"Good night Silvana. Sweet dreams."

"You are even better than a big sister Billie. God bless."

An hour later Silvana called again and said her friend Natalie wanted her to go mall shopping in Corpus Christi in the morning. "I said I was going fishing with you and she asked could she come with us. Please Billie, you've met Natalie a few times."

"Well the problem is our boat is set up with only two seats."

"No problem, they have a aluminum-framed chair with suckers on its feet they use on her dad's boat."

"Okay then. Good night again."

"Wait and thanks Billie. Mom wishes to speak to you."

"Billie you are a marvelous writer. Your book has really gripped me. Have you been through this?"

"Yeah Caitlin, for almost three years I reputedly gave my mom a hard time and she found difficulty coping."

"Reputed?"

"Well mom exaggerates a bit. I can remember times during that period when we got along quite okay."

"I'm five chapters short of the finish and have just put it down because I'm weary but not so weary to say this book of yours will help mothers and daughters all over America, and I mean that. When loving and gentle daughters turn into disagreeable little vixens it's... it's well something really difficult to cope with."

"Well I though you might identify with Rachel's mother. She suffered badly because she handled the situation badly because she failed to deal with the situation and use the guidelines that are available. Few of use are superwomen Caitlin. I'll give you a copy of the book when it's published because you might want to loan it to mothers who are battling a young rebel. As I wrote, girls battle at home whereas guys tend to left off steam and even hit out away from home. Like any strategist in warfare and even in commerce will say, "It pays to know what we're up against."

"Well thank you darling. Thanks to you I'm expecting a better year and will look forward to when Silvana comes home at end of her first college semester."

On Sunday afternoon Natalie called Billie and thanked her for taking her out for fishing, for the great breakfast and for allowing her to take home so many fish.

"Mom would like you to come for dinner tonight."

"Well okay Natalie, so what's this really about? No to say thanks for a few fish surely?"

"Gee Silvana has said you are so sharp. Um don't get mad at me Billie but my mom is really interested in meeting you and my brother wants to get a look at you. Um he's your age. Please come Billie. He's good looking and he'll interest you because he's sales manager for a new and used boat dealership and loves fishing and hunting."

"Is this all about you saying to your brother he ought to size me up?"

"Jesus Billie is it necessary to push so hard? All right, I did mention to Gene you're one hot babe and he took an immediate interest and mom said it was time we had you over for a meal, you being our most famous resident and as well probably the most unassuming."

"God Natalie I could wring you neck. Is your mom a keen reader of books?"

"Yes and has about twenty favorite authors and really helped me with my schoolwork on literature."

"Well at least that's something. Very well, give me the time and your address."

"I'll come for you at 5:50 Billie. Dad likes to eat early and spend the night watching TV sport."

"And literary programs?"

"You have to be kidding Billie. Oh, please dress to look sexy. I've given you a really great build up."

"Natalie it might not be safe for you to come unarmed within reach of me."

Natalie laughed and said good one Billie.

Billie spent the next few hours working on very tentative outlines of three possible novels, one based on young solo mothers. The second possibility was about the amazing attachment of a teenager on her widowed father's ranch to his top brood mare and her father's latest and possibly most promising girlfriend being aghast the daughter could be so attached to a horse. The third was the hardship a distinguished female Navy Seal faced when attempting to settle back into her small hometown in West Texas.

She looked at all three drafted storylines and sighed, aware she was presently equipped with the knowledge and slight experience to tackle the horse ranch story whereas she'd be approaching the other two from scratch.

So the horse and cattle ranch storyline won and she made a note that daddy's latest girlfriend was scared of horses.

Natalie arrived right on time, smiled hugely when she saw Billie in a tight sundress with her hair piled high and in full makeup. "Oh yummy, I could be interested in you myself."

"Shut up you delinquent."

"Billie kiss me, thanking me for setting you up. It will give you the opportunity to wring my neck."

"Keep your distance Natalie and to think that until now I'd always liked Silvana's friends."

"Don't be too hard on me. If Gene doesn't attract you tell him to fuck off."

"Please behave like the lady your are not Natalie. I don't require a seventeen-year-old to tell me what to do."

"I have riled you haven't I?"

"Come here big mouth and let my kiss you. You are my youngest friend from around here so I ought not expect too much from you. Just don't attempt to set up any more dates for me, huh?"

"I won't need to," Natalie said as they left the house. "My brother will be perfect for you."

"Yeah, yeah. Stop your yapping and move your ass girl. Don't make me late."

Natalie's mom Patricia Samuels also in a sundress and hair piled high and in full makeup even though they were eating outside, greeted Billie very excitedly and said what a great honor it was to have Celeste B. Bush's biographer present for dinner.

"Patricia what is your favorite of Celeste's novels you've read?

'Dr Oliszewski Humbles the President.'

"Oh one of her most recent novels about the Polish immigrant surgeon who came across the president's son who'd crashed his car and was in danger of suffocating because of a series injury to his throat."

"Yes it said a lot about the callous way we bundle all new immigrants together as if they are morons and even some intellectuals and highly qualified professionals arriving in the country to settle are thwarted in their progress because they cannot locate specific support services that do exist."

Billie agreed and said the novel would have required a formidable amount of research. "Celeste told me she employed three researchers to assist her set up before beginning to write that novel and actually based it on the true experiences of a Mexican pediatric surgeon speaking poor English who immigrated legally to work among the poor Mexican families in southern California."

"Gosh how fascinating. Come through and meet my husband Pete who's doing spiced chicken as well as fish in foil cooking on coals. Our son Gene dashed out to get more beer after finding we were down to the two last bottles. You do drink beer don't you?"

"Well I usually I prefer wine but I'll down a glass of it since he rushed out thinking I drink beer."

"I'll pour you a wine darling. He really went to fetch it for his father and himself. Um Gene is between girlfriends at the moment."

"Oh poor Gene."

"I was meaning what is your situation Billie?"

"Oh it's just how I like it at the moment."

"Oh?" said Patricia, looking in desperate need of an explanation of what that reply meant but Billie was waving a greeting at Pete who came walking over, wiping his nose with the back of his barbecuing hand. Perhaps it was just itchy?

Pete had grabbed the last beer and was chatting to Billie and Patricia and Natalie was inside making the salads when a tall curly-headed guy with piercing green eyes walked out of the house with two packs of beer. Billie noticed the eyes because they were piercing her body. She felt a flutter and that was a bit unusual for her because guys rarely rang her bell.

She was the closest to him so said, "Hi Gene, I'm Billie."

"I went specially to get beer for you and here you are drinking wine."

"Well you didn't ask me did I like beer and you didn't call me."

"How could I call you when I didn't have your number?"

"Did you ask you sister if she had my number?"

"Natalie told me you drank beer."

Billie looked at the tight-lipped Gene in dismay. "Oh god, I'm giving you tongue when you don't deserve it. Please accept my apology. I'm much a bitch."

Natalie, who'd arrived with two salads and had stood listening to this called, "Sorry guys. I thought you sometimes drank beer Billie and guys usually like it when women say they'll have a beer."

"Well perhaps you saw me drink a beer when I was drinking one with Jim because his family was out of wine?"

Gene said a little stiffly, "It doesn't matter Billie. I accept your apology."

"I feel awful," she said and then Patricia broke everyone up when she squeaked, "Is it safe to talk now?"

"God that was so funny you two," Pete said, still chuckling. "The first time you meet you fight. There's no future for you two together."

"I was under the impression I was invited here for a family meal, not to seduce your son," Billie said hotly.

"Billie please cool it," Natalie said, running and hugging her. "It's all my fault. I wanted Gene to see you and to fall for you."

"Natalie how could you?" Gene roared. "Just butt out of my life will you?"

"You moan you haven't been able to find an interesting woman around here... well I have news for you Gene. Look at Billie and you're looking at perhaps the best package you'll ever find."

"Natalie please cool it," Billie said, reversing their roles. "This has all been a terrible mistake and I'm at the center of it and must go to clear the air. Be ready to go fishing at 6:00 in the morning Natalie. You remain my cute youngest friend."

"May I go fishing with you two in the morning?"

Billie eyed Gene and asked, "And why would you want to be doing that?"

"According to Nat you catch more fish around here than anyone else she knows. It would also be great being out on the water with two females who appeal to me. I'll bring breakfast."

"And a couple of beers?" Billie grinned.

"Everyone sit up. We are ready to eat," Pete said, assuming control as the dominant male.

Gene walked Billie home and at the door he kissed her. She kissed him back and whispered, "I won't ask you in tonight but you may play with my breasts if you wish."

Gene did that and minutes later walked the short distance home whistling. His mother was waiting for him; the others had gone to bed.

"Well?"

"Despite the shaky start it was a good evening mom."

"No you fool. I mean what do you think about Billie?"

"She has great tits and appears to like me, although that could be me being optimistic but I don't think so. I think she's sexually frustrated."

""Not you fool, don't embarrass me. I'm asking what do you think of Billie as a person?"

"Quite sensational actually and she's no pushover. I think she's all I can handle and is at least my intellectual equal. I'll be attempting to settle her in as a regular date mom. Does that satisfy your inquisitiveness?"

"For the time being, yes. Handle her with care Gene. I think she'd loaded with more horsepower than any other females you've ever dated."

"Wow mom, usually you don't take to my dates."

To be continued...