Carrie's Romance

"Mr. Hawk, how many times do I have to ask you not to call me Carrie?" she said. "You're not a friend of mine and I don't want to talk to you."

"Aw, don't be like that, Carrie," he swaggered over. "I was just wondering if you might like to go see a movie with me some time."

"You're married, Mr. Hawk; and if you weren't, you are the last man on earth I would go to see a movie with. Maybe you should ask your wife."

"Why are you always such a bitch?" he sneered.

"Hey, buddy," it was the large gentleman with the sports car. "I think the lady said she isn't interested. Take your line down the road."

Hawk started to bluster and Carrie interrupted him. "Mr. Hawk, I think I'll just call your wife and ask her if she would like to go see that movie with us. Do you remember the last time I called her? I think you should leave now. That guy looks bigger than you and bullies like you don't want to risk their reputations as tough guys."

Hawk gave her a glare and stalked off. She turned and looked at the man behind her.

"You're very gallant, sir, but I don't need your help handling little boys like him."

He chuckled. "No, I don't guess you do. I'm sorry I said anything. I didn't realize how fierce you were. I thought you might need a hand."

"That's very kind," she looked at him closer. She liked what she saw. He was very tall and very muscular. He was probably a foot taller than she was and he had dark hair that was beginning to turn gray. "I'm a big girl though. I can take care of myself."

He looked her over and she blushed. "You look like a little girl to me, but I'll have to admit you shut him down pretty good. It looks like that bear you've got in your truck might have eaten him anyway. Do I know you from somewhere?"

"No, I don't think so," she assured him.

"You look familiar," he said. "Hey, I remember you now. You have my name on the back of your truck."

She saw Dodge on her tailgate. "Your name is Dodge?" she was bewildered. Why would she be familiar to him because she drove Dodges?

He laughed. "No, that's not what I meant. You bought your truck at the dealership I own in Oak Lawn. See, it says Tony Mitchell Dodge down there. I'm Tony. I think we sold you a white Chrysler 300 with the hemi about six months ago, too. You're Carrie Benton."

She smiled. "Well I don't remember meeting you, but you've got me. I did buy my vehicles from your dealership. We don't have a Dodge Dealership here and my late husband was passionate about Dodges. I still drive them.

He walked over and extended his hand. She gave him her little hand and it was swallowed up in his huge one. She looked up at him and realized that he was very handsome. He was tanned and obviously fit. He had piercing grey eyes and she became flustered at the way he was looking at her. She flushed and felt hot and sweaty. Damn those hot flashes! She had thought they were getting better, but she was definitely feeling one now.

She took her hand back and was spared further embarrassment by her pump clicking off. She hung up the hose. He hadn't moved when she turned back around.

"Ms. Benton, would you think I was being too bold if I asked you if you were in a relationship?" he smiled at her.

She was definitely feeling that hot flash now. "Why would you want to know that?" she asked.

"Because if you're not, I was going to offer you free oil changes on your vehicles," he said. "After you got the oil changes, I was going to have my guys detail them up so that you'd know I'm a really nice guy. Then I was going to ask you to have dinner with me."

"Are you in a relationship?" she asked.

"I was ten years ago," he said. "She decided her career as a State Representative meant she didn't need to come home to have a... relationship.

"Unfortunately, for her, her constituents had a different view on ...relationships and she is no longer a State Representative. Now she's just an ambulance chaser and I haven't seen her in three years. I hope fervently that God spares me that event."

"I see, well that certainly is more information than I needed," Carrie said. "To answer your question, my truck needs its oil changed, but my car doesn't. I'd be happy for you to do all those things to them, but I won't have dinner with you. I'm not in a relationship either and I don't want to be in one."

"That's very sensible," he said. "Relationships are perilous things. I wasn't asking to have a relationship with you, just dinner. I love the way you handle yourself. You didn't need my help to send that creep packing and I'd just like to be friends with someone like you."

"Will you give me a big discount when I trade in my truck?" her eyes were laughing.

"Only if you take the bear out first," he laughed. "My God, what kind of beast is that? He looks like he could swallow my head." He looked at the two long, white, foamy drools coming from Gabe's lips. "He looks like he's already eaten someone and their shoestrings are hanging out of his mouth!"

"He's a Cane Corso, a type of Italian Mastiff," she said. "He would eat you if he thought you were going to harm me and he drools a lot. If he likes you, he's a very good friend."

"Will you introduce me?" he asked.

They walked forward and Gabe stood up. "This is Mr. Mitchell, Gabe," she said. "He's my friend. Friend, Gabe."

Gabe's little stump of a tail wagged furiously. He sniffed the outstretched hand and gave it a lick. Tony drew his hand back and looked at the slimy substance covering it.

"I think I'll add this to your oil change," he said. "It's so slick you'd never need to get it changed again!"

They laughed together. "What time should I pick you up?" he asked.

"I never said I was going," she smiled up at him. "Give me your card and I'll think about it."

"Do you have a phone?" he asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Give it to me and I'll put my number in," he said.

She got in her purse and he punched in his number and saved it. "Please don't forget," he said. "I'll be waiting."

"Don't push me," she said. "Friends don't push their friends."

"You're right," he said. "I'm sorry, but friends hang out, too."

She laughed and touched his cheek. Her little fingers left a trail of fire across his cheek and she got in her truck and drove away. Carrie was very unsettled by their encounter. She liked Tony, but she had friends and she was very cautious about making new ones. She didn't feel comfortable going to dinner with him and she buried her thoughts in her busy life.

She continued on her way to the grocery store, and almost turned around when she saw the Rawlins boys hanging out by the front door. She ignored their leers and grabbed a cart to do her shopping. She didn't look, but she could feel them watching her as she shopped.

When she pushed her cart filled with shopping bags to her truck, Zack and Zeke Rawlins 'God,' she thought, 'Couldn't they come up with anything more redneck to name their evil spawn?' confronted her.

"Hey," said one, she could never tell them apart, and couldn't care less, "You're not bad for an old bitch, why don't you ever want to play with us?"

She couldn't help laughing in their ugly faces. "I'm not a bitch," she said, "I'm THE bitch, that's Ms. Bitch to you. Why don't you just crawl back into your hole?"

Zack got pissed off and grabbed her left arm, "Listen, you old bag, you should be grateful we want to play with your old pussy!"

Carrie kept her cool. "If you don't want to lose that arm, I suggest you let go of mine," she said.

Zeke grabbed her other arm. "Just what do you think you can do about it," he snarled.

Carrie just grinned. "Oh, little ole me? Oh, I'm not going to do anything."

The two assholes just grinned.

"Gabe, protect!" she said. There was a blur of black fur and teeth as Gabe leaped out of the truck and sank his teeth into Zeke's butt. Zeke shrieked in pain, dropping her arm, flailing at the monster attacking him.

While Zack was watching what was happening to his brother, Carrie reached under her dress, pulled out her pistol and stuck it in his face,

"If you want to remain upright, I suggest that you release my arm," she said.

Zack immediately let go and backed off, putting both hands up in the air.

"We dint mean nuthin," he said, "We's jest havin' sum fun!"

"Well, it wasn't much fun for me," she said, rubbing her arms where they had grabbed her. "Gabe, release." He reluctantly released Zeke, but sat beside Carrie, ready to spring into action if his owner was threatened again.

Just then, the police finally arrived, and Zeke and Zack were falling all over themselves, trying to claim that Gabe attacked them and that Carrie pulled a gun on them.

Fortunately, all the bystanders who did nothing while Carrie was being accosted came forward with the real story, and Zeke and Zack were hauled off to jail. The cop gave Carrie his card and told her she would be contacted to see if wanted to press charges.

She thanked him, told him she would think about it, loaded Gabe and her groceries into the truck and headed for home.

Her friend Gloria called her about a week later. They were neighbors, and Gloria invited her to a barbecue at her house. She liked Gloria and her husband Sam a lot. Most of the neighbors, hopefully excluding the Rawlinses, would be there. Gloria teased her.

"Are you bringing a date, Carrie?"

Carrie was a little annoyed, but she was used to Gloria trying to set her up with someone. "I might, so don't invite some dreadful man to be my dinner companion," She said. "I actually have someone in mind. What should I bring?"

"We're roasting a pig, so if you would bring some of that delicious potato salad you make and some sweet tea, that would be nice," Gloria told her.

Carrie looked at her phone for a long time, ambivalent about what she was about to do. She scrolled down a little in her contacts and called Tony.

He answered on the third ring and she almost hung up. She hadn't said anything after he said hello and he finally said, "Carrie?"

She gasped. "How did you know it was me?"

"I was hoping you'd call and I don't know anyone else who might call and then change her mind about whether or not to talk to me," he said. "Besides, your number wasn't one I knew, but I knew it was from Fair Grove. I'm glad you called. Are you ready to go to dinner with me?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you might want to go to dinner with me," she giggled. "My neighbor is having a barbecue and I need an escort. Do you know anyone who might volunteer?"

"I'll bet you could get your admirer from the convenience store," he laughed. That made her giggle again and he loved the sound of that cute little laugh. "I'd love to come. Can I bring anything?"

"I don't know, maybe some beer or something?" she said. "I'm bringing enough for you and me and about ten other neighbors. I really don't think Gloria needs much. I'm sure the ladies will bring plenty."

"I'm not a freeloader," he said. "I'll figure something out. Am I picking you up?"

"I think you should come here and ride with me," she said. "I kind of live in the country and so do Gloria and Sam. My house has a 911 address but theirs doesn't. The county line is between me and them, but you can use your GPS to get to my house."

She gave him her address and he told her he was really glad she called. She realized that she was glad, too, after she ended the call. She was kind of excited. She heard a splashing sound coming from the bathroom. When she looked, Gabe was drinking out of the stool.

"No, naughty dog! That's disgusting," she scolded him. He tried to slink away sheepishly but she caught him and wiped his mouth. "You have perfectly good water in the kitchen," she said sternly. "Why do you insist on drinking out of the toilet?" She pointed at his cage and stomped her little foot. The 140-pound beast slunk away to his cage and looked up at her with sad eyes. "That isn't going to work," she told him. "Stay there until you can learn some manners."

She soon forgave him and he curled up on her feet while she was doing a drawing. Carrie loved to draw with pencils and she tried to spend some time every day doing that. She was drawing a portrait today. Her little neighbor girl, Samantha, was sick and she wanted to cheer her up. Sam had Hodgkin's disease and she planned to visit her when she was in the hospital this weekend for treatment and give her the picture and a nice new purse. Her iPod was playing a new album by Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, and she was singing along with "Cecilia and the Satellite." She felt her phone vibrate and she had a new text. It was from Tony and it said he was looking forward to the barbecue. He sent her a cute little emoji that made her smile.

She made a huge bowl of potato salad and a large pitcher of sweet tea. She decided at the last minute to make chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies and the last of them were still in the oven when she saw Tony's car pull into the driveway. She was a little flustered that she had on an apron over her yellow sundress and there was a smudge of flour on her cheek when she answered the door. Tony thought she looked adorable and he dusted the flour off when he came in. She blushed furiously and took him into the kitchen. She got her oven mitts and got the last sheet of cookies out. Gabe was very interested and he and Tony waited expectantly as she put the cookies in the container. She looked at them and their expressions were identical begging looks. She laughed.

"Oh, okay; just one then."

Tony grinned ruefully and took a cookie, giving one to Gabe, too. Gabe gulped it down almost without chewing and Tony ate his a little more decorously. He helped her carry her things to the truck and brought a cooler and two large boxes, putting the cooler in the back.

"What's in the boxes?" she asked him.

"I made cupcakes," he said.

Carrie was impressed. "Thank you, Tony."

"Got to pull my weight," he smiled. He lowered the tailgate for Gabe and they drove the two miles to Gloria's house.

Sam had four picnic tables set up and they carried their food to the appropriate tables. Carrie introduced Tony around and he became a big hit with the men when it was revealed that the cooler was full of Miller ponies. Gloria was unmerciful and teased Carrie relentlessly about the "gorgeous man" she had brought. The guys rescued the pig from the smoker and they were ready to eat. Carrie went through the line with Tony and they sat side by side while they ate. They played croquet and board games all afternoon and Carrie was very pleased with her companion. He was polite and attentive and he made her laugh. He thought it was hilarious when Gabe carried his croquet ball off, and Carrie was a little jealous when Gabe lay on his feet most of the time they were sitting down. They ate leftovers for supper and she was a little sad when it was time to go.

She was quiet on the ride back to her house, but he kept up a lively banter. When she pulled up, he asked her if there was anything wrong.

She smiled. "No, it was a perfect day," she said. "I had a lot of fun, Tony. Thanks for coming with me."

"I did, too," he said. "Most of it was because I was with you. You're a special lady, Carrie. Do you trust me enough to go to dinner with me by ourselves now?"

She blushed and laughed. "No, but Gabe does. He's a pretty good judge of character."

"Can we go Sunday?" he asked.

"No, I'm going to the hospital Sunday," she said.

"Are you sick?" she could sense the concern in his voice.

"No, but my little neighbor girl is, and I always try to visit her when she's in the hospital."

"What's wrong with her?" he asked.

"She has cancer and she's the sweetest little thing. She's six, and she's starting to lose her hair. She's pretty sad about that."

"Can I go with you?" he asked.

Carrie was surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," he said. "When should we go?"

"I want to take her parents lunch," she said. "I was going to make spaghetti and garlic bread with a salad."

"I'll bring the salad," he said. "What hospital will she be in?"

It turned out to be in Oak Lawn where he lived, about twenty minutes away from Carrie's house, and they arranged for her to come to his house and he would drive them from there.

He came around and opened her door. She let Gabe out and they carried her things in the house. She offered him a drink, but he declined, saying that he was driving, and she walked him to his car. He seemed to pause for a minute before he got in. He seemed undecided about something and she watched.

"Oh, hell," he said. "I'm going to do it."

Carrie was surprised when he pulled her to him and kissed her. She went rigid for a minute and then let herself relax in his arms. It felt really nice and she felt her nipples stiffen. He let her go and she staggered a little. He steadied her and grinned. "I've been wanting to do that all day," he said. "You're just too cute to resist, Carrie. I hope I didn't scare you off."

She felt her cheeks flaming and her hand went to her mouth. "No, I... I... Gabe! Why didn't you protect me?" she accused him.

He looked sheepishly from one face to the other.

Tony laughed. "He knows I'll never hurt you, Carrie. I'm looking forward to Sunday."

He drove away, leaving a very confused Carrie standing in her driveway. She patted Gabe and they went in the house. She decided to take a long bath. A glass of wine sounded good so she put Blackfoot's "Strike" album on her iPod, took her glass of wine and settled into her bubbles. She felt very good. It had been a great day and she tried to sort through her feelings about Tony. He was a very unusual experience to her. He had kissed her, for one thing, and she had liked it. She felt like she was getting turned on. That hadn't happened in a while. She had never slept with Jeff and he had never made her feel this way. She wasn't promiscuous, but she had really enjoyed sex with Eric. She remembered that for the first five years they were married they had never missed a day without doing it at least once. The only reason their streak had been broken was because David was born. Having a newborn had slowed them down a little. David had been very fussy for the first three months and she had been so tired that she slept whenever he did.

Once they had figured out how to keep him asleep, they started a new streak. They had slowed down again when Eric got sick the first time, and while he was in remission, they had tried to make up for lost time. When he passed, she totally lost any drive for sex and really didn't even think about it that much. That kiss today had triggered something though. She felt as if her breasts were swollen and her nipples were hard. She pinched them and it felt very good. She had always been very sensitive to any kind of touch and she slid her fingers down and touched herself. The oil in her bathwater made her very slippery and she dipped a finger in. Now she was very excited and a moan escaped her lips. She was almost on the point of climax and when she moaned louder, Gabe raised his head to look at her.

She was immediately very embarrassed and pulled her fingers away. She laughed to herself. "He's a dog," she giggled. "He has no idea what I'm doing."

"It's okay, good doggy," she said.

He dropped his head back to the floor and Carrie thought about making herself climax. The mood was gone, so she got out of the tub and dried herself off. She made the spaghetti and the garlic bread, put them in containers to take to the hospital the next day before she went to bed. She had good dreams and she felt very cheerful the next day. She had a really cute little Valletta striped jersey tank dress from Revolver she had never worn and she got it out. When she put it on, she felt very pretty, so she found a little pink clutch and some white rope sandals that tied up her calves. She took Gabe out to stay with Ralf and Polly and got her car out of the garage. The food was placed flat in the trunk and she got a diet Mountain Dew to take with her.