Garage Sale

"I've got to tell you something before you go," I said after a few minutes. She looked up at me, questioning me with her eyes, but saying nothing.

"You didn't misplace those tapes, I took them from your cassette cabinet that day," I said around a frog in my throat. "I watched them as soon as I came home, and have been lying to you ever since."

She was quiet, still snuggled up against me under the blanket and not pulling away – but I could feel the friendship that had started to develop between us slipping away like the morning fog on a sunny morning.

"Why?" she asked softly. "Why would you do that?"

I was glad to think that she thought such actions was beyond my character, but sorry to think that my confession meant we would not see each other again. I really felt like I was in love with the woman.

"I don't know, exactly," I began. "You were so attractive that morning, and I was so lonely, and I just yielded to the lust of the moment and answered my longing for you in a less than honorable way."

She was quiet again for several minutes, hurt, I am sure, by the way I had manipulated her.

"Why did you decide to tell me?" she asked thoughtfully, catching me by surprise with the question. I almost gulped, and then resolved to tell her the whole truth.

"Because by the time this weekend was over I was wanting to ask you to forget about living with your daughter in her small house, but coming out here and living with me," I said. "If things had been different – if I had acted differently – I may have even proposed marriage to you before you left."

I was quiet for a second before finishing.

"But I couldn't say those things to you knowing I had deceived you and taken advantage of you."

She rose and walked to the door, turning to speak and, I am sure, noticing that I had not followed her with my eyes as I once did.

"I am going to wash the dishes," she said, with no emotion in her voice to let me know what she was thinking. "And I would like to be alone if that is okay."

I nodded. When she was in the kitchen I slipped through the living room and den to my bedroom, dressing quickly and then returning to the porch.

A few minutes later she appeared at the door with her suitcase in her hand. I took it from her and carried it to her car, laying it in the back seat.

Before she got into the driver's seat she placed a hand on each shoulder and stood on tiptoe to kiss me, briefly, on the lips. She then stepped back and looked me directly in the eye. I was surprised to see there was no accusation or anger in her eyes, but there also was not the look of innocence I had so enjoyed. As I looked into those beautiful eyes I wondered what might have been if I had only been honest with her before. Almost as if reading my mind, she spoke.

"I am not angry with you, Cal," she said softly. "What you did is something Leo – or any other man for that matter – might have done. I am sorry that you deceived me, but you are probably right in believing that I would not have responded positively to any invitations for a relationship at this time in my life. What's done is done; I forgive you. Thank you for your honesty, and for being such a gentleman this weekend. You had me at your mercy but treated me with respect just the same. That says something about who you are."

She then slipped behind the wheel of the Taurus, waved briefly and drove out of my life.

I watched the car until it was out of sight and then returned to the porch swing, picking up the blanket and burying my face in it, smelling her on it and promising myself I would never wash it again, but keep it around until I could no longer smell her.

After walking around the property for several hours I finally went back inside, wishing I did not have to, because it would be filled with recent memories of wonderful moments – and lost hope.

I looked in the bedroom where she had neatly made the bed and straightened every thing. I walked through the kitchen which she had cleaned spotlessly, even after I had betrayed her. Finally I sat on the couch where I had first kissed her and held her.

My eyes were suddenly caught by something that was out of place. I looked carefully at the TV table and saw a stack of black video tapes placed carefully atop the cassette cabinet.

Trembling, I walked to the cabinet and picked them up – six in all, each one with a new label made out of notebook paper carefully taped over the spine: Sarah Flashing; Sarah Stripping; Sarah and Leo, Part 1; Sarah and Leo, Part II; Sarah and Richard; and, finally, Sarah and Cal. Taped to the front of the last video was a note in neat, feminine handwriting.

"I leave these for you, because I now know I can trust you. If your offer still stands, it would be my pleasure to help fill up this last tape before we grow too old and unattractive. Thank you for a wonderful weekend."

The note was signed, "Love, Sarah."

I looked at my watch. She has been home for a couple of hours already, I thought. I hope she doesn't think I don't want her.

I found her number and picked up the phone, dialing so fast I missed on the first attempt and had to redial.

She picked up the phone before the first ring was completed.