The Rarest Treasure

"Sorry, Zooey... I want to think clearly and do this right. For the dedication, it's not your call to make, sweetie... I mean it and it's done."

"But people will read this..."

"Trust me on this: you are not the girlfriend of a best-selling writer. Not that many people will read this!" His smile had returned.

"Am I still your girlfriend?"

"Of course you are!!! Zooey... what's the matter? You sound really shaken up... just WHAT did happen in your life these last weeks?"

He heard her take two deep breaths. "OK... I've been working on this audio project..."

"I was unaware of that, until I read that article on Monday."

"Yea... I wanted it to be a surprise for you and you were up North..." Lawrence hummed in agreement, spurring her to continue. "I'm following up on your idea and making soundtrack music... can I try to save some of the surprise?"

"Sure thing... so, what happened?"

"I'm in way over my head: I play everything, I sing, I produce. The sound engineers are saints to put up with me. And... I had to bang on the table to get this project a go, but I need to get it done in time for the Christmas market."

"So... it's not going well?"

"Not really... and I'm super-stressed... and... and..."

(Come on, Zooey... get to the good stuff...) "Yesss?"

"It was the anniversary of pot becoming legal, two weeks ago..." Lawrence guffawed in surprise.

"So THAT's what it's all about? Weed?"

"Not just weed, baby... a lot of it... you know me: when I try something..."

"You go all the way, right... so, how bad is it?"

"Well... we work almost through the night... then the team has been having afterhours parties..." Lawrence could now sense her fear to continue.

"Go on, please..."

"It's not that simple... I've been so down lately... it's been more than six months, baby!!! And... huh... I'm a sad drunk; I found out that weed is no different... maybe even worse... so I get high, I relax, I enjoy the buzz and cry out my loneliness in front of everybody..." another pause in fright.

"Sooo..."

"People might have got the wrong idea... I'm so sorry, baby!!!" All of a sudden, the worst-case scenario became a possibility again and Lawrence took a deep breath.

"Zooey... what are you saying? Did you hook up? Or were you molested?"

"Nooo... but there might have been some flirting... there was definitely some repelling of unwanted advances. I even remember singing your praises, stud..." Lawrence could guess her embarrassed smile.

"And, through all of this, the beans were spilled, correct?"

"I figure... pretty much... yeaaa..."

"So, to sum it all up, you did a perfectly legal act, in a mood that's perfectly understandable and behaved in a loose yet honorable fashion... and that's why I should strike you from my thesis?"

He heard Zooey giggle; that made Lawrence feel giddy. "Well... when you say it like that..."

"Is there another facet of the situation I'm not getting?"

"Well, according to mom, I'm spiraling out of control... and she might be right. Also, would you believe this whole mess got me a message from DAD! My two brothers, too... for the first time in almost fifteen years!!! I'm a mess, baby... every second of the day, I freak out... I'm ashamed to say it... but lately, I need the weed just to settle me down and function..."

"How about the PR disaster you feared when we first talked about your transition?"

"Mom's on top of that... bless her soul... and XXI Century Montreal seems to take the news in stride. There are always trolls and ignorant dolts screaming freak or pedophile, of course... but mom shields me from most of it."

"Do you need me to turn around and head back to your place?"

"I don't even know why you're going away again... your thesis is finished, now... I thought you were leaving me, baby!!!"

(Crap!!!)

"Then that's my bad and I'm sorry. I'll make this quick. I still need to do field work for our private claims... you know, the ones I bought with dad. There are legal time limits to these rights and I have to get this done. Also, I'm considering an exit strategy, but all talks about the results and the possible sale of the claims are quashed under confidentiality clauses, and dad takes those very seriously. The other reality is that my research grants are all used up so, now, my job is more than a sideline, it's my main revenue..."

"So go... I understand..."

"No... just let me talk to Vince and I'll turn around... if your mom is OK with having me around for a few days, of course..."

Zooey chuckled. "You're kidding, right? The woman worships the ground you walk on..."

"Perfect... I'm on my way..."

"Larry... whyyy?"

"Which hypothesis you want first: Corinthians or Genesis?"

"Huh?"

"1 Corinthians, babe... in the Bible. You know the passage: Love is patient, love is kind, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs, it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Now, I'm pretty sure I forgot a bunch of snippets, but there it is..."

"So?"

"Zooey, do you still love me?"

"Of course, baby... to die for... but I feel so bad..."

"Well, that doesn't matter... I love you, Zooey Nummi, and you were forgiven the second you began your call with I'm sorry. And, you know what? Even if you HAD done horrible deeds, I would probably fall in love all over again the second I see you. Which brings me to the Genesis part of my wacky theory."

"What is it?" Zooey was breathing deeply, filling herself with hope at every breath.

"You told me that Duchess was your anthem, I never got to tell you which song was mine..."

"You're listening to Genesis now?"

"Of course! I hunger for everything about you. I have almost 12 hours of their music in my music library. Well, my anthem is Afterglow. Go listen to it, Zooey... baby, you struck my life like a falling meteor. Everything I once held dear... it's all gone. Everything is new, and everything worth living for is now about you. When the song says I give to you my soul, I always have a shiver all along my spine."

"Really?"

"Yes... and I think you need me near you right now, so I'm coming and that's the end of it."

"Yes, dear... and thank you."

---

"So... once again, it's you and me standing in your garage..." both were trying to place words while remaining lip-locked.

"True... but I'm not afraid of you leaving, this time. Thank you, baby, so very much. It may not seem like much to you... but you have saved my life one more time." Zooey was earnest and Lawrence would not risk spoiling this moment with an argument or banter, besides he was very comfortable kissing her, just as he had kissed her repeatedly for the last three days: soothing kisses of healing and pure love. "So... we meet again at Christmas?"

"Yes... I'll pick you up in the morning and then we all drive to Beaconsfield for the day. And I'll clean the Sub."

"Make sure you thank again your parents for this; I'm pretty sure I saw mom shed a tear of joy when you confirmed this family gathering."

"It'll be my pleasure, darling; make sure you two don't cheat for the gift exchange budget!"

"Really?"

"Yes... family tradition has it set at 20$ since forever... so we all know we can spend about 30... inflation."

"I'm getting a little nervous about this... will your parents like me? Considering... you know..."

"They will adore you, baby. And whatever question you think might come up, it has been answered on Tuesday... guaranteed."

"Poor baby... I'm so sorry... I keep putting you through the wringer and you always come back charging to my rescue."

"That's the story of my brand-new superhero life... now, if I don't want to fall asleep on my night shift, I really should be heading out..."

Zooey's eyes lit up. "You're not inviting me in the car?" She did not wait for his answer. She was caressing his stiffening crotch with one hand and opening the back door with the other.

"Youuu... will be the death of me..."

"Then I better make sure you die happy... get in..."

Lawrence sat in the middle of the backseat and Zooey quietly straddled him. She picked his hand and made sure he understood that she was not wearing any panties; in fact, her vulva was already coated with lubricant.

Lawrence gasped in amazement. "Zooey..."

"Baby, did you really think I that would just let you shower me with tender loving care, for three days straight, without me reminding you that I'm your ultimate sex machine?" She was unbuckling his belt and setting his dick free; it was already moist and granite-stiff. "I have missed this, baby... it's a shame we don't have time for preliminaries."

"Huuhhh..." Lawrence was already overwhelmed and barely coherent.

Zooey aligned his glans and, when she was ready, speared herself on his cock in one swift drop. Her hands tightened their grip on his shoulders, she bit his neck with months of denied want and moaned savagely. Lawrence could not cope with such passion and he screamed his pleasure out loud; Zooey giggled in her bite, pleased to no end by the magical charm she has on her hero.

Lawrence was, in the truest sense, a boy-toy. Zooey was impaling herself on his hardness with wild abandon and was playing a powerful solo with her sexual instrument. Now satisfied that her lover was branded until Christmas, she moved her hands to take control of Lawrence's head and kissed him loudly; her tongue was already deep inside his mouth and caressing all the flesh it could reach.

There was no restraint in their tryst; it was all about intensity. Zooey wanted them to cum on overdrive. And her moan now wavered to the pulsating beat of her lovemaking. Gone was the fragility of their first date: Zooey was fearless in her thrusts and adoring every jolt of bliss she got out of them.

Then came the crescendo of moans, an orgasmic discussion inside their kiss, both always higher in pitch, higher in volume, and Zooey was somehow cranking up the power of her gravity-assisted pistoning.

As fate would have it, they came on the exact same moment. With a shared hiss inside their kiss, Zooey shook with spasms on top of a cannon and Lawrence, who had grabbed her shoulders, pulled her down on his erupting cock, with all his strength.

When the climax subsided, both of them kept on kissing as if it was now the only available connection to channel their desire for each other. When Zooey realized that his oozing semen would stain the seat, she giggled and finally ended the kiss, got up from his spent geyser and quietly got out of the car.

After promptly setting her dress appropriately, Zooey waved the love of her life goodbye. Lawrence's face was deep purple and, after he buckled back his pants, he could not resist a final kiss, a soft peck of her lips, as he walked by Zooey to get into the driver's seat.

"I love you, baby..."

"I love you, honey... call me as soon as you've arrived."

After Lawrence left and as soon as she made it back to her room, for a nap before her return to the recording studio, Zooey began playing Afterglow on repeat - she chose the live version from the Seconds Out album.

---

It was a cold but beautiful evening on December 1st. Zooey was painting, in her studio, when she heard his ringtone. As usual, she dropped everything and rushed to pick up her phone.

"Hey, baby... what's shaking?"

"Good evening, gorgeous... as it stands, I am listening to a brand new CD I just HAD to buy, while going to work."

Zooey tried in vain to overhear the music. "Really? Is it any good? I can't hear it from here..."

"Good? Zooey, you ARE FANNNTASTIC!!!"

"Me... you mean, my album is out?"

"Yup... the launch was today... you didn't know?"

"No, baby... I dumped the merchandizing on mom's lap the second I could walk out of that project. And I'm pretty much living in my studio these days..."

"I see... are you writing?"

"Nope; painting... and it's been ages, so I'm just doing brushstroke studies for now... to be ready for the real thing."

"Should I warn museums to get ready for a new visual masterpiece?"

"Flatterer... seriously now, you really like the album?"

Lawrence was ogling at the CD sleeve; it showcased Zooey wearing a very skimpy golden Lycra bikini, styling her fingers into a gun shape and blowing at them. The title was austere and printed on the top left corner:

GUILTY PLEASURES - Zooey Zephyr Sings & Plays For Grownups

"Are you kidding? I'm floored by every piece; I take in all the musical layers, and I wonder about the arrangements, the scale changes... you must have worked SO HARD!"

Zooey had a tender chuckle. "You would know better than most, baby..."

"Well, I think it will be a crowning success; congratulations... you have dazzled me again."

"You're too kind... and the one person I really hoped to impress with this. Tell me: what are your favorite pieces?"

"Mmmm... tough call. My favorite instrumental, that's easy: it's your rendition of Kara meets Bond - your flute sound turns me to jelly. My favorite song, that's harder: I'm torn between Diamonds are Forever and We Have All the Time in the World - one on keyboards and one on guitar. But the entire album is amazing!!!"

"Thank you... I suppose I ought to get out of here and ask mom about any official reaction or critics; and thank her again for all her hard work."

"That's my girl!!!"

"Do you want me to call you later?"

"Naaa... don't waste your inspiration, baby... call me when you're done or on a real break." Zooey was miming Thank You.

"All right then... thank you for calling, baby. I love you... have a good niiiight."

---

"8, 9, 10... B&O again!?!" Zooey was loudly and mockingly protesting another 200$ rent payment due to her mother. She looked absolutely festive in her green elf-style dress and her hair styled in a Dutch braid. She was also wearing the scarf she had just received for Christmas and obviously enjoying very much this Monopoly afternoon, despite being close to bankruptcy.

"You know what they say, darling girl... no money, no candy; on that subject, Deborah I wish to thank you again for the turkey and cranberry sauce, it was glorious. I do not recall having ever eaten so much!"

"Why, Ailin, it was my pleasure... and the least I could do for all the time you have fed my Lawrence as of late; quite ably, I was told." Lawrence hummed in agreement.

Lawrence was soaking in all this family revelry and overjoyed at the triumph that this Christmas Day was turning out to be. "Is it just me, or is Ailin exhibiting a fiendish glee from taking her daughter to the cleaners?"

"Lawrence! How can you say that? It must... just be karma..." Ailin could not hide her wicked smile and Zooey was laughing out loud.

"Well, I have just placed a fourth house on Boardwalk... if you want to see fiendish, son, just come on over..."

"Dream on, dad... every time you wish my Monopoly demise, you end up bankrupting mom instead!"

"INDEED!" Deborah was pouting and showing to everybody the Take a Walk on the Boardwalk chance card she had just drawn. Theodore Linney blushed deep red under of thunder of family laughter. It took less than a minute for Deborah to confirm her bankruptcy, marking the end of the game under Linney tradition.

Deborah was aware of the passing time and seeking to stretch this family afternoon. "Lawrence, do we have time for a game of Life before you have to leave?"

"I can stay longer, mom, but you should get out the cards or Settlers of Catan; my amazingly beautiful girlfriend and I are about to take Lester out for a walk." The family dog, upon hearing his name and his favorite word, instantly sprung to life and was nervously running all around the atrium closet, where the leash was stored.

"Really? You know, there is plenty of mistletoe in the house if you want to kiss her..."

"And if I want to do more than kissing? I mean, mom, just look at her!" Deborah gasped and was without reply. Zooey blushed while putting on her winter coat.

Shortly after, the young couple was arm-in-arm and walking, along Stonehenge drive, with a Dachshund that was almost as happy as they were.

"This is such a perfect Christmas, baby... thank you all so much. I haven't seen mom this happy in years."

"You're very welcome, dear. And I will forward your thanks to my parents. I hope this is the first of many, many beautiful Christmases." Lester the dog stopped to sniff around in the snow. Lawrence instantly kissed his beloved. "I love you, baby."

"Mmmm... I love you too, sweetheart. Did you mean it when you said you could stay longer?"

"Yes. The weather is clear, so I'm not worried about night driving on highway 50. I just need some shuteye before my Boxing day shift."

"That makes me very happy. For me and your mom. And when is Ted joining you?"

"Dad is coming right after new year's day, for a couple of days..."

"And then it's aaaalll over... I can't believe it..."

"Well, let's not spend the check before it's cashed, but yes... my lease expires on January 31st, Vince already has my letter of resignation... and... huh... when you return from your birthday trip, I would very much like to talk about the logistics of forever with you. If you want, of course..."

Another pause. Another kiss, followed by the scooping of dog poop. Zooey seemed lost in thought.

"Are you OK, baby? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, NOOO! Believe me, I just can't wait to have that talk... I would start right now, even!" There was such hope in her eyes that Lawrence felt a twinge in his heart.

"Reallyyy? All, right, then, you start..."

Zooey guffawed in surprise. "You... are always so fearless, how do you do that?"

"It's not that I'm fearless... it's that any risk is worthy of such a reward."

"And I am in love with a silver-tongued devil!" She dusted his nose with her snowy mitten. "So, would you live at my place?"

"Of course... it's very cozy and obviously large enough..."

"But... what about mom?"

"What about Ailin?"

"Could she..."

"Stay? What kind of an ogre do you take me for? Of course she will stay! She's family! Besides, it gives me somebody to talk about mundane stuff when creativity takes hold of you..."

Zooey cringed. "Is it that bad?"

"Well... yes and no. I will never be able to share your drive to create. But I love you and I also love that part of you. So I seek to understand it, my way: with research. As a matter of fact, I'm reading Toller Cranston's biography these days. I will always be there for you, Zooey... even if it means, once in a while, NOT being there."

She kissed him, a huge smudge on the cheek so hard that Lawrence thought that she wanted to freeze her lips on him. "You are just too good to be true... I am so lucky..."

"You and me both, baby... well, we are almost back home... anything else that cannot wait?"

"Huh... no... no, we're all good, as always..."

"Perfect. Lester, sit!" The dog obeyed, perplexed. "I have only a couple of minutes before his belly freezes on that icy snow. Here, baby, I got you a little something. Merry Christmas." Lawrence placed a clumsily wrapped small box in Zooey's hand.

"Lawrence Linney!!! You said..."

"Hey, whoever gave you the monopoly on cheating days, huh? Besides, it's no big deal. I just hope you like it."

Zooey had to take off her mittens and open the package in the semi-darkness of the street; both were impatient.

"Larry... this... is magnificent..." Zooey was holding a bracelet; it was an assembly of sliced rock wafers, translucent and shiny, with several colored hues permeating through their nacreous white. She placed it on her wrist and it was a perfect fit.

Lawrence was beaming with pride. "Really? I'm so glad! I always see you with choker necklaces and beautiful dresses, but never with a bracelet or a watch, so I took a chance... now, the geology jeweler I hired assures me that the mounting is very high quality surgical steel, so you can always keep it on if you want..."