Whoosh, Bang! Ch. 02

"We don't have to do this again," she suggested quietly; when he didn't reply, adding:

"You don't have to invite me back, ... I can disappear this morning."

"I don't want that, ... if only to tell you how I survived church."

"I'll be curious."

"You'll stay?"

"Of course. ... I want to."

"Even if I decide to change my mind?"

"Like about minding my wanting to go topless?"

"Not if that were all you wanted."

"I don't know. ... Would we have to start there all over again?"

"I don't think that would work. We talked about that yesterday: the big balloon."

"Um-hmm, and some saying about having once been there, not being able not to return."

"Um-hmm. That wouldn't work. We want to ..., would want to."

"Um-hmm. ... So we have to settle it now, ... or after church. ... Geez! I hope the sermon isn't about ..., is about racial relations or the third world or something."

"Me too. ... Are we finished? I've got to shave."

"I noticed, ... last night, too."

"Sorry. Next time, I'll remember."

"Next time?"

"Oh! I guess so, ... if I said that, ... and the sermon isn't about the Sixth Commandment."

"I hope not!"

"Me too. ... Does he post the sermon topic in one of those glass-front boards most of the churches here seem to have?"

"You mean, I should ...? That would be cheating, besides our church is too upmarket to advertise like that."

"We're going to leave it up to him?"

"And hope he talks about why 'they're rioting in Africa' or why 'I don't like anybody very much,' to borrow from Peter Paul and Mary."

By now they had already started to dry themselves. They both laughed at his choice of topics, and she remarked cheerfully:

"I like the second one, maybe some reasons why it's good to like other people."

"We don't need any," he replied as he lathered his face, smiling at her in the mirror.

"Hm-umm, but maybe we'd feel better to know that we should treat everyone like brothers and sisters. No, that's going too far, ..."

"Just, like kissing cousins?" he interjected.

"Yeah, I had one once - just kissing, though, when we were fifteen, more wanting to find out what it was about."

"And did you?"

"Not really. He'd heard about French kissing, but I thought it sounded yucky: licking each other's tongues? ... Eeee! Let him put his tongue in my mouth?!"

She laughed, and he snickered with a nod, about to take another pass with his razor.

"I might have let him hold my breast, but that didn't occur to him, and I wasn't going to ask him to."

"Might have changed your mind about French kissing."

"For sure, did later. I guess it was the other way around, not so 'yucky' kissing first and then wanting him to touch me."

"Sounds normal. If boys knew what girls wanted to do ..." He took another pass.

"Who told you?"

"You just did, but someone else, when we were older than that."

He took another pass at an area that he had already shaved, and then looked at her in the mirror:

"Shit! Oh, sorry! I've got girls that age - were that age!"

"Forget it! And don't check. You promised."

"Um-hmm. Good thing I forgot about that - what she said - until now; might have become one of those fathers who lock their daughters up and then ... the worst happens."

"Um-hmm. But we know they're already beyond that. The worst won't happen, and you've accepted that they might - may - ..."

"Yeah, I guess. Anne did at their age - lucky, too. Not many marry as virgins these days - or back when."

He washed the soap off his face and splashed on some aftershave lotion, the same she had smelled the previous week and when she arrived the morning before. She raised her nose closer to his cheek and said:

"You smell good."

They smiled and returned to the bedroom and got dressed. He got out a dress shirt and suit. She was already dressed and asked what she could do in the kitchen.

"Coffee or tea, as you like."

"Coffee."

"You'll find the rest. Eggs?"

"Yes, please."

"You can stir up three to scramble - my only specialty in the kitchen. I'll season them. ... Oh, you can fry some bacon."

"Sounds good," she replied and went off

She started the coffee and set the table with what seemed to be breakfast food, and then fried the bacon she had found while she stirred the eggs with a dash of milk. He joined her with the box of cereal from the table, explaining that only the girls sometimes had cereal, approving of all else she had done, especially that she had already added milk to the eggs. He seasoned them with salt and paper and a dash of Worcestershire sauce and added a crumbled slice of the bacon. He poured the eggs in the skillet - as he called it - that she had melted butter in, and then glanced at the dining table again, and said that he would also like a glass of milk She did, too, and poured two glasses and put them on the table while he tended his eggs.

Then they had a very leisurely and enjoyable breakfast, although they didn't talk much, more just exchanging smiles. When a pause became too long, she ventured with a smile to ask:

"Worried about the sermon?"

"Um-hmm, now more than about the General Confession," and they both chuckled.

"All the others have something to confess; we all do."

"Um-hmm! Good thought; some of my customers, ... and some other stuff that goes on around town ... among the 'good parishioners'. Thanks."

He grinned at her, and she grinned back. He looked at his watch and said it wouldn't hurt if he were at church a little early: "as long as I don't meet any of those, now that I've thought about that," and smirked.

She nodded with a smile, and they quickly finished their breakfast. She said she would clean up, adding something about working at being domestic, and he chuckled and said something about that not being necessary with one of his smiles that made her respond with an appreciative "warm eyes." They chuckled. Then he was off.

But then he opened the door again and gave her the Sunday newspaper. Before he could close it again, she asked:

"When will you be back?"

"Hmm, coffee after church - eleven-thirty, maybe later."

"Not before eleven-thirty."

"Why?"

"I want to sunbathe, but want to be dressed when you come back, in case ..."

"I won't tell you. ... I'll stop listening and make up my own, ... about brotherly love, ... fraternity brothers, and their dau... - and their families."

They both snickered, almost laughing.

"I'll still be dressed, just in case."

"If need be, we can start all over."

"That would be nice, too."

He snorted with a grin and was gone again.