Chapter 168: Meeting Jim and Bud
"Penny for your thoughts?" I asked.
He dropped his gaze to the worn concrete floor while he composed his thoughts. "I was thinking how much I'm going to miss you," he said.
"What?" I said, confused. "When?"
"As soon as you are out of my sight."
That was another comment for which I had no comeback. I slid down the bench and swung my legs over his and hopped onto his lap. I leaned against him and he put his arms around me. I nuzzled his chest and when I turned my face up to his, he kissed me. It was one of the most tender, loving kisses I had ever received. It wasn't overtly sexual. It wasn't a prelude to something or the start of a make-out session. The only other person who had ever kissed me like that was Bambi. When it was over, I opened my eyes and saw Steve staring deeply into them. If the eyes are the window to the soul, then that must have been what he was looking for, because he was looking way past my baby-blues.
It started making me self-conscious and I jumped down off his lap.
"When will I see you again?" He asked. He sounded worried that I might disappear on him.
"I guess it will be tomorrow. I'll see you at lunch. If you don't mind me and my sexy outfit in the weight room."
"OK. Tomorrow, then. When do you think we can..." He trailed off, but he was clear enough. I had been wondering the same thing. Today had been awesome, for a lot of reasons. We both wanted to do it again just as soon as possible.
"As soon as possible," I said. "But I have commitments for this weekend. I have made promises and I will not break my word."
"I can understand that. I respect that."
Somehow his use of the 'R' word made me happier than anything else he could possibly have said. And it hadn't been something I had manipulated him into, or coerced out of him. It had been over something true and honest. I blinked back tears and we started to leave.
At the entrance to the locker room there was a folding yellow sign blocking the way. It said, "Caution: Caustic Chemicals in Use, Do Not Enter". It was the sign the janitor used when he was disinfecting the locker room floor. But there was no sign of the janitor. Someone had set out the sign to make sure Steve and I were not disturbed. It was almost certainly the same person who had seen us in the shower.
I didn't have long to wonder about it. When we walked out of the building into the bright daylight, the mystery was solved. Jim was sitting on a broad balustrade flanking the entrance to the building. He was trying to look casual, but I knew he hadn't been there for very long.
"Hi, Jim!" I said.
"Hey, Sam. Hi, Steve."
Steve returned to his gentlemanly ways. He held out his hand to Jim and they shook. Neither tried to break the other's hand or anything foolish, so I was relieved. I hadn't been sure Steve had grasped my explanation of my relationship with Jim and I didn't want to have to break up any hormonal displays of who the bigger ape was in the tribe. Jim would either get his head handed to him, or I would have to kick some Wojeski butt. Neither outcome appealed to me.
Either Steve had one of those flashes of insight that happen to every one once in a blue moon, or I owed him an apology for thinking he wasn't as smart as he really was, because he said to Jim, "So, you must be the one who put out the sign. Thanks."
"No problemo." Jim said, dismissing Steve's gratitude with a wave of his hand.
"So what are you doing here, Jim?" I asked.
"Well," he said, "Bud and Jolene went over to watch baseball practice, and Neeka went to work, so I thought I'd hang out in case you needed anything."
"That was certainly thoughtful of you," I said. "How did you know where we were?"
"Neeka told me before she left. You know sometimes she seems almost psychic."
He either already knew, and was putting me on, or he was just putting 2 and 2 together. He already knew enough to be able to deduce the owner of any unusual abilities around that turned up.
"Neeka Morgan?" Steve asked. No one had given him a cast list, so he couldn't be blamed for coming in late with the information.
"Yes," I said. "Neeka is my best friend. The one Jim is seeing."
"Man, she's one of the hottest chicks in the Senior class! You lucky SOB!" Steve said to Jim.
His appraisal of Neeka wasn't news to either Jim or me, but it's always nice to have someone agree with your opinion. Jim grinned at Steve's heartfelt comment.
I thought it would be best if I got Jim and Steve separated before Steve started asking too many questions about how helpful Jim had been, or why.
"Steve? If you have time, I'd like to go over and watch practice with Bud and Jolene."
"Sure! Jim? You going to come along?" Steve asked.
I jumped in before Jim could answer. "Jim, isn't Mom home by herself with the workmen? Don't you think it would be a good idea for you to keep her company with all those strange men in the house?"
"Uh. Yeah, Sam. That's a very good idea. I'm sure she would like me to sit with her. That's very considerate of you to think of that."
Jim and I were talking way over Steve's head, and doing a poor job of it, but Jim needed something to do besides spying on me and wishing he were with Neeka. Bambi was due some attention from someone for all the work she had been doing lately, and Jim was just the person she needed it from. Maybe a regression to infancy would relax him.
Steve and I walked the few blocks to the park where baseball practice was held. Unlike the football stadium and practice field, which were in the same block, and basketball, which was played in the gym; baseball at our school got second-class treatment. The team had to practice on one of the three diamonds over at the municipal park. These were poor facilities at best. The wire backstops all shared the same supports. There were no dugouts, only concrete benches on each side of the infield. Earthen embankments separated the fields. There were no bleachers, so spectators had to sit on the ground to watch.
We had no trouble finding Bud and Jolene. They were lying in the grass above third base. They were so absorbed in each other that neither looked up until Steve's shadow fell over them as he blocked out the sun.
"Hi, Bud! Hey, Jolene!" I said as they squinted up into the bright halo of light behind us.
"Hi, Sam," Jolene said. She sounded relieved. She and Bud were sitting well away from the rest of the sparse crowd. They had obviously been testing her limits and she was looking a little stressed. I looked around the grassy bank. The only other spectators on this side of the field were a few baseball-moms sitting closer to home plate. There were more people on the first-base side since it was closest to the parking lot. The situation was a very loose interpretation of 'in public' and a far cry from the crowded park they had gone to before. No wonder Jolene was stressed.
I wondered where Janice was now that Bud and Jolene were hanging out together so much. I started to ask, but I decided it could wait until Saturday. There was no reason to make Jolene any more uncomfortable.
Looking at Jolene and Bud, I realized that the party Saturday was likely going to include Bud. If he and Jolene paired off, I might need another guest to even things out. I suddenly remembered that I hadn't called Connie Falducci since she slipped me her phone number.
Returning to the introductions, I said, "Jolene you remember Steve, of course?"
Jolene smiled and blushed very prettily. "I sure do. Do you need your shirt back anytime soon, Steve?"
"No, you can keep it if you'd like to."
"Thank you, but my mom washed it, so most of the sentimental value is gone. I'll get it back to you. I'm just sorry I won the consolation prize," she added, with a sidelong glance at me.
"From my point of view, you were all winners," Steve said magnanimously.
"How gallant!" I said.
"I think I came in late on this," Bud said. "What are we talking about?"
"Jolene didn't tell you?" I said.
"No."
"It just never came up," Jolene said.
There was a long pause during which no explanation was forthcoming. I waited for Jolene. Jolene waited for me. Steve tried to look innocent. Bud looked around at each of us, becoming more curious by the second.
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