Fools "Rush" In

Chapter 12 - Let's Get Personal

Norman heaved himself out of the bed with a sigh. He grabbed his cigarettes and a beer from the small fridge and went out to the front porch. The night was cool and the sky clear and the sounds of the tree frogs filled the air. The whole thing reminded him of his childhood when he and some of his buddies would sleep out in a tent in the backyard. He rocked in the chair and smiled at the memory. As he felt himself relax and get that heavy-limbed feeling, he heard something from the cabin next door. He focused a little harder and realized it was the slow and soulful sound of a harmonica. It took a few stanzas, but he soon realized the song was "Feels like Rain".

Feeling curious, Norman found himself walking across the yard to get a better listen. As he walked past a window he was stopped short at the sight within. Elaina was standing in the center of a small living room swaying slightly while holding a slim harmonica to her mouth. Her long, loose curls swung across her back. In the glow of the single lamp, her hair looked darker and redder than in the daylight. She was wearing a pair of boy-shorts and a tank top. Her legs were long and slim and she had perfectly arched feet with toenails painted a bright red.

With a mental shake, Norman snapped out of his reverie and walked onto the porch and gave a light knock. In less than a minute the door cracked open and he could see that she had slipped on a pair of pajama pants. Her face was scrubbed clean of make-up and it made her look several years younger. When she saw it was him her eyes widened and a bright smile lit up her face.

"Norman! What are you doing up?" She asked, and then a look of concern caused her eyebrows to meet over her nose. "Oh no... was my playing too loud?"

"No, no... not at all, I was sitting on the porch having a smoke and heard it. I was actually coming closer to get a better listen. You're very good." He reassured her.

"That's sweet of you to say. It's something I picked up as a child and I do it to relax now."

"So... Buddy Guy, huh? You seem to really like him."

Elaina tilted her head to the side and did one of those looks where it seemed she was seeing into his soul. "I'm impressed, zombie slayer. You're a real music lover, aren't you?" She moved past him and sat down on the porch swing. He watched her and then sat beside her when she patted the space next to where she was sitting.

"Thank you for joining us tonight. Your presence will be the talk of the town for days... hell, maybe months. I thought Clyde and Jimbo were going to stroke out when they saw you. I had no idea they watched your show."

"They're awesome kids. It makes what I do worth it if I can bring just a little escape from daily life to kids like that."

"So, what time is your flight tomorrow?" She asked and stretched her legs out over his lap.

Instinctively he laid his hands over her knees and squeezed. "Not until 3pm out of Baton Rouge."

"So you'll want to leave here by noon or so."

Norman nodded his head and slid his right hand up her calf, under the pant leg. He grinned when he felt the goosebumps rise and heard the slight intake of breath. She reached over and twirled a finger in his long locks. Her shapely lips curled up on one side in a lazy smirk.

"You said earlier that Dinky hadn't ever seen you kissed by a man? Why is that... I mean, you're an incredibly desirable woman, so it has to be your choice."

"Well, I was a very dedicated woman; to my husband until he died, then to my daughter until she grew up, and then to my job. I didn't have time for a new relationship."

"Didn't you ever get lonely?"

"Sure I did, on occasion." She answered and then cocked an eyebrow. "And when I did, I'd take a little trip and scratch the itch."

"You mean...?"

"Look, just because I didn't want a relationship and all the strings that came with it don't mean that I didn't miss sex."

"What about now... are you at a point in life where you're thinking about more?" He was looking away from her when he asked this and it made Elaina grin.

"Why, Norman Reedus are you asking me to go steady?"

Norman looked directly into her eyes and started to say something, stopped, started again, and then finally looked away.

"Don't do that." She said and reached out and turned his chin back towards her.

"Don't do what?" He asked and turned his eyes downward again.

"Don't be coward."

"I ain't a fucking coward."

"You're afraid to say what you want to say to me. That means you're afraid that what you were about to say is going to make you vulnerable, or that I'm going to take it wrong. If it's the latter, then you've taken my choice away and pre-judged my character."

"What? I haven't done that... I'm not judging you."

"But you have. Anytime you hold back what you want to say then you're robbing me of the opportunity to honestly react. It means you've already decided that I can't handle it. Norman, I'm a big girl, hell I'm probably as old as you. I'm not going to shatter with whatever you have to say as long as it's the truth."

This time it was Norman who stared long and hard at Elaina. "You are the most confounding woman I have ever met. Even before we met you had me tied up in knots and my emotions ran wild. I don't understand it, honestly."

"I get it. You set me on edge immediately and I felt out of control. I thought it was just because you were an asshole, but then you took off your sunglasses and my heart lodged into my throat."

"I saw that... the change in your demeanor. It's all I could see for the next few days."

They locked eyes and Norman cupped Elaina's chin and ran his thumb over her bottom lip. She smiled a small, almost shy smile.

"Norman, I'm going to invite you in... into my bed and into my life if you want. But I need you to promise me that you'll never say anything to me that isn't true or that you don't mean. Also, no talk of the future; let's live one day at a time."

"You are one of the most surprising people I've ever met, do you know that?" He said and she gave him one of her lop-sided grins in return. "I accept your terms with one condition."

"What's that?"

"We allow ourselves to think of the future just enough to plan our next rendezvous."

Elaina unfurled her legs and stood up, pulling him with her through the front door towards her bedroom. She stopped next to the bed and lifted her tank until just the bottoms of her breasts were showing. The roaring in his ears almost kept him from hearing when she whispered, "Deal".