Conflicts of Interest
Part Two
Written by: Gina
Disclaimer:
See Part One
* * * * * *
Chapter 9: Follow that Car!
Tommy and Kim, completely stuffed after their large dinner, strolled casually
down the beautiful, tree-lined streets of Little Italy. As they walked, they
talked mostly about the architecture of the homes and businesses, which were an
eclectic mixture of traditional Old World and contemporary California styles. It
was a welcome break from the heavier, emotional topics they discussed while at
BellaRosa’s. Every so often, they would stop to look in the window of a shop or
gallery, comment on the wares displayed within, and then continue on.
They became so engrossed in their conversation that they never realized that
they were being followed by Cassidy and Devin, with camera in tow as always.
Periodically, the pair had to resort to hiding behind trees or ducking around
corners to keep from being seen, but all in all, it was surprisingly easy to
keep tabs on their otherwise very observant science teacher.
Before setting out, Tommy mentally plotted a course around the neighborhood as
to end up back at his Jeep at the end of the route. He found himself having to
walk with his hands shoved deep in his pockets so he wasn’t tempted to take
Kim’s. Once he led her through the crowd and out of the restaurant, his excuse
for holding her hand was no longer valid, and he was forced to let go.
Neither of them could believe how quickly they seemed to have picked up where
they left off thirteen years ago. Now that the skeletons were out of the closet,
the ease and depth with which they always used to communicate had returned in
full force, without all of the awkward silences that plagued them earlier in the
evening.
Tommy had to remind himself that although it felt like old times, Tuesday
morning Kim was going to board a plane to go back to Florida. It was possible he
might not ever see her again, but he didn’t want to think about that. For now,
he was trying to work up the courage to ask Kim to accompany him to his cousin’s
wedding the following day. Asking her to dinner tonight to catch up was a
reasonable excuse to spend time together, because it didn’t necessarily have to
mean they were on a date. They weren’t. But Tommy wasn’t sure if it would be
somewhat presumptuous for him to suggest that they see each other a second
consecutive night, especially in the context of being his guest at a wedding
reception. That wasn’t going to stop him, however. He just had to figure out the
best, most casual way to bring it up. And it had to be soon, because the Jeep,
and therefore the end of their evening, was just up ahead. That meant he had
only about twenty minutes left, or risk having Kim walk out of his life for a
second time.
As they approached the vehicle and climbed in, Tommy took a deep breath and
decided it was now or never. “So, Kim, what are your plans for the rest of your
stay in Reefside?”
“Oh, I’m not sure. I hadn’t really thought about it.” Well, that was something
of a little white lie. I was sort of hoping to spend it with you. “What about
you? What’s on your weekend agenda?”
“That’s kind of what I was hoping to talk to you about.” Here goes nothing. “I
really am supposed to go to my cousin Tracy’s wedding tomorrow night. I didn’t
make that up, and for some reason, my mother is being fairly insistent that I
not go alone. So I was wondering if you’d like to go with me, since you’re going
to be here. That way, I will have told Carla the truth.” Tommy thought he
sounded just as nervous right then as he did when he asked her out for the first
time at sixteen. He sent up a silent ‘thank you’ for the darkness and kept his
eyes glued to the road so she wouldn’t see the anxiety he was sure was written
all over his face.
Yes! “Tommy, I’d love to, but I didn’t bring anything I can wear to a wedding.”
“Oh, I think that the greatest shopper of all time could find something back at
the mall if she really tried. On me, of course.”
“No way, I’ll pay for my own dress!”
“Kim, I can’t ask you to do that. You’ll be doing me enough of a favor by
agreeing to go. Besides, it’s an evening wedding. Mom says it’s pretty formal. A
dress like that could cost a lot of money.”
“Not if you know how and where to shop, but I’ll make you a deal. I’ll let you
pay for the dress, but I’m buying the shoes and accessories.” She gave him her
best pouty look, leaving no room for discussion.
“OK, I know when I’m beaten. We seem to be making a lot of deals tonight, don’t
we?”
“Whatever I have to do to get my way...” Kim was only teasing. She still knew
just how to bait him.
Both of them felt a similar disappointment as downtown Reefside, and
subsequently, the Marriott, came into view, though it was offset by the
knowledge that they would be seeing each other again the following night. Tommy
pulled into a parking space not too far from the side door of the hotel and
hopped out, going around to the passenger side to help the petite Kimberly out.
He knew the last thing she needed was assistance getting out of a Jeep, but he
was raised a gentleman, and things like that were second nature. It was for that
same reason that he decided to walk her to her door.
---------------------
The blue Dodge Neon SXT had no trouble keeping pace with the Dr. Oliver’s
driving. Cassidy wove in and out of traffic, her one-track mind fixated on
getting all the juicy dirt on their teacher’s Friday night. Her trusty sidekick
leaned out the window, hanging on for dear life while trying to catch their
entire route on film. When the trail they were following led them into the
Marriott parking lot, Cassidy felt her adrenaline surge. “Devin, look! They’re
going to a hotel for a romantic, clandestine tryst! This is going to be the
story of the year!”
“I don’t know, Cass. Do you think we have the right to intrude on Dr. O’s
personal life like this? We don’t have all the facts.” As always, he was the
voice of reason and conscious.
And as always, she didn’t listen to a word he said. “Facts? Who needs Facts? All
we need is gossip and speculation! Now come on, make sure you get some good
footage of them actually going into the hotel.”
Devin knew better than to argue with her when she was that determined.
---------------------
Kimberly has always tried her best to be a strong, independent woman ever since
the pregnancy incident. She knew she didn’t need a man to be happy, but she
couldn’t deny how good it had felt to be treated like a lady all evening. Tommy
always did know how to make her feel feminine and special without patronizing
her or acting like she was his trophy. It just came as natural to him as
breathing.
She fished her keycard that would let them in the side door of the hotel out of
her cluttered purse. As they climbed the stairs to the second floor, she
wondered if he would try to kiss her goodnight, or if maybe she should be the
one to kiss him. Tommy was nothing if not shy about physical signs of affection.
At least he used to be. Kim could probably count on both hands the number of
times they kissed when they were dating. On the occasions they did, they were
always very brief and closed-mouthed. She used to dream about the two of them
sharing deep, passionate kisses, but she knew he was too scared to make a move
like that. Many times, she thought about being the one to initiate it because
she was the less timid and more romantically experienced of the couple, but she
didn’t want him to think she was too forward. Now, after spending the evening
with him all these years later, she found those same thoughts returning in full
force. Whoa! Slow down girl, you’re getting little ahead of yourself, aren’t
you? Just because he forgave you for what you did to him, doesn’t mean he
forgot. Probably the last thing he wants is to get involved with you again.
A few seconds later, they reached room 243. Kimberly slid the keycard into the
reader, and the telltale click signaled that the door was unlocked. She briefly
considered inviting Tommy in, but then thought better of it. That would be too
much for the first night.
Turning around to face him, she could tell he also must have felt the same
uncertainty about what his next move should be.
“So, what time’s the wedding?”
“My mom wants us there by six.”
“Correction. Your mom wants you there by six. She doesn’t know I’m coming. Do
you think she’ll mind? I am the girl that broke her baby’s heart.” For the first
time, Kim considered the fact that she would have to face Mr. and Mrs. Oliver
again after what she did to Tommy. They would never know the whole story, so
they might not be as forgiving as he was. She knew how protective Laura Oliver
was of her only son.
“It was thirteen years ago. I’m over it, and I’m sure they are too. They always
liked you, Kim. They’ll be thrilled to see you again.” Tommy planned to call his
Mom in the morning to give her the news. Without divulging any personal details,
he would explain to her that Kimberly had some problems when she was in Florida
that caused her to break up with him. Besides, having her accompany him didn’t
mean that they were a couple again. She still lived on the opposite side of the
country. He knew that Mom would just be happy that he was not coming alone
“If you say so. Well, I’d better get to bed. I have a big day of shopping ahead
of me tomorrow.” The tension was starting to get the best of her, as evidenced
by her constant fidgeting and sweaty palms.
Tommy stood shifting his weight from one foot to the other, eyes downward, and
hands stuffed deeply in his pockets again. “It’s a tough job, but somebody has
to do it. Do you need me to go with you?”
“No, I could never shop with you around. You’re too impatient at the mall. I’ll
go myself so I can take my time. When do you want me to be ready?”
“It will take about an hour or so to get to my parents house, so I guess I’ll
pick you up at four forty-five. It’s only about twenty minutes to the reception
hall from their place.” Tommy dug his wallet out of his pocket and pulled out a
Visa Gold card. “Here’s my credit card to pay for the dress. You might have to
say you’re my wife if they give you any trouble about using it.”
And that would be a bad thing, why? Stop it! She reluctantly took the card.
“Believe me, I know all the tricks. You don’t have to do this, you know. I have
the money.”
“I know, but I want to. Don’t worry about the cost, just get something you
really like.”
“Thanks. This trip sure has been full of surprises. I promise not to spend too
much.”
“Don’t worry about it. I trust you. Do you have something to write down my cell
phone number with?”
Kim rooted through her handbag until she produced a pen and her checkbook.
“Shoot.”
“It’s…uh, 815-555…uh…7432. Wait! No, 7342. 815-555-7342. Sorry, I don’t call
myself very often.” Tommy grinned sheepishly at her. His forgetfulness strikes
again.
“Got it. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” Kim was suddenly reminded of the
kiss issue, and her jitters returned.
“Um, yeah, at four forty-five. That gives me plenty of time to get a few things
done in the morning. I have to meet with a group of my students to go over an
assignment with them.” It was more or less the truth. Now he really had to
reconsider letting Kim in on the Ranger thing. I’ll see how tomorrow night goes.
“Have fun. I’ll be ready when you get here. Goodnight.” She hesitated for a
moment before reluctantly turning to enter her room.
“Kim?” I can’t end tonight just like that.
She spun around to face him again, embarrassed at her apparent eagerness. “Yes?”
“Thanks for tonight, and for agreeing to come with me tomorrow.” Summoning up
all the courage he could muster, he took her hand and gave it a squeeze, then
leaned down and planted a quick kiss on her cheek. “Goodnight.” He was
disappointed in himself for not kissing her on the lips, but it just didn’t seem
like the right thing to do… yet.
Kim was disappointed as well, but she could understand why he wouldn’t want to
push the envelope on their first night out together in thirteen years. Then
again, maybe he simply doesn’t want to kiss me that way. It’s so hard to tell
with Tommy. “My pleasure. Goodnight.” And with that, she gave him a shy
smile, then stepped into her room, closing the door behind her.
Tommy stood in the hallway staring at Kim’s door, mentally replaying the
highlights of their evening for a moment before tossing his keys in the air,
turning on his heel, and taking off back down the stairs with a renewed spring
in his step.
Chapter 10: Something Old, Something New
RRRRiiinnnnnggggg! RRRRiiinnnnnggggg!
The piercing sound of the telephone broke the silence in Kimberly’s darkened
hotel room, waking her from a dead sleep. It had taken her a long time to nod
off the previous night, but she convinced herself it was simply because she was
in a strange bed, not because she was excited about going to the wedding with
Tommy. For a few foggy seconds, she thought that it must be him on the phone,
and then she realized that it was just the wake-up call she asked for. Shit,
that must mean it’s eight o’clock already. Throwing back the burgundy paisley
bedspread, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up to stretch.
Her bare feet padded the few steps to the window where she pulled back the
matching heavy paisley draperies, immediately regretting doing so when the
blinding California sun shone into her sleepy eyes. At least it is going to be a
nice day. I won’t have to worry about my hair getting ruined by rain.
She had planned her day out down to the minute so as to have enough time to
shop, eat, and be ready to go when Tommy arrived at a quarter to five. That
meant she would have to be at the mall exactly when it opened at nine-thirty.
Since it was Saturday, there should be some great sales, but that also meant
that she would have to fight the crowds. The schedule she devised allowed her
until two, two-thirty at the latest, to find the perfect dress complete with
shoes and jewelry. That wasn’t a lot of time, not unless she got really lucky.
Her goal was to render Tommy speechless, so she had to look perfect. One look in
the bathroom mirror told her that she had a lot of work to do to accomplish
that. The charming fluorescent lights cast a greenish pallor to her complexion
and her hair was practically standing on end. Yuck!
During her shower, she thought a lot about her expectations for the evening, and
tried to figure out exactly what she was feeling. The very real possibility
existed that Tommy simply asked her to the wedding as a friend, and that he had
no other motives. Kim found that disturbing, but she wasn’t exactly sure why. Is
it really possible that I’ve fallen in love with him at first sight AGAIN? Well,
stranger things have happened, but since he may not reciprocate her feelings,
she had to be very careful not to pressure him or scare him off. She wanted to
leave Reefside with at least a renewed friendship. OK, stop freaking yourself
out and get ready to go. You have a mission, take no prisoners. By nine she was
dressed in her most comfortable power-shopping clothes and was out the door.
---------------------
Tommy’s natural circadian clock woke him at his usual time, seven o’clock. He
always considered himself lucky that he didn’t require a lot of sleep. If he got
five hours, he was perfectly fine. The aroma of coffee wafted up the stairs to
his room, the one indulgence that he allowed himself in his otherwise very
healthy lifestyle. That one-cup Mr. Coffee with the automatic timer was one of
the best investments he ever made, when he remembered to set it, that is.
As usual, after brushing his teeth and having his Starbucks, the first order of
the day was his workout. He pulled on a royal blue gi over his underwear and
ventured out to the backyard. There was a large lawn beyond the wraparound porch
that he used as his own private outdoor gym. When the weather was bad, a corner
of the basement command center was set up with weight machines and a few mats,
but on days like this, he took full advantage of his beautiful property.
A couple hours later, he climbed back up the stairs, hot and sweaty, but feeling
revitalized and renewed. His workout was his drug of choice, the epinephrine and
serotonin it released into his blood just as addictive as anything illicit. He
knew he was in excellent shape, but that never stopped him from pushing himself
even harder the next day.
The shower was his final step in preparing himself for his day. He knew he would
have to take another one later in the day before dressing for the wedding, but
he couldn’t leave the house smelling like he did. Haley and the Rangers were
probably at the café already having their morning cappuccinos, so he threw on a
pair of black cargo pants and a red shirt, grabbed his keys and took off for the
Cyberspace.
Tommy’s morning ritual had occupied his mind well enough that he temporarily
forgot about Kimberly and the wedding, but now that he was in the Jeep driving
down the country roads into town, he couldn’t think of anything else. What do
you think is really going to happen tonight? She probably agreed to go with you
because she was here and didn’t have anything else to do. Don’t scare her away.
The last thing he wanted to do was go insane from over-analyzing and making
predictions about what was going to happen that night. He resigned himself to
the fact that the only thing he could do was be mature and realistic, letting
things run their course. Second-guessing the situation would only make him
nervous, which wouldn’t go very far towards making the idea of a relationship
appealing to Kim.
Conner’s vintage red Mustang was parked as expected right behind Haley’s
Cyberspace. Tommy had made his mind up last night that he wasn’t going to
mention Kim’s visit to the team. It was bad enough having the Rangers forever
ragging him about Principal Randall. The last thing he wanted was to add more
fuel to the fire, especially since nothing may come of it anyway. Randall.
Kimberly had me perfectly distracted from what happened in her office yesterday
morning, so why did I have to go and remind myself? Forget about it, you can
deal with it Monday. Focus on tonight. For a minute,Tommy did consider telling
Haley, but then realized that by discussing it with someone, he would be doing
the analyzing and predicting he promised himself he wouldn’t do. Acting as if
there was nothing out of the ordinary going on was the best way to ensure that
something did.
The cybercafé was still relatively empty. His team was lounging on the
comfortable sofas Haley had placed in front of a widescreen TV near the main
door. As he approached them, he could hear the animated sounds of Saturday
morning cartoons. Conner sat enraptured watching the adventures of Tweety and
Sylvester while Kira and Ethan had their textbooks open, studying for one test
or another. Sometimes Tommy felt guilty that because of their Ranger duties, the
kids often had to cram their schoolwork into late nights and weekends. He knew
that he, as well as many other veteran Rangers, had to deal with the same
problem during their high school years, but having a hand in both the academic
and Ranger aspects of their lives made him feel like he was dishing out twice
the work.
“Good morning, Dr. Oliver, coffee?” Trent noticed him first, since as Haley’s
employee, he was hyper-aware of the comings and going of customers.
“Hey, Trent, no thanks.”
“Dr. O, come sit down.” Kira called to him.
Tommy took a seat on the arm of one of the couches and turned his attention to
the TV. As always, Tweety was outsmarting the stupid cat. Finally, Conner, who
had yet to acknowledge his teacher’s presence, piped up. “One of these days,
Sylvester is going to get that annoying bird. I just know it.” He said it as if
it were the most profound statement in history.
The rest of the team should have been used to the Red Ranger’s dim-witted
pronouncements, but just when they were sure that Conner couldn’t get any
denser, he would say something so idiotic that it surpassed all their
expectations. It was rare for them to even react to him anymore.
Tommy opted to change the subject to lessen Conner’s embarrassment. “So, what
are you guys doing this weekend?”
“They just released the new Master of Disaster game. I’m booked for the entire
weekend.” The enthusiasm in the Blue Ranger’s voice sounded like a kid on
Christmas morning.
Ethan’s plans elicited a groan from Conner. “Dude, how could you spend so much
time sitting in front of a computer? You need to get a life.” The two of them
were as different as night and day.
“I do have a life. It’s gaming. At least I’m using my mind, not just kicking a
stupid ball around.”
“It’s not stupid. Some fresh air and sunshine would be good for you. Besides,
girls are attracted to jocks, not geeks.” Conner was popular with the ladies,
despite his dingy-ness.
“Speaking from an actual girl’s point of view, I’m attracted to neither of your
types. Give me an artist or musician any day.” Kira’s automatic reaction to all
the testosterone generated by her teammates almost gave her crush on Trent away.
She considered him the perfect guy: a handsome, quiet artist who’s had a tragic
life. All the angst and drama built strong character.
“Yeah, well you’re a freak.” Conner’s fragile ego couldn’t handle any female
rejection, even Kira’s.
“Guys, relax. Stop bickering.” Tommy was used to hearing his Rangers squabble.
He realized that it was going to happen since they were from such different
worlds, but he discouraged it, though, in an effort to build teamwork.
Thankfully, Haley blew in the door just then with two large shopping bags. She
often used Saturday mornings to go to the specialty market and pick up exotic
ingredients like wheat grass and alfalfa root for her famous smoothies while
Trent minded the café. “Good morning, guys!”
“Hi, Haley,” almost everyone said in unison. She handed her bags off to the
White Ranger and took a seat with the group. Trent joined them a minute later.
“What about you, Dr. O? What are your plans? I’ve got a gig here tonight, can
you make it?” Kira knew that her teacher and mentor was a great supporter of
each of his Rangers’ passions. He regularly attended her concerts, Conner’s
soccer games, and Ethan’s video tournaments. Once, he even helped arrange a
showing of Trent’s drawings at a small gallery in Little Italy.
“Uh, no, I can’t. I’m sorry, Kira. I have to go to a wedding tonight.”
“EEwww, boring. Who’s getting hitched?” Conner said with his usual classy way
with words.
“My cousin. I haven’t seen her in at least ten years since she joined the Navy.
We were really close as kids, so my mom is making me go.”
“Man, you have to go with your parents? That’s even worse.”
“I don’t mind.” Of course, the fact that he was going with Kimberly made all the
difference.
Haley listened intently to the conversation. She thought she remembered Tommy
mentioning he got an invitation a couple months ago. In the back of her mind,
she was hoping he would ask her to go with him. As far as she knew, she was the
only female friend he had in the area. Regardless, she had plans for this
weekend too. She had yet to work out the details, but before Monday, she would
know if he was hers.
“Actually, guys, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I’m going to be out
of the area for the evening. I’ll only be about an hour, maybe an hour and a
half away, but if there’s any trouble, it’s up to you guys to take care of it.
Unlike the original Rangers, we don’t have the benefit of teleportation.
Obviously, if things get really out of hand, I’ll get here as fast as I can.
Just use your judgment. I trust you.”
“No problem, Dr. O. We’ll only call you if it gets bad. Enjoy yourself.
Hopefully, it’ll be quiet,” Kira reassured him.
“I know I never said it before, but I, I mean we, are really grateful that you
trust and believe in us so much Dr. Oliver.” Conner wasn’t one for sappiness,
but underneath it all he had a sensitive side that surfaced every so often.
“Well, the four of you, and Haley, have proven to me time and again that you can
be counted on. We’re a team. I consider myself no more important than any of
you. Hey, I’ve gotta go, it’s nearly eleven-thirty. I’ll probably see you all
here tomorrow.”
“Catch ya later, Dr. O,” Ethan spoke for himself and the rest of the team.
Before stepping out, Tommy pulled Haley aside. He wanted to give her the details
of where he was going to be, just in case. “Haley, listen. I’m going to be at
the Hilton Hotel in Balsam Springs. If for some reason things head south, I want
you to know where to reach me. There will be a lot of people around, so only use
the communicator if you really have to.”
“Tommy, relax. We’ll be fine. Just have a good time.” One of the reasons she
loved him so much was because of his sense of responsibility. As the longest
serving Ranger of all time, he has been subconsciously conditioned to believe
that the world will stop turning if he didn’t maintain a constant vigilance.
“I’ll try. See ya later.”
“Bye Tommy.” Haley watched him leave, more certain than ever that she had to
tell him how she felt soon. She knew that she might be putting a huge strain on
their friendship with her admission, but as they old adage went, ‘no pain, no
gain’.
---------------------
By eleven o’clock, the mall was already packed with people. Kimberly Hart had
been shopping for exactly an hour and a half, and she was still no closer to her
goal than she was when she set out. At this point, she must have looked at over
a hundred dresses, and none of them did anything for her. Most of the problem
was that she had no idea what she even had in mind, but she was hoping that she
would know it when she saw it. The issue of color was proving to be problematic.
Since she didn’t know these people, she didn’t really know what was considered
appropriate wedding attire in their family. Some folks, she knew, didn’t even
believe in wearing black to weddings. The last thing she wanted to do was stand
out and embarrass Tommy.
Still completely empty handed, she sat in the food court, absent-mindedly
chewing on a large slice of vegetable pizza. There was probably going to be a
lot of good food at the wedding, so she wanted to make sure she had an appetite
by dinner, but she needed something now for energy. Maybe it would help her
focus better on her mission. After eating three-fourths of her lunch, she just
couldn’t sit there any longer. It was almost noon, and she only had a little
over two hours left before she had to get back to the hotel and get ready.
Kimberly walked as fast as she could to Solomon’s, a small dress boutique she
remembered passing the previous day. A little chime rung upon her entrance, and
immediately, a petite old saleslady with a measuring tape around her neck and
glasses on a chain came running out from behind the counter to greet her.
“Good afternoon! Welcome to Solomon’s. I’m Sylvia. How can I help you, dear?”
“Hi. I’m Kimberly. I need a dress for a wedding reception tonight. I don’t have
that much time left, and I haven’t found anything I like so far.”
The kindly woman smiled gently and gave Kim a once over with a professional eye.
Then she took her hand and led her to the back of the store to a lavish seating
area where she motioned for her to sit down. Sylvia sat down as well. “Now, tell
me about this wedding.”
Kim wasn’t sure what the woman was up to. She felt they were wasting time
sitting there when she could be looking around, but she decided to give the lady
the benefit of the doubt, at least for a little while. “Well, that’s kind of the
problem, I don’t know anything. An old friend invited me as his guest just last
night. It’s his cousin’s wedding. I don’t know the family.”
“So I take it you’d rather blend in than stand out?”
“Exactly, but I do want to look special for him.”
“This old friend, are you sure that’s all he is?” The sweet old lady had a
mischievous gleam in her eye.
The observation made Kim blush deeply and she realized in that instant that she
seriously underestimated the saleswoman. Sylvia knew just what she was doing and
was very perceptive. “I don’t know. We dated in high school, but I was stupid
and broke up with him. I hadn’t seen him in almost thirteen years, and then I
ran into him yesterday at the bank. I actually live in Florida. I’m just here
for a job interview. We had dinner last night, and he asked me to go to this
wedding with him.”
“Sounds like the two of you might end up rekindling an old flame. Let’s find you
the perfect dress. You’ll knock him dead!” With that, she got up and began
rummaging through some of the racks. Within minutes, she emerged with about five
dresses in various colors and styles. “You wear a four, am I right?”
“Yes, you are. That’s amazing.”
“I’ve dressed up a lot of pretty young ladies like you over the last thirty
years. I can size ‘em up in no time. Now, take a look at this one,” she said as
she held up a beautiful lavender dress. It was sleeveless, with a V-neck, curved
through the bodice and hips, and flared out slightly at the knees. The satin of
the under-fabric was covered with shimmery chiffon, slightly embossed with a
delicate floral print. “What do you think of something like this?”
“It’s lovely. Definitely understated, but I’m not sure about the color. I guess
I never considered purple.”
“OK, I have several others here. There’s a nice navy blue one in here somewhere.
Ah, here it is.” This one was a sparkly sheath with a boat neck and short
sleeves.
“I like the cut, but I think it’s too glittery.”
“You’re awfully nervous about this young man, aren’t you?”
Kim simply nodded.
Sylvia gave her a knowing look. “Tell me about him.”
“He’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. Thick, dark hair, dark eyes with
the longest eyelashes in the world, an amazing body. Tall, but not too tall. And
he has the kindest, most generous spirit I’ve ever known.” The dreamy look in
Kim’s eye told Sylvia even more than her words.
“Sounds like a keeper. We’re going to get you looking beautiful for him.”
The next hangar the woman pulled off the rack left Kim speechless. It was an
ice-blue, fitted, mid-calf length dress with a straight pencil skirt. The fabric
was a matte satin with a subtle sheen, but was not ostentatious. It was
strapless, and had a long, sheer matching scarf that could be worn around the
shoulders. Very Marilyn Monroe.
“That’s the one.” As far as Kim was concerned, the sky had opened up and the
heavens sang. The dress was exactly what she wanted: elegant and simple, but
with enough of a wow factor to knock Tommy off his feet.
“Come on, dear. Let’s try it on you.” Sylvia led her to a large, mirrored
dressing room with a raised platform in the middle.
Kim undressed without any shyness. This grandmotherly woman had put her
completely at ease. She stepped into the dress and Sylvia helped her zip it up
and arrange the scarf. The fit was perfect, as if it was custom made for her.
“I love it. What do I do about shoes?”
Sylvia took a quick glance at Kim’s pink-pedicured feet. “Size 6?”
“That’s right.”
The lady disappeared for a moment, and then returned with a shoebox. “Try these.
They will go beautifully.”
Inside the box were the most delicate, strappy silver sandals Kim had ever seen.
They had a three inch heel, just right for slow-dancing with a tall man. When
she slipped them on she felt like Cinderella. Her prince charming would be
stunned.
“I’ll take the dress and the shoes. Thank you so much, Sylvia.”
“We’re not done yet, dear. We still have to find you some jewelry and a
handbag.”
Kim glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was just after one. She had
plenty of time. While she put her own clothes back on, Sylvia covered the dress
with a plastic garment bag, and set the shoes aside behind the counter. When she
saw that Kimberly was ready, she showed her to a large jewelry case. Inside, a
variety of sparkly necklaces, bracelets, and earrings were carefully displayed.
“Now, I think I have just the thing to go with that dress and those shoes.” She
pulled out a gorgeous necklace. It was a simple silver herringbone chain with a
blue topaz emerald-cut pendant about the size of a penny, surrounded on all
sides with white cubic zirconias. Even though it was made of completely
synthetic materials, it looked incredibly genuine. There were matching earrings,
too, with the same rectangular blue stones. The final piece of the puzzle was a
silver satin clutch purse that Sylvia found on a shelf under the counter.
“Oh, Sylvia, I can’t thank you enough. This is just the look I wanted. I’ll take
all of it.”
“My pleasure, dear. You just go have yourself a nice time tonight with that
handsome young man. If you get the job here in Reefside, come back and see me.”
The saleswoman did her job more for the joy of seeing her customers happy than
for the money. She was well past the age where she needed to work.
“I definitely will.” Kim handed Sylvia her credit card to pay for the
accessories, and Tommy’s to pay for the dress. She briefly considered buying the
whole thing herself, but she knew he would be very unhappy if she spent that
much of her own money. As it was, she dropped over 200 on just her part.
While Sylvia rang up her purchases, she perused Tommy’s Visa. “HHHmmm, Thomas
Oliver. That’s a nice, strong, noble name.”
“It should say ‘Thomas Oliver, PhD. He teaches science at Reefside High.”
“You’re kidding? My granddaughter goes to Reefside, and she has been going on
and on all year about her gorgeous science teacher. I’ll bet they’re one in the
same. I’ve never seen her so excited about school before. You’d better hang on
to this one, sweetie.”
“Believe me, Sylvia. I’d love nothing more. I just hope that after what I did to
him in high school, I can make it up to him.”
“He did ask you to the wedding, didn’t he? Who was he going to take if he hadn’t
met you?”
“Well, he was going alone, I think.”
“See? He wasn’t obligated to ask. Obviously, he wants to be with you. If there’s
one thing I’ve learned in all my years, it’s that time heals all wounds.
Everybody makes mistakes, especially when they’re kids. It doesn’t look like he
holds it against you.”
“That’s exactly what he said. Thank you, again, Sylvia. I’d better run. I have a
lot of primping to do,” Kimberly explained with an impish grin.
Sylvia returned the smile. “Go get him, dear.”
“Maybe I’ll bring him to meet you someday. Bye!” Kimberly gathered her things
and bolted out the door. It was exactly two o’clock. She decided to catch a cab
back to the Marriott so she didn’t have to walk with her packages. Just as she
stepped outside, a green taxi pulled up to let someone out, and Kim was able to
hop right in. My luck is amazing today. I hope it continues into tonight.
---------------------
After a short nap and a shower, Tommy found himself standing in front of the
mirror in his bedroom again, adjusting his tie for the umpteenth time. He vowed
not to drive himself crazy about Kim and the wedding, and that meant not
obsessing over his clothes like he did last night. So far, he was doing OK. The
charcoal grey suit he wore fit well, and paired with a royal blue shirt, a
royal, black, and white geometrically-patterned tie, and black shoes, it made a
very presentable ensemble. Even he knew that. Besides, his mother always said
that you can never go wrong with a good suit. He put the gold hoop earring back
in his left ear, quickly adjusted a lock of spiky hair or two, swallowed his
nervousness, and checked the clock. Four-fifteen. I’m outta here.
There was no traffic during the late afternoon hours on a Saturday. Tommy easily
cleared the road construction that held him up yesterday, and at exactly
four-forty, he pulled into the Marriott parking lot. Without a keycard, he had
to enter through the main lobby. As he stood there waiting for the elevator, he
overheard one young front desk clerk whispering to another to ‘check out that
totally sexy guy’. After glancing around, he realized that there was no one else
around. The girls were talking about him. He pretended not to hear them, but was
secretly grateful for the distraction. It quelled his anxiety for the time
being.
When the elevator door opened to let him out on the second floor, he took a deep
breath before stepping out and heading down the hall to room 243. As he reached
her door, he paused for a moment before lightly knocking. The few seconds that
it took for the door to open seemed like an eternity. When it did, Tommy was
greeted with the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.
Kimberly’s petite, but very female form was accentuated by the sleek pale blue
strapless dress. Her hair had been piled atop her head in an intricate updo,
some loose whisps framing her face. The curve of her bare neck and shoulders
were adorned with a sparkling necklace that hung just below the hollow of her
throat. She was stunning.
If Kim’s goal was to leave Tommy speechless, by the look on his face she could
honestly say ‘mission accomplished’. “Hi, Tommy. You’re on time, again. You
really have gotten over your tardiness problem.”
The small joke put both of them at ease. Kim took the opportunity to really look
Tommy over. He was better than handsome. He was an Adonis. “Well, shall we go?”
She had to say something to keep her mouth from just hanging open.
“Sure,” he said simply. She grabbed her handbag and took the arm he extended,
allowing him to escort her like a true gentleman. If the electricity she felt
between them as they made their way to the elevator was a sign of things to
come, she was in for an incredible night.
Chapter 11: May I Have This Dance?
The pale green stucco California ranch belonging to George and Laura Oliver was
typical of most other homes in the area. A well-manicured lawn was flanked by
perfectly-shaped bushes, a cheerful bed of flowers, and a Lincoln Town Car
parked in the wide driveway. Tommy pulled in behind it and turned off the engine
of his red Dodge Durango. He usually kept the SUV in the garage behind his
house, preferring the airiness of the Jeep in pleasant weather. On an occasion
like this, however, he knew that they would be more comfortable riding in an
enclosed vehicle since Kimberly’s hair could easily be ruined by the wind. Their
conversation during the hour-long drive had been fairly limited. Kimberly was
unusually quiet, but Tommy chalked it up to nerves. He knew he was nervous,
anyway.
It was exactly six o’clock as they arrived. The wedding invitation said that
cocktails started at seven, with dinner following at eight, so they had plenty
of time since it took only about thirty minutes to get to Balsam Springs. Tommy
stepped out of the truck and went around to the passenger side to open the door
for Kimberly, but she made no move to get out. She was sitting there, still as
could be, just staring at the house.
“Kim, what’s wrong?” He could tell something was bothering her.
She finally looked at him. “Did you tell your parents that you’re bringing me
along?”
Lightbulb! “Is that what you’re worried about? Just relax. I called Mom a few
hours ago and told her. Don’t worry, I didn’t tell her any details. It’s been a
long time, remember? We’re not kids anymore. Now, come on. They can’t wait to
see you. I promise.” Tommy didn’t know how else to convince Kim that his parents
weren’t mad at her.
“OK. I’m sorry. It’s just strange, I guess. Let’s go.” As she stepped out of the
elevated SUV as gracefully as possible in a narrow dress, Tommy gallantly took
her hand, noticing that her palms were damp with sweat. She really is anxious.
They walked together up the paved sidewalk to the front door. Mrs. Oliver was
there waiting for them.
Laura was a beautiful fifty-eight year-old woman with blonde hair and stunning
green eyes. She was in excellent shape for her age. As a nurse, she understood
the importance of physical fitness, a lesson she taught her son well. She wore
an elegant mauve dress with a coordinating jacket and dyed-to-match shoes. As
soon as Tommy and Kim approached, she stepped outside and embraced both of them
enthusiastically. “Kimberly! You look lovely! It’s so good to see you again.”
Kimberly was surprised but pleased at her warm greeting and returned it
whole-heartedly. She knew it was genuine. Well known for her directness, Laura
never felt the need to hide her true feelings. “Mrs. Oliver, I’ve missed you.
What a beautiful dress!”
“This old thing? I’ve had it for years, but thank you anyway.” It was obvious
where Tommy got his humble manner, through exposure, if not through heredity.
“Come on in, I’ll go get George.” She led the way inside to a large foyer that
opened into a cozy living area. Tastefully done in the warm shades of a
Southwest sunset, it looked to Kimberly as if the space had been recently
remodeled. There was nothing in the room that she recognized from their old
house in Angel Grove.
“Isn’t this house great? They haven’t been here long, but they’ve done a lot of
work. I came up on the weekends to help them paint. Come on, I’ll show you
around.” Tommy wanted Kim to feel more comfortable. He noticed that she was
still somewhat stiff, so he thought a little tour would help her open up. He
took her hand again, grateful for any excuse to touch her, and gently pulled her
along until they entered a large kitchen with maple cabinets, a black granite
countertop, and modern, stainless steel appliances. “All of this is new. The
people who lived here before my parents were stuck in nineteen seventy. The
cupboards were dark walnut, the carpet was orange, and the stove and
refrigerator were olive green.”
“This is amazing. Did they use a designer?”
“Nope. My mom watches lots of HGTV, and got all her ideas from there. Wait until
you see the bedrooms.” A small hallway off an Asian-inspired formal dining room
led to the master bedroom. It was relatively monochromatic in various shades of
soothing blues and greens. The king-sized bed was dressed in luxurious
sea-colored linens with big fluffy accent pillows and a cream-colored
upholstered headboard. Off that room was a master bath, complete with skylights
and a huge garden tub. Kim could picture how wonderful it would feel to lie back
and relax in there, the whirlpool jets massaging away all her cares. And it was
plenty big enough for two, should she desire company. Cut it out! Oh God, how am
I going to get through this night with thoughts of Tommy naked running through
my head?
Tommy found that his mind was following a similar thread. Turning to look at
Kim, he was captivated again by her beauty. As much as he loved it, that dress
was going to cause him a great deal of trouble tonight. He had a serious neck
fetish, so the curved line of her exposed neck and shoulders was a major
turn-on. It would make for a very uncomfortable evening if he couldn’t keep
himself from imagining what if would be like to taste the skin of that throat.
Already, he could feel his pants becoming a little snug in the crotch area.
Clearing his throat self-consciously, he motioned for her to follow him to the
next stop on their tour. On the way out of the bathroom, he accidentally brushed
against her hip. Their eyes connected for a moment in a heated exchange and
seemed to communicate their sensual thoughts to each other. Tommy had to get out
of there before he started to sweat profusely. I have no business thinking about
her that way. It doesn’t matter that she’s the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen, and
that I haven’t slept with anyone in over three years. May the power protect me.
Please?
He quickly showed her the rest of the house, and then they returned to the
living room where his mother was waiting with his dad. As soon as they entered
the room, George Oliver enveloped Kimberly in a giant bear hug, just like he
always did when she was dating Tommy in high school. George was a
distinguished-looking man of sixty, very tall, with a full head of wavy silver
hair and a great sense of humor. “Kim! My, how the pretty girl has grown into a
breath-taking woman. Glad you’re coming with us tonight.”
“Just promise me you’ll save a dance for me, Mr. Oliver. I couldn’t go the whole
evening without a spin around the floor with the best dancer since Fred Astair.”
“You got it. I’ve learned some new moves in the last few years. Won’t I look
like a stud waltzing around the two prettiest ladies in the place? You’re both
liable to show up the bride. Now let’s get going.”
Tommy was relieved to see the ease with which his parents and Kim reacquainted.
They had always treated her like one of the family when they were kids, and were
just as devastated as he was when they broke up. It seems that they picked up
where they left off just as easily as he and Kim did.
“Dad, we’re taking separate cars, aren’t we?” Tommy knew he would probably have
to leave earlier than his parents due to the long drive back to Reefside.
Besides, if there was an attack, he’d have to be free to go. Let’s hope that
doesn’t happen, then I’d have to tell Kim I’m back in the game.
“Yeah. I’ll follow you. Do you have the map?” Laura always said that George was
the quintessential man. Even if he had no idea where he was going, he would
never stop to ask directions.
“Right here,” Tommy replied, patting the left breast pocket of his suit jacket.
Noticing that the clock read six-forty, he started the procession out the door.
---------------------
It took less time than Tommy thought to get to the Balsam Springs Hilton, even
though he was driving relatively slow so his father could keep up. He parked the
Durango in a spot with an available space nearby for his parents. As he followed
Kimberly to his Mom and Dad’s car, he found himself fixated on the way her very
womanly shape moved in the moonlight. The a glint of moonlight off the zipper in
the back of her dress caught his eye, and he couldn’t help but imagine inching
it slowly downward until the dress pooled at her feet. He soon found himself
having to adjust his suit jacket to cover the telltale bulge in his pants.
Christ! How am I going to make it through this entire reception with a raging
hard-on? If I’d have known it would be this bad, I would have taken care of
things while I was in the shower.
The four of them together ascended an elegant stairway into the hotel. There was
a sign in the lobby pointing the way to the Beaudry-Curtis wedding in the Grand
Ballroom. They joined the receiving line that had already formed in the doorway,
his Mother introducing them to various friends and relatives that had gathered
around. Tommy was ashamed to admit that he didn’t recognize most of the people,
though he was careful not to let it show. He had been away from home for the
last twelve years, and in that amount of time people change a lot. That’s what
made it so incredible that he still felt not only attracted, but connected to
Kimberly after all these years. Every time he looked at her, he felt both his
heart constrict and other significant anatomical parts swell. It was becoming a
very difficult combination to handle.
After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached the front of the line.
Tommy congratulated Tracy and introduced himself and Kimberly to Jeff, Tracy’s
new husband. He was also a naval officer, and looked dashing in his dress
uniform, while the bride opted to wear a traditional white wedding gown. Once
the obligatory formalities were over with, the family headed towards the bar,
needing refreshment after being amidst a crowd for so long.
Kimberly and Mrs. Oliver watched as Tommy and George waded through the throng of
people gathered at the bar to fetch their drinks. Laura couldn’t help but notice
how her son and his date have been looking at each other since they arrived at
the house. It seemed to her that there more involved than Tommy just asking Kim
to the wedding to give her something to do while she was in town. That was fine
with her. She had always loved Kimberly, and felt that she suited her son best
out of any of the girls he dated. Tommy had never shared the details of his
split with Elizabeth, and she didn’t ask, but something about that girl had
rubbed Laura the wrong way. Whatever it was, she was glad Tommy was over her,
and maybe was now finally ready to consider dating again.
Meanwhile, while Tommy and his dad waited patiently for their drinks, Mr. Oliver
decided to broach the subject that had been on his mind since he heard that
Kimberly would be accompanying him tonight. “So, Tommy, looks like you and Kim
are getting pretty close, again.”
Tommy was initially taken back by the casual observation, but he couldn’t deny
that his dad might be on to something. “I don’t know, Dad. It doesn’t even feel
like we’ve been apart, and there’s a good chance she’ll be moving to Reefside. I
can’t help but think that stumbling into each other was not a coincidence. It’s
almost as if we’re being drawn back together by fate. Doesn’t that sound
stupid?”
“Not at all, son. Everything happens the way it’s supposed to. You’ll know if
you belong together.” George had always been a man of few words.
“Yeah, I guess so. I just wish I knew how she felt.”
“Of course you do. That would make life much easier, wouldn’t it? But that’s not
the way it works, and it wouldn’t be any fun anyway. The key is to enjoy the
journey as well as the destination.”
“You’re right, Dad. Thanks.” For about the millionth time, Tommy felt eternally
grateful that he had the good fortune to become part of the Oliver’s family.
That alone was a perfect example of things working out like they’re meant to.
Once they had their drinks, the four of them set off to find their table.
Although Laura knew that her sister, Martha, had set her sights on a big wedding
for her oldest daughter, she was still overwhelmed by the elaborate, and very
clearly expensive, affair. Every detail had been attended to, right down to the
hand-calligrapied place cards gracing the fine ivory linen tablecloths. They
took their seats and waited for the bride and groom to be introduced so dinner
could be served.
No matter how hard he tried, Tommy could not take his eyes off Kimberly. He had
moved through all the introductions and greetings and congratulations on his
PhD. as if on auto-pilot. The short conversation with his father kept replaying
in his mind, and he was becoming more convinced than ever that his deep feelings
for Kim had returned in full force. But what am I going to do about it? And what
if she doesn’t feel the same way?
Kimberly tried her hardest to concentrate on the beautiful surroundings instead
of on how sexy Tommy looked this evening. She couldn’t make sense of the
electricity they seemed to generate when they were near each other. He just had
to feel it, too. Every time he took her hand, the jolt that passed through her
shot straight up her arm to her heart. Although she believed him when he said
that he held nothing against her, she still didn’t know if that alone was enough
to make him trust her again. She knew how important loyalty was to him. He
walked right out on Elizabeth when she cheated on him. What makes you think that
just because you were a stupid child when you did it that it makes any
difference to him? Shut up, subconscious. You know that Tommy wears his heart on
his sleeve. If he still had any grudge, you’d know it. The last thing he’d ever
do is mislead you.
Dinner was every bit as elaborate as the rest of the wedding had been so far.
They feasted on a meal of Beef Tenderloin with a Burgundy Wine Sauce,
Crab-Stuffed Flounder, Baked Chicken Breast over Rice Pilaf, Parslied
Red-Skinned Potatoes, Pasta Primavera, and Green Beans Almondine. Laura had to
admit that Martha had pulled out all the stops, but as lovely as it was, she
couldn’t help but think that it was all just done to show off. Her sister and
her brother-in-law, John, were financially comfortable, but were not by any
means wealthy.
Before she had any chance to make herself any angrier, Laura’s attention was
drawn to the two adorable little girls outfitted in their wedding finery on the
dance floor, spinning in circles to watch their dresses flare. They were
Martha’s son Ian’s twin three year-old daughters, Jennifer and Jessica. While
watching the little ones dance uninhibitedly, Mrs. Oliver suddenly felt ashamed
by what she had been thinking about her sister and the extravagant celebration.
Maybe she was just jealous. As a nurse for almost forty years, she has had the
opportunity to touch a lot of lives, but raising Tommy was the single finest
accomplishment of her life. Now that he has grown into a mature, successful
adult, it was her greatest hope that he would be able to pass on the lessons he
had learned from her to children of his own. Unfortunately, he just hasn’t found
the right woman, yet. Unless…
Dessert proved to be just as delicious as the rest of the meal had been. The
bride and groom followed tradition and cut their seven-tiered, butter-cream
frosted wedding cake together, each making a playful gesture to smash a little
bit in their new spouse’s face. Once the guests had been served their slices,
the catering staff began preparing the hall for dancing. Dishes were cleared,
some tables were taken down, and the band began tuning up. The first dance was,
of course, reserved for the bride and her groom, but shortly after, several
other couples joined them on the large wooden floor.
Tommy and Kimberly remained seated at their table for the time being, watching
Mr. and Mrs. Oliver cut a rug to some 1940’s big band classic. They were so in
love, even after all this time, and Kim couldn’t help but feel a tinge of
sadness that her own parents couldn’t find that same happiness. They divorced
when she was in high school, and although they were both happily remarried,
there was no substitution for having them together. Soon, some slower music
began to play, and she decided that if she was to ever going to get Tommy on the
floor, she had to begin working on him soon.
When they were dating as kids, they and their friends attended lots of school
dances. Tommy never seemed to mind going, but didn’t enjoying dancing too much.
That was always OK with her, as long as he never refused slow dancing. Because
their relationship had been relatively non-physical, dancing with him was the
only way she could as least partially satisfy her desire to touch and be close
to him. She could always tell that her proximity and the swaying to the music
affected him, as well. He would become very self-conscious after awhile, not
realizing that Kim knew he was trying to discreetly keep his distance so she
couldn’t feel his natural reaction to her.
“Tommy,” Kim began, standing up and reaching for his hand. “May I have this
dance?”
He fixed her with a shy smile before following her lead onto the floor. It was
like déjà vu, except that the anticipation he felt at the prospect of holding
her stirred up feelings that were decidedly more adult in nature these days. He
used to fantasize about Kim all the time as a teen while relieving himself of
excess sexual tension, but since he had been completely lacking in first-hand
knowledge of what it felt like to actually touch a woman in that way, the
fantasies were all theoretical. Now that he has experienced love making, the
images he had in his head of what her gorgeous body would look like writhing
beneath his were powerfully vivid.
The pair took their place amongst the other couples on the dance floor. Kim knew
instinctively to gravitate towards the center of the crowd so that Tommy
wouldn’t feel like he was being watched by the other guests. At first, they held
each other lightly, keeping a fairly respectable distance. Eventually, though,
the space between them lessened as Kimberly slid her hands up to wrap around his
neck and then rested her head on his shoulder. Neither of them said a word, but
simply relished the feeling of having the other in their arms again.
Tommy tried in vain to keep his body Kim under control, but he was just becoming
more aroused by the minute. Their current position placed him in a serious
predicament as long as Kimberly’s warm breath caressed the skin of his neck.
Although he loved to nibble on a woman’s neck, his own was without question the
most powerful erogenous zone on his body. Well, above the waist, anyway. The
lightest kiss or caress could send shivers down his spine straight to his lower
regions. She was pressed so tightly against him that he knew she must be able to
feel his hardness, so he tried to take a half a step back so that he didn’t
embarrass either of them, just like he used to do in high school. He still
couldn’t tell if she had any feelings for him beyond friendship, and he’d hate
to see the awkwardness that he worked so hard to dispel return because he
couldn’t rein in his hormones.
---------------------
The possibility of being in Tommy’s arms again was something that Kim never
allowed herself to imagine during all their years apart. Now here she was, and
it felt even more remarkable than ever. She just had to be closer to him, so she
ever so slowly inched herself in his direction until her body was in full
contact with his. She knew she should resist, but she couldn’t help herself. As
soon as she felt a strong arm wrap tighter around her waist and another glide up
her back over her warm skin, she became undone. Her senses were completely
overtaken with him. She could hear his quickening heartbeat and rapid breathing
as her head rested on his shoulder, her lips so close to his throat that she
could almost taste his pulse. These erotic images were difficult enough for her
to keep in check, but when her stomach brushed against the evidence of his
mirrored arousal, her downfall was complete. She knew at that point that she
wanted Tommy Oliver, and that he at least, if nothing else, still found her
attractive. If fate would just grace her with a second chance with him, she was
determined not to blow it this time.
They say that nothing lasts forever, and so it was with the band’s set of slow
songs. Tommy and Kim’s excuse for the intimate contact had ended, and they had
no choice but to move off the dance floor. Both of them felt they needed a drink
to cool their sexually charged bodies, so they headed towards the bar. Since it
was getting late and he would be driving soon, Tommy decided against anymore
alcohol. With an orange juice for himself and a white wine for Kim, they settled
back at their table. Other than asking her what she wanted to drink, neither of
them had spoken a word or even made direct eye contact since she had asked him
to dance. The passion they were feeling was still too raw to try and disguise
with small talk.
Tommy had wanted to kiss her so badly out there, but he didn’t know if it was
the right time, and he knew that a family wedding was definitely not the right
place. When and if he finally did get to give Kim the long, deep kiss he’d
always dreamed of, he wanted to take his time and not have any distractions. He
just wished he knew if it would be a welcome gesture or not. There was still the
possibility that she wasn’t interested in that kind of relationship with him, so
he needed to be sure before he tried. An erroneous judgment would just lead to
her getting on that plane Tuesday for good. Then he’d never see her again.
You’ll know if you belong together. The words of his father kept running through
his mind, and in order to get through the rest of the evening, he needed to
convince himself to trust them.
As they sat and watched the other couples dance, Kimberly would periodically
treat herself to glances in Tommy’s direction. He was so sexy, and so charmingly
unaware of it. She allowed her eyes to trace the curves of his full lips with
the perfect heart-shaped bow at on the top. The one wish she had in all the
world right now was that before the end of the night, she could kiss him. Really
kiss him, with all the uninhibited passion and desire that had been building in
her for the past twenty-four hours. Back in high school, she had all the typical
girlish fantasies about steamy make-out sessions with Tommy in the backseat of
his car. Occasionally, she even thought about what it would be like to go even
further. It was a safe pastime to indulge in, because she knew it would never
happen. They hadn’t been anywhere near ready for that kind of step, but at that
time, she was sure he would be her first when they finally were. To this day,
how she could have made such a life-changing mistake by giving her virginity to
a boy she barely knew was beyond her comprehension. Now as an adult, she found
that her fantasies had grown up with her, and the visions she had of herself and
Tommy were much more explicit. More than once, Kimberly felt her mouth going dry
in response to a stray image or two of them naked, her rising and falling above
him as he buried himself deep inside her. She was fairly certain she was getting
to him out there on the dance floor. Periodically she would feel him shift and
fidget, trying in vain to conceal his erection. Unfortunately, she knew there
was a difference between sexual and emotional attraction. Tommy was only human,
and so it was natural that he would be turned-on by a woman’s touch, but he was
not the type to act on that alone. He had to feel the same longing in his heart
as in his groin, and maybe he could never see her that way again.
---------------------
The reception seemed to go by in a blur. Before he knew it, it was after eleven.
Tommy knew they had better than an hour’s drive home, so he’d better think about
getting on the road. Kimberly had been dancing with his father for the last few
songs, and she was probably tired. Now it was crunch time. He never wanted the
evening to end, because that would bring the big question of the kiss to the
forefront. As he watched George and Kim swing around the floor, Tommy noticed
that he had been idly tapping his Dino Gem cuff in a steady rhythm on the table
top. That brought yet another question to mind. Should I tell her about the
Rangers? If I do, it might ruin any chance of a romantic relationship because of
the danger. If I don’t, we’d be ruined anyway because I didn’t trust her enough
to confide in her. That settles it, because without trust we wouldn’t have
anything anyway. Now it’s just a matter of when and how to tell her.
Kimberly returned to the table with Mr. Oliver, her flushed cheeks and light
sheen of sweat making her seem to radiate an angelic glow. Tommy was sure he’d
never seen her look more beautiful. She plopped down next to him with an
exhausted sigh that made him wonder if telling her about the team would be a bad
idea if she was too worn out to digest such major information. The huge smile
she graced him with abruptly changed his mind. This wasn’t a weary Kim, it was a
super-charged, energized Kim. In high school, she had always been at her best
when she was physically active and having a good time. It didn’t seem like that
had changed, so there might be no time like the present.
“Looks like you two had fun out there.” Tommy wanted to bring up the idea of an
impromptu extension of their evening as casually as possible.
“Oh, it was great. I haven’t danced like that in years. Your dad is fantastic.”
“He’s in his glory, that’s for sure. Are you tired?”
“Not at all. I’m totally pumped now.” Do you have something in mind?
“It’s almost eleven-thirty. We have a long drive home. Maybe we should get
going.”
Kimberly didn’t try to hide her despondent expression at his suggestion that
they leave prematurely. As soon as he saw her disappointment, he realized that
she misunderstood.
“There’s something I’d like to show you, if you feel like taking a little
detour.”
Her face brightened immediately. “I’m up for anything. Where are we going?”
“Actually, my house. If that’s OK with you…” Tommy didn’t want her to get the
wrong idea. Unless she wants to get the wrong idea. I know I could think up lots
of ideas…Alert! Mind in gutter yet again. Cool it, man. You have a very serious
task to do before you can think about anything like that, if you can even think
about anything like that at all.
“Of course it’s OK. I’d love to see your house.” His house! That means we’ll be
alone. I’m not sure I could resist the temptation if things got hot and heavy.
Then again, I’m not sure I’d want to.
“Well, there’s a little more to it than that. I’ll explain later. Let’s say
goodnight to Tracy, Jeff, and my parents, then get going.”
Kimberly grabbed her purse from the table and gestured for Tommy to lead the
way. After all the obligatory congratulations and goodbyes, on their way out the
door Tommy remembered to deposit the envelope he had in his pocket into the
wishing well. He had no idea what would be considered an appropriate wedding
gift, so he just bought a card and enclosed a check. Money was always
appreciated.
Fifteen minutes later, they were back in the Durango on their way to his country
house on the outskirts of Reefside, and the revelation that could change their
relationship forever.
Chapter 12: Bad Timing
Kimberly was intrigued when their course took them off of the main streets of
Reefside onto a winding dirt road. It seemed to have taken ten times as long to
get to the wedding as it did to get back. The sexual tension between her and
Tommy was held in check for the time being as they used the trip to talk about
music, politics, travel, and current events. A few times, she tried to get him
to tell her what he was so intent on showing her, but he simply wouldn’t budge.
All he would say was that she’d be very surprised.
If Kim had been asked to describe the type of home she pictured Tommy Oliver
living in, the grey wooden bungalow set out in the woods probably wouldn’t be
it. She just never pictured him as a country boy, but she had to admit it was
charming. Just the size of the property alone amazed her. The gravel driveway
had been practically hidden amongst the trees, but once they passed through the
foliage, the large yard was amazingly open.
Tommy parked the SUV next to a black Jeep on the side of the house. As always,
he went around and opened her door, then helped her out. He retained her hand,
telling himself that he’d hate for her to trip on his rocky driveway in her high
heels, but any reason to touch her would do. Kim followed him up a few steps
onto a large porch with a picnic table and some comfy-looking chairs. She had
heard that you could learn a lot about a man by how his house was decorated, so
she looked forward to taking in the environment he surrounded himself with.
The natural architecture found outside continued indoors in a small office just
beyond the front door. The walls were paneled in a rich pine, and there were
prehistoric artifacts scattered throughout the room on the bookcases, walls, and
the desk. A skeleton of a dinosaur was displayed on a table in the center of the
room on top of a richly-patterned oriental rug. It was at this point that Tommy
stopped and turned to look at her, a nervous, but serious expression on his
face.
“Kim, you might find what I’m about to show you a little strange. Sometimes it’s
still seems strange to me.”
“Tommy, what’s with all this cryptic talk? Whatever it is, you know you can tell
me.”
“I know, it’s just hard, that’s all. I don’t know…I mean I’m not sure if you
won’t want to see me again once you know what’s going on.”
“Listen to me. There’s nothing you can say to me that would make me not want to
see you again. If you could forgive me for what I did to you, I can certainly
overlook anything you’ve done.”
“It’s not just what I’ve done, but what I’m doing, as well. Not that it’s bad…”
After taking a few steps in her direction, he drew in a long, deep breath and
let it out with a sigh. Then he pushed up the left sleeve of his jacket and
shirt to reveal a wide silver bracelet encrusted with an irregularly-shaped
black stone.
“That’s beautiful, Tommy. Where’d you get that?” she asked innocently.
“The gem is very old. I found this one and a few others like it on a dig.
They’re pieces of the asteroid that crashed into the Earth millions of years
ago, completely wiping out the dinosaur population.”
“Seriously? They must be worth a fortune. Why’d you make a bracelet out of it?
You could lose it.”
“You wouldn’t believe what they’re worth, and I have to wear it.” His speech
slowed down, and he looked her straight in the eye.
“You’re not making sense, Tommy. Now what is all this mystery about?” She tried
not to get exasperated with him, but it was just a stupid bracelet, no matter
how much it was valued at.
“Imagine the amount of power a gem like that would have.” He said nothing else,
and then closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them it was to look down
at the black stone.
Kim was staring at him like he grew another head, but that changed to an
astonished expression when with a quick flick of his wrist, the bracelet
transformed to into a black and gold dinosaur head-shaped figure. Although she
had never seen one quite like it, she still knew exactly what it was.
Initially, she couldn’t remember how to form any words at all, but eventually
the slew of half-questions and nonsense that spilled forth from her mouth,
combined with her frantic pointing at the morpher, communicated her puzzlement
well enough for him to understand. “That’s…You’ve…How did you…? Why did you…?
When did you…? …Black?”
“Shhh. Slow down a minute.” Tommy placed his hands on her shoulders to steady
her because he knew she had a penchant for fainting when she was astounded.
“Yes, it’s a morpher,” he began to explain in a gentle voice. “I’m a Power
Ranger, again, black this time. But that’s not all.” Satisfied that she wasn’t
going to fall over, he reached over to the dinosaur skeleton and pulled down on
the jaw. Instantly, a trap door built into the floor boards raised up to reveal
a concrete staircase leading down to a basement or cellar of some sort. “Come
on.”
Kimberly followed him down the steps to a large, cavern-like room with stone
pillars and walls and an enormous amount of electronic equipment. She wandered
wordlessly around, occasionally touching the fixtures, an awestruck expression
on her face. Tommy allowed her this moment to process the information he’d just
sprung upon her. After a while, he slowly approached her from behind and turned
her around to face him.
“This is the command center for the Dino Thunder Power Rangers. I created this
place after I found the gems on an island where I was doing my graduate
research. I understood the enormous amount of power they contained, and after
our lab was attacked, I realized that others with destructive, self-serving
objectives knew what they could do as well. I didn’t have a choice.”
“And so you just came up with all this yourself?” Kim had always knew Tommy was
bright, but this was Billy-type stuff. She didn’t realize that he was absorbing
all of that knowledge back then.
“The theory, yes. I knew what I needed to be able to do, but as far as
engineering it all, I had a lot of help. A brilliant friend I met in graduate is
a rocket scientist. She engineered the morphers, set up the tracking equipment,
and helped design the zords. I did the dinosaur DNA manipulation to make it
compatible with her fusion-powered technology. That was part of my PhD. thesis.
Unfortunately, someone got a hold of my research and made some mutations of his
own. Now there is a creature called Mesogog who is intent on returning the Earth
to the time of the dinosaur.”
“Dinosaurs? Like the prehistoric days?”
“Yep. No humans. He needs the gems to be able to do it, though so he’s after
us.”
“Who’s us? Who are the others? How many of you are they?”
“Five, including myself. Obviously, I have other functions. I go out into the
field with them about seventy-five percent of the time. In that case, Haley, the
genius, stays here to monitor the battles and control the zords. The other four
Rangers are students of mine. The whole thing was relatively accidental, but you
know how it is when you become a Ranger. You don’t choose it, it chooses you.”
Kim caught the feminine name ‘Haley’ right away, but she didn’t want him to know
that it bothered her. But he did say ‘friend’, and did say he was single. “I
read about Ranger activity in this area from time to time in the news, but it
never occurred to me that you were involved. I should have known better. You
always were the best of us.”
“I never wanted to still be doing this, but it has to be this way. For whatever
reason, this life keeps pulling me back in.” He started towards the stairs, as
he felt that was enough heavy information for tonight. It was time to show her
the rest of the house. They could talk Ranger more later, but for now, he wanted
to draw her attention away from it as much as possible.
Tommy led Kimberly to a comfortable living room, done in warm, masculine colors
with more fossils and artifacts strewn throughout. “Would you like a drink?
Maybe some coffee?”
“Sure, coffee sounds good.” He left her alone while he went to the kitchen to
make her some Starbucks. While he was gone, she wandered around the room,
absentmindedly checking out the artwork and photographs on the walls. There were
several mementos of his martial arts accomplishments: belts, trophies, and
plaques. Pictures of his parents and David and his family were displayed in
frames and albums on the end tables. To her surprise, there was even a large
picture of the six original Rangers, herself included, posing at Ernie’s Juice
Bar. They looked so happy. The overstuffed, chocolate-colored chenille sofa
looked comfortable, so once her curiosity about all of Tommy’s stuff was
satisfied, she took a seat.
He retuned after a few minutes with a cup of coffee in a blue mug. He shyly sat
down next to her, not knowing what to say after giving her the stunning news.
Anything else would seem anticlimactic at this point. She surprised him by
laying a hand on his wrist over the bracelet. The next thing she said would
leave him speechless for weeks every time he recalled it. “Tommy, Zordon would
be very proud of you.”
The only thing he could do was look into her tawny-colored eyes, silently
communicating his gratefulness for the profound compliment. He never considered
the reality that he fulfilled the same function for the Dino Thunder Rangers as
Zordon did for them. The thought suddenly had him feeling rather inadequate.
Zordon was, well, Zordon. An interdimensional being. Tommy Oliver was just a
human, no where near wise enough to make the kinds of decisions required to not
only save the world, but keep the Rangers safe, as well.
Kim immediately picked up on the sudden flash of Tommy’s self-doubt. It was so
ironic to her that the most capable Ranger ever had such a big problem feeling
worthy of the honor. Her sharp, natural instinct that always used to move in to
catch him before he fell into his pit of guilt seemed to still be sharply honed.
Lifting his chin gently with a finger, she looked deep into his eyes. “You have
a gift, Tommy. The rest of us, we did our tours of duty, and then moved on with
our lives. Being a Ranger may have changed us forever, but you changed what it
means to be a Ranger. You raised the bar, actually became the definition of a
Power Ranger. The one that all others aspire to be like. If you aren’t worthy of
mentoring a team, who is?”
Tommy’s heart swelled with the weight of her words. Kimberly had always known
just what to say exactly when he needed to hear it. He took her hands in his
like he had already several times this evening, but this time, the spark of
electricity that jolted through them at the other’s touch induced a poignant
moment of clarity. They were being drawn back together. Whether it was through
karma, or fate, or God’s will didn’t matter. And there was no use fighting it.
Letting nature take its course, the distance between them slowly narrowed until
their faces were mere inches apart, lips parted in anticipation. Before going
further, Tommy’s eyes sought permission, and finding no resistance, closed the
gap between them. The kiss was soft, brief, and light, reminiscent of their high
school days. They pulled apart after a moment, mentally readjusting to the
sensation. After what seemed like an eternity to Kim, Tommy lowered his lips to
hers again. There was no hesitation this time. Their mouths fused together with
mounting pressure, heads tilting for a better angle.
Kim’s body gradually moved closer to Tommy’s, her arms automatically winding
around his shoulders to grasp the back of his neck. He held her tightly, as near
to him as he could in the awkward face-to-face sitting position. His hands
glided over her satin-covered waist up to her silken bare shoulders.
Tentatively, he parted his lips to taste her, and was encouraged when her soft
tongue ventured out to meet his. The kiss deepened exponentially from there as
Tommy slowly devoured her mouth. They were completely lost in one another, at
last fulfilling the fantasy that they both had dreamed of for so long.
Eventually, their breathlessness forced them to part. When Tommy pulled back, he
could only gaze at her wet, slightly-parted lips. The degree of passion and
desire in her eyes hit him like a ton of bricks, and the realization that he was
the cause of it momentarily stunned him. At that moment, she was the most
beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he wanted her so badly it was physically
becoming very uncomfortable. He kept searching her face for any sign of protest,
but finding none, he shifted to sit back on the couch and carefully lifted
Kimberly into his lap. Just as he moved to kiss her again, she froze. His heart
skipped a few beats with the fear that he had gone too far, but the smile that
followed set his mind at ease.
“Tommy, why didn’t you ever kiss me like that in high school?” Her face held a
playful expression.
“You have no idea how badly I wanted to. I was just too scared.”
“Do you know how silly that sounds? This guy who piloted enormous zords and
single-handedly fought larger-than-life monsters was afraid to kiss his
girlfriend.”
“Well, we’re not kids anymore.” He knew she was teasing him, so he played along,
leering suggestively.
“I know, and we have a lot of time to make up for.” This time, Kim initiated the
kiss, descending on his mouth with a need that she didn’t understand and
couldn’t control. They kissed long and deep, tongues exploring and tasting the
other’s until they knew every detail by heart.
Tommy could no longer resist his desire to discover the soft skin of her throat.
His lips traveled down her jaw until he reached her neck, licking and nipping at
her pulse point, hands wandering over her hips and waist. Kim’s head fell back
with a soft moan, giving him easier access. He continued to kiss her neck,
slowly moving down to her shoulders, then back up to her ear. Tommy paused for a
moment to fully appreciate the picture before him, but he had to taste her lips
again. As they kissed, their bodies gravitated closer until Kim found herself
straddling his lap, her slender dress riding up her thighs to bunch around her
hips. His hands ran up and down her bare legs, seemingly of their own accord.
The natural motion of their passion caused her to grind into him, his hardness
evident against her.
Tommy had no idea how they ended up in their precarious position, but he wasn’t
complaining. Kimberly seemed to be just as enthusiastic about their activities
as he was, but he wondered where this was going. He had no doubt that he wanted
nothing more than to carry her upstairs right then and make love to her all
night, but he wasn’t sure if that would be the smartest thing to do. They did
just get reacquainted after many years apart, but he still couldn’t shake the
feeling that they were brought together because that’s where they belonged. From
a practical, rather than spiritual, standpoint though, if they didn’t end up in
bed, then where did they draw the line? The question was soon forgotten,
however, when her warm, wet mouth began blazing a trail over his cheek to a
sensitive spot beneath his left ear, drawing a spontaneous groan from Tommy.
It took Kim almost no time to grasp how much Tommy loved the attention she was
paying to his neck. He had lowered his head to rest on the back of the sofa and
his hands were digging into her thighs as he gasped for air with each caress of
her lips. She knew that she had to make a decision, and soon. Things were
becoming very hot and heavy, very quickly. Already, her dress was disheveled,
and although he had not made any move to touch her anywhere private, it was
inevitable at the pace they were going. She admitted to herself that she wanted
nothing more than to make love to Tommy, and he obviously desired her. This
might not be the most responsible thing to do, though. Pregnancy wasn’t a
consideration, since she had been on the pill since the accident when she was
just seventeen. The question that bothered her was what would he think of her if
she slept with him so soon? Under any other circumstances, she wouldn’t really
have given it a second thought. But since he knew about how quickly she agreed
to sex with a guy she’d practically just met in high school, he might think that
she sleeps around all the time. The fact was, she hadn’t been with a man in two
years. Casual sex was a mistake that she was sure she would never make again.
This didn’t feel like casual sex, though. The connection Kim felt to Tommy was
more than physical. From the first time she saw him walking towards her on the
sidewalk outside the bank, she knew that they belonged together. As kids, it was
love at first sight. Now that they were adults, and had each experienced both
passion and betrayal in their past relationships, neither of them could risk
being that naïve anymore. Something was brewing between them, though, besides
basic lust. These feelings were both new and familiar. They were no longer the
same people that they were as teenagers. Grown-up responsibilities and
ideologies had long replaced the impetuousness of youth, but the chemistry
between their adult selves seemed only heightened by maturity. It was
exhilarating, confusing, and terrifying, all at the same time. And beyond either
of them to control.
The confinement of Tommy’s formal clothing had so far hindered the skin contact
that Kim was desperately craving. While her legs, shoulders, and upper back were
exposed for his exploration, she could only grasp at his heavily muscled body
through the layers of his jacket and shirt. He hadn’t even loosened his tie. She
knew that he was probably feeling hesitant about moving things forward out of
respect for her. That’s just how he was, so once Kimberly decided that she
wanted their activities to progress, she began to take the initiative, starting
at the top.
The striking silk tie was the first to go. Kim fumbled with the knot while they
remained in a passionate lip-lock until Tommy realized her intention and took
over the task. Once freed of that constriction, he unfastened the collar,
exposing more of the tanned column of his throat. The scent of his cologne had
been driving her crazy all evening, so at this first access, she buried her face
in his neck and inhaled deeply, kissing and biting his salty skin. In an
intense, involuntary response, Tommy tightly grasped her tiny waist and sharply
thrust his hips up off the sofa into the juncture of her legs, a loud moan
escaping his throat.
Kimberly was more turned-on than she thought possible. She had to feel more of
him, so remaining latched to his neck, she began to claw at his jacket. Although
he was loathe to do anything to cause her to stop her assault on his throat, in
order get out of his suit coat, he had change position. Tommy’s powerful
strength allowed him to stand up while still holding her to him, and once
upright, she sensually slid down his body to the floor. Their hands worked in
tandem to remove his jacket and unfasten the rest of his shirt buttons. Kim
reveled in each new inch of skin she revealed. Their kisses came at a frenzied
pace now, the tone of their activity distinctly sexual by now.
For a split second, Tommy stopped, his brain momentarily winning the struggle it
was having with his male anatomy for attention. Catching their breath, their
eyes met, both asking and answering the question on both of their minds. If
either wanted to stop, they needed to say so now, because they were approaching
the point of no return. Once both were assured of the other’s intention, Kim
reached out and took Tommy’s hands in hers. She led them behind her back to the
zipper of her dress, resting them there, then snaked her arms back around his
neck to pull him down into a searing, encouraging kiss.
Tommy fingered the zipper, uncertainty filling his mind again. This time,
though, his debate with himself had nothing to do with whether or not he wanted
to pull the tiny sliver of metal down, revealing her amazing body. That was a
given. Whether he wanted to do it in the middle of his living room was the
question. After a split second, he decided that they would be much more
comfortable in the bedroom.
The sudden tearing apart of their lips startled Kim. Her first thought was that
he had changed his mind, but when he looked down at her, the desire and need
written all over his face explained his actions before he even spoke. “Maybe we
shouldn’t do this right here.” His voice was breathy and deep. Kimberly could
only nod her consent. Leaving his jacket and tie strewn haphazardly on the
floor, he motioned for her to follow him to his room.
Descending the stairs proved to be difficult. At least every other step, they
stopped to kiss and grope each other. Eventually, though, they reached their
destination. Tommy led her inside and immediately engulfed her in his arms. They
kissed deeply, Kim’s small hands pulling the shirt from his waistband and off
his shoulders. Once she could feel the sharply defined muscles covered with
smooth, tanned skin, she had to have more. His hands returned to the zipper
behind her, slowly and deliberately inching it downward, just like he fantasized
about doing earlier in the evening. The style of the dress left no room for
complicated undergarments, so when the dress fell to the floor, Kimberly was
left standing before him in nothing but a pair of white lace panties and the
silver heels. The blue topaz gem dangling just above her breasts shone in the
dim light, beckoning him in its direction.
In order to even out the score, Kim reached for his belt, but Tommy stopped her.
He still had on his shoes and socks, so he sat down on the edge of the bed to
remove them. Once finished, he stood back up to allow her to continue her
exploration. Quickly, the grey trousers landed on the floor with the royal blue
shirt, completely forgotten. The sight of her was making Tommy a bit weak in the
knees, so he pulled her to him as he lowered himself to lie on the bed.
There wasn’t nearly the amount of bashfulness that Kim usually felt with a new
lover. Although she and Tommy had never seen each other in anything more
revealing than a bathing suit, the stakes were much higher this time. Pushing
herself up to straddle his rippled stomach, she was reminded of his arousal when
his hardness, still covered by the boxers, poked against her backside. It was a
‘huge’ turn-on, and she was sure there was a wet spot on his skin where her
excitement seeped through her panties.
Before she could decide what to do next, Kim suddenly found herself flipped over
onto her back. Tommy lied down on his side next to her and immediately lowered
his lips to hers again. While balancing on his left elbow, his right hand
remained free to explore her silky skin. He started at her throat and slowly ran
his fingers delicately over the contours of her neck and shoulders, then
partially down the arm that was wound around his back. It was like he was
appraising an exotic sculpture…like if he touched it too roughly, it would
break.
Ever so lightly, Tommy ran the back of his hand between her supple breasts to
her flat stomach. He circled her bellybutton with an index finger before
cautiously starting back up to repeat the motion over the hard, pink nipple at
the peak of her luscious breast. Kim drew in a harsh breath, breaking away from
his kiss with a guttural moan. To keep his mouth occupied, he began to trace the
lines of her neck with the tip of his tongue while his nimble fingers continued
to tease her stiff bud.
Tommy was intoxicated by her eager response, and it fueled him on. His lips
kissed and nipped their way down to meet his hand, and without any warning, he
took her nipple in his mouth and lashed his tongue over it, sucking lightly.
Kimberly let out an enthusiastic cry and dug her fingertips into his muscled
back. When he moved to share his attention with the other firm breast, it gave
her a better approach to reach down and slip her tiny hand through his fly. She
grasped his thick cock and ran a finger over the tip to spread the moisture over
the textured skin.
“Ahh…” Tommy growled, pulling away from her breast with a smack of his lips. Her
hand was stroking him now, and he could tell that he’d better stop her before he
lost control of himself. To dissuade her attention, he continued his journey
down her abdomen until he reached the lacy edge of her panties. Without
hesitation, he cupped her damp center and slid two fingers underneath the
elastic and between her slick folds to bury themselves inside her tight passage.
“Oh, God!” Kim screamed, and so began the tug of war where they each sought to
drive the other insane.
In a rapid motion, Tommy slid her panties down her slender legs, which once free
of the lacy garment, instinctively opened wide for his exploration. He continued
to move his fingers in and out of her at a slow, rhythmic pace that was driving
Kim wild. She kept trying to thrash around on the bed, but his strong arm held
her firmly in place. His hot breath bore down on her sending waves of ecstasy
throughout her center, but nothing compared to the amazing sensation she felt
when he spread her wet petals with his free hand and leisurely drew his warm,
slick tongue gently over them. She bolted forward off the bed, catching her
upper-body by leaning back on her elbows. From this position, she had a perfect
view of the show.
Tommy knew she was watching him lavish this pleasure on her, so he took his time
and made an overt effort to lick and suck her clit with exaggerated relish.
Every so often, he looked up at her, determined to burn forever in his mind the
image of Kimberly Hart in the throes of passion. Her hands pulled at the bed
linens and her incredibly taut body was covered with a light sheen of sweat. It
was the very picture he never dared to dream about when he was in high school
for fear of embarrassing himself. His fingers continued to slide into her at an
increasingly frenzied pace. He was focused on taking his cues from her, and he
could tell by the way her thighs were tensed and her jaw was tightened that she
was close to the edge.
Wanting a grand finale, Tommy threw everything he had into making her scream.
His tongue licked and slashed over her slick folds and tight nub as his fingers
attacked the inner walls of her slit with dizzying speed. Kim was panting now,
biting her bottom lip and pounding the bed with her fists. Just when she was
sure she couldn’t take anymore, his deep brown, heavily-lashed eyes darted up to
lock with hers. It was the most erotic experience she had ever known. With one
more breathless gasp, her hips began to buck and he could feel the pulsating
waves of pleasure that clenched and released his fingers as she came.
“Nnnggg… Goddamn it, Tommy… Ahhhh…!” she cried out, followed by a string of
nonsensical muttering.
Tommy was feeling a testosterone surge as he proudly watched her lose herself in
her orgasm. It had been a long time since he had been with anyone, and he had to
admit he missed the high he got from making a woman climax uncontrollably. He
laid his head down on her soft thigh while she came down, still fingering her
wetness through the aftershocks. She gave herself a moment to recuperate, but
not too long, because she found that even after that incredible culmination, she
was not even close to satisfied. Kimberly almost regretted having to interrupt
his lazy relaxation…almost. She wiggled her leg to force him to lift his head.
When he did, she fixed him with a naughty stare while she reached down and
grasped his shoulder, pulling him up until they were face to face.
Tommy looked down at her flushed countenance, amazed at the desire in her eyes.
He hadn’t thought he could get any harder, but the more he gazed at her, the
more painfully rigid his cock became. It was tough to fight the urge to just
plunge into her depths, but he knew that would probably be a big mistake. Most
guys wouldn’t admit it, but there was a definite downside to being exceptionally
well-endowed. Even if the woman was not an inexperienced virgin and was properly
aroused, there was still sometimes a little discomfort initially when he entered
her until she adjusted to his size. Kimberly being such a tiny girl made him
that much more apprehensive.
At times like this, he had to force himself to push the memory of his traumatic
first experience out of his mind. It was during his first year of college, and
he and his then-girlfriend Katherine Hillard had taken off for a weekend alone
at his uncle’s cabin. Their physical relationship had been progressing steadily,
and he figured it was inevitable that they would consummate their love soon, so
he went appropriately prepared with plenty of condoms. Although he tried to be
gentle, what neither of them had been ready for was the extreme pain she would
go through and the copious amount of blood involved. The whole thing was enough
to turn both of them off of sex for another several months until they were brave
enough to try again, although they had to do it a number of other times before
it became very pleasurable for either.
Tommy leant down to kiss Kim deeply, and the way she plundered his mouth with
her tongue served to remind him that she was definitely not a virgin.
Furthermore, when she pushed him over to lie on his back, he understood that she
meant to take charge, which was both good for her comfort, and for his staying
power. If he were allowed to set the pace, it would be over with very quickly.
Suddenly, her center brushed against him, and he noticed how deprived of
skin-on-skin contact he was since was still in his boxers. The hindrance of the
soft cotton must have caught her attention, too, because she seductively inched
a bit further down his body and hooked her fingers under the waistband. Skimming
the underwear over his hips, she took in the sight of his perfect body in its
entirety as it was revealed to her inch by inch. Kimberly had seen him shirtless
many times in high school while at the beach or while he was working out, and
though he was very well-built for a teenager back then, time has worked wonders.
At nearly thirty, Tommy Oliver was an Adonis. His strong arms and shoulders
tapered gracefully into tight, firm pectoral muscles and rock-hard abs. He had
the kind of body that should be on the cover of a magazine. Preferably Playgirl,
she thought with an evil grin.
As she lowered the boxers further over his thighs, she was acutely aware that he
was watching her assess him. She knew it probably made him uncomfortable to see
her stare so blatantly, but she couldn’t help it, especially when his giant
erection sprung out to greet her as she removed the last barrier between them.
Kimberly didn’t have a strong recollection of losing her virginity, as she was
totally wasted at the time. What she did remember was that maybe it was a
blessing in disguise, since she really didn’t feel any pain. As a gymnast, it
was likely that her hymen was already broken, anyway and the men she had slept
with since then had been average in the penis department. Most of them had been
considerate and enthusiastic lovers, thus reinforcing the old saying that ‘size
doesn’t matter’. She could have lived a perfectly happy life with that
belief…until now. How any one man could be so gifted in so many ways was beyond
her. His manhood stood at attention with a tiny bit of fluid accumulated on the
head accentuating his arousal. It had to be, at the very least, nine inches
long, but what was really impressive was the thickness. She wasn’t sure if she
could take it all in, but right now, she was dying to give it a try. Scooting
back up to align herself with her new prize, she captured his mouth with hers
again in a languid kiss and then raised herself up to kneel teasingly above him
in all her luscious glory. Slowly, and with measured control, she began her
descent.
The moment the tip of his cock met the slippery heat of her folds, he became
undone. She supported herself with her hands on his muscular chest as she slowly
inched him into her tightness, taking her time both because she knew it would
drive him mad, and more practically, because he was so huge. As her most
intimate place parted to allow him entry, Kim’s eyes nearly rolled back in her
head when the sensation of being completely filled with his satin-covered
hardness took hold. Despite his girth, her body accommodated him easily, thanks
in part to the extra wetness afforded by his prior tongue-lashing. It was the
most incredible feeling ever, and up until that moment, she hadn’t realized what
a void there was in her life.
As she settled on him, Tommy couldn’t help arching his back and squeezing his
eyes shut. The tightness surrounding him was beyond anything he had known
before. She was squeezing so snugly he was afraid it wouldn’t be long till she
wrung him dry. He gripped her hips so hard there were red finger marks on her
skin, but she obviously felt no pain. Once Kim had the entire length of him
inside her, she froze for a moment so her body could adjust. By the gasps and
moans coming from him, it looked like he needed the breather, too.
After a few seconds, the desire to feel him move against her took over. She
lifted herself up so that just the head of his cock was inside her while leaning
forward and latching her lips onto his exposed throat. “Uhhnn…fuck…” was all
Tommy could get out in a breathless pant. Kim continued to kiss and nip at his
neck as she slowly pushed herself back down. Her soaked opening by now had fully
relented to his size, and the friction generated as he glided against her clit
shook her to the core.
The pace she set was at first agonizingly slow and steady, allowing her mouth to
stay in contact with his skin. Eventually, though, they both needed more. Kim
released his throat and raised herself up again, still rocking leisurely. She
smirked playfully as she noticed the red marks on his neck left in her wake. In
a way, she felt proud, like she had claimed him as hers. He opened his eyes and
watched her rise and fall on him. The hard pink peaks of her nipples beckoned to
him, and he couldn’t help reaching up and taking them in his hands, massaging
lightly, eliciting a throaty groan from her. This was a picture of Kimberly Hart
that he couldn’t have ever imagined. Focusing on her gorgeous body, he trailed
his gaze downward to where they were joined. The sight of his cock delving into
her folds was intoxicating, so letting go of her breasts, Tommy allowed his
fingers to glaze over the skin of her stomach until he reached that spot.
Somehow, he had presence of mind to hold her hips in place with one strong arm
as he parted her neatly trimmed curls with his first two digits and began to
stroke her clit in a fluid motion.
“God!... Yeah, like that…. don’t stop…” Kim breathed, and she need not worry.
Tommy had no intention of quitting until she climaxed ecstatically around him.
She rocked faster up and down on his cock, supporting herself by grasping his
thighs behind her. Her head was thrown back, breasts thrust forward, and she was
sighing and whimpering erotic nothings over and over. It really turned him on
that she had so few inhibitions. She was clearly enjoying his efforts and
letting him know it.
Soon, Tommy lost all control and fell into her rhythm, pounding up into her with
tremendous force with his fingers still on her clit. Their natural motion
provided the stimulation without him having to do anything. He concentrated on
her signals: auditory, visual, and physical. She was so close. Her skin was
covered with a light sweat, making her hair stick to her face, shoulders, and
neck. It was the sexiest image he had ever seen. The edge of heaven was just
within reach, all he had to do was give her a little push. Angling his pelvis to
hit her G-spot and drive himself even deeper into her, he shortened his strokes
to maintain the contact, and it seemed to do the trick.
“Uhhh... please… more… God!!!...” Kimberly’s voice was at a fever pitch, but the
moment her orgasm hit, all the breath was sucked from her lungs. She opened her
mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Her face contorted in ecstasy and her
nails gouged into his skin. Ripples of release washed over her entire body as
she gasped for air. Tommy continued to circle her clit until it became too much
and she had to push his hand away.
Slowly, Kim rode out her climax, rocking less vigorously on his cock than
before, eventually coming to a stop. Opening her eyes, she gazed down on Tommy,
who in turn stared at her in awe. It made her blush a little when she realized
just how much she let herself go. She didn’t get too much time to be
embarrassed, though, because in the next second, she found herself flipped over
onto her back. He was still inside her, and then it hit her that he hadn’t come
yet. The hunger in his dark eyes was nothing other than animalistic, like a lion
stalking his prey. All she could do was hold on to the headboard and wrap her
legs around his waist in preparation for a wild ride.
The constricting and releasing of Kim’s inner walls around his cock during her
climax drove Tommy over his precarious cliff of rationale. From somewhere
within, he found the patience to let her come down from her orgasm, but as soon
as she relaxed, he snapped. Almost entirely on instinct, he turned her over so
that she was beneath him. He immediately began taking long, deep strokes at a
moderate pace. Kim’s body fit his so perfectly. It was just another sign that
they were somehow meant to be together.
Tommy balanced his weight on his strong arms with his hands on either side of
her head. He hung his head forward, his eyes shut tightly in tense
concentration, wanting to make it last. As he thrust harder, Kim watched a drop
of blood appear on his lower lip where he was biting it intensely. His breath
was coming in short gasps and his tawny skin was flushed and coated with sweat.
Periodically, low growls and grunts emanated from his throat, but otherwise, the
creaking of the bed springs and the slamming of the headboard against the wall
were the only sounds dominating the room.
It didn’t take long for Kim to realize that she was on the verge on a third
orgasm. This was an unprecedented event in her sexual experience, but the sight
of Tommy Oliver fully absorbed in this untamed rapture got her juices flowing
again. When he lifted her legs to rest atop his shoulders, his pubic bone nailed
her in just the right place. It threw her into another climax hardly without any
warning. He slid into her long and deep through her screams, picking up more
speed by the minute. Soon, he was slamming into her with such force, she had to
brace herself with her arms against the headboard to keep from hitting her head
on it.
Tommy was so near orgasm he could almost taste it. A less-flexible woman might
have been uncomfortable with her knees pushed practically behind her ears, but
years of gymnastics had Kimberly in great shape, and the depth with which he
could penetrate her in this position had both of them crazed. He was incoherent
by now, his gasps and moans coming louder and louder. Blood still trickled from
his lip and down his chin, but he didn’t seem to notice. She knew he couldn’t
last much longer, and she was right. His face took on a look of intense
concentration as his thrusts got shorter and faster. Somehow, he found the
breath to gasp a few words. “Kim… God… uhhh… ’m gonna… I’m…”
“Let it go, Tommy. Come for me,” Kim whispered in a sultry voice oozing with
sexuality, just loud enough for him to hear.
That was all it took. All of a sudden, he threw his head back and froze within
her for a couple seconds. Tommy nearly passed out as his hot come filled Kim’s
already-soaking channel in several long bursts. “God… ahhh… shit… oh God… fuck…” he
mumbled, shouted, panted, moaned, and grunted in random succession for the
tremendous length of his climax. As the waves subsided, his powerful thrusts
dissolved into a steady rocking motion, and then finally, he stilled.
Watching Tommy’s earth-shattering orgasm almost had Kim hot enough to come
again, but it looked as if he needed a break. His body still quaked with
aftershocks while he recovered his sanity. It seemed to take a major effort, but
he eventually pried his eyes open and immediately glanced away in embarrassment
when he saw how intently she was looking at him. That had been the most
incredible thing he’d ever experienced in his life, and although he didn’t
exactly remember his reaction, he was pretty sure his enthusiasm had been
evident. Kim reached up and turned his chin towards her, smiling delicately to
show how happy she was while also nudging him lightly in the shoulder blade with
the heel of here foot to remind him of their awkward position. He quickly
realized that she might be uncomfortable after having her legs pinned up like
that for so long, so he gently lowered them to the bed and rolled off of her to
land on his side like a sack of potatoes. His body was slack and his muscles
were throbbing with over-exertion. Still, he would have never traded this moment
for anything in the world. No other woman would ever compare. “That was
amazing,” he finally said in a raspy voice.
“I think we set some kind of world record,” she responded with a giggle. “It was
certainly a record for me…” Then she clammed up, careful not to inflate his ego
or reveal too much.
Tommy laughed lightly, fully aware that he had never orgasmed like that before
in his life, either. He inadvertently yawned, and then covered his mouth. The
sex had been out of this world, but he hoped she could wait until morning for an
encore. He was exhausted. To his delight, she yawned in response, and he could
tell that it was more than just that strange yawning phenomenon of ‘monkey see,
monkey do’. Her eyelids looked heavy and she was squirming to get herself into a
comfortable position for the night. The bedside clock read two-thirty, so he
pulled the covers up over them both and turned off the lamp. Soon, they were
both sound asleep.
---------------------
Morning came quickly, and for the first time since he could remember, Tommy
didn’t bound from the bed promptly at seven. Consciousness came gradually, and
with it the reality that the night before hadn’t been a dream. A glance over his
shoulder told him that Kimberly Hart was indeed lying next to him, naked. The
sex had been fantastic beyond belief, and as he emerged from his deep sleep, he
soon noticed that at least one part of him had awoken already and was looking
for more.
Sometimes the light of day, however, brought regrets. Though not very
experienced in the one night stand department, Tommy at least knew that much. He
didn’t know what he would do if Kim woke up and decided sleeping together had
been a huge mistake. The morning sun was harsh in his eyes since he was turned
toward the window, but her rejection would be much harsher, so fought the desire
to roll over and take her in his arms like his body was urging him to do. The
alarm clock read nine o’clock, and from the absence of movement behind him, it
seemed as though Kimberly was still sound asleep. If she were the one to wake
first, she could adjust to the situation on her own before having to face him.
His mind made up, he forced himself to close his eyes against the brightness and
concentrate on dozing off again.
Not ten minutes went by when the touch of Kim’s warm lips against the back of
his neck sent a jolt through him, threatening to throw him from the bed. She
held him tightly though, sucking and nipping a spot just below his hairline.
Aside from the erotic feelings her ministrations were invoking in him, Tommy
also felt a wash of relief. She obviously had no regrets, and seemed to be just
as interested in a repeat performance as he was. Deciding that it would be more
fun to be an active participant rather than a passive audience, he suddenly
turned over and flipped her on her back, landing above her. A deep ‘good
morning’ kiss followed, and before long they were swept back into a wave of
desire. Making love in the daylight brought the sensation of being able to watch
the other’s reactions, heightening the passion. The tentativeness of the night
before was gone, their bodies now familiar territory. Without any inhibitions
this time, they enthusiastically brought each other pleasure beyond anything
either of them had ever experienced before, even last night.
Sunday mornings were not usually very busy at the cybercafé. Trent was opening
up, so Haley felt OK about taking some time to kill two birds with one stone.
She had been working on a transponder to increase the frequency of the Ranger’s
communicators. If her adjustments worked, they would now function at a distance
more than twice what they did presently. Since Mesogog had been rather quiet
lately, she knew that it wouldn’t be long before another attack. Delivering and
installing the mechanism to the Ranger command center in Tommy’s basement was
the first order of business on this bright and sunny day.
There was an ulterior motive, though, to Haley’s unscheduled trip to Tommy’s
house. She had been mentally preparing a plan since she had made up her mind
yesterday to finally reveal her feelings for him. Finding the right time was
crucial, since there couldn’t be any intrusions. After much deliberation, she
decided that the early morning would be best. The other Rangers usually slept in
on Sundays, but she knew that Tommy would be up.
It was around nine when Haley left her spacious condo with the transponder in
tow. Tommy Oliver was a creature of habit, and arriving at this time would mean
that his workout and shower would be over with. He would probably be having
breakfast and grading papers. There would be no better time. She had worked up
her momentum all last night, considering all outcomes as any overly-analytical
genius would do. Feeling ready for whatever he might say or do, she pulled her
new, green VW Beetle into the gravel driveway of 1992 Valencia Drive.
Haley parked in the back of the house in order to enter the command center
through the forest entrance. Out of respect for Tommy’s privacy, it was
understood by her and the Rangers that while they were all welcome in the
command center anytime, unexpected visitors were not to use the trap door in his
house. This arrangement would be perfect for her needs this morning, since the
transponder gave her a valid excuse to be there. She planned to drop it off
downstairs, and come up through the house after announcing herself. The script
she memorized that would tell him how she felt firmly intact in her head, she
pulled down on the large dinosaur skeleton jaw in the cave. The door slid open,
and she took a deep breath. There was always the possibility that he would be
down there, and if that was the case, she would just let nature take its course.
A quick glance around told Haley that the command center was empty. She placed
the transponder on the main control desk, and walked towards the stairs leading
to the house with as much confidence as she could dredge up. Why wouldn’t he
want me? I’m smart, trustworthy, and we both have a common goal to beat Mesogog.
My technology and friendship have saved his ass more times than I can count. So
what if I’m not the most beautiful woman in the world. He’s not a shallow man.
That’s why I love him so much.
Haley reached the top of the steps and paused before tripping the switch that
would raise the floor board. Once open, she stuck her head up through the hole
and glanced around for any signs of Tommy. From there, she could see through to
the kitchen, and he wasn’t seated at the table having breakfast like she
expected. She knew he was home. Both the Jeep and the Durango were parked out
front. Maybe he wasn’t done with his workout and was in the backyard.
As soon as she ascended the rest of the stairs and was standing in the office,
she heard an odd noise, and then another. Haley couldn’t place the nature of the
sounds, so she quietly tiptoed in their direction. The noises were coming
steadily now, and as she moved towards the living room, they became louder and
louder. Her first inclination was that Tommy was being attacked in his own
house. Fear for his life overtook her respect for his privacy, and she forged
on.
Once in the living room, the rhythmic, pounding noises began coming at a rapid
pace. Haley was still scared for Tommy, but soon a sinking feeling overtook her
as she spotted a suit jacket and tie lying crumpled on the floor in front of the
sofa.
Then came the voices. Haley’s dread intensified when she heard what was clearly
a feminine voice cry out Tommy’s name. The thumping sounds came faster, and now
they were interspersed with varied groans, moans, and gasps. She could just make
out a few breathless words. “Tommy... just like that…don’t stop… almost there!”
was followed by his deep grunting and a few “Oh God’s”.
Haley couldn’t believe it. She knew it was kind of perverted to just stand there
listening, but she was frozen in place. Tommy was upstairs, having wild sex with
some woman. Some woman that wasn’t her. The weight of this knowledge buried
itself in the pit of her stomach, twisting and turning, making her feel ill. The
normally rational woman became crazed with anger at the realization. Angry at
herself for not making her move sooner, but mostly angry at him, though her
intellectual side knew she had no right. Here I am, ready to pour my heart
out, and where is he? Upstairs banging some slut he picked up at the wedding
last night, probably a bridesmaid. Well, see what I’ll ever do for you again,
Tommy Oliver.
Her reverie was interrupted abruptly when the pounding ceased and several
passionate cries signaled what was obviously their mutual climax. Haley couldn’t
take it anymore, and with tears in her eyes, fled the house through the front
door.
Chapter 13: Spitting Tacks
It was a miracle that Haley made it to the Cyberspace in one piece. Her drive
from Valencia Drive was filled with more speed, twists, turns, and skid marks
than the Indy 500. Once she haphazardly parked the car in her private space
behind the café, she entered through the back, stomped through the storeroom and
into her office, slamming the door behind her.
The tears hadn’t stopped flowing from her eyes since she fled Tommy’s house, and
neither had the stream of profanity from her lips. Between sobs, Haley made sure
to insult everything from his parentage to his anatomical attributes.
Repeatedly. She wasn’t sure when she had learned to curse like a sailor, but
like every other skill she’s tried to pick up so far in her life, she was
proving to be a quick study. It took only a matter of seconds until she heard a
knock.
“What!” The sharp retort came out of her mouth without a second thought.
“Uh, Haley? Is something wrong? I heard a noise.” Trent spoke hesitantly. At
first, he ran to the back because he thought someone broke in. If they were
being robbed, he had wondered how they’d like coming face to face with the White
Ranger. His heroic intentions came to a screeching halt, however, when he saw
the office door shut and heard muffled sobs coming from the other side.
“No, Trent, I’m fine. Get back to work!”
“Yeah, I’m going.” He had never heard her yell before, and was tempted to
question her again, but when he heard his boss utter something so obscene that
it’d make even Conner blush, he changed his mind. He could live with his
curiosity.
Almost two hours later, Haley still hadn’t emerged from the back room. Luckily
for Trent, business was still slow. He used the time to do as much prep work as
he could up front, like cutting fruit and grinding coffee beans, anything to
avoid the storeroom. The rest of the Rangers had already shown up and were
gathered around the widescreen TV, having their morning java.
Trent had decided not to mention Haley’s strange behavior to the others. He
hoped that giving her time would help her to pull herself together and get over
whatever was bothering her. That plan was shot to hell when he heard loud
footsteps coming from the general vicinity of the office. The café’s namesake
emerged out of the doorway without a word. She clumsily grabbed a coffee cup,
but in her haste she fumbled and dropped it, shattering ceramic shards
everywhere. “Goddamn it!”
The loud curse easily got the attention of the gang seated on the sofas. It was
a good thing there were no other patrons in the place this early on a Sunday
morning. Trent automatically moved to help clean up the mess, but Haley stopped
his progression with a hand gesture and a stern expression. She bent over behind
the counter to pick up the pieces herself, but seconds later more obscene
language drifted forth. “Shit, shit, shit, shit. Damn.” The Rangers saw a
glimpse of blood on her finger just before she stuck it in her mouth and ran
back to the storeroom.
“Hey Trent, what’s wrong with her today?” Conner was the only one not stunned
speechless by Haley’s display.
“I have no idea. She came in here this morning, slamming doors and crying. Then
she locked herself in her office for like two hours. She snapped at me when I
asked her if she was OK, so I just left her alone.”
“I’ve never seen her like that. What could possibly have happened to make her
that angry?” Ethan was probably the closest to Haley besides Trent, since he had
been a patron of the café long before becoming a Ranger.
“Maybe I should go and talk to her. You know, girl to girl.” Kira’s offer was
representative of her usual sensitivity. She headed towards the office with a
confident, determined step. Her friend obviously needed a friend, and she was
happy to be one.
Not three minutes later Kira was back, her tail between her legs. “That didn’t
go well.”
“What happened?” the boys all asked at the same time.
“All I did was ask her if she wanted to talk about it. She practically screamed
‘there’s nothing to talk about’, then slammed the door in my face. Now she’s
crying again.”
“Do you think we should tell Dr. O what’s up? They’ve been friends for a long
time. Maybe he knows what’s wrong and can help.” Ethan’s suggestion was met with
a round of approval from the rest of the Rangers. All of them seemed to look to
Tommy as the knower and fixer of all things.
“I’ll call him,” Conner offered, raising his Dino Gem bracelet near his mouth.
---------------------
Tommy and Kimberly were still lazing in bed at almost noon. Every time they
resigned to assume a vertical position, they would somehow get distracted and
end up making love again. Between sessions, they would talk about the old gang,
high school days, and Bulk and Skull, or Rita and Zedd. Tommy filled her in on
the Dino Thunder Rangers, their weapons and zords, and the tactics they used
against Mesogog. The closest they got to doing anything productive was when
Tommy dashed downstairs for a few minutes to make a quick breakfast of toast,
coffee, yogurt, and fruit. But because of this nutritious snack, they found
themselves filled with renewed energy and ready for round…well, they lost count
after five.
A little while after their latest passionate interlude, the couple lay
contentedly in each other’s arms. They were just on the verge of dozing off when
the familiar signal on Tommy’s bracelet broke the silence, startling them both.
“Is that your alarm? Is Reefside being attacked?” Kim’s concern was evident in
both her voice and on her face. The reality of Tommy being in the line of fire
again came rushing towards her like a speeding train. She could not deal with
the idea of finally getting him back just to lose him again.
“No, it’s just the communicator. Conner, the Red Ranger’s signal,” Tommy assured
her as he wrestled his arm from around her to facilitate answering the call. He
put a finger to his lips to remind her to be quiet, and turned his attention to
the gem. “What’s up, Conner?”
“Hey, Dr. O. Listen, we’re all here at the Cyberspace, and Haley is acting
really strange. She almost bit Trent’s head off, she barked at Kira, and she
keeps alternating between swearing and crying. We thought maybe you’d have some
idea what’s wrong with her.”
“No, Conner, I really don’t. Swearing and crying? Are you sure?” Tommy needed to
verify what he just heard. It didn’t sound like Haley, and he wanted to make
sure that the kids weren’t playing a trick on him. Their sense of humor could
get pretty irreverent sometimes.
“Yeah! I’m not kidding. She’s running around here like a nut, dropping stuff and
cursing like a sailor, then when we asked her what’s wrong, she reamed us out.”
Conner decided to take collective credit for Kira’s attempt to talk to Haley
since she went in there to speak for all of them.
“That’s strange. I really don’t have any idea what the problem could be.”
Kira’s voice chimed in next. “Can you help her, though? She’s really upset about
something. Maybe she’ll talk to you.”
“I can try. I’ll be there as soon as I can. In the mean time, just leave her
alone. Give her a chance to work through it.”
“OK, Dr. O, see you soon.”
“Yeah, later…”
Tommy cut the link off and flopped back on the bed with a sigh. Kimberly
snuggled up to him, her body language communicating her concern and
understanding. “Dr. O?” she teased. “That’s cute. I’m sorry, baby, but it’s so
hard to believe you have a PhD.” Then more seriously, “you really don’t have any
idea what’s wrong with Haley?”
“Sometimes I can’t believe it when I hear it, either. And no, I honestly don’t
know, but I need to find out. She’s a good friend.”
Kim was ashamed to admit it to herself, but she felt a sudden twinge of jealousy
at the endearing way he referred to his female friend. She decided to ask and
get the truth about the real nature of his relationship with Haley right away.
She didn’t exactly know what she and Tommy were becoming after last night, but
she knew it couldn’t afford any secrets. She knew he wouldn’t lie to her. “I
know it’s none of my business, Tommy, but was there ever anything besides
friendship with you and Haley?”
“No, never. We’re good friends, but we never dated. We just don’t see each other
that way.”
Kim mentally breathed a sigh of relief. She knew she had no right to feel that
way, because even if he and Haley had been an item at one time, they obviously
weren’t at the moment, or Tommy wouldn’t be lying in bed with her right now.
“You have to go to her, then.”
“Yeah, I know. What Conner described couldn’t be more out of character for her.
Whatever it is must be serious. She didn’t even act like that when Anton Mercer
tried to buy her café out from under her.”
“We’d better get up then.”
“Yep, we’d better. Listen, I’d like to introduce you to Haley and the team, but
under the circumstances, it probably should wait. Now, I have an idea. Why don’t
you check out of the hotel today? I see no reason for you to spend your money on
two more nights when I have a perfectly good bed right here I’m willing to share
with you for free. You can take the Durango to get your stuff while I go to the
café and talk to Haley.”
“Mmmmm… sounds like a plan. Are you sure you can handle two more nights with me?”
Kim teased him suggestively.
“I don’t know, but I’m willing to die trying.” Tommy leaned in for a lingering
kiss that threatened to turn into much more, but Kim pushed him away playfully.
“Hey, now. We have to get up. There’s plenty of time for that later.” She
climbed out of bed first, her naked body enticing him as she walked across the
room to retrieve her dress. “Do you have something else I can wear back to the
hotel? I don’t feel like putting this uncomfortable thing back on.”
“Sure, you’re welcome to whatever you can find in the closet or dresser. I
always loved the way you looked swimming in my big clothes. I’m going to get a
shower.”
“I’d join you, but then we’ll get out of here. I’ll take one when I get back to
the hotel before I check out. I’ll call your cell when I’m ready to leave
there.”
“Sounds like a plan. Do you know how to get back into town from all the way out
here?”
“I’ll figure it out. I’m not a man, so if I get lost, I’ll ask for directions.”
“Ha, ha, ha. Let’s roughly say a couple of hours.” Tommy finally got out of bed
and went straight to the bathroom.
Kim quickly found a pair of jogging shorts and a T-shirt to put on. In less than
a minute, she was dressed. She heard the shower turn on, so she snuck in,
suddenly sliding the curtain aside, scaring the hell out of him. They both
laughed at her surprise until Tommy decided that retaliation would be a lot of
fun. He leaned out of the tub to give her a kiss, and when she responded, he
grabbed her T-shirt and pulled her head under the spray, soaking her head.
“Ahhhh! You ass!” Kimberly wasn’t really mad. These were the kind of jokes she
and Tommy always used to play on each other. It felt so good to be doing it
again. Laughing, she closed the curtain again. “I took the keys out of your
pants pocket, and I’ll call you in a bit.” Then after grabbing a towel from the
rack to blot some of the water from her hair, she took off for the Marriott.
---------------------
Tommy was too lazy to dry his hair and mess with the spikes, so he just rubbed
in a little gel and combed it back so that his curls would dry in loose waves.
After donning black cargos and a grey T-shirt, he grabbed the Jeep keys and
headed to Haley’s Cyberspace. The whole way there, he tried to figure out what
could possibly be bothering Haley enough to make her act out like she was. The
only reasonable answer was that something must be wrong in her family. He knew
that her dad died years ago, and her mom lived in Seattle. Last he heard, she
was in good health. Something could have gone wrong with her, or even with her
brother in Oregon. That would explain the crying, but not the anger. He had
never seen Haley display a temper, and to take whatever is bugging her out on
the kids was completely off the wall.
Tommy was totally out of ideas, so he allowed his mind to wander to a more
pleasant topic, like Kimberly. He still couldn’t believe that he spent all last
night and this morning having the most amazing sex of his life with the most
amazing woman in the world. They still had a lot to talk about because she had
to go back to Florida on Tuesday. If Reefside Memorial offered her the job, he
still didn’t know for sure if she would even take it. If she did, when she moved
to California, she would have to get a place to live. His house was plenty big,
but maybe she didn’t want to move in with him so soon after getting
reacquainted. His instinct and trust in fate told him that it was right for them
to be together, but how did she feel? He knew she felt something since he knew
she wouldn’t have slept with him otherwise, but was it enough to make her want
to live together?
He was glad that the café was just ahead, because the more he thought about
himself and Kim, the more questions filled his head. They would all be answered
when they talked over dinner tonight, so he tabled the topic for the time being
in order to concentrate on Haley.
When Tommy walked into the cybercafé, the Rangers were all seated around a table
in the center of the large space. They basically had the place to themselves. A
couple of kids were just leaving as he arrived, but otherwise it was empty.
Maybe business was slow, and that was why Haley was mad. He knew he’d soon find
out. “Hey, guys.”
“Dr. O, glad you’re here.” Kira spoke for the group. The rest of them nodded
their agreement.
“What’s going on? Is she still mad?”
“Is she ever? I’m glad she’s staying in the back for the most part. It wouldn’t
be good for the customers to hear the words that keep coming out of her mouth.”
Trent was very loyal to Haley and the cybercafé. He would make sure its
reputation survived until she worked out whatever was bothering her.
“That bad, huh? I don’t get it, but I’ll see if there’s anything I can do,”
Tommy said as he moved behind the counter then disappeared into the back room.
Even before he reached the office door, he could hear Haley’s sobs mixed in with
the sounds of shuffling papers and stomping footsteps. Tommy approached quietly,
not wanting to startle her. The door was ajar about six inches, so he pushed it
open the rest of the way and loudly cleared his throat to get her attention.
“Go away, Trent! I said I’m fine.” She didn’t even look up when she spoke. She
was facing the back wall, obviously to hide her tear-streaked face.
“It’s me, Haley,” Tommy said softly. “The guys called and said you seemed upset.
Is there anything I can do?”
When she heard his voice, her heart seemed to stop for a second. The pain and
anger she had been feeling all morning intensified beyond all rational
proportions, and it was all she could do to not throw the first thing she got
her hands on at him. “No, Tommy. There’s nothing you can do. Now leave me
alone!”
He didn’t expect such an irate reply. The kids really weren’t kidding. “Haley,
what’s the matter? This isn’t like you.”
She quickly spun around to face him, lightening flashing in her eyes. “Like me!
What would you know about what’s ‘like me’? You don’t even know me!” Haley
pushed past him and out of the office, heading for the front. Tommy chased after
her, confused and concerned. She was acting completely crazed.
“Haley, what are you talking about!” They were in the public part of the café
now. Luckily, the Rangers were still the only patrons.
“Nothing, Tommy. I’m not talking about anything. Now would you just get out of
my sight and leave me ALONE!” Haley shouted.
Tommy visibly flinched from her reaction. The way she said it made it seem like
he had something to do with her anger, though he had no idea what. “I’m sorry if
something’s bothering you, but there’s no reason to take it out on us. We don’t
deserve this!” As irritating as her rudeness was becoming, he knew that he had
to keep his own anger in check. They wouldn’t get anywhere if they both acted
irrationally.
“No, Tommy, I guess you’re right.” She said it with enough sincerity that Tommy
started to relax, thinking he finally talked some sense into her. Haley turned
to the Rangers, who had been a rapt audience to the tense exchange since they
had emerged from the back. “I’m sorry, guys. You really don’t deserve the brunt
of my anger.” Then she turned back to Tommy, pointing a finger at him. “But you
do!”
There could have been a lively debate over who had the most shocked expression
on their face. All of the Rangers’ jaws just about hit the table, drool
threatening to escape from their mouths. Their eyes repeatedly darted from Haley
to their science teacher and back again. Tommy would have probably won the
contest though. His initial confusion about her mood was rapidly being replaced
by extreme disgust at her treatment of him, but he had too much class to dish it
back at her. After all, two wrongs don’t make a right. But if she refused to
tell him what he did to make her mad, that didn’t mean he had to stand there and
listen to her insult him.
“Know what? Since you seem to have chosen to be angry at me without even having
enough common courtesy to enlightening me as to why, I’m out of here. When you
calm down and feel like explaining yourself without being rude, you know where
to find me.” Tommy looked her straight in the eye, leaving no room for
discussion, before turning to go. He stopped in front of the team, still seated
at the table in a near-catatonic state. “See you guys at school tomorrow.”
Haley didn’t know what was worse: hearing him and some mystery woman having hot
sex only a few hours ago, or the idea of watching him walk out of there so angry
at her. At that moment though, she was blinded by her pain, and she couldn’t
rein in the fear and jealousy that she was feeling. All attempts at self-control
failed her. She spoke just as he opened the door, before she had a chance to
think, if for no other reason than to keep him from leaving to go back to his
lady friend. “By the way, I brought that new transponder by the command center
this morning.”
Tommy had better manners than to keep going when she was talking to him, so he
stopped, slowly rotating around to face her. “Thank you. I’ll take a look at it
when I get home. I haven’t had a chance to go down there yet today.”
“No, I imagine you haven’t” Haley knew she was skating on thin ice, but was
helpless to stop herself.
He couldn’t have been more puzzled as to what she was getting at if she had
spoken in Swahili. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, really.” She looked just like the cat that ate the canary.
“You’re not making any sense today at all. Goodbye.” Exasperated, Tommy turned
again to leave.
“I just never really took you for the man-slut type, Tommy.”
A choking sound was suddenly heard from the general vicinity of the Rangers’
table as Conner’s coffee accidentally went down the wrong pipe. All of their
eyes fell on Haley, as if staring at her would make what she said have some
other meaning. Dr. O, a man-slut?
If her goal was to get his attention, she succeeded and then some. Tommy
abruptly halted his progression out of the café, but remained facing away from
her this time. He didn’t speak right away as her implication slowly sunk in.
Haley must have come through the house when she brought the transponder over and
heard me and Kim making love. That might explain that last comment, but why
would it make her mad? She had no way of knowing who I was with, and it
shouldn’t matter anyway. He thought it best to play dumb just in case he was
wrong about what she was getting at. “Excuse me? What the hell is a man-slut?”
he asked sarcastically as he revolved on his heel to give her a glare that could
have set her on fire. The presence of the kids in the room didn’t register in
his mind due to the intensity of his anger.
Haley knew she had gone way over the line, but her sense of right and wrong flew
right out the window about the same time she heard the ecstatic, simultaneous
climaxes coming from Tommy’s room. “You don’t know what a man-slut is? It’s a
guy who sleeps with any girl he can get his hands on.”
“And I’m to understand that’s what you think I do?” Tommy’s suspicions were
confirmed. She did hear them.
“Yeah, it is! I mean, I needed to talk to you this morning, so I came upstairs
to see if you were around. When I kept hearing these noises, I thought you were
being attacked by a bunch of Tyrannodrones! Then it became blatantly obvious by
all the screaming and moaning what was really going on, so I figured I’d better
get out of there before your bed came crashing through the living room ceiling!”
Tommy’s self-control was as absent as Haley’s was at this point. He felt
lightheaded and dizzy, unable to contain his fury. “Is that how you’re getting
your thrills these days, Haley? Eavesdropping on other people in bed? I never
took you for a pervert!”
“I’m a pervert! I wasn’t the one trying to win a gold medal in the sexual
Olympics!”
“I’d like to know how any of this is your business. Why do you care what I do in
what is supposed to be the privacy of my own home?”
“Don’t you mean who you do, Tommy? And I don’t care. I just thought I knew you
better. Who was she? Some bridesmaid you picked up at the wedding last night?”
Haley knew she was pushing all the wrong buttons, especially since she was
perfectly aware that four of his students were still sitting at the table just a
few feet away, but she couldn’t keep her mind from focusing on the sound of the
woman’s passionate cries. She had gone over there hoping against hope that she
would eventually be the one screaming his name.
“Again, none of your business! Now I know what your problem is, Haley. The
self-proclaimed queen of information can’t figure out who Tommy was with last
night. What a huge blow to your ego! Well, I’m sorry to be the one to inform you
that you don’t know everything!” A few long strides later, Tommy was at the door
again. He had to get out of there before he said something he would regret
later.
Haley’s rational side knew that she was behaving like a toddler. She wasn’t
getting the positive attention she wanted from Tommy, so she was acting out,
greedy to receive any attention at all. Her feelings rather than her brains were
running this show though, and since she was ordinarily so highly intellectual,
her emotional maturity was sorely underdeveloped by comparison. He was ready to
leave again, and she couldn’t say that she blamed him, but she had to keep him
there somehow, with her, at least until she got a hold of herself and could
begin damage control to their friendship. “Fine! Just leave then. Go back to
your whore!” Her thought was verbalized before she even realized she was
speaking, and then a hand flew to cover her mouth as her eyes welled with tears.
Tommy already had the café’s door open when Haley’s vicious slur hit him like a
knife in the back. He stopped dead in his tracks, barely even able to breathe.
The Rangers were mentally struggling with all that they just witnessed, but
right then, they were more concerned with the state of their mentor’s sanity. He
still stood with his back to them, seeming outwardly calm, but the slow,
repetitive opening and clenching of his right fist told another story.
The four teens sitting at the table were afraid, themselves, to move. They were
shocked and embarrassed to have been witnesses to such a personal argument.
Against Dr. Oliver’s will, Haley made his students privy to information that
they had no business knowing. Now, their technical expert was quietly sobbing,
and the Black Ranger looked like he was about to blow a fuse. An exchange of
glances easily communicated without words the question each of them was
thinking. Should we do something? Conner may have been the Rangers’
leader, but in this case, all of the guys naturally deferred to the much more
sensitive Kira.
The Yellow Ranger had no more idea what to say or do than the boys did, but
before she had a chance to let them know that, a thunderous, shattering crash
came from their teacher’s direction, accompanied by an earsplitting Ki-Yi! The
kids and Haley all jumped at the roaring sound that unexpectedly penetrated the
thick tension in the room. A nanosecond later, a small, round table near the
window lay in two pieces on the hardwood floor, split straight down the middle
in a single, swift blow from Tommy’s lethal forearm. He stood there for a moment
in silence, staring at the damage and breathing heavily before kicking the
swinging door open and storming out.
On to Part Three.....
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