231
Aligned Design
Ch 42
Bobby brought up the two plastic bags containing her clothes. He was struck by how little she had. Her whole wardrobe fit into two medium size trash bags.
He set them on the bed and Gleason began to sort through them. She felt foolish having to do this. She had filled the bags in a rush to leave him.
"What can I do to help you?" Bobby asked her, watching her stack her things.
"Here, you can put these things in the top drawer," she said, handing him a short stack of panties and undershirts. He took them and set them inside the chest he had emptied for her.
"Put these in the second drawer," and she handed him a stack of six plain cotton tops. He smiled taking the clothes, this is nice, he thought.
"And, you can put these in next drawer," giving him two pairs of jeans and two pair of cotton slacks.
"Oh, these get hung up," she said, pulling out two shells and two jackets.
"Here, I'll do that," he stepped to the closet and reached for several hangers.
Gleason opened the fourth drawer and placed her one nightgown and her green pajamas that Estella had washed. She pulled open the bottom drawer for her socks and saw the book sitting in the bottom. She lifted it out and turned to Bobby who hung the last item and was shutting the closet door. He turned and saw her holding the brown paper wrapped package.
"What's that?" he asked.
She smiled and said, "A gift. For you."
He looked from her to the package and back to her face. "What is it?"
"A surprise."
"Tell me."
"Then it won't be a surprise," she said with a big smile.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deakins looked at the clock on his desk. Five twenty-seven. That's it, let's go home. He closed up his desk and walked over to Sledge who apparently thought he had to stay until the cleaning crew showed up. Everyone else was heading out.
"Go home," he said to the big detective as he walked to the lifts.
Sledge looked up from his computer and nodded. Then he stood and walked to the printer to retrieve the task forms he'd prepared. He returned to his desk, shut down his computer and lifted the phone.
"Hon, it's me. I'm on my way out. Did you decide what you want to do tonight?"
"I don't know. Do you want to do something old fashioned, like go to a movie?" Eames was kind of excited. This is like a real date.
"Whatever you want to do. A movie is fine. You pick one. We can get dinner afterward. I just want to see you, be with you. I'll be at your place in about half an hour or so. Ok?"
"Ok, I'll see you when you get here. Be careful." There, she said it again! Ha, wonder what that means. She went to see what to wear.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They went to the sofa and sat. Bobby untied the string and removed the brown paper. He lifted the book and turned it over. He looked at the cover, rubbed his fingers over the title, Erotische Poesie, embossed into the old leather and looked at Gleason. The look on his face was priceless. He was stunned, speechless.
"Open it," said Gleason.
He opened the book and saw the first edition notation in the boilerplate and the signature and date on the title page. He ran his thumb along the deckled edges of the pages. He smoothed his and over the marbleized end papers.
"Gleason. Do you know what this is?"
"Yes. Do you like it?"
"Honey, this is Reuben Lesky's Erotische Poesie. A signed first edition. In the original German. Gleason, where did you ever find a copy?"
"In a little bookstore near the campus in Evanston." She had never seen him like this. She wondered how rarely he'd been given gifts. "You can read it, right?"
"Yes, I read, write, speak and understand German. Gleason, I cannot believe you bought this. I, I . . . I don't know what to say."
"You don't need to say anything. Read to me."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hi, sweetheart," Deakins said as he hung up is jacket on the hook inside the kitchen door. He kissed Angie on the cheek and continued, "How are things?"
"She's been really sweet today. She's picked out three movies for us to choose from, for after dinner. How about we eat at that place on Chambray near Lex? She wanted to go to Parson's."
"What's 'Parson's'?" he asked.
"No place you would want to be," his wife answered, smiling.
"Let me go wash up and then we'll go. Is she in her room?"
"I think so."
Deakins went to the bathroom and washed his face and brushed his teeth. He went into their bedroom and changed his shirt. Then he stopped outside Julie's bedroom door. He hesitated and then knocked.
"Friend or foe?" came a girl's voice from the other side.
"It depends on what you've done. Can I come in?"
Julie opened the door and said, "Did Mom show you my three choices? Which one do you vote for? I bet I know which one."
"Hello, to you, too. Yes, I had a good day. How was yours? No, I haven't seen the choices. Why don't you tell me?"
"Ok, one is a slasher flick, one is a mystery flick and one is a sex flick. I bet you pick the sex flick!" Julie stepped from her room and started down the hall.
"That depends on what kind of sex it is," Deakins said to his daughter's back.
Julie stopped, turned and looked at her dad. Deakins continued, "If it's your old, run of the mill woo-'em, hump-'em, dump-'em, I am not interested. But, if it something I might learn from, something that will get your mother all hot and bothered, then I may be interested."
Julie looked at her dad as if he had two heads, "That is just disgusting! I'm telling Mom what you said."
Deakins smiled and followed his daughter to the kitchen.
"Mom, do you know what Dad said?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bobby leaned over and kissed Gleason. His right hand lay against her neck, his tongue just touched her lips. He pulled away and looked into her eyes. "Thank you. Honey, thank you." He kissed her again lightly.
Gleason loved him at that moment like she never had before. She felt such warmth inside. She knew she had pleased him. "Hold me and read to me. Let me hear you read in German."
Bobby sat back on the sofa and held out his arms to Gleason. "You remember what happened the last time we sat here?" he said to her with a smile.
Gleason lay back on his lap and snuggled up close. "I certainly do. Can you imagine what will happen this time with you reading dirty poetry to me?" she said with a smile.
"But you won't know what I'm saying."
"I figure you'll tell me one way or another. Find something nice and read to me."
Bobby opened the book, skimmed a few pages and said, "This is a nice one." Holding the book in his left hand, his right hand resting on her tum, he read slowly, with feeling, his voice deep.
„lhr Körper, lhr Verstand, lhre Seele
mein Körpe trägt lhren Körper ein
mein Verstand trifft lhrn Verstand
mein Seele wird lhre Seele
meine Liebe meldet Sie,
ich stechen lhnen,
wrid sind eine an"
Gleason watched him read, she felt his voice in his chest beside her head. She watched his eyes move across the text, his lips form the words. He finished and his eyes met hers. They didn't speak for a long minute.
"I love the way you read, Bobby," Gleason whispered. Bobby smiled shyly at her. "What does it say, what you read, what does it say?"
Bobby's head tilted to the left, he read, with the same, deep, slow voice,
"your body, your mind, your soul
my body enters your body
my mind meets your mind
my soul becomes your soul
my love enters you,
I become you
we are one"
Gleason looked up at him and he looked back at her. She reached up her hand and laid it upon his check as she had before. She stroked his jaw with her thumb, as he had stroked her nipple with his thumb. His silvered whiskers were brush tips against her skin. Bobby leaned his head into her hand.
The silence between them spoke volumes of love. Finally, Gleason whispered, "I love you. I love you. Forever."
Bobby leaned down and kissed her softly. "Let's go to bed," he whispered.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tilley sat on the bench outside the hotel, watching people come and go. Families, businessmen, women who he was sure were high class hookers. The shadows moved across the parking lot, across the lawn, the sun moved behind the buildings across the busy street in front of the hotel. Time passed slowly.
He's going to get the money. He'll be back. He won't leave me. He'll come back. He said he would. He loves me. He'll be back.
For whatever reason, Palmer Tillman had always had a fear of being abandoned. He was like this as a kid. Field trips in school were always a nightmare for him; he just knew his teacher was going to leave him somewhere. So, he stayed by the teacher's side, holding her hand. The other kids had called him a sissy, teacher's pet. He didn't care. He was a sissy and didn't mind it one bit.
Now Tilley sat, wondering if Jenny was going to come back. He thought about what he would do if it got dark, and cold. He'd have to prostitute himself. He'd probably be beaten by some brute who would fuck him up the ass and then beat him bloody and leave him on the street or in an alley where he wouldn't be found.
Tilley began to cry softly. Jenny, he mewled.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"It's me," Sledge said into the box. At the buzz, he pulled on the door and walked up to Eames' flat. She met him at the door.
"Hi –," she started when Sledge took her and kissed her hard. He pushed her into the flat and kicked shut the door behind him. Eames returned the kiss with the same passion, but then pushed him away. "Edward! Jesus! What is with you?"
Alex stepped back and he said, "I missed you. We need to talk. Come here, sit down." He took her hand and led her to the sofa. "Here, sit."
She did as he asked, looking at him suspiciously, "Edward, what's wrong? Why do we have to talk? About what?"
Edward looked at her steadily, took her hands and said, "I love you."
Alex knew he wasn't kidding. He wasn't being a smart ass. He had never looked at her like this before. Hell, he'd never looked at her this long before. "Edward, I . . . I," Alex stumbled.
"Don't say anything," Edward told her. "Not yet. I want you to think about this. I know it is sudden, but Alex, I have loved you since I first saw you." His voice was deep, assured. "These weeks together have confirmed it for me. I love you."
Eames was stunned. She figured Edward liked her; they had a good time together. The sex was incredible. She liked him, more than just a fuck-buddy, too. But love? This was a lot to consider.
"I just wanted you to know where I was on this. I wanted to be honest. I want to know where you are, but not yet. When you are ready, you tell me how you feel. Think about us, Alex. I love you." Edward leaned in and kissed her tenderly, like he never had before.
"Now, did you find us a movie?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bobby took Gleason by the hand to their bedroom. He pulled back the covers and they began to undress. He climbed in and so did she. Bobby laid on his left side and Gleason lay on her back beside him. His hand lay lightly on her belly, stroking softly. They didn't speak. Gleason turned onto her left side and snuggled close into Bobby's curve.
Slowly, they fell asleep.