What the hell just happened? He thought. Were they about to kiss? Or was it just his imagination? It was just my imagination, he corrected himself. There is no way someone like her could ever be attracted to someone like him. Or could she be? No, there is no way.
"Mom needs you to cook the steaks and burgers for the dinner," Bobby said as Hank passed him in the living room. "Are you ok?" Bobby asked Hank.
"I'm fine," Hank said loudly and angrily.
"You look really red," Bobby answered.
"Bobby, I'm fine, now come help me set up the picnic table outside!"
The evening rolled on and Peggy felt a presence in the kitchen with her as she finished up the remainder of the dinner.
"Hello, sexy," Dale grunted. Peggy, startled, sliced her finger deeply causing a pool of blood to form on the counter top.
"Dale, you scared me! What are you doing here," Peggy said as she ran her finger under the faucet, cleaning the wound.
"Just wanted to see my delicious concubine before dinner. Maybe afterwards we could have dessert," He said as he kissed her bare shoulder.
"Dale, you better go before Hank sees us. Yes, I'll try to see you tonight, but I don't know yet," they shared a kiss and Dale slinked off and out the front door. Peggy could feel herself becoming aroused at the idea of another encounter with Dale. The idea of something forbidden turned her on. It was risqué and naughty and perverse and she loved it.
"Mrs. Hill," Kate nodded at Peggy as she stepped into the kitchen. "I'm a little nervous about meeting all you and Mr. Hill's friends," she said quietly. Peggy smiled and patted her on the back.
"It will be fine, we are all normal down to earth people. You'll find that we are all friendly! Just be yourself, dear!" She handed Kate a large bowl of potato salad and pushed her through the sliding glass door , onto the patio. Kate looked around nervously and smiled.
She was a picture of perfection. Dressed in a clean white strapless top and blue jeans, hair pulled up high on top of her head, Hank could not help but gawk at her.
"Say man, burning that dang ol' steak, man, Hank," Boomhauer said as Hank overcooked a steak to the point of burning. He flipped the steak and it splattered onto a plate.
"That one is for Bill," Dale said from behind his glasses.
Kate stood amidst the bustle of friends and looked around with a nervous look on her serene features. She held a bowl of potato salad in her hands and glanced over to catch Hank's gaze.
"Hank, is that Kate? She sure is pretty," Bill said as Hank couldn't stop staring at her in the distance, looking so innocent and fearful.
"Yeah, she sure is," Mesmerized he left the steaks on the grill and handed the spatula to Boomhauer.
"Aw Hank, come on man, let me dang ol' talk to her," Boomhauer said as Hank looked at him angrily.
"I said no, now watch the meat," Hank left the grill and met Kate, taking the large bowl from her and placing on the table with the rest of the meal. Kate smiled up at him and sighed a sigh of relief.
"You ok?" Hank asked.
"Just nervous," She smiled.
"Don't be, they'll like you," he comforted her.
"Looks like someone else is watching his meat besides us and Peggy," Dale said to Boomhauer and Bill.
"Hank would never cheat on Peggy. He has the most perfect life," Bill said happily. "He wouldn't even cheat on her with someone as beautiful as Kate… Kate… That's a pretty name," Bill was fantasizing about her already.
"Friends, neighbors… We are here tonight to welcome a special guest, Kate Devereaux," The group became silent.
"She is a brilliant woman from New Orleans with a degree in education and child psychology and she's here to tutor our Bobby," chimed in Peggy. "We want to give her a warm welcome to our sleepy little town!" Hank looked over at Kate who had taken a seat next to Bobby who received her company happily.
"Kate this is Kahn and Minh Souphanousinphone and their daughter Kahnnie, she goes to school with Bobby," Peggy pointed to the three who sat eating burgers.
"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Souphanousinphone, I'm Kate Devereaux. Laos, correct?" She questioned happily taking Minh's hand in a firm grip.
"Yeah that's right. How you know?" asked Kahn who looked pleased that someone from the south could actually pick out someone from Laos and not call them Chinese.
"I have tutored children from Laos," She smiled instantly winning over the Souphanousinphone's.
"Ah so you beautiful and smart," Khan commented and Minh looked at him angrily. Kate blushed.
"That's kind of you to say, but your wife is ten times more beautiful than I'll ever be,"Minh smiled and immediately was bedazzled by her as well.
"This is our daughter Khannie. She way smarter than hillbilly Hill kid. Maybe you tutor her in foreign language?" Asked Khan. Khannie looked at Kate and waved.
"Well at the moment I have my hands full with Bobby, but if I can squeeze her in somewhere I'd love to," She shook Khannie's hand and smiled at her sweetly.
"Nice to meet you Kate," Khannie remarked.
"Excuse me. I have to go mingle," Kate exclaimed.
"Kate! Kate! I want you to meet my niece and her husband. This is Luanne and Lucky. Luanne used to live in our Den as well, now they live across the street," Peggy said as Kate shook hands with the two who seemed a little on the slow side.
"Nice to meet you," Kate said.
"This is our neighbor, Bill Dauterive. He is a sergeant in the army," Bill looked at Kate and smiled.
"Miss Kate, you sure are pretty. You think sometime you could come over and keep me company. It gets pretty lonely with my wife gone," said Bill who had taken his brown hat off. Kate looked embarrassed yet still remained calm and collected.
"Well, I could try…" was all she said before she was wheeled away from Bill by Hank.
"Don't mind Bill. He's just lonely. Let me introduce you to the rest of everybody," Hank said his hand resting on the small of her back. "Kate this is John Redcorn, a local Indian healer," John Redcorn smiled seductively and waved. " Nancy and Dale Gribble and their son Joseph who also goes to school with Bobby and Khannie," Nancy waved.
"Nice to meet ya, sug," Her Texas accent thick and deep. Kate smiled graciously and looked at the only member of the group whom she had not met.
"And this of course is Boomhauer," Boomhauer checked her out from head to toe and shouted and simple "Yo" at her. She chuckled and Hank helped her to her seat.
Everyone dug in to the feast and chatted over the next hour and half. Hank peered over at Kate every few minutes to check to see how she was. She looked content talking to Bobby who had obviously taken a shine to her. The two chuckled and giggled between bites of potato salad and Hank smiled. His eyes fell over the table to his wife who was secretly making eyes at Dale. He went unnoticed to his own wife because she was engrossed in conversation with John Redcorn. It made Hank sick, but then again Kate caught his eye and the sickness diminished and his stomach was full of butterflies. Beauty. Beautiful.