Chapter 16
Double Dee opened the door to his bedroom and flipped the light switch on. He held the door open for his girlfriend to enter before him.
"After you my dear." he said while motioning his arm. Double Dee closed the door behind him, as Marie walked over toward his bed, which she sat down on.
"Double Dee, that dinner was amazing! That Sheppard's pie was to die for." said Marie.
"It is quite exquisite, isn't it?" said Double Dee as he rearranged some of his knick knacks on his dresser. Marie sat thinking for quite awhile before speaking her mind.
"I hope your parents liked me." said Marie.
"Don't you doubt that they did." said Double Dee. "My mother is just a naturally friendly person, and my father hardly ever speaks as much as he did tonight, so he must have liked talking to you" He said laughing, Marie chuckled back at him.
"So, what do your parents for a living that they are not home often?" asked Marie.
Double Dee walked over to Marie and sat down next to her.
"My mother is a urologist." he said, "She is on call, that's why she had to leave abruptly after dinner."
Double Dee paused.
"My father works for the government as an electrical engineer." He said. "He does a lot of traveling around the world to supervise and finalize projects. Sometimes he is gone for weeks."
"Now I see where you get your smarts from." said Marie jokingly, as she grabbed his hand.
Double Dee looked into Maries eyes and smiled. "So what do you see yourself doing career wise Double Dee?" asked Marie.
"Hmm. I am torn between a field in the biological sciences, or some kind of engineering field." replied Double Dee.
"How about you Marie?"
"I was actually thinking about going to art school...if I can afford it." replied Marie.
"That is great Marie, you certainly have the talent for it." replied Double Dee. "I really enjoyed your work that I have seen so far."
"Thanks Double Dee, I'm glad you did." said Marie.
The couple sat in silence for a few seconds. Marie glanced around Double Dee's room, and caught a glimpse of his pedal steel guitar.
"What's that?" asked Marie as she pointed at the instrument. Double Dee took notice.
"Oh that's nothing." said Double Dee.
"Double Dee, cut the crap." said Marie playfully.
She smiled as she got up off of the bed and walked over toward the instrument. Double Dee, although respectful of girls, couldn't help but stare at Maries hips, swaying in her dress as she crossed the room.
"It looks like an instrument." she examined its label. "A pedal steel guitar to be exact." Double Dee sat on his bed blushing. "Play me a song sweetie. I love music" said Marie
"I would Marie, but I am not really that talented at instrumental music." replied Double Dee.
Marie ran over to the bed and kneeled down, looking up into Double Dees eyes, demonstrating what would commonly be called a "puppy dog face."
"Please, for meeeee?" said Marie, looking up into his eyes.
Double Dee could not resist any longer. With a sigh, he got up off of his bed and walked over to the guitar. Marie sat down on his bed, crossing her legs and folding her hands on top of them. She was smiling. Double Dee pulled the guitar away from the wall, and pulled his desk chair up behind it. He placed the finger picks on his right hand fingers and picked up the slide with his left hand. He placed both his hands on the instrument and began playing. Maries eyes lit up as he played, after he finished, he placed the slide back on the top of the instrument, and removed the finger picks.
Marie clapped her hands.
"Double Dee, that was amazing! You never told me you played an instrument." said Marie.
"I've been taking lessons since I was five. My parents love country music, my father plays the regular guitar himself. He decided to get me started on pedal steel, and he also started providing James with fiddle lessons. We used to play simple songs together, before James passed away." said Double Dee.
The couple was silent for a few seconds.
"You and James were really close weren't you?" said Marie.
"Yes we were." replied Double Dee. "I do really miss him Marie, still to this day and so do my parents."
"I don't blame you one bit." said Marie. "Even though they are literally a couple of pains in the neck most of the time, I can't imagine loosing Lee or May."
The two sat quietly for a few more seconds.
"Marie," said Double Dee. "We have a half day tomorrow at school for a teacher's professional development correct?"
"I believe we do." said Marie. "Why, what's up? "
"I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to a very personal place tomorrow afternoon. You will see what I mean when we get there." said Double Dee.
"Sure." said Marie in a serious tone, she could tell that whatever Double Dee was asking her to do really meant a lot to him.
"Okay, I'll bring my bike to school with me, and we can sneak right away undetected after the bell rings." said Double Dee.
"That sounds great, I look forward to it." said Marie.
Marie sensed that Double Dee was slightly stressed and made an attempt to liven up the mood in the room. She got up off of the bed and ran over to him, kneeling down next to him.
"Double Dee, I love you, you are so amazing, can I have your autograph." she said playfully, acting like a groupie.
"Sure thing, anything for my fans." he said jokingly.
He grabbed one of his spare 3 inch school photographs from the desk behind him and promptly signed it. He handed the picture to Marie. On it read the words "To Annemarie E. Kanker, from Edd."
"Thank you so much cutie!" said Marie. She leaned up and gave Double Dee a big kiss on the cheek before returning to his bed. Marie placed the signed photograph in her pocket.
"Play me another song Oven Mitt" she said
"Alright then." said Double Dee. "This next tune is called Panama Red" Double Dee played the guitar for a few minutes, with Marie sitting on his bed watching him adoringly. After he was finished his song, he stood up and looked over into Maries eyes. He was instantly captivated once again by her beautiful smile. He began walking over to her, eventually sitting down next to her.
"Marie, I must sat you look so beautiful tonight." said Double Dee, for the first time with complete confidence and no nervousness. "The way you are wearing your hair tonight makes you look so pretty."
Marie's face lit up, blushing slightly. Double Dee couldn't help but blush as well.
"I was a little nervous dying it," said Marie, "I didn't know if you would like me with my natural hair."
"Nonsense, remember what I said earlier, I would love you no matter what, because you are my Marie."
Marie smiled before chiming in with compliments of her own .
"And as for you Double Dee." she said while wrapping her arms around his neck, staring into his eyes. "You have got to be the greatest, sweetest, most adorable, cutest and most loving boyfriend any girl can ask for."
Double Dee blushed at the last statement. Before either of them knew it, they found themselves engaged in a passionate kiss. After about a minute, Marie pulled her lips slightly away from Double Dee's
"I would love to take this further, but lucky for you, your dad is home." Marie said jokingly.
Double Dee smiled at Marie's joke before pushing his lips back into hers for a few more minutes. Marie broke the kiss.
"It's getting late," said Marie, as she stood up. "May might be getting home early tonight, and who knows what Lee is doing, I probably should be going, even though I really don't want to."
"That's probably the best course of action," said Double Dee as he stood up next to her. "I wouldn't want you to get caught."
"Yeah, well on top of that, I'm going to have to explain the hair color and the way I'm dressed when I walk in the door." said Marie.
"That's going to be quite a challenge." said Double Dee.
"Yeah, I know." said Marie giggling, "But I'll figure it out, I'll just tell them I went to a club or something. They'll believe a story like that.
" Double Dee and Marie giggled. Before he could finish, Marie quickly stifled his giggles with her lips. She placed her arms around Double Dees neck, and he placed his on her hips. She pulled her lips away, but kept her arms around his neck.
"Double Dee, thanks for having me over, you made me feel very welcome, and tell your mom again that I thought the food was great." said Marie.
"You are quite welcome Marie," replied Double Dee. "You can come over any time you want."
Marie kissed Double Dee once more for a few more seconds. After they were finished, they headed back down the stairs and arrived at the front door. Double Dee thought of something as they were waiting at the door.
"Marie, wait right here I'll be right back." said Double Dee as he ran into the kitchen.
After a few minutes, Double Dee returned with a grocery bag and handed it to Marie.
"Complements of the chef!" said Double Dee smiling.
Marie peered into the bag and saw four plastic containers, each containing a serving of the Sheppard's pie they had had earlier that evening.
"I thought that since you like the food so much, you wouldn't mind enjoying it again. I have also packed enough for Lee and May, as well as your mother if she wanted to try some." said Double Dee.
"Thank you Double Dee!" Marie said as she smiled. "I'm definitely going to have more of this when I get home, and everyone else will love it too I'm sure of it."
Marie put the bag down on the floor and gave Double Dee a hug. She then pulled away from him and began opening the door. Double Dee walked out the door with her and closed it behind him.
"I guess it's time to say goodbye once again." said Marie.
"Sadly, it is." replied Double Dee.
With a kiss, a hug, and a couple of good night wishes, Marie was on her way down the path to the street from Double Dees front door. He watched as she walked away from him; Before she turned the corner to the cross street, Marie turned around and blew Double Dee a kiss; naturally he blew a kiss of his own back at her. Marie finally vanished as she rounded the wooden fence, prompting Double Dee to close the door to his house feeling like the happiest young man on two feet.
Marie had just turned the corner of the cross street, when she bumped into someone, the force from the collision combined with the fact that she was in heels knocked her on her butt. She looked up, and to her horror, saw the face of Ed. He was pushing a wheelbarrow full of yard waste. There was no doubt that he was once again helping Eddy clean out Mr. Jenkins yard. Ed and Marie stared at each other for a few seconds, having no idea what to say. Finally Ed broke the silence.
"KANKER!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "EDDY, MARIE IS HE.."
Marie quickly stood up and covered his mouth with her hand.
"You big doofus." she whispered. "If you keep quiet, I until I get around that corner, I promise nothing will happen to you. And Ed, this conversation never happened."
Ed looked puzzled as Marie let go of his mouth and stumbled down the street as she was not used to running in heels. She turned the corner to the construction site just as Eddy ran up to Ed.
"What is it lumpy?" said Eddy.
"Shhhh." said Ed as he put his hand over Eddy's mouth. "She was never here, remember."
"You've been watching a little too much tv again Monobrow," said Eddy, attributing Eds statement to his absentmindedness, "Now are you gonna help me drag this bag out of here, it's giving me a hernia." said Eddy.
"Wilco Roger Eddy!" yelled Ed as he began walking over toward Eddy, who was trying desperately to move a large heavy bag.
It was then that Ed's eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar face on the ground. The signed photograph that Double Dee had given Marie earlier must have slipped out of her pocket when she was knocked over by Ed. The words that Double Dee had written in blue ink stuck out like a sore thumb against the background of the photo.
"Cool it's Double Dee!" said Ed under his breath, not paying attention to the writing. "Hey Eddy, look what I found!" he yelled while waving the picture in his hand.
"Not now Ed, we don't got time for your stupid monster cards again." said Eddy, too preoccupied with moving the bag that he simply did not care to see Ed's discovery. "Just help me with this damn bag!"
"Okie Dokie Eddy!" yelled Ed as he saluted with his hand towards Eddy.
He placed the picture of Double Dee in his jacket pocket, out of sight and out of mind. He walked over to where Eddy was and grabbed the ties of the bag. With one fluid motion, he flung the bag down the lane through the air, and managed to land it perfectly on the curb.
"There you go lumpy, I think sanitation is your calling in life." Said Eddy laughing as he walked back down the lane toward Mr. Jenkins yard laughing
"What's sanitation?" asked Ed as the two reentered the yard through the wooden gates.