Gretchen was blowing her nose. She looked awful and I went over to find out what had happened.
“They’re firing me,” Gretchen said as I took a seat across from Doc, not even looking up at me. “Guess what for?” I shook my head, throwing Doc a puzzled look. He just pulled another Kleenex out of the box and handed it to her.
“Condoms!” she hissed, looking over her shoulder to see if the kids were listening. They were glued to the X-Box.
I looked at Doc, incredulous. “What?”
“They’re pretty fundamentally religious,” Doc explained, handing her yet another Kleenex and she blew her nose loudly into it.
“I had them in my purse.” Gretchen shook her head. “They fell out while I was looking for something and she saw them.”
I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms. “I don’t get it.”
“Maureen Holmes is a prude.” Mrs. B came into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee.
“Carrie,” Doc warned, glancing toward the kids.
She came over to the table and sat next to me, rolling her eyes. “She is. To expect a twenty-four year old woman to be a virgin in this day and age?”
Gretchen sniffed. “To be fair, I did tell her when I was hired that I had recommitted myself-which was technically true-is true.”
I stared at her, remembering everything she had said to me the other night. And aside from that-did being with a girl not count?
“I have them just in case.” She wiped her eyes with the tissue. They were red and swollen. “The box was unopened. I tried to explain it to her, but she didn’t care.”
“I’m sorry, Gretchen.” I shook my head.
I couldn’t imagine working for people like the Holmes, but then, the Baumgartners were about as far from the Holmes as you could get and still be on the same planet, I thought.
“If there’s anything we can do, just tell us.” Mrs. B reached past me and touched Gretchen’s hand.
“When do you leave?” Doc asked.
“Tonight,” Gretchen sniffed. “I’m supposed to be taking the kids to buy souvenirs for their friends, but I just had to talk to someone.”
“You did the right thing,” Mrs. B reassured her, squeezing her hand.
“I should go. I have to get back.” Gretchen blew her nose again and sniffed. “Ronnie, will you walk me out?”
I nodded, going with her to the door. The kids were still playing video games and we stood outside on the front porch. I couldn’t help putting my arms around her and hugging her. She hugged me back and we rocked a little like that.
“I’m sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say.
“It’s okay. I’ll be okay.” She drew a shaky breath. “I feel better already, just seeing you.”
Then I really didn’t know what to say, but I could feel a heat spreading from my belly all through my limbs. Somehow we were kissing, then, a hungry, urgent kiss, one that made me wish we were alone.
“Let’s get together,” she whispered into my ear. “When we get back? Go to… lunch… or something.”
“Or something.” I nodded. “Okay.” Her eyes were still red and swollen and puffy and she still looked awful, and I’d never wanted anyone more.
“Sarah! Noah!” She opened the door. They burst out, full of tales ofLara Croft: Tomb Raider.
I waved at them from the porch as Gretchen hustled them into the car. I waved until the car disappeared around the corner and then I went and sat in the living room with Janie and Henry, who were still playing the X- Box.
“You guys want to go swimming?” I twirled one of Janie’s blonde curls around my finger and thought about the way Gretchen’s hair swung around her face. “It’s our last day, we should do something fun out in the sun.”
Doc came back into the room, smiling at me. “You just want to work on your tan.”
I stuck my tongue out at him. “So?” I grabbed the edge of my shorts, pulling them aside. “It’s working-see… tan lines!”
His eyes dipped to the bend in my thigh, following it inward. “Uh-huh, I see. Although thanks to Carrie’s little bikini, not too many.”
“Well, we’ve got a surprise for you.” Mrs. B came in and turned off the TV.
Janie and Henry both groaned simultaneously. “Mom!”
Mrs. B rolled her eyes. “Fine, if you’d rather play some video game than swim with dolphins…”
I gasped and Janie squealed, clutching me. “Oh my God!” Janie cried. “Really? Oh my God! I love you!” I laughed as she screeched and pulled me to standing, jumping up and down.
Doc shook his head. “Who would have thought a bunch of big fish would be so exciting?”
“They’remammals, Dad!” Janie rolled her eyes at him.
Doc winked at me as Janie pulled me upstairs to get ready. “Mammals, huh? Who knew?”
–
It was the best possible next-to-last day of our vacation that I could imagine, and it just kept getting better. We spent an hour swimming with dolphins, and Janie and I were both fascinated by their smooth, rubbery bodies, the way they actually came up to play with us. I couldn’t get enough, and the trainers showed us how to hang onto them and go for a ride. It was like hanging onto a slippery bullet, and I came up sputtering and laughing, one of the dolphins lifting me from underneath.
We changed and went to dinner and the kids went to the game room and Mrs. B and I got out on the dance floor. The music was loud and it didn’t matter what was playing, because it was just the beat we were rocking to, wild, like we didn’t care who was watching. Doc was, though. I saw him out of the corner of my eye, leaning back and sipping a margarita.
I had three margaritas myself, although I wasn’t supposed to be drinking at all. No one paid any attention, and I was so thirsty after coming off the dance floor that I kept drinking Mrs. B’s and she just kept ordering more in all sorts of yummy flavors.
By the time we drove home, I was flying, and I put my arms up over my head when Doc put the top to the convertible down and me and Henry and Janie sat in the back and sang as loud as we could to whatever was on the radio.
The kids fell asleep on the sofa duringFree Willy -which Janie insisted we watch-before poor Willy even jumped to freedom. For some reason, the whale’s sagging dorsal fin made me incredibly sad every time I saw it.
Doc and I propelled them off to bed, skipping the whole teeth brushing ritual in spite of the M amp;M’s and Milk Duds that they had along with their microwave popcorn. It was straight to bed, do not pass Go, no $200, just a pillow and a blanket and a mumbled “’night.”
Mrs. B came out from cleaning up the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel, just as Doc as I came back down the stairs. “Everyone tucked in?”
Doc pulled her against him, kissing her hard. “Everyone but us.”
Mrs. B held her hand out for me and I melted in between them, snuggled up to her, Doc’s crotch cradling the curve of my ass. Mrs. B’s mouth was soft and warm, her tongue quickly finding mine. I could feel Doc’s hands moving over her, around me, his cock lengthening against my bottom.
“I think we should go for a swim,” she suggested into my ear, and I knew she was looking up at Doc. “One last midnight swim…”
It was only ten o’clock, but we all stood out on the beach in the moonlight, stripping naked on the sand. It was still warm, the day’s heat dissipating slowly, but the water felt cool as I waded in after them. Mrs. B was already swimming out, but Doc lingered a little behind, waiting for me.
I dove under, getting my hair wet and slicking it back as I came up beside him. He looked down at me, reached for me, and I wrapped myself around him as we kissed, squeezing my thighs at his hips, bouncing a little in his arms.
“Throw me,” I whispered in his ear, nibbling on it.
He laughed. “Are you sure?”
