Mary and Alvin Ch. 04

She shook her head at him. "Where would women be without men to explain everything to us."

He looked over at her, afraid he'd offended her, but she was smiling.

"I'm sorry," he said, "but most people around here don't feel the need for air conditioners."

"I know. You Mainers are all so proud of how rugged you are.

Alvin laughed. "You think I'm rugged? I like that."

"I'm not sure what to think about you yet."

He shrugged. "As long as you think about me."

They drove through the tourist strip of Camden and Mary made a mental list of the places she'd like to come to shop. Little by little she was learning that Maine did have most anything you might want, if you knew where to get it.

After crawling through Camden traffic, it was a quick drive to the outskirts of Rockland, where Alvin pulled into the parking lot of Home Depot.

They got a cart and made their way to the appliance section.

"I bet you love places like this," Mary said, "all these tools and pipes and hardware and things."

He shrugged. "But they are all in a big building."

"Ah, not rugged enough."

Alvin laughed, and Mary took his arm. After the previous night's tension, they both felt relief at the ease with which they seemed to become comfortable with each other again. When they found the air conditioners he did not try to dissuade her from buying one, but did advise her that she would not need the most powerful model, and she was thankful for his help.

She was even more thankful as she watched him wrestle the heavy box into the back of his car. She was afraid it might not fit, but he joked that he could fit anything in the back of a Subaru Outback.

They drove into downtown Rockland. Alvin found a parking spot right in front of Suzuki Sushi Bar. It was one of a long line of businesses in the old brick commercial area along Main Street. But once they stepped inside, the sights and scents made Mary feel as if she were back on the West Coast.

The place was nearly empty and they got a nice table by the window.

"Now, I know you are more of an expert than I am, but do you mind if I make a suggestion?" Alvin asked.

"Of course not," Mary replied.

"I think we ought to order the chef's tasting menu for two."

Mary looked at the menu. "It's expensive."

Alvin shrugged. "Well, there's a Burger King right down the road..."

Mary laughed. "The chef's menu would be wonderful."

"You're sure? The King makes a wicked fish sandwich."

"Stop it!"

The waiter came over and took their order. While they waited for their food, Alvin told Mary about Jennifer's plan to raise alpacas.

"I want to back her in whatever she wants to try, but it sounds like an iffy proposition to me."

Mary leaned on one elbow and grinned across the table at him. "Well," she said, "it's too bad you couldn't run it by, oh I don't know, maybe somebody with a business degree."

"Now there's a thought. Maybe you know somebody from work."

"Don't be a jackass," she said, digging a pen and a small notebook from her purse. "You aren't as funny as you think you are."

"Really? People tell me I'm a wicked pisser."

"I couldn't say. I speak English. So, to start with, what sort of initial expenses are we talking about?"

He shrugged. "Got the land, just need to buy the critters, I guess."

"What do they eat? Grass? They may need nutritional supplements. Vaccinations. Do you just shear them and sell the wool as is, or is there some processing involved?"

"I don't know. She said the real money is in breeding them, not selling the wool."

"Does anyone buy them except other people who are starting alpaca farms? That's a recipe for diminishing returns. In the long run, you're just creating your own competition."

"You need to talk to her about all that."

Mary jotted a few notes on her pad, then snapped it shut. "Yes, you'll have to introduce us sometime."

"Don't know if that's a good idea."

"Why not?" Mary scowled.

"I'm scared to think of the two of you ganging up on me."

The waiter set a tray down on their table. Mary marveled at the variety of items the chef had artfully displayed. The waiter named them off; spicy tuna rolls, scallop sashimi, flying fish roe. There was shrimp and eel and delicate Japanese pickles.

"It all looks wonderful," she exclaimed.

"Thank you," the waiter said, "can I bring you anything else?"

"Yes," Alvin said. "Do you like sake?" he asked Mary.

She nodded, already tasting one of the tuna rolls. As they ate, she was impressed with the quality of the food, but even more impressed with Alvin. He knew each dish by it's Japanese name. She was learning that there was a lot more to him than she had first assumed. She tasted the flying fish roe.

"Have you ever seen flying fish while you were out sailing?" she asked.

"Once, years ago."

"Around here?"

"No, off Florida."

She looked at him quizzically. There was a touch of wistfulness in his voice.

"It's a long story," he said, "A story for another time."

They finished their meal and left Suzuki. As Alvin opened the car door for Mary, she turned and kissed him. "Thank you, that was amazing. I'm starting to like Maine more and more."

They drove back to Londonderry in the golden light of sunset. When they passed Lincolnville Beach Mary wondered what had happened to the little piece of sea glass that she had found there. I must have dropped it, she thought. When they arrived back in town, Alvin dropped her off at her car, then followed her home.

He wrestled the heavy box out of the back of his car while Mary opened the doors at the top and bottom of her stairs. He hefted it up and staggered across the sidewalk, only to find that the box was too wide to fit through. Mary took the other end and they turned it on it's side. It just slid through the doorjamb. Mary staggered backwards up the steps while Alvin bore the weight underneath. Together, they got the heavy load up the stairs and through the door into the apartment.

They put the box down in the middle of the living room, and Alvin moaned as he straightened his back.

"Are you okay?" Mary asked.

"Yeah, just a bit stiff," he replied. "I don't suppose you've got much in the way of tools, so I brought mine just in case."

"We need tools? I thought it just sat in the window."

"Well, if you plan on dropping it on somebody's head, that will do. But it's meant to have a bracket."

"Oh. I didn't know.I'm used to having central air."

Alvin retrieved his toolbox from the car, and in just a few minutes, he had the bracket installed. Mary helped him raise the air conditioner from the box and into the window. She saw him wince as they jockeyed it in place. When it was secured, he stretched again and grunted. Mary put her hands on his shoulders and kissed his cheek.

"You are so sweet to help me. I hope you didn't hurt yourself."

"I'm alright," he said, returning her kiss.

"Well, let's be sure. Come on," she said, taking his hand and leading him into her bedroom. "Take off your shirt and lay down. I'll be right back."

Mary went to the bathroom and quickly changed out of her dress into a t-shirt and sweat shorts. She found a bottle of lotion in the cabinet and returned to the bedroom.

"You didn't doze off on me?" she asked Alvin.

"No, of course not," he said, sounding as if it was a close thing.

"Well, roll over."

Mary climbed on the bed and straddled the back of his legs. She squirted lotion into her hands and rubbed them together, warming it. She started at Alvin's shoulders, kneading them.

"Oh, that feels good," he moaned. She dug in, working them harder.

"You're awfully tense," she said, massaging his triceps. "You work so hard. You know, you ought to take a little time out and stretch once in a while."

Alvin muttered something in response, but she could not make it out. Her hands made their way down his back, pushing away the tension. She could feel him start to loosen up.

"Breathe deep," she told him, "you keep holding your breath. Work with me here, honey."

Alvin took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then concentrated on pulling in the next. Mary's hands were stronger than he would have imagined, and we felt himself relaxing as they worked their way down his body. She reached the small of his back and dug her thumbs in hard to enough to make him groan from the pain.

Mary laughed. "Not so rugged now," she said.

She tugged on the back of his belt. "Lift up."

He raised his hips and she began to yank. He reached down, unbuckled his belt, and unbuttoned his pants. Mary pulled them down over his hips. Starting below his waist, she ran the heels of her hands up his back, pushing hard. When she reached his neck, she went back to work with her thumbs until his head was flopping back and forth like a rag doll's.

Alvin felt her weight as she lowered herself across his back. Her lips were on his shoulder, and then his neck and then his ear.

"Roll over, baby."

Alvin obeyed, and she laid beside him, propped on one elbow. She leaned over and kissed him, then squeezed some more lotion into her palm. She looked down at him with a mischievous expression as she slipped her hand into the front of his pants and wrapped it around his cock. It grew hard at her first touch. She pulled it free and looked at it.

"You have a very pretty penis, did anyone ever tell you that?"

"I don't think I ever heard pretty."

She put more lotion in her palm, and began massaging his balls. Alvin moaned in pleasure. He looked up at her. She was gazing down at him. When their eyes met, she smiled. He ran his hand over her hip and on to her inner thigh. She pushed it back with her elbow. "No, honey, it's not a good time. Just let me take care of you."

She stroked his cock with a steady motion, twisting her wrist and teasing the head with her thumb. Alvin could not lay still. Her hand felt warm and soft but firm and sure as well. His legs shifted involuntarily, and his hips rose. Mary increased her tempo, watching his expression as his breathing grew shallower. She leaned in closer, her face only inches from his.

"Aww, Mary," he panted, opening his eyes to look at her. His head went back and his hips bucked. She felt him come, warm and sticky on her hand. He went limp, but she continued her slow strokes until she felt his hardness subside.

Alvin took in and blew out two deep breaths before he could speak. "I didn't know I was going to get a happy ending."

Mary laughed. "Well, you never know about happy endings, do you?"

She got up and went to the bathroom to wash her hands. When she returned, she brought a warm damp washcloth and cleaned Alvin's crotch and abdomen. When she had finished, she lay down beside him and rested her head on his chest. He enveloped her in his arms.

"Thank you,' he whispered.

"Thank you," she replied, "for helping me and for taking out for that wonderful sushi."

"Well, jeezum, if that's a kind of reward I can expect, I think maybe we ought to go out tomorrow and see about getting you a new refrigerator."

She laughed and kissed him. "Do you think you'll stay tonight?"

"I have to get up wicked early. Probably better if I go home. I won't have to disturb you before you need to wake up."

"Okay. But can we snuggle a while?"

He kissed the top of her head. "Indeed, we can."

They held each other for nearly an hour, occasionally sharing a kiss, but no words. Finally, Alvin had to relieve his bladder. When he finished, he came back to the bedroom to get dressed.

"I'll call you tomorrow," he said when he was ready to go.

"You had better mean it this time," she said as she followed him to the door.

He put his arms around her and kissed her. "I will call you every day until you tell me to knock it off."

She squeezed him tight. "Thank you again for helping me with the air conditioner."

"You're welcome," he said, "but you don't need it."

She shook her head at him as he winked and went out the door. She retrieved her robe from the bedroom and flopped down on the couch. For a few minutes she just sat quietly, feeling a warm contentment. Then she picked up her laptop from the coffee table, opened the browser and clicked on Google. In a few seconds, she was browsing a list of websites about alpaca farming.