Vision Ch. 07

"Succinct fucker, isn't he?" Leaning back against the pillows she huffs in resigned exasperation lapsing into a coughing fit.

A snicker escapes me before I can help myself.

"Laugh and I swear I will use my last drop of energy to finally whip your ass, Dax."

She can barely get out that sentence but I decide to leave the room anyway before the humor of the situation gets the better of us.

Returning later with soup I find her in bed sketching.

"I didn't know you could draw."

"Eh, I'm not very good but I can sketch what I see more or less."

She's drawing me, or at least she is attempting to. It's not bad but the scale is off - almost caricature-like in its exaggeration.

"My nose is this big?"

She blushes. "Not really, I just get distracted when I get to that part."

Even more curious. "My nose distracts you?"

"What you do with it does."

Enlightenment dawns as she flicks me a look and shifts uncomfortably like there's an itch she can't quite scratch. One sympathizes.

"Ah, I see."

Sighing heavily she asks me to change the subject. And so I ask about something that has been bugging me.

"Lulu, how did you pay for everything while we were away? You left your cards and wallet here. There wasn't a blip on your credit report and no activity on any of your accounts indicating where you might be. I looked high and low for you and I am not easy to hide from."

-

Here we go with Dax and his eternal inquisition.

"I don't understand the question."

"Yes you do."

"I'm a lawyer Dax - so never you mind."

"Wily."

"Careful."

I mean why would I tell him that I keep a Go bag with an encrypted phone, extra dual citizenship passport and driver's license, stacks of cash and a black card that can't be traced to me as well as keys to an extra car. I've several such bags stashed as needed around the world? I mean one never knows . . .

__________________________

BY Friday she's feeling better and is tucked up on the couch watching movies with the nephew. Little man is sprawled all over her.

"Don't you want to lie down on the sofa?"

"No, I wanna lay on you." He's got his head on her chest. I don't blame him; it's soft up there. She looks irritated but pets him anyway and tries to settle back comfortably.

"You feel warm."

Looking at his eyes she frowns, feeling his forehead and neck with the back of her hand. He sneezes hard, wiping his nose the back of his hand. Grossed out and unable to hide she pulls a face before quickly taking him to the guest bath to clean him up.

"Mama says its allergies." He looks at her almost apologetically.

"Hmmm . . . well I think you might be coming down with a cold buddy. Dax love, there's a thermometer in my bathroom cabinet. Could you bring it to me?"

Placing it in his ear, they count together waiting for the electronic beep.

"101.5, you are one hot little tomato. I'm going to make the purple juice for you ok."

"Ok."

Rooting around in the kitchen cabinets she locates a small canister, taking a pot down she sets it on the stove. She herself starts to cough.

"You're doing too much Lou."

"Just a little winded that's all."

Head hard as a rock. She fills the small pot with spring water. Waiting for it to boil, she gathers ingredients; honey, dried lemon peel, star anise, and rosehips. Opening a canister she shakes out what look like dried blue berries with the star anise and rosehips into a large tea ball.

"What on earth are you making?"

"Elderberry tea - knocks the cold right out of you." Having met her MM I know she gets it honest but I'm still amazed when she has these moments.

"We all take it during the winter. It's great for colds and all sorts of things. Hell if I'd been thinking I'd have made this for myself last week, I'd probably be well now."

Incredibly absentminded when it comes to her own health. I don't know what or why that is, but it's something I'm going to have to look out for.

--

It's August in a flash and time for a month of festivities. They are all August babies Lulu, Lenny & Lili.

For the civic ball she picks out a sharp skinny lapel suit for me. With my height and build she's certain I can carry it off. I am not at all sure about it until I'm shaved with a fresh haircut and I look in the mirror. I must look pretty sharp because she seems a little flustered at the sight of me.

She's a vision in a strapless ivory white lace dress with a black sash and a palest blue Spanish shawl embroidered with large dark red flowers. I've gotten get her a wrist corsage which she keeps smelling and touching. Standing in her hallway I take a selfie of us with my phone. We look like an old fashioned couple.

It's almost her birthday. She doesn't like to celebrate it but she's going to have to get over that tonight. I've been colluding with her brother and sister and Uncle Jack and Arlene and there's a little something planned. I convulsively clutch my jacket's breast pocket to make sure I have the package.

Throwing me the keys we head out in her fancy car. We arrive, hand over our invitation and go inside.

"Hey? I meant to say something sooner but I invited your parents. I hope you don't mind. "

"Why would I mind?" We get a little closer everyday.

We spot Lili, Lenny and Eddie and join them. Lenny grins and hugs her tightly almost crushing her.

"Your whole dress is glowing, you look like an angel. Happy almost Birthday Lulu." He says.

Lili blinks several times and looks at her sister squinting. "You really look like mom."

Lulu looks a little self-conscious.

Seeing her friends discomfort Eddie starts asking about Paris. Before Lou can answer Uncle Jack comes over. He's got his camera and immediately snaps a picture.

"Lulu in a dress. HA! I've got proof!! Alright get it together you three, its picture time." Lenny and Lili put Lulu in the middle and he snaps away. He stops and looks around. "Where's that Dax got to?" He turns and finds me.

"Come on get in there man! You too Eddie, come on now." He excitedly waves us in and starts snapping away again.

"Dax your folks are over at table 18, bring them over."

At a table partially surrounded by palms I find my parents holding hands and talking quietly.

"Here's our boy!" Pops rises to greet me. "So you found that little gal and bought her back eh? How was Paris? Married Yet?" He's got jokes and seems in a good mood.

Mom pokes him. "Stop picking on the child. He just got home. Hi baby, how are you?"

"I'm fine. Paris was good. I wish you guys could see what Max's done to the place; you'd hardly recognize it. It's nice. I should have taken pictures."

"I'm sure you two were too busy for picture taking."

"Alright now Hanni, tone it down." She flicks him absently.

It's great that my folks are out but Pops hates driving at night because of his eyes and Mom has a horrible sense of direction. The highways here confuse her.

"How are you two getting home? Me and Lulu can run you home and bring your truck back tomorrow, or you can crash at her place, it's nice."

"No worries, Lulu sent us invitations and put us up in a suite upstairs for the weekend, we don't check out til Monday. After we eat and dance we can just go upstairs and relax and be refreshed for the barbecue tomorrow."

That little sneak. I look around and catch her eye across the room. She winks and gives me a saucy little grin before waving at my parents.

"Uncle Jack wants a family photo and wants you guys over there."

Mom hesitates. "The man's a sergeant 'Relia and it's a room full of cops I think it's ok to leave your purse and wrap at the table." She shoots him a look.

We come and Lulu hugs them both in turn the three of them talking excitedly about the suite. After a few minutes of sorting, arranging and mixing us Uncle Jack stops for a moment.

"I want all the children, where's that damned Harry?"

Being the tallest person in the room he's pretty easy to spot.

"Harry!" He booms over the music. "Get it over here!"

He quickly walks over and stops short in front of Lulu. "You are one fine-looking woman."

Lulu shakes her head. "Gee thanks Harry, you look nice too." She says giving him what I consider my smile.

"Dax."

"Harry."

He nods at me and I nod back. She quickly introduces him to my folks. He's pleasant as he shakes their hands cordially.

Mom smiles at him but Pops gives him side-eye.

"Enough with the chit chat get it together." Commands Uncle Jack.

Everyone falls in line and huddles together as he snaps away.

"You know I can't see Lulu-butt off on the side like that, put her back where I had her, Dax go with her."

Uncle Jack snaps pics at a furious pace. He looks full to bursting with paternal pride.

"Good looking people. One more set with Arlene. Harry, go get your mother. She's running her mouth as usual and missing my fun."

Uncle Jack is a character.

"I'm going to have my dance after this Lulu." He snaps another picture right in her face and she draws back from the flash flinching and frowning at him. Undeterred, he snaps several more pictures.

Arlene finally comes over shaking her head her eyes misting as she hugs Lulu. Another round of picture taking ensues as Uncle Jack turns over his camera to a known passerby and stands with us. Arlene shakes my hand and then hugs me.

"Look how happy she is? When are you two gonna make it legal?"

Lulu looks mortified.

Arlene goes, "that's right. I said it. Now give me that purse and shawl and go dance with your uncle before he has a fit, he's been on and on about it all week, he always did want a little girl and somehow he got two and an extra son praise god."

Arlene nudges me. "You're in for a treat if you've not seen Lulu dance. Her and Jack and Harry as big as he is are the dancers in the family, the rest of us pale in comparison."

Remembering that floorshow she put on for me in private I'm a little scared. She kisses Uncle Jack's cheek and he rolls his eyes in delight as they hit the floor. They put on Jackie Wilsons Baby Workout, Uncle Jack and Lulu do just that, he's twirling her and they are doing some fancy foot work. They've got the moves man, and Uncle Jack is still very nimble and quite quick.

She's smiling to beat the band. I've never seen her smile this much. Round and around and around and around. With all those layers that dress was made for that type of dancing. She's twisting and twirling. The song morphs into Sam Cooke's Twistin' the Night Away and they just continue twistin, snapping and clapping, going to town. The song ends and they come back laughing as people applaud loudly.

Sitting down she gulps down water and fans herself laughing up a storm while talking to Lili and looking at me. Sister talk. Lili's eyes get wide during certain parts of the conversation, which can't be heard over the music. Lili however, who is clearly happy for her, smiles and nods her head appreciatively, and winks at me. What the hell are they talking about?

Harry comes around the table and stands looming over us. I can't believe tuxedos come in that size.

"What is it Harry?" She asks gruffly.

"I want my dance too." He holds out his hand and waits. She looks at him and narrows her eyes and purses her lips.

"Fine." She takes his hand.

They put on Frankie Lymon's Goody Goody. As awkward and they look standing still, once they start dancing they look great, he's swinging her around wildly and there's a brief flash of stocking and garter which gets cheers. A Lindy hop is what Arlene calls it. The song morphs into Johnny Be Good by Chuck Berry and they just go right on dancing. Admittedly, he's a damned smooth dancer for a big man. What kills is the look of pure enjoyment on her face afterwards as he holds her by the waist and spins her around, kissing her cheek. Which she returns with a large smack on his. I get up and go over.

"I can see I'm going to have to step up my dance game."

She looks at me queerly.

"Everyone loves to dance with Lulu, she's a great dancer," Harry says matter-of-factly. "Looks like dad needs me, gotta go."

He politely excuses himself and goes over to a scowling Uncle Jack.

Lulu spins around and glares at me. "What?"

"Let's step outside for a minute."

"Dude please. The way I've been sweating; the mosquitoes will eat me alive."

Taking her arm I walk us down a hallway and we stop across from the empty coat check and sit down on a small bench. Slipping off her shoe, she massages her ankle, making circles in the air with her foot as she stretches it.

"What's your deal Dax?"

"My deal is he still likes you, and just now it looked like you liked him too."

"Yes, like a sister."

"A sister he'd like to fuck," I mutter to myself.

"He does not!" She says crossly.

"He will if you keep dancing with him and kissing him like that."

"Dax! What's up with you? I do not want to fight right now." She stands looking at me with large incredulous eyes.

"It's not rocket science. Do not kiss and dance with ex-boyfriends in public! I shouldn't have to say it Lou."

She looks at me softly. "I kissed Uncle Jack too. They're family Dax. Besides, you're the only one I kiss like this."

Placing her hands on my shoulders she kisses me softly at first and then quite deeply until her arms creep around my neck and she starts to sigh. Sliding my hands under her dress I find her hot center and stroke until she comes. We look innocent enough I think. My arm around her legs and her clutching me to her chest like her most treasured possession, twisting slowly from side to side.

My hand is still inside her panties, just teasing her. Summer undies she calls them, such soft material, hand sewn, wispy, filmy silk, nothing to them at all, downright flimsy, something that I don't want seen. Gathering a fistful of material I tug hard and they come away in my hand. Leaning back to look at me she's got that dazed after sex look.

"Dax?"

"Problem solved, no more swinging through the air tonight." Giving them a deep sniff I tuck them into my breast pocket.

Her eyes narrow as she pushes away and stalks off in the direction of the bar. When I catch up to her however she's calmly sipping a dirty martini with extra olives.

"This is the first ball I've been to in forever whereas I actually have a date." She sighs heavily before taking my hand and kissing it. Before long there's a twinkle in her eye and she nods her head. "I know what we need."

Going over and talking to the DJ, she holds up two fingers and clasps her hands together, but he's shaking his head in the negative. A very stern looking Uncle Jack comes over and the DJ starts to nod in the affirmative. Uncle Jack kisses her forehead and returns to his seat as she commandeers the DJ's laptop for a moment. She all but skips back to me, grabbing my hand and trying to drag me to the dance floor.

"Let's dance!"

I sag. "I can't dance like that."

"You can too dance! We dance all the time. Come on here now." She actually stamps her foot. I let her drag me onto the floor.

The DJ plays Tito Puente's Four Beat Cha Cha Cha. When we dance to this at home she's frisky. By the time I realize she's about to scandalize the both of us, it's too late. Sliding the back of her body down the front of mine and running my hands down the sides of her body, and hers down mine, touching my face as we salsa, lively, mischievous and irresistible. I love it. All I have to do is take her hands step with her and twirl her a bit.

Uncle Jack and Lenny are snapping away with their cameras, my parents are smiling and mom has her camera phone trained on us. Harry's watching and his eyes are about to pop out, which is mildly satisfying. It's a short song so it's over before too long and she's smiling up at me as they start the next song.

"Thanks for that." I kiss her lips and she presses her warm cheek against my neck and I can feel her smiling as we sway. She squeals as they play her favorite Radio Head song - Creep.

"I don't care what you say; I'm going to marry you Lulu."

She groans and tilts her face up to mine frowning. "Not this again. You seem like a bright man, from what I read in your file you are purportedly very smart, you claim to love and want to keep me and yet are insistent on us entering into an institution that has a 66% failure rate as 3 out of 4 marriages end in divorce. What's up with that? Can't we simply live in sin like reasonable people?"

So pretty. So stubborn. I kiss her softly but insistently. She gently pushes me away after a moment or so.

"Ummm you realize we're in a room full of people?"

"So?" I squeeze her tighter.

"Dax, stop it! Your parents are watching!" She whispers heatedly.

Following her gaze across the room and sure enough they are, Mom with disapproval and Pops with something that looks like envious pride.

I look down at her again. "I don't care who's watching. I'll have you, right here, right now."

Suddenly the thought that she's not wearing panties is all I can think about.

That eyebrow slowly rises. "Is that right?"

I swoop down and kiss her again and she lets me. I hear Lenny and Uncle Jack hooting in encouragement from the sidelines. "Get her, Dax! Get her!" so I grab her and bend her back and bring her back up, her face is red but she's smiling.

"I mean to have you. It's been damned near two weeks now."

She shakes her head and sighs deeply. The lights dim and the music stops as Lili and Lenny come out with a monstrously large round white cake full of candles. Everyone sings happy birthday. She looks embarrassed, happy and confused all at once.

She gawks at the cake. "Did you have to put all 30 candles on this thing? It looks like a damned bonfire."

Closing her eyes and crossing her fingers she makes a wish and blows out the candles. We break out the gifts. I've gotten her a gold antique woven anklet. Kissing and thanking me she immediately puts her leg on my knee to have it fastened. I'll explain its significance later, she may not be pleased.

As everyone sits down to tuck into the cake, she freezes, looking hard at Uncle Jack. That eyebrow rises slowly as she crosses her arms. What's he done to merit her special look? Unperturbed, he looks right back at her. She looks pointedly at the cake and looks at him again.

"What?" He asks.

"You know what! I swear to God, when they start cutting off your diseased limbs I want someone to call me because I'm going down to the hospital to personally help them hold the bone saw. You know better!"

I wince. Ouch Lou!

Uncle Jack doesn't back down though. He draws himself up in his chair and addresses her directly.

"I will have you know that my sugar is just fine. I am officially off diabetic medication, have been for almost a year now, which you'd know if you came around more. I can occasionally have a piece of cake. I've been watching the fats and sticking to lean meats and vegetables and working out with Harry and Lenny. So you can keep that attitude to yourself," he says crustily.

There's a momentary stand-off as they stare each other down. She grudgingly relents and manages a small smile.

"Just take it easy ok?"

Arlene nudges me. "She don't mean no harm, just concerned is all. Those two love each other to death. She added years to Jacks life. We found out he had Type II diabetes and she comes over with all this research namely an article about a woman Dr. from Kansas whose diabetic patients by and large walked out cured after she changed their diets and took them off all carbs. We flew out to see her and had him assessed. It's not as restrictive a diet as you'd imagine, we've all slimmed down as a result. I feel like a young married girl of 35 myself."

She looks over and winks at Uncle Jack who winks right back. I shake my head at those two.