couldn’t have traveled more than forty or fifty niles from Marion, however, before he phoned in from a rest stop to tell Brenda that the bus ride so far had been the most kidney-jogging experience he ever felt and he’d decided to cash in his ticket at St. Louis and come the rest of the way by plane. Brenda agreed. If Gary wanted to travel deluxe, well, he had a little coming.
He called her again that evening. He was definitely on the last flight and would phone once more when he arrived.
THE FIRST DAY
p>
I I
“Gary, it takes us forty-five minutes to get to the airport.”
“I don’t mind.”
Brenda thought this was a novel approach, but then he hadn’t been taking a lot of airplanes. Probably he wanted time to unwind.
Even the children were excited, and Brenda certainly couldn’t sleep. After midnight, she and Johnny just waited. Brenda had threatened to kill anybody who called her late — she wanted that line to be open.
“I’m here,” said his voice. It was 2 A.M.
“Okay, we’re coming to get you.”
“Right on,” said Gary and hung up. This was one guy who wouldn’t talk your ear off for a dime.
On the ride, Brenda kept telling John to hurry up. It was the middle of the night, and nobody was on the road. John, however, wasn’t about to get a ticket. They were traveling the Interstate, after all. So he kept at 6o. Brenda gave up fighting. She was altogether toe excited to fight.
“Oh, my God,” said Brenda, “I wonder how tall he is.” “What?” said Johnny.
She had begun to think he might be short. That would be awful. Brenda was only five feet five, but it was a height she knew well. From the time she was ten years old, she had been I3o pounds, five—
five, and wholly equipped with the same size bra as now — C cup. “What do you mean, is he tall?” asked Johnny. “I don’t know, I hope he is.”
In junior high, if she put on heels, the only person big enough to dance with her was the gym teacher. She used to hate like hell to kiss a boy on the forehead and tell him good night. In fact, she got so paranoid about being tall it could have stunted her growth.
It certainly made her like boys taller than herself. They let her feel feminine. She just had this nightmare that when they got to the airport, Gary would only come up to her armpit. Why, she would abandon the whole thing right there. Shift for yourself, she would tell him.
They pulled up to the island that ran parallel to the main en trance of the terminal building. So soon as she got out of the car, there was Johnny over on the driver’s side, trying to tuck his shirttail in. That annoyed Brenda no end.
She could see Gary leaning against the building. “There he is,” Brenda cried, but Johnny said, “Wait, I have to zip my pants.”
“Who gives a shit about your shirttail?” said Brenda. “I’m going.”
As she crossed the street between the parking island and the main door, Gary saw her and picked up his satchel. Pretty soon they were running toward each other. As they met, Gary dropped his bag, looked at her, then encircled her so hard she could have been hugged by a bear. Even Johnny had never gripped Brenda that hard.
When Gary put her down on the ground again, she stood back and looked at him. She had to take him all in. She said, “My God, you’re tall.”
He started to laugh. “What did .you expect, a midget?”
“I don’t know what I expected,” she said, “but, thank God, you’re tall.”
Johnny was just standing there with his big good face going, um, um, um.
“Hey, coz,” said Gary, “it’s fine to see you.” He shook hands with Johnny.
“By the way, Gary,” said Brenda demurely, “this is my husband.” Gary said, “I assumed that’s who it was.”
Johnny said, “Have you got everything with you?”
Gary picked up his flight bag—it was pathetically small, thought Brenda — and said, “This is it. This is all I
He called her again that evening. He was definitely on the last flight and would phone once more when he arrived.
THE FIRST DAY
p>
I I
“Gary, it takes us forty-five minutes to get to the airport.”
“I don’t mind.”
Brenda thought this was a novel approach, but then he hadn’t been taking a lot of airplanes. Probably he wanted time to unwind.
Even the children were excited, and Brenda certainly couldn’t sleep. After midnight, she and Johnny just waited. Brenda had threatened to kill anybody who called her late — she wanted that line to be open.
“I’m here,” said his voice. It was 2 A.M.
“Okay, we’re coming to get you.”
“Right on,” said Gary and hung up. This was one guy who wouldn’t talk your ear off for a dime.
On the ride, Brenda kept telling John to hurry up. It was the middle of the night, and nobody was on the road. John, however, wasn’t about to get a ticket. They were traveling the Interstate, after all. So he kept at 6o. Brenda gave up fighting. She was altogether toe excited to fight.
“Oh, my God,” said Brenda, “I wonder how tall he is.” “What?” said Johnny.
She had begun to think he might be short. That would be awful. Brenda was only five feet five, but it was a height she knew well. From the time she was ten years old, she had been I3o pounds, five—
five, and wholly equipped with the same size bra as now — C cup. “What do you mean, is he tall?” asked Johnny. “I don’t know, I hope he is.”
In junior high, if she put on heels, the only person big enough to dance with her was the gym teacher. She used to hate like hell to kiss a boy on the forehead and tell him good night. In fact, she got so paranoid about being tall it could have stunted her growth.
It certainly made her like boys taller than herself. They let her feel feminine. She just had this nightmare that when they got to the airport, Gary would only come up to her armpit. Why, she would abandon the whole thing right there. Shift for yourself, she would tell him.
They pulled up to the island that ran parallel to the main en trance of the terminal building. So soon as she got out of the car, there was Johnny over on the driver’s side, trying to tuck his shirttail in. That annoyed Brenda no end.
She could see Gary leaning against the building. “There he is,” Brenda cried, but Johnny said, “Wait, I have to zip my pants.”
“Who gives a shit about your shirttail?” said Brenda. “I’m going.”
As she crossed the street between the parking island and the main door, Gary saw her and picked up his satchel. Pretty soon they were running toward each other. As they met, Gary dropped his bag, looked at her, then encircled her so hard she could have been hugged by a bear. Even Johnny had never gripped Brenda that hard.
When Gary put her down on the ground again, she stood back and looked at him. She had to take him all in. She said, “My God, you’re tall.”
He started to laugh. “What did .you expect, a midget?”
“I don’t know what I expected,” she said, “but, thank God, you’re tall.”
Johnny was just standing there with his big good face going, um, um, um.
“Hey, coz,” said Gary, “it’s fine to see you.” He shook hands with Johnny.
“By the way, Gary,” said Brenda demurely, “this is my husband.” Gary said, “I assumed that’s who it was.”
Johnny said, “Have you got everything with you?”
Gary picked up his flight bag—it was pathetically small, thought Brenda — and said, “This is it. This is all I
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