Julie was plotting all of this out on paper and came to the realization that they could have lunch together only on Thursdays. She looked up in frustration. “Do you see this? There is only one hour in the school day in the whole week where one of us doesn’t have class or work!”
Tom looked at her handiwork and admired her creativity. He then observed, “I think you’re missing out on what’s not there, Jules. Look here. We get to sleep in, together, on Tuesdays until I have to get up and go to class. You could also come by and spend the last of my lab time together on Tuesdays. And we’re clear on Fridays from 3:00 through the weekend.”
“And here is where we will have lunch together,” she declared, pointing at the space on Thursdays.
Tom grinned and nodded in agreement. Setting the schedule aside, she turned in her chair and held her arms out to Tom. He chuckled and pulled her to her feet, allowing her to wrap him in her arms. They rubbed noses, and Tom’s eyes got a mischievous glint. He turned her 90 degrees and quickly slid his right arm under her legs and lifted her. Careful not to whack her head, he carried her into the bedroom and gently set her on the bed.
“What are you proposing to do, Mister Harrison?” she inquired, coquettishly.
“Why, to have my way with you, Miss Lawson.”
“Oooh, sometimes you have the best ideas, Mister Harrison. Go turn out the rest of the lights first, though.”
= = =
Friday, January 15
Maggie took the bus to work and back on Friday. She had found the schedule for the route and knew she had to be at the corner for the 8:37 bus which would drop her off at 8:53. Returning home, she would catch the bus at 4:45 and it would drop her at the corner at 5:02. Beginning on Tuesday, she would not require her personal chauffeur to get to and from work.
Maggie had been working on a new playlist in Spotify, and she’d overheard Alan once say that Laura had especially liked songs by Phil Collins. She wanted to build a ‘Tribute to Laura’ playlist, and it had included a song from the Disney movie, ‘Tarzan‘. Sung by Glenn Close and Phil Collins, she found ‘You’ll Be in My Heart‘ to be sweet and adorable. When she had previewed the playlist for him on Friday night and that song played, David stopped stock still. His upper lip trembled, and his eyes began to mist over. He tried to maintain control, but the tears were streaming faster than he could wipe them away. Laura used to sing this song to him, and right then he crumpled to the bed as his knees gave way.
“Davey? David, honey, what’s the matter?” Maggie was instantly beside him, stroking his hair. ‘Shit!’ she thought. ‘I’m not good at this touchy-feely stuff.’ She kissed his face, tasting the salt from his tears. All she could do was let him cry it out. Fortunately, he regained his self-control after a few minutes. Maggie had ducked out and gotten a hand towel for him as she saw his sobbing was ending.
“Davey, what was that all about?” she asked, wiping away his tears then kissing him tenderly.
“My mom loved Phil Collins’ music, as I believe you have discovered. She absolutely adored that song he did for ‘Tarzan’, where Nala has found and saved the orphaned boy. She used to sing that to me and to Tom to get us to sleep. That song is so intensely special, so intimate between me and Mom. Can you please, please remove it from that playlist?”
“Of course, sweetheart. Of course.” She deleted the song from the playlist, then continued the previewing.
“I’m so sorry about that booby-trap, Magpie. You might want to be prepared for other similarly random events. None of us are truly over losing Mom, even Dad. I love that you wanted to build a tribute playlist for her. I’m going to miss you snuggling in next to me in the mornings.” He began to mist up again at the anticipated absence of her.
“Hey, hey, we’ve got this whole weekend still. I’ve got to work tomorrow and I need my chauffeur in tip-top shape in the morning. Come on to bed. I want you to hold me and tell me you love me.” She proceeded to demonstrate her own booby-trap for his hands.
Saturday, January 16
When he picked up Maggie at the jewelry store, David knew the next two days would be tear-filled. He just never expected so many of those tears to be his. He thought he’d gotten most of them out of his system.
Maggie got in David’s Jeep after making sure Mr. Johnson had turned out the lights and locked the door. She started to buckle her seatbelt, but David stopped her. He gently turned her head to his and they kissed tenderly. The kiss shared between David and Maggie continued for at least five minutes, and it was filled with promise and desire and love. Jack Johnson just stood, somewhat in shadows, watching. He decided he needed to talk with Maeve about an idea before they went to church in the morning.
Maggie wasn’t surprised by David’s tenderness, but then she started thinking and tears began to well in her eyes. She thought ahead to the coming week. She would truly miss the chauffeured rides with David. The clock was now ticking loudly inside her head. She now had less than 44 hours with him before he had to return to school. She was silent all the way back home, trying to think of how best to demonstrate how she felt about him.
David noticed her silence but didn’t have a good idea how to engage her, so he left her alone with her thoughts. He, too, had directed his ruminations towards the upcoming semester at the Art Institute. He would be taking as many non-art classes as he could, hoping to transfer the credits to the State University. He was returning to the same dorm room as he had in the fall. His roommate, Robert, would also be a known quantity. But now he had a BIG external distraction with Maggie. He now had a much nicer and more reliable vehicle to travel back and forth in, but he did not want to use his lifeguarding earnings (and bonus) on gasoline. He needed to plan out his weekends back home.
David had received an unofficial bonus for saving the mayor’s grandson’s life at the pool. It came in a holiday card from the whole family, hand-addressed to David and including a group photo. He valued the five $100 bills almost as much as the crayon scribble attempt to sign the card, obviously from the child. He set the card in a visible and safe place on his shelf.
Maggie had decided to be present with David in whatever space he would share with her. They had quickly fallen into the habit of having sex every other day or so, usually at night, with morning blow jobs to get their day off to a great start. She realized it was Saturday night and she knew what she wanted to do. After supper, she got out a serving bowl and led him by the hand to the living room.
“Oh, my darling Magpie, yes! I love the way you think,” David declared. He made a little more space by moving the coffee table aside while she started up a new Spotify playlist which she had titled ‘Love Songs’. She activated the randomizer setting and John Legend’s ‘All of Me‘ started the night for them. Pulling her close, he said into her ear, “Margaret Kathleen, please listen to these words. Take them to heart because they flow directly from mine.”