go investigate?" I began pulling on my abandoned pants and
running my fingers through my hair.
The noise continued
in the other room, and I tried not to imagine what the stranger might be doing
with Kristina. "Should we do something?" I asked again. Gary stood
immobilized in the center of the room.
"You bet we do
something. We throw whoever's in there with her out on his scrawny ass."
He headed for the bedroom and knocked loudly several times before the noises
stopped.
"Kris, please
come out here."
Gary waited by the
door for a few minutes before Kris appeared.
"What?" she
asked, standing in the doorway stark naked with her hair wildly surrounding her
face.
"Who's in
there?" Gary pushed past her into the bedroom.
There I stood facing
Kristina, attempting to look anywhere but at her body. I finally turned away
but not before absorbing the sight of her body into my memory bank.
I could hear Gary
give some commands and soon a scruffy-looking boy came bounding out of the room,
zipping his pants and carrying his boots.
"See you around,
baby," he said as he leaned down to plant a loud smack on Kristina's
forehead.
Gary and his daughter
stood glaring at one another even after the door slammed.
"Don't ever
bring slime like that into this apartment again," Gary said. "Your
mother may not have had any rules for you, young lady, but you will follow my
rules as long as you stay under my roof."
Kristina started to
protest, but when she looked up into Gary's face and saw the anger blazing from
his eyes, she shut her mouth and slammed back into the bedroom.
"Gary, how long
is she staying here?" I asked when he came back into the living room.
"We haven't
really discussed it, but we've talked about going to Florida for Christmas,
remember? I assumed she would stay at least until then."
"Has she asked
you for money?"
"Not really. I
noticed yesterday that she didn't seem to have cash, so I offered her some
spending money. She seemed reluctant to take it. Why?"
"I gave her some
money the other night, too," I said.
"Really?
Why?" He seemed puzzled.
"She said she
was broke, and I felt sorry for her, that's all. But I wonder why she needs so
much cash."
"Not sure, but
I'm not footing her bills to play the slut in New Orleans, that's for sure.
Even if I do feel responsible for how she got this way." Gary turned to go
into the kitchen.
"I think you
need to be wary. She may be your daughter, but you don't really know her.
Remember, keep in perspective, for fifteen formative years you had no input
into her life," I said as I followed him into the kitchen.
"Ed, I know you
mean well, but let me handle this my own way, OK?"
"That's all,
Gary, just be careful. I'm going to head back today. I think you and Kristina
will be all right, and I've got some work to do."
"You're going
back today? I thought you were leaving Monday."
"I thought you
and Kristina should have more time alone before you go back to work on
Monday." I did think they should have some time alone, but mostly I needed
to get out of there.
"You're probably
right. I may not always show that I appreciate it, but you're a real friend, you
know?" Gary grinned at me before turning back to make the coffee.
I got up to finish
packing before breakfast and tried not to feel guilty. If I was such a good
friend to Gary, why did the image of Kristina as she stood naked in the doorway
of the guest room keep popping into my mind and why did it take longer each
time to brush it away? It remained as the only clear image in my mind of the
whole weekend.
He dreamed about her
last night. He hoped that the creature of his imagination would become a reality.
This apparition, his angel and vision of the perfect woman, walked toward him
when he awoke, and he reached for her certain that his future would be secure.
When his arms tried to embrace her, she disappeared into the mists, and his
arms remained empty.
CHAPTER FIVE
When they came to
Florida for Christmas, Gary and Kristina
running my fingers through my hair.
The noise continued
in the other room, and I tried not to imagine what the stranger might be doing
with Kristina. "Should we do something?" I asked again. Gary stood
immobilized in the center of the room.
"You bet we do
something. We throw whoever's in there with her out on his scrawny ass."
He headed for the bedroom and knocked loudly several times before the noises
stopped.
"Kris, please
come out here."
Gary waited by the
door for a few minutes before Kris appeared.
"What?" she
asked, standing in the doorway stark naked with her hair wildly surrounding her
face.
"Who's in
there?" Gary pushed past her into the bedroom.
There I stood facing
Kristina, attempting to look anywhere but at her body. I finally turned away
but not before absorbing the sight of her body into my memory bank.
I could hear Gary
give some commands and soon a scruffy-looking boy came bounding out of the room,
zipping his pants and carrying his boots.
"See you around,
baby," he said as he leaned down to plant a loud smack on Kristina's
forehead.
Gary and his daughter
stood glaring at one another even after the door slammed.
"Don't ever
bring slime like that into this apartment again," Gary said. "Your
mother may not have had any rules for you, young lady, but you will follow my
rules as long as you stay under my roof."
Kristina started to
protest, but when she looked up into Gary's face and saw the anger blazing from
his eyes, she shut her mouth and slammed back into the bedroom.
"Gary, how long
is she staying here?" I asked when he came back into the living room.
"We haven't
really discussed it, but we've talked about going to Florida for Christmas,
remember? I assumed she would stay at least until then."
"Has she asked
you for money?"
"Not really. I
noticed yesterday that she didn't seem to have cash, so I offered her some
spending money. She seemed reluctant to take it. Why?"
"I gave her some
money the other night, too," I said.
"Really?
Why?" He seemed puzzled.
"She said she
was broke, and I felt sorry for her, that's all. But I wonder why she needs so
much cash."
"Not sure, but
I'm not footing her bills to play the slut in New Orleans, that's for sure.
Even if I do feel responsible for how she got this way." Gary turned to go
into the kitchen.
"I think you
need to be wary. She may be your daughter, but you don't really know her.
Remember, keep in perspective, for fifteen formative years you had no input
into her life," I said as I followed him into the kitchen.
"Ed, I know you
mean well, but let me handle this my own way, OK?"
"That's all,
Gary, just be careful. I'm going to head back today. I think you and Kristina
will be all right, and I've got some work to do."
"You're going
back today? I thought you were leaving Monday."
"I thought you
and Kristina should have more time alone before you go back to work on
Monday." I did think they should have some time alone, but mostly I needed
to get out of there.
"You're probably
right. I may not always show that I appreciate it, but you're a real friend, you
know?" Gary grinned at me before turning back to make the coffee.
I got up to finish
packing before breakfast and tried not to feel guilty. If I was such a good
friend to Gary, why did the image of Kristina as she stood naked in the doorway
of the guest room keep popping into my mind and why did it take longer each
time to brush it away? It remained as the only clear image in my mind of the
whole weekend.
He dreamed about her
last night. He hoped that the creature of his imagination would become a reality.
This apparition, his angel and vision of the perfect woman, walked toward him
when he awoke, and he reached for her certain that his future would be secure.
When his arms tried to embrace her, she disappeared into the mists, and his
arms remained empty.
CHAPTER FIVE
When they came to
Florida for Christmas, Gary and Kristina
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