A Different Kind of Forever(65)

“Yeah?” Mark looked encouraged. “That would be cool.” They sat in silence for a few minutes. “So, why won’t you see Diane?”

Michael shrugged. “She likes to spend time alone, that’s all. It’s no big deal.” He looked at Mark. “This is kind weird for her, I think. She wasn’t exactly expecting somebody like me to suddenly appear in her life. She just has to re-group sometimes.”

“She sounds like a very complicated woman,” Mark said, shuddering.

“She is. That’s the great thing, you know? We’ve been together almost three months. And I’ve never been bored. Not once. She’s fantastic.”

Max hauled himself out of the pool and stood in front of Mark as he shook himself. Water flew everywhere. Mark cursed. Michael just laughed.





Michael drove over to Diane’s late Sunday afternoon. It was hot, the air heavy with rain, the sun behind clouds. Her car was in the driveway. He walked into the house without knocking. She had given him a key at the start of the summer, but he rarely used it. She was always home when he came by.

Music was blasting, as usual. The Supremes. He smiled as he followed a series of thumps back to the den.

She was rearranging furniture, trying to push the loveseat against the wall. Michael stepped in and picked up an end, sliding it effortlessly in place. She grinned at him.

“You have perfect timing, as usual.” She came over and put her arms around his waist, kissing him.

“What happened to you?” he asked, frowning. There was a long scrape down her cheek, and a gauze bandage on her elbow.

Diane shrugged and looked embarrassed. “I fell. Megan wanted me to go roller-blading, and I stupidly said I’d try. I’m the world’s biggest klutz. I should have known better. I totally wiped out on my very first attempt.” She twisted her arm and looked at her elbow. “This isn’t so bad. My thigh is all tore up.” She turned to show him. Her upper leg was red and raw.

“God - does it hurt?”

“Just a little. The worst part was having an ER nurse pick gravel out of my butt.”

Michael chuckled. “That, I would have liked to see. How are the girls?”

“Great. Help me here, okay?” They maneuvered the television back into the corner. Diane looked around. “Better, don’t you think? More room?”

“Yeah. I wish you’d let me help you with this kind of stuff.”

“You just did. Thank you.” She put her arms around him again. “So how was your weekend?”

“Good. Mark was over.”

“And how is Mark?”

“He thinks you’re a complicated woman.”

Diane shook her head. “Nothing against your friends, but Mark would think a bendable Barbie was complicated.” She kissed him, slowly. Michael brought his hands up from her hips, across her back, and she winced.

“What? Your back too?” He turned her around and lifted her tee shirt. The left side of her back was badly scraped . “That has to hurt,” he said.

“Only if I touch it,” she said ruefully.

“Well, that shoots the hell out of my next suggestion,” Michael said with a chuckle.

“Hmm, we’ll see. Beer?”

“No. Thanks.” He followed her into the kitchen. “Mark was drunk or high all weekend. Un-f*cking-believable. I drank so much beer I’m going to feel buzzed for the next three days.”

“And every other word out of your mouth for at least a week will be ‘f*ck’”

He laughed. “ He does say that a lot. Can I help?”

“Sure.” She was husking corn, and handed him two ears. “I’ve got crabs in the cooler in the garage, still kicking, so they’ll be great, and corn and tomatoes and half a peach pie from a farm stand down there. How does that sound?”

“Wow, you mean I’ll get to eat and everything?”

“Of course. You think I’d just have you move furniture then send you home?”

“Here.” He handed her the corn, then shook the silky fibers into the garbage.

“So, what did you say to Mark?” She poured iced tea and handed him a glass.

“Say to Mark about what?”

“About me being complicated?”

“Oh, I knew you weren’t going to let me off the hook about that one. Let’s see.” He took a long drink of tea and looked deliberately thoughtful. “I told him I didn’t understand a thing you said or did, but you gave the best blow job I’d ever gotten, so I didn’t care.”