The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-45

Louise and Walter bid farewell to Jay at the front door. The two men stepped outside together and took a cautious glance up and down the street. 

"Looks good!" Jay reported.

"Thanks again!" Walter said slipping in one final handshake.

"You bet! Be careful!"

"We will!"

Walter entered the house, closed the door behind him and made certain that it was locked. He could see the distress in Louise's face as she stood silently staring back at him. Her green eyes were on the verge of filling with tears.

"Hey, it's going to be okay," Walter assured her.

She slapped him across the face. It was a hard, stinging slap that forced him to recoil and clutch his jaw.

"What was that for?" he demanded. 

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"What are you talking about?"

"What if he had a gun, Walter?"

"Louise..."

"What if he had a gun? What if he shot you right there in the yard?"

"Okay, he didn't have a gun," Walter argued.

"You didn't know that!"

"I was watching his hands," Walter explained. "If he pulled a weapon, I was prepared..."

"Prepared for what?" Louise demanded. "To get yourself killed?"

"What was I supposed to do?" Walter snapped back angrily. "Let him hurt your friend?"

"Douglas would never hurt Terri," Louise argued.

"And why are you so sure?" Walter demanded incredulously.

"Because he loves her," Louise reasoned. "He idolizes her."

"Oh, really?" Walter argued crossly. 

"It's true."

"It's true because why?" Walter shouted. "Because no obsessed ex-boyfriend has ever killed a woman before?"

Louise lunged forward and kissed Walter hard. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. The sweater felt soft in his hands. Her breasts pressed into his chest. 

Louise reached down and unclasped Walter's belt. He pulled back long enough to slip the sweater over Louise's head. They began to undo each other's buttons.

Walter slid the blouse off of Louise's shoulders and undid the clasp of her bra. She slid the gray skirt off exposing a tiny black panty. He kissed her furiously and pulled her bare chest into his own. He let his hands slide downward and in one powerful motion lifted her from just below her hips.

Walter carried Louise to the couch and placed her there on her back. She slid the panty down her legs as he removed his shoes and trousers. He positioned himself above her holding his weight with his arms as they began to move together. He looked into those amazing eyes as she stared back up at him. He balanced on one arm so he could touch her face and run his hand across her nipples. She wrapped her legs around his. They were comfortable, now, their movements relaxed and effortless.

After a few moments, Walter lowered his torso and placed his head beside hers. He kissed her shoulder as she caressed his back delicately. They listened to each other's breathing as the passionate dance continued.

At one point, Walter thought of Susan. He felt regret for not having handled the situation at the hotel more gently. It was just - a shock. He had no idea that she was going to come on to him like that. 

How were things going to be for them at the office? Awkward, he guessed, from the fact that Susan hadn't returned any of his calls or messages. Clearly she was hurt. But, what did she expect?

"Thank goodness I didn't do it," he thought to himself now.

He forgot about Susan and thought only about Louise, about how beautiful she was and about how lucky he was to be with her. He didn't want anything to change that. No complications. He had almost lost Louise once over his foolish choices. He wasn't going to let that happen again.

When it was all finished, after they had a few minutes to catch their breath and enjoy those last few extended kisses, Louise looked into Walter's eyes once again.

"Thank you for saving Terri," she whispered.

"My pleasure."

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-44

"Oh my God!" Terri gasped as Water and Francisco walked in through the front door. Terri dashed toward Francisco and wrapped her arms tightly around his body as she started to cry. 

"It's okay!" Francisco assured her.

Louise approached Walter with concern on her face. "What happened?"

"He took off," Walter said without emotion.

"He just left?" she demanded incredulously.

"Well, I had a little talk with him."

"What did you say?"

Walter was glancing toward Terri now. He had never seen her cry before. She always projected an air of invincibility, especially around males. It was unusual to see her so vulnerable.

"Walter," Louise demanded, "what did you tell him?"

"Oh, I uh ... I said that I had a lot of work to do and couldn't deal with company today. I told him that maybe he should call ahead next time."

"That was stupid!" Louise remarked crossly.

"Yeah, but it worked!" Jay added. His tan face beamed a broad smile toward Walter as the two men shook hands.

"I called Jay," Louise added. "I didn't know what else to do."

"I'm glad you did!" Walter remarked with enthusiasm. "Did I really get a package?"

Jay responded: "Only if you ordered a can of bear repellent!" The two men let out a simultaneous burst of laughter.

Louise was confused. "What's bear repellent?"

"It's kind of like pepper spray," Walter explained.

Jay continued, "Except in a dose that'll stop a grizzly bear in its tracks. I carry it with me on hunting trips."

"That was clever!" Walter said.

"Yeah, I figured that jerk would think twice about coming around here if I gave him a taste of that stuff."

"I think I should take her home now," Francisco interjected. Terri was still clinging to his chest.

Louise agreed. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

"Just watch out for that Chrysler," Walter warned. "He could circle back."

"Got it!"

Louise approached Terri delicately, "Are you going to be okay?"

Terri hugged Louise now. "Yeah! Thanks!"

"I didn't do anything," Louise explained. "The guys were the heroes."

Terri held Louise tightly and cried harder. Her whole body was trembling.

"It's okay!" Louise insisted softly. "It's okay."

The men stood silently. Terri had been Louise's best friend for ten years, and she had never seen her this distraught. "Frank's gonna take you home now. Okay?"

"OK," Terri sobbed.

Francisco nodded at Louise and gestured for Terri to come back into his arms.

Walter opened the front door again and glanced up and down the street. "All clear!"

"¡Vamos a casa!" Francisco whispered to Terri as he led her away slowly.

"I should probably take off, too!" Jay explained.

"Yeah, it's been a crazy day," Walter added.

"You said that he's driving a Chrysler?"

"Yeah. A silver 300."

"I'll keep a look out for the car," Jay confirmed. "If he comes back, I won't be as polite the next time."

"Thanks for all of you help!" Walter said as they shook hands one more time.

"Thanks so much, Jay!" Louise gushed. "You saved the day!"

"Walter saved the day," Jay clarified. "I was just happy to be around for backup."

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-43

Douglas was remarkably broad-shouldered for a man who stood five-foot-seven with shoes. He was dressed in white slacks and a navy polo shirt embroidered with the name of a golf tournament that he once attended. 

Douglas' straight brown hair was trimmed flawlessly in a prep school fashion, a logical choice for a man who despite having never gone to private school spent his brief but storied career mingling with those who did. 

His chiseled features looked more gaunt and weathered than Terri had remembered, tell tale signs of the rigors of prison life. His voice was as calm as it was unnerving. "I needed to see you."

Terri leaned and whispered quickly into Louise's ear: "Go inside! Call Frank!"

"Hi, Louise!" Douglas called out with a disturbing cheerfulness as Louise dashed toward the house. She didn't look back. "Bye, Louise!"

Terri stood her ground anxiously. "Why are you here, Douglas?"

"I just wanted to talk to you, Peaches."

"I told you not to call me that Douglas, a long time ago. Remember?"

"I remember." 

"You should have called."

"I tried," he said. "I couldn't get through."

"I'd been at work all day, Douglas. I have meetings with clients."

"And you've been staying with Louise. Why?" he demanded.

"That's not important, Douglas. Tell my why you came here."

"I told you, I tried to call," he explained. "I thought that maybe you blocked my number."

"You know I didn't do that, Douglas!" she insisted. "I would never do that to you."

"How am I supposed to know that?"

Douglas was leaning forward now in aggressive posture. His jaw was tense; his head, cocked slightly to the left. Douglas was solidly built, compact yet powerful, and his temper was legendary. Terri knew instinctively that her best bet was to keep him calm and talking.

"I didn't block it back then," she assured him. "I'm not going to do it now."

Douglas stared at Terri as he thought over her words. "You did change your number."

"That wasn't for you, Douglas," she explained. "You know that sometimes I run into some creep while I'm working. I have to be careful."

"Tell me the creep's name, and I'll take care of it."

"No, you won't take care of it, Douglas. It was a long time ago, and it doesn't matter. Now, tell me why you're here."

Terri controlled her breath and kept herself as relaxed as possible, but it wasn't easy. Douglas was visibly upset.

"I don't know what's going on anymore."

"Tell me what happened, Douglas."

"I tried to call Brad."

"Brad Marston?" Terri asked.

"Yeah."

Terri remembered Marston, one of Douglas' friends from college. He was a big, likable guy who received full tuition on a football scholarship. He and Douglas were members of the same fraternity, and both went to work in Washington after graduation. 

Terri had seen Brad at fundraisers and other formal events.  He and Douglas seemed like an odd pair. Brad was a head taller, jovial and boisterous. Douglas was reserved to the point of rudeness. He seethed with envy and a cunning determination to get ahead at any cost. Eventually, his ambition cost him his career and his freedom.

"Tell me what happened to Brad."

"I don't know," Douglas muttered. "Somebody got to him."

"What do you mean, Douglas? What do you mean, 'somebody got to him'? Is Brad okay?"

"I... I don't know, Terri. I called his office. They said he's not there anymore. I can't reach him on his cell. His home number is disconnected."

"Did he move?" Terri asked.

"I... I don't think so."

"Doug, maybe he just changed jobs," Terri suggested. "Maybe everything's okay."

Douglas seemed lost, deflated. What Terri had mistaken earlier for anger now looked more like depression. She felt an impulse to comfort him but resisted; it would be unwise to stir up old emotions.

"How can I help you?"

Douglas turned sharply to see Walter standing a few paces to his right. The descending sun lit Walter's shoulder-length hair from behind making him look like a tall Jesus with a rolling suitcase.

Douglas' response was characteristically abrasive: "Nobody asked for your help, pal."

Walter stood motionless as he assessed the situation. Terri's body language conveyed discomfort and possibly concern. He studied Douglas carefully. His judo training taught him not to underestimate the power of a smaller adversary, plus there's always the potential for a weapon to be present.

Douglas continued: "We're just having a private conversation here."

"A private conversation in my yard," Walter said flatly.

Douglas looked toward Terri: "This guy lives here?" She didn't respond.

"Hey, Walt!" A lean, well-tanned man in his forties walked toward them from the house next door. The man was carrying a small package. He had a crew cut.

Walter called back to the man: "Hey, Jay!"

"Angie signed for a package while you were away," Jay said. 

"Yeah, I think that's for Louise," Walter confirmed.

"Who's your friend?" Jay inquired.

Walter attempted to facilitate the introduction: "This is..."

"Douglas," said the stranger, identifying himself.

Jay extended a hairy forearm decorated with a prominent tattoo of a heart and a sword. "Hi, Doug! I'm Jay!"

Douglas shook Jay's hand but said nothing.

"I think you've met Walter," Jay said calmly.

Douglas glanced toward Walter, but neither of them initiated a handshake.

"Terri," Jay said in a deep baritone voice, "Louise needs to see you inside for a minute." 

Terri looked nervous.

"Don't worry, Doug," Jay said assuringly, "I'll have her back in just a minute."

Walter saw the fear in Terri's eyes. "It's okay!" he assured her. "Doug and I are just gonna chat until you get back."

Jay took Terri by the arm and led her swiftly toward the house. She walked without making a sound.

"Where's your car, Doug?" Walter asked.

"It's..." Douglas turned and pointed down the street, "...the gray one."

"Chrysler 300!" Walter said with enthusiasm. "I love those."

"Yeah, it's pretty good."

"Lot's of power!" Walter observed. "Hey, why don't we walk over that way before the rest of my neighbors come out to see what's going on?"

Walter and Douglas walked slowly toward the Chrysler.

"I'd invite you in," Walter said diplomatically, "but I have a big presentation in the morning, and I've got hours of work to prepare. You know how it is?"

"Yeah, I know," said Douglas.

"Luckily, the girls have a hair appointment, so I'll get some peace and quiet."

Douglas said nothing.

"Maybe give us a call, sometime," Walter offered. "We'll set something up."

"Yeah, okay."

Walter extended his hand as they reached the car. "It was good to meet you."

Douglas shook Walter's hand quickly and walked around to the driver's door.

"Drive safely!" said Walter.

Douglas started the engine, drove to the end of the street, made a left turn and disappeared. 

Walter began to walk back toward the house but stopped as a shining black Chevrolet Suburban sped down the street and stopped beside him. Francisco jumped out of the Suburban as soon as it stopped moving. "Where is he?"

"Where's who?" Walter asked.

"Douglas Fenn-Creighley."

"Ah, he's gone," Walter said. "Left a minute ago in a silver Chrysler 300."

"Where's Terri?" Francisco demanded.

"She's inside," Walter said calmly. "Everything's okay."

Walter pointed toward the black Chevy. "What did you do, buy that thing off of the Secret Service?"

Francisco stared at Walter. "I don't have time for this."

Walter's tone became elevated quickly. "Well, maybe you have time to tell me who that fuck wad was and what he was doing at my house."

Francisco took a breath and relaxed slightly. "Okay, his name is Douglas..."

"I got that much already," Walter interrupted.

"He's Terri's ex," Francisco explained. "He's been causing trouble."

Walter pondered asking Francisco why he hadn't been made aware of this situation, but he decided to let it go. 

"Come inside," Walter suggested. "She's gonna need to see you."

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-42

The late afternoon sun cast a halo-like rim around Louise's blond hair. Terri pulled the car up to the curb. "All finished with work?"

"Yep, all set!" Louise was wearing a beige sweater over a rose blouse and a conservative gray skirt with a fine checkered pattern. The skirt directed attention toward her toned lower legs. "Thanks for picking me up!"

Terri glanced for a second toward Louise's legs and chuckled when she saw the pink and blue running shoes. "That's my girl!" she exclaimed, "all about comfort!"

"Nothing wrong with comfort!"

"Agreed," Terri said. "And besides, I sort of had to pick you up, since I dropped you off this morning." 

Terri wore a fitted black suit with a bright red dress shirt, expensive pumps and an intricate gold necklace. She wanted to be taken seriously at the office; powerful outfits helped to offset the impact of her rakish looks.

"I could have gotten a ride," Louise mused.

"From whom?"

Louise thought for a second. "Good point! I just hope that this isn't too much trouble for you."

"No trouble at all!" 

"Well, I want you to know that I really appreciate it - the ride, taking care of me last night. You didn't have to do that."

"It was my pleasure, Lou!" Terri gushed in a moment of atypical warmth. "I'm so glad that you called."

"I hope Francisco wasn't upset." 

"Why would he be upset?"

"Well, I kind of stole you away from your date."

"Okay... first of all, it wasn't a date," Terri explained. "And you didn't steal me away; I came over because I wanted to. He's very supportive about stuff like that."

"Ah, that's so nice!" Louise noted genuinely. "Are you going to see him tonight?"

"Well, that depends."

"On what?"

"On whether you still need me."

"No!" Louise exclaimed. "No, seriously! I'm okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, positive. So, anyway, how was your day?"

"Um, my day was fine," Terri replied, "but I'm not the one who's embroiled in a romantic office entanglement."

"Oh my God!" Louise blurted out with a look of shock on her face.

"Well?" Terri prodded.

"Well, what?"

"Well, you know what! What happened?"

"Nothing happened!" Louise insisted.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"You didn't see the guy once?" Terri asked. "All day?"

"Well, I mean he was there. He happens to work there."

"And you happened to have a date with him last night, so ... ?"

"Okay, like, it wasn't a date!" Louise protested.

"You met for drinks," Terri clarified. "What would YOU call it?"

"Um, meeting for a drink."

"Okay," Terri muttered.

"I mean, lots of people meet for drinks."

"Yeah, lots of people you didn't have sex with."

"Terri!"

"Okay, I'm sorry! I'm just pointing out that this guy has ... a particular place in your life ... and things between you are ..."

"What?" Louise fumed. "Tawdry?"

"I was just going to say 'complicated'."

"Okay, well it's not complicated. We work together."

"Give me a break, Louise!"

"Okay, well, I saw him. In a meeting."

"And you guys didn't talk?"

"It was a meeting."

"AFTER the meeting?"

"He just asked if I thought the place where we went was okay."

"Ah, such the gentleman!" Terri said wryly.

"You're being a bitch!"

Terri glared at her. "Look, Lou! Last night you were crying and saying that you thought you might need to break up with Walter just because you had a drink with this guy. So don't try to convince me that this means nothing."

Louise sat quietly. Terri could tell that she was about to cry again.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Lou," Terri said softly. "I shouldn't have sad that."

"No, you're right!" Louise sobbed. "I'm an idiot."

"You're not an idiot, Louise. You have feelings. And this guy brings out those feelings."

"In the worst possible way," Louise said wiping a tear from her face. "And at the worst possible times."

Terri felt badly now for pushing Louise to talk about Antonio. "You know, maybe I should stay with you again tonight."

"No, I'll be okay," Louise said pulling a tissue from her purse. "Walter will be back later."

"What time's he getting home?"

"I don't know. I forgot to check when his flight lands."

"Mmm, okay!" Terri acknowledge. "So I'll just stop by for a minute and pick up my things. But if you need me..."

"Yeah, you should probably go see Frank," Louise smiled. "He needs you."

Terri laughed. "Don't worry about him. He has a way of getting what he wants."

"Yeah, tell me about it, slut!"

"I'm going to kill you!"

"I'm just kidding!" Louise said with a mischievous smile.

"You'd better be!" Terri scolded. "Here I am trying to make you feel better!"

"Well, that didn't work out so well, did it?"

Terri smiled and shook her head. "Okay, drama queen! You're on you own from now on."

"Oh, speaking of on my own, what are you doing tomorrow." Louise seemed happier now, more energetic. The storm had apparently passed.

"Tomorrow? Friday?" Terri clarified.

"Yeah."

Terri realized that Louise had something in mind. "I don't know. What are we doing tomorrow?"

"Well, some people from the office are going out...."

"And by people from the office, you mean Antonio."

"Among others."

"Lou, you know that's not a good idea."

"Yeah, but if you're there with me..."

"It's still not a good idea," Terri insisted. "What about Walter? He's been away all week. Don't you want to see him?"

"It's kind of a special outing," Louise confided. "A dance thing."

"Oh, that's right! Lover boy's a big dancer."

"No comment!"

"None needed! Okay, so I'm going to be spending my Friday night playing chaperone."

"Never mind! Forget I mentioned it!"

"No, it's okay, Lou. Let me just talk to Frank about it, but I should be able to go."

"You don't have to."

"Lou, you asked me to go, and I'm going to try to go, okay? Besides, do you really think it's a good idea to go to this thing yourself?"

Louise didn't respond, but she knew that Terri was right.

"And you're home!" Terri announced.

"Thanks again for the ride!" Louise said. "And thanks for considering tomorrow. It would mean a lot to me."

"It's okay, Lou. I'm just gonna come in and pick up my makeup. I think I left it here this morning."

"Okay, sure! Do you want something to eat?"

"No, that's okay. I'll probably get something later with Francisco."

Terri turned off the engine put her keys in her purse. She asked Louise: "Forget anything?"

"No, I have everything in my bag."

Terri locked the car remotely as they walked toward a house with a well-groomed lawn.

The voice came from behind them, a pleasant but menacing drawl that they had each heard too many times before. 

"Hi, Peaches!"

Terri turned around sharply and looked back toward the parked car.

"Douglas! What are you doing here?"

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-41

The rain was still falling when Louise dashed from Antonio's car into her own. "Gross!" she exclaimed as she pulled the door shut and wiped the water from her forehead. She set her purse on the floor, slipped out of her jacket and hung it carefully on the back of the passenger seat. 

Louise started the engine, turned on the wipers and headlights, and switched the fan to the Defrost setting. She waved to Antonio; he waved back and pulled away.

Louise took a deep breath and let herself relax back into the driver's seat. The air in the car had a moist, fresh smell. She gazed past the raindrops and the wipers that struggled to keep the windshield clear. Her thoughts weren't focused. She felt an urge to call Terri but decided against it.

"Terri has her own problems," she thought to herself. "Besides, she's probably with Francisco."

Calling Jo was out of the question. Those feelings were too raw. Louise couldn't even think about her. The conversation with Antonio brought it all back, her own infidelity and Walter's counter-infidelity with her close friend. 

"God, what a mess!" Louise said to herself out loud.

The windows were relatively clear now; the Defrost setting was working. Louise checked traffic carefully in both directions and pulled out of the space. 

Louise thought over her conversation with Antonio as she waited for the traffic signal to change. She felt remarkably tranquil, almost as though they had met for sex instead of a drink. 

Seeing him again was surreal after all that had happened. Thankfully, she still felt comfortable in his presence. He showed no animosity toward her despite the harshness of the breakup and the unfortunate way that he had found out about Walter. 

Louise always enjoyed listening to Antonio; she liked to watch his eyes and hands as he let his thoughts flow. The accent and the imperfect English were cute, but the appeal ran deeper that that. He was expressive and open. He didn't seem to fear the judgment of others. He just said what he wanted to say with confidence, at least to the degree that he could while communicating in a second language. This directness was one of the qualities that had attracted her in the beginning. He always made her feel at ease. It's probably why she fell in love with him.

Louise reached over and powered on the radio. She dialed down to the jazz channel at the lower end of the FM dial. Jazz is the perfect soundtrack for introspection - the warm chords of the guitar, the breathy urgency of a wailing saxophone. Jazz expresses emotion without the distraction of words. It raises the spirit and makes you feel as though you're floating toward heaven.

And it does this very well until an ad for an online dating service comes on and kills the mood. 

"God damn it!" shrieked Louise as she slammed the radio's power button with her fist.

Louise suddenly felt an uncomfortable tension tugging at her face. She choked back the urge to cry as she dialed Terri.

The phone rang several before Terri answered. "Hey, Lou, are you okay?"

"Hey, I'm so sorry!"

"No, it's okay, what's up?"

Louise began to cry. "I think I'm just really upset."

"Lou, were are you? Are you driving?"

"Yes," she sobbed.

"Well, maybe you should pull over."

"It's okay, I'm almost home."

"Do you want to call me when you get there and tell me what happened?"

"Okay," Louise sobbed.

"Louise, is Walter back?" Terri asked.

"No. Tomorrow."

"Hang on a sec." Terri covered the phone. Louise could hear muffled voices in the background. "Louise, I'm coming over."

Louise started to regain some of her composure. "Are you with Francisco?"

"Yeah," Terri answered. "But it's okay. It sounds like you need to talk."

"No, you should..."

"It's okay, Lou. I'm gonna come over and stay with you tonight."

"Are you sure?"

"It's okay, Lou. Really!"

"Okay."

"All right, listen," Terri instructed. "I want you to hang up and drive very carefully. It's raining hard."

"Okay."

"And I'll see you in a little while."

"Okay," Louise said softly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Lou. Just get home safely."

"Okay."

"Okay, bye!"

"Bye!"

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-40

Antonio jumped to his feet as Louise rose from the table. "Here, let me help you with your coat."

"Thank you," she acknowledged gently.

Antonio opened his walled and placed two twenty-dollar bills on the table. "I'll walk you to your car."

"Don't you need change?"

"No, that should be about right."

They walked toward the door. Louise turned toward Antonio as he reached for the handle: "You don't have to come with me."

"It's okay," he assured her. "I want to hit the gym and then get back to my room in time for the match."

"Soccer?" she asked.

"Football."

"Football ... right!" she mused with a grin.

Antonio opened the door for her.

"Oh, God! It's raining!" Louise cried.

"Wow! It really is!"

"I didn't bring an umbrella!"

"Where are you parked?" he asked.

"I'm way out there!" She pointed toward the far end of the lot. "There weren't any spaces closer when I arrived."

"I'll drive you to your car. I'm parked right here." Antonio motioned toward a black, late-model Mustang.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure, I'm sure!" he insisted. "Come on!"

Without hesitation, he dashed out into the pouring rain and opened the passenger door for her. Louise raced toward the car holding her purse over her head. Antonio walked briskly toward the driver's side and let himself in.

"Oh, no! You're soaked!"

"We're both soaked," he said with a matter of fact tone. "Bad timing, I guess!"

The comment implied multiple meanings in Louise's mind. "Yeah, I guess!"

The Mustang's V-8 engine roared as Antonio pressed the accelerator pedal. Louise's eyes opened widely. "Oh, this car is so YOU!"

"Do you like it?"

"It sounds nice," she observed. "And it doesn't leak."

"Have you ridden in a Mustang before?"

"In high school, I think. - Don't tell my mom."

"Well, they're a lot more powerful now," Antonio boasted.

"I rode in a Ferrari once. That was pretty powerful."

"Wow! when was that?"

"Another story for another time." Louise pointed to a car as they drove slowly down the row. "This is me."

Antonio pulled into the space adjacent to Louise's. "There! You will not have to walk too far!"

"I can't believe there are so many spaces now!" she grumbled. She realized that she sounded irritated. "I'm sorry for complaining."

"It's okay," he assured her. "No one likes getting caught in the rain."

"Anyway, thanks for the ride!"

"My pleasure!"

"Geez, it's still coming down!"

"Probably, it will slow down in a minute," he said. "Hey, listen..."

Louise turned toward him. She felt uneasy about what he might say.

"I'm sorry about the Friday thing," Antonio said. "I didn't intend to upset you."

"It's okay," Louise said calmly. "She just blurted it out at a stressful moment."

"Beth?"

"Yeah."

"She seems pretty excited to go," Antonio noted.

"Yeah, because she has a thing for you!"

"I don't think so."

"Oh, yeah! Totally!"

"Well, it's okay because I don't have a thing for her."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure, Louisa."

"You're sure that you're not looking to hook up with somebody this time."

"Well, I wasn't looking to hook up with her."

"Oh! My! God!" Louise exclaimed with a look of contemptuous disbelief on her face.

"I'm sorry. That didn't mean ... it wasn't what it sounded like," Antonio said sheepishly.

"Well, it sounded pretty bad!"

"Entiendo. Really. I'm sorry. I just meant..." He paused for a moment.

"You meant...?"

"I meant that I am not attracted to Beth, not even a little bit. Okay?"

"You're sure?"

"Louisa, I told you that I am sure."

"I mean, are you sure that that's what you meant?"

"Ah, you are playing games with me now!" Antonio complained playfully. "You know that my English is not that good."

"Okay, just checking," Louise said as she reached for the door handle.

"Why don't you come with us?" he asked.

"Come where?"

"El viernes," he suggested. "Friday - come to dance. It will be fun."

Louise cringed. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why isn't it a good idea?" Antonio realized that was pressing her a bit, but with his smile he let her know that he wasn't trying to be pushy. "You can bring your boyfriend."

"Oh, that's an even worse idea!" Louise blurted out with a look of shock on her face.

"Oh, so he knows about me."

"No," she explained. "He doesn't know about ... anything. But I don't really want him asking questions either, do you know what I mean?"

"Entiendo. Está bien."

"And besides, dancing really isn't his thing."

"Okay, well, it was just a thought," Antonio said.

"And it was a nice thought," she said. "Now, I have to get home."

"Sí!"

"And you have to go to the gym."

"Yes!" He said with a smile.

"And watch your football game."

"Soccer game!"

"Oh, don't try to pull that one mister!" she scolded.

Louise looked into Antonio's eyes. She had an overwhelming urge to kiss him in that moment. He lips were parted and her heart was racing. If she had known for certain that he was feeling the same way, she might have gone for it. But neither of them made a move. The moment passed.

"Thanks again for the ride," she said as she unlatched the door.

"Thank you for meeting me."

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved