and the current tide of feelings, now would be the time. “We shared some stuff today, huh?”
“We did. And it fills an empty ache inside me.”
“Me, too.” He was so good with words. Aloha wished she could express herself so well. She vowed to study harder, to learn more, so she could be like him, on his level.
Finally, he shooed her out and went home.
At six-thirty she called him. No answer, not even Denise.
Once she’d told Rudd he’d be surprised at what she knew about him. One of the things she’d gleaned from Denise was Rudd’s favorite restaurants. What else do you do on a Saturday night when there’s not a Football Game at Doak Campbell Stadium? Too early for the movies, so—
She went through the restaurants in the yellow pages and marked the ones she remembered Denise saying or Rudd mentioning.
The Silver Slipper, the third one she tried. Perhaps the most expensive and exclusive restaurant in Tallahassee, except maybe The Governor’s Club.
Aloha called the reservations number.
“Silver Slipper, this is Mark.”
“I’m supposed to meet R. Six over there, but I forgot what time the reservation is.” She pitched her voice level and businesslike.
“Let me check the—ah, there it is. Eight, Miss..?”
“He told you the correct number of people in the party?”
“It says here two—”
“Thanks for your help. Us secretaries can’t trust the boss to do things by themselves, you know?” She hung up.
That goddamn Rudd had a date!
After all they’d been through today. Maybe the most wonderful day of her life. A cloud of depression settled upon her.
God damn it. Life wasn’t fair. She’d been so high on life today. Until now. No fair, damn it, no fair, damn it, no damn fair. She took several deep breaths.
Sometimes her alter ego, Bonnie, kicked in.
—Lissen to yourself, sweetie, observed Bonnie. You done everything yourself for yourself to the present. Nobody ever helped. Get your admittedly cute ass in gear. Do not go down without a fight.
—But it’s so discouraging, replied Aloha.
—Shit, you only been chasing him for a few months. And nothing really started until a couple of weeks ago. Bonnie was usually level-headed.
—Yeah, right. Easy for you to say. You’re the tough one. I just want to be held. I just want to be loved. I just want to be wanted. Aloha wrung her mental hands.
—By Rudd.
—Well, yeah.
—Long term, darlin’. Think years. Not months, not weeks, not days. Especially not hours.
—I’m glad there’s a smarter me inside me, said Aloha.
—You been alone too long, sweetheart, said Bonnie.
—I have, I have. And watch your grammar. You’re going to act like a fucking adult, talk like one.
—A point to note, sweetie: You make a conscious effort to speak clearly and with correct grammar, no?
—So?
—That’s a long term thing, too. It don’t bother you to screw up—you just keep plugging on, don’t you?
—Yes—I do! Aloha agreed.
—Same deal. You win some battles, you lose some. The war’s the thing. Learn something when you lose. Bonnie was making a lot of sense.
—I won today and I learned a lot.
—Goddamn right, Aloha Bonnie Blaze. You’re one hell of a special person and deserve the best in life. You almost got it, too, babe. Keep fightin’.
—By God, I will.
—Lissen. About tonight. I got a idea—said Bonnie conspiratorially.
Aloha smiled to herself. If you’re gonna lose a battle, do not go quietly. They shall all know you were there.
Peter and Mary Blaze had gone out for the evening. Not even a note. As usual. That made it easier and more difficult at the same time. Transportation would be tricky. Her education had always been most important to her. She’d rather study and read and forgo having a car if she’d spend her time working for the money to pay for the darn thing.
Not to mention that she was frightened of driving. Something she’d never admit. The always capable Aloha Blaze, afraid of driving? Spin another tale. Nobody would believe it. Not to mention number two: her vanity wouldn’t let her admit her shortcoming.
—Yeah, but you took to flying immediately.
Bonnie, that had everything I like: sex and inordinate height.
—Altitude, corrected Bonnie. Regardless, think about it. You done good. It was a machine and you pointed it in the right direction and made it go there.
—Well, maybe.
The easier part was the dress. She had a demure, but sexy, black satin dress with straps and a plunging neckline. She’d bought it at Gayfer’s one day on a whim, thinking it would make a good prom dress, even though it was probably too daring for high school. It would do tonight, she saw in the mirror. Quickly, she piled her champagne hair atop her hair, in a casual, rich-bitch, regal sort of look.
A touch of makeup, lipstick. No jewelry. Simplicity is best. Besides, she had no jewelry. Just a fancy watch she’d gotten for her birthday a couple of years ago. That works.
Paint the nails, quick, wave them dry.
Raid her stash. Since she’d been alone for so long, she’d learned to hoard cash. She had thirty-some dollars. Would it be enough? Maybe, but better be sure. She went and took some cash from her parent’s pot jar. They kept their marijuana in a cookie jar to insure freshness. Next to it was another cookie jar with the cigarette paper and about a dozen twenty dollar bills. Aloha took three and hoped Peter and Mary wouldn’t notice. She could lie out of it if she had to. She’d done so before.
She finally faced the fact: she was going to have to drive. Her parents had taken their VW bus. Which left Aloha the yellow and blue VW Beetle.
She removed her stiletto heels and tossed them into the back seat. That’s when she almost backed out. It was difficult to face her fears.
—What I’m gonna do? she asked Bonnie.
—Looks like you got a problem, sweetie.
—Call a cab! I can do that, Aloha realized.
—You’re flat out of time, Bonnie pointed out.
Aloha
