Locomotive to the Past, George Schultz [snow like ashes series txt] 📗

ranking—from Friday night’s beginning. “I was wrong . . . when I opened up this whole can of beans!”

Beans? He’d heard the oft-used saying, “a can of worms” before. But “beans”? That represented yet a whole new “field”, for him. Either way—the expression had surprised Our Hero! He’d started to reply. But, she held up her hand—halting him, before he was able to utter a single word.

“I’m not… have never been… inclined to discuss such things before! Not in mixed company, anyway. Especially . . . not in mixed company! Definitely not in public! I remember… when I was in the tenth grade… I remember asking this guy, in my Business Math class, this God-awful, stupid question! I asked him, y’know, if the boys… in their swimming class… if they were always all naked! He didn’t blush! He certainly didn’t blush! But, I did! And I really did… when he went into this long dissertation! A really long dissertation! One I really could’ve done without! Could’ve gone all day . . . and well into the night . . . without it!”

“Dissertation? What kind of dissertation?

“Well, not only did he confirm my stupid speculation… vis-a-vis naked boys, in the swimming class! But, he went on . . . really went on… to describe, just about the whole, entire, class! Just exactly who were the most-well-endowed guys! The guys ‘with the most… ah… equipment’! That is, precisely, how he put it! The ‘best equipped’ guys… in his Gym class! One of them… one, in ‘The Top Ten’, so-called… was a guy named Herbie! I guess that… he must, actually, have been, among ‘The Top Two Or Three’! I’d already had a date with him… a date with Herbie… set, for the very next night! Listen, Herbie was a perfect gentleman! For the entire evening! But, I couldn’t look at him! Not without trying to imagine what he’d look like… without any clothes on!”

“Valerie? Valerie, I’ve never…”

“I’ve never told anyone . . . of that experience! That, really-withering, experience! Not until… not until… till just now! Jason, I don’t know what there is! What there is… about you! What it is, that makes me want to… want to open up, to you! Not open my bed, you understand! But there’s something! Some thing! Some quality, that makes me want to be so… well, so frank . . . with you! So damn frank! So… open!”

“Well, I appreciate your being frank. I really do . . . all my damn blushing notwithstanding.”

“That’s something else, Jason.”

“Something else?” He stifled a further question—like, Now what? “Something else?” he repeated.

“Yes,” she affirmed. “I’ve never heard anyone, your age… or even close to your age… say ‘notwithstanding’.”

“I… I don’t understand.”

“Look. My being so stupidly frank with you… no matter the degree, of my reluctance to do so… it makes me think! Makes me think… that you have a really special quality! One that would help you… will help you! Will be a real asset . . . a real asset… in a radio career! If I’m interested, in what you think, or feel… and I am, most assuredly… then, I’d have to think that a good many radio listeners would also kind of hang on! Cling on… to what you might have to say! Almost anything . . . that you’d have to say! Plus… like I’ve said, all these many times… you’re awfully well-spoken! Neither of those qualities could hurt! Gotta be a big help! Both of them! Both qualities! All of your qualities!”

“You know, Miss Krenwinkle, you are such a boon! Such a boon . . . to me! You give the ol’ ego a boost! A real boost! Every time! All the time!”

“I’d have to say, then… that it’s a well-deserved boost! Certainly one that’s definitely overdue! I have this feeling. This strange feeling, that no one… not one person, in your entire life . . . has ever given you a compliment! A real compliment! A sincere compliment! I don’t imagine… can’t imagine… that anyone’s, ever, really come close! Close to doing that!”

“Well, just you . . . and, of course, Susie and Eric. They’ve been…”

“No one? Not… in your other life?” She could tell—that the question had floored him! Hit him—as the saying went “right between the eyes”! He’d become totally flummoxed! “Yeah,” she’d repeated, “your other life! In, you know, in Tennessee? No one? Not one person? Not one? Ever?”

“Oh! Well, there was ‘Aunt Debbie’. But, she was never around much.” He’d sighed—heavily. “Not often enough! Especially… once she and my mother… they’d had this big falling out! That was a…”

“You didn’t see her much? Not… after that? After the… the ‘falling out’?”

“No.” There was more sadness, in his voice, than he’d intended. “No,” he added, attempting to brighten up—and failing, miserably! “Not nearly enough!”

“Hmmm. I’m being too deadly frank again… but, it sounds like this was a good bit more . . . than just a simple aunt/nephew situation! Note that I did not say ‘relationship’! I didn’t want… don’t want… you to think that I didn’t believe you, when you practically swore, that she did not seduce you!”

“She didn’t! And I’ll swear to that! Swear to it… all day… dammit! On a stack of Bibles!”

“Okay! Oh-Kay! I believe you! But, what was it? What was it… about the woman… who, you said, is not really your aunt? What was it about her… that was so special? That made her such a… well, so special? So, obviously, spectacularly special?”

“I dunno. She just always seemed interested in me… is all.”

“Did she ever sit you… on her lap?”

“Well, yeah. When I was a little kid!”

“But, not lately?” When her date shook his head—violently—she posed another probing question: “Did she ever sit… on your lap?”

“What the hell kind of question is that? Of course she didn’t! Of course not!”

“Bad move! Bad move . . . on my part,” rasped Valerie. “One in a seemingly-never-ending series . . . of such things! Look, Jason! I’m sorry! I apologize! I realize… that I never should’ve asked that! Should’ve kept my big mouth shut… for a change! But, let me tell you something. Let me tell you this: It does go back… to what I was saying before! I’m most interested in you! Maybe