I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me.
She showed me her room. Isn't it good, Norwegian Wood?
The
large Metrobus Number 16, Culmore/Pentagon pulled to a stop and several
people got off, reluctantly leaving the cooled air of the bus for the
stifling heat and humidity of a Virginia summer evening. Just as it
started to pull back into the bumper-to-bumper traffic along Columbia
Pike, the bus stopped again. The side door opened and a young blonde
woman ran off.
One of the other riders turned to her and called out, "Almost missed your stop again, Belden?"
"I know, I know. I was reading. Why didn't you call me?" The young woman asked as she ran to catch up with him.
"I didn't know if you were going all the way to Baileys to shop or."
"No.
My friend is coming." She started to say as she rounded the corner.
"Danny's here! He's already here!" The young woman called out as she
took off up the side street where she was living for the summer.
The
young man who had been walking with her shrugged his shoulders and
shook his head in amazement as he followed her to the house they shared
with three other people in South Arlington, Virginia. All five were
interns with federal government agencies in nearby Washington, D.C.
Trixie
Belden, a rising senior at John Jay College of City University of New
York, ran up the sidewalk and, after stopping to take a quick look
inside the Ford Escort parked at the curb, ran up the walkway to a
1920s Craftsman Bungalow-style house. The well-used compact car
belonged to a friend from her home town of Sleepyside-on-Hudson, New
York, who was visiting on his way to nearby Charlottesville. He was to
start law school at the University of Virginia that fall.
Taking
the front steps in one leap she ran across the porch and through the
front door, not stopping until she had wrapped her arms around a lanky
young man with shoulder-length dark hair standing in the front room.
"Danny!
When did you get in? Have you met anyone? Has Tre shown you where
you're staying? Have you seen his porno cactus collection?" She took a
breath and pointed to several plants on the front window ledge. "Have
you met Em? Where's Em? Where's J. Edgar? He was right behind me?
Where's Jen? I thought Jen was coming. Are you staying all weekend? I
have so much planned. I know this great bar. We're going to have a."
Dan
Mangan grabbed his friend by the shoulders, laughing at her exuberance.
In the two months since he'd last seen her, he'd almost forgotten how
exciting and energetic she could be. Almost. Grinning ear to ear, he
stepped back and attempted to calm her down. "Jen couldn't come.
Trixie, I."
"Who have you met?" Trixie looked around. "Who's here?"
Dan continued laughing. "Trixie?"
"We've
got so much planned. I have plans for the entire weekend! Oh Dan, I'm
so glad." Trixie stopped mid-sentence, realizing what Dan had just
said. "Jen couldn't come?" Her tone quickly changed.
"Trixie. Calm down!" A young man called from the doorway. "Geesh."
"I take it you know her." Dan offered his hand to the short, be-speckled man entering the room. "Dan Mangan. You're?"
"Jay
Hoover." He shook the offered hand and acknowledged the surprised look
he received. "Yeah I know. But despite what Trixie insists, it is NOT
Jay Edgar. It's James Michael Hoover. Wonder Girl here insists on
calling me Jay Edgar."
Dan looked at Trixie and smiled
knowingly. By Jay's calling her Wonder Girl he knew that Trixie had
made some kind of an impression on her housemate. "Trixie, I just got
here, but I've met Chris." He nodded to the fair-haired man sitting on
the worn sofa, then winked and grinned knowingly at Trixie. Every
letter and phone call she'd shared with Dan had been filled with
stories about her fellow intern at the Department of Treasury. "And
he's filled me in on some of your recent escapades."
"He ah.
And it's not Chris. It's Tre! As in trees. You know, woods and forest."
Trixie then turned to see who was coming into the house. "Here's Em.
Emily, come here and meet Dan." A stunning auburn haired woman offered
her hand to Dan. Trixie had told him about the only other female intern
living in the house, but she hadn't told him how breathtakingly
beautiful she was.
"Geesh, Mangan. Get your eyes back in
their sockets." Trixie admonished. Dan found himself doing something
very uncommon for him, as he blushed and fumbled for words. He had been
staring. "Trix, I." He took Emily's hand. "Dan Mangan. I'm, ah,
Trixie's friend."
Emily offered one of her pulse-quickening
smiles. She was used to making men speechless, even drop-dead gorgeous
ones like Dan. "Emily Story. Trixie's told us. The Whippoorwills?" She
laughed teasingly and turned to Trixie. "No. No. Trixie has told me all
about the Bob Whites and their escapades."
"She's told all of
us." Christopher Tre Anderssen offered from the sofa. "All of us!" Jay
and Emily echoed in unison. The entire group laughed, knowing how
excited Trixie could get when it involved something important to her.
"Where is everyone?" Trixie asked.
"Pete
has a date." Tre responded. The others moaned. In the short time they
had lived together, Peter Denton had proven to his fellow interns to be
quite the lothario.
"I wish Jen could be here, too. I really
want to meet her, Dan." Trixie referred to Dan's girlfriend. When Dan
had made plans to visit Trixie he was supposed to bring his girlfriend,
Jennifer Gordon. Their original plans had been to meet in Arlington,
staying a day or two with Trixie before driving to Charlottesville for
orientation and to finalize the paperwork on an apartment they'd found
that spring. Despite the objections of their families, Dan and Jennifer
planned to live together while attending law school.
"Her car's not running. I have to meet her train in Richmond tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? Richmond? Oh Dan." Trixie moaned as she slumped onto the sofa. "I'd hoped you'd stay the whole weekend."
"That's
what I wanted also, Trixie. But her car broke down and she has to take
the train. After I pick her up in Richmond, it makes more sense to go
directly to Charlottesville." Dan failed to mention Jennifer's adamant
refusal to take the train further north or to drive one of her parents'
cars so that she could visit with Trixie, whom she refused to believe
was only a friend to Dan.
"We'll just have to make the best
of it." Trixie shrugged, totally oblivious to Dan's omission. "I guess
we can drive around and look at some sites before hitting Georgetown
tonight." She looked around the room. "Is that okay?" When the others
nodded or mumbled approval she turned back to Dan. "Tre said he'd
drive. He has the only car that will fit all of us." Dan nodded his
agreement.
"I want to change. Do you need to wash up, Dan?"
He nodded. "The men's room is upstairs. Em and I have the downstairs
bedroom and bath. The men bunk upstairs." Apparently the 1 ˝ story
house had a master suite on the first floor and bedrooms and bath
upstairs.
"Except for Pete." Emily corrected. When Dan looked
confused, she clarified. "Oh, yeah, Pete has taken over the dining
room. Pete entertains overnight a lot."
"A lot!" The others chimed in. Dan grinned and nodded his understanding before following Jay and Chris upstairs. She asked me to stay, and she told me to sit anywhere.
So I looked around, and I noticed there wasn't a chair.
"Tell
me," Dan sat on the edge of a bed with Chris Anderssen waiting for a
turn in the men's bathroom. "Is your name Chris or Tre?"
The
other young man laughed heartily. "My full name is Christopher Tre
Anderssen. Good Norwegian stock. Good Norwegian name. And even though
it's pronounced 'tray', Trixie insists on calling me 'Tree'. It does
mean 'wood'."
Dan waited to hear more.
"I'll tell
you what," Chris continued. "I'll share with you how she came to call
me that, if you'll tell me about the time she found the hidden gold in
the wood shed."
"Gold? Wood shed? Oh! You must mean." Dan
laughed aloud. "It's a long story," he began. "And it was a diamond not
gold, and Trixie found it in a gatehouse we later converted into a
clubhouse! It actually happened before I moved to Sleepyside, but it is
quite a story." As Dan started to relate the story of Trixie's breaking
the case of the diamond thieves, and his uncle and Jim Frayne arriving
to save her at the last minute, Jay came out of the bathroom.
"Jay!"
Chris called to him. "You gotta hear this about Wonder Girl." The
interns sat on the floor and bed, entranced by Dan's revelation of one
of Trixie's adolescent adventures.
xxx
"C'mon Dan.
Dance with me." Trixie dragged Dan out onto the floor of the small,
noisy club and began dancing energetically. "Whataya' think about
everyone?" She yelled above the music.
"Great!" Dan yelled
back, wondering exactly what was going on between Trixie and the
roommate she called Tre but everyone else called Chris. He also was
pleasantly surprised at the apparent maturity and self-confidence that
Trixie had gained over the summer and wanted to comment on it. "We do
need to talk!" He called out as they danced some more.
From
the moment they had left the house and piled into the van, it became
obvious to Dan that there was a bit more than just a casual friendship
developing between Chris and Trixie. Chris had insisted that Trixie sit
in the front with him to navigate, yet the others were more familiar
with the City than she. He also grabbed the seat next to her when they
had dinner at the Old Ebbitt Grill and had pretty much monopolized her
attention all evening. Dan kept his distance, observing the interaction
between Trixie and all of her fellow-interns. He allowed himself to
enjoy some of Emily's flirtations, but he was primarily interested in
the young man who seemed so engrossed in his friend. Dan didn't know if
he was feeling twinges of jealousy or just fraternal concern.
Trixie
twirled around once before grabbing Dan's hand and leading him off the
dance floor. She waved to Emily and Jay as they headed to the back of
the restaurant towards the restrooms. She pulled him into a recess and
leaned in towards her friend so they could hear above the music. "It's
not so loud here." She leaned in a little closer. "Whataya want to talk
about?"
Dan bent over her. "Everyone seems to be really nice.
They're all." He struggled for the right words. "I want you to know, I
dunno. Just. It's really good to see you having such a great time but
it's, it's kinda' strange seeing you get along so well and have so much
to share with." Dan shrugged.
"Strangers?" Trixie completed for him.
"Not
strangers, just not the Bob-Whites." Dan referred to their tight-knit
group of friends at home; people that had been close friends for what
to him seemed like forever.
Trixie nodded her agreement. "If
feels odd to me, too. All the Bob-Whites, well, we're family. These
guys. We enjoy each other and share the same interests. It's
different." Trixie reached up and linked the fingers of her hands
behind Dan's neck. "No one will ever replace you, Danny." Her smile
made his heart race just a bit. She was the only person other than his
mother he allowed to call him Danny. From anyone else it seemed awkward
if not demeaning and made him bristle a bit. From Trixie it was okay.
She used it in the same caring way his mother had used it. His mother
said that when she called him Danny, she was speaking from her heart to
his. He knew Trixie did too.
Dan pulled away. He still wasn't
completely reassured, but he knew he couldn't say more. "Just be happy,
Trixie." He offered as he moved to let someone by.
"Oh I am, Danny. I am." She threw her head back and laughed as she pulled him back onto the dance floor.
The
music turned slow and Dan felt a tap on his shoulder. "This one's
mine." Chris was waiting a turn to dance with Trixie. Not missing the
possible double meaning of his words and his less than happy stare, Dan
stepped away and returned to the table where the others were sitting.
He wondered how closely Chris had been watching them in the hallway.
"He's
got it bad." Jay offered. Dan looked across the table at him in a way
that made Jay immediately regret the words. "Chris is a great guy." He
added defensively. "And Trixie..."
No one will ever be good
enough for Trixie. Dan thought. No one. He took a sip of his beer and
forced a smile at the other man, before turning to Emily. "Wanna
dance?" He smiled as she offered her hand.
xxx
The
entire group spent several hours checking out clubs in Georgetown, each
more crowded and louder than the last, before heading back into
Virginia. Dan was glad to see that while Trixie was the most spirited
in the group, the only person to drink less than her was Chris, the
designated driver. Dan had enjoyed far too many beers himself.
Dan slumped down in his seat and closed his eyes, enjoying the drunken banter between the interns.
"That was one hell of a case. Who'd ever have known?"
"It was obvious."
"If it was so obvious, Belden, why was it cold for so long?"
"They just needed Wonder Girl to come in and solve it." Chris reached over and lightly rubbed Trixie's shoulder.
"Tre!" Trixie protested as she pushed his hand away.
"I'll stop calling you Wonder Girl when you start calling me Chris."
"Tre!"
"Wonder Girl."
"Schoolgirl Shamus." Dan joined in, laughing.
"What?" Three voices asked in unison as they turned to Dan.
"Daaan." Trixie pleaded.
Dan
opened his eyes and sat up straight. "Schoolgirl Shamus. That's what
Trixie's old boyfreh, ah, that's what some people called Trixie in high
school."
"Dan told us about your adventures. Capturing the diamond thieves and,"
"Daaan." Trixie moaned again and slumped in her seat.
"Tell us more, Dan."
"C'mon, please." Emily scooted over towards Dan. "I haven't heard." She rubbed his arm suggestively. "Diamond thieves?"
"I'm
sorry, Trixie, but I cannot resist a beautiful woman. And I only told
them about Dick the Dip!" Dan placed one arm across the seat behind
Emily and stroked his chin with his free hand. "There are so many more.
Mmmm Trixie, should I tell them about the diamond in the idol? The
sheep thieves in Iowa? Or, mmmm." He stroked his chin again. "Maybe,
the time smugglers kidnapped you on the Mississippi?"
"What?"
They all cried in unison again before turning to look at Trixie. She
slumped in her seat. "Go ahead Dan. Just don't call me Shamus anymore."
Dan proceeded to share some stories about Trixie and the Bob
Whites adventures, pausing only long enough for them to all climb out
of the car and get settled into the living room of their house.
Eventually, hearing the laughter, Pete came out of his room to see what
was going on. After a brief introduction, he sat on the floor next to
Dan, so engrossed in the tales he forgot about whatever or whoever was
waiting in his room. I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine.
We talked until two, and then she said, it's time for bed.
Eventually,
the other interns excused themselves, one by one, and went to bed,
leaving just Trixie and Dan in the living room. As Dan was saying good
night to Jay, Trixie came in from the kitchen carrying two filled wine
glasses. She handed one to Dan before sitting on the floor beside him.
Dan wasn't sure if he should drink any more or not, but he took a small
sip.
"Go ahead Dan." Trixie encouraged. "You may need several glasses before I finish."
"Oh
no. What's wrong?" Dan was honestly concerned. He knew he'd risked her
ire when sharing the stories about their high school adventures, but
everyone, including Trixie, had seemed to enjoy them.
"You
know you've just made the rest of the summer VERY difficult for me."
Trixie sipped some wine. She was concerned about what her housemates
might think of her teen-aged adventures. What Dan didn't know was that
she was already amazing everyone at work and in the house with her
investigative instincts. No one had ever heard of them turning over
cold cases to an intern for review, but that was exactly what was
happening at work. That summer, she had been the recipient of both
admiration and jealousy by agents and fellow-interns. The stories Dan
had shared would only contribute to both.
"They said you'd told them about the Bob-Whites and all. I just thought."
Trixie
shook her head. "I hadn't told them about the kidnapping and, and all
those other things. Just about our club, our friends. How much we care
for each other." She ruffled his hair. "All for one and one for all;
that stuff."
"Trix, I just fueled their love and admiration." Dan stretched an arm across her shoulders and pulled her closer.
"And," Trixie added. "Not everyone is being kind when they call me Wonder Girl."
"And now they'll call you Schoolgirl Shamus, too?"
"I've always hated that."
Dan
stiffened a bit in surprise. Jim Frayne had originated the term as an
endearment; at least that's what Dan had always thought. Trixie had
never given any indication that it upset her.
"I don't think Jim intended, but." Trixie looked away. Dan couldn't tell for certain, but he thought he saw tears.
"But what?"
Trixie
shook her head. She hadn't discussed her relationship with Jim, their
problems, or their break-up, with anyone. She wasn't sure if she was
ready to do so now. "I know Jim never meant any harm." She hesitated
before continuing.
"Trix." Dan touched her hand gently. "This is Dan. Danny. You can tell me anything." I think.
"I
know, Danny. I know." Trixie looked up at her friend and saw that he
was sincerely concerned. She leaned back against the sofa. "It wasn't,
I dunno. I'm sure he didn't mean it to, but it was, well, belittling.
Schoolgirl Shamus. Moll Dicks Incorporated. It just. I came to hate it.
It seemed Jim never took me seriously." She smiled weakly. "And I AM
serious! I want so badly to be a detective. I want it more than
anything else in the world. More even than. Even." Trixie choked back
the tears.
"Even Jim?"
Trixie nodded. "This is not just a passing interest. It's me. I AM a detective." She looked up at Dan. "Or at least I will be."
"I think Jim knows that."
"Then why does, why did he?" Trixie finally choked.
Dan hesitated. "Jim certainly fears that. Your becoming a detective; getting in danger. It's why he's."
"Over
protective?" Trixie finished for him. "How could he say he loves me and
then want me to be someone different than who I really am?" Trixie
sighed. "Jim is the most wonderful boy in the world. So brave and
reliable. Honorable and. I've always thought that. At least until we
discuss my becoming a detective."
Dan said nothing. Like
Trixie had said, she and Jim and the other Bob-Whites were his family.
He loved Trixie. And Jim. For eight years, he had been so careful to
avoid getting between them when they were dating. More than once,
Trixie had come to him for advice and he'd always managed to be
supportive without interfering. He'd always felt much more than he
shared. But now that Jim and Trixie had actually broken up, now that
Trixie was sharing things with him, should he speak his piece?
"Jim
loves you." He offered. Trixie looked away and shook her head no. "No,
Trixie. He has always loved you. You saved his life, you know." And
mine too.
"He lives with that knowledge every minute of every day." Just like me.
"But he wants, he's always been afraid of losing you." And I've never had you to lose.
"He
doesn't want you hurt. And if you, if you pursue a career in law
enforcement, you'll always be at risk." He paused before continuing.
"But Trix, you do need to decide where he fits in. Exactly what role
you see for him in your life. I think that's what he needs to know if
he's ever going to completely accept your going into law enforcement.
Or any career."
"And if I don't? If don't become a detective or I can't get him to accept how much I need that?"
"I
know, Trixie. I know you're, that you want something other than a
traditional marriage and a family," Dan hesitated again. "And if
there's any woman I know who can have a career AND a family, it's you.
I think Jim wants, only wants a traditional marriage." Dan was afraid
he'd said too much.
"He can learn." He offered in
desperation. "You can get him to understand." He added feebly. "Tell
him what you want for yourself."
"I WANT a career. That's why
I'm here, Dan." Trixie began to choke up again. "I had to come here for
this internship, to go after my dream."
Dan nodded. He couldn't agree more.
"I don't think I've ever been so. So."
"Happy?" Dan offered.
"No. More than that. Fulfilled."
Dan nodded. "Are you going to come back here when you graduate? Work for Treasury? Or?"
"I can't. I'm obligated to New York."
"Right.
I almost forgot." Trixie had received a generous scholarship from the
City of New York. In return, she was obligated to work for the NYPD
when she graduated from college.
"And nothing is guaranteed."
"What about after four years?"
"Who knows?"
"Trixie?
Dan decided he had nothing to lose. "You are right when you say you
were meant to be a detective. I've always known that. Honey knows that
and I think the people here see that. Time will tell if you stay with
NYPD or go with the Feds or open that private agency with Honey you
both talk about. I know you have to do it, at least try it. I also
think Jim loves you, but he just doesn't recognize how much you NEED to
pursue this career." Dan waited for Trixie to stop him, but she didn't.
"I think you love him too."
Trixie pulled away just a bit. "I don't think so. Not anymore."
Dan
couldn't believe the words, but he continued. "Okay, maybe you do,
maybe not. Regardless, go for it. Dammit. Go for your dream. If Jim and
you are meant to be, it will happen. You both are intelligent, caring
people. You'll do what's best. What's best for you both."
Trixie sat silently for a while. She then turned and looked up at Dan before resting her head on his shoulder. "Danny?"
"Mmhuh?" Dan rested his chin on her head and closed his eyes. Why did he always melt a bit when she said his name that way?
"Danny, I think you're. You're so. Sometimes I think I'm."
SLAM!
A door flew open and slammed against the wall behind them. Clip clip,
clip clip, clip clip. High heels clip-clopped loudly and quickly on the
wooden floor of the hallway and out the front door. SLAM! The front
door slammed shut.
"Karen. Karen wait. Let me." Pete came
running down the hallway and out the front door, stopping just long
enough to slip his feet into some muddy sandals that had been left on
the porch.
"You and your damn cigar. Who do you think you are? Bill Clinton?" Clip, clip, clip, clip.
"Karen, you don't understand."
Trixie
jerked away, laughing out loud. "That darn Pete." She turned to Dan.
"It's like this almost every night." Dan looked somewhat surprised if
not aghast. "He's, he thinks he's some kinda' Don Juan." She stood up
and ran over to look out the front window. Seeing nothing, she turned
back around. "And the women!" She laughed again. "Em and I just don't
see how. What DO they see in him?"
Dan smiled, realizing that
Trixie was learning much more than law enforcement that summer. Trixie
reached down to pull up Dan but he pulled her down on top of him
instead. He needed to change the direction of their exchange. "We still
need to talk about you and Chris."
"Tre." She got situated with her back against the sofa again.
"Tre, Chris. Whatever you call him. He's got it for you bad, Trixie."
"You
think?" Trixie smiled coyly before catching herself. "Nah. There's
nothing. All of us agreed that living together, we couldn't have any
romance. He's."
"Trixie, you're attractive, intelligent. He's a healthy male."
Trixie blushed. "We're not doing anything."
"I didn't say that you are."
"No,
but we're NOT!" She turned and faced him, placing her hands on his
shoulders. "I CANNOT, WILL NOT get involved." She frowned and shook her
head. "With anyone."
You already are. Dan started to say when
they were interrupted by Pete's coming back in. "I woulda' caught her
if I'd had shoes on."
"You had my flip-flops."
"Your size 2 flip-flops?" Pete retorted. The other interns also teased Trixie about her petite size.
"Size five and one half!" Trixie corrected, sitting up straight and feigning indignity.
"She wasn't worth it."
"They never are, Pete."
Dan
laughed out loud at that comment. He stood and then helped Trixie up.
He took their empty wine glasses and headed into the kitchen. Pete
followed behind. "Listen, Dan, if you and Trixie need."
Dan turned around from rinsing the glasses in the sink. "What?"
"You don't have to sleep on the sofa. If you two want my room, there are clean sheets."
Dan didn't know whether to laugh or hit him. "Listen Pete, we don't. I'm not. Trixie?" He glanced towards the living room.
Recognizing
the defensive tone of Dan's voice and the fury in his eyes, Pete
stepped back. "I'm sorry Dan. I just thought. Well when I saw the two
of you out there just now, I thought." He tried to smile as he backed
away. "I certainly don't think of her that way. Ah, I know, ah, she's
not a um player." He offered a bit desperately.
Dan turned and left the room without comment.
When
he got back into the living room, Trixie had pulled out the sofa into a
bed. "I just noticed how late it is. I hope this is okay. I have linens
in my room." She said. That was when Dan realized that, unlike Pete, he
often DID think of Trixie THAT way. He unconsciously backed away from
her.
"I'll get them." She offered and left the room.
Dan
waited in silence until Trixie returned with sheets and pillows and
helped him make up the bed. After saying good-night, she went to her
own room. Dan washed up and fell into bed. He lay there for what seemed
an eternity, realizing that no matter how much he tried and what he
felt for Jennifer Gordon, his attraction to Trixie never waned. It was
as real as the first time he'd ever seen her, or, at least,
acknowledged its existence. He closed his eyes. Don't go there Mangan.
Don't go there. She told me she worked in the morning and started to laugh.
I told her I didn't and crawled off to sleep in the bath.
When
Dan woke up, the morning sun was pouring in through the windows on the
side of the house. He looked at his wristwatch and moaned at the late
hour. He'd have to rush to make it to Richmond in time to meet Jen's
train. He could hear quiet talking coming from the kitchen.
"Dammit. I thought he was."
"No
it was another boy. Jim? Yeah, Jim something." Dan could tell that
comment was made by a female voice. It had to be Emily. He listened to
see if Trixie was with them.
"You could fool me. He's mighty possessive."
"I don't think it's that, just."
"That's NOT brotherly affection I saw."
"How would you know Peter Denton? The only emotion you know is lust."
"I'm not saying."
"Trixie
made it very clear that Dan is a good friend. He was supposed to bring
the girl he lives with." Emily had raised her voice.
"You
didn't see them last night. I OBVIOUSLY interrupted something." Pete
said as he left the kitchen. He walked down the hall and headed up the
stairs.
Dan sat up, wondering just how he and Trixie looked
when Pete interrupted them. They'd just been talking, but. No, they'd
just been talking. It was impossible to see it any other way. Besides,
he and Trixie knew exactly how they felt.
Or did they?
Dan
had quite the headache to show for the beer and wine he'd consumed the
prior evening, and knew he needed both pain killer and coffee to get
started. He groaned as he pulled on a pair of shorts and headed towards
the kitchen.
"I have to agree, Em. I think he's more than just a..."
Dan walked in to the kitchen. "Good morning. Can I steal some coffee?"
Emily
jumped up from the table where she was sitting with Jay and headed
towards the counter. "Of course, Dan. Trixie's in the downstairs shower
and Pete just headed upstairs. You're welcome to use either bath when
they're free." She turned around with a mug of coffee. "Cream, sugar?"
"Neither.
I like black." Dan took the mug. "Mmmm. I need this. I don't know why I
drink beer, but." He smiled at the guilty faces around the table.
Emily
sat back down at the table. "Chris went into work earlier." She
offered. "He and Trixie are going through old case files. He never
sleeps."
"I usually manage on very little." Dan offered. No
one replied. He knew they were wondering just how much he had heard and
he was enjoying their discomfort.
They all sat in silence,
listening for the shower to stop and Trixie to join them. Eventually
Jay picked up the newspaper and headed out onto the front porch.
"I'm
really glad you visited, Dan." Emily finally broke the silence. "Trixie
has been so excited about your coming." Dan smiled at her. "She talks
all the time about you and your friends." Dan nodded. "And now we know
why!" Emily winked.
Dan reached over and took the gorgeous
young woman's hand. "Trixie and I have something special, Emily. A rare
friendship, but," He allowed for a dramatic pause. "That's all. We're
not in love. It's just not like that." The shower stopped. "Looks like
it's my turn for the shower." Dan got up and headed out to get his
clothes.
Emily sat and watched him leave, admiring his
tanned, muscled back and long rumpled hair, and wondering how Trixie
couldn't be attracted to him. Trixie had to be blind or stupid, or both. And, when I awoke, I was alone. This bird had flown. Dan
stood in the shower letting the warm water wash over him for entirely
too long. He knew that in a shared house, hot water should be rationed,
but he had to clear his head. The water helped him to wake up and to
clear the cobwebs of a hang-over from his mind. He contemplated having
seen Trixie in an entirely new setting, free of her friends from
Sleepyside and their expectations and assumptions about her future. It
dawned on him that the woman he'd spent the past evening with was the
real Trixie Belden, not Helen and Peter's daughter; not Mart and
Brian's sister, not Bobby's caretaker; not Jim's 'Special Girl', not
Honey's future business partner nor Diana's dearest friend.
Turning
off the water, he grabbed a towel. He knew that Trixie also wasn't
Dan's girl. She was no one's girl. She was a woman. She was a woman
developing her own interests, friends and future.
When Dan
returned to the kitchen, Trixie was at the stove scrambling eggs. Dan
came up behind her and placed his hands on her waist. "THE Trixie
Belden". He said almost wistfully.
"Mmm?" Trixie asked without looking up from the stove.
"I'm
glad I came." Dan wanted to say more, but didn't know how. He wanted to
tell her how wonderful it was to see her so grown, so free, so Trixie.
He wanted to tell her that he knew she'd succeed no matter what she
decided for her life and he knew she'd succeed with or without the
other Bob-Whites. Instead he stepped back.
"You're doing great."
"It's
just eggs." She turned around and looked at him strangely, trying to
understand what he was saying. "When do you have to leave?" She changed
the subject.
"Soon." He looked at his watch. "Oh gee. Jen's train. It should take me over two hours to get to Richmond?"
"Yeah. Do you know where you're going? Tre is from there. I can call him for directions."
"No. I have a map. The Amtrak station is pretty easy to get to from the Interstate."
"You can't convince Jen to come here? To?"
"No Trixie." Dan cut her short. There was no reasoning with Jen when it came to Trixie.
Trixie
nodded and turned back to the stove. She grabbed a plate and spooned
some egg beside the bacon slices already on it. "Didn't know I could
cook. Did you?"
"You've cooked for me before." He took the plate and sat down at the table to eat. "Mmmm, good." He offered after tasting them.
"Yeah,
and if all else fails," Trixie pointed to the cookbook on the counter
as she sat down beside him with a plate for herself. She offered Dan
some toast from a plate already on the table. He shook his head no and
ate in silence. Trixie nibbled at her food while staring at him.
Finally she laughed.
"What the heck are you worrying about, Danny?"
Dan
put his fork on his plate and grinned sheepishly. How could he explain
to her what he was trying to understand himself? "Not worrying. Just
thinking how good it was to come. How glad I am that you're doing so
well. How much I,"
Trixie cocked her head and smiled.
Dan grinned. "And that I will NEVER call you Schoolgirl Shamus again."
"Did you ever call me that?"
"I'm
not sure. But I've learned." Dan's grin turned serious. "I think I
really got to know you this weekend. I got to know you not as the girl
next door, but," He didn't know how to finish.
"I know." He didn't need to finish the thought.
"Yeah." Dan stood up. "I need to get on the road."
"And
I think I'll go into work for awhile." Trixie stood up. "Tre is
studying cold cases. He has one he wants me to look at." She chuckled.
"It's some bank robbery or something from the 60s. Absolutely
fascinating. They took a teller hostage and wanted a psychedelic
painted VW bus for ransom in return. Yep, even specified how it should
be painted! They never got the bus and the cops never found the
hostage. Never found the money or solved the case, either."
"Why does he want your help?"
"I seem to have good instincts and it was in White Plains!"
Dan laughed. "Your parents might remember it."
"That's what I'm thinking."
Trixie
helped Dan gather his things into his small bag and together they put
the sofa bed back in order. They stood in the hallway for some time,
each not knowing what to say to the other. Finally Dan grabbed Trixie,
wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her on the top of her head. He
pulled away and headed to the door. Trixie walked with him to his car
and watched as he put his bag in the back and got in.
"Thanks for coming Dan. You'll let me know how you do in Charlottesville?"
"I'll call when I get back to Sleepyside."
"Good. And give my love to everyone at home." She hesitated. "Give my love to Jen."
"I will Trixie." Dan buckled his seatbelt and started up the car. An old Beatles tune blasted from the radio. So, I lit a fire. Isn't it good, Norwegian Wood?
Dan
turned the volume down before pulling away from the curb. He made a
U-turn and headed up the street towards Columbia Pike. Stopping at the
end of the road, he looked into the rear view mirror. There, in the
middle of the street, stood a beautiful blonde-haired woman, hair
blowing in the warm summer breeze. She was smiling and waving to him.
He raised his hand and beeped the horn before pulling out onto the
highway.
Fly away bird. Fly away.
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