He unlocked the door and returned the key. Then he turned to me with his best Went-smile, the one that took up his whole face and moved down his gorgeous tanned neck. “Come on. I'll show you around.”
My heart sped up as I followed him into the apartment. Went and I hadn't gotten this far in our talks about the weekend. Most of our planning had been taken up with the details of getting us there. The logistics and the timing of when we were going to do whatâthat, we hadn't discussed.
“Isn't it great?” He swooped his arm like a showman unveiling his prized sculpture. “She's a designer. I mean, professionally. She designs and decorates people's houses. That's how she can afford this place. Do you like it?”
The room we were standing in was all white except for dabs of redâa red vase with a single rose on a glass coffee table, a red satin pillow on a stuffed chair, also white. On the walls hung canvases of modern art, white with broad red stripes or funky circles.
“Wow!” I picked up Adam because he hadn't done his business on the walk in, and I didn't want him doing it now. I didn't think I could have lived in such modern surroundings. I would have been afraid to touch anything. But I could still appreciate the beauty of the room. “It's gorgeous, Went.”
One of the paintings was long and narrow, occupying a good third of the whole wall. I stepped up for a better look and read the signature:
Waslynski.
I turned to Went. “Nuh-uh. Did your mother paint this?”
Went nodded. “She's got two paintings in a gallery right across from the Arch. “Come on. I'll give you the tour.”
I held Adam as Went led me from the kitchen and breakfast nook to his mom's bedroom, her office, and an entertainment room with a giant television and a pool table.
“This place is too big to be an apartment,” I observed.
“You ain't seen nothin' yet, kid.” Went slipped his arm around me. “I saved the best for last.”
At the end of the white-carpeted hallway was the spare bedroom. Went touched the door, and it opened to a room that had to be twice the size of my bedroom at home. Unlike every other room in the house, this one had color. The blue bedspread matched the curtains, and oranges, blues, and greens blended throughout, with live plants giving everything an outdoor feel. It was as if the color from the rest of the house had drained into this one room. “I love it,” I managed to say.
Went took Adam from my arms and set him on the carpet. Then he leaned down and kissed me. The kiss started out soft as butterflies, then grew harder and more intense. I kissed back just as hard, losing myself in him.
I felt his arms around me, moving up and down, making my whole body tense, then mush, then tingly, then light. With one movement, he swept me up into his arms. We didn't stop kissing while he carried me into the bedroom and laid me on the bed. I closed my eyes and felt him on top of me, surrounding me, kissing me. His hand slid under my shirt.
“Arf!” Adam barked and barked. Then he pounced onto the bed.
As if I'd been wakened from a trance, my eyelids flew open. Sunlight streamed in through the open curtains. I bolted upright, forcing Went off. His shirt was unbuttoned. My heart was pounding so hard I thought I might have a heart attack. I fought for words. When I could catch my breath enough to speak, I said, “Went, let's go to Six Flags.”
“Now?” He stared at me in disbelief.
I nodded. “Could we, please? ”
He took a deep breath and let it out. Then he sat back on his heels and started buttoning his shirt. “Now.”
“I just . . . well, I thought it would be dark. And I have this little nightie thing in my bag that I spent my life's savings on. Plus, I don't want Adam to watch us.”
Went burst into laughter that drained all the tension out of the room. He finished buttoning his shirt, then picked up the little dog. “Thanks a lot, Adam. You and I are going to have a man-to-man talk about this later.” He set Adam down and helped me up.
“Is it okay?” I asked, afraid that I might have wrecked everything.
“It's okay.” He hugged me to him, wrapping me in his arms so I felt safe . . . and loved, like I could do it. I could give myself to Went Smith.
14
“You're sure you're not mad?” I asked Went for the tenth time as we dodged traffic to get to Six Flags. We had to leave Adam in the apartment and hope for the best.
“Bailey, I keep telling you. It's better this way. I want everything to be perfect. So, wait until dark, expensive nightie, and no dog.”
Went had said all the right things. He understood, and it only made me more excited about our night. This was a guy I could be happy with for the rest of my life.
Once in the park, it felt like we were inside a snow globe, with the rest of the world shut out and unable to do anything but watch us. Paths were lined with souvenir shops and food stands. Carnival music played. We passed a mom and dad with two kids, all of them stuffing themselves with cotton candy. I imagined Went and me years down the line, walking this same path with our own kids. I slid my arm around Went's waist.
“Where to, Captain Bailey?” he asked.
“To the merry-go-round!” I knew the way blindfolded. The Grand Ole Carousel had been my first ride every time I'd come to Six Flags.
When we got there, I pointed out the big black horse. “That's
my
horse.”
“He is, huh?” Went asked as my trusty steed spun out of sight, ridden by some elementary school impostor. “Don't suppose that horse's name is Bailey?”
We laughed and scooted in as soon as they opened the gate for the next round of riders. This was about the only ride without long lines.
“You can ride Brown Beauty,” I said, climbing onto my black horse and introducing Went to the lesser brown model next to me.
Went started to climb up, but someone on the other side of him said, “Excuse me.” It was a girl about our age, wearing shorts and what could have passed for a bikini top. “I don't suppose y'all could give me a lift up on this little ol' white horse? ” Her Southern accent was thick enough to smother an alligator.
“Sure.” Went moved to the other side of Brown Beauty and stood behind the girl. “How do you want to do this?”
She laughed and smiled back at him. “That's the question, isn't it?”
No. The question is, what do you think you're doing with my boyfriend?
There were empty saddles all over the merry-go-roundâhorses, tigers, chariots, all without riders. Why did she have to pick the horse next to ours?
Before I knew what was happening, Went had lifted her up and set her in the saddle. His hands stayed too long around her bare stomach. “Are you all set?” he asked, like he was afraid she'd fall off if he let her go.
“Fantastic, thanks to y'all.” She stuck out her sweet li'l hand. “I'm Jessica.”
Went shook her hand and nearly bowed. “Went Smith. Pleased to meet you.”
The merry-go-round started up, and Miss Jessica squealed like it was her first ride on the Screamin' Eagle, instead of a kids' merry-go-round.
“Went, you better mount, cowboy.” I said this while flashing a fake smile at Li'l Miss I'm-Too-Much-of-a-Girlie-Girl-to-Mount-a-Merry-Go-Round.
Went finally climbed aboard Brown Beauty. “Yahoo!” he cried, holding on with one hand and acting like he was rodeo riding.
A Southern laugh sounded from the other side of my boyfriend, and I saw Went give his full-court smile . . . to her.
As soon as the ride stopped, I yanked Went off his horse and led him to the exit. “On to more manly rides!” I cried. “How do you feel about roller coasters?”
We started with the easiest coaster and worked our way up. I'd always loved roller coasters. I remembered Mom bringing me to Six Flags and coaching me to stand on tiptoes when we reached the you-must-be-this-tall-to-ride signs.
Went and I were halfway through the long line waiting for The Boss, working our way to Mr. Freeze, my personal favorite in the roller-coaster category, when my gaze landed on two people who looked older than my grandparents. They were sitting on a bench and eating from the same ice cream cone. One would lick, and the other would laugh. Then they'd change roles. They watched each other with such profound love that I wondered what had brought them to Six Flags. Their fiftieth wedding anniversary? A birthday? Or did they come here every Saturday? I wanted that to be Went and me in fifty years, laughing and sharing an ice cream.
I turned to Went to point out the old couple, but he wasn't there. I looked around until I saw him pressed against the side ropes half a dozen people behind me. He was talking to some girl who looked college age. I started to shout at him, but I didn't. I stared at this great-looking couple smiling and talking together. Anyone would have thought
they
were boyfriend and girlfriend.
How could he look at her like that? I could never look at any guy the way he was looking at her.
That's just Went,
I told myself.
He doesn't mean anything by it.
The line kept moving forward. Went and I kept moving farther and farther apart.
I waited for him to catch up with me, and we rode rides all over the park. I lost myself in the thrill of every minute spent with Went. I loved having him to hold on to when the roller coaster made that jerky climb right before the big drops. I loved his laughter when I screamed on the high-speed turns.
But then I'd lose himâfor seconds or minutes. I lost him when I went for Cokes and found him, like I knew I would, talking to a stranger, a girl who looked like she'd won the lottery. Sometimes I lost him when we were only inches apart, like on one ride where we had to share a train car with two girls from Illinois. I wasn't the only one hugging my boyfriend during the scary turns on that ride.
We ate dinner at a theme restaurant while cartoon characters roamed the aisles like they did all over the park. One minute I felt like the luckiest person on earth, so much in love with Went that I couldn't wait to get back to that apartment and show him how much I loved him. And then I'd catch him eyeing a girl at another table, or he'd flirt with our waitress, and I'd have to excuse myself and go to the john so I wouldn't cry.
When we walked outside, it was that magical time when day fights with night and slowly lets night have its way. Went took my hand. “Look at that sky, Bailey. It's perfect. For us.” Orange-tinged clouds danced in the sky, and the setting sun winked at the horizon. The park lights winked, too. Nothing in the park was slowing down. People milled around in mini-packs. Theme-park characters handed balloons to crying children and posed for pictures with honeymooners. Went leaned down and kissed me. “Let's go back.”
I nodded, a thrill flashing through me. This was it. This was all that mattered. Went was never going to see the other girls at this park again. Only me. We headed for the exit. After a few steps, the heel of my right foot ached. I couldn't help limping.
“What's the matter?” Went asked.
“I guess I must have a blister. It's no big deal.”
“You sure?”
We walked on, but I couldn't come close to a normal walk. I had to slip my heel out of my stupid shoe and scoot the thing forward with my toes.
“Bailey, let's take a look.” Went guided me to the nearest seat. Wooden benches were scattered around an octagon of bright pink flowers. It was one of the best places for kids to get their pictures taken with Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck.
I plopped down on the bench, and Went kneeled at my feet. Gently, he took off my shoe and lifted my foot to examine my heel. “Ugh,” he said, still holding my foot in his hands. “No wonder you were limping. You've got a king-sized, broken blister.”
“I'll just keep my shoe off. I'll be okay.” I started to get up, but he still had my foot.
“No way. Don't suppose you have a Band-Aid?”
I shook my head.
He released my foot, set it down so tenderly, then stood up and glanced around. “There's got to be a first-aid station around here. I'll get some ointment and a Band-Aid.”
“Went, don't,” I protested. “I can walk. This is silly.”
He grinned down at me. “No. What's silly is having me carry you out of here. And that's the only other option.”
“I'm sorry.” I felt like crying, and not because of the stupid blister.
He bent down and kissed my forehead. “Take it easy. I'll be back with Band-Aids.”
There was nothing to do but lean back and wait. I watched two little girls, who had to be twins, get their picture taken with Bugs Bunny. A group of high school guys and girls formed a chorus line with Taz and Daffy while a woman snapped their pictures with everybody's cameras.
I hadn't worn my watch, but it felt like Went had been gone forever. I hoped he hadn't had to walk too far. The orange clouds faded into the sky, leaving a gray-blue mix that blotted any leftover sun. Still I sat and waited. My thoughts bounced back and forth between what could have happened to Went and what was about to happen with Went and me. I didn't want all of this time to think.
It was getting ridiculous. Went could have invented Band-Aids by now. I stood up, one shoe on and one shoe off, and looked in every direction.
Then I spotted him. He was standing on the other side of the flowers, leaning against the wall of a noisy arcade. But he wasn't alone. Went was laughing with Tweety Bird, or with the no-doubt hot girl who was dressed up as the theme park's Tweety. The big yellow head made her as tall as Went, but there was no denying her tiny waist, in spite of the giant hands and feet. It would have been funny if I hadn't known what was going on . . . if I hadn't known Went.