Fifty-Two

The fruit and cheese in the Whole Foods bag called to me. I washed my hands, emptied the bag, and began assembling a fruit plate. Perhaps lunch would drive Jael’s warnings from my mind and let me enjoy my afternoon with Lucy.

My Droid said, “Droid.” Uncle Walt.

“Hey, Tucker. I’m just calling to check up on you. How are you doing?”

“Great, Uncle Walt. You know. Considering.”

“Yeah, I know. Listen. I’d like to take you out to dinner tonight. I got something to show you.”

I thought about Lucy in my bed: her long legs, firm butt, and the soft smile that crossed her face when she was pleasured. “Sorry. I’ve got plans with Lucy tonight.”

“Lucy? The girl from the wake?”

“Yeah, that Lucy.”

“Bring her along. I’ll treat you both.”

I floated at the edge of a whirlpool, feeling myself sucked toward an inevitable decision.

“What’s this about?”

“I can’t really do it justice over the phone.”

“Lucy and I are about to eat now. We won’t be going out for dinner.”

“Well, drinks, then. After-dinner drinks.”

The whirlpool increased its sucking power.

Walt said, “Just name the time and place. This is important, Tucker. I need your help.”

“It’s got to be tonight?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Meet us at Stoddard’s near the Boston Common at eight tonight.”

“What’s the address?”

I heard the bedroom door open behind me and turned. Lucy stood in the doorway, unapologetically naked. My eyes widened. My breath shortened. I gaped at Lucy’s flat stomach, curving hips, and long legs. Her breasts rose from her chest, beckoning me to touch them.

I said, “Google it, Uncle Walt. See you at eight.” Terminated the call.

Lucy asked, “What’s up?”

“My Uncle Walt called to invite us to dinner.”

“Us?”

“Yeah. But screw that. I talked him down to having a drink at Stoddard’s.”

Lucy stepped close to me and placed her palm on my chest and gave me a light kiss on the lips.

“Does he always invite you out?”

“No. This is the first time ever.”

“That’s not good.” Lucy turned and headed for the bathroom.

“What do you mean?”

She paused at the door. “Random dinner invitations from relatives are never good news.” She disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door.

I continued to assemble the fruit plate. There were blueberries, strawberries, an apple, assorted cheeses. I arranged the blueberries in the center in a pile, ringed them with strawberries, sliced the apple and cheese into wedges and interspersed the wedges between the strawberries.

The result looked like the Wheel of Fortune. I didn’t like it, and was considering another arrangement when Lucy came out of the bathroom, still naked. She said, “Yum!” and picked up a strawberry.

I watched the muscles of her back move under her satin skin as she chose some blueberries. I moved behind her and put my hands on her hips, kissing her on the neck. She stepped back, grinding her ass against me.

I said, “Much as I hate to suggest it, would you like a T-shirt?”

She turned, put her arms around me, kissed me on the lips. Blueberry.

“No thanks,” Lucy said as she slipped her thumbs into my underwear, kissed my chest as she slid them to the floor. Rose and gave me another blueberry kiss. “There’s nothing more organic than nude lunch.”

No arguing with that. We took the fruit plate to the couch in my living room. Lucy curled up, her red toenails contrasting nicely with the black couch. She leaned in to kiss me. Her hand brushed the scar on my upper arm, and she sat back.

“Where did you get this?” she asked, running her finger over the scar.

“A guy shot at me once with a machine gun.”

“Shot at you? It looks like he shot you.”

I raised my arm and looked at the scar. “He mostly missed. He’s gone now.”

“What happened to him?”

“Jael.”

Lucy had been about to bite into a large strawberry. Paused. “Do you think she can protect you?”

“Uh-huh. Why do you ask?”

“Haven’t you noticed that the bullets keep getting closer to you? Your half brother was shot when we were at the ball game, his mother was shot just before you arrived at her house, and that Dave Patterson guy was shot right in front of you.”

I had nothing to say to that. I slid closer to Lucy, pressing my naked hip against hers. Took the big strawberry from her hand and held it out to her. She took a bite. I kissed her strawberry-stained lips and ran my hand lightly over her breast. She moaned and lay back on the couch.

The rest of the fruit plate remained untouched until that evening, when we finished it and headed out to Stoddard’s to hear Uncle Walt’s big secret.