Another Treatment
I was about to leave for a Day shift at the plant. Before I went, however, it had become my custom to check in on Sue to see that she was OK and to find out if there was anything that she needed. So, I gave her a quick call on the phone. She answered on the third ring and sounded a little sleepy: "Hello?"
"Sue, it's me. I'm off for work. Is there anything that you need before I go or anything that I can get for you when I come back?"
She wasn't completely awake yet. I waited for her to gather her thoughts until: "No, just a little groggy from that pain pill. Oh wait, can you get some paper towels? I'm almost out."
I told her that I had about five rolls in the under the counter storage: "Are 'XYZ' brand ok?"
Sue: "That would be fine. What time will you be back?"
Me: "I get off around four, so I should be here by four-thirty or so."
She told me to come right over when I get home. She planned to make some dinner and invited me to eat with her. Being a reluctant (and awful) cook, I readily accepted. "Just come right in, you have the key."
I told her that I would bring up her mail (it gets delivered around two) and some paper towels: "Can I bring anything else? Wine or something?"
"No. I need to stay off the alcohol while I'm taking the pain pills. Just bring yourself and an appetite."
We rang off. I grabbed a couple of rolls of paper towels from under the counter and headed off to work. It dawned on me that I could have tossed a roll over to her side of the balcony. Unfortunately, I didn't think of that until I was about half-way to the plant. I stopped, as usual, at the diner for coffee, pastry and an ogle at Tina; but, she wasn't there. Disappointed. I went on in to work and immediately got busy. The day went along and it was soon lunch time. We made our usual call out for delivery at the local sub shop and, very soon, the afternoon started to drag on.
My relief arrived on time at three thirty and we took about ten minutes for a turnover. Once he had the shift, I took a quick shower, put on some clean underwear and sox and headed out through security towards home. I was about ten minutes ahead of my usual time so I decided to stop and get a surprise for Sue. Ice cream! The local (hand packed) ice cream parlor was on my way, so I stopped. Knowing that her favorite was either chocolate or coffee I ordered two large cups half-and-half of each. I had them put sprinkles on one (hers) I don't care for the 'jimmies'.
I parked, grabbed the treats and the two rolls of paper towels and was soon realizing that my inventory of hands was a little inadequate for retrieving the mail out of my mailbox and hers. I managed to collect everything, unlock her door and announce myself before climbing up her stairs. Sue was in the kitchen when I got up to her apartment. I put the mail on the kitchen table and presented her with the two rolls of paper towels while keeping the ice cream hidden behind my back. Sue happily accepted the towels and looked a little suspiciously at me standing there grinning with one hand behind my back.
"What are you hiding?"
I brought the cardboard carrier around letting her see the ice cream containers: "Desert."
"You didn't have to, but thank you". She moved close to me giving me a little kiss. Not a big wet sloppy kiss, a neat little kiss. I was happy, too.
The kitchen smelled decidedly Italian. I could see spaghetti gravy simmering on the stove along with a big pot of some pasta boiling away on the back burner. Yes, in New Jersey we call it spaghetti 'gravy'. I put the desert into the freezer compartment while Sue busied herself stirring the pasta. A quick peek told me that we were going to have Ziti. I was happier; that is, until I finally noticed that Sue was wearing a loose fitting pair of pajama shorts and one of her wife beater shirts. And the cast, of course, the big cast on her leg was still there. But she looked really good standing there. Try as I may, I couldn't tell if she had any underwear on under those shorts, but the lack of a bra was obvious. Now I was really really happy.
The table was already set. Sue told me to go wash my hands and 'sit up' at the table. Obediently, I headed into the bathroom, washed my hands and returned to the table. By then, she had drained the pasta, added the gravy and put the big bowl in the middle of the table. She took two small salads out of the fridge along with a bottle of dressing (Italian, of course). The jar of Parmesan cheese made the meal complete. We were soon sitting together enjoying a nice, home cooked meal. When we were finished I offered to do the dishes: "You've probably been standing on that leg a little too long."
Sue was happy to accept: "Thank you, but I've been sitting a lot too."
Does that mean? Does that mean? "Do you want me to put that cream on you again?"
