CHAPTER 194: Meet The Bluestones

"Do you have any plans for today, Jamie?" asked Mom.

"I thought I'd go in to town and meet some friends...you know, Rohan and Efrain?"

"Oh...Efrain.  That's nice.  I haven't heard of this Rohan before."

"Yeah, he's just joined our school but he's a nice guy.  Lives out Britechester way."

"And when you meet up, what will you be doing?"

"Nothing illegal, I hope!" 

"No...nothing like that, Dad!"

"Good"

"Efrain, Rohan and I are thinking of starting a band together."

"A band?  How exciting."

"Hang on...a band?  That would require money for a guitar which you're still saving up for!" 

"I know, Dad, but there are some I can practice with that don't cost anything...and I can always borrow one but we're a long way away from any gigs.  We're meeting up to practice after school."

Dad paced around the room and then sat down on the sofa, looking worried.  Mom went and sat next to him.

"Is there something on your mind, Colin?" 

"I've been doing the monthly household accounts and things are still tight.  I don't want us committing to spending something costly right now!"

"Well, it seems like Jamie has thought this through and he knows not to overspend...don't you, Jamie?"

"Oh yeah, sure, I'll be careful"

Dang it, now Dad's going to nix my saving plan to get a guitar.  I'm going to have to rely on the communal one at the Desert Bloom Park snug for now.  But there are other things to consider right now and I should get out of the house or else I'll be stuck with Dad's negativity all day.

As it so happens today is the day of the flea market downtown and maybe, just maybe, there'll be a cheap guitar for sale there; you never know.  I try to call Efrain and Rohan but both are busy this morning so I'm going to have to catch them later.  

I get to San Myshuno just before midday and there's a nice, busy vibe down there.  The bus stops right outside a bar and the flea market is on the other side of the town square and as I walk over to it I hear a voice behind me and feel a tap on my shoulder.

"Well hello, Jamie" 

I look over my shoulder and who should it be but my non-girlfriend girl friend:  Morgan.

"Oh, hey there, Morgan...nice to see you" 

"...'nice to see you'?  What kind of greeting is that?"

OK...she wants more...but how much more?  I slowly move towards her and give her a hug.

"Now THAT'S better.  You shouldn't be so scared around me...well, maybe a little bit...but that's all part of the fun...*giggle*"

OK, we're doing this flirty thing again.  What's her mantra again?  'Don't think...do!'  Well, what the hell?  Let's roll with her mood.

"So.....what brings you down here, Morgan?  Meeting anyone in particular or are you going with the flow?"

"I always go with the flow, Jamie...and the flea market is a GREAT place to find something unusual or hand crafted that I might like.  You see, I do like checking things out..." and again she's flirting with me as she says that.  "And what about you?  What are you looking for, Jamie?"

"A guitar...a decent second hand one.  You see, I'm putting together and band with a couple of other guys and we need some instruments."

"...and gear.  You need some stage gear, like decent threads."

"Yeah, that too.  I hadn't thought that far ahead."

Suddenly Morgan looks over my shoulder and notices something, or someone behind me.  She waves enthusiastically to whoever it is.  I look behind me and see a guy I don't recognise in the distance waving back.

"Sorry, Jamie, gotta dash...I need to speak with that guy over there.  You sticking around the market for a while?"

"Yeah"

"I'll see you in a bit...we'll catch up on your band stuff."

And with that, she runs off.  Hot and cold...yeah, same as ever.  Oh well, time to crack on with my main purpose for being here and I start to browse the stalls hoping there's a guitar or, failing that, something else cool.  I stop by a bench where this lady's selling shiny minerals, crystals and quartz.  I pause to examine these fancy looking stones in more detail and all of a sudden she's by my side, looking at what I'm doing.

"Anything here takes your fancy?" 

"Erm...just browsing, really."

"Do you know much about crystals and minerals?"

"Not really"

"Take that amethyst there...that's the purple one...makes an excellent paperweight or a conversational piece on a coffee table."

"It's nice...say, I like that blue one"

"The Lapis?  I'm doing a deal today...10% off any stone you purchase"

The stone ends up costing me $3 but I figured it wouldn't break my budget so I buy it.  It's not a guitar, and I can't see any of the stalls selling one so I figure this shiny semi-precious stone could go on my desk or side table in my room to liven it up a bit.

Well, that's about it for shopping so I make my way over to the food stalls where there's this busker and a small crowd gathering.

I'm trying to see where Morgan has got to but she's nowhere to be seen.  Never mind, I'm digging the vibe around here anyway and there's a sizeable crowd around here today for this singer to perform to.  I imagine that'll be me and the guys in the near future.  I wonder who you contact to get a gigging space around here?

The singer finishes her song and goes off on a break.  It looks like she won't be coming back soon so I go for another walk around the market to see if there's anything else that catches my fancy but mostly I'm just browsing and looking...not just for something to buy, but to see if there's anyone here I know...including Morgan.

Suddenly, there's that tap on my shoulder again and it's Morgan; she's found me.

"Hey, Morgan, how did it go with your friend?"

"Yeah, cool.  He's gone now.  So, do you want to hang out some more?  Maybe get a drink together?" she says, jerking her thumb towards the bar nearby.

"Sure thing!  But they won't serve us in there"

"Don't you have fake I.D.?"

"Erm....no....actually I left mine at home."

"I see....well, we'll use mine.  I'll get the drinks and bring them out here."

"At least let me give you the money for them...my round."

"Jamie...you're such a gentleman" 

She fixes me with those green eyes of her and I'm like jelly.  Yes, I should keep clear of her but she's just so alluring and those eyes cast a hypnotic spell over me.

I watch her saunter over to the bar and I can't help but watch her lovely, swaying figure and those amazing legs as she just fearlessly enters a bar as if she owns the place.  We could be an item but the stars just aren't aligning right at the moment.  I wonder just what she sees in me?  What am I doing right and what's stopping us from becoming boyfriend and girlfriend?  I want more, but I fear in the pit of my stomach that what is going on between us now is the best it's ever going to get.

I pace around the square, trying not to look out of place on my own here, waiting for her to return and going through all the possibilities in my mind.  How does she kiss?  What does she taste like?  What does she like in the romance department and...eventually...what would it be like to WooHoo with her?

After a few minutes she returns carrying two tumblers with bright green liquid in them.  She hands me one and I take it.

"Here you go...turns out they didn't ask me for my I.D. anyway.  I got us some Rocket Fuel, is that OK?"

"Rocket Fuel is fine."  I take a sip and it burns the back of my throat.  I'm not sure about the artificial lime green flavour either but I don't want to look either ungrateful or uncool in front of Morgan.

"So tell me about this band of yours?"

"It's early days yet but it's me, Efrain Webber from school and I don't think you know Rohan Elderberry, do you?"

She shakes her head and takes a gulp of her drink.  "Is he at our school or another?"

"Another, down Britechester way.  So I'm lead guitar at the moment, we haven't sorted out a lead singer yet.  Or gigs for that matter."

"When you get your first gig, let me know.  I'll be the one at the front cheering the loudest"  Again, she fixes me with her green eyed gaze and touches my arm gently with her hand.  

"Say, Morgan, how about you and me go on a...on a...a kind of..."

"A date?"

"Yeah, a date.  I like being around you and we've come close to...you know..."

"Dating?"

"Yes, dating.  We seem to click and I think you're groovy and just gorgeous so I figure we should...erm...you know..."

"Be dating?"

"You see...you get where I'm coming from.  Yeah, I thought maybe we could step things up a level and date?"

"Jamie...I like you a lot; you're a swell guy..."

No, Morgan, no!  Don't do this!  Don't say the next part!"

"but what is 'dating' anyway?  I live in the moment, I go where the inspiration takes me.  All that 'let's go see a movie', 'let's go to the prom' is so passé.  I don't want that kind of conventional bag, Jamie.  I mean, us...one day we could be hanging out like this and the next...we might...hold hands, or kiss..."

"We could?"

"Yeah...but maybe not.  Or maybe any number of things.  I'm seeing loads of guys and I'm seeing none of them; do you know what I mean?"

"Kind...of..."

"But you're right; we do have a bond but don't think of it like a normal, lovey-dovey cute couple thing; I hate that."

"OK, but going back to that part about kissing..."

"Maybe, Jamie, or maybe not.  When, or if, it happens it can't be planned.  We'll know the right time"

"So you're not saying 'no' to the idea?"

"I never say 'no'...just 'not now'"

And I'm no clearer about where I stand with her.  But she's not saying no or never, at least.

We finish our drinks and I offer to take the glasses back to the bar and get another round in; if the staff are being lax about checking I.D. I should show Morgan I'm mature and confident enough to go right in and order more.

"Thanks for the offer, Jamie, but I need to be getting on now:  There's a meeting of my club soon.  It's been great catching up."

"I could come with you or part of the way?"

"That's sweet, Jamie, but you're not the type to join The Renegades.  You take care and we'll hang out soon, OK?" 

She leans in and gives me this strong hug that she holds for more than 10 seconds.  I take in her exotic perfume, her soft hair brushing against my cheek and the warm embrace...she's so good with hugs!  Then she gives me a kiss on the cheek.  As I had hoped, her lips are as soft as her touch and I know they've left a little lipstick mark on my face.  She eventually lets go, steps back and smiles with her eyes locking on to mine once more.  With a gentle, feminine wave of her hand she is off...I feel warm and let out a sigh of contentment.  Oh, and I've got a massive boner as well.  I can't help it and I rue the fact we get so far with each other before she, inevitably, pulls away.  I don't know what to do about this:  I should just say let's be friends and put up some boundaries so there's no grey area but on the other hand there's the prospect of us kissing, cuddling and sharing physical intimacy that creates this buzz whenever we're together.

I'm not sure I want to hang around the market anymore.  There's no musical gear, I spent most of my money on that stone and a round of overpriced drinks and I'm too confused about Morgan on top of all that.  As I start to walk off, I hear my name being yelled across the square.

"JAMIE!  JAMIE!"

I look around to see who's shouting and it turns out it's Lulu Strang from my school.  She runs...literally runs...right up to me, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Jamie!  It is you!  I thought for a moment that I'd mistaken you for some random guy and ended up embarrassing myself but, phew, it definitely was you!"

I'm so taken aback by this enthusiastic hello that I'm momentarily stuck for words.

"It's me, Lulu!  Lulu Strang?  We're at the same school?  We met last week at Desert Bloom park?"

"Oh yeah, I know...sorry, you took me by surprise there for a moment."

"I'm sorry"

"Don't be.  It's good to see you, Lulu.  So, what brings you here?"

"I love browsing the flea market.  There's so many fab things here, lots of gear.  I bought these earrings..."

She moves a strand of her hair and turns her face so I can see the earrings better.  

"They're great; they really suit you"

"Really?  Yeah, I like them."

She turns her head back to look at me and I'm struck by the sheer joy on her face.  Despite being both redheads, Morgan and Lulu are very different.  Lulu's eyes are more prominent and are a bright blue.  Maybe they're a little bit too large for her face, which is round and with cherubic cheeks, but the effect works on her.  Morgan's body is slim but she wears close fitting clothes that show off her hips, boobs and ass to great effect.  The black tights and sheer sleeved top make her limbs look slender and tapering.  Lulu is skinny, her hips not as curvaceous and I can't tell if she's wearing hosiery or not but the lilac coloured sweater fits her very nicely and doesn't tantalise like Morgan's top.  Morgan's long, soft hair makes her face look even longer...in an elegant way.  Lulu has this pixie bob hairstyle and that's describes her look well:  She's a pixie.  Morgan's the Lady of Shallot. 

"Have you found anything you like, Jamie?"

"Nah.  I came here hoping to find something for the band, but what I've ended up with is this nice semi-precious stone."

I take the stone from my pocket and show it to her.  She gasps when she looks upon it and then asks if she can hold it.  Sure, I reply.

"This is so pretty...so, what are you going to do with it?"

"I don't know really; maybe use it on my desk as a paperweight or just have it on my bedside table.  I just liked the look of it."

She hands it back to me.  Lulu is so...what's the word?  'Effervescent' that I'm actually enjoying her company without having to think about it.

"I say...Lulu...would you like to grab a bite to eat...erm...with me?" I point towards the food vendor stands nearby and she looks in that direction.

"Hmm-hmm, I'd like that...you can fill me in on how the band is going as well"

We walk over to the vendors and I spy some spicy Asian food that looks appealing.  Lulu, however, is not so sure...

"Wow...it all looks so exotic.  I've never tried anything like this before.  What do you recommend?"

"Do you know, Lulu, I have no idea!  I've not eaten here before either!"

We both laugh and choose meals solely by the criteria that we like the look of them.  We find a table and bench, sit down and chow down.  Mine is actually really tasty, Lulu's was very spicy and hot.

"EEK!  That is hot!  Oh my gosh!  The back of my eyeballs are burning!"

"Here, have some more water, Lulu." I pour her a glass which she picks up and chugs down in one go.

"Oh, I'm so sorry...I hope I'm not embarrassing you"

"No way! Can you manage the rest?"

"I think so...how can you remain so cool?"

"Probably because mine is only lightly spiced."  I refill her glass.

"Tell me more about the band" 

"We're making slow progress.  I'm on lead guitar, Efrain on bass and Rohan on piano and organ.  We're sharing vocals."

"Do you have a name yet?"

"No.  Still looking for inspiration."

"Hmmm, let me think..."

"Do you have any ideas?"

"Well, I am your first groupie so I feel I should help out in things like finding a suitable name.  How about....hey, that stone you have:  How about....The Bluestones?"

"The Bluestones?"

"Yeah, like you're either The Bluestones or the Blues Tones...works both ways like The Beatles or The Monkees"

"I like it.  I'll put it to the other guys."

Lulu smiles and looks pleased with herself.  We sit there, finish our meals...which she learns to handle...and talk about the band, music in general and who we like.  Time passes quickly and I'm completely relaxed around her where I don't notice what time it is.  Eventually the market shuts and the sun is starting to set.

"Got any plans for this evening?"

"Alas, Jamie, I have.  Family do.  But I've had fun today and I'm glad we bumped in to each other."

"We must meet up again, soon."

"Absolutely.  I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow?"

"Hopefully."

We both stand up and she smiles, a little nervously at me.  Then she moves closer and gives me a little hug.  Not an enveloping one with arms around me like Morgan does, but it's sweet...as befits a pixie like girl.  Her aroma isn't as strongly intoxicating either...it's more floral and just barely detectable.  We say our goodbyes and I watch her walk off.  She's got a cute little mincing walk and I start to think whether I fancy her or not?  She's not like Judy or Colleen and definitely not like Morgan!  She's pretty, with very lively eyes and a sweet smile and she's just so easy to get along with. Before I met her I would have said she's not my type, but after a while she gets to grow on me a little.  Maybe...

I head over to Desert Bloom Park to meet up with the guys...The Bluestones?  Maybe.  Rohan's the first to arrive and after I say hello to him Efrain shows up on his bike.

"What's the latest, guys?"

"Not much, Efrain"

"I was at the flea market today...I met with Morgan"

"How's it going with her?  Made it to first base yet?"

"Who knows with that girl!  We're somewhere between friends and girlfriend/boyfriend and even then that's way too specific.  Oh, and I met Lulu as well."

"Lulu Strang?"

"Yeah!  She's actually quite cool to hang out with.  Oh, and I got hugs off both of them!"

"Just hugs, though."

"That's more than you ever get off a girl, Efrain!"

"What's Lulu like to hug?"

"Nice, Rohan.  She's sweet."

"So not at all like her reputation at school then?"

"No...say, where does she get her reputation from because I can't detect any trace of what they say about her?"

"Like she smells"

"That's just it; she smells OK."

"I dunno, Jamie.  I just hear things on the grapevine.  So do you like Lulu Strang?"

"I do!" 

"I was asking Jamie, Rohan.  I know you like her."

"Yeah, she's actually really nice...I like her company."

"We should ask her to join the band!  I've heard her sing; she has such a heavenly voice!"

"Calm down, Rohan!  But, need I point out to you, Jamie, that you liking Lulu Strang is going to put you at odds with Judy Keith, Colleen Corby, Gillian Hills and all the other girls at school who hate her?"

I hadn't considered that at all the whole time I was with Lulu.  Well, that's a bind...I can't see anything wrong with her that would get her so much hate but on the other hand there's no smoke without fire and that's a long list of names who actively hate her that Efrain has mentioned.  Plus, Rohan seems to be besotted by Lulu and do I want to be in competition with him?

"Anyway, I had a nice time today with two cute chicks so that's me 2, you guys 0.  So...let's talk band business.  I've got a possible name to run past you.  How about....THE BLUESTONES?"

Neither of them object but they nod appreciatively.  With that settled, we head off to the snug for a band practice.  We run through a provisional set of 3 songs that we all know.  We'll add more once we've got these three tunes spot on.  After an hour, we kick back and relax in the snug where we're soon joined by a couple of chicks who heard us perform.

"Not bad, guys.  Who are you?" 

"We're The Bluestones.  Jamie, Efrain and Rohan.  And you are?"

"Shanice.  Say, are you guys performing anywhere?  Like clubs or theatres?"

"Soon, Shanice.  We're rehearsing for now but we'll let you know when our next gig is..."

"First gig, surely?"

"NEXT gig, Rohan.  Our NEXT gig.  We're not newbies."

Sometimes Rohan is so naïve.  We want a bit of a good reputation before we've even got going.  Another girl enters the snug and I'm sure I've seen her somewhere before.  Rohan nudges me in the ribs.

"Do you know who that is?"

"Hmmm, she seems familiar."

"That's Eliza Dudley...she goes to my school.  She's this super-talented violinist.  Won competitions and everything!  And she's here!"

Although she was dressed quite plainly and her hair was worn loose and not styled at all, there was this presence to Eliza that I could actually feel...like electricity.  She carried herself like someone important. She looked inquisitively at the three of us.

"I hear you three are in a band"

"We are.  And that was us playing just now.  I'm Efrain, that's Jamie and this is Rohan"

"Hi, Eliza!"

"Hello Rohan.  Are you the boy at school who plays piano at lunchtimes?"

"That's me!"

"Hmm, you're not bad."

"You're welcome to come to our first gig, Eliza"

"Jamie...you've got to stop giving away free tickets to our gigs:  Half the audience are people you've invited!"

"Relax, Efrain...we need to build a fan following."

"Thanks, guys, but a word of advice from someone who has gigged...you're going to have to smarten up.  You can't go out on stage looking like that!"

I looked at myself, then over to Efrain and then Rohan.  She was right.  But, hey, one day as The Bluestones and already we have four female fans...and we haven't played a serious note!

CHAPTER 193: Pop The Question

Summer was watching an old movie from the 1940s on her TV.  She was a sucker for those romantic melodramas they made back in her parents' day; the ones with the overwrought acting and convoluted plots about star crossed lovers.  This one was called "The Doubtful And The Desperate" from 1948 starring Ham Johnstone & Peggy Wolffit. The movie had reached it's climactic confrontation scene and Summer was gripped by the "will they or won't they?" ending.

"Sylvia...ever since I met you I've felt so desperately gay"

"Oh Roger...don't say that!  I'm nothing compared to Constance!  She's the one you should be with, not me!"

"Oh pshaw with Constance!  She means nothing to me!  No woman does...except you, Sylvia!"

"But I am but your poor stenographer, plain and unsophisticated!"

"You were never just my stenographer...ever since I removed those cumbersome glasses from your face and let your hair down you've transformed into much, much more of a beauty than the Constance Glenhills or Paloma von Stehrenburgs or Lady Florence Fortescues of the world!  I rejected them all and instead I pledge my heart and soul to you, Sylvia!"

"Oh Roger!"

"Could you?"

"Yes?"

"Would you?"

"Yes"

"Might you?"

"Oh yes, Roger!  Just say the words"

"Would you...marry me, Sylvia?"

"Say yes, Sylvia!  Say yes!" said Summer, her stomach tightening in anticipation.

"Oh Roger...of course I'll marry you!" said Sylvia.

"That's my girl!" he replied with a broad smile across his face.  "Cigarette?"

"Why thank you!"

THE END

The music swelled up into a romantic crescendo and Summer took out a paper tissue from a box next to her and dabbed the corners of her eyes so that her eyeliner wouldn't smudge.  Those movies always got to her.

Do relationships happen like that in real life?  A poor, humble working girl with a kind heart and a rich, powerful man who's lonely and wants to share his life with a special someone coming together to overcome the social hurdles and triumph over all?  It's all so romantic but reality is that this girl is dating her housemate and he's not exactly a Gregory Peck, Gary Cooper or Ham Johnstone.  But he's cute and fun... she thought as she got up to switch off the TV.  Speaking of her boyfriend, she decided to go and see him in the study; he was finishing up a work project this morning so she had left him to it and watched the tear jerker movie instead.

He wasn't in their bedroom so Summer guessed he was in the study but as she got closer she could hear strange noises coming from within.  It was Travis' voice alright but what she could hear were these gutteral, sub-human grunts.

"HNGUH!  HNGUH!  OH YES!  HNUGH!  HOO-RAH!"

And then that was followed up by Travis saying odd things in a voice that sounded part satisfied and partly in some kind of discomfort.

"HNGUH!  YES!  YOU CAN DO THIS!  YOU'RE A TIGER!  GRRRR!"

"Travis are you OK in there?" said Summer, with a note of concern in her voice.

"HNGUHHHHRURRRRH!"

He hadn't heard her so she turned the door handle and gingerly opened the door.  Peeping her head through the gap she saw Travis standing in the middle of the room, facing a mirror.  He was wearing only a pair of underpants and was flexing in front of the mirror.  

"Travis?" she said, trying to get his attention.  He heard her voice, immediately stopped flexing and spun around to see her.  It was if he had suddenly become self-aware of where he was, what he was doing and what he was wearing.  The bullish facade soon evaporated and was replaced by awkwardness.

"Summer!  I can explain..." he squeaked.

"You're a tiger, are you?" she  responded.

"It's...a confidence building exercise!"

"Sure it is.  But Travis, it's 11am and you're still in your underwear!" She said, looking him up and down in disapproval.

"We haven't got anything scheduled for this morning, have we?"

"That's not the point!  I've been up for hours, made breakfast, cleaned the bathroom and managed to fit in a movie by now.  You're still in your boxers and grunting in front of a mirror!"

"It's a Saturday, we've got nothing booked and how I choose to spend my morning is my affair!" he said, mustering up some dignity that had gone when he was interrupted by Summer.

Travis went over to the single bed that was in the study and sat down.  Summer came and joined him.  

"So what's this confidence building exercise you're doing?  What's it for?" she asked.

"Oh just a general perk yourself up routine.  I read about it in a magazine and thought I'd try it."  Travis replied.  He was being evasive right now because he was actually doing the routine to prepare himself for the biggest undertaking he was going to make in his life up to this point:  He was going to propose to Summer.  The beginning of the idea came from Suzy and Neil's wedding, where he saw Summer looking unbelievably beautiful in her bridesmaid's outfit and and in his mind he recoloured her powder blue dress into white and it all seemed to fit perfectly...he wanted to marry Summer from that point on.  He had left the proposal for a little while, so that their wedding wouldn't be too close to the Humphries' and now seemed the perfect time to pop the question.  He had been psyching himself up in the mirror to calm the butterflies in his stomach.

Summer was talking about her work and how all the recent redecorating of their house has really enlivened the place but he was only half listening.  There wasn't a single thing about Summer he didn't love, especially how her face lit up and her eyes sparkled whenever she was talking about the things she liked.  He was feeling confident that she would say 'yes' when he proposes to her.  They had spoken about marriage on the day of Suzy and Neil's wedding, but in an abstract way:  He had never given it much thought...figured that, like a lot of men of his age, he would have fun cruising from one chick to the next or even going steady with one but marriage...the commitment seemed to be from his parents' or grandparents' generation.  But now...he was sure that being married to Summer was what he wanted.  As for her thoughts on the subject, Summer was always a romantic at heart and she was on board with the idea.  She had said so on a number of occasions.

"...and that is why Aunt Muriel is having everyone around to her place this weekend." Summer said, her anecdote reaching an end and Travis barely catching any of it as he was lost in thought.

"Hmm, Summer...you'll be glad to know I'm going to get dressed now." he said.

"OK, I'll leave you to it.  See you in a bit" she said, standing up and giving him a cute wave with her fingers.  Another thing he loved about her, all those little gestures.

He got up and got dressed and then snuck out of the house to go on a little errand around the corner.  He wanted to pick a flower from the community garden and use it as part of his proposal.  Everything was in full bloom and the apple tree was covered in juicy looking fruit.  He saw the gardener...one of a group of semi-retired people who, for a modest fee paid by the city council, tended these small lots...and approached her for some advice on flowers.

Her back was towards him as she watered one flower bed and she didn't notice him approaching.

"Excuse me" he said, tapping her on her shoulder.

"AARGH!" she cried out in shock and she stood up, bolt upright and quickly spun around to face him.

"AAARGH!" Travis said, also in shock.

"What the hell are you doing?" she cried out at him.  "Keep your distance; I have pepper spray and am prepared to use it!"

"Whoa, calm down!  I'm a local...I live in that house right there!  I just wanted to ask you a question about these flowers!"

 The gardener looked at Travis suspiciously and then said "Wait, do you live with two girls; a skinny blonde and a Japanese girl?"

"Yes!  That's right.  The blonde girl is my girlfriend" Travis replied.

"She's your girlfriend?  Seriously?" said the gardener with incredulity.

"Yes, seriously.  Well, she's more than just my girlfriend...or at least I'm hoping she'll be more than that by the end of today.  You see, I want to propose to her and I thought giving her a single flower...like a rose...would be a nice addition."

"Have you tried a florist?" replied the gardener.

"Not yet.  I thought it would be more special if it were from this garden that's right on our doorstep.  Keep it local."

"Do you have a ring for her?"

"Not yet...."

"So no ring and you want a free flower from here.  Hmmm"

"Hey, I'm not a bum!  Look, do you have any flowers here that I can have or not?  If it's a matter of payment I can sort that out..."

The gardener still had a suspicious look on her face but she was willing to indulge this young man.

"OK then, young man...what's it to be?  A red rose?"

Meanwhile, back at the house Liberty had entered the study and saw Summer was sitting on the edge of the bed, seemingly lost in thought.

"Summer, are you OK?" she asked.

"Oh, yes, Libs...just daydreaming, that's all" Summer replied, snapping back to attention.

"Mind if I join you here?" asked Liberty.

"Yeah, sure"

Liberty sat down on the other side of the bed and took a look around the room.  "Where's Travis?"

"He said he had to step outside for a few minutes.  He didn't say why.  Say, Liberty, he's been acting weird this morning.  I won't tell you what I caught him doing in here but it's part of a series of strange behaviours I've noticed him doing these last few days."  said Summer.

"I can't say I've noticed" said Liberty.  "What kind of things has he been up to?"

"I hear him talking to himself in the bathroom.  Sometimes in here as well and he locks the door when he's doing so."

"Maybe he's got a speech to prepare?"

"That's not all:  He's getting more uptight when we're alone together and he was getting really nervous about his bank account as well.  I'm worried, Libs.....that he wants to break up with me!"

"O......K........" said Liberty, worried for her friends and in particular Summer who seemed very uptight about Travis' behaviour.  "I'll put on a pot of coffee...looks like we could do with some!"

As Liberty made a pot of fresh coffee she thought about the possibility of Travis and Summer breaking up and that made her upset, mainly at Travis who she thought would be throwing away the best relationship he would ever have.

As she got on with making the coffee, Travis came in through the front door quickly.  Liberty noticed he had his hands behind his back and she knew he had something in them but couldn't see.

"Is Summer still here?" he asked.

"The last I saw of her she was in the study.  Say, is everything OK with you guys?" asked Liberty.

"It will be..." he replied, enigmatically, and he walked past her still trying to keep what he was holding from her eyes.  He went into the back garden, put the single rose under the loveseat and went back inside the house, where he bumped into Summer in the hall.

"Hey, Summer.  You're just the person I want to see" he said.

"I am?"

"Sure!  Do you have a few moments for a talk?" he asked.  Summer's stomach tightened with fear and angst.

"Erm...yes..." she said with trepidation.

"It's a really nice day today...how about we talk in the garden?" he added.  Summer nodded.  He seemed upbeat but with a hint of nerves in his voice.  It was hard for her to guess correctly what his mood or intentions were.

Travis led the way into the garden and Summer nervously followed him.

They sat down together on the love seat and Travis didn't say anything initially.  He looked around the garden, up at the sky and then reached down under the seat to check the rose was still there and then looked at Summer.

"You know..." he began "...that I've always thought of you as the grooviest chick I've ever met.  You're just swell..."

"Thank you.  I really dig you too." Summer replied.  She was waiting for 'but...'

"To be frank with you, Sum, I've always kinda been into you since we met" he continued.

"Since high school?" she interjected.

"Wait, we were in high school together?" he asked, incredulously.

"Sure.  I mean, you were two years ahead of me but...oh, you didn't notice me back then?"

"No...I mean, two years is a big gap at school.  My class schedule and yours and, besides, when I was 17 you'd have been 15 and that's a bit weird.  Anyway, where was I?  Oh yeah, so I dig you a lot, Summer and living with you has been erm...a lot of...erm...I mean...joy.  Lots of joy."

Summer felt relieved when she heard this.  "Aww, Travis, that's so sweet of you to say"

"Yeah, well, it's how I feel about you...so....soooo...." he said, stalling for time as he summoned up the courage for what he was about to say next.

"Hmmm?" said Summer, cocking her head slightly to one side in anticipation.  She knew there's going to be an "and" or a "but" from him.

"Well...you know when a guy and a girl really dig each other and that feeling just doesn't go away for months well....you know, a man's gotta decide whether he's going to make her the...erm...lost my train of thought.  Heck, Summer...." he said, getting off the bench and going down on one knee.  "...will you...marry me?"

Travis reached under the loveseat for the rose he had put there earlier and handed it to Summer.  She let out a yelp and clasped her hands over her mouth.  Travis could hear a muffled "oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh" from her.  Eventually she took her hands from over her mouth and started to fan her face with them.  Travis looked at her expectantly, wondering if she would say yes.  He gently placed his hand on hers and looked at her, lovingly.

"Would you?" he said.

Summer couldn't speak, she just nodded.

"I guess that's a yes, then?" said Travis.  Summer nodded some more.  "Well, that's just swell!  We did it!  We're engaged!" he continued.

A tear rolled down Summer's cheek and Travis gently brushed it away.  Then they felt drawn to one another and they sealed the engagement with a kiss.

"Hey, this is good...thank you" he said.

"Oh my gosh..." Summer eventually managed to reply.  "This is all....well...wonderful.  Oh can we tell Liberty?  And there's so much to plan and I have to be off to work in a bit..."

"Relax, baby, we can leave the planning until another day.  Let's tell Liberty first and see how she reacts" he replied.

Summer couldn't wait:  She found Liberty emptying the trash around the front of the house and ran up to her.

"Summer, what's up?  Did Travis...." Liberty began.

"...propose to me?  YES!  Liberty, we're engaged!"

Liberty was lost for words for a brief moment.  She eventually stumbled out "congratulations!" before giving her friend a big hug.  "Did he propose to you in our garden?"

"Yes!  Even getting down on one knee and giving me a rose!"

"Well, this is wonderful news and there we were worrying that he was going to dump you.  Now can I be a bridesmaid?  Can I, can I?" said Liberty, now gushing excitement as much as Summer.

"Yes...and not only that; would you be my Maid of Honour?" replied Summer.

Liberty agreed and the two of them started to plan the wedding right there and then; outside the house and next to the trash can.  They were spilling out idea after idea so much that they lost track of time and Summer realised, all of a sudden, that she was going to be late for work so she dashed off without even saying goodbye to Travis; who'd been on the phone to his folks telling them the news.

Once he had put the phone receiver down he noticed Summer pacing up and down along the front porch.  She had let her hair down as well so she must be full of nerves and excitement he thought.  Then she knocked on the front door.  "Probably locked herself out" he muttered.  "OK, I'm coming Summer."

Once he opened the door he also muttered "I just spoke to my folks, Sum, and they're elated and they said to congratulate you..."

"Oh...that's....nice of them." came a halting reply.  Travis looked at Summer...only it wasn't her.  Similar sweater, similar skirt and long, blonde hair the woman at the door looked a lot like Summer but wasn't her at all.

"Oh...I thought you were my girlfriend, actually my fiance now.  Sorry." stammered Travis.

"You must be Travis" said the woman, looking him up and down.  "I'm Karen, Summer's cousin.  Is she in?"

"You just missed her, she's gone to work.  So you're Summer's cousin?  Oh yeah, she mentioned about a family get together at Aunt Muriel's."

"That's my grandma" said Karen.  "Shoot.  I missed Summer.  Do you know when she'll be back?" 

"Very late, she works at a restaurant and she does the late lunch and dinner shift.  Do you want to come in and have a coffee?" asked Travis.

"Sure...you can fill me in on what's going on.  Fiance, eh?" she said, stepping in to the house and having a look around.

"Actually I popped the question about an hour ago so you're one of the first to hear the good news" he replied.  He indicated for her to sit down and make herself comfortable and then he went to make coffee.  

"Have you been seeing each other long?" Karen asked.

"We've been dating for a few months but we've known each other for years. So are you from out of town or do you live in Sim City?"

"Recently moved here.  I've been meaning to catch up with Summer since we haven't seen each other since her high school graduation...when was that?  '63, '64?"

Travis returned with the coffees.  "So you've known her since she was a little girl?" he asked.

"Since she was born.  I'm six years older than her so she's always been a kid to me." Karen replied.

"I bet you have some stories to tell about her!" Travis joked.

"Oh do I!  She was always Little Miss Goody Two Shoes!" said Karen, forcibly making her point.

Travis was about to ask a follow up question when there was another knock on the door.  It was another stranger, another woman standing on the porch.  

"Excuse me, I'll just see who that is" said Travis, getting up and answering the door.  It was another young woman but this time with shorter, darker hair and wearing a light tan suit with knee boots.

"Hello?" said Travis.

"Is this the residence of Miss Summer Holliday?" asked the woman.

"Yeah, it is...she's not in right now..." replied Travis but before he could say anything else the woman yelled "Karen!" and pushed past Travis.  Karen got up from the sofa and went to hug the newcomer.  

"Yessie!  You here as well?" said Karen.

"Sure am...is Summer here?" 

"No, she's at work.  This is her boyfriend..."

"Fiance..." interjected Travis.  "Hi, I'm Travis.  And you know Summer, how?"

"I'm a cousin" replied Yessie.

"Another one?" asked Travis.

"Oh there's loads of cousins in our family, Travis" said Karen.  "I'm a first cousin and Yesenia..."

"Call me Yessie" said the newcomer to Travis

"Yessie here is Great Aunt Mabel's granddaughter.  Mabel was Muriel's older sister, do you see?"

"I think so...have a seat; I'll make more coffee..."

Suddenly Travis tensed up with having two attractive women he'd never met before in the house and making themselves at home.  He returned with the coffees and sat next to them.

"So what's this I hear about you and Summer getting married?" asked Yesenia  "When's the day?  Are you going to have a big or a small wedding?  What's the signature colour?"

Travis sighed "Well, I don't know yet...I only asked her to marry me this morning, so..."

"Well Summer will have that all planned out already!" Yesenia continued.  "She's got this wedding plan folder she's had since she was 8..."

"Wait, what?" said Travis.

"Oh Little Miss Summer has this wedding malarkey all planned out, Travis...you're just along for the ride" said Karen.  "Hey, where's your bathroom?"  Travis pointed down the hall and Karen got up to go.  Meanwhile, Yesenia was sitting there looking at him with a big smile on her face.

"Oh don't mind Karen, Travis, she's always been the spiky one in the family.  She's never really forgiven Summer for telling on her parents that she caught Karen smoking in the back garden one day.  Summer was only 9 at the time but she was always a goody two shoes.  Is she still like that?"

Travis took a gulp of coffee and nodded.  "Oh yes.  One of the reasons I love her; she keeps me on the straight and narrow."

"I can tell there's a rebel struggling to get out inside of you, Travis.  Lucky Summer, unlucky me" said Yesenia with her smile becoming wider.

Travis gulped.  He suspected Yesenia was hitting on her.  He was actually hoping Liberty...or at least Karen...would enter the room right now and sit in between Yesenia and himself.  To make matters worse, she crossed her legs suggestively and her skirt rode up to reveal more leg.

"Don't be shy, Travis" she said.  "This big gap seems silly so move on up and I'll reveal more secrets about Summer.

Travis didn't want to be a bad host so he shuffled next to Yesenia, making sure he kept a bit of distance between them.

"So...these secrets about Summer...." said Travis, nervously.

Yesenia lowered her voice to just above a whisper.  "You should have seen her at her high school graduation...you see, she was dared into bringing in a bottle of brandy and..."

"Travis, I have to say this is a swell place you guys live in." said Karen, returning to the room.  "Now Yessie, I know what you're doing...this is our Summer's beau so you leave him alone!"  Karen sat down on the other side of him and the back and forth between Yesenia and her left Travis with a sore neck as he looked left and right to keep up with their conversation.  He was also getting overwhelmed by the amount of family gossip that was gushing from these two...he needed help.

That help came in the form of Liberty, who had returned from goodness knows where, Travis thought.

"Hey, Trav.  I thought I heard voices in here:  Who are our guests?" she asked.

"This is Karen and Yesenia; Summer's cousins." he replied.

"Cousins?  Wow, nice to meet you.  I've heard that Summer comes from a large family.  Has Travis told you the news?" said Liberty, sitting down opposite them.

"Oh yes" said Karen "Exciting news.  We're just getting to know the groom to be"

Both Karen and Yesenia dominated the conversation; telling story after story about Summer and what the extended family was like.  Often the two cousins couldn't agree on various events and happenings over the years so much of the talk was them disagreeing over the finer details.  Travis was trapped between them but eventually it got too much for Liberty, who could slip away with the excuse that she was going to make more drinks.

"You know, Summer's really lucky to have found a guy like you, Travis...you're such a good listener" said Karen.

"And cute as well" added Yesenia.

"Keep your hands off of him, Yessie.  You're insatiable!" Karen rebuked her.  "Anyway, we must be getting along now; tell Summer we'll see her at Auntie Muriel's get together."

"I will...and it was nice meeting you two" said Travis, diplomatically.

They both got up and headed for the door; Travis was graciously ushering them out when Karen, all of a sudden, turned to him and gave him a big hug that seemed to go on a little too long for his comfort.  Yesenia, did likewise but she added a kiss on both of his cheeks.  As they departed, Yessie gave him a cheeky wave and a wink.

Once the front door was locked, Travis slumped against it.  "I need a drink after all that!" he gasped.

Liberty poked her head around the corner and saw Travis leaning with his back against the door.  "Have they gone?" she asked.

"Yes, and where the hell have you been the last 20 minutes?  I was trapped between those two!" he replied, indignantly.

"I thought you were enjoying all that attention from two young ladies." said Liberty, with a cheeky grin on her face.

"Let's get a drink in town, I'm exhausted!" he said, instead of answering Liberty's point.

"Blah, blah, blah, Summer's so annoying, blah blah blah, there was this guy I dated...no, you dated...no I dated him first blah, blah, blah...I couldn't stand it after a while!" said Travis to Liberty just before they went into the nightclub.

"No wonder Summer doesn't see much of them" replied Liberty.

Travis suddenly had a shocked look on his face.  "Oh my God...what kind of clan am I going to be marrying in to?  What if they're all like those two?  What if Summer turns into one of them!" he said, a nervousness in his voice.

"Let's get a drink before you go down that rabbit hole!" said Liberty, grabbing his arm and guiding him in.

There was a buzzing vibe in the joint and it was more crowded than usual.  The housemates were usually found here 3 to 4 times a week; not always drinking but usually dancing, soaking up the atmosphere and catching up with friends, old and new, near and far.  One friend who was present was Julia, now sporting her new, trendy look with her hair worn loose instead of in her trademark plaits.  She looked almost completely different from her usual nerdish, almost schoolgirl look and looked more like a swinging dolly bird.

Of course, Travis had to break the news of the engagement with her.  "I asked Summer to marry me today" he said.

Julia said nothing at first, but just gave Travis a blank, neutral look before saying "I thought you'd done that already."

"No, I did it today"

"Are you sure?"

"I was there"

Julia again said nothing but looked off to one side with a look of someone trying to do advanced calculus in their head.  "In that case, congratulations." she said, eventually.  She held out her arms in a gesture of wanting to hug Travis and he stood up and stepped closer to her but Julia wasn't very good with physical displays of affection, especially in public, so her hug maintained a 4 inch gap between them and she just lightly patted him on the back before breaking off.

Travis headed home at 9:30 and left Liberty to party on at the Blue Velvet.  He wanted to get home in time to catch Summer before she came home and went straight to bed.  At 10:20 she entered the house, exhausted and hungry.

"Travis, how nice to see that you're not in bed yet" she said.  "If I wasn't so tired and hungry right now I'd jump into your arms...I can't believe we're going to be married!" 

"Tomorrow you can jump into them." he replied and he fetched her some leftovers from the fridge.

Summer took the plate and sat down, wolfing down the food.  "My own fault" she said "I should have eaten better at lunchtime but I was too nervous and excited to eat properly.  Hmmm, this is just what I need!" she said, taking a bite of a sandwich.  "So, how was the rest of your day?" she asked him.

"You wouldn't believe who came round here today" he replied.

"Who?  Someone I know?"

"Two people:  Karen and Yesenia."

"My cousins?  No way!  Well, I can see a way...it's Aunt Muriel's get together tomorrow.  So, what did you make of them?"

"They were....uhm..." he began to reply.  Summer swallowed the morsel of food in her mouth and then interjected.

"...a pair of bitchy gossips?" she said.

"I hate to speak ill of your family, Summer...." he replied, diplomatically.

"Welcome to the clan, Trav" she said.