trip to sequoia- ch. 36 cont.

Ch. 36 (cont.) 

       So the buzz I said I needed so bad was just burned up as I hurried around, soon I had to take another shower as I waited on Darla to call having worked up a sweat cleaning everything up for her. The two hours dragged on into three then four and finally after I laid down to take a nap because I was so exhausted after cleaning and all, then she calls just as I am nodding off to sleep. Typical woman I thought. Just about the time I am ready to give up they finally come around.

     I answered my cell and Darla says, “Hi Guy, bet you were ready to give up on me. Weren’t you?”

     I told a little white lie and said. “No not yet. I figured you would call, just didn’t know when.” I know I am kind of a captive audience as she doesn’t really know anyone else out here in California or at least I don’t think she does so.  It was just a matter of time before she called.

      I asked. “So are you ready and is the Jeep going to be big enough for all your things?”

      Darla said. “I only brought three suitcases but I did go shopping and bought some more clothes as well, and some groceries for us to cook a meal tonight if you like. I would just kinda like to eat our own cooking for a while. You do know how to burn a steak?”

     I laughed but didn’t have the heart to tell her I gave up red meat a while ago in an effort to stay slim. I thought to myself I can just lay out a chicken breast and I will tell her when I get back to the Road Warrior. Besides I doubt if we are going anywhere today. By the time I pick her up our day will be pretty well shot anyhow. Maybe we could just move the Road Warrior and the Jeep and all right on down the road closer to Sequoia National park and check out properties as we go.

   I told her. “I can burn steak pretty good so is that the way you like your steak well past the m-o-o-o I take it?” Emphasizing the moo of course.

   Darla laughed and said. “If you hear that steak moo then we have problems Houston.”

     I said. “Well they have California cows that sing, take showers, and give you the low down on all your friends. Lying on a grill taking a little heat shouldn’t be a problem for them.” We laughed at the thought of those commercials of the California cows.

     Darla then says. “Why don’t you come pick me up Guy I am ready to get out of here? I am at the hotel and the rental car company just asked if I would leave the keys at the desk and you can just pick me up here if you like. They will come and get the car and take it from here. Makes it simpler for us.”

      “I will be right there.”  I said as I hung up my cell phone and grabbed the keys to the CJ-7 and was soon tooling down the Redwood Highway enjoying the breeze as it was waking me back up from my interrupted nap.  Damn women never know when to leave a Guy alone, I thought to myself as I drove along . Soon I was pulling into the Sheraton parking lot and I grabbed my cell and told Darla I was there. She said she would be down shortly.

     I walked into the lobby and waited around till someone from the hotel asked if they could help and about that time Darla steps out of the elevator dragging a luggage cart full of suitcases and bags and I looked at the male hotel employee and I said.

    “Well maybe not me, but for sure you can help her.” as she was struggling to get it all out of the elevator and the employee and me both rushed to help her.

    Darla said. “Thanks Guy.” and also she said it to the employee who asked if she was checking out. I thought to myself that is a no brainer. I mean how often do you see someone carrying around all their possession to say, go for a walk, or maybe to get ice. I chuckled at the absurdity of the question and Darla replied to him politely.

    “Why yes I am checking out if you will help me, maybe Guy can run and bring the Jeep along.”

     I said. “I don’t know about the running part but will gladly fetch the jeep.”  I said as I headed out the lobby doors. We soon had it all piled in the Jeep and soon we were heading back down the Redwood Highway with plastic bags flapping in the backseat from the wind of the open cab of the Jeep as we drove down the road. Darla touched my arm and asked if we could stop and pick up a bottle of wine and I said sure if she liked.  Soon we stopped at a drive thru that featured California wines in a back room sampling area. That was actually quite nice and comfy. Darla tasted a few samples and asked if I was going to partake and I refused saying I had given up drinking almost thirty years ago. She said she didn’t know or wouldn’t have asked me to stop.

    I assured her that whatever problems I had with alcohol were long ago gone, and it was a non -issue now. I just don’t drink .But have no problems with her drinking. Besides I thought to myself maybe she will get drunk and I can take advantage of her, and in the same moment reconsidered my thoughts knowing as much as I would like to I would never do that, and besides I have to maintain this business relationship between us, as things could get messy if I allowed myself to take advantage of her  and we couldn’t work together. I have to think of what we’re trying to do here and the good that can come out of it all.  And then again, it is if she even wanted anyone or me for that matter.  

      We arrived back at the camp and Darla stashed the two bottles of wine she had bought in the refrigerator to chill and unloaded and stored the food in the Road Warrior and set about putting her stuff in the bedroom of the Road Warrior, moving some of Ann and Lee’s stuff into her suitcases and then having me store their stuff in the compartments in the belly of the Road Warrior, and soon Darla exhausted from the day’s events flopped down on the couch, and asked if I noticed her hair.

    I thought what a dumbass, I was too busy to look, and though I noticed she had a new outfit on that kinda showed off her curves, by the time we were in the Jeep driving back,her hair was giving me its best impression of Albert Einstein blowing in the wind. I did notice her eyes and they also were as pretty a blue as mine were, and sparkled like diamonds. When we arrived here we were busy storing everything, so I had little time but to figure out where to put everything. Let alone worry about her hair.

     I looked and now I could see she had cut it short and it was layered in one of those finger cuts allowing her to finger comb and her hair and look fabulous it also emphasized the beauty of her face to shine through, highlighting her eyes. She must have colored it a little as it now had shades of blond highlights, besides I thought to myself I am not really supposed to notice all this any way I am no one to her. I just couldn’t let myself believe that someone so startling would want anything to do with me. I complimented her hair but reserved my other thoughts about her in general, trying always despite the tempting,  to venture much beyond the friendship thing. She said she cut it shorter as the Jeep was making it impossible to keep it under control.

     I said I could put the doors back on and use the AC  if she liked and she said no she enjoyed the openness of the Jeep and besides we wouldn’t be going all the time in the Jeep.

     I said exactly, and in fact I had planned on moving out of his area further south and setting up camp again,  say another hundred  miles  down the road with the Road Warrior , if she was ready to get started on our mission to find property for Ann’s charity work.

   Darla said yes, but asked if we could go in the morning as she had planned on us just enjoying a home cooked meal. The best that the Road Warrior and we could provide, along with  a walk in the RV park and just sit around the fire and talk tonight. I readily agreed.

    I went outside the Road Warrior and pulled the under counter grill out from its storage compartment in the belly of the beast, locked it in the upright position while Darla fixed some broccoli on the flat surface stove inside. After it was tender she added a cheesy cream sauce with a dash of red wine from the bottle she had opened and was drinking from. She also had a pan of  corn on the cob boiling on the stove top . She had her steak and mine also out, seasoning it with Ann’s spices when I came back in and I explained to her I quit eating red meat and she asked why and I said I needed to watch my weight and I didn’t need the extra cholesterol. I mentioned I had a chicken breast thawed and that I still knew how to cook a steak and would be more than happy to cook hers while I have the chicken breast.

    She said sorry, she didn’t know. And she would have it for breakfast soon. I sighed . at times like this I miss the red meat but I said no problem. She sautéed some mushrooms in butter and again a dash of wine while ll the time having  quite a mess going on and asked if I was going to be able to eat any of the mushrooms . I assured her no problem s I am always looking for some way to dress up a chicken. She suggested a tutu and a stogie might work. I smiled and headed out the door to grill. She also sent with me, the corn on the cob salted and buttered and wanted me to lay on the grill for a few minutes till a slight golden brown. I did and our dinners were great as we sat outside at the table under the awning and ate and enjoyed the evening hours sitting around a small fire in the pit ring provided. She drank a couple of glasses of wine, and we talked of our lives back home, and then she asked if I would like to take a walk with her. I said yes, and then doused the fire with water till there were no coals left.  We walked around the RV Park and soon we were back at the Road Warrior. I couldn’t help but notice how nice she smelled as I followed close behind her into the cabin of the Road Warrior. Also I noticed her thin frame and cute butt as she climbed the stairs, and thought of clyde talking about his sister in law’s butt and tried to get that thought out of my mind as I figured I am no better than clyde when all I can do is judge a woman by her assets, so to speak, rather than her intellectual capacity. But still I figure even at our age women still do the same with men. But if Darla was doing it I couldn’t tell, but until I saw something from her to indicate we had more than a casual friendship I needed to clear my mind of sexual thoughts.

    Darla said she was tired and headed to bed as the wine and the walk  had relaxed her and she was getting sleepy. I told her good night and that I may go outside and sit after checking the internet for messages. She said she needed to do that in the morning and leaned over and kissed my forehead and I looked at her and our eyes met, as she nonchalantly headed into the Road warrior’s bedroom and closed the door as she said good night. I needed a joint bad and soon I was walking around the RV Park again with a joint hanging out of my mouth this time taking deep tokes and trying to forget about all that was happening in the Road Warrior when I returned. In essence nothing but frustration is all I felt. Damn Ann for putting me in this position. Wow a pretty woman and a desperate man makes for a very trying time on my patience. Good thing I have pot to forget about it all. I laughed at the hilarity of the situation as I once again was back at the Road Warrior and surfing the internet planning tomorrows move. I am better than all this I told myself; I can control myself I thought, as I went to sleep. I heard nothing from Darla behind the closed door although I intently listened to hear her sleep, or anything from her. I slept well when I finally fell asleep.