Keeping Victoria's Secret (23 page)

“Let’s go get something to eat Vicky,” Joe
said trying to get her attention. “What would you like? There’s a
great hot dog cart, or maybe an Italian sub? I definitely want a
beer.” She didn’t fail to notice that, as he talked, he was leading
her off in the opposite direction taken by Carol and Jack.

The smell of grilling hot dogs drew Joe. "Are
you hungry?”

“Famished!” she said, still holding his
arm.

Joe looked down at her and smiled. “You’re
going to love these hotdogs! They’re terrific! I’ll be right back.”
He brushed her cheek with a kiss before leaving to thread his way
through the crowd around the hot dog cart.

While she waited for Joe, she chatted with
his sister, Diane, about her plans to start a book club. “I think
it’s a great idea. I try to read a book a week, unless I get busy.
I do a little writing of my own,” she said hesitantly. Not wanting
to pursue that subject, wondering why she’d even mentioned it,”

“I thought you might enjoy getting out of the
house to spend time with friends.

She nodded her assent. “What about meeting
places?”

“We haven’t decided, but I thought we could
start meeting this fall in our homes. If the club gets too large,
the library has a common room we can use. Well, here comes Joe, I’m
going to find Carol and split one of those incredible huge Italian
heroes with her. See you.” Diane waved to her brother as she
left.

“Tell me she’s not divulging stories about me
wetting the bed or showing you embarrassing pictures of me,” Joe
said as he handed her a red plastic cup of ice-cold beer and a hot
dog topped with mustard and sauerkraut.

“Of course not!” Vicky grinned. “Did you
really wet the bed until you were twelve?”

“Man! I’ll get her for that,” Joe said
laughing as he bit into his lunch.

She looked down at her cup of cold beer and
hot dog in alarm. What do I do now? I hate beer! Mustard and
sauerkraut, yuck! Spill the beer? Wipe all that nasty mustard and
kraut into a napkin?

Jack approached them as she considered her
options. “Hey.” He said smiling. “Victoria, I want you to try
this." He quickly relieved her of the beer and replaced it with his
own cup. "I know you don’t really like beer, so why not take my cup
of Chardonnay, and let me have your beer?”

“Jack! Stop it.” she hissed at him, frowning.
Taking a sip she was startled to find the plastic cup actually
contained ginger ale. “Stop that,” she whispered franticly as he
took a large bite of her hotdog. “What are you doing?” Her eyes
rolled in frustration as he gave a shrug, smiling down at her,
chewing. Thankfully, Joe’s attention was on a neighbor asking his
advice on lawn care.

A beaming Jimmy with his wife Penny beside
him walked towards them holding the new baby.

From out of the milling crowd, Doc and Elvira
emerged as well, and everyone commented on how spectacular this
year’s parade had been. Joe and Doc slipped back to obtain more
beer and soft drinks for everyone.

Jack took the opportunity to snatch Vicky’s
hot dog and take another large bite.

“Are you out of your mind? What are you
doing? Joe bought that for me,” she hissed.

Grinning, he handed her something wrapped in
white butcher’s paper.

Peeling back the wrapping, she inhaled deeply
and closed her eyes in appreciation. “This is one of those big
awesome Italian heroes with everything on it, dripping with oil and
vinegar, isn’t it?” She pulled out the sandwich unwrapping it
carefully. "Oh Jack! This is so great. Thank you," she
squealed.

“There are four different Italian meats and
three cheeses, hot cherry peppers....” He stopped to stare at her
as she took a man sized bite and groaned with pleasure.

“This is sooo good!”

Joe slowly walked up, watching the moaning
girl in admiration and remarked, “You really were hungry! Nudging
Jack, he winked and asked, “What happens when she eats chocolate
cake?”

Vicky gave him a weak smile, but continued
nibbling and licking the dripping roll.

Diane, Vicky, and Elvira all wanted their
turn holding the Smith’s new baby girl, Charlotte. Elvira proudly
produced her new digital camera and insisted on taking pictures of
everyone, directing them into various group shots so that memories
of the day would be preserved.

She found herself holding the baby sandwiched
between Joe and Jimmy. Elvira entreated them to smile, urging them
this way and that for a better angle. The two men draped their arms
over her shoulders grinning at Elvira. With the baby in her arms
and the two men holding onto her, Vicky had to smile. When she
recognized another figure up the street a little way, her smile
vanished. A sour looking Jonathan Van Winkle eyed them maliciously
over the rim of his beer cup. She turned away, not wanting to meet
his gaze

Then she caught sight of Jack standing just
behind Mrs. Sweeney, watching the picture taking session with a
smiling Carol Barrett hanging on his arm.

When the pictures were over, Jack maneuvered
his way through the crowd until he was beside her. “Listen,
Victoria, I want…. Can we talk?”

Puzzled, Vicky turned to look at him, but
they were all interrupted by a new arrival. John Van Wart,
Continental tricorn hat pushed back on his head at a jaunty angle
was there elbowing Jack aside. He tipped his hat, thrust one foot
forward “making a leg” as a proper eighteenth century gentleman
would do, and addressed Vicky.

“Miss Buonadies, this is indeed a pleasure.
I’m delighted that our newest citizen has graced us with her
presence at this little celebration in our humble grove. Permit me
to say, my dear lady, that you are even more beautiful than when
last I saw you.” Holding his hat over his heart, he turned his
smile on Diane next, raving of her beauty and charm. Finally to
Jack he said, “You my friend, it appears as though you have need of
a pint of ale. It would indeed be my pleasure to offer you one.
We’ll drink to confusion and death to the British. What say
you?”

John led a protesting Jack Conner away,
unwilling to take no for an answer, with Carol trailing behind.

Diane watched them leave. “John always likes
to ham it up on the fourth. He’s a little goofy, but harmless. Last
year he dressed up as Nathan Hale and went around with a rope tied
in a hangman’s noose over his shoulder, regretting that he had ‘but
one life to give for his country’. He’s a member of the ‘Sons of
the American Revolution’ and takes it pretty seriously.”

“You seem to know a lot about him,” Vicky
said thoughtfully.

“Yeah, well.” Diane shrugged before wandering
away following John and Jack.

That evening, to the relief of everyone, a
cooling breeze sprang up, just as the sun went down. Hot and tired
families began migrating toward the town park with their blankets
and lawn chairs, anticipating the fireworks display.

When it was fully dark, they spread out Joe’s
blanket and Vicky sank down gratefully between Joe and Diane. She
was tired and a little sunburned, though she had enjoyed the day.
Off to one side she could see Doc and his wife strategically seated
on lawn chairs and nearby, Jimmy and Penny lounged on their own
blanket, the baby between them. Gradually the crowd hushed, knowing
the show was about to start. Somewhere patriotic music began to
play and at the far end of the park, the volunteer fire company was
bustling around their rocket mortar tubes.

The first rocket sizzled skyward, culminating
with a bright white flash and thudding boom. The crowd rippled with
the usual exclamations of, Ohh! and Ahh! The baby woke with a
startled cry, and Diane laughed and scrambled over to help the new
parents with the crying infant.

As soon as Diane was gone, Joe moved closer
and reaching for her hand gave it a squeeze. Ignoring him, Vicky
realized her skirt had risen way too high. She squirmed away,
struggling to tug it back down, glad for the darkness. Sitting on
the ground has its own difficulties. Someone sat down on Vicky’s
other side, and she turned to see Jack.

More rockets soared skyward, lighting up the
night. Vicky froze when Joe casually slipped his arm around her
shoulders. She and Jack still had eyes locked. How weird is
this?

“Where’s Carol?” she said, looking
around.

Frowning at Joe’s arm, Jack shrugged. Then he
took Vicky’s hand in his.

With Joe’s arm wrapped around her shoulders,
and Jack pulling on her arm, it was becoming an uncomfortable
situation!

Joe leaned over speaking past Vicky. “Jack,
are you and Carol getting back together?”

Jack stared fiercely at his friend, “No.”

Victoria disengaged herself, tugged the hem
of her short dress down again, and ran a hand through her hair.
They’re both just plain nuts. More skyrockets went sizzling and
crackling up, higher and higher bursting in rapid succession.

It was precisely at this point that Vicky
realized that she held the reins on this team of horses. It was an
intoxicating thought and one she hadn’t experienced before now.
What she didn’t realize was that this was a runaway team!

She cleared her throat and gave a little
cough. “The fireworks are spectacular! Do they always do such a
fantastic job? Is it like this every year?”

Smaller rockets burst quickly like a string
of firecrackers while another exploded, sending a brilliant red,
white, and blue rainbow searing across the dark sky. Distantly,
from the west, thunder rumbled between the loud booms overhead.

“Usually it’s pretty impressive. This is even
better than last year, don’t you think Jack?”

Jack nodded. “Yes, even better than last
year. That sounds like thunder and the breeze is picking up. Might
get some rain before the night’s over.”

Struggling once more to pull her skirt down
she stretched her legs out before her, crossed her ankles and
leaned back on her elbows gazing up at the multi-colored bursts.
This made the dress rise up higher on her thighs. Vicky grinned to
herself mischievously. There’s just no way to keep this dress from
riding up.

Joe looked over at her long legs and grinned
at Jack, who looked murderously at his friend.

The fireworks continued for another fifteen
minutes while the thunder grew closer. Then there was a hint of
lightning in the western sky. The high school band struck up The
Star Spangled Banner as the biggest and brightest missiles, saved
for the grand finale, went crashing off in mere second intervals.
Everyone got to their feet and cheered. The air was filled with the
perfume of celebratory gunpowder.

The band finished playing the national anthem
and as the noise of the crowd subsided to a quiet murmur, lightning
flashed and an earsplitting clap of thunder tore the air. Without
standing on further ceremony, people began running for their cars.
They were parked on side streets and lots all over town and
everyone ran in different directions. Except for a few, who stood
looking about dumfounded because they couldn’t remember where
they’d left their vehicles.

She felt someone grab her arm and pull her
into a run.

“Come on,” exclaimed Jack, “Before we get
caught in the rain.”

There was a pandemonium of laughing people,
grabbing up chairs and blankets, dodging each other and running for
their cars. Looking around, she didn’t see Joe.

“Where’s Joe?” She looked back, worried.

“Hurry, I’m parked right here!” Jack said
gesturing at his truck parked just down the street.

“But I came with Joe,” she shouted.

“I know, I know, but you’re leaving with me.”
Jack picked up the pace, pulling her along. Lightning flashed
across the sky illuminating the park. Thunder boomed in a deafening
clap just over their heads. Shrieking, she threw herself into
Jack’s arms and clung to him. He scooped her up and ran the short
distance to the truck. The first heavy drops were pelting the hood
and windshield.

Jack opened the passenger door and lifted
Vicky onto the seat. The emergency wasn’t so dire that he failed to
take time to notice her skimpy red skirt hiking all the way up to
reveal… Yes! Silky red panties. He sighed with pleasure, before he
ran around and vaulted into the driver’s seat just as the rain came
beating down in torrents.

“Joe won’t mind. It’s an emergency. No point
in him driving all the way out to the farm and back.” He started
the engine and pulled slowly into the line of vehicles carrying
weary revelers homeward. He drove slowly and carefully through the
driving rain, wipers slapping rhythmically, working hard to keep
pace with the downpour. Neither of them spoke until his truck was
on the gravel drive beside the farmhouse.

“Come on!” yelled Jack as they climbed out
quickly and dashed for the front porch. The roar of the rain
thundering on the roof as they stood watching the storm.

Furious, she turned and faced him before
erupting, “You shouldn’t have grabbed me like that. What about Joe?
He’s the one that took me out! I should’ve gone home with him. He’s
going to be mad, maybe worried about me just disappearing! I’m
going to call him.”

“Joe will understand. It was the storm coming
on so fast.” He quickly pulled out his cell phone and punched the
buttons.

“Joe. It’s Jack. Victoria’s with me.” He
listened, and then said, “Well I had to get her out of the rain.
Where were you? I didn’t see you anywhere.” He listened again. “I
knew you’d want me to take care of her. She’s safe at home. Talk to
you tomorrow.” He closed the phone abruptly, replaced it in his
pocket, and turned once more to Vicky, sensing her displeasure.

“Victoria, look. I tried to talk with you all
day. I want to apologize. I think I’ve made a monumental mistake.”
He looked at the raindrops dancing through his headlight beams in
the driveway, before he said, “Always seems to rain on the Fourth
sometime during the day....” Silence followed, broken only by the
rain and occasional peals of thunder.