The Rock Season (16 page)

I winked at him and climbed out, reaching into the back seat to grab my bag.

“I’ll see you later. Text me if you need anything,” I said to him and he told me to do the same before I closed the door.

I climbed into my baby Bug and she started right up. I turned on the ancient cassette player and Led Zeppelin blared out from the speakers, almost deafening me and causing me to jump. I looked over to see Aaron laughing at me. Then he motioned for me to wait. He hopped out of his car and ran around to my driver’s side as I rolled down the window.

“Here’s my key,” he said, handing me the key to his apartment. He kissed me once more and we both pulled away reluctantly. “Go,” he said as he pushed away from the window and trotted back over to his car.

God damn he looked fantastic doing that! I waved and took off ahead of him, following his directions to get back to Hayward and over to the Kaiser. We stayed close to each other on the road until we got over the bridge and I had to turn down Hesperian. He honked at me and kept going down 92.

Navigating Kaiser was pretty easy. The pharmacist gave me Grandma Samadi’s medications for cholesterol, high blood pressure and arthritis. Aaron had given me money to pay the co-pays when he handed me her card. When I got back to my car, I double-checked the directions to get back to Aaron’s place and hit the road. It was a Friday midafternoon and there were tons of people on the road. I thought Peninsula traffic was bad! It took me forty-five minutes! I started to get a little nervous when I pulled up to his house. He’d told me to park in back next to his father’s truck so no one messed with my car on the street. Mr. McShane was sitting on the back steps surrounded by gardening tools drinking a glass of water when I pulled up.

“Hi Mr. McShane,” I called out as I closed the door.

He smiled brightly and said, “So nice to see you again, Stevie! Did you and my son take care of what you needed to?”  

I smiled and tilted my head to the side. “We got my car, obviously, but he was called away. Let me take this into Mrs. Samadi and I’ll be back outside in a minute.” He appeared perplexed while he nodded. I climbed the back steps and called out as I opened the door.

“Stevie, dear. Back so soon?” Grandma McShane was cutting up vegetables and throwing them into a pot.

“Yes, I am. Is Mrs. Samadi home?”  

She looked surprised and directed me to the front room. I thanked her and headed towards the front of the house. I could hear the television on quietly as I entered the room.

“Mrs. Samadi? I brought you your medication. Aaron had to take care of some other business so I told him I would pick this up for you. I didn’t want you to go without in case he is late.”

She stared up at me like I was one of her puzzling crosswords. “That was kind of you, young lady. My Ali does too much. Sit for a while,” she said.

And I did.

McShane

“My son, what is the trouble,” Mom asked when I showed up at her office. I exhaled heavily and sat in the chair next to her desk. I told her what happened the night before and that the police needed the boys to come and give a formal statement. Her expression was grim through most of it, and then she crumbled.

“Oh, Aaron! That poor girl! Do we know if she’s ok?”

I shook my head. “No, and I doubt the police will be able to tell us much. I need you to come with me. I’m sorry, I tried to handle it, but they wanted a parent with them.”

She nodded and called her supervisor, shut down her computer, and grabbed her purse. We took her car over to pick up the boys from the shop and she hugged them fiercely.

“I am so proud of you boys and I am so sorry you had to be a part of any of this.”

They each hugged her and gave me a solemn look. We drove in Mom’s car over to the police department on Winton and checked in at the front window. The officer on duty called for the detective, who came down just a few minutes later.

“Thank you for coming in,” she said and asked us to follow her onto the elevator and to a conference room upstairs.

There was a representative from the district attorney’s office already seated at the table and another officer. Introductions were made, procedures were explained, and then the detective asked Peter and me to step out into the hall and wait while they interviewed Patrick. The boys obviously didn’t want to be split up, but they didn’t make a fuss.

The detective offered us some water and we declined.

When she walked back into the conference room, Peter glanced at me and said, “I’m sorry about all of this, Aaron. I feel terrible.”

I put my arm around him and assured him that it was fine. I told him I was just glad he and Patrick were ok and I was proud of what they had done. He told me he’d tried to talk to Gretchen today, but her parents wouldn’t let him. They said she was shaken up about what had happened. I told him that as much as he hated it, he needed to give her some space. He took a deep breath and nodded.

After sitting quietly for a while, he asked, “So what happened to Stevie?”

I glanced at him and noticed a hint of a smile. I felt my heart quicken its pace and I grinned.

“Right now, she’s hopefully done picking up Grandma Samadi’s medication from Kaiser and has delivered it safely.”

Peter looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “Are you serious? You sent her there alone?”  

I laughed and then thought maybe there was something to what he said. “You’re right. I better check on her.” I texted her:

Hey, beautiful. Just wanted to check on you. I hope I didn’t get you lost. Thanks again for everything.

I didn’t want to get too mushy because Peter was reading over my shoulder. Which is why he saw her reply:

Medicine delivered. I’m helping her with her crosswords and then I’m going to go with your father to pick up bulbs for the flower bed.

Stunned, I barely heard Peter’s smart assed remark, “Great. She’s just as crazy as them.”

I elbowed then shushed him. I responded.

Stevie, you do have my key. You can go hide if you want.

Her response came twenty minutes later when I was just about to jump in the car and go rescue her.

Will you stop pestering me? At Home Depot and can’t decide between the Asiatic lilies and the Calla lilies. Your dad says there’s not enough sun for the Asiatic but I am going to win this argument. Now go about your business. We’re working here!

I swallowed back the emotions threatening to break free. I dropped my head in my hands, not even trying to fight Peter for the phone.

“Whoa,” he said quietly when he read her response. “She’s kind of perfect, Aaron. What are you going to do?”  

I laughed and said, “Pray.”

Patrick came out after an hour-long interview and they took Peter in. Mom excused herself in between to use the restroom. She came back with less eyeliner on, letting me know just how much she was upset about this.

“You holding up ok,” I asked her and she nodded, letting out a breath.

“I think we’re going to miss dinner. Can you let the Grandmas know?”  

I laughed and said, “I can try. They’re pretty busy over there, or so I’ve been told.” She frowned at me and I said bashfully, “I sent Stevie over and I take it she’s keeping them occupied.”

She laughed and hugged me. “She’s wonderful, my son. I’m so glad she’s here.”

She had no idea just how wonderful.

Peter’s interview took even longer because he had actually been the one to see what was going on in the room and he’d cared for Anita afterwards. It was six o’clock before they opened the door and asked us all to come in.

“Mrs. McShane, I’m fairly confident that this case will not go to trial. There is overwhelming evidence here against the defendants. If for some reason it does go to trial, your boys will need to testify. They’ve both agreed to do so.”

Mom nodded. “Of course. They will do what is right. Thank you.”

The detective asked if we had any questions and the boys were asked to sign their statements.

We hit traffic getting back to Mom’s work to pick up my car and it was after 7:00 by the time we got home. I was desperate to bury my face in Stevie’s hair by then, desperate to hold her. I was floored by what I found. Pops, Grandma McShane, Grandma Samadi, and Stevie all sitting around the TV watching a rerun of ‘Whose Line is it Anyway?’ But it wasn’t just that they all were talking and laughing, but that Stevie was sitting next to Grandma McShane, learning to crochet.

“Well, you folks seem to have been busy today!” Mom walked around to kiss Pops who looked tired but extremely happy.

The boys kissed everyone and said they were going to change out of their dorky clothes and go play video games. I just stood in the doorway, probably with my jaw hanging near the floor, and watched my red-haired goddess bonding with my family.

“I heat you up some food,” Grandma Samadi said.

I was too dumbstruck, once again, to reply. Mom said she wasn’t hungry and took Pops upstairs so they could talk.

“Watch how you’re turning your corners, Stevie dear. If you lose count, you can always go back.”

Stevie had such an adorable look of concentration on her face. She blew up a red curl and made a few more loops before she turned to Grandma McShane.

“Thank you so much for teaching me. I’ve always wanted to learn.”

Grandma kissed her cheek and said, “Anytime, love. Now you and Aaron go have some time to yourselves. I’ll see you both in the morning, I presume?”  

Stevie told her she would come help with breakfast, but Grandma waved her off.

“Nonsense, lassie. You two just go on, now. Goodnight, my boy.”

I snapped out of it enough to kiss her on the cheek and follow Stevie into the kitchen. Grandma Samadi put a plate down at my spot and Stevie sat down next to it with two glasses of ice water.

“You need to eat, Ali. You need rest. Stevie, you want to talk tomorrow, I am happy to tell you more.”

Stevie stood and kissed her on the cheek and I swear to Allah, my grandmother actually smiled at her.

All I could do was stare at this beguiling creature beside me. “Who are you and what have you done to my family,” I asked before taking a bite of saffron rice.

She gave me a blank look. “What do you mean, what have I done? I told you, we did crosswords, and your father let me win with the lilies, which I planted. Oh, Aaron, they are going to look so beautiful when they bloom next spring! Anyway, after dinner, Grandma McShane sat down to crochet and I told her I’d always wanted to learn, so she taught me. How is that-”

I grabbed her hand and lifted it to my lips to kiss, effectively silencing her. I wanted to weep after today’s events, mostly from joy that this woman was here by my side.

“Stevie,” I said between bites, “you have no idea what you have accomplished here today. First off, no one can help Grandma Samadi with her crosswords because she gets mad anytime we offer. Second, no one ever wants to go with Pops to Home Depot. Not me, not Mom, definitely not the twins. The fact that you...And Grandma McShane has always wanted a daughter or granddaughter to share her domestic hobbies with. She and Mom get along great, but Mom is not the kind to busy herself with cooking or sewing. So basically in one afternoon you have created alliances and broken down barriers with three members of my family that no one has been able to do to date.” I took another bite and waited for her to say something.

“Oh,” she said, her voice low. “Is that a good thing,” she asked meekly.

I rolled my eyes and said, “Normally when someone is in trouble of this magnitude, the proper phrase is ‘it’s your funeral’. In your case, it’s going to end up ‘it’s your wedding’.”

She covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. Even as exhausted as I was, she still had me tied in knots and eager to untie them with her.

“As long as I’m not in real trouble,” she said, giggling.

I put down my fork, suddenly no longer hungry for food. “Oh, you’re in trouble, alright. You might want to get a running start.”

Her eyes flew open wide and she jumped up from the table, me right on her heels. I caught her at the bottom of the steps to my apartment. She sighed as I kissed her neck and cupped her heart-shaped ass through her skirt. I was beyond caring about anything other than touching and kissing more of her delectable skin when Aziz pulled in, his lights blinding us. I groaned.

“This is my cousin,” I said quietly. “We are going to say hello and goodbye, just like that, because if we let him start talking we’ll be out here for an hour and I have better plans for what we should do with that hour.”

She giggled and thankfully her back was to his car because she cupped me through my jeans and I about passed out due to the rapid blood evacuation from my brain.

“Hello and goodbye. I can do that. I want to see where you plan for us to be in an hour. As long as I get the second hour.”

I groaned and she laughed, stepping away from me as Aziz approached, briefcase in hand.

“Ali, you have a beautiful friend.” He extended his hand. “And you are,” he asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

“Stevie Wilson,” she said. “Aaron’s new lady friend.” She giggled as he let go of her hand quickly. I shrugged at him. “Come on, honey,” she purred and pulled me up the stairs.

I gave him an innocent look and said, “Hate to run, Cousin, but beauty calls.”

He nodded and stared after us, his eyes bugged out.

When we got inside and I made sure that both the lock and the deadbolt were engaged, I turned to Stevie and stalked over to where she was standing by the bed. I pulled off my shirt before I grabbed her and yanked her into me. I was so hard I could barely get my pants unfastened.

“Let me help with that,” she said and used her delicate hands to pull down my zipper carefully, slide my pants down and then remove her own skirt before getting on the bed on her knees in front of me.

There was no more flirty conversation, no more coherent words being spoken. We’d talked for most of the day and now we just needed to feel each other. I tried to slow down because I didn’t want to hurt her or scare her, but I had to have that damn tank and bra off or I was going to have an aneurysm.