Chapter 24
Ron went through Friday as if he was in a fog. It surprised him and it frightened him. Nothing had distracted him from his students until now. Thoughts of Zoe never entered his head when he was teaching. The fire had distracted him but not when he was teaching. And now, in less than two days, Robin had him hearing her voice and seeing her face in back of his eyes almost non-stop.
He tried calling Zoe when he got back to his apartment. To his surprise she answered the phone. She almost squealed when she heard his voice. “I’ve been thinking about you almost non-stop,” she said. “We have to get an answering machine.”
“I’ve been thinking a lot about you too,” said Ron, trying to tell himself that it was an obligatory thing to say.”When are you coming home?”
“I thought I would stay her through the holiday,” said Zoe. “They make a big deal about it here.”
At first it didn’t register with Ron. What holiday? Did she mean Christmas that was a month away? Could she really mean that? Then it dawned on him. Thanksgiving was this Thursday. She meant Thanksgiving! “Whatever you need to do,” said Ron. “Are you running?”
“Yes, every day and riding my bicycle and swimming and feeling great except that I miss you so much. I want to be with you. I want to live in the country with you and make babies and raise chickens for the eggs and plant a garden.” He didn’t respond and there was a pause and then she asked, “Do you want to come up and pick me up like we used to and bring me back home and ravish me?” She lowered her voice when she said this last part.
“I really do,” said Ron. “But I have this thing at my mother’s house in preparation for the holiday and I have so much school work to do because it is a short week next week and I assigned all these essay tests that I want to grade and get back to the kids before the break.”
She seemed crestfallen, and just said, “Oh.”
The guilt spread through him like dysentery in a refugee camp. He felt himself begin to sweat and cramp. He wanted to get off the phone. He wanted to call Robin. Then he realized that the sound of her voice had given him an erection and he wanted to fuck her. But who was “her”?
“Look, suppose I drive up now and we take a ride somewhere and at least get to spend some time together.”
Her voice instantly brightened again. She said “OK, when are you coming?”
“I just want to change my clothes,” said Ron.
As soon as he hung him, he dialed Robin’s number. She answered on the first ring and before he could give her the excuse that he had invented about having to do something at the school that night, she said, “Can we get together tomorrow? Some of my mother’s friends are coming over and I promised her that I would spend a little time with her, but if you aren’t busy, I would really like to see you tomorrow or maybe later tonight.”
Almost involuntarily Ron found himself saying, “What time later?”
“Whatever works best for you. Drive down sometime after 10.”
“That works,” said Ron. “I have this thing tonight at school.”
“You’re going to be exhausted,” she said. “Maybe we should wait until tomorrow.”
“Why don’t I call you when I’m done,” said Ron.
There was that unmistakable lilting laughter that communicated to him that she knew that he wanted to see her and that she was pleased that he wanted to see her. Then she said, “No, I’m being selfish. Call me in the morning.”
Ron wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed.
When Zoe got into the car she kissed him with incredible hunger. And then she whispered into his ear, “Please just take me home and rip off my clothes and do wicked things to me.” Then she reached down below the steering wheel and opened his pants. She stroked him and then said coyly. “Will you leave it out all the way home?” A droplet of clear liquid oozed out of the head of his cock and she said, “You have missed me.”