Tea - Chapter 22

Chapter 22

In a way, Miles was dreading his day off that week, for other reasons than the lack of a lover in his bed when he woke up. He had to figure out the wedding plans or at the very least, move further along that where they were at the moment.

The only thing that got Miles out of bed to face it was the knowledge that Sophie would be sorely disappointed if he had not made any progress by the time she returned from work that afternoon. A great as the night before had been, Miles didn’t want it to be the last time for any length of days.

He did, however, allow himself a tall Bloody Mary in the kitchen. The special ingredient was hidden in a half-empty bottle of ‘Evian’ in the refrigerator. After half of Miles’ breakfast had swum a couple of laps around his veins he called his mother in Chicago. It had been so long since he had thought about the actual ceremony end of the deal that he had forgotten where they had left off.

Miles tossed a Gin Blossoms c.d. in the kitchen stereo, which was the best looking choice of all the scratched and abandoned discs in the former fruit basket butting against the player. He stretched out in the punctured yellow office chair beside the phone and dialed the number in his head.

“How did it go?” Sophie asked almost immediately. They were in Miles’ cabin and before he could answer he silently sighed at the fact that Sophie automatically went to Miles’ cabin whenever they were in a situation similar to then.

“Fine,” Miles said, once he was done taking Sophie in. “The wedding is set for the last day of June. We just have to get our marriage license before the ceremony, so if you could send all that information to Illinois tomorrow, we’ll be good to go. My mom gave me the address of the place to send it to, and I’ll leave you my wallet so you’ll have all of my information. I think you can go online and get the form, if not, call the number I have and have them fax or mail the paperwork. We’ll have it sent to my parent’s house to save time and hassle and it will be there when we get to Chicago.”

“Wow. She got a venue and a minister and reception and everything?”

“I think she may have actually enjoyed it. We’ll have to go and get a dress and tux and what-not. What do you think about maid of honor, flower-girls, whatever? Is that something we need?”

“I haven’t really thought about it, I suppose. Usually people have much longer to think about these things. I always thought my best friend Julie would be my maid of honor, but I haven’t even told her anything more than you being my boyfriend yet.”

“Well, it looks like you’ll have a busy day as well tomorrow. But let’s say we forget about that for now and go to our Starbuck’s?”

“That’s a splendid idea. Didn’t I suggest that a day or two ago?”

“Of course. I always remember everything you say.”

“Oh, you’re going to hell for saying that with a straight face,” Sophie cajoled. She found Miles’ hand and followed him out the door.

“I wish that I was off with you tomorrow,” Miles sighed over the lip of his latte.

“I wish you were, too. But you had to take today off.” Miles rolled his eyes.

“What are you going to do with your day off?”

“I don’t know. I suppose that the business bit of things is all taken care of, isn’t it? Maybe I’ll make up a romantic evening for you.”

“What would that even look like?”

“I can imagine it would be apricot, for the most part.”

“Hhmm. That does sound romantic.”

“So predictable.”

“Some women would find that comforting,” Miles contended.

“Some women want nothing more than to sprout children and cook pot roast. I prefer none of those. Mind blowing?”

“Oh, Sophie, I would not have given you the time of day if those were your only ambitions.”

“Oh, you would have, too. I’m adorable.” Miles rolled his eyes. “Dost thou contest?”

“Doth I not-I doth-“

“Bloody Americans.”

“Still carrying a grudge from that little skirmish in the eighteenth century, are we? Well, you’d better swallow your pride, because you’re about to become one of us.” Sophie rolled her eyes. “We’ll see, when you’re singing the National Anthem at a Cubs game and watching NASCAR in the double-wide.”

“I’ll be sure to mention you in my suicide note.”

They laughed with one another. They were happy to have found someone with which they shared a similar outlook. Miles had always thought things like hobbies and music and movies were the kinds of things that brought a pair into being but he was realizing more and more that there was something else to it all. Interests and palates and other ornamental things ebbed and drifted, but the way a person looked at life and responded to other people took a lifetime to form, not just a new restaurant one random night. True, anything in the dynamic life of a human being can change over time, but those things that are shaped the slowest are the ones that last the longest.

Miles hoped that the lives he and Sophie had lead before meeting one another would blend easily into one another. He was excited to see what kind of art the pottery wheel they were spinning on would make of them over the years. He was especially glad to know that they had years and years to see what shape of life would suit them the best.

Miles started the family camp work weekend in very high spirits. He and Sophie had spent another long evening talking about the future, but for some reason their conversation had made him think more so about the past. Three weeks remained in a seasonal job that had seemed much longer than six months. Mathematically, the last three weeks of six months was a very small fraction. Miles chose to see the remaining time for its potential.

They had slept together within five days of having met, and with the exception of a couple of miscommunications, had spent every night since that first carnal encounter together. Five days. That statistic made the potential of three weeks seem daunting.

Miles was also happy because someone had actually scheduled him and Sophie together on the first day. They were working on the very shed he had so meticulously prepared for during the week. It wasn’t the most glorious of tasks, putting posts into the ground and answering the questions of guests that knew even less than he did, but at the end of the day they were laughing again. This time the laughter was mainly due to their lack of carpentry skill and how silly it was for the volunteers they had worked with all day to think that they would know any better.

“Oh, Miles, I do love spending the day with you, but I’m glad that I don’t have to do that again tomorrow.” Sophie was working with the five year and younger kids the next day; keeping toddlers occupied while their parents stayed with the likes of Miles, who would be putting the finishing touches on the newest edition to the Ontonagon stable of facilities.

“Did you see the schedule for next week?” Sophie asked “Yeah. I’ve got Monday and Saturday off. You’ve got Wednesday and Thursday off.”

“I might be able to trade with Gerri on Thursday to get Monday off with you. Everyone else is in the middle of group, but she has a jobs day Thursday.”

“That would be really nice. It doesn’t look like we’re going to get anything easy these next few weeks.”

“I know. It’s making me look forward to getting out of here even more. I read the first sentence of that summer camp interest letter we got couple of days ago and tossed it in the recycling. Can you imagine?”

“I haven’t let myself.”

It was nine o’clock, too late to do much of anything but walk to the lounge to unwind for an hour or two before getting enough sleep to do it all over again. The fifty or so dollars he and Sophie made every day the camp would let them keep that pace up was the biggest motivator for Miles.

The usual crowd was in the lounge. The summer staff had acclimatized well in the few weeks they had been in camp and were becoming more and more just ‘staff’. Miles realized that if they weren’t considered so already, the crew he came in with would soon be considered ‘last season’s staff’. He shrugged and mentally bestowed his job upon the new folks with his blessing.

Miles ducked into the fridge and reached to the back of a box of generic cola until he found a pair of Coors light cans for Sophie and himself. He quickly grabbed a couple of cozies so that no one could tell what the beverages really were (nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more) and passed a camouflaged can off to Sophie.

Paul was watching some kind of extreme home videos channel so pretty much everyone was only as far out of the kitchen as was necessary to play foosball and darts. Miles leaned on the half-wall almost dividing the two rooms to watch the action between Jabari and Rocky at the foosball table. Sophie leaned on Miles.

“Sometimes I want to stay,” Sophie smiled. Miles could not see her smile, but he knew what the tone she was using meant for her face. He didn’t say anything. “Times like these, it’s fun, you know? We’re all bloody tired, but everyone’s here, having a good time, like there isn’t anything else to the whole world but playing with kids all day and doing whatever the hell we want any other time. We make enough money to do it forever; really, it’s just a two week cycle. There are no bills, no investments of any kind, no worries…It’s kind of nice.”

Miles thought about mentioning to Sophie how many times he had thought of that very same thing, but instead let her swim in her revelation as it had come to her that nondescript Saturday night in the lounge.

“I guess I’m not saying it’s a good idea forever, I mean, eventually you’d want more. We do already, when you think about it, but I’m glad to know it’s an option if you need it. I’m glad I took it. I think this place will be really easy to sugar-coat in the future. You watch, even all the shitty things will seem like less of a fuss a few years down the road.” Miles did not have a problem thinking of a few instances he hoped her candied view would apply to.

They leaned back and soaked in the scene for a moment.

“I would say we could come back next fall, but I don’t think it would be the same.”

“I don’t think so either. There’s that old saying, ‘you can’t go back’ and all. I just really had a good time here. I guess that’s what I’m after most of all. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“I have a feeling we’re in for a whole lot of never doing anything like this before for a while.”

“We’ll just have to make sure it’s a good time then, eh?” Sophie purred, turning her neck. Miles kissed her as long as he could get away with it.

“Aaooww!,” came the loud black sigh from the foosball table.

Everyone who had been there from the beginning but Sophie was present at the completion of the shed the next morning. Miles doubted she was crying her eyes out over it, since she would be too busy playing duck-duck-goose with nursery kids. He hoped the experience wouldn’t plant any ideas of bouncing bundles of joy in her head.

Miles pretended to be busy more than he was actually occupied, which proved to be less strenuous but far more mundane.

When lunch rolled around Miles was certainly glad for the diversion. He had seen Sophie talking with Gerri ahead of him on the road to the dining hall and hoped that it meant good things.

“Well?” Miles asked.

“Not a problem!” Sophie could not contain her happiness. Before Miles could respond he mentally gloated over Sophie being thrilled to spend time with him after so many months. No other girl had ever acted in such a way and it made Miles feel good, dammit.

Miles matched Sophie’s glee. It was not hard when her eyes gave him such a good example of how to be. Her finagling meant sleeping in that night, waking up and going to breakfast late in the morning, bumming around Borders, driving through the hills, or a handful of other perfect days they had discovered during the six months they had known one another.

“This is going to make the rest of the day seem even longer, thank you very much,” Miles teased.

“How’s this, then?” Sophie asked. She leaned over and whispered something into Miles’ ear that made him thankful he did not have to stand up any time soon.

“You tease!” Miles hissed happily.

“I’m not technically a tease if I’m actually going to do it. And I am. So, technically, not a tease,” Sophie smiled. Miles realized he would have to wait even longer before standing up.

“Why do you do that to me?”

“To keep you interested, my Love.”

“Sophie, I think all kinds of lewd thoughts when you wear a snug sweater. You don’t need to go to any great lengths for me.”

“And I like that about you. But I like it when you absolutely can’t keep your hands off me the minute we’re alone, as well.”

“I love you.”

“You love sex. But you love me besides, and that’s what’s endearing about you.” Miles shook his head and tried to think of unpleasant things so he could go back to work without losing his dignity.

Miles had to wait for Sophie to finish with her charges for a few hours after dinner that evening. He was in a fantastic mood so he did a shot and had a beer or two with Jabari, Scott and Kyra to celebrate their shed. They played foosball in between gulps and before he knew it, Sophie walked into the lounge.

Miles’ stomach sank at first because he knew they must look drunk, in part because they were, but his angst was in vain.

“I know there’s more soda, right?” Sophie asked. Miles hopped like a bunny to the fridge and found Sophie a Coor’s Light. Jabari lined up a round of what proved to be tequila after the quartet he had it poured for finally recognized the flavor. Miles saw things turning into a full-fledged party and was very glad that it was only the five of them in the lounge that night, although Emma would have been welcome.

“Hey, where is Emma?” Miles asked.

“She said she was going to pass out early and get some sleep,” Jabari answered.

“That’s unacceptable,” Scott decreed. That was all it took. The three guys went on a mission to find Emma and inquire as to her actions.

“Emma, Emma, Emma!” Miles cried, jumping on her bed. Jabari and Scott followed suit. “Why are you asleep, darling? We are drinking tequila and beers and having a grand time but we need you to make things complete!”

“You guys! I’m tired. Tell me all about it tomorrow.”

“Unacceptable!” Scott cried like a conquistador. He pulled Emma by the arms to a standing position. He swung her into Jabari’s arms. “You will come with us and catch up. It is written as so.” Miles and Jabari looked at Scott appraisingly and then at one another. They laughed and dragged Emma against her will to the lounge. Any other place in America the spectacle they were making would have had police sirens swallowing them up in moments.

Jay-Z was trying to bump the room out through the tiny boom box when they walked in. The song seemed as good a reason as Emma joining the party to line up another round. Emma gave herself up to fate and kissed Quervo in one gulp, pajamas and all.

There was a party aching to be had. It was long overdue and they were going to have it even though there were six people instead of sixty. Avril Lavigne replaced Jay-Z but by that point no one cared. There was music and it was turned up as loud as it could go. Sometimes a few of them played darts, sometimes random combinations of people ended up in the kitchen talking about God knows what, sometimes there were perfect silences.