Chapter 15: David Comes to Boston

Tuesday and Wednesday , November 20th- 21st, 2007

David called Hath from the air just to hear her voice. “I’m on the way,” he said.

“Jesus,” Hath said groggily, looking at the clock. “What time is it?”

“It’s nearly two. I’m in the air, and should be there before you leave for work,” he said. “Are you sure you can’t play hooky today?”

Hathor groaned. “Baby, there’s nothing I’d love more, but I can’t. Not today. I’ve got half my team out this week, and meetings out the ass today.”

David sighed. “I guess I’ll just have to content myself with hanging around your house.”

Hath laughed. “Poor you. It’s not that bad. Big screen TV, pool table, big, comfy bed; I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“I’ll be fine when you’re in that big, comfy bed with me. I should only be,” he paused as he looked at his watch. “Another three hours, give or take a little.”

“I have a 6:30 train, so have to leave here by quarter til 6,” Hath said. “If you get delayed, there’s a key to the front door in the barbecue pit out back.

David was quiet.

“What’s the matter, baby?” Silence. “Hello?”

“You have a barbecue pit?” he asked.

“Um, yeah,” she said, blushing. “My dad, brother and I built it when I moved in here. Mom supervised, and my sister-in-law was in charge of documenting the whole process. I’ve got a great scrapbook showing the construction. Remind me to show you later. It was pretty funny.”

“How big a pit?” God, men and toys.

“It’s big enough to roast a good-sized pig in. In fact, we do that every spring,” Hath said. “Me and my friends.” One of Hath’s friends owns a barbecue restaurant, and gets excellent meats. He springs for the pig and takes over the pit. She springs for the beer, and hosts the thing. It’s a blast, and the neighborhood smells heavenly.

“I may just love you, Hath,” he said.

She just laughed at him. “Would you love me if I didn’t have a barbecue pit?” Hath paused a beat. “Don’t answer that. I don’t wanna know.”

David chuckled. “All right, whatever you say. I’ll let you go back to sleep; I just wanted to let you know I’m on the way.”

“Thanks, sweetie,” Hath said yawning. “I’ll see you soon.”

“You sure will. Bye,” David said.

“Bye.”

Hath hung up and reflected on the conversation they just had. It wasn’t that unusual for him to call at all hours, but he was on the way here; she thought it was cute that he wanted to hear her voice. With a smile on her lips, Hath drifted off to sleep.

David hung up and leaned back in his seat, trying to catch a short nap. He’d gotten used to taking short cat naps whenever he could, but he was seriously looking forward to having several days off in a row. The tour had just started, and already he couldn’t wait for it to be over. Maybe he could convince Hath to go to some of the shows – at least the domestic ones this winter. Maybe she could make some of the UK ones in the early summer. He’d have to talk to her about that.

* * * * *

Three hours later, the blaring of the alarm clock woke me from a sound sleep. I flailed around on the nightstand trying to silence the damned thing, and succeeded in knocking it to the floor, where I couldn’t reach it. Swearing, I rolled out of bed and hit the clock until it shut up. I dragged ass to the shower, and turned the water as hot as I could stand it. As I stepped under the spray, I thought I heard the doorbell ring. I considered dragging my butt downstairs, but if it was David, he’d let himself in, and maybe join me. We’d see.

I rushed through my morning routine, getting cleaned, shaved, and plucked in record time. I wound my hair into its usual go-to-work twist, and applied my makeup. I heard crashing around in the bedroom. “That you, baby?”

“Yeah,” David said sleepily. “You about done in there? I’m wiped, and wanna see you before I pass out.”

“Well,” I said, coming out of the bathroom, “nobody told you to get on a red-eye flight.” I walked over to him and kissed him gently. “I’m glad you’ve made it here.”

“Me too,” he said, eyeing me. “Say, can I borrow your towel?”

I laughed and danced out of his grasp. “Baby, I am so sorry, but I have to go to work.” I kissed him. “YOU have to get rested for later.” I kissed him again (I just couldn’t help it) and went into the closet to grab my clothes. When I came out, David had stripped down to his boxers and was getting into bed. What a great sight that was. It made me all happy inside. I really am glad he’s here.

I put on my lingerie and started the arduous task of getting my stockings on and clipped into the garter belt without sticking my nails through them. David was just watching me, and it was almost unbearably erotic. I usually wear pantyhose, but was doing this for his benefit.

“What’re you doing?” I asked him, blushing under his scrutiny.

“Watching you, baby,” he said softly.

“Is that a seductive voice or an I’m-falling-asleep voice?” I teased.

“Maybe a little of both,” he said chuckling.

I put on a pale pink silk blouse, and left the top few buttons unbuttoned. David’s eyes narrowed at that. “What’s the matter?” I asked him.

“You show that much cleavage at work?” he complained.

I just laughed at him. “I’m not done getting dressed yet. Gimme a break, baby, this isn’t the first time I’ve dressed for work!” I slipped into my burgundy suit skirt and reached for a scarf in shades of pink and burgundy and tied it into a cravat at my throat. I donned my jacket and grabbed my sneakers. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I asked, “Better?”

“Much,” he answered, kissing me.

“Mmmm,” I said. “Hold that thought. I really have to get going.” I put on my sneakers, grabbed my heels from the shoe rack in the closet, and took one last look at him. He was nearly asleep already. I sighed, and left for work.

* * * * *

David woke several hours later feeling refreshed. He looked around Hath’s bedroom, and smiled. He was really here. He grabbed a shower and set out exploring. Hath’s house is what they call a “lofted split-level ranch” which means it’s a standard split-level ranch with an upper level. The upper level held the master bedroom and bath, a small room that was set up like an office, and a loft that took half the depth of the house, and had a railing that looked over the living room.

The loft was furnished with big, down-filled sofas and chairs that you could sink into and made you never want to leave. A plasma TV hung on the wall, and the DVD player, satellite tuner, and other gadgets were in one of the cabinets underneath. He opened the other cabinet and found hundreds of DVDs, including most of the band’s live concert DVDs. Jon’s movies were in there, too, and the couple that Richie had had cameos in. He smiled, having forgotten that Hath was a fan.

The middle level of the house had a living room and dining room on one side, the kitchen and bathroom in the middle, and three bedrooms on the other side. The back bedroom was a big, empty room with a door in the back. Intrigued, he went through to find a hallway leading to a huge room. The room had a bar, pool table, dart boards, air hockey and a corner devoted to workout equipment. He whistled and smiled, and started to play.

After a while, David fixed something for lunch, and went down to the lower level. One side was an unfinished room; used as a dry pantry and storage. There was yet another bathroom in the middle that doubled as the laundry room, and a finished room on the other side that had an elaborate stereo system hooked up to a computer, floor-to-ceiling cabinets along one wall, and of all things, an old upright piano.

Hath was just full of surprises. He ran his hands over the piano’s keys and winced. This obviously hadn’t been played for a long while. Pulling out his cell phone, he made a few calls. He had a surprise of his own for Hath.

With that done, he scrutinized the stereo system. In addition to the turntable, cassette deck, and CD tower, there was an old 8-track player. David laughed. His first car had an 8-track deck in it, and at the time, he thought he was just the shit. He started opening cabinets, and was rewarded with an eclectic collection of CDs. All their stuff was there, which he expected, alongside operas, the soundtracks for Broadway shows, movies, and TV shows, and popular music ranging from a-ha to ZZ top. A second cabinet yielded what he was looking for – a modest collection of 8-track cartridges, mostly Elvis. He smiled, and chose one at random, and to his surprise, the machine not only still worked, but sounded great. He shook his head and sang along with the King as he looked in the other cabinets.

A collection of vinyl that had to have been her parents’ at one point filled one of the cabinets. There were records from the 30’s and 40’s along with some old 78’s that she didn’t seem to have a working gramophone for. Thumbing through them, he shook his head in wonder. If he had to guess, she was transferring her catalog onto computer. It was an arduous task, and he wondered how far she had gotten.

* * * * *

Hathor was distracted all day thinking about David in her house. She wanted to get home much earlier, but the day conspired against her. She was able to leave at four, and caught an early train home. As she opened the front door, she heard piano music coming from the basement. She slowly descended the stairs, and saw David. He was playing something from one of his albums, and Hathor just stood there, transfixed.

“Hey,” she said softly when he had finished.

“Hey yourself,” he replied. “Hope you don’t mind, I cleaned her up a bit.”

“Had her tuned, too, I hear.”

David laughed. “I had to, it sounded awful. What’s her story?”

Hath told him about how the piano belonged to her Mom’s church, and they were getting a new one, so they were going to get rid of this one. She couldn’t let them destroy this 100-year old upright, so she took it, but never got around to learning to play it. “Maybe you could teach me?” she said shyly. David nodded, and came to greet her properly.

“How was your day, dear?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.

“Way too long,” Hath answered, before he kissed her deeply.

David threaded his fingers into Hath’s updo and pulled the pins out of it, groaning when damp tresses fell around her shoulders. They were soft and silky, and they smelled great. David leaned back to look in Hathor’s face. “Welcome home, baby,” he said, and kissed her again.

* * * * *

They had a quiet dinner home, feasting on pizza and beer. Hathor didn’t feel like cooking, and neither felt like going out. “I just want to check in on the board for a sec,” Hath said to David. She logged in and started typing, and David was nibbling the back of her neck. He pulled her away from the computer, typed a brief message on whatever post she was making, and carried her off to the bedroom.

He stood her by the bed and slipped her suit from her. He untied the scarf that was knotted at her throat and slowly undid the buttons on her blouse. When she stood there in her thigh-highs and lingerie, his throat dried up. “You are beautiful,” he said, kissing her gently.

“You make me feel beautiful,” she answered, and set about undoing his clothes. She had his t-shirt up and over his head in a flash, and his jeans undone and around his ankles in seconds. She stroked him gently through his boxers, and David growled. Hathor giggled when he unhooked her bra and sent it flying behind him. She gasped when he tore the flimsy fabric of her panties from her, leaving her in her stockings. David shucked his boxers and pulled Hath to him.

“Put your work shoes on?” David asked, as he nibbled on her neck. Blushing, Hath complied with David’s request, stepping into four-inch black patent-leather heels, bringing her almost to eye-level with him. She felt ridiculous, but the look on David’s face said he was thinking something else. Smiling now, Hath took David’s hand and led him back to the office. She pushed him down into the ladder-back chair that went with the desk, and straddled him, taking him inside her quickly. With her heels on, her bent legs were even with David’s waist. David put his hands to her waist, and urged her up and down on him, fast and hard. The whisper of silk against his thighs was such a turn-on that he could barely contain himself. Hath buried her mouth in David’s neck, and screamed as the waves of her orgasm shook her. The tightening vice around David’s cock sent him over the edge, and he let out her name in a long, low moan.

* * * * *

Hath had to work Wednesday, and she left David with the ingredients for stuffing. “If you have time today,” she teased, “maybe you can make the stuffing?”

“Sure,” he had said, laughing. By the time Hath came home from work, a little late because she had to stop and pick up the turkey from the turkey farm, David had made a mess in her kitchen.

“What the hell happened in here? It’s stuffing, for cripe’s sake!” Nearly every mixing bowl, cup, and spoon was in the sink, and there were graham cracker crumbs everywhere.

David smiled sheepishly. “I found your list, and thought I’d try to help. I think I have the mousse pie done.” Hath checked in the fridge, and her heart melted at the sorry looking pie David had made.

“It’s perfect,” she said, and kissed him hello. They got the turkey stuffed, the table set for the next day, and the mess cleaned up, then went out for dinner. Hath took him to the barbecue joint where she and her friends always met on Wednesdays. She didn’t tell them she was binging David with her, and she surprised the hell out of her friends. Kristin was the first to notice them arrive.

“Hey Hath!” she called out. “I thought you were having compa…holy SHIT!” At that, the other women at the table turned around to see what Kristin was all worked up about. When they saw who Hath had brought with her, a hush fell over the table.

Hath looked at David, and said, “David, these are my friends.” She went around the table, naming each woman in turn. She then looked around the table. “Friends, this is my David.” Their laughter broke the silence and the two joined the table of women. Paul, the owner and a rather short man, came out from the kitchen to greet Hath.

“Hey, stranger, how are you?” he asked, coming over for a kiss. “Holy shit,” he said, when he saw who she was with.

“That seems to be the prevailing opinion here tonight,” David quipped. He stood and introduced himself to Paul, towering over him, and shook the man’s hand.

“Cheating on me already, Jenilee?” Paul teased Hath.

“Don’t make me stuff you in the smoker, Rib Man,” she retorted, fire flashing in her eyes.

He just laughed. “You and who’s army, smart ass?”

“I don’t need an army, Squirt,” she said. “I can bench press what you weigh.”

“Yeah, but I’d fight ya,” he said back, crossing his arms over his chest smugly.

“Is that a dare?” she said, standing and rolling up her sleeves.

David stood behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Sweetie, is this where I step in to help you? Or stop you?” he said, making them all laugh.

Hath turned and gave David a smacking kiss on the mouth before sitting down. “Alright, Paul, you get a bye this time,” she told Paul. “But watch it. I have reinforcements now,” she said, leaning back against David’s chest, his arms wrapping possessively around her.

“Yeah, but he’s gonna be on the road soon,” Paul quipped, then stopped when he saw something flash across Hath’s eyes. “Alright,” he said. “What’s everyone eating?”

Over drinks and the best smoked chicken and cornbread north of the Mason-Dixon Line, David got to know Hath’s friends. They were a nice bunch of women, and they accepted him into their circle without hesitation, sharing jokes and stories with him that had Hath turning red. He had a great time, and by the time they got home, it was very late.

“You have a nice bunch of friends,” David commented, as they were brushing their teeth side-by-side in the bathroom.

“Yeah, I love them, though Paul pushes my buttons something fierce,” Hath said. “He’s harmless enough, though,” she added, when she saw David’s eyes narrowing in the mirror. “His wife keeps him in line.”

David laughed at that and asked, “Am I that transparent?”

“No, but I don’t want you thinking that I was interested in anyone but you,” she said, leaning to spit into the sink. They finished up and went into the bedroom. The pair crawled into bed, made love tenderly, and fell asleep in each others’ arms.