Seer (18 page)

So I kicked it up a notch, and a
half mile later, she said, “Faster,” and a short while later, “faster!”

I glanced at my speedometer. We were up to sixteen miles per hour, which is the limit of my distance speed. Serious bikers can go faster, clos
er to twenty miles an hour, and I could sprint that fast, but this was my limit for more than a couple of miles. Luckily, she didn’t ask me to speed up again.

She kept up easily. I was impressed.

I took us three miles before we came to a good place to turn around. I called out, “Coming to a stop,” and then slowed gently, not wanting her to run me over.

She was beaming. “Sidney!” she said. “This is great!”

“We should turn around so we get home while you still believe that,” I said, returning her smile.

She cocked her head. “If I weren’t here, how far would you go?”

“An easy ride is an hour or two. My butt starts to hurt after that, and it was killing me at the end of that long ride. My training rides are forty to sixty miles. Anything less is just exercise and a nice ride.”

“Let’s keep going.”

“Solange, I don’t want to have to come find you with the car.”

“You won’t have to.”

“You’re using muscles you don’t normally use.”

“I have a gym at home, and there are bikes in it.”

“It’s not the same.”

“Sidney, I know my own body. I’m good for at least another hour.”

“You’re sure?” She nodded. “At that pace?”

“Is that a good pace for you?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll keep up.”

I shook my head, finding it hard to believe.

“Trust me, Sidney,” she said. “I’ll keep up, and you won’t hear a single complaint.”

“We’ll turn around in twenty minutes,” I said.

“You’re the boss.”

* * * *

She kept up. I was terribly impressed and had a hard time believing she hadn’t done this before. When we got back to my garage, she was laughing, and as soon as we were both off the bikes, I got a sweaty hug from her.

I was a lot sweatier than she was.

“That was great!” she said. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“How often do you go?”

“Three or four times a week, although I’m a fair weather biker.”

“Will you let me go with you? Will you help me buy everything I need?”

“You’re sure?” She nodded enthusiastically.

“Can I leave it here? I don’t want to buy a special car to haul it.”

I laughed and agreed. “I have a bike rack,” I said.

“Can we go now? Wait; let’s go tomorrow. I want to show you how to water ski, and I think I want to take you to lunch first.”

I smiled. “So.”

“Yes?”

“I bet you never thought you’d be wearing spandex once you hit thirty.”

She looked down at the bicycle pants. “Spandex?” I nodded, grinning. “I think I look good. I think you do, too.”

I pulled her into the house.

* * * *

We showered together. We took our time.

Afterwards, we got dressed. I was prepared for it to be awkward as I picked out what to bring with me. We were going swimming, and then over to Dolores’ house. Solange beat me to handling it. I turned around, and she was right there. She pulled me into her arms and kissed me deeply, still full of the passion we’d shared in the shower. I was left moaning before she released me.

“I want you to spend the night tonight, too, but if you want to come back here instead, am I invited?”

I looked up into her eyes. “All right,” I said. “But for now, two nights in a row max. I’m not moving in.”

“Yet.”

“Fine. Yet.”

“Long weekends.”

“Solange…”

“Long weekends. What is the rule for long weekends?”

“Fine, it’s a guideline. I’m not moving in. I don’t want us assuming I’m spending every night in your bed. Especially work nights.”

“Some work nights.”

“We’ll see.”

“But we’re spending tomorrow together.”

“Yes, if you want, but not tomorrow night.”

“I promise to release you before bedtime,” she said. She kissed me to seal the deal. “So you’ll stay in my bed? Or did you want to come back here?”

“If we’re going to the bike shop, then let’s come back here after cards,” I suggested.

“All right.” So I packed for swimming and then I packed more clothes for the evening. And then we were on the road.

We swam first. The lake was crisp, and I whooped when I first got in, but I’d been swimming in Minnesota lakes before. It was fine.

We’d been in the water for about ten minutes when we were hailed from shore. I looked, and Aubree was there in her own suit. I looked at Solange.

“She lives here,” Solange said. “And someone has to drive the boat.”

“She lives here?”

She pointed. “Well, across the road, but yeah.”

“Solange said something about skiing,” Aubree called out. “I’m not too early, am I?”

“No,” Solange replied. “Going to swim first?”

“Don’t mind if I do,” she said. She set her things down on one of the chairs on shore then ran down the dock and made a clean dive into the water. She came up, whooping
herself, then swam for us. She swam well.

She came to a stop perhaps five paces from us. “Congratulations,” she said. “I’m so happy for both of you.”

“Thank you, Aubree,” I said.

“You swim well,” she observed.

“Native Minnesotan,” I said. “We all swim well, as do you.”

“I’m not native, but thanks,” she said. “I couldn’t swim a stroke when I met Solange. She taught me. She taught me everything.” She bent her head back in the water, sinking below the surface, then came back up, shaking the water out. “Oh, that feels so good.”

I had to agree with her.

“So. Swimming for a while? Or should we get serious?”

I suddenly grew nervous. “Maybe I should just ride in the boat.”

“
Nonsense,” Solange said.

“I’m not going to do as well on skis as you did on the bike.”

“It’s not a competition, Sidney. It would mean a lot if you do your best.”

“It’s hard at first,” Aubree said, “You might drink some lake water. I recommend keeping your mouth closed. But you’ll get it.”

“We’ll show you first,” Solange said. “Come on.” She set off for shore, Aubree and I following her. By the time I was standing on the sand, she was at the back of the tiki bar, pulling out life jackets and skis. Aubree stepped forward and collected a life jacket from Solange. She dressed me in it like I were a doll, adjusting all the straps. “Comfy?”

“I guess.”

“You can take that off in the boat, if you want,” she said. “I just wanted to get it sized for you.” She turned to Solange. “Who is demonstrating?”

“You, I think,” Solange replied. “I’ll drive, and she can ride in the boat.”

“All right. Once around on two skis, then I’ll drop one and have some fun?”

“Sure.”

“Drop one?” I asked.

“Good skiers ski on one ski,” Solange explained. “Aubree easily can start on one, but she’ll start on two to show you. Then I’ll swing past the dock, and she’ll kick one off and ski on one after that. It’s harder but a lot more fun.”

“I understand.”

They showed me the skis, and then Solange and I walked over to where her boat was waiting. She helped me in, showed me the handle Aubree would grasp, and then started the boat. We ran once around the bay before coming around. Aubree was at the end of the dock, the skis already on, but she pushed off the dock and was bobbing in the water by the time we came slowly past her. Solange tossed the rope to her, landing it neatly over
Aubree’s shoulder, the handle splashing in the water past her. A moment later, Aubree had the handles in her hands, the rope passing between the two skis sticking up in the water.

“Okay,” Solange said. “She’s floating in the water, letting the life vest do it’s job. Her knees are bent, and the skis are at an ankle. She’ll keep her knees bent and lean back as we pull her from the water. After that, it’s balance. New skiers tend to make one of two mistakes. They either fall off to one side, or they let the boat pull themselves forward. The first is a matter of balance. The second is a matter of strength and determination.”

“I think I understand.”

Solange put the boat in gear, tightening the rope. Once it was taut, Aubree yelled, “Hit it!”

Solange gave the boat its power. I watched as Aubree was dragged a short distance, then she was out of the water, standing on the two skis.

“She did it!”

“Of course she did,” Solange yelled back to me. She throttled back slightly, glancing at Aubree from time to time, but mostly she drove the boat.

Aubree followed immediately behind the boat for a portion of the trip, but then I saw her lean, and she moved out from behind.

“You lean to steer,” Solange yelled. “The wake can be hard to handle at first, but it’s smoothest if you get outside the wake like she is now.”

Aubree went gently back and forth from one side of the wake to the other, and we made a big circle of the bay. I thought she was pretty good.

Then Aubree was outside the wake on the side closest to shore. She did something, lifting her foot from the boot of one ski, and then she lifted her foot all the way out, dangled it in the air behind her for a moment while balancing on one ski, then slipped her foot into the mini-boot on the back of her single ski.

Solange sped up slightly, and then Aubree was really moving back and forth, whipping from one side to the other, throwing water up in a big wall at each corner.

“Wow!”

“She’s gotten pretty good,” Solange yelled back.

“You don’t expect me to do that, do you?”

“Not for a few years,” she said. “
Aubree’s good.”

We went twice more around the bay before Aubree whipped from the offshore side of the wake to the shore side and let go of the rope. She curled towards shore,
then threw a big wall of water before coming to a stop, standing up.

Solange whipped the boat around then idled back. She killed the motor, and we drifted to a gentle stop at the end of the dock.

“Wow!” I told Aubree. “You were amazing.”

“Thanks,” she said. “Solange, were you going to go next?”

“I’m going to help Sidney, then when she takes a break, I’ll take a turn, then we can let her go again. Then we’ll rotate around until everyone’s done.”

Aubree shucked out of her life jacket and set it and her ski on the dock, then she swam out and found the ski she’d dropped off, swimming back with it.

“Oops,” Solange said. “I should have picked that up. I forgot she dropped one.”

Aubree got back with the ski and set it on the dock. A moment later, she was out of the water, grabbed her towel, and then plopped down into the boat.

It took about ten minutes to get me ready. Solange helped me back into the life jacket. Then she helped me fit the skis for my feet and talked to me quietly, offering far more advice than I was going to remember.

“This is a combination of being stubborn and having balance, but not too stubborn. You don’t want to be dragged all the way across the lake. Also, if you fall, let go of the rope. I’ve never known of anyone to get hurt falling.”

I nodded.

She nodded to Aubree, who started up the boat and pushed off from the dock. Solange retrieved the rope, floating along behind the boa
t, and passed it between my skis. Eventually she gave me the handles then moved behind me to support me.

“I’ll hold you upright at first, but only for a few steps. Relax now. Knees bent, skis at an angle.”

“Ready, I think,” I said.

“Hit it!” Solange yelled to Aubree.

I stayed upright perhaps ten feet or so, then I fell off to my side, got dragged a short distance, and let go. Solange came out to me, dragged me back to shallower water, and then collected the rope.

It took me five tries to get up. I fell about fifteen seconds later, but I had skied!

Aubree picked me up in the boat, lowering a ladder for me, and we boated back to shore.

“Try again,” Solange said. “That was really good.”

“You go,” I said, “Then I’ll go again.”

“Do you need your towel?”

“I’m fine.” It was a warm day.

Solange started on one ski. I couldn’t tell, but she looked as good as Aubree.

“Isn’t she amazing?” Aubree said. “She’ll treat you very well, Sidney. All she asks in return is loyalty.”

I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I nodded.

For Solange, Aubree drove a big figure-eight pattern out in the bay. Solange went back and forth, back and forth, water flying everywhere. It was beautiful.

“Is she as good as I think?” I asked.

“Probably better. I’m probably as good as you think, and she’s a lot better than I am.”

“She picked up bicycling awfully easily.”

“She does everything easily,” Aubree replied. “So I’m not surprised.”

I glanced over at her, wondering if there was a little hero worship going on, and wondering if there was going to be a little jealousy going on. Aubree read my look.

“I love her to pieces, but we’d be horrible lovers. We have to work too closely together, and it would be too much. Don’t worry, Sidney. I see her as a big sister.”

I nodded.

“But she is damned intimidating, isn’t she?”

“Yeah. We already talked about that.”

Aubree waved back at the house. “It’s only a little ostentatious.”

“Yeah.”

“She’ll be mad if you let it get in the way.”

“She already did. We talked. I’ll do my best.”

Finally we dropped Solange off. I could hear her whoop of delight.

“I wouldn’t have expected this of her,” I told Aubree. “She seemed so prim and proper.”

“That’s her work presence. This is her loving life presence. This is the real her. She approaches everything she does with everything she has. The results are amazing and damned infectious besides.”

We looped around. Solange caught the boat and guided it to the dock, and then it was my turn again.

It took two tries to get up, and I made it halfway around the lake before I fell. I was grinning broadly by the time Aubree circled around.

“You have a choice,” she said to me. “You can try to get up out here. You’re ready, and it’s what the rest of us do when we fall.”

“You fall?”

“Sure. So does Solange. If you never fall, you’re not pushing yourself. If you were to the point you were dropping a ski like I did, but not getting up on one, we’d have a spare ski in the boat for you to use. Your other choice is to take a ride back. Unless you’re tired, I think you should try it.”

“How do I get the rope?”

In answer, she drove the boat around me in a circle, which basically wrapped the rope around me, but ten feet away. “Paddle backwards to it,” Aubree called out. So I did, grabbing the rope. I poked my skis out of the water, passed the rope between them,
then let it slide between my fingers until I had the handle.

“Hit it.”

I fell twice more, but on the third try, I got up, all by myself, and I made it all the way back. But by then I really was tired, and when I saw Solange waving, I let go, coming to a gentle stop out in the water. She swam out to me and collected the skis. We swam back to shore together.

“I did it!” I said. “I did it!”

“You certainly did,” she said. “Good job.” She high-fived me. “Again?”

“Pooped. Maybe later.”

“All right. You can ride in the boat for a while.”

Aubree and Solange each went again, much longer rides than I was ready for, then they started in on me. It didn’t take much
arm twisting. They both rode in the boat this time. I got up on the first try and made it all the way around without falling, even managing to go back and forth a few times. I almost wiped out when we went over our own wake, and again when we went around the wake of another boat, but I held on and didn’t fall.

But I was ready to be done after twice around.

The two of them put everything away, and we sat down in the lawn recliners. Aubree played waitress for us, and then the three of us relaxed.

“That was great,” I said. “I think I’m going to hurt tomorrow, though.”

“Hinting for a massage?”

“Asking if you have ibuprofen and hoping I don’t hurt so we can do it again.”

Solange laughed. “Any time.”

* * * *

We relaxed for the rest of the afternoon, Aubree eventually disappearing to shower and get dressed, although I thought perhaps she was giving us some privacy.

“I could get used to this, Solange,” I said.

“Good,” she replied. “I hope you do. I could get used to your company.”

“Yeah, me too,” I said. I reached over, and we held hands. We lay quietly for a while before I said, “If you have all this money, we do you work so hard? Aren’t you tempted to just kick back and be the jet setting playgirl?”

“I’ve done some of that,” she admitted. “But honestly, I love what I do, and I get bored if all I do is play. I don’t feel fulfilled unless I’m doing something valuable.”

“You could manage your money.”