A Fresh New Sunday
Nonnie made the mistake of getting ready early so she was left with looking out of the tall windows in the reception room of Uncle Stephen’s house. She was anxiously waiting for Richie.
Richie made the same mistake, arriving too early and was sitting in his car smoking a cigarette and looking at his watch which didn’t seem to be working, time was ticking away too slowly. Finishing his cigarette he chewed a piece of gum drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. Five minutes to twelve he disposed of his gum in the wrapper and tossed it in a trash bin down the street from where Nonnie waited pressed against the window.
She admonished herself, like a child waiting for Santa, a teenager waiting for the mailman. At last she saw him coming and pushed the buzzer for the security gate before he reached it so it closed right behind him causing him to jump and look back.
“Richie,” she met him at the door all smiles and went into his arms.
“Nonnie,” he kissed her and backed away a little looking into her eyes a little unsure. Last night they had been very intimate with each other but this was today and the sun was out. He was never sure where he was with her.
“I’ll just get my purse…car keys,” she ran up the steps not thinking to ask him in but he stepped in the doorway ignoring the expensive collections lining the walls, he was only interested in the woman coming back down the stairs.
“I thought since we’re going to The Glen we’d just eat at Andy’s if that’s okay with you?”
“That will be fine, Richie. They always have a good Sunday lunch.” She reached for his hand as they walked down the sidewalk to his car. She couldn’t think when she’d been so happy to see someone.
Richie backed his vehicle out and turned his radio down, “so what have you been doing since I last saw you?”
Nonnie smiled thinking of the last time he saw her, “Sleeping and eating an enormous breakfast so I may not do justice to lunch. William Martin came home today, Uncle Stephen’s partner he’s been to England on a buying trip. So it’s good I’m out of the house today I’m sure they have lots of catching up to do. What have you been up to?”
“Probably no good,” he grinned and then he told her about Rosemary, how he met her and about her visit to him that morning leaving out a few details.
“She doesn’t sound like a responsible person to have a child.”
“Nah, I don’t think so either but she does with Dom Maloney. I kinda feel sorry for him, he doesn’t know about it. Well I guess he does now.”
“What a sad situation and she hasn’t seen the boy in three years…I hope Dom get’s custody.”
“I don’t know what’s gonna happen. Um if you have time this afternoon, wanna go see the house with me, I got an appointment at 2:00 to look inside.”
“Like I said, I don’t have to be home for awhile…yes, I’d like to see it.”
They finished up their lunch and Richie asked her up to his room, Nonnie stood in the middle of the floor with her purse on her shoulder and looked around, it was surprisingly neat, she didn’t know what she had expected. Richie was in his bathroom. She walked over and picked up a baseball mitt and a ball and put it back down.
“It ain’t much but it’s home for now,” he said coming up behind her.
“So this is where it all takes place.”
“All what takes place?”
“All the women you parade through here.”
“Wanna see the notches on the headboard?”
Nonnie smiled, “I don’t think so Richie.”
“It’s all a myth, if I did half the things I’m accused of I wouldn’t have time to work.”
“But you do some of them.”
“Yeah, some. Are you ready to ride out to the house or do you um wanna…”
“Add my notch, no I think I’ll ride to the house,” she looked up at him and moved toward the door. “If ever I think about adding a notch,” she stopped and turned to him, “it will be on a brand new bed that nobody else has slept in. A fresh…new…bed.”
Richie pulled her to him, “I understand that…it will be…you can go with me and pick it out.”
“I don’t think you can buy it, Richie…such things are not for sale.” She reached behind her and opened the door.
