Sweet Catherine Breezes By (21 page)

****

Just on five o’clock he made it to the jewellery store on the mainland and spent his entire savings on the biggest diamond ring he could afford. He kept just enough to take Catherine out that night though and he still had his credit card if he needed more money for that.

He returned home with the little felt box snug in his pocket and he showered and scrubbed the fish smell away then splashed some cologne and put on his suit. He found Catherine dressed in a pretty little red dress with her mom smiling over in the kitchen doorway and her dad frowning a little and looking very serious.

He handed Catherine the box of chocolates he had brought for her and she passed them back to her mom while slipping within his arm and smiling back at her dad. He then walked all the way to the cruiser with his arm around her and his feet not nearly touching the ground. She was so pretty and the way she was cuddling him with her soft hair against his cheek had him completely bewildered.

The warm sea breeze and the moonlit night only added ambience to the fairy tale that he was suddenly living. She was sweet and attentive through dinner and asked him all about the Navy, which was his favourite thing to talk about after studying the brochures and sleeping with them under his pillow for the past year. She didn't seem interested in anyone else at all and when she laughed she even reached across the small table and touched his hand sometimes.

Timmy's hand was sweaty, and throughout dinner and the comedy stage show they watched afterwards, it kept working its way into his coat pocket and feeling the little felt box. There had been a few opportunities chatting after the meal or during intermission in the comedy act where he could have taken the box out and given it to her but his heart would just pound and he couldn't do it yet

Then after the show they strolled around the resort gardens and if there was ever going to be the perfect time it was then. They even sat beneath a lamp on a garden bench for a while and she lifted her face wanting to be kissed. And he did that - he kissed her softly and then more passionately as his mind whirled around exactly what he was going to say. He had written it down last night and remembered it word for word but still he couldn't bring himself to speak - to just ask that simple question with those six simple words - and to risk everything.

And so the moment passed and the little felt box was still there in his pocket with his sweaty hand feeling it as they strolled along again. It was still there when they were back aboard the cruiser heading for the island, and it was still there when he had tied the boat down and when he turned to find her standing there in the moonlight smiling up at him.

"Umm - Catherine," he started shakily but she hushed him with a soft kiss.

"I want to taste you one more time," she whispered and she led him down to the bed.

That wasn't the right words anyway he figured, and besides - he really liked it when she tasted him. So he waited until she had lowered his trousers, then he sat down and laid back on the bed, propped on his elbows so he could watch. And she smiled up at him as she softly squeezed his balls and took him in her mouth. And he held her head with one hand and watched her soft lips slide up and down his cock, thrusting his hips a little each time they slid down. And all the nervous tension of the past six hours seemed to filter through his body and build in his balls. And one time when her soft lips were sliding down he forced his cock into her warm mouth nice and deep and held firmly there. And all that tension erupted and gushed from his balls as she moaned and sucked on him.

She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and sat there smiling up at him as he fixed his trousers. "Help me up," she said, offering her hands, and he lifted her and kept her hands clasped within his own.

Timmy then took a breath - a more relaxed breath this time - and he took the small felt box from his pocket and presented it to her. He held it on his open hand and watched her eyes light up.

"Oh my god!" she said with her eyes turning to concern. "You didn't buy me something?"

Timmy just nodded. He had exactly six words and he wanted them to be his next six words. He motioned with his eyes for her to take the box.

"Oh, Timmy - you shouldn't have,” she said but she lifted the box from his hand and opened it. Her eyes then lit up in complete amazement and her mouth opened but no words came out. And it was then the perfect moment for Timmy's six words.

"Will you be my girlfriend, Catherine?"

"Oh shit! Is this real, Timmy?" She was looking at a huge solitaire diamond ring. "You can't give me this. You - I can't possibly." She took it out of the box and slipped it on. "Oh I can't. Oh my god,” she cried ogling it there on her finger but then quickly taking it off and putting it back in the box.

"No, Timmy, I can't be your girlfriend. I can't accept that," she cried. "It's so beautiful and you're really wonderful but I just can't."

"But why?" he asked dejectedly. "Why can't you be my girlfriend?"

"Oh, Timmy, you're joining the Navy and you're going to have great adventures. You don't want to be tied down with a girlfriend now! And I'm in college and I just broke up with a guy. It just wouldn't work - and you can't give a girl,” she had another look at the ring with her eyes lighting up again for a second. "You just can't give a girl something like this! Not unless you're – well, you just can't."

"But I want you to have it," he muttered. "Even if you don't want to be my girlfriend I still want you to have it."

Catherine forced the box into his hand and closed his fingers around it. "Show it to Janelle, okay? Show it to your sister and ask her why I couldn't accept it. She'll explain it to you."

And with that Catherine left and ran home with her heart pounding and tears streaming down her face. He was such a sweet guy and she felt so sorry for him but there was no way she could be his girlfriend. She was going home to her real life and he was going away to his. There was no practical way they could even get to spend time together, and she wanted to be single now anyway.

She still wore the shell necklace he had made for her and the roses were there on the nightstand. He would be all right, she convinced herself as she laid in bed listening to the silence in the air and the soft rumble of waves in the distance. He would meet another girl - lots of girls, when he went away to join the Navy. He would be fine, she decided as sleep came to her.

****

The entire fisherman's bar cheered that next morning when Manny walked in. It was the first time he had walked through that door since his wife passed away.

"Get off his fucking stool," Vince said to his son. Vince was Manny's best buddy and his son had been sitting there after the catch every morning for the past nine months - after Manny's stool had remained vacant for a while awaiting his return and they had finally given up on him.

His stool was next to Vince's, right by the open windows looking out along the pier.

"Good to see you, old timer," Vince said warmly. "It's about time!"

Manny chuckled and took a sip of the beer that had been placed in front of him. He waited until all the pats on the back ended and everyone settled back to their drinks and chat, then he responded quietly to Vince.

"Yeah well I was more than happy wallowing in self-pity but Rose booted me up the ass didn't she."

Vince chuckled. "And how'd she do that exactly?"

"Sent me an angel."

"Oh - you mean sweet young Catherine? She's been a breath of fresh air strolling around in those pretty dresses, hasn't she? With those legs!" Vince returned secretly. Then he had a sip of his beer and went on. "You know she reminded me of Rose - the way she stood there on the pier with the wind up her skirt and her little panties on display - same as the day we first laid eyes on Rose, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember," Manny grinned, looking out the window. "Speak of an angel. There she is now."

She was in the back seat of the four wheel drive that had just pulled up beside the police office. Her father was chatting with Sergeant Pratt, seemingly saying goodbye as they were headed for the ferry pulling into dock.

"You know there's a young guy who's got it bad," Vince said, indicating Timmy waiting out on the end of the pier. "You know, talk over on the mainland is that he paid near on three thousand for a diamond ring yesterday."

"Yeah I heard," Manny said with concern. "I was talking with his old man this morning and apparently he got word back from his Navy application this morning too - failed the aptitude test."

"Fuck no!" Vince growled in disappointment for the young guy. Then he cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean, Rose sent you an angel? What have you been up to exactly?"

Manny just grinned and offered a shrug. "Nothing at all. Just like you say, with her strolling around the pier in those pretty dresses, reminding me of Rose. Made me wake up to myself is all."

Vince put his arm around his old friend's shoulder. "It's good," he said warmly. "And as matter of fact I deliberately sent the pretty young thing to ask you for a ride over that first morning to try and give you a boost. Maybe Rose was working me too huh?"

"Maybe so," Manny agreed as he smiled and waved over to Catherine.

"See you, honey!" someone called out.

"Come on back and see us again!" another voice shouted, and a few of the guy's whistled and cheered.

"Show us a bit of leg!" someone else tried as Catherine was hanging out her window smiling and waving, while her father was glaring over.

"I'm going over to have a word to them," her dad said.

"Oh you are not!" his wife scolded though. "Just drive!"

He drove off and stopped on the end of the line of cars waiting to load onto the ferry. Catherine saw Timmy and got out. "I'll just be a minute," she said to her parents and she approached where he was leaning against the pier rail.

"Hi, Timmy - how are you?" she asked tentatively.

"I'm okay," he replied with a half-hearted shrug. "I just wanted to see you one more time."

Catherine stepped close and took his hands. "I'm so sorry," she offered, fighting back a sob.

His chin was quivering. "I understand. I'm just going to watch until you're gone, okay? I'm not being silly anymore."

The cars were moving. "You're a great guy, Timmy. I'll always remember you," she said, choking up that time. "Have fun in the Navy, okay? You're going to make a great sailor!"

Timmy fought back the ache in the base of his throat and smiled and waved. He followed their car until the end of the pier and stood there watching for every possible glimpse of Catherine as they parked and then as she walked with her parents over to the seats at the front of the ferry when it was pushing off. He stood there transfixed and watching intently as the ferry drifted slowly away and finally Catherine waved and he thought he could see her smile. He then waved back frantically but she was obscured by the cars when the ferry turned a little.

"What's up, dweeb brain?" his brother laughed suddenly, scuffing up his hair. "What - are you going to cry are you?"

Timmy thumped his brother's chest sending his back on his ass. "Get the fuck off me, Tod," he growled, and Tod got up stunned.

"H-ho! Look whose balls just dropped," he said a little shakily, feeling a twinge of fear.

Timmy was just glaring at him but he turned back around to search into the distance for another glimpse of Catherine.

Paulo took Tod's arm and pulled him away. "Come on - let's go and watch some porn," he said.

Timmy turned back around glaring at the two of them and he stepped forward sending them both scurrying backwards as he stormed past and ran down the pier. He ducked into the cruiser and got his scope and ran up the hill past the house and across the dunes to the trail leading up onto the headland.

His chest was tight with the pain in his heart and the ache from the tears he had been holding back. He felt none of that though as he ran as fast as he could up the rocky trail and emerged at the lookout. He then levelled his scope on the ferry and immediately found Catherine's pretty white dress. He could see it and he could see her clearly but it was too far to see her eyes or her smile. And he watched and watched intently as the ferry drifted past the buoy and closer to the mainland, and as the image of Catherine became harder and harder to distinguish in the shimmering distance. Then the ferry swung around and docked and he focused on their car. He saw it move slowly with the others and then it went up the hill and turned onto the road leading along the coast towards the city. He followed it straining to see but unable to make out Catherine in the back. He could just see the shape of it and he knew she was there. He watched as it disappeared into the trees and his heart sank but it sparked to life again when the car emerged on the cliff road around the headland. And he clung to his scope with his heart pounding and his bottom lip quivering as the car skirted the headland and when it finally disappeared into the trees the ache in his heart clenched and he couldn't contain his tears.

He searched the tree line for a one more glimpse but she was gone and he slumped to the ground and took the photo from his pocket. It was the photo of Catherine cuddling the stuffed giraffe and smiling at him. He'd been carrying it around in his pocket and taking it out to look at all the time. It was a bit dog-eared and smudged from where he had been touching her face but he had another one in a picture frame at home.