High C

18. A Little More Than Mid-Way

After dessert, Maya passed out in one of the guest bedrooms. Gwyn was invited for a tour of Gene's study from which she had not returned before Natasha, Bob and DeeDee decided to call it a night.

"Are you headed back to your parents or are you headed back home?" Rodney asked at the door.

"Home tonight," Natasha said, ever so casually. "We're volunteering at the Christmas Train tomorrow."

"Would it be too much to ask for a lift?"

"It's Christmas. What the heck?" Bob shrugged.

"That's very gentlemanly of you, Bob. Hope you don't mind if I ride up front. I feel like I could get car sick."

DeeDee was already heading down the gravel driveway towards the backseat.

"You've got dibs," Bob said.

"This can't actually be working can it?" Rodney asked in a low voice.

"Dad hates him and mom's mortified," Natasha said gleefully.

"I've been shot at and almost stabbed so I think we're good," said Bob.

"By your parents?" Rodney asked Natasha.

"Not yet," Bob said, "but it still counts."

As Bob got into the car next to DeeDee she asked, "What did the Unicorn say to Noah?"

"I already told you."

"Before that. To get kicked of the list."

"I don't know. Must have made fun of him. Cubits is a funny word. Lots you can do with it. Pubits?"

"No!" DeeDee laughed.

"Stupits? Okay maybe there are just two, but we don't know all the old swears."

Their getting along so well might have annoyed Natasha more if she hadn't sensed her sister's hostility towards Bob after the cookie shop. If the only limit to DeeDee's goodwill towards him was Natasha's compromising her own happiness for his, it would be a cinch to turn her against him again when the time came. She should've felt victorious in this, but in seeing DeeDee restored to her bright, happy self in Bob's company, a quiet feeling, just below niggling, had begun to suggest a selfishness in her actions she was uncomfortable with - at least until Rodney's hand sneakily grazed her thigh before coming to rest innocently in his own lap.

They'd been moving swiftly along the highway for several minutes when DeeDee suddenly strained against her seatbelt to see out Bob's window. "Hey look at that!" Arcades of brilliant lights glowing red, white and pink formed a twinkling canopy in the near distance. "It's the Fair in the Square! Tonight's the last night. There's a midway too! Can we go?"

"It's late and we have a busy day tomorrow," Natasha groaned.

"I'm up for it," Bob said.

"Come on," DeeDee coaxed. "What about all this life is short stuff?"

"You're being a Toots," said Natasha.

"No I'm not. And that wasn't the point of that story."

"I wasn't really listening."

"Pleeeease?"

"I, for one, do not have a busy day tomorrow and I think it would be fun," Rodney said, smiling at her even though she couldn't turn to see it.

"Fine, we can go," Natasha gave in. "It's probably closing soon, but whatever."

"Unless you're too gassy, honey," Bob said sweetly. "That's a different Toots," he whispered to DeeDee.