Michael and Susan

Chapter 15 (Susan): Promise

Copyright © 2024 by GroveltoHEA

Michael continued to court me month after month, having me home by nine o'clock in accordance with Mrs. Engel's strict rules. He wooed me both in person on our dates and through the multiple love letters he wrote to me during the week. 

We were in the hottest part of the summer now, and we had Mrs. Engel's attic fan running for hours, along with a floor fan. She and I drank a great deal of lemonade and iced tea sitting in front of that round fan, grateful for its breeze.

One Saturday afternoon, Michael rented a row boat at a nearby lake an hour away and rowed the two of us around. Mrs. Engel and I wore broad-brimmed straw hats and held two parasols that had belonged to her mother, and Michael wore his summer Panama straw hat and his black framed sunglasses. I was sneaking admiring glances at the way his shirt stretched across his broad chest as he rowed us on the lake, his arm muscles straining with each pull of the oars. Sometimes we just floated in the middle of the lake to give those arms a rest, and then Mrs. Engel and I threw out bread crumbs we'd brought along to attract the fish to the boat, and we'd laugh at their greedy mouths attacking the crumbs.

Another memorable day, Michael hired a sailboat, the boat's owner a friend of a friend from his  work, and the kind man took us sailing for hours, Michael helping to crew as needed.

"I've never had so much fun in my life," Mrs. Engel told me several times, which I repeated to Michael, who seemed intent on giving the older woman some lovely memories that both of us could share with her.

One evening, when the temperatures had soared near one hundred during the day, Michael had dropped by Mrs. Engel's house unexpectedly since it was mid-week and not one of his approved days to visit.

He took off his hat as soon as he walked in, and smiled as he greeted us. "Ladies, I'm sorry for stopping by uninvited, but a new drugstore just opened in town. They're advertising that they have the best soda fountain in the state, so I was wondering if you'd be interested in seeing if there's truth in advertising since it was so hot today."

"Oh, my, yes!" Mrs. Engel exclaimed. "A root beer float would be just the thing today! Let's go get our hats and gloves, Susan!"

She hurried out of the room, and Michael came up and pulled me to him by my waist. 

"You look like a ripe peach, honey," he said gruffly in my ear. "And you know how much I love sticky, sweet peaches."

"Michael!" 

I blushed bright red as he laughed softly against my neck. And even though my husband was being terribly naughty, I was still glad I'd worn my summery peach-colored dress today. I pushed away from Michael, afraid of what Mrs. Engel might walk in on if I stayed close to him. The previous Friday night, before he'd brought me back to Mrs. Engel's in time for curfew, Michael and I had engaged in a little necking and petting in the Thunderbird. The white dress with scattered tulips and scooped neckline I'd worn on our date had inspired Michael to show his enthusiastic appreciation for my outfit. I'd blushed every time I thought about Michael's clever hands and his melting kisses, which meant I felt like I'd blushed non-stop this last week.

Michael drove Mrs. Engel's car to the brand-new Sherman's Drugstore that I'd noticed the week before when I'd driven into town to deliver my Avon orders. Michael parked and offered his arm to Mrs. Engel because he knew she preferred a strong arm to hold on to for support. His other hand went right to my back. He only moved his hand from me to open the door for us, and we found three red stools all together at the counter. Everything shone brightly, all silver and new, the different glassware stacked in neat piles, ready for use. The soda jerk came right over to us in his pristine white uniform, a small white hat sitting jauntily on his head, and took our orders. I ordered a chocolate malt, Mrs. Engel ordered a root beer float and Michael ordered a cherry Coke.

"My second favorite taste, the first being your lips," he whispered right in my ear.

"Now Mr. Davenport, no canoodling, please," Mrs. Engel teased from the other side of me, and Michael lifted his head and assured her in his most exaggerated drawl that he'd never dream of it. At which point, she giggled like a school girl because Michael had that effect on her. The effect he had on me was unmentionable.

We lingered, talking and sipping our drinks, and eventually, when every last drop was gone, we headed out of the drugstore. We'd gotten no more than ten steps out of the store and turned into the parking lot when I saw Linda walking toward us.

She stopped right in front of us, and I noticed that Michael, who never failed to observe the rules of etiquette, didn't even tip his hat to her. I'd never seen him do that before and I never would again.

"Hello, Mike. Susan." 

Her eyes remained on my husband, but his were on me, I saw, when I glanced up at him. Michael didn't say anything, nor did I, but we really didn't have a chance to because Mrs. Engel stepped right into the fray. 

"Oh, my, from that gaping hole where your front tooth should be, I know who you are and you're bad news," Mrs. Engel said delicately. "Tell me, does that missing tooth make drinking from a straw easier? You know, when that blackened tooth falls out, there will be such a gap that you could almost eat without opening your mouth."

Linda started to speak, but Mrs. Engel beat her to it. 

"Now shoo, fly and don't bother me or I'll have Susan hurry along the process of you losing that remaining front tooth." Mrs. Engel looked around the parking lot. "I don't see any witnesses at the moment if you're so inclined, Susan."

Michael grabbed my hand and kissed it. "No. I don't want Susan to risk bruising her hand in case she needs to do any re-shoots for the Avon catalog."

Why on earth did he bring that up?

"Very true," Mrs. Engel said. "Although after two days of non-stop modeling, I'm not sure what else they could need for the fall campaign."

"You're an Avon model?" Linda asked in disbelief. Possibly some jealousy. 

And that was why Michael had brought it up out of the blue.

"Yes. But if you're thinking of trying your hand at it, they prefer their models to have all of their teeth," Mrs. Engel said sweetly.

"I don't believe it," Linda challenged me.

I shrugged. "I'll send you some autographed copies of the catalog when they come in."

"No, thank you!" Linda hissed at me and, red with either rage or embarrassment, she skirted around us and walked away.

"I always have such a wonderful time when I'm out with you two," Mrs. Engel said, and then, the tension broken, she and I started laughing and the three of us walked to her car.

"Walk me to the car?" Michael asked me after we returned to Mrs. Engel's home and he'd said good night to her.

I did, and we stood beside the car, Michael pushing my hair off my shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Susan."

Putting my hands on his shoulders, I rested my head against his chest. I knew what he meant, could hear the ache and remorse in every syllable. I knew all that his words encompassed, including the run-in with her tonight.

"I know you are. I do know it, Michael, but do you think you have a few more months of courting in you?"

Putting my arms around his strong neck, I pulled him down so I could whisper in his ear about what I wanted. Needed. When I moved back from him, his hands went to the sides of my face and his eyes were so sweet, so full of love, I didn't know if I could stand it. I loved this man so much.

And he loved me every bit as much, proving it with his next words.

Words that were a promise to me simply because I'd asked.

"Anything, Susan. Consider it done."

Copyright © 2024 by GroveltoHEA