Kalico 2: Hypnotized & Naked in Hope Springs

Kalico: Shopping

Kalico: Wednesday morning, Main Street

Practically glowing from David's kiss and his (very) overly-familiar pat on my bottom, I wandered down the sidewalk thinking, "Did I just get felt up? Or at least, groped?"

I was 20 steps down the sidewalk before I realized I was on my way to my next errand without the lunch I had hoped to share with David. Oh, well, his store is busy today; he couldn't get away right now.

My next errand would be simple, I hoped. Drop in at Mom's office, say hello to her boss and others in the insurance place, get the credit card and run for it.

I didn't have the emotional energy or anger necessary to take on that serious issue again with Mom this morning, especially not in her work-place. That's not how it's done. We may have a personal feud, but keep it away from her job. Also, I wanted to re-think a few aspects, such as how I feel about David. And how David feels about me. Especially, how David feels so freely about me with his hands.

– – – 

The Insurance Office:

"M-m-m-m-m, you smell nice today," Mom said, speaking loud enough to be heard in all parts of the insurance office. "What's happening with my little girl? She must be growing up."

"Uh, thank you, Mom. I think."

"She certainly is growing up," the middle-aged man across the room said. "Kalico, come here, let me look at you. I haven't seen you up close since you were two years old." (That would have been about the time Daddy joined the Army and we moved away from Hope Springs, long before Madison was born.)

"Kalico, this is Cactus Jack Abernathy, my boss," Mom said. That made sense, because the sign outside the office says "Abernathy Insurance Agency."

"Boss? Yes, in a technical sense," Mr. Abernathy said. "More seriously, we're old friends, going back to before she was in high school. So, you're Miss Canoodling Kalico? You're causing quite a stir. It's been awhile since we had a new girl joining our high school classes. Especially a Johnson girl."

"Canoodling? What's that?" I asked. I noticed Mom shot a look at Mr. Abernathy.

"Oh, I didn't mean anything by it," Cactus Jack said, defensively, "Canoodling is an old fashioned slang for kissing. I expect the guys at school will want to tease you about things like that."

"You were in high school with Mom?" I asked, hoping to guide the topic away from me and away from kissing.

"Do I look that young?" Cactus Jack laughed. "I could wish I were. I would have tried to marry this young lady way back then. Everyone knew that Wanda had eyes only for her sweetheart David, all their way through high school.

"No, no, I was new in the insurance business back then. Wanda bought my first policy to cover automobile liability when she got her driver's license, way back in – whenever it was in the 1980s. She still looks just as young and pretty as she did then – and it looks like you're taking after her."

I performed the ritual required of all kids when meeting old friends of one's parents who last saw you when you were two years old. I walked closer to Mr. Cactus Jack, curtsied, and turned a slow circle to allow him to inspect me.

As I turned around in a small circle for his inspection of me, I noticed three items I hadn't expected. A large wide, flat-screen television mounted on a wall on one side of the office. Also hanging on the wall were a large frame around one of those Glory towels I had seen in other places round town, and a smaller frame around a sign that says: