By Tommy Boy
Tommy Boy sat at her desk. She was daydreaming. Something she was letting herself do a bit of lately. The sun was showing through the window telling her it was too nice a day to be stuck behind her desk.
Tommy Boy looked at her desk. She had a stack of programs to read through for different stages of consulting for games and applications, but she wasn't in the mood to read through them.
Her mind wasn't on work. She was in a reflective mood.
She had been with Buckaroo and Rawhide for six years. She looked at the calendar. Six years in three weeks, she thought to herself would be her anniversary with them. Much of her life had changed in those six years. She thought she was self-reliant before joining them. They proved her wrong but showed her how to survive.
Tommy Boy looked at the pictures on her desk, Buckaroo and Peggy in London, Rawhide at his Uncles house in Wyoming, Rawhide and herself at Aires Rock in Australia. Buckaroo, Rawhide and Peggy were the family she loved. But she had one thing she wished she could say out loud to herself and to them. She wanted to tell Rawhide that she loved him.
When she first met him, he intrigued her. His nature was that of a good listener and teacher. And he taught her a lot. He listened to her life, even after she downed more than half his Beam one night to get drunk. She wound up sick as a dog and it was Rawhide who helped her through the whole process and then listened to her explain why she did it in the first place.
She picked up his Wyoming picture she took of him when they went out for two months in '74 to help his Uncle.
He taught her to rope and mountain climb. He gave her hope that she could do anything she wanted.
But he was off the market. Right after joining Buckaroo and Rawhide she found that Rawhide was not looking for anyone. He had lived many lives himself before joining Buckaroo in '72 to start the institute. He was smart, had two masters and two PhD's from what she could uncover. He traveled the world more than once and even was married for a time. Not much was said about that other than it was unpleasant experience that he had no desire to go through that again.
Over the six years he dated women, but never longer than a few months. When attending functions with Buckaroo, they were naturally paired together to support Buckaroo. She even taught him to dance the Waltz. "I'm a piano player not a dancer," he would complain when she asked for a dance. Finally Buckaroo told him he should learn a dance or two
She dated too, but never more than a few dates with them. Being the "baby" of the group, they had to approve by the big brothers. Once that was done, Tommy didn't find any thing that sparked between her and her date.
"Why can't I make you see that I like you Rawhide?" she said out loud to the picture in her hand. She put the picture down.
Tommy Boy turned her attention to the calendar again. She looked over the next few days to see if anything important was going on.
A knock came to Tommy Boy's door. Peggy and Pecos were standing in the doorway. "Are we interrupting anything?" Peggy asked.
Tommy shook her head to stop the dilly-dallying. "Just programming ladies. What can I do for you?"
Peggy and Pecos came into her office and sat down in the two chairs opposite Tommy Boy's desk. "The boys want us to plan a party."
"A party?" she asked. "For what? It's September, and I don't remember anyone's birthday coming up."
Peggy laughed at her, "Your anniversary silly. Buckaroo wants to celebrate your six years with him and the Institute."
"We don't need a party for that," Tommy Boy complained.
"Then we need a party for the sake of a party," Pecos put in.
"Come on Tommy. Buckaroo wants to show his appreciation. So what type of party do you want?"
Tommy Boy sat looking at the picture of Rawhide. Then a smile came upon her face. She would try it. "I want a Karaoke party."
"Karaoke?" Pecos asked. But Peggy caught the gleam in Tommy Boy's eye.
"Girl, I see something spinning up there."
Tommy Boy sat back in her chair and looked at her two friends. "I'm going to do something that I hope I will not regret. Get a karaoke DJ and make sure they have ABBA in his catalog."
"ABBA, come on Tommy that it so . . . "
"For my plan to work I need ABBA on the list."
"Okay, I'll call around for the karaoke." Peggy agreed.
Peggy and Pecos got up to leave. Tommy Boy called after them, "the ABBA thing is between us ladies. No men are to know that request." Peggy laughed at her, "you think I'll tell that to Buckaroo?"
"More so to Rawhide."
Peggy did a double take, "My lips are sealed."
88 * 88 * 88 * 88 * 88* 88 * 88 * 88 * 88
Friday night in the Auditorium on the grounds of the Institute. All the interns and residents of the institute were dancing to the music and sampling the appetizers and drinking from the open bar. Buckaroo wanted to set anexample for such anniversary he had commented at the weekly meeting.
Tommy Boy dressed in a black leather mini skirt, black silk shirt and ankle high boots. She simply pulled her hair back into a ponytail to give a natural look. The only adornments she had on here hoop earrings and a black choker with a silver medallion on it. Rawhide had picked it up on their trip to London at one of the markets they had visited.
Peggy came up beside her, "You look good."
"Thank you."
"Want to let me know what you are planning?"
"Something that you have been trying to get me to do for three years." Peggy stopped and had Tommy Boy look at her, "Tommy?"
"My heart will be on my sleeve tonight. I'm going to let him know how I feel out right."
Peggy hugged her. "What can I do?"
"Not a thing." Tommy Boy took a deep breath. Anxiety was starting to set in.
The DJ started his monologue in trying to get people to sing in front of the crowd.
Pecos got up there with three other girls to sing "Please Mr. Postman."
Tommy Boy went off to get a drink and see what there was to eat. At the bar was Rawhide. He hugged her and told her congratulations. "I can see a five-year party but a six-year party?" Tommy commented then continued, "But there is rarely anything conventional about this group so why knock it."
"It seems six has a better omen for Buckaroo than five."
She got a coke and walked with Rawhide to the buffet table. They each filled a plate of tidbits and headed to a table near the front of the stage.
'Good,' she thought, 'at least he will be nearby when I get up to sing.'
Several different people and groups got up to sing. Suzanne and Mike from programming got up to do Sonny and Cher. Mike got down on his knees to emphasize the difference between the two performers in real life. They got a good laugh and applause in regards to their performance.
Then Buckaroo got up to make a little speech. "I'm glad that everyone is having a good time. This is a first of many celebrations I hope that we will be having here at the Institute. It was six years ago next week that we started adding members on to get the foundation in place. Rawhide found a young lady who had left a mark at MIT with only two years there. And has been our building block of our computer hardware and software system. I would like to give recognition to her now for it is my superstitious way of thinking that making it six years with us is worth having a celebration."
Tommy Boy stood up as the others clapped in appreciation. She walked up to the stage and stood beside Buckaroo. Buckaroo continued, "I know you aren't a plaque type person so Peggy suggested a ring, like a graduation ring so I would like to present to you." He opened a ring box. "A ring with the institute emblem." He took it out and put it on the finger she offered.
"Now since it was you who suggest a karaoke party, it's your turn to sing," Buckaroo announced.
Everyone clapped at Tommy Boy winked to Peggy. Buckaroo sat down at the table. Rawhide started to rise out of his seat.
"Where do you think you are going?" Peggy asked.
"To get some more food," he replied.
Peggy reached out for his wrist. "Sit down. Tommy Boy is about to sing."
"I know what she sounds like."
Tommy Boy saw him get up. She quickly got the microphone on. "Ladies and gentleman. I would like your attention, especially the man trying to leave the table up here in front. Don't be so rude in not letting the guest of honor sing."
Rawhide looked up at Tommy Boy then over to Peggy.
"Rawhide, please sit," Peggy asked.
Rawhide sat down, not knowing what was up among the female population around him, they were all starting to act a little strange to him.
Tommy Boy turned back to the DJ and he signaled he was ready. Peggy leaned over to Rawhide, "Listen to her, you might find something out."
Tommy Boy swayed to the introduction music and started singing:
I've seen you twice, in a short time Only a week since we started. . .
She kept her eyes on Rawhide during the song. When she finished everyone around clapped. Tommy Boy gave a bow and then gave the microphone back to the DJ. She stepped down to return to the table where Buckaroo, Peggy and Rawhide were.
Rawhide looked at her. He got up and told Buckaroo and Peggy to excuse them. He guided Tommy Boy towards the exit.
Buckaroo looked at Peggy. "It's about time one of them did something."
"How do you think he'll react?" Peggy asked. She may have known Rawhide for a few years in Wyoming, but Buckaroo knew more about him than anyone else.
"I really don't know. He goes back and forth about it so much," Buckaroo told her.
88 * 88 * 88 * 88 * 88 * 88 * 88 * 88 * 88
Rawhide led Tommy Boy away from the auditorium. They went down the walkway away from the buildings.
Tommy Boy at least didn't feel any hostility. coming off him about what she did. He took her past the green house. They stopped when he was sure that no one was around them.
He took out a cigarette; it was a sign that he was thinking deeply. She learned that trait the first few months they were together. The night had grown a chilly; Tommy Boy shivered slightly, her silk shirt, offering little protection against the night air. Rawhide noticed her shiver. He took off his denim jacket and put it over her shoulders. He had on a flannel shirt plus cold nights were nothing compared to those in Wyoming or Texas.
Rawhide looked at her. "The Name of the Game? Interesting choice of song."
Tommy Boy felt shy. "It said it pretty much. I was a bashful child. You made me talk, feel and show. For six years I grew to enjoy you. You were my teacher and friend." She looked down at the ground, her anxiety coming to a point again. "You encouraged me. And we work so well together." She looked up at him.
"You told that to everyone in the institute tonight."
"Everyone knows it Rawhide." She was getting the feeling that he was fighting this issue. "I just admitted publicly what everyone knows about us."
Rawhide took a drag of his cigarette. He had to admit to himself she was stating fact. More than once a comment had been made to one of them when were they were going to give in and finally hook up together.
Part of him wanted to hook up with her. He knew that they would just take their friendship one step further. But he was scared. He had been down that road before with someone he cared about and wound up getting hurt, badly hurt.
Tommy Boy felt the indecision from him. "Rawhide?" she asked, breaking into his thoughts of his own past.
He looked at her. She went on, "I'll understand if you don't have anything to say." She looked down again. She felt like crying. She turned away, the anxiety of the situation getting the best of her.
Rawhide knew it took a lot for her to admit to him, in front of everyone, that she loved him. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "Tommy," he said, turning her to hug her to him. "You surprise me." He kissed the top of her head. "I know that for the last few years we have been dodging this line." He rubbed his hand up and down her spine. "I've been fighting it. I've been hurt and I hurt someone who was dear to me before coming on board. I don't want to go through that again."
Tommy Boy pulled back a bit to look up at his face. "Rawhide. You know how I feel in admitting I love you. Everyone I admitted I loved is no longer around. But I have to take a chance."
He couldn't deny that reasoning. Rawhide tilted his head down to hers and lightly kissed her.
"You can do better than that," she chided him.
Rawhide returned to put more pressure and had she opened to let him taste. He nearly groaned out loud in what he was thinking and feeling. He pulled back. "You are going to get the best me yet young lady."
"And I aim to," she replied.
He laughed again. "Oh girl, I'm going to get myself in trouble, I know it." Rawhide kissed her again, continuing his exploration. He pulled back when he heard her groan this time.
"It's been a long time for you." She nodded. "I'll take it as slow as you want. Just know that I'm there for you."
"Never doubted that for a minute."
He looked at his watch. "We better get back to the party before they send out a search party for us."
"Are you ready for the deluge?"
"I can take it. Like you said, it was obvious." They walked back to the auditorium holding each other close, a new bond forming between them
