| Suspended Ages |
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| Dancing his way around the whole truth, Zac managed to spill out most of his troubles. He felt a great relief for having done so. He was grateful for his brothers being able to lend an ear. But he could have kicked himself for not thinking of the most obvious idea that Tay threw to him. "Why don't you make this woman your assistant? Maybe take on another class next semester. One class can't take up too much of your time and still leave you plenty to work in the studio with us." "Tay, I know I don't say this often... because I rarely ever really mean it... but you my brother are a genious!" Ike laughed like an idiot and Tay smacked the both of them in the head. Thus ensued the feared wrestling match Theresa had known was going to happen. As usual, before Zac could get the better of his two brothers that always ganged up on him, Theresa called out the calvery and had Jenks and Reily haul them out to the parking lot where the cab waited to take them all home. The next day when one of the three would come to pick up their vehicle and pay the damages Theresa waited. Sure enough, Zac showed up, his usual sheepish grin in place. "Why do you keep letting us in here?" He asked with a chuckle as she handed him the bill. She laughed. "Because you tip well and because I'm sure if you took these little 'parties' somewhere else, you might end up actually hurting eachother and getting thrown into jail for some stupid reason. Your mother would have a cow, and I owe it to her for getting me this job in the first place." She told him for the hundreth time. "I suppose." Zac relented, "So, when are you gonna leave that insensitive caveman of a husband and run away with me?" He joked. She laughed even harder, pinching his cheek. "Just as soon as you turn my age honey. Now get outta here before Armando hears you been try'n to sweet talk me again. You know how much it hurts his hernia to laugh so hard!" She kidded. He hugged her and slipped her an extra twenty in her shirt pocket with a wink before he turned heel and swagered out to the parking lot. He jumped into Tay's convertable and roared out of the space with much fanfair of bruning rubber. Theresa just shook her head and dumped the cash in her hand into the till with a smile. The rest of the weekend was taken up with studio time. Still they pushed him to find out the origins of Zac's ballad, and still he put them off. Much teasing followed and he swallowed it all down to just go home and steep his thoughts of every little memory he had of her... he was writing her another song. A new one. A better one. One that he was determined to keep a secret. He'd let Ike and Tay have the first one, it wasn't good enough for her. He'd let the whole world have it.... he convinced himself it was just a song about some woman... it didn't mean anything and that's how he could let it go. But not this song... not the new one. No, that one was for her alone and nobody would hear it but her... maybe someday. Early Monday morning Zac slipped a note into Bridgettes school mail box and headed off to grade some of the final exams he'd given to his students. He was sitting in his office sometime before his first class when a knock came on the door. "Come on in if you're come'n!" He called in his usual jovial way. He heard a giggle from the other side of the door before it was opened. He was met with the smile of hope from a woman in desperation. "I take it from your good mood that maybe you have an idea of how to help me?" She asked. He smiled at her as he shut the door and silently offered her a seat. "Thanks to my knuckleheaded brother I do indeed. First I want to go on record to say that I would have thought of this idea myself if I hadn't been so enebriated at the hands of my brothers." He grinned, she laughed. "And secondly, you can say no but I think you'd be a fool to do so..." "Professor Hanson!" She interrupted with a smile, knowing that he was just building up the excitement. He chuckled, patting her knee. "How about for a signifigant increase in income but still at a reasonable amount, you become my assistant?" He beamed. She sat with her mouth agape, speechless, her eyes wide. "I don't... I mean... I'd... I just..." She sighed. "I just don't know what to say!" She said flabbergasted. He laughed. "How about yes?" He urged. She shook her head and giggled. "Like I would say no to a dream job like that... but..." "But what?" He asked. "What exactly would I be doing?" She asked, not wanting a handout. "Good question." He commended her. How about..." But he was interrupted by the phone ringing that sat on his desk. He held up a finger to ask a moment of her. She nodded as he reached for the phone. "'Lo?" He toned in his deep voice. She almost giggled. He grinned at her as she listened to his side of the conversation. "Hey... nope. starts in about ten, I got a couple minutes if you need something.... Oh, tell her I hope she feels better... yeah... braces? Poor Greg! I feel his pain man. No... no problem really. You want me to call Tay? Ok then... see you then. It's your turn to get dinner too you know... but I suppose I'll just go home and throw a frozen pizza in the oven." He grinned making Bridgette laugh. "No... one of my students... well actually I should say my assistant really." He looked over at her hopefully. She just grinned back. "Ok then Ike. See you tomarrow man. Later." And he hung up the phone, glancing at his watch. He looked at her with a smile as he stood up. She followed his lead and opened the door. "I suppose we'd better get to class. I've got your exams graded and since this is the last class I don't think it would do to be late huh?" He laughed as he grabbed some things shoving them into his satchel and shutting off the light. "Do you mind if we meet later to talk this all over? I think we really need more then ten minutes to discuss your employment after all." He laughed as he locked the door and they headed off down the hall. "I suppose we could do that..." She said in thought. "Got a lot of classes today?" He asked. She nodded. "Well when do you get out of your last class?" He asked, trying to think of a solution. "Not until five, but then I've got to get home and watch Kat's boy. It's my turn. Since her mom took sick Mel and I have been trying to help out as much as possible so she could finnish this semester." She tried to explain. He nodded in understandment. Then her face lit up as she turned to him just before they reached their classroom. "How about if you come over to our house, I'll cook you dinner and we can talk about this position you've offered me. Luke is really a sweetheart, not much trouble at all, we'll have plenty of time." She encouraged. "Besides, beats frozen pizza all alone anyday." She joked. He laughed heartily. "When you put it that way... I'd love to!" He grinned. "Good. I'll make out directions for you during class and I'll see you promptly at six thirty... or else it'll be cold!" She smiled. He saluted her and opened the door for her. They parted ways and in moments the class had begun. He spent the rest of the day grading the exams for his other class the day after. He was a free man. No more classes, no studio to rush off to... by three o'clock he was bored out of his skull. He chucked all of his things into his leather bag and locked up his office as he headed out to the parking lot thinking maybe he'd head home for a while and give his house keeper the rest of the week off. She deserved it. A wonderful woman was Mrs. Gonzallas. She always took good care of him. He was just shuffling through his pockets for his keys to his motorcycle when he passed the door to the music room, often empty this time of day. He knew for he sometimes occupied the room himself to work on things before he went to the studio whenever inspiration struck him. But today it wasn't empty... in fact a most lovely voice was drifting from the closed door, a voice of heavenly levels. He stopped and listened, entranced by the songstress that crooned of longing for home. It was pure magic. He inhaled deeply as her voice tugged at his heartstrings. The song was ended, and a muffled male voice was speaking, snapping him out of his spell. He shook his head to clear it and pushed his way out the doors and into the afternoon air. He located his keys and took off at a fast pace, that voice floating around in his head. He knew he'd heard it somewhere before... but where? It was a question that nagged at him. He shrugged and as soon as his motorcycle roared to life he was off, headed home for a cold beer and a quick shower. But still that voice caressed his memory. It wasn't hard to find Bridgettes house, she had given him good directions. But he was still nervous as all hell... after all, it wasn't just Bridgettes house... it was 'Mel's' house too. He bit at his bottom lip as he parked his truck in a space outside number 1462. He checked his hair in the rearview mirror, smoothing back the fly aways and tightening his tail. Picking up the bottle of wine he'd brought he took a deep breath. "Well... here goes nothing." He sighed to himself as he locked his truck and headed up the path to the well lit porch. He knocked on the door solidly, shuffling his feet as he waited. Moments later the door opened and he was greeted with the familiar smiling dark face of his best student. "Professor! I'm glad you didn't get lost... and right on time too." She sang out. He smiled at her. "Zac, please. You make me feel so old when you call me professor." He chuckled. She laughed too and led him into the hallway, closing the door behind him. "Unless of course I can call you Gilligan." He joked as he handed her the bottle of wine. She shook her head and laughed harder as she led him further into the house. "I don't think so. Zac is it then. And thank you for the wine. You didn't have to." She said cordially. He shrugged and sat at the counter on the stool she offered while she went to the stove and stirred a pot. "Well something sure smells good." He sighed as he inhaled a delicious aroma. She giggled. "Don't get too excited. This isn't a four star resteraunt you know. We are only poor college students." She reminded. He laughed. "Believe me... anything more then frozen pizza is like a four star resteraunt to me... I can't cook for shit." He kidded. She laughed and drained the noodles in the sink. "Well then you would get your sox knocked off if it were Mel's night to cook. She can do wonders with only five bucks I swear." She told him as she poured the sauce over the noodes and handed it to him. He got up and sat the bowl on the table as she continued. "I tell ya, for a white girl, she can make a mean cajun blackened catfish." she laughed. He chuckled with her. She handed him the bowl of salad and came around with the pitcher of water and basket of rolls too. A noise was heard from the other room and she smiled. "That would be Luke, up from his nap. I'll be right back." She smiled and went to get him. Zac leaned against the counter with his hip as he struggled to open the wine he'd brought with the corkscrew she'd laid on the counter. He'd just pulled the cork free when Bridgette came back with a darling read haired little imp in her arms. He clung to her when he spied Zac. Zac smiled at him and set the wine down. "Hey there Luke, I'm Zac." He said sofly as he bent down to be eye level with the sleepy boy. Bridgette smiled and cuddled with the boy. "He's shy. Luke, it's ok, Zac is a good guy. No need to be scared of him, honest." She tried. He chuckled. "It's ok, I've got lots of little ones in my family. I'm sure he'll warm up after a while. Kids are smart like that." He assured them both as he set the wine on the table. "I'm sure you're right." She agreed as she sat Luke in his highchair. She went back to the kitchen for the butter and a sip cup for Luke before she sat down. Zac followed suit and poured them both a glass of wine. "You have the same wine glasses I have. He joked. Wilma is my favorite though." He chuckled as he held up his jelly jar glass. She laughed. "I'm serious!" He toned. and she laughed even harder. A couple of hours later, Zac was sitting on the floor rolling a ball back and forth with a thrilled Luke as he and Bridgette talked over the final details of her working for him when the door opened and closed in the hallway. "Hello? I'm home early!" A voice called out. "We're in here!" Bridgette called back. A small woman entered the room and Zac almost lost all conciousness when he laid eyes on her. "Oh! I didn't know you had company." She smiled at him. He tried to smile back... he wasn't sure if he did or not. She walked through the room, stopping to ruffle the red hair of the small boy opposite Zac. How he wished it were him instead. For the next half hour he sat on the floor sputtering small answers to the small talk shared as he played with Luke. He was lost as to how he should act. When 'Mel' announced she would take Luke up for his bath and to put him to bed Zac snapped to and announced that he should be headed home. He said goodbye to Luke, leaning close to 'Mel' as he tickled the toddler. Her scent was nearly enough to render him unconcious. He bid farewell to the ladies and meandered out to his truck with a huge stupid grin. He was now in heaven. And was scared shitless... |
| Thanx for read'n Z-ya! |
| *3* |