Part 15 (1/2)
”I didn't really start to eat it until I went to college. There was a place we went that had shrimp by the bucket and my friends used to have to fight me to get any. I've never met a fish I didn't like.”
”We were raised on fish.” She pursed her lips. ”Other than a good burger or a hot dog once in a while, I hardly eat meat.”
”I eat a lot of chicken, but I'd go for seafood all the time if I had a good place to buy it where it didn't cost twenty dollars a pound.”
Regan smiled at her. ”It sounds like you can eat two pounds by yourself, so you'd have to shop for bargains.”
”If I lived here I'd learn how to fish.”
”Don't tell my dad that,” Regan said, eyes wide. ”None of us likes to fish, to his great disappointment. He'd recruit you in a second.”
”You say that like I'd object.”
”You know...I think you need to stay longer than a week. You've got a lot to accomplish.”
By eleven Regan's stomach couldn't resist Callie's near constant discussion of seafood. ”Okay. It's awfully early, but I think we'll stop for lunch.”
”Oh, boy. There's nothing better than going on car trips with people who eat at least four meals a day.”
”I don't think I'm going to have any trouble gaining back the weight I lost. I might gain it all back this week.”
”Where are we going to go? If you can't decide we can go to two places. I can easily eat two lunches.”
”Have you ever had Ipswich clams?”
”No, but I want to. Right now, please.”
”I like traveling with people who are willing to try new things.”
”Then we're gonna be very good travel friends.”
Callie raved about the Ipswich clams and p.r.o.nounced her crab cakes ”world altering.” When she took a bite of Regan's lobster roll, she said they'd have to come back for dinner even though Regan a.s.sured her that the roll only rated a B. They headed off again and now Callie could focus on the scenery, which she continued to rave about.
They arrived at twelve thirty, with Callie so excited that Regan feared for her blood pressure.
”This is so cute! I knew it would look just like this. Of course, I also spent about thirty hours looking at pictures on various photo-sharing sites.”
”I think it's great that you spent so much time getting ready for this trip. There's nothing blase about you.”
”I can be blase, but not about things that really interest me. And I could hardly be more interested than I am now.”
”It's cool for me because almost everyone I know is from the area. I don't get to see New England through an outsider's eyes very often.”
”I'm a rank outsider, but I hope that doesn't last long.”
Regan parked her car in a sliver of a spot in front of a saltbox-style home, painted one shade darker than the crisp blue sky.
”Is this it?” At Regan's nod, Callie said ”This is the cutest house I've ever seen.”
Regan stood still for a moment, a puzzled look on her face as she gazed at the simple building. ”Really? These kinda houses are a dime a dozen.”
”I've never seen one until today.” She tilted her chin, clearly thinking. ”Nope never. It's really cute.”
”Yeah, I guess it is. They've put on some little touches that make it nice.”
”These kinds of houses are probably like adobe-style houses in Phoenix. You get used to them and stop noticing.”
”I'll try to pay more attention.” Regan put an arm around Callie's shoulders. It wasn't possible to resist her charms. And she was the kind of person who liked to touch a lot. That was nice. She made you feel kinda warm inside. Like family. ”You're helping me see things that I'd normally miss. I like it.”
They got checked in and spent a little time putting their things away. It was almost three o'clock when Regan said, ”Ready for a tour?”
”Definitely.”
”Let's go for a running tour. Lace 'em up.”
First they went all the way down Commercial Street, the main business street. They stopped whenever the mood struck Callie, which was often. When they had exhausted all of the stores, they went on a long run on the firm sand of the harbor-side beach. Callie kept taking exaggeratedly huge breaths of air and letting them out through her nose. ”It's so wonderful to breathe air that's moist. At this time of the year in Phoenix I'd have to run just after dawn or at sunset and even then it would be too hot to enjoy it.”
”Well, it's just getting nice here. It's too early in the season to go in the water, but it might be warm enough to lie on the sand tomorrow. Cross your fingers.”
”I don't care if we can do that or not. It's so nice to see you again that I'm just happy to talk... and eat.”
That evening, the air was cool but not brisk, and it was very pleasant to stroll down Commercial Street while Callie marveled at how many women were there.
”There are more women during Women's Week in October. This weekend's primarily for singles. The one in the fall has more couples.
”I guess we've come to the right one.” Callie said giving Regan a smirk.
”I hardly notice attractive women. My normal instincts are all screwed up.”
”I don't know how you could ignore this many women. I haven't been looking at home, but this is paradise.”
Regan smiled and patted her on the shoulder. ”Feel free. You have my cell phone number. Just call me before Monday at noon and I'll find you.”
”I think I'll stick with you. Besides, I don't think I'm ready to hook up again. Sometimes women are more trouble than they're worth.”
They decided to go to a dance at one of the bigger venues. It was crowded and very loud, but they found places to sit next to the bar in a little nook that allowed them to shout into each other's ear. Callie had playfully attached her own and Regan's orange sticker to her s.h.i.+rt, showing she was doubly single. ”So, you're impervious to women these days?” Callie asked.
A frown furrowed Regan's brow. Why didn't Callie understand this? She must be ready to find a woman or she wouldn't ask that question. ”Yeah, I suppose I am. Maybe seeing all of these women dance will shock my system back into working order.”
”You'll dance with me, won't you?”
She took Regan's hand and tried to pull her towards the dance floor. There was something awfully nice about having a woman as pretty as Callie give off that sultry look. No wonder she'd found a girlfriend the minute she'd decided to give one a try. ”You don't need me. Every woman who's walked by has given you a second look.”
”Really?” A huge smile settled on Callie's face. ”Maybe they can tell I've been on a starvation diet.”
When a particularly cute woman gave her a questioning glance three times, Regan pointed to Callie, pointed to the woman and then touched her fingers together-then she put her hand on Callie's back and propelled her toward the woman.