Royce (38 page)

Slowly they untangled themselves and the truck erupted in laughter, “I can’t believe we just did that,” Sarah said.  “I can’t either,” Joy said. “Well you wanted to do it,” Royce and Bobby reminded them and they laughed.  “But it was so much fun,” Royce said leaning over and kissing her as he was trying to straighten himself out, “I’ll make out with you any day.” “Me too babe, I’ll be your teenage boy any time,” Bobby said to Sarah.  They got out of the truck to fix themselves up.  They were four half naked people out in the night air.  They pulled up pants, buttoned shirts, hooked bras and found their boots.  “Now just like teenagers all we need is the cops to show up,” Royce said and no sooner than it was out his mouth, bright lights shown down on them and they burst out laughing.

“Okay you kids…,” they cracked up even more and the cops decided to come investigate and now they were hysterical.  The police kept their bright lights on them but they saw the two officers walking towards them with flashlights. “Oh shit,” Bobby said, “This isn’t funny man.” “I know, I know,” Royce said, trying not to laugh, but he couldn’t stop and neither could Joy and Sarah.  The police officers stopped right in front of them and shined their big flashlights in their faces. “Have any of you been drinking by chance tonight?”  He asked, “And do you know it’s against the law to be out here after closing, the park’s closed,” and they all straightened up.

“Look officer,” Royce said, “We’ll leave, we were just hanging out a bit.” “That so, let me see your driver’s license and who is the driver of this vehicle.” “I am,” Bobby said, they all handed the officer their driver’s license, “You the driver?”  He said to Bobby, “Yes,” “I need you to do a sobriety test,” and they watched as Bobby had to touch his nose, walk a straight line, count backwards and forward to ten.  They leaned against the truck all being quiet while Bobby blew into the breathalyzer and passed, “Okay, ya’ll take it easy tonight, and the lake is closed,” the officer said.  They scrambled into the truck and watched as the police car pulled off and they all burst out laughing, just cracked up, laughed until they had tears coming from their eyes, even Bobby was laughing, “Oh my god, I can’t believe that shit just happened,” he said and Royce was beside himself with laughter, “Let’s get outta here,” he said laughing.  Bobby started the truck and they headed back to their neck of the woods.

The next week he got a call from Big John, “Hey Royce buddy, I wanted to invite you fellas up to the lake this weekend, take you out on my boat.  Maybe do a little fishing.”  When they exchanged cards to Royce it was just a formality he didn’t think he’d ever use it. “Sounds good buddy, but sorry I know we can’t swing that, we got all the kid stuff on the weekend.” “Oh you got kids, little ones huh?” “Yeah and you know how that is,” Royce said hoping this was the end of Big John, “Yeah, I got one in college and the other’s in high school about to graduate, he live with his momma though.” “Oh, I understand that, okay then, maybe another…” “Hey listen before you go let me ask you something.” “Okay,” Royce said. “Okay I’m gonna shoot plain with ya.  How’d you meet a little girl like that…I mean where do you meet a girl like that?”  “I beg your pardon I don’t know what you mean?”  “Look I’m shooting straight with you I want to meet a certain kind of girl…I’ve always wanted to try one and I never knew how to go about doing it,” and Royce understood what he meant.  He didn’t like how he was saying it, like Joy were some kind of different species or something, but he understood, “…so how’d you meet her, how’d you get her,” and Royce was taken aback.  He’d never thought about that question,
how’d he get Joy,
it was such a complicated answer he had to think about it for a moment.

“Well we use to live in the same neighborhood, so that’s how we met, nothing special about that,” he said stalling, and how did he get her?  He stole her, that’s what he’d done.  He went after her from the beginning.  And getting her had been like a big chess game, he’d maneuvered his pieces here and there, making moves to outsmart his opponent Michael, all to checkmate him and win the queen, that’s what he’d done.   And he’d thought all was lost after that night at The Club but in every game there are moves you make that the outcome is nothing like you planned, but it helps in your favor, and in his it was a bit of luck, it was Justin. 

Justin turned out to be the reason he was let in, the reason he could be around her.  Justin was the piece in the game that helped win the queen, and what that boy went through in helping him get to his mother he would always love him with all his heart, and that’s why he wanted another child with her.  Another Justin, a little girl, another solid footing to hold them together.  One child with her wasn’t enough, but how could he explain all that to Big John, “Well, we knew each other, we both were married to other people, then we divorced and we started from there.”  “Oh, well I was just wondering, but still maybe next time I can get ya’ll up here for some fishing.”  “Yeah, maybe next time,” and Royce thought about introducing him to Lanie, since that’s all she’d said when she flew in during her parent’s visit, “Oooo, you got a real cowboy Joy, I want one of him,” then Big John could live out his fantasy of dating a black girl and she could date a real cowboy, but he thought better of it.

And the next month Joy didn’t get her period.

When she was five months Lanie came down, “I just had to see for myself you were pregnant again.  When momma told me I said, didn’t she just have Justin?”  Lanie teased.

Lanie had prided herself on being single and child free and had no intentions of settling down or having babies, “I’ll leave that to you and Sylvie,” she’d said numerous times, “I’m young and having fun,” Joy loved her, and she felt she was within her rights to feel that way.  She was married and had two children by the time she was twenty-eight, Lanie’s age, marriage and children isn’t for everyone, “Okay Lanie, I’m glad you’re here baby sister.” “Why, you don’t want me to babysit do you?”  Joy laughed, “No, I wouldn’t trust you alone with my kids,” they both laughed.  Lanie was not the babysitting type.  She’d let Sylvie’s children run wild the weekend she was supposed to babysit when Sylvie and her husband had to go out of town for a conference.  Lanie let them do whatever they wanted.  She ordered in, didn’t wash the dishes, didn’t make them take baths, didn’t make them brush their teeth, let them eat whenever and whatever. “It was like an adult wasn’t even here,” Sylvie laughed and said after that experience and now no one let her babysit. 

Royce had mentioned in jest that Big John wanted to meet a black girl, but that was months ago, but he also said, “I thought about Lanie.  Maybe he could take her out and she could meet a real Texas cowboy, but then I thought, nah I couldn’t do that to either of them,” and Joy thought it was funny too and forgot about it, but here was Lanie out of the blue coming to see her and her pregnant belly like it was some sideshow attraction, like she couldn’t believe her sister was pregnant again and what’s wrong with her, so fixing her up with Big John was maybe a little payback.

Even though Big John was a nice man, she could tell that from talking to him, she wasn’t sure if she should fix him up with the likes of Lanie, but for a fun night out it could work, “Hey you want to go out dancing, Royce knows this guy, he’s a real cowboy…,” and that’s as far as she got. “Yes, yes and yes, a real cowboy,” Lanie said excitedly. “Hold on now, it’s for fun.  He’s a little older and a big man so don’t get your hopes up Lanie.” “Oh so you mean he’s no Royce,” Joy playfully eyed her, “Are you digging on my husband?”  Lanie laughed, “Now sister dear you know I wouldn’t do anything like that, but for a white man you know Royce ain’t bad,” and they cracked up and high fived each other, “I’ll drink to that,” Joy said and they took a sip of tea.

Royce set it up, he called Big John, “Hey John.” “Royce what do I owe the pleasure?” “Well I was wondering if you’re busy Saturday night, my wife’s sister is in town and I thought you might want to show her a good time…” “Are you kidding me, of course I would, of course I would!”  Big John said excitedly, “Okay we’ll meet at Texas Outback, now she’s no Joy.  She’s younger and full of fun so bring your dancing shoes,” he knew Lanie would wear Big John out and keep him dancing all night if she could.  “Oh I will,” Big John gushed and that Saturday night they met, even though Big John couldn’t hide his excitement and called a few times to make sure they were still coming, and Royce was wondering if he’d done the right thing.  Lanie would meet a cowboy and stop saying she wanted to meet one and Big John would at least get his one chance at a date with a black girl, nothing more. 

Joy’s little bump was showing, but she wore her boots, and a little stylish top that concealed it, but he knew it was there and he cherished it.  He drove this time, his Mercedes pulled in next to a large pickup truck.  The last time they’d been here they ended up making out on Lake Lewisville and he swore that’s the night they made the little bump Joy was carrying.  “I will not tell my child he was made in the backseat of a pickup truck,” Joy said and wouldn’t entertain the idea, but he believed it. 

Big John greeted them as soon as they walked in, “Well hello darling,” he said to Lanie and hugged her, and then he went to Joy and Royce, shaking his hand profusely, “She’s a pretty one, just like her sister I swear,” and Lanie loved the country and western scene.  Joy had taken her to buy boots and jeans, even though she knew she didn’t need too, she was just trying to go all out for it.  “I got us a table over here,” and Big John led them to a private table just for them, he already had beer and champagne chilling in a bucket on the table, “This is to a fun night,” he said eyeing Lanie. “Oooo this is going to be so much fun,” Lanie squealed and Big John smiled big and Lanie took his hand, “Okay Big John show me how to dance country and western,” and they were off and like Royce thought Lanie was going to keep Big John out there and he hoped he could keep up.  He saw him teaching her and dancing her around and on one song he saw him pick her up and she clasp her legs around him and he twirled her around the dance floor, both laughing and having fun and Joy gasped and he said, “It’s alright honey,” but he was wondering too,
what had they done?
 

He took Joy on the dance floor, and held her close as he two stepped with her, she laughed and had fun too, and they heard Lanie and Big John laughing and having fun, and Big John was obviously popular and known because before long the crowd was chanting “Big John! Big John!”  And they looked to see Big John dancing his behind off with Lanie, going fast around the dance floor, twirling Lanie, twisting Lanie and Lanie’s face was all aglow and happy.  “I thought he was old,” Joy said to Royce as they watched from the side like the others and clapped along, “I did too,” and after that Big John pulled Lanie in his arms, and hugged her tight, he took her hand and led her off the dance floor, bowing and waving to the crowd.  Joy and Royce went with them in shock and awe. 

They plopped down at their table, “This is so much fun!”  Lanie shouted, she grabbed two beers from the bucket, Big John opened them and handed one to her, “Oh my god John, how’d you learn to dance like that?”  Royce and Joy raised an eyebrow,
John
, she was calling him John now, “All cowboys come out two stepping Little Lanie,” they raised an eyebrow again,
Little Lanie
, and that was how the rest of the night went.

They danced and didn’t try to keep up with Big John and Lanie until the DJ said, “Last call,” Lanie squealed, “Nooo, is it over already,” and Big John made his move, “It doesn’t have to be, I got a place off the lake, not too far from here we could continue the party there,” and Joy and Royce both said, “No, thanks, not this time,” and Lanie said, “Sure,” and Joy’s mouth flew open, and Royce had a fake grin on his face, knowing he couldn’t let her go off with a man she just met that his father-in-law would kill him if anything happened to her.  “Uh Lanie look, we need to get home.  The babysitter has to get home, we can’t this time.  Next time you’re in town…” “Hey don’t worry about it I’ll make sure she gets home safely,” Big John said, and Royce didn’t know what to do. Lanie was a grown woman and Big John a grown man he couldn’t tell her she couldn’t go with him could he?  This is not what he planned. 

They stood there in an awkward silence then Big John said, “Just come out check it out that’s all I ask, okay,” he said looking from Royce to Joy.  “Look John man, we really do need to get home, next time okay.  It’s just we didn’t plan on anything like this,” Royce said awkwardly and they headed out into the night air with Lanie looking like a chastised child and Joy the wicked step mother, and him the bewildered uncle.

“Well at least let me say goodbye to her,” Big John said when they were outside, he took Lanie aside.  Joy and Royce sat in the car and waited and waited and finally both turned around to see what was taking so long and from the back window they saw Lanie and Big John lip locked together, he was holding her, her arms wrapped around him and they were heavily kissing.  Joy hit Royce, “Oh my god Royce, what have we done?”  He laughed, “Don’t look at me, I just thought it might be fun, I didn’t plan on this,” she laughed too, finally Big John walked Lanie to the car and they noticed he held Lanie’s hand and held the door open for her, “See ya tomorrow darling,” Royce saw Joy’s mouth drop.

Sure enough the next day Big John drove up in his truck to their house, and by now Joy knew anyway since Lanie had to tell her, “He’s taking me to the airport tomorrow,” and they let him in and he took Lanie and her suitcases.  Joy kissed her and hugged her tight, “Call me when you get home,” and they watched them drive off and two hours later Lanie called, “I’m staying a few days with John, I just thought you should know, I’ll call you when I get home." “You know what you’re doing Lanie?”  “Of course big sister, I found myself a real cowboy,” and Joy knew Big John was in trouble.  Lanie was surely going to break his heart.