SLAM DUNK
by
Mickey Minner
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“Do you plan to get out of bed today?”
Pat pried open one eye to see Sherry standing in the bathroom doorway drying her hair. “No,” she muttered in response. “And why are you over there and not over here?”
“Because I have things to do today.”
Yawning, Pat rolled onto her side and wrapped her body around Sherry’s pillow. “It’s Saturday,” she mumbled into the pillow.
“Yes, it is,” Sherry agreed walking across the room to the dresser.
“Come back to bed.”
Sherry opened a drawer. “Much as that offer appeals to me,” she said stepping into a pair of panties, “I know that if I do I won’t get back out of it for hours.”
“And that is a problem why?”
“Because there is no food in the kitchen,” Sherry explained as she slipped a sports bra over her head.
“I’ll take you out to dinner.”
“I really do have some errands I want to get done today,” Sherry said opening the closet door and pulling a green polo shirt off a hanger.
Pat propped herself up on her elbow. “Sherry, I really want you out of the closet and back in this bed.”
Sherry laughed. “Honey, I came out of the closet years ago. She grabbed a pair of jeans and walked over to the bed. “Oh, no you don’t,” she cried when her lover made a grab for her.
“Please,” Pat begged hopefully.
“I have a better idea,” Sherry said keeping a safe distance from Pat’s long arms. “You get up and come with me.”
Pat dropped back onto the mattress. “I hate shopping,” she stated.
“Okay, you stay in bed by yourself and I’ll go do the shopping.”
“I’m not happy,” Pat pouted.
“I know, honey.” Sherry carefully edged close to the bed then leaned down placing her hands on top of Pat’s to keep them glued to the mattress. She gave her sulking lover a kiss. “I won’t be too long.”
“Promise?”
“Yes. Now, go back to sleep. I’ll be home before you know it.”
“Okay. Be safe.”
Sherry pushed up from the bed. “I will.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, too.” Sherry grabbed her shoes then headed for the bedroom door. “Oh, and I’m holding you to that promise to take me out to dinner.”
“That wasn’t a promise,” Pat groused. “It was a bribe to get you back into bed.”
“Sure sounded like a promise to me,” Sherry said with a laugh then she disappeared down the hallway.
“Ugh,” Pat moaned pulling the blanket over her head.
#
Sherry maneuvered Pat’s pickup into a spot in the grocery store’s lot. “Dang, this thing is way too big for this,” she grumbled pushing the door open. She stepped onto the running board then hopped down to the ground.
Less than an hour, later Sherry emerged from the store pushing a shopping cart full of bagged groceries. Reaching the pickup, she opened the back door of the cab.
“Need some help?”
Sherry turned to find Jackson standing a few feet away.
“Thanks but I can handle it,” Sherry told the player as she began shifting the groceries from the cart to the back seat.
“Just offering.” Jackson said then she looked around curiously. “Um, where’s Coach?”
“At home. Sleeping.”
Jackson smirked. “Ah… she gets to sleep in while you do the chores?”
Sherry finished unloading the cart before responding. “If you’ll excuse me,” she said pushing the cart past the player to return it to the store.
“Hey, I was just trying to be friendly,” Jackson objected.
Sherry stopped and spun around to face the player. “Jackson, I don’t know what you think you’re going to accomplish by this bullshit but I’m getting real sick and tired of it,” she snapped. “I strongly suggest that you limit your contact with me to the basketball court.” She turned away from the player and walked the cart back to the store.
“You’re a hard one to figure,” Jackson said trotting after Sherry.
Sherry ignored the player, returned the cart then started back to the pickup.
“I mean, I thought when I made the roster, you must have wanted to keep me around.”
“Believe it or not, Jackson, you made the roster because Coach thought you might have something to offer the Cougars this season.” Sherry pulled the driver’s door open and stepped up onto the runner board. “For the record,” she added sliding onto the seat, “I voted to boot your ass.” She slammed the door shut and starting the engine.
Jackson stepped back when the pickup began to back out of the parking slot. She smiled and waved as Sherry drove by heading for the exit. “Sure you did.”
“Gee, and I thought Dawn was hard headed,” Sherry muttered looking into the rear view mirror to see Jackson’s wave. “It’s a damn good thing Pat wasn’t with me.”
#
Sherry made quick work of her other errands even if she had to search out parking spaces big enough to park the oversize pickup. “Ya know, Pat,” she told her missing partner as she carefully maneuvered out of another tight spot, “a smaller car but not be a bad idea.”
She was halfway home and waiting for a signal to change when she spotted the new car dealership on the opposite side of the intersection. “I wonder…,” she said flipping on her turn signal. Once the light changed to green, she waited for opposing traffic to clear then she made her turn. She drove into the lot of new cars and parked. Almost immediately a salesman headed in her direction.
“Good afternoon,” the salesman greeted her. He stood a few inches shorter than Sherry with neatly trimmed dark hair and brown eyes that sparkled when he smiled.
“Hi,” Sherry cheerfully responded.
“How can I help you, today?”
“I’m looking for something smaller than that,” Sherry pointed at the pickup, “to drive around town.”
He laughed. “I think I have a few cars that will fit that order. Any particular model you’re thinking about?”
“Well, not really. But I have seen a couple of commercials for the Forester… so why don’t we start with that one.”
“Good choice. Do you have any preferences on options?”
“Let’s see what you have available.”
“Alrighty. I have some Foresters right over here.”
Sherry followed the salesman. She took her time looking over each available car and the varying options they offered. “How about a test drive in the blue one?” she asked.
“Sure thing. I’ll get a license plate and the keys. Be right back.”
#
Pat finally rolled out of bed when she could no longer convince herself that it was okay to keep lounging on the comfortable mattress. And staying in bed wasn’t nearly as enjoyable without her lover. She shuffled across the bedroom to the bathroom and turned on the shower.
Freshly showered and dressed, Pat walked gloomily down the hallway barefooted. “Hey, you’re home.” Her mood instantly brightened spotting her lover in the kitchen. “Krupps, sweetie, is anything left in the store,” she asked seeing the pile of bags occupying the kitchen table.
Sherry giggled. “Krupps? That’s a new one.”
Pat shrugged. “It just came out,” she said then laughed. “Need some help.”
“Yep. There are still a few bags in the pickup. Could you grab them?”
“You bet.” Pat walked out of the kitchen, across the living room then through the door into the garage. Noticing that the front garage door was still open, she climbed into the cab to reach the remote. With the door securely shut, she gathered up the remaining bags and carried them into the house. “Do we have company?” she asked setting the bags on the floor near the refrigerator.
“Not that I know of.”
“Then who’s car is in the driveway?” Pat had seen the Forester when she reached for the remote.
“Mine.”
“Yours?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you need a car?” Pat asked as she started emptying the bags. “You can use the truck or the Oldsmobile any time you want.”
“I know.” Sherry was restocking the shelves of the pantry.
“I thought you liked my truck.”
“Honey, I love your truck but it is just too darn big in town. It’s great on the highway or bouncing down some gravel road in the middle of nowhere. But, in town, it’s impossible. It’s hard to find parking spots big enough for it and… well… it’s just too big.”
“What about the Olds?”
Sherry stopped what she was doing to join Pat by the table. “It was your Mom’s,” she said wrapping her arms around her lover. “It’s too special to you. I just… I would hate to be driving it and have something happen to it.”
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
“I know. But I do. Besides I have more than enough money to buy a car… so I did.”
“It seems so. What is it?”
“2013 Subaru Forester with all the bells and whistles.”
Pat chuckled. “Ah, the unofficial state car of Montana.”
“It is?” Sherry asked surprised.
“Well, Subaru is. Haven’t you noticed that after pickup trucks, there are a ton of Subarus around?”
“I guess I haven’t paid any attention.”
“Well, there are. People love them cuz they’re great in the snow.”
“That was one of my reasons, too. That and I just liked the way it looked.”
“Did you at least drive it?”
“Sure did. It’s really nice.”
“Where are the keys?” Pat asked holding her hand out. “I better check it out.”
“Uh uh,” Sherry said shaking her head. “First, we put all of this stuff away. Then, maybe, I’ll let you drive it to the restaurant.”
“Restaurant?”
Sherry laughed. “Don’t you play dumb with me, Patricia Calvin. You are taking me out to dinner.”
“Oh, that. I was hoping you might forget about it.”
“Fat chance. Now get that frozen yogurt into the freezer before it starts to melt.”
Pat picked up the cartons of frozen yogurt. “Hmm,” she hummed.
“What are you thinking?” Sherry asked suspiciously.
“Well, if you’re going to let me drive your smacking new car, I was just trying to figure out where the restaurant furthest away would be.”
Sherry laughed. “You are impossible.”
Pat gathered Sherry into her arms. “Thought that was why you loved me.”
“That and a million more reasons.” Sherry kissed her lover. “But a long drive,” she said after their lips parted, “might be a good idea. It will give me time to tell you what happened today… and for you to cool down before we get to the restaurant.”
Still holding Sherry, Pat leaned back to look into her eyes. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“And you won’t like what I have to tell you either.”
#