Ch97 Wendy Does Boston

“You’re very quiet.”

Wendy roused herself and forced a smile. “I’m sorry, Donny,” she said, looking away from the window of their cab.

“You could go back home if you’d rather, you know. I won’t blame you.”

“No! Of course not,” she said. 

“I won’t be mad,” he said.

She bit her lip and looked out of the window again. “I’m just…”

“Missing your kids something awful, I know,” he said grinning at her. “You should go back home.”

She shook her head. “I was just being silly, but I’m fine now, really. I won’t spoil your special weekend. From now on, I’m all yours,” she said genuinely smiling this time and for emphasis she placed her hand on his arm.

He stared at her beautiful face and felt a tiny tug in the pit of his stomach. He couldn’t help thinking, if only she was all his.

“So, what do you say to a little tour of Boston?” Donny said.

“You mean before we meet up with your friends?” she said, surprised.

“Once I get together with them, I’ll have little time for you and I’m afraid you’ll be bored to tears. I don’t want that.”

“Oh,” she said, waving a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll like listening to your old college stories.”

“Just the same, let’s just you and me do Boston, just for a couple of hours, okay?”

Wendy giggled. “Okay! Wendy does Boston…sounds like a porn film, doesn’t it?”

He burst out laughing. “And she’s back to normal!” he said, before he leaned forward and spoke to the driver. “Take us to the Marketplace. 

 

“Faneuil Hall?” the driver asked, just to make sure.

“Of course,” Donny replied, then sat back.

“Where are we going?” Wendy asked.

He grinned. “You’ll see.” 

    

Wendy loved Boston. At least, that’s what she told herself. It could have been she loved seeing the Charles River, catching a glimpse of Fenway Park, the famous home of the Red Sox, and she certainly liked hearing all the history behind Faneuil Hall Marketplace. 

Or it could have been her charming and wonderfully attentive companion. 

No, let’s say it was Boston…just safer that way.

“I hope I’m not boring you with all this, but I love history,” Donny said, somewhat apologetically.

“Oh, no! I love to learn new things. I never heard of Peter Faneuil, and I really ought to. I’m woefully ignorant and I appreciate anyone willing to change that!”

“Well, I’m the man for American history at least,” he said, delighted to be strolling along with a beautiful woman on his arm once again. “I’ve forgotten how nice this is,” he said, forgetting he spoke aloud.

“Yes, Boston is lovely. The cradle of liberty…I like that,” she said, completely mistaking his musing, which was fine with him.

“I think we better be heading back, though. Tonight’s the grand ball or whatever they chose to call it,” he said, ruefully. “I should let you rest a bit and then we must dress in our finest.”

“I certainly don’t need any rest, if you’re okay, but, Donny, you sound like you’re dreading the party,” she said, stunned. “You’ll have fun with all your old friends, I’m sure of it.”

“I hope you’re right. Last time…without Margarita, when I was alone…it was a nightmare.”

“But you’re not alone now. I’m here whenever you need me.”

“I’m holding you to that,” he said emphatically as he hailed down a cab. “I don’t want anyone thinking I’m on the market. Maybe you ought to pretend you like me.”

“I don’t have to pretend that!”

“Just the same, you better stick like glue.”

“Really? And where else would I go?” she said.

“You might get the notion to hide behind a ficus tree or something and then I’ll be screwed.”

“Oh Donny!” she said, rolling her eyes.

“I’m serious. You don’t know these women at reunions, Wendy; Martha in particular. She couldn’t stand that I chose Margarita over her. She’s a cougar and ten times more vicious, I’m telling you! I want you right next to me at all times. You can scare her off.”

He opened the cab door for Wendy, but before stepping into it, she turned to him, got very close—nearly nose-to-nose-- and smiled. “This close enough?” she asked, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

His heart skipped a beat and for an incredible second he thought she might kiss him. He wished she would. “Yeah, like that,” he muttered. He  watched her get into the cab, took a deep, calming breath and followed her inside.

*******

“Omigosh, I’m totally under-dressed for this,” Wendy whispered to Donny. 

They had checked into the hotel, showered and dressed for dinner and were heading down in the elevator with several people who were indeed dressed to the nines.

“They’re not with the reunion. There’s a wedding going on at the same time,” he replied in her ear, breathing in the heavenly spicy scent he vaguely remembered from his youth. “Besides, you’re gorgeous as you are…no matter what you wear.”

“Donny, you’re so sweet,” she said, a flutter starting in her chest. 

“That’s the dress you wore the first time I saw you, isn’t it?”

“Yes, surprised you remember. Alec has great taste,” she said, flouncing her skirt a bit.

“He’s got the money to do something with it.”

“I feel like…like this is prom night,” Wendy said.

“Oh, yeah?” he said, ostentatiously straightening his tie. “Do I make a good prom date?”

“A very handsome one,” she said, laughing at herself. “I’m being so silly.”

“You’re being charming as always,” he said, offering her his arm when the doors opened and everyone stepped out. “Come, let me show you off. Every head will turn.”

“Now who’s being silly!” she said.

The fact that he wasn’t being silly at all became apparent upon their entrance when, indeed, every head turned toward them.

“See?” he said smugly.

“They’re staring at you, Donny. They're waving at you. They don’t know me,” Wendy countered.

“It’s because I’m with the most beautiful woman they’ve ever seen,” he said, stopping in mid-stride. “Oh, damn.”

“What is it?” Wendy asked.

“Here comes trouble. Just don’t leave my side, okay?” he whispered just as they were surrounded by several people.

“Don, my boy, great to see you,” a portly man said, vigorously shaking Donny’s hand while giving Wendy the once over.

“Glad you made it!” said a small and skinny man.

“We were so hoping you’d come!” a tall auburn haired woman said, pushing the two aside to plant a kiss on his cheek, all the while giving Wendy a rueful glance.

“Don, man, how ya been?” a barrel-chested man asked giving him a crushing bro-hug and then stepping back he leered at Wendy before adding, “Well, we know what you’ve been doing.”

“Yes, do introduce us to your friend,” the woman said as she look at Wendy’s dress with an expression of impressed envy.

“This is Wendy Meadows,” Donny said, putting his arm around her waist and giving her a glowing smile. He looked toward his friends and pointing to each in turn said, “This is John, Walter, Martha and Mac. Not that it matters. Soon enough they’ll be too drunk to care what you call them.”

They all burst out laughing.

“You know, he’s right,” Walter said, scratching the top of his bald head.

“Come sit with us, Donny. We haven’t seen you in so long. You must tell us everything you’ve been up to,” Martha said, slipping her arm around his and tugging him forward.

“Yeah, like where did you find this pretty lady?” Mac said, trying to do the same with Wendy, but Donny slapped him away. 

“Hands off, Mac,” Donny said. “She’s all mine. She only just told me this, didn’t you, Honey?”

“I do recall something like that,” Wendy said.

“How do you do it?” John asked, as they each took a seat around a large round table where several other people were already sitting.

“Do what?” Donny asked, helping Wendy to her seat and sitting down beside her.

“Get the prettiest girls, of course,” John replied. “Not for nothing, but Wendy’s even better than Margarita.”

“And that’s saying something. Margarita, God rest her soul, was…” Walter added with a faraway look in his eyes.

“Muy caliente!” Mac finished.

Martha rolled her eyes. “Still have the hots for her, I see,” she snidely remarked.

As his friends continued bickering, Donny leaned toward Wendy and whispered, “Now don’t you wish you had gone back home?”

She giggled and shook her head.

All through dinner and many, many drinks, Wendy mostly listened to the old friends reminisce. Even though he was engaged with the others and joined in frequently in the lively banter ricocheting about, Donny never ignored her for very long and when the band started he shot up like a bullet.

“Where ya going?” Walter asked.

“I made a promise to dance with Wendy and I always keep my promises,” Donny said, holding his hand out to Wendy.

“Donny, we don’t have to. Stay with your friends. I don’t mind,” Wendy said.

“But I do,” he replied pulling her off her chair. “You think I’d rather be here comparing bald spots  and big bellies with this bunch instead of dancing with you?”

“Hey, I win that one hands down,” John said, passing his hand over his protruding stomach.

“Got you beat by a hair,” Walter shouted.

“Save a dance for me,” Martha said.

“Sorry, all my dancing is for Wendy,” Danny said taking her away form the table.

He pulled her close and they swayed to the music without speaking.

“Thank you, Donny,” she whispered.

“For what? I ought to be thanking you.”

She shrugged, not able to form the words straight away. “It’s just…I kinda needed this and I didn’t even know it...until now.”

He nodded and for a while they simply moved in time with the music.

“I needed this, too, Wendy, very much I needed this. I’m having a great time,” he said, pulling her closer still and staring deeply into her eyes.

Somehow they both knew it had nothing to do with Boston nor his buddies back at the table.

“I hate him,” John muttered, slouched half onto the table.

“Who, Donny?” Walter asked.

“Just look at him. What right does he have to look that good when we look like this?” John said, tossing back the rest of his drink.

“And look at that babe. Just doesn’t seem fair, huh?” Mac said, shaking his head ruefully.

“Not fair at all,” Martha said, glaring at the smiling couple.

“Well, you know what they say,” John remarked, philosophically. “Dancing is the vertical expression of horizontal desires.”

They all stared at him with bewildered expressions.

“And what does that have to do with anything?” Martha snapped.

“Oh, nothing much except, we won’t be seeing them for the rest of the night,” he said, pointing to Donny and Wendy who were sneaking out of the ball room looking just like two kids on prom night with naughty thoughts on their minds.