Take a Giant Step (a drabble I started three years ago that I need to finish. part 1-5?)
Darry’s work was in a a true Oklahoma drought. He was starting to get worried about the bills getting paid, but he’d be damned if he’d let his brothers know. It was hard. Since their parents died, he’d done most of the heavy lifting. Soda chipped in where he could, but ultimately it was up to him. He didn’t feel like he really had anyone to confide in. When you work all the time to make ends meet it’s hard to foster any deep connections with people as friends or significant others.
He chewed the inside of his cheek as he drilled his thoughts and ideas in his head about how to handle it. Soda was working and Pony was at school so he had a moment of silence. It was there as he sat anxiously on the couch that the house phone rang. He sighed, hoping it wasn’t the social worker again, hesitating before he answered.
The voice on the other end of the line was a woman. She inquired about a contracting job and he felt a shot of hope fueled him, but he kept an even calm. She was asking about a big job. Not just roofing. She wanted him to oversee a build from ground up. This woman was moving in from Chicago, looking to build a nice sized rustic home in Tulsa on some land she’d just purchased. After discussing the logistics they made a deal. As soon as Darry hung up he drew up a contract he was to bring to he to sign the next day.
They arranged to meet at the Morning Glory Diner a block from Main Street. Darry tried to dress decent, but worked with what he had. Work boots, his best jeans– belted– with his chocolate brown button up tucked in and everything. He looked around as he ended, papers in hand. She must have noticed because a strawberry blonde with bright hazel eyes waved him over. She wore a blue dress and a white cardigan. He hadn’t known what to expect, but he didn’t consider that should would look like a soc. The eldest Curtis strolled over and sat across from her. The ambient sound of silverware, conversation, and blues on the jukebox filled the room. He smiled, and she returned the expression.
“Darrel Curtis?” She aimed to confirm.
He nodded, “Yeah, nice to meet you Ms. Cartwright.”
“Jenny.” He shifted in his seat, a tad anxious. He needed this deal to go through. “So I brought the papers.” He laid them on the table between them.
Jenny glanced at them briefly, thumbing through them. “Looks good so far. i’ll give you a call after I read the whole thing. In the mean time, I’d like to get to know the sort of man I’m entrusting this project with.”
A pause, “What do you want to know?”
A smile tugged the corners of her lips, “I don’t know. I’m need to Tulsa. What do you do for fun? Um. Tell me about your family? Why or how you got into construction?” She tossed out any suggestion she could. The blond was curious. The world she came from was an entirely different pace than what she’d decided to move to. He looked the type to know how to learn this new ‘culture.’
“Well…” Darry cleared his throat. The waitress came up, interrupting the moment to take their orders, he then continued. “There’s a theatre and a drive in. Some diners. An arcade. various other shops. Ha… um. My buddies and I like to have special occasions at this old barn and there’s a swimming hole down a trail across the train tracks over the bridge.” His eyes met hers. She still seemed to be interested. He hoped that was a good sign. Her other questions were postponed as he countered them. “Why, what do you look for… for fun?”
She folded her hands on the table and thought a moment, “I like books, dancing, nice cars…” drag racing… “um… architecture. pool.” She chuckled, “Maybe Tulsa won’t be all that bad.” She scrunched her nose in jest. Darry smiled and looked down briefly.
“You never said… what about your family?”
Darry chewed the inside of his cheek again and looked up at her, “I have two brothers. You?”
She held eye contact with him a moment, then decided to deflect. “Tell me about your brothers?”
Almost on queue the waitress delivered their food.The two of them took a few bites before continuing.
“They mean a lot to me. That’s that.” He made it clear he didn’t want to elaborate.
After a few back and forths they found themselves at the end of the night. Darry insisted on paying but Jenny wouldn’t have it, so they split it. As they waited for their receipts Jenny studied him.
his brow furrowed as he slipped his jacket on, “What?”
“…You’re hired.” She confirmed.
Darry paused for moment. Oh thank heavens… “I appreciate it.”
“You start Monday, Mr. Curtis.” She said as their change and receipts were delivered. She slipped her jacket on.
“Darry.” He corrected, now standing, gazing at her as she stood.
“Darry. 7 am sharp.” Her brow raised as she brushed by him.
He blinked a few times and followed, echoing her words, “7 am…”
She was already getting in her car to go, but Darry stood by his driver side door an extra moment. Those hazel hues imprinted on his mind as he considered her. The eldest Curtis shook his head and got in his truck.
Monday couldn’t come soon enough…
They were well into the day’s work that Monday morning. No sign of Ms. Cartwight just yet. It seemed like she had a well thought out operation. The guys knew Darry was in charge. A few of the older men who’d been at it a while weren’t so keen on listening to ‘young blood’ as their superior, but did so anyways with little but begrudging mumbles under their breath.
After the sound of Darry dropping a bundle of wood came a woman’s voice.
“I’m impressed,” She said, a cherry red lipstick smile, sunglasses, and an exception dress silhouetted in the afternoon sun.
Darry scrunched his face a bit and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his arm as he leaned up again, turning to face Jenny. “Just doing my job.” He offered. He looked almost opposite. A sweat soaked wife beater, and saw dust caked jeans.
The too stood there almost like a stand off would ensue before she approached him. Then then began to walk to where he’d planned to cut some more lumber.
“How’s you’re first day? They treating you alright, Mr. Curtis?” She looked ahead, casually.
Darry chuckled, “They’re alright. Yeah. Quite the project. Bigger than what I’m used to…”
“I’m sure you can handle it.” They shared a look.
She took a moment, looking down as she did so. Once she looked forward again, she had chosen her words. Almost sighing, she replied, “Doing something for me.”
Darry nodded, “I get that.” Once at the saw station he began to measure the next load. She stood nearby, hands folded before her. “Do you not often get to do something for you?” a small curious look at her.
She smiled and chuckled, “No. Not in my profession. And not in my personal life.” The strawberry blond tucked one side of her hair behind her ear.
“What do you do for work?” Darry stuck his pen in his mouth and began to saw. She waited for the noise to stop before answering.
“Ahh, I was an air hostess. Pan Am. But… I recently got my teaching license so I hope to be a teacher.” Her attention was briefly drawn to a loud noise near by before looking back at Darry.
“That so?” He began to measure the next piece. “I’ve never been on a plane.” He was sort of skeptical of flying. “Must be nice though. Getting to travel so easily.”
“The travelers aren’t often desirable to deal with,” she countered.
“Fair. So why teaching?” He looked up at her.
“I… don’t know. My mother was a teacher. I like helping. Kids. On flights I always made a special point to make it a special experience for kids. Especially the ones with insufferable parents.”
Darry paused his flow of actions and the two gazed at each other a moment, soaking it in. She then continued. “I don’t have any kids. Perhaps that’s the closest I’ll get. My husband never wanted them.”
Darry blinked, continuing his work. “You’re married.”
Jenny licked her cherry lip, then sadly, “Yeah.”
“You don’t sound thrilled.” He scrunched his face, “Sorry, that’s not my place to comment. Should I quit for harassment?” He half joked.
This pulled a small smile from her, “No. You’re right. But that’s a story for a different time.” She clicked her tongue, “Sadly, you can’t quit, there’s only 3 people in Tulsa that can do your job. That’d be just more paperwork.”
The smile was shared. Jenny then looked at her watch. “Listen. I have to go, Mr. Curtis. It was a pleasure. I’ll check in soon.” She turned to walk away.
“Jenny.” He called after her.
She looked over her shoulder.
“For what it’s worth… I’m glad you’re doing something for you.” Darry added.
The woman nodded, one last smile before departing.
It was about a week later before Darry saw her again. They spoke on the phone once about some business details, but she hadn’t been on site for a while. When she finally showed up again she sat in her car and looked out at the bones of her future home and smiled at the thought of it. She could picture herself happily grading papers on her front porch, a nice breeze, and the Tulsa sun.
Soon a shadow was cast and she broke from her daydream. Darry was standing there, an arm leaned onto her car.
“Looking good so far?” He asked.
“I’d say so.” She nodded before looking at him, “Thank you.”
“The best thank you is referring me to your friends,” He chuckled.
“I would if I had any here.” She chewed the inside of her lip, considering, “Say Darrel?”
“I’m new to this town and all, I don’t suppose you could show me around? Usual hangout spots?”
“I dunno, my kid brothers might be better tour guides, but I could give it a shot.”
“Don’t let me down now.” She lofted an eyebrow.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He echoed, then penciling his address on a spare paper and handing it over. “Meet me here. Saturday at noon?”
Darry took a few steps back, turning and shaking his head as she drove away. ‘Married.’ He thought.
At the sound of a car door Sodapop looked over his shoulder out the window toward the driveway. He didn’t recognized the car. It looked a bit ritzy compared to the ones the guys usually drove. A brow lofted as his gaze fell on the Strawberry blonde soc-looking piece walking toward the door.
“Hey Darry, I think the social worker is back…”
The sound of a pot dropping onto the stove abruptly was paired with Darry emerging from the kitchen with concern.
He leaned over Soda so they both could peak through the window. Relieved he removed himself from the couch, “That’s my client.” Darry crossed back to the kitchen to finish making a monty cristo for Soda. He packed up the lunch bag for his younger brother as there was a knock at the door.
Handing it out to his side Darry stood in the doorway. Soda grew a rather amused look on his face as he stood and sauntered over, grabbing his lunch bag, and heading to his room to get ready for work.
Darry opened the door and was greeted with Jenny’s look of curiosity. She clearly hadn’t cruised this neighbourhood before. “Hi.”
She gave a muted smile, “Are you going to invite me in?”
“Uhh,” Darry glanced behind him. He hadn’t thought of having her come in. The eldest Curtis had planned to take her for a drive. The state of the living room wasn’t awful but it wasn’t great either. “Sure. I just gotta grab my wallet and keys.” He opened the door for her then disappeared to his room.
Jenny entered slowly, taking in the unfamiliar home. She took a turn about the living room, noting little knick-knacks, a couple beer bottles, clear remnants that teenage boys frequented the space. Then she came across a series of photos. The strawberry blond stopped, leaning closer. There were a lot of photos of three boys throughout the ages, she smiled recognizing a younger Darry and the smiles on all three Curtis boys faces. A few photos had a couple in them. One in particular was in a black frame, a wedding photo, there was a pack of cigarettes with one cigarette left and a perfume bottle standing to either side of the photo. It was then she noticed the script on the frame, In Loving Memory. She felt her stomach crawl up into her throat and she blinked a few times. “Those poor boys…” she mused quietly. The sound of Darrel’s footsteps returning, pulled her back into the moment. she looked over at him.
Darry paused, seeing her stand in front of the picture of his parents and clenched his jaw feeling a little exposed, he decided not to say anything about it. “Shall we?”
Jenny made her way back toward him, “Lead the way.”
Before long they were cruising along in Darry’s old truck. He first gave her a driving tour of downtown, waving to various people he knew and occasionally a bob of the head or a smile. Jenny watched these interactions admiringly. As her long hair flowed in the breeze, wisps tickled her cheeks as she leaned on the door and glanced over at Darry, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d guess you were the mayor.”
Darry chuckled only peeling his eyes from the road for a moment to steal a look at her. “Far from it. It’s a small town and I work a lot of roofing jobs.”
“Tornados? They must be bad for people, but good for business.”
“Yeah.” He pulled over a few streets from the Drive-in. There were a few shops at the end of the strip and a nice walking and biking trail that went right by the Admiral Twin Drive-In.
As they walked and chatted briefly Jenny stopped infront of a pillar with a bunch of flyers, her eyes lighting up.
“What is it?” Darry asked, approaching and glancing over her shoulder. A band was playing at the swing hall next Saturday. “You dance?” His eyes flickered down to the top of her head.
Jenny craned her neck and turn her head to glance up at him, “Well, don’t you?”
They remained looking at each other an extra moment before realizing how close they were standing. Darry took a step back and cleared his throat, Jenny turned and looked down as she tucked a stray lock behind her ear. Both turned a little pink as they continued their walk.
“I don’t suppose I could convince you to go dancing with me Saturday?” She continued.
“I’m really not much of a dancer,” he countered.
“I’m sure that’s not true,” she insisted, “Everyone knows how to dance– or everyone can learn.”
“I haven’t danced in a few years.”
“Doesn’t mean you can’t.” She looked over at him again, “I’ll tell you what. Come dancing with me and I’ll partake in something out of my comfort zone with you.”
Darry chewed the inside of his cheek, considering the idea, “I’ll think about it.”
“That’s not a no,” She smiled, satisfied.
The two enjoyed the rest of the afternoon shooting the breeze and exploring the outskirts of Tulsa.
By the end of the casual tour Darry parked once again in his drive way.
“Thank you. I had a real nice time today.”
“So did I.” He smiled gently then looked down at his steering wheel.
“You don’t get out much to enjoy yourself do you, Darrel?”
“No. Not really. It’s hard to these days.”
She nodded lightly before sighing. They locked eyes again, “I know what it feels like to feel trapped. Not in the same way,but…” Her eyes spoke the words she didn’t say.
“Thank you. You’re a nice girl, Jenny. Get home safe.”
She smiled before letting herself out. Darry took an extra moment to sit in his car as her heard her drive away., picturing the idea of dancing with her next Saturday.
Over the course of the next week Jenny stopped by the site a lot. Often it meant a few moments of witty back and forth between her and Darry. A few guys started to grow curious and somewhat suspicious as to the nature of their relationship. They didn’t notice this.
They went out to a movie on Wednesday. A new picture was coming out that both had been interested in. Darry nor Jenny thought much of what it meant to be seen in public. It wasn’t widely known that she was married.
Jenny was grateful to be able to enjoy a movie and not be pressured into the idea of making out or having sex. She enjoyed just being in a moment with Darry. Carefree. If she’d been anyone else who’d known Darry for years she’d have realized how odd it sounded to consider a moment with Darry as ‘carefree.’
Thusday they sat in the bed of Darry’s truck enjoying lunch. Darry found it amusing. Sure women didn’t often wear pants, but it was quite a site to see a pencil skirt trying to sit both ladylike and comfortably in the back of a greaser’s truck rather than some tuff drag piece.
Darry tried to stiffle the look of amusement, “Just quite a sight.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ve ridden in trucks before.”
“Not usually.” She laughed, blushing a little.
There was a moment, some others were still working, which could be heard as ambient sound. It filled their moments of silence enough while they whittled away at their food.
“So ah…” Darry started. The thought had stirred somewhat in his mind since it had come up, “Why hasn’t your husband come to see you since this started?”
Jenny nodded, she knew this conversation was coming. “Busy.”
“Work. Disagreeing with me. Yelling.”
“I’m not. I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t. It’s taken a handful of years, but um… I’m finding figuring out what I need.”
Darry took in what she said. He hoped he would be able to find that same feeling… sooner rather than later. He couldn’t relate to her exact situation, but the feeling was similar. “How’d you meet?” His eyes found her’s
“High school. We’d been dating since junior year. Got married when we were 19. Ten years later… here we are. Not the least bit the same as we once were. It’s weird to look back. It’s like different chapters of your life you’re different people and you kinda have to adapt to whatever person they are in that stage of life and hope you two find each other and find that thing that brought you together to begin with.”
“I can’t say I know what you mean. Though I imagine it’d be easier under different circumstances.”
“I remember you saying he doesn’t want kids. Do you?”
“I think so. but I’m twenty nine, hardly in my prime anymore.”
She quickly caught his gaze, blushing. She smiled, shook her head and looked away.
He wanted to ask why she was still with him if it was so clear they weren’t what they needed from each other, but he decided to keep his mouth shut.
“When I met you at your house…”
“Car accident. Night. A train.” She chewed the inside of his cheek so he didn’t get to worked up.
“I’m sorry, Darrel.” She soothed softly, reaching a hand to his his arm a squeeze of reassurance. “Tell me. What were they like?”
He took a moment to gather his thoughts, “Um. My mother was an excellent cook. She has a laugh that lit up a room. Ponyboy, my youngest brother, he looks and acts the most like her. Soda looks like our father, but with our mother’s smile. He’s a good mix of both. I take most after our dad. He was a vet. Didn’t like to talk about the war. He was a fair guy, stern, but he cared. I was 18 when they died. I decided not to go to college. I just… I had to take care of my brothers. If we didn’t have each other then…” He shook his head and shrugged, a loss for words.
“That’s a lot of responsibility at a young age.”
Darry looked at her again, a tired plea behind his gaze. Jenny flinched slightly, wishing to reach out and hug him, but deciding against it. She just blinked and offered a look of concern.
“Well, I ought to be getting back to work.” Darry said packing up his lunch.
Jenny followed suit. “Right. Didn’t mean to hold you up.”
“Might have to report you to the boss.” Darry joked dryly.
“Yikes, wouldn’t want to mess with her.” Jenny smirked.
The two departed, resuming their usual routine for the rest of the day.
As Friday rolled around and Darry was getting ready to close the day’s work, that familiar car rolled up. As usual they stole a glance and he finished whatever he was working on before approaching.
“Mrs. Cartwright?” A asked smoothly.
She lofted a brow, knowing by now she didn’t need to remind him he could call her Jenny, yet also appreciating the formalities in a work setting. “Just checking in.’ She glanced over his shoulder at the project. “Ahead of schedule by the looks of it.”
“The sooner you can move in, the sooner we’re out of you hair.”
She looked at him with a very subtle look he didn’t recognize. “Well that’s a shame,” she said.
He scoffed in amusement. “What colour dress are you wearing tomorrow?”
She shot him a puzzled look, “Pardon?”
“Well if I’m taking you to dance, we better look sharp together.”
A brilliant bright smile spread across her features and she shook her head, “Took you long enough.” She paused, “Yellow.”
“Noted,” He winked. “I gotta finish up here. Meet my at my house tomorrow. 6 o’clock.”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” She confirmed.
Darry watched as she drove away yet again and thought to himself, What am I getting myself into?
Darry was priming himself in the bathroom mirror. Soda was walking by, but stopped, “…Jenny?”
Darry didn’t skip a beat, “Yup. Not that it’s my kid brother’s business.”
Soda sighed, glancing down, “Maybe not but… she’s married, Dare– people’ll talk.”
“So let them.” The eldest Curtis looked over at Soda and exited the bathroom confidently. “We’re ain’t done nothin’ wrong.”
Soda left to the kitchen, mumbling, “…yet.”
Darry took pause having heard that, but pretended he didn’t before walking out the door.
Jenny looked like a ray of sunshine on a million dollar day. The two walked into the dance and while she was beaming in excitement, Darry suddenly realized just how out of place being there made him feel. Shoving his hands in his pockets he shadowed her. They bought their dance ticket for the floor and she took his hands, dragging him out there with a big smile. “C’mon, Darrel!”
“Oh shush up and move your feet.” She cooed, match him like a missing puzzle piece. She knew the steps. and while it had been a while for him he soon found a comfortable rhythm. A few songs in she chucked and shook her head, “And you said you can’t dance.”
Darry felt his cheeks grow a bit hot as he twirled her, landing in a dip, he leaned down with her, “I’m rusty, but I’m… remembering.” He brought her back up and they took the floor until a slow song came on. Both sorta paused, waiting for the other to say anything.
“Yeah yeah,” Darry confirmed.
They sat at a table with their beverages watching the happy couples. Darry looked at Jenny for a moment undisturbed before speaking, “Does you husband dance?”
She sighed before looking down then at him, “He used to. …yeah… used to.”
“That’s a shame. That he stopped. You’re a dime on the dance floor. Any man would be lucky to have you as his partner.”
Jenny gave him a truly grateful smile laced with sadness. “Where’d you learn to dance?”
Darry chuckled, “Um, it’s a little embarrassing but… my mother. When I was a lot younger.”
A shared smile, Jenny gave his arm a squeeze, “She taught you well.”
Her affection didn’t go unnoticed, “Yeah… she was a special kind.”
‘I’m sorry I don’t get to meet her.”
He nodded, attention back on the floor when the next song picked up. “Let’s go.” He took her hand leading her out. The more she laughed in his arms the more comfortable he became. Both failed to notice some people from town watching them wondering the nature of their relationship.
Well into the night yet another slow dance came on. Had they not been caught up in a conversation they would have sat again. Naturally they simply came together, closer, swaying with the music as they continued an intimate chat about their respective lives.
“–but now… I don’t know. I feel… lost and yet completely confident in where I’m going.” Jenny scrunched her nose.
Darry let out a breath. “I can dig that.” he hummed. Both stayed gazing at the other, a magnetism drawing there faces closer, but not quite close enough when the song broke the connection. Darry cleared his throat and Jenny fixed her hair as they swiftly broke the embrace ashamed at how they felt when in each other’s arms.
Disapproving onlookers shook their heads, though they went unnoticed by the spectacle themselves.
It was somewhat quiet as Darry drove her home. They remained parked at the motel outside her room for a moment longer than what likely was socially acceptable.
“I had a nice time tonight…” Jenny finally broke the silence, “I um…” She chuckled lightly, giving him extra reason to look over at her, “I cant remember the last time I enjoyed myself that much.” She met his gaze.
It was that moment Darry new he was in deep shit no matter what he did. ‘We should go again sometime then.” He replied softly.
She met his tone, understanding, “I’d like that.”
Another moment before Darry found himself unable to fight the impulse. He leaned toward her. He breath hitched as she matched the proximity but stopped just short. The strawberry blonde felt his breath, could barely taste his lips on her but she stopped herself. “–Goodnight, Darrel.”
They lingered there an extra moment before she pulled away leaving him a a daze of confusion and mild dance. Shit. He thought. “Night.”
He watched her leave and look back at him from her door. Sinking his shoulder back he watched the door close and the light come on, perfectly framing her silhouette.
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