Curtis and Carol ... Update: Big Picture

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Winds of Change
Every once in a while, in that great jigsaw puzzle of life …
One has to stop and wonder exactly how hard the pieces might be trying to put themselves together.

On more than one occasion during the week, going about her regular routines,
Carol Anne found herself with her hands busy in the dirt
and her mind wandering all over the place.

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It kind of seemed as though the fertilizer was working just as well
on the seeds Adele had so skillfully planted in her head,
as it was on the plants in her garden.

She tried to push some thoughts out, but they kept creeping back in.
Some things in her life were just undeniable.
Business was doing fine, she was settled and quite comfortable …
And regardless of what she may tell anyone else, being too busy was not necessarily a problem.

Fact is … She was a bit more comfortable with an old adage she had heard somewhere …
and that suited her lifestyle choices precisely as needed up to that point.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it!”

Problem is … She just couldn’t avoid the idea that it may be time
she started thinking about opening another chapter in the book of Carol Anne Ballis.

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Then on the other side of town … There’s Curtis.
The book tour was over and Sherman had headed back to wherever he came from for the time being.

Suddenly … Curtis had been grappling with a demon trying to sneak back in.
Oh. it wasn’t anything in particular, that would be too easy ...
It was everything ... The Hurricane.

The turmoil he had lived in for so many years had conditioned him.
And every time he would get close to sitting down anywhere too long …
The road would start calling him … The hobo’s life in a nutshell.

Still there was something different this time … A piece was missing.
He was in the hot tub behind his place when it struck him like a lightning bolt.

”I Have Everything … And Nothing … At the Same Time!”.

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Well friends … Seems as though the winds of fate had a mind of their own …
And a sweet breeze was blowing through Meadow Beach, one fine Sunday morning,
when two folks were about to have a chance encounter that could change both of their lives forever.

Carol was feverishly trying to calculate the chances she could avoid the oncoming encounter
with a nice smile, wave, and just keep on running.
when a voice in her head brought some calm to her steps …

”Choke up Girl …
This is happening sooner or later, one way or another ...
Just grab the steering wheel.”

At the same time … Curtis just happened to remember the one single piece of advice
his miserable excuse for a mother ever gave him that was worth anything …

”Son … When it comes to women,
pay attention, ask the right question, then keep your mouth shut and let them talk …
They’ll tell you what they want … And it’s better you don’t try and guess.”

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Carol
”Hey, you’re Curtis Stevens … The writer, aren’t you?
I have to say I have really enjoyed your books over the last year.

Also, your latest book is still on top of the Best Seller’s list.
That kind of makes you the man of the hour doesn’t it?”

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Curtis
”Well I don’t know about the man of the hour part, but I am Curtis.

Anyway, since I know just about everyone else in Hidden Springs,
that means there’s a good chance you are Nick’s friend from University.
Carol … Carol Anne, right?”

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Carol
”That’s me … Carol Anne Ballis … Pleased to meet you.
I have no idea what Nicholas has told you about me,
But at least half of it is probably true.”

The two of them both take a moment to chuckle,
thinking about Nicholas.

Carol Continued
”I hope you don’t mind me saying …
But it doesn’t really seem to me that you are quite like some of the people around here say you are.
You’re actually kind of charming and not what I expected.”

Curtis tried to hold back laughter
”I don’t know … Give me a few minutes and I’ll probably change your mind on that.”

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For the second time in as many minutes, Carol’s mouth started moving
before her head even understood where she was going.

Friends … Those winds of fate seem to be hitting gale force.

Carol
”About those minutes … How about you cook me dinner?
This evening … My place … Casual and nothing fancy.

No strings attached …
And I’m sure I’ll hate you by the time it’s over.”

And for the second time, they both got to chuckling.

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Curtis took a moment to make sure he knew where he was going.

Curtis
”If I figure it correctly, you have that cute house on the left heading out towards the base …
Before you get to the Chesterfield Place … Great view, Nice car.

It’s the only house that I don’t know who lives there,
and you’re the only person I hadn’t met until today.”


Carol
”That’s me … Six o’clock
And I look forward to it”

Curtis stood there for a moment watching Carol as she started heading off …
Wondering if he completely understood what had just transpired,
and was grinning ear to ear.

Carol Anne made it about 20 yards away, before she turned around,
walked backwards, smiled at the look on Curtis’ face
And hollered back at him …

Carol
“Oh, and hey … Bring the truck, not the bike.”

She started giggling as she turned back around, picked up pace and headed home.

Curtis
”Thanks Mom!”


To Be Continued …



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Grounded
Back to our story … Wonder what’s gonna happen.
Curtis was able to find some clothes at least,
and I’m pretty sure Carol didn’t have a problem with what he was wearing.

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There was a tad bit of awkwardness to start with, as would be expected …
But they lightened things up with a little chit-chat
and it wasn’t long until Carol was showing him around the house.
Finally, they headed to the kitchen and she showed him where to find the pots and pans.

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Curtis was busy cooking dinner, when low and behold
Nicholas called Carol.

Curtis tried not to eavesdrop, but from the sounds of things
Carol went through the happenings of her day,
told him Curtis was there ...
and her general tone suggested things might be turning out okay so far.

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Curtis had made some cheesesteak sandwiches
And the two of them had what could only be described as a lovely dinner.
No one was in a rush
and they talked a little about everything in the world …
Kind of trying to get a good feel for each other.

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Curtis was quick to take care of the dishes
and Carol decided not to worry about the stove until tomorrow.
When Curtis was done with the dishes, he offered to do the stove.
Carol told him not to be silly.
She then suggested they go out back for some fresh air.

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As Curtis had suspected, Carol had a nice place …
It even had some waterfront appeal.
As the evening drew to into the darker hours,
Those two just kept yakking each other's heads off.

Curtis kept his plan close in mind and stuck with it …
Pay attention, ask the right questions, and let her talk.
It even seemed to be working out for him.

I just know y’all are about to get bored to death … Hang on.
We might get to the fuzzy bunnies, fireflies and fairytales in just a second …
Looks like the sun is going down right now.

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When every bit of the sun was gone and a stillness set in …
The conversation had come all the way back around
and almost caught up with the times.

Carol
”I assume the book tour is over.
Marcy at the Hut said you had been in a few mornings lately.”

Curtis thought that just might be an opportunity
to find out what Carol’s ideas were regarding his book and everything in it.

Curtis
”So, what did you think about the book?”

To Curtis’ surprise, Carol answered in a rather matter of fact kind of tone …
The kind that in a peculiar way tends to get your attention.

Carol
”I can’t say ...
I haven’t read it …
and I don’t intend to.”

BAM!
Whoa … What just happened?

Yes friends … All of a sudden it was like the world had stopped turning.
That question seemed to have gone over like lead balloon.

Carol was looking at the ground, and biting her bottom lip so hard it might draw blood.
She was thinking hard on something at that instant …
Kind of like the words had spilled out on accident.

Curtis panicked,
and started looking for a recovery.
It was more like grasping for straws,
and the same dang thing kept crossing his mind …

” … Wrong Question.”

It had been looking like a lovely ending
to what could have been a glorious day …
When Curtis and Carol were quickly struggling to keep the dreamboat
from crashing on the rocks.

It seemed like almost all was lost
when an ever so slight breeze, starting cutting a ripple on the bay
and the moon started shimmering in the reflection.

Then, for the third time that day …
Carol grabbed the steering wheel.
And Lord Child …
She might as well have struck a match and lit the fuse.

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Carol Anne
”Something has been bothering me lately,
And I’m not real sure what to do with it.

You see, there’s this man in town …
Some big shot writer.
He just made a fortune off a book where he dug all his skeletons out of his closet,
Put them on the page in black and white, and laid them out for the world to see.

Most everybody knows him …
And everybody seems to have their opinion of
who he was, who he is and what he could be.

But you know … I met this other guy at the beach this morning.
He was cordial, almost humble … I looked in his eyes and saw his soul.
We had dinner, he listened, and he cared what I thought.”

Carol stopped for a moment, and took a deep breath,
collecting her thoughts for what was coming next.
That girl was about to lay her cards on the table.

Carol Continued
”Curtis … I don’t want to know the man in the book.
I don’t want to have anything to do with him.

I want to know the man on the beach.
That's the man I want to know.
and I’m about to find out which one is standing in front of me right now.

I’m a grown woman Curtis … And I don’t give a what other people think.
I don’t want to read the book, because I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder all the time,
like everyone else, waiting for you to up.
At the same time … I don’t do messy.

Right now, I want you to go home and think about what I have said.
I want you to think about whether or not you are interested
in the two us of us writing a new book.

I won't wait by the phone, or cry in my pillow …
And I have had a lovely evening …
Sorry it has to end like this.

I have faith in you, and I know you can figure this out …
I trust you, and that’s all that matters.
Let me know when you figure out which man you want to be.”

Curtis acknowledged he understood what she had said
and they both shared a few more awkward moments
of half-hearted and polite thanks you’s and goodbyes …
But they were both still thinking harder on what Carol had just risked.

Carol, still standing at the water’s edge, watched Curtis as he eased around the corner of the house,
wondering whether or not she had just made a big mistake … She’d know soon enough.

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Curtis on the other hand ...
Was playing back in his head what Carol had said.
He felt funny … And it was starting to bother him.
Curtis wasn’t a half mile from Carol’s house when he had to stop the truck
and start thinking about everything again in detail.

It had all left a mark on him … But in all that there was something Carol had said ...
Way down there towards the end, and almost as an afterthought.

”... I trust you …"

No one had ever really trusted Curtis before.

To Be Continued …

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That’s Me!
Now Friends … If you are like me, and have been following our story,
there’s a good possibility we may not only be having a hard time
figuring out where it is going …
But there’s no guarantee there’s gonna be a happy ending.

To tell you the truth …
I just don’t always know what that mean old BlackSand is thinking.

However … We could take a look at one thing.
Curtis had remembered what his mother had said, paraphrased of course …

” … Ask the right questions,
be quiet and let her talk,
she’ll tell you what she wants …"

Well I was kind of with Curtis in thinking he might have asked the wrong question,
but you know, if you think about it …
It just might not have been the wrong question after all.

Let’s get on with our story and see what happens …

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No matter how Carol might of put off acting like
she was going to be fine and handle things on her end …
Neither her, nor Curtis, got a bit of sleep that night.

Curtis kept running everything Carol had said through his mind
until he found himself out behind his place in the morning
and with a pretty good grasp on the key points Carol had made.

She obviously thought there were two sides to Curtis …
and one of them she didn’t ever want to meet.

Now … He was going to have to try and figure out how that was going to work.

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Carol had completely given up up on thought of getting sleep and took a morning run.
She had no more walked back into the house, when she got a call from Adele Winterly.

Seems as though Nicholas had called Adele,
And the fact Carol and Curtis had dinner was already spreading like wildfire
through the town of Hidden Springs.

Adele
”So tell me Carol, I heard you met Curtis yesterday.
Did y’all have dinner last night;
How did everything go?”

Carol
”We had a lovely dinner, he was a total gentleman …
and I enjoyed his company.”

Adele tried a little longer to press some details out of Carol …
But Carol wasn’t giving up the ghost on anything.
What she had said to Curtis was between the two of them,
and Carol wasn’t interested in feeding the rumor mill.

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Meanwhile … Curtis had thought that returning to the scene of the crime, so to say,
may help give him some ideas on what he was going to have to do.

He was having a real problem figuring out exactly what Carol meant.
There was no denying he was the man in the book.
To him, the man in the book was all he had ever been.

Curtis dang near paced a circle in the park
as he tried to examine things from different angles,
but kept coming up empty.

Finally, he walked over to the chairs and thought he would look through the book.
In a way it had helped him before, and he was willing to give anything a shot.

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Just when he was sitting down and pulling out the book …
He remembered one of the things Carol had said,
and something that had been in his thoughts all morning.

” … I don’t want to know the man in the book.
I don’t want to have anything to do with him.”

It was at that moment things started to clear up for Curtis.

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Yes friends … Not only was the answer to his troubles not in the book …
The only thing in the book, was his troubles.

He burned the book, however symbolic that may have been.
The flames were fast and hot at first,
but soon there was nothing left but remnants of the hard cover.
When the smoke cleared some, so did his vision.

There was just one more thing he had to do,
and he was certain of it.

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Carol was trying everything she could think of.
She fixed lunch, but didn’t have an appetite.
She went online, but really wasn’t interested in anything there.
She even tried meditating … To no real avail.

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Finally, she just changed into something more comfortable for around the house,
and decided the whole day was going to be a wash.
Who was she kidding, she was worried,
and her head was spinning.

*** Oh Carol, what did you do?
I couldn’t have done a better job of shooting myself in the foot.
In fact, I think I hit them both.
What were you thinking girl …
Adele … Errrr***

Yes friends … Carol was a wreck!

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It wasn’t long after Carol was walking a hole in her floor,
And it was getting close to sunset in Hidden Springs,
When Curtis was putting the final touches on the one thing he had left to do.

Mmm-Hmm … That kind of looks like his motorcycle rolling off,
And he ain’t on it … Go figure.

Curtis knew that like it or not,
there was only one way he was going to shut that road demon up …
And the bike was gone.

It was getting on into Monday evening by the time Curtis changed shirts.
The one he had been wearing smelled like smoke and it was distracting.
He loaded himself up in the truck, and drove real slow across town to Carol’s place,
The whole time trying to think of what he needed to say.

Carol was a bit nervous, surprised and relieved to see Curtis’ truck pull up …
And she didn’t hesitate to invite him in.
When they got into the house she turned towards Curtis,
Wondering what was coming next.

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Curtis
”You know, I was wondering …
You’re that pretty lady I met on the beach yesterday morning aren't you …
Carol … Carol Anne right?”

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Carol trying her hardest to hold it together
”Yeah, That's me … Carol Anne Ballis,
Pleased to meet you.”

They both just stood there looking at each other for a moment …
Measuring up the idea they both understood what that meant.
Curtis was the first one to speak again ...

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Curtis
”I’m sorry for coming by this evening without any warning …
I’ve had a long day, didn’t get much sleep last night, and will be getting out of your hair.
But I wouldn't get a wink of sleep if I hadn’t come by and told you
that I am most certainly interested in sharing a new book with you.”

Carol
”I’m am so glad you came by and let me know …
Although I didn’t expect it.
I was worried I had made a mistake.
Truth is, I didn’t get any sleep either.

Would you like to stay a while?
Have you eaten … I’ll fix us something.”

Curtis
”Whether or not I want to, and whether or not I think I should …
Aren’t necessarily the same thing.
I have had one hell of a day,
and I don’t want to pile any more on top of it.”

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Carol was puzzled at first, but then kind of understood.
But ... She was also not letting him get away without coming up with something …

Carol
”Well how about this?
I’m going to take a run in the morning, and head to the Hut after that.
What do you say you meet me there around six, six thirty,
and we both start fresh?”

Curtis
”Oh that sounds nice, and I can be there.
You know, I heard they make a good buzzberry tea and a decent brownie.”

Carol
”Huh …
You pay attention to a lot of things don’t you?”

Curtis Grinning
”Well sometimes …
And you have no idea how glad I am it’s you.”

Carol
”There’s just one thing I think I might need to tell you.

You see, before I really knew who you were …
I might have … Kind of … Talked some trash,
Okay, I really told a lot of people I hated you and that motorcycle of yours.

And a …"

Curtis cut her off before she could finish
”What are you talking about Carol …
I don’t have a bike.

You must be thinking about somebody else.”

Curtis played it cool … And laid that card down smooth.
Without even cracking a smile.
Both of them had been through the wringer that day,
And it took Carol’s brain a second or two to catch up.

When it did … Her eyes lit up like they were on fire,
And she couldn’t contain it anymore … Look out folks!

Carol
”You better come here Mr. Man …"

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Yes Sir, friends … That kiss, was one they had both been
looking to find for some time.
And I have to tell ya … They took their time with it.

When they finally came up for air …
The whole room was dancing …
And they were both a little weak in the knees.

They stood there looking at each other for a minute …
With the goofiest grin on their faces, and not a care in the world between them.

Curtis
”That was nice … We’re gonna have to do that again sometime.

But I think I need to go …
and we’ve got a lot of time ahead of us.
I’m looking forward to tomorrow morning already,
but I better get out of here.”

Carol
” Yeah … You better get out of here before I lock the door!”

As much as he wanted to stay, Curtis had not been kidding about his day.
And the best he figured, Carol Anne and he were just getting started.

He almost made it to the door when Carol commented …

Carol
”You know the pool the town-folk have going online …
Has it at 150 bucks we don’t make it a week at best.”

Curtis Grinning
”I’ll put up a grand at a week and a half …
We ought to be sick of each other by then,
And we’ll split the winnings.”

Carol Kind of Laughing
”You better get out of here Mr. Man …
Good night.”

Curtis
”I’m going … I’ll see you in the morning
Sleep well and pleasant dreams
Carol Anne.”

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When the door closed behind him,
Carol started talking to herself …

”Carol Anne …
God, I love it when that man says my name.

Oh … He sold his bike.
Oh my God, he’s gonna hate me.

Oh , I’m dizzy.
I got to sit down, before I fall down.

Whew … Wow!”

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Curtis was having a conversation of his own while crossing the yard …

“Mmmm … Carol Anne,

Man you would be lying if you tried to tell someone you don’t
want to be three ways to naked with that woman right now.
Who are you kidding?

DUUUDE … You Sold Your Bike!
You are one love sick puppy.

Stop it, settle down …
Just don’t it up this time.

Come on truck … Let’s go home,
Looks like it’s gonna be me and you now.’

Well Folks … If you don’t know where this story is going,
There’s only one thing I can tell ya!

Seems as though this story ain’t the drive-through window at a fast-food restaurant.
To tell you the truth, I am pretty sure we ain’t even finished writing the menu.

Somehow it seems to me that both Carol and Curtis might be thinking a little further down the road,
and not just looking for someone to mess up the sheets with.

With any luck ...
We might just end up with a little more than a greasy soft taco with limp lettuce ...
Who Knows?

Thanks for your time … And we’ll be back.

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To Be Continued …



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Mr. Man
Welcome back and it’s good to see ya.
I hope all y’all slept as well as Curtis and Carol did last night.

If I remember correctly, Carol had offered to meet Curtis at the Java Hut
And I think she said something about six, six-thirty.
It’s about that time now, so let’s take a look.

Yes friends … there they are.
It’s just a little past six and it looks like they are both on track.

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Curtis saw Carol first, and his heart might have skipped a beat,
but he was quick to remind himself of some words he spoke the night before.
They were kind of simple, but to the point.

*** Settle down and don’t it up ***

You could say Carol was trying to remind herself of something as well.
She glanced down and let out a light laugh as they drew closer.
If anyone had been watching, they could tell those two were happy …
But I seriously doubt they would have guessed what Carol was thinking.

*** Good Lord girl, if he says your name,
Don't start taking your clothes off in the middle of town ***

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Well it wasn’t that long and those two had made it
right up close and cozy with each other.

They were both just smiling and honestly glad to see each other.
I’m not too sure they were completely aware of where they were standing at that point.
But two young people in love ... You can’t do nothing with ‘em.

Curtis
"Good morning Carol Anne,
You look great …
Did you sleep well?”

Oops … There it is!
Y’all may want to look away, because he said her name,
And I don’t know if she is going to start with her shoes.

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Aww … That ain’t that bad.
I think it’s kind of cute.

Believe it or not Carol was the first one to recognize
the fact that they might be in danger of impeding traffic or worse.

Carol
”Whew … Good Morning Mr. Man.
Haha … Are we really standing in the middle of the road?”

Curtis
”Yeah, it kind of looks like we are,
But that was nice I would stand here all day for more if needs be.
You worried about anything?”

Carol
”Well maybe …

I’m not, exactly sure when they started counting,
But Astrid has money on 68 hours …
And I’m not planning on buying her a new pair of shoes on a technicality.

We probably need to get out of the street anyway.
Let’s go to the Hut.”

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Just when things were starting to look kind of sweet and peachy,
Carol turned and headed for the curb.
Curtis on the other hand, caught a whiff of that dang shampoo.

Bad timing one could say.
He froze, and a dark cloud of doubt threatened to press its way in.

Carol made it the curb and noticed Curtis wasn’t with her.
She turned and could tell he was thinking about something,
almost like he wasn’t even there.

She got nervous for a second, not understanding exactly what was going on.
but then in a sweet steady voice, she threw Curtis a line.

Carol
”Are you just going to stand there all day,
Or are you just enjoying the view.”

Somehow it worked.
Curtis shook it off, and moved to catch up with her.

Curtis
”I got to say … It’s a nice view.
You take good care of yourself, and it shows.”

But friends, what Curtis was really thinking,
might just have been a tad bit more important.
The sound of her voice had made a break in the clouds.
and at that point Curtis noticed something.

He and Susan had been together, but not like Carol.
And Susan was with Curtis because as part of the Challenge,
She had to be with him.

Carol was there …
Because she wanted to be with Curtis.

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They did actually make it to the Java Hut.
Marcy was working the counter that morning
and they did get a little something to drink.

The meet-up at the Java Hut had really just been Carol’s idea to put the two of them together.
It was early on a Tuesday, and dead as a doornail.
They talked to Marcy as they drank, but decided
they might as well head back towards Carol’s house when they were done.

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They ran into Peter Winterly outside the Corporate Headquarters,
But he was running short on the clock and couldn’t chat long.
Carol made sure to ask him to do her a favor.

Carol
”When you talk to Adele,
Please tell her I am doing okay, and I am having a good time.

She’ll know what it means … And Thanks.”

Peter
”Glad to do that for you Carol.
I’m also glad y’all seem to be having a good time.

Don’t be surprised if both of you get an invite to dinner sometime,
but right now, I have got to go.
Y’all have a great day.”

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It wasn't long after that and they were back at Carol’s house.
Curtis wanted to stick around but didn’t know if he should.
Carol on the other hand wasn’t having it any other way,
and it wasn’t long until they wandered on around back.

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They chit-chatted like they had the first night they met for a long time.
At one point in the afternoon …
Well past lunch and neither one of them thinking about eating,
Carol asked Curtis about his plans.

Carol
”Now that the book tour is over, and I assume all that mess is behind you,
Have you thought about what you want to do?

I mean are you going to try to write some books …
Romance novels, you were good at it?”

Curtis
”Well, don’t be getting your hopes up.
Those romance novels were fairytales, and not the real deal.

No … I am done writing for a while.
Thinking about finding something to do outside.”

Carol
”You know … I was talking to Mayor Vanderburg the other day.
And it seems like BlackSand Industries is putting
Meadow Beach up for sale.

I also have been up to Redwood Lookout,
and saw what you and Susan did with the place.
Would you be interested in maybe doing the same type job at Meadow Beach?”

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Curtis
”Look, I’m gonna have to give credit where it's due.
I was more grunt labor on that project,
and Susan handled most of the design.

She also dealt with the contractors when it came to stuff we couldn’t do ourselves.”

Carol
”You’re a good man Curtis and giving credit is appreciated I am sure,
But I’ve seen your place too, and that certainly doesn’t have anything to do with Susan.

You need to take a little credit yourself sometimes.
You don’t have to overdo it, but you do good work.”

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Curtis
”Wait, whoa … You have been by my house?
When did that happen?”

Carol started giggling,
Which started Curtis laughing.

Carol
”I don’t know, maybe I am like any woman,
or any resident of Hidden Springs for that matter,
and just nosy.

Oh that’s too easy and I am not going to start lying to you.
I have to admit I kind of thought about stealing the bills out of your mailbox
in hopes someone would come repossess your motorcycle.”

Y’all are gonna have to give me a minute to stop laughing,
and I am pretty sure Carol Anne and Curtis need it as well.

Curtis
”Dang girl …
You are bad, and I thought I was.”

Carol
” Oh no Curtis, I am sweet like an angel,
And you can ask anyone.

It was all that motorcycle’s fault.
It was just evil!”

Curtis
”I know Carol,
and you are kind of special.
I trust you.

Are you really sure you trust me?”

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At that point, Carol reached over and pulled him close.
Her cheeks were still a bit blushed from laughing,
and they were both breathing a little heavy from the fun they had been having.

Carol
”Mr. Man …
You had me on the beach when you first said my name.

You and me, everything else …
It was all going to happen.

Curtis … I may have had my doubts,
I thought I may have messed up.

But I don’t have to trust you now.
I know, and I think you do too.”

Curtis
”Carol Anne … It isn’t something I know
I feel it like nothing else.”

Carol
”If that’s true and what you feel …
Let’s not mess around.
Come live with me …

I mean go home today, pack your ,
and I am not planning on going anywhere,
but will give you a key before you leave.”

Curtis
”You’re serious aren’t you?

In any other circumstance in my life,
I would think that you and I were both bat crazy.
But I don’t even have to think about it.

Things changed for me yesterday.
I made my choice then and it is as simple as that.”

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Carol eased back just the slightest bit.
Her face was still full of joy but her tone took on
a bit of the no-nonsense roll.

Carol
”There’s just one thing …

I’m not putting a cot in my basement.
If you are coming here, you are sleeping in my bed
and with me … No one else ever!”

Curtis
”I understand, and I can do that.
I’m glad you’ll have me.

Wait ... You have a basement?”

Carol
”Oh yeah … There are a lot of things in
that house you haven’t seen yet.
and a few more things we haven’t done yet.

Come on, I’ll show you around.”

Cutris
”Hey, when you say things I haven’t seen
And things we haven’t done in your basement …

That’s throwing off this serious whips and chains vibe,
and I may be open to some things,
but I ain’t going in there without a safe word.

Nuh-uh … Ain’t happening!”

Again those two started cracking up.
You know … The pair may just turn out to be a fun addition to our story.
I got to say I like them … Anyway back to it.

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Carol
”Nah Curtis … All you really have to do is say my name.

You do it kind of formal like
but with a little warm butter and brown sugar on top.

You got me Mr. Man, now come on.”

Curtis
“Well I can’t say I disagree with your taste in condiments,
and I’m coming …

Carol Anne.”

Well friends … I’m going to give those two a bit of privacy.
I appreciate you hanging in there with us while we managed to get
Curtis Stevens all nestled down in a nice place with a sweet woman.

Don’t fear none, because there’s little fingers leading out everywhere
Even if you ain’t quite seen them yet.

In the meantime … The Thread name is getting changed to

"Curtis and Carol … Update:"

Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate your time.
We'll be back with ya ...

To Be Continued ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7k0a5hYnSI

Silly Me.
Happy Simming!

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@BlackSand I thoroughly enjoyed catching up on your story this evening. I kinda had a silly grin on my face as I read it and kept my fingers crossed that Curtis wouldn't blow it...he didn't. Loved it!

@bekkasan ... Thanks for stopping in and taking a look.
Glad you had some fun with it and I think Curtis will be okay.
He never really was a hardened criminal.

He was broke in Bridgeport, homeless and on the road, ate at the diner and walked out on the tab.
He got picked up and was charged with petty theft, and vagrancy ... Then never showed up for his court date (failure to appear)
after walking down the road to somewhere else.

The law wouldn't have been interested in hunting him down ...
He didn't have an address where they could go pick him up ...
But they would have put out a bench warrant for his arrest should he get picked up for anything else.

That's why the District Attorney even considered cutting a deal with him.
When he got busted for painting on the sidewalk in Hidden Springs, Curtis was worth more money than the DA had in the bank.
He was already equipped to lead a more productive life than the one that had got him trouble.

Everyone doubted Curtis (even if it was just a little bit, myself included) ... Except for Carol Anne ... <3

Thanks Again ... We'll see what happens, and hopefully have some fun along the way!
Happy Simming!

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