A Kachina Dance Read Online Free Page B

around the apartment singing; “I ’ve got a boyfriend, sha h -nah-nah” to a Motown beat a couple of times .
    After the seventh grade mentality passes, I caution myself to realize this can only be a summer romance, a two week lov e affair, nothing beyond. Kate, I tell myself, live these two weeks to the ultimate and relish every second he enfolds you in his arms . When you leave , pack your suitcase full of passionate memories not bitter regrets. Yeah, right, like this is going to happen. I’ll be crying all the way back to New York.
    I unpack and ta k e a quick surve y of the studio. It’ s even wo rse than I had suspected. The only food , I use the term loosely, is a can of coffee, a few bottles of soda, and a jar of peanut butter . Now it’s o ff to the store . I manage to buy enough to do some damage. There are the cleaning supplies, groceries…lots of fresh fruits and vegetables … some matching glasses, some pretty plates, a coffee machine, a frying p an, a fan…and yes, a microwave… it was on sale. If you want a wom a n you have to take her accessories , end of story !  
    The shopping takes me most of the afternoon but I do manage to do some cleaning. Why d o guys think bathrooms are self- cleaning? I had a brother, they’re all the same. You’ d think someone who could see the beauty in nature and capture it on canvas could see mold on the shower til e. Ya think? 
    By the time I scrubbed the bathroom, there was only time to put my dainty toes into the shower and wash quickly and dress . Supper i s going to be a salad and an omele t cooked on the hot plate. I ca n’t spring for a stove today!
    When Jay walks in he does n’t seem to be interested in food and after a little kissing I must admit I’m not either. So we retired to his bed. This seems to be the pattern we follow all week, making love, trailed by a late candlelit supper, with much la ughing an d whispering. T his kind of thing never happened to me before . He has stolen my heart .
    Sometimes , when the apartment ge t s too oppressive from the enduring temperature , we ride to the mount ains and hang out until dusk. W hen we return, the sun i s s etting and the angry heat of the day has ebbed . We often stop at a pull-off and observe the moon ’s entrance into the night as the lights of the city begin to glimmer . How alive I feel in this place. How lov ed I feel in Jay’s ar ms.

Chapter 4
    At the conclusion of my first week , I convince Jay to drive to Santa Fe with the rental car and deliver his paintings to the gallery in person . O riginally I planned my trip around a funky new B&B called, Pueblo Bonito, which served free m argaritas at 5:00 each night. Instead of canceling, I want us to be together and explore the city.
    As luck would have it, the ro om I had booked was a single. T he young manager took pity on us , especially when I explain ed that Jay wa s a struggling arti st. Jay looks mortified but I’m a great storyteller so I embellish a little. The manager has a cancellation and gi ve s us a suite with a l iving room , adobe fireplace, bedroom, and a ti ny kitchen, at no extra charge. I am psyched!
    Our first task is to drop o ff the paintings. While Jay speaks to the owner , I look around. It i s a modest gallery with some nice work on display and in a goo d location; I fee l positiv e . Yet it is bittersweet as I realize I can’t escort Jay to the opening reception.
    After we leave , w e wander the streets , arm in arm , as Jay points out some of the places he ’ s worked and some of the galleries where his painting s have hung . Around 5 :00 I insist we head back to the B& B for the cocktails and chips. If it’s free , I’m there , baby.
    We walk into the sunny lounge filled with plants and brightly color ed tiles. The manager greets us and sh ows us the large pitcher of m argaritas , salsa and chips . There are only two other couples enjoying intimate conversations around the room .
    “Where do you want to