The M.I.L.F. Man

I can't even...

She was speaking very softly, as if someone were there eavesdropping—I pictured her in one of our big auditorium classes, in the lobby in back, where students sometimes went to shoot off a fast text or make a quick, "Prof's still yammering—I'm going to be late," call.

But I finally caught, "I don't...there's just...something really weird going on—I've gotta bounce, but—"

"Wait! What's--"

She sighed really deeply and said, "It's...I'm going to have to go back. To Victor's place—don't...say it. Please don't say it..."

I couldn't say anything. I just fell backwards onto the hard, gravelly ground behind me, in too much emotional pain to even feel physical pain.

But I finally croaked out a feeble, "Tell me where you are—let me come to you."

And she said, "I can't," with this little sob in her voice that almost killed me. And then, "Where are you?"

"Catalina State Park, actually. Which was lovely until just now."

There was a long pause...and then, "Whereabouts? In the park?"

And I pulled myself together, and up off the ground, and said, "I walked the creek a bit—I can go to the trailhead if you like."

There was another long pause...and then, "I'm doing an extra water run in a minute 'cause it's so damned hot—and you be careful, too!"

"Cooler here. But you mustn't worry about--"

"Well, I do worry. It's dangerous. That's why we do this, okay? On days like this, the ones who can't find a shelter or won't go into a shelter...it's brutal."

"I will be fine. You, on the other hand—"

"I'll...be done in, like...a half hour or—just please stay out of the sun! I'm...having lunch with Victor right now but...I'll text you," was the last thing she said before the line went dead.

She followed my directions to one of my favorite places in that park—a path that follows a lovely little creek that just happened to be running, still, despite the heat. Waterways in Tucson go dry in the summer before the rains, but there'd been some good thunderstorms, for which we were all grateful, a few days before...

Under different circumstances I'd have raced her across the creek on the rocks and doused her, to cool her off. But the expression on her face...how she ran to grab hold of me and clung so desperately...

I said, "Talk to me, please..."

And she let go...but then grabbed my hand like a frightened child and said, "Victor..."

"What's he done?"

"He didn't do anything...It's...so fucked up!"

I threw an arm around her shoulders and walked us to some huge boulders beside the creek. And she leaned against me after we sat. And sighed and said, "I shouldn't be here, but I just..."

I kissed her and she really kissed back. Wanting to forget whatever it was, wanting to drown it in pure passion. Had there not been so many other people strolling through, seeking shelter from the heat, we mightn't have been able to tear ourselves apart.

As it was, we pulled back from each other and she touched my face, smiled and said, "You're so beautiful. All the women at the shelter have been asking if you're coming back again."