Chapter 24: Last Tango in Chula Vista

Chapter 24

Last Tango in Chula Vista

To my surprise, brunette Holly had kept my remaining supply of Percocet, which she gave to blonde Holly in her dying days. On our date, she started out acting quite chipper. Brunette Holly took care of our kids while blonde Holly and I spent the evening together. We went to a Mediterranean fusion restaurant near the apartment I had shared with Naomi less than a year earlier. The two-block walk winded her, and she took a Percocet as soon as we were seated. I ordered the salmon with a Caprese salad. She ordered a dinner salad with no dressing, which she only ate half of. I encouraged her to try the salmon and the Caprese salad, which she did; she enjoyed what little she had of them.

“I don't think I can walk back,” she said as we exited the restaurant. I knew this would be a possibility, so I hadn't had any wine with dinner. I walked back to get my car and drove to the restaurant, where Holly was sitting on the steps outside. I helped her into my Lexus and drove her the two blocks to my apartment. I carried her up the stairs to my front door, unlocked it, and carried her into my bedroom.

“Just like a honeymoon,” she said. “I still want to make love, but we don't have to do all that extra stuff.”

“Okay,” I said quietly. I kissed her and undid her clothes, pulling them off her emaciated frame. Her normally too-tight jeans were held up with a belt. “Oh, Holly,” I said, looking at her protruding hips and ribs.

“Remember me as I was, not as I am.”

“You're still beautiful.”

“Thanks for saying that.” I disrobed and put on a latex-free condom. She started to spread her legs around me and pull me on top of her, but I don't think she could have sustained my weight. I lay on my side, next to her, pulling her legs up and entering her. She groaned, and we kissed passionately. I gently squeezed her cancer-free breast, but she gave a face, and I stopped. Continuing to kiss, she had an orgasm.

“Do you want me to stop,” I asked.

“No,” she said breathlessly, “I want to do it right.” A few minutes later, I came, and she lay back with her mouth open, drool coming out. I panicked.

“Holly? Are you okay?”

She opened her eyes, “yup, I'm fine. I just fell asleep for a little bit. Did you think I was dead?”

“Yeah.”

She laughed. “I'm not going to die, silly.”

She passed away eight days later. Two days before that, we were married.