Chapter 5: Play X 2 ( Play Times Two )

CHAPTER 5: PLAY X 2

The next Sunday afternoon, Leonard burst through the door of the Ryevalley's family room, and walked directly to the computer chair. He thought he saw out of the corner of his eye Mazie and the diminutive Mrs. Ormsby sitting on the couch. Deedee was standing next to the bookshelf, watching everything as if she were guarding the gold bullion at Fort Knox. This week, Leonard was wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball T-shirt and blue jeans.

" Sorry I didn't get here earlier. I let myself in. Let's rock-and-roll, the lead guitarist and star vocalist is here! Let's get this rock concert started ! " , Leonard loudly proclaimed. He sat down with a huff, and began to boot-up the computer to play a radio station from the Internet.

" We need some good kick-butt electronica dance music !!! Everyone O.K. with that radio station from the UK ? They have the best techno dance mix and house mix on the planet, so they say ! " , said Leonard.

" That is fine, if that is what you really want. Just keep it down; don't blow out the windows! " , said Deedee.

" As soon as Sherry gets here, I'm going to rock this house with my game winning play ! " , Leonard loudly proclaimed.

" Sherry is here ! " , replied Deedee flatly.

" No, she's not, that's Mrs. Ormsby. And what is she doing here, anyway ?" , asked Leonard dryly, staring at the computer without looking around.

" Do tell, DO TELL ! " , said Deedee with a smirk on her face.

Sherry stood up from the couch, as Leonard looked around. He first saw Mazie dressed in a Sailor Moon T-shirt and a faded denim skirt. Bewilderment came over Leonard as he stared at a very mature and impressive Sherry, without saying a word.

Sherry was dressed very businesslike and professional. Her outfit made her look older and very adult-like. She was wearing a sharp, upscale black ladies business dress. The sexy dress was styled with heart shaped buttons-up-the-front, with white lace around the 'V' neckline, and around the very short, mid-thigh hemline. Over the dress she wore a baby blue short sleeve bolero business jacket, with a sharp, crisp collar. It looked like Sherry was wearing adult's small sized, sheer beige pantyhose. Black pumps with black bows on the toes completed the outfit. (#) There were diamonds galore, with a diamond pendant around her neck, dangling diamond earrings, and a diamond bracelet on her right wrist. Two huge black bows held her long purple hair into sexy twin tails. She even had on mysterious black fingernail polish.

" But . . . . Duh . . . .I mean . . . . You look . . . .Ah . . . . " , stammered Leonard, too surprised to ask the obvious question.

" Just to let you know, Leonard . . . . ", offered Deedee with the demure of a Cheshire Cat, " Sherry and her family were at the downtown Convention Center this morning. Her dad was honored at a special commemorative breakfast event as " Software Supplier of the Year ". The whole family was up on stage to accept the award. You have to dress really, really nice and proper for something like that. But, the program ran overtime, so Sherry did not have time to change before she came here. "

" Well, Duh ! I've seen your mom. She is a very short woman, not much bigger than you. Ya look just like your mom, very prim and proper . . . . " , was all that Leonard could get out of his mouth.

" Let's go, then ! Game on ! " , yelled Sherry.

" Game on ! " , yelled Deedee.

" Game on ! " , squealed Mazie.

The random draw put Sherry against Deedee, and Leonard against Mazie for the first round.

" What's the matter, Mazie ? No birthday parties to go to ? " , said Leonard sarcastically as they began.

" My mom said that I can only wear my party dress for special occasions.", cried Mazie.

Sherry easily won over Deedee, and with some difficulty, Leonard won over Mazie.

" Checkmate, Mazie ! Winning is so sweet! See, your win over me last week was just a fluke, it won't happen again anytime this century. " , boasted Leonard.

In a moment, Mazie's big pink eyes became moist, and the corner of her little mouth downturned and began to quiver. With a tear beginning to stream down her cheek, Mazie bounded over to the couch where Sherry was sitting, sat down next to her, and put her arms around the little business woman.

Mazie sobbed softly.  " Leonard made fun of me, and said an unkind remark to me . . . . "

" There, there Mazie, " Sherry calmly broke in as she gently stroked Mazie's hair, " Just sit here and watch what happens in the next game . . . . . . . "

Sherry got up, walked over to the computer, changed the music to an Internet radio station called " Chill ", then walked over to the chess table, and with a stern, professional demure, smoothed over her very short dress and deliberately sat down.

" Any time you are ready to begin, Big Boy ! " , she commanded.

After about a half hour, and with the game at a near stalemate, Sherry suddenly stood up and announced sharply and authoritatively that she needed to excuse herself to get a drink from downstairs. Deedee looked up from texting on her Personal Device, and Mazie looked up from unwrapping a candy bar. Leonard's eyes followed Sherry as she walked across the room, opened the door, and went out. A few moments later, Sherry returned with a can of Cherry Dr Pepper, and a straw. She sat down, forcefully popped open the soda, inserted the straw and sensuously began sipping the cold drink. During the next several turns of game play, as Sherry suggestively sipped her drink, Leonard noticed that she had on lavender tinted lip gloss, powdered lavender eye shadow to match her big, dark purple eyes, and pink whatever-you-call-it on her cheeks.

Wow ! That dress makes Sherry look so grown up! Then again, make-up really makes Sherry look pretty, just like her Mom and my Mom, surreptitiously thought Leonard in a furtive frame of mind. And why can't boys wear make-up if they want to look nice ? What makes both Sherry, and both Moms, attractive is that they not only look and dress nice all of the time, but they have a good personality, too. Right now, Sherry is, for whatever unknown and unknowable reason, is displaying remarkable self-control and inner focus. How can she do that and still look so good ? As he mused about this, he heard a voice from nowhere saying---

" It's your turn, Leonard ! "

" Oh, Ya. Of course ! "

As Leonard moved his knight, he again became lost in thought.

. . . . . Sherry's lavender eye shadow . . . . . ? . . . . . what shade of eye shadow would look good on me. . . . . ? . . . . . Sherry sipping her drink . . . . . her lip gloss . . . . . ? .  .  .  .  what shade of lip gloss do I think . . . . . ?

Just then, in Leonard's mind, a dozen red flags shot up, and his mind began screaming at him . . . . . . . "remember, pay attention, self-control, ***self-control*** . . . . FER CRYING OUT LOUD .  .  .  . ! ? !"

" Check " , announced Sherry, and on her next turn---

" Checkmate !! I've won !!! " , she said as she sipped her drink and smiled sweetly.

Confusion crept across Leonard's face, and after what seemed like and eternity, he simply mumbled---

" I ... I... I'm going downstairs to get a drink, too. "

What just happened ? Leonard thought to himself, again and again. What just happened ? *WHAT JUST HAPPENED ???*

During the group's walk over to the Taco Bell, Deedee noticed that Leonard seemed to be in a daze, in his own alternate dimension, as if he was playing something over and over again in his mind. When Sherry ordered her food, the woman at the counter remarked how nicely dressed and adult-like Sherry looked.

" Most girls your age dress casual, or should I say trashy casual, but you are the one in a thousand. ", she remarked.

Halfway through their meal, Leonard suddenly stood up and pointed an accusing finger at Sherry.

" I know now who you look like, you look like a lady lawyer!!! I went with my dad one time to the bar association, and I remember that is how the lady lawyers I saw there were dressed. " , exclaimed Leonard.

" Well, if that is all it takes to win . . . " , Sherry's voice broke into a devious giggle.

" You Rock, Sherry ! " , proclaimed Deedee.

" You Rock ! " , squealed Mazie.

" . . . . . you rock . . . . . " , Sherry thought she heard Leonard say in a low, whispered undertone.

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# Story Note---The idea for the outfit that Sherry was wearing during this week's game play also came from DeeDee's dream. It was the business dress and outfit that Mary Clinton wore to the ballet reception and after party.

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