‘What’s all this then?’ he asked, giving Jefferson the time to turn around and face him before planting a fist on the side of his temple.
Jefferson went down like a sack of spuds, immediately trying to get back up, but then falling straight down again as if the brain had taken a few seconds to realize how hard it had been shaken. Kurt had seen boxers knocked out in such a way before; trying to get back up and then falling down again. It was unclear whether Jefferson wanted to get back up to fight him or to run away, though it might just have been the panic at being hit that took him a while to decide to lie still and let the effects wear off.
Kurt felt slightly sorry for him then, in knowing he was the better built of the two – but not that much. Had he been prone to violence he could have hurt the man a lot worse and probably gotten away with it, considering Jefferson had been pursuing a young lady for over fifty kilometers.
Understandably then there was something like chaos on the Furse’s front lawn. Beatrice and even one of the neighbors both ran out to find out what was going on and everyone seemed to have a dozen questions each, that were being directed at no one in particular because it was not obvious who might have all the answers.
Most perturbed was Mr Clive Furse himself (unless you count Jefferson who remained sprawled on the ground), who was trying to take in his daughter’s assurances, deal with questions from Beatrice over what had happened, as well as figuring out why Kurt was there.
At some point clarity reached Kurt through the cacophony and he realized that this was his moment. If anyone could set matters straight it was him and, as it so happened, the chance was exactly what he had wanted.
You see, something unusual had been happening to Kurt over the last few weeks that, probably because he was unused to the notion, caused him a while to clue on to. For sure he was aware that Darlene was something special among his list of bedroom conquests, in that she was different and physically speaking the most desirable of anyone he had ever met. In a short time, he had grown attached to her to the point of not even asking himself the question of how long should this last. Usually he was in the habit of deciding that this or that girl should last for a night, a week or a month. That he had not come to address the question about Darlene had been explained away because it was such an enticing mission of discovery. There was so much more to accomplish and so why cut it short? Although it turned out there was a lot more to his feelings from which there was now no escaping.
When peril had turned up outside his parents’ place, Kurt had first recalled his mermaid analogy. In doing so he had been tempted to kick himself for not considering that a man’s ultimate image of desire – the mythical mermaid – only appeared in order to lure a man into danger. Why had he overlooked such a fundamental aspect of that whole scenario?
But then the realization hit.
As Darlene disappeared into the distance and the haze of a weary day dissipated, fear helped Kurt to locate a piece of inner knowledge that had completely eluded him.
First it struck him that he could not bear the thought of anything bad happening to Darlene. Why had he let her leave like that at such a time? Then he understood why he should feel so protective and afraid for her well-being? Because he was falling in love with her; that’s why.
Heck, he almost certainly was in love with her, if all he had heard about it was true. That sick feeling in the stomach; that yearning to see her reaction all the time; the desire to share every aspect of his lifestyle with her as if in her company it all made so much more sense.
OK, so he had been directing most of his efforts into organizing a seascape of sexual exploits. He was a horny young male and such an approach was true to his character, but he accepted in that moment that there was more to this girl. They made sense together; amazingly they had a similar spirit of adventure. It had just taken a bit longer to coax it out of Darlene.
The wait was worth it though. Finally, he came to understand what that niggling feeling that something was missing from his life had come to represent. He did have a yearning for companionship after all; that was what was missing. Kurt wanted to settle down and share his life with a long-term partner who he loved and cherished.
It was all so soppy and romantic. So much so that, if he wasn’t completely love struck he would have lurched and vomited at the idea.
That didn’t happen, however.
What did happen instead was a springing into action that only concluded when he walloped that dick Jefferson around the head – and now, with no sign of caution or inner conflict whatsoever, he was prepared to go one step further.
‘Mr Furse, I can explain everything,’ Kurt announced and everyone turned his way to listen to his words, Darlene clearly the most apprehensive right then in hoping that he had found a convenient excuse for them both.
‘The truth is that this… Jefferson guy, did see me with your daughter and get the wrong impression.’
‘That’s right he got the wrong impression,’ Darlene butted in.
‘Yes, you see, I think he jumped to the conclusion that I’m something of a chancer who was trying to sweet-talk someone he once had eyes on – if you’ll forgive the terminology.’
‘Oh, I’m aware of how… of how young people talk,’ Clive responded, though looking like he was about to join his company’s co-owner with a visit to the emergency ward.
‘The truth is Mr Furse, that I have been dating your daughter.’
‘What?’ Darlene exclaimed, as Clive stared back blankly.
‘Yes, I have been dating her, but not for some wicked reason as this idiot is suggesting. No, I am in love with your daughter.’
There was a pregnant pause as Darlene’s second attempt to interrupt then caught in her throat.
‘Yes, I am in love wit
h Darlene,’ he then went on, ‘and, if you have no objection, I would like to ask for her hand in marriage?’
Then it was over to Clive and, before replying, he had to look around at everyone present to see that this was really happening. Clearly the information was taking a while to sink in and, by that point, even the half comatose Jefferson was sitting up and listening to proceedings.
‘In… in love with her you say,’ Clive replied at last, uncertainty hanging in the air. ‘Well, I don’t possibly see how we can stand in the way of such a thing and so sincerely delivered.’