Palmdale on a Saturday Night

Bill and Ralph entered the hotel room, bags in hand from their visit to a nearby department store.

“I think these should be okay, Bill, we’re only going to be here till tomorrow evening,” Ralph commented as he threw his bags on his bed. Bill followed suit and tossed his bags down on his own bed, and began to pick through them.

“Well, I needed a new pair of tennis shoes any way, glad it was after payday,” he said, pulling out the white sneakers.

“I should’ve bought a camera, Bill, because seeing you in tennis whites will be a once-in-a-lifetime event.”

“These are no big deal, just a white shirt and shorts. Not a real tennis outfit.”

“How would you know?”

Bill blushed, taking the shirt and shorts out. “I know, trust me.”

“Oh, one of those secrets I don’t know about you?”

“Yep,” Bill simply said.

“I should get out of my suit and into these shorts. Wearing my clothes over it, I’m roasting.”

“You sure you want to do that yet? Who knows, maybe you’re right, maybe something’s up. The greenguys knew about Spoilsport and told us, maybe there’s something here they want us to find.”

“Hmm, maybe you’re right. I’ll leave it on for a while. Tennis would be easier later in the evening, around sunset. Too hot to play right now, with it close to Noon.”

Ralph paused in taking care of his new clothes, and watched Bill while he put things into dresser drawers.

“What?” Bill asked, when he realized Ralph was watching him.

“C’mon, tell me. I’m intrigued now.”

“I was on the tennis team at the Academy, Ralph, it’s no big deal,” Bill said automatically. He frowned immediately after, as if he was wondering why he’d given in so quickly.

He knew that feeling. He gave Ralph a sharp look, and exclaimed, “Ralph! How did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Get me to tell you that.”

“I just asked!”

“I didn’t want to tell you, not yet! I wanted to surprise you out on the court. You’re just assuming an old man like me doesn’t know anything about tennis, so I thought it’d be fun when I kick your ass all over the court.”

“Really, Bill, I didn’t do a thing. You’re making it sound like the mind push, but it can’t be that! Have I been around exposed plutonium? I always got a headache when I used that power, and I’ve got nothing. I feel pretty darned good, actually.”

Bill stared at him, still suspicious. After a few moments, he said, “Well, okay. I just think it’s weird. First cleaning up for you, now this. Something’s just not right.”

“Well, let’s worry about it later, if the aliens contact us. I still think they just want us to take the weekend off. Let’s enjoy it. You going to stay in those clothes? It’s getting pretty hot outside.”

“Yeah, I think so. Silk’s pretty cool, actually. I’ll put on my new sneakers, though, and break ‘em in a little before we play. Besides, with shorter sleeves, even with this denim vest I’m not doing too bad. At least it’s a dry heat.”

Did you manage to get the drug to the surface, friend?

Yes, it has been instilled into the water pitcher the Human is bringing to our team’s door this very moment. Our agent on the surface responded with alacrity.

Excellent. We must provide a small bonus to her when we can.

A knock on the door interrupted Ralph’s reply. He opened it, and a small, dark-haired woman in a hotel hostess outfit was there, with a tray and water glasses.

“Fresh spring water, sir? It emerges from the artesian well under the hotel.” she asked politely.

“Yes, that would be wonderful, thank you,” Ralph said, taking the tray. Bill was behind him and handed the girl a tip.

“Thank you, sirs. Enjoy your stay.”

Ralph poured them both glasses of the crystalline water, and they gratefully gulped it down.

“Oh wow, that’s delicious, Bill! Artesian well water! This really is an oasis.”

Bill wiped his mouth after guzzling the entire glass of spring water. “That’s some good stuff, all right.”

The men continued settling into their room, and a few minutes later, Bill sat down heavily on his bed, holding his head.

“Whoo, I think I drank that cold water too fast, Ralph,” he said. “My head’s pounding all of a sudden.”

Ralph was holding his head too. “Mine too, like I was doing a mind push. Came on all of a sudden. I think I drank it too fast, but it was so tasty I couldn’t help it! I never knew artesian well water could be almost sweet-tasting like that.”

“Yeah, I’ve had some amazingly good water, right from the earth. Sometimes it’d be rusty-tasting, from all the iron. This was some good stuff. I think we’re fine, we just came in from the heat and drank ice-cold water down.”

A warm flush moved through Bill, starting in his chest and moving to his arms and legs. “Whew, headache’s gone, and now I’m just burning up!”

“Hot flash?” Ralph said, smirking.

“Very funny.”

Ralph stared at Bill as his older partner sat on the bed, collecting the remains of their shopping spree.

“What?” Bill asked.

Ralph blushed, and didn’t reply. He was fascinated, for some reason, by the flushed look on Bill’s smoothe skin. The open collar of the silk shirt held his attention for some reason Ralph couldn’t fathom.

“You’re glowing,” Ralph said, almost in a whisper.

Bill didn’t reply, but gazed back at his friend, into the blue eyes that for some reason suddenly looked dark. The pupils had dilated, giving Ralph an almost unearthly appearance, the blue ring of the iris thin.

Some subconscious communication passed between the two partners, and the spell was broken when Bill made the grand effort to turn away from the mesmerizing gaze. He cleared his throat nervously, and wriggled where he sat on the bed. He was overwhelmed by such disparate feelings, and the very surprising way his body was responding, that he had to do something, anything.

“Hmm, yeah, being out in the sun’ll do that, Ralph,” he muttered, fairly jumping off the bed and turning immediately toward the bathroom. Thank God he was wearing black jeans that day, not the usual light blue ones that didn’t leave much to the imagination. As he well knew. No way could I put those shorts on now. I mean, what the hell is this?

Ralph called to him, his voice relaxed and light, as if nothing had just transpired, “Let’s go hit the café or something, I’m starving!”

“Yeah, hang on a sec, I’m almost finished!”

Ralph turned on the TV and sat on the edge of his bed to watch the Noon news from L.A. A few mintues later, and Bill hadn’t emerged from the bathroom yet.

“What’d you do, die in there?” Ralph called out.

“Shut up,” was all Bill said in reply, his voice tight. “I need to clean up.”

“Well, hurry up, I’m starving, Billy Jack.”

Bill returned to the main room. “Okay, c’mon.”

Ralph waited by the door as Bill approached, and said, “You’re still glowing.”

“Shut up about the glowing. It was the water. Drank it too fast. My body was just reacting, that’s all,” he added, almost to himself.

Bill muttered something as he led the way out, Ralph pulling the door behind them.

“What?” Ralph asked, walking faster to catch up to Bill.

“Nothin’,” Bill said.

“What’d you just mutter?”

“I said, ‘I need to get laid in the worst way,’ that’s what.”

Ralph laughed and clapped Bill on the back. “About time you realize that, partner. Been too long for both of us.”