A Peach of a Pair by Kim Boykin

fetch her things. He liked seeing her laughing, having a good time.
    But when Nettie held the flashlight under her chin, an attempt to look eerie before she broke into laughter, Remmy’s breath caught in his chest. Earlier, when she’d walked into his office he thought she was pretty enough, even more so when he’d riled her. But the way the light caressed her face, she was breathtaking. Striking, green eyes, red hair falling down her back, full lips she kept trying to draw into a thin line. But then they would turn up just before she started laughing. She held the light with one hand and talked with the other, long, fluid, graceful strokes. And as smart as Remmy was, he felt moronic for not noticing right off the bat how truly beautiful Nettie Gilbert was.
    “This meeting of the C-Square girls is officially called to order,” Nettie announced. Remmy pretended he was getting up to leave, but it would have taken more fortitude than he had to do so. He grinned at her and was rewarded when, for a fraction of a second, the tiniest flirty look crossed Nettie’s face before turning her attention to his sister. “The honorable Katie Wilkes presiding,” Nettie said, passing the light to Katie.
N ETTIE
    I t is normal, maybe even inbred for a Southern girl to flirt, but I wanted to slap myself silly for the unguarded moment I gave Remmy. The last thing I wanted was some kind of dalliance with any man, most notably one who seemed to have his pick of the most eligible girls in town.
    I hadn’t really thought about my life after Brooks, but after meeting the sisters today, I was sure I didn’t want to be an old maid. Not that it would be so bad to be without a man. No, I was sure I would endure spinsterhood quite nicely. But, without a sister? Maybe Katie would consider joining ranks with me. Almost twenty-five, she didn’t seem the least bit concerned about having a man around. Didn’t mention them once, which was quite different than the girls from the college who seemed to minor in everything and major in boys.
    While Remmy washed the dishes, I’d come right out and asked Katie if she was seeing anyone special. The girl didn’t even blush, just laughed that hearty laugh of hers and changed the subject. No, Katie Wilkes was much too busy, too happy, to be concerned with a man and the pitfalls that came with one.
    “So, is Miss Ludy still with the PE department?” Katie asked. “I was so terrified of her my freshman year, that booming voice. ‘Nobody gets their period three times in one month, now get out there on that field, Wilkes.’”
    “She is indeed still there, and everyone adores her, although the freshmen still fear her. I know I did until I realized how much sheloves all of us, and the college. We’re lucky to have someone of her caliber.”
    “A PE teacher of high caliber. Just how high would that be?” Remmy teased.
    “She won six medals at the First International Track Meet in Paris in 1922, two of them gold. And she helped pave the way for women to compete in the Olympics, Dr. Wilkes. Is that high enough for you?” Nettie sassed.
    “Ignore him, Nettie. Please tell me Dr. Babble isn’t at the college anymore. He was old as dirt when I was in the chorus,” Katie said.
    “Oh, no. My freshman year, he retired, and Mr. Darr took over. He’s from California; looks just like Eddie Fisher but with a James Dean pompadour. He’s quite handsome.
    “I played piano for the chorus. You should have seen the girls staring at him all dreamy like. I understand when Dr. Babble ran the chorus, girls had to be threatened or bribed with extended curfews to get them to participate. When Guthrie Darr took over, he had to turn students away.”
    “Ooh, Guthrie Darr. Even his name sounds handsome. And looking like Eddie Fisher? I’d sign up in a heartbeat,” Katie said. Maybe she wasn’t the best prospective partner for my spinsterhood.
    “What kind of name is Guthrie Darr,” Remmy teased. “Sounds awful flimsy