Chapter 8

I dropped her off at school and drove home. Mom was sitting at the table reading the paper when I walked in. I walked over and hugged her saying,"Hi", but not explaining where I had been and she didn't ask. Dad probably told her where I was. I went into the den and called Mr. Fenwick, long distance at the Pentagon.

"Could I speak to Mr. Fenwick?"

"I'll transfer you to his office."

"Jay Bolton?" he asked.

"I see you have an auto trace on your calls."

"Ha Ha, very smart. How can I be of help, Jay?"

"I'm ready to talk."

"I will fly down and meet with you at... 5:30 PM. Will that be convenient for you?"

"Come directly to my house. I'll se you at 5:30," I replied, and hung up.

I went back into the dining room and sat with Mom. I was about to tell her when she asked about Amy, probing to know what was going on between us.

"Amy and I aren't seeing each other right now. As you probably well know we have both done stupid things to hurt one another and we are more or less staying apart for awhile," I responded with a somber voice.

"Why don't you go and ask her to forgive you? That usually works," she said trying to reconcile us.

"I have. She needs time right now. That is not what I want to talk about. My time is here. There is a man flying down to meet with me at 5:30 this afternoon. I will be leaving soon," I said trying to break it to her gently. She began crying. I got up and walked over to console her with my arms around her neck.

"I thought you were going to wait until graduation," she said putting her arms around me.

"I'll graduate, I just won't be there. It will all be arranged."

"I have known this time would come and I thought I would be prepared. Why now, Jay?" she asked in tears.

"It's just the right time, Mom,"

"Did your father know about this?"

"I haven't said anything to him but I'm sure he knows," I said thinking he always knows.

At five thirty, Mr. Fenwick knocked on the door. I answered allowing them in. He introduced himself and the two men that were with him as Agent Peterson and Agent Tillman. Dad and I had discussed this over the phone and after he came home from work, so he was well aware of my decision. Mom asked them to stay for dinner since it was on the table. They declined to eat but sat with us as we talked of different things waiting to be alone to discuss me. After dinner we went into Dad's office, Dad included, and began our discussion.

Mr. Bolton, we appreciate finally getting to meet you. We would like to have had you work with us but we understand, home life and everything. Now we are fortunate to be able to work with Jay. We have great expectations for Jay. To brief you as to what we will ask Jay to..."

"Mr. Fenwick, I am the one that you should be directing your conversation to!" I interjected, cutting off his discussion with Dad.

He looked at me then at Dad unsure what to say.

"I assure you Mr. Fenwick, Jay is quite capable of handling himself. So I think it would be proper to direct your discussion to him," Dad stated.

"I understand that but Jay is still seventeen and your signature is required before his eighteenth birthday. You remaim legally responsible for him," he responded.

"Do you have the papers with you, Mr. Fenwick?" Dad asked as Mr. Fenwick pointed to the briefcase Agent Peterson had beside him. Agent Peterson opened it up and withdrew the papers, handing them to Dad. Dad took out his pen and signed them. "Now you can speak to Jay," he said and smiled.

"Are you ready to enlist, Jay?" he asked.

"I've decided this is what I want to do, Mr. Fenwick."

"Good! We would like you to report to the Pentagon Monday morning. Agents Peterson and Tillman will remain here and fly back with you to DC. In addition, we will have a car waiting on you. You will be sworn in at eight o'clock, at that time you will be commissioned in as a Captain with all the privileges accorded. You will be attached to Military Intelligence for eight weeks of classes and training," he explained as Dad and I looked at each other and smiled.

"Did I miss something?" he asked with a puzzled look.

"I don't think you understand," Dad said.

"Dad, please!" I exclaimed, feeling capable of dealing with this.

"Agent Tillman, you have been assigned in London, Lithuania, South Africa, Lebanon, India, Pakistan, two assignments in Vietnam, must I go on? You are responsible for apprehending Omar Yasin in Pakistan for murdering two American undercover agents, Swanson and Healy. Your trek from Egypt, Jordan and finally Pakistan was quite impressive. Would you like to discuss your contacts and maybe some of your methods during this time?" I explained as he sat dumfounded turning to look at Mr. Fenwick.

"His status is still classified, Agent Tillman," Mr. Fenwick said to him. Neither Tillman nor Peterson were not aware of my abilities. "Jay, your assignments will come directly from the Pentagon. If there are any questions you may have pertinent to your job, they will have to wait until you are sworn in. Oh, by the way, Agents Peterson and Tillman are assigned to you for your protection. You understand that we put quite a value on you so they will be what we might say, "Watching your back" until you report Monday morning, from a distance that is. Now comes the matter of signing on the dotted line," he said as Agent Tillman pulled more papers out of his briefcase. Dad and I scanned them and I signed my name legally binding me, with intent to serve in the military.

"All of your schooling and records will be taken care of. You could possibly return for the graduation ceremony if approved. Mr. Bolton, it has been an honor to have met you and I would have liked to worked with you in the past, but as I said, I understand. Jay, we might not meet again so good luck on your stint." He said, and then they left.

"I don't think it wise to mention the bodyguards!" Dad thought to me because of mom.

"I agree!" I replied, in thought.

After they had gone, Mom, Dad and I sat at the table enjoying part of our last days together. We talked of old times, laughing at some of the stupid things I did as a child, cutting up about some of the fun we had and how close we will remain. We held one another and cried over me leaving and going out on my own, especially Mom. Dad knew I would be susceptible to dangerous situation in the type of work I would be doing, realizing if somehow I was found out, the penalty could prove fatal. I was feeling confident about myself, trying to express that to dad to minimize his worrying. He expressed his feelings of support and confidence in me.

The following day I stayed at home to spend time with Mom. I had decided not to go to the homecoming that night because of Amy and Christy. I would always remain in love with Amy, probably for the rest of my life. I don't know, maybe is was the first love thing or maybe we were really meant to be together. Either way we were now going to have ample time to think about what we want out of life. I would like to see her before I leave but maybe it's better if I don't. I will write Christy sometimes because she has meant a lot to me these past few days. I have learned much from her about women. I have been very lucky to be with the two most beautiful girls at Weston High School. I know over time, both will more than likely find someone else to fall in love with.

All the kids will be at he ballgame tonight shouting in hopes of victory. I hope we win. That would give us a 9-0 record and a good chance at the state title. I decided to do something I have never done: go to the movies alone. There was a James Bond movie playing with Sean Connery. I loved to watch his movies. I sat near the rear as I normally did, looking over the crowded theater seeing familiar faces. "So everyone was not at the ballgame!" I thought.

During intermission I went to the restroom seeing Allen Childress and a few of the other guys from school.

"Jay! I thought you would be with Amy at the ballgame," Allen said, always seeing us together at school.

"We are sort of in limbo at this moment," I replied.

"What is this rumor about you and Christy? Is it true?" he asked as we stood in front of the urinals.

I smiled at him, covering my obscure mood. "I have been out with her," I replied.

"You lucky shit. All the guys have been turned down by her. Is she the Cold Bitch everyone says she is?" he asked, eagerly awaiting my reply.

I laughed to myself but maintaining a straight face. "She is pretty cold sometimes," I replied.

"What is all the shit I heard about at the party? I heard you kicked some ass!"

"There was nothing to it. I just backed them down," I replied, not wanting to talk about it.

"Bullshit! That's not what I heard. Hey! Why don't you come with us after the movie? We have a case of beer waiting at Ron's house. His brother bought it for us."

"Thanks, but I can't. I've got some partying to do myself," I said, having nothing really planned. He turned to the other guys talking and I went back to the movie.

I arrived home at 11:00. Entering the door, Mom shouted my name. "Jay! That girl Christy has called three time in the last thirty minutes," she said, having told Christy she would tell me to call her when I got home the first time she called.

"Thanks, Mom," I said walking into the den to use that phone.

"Did you decide what you are going to do?" Christy asked after we said hello.

"I'm leaving Sunday."

"No, Jay, I didn't think you were serious! You haven't even graduated!" she said, with a twinge in her voice. "I'm home all alone. Mother has gone out with her boyfriend. She may not be back until morning."

"And... ?" I asked teasing her.

"Please come over. I want to see you as much as I can before you leave," she said, in desperation.

I chuckled. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

Twenty minutes later, I knocked on her door. She opened it, greeting my with a hug and a kiss, lasting for thirty seconds. She took my hand and led me into the den. She was wearing a white downy robe tied tightly around her waist, the top overlapped, well covering her breasts. She sat us down on the couch and I put my arm over her shoulder as she plopped her leg over mine causing her robe to open and exposing her thighs. Instinctively, I placed my other hand midway on her thigh, looked at her and smiled. She replied with a little smile showing approval of my reaction. I leaned over to kiss her but held my hand steady. Being in her house, I thought her mother might return and catch us in the act.

Suddenly we heard a car door slam shut. We quickly sat upright placing our hands folded in our laps. I thought her mother had come home but there was a knock at the door. We looked at one another and she got up to answer it.

"Who the fuck you got in there!" I heard a voice say, as she was holding the door, keeping whoever it was from entering.

"That's none of your business Terry! Please don't come around here any more! It's over between us!" she shouted at him. I knew when she said Terry, that it was Terry Weaver, her ex-boyfriend. I knew previously from her thoughts that he was the first boy she had sex with. He had treated her so badly after their first time she broke up with him and hadn't been with anyone else since then except for me. He continued pushing harder on the door until I walked over and stood behind her and he saw me.

"Jay! You son-of-a-bitch! Come out here and I'll kick your ass!" he shouted.

"Terry! She said it was over between the two of you. Can you get the message or are you just stupid?" I asked, provoking him.

"Come out here and we'll see who's stupid!" he shouted as I placed my hands on Christy's shoulder from behind.

"I don't have to come out there to kick your ass!" I said sending thoughts of pain to his mind that his knee was hurting. He fell onto his side clutching his knee and shouting, "Fuck! My fucking knee! As a football player, he had never felt such pain. I released his pain as if it had never happened. He sat staring, contemplating what to do.

"How would you like that to be with you for a week or a month? I think you better leave now." I said as he stood up and walked away, looking back, unsure of what happened. Christy turned to me and put her arms around my chest as I closed the door.

"I'm sorry, Jay. I meant to tell you about him," she said squeezing me tighter. I wrapped my arms around her, burying my face in her hair.

"Don't worry, I knew all about him. I don't think you will have to deal with him anymore, unless you change your mind," I said, leaving it open for her to decide.

"I know you will probably get mad and walk out and I'll never see you again but I'm going to say it anyway. Jay, I love you. I don't want you to leave Sunday. I know you still love Amy but I don't care. I know you have some feelings for me because of the way you make love to me. I know it's not just sex to you. There, now I've said it!" she said looking up into my eyes.

I took her hand and walked toward the couch. "Where were we?" I said, as her hand slipped out of mine and she stopped. I stopped and turned standing five feet in front of her.

She looked at me almost crying with her hands clasping the V on the upper part of her robe. "Is it just sex?" she asked, as I saw her eyes moistening.

"No... I do have feelings for you. But that won't mean anything two months or a year from now. Just like Amy, you will find someone else, and I will, too."

"No, I won't! I'll write you and tell you that I love you until you say that you don't care about me anymore. But that won't stop me from loving you.