Chapter 30: Rule number nine, tilted

One night, I picked up the phone, thinking it was Adeline.

"Sammy?"

"Hi, Kelley, how are you?" I asked, trying to sound friendly.

"Sammy, I'm making another trip to Seattle to meet Linda? It's next weekend, and she's asking if you'll be there. Naturally, I told her you would."

"Gee, Kelley, I distinctly recall you agreeing to tell Linda that we're not together."

"I couldn't. Please say you'll go with me. We'll have such fun. You won't be disappointed."

"I'm sorry, Kelley, I can't go with you."

"Do you want me to beg? Why can't you go?"

"I'm going to be in Florida next weekend. We're building a house."

"It's that realtor isn't it?"

"Yes."

"My God, Sammy, how old is she?"

"She's forty-two."

I heard the receiver being slammed down. The next day, I packaged the clothes she'd left in my closet into boxes, and shipped them to the Harvey home. Why had I waited so long?

Adeline's nightly telephone calls were my sounding board. She listened as I recounted what had taken place that day. She always expressed interest, usually asking more about the person I was telling her about. During our conversations in the days leading up to my third visit, I told her:

"I'm over Kelley."

Adeline's "Uh ... huh" told me she would have more to say during my next visit.

"Victor is going to take over the apartment the day after my graduation."

Adeline surprised me by asking the date of my graduation.

"It's Sunday, the thirtieth of May."

Did she want me to invite her to come to Pontiac for my graduation? I didn't think so.

"Professor Ramsey asked for permission to show my business plan to her husband."

"Hmmm."

"My parents say I should spend all of June following the construction of our house."

"That's ... good news."

"I read between the lines. They're delaying the inevitable. According to Wanda, the employees are hostile toward me for nixing the Omaha building."

"I'm going to take care of you in June. I'll make you want to stay for July and August."

"I'll need an apartment for the month," I said, wanting to make certain that she understood that I didn't expect her to put me up in a timeshare.

"That won't be a problem this time of year."

"The board game project is progressing nicely. We're ready to write the business plan."

"What's the object of the game?"

"I haven't the vaguest idea?"

She laughed.

One night, I could tell she wanted to do the talking. "I had two affairs after my divorce. One lasted a year and the other one lasted a month. I ended the first one because my girls didn't like him. I ended the second one because I didn't like him."

"I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything, Sweetheart. I just wanted you to know."

The following night I felt compelled to purge. "There are two things you need to know. I've been talking to Shirley. She was my girlfriend two years ago. She helped me with the nursing home project."

"Do you still have feelings for her?"

"I don't know."

"Does she have feeling for you?"

"I don't know."

"What was the second thing I need to know?"

"Every time I see my friends Chase and Megan together, I turn away because I don't want to watch them."

"Do you still have feelings for her?"

"Yes, but I think she's over me. They look happy together."

"Thanks for telling me about Shirley and Megan."

"My friend, George Mercer came to see me last night. He said he's been hearing about my business plan for nursing homes, and wanted to read it."

"Who's George Mercer?"

I'd told her about George before. She must have forgotten. "He was my accounting professor. We run together sometimes."

On the Thursday night before I was to catch a flight the next morning, Adeline told me she would be able to stay with me all night. "I have a surprise for you," she said.

"The thong?"

"Yes."

But the surprise turned out to be an early graduation present. "Open it," she said.

"Adeline, this is..." Words failed me. I knew the laptop was far more expensive than her budget would allow. I also knew better than to point out that she'd broken rule number eight. I thanked her by removing the thong, and giving her the kind of attention that girls remember for a long, long time.

She dropped me off at the construction site, and went back to work. That night, she told me she'd seen me proofreading my paper. "The laptop will save you a lot of time," she said. I thanked her again in my special way, and then she thanked me for thanking her.

I couldn't help but be concerned that one of us would break the last rule. I didn't expect to be the one to cheat, and I didn't think she would either. Still, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling. Why had she introduced the rules? Did she harbor the same fear as me?

This was only our third weekend together, but it seemed like our thirty-third. She was an attentive, responsive lover, and I tried to give at least as good as I got.

She took me to see three apartments. I couldn't make up my mind. After we had lunch, she showed me a furnished, two-bedroom house. I signed a lease for the month of June with the option of staying one or two more months.

On Saturday night, she had to keep her commitment of spelling her mother. She took me with her, saying it would only take us away from our bed for an hour and a half. Adeline introduced me to her mother, who gave me a suspicious stare before padding off to the bathroom. The girls were out.

"And this is my Pop. Can you say hello to Sammy, Daddy?"

Her father's attempt to greet me was unintelligible garble. I shook his hand, and told him I was happy to make his acquaintance.

Adeline pointed to a hallway. "That's my bedroom, and home office," she said, pushing me in that direction.

I would have known it was her room with my eyes closed. That's how strong her scent was. I looked at the bed, wondered if she would ever share it with me, and then my eyes drifted to a wall of photos. There were pictures of her family from years past. They showed that her father had been a vibrant man, and her mother had been beautiful. Adeline was easy to pick out, although some of the pictures had to be her sister. The girls were a duplicate of their mother. Delores looked feisty while Marilyn looked timid. There was also a photograph of me, taken at the pond two weeks before.

I briefly looked in her bathroom then moved to a smaller room. There were two file cabinets, a computer, printer, and fax machine. On her desk sat a telephone, and another picture of me. This one had been taken as I was boarding the plane after my first visit. I'd had no idea that I was being photographed. She'd caught me carrying my jacket, and waving at no one in particular.

Being permitted to visit her private habitat was the highest privilege she could bestow on me. It shouted trust. I was careful not to break that trust by touching anything. After taking a last look at her bedroom, and breathing in her scent, I returned to the room where her father was cared for. It was obviously the former living room, converted to accommodate a hospital bed, an arm chair, a television, and a wheelchair. Adeline was talking on the telephone.

"Can't one of the other girl's parents come after you, Honey?"

"You know I'm tied up with grandpa until nine-thirty."

"No, I don't want you to do that," Adeline said, and seeing me, put her hand over the mouthpiece.

"Dolores and some friends are having trouble with her car. Would you mind going after them?"

I jumped at the chance to be helpful. I nodded, and heard Adeline tell her daughter that "Sammy will be there in fifteen minutes."

Adeline quickly drew a map, and gave me her car keys. "Make sure she locks the car. She'll recognize you when she sees my car. Don't take any crap from her, and don't tell her anything about us," she said, kissing me as she playfully shoved me toward the door.

The map took me to an area of town that I'd never been to before. The sidewalks were crowded with teenagers. It was only ten PM, but there was a party mood in the air. I recognized Delores. She was standing next to a small car with three other girls. They waved at me. They were dressed alike, in shorts, and loose blouses that showed their brightly colored bras. The girls jumped into the car the second it came to a stop.

"Let's get out of here," Delores said. She'd claimed the front seat. The other three girls were in the back.

"Did you lock your car?" I asked.

"You don't understand. Those creeps want us to go with them," Delores said, pointing to four scruffy looking teenagers.

"What's wrong with your car?"

"It won't start."

"Let's try it," I suggested.

"I told you it won't start. Please drive. THEY'RE COMING THIS WAY"

I looked where she was pointing, and saw the four guys surrounding the car. I locked the doors, and lowered my window. "Do you want something?" I asked the tallest of the group. He was thin, but muscular. He leaned down to speak to me.

"Yeah, we want you gone. We'll take them home." I smelled the stench of tobacco smoke on his breath. His friends were banging on the windows. All four girls were screaming.

His hair was greasy, permitting him to escape my grip, but he bumped his head while trying to pull away, and I was able to get my left hand under his chin. I had his throat between my thumb and forefinger, and my right hand pushed his head against the horn.

"Shut up!" I shouted to the screaming girls, and then to the kid. "Tell your friends to back away from the car."

He didn't react. I took my foot off of the brake, letting the car move forward. The kid was whimpering; frightened that I would bump his head against the horn, or worse; push down on the accelerator. "TELL THEM TO BACK OFF!"

That's when I heard the police car's siren. Unfortunately, it drowned out the kid's plea for his friends to back off. They did, however, flee when the two cops jumped out of their cruiser, leaving their friend in my clutches.

It took fifteen minutes to sort things out. Two bystanders, who had witnessed the entire incident, vouched for us. The police recorded our names and addresses. They inspected the kid's head, encouraged him to provide the names of his friends, and carted him off to the hospital. Another bystander raised the hood of Delores's car, and discovered a couple of loose wires. The police took note of the mysteriously disconnected wires. The car started at first try.

Delores was visibly shaken. I told one of the other girls to ride with her, and that I would follow them to her home.

The two girls in the back seat whispered between themselves, but I didn't initiate a conversation. My heart was racing. What if I'd failed to restrain the kid?

Delores parked her car in front of their house. She and her friend got in Adeline's car.

The three girls in the back seat talked among themselves, excitedly. Delores didn't say anything. "Where to?" I asked.

"I live on the next street. My name is Carrie," the one that had ridden with Delores said. We delivered her home, and another one spoke up, telling me her name was Gerry, and directed me to her house. The last one was Meredith.

"Thank you, Sammy. I'll talk to you later," she said to Delores, as she got out of the car. Delores had remained quiet the entire time.

"I'm lost. You'll have to direct me back to your house," I said.

Delores was staring straight ahead.

"Delores, where are we?"

She turned her head, but didn't say anything. I put my hand on her shoulder, and squeezed lightly. She moved over a couple of inches, giving me access to her neck. I massaged her neck and shoulders for a minute or two. She turned her head, enjoying the way I was making her feel.

"Can you tell me how to get to your house?"

She pointed, and I drove. She pointed which way to turn, but she didn't speak. Even when I parked next to her car, she remained silent. I shut down the engine, and pulled her to me. I rubbed her back, and felt her cheek next to mine.

"Are you going to tell Mom what happened?" she asked in a meek voice.

"Not unless you want me to."

"Let me tell her. She'd like that." Her voice was stronger, almost gleeful.

"What do you mean?"

Delores increased her hold on my head, like she didn't want to lose contact with my cheek. I wondered what time it was. I expected Adeline to come outside at any moment, and find me holding her daughter.

"If I tell her what you did, it will please her, because she'll think I like you."

"Don't you like me?"

She was quiet for a long time. "I never like her boyfriends."

"You could have fooled me," I laughed, feeling her cheek next to mine.

"Did you really fuck her three times in two hours?"

I pulled my head away from her. "She didn't tell you that."

Delores strained against her seatbelt to recapture my head. I let her. "I heard her talking to Aunt Eva. Was she telling the truth, or was she just wishful thinking?"

"I don't think your mom would lie about something like that, do you?"

I felt her head shake. "She told Aunt Eva that you're her boy toy."

I laughed, uneasy that I was listening to my girlfriend's teenage daughter tell me about eavesdropping on her mother's conversation. "She was going to give you to me before she decided to keep you for herself."

I'd heard enough. "Let's go in before your mom comes looking for us."

Delores released me, unfastened her seatbelt, and then she was on me, kissing furiously. I kissed her back, letting the teenager's fervor carry me on a cloud of passion.

When the cloud burst, I had her blouse unbuttoned, and her bra pulled up. We heard Adeline pounding on the window.