Chapter 6: End of second week June 2014 with Clarke and Heddy.

Having finished their first working week in The City working at WSG Heddy and Clarke left the office on Friday the 13th to change and be with J Trace Fountain and his wife for a night of theater and dinner. They would see Beautiful, the Carole King Musical at the Stephen Sondheim Theater, not far from the office or their hotel. But first, they would dine at Aureole, where Trace and his wife Maggie, were regulars. This was to be a whole new Fun City experience.

Being confident of the subways Heddy and Clarke were at The Hyatt before 4:30, just a couple stops from work. As they passed the doorman in the lobby he recognized the two and he directed them to the Concierge Desk.

“We were doing maintenance on the carpet in Room 2233 and there was a spill of Benzine. There was no damage to any your personal items, but we have to move you to another room.” The Concierge told them.

“2233 was my room” Heddy stated.

“A bellman will accompany you to your room and you can remove your things and he will help you move. We don’t touch anything with things in drawers and open cases etc. to protect your privacy. You’ll be moved just down the hall, I hope that it’s OK. It is the exact same room.”

Heddy sighed knowing there was little she could do about it. She looked to Clarke saying, “Go ahead up and we should still have no problem meeting down here at 5:45 with Mr. Fountain.”

Shortly thereafter Heddy was on her was up the elevator with a bellman and a matron to her room. As soon as she opened the door there was an odor and a large part of the carpet blocked off so you couldn’t walk on it. Windows were open and fans were in place to move the air out.

“If you both could wait outside while I pack up, leave the a... “Easy roll” the bellman said as she searched for the word, “ inside here.” Heddy told them and she ushered them out and closed the door.

She had soiled clothes, clean clothes, personal items and the like in the drawers and bathroom that she quickly packed and put on the easy-roll. She opened the door and welcomed the bellman and matron in to help wheel her down the hall past the elevator to the, as promised, identical room. She replaced her things and laid out her theater clothes and showered. As it approached 5:45 she came out of her room Clarke was coming out of his, now just next door.

“Oh! You’re just next door now. You were on the other side of the elevator before. I’ll have to tell my harem girls to keep it down tonight.” He kidded.

“In your dreams, lover boy.” Heddy joked right back. “I’ll tell Adam Levine, who’s in town to play Madison Square Garden, to be quiet as well.”

Clarke, in his regular eye glasses, looked much less geeky and he was a very nice dresser. Heddy admitted she felt a bit uncomfortable around him in his straight suit and dark rimmed bi-focals, looking like the awkward cousin your Mom would force you to entertain with your friends.

Downstairs the Fountains were waiting for them and they took them on a very nice dinner and fabulous Broadway show. On the way back in the limo Trace had hired Heddy said “I can’t believe how many of those songs I knew from her career. Things I’ve heard my parents play, or just happened to be on the radio, even the stations I listen to.”

“I have to admit I was a bit worried taking a couple under 20 new generation folks to this show, but it is one of the best tickets in town. We are so glad you liked it. So what are your plans for tomorrow?” Trace asked.

Clarke spoke up. “Mr. Branniff, Slim, and Ms. Johnsons husband are taking me to Citi Field to see a Mets game. A guy from right near me in Georgia is pitching tomorrow, so it should be a lot of fun.It doesn’t start until 4 o’clock, so I plan to sleep in as long as I can.”

Heddy added, “Ms. Johnson, Miss Quarters, and Ms. Cole are taking me to The Met (The Metropolitan Museum of Art NYC) and that has NOTHING to do with The Mets he’s going to see.” Heddy mused before interjecting, “I have a lot of sleep to catch up on too, we don’t meet up until 2 in the afternoon.”

“Believe it or not, it’s the Number One attraction in New York.” Maggie Fountain told her, adding “As much fun as the boys will have, you will be mesmerized even if you don’t think you have ANY interest in art.”

“But I do, I have a minor in Art History I took during my 2nd and 3rd years, and then finished online. The workload was too much for me to do it with all my other credit hours, but it kept me busy; just something to fall back on.” Heddy said.

Trace turned in the jump seat of the limo and looked at her, “My dear, you won’t need anything to fall back on if what your professors have said and what we have seen so far is true. Devote yourself to WSG for a few years, earn your seat and invest in it and before you’re 30 you’ll be able to see your retirement in your horizon. If you have to work past 50 years old it will for the love of the job, believe me. Selena will be retired when she is 40, some of that thanks to her husband, but if I had the opportunity that either of you had at your age I would be on some south sea island right now, but we have a nice retirement planned. Oh, and speaking of Selena, outside of the office you are both encouraged to call by our names. We all consider ourselves equals in every way, at the office it’s out of mutual respect that we remain formal.”

Maggie looked to Trace and asked, “On that south sea island, would I be with you?”

“Um ... depends, ... you don’t mind if it’s one of those clothing optional islands do you?” Trace said as they both laughed.

His words made them both feel more comfortable and accepted, especially Heddy who had been letting self-doubt consume her. She had been letting life beat her up in the past few days and suddenly that yoke was beginning to lift from her.

After saying their good nights and thanking the Fountains, Heddy and Clarke headed up to their rooms. Once off the elevator Heddy told Clarke how relieved she was to hear Trace speak the way he did about them.

“You know we’re both special in that way, Heddy.”

“You mean “the gift”? Do we really believe it?” She asked raising an eyebrow.

“Come on, admit it, sometimes you put things together in your head and you stop and wonder HOW it all came together. Even when I was a kid, not that I’m a grownup now, but I would figure something out and my Dad would look at me and say, “HOW do you figure that?” I would shrug and he would shake his head, almost mocking me saying to himself “uh, gee Dad it’s easy, it’s cuz ice cream hasn’t got bones.” all the while shaking his head. He knew I was beyond the outer fringe.”

“I hate to admit you’re right, but you are. I watched my Dad take apart our furnace to figure why it wouldn’t fire. Just when he was giving up and calling a repairman I told him the sequence it all had to go through, and he fixed it. He asked, “When did you learn about furnaces?” I told him I didn’t know anything about furnaces, but I saw what was supposed to happen and it all made sense. That was the first time he rolled his eyes and walked away leaving me wondering if was proud of me, or mad at me for knowing more than him.”

They were about to go into their rooms when Clarke asked, “Do you want a drink, a little edge duller to cap off the week?”

“We can’t get served here.”

“No, I have my own little mini-bar in my suitcase.”

“How do you buy that?” She asked naively.

“My girlfriend buys it for me.”

“How old is she?”

“Twenty-four.”

“OK, just let me go to my room and freshen up.” Heddy said as she went to the next door and went in.

Heddy was trying to process the situation with Clarke as she went in her room, put on more comfortable shoes and went to the bathroom. She thought to herself, “Twenty-four! Geeky Clarke is keeping a 24 year old happy. Where does THAT come from?”

She was just about to go back over and knock on his door when she heard a knock, but not from her door, from the partition by the window. There was a 2 foot short wall jutting out near the window where a door was hidden while the curtain was pulled open. There was a second knock and she went and pulled the curtain shut exposing the door handle and a bolt slide lock.

“Heddy, open this door, the rooms adjoin.” Came the muffled voice of Clarke.

She slid the bolt open and unlocked the door. She pulled it open and there stood Clarke.

“Now, no one can see you coming over here, if anyone is watching.” Clarke said coolly as he strode to the refrigerator and opened it to expose a row of little airline bottles and short sealed mixed drinks and wines.

“What’s your pleasure for drink?”

“Well, I’m not too much of a drinker, but if you have a Margarita there, or some Baileys.” Heddy said warily.

“There’s a few Margaritas there. They were going to be for Patsy, but since she’s not coming...”

“So ... let me get this straight. Your parents allow you to stay overnight with this girl in her dorm?” Heddy asked as she opened her first drink.

“Not her dorm, she’s graduated. It’s an apartment. She’s an accountant. I met her when I was a Freshman.”

“At Stanford?”

“No, she went to Cogswell for Digital Audio Tech but minored in Math. I tutored her so she got both degrees.”

“You were, what 14 or 15, and you tutored a 20 something Senior?” Heddy asked, astonished.

“Yes! She placed an ad in the student union and I had tutored when I was 13 in High School. That was all chaperoned at the Georgia Highlands College library. So I had a resume.” He said proudly.

“No one questioned that you were going off campus to a woman’s dorm room?”

“She lived off campus with another gal, her roommate, who went to Stanford.” He told her.

“When did that turn into more than tutoring?” Heddy wondered aloud.

“Getting nosy aren’t we?” Clarke said with a wide grin.

“I’m sorry. I’m just amazed you were that free to move around. They watched me like a hawk around ANY upper classmen.”

“Her roommate was her 26 year old grad student sister, so she qualified as a chaperone. She was never there though. She worked as a dancer to help pay for her Masters.” He explained.

“Now to your question about when; as soon as it was obvious she was going to pass, she had me celebrate with her and we had drinks, and one thing led to another and...”

“But you became boyfriend and girlfriend?” She asked screwing up her face inquisitively.

“Let’s say we appreciated each other’s company until she finished up and then she went home to Powder Springs, which was only a few miles from where I lived in Dallas, ... uh Dallas, GEORGIA. That’s why I responded to her ad, “Georgia Peach needs tutoring, prefer someone who speaks my language” Sometimes the accent is tough to understand. My parents were from New York originally so I never got that rolling drawl.”

“When I came home for the summer we hooked up, under the radar at first, but after I turned 16 we became a public couple. The age in Georgia is 16 to legally engage in sex.”

“You didn’t ask me in here to get me drunk and seduce me did you? I’ve seen you looking me over.” Heddy asked in a kidding tone, but she was hoping for a serious answer.

“Well, you are a little easy on the eyes, as are Selena, Jaye and even Berkley, who I think is a little butch, but still cute as hell.” Clarke said hoping he didn’t offend her.

“Well, tonight you surprised me, all dressed up and out of those horrible geek glasses.” She said finishing with a laugh.

“I need bi-focals if I’m going to be reading close-up and then up at a TV screen on the wall. Frameless or wire rims in the prescription I need look like Coke bottle bottoms, plus these frames will protect them from breaking and they’re real expensive ... and, ... by the way, you don’t have a sexual relationship with a woman like Patsy, who could have any man she wanted, for the last 4 years by looks alone. There’s a reason WHY we still see each other often, even though we’re no longer are “a couple”.”

“Easy Clarke, I didn’t mean to damage your ego.” Heddy said not really wanting to tease him about his geek look.

“I just hear that geek talk so much, until someone gets to know me. I’ve had my share of girlfriends, most of whom sought me out. I don’t mind saying I have a pretty good personality and make most people feel comfortable around me.” He said feeling a bit hurt by the geek tag.

“Clarke, if I didn’t feel comfortable with you, or think you were anything less than respectable in your ways, do you think I would be alone with you right now? During the day I have to be with you, just don’t think I don’t respect you or what you’ve accomplished by a quirk in your looks when you wear glasses. I am NOT shallow.”

“Thank you, you’re sweet.” Clarke said getting up and kissing her cheek.

“Can I get you another Margarita?”

“Yes, it tasted good and it’s taken and edge off.” Heddy said.

“I like the buzz of a couple drinks, I’m drinking Red Stag and Coke. It really hits it for me. Beer makes me feel full and wine makes me sleepy.” He told her and he handed her another prepackaged drink right in a glass and opened it.

She looked up and took the drink and craned her neck to kiss him, “You’re sweet too.”

“Don’t let the alcohol talk Heddy.” He warned her.

“I’m not, I really do think you’re sweet, and you smell good too.” She said with a smile.

“Keep up the sweet talk and I’ll be over there sitting next to you.” He said as she took a quick breath at his words.

They made small talk about first impressions of their co-workers and then the experience of seeing Selena do the Financial News.

“She’s so smooth, you would think she’s a reporter by trade, just like when she does the reads from the Great Room.” Heddy said.

“Nothing wrong with her looks either. No wonder her husband never stopped looking for her.” Clarke said.

“I hope you say nice things about my looks when I’m not around, you charmer.” Heddy said with a grin.

“You caught me checking you out today, twice. You have a nice shape, a flat belly and a pretty face. If we didn’t work together, I would ask you out.”

“We aren’t officially co-workers now.” She said with a cute grin.

“Heddy, don’t you think I’m a little fast for you. You made a few comments about yourself earlier this week and today.” Clarke warned her.

“Maybe that’s what I find interesting.” She said with a straight face, her eyes looking for his reaction.

“Are you asking me to come over there right now?” He asked, having just enough to drink to let his guard down and break some of his personal rules.

“Clarke, I’ve only been with a man once, I mean all the way. I was hoping to see him this week, but I’ve realized how I was used.” She said quietly and she finished her second drink.

“ ... and with me, it would be different?” He asked.

“You wouldn’t use me would you? ... and tell me things you didn’t mean to get your way with me.”

“No, but it would be for the fun of it, my pleasure, and of course yours.” Clarke said.

“When you bring me another drink, stay over here on the sofa with me?” She said cutely.

“I think it’s the alcohol talking now, and I don’t want to hurt you, or lead you on.” He said cautiously.

“Clarke, I wasn’t in a convent, I was in a woman’s dorm. No, we didn’t have men in, but there certainly was alcohol and lots of girl talk. I had girls hitting on me, but THAT never happened. We used to drink Long Island Iced Tea and Car Bombs.” She said standing up for herself.

“You’re sure you never got drunk and went to bed with one of the ladies.” He asked suspiciously.

Heddy turned red and went out to the end of the seat on the sofa and raised her hand to make the point. “Necked, yes we necked, but as soon as she tried to feel me up, one of the more sober girls would get me out of there. They were ALL supposed to protect me from the MEN on campus.”

“I just want you to realize what’s happening here, where this is going, and that this isn’t anything more than what it is.” Clarke warned her.

“I know I’m not falling in love with you, or want you to be my boyfriend, if that’s what you mean. I want to experience what I’ve heard my friends talk about with someone who understands what I want, where I’m coming from.” Heddy said with a quiver in her voice, like she was afraid.

“Heddy, I’m not forcing myself on you. We don’t have to do anything. Don’t be afraid of me.”

“I’M NOT AFRAID! I just have never been with a man like this.”

“What does “like this” mean?” Clarke said as he went to the little fridge and made himself another drink and got her one more pre-mixed cocktail.

“I mean with a man in a room with a bed.” She said quietly.

“Where were you with this Jake the Snake character?” He asked as he handed her the drink and sat at the end of the sofa.

“Always in his car, or behind the dorms.”

“He never brought you to his apartment, or dorm, or at least a hotel?”

“No, there was always an excuse.” She said dejectedly.

“Like maybe a wife or live-in girlfriend?” Clarke asked. “We don’t need to emphasize how naïve I was. I’ve been figuring that out in the last 12 hours. Funny how the obvious escapes you when you’re trying pad your own ego, especially with a sex resume’.”

“Do you think sex is going to make you feel more grown up? Because, if that’s the reason you’re still naïve.” He schooled her.

“No, it isn’t that. It’s just I protected my virginity so close and gave it up in the back seat of a car and it wasn’t enjoyable at all. Afterwards he felt like he owned my body, touching me and trying to feel me and I hated that. That was why I wanted him to come and spend a night or two with me. I was to pay for his train ticket ... can we just CHANGE THE SUBJECT?”

Clarke took a long swig on his drink and looked at her with great indecision written all over his face.

“What?” she asked.

“Tell me what you want to accomplish tonight, and remember, it doesn’t have to be anything. I want you to be my friend and we are going to work together for what I hope is a long time. I don’t want you to resent me.” He said softly.

“Make love to me like you would if I were your girlfriend, or like you would with, ... um, ... Patsy. I knew the moment you told me about her that you could be the man to show me.”

“Show you?”

“I spent 4 years in dorms with mature sexually active females who spoke of their longing for their boyfriends, or any man in some cases. I heard what they all wanted, what they all did and I never understood. When I gave it up to Jake I waited for all of what was advertised and by holding out I thought it would be so much better than anything I heard and I would fall in love with him forever, ... and it was nothing. My own hand was never fulfilling, but what I thought would be earth moving, was nothing.” She said, almost on the verge of tears.

“You won’t be ... like slapping my hand away or anything, you’ll just let things happen? I promise that you will have a very pleasurable night. I’m THAT confident in myself.” He said as she went to shake her head, and then nod confusing his double negative, so she reached out and touched his hand.

“I’m in your hands, just tell me that I can say stop and leave when I want.” She said, her eyes showing doubt once again.

“That was always the case, no matter the situation. I’m not into that sort of thing.”

“O-Kay.” She whispered softly as he got up and moved next to him. She set down her drink, and sought out his lips.

Her kiss was cautious at first, perhaps with Clarke wanting to see how serious she wanted to take it. Her mouth tasted good and he pressed a bit and fluttered his tongue to her mouth and that served as a fuse lighter for Heddy. Her mouth opened wide to his and she threw her tongue to him and that was when his arms went around her tightly, pulling her close right up to him. She felt her breasts mash to his chest as he pushed up a bit with his left leg to let her back into the back of the sofa. Her legs opened as far as her skirt would allow, but it was enough for him to press his middle to hers. She slowly slid down the back of the sofa until he was laying right over her. He broke their kiss and looked her eye to eye and smiled.

“The lady knows how to be kissed and show her partner HOW she likes to be kissed. You can feel what you’ve done to me.” He said before he attached his mouth to hers once more and pressed the lump in his pants towards her damp parts.

Little by little he squirmed over her until he was straddling her and then he sat up.

He softly smiled at her and moved his hands from her arms to her belly as he fumbled for the buttons of her blouse. He only undid 3 of them and looked in her eyes and saw expectation in them. He undid the 4th and he had enough room to get his hands on her bra-clad breasts.