Chapter 6

We went to her dorm room and left all our books and stuff on her bed and grabbed the blanket. She took her phone, keys, and identification stuffing those things in the pockets of her jeans. With me carrying the blanket, we held hands to the same spot at the side of the lake. It was a pretty Friday afternoon and the lake was popular though we had plenty of empty space around us. We sat on the blanket facing each other and holding hands.

She said, "It's question and answer time. We will take turns asking a question and the other will answer it. Nothing's off limits. You may ask first. I promise to answer completely and honestly. Depending upon what you ask, I don't promise not to cry. This may get emotional but that's okay. Fire away, Brad."

"Who are other guys who are friends that you hug?"

She said, "I think you are jealous. That's promising. First, there are no boy friends. However, there are a number of guys who are friends. There is Ron and you saw us. There is Charles who I want you to meet. He's in my history class and we went to high school together. He was one of the few who didn't believe the lie. Alex doesn't go here but his school is in town and he comes over here occasionally. He had expressed some interest in Nicki but she shot him down politely. He stayed shot and is friends with both of us. Other than my older and younger brothers, that's it for our age. My dad and two uncles get hugged when I see them. I want you to meet my parents as soon as we can make the trip." She exhaled with a whoosh.

"Brad, tell me about your family."

I didn't expect that but said, "My parents met in high school, started dating in college, and married when Dad graduated from here. They stayed in the area until Mom graduated before moving. I have two younger sisters. Irene is at Auburn heading toward a degree in business. Marianne is a high school senior who wants to join me here next year. However, my parents and my siblings aren't close to me. I have no interest in the family business and that's what the rest live for.

"What's your favorite food?"

She said, "Uh, food? I guess it's Oriental. I really like the standard Chinese dishes and hot and sour soup but I also like sushi and some Japanese items. Lately, I have learned about Thai and found it delicious."

She said, "What are your favorite three movies?"

"Three?" I said, "I don't know about three. Let's see. One would be 'Paint Your Wagon' with Lee Marvin. Another would be a little known one, 'The Gods Must Be Crazy.' After those, there are a lot though probably the Lord of the Ring series would be next.

"Okay, what's your favorite color?"

She giggled. "That's easy. It's a deep blue, not electric or dark blue but a solid deep royal blue. It's restful to me."

I said, "That was the color of your dress. I liked it."

She responded, "That's good since it's my favorite dress.

"What's your favorite class?"

I said, "Math. I like solving mathematical problems and playing games with numbers. That's also my major."

She asked me a little later, "What are your five year goals?"

I thought a moment. "Finish college with a doctorate, get a job as a math professor, and marry a tall, slim girl named Karen." She came over our legs at me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and held her body against mine while she spent a long, endless time kissing me.

Nicki and Charlie came up at some point before we broke the kiss. Nicki said, "Get a room. Karen, you're going to smother him."

I pretended to faint again. Karen said, "Brad, you're faking because I can feel a part of you that is throbbing hotly."

My eyes flew open. "Where's the shy girl who ran from the off-color remarks?"

Karen said, "She's hot for you and I don't care who knows it."

Charlie said, "He doesn't seem to be complaining."

I grinned. I said, "Tomorrow, she's coming to church with me."

The question and answer session was over because Nicki and Charlie stayed with us. We would eat together and then watch a movie. Karen said, "You must pick the movie and, if possible, it should be one of your favorites."

I said, "The Gods Must Be Crazy!"

Charlie groaned, "You are going to inflict that flick on her, are you?"

I grinned back. "There was a limited selection available."

Nicki said, "I want to watch it, too." Charlie grimaced. "I've heard of it and want to find out about it. Now, I can."

Charlie said, "Nicki, I will watch it with you to protect you from its insidious message."

She looked at him and grinned. "I may need to protect you. Those two," pointing at Karen and me, "are hopeless. They will just have to suffer with each other." We went back to my dorm room with Karen beside me and the other two trailing us.

We set out things for the movie and went to supper. It was a quiet, uneventful meal with nothing spilled or dropped. We deposited our trays at the window. Marie was there again. She said, "Brad, only one glass of water on Tuesday. You're behind your usual schedule."

I grinned at her. "Karen is watching over me."

Marie said, "You take good care of him. We all like Brad even if he makes us work extra on occasion." She grinned.

We grinned back and left. We went to Charlie's and my room and started the flick. We laughed and cheered all the way through it. As it was ending, Karen said, "How many times have you seen it?"

"I don't know, fifty or a hundred. We have plenty of time and I have the second one ready to go."

Charlie groaned but Karen and Nicki both wanted to watch it. We did.

We walked the girls back to their dorm. I said, "Karen, see you in the morning for breakfast and then Sunday School and Church?"

She grinned, "Your place or mine?"

"Mine, since you gave me a choice."

She grinned. "Okay, Brad. Breakfast at the usual time?"

"Works for me." We gave each other a quick kiss. I noticed that Charlie had kissed Nicki, too. Once out of their building and on the way back to ours, I said, "I think I saw you kissing Nicki. Is there something there?"

"We don't know. Our situations are different from Karen's and yours. We both been around a lot of blocks."

We went to our beds without any further discussion.

In the morning, I rose and showered and shaved. Charlie was just getting out of bed when I returned. He said, "Go ahead. I will catch up with you. Nicki and I are going to go with you and your paramour."

I met Karen and we walked to the dining hall together taking our time. We took food for a good breakfast for me and a respectable one for her. We sat down and prayed. We started eating. Karen said, "What do you think about Nicki and Charlie joining us for Sunday school and church?"

"I'm a little surprised but pleasantly. Charlie has gone with me before but only a few times over the years. Has Nicki ever gone with you?" She shook her head. "then it's good, too. I don't want to make them shy away but there may be a romance developing between those two. I've never seen Charlie date or even be seen with the same girl twice in a row. They kissed last night though I don't think that necessarily had as much meaning to it as it does for us."