Chapter 19

Ronnie pulled right up to the front door of the Carlesetti home and Mom and I got out. We thanked Ronnie before he pulled away and we walked into the house. Mr. C was in his office and Jean was sitting in the living room reading a magazine.

“Hi Love.”

“Hi! Hi Mom! How did it go Paul, or do I not want to ask?”

“Well, Mom got a gift and I, officially, got our house.”

“So, we can still be married?” Jean asked carefully.

“Yeah, of course we can.” I didn’t understand her question or concern.

Jean let out a sigh and then began to cry. I rushed to her and took her on my arms and held her. She clutched at me.

“I was so afraid I was going to lose you. I was afraid you might have married too young and they would break us up.”

“That would never happen, Jean. Even if the will or one of my father’s letters asked for it, I would still be with you. Now and forever, Love.”

I continued to calm my wife with strokes of her hair and rubs on her back. I held her until her shoulders stopped shuddering and her sniffles stopped altogether. I released her and she looked at me.

“I’m sorry, Paul. I was so afraid that...”

“That nothing. Jean if you think that anything will ever come between us, you are wrong. I’m yours now and forever. You are stuck with my sorry ass. And I better be stuck with yours.”

“Now and forever, Paul.”

“Good. Now that that is settled, let’s go home, have dinner and talk about babies.”

“We need to get Ingrid. I don’t know where she is.”

We went to the breakfast nook and found it empty. We looked around for Lois but couldn’t find her. My mom had disappeared upstairs so we went to Mr. C’s office. He was reading a spreadsheet on one of the two computer screens on his desk.

“Excuse me, Daddy?”

“Hello, baby. Paul. What can I do for my favorite son and daughter?”

“Your ONLY son and daughter, Daddy!”

“So, what you’re saying is that I’m right?”

After and appropriate amount of eye rolling, Jean asked, “Daddy! Have you seen Ingrid?”

“Yes, I have.”

He stopped there. Jean looked at me and the expression on her face changed to exasperation. She knew what he was doing.

“Daddy. Where is she?”

“By now I’m guessing that she is not here anymore.”

“I didn’t ask where she wasn’t.”

“Right, right. James took her home. She was feeling pretty low after Paul left and you wandered off by yourself.”

“Oh damn! I was so worried about Mr. O’Dell’s last wishes. I kind of withdrew.”

“Yes, you did. Ingrid said a few things to you and you never heard her. She finally sat off by herself and I asked James to take her home and stay there until you two got home. Are you done with your stuff today?”

“Yes, Daddy except I have to go to work at 7:30PM.”

“Should I have Ronnie drive you home?”

“No thanks, Paul has his car here.”

“So, do you want me to protect you from Paul’s driving.”

“No. Daddy, I’m worried about Ingrid. Since Trent dumped her, she’s not been herself.”

“I understand. And it probably doesn’t help that just as the relationship with her lover is taken away, your husband comes home and her best friend is taken away as well.”

Jean gasped in realization that her father could be right. Ingrid was feeling totally abandoned.

“Come on, Paul. We need to get home. I’m worried about Ingrid.”

“OK. Mr. C say good night to my mom please. I’ll see you both before I go back.”

“Sure Paul. Go take care of Ingrid.”

Jean and I quickly walked out to my Olds and as soon as the gate could open, I had the pedal floored. It took under fifteen minutes to get to the house and Jean was almost out of the car before I stopped. She ran into the house calling Ingrid’s name with me close behind.

We found her curled up on the couch and wrapped in a thick afghan. She was sort of awake and sort of asleep.

“Ingrid? Ingrid! Are you OK?” Jean asked gently shaking her roommate’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Ingrid, we’re sorry that we dragged you over to our parents’ house and then ignored you. That wasn’t planned. Things just sort of happened.”

“I understand. Paul’s home and you need to spend your time with him.”

“I do, but I shouldn’t be ignoring my best friend.”

“Yes, you should. He’s your husband, not your boyfriend. I admit that I was a bit stunned to see you walk into the house the first night with one hand gripping that cock of his. I’ve never seen anything so big. I mean penis-wise.”

Then she got quiet and pulled the afghan a little tighter around her. In a soft, almost sobbing voice she said, “I miss Trent’s cock. It’s not nearly as big as yours, Paul. But I thought it was all mine and I was all his.”

Jean knelt next to the couch and hugged her friend. I stood there not knowing what I could do to help and then it occurred to me to call Trent. I pulled out my phone and hit the speed dial button for my best friend. I got a message that the number had been disconnected. That was odd. I then dialed his mother’s phone.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Mrs. Collier. It’s Paul O’Dell. I’m back in town for a few days and I was trying to get a hold of Trent. His old number doesn’t connect. Do you have his new number?”

“I do, Paul, but he told me to not give it out to anyone.”

“Even his best friend?”

The line went quiet for a few seconds and then she spoke.

“OK. I hope he doesn’t get mad. He’s changed since he began working with those three boys he knew in high school.”

She gave me his new number and I thanked her.

“Remind him to call his mother, Paul. I haven’t spoken to him in three weeks.”

“Will do. Thanks, Mrs. Collier.”

I hung up and put in the new number on his contact page, over writing the old one. Then I hit the call button, activated the speaker function and waited.

“Hello?”

“Hi Trent, It’s Paul!”

“What do you want? Where did you get this number?”

“Hello back at ya, good old friend,” I paused to let the tone of my voice transmit my displeasure with his attitude. “What I wanted was to talk to my best friend since I’m home for a few days. And I got the number from your mother.”

“My mother? The damn bitch.”

“What!?”

“I told her to not give that number to anyone. Well now that you’ve got me, what do you want?”

I was starting to get a little pissed and more than a little suspicious of my friend.

“I was thinking that I would like to see by best friend while I’m home for a few days.”

“What for?”

“Because you used to be my best friend, you dumb shit! Are you telling me that you aren’t that anymore? And if so, why not?”

He got quiet for a few seconds so I went on.

“Look Trent, I just wanted to see my friend. Have dinner together, buy a few beers.”

“We can’t drink, we’re underage.”

“Yeah, and one size fits all and I’ll respect you in the morning. I know a place, like you do. What do you say? Meet me for dinner, today, at the Shedd?”

Trent was quiet again for a few seconds and then, “Sure, Paul. I’ll see you at the Shedd at six. Is that OK?”

“Sure, it is. I’ll see you then.”

I disconnected the call and looked at Jean and Ingrid.

“I’m having dinner with him at six at the Shedd. I’ll see what I can find out and then we can go from there.”

Ingrid hugged me; Jean joined her.

I arrived at The Shedd a little before six and got a booth off to the side of the room. Knowing Trent, he would either not show up or he would be about ten minutes late. He was late.

“Hey man! Good to see you!” I said in honest excitement.

“Hey, Paul.” His sounded much less enthused.

He sat across from me in the booth and looked down at the beer I’d already ordered.

“Trent, my friend. I don’t have a lot of time so let me get right to it. When I was coming home, I was looking forward to a day when Jean and I could meet you and Ingrid for lunch this week.”

“I’m not seeing that whore anymore,” he said with what sounded like hate in his tone.

“Whore? Do you mean Ingrid?”

“Who else? She living in your house. Don’t tell me that she hasn’t tried to fuck you since you got home.”

“No. She’s done nothing of the kind. She’s pretty upset that you seem to think that she’s fucking around on you.”

“Well why wouldn’t I think that?”

“Trent, as long as we’ve known Ingrid, she has only cared for you. Jean says that she’s all broken up and can’t understand where you got the idea that she was cheating.”

“Jerry Monroe, Bobby Craft, and Fred Nelson have all gangbanged her at a party, plus however many other guys got to her.”

“What!? When?”

“They said the party was just after you left town.”

“Trent ... not wanting to throw a doubt on your friends, but do they have any reason to lie to you? Are you involved in any business with them that being with Ingrid would hurt?”

“No! They each told me things about her that they couldn’t know if they hadn’t seen her naked.”

I thought for a bit and then asked, “Trent, I’ve known you a long time. Is there any chance that at some time over the years that you or better yet some of the girls who have seen her in gym and the showers have said something that they heard?”

“Look, Paul. I appreciate that she is rooming with your wife but have you thought that maybe Ingrid has been fucking Jean? I mean Jean is a stripper, right?” He accused in the most shitty tone I’d ever heard.

I looked at the guy who used to be my friend and pulled out my wallet. I dropped two twenties on the table and stood up.

“You talk about your former girlfriend anyway you want. Don’t you ever talk about my wife like that again or I’ll beat the life out of you. It’s only our past friendship that stops me from taking you down right here and now. Good bye, Trent. Oh! Call your mother.”

“Fuck her!”

I turned and walked out the front door, got into the Olds and slowly drove away. I always drove slowly when I was pissed. And I was really pissed! As I pulled out of the parking lot, I noticed a car following me. At least I thought it was following me. I got to the corner where I would usually turn right and I took a left. So did the car behind me. I took the next left and the one after that. The car was still there, it was back three to five car lengths, but it was there.

I took the next right and floored it. I was a block down the street and turning left and could see the car behind me. I continued to go straight for another couple of miles and then turned to go back home. I pulled into the driveway and killed the engine and lights. I sat there and watched to see if the car had followed me. It hadn’t.

I walked into the house to find Ingrid curled up on the couch reading a school book. I paused for a few seconds to consider things. The car. Trent’s tale about Ingrid. I sat down on the couch at Ingrid’s feet and began to rub them. She put down the book and looked at me like I was stupid.

“Paul? What the fuck are you doing?”

“You looked a little lonely and I thought that maybe ... you know ... since Trent’s not around ... you know ... maybe you might be lonely ... and maybe need some attention.”

I was close enough to her that I had no time to dodge the book that flew at me and hit me square in the face.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?”

“I was thinking...”

“Bullshit! You were thinking? How about if I call Jean right now and you can tell her what you were thinking!”

She was genuinely pissed. Now I had to fix things.

“Ingrid, calm down.”

“Calm down my ass!”

“I’m really sorry. I had to be sure.”

“Sure, of what?”

“I just talked to Trent and he asked me if you had jumped into my bed while Jean was at the club. He really believes that you have been screwing around. His friends have told him that they have had you in a gangbang, and separately, and he believed them.”

“And what’s your excuse?”

“I didn’t really think you would do that but somethings happened today and I just had to be sure of you. I’m sorry. If you want to call Jean, go ahead. I’ll be in the kitchen having some coffee and thinking.”

I got up and went to the kitchen and fired up the coffee maker. While it was brewing, I took down a cup and saucer and got out some cookies. When the coffee was ready, I poured a cup and had just put the pot in the maker when I heard a voice.

“Pour me one, please.”

I turned my head to see Ingrid take a seat across the table from my spot. I took down another cup and saucer and filled the cup. I set hers down in front of her and then took my place at the table.

“Did you call Jean?”

“Yes. She said that what you did sounded just hair-brained enough to be true.”

“I’m sorry, Ingrid. I’m a little suspicious right now. A strange car tried to follow me after I left The Shedd. I lost it, but it has made me kind of ... sort of like...”

“Wonder about everything?” Ingrid finished.

“Not everything. But face it, I really didn’t get to know you again before I took off for Basic. Jean knows you much better than I do. I’ve been friends with Trent since we were little. I guess I’m not sure who to trust. I trust Jean with my life but I thought the same about Trent. Ingrid, look me in the eye and tell me that you never had anything sexual going with any of those guys.”

“Paul, I swear to God that the only boy I’ve ever had sex with is Trent. Heck the only penis I’ve ever seen was his until Jean dragged you into the house the other day. Although my foot did touch Jerry Monroe’s balls through his pants. He made a grab for my breasts and I nailed him good. I wonder if that’s why they told Trent what they did.”