Chapter 2: The Semester’s Middle Third

After Valentine’s Day, Thomas made arrangements with Pamela Bailey, the travel agent he knew from his previous life. Of course, she didn’t know him, but with a little arm-twisting, and a nice commission, she agreed to the ruse he proposed. As planned, Pamela called Denise’s house Sunday afternoon when she knew she would be there for lunch with her family.

“Hello?” asked Denise when she took the phone from her mom.

“What? Really!” squeaked Denise into the phone.

“What’s the matter?” asked her mom.

“Of course, that is fantastic. Thank you very much. I’ll call back in a few days.”

“Denise?” asked her mom.

“You’re never going to believe this, but a few weeks ago at the mall I bought a raffle ticket for a trip to Florida over spring break and I won!”

Denise’s dad entered the kitchen as she wrapped up her phone call. He saw the excitement on his daughter’s face, and the concern on his wife’s face. He quickly understood both expressions.

“She’ll be fine, hon,” he said as he sat at the table. “She lives on her own and will be twenty years old this summer. A few days in Florida is no big deal.”

“But who is going?” prompted her mom.

“I don’t know. Thomas, of course, then...” she paused looking at Thomas. “It’s a trip for eight.”

“Hell,” her dad said to her mom’s dirty look, “if there are eight they’ll be able to watch out for each other.”

Still not fully convinced, her mom stiffly said, “I guess.”

After eating, Denise and Thomas rode back to the dorm in her car.

“Honestly, I expected more resistance from my mom. Having my dad there from the beginning really helped. Now that she’s agreed, I think the others will be much easier.”

“We’ll know soon enough,” Thomas said.

They parked and rode the elevator to the sixth floor. The door to Matt and Thomas’s room was open. They walked in to find Matt and Kimmi sitting on his bed. She held a book and a sheaf of papers. Matt was leaning against the wall. He had his eyes closed with his arms crossed over his chest.

“What are the names of the shrew and the one who tamed her?” asked Kimmi.

“Oh, I know this one,” said Matt quickly. “The shrew is Katherina, and the guy that tamed her is...”

He struggled for a few moments to come up with a second name.

“It’s Petruchio,” said Kimmi when Matt didn’t answer.

“Damn, I knew that,” he muttered.

“Hey you two,” the newcomers said as they collapsed onto Thomas’s bed.

“Hi,” Kimmi said with a smile and wave.

“Hey,” said Matt. He opened his eyes and sat up straighter.

“Studying not going very well?” asked Thomas.

“He’s doing pretty good, but he tends to overthink the easy questions.”

“Well, maybe we can brighten your day?” said Thomas, unable to hide a grin.

“What?” asked Matt warily.

Denise blurted out, “I won a contest. It’s a trip for eight to Florida over spring break. We want the two of you to go!”

Kimmi and Matt’s jaws dropped. They looked at their friends in stunned silence.

“Seriously? A free trip to Florida?” asked Matt.

“Yep! All we need to pay for are meals. Flights, housing, and transportation from the airport are included.”

“Who else have you asked?” Kimmi asked.

“You’re the first two,” said Denise. “We were thinking of asking Cindi and her husband.”

“Cool!” chirped Kimmi. “I haven’t seen her since her wedding and would love to have her on the trip.”

“And the last two?” asked Matt.

“Not sure,” said Denise. “Maybe one of my cousins. She recently got engaged. If she can’t go, then I’m not sure.”

“I’m in,” said Kimmi immediately.

Everyone looked toward Matt.

He looked at all the faces looking at him waiting for an answer. “I’d like to, but I was trying to find an odd job for that week to earn extra money.”

Kimmi rolled her eyes.

“Really? You can work every weekend between now and then and get cash. You can’t pass up a free week in Florida.”

Matt wasn’t convinced.

Kimmi looked back to Denise. “He’s in. We’ll get him jobs before spring break so he has money for the trip, as well as extra cash for the rest of the semester.”

Matt started warming to the idea.

“Yeah, she’s right. I’m in.”

There was a chorus of cheers and high fives.

“I can’t wait. This is going to be great,” said Thomas with a huge smile.

The next weekend Denise and Thomas were at his mom’s house for Sunday dinner.

“Do you have your Florida plans set?” asked Sandy as Eddie took the last piece of fried chicken.

“We know who’s going if that counts,” said Thomas.

“I can’t believe you won a trip to Florida,” said Tammy with envy.

“What? Look who’s talking. You got a summer study-abroad in Spain,” retorted Thomas.

“Yeah, but I have to pay for my trip,” said Tammy.

“You have to pay?” asked Eddie. He obviously liked to needle Tammy about who’s pocketbook the money was really coming from.

Denise jumped in with more about their trip over Spring Break to stay any argument about paying for Tammy’s trip to Spain. “I bought the ticket on a lark. It was only five dollars so I figured why not? Guess you’ve got to play to win.”

Thomas stood and took his plate to the kitchen. He returned to collect the other empty plates.

“So who’s going to Florida?” asked Sandy.

“Matt and his girlfriend, Kimmi. My friend Cindi and her husband, Charles. And my cousin Trish and her fiance Brian,” said Denise.

“And you’re going over spring break? Saturday-to-Saturday?” asked Eddie. “You need a ride to the airport?”

“Probably. We’ll figure out the details when the time is a bit closer,” answered Thomas.

“Let me know. I’m happy to take you,” said Eddie.

Tammy stood from the table and said, “I’m going to my room and listen to music.”

“Bye, Tammy,” said Thomas.

“See you next Sunday,” she said.

“Have a seat for a minute,” said Eddie.

Thomas glanced at his mom and then to Denise. He sat at the table.

“Something wrong?” he asked.

“Oh, not at all,” said his mom.

Eddie said, “You probably remember, but I lost my dad about ten years ago. Mom died about two years ago. I inherited their house and land. It’s about 20 miles east of town.”

Thomas nodded. “Yeah, I remember, or remember being told that at some point.”

“Well, your mom and I have been talking. We’re thinking that we’ll spend the next few months renovating the old place and then move out there instead of living in my current place.”