Chapter 7

The party continued the next day. Partners were selected for Saturday, then each of them wandered off at their own convenience, some of them sat about and talked and some enjoyed the sun of a surprisingly beautiful day in the patio. Vivian directed a good breakfast of tomato juice, steak and eggs and eye opening drinks.

Marily had to admire Vivian, who never seemed to tire of talking, but who got things done such as the planning of the party, serving of breakfast and sharing in the festivities all without, Marily imagined, ever closing her mouth. Before the sun was half-way into the sky on Saturday Marily had relaxed in the constant flow of words from Vivian, found them somehow soothing and realized with a start that she would miss them if they stopped.

Marily did not dream that her next partner would be one that she knew already, had been with already, Hans. She was startled when he smiled at her, showed her his slip of paper, because she was talking to Anna. Her face reddened, her tongue became locked in her mouth. Anna smiled her assurance that it mattered not to her, then told the both of them that she and Peter were to enjoy the day. Hans sat between them, holding Anna's hand and talking to her and it occurred to Marily that there was true love, that she hoped that someday she could appreciate Fred as much as either of them seemed to appreciate each other. But she was doubtful. She thought of the 'love making' she and Fred had every Tuesday and she shuddered. He would never consent to anything like this. She just knew it. What then, she wondered, was he to think of her if he ever found out about her week-end. She felt certain that he would divorce her, would hold her and probably the rest of them to public ridicule and scorn.

Then she surprised herself. She suddenly had the feeling that if that were to be the case, she should by all means make the most of the two days she had left. She looked at Hans, gave him a smile that promised all the delights that he had ever participated in or dreamed about, and ignored Anna. Hans' response was immediate. He excused the both of them to Anna, then took Marily's arm and led her out of the patio, into her backyard and to her house. She felt no shame or remorse whatever for all the things she had done with these three strange men. In fact, she found herself looking forward to more and more of it.

Marily worked like a Trojan Monday. She had induced the dentist, her last partner of the party, to help her move the furniture in the bedroom back to its former position, then she had seen him to the door, then carefully tucked his card away in her purse. He had promised her an amazing discount on her dental work, and would offer the same to Fred later in the week, he told her, as soon as he was initiated a member. As soon as he had disappeared through the hedge of the patio, she had started her work. She dusted, vacuumed, changed the bed clothes, even the pads on the beds, and washed and sprayed a heavy film of air freshener through the house.

She had paused in her work to have a bit of lunch, heard a car pull into the driveway next door, and had run to the window to see if it could be Peter. It wasn't. It was Vivian.

Vivian turned and waved to her, then headed in her direction. Marily opened the door for her, tried to smile and wondered if she knew that she had hoped it was Peter. She did.

"It's just me. Wipe the disappointment off your face, lovely, and let's have some coffee. I've been out laying the groundwork for Fred he's very cute, Marily, I don't think that you appreciate that fact and the fact that all men, every last one of them have the potential of becoming good lovers and husbands and they just have to be taught can we have a bite of lunch if you have anything to make and I'll outline the plan for you and we have considered your situation here and there is little of it that depends on you because you'll be nervous and you might ruin it all and we don't want that." Vivian paused for a split second and then continued full force, outlining the plan that Marily felt she was somehow missing, could not completely follow the flow of words that included general comments about everything under the sun with the plan thrown in. Generally, however, she got the idea. All she had to do was calm herself until Tuesday, then set the first part of it in motion. They would do the rest.

Marily practiced until time for picking Fred up at the airport. She was so nervous that she could hardly drive, fearful that something would go wrong, knowing that if it did it would be her downfall, her disgrace. She parked the car in the lot at the airport, then sat for a couple of minutes and breathed deeply. It all started now for her. She walked in measured steps to the gate and stood, mute, and stared straight ahead and waited for Fred.