Chapter 7

When we got to the campus, we went by Annette's dorm first and moved all her stuff into her room. This year, she had a newer, slightly better room, in a newer, slightly better dorm. She would have a roommate, too -- one she hadn't yet met -- but you live in hope.

As soon as we got her situated, I took her with me to show her my new place. It was less than a mile away from Annette's dorm building. Life was good!

My new landlady, Marcia Minafee, met us in the driveway.

"You got a new vehicle," she said.

"Yes."

"Good! That ugly old car of yours was an eyesore!"

"Yes, ma'm," I agreed. "Mrs. Minafee, this is Annette Granville."

"You his girlfriend?" Mrs. Minafee wanted to know.

"Yes, I am," Annette said sweetly. I was pleased to hear her admit it so readily.

"You're not thinkin' about movin' in with him, are you?" Mrs. Minafee asked.

Blunt old biddie, isn't she?

"No, ma'm," Annette said. "But I'm hoping it's all right with you if I -- visit Terry in his room."

"Just don't move in, honey, and I don't care what you do!" Mrs. Minifee said. "I know how it is with you kids, these days. I don't have any more rules than I need to survive around here."

"So. If I stay over sometimes -- on the weekends... "

"That'll be OK," my landlady said promptly. "Just keep the noise down. --You ought to be all right, though, back there. Terry's got the best rooms in the place. Nobody below, nobody above. Off to yerself, there!"

"Yes ma'm!" I said.

"'Course, if you're a screamer, 'could be a problem," the old biddie said, looking at Annette. "Are you?"

"Ma'm?" Annette said, not certain she'd heard Mrs. Minifee correctly.

"Are you a screamer?" the old lady said, very loudly. I guess she figured Annette might be a little hard of hearing.

"Uh -- well, maybe a little," Annette admitted. "But we'll watch it -- OK?"

"It'll probably be fine, back there, in that unit," Mrs. Minafee agreed. It's pretty off-by-itself, there. But one semester last year, I had this girl? In one of the rooms upstairs? Omygod! You never heard anything like it! She'd sneak her boyfriend in up there and -- oh my! I thought he was gonna kill that girl! Or her, him!"

"We won't be like that," I promised.

"Well, y'know, I didn't mind it, at first," Mrs. Minifee said. "I mean, hell, I remember what it was like, when somebody was really giving you a satisfactory poking -- y'know? But I mean, they went on and on, and it was like two cats in heat, up there! My other tenants -- boys, mostly -- started to complain about it. --And when the boys complain --about something like that, well, you know it's serious!"

"That's... quite a story," I said.

I mean, I had to say something, right?

"Kinda missed her, though; after she was gone," Mrs. Minafee said. "I kinda enjoyed it, y'know? Whatchacallit? --Vicarious. 'Reminded me of some better times, y'know?"

"We won't present that kind of a problem for you," Annette said.

"I know you won't," my new landlady said. "But, hey, listen -- you don't have to hold it down too much in there, y'know? If a little noise creeps out, it ain't gonna kill anybody."

"You don't mind, then, if Annette stays with me tonight, even though it's just my first night here -- right?"

"Don't mind at all! Just don't move in, is all." She laughed at herself, said her goodbyes and left us to unload the truck.

"I like your new landlady," Annette said, grinning broadly.

"Yeah, we could have done a lot worse. I was afraid I'd get some dried-up old biddie who wouldn't let us breathe. Instead, I got a dried-up old biddie who's a Dirty Old Lady."

"I'm gonna feel kind of obligated to make a little racket," Annette said, "just to help Mrs. Minafee get off, from time to time!"

"I love it that you're a screamer," I said. "Makes me feel like I've got hair on my chest. When I sit down to dinner here with the other tenants, I want them to look at me with respect! And envy!"

"I imagine Mrs. Minafee is going to hear us a little, because she'll be listening out for it," Annette said. "but I'm not sure I can scream loud enough to be heard all the way upstairs. This is an old house, with thick walls and floors."

"Just do your best," I said.

We were being very casual. We'd taken our time moving into our respective residences, and although we had missed supper at the boarding house (beef stew -- $4 extra for Annette), we found a Wendy's and had a bite there.

We were continuing to be very casual, but we both knew that tonight was The Night. No parents to call. No homework (yet). No cheap motel room. Just privacy, in my own little old place. We were gonna baptize the room that very night -- and despite all the "heavy petting" we'd done up to that time -- the heaviest -- it remained true that tonight was going to be the first time for us. The first time we'd go all the way.

I had not had sex with that woman -- Annette Granville.