Chapter 12

The next two days, Bill was busy revising his courses for the fall term and Ashley worked hard to try to catch up on all the neglected work left by the prior director. After lengthy discussions with Bill, she decided to accept the full time job, effective immediately.

Thursday morning, she had a call from the receptionist telling her that Courtney just arrived. She went immediately to the reception area to bring Courtney to her office. Ashley closed the door and invited her to sit. Courtney gave her a firm hug and smiled as she sat in the upholstered chair. She said, "You're looking really good today. Anything special?"

Ashley replied, "I'm kind of on call for meeting with board members who help us raise money. I sometimes have to run out on the spur of the moment to a meeting." She opened her desk drawer and retrieved her purse. "Shall we find something to eat? I'm running on empty."

Courtney stood and examined Ashley carefully as she walked by. "Yep, you're really looking great."

Ashley drove to a restaurant that had been her favorite for years. It had a French menu and the booths provided conversational privacy. She examined the menu and offered suggestions for Courtney's first experience.

After ordering, Courtney locked her eyes on Ashley and said, "Here's what I know. The committee now believes for sure that the woman isn't coming. They're now debating the merits of the two men they have interviewed. My husband believes that there is a chance that they will go back to the other applicants to see if any other women or minorities are really worth considering."

"That's ominous. I wish I knew what to do."

"I know what you mean. So do I." She then looked intensely at Ashley and put her hand on her arm, "I don't know you well yet, but I really don't want you going off to Georgia."

Ashley recognized the remark as being just a little more direct than she would have expected from a casual acquaintance. She responded to Courtney, "I can assure you that I don't want to go to Georgia."

They finished the excellent lunch, having chosen nicely prepared light fare and returned to Ashley's office. She escorted Courtney around the various rooms and indicated that most of the women were living in fear of the men who caused them to be there.

Courtney said, "I see visible signs of bruises, cuts, and scratches. They must live in hell to end up like that."

"Almost all of them do. We try to prepare them to live some semblance of a normal life after they leave. We're always dismayed when some of them go right back to the guy who put them here."

As they returned to her office, Ashley said, "We have plenty of openings for volunteers, in case you need more to do in your life."

Courtney was standing close to Ashley and brought her into a hug and then kissed her cheek. "I'll think about that. I'm not sure what I could do, but I'll bet you could find some way to use me."

"We're happy to set up a schedule for you. Uh, after we do a background check first. Let me know when and we can get started."

Still standing close, Courtney said, "Thanks for lunch. The restaurant was great." She took Ashley's hand, "Can you come to lunch at my house tomorrow? We can continue our scheming."

Ashley felt a sudden thrill in her gut as she looked at her calendar. "I'm free tomorrow. What time?"

"I have your email on your card. I will send you directions. Maybe about 12:30?" She took Ashley's arm. "It's better if we aren't seen being too chummy while we're working on this problem. My house is out of the way. I'll see if I can find out anything more."

"Sounds fine. Let me walk you out."

As Courtney turned to leave, she again engaged Ashley's eyes, "I really want to see you tomorrow."

Ashley sat at her desk pondering the encounter with Courtney. It had been a while since a woman had come on to her like that. Then, she had doubts. "Did she really send that message? Oh, well, I'll find out tomorrow."

When she arrived home, she smelled a wonderful aroma coming from the kitchen. She went in to see Bill in his apron stirring a pot on the stove. She sneaked up behind him and kissed his neck. He turned quickly to get the next kiss on his lips.

She said, "I could have sneaked up on you for real if that yapping machine hadn't given me away."

"Hey, good guard dogs are hard to find!"

She sniffed the pot. "Well, now, what are you cooking that smells so good. I got a sniff when I came in the door."

"Plain old beef stew. Had a hankering for some. I don't know what came over me, but I was working on my classes and I heard this voice say 'beef stew.'" He held up a spoon for her to taste. "I ran out to the market and picked up the ingredients and here we are. What do you think?"

"Smells wonderful and the taste is even better. How long before it's ready?"

"Half hour or 45 minutes. You have time to change."

"I'll do that and come make a salad, unless you've already covered that."

"I'd love to have one of your salads. Glad you offered."

She changed clothes and was back in the kitchen in little more than five minutes in her shorts and T-shirt. She made the salad and returned it to the fridge. He made their drinks and they sat to wait for the stew to be ready.

"How did the madhouse go today?"

"I had lunch with Courtney and she told me that the committee had pretty much given up on the woman. Now, they're deciding what to do."

"If they wait any longer, they'll find it harder to get who they want. Most people will be singing contracts soon."

"You mean for next year?"

"No, I was aiming for spring. I could come then. I'm not sure how many others could. Of course, they may not really need anyone in the spring."

"That is complicated. Anyway, I'm having lunch at her house tomorrow and we'll see if there is any way to scheme. We sort of clicked with each other and she told me she didn't want me to go to Georgia!"

"Keep it up. Never know when just the right word can be said. I don't want you to have to go to Georgia, either!"

He pulled her to kiss her and put his hand on her bare breast. "When you come in here without your bra, my hand is drawn as if by magic to this marvelous object. It soothes my hand to massage it."

"I love the feel of your hand there, but no way would I call it soothing."

"Nothing feels quite like it."

"You're right about that. If you spend any more time on that pink button, we just might burn the stew."

He moved his hand. "Sorry. I got carried away."

She teased, "Unfortunately, I didn't get carried away to the bed." She stroked his face. "You know, when I come home to a smell like that, I feel damn lucky. Even when you're not cooking, I think how wonderful it is to have you here every day."

"I notice that I get a little anxious when it's time for you to come home. I don't make as much noise as Benny, but I feel the same inside."

"I look at those poor battered and abused women and compare them to my life. Some days, I feel guilty for having a love feast in the midst of a dreadful emotional famine."

"Don't feel guilty for enjoying it. If you lived miserably, they wouldn't be a bit better off."

"Intellectually, I know that. I still hurt for them."

"You do more than that. You help many of them and do your best to see that they are better off."

"Let me go set the table before I get carried away and forget what I'm doing. What did you get done today?"

"I get the message. You didn't ask what I did, but what I got done. The truth is nothing. What I did was update my classes with new references and readings. I'll need another day or two to finish and get them posted on the departmental server."

"I think that information is a harbinger of something awful. You have only two more weeks here. Don't think I'm going to like it one bit when you go."

"I see the dates go by on the calendar and have the same feelings."

"Well, I have this nice house and a job. I can support you. How would you like being a kept man?"

"Isn't that what I am now?"

"Well, sort of. Those arrangements aren't unheard of, you know."

"I read about them. The guy stays home with the children and she goes off to work. Rather an interesting perspective. I know that I'm supposed to be open to new ideas, but that one is pretty far out. My generation didn't have many of those role reversals."

"Think about it carefully." She took his hand, "You'd find plenty to do to keep your mind and uhh, body occupied."

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"Yes. For sure. I've been trying to find a way to keep my options open and keep you, too."

"The very idea is so strange that it makes me anxious just thinking about it."

"You could retire here. You have enough years in your state system."

"Yes, when I add on my military service, I can retire any time. Before now, it never occurred to me that I would ever retire."

"Suppose you get the job at Poly. Would you not think of retiring then?"

"I didn't go into my work because I dreaded going in the morning. It's kind of who I am." He thought a minute, "Hell, I might just get in enough time to retire in California, too."

"Give it serious thought. I'm really quite happy with our arrangement. More satisfied than I've ever been. I hope I make you happy, too."

"You do every day. I think about you all the time. Being with you is a constant thrill."

"Regardless, Courtney and I will continue to scheme. I always like to have a Plan B. One of my favorite professors taught me that."

"Well, I've signed on for this year. Valerie said she'd let me out of the contract in the spring if I got the job here. That was the only option I presented to her."

After they shared good night kisses and cuddles, he lay awake with her in his arms as he tried to face these weighty issues. If I got the job here, would I ever want to retire? Had it not been for Ashley, he would have stayed happily in his current job. He avoided the other question as long as he could. Could I really be a kept man? A house husband? That was a stretch. He remembered that he'd always had a job and in the last thirty years, his profession made him happy and fulfilled. He remembered how much he enjoyed the life he was having now with her. Uninterrupted work during the day and fantastic companionship in the off hours created a sense of joy. If I didn't have an academic job, would I still want to write academic papers?

After an hour of contemplating big life changes, he finally drifted off to sleep.

In the morning, as he wished her a pleasant day with a farewell kiss, he said, "You really got me to thinking. It took an hour before I could go to sleep."

"That's wonderful. I love it when you take me seriously."

At twenty after twelve, Ashley drove up the obscure driveway to Courtney's house. Actually, it belonged to her husband—husband? And she was the most recent live-in woman, maybe? She rang the bell and Courtney greeted her and invited her in.

Ashley said, "I'm sorry to be early, but it was easier to find and I had no traffic to worry about."

"Hey, I like it that you're here. Not a problem. Come on back to the kitchen."

Ashley sat as Courtney put the finishing touches on the large deep-green salads and sliced the pork tenderloin thinly to arrange around top. She served it with warm sourdough bread and butter and a crisp white wine.

Ashley said, "Wow! That looks elegant."

Courtney fixed Ashley's eyes in her gaze, "I'm glad you came and I hope you like it." She held her glass up to toast, "Here's to successful schemes."

"I'll drink to that!"

"Here's what I know. The committee decided to consider all applicants again. They really need to bring a minority to campus for an interview. You know, making the numbers look good. They will spend a week reviewing and have another meeting to decide what to do. My little birdie told me that they didn't have much hope in finding someone since they already reviewed the applicants carefully."

"I'm still anxious. At least they haven't made a bad decision, yet."

Courtney laughed. "No, not yet. We're still in the running."

In the midst of the conversation, Ashley found herself feeling more and more comfortable with Courtney. It had been a while since she had a girl friend locally to talk to. Sometimes the telephone just didn't feel as good as the face-to-face conversations.

Courtney became enchanted with Ashley the first night they had a conversation at the dinner party in the faculty club. Every time they were together, she liked her more. She recognized the feelings that she was having and they weren't all platonic and concerned with their mutual schemes. She had a scheme of her own. As they sat on the couch and talked she turned around and sat on her knees facing Ashley. I want to kiss her, but this is not a good time. Maybe after Bill goes back to Georgia.

Ashley noticed that her lunch hour was long past. "I have to get back. Sometimes we have a zoo on Friday afternoon. Some weeks it is Saturday and Sunday. Can't predict."

"You like being the boss?"

"I don't know. I can do it and I think I'm doing a good job. I don't like handling the personal squabbles among the staff. Hell, sometimes they're worse than the clients."

Courtney put Ashley's hand to her cheek as she stood by the door. Ashley said, "That was a special treat for me. I don't often go out to lunch and never in such great company."

Courtney kissed her cheek, "I'll let you know what happens in the continuing saga. I'm looking for an opportunity to say something, but I can't just come right out and campaign for Bill."

While Ashley was enjoying her lunch and girl talk with Courtney, Bill continued to work on his classes. He noticed an email from someone at Poly. He opened it quickly to find that it was from one of the students who had been to his lecture. She was asking permission to invite him to meet with her and her major professor to see about revising her research plan. He replied that it would be an honor and asked for a time and place.