Chapter 3

The several rainy days that followed kept Doris away from the swimming pool, much to her dismay. Finally, the sun returned with a vengeance and she could hardly wait to get home from her afternoon classes and relax by the pool. On the way past, she noted that many voices came from around the pool.

It will be crowded today, she thought. But, they won't notice me... of course.

Once inside her apartment, it was not until she had spent a long while organizing her school materials that she noticed that something was not quite right. She couldn't place it at first. It just seemed as if something was different about her apartment. She moved quietly around her apartment trying to lower her anxiety when... there it was... again. The smell! His smell of soap and sweat!

Doris froze.

He has come back. He is here!

Steeling her courage, Doris walked into her bedroom. Immediately, she sensed his presence. She opened her dresser drawer and pretended to search its contents. Her attention, however, was focused on pinpointing his location in the room. A tiny breath gave him away. He had moved closer this time. He was at the foot of her bed. He was bolder, closer. The excitement of her first encounter with Jerome gave way to fear and anxiety.

Is he standing? Kneeling?

She didn't want to tip her hand, so she pulled her swimsuit from the drawer, just as she would have done had he not been present, and touched the top button on her blouse.

A rustle of clothing... he is standing! He is standing very near! Too near!

Doris dropped the swimsuit to the floor.

Whoosh!

It came out of no where. All that Jerome saw was a flash of white. The full force of heavy end of Doris' cane caught him squarely on the bridge of his nose.

"Oow! Jesus!" Jerome said aloud without thinking. "What the fuck?"

The cane flashed again directly at the sound of his voice! This time, through watery tears, he saw the large ball on the cane's end coming and turned to dodge. Yellow stars and tears from the first blow still hampered his sight. He squinted just as the second strike hit him in the temple. New stars from another galaxy along with searing pain followed immediately.

He didn't see the third thrust coming. It caught him just under his ribcage and felt as if he had been kicked by a horse.

"Ouuuw! Fuck!"

This time the voice came from close to the floor. Doris retreated back into the doorway to her bedroom, all her senses on high alert, and she waited to strike again.

"Jerry! Jerome! What in the hell are you doing in my apartment without my permission? I know it is you, Jerry! I know your voice! Don't you dare come any closer to me!"

A crouching Jerome froze instantly. The only way out was through the door that Doris now guarded. And, she knew... she knew who he was!

"Answer me, Jerome! You broke into my house. The police do not think highly of breaking and entering... particularly in a poor blind girl's house. Answer me... now!"

"I'm not Jerome..."

"Don't fuck with me, Jerry! If I don't get some answers, you are going to jail."

Suddenly she sensed him rushing toward her. Doris tried to calculate his body position and thrust her cane, like a battering ram, at where his face should have been. Jerome nimbly blocked that blow with his arms, but not the secondary unseen shot that came from Doris' knee. Knee found groin and Jerome crumpled in a heap at Doris's feet.

Doris was poised to strike again when a heavy pounding sounded on her front door.

"Doris! Doris, it is me, Hammer. Are you home? Open up!"

Doris rushed to her front door, opened it, and stumbled into Hammer's strong arms. Jerome came limping behind her out of the bedroom.

"Damn, I knew it... Jerome, you prick... pardon my language, Doris. Jerome, I knew when I couldn't find you anywhere, that you were pulling this stunt again! What a jerk!"

There was a sort of murmur and followed by a rush of wind as Jerome passed the two of them on his way toward the open door. He gurgled something as he passed.

"Well, you deserve it," answered Hammer. "You deserved to have the crap beaten out of you... and from the looks of things, that's just what happened."

"Fuck you both!" Jerome's words echoed from outside Doris' door and faded down the stairs.

Hammer could not help laughing, but just as quickly he turned serious once again. Doris felt good in Hammer's arms. And, she felt safe. Then she came to her senses and started to pull away. Hammer sensed the return of her distress and let her go.

"Jeez, I'm sorry, Doris. Jerome was way out of line. He's really not a bad guy or a pervert or anything. He's just... well, I'm not trying to defend him... he obviously was very wrong in doing this to you... tricking you like this... way over the top. I'm so sorry."

Doris pulled away. Ever sinew in her body wanted to relax right back into Hammer's embrace.

"Ah, could we like turn on some lights in here... it's very dark," stammered Hammer.

"Oh," replied Doris, "sorry. Blind folks don't use lights. I think they still work. Maybe."

She heard a click from near the door. Nothing in her world changed.

"Thanks for helping me... Michael."

Inside Doris was fighting for self control, but the huge amount of adrenaline surging through her began to take its toll. Without warning, she started to shake all over. Hammer saw her trembling and put his huge arm back around her shoulders.

"Hey, its... its, ok... you're ok... you are safe now. Jesus, he must have scared the shit out of... ah, I mean... I guess he really frightened you."

Doris was fully aware of Hammer's comforting arm.

"I won't let anyone hurt you now. Although from the looks of it, you handled Jerome pretty well yourself."

Doris' head was spinning. She finally relaxed and leaned back into Hammer's muscular chest. It felt so very good. Then a thought hit her that caused her heart to race once again. Fantasy scenarios began to flash through her mind. It was time to play all her cards with Hammer and this was the entrée.

"You said, again... you said something about Jerome pulling this stunt again," said Doris quietly.

"Well, ah, I guess I did... say... ah, that," stammered Hammer.

"Jerome has been here—here in my apartment—before?" she asked as if this was all brand new to her.

"Well, yeah. He did... ah, he was."

"Why?"

"Jeez, Doris... cause he is a scum bag."

"He was stealing from me?"

"Nah... he... well, he... he was just acting bad, ok?"

"Tell me the truth, Hammer," Doris demanded.

"Well, this is hard for me to say... ok, he was just looking at you."

"Looking?"

"He was looking at you... ah, looking at you naked."

"Oh my god!" feigned Doris. She pretended to almost faint in Hammer's arms. He held her tight much to her delight.

"Look, Doris, I know you are like really embarrassed."

"Why would he want to look at me?" Trap baited.

"Why? I don't know... cause you are pretty... cause he is a jerk..."

"I'm pretty?"

"Of course you are!"

Then a harsh reality became clear to Hammer.

"Oh, my. I just realized this... you have never seen yourself, have you?"

"No. I haven't," Doris said almost whispering.

This wasn't exactly like the moment she had envisioned in her many dreams, but Doris was practical. Ideas for opportunistic action began to emerge in her mind.