Chapter 23: Anne Again

Another exam on Wednesday. History in the afternoon. I think I nailed every question. Coming out, though, I didn't feel the high I usually feel when I've aced an exam. I moseyed toward the Union, knowing that Mary was posing. I still had unfinished business.

I realized what was wrong with me when I ran into Saul.

He looked down at me with that smile he has. It gave me goose bumps. "Hi, Anne. You look good."

I decided to take the bull by the horns, or something.

"Saul Katz, if you don't take me to your place and make love to me right now, I'm gonna go nuts."

He looked at me for a moment, then smiled and said, "Race you."

I can't believe we did it. We ran like two mad fools to his dorm, dashed in the door of his room and started stripping. When we were naked, he took me in his arms, held me close while I caught my breath.

"Is there a reason for this, Anne?"

"Don't try and distract me, Saul. You've got to make love to me right now. No bullshit."

He laid me on the bed and I guided him inside me. But after a few strokes, he lifted up and said it again.

"What is this about?"

I threw my arms around him and dragged him down on my breasts.

"Saul Katz," I said in his ear, "I love you. That's what this is about. I love you and I want you, and for God's sake, keep moving."

I attacked him with my hips. We came almost immediately.

After a while, he rolled to one side, taking his weight off me and puffing like a walrus, but not leaving me.

"Anne Stilwell, I'm afraid I love you, too."

"Afraid?"

"I don't want to ruin your study group. Our study group. Besides, you love Will. And I love Mary, too."

"Don't worry. I do love Will. And you. Mary loves us all. And I love the other two guys, too, just in a different way. Can you handle that?"

"I don't really believe it, but I can handle it, I guess. I just wasn't sure it could happen."

We talked for a while. I told him what Mary and I had talked about and about how I'd spent the afternoon before with Will, talking about the same things.

"Saul, Mary said that the only person in our group who doesn't know I love you is you. I needed to tell you, make sure you know."

He buried his face in my shoulder. "Anne. I know it now. I do. I love you so much I couldn't say it. I was afraid for the group, the thing you've — we've all built. I won't make that mistake again. And I know it's all right to love Mary, too. And that makes me feel wonderful, because she makes me feel like a giant."

"How do I make you feel?"

"Like me. Like everybody and everything I want to be. I'm not those things yet, all of them, but I know I can be with you and with the rest of us."

"See here, sir, you hardly know me. Uh... put your hand back on my tit."

"Nor you me. Not the details, just what's important. That you and me and Will and Mary are a double-decker sandwich and we've got Tom and Alex for pickles and lettuce."

I laughed so hard that Saul popped out of me like a cork. That sobered me up fast. I took hold of him before he could get far.

"You are so silly. And I love you so. Put that back and let's take our time."

.oOo.

Mary saw Saul and me when we came into the Union. She waved from a table that had room. We sat down with her.

"You two get things straightened out?"

"What makes you think that?" asked Saul.

"From the foolish grin on your face, and the way Anne is glowing like a lighthouse. All you two need is Will to make you complete. And — ta-da! — here he is."

Will sat down next to me, looked at Saul's foolish grin, and kissed me.

"Guess you gave Saul the clue, didn't you? Welcome to the club, Saul."

"Thanks, Will. It's a pleasure to be here."

We ate supper, talking about nothing, feeling warm and fuzzy. After some coffee, Will and Saul kissed both of us and wandered off to a basketball game or something. Mary and I linked arms and started home.

We went to bed early, and I slept like the dead.

.oOo.

Thursday evening as we walked toward the dorm, Mary and I saw Tom. He was ahead of us, hands deep in his pockets, lost in thought.

"Tom, what's up?"

"Nothing's up."

I looked at Mary. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Want to come up and talk?"

I handed out beer. When we were settled, I said, "What's the trouble, Tom?"