Chapter 15: Freshman "Really Well"

Everyone knew we were sleeping together.

Well, not everyone, and the people who knew didn't know what they thought they knew.

Actually, through a complex system that took far more time to plan than to execute, Shirley and I slept in the same bed two nights each week during the final three weeks of school.

We slept in the same bed; that didn't mean we were having sex as everyone involved naturally assumed. Our sleeping in the same bed two nights per week was part of Shirley's getting to know each other 'really well' campaign but not all of it.

Additionally, she had me read the several papers she was working on. I complained that I was not qualified to critique them; never having taken the courses involved, but she said reading her work would help us know each other 'really well.'

We studied together on Tuesday and Thursday nights and she took a genuine interest in the course work I was being assigned, saying it was her way of getting to know me 'really well.'

With Wanda out of the picture, we were able to go on real dates Friday nights, but on Saturday night we still visited Olli and Polly. We continued to have breakfast with the group and Shirley joined me for a run instead of our late night walks, except Tuesday and Thursday nights when we went to bed right after study.

She read my mail and found out from Karen's rather explicit letters about the three remaining pips that we were to work off when I was home for summer vacation. Shirley insisted that I tell her about the dominoes.

It took three nights for me to relate my domino experiences because she wanted full disclosure. I told her everything, even about the weekend Charlie had gone camping, leaving Sheila and me alone. Several times Shirley was so quiet that I thought I had put her to sleep but when I stopped talking, she would perk up and want more detail.

"Have you seen a domino that concerned me?" she asked and I told her that there hadn't been a domino for some time.

"Good, because I wouldn't believe it anyway."

We also started taking Marcy's Saturday morning telephone calls together instead of individually, telling each other that we had no secrets. I would talk to Marcy first while Shirley listened and then I would hand her the phone and listen to her laugh to Marcy about things I had said.

"He's trying everything," I heard her say to Marcy. "I've heard all of his domino stories and last Thursday night he recited The Sick Child to me."

And then to me, "Marcy says you're bringing out the big guns but you're shooting blanks."

"What's that? No, I won't let him tell me his, 'I got into a little trouble when I was fourteen, ' story until you've heard it," she said, laughing.

"I have a date in mind but I'm not ready to disclose it to Sammy yet. No, I won't tell you either. I know how thick you two are."

I was dying to know what she meant by having a date in mind but I waited until the next morning at breakfast to inquire.

"What's the date?" I whispered.

"It's when I think we will know each other 'really well, '" she answered, not bothering to whisper. None of the other members of the breakfast group paid much attention to what we said to each other anymore, not even Tracy, who had given up her crusade to make me miserable.

"Does that mean what I think it means?"

"Is what you think it means really important to you?"

"Not unless it's important to you, too."

Shirley laughed, getting the attention of others at the table. She wouldn't say more about the date until we were outside and heading for my room where we intended to study for finals.

"You're special, Sammy. You always say the right thing, like you think I'm buying it. 'Really Shirley, I don't want to have sex with you unless you want it too.' But I know you're dying to have sex with me. You really are special."

"When's the date?"

She almost fell over laughing and she was still laughing when we reached my room. I steered her toward my bed and she didn't resist.

It was eight-thirty on Sunday morning and we were making out on my bed but when I pushed her T-shirt up and felt her bare tummy she broke away from me. "This is fun but we have studying to do."

"When's the date?" I asked as we got off the bed.

"September the thirtieth," she said with enough authority in her voice to make it sound like she had given the date a lot of thought.

"September 30, 1990? That's over four months from now."

"Yes, the thirtieth of September. It happens to fall on Sunday. We'll have been back to school one month; you'll have the apartment and a new mattress. If you're finished with Karen's pips and we still feel the same about each other, I'll come to the apartment early and stay all day."

"I'm finished with the pips now. I'm going to cancel the other times with Karen."

"You can't. It wouldn't be fair to Karen."

"I've been thinking about it for some time. I'll write to her. She'll understand."

"Sammy, it's too late to cancel. You're due home in a week."

"Don't you want me to cancel?"

She was walking around the room, glancing at me, looking at the ceiling and back at me. "I'm not making any promises. We may never get to know each other 'really well.'"

"I'm willing to take that chance," I said.

"Write to Karen. I want to see the letter and I want to see you mail it."

I was incensed. "Don't you trust me? Have I ever lied to you about anything?" I asked. Did she really think that I might say one thing and do another?

She came to me and wrapped her arms around my neck. "I've never known anyone that I trust the way I trust you. I'm sorry. You don't have to show me the letter."

I sat down at my computer and typed the letter to Karen.

Dear Karen,

I've met someone. I will describe her with one word: trust. Shirley trusts me and I trust her.

I trust you too. I trust you to understand why I must cancel the other three pips.

Your mixed doubles partner,

Sammy

P.S. Say Hi to Kevin for me.

Shirley rode with me to the mailbox and watched as I dropped the letter in the slot. I was thinking about September thirty when I got an idea.

"You can come to my house for the summer and work in Mr. Oldham's company," I said before I'd had a chance to think what I was suggesting.

The suggestion was too sudden for her to comprehend. "I can't do that!" she exclaimed.

"You can live at the house. They'll love having you there."

"I can't. I have a job waiting for me at the restaurant."

"You'll make more money working for Mr. Oldham."

"The restaurant owner is depending on me."

"You'll be saving bus fare, both ways."

"You think if I'm there I'll move the date up, don't you?" she countered, sounding suspicious.

"I'm going to be away all summer, remember?"

"I could save bus fare," she said, thoughtfully.

"You'll have the use of my computer and the pool."

"My sister wouldn't have to crowd the kids together to make room for me."

"The running track is right across the street from the house."

"I could cash in my bus ticket and buy some clothes for the office."

"You'll need a swimsuit or two."

"Do you think Mr. Oldham would hire me?"

"There's only one way to find out."

We found a payphone and Shirley stood next to me as I dialed the number.

"Is anything wrong, dear?" Suzanne asked when I said that I needed to speak with Mr. Oldham. I laughed and told her no.

Mr. Oldham didn't hesitate to say that he would find a summer job for Shirley.

"Don't you want to interview her?" I asked, and watched her shake her head nervously. He chuckled, said he had already interviewed her when we drove Wanda home, but he would like to speak to her to make it formal.

I put the receiver in her hand and rubbed her back as she talked to Mr. Oldham.

"Yes, Sir... Yes, Sir I can do that... Yes, Sir... I've done... how much? Thank you, Sir, please tell Suzanne hi for me, here he is," she said before handing the receiver back to me.

"Thank you, Sir," I said to Mr. Oldham and felt Shirley rubbing my back the same way I had rubbed hers.

"She knows you're going to be away?"

"Yes, Sir."

"You'll have to show her around before you leave."

"Yes, Sir."

"I'm sending you to San Francisco, Sam. We have a new building in construction and it'll be a good experience to see what it takes to put a building together."

"San Francisco," I mumbled to myself.

"Yes, the building is located not far from the airport, but you'll be able to get into town from time to time. Tell Shirley we're looking forward to having her stay with us."

"Thanks again, Sir," I said and felt Shirley's full weight lean into my back.

"This is like a dream. I'm so fortunate to have met you and your family," she said, clutching her hands to my chest, crushing her chest against my back

"You're going to know us 'really well, '" I said.

Shirley was so excited about the job that she had trouble concentrating the rest of the day. "I'm going to be making almost double what I would make at the restaurant," she said.

She wrote letters to the restaurant and her sister, but that's about the only constructive things she was able to do.

On Tuesday afternoon we drove to a neighboring town, ordered a new mattress and arranged to have it delivered to the apartment well before school was to start. Olli agreed to store my computer stand and footlocker for the summer and to accept the mattress when it was delivered.

That night in bed she apologized when she noticed my erection. "I'm sorry, Sammy. Sleeping together may be a mistake. I know this is frustrating to you. It's torture for me too. You do understand, don't you, why getting to know each other, 'really well' is important to me?"

I didn't understand at all but I told her that I did. How much better did we need to know each other? She must know that I'm not getting much sleep on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Every time she touches me, and she touches me often, it makes every nerve ending in my body jump. I try to anticipate her touches but it doesn't work. A mere glance from her keeps me on edge for hours.

"Why Sunday, September the thirtieth?" I asked.

She moved away from me as far as it was possible to do in my small bed, lying on her side, facing me.

"It has to be in the daytime so we can look at each other, not in the wee hours of the morning after a party where we've had too much to drink."

Why was she saying that? We seldom went to parties and hardly ever drank anything stronger than Coca-Cola.

"Is that what happened to you... before?"

"Yes."

That's all she would say and we never brought it up again. But her admission about how she lost her virginity gave me insight as to why she was being extremely cautious with me. I got up and went for a run, alone. When I got back to my room she welcomed me back into bed but we didn't talk.

On Thursday night Shirley ran with me. After the first mile I tested her to see if she was able to carry on a conversation.

"How did you do on your exam today?"

"All right, I think. I didn't have the vaguest idea what one question was about. I hope he accepts my bullshit."

"When did you start talking like that?" I asked, trying to sound shocked, watching her ponytail bounce from side to side as she ran.

"I must have picked it up from some guy I've been sleeping with," she said, laughing.

We left at three o'clock on Friday afternoon, my car loaded down with our combined possessions. The trip was uneventful, except for Shirley's constant questions. "When are you leaving for San Francisco and when will you be back? Do you think Karen will call you? What will you say to her? You haven't forgotten about your talk with Brenda, have you? What will you say to her? Will you introduce me to Josh and Jeannie? Cindy won't be home this summer, will she? Are you going to be good in San Francisco? You'll tell me if you aren't, won't you?"

"I'll be good," I answered, ignoring her other questions. We had been over everything before.

"Why am I so paranoid? I trust you. Do you trust me?"

"Why wouldn't I trust you?" I asked, alarmed at the thought of having to trust her. What made her suggest such a thing?

She laughed, saying she just wanted to make sure I was paying attention.

It was nearly nine pm when we got home and found a late supper waiting for us, which we devoured before even thinking about unloading my car.

Mr. Oldham and Suzanne had eaten earlier but they joined us at the breakfast counter, wanting to know about the end of school, how we had fared on our finals and if the apartment was all set for fall occupancy?

"Where did they get the idea that I'm moving in with you?" Shirley asked as we carried the first load up to my room.

"They didn't say that," I disputed her.

"It was inferred," she said, decisively.

Our conversation halted when we saw the small padded envelope on my desk. My eyes also traveled to the light flashing on my answering machine. I placed a box of computer components on the stand and pushed the flashing button.

'You have one new message'... click...

"Sammy, I owe you a blowjob after all. Karen's batting me third and promises to leave me there if I put out. You have my number, right?"

I looked at Shirley, knowing I had some explaining to do. I had never mentioned Barbara, the left-handed shortstop with a bubble butt. It had never come up; nothing had happened between us.

But all I saw of Shirley was her back as she walked through the bathroom to the adjoining bedroom.

I went down to the car to get one more load and locked it for the night. The rest of our stuff could stay there until the next morning. When I got back to my room, Shirley was sitting at my desk, tapping the envelope on the desktop, looking despondent.

"She's trying to cause trouble, isn't she?"

"Open it," I said; assuming the envelope was from Karen.

Shirley didn't hesitate. She pulled a tab on the envelope and dumped the contents, a small chunk of plastic, onto the desk.

Three pips were showing on a tiny portion of the double-six domino, which judging from the rough edges, had been cut out of the tile with a dull knife or saw.

"She's telling me it's over," I concluded.

"Possibly," Shirley mused, "or it may be her way of saying that you have some unfinished business; 'present this chit and collect on demand.'"

Nothing more was said about the sliver of plastic that had come in the mail, but I knew she needed an explanation about the offer of a blowjob from Barbara.

Shirley slid into bed and took her place above me, her weight warm and soft.

"Barbara's the one that left the message. She plays shortstop for a women's softball team that Karen coaches. She wanted to bat third last summer and offered me a blowjob if I would get Karen to let her. It never happened, Karen didn't let her bat third very long and that took the blowjob away. I didn't mention it to you because nothing happened."

"Why are you telling me all of this? I trust you and I understand why you didn't tell me about Barbara. You didn't need to tell me about Gina either but you did. I would never have found out about her. You also told me about getting Charlie laid and the two girls you were with. I trust you."

"I'm just warning you that Karen's on the attack. I heard something in the way Barbara said 'if she put out.' That's a term Karen uses, 'putting out.'"