Chapter 10

Paul walked to the stadium. He sat down in his usual spot, leaned back, and closed his eyes. He felt pretty good. At least he knew what he wanted and what he needed to stay away from. He felt better than he had in a long time. He'd find a girl. He just needed patience. It was still early but he headed home.

He got there just in time to be grabbed by Steve and Arthur and thrown in the trunk of a car. They were both drunk.

"Oh for God's sake don't leave me in here without a beer!"

Paul got the beer but it took another 5 minutes of hollering to get a bottle opener. He was able to escape the trunk when they needed the opener. He dove into the back seat; they were content to leave him there.

"Where are we going?" Paul asked.

"To a party, where else," laughed Steve.

"We need to keep a pillow in the trunk." That caused a laughing fit for the two drunks.

The party was at a run-down farm house in Hawthorne. It was only 10 miles from town but it was way out in the sticks. It was loud; it was rock and roll. Steve and Arthur were pretty far gone. Paul was going to stay sober enough to drive home. If they got drunk enough, he could drive them home in the trunk. That sounded good.

Steve Johns was at the party. His bragging about Rachel seemed a lifetime ago. Paul smiled and shook his hand. No need to stay mad after all this time. Steve wasn't likely to be upset. Paul was still taller and now outweighed him by 20 pounds.

"What do you hear from Palatka?" Paul yelled over the music.

"Ann and Rachel are both getting married this summer."

"No shit? Do I know the lucky guys? "

"Nah. They're damn Yankees."

"There probably are one or two good Yankees, I just never met one." Paul had been sixteen years old before he learned that DamnYankee was two words. That's different than "The Yankees."

Paul danced with a couple of girls but it was a low target environment. At least two guys for each girl. He enjoyed watching Arthur and Steve making fools of themselves but the music was too loud. Outside was quieter and he walked down to the lake.

It was a clear night; Jupiter and Saturn were both visible and the moon wasn't up yet. He was about to go get the two drunks and head home when he heard an argument. A man and a woman were not happy with each other.

"Let go of me," the woman said.

That's all I need to hear, Paul thought while walking towards them.

The same fight was going on all over the country. He had done something she didn't like and she wanted to leave. He was sorry and wanted her to stay. Some of the fights would end with the couple in bed, others with a death. Paul would try to end this one peacefully.

"Hey y'all. Pretty night isn't it."

"Fuck off," the man snarled.

Maybe without blood. "Why don't you let her go back to the house? If she wants to talk to you, you can talk there."

"Fuck off faggot." He pushed the girl down and turned on Paul. The guy was drunk, really drunk. Paul dodged the first couple of punches, hoping the drunk would see how hopeless fighting while being this drunk was. He didn't, he was too drunk. No need to fight fair; Paul hadn't started it. He hit the drunk right above his pubic bone - not much muscle there. The drunk was down and puking. Paul turned him on his side so his face wasn't directly in his own vomit.

"Please don't hurt him again."

"He'll be OK in a few minutes. It will help get some alcohol out of his system."

Paul turned to look at the girl. "I'm Paul Sheppard, are you OK?"

"Yes. Thank you. I'm Donna Chaney."

"What's his name?" Paul pointed to the drunk.

"Billy."

"Roll over on your back Billy and raise your hand up over your head. It will stretch your stomach muscles and make you feel better."

"Donna, is he your ride home?"

"I think I need another ride."

"I can give you a ride, but first I have two drunks I need to get out of the house. Don't worry. They are happy-go-lucky drunks, complete gentlemen when smashed."

"OK."

"Does Billy have any friends here? I don't want to leave him this close to the lake."

"He lives here."

"Then we can find lots of people to carry him inside."

Paul pulled up near Donna's dorm. "Thanks for everything Paul."

"My pleasure. Can I ask a favor of you?"

"Sure."

"Paul, Paul." The noise came from the trunk. Steve was too good an athlete for Paul to stuff him in the trunk but Arthur had been easy.

"What?"

"You were right. We need a pillow." Another laughing fit.

"They are funny," Donna said. "What was the favor Paul?"

"Can I call you?"

"That would be swell."

"Here, write your number on this." He handed her the only piece of paper he had. A paper six pack holder.

When Paul walked into his house, something was wrong. He couldn't put his finger on it until he tried to open his bedroom door and found that it was locked.

"Paul?"

"Alice? What are you doing in my room?"

The door cracked open. "It's your fault. You're the one who got us together."

"What are you talking about?"

"Suzi, the girl at the bar."

"What?"

"You invited her to sit at my table so I invited her to sleep in your room. You're sleeping on the couch tonight. Do you need anything out of the room?"

"You mean besides my bed?"

"That's staying in here with us. Unless you have a girl with you, we need it more than you do."

"How about I sleep on the floor in my room?"

"Why, won't the couch be more comfortable?"

"I might want to watch what you two do to each other. My interest is purely intellectual; I assure you I have no prurient motives."

"No."

"Get under the covers. I'm coming in to get my clothes for tomorrow. I'll leave as soon as I get them."

"Suzi, cover up. OK come in."

"Alice you're wearing my T-shirt."

"Tough titty."

"I'll take your word for it. Welcome to my home Suzi."

"Alice, are you sure you don't want him to stay?"

Alice had been right too, she was looking at both of us, Paul thought.

"Yes I'm sure."

Paul woke up comfortable in Arthur's bed. Arthur was still asleep on the couch - asleep or passed out depending on your point of view. Paul showered and dressed, then extracted a little revenge.

"Alice, Suzi, time to get up. What if Arthur wakes up and finds you in bed?" It would take a large bomb to wake Arthur but they didn't know it.

"Paul, be quiet," answered Alice.

"Don't worry. He probably doesn't care that you are lesbians."

"Paul, shut up!"

They were both dressed and out of the room in minutes.

"Suzi, is that your car out front?" Paul asked.

"Yes."

"I'll buy breakfast if you'll drive us."

They both had to put on makeup and fix their hair.

Paul was fixing coffee when Alice came into the kitchen. "What is Suzi's name?" He asked her.

"Lawless. Suzi Lawless."

"I'm surprised at you Alice, you are such a slut." He laughed as he ducked, her hand passing just over his head. "First date and you wind up in bed?" He ran from the kitchen and right over Suzi.

"Sorry. Are you OK?"

"I'm fine. I'm Suzi Lawless. You're Paul Sheppard, right? Thanks for letting us use your room." She was blushing.

When they came back from breakfast, Alice said, "Suzi, I'll call you later. I need to talk to Paul."

"We'll get together tonight?"

"Yes!"

Paul and Alice walked inside. "Paul, I don't want to share her with you."

"You don't have to."

"Thank you."

"Alice, are we friends?"

"Yes."

"Then you shouldn't have to ask me that. But you do. So you really do see what I am like."

"You're wrong Paul. You're not the only one with faults. One of mine is jealousy. It wouldn't matter who you were. Don't always look for the problem within you. Now give me a hug. It's a lot harder for me to find someone than for you."

"What is the therapy schedule for today?"

"I thought that we would go find you a girl."

"You don't want to share this one?"

"Paul," she sighed.

"OK. Sorry. No more jokes about that. We don't need to go find one. I found a girl last night."

"What? How?"

"It was easy. All I had to do was beat up her boyfriend. He was big and bad but, since I am almost a perfect human specimen, I was able to do it." Paul explained.

"When are you going to call her?"

"I think 1:00 would be just about right. Not too early but before her drunk hopefully ex-boyfriend calls her."

"Do you want me to stay here?"

"You probably want to see Suzi, right? So only stay if you are going to tell me everything that the two of you did last night. I can always improve my technique."

"You are gross."

"You think of what you did as gross? What did you do? If it was gross, why did you do it?"

She started to stick her tongue out at him but decided that would just lead to another joke. "Don't bother to drive me, I'll walk home."

Paul kissed her on the forehead. "Good luck sweetie. I'm happy for you."

"Hello Donna, this is Paul Sheppard. Are you OK this morning?" Good start. Worry about her well-being but don't ask about the boyfriend.

"Hey, thanks for calling. I wanted to tell you how much I appreciated all you did for me last night."

"It's all part of my job."

"What job?"

"Knight errant. You know, rescuing fair maidens, fending off villains, killing dragons, that kind of thing." Where do you get this shit Paul?