Chapter 9

The rooms were right next to each other. Felicity, thinking that all was well again, now that they had a plan for Bobby, waved gaily and said: “Come get us when you’re ready. We’ve still got plenty of time.”

Once in their room, Renee stomped around, while Bobby tipped the porter who carried in Renee’s single suitcase.

“Why didn’t you tell me this was an overnight thing?” she snapped.

“I didn’t know,” said Bobby, shrugging. “You brought a suitcase,” he pointed out.

“Yes, but all that’s in it is my dress for tonight!” she snarled. “I didn’t even bring any makeup! Ohhh, this is a mess!” She looked at him. “And staying in a room all night with you!”

Her tone was almost vitriolic, and Bobby was stung. He knew they had gone farther at the drive-in than she’d planned on going, but had thought she’d had a good time.

“Hey, calm down,” he said stiffly. “I’ll go talk to them. We’’ll get another room. If they don’t have one I’m sure Chester and I can stay in one room, and you and Felicity can have the other.”

She stomped one foot.

“Are you insane?” she almost shouted. “She obviously thinks we’re sleeping together! Why, oh why did I ever get mixed up with a hick-town gigolo?!”

“You ran into my car, as I recall,” said Bobby dryly. “And what’s wrong with telling them there’s been a mistake? There has been a mistake. It’s just a fact. People make mistakes.”

“You just don’t understand!” she moaned. “If we do that, it will be like admitting to them that we’re ignorant bumpkins!”

“Oh, of course,” said Bobby, his voice heavy with sarcasm. “I didn’t think of that, what with me being a bumpkin all my life and all.”

His tone broke through her anger, and she felt a stab of guilt. He had helped her.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” she said, somewhat sullenly. “It’s just that they’re so...”

“Rich?” asked Bobby. “That doesn’t matter to me. But it obviously does to you. I like them, and they like me. And I’m sorry I can only be myself, instead of the fancy pants man you want. I thought we’d had a good time together, even if I got all beat up on our first date, and pushed things a bit far on our second. I can see I was wrong about that.” He grinned. “See there? It’s not so hard to admit you made a mistake.”

Then he wiped the smile off his face. “But not to worry. I won’t touch you again. You’ll be perfectly safe. I’ll go stand in the hallway, while you change. That sofa over there will be fine for me tonight. You’ll awaken refreshed and unsullied by the nasty old male prostitute you got stuck with.”

He turned and walked to the door. His name was on her lips, as his tone stung her and made her realize how she’d sounded. But her pride kept that name only on her lips, until the door closed solidly behind him.

Even then, when it finally left her lips, it was only a whisper.

With nothing else to do, she turned to her suitcase. A minute later, as she bent over, wearing only her bra and panties, the memory of his voice, talking about what a cute butt she had, flitted through her brain. If she hadn’t been such a bitch, he might be here right now, watching her bend over to step into her dress. She knew, deep inside her that he had really done nothing against her wishes. She knew that she had loved the feel of his lips and hands on her ... that he had forgone his own pleasure, thinking only of her. She knew, deep down, that her fear wasn’t of him really. It was of her desire. It was true that he was a farm boy from a small town. It was true that he had no formal higher education. It was true that he’d never be wealthy and flashy. But ... he was also caring ... and generous ... and fun to be around. He was a nice guy, and he knew how to make her feel wonderful. He didn’t deserve to be treated like she’d treated him.

She stood up in her dress, smoothing it into place. She’d picked this dress for Bobby really. It was clingy and light and the breeze would blow it around her thighs. It showed enough cleavage to be interesting, but not so much as to make her look like a tart. She had thought of it as a slightly daring dress, for a safe date.

She walked to the door and opened it. He was leaning against the wall in the hallway, looking distinctly out of place.

“Come back in,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

“We can just go now,” he said. His voice was cool.

“Please, Bobby, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean what I said?”

“Why did you say it then?” he asked.

“Would you please come back in the room to talk about this?” she asked, looking up and down the hall.

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” he said stiffly. “Let’s just get this play out of the way, and get through the night, and you can go back home.”

“Bobby,” she pleaded. “At least let me explain.”

“It’s all right,” he said. “You don’t have to explain anything to me. Maybe we can talk later.”

She thought about just reaching out and dragging him into the room, but he stepped to the next door and knocked on it. He looked back at her. “Do you have everything you need for tonight?”

It didn’t get any better as they went shopping. Bobby was polite, but cool. He did not touch her, either to help her out of the car, or by putting his hand in the small of her back, as a man sometimes does to steer a woman. He seemed to be completely without opinion as to what clothing he should get. “Whatever you think,” he said, more than once. Even Felicity realized something was amiss.

“What’s wrong with you?” she asked, at one point.

“I just don’t want to be a bother,” he said, calmly.

Felicity knew Bobby better than most other women, having spent hours and hours in his arms. She pulled him aside.

“You want to tell me what’s going on?”

“There’s nothing to tell,” said Bobby.

“Did you two have a spat?” asked Felicity.

“I guess so,” he said. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Do you want me to talk to her?”

“Absolutely not!” said Bobby firmly. “We’ll work it out.”

Felicity looked at him, and took his hand. She squeezed it, and said “All right.” Then she let his hand drop again.

Bobby just wore the clothes for the theater out of the store. His old clothes were put into a bag, and thrown into the trunk of the car.

“They’ll have the other things you need at the hotel,” said Felicity. “They have toothbrushes and things like that.”

Dinner wasn’t exactly strained, but it wasn’t as relaxed as it might have been either. Bobby held Renee’s chair for her while she sat, and then he seated himself. He chatted with Felicity and Chester about things going on in their lives. He spoke to Renee too, but much less than to the others. He didn’t exactly ignore her, but he didn’t lavish attention on her either. Felicity stared at him more than once, but he ignored her pointed looks.

Renee wasn’t blind. She realized what was happening. He had taken her harsh words to heart. She knew she had wounded him, calling him a bumpkin, and ... the other thing. Her spirits sagged, as she realized she had hurt the feelings of a perfectly nice man. At one point she wondered how it was that she managed to ruin things with the men in her life. Then she shook that off. Daniel had ruined that, not her. Bobby was nothing like Daniel. She tried to catch his eye, and smile, to tell him with her eyes that she was sorry she’d been so selfish and insensitive. He didn’t look at her, though, no matter how often she looked at him, across the table.

Felicity didn’t know about Daniel. At one point she asked what to her was an obvious question.

“So, why did you decide to come to Granger and start a childcare center?”

Renee had no idea how to respond. She didn’t want to talk about Daniel, and she had no real explanation for how she ended up in Granger unless she did.

“She’s a little shy about that,” said Bobby, suddenly. “While we were working on the renovation, I kind of figured out that she just wanted to cut the apron strings, and strike out on her own. Granger was about as far away as she could get from her parents.” He grinned, as if that explained everything. “You know how rich parents always want to plan their children’s lives.”

“Oh I do, do I?” asked Felicity archly.

“Of course you do, Dear,” said Chester. “You’ve already planned what schools you’re going to send poor Charles to. And I’ve heard you talking to Annie about which finishing schools are acceptable, in case the next one is a girl.” He smiled gently.

“You’re pregnant?” asked Renee. She put a hand over her mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have asked that!”

“It’s all right,” said Felicity, as if it didn’t matter. “Not yet, but we’re working on it.” Her eyes only touched Bobby, and then moved over to Chester.

“I wish you luck,” said Renee weakly.

“I think things will work out well,” said Felicity. “They did last time.”

Renee realized, with a shock, that if she was correct in her assumptions ... if Bobby was the man who produced that child with Felicity ... that meant they were trying to do it again. The man sitting across from her was ... servicing ... the woman sitting next to her! And they intended to get her pregnant!

That was shocking. But what was even more shocking was that Felicity’s husband, who had to know all this, was simply sitting there, smiling benignly.

Renee had, at least to some degree, pushed the fact that Bobby was sexually available to women for money into the back of her mind. She had begun to concentrate on him as just a man. Now, though, she was reminded starkly of his status in the community. He was having sex with Felicity. She had arranged this little junket, inviting him along, and paying for everything. Renee hadn’t thought anything about the fact that Felicity paid for the clothing he was wearing. She’d originally thought of that as just making up for her poor communication. Now, though, it took on a different flavor in her mind.

At the same time, it was painfully clear to Renee that Bobby hadn’t had to ask her to come with them. He could have come alone. Had he done so, he could have mated with the woman, right there in the hotel. The old man obviously didn’t care. She remembered his aimless humming in the car. Maybe he was senile, and didn’t even know what was happening! Old habits, habits of a rich, little spoiled girl, bubbled up in Renee. In the old days she schemed and plotted to get what she wanted, if she couldn’t just buy it outright. She glanced at her rival, and suddenly Felicity didn’t seem so sweet, or innocent. Maybe she had done this on purpose! Maybe she had hoped that Renee would revolt and kick Bobby out, so he could go over to the other room, and sleep with her!

Felicity put her napkin on the table.

“I’m going to powder my nose.” She looked at Renee, one eyebrow raised in the universal female language of, “Are you coming with me?”

“I’m fine,” said Renee, smiling. She wouldn’t go to the bathroom with that witch if she was going to pee her panties!

Bobby stood up. “I’ll escort you,” he said. “I’ll just visit the men’s room too.”

Felicity smiled at him, and Renee felt her blood begin to boil.

They weren’t even out of sight when the old man to her right spoke.

“You don’t seem to be having a very good time, my dear,” he said gently.

“What?” She was surprised he’d spoken.

“You seem upset,” said the man. “I get the impression this isn’t quite what you expected.”

Renee blinked. The man wasn’t senile at all. She was so surprised that her opinion of him was completely mistaken that she was at a loss for words.

“Come now,” he said softly. “The whole point of having you along was to have fun. If you’re not having fun, then we’re wasting our time. Has Felicity done something to upset you?” he asked. “Or is it Bobby?”

Renee’s angst bubbled out of her.

“It’s just that they ... I mean the two of them ... how could you just stand by while they...”

“Have sex?” said the old man, that strange smile on his face. “We assumed you were having sex with him too.”

“No!” yelped Renee. “It’s just a date!” She blushed furiously at the disclosure of her consternation.

“I see,” sighed the man. “It appears we jumped to some incorrect conclusions. I’m sorry about that. It wasn’t intended to embarrass you like this. I guess we’ve just gotten too used to Bobby’s ways.”

“But why?” moaned Renee.

Chester chuckled. “Look at me,” he said. “I was almost eighty when she married me. I’ve been no good to her as a man. Oh, we play at making love, and we love each other, but I couldn’t give her children. What was I to do? I had no heir ... no grandchildren to ease an old man’s mind as he nears the end. We were just lucky that Bobby was there.”

“You feel lucky?” asked Renee, weakly.

“Bobby’s a fine young man. His seed is strong, and his children are healthy and full of life. I feel ten years younger since he brought a baby into the house.” Chester frowned. “But that’s us. It’s inexcusable that you were placed in this position. I’ll rectify that immediately. You’ll have your own room tonight.”

He started to get up, obviously prepared to call the hotel and make the arrangements.

“Wait!” said Renee. He paused, and sank back down into his chair. He reminded her of her grandfather, who was so kind and understanding to a little girl, when she broke an expensive vase, or came in from playing all dirty.

“It’s me,” she said.

“I don’t understand,” said Chester.

“Bobby and I have gone out before ... on dates. I just wanted to have some fun. He told me about ... what he does. I didn’t want that, but I didn’t know anybody so I ... I hired him ... just to take me out, but not for anything else.” She blushed.

“I understand,” said Chester. “As I said, I’ll get you your own room.”

“No, you don’t understand,” she moaned. “He’s been so good to me, but I’ve been horrible to him. I said things ... horrible things ... back at the hotel. I thought horrible things about you and your wife too! I thought this all happened on purpose ... that it was some scheme. I feel like such a fool!”

“You’re not a fool,” said Chester. “You have a perfect right to your opinions and beliefs. It is my wife and I who erred, believing something that was not true. We should have given you much more information before bringing you here. I can’t tell you how sorry I am for that. I’m sure Bobby will understand too.”

“That’s just it,” moaned Renee. “Bobby has been wonderful to me. He helped me through my ... through a very hard time for me. He doesn’t deserve to be treated like I treated him. If you get me my own room, he’ll think I hate him.” She slumped. “He probably already thinks that.”

“Not wanting to have sex with a man doesn’t mean you hate him,” said Chester, gently. “It only means you don’t want to have sex with him. Bobby will understand that, too. Felicity treated him very harshly, in the beginning, but he was patient with her, and let her feelings evolve.”

“That’s the problem,” sighed Renee. “Part of what you saw in me was jealousy. When Felicity was talking about having another baby, I knew what she meant. I knew that she and Bobby ... I got jealous. I do have feelings for him. I just don’t want to!”

“Why not?” asked Chester. “He’s a wonderful boy.”

“There are ... complications,” said Renee.

“Ahhhh,” said the old man. “A husband?”

“No,” she said first. Then: “Yes, but not really. I got an annulment.”

“Then what’s the problem?” asked Chester.

“I’m not ready for another man in my life,” moaned Renee.

“But you’re jealous of Felicity,” he said.

“Yes, and that’s wrong!” said Renee. “I shouldn’t be jealous. That’s the thing. I like Bobby. I feel things for him ... but I don’t want to ... and ... Oh, it’s all just so jumbled up in my mind!”

“I understand,” said Chester. She shot him a dark look and opened her mouth but he held up a hand. “No, really, I think I do. You see, Felicity went through much the same thing. She didn’t like Bobby at first. She didn’t want to. She resisted what I asked of her. Then, as she got to know him, she did like him. She was afraid she’d like him too much.”