Chapter 6

Before leaving, I checked the cable modem. She has her computer on the cable. After the gym, I went to the big box store to get my equipment. When I went to Laura's house, there was a note on the back door telling me to come in and do what I needed to do. They had gone to visit grandmother.

It took a while to get the holes drilled and the cable strung. I had to drill holes through the floor of the closet, but that worked out fine since closets were the same on both floors. I couldn't hide it in the wall, so everyone would have an exposed cable, but that's life. Then, I came to the hard part. I had to remember the mnemonic for the color order of the cable wires in the ethernet cable connector. If I couldn't remember, I would have to go look it up. Damn.

I was just pondering the connectors when Cynthia came in. She asked, "How long have you been working?"

"About as long as this cable."

"Jerk. Have you had anything to eat?"

"No."

"How long will it take to finish?"

"If everything goes right, about an hour or so."

"I'm going to make some sandwiches. Not good to work when you're hungry."

She made sandwiches, chips and brought me a beer. We sat at the kitchen table and finished our lunch. While we were eating, she said, "I can't get over the feelings I had this morning when Laura told me about her celibacy. That's unnatural — and no, her vibrator isn't a perfect substitute."

"Yeah. It's bad. She often was at her wit's end when she came to see me."

"You helped?"

"She said so."

"That's what she told me. You were always there when she needed to get laid."

I wanted to change the subject. "Tell me about your trip to campus."

She let me get by with it. "I have three choices. Murphy rides again. The best one is a longer drive. The other two are about the same. I think I'll take the best one, even though it will be more disruption for us. The best one would be working on a psychological research project involving mental work activity."

"Never go for second best in love or in jobs."

"Philosopher are we now? Pray tell how does one know that the one you have is second best until you find number one?"

"Why do you think the saying, 'You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince, ' has been around for so long. Wisdom of the ages. Then, of course, there's plain statistics."

"Spare me."

"I look at it this way. About fifty percent of the women out there probably couldn't earn a degree from a university. Unless it was a rare situation, I would be less likely to pick them."

She replied with some sarcasm, "I'll just bet that those same numbers apply to men, right. Like, I did take statistics."

"So, if we start out with 100 frogs, right away, I'm down to 50. About 20 per cent of those smoke. Now, I'm down to forty and I haven't kissed a one."

"Okay, professor, I'm with you so far."

"If I read the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers correctly, about fifty percent of those are obese. Not my type."

"Pig."

"Yep. Now, I'm down to twenty. Gets tough from here on. Of those twenty, about thirty percent, to be generous, accept a strong religious doctrine. Still with me? Thought you'd really like that one. I could have started with it, but it would have been too obvious."

"You are completely unromantic. I'll just bet there's more."

"You'd win. Now, it's fourteen. Half of those are below average in height. I'm not looking for a basketball player, but I have never been able to dance well with the shorter women. Now, the magic number is seven. So, unless some smaller woman really hit me between the eyes, I'd screen them out for a first date."

"I almost believe you."

"Remember, some of the women remaining swing from the other side of the plate. So, now there are six. Now, did I mention that those unsuspecting women also have their own filters? I have even known those who were interested in finding a wealthy suitor."

"You're telling me that women look for men who have money? I don't believe you. Leave my mother out of this. That was a low blow. Any more like that and you might not get a low blow, either."

"I know. I should have said present company excepted. I haven't even mentioned attraction, personal compatibility, and other issues that often come up, like physical activity and sexual compatibility.

"So, now I might have five of the original 100 who might be candidates worth chasing. And, that, my love, is how I try to avoid second-best."

She came over to kiss me. "Charles, for such an unromantic jerk, you just made me feel special."

"You are very special, precious. Now, I think you will believe me when I tell you how great it is to have you around. I do not expect to settle for second-best, Cynthia."

"Nor do I. I have considerable experience with someone who wasn't even third-best and I graduated to number one."

"You make me feel special every day by what you do and how you act around me. You are wonderfully cooperative and not subservient. You aren't lazy. You are capable. That's why it is so great to have you here."

"Believe me, I'm glad to be here. Do you think we might find out if we're sexually compatible this afternoon? We could avoid all that first date nonsense."

"That's a test I hope I can pass."

We became compatible that afternoon and went to a movie that night about some French guy who advertised for a maid and then she invaded his life and he ended up with her mother. It was a good film. Maybe I'll remember the name of it. The Housekeeper or something like that.

Sunday, she programmed our PDAs. Actually, it was a week out of school, so her task wasn't great. We were talking about the week. She started, "I think I can get an interview on Tuesday. They are flexible on starting days and I'd really rather work on a research project."

"Sounds like a good idea."

She hesitated. "Although I don't want to, I feel that I have to visit my parents and get that out of the way. They'll want to complain about the divorce and I'll have to tell them about my life now. It won't be pleasant, but they are my parents. If they continue to reject my decisions about my life, then I will stop visiting. I'm tired of the hassle."

"I wish you well. That's not a problem I had even before and certainly not now. As a matter of fact, I don't know anyone except you and a few friends who gives a damn what I do or don't do."

"My folks are good, except for the Blair thing and they do care, even if they try to meddle. We'll see if they're ready to let me live my life."

"I think I'll go see Anniston if I can get in. I have some things to straighten out with my parents' estate. Since he did a good job for you, maybe he will be able to help me — or at least put me on to someone who can."

When she left on Tuesday morning for her interview, I admired her appearance. "Wow. You look completely corporate this morning. I'll bet you knock 'em dead."

"My advisor told me I had to dress like a grown-up and act right around the suits. I know the researchers won't wear suits and ties in the lab, but I'm not wearing jeans to a job interview."

"I know what you mean. Go for it." I kissed her gently so as not to muss her appearance and she went away smiling."

Anniston was apparently happy to see me. He was cordial and offered me a cup of coffee as I described my relationship with Cynthia. I asked him about a will. He seemed a little surprised. Then I said, "We're on privilege, right?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay, I have no will and no living relatives. So, I want Cynthia to get a substantial portion of my estate. She does not yet know about the estate. I have volunteered for a risky mission to rescue a captured SEAL in Afghanistan. If I don't make it back, she will get about two thirds of the estate and the rest will go to selected charities and some trusts."

"You're a SEAL? I was with the JAG during my time in the Navy. How large is the estate?"

"I'd have to call the investment advisor to be accurate, but it is around three-quarters of a million in the investment account, there is some land and my dad speculated quite well in oil leases. My income is pretty good so long as the price of oil stays up."

"We can handle that and I don't think there will be any tax problems. I will give you a list of questions that may take you some time to answer, but it will make it much easier and quicker."

"I also want to appoint her as my medical surrogate."

"Bradford, I know you trust her, but having someone that close to you might put her in the position of making decisions under severe emotional stress. I know how she feels about you. Do you know anyone else?"

"I can ask my landlady. She was a nurses' aide."

"That would be a better choice if she's willing."

"While I'm in the military hospital, she won't have much to decide. However, when I get out, it will be another story. I don't know if Cynthia told you about my bike accident, but when I read that pamphlet about wills and surrogates in your waiting room, I had a true awakening."

"I'm glad you took them seriously. You hope that you never need to use it. I will give you the forms for that, too. There is a website listed. Go there and do some reading. It will help you make decisions."

"I will also make her my life insurance beneficiary."

"That's good. No tax consequences there."

"How long do you think this will take?"

"When can you bring me back the papers? Are you in a hurry?"

"As you know, BUPERS (Bureau of naval Personnel) moves slowly. Then, when they act, they make everyone hurry like hell. If the mission is approved, I will have little notice. Just enough time to pack a bag and get to the airport."

"Bring those back tomorrow and I will be as quick as I can. Usually takes a while, but in this case, I will give it priority."

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

He was thoughtful. "I never thought you would be taking care of her. That's something her husband never did. We had to threaten him even to get him to honor his prenuptial agreement. Has she heard from him?"

I told him about the fight at Louie's and he said, "Tell her to come in and we'll see what we can do to protect her. That man seems out of control."

When I knocked on Laura's door, I felt nervous. I would have to tell her about the mission before I told Cynthia. Although it troubled me to withhold information from Cynthia, she would have worried needlessly if they didn't approve.

Laura opened the door. "Come in, Bradford. How's it going? Come and sit."

I walked around the kitchen and finally asked, "I have a favor to ask and if you grant it, you may not tell Cynthia."

"Sounds grave."

"I volunteered for a mission in Afghanistan to rescue one of my best friends. The mission hasn't been approved and I didn't want to tell Cynthia until it has. She would worry."

"And I won't?"

"I want you to sign on to be my medical surrogate. The lawyer said it shouldn't be Cynthia."

"So, you think I could just go in and pull the plug?"

"You'd be more likely to be professional about it, even if it were a tough choice."

"Bring me the papers and let me be sure that I know your wishes. I know it must trouble you to keep her in the dark, but I guess you're right about the unnecessary worry."

"Given my bike wreck, I think she would be quite nervous."

She came over and hugged me. "I like your Cynthia. We have become good friends in a short time. We can talk and share and be supportive. I'm glad she rented that room and you guys didn't have to move. I would have missed you both."

"I really appreciate your agreeing to become my surrogate. It's a burden, but I have few people I trust and many of them are scattered around the world."

"I will keep your confidence. You know, of course, that I told her about our prior involvement."

"Women do chat. I now know that I have no secrets. But I'm okay with it as long as nobody gets jealous or upset."

"There's more to the story, but she will tell you when she feels the time is right. Just some ideas to share."

The day had tried my emotions and I had done no work. What the hell, do a steak. She'll like it. I went to the market and bought a New York Strip large enough for two. We had the potato and salad makings already. I made the salad, washed the potatoes and laid out the hard rolls. I was surfing at the computer when the phone rang.

"Charles, darling, are you alone?"

"Of course I'm alone. Only three women in the world met my criteria and two of them turned me down. You're all I have left."

"I'm going to hang up and call back. I don't like this conversation."

"When will you be home?"

"Half an hour or so. Want me to get something at the carry out?"

"Nope, got it covered."

"What are we having?"

"Steak."

"Well, thank you. I'll see you shortly."

We had an animated conversation during our meal. She said, "Well, there's good news and bad news."

"Oh, sounds ominous."

"They hired me. That's the good news. The bad news is that I will have some travel to remote places." She paused. "Like Ft. Hood, Texas, Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, and two or three others, one of which is in the swamp. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"What kind of organization sends you to all those exciting facilities?"

"They're doing psychological research on the ability of soldiers to process inputs from a variety of sources. It's in the general area of 'mental workload.'"

"I've heard something about that. Maybe I saw a special on the science channel. Sounds like interesting work."

"They treated me just like another researcher. None of the usual stuff about my being only a student. I think I will like it. Hey, and I get paid, too. I'll have to treat you to dinner."

"Sounds good. However, you treat me to dinner many nights. So, we will both get out of cooking sometimes."

"Did you see Anniston?"

"Yes, he agreed to try to help me."

"What's he going to do for you?

I'm glad I rehearsed this. "He's going to help me with some problems having to do with my parents' estate. They left some issues open on some oil leases and they need to be closed. I won't know for sure until he looks into it."

I started to clear the table. She said, "I'll do that."

"No, I need the exercise. You had a long day. Want to go take a bath?"

"I doubt loading a dishwasher qualifies as exercise, but I would like to have a bath and relax. I'll see you in a few."

She had her bath and came out in a kimono looking very cute with her hair up. I said, "Wow. You are a dish."

We watched a good program on TV about sleep deprivation. She continued to kiss my neck and pat me and show much affection. Maybe I was deprived when I was a baby, but I sure as hell like her touches. When the program was over, I said, "I don't want to be one of those zombies deprived of sleep."

She said, "That's one of the things we talked about today. The issue was how much people overestimate their ability to function normally under conditions of high stress, sleep deprivation, alcohol consumption, and cell phone use. Even when confronted with documentation of their own performance, they quickly revert to believing that they are special and can overcome the risk with personal effort."

"Sounds like you'll be getting in on some good experience."

"Can we go to bed and have a chat? I want to mention something to you."

"The sleep doctor says we should have our chat and then go to bed. We can make love, but then we're supposed to go right to sleep."

She snuggled up and looked ahead, not at me. "Okay. I have a really important question that I thought about all the way home. I hope you will answer me truthfully."

"I always try."

"Did you enjoy making love with Laura?"

"You're putting me on the spot. These conversations make me nervous."

She looked up at me with her large eyes gleaming. "Please tell me."

"Yes, I enjoyed making love to her before you were divorced and came to stay here. Not since then."

"I'm not accusing you of anything. You know that you're the only man she has been with since her divorce?"

"She told me that. I didn't ask."

"Would you consider sleeping with her again?"

"Not while you're here. Where is this going?"

"Would you consider — uh, I mean, if I wanted you to, would you do it again?"

"Why would you want me to make love to another woman?"

"Because I like her a lot and I believe she still has the hots for you and I think she would still like to play in your pen."

I was stunned by her answer. "You want me to have sex with Laura?"

"She needs to feel wanted and to have a decent sex life. She is in a bad situation."

"Did she ask you about this?"

"Oh, no. She wouldn't. I, ummm, brought it up vaguely when we were talking."

"How would you feel about my sleeping with her? You seemed worried before."

"I know, but I think I would enjoy hearing about it and maybe someday getting to watch."

"I would like it better if you were there. I might still feel strange."

"One of the psychologists on my team has a spare room that he has rented to interns before. I might have to stay up there two or three nights a week to avoid the long drive. Then, I will be traveling some, so there would be time for you to entertain her."

"I don't want anything to interfere with us. I'm just getting to know you and feel comfortable with our relationship."

"I know. I may be further along in the relationship. I have this strong feeling for you that I haven't had with anyone before. I know that you weren't ready for me to tell you that I loved you after you rescued me, but that's how I feel now and I did then and nothing has changed."

"I love you, too. I haven't said it often, but I want to say it now. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

She turned and clutched me tightly. "Oh, you make me so happy when you say it. I felt it for a while, maybe even before the quarantine, but it is so much nicer when you tell me. I need to hear it."

"You think anything will change if I sleep with Laura."