Chapter 10: Frustration all around

After telling Marcie that I loved her and would be happy to see her, I hung up, feeling emptiness in my chest. She wanted to talk with me about Adam's proposal before she accepted. How could I be objectively neutral? I called Megan.

"What we've been doing is dangerous, Sammy. I think we should stop fooling ourselves," she said before I had a chance to ask how she was.

"What did Kelley say to you?"

"We talked about you, and what you mean to her. I guess you know that she's a level- headed girl."

"She's a determined girl. I'll give her that," I said, still wondering what Kelley had said to spook Megan.

"Did you see the way she trapped Patricia in that lie? She did it without raising her voice. I think everyone was impressed."

"Patricia had it coming. She's a cunning bitch, but not up to taking on Kelley."

Megan was quiet for a few seconds. "I warned you."

"Yes, you did, but you didn't know at the time what I was going to do. I was planning to retaliate for something her fiancée did to Kelley in Saint Louis, but I couldn't carry it out. I got cold feet at the last minute."

"That was noble of you. You're an honorable man, Sammy Oldham."

"And you're a beautiful complimentary woman. Come over, I need to talk to you."

Megan's laugh gave me a hard on. "I'd like to see you, really I would. But it's not a good idea. Kelley warned me about you."

"I've abided by our rules, haven't I? I promise not to touch your feet."

She laughed again. "Kelley told me that you get hard when we're in bed together. I didn't tell her how being in the same bed with you affects me, but believe me; we're better off sleeping in separate beds."

"You don't have to stay the night. I'll take you home or I'll sleep on an air mattress."

"Sammy ... you're making it hard for me ... sorry, I didn't mean it that way," she said, giggling.

I played my last card. "What if I get Kelley to say its okay?"

"There's still Mel," she countered.

"We'll talk to him, too," I offered, and heard Megan sigh.

"When I think of what you and Kelley have, there's real trust between you, it makes me ... I don't know ... I just don't know. Do you know what I mean, Sammy?"

I heard it in her voice. She was questioning the relationship she and Mel had built. Who was I to interfere with that? Roger, the photographer popped into my mind. Kelley had cancelled her plans to accompany me to my hometown so she could have dinner with him. For what? A fucking picture?

"Maybe you're right, Megan. We'll back off. Just don't ignore me at school, okay? We'll have lunch together, and ... you know ... talk."

She agreed, saying that we would carry on as before while we were at school, but that she would not come to my apartment, except on Friday night when we would be among friends. She went on to say that planning the wedding was taking most of their time. The date was set for Saturday, the twenty-first, less than two weeks away.

"Sammy?" she asked before we hung up.

"Yes, Megan."

"Do I really make you hard when we're in bed together?"

"Megan, hearing your voice makes me hard."

She giggled. "Like now?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I'm able to live with it."

"If things were different..."

"Yes."

"I mean, if we were just two people, unattached..."

"Yes."

"Would you recite The Sick Child for me?"

"While giving you a foot massage?"

After a pause, "I think so," she whispered, and then she was gone.

For the next hour, I answered letters that had been piling up. In addition to writing Hilda, Trisha, and Jeanie, there was a letter from my mother, thanking me for coming to see them. I answered their questions, and ended all the letters with the same sentences; everything is going great. I'm looking forward to the end of school.

Kelley called to say she arrived home safely. She said that she'd had a good time. I didn't ask what she'd said to discourage Megan from spending so much time with me, and nothing was said about the picture that she'd acquired by having dinner with Roger. She said she was going for a swim and we said goodbye, declaring our love for each other.

Damn, I thought later. I forgot to tell her the date of Charlie and Debra's marriage. We would have plenty of time to go to Nantucket after the wedding. We would even have time to stop in Boston to see my friends. Damn!

On Monday, I sat with Victor while he ate lunch.

"Was that true about you being poor when you were growing up?" I asked.

"We were poor, but I was stretching it when I said we swept up the rice and cooked it," he grinned.

"What did your father do for a living?"

Victor shrugged. "He has two jobs. He works for the town, driving a garbage truck, and on weekends he tends bar."

"That's commendable. At least your dad supports his family."

"What are you talking about? Your dad does pretty well putting food on the table."

"Mr. Oldham is my adopted dad. I never knew my real dad," I confessed.

Victor concentrated on his food for a few minutes before asking, "What was that about a burr changing your life?"

"I'll tell you about it sometime," I promised, getting up to leave, explaining that I was meeting Megan for lunch.

I had to make a similar excuse to Megan about the burr. She caught on that I didn't want to talk in front of Casey and Kalian, and changed the subject. We talked about the current assignment for our Business Management class and how well our Monday night meetings were working out. Our paper was due to be handed in the following day. Two teams would be chosen to present their papers to the class on Thursday.

When we were finished eating, I told Megan that I would be in the library when she got out of class. She said that I didn't need to wait for her, but when I insisted, she smiled, and ran her hand across my cheek. "I'll see you later," she said. I watched her walk away, wondering how many more sets of eyes were on her ass.

Casey caught up with me at the cafeteria door. "Are you and Megan going out for a run or anything tonight?"

I knew what he wanted, some alone time with Kalian. "Megan's not going to be there tonight, but I may go out for a run. It depends on what time we finish the paper."

"We'll finish early," he assured me. I laughed and told him we would see. The cases were becoming more complicated, and I wasn't going to jeopardize a quality presentation so they could swap spit in my apartment. I used the afternoon to research all aspects of the case.

At four o'clock, I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Megan smiling down at me. "I've been watching you from over there," she whispered, gesturing to the entrance. "You were total engrossed in that book."

She helped me put the reference materials in their place and we left. I took her hand as soon as we were outside. She was about an inch taller than Kelley and must have weighed ten pounds more. Kelley kept herself fit by swimming; Megan was a runner. I pictured her in a swimsuit, but had to stop when I saw the look she was giving me.

"What were you thinking?" she asked, seeming to know.

"I was picturing you in swimwear."

Megan jerked her hand free from mine. "No touching, it gives you ideas."

"Give me your hand. People are watching. They'll think we're fighting," I said, reaching for her hand.

She not only surrendered her hand, she moved in close, until her knee was bumping mine. Her eyes bored in, unwavering. "They won't confuse the way I look at you for fighting."

She was so damned serious that I knew I needed to do something to keep us from humping one another. "Will you marry me, Ms. Freeman?"

It didn't work as I'd intended. Her gaze was steady, and I'll swear I saw her head move up, slightly, and then down. "Are you going to take me home or not?" she asked, shifting us out of our reverie.

On the way to her house I asked if she'd like to run with me later. She declined the invitation, and when I dropped her off, it was understood that we would not see or talk to each other until our class the next morning. I wondered if it would have made any difference if I'd told her that Casey and Kalian wanted to use my apartment for an hour. Probably not, I decided.

When Casey and Kalian arrived I let them in and told them to read my notes while I finished talking to Kelley. My notes were lengthy and would keep them busy as long as Kelley wanted to bend my ear.

"I've been thinking about the weekend, and I've decided we didn't have a good time," she began.

"I agree."

"It was your fault."

"I disagree."

"Don't you want to hear why it was your fault?"

"Please tell me, Kelley."

"You should have told me that you'd taken Patricia with you. You can't imagine what a shock it was finding the way I did. Your friends were watching."

"You're right. I should have told you. But please remember the reasons why I let her come with me. You cancelled at the last minute, and I wanted to get even for the way Kenney treated you in Saint Louis."

I heard her sigh. "Is that your apology?"

"Kelley, can we talk about this some other time? I have people here to work on an assignment."

"Is she there?"

"Megan? No, she's not coming to the apartment anymore."

"Oh," she said, sounding satisfied.

"We'll be working until nine, and then I'm going for a run. I'll call you at ten, okay?"

"Why can't you call me at nine?"

"I'm leaving the apartment to Casey and Kalian for an hour so they can practice their tonsil sucking skills."

"Sammy, you're turning that apartment into a ... a brothel."

"When you hear the telephone ring at ten, it will be me," I promised, saying goodbye before she could respond.

Casey and Kalian were ready to go to work. We discussed the case for forty-five minutes, worked on the paper for the next thirty minutes, and had plenty of time to punch it into the computer before nine P.M.

As promised, I left the apartment to them. It was the ninth of November and the weather was becoming unpredictable. I thought I felt drops of rain as I hit the half way point. The rain picked up and was really coming down when I climbed the stairs to the apartment.

I tramped up the stairs, stomped my feet on the landing, and listened for signs of life. The rain was pelting my cheeks. Not hearing anything from inside; I decided they must have left. Silly me; I forgot to check the parking lot for Kalian's car.

There they were, too busy to know they had company. The kitchen and front room were dark, but from the sounds of two bodies working in unison, there was no mistake that they were copulating in my living room. She was urging him to keep it up, warning what would happen to him if he stopped.

Should I clear my throat and say, "Excuse me, it's raining and I need a towel to dry off. Kelley is expecting my call at ten P.M. If she doesn't hear from me she'll think I've been hit by a car, or worse." But I didn't say anything. I stood in the kitchen, listening to Kalian's instructions to Casey, and checked the clock on the stove every thirty seconds. I wondered if the clock was correct. It read one minute to ten, and judging from the urgency in Kalian's voice, they'd be finished in time for me to make a dash to my study and dial the number.

"YES, YES, YES, DO IT TO MEEE!" Kalian shouted. This was followed by quiet talk, too low for me to make out, kissing sounds, more quiet talk. I discovered that Kalian, usually of a placid disposition, was accretive during and after sex. "Let me up. Sammy will be back any minute. Be a dear and find my clothes. We'll dress in the bathroom, and he won't be the wiser."

I could barely make out her outline as she padded her way to the bathroom. Casey followed with an armful of clothes. I heard the light switch on and the door close. They were laughing and talking quietly as I tiptoed through the living room to my study.

I expected Kelley to berate me for being a couple of minutes late, but she surprised me by asking if I'd had a good run. I told her it had gone well, failing to mention the pelting rain or that water was dripping from my eyelids.

"I've been thinking about the wedding, and I want you to know that I understand why you feel compelled to attend," she said.

"That's very considerate of you, Kelley. As a matter of fact..."

She cut me off before I could give her the wedding date.

"I'll book my flight for Nantucket, and you can join me after the wedding."

"You're not coming with me?"

"I hardly know them, Sammy. Anyway, my uncle is expecting us. I know the wedding is important to you, but you have to admit that it came up after we made our plans to visit my uncle."

Should I urge her to go to the wedding with me? We could attend the wedding on the twenty-first, leave for Boston on the twenty-second, and be on the island a day or two before Thanksgiving Day. "I would really like for you to go to the wedding with me, Kelley."

"Sammy, Uncle Isaac is expecting us. He's my mother's only living relative. If I have to choose between Charlie's wedding and my family obligation, I choose to be loyal to my family."

A voice in the back of my head told me not to tell her the wedding date. She would want to know the time of the ceremony, and I didn't have that information yet.

Kalian came into the room and giving me one look, disappeared.

"What day will you travel?" I asked.

"I'll probably leave on Sunday, that's the twenty-second."

Kalian returned with a towel. I thanked her.

"Who's there?" Kelley asked.

"Kalian brought me a towel. She came in to retrieve our paper from the printer and saw my hair was wet. It's raining here."

"Oh," Kelley said, and then, "why didn't you tell me that your hair was wet?"

"I was anxious to talk to you."

"You make me feel terrible. Am I really so demanding that you can't make me wait for you to get a towel?"

I laughed, thinking that Kalian and Casey were occupying the bathroom when I needed a towel. I watched Kalian sort the copies of our paper. She looked ... contented ... she looked ... well fucked. Had she misplaced her bra? She handed me a copy and waved goodbye. I saw Casey waiting for her in the darkened living room. He was grinning as he waved goodbye.

"You're not demanding. I wouldn't change you if I could," I said, vigorously drying my hair with the towel.

"You'll need a new suit," she said.

"For the wedding? I don't think so," I said, knowing of two new suits hanging in my closet at home.

"No, silly, you'll need a suit to wear on Thanksgiving Day. Uncle Isaac is a retired professor. He'll want to take us someplace very formal."

"We only have one men's clothing store in town, and you wouldn't approve of what they offer. There's not much demand for suits here."

"You'll be home next weekend. I'll go with you," she offered.

"I won't be able to make it. Marcie's coming here next weekend."

After several seconds of silence, Kelley spoke. "I'll come there."

"I'm sorry, Kelley, but this is between Marcie and me. She wants to discuss a marriage proposal from Adam Corning."

"That's ... preposterous. I'm your girlfriend. Why can't I be there?"

"Kelley, I don't know what I'm going to say to her, but I'm sure she wants this to be private."

She must have known that I was adamant about talking to Marcie without a third party being present. She said goodnight, promising to call me the following night.

I took a hot shower and went to bed, feeling guilty for not being forthcoming regarding the wedding date. Kelley must have assumed it would take place later. She was leaving on Sunday, the day after the wedding.

If she would agree to attend the wedding, we could be on the same flight the following day. It would give us two nights together in Boston. How could she refuse? I was already looking forward to touring the city, visiting my friends, and two nights in a hotel room with Kelley. The ninety-nine percent hand job entered my mind, canceling my thoughts of trying out her new diaphragm.

I would go to the wedding alone. Megan would be there, even if Mel was with her. I must have fallen asleep thinking of Megan, missing her being near me, within touching distance.

The next morning, Professor Ballard asked which teams would volunteer to present their papers when the Business Management class met on Thursday. I was shocked when I saw Casey's hand fly up, followed by Kalian's. Megan turned to smile at me, knowingly.

"Are you in agreement with Mr. Casey and Ms. Shelton, Mr. Oldham?" Professor Ballard asked.

"Yes, Sir. I'll volunteer to join them in presenting our paper," I said, glancing Megan's way. Her timid smile gave me a warm feeling in my chest.

The Professor turned to the class, looking for a second volunteer. Megan's eyes didn't waver.

After class, she was waiting for me at the classroom door. "They must have had a good time last night," she laughed.

I needed to rush to the other end of the campus, but I took a moment to be with her. "You don't know the half of it. I saw a different side of Ms. Shelton last night."

"You saw them?" she asked.

"I'll tell you about it later," I said as I headed for my architectural class.

As was quickly becoming our custom, I sat with Victor while he ate his lunch. "You don't have to stay, Sammy. You probably have better places to be," he said, knowing that I was anxious to meet Megan for lunch.

We talked about our class work and I told him about a couple of orders I'd gotten for the study desk. "As far as I'm concerned, you can have the commission. Ollie has a truck. Maybe you can get him to help make deliveries."

"Thanks for helping a poor boy out," he grinned.

As I suspected they would do, Casey and Kalian ganged up on me at lunchtime. They suggested that we meet on Wednesday evening to prepare for our presentation the next morning.

"Where would you like to meet?" I asked, winking at Megan.

This time, it was Kalian who was brazenly blunt. "We'll meet at your apartment, of course. You run on Wednesday night, right?"

"I run in the mornings sometimes," I said, and felt Megan's knee push into my thigh. She knew as well and I did, that the couple wanted to be alone for an hour.