Chapter 11: Marcie's visit

While waiting for Marcie's flight to arrive, I had time to reflect on the current state of my existence on this earth. Even separate, the issues were complex; combined they were insurmountable.

At the top of the list was Megan. I knew that she was disappointed with the way Mel had dismissed her appeal to spend time with me. I wasn't there and I don't know what was said, but I do know that he had flatly refused to listen to her.

Mel probably wasn't a bad guy. I couldn't blame him for protecting his interest. However, the way he went about it sucked. If he had just listened to Megan, he would have heard the reasons we needed to be together. He hadn't given her the opportunity to tell him how happy we are when we're together. She didn't even get the chance to assure him that we strictly abided by rules; there was no sex, no kissing, and only touching each other when it was absolutely necessary.

I had to give Kelley credit. After becoming upset when she learned that Megan and I had slept in the same bed a few nights, Kelley had conceded that she trusted us. She'd even given us permission to be together. I loved her for that. Kelley trusted us. If Mel trusted Megan, he didn't show it very well.

Well, okay, we hadn't been perfectly honest with either of them. I'd told Kelley about our attraction for each other as soon as Megan and I had met. She knew that we occupied the same bed, and she'd believed me when I told her nothing had happened. However, I'd failed to mention the time we'd made out in front of Megan's house until the lights from an oncoming car interrupted us. Mel didn't know any of this because he'd been too closed-minded to let Megan explain the rules we promised to adhere to.

Mel was a jerk. He didn't know how unhappy he'd made his girlfriend. I knew though. I'd seen it in her eyes when she'd walked with me to my car. The feeling I got when she held her hands in the air, inviting me to press my palms flat against hers, was pure serenity.

Now, Marcie was coming for a visit, wanting to discuss a proposal of marriage she'd received from Adam Corning. What was I going to tell her? Deciding that she already had her mind made up, I would listen, find out what she wanted me to say, and agree with her.

Marcie's visit was coming at a bad time. I needed to devote some time to preparing for quarterly finals the following week. Oh well, I only had one exam each day, except Thursday when there would be two. There would be time to prepare for each exam.

Then I would wait for Megan to sit for her last exam on Friday morning, and we would take off for the wedding. She'd said she wanted to hear about the burr. "You may ask me anything," she'd said. I was looking forward to the five hour trip. What would Mel say when he found out we'd driven the three hundred miles together?

Kelley hadn't wanted to attend the wedding with me. She would be leaving on Sunday, and although I hadn't said anything, there was still the possibility that I could make the same flight. Would she be happy if I showed up at the airport with a ticket? Probably not, she was going to Nantucket Island. I would be stopping for a couple of days in Boston.

There, that wasn't so bad. I could deal with everything. Megan and Mel were still at the top of my list, followed by Kelley, Marcie and Adam, quarterly exams, Charlie's wedding, a couple of days with my friends in Boston, and finally, Thanksgiving with Kelley's uncle.

Marcie's flight was touching down.

I didn't recognize her until she was upon me. Her hair was longer, she was wearing more makeup than ever before, and she had lost more weight. I withheld my surprise, and pulled her to me. Even with the long leather coat, her body felt slight in my arms. She snuggled to me, her cheek next to mine, and held me as tightly as I was holding her.

I would have been content to stay that way for an hour, but we were being jostled by other passengers. We pulled away from each other at the same time. "You've changed. I like the new you!" I exclaimed.

Marcie smiled, shyly, and leaned in to kiss me on the lips. "Am I wearing too much eye shadow? My roommate said I overdid it."

I inspected her eyes. Her eyebrows had been reduced to a narrow line, and her eyelashes looked longer than I remembered. "Your roommate is an idiot. Your eyes are one of your most attractive features."

She cocked her head. "Are you saying I have other attractive features?"

"Don't get me started on your features," I said, and then checking for luggage and only seeing an oversized shoulder bag, "Did you bring a change of clothes?"

"Everything's in here," she said, handing the bag to me. "You're always complaining about Kelley's things taking up space in your closet. I'll find something to wear if you decide to take me to dinner."

I took her by the hand and began walking toward the entrance. "Just don't wear my clothes. That's what got me into trouble," I laughed.

"What happened? You only told me that Kelley was upset about Megan staying overnight."

I waited until we were settled in the car. "It was the night Charlie proposed to Debra. Megan came to the apartment so they would have the house to themselves. It was getting late and I didn't even consider taking her home. I told her to get a T-shirt out of my drawer. Kelley came for a visit the following weekend and found the T-shirt hanging in my closet."

"I take it Kelley assumed the worst?" Marcie asked. She removed the leather coat, and was wearing a knitted sweater, pale green, a color that Kelley would have chosen. Marcie's breasts had never stood out, but now they were lost in the folds of the sweater.

"The T-shirt was one that she'd bought for me when we were in Florida. I don't believe it had ever been worn before Megan found it in my drawer. She was already in bed when I joined her. I didn't notice the T-shirt until the next morning."

Marcie nodded, like she got the picture. Marcie contemplated the new information I'd given her for a few seconds. "Was Kelley angry that you slept with Megan or was it that you let her wear the T-shirt?"

"It was mainly the T-shirt. She believed me when I told her nothing happened."

"You could have put the T-shirt back in the drawer. Why didn't you do that?"

"I didn't give it a thought until Kelley found it hanging in the closet. At the time, I guess I thought Megan would want to use the shirt when she came back. Kelley talked to Megan and discouraged her from coming to the apartment."

"I can't say that I blame her. What would you say if Kelley was sleeping with a guy and told you nothing was happening?"

"That's exactly what Mel said," I laughed.

"Mel?"

"He's Megan's boyfriend. He wouldn't listen to reason either, not even after Kelley said it was okay for Megan to stay at the apartment."

"Kelley said its okay for Megan to sleep with you? I don't believe it!" Marcie exclaimed.

"She did. She told Megan that the reason she trusts me is that I trust her. Besides, she feels badly for the way she treated me last weekend."

We were half way to Pontiac. I realized I'd monopolized the conversation with my

troubles. I looked her way. My best friend had become a cute, intelligent, happy young woman. She was watching me, showing curious concern. "I don't believe you for a second, Oldham. I can't wait to meet this girl. Did she swallow the same magic pill that's making you ignore reality?"

"Okay, okay, enough about me. Tell me what Adam said when you told him you were coming to see me?"

Marcie was turned in the seat, facing me with her left leg drawn up on the seat and her right leg hinged at the knee, atop her left boot. She pointed her finger at me, lecturing. "No, no, you're not getting off that easily. I've been hearing about this girl ever since you met her. It's Megan this, and Megan that. Tell me Oldham, what's so special about Megan?"

I talked for ten minutes until we arrived at the apartment. I told Marcie how easy it was to be with Megan, not feeling compelled to talk, watching her reaction to my jokes, laughing at her, sneaking a peek at her, expecting her to smile shyly when I catch her looking my way, feeling her knee touch mine, talking, listening, touching, agreeing, disagreeing. "I think it boils down to one thing, my ego," I said as I backed the car into its spot.

"What's your ego got to do with it?" Marcie asked.

"It's the way others guys look as us when we're together. Their obvious envy strokes my ego. Megan says I make her feel safe. I think she feels safe because she doesn't have to beat the guys off when she's with me."

We got out of the car and Marcie looked at the stairs leading to the apartment. She'd been here once before, but it had been two years ago. I took her bag and she followed me up the stairs, carrying her coat.

"I like it," she said when she saw the two folding tables and swivel chairs occupying the living room.

"I'll show you where you can hang up your stuff," I said, heading for the bedroom. She followed me, but when we got there, she gave me a shove, making me drop her bag and fall on the bed.

Marcie tossed her coat in the direction of my dresser, and climbed on the bed, hovering above me.

I thought the talk of Megan was over, but I was mistaken. "I have some advice for you, Oldham," she said, lowering her body to rest her chest on mine. She gave me a brief kiss before pressing her cheek next to mine.

I instinctively placed one arm around her, feeling the hard surface of her back through the material of her sweater. "This is nice," she whispered.

"Yes, it is. What's your advice?"

I felt Marcie's cheek pull away from mine and her body rise above my chest. I opened my eyes to see her looking down at me, sternly. "I traveled a long distance to see you, and all you want to do is talk," she said, bestowing a longer kiss on my lips before settling down again.

I laughed and felt her body giggle. Maybe she did have breasts inside that sweater after all. "This is nice," she repeated. I moved my cheek to signify that I agreed with her.

We lay there for several minutes, and except for my hand changing positions on her back, we were statue-like.

Still curious, I had to ask. "What's your advice?"

Marcie raised her body off my chest and peered down at me. "I'll tell you after I meet her," she said, still looking into my eyes.

I rolled her onto her back and took the top position that she'd occupied. She giggled until she saw my lips closing in, and then her eyes closed as she positioned her mouth to receive my kiss. I felt her hand on the back of my head as our kiss changed from a friendly smooch to open mouths searching blindly for hidden bliss.

What was I doing? Marcie's hand remained attached to the back of my head as I pulled away, falling onto my back, breathless. I could tell that she was breathing hard, too. We lay on our backs, looking at the ceiling. Why had I done that? Why hadn't she stopped me?

"Is that the way Adam kisses you?" I asked in an attempt to justify the reason for the passion I'd let creep into the kiss.

Marcie was just as cagy as I was. Instead of answering my question directly, she turned her reaction to my kiss into a tease. She rolled onto her side and propped her head on her palm. "Is that how you kiss Megan?"

"I've told you that we have rules. We don't kiss."

"Maybe you should," she said, moving off the bed and opening her bag.

"Good luck on finding room in that closet. There may be space in the other bedroom," I offered as I headed for the door.

"Hey!" Marcie called to me, making me turn to her. "If he kissed me that way..." she stopped in mid sentence.

I could see that she was blushing and there wouldn't be any more, so I went into the kitchen to see what I needed for the party. Everything was low. I went back to the bedroom to asked Marcie if she wanted to go shopping with me.

"I need to call Adam. May I use your phone?" she asked.

"Of course, I'll be back in twenty minutes," I said.

"And my mom?" she called after me. I turned and smiled. She had removed the sweater and was wearing a matching T-shirt. Her smile tugged at my heart stings. I rushed toward her and saw her open her arms to welcome me. We held each other for a few minutes before I began kissing her, on the cheek, the forehead, the other cheek, careful to stay clear of her lips. She kissed me, too, also careful to evade contact with my lips.

I attempted to break away, but she held on, clutching me to her. "Hold me for another minute. I have two parents, a brother, two sisters and a boyfriend. But it's your arms that I need around me. Does that make any sense to you?"

I felt her body against mine and could tell that she wasn't wearing a bra. "It makes perfect sense. There's not another person in the world that holds the place in my heart that you do. There never will be anyone that I trust with my innermost feelings the way I trust you. I don't know what I'd do if we let anything come between us."

Marcie hugged me tighter and then drew her hands back to separate us. I told her again that I was going out and left the apartment. As I went through the motions of shopping for party supplies, I considered what we'd confessed to each other. What was the real reason for her visit? What should I tell her regarding Adam's proposal of marriage? What was her advice to me regarding Megan?

Marcie had finished making her telephone calls when I got back to the apartment. She was in the process of changing clothes. "Will you help me with these boots?" she asked, taking a seat on the bed.

I removed one boot and was reaching for the other one when she stopped me. "Socks, too," she said.

I pulled her sock off and began rubbing the sole of her foot. She reclined on her back and looked up at me. "Kelley says that if you recite The Sick Child it means her panties are soon to be pulled down."

"That's just something she likes to tell people. It doesn't happen that way," I said as I twisted Marcie's toes.

"Doesn't she like foot massages?"

I removed her other boot and sock. "She loves foot massages. She begs me for them."

"Are you saying that it doesn't happen the way she tells it?" she asked, closing her eyes as I rubbed the bottom of her foot.

"That's her version for public consumption. Actually, Kelley takes her panties off before we start the foot massage."

Marcie opened her eyes and looked up at me. "Is it true that you prefer to give foot massages to back massages so you won't have to turn her over?"

"That part is accurate," I said.

I was finishing her second foot with a toe twist when we heard the doorbell. "I'll recite The Sick Child another time," I said.

"Promise?" she asked as I left the room to answer the door.

As usual, everyone arrived ready for duty. They took over their normal duties of helping with appetizers, serving beer and setting up to two folding tables. Counting heads, I noted that we were missing one of the regulars, Patricia, and had a visitor, Laura. She'd arrived a week early to attend the wedding. From the way she was clinging to Skip, I wondered how he would make it through his exams.

Everyone said they were looking forward to meeting Marcie. When she appeared, I saw that she'd added a bra and sneakers. Otherwise, she was still wearing the jeans and green T-shirt.

Charlie, seeing that he was the only one she recognized, went to Marcie and gave her a hug. "I know you!" she exclaimed.

"You may remember Debra Simmons, soon to be Mrs. Charles Evans. We saw her twice per year when we played Dearborn. She went to Forrester."

"I remember how all the Cromwell guys wanted to dance with her. How are you, Debra? Congratulations on your marriage," Marcie said. Debra's response was to thank Marcie and give her a hug.

I was busy opening the wine and was glad to see Charlie continue with the introductions. "You may remember Kent and Amy from when you were here before."