Chapter 6: Kelley, Patricia, Megan

Kelley grilled me for an hour before she let me go back to sleep, and when we got up, she had more questions. By the time Kenny and Patricia picked us up on Sunday morning, she knew as much about them as I knew.

"What are their most distinguishing features?" she asked as she spread marmalade on her toast. I only had to think for a few seconds before answering.

"She's a leaner and he wears small wire-rimmed glasses."

"Glasses are not a feature. They can be changed," was Kelley's retort.

"Okay, I saw a speck of grey in his beard," I answered, knowing I'd made a mistake before I'd finished the sentence. This was the kind of thing Kelley would have fun with, searching the guy's face for the speck of grey while trying to make me laugh at her.

I watched her file that bit of information for future reference before clearing up another question. "What's a leaner?"

"Haven't you ever run into a leaner? They speak softly, and lean into to you so you'll be able to hear them, or so it would seem. Patricia's a tall girl, and that makes the lean look exaggerated. She also wears her hair in a braid."

Kelley inspected her toast, decided it passed muster, and took a bite. She looked cute, sitting cross-legged in a chair across from me. Her hair was brushed, and she was wearing a T-shirt, but that was all. "Small spectacles, and a speck of grey? Are you sure it wasn't a drop of milk from his cereal?"

"Kelley, these are nice people, and they're taking us to brunch. You're not going to embarrass me today, understand?"

She got out of her chair, and came around the small table to position herself in my lap. "How do you know they're nice? She's a single woman, alone in a strange town. Women alone need help. She may be planning to use you, but you're too gullible to think of something like that. I'm just trying to protect you from being taken advantage of," she said as she offered her toast to me.

I took a bite, trying to identify the flavor of marmalade, digesting the warning she'd given me about being gullible.

"Am I too heavy?" she asked.

"No."

"Am I too heavy for you to carry me back to bed?"

"No."

"What are you waiting for?"

"Give me another bite and I will."

She did, and I did. Luckily, we made it to the lobby in time to meet Kenny and Patricia. I introduced everyone, and we stowed our luggage in the trunk of a new BMW.

The first thing I noticed about Patricia was her hair. It was bundled at the back of her head, held in place by a single elastic band that looked like a 'something blue' garter, to be worn by a nervous, first-time bride. The garter was a shade darker than her shirt, which was tucked into long-legged jeans. Her only jewelry was a small pair of diamond earrings and the diamond engagement ring. Kenny was dressed casually, too, but I didn't notice if his clothes were color coordinated.

They had chosen a chic restaurant in the airport to have brunch. It was near our departure gate. When Patricia discovered that she'd given no consideration to where Kelley needed to catch her flight, she apologized for not asking.

Kelley and Patricia became acquainted quickly while Kenny and I held back, observing his fiancée and my girlfriend spar verbally.

As I watched the interaction between Kenny and Patricia, I became convinced that they were a good match. He was reserved; she was quietly outgoing. He was obviously successful; she was a leaner.

Hearing the ladies boast about their men was making Kenny just as embarrassed as me. We soon learned that, at twenty-seven, he was the top broker in his office. Kelley countered by giving me credit for her success the day before.

Brunch took over two hours, first to be seated, chat while we perused the menu, order, to be served, to eat and have coffee after the meal.

I checked my watch, concerned about making sure Kelley found her gate. Patricia said not to worry, and volunteered Kenny's services to escort Kelley to her gate on time to catch her flight. And when I got up to call Victor, Patricia said not to worry again. "My car is at the airport. I'll take you to your apartment."

Kelley and I had one last minute of privacy while we said goodbye. A tear was welling in the corner of her eye. "This time with you has been too short. There's so much more I wanted to say. Two weeks is too long to be apart. Will you call me?"

"Shut up and kiss me, please," I said, and as we kissed, I watched Kenny take Patricia into his arms a few feet away.

We exchanged carry-on bags, Kenny taking Kelley's and me taking Patricia's. As we watched them walk away, Kelley turned, smiled and mouthed something to me.

"That's so sweet," Patricia said. I'm sure she thought it was, 'I love you' but she would have been wrong. I laughed, knowing that Kelley was mouthing, 'I found it'.

We had the same seats as the day before, only this time there was a young gentleman already sitting in the center seat.

"Would you mind changing seats with my friend?" Patricia asked as he got up to let her take the window seat. Who wouldn't trade a middle seat for one on the aisle? Not this guy. He grumbled, saying something about staying in his assigned seat.

I was putting our luggage in the overhead storage when I glanced at a lady sitting across the aisle from our seats. "Would you and your friend like our seats? The middle seat isn't occupied?" she asked.

Overhearing the offer, Patricia was back in the aisle in an instant, and the exchange was made before the disgruntled gentleman had a chance to complain. I wound up with the window seat, and this time, instead of having a vacant seat between us, Patricia was seated next to me.

We talked about everything, our weekend with our mates, our studies at school and even about our foibles. She sat with her head laid back on the seat, leaned toward me to whisper confidentially, and listened intently to everything I had to say.

I was captivated by her eyes, and she didn't seem to mind my gazing into them. Her tongue was also something that held my attention. I wanted to remember to tell Kelley that Patricia's tongue was one of her distinguishing features. No, I mustn't. Kelley would never understand how I could be intrigued by a girl's tongue. Patricia had a unique way of using it to emphasize certain words, and to coat her lips with moisture, or to poke it out one corner of her mouth, impishly.

I don't know when it happened, but several minutes must have elapsed before I looked down to see her hand covering mine on the armrest that separated our seats. Patricia's eyes followed mine, but she didn't move her hand. Instead, she made a facial shrug, covering her bottom lip with her top lip, and raising her eyes to peer into mine.

When we landed, I thanked the women for changing seats with us by helping them retrieve their bags from overhead storage. We had to wait for a large bag that Patricia had checked. She explained it was one reason for her trip home.

I'd never had such an intimate talk with a female where so little personal information was exchanged. All that I'd learned was that the phone number she'd given me was Kenny's apartment, and that she'd made one short visit to her parent's home to pack some fall clothes into the bag that she'd checked. She wasn't planning to go home again until Thanksgiving, and Kenny was too busy to come to Pontiac for a weekend.

I'd revealed very little about myself.

Her car was a Subaru station wagon. She explained that she'd traded cars with her mother so she would have enough space to bring her stuff from home. "Otherwise, I'd have had to rent a trailer."

"Call me," she said when she dropped me off at my apartment. The way she said it, leaning toward me, sort of pleading, made me invite her to my Friday night pizza and beer get-together. She said she would be delighted to come.

I knew the second I entered my apartment that Gladys was there. I could almost smell her, but that's not what gave her away. The kitchen had a sterile look, like it had been scrubbed from ceiling to floor. The other hint was the way the folding tables were moved to the side so the two air mattresses could be placed sided by side in the living room.

"Damn!" I said, remembering that Patricia had not returned my library book.

Victor stuck his head around the corner, looking like he'd seen a ghost. Gladys was right behind him, equally surprised to see me.

"I thought you were going to call," Victor said.

"I got a ride," I said, grinning at the two of them, wanting to assure them that I didn't mind that Gladys was there. They relaxed and Gladys disappeared, probably into the bathroom to put her clothes on.

I went into my bedroom, and was not surprised when I found the bedding had been changed, my dirty laundry bag empty, and everything spotless. I dropped my bag and went to my study to find that Gladys had cleaned it, too. Marcie answered on the second ring.

"Hey, did you have a good time in Saint Louis?" she asked in a cheerful voice that told me she'd gotten lucky recently.

"I had a splendid time, thank you for asking."

"Was Kelley glad to see you?"

"Extremely."

"Did you do anything? I mean, did you do anything outside the room?"

"Shut up, this isn't about me. Tell me what happened."

She went on for five minutes about a telephone conversation she'd had with Jeannie, the classes she was finding difficult, and how her roommate wouldn't keep her side of the room picked up.

"Marcie?"

"Yes, honey?"

"Tell me."

After long pause, "Adam has an apartment in Cambridge. All the rooms are crowded, and he has a roommate, but..."

"Marcie?"

Another pause, shorter this time, "I stayed two nights, but I wanted to get back in time to take your call. You didn't call before, did you?"

"No, honey, I just got back."

"Good," she said, and we listened to each other breathe. I saw no reason to ask more questions, 'how was it?' or 'are you going to see him next weekend'?

I don't know what made me tell her; I guess I wanted to share something. "I met someone."

"Sammy, don't start with me. I don't want to hear about it."

"Okay, I won't, but don't call me in a half an hour, wanting to know all about it because I need to talk to Kelley, and I have studying to do," I said, already wondering what I was going to say to Kelley about Gladys being in the apartment.

"Call me next Sunday. I'll want to hear everything by then," Marcie said as we ended the call.

I went into the living room, and found it had been put back in order. Victor and Gladys had left. My car keys were on the kitchen table. I was alone.

Thinking that Kelley wouldn't be home yet, I phoned Kalian Shelton.

"I wanted to make sure our meeting is set up for tomorrow night," I began.

"There's no need for another meeting. We've already met and the paper is written," she responded.

"Can I get a peek at it before class on Tuesday?" I asked, struggling to maintain my cool.

"I'll ask the others if it's okay to give you a copy," she said.

Knowing what the answer would be, I decided to try a different tactic. "Say, would you like to come over and have something to eat with me?"

"Are the cafeterias not good enough for you?" she asked, sounding mildly interested, like she was stringing me along.

"I'm a hell of a good cook," I said.

"What do you cook, pizza and beer?" she asked, teasingly.

"What's wrong with pizza?" I asked, and heard her giggle.

"What time?"

"I'll order the pizza to arrive at six, but you can come any time."

"Okay," she said, adding, "Goodbye," before hanging up.

Shit! She thinks it's a date, I said to myself as I dialed the number for the Harvey home.

"My father wants to thank you," Kelley began.

"I didn't do anything but hold a tape measure," I countered.

"Believe me, sweetie, you did a lot more. I was getting a little cranky. Two weeks between visits is too long. I need my fix of you more often."

"I'll be home week after next. Wanda is coming here next weekend," I reminded her.

"What does she want with you?" Kelley asked before catching herself, and adding, "Probably the same as me," she laughed.

"I have something to confess," I blunted out.

"Don't tell me. She raped you in mid-flight, and now you're a member of the mile-high club."

"Really, Kelley, can't you be serious for a few seconds."

"I'm sorry, honey. It's just that I don't trust a leaner."

"Gladys was here. Everything's spotless," I said, concerned that there would be follow-up questions about my flight with Patricia as my seatmate.

For a few seconds, Kelley was speechless. "Everything's spotless. What did you do? Did you kick her out? Did you tell her not to come back? Talk to me, Sammy. I've got to know what you did about this."

"I did nothing. By the time I got off the phone with Marcie, Victor had gotten her out."

Another silence followed. "It's Victor's fault. I never should have agreed to let him stay there. What are we going to do about this, Sammy?"

"We're ... going to do nothing."

"Nothing?"

"If I'd been here, I'd have done something, but I wasn't. Gladys changed my bed, did my laundry and cleaned the entire apartment. I may leave a grocery list for her to fill next time."

"Next time?"

"Yes, next time."

"I suppose you should arrange a way to pay her," Kelley said.

"You're the best, sweetheart."

"You know that I only want the best for you, and I do trust you."

I told her that I knew that she trusted me. We hung up, and I called a local florist to arrange for roses to arrive at the Harvey office the next morning. I had the card signed, 'Your devoted tape measure holder'.

Kalian arrived five minutes before the pizza. She was dressed casually, but I could tell that they were her best togs. She was wearing more makeup than usual, and her hair was arranged differently than I'd seen before.

Kalian seemed surprised when I got two cokes out of the refrigerator. I even surprised myself by supplying clean glasses. We sat at one of the folding tables, and were eating our second slice of pizza when she broke the silence.

"Did you have a good trip?" she asked.

"Yes, have you been to Saint Louis?"

As I'd expected, the answer was no.

"We toured the Gateway Arch. It's over six hundred feet tall and..."

"We?" she asked.

"Yeah, I met my girlfriend there."

She put the slice of pizza she had been eating on her napkin and stared at me. "I thought you were on a business trip. You missed our meeting on Saturday for what, to meet your girlfriend in Saint Louis?"

"She had business there. I met her to help close a deal," I said, hoping that I wasn't sounding defensive. I clearly was.

"Mr. Oldham, you missed a very important meeting in order to go off and meet your girlfriend. If you think two slices of pizza is going to make me take your side, you have another think coming," Ms. Shelton said, standing up, as if to leave.

"Sit back down, Ms. Shelton. I have something to show you. SIT DOWN!"

I looked back to see her take her seat as I ran to my study. "Read this," I said when I returned, handing her a copy of the paper I'd written.

I had another slice of pizza and finished my Coke while she read the three pages.

"This is completely different from the notes you gave us. You lied to us," she said, accusingly.

"What did you do, try to write a paper by copying my notes?" I asked, having trouble maintaining a straight face.

"No, we changed everything around," she said. Now she was the one on defense.

I saw what she was going to do with my paper, and grabbed it before she could put it in her pocket. "I'll take that," I said.

"Take it, I remember every point you made," she said in a threatening tone that sent a chill up my spine.

"How did you get to be a senior, Ms. Shelton? Have you been stealing others' work for three years?"

Her sinister smile told me that there was some truth in my accusation. "While you're traveling every weekend, I have to work very hard for my grades," she said, her voice pity-laden.

"I'm sorry to put you in this position, Ms. Shelton, but right now you're my only link to the other two. Get Gordon on the phone," I demanded, knowing that once I convinced the big guy to go along with my plan, Casey would follow.

"He doesn't like for me to call him unless it's something important," she protested.

I knew I could obtain Gordon's phone number the same way I'd gotten her number, but I suspected that he wouldn't talk to me.

"What's his number?"

"I can't tell you. I'll call him," she offered.

We went into my study, and I set up two phones on the same line. Gordon answered, and when she couldn't make him talk to me, I took over.

"Gordon, I want you and Casey at my apartment tomorrow evening at seven. Ms. Shelton will show you where it is. Be prepared to discuss the case for thirty minutes, and then we'll write the paper together."

"The paper's written. You skipped the meeting so don't try to horn in on the credit now."

"Tell him, Ms. Shelton," I said, hoping she would know what to say.

"He's written a completely different paper. I've read it, but he won't give it to me," she told Gordon.

"So what?" Gordon asked, his voice exuding disinterest.

"Professor Ballard has my paper, Gordon. He also has a copy of the bogus notes I gave Ms. Shelton. If you're as smart as you try to make out, you'll come to the meeting on Monday evening."