Chapter 9: Ninety-Nine Percent

It was Friday afternoon and I'd just arrived at the airport to meet Kelley's flight. The schedule board indicated that it would arrive on time, which meant I only had ten minutes to contemplate how I wanted to relate recent events to Kelley. She would listen patiently, wouldn't she? Why had I put off telling her until now?

Only four days ago, I'd suggested to Megan that since we shared a strong attraction for one another, we should stop fighting it. Keeping our distance from each other was making it worse. Why not stop fooling ourselves; it was obvious that it wasn't going away on its own. We would be together as often as possible. Eventually, we would discover each others' faults, and one of us, it didn't matter which one, would admit that we had driven the attraction away. We'd part friends. Megan agreed that it was a sound plan.

Naturally, we would apprise our partners of our arrangement. We would assure them that there would be no kissing, and certainly no sex between us. We would only touch when it was absolutely necessary. Kelley and Mel would approve the plan, wouldn't they? Megan thought my solution to our problem was perfectly logical. We put the plan into action by walking to the apartment, holding hands.

Actually, the plan had already been in place most of that day. After having my usual early lunch with Victor, I'd gone to the other cafeteria at the request of Casey. Megan was there, sitting with other diners some distance away. I caught her looking at me a few times, and I guess she thought I was sneaking peeks at her too. She came over to our table, and said she needed my help with an accounting problem. That must have been when I decided to stop pretending that there was not an attraction between us. Later, Megan admitted that she had gotten the same idea.

Waking up on Tuesday morning to find Megan's arm draped around me seemed natural. I did notice that she was wearing a T-shirt that Kelley had picked out for me while we were in Florida the previous spring. I found a new toothbrush for Megan to use, and she wore the same clothes to school that she'd worn the day before. We made plans to have lunch together, and I found it necessary to hold her hand as I escorted her to her first class. We were together, and didn't mind others knowing. I yearned to tell someone about our arrangement, and chose Victor, not because he was my closest friend, but because his ear was available.

We went to the nearby cafeteria after architectural class. He had lunch; I talked.

"I'm meeting Megan for lunch. We made a pact to stop pretending the other doesn't exist. We're going to spend all our free time together. After a couple of weeks, she'll tire of me and we'll be cured," I began.

Victor looked at me like I'd grown a second head. "How are you going to hide it from Kelley?"

"I'm going to explain everything to her when she's here this weekend. Megan's going to call Mel tonight. We're being very adult about this."

He scoffed. "Who are you trying to kid?"

Victor was nineteen, two years my junior. Who was he to talk down to me? "You don't understand. We have limitations to our arrangement. There's to be no sex. We don't even kiss. Some touching is permitted, but only when necessary."

Victor almost choked on a fish stick. "So, when you took her home last night you didn't kiss goodnight?"

"I didn't exactly take her home, but if I did..." I stopped talking when I saw how big his eyes were becoming. An explanation was necessary. "Charlie proposed to Debra last night. They needed some privacy. Megan stayed over at the apartment."

He had a knack for the obvious. "You slept together, didn't you?"

"Technically, yes. We slept in the same bed, but nothing happened. I've slept with lots of girls without having sex with them ... well, two, no, make that three," I said, counting Wanda, Patricia, and remembering my nights with Marcie.

Victor was cracking up, and since I didn't think he would ever finish eating, I said so long. I was relating my conversation with Victor to Casey and Kalian when Megan joined us. She helped me justify our plan by saying it was a practical solution to our common problem. Casey and Kalian proved to be as difficult to convince that we'd spent the night in the same bed without anything happening as Victor had been.

Megan looked at me. "Will you meet me after my last class? I'll need to stop by the house to get some different clothes."

We hadn't talked about her staying at the apartment for a second night. I glanced at Casey and Kalian before answering her, and saw that they were having trouble believing what they'd heard. "Charlie and Debra do need another night of privacy. I'll be in the library."

That afternoon, I found that I was able to concentrate in my classes and at the library for the first time in weeks. I was anxious for Megan to show up so I could tell her. Well, I was anxious for her last class to end so we could be together.

"I'm glad everyone knows about us," she said, smiling at me as I took her hand on the way to my car.

"Not everyone. I've got to call Kent before he finds out from someone else," I said, thinking that he would inform Amy, Skip and Wendy, and she would tell Zelda. I wasn't concerned about Patricia. She lived on the other side of the river and wouldn't see us together, except on Friday nights.

"Not everyone is right," Megan said, glumly, and I knew she was referring to Mel and Kelley.

We talked about how well things were working out. "I'm able to concentrate better since we've given up hiding from each other," I admitted as we went our separate ways, I to my study, and she to the folding tables in the front room. She just smiled knowingly.

While preparing dinner, we talked about how happy Casey and Kalian seemed together. "Do you think they're talking about us?" Megan asked.

"They didn't know what to make of our arrangement. I don't think they believed that we could occupy the same bed without having sex. Did you notice that they had trouble keeping a straight face? Victor was the same."

We laughed and congratulated each other for being mature. After dinner, I called Kent to tell him not to be surprised if he saw Megan and me together.

"You're asking for trouble," was his first comment.

"It's working out great so far. All that anxiety we felt from trying to stay out of each other's way has evaporated. We're relaxed and we're able to concentrate," I countered. There was skepticism in his voice as he agreed to tell Amy, Skip and Wendy, who would spread the word to Zelda.

Megan waited until nine P.M. to call Mel, allowing for the time zone difference that separated them. I offered to give her privacy, but she wanted me to stay.

The call didn't go the way we had planned at all. Every time she tried to make a point there was an interruption that made it come out wrong. "Of course I love you," I heard her say. I knew the conversation had shifted to me when she tried to defend my actions. When she began to cry, I took the receiver from her and placed it in its cradle.

"Let's go for a run," I said.

"I didn't bring any running shoes with me," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"We'll go for a walk," I said, pushing her toward the door. We put on our jackets and left the apartment. We walked for an hour, silently, lost in our own thoughts, holding hands. I didn't ask what was said, and she didn't volunteer to tell me. I was beginning to have doubts about the soundness of our plan. What good was it for me to be free of anxiety if she was going to be miserable? When we got back to the apartment, there were two messages on the answering machine. The first was from Debra, warning us that Mel had called their house to get my phone number. The second message was from Mel, saying he wanted to talk to me. His voice sounded calm, but there was an edge that told me he was straining to hide his true feelings.

"Hi, Mel, this is Sammy. I hear you want to talk to me."

"You're not going to get away with this, you bastard!"

"How's the weather in Fresno, Mel? There's a chill in the air here. We were out for a walk and..."

"Don't try to doubletalk me. You're not going to get by with stealing my girl, either."

"As I was starting to say before you interrupted me, we were out for a walk and..."

"I don't give a fuck about your walk. You're fucking her! I know you are!" It was a statement, not a question.

"You really need to learn to listen, Mel. Your girlfriend's best friend is getting married. Megan's alone here. I am too, and it happens that we like being together. For the first time in weeks, we're relaxed and able to concentrate. You should be happy that she's happy."

That was the only point I was able to make. Our conversation deteriorated into a yelling contest, which he won. He did say one thing that caught my attention. "How would you like it if your girlfriend called you to say that she's found someone she feels a strong attraction to?"

I don't believe he knew that I'd heard him. He was too busy warning me what would happen if I persisted in continuing the arrangement with Megan. I never did get a chance to finish telling him about our walk. I only wanted to tell him that we'd held hands the whole time, and that we'd enjoyed our walk.

Megan was upset that Mel hadn't heard her out, but she tried to hide it from me. We enjoyed each other's company until Friday at lunchtime, when I left to meet Kelley's flight.

A thrill twitched in my spine as I watched Kelley come through the gate. She was stunning. I knew that she was dressed to perfection, but I didn't pay any attention to the clothes she was wearing. There was so much more to observe. Her hair had grown longer and she wore it differently than ever before, parted at the center of her head, in a zigzag pattern. Her lip gloss was a different shade, lighter than I remembered seeing her wear before. Her expression was somber as she scanned the crowd, but changed to a full dimpled grin when she spotted me.

She rushed to me, dropped the carry-on bag to the floor, and threw her arms around me. Even her perfume was different, but her lips felt the same as I remembered.

"I've missed you," she said between kisses. I kissed her back, thinking I should say something about missing her, too, but didn't.

The horde of other passengers and the people they were meeting was giving me a closed-in feeling. I picked up the bag she'd dropped and stirred Kelley to the exit.

We were getting into the car when her curiosity piqued. "Aren't you going to say anything?" she asked.

"I have lots to say. There's something I need to tell you," I said, wondering where to begin. I started the car and paid the parking attendant.

"I have something to tell you, too," she said, smiling so I'd know it wasn't anything bad.

"Tell me," I said, anxious to hear what it was.

"It's a surprise. You'll find out later. What were you going to tell me?"

We pulled onto the highway, heading to Pontiac. I'd practiced my speech and knew it would fit into the twenty minute ride to my apartment, barely.

"First, I'm not going to use my free pass," I said, and watched her reaction. Kelley unhooked her seatbelt, got up on her knees, and fell into my arms, nearly causing me to run the car off the road. She was jabbering excitedly in unintelligible chatter. I pushed her into her seat and told her to buckle up.

She looked at me adoringly, and dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. Was she crying?

"You make me very happy," she said. "This makes my surprise even more special."

I hadn't planned on her response to my announcement eating up precious seconds. "Don't tell me now. There's something else you need to know."

Kelley decided to remove the suede jacket she'd traveled in. I saw for the first time that she was wearing boots, jeans and a green sweatshirt. I waited until she had bucked her seatbelt before continuing. She was still sniffling when she looked my way.

"You remember my telling you about Megan Freeman?" I began, and watched her nod her head.

"I told you about our attraction to each other?"

"Oh, Sammy, how could you?" Kelley asked, alarm being replaced by disappointment.

"Don't jump to conclusions. It's nothing like what you're thinking. Let me explain how it happened."

"How it happened? I don't care how it happened. Tell me WHAT happened. That's all I need to know."

"You're reacting the same way Mel did, conjuring thoughts in your mind before you hear us out. Let me tell you how it happened, and you'll see that it's all quite innocent. There's nothing for you to concern yourself with."

For once, Kelley was quiet. Her eyes were red and her mouth was open, watching me, disbelieving. "You've already used the free pass, haven't you?"

"Please stop saying that. Don't even think it. Nothing happened and nothing is going to happen. If you'll let me explain, you'll see that you have nothing to worry about."

"Who's Mel?" Kelley asked, beginning to calm down.

"He's Megan's boyfriend. They're practically engaged. She tried to talk to him, but all he did was yell at her. I hung up on him, and when I tried to talk to him he yelled at me too. Megan's very upset at the way he wouldn't hear her out. It's like all the trust is gone between them."

"What did you expect to happen, Sammy? You're trying my trust, too."

"I don't blame you. At least you're going to listen, aren't you?" I asked, smiling at her.

"What choice do I have?" she asked, looking out the window, feigning interest in what I had to say. I forged ahead, trimming my planned speech to fit the time it would take to reach the apartment.

"As I've told you, we've been intrigued with each other since we met. We've tried to maintain our distance from each other. Every time I look at her I wonder how I would explain my feelings for her to you. Then, I remember that she has a boyfriend. That's when we look away. Well, the other day I got an idea to stop fighting it. I told Megan about my idea and established some ground rules. We decided to be together as often as possible..."

I heard Kelley's groan. Her eyes were like daggers, ready to stab me in the heart. "What are the ground rules? Only to sleep together when I'm not here?"

I was tempted to tell her that she was close, but didn't. "Come on, Kelley. Give us credit for being adult about this. There's to be no sex between us, no overt expression of affection, not even kissing. We're going to stop trying to ignore each other. We'll be together as often as possible until one of us tires of the other. Then it will be over."

We were at the apartment. I carried her luggage up the stairs, and she followed me, reluctantly, at a safe distance. I could tell that she was impressed with how clean and orderly the apartment was, but she didn't comment about it. I suppose that she remembered recommending that I compensate Gladys for her work. I hadn't seen Gladys, and Victor and I were doing the shopping.

I took her luggage into the bedroom, and went into my study to catch up with what had been happening at the office. Kelley followed me, obviously not satisfied with my explanation regarding Megan and me.

"Aren't you going to unpack?" I asked.

"Do you really have feelings for her?" she asked, dismissing my question about unpacking her things. Usually, that's the first thing she did when she arrived someplace.

"I'd prefer to call it infatuation, but it's getting better. Being with her is working. We're more relaxed and I'm able to concentrate on my schoolwork."

"Is she infatuated with you?"

"I don't believe she's used that word. You can ask her when you see her. I hope you won't be too hard on her though. She came here to be near Debra, and now that Deb and Charlie are getting married, Megan feels alone. She was hurt when Mel wouldn't listen like you've done."

"When are Debra and Charlie getting married?"

"I haven't heard. We've been letting them have some alone time. Maybe they'll tell us the date tonight."

"Is she going to be here?"

"Megan? I don't know. We didn't talk about it. I hope she'll come so you can meet her."

"What do you talk about?"

"We have some of the same classes, only one together though. We talk about our classes, and what happened at school. Mostly though, I work in here and she works at the folding tables."

"She comes here?" Kelley asked, sounding alarmed again.

"Well, yeah, being together as much as possible is what we talked about. You've got to understand that we're both busy. Megan has a heavy class schedule, and I have my responsibilities at the office. We don't have much time to talk."

The mention of my responsibilities at the office did the trick. Kelley must have seen that I was anxious to talk to Wanda before the end of her workday. She left me alone, and I was checking my email when I heard the scream. I ran to the bedroom to see what was wrong.

"WHAT IS THIS?" she asked, holding up the T-shirt from Florida that Megan had been using as a nightshirt. She'd obviously found it on a hanger in the closet.

"Oh, that," I said, laughing, relieved that she hadn't seen a mouse, or something larger. "I told Megan to grab a T-shirt out of my drawer, and I guess that's the first one she found."

"This is the shirt I gave you," Kelley said through clenched teeth. "She's been wearing it to what? Not to sleep in, I hope."

"Well, yeah. It was my idea. We thought Charlie and Debra needed some privacy that first night, and Megan needed something to ... wait a minute ... you don't think ... Kelley, its all quite innocent," I said, realizing how lame my explanation sounded.

"What do you mean by that first night? How many nights have there been?" she asked, struggling to remain calm.

"Kelley, you're a bigger person than you're letting on. You trust me, and I trust you. Perhaps I skipped over how bad it's been for us. We were agonizing. I'm not sure about Megan, but I couldn't get anything done. As I've told you, it's getting better already. Just knowing that we can look at each other without feeling guilty has made us comfortable. You've got to stop thinking the worst about this. Sure, we sleep in the same bed, but I swear that nothing happens. Look, there are over four hundred girls on this campus and I dare say that I could go to bed with half of them. Well, maybe not that many, but you know what I mean. I don't do it because I'm committed to our relationship. It's the same with you. You're one of the sexiest women I've ever known. I know you've got guys hitting on you every day, but you don't give them the time of day. It's called trust, Kelley. I trust you and you trust me."

"How many nights?" she asked, disregarding what I'd just said about trust.

"All of them," I said in disgust, turning to leave the room.

"Wait, Sammy. I want to believe you. Perhaps I over reacted. I want to meet her."

She was standing next to her luggage, which was on the bed and unopened. The boots she was wearing had two inch heels, and looked uncomfortable. "How about a foot massage?" I suggested.

Kelley actually laughed, but rejected my offer. "I don't think so."

"Let me get Megan on the phone. We'll see if she's coming tonight and you can talk to her," I offered. Kelley followed me into my study, and watched me dial the number.

"Hi," I said, trying to disguise my grin when I heard Megan's voice. Kelley was watching, but could only hear my side of the conversation. "We want to make sure you're coming tonight. Good. It went well, I think. Here, Kelley wants to talk to you," I said, telling her that Megan was coming as I handed Kelley the receiver.

I read my email, and listened to Kelley's side of her conversation with Megan.

"Yes, he's been telling me, but I'd like to hear it from you. I must tell you that I'm not comfortable with this at all. Yes, he's assured me that there's not to be any display of affection. No, he didn't tell me that. How much touching are you talking about? Just hand holding while you're walking? What happened at the movie? Rubbing his finger against your cheeks? I don't care if it was only one cheek. No, he didn't say anything about that. His finger traced your lips? Megan, I think that's going too far. Yes, he told me about the boundaries you've set. He hasn't given you a foot massage, has he? Good, don't fall for it. It's just like a back massage, except from the other end. Before you know it he's working his way up your leg, and you know where that leads."