Chapter 7

Lauderdale and Lib caused me to reflect. It was time for me to deal with my personal life. I had withdrawn, much as my mother had, and I didn't like that I hadn't faced up to my problems. Unlike Mother, I hadn't retreated to almost complete isolation in Roselawns and the Vineyard, but I had become absorbed in law school and Jenkins' New York banking and law operations to the exclusion of non-business personal relationships. Grandfather had left the businesses as my responsibility, and yet I didn't know enough about securities law and banking to run them which made me feel inadequate. After Karen, I limited interpersonal relationships to people I already knew well and tried to stay busy with structured, routine activities. I had regressed psychologically.

In some ways I felt like the old dog that lost his long-time buddy and withdrew only to have his owners buy a puppy to nip and play to bring him back. I also knew the puppy treatment was only temporarily effective. Lib had done what she could to get me out of my malaise. I knew I was very fortunate; Vietnam had taught me how very fortunate I was. It's time for a visit to the Crippled Children's Hospital in Birmingham and to the VA hospital. Maybe that will provide a reality check.

Jane and Libby could have been flown to Pascagoula by a Lauderdale or First National corporate pilot. Lib wanted me to have to deal with Libby; 'a pup nipping at me'. I was fortunate they cared. Without them, I don't know what I would have done. And yet, I didn't want to depend on them for something I should be able to handle. Worry about inheritance of Mother's mental instability reared its ugly head again.

For much of the plane ride from Lauderdale to Pascagoula, Libby lobbied me on Pris' virtues. Jane laughed and asked, "Are you ready to give up? You don't stand a chance against Lib and Libby. Lib won't give up; she has at least two more teams ready if she and Libby tire."

"I'm trying to negotiate a conditional surrender that will give me a little additional time."

Libby said, "Everyone knows Ole Miss women are much superior to those floozies at Alabama. It's time you realized it."

She touched my arm, "Seriously, Pris is a really nice girl. I hope you give each other a chance."

I nodded. "In spite of your influence, she seems like a nice girl."

Libby said, "Pretty, too."

I nodded. She was pretty, if you liked athletic, muscular girls, who didn't mind getting sweaty and dirty; and I did.

During the week before the wedding, I had intended to relax at the Fairhope bayhouse, play a little golf, sail, and make a brief visit to Barin and Summerdale. Dealing with Brooke was something I had to face, but I wasn't ready yet. Instead, I decided to go to Tuscaloosa and to smooth coming back to law school. I had a summer term at Columbia to go before I returned. I thought, Structured activities drive unstructured out in the depressed. Dr. Kromboltz would have me taking small steps to deal with facing my relationship problems. Maybe I should give him a call.

The sky was a brilliant red as I landed at the University airfield. Red sky at night a sailor's delight. A good omen perhaps?

The Monza was in the parking lot, and I drove her home. It felt good to be in her again; she was an old friend. I rode back to the house with her top down. I straightened the house and prepared to stay the night. I heard a car pull into the drive and looked out.

In my driveway was a yellow GTO convertible. I almost didn't answer the door, but decided I couldn't hide. I opened the door, and Karen came around the house.

She said, "I've been waiting for you to come back. I hope we can talk."

She is still beautiful. She's here 30 seconds, and I'm hard as a rock and can't think. Why can't I get over her? What does she want?

"Let's go in the house. Would you like something to drink?"

Karen said, "Water would be fine."

She sat on the couch in the family room. I got her a glass of water and sat in the loveseat opposite the couch.

She said, "I'm sorry. Could you give us another chance?"

"You aren't with Stan?"

She said, "That was a mistake, I'm very sorry about. Please understand; Stan was the star at Ensley; football, basketball, baseball, everything. He was a couple of years ahead of me, but I knew who he was. He started on the football and baseball teams here and played in the majors with the Red Sox. When he came on to me, I was flattered. I thought I could handle harmless flirting. I never meant for it to go as far as it did, and I never meant to hurt you. I'd give anything if I could take it back. Give me a chance to make it up to you. I learned my lesson."

Softly I said, "I've moved on."

"Please." She moved next to me on the loveseat. She leaned against me. "I missed you."

"What have you been doing?"

"Two graduates of my high school, Tommy Charles and Doug Layton, gave me a job selling ads at WYDE. No one would even talk about putting me on the air. Everyone is afraid of offending First National and Farm Bureau."

I nodded.

"Stan left when he was released by the Red Sox and Coach Bryant told him he had no chance of getting a good job around here, because of your friends. Beau's mother and Thornton's wife did a job on him. Without Coach's support, he could forget a coaching or a sports-related media job."

I said, "Neither of them bad mouthed you."

"I know; they gave my employment dates and won't make further comment. That was enough. WAPI said they released Stan for personal conduct reasons. I don't want to talk about him or the past."

She put her breasts against me and kissed me.

My heart raced, and I could barely get my breath.

She said, "It could be like it used to be."

She ran her hands over me; she pulled me to get up. She almost whispered, "Let's go to the bedroom."

I pulled back. "It's not the same. I doubt if it could ever be."

"I'll make it up to you."

We went into the bedroom and made hot, sweaty, passionate love. I couldn't get enough of her.

I felt I was losing all my self control. She seemed to be more confident by the moment. She said something about WAPI. I felt anger at being so easily manipulated; angrier than I had been since my steroid period. My emotions were all over the map. I took a couple of deep breaths but was still very angry.

I lifted her legs at her knees, raised her hips and slid a pillow under her.

When my lubed finger pressed against her rosebud, she said, "I don't do that."

"Use your hands to spread yourself and relax. If you don't want to give yourself to me completely, I understand." I gave her a hard look.

She hesitated and moved her hands to her hips. She looked away.

I wanted to see her face as she submitted. She grimaced as I pushed into her.

She cried out, "Stop, you're hurting me."

"Look at me. Relax; I want you to give all to me."

I pushed in and had to make several stops, retreats, and pushed ahead until I was completely in her. She grimaced as I slowly sawed in and out. When I felt I was going to cum, I pushed in her as far as I could until I finished. When I had gone soft, I pulled out. She was inflamed, gaped, leaking, and messy. I moved off the bed quickly, showered and cleaned myself. Karen went to the toilet. She didn't say anything.

When I left the shower, she went in. I dried off and changed the sheets on the bed. I got in bed. She came out of the bathroom and slid in the far side of the bed. She turned her back to me.

I spooned against her and palmed one of her breasts.

After a minute or two, she said, "Can you get over it?"

"I doubt it. I won't ever forget."

"Where does that leave me? What do you want me to do?"

"You tell me."

She said, "You should forgive me. We could be like we were."

I didn't say anything.

She said, "I could live with you and work at WAPI. I'd be very good for you. Wouldn't you like that?"

"That's not going to happen. Eunice won't take you back, and I won't tell her she has to."

"Please; I'll do anything for you."

I didn't say anything.

She said, "I know you still want me."

"It was still good, but sex isn't enough."

She said, "We can build on it. Let's try again. I'll be very good."

"Enough talk tonight. I need to sleep."

During the night I had rolled onto my back; I wasn't spooned against her. I had slept surprisingly well. Monday morning I awoke and asked, "How did you sleep?"

"Not well. You hurt me. I hope you didn't tear me."

I palmed her breast, rolled her onto her back, kissed her and when she was wet, I rode her hard. I pressed in her hard as I came in her. I could tell she was relieved I hadn't wanted to do anal. I got up quickly, showered and dressed in jogging shorts. I ran to the stadium and back. I walked, cooled down and started cooking breakfast.

Karen came out of the bedroom. She looked as if she had been crying.

"What am I going to do? Beau's mom told me in no uncertain terms I wouldn't work there. Eunice won't let me work in any of your stations. I can't just live with you."

"I'm going to Mississippi Friday. You can stay here until then, and we might figure something out. You think about it. Until then, you are going to need to do something besides lay around here. You can get some groceries and fix breakfast and some of the meals. Get fresh vegetables, fruit and a roast for this week. But you're right; you need to come up with things you can do. I'm going over to the law school to take care of transferring credits and get my classes lined up for next year."

The law school registrar was helpful. I had enough credits from Columbia to have a reduced load my final year. I got a schedule that didn't have Monday or Friday classes. Dealing with the law school didn't take as long as I thought it would, so I called Dorothy, and she said I could see Freddy and Howard.

I drove to her house and went in her home office.

She asked, "What's up? I thought you would stay on the coast."

"I needed to take care of a few things at the law school. How are you doing?"

"The business school keeps me busy, but I like it. I'm enjoying research and learning to publish. It's helped me think about the best use of your properties. It's a challenge. I could never have done it without your support and the help you had me get." She looked at me. "You're not telling me something."

"Karen came over Sunday night. She's at the house."

She frowned then said, "Lib's not going to like that." We walked back to where Sally had Freddy, Howard and Murphy's daughter.

Sally said, "Good to see you, Mister Robert. I'll go run the wash."

After Sally left, I put my hand on Dorothy's hip. I said, "I really miss you."

She looked at me like she might kiss me. "I miss you too. Fortunately, I think with something other than my genitals."

Freddy and Howard ran to me. Freddy asked, "Can we go for a horsey ride?"

I picked up Howard. "Not today, but when I get back in the fall, I promise we will."

I asked Howard, "How's my little man?"

He giggled and put his head on my shoulder.

Dorothy squeezed my arm and left.

Freddy showed me the buildings he was making with Lego blocks and Lincoln Logs, then he showed me his train set. AlI three were Grandfather's Christmas gifts. I couldn't stay very long; I got more emotional the longer I stayed.

Dorothy walked out of her office, leaving Murphy there, while we waited for Sally to go back to the children. Dorothy and I walked out together. I could tell she wanted to say something.

I hugged her close against me. She said, "I'm worried about you."

"I know you don't like Karen."

She felt so good against me. She said very softly, "I'm sorry we ... Karen's not the one. Please don't settle; I think you're ready for someone; now get to it."

We kissed briefly, and she went back into her office.

I picked up the phone and called New York. "Good morning. Transfer me to Harold Star."

After a brief greeting, I said, "I want you to make a deal for a radio-tv station in New Orleans or Atlanta, both if practical. I was thinking of WWL or WSB. Think about how we can make it work. Some time soon I want to exercise the option on WHBQ TV in Memphis, too. I'm ready to expand in the South. Put it at the top of your to-do list." Harold was the best deal-maker at Jenkins, and he thought strategically also. I knew by the time I got back to New York, he would have a plan prepared with several options.

I called the Mobile Register and asked to speak with Chris Waddell, the managing editor.

I was told he wasn't available, that he was in conference. "Tell him it's Rob Jenkins, I believe he will find time to speak with me."

Chris came on, "Sorry about that. She didn't know who you are."

"Not a problem, but I have a problem I need you to handle for me. Do you know of Karen Kell, who worked over at WLAU and WAPI as the entertainment reporter?"

"Eunice mentioned her."

"Here's my thinking, she could work at the paper and both the radio and TV stations in Mobile, doing entertainment reporting and maybe be the society reporter. I need a job for her and not in one of Eunice's stations."

"Mrs. Tracy's been the society page editor here a long time. She's really well thought of in the community and at the paper. I could probably make the entertainment thing work, but she could only do dog work for the society page; even that might be a problem."

"Find out about what could work. I'll let you know by Friday whether it's a go or not."

From Dorothy's I went home. Karen was in the kitchen with a Betty Crocker Cookbook open on the counter. She said, "There's a roast in the oven. I bought fried chicken for lunch. Is that alright?"

I kissed her. "We should have time for a quickie before we eat."

It wasn't a quickie, but it was damn good. Karen cooperated.

We had fried chicken, coleslaw, and fruit salad for lunch.