Chapter 3

Scarlet leaned toward Ren and whispered, "I like the stadium seating here."

"Yes," he replied, "this is a nice theatre."

"It's better than using the lecture hall."

Ren slipped his arm under hers and they laced fingers. Scarlet put her free hand on his forearm. "Sure you don't want popcorn?" he whispered.

"No -- I'm good."

Ren let go of her hand and rested his forearm on her thigh, his hand on her knee. With his fingertips he explored the shape of her kneecap and he felt her smooth, cool skin.

Scarlet put her hand on his as he continued to stroke her knee. Then, he slipped his arm around her. She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder and her hand on his leg. "I'm having a wonderful time," she whispered.

Ren piloted Stuart's Lincoln back toward campus. "Did you enjoy the film?"

"Very much," she replied. "I enjoy films that evoke a time and place and this one certainly achieved that. What did you think of it?"

"I liked it. I was prepared not to like it, but I got into it. Having an older sister, I understand the family dynamic."

"As an older sister, so do I," she replied.

"You have a younger brother?"

"Yes -- but he's not as talented as Wolfgang Amadeus." Scarlet reached for Ren's hand and they laced fingers.

"What about how repressed eighteenth century society was regarding women?" he asked. "We've come a long way."

"Indeed. And, we have a long way to go." Scarlet caressed Ren's forearm. "I'm having a really good time, Ren. Thanks for taking me there."

"It was my pleasure."

He parked the car outside of Lawler Hall and escorted her into the lobby. "That was fun," he remarked.

"Mmm ... It was, indeed."

Ren embraced her and they kissed. He caressed her cheek with the backs of his fingers and they kissed again. Scarlet smiled. "Care to come upstairs?"

"I'd love to."

Scarlet scanned her ID to open the stairwell door and he followed her to her room. She unlocked the door and they stepped inside, embraced and kissed. "Will you excuse me for a few?" she asked. "I want to use the bathroom. I need to take out my contacts -- I don't think I'll need them."

"Maybe I'll use the men's room in the lobby," he replied.

She handed him her ID. "So you can get back in."

"Right." Ren headed to the facilities in the lobby. YES! he thought. He stepped outside, unlocked the Lincoln and retrieved a small paper bag from behind the front seat. Scanning her ID card he let himself in, climbed the stairs and rapped on her door.

It swung open and he stepped inside. Scarlet closed it. "Here's your ID," he said and handed it to her.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing to the paper sack.

"Just a little something." He reached in and removed a half bottle of Bacardi rum.

"Where did you get that?" she asked. "You said you don't have an ID."

"Stimpy's of age. He bought it for me."

"That's not allowed in the dorms, you know."

"I know, but no one's gonna learn about it from me. Do you have any Coke?"

Scarlet opened a mini-fridge and removed a litre bottle of Coca Cola. From her closet she obtained a pair of acrylic water tumblers. Ren uncapped the rum, poured some into one glass and a bit more into the other. Then he topped them up with cola and handed one to her. "Cheers," he said and tapped his rim to hers.

"Cheers." Scarlet sipped from the glass. She closed her eyes, drew in a breath and released it. "I'm not a big drinker but I do like one once in a while," she said. "I'm feeling it my knees already."

Ren sat on the bed she used as a sofa. She had lined the wall with overstuffed pillows and cushions to serve as backrests. "Take a load off those knees," he said, patting his lap.

Scarlet set her glass on the windowsill within reach. She sat on his lap and Ren ran his hand from her knee down her shin. He kissed her lips. "Scarlet -- are you a virgin?" he asked.

She made a surprised giggle. "Are you?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm not."

"I didn't think you were. Do you think I am?"

"I thought you might be. Virgins don't go around wearing badges, you know..." He kissed her lips again and gazed into her face.

"Well -- I'm not. Does it change how you feel about me?"

He kissed her lips again. "Not in the least." Ren sipped more of his drink. Good, Ren thought, we navigated that hazard... He set down his drink and ran his finger along her eyebrow. "You have the biggest and greenest eyes..."

"You're thinking soft-boiled eggs again."

He caressed her cheek. "I'm not." He started to kiss her again and then pulled back. Ren shook his head. "I can't," he said. "I can't go through with this."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

He eased her off his lap and drew in a deep breath. "I've been cruel to you, Scarlet. You deserve better. You're a nice girl. You deserve better."

"I don't understand. What are you trying to say?"

"Scarlet -- I asked you out on a bet."

"A ... bet?"

"A wager. Stimpy and I were bullshitting the first week of class ... typical guy braggadocio. I was telling him about my exploits over the summer and he was envying my ... well, my ease with the fairer gender. The poor guy has some sort of phobia of them. I owe him a hundred from last year and he wagered a hundred that he could pick a girl at random and I could ... I could have her in bed within four dates." Scarlet stared at him, slack-jawed. "I agreed and he picked you."

"You mean -- all this is a lie?"

"Oh Scarlet ... No ... I mean, it started out as a lie but along the way ... you got under my skin. I started having real feelings for you. I don't want to hurt you -- though I know I already have and I'm sorry. You deserve better."

"Why me?" she asked. "Why did you pick me?"

"Stimpy picked you."

"But you went along with his choice. Why did you pick me?"

"Random -- you were in the cafeteria and he spotted you."

"Don't lie, Ren. You've already lied enough. There's another reason, isn't there?"

"Well ... You're new to the school and he knew we hadn't met."

"There's more than that." Tears flowed down her cheeks. "It's because I'm homely, isn't it?"

"Scarlet -- you are not homely."

"Stop lying to me. I know how I look, Ren. I hate my nose and my chin. I know I have an ugly smile and I hate seeing myself in pictures. I begged to have my teeth straightened but we couldn't afford it. I've always been an ugly duckling."

"There is nothing wrong with your looks, Scarlet, believe me." He shook his head. "I am sorry. This has gone far enough and now I owe Stimpy two hundred. I'd better be going."

"Ren ... wait."

He turned to face her. She glowered at him, tears streaming down her face. Narrowing her eyes she lifted her hand. Checking his instinct to raise his forearm to block her Ren took her slap across his left cheek.

Ren turned and dashed out of her room, closing her door behind him. He could hear her sobbing and then wailing. Bounding down the stairs he got into Stuart's Lincoln and slammed the door. Pressing his hand against his face he could feel warmth in his cheek. He started the engine, backed out the parking stall and slammed it into gear. Stomping on the gas he peeled out of the parking lot, tore across campus and parked next to his own building.

He walked past the dorm's rec room and saw it was dark and vacant. He stepped inside and flopped on a sofa.

Morning came after a sleepless night. He crept upstairs to his room, opened the door and found it vacant. Good, he thought. Ren showered and changed and then headed to the cafeteria.

Taking a tray he sat in the corner, attempting to look as inconspicuous as possible. He heard the familiar voices of Stuart and Mitch. Shit! he thought and slid down in his chair.

"Mitch -- hold on," he heard Stuart say. "Hey, Ren -- how did it go?"

"Fuck off."

"What did you say?"

"I said, Fuck. Off. Stuart. Leave me the fuck alone."

"Hey man, what happened. You didn't score?"

"I owe you two hundred now, okay? And -- I could've scored. She was ready." He shook his head. "I couldn't pull the trigger."

"What do you mean?"

"I pulled the plug on the whole operation. I told her the whole story."

"You told her? Why did you do that?"

"Because it was wrong. What I was doing ... what we were doing, Stuart -- was fucking wrong."

"How did she take it?" Stuart asked.

"How the fuck do you think she'd take it? She gave me a good one right here." He pointed to his cheek.

"She slapped you?"

"Yeah. I stood and took it -- I figured I owed her that much. She was crying ... bawling. Scarlet's a nice girl ... too nice for me. I was leading her down the primrose path. If I had gone through with it I wouldn't have been able to live with myself. I'm not sure I can live with myself as is. She's a human being and it's not right to play with her like she's some blow-up doll ... some fucktoy. I'll get you your two hundred ... somehow. Now -- get the fuck away from me!"

"Ren -- forget the bet. Forget the hundred."

"Now you want me to forget the fucking hundred? I'm fucking pissed off at myself for agreeing to this and I'm fucking pissed off with you for getting me into it in the first place. Now, leave me alone." He started to stand. "I said leave me the fuck alone!"

Stuart began to walk away. He turned. "Ren -- you gonna be all right?"

"I'll get over it -- eventually. I don't know if she will."

Ren sat alone in the dining hall, his forehead supported by his palm. "Ren -- how are you doing?"

"Leave me alone."

"Man -- you been down all week!"

"What do you want, Stuart?"

"I wanna help, man..."

"I don't want your fucking help. I don't want to see your fucking face!"

"But Ren ... look up, will you?"

"Stuart? Can you excuse us?" Ren heard a familiar, female voice and he looked up. Scarlet was standing beside his friend.

"I'll leave you two alone," Stuart said and left.

"Scarlet -- what are you doing here?"

"Stuart and I spoke after class."

"He spoke to you?"

"Yes. He said I'd find you here; and he said you were miserable all week."

"Yeah, I've been miserable ... more so than ever in my life."

"I take that as an indication you might just have a conscience, Ren. I've been miserable, too. Stuart suggested I have a talk with you. I figured if you were only half as miserable as I am ... well, talking won't make it any worse."

"Please, sit." She sat across from him. "Scarlet, I..."

"Hear me out, first," she interrupted. "Ren -- you did hurt me ... deeply. I'm not accustomed to a guy like you giving me your sort of attention, and it felt pretty good. To learn it was a lie..."

"It started out as a lie," he protested. "It ended up being real. When we went to the gallery together ... that was real, Scarlet. And to the movies -- that was real, too."

"Please let me finish." She began wiping tears from her face.

"Oh, God, Scarlet -- please don't cry. I hate seeing girls cry."

"You hurt me, but you also spared me. If you had gone through with your ... wager ... and I had found out about it ... That would've destroyed me, Ren. I wouldn't have recovered."