Chapter 4: Decisions

Brenda had plenty of time to think on the long bus ride back to Providence. She had a lot to think about. First, there was Pete. Pete Polson had arrived in her life this past summer. She began to think that for the second time, she might be falling in love. Her first experience with the emotion was Mike Wilson. Now there was Pete. She was excited by him and that last time at the farm together when they made love was sublime. It was something she hoped would sustain her over the coming months.

Pete was entering his last year in Mechanical Engineering at Port Huron State, while Brenda was beginning her junior year at Coddington. In a moment of weakness, she confessed to Pete that if he had asked her to run away with him she would have done so without a second thought. Now however, she was having plenty of second thoughts. Not about Pete but about her future and what she wanted from it. They hadn't made any promises to each other but he was constantly in her thoughts.

Two more years at Coddington, providing she could maintain her athletic scholarship in volleyball. She didn't have any worries about her grades and since she was expected to be named co-captain, there was no real reason to worry about the scholarship. So what was rattling around in the back of her pretty red head? A couple of things, not the least of which was Randall McCulloch.

The last thing she expected from the seemingly shy and awkward Randall was to find him sharing a bed with a Senegalese girlfriend from his past. "Just passing through," he offered. It was a pretty weak defense. The question was, how did she feel about Randall despite the upset he had caused? She'd had all summer to think about the situation but Pete had pretty much interfered with any attempt at that.

Randall was an interesting man, very worldly despite his shyness. He had traveled extensively and had a wide variety of interests. It was that which captivated her and held her attention. He wasn't just a virile bed partner, he was a very bright, experienced man who impressed her as much with his brain as he did with his cock. What to do?

She didn't have long to get herself into the groove when she arrived back in Providence. Practice would be underway the next day and there was class orientation and books to purchase over the balance of the week. There really wasn't time to think about anything other than Coddington during the day.

"Hi, Brenda, welcome back," she heard from behind her in the hallway.

Brenda turned and smiled as Marj Ballenger walked up to her.

"Hey, Marj, how was your summer?"

"Great. I got to spend three weeks with Tommy in Maine ... all by ourselves," she giggled.

"Lucky you." Brenda was envious.

She tried to imagine three weeks alone with a lover. No interruptions, no parents looking over your shoulder. It must have been heaven for her teammate. Marj was from Flint, Michigan, not that far from Port Huron. She was a tall blonde, very attractive, and a very good volleyball player as well as an accomplished pianist.

"Ready for another season of bump and grind?" Marj asked.

"As ready as I'm likely to be. I think Coach has some high expectations for the team this year. I hope we can live up to them."

"Yeah ... that was the impression I got too. Say, how is Randall? Did you get any time with him this summer?"

"No. I caught him in his apartment with some African bitch. Big tits, big ass, hot pussy ... you know the routine. I guess he couldn't resist."

"Oh, jeez, sorry Bren. I thought he was a keeper."

"Yeah ... me too. Oh well, maybe I can use him to fill in between. I might have found some one better anyway."

"Really! Tell me about him."

"He's a basketball player and engineering student at Port Huron but he's from my part of Indiana. This is his senior year. His parents know my parents. Anyway, he's a stud and a nice guy as far as I can tell."

"Wow. Lucky girl. Hometown boy charms local girl athlete. Nice story," Marj grinned.

"We'll see. It's early yet ... but I have hopes."

"What's his name? I might have heard of him."

"Pete Polson."

Brenda saw a strange look come over Marj. One she couldn't identify.

"You know him?"

"Uhhm ... sort of. He's the star of the team."

"What aren't you telling me?" Brenda asked, sure that her friend was holding something back.

"Well ... uhhm ... he's got a bit of a ... reputation ... with the girls. At least, he used to. I don't know if it's true. I just heard from a couple of my girlfriends who go to PHC."

"Yeah, I know. He told me about that. I guess he had someone call him on it and gave him the incentive to change. Anyway, he says he's reformed. I hope so."

"Maybe he has changed," Marj volunteered, trying to be optimistic. "I can always find out from my friends."

"Yeah ... well ... let me know if you hear something different."

She didn't see Randall until the following Wednesday. He was trying to be invisible but not very successfully. He was high in the stands at practice that afternoon, partly hidden by the old steel trusses supporting the roof and in the darkness where none of the lights could reach. He was just too big to hide, though.

It was interesting. Was he there to see her or hunting another player ... one like Marj perhaps. Marj already had Tommy Pavano locked up as her steady. They seemed like an odd couple at first but they'd been going together since Tommy pinned her just before Christmas in her freshman year.

Tommy had a career all planned for him; taking over his father's paving business. What it lacked in glamour it made up in profitability. He had fallen head-over-heels for the big, willowy blonde and nothing was going to shake him from his goal, a degree in business administration and a future wife by the name of Marjorie Ballenger.

Marj was a junior as well and had spent most of her time as a freshman on the bench, watching Brenda with envy as she almost instantly became a star. But when Frankie Sampson graduated, Marj was ready to step in and she and Brenda presented a formidable front line. Now seasoned, their coach, Janet Bulkowski, was confident she had the best front in the conference. Along with Sami Cranston-Fowler digging out the backcourt balls, the prospects for the team looked solid.

Brenda was casting surreptitious glances in Randall's direction now and then, wondering if he noticed. It had brought her thoughts about him and now, Pete, back to the surface. Had Pete reformed from the reckless womanizer he admitted to. He acted like he had this summer, confessing his wayward lifestyle, not trying to hide. They'd made no promises to each other but there was something there that Brenda found almost irresistible. Would she be able to hold out until next summer?

Oh well, there was always Randall. He seemed genuinely sorry that he'd fucked that Senegalese girl. She knew him well enough to know that he wasn't checking out every bimbo on campus. Hell, he'd taken her to meet his parents, for Christ's sake. That wasn't someone who was just looking to score with anyone he could get his hands on. "Maybe I'll give him another chance," she thought. After all, he'll probably be gone after the Christmas-New Years break. He'll be job hunting for some far off location and out of her life.

She was sitting on the front steps of her dorm nursing an iced tea, when she saw him walking toward her.

"Hi, Brenda," Randall said carefully. "Mind if I sit down?"

She shook her head, "No ... have a seat."

"Good to see you again. I'm sorry I messed up and ruined our summer. I wish I could take it all back, but..."

"It's in the past, Randall. I had a good summer even so. How about you?"

"Not bad, but ... I guess I was dwelling on what happened ... between us."

"Not much point, you know. As you said, you can't undo it."

"I'm kind of hopin' we can at least be friends. We had a lot of good times together."

"Yeah, we did. I don't see why we can't be friends."

The smile on his face was one of delight and relief. "That's great. That's more than I hoped for, Brenda."

"Randall, I got to thinking this summer. You and I ... we're heading in different directions. You know, you have this world-wide ambition while I'm just an Indiana country girl. We're never going to be long term. That's just the way it is. But ... maybe we can be together while we're still at Coddington. We were good together and I did enjoy our weekends. If you can live with that ... well ... so can I."

"Are you serious? You'd still want to be with me?"

"Yeah. It would be friends with benefits, you know. Will that work for you?"

He looked at her for several moments before answering.

"If that's the best I can have, I'll take it. I can hardly complain, can I?" he smiled.

"Let's see how it goes. We can always change our minds. In the meantime, if you or I find someone special ... then we just go our separate ways. No hard feelings. Besides, you'll be gone in the New Year anyway. Okay?"

He nodded. "Thanks, Bren. That's more than I deserve after what I did. Let me think about something we can do this weekend and I'll call you."

"Okay," she smiled. It would be worth a try, she thought. If it works, great. If not, well, she'd be back where she started but no worse off.

When Randall came to pick her up he had a surprise for her. He had finally disposed of the old Corona or, perhaps more correctly, it had died a predictable death and had been replaced. Brenda didn't miss it but was surprised at its replacement. Randall arrived in a late model Chevrolet Impala in light metallic blue. It looked to be in very good condition and was clean inside and out, unlike the Toyota.

"Where did you get this?" she asked with a smile at the distinct improvement in transportation.

"My father bought it at a government auction and sold it to me. He got it at a ridiculously low price so I could afford it."

"Well, it's a big step up from 'Old Smokey, ' I'll say that for it."

"Yeah, well it's got a couple of extras too."

"A radio ... and a heater I hope," Brenda cackled.

"Yeah ... and an air conditioner, heavy duty suspension, oversize wheels and tires, special high performance engine and bulletproof glass and doors," he said, barely able to restrain his laughter.

"What! Bulletproof glass?"

"Yup. I figure it must have been an F.B.I. or Secret Service car. I've been looking around to see if has any machine gun ports but I haven't found any yet."

"Oh goody!" Brenda laughed. "Well, at least I'll be safe from attack when I'm out with you."

"Well, from the outside anyway," he grinned. "It's got a lot of miles on it but they don't show. I guess these cars get looked after very well. I suppose they have to, don't they?"

"Well, Randall, I can't think of anything more different from the old Toyota than this. Why don't you take me for a ride and we can see what other surprises it holds."

Randall had bought tickets to an outdoor concert by a local folk/rock group and it rained. They sat huddled on a soggy blanket with a golf umbrella covering them as the band soldiered on to a sparse crowd. Not a very auspicious beginning to their new relationship. But afterwards, they went back to Randall's apartment, stripped, threw their soaked clothes in the dryer and jumped into bed, eager to warm up.

Brenda found it impossible not to compare Randall to Pete. They were both big men in every respect but each was different in his own way. Randall was still awkward despite his experience. On the other hand, he tried hard to please Brenda. He was always enthusiastic but sometimes not quite as sensitive as Brenda would like. Just the same, he was a very good lover.

Pete had been different. He was happy to lead Brenda and let her tell him if she wanted something different. With so much less experience, it was hard for Brenda to say that Pete was better or not but she felt something completely different with him. That feeling was absent with Randall and every other man she had known with the exception of Mike Wilson, her first. She still dreamed of Mike and his gentle way of bringing her to orgasm. Perhaps he was always going to be the standard that everyone else would be compared to.

After their soggy beginning, they settled into the routine they had established the previous year. Randall once again resumed his seat in the bleachers behind the bench, meeting Brenda after practice or a game for a snack. He missed her when she was away on a road game but she often tried to make it up on Sunday if she was back in time. When she thought about it, the sex with Randall was good and she was becoming dependent on it. He never failed to find something interesting to do on their free weekends so their relationship had a good foundation.

The fact that Randall was constantly around warded off any potential suitors for Brenda's affections. It wasn't that he was threatening but it was plain that Brenda had chosen him as her escort for at least the semester and no interlopers need apply. If Brenda wanted to meet someone different, it would be up to her to make the first move.

As Thanksgiving passed and Christmas approached, the team had amassed an eight win, two loss record, their best in years. More importantly, they were seven wins, one loss in conference and headed for a showdown with Portland Union, the defending conference title holder. Coddington's one loss had been to Maine State, when Marj and Sami had both gone down with injuries and they were forced to play two frosh in their place.

Marj's sprained ankle kept her out for the following exhibition game with Wellesley, while Sami was back but nursing a sore hamstring. Wellesley handled them easily and coach Bulkowski used subs most of the second and third games. She was saving her top performers for the conference games. Luckily, the game was played at Wellesley so the home fans didn't witness the thrashing.

The Portland Union game would be the final game of the season, played just after classes resumed in the New Year. Not good, in the opinion of coach Bulkowski. With two weeks off for Christmas and New Years, it was going to be a struggle to keep the team together, hold regular practices and stay sharp. Only a handful of the players would be around the campus over the holiday season as many were going home for Christmas. Her one hope was that PU would encounter the same problem. Their only advantage was that the game would be on Coddington's turf and the girls had beaten "Old Stinky" in Portland earlier.

Brenda suffered less from the holiday blues through Thanksgiving and Christmas but knew her time with Randall was coming to an end. He had sent out several résumés, however nothing had come of them yet. He would be staying in his apartment until something happened so it was likely that he would be nearby for some time.

Happily, Randall was well aware of her feelings about missing her home and family and worked hard to keep her spirits up with a variety of events and adventures for them. Brenda was invited to Randall's parents' home for Christmas dinner, just as Mrs. McCulloch had promised the year before. It was a delightful day and a wonderful fresh roasted turkey graced a table burdened with all the traditional trimmings.

They attended a New Years party at a fraternity house, leaving shortly after midnight when the party appeared to be getting a bit out of hand. They went back to his apartment and celebrated the New Year in their own fashion.

During the fall, they had continued their exploration of unusual restaurants once a month or so, with regular good luck. Brenda had learned to try and appreciate so many different foods thanks to Randall. It was something she was anxious to share with her family if she ever got the opportunity. The Reichart family was pretty much meat and potatoes style, with the occasional Chinese or Italian visit. Fairmount and Walnut Grove didn't offer anything else.

Brenda had mixed feelings about Randall's uncertain future with her. On the one hand, as long as he was still around, the better her weekends would be. With only one more game on the schedule, she would be free to be with him from Friday evening through to Sunday, just like last year. It would help keep her occupied and pass the time between now and the end of term. She was getting a regular diet of good sex so why complain?

On the other hand, there was Pete. True, they hadn't made any promises, but she was confident he would have been abstaining from sex, not dating until they were together again. Her belief was based on what Pete had said in that moment of revelation about his past. Did that mean he took their new relationship more seriously than she did? It would seem like it to anyone from the outside. And what about next year? No Randall or Pete. What would she do then?

In mid-February, Randall was called to New York for an interview with the United Nations. There was a position opening in the Department of Political Affairs for a junior analyst on the Africa file. It was tailor-made for Randall and he was excited when he left for the "Big Apple" to test his luck. It would be several weeks before he learned if he was accepted. It was a job he truly wanted and he was forcing himself to be patient.

The second week of March, he was called in again for another interview on the same job and happily went back to New York, hoping this meant he was on the short list at least. He was. In fact, with his father's diplomatic background and Randall's experience in several African countries, no one else was anywhere near as qualified. By the end of March, he had given up his apartment in preparation for his new career at the United Nations building.

It wasn't a shock to Brenda. It had developed slowly and she knew he was well qualified for the opportunity and guessed that he would make the cut. He was a bright, energetic man, who presented himself well and who undoubtedly would succeed in the future.

His parents threw a congratulatory party for him and invited Brenda, along with several other friends and family. They knew Brenda would remain behind and that she was not going to be part of his future but they could also see the difference she had made in Randall in the year they had known each other. Her invitation was an acknowledgement and a thank you to her.

In a way, Brenda was relieved that Randall had found his future before her school year ended. She had two months left in her junior year before heading home for the summer. Two months before she would see Pete again. What would that be like? Would they be the same together as they were last year?

As the weeks passed, she was thinking more and more about seeing Pete once again. They had been corresponding irregularly by e-mail but it wasn't the same as being there in person. Both had tried to call each other on the phone at Christmas but they never did connect. One or the other of them would be out when the call came through. They had studiously avoided any talk about their relationship, wanting to wait until they could talk in person.

Brenda arrived back in Fairmount after the usual family greeting at the Indianapolis bus terminal. Her brother, Chuck, wasn't back from his freshman year at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville. He would arrive by car before the weekend. Yes, Chuck now had his own car, earned through summer jobs and his father's assistance. From her mother's description, it sounded a bit like Randall's old Toyota but she was sure her parents wouldn't let him drive anything dangerous.

Terry, her sister, would be entering her senior year at high school and hadn't yet decided on which college she would attend. Despite her tomboy ways and erratic disposition, she was a very bright student and likely to earn a scholarship somewhere. It didn't escape Brenda's notice that her sister had matured physically this past year and was quite an attractive young woman in her own right. Tall at five-foot-nine, she had the distinctive dark red hair of her mother and sister, now grown longer and styled. She would have already attracted the attention of many boys if she didn't frighten them off with her occasional bursts of temper.

Brenda fit back into the family as seamlessly as if she'd never been away. She too had matured and now carried herself with a quiet confidence without even being aware of it. Both her mother and father noticed.

"Brenda is quite a different young lady, don't you think Tom?" she commented while Brenda and Terry were cleaning up the dinner dishes.

"Yes. She's an adult now, so I guess it shouldn't surprise us ... but ... she is much more relaxed and ... self-assured."

"What do you think she'll do next year when she graduates?" Vera asked.

"She told me she wanted to work at the store and find a home here. She seems pretty sure she wants to live in this part of the country if she can. I'd be happy as hell to have her take over some day. She's bright and conscientious and would do us proud. It would be good for the town too, having one of our own come home and stay."

Vera Reichart nodded. "I don't think there's any man in her life though."

"Not so sure about that. We'll find out if Pete Polson shows up," Tom grinned.

"Yes ... she certainly did get on well with him, didn't she? I guess we'll have to wait and see."

They didn't have to wait long. Promptly at one o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, Pete's restored 1948 Chevrolet panel van rolled to a stop in front of the store. Brenda had been finishing up with a customer and didn't see either the van or the big, handsome man enter and walk quietly to the front counter.

"Got time for a picnic, Miss?" he said as he stepped forward.

"Pete!" she exclaimed, almost running around the counter to hug him. "You didn't tell me you were coming."

"Heck ... it's Wednesday at one o'clock. Don't we always go out to lunch then?"

She laughed at the reminder of the previous summer. "Yeah. I should have known. If you'd told me, I'd have made a lunch for us."

"No problem. I stopped by your mom's this morning and we whipped something up." He was obviously enjoying the surprise.

"You sneak. You never said a word. I wasn't even sure if you were home yet."

"Yeah, I've been home for a couple of weeks. The convocation ceremonies were a bit earlier this year. I'm now a graduate of Port Huron State College with a Bachelor of Science. How about that? The dumb jock made it."

"Pete Polson! You were never a dumb jock. Are you working for your dad this summer?"

"Yes ... for now. Why don't we go for lunch when your dad gets back and I'll tell you all about what's been going on."

He'd no more got the words out of his mouth when Brenda's father walked in from the back door and greeted Pete.

"Hi, Pete. Vera told me you were back in town. Congratulations on your degree. You must be pretty proud. Your parents too."