Brother Willy’s

Traveling Salvation Show

W. Scott Mitchell

Copyright 2013

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Table of Contents

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

Chapter IX

Chapter X

Chapter XI

Chapter XII

Chapter XIII

Chapter XIV

Chapter XV

Chapter XVI

Chapter XVII

Chapter XVIII

Chapter XIX

Chapter XX

Chapter XXI

Chapter XXII

Chapter XXIII

Chapter XXIV

Chapter XXV

Other Books By W. Scott Mitchell

FORWARD

Scott is a young man haunted by his past and Michelle is a young woman haunted by her future of uncertainty. They have been together for years, but never as a couple in love. Their families believe the destiny of the young couple is obvious, while needing only a push in the right direction. Enter stage left the team that makes up “Brother Willy’s Traveling Salvation Show”.

In a style typical for Mitchell, a casual subplot of political corruption is woven into the fabric of the novel. Also typical for Mitchell, the reader is denied a clear path or direction that the novel will take, thus leaving the outcome all but certain. For reasons discovered late in the book, Scott has a personal determination to fix all the “broken girls” he encounters along the way to fulfilling his “destiny” to be with Michelle.

Michelle, like Scott accepts the conventional wisdom that she and Scott must be in love with each other as they have been friends for over ten years. She is a modern young woman raised with a pack of brothers who taught her to be assertive to the point that she sometimes loses sight of her direction in life. She willfully plays along with Scott’s assertion that he is an amateur Sherlock Holmes until both face a problem without a solution and complicated by mystical impossibilities.

Melissa Armstrong

Chapter I

James Whitney, the son of a wealthy North Carolina industrialist, entered college on a legacy admission granted by the institution as a favor to James’ father for his many financial contributions.

James made his way through the college to earn a degree in political science. Despite his average performance in school, he was somewhat talented in the area of politics. Unlike his industrialist father, he felt a sense of history as he walked through the halls of the Rayburn Office building in Washington D.C. It was in this building that James worked for Congressman Milton T Snyder who represented a congressional district in western North Carolina.

Once again, James secured his position in Congressman Snyder’s office because of his father’s influence and campaign contributions. James was a young man who was loyal to the Congressman, although he often silently disagreed with Snyder’s political stands on various issues. Being given the title of “political director” and “press relations manager”, James often found himself on the inside of many high level discussions.

Having been with the Congressman for almost four years, James had gone from college to a high-ranking position without the benefit of understanding the real world outside of Washington. Having moved up quickly, he was somewhat impressed with his position and enjoyed being on the “inside”. One skill he had yet to master was the ability to understand the value of keeping inside information confidential.

It was a beautiful spring day in early May, when Congressman Snyder called for a late Friday afternoon meeting with James. As James sat across from Congressman Snyder, Milton began to speak. “I will be leaving on Wednesday for Saint Lucia as part of my Caribbean fact finding initiative. I don’t want to publicize this trip but if anyone should ask, I am going to see how we can lift those poor people out of poverty through economic development.”

James looked down at his legal pad as he was taking notes. “Who else will be going on this trip?”

“Since Rachel is my chief of staff, she will be going. When you book my flight, I will fly out of Washington and she will leave from Asheville. We will meet in Atlanta, so make sure we are on the same flight out of Atlanta.” Milton demanded.

James was somewhat awkward with his response. “Congressman, I am already getting a few questions about your relationship with Rachel. This could blow up in your face if word gets out.”

Milton leaned back in his seat as he considered his options. “The best way to stop someone from catching you doing something is to announce what you’re doing. If there is no surprise, then there is no news. Do a press release tonight and try to hit the Saturday papers when no one is paying attention.”

James was going to make one more effort to persuade Milton Snyder to reconsider. “The press is watching you closely and discretion in this matter is worth considering.”

Milton smiled as he responded. “I appreciate you looking after my interest, but I’m not worried about it. I represent a district that has a combined IQ only slightly higher than a butterfly. If I say the word Jesus using three syllables, they think I am announcing the second coming. Let’s face the facts. My voters have the attention span of a dead frog. Half of them don’t even know my name and the other half could care less.”

James continued to make notes. “As long as you are aware of the press scrutiny, then I’ve done my job.”

Milton Snyder leaned forward. “We have another year before the next election. If something blows up, then I know a church leader who will publicly forgive me. I’ll put my wife on stage, say I committed a horrible unforgivable sin, and then ask the voters to forgive me and they will.”

“Are you sure Mrs. Snyder will stand on that stage with you?” James asked.

“My wife loves the power, influence, the parties, and the trips to the White House every Christmas. You can damn well take it to the bank that she will be on that stage with me. Without me, she goes back to slopping pigs on some hog farm in North Carolina.” Milton replied.

James left the Rayburn Office Building shortly after five o’clock. He arrived at the Starbucks on Pennsylvania Avenue where he and other staff members frequently met after work. While sitting at a table, he shared his concerns about Snyder’s trip with another staff member. Unknown to James, he was also sharing his information with a member of the press sitting at the next table.

With a high degree of arrogance and reckless disregard, Congressman Snyder and Rachel left for their steamy five-day stay in Saint Lucia.

Chapter II

Like most small towns in the south, East Kings Ridge was almost indistinguishable from all the other small towns they visited. Business districts were measured in blocks rather than miles. There would always be a hardware store, a women’s clothing store, a local drugstore, at least two lawyers' offices, a small furniture outlet, and some type of locally owned eating establishment, all scattered along Main Street. Typically, there would be several vacant storefronts in various states of disrepair. There were usually at least two churches for each denomination and sometimes more.

On the outskirts of town, there was normally a used car lot with the owner wearing a plaid coat and sunglasses while standing outside under an awning awaiting the next customer. Brother Willy contended there were many reputable used car dealers, but conceded there were also many dealers who would “swindle their own mother out of her last dime” in order to make the sale.

Oddly enough, it was the less than honest dealers that so often attracted Brother Willy’s attention. In fact, Willy often said the dealers with questionable ethics provided the inspiration for him to organize “Brother Willy’s Traveling Salvation Show”. Willy made the argument that he could sell any car so long as he had a few cans of spray paint and one can of deodorant. With his booming voice and a genuine smile, he would explain his thoughts. “If I make it shine and smell good, then sooner or later somebody is going to pay top dollar for it.”

Everyone knew Willy was not actually talking about cars. He was making the argument that people are looking for something they don’t have, but feel they need. He knew people would be willing to give up something if they thought they could get something better in return. In this particular case, he assumed people would gladly give up money if they had an opportunity for salvation. What made his concept interesting was the fact that he never actually defined what salvation might be.

They traveled everywhere in a convoy which consisted of Willy’s 1985 black Cadillac, a motor home, and a twenty-eight foot box truck towing a Coachman travel trailer. Mrs. Bessie rode with Willy in the Cadillac, along with several wigs and boxes of makeup. The car was always cleaned and polished to perfection before Willy made an entrance in the town.

Michelle and Scott were next in the convoy driving the motor home and were the newest members of the organization. Michelle recently became the business manager after having taken over those duties from Bessie Lou. Scott had been given the title of general manager while knowing that Willy directed the operation in its entirety. Scott was unsure why he was given the title, as he carried out a wide assortment of jobs in the organization.

Following Michelle and Scott were Joe and Hank. They drove the U-Haul truck and were, for lack of a better description, the stage managers. They carried folding chairs, tents, tables, a confessional booth, lighting equipment, and a sound system that would satisfy most rock and roll bands.

Several years ago, Hank installed a generator system on the truck that could provide enough electricity to power the entire operation. The generator would allow us to operate in a cow pasture, parks, or in a desert should we so desire. Being self-sufficient was no minor consideration given they often set up shop at the old fairgrounds and in parking lots in various towns.

Brother Willy was perhaps the most interesting member of the party. His name was actually William Broughton and he spent much of his life in New England working with a computer services company. He was fluent in Spanish and could hold his own when speaking Chinese, which he learned while being overseas with his company. His job and training had made Willy a most perceptive man.

He had the ability to analyze people in a very short time, almost appearing to know their very thoughts. Willy also had the ability to establish an instant sense of trust with people he met along the way. Willy had no formal religious or psychological training, yet was quite comfortable with his abilities in both fields. Being a very easy man to talk with, even strangers would open up to him, disclosing their darkest secrets.

Perhaps his appearance was part of the reason people were drawn to him. His wavy white hair framed his face and his wire-rimmed glasses drew attention to his trusting blue eyes. Scott assumed that if Willy had a white beard and red coat, he would look much like Santa Clause, although not quite so heavy. His choice of suits made him appear respectable, but never overpowering.

“Bessie Lou” was actually Betsy Broughton and had been married to William for almost forty years. The name Mrs. Bessie was only used when they were on the road and was a name she did not openly endorse, except when she was on stage. She had taught music at a small private college in Vermont for almost twenty-five years. Her skills on keyboard instruments were obvious, but Scott was astonished by her ability to play classical music on the violin. Betsy was not only musically talented, but also had an intense interest in reading a wide variety of subjects.

William and Betsy lived on a thousand acre farm outside of New Bern, North Carolina and were very similar to each other in many respects. They both embraced the roles they played with the “Salvation Show” and were outstanding performers. Betsy was someone who Scott considered an elegant and graceful woman. William was well-traveled, educated, and shared Betsy’s broad range of interests. Watching the two of them make their transition from their normal personality to their onstage persona was nothing short of amazing.

Joe and Hank had other obligations beyond being just stage managers for the “Traveling Salvation Show”. Joe had attended college at NC State University where he majored in agriculture. With that experience, he had taken on the responsibility and oversight of the Broughton farm operations. Joe was in his early fifties and the years in the sun had taken a toll on his skin. He loved the outdoors and when time permitted, he would take his wife Anna horseback riding on overnight trips while spending several days removed from civilization.

Hank was cut from a different mold than Joe. Being in his mid forties, Hank often said he needed to decide what he was going to do when he grew up. Hank had tried college in his younger days only to hear a different calling. In his early thirties, he had tried marriage, but his ex-wife also heard a different calling. It would be safe to call Hank a man of free spirit. He had grown through his youth playing in rock and bluegrass bands. While on the road, Hank was the expert in lighting and sound for the show.

Hank and Betsy got along like a brother and sister act. Betsy taught Hank to appreciate classical music and Hank inspired Betsy to use her violin to play bluegrass. Both Betsy and Hank had great musical voices and used those talents to bring down the house when they performed in small towns.

Becoming a member of the Traveling Salvation Show is not a job one acquires by application or resume. Actually, Michelle was responsible for Scott becoming a part of this most unusual organization.

Chapter III

Michelle and Scott met for the first time when they were in the seventh grade. When they met, she was not a full-blown ‘tomboy’ but she certainly had some of those tendencies, or at least Scott thought she did.

During the late summer before beginning seventh grade, the school held tryouts for the male students who wanted to play baseball. Scott and many of his male friends came at the appointed time in hopes of making the team. Much to his shock, Michelle also showed up to try out for the team. Apparently, Michelle was also the first girl ever to show up at Westover Junior High for baseball tryouts and the coach obviously had no idea how to handle the situation.

Scott was standing at home plate putting on the catchers gear when one of his friends poked him in the ribs. His friend was determined for Scott to see Michelle walking toward the dugout where most of the team hopefuls had gathered. Just like most seventh grade boys, they were interested in baseball and girls. Like most of his friends, Scott was not especially knowledgeable about either. They therefore quickly reached the conclusion she was lost as she made her way down the third base line.

The coach stood in front of the dugout reading the list of names who had signed up to play. Michelle showed no sign of hesitation as she walked up and stood beside the coach. He looked up from his clipboard and pointed to the school building. “Cheerleading tryouts are in the gym.”

Michelle’s voice was quiet but persistent. “I came to try out for baseball, not cheerleading. After a few moments, he again turned his attention to her. “Girl’s softball tryouts are next Tuesday. Jones, you are on first, Franklin you are on second, Casten is at third, and McDaniel is at short.”

Michelle cleared her throat and replied, “I came to play baseball, not softball.”

At this point, the coach turned at looked at Michelle expressing his displeasure without saying a word. He called out before he turned away, “Peter, take the mound”.

With that said, he walked over to the bleachers to hold what Scott assumed was a consultation with another teacher. They looked back at Michelle several times, as they continued to talk. By the time the coach had finished his conversation, the boys in the dugout were making every disparaging girl playing baseball joke they could think of. Scott had left the plate and was walking down the first base line when the coach returned.

Scott stood a few feet away as the coach spoke to Michelle. “This will have to go before the school board. Since you are already here, put on a helmet and grab a bat.”

While Scott returned to home plate to warm up the pitcher, Michelle put her glove in the dugout, picked up a helmet and a bat, then started toward home plate. For the first time, he could see in her expression a sense of reluctance. She stood several steps behind the batters box taking practice swings as the pitcher made his last three warm up pitches. The coach signaled for Scott to come to the mound for a conference with the pitcher. Their conference consisted of the coach telling them to treat her as they would any other player. He also suggested they throw junk on the first two pitches and see if they could strike her out. He assured them she would swing at anything.

As Scott walked back from the mound, he could see an expression of determination mixed with a suggestion of reluctance. As he got close to the plate, Scott muttered under his breath so no one but Michelle could hear him. “Don’t swing at the first pitch. Let it go by.”

Scott crouched down in the catcher’s position as she approached the plate while listening to Scott as she spoke in a condescending voice. “I know how to play baseball.”

Scott’s response reflected his displeasure with her tone of voice. “That’s good, but I know what he is going to throw and you don’t. Look low and away.”

She touched the end of the bat to the plate and then pulled the bat over her shoulder. Peter threw the first pitch making it hit the dirt before it crossed the plate. She did not attempt to swing at the ball. Scott stood and threw the ball back to Peter and offered her a second piece of advice. “He will come inside next time so watch out.”

Peter threw the next ball inside, almost hitting Michelle. Much to Scott’s surprise, she made no effort to back out of the batters box. Still in a quiet voice, he offered her one last piece of information. Scott pulled his facemask down so he would not be seen talking to her. “The next one will be down the middle, if he can throw one down the middle.”

Her response this time was made with more civility. “Fastball or change up?”

Scott replied, “With Peter, there’s not much difference”.

Scott could hear her giggle as she raised her bat. Once Peter released the ball, Scott raised his glove slightly to make the catch. He heard the crack of her bat as the ball made its way over the head of the first baseman and down the right field line. After a series of fielding errors, Michelle had turned what should have been a single into a triple. Any remaining comments from the dugout quickly turned to silence.

Several batters came up before Jeff got a hit that brought Michelle sliding in at home. As she sat in the dirt with her hand on home plate, she spoke in a soft voice. “Thank you.”

That one day of tryouts was the beginning of a friendship that has lasted ever since. In many ways, it was a strange friendship. They never went out on what most people would call a date, yet they often went places together. In high school, they would often take day trips to the coast, go out for pizza when neither of them had a date, and they spent a great deal of time entangled in each other’s life.

It was rare when Scott would approve of whom she was dating and she rarely had anything nice to say about the girls he dated. Neither Michelle nor Scott was involved in a long-term serious relationship during high school until Scott was a senior. It had not occurred to him until he was off at college why this might have been the case. All but one of the girls he dated apparently had a problem accepting the friendship Michelle and Scott shared. He found out recently she had the same problem.

Michelle and Scott went to different colleges yet managed to talk to each other every few days. They planned their trips home in order to spend time together when they were on break. Still, time and distance had started to change their long-standing friendship in ways that were at first very subtle. They still talked at least four times each week, but the conversations were shorter and at times strained. There were just too many miles between them to stay involved in each other’s daily life. They didn’t know the same people or share a common knowledge of places and events. By their senior year in college, Michelle had met someone and their time together became harder to arrange.

After graduation from college, Michelle and Scott moved back to New Bern until they could find jobs. They had been back for only two days when Michelle called and suggested they spend the day on the beach at Cape Lookout. By 10:30 the next morning, they had taken the ferry from Harkers Island, visited the lighthouse, and were lying on the beach while talking about their long history together. For most of the morning, they were acting as if they had never been apart from each other, although she did at times appear distracted.

After lunch, Scott found out why she was distracted. She was sitting on her beach towel as she pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees before she spoke. “I want to ask you something and I want you to be very honest with me”

Scott agreed and she, with great hesitation, posed her question. “Tom has asked me to marry him and I want to know what you think.”

For reasons he could not explain, Scott felt as though he had been punched in the stomach by a prizefighter. He sat in total silence longer than he should have, as he watched the waves breaking on the shoreline. After far too much thought, Scott offered Michelle the best advice he could conjure up on short notice. “I think that if you are in love with him, if he makes you happy, and you are ready to settle down, then you should go for it.”

Her response was also long in coming and was made with the same reluctance she was feeling. “He wants us to move to New England and if we do, you and I won’t see much of each other any more.”

Scott took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I guess that somewhere in the back of my mind I always knew this day would come. I just didn’t expect it to come this soon.”

Michelle was also watching the waves as neither of them really wanted to look at the other. Her voice was soft and reflective. “We’ve come so far together and we held each other up through the good times and the bad times. Do you think I am ready for this?”

Scott shook his head slowly, indicating he could not answer her question. “You are the only person on earth that can solve that mystery. I wish I could tell you the right thing to do, but I don’t know. What did you tell him when he proposed to you? What were you feeling?”

Her hesitation in responding spoke volumes about the uncertainty she was feeling. “I told him I would marry him, and at the time, I was very excited.”

“Then maybe that’s the answer to your question.” Scott replied.

Michelle had her doubts as she pointed out something he had not expected. “I was excited until the novelty wore off. When I was driving home from school, I began to have some serious doubts. I don’t know if I am ready to move on to that part of my life yet. I don’t know for sure that he is the right person for me.”

Given the fact that Scott had never approved of anyone Michelle went out with, he saw her new boyfriend as no exception, even though Scott did not know him. Still, he chose to challenge Tom’s worthiness to marry Michelle. “Suppose Tom were a baseball catcher and you were coming to bat. Do you think he would tip you off as to what pitch would be coming across the plate?”

She turned her attention from the ocean and looked directly at him. “He is very competitive, so I don’t know if he would or not.”

Scott also turned and looked at her. “If you aren’t sure, then you need to take some time to think about getting married. He has to be on your side.”

Michelle knew Scott was not talking about baseball, but rather making a statement about his commitment to support her. Scott also knew he needed to be very careful with his words. She had agreed to marry Tom and the least Scott could do was to support her choice, even if he didn’t like her decision. With some degree of forced enthusiasm, Scott raised the important question, “So when is the big day?”

She continued to stare at him, as she called his bluff. “We haven’t set a date yet and stop acting like you are excited for me.”

After all the years they had known each other, telling a lie was useless. “I’m sorry, but you don’t appear all that excited. Why don’t you tell me what’s really bothering you?”

She immediately turned her attention back to the breaking waves before speaking in a soft voice. “You wouldn’t understand.”

Scott continued to watch her expression while being somewhat surprised by her comment. “That’s the first time I have ever heard you say that to me.”

She was clearly frustrated as she turned her attention back to him. “You are not a female and my problem wouldn’t make sense to you.”

She had not only raised his curiosity, but also made him more determined to offer some degree of self-defense. “I am not a deer either, but I am reasonably sure I don’t want to be shot.”

Much to his surprise, the more he tried to help, the more frustrated she became. She stood up and took a few steps toward the ocean before she turned to face him. “Consider yourself lucky that I don’t have a gun and that you are not a deer. She took several more steps toward the ocean before calling back to him. “Are you coming?”

Scott reached into his backpack and took out the Frisbee, carrying it by his side as they walked to the edge of the water. They stood together for a few minutes before she spoke. “Scott, I don’t think I would be doing the right thing by getting married. It just doesn’t feel right when I’m with Tom.”

Scott picked up a seashell and handed it to her before he spoke. “You’ve told me for the last nine months how well things were going between you and Tom. I guess you were right. I don’t understand.”

It was becoming clear that Michelle was not going to explain whatever she thought he would not understand. She reached down to his hand, taking the Frisbee before calling out, “Go long”.

They spent the rest of the day at the beach playing with the Frisbee, walking along the almost deserted shoreline, and talking about everything except her marriage. As Tom had gone home to New England to begin his search for a job, Michelle and Scott very quickly reverted to their familiar pattern of going places together. With most of their old friends moving away from New Bern, neither of them had much of a social life left.

CHAPTER IV

Michelle left in mid June to visit Tom and meet his parents. When she returned, she said very little about her engagement or anything related to her wedding plans. For all practical purposes, life was more or less normal for Michelle and Scott. They were both still looking for jobs, spending days at the beach, and they were both coming to realize their carefree way of life could not continue. Part time jobs were not going to sustain either of them going forward and they knew time was running out.

Scott had known for some time that Michelle was Betsy and William Broughton’s niece and that Michelle was very close to her Aunt Betsy. What he had not expected was the invitation to attend a cookout at the Broughton farm on the night of July 4th. Scott knew William and Betsy well enough to speak and carry on a conversation, but he didn’t really see himself fitting into their social circles. He therefore assumed his being invited to the cookout was in deference to Michelle. Scott was wrong in his assumption and his experience on the Fourth of July would be a life-changing event.

He was reluctant to go, but Michelle insisted she did not want to go alone and therefore, Scott had to go with her. Her argument was based on a friendship rule they made with each other while still in high school. As it turned out, his reluctance was not well founded as Betsy and William had the ability to make Scott feel as if he were part of the family.

They arrived at the farm shortly after five thirty in the afternoon. The first thing he noticed was the beautiful two-story antebellum home. Scott assumed the house was a typical plantation home and was large enough to be impressive in its own right. Large white columns extended from the porch to the second story roofline supporting a second story walk out balcony. A very large brick chimney penetrated the roof near the center of the house. Original white clapboard siding provided a perfect contrast for the black shutters beside the windows. The front entrance was both wider and taller than normal, flanked by sidelights with a large elliptical window above the door.

Not far from the house, Scott could see barns and grain silos surrounded by what he assumed were hundreds of acres of soybeans. The yard was thick and deep green in color with the bushes and hedges trimmed to perfection. Betsy’s flowers were in full bloom adding a large variety of colors to the picturesque landscape.

They walked beside the house to the back yard where the others were already gathered. As Michelle and Scott turned the corner, they saw her parents, George and Sally, talking to Betsy. What he did not expect to see were Scott’s parents, Mark and Sandy, sitting next to William Broughton. It was obvious from listening to the conversations that they all knew each other quite well, yet he had never heard his parents ever mention William or Betsy.

Shortly after they arrived, Joe, Anna, Hank and his new girlfriend Nancy came along to join the party. As they made the rounds greeting each person, Scott could not help but notice the extra attention his parents gave Michelle as his mother hugged her and his dad gave her a kiss on the cheek. Neither Michelle’s nor Scott’s siblings were at the party making them the only ones present under the age of forty-five.

Throughout dinner, there was no shortage of interesting conversation, jokes, and stories of days and events gone by. There was a nice variety of food and all of it had been prepared to perfection. Scott was very interested in listening to Betsy, as she was a very graceful and intelligent woman who could command attention with her soft-spoken ways. Scott was equally impressed with the more boisterous William who appeared to possess a very broad range of knowledge and experience.

After they finished cleaning up the dishes from dinner, Hank, Joe and Betsy took out their guitars and violin and began to play. They played an interesting variety of music including bluegrass, classical, old rock and some typical sing along songs. Two ideas crossed Scott’s mind as he watched them perform. They were each talented musicians and they obviously played music together quite often. Frequently, they would make the transition from one song to another without stopping or even looking at each other for direction. In some respects, it was as if he and Michelle were watching a prepared concert.

What had been a nice Fourth of July cookout was starting to become somewhat strange. William held up two fingers, apparently sending some type of signal, which everyone except Michelle and Scott understood. Without hesitation, they all stood up and began to sing the first two verses of “We Shall Overcome”. At then end of the song and without a word being spoken, they all started walking away toward the barn.

Michelle and Scott were sitting at the picnic table with Scott’s dad and Michelle’s mom, who remained seated with them. Michelle and Scott continued to watch the others walking away in a group and Michelle apparently shared his curiosity. “Where is everyone going, mom?”

Sally glanced at Scott’s dad for a moment before she spoke, “Your Uncle William has a proposition for both you and Scott.

Scott took his turn to question Michelle’s mother as he watched Michelle’s expression. “Is this like a job offer?”

Sally knew where Scott was going with his question and took the opportunity to bring his Dad into the conversation. “Mark, I think I would describe it as a chance to broaden their horizons. What do you think?”

Mark nodded his head. “I agree with Sally and I would add that it is a job and also a chance to gain some insight into your life.”

Michelle started laughing as she turned to Scott. “It sounds like a commercial for the US Army. Can you be more specific?”

Neither Scott’s dad nor Sally so much as smiled, indicating they were both very serious. Sally was rather direct in her reply. “I would suggest you take this as a serious matter because it is a one time offer.”

Scott came quickly to Michelle’s defense and was equally serious with his response. “It would be hard for either of us to consider the offer when we don’t know what the offer is.”

Michelle also pointed out something that Scott thought should be obvious to all. “Mom, you do remember I am getting married, don’t you?”

Scott’s dad chose to reply to Michelle’s question. “Little girls, big girls, engaged girls and married women should always be aware of their options. Many women go through life never understanding their choices. Being married does not deprive you of your right to choose your course in life.”

Sally chose to approach Michelle’s concerns from a different perspective. “You do not have to make any decision tonight. All you have to do is agree to a few simple rules and then you are free to take this opportunity or leave it.”

Michelle was the type of person who rarely drifted far from her comfort zone without knowing what she could expect and tonight was no exception. “What are the rules?”

Sally began to speak after glancing at Mark. “Michelle knows, and I suspect Scott is quickly learning, that her Uncle William has a flare for the dramatic. Before he will make you an offer, he wants to know that each of you have the ability to act.”

Scott’s expression should have easily revealed his sense of astonishment. “Do you mean acting as in being in a movie or on stage?”

Mark nodded his head and replied, “That’s all there is to it. You will be given a script to read and then you will be asked to improvise for a few minutes.”

Michelle spoke without hesitation, “We don’t know anything about acting”.

Mark took issue with Michelle’s proclamation. “Actually, we think both of you have a natural talent that William would like to evaluate.”

Sally spoke immediately after Mark finished his statement. “Here are the other rules. Once you agree to begin William’s evaluation, you have to stay with it until the end. In addition, you may not question or object to the directions you are given.”

Mark and Sally stood up from the table at the same time he was giving Michelle and Scott their final comments. “You have ten minutes to make your decision. If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity, come to the barn. We are your parents and you have our word that we believe this is something in your best interest.”

Sally was about to turn away, but remembered one final condition. “Betsy will be the director. You are to take instructions from her and only her. You have no obligation to listen to anyone else.”

When their parents were too far away to hear their conversation, Michelle turned quickly to Scott. “Did you put them up to this?”

Scott was assertive with his defense. “You invited me to this party, so it wasn’t my idea. Besides, they’re your family so how should I know what they are doing?”

“Well your mom and dad were here too, so it’s not just my family. In any case, what do you think they are up to?”

Scott answered her question only after a few moments of deliberation. “I don’t know, but my dad was serious. I can tell when he’s joking and he was not playing a game tonight.”

Michelle wrinkled her nose suggesting her confusion was growing. “Mom wasn’t joking either. Do you want to take a chance and see what it’s all about?”

Before Scott committed to the plan, he wanted to make Michelle aware of his observations. “Did you notice near the end when William held up two fingers, everyone knew what to do without any discussion? It was like they were all behaving in accordance with some prearranged plan.”

“That was so strange. It felt like you and I were the only ones that didn’t know what was going on. I wish you could have seen the look on your face when everyone started to sing at the same time.” She replied.

Scott glanced at his watch before speaking. “You were just as surprised as I was. Anyway, we’re running out of time. You’re getting married and going up north to live and I plan to leave New Bern at some point, so I guess this is your decision to make.”

Michelle appeared either frustrated or perhaps resentful with his suggestion. “Scott, this is not my decision. This is our decision to make together.”

They talked for a few more minutes and agreed to see what was going on with their families. Scott put his hand on her shoulder just as they reached the barn. “I want to talk to you alone about something when we get finished here tonight.”

Michelle looked up at his face and replied, “Yea, I think we do need to have a very serious conversation.”

Betsy met them at the door leading into the barn. Michelle’s mouth opened wide as her level of disbelief matched Scott’s sense of amazement at what they saw. The barn was made to resemble a theatre with the stage to their right as they entered. Placed before them were at least fifteen rows of chairs with ten chairs in each row. All of the cookout guests were scattered around in the seats in the last four rows. William and Hank were seated at the sound and light control board in the very back of the room. The lights on the stage and in the seating area were all dim as Betsy led Michelle and Scott to the stage.

Michelle and Scott were left alone on the stage for a minute or so while Betsy went to pick up the wireless microphones. Michelle was astonished with her surroundings and kept looking at Scott with an expression of both disbelief and slight confusion. Scott kept watching her until he realized Michelle wanted him to offer some sort of explanation that he clearly did not have. A nervous smile appeared once she realized by his facial expression that he shared her confusion.

Scott moved closer to Michelle to whisper in her ear, “We can still make a run for it if you want to leave.”

She whispered her thoughts quickly when she saw Betsy returning, “This is too weird even for my crazy family.”

Betsy attached a wireless microphone to Scott’s shirt collar and she hooked one on the neckline of Michelle’s tee shirt. She then asked Michelle to say several sentences in order for Hank to adjust the microphones. Michelle turned to face the small audience while holding up an imaginary statue. “I would like to thank all the little people who made this award possible. This award belongs to so many people I can’t begin to thank them all, so let me just say thanks to my mom and dad who believed in me.”

Betsy then pointed at Scott, and like Michelle, he turned to face the audience before speaking. “I suppose by now many of you are wondering why I have asked you here tonight. And to be completely honest, I have been wondering the same thing.”

Betsy took several pieces of paper from the table giving a copy to Scott and one copy to Michelle while keeping one copy for herself. “I will give you a few minutes to read over this and then ask you to perform this scene. Michelle, you are waiting to board a train and the year is 1965. You are leaving town to make a new life for yourself in the city. Scott, you have come to the train station to tell your very close friend goodbye, but you hope you can change her mind. Do either of you have any questions?”

There were no questions, as they had not yet read the script. Betsy offered them one final instruction before she left the stage. “This is very dramatic and is important that you be serious and do the very best you can to make us believe in what you are doing. You can begin reading over the script until you see the stage lights get brighter. At that time, you should start the scene.”

Michelle and Scott read the first page and reached the second page at almost the same time. She was reading faster than he was after they started the second page. When she finished the second page, she looked up staring at Scott. When he reached the end of the page, Scott looked up from the paper as her eyes met his. As if on cue, they both turned to look at the people in the audience. They both were challenging someone to explain what they were reading and why it had been written.

Before they could say anything, the lights over the audience went black and an image of an old train station was projected onto the large screen behind them. Two stage lights were shining on them while the rest of the stage remained dim. Michelle knew Scott was waiting for her to decide if she wanted to keep their end of the agreement. With a few slight nods of her head, Scott started to read and follow the script.

Scott               I didn’t think I would get here before your train left.

Michelle              I wasn’t sure you would come to see me off. I am glad you came.

Scott              I couldn’t let you leave without saying goodbye. We have been friends too long to let that happen.

Michelle              Atlanta is not that far away so we can still be friends forever.

Scott              Do you really believe that or are you just trying to make saying goodbye a little easier?

Michelle              I wish it could be true, but I know time and distance have a way of making good things become nothing more than fond memories.

Scott              I was up late last night thinking about all the time we spent together through all the years. It is hard to believe it’s almost over.

Michelle              I didn’t sleep much either. I kept looking for an excuse to miss my train today so we could have a little more time together. I realized if I don’t go today, then I would have to go tomorrow.

Scott              My life is going to be very different without you being around. Most of our friends have gone other places. It’s not going to be the same.

Michelle                            Are you going to leave or stay in New Bern?

Scott              I can’t think of any reason to spend the rest of my life here. Like you, I need to move on to other things.

Michelle              You could come live in Atlanta and then we could be friends forever.

Scott              For obvious reasons, I don’t think that would work out so well.”

Director Note              Michelle takes both of Scott’s hands and holds them.

Michelle              We made some mistakes Scott. Maybe instead of being friends, we should have been in love with each other.

Scott              The train will be pulling into the station in just a minute so let me make a confession before you go. I have loved you since the first time I saw you and time and distance won’t ever change that.

Michelle              Can we give each other a goodbye kiss before I go?”

Director Note              Scott and Michelle give each other a long kiss.

At this point, Scott put his arms around Michelle and kissed her for at least a minute, which was something they had never done before. The lights on the stage faded to black and much to his surprise, Michelle kept her arms around his waist for several minutes until the sound of Betsy’s voice was heard on the speaker system. As Betsy spoke, Michelle and Scott continued to stare at each other in the dim light.

Betsy’s announcement that homemade ice cream was being served at her house was clearly designed to entice her guests to leave the barn. With the exception of William, everyone followed Betsy down the road. He walked from the back row to the stage and sat in one of the chairs, never taking his eyes off them.

Michelle was far more direct in her approach than Scott would have been. “That wasn’t fair of you to put us in that position, Uncle William. What exactly were you trying to prove?”

William pulled a cigar from his coat pocket and lit it while still watching them. “In less than two minutes I gave you both a glimpse into your future.”

Michelle continued to question him, as she was not satisfied with his answer. “Why would you do this to us? Scott and I both know it’s going to be hard to say goodbye when I get married and leave.”

When William spoke again, he sounded more like a college professor than the man who had been telling jokes while cooking their steaks. “Men and women who possess great minds have argued for centuries over the matter of destiny versus free will. Is it your destiny to marry Tom or is that a choice you make? If your marriage is nothing more than your fate or destiny, then we can end our conversation right now and enjoy the homemade ice cream.”

Neither Michelle nor Scott understood exactly where he was going with his ideas. Michelle then spoke in a clear and concise tone. “It would be my choice and mine alone.”

William next turned his attention to Scott and given his question, Scott started to understand what William’s intentions were. “Tell me something Scott. When you were reading the script, was there anything you said to Michelle that was untruthful?”

Scott was reluctant to answer his question for several reasons and his hesitation caused Michelle to turn her attention from William to him. It was clear to Scott that she wanted to hear his answer. He then turned to look at Michelle. “Everything I said was the truth.”

William then continued as he glanced back at Michelle. “The day you told Tom that you would marry him, did you know that Scott had been in love with you since the first time you ever met?”

William gave her no opportunity to answer his question before he spoke again and Scott could see the confusion in Michelle’s eyes. “Tell me something Michelle. In the privacy of your own thoughts, did you ever wish that you and Scott could have been in love with each other and not just friends?”

William rose to his feet, indicating he was getting ready to leave. “The world is full of endless possibilities and each of you is free to make choices in your best interest. Betsy told you both that I would provide you with an opportunity, but I have decided to offer you two opportunities. I won’t discuss the second offer until I see what you do with my first offer. I have a beach house at Emerald Isle, which is about a one-hour drive from here. Either one or both of you are welcome to use that home for several days. You can leave tonight and be there by ten-thirty.”

William started for the door, but turned around just before leaving. The keys to the beach house are in an envelope on the table in the foyer. I suggest you take a few minutes to talk it over and then join your family and friends for some ice cream”

When Michelle was sure William had left the building, she looked at Scott with an almost relentless stare. Sometime between the ninth and tenth grades, she had abandoned her tomboy ways having traded her baseball uniform for dresses. What she did not trade away was her assertive nature, which was never obnoxious or overly confrontational. Rather, she had the ability to stand up for herself and Scott suspected he was getting ready to see that part of her personality.

What Scott actually saw was a mix of emotions that he was not prepared to deal with. She appeared vulnerable, assertive, confused, happy, and hurt all at the same time. He really was not sure if he should put his arms around her or just run like hell for the door.

In a moment of brief wisdom, Scott tried to focus her attention on William and away from himself. “Well, I sure didn’t see that coming.”

She started walking slowly towards Scott with an almost fierce expression. “What didn’t you see coming, Scott?”

In deference to her apparent mixed set of moods, Scott opted to be as vague and evasive as possible. “Actually, I didn’t see any of this coming. Who knew?”

“So what you’re really telling me is that you didn’t see my world being turned upside down in two minutes.” Michelle said as she came closer.

Scott had known Michelle for almost ten years and for the first time, he was having a hard time reading her. Scott understood what she was going through, but he was anything but certain of her reaction to their brief experience. He chose to address the issue head on and give up any attempt at avoidance. “William only told us what we already knew, because we both know our time together is coming to an end. Your world does not have to be turned upside down. We can walk away from here tonight and go on with life as if nothing changed.”

Her expression changed to one of disbelief, leading him to believe he had not yet stumbled upon the magic words to bring some relief to his friend. “Scott, one week ago I was talking about wedding plans with Tom and his mother. Tonight, my best friend told me he has been in love with me sense we first met. Then in front of an audience, my best friend gave me the most genuine and loving kiss I have ever gotten. Now, to top off the evening, I have the opportunity to spend what could be three or four very interesting days and nights alone at the beach with my best friend. No, we can’t just walk away as if nothing has changed, because everything has changed.”

Scott took a stronger approach for his argument. “I know we cannot un-ring the bell or put the cat back in the bag or apply any other metaphor to our situation. I would never have come here if I had known you would be placed in an awkward position. I would...”

Michelle interrupted him in mid sentence and was firm in her demand. “I don’t want to talk about this right now.”

Scott replied with frustration apparent in his voice. “What do you want?”

Her frustration was equally apparent, but her answer was far more surprising. “I want you to put your arms around me and hold me for a little while.”

After several minutes, she stepped back from Scott before she sat on the edge of the stage. He joined her as they both looked at the empty seats. Her voice soon broke the silence of the night. “Do you want to be alone with me for a few days at Uncle William’s beach house?”

For whatever reason, Scott was becoming somewhat philosophical in his thinking. “I don’t think we really have a choice.”

Michelle misunderstood the intent of his answer after apparently assuming he wasn’t committed to the idea. “Well, you don’t have to go if you had rather not. You do have a choice.”

Scott slid off the three-foot high stage and stood in front of her knowing she would have to look directly at him. “You’re right when you say everything has changed and I know we can’t go back in time. I have no interest in sitting in a rocking chair fifty years from now wondering about what might have been. I think we need to take advantage of his offer, regardless of the outcome.”

Her next statement revealed more about her thoughts and for this one moment, Scott began to see her self-doubt emerging. “What if you don’t like the person you think you have known for all these years? Will I lose my friend forever?”

He placed his hands on her shoulders as he spoke. “I don’t think that would happen with either one of us. Besides, you haven’t even told me you want to go.”

Michelle stood up facing Scott and replied with a grin, “After all the time you have known me, do you actually think I would go running off with a man in the middle of the night after just one kiss?”

After seeing her smile, he replied, “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

She lightly punched him in the stomach as she replied to his phony insult, “I can’t believe you said that to me. It takes at least two kisses to even get my attention.”

Scott pulled her close to him and they kissed just as they had done before, only with more enthusiasm. Scott then asked the relevant question. “Do I have your attention?”

Michelle replied after a thoughtful pause, “You’re getting there”.

########

William finished refilling wine glasses before he returned to his seat near the picnic table. He took the opportunity to taunt George and Sally using his humorous smile as he spoke. “Tell me George, how do you like having your oldest daughter being alone with that young man?”

George knew William was joking, but his response was quite serious. “Any day of the week, I would rather she be alone with Scott than married to Tom. I don’t like that boy.”

Sally swatted at George’s arm. “George, you can’t talk about Tom like that.”

George acted as if he was going to swat Sally, “Why not? You don’t like him either and you said his mother is an egotistical nut. Scott is a good hard working boy and I like him.”

Sally leaned over and kissed George on the cheek. “Don’t threaten me if you want to keep that hand attached to your arm.”

William smiled as he watched George and Sally going at each other. “Well, at least we now know where Michelle got her spunk from.”

Sandy glanced at her watch before drawing the attention and laughter of the other guest. “What on earth are they doing up there?”

Betsy patted Sandy on the back as she walked behind her chair. “Scott and Michelle are in their early twenties and they don’t work on our time schedule and for the record, some things are better not known.”

William looked at his watch. “I took the liberty of changing the plan just a little. I offered to let them use my beach house for a few days.”

It was obvious to all that neither Sally nor Sandy were expecting William’s news. Sally was the first, but not the only one to express her surprise. “You did what?”

William’s personality took on a completely serious quality. “These kids have been in love with each other for years and just didn’t have sense enough to know it. With Michelle getting married, the clock is ticking and they need all the help they can get. They need time alone and they don’t need any interruptions from us. Michelle has a lot of things to figure out right now.”

George put his hand on Sally’s arm. “I think William is right. Hell, two blind squirrels in a ten thousand acre forest would have more luck finding each other than Scott and Michelle have had so far.”

Sandy looked down at her drink. “Well, God help anybody that ever tries to hurt Michelle. She was out on Highway 70 a few days ago and had a flat tire so she called Scott to help her. He went after her like a bullet from a gun. He didn’t like the idea of her being alone on the side of the road for even a minute. It was in the middle of the day and a trooper had pulled over to help.”

Betsy changed the conversation as she remembered Michelle’s recent trip. “How did her trip to Tom’s house go last week?”

Sally looked around to make sure neither Michelle nor Scott was near by. “I have a feeling it didn’t go all that well. She has said almost nothing about her plans, which is not like her. She doesn’t seem to be enthusiastic about her relationship in a way that I would have expected.”

Betsy stood behind William while listening to Sally. “Do you think it is just pre-wedding jitters?”

Sally shook her head. “I don’t know, but George is right. I don’t like his mother at all and I am not crazy about Tom. Having said that, we have never let Michelle know how we feel and have been supportive of whatever she wanted to do.”

William glanced at his watch again. “I don’t think you need to be concerned about Tom much longer. Scott and Michelle have been in the barn for twenty minutes and if my prediction is right, they will be here in a few minutes acting as if nothing has changed. After they talk to us for a few minutes, they will get the key to the beach house and be out of here.”

Betsy placed her hand on William’s shoulder. “Then we come to the hard part. We have to wait for a few days to see if our efforts have paid off.”

Apparently, Mark was having some reservations about their actions. “I would be a very happy man to have Michelle as a daughter in law, but I have to wonder if we are doing the right thing by trying to push them together.”

William attempted to downplay their actions and was probably right to do so. “Listen Mark, we aren’t pushing them together. We have only opened the door to what is possible and given them a nudge. They will find their own direction from here, regardless of what we think is best for them.”

Sally supported William’s comments with her observations. “I know my daughter and she will not get pushed easily. I also know she is very protective of Scott and I don’t think she is going to let him get too far away from her. She can’t keep an eye on him if she is living in New England.”

Sandy spoke in a hushed tone, “Here they come so let’s act as if nothing is going on”.

CHAPTER V

Both Michelle and Scott were smart enough to recognize the efforts William, Betsy, their parents, and others were making to bring them together. What they did not know was the reason behind the groups plan or the much larger implications for their future. However, just as William predicted, they took his offer to use the beach house.

For the most part, Michelle was very quiet on their way to Emerald Isle and Scott assumed she had a lot to consider. They arrived by nine o’clock in the evening and spent their first fifteen minutes exploring the well-appointed beachfront home. The outside temperature was warm, the sky was clear and the moon was nearly full as they saw a few fishermen standing in the surf. Michelle offered to fix their drinks before they sat outside on the deck to watch and listen to the sounds of the ocean.

They sat in relative silence as Scott was determined she would be given the opportunity to take their discussion in whatever direction she wanted to go. Her voice soon broke the silence. “It’s been quite a day. In fact, it has been quite a week, quite a month, quite a year, and quite a lifetime. So, where do we start if we want to sort it all out?”

“I would like to start by telling you I had nothing to do with what happened at your Uncle’s farm. I didn’t know about it, didn’t plan it, and I would not have put you in that situation.”

She looked down at her bare feet for a moment while sitting with her hands folded in her lap. “I know you would never put our relationship up for a public review. I can only assume everyone would prefer I married you instead of Tom. That doesn’t make me feel very good and it hurts my feelings. I guess they think I don’t have enough sense to pick out a husband.”

Scott watched a couple walking on the beach before he spoke. “Come on, you know it’s not that simple and I suspect they might have done the same thing if you had never met Tom. It was about much more than that.”

She turned and looked at Scott before she spoke, while expressing her doubts in the tone of her voice. “Then what was it all about?”

It took only a moment for him to make a case. “It was about you and me. When I kissed you the first time, it was a very nice experience for me. When I kissed you the next two times, you were even more enthusiastic and passionate than before. I think they see something going on between us that we’ve missed. And, they may not be wrong.”

She replied while still being somewhat argumentative, “So what am I supposed to do now? Would they be happy if I send Tom a nice rejection letter and then climb into bed with you?”

Scott shook his head letting her know he disagreed with her. “William said the world is full of endless possibilities. No one forced us to come here. We came here together as a matter of choice. We can’t blame them for the choices we make.”

She started grinning after giving him a brief snarl. “You are always supposed to be on my side, even when you disagree with me.”

Scott took a moment to remind her about their conversation at Cape Lookout in May when she discussed her reservations about getting married to Tom. “You expressed your doubts about Tom, and then you went to see him to plan your wedding. I don’t know where you are right now or what you really want. That makes it hard for me to be on your side.”

She leaned forward, turned to face him and then spoke with determination. “Maybe we should stop dancing around the issue. Do you want a relationship with me?”

With some reluctance, Scott gave what he thought was a truthful and perhaps even a wise answer. “I don’t think I should answer that until you get your head straight about Tom. I don’t think it would be fair to either of us until you decide what you are looking for.”

She stood up abruptly, leading him to believe she was angry at his lack of a direct answer. She then smiled as she picked up a large beach towel. “It’s a beautiful night for a walk on the beach. Let’s go have a long truth session with each other, just like the ones we used to have.”

As they walked down the steps from the deck to the beach, Scott thought about some of their past discussions. “You and I had some fairly deep discussions, and some were quite personal. Is that what you have in mind?”

She took the last step and was standing in the sand when she turned around facing him. She held up her left hand, which he could see in the moonlight, and then asked if he noticed something was missing. It was apparent she was not wearing her engagement ring, thus leading him to ask the relevant question. “So, what happened to the missing ring?”

They started walking across the sand as she began her explanation. “When I went to see Tom last week, his mother started telling me about her plans for my wedding. When I politely told her I had not made any decisions, Tom assured me his mother had a lot of experience in such matters and I should try to follow her recommendations.”

Scott replied, while trying to offer her some support. “I have never been engaged, but I’m pretty sure that was not very smart on his part.”

Michelle started shaking her head. “Oh, it was ridiculous. She had everything laid out in a binder with perfect organization. She had selected the church, the catering service, the flower shop we should use, where I could go to look for my wedding gown and the bridesmaid’s dresses. It was as if all I needed to do was show up and then get married. I would not be surprised if she picked out my engagement ring. She never once stopped to consider I might want to get married here and not in Rhode Island.”

“Just so I can play the role of devil’s advocate, was it Tom’s fault that his mother has some obsessive issues?” Scott asked as they continued their walk.

She stopped and looked out over the ocean. “His father is a stuffed shirt corporate executive, his mother is obsessive, and he is a blend of the two of them. Tom wore a coat and ties most of the time I was there and he didn’t even have so much as a job interview. I saw some aspects of his personality when we were at school, but he just morphed into something weird when he got home.”

“You still haven’t told me what happened to the engagement ring.”

She took a deep breath and a long pause suggesting she was trying to maintain her sense of emotional control. “When I told him that he and I would be the ones to make our major life decisions, he took that as an attack on his family. One thing led to another, and we ended up in a major fight. I caught an early flight home that same day and we haven’t spoken since. He hasn’t tried to call me and I haven’t tried to call him. I am not going to call him because I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Thinking he now understood the situation, he tried to address the matter head on. “Now you’re waiting for him to call with an apology.”

“Not exactly. When Tom went to take a shower, I called a taxi to take me to the airport. When the taxi came, I handed my ring to his mother and said that since she was Tom’s agent, she should start looking for a new brain dead girl to take my place. I wasn’t interested in the job.”

They walked for a few minutes without speaking while he thought about what he should say to Michelle. He must have taken too long to get his thoughts together as she challenged him to say something. He offered her his sympathy and willingness to help in any way she thought might be useful. She thanked Scott and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before telling him to tell her what he really thought.

They stopped walking and turned to face each other before Scott replied, “I know I’m just a stupid male and don’t understand girls. Still I have one observation. You appear to be sad about losing something that you really didn’t want.”

“That’s not stupid and you’re absolutely right. For a while, it was a dream, then a fairy tale, and then it became a nightmare. It was fun to think about getting married, but the reality to make it work just wasn’t there. I am glad I found out sooner rather than later.”

Scott placed his arms around her and replied, “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you.”

“I know you want what’s best for me and I appreciate that. Right now, you and I need to start our truth session as it relates to us. What do you want for us?” She asked as she took the beach towel and laid it out for them to sit on.

“When you told me you were getting married, I felt like someone had kicked me in the gut. The thought of losing you was hard to take and I don’t want that to happen. I would like to see us moving in a new direction. What do you want?”

Michelle’s answer came with very little forethought. “I think I want the same things as you, only I don’t want us to lose what we already have. We have a very rare kind of relationship now.”

Scott thought a nudge might help them consider their options. “If things had worked out with you and Tom, our relationship would have been over. We are sitting at the crossroads now and by choice or design, I’ve got to find a job and get on with my life and so do you.”

Michelle understood as well as Scott that things were going to change regardless of what they might want. “You and I have both been out with a lot of other people, but I have never been very serious about anyone before Tom came along. Now, the one person I got serious about turns out to have been a huge mistake. Is there something wrong with me?”

He started drawing designs in the sand as he considered her question. “I didn’t really realize this until my last year in college, but I compared every girl I went out with to you. I don’t know why during all the years we spent together we didn’t let our relationship with each other become more than it was. Maybe we were just too close to each other to get serious about someone else.”

After several minutes of silence, Michelle made a very interesting comment that caught his attention. “You have given me the chance to be very selfish with our friendship. I didn’t have to wonder if you were expecting me to go to bed with you each time we went out to dinner. I didn’t have to make sure my makeup was perfect every time I saw you. I could dress for comfort and not have to be fashionable for you. You were always there when I needed you without expecting anything in return. You made it easy for me to tell you my secrets because I could trust you.”

“If I had asked you out on a date in high school or college, would you have gone?” Scott asked, hoping to get some insight into her thoughts.

Her facial expression and the long pause suggested she was giving his question serious consideration. “I don’t know. Think about all the things we needed to discuss before we took that step. Had we gone out together, we might not be friends now. How would we have managed the physical part of a relationship? Would we have made the decision to attend the same college? Would we have decided to live together for a while? Would we still feel the same way now about each other had we been a couple. My last question is why are you looking at me like that?”

Scott looked away from her, choosing to stare at the waves while getting his thoughts together. “For the first time since I have known you, I now understand why we never became a couple like normal people would.”

By this point, she was grinning at his suggestion that he might actually understand her. “Maybe you can share the solution to our great mystery.”

Scott was also smiling as he played the role of the great detective. “Before I solve this mystery, I shall provide a demonstration. Let’s begin. Describe to me in one word your reaction to our kisses tonight.”

She rolled her eyes playfully as she played along with his game. “There is too much involved in that kiss to define my reaction in one simple word. I have to consider my feelings of surprise, my emotional reaction, my physical reaction, and lots of other thoughts and feelings.”

Scott continued to watch her as he held up one finger. “Describe that kiss in one word and only one word.”

She thought for a moment and replied, “Nice.”

He changed his question. “Now describe it in only two words, nice and what?”

Her response came with little thought. “Nice and loving.”

Scott challenged her again. “Now use three words including nice, loving and what?

“Nice, loving, and passionate.”

Scott then gave her the final question. “This is the last time so you can use four words.”

Her smile this time was more devious than in her previous answers. “I would use the words nice, loving, passionate, and arousing. So how does this solve our great mystery?”

Continuing his rather weak attempt to portray Sherlock Holmes, Scott explained his observation of their problem. “It is elementary my dear Watson. When you and I start talking about anything, we analyze it to death. It makes no difference what the subject is, we say to each other if we do this, then such and such will happen, but if we don’t do that then something else will happen. We over-think everything. We turn the simple act of going out to eat into an expose of dining establishments.”

She responded before he could continue. “So much for your powers of observation, Sherlock. In case you haven’t noticed, I am a girl, which means I am not Watson.”

Scott started smiling as he heard her speak. “I don’t have to be Sherlock to know you are a girl. There is no real mystery there and the evidence speaks for itself.”

Her answer was as serious as he thought he had ever heard from her before, catching him by surprise and leaving Scott confused. “You may know I’m a girl, but you have never treated me like one.”

Scott turned and looked at her without speaking as he tried to understand what she meant. Michelle then turned to face him as she repeated herself. “Well, you haven’t, and you sure don’t treat me like the other girls you have gone out with.”

Scott’s response was made as an effort to demonstrate his lack of understanding her point. “Surely you don’t think I treat you like one of the boys.”

Michelle was unyielding in her response. “That’s just the point, Scott. You don’t treat me like one of the boys or one of the girls. It’s as if I am a family member or something.”

In many respects, what Michelle had managed to say in a few sentences was very much the truth and Scott had to stop and think about what he might say to her. She felt uncomfortable and said more than he thought she intended. Still, this was one of their truth sessions and this was a conversation they should have had years earlier. Before Scott knew what he wanted to say to her, she stood and walked closer to the water with her back turned to him.

After only a few moments, he got up and stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders. “You haven’t exactly given me the opportunity to treat you like one of the girls. For the first few years I knew you, I thought you were happy being on the baseball team and doing things together. Then one day, you left the team and started going out with other guys. I took that to mean you were happy with us being just friends and that you were not looking for anything more from me.”

She continued to stare out at the ocean, but her answer told him she had given her ideas more than just a casual thought. “Teenage girls go through some very awkward times. We don’t always know what we want and sometimes what we want changes from hour to hour. We don’t always know where we fit in with the world. When you never asked me out, I took it as rejection but you were always there for me, which I took as your interest in me. I didn’t know then and even now I don’t know for sure where you and I are supposed to be.”

Scott realized very quickly they could spend the entire night reliving their past or they could take the opportunity to move forward. “When it comes to you, I was doing nothing more than playing the odds. I assumed that if I came on to you and you said no, then our relationship would be over. On the other hand, if I was your friend, we could go on forever.”

He then pulled her left shoulder while pushing her right shoulder hoping she would turn to face him, which she did. “I can’t change the past so let me spell it out for you right here and now. I love you.”

They stood with their arms around each other for several minutes before she spoke the words he was waiting to hear. “I love you so much, Scott.”

After holding on to each other for quite some time, they returned to their beach towel. Once they sat down, Michelle stretched out letting her head lay in his lap. Scott could not have planned a more perfect night with the full moon, the sound of the ocean, and the warm summer breeze. After a prolonged period of both silence and contentment, he made a confession, “I lied to you when I told you I was sorry about things not working out for you and Tom. I’m not really sorry.”

After a thoughtful pause, she looked up and smiled at him. “You know something? You should have been careful what you wished for. I am not going to be easy for you to get rid of like the other girls you have dated.”

Scott was thinking about Michelle’s encounter with Tom’s mother as he replied, “I’ll just let my mom deal with you if things get to be a problem.”

“That won’t work because your mom likes me and she’ll be on my side. You are stuck with me now.” She replied, as she reached up and touched the side of his face.

Scott took her hand and kissed the palm before letting their hands rest on her stomach. “If I am stuck with you, does that mean I can’t go out with other girls?”

Her reply was made with casual indifference. “It’s entirely up to you if you want to live long enough to see your next birthday.”

Scott leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I’ll take that as a definite no. It does seem somewhat strange that you and I are giving up our independence on the 4th of July. I think we should celebrate the occasion. We could call it lack of Independence Day.”

She smiled as she thought about his idea. “It’s too bad we don’t have any fireworks.”

Scott knew she would understand the intent of his suggestion. “Maybe we should make our own fireworks.”

Her smile grew more noticeable. “Maybe we can make this a 4th of July that neither one of us ever forgets.”

She then sat up before she turned around to face him. “So what should we do to celebrate our new commitment to each other?”

Scott leaned forward and kissed her. “I think we should go back to the house, pop the cork on a bottle of champagne, and then go sit in the Jacuzzi. What do you think of that plan?”

They watched each other for several minutes before they shared another longer and more fervent embrace that lasted for several minutes. In a soft voice she whispered in his ear, “I think we should make wearing clothing in the Jacuzzi optional. What do you think?”

He replied after a brief kiss, “I think that’s a great idea. I think that when we get finished with the champagne and the hot tub, I should carry you to the bedroom where you and I can finish our celebration. What do you think?”

After another long passionate kiss she replied, “I think we should celebrate all night long. What do you think?”

Scott kissed her forehead again and replied, “I think we have a plan.”

As he began to stand up, she reached out her hand to stop him. Scott sat back down as she put her arms around his neck. Her expression suggested she had some reservations and she was about to express them. “Scott, I am not like this with other guys. I don’t make myself this available to other people like I have with you.”

He knew from his personal experience and from the comments other people had made to him that Michelle was a reserved person who did not open her life to many people. In some ways, she was very guarded, but for some reason trusted him from the beginning. Scott could easily sense the discomfort she was experiencing in feeling she needed to explain herself.

He sat back down and took both of her hands. “I know who you are and I know you about as well as you know yourself. I know you trust me and I know trust doesn’t come easy for you. I know you were not like this with other guys because you and I have talked about this before.”

She had a look of determination as she looked directly at him. “I don’t want you to misunderstand anything I’m about to say. I want the physical part of our relationship. I want you to kiss me, hold me, touch me, and make love to me, but I think it is going to be awkward for me for a little while. This is new for us.”

Scott watched her face while making a suggestion he thought would put her more at ease. “We have been dating each other for ten years only we didn’t have the physical part of that type relationship. We don’t have to celebrate tonight. We can celebrate on July 5th, August 3rd or November 28th. We move at our own speed and only when we’re both ready. It’s that simple.”

She started shaking her head back and forth slowly. “Wait a second, Scott. You and I just made a plan and we are going through with it tonight. I just don’t want you to be disappointed with me if I am not what you expect.”

He started smiling. “No, you wait a minute. First, it is entirely possible that I will not live up to your expectations. Beyond that, we were just at the beach a few days ago and you were wearing your rather small two-piece suit. I may not have seen you completely unwrapped, but I have a pretty good idea about what’s in the package.”

Michelle’s response was both assertive and playful as she started grinning. “I sure hope you have some idea about the contents of my package because I made it about as obvious as I could without doing a strip show for you.”

Scott thought about her comment for a moment. “At the time, I thought you were still getting married to Tom so I didn’t know it was your intent to be so obvious. But I can assure you, I didn’t miss anything.”

Her expression became more serious. “Tonight just before we went into the barn, you said you wanted to talk to me. What did you want to talk about?”

“When you and I were at the beach on Monday, you kept making comments expressing your doubts about you and Tom. You made a few less than respectful comments about him and I realized that something was wrong and that you weren’t just nervous about getting married. You seemed almost angry with him. I was going to suggest you postpone your plans and I was also going to tell you how I felt about you.”

She began to share her thoughts about him in a way Scott had not expected. “I was then, and I still am angry with him. But, I am just as angry with myself. When I first came home from college in May, the more time you and I spent together, the more I realized he was not the right person for me.”

Michelle could tell from his expression that he wanted to hear more. She chose to change her explanation. “I can show you my heart and soul and tell you my deepest secret. He wasn’t interested in my heart or my soul. He has some corporate concept of what a wife should be and his mother seems to fit that role.”

Scott could not resist the temptation to ask what he thought was an important question. “When you came home from school, we went to Cape Lookout. I asked you what was bothering you. You said I would not understand because I was not a female. Now, here is my dumb male question. What attracted you to him in the first place? Why would you agree to marry him if he was not close to what you were looking for?”

Michelle took a few minutes to think about her answer. “We were both business majors in school and had that in common. His dad was entrenched in the corporate world and I guess I was impressed by that because he had passed along that corporate worldview to Tom. Somehow, I became impressed with his world and forgot the value of my world. We went to dinner at nice restaurants, got dressed up to go to nice parties, and sort of lived that fantasy life for a while.”

He asked the logical follow up question. “So what happened to bring you back to earth?”

Michelle looked at the ocean for a moment and then back at him. “William and Betsy were taking a road trip and stopped in to see me at school one day in late April. You have to know that William and Betsy are very wealthy people, yet we went out to dinner at a typical local restaurant instead of one of the nicest restaurants in town. I realized he had been very successful in the business world, but chose to live his life with a degree of elegant simplicity. That was when I realized Tom and I came from different worlds.”

She paused for a moment before she continued. “One night after William took me to dinner, Tom took me to a very nice expensive restaurant to eat. While we were there, he made some smart-ass comment about the dress I was wearing not being appropriate if I were planning to move up in the business community. At first, I was embarrassed and then I got as mad as hell. I came home from college the next day, you and I went to Cape Lookout, and you know the rest of the story.”

Scott steered the conversation in a different direction trying to understand her motives. “Why haven’t you told anyone that your engagement was off? I would have thought you would have told your mom before now.”

“I wanted you to be the first person to know because I knew you would be there for me in a way that mom can’t be. She will support my decision and me, but you and I hold each other up in the bad times in a way parents can’t. I can tell you things I wouldn’t want to tell her.” She replied.

He was silent long enough to cause Michelle to question his thoughts. “You have something you want to say, but you aren’t saying it.”

Scott hesitated to tell her the truth, but at the same time, he had to get the answer to his question. “Are you coming to me on the rebound from a failed relationship?”

Her voice was emphatic. “No. Not at all. I left him. He did not leave me. I realized he was a stuffed suit and that was not what I wanted. I didn’t leave him with my heart being broken. I left with a sense of relief. I came to you because I realized this is where we belong and that is the only reason. Tom is history and you and I are the future. I think it’s time to close the door on Tom and talk about us now.”

Scott agreed with her suggestion. “I think you are not only beautiful, but also very smart. It’s time for us to move on.”

She leaned forward and gave Scott a quick kiss before giving him one of her scheming looks. “I believe you said something about a Jacuzzi and a bottle of champagne before we were sidetracked.”

Having helped Michelle to her feet, they began their trek back to the house. She stopped on the bottom deck step and looked at him for a moment before speaking. “If you and I are going the distance tonight, you have to make a commitment to me now.”

Scott looked back at the ocean and then at her. “I made a commitment to you years ago, but I don’t mind making it again right now. We are celebrating our lack of Independence Day and unless you run away, we will be having this same celebration fifty years from now.”

CHAPTER VI

Scott woke up at ten-thirty on Thursday morning to the sensation of Michelle kissing his cheek. As he rolled on his side to face her, the first thing he saw was her devious little smile. “So, what are you thinking?”

Looking into her beautiful blue eyes, he replied, “I think you have given me the best 4th of July in my life. To be completely honest, this has been a long time coming, but was very much worth the wait.”

Michelle placed her hand on the side of his face as she spoke in a soft voice. “I am very happy right now and I am at total peace with myself. I know we are going to take very good care of each other from now on.”

Throughout the day, he noticed a change in Michelle from what he had seen over the past few weeks. She was relaxed and appeared to be very happy, even when they did something as simple as taking a walk on the beach. He was sure she was being honest when she said she was at peace with herself.

For all practical purposes, their relationship was like a jigsaw puzzle with all the pieces falling into their proper places. Somewhat to his surprise, even the more intimate times they shared together on Wednesday night and Thursday morning were free from any sense of awkwardness.

Late on Thursday afternoon, William called to say he would be coming for a visit Friday morning. They assumed he was coming to offer them another “opportunity” but neither of them could decide what the offer might be. Rather than using their time to solve the “mystery opportunity”, they spent the afternoon and evening on the beach, playing miniature golf and swimming in the ocean.

True to his word, Betsy and William arrived at ten o’clock on Friday morning. After exchanging their greetings, William and Scott sat on the deck overlooking the ocean while Betsy and Michelle fixed soft drinks and a snack in the kitchen. A gentle but steady breeze kept them comfortable as the sun rose higher in the sky. William spoke as he was sitting down, “I suspect you would need a wheelbarrow to carry all of the girl talk going on in that kitchen.”

“I think you might be right. I want to thank you and Mrs. Broughton for letting us use you beech house. You have a great place here.” Scott replied.

William took a cigar from his pocket and looked at it, but did not light it. “Well, I have worked hard for what I have and I’ve been lucky. Many times, luck is more important than hard work, but you don’t really want one without the other. By the way, you can call us William and Betsy. I don’t think you need to be quite so formal.”

Scott realized he had the chance to gain insight about Michelle’s relationship with Betsy. “Michelle seems very close to Betsy. I think it has been good for her to have Betsy to talk to through the years.”

He started smiling. “Michelle’s mother is my sister so I have to be careful what I say. Mothers and daughters have a strange relationship, especially during the teen years. They would be willing to die for each other at the same time they are clawing out the other’s eyeballs. Betsy has the luxury of listening to Michelle without having to play the role of parent. She offers Michelle some guidance without being judgmental.”

Scott continued his fact-finding mission given the fact that William was talking. “I have the impression it was not easy for Michelle growing up with three brothers.”

William put the cigar in his mouth, but still did not light it. “Well, until she was in ninth grade, we weren’t completely sure George and Sally didn’t have four boys and no girls. Her brothers used her to balance the teams in whatever kind of sport they were playing at home. Sally and Betsy started leading her in a different direction while trying to get her out of the tomboy role she was playing.”

Scott started laughing as thought back to their days in junior high school. “I remember those days well, but to her credit, she was better at baseball than some our male team members. I guess having three brothers teaching you to play paid off for her.”

“Having three brothers was not a bad thing either. She learned to fight for herself and stand up for what she thought was right. You would be well advised to be careful with her.” He replied, with a slight grin.

Scott was also smiling while remembering some of his encounters with Michelle. “She has mellowed out some over the years, but she remembers how to stand up for herself, which I respect.”

The smile left William’s his face as he turned to Scott. “You have been a very good friend to Michelle through the years and you kept her from taking the wrong path more than once. You have been very protective of her.”

His response to William was made with the same serious tone. “It’s been a two way street with us. She jerked my chain a few times and made sure I didn’t stray too far from the beaten path. We tend to listen when the other is speaking.”

“She looks very happy to me, more so than I have seen in months if not years. I think the two of you coming here together might have been a good decision.” He replied as he lit his cigar.

Feeling more comfortable with his position, Scott decided to challenge William. “I don’t think we ended up here by accident and I am equally sure you and Betsy had something to do with our being at this beach house.”

Before he could offer a rebuttal to Scott’s suggestion, Betsy and Michelle joined them on the deck. Michelle stood behind William as she leaned over and kissed his cheek. She then put her hands on each of his shoulders and started to pat his shoulder. With each word she spoke, her pats grew stronger, as did the determination in her voice. “I think you owe Scott and me an explanation about the little performance you dreamed up for us in your barn on Wednesday night.”

Scott glanced at Betsy and saw her smiling while Michelle was making her accusation. William took his hand and placed it on top of Michelle’s hand. “I think your question would be better directed if you talked to the architect of that plan who happens to be the lovely lady to my right.”

Michelle’s mouth opened widely for a moment before being slowly replaced with a smile. “That was your idea?”

Betsy playfully fanned herself with her hand as she replied, “Modesty requires I share the credit with William.”

Michelle sat next to Scott before she spoke. “This inquisition is getting us nowhere.”

Betsy took a sip of her Coke before she replied, “Several weeks ago when you and I talked about your wedding plans, you showed all the enthusiasm of a woman going to an oral surgeon. When I brought up the subject of a wedding gown, you told me we would look later and that you had better things to do. Clearly, you were not acting like a young woman excited with the prospects of getting married.”

William spoke next as he directed his comment at Scott. “The day you and Michelle went to Cape Lookout was the first time you knew she was planning to get married. Your father told me you came home from the beach, didn’t eat any dinner, casually mentioned the fact that Michelle was getting married, and then you acted like a zombie for the rest of the week.”

Michelle, having been surprised by that news, reached up and touched Scott’s shoulder as she was grinning. “I didn’t know my potential marriage had quite that strong of an effect on you.”

Before Scott could defend himself, Betsy pointed out something Scott had not known. “Michelle, a touch of humility might be in order. If you recall, I asked you if Scott would be attending the wedding and you started crying.”

Scott made a face at Michelle before she hit him on the shoulder and said, “Stop looking at me like that”.

Scott was still bothered by the way they had intervened at the barn given Michelle had made the decision not to tell anyone her wedding was off. “I’m not sure any of us had the right to try to influence Michelle’s decision to marry Tom. That was her decision and we should have all supported it.”

Michelle nodded her head. “I agree with Scott. That was a rather public effort to get Scott and me together at a time when I was getting married to someone else.”

Betsy smiled at Michelle and spoke in her typical soft voice. “Sweetheart, you weren’t getting married to Tom and your mother and I knew it, but didn’t tell anyone. Tom’s mother was on the phone with your mother before your plane ever took off from the runway. I might add the conversation was not very pleasant.”

If looks could kill, the one Scott saw on Michelle’s face was unusually deadly. “She called my mother and told her we weren’t getting married? Is that what you are telling me?”

William took a puff from his cigar and blew the smoke in the air. ”According to what Betsy told me on the trip over here today, she actually called five or six times.”

Michelle looked directly at both of them and spoke in a soft voice, but Scott knew from experience she was furious inside. “From this point on, I will handle this myself. I can fight my own battles and I really didn’t want my mom to hear any news from that witch.”

Without the wisdom of forethought, Scott said something when he should have kept his mouth shut. “What a wimp.”

Michelle turned quickly and looked at him. “Are you calling me a wimp?”

Scott could see a slight grin on William’s face as he chose to stay out of the fray. Scott then focused his attention on Michelle. “I was making a reference to Tom. I have better sense than to call you a wimp.”

Michelle grinned for a moment, and only a moment, to let Scott know she was not angry with him. “I would like to tie his mother’s apron strings around his throat. What a jackass. I wonder if his mother will go along with him to meetings should he make it to the corporate world.”

Betsy cleared her throat is a way that caught their attention. “As I was saying, we would not have interfered if we thought you were going through with the wedding. However, we all agreed that the time had come when the two of you had things that you both needed to say to each other and you needed to get on with it.”

William made his case with far less tactfulness. “Good Lord above. I have seen some lengthy courtships in my life, but the two of you take the cake.”

Michelle couldn’t help but grin at her uncle as she chose to defend their hesitation. “Excuse me. It so happens Scott and I had already planned to sit down Wednesday night and have a long talk.”

Betsy once again intervened. “Michelle, when you and Scott agree to make popcorn, the two of you usually end up eating a bowl of ice-cream.”

Michelle was now smiling at Betsy. “What is that supposed to mean?”

William came to Betsy’s defense. “It means if the two of you start out for the North Pole, there is a good chance we will find you somewhere in the South Pacific. The two of you get distracted when you try to deal with each other.”

Michelle then turned to Scott. “Do you agree with what they are saying?”

Scott shrugged his shoulders and replied, “It sounds fairly accurate to me.”

She had a look of defeat as she spoke. “It sounds right to me too. I’m not sure what that says about us.”

William stretched his arms across the table. “It says that you needed a kick in the ass to get you headed in the right direction. Can I assume we now have you moving down the right highway?”

Scott spoke while looking at Michelle for conformation. “I think we are on the right highway and I don’t think there are any more exit ramps for us to take. Wherever we are going, we are going to get there together.

Michelle then looked at Betsy and William. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell anyone about the wedding being called off. I wanted to take a few days and make sure I was doing the right thing before I said anything. This thing between Tom and I has been going downhill since the day after he asked me to marry him, but I’m okay now. Actually, I am better than okay. I’m very happy right now.”

William nodded his head. “That’s good news that I can carry back to New Bern. I’m sure both sets of parents will be happy to know you are both doing well.”

Michelle was watching Scott as she replied, “I called mom this morning to tell her all was right with the world.”

William glanced at his watch. “Good. Betsy and I have a tight schedule, as I need to be home for my one o’clock nap. I think Mark and Sally told you both that I have a proposition for the two of you.”

“She did mention the possibility, but she didn’t give either of us any details.” Scott replied.

William leaned back in his chair before he spoke. “We would like to offer you both the opportunity to come and work for Brother Willy’s Traveling Salvation Show.”

While Scott was about to burst out laughing, Michelle was able to contain her laughter long enough to speak. “I don’t think I am familiar with that company.”

Then, Michelle started laughing which got Scott started. It took several minutes for them to regain their composure during which time William waited patiently, as he too was smiling. Finally, he spoke and his serious tone returned. “I can assure both of you that this offer is not even close to what you think it is.”

Scott managed to stop laughing, but Michelle put her head down on the table, as she was yet to control her laughter. After a moment, she raised her head and looked at William. “I can assure you that Scott is not remotely qualified to engage in the act of salvation.” She then burst out laughing again.

Scott put his arm around Michelle. “I haven’t noticed you wearing your angel wings lately either.”

After a few more minutes, she looked at Betsy and William and apologized. “I’m sorry. We don’t have a clue what you are talking about and the idea of Scott and I saving souls is just a little far out there.”

Betsy looked at them with an expression that suggested she was about to challenge them. “It’s funny that when people hear the word salvation they almost always assume our effort has something to do with the deliverance from sin. Salvation can also mean the liberation from ignorance or illusion. Or, it can also mean preservation from destruction.”

Betsy’s serious tone and message was sobering to both Michelle and Scott as their desire to laugh quickly faded away. William chose to follow up on Betsy’s comments as he relit his cigar. “What you most likely are not aware of is the fact that you have already been introduced to Brother Willy’s Traveling Salvation Show.”

Scott looked at Michelle and then at William. “I’m not following you? Could you be a little more specific?”

“On Wednesday night, you read a script in which you were both made to realize the time would come when you would have to say goodbye to each other. Scott was led to tell Michelle that he had been in love with her for years, and Michelle told Scott the two of you made a mistake and you should have been in love with each other rather than friends. You were both reading a script of what life was going to look like for you somewhere down the road, if nothing between you changed. You both were forced for a moment to understand the pain of separation.”

Betsy joined William in their explanation. “You have been living an illusion for most of the time you were together. Salvation came when you achieved liberation from your illusion that you could just go on forever being friends and that nothing would ever change.”

Michelle was expressing her doubt as she challenged them. “Are you saying that the few sentences we spoke in the barn changed the course of our life?”

At that moment, Scott was not convinced that William and Betsy were wrong, but he was very interested in hearing their answer.

Betsy was the one to accept Michelle’s challenge. “The words were one factor in the equation. However, if you could have seen the look in your eyes when Scott told you he was in love with you, then you might better understand. The biggest single factor that changed the course of your life was when Scott took you in his arms and kissed you. In keeping with the role, he could have given you a short kiss and the play would have ended. He didn’t do that. He held you very close and your kiss lasted for some time. More to the point, you continued to hold each other long after the lights had faded to black. That’s what changed the course of your relationship and your life.”

Michelle was not ready to acknowledge the accuracy of Betsy’s statement, but gave Betsy’s words her full attention. Michelle and Betsy were watching each other as though there was some type of mental link between them. Whatever was going on between them was beyond Scott’s skill level to figure out.

Scott chose to address his question to William. “What are the broader implications for what you are saying? You didn’t start the Salvation Show just for our benefit. You must have had a bigger game plan than that.”

William decided to offer Scott a better explanation than they had been given. “If you were to drive through a small town and see the Salvation Show, you would think that you are seeing a typical religious revival. But that is not what we are doing.”

Betsy spoke as she glanced at William. “I think for you to really understand what we are all about, you would need to come on the road with us once. We are going to a little town called East Kings Ridge next week and we would like for the two of you to come along.”

William continued her lead. “I think it would be best for you to see what is going on before you make a decision to work with us. Then if you want to be a part of our group, we can talk more about it. As it stands right now, Michelle would act as our business manager and Scott would be a general manager.”

Scott looked at Michelle as he spoke to see if she would agree with him. “Mr. Broughton, I don’t know you very well, but I have a feeling this is going to be well worth my time. You didn’t get where you are today by going on wild goose chases. I would like to go.”

Michelle echoed his sentiments. “I know you both very well and I am almost positive you are up to something, but I’ll bet that whatever you are involved in will be interesting. I will be happy to go along.”

William stood up and pulled the chair out for Betsy. “Great. Then it’s all set. We will be leaving from the Farm on Tuesday morning at 8:30. You are welcome to stay here until Sunday morning but I have another guest using this place next week.”

CHAPTER VII

Betsy and William had declined the invitation to stay for lunch, leaving Michelle and Scott to grab a sandwich and get ready to spend the afternoon on the beach. Scott was sitting in a rocking chair on the deck waiting for Michelle for at least fifteen minutes before she joined him. She had something on her mind and it took only a few moments to find out what she was thinking.

“Scott, do you consider yourself to be an observant person?”

“I think so, why do you ask?”

She then began to make her point. “Tell me what Betsy and William were wearing today.”

Scott thought for a minute and replied, “Betsy had on long white pants with a pink top. William had on older jeans, a white knit shirt, and tennis shoes. I think Betsy had on sandals.”

In her typical playful manner, she smiled and nodded her head. “That’s right and now I have another test for you. What is the difference between the swimsuit you were looking at yesterday and the one you are looking at right now?”

Scott was sure they were the same, but there apparently was something different that she wanted him to notice. The only problem was he could see nothing different. “I really don’t see any difference.”

She moved closer to him as she became more insistent. “Look closer and see if you notice anything different.”

Hoping for a clue, Scott tried to narrow down the options. “Is the difference in the top or the bottom and is it in the front or the back?”

She replied patiently, “The difference is in the top and bottom and in the front and back. Just keep looking until you see the difference.”

After a few more minutes, Scott had to confess he saw nothing different about her. “Listen Michelle, I am more than willing to spend the next five hours looking at your top, bottom, front, back, and all the rest of you. The view is pretty good from where I am sitting, but I just don’t see a difference.”

She sat in his lap with one arm around his neck as she touched the end of his nose with her finger. “Here is the difference between the swimsuit you were looking at yesterday and the one you are looking at today. The suit you were looking at yesterday was being worn by one of those four little college girls who are staying in the house down the beach from ours. The suit you are feasting your eyes on today is being worn by me. Are you starting to see the difference now?”

The best defense is a strong offense, at least in theory. Scott began to make his weak case. “I didn’t really notice the girl in the pink suit with the straps that tie behind the neck who apparently did not buy the right size top.”

Michelle was smiling at this point. “Actually, I was not thinking about the girl in the pink suit.”

Scott quickly realized that for him to admit some guilt might be better and more effective than total denial. “I understand now. You are talking about the girl in the blue bathing suit that untied her top while she was lying on her stomach. The only reason I noticed her was that I was curious about what she would do if someone dumped a glass of cold water on her back. Would she jump up, thus exposing herself to the world, or would she fight the cold shock and hold her position. These are the questions we as a society must answer.”

Michelle continued her assault. “That is not a major question for society. Besides, I was thinking more about the girl who was so uncoordinated that she couldn’t catch the Frisbee that just happened to land a few feet away from you. It was amazing how many times during the course of the afternoon she would walk over to you before slowly bending over to pick up the missed Frisbee while making sure you missed nothing she was pretending to hide.”

Michelle’s inquisition was not ending and Scott had no choice but to try more denial. “I didn’t realize anyone was playing with the Frisbee, so I could not have paid any attention to this alleged girl.”

Her stare almost insured him this defense was ineffective. She then continued her prosecution. “Neither the young lady nor her boobs are alleged. They were clearly entered into evidence.”

Speaking once again without forethought, Scott replied, “You got that right!”

Michelle’s mouth opened wide. “Excuse me!”

This time he spoke with full damage control in mind. “All I was saying was you’ve got the right to your opinion based on the facts as you saw them.”

Michelle began to make her eloquent closing argument. “On Wednesday night when you so thoughtfully took of my top in the hot tub, you surrendered all of your future rights to be interested in other girls. When you made love to me, you surrendered all of your future rights to look at other girls. I just wanted to call this to your attention before we go down to the beach today.”

Scott kissed her cheek as he began to play defense. “I am so glad you’ve brought this new rule to my attention. I mean, who knew.”

Michelle kissed him and replied, “You’ll know from now on.”

He became serious with Michelle for the first time. “Put your mind at ease. There is a saying that goes something like this; why go out for hamburger when you have steak at home.”

Michelle smiled before she stood up. “I’m not worried about you.”

As they were walking down the steps, he stopped Michelle to make a point and perhaps settle his own curiosity. “The girl with the Frisbee was being fairly obvious about what she was doing. When she threw the Frisbee, she was dead on target, which suggests she has played with a Frisbee before. Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume she can catch the Frisbee if she so desired. Here is my question. She knew you and I were together, so what was she trying to accomplish?”

Michelle stared at him for a moment before she continued her walk down the steps. “I’ll explain it to you sometime. However, I do you credit for being observant.”

Once they were settled on the beach, Scott started a conversation they were both ready to have. “I have a feeling we are going to spend an interesting couple of days starting next Tuesday. There is a lot more to the Salvation Show than meets the eye.”

Michelle was facing the ocean, as she remained silent for several minutes. “Something unusual happened a few months ago. I went to a pool party at Uncle William’s house to celebrate Betsy’s birthday. We got there in time for lunch and spent most of the afternoon around the pool. My brothers and I went swimming for a while and then they left to go see something on the farm. I was lying down on a lounge chair and went to sleep.”

She paused to take a sip from her drink at which time Scott chose to tease her. “Were you wearing a sexy little swimsuit?”

She shook her head in frustration. “Do you want to hear my story or talk about the very conservative one piece bathing suit I was wearing that day?”

“How conservative was it?” He asked.

“Put it this way. If I was wearing it today, I wouldn’t blame you for looking at Frisbee girl.” She replied.

“Okay, you’ve lost me now. Let’s get back to the story.” He replied.

She shook her head as she continued. “I woke up but didn’t open my eyes, but I heard them talking about taking the show to Western North Carolina. William made the comment that some political leader would be hung out to dry when they got finished.”

Her story made him curious. “Are you saying they might use the Salvation Show to bring down the politician? If so, how are the two things connected?”

She handed him a bottle of sunscreen, “Would you put this on my back please? I don’t know what the connection would be unless they use the show to target their message to average people.”

Scott took the bottle from her and replied, “I would rather put the lotion on your front. Anyway, why not just take out an ad in the paper or do a TV commercial.”

Michelle leaned forward as he started to squirt the lotion on her back. “I’m sure you would like to smear lotion all over Frisbee girl, too. What I learned in my marketing class was to tie your message to the person’s emotions for the strongest and longest lasting results. If they can link their message to someone’s religion, then they have them locked into their idea.”

Scott squeezed Michelle’s neck as he continued to tease her. “Where is Frisbee girl anyway? She may need some lotion.”

She used her elbow to hit him in the chest. “She’s not out here yet and her lotion is not your problem. Besides, I don’t know if we have enough lotion to cover those things.”

He thought about Michelle’s point for a moment. “In any case, what would be William’s interest in going after some political leader that far from home. Is he involved in politics?”

“I doubt you get to his level of wealth without being involved to some extent. I’m not sure why he would get down and dirty with local politics though, unless he had his own political agenda to crusade for.” Michelle said.

Scott started to recall their experience at the farm on Wednesday night. “I realize the guy is rich, but if he is putting on a road show with all the equipment he had in the barn, then he is spending some big bucks. There is no telling how much money he spent just on that rear stage TV system. That was state of the art equipment. I don’t think he would make that investment if he weren’t after something.”

Michelle turned and looked at him. “You know, people throw some big money into the collection plate.”

He shook his head in disagreement. “He can find better ways to make more money than running a scam like that. Besides, it’s still an expensive show to take on the road.”

Michelle chose to argue his point. “But you forget he and Betsy are very good at what they do when they put on a show.”

She could see his look of confusion. “How do you know they are good at what they do?”

Michelle looked away and then back at Scott after only a few moments. “I know because you and I were the targets of his dog and pony show. And admit it or not, it was successful.”

Scott thought she was giving them too much credit. “I’m not sure I agree with that. If you remember, we agreed to have a long talk just before we walked into the barn. I think you and I had figured out what was going on with us and we just needed to reach an agreement.”

She started laughing at Scott as she listened to his argument. “Give me a break, Scott. If you and I had one of our typical conversations, we would have talked for a few minutes, ordered a pizza, and then watched a movie. As it turned out, we left his barn just before eight-thirty, and within two hours, you were taking my clothes off in the hot tub. Thirty minutes after that, we were in bed together making love to each other. That was a big step for us.”

“That may be true, but let’s be honest here. He had a lot of pent up demand working for him. We were motivated for change.” Scott replied, still having some doubt about his role.

Michelle tried patiently to make her point. “Betsy was right. The minute we kissed each other, things changed. We haven’t been the same sense.”

Scott had to agree with her. “You have a point there. If William has found a way to use the Salvation Show to sway public opinion, then that would be a powerful political tool. He may not even be using his own money. He could be using 501c money and the feds won’t know who is making the contributions.”

Michelle carried his idea forward. “I wonder if he passes a collection plate and if so, what does he do with the money?”

Scott started smiling as he thought about that possibility. “If you are going to be his business manager, then I guess you will know soon enough.”

She nodded thoughtfully. “You and I might be on the verge of a great job. Some of these grassroots organization groups pay good salaries and all we have to do is herd sheep.”

Her enthusiasm led Scott to think about something she had not considered. “What if we don’t agree with his political views?”

“That won’t be a problem because he would agree with us about most things. This could actually be a great job.” She replied, while looking off in the distance.

They sat quietly for several minutes considering the possibilities until Scott heard the sound of Michele’s voice speaking with a tone of disbelief. “Don’t look now, but Frisbee girl and one of her friends are coming down the steps.”

Scott immediately turned and looked before he glanced back at Michelle. She hit him in the arm for not following her instructions. “Why did you look when I told you not to look?”

In pure logical defense, Scott had to point out the obvious. “People always look when someone tells them not to look. If you hadn’t said anything, I would not have looked. Besides, what possible difference does it make if I glanced in her direction? All she’s doing is talking to her friend.”

Michelle’s grin was growing more noticeable by the minute. “I’m sure to the untrained male eye you think they are just talking to each other. I, on the other hand knowing something about women, happen to know there is more going on. She has already pointed at us twice.”

“How do you know they were pointing at us if you weren’t looking?”

Michelle tried to explain the unexplainable. “I can look, but you can’t”

His rebuttal came quickly. “I, knowing something about paranoid behavior, think you are losing it. At the very most, they are trying to decide where to sit on the beach. Like normal people, they are going to get some sun, maybe play with the Frisbee, and then go swimming.”

She immediately looked at him with what he could only assume was sympathy. “You are so naïve. Five dollars says she never once gets her hair wet and another five dollars says she does not go in the water above her waist. She spent too much time fixing her hair for her to allow it to get wet.”

Being confident with his reasons, Scott replied, “I’ll take both bets. You see, my little paranoid friend, I happen to know it is going to be in the 90’s today. She will be baking like a Thanksgiving turkey before two o’clock. Frisbee girl will be wet from her toes to her head before this afternoon has ended and you will be missing ten dollars from your purse.”

Michelle was equally confident. “Get your money ready because you’re going to be taking me out for a very nice seafood dinner.”

“I don’t think you’ve eaten out lately if you think we can have a nice seafood dinner for ten dollars.”

She held up her hands to stop the conversation. “I don’t think you understand. I get the ten dollars from the bet and you still have to take me to dinner. Sometime during the course of the day, you will feel guilty about looking at her boobs after I told you not to look. Your feelings of guilt for looking at her will drive you to take me out for dinner.”

Scott lay down on his back and closed his eyes. “I’m not guilty of anything. Besides, I think you are having more fun getting into that girl's brain than I did watching her bend over to pick up the Frisbee. In addition, just to set the record straight, it is natural for humans to look when anything moves in the visual field.”

Michelle stretched out her legs before she leaned back letting her arms support her weight. “She had no shortage of moving parts yesterday.”

Bringing their discussion to its natural conclusion, Scott replied, “Neither did you.”

“I’m glad to know you took your eyes off Frisbee girl and noticed.”

Their neighbors had come down to the beach and put their towels down about fifty feet from Scott and Michelle before settling in for the afternoon. Within fifteen minutes, Scott had almost drifted off to sleep when he heard Michelle whispering to him. “You are not going to believe this. Frisbee girl is coming over here.”

He replied without opening his eyes, “No she’s not. She is going for a walk on the beach or maybe she’s going back to her place. She is no interest in us.”

Within a minute, he was proven wrong when Scott heard a voice breaking his peaceful rest. “Excuse me, but have we met somewhere before? You remind me of someone I knew in school.”

Michelle’s answer came after a slight pause. “No, I don’t think so.”

Scott opened his eyes to see their visitor standing beside them. She had a small tattoo on her right shoulder and just as Michelle had said, she had not one hair out of place. It was also obvious she had spent time in the sun as her skin was unevenly tanned which Scott assumed resulted from wearing different swimsuits.

Her choice of swimsuits that day left little to his imagination as it was quite provocative. She then offered Michelle what Scott could only describe as an artificial smile. “I didn’t mean you. I was thinking I’ve met your friend before.”

She looked vaguely familiar, but Scott had no idea who she was or if they had ever met. He smiled politely and replied, “No, I don’t think we have met before.”

She became more insistent and quite accurate with her recollections. “Aren’t you Scott Morrison and didn’t you just graduate from UNC Asheville?”

Scott glanced at Michelle, who had a special way of looking at him while waiting for Scott to answer a question, which he would prefer not to answer. It was the type of expression, which suggests she would patient, regardless of how long Scott took to respond. In other words, avoiding an issue was not an option. Scott turned his attention back to their visitor. “I’m Scott and I did graduate from UNC Asheville, but I’m sorry, I don’t remember you. Did we take a class together or something?

She was smiling as she shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. With the exception of the parties we were both at, you probably are accustomed to seeing me with more clothes on.”

Was her comment meant to suggest that she did not have clothes on at the parties? Scott had the suspicion this could get ugly. He assumed the sooner the conversation ended the better off he would be.

She then turned her attention to Michelle. “In Asheville, it gets so cold that we spend most of our time there in goose down coats and long pants. It feels so nice to finally take it all off and get some sun.”

Technically, she had not taken it all off, but she was about as close as she could get without being arrested.

Michelle, trying to be polite, smiled at her. “I like your suit. It’s very pretty.”

She tugged lightly at the strap around her neck. “Thank you. My mom thinks it is far too revealing. I guess she would prefer I wear something much more conservative like the one you have on.”

Even Scott understood the jab she had just thrown at Michelle and was ready to come to her defense. Michelle however, had no desire for him to come to her defense as she set her target on their guest. “I’m so sorry. My name is Michelle. I’m sure Scott would have introduced us if he had any idea who you are. Anyway, I know what you mean about moms and the way they like us to dress. Scott and I went swimming last night after midnight and it felt so good to swim topless. My mom would have died if she had seen us last night. I just wish North Carolina would pass a law that would allow women to go topless. I know from personal experience Scott would vote for it.”

Neither their visitor nor Scott was expecting Michelle’s response. He knew Michelle would not be caught dead being topless on a public beach, and he knew they had not taken a midnight swim. Scott had to assume she was jerking the girl’s chain. Michelle rarely was confrontational, but she did not back down easily when attacked. If Jenifer didn’t know by now, she would soon discover she was over-matched.

As Jenifer got ready to speak, she reminded Scott of someone playing a poker hand and her long pause only made his assumption more convincing. In looking back on the conversation, he was sure she was making a calculation as to how she would respond to Michelle. “I’m sorry. My name is Jenifer. It’s very nice to meet you. I have to agree with you that topless is better. It’s almost impossible to get an even tan line. Besides, it’s not like men are going to see something they’ve never seen before.”

Scott could not imagine where their conversation was going. Still he was ready to satisfy his personal curiosity. More to the point, he didn’t know why they were even having a conversation after his denial of knowing her. He assumed she would just walk off into the sunset, but he was wrong. “Jenifer, I’m sorry, but I still don’t know where you and I have met before.”

For reasons that escaped him, Jenifer began shaking her hand in the air. Right, I forgot what I was saying. You and Carlie Miller were getting serious about each other during the last semester at school. Beth, who is lying over there, Carlie, and I are sorority sisters. We’ve met at several functions. Our sorority held some very wild parties that you attended. I am sure you remember being at some of those parties with Carlie.”

Scott still could not remember her and as it turned out, it didn’t matter because Michelle interrupted his thoughts when she spoke to Jenifer. There is no way Scott would ever be able to explain Michelle’s suggestion. “Why don’t you and Beth come over here with us and the three of you can talk about old times and the great parties. We can all lie on the beach together.”

“Oh, I know Beth would love to see you again to say hi and talk about your recent past together. Are you sure you don’t mind? Carlie is going to die when she finds out you’re here.” Jenifer replied

Michelle raised her shoulder slightly, and then tucked her head slightly as she looked at Scott. “You don’t mind if they come over and lay out with us, do you?”

The last thing Scott wanted was to discuss old times with people he did not remember. To him, it was like driving down a country road and stopping in at a family reunion in order to discuss old times with a family he had never met. “Here’s to old times” he replied while taking a gulp from his Coke.

Once Jenifer was a reasonable distance away, Scott held nothing back from Michelle. “Why in the hell are you inviting them to spend the day with us?”

She was smiling as she gave him a quick kiss. “I’m just going to watch you squirm for a little while. You failed to tell me much about Carlie other than the fact you were seeing her. I didn’t realize Carlie and you were getting serious, so now I need details.”

“I don’t even know these people. Why would they want to sit with us? More to the point, why would I squirm? I haven’t done anything. Besides, Carlie is history and has been for a while now.” Scott argued.

Michelle was still grinning as she replied, “I’ll explain it to you later. Anyway, why are you complaining? I’m sure you can sit back and enjoy the scenery while I find out more about your relationship with Carlie.”

He looked directly at Michelle for clarification. “Fifteen minutes ago you were telling me not to look at her scenery.”

Michelle was determined he would have no peace. “Scott, these women have critical information about you and your ex-girlfriend and I need that information. I am also interested in your recent past with Beth.”

Scott had confidence in his security system and proudly explained his firewall of security. “I have no recent past with Beth and I don’t know who she is. Besides, women don’t discuss the guys they date or share details with other women.”

Still trying to torture him, Michelle replied, “No Scott, you wish women would not discuss these matters, but we do. For example, do you remember going swimming in the river with Sally Prescott? In case you have forgotten, I have all the details.”

He felt a need to point out the obvious flaw with her knowledge. “If Sally and I had actually had that alleged experience, anything that happened would be on a need to know basis, and you would have no need to know. She would be discrete.”

She nodded her head. “But I do know everything down to the smallest detail and she was anything but discreet. I probably know more than you do and I wasn’t even there. Anyway, the real issue is the fact that you will be sitting on the blanket with three women who are making sure you have an adequate supply of eye candy. At the same time, I will be torturing you with details of your failed relationship with a woman I don’t know enough about. This will be fun.”

Accepting certain defeat, Scott sought an honorable retreat. “I forgot something in the house that I need to get. I should be back in an hour or so.”

Michelle made sure he saw her wink. “It’s a game, Scott and they think I am a little country girl who doesn’t know how to play.”

She had to see Scott’s look of frustration. “I’m a country boy and I didn’t even know there was a game, let alone how to play it”.

“This is a girl’s game and of course you don’t know how to play. All you have to do is act like a typical male sitting on the beach with three girls sticking a knife in each other.”

Scott thought he was starting to catch on. “You mean like when she said something about your suit being conservative.”

She wrinkled her nose. “You catch on fast. However, keep in mind that was just the opening shot. They want to make you look bad in front of me.”

Scott wanted to know why they wanted to make him look bad, but Jennifer and her advance guard were closing in on his tranquility. Scott was ready to cut and run thinking he might live to fight another day. However, Michelle preferred to suit up and take on the enemy.

CHAPTER VIII

When Beth and Jenifer returned, they spread out their towels and sat down on the blanket. After exchanging introductions and other formalities, Scott came to the realization that if no one spoke, this might not be a bad arrangement. Michelle was right about the eye candy. He also knew the odds of no one speaking were slim.

Jenifer was watching Michelle, but talking to Scott. “You may not remember me, but I’m sure you remember Beth.”

He looked at her for a minute and replied, “No, I’m sorry, but I really don’t think we’ve met”.

Jenifer and Beth turned and looked at each other as if Scott were crazy. Jenifer’s tone suggested she was not accepting his denial. “You have got to be kidding me. I didn’t think you would be able to forget her.”

As far as he knew, most people would have a problem trying to remember people they don’t know. That bit of a priori logic did not seem to apply.

Beth looked at Scott before she stuck the proverbial knife in his back. “So, have you been up to see Carlie this summer?”

Maybe he could play this game after all, or so he thought. “No. I haven’t seen or talked to Carlie in a long time. The distance between the coast and Asheville makes it hard for us to keep up. Anyway, things between us didn’t quite work out like we thought they would.”

Beth turned her gaze to Michelle. “I think that might help explain why he is having a selective memory loss.”

Jenifer took her turn with the knife, only she was coming after Scott and not Michelle. “I can’t believe you don’t remember Beth. It hasn’t been but five or six weeks since we all took the weekend canoe trip.”

Beth wasn’t about to leave Michelle uninformed as she directed her attention to Michelle. “Each year, our sorority does a community service project where we clean up trash from the French Broad River. We have at least sixty people in our group who make the trip. We take either a raft or a canoe and spend the weekend cleaning up the river, drinking beer and camping out. It gets wild out there at night.”

Jenifer put her fingers to her lips as though she had come to a sudden realization. “Scott and Carlie were so serious about each other that I just assumed the two of you aren’t going out together. We aren’t getting him in trouble, are we?”

Scott now assumed Jenifer was a female assassin sent to destroy his brief relationship with Michelle.

Michelle, knowing their intention was to get him in trouble, responded with a laugh. “Don’t worry about that. Scott and I have been friends for several years and we just came to the beach together to talk about old times. I just wish your friend Carlie could have been here too. I know Scott would love to see her again. He has told me so much about her.”

Now Scott was beginning to wonder whose side Michelle was fighting for. If they were in a war movie, this is the time the helicopters would come in and extract those under fire. Given the fact that he had no helicopter, Scott made a plan for self-extraction. He turned to Michelle with a foolproof plan. “Michelle, if we are going to those shops in Morehead City, we should be hitting the road.”

Much to his surprise, Michelle completely brushed off his escape plan. In cold blood, she shot down his helicopter. “We can do that later. There’s no hurry.”

Beth continued with her relentless assault. “Carlie might get jealous if she knew you were here on the beach with three women. Then again, if Carlie were here he would have four women’s bodies to contend with. But, if he can handle two women then I feel sure he could handle four women.”

In another time and place, Scott would have appreciated Beth’s confidence in him, misplaced though it may have been.

Jenifer came back into the fray as she looked directly at Beth. “Speaking of attractive women, Michelle and I were just saying we think women should be able to take off our tops when we lay out. Do you agree?”

Beth was not prepared for her suggestion, but quickly managed to hide any evidence of her surprise. “I agree, but what do you think about that idea Scott? It’s obvious you would not object to being with more than one woman without her clothes on.”

Scott realized what Michelle was talking about when she said they were playing a game and it was time for him to go on the attack. If Michelle wasn’t going to shoot back, then he would. “As long as we are talking about women taking off their tops, I think two of you have some experience performing for the crowds. The first night of the canoe trip, the beer was flowing. If I am thinking about the right night, about fifteen of the sorority sisters stood behind the fire doing a line dance. Have I got this story right so far?”

Jenifer looked at Beth and started laughing. “Yes, and I think I know where this story is going.”

Michelle sat up and looked back at him wondering what he actually knew. “Well I don’t know where this story is going, but it sounds interesting.”

Scott continued with the story, much to Michelle’s amusement. “Several of the guys were yelling for the sorority girls to take it off. I was thinking that Jenifer put on quite a show that night. I’m sure she managed to impress the boys in the crowd.”

For reasons that would become clear, Scott had singled out Jenifer as the one to impress the boys while not bothering to mention Beth, who took exception to his exclusion efforts. “In case you don’t remember, Carlie and I were standing right in front of you making sure you had an unobstructed view. But then again, you say you don’t remember me.”

His response was intended to minimize her role. “It’s been a while and everyone had a lot to drink, so I’ll have to take your word for that.”

Little did Scott know but that Beth was setting him up for a full ambush and no helicopter was coming to the rescue.

Beth was becoming more demanding and louder. “Are you telling me you don’t remember taking Carlie and I to your tent that night?”

Michelle quickly turned and stared at him. As Scott had no clue what they were talking about, he tried to ease out of the conversation. “It’s been a long time. Anyway going back to the original question about women being topless, I have to agree with Michelle. When she and I went swimming last night, it really wasn’t that unusual for us. So I guess the real question is how the two of you really felt standing in that line.”

Michelle continued my point. “As I told Jenifer before, Scott and I were in the hot tub last night and I never wear my suit there. When we came for our late night swim, we just had beach towels wrapped around us until we got in the ocean. You have to try it sometime because you feel so free and unrestrained.”

Jenifer apparently did not wish to be upstaged by Michelle’s suggestion. “I’ve been swimming many times without my clothes on. It’s not a new experience for me.”

Beth was not expecting to hear what Michelle was saying and had to question the story they were selling her. “Did you say the two of you are just friends and that you are not going out with each other?”

Michelle had them where she wanted and was going to exploit the situation as she played her game. “This might sound a little strange, so let me explain. Scott and I have an unusual relationship. We get together and talk about movies, books, the environment, politics, or whatever. The most important thing to us is having each other to talk to.”

Jenifer was now being drawn into Michelle’s manipulation. “Then why were you naked in the hot tub with him?”

Michelle continued an amazing performance where truth was irrelevant. “Talking is just one part of our friendship. The other part is purely sexual because I like sex just as much as Scott does. We believe that emotional entanglements detract from our sexual fulfillment. Scott and I have found a way to meet each other’s sexual needs without all the emotional and social issues. We may not be dating each other, but he is still an all-American boy and we know how boys can be. Let’s be honest here girls, we all have desires that have to be met.”

Jenifer was becoming distracted from her game plan as her questions became more targeted. “So it doesn’t bother you that Scott was making love to Carlie and Beth on a canoe trip just five weeks ago?”

Michelle continued shooting back. “You see, jealously is just a part of the emotional entanglements we were telling you about. It doesn’t bother me in the least, and to be honest, I’m glad he had someone there to share that experience. I wish I could have been there too. I didn’t realize he had been to bed with Beth so I can understand why she is feeling a little awkward. I would like to think I was good enough in bed that a guy would remember me.”

There was a long protracted silence before Michelle spoke again. “I guess to be completely honest, I am a little jealous.”

Jenifer and Beth briefly looked at each other with what looked like a smirk, until Michelle continued with her relentless assault. “I’ve never shared Scott with another woman, but then again, I never need another woman to help me out. I like to think I can keep him well satisfied all by myself. A threesome may be something we could think about doing.”

Beth was staring at Michelle in total disbelief. “I wasn’t expecting that answer from you and I don’t appreciate it.”

Scott joined in at this point to lend some credibility to Michelle’s story. “I guess we could try it if you want to. Beth thinks we have already been to bed with each other so if that’s what you want to do, we can go for it.”

Michelle looked at them with a fake sense of astonishment before bringing him into her performance. “Scott, would you mind rubbing some lotion on me. I think I’m starting to burn a little.”

He held out his hand as she squeezed the lotion into his palm. “Where do you want it?”

“Start on my tummy and work your way up.”

Scott began rubbing the cool lotion on her stomach. Michelle exhibited a sense of calm, but he could tell her stomach muscles were tense, suggesting she might not be as relaxed as she would have their guests to believe.

After a couple of minutes, Scott assumed he had done enough to help her accomplish some undefined point and should therefore stop. Michelle asked him to hold out his hand as she once again squeezed more lotion into his hand. She smiled at him and spoke softly, “Do my shoulders and chest too. This feels so nice.”

Scott started at her neck and did the front of her shoulders before moving down the center of her chest.

Once again, he thought he was finished until she squeezed lotion onto her breastbone and offered him a reminder “Be sure you don’t miss any spots. I don’t want to get burned.”

In the most casual voice she could use, Michelle looked back at Jenifer. “You should let him put some lotion on you. His hands feel so good and the lotion feels nice too.”

Everything Michelle was doing was in complete contrast to her personality. As Scott now understood her motives, he was almost on the verge of laughing aloud. Beth and Jenifer were staring at them in total disbelief. Michelle tried to hand the bottle of lotion to Jenifer, which she refused to take.

Jenifer was rather direct in her reply. “I don’t know Scott that well.”

Michelle didn’t miss a beat as she completely distorted Jenifer’s argument. “It’s just lotion, Jenifer.”

Michelle turned her attention to Beth. “Would you like some? If you and Carlie were with him in the tent, then I would assume you know him well enough.”

Beth was getting ready to stand up as she spoke. “Maybe later.”

Michelle looked disappointed as she spoke. “I’m sorry you have to leave. Maybe your friends would like to come over tonight and we could all get in the hot tub and then go for a swim.”

Jenifer was staring at Michelle in disbelief. “I don’t think that would work because we’ve already made plans.”

Scott put his hand up to stop them before they had a chance to stand up and then spoke with a sense of determination he rarely used. “Let’s quit playing games for a minute. The two of you made several mistakes today. First, you insulted Michelle. The second mistake you made happened when you talked about Carlie. Get your facts straight. I never was on the canoe trip because I came down with a stomach virus. Beth and Carlie might have been screwing someone, but it wasn’t me.”

Jenifer was confident Scott was trying to lie about being on the trip. “If you were not at the campsite, then how did you know what all went on?”

Scott went for the simple explanation. “The French Broad River clean up trip has been done every year for the last twenty years. It’s like a Friday the 13th movie. Once you have seen the first three movies in the series, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to predict what will happen during the 4th movie. You know what happens, even if you haven’t seen it, because only the people change. Your sorority sisters have been going there and taking their clothes off for years and the same thing will happen next year and the year after.”

Beth was almost incredulous. By the time she finished, she was almost yelling at him. “I understand if you don’t want Michelle to know you were having sex with two other girls at the same time, but don’t sit there and tell me I don’t know who was fucking me that night. There is no excuse for you to fuck me, then sit here and act as if you have never seen me. I’m not some piece of garbage.”

Scott reached into a canvas bag, took out his cell phone, and handed it to Beth. “Don’t take my word for it. Carlie is number 94 on my speed dial. Ask her yourself. Just don’t ask a leading question to get the answer you want.”

Michelle looked at him, clearly shocked by Beth’s accusation. Still, she chose to belittle Carlie. “She’s 94 on your speed dial. That's pretty far down the list, isn’t it?”

Beth took the phone and then spoke to him. “You are going to look like the worlds biggest fool in about fifteen seconds.”

“Maybe I will, but put her on speaker phone so we can all hear her answer.” Scott suggested as he released the phone.

The phone call was almost comical from the beginning. They heard the phone ring and Carlie answered. “Hello Scott. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you again.”

Beth looked at the phone and then rolled her eyes. “I’m not Scott. This is Beth and I have something important to ask you.”

Carlie replied, “Well this is like totally weird. You showed up as Scott on my caller ID. Are you sure this isn’t Scott?”

Clearly agitated, Beth shook the cell phone and rolled her eyes again. “Carlie, shut up. This is important. Do you remember on the canoe trip when you and I went to Scott’s tent Friday night and we were both having sex with him?”

Carlie replied in a less than enthusiastic voice, “How could I forget.” After a long pause she continued, “Only it wasn’t Scott in the tent that night.”

Beth began to argue with her. I’m sure we were with Scott. I wouldn’t forget something like that.”

Carlie replied with a casual tone of voice, “Maybe you had too much to drink. It was not Scott. He was in his apartment with a stomach virus trying to do a paper for Econ. You and I were doing that weird guy from the biology department. I still don’t understand why Scott’s number came up on my caller ID.”

They were all silent until Carlie spoke again. “Oh my god, you’re not pregnant, are you?”

Beth was almost screaming at the phone. “No, I’m not pregnant. I’ll call you back.”

Michelle calmly looked out at the ocean, but her attack was cruel. “This is so awkward. Apparently you really don’t know who’s screwing you from one time to the next.”

Beth did not appreciate Michelle’s comment nor was she in a position to argue, but she did appear hurt and confused. Still, she raised another point. “If you weren’t there then why did you say that Jenifer put on a real show that night but that you couldn’t remember me?”

Scott replied with some forethought and a lot of indifference. “Look at the difference between your bathing suits. You and Michelle have on similar attractive suits and you both came out to get some sun today. Jenifer has on a suit that screams ‘look at me.’ She likes showing guys what she has, which is fine with me, if she wants to. It would be the same situation in a dance lineup. She would need to call attention to herself and you are more reserved.”

Jenifer was rightfully offended by his comments. She turned her attention to Michelle assuming her a weaker target of her anger. “Well at least I have something to show off.”

Michelle also spoke before Beth started to stand up. “Jenifer, it is never about how much of something you have. It’s about knowing what to do with what you have. Besides, at least mine are real.”

Beth also turned to Michelle. “We’re not finished with this.”

Michelle leaned back on her towel and closed her eyes. “Yes we are.”

Scott looked at the expression on Beth’s face, having some appreciation for how she must be feeling. He knew she was hurt, and embarrassed. Michelle’s comment about Beth not knowing whom she was sleeping with was harsh and he saw the hurt in Beth’s eyes.

Scott considered his options for a moment and replied, “No, we are not finished with this yet. Beth, I understand you’re angry and hurt right now, but there’s something you should know about what happened that Friday night”.

“Haven’t the two of you made a fool out of me enough for one day?” She asked.

Being completely serious, Scott pointed out what he thought was an accurate statement. “No, you made a fool out of yourself and we just pointed it out. Having said that, there is a very good reason you made a fool of yourself and I don’t think you understand some things that might help you sleep a little better tonight.”

Beth calmed down, looking directly in his eyes as if trying to decide if she could trust him. After a long pause, she replied, “What are you talking about?”

Scott turned so that he was not only facing her, but also looking in her eyes. “There is a reason you actually believed I was in the tent with you and Carlie. Every year, all the guys take our camping equipment to the campsite the night before the canoe trip. We set up camp so everything will be ready when we get there and we don’t have to carry our equipment in the canoes. I went to the camp on Thursday night and set up my tent and sleeping bags. All the guys put a little sign on the front of their tent. My sign said ‘Scott’s Place’. I let another guy use my tent after I got sick on Friday.”

Jenifer was calm, but questioned the validity of his explanation. “Are you suggesting Beth thought she was having sex with you just because your name was on the door? That’s a little hard to believe.”

Scott continued with the point he was trying to make and was not happy with Jenifer’s attempt to discredit the olive branch he was offering Beth. “If I had been healthy, I would have been in that tent with Beth. Everybody thought it was my tent, except Carlie, who knew I wasn’t going to be there. Beth had too much to drink that night, but that wasn’t the reason she was in my tent. On Monday, I was told that eight or nine of the sorority sisters had been given a date rape drug. If I were guessing, I would say Beth thought it was my tent and she was just going with Carlie to sleep there and nothing more. Beth had too much to drink, it was dark in the tent, and she may have been one of the girls who got the drug, but worst of all, Carlie was leading her on. Under those conditions, I can understand why she thought it was me in the tent.”

Jenifer was staring at Scott as he finished his story. “Which girls got the drugs and who was giving them to us?”

Scott put his hands up in the air. “I don’t know who got them or who was giving them out. I wasn’t there.”

Beth continued to question him. “If you weren’t there then how did you know about it? How do you know what really happened?”

Scott thought for a moment about what he should tell her and then opted for the truth. “My friend who was there heard that someone put something in the beer. He had no reason to lie to me about it. However, if you don’t believe what my friend said, then ask yourself this question. How often do you get with your sorority sisters and have sex with their boyfriends?”

They could all see a tear in the corner of Beth’s eye before she looked down at the beach. “I don’t remember but a few things that happened that night. I was upset when I asked Carlie about it the next day. She said you really enjoyed being with me. She laughed it off and said we gave you a birthday present you would never forget. That’s the reason I thought it was you.”

Michelle sat up before she spoke. “I think Carlie and you need to have a meeting of the minds. She apparently has some issues to deal with and has very little respect for you. Scott’s birthday is in November. It wasn’t a present for him. It was a game for Carlie.”

Beth and Jenifer looked at each other as though they were reading each other’s minds. From what Scott could tell, they were not happy thinking about Michelle’s point. Jenifer was still curious wondering what else he might know. “Did your friend also tell you about the line dance?”

Scott shook his head. “No. It’s just like I told you before. I have been on the river clean up for three years with the college environmental group and they use the same campsite you use. I don’t know why the line dance happens, but different girls take their shirts off every year with different people cheering them on. Don’t get me wrong, because I enjoy the show, but that doesn’t make this year new or unusual.”

Beth was much calmer when she spoke. “I can tell you why it happens. It is part of our sorority initiation and maybe it’s time to rethink it. I can tell just by looking at Michelle that she doesn’t think very much of what we were doing.”

Michelle was adamant in her reaction. “Beth, I could care less if you and Jenifer take it all off right now and spend the afternoon with us. Scott and I may go to the river clean up next year and I’ll get in the line dance with you. Having Scott see your boobs doesn’t bother me.”

Jenifer looked with a degree of suspicion at Michelle. “Then what does bother you?”

Michelle glanced at Jenifer and with her question, Scott knew she was about to give them an ear full. “Do you really want to know?”

Once they had both nodded, Michelle let go with her thoughts. “I don’t know Beth and maybe she doesn’t mind double teaming some guy she doesn’t know. Given the fact that she was almost crying a few minutes ago, I doubt that’s the case. Even if it was not Beth, some girl got put in a situation she didn’t want to be in that night when some jerk gave her date rape drugs.”

Michelle paused to take a drink of her Coke before she continued. “You call yourselves sisters, have a secret handshake, and pledge to support each other. That night, you let your sisters down and you let all women down. That is the very definition of hypocrisy. Carlie was supposed to protect Beth, not exploit her. We have enough men exploiting women that we shouldn’t be doing it to each other. The other thing I object to is the fact that both of you came over here to make Scott look bad in front of another girl. I guess you were getting revenge for his breakup with Carlie.”

After a few minutes of silence, Scott looked directly at Jenifer. “There was a price to be paid for that Friday night. I believe Beth was exploited and it ended my relationship with Carlie. Was it worth it? You decide”

Scott could see far more tears running down Beth’s face as she apparently accepted the fact that Carlie had exploited her. He put his arms around her and held her for several minutes as Michelle gave him a slight grin. “Beth, I’m going to tell you something and I don’t want you to think of it as anything but a compliment. This is just a compliment. I think you would make one hell of a nice birthday present.”

Beth placed her arms around Scott as she kissed his cheek. “Thank you for telling me the truth. I will sleep better.”

Chapter IX

They spent the next hour getting to know each other while talking about their college experience. Shortly after two o’clock, Scott excused himself assuming they would move on to other subjects. He sat on a bar stool in the kitchen eating potato chips and drinking a Coke while waiting to cool off. When he started to the door, Scott saw Michelle and Beth coming up the boardwalk together as he stepped out on the deck. He was surprised Michelle would have invited her. “What’s the plan?”

Beth was the first to speak. “There were three things we wanted to do this afternoon. After you left the beach, we apologized to each other for the way we acted this morning. We were all behaving like high school girls instead of adult women. We also wanted to apologize to you for putting on a pathetic demonstration. To be honest, while we were talking we realized we had a lot in common.”

“I was hard on both of you and I’m sorry too.” Scott replied.

After Scott turned to look at Michelle, he made a casual observation. “You’re starting to burn.”

She took her fingers and pulled on her top to show him where she was turning pink from the sun. “Oh, I am starting to burn. Beth, do you have on sunscreen?”

Beth pulled her strap down and replied after looking for just a moment. “I had on sunscreen, but I’m looking a little pink too. The Jacuzzi is a good idea. I’m hot, but I don’t want to get in the ocean or the pool right now. I need to stay out of the sun for a while.”

The hot tub was in the center of the deck and surrounded by privacy screens on three sides. With one side open to the ocean, they could see the distant waves breaking.

Beth approached the Jacuzzi before she stopped to read a homemade sign Scott had posted. “The sign says clothing is optional.”

Without thinking, Scott replied to her observation, “Well it was optional last night anyway”.

He immediately felt Michelle’s hand hit him lightly on the shoulder. “Scott.”

After they were all seated, Beth looked at Scott. “We were not very nice to you when we first met. Why did you bother to tell me the truth when you could have just let me walk away?”

His answer was longer and probably more than they were expecting. “When you were yelling and accusing me of having sex with you while claiming I didn’t know you, you weren’t just angry, you were hurt. You thought I was rejecting you while making you insignificant and treating you like trash. You kept tapping your fingers together, which made me to think you were nervous. When you were on the phone with Carlie, your lower lip was quivering as if you were desperate to get the answer you were looking for. I assumed you needed to know who you were with that night and what happened. Having a face to put on the memory might make it easier for you. When you blurted out that comment about you and Carlie both having sex with me, your face turned red from embarrassment and anger and not because of too much sun. I had a professor who said never miss an opportunity to turn an event into a teachable moment. I think you were a victim of poor judgment, drugs and exploitation and you didn’t need to go through life never knowing the truth. I felt sorry for you.”

Beth’s next question was one in which he thought she had the greatest interest and was the question that led him to believe she was not at peace with herself. “Will you tell me everything you know about what happened to me at the camp?”

He looked at Beth while trying to decide what he should say. “Can you accept the fact that you had a bad night and then move on without knowing all the details?”

Michelle understood his idea. “Beth, we have all done some things we wish we could do differently and sometimes it’s best to move on.”

Beth was apparently neither able nor willing to move on and tried to explain her feelings to them. “I’m not cheap, but I’m not an angel either. I can live with the reality of my actions, if I know what that reality is. I’ve started having dreams about what might have been going on and I need to know the truth. A few weeks ago, I dreamed five men were doing me one right after the other and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. I woke up shaking and in a cold sweat. I need to know the truth so I can get this behind me.”

Scott tried to point out something she needed to consider. “What happens if you don’t like the answers I give you? What are you going to do if the truth is more than you are prepared to accept?”

Beth looked directly at him. “I’m not sure the reality can be any worse than my imagination.”

He took a deep breath suspecting there might be more going on in her head than he should be dealing with. “Let’s do this. I will make some calls and find out everything I can. Meanwhile, you need to think about calling a professional and let them help you work through this.”

She looked up at him as she spoke. Her expression had a look of determination. “I’ve already talked to a professional and I would rather talk to you. The shrink is playing mind games and you’re telling me the truth. Right now, the truth is what I need.”

Without really thinking, Scott put his hand on her back for a moment, hoping to lend her some support. “I’ll make the calls and see what I can find out. We are going to get you through this.”

No one spoke leaving each of them hearing nothing but the gurgling of the water from the whirlpool jets. He realized Beth’s issues and her attempts to put a brave face on her situation might not reflect the depth of her concerns. She was staring at the bottom of the hot tub as if to avoid looking at them.

Scott glanced at Michelle to see her reaction to Beth, but mostly to see if they should do something. Michelle made a hugging motion with her arms and pointed to Beth.

As Beth was already sitting to his right, all Scott needed to do was slide closer to her and put his arms around her. She immediately wrapped her arms around his waist as though she was holding on for dear life. Scott stroked her back and spoke softly as the side of her head was on his chest and her ear near his mouth. “You are going to be alright.”

After a few minutes and quite a few tears, she spoke in a soft voice. “I’m not quite the birthday present you thought I was, am I?”

Scott held her a little tighter as I whispered to her. “It doesn’t matter what happened, you and I are going to get through this, and we won’t let you down.”

They did not know if it was what Scott said or if her time had come to let it all out, but the tears began to pour.

When Michelle saw her reaction, she moved closer to Beth and ended up in what he would best describe as a group hug. With Michelle offering her words of encouragement and the comfort of their hugs, Beth’s grip on his shoulders began to lessen. After several minutes, she sat up looking at each of them. “I’m sorry. I think I’ve needed to get that out of my system for a while. I feel like I’ve been raped by that guy and there is nothing I can do about it, but I’m okay for now.”

With everyone once again seated in a circle, Scott put his hand on Beth’s shoulder and made a suggestion. His intent was to get her something that might help settle her nerves and offer her some encouragement. “I think I should get three glasses and a bottle of champagne and let’s all celebrate the fact that Beth is going to be okay. What do the rest of you think?”

With unanimous agreement for the plan, Michelle went with him to the kitchen. Once we were alone, Michelle put her arms around his neck as they shared a long embrace. She spoke after taking a step back from him. “You are being very nice to Beth.”

Scott was unsure what she was implying with her comment. “I wouldn’t make too much out of that.”

She instantly knew he might have misunderstood her compliment. “I have one hundred per cent confidence and trust in you and I always have. My comment wasn’t some little cat comment born of jealousy. This morning when I said you were observant, I was referring to you looking at Frisbee girl’s boobs. When we were on the beach, you saw things in Beth that I completely missed. You saw her lips quiver, her face turn red from embarrassment, you recognized her anger as being a feeling of rejection and hurt, and you reached out to her when she needed it. I have never been in her situation, but I know other girls who have. It’s not easy.”

Scott knew Michelle was sincere. “You would have seen the same things I did had they not been on the attack. I only did what I would want someone to do if you or my little sister was in the same situation. I don’t have a clue who this girl is, but she’s hurting inside. She covers it up fairly well, but then the hurt comes bursting out again. I think there is a lot more going on in her head than just something that happened one Friday night.”

“So why are we having champagne?” Michelle asked.

He replied with his fake English accent. “It’s elementary my dear Watson. If she believes that we think she is going to be okay, then she might start to believe it herself. The power of suggestion should never be underestimated.”

She once again put her arms around his neck, as she was determined to get his undivided attention. “Watson is an old, fat, balding man who most likely hasn’t been with a woman in fifty years. The next time you call me ‘Watson’, there won’t be any reason for you to be with a woman during the next fifty years. Do you get my point?”

“You’re the most persuasive woman I know and you have such a delicate feminine way of explaining castration to me.” Scott replied as he put his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

They stood in silence before her mind had moved on to other matters. “I’m glad we have reached and agreement on that topic. Still, we need to talk about some things. This has been a strange day for me.”

“Yes it has been a strange day, but don’t forget that I’m taking you out for a luxurious ten dollar sea food dinner tonight. We can eat and then afterwards we can go out to the beach and watch the sunset. We can take all the time we need.” Scott replied.

Michelle picked up the glasses as she looked over her shoulder at him. “It’s going to take some time for me to sort some things out.”

His question reflected his concern. “There’s nothing wrong between us, is there?”

She shook her head. “You and I are fine. It’s something with me.”

Scott offered to talk before they went outside, but she thought it best to wait until after dinner.

Having returned, Michelle made a special toast to Beth whose mood was somewhat improved.

To his surprise, Beth invited Michelle to their girl’s night out beach cookout. After Michelle explained our dinner plans, Beth insisted she come over during the evening for a drink even if she could not come to dinner. Michelle appeared to appreciate the invitation saying she would see what Scott had planned. As they continued to talk about books they read, the movies they had seen and their time in college, his mind drifted away from the conversation.

Beth was a young woman who Scott would describe as being both attractive and adorable. Beyond her physical appearance, she had an undefined quality that drew him to her, only Scott had no idea what that quality might have been. Whatever that quality was, Scott could almost sense her emotional state even when it was not obvious. Beth had managed in a short time to arouse his curiosity about her. She possessed both vulnerability and determination at the same time, which he found to be an interesting combination of traits.

As the conversation went along, Beth appeared to be far more reserved.

Scott took some time to watch Beth for a few minutes wondering about the roads she had taken, or perhaps not taken.

As he watched her, participating in the conversation, Scott felt a haunting quality about her and her personality. The feeling he had was almost a psychic experience, even as he had no details about her life or any aspect of it. It was as if she possessed something in her character or perhaps she owned a secret that Scott wanted to know. Whatever caused the feeling, he suspected she felt very lost and alone, but he had nothing on which to base his suspicion.

Scott felt Michelle’s foot touching his leg as he heard her saying “Earth to Scott, Earth to Scott”.

He turned to Michelle. “I’m sorry. I was thinking about something else.”

Beth glanced at him. “You must feel very special being here with two women.”

Scott knew Michelle well enough to know her words might indicate more than just the fact that she was teasing him. “If I were in a Jacuzzi with two men, I would be feeling very vulnerable. You must be feeling the same way right now.”

It did not take but a moment for him to respond to her less than sincere observation. “I don’t think vulnerable is the word I would use to describe how I am feeling.” He replied.

Michelle rubbed his leg with her foot. “How would you describe the way you are feeling right now?”

If Scott were going to be honest with Michelle, he would have told her that he felt a growing sense of familiarity with Beth. For reasons he could not explain, he felt as if he was sensing something about her without her using words or actions. He chose to answer Michelle’s question without total honesty. “I feel relaxed and laid back.”

After several minutes, Beth once again turned to Michelle. “One of the reasons I wanted to come here was to apologize to both of you again for the way I acted this morning. I wouldn’t have even come over if Jenifer hadn’t insisted, although I am not blaming her for what I did.”

“I said some very unkind things to you too, and I am really sorry. I don’t know what got into me, but there was no excuse for my behavior. I’m also very sorry for what you went through and I know you are not having an easy time. Scott and I will both do anything we can to help you.” Michelle replied.

Michelle looked at Beth before making a suggestion. “You might want to let Scott put some lotion on your back and shoulders. You look like you may have gotten sunburned while we were out.”

Beth looked at her shoulders before making a disappointed face. “They’re getting red. I haven’t been in the sun much this year because I’m trying to take better care of my skin.”

Michelle handed Scott the bottle before she spoke again. I didn’t want to say much in front of Jenifer, but have you known Carlie very long?”

Beth scrunched her nose as she considered her relationship with Carlie. “I had seen her around campus for several years but we weren’t really friends. I didn’t know it at the time, but I started going out with her ex-boyfriend. That didn’t last long and we called it quits in February. Then in late March she started being nice to me and we would go places with a group of girls from the sorority.”

Scott knew far more about what happened on the canoe trip than he had let either of them know and was curious about several things. “Was there any special reason Carlie would take you to my tent that night. Was it like some kind of Sorority initiation thing or something?”

Beth was quick to answer. “Our going in your tent had nothing to do with the sorority. I don’t know why she took me there and I would not have gone if I had known.”

“Turn your back to me and let me work my magic.” Scott squeezed the bottle until he had enough lotion in his hand and began to put it on her shoulders. She arched her back as the cold lotion made contact with her skin. The tension in her shoulders and neck was the first thing he noticed. As she settled into her more normal posture, Scott continued to spread the lotion across the top of Beth’s shoulders and shoulder blades.

Scott put more lotion in his hand and let it get warmer before he began to rub it on her lower back. “We need to find out if she knew the guy in the tent.”

Michelle looked at both of them. “Her plan doesn’t make any sense unless she knew who was in the tent. I can’t see any normal girl just picking out some stranger to have sex with.”

Beth was listening, but couldn’t add much to her story. Scott called their attention to another point. “When Beth used my phone this morning, Carlie referred to the mystery man in the tent as the ‘weird guy from the biology department’. She didn’t even call him by name. That doesn’t sound like someone she’s in love with.”

Beth understood his point. “You are not trying to understand why I was in the tent. You want to first know why Carlie was in the tent.”

Scott started massaging her shoulders and neck as he continued to think. “The muscles in your shoulders are tight. You need to relax. I think we need to know what her connection to the guy in the tent was. Was Carlie angry or anything before you got to the campground?”

Beth thought about his question as she closed her eyes. “I remember her being more distracted than angry. There were three of us in the canoe. Cheryl and I would paddle up beside a piece of trash and Carlie was supposed to lean over and pick it up. Several times, we would have to ask her to get the trash. It was as if her mind was somewhere else, but she hadn’t been drinking or anything. She was simply distracted.

Michelle turned her attention to him. “Scott, you are the one who was getting serious with her. What do you think she was doing?”

“Beth may disagree with me, but I think Carlie is at least three different people living in one body. I’m not sure Carlie even knows the real Carlie.”

Scott took his hands off her shoulders and looked at Michelle as he began to put lotion on her shoulders.

After several minutes, Scott was still massaging Michelle’s shoulders when she turned her head and looked at Beth. “I think I could stay here all afternoon and let Scott work his magic.”

He could see Beth smiling as she put her hand on her shoulder. “The pain in my shoulder is getting so much worse. It’s an old football injury and the only thing that helps is a massage.”

Michelle caught on to Beth’s game. “I know what you mean. As a small child, I jumped out of an airplane and my parachute didn’t open. Now, I’m suffering horrible neck and back pain.”

Not to be outdone, Beth changed her story. “I know exactly how you feel. The first time I fell from a plane, I landed on the train tracks before I was hit by a speeding train that knocked me into the highway where I was hit by a bus. I have had back problems ever since.”

Scott reached for the champagne and poured the remainder of the bottle into three glasses, which he handed to them. He put one hand on each of their shoulders to continue their massage. “This should take care of all football and parachute injuries the two of you are suffering through.”

After a few moments, Michelle questioned his plan. “Are you sure you can handle two women at the same time?”

In an arrogant voice, Scott smiled as he kissed Michelle on the neck. “I suppose that would depend on who the two women are and if the two women could handle me.”

Michelle’s mouth opened wide for a moment only to be replaced with a smile. “Excuse me.”

Scott leaned over and kissed Beth and then Michelle’s cheek before he stood up. “Tonight when you are in your beds dreaming of romance, you will be thinking of me.”

Michelle turned her attention to Beth. “Last night, I had one of the most sensuous dreams about Scott that I have ever had. I was in a castle lying in a four-poster bed with a canopy above it and big fluffy pillows all over it. I was wearing a very short see through gown. Scott came in the room four times wearing a tuxedo. First, he brought me a bottle of wine along with a vase of flowers. Then he brought me a fruit salad before he came back with steak and shrimp that was to die for. After that he brought me a bowl of ice cream.”

Scott kept waiting for Michelle to finish her story, but she remained silent. Finally, he pointed out what he thought her story was lacking. “You haven’t told us the sensuous part of your dream yet. You’ve left out the best part.”

She thought for a few moments. “No, I’ve pretty much covered the best part of the dream.”

Scott stood up to leave. “That’s it. I am out of here. I have given you champagne, a massage, and my undivided attention. I can see my talents are not appreciated in this establishment.

“Where are you going?” Michelle asked.

“I’m going out to the beach where the girls are looking for real men instead of waiters in tuxedos.” Scott replied.

Beth also stood up and put her arms around his waist. “That plan should work out great with me on one side of you and Michelle on the other side.”

Michelle stood and put her arms around his neck. “Beth and I are going to tell all your hot little prospective girlfriends everything about you. That should help you get a date.”

They left the Jacuzzi and went to the beach to swim and pick up their belongings. After Beth left to help with the party, Michelle and Scott returned to the house to shower and rest before going out. Having finished his shower first, Scott went to the living room, stretched out on the sofa and went to sleep.

He woke around four-thirty to find Michelle on the deck reading. They left shortly after five o’clock making the thirty-minute drive to Morehead City for dinner. They carried on their typical conversation with little discussion of Jenifer or Beth. He thought their unusual day would have come up in the conversation, but Michelle asked that they wait until they got home to discuss that subject.

Walking along the city streets after dinner, they stopped in several of the gift shops and paused briefly to look at the fishing boats bobbing up and down in the water. Knowing Michelle for most of her life, Scott knew there was something on her mind, yet they went through the motions of a typical night out.

CHAPTER X

On the drive back to Emerald Isle, Michelle suggested Scott go fishing for a few hours while she went to the girl’s night out. He assumed Michelle was ready to have some time away from him and he was ready for a few hours of peace and quiet without drama. Scott had at least an hour or so before dark so he wasted little time getting his rod and reel before heading for the beach.

He waded in the water, casting the line beyond the breaking waves before returning to dry land to take his seat in one of the folding chairs. It was still warm but not nearly as hot as it had been during the day and a soft breeze kept the mosquitoes at bay. Usually under these conditions, he might use the time to have deep philosophical thoughts, but today was the exception as his mind was almost blank. Scott assumed he had used up his brainpower dealing with their daylong drama. He simply felt content to take in the sounds of the ocean.

He had been fishing for about fifteen minutes when a voice behind asked if he were catching anything, which as usual, he was not. He turned his head to see Beth standing off to his side looking at him. Her appearance was drastically different then from what he had seen earlier in the day.

Her light brown bangs above her eyes were slightly wind blown, but for the most part her hair was undisturbed. She was wearing a loose fitting dark blue knit shirt with her light brown hair hanging over her shoulders. Beth’s nicely tanned legs stood in contrast to her medium cut white shorts and flip-flops.

Before Scott answered her question, he continued to look at her for a moment thinking how attractive she was. “I never catch any fish, but I still enjoy being out here. Do you want to sit down for a minute?”

She sat next to him before looking out over the water. Without looking at him, she explained her reasons for coming to see him. “Michelle told me you were able to get in touch with your friends. Did you find out anything?”

Scott felt something tug at his line for just an instant but the tugging soon stopped. “I found out several things. I think I can help you piece together what happened if you tell me what you remember about that night. I want to see if what you remember goes along with what Moose told me.”

She thought about her experience for a minute or so, trying to be sure she could remember what happened. “I didn’t have much to eat when we got to camp and I remember we started drinking around eight thirty while everyone was all sitting around the fire. Then we all got up to do that stupid line dance. After that was over, I put my shirt on and sat by the fire for a while. I left to go to the bathroom, came back to the fire, and sat next to Carlie. I took a few swallows of my beer and kept on talking and singing for about fifteen or twenty minutes when I started to feel strange. I didn’t think I had that much to drink because I was holding back knowing I didn’t need to put on any more weight.”

She pointed to the cooler as asked if he had anything to drink, to which Scott offered her a beer. She looked in the cooler and opened one for each of them before she continued. “I told Carlie I wanted to go to bed and she helped me up, but I realized we weren’t going to my tent. I asked her where we were going and she said we were sleeping with you in your tent. By the time we got there, I was lost to the world. I don’t remember anything else that night. I woke up inside a sleeping bag the next morning naked from the waist up and with my shorts unzipped. I was alone in the tent. When I asked Carlie what happened, she just laughed and told me I spent the night giving you a very special birthday present. I don’t know what all he did to me and even worse, I don’t know what I did to him.”

Scott pulled some line from his reel allowing the current to carry the bait a little further out before he turned to face her. “I think I have some good news for you. I talked to several people who were there including Moose, who was with you and Carlie in the tent. Carlie took you in the tent and the two of them undressed you, with Carlie doing most of the undressing. You told them you didn’t want to do anything and to stop. They let you lay down on a sleeping bag while Carlie started taking off her clothes. Moose said he and Carlie went at it hard and heavy for a long time. When it was over, he either passed out or went to sleep. He didn’t know what happened to Carlie because she was gone the next morning before he woke up.”

“So you are telling me that nothing happened to me that night. He didn’t have sex with me or do anything to me? Did I do anything to him?” She asked.

Scott thought he should explain everything he knew. “The short answer is you didn’t do anything to him. You were a perfect little almost naked lady. Other than help Carlie take your shirt off you, he didn’t do anything to you. He has been working two jobs to stay in school so he can finish his master’s degree in biology. He’s smart enough to know not to throw it all away for a night of forced sex. Besides, Moose said he got everything he wanted from Carlie. When you said no, he took you at your word. He admits you were in his tent the next morning, so he really has no reason to lie to me about it.”

“Do you believe him?”

Scott pointed out the obvious. “Historically, guys lie to each other about what they did with a girl. We don’t lie about what we didn’t do with a girl. It makes a lousy story. Can you imagine me saying something like ‘Hey guys, I took Beth to my Jacuzzi this afternoon and we didn’t do anything? That story just isn’t worth telling.”

She started laughing, “You’re right. That’s not much of a story. Let me ask you something else. Would you make up a story like this just to help me feel better about myself?”

Without a moments hesitation Scott nodded his head. “Sure I would. I had already planned to make up a story that would make you an innocent little girl, only I didn’t have to this time. Let me tell you a few other things that might not sit so well with you. He and I both think you were one of the girls who got the drug. He is working in biochemistry and knows what he is talking about when it comes to these type drugs. He doesn’t know this of his own knowledge, but what Moose was told the next morning was that one of the girls in your sorority was spiking the beer with the drug.”

The anger was obvious in her voice. ”That’s sick.”

“Yes it is, but keep in mind we don’t know if it’s a true story either. You may never know who put the drugs in your beer.”

She remained confused and was hesitant as she brought the subject up. “When you talk about Carlie, you talk with almost clinical detachment that’s hard for me to understand. You guys were getting serious about each other and then she hops in the sack with one of your friends. You don’t even seem to be angry with your friend.”

“Moose didn’t know Carlie and I were going out. He was working two jobs and trying to keep up in school. We knew each other and ate lunch occasionally, but we weren’t real close friends. We met each other through the environmental club. After I got sick, I told the club president that if somebody needed my tent they could use it, so Moose took it.”

She was still not satisfied with his answer. “That explains your attitude about Moose, but it doesn’t say anything about your attitude toward Carlie. You just told me she and Moose were going at it hard and heavy, yet you seem to have a casual indifference for what she did to you.”

Scott smiled at Beth. “That subject is locked away in a compartment and is buried on the bottom of the ocean. That’s a good place for us to keep it.”

She had a look and tone of resignation. “I understand, because I have several things buried on the ocean floor too. To be honest, I have several other things that should be buried, but I can’t seem to throw them overboard.”

“Is there anything I can help you box up and send out to sea?” He asked.

She looked somewhat dejected. “You just finished helping me slay my biggest dragon and I don’t know how to thank you enough for that. I was having a hard time dealing with the idea of being raped. I guess I’ve used up my quota of dragon killing for one day.”

Scott began to wind the reel bringing in the hook to check the bait. “It’s still early so if you find any other dragons you need to work on, just let me know.”

Beth was looking out at the breaking waves.” After the way I was yelling at you this morning and accusing you of things, I can’t believe you are being this nice to me. It’s funny that we chose to use the metaphor about slaying dragons because you are acting like my knight in shinning armor.”

Having checked the bait on the hook, Scott stood up ready to try again. He once again waded into the ocean up to his knees before casting his line past the breakers. Scott stood in front of Beth before he sat down. “You said today that you weren’t cheap, but you also weren’t an angel. I understand what you were saying, because my suit of armor has quite a few dents in it. It really doesn’t shine all that bright.”

“If we talk about some of my other dragons, could we keep that conversation just between us?”

Scott had no idea where she was going, but he could think of no good reason to object. “We can talk about anything you want to talk about.”

She wasted no time starting the conversation. “You made me furious this morning. When you were trying to tell me you were not on the canoe trip, you were giving me the once over several times. I wondered how you could deny sleeping with me while you were treating me like eye candy. What were you really thinking when all that was going on?”

Scott started smiling as he looked away. “In one respect I thought it was funny because I knew I wasn’t there. I also felt very sorry for you. Let’s start with the facts. You are very attractive and your swimsuit wasn’t designed for privacy. I shouldn’t tell you this, but I will. There were three thoughts going through my mind. First, if I had been having sex with you, I would damn sure remember it. In addition, I would not have let it be a one-time thing. And I am not going to tell you the third thing.”

Beth was determined to know what he was holding back, so she made an offer. “Tell me the third thing and I’ll let you in on one of my closely held secrets.”

Scott was slow to answer. “I decided that if you were going to accuse me of something, then I wish I had at least gotten the benefit of doing it. I have a feeling it could have been very nice for both of us. So what is your closely held secret?”

She paused as she took a drink of beer. “I’m not sure right now, but I wish you had been in that tent when I came in and I wish I would have been sober. You might have found out what I’m like when I am not being an angel. I really shouldn’t be telling you that.”

Scott was not expecting that blunt level of honesty and decided discretion to the better part of valor. “That opens up a lot of possibilities for my little brain to consider, but I’m not sure we need to slay that dragon right now.”

Scott had stepped into a trap and her sly grin soon made that fact very apparent. “I guess that if we don’t talk about something, then it doesn’t exist. We can be selective with our honesty. I don’t really feel an attraction to you because it might mess things up. I don’t have breasts anymore because they are under my shirt where we can’t see them. Let’s get real here for a minute. Just because I shared a private thought about something I might like to do with you doesn’t mean I issued you and invitation to my bedroom”

He held up my hands to stop her. “I get your point. I don’t mind us talking about anything, but I also don’t want you to feel the slightest bit of rejection if you issue an invitation and I have to say no thanks. Let’s do keep it real. I have dents in my armor and I would really like to know what you’re like when you are not being an angel. I would like to be on the receiving end of your affections when you are not being an angel. I can think of a list of things I would like to do with you and for you. I also know that I can’t do anything on that list. Can I get any more honest with you than that?”

The smile left her face. “All I was trying to say to you was that I am very attracted to you for reasons I don’t understand. I was sharing my private thoughts and not my intentions, which is the same thing you just shared with me.”

Scott smiled at her for a moment. “Where are we trying to go with this outpouring of honesty? What is the end game to this conversation?”

She took her time in deciding what she wanted to say. “You have been very sweet to me today. Twice today, when I started to cry, you held me close to you. I see the way you interact with Michelle and I can tell you respect her. I know you protect her, even when it is not in your self-interest. I can see that you love her. Well, I don’t seem to meet guys who treat me like that. I want to know that a nice guy would want to take me to their tent, make love to me, and still be there the next morning. Does that make sense at all?”

Trying to understand Beth was starting to blow a circuit in his brain and the time to tell her had come. “I understand what you want but you are falling all over yourself with inconsistency. Listen to what you are saying to me.”

Beth appeared to be not only confused, but also growing anxious. “I don’t understand.”

Scott softened his voice to reduce the chances she would notice his frustration. “Let’s look at what you have said in the last five minutes. Scott is a nice guy. Beth is tired of guys who are not so nice trying to sexually exploit her. What does Beth want to do? Beth wants to be sober when she goes into Scott’s tent so Scott can make love to her and she can do things to him that she does when she is not being an angel. Therefore, it’s fine if Scott sexually exploits her, but it is not fine if some other guy does. Beth never once suggested that Scott loves her or that she loves Scott, Beth never discussed the commitment they should have made to each other. Beth never mentioned if Scott and Beth protect each other. Beth never suggested that she and Scott go out and eat ice cream together. Beth never suggested Scott would come fix her car if something was wrong. The only thing you have established is that Beth and Scott want to have sex with each other. If that’s the case, then Scott exploits Beth just like any other guy.”

She sat with her hands folded in her lap. ”Beth assumed Scott loved her and would eat ice cream with her while he fixed her car. Beth believes Scott is committed to her. Beth knows Scott won’t hurt her or let her get hurt. Scott would hold her close when she started crying. Beth hasn’t had a sex with a guy in over a year because Beth was afraid, until she met Scott. Beth is afraid that the next guy she goes out will treat her like a used car and return her to the dealer after an overnight test drive.”

Beth was letting her emotions become more evident and Scott decided to let her continue to talk without interruption. She took another large swallow of beer and continued. “In the hot tub today, you weren’t just giving me a massage. You were also caressing me and I know what you really wanted and how you really felt.”

“What do you think I wanted today?” Scott asked hoping to get some insight.

“You wanted to have a little fun with Michelle and me, which would have been fine with me, as long as we didn’t carry it too far.” Beth replied.

He had to argue with her if for no other reason than just to see her frame of mind. “So you would have no objections if I had exploited you today.”

Her response was quick and on point. “Is it really exploitation if we both get something we want or did we just reach a consensus? Let me remind you of what I said before. I am not issuing you an invitation to my bedroom.”

Scott turned his attention from the reel to Beth as they looked at each other for over a minute without speaking. He smiled at her only to let her know he was only partially serious. “I’ve known you for almost eight hours now and you have been pushing my buttons all day long.”

Beth folded her arms across her chest as she continued to stare at him. “Well don’t act surprised. You’ve been jerking my chain all day too. Unless I miss my guess, you would like to get inside my bathing suit and inside my mind. I almost think you would prefer getting in my head more because you can’t quite figure me out.”

“Let me tell you what I have figured out. Someone has slammed you hard and you’ve been hurt. You are not going to trust anyone very much. I think you have several things you want to get off your back and you’re not sure how to do it.” Scott replied.

She thought for a moment before she spoke. “I think that issue is buried at the bottom of the ocean next to the Carlie issue. I will hoverer give you credit for reading my mind. In fact you have been reading my mind ever since I first saw you.”

Scott turned the handle on his reel several times before he looked at Beth. “I don’t think I am the only one here guilty of mind reading. One thing I have noticed about you is that you only fight back or stand up for yourself once you have been wounded. You have a lot of spunk, but I don’t know that you use it when you really need it.”

Beth turned to him. “Give me an example.”

He thought for a moment. “I don’t know, I guess you need to be proactive. Don’t put yourself in a position to get hurt and then get mad when you get hurt. If you walk out in the ocean, then expect to get wet. You don’t have to let a guy have an overnight test drive until you’re ready to give him the keys. Don’t give any guy the keys until you know he will take care of the car.”

She nodded. “You are telling me to act instead of reacting. I like that idea. That’s funny because I was thinking of a lot of things I should have done, but didn’t do.”

Scott thought she needed to expand his suggestion. “My suggestion applies to your entire life. You need to take control and let the world know you are not a used car that can be driven and then taken back to the dealer. You don’t have to be obnoxious about it, but you do need to be decisive and firm. Stand up for yourself.”

“I’m going to think about that tonight when I’m lying in bed. I think you are pointing out something that I have always known, but I’ve never had it hit me in the face quite like this. You’re a stranger in my life and you’ve already seen my lack of self-protection, so there must be something to what you’re saying. I let people screw me over and then get mad about it. How is this for being assertive? I am going to think about you tonight when I am lying in bed with my slinky little nightgown on.”

He returned her smile. “If that is what you are going to do, then go for it, but I’m sure you have better things to think about.”

Scott leaned over and touched her shoulder thinking she would look at him. “I still think someone has hurt you, but I guess you were right a few minutes ago. If we don’t talk about it, then it must not exist.”

She looked back at the ocean. “Some things are just too ugly to look at. Some things are not worth looking at and some things won’t change no matter how hard you look at them. In my case, all three apply.”

Scott nodded as he turned back to look at the surf. “And sometimes, you can look at something from a different point of view, and everything changes.”

She looked down at the ground. “Sometimes you need someone to help you see things a different way.”

Before he could respond, Scott felt something hit his line. He pulled back on the rod to set the hook in the fish’s mouth before feeling the fish began tugging on the line. He stood up and moved closer to the shore while reeling him in. Beth came and stood beside him watching as he pulled on the rod and then reeled him in. Scott knew he had not caught a large fish, but whatever he had was putting up a fight.

He continued to bring the fish to shore as Beth apparently had expectations of his having caught the “the great fish”. The waves were helping bring his catch closer to his feet and into view. Beth looked at the fish. “What is it?”

Still flopping around at the edge of the water, “the great fish” was not what Scott was expecting. “It’s a sand shark.”

With her eyes fixed on the shark, she quickly took five or six steps back. “What are we going to do?”

He replied while watching the shark, “We have to get him back in the water”

She moved a step closer as she replied, “What if he bites you?”

Scott replied while feeling some urgency, “Then he won’t need to worry about what to have for lunch tomorrow. Hand me that old towel next to the cooler and the pliers from my tackle box, please.”

She quickly handed over the two items he needed. “Are you going to wrap him up in the towel?”

Scott stopped and looked up at Beth. “Yes, and then I’m going to send him to Carlie with a note that says, ‘Thinking of you, Sincerely, Scott and Beth.”

When she started laughing, Scott saw for the first time a far more relaxed quality about her. “That was funny.”

He then continued to explain the plan. “I’m going to hold him in place by putting pressure in front of his dorsal fin. Once I get the towel over his tail, I need you to hold the towel on him so he can’t whip his tail around. Once you have his tail secure, I am going to take the hook out of his mouth.”

After the shark was secure, Scott asked her to hold the shark’s tail so he could remove the hook. With some reluctance, she got on her knees and held the tail in place. “When you send the shark to Carlie, ask her to send us a family photo.”

They were both on their knees and their faces were only a few inches or so apart when Scott glanced at her while knowing she was watching him. He smiled as he watched her. “I like you.”

“I like you too”, she replied before they returned their attention to the shark.

With the shark released, Beth stood on shore calling out to the empty sea, “Goodbye Carlie”

Scott put more bait on the hook, cast the line, and returned to his seat. After he thanked Beth for her help, Scott suggested they have a beer to celebrate and she quickly accepted his offer. Beth was very thoughtful as she spoke, “I have never caught a shark before. Did you see the way he was looking at us? I think he wanted to bite us.”

“I guess he’ll have to wait until tomorrow when you go swimming again.” Scott replied.

Beth replied after a thoughtful pause. “Maybe I’ll just swim in the pool tomorrow.”

“You guys have a pool?”

She nodded. “It’s a small one, but it’s good to get in and cool off.”

Something occurred to Scott, which he had not considered before. “Why aren’t you at the girl’s night out party?”

She used his words to answer his question. “If you have seen the first three Friday the 13th movies, you really don’t need to see the fourth one to know what happens.”

“Is it that bad?”

“Yes, it’s that bad.”

“What do girls do at these outings?”

She thought for a moment. “There is a lot of talking that goes on which I call the ‘BMFJ’. That means books, bodies, men, movies, food, friends, family, and jobs. Body talk can include everything from weight gain to make up to our monthly period. Aren’t you glad you are out here fishing?”

Scott had to agree. “You ladies are living on the edge but that could be brutal. Is that all you do is sit around talking. Don’t you watch a baseball game or anything?”

She began to explain in more detail. “The talking is purely coincidental to the activity. Tonight at least three or four girls will go swimming. Four girls will sit around the pool talking about the girls in the pool. One girl will appoint herself as the official keeper of the clean house. She’s the one who grabs your cup the instant you set it down. Another woman will be the official purveyor of bad news. She tells each woman who has cancer, who’s pregnant, which girl is having surgery, or who is getting a boob job. People cluster in little groups, laugh the night away with some alcoholic beverage acceptable for consumption by females, like wine or a mixed drink with an umbrella or fruit.”

Scott could not imagine Michelle lasting long under those conditions. “Michelle doesn’t know anyone to talk about, she didn’t take her swimsuit, and she is not having any surgery. I don’t see her hanging in very long. So I guess she will be alright.”

“Well depending on the age of the girls, the location, time of day and the amount of alcohol consumed, she might not need a swimsuit if she goes swimming. Don’t worry about her. She’ll be fine. It’s harmless since men are not allowed to attend.” She replied.

“So you decided you would rather be out here fishing instead of being at the party.”

There was almost a defeatist tone in her answer. “It’s easier to spot the sharks out here. Besides, I get the feeling you wanted me here.”

After several minutes of silence, she changed her plan. “Upon further consideration and the fact that I have had a few beers, I might need to make an appearance at the house for a few minutes. Do you mind if I come back in a little while?”

“There’s plenty of beer in the cooler. It’s fine if you want to keep fishing. Enjoy yourself at the party.” He replied.

“Yes, going to the bathroom probably is the highlight of that party. I’ll see you later.”

Beth stopped suddenly before turning around. “Was I really naked in a tent with someone named Moose? That name conjures up some really weird images.”

Scott started laughing. “Moose is also the name of the person who left you alone when you said no.”

She turned to continue her walk back to her house. “I know, but the name Moose is so animal like.”

Scott watched her for a few moments as she walked away. He assumed she needed a friend or at least some direction in her life. They spent twenty minutes on a roller coaster but at least she could now put aside her canoe trip experience. With the wind picking up slightly, the waves grew stronger. It was only eight o’clock, so he still had more time to fish before sunset.

CHAPTER XI

It wasn’t long until Scott saw Michelle coming across the beach. After a quick hug and kiss, they sat down together. He took the opportunity to ask how the party was going only to get an indication that she wasn’t overly impressed. “The party is fun and the girls are nice so I guess its okay. I just wanted to check on you and see if you were holding your own.”

He pulled back on his rod, once again thinking he may have a nibble, but that was not to be. “Beth came down to see what I found out from Moose. I think she feels much better about all that now. Then she stayed with me, drank my beer, and has been helping me fish.”

“You have been very sweet to her today and that is one of the things I have always loved about you. You never kick someone when they are down.” She replied.

Scott shared some of his confusion with Michelle. “I can’t tell who I am dealing with. Sometimes she is a mature woman, and then she becomes a little girl, and then she becomes a frightened twenty something year old girl.”

Michelle smiled, “All women have some of that in us. You may not know it, but you made her the star of the party for a little while tonight. She came through the door at the party telling everyone, ‘we caught a shark’. She took out her cell phone and started showing pictures of you with the shark. She went on to tell us how she held the shark's tail while you took the hook out of his mouth. She was very proud of herself for holing the shark’s tail.”

He thought about Michelle’s comments and Beth’s reactions to catching the shark. “Don’t misunderstand what I am saying until I get finished. Then you can misunderstand it. Beth is a very attractive girl with a nice figure and good personality, at least most of the time. She would be classified as a guy magnet. Here is my question. I wonder if any guy has ever taken a good look at her for anything other than what they could get from her.”

Scott suspected he was going to get an education from Michelle as she gave him the poor stupid Scoot knows nothing about women look. “Scott, as a female, let me give you some advice. A poor little vulnerable girl can twist a man in any shape she wishes. A cute little girl can kill her parents with an ax in the blinking of an eye. Against a well-trained woman, you don’t have a chance. I know you like the back of my hand and you are too nice to deal with a deceptive girl. Keep your eyes closed and your brain working.”

In an effort to protect his ego, Scott offered a sound defense. “It doesn’t matter because she’s gone back to the party.”

Michelle corrected his misinformation. “Beth asked if I would care if she came back and sat with you while you were fishing. I don’t think she was that excited about the party.”

“How long are you going to stay at the party?”

“I don’t know. Some of them want to go swimming, but I don’t want to get my hair wet and I don’t have a suit with me. I should be back by nine o’clock. If something changes, I’ll come tell you or give you a call. I might need to check on you anyway in case our little blonde haired, blue-eyed monster does something to you.”

Once again, Scott expressed his confidence in himself. “I just took the hook out of a shark’s mouth. I think can handle Beth.”

Michelle stood up to leave as they gave each other a kiss. “Maybe, but an adorable one hundred and ten pound two legged girl can be far more dangerous than a shark. Why don’t you concentrate on catching us some dinner for tomorrow night?”

“If you are depending on me to catch dinner, you need to be prepared to go hungry.”

Scott watched as she walked toward Beth’s house. It was only a moment before Beth walked down the steps and across the beach. She stopped to talk to Michelle for a few moments before she continued her trek towards his less than private sanctuary.

The cooler was sitting between the two chairs and once she sat down, she placed her drink on the cooler. Scott felt he had to tease her a little. “I see you are having a female drink tonight. I can see the fruit but I don’t see the little umbrella? What is it?”

“It’s called a Passion Fruit Mojitos. It’s made with rum. Now shut up about my girl drink and quit making fun of me. Have you caught any more fish since I left?”

“No. I think the shark ate all the fish and there is nothing left to catch.”

Beth took a sip of her drink. “Why do you keep fishing if you aren’t catching anything? Why don’t you watch a ballgame or something?”

“I like watching the surf. It’s peaceful out here.”

She looked back at the house. “I don’t know why they turn up the music so loud.”

“Maybe they don’t want to hear each other talk.”

She hit him on the arm. “You think a girl’s night party is silly, don’t you?”

Scott looked at her as she challenged him. “I don’t think they’re silly, but from the way you described the party, I think I would rather go to the dentist.”

“I’ll bet you would change your mind if you were in the pool with about eighteen very attractive girls, several of whom have been drinking too much and are ready for a little fun. I am positive you would change your mind.” She replied with confidence.

He pointed out his situation. “Like everything today, it doesn’t matter because it’s all hypothetical. I was not invited.”

There was a long period of silence before Beth’s apparent concerns drifted out. “My friend Amie is up there tonight. She is drop-dead gorgeous. In another hour, she will be drunk and out of control to the point she could have sex with you on the dinning room table while everyone is standing around eating. She has been pregnant once already.”

“You sound like you are worried about her. Will she be alright tonight?” Scott asked

Beth shrugged her shoulders. “I used to be worried about her, but that hasn’t helped. I’ve tried to talk to her, but she isn’t going to listen to anybody. I don’t know if she is addicted to sex or alcohol, but the combination is deadly for her. She is going to get hurt one of these nights being with guys she doesn’t even know. I wish someone could help her. Nobody wants to step up to the plate because they think they would be betraying her if they told her family she needed help. They will let her die in some alley, shake their head and say my, my, what a waste. That was depressing, wasn’t it?”

He replied, not knowing what else to say. “It is a sad story, but until we find a way to get inside a person’s mind, people will be exploited by other people before they die in a lonely alley.”

Beth continued to look at him as she made a confession. “I told her she should come down to the beach and talk to you. I told her you could help her.”

Scott shook his head emphatically hoping she would get his point. “Beth, your friend needs professional help that I can’t give her.”

“Does that mean you aren’t willing to help her?”

His reply was swift. “It means I don’t know how to help her. You just told me she’s your friend and she won’t listen to you or anybody else. Someone like that is not going to listen to me even if I knew what to say to her. I don’t have the skills, training, or knowledge to help your friend.”

“She most likely won’t come down here anyway.” Beth replied.

Scott decided he might have one of those teachable moments his professor had discussed. “How much have you had to drink tonight?”

She became slightly uneasy with his question, but chose to answer. “I had two or three glasses of champagne with you in the hot tub. I had a glass of wine with dinner, two beers while we were fishing, and now this drink. Why do you ask?”

“I asked because I don’t want you to end up in the same mess as your friend Amie. I’m surprised you aren’t feeling the effects of the alcohol.”

She smiled at him as she reached for her glass. “I was feeling the effects even before I started on this drink. By the time this drink is gone, I will be gone too. Don’t worry about me because I don’t drink this much very often.”

After giving an idea some very serious consideration, Scott made her an offer. “I won’t worry about you if you take your drink and pour it in the sand.”

She was completely surprised at his suggestion. “Are you serious?”

“I’m very serious.”

“Are you afraid I drink too much and can’t control it?” She asked

He decided to appeal to her logic. “Let me ask you this. Would Amie pour her drink in the sand or find an excuse not to?”

Beth was definite with her answer. “There is no way she would dump her drink unless she knew she had another one close by. I’m not Amie and I can pour it out, if I want to.”

Scott responded with two simple words. “Prove it.”

Her stare at Scott was relentless as he assumed she was making some mental calculation or was very confused. She picked up her drink, took a sip, held it in her outstretched arm, and slowly poured it in the sand. “When I told you that story about Amie, you thought I was talking about me, didn’t you?”

He was noncommittal. “I wasn’t sure because people have funny ways of asking for help. If you are not Amie now, then I don’t want you to become Amie. I don’t want you to become another statistic.”

“Are you religious or something?” She asked, still trying to understand his motives.

Scott looked down the beach at the fishing pier. “I suppose in my own way I am. I look out at the ocean and see the Universal Mind, but that doesn’t have anything to do with you pouring out your drink. I told you a little while ago I would like to have the benefit of having sex with you, if you were going to accuse me of it. Those are not the confessions of the evangelical. I want you to find your dream and not live a nightmare like your friend Amie.”

She continued to look at him as he watched her. “I really don’t understand you at all. You really are concerned about what happens to me.”

As Scott looked in her eyes, he could see a genuine look of surprise she was feeling. “The world is full of people who lost a battle. I want you to win the war. Did you ever doubt that I was concerned about you?”

She looked at him and then at the ocean. “I just wasn’t sure you concern was real.”

His cell phone went off with a tone that let him know he had a message from Michelle. The message read, “She has knife - standing in corner - come now.”

After telling Beth they had an emergency, Scott grabbed her hand almost jerking her up as they started running for the house. Michelle and Jenifer were waiting for them on the boardwalk at the top of the stairs. Jenifer spoke as they came closer to her. “She is standing in the corner with her back to the wall and she has a knife. She said if we call the police or an ambulance, she would kill herself. She already has a cut on her arm.”

Scott was speaking quickly. “If you haven’t called the police don’t call yet. What’s her name and what set her off?”

“Her name is Amie and she got angry because we wouldn’t let her call some guy to come over here. She said he could get several of his friends to come over and party with us.”

“Who is her best friend?”

Jenifer looked at Beth. “That would have to be Beth. Most of us are tired of fooling with her.”

“Who did she come with?”

Beth replied, “She drove herself.”

Scott started detailing his plan. “Beth, why don’t you come with me a let’s try to talk to her.”

Michelle came with Scott to the door and put her hand on his back. “I thought you always told me your mother didn’t raise a fool.”

Scott smiled at her reference. “I’m ninety percent sure she isn’t going to do anything. I think she is trying to either get her way or get some attention. There is always that other ten percent chance she could be crazy as hell. Therefore, if Amie stabs me, then you were right and I was wrong. See if you can find a first aid kit, please.”

Beth came and stood beside him as they entered the great room. When he was three or four feet away, Amie told him to stop, which he did. In a slurred but determined voice, she asked if Scott was a cop.

Scott deliberately made her wait for his answer. “No, I’m not a cop. I just came over to fix your arm.”

Beth moved slightly closer to Amie before speaking to Scott. “Scott, this is my best friend Amie.”

“Oh, you’re Beth’s friend. Beth said you were going to come down to the beach with us. She has told me a lot about you.”

Beth was trying to encourage her to come with them. “Scott and I have been waiting for you on the beach. There’s nothing going on up here so why don’t you go swimming with us?”

Amie was hesitant to accept Beth’s suggestion. “You haven’t been waiting for me.”

Beth countered Amie’s denial. “Scott and I caught a shark while we were waiting for you. Would you like to see a picture of it?”

Beth took out her cell phone and held up the picture for Amie to see. Amie squinted to see the image because Beth was standing too far away from her. “You caught a real shark?”

Beth’s idea was a spark of genius. “Scott, you were a medic in the National Guard. You can fix her arm.”

Amie maintained her stance. “I’m not putting down my knife.”

Scott moved much closer to Amie. “You can keep your knife while I work on your arm. But you have to agree to come with me if I take the time to fix it.”

Amie looked at him with her head clearly unstable. You can fix my arm, but I am not putting down my knife.”

That was not news he wanted to hear, but it was a start. Scott took the first aid kit and set it on the table next to Amie. He kept eye contact with her while he was speaking. “I’m going to take your arm so that I can look at the cut. I want you to be very careful with the knife so you and I don’t get hurt. Is that okay?”

She extended her arm and nodded. Scott then asked Michelle to get a washcloth and some warm water. While he was waiting, he kept talking to Amie and paying very careful attention to her right arm holding the knife at shoulder height. Scott had no idea if she had been at the beach during the day, but used that idea as a way to keep her attention. “Was that you I saw you lying on the beach today?”

“I had on my pink bathing suit today.” She replied with a softer tone of voice.

Scott assumed he was on the right track, but she still had the knife at shoulder height and could jab it in his side if she decided to. He was still convinced she was not going to hurt him, but he couldn’t ignore the fact she had cut her own arm. “I was watching you and thinking I really would like to hook up with you.”

“You should have said something if you wanted to see me.” She replied, with her words still slurred.

Michelle placed the water on the table and backed away as Scott picked up the wet cloth. “I’m going to clean this up and take a look. This might hurt just a little so tell me if I start to hurt you too much.”

Scott held her arm at the elbow as he started to clean away the dried blood. The cut was deeper than he expected, but the wound had already started to clot. Scott wanted to keep her mind focused on him. “Amie, there are several other things I want to check. I am going to touch your face with my hand. Is that okay with you?”

He put his hand on the side of her face and then on her forehead. “You feel a little hot, do you feel okay?”

“I feel okay. I’m sleepy.” She replied.

Scott kept trying to keep her distracted. “Did you go swimming today?”

“I went in the pool.” She replied.

Scott extended her arm and gave her one more warning. “I am going to put something on your wound now and it is going to sting. Do you think you can handle it?”

She nodded her head as he put the iodine on the open cut. Her arm flinched but he held it tight. Scott leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “You did fine. All I have to do now is put a bandage on you. I have a few other things I need to do after that. Is that okay?”

She agreed and he began to apply the bandage while he continued to talk to her. “I’ll bet your arm is getting tired after holding that knife. Why do you need the knife anyway?”

She was still unable to focus her eyes and her head was swaying slightly. “I wanted some fun with somebody and we only had girls.”

“Maybe you and I can have some fun. What would you like to do?”

She replied with a hint of a smile. “I can’t tell you. You’re my doctor.”

Scott noticed her eyes were not working together. “Now this is very important. Use your beautiful green eyes and look at my eyes. I need to know if you have taken any pills today or if you have used any drugs. This will be a secret between you and your doctor.”

“I took a little green pill after dinner. Does that count?”

“What is the little pill for” he asked being somewhat skeptical she would know.

Her body swayed slightly before she spoke, as though she might lose her balance. “It makes me want to fuck my doctor.”

Scott realized she was not just drunk but also that she likely needed medical help. “Your doctor is going to do two more things and I am going to ask my nurse to help me. I am going to do a few more tests. I will get my nurse to hold your knife while we do the test and then you can have it back. Then I am going to take you to the bedroom. Is that okay?”

“We don’t have to go to the bedroom, we can do it right here.” She said as she staggered.

“Let me have the knife now so I can take you to my bedroom and check you out.” Scott said thinking she would connect his ideas to her thoughts.

“I need to keep my knife.”

Seeing that Amie was beginning to stagger and was still holding the knife in a way that could hurt both of them, Scott chose a different approach. “I need to pull off your shirt to check you heart. I can’t take your shirt off while you are holding the knife.”

“You can try, can’t you?”

Scott took his hands and put them on both shoulders trying to massage her neck and distract her. He let his hands go further down to her elbows until he knew he could control the arm holding the knife. With more force than needed, Scott held her arm so she could not move. “This is the arm test. I need to see if you can move your arms. Is that okay”.

He could feel her fighting against him, but she had little strength. “I can’t move it.”

The knife slipped from her hand before he pulled her close to prevent her from trying to pick it up. He kept his arms around her as Scott looked at Beth. “Help me get her in the bedroom. Michelle, call EMS and tell them we need them now and that she has ingested an unknown drugs with alcohol.”

One of the women at the party who had been watching came up to Scott. “She doesn’t need the ambulance. Put her to bed if you want to, have a little fun and she’ll be fine in the morning. She took a little rope. It’s obvious you have never lived in a girl’s dorm before.”

No one in the room was making an effort to place the call nor did they seem concerned. Scott finally looked at Jenifer. “Do you want me to just throw her in the corner or dump her on the beach? What works best for you?”

Jenifer shook her head. “Scott, I appreciate your help getting the knife away from her, but Heather’s right. Take her in the bedroom, take off her clothes, and have a good time. If you don’t want her, turn out the light and go fishing. She will do the same thing tomorrow night.”

Scott was still holding on to Amie and mostly supporting her weight as she showed little inclination to stand up. He started to smile at Heather. “You’re right. I have never lived in a girl’s dorm. If it’s full of people like you, then I’m glad I haven’t. What the fuck are you people waiting for? Does she have to slash her throat to get your attention? Her arm needs stitches. I’ll take care of her. Party on.”

As he started for the door dragging Amie along, he heard Heather laugh and make a remark. “I’ll bet he takes real good care of her.”

Michelle and Beth followed him out of the door before Michelle spoke, “What are you going to with her?”

“I’m going to take her to the emergency room in Morehead City.”

Michelle put her hand on his shoulder. “Take her to our place if you want to and we can stay up with her until she is better. She doesn’t need an emergency room.”

Beth echoed Michelle’s comments. “I’ll stay and help you guys look after her. The emergency room is not going to help her. They will keep her overnight and release her in the morning, if not before. She’s been down that road more times than I can count.”

Scott continued walking toward his car. “I am taking her to the ER and get stitches in this wound. She cut it fairly deep.”

“Let’s have some fun Doc.” Amie said as she continued to stagger before almost falling.”

Scott kept his arm around her waist as he replied. “I understand what both of you are saying, but tonight is going to be different. If you don’t want to come with me, I completely understand.”

They took her to the car and arrived at the hospital after a thirty-minute drive. After an hour and forty-five minute wait, a doctor came to talk to them. She took them into a small consolation room to have a conversation. The doctor began with her questions. “Which one of you is a member of her family?”

Beth responded, “None of us are. Her family lives in Jacksonville near the military base.”

Flipping through several pages, she stopped for a moment. “It doesn’t appear she has insurance. Is that correct?”

Beth again replied, “I don’t think she has insurance.”

The doctor continued speaking. “I don’t have the legal authority to discuss her treatment with you. In general, we can keep someone in her condition overnight unless we find some complications. At best, we will likely release her in the morning. I would suggest you contact her family to pick her up, unless one of you is coming for her.”

Scott refused to accept the direction the discussion was heading. “Doctor, maybe you missed this in the record. She sliced her arm with a knife while threatening other people. This is a little different from your typical case.”

The doctor turned her attention to him. “I’m the one who put the stitches in her arm and I think I am familiar with our typical case. May I ask what your connection to the patient is?”

Scott thought for a moment and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t have a connection to her and to be honest, I don’t even know her last name. All I did was to take the knife from her and bandage the wound.”

The doctor continued, “We don’t have a great deal of latitude to deal with these issues because of our funding. We can only keep her if she wants to be here and if her care is medically necessary. She will most likely be out of here by morning. We don’t have many options.”

Scott decided to argue the case. “So this is a money issue?”

The doctor nodded, “To some extent it is a money issue. I have a waiting room full of girls in Amie’s condition almost every Friday night.”

Scott continued to argue, only with more determination. “You do have some options here doc. She can be sent to a detox center. You can issue an involuntary commitment because she represents a danger to herself or others. You do have some options. But, I’m going to give you another choice. Pick up the phone and call the hospital accountant and attorney. You can tell them if this girl is released and she hurts herself or someone else, I am going to come after this hospital and they are going to pay dearly. She has a clear record of threat to self or others. You decide.”

The doctor appeared more compassionate. “I really do understand your concern, but what exactly is your interest in this case. By your own admission, you don’t even know her.”

He thought for several minutes. “I don’t want her to become another statistic.”

The doctor looked at him for a moment and replied, “If you are tired of people being turned into statistics, then send a letter to your legislator. As you say, I can have her committed and she would be back on the streets in seventy-two hours. The state of North Carolina has cut mental health funding to the bone and outsourced most services to people who have a profit motive. No money… no cure.”

Michelle had been silent, but now chose to speak. “Then what happens to people like Amie?”

The doctor stood up to leave as she looked directly at Michelle. “They become statistics enshrined in a computer database somewhere. They are out of sight and out of mind, unless this happens to a member of your family, in which case they become a tragedy.”

As she reached for the door, she turned and glanced at Scott. “This young woman is more fortunate than most because she has you to fight for her. I’ll do everything I can to help her.”

She stopped and once again looked directly at him. “Keep in mind that even if we had all the money we needed, we can’t fix everything. It doesn’t work when you want something for her more than she wants it for herself. She has to make a choice to change her lifestyle.”

They thanked the doctor and left the hospital for a long quiet drive home.

CHAPTER XII

As they drove in the driveway, Beth looked at her house to see the party still going on. “Don’t these people know when it is time to leave?”

Michelle assured Beth that she and Scott would be up for a while if she wanted to stay until the party was over. With some reluctance and much appreciation, Beth accepted her offer.

Once they were inside, Michelle and Beth sat at the kitchen bar. Beth looked at of Scott. “I don’t defend Heather’s attitude, but you need to know something before you judge her. Heather was Amie’s roommate during her junior year. She has made the same trip to the hospital that we made tonight, only she has made that trip eight or nine times. She did everything you could ask of someone trying to help Amie. She is not a bad person, she’s just given up.”

Scott considered her comment for a few minutes before giving his opinion while they sat in silence. “I understand why Heather would feel that way if she couldn’t help her, and to be honest, I not surprised. That doesn’t entitle Heather to causal indifference. Jenifer could care less what happens to Amie.”

Michelle was more tolerant than Scott expected. “Scott, sometimes people run out of patience. Amie has to help herself.”

Scott understood their point, but they didn’t understand what he was trying to say. “Two women at that party told me to take her in the bedroom and have a good time with her. They don’t know me and with friends like that, she might make it to her twenty-fifth birthday, but I would be surprised. I guess it’s like the song says, ‘cheap life and even cheaper death’. I’m going to get my fishing rod from the beach before the tide comes in.”

After Scott left, Michelle turned to Beth. “I’m going to fix myself a nice strong drink. Would you like one?”

Beth only took a moment to decide. “Yes, thank you and please hurry. I didn’t like what Heather said about Amie, but she was right when she said Scott has never lived in a girl’s dorm. In my dorm, there was some type of drama every weekend.”

Michelle agreed. “I thought personal drama was required for admission to my dorm, but he was right this time. When she cut herself, she crossed the line. I would think she really starts going downhill from this point if somebody can’t help her soon.”

Beth nodded. “So many people have tried to help Amie, but she has too many issues to deal with. We’re not professionals and I sure as hell don’t know how to fix her.”

Perhaps in an attempt to change the subject, Michelle asked what Beth wanted to drink. After discussing wine, beer, and mixed drinks, they settled on margaritas. Michelle was busy fixing drinks while Beth put together a cheese and cracker plate.

As Beth was slicing the cheese, she posed a casual question yet she was very interested in the answer. “How long have you and Scott been dating each other?”

Michelle, looking very thoughtful, stopped stirring the margaritas for a moment. “It’s been almost forty-eight hours since we had our first date.”

After a long and almost painful pause, Beth made a passing comment. “It must have been love at first sight. On my first dates, a guy only takes me to dinner. On your first date, he brings you to the beach.”

Michelle smiled at her. “Okay, mouse. Bring your cheese with you and we’ll nibble on it in the moonlight while I tell you the rest of the story.”

Beth picked up the platter and headed for the deck. “Just like pudding, the plot thickens.”

The warm night breeze blew in from the ocean as they sat at deck table. The nearly full moon was already high in the sky making it possible for them to see Scott on the beach from the deck. He had made the decision to cast the line a few more times before accepting defeat and calling it a night.

Michelle began to explain their unusual relationship. “I first met Scott about ten years ago. We became friends and started going places together. We came to the beach, went out to dinner, went to movies together, and just spent a lot of time talking to each other. At the same time, we were dating other people.”

Beth didn’t understand. “So you’ve really been dating for several years now.”

Michelle shook her head. “No. The things we did together were friend dates and not boy girl dates. We were just friends. It was like a date, but not a date.”

Beth was looking for clarification. “What you’re telling me is that you went out with each other, but there was no physical part of the relationship. Is that what I am hearing?”

Michelle replied. “Not even so much as a goodnight kiss.”

Beth started grinning. “When the two of you went out, did you have to do anything special for your makeup, your clothes, your hair or your shoes?”

Michelle replied, “I had to do nothing different for him than I would for my brother.”

Beth thought she understood. “It sounds like you had all of the best parts of a relationship without having to put up with sexual part.”

Michelle started laughing. “That’s pretty much it. He would fix my flat tire, take me out to dinner, and keep the other guys away when I was lying on the beach. I had it made.”

Beth also started laughing, “You had Scott right where you wanted him for ten years and then for some reason, you lost your mind in a moment of weakness. You made love to him and now you are trapped and living with paradise lost forever.”

Michelle was making a joke, but Beth may have seen a different reality as she listened. “I didn’t realize when we were in the Garden of Eden taking a bite from the apple that Scott would have such a big appetite. Tonight is the first time I have worn a bra since Wednesday night. I have been wearing a bathing suit, nightgown, tee shirt or nothing at all. I have been bouncing around for several days.”

Beth became far more serious as she took the first drink of her margarita. “So what happened on Wednesday to change everything between the two of you? Feel free to tell me it is none of my business.”

Michelle smiled. Believe me, there is no secret here. I broke off my engagement to a want-to-be corporate monster from up north. He was still attached to his mother’s umbilical cord. To make a long story short, when I came home from school, Scott and I picked up where we had left off. I started having doubts about getting married to Tom and apparently, Scott had just ditched Carlie.”

There was far more implied by Beth’s statement than contained in her actual words. “Would that mean both of you were on the rebound?”

Michelle considered Beth’s statement before responding. “I don’t know that I would call either of us on the rebound, but I would say we were both coming away from a failed relationship by choice.”

“Then what made you change direction in your relationship on Wednesday after being friends for ten years?” Beth asked, still feeling unsure why they had made the change.

Michelle answered without the slightest hesitation. “We both realized that if we didn’t change direction, we would lose our friendship. He or I would get married and move away and it would all be over.”

Beth took another large swallow of her drink and looked out at the ocean. “It is so nice out tonight. The moon is gorgeous.”

Several minutes passed as they continued to sip their drinks in silence. Michelle was still looking at the surf when she spoke. “What are you thinking, but not saying?”

Beth offered a quick smile. “I was thinking I should make this one of those moments when I have enough sense to keep my mouth shut and not stick my nose where it does not belong.”

Michelle’s reply came quickly and was sincere. “I really would like to know what you were thinking.”

“Are you sure you want to hear this?”

Michelle nodded. “Sometimes a stranger can see something that people we have known all our life never see.”

Beth stood up before heading to the kitchen. “I’m the most honest when I have a few drinks.”

Michelle called out to her. “Bring the pitcher when you come back.”

Once Beth returned, poured another drink, and sat down, she decided to give her opinion. “It almost sounds like a calculation where the two of you created a romantic relationship in order to save your friendship rather than just letting the romance happen on its own. Your commitment to each other seems to have been made to save your friendship. You went for ten years being unwilling to have sex with each other, which would have taken your relationship to another level.”

She took another swallow of margarita as though it gave her the courage to talk. “Most guys I know won’t wait a week to have sex with a girl. I can’t imagine him waiting around ten years. Is there something odd about him?”

Michelle started smiling. “Listen, Scott doesn’t know this but whenever he went on a date in high school, I had a full detailed report of what went on. I can tell you without a doubt, he wasn’t waiting around for me. From what I can gather about Carlie, I doubt they were just picking flowers in the park either.”

Michelle looked away for a moment. “As to your other point, I don’t know what the fact that we never moved forward during those ten years means. I have often wondered that myself. I love Scott, but it was as if we drew a line in the sand and neither of us ever tried to cross that line. We started to step on the line a few times during some of our conversations, but we never crossed the line. I can’t explain it and I doubt he can either. Our current relationship does sound somewhat calculated when I hear you describe it.”

Beth took a drink and then set her glass on the table. “I guess the important thing is that you both seem to know what you want and are moving on.”

Michelle replied in a very soft voice. “I’m not sure I do know where I’m going?”

“That didn’t sound very optimistic. You guys look so right together.”

Michelle needed to talk to someone other than Scott, and with a few margaritas under her belt, she decided Beth was that person. “I woke up at four-thirty this morning. I didn’t have anything on and just for an instant, I didn’t understand why he was in bed with me. I lay there watching him for a little while before I started feeling as if I wasn’t supposed to be there with him. I covered myself with the sheets thinking he shouldn’t be seeing me while I was undressed. This morning he kissed me a few times after we woke up, and then the sheets came flying off. I don’t know what that feeling last night actually means, but it was strange.”

Beth assumed Michelle was more concerned than she was admitting. “I can tell you what it means. It means nothing. You were in bed with someone new, in a strange house, at four-thirty in the morning when your mind isn’t at its best. It’s normal for you to have that feeling.”

While Beth had been supportive in her comments, she had not finished the conversation. “Once again, you can tell me this is none of my business. I’m having a hard time understanding you. You’ve said you don’t mind if he saw us without clothes on. Then you offered to let him rub lotion all over us. What are you trying to do? Are you trying to push him away? Are you trying to see if he can pass some test? I don’t get it.”

“When Scott and I were in school, I knew he was going out with other people and that was fine, because so was I. At first, I didn’t like him having a relationship with other girls but over time, I more or less accepted it. By the time I was a sophomore in college, I didn’t think twice about it, until yesterday.”

Beth being the curious type wanted more details. “What happened yesterday?”

Michelle was holding her drink while staring at the contents. “Your friend Jenifer kept coming near Scott while doing everything a female can do to draw attention to herself. In fact, she was obvious about it. With him being a typical male, he couldn’t help but notice her.”

Beth started laughing. “You have to be talking about what she was doing while she was playing with the Frisbee. She was trying to get his attention, but not for the reasons you may be thinking. He was wearing a baseball hat and sunglasses and she wanted to find out if Scott was who she thought he was.”

Michelle thought she knew where Beth was going. “Beth, I am not the least bit jealous of Jenifer. I could care less if she had taken her top or anything else off while playing Frisbee. She may have gotten his attention, but he would not be interested in her. Believe me, she is not his type.”

Beth took another sip of her drink as she tried to understand Michelle. “I hear you talking but I don’t know where you are going with this.”

Michelle looked directly at Beth. “When you thought you were part of a double team with Scott, you made me think about something. I wonder what Scott would have done if he had been in the tent that night, or any other night?”

Beth assumed she now understood Michelle’s concern. “But you have known him for over ten years. You must have some idea after all that time.”

Michelle tried to explain. “I knew Scott as a friend and I can predict what he will order for dinner. I am in new territory when it comes to the physical part of our relationship. I thought on Wednesday night that our first time together would be an awkward experience for both of us, and it was for about thirty seconds. Then it got really intense and that hasn’t changed.”

Beth smiled. “That is a good thing, isn’t it?”

Michelle replied, “No, it’s a great thing. I would never have predicted that either of us would have been so intense. Everything we did together was okay with us. If I couldn’t predict that, then what else can I not predict? What else don’t I know that I need to know? What would he have done if he had been in that tent? Maybe he would like to have two girls in his tent.”

Beth looked out at the surf, seeing Scott packing up to come back. “I have no idea what he would have done, but you have sent him some strange signals today. If I were Scott, I would be very confused about what you wanted. You may not know what he wants, but he doesn’t know what you want either. You have to talk to him about this. You could have been the big loser today.”

Michelle was also watching Scott pack his cooler. “I realized that, after listening to you in the Jacuzzi. But, let’s be honest. I can’t just ask Scott if he would like to go to bed with two women. Of course he is going to say no.”

Beth considered her answer. “You have a point. Even if he does want to, he’s not going to admit it. What would you do if he said yes?”

Michelle took the last swallow of her drink. “I don’t know. I’ve never been down that road and had to deal with something like that.”

“If I had suggested you and I take it all off for Scott today, what would you have done?” Beth asked.

Michelle replied after some thoughtful moments. “I don’t know. Part of me says it is no big deal, and the other part says it would be a real problem in the trust department.”

Feeling some frustration, Beth walked to the edge of the deck. “Michelle, you are all over the map and you can’t keep putting Scott in no-win situations or you may end up being the loser. You keep saying you trust him, but it doesn’t sound like you are convinced. You keep trying to get him to do things you don’t want him to do. What do you want?”

Michelle folded her arms on the table before she buried her face in her arms. “I don’t know what I want. Everything between us was so easy before. Now, I have this new relationship with him and I don’t know how to deal with it. I am used to having him go his own way with other girls and now I expect him to walk the line. I’ve always trusted him and now I’m wondering what he would do in some hypothetical tent with a couple of naked women. Our sex has been intense. Now I’m worried about how I will feel next week if it is less intense. Would that mean he is losing interest in me? With the exception of one girl in high school, Scott’s relationships with women don’t last long. Am I setting myself up to fail?”

Beth could see Scott standing on the beach looking toward the house, which inspired her to make one last argument knowing Michelle probably had a little too much to drink. “Michelle, he didn’t go after anyone, take anyone’s clothes off, was never in a tent, and has given you no reason not to trust him. Everything you are worried about are problems of your own making. Go get in the Jacuzzi, which has a sign that says ‘clothing optional’ and I think you will find everything is just fine. If you want to, we can talk about this more tomorrow.”

“Beth, you have me worried now. Scott and I have never talked about the important things that make a committed relationship work. I’m starting to wonder if we are just trying to save a friendship by adding sex to it. I’ve never really considered being married to him. The idea has crossed my mind before, but I never gave it serious consideration.”

Beth turned to Michelle. “Why don’t you tell me what’s really on your mind.”

Michelle considered Beth’s question for a few moments. With enough drinks now in her system, she gave Beth an answer that neither of them would have thought possible. “I told Scott I broke up with Tom because he was a corporate monster which was true. What I didn’t tell Scott was that I could not stand for Tom to touch me. I did everything I could think of to keep from being intimate with him.”

Beth assumed she understood Michelle’s issue. “I don’t blame you if you didn’t feel right being with him. I think we have all been in that situation.”

Michelle was silent for several minutes before she turned to Beth. “I was a real tomboy until I was in ninth grade and everyone wanted me wearing dresses. Before Tom, I didn’t have a real long-term relationship that worked out. Now, I am waking up in the middle of the night thinking I should not be in bed with Scott.”

Beth thought she understood what Michelle was trying to say. After a long pause, she decided to approach the subject head on. “Are you suggesting you might have a preference for being with a girl?”

Michelle was clearly frustrated. “I don’t know what I am suggesting, although I have never found myself attracted to girls. Then again, apparently I’m not finding myself attracted to guys either. I wonder if Scott and I got along so well because I didn’t have to deal with a sexual relationship when I was with him. He never put any real demands on me. I can’t believe I’m telling you all this.”

“Maybe you haven’t been out with a guy that measures up to Scott. Maybe you are curious about being with another girl. Maybe you aren’t ready for a long-term relationship. Maybe you’re afraid that things won’t work out with Scott. There are endless possibilities.” Beth replied.

Michelle took a large swallow of her drink before she unintentionally shared her thoughts. “Maybe I can’t handle a real relationship.”

Beth shook her head. “You have been under a lot of stress lately with Tom and now Scott. You future is up in the air and you are confused right now. You need some time to sort things out and see where you want to be. Don’t let this drive you crazy because you don’t have to decide anything right now.”

Scott approached slowly before he placed his tackle box and cooler on the deck and joined them at the table. Having had some time to think, he tried to explain his actions. “I want to thank both of you for going with me to take Amie to the hospital. I realize it may have been a waste of time and energy, but I had to make the effort. Sometimes the choices we make can have a major impact on other people, sometimes not so much.”

Beth replied, “It may have been a wasted effort, but she is worth the effort and I appreciate you standing up for her at the party”.

Michelle took a different approach. “I very much respect the effort you made. I think Beth and I have seen more female drama than you have, and maybe we didn’t look at her from the same perspective you use. I hope she will be alright, too.”

Beth stood up and walked to the edge of the deck while looking down the beach at her house. “It looks like people are finally leaving. I guess I should be heading back.”

Scott issued a warning she might want to consider. “There were some guys on the beach that had been drinking and driving a four wheeler. You might want to wait for a while until they leave. I don’t think they would be a problem, but you never know.”

Michelle pointed out the obvious solution. “Why don’t you walk with her and then if there is an issue, you can get your face bashed in while she runs safely home.”

Beth smiled, “You don’t need to come with me. I’ll be fine.”

Michelle insisted Scott go along with Beth. “If something happens to you, then I would never let Scott hear the end of it. Do him a favor and let him go with you.”

He kissed Michelle on the cheek before they started down the boardwalk. “She’s always thinking about my best interest.”

Beth smiled as she replied, “I appreciate her suggestion for you to walk with me.”

They stopped at the top of the stairs leading down to the beach. “To be honest, I was going to offer to go with you, but I thought it might work out better for me if it was her idea.”

“So what did you want to say to me?” Beth asked.

“I wanted to tell you two things. You got lucky that Moose was in that tent and not somebody else. You have to start watching out for yourself more closely and don’t depend on someone else to do that for you. The other thing I wanted to tell you is this. When you go to bed tonight, put all this mess behind you and have some very good dreams. You’re going to be okay.”

They were getting close to the steps leading to her house when she stopped and turned to him. “Thank you for telling me the truth about what happened on the canoe trip and for what you did for Amie. I guess under different circumstances, this would be the time when you would put your arms around me before you kissed me goodnight.”

Scott glanced out at the surf. “Under different circumstances, you would be right. However, under different circumstances, I would never have even been at the beach, we would never have met, and you would still be having bad dreams from not knowing what happened to you on the canoe trip. In the big scheme of things, our paths crossed at the right time.”

Beth also looked at the surf as she stood on the steps. “You can feel it?”

He had no idea what she was talking about and wasn’t sure he was ready to find out. “What can I feel?”

She moved down two steps bringing them closer together but they remained a few feet apart with Scott looking up at her. Her voice was soft and very sincere. “You can feel the spiritual connection between us, can’t you?”

Scott was ready to call it a day after having more drama in one afternoon and evening than he had had in weeks of his normal life. At the same time, he didn’t want to minimize whatever Beth was describing. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

“That’s okay. When you’re in bed tonight remembering everything that happened today, you’ll understand what I am talking about. Anyway, Michelle and I are going shopping in the morning so I’m sure we’ll have a chance to talk tomorrow. I think we both need to get some sleep.”

They looked at each other for over a minute without speaking as though having some type of mental contest to size up an opponent. “And what are you going to be doing tonight after you go to bed.”

Beth moved much closer to Scott never breaking our eye contact. “That’s easy. I am going to become a ghost and then around two o’clock in the morning, I am going to come lay next to you in your bed and haunt you.”

He smiled at his opponent. “That’s a very interesting metaphor.”

She turned and started up the steps. “I’ll ask you tomorrow if it was a metaphor or if it was something quite real. Goodbye my knight in dented armor.”

Scott continued to watch her as she turned to start up the steps. “Under different circumstances, it would have been a very nice goodnight kiss.”

She turned around and looked at him before she continued up the steps. “Under different circumstances, I think you would be right.”

Scott was about to say something to Beth for which he had no reason or understanding. “Who is he, Beth?”

Beth came down several steps and was now looking directly into Scott’s eyes. She waited for almost a minute as they stared at each other. “Who is who, Scott?”

She could almost see his mind working as she continued to watch his eyes while waiting for an answer. “He has something to do with the military and there is something wrong with his wrist or shoulder or elbow. Something is wrong on his right arm. You know who he is.”

She continued to stare at Scott. “Who has a problem with their arm?”

Scott continued after a few moments. “You know him. He has short dark hair. He is not as tall as I am and he is slightly overweight. He is extremely arrogant and you’re afraid of him.”

Beth looked at Scott for only a moment before Scott realized he had been talking about something for which he knew nothing about. She responded to his original question. “He is also very angry and abusive. He hurt his elbow and wrist after he tried to fight a jeep. He was discharged from the army for disorderly conduct and he is the living definition of hell. He’s the reason I don’t trust men anymore.”

Scott continued to look at Beth as he was trying to understand his own actions. “There is no way I could know those things about him. I have no idea who he is and I have never seen him.”

“What is going on here with us?” Scott asked being completely perplexed.

Beth had a slight grin as she replied. “You ask what is going on. For starters, you would really love to kiss me and you would like to taste and feel my tongue in your mouth. There are several other things on your mind too. What is going on is that your mind is having sex with my mind. Your thoughts and my thoughts are all over each other. That’s what’s going on. In case you don’t believe me, close your eyes and you will know what I want from you.”

The accuracy of her comments was unsettling to say the least. “I don’t need to close my eyes, but I get a very strong feeling that even though you want something from me, you are afraid to take it, even if I could give it to you.”

Beth put her hands on his shoulders. “That may be true, but I am far less afraid of you now than I was this morning.”

Scott was still troubled by his experience. “Do you have mental telepathy or something?”

Beth shook her head. “I have nothing that you don’t have. You’re the one who just described my ex boyfriend having never seen him or even knowing who he is.”

Scott was not ready to accept a vague answer. He pulled out his cell phone and handed it to Beth. “I want to see what your ex-boyfriend looks like. I want to know if he is the same person I saw in my mind.”

With no reluctance, Beth used the phone browser, pulled up his picture on Google, and then handed Scott the phone. After he looked at the picture for a few moments, he looked back at Beth. “You know this is impossible. He looks exactly like I imagined him.”

Beth was very direct and serious. “You didn’t imagine him Scott. You saw him in my mind and I can’t imagine how because I wasn’t thinking about him at all.”

“Have you always been able to do this sort of thing?” Scott asked.

“I have no control over it and neither do you. It just happens between certain people. I can’t tell you to think of a number and then tell you what that number is. In my case, I just get certain thoughts about other people and that’s all. It only happens with a very few people.” She replied.

Scott tried to think about possible explanations. “When you were so upset this morning on the beach, I hugged you. I felt like I was feeling some of what was going on with you. That’s why I felt so sorry for you. It seems to have gotten stronger all day, but this still doesn’t make any sense.”

“Do you understand the spiritual connection I was talking about now?”

Scott looked away as he considered her question. “I know something just happened, but I am a long ways from understanding it.”

Beth was a little more at peace with the experience. “Tomorrow you will see this in a new light.”

Scott started to turn to leave when Beth issued a caution. “I would strongly suggest you never discuss what just happened between us with anybody. From experience, I can tell you nobody will believe you and you will end up looking like an idiot.”

“So this has happened to you before?” Scott asked.

“It’s not common, but it has happened before. Just like you, I have no explanation for it nor do I fight it. I’ll see you later on tonight when you least expect to see me.”

When he got back to the house, Michelle was sitting on the sofa with her feet propped up on the coffee table as she was flipping through a magazine. Scott sat beside her for a moment before they shared a brief kiss. “Did you get our little girl home safely?”

Scott leaned back on the sofa as he put his arm around Michelle and pulled her closer. “Yes, she is safe at home. I understand you are taking her shopping tomorrow.”

“We are going to spend some quality girl time together. We’re leaving around nine-thirty and then have an early lunch. I should be back in plenty of time for us to go out on the beach.

Scott was still thinking about his experience with Beth long after Michelle had gone to sleep.

CHAPTER XIII

Scott was able to sleep late on Saturday morning, as Michelle had been very quiet when she dressed. She and Beth left the house around nine thirty for their morning shopping trip to Morehead City.

He got out of bed at ten-fifteen and made his way to the kitchen to fix a pot of coffee. Seeing little of interest in the morning paper, he took his coffee and a boating magazine to the deck. A few people were starting to gather on the beach and if the current temperature was any indication, this was going to be another hot day.

Scott sat on the edge of the hot tub with his knees and feet soaking in the cool water as he read the magazine. It wasn’t long before he heard the sound of footsteps walking on the boardwalk that lead to the beach. When he looked up, Scott saw Amie coming towards him at a rather slow pace. As she came closer, she stood a few feet away looking down at him. “Good morning.”

“Good morning. Is Beth here?”

Scott glanced at his watch. “She’s gone shopping but I expect them back around one o’clock.”

She spoke in a cold and detached voice. “Are you Scott?”

“Yes I am. Would you like a cup of coffee?” Scott replied.

Without accepting or rejecting his offer she continued, “You’re the one who put the bandage on my arm last night. My arm wasn’t any of your business, was it?”

Not caring for her tone of voice or her message, his reply was simple. “No”

“You took the knife away from me and that was none of your business either, was it?”

“No”

Her stare was now almost as cold as her voice. “You took me to the emergency room and that wasn’t your job, was it?”

Scott quickly made the decision that he was not going to justify his actions or try to explain anything to Amie, thus avoiding an argument. “No”

She continued her assault. “I also understand that you yelled at some of my friends for not trying to help me. Is that true?”

Scott assumed she was running out of things to complain about his doing for her and gave her one last simple answer. “That’s true.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “You don’t talk much, do you?”

Scott put his magazine down, but continued to watch her. “No.”

Before she turned away, she shook her head. “You’re not the person I was expecting to find when I came over here.”

His reply was quick. “If all you wanted to accomplish was to tell me that everything I did was none of my business, I could have saved you a trip. I already knew that.”

She started speaking as she turned to walk away. “I came to thank you for your help and tell you I am really happy that you decided not to mind your own business, but maybe that was a mistake.”

Scott called out to her before she could get very far. “I answered your questions, so why didn’t you answer my question.”

She stopped and thought for a moment before she turned around. “You didn’t ask me anything.”

“I asked if you wanted a cup of coffee.”

A glare appeared on Amie’s face as she replied. “I don’t want any of you damn coffee.”

Her glare was then replaced with a genuine smile. “However, I will take a diet drink, if you have one.”

Scott stood up and moved closer to her. “Much to my personal sorrow, I think the only things we have are diet drinks. Have a seat and I will fix it for you.”

After several minutes, he returned to the deck with her drink in hand. She was sitting on the edge of the hot tub with her feet in the water looking at the magazine. She looked up at Scott as he handed her the drink. “I hope you don’t mind me soaking my feet. You looked very peaceful and comfortable when I walked up.”

After he sat beside her, Scott asked the obvious question. “How are you feeling?”

She looked up at the sky before turning to face him. “I could spend all day answering that question. The short answer is I feel cheap, stupid, and out of control.”

“That’s not a bad thing for you feel that way.”

She was confused by his answer and it showed in her expression. “You don’t think so?”

“No. It seems to me that people need to know where they are before they can decide how to get where they’re going. If you feel stupid, then it’s time to get smart.”

She glanced at him for a moment before looking away. “I guess it’s safe to say I made a fool out of myself again last night, just like every other night when I go out drinking.”

It would have been ridiculous for Scott to paint a picture for her that they both knew was not real. “You added a little excitement to the party.”

“You could have gotten hurt. I’m not sure why you took the chance to help me.” She said, as she looked back at him.

Scott thought for a moment before he gave her a truthful answer. “After I saw the blood on your arm, I knew you didn’t want to hurt me. You wanted to hurt yourself. It wasn’t that much of a risk, but we still need to get you to a better place than you are at right now.”

She asked Scott a question for which he had know way of knowing the answer, but she needed to hear an answer. “Do you think I can get to a better place?”

Scott turned to face her just as she looked at him. “You can absolutely get there, but your time is running out.”

“Why do you say time is running out?” She asked.

He wasn’t sure how much he should say, but Scott opted for what he thought was the truth. “Look at your arm. Women don’t usually use a knife to hurt themselves. You had to be fairly angry to do that.”

She looked away from him. “It wasn’t anger. It was depression.”

Scott challenged her assumption. “Some people think depression is nothing more than anger turned inward. Whatever you’re feeling, we have to get a grip on it before it takes you over the cliff.”

Amie took a swallow of her Coke before she responded. “The doctor gave me a hard time this morning. She said that when a total stranger has to drag my ass off the street, then I had better wake up and start smelling the flowers. I think she’s right.”

“How is your arm feeling this morning?”

“It hurts and the doctor is almost sure it will leave a scar. I guess I can add that to my long list of stupid things I’ve done.” She replied, as she stared at the bandage.

Amie looked at Scott for a moment before she started to stand up. “You’re here on vacation and I don’t think I should waste any more of your time. Thank you for what you did last night.”

He put his hand on her shoulder to stop her from getting up. “Where are you going?”

She waited for a few moments before she shook her head slowly. “I don’t know where I am going. The doctor wants me to check myself in at a detoxification center.”

He kept his hand on her shoulder. “That sounds like the right place to start.”

“I know it sounds right and by next weekend, I’ll be back in the same mess I’m in now. It never stops.” She replied.

The sense of defeat was in her voice, her eyes, and in her expression. Scott realized if he was going to be of any use to Amie, he had to act now. “If you don’t have anywhere you need to be right now, would you do something for me?”

“I’ll try, but I guess it depends on what you need.”

Scott then told her his suggestion. “Last night Beth told me about you and one of the things she said was that you were drop dead gorgeous. She was right. Why don’t you let me take you to lunch and then all the other guys will think I am the luckiest man on earth.”

She noticed it was almost eleven-fifteen when she looked at her cell phone. “Beth told me this morning that you were a nice guy. I would love to go to lunch with you.”

“Where did you see Beth?”

“I called her this morning to pick me up at the hospital so I could come back here and get my car.”

Scott left Michelle a note, picked up his wallet and they left for the restaurant. During lunch, they talked about college, their recent graduation, and their plans for the future. He learned much more about Amie and a few things about her past. She was very well read and had a broad range of interests.

Once they finished lunch, Scott persuaded her to come with him to visit Fort Macon, which was only a short drive from the restaurant. After arriving at the fort, they walked around looking at the casements where the civil war soldiers once quartered. They then climbed the old brick stairs that led to the top of the fort where the cannons had once been mounted on handmade brick pads. It was in the grass next to a cannon mount where they chose to sit.

From high atop the fort, they could see Bouge inlet, and they could see the ocean. Below them, the tourists were continuing to meander through the fort. It was also here where Scott hoped to convince her to consider treatment.

While they were watching people coming and going, Scott made a passing comment. “The soldiers that were here had to live through oppressive heat, sleep on a hay filled mattress infested with insects, fight of malaria, live with frigid cold winds, never having enough to eat, and taking incoming enemy gunfire.”

She nodded her head. “It makes you wonder how they survived all of that.”

“I don’t know, but when it was all over, they came out stronger than ever.” He replied.

A very noticeable grin became apparent before she spoke. “You wouldn’t be trying to tell me something, would you?”

“It’s not going to be easy for you to turn your life around, but it can be done. You’re smart enough to figure all this out without me telling you, but I want you to know you are not alone.”

“Do you honestly think I can pull off a reset on my life? Do you think I even deserve another chance or that I can get to a better place?” Amie asked.

“Yes, you deserve all the chances you need and yes, I believe in you.”

“How can you be so sure about me when you don’t even know who I am? I’ve done some lousy things in my life.” She replied as she looked away from him.

Scott thought for a moment. “Did you ever write a paper in school and get half way finished, realize it was a lousy paper and then throw it away, only to start over? You then turned in the new paper and you got a good grade on it.”

“Many times. I was a communications major and I am very familiar with re-writes” Amie replied.

“That’s what you are getting ready to do with your life. You’re going to throw away the bad pages and start over and re-write your life. I think you have to go through a dark night of the soul and when it’s over, you will have won.” Scott replied.

She looked very surprised with his comment. “When you talk about the dark night of the soul, are you describing the work of Thomas Aquinas? I wouldn’t have seen you as being very religious.”

“I’m surprised you knew what I was talking about and made that connection with Thomas Aquinas. My religion has nothing to do with our conversation or with what I would like for your future. I was in the hot tub yesterday trying to talk to Beth, Michelle into taking off their tops instead of them just sitting there torturing me. No. The way I use the dark night is not a religious thing, but it is a blueprint for you to consider. But if you prefer, then it is a religious thing.”

She looked off at the ocean as she considered his suggestion. “The first stage of Dark Night of the soul deals with the purification of the senses. The second stage deals with the purification of the spirit.”

Scott finished her thought. “And, it defines the ten steps on the mystical ladder of love.”

She started to nod her head. “So you believe this is a plan for me to get my life to a better place. This is a very interesting idea but I never imagined you and I would be having this discussion.”

“What I’m trying to say is that you have to climb the ladder one step at the time, but I know you can do it. All you have to do right now is put your hands on the ladder and take the first step.”

She looked directly at him as she replied. “Why on earth do you believe in me after everything I have done?”

Scott replied without any hesitation. “You have a place within the Universal Mind and I’m just here to help you find it.”

“I don’t think I understand the concept of the Universal Mind. In fact, I have never heard that expression.” She replied after some thought.

Scott leaned over and gave Amie a soft kiss on the lips before he spoke. “Start with the kiss we just gave each other and then slowly look around at everything you see. Look at the people, the grass, the sea gulls, the sky, the ocean, and everything you can see, smell, hear, and feel. Then, close your eyes and sit here quietly for a few minutes and it will come to you.”
After five minutes of silence, she looked at him with a smile. “I think I am beginning to understand. The Universal Mind is something that’s bigger than you and me. It’s everything and we have a place in the scheme of everything.”

“I think you found the Universal Mind. There is a lot of peace there, if you can wrap your head around the concept.” Scott explained.

She wasn’t being critical, but she was curious about how he would respond to her question. “Does the Universal Mind allow guys to treat me like a piece of trash and then just walk away, leaving me lying wherever they found me with no regard for me or my safety?”

Scott shook his head emphatically. “No, but it does teach you the self respect and self discipline not to allow yourself to be in that situation in the first place. When we talk about the Universal Mind, we are talking about a state of being and not some force that allows bad things to happen.”

She put her hand on his shoulder before she spoke. “I don’t know if I can do this alone.”

“We have to make sure you have the people to help you get where you are going. You are not going to be alone.” Scott replied.

She considered her situation for a few moments. “My mom and dad will help me if they know I am serious about making some changes. I still have a few friends like Beth that I can depend on, too. However, if I am going to do this, then you have to be on my side too. We have to make a deal right now that you don’t just walk away from me. I like your idea of the Universal Mind and I want us to talk more about it. If I am going to live the dark night of the soul, you have to walk there with me.”

“I am going to be on the road a lot and I can’t always be there with you when you need help.” Scott replied.

She was insisting on a connection between them. “You have Facebook, email, a cell phone, and a car. We can find a way to talk to each other and sometimes be with each other, if you’ll do that for me.”

Scott nodded in agreement. “You do what you are supposed to do and I will be there with you. Did the doctor help you set out a plan?”

“She did, and we have already gotten the process started. I start out with thirty days in detox and I began seeing someone as soon as Tuesday of next week. I know it will be hard, but I think I can do this. I want you to hold my hand while I’m going through this, even if you are five hundred miles away.”

Scott stood up and extended his hand, and Amie showed no hesitation in taking it. After a long hug, they continued to hold hands as they went down the steps on the way to the car. As they left the fort entrance, they stopped on the wooden breezeway to finish their conversation.

Amie waited for several people to pass by before she spoke. “You have no idea what a liar I am. I’ve promised so many people I would try to get better, only to let them all down. This time when I fall from grace, you’ll know I tried to warn you.”

“Within the Universal Mind, you don’t fail. We just keep going until we get it right.” Scott replied.

Amie started smiling. “If all you wanted was to get me in bed, we could have done that this morning. Why are you trying to help me?”

Scott leaned against the railing and considered her question. “You are not the only one that has to deal with the dark night of the soul, but I will make you a deal. If you meet me in Swansboro on Monday, I’ll change your life in a way that you can’t even begin to imagine.”

“That’s a big promise.” She replied with a grin.

Scott agreed with her. “It is a big promise, but you will also get a nice lunch at Captain Charley’s restaurant, just in case I let you down.”

She looked somewhat suspicious as she considered his offer. “And what do you get out of this deal?”

Scott took her hand as they started for the parking lot. “I get two things out of it. I get to be seen in public with a very attractive intelligent woman, and if I am lucky, I may get another piece of the puzzle that makes up the Universal Mind. And if I get really lucky, I may find enough absolution that I can sleep without the ghosts invading my mediation.”

Amie squeezed his hand. “This is going to be a very interesting lunch date. I don’t let people see my heart and soul, not that many have tried. I have a feeling you will find a way to see the darkest part of my soul and that’s a scary proposition for me.”

As they reached the car, Scott opened the door for Amie. “What should really scare you is keeping the demons inside of you and letting them destroy your life.”

As she sat in the front seat, she looked up at him. “That’s true, but sometimes they refuse to leave.”

Scott looked back at her and replied, “In that case then maybe they just need a swift kick in the ass to get them out.”

Once they were on their way, she started smiling. “So, Beth and Michelle have been torturing you. I’ll have to have a word with them.”

“Don’t worry about them for now, just focus on you.”

Now, where are you going from here? What’s our plan?”

She lightly punched him on the arm. “I see you’re already checking on me. I can’t cheat if you are going to be watching me around the clock. Anyway, I’m going to leave here, go home, and have a long talk with my parents. I have already called them and they are expecting me.”

Scott wanted her to believe that she had people on her side that would be there for her. “That sounds ideal and I will be watching. Give me a call later tonight and let me know how the meeting with your parents went.”

Amie smiled as she looked out the window while they drove the last few miles to his house. “Yes daddy.”

Scott pulled the car into the driveway. “Your daddy will be a piece of cake compared to me. We don’t stop until we win, even if you slip along the way.”

“Don’t leave me hanging out alone to fight the monster.” She replied.

Michelle and Beth were sitting on the deck talking when Amie and Scott came through the door. Beth turned to Michelle while shaking her head. “We turn our backs on him for five minutes, and he goes out chasing other women.”

Scott puffed out his chest in pure arrogance as he explained his situation. “I don’t chase women. I catch women and I happen to have caught a very special girl today. After all, when the cat is away, the mice play.”

Beth went on to introduce Michelle and Amie to each other. Scott was surprised that Amie remembered Michelle had been with her on the trip to the hospital. In fact, he was surprised that Amie remembered any of them given her condition. After fixing everyone a diet drink, they sat on the deck and talked for several minutes.

Amie winked at Scott as she spoke to Michelle. “I understand that you and Beth have been making Scott suffer in the hot tub.”

Michelle was smiling as she defended her team. “We allowed Scott to sit with us in the Jacuzzi yesterday. Being there with two girls made his ego a little inflated and we had to bring him down a few notches. We didn’t do anything to him other than just sit there.”

Amie looked at Scott and then at Beth. “In his mind, when you just sit and talk without doing anything else, that is torture.”

Beth glanced at Michelle. “We are trying to teach Scott the art of self discipline. We want him to learn that when he looks at a woman, he should look at our faces and not our boobs.”

Scott acted as if he understood her logic. “So the reason you wear two piece swimsuits is so I’ll look at your face. That makes perfect sense now and that plan should really work out well for you.”

Amie gave Scott a hug before she stepped away. “I have to be going, but I wanted to thank all of you for what you have done. Scott has me on a new spiritual journey and right now, I need all the help I can get.”

Michelle and Beth stood up and gave Amie a hug. “Be careful. His spiritual journeys tend to end up in a hot tub with half naked women.”

Beth explained that she was going to walk with Amie back to her car and she would see them later. Amie made sure Scott could hear what she was saying before they turned to walk away. “Next September when I am doing better, I want to come back here with you and Michelle and help torture Scott in the hot tub. That could be fun. I’ll show you girls how to really drive him crazy.”

Scott gave her a quick hug. “You are supposed to check in with me tonight, so don’t forget.”

“You’re right, you are worse than my dad, but I’ll call you.” Amine and Beth then turned away and walked down the boardwalk.

Scott put his arm around Michelle as they watched them disappear down the steps to the beach. It was then that Michelle made her observation. “I have some serious doubts about being seen in public with you.”

“Why is that?” Scott asked.

She turned her attention from the beach to look at him. “You attract some very dysfunctional women.”

Scott pulled her closer to him. “I guess that’s why you and I have been friends for so long.”

CHAPTER XIV

Michelle looked up at the sky. “I’m hot.”

Scott interrupted before she could finish her idea. “I always thought you were.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “I was going to say that you and I should go swimming together. We haven’t been in the ocean all day.”

They wasted little time getting to the beach and into the water. After swimming for twenty minutes, they stood beyond the breakers riding the small waves. Scott was curious about how her morning had gone. “Did you and Beth have fun shopping together?”

“It was very nice.” She replied. “We had fun being together and we had a great lunch.”

They stood next to each other facing the ocean and listening to the sounds of the waves breaking behind them while watching the gulls swoop down in the water. The warm afternoon sun along with the smell of suntan lotion filled their senses.

Michelle’s words soon changed the course of their conversation, but did not fully express her feeling of apprehension. “Scott, something very strange happened to me last night.”

Scott replied with an attempt at a joke, not knowing she was being as serious as she was. “You must have discovered the meaning of total sexual fulfillment for the first time in your life.”

She continued to watch the gulls, as she was slightly reluctant to share her experience. “That’s not what I was talking about, but with some practice, I think you have potential. Anyway, last night I woke up just before two o’clock because I was cold. I got out of bed and put on my gown when something strange happened. I got back in bed and snuggled up to you.”

She stopped speaking for several moments until Scott turned and looked at her at the same moment she had turned to face him. “I had the strangest sensation that Beth was in the room with us. It wasn’t like a passing thought, but more like a feeling that I could almost feel her presence. I could almost see her lying next to you.”

“Are you sure you weren’t having a dream?”

She slowly shook her head. “You know me better than that. I don’t stand up, walk to the dresser, take my gown from the drawer, and then put it on while I am asleep.”

When Scott walked with Beth to her cabin the previous night, one of the last things Beth told him, was her plan to haunt him by lying in bed with him at two o’clock in the morning. The coincidence of Beth’s statement and Michelle’s experience were hard for Scott to ignore, even if neither of the ideas were rational.

“I’m not sure what you mean when you say you could almost see her.”

Michelle scrunched her nose as she tried to think of a way to explain what she saw. “I could see her without really seeing her. I know that doesn’t make any sense, but I guess it would be like I could imagine her, only the image was clear.”

Scott thought of a way to test how clear her image was. “Could you tell what was she wearing?”

It took Michelle only a moment to respond. “She had on short white pajama bottoms and her top was a white v-neck with little pink elephants on it.”

“That’s a fairly specific description of something you couldn’t really see.” Scott replied, still trying to understand what she actually saw.

Michelle started smiling. “I always notice what other girls are wearing, even when the other girl is a ghost. It was a cute little outfit.”

Scott also started smiling, while teasing Michelle. “How little was this outfit? Would I have liked it?”

Michelle placed her finger up to his face and smiled. “It’s none of your business how little or cute it was.”

He took her hand as they started walking toward the shore. “I don’t know what happened to you last night, but I would assume it was just left over from all the drama we went through yesterday. Between Amie and Beth, it was a really weird day.”

She reached out and touched his arm to stop him from going onto the beach. They stopped walking and stood with the water up to their knees. “Scott, I was almost afraid last night.”

“Why didn’t you wake me up if you were frightened?”

She once again gave him a halfhearted smile. “What was I supposed to do? Should I have told you to get rid of the cute little ghost that was lying next to you?”

“Beth is a living, breathing, walking, and talking girl. She can’t be all those things and still be a ghost.” He replied.

Michelle smiled again. “I know, and she has a credit card. If she were a ghost, the bank would probably cancel her card after she died.”

“One would think so.” Scott replied.

Michelle stepped in front of him as she made her troubling observation. “All the logic in the world doesn’t change what happened to me last night.”

Scott watched her for several minutes thinking he needed to provide some explanation she would accept. Unfortunately, he really didn’t have an explanation that she would readily accept. “As my hero Sherlock Holmes always says, ‘Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.’ Our job is to rule out everything we can.”

Michelle poked her finger in his stomach. “Okay Sherlock, I was not drunk, on drugs, having hallucinations, nor was I asleep. You can take it from there.”

As she had taken away all the obvious answers, Scott had to scramble to give her another option. “It’s elementary my little female Watson. Secretly, Beth wants to have a relationship with me. Therefore, she learned how to become a form of plasma that would allow her to transcend time and space. This process lets her be in our bed while still in her bed as she crossed into a parallel universe. Do you have any problems with that theory?”

She put her arm over his shoulder as she spoke. “Let me destroy your theory by pointing out the obvious flaws in your thinking. First, I have no desire to be your little female Watson. Next, that Beth would love to climb in bed with you is anything but a secret. That part is obvious. However, you might be on to something with your idea of her traveling through a parallel universe.”

“She doesn’t want to go to bed with me. Beth just appreciates me talking to Moose yesterday and finding out what really happened on the canoe trip.” Scott replied, knowing his words did not match reality.

They started down the beach choosing to walk in the water. “I don’t have an explanation for what you experienced last night. I can only guess you were tired, had a lot on your mind, and it just all came crashing down on you. If anything like that happens again, wake me up.”

As they walked along, she started teasing him again. “So, Sherlock has no answers for me.”

They continued to walk as Scott continued to think about her experience. After several minutes, he stopped walking and turned to Michelle. “Maybe there is an explanation. Maybe what happened to you was a psychic experience. What if there was some type of mental connection between the two of you?”

Michelle had a doubtful expression. “That seems unlikely.”

His rebuttal came quickly. “So was your experience. If you really want to know, then all we have to do is ask Beth what she slept in last night. If she says anything other than white pajamas with pink elephants, then we know it was just your imagination.”

Michelle thought about his answer. “What happens if she was wearing white pajamas with pink elephants?”

“I don’t know, but let me ask you this. Other than just having the feeling she was there, did you get any feeling for why she was there or what she might have been doing, or if she wanted something?”

“No, but do you really think it could have been a psychic thing going on?” She asked as they continued their walk.

Scott opted to tell her the truth. “What I really think is that you have been under a lot of stress with Tom and now having me around all the time hasn’t given you the time to think everything through.”

“You’re probably right. Still, I can’t explain what it is, but there is something strange about Beth that I can feel when we’re together. I can’t give you a good reason for me inviting her to get in the Jacuzzi yesterday, or why I went to the party, or why we went shopping, or for anything else. You and I were supposed to be alone and I keep inviting her to do things with us.”

They turned around and started walking back to their beach towels. “Maybe you needed a girlfriend to talk to.”

She shook her head. “It’s more than that. I honestly believe she would love to get you alone somewhere. I wish you could have seen her face when you were putting the lotion on her yesterday. If I hadn’t been there, I think you might have gotten lucky.”

“I don’t think so, but you and I are all alone this afternoon and I’m assuming she will be leaving tomorrow. I would also assume that tomorrow will be the last time we will ever see her again.” He replied.

Michelle corrected him. “She only lives about twenty miles from us. I think she wants to be best friends or something. I like Beth and she is fun to go out with, but I’m still having strange feelings about her.”

Scott asked what he thought was a reasonable question. “Do you feel like you are competing with her or are you jealous of her for some reason?”

Michelle stopped and turned to face him. “No, it’s nothing like that. In fact, I almost feel like I am dealing with myself when I talk to her. It’s as if we are on the same wavelength and just gliding along. When you were rubbing lotion on her and giving her a massage yesterday, it didn’t bother me at all. I’m telling you, something strange is going on. That’s not like me.”

He hesitated for a few moments before giving Michelle his own confession. “There is something about her that draws me to her. Until you told me how you were feeling, I just assumed she was flirting or playing mind games with me. I don’t know what it is either, but she has a way of making a connection to me. Moreover, before you say anything, I am not about to go off with her and do something stupid. I’m not even sure it’s a romantic or a sexual thing that she and I share. It’s more like a mental contest I’m having with her.”

Michelle gave him a quick kiss. “Thank you for being honest with me and don’t worry, because I trust you. You’re right. It’s almost a mental thing I have going on with her too. I don’t know if it’s a game we’re playing or something else.”

They sat on the beach towel before Michelle handed him the bottle of sunscreen. As Scott was putting the lotion on her back, he wanted to find out what she was thinking. “If it’s not a mental game the two of you are playing, then what else would it be?”

She was becoming even more concerned than he had already seen. “I don’t know, but it’s getting spooky. I wasn’t planning on going shopping while we were here, but last night the idea just popped in my mind and she immediately agreed. If I suggest something then she agrees with it. If she suggests something, I agree with it.”

Scott suggested a possible explanation. “Maybe the two of you have a lot more in common than you thought. Maybe you just like being around each other.”

Michelle’s response told him something about her sense of control. “I came here to be alone with you, yet I’ve invited her to swim with us this afternoon. At this rate, I’ll be inviting her to dinner.”

Michelle started smiling as she continued her thoughts. “I should be worried about you having a relationship with Beth but it looks like I’m the one who’s paying the most attention to her.”

Scott tried to be more lighthearted with his comment thinking it would set Michelle’s mind more at ease. “There is no reason the three of us can’t be alone this afternoon. We can talk about all the old times that we never shared together.”

Michelle smiled briefly. “Scott, I know you are just trying to make me feel better, but this is really something I need to deal with. Beth and I had never met before yesterday, but our bathing suits were almost identical. Last night, we both wore shorts with a collared knit shirt, which were almost identical except for the color. We both had shrimp salad and ice tea for lunch. I had already decided what I was going to order and she ordered the exact same thing before I did, so I know she wasn’t just trying to copy me.”

Even though Scott had his own suspicions, he tried to downplay those things she thought were unusual. “Sometimes things that appear to be related are nothing more than a coincidence.” He continued to speak after a long pause to consider what might be best for Michelle. “Do you think we should leave today and go somewhere else to get away from all the drama?”

She gave Scott her answer without even taking time to consider his suggestion. “We can’t just leave. That wouldn’t solve anything and besides, it would be rude to do that to Beth.”

Scott may have misunderstood Michelle’s reaction, but the thought of leaving the coast early seemed to provoke a sense of anxiety. Up until this point, he had assumed Michelle’s issues were a matter of casual concern, but he was also growing slightly more concerned. After considering his options, Scott chose to be as direct as he could. “Michelle, are you okay?”

She looked at him for several moments before she said what he thought she was feeling. “I don’t know. I feel like I am going to have an anxiety attack even though I have never had one before. I feel really confused about what I’m thinking.”

Still concerned, he continued to question her. “Are you telling me everything I need to know or are you holding something back?”

She took her fist and lightly hit his arm several times. “I’m holding a lot back from you and we need to have a long talk like we usually have. I’m not hiding anything from you, but we just haven’t had time to talk about us or me. When you and I are alone, I feel fine.”

Scott pointed out the obvious contradiction in her statement. “Michelle, we’re alone now and you don’t seem to be feeling fine. Maybe we need to have that long talk now and see if we can get to the bottom of this problem.”

“This is not a good time or place for us to talk. We can talk at dinner or tonight when we come back here. Anyway Beth is coming down the steps now.” She replied.

Within a few minutes, Beth had laid out her towel next to their blanket and sat down. She put her arms around Scott and kissed his cheek before sitting down to give them an explanation. “Amie said for me to give you a hug and kiss and say thank you for trying to help her. I gave her your cell phone number and she is going to call you tonight.”

Without really thinking, Scott looked at Beth. “How did you know my cell phone number?”

Michelle replied before Beth could speak. “I gave it to Beth last night when we were at the hospital. Do you think Amie will try to get help or is she just singing the same old song?”

Beth handed him her bottle of suntan oil as she answered Michelle. “She said Scott told her something that made sense to her, but she wouldn’t tell me what they talked about. Amie seemed to have a different attitude, but that could be gone before she gets home. I hope she will follow through with her plan because she really needs help.”

Michelle offered her own idea. “Maybe being away from the college scene will make things easier for her. She won’t have the parties and pressure on her.”

Scott held up the suntan oil. “Did you want me to do something with this?”

Beth’s reply was not what he was expecting. “I guess you could start with my back and shoulders and then we can talk about where you can go from there.”

Scott was surprised she was so obvious with her reply but Michelle showed no reaction to Beth’s insinuation.

Michelle sniffed a few times as he applied the oil to Beth’s lower back. “That smells so good, what is it?”

Beth took the bottle and handed it to Michelle. “Jenifer found it at a little store in Beaufort. I love the way it smells and it’s supposed to drive the guys crazy.”

Michelle held her hand up to Scott’s nose after she put the oil in her hand. “Does it drive you crazy?”

When Michelle held her hand close to his nose, Scott could smell nothing unusual or different about the scent even though they both described the oil as being so pleasant. Rather than argue about their illusion of a great smelling potion, he changed the subject. “We better enjoy the sun while we can because we are going to have some strong slow moving storms blow in tonight.”

Michelle looked out over the ocean. “The waves are already bigger than they were this morning. We heard the forecast while we were shopping and they make it sound like we are in for strong winds and lightning.”

They sat for a few minutes without speaking as Michelle and Beth stretched out on their towels. “Where is Jenifer?”

Beth replied without opening her eyes. “She, Heather and Katie all went home this morning right after Amie left. Katie and Heather got in a big argument about the way Amie was treated last night at the party.”

Scott glanced at Michelle, “I don’t remember Katie. Did you meet her?”

Michelle replied, “I talked with her for a little while but she went for a walk on the beach before we had a chance to really talk. She was very nice to me.”

“I wish Katie had stayed for one more night. I’m not sure how I feel about being alone in that big house, especially with a bad storm coming.” Beth replied.

“Why did you decide to stay if everyone else was leaving?” Scott asked.

“My parents own the house with three other couples and I wanted to stay and get everything cleaned up for the next group to come in. Besides, I wasn’t ready to go home yet.” Beth replied.

Michelle and Beth were both lying on their stomachs. With Scott between them and with each of them facing in opposite directions, they could not see each other. They went without talking for almost half an hour until his sense of reality came into question. What he was about to hear would defy any logical explanation.

Michelle’s words broke their self-imposed silence. “That’s a good idea, Beth. I’m getting hot too.”

Beth pushed her body up so that she was standing on her knees looking at Scott as he was lying on his back, watching her. “Are you coming with us?”

Scott looked at Beth with a great deal of curiosity. “Where are you going?”

Michelle also sat up and looked at him, apparently surprised by his question. “Beth just suggested we all go swimming. Were you asleep?”

For the moment, Scott had the good sense to keep his mouth shut and not expose the fact that Michelle had replied to a statement that Beth never made. He knew for a fact Beth had not said a word about anything, including swimming. In his mind, he started to reconsider everything Michelle told him about her strange night.

Before Scott could speak, Beth said, “A Coke please”

Michelle had begun to speak at exactly the same time as Beth. “Would either of you like something to drink?”

Scott was in a position to see both of them look at each other as they realized Beth answered Michelle’s question before it was asked. Michelle then turned her attention to Scott before she stood up.

After Michelle walked toward the house, Scott sat up and looked at Beth who was now sitting with her legs stretched out in front of her. As she began to rub suntan oil on her legs, she was watching his expression. With a devious grin, she asked if anything was wrong.

For whatever reason, Scott decided to withhold any comments about their unusual behavior, but his curiosity required him to question Beth. “This may sound like a strange question, but what did you sleep in last night?”

Her answer was logical, but not what he was looking for. “I slept in my bed.”

Scott then rephrased his question. “What were you wearing to bed last night?”

She turned and looked at him for a minute before she began to rub the suntan oil on her arms, chest, and stomach. “I can’t help but wonder why you are asking, but I was wearing pajamas.”

If Scott were to find out if Michelle’s imagination was responsible for her two o’clock “ghost” experience, he had to know more. “Can you describe them for me?”

Beth’s curiosity was growing, as she wanted to know his motivation. “The bottoms of my pajamas are short and white. The top is also white with small pink elephants. They are not very sexy, but I like them. Why do you to want to know what my pajamas look like?”

Being completely shocked with her description, Scott stood up and walked toward the water before he turned around to face Beth, who was still sitting on her towel. “Does Michelle have any way of knowing what your pajamas look like?”

Beth could tell from his expression that he was serious and very perplexed. With the smile slowly draining away from her face, she continued to stare at him. “I don’t think any of the girls in my house even know what they look like. I just bought them before I came to the beach and last night was the first time I’ve worn them. I had to pick up Amie from the hospital this morning so I was dressed and gone before anyone else was awake. No, I can’t think of any reason Michelle or anyone else would know about them. Why are you asking me about them?”

There were only two possibilities Scott had to consider. The first explanation would be that Michelle and Beth were playing a joke on him. The second possible explanation would suggest something far more bizarre, which Scott did not yet understand or believe. Given the expression on Beth’s face, she appeared both serious and concerned. He would be able to gage Michelle’s reaction as she was now coming across the beach towards them.

When she approached, Beth reached up to take her Coke while Michelle handed Scott’s drink to him. “Beth and I were just talking about her new pajamas. They are short and white and have pink elephants on them.”

Michelle quickly turned around and looked down at Beth with an expression of astonishment. Beth instantly noticed the way they were both looking at her. As their expressions were making her somewhat uncomfortable, she slowly rose to her feet. “Will one of you tell me what is so interesting about my pajamas?”

They looked at Michelle for a moment before she nodded her head agreeing he should explain their situation to Beth. “About twenty minutes before you came down here today, Michelle described your pajamas to me, including the pink elephants.”

Michelle went on to explain her late night experience, but offered few details. When Michelle told Beth that her experience occurred at two o’clock, Beth quickly placed her hand over her mouth, suggesting the time factor meant something disturbing to her. “Something happened to me last night.”

She walked closer to the ocean and spoke with her back turned to them. “I woke up around two o’clock and my room looked very hazy in the dim light. At first, I thought it was smoke but there was no smell of smoke when I left my room to make sure there wasn’t a fire. After I closed my door and went back to bed, the haze became much thicker. I was getting really cold so I pulled the extra blanket over me and lay there until I could go back to sleep.”

Michelle looked at them as if she had no idea what to think about Beth’s comment. “Then what happened?”

Beth turned slowly and faced them. “I must have gone to sleep because I had a really strange dream. I was lying in bed with Scott while you were standing beside a dresser pulling a gown over your head. I was so cold that I snuggled up to Scott and then you came and got in bed with us.”

Michelle continued her questions. “What did Scott do when you were in bed with us?”

Scott couldn’t tell if Beth was being defensive or just honest. “He didn’t do anything. He was asleep. You and I just looked at each other and smiled. I don’t remember anything after that except waking up this morning when Amie called.”

Michelle once again questioned Beth. “If you were standing at the foot of the bed looking at us, which side of the bed was I sleeping on?”

Beth didn’t hesitate with her answer. “Scott was on the left side nearest the sliding glass doors, and you were on the right side of the bed closest to the dresser.”

Michelle was more perplexed than before. “You’ve never been in our bedroom, have you?”

Beth shook her head. “I’ve only been in the kitchen, living room, and bathroom. I’ve never been upstairs.”

Michelle was now starting to arouse his curiosity. “What did the bedroom in your dream look like?”

Beth closed her eyes as she tried to remember. “The dresser was tall, dark and had something strange on top of it, but I don’t remember what it was. It just looked out of place there. The bed matched the dresser and had four medium height posts with a head and footboard. The floor had carpet.”

Scott turned to Michelle. “What’s on top of the dresser that would be strange?”

Michelle wanted to test Beth before she answered his question. “Was there a clock, a big stuffed fish, some dishes, or a shoe rack on the dresser?”

Beth seemed to know the answer immediately. “I remember. It was a small shoe rack and I remember thinking that was a strange place for it to be.”

Beth looked at Scott for a moment before she continued. “I don’t know why I remember this. In my dream, Michelle and I were both cold. You didn’t even have on a tee shirt, yet you were very warm.”

Scott turned away and walked about twenty feet to the edge of the water to consider the options. The stories Beth and Michelle both told were almost identical and for that to happen, they must have collaborated with each other. The big question for Scott was why they would make up their story unless it was nothing more than a joke.

On the other hand, if Michelle’s “ghost experience” were nothing more than a joke, then they were both excellent actors. Scott had carefully watched their expressions and reactions as each other talked. He also knew with some certainty that Michelle was feeling nervous and apprehensive. Still, his few moments of solitude were not going to provide any answers so he made his way back to where they stood talking.

Like two gun fighters of the old west, Michelle and Scott looked at each other for several minutes without speaking. From the corner of his eye, he could see Beth as she studied Michelle’s face and then his. As time went along, Scott was sure Beth could pick up the hint of a grin on both of their faces. Finally, Beth looked at them as she spoke. “What on earth are the two of you doing?”

Never taking her eyes off Scott’s eyes, Michelle replied, “He is getting ready to say something that he knows I don’t want to hear. He knows I am not going to listen to him tell me that there is no logical explanation for what we experienced last night. He also knows that if he wants to live long enough to see the sunset, he better be careful that he doesn’t tell me I am acting like some hysterical girl by letting my imagination run away with me.”

Beth took a few steps as she moved closer to Michelle and offered the same relentless stare. “I’m sure he knows that our not having a logical explanation for what happened last night doesn’t make us hysterical females.”

Slipping into his Sherlock Holmes personality, Scott placed his finger to his lip and then pointed at Beth. “Thank you Beth. Until this very moment, I was unable to confirm my theory and provide the logical explanation you both crave. Having seen the evidence you just provided, I can now solve the mystery of the ghost in our bed last night.”

Beth turned to Michelle, clearly doubting his credibility. “He is not going to tell us the butler did it, is he?”

Scott continued speaking, despite her lack of confidence in his detective skills. “As we can all see, Beth is a living and healthy female.”

Michelle was grinning as she took her turn casting doubt on his skills. “He never misses even the smallest detail.”

Scott once again ignored their cynicism. “Therefore, we can conclude Beth is not a ghost. Michelle is neither suffering from hysteria nor is she hallucinating, as you both report the same strange event. I am only left to conclude that the two of you, acting as co-conspirators, have fabricated this tale for reasons that escape me. Shall we all go swimming now?”

Beth looked at him with a sense of conviction and determination. “I understand why you would reach that conclusion, but your theory is wrong. I didn’t tell anyone until just now what happened to me last night.”

Michelle nodded her head and was equally serious. “She’s right Scott. We didn’t make up this story. It’s real.”

Scott stood watching both of them for a few moments realizing that Michelle and Beth were both serious and unyielding in their convictions. He offered them the only explanation he could think of. “Neither you nor Beth is crazy. Beth is not a ghost and you both say you are telling the truth. What is the explanation?”

Michelle thought for a few moments before she spoke. “All this leads to only one conclusion. Beth and I apparently share some strange type of psychic connection.”

Beth gave another reason to support the idea of a mental connection between them. “Just a few minutes ago, you said you thought I had a good idea about going swimming and we both started to get up. Michelle, I didn’t say a word to you about anything before you said that.”

Michelle appeared completely confused by Beth’s statement. “You said you were hot and you thought we should go swimming.”

Scott looked at Michelle for a moment before he replied. “Sweetheart, I was wide awake and Beth didn’t say a word about anything. You just came out of nowhere with your idea.”

Beth came to Michelle’s defense. “But Scott, that is exactly what I was thinking when she said it.”

Scott turned his attention to Beth. “You told Michelle you wanted a Coke before she asked what we wanted to drink. I didn’t even know she was going after drinks. I thought we were going swimming.”

Beth shook her head. “I thought we were going swimming too. I don’t know why I assumed she was going for drinks.”

Michelle pointed out what she thought should be obvious to all. “Doesn’t that mean that Beth is reading my mind and I’m reading hers?”

Beth started grinning. “This could be interesting.”

Michelle also smiled for a moment. “Saying this could be interesting is putting it mildly.”

After sitting quietly for a few minutes, Scott gave them his opinion. “I don’t think that’s the explanation. It might explain some things, but not everything.”

They both looked at him for a moment trying to understand his hesitation to accept their idea. Scott asked them each to tell him what they experienced from the very first moment. Michelle spoke first. “I went to the dresser to get my gown and that’s when I felt like someone was watching me. I pulled it over my head and turned around to face the bed. That’s when I first got the idea Beth was lying next to you. I just stared at her for a few minutes.”

Scott stopped Michelle and asked Beth the same question. “What is the first thing you remember?”

Her reply suggested her memory was clear. “I was lying next to you when Michelle got up and started for the dresser. She opened the third drawer and took out her blue gown. She pulled it over her head and turned to face the bed before she seemed to be staring at me.”

Scott decided to test Beth. “Was I lying on my side, my stomach or on my back?”

“You were on your back and you had one arm around each of us.” She replied.

Michelle nodded. “That’s the way I remember it too. You were warm and Beth and I were close to you. It’s strange because I knew she was cold too.”

“Do either of you remember anything else?”

Beth looked out at the ocean as she tried to remember what happened. “I remember Michelle and I smiled at each other.”

Scott suggested they all sit back down before he continued. They were sitting so they could face each other as Scott continued. “This is why I don’t think you are just reading each others mind. If Beth were reading Michelle’s mind, she would not have seen Michelle pulling the gown over her head. She would have the experience of pulling the gown over her own head. In other words, Beth would see what Michelle saw but instead, she was watching Michelle.”

Michelle understood his idea. “And if I was reading Beth’s mind, I would not have seen Beth, I would have been looking at me, which is what Beth would have seen.”

Beth also understood their point. “So you’re saying the perspective is all wrong. If that is the case, then what is the explanation?”

Scott waited for a moment before offering an opinion. “I have a theory, but it’s so far out there that it can’t be right. Suppose what the two of you saw last night did not actually happen last night but is something that will happen in the future. That would explain everything.”

Beth was completely surprised with his idea and had serious reservations about it. “Are you suggesting that your girlfriend is going to let me climb into bed with you at some point in the future? I don’t see that happening.”

Scott threw up his hands. “I don’t have any other possible explanations, do either of you?”

Michelle was looking out at the ocean when she replied. “I don’t know, but this is getting scary.”

Beth reached out and touched Michelle’s arm. “I know what you mean. Maybe I should pack my things and go home.”

Michelle looked at Beth as she replied, “I’m not sure leaving is going to solve the problem. I have a feeling something else is going on and we can’t run from it.”

Beth nodded her head in agreement. “I have the same feeling as you and I don’t think we can hide from it either, but I still wonder why Scott didn’t experience anything last night. Why was it just the two of us?”

They continued bringing up different ideas as they tried to reach some understanding. After a half hour of sitting in the hot sun, they spent the next forty-five minutes in the ocean being distracted from their previous conversation. At times, they would stand on the ocean floor as the waves were breaking all around them.

Scott could not help but notice the interaction between Beth and Michelle. They talked to each other with a sense of familiarity as though they had known each other for years and had been best of friends for quite some time. He could not think of anything that would account for what he was seeing as they shared nothing in common from their past.

To his surprise, Beth extended the same sense of familiarity to Scott that she felt with Michelle. She would climb on his back proclaiming Scott was her horse. While demanding he carry her around, she made several suggestive sexual comments as her legs were wrapped tightly around his waist with her arms around his neck.

Michelle’s reaction to Beth was not what he would have expected either. At times, she seemed to encourage Beth’s physical interaction with him and laughed at most of her suggestive comments. Scott was becoming more concerned about Michelle than he was with Beth’s actions.

Having known Michelle for so long, he now saw her as being different from what he expected. Scott had become accustomed to her being assertive, but now she seemed to be almost complacent if not actually submissive with Beth. Still, his greatest concern was because she appeared far more nervous and distracted than he had ever seen.

Being ready to get out of the ocean, Beth suggested they go to her cabin a lay next to the pool. With Michelle also ready to leave for a while, she quickly accepted Beth’s offer. Beth then headed for shore to gather her things while Michelle and Scott stayed in the water for a few minutes longer at Michelle’s request. He was ready to have time alone with Michelle.

CHAPTER XV

Michelle was watching Beth walk up the beach toward her house when the sound of Scott’s voice appeared to startle her. “Michelle, are you alright?”

As she moved closer, he put his arm over her shoulder. “No, I don’t think so. I don’t know what’s wrong but there are some really strange things going on.”

Michelle wasn’t telling Scott everything she wanted him to know, mostly because she had not had the opportunity. Knowing there was something she wanted to say, Scott thought the time had come to have their talk. “You need to tell me what’s bothering you.”

Michelle showed none of the hesitation Scott had expected. “Last night, Beth and I were talking and she made the point that you and I started going to bed together to save our friendship. Her implication was that we didn’t let our relationship take its natural course. It didn’t make sense to her or me at the time. If Tom had never been in my life and you and I both had jobs in New Bern, would we have taken our relationship to the next level at this time?”

Scott was unhappy with the idea of Beth injecting herself into his relationship with Michelle and didn’t directly answer her question. “I don’t think Beth is in a position to know why we do what we do with each other and I don’t know that it’s really any of her business.”

Michelle felt she needed to explain her own thoughts as well as defend Beth’s idea. “Scott, I had been having the same thoughts as Beth. Is that what we are doing? Are we trying to make our relationship different so we don’t have to say goodbye to each other? Is that the only reason we are going to bed together?”

Scott did not care for the direction he thought their conversation was going so he offered a suggestion that might clarify what Michelle wanted. “Do you want us to go back to the way we were?”

Her answer came without thought or any sense of reluctance. “No, I don’t want to go back. I am very happy where we are, but I have to know that what you and I have going on between us is real and not temporary.”

Scott started smiling having gotten the answer he wanted. “Are you saying you want to get married?”

Michelle thought about his question. She did not want to go back to the way they were. She also was not ready to commit to marry him a week after having broken her engagement with Tom. Michelle knew he was not issuing a proposal when she put both arms around his waist and she replied with her devious smile. “I don’t know yet. I need to know that you can get the job done in the bedroom before I make a commitment to you.”

Scott began to rub her lower back as he held her close. “I didn’t hear any complaints from you last night.”

Michelle’s rebuke came quickly. “Last night was very nice for me, but that was fourteen hours ago. What have you done for me lately?”

Scott’s answer was also quick and reflected a slight tone of frustration. “Nothing, and with Beth around, I don’t see my sex life with you getting any better.”

Michelle thought about how she would respond before a sinister grin appeared. “The way I’m feeling right now, I don’t really care if she is around. You and I came here to be alone so we could discover both the physical and emotional part of our relationship. I don’t feel like I’ve had you to myself since we woke up on Friday morning.”

Scott agreed with Michelle. “Do you realize you and I would have had more privacy if we had stayed at my parent’s house?”

Michelle became far more serious as she wanted to share her thoughts with Scott. “I really like Beth. We had a good talk last night, we had a great time shopping, and we had fun at lunch today. I even enjoyed having her out here swimming with us.”

Scott’s confusion was evident in his question. “I guess I’m different or something, but if some guy had been coming on to you like Beth was coming on to me, I would not be very happy about it.”

Michelle smiled as she explained her thoughts to Scott. “It’s obvious she is very attracted to you.”

Scott was more argumentative with his reply. “I don’t think you realize how obvious she is. Twice today, she put her hands in my swim trunk pockets while exploring the territory.”

Michelle shook her head slowly as her smile continued. “Scott, she is playing a mental game with both of us, especially you.”

“And that doesn’t bother you?” Scott asked.

The smile left her face. “This is where it gets strange and this is what I wanted to talk to you about. This is so weird that I don’t even know what to say.”

After a long and very passionate kiss, Scott looked down at Michelle. “We trust each other and that means we can talk about dinner, the weather, or weird stuff and still love each other when we get finished. It’s always been that way.”

Michelle gave Scott a quick smile before she disclosed her feelings. “At this moment, I can’t believe she had the audacity to throw herself at you like she has been doing since we first met her. So in that respect, what she is doing does bother me.”

Scott understood her concerns. “It’s not at all strange that you would feel that way. I would too if I were you.”

Michelle was about to share those feelings she knew Scott was not going to understand. “When she is with us, I don’t have those negative feelings. I feel like we are in some three way symbiotic relationship where we are supposed to co-exist as a team and what one of us wants, we all want. I feel no jealously, resentment, or anger towards her or you. In fact, I feel like she and I are as close as she wants to be with you.”

Scott took a few steps away as he considered her confession. “Your idea explains something I could not get my head around. When both of you described the ghost experience last night, you both said we are all in the bed together and that you and Beth were smiling at each other. That didn’t make sense to me then and I don’t understand it now.”

Michelle had an understanding Scott had missed. “The ghost thing wasn’t a sexual experience for us. In fact, it was far from sexual. I had just put my gown on, not taken it off. Beth wasn’t wearing a sexy gown; she was wearing cute little pajamas. What appears to have been going on last night was gathering of our spirits. You had your arms around both of us and there was no jealousy or competition. It was as if we had come together as one.”

Scott had doubts that he needed to clear up. “We don’t even know what happened last night, so how do any of us know what it means?”

Michelle talked to Scott as though she was gaining a personal understanding. “Scott, you don’t remember anything that happened. However, the two women remember it very clearly. I think she and I know what it means. I also think that women have a level of communication that men either don’t have or don’t use. Beth and I are apparently working together to bring you into our world.”

Scott moved closer to Michelle as he listened carefully to her words. From the way he was looking at Michelle, she knew she had touched a nerve. “Let me say this again just to be sure you understand something. I love you and that is not going to change. What in the hell are you talking about bringing me into your world with Beth?”

Michelle looked directly in Scott’s eyes while waiting for his reaction. “I don’t have the slightest idea what it means and I don’t even know why I said it. You are standing there trying to decide if I have been crazy all my life and you just didn’t know it, or if I am going off the deep end because of Beth.”

Being in a total state of confusion, Scott took Michelle’s hand. He didn’t know what was going on with Michelle, but he knew with absolute certainty that he had to be as supportive as he could be. “First of all, you are not going crazy and you have never been crazy. You’re intelligent and you think things through. You and I both know there is a logical explanation for whatever is going on here. We just have to find it.”

Scott stopped talking for a moment when another thought occurred to him. “Maybe we don’t have to find the logical explanation. Maybe we just need to get the hell out of here and let Beth deal with this.”

Michelle started laughing while trying to appeal to his ego. Michelle knew at a different level that she did not want to leave and she knew why. “You know as well as I do that we can’t run away. This is a real mystery and my hero Sherlock would never run away from a problem.”

For reasons she would not be able to explain, she was beginning to feel aroused. Michelle stepped away as she moved behind him a put her arms around his waist. After a few moments, Scott felt Michelle reach into his swim trunks. “Also, don’t forget why we came here in the first place, because we haven’t finished what we started yet.”

Scott realized from both Michelle’s actions and words, she was trying to find a way to make sure they stayed at the beach for their one remaining night. Scott was beginning to conclude Michelle had been under too much stress with Tom, her own family and perhaps Scott himself.

Michelle spoke, which distracted him from his thoughts. “I have been honest with you and it’s time for you to be honest with me.”

“What do you want me to be honest about?” He asked.

Michelle was direct with her question. “If you and I had not made a commitment to each other, would you think Beth is someone you would be attracted to? Maybe I should be more to the point. Are you attracted to her even though you have made a commitment to me?”

Scott quickly considered how he should answer her question without stepping in proverbial quicksand. He watched her inquiring eyes assuming he could get by with a brief but honest answer. “I would be attracted to Beth if you and I had not made a commitment to each other. I think Beth is very attractive, but keep in mind, I’ve only known her for twenty four hours.”

Michelle was looking for a different answer from Scott. “Forget the physical attraction you might have. Do you feel a mental connection to her as if the two of you are moving along the same path?”

Scott’s level of concern for Michelle was growing each time she spoke. , he continued to be honest with her. “I feel more like Beth and me are playing a game with each other where we are on opposite sides. Unfortunately, I don’t think I even understand the rules of the game or the final objective.”

This time when she spoke, Michelle left Scott in a far more concerned frame of mind. “Scott, you and I make up an entity that we call us. You, Beth and I make up different entity that is a form of us. Beth and I are trying to help you become a part of the second entity. The three of us have no effect on you and me being together.”

Scott was unsure if his reaction was due to lack of patience or total disbelief, but in either case, his response was the same. “What does that mean she has no effect on us? I haven’t had you to myself in two days now. And apparently, her ghost is going to bed with us at night.”

Michelle understood his point but showed no signs of yielding her idea. “Scott, you have to trust me about this.”

Scott put his hand on her shoulders and looked at her for a moment. “What exactly do you want me to do?”

Her answer was one he would pretend to embrace, but was an answer he had no intention of accepting. “I want you to allow yourself to trust us and become a part of the entity that makes up the three of us.”

While they had carried on an open discussion, Scott had no idea what Michelle was trying to tell him. As far as he was concerned, she was all over the map and showing no clear path and very little direction.

After Scott spent several minutes in silence trying to decide what he should do, Michelle decided it was time to get out of the water and go sit by the pool. He then asked what he thought was a reasonable question. “What am I supposed to do if she keeps throwing herself at me?”

Michelle looked up at the cabin and then back at Scott. “She is afraid of men right now so just go along with her. It won’t hurt anything if she gains a little more self-confidence. She’s just playing a cat and mouse game with you because she thinks she’s safe with you. You can play along with her up to a point.”

Scott could not believe what Michelle was saying. Not only was she being illogical, she was completely out of character. “Is that something you are asking me to do?”

Michelle was confident in her response. “Absolutely. She needs your support right now. She knows she can trust you and I know she can trust you.”

CHAPTER XVI

As they walked toward the shoreline, Scott realized he had a decision he needed to make. Should he go with Michelle to the pool, or go back to their cabin. He was ready for peace and quiet, but given her frame of mind, he was equally unprepared to leave Michelle alone. His sense of protection won his internal debate as they walked down the beach with their arms around each other.”

Beth was standing on the boardwalk to her house when Scott and Michelle started up the steps. “I was just about to come find you.”

Rather than disclose why they had taken so long getting to the pool, Scott quickly changed the subject. “Have you heard anything else about the storm moving in tonight?”

Beth looked out at the ocean where the waves were continuing to grow larger. “The weather people say it’s going to get nasty around here. High tide is expected around nine o’clock and that’s when they think the storm will really start to build in this area. We could start seeing rain and stronger winds as early as seven-thirty or eight o’clock.”

Michelle took her towel and placed it over one of the lounge chairs as she spoke. “It’s not going to reach hurricane strength is it?”

Beth shook her head. “No. They are saying it’s like a line of storms that will more or less come in one after the other. The wind gusts could hit seventy-five miles per hour and sustained winds will around fifty to sixty miles per hour. Either way, it’s scary.”

Scott chose to reassure her. “You’ll be fine. These houses have held back much worse storms than this one.”

Before Beth could respond, Michelle reached out and touched her arm. “I have got to use the bathroom.”

Beth replied never taking her eyes off Scott. “It’s right across from the great room on the right.”

After Michelle disappeared into the house, Scott took the opportunity to confront Beth. “There is something about the ghost story you and Michelle told me that I’ve been having some trouble with.”

Beth felt she should be somewhat evasive in her answer. “It was really strange for both of us to have that experience, don’t you think?”

Scott smiled at Beth before he responded. “Yes it is. The thing that really makes it odd is the fact that you predicted it hours before it happened. In fact, Friday night when we were standing at the bottom of the steps, you told me it was going to happen. Not only did you predict what would happen, but also what time it would happen. That strikes me as being a little more than a coincidence.”

Beth took several steps closer to Scott as she continued to stare into his eyes. “I wish I could give you an explanation, but I don’t even know why I said that to you. I thought at the time it was a strange thing for me to say.”

Scott took a few steps closer to Beth, perhaps to challenge her slightly. “Beth, let’s get real here. You were very specific to the point of complete accuracy. I think you have a better explanation than just a few words popping into your mind.”

To Scott’s surprise, Beth took two steps closer to him. She made sure her body was touching his bare chest. “Alright Scott, let’s keep it real. Take a close look at me and see if you see anything about me that resembles a ghost. Do I feel like a ghost? Do you really think I would be upset about having sex in a tent with some guy, if I were a ghost? Do you think I would be afraid to stay here tonight by myself, if I were a ghost?”

Beth made sure her breasts slid across his chest as she turned her back on him. “Would you tie the strap around my neck a little tighter? We wouldn’t want any bathing suit accidents while we’re playing in the pool, would we?”

Scott realized there was a knot in the straps as Beth spoke. “The truth is you’re more afraid of me than you would be a ghost. You don’t trust yourself around me.”

Scott knew her statement was close to the truth. Still, he made a decision that if she wanted to play games, he would play along. In so doing, he ignored her comment about being afraid of her and chose a different path. After a minute or so, he was able to get the knot out as he spoke. “Actually, I don’t believe in ghosts or accidents. As to your other point, I would love to see some bathing suit accidents. How tight is this supposed to be?”

Michelle came through the door as Scott was holding the straps in his hands while waiting for some direction. Michelle came and stood beside Scott. “Did I miss all the fun, or were you two just getting started?”

Beth looked over her shoulder while grinning at Michelle. “I guess that depends entirely on you.”

Michelle glanced at Scott holding Beth’s straps behind her neck but showed no displeasure with what he was doing. “I guess we better tie them for now. I’m not sure Scott could deal with the excitement.”

Scott repeated his statement. “How tight is this thing supposed to be?”

“Just pull it together and I’ll tell you when to stop.” Beth replied.

Once Scott finished, Beth turned around to face them. “The two of you have been so nice to me that I would like to take you to dinner as my way of saying thank you.”

Michelle responded before Scott could consider his options. “That’s sweet of you to offer, but you don’t have to do that.”

Scott echoed Michelle’s comments. “She’s right. You really don’t need to do that.”

Beth smiled as she went to lay down on one of the lounge chairs beside the pool. Michelle and Scott followed her and took their seats. Scott waited until Michelle was lying down before he sat next to her. He was making sure Michelle was between him and Beth. It was a calculated move as he was hoping to be able to see them both at the same time and more closely observe their interaction.

Michelle glanced at a wall clock before she spoke. “It’s almost three o’clock so we need to think about what we are going to do. Since this is our last night here, I think we should do something really fun such as having a storm party.”

Beth was the first to react to her suggestion. “That would be fun. We could mix a few drinks and watch the house get blown down.”

Michelle then turned her head to look at Scott. “Beth is really afraid to be here alone so why don’t we do this. Let’s all go to dinner and then she can stay with us until the storm passes.”

Beth’s reaction to Michelle’s offer came before Scott could respond. “That would be too much trouble for you. Besides, I think the storm is supposed to last until very late in the night.”

Michelle was determined for Beth to accept her plan. “Listen we have several bedrooms and it’s no trouble at all.”

After a few minutes of discussion, Beth and Michelle agreed they would all go to dinner before returning to the house to ride out the storm. They continued their conversation as Scott’s mind returned to Michelle and their conversation while alone on the beach. It wasn’t long before he drifted off to sleep.

It was almost four o’clock before he began to stir. As he opened his eyes and looked around, he first noticed the sky had turned gray. He turned his head seeing neither Beth nor Michelle until he glanced at the pool. There he saw Beth sitting in front of him on the edge of the pool with her feet dangling in the water, but he didn’t see Michelle.

Beth realized he was awake when she heard him sit up. “If you are looking for Michelle, she went home to take a nap and get ready to go to dinner.”

He looked at his watch noticing the time. “I slept longer than I thought. I guess I should get ready too.”

Beth stood up while pulling her hair back from her face. Having imagined a plan for how they would spend the remainder of the afternoon, she was unwilling for him to leave. “Michelle thought you might help me put the chairs and the table in the storage area before the storm comes.”

Her request was reasonable and he knew he had to do the same job at William’s house. “I’ll be glad to help you.”

They worked for ten minutes putting the furniture away before completing the job. Scott then turned to Beth. “If there’s nothing else you need help with, I should get going.”

With the hot weather and the high humidity, Scott was red in the face and sweating. Noticing his condition, Beth made a suggestion. “You look so hot. Why don’t we get in the pool and cool off for a minute before you go?”

While the pool looked inviting, he made a different decision, not knowing what to expect from Beth or himself if they were alone in the pool. “Thanks, but I’m going to grab a shower when I get back, so I’ll be fine.”

Beth was determined that Scott stay with her and therefore made an alternate suggestion. “At least let me fix you a glass of lemonade. Michelle wanted me to keep you entertained while she was asleep.”

With that knowledge, Scott accepted her offer as his throat was dry and he was quite thirsty. He followed her in the house and sat at the kitchen bar while she fixed the drink. While he might be reluctant to admit it to himself or anyone else, Beth had captured his attention from the first time he laid eyes upon her. He also knew his attraction to her went far beyond the interest he might have in her physical appearance, which was not insignificant.

As she handed him the glass, Beth told Scott she wanted to show him something. They went through the house and down a set of stairs that led into the recreation room where a pool table had been set up.

Scott looked around at the well-appointed room. In addition to the pool table, there was a bar and four bar stools at the far end of the room with an over-stuffed sofa next to the wall. There were a number of movie posters hanging on the walls along with several prints of seascapes and a wide screen TV. As Scott walked around looking at the various posters, he was unaware of Beth watching his every move.

She removed a cue stick from the rack before explaining the first part of her plan. “I invented a little game that’s played using a pool table. We take turns shooting the first eleven balls. If you make the shot, then you can ask me any question and I have to tell the truth. It’s like truth or dare pool.”

“Why use just eleven balls? What happens to the other four balls that are left?”

Beth smiled. “They are called the magic balls. If you make the shot using one of the magic balls, then I would have to do whatever you told me to do.”

The possibilities began to run through his head. “The word ‘whatever’ could cover a wide range of things.”

Beth assumed she knew exactly what Scott was thinking. “That’s true and that’s also what makes this a dangerous game. You have to take your chances.”

Scott was hesitant to accept her offer but also considered her game to be of interest to him. “To be honest, I’m not much of a pool player.”

Beth placed the cue ball on the table and leaned forward as she sighted the ball with her cue. “Also being honest, we both know this game has nothing to do with playing pool.”

Scott understood her point. This was another one of her games, which Scott not only enjoyed, but also found difficult not to play along with her. As if to add insult to injury, she pulled the cue back with just the right force and hit the cue ball, which collided with the 3 ball. The 3 ball then veered to the left making a slow roll into the corner pocket. She wanted him to know, she could win this game.

Beth straightened up as she passed the cue stick across the table to Scott. “Take a practice shot before you decide if you think you can get lucky playing this game.”

Scott took the cue stick as he looked at Beth. “When you use the words get lucky, those words might mean something very different to a man than to a woman. Anyway, if this is not about pool, then why go through the motions.”

Beth made her response with very honest intentions. “While you were asleep, Michelle and I took a walk on the beach. If I keep you playing pool for a little while, Michelle will have some time alone.”

“Is that what she wants?”

“She is going to take a nice long bubble bath, maybe a nap and then sit on the deck and watch the ocean and read. At least that’s what she told me.” Beth replied.

Still being suspicious of Beth’s motives, Scott called Michelle under the pretense of finding out their dinner plan, but his intention was to confirm Beth’s story. Much to his surprise, Michelle encouraged him to stay and play pool with Beth, saying she was going to read and enjoy some quiet time for a while.

Beth walked around the pool table taking the balls from the pockets and placing them in the rack. With all the balls on the table and racked, she teased Scott in a way that would appear to be a joke, but in reality would challenge his sense of independence. “It was nice of Michelle to let you stay and play with me. You can have the honors of the break.”

Scott was not going to leave her comment unchallenged. He slowly walked around the table and placed his hands on her waist. Once again, you might want to be careful with your words because when you say I can play with you, we might be talking about two different things.”

Beth’s sunburn meant Scott was unable to see the slight flushing in her face and upper body that Beth could so quickly feel as Scott’s hands held her. However, this was a game of words and she held her ground. “I do pick my words carefully.”

Having made the decision to play, he rubbed chalk on the tip of his stick and proceeded to send the cue ball crashing into the other balls, yet none made it to the pockets. Beth took another cue stick from the wall rack before she approached the table to take her shot. Scott noticed how methodical she was in her shots. She would look at the table, bend over and sight the cue ball, straighten up and look at the table again before bending down to take her shot. Whatever he might think of her process, it worked for her as she made the first shot having put the 7 ball in a side pocket.

Letting the cue stick rest on the floor, Beth posed her first question. “I love my brother, but I’m not in love with him. Do you love Michelle, or are you in love with Michelle? And before you say anything, there is a difference.”

With no hesitation, Scott gave his answer. “I am very much in love with Michelle. That was easy.”

Beth slowly shook her head. “It was too easy. You didn’t give my question any thought whatsoever. You gave me the answer you wanted to give rather than any real indication that would show you actually thought about it. I suspect that you and Michelle will both be thinking a lot about that question over the next few weeks. Anyway, it’s your turn.”

Scott had an easy shot and he took it with none of the precision that Beth had used. As the ball rolled into the pocket, Scott stood up and turned to face Beth. “How do you explain telling me about the ghost experience only hours before it happened?”

“I’ve thought about that ever since you and I talked. I think that when I suggested it, I was having a premonition just like what Michelle and I experienced. If a premonition is not the explanation, then I don’t know how to explain it.” She replied.

Beth went through her usual process as she took her next shot. She then asked her question, which caught Scott’s attention for several reasons. “You didn’t see the line dance on the canoe trip this year. Still, I have a very strong feeling you remember me from the previous year. Care to comment?”

When Beth said the words “strong feeling” Scott was astonished that she would have that experience without some reason to explain her “feeling”. More to the point, she was right.

Scott looked at her for several minutes trying to understand how it was possible she would have such a feeling. “Before Amie came to our place this morning, I took out my laptop and looked at the pictures I had taken on the canoe trip last year. You were in the pictures doing the line dance. Several of my pictures were zoom shots of just you standing in the line. In fact, you were the only girl I took a picture of standing alone. All the other pictures were group shots. That makes this pretty strange.”

Beth spoke as Scott prepared to take his shot. “So I guess that means you have captured my moment of indiscretion and preserved it for historical reasons.”

Scott smiled. “I don’t think historical preservation is what I had in mind when I took the pictures.”

Beth knew she was drawing Scott to the point where she wanted him, be it a slow progression. “If not for historical preservation, why did you take my picture?

He was interested in how she would react to his explanation. “You were the most attractive girl in the line. You looked shy to the point that you almost looked out of place. You didn’t appear to be very comfortable with what you were doing. You caught my attention.”

Scott had managed to allow Beth to feel a sense of being special. “Did I catch your attention or did my boobs catch your attention?”

Scott let his cue stick rest on the floor as he tried to recall his motivation. “Actually it was your face that I noticed first because I was watching you long before you took your shirt off. After that, I took a nice long look at your boobs and then I looked at you as a package.”

Beth’s interest was clearly growing. “How long had you been watching me before I let it all hang out?”

“I started watching you before you even stood up in front of the crowd. A group of us were sitting around the fire drinking and talking, and I kept watching you while you were sitting with a different group of people.”

Beth continued to gather information. “You must have liked what you were seeing.”

Scott picked up his cue stick. “I still do.”

With little preparation, Scott took another easy shot, which allowed him to ask his question. “Jenifer said she recognized me on the beach, yet I had on sunglasses and a baseball hat. She didn’t just run into me by accident because we barely even knew each other. In fact, I didn’t recognize her.”

Beth let out a long sigh. “I hate this game. No, it wasn’t an accident. Jenifer and Carlie made a plan to stop by your house in New Bern and make you look like a dog in front of your parents. Carlie had to cancel her beach trip so Jenifer said she would do the plan without Carlie. Jenifer called your house on Thursday morning and your sister told Jenifer you were here at the beach. Your sister also thought she was talking to an old friend. Jenifer decided it would be more fun to trash you in front of your girlfriend.”

“So you went along with the plan?” Scott asked.

Beth downplayed her involvement. “I didn’t want anything to do with any of it. Jenifer kept telling me how badly you had treated me until I finally agreed to go along with her, but I really didn’t want any part of it.”

Beth walked around the table as she tried to make her decision of which shot to take. After a few moments of preparation, she took one of the more difficult shots and made it. Scott watched closely before he asked why she had taken the most difficult shot.

The answer came easy for her. “If I take a hard shot, then I feel entitled to ask a harder question. Why did it take you ten years to go to bed with Michelle?”

Scott looked around the room as he considered his answer. “Michelle and I had this discussion and I don’t think either of us knows. I’m not avoiding your question, but I really can’t answer it.”

Beth’s response was one Scott found interesting. “Don’t worry. I think both of you will understand things better once you’ve spent a little more time together exploring your relationship.”

Beth had once again left Scott an easy shot, which he quickly took. His question was also harder for Beth to answer. “You told me that you have not been to bed with a guy in over a year. I’m sure you have had the opportunity to attract some nice guys. What’s going on with you?”

Beth leaned against the pool table before she responded. “I don’t trust men any more. The last guy I was serious about turned out to be a total jerk. I was in an abusive relationship that may leave me scarred for life. I’m not going to share the details right now, but take my word for it. It changed my life.”

Seeing the expression on Beth’s face, Scott placed his stick down before he put his arms around her. They held each other for at least five minutes before Beth spoke. “It’s my turn.”

To his surprise, she took an easy shot after sighting the cue ball longer than normal. Once she straightened up, she turned her attention to Scott while displaying a noticeable grin. This time, she was going to put Scott on the spot with no place to run. “Do you plan to look down my bathing suit top at my cleavage every time I bend over to make a shot?”

Giving her an indirect answer, Scott was also grinning at her. “Why did you waste your opportunity with a question that has such an obvious answer? To answer your question lets just say I never let an opportunity go to waste, although I guess I could show some restraint if it bothers you.”

“It doesn’t bother me and it’s nice to know I can still get your attention. After all, you said you have pictures of me in the line dance, so I don’t guess you are seeing anything you haven’t seen before. It’s your turn.”

Beth was standing behind Scott as he leaned over to make his shot. Before he pulled the cue stick back, he felt her slip her hand in his pocket. She then spoke in a soft, but breathy tone before he could say anything. “Sometimes, I like to feel the cue stick sliding through my hands just before it makes contact with the balls.”

Still bending down to take his shot, Scott looked over his shoulder at Beth only seconds before she burst out laughing. Scott stood up straight and turned to look at her as she pulled her hand from his pocket. “Are you trying out for a porn flick or something?”

Still laughing, she moved to the other side of the table. “I was just trying to distract you like you have been doing to me.”

Scott once again got ready to take his shot while Beth stood across the table from him. Just as he pulled the cue stick back, she pulled both sides of her top far apart. “Can you tell if I got any sun today?”

Scott started laughing, but looked at her for almost a minute before he answered. “Yes, I think you got some today and I’m glad you brought that to my attention.”

Scott pulled back on his cue stick and made the hardest bank shot on the table. “You don’t trust men, but you seem to trust me. I don’t understand the obvious conflict in your two statements.”

She laid her cue stick on the table before walking to the barstool to sit down. After a few moments, Scott walked across the room and joined her as she began to answer his question. “There is no question but that Michelle has full trust in you and right now, your anchor is tied to Michelle with an unbreakable chain. I can tease you, flirt with you, and I can be sexy with you and still know I’m safe with you. I know you won’t hurt me. It’s been a long time since I could feel that way around a guy.”

Scott leaned back and looked at the ceiling. “You seem to forget that I have a few dents in my armor.”

Beth shook her head. “There is not a dent in your armor that would let you hurt me. Besides, I like the way you look at me. I also like the way you hold me when you think I need to be held.”

Scott glanced over his shoulder at Beth. “You are attractive and desirable. Even though I have only known you for twenty-eight hours, I think that in another time and place, things might have been different for us.”

Beth stood up and walked to the window in order to avoid talking about what might have been. She was far more interested in what would happen today. “I am absolutely terrified of storms. Thank you for letting me come stay with you and Michelle.

“Well, bring your pajamas because I think the storms are going to last through the night.”

She wanted to appear somewhat frustrated, which was obvious in her voice. In her mind, she was very satisfied to be staying with them. “I feel so bad messing up your evening with Michelle because I know the two of you didn’t plan on having me around all the time. At the same time, I just can’t stand to be here alone, especially with the storm coming.”

Scott looked at his watch as he stood up to leave. We’ll pick you up around six o’clock and then we can all have a nice dinner.”

Beth walked with him to the bottom of their stairs before she put her hand on his back to stop him, now making up her plan as she went along. “Can you take one minute and let me show you something before you go?”

Scott agreed and followed her down the short hallway until they turned and entered her bedroom. He stood in the doorway leaning against the doorjamb as she stood next to her bed. They looked at each other without speaking and with neither of them having a clear sense of their direction. Beth felt a sense of security as she held onto the tall bedpost and she felt a sense of anxious anticipation as she looked at Scott.

Scott began to notice what he thought was a genuine, sweet, and relaxed smile come to her face. “What are you grinning about?”

She continued to hold onto the bedpost with both hands as her smile became even more noticeable. After almost another minute of silence she looked away for a moment and then back at Scott. “I’m alone in the house, wearing almost nothing, while standing in my bedroom with a man I have known for less than two days. I know your eyes are touching me and that your hands want to caress me.”

Scott assumed he was missing something in the conversation. “Does that make you nervous?”

The smile never left her face and her feelings of confidence only grew stronger. She finally tried to explain her relief to Scott. “I’m not afraid right now. You are bigger and stronger than I am and you could take advantage of me. Even if I screamed for help, no one would hear me. If you were lying on top of me, I could not make you get off me. I know all the risks I’m taking, but I know you won’t take advantage of me. I’m not afraid Scott. I’m not afraid. I’m not even a little bit nervous.”

Scott immediately connected what Beth was feeling now with her statement that she had been in an abusive relationship. For the first time, he realized she could have been far more traumatized by whatever happened to her than he had previously thought.

With that thought in mind, he quickly reassured her. “You’re very safe and absolutely nothing is going to happen to you. Nobody is going to hurt you.”

Facing the realization of how her behavior might look to a stranger, the smile slowly left her face. She slowly released her grip on the bedpost as she moved closer to Scott. “I guess this seems a little strange to you, doesn’t it?”

Scott was careful not to say anything that might make her self-conscious or minimize her concerns. “I’ve never walked in your shoes, so I don’t really know where you’ve been. If you’re happy now and feel secure, then that’s a good thing and it doesn’t matter how it looks to me.”

Scott reached out and hugged Beth for a few minutes before she gently pushed herself away from him. “I guess I should take my shower now and get ready for dinner.”

He took a deep breath as he stood watching her, while wanting to know the secrets she kept concealed in her mind. He wanted to know what she might actually be feeling and more than anything else, he wanted to know her history. Yet, all of the things he wanted to find out about Beth were things he assumed he should leave hidden from view. “Yea, I should be going now.”

Scott turned to leave before Beth asked a question, not to get an answer, but to stall in order to consider her options. “What time did you say you were going to pick me up?”

He glanced at his watch and then turned his attention back to Beth. “It’s four-fifteen now, so we’ll pick you up around six. Will that give you enough time to get ready?”

“That should give me plenty of time. All I have to do is take a shower, dry my hair, put on my make up, get dressed and then pack something to sleep in at your place tonight.”

Scott was doubtful once he heard her list. “You can do all that in an hour?”

She grinned at him. “It’s a piece of cake, but I want to ask you something before you go? Were you really sick the night of the canoe trip or was that just an excuse to avoid being with Carlie?”

Scott once again turned toward the door. “I’ll never tell.”

Beth had a crafty expression as she tugged lightly on her bathing suit strap. “It’s too bad you were so sick. You missed an opportunity.”

Scott also knew he would have liked to have known Beth before now, but had no regrets with where he was in his life. “I think I missed several opportunities that night, but then again I suppose another missed opportunity is the story of my life. Sometimes those missed chances come with a price.”

She moved closer to Scott while trying to decide the intent of his comment. At least for now, she knew she would not understand the true significance of his passing statement. Still, she knew something lie deeper in its meaning. “That may be one of the most revealing statements you’ve ever made to me. I guess we’ll have to wait and see because I have a feeling that a secret is buried deep in your brain where I’m not allowed to be.”

Scott looked down at the floor with a remembrance he was unwilling to share. “There are some places in my mind that I don’t even want to visit.”

CHAPTER XVII

Beth led Scott into the short hallway but stopped in front of him as she stood on the second stair step, thus blocking his exit. “It occurs to me that I played our game all wrong. I should have asked you more questions about the dents in your armor.”

Scott smiled knowing they had both missed a chance to learn more from each other. “What would you have asked?”

Beth was also smiling, yet her expression was one that reflected the crafty, devious smile one shows when playing a game, which is exactly what she was doing. “Do you wonder if I am a ghost, a mental health train wreck, or a mind reader?”

“All of the above, but you left out one description when you made your list.” Scott replied.

Beth’s curiosity required she ask the obvious question. “What did I forget?”

Scott offered her a one-word response. “Shark.”

She was pleased with his suggestion and wanted to play that role to perfection. With a hint of innocence appropriate for a young girl, along with her playful grin, she tucked her head slightly before she replied, “I’m not a shark. I’m just a regular girl.”

At that point, Scott was grinning at her, having been completely drawn into her performance. “No Beth, you are a regular girl shark. Besides, I’m not sure there is a difference between a girl and a shark.”

Holding on to the handrail, she leaned forward with her face only a few inches away from his. “I’m going to bite you.” She then smiled as she waited for his reaction. It would take only minutes for him to understand her comment.

Scott was still watching her face suspecting their game might soon go to another level. “I have been expecting you to bite me for two days now. Let’s be honest, you have been nibbling on me since we first met.”

Scott glanced at his watch. “In any case, you have at least five things to do before we go to dinner. So if you will excuse me, I need to get going and so do you.”

Within seconds, Beth’s facial expression became far more serious as she placed each of her hands on the sides of the staircase walls to block his only exit. What she was about to say was both sobering and intriguing at the same time, once again bringing the more mysterious side of her personality into question.

She spoke softly and with a sense of uncertainty. “When we were in my bedroom, you said something about missing opportunities that made me start thinking. This is most likely the last time you and I will be alone before I leave in the morning.”

Scott took a slow breath that would not attract her attention, but was one he hoped might inspire his patience. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

Beth reclaimed her defensive position guarding the stair exit. She also began a lengthy explanation of her actions. “Since we first met, I’ve played a number of games with you. I was teasing you in the ocean when I put my hand inside your swimming trunks. When I was in the hot tub with you and Michelle yesterday, I made sure I would catch your attention. When I took a shot at the pool table, I made sure you had something to look at. But those things were all just games I was playing.”

Scott smiled at her. “I think we both enjoyed the game and I think I know you well enough to know you were just playing with me.”

“That’s the easy part of what I need to tell you. When you talked to your moose friend and you told me what happened, I felt like I had a ton of weight lifted off my shoulders. It wasn’t just a matter of me having sex in a tent one night. That experience brought back all the nightmares I had left over from my abusive past. You made all of my bad dreams disappear because you took the time to be nicer to me than Jenifer and I had been to you and Michelle.”

Scott started to speak, but Beth stopped him. “Last night you made me a hero for a while when I was at the party. The girls were so impressed to find out I held the shark and helped set him free. They made a big fuss over me. While that felt good, it wasn’t the most important thing that happened to me last night. When you and I were on our knees holding the shark, you stopped what you were doing for a minute. Your voice and expression were so genuine and honest when you looked at me and told me you liked me. Even if it sounds silly, I felt special.”

Scott was convinced Beth wanted and needed to talk and he was going to do nothing to stop her. He reached up and brushed the light brown bangs from her eyes. “Beth I didn’t make you anymore special than you already were.”

With a modest grin, she thanked Scott and then continued with her thoughts. “Amie won’t tell me what you said, but whatever you said made quite an impression on her. She did tell me you gave her a very soft and loving kiss, that you held her hand for a while, and you also hugged her for a long time. I have never seen Amie act as she did after the two of you went off together. I think you have her on the right track.”

Once again, Scott assumed Beth had misread the situation. “Beth, I am not responsible for her change of heart. Yes, I did talk to her, but so did her doctor who made it clear she was running out of time to get her life together. Also, and maybe most important, I think when she cut her arm, she may have scared herself enough that she knew something had to change. Either way, she has a long road to go down and she is going to need all the support that she can get from her friends. You and Michelle were there with her. Don’t underestimate your value to Amie.”

“Scott, Amie said you were going to take her to lunch on Monday. Can you and I find some time to talk after we leave here? I’ve been seeing a counselor forever, and she’s not going where I need to go. I’m not asking you to be my psychologist. I just want to know we can still talk sometimes, just like we’re doing right now?”

“Of course we can. What do you want to talk about?” Scott replied.

She looked away as she answered. “I want to tell you all about my life and the guy who destroyed it.”

Scott scratched his forehead as he replied, “Beth we can talk anytime. You need to remember that I’m not a professional or even close. I don’t know if I can help you, but I sure don’t want to do anything to hurt you.”

Her next comment would take them in an unexpected direction. “When you walked me home last night, you saw my ex-boyfriend in your mind and you knew details about his life that you had no way of knowing. Your thoughts were inside my mind then, just like you are trying to do right now.”

By this point, they were looking into each other’s eyes with each having an intense expression. “What am I trying to find when I look in your mind?”

Her voice was soft, but clear. “You’re trying to find the key that will unlock those things you find very mysterious about me. You have discovered some things that your alter ego Sherlock can’t explain and that fact bothers you.”

Scott never broke the intense eye contact he had with Beth. “When you and I know things about each other and we can’t explain how we know those things, and when you and my girlfriend communicate without speaking, then I admit to having more than just a passing curiosity about you.”

Beth was confident in her pronouncement. “It’s interesting you would choose to call Michelle your girlfriend. I get the feeling you would like to think she’s your girlfriend, but you have some real doubts about that relationship.”

Scott continued to watch her eyes as though they might be in a contest to see who would break the stare. “Are you reading my mind or is that pure speculation?”

Her reply came with a level of conviction that Scott found interesting, if not disturbing. “I’m a girl and I don’t need any special ability to read that part of your mind. Your life history with Michelle doesn’t make any sense at all, if the two of you really are in love with each other.”

Scott was determined to test Beth’s theory knowing there was some truth to her observation. “How did you arrive at that conclusion after knowing us less than twenty-four hours?”

Beth was very direct with her reply. “Let’s be honest with each other. Two hours after we met, your girlfriend invited me to join the two of you in the hot tub where she suggested you rub lotion on me. Then, rather than be with you, she went off to a party. After our trip to the hospital, she invited me to stay with her until bedtime. We went shopping the next morning while you went off with Amie for a therapy session. Michelle invited me to spend the afternoon in the sun and surf with the two of you. After swimming with you, she suggested I keep you entertained while she has quiet time. She has invited me for dinner and suggested I spend the night at your place. For someone who is trying to redefine their relationship, she almost appears to be avoiding being alone with you.”

Scott considered her suggestion for only a moment. Everything Beth said was true, but he felt he should offer some explanation or at least a defense. “Michelle has been through a lot in the past few weeks. She might have been better off coming to the beach without me so she could have some time to sort out a few things in her life. I think we moved too quickly after she broke off her engagement. Having said that, I don’t think that means we don’t love each other.”

Beth was determined to make her point. “You can defend her actions by saying she’s confused, but I don’t think you really believe what you’re telling me?”

Scott was interested in what Beth was saying, but he was also thinking she was going beyond what she should be saying. “What else do you believe?”

She thought for a few moments before offering her opinion. “When a guy and girl first meet each other, they seem to know on some subconscious level they might be interested in each other. They have a way of looking at each other as if testing the possibilities of getting to know each other. You and I have been looking at each other like that ever since we first met.”

Scott put his hands on her waist, but never looked away from her eyes. “Let’s say for the sake of argument that I was attracted to you and wanted to know you better. I think there is more going on here than just some passing curiosity about each other.”

Beth had moved her face very close to his. “There is so much more going on here. I’m a shark and I’m swimming in circles around you. You know I’m here and you can’t get away from me. Even when you leave tomorrow, I am still going to be in your mind.”

Scott was quickly trying to put all the pieces in the puzzle together. What he had assumed were just mental games now seemed far more complex and much deeper. Beth had a predator like tone to her voice along with her relentless stare that captured his attention and perhaps created some concern. Scott began to question if her intent was to possess or at least influence his mind and thoughts.

He thought of himself as being like a fish on a hook waiting to be reeled in to shore. Everything she had speculated about him and his relationship with Michelle was either truthful or very close to the truth. Beth also knew and used the fact that he was attracted to her, if not actually mentally connected to her.

What Scott was reasonably sure of was the fact that she wanted or needed something from him that went far beyond a physical, romantic, or social relationship. The more realistic part of his mind knew they had known each other for less than twenty-four hours, yet they felt very close to each other. He assumed she wanted to deal with some emotional or psychological problem and found him to be someone who was sympathetic with her.

The less logical and thoughtful part of his mind wanted to believe there was something very different about Beth. He was convinced she had a secret that he felt compelled to know and understand. He also believed she was trying to lead him to some undefined destination. In order to accomplish that goal, Beth continued to strengthen her relationship with Scott.

The more logical part of his mind could not explain how Beth and Michelle communicated with out speaking as they had done on the beach. He could not explain their premonition nor could he explain his own knowledge about her ex-boyfriend. Scott had never had anything that he would call psychic ability, yet this weekend was proving to be an exception.

He assumed it was the more mysterious aspects to their relationship that he found so attractive and interesting.

She reached behind her back with both hands and untied the strap on her bathing suit, leaving it hanging by just the neck strap and barely covering her. “Are you having any trouble reading my mind now? Do you know what I want from you?”

Scott looked at her for a moment knowing what he wanted but also knowing there had to be lines he would not cross. “Beth, I think you are adorable, smart, funny, and you have a body I would love to get to know better. But my life is a mess right now and I can’t go there with you, even though I would like to.”

Beth was trapped between her growing desire, her fear, and her determination to gain his full attention and assert some control over him. “It doesn’t matter, because I can’t let you take me to bed right now. I’m not even close to that point yet.”

Scott assumed for the moment this was only another part of the game they were playing with each other. “So where did you want to go from here?”

She was looking at him while feeling a sense of growing interest and desire. Beth took her right hand and started lightly rubbing Scott’s chest. “When you were giving me a massage yesterday, I wanted you to touch me everywhere. I also know you wanted the same thing. Last night you told me that in another time and place things might be different for us. Now, you and I are in another time and place.”

Scott was still confused. “You just told me you weren’t ready to go there.”

Her reply was not what he expected. At least for the moment, Beth found a compromise between her craving and her reluctance. “We can’t go all the way with each other, but we can go some of the way. I can let you touch me because I know you won’t hurt me and you’ll stop if I ask you to.”

Beth was not ready to give herself completely to him, but she was becoming anxious to have everything she would allow Scott to give. “All you have to do is untie one little string.

Scott made what should have been a very difficult decision quickly, assuming he could justify his actions in the end. He reached behind her neck to untie the bow he had tied for her only a half-hour before. Her bathing suit top slipped away from her body, falling silently to the floor.

“This is even better than I remembered.” Scott said as she stood before him.

As his hand gently slid across her breasts, Beth watched his face for several minutes before she looked up at the ceiling. To Beth’s surprise, she felt far less hesitant for Scott to explore her than she had expected. The warmth she had felt in her face had now spread throughout her body. It was then she began to take control of his actions by placing her hand over his as she guided his touch. That his hand was gentle and respectful of her, only made her desire grow.

Beth placed one of her hands on his chest. While her trust in Scott was growing by the second, she also began to feel a sense of excitement over an encounter with someone who was new and unknown in her life.

After a short time, the intensity on her face was growing stronger by the moment. Beth placed her other hand behind his head pushing his face into her breasts as she made her demand. “Kiss my nipples.”

For the next several minutes, Scott was taking from Beth everything she offered and giving her everything she would accept. Beth’s sense of control or influence over Scott was a relief to her as she was fulfilling her imaginative predator role. Her sense of control left her with confidence to take there intimate moment further than she had planned. For the next five minutes, neither Scott nor Beth was leaving any part of the other’s body unexplored.

Beth whispered in his ear words that would make Scott question her state of mind. “We have waited so long to be together.”

With his own sense of urgency and intensity growing, Scott set aside any thoughts of her mental state to focus his full attention on Beth.

Their sense of exhilaration was to be short lived as her acts of submission quickly began to turn into a feeling of fear. With a sense of urgency, she pulled away from Scott before asking him to stop.

Scott pulled his hands away from her body showing her neither reluctance nor his disappointment. She sat on the steps with her elbows on her knees and her face hidden in her hands. Scott sat beside her as he stroked the side of her face.

With her face still hidden in her hands, she spoke with a tone of the complete frustration she was feeling. “What in the hell is wrong with me?”

Speaking with a voice of certainty and with the hope of easing her concern, his voice broke the silence with an understated compliment. “There’s nothing wrong with you that I could find.”

She let her hands fall into her lap as she turned to face him. With a brief smile, she replied. “Well, I give you credit for looking in the right places. It was so good and so right for me. It was right for both of us because I know you wanted me just as much as I wanted you. I just couldn’t go any further.”

He waited a moment before he spoke, giving her time to sort out her feelings. “What happened? Did I do something to upset you?”

Her words spoke volumes about her mental state. “I was so close to letting you have it all when I was overwhelmed with feelings of guilt and fear, mostly fear. It’s as if I’m not allowed to feel good. I was so close with you and then I screwed everything up. You were doing everything just right and I threw it all away.”

Scott didn’t know what to say and for the moment chose to say nothing. In his silence, Beth felt the pressure to speak. “You must think I am a complete mental case.”

Scott put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. “Don’t be so tough on yourself. You barely know me and it’s normal for you to be confused and reluctant. We both knew before we started that you needed to take baby steps.”

She turned and looked at him. “Aside from all the other guilt I feel, now I have to feel guilty that I’ve used you and we are cheating on Michelle. How can I face her at dinner?”

Trying to abate his own sense of guilt and at the same time offer Beth some sense of relief, Scott made a suggestion. “Let’s agree to call what happened today a friend helping a friend.”

Knowing Scott was likely feeling his own sense of guilt Beth gave him a compassionate smile. “For God’s sake, let’s don’t become liars in addition to all our other personal failures.”

After a moment of silence, Scott looked at Beth and smiled. “Well, at least no one is going to accuse you of trying to gloss over the truth.”

Beth turned her face and looked directly at Scott for a moment realizing he was only trying to reduce the tension and make them both feel better. A slight smile appeared. “You made me feel very good.”

“Well, if we can’t be liars then I would have to make a confession that I enjoyed it too.”

Beth looked toward the bottom of the steps. “I’m not a Catholic, but maybe instead of going to dinner, we should go to confession.”

Scott started laughing. “If I go to confession, I hope he doesn’t charge by the hour.”

Beth’s voice revealed a tone of resignation, but her comment was accompanied by a slight grin. “I know that feeling.”

Beth began to wonder how open Scott would be with her. Perhaps of greater importance, she wanted to know how he felt about their encounter. “Since I have you in a mood to confess, how far were you willing to go with me?”

Scott’s response was made in a way that would allow him to see her reaction. “Neither one of us would have any questions left when we got finished.”

Beth once again turned to question him. “Amie told me you gave her a very loving kiss when you were with her. Can we do the same thing so I don’t feel quite so cheap?”

Beth saw the blank stare she was receiving from Scott as she assumed she needed to explain her actions. “I don’t just invite guys to come in my house and feel me off. Things got ahead of themselves today and I have to convince myself that I can justify what we did together.”

She could instantly tell her words had changed Scott’s mood and receptiveness to her. With her anxiety and fear starting to rise, she pulled slightly away. “I’m sorry I made you angry but please don’t hurt me.”

Scott spoke softly realizing she was afraid. “Beth, will you please look at me for just a minute.”

She slowly turned her head while she watched every slight movement of his body. He carefully put his arms around her and held her much closer. “I will never, ever ever, ever, hurt you. That is not going to happen.”

He took his hands and began to massage the upper part of her arm, which seemed to help her relax. She then spoke in a soft voice. “I’m sorry. I thought I had made you angry.”

He placed his hand on the side of her face. “You can make me angry as often as you like, but I am not going to hurt you regardless of what you do or say. I don’t hurt girls.”

“What were you going to say to me?” She asked.

Scott took a deep breath in an effort to calm himself down. “I want to paint a picture for you. I came to the beach to see if my girlfriend and I can make a go of a long-term relationship. She is sitting very peacefully in a bubble bath basking in the fact that she has gotten rid of me for a few hours so she can have time to herself. On the other hand, I am sitting with the girl next door on the steps to her basement.”

Beth started to speak but Scott held up his finger to stop her. “After what we have just done with each other, you are sitting close to me on the steps with nothing on from the waist up and very little on from the waist down. At this moment, I would be very happy if you didn’t have anything on. It is taking me a great deal of restraint to keep my hands off you.”

Beth was starting to grin as she thought she knew where he was going with the conversation. “Do you want me to put my top back on?”

Scott continued, but did not answer her question. “You are looking for a kiss to justify what we did. Here is the bad news. A kiss is not going to grant us absolution. I’ll be happy to kiss you, but don’t think a kiss is going to stop the guilt trip. However, we do have one good thing we can say about ourselves. While we went much further than we should have, we didn’t go nearly as far as we could have.”

After they stood up, Beth put both her arms around his waist before she spoke. “It’s my turn now. I’ve accumulated more guilt in the last two days than I have in the last twelve months. I don’t give a damn if you like it or not, or even if you understand it. If you are going to put your hands all over me, then you are going to kiss me. To be quite honest, I expect a very nice kiss. Any questions?”

Clearly surprised, Scott responded with a grin. “I have just one question. Have you been taking lessons from the shark we caught last night?”

She was also smiling. “Yes, and it feels good.”

After sharing a soft kiss with each other, Beth kept her eyes closed for a few moments as the thoughts of what could have been raced around her head. Once she slowly opened her eyes, she spoke in a soft voice. “I see now what you mean about missing opportunities.”

Scott gave her a touch of wisdom as he held her close to him. “Not all opportunities should be taken.”

Remembering her experience helping Scott get the shark back in the ocean, Beth gave him a quick kiss. “The way you were holding my tail in our moment of passion, you must have really believed I was a shark.”

Scott looked away debating if he should share his thought. Beth knew he was thinking about something that he was reluctant to share. “What were you just thinking?”

Still looking away, he replied. “Actually, the way your tail was moving is what convinced me you were a shark.”

Her mouth opened wide suggesting she was shocked by his comment, but her eyes were sparkling. “Scott! I can’t believe you said that.”

After a few moments, she relented. “To tell you the truth, I sort of surprised myself.”

Scott turned to start up the steps. “At least we know you’re not a ghost. That should help us all sleep better.”

Beth reached out at took his arm. “Be serious with me for a minute. Are you mad at me for not letting you go all the way?”

With no reluctance, he replied. “I think you may have had done us both a big favor.”

She looked down at the floor. “I really wanted to but I started to relive all the fear from before. I couldn’t go there with you, but I would have if I could.”

Scott looked back at her feeling he also needed to say something. “Did I push you further than you wanted to go?”

“When we started, I thought we were just going to tease each other a little. I didn’t realize you were going to take me further than I expected. Then again, I didn’t expect to be quite so caught up in the experience either. I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again with you.”

Scott started up the stairs. “Neither would I, and that might be a real problem.”

Beth spoke as he turned to leave. “You do realize something of value comes out of this, don’t you?”

He stopped before he reached the top of the stairs and looked at Beth. “What are you thinking about?”

“When you are walking along the beach to your house, ask yourself how committed you really are to Michelle. You may not like the answer you find, but you may also find the truth sets you free.”

When Scott reached the top of the stairs, he looked back down at Beth who was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed. He wasn’t sure what to think seeing her appear so dejected. After watching her for just a moment, he went slowly back down the steps and stood next to her. “Would it help to talk for a few minutes?”

Without saying anything, she picked up her bathing suit top from the floor before taking his hand and leading him to her bedroom. She took a tee shirt from the dresser drawer and pulled it over her head as she sat on the edge of her bed. “You are going to have a very hard time believing anything I am going to tell you.”

Scott sat with her as she began to speak. “When you first saw me on the beach and put your arms around me after I started crying, something very strange happened. I got an overwhelming feeling that you should not be going out with Michelle. The more we were together, the stronger that feeling became.”

“Were you still mad about me breaking up with Carlie or something?” Scott asked.

Beth decided to tell him the complete truth, even if she couldn’t explain her motivation. “It had nothing to do with Carlie and it wasn’t because I wanted to be with you. I like Michelle and I was not jealous of her. The feeling I have is completely different and I don’t understand it.”

Scott was clearly surprised by her confession and equally confused. “Would it be alright if I was with someone like Amie?”

Beth shook her head. “I don’t think so. I don’t even think you are supposed to be with me. When we were on the steps kissing each other, I felt guilty and it wasn’t because of Michelle. I felt like I wasn’t supposed to be with you. This is really strange.”

Scott thought he was beginning to understand at least part of what she was saying. “So you are thinking I am not supposed to be with anyone.”

Beth was clearly frustrated when she spoke. “You are supposed to be with someone, but I don’t know who she is. I don’t know anything about her. I just know it is not Amie, Michelle, or me. I’m sorry because I shouldn’t be doing anything to mess things up with you and Michelle.”

Scott looked at Beth after taking several minutes to realize a possible explanation for Beth’s unusual experience. “Do you think you could be reading my mind?”

She was completely serious with answer. “Sometimes I think I can read your mind. However, my feeling of the need to break you and Michelle up doesn’t feel like that. It’s almost as if the idea is coming from somewhere else.”

Scott could not believe what she was telling him but he could tell from her expression and her body language that she was revealing something that was unpleasant for her to share. “I realize that I sound like a mental case, but I am not crazy. When we were on the steps, I wanted you to kiss me because I am attracted to you. I never intended to take off my top and let you play around, but something was telling me to have sex with you and then go tell Michelle all about it. This is getting scary for me because nothing like this has ever happened to me before.”

Scott was listening and trying to understand what she was telling him while finding her thoughts difficult to believe. “What does it mean when you said you thought the idea was coming from somewhere else? I don’t understand.”

Beth knew if she told him the truth about her feeling, he would think she was losing her mind. Still, she also felt a strong need to explain her actions. “I don’t know how to describe it. I suppose that if you have ever played baseball and someone in the stands was cheering for you, then it might feel the same way. Even though you don’t know the fan, they are in your head. Only in this case, she really is in my head and she is trying to put thoughts into my mind.”

Scott had taken a few classes in psychology and learned just enough to be concerned about Beth. As he sat quietly for a few moments, he tried to piece together the things he had observed about Beth. She possessed a fear of men that was almost irrational, yet if she had been in an abusive relationship, then that might explain her reluctance to be with a man.

It only took Scott a moment to remember Beth’s statement that she had been seeing a counselor for years. Her statement would suggest she had long-standing issues to confront. If she were now having thoughts placed in her head by some unknown source that were directing her to destroy his relationship with Michelle, then perhaps her issues were more significant than he once thought.

There was still another problem for Scott to consider. He had somehow mentally discovered things about her abusive ex-boyfriend that he had no way of knowing. In addition, Beth and Michelle were apparently able to communicate with each other when neither was speaking, just as they had done only hours before. These facts were clearly suggesting something unusual was going on.

For Scott, there were three likely reasons for Beth’s confession. Either Beth was having psychological problems or she was experiencing some sort of psychic experience, or she was playing some strange game with him. Scott was determined to find out what she was doing. “You said she is really in your mind, so I guess my question is this. Who is she and how do you know those thoughts are put there by a female?”

Beth was watching Scott’s reaction while knowing her story and her credibility was on the line. “Why don’t you just go ahead and say you think I’ve lost my mind. I understand that I sound like I have paranoid delusions, that I am hearing voices and have gone crazy. I wish I hadn’t told you anything, but I thought the truth was better than living the lie.”

“Beth, I am trying to understand what’s going on with you. If you are not crazy, then you of all people will understand why this story is far out in left field. I really don’t think you are having a mental breakdown, but I don’t understand, nor can I explain what’s going on with you. Tell me something I can use to figure this out.” Scott replied.

Beth’s reply was made with more honesty and clarity. “Scott, I feel like someone is trying to use me to come between you and Michelle. However, it is not about Michelle because this girl doesn’t want you with anyone but her. I feel like I’m being pulled in two different directions. I am trying to respect you and Michelle and at the same time, I am being pulled to help this unknown person get whatever it is she wants. To make matters even worse, she’s getting stronger. I just proved that fact to you on the steps. She also doesn’t like me having this conversation with you. I’m getting scared.”

Realizing that Beth really was afraid, Scott tried to sort out the details and discover what he could. “You aren’t going to like this question, but I assume you have heard of someone having a multiple personality. Is it possible that you’re expressing two sides of yourself?”

Beth knew Scott was only trying to apply logical thinking to her illogical situation. “I know about multiple personality disorder and I understand why you would have to ask that question. What I am going through is not the same thing. I don’t get any sense that I am coming on to you for my personal benefit. It’s as if I am doing this for her. She wants me to be very close to you so that she can experience whatever I experience.”

Scott scratched his head. “You keep talking about her. How do you know she is a girl?”

“I can tell by the way she thinks and here is the interesting part of the story. I can’t feel her presence unless you’re around. Here is the bad part of this story. Each time I get around you, she is getting stronger and she seems to be able to know what I am thinking. As I said before, she is not happy we are having this discussion.”

Scott was at a complete loss. “How do you know she’s not happy?”

Beth replied in a calm but direct voice, “I don’t know how I know anything about her. I am getting the feeling right now that she would like to become a part of me so that she could have a relationship with you.”

Beth saw Scott turn his attention away and knew she had to try to regain his confidence. “I know I sound like I am losing my mind but please don’t give up on me. This is real and not some mental problem.”

Beth paused for a moment before feeling she had to explain in better detail what she was going through. “At first, I didn’t recognize her thoughts as being different from mine. I thought you were someone I would be interested in, which I still do, but she kept coming into my mind with a different set of expectations than I have. It’s almost as if she knows you already.”

Scott knew he needed to leave to get ready for dinner but chose to ask another question. “What does she want right now at this very minute?”

Beth stood in front of Scott, as he remained seated on the bed. “You don’t want to know and I don’t want to help her get it. So maybe the best thing you can do is go get ready for dinner.”

Scott stood up and looked at Beth for a few moments. “Are you willing to tell Michelle what you’ve told me?”

Beth nodded her head. “I am willing to tell her and I think we better tell her tonight while I still can.”

Beth put her arms around him and held Scott for several minutes before they kissed each other. As she pulled her lips away from his, Beth spoke in a soft voice. “That was my idea and nor hers.”

Holding her tight, Scott chose to ask another question. “Whose idea was it for you to take your top off on the steps and let me get to know you better?”
After another long kiss, Beth smiled at Scott. “It was her idea for me to strip for you and it was my idea to stop you.”

Scott continued to stare at Beth as she stood across the room. “I have to give the ghost credit for making this an interesting afternoon.”

Beth smiled even though she was serious. “She is not a ghost by any stretch of the imagination, but she does have an interesting approach to getting her way.”

Scott started for the bedroom door as Beth started for the bathroom to take her shower. Scott turned to Beth before he passed through the door. “Are you going to be alright by yourself or do you need for me to stay with you?”

Beth considered his offer for only a moment. “Oddly enough, I may be better off with you gone. She doesn’t seem to have any interest in me if you aren’t around. I would appreciate it if you would make sure the outside doors are locked when you leave.”

Scott soon left her house, stopping as he reached the sandy beach. He walked to the edge of the water and stood looking at the waves before he waded into the surf before making his way along the beach to William’s house. As he walked along, he realized there was too much going on that did not lend itself to an easy explanation.

CHAPTER XVIII

As Scott walked down the boardwalk to the house, he saw Michelle sitting on the deck with her feet propped up on a table. She was reading and had not realized he was approaching. As he drew closer, his movement startled her. She held her hand to her chest as she spoke. “You scared me. I must have been so absorbed in this article that I didn’t hear you coming.”

Scott sat in the chair across from her. “I’m sorry. I should have made a little more noise. What are you reading?”

“It’s an article on psychic ability and why people feel a certain connection to other people.”

Her choice of articles caught Scott’s attention given the conversation he just finished having with Beth. “Can I assume you’re trying to figure out what’s going on between you and Beth?”

Michelle replied, “I’ll make you a deal. Go take a shower and get dressed while I finish the article. Then we can talk for a while. I just called Beth and told her we would be by to get her at six-thirty, so this will give us a few minutes to talk and be alone. She was fine with that because she said she was running late.”

Scott got up and moved closer to Michelle before kissing her on the top of the head. “That sounds like a plan.”

Having showered and dressed, he made his way to the deck where Michelle was still reading other articles. He sat across from her drinking a Coke as Beth’s words were beginning to haunt him.

She turned off her Kindle as she placed it on the table while considering how she would approach their conversation. Michelle looked across the table at Scott to ensure he was listening to what she was about to say. “I’m not very comfortable in my skin right now. I’m confused, I’m nervous, and I don’t understand what is going on with me. I’ve never been like this before. I feel like I am living in an Alfred Hitchcock movie or something.”

Scott was trying to get a sense of what Michelle was saying without revealing his conversation with Beth. “Do you think we are trying to move too fast given you have just broken of your engagement to Tom?”

Michelle knew she had to give him an answer, but she wasn’t ready to tell him what was bothering her. “It doesn’t have anything to do with Tom. I’m sure I made the right decision about my relationship with him.”

Scott decided he would press the matter further. “Are you angry or bothered by the fact that I tried to help Amie last night and again this morning.”

After giving his question more thought, Michelle replied in a truthful manner. “To be honest, I don’t think you have any real interest in her other than trying to help her, but I could be wrong about that.”

He shook his head. “She is not my type. So could Beth be the source of your confusion and anxiety?”

Michelle shook her head emphatically. “My problems started early Friday morning before we even met Beth. I’m not sure what’s going on with Beth and me. We had fun today and I really like her. At the same time, I get confused when the three of us are together. I’m fine with her when it is just Beth and me. But when you are with us, I start getting confused.”

“What are you confused about?” Scott asked.

Michelle continued to be reluctant in discussing her feeling knowing that he would have some difficulty understanding her situation. “There are times when I wonder if you and I should be together. There are also times when I think you and I were made for each other. I can’t explain any reason why I would have any doubts about us because it doesn’t make sense and I know I shouldn’t be having those feelings.”

Scott assumed Michelle was having the same thoughts Beth had expressed. “Can you think of any reason why you might have doubts about us? Is there anything I have done that makes you question our relationship?”

She leaned forward with her arms resting on the table. “I feel like I am pushing you and Beth together and I can’t think of a single reason I would want that. When you and I should have been together this afternoon, I told her to keep you entertained so I could have some time to myself.”

Feeling perhaps a slight sense of rejection from Michelle, Scott leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. “What exactly did you mean by keeping me entertained? What were you expecting her to do?”

Michelle became slightly defensive. “I assumed you might just talk or go swimming together in the pool. I assumed she could keep you company.”

He chose to be somewhat more confrontational in his approach. “Beth didn’t have to babysit me in order for you to have time alone. I could have gone fishing or you could have taken a walk on the beach. I think you’re right when you say you seem to be pushing Beth and me together and I don’t understand why you would do that.”

Michelle stood up and walked to the deck railing overlooking the beach. “I don’t understand it either. If we are going to have this discussion then I would also need to point out that you seem to enjoy her company.”

Scott replied without thinking. “Is that what this conversation is all about?”

Michelle turned around and stared at Scott. She was neither angry nor confrontational in the least. “I don’t know what this conversation or this weekend is all about.”

“I know what the weekend was supposed to be about, but we appear to have gotten sidetracked from our purpose.” Scott replied.

She looked down at the deck floor as she replied. “I know. Maybe tomorrow we can get back on track.”

Scott joined her at the deck railing. “I think you’re right. Maybe we can get a little time alone in the hot tub and this will all be a distant memory.”

Michelle was doubtful about his answer. “So you think getting me in the hot tub will solve all our problems?”

Scott was standing behind Michelle as he placed his arms around her waist. “It might take several trips to the Jacuzzi before all the problems are gone.”

She looked over her shoulder making sure he saw her smile. “Should I invite Beth to be there with us?”

Scott too was smiling as he replied to her question. “She should come only if you want her to take pictures of you feeling a total sense of sexual exhilaration.”

Michelle turned to face him with a sly expression. “How do I know you can meet my expectations?”

“I guess you’ll just have to take your chances.” Scott replied.

She became more serious as she put her arms around his neck. “Are you sorry you came here with me? I know this weekend hasn’t been what either of us was expecting. I wanted everything to be perfect for us once we decided to come here together and so far, things have not worked out like I had imagined.”

He wanted to make her feel better and at the same time give her an answer she would accept. “Except for our first two nights, it’s not what I expected either. We had a great time Thursday and I enjoyed seeing Betsy and William. This is just the beginning for us.”

After giving each other a long series of kisses, Michelle pointed out another consideration. “With you being my own version of Sherlock Holmes, you have to admit this has been interesting. You have some real life mysteries to solve and you need to get on with that little project.”

They started for the car before Scott replied. “I was just thinking that James Bond has more fun than Sherlock when it comes to girls. Maybe I should change my identity.”

Michelle nodded her head as though she understood, but her response was not what he was expecting. “That might work out better for me too. I had much rather be James Bond’s only wife Tracy, than to be Dr. Watson.”

They drove the short distance to Beth’s house and within a few moments, she stepped out on the porch. When she turned to lock the door, Michelle spoke in a whisper. “Do you suppose they poured her into that shirt? That has to be the tightest top she owns. Look at that damn little flat stomach of hers.”

“I see a real potential for another Bond girl.” Scott replied, with a slight grin.

Michelle hit Scott on the leg. “You are not to look at her from the neck down for the rest of the night. Come to think of it, don’t even look at her at all.”

“Sweetheart, your shirt isn’t exactly baggy either. Do I have to look at you from the neck up too?”

Smiling at Scott after his observation, Michelle replied, “You can look at me all night long, but keep your eyes off the little blue eyed shark”.

Beth got in the front seat after Michelle slid to the middle. She immediately turned to Beth. “I love your shirt and it looks great on you. Is that the one you got this morning?”

Beth started smiling. “Yes. This is one we found in that little shop in Morehead City. You don’t think it makes me look too busty do you.”

Michelle’s answer did not reflect her earlier comments. “It’s hard for people to see your car if you park it in the garage.”

Michelle was grinning as she looked at the expression on Scott’s face. “Did you have something you wanted to add to the conversation?”

Scott kept his eyes on the road as he made a comment that neither accepted at face value. “All I was going to say was that the two of you look very nice tonight.”

Beth directed her statement at Michelle. “I somehow have the feeling the compliment is not even close to what he was actually thinking.”

Scott chose to respond to Beth. “Every forty-year-old man in the restaurant with his wife and two screaming children are going to be looking at me and thinking about how lucky I am. When I walk through the door with the two of you, all the old men will be asking for my autograph.”

They drove into Morehead city and were able to find a parking space across from the fish market and restaurant. The winds continued to blow steady with some of the boats bobbing up and down in the water. It took only a few minutes to be seated for dinner given most people had apparently decided to stay home and avoid the approaching storm.

Scott was seated to Michelle’s right with Beth sitting across from Scott when the waiter came to take their order. While sipping their margaritas, the conversation covering a wide range of topics was mostly between Michelle and Beth. They talked about their plans for the future, their college experience, clothes, and an assortment of other unrelated topics.

Much to his relief and frustration, their conversation was no different from anything he might hear any two girls discussing with each other. In reality, their conversation provided only one real insight. They appeared truly to enjoy each other’s company. Scott soon turned his attention to the large plate glass window and the view of the distant island across the sound.

By the end of dinner, he had seen only one real difference in Michelle and Beth. They both appeared to be very calm and relaxed which he attributed to the mixed drinks they both had enjoyed.

Having left the restaurant, Michelle announced she was going to one of the small shops before going home. She assured Scott she would only take a few minutes, which in Scott’s mind meant at least an hour. Beth elected to remain with Scott as they sat on a bench looking at the fishing boats next to the restaurant.

Being alone for the first time since their afternoon encounter left each of them unsure of what they would say to each other. Scott chose to break the awkward silence. “The wind feels stronger than when we left the house.”

“I can already see lightning in the distance. I don’t know why I am so afraid of storms. I’ve never been hurt or seen any real damage from a storm, except for hurricanes.”

Scott tried to reassure her. “You’re going to be fine.”

Beth hesitated for a moment before she spoke. “Do you want to talk about the weather or what happened between us this afternoon?”

Scott smiled as he looked at Beth. “The weather would be an easier conversation, but I think talking about us is more important.”

She turned her gaze to the fishing boats. “I am not making excuses for what happened because I am responsible for what I did and you are responsible for what you did. I can tell you by way of explanation that I don’t understand what got into me. What you saw today is not who I am. I was on an emotional roller coaster for a long time now, but this weekend has been really different for me.”

“What made this weekend different?”

She had already given her ideas quite some deliberation. “Finding out what happened on the canoe trip took a load off my shoulders. That was important to me but there’s still far more going on in my life and especially this weekend.”

The fact that Beth made a difference between the existing issues in her life and the apparent new issues she was feeling this weekend was an idea that caught his attention. “Why do you think things changed for you in the last two days?”

She hesitated for a moment trying to decide how much she should say to him. “Let me be honest with you. I am very attracted to you and I think you feel the same way about me, even if you can’t admit it. Beyond all that, I have felt very different mentally at times since Friday. This afternoon I felt very sexually assertive and fearful at the same time. I have at times felt confused like my mind moved quickly from one thing to the next. However, this afternoon my mind was focused like a laser on getting what I wanted from you. Right now, I feel embarrassed. I am all over the place with my feelings.”

Scott tried to offer her some relief. “It wasn’t entirely your fault today. I’m attracted to you, but I was clearly running outside the base lines too. For what this is worth, you are a very interesting girl and I have to say I enjoyed what we did, even though we can’t go there again.

Beth smiled. “For what it is worth, things will be very different before I could let you go there again. I enjoyed it too and I am still very attracted to you, but I need more from you before that could ever happen again. Given the current situation, I’m sad to say I don’t really see that in our future. To be completely honest, I hope you and Michelle will be very happy together.”

Scott put his hand on Beth’s back as he spoke. “Before I move on to another subject, is there some special reason you picked out that shirt to wear tonight?”

Beth wanted to make sure he understood everything she was thinking. “I wanted to make sure you didn’t forget what happened between us this afternoon because it has to be something special for both of us. How is that for honesty?”

Scott looked away at the fishing boats. “Did you think for one minute I would forget about you?”

Beth walked away from Scott towards the fishing boats before she turned to face him. “It’s not easy being you right now. Your girlfriend is all over the map, you aren’t sure what you want, and the little girl shark keeps nibbling on you. You have an enigma on your hands and Sherlock doesn’t know what to do with her.”

Scott looked down the street at the stores as he spoke. “You aren’t going to make this easy for me, are you?”

After several strong gust of wind, Beth brushed the hair away from her eyes. “I will make life just as easy for you as you have made life easy for me.”

Scott quickly changed the subject. “Are you still planning to tell Michelle everything you told me?”

“I am not going to tell her about the sexual part of our afternoon, but other than that, nothing has changed and we can have that conversation when we get back. I don’t know how she is going to take it.”

To Scott’s total dismay, within a very few minutes he saw Michelle coming back from the store carrying a small bag. With the start of the rain, their decision to go back to the house was easy.

CHAPTER XIX

The winds were steadily growing stronger as the approaching storm was making its presence known. By eight-thirty flashes of lightning filled the skies and were visible through most of the windows followed by the rumbling of thunder. They knew they were only seeing the beginning of a storm that would last throughout the night. Beth’s rather noticeable fear was already making life uncomfortable for her.

Fearing a power loss, Michelle thought it best to make coffee while she still could. Everyone was still carrying on a conversation as Michelle stood at the kitchen bar looking into the living room. Scott was peering out from the sliding doors, seeing the ocean during the occasional flashes of lightning. Beth remained on the sofa with her knees pulled up to her chest as she clutched a pillow in her arms.

Michelle called out to Scott under the pretense of asking what he wanted in his coffee, but she had a far different idea in mind. Once he looked at Michelle, she pointed to Beth. She then asked him question about his coffee.

Scot moved across the room and sat close to Beth. He placed his arm around her and pulled her close to him. Out of fear, she dropped her pillow and put her arms around him. It was only moments before Michelle placed the three cups on the coffee table and sat on the other side of Beth. Michelle wasted little time moving closer to her as she also put her arm around Beth.

Within ten minutes, the storm lessened to some degree. The brief respite was expected as they had only begun to get the storm’s outer bands blowing in. Beth sat up to drink her coffee before she looked at Michelle. “I feel like a complete idiot.”

It was only a few minutes later when Scott’s cell phone rang. He quickly answered the call not recognizing the number on the caller ID. After a few seconds, Amie had identified herself. Scott took his phone to the kitchen and continued a conversation that lasted almost fifteen minutes.

Once the call was over, he returned to the living room before placing his phone on the coffee table. Beth was concerned Amie might already be having problems. “Is she okay?”

“She had a long talk with her parents and put it all out on the table for them. They are going to help her, but she wants both of you to stay in touch with her for moral support.”

Michelle picked up her coffee still feeling curious about Scott’s plans and his involvement with Amie. “Are you still going to meet her for lunch on Monday?”

Scott’s reply was indefinite. “I am going to call her back on Monday morning and see where things stand. I told her I would come, so I should try to be there if she keeps her end of the bargain.”

Michelle shook her head slowly. “It must be hell to have an addiction. I can’t imagine what she’s going through.”

They sat quietly for several minutes before the thunder and lightning once again captured their attention. Beth’s comment made Scott and Michelle stop and think. “If her addiction to alcohol is as bad as my fear of storms, I don’t see how she gets through life.”

As the winds grew worse, Beth’s reactions grew more apparent, although not as noticeable as when the storm began. Realizing Beth’s anxiety was growing and hoping her gift might keep Beth distracted for a few minutes, Michelle opened her pocket book and handed Beth a bottle of the lotion she had enjoyed.

“Thank you so much. How did you know I was out?”

Michelle replied, “I think you and I used your entire bottle in the last two days. This lotion makes me feel so good and I felt bad about using so much of yours. I decided I should get you some more.”

For the rest of the evening they sipped on their drinks and talked. The television station would issue periodic updates on the storm conditions along with various costal alerts. Knowing the storm would last through the night, Beth left the room during a lull in the storm to put on her pajamas.

Michelle took the opportunity to raise an important question. “What are we going to do with Beth for the rest of the night? We can’t leave her alone all night. The poor girl is terrified.”

Scott quoted the news station comments but Michelle knew he was not at all serious. “This is going to go on all night. As frightened as she is, it would only make sense if I sleep with her.”

Michelle had other thoughts about his plan. “I see a potential for problems with that plan.”

“Do you want us to all stay in one room? Would that solve all the problems?”

Michelle started laughing. “I see the potential for some really big problems with that plan.”

“Then you and Beth could sleep together and I could sleep alone. I would be thinking about you all night long, but I am willing to make that sacrifice if you would like to have her all to yourself.” Scott replied, while still teasing Michelle.

“That plan has no potential problems because it is not going to happen.”

Scott shrugged his shoulders. “If she can’t stay alone and one of us can’t stay with her, then I am out of options unless we all camp out here in the living room.”

Michelle shook her head. “I am not sleeping on the floor when I have a nice soft bed and a boyfriend to keep me warm. We’ll all go to our rooms and see what happens.”

Scott conceded that Michelle had the best plan. “That works for me.”

Michelle kissed him and replied. “I think I’ll get ready for bed too.”

When everyone returned to the living room, one thing was obvious. Scott was ready for Beth to explain her psychic experience to Michelle. Beth spent the next twenty minutes telling her much the same thing she had spent the late afternoon telling Scott.

The conversation between Beth and Michelle was surprising to Scott. He had expected at least some sense of resentment from Michelle, but saw none. In fact, Michelle appeared to have a level of understanding Scott could not grasp. Beth did most of the talking without interruption until she had completed her story. Michelle’s level of interest was high and the reasons for her interest would become clear over the next twenty minutes.

Michelle was sitting beside Beth as she turned to look directly at her. “What happens after you drive a wedge between Scott and me? What is the end game for her?”

Beth shook her head slowly. “I don’t know what she wants.”

Michelle understood Beth’s story because it explained the same feeling and thoughts she had been having. She turned her attention to Scott. “Before you decide that Beth is losing her mind, let me assure you that she is not crazy. I didn’t understand what was going on with me until Beth told me her story.”

Still being surprised with Michelle’s reaction, Scott looked at her while waiting for an explanation that she offered without hesitation. “I have been assuming that I was confused about our relationship, but what Beth said makes more sense to me. It is as if someone has been trying to influence my thoughts about us. She wants me confused in order to create doubt about us.”

Scott waited for several minutes before speaking as he tried to find some rational explanation for what they were describing. “You both realize the military has spent billions of dollars trying to produce a psychic experience like the one you are describing and they have had no real success.”

Beth was the first to challenge Scott’s skeptical attitude. “Maybe you can ask the military how you saw an image of my ex-boyfriend and described his injury and other things about him even though you have never seen him before. If you accept that experience as being real, then you can’t deny what Michelle and I experience as being real.”

He was in no position to argue with their logic but still felt he needed to know more. “Why do you both refer to the ghost as a female? More to the point, what does she want?”

Michelle looked directly at Scott. “She wants to make sure you and I are not happy together. She wants you to be attracted to Beth, which explains why I kept trying to get the two of you together. I was reacting to her thoughts instead of my own. If she can get you interested in Beth, then I am left out in the cold.”

After a few moments, Beth turned her attention to Michelle. “It’s worse than you think Michelle. She is using me and I understand that. I get a strong feeling that she really doesn’t like you at all. She is angry with you.”

In the true spirit of haunted house movies, a loud rumble of thunder shook the house following several flashes of lightning. Beth quickly grabbed Scott and buried her face in his chest. Scott made a comment trying to ease the tension she was feeling. “I sure hope the thunder was just a coincidence and not the ghost working her magic.”

After a few moments, Beth settled back on her seat and leaned back on the sofa. “I don’t think she is so influential that she would be able to control storms.”

Michelle watched Beth for a few moments as she considered an idea. “Have you always been this afraid of storms or is this feeling worse than normal?”

Beth shook her head. “I don’t ever remember being this afraid of a storm. I have always been afraid, but not like this.”

Michelle then looked at Scott. “Maybe you are more afraid of this storm because the ghost wants you to be afraid. Each time there is a flash of lightning or a burst of thunder, you climb into Scott’s arms for protection.”

Beth clearly looked embarrassed. “I don’t mean to do it but I just jump because I am scared.”

Michelle started smiling. “Beth, you can sit in his lap all night long if it makes you feel better. I was just thinking that the ghost could be trying to use your natural fear to bring you closer to Scott. I’m not mad about it.”

Beth looked away and then at Michelle. “I’ll bet you guys wish you had gone to the mountains instead of coming to the beach.”

Scott understood Michelle’s logic. “That is an interesting point. If she can play off your natural inclinations, it would be easier for her to manipulate the situation. That would imply she could read your minds as well as implant thoughts into your mind.”

Beth was the first to respond to his idea. “I don’t know what she knows or what she can do, but I feel her influence is growing stronger or perhaps just more determined. But, my knowing what she is doing also makes it easier for me to recognize her interests and react to her influence.”

Michelle agreed. “She is getting stronger. When the three of us were swimming in the ocean, my mind felt like Jell-O sloshing around from one idea to the next.”

Scott turned to Michelle. “How do you feel right now?”

“My mind is more logical and thoughtful but, I feel like she is still here and Beth was right. She is getting stronger. I also sense that she is getting angry with us for even having this conversation.”

Beth thought for only a moment. “She is angry with us. She doesn’t like the fact that we recognize her influence, but she feels confident she can overcome our resistance.”

Scott decided the time had come to do an experiment. He went to the bedroom and came back with two pens and two pieces of paper. He then instructed Michelle to go in the kitchen where she could not see or hear Beth. He then posed his question. “I want you both to write down your answer on the paper and don’t say a word to each other. Here is the question. What does this girl want?”

After a few moments, Scott told Michelle to come back to the room as Beth was handing Scott her paper. Seeing the same answer on both papers, Scott glanced outside. “Wow.”

Beth looked at Scott. “She wants you and she could care less about me or Michelle.”

They continued their discussion for another hour going over much of the same ground they had already covered. It had been a long day and all were ready for a good night's sleep. Beth assured Michelle she would be fine sleeping alone and with that decision made, they all went off to bed.

Once in bed Scott turned on the news to get one last weather update before going to sleep. He began to see stories about downed trees and power lines. He found little comfort in the fact that the worst of the storms were yet to reach their location on Emerald Isle. That news was about to change. In less than five minutes, the power flickered on and off several times before it went out and stayed off. Within a few moments, they heard a loud knock on the door.

Completely startled by the sound, they both turned to look. The room was almost black as the streetlights outside were also off due to the power outage.

“It’s unlocked. Come on in.” Michelle said in a very welcoming voice.

The door opened and Beth peaked in using a small pen flashlight. “Can I come in for just a minute?”

Michelle replied, “Of course you can come in.”

Beth entered the room and stood at the end of the bed while shining the light on the wall to brighten the room. “I was hoping we could talk for a little while.”

Scott started laughing until Beth spoke in a tone that let him know she was hurt by his reaction. “This is not funny Scott. I can’t help it.”

Scott immediately realized she misunderstood his laughter. “I’m not laughing at you. I was laughing at your pajamas. I think they are the cutest things I’ve seen in a long time.”

Realizing he had not seen her pajamas while she had been wearing her bathrobe and feeling relief that he had not been laughing at her, she pointed her pen light on her pajama top. At that point, Michelle also started laughing. “Beth they’re adorable. You look so sweet in them.”

Scott also wanted to make sure Beth knew she was welcome. “Make yourself comfortable.”

She held up her hand. “I brought my own pillow. I was thinking we could have a pajama party or something.”

There was a bright flash of lightning followed almost immediately by the loud crash of thunder. Beth jumped into the bed as Scott and Michelle moved over to make room for her. She was sitting on top of the blankets with her head against the headboard holding her pillow when Michelle spoke. “Beth, you have to be cold so get under the covers. You can stay with us tonight.”

Beth pulled the covers back and stretched out. She turned off her flashlight, but kept it clutched in her hands. Once they were situated and the pillows fixed, they lay quietly for several minutes before Beth’s voice broke the silence. “Well, this is a first for me. This feels downright awkward.”

After another clash of thunder, Beth felt a need to talk in order to create a distraction. “Michelle, what did you do when you went to pajama parties?”

Michelle thought about her question with some fond remembrance. “We would eat, listen to music, dance, and talk about boys. What about you?”

Beth could easily identify with her description. “I guess we did the same things. Sometimes, the boys would try to sneak over and party with us but we didn’t really want them, until we got older. Then we started encouraging the practice.”

They lay quietly for several minutes before Scott spoke. “I assume the irony is not lost on anyone that the premonition you both had is playing out before our eyes. That includes the fact that Beth is wearing her pajamas with pink elephants on them.”

Scott waited for a response that never came. “Now, there is only one thing left to explain. Did the two of you make up your story about the premonition?”

Michelle was quick to offer a denial. “It happened just like I told you. I didn’t make up the story nor would I have reason to.”

Beth was just as adamant in her reply. “I had no reason on earth to make up that story. But to answer your question, no I didn’t make it up.”

Scott tried to think of a rational explanation. “Both of you said you saw Michelle go to her dresser and put on a gown. Since she already has one on, that would make the premonition wrong.”

Michelle challenged his assumption. “If Beth had waited about fifteen more minutes before she came in, I might not have been wearing a gown. But once she was here, I would have gotten up and put one on.”

Beth realized another problem with Scott’s idea. “It’s not two o’clock either which is when the premonition was supposed to happen.”

They all lay quietly seeing the room and each other clearly each time there was a flash of lightning. After five or ten minutes, Michelle’s voice broke their silence. “You’re warm Scott.”

He started laughing. “I’m lying between two very pretty girls in a nice soft bed. What exactly were you expecting?”

Michelle was also laughing. “I am expecting you to behave yourself.”

Scott’s argument came quickly. “James Bond doesn’t have to behave when he’s in these situations.”

Beth was confused with their discussion. “I thought you were Sherlock Holmes.”

“He was Holmes until he used his deductive reasoning and discovered James Bond has more fun with the girls.” Michelle replied.

Beth inched closer to Scott. “So you are willing to throw Dr. Watson under the bus just for the chance to be in bed with a couple of girls?”

“Holmes would do the same thing if he was in my situation and Dr. Watson would be left sitting in the rain out on Baker Street. Holmes didn’t become the world’s greatest detective by being stupid.” Scott replied.

Silence returned for several minutes until Beth spoke to Michelle. “So what do we do for the next few hours until the storm passes?”

Scott started laughing. “If there were only something the three of us could do together while lying in a bed.”

Michelle poked him in the ribs. “We can play a game where we all go to sleep and Scott behaves himself all night long.”

Scott poked Michelle in her stomach. “I’ve seen several Bond films and they never play that game because it would ruin his reputation.”

Beth injected herself into the conversation. “But you don’t have a reputation so this shouldn’t be a problem for you.”

Michelle had her own idea for a game. “Let’s pretend that Scott is really hot for us and we put him in a cold shower to cool him down.”

Scott decided he needed to move on to other matters. “While the two of you have been rejecting my offer of sexual entertainment, I have solved the mystery of who the ghost is.”

Beth once again moved closer to him. “If it is not the butler, then it must be the upstairs maid.”

Scott rebuffed her comment. “The ghost is none other than Tom’s mother trying to make sure Michelle is never happy.”

Michelle thought for a moment. “I wouldn’t put it past her. If she could find a way to avenge her son’s heartbreak, I think she would do it.”

Beth sat up in the bed. “When Scott wanted to have sex with both of us, he may have been on to something.”

The disbelief over Beth’s comment was evident in Michelle’s tone of voice. “You want us to have group sex tonight?”

“No. That is not what I was getting at. If the three of us are friends, doesn’t that mean the ghost lost the game? With us being friends, she can’t turn us against each other or use one of us to plot against the other.” Beth replied.

Michelle considered her idea. “The ghost is out in the open so that does make her easier to understand and fight.”

By two o’clock, all three were asleep and the question of a premonition remained unanswered.

When Scott woke up on Sunday morning, Beth had gone home and Michelle was sitting at the kitchen bar eating a muffin and sipping on coffee. Her thoughts were racing around in her mind as she was trying to prepare for what she would say to Scott.

Scott approached the bar and sat next to Michelle. “Has Beth gone already?”

She spoke with a tone of resignation, as she had no desire to prolong saying the things she needed to say to Scott. “Beth is gone, the ghost is gone, the blue eyed shark is gone, and only the truth remains.”

Scott knew from her tone of voice that Michelle was ready to come to terms with their weekend experience. “I take it that you have everything figured out when you say the ghost is gone yet the truth remains.”

Michelle looked into her coffee cup as she spoke. “There is no ghost and there never was a ghost controlling anyone’s thoughts. I went along with Beth’s story last night because I realized she has some serious psychological issues to deal with and I didn’t want to confront her. She was terrified of the storm, she felt very alone, and she needed our support.”

Scott picked up his cup and raised it to his mouth before he spoke. “How do you explain the premonition, the psychic connections, and your personal feelings of confusion?”

Michelle replied as she continued to look at her cup, thus avoiding eye contact with Scott. “I don’t have an explanation for the premonition or the psychic connection other than to say they were just an aberration. As for my confusion, it has nothing to do with Beth or ghosts.”

Scott put his cup on the counter before he stood and walked to the sliding glass doors leading to the deck. “I am inclined to agree with everything you’ve said. I don’t have an explanation for the unusual things that happened, but I don’t believe any of us were under the influence of some mystery girl. So where does that leave us as you sit there with your unresolved confusion?”

Michelle looked up from her coffee cup and watched Scott staring out into the morning rain. “The questions I thought we could answer when we came here together didn’t get answered.”

Scott continued to watch the waves breaking on the shoreline. “Part of me would like to argue with you and tell you that we can work everything out. The other part of me thinks we tried to make a transition to being lovers too quickly and without our usual weeks of discussion. It was almost as if we were trying to manufacture our relationship.”

Michelle got up and joined Scott at the door. “I think we both know that we love each other and our brains tell us we should be together forever. I also think we need to feel the emotions that our brain tells us we should be feeling and right now, I don’t think either of us is feeling what we think we should be feeling.”

Scott looked at Michelle as he spoke. “When you fist walked onto the baseball field when we were in seventh grade, I felt the things you are talking about, and that feeling lasted for years. I’ve loved you since the first day I met you. Somewhere in time, I think I convinced myself that all we could ever be was friends. Maybe I’m just reluctant to let myself trust you again because I know it didn’t work out for us before.”

She understood his suggestion. “For whatever reason, we never gave ourselves a chance to be in love with each other before. I really don’t know what that says about us or if it means anything at all. There is no doubt in my mind but that I love you. I also don’t know how to fix what I am feeling right now.”

Scott placed his hand on her back. “For what it is worth, I think you made the right decision about Tom.”

In pure frustration, she turned to face Scott. “Do you have any idea what I am going through right now? Yes, I made the right decision to break off my engagement with Tom. This weekend with you has convinced me that was the right thing to do. I came here with someone I know loves me and would do anything I asked, and I push you into the arms of a blue-eyed shark. It’s as if I can’t take yes for an answer.”

Scott smiled for a moment. “Sharks have fins, not arms. Nevertheless, you did me a favor when you pushed. You made me realize that I have to change my way of thinking if you and I are ever going to be together. For years, you and I were together as friends and yet we dated other people. That mindset won’t work if we are going to be together.”

Michelle turned her gaze to the ocean as she asked a question even though she wasn’t sure she would like the answer. “What’s really bothering you about us?”

Scott walked across the room taking his seat on the sofa and with his legs propped up on the coffee table. “Do you realize that with the exception of Ashley, I have not had a long lasting relationship since you and I first met? I am afraid that if you and I try to make things work out for us, that relationship might also fail. If that happens, then I have nowhere left to run because you would be gone.”

Michelle came and sat beside him. “At the time I was going out with other boys, I resented you going out with other girls. In fact, it made me as mad as hell because you were supposed to be waiting for me to get my act together. I couldn’t get my act together then and I don’t seem to be doing any better now.”

He looked up at the ceiling, remembering their first nights together. “I thought that after Wednesday night my life was going to be perfect. When we were in the Jacuzzi, everything was coming together just as I had expected it to. It wasn’t just the sex either. When we were playing golf, going out to lunch, or just lying on the beach, everything about you and our relationship was finally as it should be.”

Michelle started smiling. “I enjoyed walking together on the waterfront, eating out, shopping and swimming together too. However, don’t ever under estimate the value of some really hot sex either. We seem to be very good at that.”

Scott nodded his head slowly. “We were very good together only I don’t think we spent quite enough time in bed together.”

She put her arm over Scotts shoulder and let her hand touch his chest. “I suppose that if we go on for the rest of our life being friends, then we can do more with each other than just going to dinner and a movie.”

Scott took only a moment to consider her suggestion. “If you stop and think about it, we really should have been going to bed with each other years ago. Isn’t that what friends are for?”

After a long and passionate embrace, Michelle stood up and pulled on Scott’s hand. “Your friend wants you to take her to the bedroom and make love to her.”

Scott followed her upstairs. “You must really be a psychic because you are definitely reading my mind.”

CHAPTER XX

Driving across the Atlantic beach bridge, Scott and Michelle knew they had to make some difficult decisions about their future direction. There was no real path forward until Michelle could sort out her life and until Scott came to terms with issues Michelle didn’t even know about or understand.

When Scott arrived at home, his parents were in the kitchen seated at the table. Sandy greeted him as he came through the door. “So how was your trip?”

Scott smiled as he replied. “It was very educational.”

His dad glanced up from the newspaper. “If I was in court when a witness gave me that answer, I would have to wonder what he was hiding. In other words, that is not what I expected to hear.”

Scott decided he needed to put the matter to rest without saying much. He went to the refrigerator and took out a Coke before he replied. “We had a great time, we talked about a lot of things, we went out to dinner a few times, and we went swimming. William has a great place there.”

Sandy reached out and very lightly smacked the back of his head as he walked by. “This is your mother you’re talking to and I know what you are thinking before you do. Let’s have the rest of the story.”

Scott was expressing some of his anger at the world when he gave his mother something to consider. “William Broughton is a very smart man, but he missed something when he arranged this trip. You can’t engineer human behavior. Sometimes, things have to run their natural course without interference.”

Mark was apparently surprised by Scott’s comment. “That doesn’t sound good.”

Scott had said all he intended to and chose to steer the conversation in a new direction. “Well, I do have some good news. Before I came home from school, I interviewed with a company in Asheville. They sent me an email late Friday saying they want me to come up on Friday afternoon for a second interview. It could be a great job and I like Asheville, so I am going to head up there late Thursday afternoon.”

Sandy wasted no time in raising her next question. “Is Michelle going with you?”

Scott tried to downplay his answer. “This is a job interview, not recreation. Besides, I am going to stay with some friends and Michelle doesn’t need to put up with them.”

Mark was not going to let Scott off the hook. “I was under the impression you were going to work with William on a project starting on Tuesday.”

Scott again tried to answer his dad without providing any real information. “I need a real job and working part time is not getting me anywhere. I should have had a real job weeks ago. I am going to send Mr. Broughton an email in just a few minutes and let him know my change of plans.”

Mark stood up to get more coffee. As he walked past Scott, he gave him a pat on the back. “I’m glad you are not in court because I would have to ask the judge to declare you a hostile witness. You have said a lot of things without saying anything.”

Scott started out of the kitchen as he responded to Mark’s observations. “Being an attorney, you always taught me to never volunteer information.”

It was late in the afternoon when Scott finished cleaning his car. Mark came outside and stood beside the open car door where Scott was seated. “I don’t have to be a great attorney to see things didn’t go well this weekend and I’m not going to get into that issue unless you want to.”

Scott looked at his dad and smiled. “Why do I get the feeling the other shoe is about to drop?”

Mark placed his hand on Scott’s shoulder. “There is always another shoe to drop, even in the best of times. The project you told William you would help with is very important to our state politics. He’s counting on you to help with it and you told him you would help.”

Scott knew what was coming next from his dad and tried to head off a discussion on personal responsibility. “I don’t even know what we’re doing. Can’t he find anyone with my same lack of knowledge to do the job?”

“It’s not your technical skills he’s looking for. He needs someone he can trust. This is a very complex and sensitive matter and he can’t just grab someone off the street. This project has been in the works for months.” Mark replied.

Scott looked at the dashboard as he replied. “In other words, I need to do what I said I would do, even if I don’t want to.”

“Let’s face the facts. You can use the money and it will pay well for three days work. I also think you will be amazed with what you see, which could be more valuable than the money.”

Mark turned to walk away. “East Kings Ridge is not far from Asheville so you can take care of both things at once.”

Scott went to bed early on Sunday night being more than ready for a good night's sleep. He had talked to Amie and agreed to meet her at ten-thirty in Swansboro. As he was now in virtual silence, he had to consider the way he had handled things with Beth and Michelle and knew he could have done a better job. After a few minutes of self-recrimination, he sent each of them a text message that simply said “good night”

He and Amie had agreed to meet at a parking lot beside the White Oak River in Swansboro. Scott arrived a few minutes early but Amie was already there. She was neatly dressed in white shorts with a baby blue tee shirt and sandals. Her hair was neatly brushed and she wore just a hint of perfume.

They were leaning against Scott’s car when she raised questions about their plans. “I have to be back to meet with a counselor at three o’clock. What were you thinking we should do?”

“I thought I would take you somewhere before we go to lunch.” Scott replied.

Amie’s expression was suspicious, but playful. “Most guys at least take me to dinner before they take me somewhere.”

He opened the door for her as he replied, “This is going to be somewhere I doubt you have ever been before. We can have lunch afterwards and then figure out where to go from there.”

She smiled as he got behind the wheel. “This sounds very mysterious.”

He drove for about fifteen minutes before they reached their destination. Amie read the sign as she spoke the words aloud, “Costal Rehabilitation Center. I already have a place to go for treatment. I’m not even sure this is what I need to be looking at.”

Scott continued his drive into the parking lot before stopping. “Trust me. This is not somewhere you would want to be.”

As they walked in the building together, the receptionist recognized Scott. After a casual greeting, she glanced at a computer screen. “Ashley is in the courtyard, so just go on back. She’ll be happy to see you.”

Scott took Amie down a long hall before going to an enclosed courtyard. He immediately saw Ashley sitting in a wheelchair beside a small brick flower planter. Scott approached her and gave her a quick kiss before putting his arms around her.

As Amie stood watching, Scott pointed to Amie. “Ashley, this is my cousin Amie. I wanted to bring her by to meet you.”

Ashley’s stare was distant, but she seemed to recognize Scott. She was able to move her hand enough to grasp his hand, but had difficulty turning her head to see Amie. Recognizing her problem, Amie stepped in front of the wheelchair and leaned down to hug her. Ashley then tried to mouth the word. “Amie”.

Scott reached in his pocket and pulled out a gold bracelet before putting it on her wrist. “I got your bracelet fixed and you shouldn’t have any more problems.”

As Ashley watched Scott fasten the clasp, her eyes were sparkling, but she was only able to attempt to say thank you and her words were hard to understand. They stayed with Ashley for forty-five minutes before they got up to leave. Seeing a tear in her eye, Scott hugged her again and promised he would be back on Friday. Amie also hugged her and gave Ashley a kiss on the cheek.

As they reached the door to the courtyard, Amie stopped Scott by putting her hand on his arm. “Why did you bring me here?”

He and Amie turned around to look at Ashley, who could not see them. Scott’s reply started innocently enough but became far more explicit as he went along. “I had to come by to see her and to bring her bracelet back. I brought you so that I could paraphrase an idea from Charles Dickens. I wanted to show you the ghost of Amie’s future.”

Scott and Amie left the facility and drove the short distance to Captain Charley’s seafood restaurant without speaking. Once seated and with their orders placed, Amie sat with her hands folded in her lap. “Who is she?”

Scott replied after some thought. “She is a girl whose friends are all gone, who goes to no more parties, and who lives a miserable existence. For all practical purposes, if you don’t change your life, then she is you.”

Amie was more insistent. “Who else is she?”

“She was my date for the senior prom.”

“What happened to her?” Amie asked.

Scott looked out of the plate glass window at the White Oak River before he spoke. “I bought her a pink corsage to match her dress and I thought she was the most beautiful girl at the dance. She was the first person I got serious about after I realized Michelle and I were just going to be friends for life. We had been dating all year and were getting very serious with each other.”

Scott took a sip of water before he continued. “The guys had planned to go camping by the river after we took our girlfriends home. Ashley and her friends were going to stay at her house. They started drinking and decided to come find us, only they didn’t make it. One of her friends was killed and Ashley probably wishes she had been killed too.”

Amie had a tear running down her cheek. “Will she ever get any better?”

“She will never be a well functioning person again, but she is doing better. She get’s therapy every day and they give her a lot of attention. But no, she will at best be a shadow of her former self. I think she still knows me, but I’m not really sure anymore.”

Amie smiled. “I can promise she knows you. I could see it in her eyes. Why did you tell her I was your cousin?”

Scott looked slightly embarrassed. “I didn’t want her to think you were a new girlfriend in case she thinks I am waiting for her to get better.”

Amie picked up her iced tea before she spoke. “For what it’s worth, I both hate and love you for letting me meet her. I needed to see that and I wish I never had to see her go through that. She’s going to haunt me, but I guess you were planning on that being the outcome.”

“You call it a haunting and I will call it inspiration. I promise the rest of our time together will be better.” Scott replied.

She looked away. “It would have been easier for me if you had taken me to some sleazy hotel.”

Scott started laughing. “I’m sure it would have been easier, but then what would we have done for the rest of the day?”

Amie understood his joke, but then made her request. “I would like for us to go sit by the river and talk for a while. I enjoyed our time at Fort Macon even though we didn’t finish our conversation.”

After lunch, they went to a small park near the river and sat in the shade. It was a hot day, but there was enough of a breeze to keep them comfortable. After sitting in the grass, Amie expressed her curiosity. “Did you give Ashley the bracelet?”

“I gave it to her for her birthday about two months before the accident. We were still in high school and even though it wasn’t very expensive, I think it meant something to her. She broke it last week so I got it fixed for her.”

Amie looked at the distant bridge as she spoke. “It was almost spooky looking at Ashley. She looks so much like Beth that it was really weird.”

Never having realized the resemblance, Scott was stunned by the accuracy of Amie’s observation.

Amie then put her hand on Scott’s arm. “If she changed her hairstyle and had on a little makeup she could be Beth’s twin sister. Anyway, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know you feel guilty over what happed to Ashley.”

Scott made a decision to avoid talking about Ashley and brought the conversation back to Amie. “We can’t change what happened to Ashley, but we can make sure it doesn’t happen to you. How have things gone for you since we were together on Saturday?”

Amie felt a sense of contentment as she related her story. “My dad and I have been fighting for the last two years, but once I asked for help, things changed. Saturday night he and I rented a movie. I snuggled up to him and we watched the movie and ate popcorn. It was probably the best Saturday night I have spent in years.”

“Are you ready to go into rehab tomorrow?”

Amie was excited with the news she planned to share. “I am starting tomorrow, but I wanted to tell you something important. I thought about our conversation most of the way home after we were discussing the dark night of the soul and purification of the senses. My mind has been so clear today. It really feels good.”

Scott knew he could not let her be distracted from what he was sure she needed. “I’m glad you are feeling better, but you still have to go through the process of getting this crap out of your system. You still have to do your rehab and it is not always going to be easy.”

Amie started laughing at his approach. “You sound like my counselor. I am actually looking forward to you and me working through this. It’s going to be interesting to work on the purification of the spirit.”

She paused for a few minutes as she looked closely at her surroundings while considering her feelings. “When I look out over the inlets to the ocean, it’s like understanding that the world can open up and show you everything that is possible. Our minds are so caught up in the day-to-day trash of life that we forget everything else that could be a part of something special and we don’t even see it. That’s pretty amazing if you think about it.”

Scott listened carefully to her metaphor before he glanced at her eyes. “What do you see when the world opens up for you?”

Amie was excited as she bit her lower lip. “I was a math major in college. We use numbers to prove everything including how large the universe is and how far away the stars really are. I dream about the things I know about and the things I wonder about. I often wonder about the things for which we know nothing. I would like to discover something no one else has ever known.”

“Do you want to be famous for your discovery?” Scott asked.

She didn’t hesitate. “I could care less about fame. I do wish I could study particle physics. Can you imagine if the Hardon Collider actually created a black hole? What would happen if we discover that cosmic inflation is not the answer to the problems associated with the big bang theory? I would also love to paint. I can see me sitting right here and painting the scene that you and I are looking at. I would also like to paint a seascape.”

Amie immediately noticed Scott’s expression. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Scott chose to minimize his answer. “You just don’t seem like the same person I took to the emergency room two nights ago.”

Amie knew he was confused and chose to play up her difference in behavior. “Do you prefer the sexy little drunk blond?”

“To be honest, I prefer the sexy little intelligent girl I’m talking to now. I’m just surprised to see so much difference. Two nights ago, you were drunk and cutting your arm and now, you are talking about quantum mechanics. That’s quite a difference.”

Amie thought about the best way to answer him. “Sometimes a girl has to find a place where she can fit in. A discussion about quantum mechanics won’t win many friends in a sorority and a skimpy two piece will attract more guys than a calculus book.”

Scott smiled. “Never try to con the con man. I don’t think what you said is the whole story. Parts of your statement may be true, but there is much more you haven’t said.”

With a playful expression, she moved her face close to his as though she was challenging him. “What did I leave out?”

Scot moved his face closer to hers and gave her a quick kiss as if to say he had met her challenge. “I could spend several days talking about what you left out. If I were just guessing, I would say you don’t know where you want to fit in because you could fit in anywhere you chose to be.”

“You are not going to fall for my little tricks, are you?”

“Would you want me to?”

Amie started grinning. “No, not really. Come to think of it, I wouldn’t object if you fell for a few of my girl tricks.”

Scott looked out over the river. “I probably have already.”

Amie also turned her attention to the river. “I think you and I would have fun if we found a nice quiet place and debated your idea of the Universal Mind and my idea of creation. I’ve already thought a lot about the things we talked about at the fort on Saturday and I would really like to get inside your head.”

Scott wasn’t going to let her or anyone else in his head and therefore steered the conversation to Amie. “I don’t understand the radical difference I see in you. I guess what I really don’t understand is how you got in the mess you were in?”

Amie knew he was getting close to the things in her life she would just as soon forget. “I hope Beth didn’t tell you my life story. I don’t want anybody to know that much about me.”

“She didn’t tell me much, but you told me a lot. Anyway, I was hoping you would be the one to tell me your story. You seem like a girl who is very much at odds with herself. One night you are looking for guys to party with and the next night, you are cuddled up with your dad watching a movie together.”

Amie tried to explain her feelings. “Before you and I talked on Saturday, I could care less about the purification of my senses or my spirit. I didn’t care about the ten steps to love or the Universal Mind. What you and I talked about are the things I’ve been looking for, only I didn’t know it until Saturday.”

Amie stood up and looked down at Scott. “Let’s take a walk.”

As he joined her, she continued to explain her concerns. “I’m not proud of my life, or at least part of it. Sometimes, I think I was punishing myself in order to get what I deserve. That doesn’t make sense to you, but in a twisted way, it does to me.”

Scott thought he understood her point. “So in order to prove to yourself that you are not worthwhile, you make yourself worthless. Is that what you are getting at?”

She stopped and turned to Scott. “I don’t think I like myself very much. I wonder sometimes if I don’t put myself in bad situations thinking that someone will kill me and get it over with. Now, even my friends are turning against me. They thought I was too drunk to remember what they were saying at the party. You, Beth and Michelle were the only ones to take care of me.”

Her statement changed Scott’s way of thinking in an instant. “You had too much to drink, but I knew you were not as wasted as the others thought you were. I insisted on taking you to the emergency room because I thought you might actually try to hurt yourself. I want you to promise to call me if you ever get in that frame of mind.”

She took his hand and started walking again. “Cutting my arm was a classic cry for help. My friends either chose to ignore my cry or didn’t care. You came to help me and you treated me with respect. I remember hearing Heather telling you to take me in the bedroom and fuck me. She was worse than any guy I’ve ever been with.”

Scott wanted to make her aware of the facts as he saw them. “People run out of patience when the person they are trying to help doesn’t try to help themselves. I think you were seeing the frustration on steroids from some of your friends.”

Amie wanted to make sure Scott understood her point. “I know they are frustrated with me, but they didn’t have to invite a stranger to use me like I was dishcloth or something.”

Scott thought it was time she faced the truth. “If you don’t want to be treated like a dishcloth, then stop acting like a dishcloth.”

“Do you realize that when you and I were at the fort talking, you were one of the first guys to talk to me like I had an ounce of sense? Most men talk to me about superficial things while they stare at my boobs. You didn’t waste three minutes getting into my head with something far more important than the latest movie, and that’s unusual. It was like you knew I had something to offer besides my body.”

Scott wanted to reassure her. “I could tell that you were smart and you’re looking for something. There is no point in me offering steak to a vegetarian and there was no point in me saying something stupid to a smart girl.”

Amie was looking for a sense of peace and she was having a hard time finding it. Scott had opened a door for her that she felt compelled to walk through. “I was looking out at how peaceful the ocean was when you and I were talking about the Universal Mind. However, underneath the calm ocean, are fish eating each other, strong currents controlling the world’s weather patterns, and a lot of general chaos going on under the sea. How does chaos work with your idea of the Universal Mind?”

Scott thought about her question before he answered. “The Universal Mind is not an organized religion that allows me some great understanding. We both know that disorganization is the natural state of things. The Universal Mind lets me look beyond the chaos at the big picture and not be sucked into the thousands of details of disorganization.”

She thought about his answer before she pointed out what she thought was important. “You and I both know that everything is made of the details in one form or another. You can’t ignore the details and that brings me to my next question. If I told you the details of my life story, would we still be able to be friends?”

“A diamond with a flaw is worth more than a pebble without imperfections.” Scott replied.

Amie smiled. “If I am not mistaken, that’s a Chinese proverb.”

Scott smiled. “I like proverbs because they say so much with so few words. When I get my act together, I’ll start judging you, but that won’t be any time soon”.

She took his hand as they continued their walk along the river. “Beth came to see me yesterday and told me everything that happened with the three of you at the beach. I understand why you are having trouble with Beth and Michelle, but I want you to consider something that I think relates to what we were talking about at the Fort.”

Scott was not happy to find out Beth had been discussing things he considered private. “I wish Beth understood the value of discretion.”

“Scott, Beth likes you very much and she thinks you will never see her again. She doesn’t need that right now.”

Amie walked a little further before she continued her thought. “If you had not met Beth, you would never have come to help me at the party, we would have never gone to Fort Macon, and we would not be here today. I think what I am trying to say is that maybe there is a plan that is bigger than we are. From just the standpoint of math, the odds of you and I being here today are astronomical. If you and Michelle had made a different choice and gone into town instead of lying on the beach, you would have never met Beth. You and I would never have known each other.”

“So I guess you are talking about predestination as opposed to free will.” Scott replied.

Amie shook her head. “That conversation is much too big for us to solve today. I just think so many pieces of the puzzle had to fall into place in just the right order for you and me to know each other. It’s amazing we’re here together. Our chance meeting two days ago could change my entire life.”

Scott glanced at his watch. “I don’t know you very well but I hope you find whatever you’re looking for.”

As they walked back to the parking lot, she gave Scott insight he was not expecting. “No alcoholic ever thinks they are an alcoholic and I understand that. I don’t think my problem is alcohol or drugs. I think my problem is that I am, or at least was, being self-destructive. I think I am going to find that alcohol was a tool I used not because I had to have it, but because it allowed me to continue my downward spiral. I think I have hit bottom and can start climbing the ladder now.”

As they reached her car, Scott reached out to hug Amie. “I’ll be gone until Saturday but call me if you need to talk to someone. Don’t ever give up because you have too much going for you.”

Amie took both of his hands as she looked at him. “I don’t know why you feel so guilty about Ashley, but try to remember you can’t fix all the broken girls that will come into your life.”

Scott smiled, “I know, but I can’t let one more person end up in the graveyard or in a rehab center if I can stop it”.

Amie shook her head. “You know you will drive yourself crazy thinking like that.”

Amie opened her car door before she turned back to Scott. “There is something I need to tell you and I don’t think you will believe me. Something very strange was going on between Beth and Michelle when you were at the beach with them. I know Beth doesn’t understand it and I doubt Michelle does either. Don’t be afraid to look for the truth is some strange places because I think you are going to have your eyes opened to something you can’t explain or even imagine.”

Scott looked at her with a bewildered expression. “Do you know something that I don’t know?”

Amie sat down in the driver’s seat but left her legs hanging out of the car. “Just between you and me, the premonition Beth had at the beach was not the first one she has ever had. I know personally of several she had and they came true. I also suspect that if she does in fact have some special gift or ability, Michelle may have the same condition.”

Scott replied, still feeling doubtful. “I’m surprised that someone who has your interest and experience in math and science would believe in psychic phenomenon.”

She looked down at the pavement before she looked at Scott. “Oddly enough, it is my interest in particle physics that allows me to believe it’s possible. In any case, I have seen for myself some strange things happen with Beth. My interest in science doesn’t allow me to discount what I see with my own eyes. If there is a rational explanation for some of the things she has done, then I haven’t found it.”

She then pulled her legs into the car and closed the door. With the window rolled down, she made one more comment. “I’m just speculating, but I suspect they both appeared to be in a fog of confusion because they were somehow tapping into each others thoughts without knowing it.”

Scott smiled at Amie as he thought about her idea. “I have a hard time believing that your idea could be possible, but it would explain a lot of things.”

Amie started the engine. “We can work on that idea next time. Do I get a kiss for good luck?”

Scott leaned over before giving her a longer kiss than he had planned. “That kiss is not for good luck. It is for all your hard work. Call me if you need me. On second thought, call me and let me know how you are doing. I want to hear the good and the bad.”

Amie started smiling as she put the car in gear. “If you kiss me like that again, I am going to show you the true meaning of getting lucky.”

Scott watched as she drove out of the parking lot and down the road. Every time he tried to dismiss the idea of Beth and Michelle having some type of psychic connection, the possibility kept coming back for him to reconsider.

CHAPTER XXI

Scott had taken Michelle home on Sunday afternoon and didn’t see her again until they went to William’s farm on Tuesday morning. When Scott arrived, he had no idea how he was going to approach Michelle knowing they would be spending the next three or four days together. As he approached her, Scott assumed there would be no time for a lengthy conversation.

Michelle was waiting beside her car with instructions to bring him to the back patio. Her appearance was much different from their time at the beach. She wore a knit collar shirt with a navy blue skirt. Scott had dressed casually, but brought clothes that were more formal for his interview.

As Scott approached Michelle, he held out his arms to hug her, but she held up both hands to stop him. “You can’t hug me until you admit you violated the most important rule we have.”

Scott studied here playful expression until he was compelled to ask, “What rule did I violate?”

Michelle looked away and then back at Scott. “Maybe I should write this down for you. Rule number one: Scott will always be on Michelle’s side even when she is wrong.”

Scott was also smiling at Michelle. “I must have forgotten that rule in the passion of the moment.”

“I cannot believe you said that to me. Right now you are up to your ears in trouble and you keep digging the hole deeper.” Michelle replied.

Scott placed his arms around Michelle with no opposition. “What else have I done wrong?”

She put her arms over his shoulders and replied, “I’ve slept by myself for the last two nights. I don’t like it and it is your fault.”

“Why is that my fault? Was I supposed to just stroll into your house last night and climb in bed with you? I can see your dad’s face now.” Scott replied.

Michelle thought about his question for a moment. “You should have found a way to sneak in. Anyway, we have to go now because they are waiting on us.”

Hank, Anna, Joe, Nancy, Betsy, and William were seated at the table drinking their morning coffee. They pulled up two chairs and exchanged greetings with everyone. Betsy poured coffee for them before she offered doughnuts. When she sat down, William started to speak, “We will be leaving in a few minutes for East Kings Ridge. Scott, I know you drove some trucks when you worked for the John Deere dealer. Do you feel comfortable driving the motor home?”

He answered without any reservations. “I have also driven some 32 foot U-haul trucks to Asheville when I was in school. I shouldn’t have any problems.”

William nodded as he spoke. “Good. Hank and Nancy are driving their car. They will follow behind Joe and Anna, who will be in the box truck. Scott and Michelle will follow Betsy and me in the Cadillac. Once we get there, Betsy will work with Michelle and Nancy to get them up to speed on the operation since they are new to the game. Hank, Joe, and I will get Scott’s feet wet on the setup procedure. Does anyone have questions?”

There was a period of silence before Scott asked a question. “I realize I’m new to this, but can you tell me what we’re doing?”

William started laughing as he pointed to the sky. “That might be useful information to have. The others already know but let me give you the quick answer. Milton Snyder is the U.S. Congressman from that district and he ran for office on a family values platform, only his family values aren’t exactly what you might think. He was seen in the Virgin Islands with his scantly clad staff director in a rather incriminating position. He was kissing her and had his hand on her rear end and it so happens we have a photo of his adventures.”

Michelle asked a follow-up question. “Are you going to release it to the press?”

Joe sought to explain their plans while William sat back and listened. “The congressman or his people control the local press. We plan to honor several elected officials at one of our salvation meetings. The elected officials think they are there to get the recognition for being good family men and most of them are. When each official is invited up to the stage to get their recognition, we will show a picture of the town mayor with his spouse on the fifteen foot wide projection screen system you saw the other night.”

Betsy picked up where Joe left off. “When the congressman comes up on stage, we will show the photo of him in the Virgin Islands with his staff director. All of this will happen in front of the people and press who come into our tent seeking salvation. It should make for some interesting moments when the congressman is facing the audience and doesn’t know what is on the screen behind him.”

Hank spoke next to finish the explanation. “When the show starts, the image will be uploaded to his website. We will also be placing it on his Facebook page. A copy of the picture will be emailed to most of the people in his district shortly after we leave town.”

Scott looked at Michelle briefly before he asked his most important question. “Is any of this legal?”

William smiled as he responded. “With the exception of hacking his website, it is all legal. Your dad does a great job of keeping us within the law.”

While Scott had a thousand other questions, William was ready to get on the road and Scott assumed he had used his quota of questions for the time being. William and Betsy made a slight change of plans when they decided Betsy would ride with Scott and Michelle for the first two hours so that she could go over some of the equipment kept in the motor home. She was also going to explain the bookkeeping system and some of the reports that had to be filed.

It took Scott a few minutes to become comfortable driving the motor home, but once they were on highway 70, he began to relax. Betsy and Michelle were sitting at the table drinking coffee, talking about campaign finance laws, and looking at their financial reporting activity. Traffic was light allowing Scott’s mind began to drift away from their conversation to the time Michelle, and he spent at the beach. Amie’s contention that Michelle and Beth had some psychic link continued to dominate his thoughts.

The caravan stopped briefly in Winston-Salem for lunch before continuing the trip into the mountains. With three more hours to East Kings Ridge, Betsy joined William in his car leaving Scott and Michelle alone in the motor home. Michelle and Scott agreed it would be best to wait until they returned home to discuss their beach trip.

Michelle chose to discuss what she had seen when she and Betsy went over the financial records for the “Salvation Show”. Funding for the organization came from many sources including private donations, the collections during town revivals, and corporate sponsorships.

She was equally surprised to learn that all the money raised during revivals was given back to the community through contributions to local charities. As they continued driving towards the mountains, Michelle placed a CD in the player so Scott could listen to William speaking at one of the Salvation Show revivals.

Scott turned to Michelle when the performance ended. “He doesn’t even sound like the same person. He sounds like one of the evangelicals you hear on TV.”

Michelle was also amazed with the production. “I couldn’t believe the sounds they got from the musical performance. Betsy, Hank, Joe, and Anna are amazing. Betsy can make the keyboard sound like a full orchestra.”

Scott nodded showing his agreement. “It’s for sure they are not a fly by night outfit. I have to admit that I am excited about seeing this dog and pony show in real life. I can’t wait to see the look on the congressman’s face when they put up his picture with his staff person.”

Michelle was also excited. “Betsy said you are going to pretend to be a reporter from Philly. You’ll enjoy that.”

Scott glanced at the mirror, as he had to change lanes. “And what are you going to do?”

Michelle was on the verge of laughter. “I get to scream in horror when I see the picture of the Congressman with his bikini clad friend.”

Scott thought about the plan for a moment. “This is going to be tough on the congressman’s wife, don’t you think?”

“I asked Betsy about that and apparently she is just as power hungry as her husband. She will stand by her man as long as he’s in office. I would guess if he should lose the election, she will kick him out faster than lightning.” Michelle replied.

The caravan rolled into East Kings Ridge around three thirty in the afternoon stopping at a vacant lot next to a shopping center, which was to be used for parking. Scott stopped the motor home behind William’s car as Joe drove the truck and trailer onto the vacant lot. Once all the vehicles were stopped, everyone came in the motor home for a conference. Betsy and Michelle made coffee and snacks for the meeting.

Once everyone had gathered around the table or were standing close enough to hear the conversation, William began to speak. “Some of what I am saying is so Scott, Michelle and Nancy will get to know our procedures. We have four local men who will be here to help set up the tent and get the chairs and equipment in place. Michelle and Betsy will pay the men when the job is finished. Joe, Hank, Scott, and I will get the equipment up and running and Joe can show Scott how to tie the generators into our power system. I would like for everyone except Scott and myself to run through our music for tomorrow night and give Nancy a chance to practice with the group. We should have everything in place by eight o’clock tonight. Any questions?

Joe noticed Scott was confused. “Scott, we don’t do a show on the first night. We like to let people drive by, see the signs, and let the local gossip get fired up. We should have enough advance publicity that the excitement is filling the air as we sit here.”

Betsy went over a few more details. “Tonight, William, Joe, and Anna will stay in the hotel with me. Scott, Nancy, Hank, and Michelle will stay here with the equipment. We have motion sensor lights, but the four of you need to keep at least one person awake throughout the night to keep an eye on things.”

Over the next three hours, everything came together in a well-orchestrated plan. The travel trailer was unhitched from the box truck and set up. Within fifteen minutes, the tent was rolled out, anchored, and raised into place. As the extra help brought in the sound system, lights, and the large projection screen system, the inside of the tent was beginning to look just like the inside of William’s barn had looked on Wednesday night.

By seven-thirty, everyone was in the tent testing out the sound system and lights. Once satisfied that everything was operating as planned, William, Scott, and Michelle sat at the sound and light control board while the rest of the group took their place on stage.

Nancy was the bass guitar player, which was something the band had never had before. They started playing music in order to let her become familiar with playing in the group. It was obvious she was talented and just as obvious that the group enjoyed playing together.

William deferred to Betsy on all the issues of music as she had the group go over the transitions between songs several times until she was satisfied. At the end of the rehearsal, it became clear that William was tired before Betsy came to him and insisted it was time to head for the hotel. Joe and Anna left with William and Betsy leaving Hank, Nancy, Scott, and Michelle in the tent to close down the operation for the night.

Hank took the time to explain how to shut down the generators and turn off all the equipment to Scott. They agreed Scott would stay awake until four o’clock in the morning to watch over the equipment and that Hank would then relieve him. Hank and Nancy went to the travel trailer while Scott and Michelle went back to the motor home.

After entering the motor home, Scott and Michelle sat across from each other at the table looking at each other for several minutes. His voice finally broke their silence. “William has an amazing operation here and I am really looking forward to watching them put on the show tomorrow night.”

Michelle was also impressed. “Watching them set up everything was impressive too. Except for you and me, everybody knew what to do and they knew when and how to do it. There is no telling how many times they did this before.”

“I would never have imagined them being able to play the music they are playing. They sound like professionals and I couldn’t believe how Nancy just picked up the base guitar parts like she had been doing it forever.” Scott noted.

Michelle agreed. “Betsy is so talented, but then again, they all are. I wish I could play an instrument of some kind, but I don’t know what I would play.”

Having exhausted the conversation, silence once again fell over the table as though a shroud had been placed over them. Michelle looked at Scott knowing there were things she needed to tell him, but her reluctance to talk was very evident. Still, the awkward nature of silence gave her few options but to speak. “Scott, I’m lost and I don’t know where I am supposed to be.”

Scott nodded his head understanding how Michelle felt. “Things were easy for us before we went to the beach.”

Michelle had the same somber expression. “When we got to the beach on Wednesday and had our truth session, I thought we were doing the right thing. Now, I am not so sure. I wanted to have a physical relationship with you and I thought that would bring us full circle, but it didn’t.”

Scott started to smile, mostly to offer Michelle some support. “I thought after Wednesday night that my life was all planned out. We would date for a while and then get married. By Friday night when Beth was out fishing with me, I realized there might be a flaw in my plan. I felt an attraction to her that I couldn’t get out of my mind. I know I love you and I spent most of the day thinking about how I could be attracted to her and love you at the same time. It didn’t make sense to me.”

“Did you ever solve that problem, Sherlock?” Michelle asked with a lighthearted expression.

Scott glanced down at the table. “I think so, but I don’t believe you are going to agree with me. Beth needed me and you didn’t.”

Michelle placed her elbows on the table and let her chin rest in the palm of her hands. “That’s not true, but I understand why you would feel that way. I grew up with three brothers and I learned to stand up for myself and take care of myself. I had to in order to survive. I have needed you ever since the first time I stepped up to the plate to play baseball. I just don’t always show you or tell you. I also have a few issues of my own to face and I don’t think I am doing a very good job of setting my direction. Just to be fair, I don’t think you have all your ducks in a row or you would not have been playing around with her.”

Scott replied. “I felt like you kept trying to push Beth and me together. She was with us in the hot tub, by the pool, on the beach, at dinner, in our bed, and everywhere else. I assumed you were having second thoughts about us and that you were keeping Beth around in order to keep you and I pushed apart.”

Michelle’s response was blunt and reflected her feelings. “After Saturday morning, I was trying to push you away. When you went off with Amie, I started to think you had no intention to keep a commitment to me.”

“I was just trying to help the girl.” Scott insisted.

Michelle was ready to explain everything to Scott in a way he would have to understand. “Scott, my issue goes deeper than Amie. I know how you felt about Ashley and how serious the two of you were about each other. I still feel like I have to compete with Ashley. When you went off with Amie, I realized you felt some obligation to fix all the broken girls. First it was Beth, and then it was Amie.”

“Are you saying I should not have tried to help them?” Scott asked with a tone of disbelief.

Michelle shook her head. “Of course you should have tried to help both of them. You made Beth feel so much better by letting her know she had not been raped by Moose. I don’t know. Maybe you can help get Amie on the road to salvation. My problem is that I don’t know if you still love Ashley or if you feel so much guilt that you are trying to save the world to make up for what happened to her.”

Scott was showing a great deal of both frustration and restraint as he lightly banged his fist on the table. “If I had made a different choice that night, Ashley would be out playing softball or something instead of wasting away in that wheelchair being unable to be who she was meant to be.”

Michelle thought she might be able to get Scott to talk about Ashley, which was something he had always refused to do. “Scott, you had nothing to do with the accident. You didn’t invite her to go camping, you didn’t suggest she go to the river, and you weren’t driving the car. You are not responsible for the choices she made.”

Without his normal resistance to talk, or perhaps because he let his guard down for a moment, Scott offered her a simple explanation. “Ashley thought I was going to take her home after the prom and then take you to the river to camp out. If I had stayed out all night with her or just gone home, Ashley would be free today. There were several things I could have done to change history, only I didn’t do them.”

Michelle was shocked to hear his statement. “How do you know she thought I would be there?”

“When I got to the hospital, several of her friends were there and they were all upset. They told me it was my fault she had gone out to see if I was cheating on her.” Scott said as he looked away.

Michelle was skeptical of his reaction. “Are you telling me you let a few high school girls give you a truckload of guilt to carry around for the rest of your life?”

Scott smiled. “I’m smarter than that, even though it took me a while to figure out I could not control her choices. At the same time, I have to take responsibility for the choices I made. There were things I could have done, but I didn’t do them. Now, Ashley pays the price for my not making better choices. When I see someone like Amie and I know I might be able to make a choice that could help her, then I have to make that choice to help her. It may not be rational or realistic, but I have to do what I have to do.”

“How was Ashley when you went to see her yesterday?”

Scott took a deep breath. “She had a hint of a smile. Her eyes were moist and sparkling. I just wish I knew if she were glad to see me or if the pollen was making her eyes water. I’ll never know which it was.”

“Does Ashley keep you awake at nights?” Michelle asked.

“Only on the days I go to see her. On all the other nights, I say a prayer for her and go to sleep knowing there is nothing else I can do, other than to visit her more often. I give her an hour or so a week. That’s not much of a gift. I want to give Ashley her life back and I don’t know how.”

Scott got up from the table and headed for the motor home door saying he needed to check on everything. Michelle assumed he was taking some time to be alone, as he was gone much longer than he should have been. She was confident Scott had told her much more than he had intended to say.

When he returned, Michelle did not wish to push the matter of Scott’s relationship with Ashley any further.

Michelle got up to fix each of them a Coke. Scott was sure the time had come to shift the conversation. “I thought when we went to the beach you and I would have some better idea of where we were headed. I know less now than before we went off together.”

When Michelle returned to the table, she sat next to Scott rather than across from him. Scott put his arm around her as she leaned against him. “Michelle, what do you want from our relationship?”

She thought for a moment with her eyes closed. “I got engaged to Tom and I can’t explain why I did that. I am very happy with what you and I had together at the beach, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being thrown together. What we had was nice, but it felt manufactured. I think we made a mistake being pushed together rather than letting things happen on their on. Does that make any sense?”

Scott felt much the same way as Michelle. “Beth asked me if we were in love with each other or did we love each other. I think she had a point. I also agree with what you said about us being pushed together. I think if we had been sitting on a beach somewhere two weeks ago and then decided to sneak off to a romantic place, things would be different right now for both of us.”

Michelle could tell from Scott’s words that she could be very sincere without offending him. “I really enjoyed the sexual part of our being together, but instead of me going to bed with you out of a sense of desire, I almost felt a sense of obligation. It was as if we had to prove that we belonged together rather than just letting it happen.”

Scott once again agreed with Michelle. “For ten years, you and I moved in the same direction, but our relationship was always you and me instead of being us. You and I both went out with other people, yet we still were with each other. In my mind, I think I didn’t really see you and me as being the new us. I saw you and me being the same as we have been for the last ten years. In some ways, I felt like we were the old you and me only we added some really great sex to the way we were.”

Michelle had a slightly different take on their relationship. “I think we are far more than two friends who love each other and who like to go to bed together, but I don’t think we have found each other yet.”

Scott looked over his shoulder at Michelle knowing she was about to solve their problem. “So what is your plan?”

“I need to get away from everything for a while. I need to get over Tom, Beth, William, Betsy, and you. I need to get my head on straight. I need to push my reset button. I can’t get married to you as long as I think of you more as brother and not as the love of my life. We can’t get married just to save our friendship.” Michelle replied.

Scott nodded his head. “I understand and I think we are looking at this the same way. Therefore, I ask you again. What is your plan?”

“William said I could go to Washington and work for the group that funds the Salvation Show. I think I need to do that and over the course of time, we will find out if we belong together. It’s going to hurt to leave you and I already miss you, but I think this is right for both of us.” Michelle replied.

Scott looked away from Michelle for a moment. “You always tell me that I am supposed to be on your side, even when you’re wrong. It’s easy for me this time to be on your side because I think you’re right. If we don’t get back together, then we most likely didn’t belong together.”

“What are you going to do if I leave?” Michelle asked.

“I have a job interview in Asheville on Friday. I don’t know what I will do if they offer me the position. I will feel so guilty not going to see Ashley once a week, but I feel guilty anyway.” Scott replied.

Michelle was confused by his answer. “Why do you feel guilty now? You’ve stood beside her all these years and you should have no reason to feel guilty.”

Scott folded his arms and put his head down on the table as if he were trying to hide his face. “I don’t want to go see her anymore. I don’t even know her anymore. During the past four years, I went to the rehab center thinking that I would see her getting a little better each time. She is not getting better and without a miracle, she never will. I can’t stand to see her frozen in time in a condition I know she probably hates.”

Michelle was astonished with what he said and with the fact that Scott was even talking about Ashley. “Do you still love her, Scott?”

Scott raised his head from the table. “I don’t love her in the way that I love you or will love the person I get married to one of these days. However, I love her memory and I love her spirit. She sits there and fights for whatever little gain she can make each day. No, the girl I loved died four years ago. I’ve just never been quite able to say goodbye to her.”

Michelle was beginning to understand. “Your feelings go beyond Ashley, don’t they?”

Scott looked straight ahead, as he spoke. “I had the world all figured out when I came up with my concept of the Universal Mind. I could explain everything. Still, I can’t understand for the life of me where she fits into the Universal Mind. Sometimes when I go see her, I wonder if she is a symbolic repository for all that is unfair and undeserved in the world.”

Michelle could feel a lump in her throat as she searched for the right words to make Scott feel better. “Sometimes when we search for truth, we don’t find it. Sometimes, all we can do is to throw up our hands and say I don’t understand. Sometimes, events are nothing more than a part of the given order of the universe. I don’t think we are meant to understand everything.”

Michelle got up to refill their drinks. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think this soul searching trip I am going on is going to take very long. I’ve seen a side of you tonight that I have never seen before and I understand you much better than I did twenty-four hours ago.

Scott sat for a few minutes without saying anything until Michelle realized he was not telling her what was on his mind. “This is one of our truth discussions and you are holding back something you need to tell me.”

He hesitated for a moment before speaking. “We went for ten years and never so much as kissed each other. Then, you and I went off to different schools. You were engaged to Tom. We went to the beach and met Beth. In fact, from the first time you met Beth, you invited her to do everything with us, which left very little time for us to be alone. Now you are heading off to Washington to work.”

“What’s your point?” She asked.

Scott put his arm around Michelle and pulled her close. “You and I both know you aren’t coming back from Washington. We’ve had too many chances to make things work for us and yet nothing ever really changes.”

Michelle was concerned with his comment. “Are you saying this is my fault or that I shouldn’t go to Washington?”

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Even if I thought it was your fault, I’m smart enough not to say so. No, it’s not your fault or mine. It’s just the way things are.”

Michelle was upset knowing how Scott felt. “I don’t think that’s the way it will work out for us. We have too much going for us.”

Scott was quiet for a few moments before he spoke. “When I was driving home Monday after seeing Ashley, something strange occurred to me. Ever since Wednesday, I had assumed that William and his gang were trying to push us together. I realized I was wrong with that assumption. They were only giving us a choice.”

Michelle turned and looked at Scott with some sense of disbelief. “I’m not following you, because it sure felt like to me they were pushing us together.”

Scott then explained his revelation. “Do you remember when we were doing the play in William’s barn and the scene closed right after we kissed each other. Well, it occurred to me that the play never answered the biggest question of all. Did Michelle get on the train and leave or did she stay? The script never answered that question. When you told me a few minutes ago that you were going to Washington, you did answer that question. Michelle makes her exit, stage left.”

Michelle chose to argue her point. “Maybe Michelle does leave in that scene, but that doesn’t mean she can’t come back.”

Scott had a dejected expression as he explained his interpretation of the script. “The problem is Scott won’t be in the next scene when or if Michelle does come back. He needs to move on with his life just like Michelle does.”

“Do you want me to stay home and not go to Washington? Would that solve everything for us?” Michelle asked.

Scott was convinced he knew where their relationship was going. “It doesn’t change anything for you to stay here so that we can spend another year being indecisive. By the way, when are you supposed to leave?”

“I leave next Wednesday and have the weekend to get settled in before I start work on Monday. They have an apartment where I can stay for several months until I can get on my feet and find my own place.”

Scott looked at her face seeing a hint of excitement as she talked about moving. “I’m proud of you and if this is what you want, then I hope every dream you have comes true.”

Michelle shook her head showing her lack of commitment. “I wish I had the slightest idea what I wanted. This job in Washington is not a dream job and Washington is not a place I would choose to live. On the other hand, it is a place to start.”

Michelle started grinning. “I think you should get a job fixing broken girls and you could start with me.”

Scott was more serious in his response than Michelle had been with her statement. “You’re not broken and you never will be.”

Michelle also gave a serious reply. “I’ve always been broken and you just never knew it. If our weekend at the beach didn’t prove that to you, then I don’t know what would.”

Scott stood up to once again to go outside and make sure all was well with the equipment. “You could be broken into a thousand pieces and I would never see it. You should go get some sleep. We have a long day tomorrow going over the program. Take whichever bed you want and I’ll take the other.”

She stood up and faced him. “Aren’t you going to sleep with me and keep me warm tonight?”

“I would like to keep you very warm, but I have to stay up until four o’clock when Hank takes over. I’m not going to wake you at that hour.” Scott replied.

Michelle was tired not only from the day but from her lack of sleep on Monday night. Weighing on her mind was the fact she their time together was quickly ending. “You can still sleep with me.”

Seeing her expression and feeling his own sense of loss, Scott agreed and left the motor home. Rather than return after his quick look around, he went into the tent where he sat for the next hour thinking about the change he was seeing in his life.

It did not take long for Scott to draw the parallel between losing Ashley and now losing Michelle. He was smart enough to know that his life was going to change and in some respects, Michelle leaving might be the best thing for him. He still had friends in Asheville and going there might be a good thing for him.

He realized it was getting late before he placed a quick call to Amie. He had promised to call and wish her good luck with her treatment program. According to the rules at the facility, she could only talk for three minutes until she had earned more phone time by participating in the therapy program. He assured Amie he would talk with her again at the end of the week and see how she was doing.

Scott knew his efforts to put the best face on Michelle’s departure was his way of playing a game of acceptance which provided him with the ability to move on with his life. This was not what he had expected when they went to the beach only a week ago.

Throughout the night, he would return to the motor home and fix a cup of coffee before going back outside to sit in the warm night air. Finally, Hank relieved him as expected and Scott was in bed and asleep within ten minutes.

CHAPTER XXII

Michelle didn’t wake Scott up until eleven o’clock the next morning when William and Betsy arrived. After lunch, they all spent the afternoon going over the program and making sure each person knew exactly what they were supposed to be doing. It soon became clear that their performance on Wednesday night was more or less a dress rehearsal for their sting operation that would happen on Thursday night.

At seven o’clock that evening, people began streaming into the tent ready to seek the wisdom that would guide their souls to salvation. Throughout the evening, Michelle collected contributions for the group while she watched the proceedings. Scott sat at the sound and light controls in total amazement as he watched William preach to the crowd while Betsy, Nancy, Hank, and Joe brought down the house with their musical performance.

When Hank wasn’t playing music, he was working the video feeds to the large screen behind William. It was obvious they had spent a great deal of time putting the program together and then practicing their timing. They gave a moving program that often had the audience on their feet clapping and singing along.

When their program was over and the crowds gone, Scott got his first lesson in why William had been so successful in his life and with the Salvation Show. They all sat in the tent and talked about everything they had done well and those things they could have done better. Betsy made extensive notes of things they would work on before the Thursday night show.

Before they called it a night, William turned to Scott. “What did you think?”

Scott couldn’t help but smile. “It was the damndest thing I have ever seen. You had them eating out of your hands.”

William grinned. “If you think that was something, just wait until tomorrow night when we end the career of a Untied States Congressman.”

As everyone was leaving, Hank came up to Scott. “You don’t need to come outside and check on things every fifteen minutes. I’m sorry because I should have told you last night. We have motion sensor lights that will come on whenever anything moves around here. Just keep an eye out from the motor home and if the lights come home, then go out and look around. You can sit back and watch TV or do whatever you want.”

Michelle was listening to Scott and Hank talk before she turned and went back to the motor home. With everyone gone, Scott turned on the security system before he went to join Michelle.

As he walked through the door, Michelle looked at him and smiled. “I don’t think either of us had dinner so would you like a hot dog or something. I was going to fix one for myself.”

They stood side by side making dinner in the small kitchen while talking about the performance. Michelle had been just as surprised by the planning and execution of the program as Scott had been. “I can’t believe how well the music went. They are all so talented and they sound like they have played together for years.”

Scott agreed and offered his own assessment. “William was unreal. I would have thought I was listening to Billy Graham or something and Betsy was just as good. She had on that wig with all that makeup while talking in that slow southern voice. I mean I couldn’t believe it was even William and Betsy."

Michelle started laughing. “Betsy had every woman in the house on her side. If they knew she had grown up in the north, they probably would have rejected her outright.”

They took their dinner to the table and sat down before Michelle gave Scott another jaw dropping moment. “We took in over six thousand dollars tonight and they are expecting tomorrow night to be the big money raiser.”

Scott was amazed. “Twelve thousand dollars for two nights work isn’t bad.”

Michelle explained something else Scott was surprised to hear. “They won’t keep a dime of the money they collected tonight. Within a week, it will be given to a local food center or to some other local charity.”

He was surprised by her explanation. “They don’t keep any of it to cover their costs?”

Michelle was very factual in her reply. “They don’t need the money. They have so much money from political contributions and they feel keeping the local people’s money would be like taking money under false pretense. Their only real purpose is political activism.”

Scott was silent for a while as he considered Michelle’s explanation of the Salvation Show. His tone and expression caught Michelle’s attention. “Those people were like sheep. They would have followed him through the gates of hell. That has to say something about how blind we are becoming as a society.”

Michelle was somewhat skeptical of Scott’s analysis. “You and I go to church together sometimes. Religion is important to us and to most other people. I’m not surprised they were so accepting of his message.”

Scott was surprised by her response. “I agree with you and religion is important to me too. But did you listen to the program?”

Michelle was not sure where he was going with his question. “Not really, I had several things I was working on and didn’t hear much of it.”

Scott held his hands up at shoulder height being very animated as he spoke. “I listened to every word. William never said the words God, Jesus, Bible, Heaven, hell or any other words that you would expect in church. His prayer was always a silent prayer. This wasn’t a church service, it was a motivational speech.”

Michelle started laughing. “I didn’t hear the words he spoke, but I know the music was not religious. That fact did catch my attention. When he was talking about how the communities of the state are all neighbors, I was expecting everyone to start singing ‘It’s a Small World’. I wouldn’t have been surprised.”

Scott started laughing. “William and Betsy are amazing.”

After finishing their dinner, they sat quietly at the table until Scott’s voice broke the silence with something Michelle was not expecting to hear. “When you and I were at the beach, you looked pretty good to me in your bathing suit and your tight little tee shirts. I was watching you tonight in your skirt, blazer, and blouse along with that ribbon in your hair and you looked absolutely beautiful. You are going to turn some heads when you get to Washington.”

She stared at him for a moment before her smile appeared. “I don’t think you have ever told me I was beautiful before and it’s a very nice thing for you to say. I don’t agree with you, but thank you for saying so. By the way, I don’t want to turn any heads when I get to Washington or anywhere else.”

She took a drink of her Coke before she continued her thought. “I’ve never worn a ribbon in my hair until tonight. It may sound silly, but it made me feel so much like a girl. It was fun.”

Scott got up from the table and moved to the sink where he began to wash the few dishes. As he washed the dishes, she dried and put them away. Scott continued their conversation. “Like it or not, you are going to catch a few guy's attention.”

When they finished cleaning up, Michelle put her arms around his neck. “I overheard the conversation between you and Hank tonight when he said you don’t have to leave the motor home to check on everything. I’ve already checked and you can see the security lights from our bed. I suggest you and I turn out the lights and then go to bed and see if we can get each others attention.”

Scott placed his arms around her waist. “If my memory is correct, I haven’t made love to you since early Sunday morning”

Michelle and Scott shared a long and passionate kiss before she spoke. “That’s right because Beth walked in on us just as you were getting my motor running on Saturday night.”

Scott started smiling at Michelle. “Do you think I can get your motor running as well as it was when we were in the hot tub?

Michelle turned and started down the short hallway to the bedroom before she looked over her shoulder. “Why don’t you put your key into my ignition and let’s find out.”

The Thursday morning wake up alarm came much sooner than Michelle or Scott would have liked. Still, Scott was actually looking forward to the briefing and preparations for the Thursday night sting operation. When everyone gathered in the tent, William spent at least fifteen minutes going over Representative Snyder’s record and his history with his female chief of staff.

William stood on stage as Hank worked the video screen. “The first picture you see is Mr. Snyder. The young woman in the bathing suit is Rachel who is his chief of staff. The next slide Hank will bring up is a young man by the name of James Whitney. We can all thank Mr. Whitney for being unable to keep his mouth shut about Snyder’s trip to Saint Lucia with Rachel.”

Joe raised his hand to stop William’s comments. “What is his connection to Snyder?”

William replied, “Good point Joe. James’ dad is a big political contributor and he managed to get his son a job as Snyder’s political director. The kid is learning but he has a long way to go. Tonight, he is going to get a first class lesson in how to attempt to do damage control when damage control is not possible. Any other questions?”

Hank was the next to speak. “Do we know yet if Snyder’s wife is going to be here or if Rachel and James are coming?”

William looked to Betsy to answer Hank’s question. “As of this morning, we know that James will be here and Snyder takes Rachel everywhere he goes for rather obvious reasons. We don’t know if his wife will be here because she likes to stay busy in Washington in order to avoid these type events.”

After spending an hour together going over the operational plan, they took time off for lunch with the understanding everyone would be back at two o’clock.

By six-thirty, everyone knew their role and the group had prepared for every contingency. Hank, Anna, Nancy, Betsy, and Joe started the music at six fifty as the people begin streaming into the tent. The audience looked somewhat different from the previous night, as each of the three politicians had invited some of the more high profile members of the community.

Representative Snyder had also invited several members of the press and the local TV station to be on hand, as he hoped to take political advantage of this event. Scott had been given the role of posing as a member of the press. James Whitney and Rachel came into the tent along with Snyder telling members of the press he would meet with them after the event.

With the local politicians seated in the front row, William walked on stage as the group finished their last song. “Let us all unite in a moment of silent thanksgiving.”

After a minute or so, Hank brightened the lights on the stage, while dimming the lights over the audience. Betsy then made her keyboard sound like a full church pipe organ as she played two or three lines of music. William was walking back and forth on the stage calling out to the audience. “Say Halleluiah.”

The audience responded with a level of enthusiasm Scott had not expected. William was whipping the spectators into a frenzy as he had them clapping their hands, stomping their feet and screaming halleluiah at the top of their voices. Each time the audience would call out “halleluiah”, Betsy would play eight or ten notes on the “organ”.

William then held up both of his hands bringing the room to near dead silence. At the same time, Betsy began to play softly on the organ. “Everyone please join together as we sing “Bringing in the Sheep”

William sat down as everyone began to sing. Scott was on the verge of laughter as he thought about the irony of singing “bringing in the sheep” as Brother Willy’s Traveling Salvation Show was bringing in the people sheep.

It wasn’t long after the first verse that Scott’s ethical considerations began to tug at him. He started to question the morality of using people’s beliefs for a cheap political trick. He was growing less comfortable with his personal role, and the actions of this group. He knew he would have to sit beside the ocean for a long time to think about what he was a part of before he would be at peace with his personal actions.

When the song was over William took the microphone, and walked to center stage. “All of you have been given a beautiful voice and I have been given the talent of our great organist Mrs. Bessie Lou.”

Betsy had been seated at the keyboard and Scott had not been able to see her face until she stood up to join William. Once he saw Betsy, he forgot all about his moral dilemma as he was fighting to keep from laughing. She was wearing a platinum blonde wig, blue eye shadow, hot pink lipstick and had red cheeks that would make Santa Claus envious. She also wore a dress with a floral pattern that made her look about three sizes larger than she actually was. Around her neck was a necklace made from different colored beads.

When William began to lay the groundwork for the introduction of the politicians, Scott couldn’t help but notice how William could stretch a single syllable word like “is” into a long word with between two and three syllables. Almost every word he spoke was stretched out for emphasis.

William would present a short biography on each politician before inviting the mayor and the city council member to the stage to make a few remarks. Once each council member was on stage a few pictures were displayed on the giant monitor behind them. The mayor’s pictures showed him in front of city hall, in his office and finally with his family.

With the local politicians recognition completed, William once again took center stage. “These men all have one thing in common. They all understand the vital role of their dedication to family values and to their lovely wives. They know that public service, honesty, and integrity begin right here at home and travel with them everywhere they go. We can place the same level of trust in these men that each of their wives place in them, because these three men are part of our community family. It now gives me great pleasure to introduce three term congressman, Milton T Snyder.”

Snyder walked to the stage while receiving enthusiastic applause from the audience. William began to read the notes about Snyder’s accomplishments as Snyder stood next to William at the podium. On the giant monitor behind them, pictures began to show Snyder in his congressional office and standing outside the Capitol building in Washington. William then set the sting operation into its final phase. “My friends, it is my pleasure to turn this microphone over to a man who we can trust because he knows the real meaning of family values.”

The applause continued as Snyder placed his notes on the podium. At the very moment Snyder started to speak, Hank flashed a picture on the giant monitor of Snyder and Rachel standing on an isolated beach in Saint Lucia. Snyder by any accounts should not have been wearing a Speedo bathing suit given his weight problems. On the other hand, Rachel caught the eye of every man in the tent as she was wearing a thong bathing suit as she stood with her arms around Snyder’s neck. The fact that Snyder had both of his hands on her backside did little to provide him with any type of plausible deniability.

Before Snyder could say the first three words, Michelle called out in a deep slow southern accent. “Why that ain’t his wife and that picture sure wasn’t taken down at Fishers Pond.”

Nancy called out from the other side of the tent. “It is too is wife. She’s sitting right down yonder in the front row with him.”

Michelle called out again. “That ain’t his wife. That girl works for him and is being paid by the taxpayers. His wife ain’t that young.

By this time, Snyder turned around and looked at the picture with an expression that suggested pure horror. “Where the hell did that picture come from?”

Hank called out from the back row. “We downloaded it from your Facebook page.”

“Well then that picture is a fake some devious misguided liberal has put up trying to make me look bad.”

Scott spoke next. “My name is Joe Marshal and I’m a freelance reporter. That picture is not a fake. It was taken by a reporter with the Washington Post. My question for you is do you plan to go into rehab to get treatment for your sexual addiction problem?”

Scott’s one question opened the floodgates to other reporter’s questions as Scott sat down to watch Snyder’s freefall. Rachel started up the aisle trying to leave the tent as quickly as possible. Scott left the tent before Rachel could get out. She was walking quickly toward the SUV Snyder drove to the event.

She had hoped to lock herself in the SUV, but without the keys, she was left standing with Scott. She turned to him with a snarl, “I have no comment”.

Scott leaned against the SUV as he replied. “In the news business, we always say a picture is worth a thousand words. I don’t think there really is much you could say that would add to what we just saw.”

With a sense of frustration and resignation, she turned and looked at Scott. “No, I don’t think there is much I can add to the story. Is that picture really on his Facebook page?”

Scott took out his cell phone to check. “It looks like it was posted this morning. I would assume the Washington Post will run the story tomorrow.”

She shook her head. “I guess I’ll go back to work in a bar now.”

Scott went off script mostly out of his typical curiosity. “Off the record, was it worth it?”

Her answer came with a brief grin as she shook her head. “You saw his fat stomach when he was wearing that Speedo. What do you think?”

Scott put his hand on her back. “Listen, this is America. Get yourself an agent and sell the book rights. Start dropping in on the News shows to promote yourself. Hell, you have a great body, talk to Playboy Magazine. You have fifteen minutes of fame. Make the most money you can out of this because both of you will be history in a few days.”

James Whitney approached the car muttering under his breath, “I told that jackass not to go with you to Saint Lucia.”

After Snyder sped away in his SUV, Scott returned to the tent. William managed to bring the crowd back under control and delivered a very moving talk on trust. At the end of the program, the group began to play and sing “We Shall Overcome”.

With the crowd gone, the lights dim and with most of the equipment shut down, they all gathered in the tent. William congratulated everyone for the work each member had done. Once he started the group discussion, Scott raised his concern that people were brought to the “revival” under false pretenses. He also shared his ethical concerns about using a religious gathering for political purposes.

Betsy chose to address his concerns. “William never uses religious words in any of these meetings. He doesn’t even use the word “prayer” when he speaks. We don’t promote this as a religious event. Nevertheless, people leave her with a sense of renewal, not because of what we have said, but because they took something of value away that was created in their own minds.”

Betsy paused for a moment to think of the best way to phrase her thoughts before she continued. “As I told you at the beach, the word salvation means things other than just something to do with the deliverance from sin. Salvation can also mean the liberation from ignorance or illusion. Alternatively, it can also mean preservation from destruction. These people were liberated tonight from their ignorance or illusion by finding out what their elected leader was really all about.”

William spoke after Betsy. “I agree with everything Betsy just said, but there is a different reality she didn’t tell you about. All across the world, politics have corrupted religion. This corruption is not limited to any particular faith, as it applies to Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Political leaders and special interest groups have hijacked religion for their own purposes and personal gain. Much to my sadness, the sheep of the world follow right along without questioning any of it.”

Joe looked at William and then at Scott. “What William just said is true and you saw it tonight. Congressman Snyder came here and brought the press and TV reporters hoping they would show him getting the support of the Christian community. He was exploiting this situation for his personal gain.”

Thinking that part of the conversation had played out Michelle was the next to speak. “I would like to say that Bessie Lou just looks stunning tonight. I didn’t even notice your foot long eyelashes until the program was almost over. Your neon blue eye shadow with your hot pink lipstick and that blonde wig just scream out the words, classy lady.”

Betsy took her teasing in stride. “Don’t worry sweetheart. Your aunt Betsy is a woman of many wigs and I know you will look   just as elegant as I when we have our next outing.”

Betsy pulled the wig off as she stood up. Without warning, she placed in on William’s head. “Come on drag queen. It’s time to go.”

Scott, William, and Hank worked out a plan where Scott would use Hank’s car to make his trip to Asheville for the interview. He had also been able to reschedule the interview for ten o’clock in the morning.

CHAPTER XXIII

By eleven o’clock the next morning, the local workers had returned and the trucks, equipment, and tents were packed and ready to go. Joe and Anna soon left driving the truck to New Bern while pulling the travel trailer behind. Hank and Nancy would leave for their weekend trip to the mountains as soon as Scott returned with their car. William took the opportunity to take Nancy and Hank to lunch while Betsy stayed with Michelle in the motor home.

After they fixed their lunch, Betsy sat across from Michelle. “We haven’t had a chance to talk in a while and I wanted to see how things worked out for you and Scott at the Beach.”

“It was a dream come true until after you and William left on Friday and then it turned into a nightmare from hell.”

Betsy looked shocked. “Tell me about it.”

Michelle placed her sandwich down and replied, “Do you want the long version or the short story version?”

Betsy in her typical soft-spoken voice replied, “We do have to get back to New Bern today, so maybe we should stay with the short version.”

Michelle started her explanation. “Wednesday night we had a truth conference and then got in the hot tub where we made the water boil, if you know what I mean. Thursday, we got up made love to each other, played golf, laid on the beach, went out to dinner, took a romantic sunset walk on the beach, came back went to bed at nine o’clock and made the bedroom widows steamy. Friday you and William came and left. We went to the beach to talk and get some sun. Beth came over to yell at Scott because she thought he had raped her in his tent while they were on the canoe trip.”

Betsy held up her hands. “Scott raped a girl?”

Michelle was adamant in her answer. “No, it turns out he wasn’t on the canoe trip because of a stomach virus and it was really Moose in the tent with Beth and Scott’s ex-girlfriend.”

Betsy stopped her again. “So can I assume Beth was raped by a moose?”

Michelle shook her head. No. Moose only had sex with Scott’s ex-girlfriend and he didn’t do anything to Beth except take her shirt off because she had been given a date rape drug. Moose has ethics and he didn’t want to be kicked out of graduate school.”

Michelle took a moment to catch her breath. “Scott had Beth call his ex-girlfriend to confirm he was not in the tent, which she was able to confirm. When we were all in the hot tub, Beth still thought Moose might have raped her so Scott said he would make some calls. He called Moose and Moose told Scott he was only having sex with Scott’s ex-girlfriend, Carlie.”

Betsy took a long deep breath. “So Beth wasn’t raped by Scott or the Moose. I guess she was very relieved with that news.”

Michelle continued. “She was very relieved and I think she was very attracted to Scott even with her history of being in an abusive relationship. She invited me to her party but Scott could not go so he went fishing instead while I went to the party. Beth left the party to hold the shark’s tail while he got the hook from the shark’s mouth.”

Betsy once again held up her hands to stop Michelle but upon further deliberation changed her mind. “Never mind, just go on with the story.”

Michelle nodded. “When Amie cut her arm, I called Scott to help us because I was afraid she was going to hurt somebody or herself. Scott took her to the hospital and told them he would file a lawsuit if they didn’t get Amie into a treatment program. As fate would have it, Beth and I went shopping on Saturday morning leavening Scott at the house. While we were gone, Amie came to the house and Scott took her to lunch and then out to the Fort to talk about her life.”

Betsy rubbed her face lightly with her hand. “Who is Amie and why did Scott need to file a lawsuit on her behalf?”

“She is a friend of Beth’s and I think he got involved with Amie because of some longstanding guilt issues related to Ashley that stem from her accident when she was in high school. Oddly enough, he had nothing to do with her accident yet he still feels guilty about it.”

Betsy sat calmly before she spoke. “If I am following this story correctly, we should be around noon on Saturday. What happened next?”

“I got jealous of Scott and Amie so Beth, Scott, and I went swimming. Next, we all went out to dinner and after we went to bed, Beth got in bed with us because she was terrified over the storm. Scott, Beth, and I went to sleep once the storm was over.”

Betsy placed her hand over her ears. “Stop right there! Are you telling me Scott was in bed with two women?”

Michelle looked at Betsy. “Beth was afraid and had no where else to go.”

William was standing in the parking lot talking to Hank and Nancy when Scott returned with their car. After a brief conversation, Hank and Nancy left for their weekend trip and Scott followed William into the motor home. As Scott and William were standing next to the table, William casually asked Scott about his beach trip with Michelle.

Before Scott could answer, Betsy smacked at William. “For God’s sake, don’t ask. You really don’t want to know.”

William sat next to Betsy while Scott fixed William a drink. Betsy looked at William. “From what I can tell, Beth was not actually raped by a moose so Scott was able to take Amie to the hospital before Beth and Michelle went shopping.”

William understood Betsy’s message. “Let’s just get to the bottom line. What plans have the two of you made?”

Michelle looked at Scott expecting him to answer a few questions after her long explanation to Betsy. “We have decided that if we were really meant to be together, we would have been together long before now. Michelle is going to Washington and I may be coming back to Asheville.”

William directed his question to Scott. “How did you personally reach this decision?”

“I think Beth started me thinking about our situation. She asked me if I was in love with Michelle or if I just love Michelle. As Beth points out, those are two very different things.”

William addressed the same question to Michelle. Her reply was somewhat similar to Scott’s answer. “Beth asked me one night if we were taking our relationship to the next level just to save the friendship.”

William looked back at Scott. “So you may move to Asheville. Did you ask Michelle to go with you? Michelle, did you ask Scott to go with you to Washington?”

Michelle was ready to defend their decision. “We had a truth conference last night and decided that we need time to find out if we really are right for each other. We think being apart from each other will help us make that decision.”

Betsy became far more serious when she responded. “You went to separate schools for four years. If you didn’t find out what you needed to know then, you won’t find out in the next six months. Let me ask you both a question. What are you expecting the other person to do that would help you make your decision about where you go from here. Your time together is running out.”

Scott thought for a moment before he replied. “If I made a decision that caused Michelle to get hurt, I would not be able to live with it. Going to Washington is what she feels like she needs to do and I won’t argue with her. There is nothing wrong with Michelle. The problem is with me.”

Michelle turned and faced Scott. “Damn it Scott, she made a choice to get in the car with a drunken driver. It wasn’t your fault. I am sorry for her and I know how you feel, but you can’t fix all the broken girls. Sometimes people have to understand that their actions have consequences. I am truly sorry for Ashley, but you didn’t cause that problem and you can’t fix it.”

Betsy chose not to enter that discussion as she turned to Michelle. “What is your reservation about being with Scott?”

She thought for a moment. “I’m afraid I won’t meet his expectations. I’m afraid I will lose him as my friend and end up with nothing. Just like Amie and Beth, I am also a broken girl, but Scott has never understood that.”

Scott looked at her with a sense of surprise. “You are the standard I use to measure by. If you are broken, it doesn’t matter because I love you just the way you are.”

William stood up and motioned for Betsy to come with him. “I am going to make you one last offer. The two of you can take the motor home and drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway for a few days. Stop at a campground and walk to the top of Mount Mitchell. You can see four different states from the observation tower. But of greater importance, maybe you will be able to see each other for who you really are.”

Betsy stood up as she spoke. “I’m going to sweeten his offer. When you come back on Sunday, I will throw a party at which time you can tell the world you are getting married or you can call it a farewell party. I can promise you that with Scott in Asheville and Michelle in Washington it will only be a matter of time until your relationship fades away. Time and distance are very difficult for any couple to overcome no matter how much you love each other.”

Michelle looked at Scott. “We should talk about their offer because it does make sense.”

Scott nodded his head. “I agree, because it is something we should consider.”

With his patience nearly gone, William pounded his fist on the table. “Get in the driver's seat and start the motor. When you get to Interstate 40, go west if you want to drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you want to go back to New Bern, drive east. For God’s sake, just do one or the other without spending the next six weeks talking about it. The two of you are pathetic. I’ve always heard a blind squirrel can eventually find an acorn. The two of you can’t even find the forest.”

He started for the door. “I can bring down a United States Congressman and I can’t even get these two on a date. I’m getting too old for this.”

Betsy was following close behind. “I think the two of you would drive to Pope to drink.”

As Betsy and William got in their car, Michelle looked at Scott. “I guess we’ve been told.”

Scott drove out to the interstate before he began to slow down. “Do we go east or west?”

Michelle replied. “I’ll trust your decision.”

Scott turned on the entrance ramp heading east toward the New Bern on Interstate 40 having made a choice he was sure Michelle agreed with. “Two days on the Parkway isn’t going to fix us.”

“Maybe a few months in Washington will.” Michelle replied.

William and Betsy had pulled over at a service station near the I40 interchange to watch and see what choice Scott and Michelle would make. As soon as Scott got on the I40 East ramp, William reached in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He then handed Betsy a five-dollar bill. “You were right.”

Betsy looked at him and smiled. “Keep your wallet out so you can pay me the other five dollars when they announce her trip to Washington on Sunday night.”

William put the car in gear and drove off from the parking lot. “That’s when I will earn my five dollars back. They will have to talk about it some more and then move away from each other. Then they will find some excuse to come back to New Bern and start all over. They will be in their late eighties before they decide to do something, but they will get married.”

Betsy sat quietly for a while before she spoke. “Well if you are so sure, then let’s make it a fifty dollar bet.”

William was not inclined to rush into another bet with Betsy. “What makes you so sure they won’t get married?”

Betsy smiled as she stared ahead at the highway. “They have been having truth conferences for years, but today they finally told each other the truth. Scott is afraid he might do something to hurt Michelle and Michelle is afraid Scott might discover that she wasn’t perfect.”

William put his wallet in the glove compartment. “I should have learned long ago not to bet against you. Now I’m down five dollars and have no way to get it back.”

Betsy smiled. “You’re learning William, you’re learning.”

CHAPTER XXIV

Sunday night came and went with Michelle being the guest of honor at William and Betsy’s farewell party. With the exception of Scott, everyone had expected Michelle to change her mind about going to Washington. She spent all day on Monday and most of Tuesday morning getting ready to leave, but they saved Tuesday afternoon for a quick trip to the lighthouse.

After their afternoon at the beach, they drove back to New Bern for dinner on the waterfront. Knowing their time together was ending, their dinner date was a somewhat somber occasion even as they both tried to make it somewhat festive.

Scott drove Michelle home around eight-thirty in the evening. Stopping in front of her house, he was watching Michelle as he turned off the engine. “When we used to leave each other to go to school, I always knew we would get together when we came home on breaks.”

Michelle looked out of the window to avoid looking at Scott. “I always knew you would be here. If you move to Asheville or anywhere else, you won’t be here the next time I come home.”

Scott realized he had to understand what Michelle’s expectations might be. “I talked to you almost every night while we were in school, but now you say you need to get away from me for a while. Do you want me to call you or do you want the time alone to figure out your life.”

She thought about his question before she gave him an answer. “If I hear the sound of your voice, I’ll find a reason to come running home and that’s not going to solve my problems.”

“This is starting to sound like a real goodbye.” Scott replied.

“Do you think I’m making a mistake?”

Scott rolled down his window before he answered. “You could ask the person you see in the mirror that same question, but I don’t think she would have an answer for you right now.”

She reached for the door handle. “We had a good run together and to be honest, I would love to spend the next two weeks telling you goodbye, but this is just too hard for me.”

They got out of the car and stood on the sidewalk holding each other for several minutes. Michelle hit him in the back lightly as her arms were holding him. “I almost want you to argue with me and tell me I should stay with you.”

Scott continued to hold her. “I can’t argue with you because you said that I have to be on your side even when you’re wrong. If we didn’t have that rule, I would try to talk you into staying.”

“That would imply that you don’t think I am making the right decision.” Michelle replied.

“On Wednesday night, you said we had to make a commitment to each other and I thought we did. What happened to that commitment?” Scott asked.

Michelle thought for a moment. “You made a deal with a girl who can’t get her life straightened out. I know you love me because you can see everyone’s problems and issues except mine.”

Scott shook his head. “I can see your issues as clearly as you can see mine. I just accept you for who you are which is why I have always loved you.”

Michelle took both of his hands as she looked at his face. “Promise me that if I ever come up to bat again, you’ll tell me what the pitcher is going to throw.”

Scott thought about her question for only a moment. “The leaves in Asheville will be changing colors in October. There will be a cool crisp feel of the wind in the morning when the sun reflects off the dew. With a few logs on the fire, it is a great place to watch the sunrise and sunset. There will be a place for you if you decide you need a short vacation.”

Michelle considered his offer. “What if I decide I need a vacation that lasts for several years or maybe for a lifetime?”

Scott was not going to leave his invitation opened ended. “I guess that all depends on how long it takes you and me to get our heads on straight. Until we get there, neither of us knows where this road takes us.”

Michelle turned and started for the house as Scott returned to his car. She knew Scott was telling her that time waits for no one and she knew how hard it was for him to say those words.

For years, they had been dreading the coming of this day and now the hour was at hand. It was typical of their history together that neither should say the word “goodbye” and tonight was no exception. They concluded years ago that “goodbye” sounded much too final.

Scott started the engine as he watched Michelle close the front door. He spoke in a whisper as he put the car in gear and started down the road. “Goodbye Michelle.”

Thinking it would be too hard for both of them, Scott and Michelle agreed they would not see each other on Wednesday before she left New Bern. Instead, Scott returned to the lighthouse where he spent the day alone with his thoughts.

He went to visit Ashley at the rehabilitation center on Friday afternoon. Once again, she was in the courtyard sitting alone when he arrived. He pushed her wheelchair closer to a wall where he could sit while he talked to her and held her hand. Scott could feel her trying to hold his finger while also noticing the strength of her grip was not as strong as usual.

She always seemed to enjoy having Scott brush her hair, which led him to look inside her small purse and remove a brush. As he pulled the brush through her wind blown hair, he thought she was making an effort to smile. He was finding it difficult to think of subjects or news she might find interesting when Scott decided to tell her about the shark he caught while fishing at the beach.

Scott began to brush her bangs, but stopped for a few moments and stared at her. The right side of her face was slightly drawn up and the muscles in her arms and legs were loose and weak, looking slightly contorted. If she were able to understand him, then he wanted to make her feel some sense of pride and satisfaction. “You look beautiful today.”

In the past when he spoke to her, she would try to make some response, but he saw nothing in her eyes that would lead him to believe she had heard his words.

After spending forty-five minutes with Ashley, one of the attendants came to take her to physical therapy. With his usual hug and kiss, he sat on the wall as they pushed her into the building.

Scott remained seated on the wall and staring down at the ground. Soon after Ashley was taken away, a nurse came and sat down beside him. In pure hopeless frustration, Scott turned to face the nurse. “Does she have a clue who I am? When I’m looking at her, am I only seeing what I want to see? Does she really smile at me or is that just my imagination? Does she have any memory of who I am or why I’m here? Do her eyes sometimes sparkle sometimes because she’s happy or is it just an allergy?”

The nurse looked away as she replied, “We don’t know with any certainty what she does and doesn’t know. Last Friday, she became somewhat agitated and stayed that way until late Sunday afternoon. We don’t know what might have set her off.”

“How is she doing with her therapy?” Scott asked.

The nurse shook her head. “We do physical therapy with her twice a day now, but she is losing muscle mass, which is not a good sign. She seems less attentive and responsive and she has had some respiratory issues.”

Scott was staring at the ground as he spoke. “Is she dying?”

The nurse looked at Scott and then turned her head. “We are not allowed to talk about her condition except with family members.”

Scott’s voice was much stronger when he spoke again. “I’ve been coming to see her for what seems like forever. I need to know if she’s dying.”

The nurse looked directly at Scott. “Yes. She is dying and I am afraid there is nothing we can do to change that fact. We are starting to see some weakness in her liver and kidney function tests. The family has asked that we not take extraordinary steps to save her.”

“How long do you think she has?” Scott asked.

The nurse shook her head. “It’s impossible to say but I would think a few months at best, maybe sooner.”

After several minutes of silence, his words reflected his private thoughts. “At least she’ll be free and become a part of something much bigger than us. I guess that’s a good thing.”

The nurse stood as she prepared to leave, as she needed to check on other clients. “For what it is worth, you’ve stood beside her the entire time and I think you being here makes a difference in the quality of her life. I can’t prove it, but I think it’s true.”

Scott also rose to his feet. “Thank you for telling me the truth and thank you for taking care of her. If she has two weeks or two months left, I have to make whatever time she has left be the best I can make it.”

Scott left the center so absorbed in his sense of impending loss, that he did not take the time to answer his cell phone when Beth called. Every memory he had about his time with Ashley was flowing through his mind. His last dance with her at the prom, the crumpled twisted metal of the car that destroyed her life, her endless stare into oblivion at the rehab center, and all the time they spent together in high school were now all meshed together creating a tapestry in his mind.

Contemplations of her death brought about his feelings of premeditated guilt and loss. After all, he could have done more for her. He could have come to see her far more often than he did. Had he made a different choice on prom night, she would never have been the victim of her fate. At least for the moment, if there was anything he could blame himself for, he was going to do it.

As he sat in the parking lot, his cell phone rang once again. This time he looked down to see who was calling only to realize it was Beth. With some hesitation, he finally answered the call after several rings. They took only a few minutes exchanging greetings and engaging in small talk.

It was not long before Beth came to the reason for her call. “Michelle called me this afternoon and said I should check in on you.”

Scott replied without thinking about his answer. “That’s very nice of Michelle to call someone else to ask how I’m doing.”

Beth’s reply was slower in coming. “I don’t think I want to get into that discussion on the phone. Anyway, the people who were going to use the beach house aren’t going to be there this weekend. I thought you might want to stop by if you didn’t have anything else planned.”

Scott declined Beth’s offer without giving any real explanation or consideration. “Maybe we can get together in a few days.”

“Where are you?” Beth asked.

Scott replied, “I’m in Swansboro getting ready to go back to New Bern.”

Beth’s reply made it clear she intended to get her way. “I’m in Swansboro too so why don’t we have dinner together and then you can head back. You sound like you need a friend.”

After only a few moments, Scott knew he had no acceptable reason to avoid meeting Beth and therefore agreed to have dinner with her. He found her at Captain Charley’s Restaurant where he and Amie had been to lunch before her treatment began. It had been almost two weeks since he had seen or talked to Beth and seeing her now was a somewhat pleasant distraction. Their conversation during dinner was relaxed and at times offered him some escape from his discouraging week.

After dinner, Beth and Scott walked down Front Street to the Gray Dolphin bookstore. They spent the next hour browsing in this and other shops before going back to the parking lot. They stopped several times along the way to peak in the windows of other shops before making their final stop for an ice cream cone.

Beth leaned against her car knowing they were now ready to say goodnight to each other. “Thank you for taking me to dinner tonight. Dinner was very nice and to be honest, I’ve wanted to call you before now.”

Scott also leaned against her car. “I’ve had a nice time too. I really didn’t want any company tonight but as it turns out, you have been the best part of my day.”

She looked down at the pavement. “I haven’t been the best part of anybody’s day in quite a while.”

“Maybe you haven’t given anybody the chance to say that to you.”

She smiled as she shook her head. “Most people think I am too screwed up and they don’t want to waste their time on me.”

Scott looked across his shoulder at Beth for a few moments. “One of these days, I am going to get inside your head and find out what makes you tick.”

Beth turned her head as she issued a warning. “If you were able to get inside my head, I might lock the door and never let you leave. You would think you were trapped inside an enigma without solution or escape.”

Scott turned his eyes to the sky as he tried to remember his last encounter with Beth. “You once told me you were a shark swimming in circles around me and that you were going to bite me. I think you are taking a nibble of me right now.”

Beth continued to watch his reaction. “The beach house is only fifteen minutes from here and I think you should come with me. We can drink coffee and talk all night. Besides, it’s a big house and I want to feel safe when I first go in. You would be doing me a real favor.”

Scott looked away as he considered her offer. “Maybe we could cheer each other up. You can tell me about your abusive boyfriend or we could talk about my runaway girlfriend?”

Beth had a different idea in mind. “Maybe we could talk about other things and forget about both of them for a while”.

She was offering Scott a much-needed distraction from both Ashley’s situation and Michelle’s departure. As if that were not enough, she had a way of drawing him into her world by allowing him to have a glimpse into her heart and soul. Still, she was going to make him work harder to see her deepest thoughts.

“The last time we got into a real discussion, things went a little beyond where you intended to go. Are you sure you feel safe enough for me to come spend a few hours alone with you?” Scott asked.

Beth looked away as she recalled their brief moment of passion on her basement steps. “I asked you to stop touching me and you stopped touching me. Yes, I do trust you enough to be alone with you.”

Scott looked at the sky. “We still have an hour or so of daylight, so let’s go watch the ocean for a while and solve all of the world’s problems.”

Once they arrived at her house, Beth went through the house checking each room to be sure all was secure. As they walked throughout the house, she checked each bathroom and closet for possible intruders before finishing their patrol in the kitchen.

Having made the mutual decision to watch the sunset from the deck, Beth fixed drinks before joining him outside. She sat next to him at the small table. “I got off work early today and was so excited to be able to come here this weekend. It is so peaceful here.”

“You have a great view of the ocean too. I really like to photograph the sunset.” Scott replied.

After a long period of silence, curiosity got the best of Scott. “Why did Michelle call you?”

Beth was going to be both careful and deliberate with her answer. “Oh, I don’t know. I think she had several things on her mind. She said she wanted to know how you were doing, but if that was her actual reason, she could have checked with you or someone else who knows you better than I do. I think she was mostly on a fishing expedition to find out if I had seen you.”

Scott gave no Beth no indication of what he might be thinking as he accepted her comment without responding. From his silence, Beth chose to move in her own direction with their conversation. “You guys have the strangest relationship I think I have ever seen.”

Scott’s casual tone did not come close to his actual thoughts. “Some things don’t work out for reasons we don’t always understand. She has moved on and I hope to hear about a job interview in a few weeks that will take me back to Asheville.”

Beth closed her eyes for a few moments. “I would love to go back there to live. I like the coast, but I think I would be very happy living in the mountains. Maybe we could go camping together this fall when all the leaves are changing. Are you going to let me come for a visit if you move back up there?”

“Let’s see if I get the job first.”

Beth was slightly more insistent. “We can still go camping together, even if you don’t get the job.”

After some thought, he nodded his head slowly. “You know, that might not be a bad idea for either of us. We could camp by the river and pick up all the pieces of our life and move on.”

Beth continued to watch a fisherman on the shore as she replied, “I would like to pick up the pieces of my life. I feel very safe with you right now.”

After spending much of the evening talking and watching the sun disappear over the horizon, they made the decision to watch a movie before Scott was to head back to New Bern. Scott and Beth sat on the sofa together watching the movie until midnight when Scott drifted off to sleep. He remained asleep until Beth’s movement around the room aroused him from a sound sleep.

Opening his eyes, he immediately noticed two candles placed on the table in the dimly lighted room. Beth approached him wearing a long white gown and carrying a candle in her hand. Having glanced at the TV and DVD player, he knew the power was still on in the house. For the moment, Scott assumed Beth was trying to create a romantic atmosphere.

As his eyes were adjusting to the dim light, Beth stood several feet in front of him for only a few moments until Scott spoke. “You look very pretty tonight.”

Beth’s response was far from anything he was expecting. “Did you tell her we were in love with each other?”

Clearly confused by her question, Scott sought some clarification. “Did I tell who that we were in love?”

After only a few seconds, Beth offered an explanation that would leave Scott far more confused. “Did you tell Beth that you and I were in love with each other?”

Beth’s facial expression was devoid of any emotion and her entire body showed little animation. Her stare was almost relentless at this point. The one thing Scott felt with some degree of certainty was that she was not playing a game with him. In the brief time he had known Beth, he had seen nothing to hint at an explanation of her current behavior.

Choosing to believe that she was not fully awake, he asked what he thought would give him some insight into her thoughts. “How long have we been in love with each other?”

Beth considered his question for a moment before moving to the sofa where she next to him with one arm over his shoulder. “I think I first knew we were in love on the day we went bicycle riding together.”

Scott knew he and Beth had never been riding together but her comment immediately captured his full attention. “Tell me everything that happened that day that made it special.”

Beth let her cheek rest on his shoulder as she described their experience. “We took our bikes out in the country and were riding along the road. On our way back, a storm was blowing in so we stopped at an old barn to wait for the storm to pass.”

Scott face was beginning to turn pale as he listened to Beth recount her story. She was describing an event, which happened between him and Ashley nearly five years before. Trying to remain objective and calm, he asked another question. “What else do you remember about that day?”

Beth’s reply was both calm and completely accurate in each of the details. “When we got to the barn, the farmer told us we could wait there until the storm passed. He got in his truck and drove away. You and I sat on a bale of hay in the barn just as the rain started. It was very sweet when you took off your jacket and wrapped it around me.”

Scott could not imagine how anyone could know the story about the day he and Ashley went off together. He was equally sure that even if someone had known about his date with Ashley, no one would remember it now. The only explanation that he could think of would be that Beth had somehow used old social media to find information Ashley might have posted at one time or another.

Scott knew that if he were going to understand what Beth was doing, he would have to find some minor detail that only he and Ashley might know. “Do you remember the farmer wearing a blue hat that had the word ‘FORD’ written on it?”

Beth sat up as though she were trying to recall that day in the barn. Scott was confident he had found something Beth could not possibly know. Her reply was somewhat uncertain. “I don’t remember it that way. I remember he had on a new green ‘JOHN DEERE’ hat. I remember you made some comment about him getting the new hat when he bought his tractor.”

Although Beth was correct and Scott was astonished, he remained determined to find out how Beth could possibly know such an insignificant detail. To his surprise, Beth returned to her original idea. “I think you need to tell Beth and Michelle that we are in love with each other and that I don’t appreciate them trying to come between us.”

Scott knew that either Beth was having some severe psychological problems or that Ashley was somehow using Beth to communicate her thoughts. The prospect of Beth having problems would be hard enough to face, but the idea that Ashley could connect to him through Beth was an idea he was not able to accept.

He would make one last challenge to test Beth’s knowledge. “I noticed you didn’t have on your bracelet this afternoon when I came to see you.”

Beth showed no hesitation with her answer. “They put it in my room because I had physical therapy just after you left. I love my bracelet and they put it back on my wrist before dinner.”

Having no idea what he should do, he played along with the role of being Ashley’s boyfriend. “I can’t believe I am talking to you.”

“Don’t worry sweetheart. In a few weeks you and I will be together forever.” Beth replied.

Scott looked at Beth who for all practical purposes was in a trance like state. Still she was somewhat animated as she continued to hold on to Scott. “We won’t have to wait a few weeks to be together because I’ll stop by again tomorrow and see you.”

There was a long hesitation before she spoke. “I’m dying Scott. In a few weeks when you and I have moved on to another way, we will be together for all eternity.”

Scott was shocked beyond belief with her statement. “Are you telling me that I’m dying?”

Ashley was apparently at peace with her idea. “It’s the only way we can be together. Try not to be afraid. The nurse told me I was dying and I was so afraid until I thought about you and me being together within the Universal Mind.”

Scott had talked about the Universal Mind when he and Ashley were alone in June and he was convinced Beth would have no way of knowing about that conversation. In a final effort to determine if he was actually talking to Ashley, he posed one last question. “Do you remember when we talked about the Universal Mind?”

“It was at the beginning of summer when you came to see me. You were holding my hand while we sat in my room. Don’t you remember?” Beth replied.

Beth had made a statement that was completely accurate and to deny what he was hearing was no longer an option. “Are you in any pain?”

Beth shook her head. “No, they gave me a shot to help me sleep and I don’t think I can stay awake much longer.”

Scott could contain himself no longer. “How are you talking to me through Beth?”

“It’s not easy, cowboy. She is fighting me as hard as she can for control. I’ve had four years to learn to use my mind in a different way and I don’t really know how I did it. All I know is that I can connect to people who are with you. For some reason I can’t just connect my thoughts to yours.”

Ashley was the only girl who had ever referred to Scott as cowboy thus adding one more layer of knowledge to what he was seeing. Scott now had to ask the ultimate question. “How am I going to die?”

“We can decide that in a few weeks. You should think about the best way for you to end your life but we can figure that out later. I have to go to sleep. The medicine is making me tired and I can’t keep fighting Beth much longer.” Ashley replied.

Scott was so stunned with her reply, that he simply made a quiet suggestion. “Go to sleep and don’t fight this anymore. I’ll see you in the morning.”

The last words he heard from Beth before they entered a prolonged period of silence were “I love you.”

Scott sat silently while Beth drifted off to sleep as her head rested on his shoulder. In a state of disbelief, he was confronted with a situation where he had been witness to something he knew to be impossible. He was now left in the dim candlelight to contemplate the meaning of his experience and all the emotions she had brought to the surface.

Long ago, Scott had come to accept the fact that he would never again have a conversation with Ashley and still that night he heard her words through Beth’s voice. He believed the girl he loved in high school had been lost to the world, yet she apparently found a way to be in his life. With Ashley’s voice now sleeping, Scott realized he had wasted an opportunity to tell Ashley so many things he would like to say to her. There were things he both wanted and needed to hear from Ashley, but he had let their time together disappear as he tried to confirm her existence in Beth’s voice.

Ashley accepted her pending death not only with courage, but also with a sense of optimism believing she and Scott would once again be together in a life beyond the one they were both living. She was now suggesting Scott end his own life not as an act of desperation or depression, but to fulfill a commitment they made to each other long ago.

Any sense of guilt over the accident Scott had managed to hide in the attic of his mind had now been reborn with a new unrelenting intensity. It was as though she had erased any sense of healing he experienced in the past four years. Every faded memory was now crystal clear in his mind.

Scott sat for the next thirty minutes with his mind racing from one thought to another until Beth began to stir. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked a few times as she looked up at his face. “What time is it?”

Scott glanced at the wall clock before he responded. “It’s one-thirty. You’ve been asleep for a while.”

Beth stretched as she stood up before making her way to the kitchen to fix them a drink. When she returned, her comments would leave Scott in a state of near amazement. She placed their drinks on the coffee table as she sat down. “I had the strangest dream. I thought the ghost had come back and was talking to us.”

Making a deliberate effort to hide any sense of surprise, Scott questioned her. “What did the ghost tell us?”

Beth shrugged off his question. “I don’t remember but I think she was talking to you.”

Scott did not intend to let Beth know the truth about what had happened. He assumed she was better off not knowing as it would be difficult to explain and impossible for her to believe. “Well, dreams can be strange sometimes.”

Beth smiled as she looked over her shoulder at him. “I’m glad you came here with me tonight. I have been feeling a little uneasy for the past few weeks. I also have that feeling people get when they think something bad is going to happen. It’s silly but I still feel better with you here.”

Still very distracted by his experience, Scott put his hand on Beth’s shoulder to reassure her before he got up and walked to the door. Staring out at the ocean, he asked a question in a soft voice. “What do you think happens to a person after they die?”

Beth replied, recognizing the serious tone to his voice. “I don’t know. I want to believe we all go to heaven and that we live forever in peace and without fear.”

Her use of the word fear caught his attention. Without turning to look at Beth, he asked a follow up question. “Are you still afraid of me?”

“That’s an interesting question. To be honest, I was afraid of you, but I’m getting over it. It’s odd that I would be afraid of you while at the same time feeling safe knowing you are here with me. My brain tells me you won’t hurt me but something in the back of my mind makes me feel like I need to be cautious.”

Scott was being somewhat cryptic in his reply. “Beth, sometimes it’s the things you can’t see that hurt you the most. You have nothing to fear from me.”

Beth rose from the sofa and stood behind Scott for several minutes with her arms around his waist. “You look distracted and very tired. If I have nothing to fear from you, then come to bed with me.”

CHAPTER XXV

Early Saturday morning, Scott received a call from his mother saying Ashley had slipped into a coma. Feeling a sense of urgency, he was on his way to the rehabilitation center within minutes. His mind was racing while trying to anticipate every possible implication of her condition as he drove across the bridge into Swansboro.

When Scott entered Ashley’s room, her mother gave him a long hug but he received no acknowledgement from her father. After hugging Ashley’s sister, he went to the bed and looked down at Ashley for what seemed like an eternity as he held her hand.

Ashley’s mother suggested her family leave the room for a few minutes in order to give Scott time alone with Ashley. Her father was the last to leave, but he made sure Scott saw the incriminating expression on his face. Her father made no effort to hide the fact that he thought Scott was responsible for Ashley’s accident. Even during the time Scott and Ashley were dating, there were few times when the two of them shared a respectful relationship. It was more as if they tolerated each other for Ashley’s benefit.

While the family was out of the room, Scott leaned over the bed rails and gave her a soft kiss. He whispered in her ear after she took a gasp for breath. “I promise you that we’ll get there together. You just hang on and wait for me. Everything is going to be just like I told you it would be. We’ll watch the sunrise and take long walks on the beach. We’ll sit in the sand and talk about anything you want. You’ll be free at last.”

Scott stood up as he heard the door to her room open and the family returning. They were followed in the room by several medical technicians who were going to transfer Ashley to the hospital in Morehead City. Scott and her father left the room together while the technicians were getting Ashley ready to transfer.

There was only a moment of civility as they stood alone in the hallway. In a quiet voice, her father looked directly at Scott. “She wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. You killed my daughter.”

Scott turned to face her father. “She was safe and sober when I brought her home and you know it. You aren’t going to put this on my shoulders.”

The anger on her father’s face was growing. “You killed my daughter. If you want to take this outside and settle it, then let’s go.”

Every emotion, every ounce of guilt, and every sense of loss Scott had been hiding for years all came out in one powerful burst of energy. In a moment of pure anger, Scott lost his sense of self-control. He lunged towards her father, grabbing him by the shirt collar and slamming him into the wall. “You started killing Ashley years before I came along. I’ve seen your drunk driving convictions and you get so drunk at bars that somebody has to carry your sorry ass out and dump you on the street. Where in the hell were you the night she was hurt? Drunk again. Hell yes! You sorry sac of shit She learned how to get drunk from you. Take that piece of information to your grave and then straight to hell.”

When Scott released his grip, Ashley’s father slid down the wall before he came to rest on the floor. He then called out, “I’ll have you arrested you little son of a bitch.”

Scott walked back over to her father and looked down at him. After he spat in her father’s face, Scott replied in a calm tone of voice. “You better hurry. Time is running out.”

The door to Ashley’s room opened when Scott was halfway up the hall. Scott stood to the side as the paramedics pushed the stretcher past him. Ashley’s family walked past Scott, but only her mother stopped for a moment and spoke. “She loves you so much Scott. I’ll call you and let you know how she’s doing.”

As Scott left the rehab center, he called Beth to tell her there had been an emergency and he would try to call her later the next week. He would not know until he reached home that Ashley had been pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. From that moment forward, Scott knew his life would never be the same.

Throughout the funeral, Scott sat with his eyes fixed on her casket while remembering every moment they ever spent together. In an almost methodical approach, his mind went back to the day they first met. The first time they took a small boat and went sailing in the Bouge Sound, the bicycle trips they took in the countryside, the days spent in algebra class, and their very first date were all memories etched clearly in his mind.

Over her father’s objections, Ashley’s mother insisted that Scott be one of the six pallbearers that would carry her coffin from the hearse to the gravesite. While he felt a sense of duty and honor to carry out his assignment, each step he took only intensified his sense of loss. It was as though he was being forced to accept that which he refused to accept. Ashley was gone and there was nothing Scott could do to change history.

The longer he stared at her coffin, the greater his resentment grew knowing her free spirit had been captured and would now be confined forever. For the past four years, everything she dreamed of and wished for had been taken away. He knew he could have done something differently the night she was hurt and he knew he had failed. Her cowboy had let her down.

When the family was leaving the gravesite after the service on Tuesday afternoon, Ashley’s mom came over to Scott before extending her arm to hand him something. As he reached out, she dropped Ashley’s bracelet into his hands. “Her father refused to let her be buried with this bracelet and I thought you might like to have it back.”

Scott reached out to hug her mother as he slipped the bracelet into his coat pocket. “If she can’t have it then I would like to keep it. Thank you.”

Scott remained by the graveside after everyone else had left. He had a sense that he should remain there for some indefinite period to ensure Ashley would be protected. It was only after Mark came and stood beside him that he realized he was standing alone. After his father gave him a gentle prod on the shoulder, Scott realized he was the last person remaining at the gravesite. “It’s time to leave Scott.”

Scott looked up to see a seagull flying above. He watched the bird moving through the sky with little effort as she was gliding on the wind. The bird circled the cemetery twice before heading back in the direction of the river. Scott then turned to his father. “Yea, it is time to leave.”

Late on Thursday afternoon, Scott left home alone headed for Cape Lookout. After taking the ferry to Cape Lookout, he walked past the lighthouse and sat in the sand close to the water. He paused only long enough to let his depressing memories overtake his sense of better judgment. In his mind, Michelle had made the decision not to carry their relationship forward when she left for Washington. He had heard nothing from his string of job interviews, his new friend Beth was afraid of him and now Ashley had died.

The idea of taking his own life became a consideration only because of his belief that he and Ashley could be together in some other world. Life was easy for them during their year together in school when the realities of the world had not set in. His memories were colored by those things he wanted to value and forgetting those things that did not fit into the tapestry of peaceful existence. Scott reluctantly concluded he was unwilling to accept the realities of life and that the cost of reality was too high a price. In so many words, Scott was trying to justify his plan to take his life.

Scott was a reasonably strong swimmer and knew that if he was going to take his own life, he wanted to make it look like an accident. Once satisfied that his plan was foolproof, he stood up and started for the water’s edge dragging his canvas raft behind him. He left his keys and wallet lying on his towel, but carried a small knife with him. When he was far enough out into the ocean, he would prick the raft with his knife and drop the knife into the ocean. Once the raft deflated, he would be so far from shore that he would be unable to swim back safely. Scott also knew he would reach a point of no return should he lose his nerve or conviction.

He then pulled the raft past the breaking waves before climbing aboard. Slowly, but with a sense of determination, he paddled his raft with his arms and hands pushing the raft further away from the shoreline. He had picked this time of day and this very hour knowing the outgoing tide would help carry him further from the shore. The further he went from the shoreline, the more content he became with his decision.

Once he was beyond the point where he could swim back to shore, Scott stopped and rested for only a moment before reaching in his pocket and removing the small knife. To his surprise and frustration, he noticed a small sunfish sailboat headed in his direction.

The Sunfish was a boat slightly larger than a kayak and equipped with a single sail. Scott watched the boat for several minutes thinking it would soon tack in a different direction as the boat was sailing into the wind. He continued to wait for several more minutes, but the boat continued its course directly for him.

As the boat drew nearer, he soon realized there was no one on board controlling the sails or steering the small craft. He had to halt his plan long enough to decide if this would change his plan to make his death look accidental. When the boat was twenty feet away from him, the sail shifted as the rudder also turned causing the boat to come directly to him.”

Scott placed his face down on the raft while trying to decide if he were the recipient of Divine intervention or if he was just very incompetent in committing suicide. The sound of a female voice caused him to raise his head and look in the direction of the boat.

“So just what exactly do you think you are doing?” Ashley asked in a calm voice.

She was wearing the evening gown she had worn to the prom. He looked at her as a smile came to his face. “I told you we would get there together and I guess this is the moment of truth. For some strange reason, I am not surprised to see you.”

“There is no question but that this is a moment of truth but I’m not sure you and I are talking about the same definition of truth.” Ashley replied as she lowered the sail.

Scott took hold of the boat keeping his raft close to her. “I don’t know how this is possible, but this is like my best dream ever coming true.”

Ashley smiled as she watched his face. “Tie your little raft to the boat and climb on board. I’ve waited four years for you to take me sailing again, just like we used to do.”

Scott climbed aboard the small boat and sat across from Ashley choosing to stare at her without speaking for several minutes. After a long embrace, she looked down at the water. “You don’t know how long I have waited for you to do that. Now you can take me away on our magic ship to some romantic island.”

Scott started smiling. “I see there’s nothing wrong with your memory. I remember the little game we used to play in high school when you and I would go sailing and try find an island where we could be alone. Once we got to an island, you became the princess of the island and I was your loyal prince.”

She started smiling. “We used to take our little boat and land on some of the small islands between Harkers Island and Cape Lookout. We would take our lunch and spend the whole day together.”

The smile slowly left her face as she continued. “It was the best of times and the worst of times.”

Scott watched her expression. “I cannot imagine the hell you have been trough for the last four years.”

“I want you to know that you helped me make it through it all. Every time you came to see me it helped me remember a time when our life was perfect.”

Scott offered his confession. “I came to the point where I didn’t want to come see you anymore. I couldn’t stand seeing you become something you would never want to be. I would look at you knowing you wanted to be out on the sea sailing in our boat and not confined like some caged animal.”

Ashley looked away for a moment. “You had no way of knowing this, but when you were holding my hand and telling me some story, in my mind we were on this boat sailing for some distant place. You gave me peace of mind to enjoy my memories. You kept me going.”

Scott looked into her eyes for several minutes without speaking. Finally, he had to ask the question she knew was coming. “How is it possible that you’re here with me now? Are you my escort to the other side of existence?”

Ashley looked up at the mast as she thought about how to answer his questions. “When you came to my room in June, you told me all about the Universal Mind in such a way that let me know it was alright for me to give up the fight to survive. You let me know there was a time for all things and my time to leave would be at my choosing. I wasn’t going to give up until I knew you would be alright without me.”

Scott replied as he looked away from Ashley. “It should be obvious that I’m not going to be alright without you which might explain what I’m doing out here on a raft.”

She leaned forward and kissed him. “Among a thousand other reasons, I came here to tell you that you were right. There is a time for all things, and this is not your time to call it quits.”

Scott looked confused. “When you were talking to me through Beth, I got the impression that I was supposed to die when you did.”

She took his hands as she watched his reaction. “I was only wanting for us to be together. I didn’t understand a different reality at the time, but now I do. Eternity goes on forever, but life passes in the blinking of an eye. We will be together when the given order brings us together. That is not your decision or mine.”

Scott hesitated to share his thoughts but soon made his belief known to Ashley. “I can’t go through life with the guilt of your death.”

“Scott, you were always my big strong cowboy that kept me safe and protected, but please don’t try to be the Master of the Universe. That job is well beyond your skill level.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Scott asked with a grin.

“It means that many kind and smart people have lost their minds trying to solve the problems of what could have been. Life is not hypothetical… life is what it is. Things are the way they are for a reason. If anyone is to blame, it would be me.”

Scott was ready to ask a question he had spent years thinking about. “I was told that you left your house after the prom because you thought Michelle was coming with me to the river.”

Ashley started laughing. “Scott, that is crazy. Everybody in school knew you and Michelle were friends and nobody thought there was anything going on between you and her. Everybody thought your relationship with her was strange, but nobody thought you were having a physical relationship with each other.”

“Then why did your friend tell me you came to the river to catch me with Michelle?” Scott asked.

There was a tone of disgust in Ashley’s voice. “She told you that because it was her idea to go to the river that night. She couldn’t deal with the guilt so she just dumped it on your shoulders.”

Scott returned to their previous idea. “You and I are together and happy now. Why did you say it’s not my time to leave this world if we can be together now?”

“I said that because you haven’t finished your job yet. Don’t you know you are supposed to fix all the broken girls?” Ashley said while teasing Scott.

Scott chose his words carefully. “I’ve finished fixing all the broken girls. You are with the Universal Mind, Michelle is in Washington living her new life without me, and Amie is going to graduate school to solve all the mysteries of the universe. My work here is finished.”

“I think you are forgetting someone. Michelle, Amie, and I all suffered from self-inflicted wounds. Beth suffers from being a victim of abuse that was not of her own choosing. She needs you more than you can imagine and I want you to help her just like you were with me when I needed you.”

“Are you like an angel or something? You look and act as just like you always were. It’s like we have gone back in time and nothing between us has changed.” Scott asked.

She shook her head. “I don’t know what I am, I don’t know how this is possible, and I can’t explain it to you. However, you always said that once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. Nothing between us will ever change and I will be here waiting for you when your time comes.”

“Just for the sake of curiosity, why are you wearing your prom dress on the sailboat.”

She looked down at her dress as she replied, “Because this is the way I want you to remember me. I don’t want you ever to think of me sitting in that wheel chair with a blank expression on my face. I want you to remember me as we were in our time and place. I want you to remember the girl you took sailing and all the fun we had together.”

Scott’s curiosity about her presence came to his mind. “How does it all work? How are you here? How long can we be together? Why are things happening like they are?”

She leaned back looking up at the sky as she spoke. “I don’t yet know how all things work, but you will find what I do know to be very interesting.”

“Does that mean I’m going to learn the secrets of the universe?” Scott asked.

“You are one of the lucky people who were helped by Brother Willy’s Traveling Salvation Show. If not for William and Betsy, you and Michelle would never have come to the beach together for the weekend. If you didn’t come to the beach, you would never have met Beth. If you never met Beth, you would never have heard me speaking to you through her voice. You would never have met Amie and she would never have gone to rehab. Michelle would still be living at home and the two of you would still be pretending that you were right for each other. Last but not least, you would not be here on a raft getting ready to become shark bait.”

Scott continued to question Ashley. “When you were alive, how were you able to get into Beth’s mind? Can I assume you were the ghost she kept talking about?”

“There was nothing mystical about my mind link with Beth. When you sit in a wheel chair or bed twenty-four hours each day, you learn things about mental power that most people don’t even know can exist. Beth and I had some very interesting girl talk sessions, but you should never tell her about any of this. She needs for you to be her rock right now. I am the one who convinced Beth to talk to you the day you met. You are supposed to take care of her.”

“The way you are talking, you must be here to save me from myself.” Scott replied.

“Betsy told you something that you need to remember. Salvation can mean the liberation from ignorance or illusion or it can also mean preservation from destruction. You are getting both of these things today. My accident was not your fault and you can be liberated from that illusion. You are not going to take your life, thus you are being preserved from destruction. Brother Willy’s Traveling Salvation Show works in some very unusual ways that might surprise even William and Betsy. For that reason, you should think about working with them. They gave you salvation and you didn’t even know it. Working for the Salvation Show might be your calling in life.”

Scott chose to argue with her. “If I had stayed with you that night, you would never have been hurt. There were things I could have done different.”

“Scott, if wishes were horses, then beggars would ride. If I had my way and if I had made different choices, then you and I might be married and living happily ever after. If, if, if. We don’t know what our fate would have been if I had not been hurt that night. Those things aren’t ours to know, but never underestimate the power of the given order. You and I will have eternity to be together and your life here will be over before you know it. You will be an old man looking back one day wondering where all the time went. One day, you are going to walk out on the beach and I will be standing there waiting for you to take me sailing again. We will get in this boat and we will sail away together for all eternity. I am very happy right now and I don’t mind waiting for you but today is not the day when you and I sail off into the sunset together.”

After a long kiss and a period of holding each other close, Ashley kissed the tip of his nose as she often had done. “I think you have something which belongs to me.”

She held out her wrist as Scott pulled her bracelet from his shorts pocket and placed it on her arm. “How did you know I was bringing this to you?”

“You didn’t think I was going to leave without my bracelet, did you? I may be dead but I’m still your girlfriend.” Ashley replied with her typical grin.

After hooking the clasp, they gave each other another long and very loving kiss. When Scott opened his eyes, he was lying face down on his canvas raft. As he looked around he saw no sailboat and Ashley was gone. He looked over his shoulder and immediately realized he was less than twenty feet from the shore. To add to his astonishment, Beth was standing at the edge of the water frowning at him.

He got off the raft and started towing it past the breakers until it dragged in the sand. Beth walked up and hit him in the stomach. “Are you crazy? Do you have any idea how far out there you were?”

Scott turned around and looked at the ocean for a moment before he faced Beth once again. “I was a lot further out there than you will ever believe.”

Beth was still nervous and made her concerns known. “You said I was a shark. Okay. I am a shark and if you ever do something stupid like that again, I am going to bite your head off.”

Scott placed his arms around Beth and pulled her close. Ashley’s words immediately came back to him. “I guess that would make me shark bait, wouldn’t it. Don’t worry because it won’t happen again. I was just lost in a daydream.”

She took his hand leading her up the beach. “I expect you to take me to dinner so that I can explain how you and I are going to spend our life together.”

Scott pulled her hand so that she would stop walking. “How did you know I would be here?”

Her expression became much more serious, yet somewhat devious. “I don’t know. I just had a feeling I should come here to find you. Maybe the ghost told me or, maybe I called you mom and she told me you were coming out her. You choose whichever answer works for you, because both answers would be correct.”

Scott stared at Beth for a few moments. “I was very far from shore and I don’t have a clue how I got back.”

Beth was confused by his comment. “The girl with the small sail boat towed your raft behind her boat until you were close to shore. Don’t you remember? She may have saved you life and you should go thank her.”

Scott glanced around expecting to see Ashley, but he saw no one nor did he see a boat. “Where did she go?”

Beth scanned the beach and ocean looking for the boat. “That’s strange. She couldn’t have gone far but I don’t see her or the boat.”

Scott turned and looked back at the sun setting on the horizon. He reached in his pocket realizing Ashley’s bracelet was in fact gone. After a brief smile, he turned back to Beth. “I would love to take you to dinner and let you tell me how we are going to spend our life together.”

As they came closer to the ferry landing, Beth made a casual observation. “When I invite you to come to bed with me, I don’t expect you to just go to sleep without showing me some level of affection.”

Scott started smiling. “I thought you were afraid of me.”

“I’m not afraid of you anymore. In my dream last Friday night, the ghost told me you would take care of me and never hurt me. I believe she was telling me the truth because for some reason, I finally realized the ghost loves you.”

Thank youfor reading this novel and please share you impressions with others and meon Amazon or on my website at http://wscottmitchell.weebly.com/

Other Books by W. Scott Mitchell

The Mirror Image at Acadia

Coincidence by Design

Emily’s Last Obsession

The Gray Stone Conspiracy

The Reincarnation of Annie Brown