Brother Willy's Traveling Salvation Show (12 page)

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 want
ed 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 13
th
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.