Brother Willy's Traveling Salvation Show (15 page)

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.