Untrusting (Troubled) (25 page)

On the way back to the hotel, Miss
Lili asks what brought on our conversation.  We told her we started out
intending to tease the snooty women at the party because of our conversation
with Alma in the bathroom.  Miss Lili laughs, “Alma never has liked formal
anything, but she likes the snooty wives even less.  Fortunately, she
likes what Mark does for the state so she tolerates the rest of it.”

“What did you girls hear about the
oil legislation?”  She’s still trying to save oil jobs.

“Some of the men are concerned for
the revenue it brings in if the legislation to curb oil production goes
through.  I don’t know what party they’re with but most of them are going
to talk to the federal side to try to sway votes.”  Maria heard more than
I did and I was with her all night.

“I heard a lot of angry oil
producers are considering hiring lobbyist to get the bill squashed in the
House.  They want to delay the bill ‘til it’s too late to vote on. 
I, too, don’t know who was talking.  I can tell you one thing, the wives
don’t miss a thing that’s said.  I swear they were listening to every word
in every conversation that went on and all at the same time.  I can just
imagine them trying to sort it out later.  It has to have been a few words
from each conversation on top of the other.  Brain noise.”

Miss Lili laughs, “You girls did
just fine.  We’re here so let’s get to bed so we can get home
tomorrow.  We won’t be leavin’ ‘til after an early lunch.  I have a
meeting at the office tomorrow mornin’.  You girls can sleep in, just be
ready for lunch at eleven.”

“Miss Lili, do ya need us with ya
tomorrow?”  Maria seems to like the meetings.

“No.  It’s just a quarterly
report meeting.  Nothing really interesting and you girls can use the
extra rest.  Besides, I don’t want my boys to think I worked their girls
to exhaustion when we get back.”  We nod and go into our rooms.

Maria comes over after she changes
and we talk for an hour after we leave Miss Lili.  We’re anxious to get
home and relax and recuperate from our “vacation.”  We had fun, but we
were out of our element, so relaxing wasn’t something we could do.  It was
hard work meeting all those people and “spying” for Miss Lili.  “Did ya
see those wives when their husbands started talking to us?  I noticed a
couple of them had murder in their eyes.”  Maria’s snickering.

“I saw a few of those, too. 
They had us pegged as dumb hicks.  I guess we disappointed them, showing
them we weren’t as stupid at they thought.  I want to believe we’re
smarter than they are.  At least, we don’t need to hang onto a man to get
attention, or keep him.”  I’m not being very nice about the way the women
circled their husbands like vultures.  “If they bothered to be friendly to
the other women they’d probably be less inclined to fence their husbands in at
these parties.”  I yawn.

“They acted like we wanted their
men, or their men would make a move on one of us.  Well, they don’t know
us, or they’d know we respect their claim on the man they were circling.” 
Maria’s yawning now.  “I’ll see ya tomorrow about ten.  I’m beat and
I’m going to bed.  Goodnight.”  Maria leaves for her room and I curl
up to think about being home and facing Steve, kissing him.

Maria and I are up at nine and meet
in the hall at ten.  Miss Lili isn’t back yet.  We go down to the
lobby to wait for her.  She comes in at eleven thirty with two men. 
We’re introduced to Grant and say hello to Blaine.  Miss Lili is starving
so we go into the hotel restaurant for lunch.  There’s talk about the oil
industries problems and Miss Lili’s company and how they’ve avoided most of
those problems.  Over coffee Miss Lili addresses possible remedies to the
current company’s problems.  When coffee’s finished, Miss Lili stands and
says we have to get changed for our trip home.  The men stand and she says
her goodbyes, tells them to keep her advised and she goes to the elevator with
us in tow.

In the elevator, Miss Lili says we
have to hurry if we’re to get home before five.  She can’t wait to get
home.  Maria and I look at each other, “Miss Lili, is something wrong at
home?”

“Well, aha, no.  I just want
to see the boys.”  She looks at her hands where they’re folded in front of
her.  From behind and beside her we bend to look at her and she’s
blushing.

“Miss Lili, I don’t believe seeing
the boys would cause ya to blush like that.  Is there someone else you’re
anxious to see?”

“Why no.  And I’m a bit
sunburned, certainly, not blushing.  Now get changed and downstairs as
quickly as possible,” she says as the elevator doors open and she rushes out
and down the hall.

“I think Miss Lili has a man she
can’t wait to see and it’s not her “boys,” I say rather loudly watching Miss
Lili’s back.  She straightens and holds her head higher.

“Yep, I’d say so, too,” Maria
chimes in.  Miss Lili turns her head as she opens her door and sticks her
tongue out at us then snickers as she goes through the door.  “She knows
we won’t forget this doesn’t she?”  We laugh as we go into our own rooms.

Miss Lili doesn’t speak for the
first thirty minutes of the trip then she tells us about Glen.  She only
gets to see him a few times  every few months.  He’s a semi-retired
company oil man.  He’s going to be in to see her tonight and she wants to
get home before he gets there.

“Won’t the guys entertain him ‘til
we get there?”  Maria asks.

“Yeah, but I don’t want to look
tired from the trip.”

“Do the boys know about you and
Glen?”  We need to know how much we can say.

“If they know they don’t mention it
and I don’t either.  The boys leave us to talk and go out so I suspect
they know, but they would never be so indiscreet as to mention it.”

“Does ‘indiscreet’ mean Glen stays
longer than a business meeting?  And am I being indiscreet to ask
that?”  Maria wants to know what the relationship is and so do I.

“Well…maybe you girls should know,
so there’s no slip up of information, and I’d like to be able to talk to
someone about it, should I need or want to.  Glen and I have been seeing
each other every chance we get for twenty years.  He was Buck’s most
trusted field manager.  A year after Buck passed, Glen and I had several
business meetings together and we started having dinner together after the
meetings and we enjoyed each other’s company.  Then one thing led to
another.  He has been known to stay overnight at the house before. 
And if you girls will co-operate by keeping the boys out passed eleven tonight
and if I’m persuasive enough, he may stay again.  What do ya say?”

“Miss Lili, I’m shocked.” I say in
a teasing voice.  “You want us to help you have a rendezvous by using
sneaky and underhanded methods to fool ‘your boys’ and our boyfriends? 
Isn’t that dishonest?  And shouldn’t we always be honest with the man we
hope to spend the rest of our lives with?”  I suddenly stop talking,
realizing what I’d said while teasing Miss Lili.

Miss Lili isn’t deaf or mute, “Do
ya hope to spend the rest of your lives with the boys?”

Maria answers immediately,
“Yes.  What about you, Sher?”  I can’t answer.

The silence goes on forever, or so
it seems, before Miss Lili breaks it, “Its okay, Sher.  And, since it’s on
my behalf, yes, I hope you’ll be a bit dishonest with the boys, this time.”

“I’m sorry.  I spoke out of
turn.  I don’t want to talk because I don’t know what I mean.”  I’ve
got to get out of this some how.

“Ya need to stop over analyzing
things and enjoy what is for as long as it is.”  Miss Lili, and everyone
else, wants me to lighten up.  “Ya said something in a light moment,
without thinking.  Stop over stressing the possibilities.  I thought
that way after the first time with Glen, but I had a long talk with myself and
listed the good things and then the bad things.  I decided since I liked
the good things so much, I’d take it as it is and it’s lasted twenty years, so
far.  That’s not bad for what I’d thought was a one night stand. 
Your virtue won’t be in jeopardy, tho’ your pride might be hurt.  And,
surely, ya don’t think I’m cheap, do ya?”

“No, Miss Lili, I don’t.  In
fact, I think it’s cute you have a boy friend.  But nobody knows, they
would know about me.  I don’t know if I could handle dating again if Steve
and I didn’t work out.”

“You know my story and how
difficult being divorced was.  I got through it and you’re as strong as I
am, so you’ll get through it too if ya need to.  But if ya don’t try
you’ll never know if it would have worked.”  I know all this, but why did
Maria feel she needed to remind me?

Maybe, they’re right and I should
concentrate on what means something to me.  I did and do with the
clinic.  Why can’t I do it with relationships?  No reason what-so-ever. 
“Ladies, if ya see me hesitating to have fun or to do something I want to do,
ya have my permission to give me a shove.  Okay?”  We laugh and Miss
Lili wants the radio turned on, it’s time to lighten up.

Forty five minutes later, we pull
into Miss Lili’s driveway and before we’re out of the car and into the trunk
for our luggage there are people around us.  Bob, Steve, Shay, Mom, Dad,
and a distinguished looking man in jeans and plaid shirt.  Glen.  Maria
and I look at each other and smile.  Then Maria bends to pick up Shay and
we lose track of Miss Lili and Glen for a few minutes.  Once Maria picked
up Shay, Bob hobbled over to hug them both and kiss Maria.  I hug Mom and
Dad then turn to Steve, who’d stopped away from the others.

He doesn’t seem to know what to do
so I go to him for a hug and a kiss.  “I’m glad to be home, and I’m glad
to see you,” I say and kiss him again, but this time I tickle his lip with my
tongue.  He moans and pulls me closer.  I break the kiss and whisper
to him not to drop his crutch and snicker.

He tightens his hold on me and says
into my hair, “Masochist.”

Dad comes over, “Where do ya want
your luggage put?”  I break away from Steve and tell him to put it in my
truck and go to help him.  Miss Lili steps over to the boys, now that
they’re girls are occupied elsewhere, to say “hello.”

I hear Miss Lili gasp, while they
laugh and see Glen turn to hide his snicker.  Maria and I step over to
hear what’s going on.  “You boys need a switch across your back sides and
your mouths washed out with soap.”  Miss Lili turns to see Glen trying to
hide his smile then spots us and grabs our arms to walk inside.

“What happened, Miss Lili?” 
Maria asks.

“Your ‘boyfriends’ said they’d make
plans for the evening so I could have some time with Glen, and they’d be quiet
when they came home, so I shouldn’t make any noise during my ‘visit’ with
Glen.  I was so shocked I almost paddled their butts, like I did when they
were little kids.  And Glen, hiding his laughter….”  Then she busts
out laughing and so do we.  When she stops laughing, she says, “I guess
they know,” and starts laughing again.  Again she stops laughing, “I
really should have expected them to say something sooner or later.  Let’s
get the garment bags sorted then have supper and you girls can take the boys
home with you for a while.”

“Is the reservation made?” Miss
Lili asks Steve and Bob when they come in carrying her small cases, one in each
hand with their crutches.  They answer “yes.”  “For seven thirty?”
she asks.  They answer “yes” again.  Mom and Dad try to beg off
supper, but Miss Lili and Glen won’t let them.  Everyone, but the three of
us, seems to know something we don’t.  Their faces and reserve demeanor
give it away.  Miss Lili suggests we three freshen up and change, then go
eat.  She’s hungry.

Maria and I are shown up stairs to
the room where I had slept and the bathroom.  We freshen up and change
into fresh jeans and tank tops Mom brought up.  Mom stays to talk while we
change.  She says she’ll man the clinic the next two days then we’re
expected in the office.  The boys had told her about the “vacation” and
they all thought we could use a day or two to recuperate.  Then we have
two full days of appointments before the weekend.  And next week we’re
booked solid, too, and she’ll be there to help through the next week.  She
reminds us the boys are going back to work Monday then adds, “Now’s a good time
to spend a ‘lotta’ time with them.”  As we walk out the bedroom door, she
adds, “Maybe, even over night.”

Maria and I look at each other, not
sure what to say, or do.  “Mom, don’t ya think it’s still a little too
soon for overnight ‘visits’?  Steve and I aren’t sure we’re ready for
that, yet.”

She turns and stops in front of
us.  “Sher, stop being naïve.  Steve’s been ready and so have
you.  If it means anything, your Dad and I are about ready to disown ya
for teasing him so brazenly.  We believe he’s proven himself if you’d just
look past yourself and stop worrying about what the town might think. 
You’ve exaggerated the reaction of others.  So stop it.  Maria does
have Shay to be careful of, but not to use as an excuse.  Now, let’s eat.”

Maria and I follow her down the
stairs to join the others and we’re off to eat, Maria, Bob, Shay, Steve and me
in Bob’s truck and the others in their cars.  We discuss Glen’s visit on
the way to the restaurant.  The boys ask if they can come over for a
while, to give Miss Lili “some room.”  Maria and I laugh, “And Miss Lili
thought we would have to entice them away from the house tonight.”  I could
only laugh at the look on the guys’ faces at Maria’s words.  We discuss
Miss Lili and Glen the rest of the way to supper.  The guys have known
about them for the last ten years, but have never said anything.  Tonight
when Glen arrived the three of them talked about it.  The guys thought it
was time for Miss Lili and him to stop sneaking around.  Glen said he
thought so, too.  Our thoughts were to let them come out into the open,
but he has other ideas.  He plans to ask Miss Lili to marry him tonight and
he plans to spend the week, regardless of her answer.  If she says yes,
he’ll move to Granite Bluff, because of Miss Lili’s ties here.  He hopes
to take some of the work of the town off of her.  He knows about the
partnership with us, seems she called him to talk about it before she did it
and he’s advised her on other projects, too.  The guys are all for them
getting married, if Miss Lili wants to, and said as much to Glen.  The
subject’s dropped when we arrive at the restaurant.