I Really Fell

After four months I was seriously of telling the moms they could go back to planning a wedding. I don't know why I didn't, but I was damned glad I didn't.

It was summer break from school and I was working full time on the business. One Tuesday morning Dad called me into the office, told me that one of our better customers was having a problem and he wanted me to fly to Atlanta to see if I could take care of it.

I called Pauline at work (she had a job at the Macy's in the mall), I told her what was going on and that I should be home late Friday or early Saturday. She told me she would miss me and to hurry home. The problem was easily taken care of and I was done and on a flight home by eleven in the morning on Thursday. I didn't bother to call Pauline because she would be at work and couldn't rush home to meet me.

I got home just in time to see her get into a red Dodge truck, slide over next to the driver, give him a passionate kiss and then sit hip to hip with him as he drove away. I thought of calling her on her cell and asking her what she was doing, but then decided not to call and just wait and see what happened.

She wasn't home by the time I went to bed and she wasn't there when I woke up in the morning. I called Dad and told him I needed to take the morning off to take care of a personal problem, and then I got busy gathering all of Pauline's stuff and putting it in trash bags. I went to Home Depot and got a new deadbolt, installed it, set the trash bags outside the door and then went into work.

At five after four that afternoon my cell phone went off, and I saw the call was from Pauline. I answered, "Hello, Pauline." She knew immediately something was up when I'd called her Pauline instead of Paulie.

"Hey, baby; I'm at the apartment and I can't get in. My key won't work."

"It would have if you had come home last night. Where were you?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Sure you do, Pauline. I got home yesterday, you weren't there and you never came home, so the question is where were you?"

There was silence on the other end, so I said, "Let me guess. You were with the guy in the red Dodge truck. Am I right?"

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Give it up, Pauline. The fact that I know about the red Dodge should tell you that you are busted. What I don't understand is why, after how hard you worked to get back with me, you could just turn around and throw it all away. The garbage bags by the door are your things. Goodbye, Pauline."

That wasn't the end of it of course. She was waiting for me when I got home. She got out of her car and came up to me and asked, "Can we go inside and talk?"

"No need. I let you go once and then stupidly took you back. There will not be a third time."

"If you would just let me explain'" I cut her off before she could continue.

"There is no explanation you can give me that I would find acceptable. I got home early. I saw you get in that Dodge truck, slide over and give the driver a passionate kiss and then stay beside him hip to hip as he drove away. You did not come home last night and you still were not there when I left to go work at noon. Again, there is no explanation that I would accept."

I walked away from her and went into my apartment.

For the rest of the summer break I buried myself in my job, and when school started up again, I kept busy with classwork and my job. I did go to the VFW with my parents on country western night and danced most of the line dances. I occasionally saw Pauline around the campus, but avoided her.

I turned twenty-one two weeks after school started. I went to the VFW on Saturday night and had my first (legal) beer. I'd just sat down from doing a line dance when a girl who looked familiar, but I couldn't place, came up to me and asked me to dance. She was very attractive and I never minded holding an attractive woman in my arms, even if was only for a dance. It was a waltz, I took her in my arms and we started to move around the floor.

"You don't remember me, do you?"

"You do look familiar, but I can't remember from where."

"Not really surprising. You only had eyes for Pauline. Whatever happened to you two? I thought you would be married by now."

"A long and very sad story."

"Julie Sommers would love to hear it sometime."

"Julie? Oh my God! I'm just so embarrassed. Four years together in high school and I couldn't remember you?"

"Don't sweat it. There are plenty of people I can't remember either. I remember you because I kept waiting for you to break up with Pauline so I could move in."

"Seriously?"

"You bet."

"Too late now though, right?"

"No indeed; not too late at all."

"As good as you look you aren't taken? That's hard to believe. You here with a date?"

"No; I'm just here with Mom and Dad."

The song ended and the band announced they were taking a break. As we were leaving the floor, I spotted an empty table and I led her over to it. The waitress came over to us and took our drink order. We talked and I ended up asking her for a date. She said she'd love to and she wrote her phone number down on a napkin.

We talked until the band came back, and then we moved out onto the floor and stayed there until the band took their next break. We sat down and started talking again, and a couple of minutes after we sat down, my dad came over to us and told me they were getting ready to leave. Since I had ridden with my mom and dad, I had to tell Julie I'd give her a call and I walked her back to her parents table.

I called her the next day and made arrangements to get together that afternoon. I picked her up at one and we caught the afternoon matinee at Cinema Two. After the show I took her to dinner at Carl's Chop House and wouldn't you just know it, Pauline was there with some guy I'd never seen before. I got a nasty look from her as Julie and I sat down at our table.

We talked as we waited for our meal and Julie, who was sitting facing Pauline, commented on the fact that Pauline couldn't seem to take her eyes off us.

"What's the long sad story?"

I told her the tale and she couldn't believe it.

"She really fought to get you back and she did that? There is something seriously wrong with that girl."

"I won't argue with you on that."

Then things got interesting. Pauline and her date got up to leave and Pauline stopped by our table and said, "Be careful, Julie; don't take up with him or he will give you the clap like he did me."

Julie laughed at her and said, "Too late, Pauline; we have been making love for over a month now."

Pauline gave her a nasty look and then left.

"I've forgotten," I said, "But was doggie or cowgirl that was your favorite position?"

"Actually, it is missionary; how could you have forgotten?"

"You so overwhelmed me with your passion that I've trouble even remembering my name."

"Too bad you gave me the clap or we could do it again."

"But if you already have it, there is no risk."

"Good point, but there is still a problem."

"Oh?"

"It's my time of the month."

"Not a problem. We can stop at a store and get some KY and then do anal."

"Sorry; I don't do that."

"Then I guess I'll just have to wait."

Then we smiled at each other and broke out laughing. As I was driving her home, we made a date for Tuesday and when I got her to her door, I got a nice kiss with just a touch of tongue and I drove home with a smile on my face.

Julie and I dated for over a month before I found out that her favorite position was indeed missionary and she had lied to me about doing anal.

We had a good thing going and as the months went by, I started thinking of getting a ring and taking a knee. A week before graduation I decided to do it on or next date, which would be on Saturday. Thursday, she called me about an hour after I got home and asked me to meet her at the Village Inn.

She was already there in a booth when I arrived. I sat down and ordered a coffee when the waitress came to the table. As I waited for her to come back with the cup and pot, I noticed that Julie wasn't smiling. In fact she looked a little sad.

My coffee arrived, and after taking a sip I put the cup down and said, "Okay; go ahead and lay it on me."

She took a breath and then said, "I like you, Bob, I like you a lot, but I don't love you. I've spent the last few months wondering if it would change, but it hasn't. I've sensed that you are going to ask me to do something I just can't do. I don't think it would be fair to keep seeing you, knowing that you can't have what you want.

"I've asked you here to tell you I won't be seeing you anymore. I'm sorry, but we just aren't in the cards. I hope you won't hate me, Bob; I've enjoyed our time together, but it has to end."

I sat there, just a bit shaken by her words and then said, "I could never hate you, Jules; be upset with you, of course, but thank you for being up front and honest with me. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go someplace where I can cry in my beer."

I stood up, dropped a twenty on the table, and walked away. As I drove home, I was wondering what was wrong with me. I had absolutely no trouble getting them, but why couldn't I hold them once I got them? Why?

*****

Graduation came, and with it I became a full time at work. No big change, as I'd been working there part time during school and full time during school breaks since I was fifteen. I threw myself into the business and didn't bother trying to find someone to form a relationship with.

I didn't sit at home, though. I bowled in a league every Wednesday night and I still went to the VFW with my parents on country western nights, where Mom would always ask me when I was going to settle down and give her grandkids to spoil. My answer was always, "Someday." But to give her grandkids I needed to have sexual intercourse with someone, and I didn't see that in the cards for anytime soon.

I was still hurting from Pauline, Babs and Julie, and I was having a hard time trying to convince myself that there was a girl out there who would stick with me, but I needed to get out and try to find her.

My sex life since Julie? My right hand, and usually with visions of Babs dancing in my head. I couldn't help but wonder about that. Pauline hurt me, Julie was a disappointment, But Babs? Her memory was going to haunt me for the rest of my life.

Over the next year I met a few ladies, dated off and on and a few of them ended up in my bed or I ended up in theirs, but I never found one I would take a knee in front of and ask the big question.

I had dinner with my parents every Sunday, and Mom always asked me when I was going to give her grand babies to spoil. I never did tell her that it didn't look like it was never going to happen.

It was a late Friday afternoon and I was sitting in my office waiting on a phone call from Phil Biggs. Phil was the purchasing agent for a large manufacturing company, and he was supposed to let me know by the end of the day on whether or not his company would be buying a large order of Mark Threes from us.

It was five-thirty, I had given up on hearing from Phil and was just getting up to leave when the phone rang. I picked up the phone and said:

"Good afternoon, Falcon Industries, this is Bob."

"Hello, Bob. Phil Biggs here. We are a go. I'll fax over the purchase order as soon as I hang up."

"Thank you, Phil, and have a great weekend."

"Same to you, Bob. Talk with you later."

As I hung up the phone, I was thinking the call was a great way to end the day and send me into the weekend. "Can't be no better than this," I thought. But I was wrong. Just as I was leaving the office the phone rang again.

"Good afternoon. Falcon Industries; this is Bob."

"Hello, baby; miss me?"

For a second or two I thought, "No way; it can't be," but it was.

"Are you there, Bobby?"

"Yes, but you caught me by surprise. I never expected to hear from you again. How are things in Ypsilanti?"

"Wouldn't know. I don't live there anymore."

"So how have you been?"

"I've had my ups and downs like everybody else. I'm on the upside right now. I'm calling to see what time you get off work."

"Why would you ask me that?"

"I need to tell your mother what time you will be here for dinner."

"You are at my parents' house?"

"Yep. I thought it was time for her to meet her grandkids. She's in the living room playing with them now."

"Grandkids? What the hell are you talking about?"

"The sooner you get here the sooner you will find out."

I know I broke a few traffic laws on the way to my parent's house, but I didn't agonize over it. Babs must have been watching for me because she had the front door open and was waiting for me as I walked up the front steps. She stood there in the doorway and when I got to her, she said, "The entry fee is a kiss."

I just stood there and looked at her for several seconds, and then I leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"I said a kiss, not a peck." She grabbed my head, pulled my face to her and laid a kiss on me that should have melted the nails in the heels of my shoes.

She broke the kiss and I asked, "What the hell is going on here Babs?"

"Come on inside and find out."

I walked inside and she led me to my father's den and home office. There was a leather couch and she sat down and patted the spot next to her and said, "Sit."

I did and she said, "I told you I was pregnant when I left and I told you my husband was the father and not you. It turns out the he wasn't. When I told him I was pregnant I expected a big smile. Instead, he called me a cheating whore, even though he was the one who said we could play while we were apart. It turned out that he was sterile and he knew it long before he even married me,

"He was going to tell me, but not until I started talking about kids and then he was going to lay it on me. He stormed out of the apartment, went to a bar, got drunk and when he left the bar, he ended up wrapping himself around a telephone pole. I was stunned at first and it took me some time to get over what happened. By the time I got my head on straight, it was time for me to deliver.

"Thank God my parents were there for me and they took care of me. I don't know what would have happened to me and the babies if it wasn't for them."

"Babies?"

"You have twin girls, Bobby. I had to fight to bring them out here. My mom just didn't want to let us go. I think she was afraid she'd never get to see them again. I had to promise that I would bring them back to see her. I'm sure she is hoping you will turn your back on me so I'll come back home. I worked on my dad to work on her and convince her that you at least needed to see them and know you were a daddy.

"I didn't call and let you know I was coming because I was afraid you might tell me to go to hell and hang up on me. Are you ready to go and meet your children?"

"No," I said, and as I stood up I saw her face fall and then I said, "There is something we need to do first."

"What?"

I stood up, turned and took a knee in front of her and asked, "Barbara Marie Beeler, will you marry me?"

She started crying, pulled me to her and said, "Hell yes I will." She gave me another of those nail melting kisses. We stood up and then she led me to the living room to meet my daughters.