Charley (23 page)

“Charley, got a minute to talk?”

The anxious baritone voice of Bobby Wagner brought me back to reality.

“Good morning, Bobby. Sit down and have a cup of coffee. What’s going on?”

“We have to talk. Can we go upstairs?”

There was something about Bobby’s look that warned me to stay downstairs where there was staff around. Not that I was afraid of him, but his ruffled hair and rumpled clothes warned me to be cautious. “Let’s just stay here; my work is all spread out. What’s wrong?”

Bobby hung his head and took a deep breath. He lifted his head resolutely and blurted out. “Debbie and I are breaking up.”

After absorbing the initial shock, I looked into Bobby’s blank face, and knew he needed me to be strong in my response. “No you are not, I won’t allow it. You’re perfect for each other.”

“I know, but …”

“But what, you idiot?” I was a little frustrated. I was falling in love and my two best friends were falling out of love. That isn’t the way it’s supposed to be.

Bobby hung his head again, and slowly raised his eyes to meet mine. With an unsteady, but determined voice, he said. “I’m still in love with you, Charley. I can’t get you out of my mind. I dream about you, and I think about you all day long. Debbie knows something is wrong, but she doesn’t know what.”

“You’re in love with me? I don’t believe it. After all these years, you tell me you’re in love with me? I just don’t buy it! I damn sure am not going to be the one to break up my friends.”

“Charley, you were my first love and I’ve always loved you, even when you broke up with me.”

“Wait a minute.
You
broke up with
me
, Bobby Wagner. You didn’t come home when you had that leave, remember? You spend two weeks with some woman in Virginia Beach. I got the message and moved on. It was the right thing. You need to move on as well, Bobby.”

“But, remember the good times we had? That first date at the Ringgold drive-in. I was so scared Charley. What about our first attempt to lose our virginity at the pavilion at Old Hickory Lake. I didn’t know what I was doing that first time. And the talks we had were always terrific. I haven’t felt like that in years. We were good with each other and happy. And I want that happiness back again.”

“Bobby, those were good times. But we were just teenagers. We were not in love, what we felt was lust, pure and simple. Love is more than sex. Love is what you and Debbie have. You truly care for each other. You guys fit together. If the sex is there, good; but if it isn’t as exciting as it once was, that doesn’t mean that love isn’t there.”

“What am I going to do, Charley?”

“You are going to fall in lust with Debbie again. Court her again. Convince her all over that you need her and want her. Have more date nights. Strip naked and love yourselves into next week!”

I laughed at the sudden vision that popped into my mind, and soon Bobby began to smile and become the Bobby Wagner I have known since the eighth grade.

“She and I did do some wild things, I remember …”

“Hold it lover boy. Tell her, not me, okay? Tell you what. I’ll start an open dinner tab for you two through Christmas. My Christmas present will be tearing up that tab, if you two are still together. Otherwise, you’ll owe me big time. Now go pick up Debbie and go for a picnic on Old Hickory Lake.”

“Thanks Charley, you know I love you?”

“Sure and I love you. Now get out of here.”

Damn I’ve gone from no loves to two loves in less than a month! I bet Terry will come in next. Try as I might, I still couldn’t get the thought out of my head. Love is more than sex. Reluctantly, I started questioning PJ and my relationship.

Was it just plain old lust? It certainly started with lust, but have we come any further toward love?

When the phone rang again, I wanted to unplug it so I could have some peace and quiet. Of course, I didn’t. “Hello, this is Charlotte speaking.”

“Charley, it’s Mary Lou; Coach McCoy’s assistant.”

“Morning, Mary Lou. I recognize your voice. Is everything okay?”

“Charley, when are you coming back to see Coach?”

“We haven’t talked about when; haven’t actually talked to PJ. Why? Do I need to come back?”

“Nothing really wrong that I can see.  PJ was glowing this morning when he came in. You’ve brought some real pep back into him.”

“Good. He’s been good for me as well.”

“But Charley, there is something.”

“Tell me Mary Lou.”

“I’ve heard a rumor going around campus that Coach has a girlfriend.”

“That’s not bad; I guess I’m his girlfriend, aren’t I?”

“Yes, but this rumor isn’t about you. Rumor has it that Coach is dating a senior co-ed on campus. No one has been identified yet, but the rumors are out there.”

“Mary Lou, you know PJ better than most people. Is there any truth to the rumor? Be honest with me, please.”

“Charley, so far as I know, and I know most of what’s going on with Coach, his only girlfriend is you. Before you, he hadn’t dated anyone more than twice and even those dates were few and far between.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“What do you think I should do, Mary Lou?”

“When you do talk to him, don’t let on that you know anything. Knowing him, he’ll be the last person to even hear the rumors. If the rumors persist or get worse, I’ll call you. Coach’s birthday is in two weeks Saturday. There’s a basketball game on that Friday. Why don’t you surprise him?”

“Thanks Mary Lou, you’re a great friend. I’ll see you that Friday. Don’t tell him I’m coming. I’ll first find a flight into Dayton, get a rental and drive down … might be quicker.  Let me know if anything develops on that rumor. See you later. Bye”

What have I gotten into?

Mary Lou called me again with information about the rumor. It had gained a wider audience. She now identified the girlfriend as suspected … a co-ed on campus. My initial reaction was to be angry with PJ. Or maybe at myself for thinking I had some exclusive right to him. Our last meeting was pretty intense, and I had every reason to believe he wanted me as much as I wanted him. But, he could be a fraud, or even a sexual predator like Wilma suggested. I had been pretty aggressive with him.

Oh Hell, Stop it! Don’t create trouble, I think too much. Just go there and see what happens.

I continued driving the red mustang which I had rented at Dayton International. Middletown was about thirty minutes away. I pulled slowly into the campus entrance, and getting my bearings, I rounded the commons and took the next left to the athletic complex. The offices were on the front of the modern glass and brick building. There were several groups of students sitting on the step, talking, studying and flirting.  I must have lost my touch; none of the guys gave me so much as a glance. Oh well, I have all I can handle now.

The door opened to a short lobby leading to a long cross aisle. The basketball complex was to the right as I remember. Except for the stunning blond resolutely marching ahead of me, there were few students in the hallway. It soon became apparent she was also heading for the basketball offices.

PJ’s secret girlfriend? Blond, pretty and sexy … could be the one.

Continuing down the hall, I came to the door the blond had entered, and it was indeed the Curtis University Basketball, Phillip McCoy, Head Coach Office. The loud voices from inside caused me to hesitate rather than barge in.

I heard the familiar voice of Mary Lou, PJ’s administrative assistant. The high pitched female voice was probably Blondie’s voice. I felt like a fool, so obviously eavesdropping. An argument, or at least a forceful demand, was in progress.

“I
have
to see him!” came through pretty loud and clear. A pause ensued, followed by another outburst to disturb the tranquil hallway. Finally I heard PJ’s raised voice.

“What is going on out here? I’ve got work to do.”

There was a long pause before PJ said. “OK come in. You come in as well Mary Lou.”

When I heard the door to PJ’s office close, I eased open the hall door and timidly peeked in to see if anyone was left. No one was there to stop me, so I gently closed the office door and tiptoed just outside PJ’s door. Unfortunately, I could pick up only a few words of conversation.

“… I
am
pregnant …”

“… Hell … tell me. Mary Lou did …? Why the Hell …”

“… Girlfriend? Date? … I am not… I’ll kill …”

And suddenly the room became silent, or I couldn’t hear what was going on inside. I heard PJ however, in a firm voice say. “Go back to class, now.” A chair squeaked and then I heard footsteps.

I hastily moved away from the door and retreated across the room to the front door, but I stayed inside. PJ’s door opened and Blondie, pretty, blond and very sexy came out.

She saw me and turned back to the inside of the room and cooed, “see you tonight, PJ,” and punctuated that message with a sexy air kiss. With a self-satisfied, almost malicious grin, she hurried past me and out the door.

I saw PJ inside his office, turn to Mary Lou and ask. “What did she say?”

I knew it was a great opportunity to increase PJ’s tension a little, so he heard back a different voice than he had expected. “She said. ‘PJ, I’ll see you tonight.’ Then she blew you a kiss.”

PJ’s head snapped around and he burst out of his office. When he saw me standing there with my feet planted squarely apart, and my hands clenched on my hips, his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. I was laughing on the inside but frowning on the outside.

“Charley, what …?” he stammered.

“Am I doing here?” I completed his sentence. “I thought I was surprising you for your birthday, but it looks instead like I’m interrupting a bit of a love-fest. Anything I need to know PJ? Like anything at all?”

This was not my most loving voice.

“Sweetheart, you don’t understand.  It’s not what it seems.”

“I only know what I saw, and it looked like a sexy young co-ed coming out of your office, with a pretty provocative goodbye. ‘I’ll see you tonight?’ Maybe I’d better go back home and leave you to your college girlfriend.”

“Please Charley, come in and listen to me,” PJ pleaded. “Mary Lou … help me here, please.”

I didn’t move.

“Was that Rachel Thomas, your girlfriend, who is pregnant?”

“Yes that was Rachel and she is not my girlfriend. Wait a minute, how did you know who she was? And who said anything about her being pregnant?”

PJ stepped back, his eyes squinting. He turned his head slightly, a small pain frown had accented his face, as he turned first to Mary Lou and then back to me.

“What’s going on here?”

“Having a bad day PJ?”

“Damn right I am. Now what is going on? What are you doing here Charley?”

He looked like a little boy who just hit his thumb with a hammer; the pain on his face was too much. I threw my arms around his neck and planted a big wet kiss on his surprised lips.

“Mary Lou told me all about the rumor and everything. She told me about Rachel, the whole thing.”

“She did?”

He turned around to his longtime assistant, and saw her broad grin and raised eyebrows. He looked back at me.

“I had you going there for a while didn’t I?” I said.

“You knew all along?”

“I did,” I replied. “Hope you’re not mad at me.”

With a noticeable sigh of relief, PJ flopped down into a nearby chair. “Don’t do that to me again, please Charley.  My heart can’t stand it! I’m so glad you’re here. I really need you now.”

As the tension drained from the room, Mary Lou’s experienced voice took over. “Let’s go in your office Coach. I think all three of us need to talk.”

Inside his familiar space, PJ relaxed in his overstuffed leather desk chair. I found the leather sofa, and Mary Lou sat in the burgundy leather side-chair. Coach began. “What do you make of all that Mary Lou? Any suggestions?”

“First, Coach, you need to realize this is serious. The rumor itself is bad enough, but it could get worse.”

I sat on the edge of the sofa and posed the question. “Did I hear her say she
was
pregnant?”

“No,” Mary Lou answered. “She said the rumor mill said she was pregnant. She said she wasn’t pregnant. Of course, I suspect she’s the source of the rumors going around anyway. Her being pregnant just ups the stakes.”

PJ, still sat in the overstuffed desk chair, asked. “It’s just a co-ed crush isn’t it? How could that be bad?”

Mary Lou assumed a serious look. “I’ve seen this before Coach, and I suspect Rachel had a hand in birthing this rumor. When I first heard it, I started asking around.”

“This thing is news to me. How did you hear it?”

“Coach, a lot of students talk to me. I’ve been around a long time and they trust me to keep their secrets. It seems the first anyone heard of this came from some of Rachel’s friends. What I saw in your office just now confirms in my mind that this whole thing is Rachel’s doing.”

“Why for God’s sake? That’s insane.”

Coach I’ve told you before. You’re smart as a whip on the basketball court, but dumb as dirt when it comes to women.”

He looked at me. “Charley, she does say that.” He returned back to Mary Lou. “So what does Rachel want?”

His bewildered look told me he had no idea.

Mary Lou continued. “Did you notice she said the two of you could fight this thing together?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Did you notice she came around the desk and squeezed your shoulder? Did you notice she called you ‘PJ’? Did you notice her voice? And the way she said ‘PJ’ when she left?  Are you men really that clueless?”

“You know
I
am. So what does she want?”

“Charley … you want to tell him?”

“PJ, she wants to get you into bed.”

“What, she wants … what?”

“That’s right Big Boy. She has the hots for you, and it seems, is pretty determined.”