Slow Dancing (17 page)

“Miss Cook as in
Mary Cook
?”

“You got it,” he answered. “Met up at the café for lunch and hit it off right away. Got my oil changed at Frank’s and he told me about the job opportunity at Paul’s Auto Supply.”

“Wait,” Cate said. “You took a job with Paul?” There was a look of horror clearly etched on her face and not in a good way. Miss Logan was even taken aback.

“I don’t believe it,” she said.

“Yes, well beggars can’t be choosers and I needed something right away,” he answered.

“Surely Mr. Rosen here can assist you in finding somethin’ more in tune with your skills,” Miss Logan said emphatically.

“I don’t have any skills,” he said. “I’m a car salesman. That doesn’t prepare you for much of anything else.” The guests around the table thought about what he’d said. A handsome, personable man had spent his life earning his living selling cars and was now behind an auto parts counter.

“There are several high-end dealerships here in Beauregard,” Cate said. “Why not apply to one of them. We’d all give you a reference.” Heads nodded, encouraging him.

“I’m not kidding when I say that you practically have to have a bachelor’s degree to get hired. I was grandfathered in before the requirements became so tough to meet.” No one said anything, shaking their heads in unison.
A bachelor’s degree? Ridiculous
.

“It’ll be fine. Something else might turn up in the meantime, and I won’t be worried about my unemployment benefits running out.” Silence came over the group as they pondered what it would like to be unemployed.

“So where’d you dance?” It was Cate this time, sad that Mary had already sunk her claw into him.

“Phillip Anderson’s. It was great. I’d forgotten how much fun it is to ballroom dance.”

“Mary’s quite a dancer, too,” Miss Logan said. “Where’d you sleep?”

“Sally!” Cate yelled, slapping her on the shoulder. “Mind your own business.”

“That’s okay. I want you to know the truth so there will be no reason to
gossip
.” He said this giving Miss Logan a penetrating gaze.

“I rented a room from Mary. I had my own cozy room right off the kitchen and was in my own bed,
alone
by midnight.”

“I guess you’d need to move in closer to the auto parts store,” Cate said.

“Yes, I probably will do that, although I know Miss Logan buses in every day, I would like to be closer to work. But thank you so much for having me here.” He pushed away from the table. “I have to be there by nine, so I better get going. Have a wonderful day, everyone.”

“I think I’ll drop in on you today,” Miss Logan said. “Make you uncomfortable on your first day of work.” Everyone laughed, including Alan.

“And I can give you a refund if you want to stay up in Seymour,” Cate said.

“Well that is very kind of you. I think I’ll take you up on your offer.” He jumped at it before she changed her mind, following her to the reception desk. “I’ll run up and get my suitcase.”

So that was that. Alan had established himself in Seymour, had made a good impression on everyone, and already had a job and a girlfriend. With these needs met, he could sit back and wait for something to happen with Frank and Ellen because he wasn’t in a position to make it happen for himself.

Chapter 15

On Alan Johnson’s first day in town, he’d returned to ask Paul Sherman for the job. Ellen and Frank were leaving for home together. Tired, she put her head back against the seat of the truck. Frank put her bike in back and had a sudden thought about running into the grocery store before they left for home. “We need a few things and I don’t want to wait until Saturday when everyone else is doin’ the same thing.” She closed her eyes for just a second and suddenly opened them to find that new man, the one who’d come into the garage earlier that day for an oil change, standing in front of the truck, staring at her. Opening her book, she put her head down and pretended to read, but the hair went up on her arms the way it did the night the stranger was lurking at the edge of the wood. He was standing the same way, with his hip slung off to the side, tall and lanky. It scared her so she began to shake. When she looked up again, he was opening the door to the parts store and Frank was walking across the street with a brown paper bag of grocery items in his arms. He put them in back with her bike.

“That was the new man in town,” he said. “Come to see about a job, I bet. Glad he took me up on it after all.”

“Frank, hurry up and let’s get home. I need to tell you something,” she said softly.

“What is it sister? You look like you seen a ghost.”

“I don’t want t’ say nothing till we get outta town.” She was afraid he might get out of the truck and try to pummel the man, and then what would become of her? Unexpectedly, she thought of how alone she’d be in the world if anything ever happened to Frank. He was all she had. He looked at her concerned, but didn’t press; starting up the engine and driving toward their place by the river.

“Okay, tell me will you?”

“That man, Frank. That new man. I caught him lookin’ at me and it gave me the creeps, just like the stranger. I think it’s him. I think he’s the one.”

Anger cruising through his body at what she’d said, Frank thought a moment before speaking. She couldn’t see the man because it was dark at the edge of the wood. “What was it that makes you think he’s the stranger?”

“He stood the same way, kinda with his right foot turned out so he was straight but his hips went off to the side, sort a sultry.” She said the last slowly, embarrassed. “I’ve been reading romance novels.”

“Gotcha. That all?”

“No, he’s tall and lanky like that man. I guess I didn’t notice in the garage because you was standing next to him at one point and sorta dwarfed him.” Frank looked out his side window, smiling. She’d never referred to his appearance before. “I’m scared Frank!”

Quickly pulling over to the side of the road, he grabbed her hand. “Sister, I sooner kill the son of a bitch than you be scared for one second. You got that? You are safe with me, I promise you.” He patted his hip. “I got my side arm here, don’t forget.”

“That’s another thing, Frank. If anythin’ happens to you. I’m alone. I got no one but you. Something happens to you and I’m an orphan, or worse. You best take care of yourself, please. Please! Promise, you won’t do nothin’ foolish, like run him over with the car or shoot him.” Her wellbeing in the case of his death had never entered his thoughts before this minute. What
would
become of her if he was put in jail or died? She was right; they had no one but each other. The thought was sickening. He took deep breathes of the hot afternoon air, feeling the sun entering his body with the oxygen, strengthening him, increasing his reasoning.

“I promise I won’t break the law. I promise you, sister. Look at me,” he said, gently taking her chin in his hand, turning her head to look at him. Even when her mother took sick, she wasn’t this distraught. He got up so close to her face she could smell his breath, even after all day in the garage was fresh smelling due to the mints he always had in his mouth.

“Tell me you understand what I’m sayin’ girl.”

“Oh Frank, I understand!” And she threw her arms around him and burrowed her face in his shoulder, just as the evening bus to Beauregard passed, Miss Sally Logan observing them out of the window, shocked at what she thought she saw and would eventually tell the world.

***

The next morning, after Alan moved out of Cate’s boarding house and started his new job, and Mary got up on time thanks to her new boarder, and Miss Logan got on the bus to Seymour again, Frank and Ellen made their way into town for another day at the garage.

“Feel better today?” Frank asked at breakfast. He’d made her a favorite, waffles topped with fruit and heavy cream whipped into froth.

“I guess,” she said, stirring her coffee and then licking the spoon. “Every time I look at that garden, it makes me sick.”

“Well this weekend we’ll see about puttin’ new annuals in. There’s nothin’ can be done about the perennials,” Frank said, and then continuing with his version of an Irish accent, “But we can have that “spot o’ color” like the ad says.” Ellen burst out laughing.

“Okay, that will help.” They loaded up the truck, leaving the bike behind this time. There was no sense in pretending she’d ride it home until something shifted. For now, as long as there was someone out there who wanted to frighten her, the bike was out of commission.

“You feel okay about gettin’ the mail again today, sister?”

“I can do that,” Ellen said, jumping down out of the truck.

“Watch the street,” Frank said. New perils may lie in wait, but the old ones were just as dangerous.

Jessie was watching from her perch behind the counter. Already gossip had hit her ears, hateful, horrid stories of Frank and Ellen holding each other at the side of the road. All it took was one telephone call during a lonely night to get a bunch of biddies up in arms. The same kind of sleigh bells, which graced the door of the garage, hung off the back of the Post Office door.

“Good morning, Miss McPherson,” she said. “Got your mail right here.” She passed over the bundle to Ellen who smiled her customary, dismissive smile. “Got something from that Dance Academy again.” Ellen looked up at her, wide-eyed.

“Thank you,” she answered, hurrying to get out before Jessie could pry anymore. Frank was on the phone writing in the scheduling book when she returned. Hanging up the phone, she handed the bundle over to him.

“Jessie said that dance studio wrote us again.”

“Bother,” Frank grumbled. But Ellen felt a little excitement at the idea as he tore the envelope open, but passed the letter on to her with a grin. “You best read.” She hesitated, her eyes skimming the words, and he could see a little excitement building.

“Dear Mr. McPherson, Our popular June Extravaganza is filling up quickly. Although you did not respond to our previous invitation, we would like to extend it to you once again.” Her eyes stayed on the letter, moving across the paper.

“We should probably go,” he said, pretending. It would be good for her to have the dance to look forward to.

“Thank you Frank,” she said softly, aware it wasn’t something he would normally care to do. “I do appreciate it.” He patted her hand.

“We’d better practice,” he said. “If we plan on
bein’ awarded one of ten prizes
.” Ellen did a little jump up and down, clapping her hands.

“Not here in the garage, of course,” Ellen replied, laughing, the boogieman of the previous afternoon long forgotten.

“Glad someone’s havin’ a good day,” Paul Sherman said, coming in off the street. His voice competed with the bells attached to the door, Frank and Ellen laughing together when Paul looked up at the bells and stuck his tongue out.

“You’re in a fine mood,” Frank said.

“I got problems. My new man won’t wear a uniform. I got someone at the counter lookin’ like he stepped out of a fashion magazine. I’ll be the laughing stock.” Frank scratched his head, trying to hide his smile while Ellen picked up her book again pretending to read.

“Your new man being the man I sent over yesterday?”

“You got it.”

“Sorry he’s causin’ you issues, Paul. Give ‘em the ax.”

Paul looked at him as if the idea had never occurred to him. “You mean fire ‘em after an hour?”

“Yep, you got it. You made it part of the employment requirements, right? That he wear a uniform?” Now it was Paul’s turn to scratch his head.

“No sir, I don’t believe I did.”

“Well, I don’t think it makes too much difference.” Luckily, the first customer of the day arrived and Frank and Ellen got busy starting their workday. Word got around quickly that Paul’s Auto Supply had a new employee; a very handsome, well-dressed,
single
man, and business picked up just as fast. It was too easy for the wife
or
the working girl to stop by and get oil and windshield cleaner from Paul rather than driving all the way to Beauregard or Mobile and have the privilege of saying hello to Alan in the process. By the end of the week, Paul forgot all about the uniform.

Chapter 16

Life was turning around for Alan Johnson. He’d never felt so positive
or
so honest. Working at Paul’s gave him the opportunity to see Ellen everyday. He wanted to confront Frank soon because it wasn’t fair to either of them for him to keep his suspicions to himself. It would seem like he was sneaking around if he allowed it to go on for too long.

Mary was still in the dark and he’d made the decision to keep it from her until he told the McPherson’s. But he wanted to know more about Margaret, first. It would help him to know if she’d bad mouthed him or if Ellen knew anything about him. He could bring up Margaret to Mary without actually saying her name by repeating what Miss Logan told him about Frank being a widow. Hopefully, she wouldn’t get suspicious.

It was early in the evening, before dinner, but they were already in bed together. It was during the first week he’d worked at Paul’s, his routine falling into place. Staying at Mary’s was more convenient that he’d imagined; he didn’t even have to move his car. Just walk up a block and turn left and there was work. Paul was patient with him after he recovered from the day of the uniform confrontation. It was easy to cross-reference parts with the books. A college kid did the packing and shipping and Paul did the deliveries. Counter business had picked up so much that Paul needed Alan more than he’d thought. On those first evenings after work, he’d walk back to Mary’s and she’d already be home, dinner on the table. And although he was renting a room from her, it was just a matter of time before he’d be in her bed. Getting annoyed because it was taking him so long to make a pass, Mary took matters into her own hands and met him at the door in a negligee, naked underneath.

One night, after they’d had sex, he was resting on his back with his eyes closed while she twiddled a strand of his hair when the opportunity arose to start talking about Frank.