The Iso-Stasis Experiment (The Experiments) (54 page)

Chuck flubbed his first few words. “Ask her, then. What the hell. You’re laying your cards on the table. Besides, chicks love marriage proposals and big rings.”

“How big?”

“With a hundred grand, you’d better be obnoxious.”

“I can do that.” Jake shut the closet door.

“Good, grab your check book. I know you have the money so let’s go make some sales clerk at the mall really happy. Then we’ll grab a pizza.”

“Real fast though, I have to get back here and write down what I’m going to say.” Jake opened his desk drawer and grabbed his check book.

“You aren’t going to read it to her, are you?” Chuck saw that thought had to have crossed Jake’s mind. “You were? Man, are you sure you can do this? Do I have to open the Chuck school of women for you?”

“Chuck.” Jake stopped before he walked out. “If you’re such the Einstein of women, why am I the one who’s getting ready to propose and you’re the one hanging with me on a Friday night?”

Chuck opened his mouth, mind searching for the perfect comment, but he failed. “You have a point.”

^^^^

Walking past Aldo’s limousine parked out front of the small but loud bar in the city’s most alive section of town, Cal started to sense it. “Who all is coming?”

“Oh . . .” Joyce stopped trying to peek in the limo. “Surprisingly, a lot of people are.
 
More people like you than you think. You’re home.” Joyce put her arm around Cal pulling her close. “Of course, they’re my friends.”

Cal’s senses were right. As soon as she started to pay her cover, which she was told a gentleman had covered for everyone for the night, she knew. That was the sound that only he could produce. The guitar lead with sang with style to her as she walked in the door and only David could make a guitar sing like that. She looked to Joyce. “Is it David’s band?”

“I kind of thought since you were down, seeing David would do one of two things. It would make you see that what you felt for the Major was confined to those hills, or see what you should really do.”

“You’re right.” Cal stepped into the bar. From the back of the crowded room, over the heads and lingering smoke, she saw him. He was dressed like he always did in jeans and a tee shirt. His eyes were closed as he played. She moved closer to the stage and saw David’s head flung back, yelling something to the bass player, and then he turned to look ahead. He saw Joyce and his eyes immediately shifted from her to Cal. He lit up, which made Cal feel good. And then David did something Cal had never seen him do before in the entire time she watched him play, David set down his guitar in the middle of the song. Never taking his eyes off Cal he stepped from the two foot high stage.

“Cal.” He ran to her, meeting her as she walked to him. David looked stunned, stunned to see her standing there. He moved closer to her, smiling that bright smile that Cal always loved. His hands held her face. “You look incredible.” He placed his hands back on her face and he kissed her. Ignoring everyone else in the room, he kept kissing her. With a shuddering breath as his lips pulled from hers, David embraced Cal, lifting her from the floor as he did. He held her tight, arms wrapped completely around her, his hand not letting go of her head that he kept pressed to his cheek. He held her so tight that Cal could barely breathe.

The noise in the room seemed to disappear as Cal let David hold her while she held on to him. And she accepted the revelation that came to her on that floor, crowded room and all. The moment David touched her face, kissed her, held her, Cal knew. She knew where she was supposed to be.

^^^^

Cal laughed and her smile was wide as she nearly tipped over her drink while stepping over all twelve people who had gathered that late night in Joyce’s living room. She tried to make it through the maze to Aldo, who appeared to be having the time of his life. “I can’t believe you guys are actually watching this stuff.” Cal spoke up loudly to be heard over their comments as they watched the video tapes of the highlights of her seven months. “Now, you remember I’m not forcing you to watch, so I don’t want to hear that you told people you were bored watching Cal’s videos from her masochistic vacation.” She continued to try to get to Aldo, smiling at him. She was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol now and she let herself. Cal felt good, a part of her felt free. Just as she reached center of the room, stopping at the coffee table for a chicken wing, the loud whistles and ‘whoa’ screams caught her attention. She turned to see what they were watching and horrified ran to cover the screen. The screen showed Jake pinning her against the wall, kissing her, her legs wrapped around him. “Oh, my God.”

“Cal, move your ass,” Joyce shouted. “I want to see.”

Peter tried to see. “Move, Cal.”

Joyce grunted. “I’m missing it because her ass is in the way . . . move!”

“Fine.” Cal threw her hands in the air. “It’s a good thing David’s not here yet. He would die. So don’t show him. And you people aren’t going to see anything anyhow.” She pointed.

“Oh, yeah?” Joyce shouted. She got loud when she was drunk. “Why is the Major on his knees?”

Cal covered her face, ignored the hooting and sat on the floor next to Aldo. She watched Jake walked to the camera wiggling his fingers before blocking it out. Cal smiled when she saw that, and even gloated when the room filled with angry yells of ‘oh, no.’

“You look happier now, Cal.” Aldo rested his hand on her knee.

 
Cal smiled back at Aldo and sipped her drink. “I am. My mind was foggy when I came home. Everything is clear now.”

Aldo lowered the glass she had raised to her lips again. “You sure it’s not the booze?”

“Positive. Things were cleared before I took my first drink tonight.” Cal took a deep breath and turned back to watching the screen.

Jake took a deep nervous breath as he stared down at his watch. He raised his eyes to Joyce’s place, two houses down from where they had parked the rental car. “That’s her house up there, 2717.”

“You want me to pull up?” Chuck asked.

“Nah, I’ll walk.” Jake cleared his throat and straightened his tie. He was dressed, officially, in his full uniform, hat and all. “Let’s go.”

“Jake, I have never seen you this nervous. You’ll do fine. I know you will because I heard what you’re going to say to her a million times on the trip up.”

“I had to practice.” Jake opened the car door, stepped out and waited at the hood of the car for Chuck. “Wish me luck.”

“You don’t need it.”

Jake gave a closed smile at Chuck and they began to walk at a steady pace, side by side, toward Joyce’s house.

“Jake.” Chuck nodded his head to Joyce’s porch. “Who do you think that guy is coming out?”

Jake looked up and as soon as he saw him, Jake knew him.
Oh, my God, does he look like Carlos
, Jake thought. He could have sworn it was Carlos. He knew that had to be David. “Don’t worry about him.” Jake kept walking head high. His stride and pace only slowed once, that was when he passed David in the driveway. Jake swallowed nervously. His jaw clenched and his nose twitched.

David merely nodded his head to Jake, smiled and kept on walking, hands in his pockets.

“Jake?” Chuck nudged him as they walked up the steps. “Was that him, the guy you were telling me about? Kind of early don’t you think to be paying a visit? Hey Jake, you don’t think he spent the night here do you?”

With a disgruntled breath Jake looked at Chuck before he knocked on the door. “Why do have to say shit like that?”

“Observing?” Chuck shrugged.

“Observe the bushes or something.” Jake knocked on the door.

Joyce, thinking it was David forgetting something, opened the door for them. “Oh,” she said surprised, and widened the screen door. “Come in.”

Jake cleared his throat as he tucked his hat under his arm and stepped into her entrance hallway. “Ma’am, Major Jacob Graison to see Ms. Cal Reynolds. It’s very important and if she isn’t home I would appreciate you letting me know where I can find her. If not, I would like to wait here.”

Joyce wanted to laugh at the seriousness of him. “She’s up the steps all the way to the top.”

“Thank you, Ma’am.”

Joyce, head shaking, swung to Chuck. “Hi, Chuck, what is up with his get up?”

“Oh, he’s being ridiculous. He wants to be official and all. He takes things to extremes.”

“I’d say.” Joyce could hear Jake as he took the steps two at a time.

“Hey, Joyce.” Chuck moved into the hall. “That guy, did he . . . spend the night?”

“Yeah.” She saw the concerned look on Chuck’s face. “But not like you think. We had one hell of a party last night.”

Cal looked around her attic bedroom as she tucked her shirt in her jeans. She stopped by her dresser mirror to check out her reflection and pick up her brush. “I look bad. This isn’t . . .” Her head turned to the knock on her door. “Yeah.”

“Cal.” Jake called her name as he stepped into the room the moment he opened her door.

The brush fell immediately from her hand when she heard his voice. “Jake.”

“Cal, listen.” He walked inside. “Before you say anything . . .” He felt her arms fly tightly around his neck. He closed his eyes as her body pressed to his, dropped his hat and wrapped his arms around her.

She released her grip and set her feet back on the floor. She stepped back to look at him. “What are you doing here?”

“I have to talk to you. I need to tell you something.”

“I need to talk to you, too. I can’t believe you’re here. Jake, I . . .”

“Cal, please. Let me say what I have to say. Then you can talk. Please? Sit down.” He led her to the bed, and then he stood before her. He closed his eyes and rolled his head around, preparing. Then with a deep nervous breath, he looked at her. “Cal . . . I’m going to screw this up . . . I’ll start again. Seven months ago when I met you, I knew there was something about you. You were and you are what I need in my life. I never knew what love was. I do now. Cal . . .” Jake stepped closer to her. “I woke up this morning and I was alone. For the first time in seven months, I was alone. I don’t want to wake up another morning without you by my side. Now, O.K, I admit I have a lot to learn. But work with me so I can learn them. I’ll try my best. I will. Whatever it takes, just give it a chance. Please. And besides all that mushy stuff, you promised me you would be there when I was promoted. Well . . . I am getting promoted Monday and damn it, you better be there.”

“Jake!” Cal said her voice full of excitement. “I’m so proud of you.” She started to get up from her seat, but Jake stopped her.

“Cal.” Jake knelt before her and grabbed her hands. “Come home with me. We can do this thing. We can. Hell, it’s not even going to be as bad as it was up there, you won’t have to see me every single minute.” He nervously played with the hands he held and stared at them. “I want you to live with me. In fact, I’d prefer it if you and I did things properly, did things right, and got married.” His eyes lifted to hers.

“Jake, you’re on one knee. That sounded an awful lot like a marriage proposal. Was it?”

“Well . . . if you say ‘no,’ then it wasn’t. But if you’re going to say ‘yes,’ then I can give you this.” He reached into his pocket and gave her the ring box.

Cal held it in her hand. “I’m afraid to open it, knowing you.” She teased and then saw the smile on his face. She opened the lid. “Oh, Jake.” She smiled as she closed one eye, holding the ring far from her.

“Chuck said it had to be obnoxious.”

“It’s obnoxious all right.” She took the ring from the box. “I suppose you’d like an answer, huh?”

“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, I would.”

“The best way I can answer you is to tell you to open my closet.” She saw the hesitation on his face. “Go on.”

“This is a weird, yes or no.” Jake got up and backed to the closet. He opened it. “It’s empty.”

“Yes it is, because I was leaving today at nine.”

Jake shut the closet. “Where . . . where are you going?”

“I’m going to North Carolina because
I
refuse to spend another night alone. I was determined, no matter what . . .” She stood up. “I was determined to find you and beg you to forgive me for giving up on us so easily. I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”

Jake’s head was spinning. “Yeah, sure . . . You were coming down? What made you change your mind?

“David. When I felt David hold me, when he kissed me, I knew . . .”

“You were kissing David last night?” Immediately Jake’s mind went to David leaving the house.

“It’s not like you think. I knew.”

“Am I allowed to think this is a yes to my question about living with me?” Jake smiled.

Cal nodded.

“Is it yes to the one about being my wife, too?”

“What the hell?” Cal winked. “I’m up for the challenge.”

^^^^

Fort Bragg, North Carolina

“Thanks, Chuck.” Cal slipped her head between the bucket seats of the open top jeep. “I appreciate your driving Jake to the airport to get me.
 
Aldo had everything ready and I didn’t want to do that to him.”

Jake looked back at her. “Aldo, who’s Aldo?”

“He’s my investor.”

“What?” Jake turned his body. “You flew down here with him? You failed to mention that little bit of information to me.”

Cal shrugged. “I’m here aren’t I?”

Chuck stopped the jeep at the gate. “That you are, Cal.”

The Corporal who stood on guard looked into the jeep. “Captain Burgett, sir, Major Graison.” He saluted. Then noticed Cal. “And . . .”

Jake leaned forward. “You won’t find her on the sheet, but get used to her. You’ll be calling her Mrs. Graison.”

“Sir?” The Corporal looked puzzled, almost shocked.

Chuck tapped the steering wheel. “Unbelievable isn’t it, Corporal? Yep, put those nasty rumors to rest, Major Graison has a woman.” Chuck put the jeep in drive and pulled through the gate. “Hey, Cal, did he ever tell you what his nickname is? It’s Mountain Dew Man.”

“Really? Is it because he’s been there and done that?”

“Oh!” Chuck exclaimed loudly. “I like her.”

Jake rested his elbow on the door, his hand to his forehead, fearful of what Chuck was going to say. “Just don’t like her too much.”

“Cal, you must really know this guy,” Chuck said. “One time, he didn’t speak to me for a whole week because I failed to use a coaster on his coffee table. A whole week because of a ring that disappeared . . .”

“Chuck . . .” Jake tried to quiet him.

“And . . .” Chuck continued. “He goes overboard, big time. Look, he came to propose to you and wore his uniform. His uniform, can you believe? Do you know he actually sat down and figured out how much closet and drawer space you would need by the square inches on your body?” Chuck heard Cal laugh. “And then there’s . . .”

“Chuck!” Jake shouted. “Shut the fuck up. You’re going to scare her away.”

“I’m going to scare her away? You my friend are, you big lug. You’re going to smother her to death. Keep her hidden in your house like she’s your prisoner. Not letting her out until she learns how to clean it right.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Jake was relieved when they pulled up at his house. “If anything scares her away it’s because I have a friend like you.” He stepped from the jeep and held the door for Cal. “Come on, Cal.” He reached in the back and grabbed her two suitcases.

“Jake.” Cal tried not to laugh at him. “Calm down. He’s only playing around.”

Chuck held his hands up. “No, Cal, I’m used to it. If you need a break, I live right . . .” He pointed. “Down there.” He chuckled when he saw he had gotten Jake to the boiling point. “Jake buddy, you need some help?”

“No.” He slammed the door, “Leave.” Jake began to walk to the house.

“Jake! I’ll stop by later,” Chuck yelled.

Jake turned but kept walking backwards. “I’m keeping my door locked from now on. I don’t want
you
walking in on us.” He shook his head, feeling relieved when he heard Chuck pull away. “We’re home.” He opened the front door for her.

“Do you always let him get to you?” Cal stepped into the living room of Jake’s house. It was as she expected. Clean, very clean. “You shouldn’t let him get to you.”

“I don’t usually. But he knows how nervous I am about this moment.”

“Jake, you’re nervous?” Cal shut the door.

“Yeah, I am. I want you to like it here, feel comfortable. I don’t want you to leave because you feel strange.” He picked up the long stem roses that lay in an open box on the coffee table. “These are for you.”

“Thanks.” Cal smelled them.

“Come on. I’ll give you the tour of your new home.” He grabbed her hands leading her backwards. “This is the dining room. Not much, kind of small. And this is the kitchen. Which I know you’ll get use out of.”