by Linda Ellen
Feeling his blood begin to boil with unreasoning jealousy, Vic started back toward them, memories returning of the other guy snidely calling him Mac.
“Hey Chief, wait up! What’s your hurry?” Alec called, finishing paying for the drinks and hastening to catch up with his friend. Earl grabbed his and Ruth’s refreshments and fell into step as well, wondering why the rush.
Stalking right up to the dancing pair, Vic stopped, his eyes glittering like charred wood.
Louise looked over and emitted a soft gasp as T.J. turned his head to look over at the other man, immediately recognizing him from the time on the steamboat. Noticing the two bottles of soda in his hands he quipped dismissively, “No thanks, Mac. We’re kind of busy right now,” as he moved to turn away from the interrupter.
“You’re gonna be busier than that if you don’t let her go,” Vic growled, the frustrations of his life in general adding fuel to the fire. This fancy dresser looked like he had money, or at least money to spend, and it galled Vic, sliding under his craw and quickly festering.
“Look bud, the lady’s not complaining, so just back off…” he began, as Louise tried to placate her suddenly angry boyfriend. “Vic, it’s alright…”
Fuming, Vic knew he looked a bit ridiculous standing there on the dance floor with two cold and dripping bottles of soda in his hands. That didn’t make his temper any better.
The other man flicked his eyes quickly down the somewhat comical stance of his rival and back up again. Then switching his gaze to the girl in his arms, he drawled, “Babe, you need to trade this boy in for a man.”
That was the last straw. Turning to his friend hovering at his elbow, Vic murmured, “Hold these,” and handed the bottles to Alec.
Alec took the bottles out of his hands, but immediately swiveled to hand them to Fleet, who along with Ruth had gravitated over to the scene of the ruckus. “Calm down, Chief,” Alec tried to soothe as he turned back. “Don’t go blowin’ your sta…” he stopped as Vic swung back around and landed a strong right cross to the interloper’s jaw, causing him to stagger backward.
Louise squealed, her hands flying up to cover her mouth in shock, as other couples close by emitted squawks of alarm and quickly scooted back out of the way.
Alec and Earl immediately grasped Vic’s arms and hauled him backward, each one knowing he was dangerously near letting loose. “Calm down, Vic! Take it easy,” they attempted to appease as he strained against their control. The adversaries glared at one another as the competitor lifted a hand to rub his jaw.
Just then, the manager of the hall forced his way through the crowd and stalked up to the panting, volatile men as Vic shrugged out of his friend’s grasps.
“I’m gonna have to ask you two to take your argument outside – and don’t come back in. This is a respectable establishment and we do not condone such behavior.”
Mortified that now half of the dance floor was gawking at them, Louise scurried over near the other girls as the manager unceremoniously ‘escorted’ them to the emergency exit on the side wall.
Once they were outside and the door swung shut behind them, they realized that the antagonist had not chosen to exit with them and continue the fight.
All of a sudden, it was like the air had been released from a balloon and as the startled friends gaped at one another, Alec suddenly burst out laughing.
“Well, I guess we’ve had enough dancin’ for the night!” he cackled, shaking his head as the others joined in with him.
The six turned dishearteningly toward the parking lot and their vehicle as Earl joked, “Aww, we might as well head on over to the W.C. Lounge. I hear the ‘atmosphere’ is better there.”
“Aww blazes, I only got one lousy dance in there,” Ruth whined dramatically.
“Don’t worry baby, I’ll drop a nickel in the jukebox and we’ll cut a rug on the white tiled floor. How’s that?”
Ruth glared at him, albeit playfully, allowing a half grin as he threw an arm around her shoulder. “Not the same, but better than nothing.”
Vic glanced at his friends and then turned his head to look at Louise as she ambled along, her arms crossed over her chest as she hugged her prize close. She looked over just then and caught his eye.
“Vic, I’m sor…” “I’m sorry, Louise…” they began simultaneously, stopping short as Vic wrapped his arm around her. “Me and my stupid temper, gettin’ us kicked out of the dance like that,” Vic grumbled in self-disgust.
“I should have turned him down…he just kind of took me over…”
“It’s okay,” he reassured as he smiled down at her. “It’s normal that somebody else would want to dance with ya…there’s just somethin’ about that guy that rubs me the wrong way.”
“Well, we won’t have to worry about him anymore,” Fleet assured as they continued on to the car and finished out their evening at their favorite hang out.
Little did any of them know that circumstances were about to occur, setting in motion a chain of reactions that would turn the world as they knew it upside down.
PART III
MISUNDERSTANDING AND SEPARATION
‡
CHAPTER 20
Shocks, Surprises, and Harsh Words
It was a late summer, Sunday afternoon; the kind that usually leant itself to lazy hours of listening to the radio, or sitting around with friends sipping iced tea and swatting at mosquitoes.
Vic had been on edge all day, but couldn’t for the life of him have told you why. It was like something illusive and menacing was in the air. The very atmosphere felt thick and heavy. He wanted to squirm out from under it and run – but there was nowhere to run to.
As he walked down Fourth Street, killing time before he went back to the Alder’s apartment for the night, he looked up to see Eugene, who had been one of his boat crew from the days of the crisis. He hadn’t seen him in weeks.
“Hey Vic,” the smaller man greeted as he stopped to chat.
“Gene,” Vic returned, stuffing his hands in his pockets and stepping back to lean against the corner of a building nearby. “Where you been keepin’ yourself?” he asked, just to make conversation. He took out his lighter and lit Gene’s ever-present unlit cigarette, then with a shrug, lit one for himself. It was a habit he had recently picked up.
“Still crashing at my folks’,” Eugene responded, then glancing around as if he had a secret that was bursting to get out – which in fact he did – he looked back at Vic and murmured, “You hear what happened to Ger?”
Instantly alert, Vic straightened up, his brow furrowed. “Gerald? No, man – what happened? He alright?”
“Phh,” Eugene puffed with a disgusted sneer. “As alright as he can be, I guess – if you call sittin’ in jail bein’ alright.”
“In jail?” Vic burst out. “What’d he get arrested for?”
“Man, you ain’t gonna believe this…you remember that girl he was taking around a couple of months ago?”
“You mean that little blonde…Delores?” Vic answered, brows furrowed.
“Yep. Well…seems she lied to old Ger. Told him she was eighteen. He’s been thinkin’ about marryin’ her. Even tried it out for size, if you know what I mean,” he paused to glance around, making sure of their privacy. “All the time, she was really only fifteen.”
Vic’s eyes and mouth opened round like saucers as he put two and two together. “They got him for statutory?”
Eugene nodded. “You got it.” Then shaking his head he mumbled, “Man, what kinda girl does that to a guy, huh? One that ain’t worth spit, that’s what,” he answered himself. “Like my ol’ man always says, ‘Any girl that’ll lie to ya won’t be true to ya neither,’” he added sagely.
Vic felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. Gerald had been a good friend; they had grown close during the flood and remained so afterward. Closing his mouth and reaching up to unconsciously run his hand through his hair, he murmured, “How’d they find out? She tell somebody?”
/>
“Her mother found that photo Alder took a’ the two of ‘em. Seems she put two and two together and asked the girl.”
Shaking his head, still reeling from the shock, Vic absently reached out and patted Eugene on the arm, murmuring, “Thanks for tellin’ me, man…I’ll see ya later.”
Eugene watched him go, and then with a shrug, he turned and ambled on down the street.
*
Unwilling to return to the Alder’s apartment as he knew no one but Rose would be there until later – and needing to feel grounded again after the revelation Eugene had dropped upon him, Vic found himself standing outside of the Hoskins’ abode. He needed to be with Louise, to talk to her, and to hear her thoughts about all of this.
Being that weekends were ‘family time’ and her father didn’t want them disturbed, he had never just shown up at her place like this, unannounced. Yet, Vic told himself there shouldn’t be a problem. After all, he was her boyfriend, right? They were a couple.
The hallway seemed stuffy and a bit dark, as the only light at the moment was coming from the front windows. Muffled conversation and a shout of laughter filtered down from upstairs as he paused before knocking on the dark wood of the apartment door.
Vic straightened the collar on his jacket and ran a hand through his hair. Taking a breath to try and steady his unusually jumbled nerves, he raised his hand, but hesitated. Somewhere in the back of his mind, something was urging him to back away. His brow furrowed and he almost turned to escape. However, figuring he was merely still reeling from the scoop on Gerald, he steadied his nerves and rapped his knuckles against the door before quickly plunging his hand into his pocket. Inside, he could hear music playing, and the family laughing and conversing. He felt so detached from Louise’s family life that a miniscule part of him wondered if he might not be welcome.
Just as he was about to turn and go, the door swung open accompanied by a whiff of sauerkraut to reveal Sonny standing in the threshold. His eyes widened as he realized who it was, and why he was probably there.
Vic’ eyes narrowed, unsure about the unusual reception. The last time he had seen Louise’s brother, on Derby Day, Sonny had been friendly and accommodating…
“Um, hey Vic…how’s it going?” Sonny asked hesitantly, trying to signal him with his eyes that this might not be such a good idea.
“It’s okay…” Vic smiled at Sonny, and then tilted his head to see around him to the table across the room. Such a varied range of expressions greeted him that he was momentarily nonplussed; both Willis and Lilly were gazing at him with what could only be described as dumbfounded expressions…Billy had his hand covering his mouth as he seemed to be trying to stifle a laugh…Edna’s expression seemed suspicious…and Louise, looking decidedly pale, was staring at him as if she had seen a ghost.
What is going on here? Vic wondered, unsure of his next move. Although he was interrupting Sunday dinner, he had expected them to at least be polite…
“Can I come in?”
“Man, what’re you doing?” Sonny whispered, but far too late, as he heard his father say, “Tell the young man to step in, son.”
Vic slipped inside, standing uncomfortably as the family continued to gape at him.
“What can we do for you…Vic, right?” Willis continued.
Vic met each pair of eyes, finally settling on Louise, who seemed anything but happy to see him. Indeed, she had the look of someone facing a firing squad that was cocked and aiming right at her.
Nevertheless, he requested softly, “I um…can I talk to Louise a minute?”
Lilly turned her head, just then noticing her daughter’s expression. “Louise?”
Billy could take it no longer, bursting out, “Oh man, the jig’s up sis, and you are gonna get it now!”
Edna also turned to gaze at her sister, her eyes switching from her guilt-ridden face to the man near the door. “Vic…you’re Vic Matthews, aren’t you,” she accused, for the first time connecting their ‘rescuer’ from the flood to the ‘just okay’ young man who was supposed to have taken her on a date one rainy Friday night – but he had never come back for that ‘rain check’.
“Yeah…” Vic nodded, something unpleasant beginning to curl in his stomach. Nothing about this felt right and he was wishing fervently that he had heeded his inner warnings and fled the scene without knocking.
“And you’re coming here to see Louise?” Edna continued, now staring at her sister with nothing short of murder in her glare as the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place.
“And just what do you wish to see my fifteen year old daughter about?” Willis calmly inquired. Calm, that is, on the surface. Underneath his composed exterior, Willis was quite upset, for several reasons.
Seeing the remorseful look on her sister’s face, Edna lost all reserve. “You been sneakin’ around seein’ him, haven’t you? Wearin’ my clothes, wearin’ my shoes, wearin’ my make up, wearin’ my perfume! And lyin’ to me all this time! AIN’T YOU!” she demanded, leaning over to grab Louise’s arm and give it a yank hard enough to make Louise yelp out in pain.
Momentarily distracted by Edna’s outburst, Willis’ comment finally registered in his consciousness, and Vic’s eyes widened. He stared at Louise, hoping against hope that this was all some kind of mistake or bizarre joke. Swallowing the lump of trepidation in his suddenly dry throat, he croaked, “Fifteen? You’re fifteen? But…” he paused, racking his brain to remember what, if anything, she had told him about her age. He recalled the night of her birthday and how she had merely giggled and remained mute when everyone had tried to guess her age. Why had he been convinced all this time that she was seventeen…? My God…that means she was FOURTEEN on our first few dates!
Louise’s eyes filled with tears of contrition, and then panic as she watched Vic’s expression begin to harden. The moment she had dreaded, but foolishly hoped would never arrive, had unexpectedly come, and she found herself totally unprepared for the fallout.
“Mary Louise, what is the meaning of this?!” Lilly screeched. “Have you been doing all those things?”
Unable to believe she had committed such a blatant, continuous offense as to lie to them, and to this young man, Willis sat silently staring at his daughter. This was not the Mary Louise he thought he knew. His ‘angel’ girl…
“I…I…” Louise stammered, but truly, she had no defense. Every lie, every act of falsehood, had been done for the express purpose of catching and keeping Vic Matthews as her beau.
For Vic, it was too soon on the heels of finding out his good friend was in jail because of a girl lying to him in the very same way. Suddenly, the air in the room seemed too thick to breathe, and Vic began backing blindly toward the door.
Sonny, who had been standing back, at a loss of how to help his sister or stem the force of what he knew was sure to be an explosion of immense proportions, put out a hand as he murmured, “Vic, hold on…”
“And just what do you know about all of this, Joseph Robert?” Willis demanded as Vic turned, grasping for the doorknob.
“Vic wait!” Louise gasped, the prospect of the massive amount of trouble she was in with her family far outranked by the anxiety of Vic becoming angry with her, and possibly not wishing to see her again.
Shocked and recklessly angry, Vic turned back, piercing her with eyes so vexed, their normally soft brown tone had taken on a somewhat red hue. “Wait? For WHAT? So you can lie to me some more? Aaagghh, to he** with it,” he growled in disgust, flinging one hand out as if to sweep the whole mess away, before wrenching the door open.
“No!” Louise erupted as she sprang into action. Leaping from her seat at the table, she took off after him, squealing, “Lemme explain!”
“Mary Louise! Come back here this instant!” Louise heard Lilly’s shrill voice call after her as she made it into the hall in time to see Vic yanking the outer door open.
“Vic!” she called, running down the hall and out onto the porch. “Stop! Please!”
/>
He spun at the bottom of the outer steps, lancing her again with his eyes as she skidded to a stop at the landing. His ‘angel’ was now revealed to have very dirty feet of clay, and he was actually sickened by the whole mess. Their eyes held, his glittering with rage, hers spilling tears.
Finally, she whispered, “I’m sorry! I…I did it because…I love you, Vic…”
He visibly recoiled. “Sorry? You lead me on for months, dressin’ like you’re a grown woman, actin’ like you’re gonna move out on your own soon, makin’ out with me…and all the time, you’re just a kid! I coulda got in trouble ‘cause of you, don’t you know that?”
“I’m not a kid! I…I…” she cried out desperately, gasping as he suddenly charged back up the steps. She cringed as he brought his face nose to nose with hers.
“What else have you lied to me about, huh? For all I know you been runnin’ around with every guy in town!” Her shocked reaction to that only fueled his fire and he continued recklessly, “Maybe you ain’t so innocent like you acted in the Tunnel of Love that day. For all I know you’ve flopped on your back for every Tom, Dick and Ha…” he stopped short, his head jerking to the right as Louise’s palm forcefully connected with his cheek.
Bringing his hand slowly up to rub the offended area as he turned back, his eyes were glacial. Grinding his teeth together and raking her from head to foot in disgust, he turned and bounded down the stairs. He’d never felt so angry and betrayed in his life.
Shaking with emotion, Louise raised both hands to her face, tears flooding her cheeks as she watched him go. His reaction to finding out the truth had been a hundred times worse than she had dreaded or imagined.
“Hey, c’mon,” came Sonny’s voice from just behind her as he gently touched her elbow. Feeling sorry for the trouble his sister was in, and guilty that he hadn’t been the big brother he should have been by trying to intervene or steer her in the right direction, Sonny gently took hold of her arm and escorted her back inside to ‘face the firing squad’.
