Scott squeezed Michelle’s neck as he continued to tease her. “Where is Frisbee girl anyway? She may need some lotion.”
She used her elbow to hit him in the chest. “She’s not out here yet and her lotion is not your problem. Besides, I don’t know if we have enough lotion to cover those things.”
He thought about Michelle’s point for a moment. “In any case, what would be William’s interest in going after some political leader that far from home. Is he involved in politics?”
“I doubt you get to his level of wealth without being involved to some extent. I’m not sure why he would get down and dirty with local politics though, unless he had his own political agenda to crusade for.” Michelle said.
Scott started to recall their experience at the farm on Wednesday night. “I realize the guy is rich, but if he is putting on a road show with all the equipment he had in the barn, then he is spending some big bucks. There is no telling how much money he spent just on that rear stage TV system. That was state of the art equipment. I don’t think he would make that investment if he weren’t after something.”
Michelle turned and looked at him. “You know, people throw some big money into the collection plate.”
He shook his head in disagreement. “He can find better ways to make more money than running a scam like that. Besides, it’s still an expensive show to take on the road.”
Michelle chose to argue his point. “But you forget he and Betsy are very good at what they do when they put on a show.”
She could see his look of confusion. “How do you know they are good at what they do?”
Michelle looked away and then back at Scott after only a few moments. “I know because you and I were the targets of his dog and pony show. And admit it or not, it was successful.”
Scott thought she was giving them too much credit. “I’m not sure I agree with that. If you remember, we agreed to have a long talk just before we walked into the barn. I think you and I had figured out what was going on with us and we just needed to reach an agreement.”
She started laughing at Scott as she listened to his argument. “Give me a break, Scott. If you and I had one of our typical conversations, we would have talked for a few minutes, ordered a pizza, and then watched a movie. As it turned out, we left his barn just before eight-thirty, and within two hours, you were taking my clothes off in the hot tub. Thirty minutes after that, we were in bed together making love to each other. That was a big step for us.”
“That may be true, but let’s be honest here. He had a lot of pent up demand working for him. We were motivated for change.” Scott replied, still having some doubt about his role.
Michelle tried patiently to make her point. “Betsy was right. The minute we kissed each other, things changed. We haven’t been the same sense.”
Scott had to agree with her. “You have a point there. If William has found a way to use the Salvation Show to sway public opinion, then that would be a powerful political tool. He may not even be using his own money. He could be using 501c money and the feds won’t know who is making the contributions.”
Michelle carried his idea forward. “I wonder if he passes a collection plate and if so, what does he do with the money?”
Scott started smiling as he thought about that possibility. “If you are going to be his business manager, then I guess you will know soon enough.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “You and I might be on the verge of a great job. Some of these grassroots organization groups pay good salaries and all we have to do is herd sheep.”
Her enthusiasm led Scott to think about something she had not considered. “What if we don’t agree with his political views?”
“That won’t be a problem because he would agree with us about most things. This could actually be a great job.” She replied, while looking off in the distance.
They sat quietly for several minutes considering the possibilities until Scott heard the sound of Michele’s voice speaking with a tone of disbelief. “Don’t look now, but Frisbee girl and one of her friends are coming down the steps.”
Scott immediately turned and looked before he glanced back at Michelle. She hit him in the arm for not following her instructions. “Why did you look when I told you not to look?”
In pure logical defense, Scott had to point out the obvious. “People always look when someone tells them not to look. If you hadn’t said anything, I would not have looked. Besides, what possible difference does it make if I glanced in her direction? All she’s doing is talking to her friend.”
Michelle’s grin was growing more noticeable by the minute. “I’m sure to the untrained male eye you think they are just talking to each other. I, on the other hand knowing something about women, happen to know there is more going on. She has already pointed at us twice.”
“How do you know they were pointing at us if you weren’t looking?”
Michelle tried to explain the unexplainable. “I can look, but you can’t”
His rebuttal came quickly. “I, knowing something about paranoid behavior, think you are losing it. At the very most, they are trying to decide where to sit on the beach. Like normal people, they are going to get some sun, maybe play with the Frisbee, and then go swimming.”
She immediately looked at him with what he could only assume was sympathy. “You are so naïve. Five dollars says she never once gets her hair wet and another five dollars says she does not go in the water above her waist. She spent too much time fixing her hair for her to allow it to get wet.”
Being confident with his reasons, Scott replied, “I’ll take both bets. You see, my little paranoid friend, I happen to know it is going to be in the 90’s today. She will be baking like a Thanksgiving turkey before two o’clock. Frisbee girl will be wet from her toes to her head before this afternoon has ended and you will be missing ten dollars from your purse.”
Michelle was equally confident. “Get your money ready because you’re going to be taking me out for a very nice seafood dinner.”
“I don’t think you’ve eaten out lately if you think we can have a nice seafood dinner for ten dollars.”
She held up her hands to stop the conversation. “I don’t think you understand. I get the ten dollars from the bet and you still have to take me to dinner. Sometime during the course of the day, you will feel guilty about looking at her boobs after I told you not to look. Your feelings of guilt for looking at her will drive you to take me out for dinner.”
Scott lay down on his back and closed his eyes. “I’m not guilty of anything. Besides, I think you are having more fun getting into that girl's brain than I did watching her bend over to pick up the Frisbee. In addition, just to set the record straight, it is natural for humans to look when anything moves in the visual field.”
Michelle stretched out her legs before she leaned back letting her arms support her weight. “She had no shortage of moving parts yesterday.”
Bringing their discussion to its natural conclusion, Scott replied, “Neither did you.”
“I’m glad to know you took your eyes off Frisbee girl and noticed.”
Their neighbors had come down to the beach and put their towels down about fifty feet from Scott and Michelle before settling in for the afternoon. Within fifteen minutes, Scott had almost drifted off to sleep when he heard Michelle whispering to him. “You are not going to believe this. Frisbee girl is coming over here.”
He replied without opening his eyes, “No she’s not. She is going for a walk on the beach or maybe she’s going back to her place. She is no interest in us.”
Within a minute, he was proven wrong when Scott heard a voice breaking his peaceful rest. “Excuse me, but have we met somewhere before? You remind me of someone I knew in school.”
Michelle’s answer came after a slight pause. “No, I don’t think so.”
Scott opened his eyes to see their visitor standing beside them. She had a small tattoo on her right shoulder and just as Michelle had said, she had
not one hair out of place. It was also obvious she had spent time in the sun as her skin was unevenly tanned which Scott assumed resulted from wearing different swimsuits.
Her choice of swimsuits that day left little to his imagination as it was quite provocative. She then offered Michelle what Scott could only describe as an artificial smile. “I didn’t mean you. I was thinking I’ve met your friend before.”
She looked vaguely familiar, but Scott had no idea who she was or if they had ever met. He smiled politely and replied, “No, I don’t think we have met before.”
She became more insistent and quite accurate with her recollections. “Aren’t you Scott Morrison and didn’t you just graduate from UNC Asheville?”
Scott glanced at Michelle, who had a special way of looking at him while waiting for Scott to answer a question, which he would prefer not to answer. It was the type of expression, which suggests she would patient, regardless of how long Scott took to respond. In other words, avoiding an issue was not an option. Scott turned his attention back to their visitor. “I’m Scott and I did graduate from UNC Asheville, but I’m sorry, I don’t remember you. Did we take a class together or something?
She was smiling as she shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. With the exception of the parties we were both at, you probably are accustomed to seeing me with more clothes on.”
Was her comment meant to suggest that she did not have clothes on at the parties? Scott had the suspicion this could get ugly. He assumed the sooner the conversation ended the better off he would be.
She then turned her attention to Michelle. “In Asheville, it gets so cold that we spend most of our time there in goose down coats and long pants. It feels so nice to finally take it all off and get some sun.”
Technically, she had not taken it all off, but she was about as close as she could get without being arrested.
Michelle, trying to be polite, smiled at her. “I like your suit. It’s very pretty.”
She tugged lightly at the strap around her neck. “Thank you. My mom thinks it is far too revealing. I guess she would prefer I wear something much more conservative like the one you have on.”
Even Scott understood the jab she had just thrown at Michelle and was ready to come to her defense. Michelle however, had no desire for him to come to her defense as she set her target on their guest. “I’m so sorry. My name is Michelle. I’m sure Scott would have introduced us if he had any idea who you are. Anyway, I know what you mean about moms and the way they like us to dress. Scott and I went swimming last night after midnight and it felt so good to swim topless. My mom would have died if she had seen us last night. I just wish North Carolina would pass a law that would allow women to go topless. I know from personal experience Scott would vote for it.”
Neither their visitor nor Scott was expecting Michelle’s response. He knew Michelle would not be caught dead being topless on a public beach, and he knew they had not taken a midnight swim. Scott had to assume she was jerking the girl’s chain. Michelle rarely was confrontational, but she did not back down easily when attacked. If Jenifer didn’t know by now, she would soon discover she was over-matched.
As Jenifer got ready to speak, she reminded Scott of someone playing a poker hand and her long pause only made his assumption more convincing. In looking back on the conversation, he was sure she was making a calculation as to how she would respond to Michelle. “I’m sorry. My name is Jenifer. It’s very nice to meet you. I have to agree with you that topless is better. It’s almost impossible to get an even tan line. Besides, it’s not like men are going to see something they’ve never seen before.”
Scott could not imagine where their conversation was going. Still he was ready to satisfy his personal curiosity. More to the point, he didn’t know why they were even having a conversation after his denial of knowing her. He assumed she would just walk off into the sunset, but he was wrong. “Jenifer, I’m sorry, but I still don’t know where you and I have met before.”
For reasons that escaped him, Jenifer began shaking her hand in the air. Right, I forgot what I was saying. You and Carlie Miller were getting serious about each other during the last semester at school. Beth, who is lying over there, Carlie, and I are sorority sisters. We’ve met at several functions. Our sorority held some very wild parties that you attended. I am sure you remember being at some of those parties with Carlie.”
Scott still could not remember her and as it turned out, it didn’t matter because Michelle interrupted his thoughts when she spoke to Jenifer. There is no way Scott would ever be able to explain Michelle’s suggestion. “Why don’t you and Beth come over here with us and the three of you can talk about old times and the great parties. We can all lie on the beach together.”
“Oh, I know Beth would love to see you again to say hi and talk about your recent past together. Are you sure you don’t mind? Carlie is going to die when she finds out you’re here.” Jenifer replied
Michelle raised her shoulder slightly, and then tucked her head slightly as she looked at Scott. “You don’t mind if they come over and lay out with us, do you?”
The last thing Scott wanted was to discuss old times with people he did not remember. To him, it was like driving down a country road and stopping in at a family reunion in order to discuss old times with a family he had never met. “Here’s to old times” he replied while taking a gulp from his Coke.
Once Jenifer was a reasonable distance away, Scott held nothing back from Michelle. “Why in the hell are you inviting them to spend the day with us?”
She was smiling as she gave him a quick kiss. “I’m just going to watch you squirm for a little while. You failed to tell me much about Carlie other than the fact you were seeing her. I didn’t realize Carlie and you were getting serious, so now I need details.”
“I don’t even know these people. Why would they want to sit with us? More to the point, why would I squirm? I haven’t done anything. Besides, Carlie is history and has been for a while now.” Scott argued.
Michelle was still grinning as she replied, “I’ll explain it to you later. Anyway, why are you complaining? I’m sure you can sit back and enjoy the scenery while I find out more about your relationship with Carlie.”
He looked directly at Michelle for clarification. “Fifteen minutes ago you were telling me not to look at her scenery.”
Michelle was determined he would have no peace. “Scott, these women have critical information about you and your ex-girlfriend and I need that information. I am also interested in your recent past with Beth.”
Scott had confidence in his security system and proudly explained his firewall of security. “I have no recent past with Beth and I don’t know who she is. Besides, women don’t discuss the guys they date or share details with other women.”
Still trying to torture him, Michelle replied, “No Scott, you wish women would not discuss these matters, but we do. For example, do you remember going swimming in the river with Sally Prescott? In case you have forgotten, I have all the details.”
He felt a need to point out the obvious flaw with her knowledge. “If Sally and I had actually had that alleged experience, anything that happened would be on a need to know basis, and you would have no need to know. She would be discrete.”
She nodded her head. “But I do know everything down to the smallest detail and she was anything but discreet. I probably know more than you do and I wasn’t even there. Anyway, the real issue is the fact that you will be sitting on the blanket with three women who are making sure you have an adequate supply of eye candy. At the same time, I will be torturing you with details of your failed relationship with a woman I don’t know enough about. This will be fun.”
Accepting certain defeat, Scott sought an honorable retreat. “I forgot something in the house that I need to get. I should be back in an hour or so.”
Michelle made sure he saw her wink. “It’s a game, Scott and they think I am a little country girl who doesn’t know how to pla
y.”
She had to see Scott’s look of frustration. “I’m a country boy and I didn’t even know there was a game, let alone how to play it”.
“This is a girl’s game and of course you don’t know how to play. All you have to do is act like a typical male sitting on the beach with three girls sticking a knife in each other.”
Scott thought he was starting to catch on. “You mean like when she said something about your suit being conservative.”
She wrinkled her nose. “You catch on fast. However, keep in mind that was just the opening shot. They want to make you look bad in front of me.”
Scott wanted to know why they wanted to make him look bad, but Jennifer and her advance guard were closing in on his tranquility. Scott was ready to cut and run thinking he might live to fight another day. However, Michelle preferred to suit up and take on the enemy.
CHAPTER VIII
When Beth and Jenifer returned, they spread out their towels and sat down on the blanket. After exchanging introductions and other formalities, Scott came to the realization that if no one spoke, this might not be a bad arrangement. Michelle was right about the eye candy. He also knew the odds of no one speaking were slim.
Jenifer was watching Michelle, but talking to Scott. “You may not remember me, but I’m sure you remember Beth.”
He looked at her for a minute and replied, “No, I’m sorry, but I really don’t think we’ve met”.
Jenifer and Beth turned and looked at each other as if Scott were crazy. Jenifer’s tone suggested she was not accepting his denial. “You have got to be kidding me. I didn’t think you would be able to forget her.”
As far as he knew, most people would have a problem trying to remember people they don’t know. That bit of a priori logic did not seem to apply.
Beth looked at Scott before she stuck the proverbial knife in his back. “So, have you been up to see Carlie this summer?”
Maybe he could play this game after all, or so he thought. “No. I haven’t seen or talked to Carlie in a long time. The distance between the coast and Asheville makes it hard for us to keep up. Anyway, things between us didn’t quite work out like we thought they would.”
Brother Willy's Traveling Salvation Show Page 7
