Beth turned her gaze to Michelle. “I think that might help explain why he is having a selective memory loss.”
Jenifer took her turn with the knife, only she was coming after Scott and not Michelle. “I can’t believe you don’t remember Beth. It hasn’t been but five or six weeks since we all took the weekend canoe trip.”
Beth wasn’t about to leave Michelle uninformed as she directed her attention to Michelle. “Each year, our sorority does a community service project where we clean up trash from the French Broad River. We have at least sixty people in our group who make the trip. We take either a raft or a canoe and spend the weekend cleaning up the river, drinking beer and camping out. It gets wild out there at night.”
Jenifer put her fingers to her lips as though she had come to a sudden realization. “Scott and Carlie were so serious about each other that I just assumed the two of you aren’t going out together. We aren’t getting him in trouble, are we?”
Scott now assumed Jenifer was a female assassin sent to destroy his brief relationship with Michelle.
Michelle, knowing their intention was to get him in trouble, responded with a laugh. “Don’t worry about that. Scott and I have been friends for several years and we just came to the beach together to talk about old times. I just wish your friend Carlie could have been here too. I know Scott would love to see her again. He has told me so much about her.”
Now Scott was beginning to wonder whose side Michelle was fighting for. If they were in a war movie, this is the time the helicopters would come in and extract those under fire. Given the fact that he had no helicopter, Scott made a plan for self-extraction. He turned to Michelle with a foolproof plan. “Michelle, if we are going to those shops in Morehead City, we should be hitting the road.”
Much to his surprise, Michelle completely brushed off his escape plan. In cold blood, she shot down his helicopter. “We can do that later. There’s no hurry.”
Beth continued with her relentless assault. “Carlie might get jealous if she knew you were here on the beach with three women. Then again, if Carlie were here he would have four women’s bodies to contend with. But, if he can handle two women then I feel sure he could handle four women.”
In another time and place, Scott would have appreciated Beth’s confidence in him, misplaced though it may have been.
Jenifer came back into the fray as she looked directly at Beth. “Speaking of attractive women, Michelle and I were just saying we think women should be able to take off our tops when we lay out. Do you agree?”
Beth was not prepared for her suggestion, but quickly managed to hide any evidence of her surprise. “I agree, but what do you think about that idea Scott? It’s obvious you would not object to being with more than one woman without her clothes on.”
Scott realized what Michelle was talking about when she said they were playing a game and it was time for him to go on the attack. If Michelle wasn’t going to shoot back, then he would. “As long as we are talking about women taking off their tops, I think two of you have some experience performing for the crowds. The first night of the canoe trip, the beer was flowing. If I am thinking about the right night, about fifteen of the sorority sisters stood behind the fire doing a line dance. Have I got this story right so far?”
Jenifer looked at Beth and started laughing. “Yes, and I think I know where this story is going.”
Michelle sat up and looked back at him wondering what he actually knew. “Well I don’t know where this story is going, but it sounds interesting.”
Scott continued with the story, much to Michelle’s amusement. “Several of the guys were yelling for the sorority girls to take it off. I was thinking that Jenifer put on quite a show that night. I’m sure she managed to impress the boys in the crowd.”
For reasons that would become clear, Scott had singled out Jenifer as the one to impress the boys while not bothering to mention Beth, who took exception to his exclusion efforts. “In case you don’t remember, Carlie and I were standing right in front of you making sure you had an unobstructed view. But then again, you say you don’t remember me.”
His response was intended to minimize her role. “It’s been a while and everyone had a lot to drink, so I’ll have to take your word for that.”
Little did Scott know but that Beth was setting him up for a full ambush and no helicopter was coming to the rescue.
Beth was becoming more demanding and louder. “Are you telling me you don’t remember taking Carlie and I to your tent that night?”
Michelle quickly turned and stared at him. As Scott had no clue what they were talking about, he tried to ease out of the conversation. “It’s been a long time. Anyway going back to the original question about women being topless, I have to agree with Michelle. When she and I went swimming last night, it really wasn’t that unusual for us. So I guess the real question is how the two of you really felt standing in that line.”
Michelle continued my point. “As I told Jenifer before, Scott and I were in the hot tub last night and I never wear my suit there. When we came for our late night swim, we just had beach towels wrapped around us until we got in the ocean. You have to try it sometime because you feel so free and unrestrained.”
Jenifer apparently did not wish to be upstaged by Michelle’s suggestion. “I’ve been swimming many times without my clothes on. It’s not a new experience for me.”
Beth was not expecting to hear what Michelle was saying and had to question the story they were selling her. “Did you say the two of you are just friends and that you are not going out with each other?”
Michelle had them where she wanted and was going to exploit the situation as she played her game. “This might sound a little strange, so let me explain. Scott and I have an unusual relationship. We get together and talk about movies, books, the environment, politics, or whatever. The most important thing to us is having each other to talk to.”
Jenifer was now being drawn into Michelle’s manipulation. “Then why were you naked in the hot tub with him?”
Michelle continued an amazing performance where truth was irrelevant. “Talking is just one part of our friendship. The other part is purely sexual because I like sex just as much as Scott does. We believe that emotional entanglements detract from our sexual fulfillment. Scott and I have found a way to meet each other’s sexual needs without all the emotional and social issues. We may not be dating each other, but he is still an all-American boy and we know how boys can be. Let’s be honest here girls, we all have desires that have to be met.”
Jenifer was becoming distracted from her game plan as her questions became more targeted. “So it doesn’t bother you that Scott was making love to Carlie and Beth on a canoe trip just five weeks ago?”
Michelle continued shooting back. “You see, jealously is just a part of the emotional entanglements we were telling you about. It doesn’t bother me in the least, and to be honest, I’m glad he had someone there to share that experience. I wish I could have been there too. I didn’t realize he had been to bed with Beth so I can understand why she is feeling a little awkward. I would like to think I was good enough in bed that a guy would remember me.”
There was a long protracted silence before Michelle spoke again. “I guess to be completely honest, I am a little jealous.”
Jenifer and Beth briefly looked at each other with what looked like a smirk, until Michelle continued with her relentless assault. “I’ve never shared Scott with another woman, but then again, I never need another woman to help me out. I like to think I can keep him well satisfied all by myself. A threesome may be something we could think about doing.”
Beth was staring at Michelle in total disbelief. “I wasn’t expecting that answer from you and I don’t appreciate it.”
Scott joined in at this point to lend some credibility to Michelle’s story. “I guess we could try it if you want to. Beth thinks we have already been to bed with each other so if that’s what you want to do, we can go for it.�
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Michelle looked at them with a fake sense of astonishment before bringing him into her performance. “Scott, would you mind rubbing some lotion on me. I think I’m starting to burn a little.”
He held out his hand as she squeezed the lotion into his palm. “Where do you want it?”
“Start on my tummy and work your way up.”
Scott began rubbing the cool lotion on her stomach. Michelle exhibited a sense of calm, but he could tell her stomach muscles were tense, suggesting she might not be as relaxed as she would have their guests to believe.
After a couple of minutes, Scott assumed he had done enough to help her accomplish some undefined point and should therefore stop. Michelle asked him to hold out his hand as she once again squeezed more lotion into his hand. She smiled at him and spoke softly, “Do my shoulders and chest too. This feels so nice.”
Scott started at her neck and did the front of her shoulders before moving down the center of her chest.
Once again, he thought he was finished until she squeezed lotion onto her breastbone and offered him a reminder “Be sure you don’t miss any spots. I don’t want to get burned.”
In the most casual voice she could use, Michelle looked back at Jenifer. “You should let him put some lotion on you. His hands feel so good and the lotion feels nice too.”
Everything Michelle was doing was in complete contrast to her personality. As Scott now understood her motives, he was almost on the verge of laughing aloud. Beth and Jenifer were staring at them in total disbelief. Michelle tried to hand the bottle of lotion to Jenifer, which she refused to take.
Jenifer was rather direct in her reply. “I don’t know Scott that well.”
Michelle didn’t miss a beat as she completely distorted Jenifer’s argument. “It’s just lotion, Jenifer.”
Michelle turned her attention to Beth. “Would you like some? If you and Carlie were with him in the tent, then I would assume you know him well enough.”
Beth was getting ready to stand up as she spoke. “Maybe later.”
Michelle looked disappointed as she spoke. “I’m sorry you have to leave. Maybe your friends would like to come over tonight and we could all get in the hot tub and then go for a swim.”
Jenifer was staring at Michelle in disbelief. “I don’t think that would work because we’ve already made plans.”
Scott put his hand up to stop them before they had a chance to stand up and then spoke with a sense of determination he rarely used. “Let’s quit playing games for a minute. The two of you made several mistakes today. First, you insulted Michelle. The second mistake you made happened when you talked about Carlie. Get your facts straight. I never was on the canoe trip because I came down with a stomach virus. Beth and Carlie might have been screwing someone, but it wasn’t me.”
Jenifer was confident Scott was trying to lie about being on the trip. “If you were not at the campsite, then how did you know what all went on?”
Scott went for the simple explanation. “The French Broad River clean up trip has been done every year for the last twenty years. It’s like a Friday the 13th movie. Once you have seen the first three movies in the series, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to predict what will happen during the 4th movie. You know what happens, even if you haven’t seen it, because only the people change. Your sorority sisters have been going there and taking their clothes off for years and the same thing will happen next year and the year after.”
Beth was almost incredulous. By the time she finished, she was almost yelling at him. “I understand if you don’t want Michelle to know you were having sex with two other girls at the same time, but don’t sit there and tell me I don’t know who was fucking me that night. There is no excuse for you to fuck me, then sit here and act as if you have never seen me. I’m not some piece of garbage.”
Scott reached into a canvas bag, took out his cell phone, and handed it to Beth. “Don’t take my word for it. Carlie is number 94 on my speed dial. Ask her yourself. Just don’t ask a leading question to get the answer you want.”
Michelle looked at him, clearly shocked by Beth’s accusation. Still, she chose to belittle Carlie. “She’s 94 on your speed dial. That's pretty far down the list, isn’t it?”
Beth took the phone and then spoke to him. “You are going to look like the worlds biggest fool in about fifteen seconds.”
“Maybe I will, but put her on speaker phone so we can all hear her answer.” Scott suggested as he released the phone.
The phone call was almost comical from the beginning. They heard the phone ring and Carlie answered. “Hello Scott. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you again.”
Beth looked at the phone and then rolled her eyes. “I’m not Scott. This is Beth and I have something important to ask you.”
Carlie replied, “Well this is like totally weird. You showed up as Scott on my caller ID. Are you sure this isn’t Scott?”
Clearly agitated, Beth shook the cell phone and rolled her eyes again. “Carlie, shut up. This is important. Do you remember on the canoe trip when you and I went to Scott’s tent Friday night and we were both having sex with him?”
Carlie replied in a less than enthusiastic voice, “How could I forget.” After a long pause she continued, “Only it wasn’t Scott in the tent that night.”
Beth began to argue with her. I’m sure we were with Scott. I wouldn’t forget something like that.”
Carlie replied with a casual tone of voice, “Maybe you had too much to drink. It was not Scott. He was in his apartment with a stomach virus trying to do a paper for Econ. You and I were doing that weird guy from the biology department. I still don’t understand why Scott’s number came up on my caller ID.”
They were all silent until Carlie spoke again. “Oh my god, you’re not pregnant, are you?”
Beth was almost screaming at the phone. “No, I’m not pregnant. I’ll call you back.”
Michelle calmly looked out at the ocean, but her attack was cruel. “This is so awkward. Apparently you really don’t know who’s screwing you from one time to the next.”
Beth did not appreciate Michelle’s comment nor was she in a position to argue, but she did appear hurt and confused. Still, she raised another point. “If you weren’t there then why did you say that Jenifer put on a real show that night but that you couldn’t remember me?”
Scott replied with some forethought and a lot of indifference. “Look at the difference between your bathing suits. You and Michelle have on similar attractive suits and you both came out to get some sun today. Jenifer has on a suit that screams ‘look at me.’ She likes showing guys what she has, which is fine with me, if she wants to. It would be the same situation in a dance lineup. She would need to call attention to herself and you are more reserved.”
Jenifer was rightfully offended by his comments. She turned her attention to Michelle assuming her a weaker target of her anger. “Well at least I have something to show off.”
Michelle also spoke before Beth started to stand up. “Jenifer, it is never about how much of something you have. It’s about knowing what to do with what you have. Besides, at least mine are real.”
Beth also turned to Michelle. “We’re not finished with this.”
Michelle leaned back on her towel and closed her eyes. “Yes we are.”
Scott looked at the expression on Beth’s face, having some appreciation for how she must be feeling. He knew she was hurt, and embarrassed. Michelle’s comment about Beth not knowing whom she was sleeping with was harsh and he saw the hurt in Beth’s eyes.
Scott considered his options for a moment and replied, “No, we are not finished with this yet. Beth, I understand you’re angry and hurt right now, but there’s something you should know about what happened that Friday night”.
“Haven’t the two of you made a fool out of me enough for one day?” She asked.
Being completely serious, Scott pointed out what he thought was an accurate statement. “No, you mad
e a fool out of yourself and we just pointed it out. Having said that, there is a very good reason you made a fool of yourself and I don’t think you understand some things that might help you sleep a little better tonight.”
Beth calmed down, looking directly in his eyes as if trying to decide if she could trust him. After a long pause, she replied, “What are you talking about?”
Scott turned so that he was not only facing her, but also looking in her eyes. “There is a reason you actually believed I was in the tent with you and Carlie. Every year, all the guys take our camping equipment to the campsite the night before the canoe trip. We set up camp so everything will be ready when we get there and we don’t have to carry our equipment in the canoes. I went to the camp on Thursday night and set up my tent and sleeping bags. All the guys put a little sign on the front of their tent. My sign said ‘Scott’s Place’. I let another guy use my tent after I got sick on Friday.”
Jenifer was calm, but questioned the validity of his explanation. “Are you suggesting Beth thought she was having sex with you just because your name was on the door? That’s a little hard to believe.”
Scott continued with the point he was trying to make and was not happy with Jenifer’s attempt to discredit the olive branch he was offering Beth. “If I had been healthy, I would have been in that tent with Beth. Everybody thought it was my tent, except Carlie, who knew I wasn’t going to be there. Beth had too much to drink that night, but that wasn’t the reason she was in my tent. On Monday, I was told that eight or nine of the sorority sisters had been given a date rape drug. If I were guessing, I would say Beth thought it was my tent and she was just going with Carlie to sleep there and nothing more. Beth had too much to drink, it was dark in the tent, and she may have been one of the girls who got the drug, but worst of all, Carlie was leading her on. Under those conditions, I can understand why she thought it was me in the tent.”
Brother Willy's Traveling Salvation Show Page 8
