She turned her attention from the beach to look at him. “You attract some very dysfunctional women.”
Scott pulled her closer to him. “I guess that’s why you and I have been friends for so long.”
CHAPTER XIV
Michelle looked up at the sky. “I’m hot.”
Scott interrupted before she could finish her idea. “I always thought you were.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “I was going to say that you and I should go swimming together. We haven’t been in the ocean all day.”
They wasted little time getting to the beach and into the water. After swimming for twenty minutes, they stood beyond the breakers riding the small waves. Scott was curious about how her morning had gone. “Did you and Beth have fun shopping together?”
“It was very nice.” She replied. “We had fun being together and we had a great lunch.”
They stood next to each other facing the ocean and listening to the sounds of the waves breaking behind them while watching the gulls swoop down in the water. The warm afternoon sun along with the smell of suntan lotion filled their senses.
Michelle’s words soon changed the course of their conversation, but did not fully express her feeling of apprehension. “Scott, something very strange happened to me last night.”
Scott replied with an attempt at a joke, not knowing she was being as serious as she was. “You must have discovered the meaning of total sexual fulfillment for the first time in your life.”
She continued to watch the gulls, as she was slightly reluctant to share her experience. “That’s not what I was talking about, but with some practice, I think you have potential. Anyway, last night I woke up just before two o’clock because I was cold. I got out of bed and put on my gown when something strange happened. I got back in bed and snuggled up to you.”
She stopped speaking for several moments until Scott turned and looked at her at the same moment she had turned to face him. “I had the strangest sensation that Beth was in the room with us. It wasn’t like a passing thought, but more like a feeling that I could almost feel her presence. I could almost see her lying next to you.”
“Are you sure you weren’t having a dream?”
She slowly shook her head. “You know me better than that. I don’t stand up, walk to the dresser, take my gown from the drawer, and then put it on while I am asleep.”
When Scott walked with Beth to her cabin the previous night, one of the last things Beth told him, was her plan to haunt him by lying in bed with him at two o’clock in the morning. The coincidence of Beth’s statement and Michelle’s experience were hard for Scott to ignore, even if neither of the ideas were rational.
“I’m not sure what you mean when you say you could almost see her.”
Michelle scrunched her nose as she tried to think of a way to explain what she saw. “I could see her without really seeing her. I know that doesn’t make any sense, but I guess it would be like I could imagine her, only the image was clear.”
Scott thought of a way to test how clear her image was. “Could you tell what was she wearing?”
It took Michelle only a moment to respond. “She had on short white pajama bottoms and her top was a white v-neck with little pink elephants on it.”
“That’s a fairly specific description of something you couldn’t really see.” Scott replied, still trying to understand what she actually saw.
Michelle started smiling. “I always notice what other girls are wearing, even when the other girl is a ghost. It was a cute little outfit.”
Scott also started smiling, while teasing Michelle. “How little was this outfit? Would I have liked it?”
Michelle placed her finger up to his face and smiled. “It’s none of your business how little or cute it was.”
He took her hand as they started walking toward the shore. “I don’t know what happened to you last night, but I would assume it was just left over from all the drama we went through yesterday. Between Amie and Beth, it was a really weird day.”
She reached out and touched his arm to stop him from going onto the beach. They stopped walking and stood with the water up to their knees. “Scott, I was almost afraid last night.”
“Why didn’t you wake me up if you were frightened?”
She once again gave him a halfhearted smile. “What was I supposed to do? Should I have told you to get rid of the cute little ghost that was lying next to you?”
“Beth is a living, breathing, walking, and talking girl. She can’t be all those things and still be a ghost.” He replied.
Michelle smiled again. “I know, and she has a credit card. If she were a ghost, the bank would probably cancel her card after she died.”
“One would think so.” Scott replied.
Michelle stepped in front of him as she made her troubling observation. “All the logic in the world doesn’t change what happened to me last night.”
Scott watched her for several minutes thinking he needed to provide some explanation she would accept. Unfortunately, he really didn’t have an explanation that she would readily accept. “As my hero Sherlock Holmes always says, ‘Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.’ Our job is to rule out everything we can.”
Michelle poked her finger in his stomach. “Okay Sherlock, I was not drunk, on drugs, having hallucinations, nor was I asleep. You can take it from there.”
As she had taken away all the obvious answers, Scott had to scramble to give her another option. “It’s elementary my little female Watson. Secretly, Beth wants to have a relationship with me. Therefore, she learned how to become a form of plasma that would allow her to transcend time and space. This process lets her be in our bed while still in her bed as she crossed into a parallel universe. Do you have any problems with that theory?”
She put her arm over his shoulder as she spoke. “Let me destroy your theory by pointing out the obvious flaws in your thinking. First, I have no desire to be your little female Watson. Next, that Beth would love to climb in bed with you is anything but a secret. That part is obvious. However, you might be on to something with your idea of her traveling through a parallel universe.”
“She doesn’t want to go to bed with me. Beth just appreciates me talking to Moose yesterday and finding out what really happened on the canoe trip.” Scott replied, knowing his words did not match reality.
They started down the beach choosing to walk in the water. “I don’t have an explanation for what you experienced last night. I can only guess you were tired, had a lot on your mind, and it just all came crashing down on you. If anything like that happens again, wake me up.”
As they walked along, she started teasing him again. “So, Sherlock has no answers for me.”
They continued to walk as Scott continued to think about her experience. After several minutes, he stopped walking and turned to Michelle. “Maybe there is an explanation. Maybe what happened to you was a psychic experience. What if there was some type of mental connection between the two of you?”
Michelle had a doubtful expression. “That seems unlikely.”
His rebuttal came quickly. “So was your experience. If you really want to know, then all we have to do is ask Beth what she slept in last night. If she says anything other than white pajamas with pink elephants, then we know it was just your imagination.”
Michelle thought about his answer. “What happens if she was wearing white pajamas with pink elephants?”
“I don’t know, but let me ask you this. Other than just having the feeling she was there, did you get any feeling for why she was there or what she might have been doing, or if she wanted something?”
“No, but do you really think it could have been a psychic thing going on?” She asked as they continued their walk.
Scott opted to tell her the truth. “What I really think is that you have been under a lot of stress with Tom and now having me around all the time hasn’t given you the
time to think everything through.”
“You’re probably right. Still, I can’t explain what it is, but there is something strange about Beth that I can feel when we’re together. I can’t give you a good reason for me inviting her to get in the Jacuzzi yesterday, or why I went to the party, or why we went shopping, or for anything else. You and I were supposed to be alone and I keep inviting her to do things with us.”
They turned around and started walking back to their beach towels. “Maybe you needed a girlfriend to talk to.”
She shook her head. “It’s more than that. I honestly believe she would love to get you alone somewhere. I wish you could have seen her face when you were putting the lotion on her yesterday. If I hadn’t been there, I think you might have gotten lucky.”
“I don’t think so, but you and I are all alone this afternoon and I’m assuming she will be leaving tomorrow. I would also assume that tomorrow will be the last time we will ever see her again.” He replied.
Michelle corrected him. “She only lives about twenty miles from us. I think she wants to be best friends or something. I like Beth and she is fun to go out with, but I’m still having strange feelings about her.”
Scott asked what he thought was a reasonable question. “Do you feel like you are competing with her or are you jealous of her for some reason?”
Michelle stopped and turned to face him. “No, it’s nothing like that. In fact, I almost feel like I am dealing with myself when I talk to her. It’s as if we are on the same wavelength and just gliding along. When you were rubbing lotion on her and giving her a massage yesterday, it didn’t bother me at all. I’m telling you, something strange is going on. That’s not like me.”
He hesitated for a few moments before giving Michelle his own confession. “There is something about her that draws me to her. Until you told me how you were feeling, I just assumed she was flirting or playing mind games with me. I don’t know what it is either, but she has a way of making a connection to me. Moreover, before you say anything, I am not about to go off with her and do something stupid. I’m not even sure it’s a romantic or a sexual thing that she and I share. It’s more like a mental contest I’m having with her.”
Michelle gave him a quick kiss. “Thank you for being honest with me and don’t worry, because I trust you. You’re right. It’s almost a mental thing I have going on with her too. I don’t know if it’s a game we’re playing or something else.”
They sat on the beach towel before Michelle handed him the bottle of sunscreen. As Scott was putting the lotion on her back, he wanted to find out what she was thinking. “If it’s not a mental game the two of you are playing, then what else would it be?”
She was becoming even more concerned than he had already seen. “I don’t know, but it’s getting spooky. I wasn’t planning on going shopping while we were here, but last night the idea just popped in my mind and she immediately agreed. If I suggest something then she agrees with it. If she suggests something, I agree with it.”
Scott suggested a possible explanation. “Maybe the two of you have a lot more in common than you thought. Maybe you just like being around each other.”
Michelle’s response told him something about her sense of control. “I came here to be alone with you, yet I’ve invited her to swim with us this afternoon. At this rate, I’ll be inviting her to dinner.”
Michelle started smiling as she continued her thoughts. “I should be worried about you having a relationship with Beth but it looks like I’m the one who’s paying the most attention to her.”
Scott tried to be more lighthearted with his comment thinking it would set Michelle’s mind more at ease. “There is no reason the three of us can’t be alone this afternoon. We can talk about all the old times that we never shared together.”
Michelle smiled briefly. “Scott, I know you are just trying to make me feel better, but this is really something I need to deal with. Beth and I had never met before yesterday, but our bathing suits were almost identical. Last night, we both wore shorts with a collared knit shirt, which were almost identical except for the color. We both had shrimp salad and ice tea for lunch. I had already decided what I was going to order and she ordered the exact same thing before I did, so I know she wasn’t just trying to copy me.”
Even though Scott had his own suspicions, he tried to downplay those things she thought were unusual. “Sometimes things that appear to be related are nothing more than a coincidence.” He continued to speak after a long pause to consider what might be best for Michelle. “Do you think we should leave today and go somewhere else to get away from all the drama?”
She gave Scott her answer without even taking time to consider his suggestion. “We can’t just leave. That wouldn’t solve anything and besides, it would be rude to do that to Beth.”
Scott may have misunderstood Michelle’s reaction, but the thought of leaving the coast early seemed to provoke a sense of anxiety. Up until this point, he had assumed Michelle’s issues were a matter of casual concern, but he was also growing slightly more concerned. After considering his options, Scott chose to be as direct as he could. “Michelle, are you okay?”
She looked at him for several moments before she said what he thought she was feeling. “I don’t know. I feel like I am going to have an anxiety attack even though I have never had one before. I feel really confused about what I’m thinking.”
Still concerned, he continued to question her. “Are you telling me everything I need to know or are you holding something back?”
She took her fist and lightly hit his arm several times. “I’m holding a lot back from you and we need to have a long talk like we usually have. I’m not hiding anything from you, but we just haven’t had time to talk about us or me. When you and I are alone, I feel fine.”
Scott pointed out the obvious contradiction in her statement. “Michelle, we’re alone now and you don’t seem to be feeling fine. Maybe we need to have that long talk now and see if we can get to the bottom of this problem.”
“This is not a good time or place for us to talk. We can talk at dinner or tonight when we come back here. Anyway Beth is coming down the steps now.” She replied.
Within a few minutes, Beth had laid out her towel next to their blanket and sat down. She put her arms around Scott and kissed his cheek before sitting down to give them an explanation. “Amie said for me to give you a hug and kiss and say thank you for trying to help her. I gave her your cell phone number and she is going to call you tonight.”
Without really thinking, Scott looked at Beth. “How did you know my cell phone number?”
Michelle replied before Beth could speak. “I gave it to Beth last night when we were at the hospital. Do you think Amie will try to get help or is she just singing the same old song?”
Beth handed him her bottle of suntan oil as she answered Michelle. “She said Scott told her something that made sense to her, but she wouldn’t tell me what they talked about. Amie seemed to have a different attitude, but that could be gone before she gets home. I hope she will follow through with her plan because she really needs help.”
Michelle offered her own idea. “Maybe being away from the college scene will make things easier for her. She won’t have the parties and pressure on her.”
Scott held up the suntan oil. “Did you want me to do something with this?”
Beth’s reply was not what he was expecting. “I guess you could start with my back and shoulders and then we can talk about where you can go from there.”
Scott was surprised she was so obvious with her reply but Michelle showed no reaction to Beth’s insinuation.
Michelle sniffed a few times as he applied the oil to Beth’s lower back. “That smells so good, what is it?”
Beth took the bottle and handed it to Michelle. “Jenifer found it at a little store in Beaufort. I love the way it smells and it’s supposed to drive the guys crazy.”
Michelle held her hand up to Scott’s nose after she p
ut the oil in her hand. “Does it drive you crazy?”
When Michelle held her hand close to his nose, Scott could smell nothing unusual or different about the scent even though they both described the oil as being so pleasant. Rather than argue about their illusion of a great smelling potion, he changed the subject. “We better enjoy the sun while we can because we are going to have some strong slow moving storms blow in tonight.”
Michelle looked out over the ocean. “The waves are already bigger than they were this morning. We heard the forecast while we were shopping and they make it sound like we are in for strong winds and lightning.”
They sat for a few minutes without speaking as Michelle and Beth stretched out on their towels. “Where is Jenifer?”
Beth replied without opening her eyes. “She, Heather and Katie all went home this morning right after Amie left. Katie and Heather got in a big argument about the way Amie was treated last night at the party.”
Scott glanced at Michelle, “I don’t remember Katie. Did you meet her?”
Michelle replied, “I talked with her for a little while but she went for a walk on the beach before we had a chance to really talk. She was very nice to me.”
“I wish Katie had stayed for one more night. I’m not sure how I feel about being alone in that big house, especially with a bad storm coming.” Beth replied.
“Why did you decide to stay if everyone else was leaving?” Scott asked.
“My parents own the house with three other couples and I wanted to stay and get everything cleaned up for the next group to come in. Besides, I wasn’t ready to go home yet.” Beth replied.
Michelle and Beth were both lying on their stomachs. With Scott between them and with each of them facing in opposite directions, they could not see each other. They went without talking for almost half an hour until his sense of reality came into question. What he was about to hear would defy any logical explanation.
Michelle’s words broke their self-imposed silence. “That’s a good idea, Beth. I’m getting hot too.”
Beth pushed her body up so that she was standing on her knees looking at Scott as he was lying on his back, watching her. “Are you coming with us?”
Brother Willy's Traveling Salvation Show Page 16
