by Brown,Dick
“I can’t believe your mother did that. At least you could have told me and spared me the embarrassment of having to tell Junior that he and Lawanda weren’t invited,” Rod said. “Your mother is the president of the Parent Teachers Association and on the board of every organization in this town. All that talk about how we are all equal, welcoming the Booker T. Washington High School students the first day of school? That was a load of crap! And the only reason I was allowed to date you was because I was supposed to win the ten-thousand-dollar poker pot for your granddad when he recruits me for SMU’s football team. Now that I’m no longer useful, my friends and I are kicked back to the gutter.”
“Rod, it’s not like that,” Cass said with tears welling in her eyes. “Gramps truly likes you and wants to help you with a scholarship. If he didn’t like you, he wouldn’t have allowed me to date you whether you played for SMU or not. You have to believe me. My mother likes you, too. It’s just going to take some time for her to adjust to the new social scene in Bois D’Arc. Give her some time, she’ll come around.” Cass began sobbing.
Rod had never seen Cass cry and didn’t know how to respond. He leaned toward her and took her face in his left hand, and with his right hand, he gently dabbed her streaking eye shadow with his handkerchief. “I’m sorry I yelled at you, but what she did was a slap in the face and it hurt.”
Still sobbing, Cass pleaded with Rod. “This is supposed to be the climax of the wonderful year we’ve had. Please don’t spoil it. Let’s go to the party at the Adolphus and enjoy the rest of the night . . . please.” Cass begged, sealing it with a warm kiss that would have melted an iceberg.
“Okay,” Rod said, after her persuasive kiss and feeling a little ashamed of his outburst. “Let’s go to Dallas.”
Chapter 19
Adolphus Hotel, Dallas
Entering the lobby through the Adolphus Hotel’s gilded doors momentarily distracted Rod after the emotional drive to Dallas. With its life-size paintings, rich furnishings, and polished mahogany paneling, the luxurious 1912 hotel made him feel as if he had just stepped back into a time of European elegance. It had truly earned its reputation of the “Grande Dame” of grand hotels.
“Wow, this is even cooler than the Willard Hotel in Washington where Jack and I stayed,” Rod said, trying to impress her rich friends.
“Right this way.” The maître d’ directed the four couples into the French Room, the most elegant dining room in the hotel, where they were the only guests. Tables were set as if royalty were coming for dinner. As soon as everyone was seated, a troop of waiters began pouring water and tea since everyone was under age. That wasn’t a problem, as all the boys except Rod brought their flasks of liquor.
The three other couples were from the wealthiest families in Bois D’Arc, starting with Eddie Winthrop, whose father was owner and senior partner in the Winthrop, Biggs, and Bartholomew law firm, which rivaled some of the prestigious law firms in Dallas. His date Abigail Petri’s father was founder of Texas Data Systems, a growing computer company in Dallas. Robert Wesley McConnelly was the grandson of the founder of the Lone Star Cotton Compress, who had emigrated from England and established the largest cotton compress in East Texas at its height in the early 1900s. Robert was escorting Eleanor Lewensky, whose father was president of Lewensky Designs, producer of women’s designer dresses for Neiman Marcus in Dallas. Kent Abington’s father, a single parent, owned the Lakewood Country Club. His date, Alexandra Holzworth, was the daughter of his father’s mistress—not a well-kept secret in Bois D’Arc. And there was Cass Worthington, a blue-blood legacy, whose escort lived in the Flats with no pedigree. That didn’t sit well with the rest of the group, especially Eddie Winthrop, who despised Rod because he had no chance of competing for Cass’s affections against the star quarterback.
Rod scanned the menu. There were so many choices. He had no idea what most of them were, such as Branzini, Edamame Puree a la Plancha, Baby Shiitake Mushrooms with Caper Brown Butter, and the desserts—French Room Trio of Sorbets, Olive Oil Cake, Meringue Crisp, and French Room Soufflés.
Eighty dollars for a three-course meal got his attention, too. “I don’t think I have the stomach for any of this stuff,” he whispered to Cass. “Why don’t you order for us? You spent the summer in France.” His anger at Cass for not inviting any of his friends to the dinner party was working its way back to the surface.
Before Cass could explain the choices to Rod, Eddie read the menu to the others in flawless French, which they understood. “See, it isn’t so hard if you’ve taken courses other than football and P.E. in school.”
“Shut up, Eddie,” Cass snapped.
Rod reached across the table, knocking over his tall water glass, and grabbed Eddie by his lapels. “That’s okay, Cass, I can take care of myself.” He was ready to slam him face down on the table.
“Stop it!” she shouted as she grabbed Rod’s arm. “Please, Rod, don’t ruin this evening.”
“Don’t worry, it’s already ruined. Let’s go. I can’t breathe in here.” He grabbed Cass by the hand, pulled her up from her chair, and dragged her toward the lobby.
The group watched in shock as Eddie called after Cass, “Don’t throw your life away on a crippled loser.” He straightened his dinner jacket and motioned for the stunned waiters to clean up the spilled water. “Now we can have a civilized dinner without the white trash at the table.”
Cass dug in her heels and stopped Rod before they reached the valet. “Why did you have to do that? You know Eddie’s a pompous ass and has always been jealous of you. This was your chance to show them that you are just as good as they are.”
“Don’t you get it? I’m not as good as they are. Let’s just get the car and go home, okay?”
“No, I don’t want to go home. Not like this,” Cass pleaded.
Rod whistled at the valet to bring the car around, further embarrassing Cass. When it arrived, the valet opened Cass’s door and bid her a good evening. Rod jumped behind the wheel and sped away. The door handle jerked out of the valet’s hand and the door slammed shut with a bang.
“Let’s go somewhere so we can talk,” Cass said.
“Fine, any suggestions?”
“Holiday Inn, it’s only a few blocks from here.”
“A motel?”
“Yes.”
“What if somebody sees us?”
“I don’t care.”
“Fine, Holiday Inn it is.”
The Continental screeched to a halt in front of the Holiday Inn. Rod rented a room while Cass waited in the car. There were no suspicious looks because of his tux. It was prom night in Dallas as well and the motels were busier than on any football weekend. Rod bought two Cokes from the vending machine and stopped for a bucket of ice on the way to their room. He slid the key into the door and barged in, followed closely by Cass. She sat on the edge of the king-size bed and patted the spot next to her with her hand, signaling Rod to have a seat.
“We are too good together to let a jerk like Eddie Winthrop come between us,” Cass said, accepting the Coke from Rod.
“Cass, I love you, you know that. But not being able to go to college and play football, well, I just don’t think it would work out. You know the reason your grandfather let us date this year. I let him believe that so we could be together, but I never intended to go to SMU. I was committed to A&M. After my injury, I’m no use to anyone anymore. Can’t you see that? I don’t fit in with your family and their lifestyle. I’ll never be able to take you to fancy places like the Adolphus and blow $200.00 on dinner. That would have bought a month’s worth of groceries for our family.”
“Don’t put yourself down like that. Let Gramps help you with a scholarship. You’d make a great coach and I could teach little first-graders. We can have our own family, a star quarterback and a cheerleader. We don’t need to live
that kind of life.”
“I’d feel like a kept man controlled by your family. They want you to marry well, someone in your social class so the family can be proud of you and you can continue being one of the blue bloods of Bois D’Arc.”
“But that’s not who I am,” she said as she pushed him back onto the bed. Standing in front of him between his knees, she unzipped her prom dress and dropped it on the floor, revealing her completely naked body. “This is what I want.” She loosened Rod’s belt and unzipped his trousers, only to find a limp penis.
“What’s wrong?” she asked in her sexiest voice, trying to arouse him with a gentle massage. She dropped to her knees and popped the head into her mouth, slowly teasing it with her tongue until she had him fully erect in a matter of seconds. She was already wet with anticipation as she straddled him. With one quick motion, she guided him into her warm body.
Other than his erection, Rod appeared passive to her advances.
“Remember that night on the golf course and how itchy the grass was?” she said. “A king-size bed is much more comfortable than the golf course.” She grabbed his wrists to pin him down, but he didn’t submit. Instead he sat up with her straddling him. “Oh, you do want to play. Come on, take that jacket off and let’s get down to business here.”
“You need to get dressed,” Rod said in a somber voice. “I’m taking you home. But first I have to tell you something.” His lips were only inches from the surprised expression on her face. “I’ve enlisted in the Air Force and will be leaving for Lackland Air Force Base two weeks after graduation.”
Tears began streaming down her face. “Why?”
“I don’t know what else to do. I have to help support my family . . . my mother is getting too crippled with arthritis to work. I don’t have any other choice. We need the money now, not after four years of college.”
“And when were you going to tell me?” Cass’s voice was rising. Not waiting for an answer, she said, “What about us and our plans? I thought we were going get out of Bois D’Arc together.”
“That was your plan. You saw what happened tonight. You deserve someone who can give you that life. Your family expects that. I’d never fit into your life or the future they have planned for you.”
“Stop saying that! I’m sick and tired of hearing what my family wants for me. Don’t I have a say in this? It’s my life and I damned well want to live it my way and that includes living it as Mrs. Rod Miller.” Cass collapsed into Rod’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
Rod held her tightly. “If I hadn’t joined the Air Force, I would have been drafted and sent to Vietnam. The chances of coming home in a body bag are pretty high. I just couldn’t take that risk and do that to you and my family.” Rod paused. “I’m sorry, Cass, I love you and don’t want to hurt you, but I have to do this. I think it’s best for both of us.”
“Don’t want to hurt me?” She pulled away from him. “I gave myself to you unconditionally and now you want to run away!” She pounded his chest with her fists as she screamed, “You bastard, I hope you do come home in a body bag!”
Air Force bound
Rod and Junior stood in the waiting room of the Trailways bus terminal. “Hey, man, you sure you want to do this? I mean, people are gettin’ killed over there. Don’t you watch it on the TV news?”
“If I do go to Vietnam, airmen aren’t near the combat zone. Besides, I don’t have a choice, man, I have to have the income to help support my family. The only thing I know how to do is throw a football and there’s no demand for lame quarterbacks in college these days. I can’t stay here now. Cass hates me and her family is glad to see me go.”
“Bus one-nineteen boarding for Waco, Killeen, Austin, and San Antonio,” boomed the loudspeaker. “Please have your tickets ready. Departing in five minutes.”
“I guess this is it,” said Junior.
The two lifelong friends hugged.
“Good luck at USC,” Rod said. “I’m expecting big things, All-American and the number one pick of the Los Angeles Rams. Nothing less.”
“I’m gonna give it my best shot. Take care and don’t get your ass shot off in Vietnam.”
“Thanks, I feel better already.” As Rod boarded the bus, he took a quick look around to see if by some miracle Cass had come to see him off. She was nowhere in sight. He hadn’t seen or talked to her since prom night. The driver stood by the door and punched his ticket. Rod climbed aboard the bus with an aching heart and dropped into the first seat behind the driver.
The door closed as the driver started the engine. With the hiss of releasing airbrakes, the bus slowly pulled away from the loading dock. Rod scanned the bus terminal one last time. It finally hit him. He would never see Cass again. He opened the window and waved goodbye to his best friend, who responded, “Check out the beaches and send me a postcard.”
Chapter 20
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Rod graduated from basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio near the top of his class and was sent to Vandenberg AFB in California for training in electronic systems technology. The base was a vast technical training and data collection post where intelligence-gathering satellites were launched. The Cold War with Russia after World War II created a need for information and a means to collect intelligence from behind the Iron Curtain.
The tech students were quartered in open-bay barracks, with double-stacked bunks, much like basic training. Rod was unpacking his bag in front of his locker with other class members. A tall, slender airman wearing black horn-rimmed glasses approached him. “Hi, my name’s Guy, top or bottom?”
“Glad to meet you, Guy, I’m Rod. I prefer the bottom. Don’t remember seeing you back at Lackland. What flight were you in?”
“Flight B62-12. I was scheduled to play in the band until my grades came in. They said I was in the top one percent of the class. So, here I am. What’s your story?
“I joined up to support my family back in Texas.”
“You married?”
“No, my dad died in an accident and my mother is raising my younger brother and sister by herself on a small pension. She has bad arthritis and can’t work for extra income much anymore. I was on schedule to play college football on a scholarship and hoped I’d be good enough to play pro ball, but an injury my senior year ended that pipe dream. This was the quickest way to make money to help out back home.”
“Sorry about your bad luck. This training can help you get a good-paying job when you get out. Things are heating up around the globe with the Vietnam War and the nuclear chess game we’re playing with the Russians. Intelligence gathering is one of the government’s highest priorities and I plan to be a part of that.”
“That sounds like lifer talk. Planning on making it a career?”
“No, I couldn’t afford college either and, like you, this was the next best thing. After I get four years’ experience here, I’ll muster out back to North Carolina and make three times as much as a civilian in the Research Triangle. What’s your plan?”
“I really hadn’t thought that far ahead,” Rod said. “Like you said, things are getting hot over there and they need technicians. At least we won’t be wading in rice paddies carrying a rifle and getting shot at.”
“Sounds like we’ll be in some classes together. It’s going to be a long haul until Christmas when we get our first leave. You have any plans to go home to Texas?”
“Nah, I’m saving my money to send home, how about you?”
“Me neither, too expensive to fly from coast to coast.”
“Great,” Rod said. “You can go with me up to Pasadena to watch my high school buddy at Southern Cal play in the Rose Bowl if they live up to pre-season rankings.”
“Sounds great. We’ll definitely need to get out of this place for a change of scenery.”
A soft tap on the classroom door interrupted the instructor. A courier handed him a note.
“Airman Miller, report to the Squad Commander’s office,” he barked.
Rod hurried down the hall to the SC’s office and knocked twice on the door.
“Come,” responded a voice from inside.
Rod entered, marched to the Squadron Commander’s desk, snapped to attention, and threw a crisp salute. “Airman Miller reporting, sir.”
“At ease, airman. I received a telegram from a Mr. Jack Workman with the information that your mother has suffered a stroke. He has requested that you be given emergency leave. We have contacted the Red Cross. They will provide travel arrangements. I have approved advanced leave of five days to visit your hospitalized mother. It is unusual to interrupt an intensive course such as yours in this manner, but Jack Workman is an old friend of mine. Go home and take care of your personal affairs and be back here prepared to double down in your course of study. Check with the Officer of the Day for details and arrangements. See you in five days, airman. Dismissed.”
Love Field, Dallas
Jack Workman waited impatiently in the passenger reception area, watching the downtown Dallas skyline light up against the darkened sky. Rod’s flight arrival had been announced ten minutes ago. His eyes were trained on the double doors next to the vacant ticket desk. Jack’s pulse quickened as gate eleven opened for the deplaning passengers. He was as excited as any father would have been. He spotted Rod in the middle of the mob of passengers flooding through the gate.
“Over here, son.” Jack called, waving his long arms to attract Rod’s attention. He gave Rod a strong handshake and a slap on the shoulder with his other hand.
“You really look great in that uniform. Looks like you’ve put on a couple of pounds, too. Must be that good Air Force chow,” Jack said, smiling at his protégé.
