by Wanda Edmond
Thursday was moving day. It was finally time for Meri to move into the dorm. She was excited as she packed the final box into the rear of her mother’s SUV. Unbeknownst to Meri, Amanda was having bittersweet thoughts. She was so happy for Meri, but she dreaded the upcoming months when she would be adjusting to life alone. She knew it had to be, but she dreaded it just the same. She steeled her emotions so that Meri would not detect her sadness. She wanted Meri to build a happy life for herself, and it was time for her to fly on her own. Amanda had given Meri the best life she possibly could, and she knew that Meri had deep-rooted desires to live a pure and simple life.
Chapter 2
Meri really had no idea about what to expect from life on her own. She had always lived at home with her parents, then with her mom after the death of her father. College life proved to be different from anything she had ever expected. Her dorm room mate was named Anna Travis, and the two got along well together. They quickly developed a close friendship as they both embraced a world where they were supposed to make their own decisions. It was a new concept for both of them, and they relied on each other for comfort when they were lonely, and for advice when they were deciding what classes they would be taking during the next semester.
Meri quickly learned that college life was very different from high school life. Students at college felt it was their right to party. Anna soon fell into the party crowd while Meri chose to stay close to the dorm and study. There were times when Anna would convince Meri to join some of the other students at some of the weekend parties, but as a rule Meri declined. Anna seemed to thrive on attention, and Meri was content to stay in and watch television or read a book. But their social differences did not interfere with their friendship. Meri simply stuck to her plans to avoid a lot of social occasions until she had met her goal of attaining her nursing license.
In the beginning Meri would call her mother frequently. Amanda was always glad to hear from her and learn how her studies were going. Amanda was glad that Meri and Anna had developed a friendship. It was always good to have somebody to rely on in the absence of a parent. Amanda was very careful not to allow Meri to detect the loneliness in her voice. It had been a long time since Amanda had nothing but an empty house to come home to. But she did not want Meri to worry about her. Meri seemed to be having a great time and was adjusting to college life quite well. Amanda had no intentions of interfering in that.
Meri was indeed adjusting quite well. Her classes kept her busy throughout the week and she applied herself to making the best grades she possible could. The classes were challenging, but Meri was a quick study and she enjoyed the chance to expand her knowledge. The first semester was spent getting the non-medical classes behind her. Certain classes were required, even though they were not medical related. While some found these classes boring, Meri embraced the challenge. She loved learning new things, but she also looked forward to the day when she could finally get her feet wet in the medical aspects of her education.
Back in Jackson, Amanda was continuing the advancement of her career. She and Dr. Boone got along very well, and he was a great mentor. She still had not adjusted to life at home alone, but it was not as bad as it had been when Meri first left. Dr. Boone had asked her if she would attend a cancer fund-raiser on Saturday evening. He explained that this was the hospital’s premier fund raiser of the year, with all of the money raised going to cancer research. It was a formal affair with an elegant meal, a silent auction, and a band so that the attendees could enjoy an evening on the dance floor. Since the death of her husband, Amanda had not really been out on social occasions. The only time she had allowed herself to go out was when she and Meri went shopping or decided to catch a move. She found herself looking forward to the evening. It would give her a rare chance to get dressed up and do some socializing with other people who worked in the medical field.
The University of Memphis was a medical college that trained both doctors and nurses. The university has a student participation program that allows students to volunteer for certain medical procedures. The program was designed to teach students how to do the procedures. There was very little risk associated with the program since all of the procedures are done under the guidance of a professor. Those that volunteered for the program were given a small compensation for their participation. Most of the nursing students readily agreed to participate since it was a way to learn from the prospective of the patient, and it provided them with some extra spending money. The first program was one where students learned how to draw blood from a vein in the arm, hopefully the large vein found in the bend of the arm. Students who participate would be awarded $50 for their time. Anna had agreed to participate, and encouraged Meri to participate also. Recognizing the need for students to learn and to get experience, Meri agreed.
The students who had agreed to participate where to come to Tandy Hall at 9 a.m. When they arrived they were shown to a classroom where lab chairs lined the walls. The chairs had a padded arm rest where the students would spread out their arms and allow the medical students to probe until they found a suitable vein. Plastic bands were placed across each armrest to allow the medical students to apply enough pressure to make the veins pop up. Meri and Anna chose chairs that were next to each other while they looked at the group of students who would be doing the procedure. The professor was giving the students their final instruction before they were to begin. Each student would perform the procedure under the close scrutiny of the professor. They were instructed to wait until the professor told them to proceed. They started at the far end of the classroom, each student poking and prodding until they found a vein they thought would be productive. When it came Meri’s turn, she noticed her student was tall and slim, with a serious look on his face. He did not smile at Meri, or even speak to her as he tied the band around the upper part of her arm. She felt the pinch of the band before he started poking around in the bend of her arm. She noticed that his name tag said Marty Evans.
It did not take Marty long to find the vein he thought offered the best chance of allowing him to draw blood without blowing the vein. If he blew the vein, he knew that he would have to stick her again, and he didn’t want that.
Meri felt the cold application of alcohol and she knew that the stick was close. She did not have enough nerve to watch. She tried to visualize something pleasant in her mind. She also knew that one day she would be in Marty’s shoes, and she wanted to be a good patient. Marty told her to expect a big stick. Meri winced a bit as she felt the sharp needle prick her skin. The alcohol burned a little as the needle found its mark. Suddenly Marty released the band and allowed the blood to flow naturally in her arm. All and all, it wasn’t a bad experience. Marty had been successful with one stick and the whole procedure was over before she knew it.
Amanda had chosen a long silver gown to wear to the cancer fund-raiser. It accentuated her curves and complimented her blue eyes. She was looking forward to the evening. It would be the first of many to come, but she had no idea of that when she applied her makeup and fixed her hair. She looked in the mirror and was pleased with what she saw. She had always stayed slim, but was slimmer now that she had ever been. Her breast were large and had not yet shown any signs of dropping with age. Her gown was cut low, but still allowed her a sense of modesty. It had been a long time since Amanda had allowed herself to dress in such a seductive manner, but she was feeling brave.
The evening began with an elegant meal of fresh salmon and filet mignon. Wine flowed freely and Amanda allowed herself a little indulgence. So far the evening was going great and she was enjoying speaking with some of her colleagues. The man sitting across from her excused himself and rose to leave the table. When he did, Amanda noticed a man sitting at the table in front of her. Their eyes met and Amanda felt her heart skip a beat. He was easily one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. Embarrassed to be caught staring, Amanda made herself look away. She continued to enjoy the evening while the band was getting ready to pl
ay.
Shortly after the band started, Amanda felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to find that same handsome man standing there asking her to dance. She quickly accepted as he led her out onto the dance floor. Their bodies swayed to the music while they introduced themselves. Harold Turner was a widow who worked in medical sales. He lived in a small town called Brownsville, but he traveled across West Tennessee. He had one son, Daniel, who was a bit of a black sheep. Amanda started to feel alive for the first time since the death of her husband.
Meri continued to volunteer for participation in student studies. So far she had allowed a student to draw her blood, examine her throat, perform an ultrasound on her abdomen, and apply a cast to her imaginary broken arm. She found the program to be interesting, and it allowed her to make some extra spending money that she usually spent on snacks to keep her going between classes. She took part of the money from each procedure and put it in a bank account to be used in case of an emergency. Her parents had taught her well, and she knew that the only way to get ahead in life was to work hard and save money.
The fall semester was about to come to an end. Soon the students would be taking their winter break and going home to spend their holidays with their families. Meri was looking forward to spending Christmas with her mother. She had taken some of the money she had earned and purchased a nice scarf for her mother for Christmas. She had no idea of the surprise she was about to encounter when she walked through the door of her home.
Amanda was in the kitchen when Meri arrived home. Meri could smell something delicious, but she could not figure out what it was. She found her mother in the kitchen preparing a meal of beef brisket, fresh asparagus, salad, and fresh yeast rolls. She looked at her mother with a questioning look in her eyes. Why in the world was Amanda going to all of this trouble for the two of them?
Amanda grabbed Meri and hugged her tightly.
“Let me look at you,” Amanda exclaimed. “You look fantastic! College life must agree with you.”
“Well, you know, it is a lot of studying, and a lot of eating junk food or just grabbing a snack in between classes,” Meri said. “But why are you cooking all of this food? There is enough here to feed an army.”
“Come in her and sit down,” Amanda said. We need to talk.”
Meri couldn’t believe her ears! Her mother had met a man and had fallen in love. They were planning to get married over the Christmas holidays and they wanted Meri to stand up for her mom. Meri’s head was spinning with this news. She couldn’t help but notice how happy her mother looked. Amanda explained that Harold had one son who was a few years older than Meri. He was a lead investigator with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department and Harold had asked him to stand up for him at their wedding. Both Amanda and Harold wanted to keep things simple, with just their children in attendance. She told Meri that Harold and his son, Daniel would be joining them for dinner.
Dinner proved to be unlike anything Meri had ever experienced before. Harold was quite good looking, and his son, whew! Daniel was tall, with long dark brown hair that he wore pulled back, one earring, and his arms were covered with tattoos. There was something savage looking about him, but Meri could not seem to take her eyes off him. Harold was very friendly, and seemed to truly want Meri’s approval. Daniel seemed somewhat moody, only putting in a word every now and then. Meri sensed that Daniel resented their parent’s upcoming marriage.
After dinner they all retired to the living room. Amanda was excited to tell Meri and Daniel all about their wedding plans. The wedding would take place on Saturday, here at the house Meri and Amanda had shared. It was not going to be anything fancy, just a small, intimate ceremony with just the four of them. Amanda and Harold were going to postpone their honeymoon until after Meri returned to college. Amanda hoped that Meri would take the time in the interim to get to know Harold. Meri made up her mind that she was going to do her best. Her mom looked happy, and she deserved it. She only hoped that Daniel would come around and be as happy as for them as she was.
Meri returned to college to start her second semester. Anna was chatting about her holidays with family while Meri was trying to get in a word edgewise to tell Anna about her mom’s marriage. Some things never changed. Meri quickly settled into her new schedule and applied herself once again to her studies.
Spring break was just around the corner and Meri was not sure what she was going to do. Her mother called and told her that she and Harold wanted to take Meri and Daniel to Florida for a family vacation. Amanda felt they all needed to get to know each other. Meri envisioned Daniel, scowling at the thought of spending a week with his father and his new bride.
Meri agreed, and packed her bags to head back to Jackson. She was a little apprehensive at the thought of spending her days in Daniel’s company, but she agreed that she owed it to her mother to make the best of it. When she arrived at home, Meri learned that Daniel would be joining them in Florida. He had agreed to go, but he would not be riding in the SUV with the family. He preferred the open road and the hum of his Harley. Meri had never been around bikers, but she had heard all kinds of rumors about them being ruthless and overbearing. Somehow that image fit what she thought of Daniel.
The trip to Panama City Beach was fairly uneventful. Amanda and Harold tried to include Meri in their conversations. Meri could feel herself warming to Harold. He certainly seemed to make her mother happy. When they arrived, Meri discovered that Harold had rented a condo with three bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen, and a living area. She found the accommodations to be quite nice, with a balcony overlooking the ocean. She wandered out onto the balcony and took a deep breath of the gentle ocean breeze. The water was beautiful and she started to relax. Perhaps this week would be a good one after all.
It was later in the day when Daniel finally arrived. Meri stared at his beautifully built body. He was wearing a tank top that revealed the rippling muscles in his chest. His skin was already tan from spending hours in the sun riding his bike. His tan accented the lines of his cheekbones, making him look like something that just walked off the cover of a romance novel. Quite literally, he was beautiful!
Harold had planned to take the family out to dinner. They all rode in the SUV to a local restaurant that offered fresh seafood. Daniel seemed to loosen up a little, joining in the conversation as they waited for their meal. When it arrived, it was possibly the best meal Meri had ever tasted. The delicate sea bass was cooked to perfection, and the grilled shrimp were fat and juicy. Meri learned that Daniel enjoyed spending weekends riding his Harley with some of his friends. She was drawn to his deep voice that seemed to indicate some darker nature.
When they returned to the condo, Meri was startled when Daniel asked her if she cared to go for a walk on the beach. Looking at her mother for direction, Amanda nodded her head, indicating it would be okay. Meri agreed and the two of them left the condo, took the elevator, and walked down to the edge of the water. Once they had reached the water, Daniel seemed to relax. All of a sudden he was talking to her like he had known her for ages. He told her that at first he had resented their parent’s marriage, but now he could see how happy they are. Meri started to relax when she discovered that Daniel had accepted her mother as his dad’s bride. The sun was rapidly setting in the west, playing across the water as it slowly descended out of sight. Meri noticed there were plenty of people taking advantage of the beautiful evening and enjoying a walk along the beach. Meri took off her flip flops and thrilled at the feeling of the sand washing out from beneath her feet. The two of them walked along, asking questions about each other, trying to find common ground so that they would not disappoint their parents.
The week was nearing an end. Meri had to admit, she had really enjoyed herself. Daniel had seemed to come out of his shell and was actually very friendly. She found herself looking forward to the evenings when she and Daniel would go for their nightly walk along the beach. She had learned so much about him this week, and she discovered that she actually like
d him a lot. She would occasionally see the darker side of him when he talked about his bike trips and getting into bar fights along the way. But for the most part, she really enjoyed his company.
It was their last evening of vacation and Meri was almost dreading getting back to everyday life. She knew she was going to miss these walks with Daniel. On this evening Daniel seemed pensive. They found themselves alone since they had stayed out later than usual. She felt Daniel put his arm around her and pull her close to him. Before she knew what was happening, Daniel had spun her around and was kissing her on her lips. She didn’t know whether she needed to run, or just see where this lead.
As Daniel continued kissing her she felt herself start to melt. Daniel’s kisses were making her feel things that she was not used to. She felt giddy and light-headed. It was a pleasant feeling, and Meri decided that she wanted to feel more.
“Do you know how really beautiful you are,” Daniel asked.
