by Jim Wygand
“Yeah, nothing on the news so I decided to just make my way down here. I’m going to have a beer. Want to join me?”
“Be there in a sec”, said Bill. Charlie walked off to the bar to give Mildred some grief. Bill turned back to Bob and Bob said, “I don’t think we should mention that Diane’s friend said she saw Charlie at Positano’s. What do you think?”
“Hell no”, said Bill, “let’s leave well enough alone. The wives don’t seem to be too curious and I see no reason to tell Charlie he is still being talked about. I’m not in a mood to have to deal with Sharon on this matter and I don’t want Charlie down my neck either.” Bob Simms agreed and they both wandered over to the bar to join Charlie for a beer. “Hey Mildred, three cold ones over here, OK?”
“Cold ones, huh? I thought you guys always liked hot ones!”
“Not when it’s beer, Mildred, and get your mind out of the gutter.”
“Nothin’ wrong with my mind,” Mildred muttered, “here, have a beer!”
The three of them laughed and Mildred gave them all a lascivious smile.
When the rest of the crowd arrived they moved down to the lanes. For the first time, Charlie was bored with bowling and the Wednesday night leagues. He was quiet and decided that the best thing to do was to simply concentrate on his game. He bowled terrifically as a result.
“Boy, you’re on your game tonight,” Tony Mazza exclaimed, “you been practicing?”
“Nah, Tony, just dumb luck I guess.”
Artie Samuels piped in, “I betcha he’s getting’ some! That’s why he’s doin’ so good.”
“Artie,” Charlie said, “is that all you ever think about – getting some?”
“What else is there to think about in Shoreville, Charlie?”
Charlie had to admit to himself that Artie was right. There really wasn’t a lot to think about in Shoreville.
League night ended as always in the pizza and beer ritual, punctuated by Mildred’s sexual innuendoes, Artie’s stale jokes, and score comparisons. Charlie was quiet. “You’re quiet tonight, Charlie,” Bill Gallagher said to him, “what’s up?”
“Ah, it’s nothing special Bill. It’s budget review time and I was just thinking about next week when the budget meetings take place. There’s a lot on the line for some of the operating guys.”
“Yeah, and they all have to deal with that prick, Perkins. Man, I don’t envy those poor guys. I hear that Perkins holds them over the fire for as long as he can.”
“Fred is pretty demanding, Bill. It’s pretty damned hard to slip anything by him. I have to help the guys with their drafts just so Fred won’t be able to burn them alive.” He laughed.
“Well, don’t bring your work home, Charlie. Can’t let Fred Perkins mess up your bowling average, can you?”
“That’s for sure, Bill.”
The group broke up and everybody drove back to their homes, including Charlie.
Sharon was waiting for Bill to arrive. She could barely hide her curiosity. “How was league night, Bill?”
“It was good, Sharon, I think we’ll take the trophy again this year. Charlie had a great score and the rest of the guys were pretty much on their games too.”
“Charlie was there?”
“Of course he was there, Sharon. He’s on the team. You know that.”
“Well, I thought maybe after we saw him at Bookbinder’s he might be up in Philly. I mean it seems he has something or someone to keep him there, no?”
“Oh Christ Sharon, not again!”
“No, not again Bill” Sharon said. “Still” she said to herself.
“Charlie was perfectly normal Sharon. He was on his game and relaxed. What’s the big deal?”
“Oh, come on Bill, I just asked. Forget it.”
Sharon knew that Bill would wind up telling her what she wanted to know. “No, Charlie was just fine,” Bill continued, “He was just a little quiet that’s all. But he’s got a lot on his mind. He’s got all those operating department budgets to work on and Fred Perkins, his boss, is a real nitpicker and a bastard when he finds something.’
“You bet he’s got a lot on his mind” thought Sharon, “he’s leading a double life and trying to hide it from his friends in Shoreville. But it’s not going to work. As soon as the time is right, Diane and I are going to blow the whole story open.”
“Yeah, I guess it’s not easy working over there in Wilmington with all the big shots,” Sharon said, “I’ll bet Charlie sometimes wishes he was working in the lab or down at the plant. Some of those guys over there don’t even have a home life. They carry their briefcases full of papers and work at home. It’s high pressure, at least I think it probably is.”
“Shit, Sharon I think most of them have nothing in those briefcases but their lunch. I sometimes wonder if the company wouldn’t be better off if they all just disappeared. What the hell, I’m going to shower up and go to bed. I don’t give a damn what they do over there as long as I’ve got my job. You comin’ up to bed?”
“Be there in a few minutes, Bill.”
Bill Gallagher climbed the stairs to shower and get ready for bed. Sharon sat on the sofa for a few minutes to think about what Bill had told her. “Lot on his mind, huh? He’s got that little girl on his mind! He ought to be ashamed of himself, robbing the cradle. She’s probably still in college or something like that. I think it’s time to start planning again.”
* * * * *
Charlie Mullins sat in front of a mute TV watching the images while he decided whether he would go to Philly or stay in Shoreville this night. He picked the phone and dialed Gina’s apartment. “Hey sweets.”
“Hey handsome, you comin’ home?”
“No, I don’t want to drive after having so many beers, Gina. My blood alcohol level is most certainly over the legal limit and the last thing I need is a DUI charge with all the rest of the issues we’re facing.”
“You sure Mildred didn’t finally win you over, Charles Mullins?” Gina laughed.
“Oh my God Gina, I’ve faced a lot of temptations in my life, but Mildred was never one of them!” he laughed aloud.
“Well, I know you are not the type to mess around with other men’s wives, so I guess I’m safe.”
“You’re safe, sweetheart, real safe. I only dated women from Shoreville when I needed to fix my carburetor.” Charlie laughed.
“Any news from the lanes, Charlie?”
“Nah, all’s quiet on the Western Front, Gina. Nobody said a word. I have to admit though that for the first time, I just didn’t feel like hanging out with the guys. I would have given anything just to be home with you tonight.”
“Me too, Charlie. Relax, we will have our time. Just get a good night’s sleep and I’ll see you tomorrow night. OK? And don’t forget the poetry reading Saturday.”
“Good night, baby. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Kisses, Charlie. Good night.”
* * * * *
Charlie put the phone back on its cradle and turned on the volume of the TV. He watched the late night news and a talk show and then went to bed.
He left the next morning on schedule. No one was watching. No one had to. The busybodies were biding their time. They were on to Charlie’s ruse and were trying to figure out how best to catch him unawares while he was out with Gina.
Charlie spent Thursday and Friday basically watching Fred Perkins prepare his attacks. He would walk by Fred’s office and see him bowed over a sheaf of papers. Charlie was impressed that Fred looked almost like a hyena trying to encircle its prey. He wondered if he might wind up like Fred if he stayed around the Shaw Corporation. He wondered what Fred Perkins might have been like in college? Did he go out with his colleagues for a beer or did he stay in the dorm and study? Did he take a beautiful girl to a homecoming game, or did he even go to the ball games? Did he cheer for the team or try to find fault with everything they did? Maybe Fred Perkins had at one time been a perfectly regular guy. Maybe it was the corporate environment
that had made him so miserable and mean. After all, the Shaw Corporation was no different than any other large organization. There was a lot of back-stabbing and reputation dashing that went on as guys and women on the executive ladder tried to knock off their competition. Charlie had to admit that he had really been lucky. He had never had to play that game, in part because he had stood his ground with Fred and developed alliances with the operating guys. They were the ones who made the money for the company, they and the salesmen. Fred might be able to save it, but he could not make it except for some interest rate arbitrage with the company’s excess cash. That income paled by comparison to operations. So, maybe Fred was an otherwise nice guy that just got sucked in by the viciousness of the corporate world. Maybe he was not a lot unlike Carlo Rizzo. He just played the game the way he saw it and got trapped by the game itself. On the other hand, maybe Fred really was a prick. Maybe he was even born that way.
Charlie laughed to himself as he tried to imagine a little Fred Perkins, dressed in a tiny suit, and screaming at and berating his kindergarten colleagues. The image was so funny that he almost burst out laughing in his office.
“What the hell” thought Charlie, “next week Fred will start to dissect his victims. I’ll have to sit in on the meetings and I really don’t relish the experience. Who knows, maybe this time will be different.”
On Friday, “casual day” again, Charlie dutifully showed up looking, as he put it, “casual but not too casual”. He had had a relaxing night with Gina again after having slept Wednesday in Shoreville. Today, he only pretended to work. His thoughts were on Gina and how the two of them were going to make their future. Maybe Gina was right, luck would be on their side and an opportunity would present itself.
Saturday morning Charlie literally dragged himself to softball practice. He would have preferred to sleep in with Gina, have a leisurely breakfast and read the newspaper. He went to his house, picked up his gear and drove down to the practice field. The team members were showing up and tossing balls around while waiting for the rest. Charlie moved into the exchange and started tossing a ball back and forth with Tony Mazza. “What’s up, Charlie? You doin’ OK?”
“Yeah, I’m fine Tony, how’s Marie?”
“Horny as ever, thank God. I can’t keep my hands off her.”
“Atta boy, Tony, it’s good when you have a wife like that, no?”
“You bet your ass, Charlie. You should get one for yourself. Stay away from Marie, though.”
Charlie laughed, “Tony, any wife of a friend of mine is a guy!”
“I know that Charlie, if I thought otherwise I wouldn’t have said anything”, Tony changed his accent to an imitation of Marlon Brando playing Don Corleone, “I’d just make you an offer you couldn’t refuse.” They both broke out laughing.
When the whole team had finally showed up, they took to the field while each took a turn at hitting some balls into the infield and pop-ups to the outfield. Charlie’s mind was elsewhere as he dutifully whacked some pitches when it was his turn at bat. “Atta boy, Charlie, knock one out of the park, Charlie, way to go Charlie.” He could hear all the chatter and he was amused because there was no fence around the field so knocking one out of the park was virtually impossible. When practice was over, the group went off for the obligatory pizza and beer again. Charlie went along. He sat near Tony Mazza. He turned to Tony and said quietly, “Tony, you are really happy with Marie, aren’t you?”
“Oh yeah, Charlie, I hit the jackpot and the lottery all at the same time. She’s kept her figure in spite of the kids and she drives me nuts. I’m always squeezing her ass or grabbing her tits. She pretends to be bothered by it, but we always fall into bed and have a helluva good time.”
“I’d like to have a relationship like that, you know? Mary Jo was a good looking woman but she would nag so much the mood would just disappear. Know what I mean?”
“To tell the truth, no, I just never had that kind of problem with Marie. We dated ever since high school. I tried like hell to knock her up so we would have to get married. She kept telling me to back off, that we would get married anyway and I’d find out what she was like. God, it was fun. You know, Charlie the important thing is not to love your wife. That comes after you know how much you like her. You have to be pals first. Love comes naturally between a man and a woman if they started off liking each other.” Tony suddenly broke out in a laugh, “I remember my training sergeant in basic. He used to get right in your face and ask you if you liked him. Of course you would have to say ‘yes’ because if you said ‘no’ you’d be doing pushups all day. When you said ‘yes’ then he would yell in your face, ‘Yeah, well likin’ leads to lovin’ and lovin’ leads to kissin’ and kissin’ leads to fuckin’. I think you’re trying to fuck me soldier!” Tony and Charlie both broke out in hearty laughter.
“Charlie”, Tony continued, “believe me there is no sex like sex with the woman you love. It’s always the best. Both of you are into it. You ain’t gotta prove anything. You’re not tryin’ to impress. You’re just living the moment and it’s terrific!”
“That’s cool Tony, I’m really happy for you. You’ve been married quite a few years.”
“Yeah, and I never get tired of it. I remember your parents too, Charlie. When we were kids I remember that your mom and dad always seemed close to each other. When your Dad died, I was sure your mom would not live long without him. Weird, no?”
“Yeah, Tony, I guess that is what true love is about.”
Artie Samuels heard the expression ‘true love’ and said in a loud voice, “Hey, Tony you know the difference between true love and AIDS?”
“Oh jeez”, said Tony, “here he goes again.”
“No, tell me Artie.”
“AIDS is forever!” and he broke out in laughter. The rest of the group groaned.
“Well, if anything will bring this party to an end, it’s one of Artie’s jokes” Tony laughed, “I’m outta here.”
“Me too.” Charlie said.
The group picked up their gear and everybody wandered out to their cars to drive home. “See ya, Charlie” Tony called, “you’ll find the right gal, I’m sure of it.”
Charlie smiled. He wished he could tell Tony he already had.
Charlie drove back to his house and disconnected the timers. Since he was known to sometimes leave Shoreville on weekends, he did not want to give the impression that his habits had changed. He waited a while and then took off for Philly. He and Gina would go to the poetry reading at the Ritz-Carlton and thought it would be a good idea to stay for dinner there with Gina. He would come back early Sunday and re-set the timers.
Checking the street again for busybodies, he drove toward the bridge to Wilmington. If he found no surveillance he would go up I-95 as usual. He arrived to Gina’s building without incident and he felt confident that perhaps the pressure was off. Now he had only to worry about his job. He could forget the busybodies of Shoreville. Or so he thought.
XXIV
Charlie and Gina arrived to the Ritz-Carlton for the poetry reading. Waiters were serving a cold, light white wine and assorted canapés while everyone settled into their chairs. Gina watched Charlie as her former Bryn Mawr colleague read through her work. She laughed to herself as she watched Charlie try to stay awake.
After the reading and a short question and answer period during which the poetess explained her reason for being, Charlie made the rounds with Gina to shake hands with her friends. Some of them had been at other events and Charlie recognized them. Others were new. He thought Gina must have an endless string of friends and admirers.
As he was making small talk to a few of Gina’s friends, she came up behind him and whispered in his ear. “You ready to blow this joint, Mullins?”
He stifled a laugh and turned to Gina with a mock serious face and said, “Of course Gina, I guess we will have to leave.”
They made their way out of the meeting room and up to the dining room of the hotel. Gina broke out la
ughing, “Oh, Charlie, I promise never to do that to you again, it was plain to me that a poetry reading from a Bryn Mawr girl is not really your favorite event.”
“Well, Gina I have to admit that I have had more exciting evenings in my life.”
Gina was laughing heartily, “I was afraid you might start snoring at one point, my dear. I don’t know what I would have done if you had fallen fast asleep.”
“I tried to stay awake, Gina, so help me I tried. I hope I didn’t embarrass you.”
Gina laughed again, “God no, Charlie, I thought you held up pretty well. You were too groggy to see the two guys who did fall asleep. Their girlfriends almost fell through the floor. I love Stacy to death, but I have to admit that even I was beginning to see visions of the sandman. It was a bit much. I thought you held up just fine!”
Charlie laughed, “Well, see what I would go through for you, Gina? I’d even listen to the poetry of a Bryn Mawr girl! Let’s get some food. It’s not everyday that I play softball and then go to a poetry reading.”
The waiter approached their table and Charlie turned to Gina, “Shall I order some wine?”
“What a question to ask an Italian, Charlie. Is the Pope Catholic?”
Charlie ordered a robust Chilean cabernet sauvignon. He asked for the rib-eye and Gina ordered the salmon steak.
Over dinner they laughed about Charlie’s reaction to the poetry reading and Charlie told Gina about softball practice. “Gina, you know something? I really felt like I didn’t belong there. It was a weird sensation. After practice I joined the guys for pizza and beer and sat with my buddy Tony Mazza. Tony has a fantastic marriage. He says his wife Marie is the horniest woman in the world. Marie says Tony is the horniest guy she has ever known. They really enjoy each other. You know what Tony told me? He said the best sex in the world is when you have it with a woman you really love. He really meant it.”
