A Modern Love

by M. Glenn Aldridge

  Chapter 14

  It was not long after meeting Miss Donna and Frank that Jennifer would meet her next lodger from The Villa. It was Saturday afternoon and the right time to finish up some needed chores.

  Out the front door of her apartment and across the courtyard, Jennifer admired the pool and gazebos and thought about how quaint the environment was. This thought was removed as she began descending the steps to the laundry room. Well, Frank was right; these steps are quite steep; let's see if he got the smell correct as well. Yep. Well not everything can be perfect.

  Jennifer was all alone in the dank small room and felt a little depressed from the environment. Guess chores aren't supposed to be fun, she thought. She made her way across the room and began her first load of laundry; like colors to start. As the clothes were taking a good soaking Jennifer sat down on the bench by the wall and began on page one of the book she checked out at the library just yesterday; light laundry reading, light for Jennifer anyway.

  Jennifer found herself somewhat preoccupied though; just with everyday things. You know when your mind is racing and you try to focus by picking up a book, only to find yourself seven pages in and you can't remember a single thing you read. Oh you read the words but your mind was on something else so you didn't really "listen" to the words you were reading. Well, Jennifer was experiencing that. She wasn't upset or negative, but just thinking about all the things going on her life with her new home, new town, new job, new jogging route, new laundry room along with its odors, new kitchen, new place to shop for her healthy foods, etc. Her mind was racing. Mostly good things, but then some Physicians believe that stress is hard on a person whether it's good stress, like finding out your going to be a father, or bad stress, like finding out your car has a flat tire on your way to work. Either way you may find your mind racing and that can make it difficult to focus. That was Jennifer this day.

  Just as Jennifer sat her book down to attempt to clear her mind before delving back into reading, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. It was a pretty blond girl. I'm guessing she's about my age, thought Jennifer.

  Amy's mind was racing as well this day. Amy wasn't used to not hearing from a boy after a date, especially one that ends with a "bang" like her last date with David. If there was a cold shoulder to be turned it was mine, she thought. Amy struggled with how to deal with this matter as she's had no real experience with it. She's usually the one blowing people off or playing the "I'll ignore him for a while" game. Frustrated and angry, Amy was. Scared and upset she was as well, and these were not feelings she liked having.

  In fact, Amy was so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she didn't even realize Jennifer was there. How someone could miss another person in such a small room I'll never know, but Amy has a way of focusing on herself so strongly that I suppose she can shut everyone else out.

  As she crossed the room Jennifer looked at her and smiled, thinking Amy would politely smile back. After all Jennifer was sitting right there in plain sight. It was not to be. Jennifer didn't harp on it though. Instead she chose to look at the positive. There's another girl about my age here at The Villa; a peer. Maybe I can begin a new friendship, invite her over for tea or something, Jennifer thought with a smile. At this point Jennifer, of course, didn't know that while Amy was indeed about her age, she was by no means a "peer"; if you know what I mean.

  Amy began her laundry with apprehension. Several sighs and visible gestures of unhappiness, almost anger really, defined her demeanor. Jennifer wondered if this might be because the girl thought she was alone. What Jennifer didn't know was that Amy wouldn't have cared who saw her little fits as she didn't hold that much respect for people to care if her attitude impacted them in any way.

  "Hi, I'm Jennifer Holmes; just moved into The Villa here," Jennifer said while rising from the bench and taking a few steps towards Amy. Amy seemed a bit startled but quickly gained her composure.

  "Oh, hi honey, I'm Amy Helmer," Amy replied with a fairly thick southern accent. She usually thickened the accent when she was in her political mode, faking it so to speak.

  Jennifer reached out her hand to offer it to Amy - which come to think of it is a little odd for an everyday first meeting; anyways - and as Amy looked at Jennifer's hand she began thinking. As with most people she started on first impressions of appearance.

  Amy thinks to herself: She's kind of pretty in a homely sort of way. I mean yah, ok, she's pretty and all but not as pretty as me. I mean she's ethnic really. I'm blonde and everyone knows blondes have more fun and gentlemen prefer blondes and and and ? I'll bet she's faking this polite howdy do; no one is this nice. She's one of those girls that wants everybody to think she's sweet or something. That's so pathetic.

  As Amy looked up from Jennifer's hand to her eyes she saw something in them that she did not want to admit to herself. She saw truth in Jennifer's eyes and that she was not faking anything, she was just being polite as she introduced herself with her calm inviting demeanor. She just had a nice way about her. Amy didn't like seeing this and would not stand for it. She continued thinking: Well nice or not she shouldn't be (and I'll make goddamn sure she isn't) any competition for me. I'm the "pretty girl" at The Villa toots and there ain't room for two. Amy gave Jennifer a look that said all she was thinking.

  Rather than shaking Jennifer's hand, Amy decided to go back to her laundry with a smug turn of her head. You know how when you're at a party and there's that one person monopolizing the conversation in a group, you try to say one small thing and the guy or gal looks at you like your dirt and then glances at a couple of his or her friends in the group and laughs sarcastically, like saying this social group is too good for you. I hate that crap. Well, that was the look Jennifer received from Amy.

  "So Jennifer you met any interesting people yet," Amy asked as if accusing a rape victim of asking for it? Jennifer did not appreciate the attitude but chose to remain polite. Sometimes my first impressions of people are wrong, she thought.

  "Well I've met a couple of fol--," Jennifer was interrupted before she could finish, folks.

  "Let me give you some advice Jennifer," Amy was laying it on thick and way overemphasizing Jennifer's name. "If you come across my fella, his names David Kerr; he'd be the one with the hot body and shitty car" - funny how Amy can compliment and insult someone she claims to like within just a few words - "you steer clear. Let me tell you a little som'in som'in you just keep yourself wide and clear." Amy's tone wasn't all she was wielding; she had a fierce facial expression on and Jennifer thought she looked like she was going to whirl around and smack her one. Jennifer consciously took a half step back just in case.

  "Oh did I scare you hon," asked Amy with a mocking baby voice.

  "Well I, I ju--," Jennifer stammered and was again interrupted.

  "Let's just make sure you heard what I said. You just say 'I understand' and I'll know you got it. OK!" Amy's voice was soft until the OK! She screamed this so loud it echoed off the walls. Jennifer was thinking she hadn't experienced such unreasonable anger in a person since middle school, maybe even since grade school really. Jennifer was now allowing herself to go ahead and form an impression of Amy Helmer; and it wasn't good. Not good at all. She decided to try to calm things down a bit.

  "I understand," said Jennifer softly. "But I've never even seen this David fellow you speak of." This last little explanation was a mistake with little Ms. Helmer. She wanted Jennifer to do what she was told and just answer "I understand". Amy felt the anger boil up inside her.

  "Look sugar! I didn't ask if you've met him, I told you to steer clear and that's what you'll do." Amy was at her most aggressive.

  "Alright," Jennifer said with the slightest bit of humor in her voice. She was beginning to find this outburst by Amy laughable.

  "Alright what, Jennifer," demanded Amy? At this point Jennifer was getting annoyed with the aggressive behavior of Amy and couldn't help b
ut be sarcastic.

  "Alright sir"! Jennifer said this while clicking her heels together and providing a snapped off military salute.

  "Oh you smartass," said Amy with some surprise in her voice. "Do you understand"?

  "Indeed I do, I think I grasp perfectly what you are trying to get across here." Jennifer used her most authoritative vocal cadence for this last statement. She wanted to make Amy fully aware that what was coming across was less of an agreed upon demand and more of Jennifer acknowledging she was speaking to a brat. Jennifer accomplished this. However, while Amy got the point she really didn't care what Jennifer thought.

  "David may just be a way to pass the time, but until I'm through with him you stay away. You can have sloppy seconds if you want, Jenny, but until I give you the all clear you'll let him be." At this point Amy faced directly toward Jennifer and made piercing eye contact. "You don't want to cross me girl, trust me you don't want to cross me." Amy likes to have the last word so she didn't wait for a response from Jennifer she quickly turned on her heels and went up the stairs to the courtyard leaving Jennifer there stunned.

  Jennifer thought: well first of all she left her damn clothes behind, second of all thank you for the warm welcome to The Villa Amy. Wow! What a ditz. Threatening someone she just met like that; weird.

  Jennifer knew it might be insecurity that caused Amy to behave this way. For some reason maybe Amy was threatened by me, she thought. It didn't matter though when a person is attacked like that for no good reason all the logic and psychoanalysis in the world won't stop the negative feelings from pouring in. Jennifer did not like Amy Helmer much. In fact Jennifer didn't like her at all.

  As Jennifer finished up her laundry and tried to get back to her book she found herself rehashing the Amy conversation. It's funny how one small event can spoil your day, she thought.

  Now in my experience, most good people seem to try to get along with others. When they are put in a situation like Amy put Jennifer in they try to figure out what they did wrong to upset the other person. Trouble is there are many times when they did nothing wrong at all; therefore there is nothing to fix and nothing they could have done better. Rehashing the situation won't help a bit. It'll only stir you up. Intelligent people, or just people that think things through a lot, seem to really struggle with this. Thriving on logic and understanding these people search and search but only find themselves upset. This is what Jennifer was doing.

  As Jennifer placed the last of her garments in the clothes basket and headed up the steep stairs to the courtyard she felt a sense of emptiness she hadn't yet felt at The Villa. She felt alone. She was frustrated that she allowed such a negative person to impact her mood so much, but she couldn't help it. Jennifer would never treat someone the way she had just been treated and therefore had no grasp or understanding on what would make a person like that tick. Passing the pool she took in a deep breath and looked to the sky. Letting out the breath slowly she had sat her clothes basket down and placed her apartment key on top of the clothes before she even knew what she was doing. With a splash and a rush of cold water Jennifer was near the bottom of the pool before she fully grasped that she had dove in.

  As Jennifer finished the walk toward her apartment, dripping water the whole way, she had a big grin on her face. I've washed that conversation with Amy away, she thought. It's gone. Nothing like a spontaneous crazy activity to clear your mind, Jennifer surprised herself with the unbridled romanticism of the moment. She felt a little unpredictable, and she liked it.