Merging Destiny

by D. Allen Henry

  Chapter 2

  Friendship Torn Asunder

  Two Weeks Later

  Connor met her at the coffee shop, Elspeth arriving a bit late as usual. Approaching his table, she announced, “Sorry, Connor. There never seems to be enough time in the day! One of these days I’m going to get organized. For the moment, I’m doing all I can to keep up with my studies.”

  “Oh, you’ll do just fine, I’m sure, Elspeth,” Connor put in affably.

  “Easy for you to say – you’re not majoring in math!”

  “Well, there is that,” he responded, “Seriously, I’ve no idea how you do it. Math is completely beyond me. I can barely balance my checkbook.”

  “Why don’t you get a computer, Connor?”

  “Too expensive! Besides, I’m old school,” he replied pensively.

  Eyeing him doubtfully, Elspeth suggested, “Well, better late than never. Computers are going to take over the world, you know.”

  “So they tell me,” he blurted in resignation, “In the meantime, I’m doing my best to understand political science. There’s so much reading to do, and none of it makes any sense to me!”

  “Now you’re talking, Connor. Why do you think I’m studying math? It may be difficult, but at least it makes sense!” And at this the pair laughed companionably. Their friendship was clearly on the upswing.

  Changing the subject, he suggested, “Hey, there’s a party this Saturday night. The Political Science Club is throwing it at the Student Center. Want to go with me?”

  “What – you mean – like a date?”

  “Well, er, we can go just as friends if you want.”

  “I don’t know, Connor, I’m not very good in large groups…”

  “Oh, come on, Elspeth. You can’t study ALL the time! One has to blow off steam ever so often.”

  “You’re right, of course you are. Alright, I will go with you, but only on one condition.”

  Eyeing her doubtfully, he responded, “And what might that be?”

  “You must promise to allow me to leave the party should I ask it of you.”

  “That seems fair enough, Elspeth. Then, shall I pick you up at your apartment at 7?”

  “Yes, of course. Here is the address,” and so saying, she handed him a scrap of paper. “Now, I must be off. Thanks for the coffee!” And with that she made her departure.

  Saturday Night

  At the ring of the doorbell, Elspeth took her time making her way to the door. Tugging it open, she said, “Oh, hi, Connor.” But it was apparent that she was not in the best of spirits.

  “Hi, Elspeth, what seems to be the problem?” he inquired empathetically.

  “Oh, nothing,” she replied evasively, “It’s just that, well, I made a B on my first math test.”

  “You made a B? Wow! That’s a good grade in my book!” he responded supportively.

  “Yeah, well…” she murmured, “Perhaps it is in your field, but not in mine.”

  “You’ll do better, Elspeth, I’m sure of it. In the meantime, we should do something to take your mind off it!”

  “I suppose you’re right,” she agreed and, grabbing her coat, she added, “So, shall we go check out this party?”

  “Excellent, I knew you’d give in!” he responded, and off the pair went in search of distraction.

  Two hours later Connor was having a wonderful time at the party but, glancing across the room, he could tell that Elspeth was not. Wandering over to her, he posited, “Elspeth, it’s clear to me that this simply won’t do. Shall we make a hasty retreat?”

  Eyeing him gratefully, she responded sheepishly, “Oh, I’d be ever so thankful, Connor! How’d you know?”

  “Are you kidding?” he blurted, “Elspeth, it is apparent to anyone who is attentive that you are not up for it tonight.”

  “Ooh, is it that obvious?” she queried. “I’m so sorry. I was trying my best.”

  “It’s no problem, really, no problem at all, Elspeth. I didn’t ask you out so that I could go to a party. I asked you out so that I could be with you.”

  Arching one eye in surprise, she prevaricated, “Well, be that as it may, suppose we go to our favorite spot – the coffee shop.”

  “Perfect,” he replied empathetically, “Shall we?” And with that the pair made a hasty retreat.

  An hour later, her spirits returning, Elspeth said over the rim of her cup, “Thanks, Connor. I needed this.”

  “Needed what exactly?” he replied in confusion.

  “I don’t know – companionship, I suppose,” she responded serenely. “I really don’t have any friends, you know, except for you, Farhan and Anna.”

  “Spoken like a true math major,” he observed bluntly.

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right…”

  “So, where does this introverted nature come from, Elspeth?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing,” she replied, but then, seeing his obvious pain at being so casually dismissed, she added, “Well, alright, if truth be told, I lost my parents when I was fifteen. It’s been hard for me ever since.”

  “Oh! I had no idea. What happened?”

  “They were killed in the Lockerbie bombing.”

  “What! You mean they were onboard the plane that day?”

  “Yes.”

  Reaching forward to grasp her hand within his own, he whispered, “I’m so sorry, Elspeth! It must have been quite difficult for you…”

  Clinging to his outstretched hand, she responded, “Yeah, it’s been tough. There is only my Gran, but she’s older, you know. And Anna is nice, but she’s not from our culture. So, it seems you are my only escape. I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this, Connor. I’m so sorry for burdening you with my problems.’

  “Dear Elspeth, it’s no burden at all. Over the past couple of months you have become quite dear to me. If you will let me, I shall endeavor to be here for you.”

  Eyeing him intrepidly, she mumbled, “It’s very kind of you, Connor. You have become dear to me as well. But I need time. This is all very hard for me. Before, I had a very protected existence. What with Gran and high school, I was able to hide myself from the realities of the world quite successfully. But here at Harvard, it’s all quite overwhelming. I’ve come to the realization that one cannot hide from reality forever. It would have been nice, but I suppose that I shall be forced to grow up sooner than later.”

  “Yes, life does have a way of forcing itself on one, doesn’t it,” he replied earnestly.

  “Well said,” she replied, “And now, take me home. I may be progressing, but I fear I nonetheless need my solitude.”

  “Yes, of course, Elspeth,” and with that he escorted her to her apartment. And when they arrived at her door he kissed her lightly on the cheek.

  Her eyes flashing at him in surprise, she tugged him to her and kissed him passionately on the mouth and, pulling back, she posited, “Don’t get any ideas, Connor Stuart. That was in thanks for your understanding tonight. You’ve really been a true friend.” But after she’d closed the door behind her, she leaned back against it and readily admitted to herself that she in fact hoped that he did indeed get ideas.

  A Month Later

  Elspeth had by now admitted to herself that she was distracted from her studies. Why did life have to be so complicated? Just when she was starting to get over the tragedies in her life, along comes this tall handsome Scotsman and turns her life upside down. Mathematics was not an academic discipline to be trifled with, and her grade in calculus was definitely suffering. She wrestled with the complexity of it all nearly every waking hour. Indeed, she was so transfixed by the guy that she decided that something had to be done. She was not so ignorant as to think that she should divulge her feelings, so she decided on a slightly different course of action.

  They met at the coffee shop one Friday, she for her part playing it decidedly cool, despite his obviously amorous comportment. And when he suggested tha
t the pair of them take a drive up to Martha’s Vineyard the following day, she begged off, saying that she had too much homework. This was in fact true, but it in no way diminished her misery at having said no to him.

  Instead, she proposed an alternative – why not take a trip down to New York after the semester had ended? She reasoned that there would be no pressures from coursework between semesters, thereby allowing the two of them to see the sites without distraction. Grinning his own relief at her invitation, Connor readily accepted.

  Boston – Halloween, 1991

  Elspeth knocked on Anna’s apartment door and, discerning a voice within, she pushed the door open. Momentarily stunned by the apparition before her, she yanked one hand to her mouth and uttered, “Oh, my goodness…please tell me it’s you, Anna!”

  From beneath her costume Anna’s muffled voice responded, “Of course it’s me, Elspeth! What do you think?”

  Eyeing her up and down, Elspeth opined, “Well, it’s certainly different, I mean, Halloween is about gremlins and ghouls, but you’ve struck a particularly macabre note, if you ask me.”

  “It’s just my burka,” Anna replied, “I simply added a bit here and there to make it look like a ghost costume. Is it terribly bad?”

  “No!” Elspeth blurted in denial, “It’s perfect, Anna, absolutely perfect!”

  At this Anna tugged her head dress off and blurted, “Oh, I’m so glad you like it, Elspeth! I was afraid it wouldn’t look quite right. After all, I’ve never experienced Halloween before.”

  Observing the woman before her, Elspeth stood frozen for a moment, but then, emerging from her shocked state, she proffered, “My, goodness, Anna, I’ve never seen you without your hijab. You are altogether quite lovely!”

  Now blushing noticeably, Anna murmured, “Thank you, dear Elspeth. You’ve no idea how much that means to me. Such things are never mentioned where I come from, you know.”

  Elspeth eyed her momentarily and then added, “Actually, I had no idea. Do you mean that no one has ever told you how lovely you are?”

  “Yes, I’m afraid you are correct,” Anna blurted in apparent despair.

  At this Elspeth reached forward and, grabbing Anna in a sisterly embrace, she whispered, “Anna, my dear friend, I’m so sorry. Trust me - you are indeed quite lovely.”

  Wiping a telltale tear from her cheek, Anna responded, “I’m sorry, Elspeth, I didn’t mean to burden you with my troubles.”

  Elspeth frowned and, her frown suddenly changing to a smile, she replied, “Troubles? What troubles? Tonight we are two lovely young ladies who will simply knock them dead!”

  Observing the tuxedo that Elspeth was garbed within, Anna inquired, “If you don’t mind, what sort of costume are you wearing, Elspeth?”

  Elspeth grinned in response and announced, “I know this will sound silly, but I am dressed as James Bond.”

  Now smiling herself, Anna responded, “My, that is truly bizarre!”

  “Yes, isn’t it?” Elspeth observed slyly, “And, I have a trick up my sleeve!”

  “A trick? What sort of trick?”

  “All in good time, Anna, all in good time. After all, Halloween is about ‘trick or treat’.”

  Her confusion apparent, Anna murmured, “Well then, shall we?” at which they made their way from the apartment.

  By the time the pair arrived the party was well underway, the ballroom absolutely packed to the rafters with goblins of every sort. The pair attempted to make their way through the crowd unobserved, but that was not to be. It seemed that, unbeknownst to them, the party was not just a costume party, but it was also a costume contest. And tonight’s winners would receive some mysterious prizes. As a result, everywhere they turned their potential rivals scrutinized their newest competition carefully.

  Elspeth whispered in Anna’s ear, “Your costume is drawing quite a lot of stares, Anna. I told you so – you’re a definite hit tonight!”

  Anna whispered back, “I was so worried that it wouldn’t do, and now I’m not so sure I wouldn’t have preferred it that way!”

  “Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Anna, this is going to be a blast…you’ll see!”

  At that moment two tall men in masks appeared before them, the taller one announcing, “My, my, I believe we’ve accidentally bumped into the two most amazing creatures of all, Connor!”

  The second of the two drawing up alongside, he placed one hand on his chin and chimed in with, “Oh, my! Could this charming villain before me actually be Miss Elspeth Moorehead? Hmmm, let me see,” and surveying her carefully, he observed, “No, I’m afraid I was mistaken. It appears that she is none other than James Bond – 007!”

  At this a loud snort popped uncontrollably from Elspeth mouth, followed by, “Connor Stuart! You cad!” And, tugging him into her arms, she commanded, “Come here, you scoundrel – give James Bond a kiss!”

  Blushing at such a suggestion, he nevertheless did as instructed, following it with, “Never kissed a man before,” and, grinning from ear to ear, he observed, “In fact, it were rather nice. I believe I shall try it again.”

  At this Elspeth playfully shoved him away, accompanying it with, “Not on your life, you little monster. James Bond always has the upper hand.”

  Now giggling uncontrollably, Connor replied, “Why am I not surprised?”

  Farhan now jumped in, observing, “Anna, I must say, you have hit the spot with that ghost costume. I’d not have recognized you had I not seen you in your burka on the flight over in August.”

  Completely enshrouded, Anna was only seen to respond via a nod of her masked head, but a muffled sound from within replied, “Thanks, Farhan. You appear to be wearing something akin to the ornamental dress of an Arabian Sheikh, am I correct?”

  “Yes, entirely so,” Farhan responded proudly, “And Connor is my personal servant.”

  “Ha!” Elspeth exclaimed, “What a pair the two of you make!”

  At this Connor bowed gracefully and suggested, “Your wish is my command, Mr. Bond.”

  The party was clearly off to a grand beginning, and over the course of the evening the four remained in close contact, although the two young ladies were in continuous demand for dances. The music having a decidedly chilling bent, Anna’s Middle Eastern dance moves drew the majority of the attention. On the other hand, quite a few of the attendees, both male and female, were consumed with the possibility of dancing with James Bond, and who was Elspeth to play favorites?

  The prize winners having been scheduled to be announced at midnight, shortly beforehand Elspeth decided it was time for her to play the trick up her sleeve. Selecting Connor as her partner, she danced close to him to the number ‘Monster Mash’ but, midway through the number, she doffed her tuxedo jacket, thereby displaying a rather racy costume beneath. It seems that, rather than a tuxedo shirt, she had worn a tuxedo vest halter top that was entirely backless. Twirling her jacket over her head, she stared intently at Connor and, suddenly tossing it aside, she pranced up to him, sidled behind him and, standing back to back, she traced a suggestive line up and down his spine.

  Having observed this rather shocking development, the crowd went wild in anticipation. Unfortunately for them, Elspeth had no further tricks up her sleeve, but the crowd nonetheless tendered quite an ovation at the conclusion of her performance.

  Dragging her away from the dance floor at the end of the number, Connor whispered playfully in her ear, “You naughty girl!”

  At this she gazed up into his eyes and, moving in close as if to kiss him, she bit him enticingly on the lip and whispered, “You’ve no idea…”

  He leaned forward hopefully but, her instincts much too fast for him, she skillfully evaded his advance with a shove to his nose, accompanied by, “Back off, Connor. If your desire is this lady, you must learn the art of infinite patience.”

  His pride bruised, he nonetheless responded hopefully, “It is, and I shall, dear Elspeth.”

  She grinned h
er approval at this last, but just at that moment a voice came over the loudspeaker, announcing, “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to announce the winners of tonight’s awards for best costumes. So, if you will, please gather in front of the stage.”

  As everyone moved forward, a young man on the stage announced, “Now, there are four prizes, two each for the men and women. The categories are creepiest costume and most outrageous costume. And without further delay, the winner of the creepiest costume worn by a woman is Ms. Anna Morton!”

  At this Anna jumped up and down in delight. To her surprise the announcer gestured for her to come up onstage and, obviously embarrassed to stand before such a huge throng, Anna somehow managed to make her way to his side.

  The announcer now said, “Excellent costume, Miss Morton! What do you say, ladies and gentlemen, isn’t this just a fabulous Halloween costume?” at which the crowd roared their collective approval. He now added surreptitiously, “Ms. Morton, I am quite certain that the males among the crowd would be oh so appreciative were you to remove your mask!” And this announcement was followed by still greater raucous applause.

  At this Anna hesitated momentarily, but then, shrugging her reluctant acceptance, she removed her headdress, thereby displaying her gorgeous face to one and all. Once again the crowd screamed their approval, at which Anna smiled graciously and made for the stairs. But, grabbing her by one arm, the announcer exclaimed, “Not so fast, Ms. Morton,” and reaching forward with an envelope, he announced, “Here is your prize!” at which Anna accepted the envelope and made her way from the stage.

  An identical scene was played out for the women’s most outrageous costume, with Elspeth proudly taking the award. As a result, the two ladies were quite a hit among the male populace for the remainder of the evening, thereby forestalling any attempts by Farhan and Connor to dominate their attentions. And while this clearly disappointed both young men, Anna and Elspeth were equally delighted by the unexpected attention.

  Somewhat later, the victors having by then arrived back at Anna’s apartment, Elspeth chirped in obvious glee, “Boy, we made those two guys jealous as all hell tonight, Anna!” But Anna was for some reason not happy at all.

  Observing her friend’s malaise, Elspeth queried in obvious concern, “What’s the matter, Anna? Surely you will have plenty of guys asking you out after tonight. Wouldn’t you like that?”

  Anna gazed forlornly at Elspeth and responded, “Of course I would like that!”

  “Then why so glum?”

  “I shouldn’t have removed my head dress.”

  “Then why did you, Anna?”

  “I had to! After you took off your tuxedo jacket, I just couldn’t help myself!”

  Eyeing her in confusion, Elspeth offered, “It’s okay, Anna – we’re not in the Middle East now.”

  At this Anna moaned, “You wouldn’t say that if you knew the power that men have over women from the Middle East.”

  “What on earth are you talking about, Anna?”

  “I’m talking about Farhan, Elspeth.”

  “So? What about Farhan?”

  “You didn’t see the look on his face when I took off my head dress!”

  “Oh, my…” was all Elspeth could think of to say, but then she suddenly added, “I’m sure it will be fine. Farhan is simply taken with you, as are quite a few other young men as a result of your performance tonight!”

  Anna nonetheless appeared distraught, causing Elspeth to seek some sort of distraction. Suddenly she realized they’d both forgotten to open their prize envelopes and, exclaiming as much, Elspeth tore into hers in anticipation. A frown swiftly creasing her features, she looked up and caught Anna’s eye.

  “What is it?” Anna asked in obvious confusion. “Just tell me – is it good or bad?”

  Elspeth stared yet again at the sheet of paper in her hand and responded, “I…I’m not really sure, to tell you the truth.”

  At this Anna tore into her envelope and, observing the sheet of paper within, her eyes suddenly began to glow. Glancing up, she announced, “But this it too wonderful! We’ve been invited to join a sorority!”

  “Yes, well…” Elspeth replied, “I don’t think I’m interested, Anna.”

  But Anna caught her arm and responded, “Please, Elspeth! You yourself said that we are both far too introverted. Perhaps this is our chance to meet more people, especially more guys!”

  “Well, I don’t know,” Elspeth mumbled, “Let me sleep on it,” to which the pair agreed.

  Two Days Later

  Anna and Elspeth met at the student center coffee shop. Anna immediately inquired, “So, what do you think, Elspeth? Please say yes – I don’t think I have the nerve to join the sorority without you.”

  Eyeing Anna intently, Elspeth reached forward and tugged Anna’s hijab, which had fallen out of place but, noticing that Anna winced when she did so, Elspeth inquired, “What’s wrong, Anna? You appear to be in pain.”

  Anna tugged self-consciously on her hijab and, a bruise now plainly visible to Elspeth, she rejoined, “It’s nothing, Elspeth. I fell down the stairs in my apartment building.”

  “What!” Elspeth exclaimed, “Did you go to the hospital?”

  “No, it wasn’t that bad. I cracked my knee, and I hit my shoulder on the bottom stair. It’s just a couple of bruises. I’ll be fine in a couple of days.”

  “Well, next time something like this happens to you, call me right away, Okay?”

  “Sure,” Anna posited, “I appreciate that, Elspeth. I have a hard time making friends, you know. Which reminds me, we were discussing the sorority…”

  Elspeth eyed her momentarily and, seeing no means of escape, she relented, “Alright, Anna, I’ll join the sorority with you. But if I don’t like it, I’ll get out at the end of the spring semester.”

  “Super!” Anna cried, “This is going to be such fun!”

  December 18, 1991

  They met at the train station, Elspeth bundled up in her best traveling attire. Since she had never been on an overnight trip with a young man, she was understandably nervous. For his part, Connor was determined to be the perfect gentleman.

  Once they were aboard, Elspeth inquired, “So, how did your semester turn out, Connor?”

  “Quite well, I should think,” he replied, “At least, I lived up to my own expectations, if you know what I mean.”

  “Actually, I don’t,” she responded, “Can you be more specific?”

  “Well, I suppose I must admit, I made one C, but the rest were A’s and B’s.”

  “That sounds respectable. What did you make a C in?”

  “Oh, well, I made a C in economics.”

  “Economics! Connor Stuart! You must do better – that’s a quite important subject!”

  At this he peered at her in embarrassment and replied, “Yes, I suppose you’re right, Elspeth, but anything related to math comes hard for me.”

  She frowned at him but said nothing, prompting him to continue with, “How did you do?”

  “I did quite well, thank you,” she replied.

  “Just exactly how well?” he spluttered in abject fear.

  “If you must know,” she frowned, “I made straight A’s.”

  “Damn!” he groused, “I knew you were a genius!”

  At this she shook her head in denial and replied, “I’m no genius, Connor. I just work hard, and I really enjoy learning.”

  “As do I,” he responded, “But it doesn’t come quite as easily as it does for you, I’m afraid.”

  She shot back, “I’m sure you’ll do much better next semester.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “The fact that I have commanded you to do better, that’s what!”

  And at this, he could only nod his silent concurrence.

  The remainder of the trip to New York was spent in solitude, but when the city skyline began to rise up in the distance, Connor offered, “I’ve never been an
ywhere in the U.S. other than Boston, you know. Have you been to New York before, Elspeth?”

  “Of course,” she replied sanctimoniously, “Not to worry, Connor, I will be your guide.”

  Smirking at her smug sense of superiority, he replied, “Of course you shall. And what shall we do on arrival?”

  “Good question,” she responded evasively, “Suppose we take it a step at a time. First we’ll check into the hotel, and then grab a bite to eat, okay?”

  “Sounds good to me,” he replied.

  But when they had finally arrived within their room, she pushed the door closed and enveloped him in a searing kiss that positively curled his toes. Eventually pulling back, she inquired impishly, “Still hungry?”

  His eyes growing wide, he blurted absently, “Whaaat?”

  Winking at him, she responded quizzically, “Dessert now, dinner later?” And, tugging on his coat sleeve, she slowly drew him onto the bed, whereupon she dragged him into a passionate embrace. For his part, he was only too happy to put off dinner for the time being.

  But eventually, as is man’s nature, he pulled impulsively on an article of her clothing, causing her to murmur in his ear, “Ah- ah-, remember what I told you at the Halloween party?”

  “Er, no…” he mumbled in confusion, and then, “Oh, right – I remember now. It was something about learning patience.”

  “Precisely!” she exclaimed triumphantly.

  Raising himself up on one elbow, he blurted, “Gee, this is going to be tougher than I thought…”

  “Right,” she whispered, “But, as you shall learn – I am worth it! Now, shut up and kiss me again, you gorgeous hunk.”

  The remainder of the trip to New York went off well, with Elspeth delighting in leading on her very first boyfriend, and Connor completely hornswoggled by the complexities inherent within the female of the species.

  February 14, 1992

  Entering the sorority house, Connor tugged off his coat and handed it to the scantily clad young coed, in the process murmuring in embarrassment, “I say, that is quite an outfit, if I may say so.”

  “Why, thank you,” she responded proudly and, thrusting her chest outwards, she added, “My mom says that I have gravity-defying attributes.”

  Momentarily eyeing the items she was apparently referring to, he replied sheepishly, “Yes, I can see that. I suppose your mother is quite correct,” And with that he made a hasty retreat to the interior of the sorority house.

  Within, he observed an entire room full of scantily clad young ladies, not the least of which was Ms. Elspeth Moorehead, who caught his eye from the far corner of the room. Wading betwixt the raptly attentive males and females, he made his way to her, and on arriving at her side, he posited, “I must have missed something, Elspeth. What the heck is going on here?”

  “Hi, Connor,” she prevaricated, “What’s the problem?”

  “Uhm,” he stammered, “Is this indeed a sorority house, or have I wandered into something decidedly more sinister?”

  “Connor!” she exclaimed, “What on earth are you babbling about?”

  Scanning about the room in confusion, he suggested, “It appears that every girl in the house is missing some clothing.”

  Frowning at him, Elspeth said, “I told you when I invited you – it’s a slumber party – A Valentine’s Day slumber party!”

  “So?” he shot back in confusion.

  “Connor, this is a normal party for young ladies within the U.S. We all come together and, dressed for bedtime, we instead stay up all night.”

  “Really?” he countered, “And you invite a bunch of guys to ogle you in your somewhat déshabillé state?”

  “Of course not, you fool!” she exclaimed, “At least not until we young ladies get to college. By then it is considered acceptable behavior for young men to, let’s say, participate. This particular slumber party happens to be a tradition of the sorority. We hold it every year on Valentine’s Day, and everyone knows about it!”

  Still perplexed, all he could think of to say was, “Ok-kay…”

  Observing his sustained irritation, she announced, “Connor Stuart. Catch up! You saw me in my underwear in New York. Tonight I am wearing my shorty nightgown, and I’ve worn significantly less in public when I had on a bathing suit. Now, shape up! Or go home!”

  Shaken by her remonstrance, he responded in embarrassment, “Sorry, Elspeth. It’s just that – well, I’ve never encountered such behavior before…”

  She eyed him for a moment and then muttered, “I am a woman, damn it! And I have a right to express myself as I see fit!”

  At this he broke into a tiny hint of a grin and, smirking momentarily, he whispered, “I know! Yes, of course, I know that!” Then, attempting to divert the subject to something less awkward, he surveyed the room further and inquired, “Where’s Anna? Isn’t she in this sorority?”

  “Yes, she is, but she’s sick tonight,” Elspeth responded.

  “Oh,” Connor replied, “Sorry to hear that. Isn’t Farhan coming tonight?”

  “Yes, of course he is. He’s in the other room there, but you may as well not go looking for him.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because he appears to be otherwise engaged,” she shot back in obvious irritation.

  “Engaged? Engaged with what?”

  “Engaged with a bevy of young, er – ladies – I should think,” she observed.

  Doubting her veracity, Connor poked his head into the adjacent room and, sure enough, there was Farhan, and he did indeed seem to be surrounded by quite a few females, some of whom appeared to have misplaced an article or two of their bedtime wear.

  Perplexed by the scene unfolding within, Connor hurriedly returned to Elspeth’s side and whispered, “I say, is it possible that things might get out of hand, Elspeth?”

  “Perhaps,” she countered enigmatically.

  “Well, then…” he murmured.

  Her eyes blazing, she shot back, “Well, then, what?”

  “Uhm, I’m not sure…” he blurted, “Perhaps I could convince you to come away with me for a drink or something?”

  Her face suddenly lighting up, she responded, “I thought you’d never ask, Connor Stuart. Let me just pop upstairs and change into something more appropriate, and we shall be off.”

  As usual, the pair ended up at the Nob Hill Coffee Shop. Once there, Connor inquired, “I don’t understand, Elspeth…why did you join that darn sorority anyway?”

  Her eyes flashing in irritation, she responded, “It’s none of your damn business!”

  “Sorry,” he responded, but then he added unadvisedly, “Surely you didn’t join to meet guys!”

  At this she blurted in obvious annoyance, “What on earth are you talking about?”

  “Well, it’s just that, I’m told that’s why girls join sororities – to meet guys.”

  “What of it?” she glared at him.

  “Nothing,” he responded and, digging himself a deeper hole, he suggested, “You don’t need to find a guy, Elspeth. You already have me.”

  She carefully placed her coffee cup on the table and, staring him down, she replied between clenched teeth, “Listen, Connor Stuart, you have absolutely no hold over me. I’m in charge of me, and don’t you forget it!”

  Eyeing here disconsolately, he observed, “Of course you are. I’m sorry, I spoke out of turn. Please excuse me, Elspeth.”

  She stared momentarily at him, then posited, “Apology accepted. Now, can we get back to being friends?”

  At this he grinned sheepishly and, changing the subject, he queried, “Was Anna really sick tonight?”

  She eyed him a moment and then she admitted, “No, she was afraid.”

  “Afraid?” he blurted, “Afraid of what?”

  “Farhan, damn it!”

  “Farhan! Why should she be afraid of Farhan?”

  “Oh, I don’t know, Connor,” she responded, “She’s somehow got it into her head t
hat Farhan has the wherewithal to make things difficult for her if she does anything at all considered to be unladylike.”

  “Oh,” he murmured as if to himself, “Well, when you put it that way…”

  “What way?” she asked.

  “Oh, I don’t know,” he mumbled, “It is just that, he does seem to have some sort of double standard, if you ask me.”

  “What are you getting at?”

  “Not sure, Elspeth, but I’ve never seen him behave like he did tonight. I mean, he was ogling your fellow sorority girls pretty overtly.”

  “What, and you weren’t?” she accused.

  “Er, well…” he prevaricated, “Look, I’m just as attracted to women as the next guy, but I draw the line at some things.”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know…” he murmured and, contemplating a moment, he replied, “Well, for one thing, I can only focus on one woman at a time.”

  “What on earth does that mean?” she replied in exasperation.

  “It’s just that Farhan was pawing those girls, I mean, several of them at one time, and in public!”

  “Ah, I see what you mean,” she replied, “And of course – I agree with you. He was rather a cad tonight.”

  “You knew that all along, Elspeth.”

  “Of course I did.”

  “Then why didn’t you say so?”

  “I wanted to hear what you thought about it.”

  “Oh,” he exclaimed, and then, “Damn, you were testing me again, weren’t you!”

  “Supposing I was…”

  “Well, stop it!”

  She eyed him for a moment and then she said, “I can’t! Besides, I have not only a right to do so, but an obligation as well.”

  “What! I have no clue what you’re talking about, Elspeth!”

  “Alright,” she posited, “I see I’m going to have to spell it out for you, Connor Stuart. It’s like this, I care about you. No, that’s not right. What I mean is, I care for you.”

  Peering at her in confusion, he blurted, “Excuse me, but what the hell does that mean?”

  “Just hear me out, damn it! What I’m trying to say is – this is all new to me.”

  “Exactly what is new to you, Elspeth?”

  “Caring! That’s what’s new, Connor. After my parents died, I built an invisible wall around myself, a wall that I convinced myself was impenetrable. And for several years, it was. But then you came along and you plopped down on that bench beside me last fall. And ever since then you’ve been dismantling that wall that I went to such lengths to build.”

  At this he stared at her but said nothing, apparently willing her to go on.

  “Damn you!” she blurted, “I was so safe within. And now, I’m terrified all the time.”

  “Terrified? Why ever on earth for?”

  “Connor!” she exclaimed, “I can’t afford to ever feel that way again!”

  “I don’t understand – what way?”

  “The way I felt when my parents died.”

  “Oh…” he murmured in confusion.

  “I need to know that I can trust someone. No, that’s not right – I need to know that I can trust you, Connor Stuart. So I’m testing you. I know it hurts you when I do, but I can’t help it. I can’t risk ever feeling that way again. If I ever give my trust to anyone again, I need to know that they will be there for me, that I can trust them unconditionally.”

  At this he stared at her, his eyes glistening, and whispered, “I cannot possibly know what you have suffered, Elspeth, but I assure you, I am worthy of your trust.”

  “Yeah, well,” she blurted, “You’d better be, because my wall is in danger of coming down.”

  He reached across the table and grasped her hand within his and, holding her within his gaze for several moments, he then whispered, “Then test away, Elspeth. Whatever it takes, I can take it. And I shan’t tear down your wall. I rather hope that it will crumble of its own accord.”

  She returned his gaze momentarily, then posited, “You may as well know - I’m quitting the sorority at the end of the semester.”

  After that night, the two were practically inseparable, at least on those rare occasions when time permitted them to stray from their studies.

  Boston – April, 1992

  Nestled comfortably within her apartment, Elspeth was deep into her study of the history of the Middle East. Suddenly distracted by the clang of her phone, she picked up the receiver and blurted in obvious exasperation, “Hello?”

  A voice responded, “Elspeth, it’s Connor. How are you?”

  “I’m fine,” she responded pleasantly, “And you?”

  “Great! Listen, some of us are meeting at my new apartment on Friday night. It’s a small party. Can you come? I mean, would you like to?”

  “I don’t know, Connor. You know I adore being with you, but as you also know only too well, I’m not comfortable in large groups. What’s the occasion?”

  “Actually, it’s Anna’s birthday. Her birthday is on Saturday, but some of us can’t make it then. Anyway, it is quite a small group. I should think you’ll be fine.”

  “Oh, alright, I’ll come, but only because you’re the one doing the asking.”

  “Thanks so much. Farhan will be delighted to hear that you are coming. He wants to surprise Anna. I say, would it be too much of an imposition to ask you to bring her along…without letting on, of course.”

  “Ah, now I see! You really just need me to make sure she comes to the party.”

  “Elspeth, you should know me better than that. I don’t think I’d want to be there if you didn’t come.”

  “Well now, that’s much better, Connor. Why didn’t you say that to begin with?”

  “Er, uhm…I suppose I was intimidated…”

  “Intimidated? By what?”

  “By YOU, Elspeth! Sometimes you scare the hell out of me!”

  At this unexpected admission, Elspeth giggled and responded, “Excellent! I’d say things are simply smashing, Connor. See you Friday night then,” and with that she hung up.

  Friday Night

  It was a cold and blustery night, but absolutely nothing could dampen Elspeth’s good humor. Arriving at Connor’s apartment, she shrugged her way out of her coat and hugged Connor, purring self-assuredly, “Hello, you scaredy-cat, you.”

  “Hi, Elspeth,” he murmured abashedly, “You look smashing tonight. And Anna, how are you?”

  “I’m fine,” Anna replied introspectively, “Where are the others?”

  “Oh, they’ll be along shortly. Farhan is bringing the girls, and the guys you already know. They’re Billy, Ryan, James, and William. They all live here in the building, so I expect them any minute.” At that moment the doorbell rang, and Connor murmured, “Ah, that will be them now.” And so saying, he tugged the door open, allowing the four guys to sort of tumble into the room.

  “Hey, ladies!” William proffered, “What’s doin’?”

  “Hi, William,” Elspeth put in, “This is my friend, Anna.” And turning to Anna, she continued, “Anna, this is William, and that’s Ryan, there’s Billy over there, and that’s James by the fireplace.”

  “Hi there,” Anna posited shyly.

  Billy wandered nearer and muttered, “My, my, she has the same pale blue eyes as do Farhan and Connor. What’s that about?” and then, turning to Anna, he inquired, “Aren’t you going to take off the scarf, Anna? It’s plenty warm in here.”

  “It’s called a hijab, Billy,” she responded distantly, “I follow the Muslim faith, and women of Islam never remove their hijab in public.”

  “Oh…” was all Billy could think of to say, but then he blurted vacuously, “You don’t look like you’re from the Middle East.”

  Following up, James blabbered condescendingly, “Where’ve you been hiding, Billy, under a rock? Everybody knows that!”

  “Knows what?”

  “What a hijab is, you i
diot!”

  At that moment the doorbell rang yet again, and Connor ushered in Farhan, who was accompanied by four young ladies. “Good evening, everyone,” Farhan exclaimed beneath an enormous grin. “These are my friends, Lorna, Susie, Bobbie, and Theresa.”

  At this Connor put in, “Ladies, please make yourselves at home. There are drinks in the kitchen, and I’m just about to put out the hors d’oeuvres. Let’s party!”

  It was quickly apparent that things were off to a great start. Everyone mixed pleasantly, and eventually they got around to singing Happy Birthday to Anna. Over the course of the evening they all became pleasantly tipsy, during which it developed that the girls were apparently students at Boston College.

  Elspeth had no idea what the group had to do with Anna’s birthday, but she had reached a state of inebriation wherein she didn’t really care. That is, until she noticed Billy and Farhan having a private conversation in the kitchen.

  Shortly thereafter Billy suggested that they play a game.

  “A game? What sort of game?” Elspeth inquired.

  “I was thinkin’ we should play poker, boys against the girls,” Billy said.

  “I say, great idea!” Connor put in, adding, “I’ll play!”

  “Me, too,” the other guys echoed.

  Lorna then agreed, “I’m in. What about the rest of you, ladies?”

  “Me, too,” Susie, Bobbie and Theresa spewed simultaneously.

  At this Elspeth spluttered, “What are the rules?”

  Billy propounded, “Five card stud, boys against the girls.”

  “Okay, but how do we keep score?” Elspeth queried suspiciously.

  “I don’t know,” Billy murmured pensively, but then his face lit up, much too quickly in Elspeth’s opinion, and he suggested, “I know! Let’s make it simple! Let’s play strip poker! Whenever a guy wins a hand, the girls take something off, and vice versa when one of the girls win a hand! After all, it is a birthday party, and surely someone is bound to end up just like the day they were born! It’s all the rage around campus, you know!”

  At this rather absurd suggestion Anna blurted, “Sorry, I have to beg off. It’s against my faith.”

  “Oh, come on, Anna,” Farhan interrupted, “Islam is five thousand miles from here. Come on, this’ll be fun! Besides, it’s your birthday party!”

  Obviously irritated by this irksome development, Anna stared at him vehemently and muttered, “Listen, I’ll just watch, and we’ll see how it goes, okay?”

  Connor now spoke up, saying, “Well, I don’t know...”

  Elspeth had drunk just one drink too many, prompting her to respond decisively, “Count me in!”

  “Are you quite certain you want to do this, Elspeth?” Connor queried in apparent bewilderment.

  Elspeth narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, then exclaimed, “Listen, buddy boy, I’m not your personal property. If I want to strip and walk down the street buck naked, it’s none of your damn business. I’m playing strip poker whether you like it or not!”

  At this rejoinder, Connor blushed and responded, “Okay, okay. Sorry I spoke. I suppose I’ll play as well.”

  Seeing as how there were so many cards to be dealt, they scared up two decks of cards and mixed them together, after which the game got underway. The girls lost the first hand, prompting the removal of some insignificant articles. Meanwhile, Anna cowered in the corner, silently considering leaving her own birthday party.

  Unfortunately for the boys, the girls won the next three hands in a row, prompting all of the boys to remove shoes, socks, and shirts. Things were suddenly getting interesting.

  The boys won the next hand with a straight flush, and the girls doffed another insignificant item.

  The next hand went to the girls, and the boys were suddenly down to undershorts.

  But then the boys won three hands in a row, and all of the girls were down to bras and panties. The next hand would surely unveil heretofore hidden treasures on one side or the other.

  But the girls won the hand, and the boys were obliged to remove their undershorts. Unwilling to accept defeat, Bobbie suggested one more hand with the promise that the boys would line dance if they lost, to which the girls unanimously agreed.

  Elspeth won the hand with two pair, at which point the boys all stood up to dance for the girls. Within seconds the four girls from Boston College doffed their remaining clothing, and suddenly everyone was naked - that is - everyone except Elspeth and Anna.

  Horrified by the sudden turn of events, Elspeth quickly gathered up her clothes and, together with Anna, she raced for the door.

  As she tugged the door open Connor called to her, “Where are you going, Elspeth and Anna? We haven’t even cut the birthday cake yet!”

  Without so much as glancing over her shoulder, Elspeth replied, “I thought you knew me better than that, Connor. Don’t bother calling me to apologize.” And with that she slammed the door behind her.

  “Come on, Anna,” she blurted, “Let’s get out of here. There was something really fishy about that party.”

  “Yeah, I think the whole thing was a setup,” Anna suggested, “Connor must’ve used my birthday as an excuse to set up the whole scam in an attempt to get you naked. And I’ll bet they paid the other girls to strip in hopes you’d join in. Frankly, they didn’t look like very virtuous types, if you get my meaning.”

  At this Elspeth raised one eyebrow in shock and responded, “My goodness, I believe you’re right, Anna. Thanks for sitting out. I’m not sure I would’ve had the guts to go it alone.”

  “Oh, it’s nothing, but I’d like to know just what it felt like to you.”

  “Like what felt like?” Elspeth murmured vacantly.

  “What it felt like to take your clothes off in front of a bunch of guys,” Anna retorted.

  “Weird! Weird is all I can say,” Elspeth mumbled, “Anyway, I didn’t really show that much. I’ve worn less at the beach.”

  “Yeah, but you were only one hand from compromising yourself, Elspeth. And if you’d lost two more hands, the boys would’ve won, and you’d have been naked as a jaybird!”

  “Oh, that was never a possibility.”

  “What? How so?”

  “You forget, Anna – I’m a math major – I counted cards.”

  “You cheated?”

  “No, counting cards is not cheating, Anna.”

  “But how in heaven’s name did you count cards with two full decks?”

  “I don’t know, it’s just really easy for me. So you see - there was no chance the girls would lose.”

  “Then why did you play?”

  “Good question. I thought about it, and I realized that if I didn’t play, those poor girls were bound to lose. In my misplaced wisdom, I thought I was simply looking out for them.”

  “Oh, I see…”

  “Anyway, as it turned out, it didn’t make any difference. They ended up naked anyway, perhaps even on purpose, as you suggested.”

  “I never want to see Connor or Farhan again, Elspeth.”

  “Me either, but there is one saving grace, Anna.”

  “What’s that?”

  “We now know that both Connor and Farhan are not to be trusted.”

  Early May

  Elspeth picked up the ringing phone and inquired, “This is Elspeth. Who is calling?”

  “Elspeth, it’s Connor,” the voice responded.

  “I told you not to call me!” she screamed into the phone, and with that she reached forward to slam it down on the table.

  But she heard him say, “Elspeth! Please don’t hang up on me! It is quite important!”

  Dragging the receiver back to her ear, she inquired, “What? What’s so important?”

  “I’m going home, Elspeth. I’m going home for the summer,” he replied morosely. “Please, can I see you before I go?”

  “Are you coming back in the fall?”

  “Yes, of course,” h
e responded.

  “Well, then, I shall consider speaking to you then. At this moment, I’m afraid it would serve no purpose for us to see one another.”

  “Please, Elspeth, I must speak with you,” he replied.

  “Well then, do so!” she spat into the phone.

  “No, not like this,” he moaned, “In person!”

  “Out of the question,” she posited.

  “Elspeth, I’m so sorry. I messed up. Can’t you see your way to give me another chance?”

  “Doubtful, highly doubtful, but at the moment there is no chance whatsoever. You may telephone me on your return in September, and perhaps by then I will have had a change of heart. As I said – it’s unlikely - but there it is nonetheless.”

  “I understand,” he murmured disconsolately and, heaving a discernible sigh, he added, “I shall telephone you in the fall, Elspeth. Goodbye.”

  “Goodbye, Connor.”