CAMDEN — Part II
“Stephen??”
“Beth!!”
“Atlanta? Or will that be a lay-over?” The green eyes were still the same with only a few new creases at the corners.
“No… a meeting tomorrow with corporate.”
“Me, too. Atlanta, I mean. I have an 8:00 meeting. I work in Tulsa now but had an earlier appointment which put me on this flight; otherwise, I would…strange, Beth! I really can’t believe we’re sitting here!”
“Eighteen years,” I reminded, “You’ve aged well.” He offered me the same compliment.
“Did you continue in advertising, as planned?” I nodded and gave the name of my national firm. Said I guessed he remained in petroleum engineering.
“Why else would I live in Tulsa?” he laughed.
We talked non-stop during the two hour flight. He’d married a young woman named Meredith but the marriage had ended in divorce four years ago.
I told him I’d met Rob at a golf tournament our firm was sponsoring. It had been a whirlwind romance with us marrying six months to the day after we met. We divorced six years later.
“I thought when we repeated those vows it meant for always.” he lamented.
“I know. It never crossed my mind that my marriage wouldn’t be forever.”
“As they say, ‘Life happens while we’re making other plans.’” We laughed together.
“No use airing dirty laundry here,” I changed the subject, “are you happy now?”
“Well…yeah. I like my work and I’ve seen several nice ladies over the years. No children were involved.”
“We had no children either, though I’d hoped for a family. Just didn’t happen. I’m staying over in Atlanta for the weekend, by the way. I met a nice young man–he’s never been married–two years ago and we’ve been seeing each other through a long-distance relationship. He’s in Calgary now on business and will be back on Saturday. I’m meeting his parents for the first time at dinner tomorrow night. Sort of a prelude, I guess you’d say, of what might happen when Tim returns.”
“Tell him I said he’s one lucky guy!”
I cut my eyes around and answered, “Under the circumstances, that might not be appropriate.”
“So this weekend could possibly determine the future; is that what you’re saying?”
“Guess we’ll see.”
The miles literally flew by while we talked, laughed, and reminisced until the Atlanta skyline suddenly appeared before us.
We’d begun our descent when he asked,
“Where are you staying?”
“The Westin.”
“You’re kidding me; so am I! How about dinner? Or is that a bad idea?
A moment of serious consideration while I thought of Tim.
“How about a rain check? I have a report to go over when I arrive.”
“A rain check,” he repeated with a slight frown.
We walked down the jet way, tote bags and briefcases bumping against legs, and stopped at the top of the escalator.
“Did you check bags?”
“Yes,” I answered.
“Guess you have a rental car, too.”
“Yes.”
Brief smiles and a quick hug as he told me good-bye.
“This was good, Beth. Totally unexpected and really, really good. Your business card, please?”
I fished one from my purse and he handed me his.
“Another time, I hope…my cell # is there. Well…depending on how this weekend turns out….” He left the sentence unended.
“Perhaps another time, “ I answered in a quiet voice, rushing off toward baggage claim.
8 P. M. A solitary hotel room. The dark and lonely time of night.
I’d ordered food sent up, but it didn’t satisfy. I kept looking at the phone. At times, it seemed to cry out to me. I’d reviewed the report so many times I’d probably be able to deliver it by rote. 8:15. Finally, I did what I’d wanted to do for two hours. I called the desk for Stephen’s number. I prepared myself he’d be out but on the fourth ring, he picked up. The receiver almost slipped from my sweaty palm.
His voice, once and always familiar, answered.
“Rain check?” I asked.
“Sure! I sat here for hours hoping but finally gave up and ordered room service! May I bring my sandwich?”
I giggled, “Fine! I’m only halfway through my turkey and Swiss!”
He laughed, saying, “Time me!” before hanging up.
I barely had time to straighten my bed and stash travel clothing inside the closet before I heard his soft knock.
He’d changed to khakis and a dark denim shirt and I didn’t think I’d ever seen him look so handsome. My heart began to race.
Part III
How can I begin to tell you about the magic of the following hours? It was as if the years had fallen away and we were simply back to being “us” again. I nervously began by telling him about my day and then, in a moment of weakness, told him about hearing “Merry Christmas , Darling” while stuck in traffic.
“I always think of you when I hear it,” he smiled.
We began conversationally about our separate jobs. What we did. How we liked our careers–the meetings we were up for tomorrow before working our way back to college days.
“I remember,” I ventured, “the night you and Joe pushed my roommate’s little MG two blocks off campus and we called the police. Only by our pleas were you not jailed!”
And, later, more personal moments…
“Did you ever get to Tuscany?” he asked. “We said we’d honeymoon there in July. Remember?”
“I remember—and, no, I never made it. I told Rob about my dream, but when the time came, we spent our honeymoon at Hilton Head. Golf and tennis were his passions. I continued to ask but there was always the U.S. Open or another golf tournament to be entered. Tuscany was left on the back burner.”
“I’m sorry. I know how much you always talked about it.”
“Oh well…things have a way of changing.”
I also told him about our last Christmas together when I asked for white poinsettias and a simple little snow globe I’d wanted since my teenaged years.
Christmas arrived just before I found out…I went no further, only telling him I was given red roses and an expensive dinner.
“I remember I got you a white poinsettia that first Christmas in Oxford and you tended it with such care that sucker didn’t wilt until June! I also remember when your favorite meal was pizza–pepperoni and mushroom,” he laughed.
“It was….but that was us, Stephen.”
I gathered courage and explained more. On the night after Christmas, Rob arrived late to say our finances were in deep trouble. He was calling his parents for help and said I should call mine. I didn’t understand. Not until later. When asked to explain, I simply replied, “He had a problem.” He reached out and touched my hand, asking nothing.
Stephen told me more about Meredith. After starting out as the perfect wife, she began staying away on business for longer and longer periods of time.
It was only during the last six months of the marriage that he learned she was having a long time affair with one of her co-workers.
We’d both ended up ‘sailing on the same ship,’ so to speak.
We kept talking as the night wore on. Remembering the sad times of marriage and how the two of us had grown apart.
He would begin a sentence and I would finish it. We both spoke at the same time and laughed when we interrupted each other, often with the same thought. The hour grew late. I ate the wilted pickle from his plate and he finished my stale potato chips. Suddenly, I looked at my watch and quickly rose from my chair, gasping at the lateness of the hour. He reacted, saying,
“Where did the time go? Didn’t we just sit down?”
“In a few hours, we’re going to look back on tonight with deep regret when we’ll be expected to be bright and fresh for those meetings.” I warned.
“A bit sleepy maybe…but not the least bit regretful. I can assure you that.” He slowly stood and took my hand as we walked to the door, continuing,
“I know you need to meet the ‘in-laws’…uh…these people tomorrow night for dinner…I don’t guess those plans could be changed….right?
I sadly shook my head “No.”
“My flight is at 5:00, but I’d like nothing more than to change it and stay the week-end. Didn’t you say you were staying until Sunday?”
“That’s the plan. Tim gets in Saturday…” and let the thought drift.
“Well, could we at least have lunch tomorrow after our meetings. One last time?” He pressed my hand.
“I guess there’d be nothing wrong with that.”
“12:30 in the lobby?” He asked.
“Ok,” I agreed. He started to back away and stopped again…
“Oh, yeah. The other piece in this crazy puzzle…Tim. Tell me truthfully: How important a piece is he?”
I hesitated before carefully choosing my words, “Well…he’s been pretty important for the last two years.”
“And tonight?” he prodded.
I only lowered my head and did not answer. He took a few steps from my door and asked tentatively, “Don’t guess a second embrace would be appropriate in the same day?”
“Probably not,” I whispered.. I remained at my door, watching him go. Once at the elevator, he held the door open with his hand to look back.
“Beth, what happened to us?”
“I don’t know. I wish I did.” I answered.
He was gone.
(To be continued…)
(Brenda Miles is an award-winning columnist and author living in Hot Springs Village.
She answers all mail at [email protected]. This serial is from her fiction collection)