And he shared Etta’s opinion that Anne cooked better than the dining hall. While he enjoyed the dining hall’s meals, Anne’s home cooking had an additional touch that elevated the overall experience.
“Yes,” he looked up and looked at her. “What are you planning?” Then he realized he probably should have asked that first.
“I saw a recipe for cheeseburger meatloaf I thought I’d try out.”
“Cheeseburger meatloaf?” Isa asked, frowning. “Can’t we have regular meatloaf?”
“Yeah, Anne. Can’t we have regular meatloaf?” Charles parroted.
“Why wouldn’t we have regular meatloaf?” a sleepy Mary asked from the doorway. “What other options do we have?”
“Cheeseburger meatloaf,” Anne sadly answered, knowing that she was going to be overruled. “The ground beef mixture is spread out in a thin layer and cheese and pickles are put over the meat. Then it’s rolled up like a swiss roll and cooked like a regular meatloaf with the ketchup on top.”
“That sounds interesting,” Derek replied. Unfortunately, only Anne heard his comments as the others expressed their displeasure and demanded traditional meatloaf with mashed potatoes.
Looking at her apologetically, Derek shrugged. ‘Sorry,’ he mouthed. He suspected she could have gotten away with her original plans if he hadn’t asked what she was planning.
Charles, noticing his wife for the first time, asked her where she had been.
“Anne suggested I take the boys to the park to play. They wore me out.”
“Well,” he grinned, only half listening to her. “Wait till I tell you what happened. Charlie Hayes invited us to his frat party this Saturday.”
“A frat party,” Mary wrinkled her nose.
“You don’t have to go,” he pointed out. “You can stay home with the boys.”
Mary wrinkled her nose again.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Leaning against the nearest wall, Derek nursed the cup of beer in his hands. He didn’t have a single clue why he agreed to come to this party. He wasn’t a party person. Parties meant standing around and chatting with people he didn’t know, or like, about asinine topics such as football games that he didn’t attend or watch, what type of beer was better when he’d rather be drinking whiskey, and which girl was the prettiest.
With people he didn’t know or care to get to know.
The only reason he was at this party was because Charles and Mary Musgraves had persuaded him into it.
Charles had his own reasons; Derek recognized that even if he was clueless just which person he was trying to be set up with. Or maybe that was Mary’s reasons.
Looking down at the beer in his hands, he wondered if he should have taken those shots of whiskey before coming here. Although Anne was driving. Sweet, dependable Anne Elliot. Just the thought made him want to down the rest of the cheap beer in his hand.
Or was Charles the designated driver?
Scanning the room, he looked to take notice of what was going on. Some of his training was still instilled in him, even if he’d probably drank more than was healthy for his liver. It didn’t really matter; he’d agreed, reluctantly, to crash in the Musgraves’ guest room – or on their couch if the Musgraves Sisters weren’t also crashing at Charles’ place – so his sister and brother-in-law weren’t likely to see him in his inebriated state.
There was Charles in a corner having a heated discussion with Etta and Isa. He noticed that Etta kept looking over at where one of the frat guys was morosely nursing his own cup of cheap beer.
In the back of his mind, he remembered something about Etta being interested in Charlie Hayes before he had made his appearance into their circle. He vaguely remembered seeing the pair of them talking at the Musgraves dinner party before Charlie had stormed out of the house.
Moving away from the wall, he headed directly towards Charlie.
“Hey,” he mumbled, his face expressionless as he addressed the younger guy. “Etta has been miserable these past few weeks without you. She’s been moping ever since you canceled that date suddenly.”
“She hasn’t been interested in me since…” Charlie hesitated, turning to look Derek in the eye. “Since this semester started.”
“She might have been…mildly distracted,” Derek hedged, “but she’s been moping around ever since the dinner at her parents' house.”
Charlie looked at Derek. Merely looked at him. Finally, he nodded his head and asked, “Why are you telling me this?”
Derek glanced over towards where Anne was catering to Mary’s whims. “I know what it’s like,” was all he said before returning to the wall he was holding up.
Ten minutes later, he watched Etta move to talk to Charlie. He didn’t know if she’d seen him talking to Charlie or not, only that he had a gut feeling about the twenty-one-year-old.
After his time in the Navy, he learned to trust his gut feelings.
He only wished he could trust his heart.
Ten minutes later found him unthinkingly swirling the remaining liquid in his cup, staring at it in a blind stupor. He didn’t think he had been drinking that much, but he couldn’t recall just how many times he’d wandered over to the makeshift bar to get a refill.
He made a mental note to throw a twenty into the tip jar to pay for the expense of his drinks.
Derek almost missed the flash of blonde hair that rushed up to him, pressed her lips against his, and darted off again.
Looking around, he tried to get a glimpse of who had issued a kiss and run, but without knowing anything more than it was a blonde – not even a shirt color had caught his attention – there was no way to tell who it was among the crowd of real and bleached blonde sorority girls and other guests crowded in the frat house.
Glancing around the room, he saw Anne and stumbled his way over to where she was sitting with Mary.
Ignoring Mary’s pouting, he mumbled, “I need to leave.”
Anne stood up, aware that Derek wasn’t nearly as steady as he thought he was. His words were not as clear as he assumed, but she knew what he meant.
“Why?” Mary asked, her arms crossed as she scanned the room.
Narrowing her eyes, Anne looked down at her sister, aware – even if Derek wasn’t – that Mary had spent the last thirty minutes complaining about having to go to a stupid frat party just so that Charles and Isa could convince Etta to put herself out of her own misery and try to gain Charlie’s forgiveness.
She had a few choice words about fraternities and sororities putting the lowly poor students up on the pedestal Greek Life allowed. She considered them to be social climbers and loudly proclaimed her opinions, unaware of several of the glares cast in her direction by the people around them. To Mary, it didn’t connect that you needed money in order to pay the dues needed to join.
“I think I drank too much,” he mumbled, still slurring his words. “I don’t normally drink this much.”
“Distraught that you lost Etta?” Mary bitterly asked him, disappointed she had been wrong about her favored pair and that it seemed as if Isa was going to win the handsome veteran and future real estate agent.
“No,” he shortly answered her, looking at Anne as he answered Mary. “Can we leave?”
“I’ll go find Charles,” Anne responded. “He has the keys. Just…” she glanced around the room, reluctant to say what she needed, “…sit down next to Mary and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Why’d you have to let Etta go after Charlie Hayes?” Mary spit out as soon as Anne disappeared in the crowd. “His father works in a factory.”
Derek eyed Mary carefully, juggling his first impulsive response with the tiny shred of sense he still held. “Charlie Hayes is pre-med. He’s going to be a doctor. Depending on his practice, Etta will probably end up better off than she currently is.”
Anne returned a few minutes later, Charles and Isa in tow. “Etta will be getting a ride home with Charlie,” Anne grinned.
“Great,” Mary
grumbled.
“Where are you staying, Derek?” Charles asked, Isa leaning in closer to find out.
“My sister and her husband are…” he paused, shaking his head as he tried to remember where Sophy and Bob had gone for the weekend. “They went…”
“He’ll be staying in your guest room, Charles,” Anne insisted, reminding her brother-in-law while helping Derek up off of the couch and slinging an arm over her shoulders. “Can you walk?” she asked him.
“Barely,” Derek admitted, subtly breathing in Anne’s shampoo.
He didn’t know that only Charles had caught his movements. Mary and Isa were already heading out towards the car; the only two completely sober people in the group - Anne and Charles - wondered if the girls were now plotting how to get Isa firmly on Derek’s radar.
But Charles… Charles was another matter. He had begun to suspect something he didn’t want to voice aloud in case he was wrong.
“I can sleep on the couch if Isa is sleeping over.”
“That might be a good idea,” Charles replied, taking the bulk of Derek’s weight off of Anne and handing over the keys. “Go get the car started, Anne. You know how Mary gets.” Turning towards Derek, he stated, “The couch is much closer to a bathroom than the guest room.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“What's going on with you and Derek?” Mary loudly asked even though Derek and Charles were in the next room.
Anne froze as Isa hissed, “Mary!” Both girls look towards the dining area where the guys were going over American History.
“What? It's a good question.” Then, much to Anne's horror, her sister turned to look at her. “Don't you agree, Anne?”
Shrugging, she struggled to hide her real feelings. Curiosity. Fear. Did she really want to know? “I guess. If Isa wants to talk about it.”
Both Elliot sisters looked at Isa. The nineteen-year-old squirmed in her seat while under their combined gaze.
“It's just…” she paused, hesitating as she looked back towards where Derek was helping Charles.
“Just what?” Mary impatiently asked, eager for the gossip that was within reach.
“He's so much older than me.”
“He is twenty-four,” Anne replied. When both girls looked at her, she shrugged. “I was in the room when he told us his birthday was in early June. And he graduated a year before me.” The girls still just stared at her blankly. Weakly, she added, “It's September. He's had his birthday.”
Mary was the first one to break the unspoken staring contest. “Well, you did say you'd met before,” she dismissed Anne. Turning back to Isa, she asked, “Has he kissed you yet?”
Anne froze in place. She wasn't expecting to hear so many details that she wasn't certain she wanted to know.
“Actually,” Isa grinned before her look turned into confusion. “I kissed him,” she admitted. “At that party where Charlie and Etta made their relationship official.”
“What did he do?” Mary asked, scooting forward.
They didn't notice Anne suddenly pretending like she had a notification on her phone as she battled with wanting to know what happened and not knowing how Derek reacted.
Slowly, “I'm not sure,” Isa admitted. “I was drinking.”
Shaking her head, Anne wondered if most of the females in her life were lacking vital brain cells and common sense. After what happened to Mary and Charles at a drunken party, Anne wondered why Isa would be so reckless.
“What do you mean? He either kissed you back or he didn't.”
“I kissed him and ran,” Isa admitted.
“But you’re always together.”
“I'm tagging along,” Isa admitted. “Sometimes I wonder if he views me like a little sister.”
Neither Isa nor Mary realized that Anne hadn't said anything. She'd even stopped in the pretense that she was checking something on her phone.
“But it's October!” Mary exclaimed.
“I know!”
“That party was in September!”
“I know!”
Settling back down against the couch, Mary let out a deep sigh. “I just don't understand.” Turning to look at Anne, she asked, “What do you think?”
Taking a deep breath and lowering her phone into her lap, Anne carefully thought out her words. “Didn't Charles say that Derek had a serious girlfriend once?”
Mary thought about it for a moment before confirming Anne's question. “He proposed and, according to Charles, she turned him down or something. He hasn't had a serious relationship since.”
“Really?” Isa asked.
“If that is the case,” Anne slowly responded, “he might be relationship-shy. Afraid that it'll happen again. According to the psychology class that I had to take,” she fudged, “he is very likely to be cautious when it comes to serious relationships. Either not getting close or taking his time in getting to know someone before making a move.”
She knew this because that's the way she felt.
“So, what do I do?”
Closing her eyes, Anne carefully answered Isa. “Give him time. If he's interested, he'll let you know.”
“Thank you, Anne!” Isa squealed as she leaned forward and gave her a bear hug. “You are the best.” Leaning back, she grinned at Mary. “Thank you, Mary! Some of my friends were worried I was wasting my time over nothing.”
Heart sinking in her chest, Anne understood that feeling.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
With time to spare between classes, Anne bought a sandwich from the food vendor situated in the library’s study area next to the lobby, grabbing a bottle of water while she was at it. She had just left a session with her freshman; the girl needed some help developing an outline for the composition paper that had been assigned as part of her mid-terms.
Anne, having a two-hour break between her Art History class and her next education class, seized the opportunity to earn a little extra cash.
Once that session had ended, the freshman calmed down and was reminded about the generic outlines she had been taught in high school and was shown how to manipulate them for college essays, Anne decided to grab some lunch and people watch from the wall near the Humanities Building. The October weather was perfect and she had plenty of time to waste. It would have been perfect if she’d brought her sketchbook with her to campus, but she hadn’t been sketching that much lately.
That was where Derek found her as he headed towards his next class.
They both knew that he had been avoiding her as much as possible. He had barely spoken to her ever since her failed apology almost a month ago.
Even though he had stopped avoiding her as much, it surprised them both when he sat down next to her on the wall.
“Why didn’t you say anything when we had that Biology class together three years ago?” Anne asked him. That question had been circling around in her brain ever since she had found out at the beginning of the semester, taunting her ever since she had found out that they had shared a class.
“I was bitter,” he answered her truthfully. “My whole world had come crashing down around me six months before,” he added, tapping his right knee.
“Why here?”
“Maybe I’m just a glutton for punishment.” Looking away from her, he added, “You were supposed to be in Chicago. What happened?”
“Mary and Elizabeth happened,” she whispered, the bitterness tainting her tone. “I came home for Winter Break and the house was a mess. Dishes were piled high in the sink. Mary had her boyfriend upstairs. Laundry had multiplied in the laundry room. Somebody had even forgotten to take a load out of the washer and put it in the dryer,” she remembered. “I had to throw that load away. They had left it there for over a week. If not longer. It took ages for the laundry room to air out.”
“Oh.”
“Elizabeth had dropped out to help take care of Mama when the diagnosis had gotten worse.” Anne shrugged the rest of her comment off. “Only after Mama died, and I’d gone to Chicago
, was when we all realized just how much I had been doing around the house. Things Mama had warned me about not doing so that Mary and Elizabeth would learn to stand on their own two feet. But I wanted to make things easier for her while she was still alive.” Looking at Derek, she asked, “Remember? Remember all of the times I complained to you about them. That’s part of the reason I wanted to go to Chicago. I didn’t want to have to take care of anybody else for a while. I was eighteen and all I wanted to do was…”
“Be a teenager,” he finished for her. “I figured that one out later.” Looking at his knee again, “I had plenty of time to think between surgeries and P.T.”
“P.T.?”
“Physical therapy.”
“Oh.”
“We were too young,” Anne agreed.
“If I had…” Derek started to ask before Isa bounded up to them.
“Derek!” she beamed, grinning from ear to ear as she greeted him. “Anne,” she smiled, less enthusiastically. She wasn’t blind; she recognized that something had happened between them once. Something that left them not talking to each other, barely looking in each other’s direction if there was a chance the other could be looking back.
Nineteen-year-old Louisa Musgraves did not care. She knew what she wanted and she went after it.
“What are you two doing?”
“Eating lunch between classes,” Anne answered, holding up her half-finished sandwich.
“Taking a break before I have to walk over to the Business Administration building.” Glancing over at Anne, “I didn’t realize how many Business classes I would need to take as electives.”
“That’s right in my direction!” Isa exclaimed, climbing up on the wall they were sitting on. “My class is in the next building. Walk me to class?” she asked, not waiting for an answer as she wedged herself in the small space between them.
Closing her eyes, Anne shifted further away from Derek as Isa managed to manipulate herself between them.
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