by A. J. Wells
Miss Lili looks at us, “I’m not surprised you two understand all of that. I wouldn’t have partnered up with ya if I’d thought you incapable of understanding business practices and legalities. Now we have a couple of other attorneys coming for dinner. You don’t have to dress for dinner, tonight, but stay as you are. These attorneys are here to see me about things that won’t concern you, unless, you marry the boys, then only because of the marriage. This is the boys’ business and they’ll be meeting with these attorneys later. So after dinner you can relax. Tomorrow we’ll only have dinner guests and Saturday there’ll be total chaos getting ready for the dinner and party. I’ll tell ya who’ll be here later.”
After dinner with Mr. Shepherd and Mr. Collier, we excuse ourselves to change and take a cart ride around the island. We go down to the beach and sit in the sand ‘til the sun starts going down. We watch the sky go from blue to orange and red and many colors in between, waiting to hear the helicopter fly overhead. Now we can go back and swim. We return the cart to the garage and jog to the veranda. We’re too late to be the first in the pool, the others beat us to it. We hurry upstairs to change and trot down the stairs where Al has the baskets set up and we play again. This time Maria and I almost beat Miss Lili. When we have dessert afterward, we tease Miss Lili about being a gracious hostess and losing to her guests. That’s when she tells us, “Your not guests, your family, otherwise, ya wouldn’t be stayin’ here more than one night. And, ladies, I don’t even lose to the boys, intentionally. So you’re in good company.”
Mandy and Al are nodding their heads. “The boys lose rather frequently.” Mandy says.
“She’s small, wiry, a strong swimmer and sneaky. The boys will tell ya so…and that she cheats.” Al laughs when he finishes his revelation. Miss Lili throws her balled up napkin at him, but she doesn’t deny it. We laugh and talk through the evening, mostly about the boys’ antics to try to beat Miss Lili at water basketball.
We help clean the kitchen and get ready for bed. Miss Lili comes to visit our girl talk again. “Tomorrow, girls, we have state politics to contend with. We’ll be talkin’ with three men from oil producing counties and three state representatives and two state congress men. Ya don’t have to be brilliant to carry on conversations with these men, just listen and consider how it will affect people in the industry, and city and county finances. Believe me I don’t know as much as I should about the industry, but I can think and imagine how legislation that affects the industry will affect the finances of the people, cities and counties that rely on oil to pay their bills and fund their services. That’s all ya have to do.”
“Do you think our askin’ questions and talkin’ about our concerns for those people will make a difference?” Maria has a look of skepticism on her face.
“I don’t know, but it might make the men think about their constituents and what it’ll mean to them and what it could mean come election time.” Miss Lili’s got a glint in her eye and Maria’s expression changes to a smile.
“Miss Lili, what do ya hope to accomplish with these meetings?” I ask.
“I hope to bring myself up to date on the happenings of politics concerning my finances. If it’ll affect my company, it’ll affect my employees and their livelihoods. If my company has to produce less oil we’ll need fewer employees. Ya see? When the unemployment rate goes up, the state will pay out more in unemployment benefits. The taxes may go up to cover the cost of the unemployed workers and their lost taxes. It’s a domino effect, ‘til it covers almost everyone in Texas, Oklahoma and any other oil producing state.”
“Hasn’t the oil industry already had a cut back?” Seems I remember this happening before.
“Yes. The reasonin’ was we…they don’t want to use up all the oil resources in the United States. So we save our oil and buy from overseas countries, who have more oil under them than we do. The government gets import taxes and we pay higher prices for oil products. The shippin’ ports get bigger and make a ton of money for labor and storage of the crude oil ‘til it can be moved to refineries. Who then make a lotta money sellin’ the products to consumers, somethin’ they’d be doin’ regardless of where the oil comes from. It’s gettin’ late and I think ya have an idea of the chain reaction legislation causes on the workin’ man.”
“I never thought about these things before. I’m glad we talked before tomorrow afternoon. How long are the men gonna be here?” I ask.
“From just before lunch to after dinner. I’ve been thinkin’, you girls might have a bigger affect on them if ya wear jeans tomorrow instead of casual work clothes. It might bring their attention to the fact that people of all stations in life know how things will affect them when politics gets involved in their jobs.” We say goodnight and Miss Lili goes to bed.
Maria and I talk about what we’d just heard. “I guess the guys do this sorta thing. Do ya think we’ll have more influence than they would?”
“I don’t know Maria, but consider this; The guys have something to gain, from the point of view of the politicians, but we don’t. We’re not directly involved in the industry, so we may wield a little more punch, or a lot less, since we’re novices.”
“Hard to tell, I’d say. But Miss Lili was right about it being late. I’ll see ya in the mornin’.” We say goodnight and go to bed.
After a muffin and coffee, we swim, shower and get ready for guests and lunch.
Miss Lili catches up on their families over lunch. Then we sit on the veranda to talk. Questions and answers may have waited ‘til after lunch, but Miss Lili makes up for lost time. Maria and I listen, for the most part, but ask questions about the affects of the bills on others, just as Miss Lili had suggested. Soon we’re discussing the circle of events and disadvantages of some of the proposed legislation. The eight politicians explain how it can help and we’re explaining through questions how it could hurt the general population. This goes on all afternoon and ends with supper. The politicians leave shortly after dessert.
Miss Lili is very impressed by our understanding of making a point by letting them make the point for us. Miss Lili thinks we all came away with a broader view of the cause and affect of government. “You girls made quite an impression on the men. They kept asking if y’all had an economics degree. I told them ‘not from college, but from livin’.’ They almost liked that better. They asked if most of the citizens understood as much as you did. Ya got them thinking. I’m glad we kept this casual, today. I don’t think you’d have made as big an impression if you’d been dressed up.”
“But did we help?” Maria wants to know.
“You weren’t supposed to help today. Where ya can help is tomorrow at the dinner party. But after today ya know how.” Miss Lili looks at us and we nod. “Ya can’t do anything tomorrow but ask questions and give your own thoughts to the answers. In other words, try to influence some of the people who will be votin’ on the legislations. Don’t be false or phony, they’ll pick up on that quicker than you can blink. But you girls don’t have an agenda, so ya won’t have a problem being genuine. A quick game and I’m goin’ to bed, today really tired me out.”
Maria and I are the first one’s in the pool this time. We just stripped right there. We’d gone upstairs before supper and put our bathing suits on under our clothes in anticipation of the game. Miss Lili and Mandy are impressed. We lose again, by one point, but Miss Lili had to hussle a bit more to win. We have our after game razzing and talk before Miss Lili goes to bed.
“Girls, do ya miss the boys?”
“Yes, even tho’ I haven’t had much time to. You’ve kept us pretty busy and my mind on other things.” I say.
“Yes, I’ll be glad to be home with Shay and to see Bob again.” Maria’s missing her guys.
“Good. Maria, I have to say Bob has picked a woman that will love him deeply and I agree on the longer engagement. He would have married ya as soon as he got back from the fire if you’d have let it happen. I think you’ll be a great asset to him as a w
ife when he has to take over part of my estate. I’ve come to care a great deal about ya and welcome ya as a friend and relative.”
“Sher, I understand from Steve y’all are still in fire and limbo. I want to tell ya I believe Steve loves you but he’s a cautious man and very aware of your holding back. If you’ll take a little advice from me I’ll be glad to help.” She looks at me and I nod. “If I were you I’d take that man to bed as soon as I get home. Get that outta the way and see where the rest leads. Do ya love him, or do ya know?”
“I don’t know. I miss him on a daily basis, but when he’s there I can’t show it. I don’t know why, I just can’t.”
“Do ya feel good and safe when he holds ya? And do ya melt, or lose your senses when he kisses ya?”
“Yes, but is that enough?”
“It’s a damn good start. Are ya afraid he’ll think you’re cheap and easy? He won’t. I have to tell both of ya, since the boys have been seeing you girls the water bill has gone up, a lot, but not the gas bill. That means they’re taking a lotta cold showers. Think about it. I’m going to bed so you two can talk it over. Goodnight.”
Tonight we don’t talk in the bathroom. We stay on the veranda to talk. We talk about the birth control and the cold showers, which causes a few snickers. Then we get serious and talk about the risk of loving someone. Maria says that as soon as Bob’s healed she plans to sleep with him. She’s found herself lying awake at night wanting company.
I tell her, I feel the same way, when I’m not so tired I can’t hold my eyes open. “Maria, what’s my problem. When he kisses me I go ballistic. So much so I don’t know my name. I hear nothing but us and I don’t want to stop and when he does, I want to grab him, tie him up and make him go farther. It happens that way every time. But I can’t decide if I love him. Mom says sometimes ya have to get quiet for things to become clear, but I haven’t had time to get quiet, to get things figured out. I’d hoped this vacation would give me that, but obviously, there’s been no quiet. Maria, I can’t make a mistake with something as important as getting married and certainly not with Steve. What do I do?” Maria hands me a napkin.
“You’re crying. I think you’re scared and in love and can’t reconcile one with the other. I’m with your parents and Miss Lili, sleep with him and let it progress from there. It’s not the chosen way to handle this kinda situation, but ya can’t get over being scared, or in love, or wanting him so much that it fries your brain when he kisses ya. So ya have to start somewhere and I don’t think you’ll get over being scared ‘til he proves there’s nothing to be afraid of. Love’s not something ya want to throw away before it becomes a full reality, so that leaves sex. Maybe once that fire burns down to a bonfire instead hell’s inferno you can figure it out. But like Miss Lili and your parents, I believe both of ya are in love, but ya just can’t see it past the fire’s of hell when ya kiss.”
“Maybe you’re all right and ya know I’d planned to do just that, but now I’m not so sure, again. I flip from one to the other in a matter of seconds. I guess it doesn’t matter right now, anyway, he’s not in a position to do anything about it.”
“Don’t kid yourself, where there’s a will, there’s a way. If I didn’t have Shay to worry about walking in on us, I’d have been with Bob, regardless of his broken leg.” We laugh at the thought. “It’s very late and we have a long day tomorrow and a long ride Sunday. We’d better get to bed.”
We talk on our way up to bed, “Maria, I don’t think I know what love is. My fiancé was nothing like Steve. I realize he was gay and it wasn’t anything like now, but why am I so reluctant? Why am I so uncertain of myself?”
“Forget what you’ve experienced before. That was his problem and he pushed it onto you. Ya can’t take that on, you didn’t make him that way, ya know. Now ya have a great guy that wants ya and will come to trust ya and you’ll trust him. One more question and we have to go to bed. Could you sleep with Steve, or want him as much as ya do if ya didn’t have feelings for him, even if they only surface when he kisses ya?”
“But they don’t surface only when he kisses me. When he holds me or hugs me or does something nice for someone the feelings are there. When we’re touching I lose control and I don’t know if that’s good or not. It’s all so intense it scares me.”
“Then do something to bring the intensity down to a roar. Then maybe it won’t be so scary. You can only try, Sher. It may turn out that Steve isn’t the one for ya, but ya won’t know unless ya try. Now goodnight.” We’d wound up in the bathroom after all when she left for bed.
I sat on the vanity for a few minutes longer, numb from the talk, before I go to bed.
My dream was tormented. I dreamed Steve and I didn’t make it because I couldn’t get past my problem, whatever it is, and sit up when I hear a shout. Maria comes running into the room and I’m sitting in my disheveled bed, crying. She starts toward me when Miss Lili comes in. They both come to sit on my bed and hug me. I keep crying and saying “Don’t go, please, don’t go.” They get me calmed down and to lie back in bed, because I was still asleep.
Maria comes in to wake me in the morning. “What did you dream last night?”
“I dreamed Steve and I didn’t make it and he left me. How did ya know?”
Then she explains that she and Miss Lili had sat up with me ‘til I calmed down enough they could put me back to bed. I apologize for waking her and Miss Lili. “Sher, you’re stronger than this. What’s going on? I think ya need to see the doctor when we get home. Okay? Maybe you need a real vacation.”
“I don’t think I need to see the doctor. I need some relaxation and some time to myself. Things are getting too complicated and I can’t relax. I need to…who am I kidding, I don’t know what I need. I’ll see the doctor when we get home.” Maria insists we go for a swim and our day begins.
Chapter 13
Miss Lili’s in the pool when we get downstairs. We get a cup of coffee and a muffin, I need fortification to face Miss Lili and apologize for last night. Miss Lili says there’s no reason I should feel bad about last night. I was asleep and had a bad dream and shrugs to make me feel better. We go for our swim and then to the showers.
Today’s going to be very hectic, but we won’t have guests arriving until three. We’ll need to be dressed in shorts because all the food and servers will be coming in by boat and helicopter and we’ll need to keep coming and going to get it all to the kitchen by lunch time. Miss Lili tells us the ladies from San Antonio will be coming to do our hair and make-up again so we need to be showered by two. She helped us pick our dresses and warns us we’ll be in them until the last guest leaves.
Maria and I groaned. We’re not used to wearing high heels that long. Our feet will need soaking so we can walk. Maria asks when we’ll be leaving tomorrow. Right after breakfast, Miss Lili says. We’ll be staying the night in Austin and then three hours home. And she’ll be glad to be home. We agree with her.
At eight o’clock everyone is in the kitchen having seconds of coffee and muffins when we hear the helicopter fly over. Al takes his coffee and muffin and heads for one of the carts, “Time to get a move on. It’s started already.”
Miss Lili says we’ll finish our muffins and start the “transport brigade.” Mandy is staying in the kitchen to put away and organize the kitchen help. We shuttle people and supplies all morning. When we finally come in at lunch we find people running all over the house. There’re more seating areas and tables. A formal dining room that will seat a small army has appeared and a wall seems to have disappeared. The furniture on the veranda has been moved and the glass doors have been opened to enlarge the living room, and the pool has disappeared. A platform resembling a stage is at the end of the pool cover. Everyone’s busy so there’s no one to ask about all the transformations.
Miss Lili finds Maria and me and tells us we have to eat now if we’re to keep on schedule. Lunch wasn’t much because it was only supposed to be a big snack. We’ll need our appetites for
the five course dinner, tonight. Mandy stopped “commanding the troops” long enough to have soup and sandwiches with us and to fill Miss Lili in on the progress of the party. Miss Lili had set the menu up Tuesday morning before Maria and I came down for breakfast. All this information makes me wonder who would do this in her absence. There’s no time to ask the question because she’s telling us to ”Hurry with lunch and go get our showers. It’s going on one and the ladies are here and ready for us.”
A glass of tea, a half a sandwich and a half a bowl of soup and we’re rushed off to our rooms. On our way up the stairs, Miss Lili says we have to be with her to “receive and meet her guests” at three. We hurry through our showers and find the hairdresser, manicurists and make-up ladies in each of our rooms. At two thirty I feel like I’ve been washed, dried, fluffed and folded, but I’m ready to be inspected by Miss Lili. We pass with flying colors, after we close our mouths at Miss Lili’s appearance. She’s definitely the belle of the ball. But she’ll have no fuss about it and she makes none about ours. She acts as if she expected us to “clean up“ well.
A full length mirror has appeared at the bottom of the stairs and Maria and I get a look at ourselves. We’re impressed and depressed. Who knew we could look this good? “Small town girl” has been washed, curled and primped away. Miss Lili comes back and drags us away from the mirror saying, “That’s for the guests,” and laughing. We go with her to check the kitchen then out to the living room. The kitchen was running like clock work and the living room was full of flowers in crystal vases. The pool area has a string quartet tuning up and there are some cowboy looking guys putting instruments down behind them. Miss Lili goes over to say hello to them. We were fine ‘til she hugged Willie Benson. Then we realized Miss Lili has spared no expense for this party. But when she brought them all over to meet us we were tongue tied. When we followed Miss Lili toward the other end of the veranda she told us “You girls are gonna have to get over your celebrity shock. You’ll be meeting a lotta big people tonight and being anything but cool headed isn’t why you’re here. So snap out of it. These are just people and no better than you are, regardless, of how they might act.”