Seasons of Her Life

by Fern Michaels

  Calvin and Andrew. Andrew and Calvin. Calvin, Andrew, and Ruby. A triangle. She was part of a triangle. She stretched luxuriously, feeling wonderful, almost wicked. At least her thoughts were wicked. She imagined they were the kind of thoughts Grace Zachary would have.

  It had been Grace who told Ruby about sex, and to this day, that little bit was all Ruby knew.

  “Honey,” Grace had said, “sex is as natural as eating breakfast. You know how you don’t like oatmeal too much, but you can still eat it and feel full? Well, sex can be like that or it can be like this huge, scrumptious breakfast I always make for Paul on Sunday mornings: waffles with blueberry syrup, light scrambled eggs with the bacon just crispy enough, toast with homemade strawberry preserves and delicious yellow butter, fresh-squeezed orange juice and coffee that smells up the whole house. Sex for me and Paul is always like that,” Grace said, her eyes lighting up with love for her husband.

  “Everyone in town thought I was a tramp, some kind of wild slut because I liked to have a good time, but I was a virgin when I married Paul. The people in this town are house angels and street devils,” she said sourly, “not that I give a hoot what they think about me. Me and Paul have a good marriage, probably one of the best in this stinking town. Do you understand what I just said, Ruby?”

  “Pretty much. I guess it’s not good to have sex before you get married, huh?”

  “If you care about what people think, then the answer is no. If you’re in love and don’t care about what other people think, then go ahead. Life is too short to worry about other people.”

  Puzzled, Ruby said, “But you waited.”

  Grace laughed ruefully. “I came damn close, honey, any number of times, but something always held me back. I was in love. That’s why I waited. There’s a world of difference between lust and love, Ruby,” Grace said gently.

  Ruby thought Grace was pretty with her wild blond hair that resembled a bird’s nest out of control. Her wide baby-blue eyes and sweet dimples complimented her glowing skin that she said she worked at twice a day with Porcelana and glycerine water. Her hands were soft, the fingers long and tapered with rosy red polish on the nails. Her toenails, too. Sinful, Ruby’s father said.

  Grace tilted her head to the side, her hands on her ample hips. “You thinking about taking the leap?” She grinned.

  Ruby blushed. “Oh, no. I just ... you know I need to ... everyone should know ... certain things. I asked Mom once, but she almost died.”

  “It figures,” Grace said sourly. “What about your pa?”

  Ruby snorted. “Can you picture me asking my father anything, Grace?”

  “No, kid, I can’t. When you get out of this burg, I better not ever catch you coming back, you hear me?”

  “Don’t worry, I’m never coming back. I’ll send you a postcard, how’s that, and if I ever find anyone to ... to love or lust after, I’ll write to you before I ... I do anything.”

  Ruby wondered if it was time to write.

  Andrew was in the lobby and so was Amber when Ruby stepped out of the elevator. This was one thing she was going to put a stop to. From now on, Andrew Blue had better not open his mouth where she was concerned to her sister.

  Andrew was on his feet in a flash. “You look pretty, Ruby,” he said.

  “Are you ready?” she asked coolly as her eyes sought out her sister’s. “We’re going to church, now,” she lied. She waited for some word from Amber but her sister remained quiet, although her eyes followed Ruby till she was through the door and outside in the pelting rain.

  “Listen, Andrew, I don’t feel like going to church, so I’m not. If you want to go, it’s okay with me. I’ll wait for you.”

  “Hell no. I just said that last week to get in good with your sister. I sized her up real quick.”

  “Well, obviously, you didn’t come to all the right conclusions, so let me tell you a few things about Amber.” She did. The lieutenant’s mouth was hanging open when she finished. “So you see, Andrew, if you ever so much as speak with Amber about anything but the weather, I will never see you again. If you can’t handle that, let me know now. I don’t like it when people push me or make plans for me without my consent. That’s something else I want you to remember.”

  Andrew stopped, hits umbrella shielding both of them from the downpour. “Why do I have this feeling you don’t care if you see me or not? Are you going out with me because of your sister, because of last week?”

  Ruby looked into wistful brown eyes and was tempted right then to tell him the truth, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. When in doubt, compromise.

  “Sort of. Do you like it when people pressure you and make plans for you?”

  “Is that what I’m doing? I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. Look, let’s start all over. I know the rules now and I won’t break them. Can we just spend the day together and have a good time?”

  Ruby noticed a movement out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned, all she could see were lowered umbrellas as people walked up and down the busy avenue.

  “Hook your arm in mine so you’re closer under the umbrella.” Andrew shouted to be heard over the rain.

  Ruby laughed as she linked her arm in his, but not before her eyes raked the passersby a second time. She had a feeling she was being watched.

  Breakfast was strawberries and waffles at the first Hot Shoppe they came to. Neither Andrew nor Ruby looked in the direction of the cathedral, where they were supposed to be attending Mass. They dawdled over a third cup of coffee. Ruby did, however, find herself glancing outside, through the sluicing rain. Someone was standing across the street. She had the feeling he was watching her through the brightly lighted window.

  Ruby turned to Andrew and smiled. “We should leave, people are waiting for our table. This is our third cup of coffee, Andrew.”

  Andrew shrugged. “So I’ll leave the waitress a generous tip. Money talks. As for those other people, they should have gotten up as early as we did. I’m so comfortable, I could stay here all day.”

  “Well, we can’t. We aren’t going to Glen Echo, are we?”

  “No, it’ll be closed on a day like this. I thought we’d go to the Capital and see Johnny Ray. He’s onstage. Do you like him?”

  “You mean in person? Live? I have his picture. I can’t believe this!” Ruby gushed.

  Andrew laughed. “I guess that means I did something right. I bought the tickets from my buddy this morning. Seems his girl doesn’t like Johnny Ray. Sixth row, middle of the aisle. They don’t come any better than that,” he said, delighted with Ruby’s starry eyes.

  “You look good enough to kiss ... right here, in front of everyone. Dare me!” he said devilishly.

  He would, Ruby thought, he wouldn’t care who saw him kiss her. She felt as though she could kiss him, but she didn’t want to, even for Johnny Ray. “What kind of girl do you think I am?” she said in a cool voice.

  “I thought all girls liked to be kissed. Guess I was wrong. Let’s forget it, okay?”

  “Forgotten.”

  Ruby finished her coffee. Damn, now she was going to have to go to the bathroom six times. As she got to her feet, she again glanced outside. Her heart leapt into her mouth. She recognized the figure across the street: Calvin!

  She watched a moment longer, her eyes squinting to see through the heavy downpour. The figure moved off, the umbrella shielding his face. Ruby sighed with relief as she made her way to the rest room. She had Calvin on her brain. If she didn’t watch it, she’d be seeing him all over the place.

  The moment Johnny Ray pranced off the stage, Andrew Blue grabbed Ruby and kissed her full on the mouth. It was a hard kiss, mashing really, his nose grinding into hers so she could barely breathe. There was nothing pleasant about the feeling at all. She told him so.

  “That was just for starters. C’mere,” he said, moving her gently so he could cup her face in his hands. He moved slowly and deliberately, his eyes locked on hers as his mouth sought her trembli
ng lips. She was ready this time and waited for the tip of his tongue. Her eyes snapped open just as the lights came on. She still had the feeling she was being watched.

  “Better?” Andrew said mockingly.

  “Not much,” Ruby said honestly. Andrew snorted, barely controlling his irritation.

  It was after six when they walked out of the double-feature-plus-stage-show. Nervously, Ruby looked around, her eyes searching the moving umbrellas for a familiar face. It was still raining.

  Farther down the block, his neck tucked into his raincoat, Calvin watched the couple. He’d been two rows behind Andrew and Ruby. If the person sitting in front of him hadn’t been obese, he would have leapt over the seats and punched out the marine’s lights. He knew it was wishful thinking on his part. No matter what he felt, he would never call attention to himself as long as he was wearing his uniform. He probably wouldn’t do it any other time, either, he thought morosely. The bastard had kissed his girl. He wondered if Ruby was comparing the marine’s kiss with his own and worried about her conclusions. “Shit!” he said.

  They were probably going out to eat now. The damn marine would take her to some fancy restaurant and show off. He could feel his anger start to build, knowing he’d have to stand outside in the rain again, and he’d just about dried off. It never occurred to him to give up his surveillance and return to the base. Ruby was his girl, and no stupid marine was going to take her away from him.

  “Would you like to try a French restaurant or go to a steak house?” Andrew. asked Ruby. He sounded as if he was still smarting over her remark about his kiss..

  Ruby pondered her choices. She’d never eaten French food. She wondered if it was expensive. If it was and she didn’t like it, she would have to eat it anyway, to justify the cost.

  “Is it expensive?” she asked.

  She watched surprise and worry cross the marine’s face. “Look,” she said, “I didn’t mean that I want to go someplace expensive. I don’t. I’ve never had French food, and if I don’t like it ...” She let the rest of what she was about to say hang in the air. Now he looked embarrassed, injured.

  All about them rain fell, rolling off the umbrella like a miniature waterfall. Ruby rather liked the sight and said so. “Don’t you? It’s kind of romantic, walking in the rain.”

  Andrew gaped at her stupidly. “In a mist, not this downpour. My shoes are ruined and so are yours. My pants are soaking wet and this umbrella is starting to leak. I can’t see one damn romantic thing about it.”

  Ruby’s back stiffened. “You are absolutely right, Andrew. I’m soaked and you’re soaked. What you should have done this morning was call and cancel our date. I think you’re sorry you didn’t, and so am I. So, if you don’t mind, I am going back to the Y and change my clothes. Thank you for breakfast and the show. I enjoyed both tremendously, though I did not exactly enjoy your company. Good-bye,” she said, and ran for the trolley pulling to a stop in the middle of the street.

  As she dropped her token through the slot, she was aware of a blur of movement behind her. He damn well better not be following her. She turned, about to snarl something uncomplimentary, when she saw Calvin grinning from ear to ear.

  “You were following me,” she snarled. “All day, weren’t you? I thought I saw you.”

  “Uh-huh,” Calvin said happily. “I wanted to see you even if he was with you. Are you angry?”

  “No.” Ruby laughed. “He was a real wisenheimer. He can’t kiss worth a darn, either. I suppose you saw that, too.”

  “Yep. I was tempted to deck the son of a gun.”

  Ruby was so pleased with Calvin’s confession, she beamed. She linked her arm through his. “I’m soaked, you’re soaked, what should we do?”

  “Let’s get off this stupid trolley and walk in the rain. Do you want my coat?” He hoped she’d say no. She did.

  While Ruby and Calvin slogged their way through the city, laughing and giggling, stomping in puddles and splashing each other like children disobeying their parents, Andrew Blue was doing his own stomping and cursing in his quarters at the Marine barracks.

  He snarled at the good-natured heckling he received when he squished and stomped his way to his locker.

  “Lookee here,” Mike Moss chortled, “the guy struck out. She must have been a bimbo. Ah, come on, Blue, tell us. what happened.”

  “Yeah.” Jack Davis grinned as he eyed the strip of paper pasted on Andrew Blue’s locker door. A straight line of X’s denoted Andrew’s “scores” with girls. A second column, headed by a capital V, denoted Virgins. There were seven check marks and sixty-seven X’s. A third column, headed SO for “strike outs,” held no markings of any kind. All four men had a similar strip of paper, but none were as detailed as Andrew Blue’s.

  In a position to observe Andrew’s eyes, Chris Pape nudged Brian Peters to cut short the heckling.

  Andrew was down to his skivvies, reaching for his soap, when Mike Moss handed him a pencil. “There’s a first time for everything, buddy, just put a big fat zero under the old SO and let’s get this show on the road. We want to hear all about your day. Don’t leave anything out.”

  “Buzz off, Moss, I’m not in the mood.”

  “Blue didn’t get any pussy today, guys. Let’s make him feel better. Somebody go get him an ice cream cone so he has something to lick.” Brian laughed devilishly.

  “I told you to knock it off,” Andrew snarled. But he wasn’t following the rules, rules he set up when the five of them started to bunk together. He knew he was going to have to say something, or they’d never get off his back. How in the fucking hell was he going to tell them the girl he picked up at the U.S.O. dance preferred a flip over him? And that’s what he damn well was. A slant-eyed, fucking pineapple.

  That would blow the whole contest. Not only would he look like a fool, he had a hundred bucks riding on the outcome. A hundred scores before they were transferred and ten virgins, zero on the strike outs. Shit!

  Jesus Christ, who the hell was this Ruby Connors, anyway?

  August waned and ushered in September’s dry, sweet air. Ruby loved autumn. Back home the kids would be getting ready to return to school. Opal would be in the eighth grade this year with only four more years under George and Irma’s roof.

  Ruby was enrolled now in two classes at the Y on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. She’d signed up for a business management course and an accounting class and was playing around with the idea of taking a real estate course. She had no idea what she would do with all this higher learning, as she called it, but it was something to do in the evenings besides sitting around her room and waiting for the weekends, when she could see Calvin.

  She was in love with Calvin, although she’d never professed it openly. Calvin, on the other hand, talked of nothing else but his love for her. The time they spent together was unbearably sweet, and she hated to return to the Y when the evenings came to an end.

  The new apartment was proving to be less of a hassle than Ruby had anticipated. The girls were nice and didn’t bother her. What was even stranger was that Amber wasn’t bothering her, either. Amber, Ruby thought, was in love, and love somehow magically dulled the edges of everything else. Or else Amber was afraid Ruby would tell George that Nangi was at the apartment almost every night. Once she’d seen Amber jam her hand into her pocket when she noticed Ruby looking at her. Ruby suspected that Nangi had given Amber a ring. She also suspected that Amber was having sex with Nangi. Nothing else could account for the sappy, drooly expression on her sister’s face. For whatever had gotten Amber off her back, Ruby was truly grateful to Nangi.

  Everything was so right for Ruby, it was scary. Everything except Andrew Blue.

  She spent alternate Saturdays with Andrew and then switched to alternate Sundays to fit Calvin’s schedule. Their dates were interesting, but nothing more. Andrew had roving hands. Twice she’d slapped him when his probing fingers had gone above her knee. He’d pouted and called her a tease and a flirt. She didn’t car
e. He always came back. Kissing Andrew was like sucking on an egg. His hands weren’t gentle, either, but hard and rough. And all he thought about was sex. Unfortunately, today was Sunday and Andrew’s turn.

  Ruby perched on the wall outside the house, waiting for him to announce their plans for the day.

  Andrew threw his hands in the air. “Something special,” he said, his eyes twinkling, “just for you. A real Washington party. You know the kind,” he said authoritatively, “where they have all kinds of nibble food and lots and lots of stuff to drink. Beer, wine, gin—you name it. I think you’re dressed okay.” His critical eye didn’t seem to agree with his words, Ruby thought. Whatever, it was a way to get through the day.

  “I have to be back by six. It’s my turn to cook dinner and I have to study for a test.”

  “Plenty of time.” Andrew grinned happily.

  “No funny stuff either, Andrew. I’m tired of fighting you off every time we go out. You do one thing out of the way this afternoon, and that’s it, I won’t see you anymore,” Ruby said.

  “Why do you keep seeing me, Ruby, if I offend you so much? I’m just a normal guy, and normal guys like to touch and feel and kiss. You’re such a prude.”

  Ruby threw his question back at him, an uneasy feeling settling between her shoulder blades. “If I’m so different, why do you keep seeing me?”

  “Okay, okay. You’re nice, I like you.”

  She stared at him for a moment. He had surprised her, or at least his tone of voice had. He had actually sounded sincere. She wondered.

  They walked hand in hand up Kilbourne Place to Mount Pleasant Avenue, where they turned on Meridian, following it to 14th Street, where they boarded a streetcar for downtown.

  “Where exactly is the party?” Ruby asked.