by Jillian Dagg
Cally saw the warning in his eyes but she would still attempt to extricate herself from the date. “I'll see you later after work to make the arrangements.” At that time she would tell him she didn't feel well and couldn't go tonight.
"Okay, but no messing with me babe."
She shook her head and returned to her job.
She rode back to the motel with Vince and Loretta. At least everything seemed back to normal since Rick's accident. Vince was staying back at the motel, Loretta wasn't going in Karl's truck anymore, and Cally didn't have to ride with Luke. For two weeks there everything had careened out of control. If circumstances became more normal, then things might calm down. She might even forget Luke.
Cally was just about to follow Loretta into the room when she heard a whistle. She looked back and saw Karl beckoning from his doorway. Loretta had already disappeared into the bathroom, so she closed the door and walked up the wooden deck.
"Karl, I don't feel well..."
His expression turned hard and beady. “Don't mess with me, babe. You promised."
"I didn't promise."
"You said yes. That's a promise on my terms. Meet me in my truck at six thirty. The movie starts at seven."
"Are you eating in the restaurant?"
"Yeeeesss. I'll see you there first. Wear something snappy."
Cally grasped his thick muscular golden arm. “I don't want to go, Karl."
He placed his other hand on her shoulder and squeezed her delicate shoulder bone. “You're coming with me, Creighton. This is a date. You don't back out on dates. Besides, it'll give you a break from Stanford breathing down your neck. I bet he hung around all weekend, didn't he?"
Cally swallowed hard. “He was out at the site all weekend."
"Sure he was.” He released his fingers. “Now dinner first, then a movie. Nothing difficult in that, is there?"
"No,” Cally said, wondering if she should lock herself in her room. Or maybe even go to Luke and explain the situation and have him talk to Karl and get her out of it. But then what might happen? Luke would be angry because she made the date with Karl in the first place. Karl would be really angry that she went to Luke. The atmosphere on the construction site would be terribly black.
Best to go on the date, what harm could it do, and then never say yes to Karl again. Men, Cally thought, stomping through her door. They cause problems.
Chapter Eight
"Hi,” Loretta said, rubbing her damp hair with a towel. “Are you going to eat?"
"I suppose,” Cally said. “I'm not feeling great."
"Sun getting to you?"
"Possibly."
"What did you do all weekend?"
"This and that.” Cally sat down on the side of the bed to unlace her boots. She tugged one off and tossed it aside. She unlaced the other. “I'm tired."
"But you're coming to the movie with Don and me and Karl tonight, aren't you?"
Cally watched Loretta rub her curls with the towel. “You're going with Don?"
"Yep. I thought I liked Karl but Don's really mysterious and I've got this major crush.” She rolled her big eyes. “But he didn't ask me out in Duluth that time he drove me down. He just dropped me off at my house. It was such a downer. I expected him to phone all weekend and he didn't."
Cally recalled the weekend Loretta had returned from Duluth and seemed restless. “Then what?"
"Don was real friendly on the way back here.” Loretta tossed the towel on her bed, picked up a brush and began to bring her black curls to life. “Then, this last weekend, when we were down, Don called me and we went out on a real nice date. Wine the whole bit at a major Duluth restaurant. It was really cool. I like that man. Anyway, on the return trip Karl mentioned he'd invited you to a movie tonight and we were all going together. Cool, huh?"
"Real cool,” Cally said wryly.
Loretta gazed at her. “You do want to go, don't you? You told Karl you would. I know you think he's a hunk, so here, you have a date. I don't want him."
Cally realized that Loretta thought she had been staying out of Karl's way because Loretta liked him.
What a tangled web, she thought. “That's fine. I'm going.” She couldn't get out of it. Not without making a scene and causing Don, Loretta, and Karl embarrassment. Best to treat the date like a trip to the dentist. Inevitable but by tomorrow morning it would all be over.
Dinner passed in a jumble of superfluous comments and raucous behavior, without Luke's presence, much to Cally's relief. The ride into Echo Bay beside Karl would have been fun if it hadn't been for Luke in the back of her mind and what he might think about this little foursome in the truck. For starters he wouldn't approve of Loretta and Don kissing in the back seat of the cab, and for seconds he wouldn't approve of Cally dating Karl. Hopefully, he would never know. He hadn't been around since work this afternoon. She hadn't seen his car at the motel after dinner, or as they took off in Karl's truck. For that respite she had been grateful.
"Hey, babe,” Karl reached over and took hold of her hand. He clasped her fingers tightly. “You're so quiet, sweets."
"Don't call me those names, Karl."
"What do you like then? Carolyn, Creighton, Cally. What is it?"
"Cally's fine."
"Well then, why so silent, Cally?"
"Long day in the hot sun."
He chuckled lecherously. “And a long night with hot Karl. Kick back, Cally. Smile."
She forced a smile at him, wishing he would let go of her hand. When Luke held her hand it was so natural, so necessary. When Karl held her hand, she wanted to drag her fingers away and go wash them with soap.
The movie was the same one she had seen with Luke on the weekend. So no one would know she had seen it before and guess she'd been with Luke, she laughed louder than usual. Luckily the movie was extremely funny and she discovered bits and pieces she had missed on Saturday evening. Likely missed because of Luke's powerful company, she decided, when the movie was over and she was forced into the local tavern so the men could have a beer.
"You shouldn't drink and drive,” she warned Karl as she sipped on her iced tea.
Karl's expression appeared shadowed. “You know Creighton, you are one pain. You need to loosen up and have fun. Loretta knows how, don't you?"
Loretta drinking beer, holding Don's hand, flushed from excitement, nodded. “My folks would have a fit, but yes, I know how to have fun. Girls just wanna have fun, don't they Donny?"
Don placed his arm around Loretta's shoulders. “Sure do, Lori."
Cally sipped more tea. She wasn't a prude. If she loved a man, she would be loving with him. And maybe Loretta loved Don, although Cally couldn't figure out why. His bearded face conveyed no definite expressions. When he spoke, Cally didn't know if he was sincere or not. She thought his eyes seemed shifty. They never settled on anything in particular.
She had to sit through a second round of beer before the men decided to return to Tall Pines. This has been a mistake, she concluded as she climbed into Karl's truck.
Karl punched on the CD player and loud rock music floated out of the windows into the warm night air.
Cally leaned her elbow on the wound down window and just prayed that she would soon be snug in her bed at the motel and this experience would soon be over.
Karl swerved the truck. She looked at him in alarm. He roared with laughter.
"Hey guys, Cally thinks I'm too drunk to drive.” He swerved back and forth across the twisty two-lane highway. “Whoops. Ooh whoops again."
Loretta and Don were laughing. Cally glared at Karl. “That is not funny. Anything could be coming the other way."
"Anything could be.” He swerved again, chuckling gleefully as he did so. “Scare you babe?"
"Don't call me babe,” she retorted. “And stop this fooling around. There are wild animals on the highway at night."
"That's including us.” He whooped and swung the truck around a bend so fast they hit the gravel shoulder, swerved, and t
he tires screeched on the pavement.
"Stop it, Karl,” Cally said, genuinely frightened now. “If you don't want to stop, let me out. I'd rather walk."
"As you're such a bore. You canwalk."
Karl stopped so abruptly, Cally had to hold the dashboard of the truck to support herself.
"Out."
"Drive me home safely, Karl."
He reached over, unlatched the door and pushed. Cally tumbled out of the truck onto the gravel. She felt sharp stones cut into her bare arm before she stumbled to her feet again. Her purse came flying at her.
Loretta was screaming. “Karl, stop it. What are you doing?"
"Don't you yellow belly me either,” he yelled, slammed the door, and took off up the highway into the darkness.
Cally regained her breath and inspected her arms but they seemed to be merely grazed, no obvious injury. She brushed down her clothes and picked up her purse. She supposed it was her own fault. She should have gone along with Karl's fun, even if she didn't consider his behavior fun.
Oh, well, she was on the highway leading to the motel. All she had to do was walk. She wasn't frightened about walking alone. It was probably safer out here, where there was no one, than walking alone in the city. Furry animals scared her less than the human type.
One thing about walking home, she thought as the gravel slithered beneath her sandals, was that she wouldn't arrive back with Karl. Luke would never know about the date. She really wanted to keep that from him. It was almost as if they were already a couple and she felt guilty about going on a date with another man.
Although she did wish she wore more substantial shoes and more clothing covered her arms and throat.
Cotton pants, a sleeveless low necked top and sandals soon became awkward walking gear. Bugs hovered the perfume she had sprayed on herself earlier.
Maybe it was a longer walk than she thought, she decided, changing her purse strap to her other bare shoulder and rubbing the one with the strap mark upon it. She'd possibly make it by midnight, which was pretty late when she had to get up so early in the morning. She began to walk with more purpose to her stride.
Headlights almost blinded her and she put her hand up to shade her eyes. The vehicle slowed down. Oh, no. She thought she was safe out here from city crime. Keep walking, she instructed herself. Don't look.
The truck went past her at a slow pace, pulled a U-turn in the road, and parked on the opposite shoulder. She kept walking.
"Creighton."
It was Luke. She felt her entire body tense but she kept walking. How was she going to explain this to Luke? Or did he know? Had he seen Karl return without her? Maybe he had known she was going on the date with Karl.
The truck wheeled up beside her. “Carolyn get in."
When she stopped walking her entire body turned limp. She'd been egged on by sheer will and now she knew she couldn't walk any further. She was extremely weary, and full of trepidation.
Luke stopped the truck, jumped out, and came around to the passenger side. He opened the door and bundled her inside where she slumped into the seat. He returned to the driver's seat and quickly positioned the truck on the right side of the highway. He stopped again on the shoulder.
"Carolyn.” His voice was brisk with fury.
"How did you know?"
"Loretta has a conscience which is more than can be said for that idiot Karl."
"She told you."
"Yeah, she told me.” He gunned the engine and began to drive speedily but with caution and care, the way he always drove, up the highway. “How could you?"
"What do you mean, how could I?"
He looked at her. “How could you go out with Karl and see the same movie ... I can't...” He raked his fingers through his hair. “That was special to me, Carolyn. Real special."
Cally forced herself to sit up in the seat, fasten the seatbelt, that should have been fastened long ago, and face him. “It was special to me as well, Luke. But I made the date with Karl before..."
"Why did you make a date with him, for heaven's sake? I warned you how I feel about men and woman on the construction crew together."
"So what's good for the goose isn't good for the gander, I suppose. You do have a double standard, Luke. Karl is right about that."
"So you've discussed me with him, have you?"
"He knows about us. I mean, there's no us , is there. But somehow he discovered we were at a party together that weekend we were home in Minneapolis."
Luke began to say something, then dismissed whatever it was. Finally, he said, “I advise you to keep out of his way."
"I will now,” Cally said. “He was acting real stupid on the way home. I wanted out."
Luke looked concerned now. “Loretta said he pushed you. Are you hurt?"
"No. A few scratches. I might have been hurt if I'd stayed in the truck. At least that's the impression I got. I don't agree with drinking and driving."
"Me neither, but Karl doesn't care. He likes to provoke situations and see them go out of control. I'm going to have to talk to him, Carolyn. Meanwhile, I want decorum on the crew. Maybe you could mention that to Loretta as well. Seems this thing with Don is getting out of hand."
"I can't stop that, Luke."
He ran his hand behind his neck. “I guess not."
Cally eyed his hunched shoulders as they completed the last leg of their journey. She should be feeling buoyed by his confession that their date had been special to him, except she didn't. She felt awful for making a big mistake and losing his trust.
"Thank you for coming to find me,” she said as they drove into the parking lot at Tall Pines.
"I wouldn't do anything but come to find you,” he told her. “You're my employee. I'm responsible. Now go get some rest and behave yourself."
Feeling like a scolded child, Cally left the truck, and on unsteady legs went to her unit. Loretta ran to her.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes. I'm fine."
"You don't look fine. You're bleeding."
Her elbow was caked with congealed blood. Right at that moment all Cally wanted to do was sit on the bed and burst into tears. But she knew she couldn't give in. She had to face Karl tomorrow. And Luke.
And Don. Karl might even have told the rest of the crew about how chicken she was.
She took her shower, wincing when the scratches and mosquito bites stung. She put a plaster on her elbow, which was the only deep cut. The others hardly showed now. Hurriedly she slipped into bed and cuddled beneath the quilt. She lay for a long time, thinking sadly how she'd wrecked anything with Luke forever, until the hum of the air-conditioner combined with Loretta's soft sleepy breathing sent her into a restless slumber.
* * * *
Cally's first thought when she woke up was that she had to face the men. If she could have skipped breakfast, she would. But she knew that didn't make sense when, eventually she would come into contact with them. Why not head-on the morning after? Get it over with.
Don even seemed a little cool toward Loretta as the women took their place at the big table. Karl gave Cally a narrow glance from bloodshot eyes. She wondered how many beers he'd consumed after he arrived back to the motel. She knew he kept a supply. She'd seen him walk from the store with six packs.