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The Brass Ring Ch. 03

By: coaster2



Chapter 3: Getting to Know Her

It was a great afternoon. We headed out into the surrounding countryside and just cruised for while before stopping at an old auction barn on a whim. It was long past the auction time, but people were still there paying for their purchases and picking up their prizes. We wandered around, looking at the various items that hadn't been sold or weren't picked up yet. I always liked auctions, especially these country kind. All sorts of old stuff turns up, and you never know from week to week just what you might find.

Merilee apparently shared my feelings because I think we spent an hour just looking and touching and wondering what some of the items were. It was too late to buy anything, but that was just as well. The 'vette wasn't designed to carry much other than two people. 

It was starting to cool off as you would expect in the late afternoon, and I handed her my windbreaker so she wouldn't get cold. She thanked me with a kiss on the cheek, something I sure didn't expect, but made me feel pretty good. We wound the windows up and I turned on the heater so we would be comfortable on the ride back to her house.

As I walked her to the door, she had her arm wrapped in mine, another thing I didn't expect. We weren't talking, just slowly walking toward what I thought was the end of a very nice afternoon. 

"Do you want to come in?" she asked me. "My parents are out at some association function and won't be home until late. We could have dinner together if you like."

"Uhhm ... yeah ... sure ... that would be nice. You sure I'm not ... well ... you know ...."

"No ... I don't know," she said with a funny look.

"I mean ... I really had a good time this afternoon. I just don't want to ... I don't know ... maybe take advantage of you ... your ... what do you call it ... hospitality?" I couldn't have sounded like much more of a jerk if I'd tried.

She smiled at me with that beautiful, easy smile. "Dieter, I had a wonderful time this afternoon also. You are a very nice man and I like spending time with you. Please ... I don't enjoy eating alone, and besides, you can help me in the kitchen ... even if it's just doing the dishes."

"I can do that. The dishes, I mean. Otherwise, I'll let you decide if you want me to do more."

"You make your own meals, don't you?" she said as she walked to the kitchen.

"Yeah. Nothing fancy, mind you. But I eat proper food. Not just burgers and burritos."

"Good for you. That's smart. It's almost what I expected," she said, looking back at me with a little grin.

"Jeez, you've got me pegged pretty good, have you?"

"If you mean I've figured you out, you're wrong. I haven't got you figured out at all, as a matter of fact. You're nothing like I expected," she said as she went about pulling things out of the refrigerator and cupboards.

"So ... what were you expecting?"

"I'd rather not say," she said.

She looked at me with that funny look I saw once in a while.

"I guess I expected someone more ... rough," she went on. "Not mean or nasty, but ... you know ... rough!"

I shook my head. "Merilee ... I am rough. I'm not slick and polished like some college guy. I come from a working class background and I'm not ashamed of it. I know I don't talk like the guys you're used to being with, but that's just who I am. So why wouldn't you expect me to be ... rough?"

Now she was shaking her head.

"I'm not talking about how you speak. I'm talking about what kind of person you are. How you act around other people. I could see how close you are to your parents. You love them and they love you. They don't pretend to be something they're not either. I like them. I like them a lot. And ... I like you." 

She had a nice smile on her face when she finished her little speech. It was a surprise ... but a nice surprise. I didn't know how to respond to it, though.

"Maybe I should clear up something, Merilee. Marla is my step-mother. My Dad hired her for the business, and one thing led to another. She wasn't just good for the business, she was good for the ... I mean, Pop."

"Were you ever going to tell me that you are the majority owner of your business?" she asked slyly.

"How did you find that out?" I was surprised she knew.

"It wasn't hard. I just checked the county record files when the business was incorporated. You started that business and your father joined you later on. That makes you quite a remarkable young entrepreneur."

"Why would you go to all that trouble?"

"Curiosity. I told you ... you aren't what I expected ... so I was curious."

"I don't tell anyone about the ownership because Pop is the guy that runs the show. I mean ... he really runs the show. I just do my thing with the customers and suppliers and make sure we have new business whenever I can find it."

"My father thinks you are the engine in that company. You are always looking for ways to make it better. That's why you've grown as fast as you have. People like doing business with people they can rely on. You don't have the lowest prices, but you have the best quality and service. So ... end of sermon," she grinned.

"Yeah ... let's get off this business talk," I agreed.

I was sitting on a stool at the island in the middle of their big kitchen. It was damn near restaurant size and everything was either cherry wood or stainless steel. There was a silence for a few moments before Merilee turned to me. 

"What would you say if I suggest we should get to know each other better? You know, go out together?"

This girl was full of surprises. 

"Are you sure, Merilee. I mean, I wouldn't fit well with your normal gang. I'm sure they'd be disappointed in you."

I saw her eyes flare and her face turn red. Oh, Oh. I'd said the wrong thing.

"Dieter Hunsinger, I'll have you know I don't look down on you and you are not ... I repeat ... not ... going to get away with suggesting I do!" There wasn't much doubt she was pissed with me.

"Okay, okay ... I'm sorry. I wasn't implying anything other than ... aw shit ... I don't know what I was trying to say except when I look at you, I see a beautiful woman who's way out of my league."

I don't exactly know what I said that put a stop to her being angry with me. She walked over to me and draped her arms over my shoulders and gave me a hell of a kiss. No tongue, mind you, but a hell of a kiss. 

"Do I have to hit you over the head with a brick to make you understand?" she said softly, her eyes boring into mine. "I'm interested in you. I like what I see. I want to get to know you better ... much better. It's as simple as that. You, Dieter Hunsinger, are plenty good enough for me. I like strong, confident men. But I don't like arrogant men. That's the difference between you and the other guys who want to date me. Most of them are arrogant. You are not! Understood?"

"I don't think I qualify as confident," I replied meekly.

"Not around me ... but we'll work on that. I'm sure I can help," she grinned.

"I'm sure you can," I replied, pulling her back in for another kiss, this time one of mine.

We didn't hop into the sack that evening. We made a nice supper for ourselves, then sat on the sofa in the great room (that's what she called their big living room) and watched a movie on the flat screen TV. She had her arms around me and was slouched against me. I couldn't make up my mind whether to take this farther, but decided against trying anything that night. I really wanted a second date.

When the movie ended, Merilee yawned and stretched, giving me a good look at just how nice her body was, even though it was covered by a tight-fitting sweater and jeans. 

"What do you want to do tomorrow?" she asked as she pulled me to my feet. 

"Whatever you want. I didn't have any plans. We could go out for a drive someplace again."

She smiled. "That sounds fine. Why don't you come for brunch tomorrow morning and we can go from here?"

"You sure about that?" I asked.

"You can't be afraid of my parents, mister," she grinned, poking me in the chest. "Don't worry, you'll be welcome. Besides, one of these days, I want to see your place. Fair is fair." She was in a playful mood, so I couldn't deny her anything at that point.

"Okay ... what time?"

"Ten o'clock and don't be late," she said as she pulled me in for another big kiss.

Damn, this was the last thing I expected. Merilee Jenkins was interested in me.

When I got home, Marla and Pop were still up, so I went in to say goodnight. They were sitting together on the sofa pretty much the same way me and Merilee had been a little while ago. 

"Hi, Dieter. How was your date?" Marla asked immediately.

"Good ... I mean great. She wants me to have breakfast with her folks tomorrow morning. Actually, brunch ... so it doesn't happen until ten o'clock."

"I knew it! I just knew it!" Marla said with a big smile. "She's really interested in you. I could tell at the awards banquet. She had that look in her eye. Probably the same look I had the first time I met your father." She turned her head and kissed the old man and snuggled back into his arms.

"Well, it's all a big surprise to me," I admitted.

"Me too, Kid," the old man said with a wink. I knew what he was thinking. It was the same thing I had been thinking. She's out of my league.

"If it can happen to me, it can happen to you," he said, giving Marla another cuddle.

"Aw, I'm nothing special, Sweetheart. I just got lucky when I met you and you liked me," she said, nuzzling Pop some more.

"Hey ... now don't you go puttin' yourself down, hear!" he said seriously. "First of all, you're smart ... real smart. Second, you're a hot babe."

I thought I could hear Marla snort even though I couldn't see her face.

"Third, you got me out of the dumps and got me thinkin' life was a whole bunch better with you in it," he said, kissing her again.

"Jeez, you two. If there's any more syrup I'm going to gag," I said with a phony look of disgust.

I knew what Marla was thinking, though. A week ago, she and I had a long talk when the old man wasn't around ... mostly about her past.

"I got married to the first guy that I had sex with, Dieter. I was eighteen years old, and I thought sex meant love. Boy, did I have a lot to learn. Anyway, he wasn't a bad guy, but he wanted kids, and we found out that I couldn't have any. We talked about adopting and some of the other alternatives, but none of them worked for him.

"Finally, he gave up and told me he wanted a divorce. That really hurt. I mean, I loved him, but he stopped loving me when I couldn't give him any kids. There wasn't any point in kidding myself, so I agreed to the divorce and at the ripe old age of twenty three, I was a divorcee. 

"I got a job in a department store, but it was a dead-end thing. I could still be there, but I got stupid again. I met a guy and we started dating. Pretty soon, we were goin' at it hot and heavy, you know what I mean? I wasn't about to make the same mistake twice, so I figured I'd be the smart one and just move in with him. We lived together for nearly eight years until one day he decides he wants to add another woman. He figured I would be okay with sharing.

"So just like that, I was out on my ass, alone again. Then I got a good job. I was dispatcher on night shift at a cab company. That was tough. Trying to get the right cab to the right place, remembering which cab was free and who reserved which guy to pick them up, when to call the cops. It was complicated, so I worked out a system for myself. Turns out, I got good at it. I memorized a lot of it, so it was pretty easy for me to keep everybody busy without screwing up.

"Anyway, I was there for eleven years. Worked my way up to day shift, then supervisor. Everything was goin' great until the big boys moved in and bought out our outfit. They had their own computerized system which they figured was way better than mine, so I wasn't needed any more."

Marla had been telling this story like she was reading it from the newspaper. No sign that she was pissed off about how she was treated. It just was what it was. I didn't want to interrupt her, so I just let her go on.

"I had a few jobs after that, but nothin' I really wanted to do. I was okay for money, but I wanted something I could do that would make me feel like I was doing something special. You know ... useful. I had dated a few guys at the cab company, but nothin' serious. I'd already been burned twice, so why keep doing it, you know? Anyway, that's when I saw the ad in the paper for a driver. I already knew every street and alley in the city, so I figured that would be an advantage. Turned out I was right," she smiled at last.

"You sure were," I said right away.

"So ... like you already know ... I wasn't there very long before I figured out how to get the deliveries done quicker, and damn ... first Freddy ... then you guys noticed. I mean, I liked working there to start with. Decent pay, good people, and you ran a real good operation. Everybody I talked to on my deliveries said the company was first class."

"Didn't you figure we'd notice if you did a real good job?" I asked.

"Doesn't always happen, Dieter. Most of the time the guys upstairs don't have a clue what's going on down on the floor. That's what made you and your dad so different. You guys pay attention to that stuff."

"Yeah ... I guess we do," I agreed. "Anyway, it was hard to ignore you. It didn't take you long to get our attention. I don't think Pop could believe what Freddie was telling him."

"When your father came down to talk to me, he asked me a couple of questions and I guess he was wanting to make sure everything was on the up and up. I told him about me being a cab dispatcher, and I saw the light go on. He knew right then how I did what I did.

"Then, he did something I didn't expect. He asked me if I had ambitions. Like, did I want to get ahead? Hell, yes, I told him. So he said if I kept going the way I was going, he might want me to run the whole show down there. Teach the other guys how to do what I do. He didn't have to beg, that's for sure. I was really pumped up about it.

"So then, we just sat and talked for a while. He told me about how the company got started; not about the ownership thing of course. He told me what you and him believed in when you started it, and how you wanted to run it. It was growing on you pretty quickly, so you two were running just to keep up. I knew from talking to the customers that you were always talking to them, trying to figure out better ways to do things. That really hit me. Hardly anybody does that."

"Yeah ... it's something Pop and I believe in," I nodded.

"I guess we talked for a couple of hours, then out of the blue, he asks me out to dinner so we can talk some more. Well, I wasn't going to say no, but I wasn't sure about what he had in mind. Maybe he was going to put a move on me, you know?"

I chuckled when I heard that. 

"Yeah ... it's funny now," she smiled, "but back then I didn't know for sure. But ... I figured ... what the hell ... take a chance. So I did ... and here we are," she smiled.

"Love at first sight, huh?" I suggested, shaking my head. It was the last thing I would have expected from my old man, but that's what had happened. I still couldn't quite believe how quick the two of them got together.

"Yeah. We were two of a kind, Dieter. Both of us had been burned. Both of us were sure we weren't going to get hurt again. So ... I can't tell you how surprised I was when it just sort of happened. Your father is a big softie, you know. Your mother nearly ripped his heart out when she left. I wasn't that bad off, but not much better. I don't know what made the two of us think we were safe with each other, but that's what happened."

"Well, I'm happy for both of you," I said. "I only hope I can find someone like you someday."

"You will, Dieter. You're a nice guy, smart, going places in this town ... maybe more. You'll find somebody. You might have to take a chance, but ... we all do sooner or later," she said softly.

I gave her a hug and that was the end of the talk. I could still remember the look in her eyes when she talked about Pop. I think I made up my mind then that I wouldn't be happy until I had that look from someone too.

Sunday morning I was up at my usual time. I did the triple S and then spent all kinds of time trying to decide what to wear. I came to the conclusion that I needed some new clothes. That gave me an idea. The big stores would be open today, so maybe I could get Merilee to give me some advice. Most women like shopping ... right?

I finally decided to wear a pair of dress slacks and a short sleeve collared shirt. A little more fancy than yesterday, but since I was having brunch with her family, I thought I'd better dress up a bit. I didn't need to bother as it turned out.

I was a little nervous when I rang the chimes at their front door, but Merilee was there in a flash with a big smile, taking my hand and pulling me in. 

"Hi ... right on time," she beamed. "Come in and say hello to my parents."

We walked into the big living room and right away I saw Mr. Jenkins putting down the morning paper and getting up, wearing a t-shirt and a pair of well-worn jeans. Mrs. Jenkins came out of the kitchen and was wearing a sleeveless t-shirt and some snug fitting shorts that went to her knees. Definitely no need to dress up. I was quickly informed that I should address them as Gerry and Paulette. I began to relax.

Now Merilee was a different story. Altogether different. She was wearing a nice blue short-sleeved t-shirt with a scoop neck that was really scooped! Her jeans were the fancy designer kind with all sorts of trim, but looked like they had been sprayed on her. I was beginning to sweat a bit, thinking that a few more jiggles from the top of her t-shirt would cause me some problems. I did everything I could to avoid looking at her very nice front.

I caught Gerry's hand and got a nice, firm handshake and a smile. I didn't have to guess that we were okay with each other. He made that plain. It was Paulette that I was more concerned with. She was the mother, and I had to make sure she wasn't worried about Merilee going out with me. When I greeted her with a soft handshake, she pulled me in for a hug and when she stepped back, I could see a look of fun in her eyes. I guess I was going to be okay after all.

We settled down for a few minutes until the food was served. Small talk was the order of the day, with Paulette wondering where Merilee and I were going today. I said I had thought about a drive along the river, but I wondered out loud if Merilee would help me find some new clothes. I thought her judgment would be better than mine.

"I'd love to," she gushed. "I get to dress up my man just the way I want him," she said to her mother.

My Man? That caught me off guard, but when I looked at Mrs. Jenkins, she was grinning and then I caught a chuckle from Mr. Jenkins. I think they were getting the idea that Merilee was teasing me and seemed to be okay with it. I was the one who wasn't sure. Just the same, they made we feel welcome and we had a nice breakfast of omelets, toast, and fresh fruit. 

It was nearly noon by the time I'd finished helping Merilee in the kitchen with the cleanup. I'd insisted that since Paulette had gone to all the trouble of making a nice meal that I should be allowed to help with the dishes. There wasn't much argument and Merilee quickly volunteered to help as well. 

She went upstairs to get ready to go and I waited for her in the living room. I saw some photos mounted on the mantel over the fireplace and in one of them, there were two young guys in the picture with Merilee. I guessed they were family, and Paulette confirmed it.

"That's Calvin, our youngest. He's in military school. That's why he's not around. His older brother, Ralph, is in college and that's why he's not here. Merilee is the oldest at twenty-five."


The Brass Ring Ch. 03



"That's nice ... a nice family. What do the boys want to do when they are out of school?"

"Ralph is working on a mechanical engineering degree," she said proudly. "I know he'd like to get involved with the automobile industry. Calvin hasn't decided anything yet. He's the 'free spirit' in this family. He's going to be a little later maturing." 

"And Merilee is in the accounting department," I mentioned. "She must have a business degree."

"Yes, she did very well at college. She wants to prove to herself that she can make it on her own without help. Gerry says she's doing great at the dealership. We're very proud of her."

"Nice family," I repeated. I was envious, thinking how ideal this family was: well off, well educated, handsome men, and beautiful women. Perfect!

Merilee bounded down the stairs two at a time and skipped across the room to me, full of enthusiasm. 

"Let's go," she said, pulling at my arm. "The stores are open and time's a-wasting."

I might have known. The shopping magnet was on full force. No woman can resist it.

To be continued...

Editing by ErikThread and DaveT with my thanks for their thoroughness and helpful suggestions. Any errors are mine.



The Brass Ring Ch. 04-05



Chapter 4 I Hate Surprises

Now and then, I'd stop in at Tricky Dick's, a bar and diner not far from the office. It was a good place to have a beer and a conversation. It wasn't too loud other than when there was live music on Friday or Saturday night. The food was good, so if I got lazy and didn't want to cook, I might have a burger or something from the kitchen. Once in a while I'd run into someone I knew from work or even high school, and yak with them for a while.

Tommy T-Man Farley was an old classmate who hung out with me and Brains Nonis. I have no idea how he got the T-Man moniker, but he still answered to it. He was doing pretty well in the appliance business, he said. Had his own store now and was always looking for an angle to compete with the big boys. He was still single, like me, but was dating some woman I didn't know, but sounded like a cross between Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Lopez. T-Man was known to exaggerate a little. We got to talking and he asked about my love life, and I mentioned I had been going out with Merilee Jenkins. I saw his eyes go wide when I said that, so immediately, I wanted to know what that was all about.

"Nothin' ... nothin'," he said. "Good looking woman ... for sure,"

It sounded a bit lame, so I decided to chase him a bit for more.

"Come on, T-Man, what do you know that you're not telling?"

He looked a little worried, like he was afraid to tell me something.

"Relax, man," I said. "If I should know something about her, you should be the guy to tell me."

He still looked like he'd rather be somewhere else, but finally he spit it out.

"She's in tight with Harley McDougal. Has been for a while. Didn't you know?"

"Shit no, man. She said she wasn't seeing anyone. You sure about this?"

"Yeah ... unless she broke up with him in the last week."

"Well, I've been seeing her since just after the C of C awards dinner, and that was a month ago. What the fuck?"

"I saw her with Harley on Tuesday at the Catbird Club, over on 4th Avenue. Unless she's got a double," my friend said with an apologetic shrug.

"Not that I know about. Guess I'll have to change my plans, T-Man. Thanks for letting me know."

"Yeah ... sure. Sorry about that, Duke."

I nodded as I slid off the stool and headed for my truck. I wasn't sure if I was pissed or let down. The air sure as hell was let out of my balloon in a hurry. Only one way to find out what was going on, and that was to call her on it.

As I drove home, I started to think a little better. I decided not to confront her right away. I'd wait until she called me. Lately, I'd been on the phone to her almost every second day for one thing or another. There was never a hint that she was seeing anyone else on the side. If I didn't phone her for a couple more days, five would get you ten that she'd be calling me.

My not calling her gave me time to think, too. This was the last thing I expected from her. She made it plain that she was the one that was interested in me, not the other way around. She was the aggressive one, not me. And what about Harley?

Harley McDougal was a slick, smooth, hot-shot with one of the big brokerage houses. He was salesman, but had a fancy, mean-nothing title to make the saps think he was something special. Investment Consultant, I think it was. Bullshit! He was a peddler, just like me. He just had a nicer suit and a better haircut. Otherwise ... well ... what difference did it make? He was the kind of guy I might have expected Merilee to be going out with.

The last time I had talked to Merilee was Tuesday, and I didn't hear from her until Saturday afternoon.

"Hi, Dieter, I haven't heard from you all week. Are you all right?"

"Yeah ... sure." I didn't add anything after that.

"Are we going out tonight like we planned," she asked, not sounding too sure of herself.

"I don't know. Will Harley be coming too?" I asked, waiting for the reaction.

"Harley?"

"Yeah ... you know ... Harley McDougal. You and him seem to be a regular couple at the Catbird Club, I'm told." 

"No ... I mean ... that's not true. Harley is just a friend,"

"Jeeze, Merilee ... that's the oldest line in the book."

"Dieter, please. He's just a friend, nothing more."

"Look, Merilee ... Harley's got a black belt in pussy hound. He doesn't have girlfriends, he has notches on his bedpost. So don't try and bullshit me. If you want to hang out with Harley, fine and dandy. Just don't expect me to play second fiddle. I'll see you around," I said, hanging up the phone. 

I half expected her to phone me back right away since I didn't give her any chance to explain, but it didn't happen. Just as well. I knew right from the start I was out of my league, so why should I be surprised? All the same, I was pissed.

When Marla noticed that I wasn't going out Saturday night, she came over and knocked on my door. I opened it, gave her a lame smile, and invited her in.

"You not going out with Merilee tonight?" she asked.

"Nope." I wasn't in the mood for a long discussion.

"Problems?"

"Yup."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really."

"I'm a good listener," she said softly.

I looked at her and saw nothing but sincerity. I let out a deep sigh and could feel my shoulders slump in surrender.

"I found out Merilee was seeing another guy. Has been for some time it sounds like."

"Oh ... that's a surprise. I didn't expect that," she said sadly.

"Me either. Hell, she was the one who came onto me."

"Do you know who the other guy is?"

"Yeah. Harley McDougal. He's a real piece of work. A stock hustler with a big bankroll and an even bigger opinion of himself. Been through half the single women in town, and few of the married ones too."

"Oh ... Dieter ... I'm so sorry to hear that. But ... that just doesn't sound like the Merilee I met. Not the girl I saw making eyes at you."

"Maybe one guy isn't enough for her," I said. "She tried to tell me they were just friends, but the way I heard it, she was seen in a late night club with him on a regular basis, and they looked pretty close."

"Who told you about this?" she asked after a pause.

"Friend of mine. I've known him for a long time. No reason for him to lie to me. Besides, she didn't deny she was out with him ... just that he was only a friend. I told her Harley doesn't go in for just friendly relations with attractive women."

Marla sat there, looking at me, but thinking about something, I was pretty sure. She was a smart lady, but I couldn't see how she could make something good out of this mess. I was coming around to the idea that I was hurting. I had hopes for me and Merilee. This looked like it put a lid on those hopes.

"Just let things cool off for a while, Dieter," she said finally. "You'll get a better idea of how you feel about it and maybe so will Merilee. I can feel for you ... I've been there ... just like your father has too. It's no fun, but sometimes, things work out better in the end. Keep your chin up, kid," she smiled.

I couldn't help but smile back at my step-mother. She was a class lady and I was lucky as hell to have her around. Maybe she was right. Maybe something good might come out of this. I couldn't see what the hell it would be ... but who knows. I gave her a big hug as she started to go.

I put Merilee out of my mind for the next couple of weeks. It wasn't easy, but then she wasn't around me, even when I went into Jenkins Mercedes. Out of sight, out of mind ... well ... almost. I didn't have any hot prospects to replace her with, but I was sure I could find someone to date. I would just have to patrol the usual places and see who turned up.

It was a Wednesday morning when I got a phone call from someone I didn't expect.

"Good morning, Dieter, it's Paulette Jenkins. Do you have a moment?"

"Sure Mrs. Jenkins. What can I do for you?" I was curious what this call was about.

"I wonder if you and I can have lunch tomorrow ... or perhaps Friday. I think it might be worthwhile if we got together."

I didn't know how to respond to that, but it didn't sound like trouble.

"Yeah ... I suppose so. Maybe Friday would be best. Where would you like to meet?"

"How about we meet at the Burnside Country Club. We have a membership there and I hardly ever use it."

I'd never been in the Burnside Country Club, but from the outside, it was a pretty high-class place, with lots of stone and timber. 

"Yeah ... okay ... I guess I can. Do I need a tie?"

"No," she chuckled. "It's a golf club and casual wear is normal. Don't dress up ... it isn't necessary. I'll look forward to seeing you Friday noon at the club. Just tell the maitre d' that you're meeting me."

"Okay. Friday at noon. I'll see you then."

I hung up the phone, wondering what in the hell she wanted to see me about. It had to be something about Merilee, but what? She was a nice lady, and it would have been hard to say no to her anyway, so I might as well find out what she wanted.

If I played golf (which I didn't), I would probably wear what I wore on Friday; polo shirt, no-iron khaki slacks, and polished loafers. Not my normal work wear, but not too fancy either. I parked in the big lot and walked up the stone steps to the front entrance. Jeez, the foyer in this place was bigger than most houses. I saw where the dining room was and headed down the hall toward the reception area.

"Mrs. Jenkins, please. I'm expected," I told the guy in the suit.

"Follow me please," he said with a nice smile. 

Quite a place I thought as I looked around. Lots of mahogany and thick carpet, with big windows looking out over part of the golf course. I could see we were heading to a place where there were only a few tables and fewer people. The guy showed me to a table where I saw Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins sitting. Gerry got up to greet me.

"Thanks for coming, Dieter," he said. "Didn't mean to surprise you, but after talking to Paulette, I wanted to be here too. Please, have a seat."

I sat facing them, wondering what this was all about. They were in no hurry to tell me. I noticed they had a glass of wine, but when the young girl came to our table for my order, I stuck with my usual iced tea. The menus were the kind you'd find in one of those fancy restaurants; big and leather bound. 

After some small talk and my drink arrived, Gerry got down to business.

"I understand you and Merilee are not seeing each other any more," he said. "I don't know why, so why don't you tell me."

I really didn't want this conversation, but I was trapped. I didn't want to piss off one of my biggest customers, plus I liked these people, despite what Merilee had done. They'd been very nice to me, and I figured at least I owed them an explanation.  

"I found out that Merilee was seeing someone else while she and I were dating. She didn't tell me about it ... I found out from a friend. I don't ask for much from anyone I date except for honesty. I asked her if she was dating anyone and she said no. Then ... later on ... I found out she was seeing some guy regularly and has been for a while."

I saw a look of surprise on Paulette's face. This was news to her. I wasn't sure how to read Gerry's expression. I waited for a response.

"Are you sure that you are right about that?" Paulette asked.

"I asked her about it, and she didn't deny it. She said he was just a friend."

"Isn't it possible that was the case?" she asked again.

"I know the guy. Let's just say if she were my daughter, I'd be worried about her keeping company with him.

Now Paulette looked alarmed, and I saw a more serious expression on her husband.

"Who is he?" Gerry asked.

"A guy named Harley McDougal. He's a stock broker."

Gerry shook his head. "I don't remember Merilee mentioning anyone by that name."

Paulette was confirming his thought.

"You don't have a very high opinion of this guy, do you," Paulette said.

"No. He's a player. I don't want to see Merilee hurt."

Gerry had pulled a leather covered note pad from his pocket and wrote something in it.

"I'll have him checked out," Gerry said, putting his note pad away.

There was an awkward pause for a few moments while I waited for what might be coming next. It was Gerry who spoke first.

"We asked you here today because we knew something had happened between you and our daughter. We didn't know what it was, but she wasn't going out with you and wasn't talking to us about it. Before your conversation with her, she was often taking about what you two did together, or how much she liked being around you. Both her mother and I were pleased. I have a lot of respect and confidence in you, Dieter. If my daughter was going to have a boyfriend, I wanted him to be someone like you."

That was another, smaller surprise. I knew we got along fine, but I didn't think they thought about me that way.

"That's very nice of you to say so," I said. "I have to confess, I thought Merilee was slumming hanging out with me. You and Mrs. Jenkins are pretty high class people, and I'm just a working guy. I didn't expect it to last."

The two of them had the damndest expressions on their face before Paulette burst out laughing. I thought she was going to split a gut before she got control of herself. Gerry was sitting there with a huge grin on his face, shaking his head back and forth.

"Man ... have you got the wrong number," Gerry laughed.

I couldn't figure out what the hell was going on, so I just shut up and sat there until one of them explained.

"Dieter," Paulette began, now with a more serious tone. "Gerry and I are from the same background as you are. We aren't 'high society' at all. Gerry had to quit college in his first year when his father died unexpectedly. His mother didn't have a job and the insurance wasn't going to last very long. He went to work as a used car salesman, and worked his way up.

"I'm his one and only girlfriend. We've been married twenty-five years this year. That's right, Merilee was an accident. A wonderful accident, not intended. We had been going together for four years, planning to get married when Gerry got on with the new car dealership. Merilee just speeded up the timetable. So, you can see, we're nothing special, just plain folks. Merilee is definitely not beyond your reach."

Wow, that was a surprise. I had them figured for upper crust, but they got started just like Pop and I did. Maybe that's why we liked each other. Nobody was putting on airs. 

Things calmed down and we ordered lunch. It was really nice ... much better than my usual bagged sandwich and carton of milk. When it was done and we had turned down the dessert offer, I decided to see what might come next.

"I really like Merilee, and normally I wouldn't be worried about maybe her seeing some friend if that what he really was. But this was different. She didn't want to tell me about him. I don't know if she knows what kind of guy Harley is, but even if we aren't together, I don't want to see her hurt by him."

Paulette's head was nodding in agreement. "I knew you'd feel that way, Dieter. We didn't know what had happened, but I was pretty sure it would be something that Merilee did. She's not just naive, but a little selfish too. Perhaps we haven't been as firm with her as we should have been. That wouldn't be a first," she said sadly.

I guess my face showed the question on my tongue.

"Our youngest son, Calvin, has been quite a handful," Gerry said sadly. "He was headed down the wrong path. Got in with the wrong people. Seventeen year-olds shouldn't have twenty-one year old girlfriends. They shouldn't be smoking pot or skipping school either. We tried to handle it ourselves, but we didn't succeed. So it was off to a special school that would instill some discipline in him and make him understand that he had to take responsibility for what he did."

I nodded my understanding. There wasn't much to say. They had to hope that the school would straighten him out in time. 

"I hope that works. How is he making out so far?" I asked.

"So far, so good," Paulette replied. "He's changed. When he came home at Christmas, he was calling us sir and ma'am. He said it was supposed to be a sign of respect. I guess time will tell if it's a permanent change."

"Your other son, Ralph ... how's he doing?"

"Fine," Gerry responded quickly. "He's always been the studious one. Always got good grades. He'll be okay," he smiled.

"So, I guess that leaves us with Merilee," I said. "I don't know what to do about her."

"Can I suggest something?" Paulette asked. "Why don't you talk to her? Both of you have had some time to cool off. Maybe she can explain ... or at least apologize. I understand why you're unhappy, but I hope you give her another chance. I'd hate to see her choose this Harley guy over you. We might have another Calvin on our hands, except the consequences could be a lot worse."

I didn't have the power in me to say no to Merilee's mother. "Okay, I can do that. I'll call her tomorrow and see if we can get together for a talk. I don't want to see her hurt either, no matter if we're together or not."

"Thank you, Dieter," Paulette said sincerely. Gerry was showing a grim smile, but was nodding his agreement. 

I headed back to the office since it was Friday afternoon. I would check in with Marla to make sure everything got out on time for the weekend. Some of our customers were open Saturdays, so we didn't want to let them down. We also had an emergency hot line that either me or Dad or Freddie would answer. If a customer really needed something, one of us would make sure they got it.

"Hey, Marla. Everything okay?"

"Yeah. No problems. Say, don't you look nice today. Going out somewhere?"

"Been out. Had lunch with Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins at their club."

"Burnside?" she asked, wide-eyed.

"Yep. Nice place. Good food."

"Wow ... and you had a talk with them?"

"Yeah ... about Merilee as you can guess. I agreed to have a talk with her tomorrow. Maybe we can get past this."

"I hope so, Dieter. I think she's a nice kid, but who's to say she isn't a little screwed up. Sometimes it's like that with these rich kids."

I thought about telling Marla what the Jenkins' had told me about their family, but decided to hold back for now. I wanted some time to think about what I would say to Merilee tomorrow, assuming she'd meet with me. I'd had a couple of weeks to forget about what happened, but I hadn't. She was on my mind almost all the time. I didn't think she'd have that effect on me, but it looked like I was wrong.

Chapter 5 Paddling Upstream

"Okay, Dieter. We can meet at the park. We can talk there. I'll meet you at two o'clock by the bandstand," Merilee said, sounding like it was no big deal.

When I hung up, I wondered how the conversation might go. She hadn't given me any clue when we talked on the phone, so I didn't know if she even wanted to see me at all. At least she agreed to talk, but she sure didn't sound very excited about it. Now ... I had to figure out what to say.

It was drizzling rain on Saturday afternoon. I parked the truck and wandered toward the bandstand. As I got closer, I saw Merilee sitting on one of the benches in the covered area. She was wearing a raincoat and sitting quietly, not looking at me, just staring at something ... or nothing. I walked up the steps to the platform and moved slowly toward her.

"Hi, Merilee," I said quietly. There was no one else around. We had the place to ourselves.

"Hi, Dieter," she said calmly, looking at me. She wasn't smiling.

I sat near her, but not next to her. I wanted to see her face. Maybe get a hint of how she was feeling. What she might be thinking.

I wasn't sure how to start. I had rehearsed a bunch of things I wanted to say, but they all seemed to vanish from my head when I looked at her.




The Brass Ring Ch. 04-05



"I'm sorry," she said finally, looking at me.

I nodded. I didn't need to add anything to that. I was pretty sure she was apologizing for not being straight with me.

"It's not like we were going steady, or anything," I managed.

"I know ... but you asked me that first time I met you if I had a boyfriend and I said no. I didn't want to discourage you."

"How long have you been seeing Harley?"

"A month. Not long. I guess I got caught up in how nice and ... successful he was. I didn't think he was the one ... at least ... I didn't think he was serious. Guess I should have been smarter."

"You still seeing him?"

"No," she said, looking at me. "It's over." The expression on her face looked ... what ... hopeful? 

"So what to do want to happen now?"

"Do you still want to go out with me?"

This was starting to sound like two high school kids trying to work out who was dating who. What the hell. I was thirty and she was twenty five. Surely to Christ we'd gotten past this by now.

"Look, Merilee ... you're a really nice gi ... woman. I mean you're beautiful and everything, but you've got to make up your mind what you want. We're both adults, not kids. This isn't some game we're playing. This is about real life. Just so you know ... I don't share. I'm a one woman guy and I expect my lady to be a one man woman. Simple as hell when you think about it."

She nodded.

"Why don't you take some time to decide?" I suggested. "I'm in no rush. Just think about what's important to you and let me know. I'll be around," I said, getting up.

I looked at her as she sat there, still looking like she was unhappy, or maybe confused. I couldn't tell which. I was kind of hoping she would have jumped off her seat and grabbed me and told me I was the guy since Harley was history. That didn't happen. I turned, walked down the steps and over to my truck. When I looked back from the cab, I could see she was still sitting there, not looking at me, just staring off somewhere else.

When I got back to my place, I walked upstairs and went inside. I grabbed a beer and some potato chips and turned on the TV. Pop and Marla were out, so I was alone, and I was feeling alone. I don't know what I expected to happen this afternoon, but I left knowing nothing more than when I had arrived. I had a hunch I'd seen and heard the last of Merilee, and that didn't leave me with a good feeling. The baseball game was boring and at some point I drifted off to sleep, my beer only half gone. I don't know how long I was out for, but it came to a quick end when my phone rang. It was right next to me on the table, so I jumped pretty good when it went off.

"Hello," I said, pretty sure I sounded groggy.

"Duke? Is that you, Duke?"

It was a female voice and it sounded a bit familiar, but I couldn't place it.

"Yeah, that's me. Who's this?"

"Joanna Milliken, Duke. I used to be Joanna Hansen. Remember me?"

"Yeah ... sure I do, Joanna. How are you?" I asked. I was wide awake now.

"I'm fine, Duke. I'm back in town again. Moved back a few weeks ago. I've been meaning to call you, but I didn't know if you were still around. When I saw the big building on the south side, I figured that might be you or your family. I should have looked you up in the phone book, but to tell the truth, I wasn't sure if you'd want to talk to me."

"Hey, Joanna, you know me better than that. I'm glad you called. We should get together and find out what's been going your world. Unless ... maybe ... your husband would mind," I added as an afterthought.

"I'm not married ... any more. So, no problem. I'd like to see you. It would be good to talk about stuff, unless you have a wife ... or something."

Both of us were dancing around and not really learning much more than we were both single and we wanted to see each other.

"Listen, Joanna, it's Saturday and I'm not doin' anything with anyone. Why don't we get together for dinner? I know a nice, quiet place we can go and get caught up. How does that sound?"

"Okay. Are you sure, Duke?"

"Yeah, JoJo," I chuckled. "I'm sure." One nickname deserved another, I figured.

"You haven't forgotten," she said, sounding surprised.

"Naw. A guy never forgets his first girlfriend. Especially one as good lookin' as you. How about I pick you up at six-thirty? Does Italian food sound okay?"

"That sounds fine. I'll give you my address," she said, and read off the number and name of the street. It wasn't that far from my place, so it wouldn't take me long to get there. She also gave me her phone number in case anything unexpected came up.

After we hung up, I sat there for a few minutes, just thinking. It had been almost twelve years since I'd seen JoJo. I wondered what she looked like. We were the same age, and I figured she couldn't have changed that much. She'd got married, but it wasn't to the jock that stole her from me. His last name was Asshole.

I phoned Luciano's and made a reservation for seven o'clock. Then I went and picked out some clothes to wear, shaved again, and brushed my teeth. I was anxious to see what my first girlfriend looked like after all this time. It didn't matter. Even if she'd ballooned up to 200 pounds, I was still interested. I wondered if she had kids.

I don't know where Pop and Marla got to that afternoon, but they still weren't home when I was leaving to pick up JoJo. I decided to take the 'vette even though it was still raining a bit. Might as well try and impress her with my success when I had the chance. Maybe she'll see what she'd missed.

I arrived at the address just after six-thirty and noticed it was a townhouse in a row of a dozen, all looking the same. Not too old, and not too plain. They looked pretty nice, actually. I rang the bell and immediately heard footsteps pounding to the door. It was flung open and I was looking at two tow-heads, both about the same age I figured.

"Hi ... are you a real Duke?" one of them asked, immediately guessing who I was.

I laughed. "Nope. That's just my nickname. What's your name?"

"I'm Mike, and this is my brother Tony. Mom's still getting her clothes on. Come on in," he said like he did this every day.

"Are you guys twins?" I asked, thinking it was possible.

"No way!" Tony shouted. "I'm seven and my brother is almost nine. I'm big for my age."

"You wait," I said. "Mike will start to grow again and you'll have to catch up." 

"That's what Mom says," Mike agreed.

"Drink lots of milk and eat all your vegetables and it'll happen," I assured them.

That brought a groan from both of them.

There was a knock on the door and Tony ran to open it. It was a teenage girl, obviously the babysitter. 

"Hi Wendy. Come on in. Mom's boyfriend is here. His name is Duke," he said pointing to me.

"Hello, Wendy," I said. "I'm Dieter Hunsinger."

"Hi," she answered shyly. "Wendy Simpson."

At that moment, Joanna made her appearance and I guess I just stood there with my mouth open, sucking wind. It took me a moment, but I did manage to say something.

"Jeez, Joanna, you look fantastic," I gasped. She did too. The years had not only been kind to her, they had added to what I always thought was the prettiest girl in school. But this was no girl. She was all woman now, and it showed. It showed everywhere. She was wearing a shiny blue dress that didn't hide a single curve on her body, and there were plenty of curves.

"You look very handsome too, Duke. Do you still go by that nickname?"

"Naw ... not so much. I've learned to live with Dieter," I grinned.

"Nobody but you remembers me being JoJo. I lost the second 'Jo' somewhere along the way, so most people call me Jo now."

"I'll try to remember that," I promised. 

Joanna gave Wendy the usual instructions about bedtime and her cell phone number and we left after saying good night to the boys.

"Nice young boys, Jo," I said. "You must be pretty proud of them." 

"They are good kids, Dieter. They've gone through a lot in the last couple of years and come out without too many scars."

"Divorce?" I asked

She nodded. "Unfortunate ... but necessary."

When we got my car, she stopped. "Oh, this is nice. I've always wanted to ride in a Corvette. Is it a '61 or '62?" she asked.

That stopped me dead. "You know, there isn't one woman in a thousand that would know to ask that question. Have a look at the front fender."

"A 327! Wow, a '62! Fuel injection?" she asked, wide eyed. 

"You bet. Now you're going to have to explain just how you know all that. The last time I saw you, you didn't know a Hummer from a Hudson."

She laughed. "Things change, Dieter. I guess we've both learned a lot in the last twelve years."

I helped her into the car, then drove to the restaurant. We'd be a couple of minutes early for our reservation, but I didn't mind sitting in the lounge if there wasn't a table ready. It would give us another chance to talk.

As it turned out, we had to wait about twenty minutes for our table, but that gave us some time for a glass of wine (both of us preferred red) and more conversation.

"Tell me about you and your family business," she said as we relaxed in the lounge.

"I worked for another company in the auto parts business for a couple of years, but they were hopeless. I knew I could do better if I got the chance, so ... like the saying goes ... you gotta take a chance to have a chance."

"By the look of that building, you've done really well," she said.

"Yeah ... well ... I've got the old man to thank for that. He's the guy that makes it work. I'm better at looking after the customers and finding new things to sell. We've grown like crazy in the last ten years. It's been a real good business and it's still growing."

"That's great. I'm so happy for you, Dieter. I love your car, too," she grinned.

"Yeah ... me too. Anyway, that's one of the nice things I can afford because the business is doing good."

"No girl friend yet?"

"Yes and no. I've had a couple, you know. Do you remember Patricia Peppar?"

"That weird goth girl?"

"Yeah. That's her," I chuckled. "We were going together for a while, but broke up. She wasn't right for me, but it took me a while to figure it out."

"That's a surprise ... I mean hanging out with Peppermint Pattie. I can't picture you two together," she giggled.

"It's true. I almost asked her to marry me."

"You're kidding! Oh, Dieter, you can do way better than that."

"Yeah, I know. I figured that out too."

"So ... who else?"

"Oh ... I thought maybe a girl named Merilee Jenkins and I might be able to get together, but that's still undecided."

"How so?" 

"She wasn't straight with me. She was seeing another guy when she was saying she was interested in me."

She seemed to choke a bit when I said that. "A little bit like I did, huh."

"No ... not really Jo. She said she didn't have a boyfriend, then I found out she was going out with this sleezeball. At least you were upfront about it."

"I wonder if Jake Demeter would like to know he's thought of as a sleezeball," she laughed.

"No ... no ... you've got it wrong. Jake was an asshole, not a sleezeball."

She threw her head back and laughed.

"Well ... you had him pegged all right, Dieter. He was an asshole. It took me a while to find out that I made a bad trade. Big learning experience for me," she said with a hint of regret.

"We were pretty young, Jo. Both of us eighteen and definitely not ready for a lifetime commitment. Like you said ... a learning experience."

"Well ... I didn't learn enough, I guess. The guy I married, Ted Milliken, was a really nice guy. I really did love him, but his mother was always interfering. She thought I wasn't good enough for her son. She was always criticizing my cooking, my housekeeping, how I was bringing the boys up. 

"After a while, I couldn't take it any more. I told Ted that as much as I loved him, he had to decide; his mother or me. I should have been smart enough to know that he would choose his mother. So, reluctantly, I filed for divorce."

"How long were you married?" I asked.

"Nine years."

"Wow ... you must have a thick hide to take that kind of abuse for nine years."

"I kept telling myself that she would mellow after a while. That she would see that I loved her son as much as she did. She never did. After a while, I just gave up. I hated to do it, but I moved back here so I wouldn't have to see her. It's hard on Ted. It takes him almost all day to drive here, and he can only come once or twice a month. But I don't want the boys to forget him either. He's their father."

"That's tough, Jo. I hope things get better for you now that you're back here," I said.

She looked at me with a slight smile. "They already have."

The waitress came at that moment and led us to our table in the dining room. Luciano's was a converted old hotel with four different areas for dining. I think that was the main reason it wasn't so noisy, considering the place was packed as usual on a Saturday night.

We ordered an appetizer and continued catching up with each other's lives.

"So how do you keep a roof over your head, Jo?"

"Ted has been very generous with alimony and child support. I think his mother is just glad to get rid of me, but is upset that I took the boys. Anyway she's loaded, so I don't think there are any money problems in that family. I also have a job, so I'm in pretty good shape financially."

"That's good. That has to take some pressure off. What do you do ... your job I mean?"

"I catalogue information for an international auction house. I receive descriptions of items to be put up for sale, and load them into their database. Then I send the information to dealers, collectors, and even other auction houses. It's really interesting work. You'd be amazed at some of the items that come across my desk."

"Do they have an office in town?"

"No. I work from home. It's great ... I can be there for Mike and Tony to send them off to school and when they come home. It couldn't be better. The pay's not fabulous, but with my other income, it's good enough."

"Your townhouse looks pretty nice," I said.

"It is. Three bedrooms, so the boys each have a room. I'm happy with it."

The waitress arrived with our appetizer and took our meal order at the same time.

"So ... tell me how you know about '62 Corvettes," I challenged.

She laughed. "I cheated. I saw you a few days ago at the shopping plaza. You had the top down, so that's how I recognized it was you. I took a couple of pictures with my cell phone and sent them to the guy who does the automotive appraisals at our firm. He gave me the information."

"Very clever," I said with a grin. "So you aren't a car expert after all."

"Nope. Sorry. I just thought it might be fun to surprise you. I guess it worked," she smiled.

"Sure did."

The dinners arrived and that put an end to any real discussion we were having for a while. Both of us had ordered the house special, Veal Marsala. I knew I'd eat it all, even though it was a full plate. What surprised me was that Joanna ate everything as well. I guess I had chosen the right restaurant, because she made a point of saying how much she enjoyed the meal. For my part, I was enjoying the scenery and the conversation as well as the food.

I drove her back to her townhouse just before ten o'clock. We had passed on the dessert, and talked some more over a couple of coffees. I was really excited about how we were doing together. It was like the twelve years hadn't really happened. She always was easy to talk to, and that hadn't changed. I was hoping there would be a second date. Hell ... I was hoping there'd be a dozen dates.

We sat in the car for a couple of minutes, just finishing a conversation when she leaned toward me and gave me a kiss. Not a tongue swapper, but a nice, soft kiss on the lips. She smelled amazing. Whatever perfume she used, I wanted to get her a large bottle to tell her how much I liked it. We looked at each other after the kiss, and then we moved in for a second, both of us at the same time. It was just as nice as the first one ... maybe even better.

I walked her to the front door after promising I would phone her during the week to talk about getting together again. She said that would be fine, so I automatically assumed there would be a second date. That jacked me up like nothing else could. 

As I drove home, my mind was going ninety miles-an-hour. This had all come right out of the blue. I had only just had a downer of a conversation with Merilee when Joanna called me. Talk about pulling me out of a bad mood. And she looked fabulous. I don't think I'd ever used that word before, but it was exactly the right word for her. I couldn't stop thinking about her; how great she looked and how quickly we reconnected.

I lay in bed thinking about what had happened in the last few hours. I knew already that I wanted to see more of Joanna. A lot more. I got the impression she felt the same way. We were both free of any problems that might hold us back. I also knew I would have to include the boys in any of my plans. If there was going to be a future for us, it had to include them. A ready-made family was a thought floating around as I finally fell asleep.

Sunday morning I was expected to have breakfast with Marla and Pop. It had started out as a once in while thing, but soon became a regular. Marla was a good cook, always coming up with something tasty for the three of us. Today it was an omelet, with peppers, mushrooms, onions, and cheese. It was great. Lots of toast and some fresh fruit to go with it. Naturally, the coffee pot would be full.

"Well, Dieter, are you going to tell us about your date last night?" Marla sprang on me as I finished my plate.

"How did you know I had a date?" I asked.

"Well, if you'd had eyes for anyone other than the hot babe you were having dinner with last night, you'd have seen your father and me when we walked by your table," she smirked.

"I didn't know you were there. I was with Joanna Milliken. Pop, you would remember Joanna Hansen. That was her," I explained.

"Jeez, kid, she never looked like that when you were goin' out with her. No wonder you didn't see us," he said with a look of surprised admiration.

"Yeah. She's back in town. Divorced with two kids. Lives over in the Wildwood district. Has a townhouse and a home-based job. Something to do with a big auction house."

"We thought about stopping to say hello," Marla said, "but I don't think you'd have heard us. You were making goo-goo eyes at her when we walked by."

"Yeah ... well ... she's changed a lot since I last saw her. It's been twelve years."

"So ... I guess the talk with Merilee didn't go so well," she said carefully.

I shook my head. "She doesn't know what she wants. I told her to make up her mind and let me know, but right now, I don't think we're going anywhere. She's not as mature as I thought she was."

"Too bad. I thought she was a nice kid. She certainly seemed to like you," Marla said.

"Yeah ... well ... just goes to show you can never tell. I couldn't believe it when Joanna called me yesterday afternoon. It was like she knew exactly when she should let me know she was back in town and wanted to get together."

"Maybe she did," Marla suggested, her back turned to me as she rinsed some dishes. I couldn't see the expression on her face, but I'd come to recognize when she was trying to tell me something.

"You be careful, Dieter," Marla warned. "I saw the look on that woman's face and it was a hungry one, and I don't mean for Italian food. Didn't you tell me that she dumped you to go with some other guy back then?"

"Yeah ... but that was a long time ago. We were just kids, Marla. People change. I know she has."

"Just the same, you be careful," she continued. "I don't want to see you hurt again. You need a woman you can rely on. One that's going to be around for a lifetime, if you're lucky."




The Brass Ring Ch. 04-05



"You listen to Marla, Son. She's got a nose for this kind of thing. I don't want to see you hurt either. Both of us have had enough of that. Things are goin' good for us. I hope she's not some gold-digger that just wants into your pockets as well as your pants."

"Okay, you two. I'll be careful, but I think you're over-reacting. Joanna's not like that. Money isn't a problem for her. She's been looked after by her ex. She's doing okay." I was getting a little peeved at the way they were digging at Joanna. They didn't even know her.

To be continued

Editing by ErikThread and DaveT with my thanks for their thoroughness and helpful suggestions. Any errors are mine.



The Brass Ring Ch. 06-07



Chapter 6 Another Bump in the Road

Joanna and I started dating the following weekend. I phoned her on Wednesday and suggested we take the boys to the zoo on Saturday, then a stop at a kid-friendly restaurant. She was quick to agree. In the back of my mind, I was trying to guess when I'd have my first chance to get Jo into my bed. First things first. I wanted her to trust me and to know that the boys were just as important to me as they were to her.

I got a surprise later that week after my first date with Jo. Merilee called.

"Hi, Dieter," she said in a very uncertain voice.

"Hi, Merilee. How are you?" I wanted to be polite, no matter what.

"I'm okay, I guess. I'm sorry I haven't called you before. I've had a bad couple of weeks."

"Oh ... what happened." I was interested.

"My dad got a report on Harley and gave it to me. He wasn't the big success he made himself out to be. Turns out he was married with a son, but his wife divorced him. He was way behind on alimony and child support. On top of that, his credit was no good. I guess I should have been more careful." She sounded very defeated.

A thought crossed my mind. "Did you lend him any money?"

"Not much. Five hundred dollars. Stupid, huh?"

"Yeah ... well ... you can kiss that five hundred goodbye. I suppose he's taken off for parts unknown," I guessed.

"I don't know. I'm not seeing him any more, not since before we talked. I feel like such a fool. I had a good thing with you and I ruined it."

I didn't have a come-back for that. I don't know what would have happened if Joanna hadn't shown up. Then again, I don't know what would have happened if I was still going with Merilee when she did show up. Probably just as well I didn't have to worry about that.

"Dieter?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah ... I know. Me too."

"Can we still be friends?"

"Yeah ... sure. We can still be friends."

"I know I'd like it to be more than that, but ...."

"Merilee ... you want to think about what happened and why. You want to know if it could happen again."

"I understand. Thank you for talking to me. I'll probably see you around. Take care," she said, still with a timid, quiet voice I didn't recognize.

After I hung up, I thought about her. I thought about her a lot. If only she hadn't gone behind my back with that creep, Harley, everything might have been different. But she did, and now Joanna was back in my life ... or so I hoped. Every cloud has a silver lining, as Marla would say.

The Saturday at the zoo was a big success. I was planning to take the crew cab and had it all cleaned out and washed, even though it wasn't really dirty. Turned out I didn't need it. Joanna volunteered to take her car since the booster seats were already installed in it. I would drive. I was surprised to see it was a nearly new Camry. Ted must have been generous with this too. 

Both Tony and Mike loved the zoo, and to tell the truth, so did I. Mind you, I was walking hand-in-hand with Jo most of the time, so that gave me a lift all by itself. We were bumping shoulders as we strolled along, and occasionally, I'd get a nice soft breast pressed into my arm as she leaned over to look at something. I don't believe in accidents, so naturally the "little head" was taking notice of all this.

The restaurant was noisy as you would expect, but the kids were having fun before, during, and after their meal. I was pretty sure they'd be worn out early this evening. We'd done a lot of walking that afternoon. Jo and I sat beside each other on the plastic chairs at the low table. This place was designed for kids, and parents were just there to pay the bill. I didn't mind. The kids were happy, Jo was happy, and of course, I was too.

As I predicted, when we got the boys home that evening, they were wiped. It didn't take any convincing for them to have their baths and head for bed. Jo invited me in, and I sat in the living room and waited for Jo's return. Both boys came out in their PJ's and said thank you for the nice day, then headed off to their beds.

Jo was right behind them to make sure they were tucked in and the lights were out. It was one of those domestic scenes you see on TV or in the movies, but it was a first for me. It felt good. This was the kind of life I could handle if I had the chance. 

Jo came back to the living room and flopped down beside me.

"Thanks, Dieter. That was a lovely day. The boys loved it."

"Yeah. It was great. It got me to thinking this was the kind of life I'd like to have some day."

She turned toward me and her hand went to my cheek and she pulled me in for a kiss.

"I've been wanting to do that all day," she said softly.

"Me too. I've got a real good feeling about us, Jo. I know it's early ... but ...."

I didn't get to finish the thought. She pulled me back for another other her kisses, and this time there was tongue and action. She moved and the next thing I knew she was straddling me, her arms wrapped around my neck. I wasn't going anywhere, but then, I didn't want to. This was just fine with me.

I could feel her rubbing her boobs over my chest and we kissed and I kind of knew where we were going from here. It was her decision to make and I would just follow her lead. It wasn't long before she took my hand and led me up to her bedroom, closing the door behind me. I think we both thought the boys would be fast asleep by now.

I wasn't in any rush to undress her. I wanted to see her amazing body revealed bit by bit. Jo seemed a bit more aggressive in getting me undressed. I had my shirt off and my pants around my ankles in no time at all. In the meantime, Joanna had my cock in her hand after reaching through the fly on my boxers. I just kept on doing what I was doing. First her shirt, then her bra. My god, that woman had a set.

I spend some time worshiping her tits while she stroked my cock. After a while, I popped the button on her skirt and let it fall. She was wearing a tiny pair of panties, hardly bigger than a thong. I got the impression she planned this all out before I ever picked her up today.

After some clumsy fumbling with my pants, boxers, and socks, I was finally naked. Jo was laying back on the bed, watching me, her eyes half closed. I wouldn't have been surprised to see steam coming off her. I slipped the panties down and off her before spreading her legs. I wanted to start with a little oral play and she was all for it.

As I probably mentioned, Jo wasn't the slim high school girl I used to screw all those years ago. She was now a much bigger, sexier woman. I guess she was late developing because I still had pretty good memories of when we had sex back then and I could make a decent comparison. It was mostly in the boobs, the hips, and the ass that I could see the difference. I suppose some of it was due to childbirth, but not all of it. Anyway, she looked like a sex goddess, and at this particular moment she was my sex goddess.

It was a little before 1 am when I dragged myself out of the townhouse and headed home. It wasn't that late, but in the four hours that we had been in her bed, we did it all. I guess we were both making up for lost time. I hadn't had sex for a couple of months, and I'm sure Jo hadn't for longer than that. I wouldn't have any trouble getting to sleep tonight, and I was betting I would have some pretty interesting dreams.

When I forced myself out of bed on Sunday morning, I was feeling stiff. I don't drink much, and I'm in decent shape, but last night's action left my stomach and groin muscles pretty sore. I had nothing but good memories of my time with Joanna. If I could make it happen, she was going to be mine. Yeah, I know, she was sexy as hell, but that wasn't all. She and I seemed to be thinking the same things. It was like we were meant to be together. I was already planning our future life.

The next weekend, I brought Joanna and the boys over to meet Marla and Pop. Yeah, maybe I was jumping the gun, but I wanted them to know I was serious about her and as far as I could tell, she was serious about me. At least, I wasn't getting any negative signs.

"Marla, Pop, I'd like you to meet Joanna, Mike and Tony Milliken. Jo, this is my father who you might remember, and my step-mother Marla."

There were "Hellos" all around and then silence. I don't think any of us knew what to say. At last, I found my tongue.

"We were on our way out to the park for a picnic and I thought we'd stop in and say hello," I managed.

"Nice to meet you all," Marla said with a nice smile. "Dieter has told us a lot about you and your sons."

"Thanks," Joanna replied. "He has a lot of nice things to say about you, too."

"You've changed a lot since the last time I saw you," Pop said, his eyes fixed on Jo.

"Yes ... I know ... I could lose a few pounds but I'll never be that size again," Jo said.

"Don't bother on my account," the old man laughed.

"Helmut," Marla warned. "Behave."

"That's all right Mrs. Hunsinger. I'm used to it," Jo said.

"Call me Marla, Joanna. Everyone does."

We exchanged a little more small talk before I suggested we head off to the park. That met with immediate approval from the boys. We said our goodbyes and went out to Joanna's car.

"That was awkward," Jo said. "They weren't expecting us."

"I just thought it would be good to drop in and say hello. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you," I said.

"No ... no need to apologize. I guess I need to learn to be more comfortable around them. Your dad has changed a lot, though. He seems much more friendly now."

"That's Marla's doing. She's made all the difference in the world to Pop."

"I'm glad for you, Dieter. But I don't think Marla is quite certain about me."

"Why do you think that?"

"I don't know. Maybe her eyes ... the way she looks at me."

"Don't worry about it, Jo. Marla is my mom in more ways than just being a step-mom. She really cares about me and that's maybe why she seems a bit careful with new people."

"Okay ... I may be wrong," she said. "I wouldn't want anything to spoil what we have."

We'd been talking in a low voice and the boys didn't seem to be paying any attention to us, so it wasn't a problem.

Everything about Jo was positive when it came to the two of us. I was pretty sure she felt the same way as I did. We were getting back together again and this time it was going to be permanent. At least ... that's what I was telling myself.

We let the boys wear themselves out again before we headed for home. We picked up a big bucket of fried chicken and coleslaw for our dinner and took it to the townhouse. Once again, the boys had their baths, came in to thank me for the nice time, and headed off to bed.

Joanna and I spent some time necking on the couch before we figured the boys were out for the night, and then headed to her bedroom for our own playtime. It was a repeat of the first night we had been together. The sex was great and Jo made sure I knew what she wanted and gave me plenty of evidence that I was doing okay. She wasn't noisy, but she was very expressive, especially with her body. I was pretty sure I would have the same sore muscles as I had the week before.

That kind of set the pattern for the summer. We would go out on Saturday with the boys, finding something to do during the day, then go back to the townhouse for dinner. After they were in bed, Jo and I would have our private time together. 

I was happy with that, but wished it could be more. She wouldn't or didn't go out on Sunday, saying she needed to catch up on housework. Weekdays were school nights for the boys and she didn't want to upset their routine. So I was having to settle for Saturdays. It was great, but I was hoping for more.

During that three months I became curious about Ted. Supposedly, he visited the boys once a month, but I never saw any evidence of him and Jo and the boys never mentioned him.

"Jo, I thought Ted was visiting Mike and Tony once a month. I haven't seen him," I said one Saturday evening in July.

She looked a bit startled before she answered.

"No ... he comes during the week. It's more convenient for him. I didn't think you'd want to run into him anyway," she managed.

I decided not to push the matter any further. It was strange though.

Another thing was happening off and on during the summer as well. I would run into or see Merilee now and then. It might be a shopping mall, or at the bank, or maybe when I stopped into see the guys at Jenkins Mercedes. She would just happen to be around and maybe smile as she saw me, or even said "hello" once or twice. That seemed different considering I hadn't noticed her before.

It was near the end of August when I finally worked up the courage to talk to Joanna about our future.

"Jo, you have to know how I feel about you. I'm in love with you and I'm hoping you're in love with me too."

She was squirming a bit, not looking very comfortable.

"I know, Dieter," she said softly. "You're a very nice man ... and ... I do care for you very much. But ... I'm still getting over the divorce. Ted and I were very close. It wasn't something I wanted ... it was something I had to do. Please give me some time. I hope you understand." 

"Very nice man? That's all?" I asked, disappointed.

"Please, Dieter. Don't push too hard. This is a very difficult time for me ... and the boys."

"The boys seem to be getting along fine," I said, not quite buying her argument. "I think they've come to accept me without any problem. I think they're great ... you know I do."

"Yes ... I know. You are wonderful with them. I really appreciate that too. It takes so much pressure off me."

I sat there for a while, saying nothing. I was caught in a trap. I wanted more from Joanna, but if I pushed her too hard I might lose her. I couldn't handle that. I let out a bit sigh, knowing what I'd have to accept.

"Okay, Jo. I won't put any more pressure on you. I promise. You know how I feel about you. Someday, I'd like to know how you feel about me. I want to marry you and even adopt the boys if you'd let me. That's how strongly I feel about them. But I'll wait for you to decide. I've waited this long, I guess a bit longer won't make much difference."

She looked at me and nodded, a very faint smile as my reward. She didn't look happy and I wondered what I could do to change that.

We went along with our once-a-week outings and lovemaking into the fall. The boys were both in school and apparently doing fine. I never saw any hint that they were unhappy or confused about my being there. It made me wonder again about Ted and his whereabouts. She never told me where he lived, just that it was a day's drive from here.

It was the end of November when everything changed, and not for the better. We had been out for the day on Saturday as usual, taking in a matinee at the theatre complex. It was an animated feature suitable for kids, and they enjoyed it, reciting some of the scenes as we headed home in Jo's car. 

We weren't buying take-out food or stopping at restaurants as much any more. Jo and I would make a proper dinner for the four of us and anything else was a special treat. We'd finished the meal, done the dishes, and were playing a game of Junior Monopoly for an hour or so until it was time for the boys' bath. 

As usual, they said goodnight to me, then marched off to bed. They were great kids and I looked forward to the day when I could call them mine. Jo came back to the living room and sat beside me, but not as close as usual. I could see a frown on her face and I knew something was bothering her.

"What's up, Babe? You feeling all right?"

She turned to me and I could see the beginnings of tears in her eyes. I had a feeling this wasn't going to be good. I could feel my stomach muscles tighten, waiting for what was to come.

"Dieter ... I don't know how to tell you this ... but ... but I'm going back to Ted."

I felt like I'd been sucker-punched right in the guts. It was something I never imagined would happen. Why? Why now? I struggled to get her to explain, but I was having a hell of a time just forcing myself just to say something.

"I don't understand. You're divorced. We've been together for months. I don't get it," I finally was able to get out.

"I have a confession, Dieter. Please don't hate me when I tell you, but I owe you the truth. I never divorced Ted. I never intended to unless things were never going to get better."

"You're still married?" I was dizzy with what was happening. "Why did you lie to me? Why?"

"I like you Dieter, and know you well enough that you wouldn't want to be with a married woman. I needed someone ... someone to hold and be with. I couldn't live alone forever."

"You used me? That's all I was ... a fuck buddy?"

"No ... no, Dieter. Please, it wasn't like that. I cared about you, and you cared about me and the boys. That was so important. No ... we were more than just ... sex. Much more."

"So ... how many other lies did you tell? Is Ted really a momma's boy? Was she really a bitch you made her out to be?"

"Yes ... that was all true. I did leave because of her. But Ted knew that. He didn't want a divorce. He wanted me to stay, but I couldn't. Not when she treated me the way she did. Ted understood that."

"Why didn't he just leave her then? I can understand that it was his mother, but Jesus, didn't his marriage count for anything?"

"You don't understand. His mother is rich ... really rich. Ted would inherit everything when she passed. If he chose me over her, she'd cut him out of her will and he'd be left with almost nothing. She thinks he's getting a divorce, but he's not. We were hoping to find another way. She was showing signs of early dementia, and maybe he could get power of attorney."

"So it was all about money, then? This whole thing was about money. Shit ... guess how that makes me feel?" I spat.

"I'm sorry, Dieter. I didn't want to hurt you. It's the last thing I wanted to do. I care for you. I'm sorry I let you get so close. I know I've wounded you. Please forgive me."

She sounded genuinely sorry for what she'd done, but it didn't change anything. I was hurt and pissed off. I didn't mind letting her know, either.

"Well thanks for that! I feel so much better now. Does Teddy-boy know you and I have been screwing for the last six months? I guess not. That would mess up your plan, wouldn't it? So how come you're going back to him now?"

She hadn't looked at me for some time. Her head was down, looking at her lap I suppose.

"His mother suffered a stroke a month ago. She was already showing signs of Alzheimer's and now she's in a nursing home. Ted was able to get the power of attorney, and we can go back to being man and wife without the misery his mother caused."

"Well, isn't that nice. All wrapped up in a tidy little bow. You get your life just the way you want it and to hell with me. I guess money talks and bullshit walks. I think I'll go now. I wouldn't want to ruin the happy mood," I snarled.

I got up, grabbed my jacket, and headed for the door. She still hadn't raised her head to look at me.

"Goodbye, Joanna," I said as I walked out the door and out of her life.

Fucked again! And by the same woman twice! You stupid asshole. What's that saying? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Yeah. That fits. What a jerk I'd become. A thirty-one-year-old jerk. No wonder I was still single. No fucking wonder.

Chapter 7 Now What?

I spent quite a bit of time over the next few days beating myself up over Joanna. How could I be so easily fooled? What was it about me that made me a sucker for a pretty face? You would think by now I'd have figured it out ... but no. I had my life all planned out. She and I would get married, adopt the boys, build a nice house, and live happily ever after. I wondered more than a few times what it was going to take to find the right woman. Maybe I was one of those guys who never would.




The Brass Ring Ch. 06-07



Marla and Pop did their damndest to cheer me up. Marla always did suspect there was something off about Joanna, but even she was surprised at what happened. 

"That's terrible," she said when I told about her going back to Ted. "It was just about the money?" She asked, as if it couldn't be true. I assured her it was.

"She always said she loved Ted, but I thought he was history. Now I find out he wasn't and I am."

Marla had her arm around me, trying to comfort me. I wasn't really in the mood for anything other than sympathy, I guess. I'd gotten past being mad. Now I was settling in to feeling sorry for myself. 

I gradually came out of my bad mood over the next few days. I had to face what had happened. There wasn't anything I could do about it, so there wasn't any point in spending all my time thinking about it. It was easier to say than do, though. I kept having visions of a naked Joanna in my arms, or in our bed as we made love. At night, those visions would come and go, keeping from getting a decent night's sleep. It would take a while before they disappeared.

I hadn't been out on my own for some time when I decided to stop in at Tricky Dick's and have a beer. It was Friday afternoon, and I didn't have anything planned for the weekend. Jo had been gone for a month now. Christmas had come and gone, and New Years was on Monday, so I had a long weekend. There were all kinds of parties planned at one place or another. A lot of my friends would be attending one or more of them. I was just as happy to be on my own.

Marla was insisting that I go with her and Pop to a New Years party at the Jenkins' home. I really didn't want to, even though I had an invitation. I was sure Merilee would be there, and I didn't need that right now. The party was Sunday night, so I had a couple of days to dream up an excuse not to go. Maybe I'd catch a cold by then.

I was slightly surprised when Brains walked in with his wife. She worked at some law office or other, while Brains was the computer boss at the school board. 

"Hey, Duke. How they hangin'?" he cracked. "You remember Sonya, don't you?"

"Sure ... nice to see you, Sonya. Happy New Year," I said, giving her a hug.

"Nice to see you too, Duke. How are you? Where's that nice lady I saw you with a while back?"

I didn't want to get into telling her or Brains about my disaster of a love life, so I sort of lied.

"Not seeing her just now." I didn't add anything to that. Sonya looked at me kind of funny, but didn't say anything. Brains didn't even notice.

We went through the usual stuff about Christmas and what we were doing for New Years. I asked them about their two kids, both now in school. Sonya had lots to tell me about them. 

Sonya had ordered a white wine while Brains had a beer. I was still nursing my first mug. I wasn't in a hurry to get drunk or anything. 

"Saw your old girlfriend Merilee the other day," Brains said out of nowhere.

"Oh," I replied, trying to act disinterested.

"Yeah. She was doing some volunteer work with the cancer people in the mall. I stopped to say hello, and she asked how you were. I said fine. I didn't tell her anything about your new girlfriend."

"Thanks. My new girlfriend is actually no longer a girlfriend. She's moved out of town, so I'm back single again." I'm not sure why I spit that out, but I couldn't seem to stop myself. Big mouth!

"Man, that's too bad. She was something else. Smoking hot!" That earned him a jab in the ribs from Sonya. 

"Gotta go now," Sonya said. "It's dinner and a movie night. My mother is watching the kids."

"Have a good time," I said, as they rose to leave.

As I watched them go, I saw once again, what my life might have been like. They were a nice, typical couple with a nice, typical family. They both worked, so there were only so many hours they could have to themselves. Brains was a smart guy, so I knew he would never take Sonya for granted. And Sonya was a fine lady, keeping a nice home while she raised two young daughters. I envied them.

I ordered the Friday night special from the kitchen, chili. Another beer would help with the hot peppers. Around nine o'clock the place was pretty full. The live band was already into their second set, and the dance floor was getting more and more crowded. People were here to have fun, and the most often heard noise was laughter. I wish I felt like laughing.

My life was like a merry-go-round, I decided. I could ride, but I wouldn't get anywhere. When I reached for the brass ring, it was always just out of reach. But still, the horse I rode went around and around. I didn't know how to get off.

As the place got more crowded, I moved to the bar to give some people my table. I could see what was going on by looking in the huge mirror behind the bar. It was decorated in old-fashioned gold trim with the name of a distillery in Scotland across the middle. Just the same, I gave me a good view of the tables and booths behind me.

Mac, the bartender, thanked me for the gesture and said the next beer was on the house. I hadn't really planned on a next beer, but I thought about it for a moment, reached into my jacket pocket and handed my keys to him.

"Don't give these back to me if I shouldn't have them," I said.

Mac grinned. "No problem, Duke."

Mac was Martin Macklin, another graduate of our high school. He was a couple of years ahead of me, but we always got along fine. He was a big guy, and could handle the dual role of bartender and bouncer if necessary. It was seldom necessary. More than once I saw him take the keys from some guy or gal who were too far gone to know enough not to drive. He was a good guy.

It wasn't long after I moved that a crowd of a half-dozen young women entered the bar, all busy yakking with each other and laughing, having a good time. They found an open booth and settled in, stealing a couple of chairs from other tables. I glanced at them and one of them was familiar. It was Teresa from Jenkins. She hadn't spotted me and I really didn't want to get involved with them, so I went back to studying the pattern on my beer mug.

Mac and I were talking back and forth when there was a lull in the action. That was getting less and less frequent as the noise level went up. The band went into their next set and conversation was hopeless after that. I was pretty sure I would be taking a cab home tonight and picking my truck up tomorrow. No big deal. No one was expecting me.

About a half hour later, Mac gave me a heads-up and I looked in the mirror to see Teresa headed my way. Damn. I wondered what she wanted.

"Hey, Duke. Whatcha doin' here all alone? I thought you had a girlfriend?"

"Nope. Just stopped in for Mac's famous chili and a couple of cold ones."

"Why don't you join us? I'm sure there's a couple of the girls would be happy to meet the famous Duke Hunsinger."

"Thanks, Teresa, but I'm fine right now. Just chilling out from a long, hard week. Beside, who said I was famous," I chuckled.

"Jeez, Duke. You blew off the boss's daughter. None of the girls could believe it. She's never gotten over it. Doesn't go out anywhere. Doesn't date. You must have really shook her up."

Now that stopped me cold. I had no idea eight months after I broke up with Merilee that she wouldn't be dating anyone. That didn't sound like her. Now, I was curious. I knew what had happened to Harley. He hadn't been seen or heard from for about the same amount of time. Maybe she was upset that he was gone. It didn't sound like it the last time I talked to her, but who knew?

"Maybe I'll stop in and say hello," I said to Teresa.

"She's gone, Duke. She's working at Jenkins Toyota in the lease and loans department. Has been for a couple of months now."

"Oh ... yeah ... I guess she did say that's what she wanted to do. Looks like she got her wish."

"Well ... one thing I'll say for her," Teresa said, "she earned it. She doesn't expect to be treated special just because she's the boss' daughter. I was real sorry when you two broke up. You'd hardly got started and it was over. You can tell me if it's none of my business, but what happened?"

I smiled at her. "No offense, Teresa, but it's none of your business."

She laughed. "Good old Duke. Always tells it like it is." 

A moment later she was walking back to her friends after giving me a kiss on the cheek and a friendly smile. I was glad we had parted as friends. She was a nice kid, but still a kid.

That little conversation got me to thinking about Merilee rather than Joanna. It was a relief to find something else to occupy my mind for a change. Jenkins Toyota was across town and I usually ended up there on Thursday afternoon. Their offices were upstairs and out of sight, so it's no surprise that I wouldn't have seen Merilee yet. 

I had a routine that I followed pretty strictly. I had all my regular customers on a sheet and slotted in times that I would call on them. After a while, they got to know that I was going to be there on a certain day, usually at a certain time. The bigger customers, like Jenkins and the other mainline dealers, were a weekly call. The smaller outlets were on a once-every-two-week schedule. Even with that, it left me some time for prospecting. I had a couple of target accounts for this next year and I would be spending my time trying to get a foot in the door.

That reminded me of the invitation to the Jenkins home on New Years Eve. Now ... maybe ... maybe I wouldn't be so quick to blow it off. Besides, they were our biggest customer and I'm sure they'd notice if I was a no-show. I needed another beer to think about this situation. Beer always made me smarter ... up to a point.

I used the washroom while Mac was calling me a cab. It would be a few minutes before it arrived. I glanced at the big clock above the bar and saw it was barely past ten. Man ... didn't I have any staying power any more? I must be getting old. 

I thanked Mac, paid the tab and left a big tip. I'd catch up to him later tomorrow morning and collect my truck. I wasn't drunk, but I knew I shouldn't drive. I guess the good news was that the hangover wouldn't be too bad in the morning. I took a couple of aspirins and drank two glasses of water before falling into bed. I don't remember much else.

I slept well for the first time in a long while. No dreams to bug me, just sleep. I was happy to wake up without a headache, but I had to piss like a racehorse. My mouth tasted like the inside of a garbage can, so the first order of the day was to brush my teeth and dose myself with mouthwash. A shave and a shower made me feel much better. I guess I didn't abuse myself too badly last night.

I wandered over to the house just after ten. I knew Pop and Marla would go out shopping and have lunch, so I could hitch a ride with them to Tricky Dick's and rescue my truck. 

"Where did you get to last night?" Pop asked.

"Stopped in at Dick's and had a couple of beers and a bowl of chili. Felt like a night out. I need to get a ride there to pick up my truck, if it's not too much trouble."

"Of course not," Marla said immediately. "Thank God you've got the smarts not to drive when you've had a few."

"Bad for business," I said. "Get my license pulled and I wouldn't be making my calls. Not good!"

Pop was nodding his head in agreement and smiling that I did the right thing. He knew me well enough that I wouldn't do anything stupid, especially if it risked the business.

"Have you decided to join us on New Years Eve?" Marla asked in a no-nonsense tone of voice.

"How can I resist your charming invitation," I grinned. 

"It's not my invitation, it's from the Jenkins, and I think it would be a big mistake not to show up," she said, making it plain just how she felt.

"Yeah ... okay, Marla. When you're right, you're right. I'll be there."

"We might as well all go together," she said.

I shrugged. "Fine with me. What time?"

"Nine o'clock is plenty early. I'm the designated driver, so you two can have a drink. Just don't get stinko on me."

Both Pop and I laughed. My old man liked his beer, but I don't ever remember him being drunk. Even when the old lady left, he kept things on the level.

Marla drove her new Buick LaCrosse to the party Sunday night. It was a dark red color and she loved it like a new baby. Leather seats and all the toys. I had to admit, it was a nice ride. Pop thought she deserved something special, so this was it. He hit a home run with this idea.

There looked like there were going to be quite a few people at the party that night. We ended up parking down the block a ways. It was cold, but not snowing or raining. We were told to dress informally, so I had a nice shirt and dress slacks that Merilee had picked out for me along with my polished leather loafers. I wondered if she would remember getting me to buy these clothes. Marla and Pop had got me a really nice leather jacket for Christmas, so naturally I wore that too. 

I gotta admit, I was a bit nervous. I wasn't worried about Gerry and Paulette, but you can guess I was wondering how it would go with Merilee that night, assuming she was there.

It was Paulette that answered the door and welcomed us. The party was going pretty good already, and with the music in the background, the noise level was getting up there. Naturally, no one was smoking. If they had to, there was a back deck off the kitchen and dining room that they could use if they could stand the cold.

Paulette showed us where to put our coats and Marla and Pop started to circulate while I just looked around a bit to see who I knew. I didn't see Merilee, but I was pretty sure she'd be around here somewhere. In the meantime, I headed for one of the two bars that had been set up and asked for a beer. I ran into several of our customers, and made sure I said hello to them, wishing them a Happy New Year as well.

I guess I'd been there about fifteen minutes before I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see Merilee standing beside me with a very big smile on her face. 

"Hi Dieter. Happy New Year. I'm so glad you came."

"Yeah ... thanks for the invite ... looks like a great party. Do your folks do this every year?"

"For the last few they have. Some of the people here are our neighbors, and some are people from business. You probably know a lot of them."

"Yeah ... I see a lot of familiar faces." That seemed to be the end of the formalities and I wondered what to say next. I stuck with the easy stuff. "You have a good Christmas?"

"Yes ... very nice. Just family. My brothers were here along with our grandparents on my father's side. Calvin and Ralph are back at school now, and my grandparents have gone home. But it was nice. We went to visit my mother's parents at Thanksgiving." 

That seemed to use up the conversation once more. This time it was Merilee that spoke.

"I like the shirt. You look very handsome tonight."

"Thanks. It was picked out for me by someone with very good taste ... in clothing."

She blushed. I wasn't sure if it was the compliment or the little add-on at the end.

"I saw you with a very attractive woman and two young boys a few weeks ago. Is she your girlfriend?"

"No. She was at the time, but not any more."

"Oh. Sorry."

"No need to apologize. How about you? Seeing anyone?" I asked, not trying to be too nosy.

"No. I haven't been in the mood since ... since ... we broke up," she stumbled. It sounded like it was still a sore spot with her.

"Now it's my turn to be sorry. I didn't mean to open old wounds."

She shook her head. "Maybe when we have some time, we can meet and talk about what happened. I feel terrible about what I did and I've never apologized properly to you."

"No need, Merilee. But if you think it will make you feel better ... sure ... we can talk."

I saw her smile immediately. I was giving her some hope I guess. I'm not sure I knew why. It would have been a lot easier to just say thanks, but no thanks. Let's face it, she was a beautiful young woman. Just as beautiful in her own way as Joanna was. I was just as big a sucker for a good-looking woman as the next guy. One thing I didn't have to worry about was her being seduced by money. That wasn't her.

Merilee got pulled away by some woman I didn't recognize to be introduced to some other women I didn't recognize. No surprise. It didn't know the neighbors, and I hadn't met many of the wives of the people in our business circle, so I shouldn't be surprised if they didn't look familiar.

Over the course of the evening, I kept an eye on Merilee. She looked great, wearing a really nice dark burgundy dress that showed off her body. It was warm in the house and she didn't have to worry about the fact that the dress was sleeveless and fairly open at the back. The front was pretty well on display too. 

"See anything you like?" came the voice over my shoulder. I had been caught staring at Merilee I guess. I turned around and showed a guilty grin to Paulette.

"You have a very beautiful daughter," I confessed.

"I have a very lonely and unhappy daughter right now," she corrected me. "She's pining over her lost Prince Charming. It seems she made a bad choice and is now regretting it."

The look on Paulette Jenkins' face was something I didn't recognize. It was a mixture of sadness and what? Disappointment? Frustration? To me, she was almost as irresistible as her daughter. If Paulette was the future for Merilee, the daughter would be just as attractive in twenty-five years as she was today. I was beginning to wonder if I had been too hasty. Or ... maybe I was just feeling a little desperate after the shock of Joanna's leaving.

"We've agreed to get together and talk. She wants to apologize."

"I'm glad. She needs that opportunity. Young girls ... young immature women ... can make mistakes, Dieter. Sometimes they are very painful mistakes. It's how they learn ... even if they can't make it right."

I looked at Paulette and gave her a smile and a kiss on the cheek. 

"Merilee has a very smart mother," I said.

"Thank you. Good luck. We'll talk again," she said, moving back into the crowd.

Just before midnight, the catering staff began to bring the champagne glasses out and then the bottles as well. The popping of corks preceded the countdown to midnight and the traditional singing of Auld Lang Syne. Marla was on one side of me and just as I raised my glass to toast the New Year, Merilee appeared on my other side. I turned to kiss Marla, then turned to Merilee. We looked at each other for a long moment, then I moved to kiss her as well. I saw her blink and the glistening in her eyes. I smiled as I silently toasted her with my glass.

I lay in bed for some time before I fell asleep on that New Years morning. I was wrestling with what to do about Merilee of course. She was beautiful, and in so many ways the woman I would have dreamed of as a wife. But she had a fatal flaw, or at least I thought of it as fatal. Honesty ... something that was tied to trust. If she couldn't be honest, how could I trust her?

I thought about what her mother had said. She was young, it was true, and she had made a mistake. Is that all it was? Was I being too unforgiving? We all make mistakes. And how big was it? I didn't even know. Maybe that was the problem. I didn't know what her relationship with Harley McDougal really was. I tossed and turned until sometime after 3 am when I finally fell asleep.

To be concluded...

Editing by ErikThread and DaveT with my thanks for their thoroughness and helpful suggestions. Any errors are mine.



The Brass Ring Ch. 08-09



Chapter 8 Making Decisions

It was going to be a fairly major problem tracking down Harley McDougal. I had no idea if he was still in town, or had departed for other places. Either case, I needed a way to find him. I'd spent a restless night thinking about what I needed to know before I could decide what to do about Merilee. I had a plan. It wasn't much of a plan, I admit, but at least it was something.

"Discreet Services," the woman answered in a sexy voice. "How can I help you?"

"I need help to find someone. Can your company do that?"

"Yes, sir. Let me put you on to one of our staff. Just a moment, please."

I waited as the elevator music played on the phone while I was on hold. 

"Spagnoli speaking," came a gruff man's voice. "Can I help you?"

"My name is Dieter Hunsinger. I need to find someone. Can you do that for me?"

"Probably, but I need to know a lot more. Why don't you come to the office and we can talk about it? I should be able to tell you what the chances are then."

"Yeah ... sure. What time?" I wouldn't have too much trouble shuffling my schedule.

"Let's say one o'clock this afternoon. Ask for Norm Spagnoli."

"Sure. See you then." I hung up, still wondering if my idea was going to work.

I walked into the fairly modern offices of Discreet Services promptly at one. The receptionist was just coming back from lunch and relieving the girl who had covered for her.

"I'm here to see Mr. Norm Spagnoli. I have an appointment."

"Yes ... just a moment and I'll get him for you," she said in that sexy voice I really liked.

A couple of minutes later a big, bald, rough looking guy with a goatee and dressed in a dark suit came out from the back and looked me over. 

"Mr. Hunsinger?" he asked in a voice that sounded more like a growl.

"That's me."

"Good," he said, extending his very big hand. "Let's go in the back and talk."

I followed him and he led me to a small meeting room. I took one of the comfortable seats and sat across from him. He had a spiral-bound notebook and pulled out a pen.

"Why don't you tell me who you're looking for and why," he began.

"I'm looking for a guy by the name of Harley McDougal. I want to talk to him."

"What about?"

"My girlfriend ... or ex-girlfriend."

He looked at me for a moment. "You plannin' to beat the shit out of him?"

That caught me off-guard. "No ... no ... just need to talk to him."

"Yeah ... sure. Look, Mr. Hunsinger, you don't need the kind of trouble you could get into if you did something like that. Everybody in this town knows you and respects you. Why would you want to throw all that away with a criminal conviction?"

He knew who I was! That was not necessarily good. 

"I don't want to cause that kind of trouble. I need to talk to him to find out some facts about him and my ... ex-girlfriend."

"And what happens if he won't talk to you?"

"I don't know. I haven't worked that out yet."

He was shaking his head. "Why don't you tell what the hell you are trying to accomplish and then maybe I can help."

I looked him over. I wasn't sure I would trust someone who looked like him normally, but he was a professional and I had to trust someone.

"Harley is a well-known pussy hound in this town. I was dating this girl and found out she was seeing him on the side. I want to find out just what went on between them. Then I want to talk to her and see if her story matches. See if she's telling the truth."

"What makes you think Harley what's-his-name is going to tell you the truth?"

"He borrowed five hundred dollars from her. I was planning to be a bill collector. I figured I might be able to trade the debt for some information."

Again he was shaking his head. "Jesus, pal. That's weak. You got little or no chance of getting the truth. He'll tell you what you want to hear to get out from under. Your plan ain't worth shit."

I slumped back in the chair. He was right. All he had to do was ask the right question at the right time and I knew my idea wasn't worth a damn.

"So ... what can I do?"

"You leave it with me. Go look at yourself in the mirror, Mr. Hunsinger. Then look at me. If you were Harley, who would you least likely want to talk to between you and me?"

I snorted a reply. "You," I admitted.

"Good guess. So let's get down to the nitty gritty," he said, leaning forward. "What do you really want to know? And don't bullshit me. I can't do my job if you aren't straight with me." 

I gave him the whole story. I told him about Harley and Merilee and what had caused me to break up with her. I wanted the whole truth and not some fairytale. I was trying to decide what to do about Merilee and I needed the facts.

He told me what he charged, and he wasn't cheap. But when I thought about it, I wasn't going to be happy until I knew, so I gave him the go ahead, signed the agreement, and wrote a check for the retainer. He said he would get back to me as soon as he had something to report. For whatever reason, I felt I had made a good decision with Norm Spagnoli. He was rough, and didn't pull any punches, but I got the feeling he was good at his job.

I tried to put Merilee out of my mind until I heard something from Spagnoli. I wasn't too good at that. How am I supposed to forget someone as sexy and good-looking as her? Not easy! I guess I should be grateful, just the same. I had almost forgotten about Joanna and what she had done to me. And ... I was sleeping better at night.

It was two weeks later that I got a call from Norm Spagnoli. We set up a meeting at his office for four o'clock on Wednesday afternoon.

"Let's go back to the office," he said when he came out to greet me. "The meeting room's being used, so excuse the mess in my pigsty."

It wasn't as bad as he made it out to be, but I could see papers piled in some sort of order, but it looked like filing was not a priority. 

"Okay, Dieter. May I call you Dieter?" he asked after a pause.

"Sure."

"You probably know my brother, Tony. He's the head mechanic at Central Auto," he said.

"Yeah ... sure ... I know Tony. I didn't connect the dots. I guess I didn't know Tony's last name."

"Well, he knows you and says you're a good guy. Always there when he needs you. And I know your name from the family business. You gotta good rep in this town. That's why I didn't want you to get yourself in trouble when you first came to see me."

"Thanks, I appreciate that."

"So ... here's what we know. Mr. Harley McDougal is now living in Ortonville. Not that far away. He's in trouble up to his neck with debts. Somehow or other he scrounges up money from one place or another, but it doesn't seem to last long. He's not smart enough to change identities, so he goes from woman to woman, stealing or borrowing money wherever he can get it. Merilee Jenkins, who I assume is the Merilee Jenkins of Jenkins Motors, was just one of a number of women who he conned.

"There are a couple of warrants out for his arrest for fraud and theft, but nobody is looking too hard for him. Most of his stuff is small-time. Not worth the cops getting all worked up about unless they stop him for something and run a check. None of the women are crying rape, so that keeps him under the radar. I'm close to finding him where I can get him alone and have a talk to him. I think he's shacked up with some broad who works in a bar. I shouldn't have too much trouble cuttin' him out of the herd."

"Harley's been around here for quite a while," I said. "It's hard to believe he could do all this for so long and get away with it."

"You're right. He was married with a kid. But she divorced him when she got tired of him running around, and he was saddled with alimony and child support. It didn't take him long to get behind on both of them. That's when he started to get himself deeper and deeper in shit. He was borrowing money left, right, and center. He maxed all his credit cards out and then applied for some new ones. Typical of those outfits, they gave him some. I figure he's getting to the end of the trail, though. He's used up all his options, so I need to get to him before he takes off and moves to greener pastures." 

"Do you think he'll talk to you?" I asked.

He gave me a nasty smirk. "Probably. There's an advantage to looking like I do and having an Italian last name."

"Yeah," I chuckled. "I can imagine."

I left their office sure that I'd hired the right guy for this job. I laughed at myself thinking I could have pulled this off. I didn't even know where to look for Harley, much less what I was going to do about him if I did find him. Leave it to the pros, I told myself.

It wasn't even ten days later that Norm called me and said we should get together. We grabbed a coffee and headed toward his office again.

"Well, I think I got what you want to know, Dieter. It ain't all bad, either. It turns out Harley McDougal is not as good as his reputation. He was with Merilee Jenkins four times. Each time he took her to the Catbird Club and tried to loosen her up with booze. I guess Ms. Jenkins doesn't drink much, because he didn't manage to get her drunk. 

"He struck out the first couple of times with her, so he decided he needed to help her along with some "E" and maybe some Meth. The plan was to spike her drink and then she'd be more than willing to join him in whatever he wanted to do. The problem was, he owed money to the guys he was buying the stuff from and they had cut him off. He had to resort to trying to talk her out of her panties.

"He conned her into loaning him five hundred dollars, saying his commission check from the brokerage house was late that month. He was planning to use part of the five hundred for the drugs, and the rest for himself. Unfortunately for him, she wasn't going to go out with him any more. Apparently you had found out about Harley and her, and she was pretty upset, he said. 

"So ... the bottom line is ... Harley didn't get anywhere with Merilee Jenkins. He took her out, bought her a few drinks, got to kiss her a few times, but nothing more."

"You believe that?" I asked, hoping it was true.

"Yeah. Harley was very eager to tell me the story. After I introduced myself and suggested he need to talk to me, he was quite cooperative. Of course, after he pissed his pants, he really didn't want to go anywhere for a while," Spagnoli grinned.

I leaned back in the chair. I was happy, but still uncertain about Merilee. Nothing had happened between her and Harley, but just the same, I still had my doubts.

"Thanks, Norm. You did a good job. I'll remember to call you the next time I need to find someone."

"No problem, Dieter. I hope this is what you wanted to know. Sounds like she just got herself involved with someone she shouldn't have. Young kids make those kinds of mistakes. Sometimes you just have to let them figure it out for themselves and learn from it," he said.

We shook hands and I left the office. His last remarks were a lot like the comments of Paulette on New Years Eve. Yeah, Merilee was young, and she was going to make mistakes. So really, the problem was about her being truthful, not about seeing Harley. No private detective could help me with that.

I had said I would call Merilee and we could talk. It was time.

"Hi, Merilee, it's Dieter. I thought maybe we could get together for a talk ... like we said at New Years."

"Yes, Dieter. I'd like that. I do want to talk to you. When and where?"

"Someplace private. I don't want everyone knowing our business," I said.

"My parents will be out on Saturday afternoon. Why don't you come over here then?"

I thought about it for a moment, then, "Yeah, okay. Saturday afternoon. Maybe two o'clock?"

"Two o'clock will be fine," she said. I could hear the upbeat tone of her voice.

"Okay, see you then," I said, signing off.

I know it was Merilee that wanted to talk to me, but I had some things to say too. First, I wanted her to tell me about what was going on with Harley. Then I wanted to say my piece about telling the truth and honesty and how important they were to me. I tried to imagine how this was going to go, but I couldn't get a grip on it. 

Friday night, I stopped in at Tricky Dick's again. Mac said "Hi" the moment I appeared at the bar and didn't even bother to ask me what I wanted. The beer was open on the counter before I even got seated.

"Chili's on tonight, Duke," he said.

"Chili's on every Friday night, Mac," I chuckled.

"True. How's things with you?"

"Pretty good. No complaints."

"Got a new girlfriend yet?" he asked as he moved some glasses from the washer to the counter.

"Can't say. Maybe ... maybe not. I'll be okay, one way or another," I said.

"Good luck, man. You're ready for a good woman." 

I settled in with my beer, told Mac to hold the chili for an hour, and kept one eye on the TV screen. It was showing a European golf tournament. Too early for basketball or hockey I guess.

The bar was jumping when I came in and although a few of the after-work crowd had left to go home, more were coming in to take their place. Mac would be busy tonight, as would the waitresses. He told me once that Thursday, Friday and Saturday paid for the whole week. Everything else was gravy. Monday night football was just an added bonus. 

I was getting hungry when I gave Mac the high-sign for the chili and another beer. 

I finished my bowl of chili and the side salad, and Mac took the dishes and utensils away as I settled with the rest of my beer. The college basketball game was already a blowout, with a ranked team taking on some unknown small college in a pre-March Madness warm-up. I was about to push off when I heard a bunch of women come in and look around for an open table. Good luck, I thought.

When I checked them out in the big mirror, I saw Teresa again and she was with five other women, one of whom looked familiar. As they waited for the waitress to put two small tables together and collect enough chairs, Teresa spotted me and came over.

"Hey, Duke. How are you? Seems like you're a regular in here on Fridays."

"Yeah, lately I guess I have been. Must be Mac's chili," I grinned.

"Still on your own, huh?"

"Yeah. Say, who's the woman in the green sweater with the brown hair? She looks familiar." 

"Oh, that's Pattie Peppar. Do you know her?"

"Yeah, I do, but the last time I saw her she didn't look anything like that."

"Come on over and say hello, then," she said as she followed her gang to the tables.

I slid off the stool and walked behind Teresa, keeping my eye on the girl I knew as Mint. She didn't look anything like Mint anymore though.

"Hey Pattie, you remember Duke don't you?" Teresa said as we approached the two tables.

She looked up and smiled. Nosiree, this didn't look like the woman I once knew at all.

"Hi, Duke. Nice to see you again."

"Hi ... Pattie," I said, almost calling her Mint. "Long time. How are you?"

"Great, thanks. I've got a new job with Hamilton Realty. Not in sales, though. I've got to earn my license for that."

"Congratulations," I said, surprised at how much she seemed to have changed.

"I don't have to ask how you are doing. That big building and last year's Chamber of Commerce award says everything's going great for you too."

"It's been a good few years all right." As she held up her hand, I saw a big engagement ring. Another surprise.

"Wow ... nice ring. You're engaged?"

"Yes. He's a great guy. Works for the city as a building inspector in the engineering department. They say he's got a big future."

"I'm glad to hear it, Pattie. When's the big day?"

"June thirteenth. And no ... I'm not superstitious," she laughed.

I had a hard time getting over the change in her. It was like she was a different person from the one I knew. Maybe people could change. Obviously, Pattie could. 



"Well, all the best to you both for your marriage and your job. Good luck, Pattie," I said, holding her hand for a moment before I left. Her smile was so different from the one I remembered. She was relaxed and happy. The 'Goth Girl' was gone for good.

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at meeting her. This wasn't a big city and most of us stuck to the neighborhoods we knew. On the other hand, if Teresa hadn't introduced her, I'm not sure I would have recognized her.

See, Pattie brought home again that people do change for the better. I had no idea what caused Pattie to become "normal," but whatever it was it looked good on her. So that left the question I needed to deal with tomorrow. Could Merilee change? Could she become the "one man woman" that I was looking for?

I woke up Saturday morning and immediately started thinking about my meeting with Merilee. I'd had too much time to think of all the things I might say and then try and imagine all the answers to my questions she would give. It was a hopeless deal. I might as well relax and just wait and see what happened. I didn't want it to be an angry discussion. I wanted to forgive her, if I could. The truth is, I was looking for a way to forgive her.

I rang the doorbell just after two that afternoon, my stomach tight with tension, wondering just how this meeting would go.

"Hi, Dieter," Merilee smiled as she opened the door. "Come in."

I walked past her into the great room and she suggested we sit on a pair of chairs that were almost facing each other, only a few feet apart.

"Would you like something to drink? Coffee, or a beer?"

"I'll have a coffee if there's some made, thanks," I said.

"Cream only ... right?"

"Right," I agreed.

She was back in a minute with two mugs of coffee and placed them on coasters on the table between the chairs. 

Just like the last time, we didn't seem to know who would go first. This time, Merilee took the lead.

"I never had a chance to tell you how sorry I was about what happened between us. I wish I had it to do all over again, but I don't. What's done is done and I can't undo it. I'm sorry, Dieter. Really very, very sorry."

She sounded very sincere and didn't try and excuse herself or make it sound less than it was.

"Why don't you tell me what happened between you and Harley," I suggested.

She looked at me, knowing this was probably going to be something I would ask her to do. She didn't look happy, but after a short pause, she began.

"I met Harley just before I met you. He was a slick, smooth kind of guy, with a glib tongue and a flashy wardrobe. I didn't think I was naive enough to fall for his line, but I guess I was. Anyway, I went out with him a total of four times. We never had sex ... I want you to know that. Oh, Harley tried all right, but I didn't want to get that involved with him. After I met you, I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't seem to say no to Harley.

"When he borrowed five hundred dollars from me, I started to realize how stupid I was. He gave me some line about his commission check being late. Anyway, that's when I knew I didn't want to see him anymore. But ... it was too late. You found out about him, and I knew I'd lied to you about not seeing anyone else. I felt so lousy about that, but it was too late. You were gone."

"Harley was pretty famous for getting his way with women," I said. "You say you never had sex with him?"

She nodded. "Never. I just couldn't bring myself to let him have me. I didn't want to be what you called another notch on his bedpost."

Her story was consistent with what Harley had told Norm Spagnoli. That was a relief in a way. Not that it solved all the problems, but she told the truth.

"You know, Merilee, I wouldn't have been as upset if you had told me about him and had sex with him. I mean, it was about telling the truth. You know, trust."

She nodded. "I know. That's the part I feel the most ashamed of. I couldn't bring myself to tell you the truth, even though we didn't know each other that well. You asked me a simple question ... and I lied. I'm sorry and ashamed."




The Brass Ring Ch. 08-09



I leaned back in the chair and took a sip of the coffee. What now? What was I going to do now? 

"There's something else you should know, Dieter. I didn't sit around saying 'woe is me' afterwards. I spend some time with a psychologist who has been working with my brother Calvin. I needed to know why I did what I did."

"Did it help?" I asked, wondering what she might have learned.

She nodded. "Yes. I guess to take all the mumbo-jumbo out of it, I was trying to rebel, just like Calvin did. We were brought up in this perfect family. We weren't always rich, but we never had to work for anything. We just had to behave. So ... when Harley came along, he opened me up to being a bad girl for a change. Just like Calvin, I couldn't handle it. He was the most daring, naughty thing I had ever done. The Jenkins perfect daughter wasn't perfect any more."

I hadn't said anything or interrupted for a reason. I wanted to listen to what she was saying, what she was trying to get me to understand. It wasn't easy. I couldn't relate to a perfect family ... at least not when I was young. I always had to work for anything I wanted. Pop made sure of that. So, from my looking at it, Merilee was admitting to being spoiled. It was a simple as that.

We sat there, just looking at each other. I didn't know quite how to say what I wanted to say, but I knew I had made up my mind.

"Merilee, I want us to start over again. Just like the past didn't happen. I forgive you for that. I've probably made more out of it than I should have. I think everyone has told me to forgive and forget at some time or another. I guess I have to take their advice. If you want to, that is?"

She had tears in her eyes, ready to spill down her cheeks. 

"Yes ... yes, Dieter. I want to. Thank you for your understanding. I won't forget, and I will remember how important truth and trust are to you ... to both of us."

I stood up and held out my hands to her. She took them and rose. I pulled her into my arms and we hugged silently for a while. I felt like I'd taken a big weight off my back. It seemed like I could breathe easier. I didn't have any second thoughts about my decision. It was the right thing to do, and maybe I should have done it sooner.

Chapter 9 Catching the Brass Ring

When Gerry and Paulette came home that afternoon, they found Merilee and me lying on the sofa, watching TV, my arm around her shoulder, holding her close. Paulette broke out in a big smile, followed by Gerry. Having their approval meant a lot to me. Gerry wasn't just a customer, but a man I respected. Paulette was a fine lady with a classy way about her. Even if their "perfect family" wasn't perfect, they were good people.

Merilee and I started dating again, and I was glad I was able to put the past out of my mind. I would live in the present and not think about what happened before. We spent most weekends together, agreeing not to date during the week. Merilee took her job very seriously and was taking some extra courses at the community college to help her along. Gerry was very proud of her accomplishments and her ambition.

Merilee and I didn't have sex ... or I should say ... make love ... until May. She wasn't a virgin any more than I was, but we were being careful about our relationship. When it happened, Merilee was the one who decided it was time. She felt we were very serious about each other and she wanted to show how she really felt about me. I was just as sure I wanted to show her how I felt about her.

We had made ourselves supper in my apartment above the garage after being out all day scouring the countryside for auctions. We had talked about moving in together and if we did, what kind of furniture we wanted. It was fun because while we liked the same kinds of things, we didn't always like the exact same thing.

Something just clicked that evening as we cuddled together on my sofa. We started kissing, then some stroking, then fondling, and then ... it was like a switch was turned on. We got up and went to the bedroom. We were in bed in a heartbeat. It was the first time I had ever seen Merilee naked, and she was even more beautiful than I expected. 

I took it easy and made sure she was ready for me when the time came. Lots of kissing and nibbling and fingering as we got ready. Then she told me she wanted me in her, I moved over her and she guided me slowly in. I was being very careful ... maybe too careful ... but I wanted this to be perfect for her. From her reaction to our lovemaking, I think she was very happy.

We made love three times that night, not finally falling asleep until sometime after 1 am. I didn't think I would be able to get it up that last time, but Merilee proved me wrong with a great oral rescue. We didn't try anything special that first night. Just regular sex except for her being on top the second time. She liked that.

As the months progressed we both became more adventuresome in bed. She was a terrific lover, with lots of enthusiasm and happy to try new things. We were the perfect couple, but I hadn't had the nerve to talk about making us a permanent couple. I was sure that's what I wanted, and I was pretty sure it's what Merilee wanted, but I just hadn't sucked it up and asked the question.

I got a surprise invitation from Pattie Peppar to her wedding, and I thought I should attend. It was for me and a guest, so I immediately invited Merilee. To tell the truth, I wanted to show her off. Who wouldn't? She was a prize beauty and I was the lucky guy.

The wedding was on a beautiful, warm Saturday and I felt good for Pattie. The guy she was marrying looked like a stand-up guy and she was obviously in love with him if the look on her face was any indication. As we stood in the gardens of the church while the pictures were being taking, Merilee was holding my arm, leaning on me. I looked at her a couple of times, and I could see she was dreaming about something. I could guess what it was. It was then that I knew it was time.

I went to the same jewelers where Pop bought Marla's ring and took a picture of Merilee with me. The manager looked at the photo and complimented me on my choice of a future bride. He mentioned that she had slim, elegant hands, so the ring shouldn't be too big or bold. That made a lot of sense. He showed me several that he thought she would like and I chose one after he said I could exchange it if she didn't like it. He would size it afterwards, but the one we picked he thought might be close to the right size.

I wanted to talk to Marla and get a suggestion on how to ask Merilee to be my wife. This was all new to me, and yeah ... I'd seen it done on TV or in the movies, but this was real life. I wanted to do it right.

"Oh, Dieter, I'm so happy for you," Marla gushed and hugged me when I told her.

"Nice goin', kid," Pop said, shaking my hand. A kid I wasn't, but I knew he approved, so that's what mattered.

I wouldn't see Merilee until Friday evening. We had a dinner date at Luciano's, the first place I ever took Joanna to. I wasn't going to boycott the place just because of that, plus Joanna was gone and forgotten. Yeah, that's right ... forgotten.

We were given a nice table off to one corner of one of the rooms and it gave us about as much privacy as I could expect. It was busy, but not like a Saturday, so the noise wasn't a problem.

We had a nice meal and shared a dessert. All the while, I was getting more and more nervous. But the time had come, and I knew it was now or never.

"Merilee, I think it's time for me to tell you a couple of very important things."

She looked at me, and I could see some worry in her expression.

"The first thing I want to tell you is that I love you. I love you with all my heart." I stopped as her eyes blinked, and that glistening that came before tears appeared.

"The second thing I want to tell you is that I want to be with you for the rest of my life."

She gasped a little, but still said nothing.

"The third thing is a question." I took the little ring box from my pocket and opened. Her eyes were as wide open as they could possibly be.

"Will you marry me, Merilee?" I held the ring, hoping I could slip it on her finger. I was looking at her hand and not her face, so at first I didn't notice her head bobbing up and down.

"Yes!" she finally gasped. "Yes, Dieter, I will. I love you too. I want to be with you always." 

The tears had begun, and I took her left hand gently and hoped that the ring would slide on. It did. She looked at it as I stood and came around to her and bent to kiss her. I suppose I could have got down on one knee and done it that way, but I didn't. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me tight as she kissed me. In the background I could hear the applause from some of the diners, so I guess my proposal had been noticed.

She insisted that I take her home to make the announcement to her parents and that's exactly what I did. 

"Oh, Merilee, I'm so happy for you," Paulette said, near tears herself. "I know this is what you really wanted."

Gerry slapped me on the shoulder and shook my hand in congratulations.

"I was wondering if you were ever going to get around to this," he said with a laugh.

"To tell the truth, I was thinking the same thing," I admitted.

Paulette hugged me and told me how happy she was that their daughter was marrying the man of her dreams. Nothing could have made me feel any better than that.

As far as Merilee was concerned, the ring was perfect; no adjustment needed. She loved the appearance of it, so now we could go back to the store to pick out suitable wedding bands. The one thing we hadn't discussed was when the wedding would be held. It was too late for a summer wedding, and I didn't want to wait until next year, so it would take some planning with the Jenkins and the Hunsingers to work something out.

It was Gerry and Paulette who came up with a suggestion. They had already made it plain that they intended to pay for the wedding. That was traditional, but Pop, Marla, and I all said we wouldn't be happy unless we contributed something as well. We worked out a compromise. We would look after half the cost of the reception ... no arguments please! Well, there were arguments, but they were friendly ones and at last the Jenkins gave in. What the hell, between Pop and me, we could easily afford it.

We talked about a honeymoon in Florida, but Gerry and Paulette then sideswiped us by giving Merilee and me two tickets for a Caribbean cruise in early December. They were all bought and paid for, so it wasn't like we could turn them down. I guess there could be worse problems than a competition to see who would pay for what. I just thanked the gods for having my future bride come from a great family like she did. You can't buy that kind of luck.

It was decided between Marla and Paulette that the wedding would be at the end of October. No problem getting a church with an attached hall for the reception. Brains would be my best man, and T-man would be an usher. Merilee's brothers would also act as ushers and help with the parking. One of her friends from college would be her matron of honor despite the fact that she would be about seven months pregnant by then.

We went house-hunting on the weekends. It took a while before we knew we would have to build what we wanted. Nothing too big or fancy, just a house that would give us space for growth. We both wanted children, and the sooner the better for me. We found a great piece of property about five miles south of town and I put a deposit on it.

Merilee went to work looking for a plan that would give us what we wanted and I started contacting people who would be willing to build the house for us. In the end, we found a plan, but wanted a couple of modifications to make it just right for us. I called in three contractors to give us estimates, and by late May, we had chosen the builder and given him the go-ahead. 

I let Merilee work out the financing details. After all, that was her specialty, and she was pretty aggressive in getting us a low rate over twenty-five years. That was as far out as I wanted to look. I would be fifty-six and she would be fifty by then, and hopefully our children would be grown and almost out of the house. If the family business kept doing as well as it had, I could see an early retirement maybe. 

As I stood in the church waiting for Merilee to be escorted down the aisle on her father's arm, I thought about the way things had worked out. It was only a year ago that I was moaning about whether I would ever find happiness and a family that I could call my own. It took some coaxing from Paulette, Marla, and even Norm Spagnoli to get me to see the light. She was there all along. All I had to do was to know the truth ... and like Marla said, take a chance on grabbing the brass ring.

END 

Editing by ErikThread and DaveT with my thanks for their thoroughness and helpful suggestions. Any errors are mine.