Chapter Two: Crazy Bitch

CHAPTER TWO: CRAZY BITCH

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REAR VIEW MIRROR THE CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

C. Callinsky

Part One: True Love

Chapter Two: Crazy Bitch

Four days go by without a word from Jimmy.  Now, I’m patient, and I know that sometimes guys like to wait to call because they don’t want to seem desperate; however, there is an unspoken three-day rule.  When it hits the fourth day, it means they aren’t calling.  I start really freaking out and call Candie.

“Candie, did Jimmy say anything about me to Lee?”

“I don’t know.  I’ll call him and ask.  Give me a few minutes and I’ll call you back.”  I hear the phone line click, and I realize I’m holding my breath.

I sit there and wait.  My heart is ready to leap from my chest and go running down the street like a madman, with fake heart arms waving wildly while screaming at the same time.

Let me tell you.  I’m not a guy chaser.  I never have been.  I’ve never had to.  This is so outside of my comfort zone.

I just don’t get it.  I know that we had a connection.  It wasn’t just any connection.  It was a connection that I have never felt before.

I have been in some serious relationships before.  In fact, I pretty much dated the same guy from junior high school through high school.  There is something different about Jimmy, and it is driving me crazy.  Is it his demeanor, shyness, smile, sweetness, or that damn connection?  I don’t understand it yet, but he really floats my boat.

Finally, the phone rings.  I answer it before Candie even hears the ring on her end.

“What’d he say?”  I demand.

“Sorry Cindy.  He hasn’t said anything about you.”

My heart sinks down into my stomach.  “Well shit!  I can’t believe it.  I just don’t get it. I’m not insane.  I know that we had something, Candie.  I just don’t get it.”

“I know.  Here’s the deal.  They live in the same barracks.  We can drive out there.  I’ll visit Lee and you can go talk to Jimmy.”

“I don’t know.  If he thought there was something there, he would have called me.”

“You don’t know that.  Maybe he lost your number.”  Candie has always tried to keep me calm, but now is not the right time.

“If he lost my number, he could have got in touch with me through Lee.  He knows that I know you.”

“You’re right, but maybe it’s because he’s shy.  You don’t know what he’s thinking, do you?  Besides, if he doesn’t want to see you, ain’t it better if you find out now?  If not, you’re gonna drive yourself nuts.”  Candie to the rescue, as usual.

“You’re right.  I’ve got nothing to lose.  Let’s do it.  Let me touch up first though.”

“OK.  I’ll call Lee back and let him know that we’re going to head over.  I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

“Alright.  Hurry up before I lose my nerves and change my mind, though.”

I turn the jams up.  Today’s pick is some classic Foreigner, “Juke Box Hero”, baby.  I rush off to get myself pretty.  My hair still looks good.  A little more Aqua Net and I’m set.  I reapply my eyeliner and put on some more red lipstick and blush.  Maybe I should change.  No.  I don’t want to look too desperate.

Hell, how should I do this?  Think, think, think, think.  You are making this too difficult.  I can say I brought Candie to visit Lee and I thought I would stop by and say hi.  Yeah!  That is so it.

Lord, I think that’ll work.  I don’t even know how you get on base.  I hope Candie does.  I know you can’t just drive on.  They have gates at every entrance.  What if he isn’t there?  That would not be good.

Candie walks in and momentarily snaps me out of my panic attack.  “Hey, chick.  You about ready?”

“Almost, give me about five more minutes.”  I turn towards Candie with my hands thrown out.  “Should I change or will I look desperate?”

“You look great, Cindy.  Stop freaking out.  Let’s hit the road.”

“OK.  What do you want to listen to?”  At times like these, music can really soothe the savage beast.  I, unfortunately, am in no shape to be choosing the tunes right now.

“How about some Dino?”

Good pick.  “Summer Girls” is the kind of music courage I need right now.

“Cool deal.  Let me grab my cassettes and we’re ghost.”

We race out of the house, into the car, and off we go.  It is another really nice day.  We had put the top down before we headed out.  We hit I-5 and go south towards Fort Lewis.  On the way we pass the exits to the Tacoma Mall, Mount Tahoma High School, and the tanning salon that I worked at a couple of years ago.  That was a cool deal.  I got all the free tans I wanted and I worked with one of my party buddies, a girl named Debbie.

“OK Candie.  I see the exit coming up.”

“No, that’s not it.  You want the next one.”

“OK.”  For some reason, I’m a bit glad it is the next exit.  I’m doing pretty good right now, and although I’m ready to see Jimmy, I’m not quite ready to dive back into a panic again.

When we exit, we come to a gate, and we have to pull over.  I ask the guy at a building what we need to do to get in.  We have to fill out some paperwork that tells them who we are visiting and why. I think to myself, I dare you to put that you are a crazy bitch chasing down a guy that you have only met once. I decide that probably won’t get us in so we say that Candie is Lee’s girlfriend. I have to show him my license and proof of insurance.  He then gives us a “Visitors Pass” that is good for one day.

We start driving through base.  It is sort of odd, like a miniature town.  I see signs for some type of shopping center.  I also see all kinds of old buildings that look like the old brick apartment buildings in downtown Tacoma and I realize that they are barracks.  We finally see the sign for the Engineering Battalion.  I don’t know exactly where I’m going so I have to cut people off to make the turn.  Great way to start out, you crazy bitch.

When we pull up to the building and I realize that we are actually here, I start to panic again.  What do I do?  What if he isn’t here?  What if he has a girl over? Feeling both scared and sick to my stomach, I muster up the courage to keep going.  Do it now or don’t do it at all.

Candie andI are greeted at the door by a man sitting at a desk.  He asks who we are visiting, then calls Lee on the phone.  Soon Lee is coming down the steps to meet us.

“Lee, which room does Jimmy stay in?”  I ask nervously, both hoping he will know, and that he won’t know.

“I don’t know, but he’s on my floor.”

I follow them up to the third floor.  At that point, I put all of my fears aside.  I hear, “Who you lookin’ for?  You must be lookin’ for me.”

“Nope.  Which room’s Jimmy Koch in?”

“Damn.  I don’t know.”

I look around to find another guy standing there looking dumbfounded.  “Where does Jimmy stay?”

“I don’t know what room, but he is somewhere towards the end of the hall.”

“Thanks.”

I see a guy that was at that party.  Okay Cindy… turn on that charm, that brilliant smile, twirl that hair.

“Hey, I met you the other night at the party.  Do you remember me?”

“Of course I do.”

“Cool.  What room does Jimmy stay in?”

“Ouch, room 325.”

Jackpot!  No more charm needed!

“Thanks.”

Gather yourself woman.  This is a long ass hall.  Why ain’t you there yet?  Are you really doing this?  Stop thinking about it so much.  Just do it, damn it.

Tap, tap, tap.

The door opens.  WOW.  It‘s him.  The electricity that I felt the other night hits me again, hard.  It takes a second before it dawns on me that I’m actually here.  What do I do now? His face lights up instantly.  As soon as he lights up, he looks disappointed.  Am I imagining this?  Was he excited at all or was it a mirage?  I don’t get it.

He gently grabs my arm and pulls me in and shuts the door.  Now I’m really worried.  I don’t know what I have done wrong.  I notice a stereo in the corner of his room and it is a really nice stereo, too.  I’m already impressed.  Refocus, chick.  This man is not thrilled that you’re here.  This is a total bomb, you stupid bitch.

“What are you doing here?”  Jimmy asks, in a more serious tone than what I was hoping for.

“Well, Candie wanted to come see Lee, so I thought I’d come by and say hi.”

“You shouldn’t come to the barracks,” Jimmy says shortly.

“I don’t understand.  Why?”

“Girls that hang out at the barracks are labeled as being easy.”

“I didn’t come to hang out.  I came to see you.  Have you ever seen me here, Jim?”

Looking down now, Jimmy mumbles.  “No.”

“OK then, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t feel that we had a… shit… a connection.  I thought we did, but obviously I was wrong.”  I start to turn away.

He grabs my arm as I’m turning to run like hell.  I flip back around ready to knock him out, but his head is leaning down, his dark shiny hair is flipped forward, as he says, “I felt like we had a connection, too.”

Now I can’t help but smile.  “Good.  I’m glad we’re on the same page.”  I turn around and bounce towards his bed and plop down on it.  “Turn on your stereo.”

He laughs.  “OK, what do you wanna hear?”

“Whatever.  I just want to see what it sounds like.”  Grinning wickedly I ask, “It looks good, but does it sound good?”

Jimmy is laughing now.  “En Vogue?”

“Sure, that sounds good.”

Jimmy obliges me, and it does sound really good.  Jimmy sits next to me on the bed.  “So what do you think?”

I look at him seriously.  “Well, I’ve heard better.”

This causes Jimmy to look disappointed and I start cracking up as I smack him on the arm.  “Jimmy, I’m just givin’ you shit.  It sounds great, really.

Now he is smiling and laughing as he asks me, “So what is one of your funniest true stories?”

I look up, thinking really hard.  I already told him about when I drank the vodka and Candie drank the orange juice.  “Gosh Jimmy, I don’t know.”

He doesn’t give up.  “Come on. There’s gotta be something.”

“Well, OK.  I had a friend growing up whose name was Larry.  He dated my sister off and on and he drove a white Fiero.  He also used to work for my dad at the gas station.  Well, we decided to go to the movie Parenthood one night.  Before we went, he talked me into getting high for the first time.  We drove down to Old McKinley Park.  Old McKinley Park is where everyone from Lincoln and sometimes other schools hooked up for a night of partying.  You know, the same McKinley Park that I drank all the vodka and Candie drank the orange juice.”  I’m laughing now and Jimmy is nodding to let me know that he has made the connection.

“Anyway, when Larry and I get there, we hit a pipe and I get totally loopy because I’d never been high before.  I’m laughing non-stop.  I mean I can’t stop cracking up for nothin’, which causes Larry to laugh hysterically.”

Jimmy is laughing at me already.

I’m turned towards Jimmy, looking in his eyes, and moving my whole body as I talk.  “Anyway, we get out of the car and somehow I end up with Larry’s car keys.  I’m still not sure how that happened, but we’re out visiting with all of our high school friends and a cop car rolls up.  Larry and I walk fast towards the Fiero, but we are both so high we’re having trouble functioning.  He’s looking for his keys and the cop has a spotlight on him.  I find the keys in my pocket and holler at Larry, ‘Hey Larry, catch.’  I toss the keys at Larry.  Well, he didn’t catch them and they go over the hill and land in a bunch of leaves.  The cop’s now out of his car and is walking over to us watching us down on all fours digging through the leaves trying to find Larry’s keys.

“The cop asks, ‘What’re you doing out here?’

“I look up at the cop that is towering over us watching us dig through the leaves.  I reply, ‘We just swung by to see some friends before we go to see Parenthood, sir.’

“Well, do you need a flashlight to find the keys?’

“Looking up at the cop appreciatively I say, ‘That’d be very helpful, sir.  Thank you.’

“He turns on the beam and Larry and I both see the keys immediately.  Larry grabs them and tells the officer, ‘Thank you, sir.’

“Not a problem, but I don’t want to see you two down here again tonight.’

“Both Larry and I are nodding.  ‘Oh no, sir, you won’t.’

“As the officer turns, ‘OK then, have a good night.’

“I reply, ‘Thank you, sir.’

“Both Larry and I get in the car and as we pull out, we’re instantly high again just cracking up.”

I look over at Jimmy, who is hysterical with laughter when all of the sudden it hits me that he never called.

I get a serious look on my face and I look Jimmy straight in the eyes and ask, “What’d I do wrong?  Why didn’t you call?”

He pauses, fidgeting slightly with his feet.  “I didn’t call because your friend’s hanging around a guy that’s married.  What should I think?”

Lord.  Lee is married.  Now I start to panic. I can’t believe this is happening.

“Jimmy, I have to go.  I swear that Candie has no idea.”  I look at him dead on.  “Will you please call?”

“Yeah, I’ll call.”

I glare at him.  “Do you still got my number?”

He smiles crookedly.  “Yeah, I’ll call tomorrow.”

That is good; at least he didn’t throw it out.  He may not have called, but if he knew for sure he would never call, he wouldn’t have kept it.  I’m starting to feel a little better because I can feel this thing between us again.  I give him the best flirty look I’ve got and say, “Damn straight you will.”

Jimmy smiles softly and laughs.

I have a mischievous smile on my face.  “OK, tomorrow then.  That is a really nice stereo by the way.”

I rush off to get Candie.  When she opens the door, I loudly inform her, “We’ve gotta leave now!”

Candie looks at me, stubbornly.  “I don’t wanna leave.”

“Too bad, we’re leavin’ now!”

Reading my face she knows me well enough to know that she won’t win this one so she replies, “Damn it. OK.”

She turns towards Lee, “Sorry Lee.”

Sarcasm is oozing from me, I hiss, “Sorry Lee… NOT!”

He looks at me like I’m an idiot, but I don’t give a shit.

As we hit the hall Candie asks, “What the hell’s wrong with you?”

Walking down the hall looking back at her I spit out under my breath, “He’s married, Candie.”  I keep moving down the hall as fast as I can and Candie is nearly sprinting to keep up.

“What?  Jimmy’s married?”

I instantly stop like I have run into a brick wall; I flip around and look her dead in the eyes.  “No Candie.  Lee is.”

I see a look of disgust on her face.  Many emotions run through her immediately following the disgust like confusion, disbelief, hurt, and pure shock.  Her reaction is, “Oh my God!  I can’t believe it.  That asshole!”

Luckily, she hadn’t done anything that would have caused her to regret the situation.

We make it outside.  The sun is starting to go down so it is very serene.  There are a few clouds in the sky but none are menacing.  They are scattered, small, and fluffy.  They’re the kind that you look up at and use your imagination to associate with something soothing like a bunny, horse, or a cartoon character that you grew up watching.

I start going through my case of cassettes and finally dig out Babyface.  Cruising, it feels like we have no worries.  We can do anything, be anyone, and go anywhere.

Candie asks, “Ruston Way?”

“Ruston Way it is, my dear.”

Read Chapter Three: Ruston Way

Copyright © 2006 – Infinity C. Callinsky

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