Sintown Chronicles II: Through Bedroom Windows (45 page)

He rushed to the bathroom, but quickly turned his back. June was conscious, nude, and still sitting in the bathtub.

“You've seen naked women before,” Maggie snapped. “I can't lift her and she can't help. Get her out of the tub and hold her so I can dry her off."

Buzz placed his hands under June's arms from behind, lifted and dragged her limp body to an erect position on the floor.

As Maggie applied a bath towel, June began to sob.

“I'm so ashamed. I've ruined everything, Frank. Oh, Frank. I'm so sorry. I love you, Frank."

When she was dry, Buzz lifted and carried her to the bedroom, gently lowering her onto the soft, blue sheets.

Maggie pulled the spread over June and turned to Buzz.

“My God, Buzz. Your face."

“I'll be okay. I want your house key."

“My house key?"

“Don't argue."

“It's ... it's in my purse. I think I left it in the living room."

Ten minutes later Buzz burst through Frank's bedroom door and snapped on the light. “Wake up, Frank. Wake up, damn it."

Frank leaped from the bed, his arms raised and fists clinched.

“It's me, Buzz Adams."

“What the hell...” Frank shielded his eyes from the harsh glare of the overhead light. “What time is it?"

“One—two o'clock. I don't know. It's June, Frank. Maggie's with her now, but she needs you, man."

“What's wrong with June?"

“She was drugged and damn near raped tonight. It was my fault."

Frank grabbed Buzz by the shirt. “If you hurt her, so help me I'll beat the shit out of you."

“I've already had the shit beat out of me once tonight. Another beating won't matter much."

“Damn, Buzz,” Frank said, his eyes growing accustomed to the light, “you look like you walked into an airplane propeller. What happened?"

“Get your pants on, Frank. I'll tell you on the way."

Maggie was sitting in the living room when they arrived at June's apartment. She jumped into Frank's arms.

“What happened, Maggie?"

“I'm sure Buzz told you."

“Is June okay?"

“She's sleeping,” Maggie said. “If you love her, get in bed and hold her in your arms. I want you to be the first person she sees when she wakes up."

“She's damaged goods, Maggie."

“Damaged goods? What about you, you big lug?” Maggie said with disgust.

“Frank, damn it. I told you we are just friends. I bragged about bagging her, but Frank, I was lying. I never touched her,” Buzz said, almost pleading with Frank to believe him.

“Maybe, but I've seen photographs of her naked body on Tim Dollars’ fishing pier."

“Forget about photographs. Forget about damaged goods. If you love her Frank, she needs you."

“You want me to..."

“I want you to follow your heart."

Frank released Maggie, looked at Buzz and headed for the bedroom.

Maggie sank into Buzz's outstretched arms. She touched his face with her fingers. “You should see a doctor."

“I'm not going to get Mary Lou out of bed at this hour."

“I saw a box of Alka-Seltzer Plus in June's bathroom. I'll get it while you fill a glass with water."

After downing the foaming liquid, Buzz said, “Maggie, you should go home and get some sleep. I'll stay here with them."

“I'm not leaving, Buzz, but let me show you something."

She went to the living room and converted the sofa into a bed. She lay down and stretched out her arms.

“Maggie,” he said apologetically, “I don't think I can..."

“I want you to hold me like Frank is holding June."

He crawled in beside her and snuggled close.

“You're a hero, Buzz Adams."

“Yeah, right."

“You're
my
hero and that is what I will always remember about this night."

June yawned, stretched, sat up and clasped her hands to her head. She cried out in pain.

“Huh? Oh, good morning, June,” Frank said, rubbing his eyes.

She glanced at the flimsy blue nightgown she was wearing and jerked the sheet to her neck. “Frank, what's going on? What are you doing here? Oh, God. My head hurts!"

“Yeah,” he said, “I imagine it does.” He sat on the side of the bed, his back to her.

“Did you ... did we ... what are you doing here, Frank?"

He shifted so he could look at her. “You don't remember last night?"

“Last night?” She rubbed her temples. “There's Alka-Seltzer Plus in the bathroom medicine cabinet."

“Before coffee?” he asked as he stood up.

“Help me out, here, Frank. I'm dying."

“You'll live,” he said as he moved towards the door.

She pulled up her knees and rested her forehead on them.

“Don't see anything in the bathroom,” he called out.

“Try the kitchen."

She eased to the bathroom. Every step made her head feel as if it were exploding. She sat on the toilet and tried to remember.

“I have it,” he called through the closed door.

“Just a minute,” she replied. She flushed, washed her hands and put on the fuzzy bathrobe. She opened the door and drank the cloudy liquid greedily. “Where are you going?” she called after him.

“To put on a pot of coffee."

She searched for her bunny rabbit bedroom slippers. It hurt to look down. Slowly she eased to the kitchen and sat at the table. “Frank, what happened last night? Why were you in my bed this morning?"

The aroma of brewing coffee filled the room.

He leaned against the sink. “You don't remember anything?"

She shook her head. “Oh, that hurts,” she cried, clasping her hands to her temples.

He moved behind her and began to massage her shoulders. “You went dancing last night at some club in Charlotte."

“Yeah,” she said, “with Maggie and Buzz."

He nodded as if she could see him. “You drank too much."

“I got drunk?"

He nodded again. “June, I think you and I have the same problem with alcohol. We like it too much. I think we'd better both leave it alone."

“That's it?” she asked.

“No. That's just the beginning. Look, June. I wasn't there. All I can do is repeat what Buzz and Maggie told me."

She placed her hand on his as he continued to knead her shoulders. “Do my head,” she pleaded.

He moved his fingers to her temples. “A high school classmate of Buzz Adams joined you and eventually asked you to dance."

“Wait. Was his name Pete?"

“Buzz called him Petey. Anyway, somehow this bastard persuaded you to swallow drugs. Buzz called them date-rape pills."

“Aspirin,” she said. “He told me they were aspirin. Oh, God. I remember.” She began to sob, her whole body shaking. “I begged him to fuck me in the parking lot."

“Easy, June. You were drugged."

“It's your fault, damn it,” she said through her tears.

“My fault?” He moved away from her.

She glared at him as he filled two mugs with coffee. “Yes, damn it."

“Where do you keep the sugar?"

She raised her voice. “In the damn sugar bowl!” She grabbed her pulsating head.

Frank sat the mugs of coffee on the table, found two spoons and brought them along with the sugar bowl to the table. He sat down opposite her. “How do you figure it was my fault?"

She sipped the black coffee, hesitated and sipped again. “I was an ugly ducking all my life. I resigned myself to being a sexless old maid. Then you waltzed into the diner, flashed that smile of yours and called me a lovely lady. In the days that followed, you sweet-talked me, just as Maggie said you would. You kissed me, fondled me and turned my hormones loose, but before you gave me what you knew I so desperately wanted, you dropped me like I have AIDS or something. You didn't even say good-bye."

Frank tasted the coffee, added another spoonful of sugar and stirred.

“I wanted you to be my first, Frank. I wanted you to be my only, and damn it, I wanted you so badly, but you wouldn't listen."

“I wanted it to be special,” Frank mumbled and he tasted the coffee again.

“It would have been special, Frank, because it would have been you and me.” She lifted the mug to her lips. “What time is it?"

He checked his watch. “A little after ten."

“I'm late!” she shouted and she tried to jump up. Her pounding head forced her back into the chair.

“Take it easy,” he said. “Maggie said for you to take the day off."

She drained her mug and he refilled it.

“Now, thanks to Buzz Adams, you can no longer be my first."

“Now it's your sweetheart's fault?"

She glared at him again. “We are just friends. He never even tried to touch me, but, yes, it's his fault. He introduced me to alcohol. He taught me to dance. He made me go to that club last night. He urged me to dance with Pete. You're damn right it was his fault."

“You didn't have sex with Pete last night."

“But ... but I remember begging him. Hell,” the tears returned, “I stripped for him out in the parking lot. I hopped up on the hood of a car and spread my legs for him."

Frank wished she had not told him that. “You were drugged by that time. You didn't know what you were doing. Maggie and Buzz found you before ... before the jerk got his pants down. When you see Buzz's face, you'll know he lost the fight, but he kept his friend away from you long enough for the club bouncers to intervene."

“Poor Buzz. Frank, please don't tell him what I said about him.” She sipped her coffee and her face brightened. “Then you can still be my first ... if you want to be."

“Aren't you forgetting someone?"

“I don't understand."

“Tim Dollar."

“What about Tim Dollar?"

Frank slammed his mug to the table, sloshing coffee over the rim. “I saw the damn pictures."

She clutched her hands to her chest. “How could you? I burned them."

“Maybe, but not until after I saw them. They were in a manila envelope on your coffee table."

“He ... Frank ... let me explain."

“No need,” he interrupted. “I've gone through every possible explanation in my mind. Nothing fits except that you posed for those pictures and screwed Mr. Big Bucks."

“I didn't. I did. I'm confused. I posed, but we didn't have sex."

“You don't need to do this. Maggie is right. I've been around. It's wrong to expect you to be pure as the driven snow."

“Please, Frank. Let me explain."

Frank pulled the coffeepot from the maker and filled their cups again.

“That Sunday when we went fishing at the Dollars place—you told me Sandy tried to seduce you."

He nodded.

“Well, Tim pulled the same thing on me. He said that if I didn't cooperate he would blackball your loan and business. He said you would go back to Atlanta and I'd never see you again."

“So you posed naked for him?"

She nodded as the tears cascaded down her cheeks.

“He wanted pictures of you, but he didn't want to screw you?"

She shook her head. “He wanted sex too, but you and Sandy came back from the spring before he had a chance to rape me. He came to my apartment, but I refused him. He said he would give me to the end of the week to have sex with him or he would ruin you and show the nude pictures to people in Dot. You came in about that time."

“I remember."

“You told me about the deal he offered if you would service Sandy. I thought you were going to do it, so I decided I would let him have his way with me, for your sake, Frank."

“I told you about Sandy, but you didn't say anything about Tim's demands on you."

“I tried. So help me, Frank. I tried. I just couldn't, and, since it never happened, I didn't think I needed to tell you. I didn't know you saw the pictures. Tim called me the next day. He apologized. He said he was going to help you without me having sex with him. He even said he hoped we could all be friends."

“Fat chance."

“He did help you, Frank. You got the loan. Your business is off to a good start from what I hear."

“I turned the tables on him. You remember the little tape recorder I bought?"

She nodded.

He smiled. “You must be feeling better. You didn't holler when you nodded that time."

She smiled and nodded again.

“I recorded Sandy's seduction attempt and Tim's offer. I played it back to them. They caved in quickly."

She reached for his hand. His hands met hers halfway.

“I feel like such a fool,” he said.

“I still love you, Frank Skinner."

He pushed away from the table. “I'm going home to shower and shave, but I'll be back in a couple of hours. Try to eat something and get dressed. Splitting head or no splitting head, we're going on a little trip together."

“Where are we going, Frank?” she asked as she slowly stood up.

“It's a surprise."

Buzz watched the moving van pull out of the driveway. He hugged his mother and shook hands with his father.

“Buzz,” his mother said, “you need to let Dr. McGee look at that lip.” She wagged her head. “I can't believe my son was in a barroom brawl."

“I was drunk, Ma. It won't happen again. Look, guys, I really hope you are going to be happy in Florida. I can't thank you enough for giving me the home place."

“Wish it could have been more, son,” Mr. Adams said. “You sure you have enough money to live on for a while?"

“I have a few bucks squirreled away."

“Have you decided what you are going to do, yet?” his mother asked.

“Not yet, but don't worry. Something will turn up."

“The offer Bi-Lo made you was a good one, son,” Mr. Adams said.

“I know, Pop, but they don't want me. When I called the office this morning and told them I couldn't run the store today, they had someone out here in less than an hour."

“Will you write, son?” his mother asked.

“Of course, and we'll talk on the phone. I want to see your new condo when you get settled in and watch the babes on your beach."

“Not babes, son,” his mother laughed. “Old broads like me. Remember, it's a retirement village."

“You'll never be old to me,” Buzz said and he kissed her on the forehead.

He stood in the yard and watched as they drove away, waving until the car was out of sight. “Hot damn!” he said aloud as he entered the empty living room. “My own bachelor pad at last.” He looked around. “They sure as hell didn't leave much in the way of furniture though."