The Arcturus Man (13 page)

get a fantasy and I get a yeast infection,” said Jenny.
“Ever read Ayn Rand?” he asked.
“Yea, you mean Ann Rand, right?”
“No, I mean Ayn Rand. She was Russian.”
“I didn’t know that. What about her?” she asked.
“She wrote a book called
The Virtue of Selfishness: A New Concept of Egoism
. In

fact, that theme carries through all of her novels.
Epistemologically speaking, she defined selfishness to mean acts that aren’t at the expense of anyone else but benefit the
person being selfish. And, when one person is benefited, it eventually benefits everyone
around that person,” said Jared.

“You’re missing the point. When I’m selfish, you eventually benefit from it,” he
said.
He leaned over and started reaching for her. She smacked his hand away.
“I’m driving. Stop it!” she said. “And how long before my benefits start?”
She broke the intellectual mood and he ruined the sensual mood.
That annoyed
Jared. Her short attention span got on his nerves. It was happening often now.
“If you keep fooling with the vents, you’re going to break them. They’re just plastic. Did you ever hear the story of the princess and the pea…you know, the pea under her
mattress?”
“Yes, I know the fairy tale. Are you trying to make a point?” asked Jenny.
“Well then, I guess you know the point.”
“Ok, I am very sensitive to temperature changes.”
“Who would have guessed!”
Jenny noticed that Jared kept looking back through the rear window from time to
time. She glanced at the rear view mirror.
“What is it? Is there a cop?”
“No. It’s nothing.”
Someone was watching them again. “
Is Smolenskiy back?”
he thought. He knew
he had to do something about that guy. This was getting tiresome.
“What?”
“I said, nothing,” said Jared.
“OK, be that way.”
Jenny kept adjusting the sun visor each time the car turned into or away from the
sun.
“You know how the sun visor in your SUV keeps annoyingly flopping down?
I
think I have a cause and effect explanation for you. Please stop adjusting it.”
Jenny ignored him.
“
He keeps picking on petty things
,” she thought. She wasn’t
going to make it easy for him. She wanted her panties back.
“Scarborough should be just a few miles away,” she said.
“Yes, another two miles.
You know we could have stayed on 95 and saved a lot
of time,” he said. The roadmap was in his head—every detail.
“That’s so boring. I think highway 1 is so much more interesting,” she said.
“Interesting? You think all those traffic lights are interesting. You’re very easy to
please.”
“Hush, I’m driving. The driver gets to choose,” said Jenny.
Jenny turned at Scarborough and went on Route 207.
“This doesn’t look right. Check the map, hun.”
“It’s right,” he said.
“Something is not right. Check the map,” she said.
“Don’t be stupid. I’ll tell you where to turn,” said Jared.
“I don’t like being called Stupid.”
“Then don’t talk stupid,” said Jared.
That stung.
Jenny gave him her dagger eyes. She knew it was stupid.
Still, he
was hurtful.
“Are we almost there?” asked Jenny.
She didn’t want another argument with
Jared.
“It’s not far. Just look for Two Lights Road,” he said.
Jenny’s cell phone started to play Beethoven’s Fifth.
She reached down to the
center console and pulled it from her purse. She looked at the Caller ID. It was her mother.
“Hi, Mom.”
“You haven’t called me in a week Jenny.”
“I know. I’m sorry, but this isn’t a good time either. I’m driving. Can I call you
back?”
“That’s all I hear from you and your sister. Lars is the only one who calls me.”
“I’m sorry, I’ll call. I promise.”
“OK. Call!” She hung up.
Jenny turned off the phone.
The tidal marshes were on both sides of them now. It wasn’t long before the lighthouses peaked above the tree line. Jenny saw the Lobster Shack and pulled into the lower gravel parking lot. She glanced at license plates from all the neighboring states as she
looked for a place to park. She had been here before, but that was quite some time ago. It
was always crowded.
She parked between a red pickup and a customized van.
The pickup was from
Maine. The van was from Massachusetts. It was a tight fit. She opened the door carefully
so she wouldn’t hit the van with her door. Jared didn’t want any scratches on his Lexus.
She squeezed out of the car. She took the key fob and beeped the car locked.
Jared didn’t wait for her. He was far ahead already climbing the stone steps to the
top of the small rise where the Lobster Shack stood. Jenny ran and caught up with him.
She knew that Jared hated lines.
She hoped he wouldn’t make a scene.
The line started
outside the screen door that led to the counter where you could place your order.
Jared
didn’t look happy.
“The line seems to be moving pretty fast,” she said.
“Pretty refers to a state of attractiveness. Your use is a colloquialism. You mean
very fast, don’t you? You’re a doctoral candidate, Jenny. Talk like you have an education.”
“Yes, very fast,” she said.
Jared folded his arms across his chest.
It was his body language to let everyone
know around him that he was peeved.
She knew he despised small talk when he was
pissed so she stayed silent.
The line moved slowly, not fast.
When they finally got
through the screen door, a very heavy-set woman and her much older husband were reading the menu posted on the overhang above the counter.
Jared thought they looked foolish in their garish beachwear. They both had pasty white skin. They hadn’t seen the sun
in years.
People like that shouldn’t wear shorts and sleeveless shirts.
The harried waitress was patiently answering their never-ending questions in an annoying, droning monotone. Jared had enough.
“Pick something, lady,” he said.
“I beg your pardon,” said the Lady.
“You don’t have my pardon. Pick something.
There are a lot of people in line
waiting for you to make up your freaking mind.”
The old lady was in shock.
Jenny bumped her elbow in Jared’s side. She did her dagger eyes again.
The fat woman wouldn’t look at Jared after that.
She did order, however.
She
really wasn’t ready, but she did order. She paid the cashier and took a number. They both
walked outside quickly.
Their number would be called on the loudspeaker when it was
ready. She wanted to get away from Jared.
“Two lobster rolls and two ice teas, no sugar,” said Jared.
“Anything else?” asked the waitress.
“No. That’s it.”
They walked outside.
Jenny steered Jared away from the fat lady.
All of the
tables with umbrellas were taken. They had to sit at a small picnic table in the sun.
“Jared, you’ve been mean most of the day?”
“I know I have. Sorry”
He has behaving badly but seemed to be unable to stop it.
Acting ordinary was
taking its toll on him.
He needed an adrenaline fix. If he didn’t get it, the migraines
would start soon and his temple will explode.
“Is something bothering you. Why are you in such a bad mood? I thought that this
would be a really nice day,” she said.
“No excuses. It is a nice day. It will be. I promise,” said Jared.
“Apology accepted. And, don’t call me stupid. That’s hurtful.”
“I’m sorry.
I didn’t call you stupid.
I asked you to not act stupid.
It’s not the
same thing. You know that. It is just a way of speaking,” he said.
Jenny leaned forward and gave Jared a peck on the cheek.
“If you stay on your best behavior, there might be more of that later,” said Jenny.
In the short time that they’ve been together, Jenny had seen this before. Jared was
able to make instantaneous personality and behavior reversals.
That was good, but it
would be so much better if it wasn’t necessary or at least happened less often. And there
were other things. Their right rear tire had a blowout just as they left the Boston city limits. Jared said that steel belted tires rarely blew out.
He thought someone had tampered
with the tire.
“Was he paranoid? Was Jared a manic-depressive?
What did they call that
now?”
She wondered?
“Oh yes, bi-polar disorder.
Whatever!”
She didn’t have an answer. So many questions and so few answers. It frustrated her.
“Ninety-two. Ninety-two.” A voice called out from the loudspeaker.
“I’ll get it. If you see a table in the shade, grab it,” said Jared.
Jared walked back to the restaurant and minutes later came out carrying a tray
with their order. None of the tables in the shade were free.
“Follow me.” Jared walked off the outside seating area and climbed down to the
rocky shoreline.
The tide was coming in and the waves were breaking on the massive
stone monoliths that lined the shore.
Pools of seawater were forming between the huge
rocks.
Jared found a massive rock that was fairly flat and had a ledge that was just the
right height for a seat. They were far enough away from the crowds that there was just a
little bit of privacy.
The sound of the breaking waves drowned out the mindless babble
of the tourists. Jared focused on not sensing them. The wind was blowing in from the
ocean. Jenny’s blond hair was flowing in the wind. The late afternoon sun gave it a golden shimmer.
“Isn’t this beautiful,” said Jenny.
“It’s very beautiful and you’re gorgeous.”
“Now see. That was very nice and it wasn’t that hard, was it?”
Jared smiled and moved closer to Jenny.
Jenny did so many things that Jared
would never do.
them in the air.
He loved her for that.
She broke small pieces from her bun and threw
Sea gulls snatched them in mid-arc.
Soon dozens of sea gulls were
swooping around them. Jenny laughed as more and more gulls circled them.
“I feel like Tippi Hedren.”
“Yes, it is getting ominous.”
Jared was laughing too.
He would never have fed the gulls.
They were nasty
birds. But Jenny made this a nice moment. She made him happy.
“The rolls are really good, aren’t they?”
“It’s scrumptious eatin.
Wicked good,” said Jared in his perfect Maine accent.
Jenny laughed again. Jared was being nice again. She loved him so much.
Several children were playing in the rocks below them. Their little spot wasn’t as
private as they had hoped for. Jared didn’t like children. They were always loud and annoying.
He ignored them.
He put the paper carrier holding his lobster roll on the ledge
and kissed Jenny. It was a hard, long kiss. She broke out laughing after he released her.
“My mouth was full,” she said.
“Most people don’t try to swallow the entire roll,” he said.
She laughed even harder. She did have a habit of taking big bites.
“Ok, you want to try it again. I just swallowed,” said Jenny.
He was grinning but this time it was a deep passionate kiss. He backed away
slightly and looked into her eyes. He ran is mouth along the edges of her lips and kissed
her again. He brushed his lips along the nape of her neck and below her ear. She closed
her eyes. She opened her eyes and smiled. This moment needed no words. His hand went
down to the hem of her skirt.
Jared turned his head.
Three children, all under the age of seven or eight, were
standing just a few feet away.
“Time to go,” said Jared.
At least for this moment, she didn’t like children either.
Jared picked up all of their napkins, plastic cups, and paper carriers and put everything on the tray. They climbed back up the rocks and found a trash receptacle. Jenny ‘s
skirt was short. Climbing was awkward. When they got to the picnic tables she turned to
him.
“This was nice. I’m glad we came here,” she said.
“Too many people,”
“Well, in that case you’re really going to hate Old Beach Orchard. You been there
before?” asked Jenny.
“Yes. I have.
This wasn’t very much to eat.
You want anything else? You can
eat in the car,” he said.
“Heck no.
I want to save some space for the junk food.
I could really go for a
slice of beach pizza right now,” said Jenny.
“Then let’s go.”
They walked down the stone stairs to the parking lot.
This time Jared walked
with Jenny.
She held his hand as they walked down.
Jenny was happy that the other
Jared was back. She didn’t like the mean and paranoid Jared.
“You drive, OK?” asked Jenny.
“Sure.”
“Can I have my underwear back?” she asked.
“Later,” he said.
She rolled her eyes.
They drove back to Route 1 and then got on Route 98. Old Orchard Beach wasn’t
very far away. It was popular with locals and tourists. It had a board walk, carnival rides
and games, but most importantly of all for Jenny, every kind of beach food you could imagine.
Old Orchard Street was jammed with cars. The traffic barely moved in the center
of town. The area was heavily patrolled by the police department.
There was a cop at
every heavy intersection as herds of people mingled through the long lines of cars trying
to work their way through the crowds. Stalls of vendors of every kind lined Old Orchard
Street and Grant Avenue, spilling into the side streets. The side streets weren’t that bad
and once you got a few more blocks away, it wasn’t bad at all.
Drunk and staggering college kids were everywhere, as well as small gangs of the
local blue collar kids. The sidewalks were packed, shoulder to shoulder.
The sun was
setting and the mosquitoes were already out. It was paradise for the blood suckers. Jared
instantly hated Old Orchard Beach, but Jenny looked so happy that he kept his feelings to
himself.
All of the pay lots and metered spaces were full. They found some parking far out
on School Street. The street was lined with houses tightly packed together.
Jared knew
that people get nervous when strangers park in front of their home so he kept driving to
find a place to park that was away from homes. He didn’t care what these locals worried
about. He just didn’t want to risk getting his car towed and he had ulterior motives—it
was a great place to have car sex.
He found that the Central Maine Power Company had an electrical substation
where the street dead-ended. The substation was protected by a seven-foot chain link
fence and gate, topped with barbed wire.
On the left side was a towering embankment
that went up at least twenty feet. There were more homes on top but the area below and
around the substation was overgrown with scrub brush.
It was an isolated spot. It was
perfect.
“We can come back here later and neck, woman,” he said.
“Depends on how many cupie dolls you win for me macho man.”
Jared noticed that a man was camping in the bushes inside of the substation plot,
not far from their car. His ulterior motives evaporated. The derelict had strung a plastic
tarp between the branches of a tree and the chain-link fence to form a shelter. Some kind
of wire carrier on wheels was parked under the tree on the outside. It looked like it had
been a shopping cart. He noticed that there was enough slack in the chain that was supposed to lock the gate that a thin person could squeeze through.
This was a homeless
camp. There were signs that others had or were camping inside the substation. The derelict had staked out the prime location. An army blanket was his bed. The small area beneath the tarp was littered by plastic bags and bottles.
He smiled as soon as he noticed
Jared and Jenny. He smelled like a privy. His beard was caked with something that might
have been food at one time. The smile exaggerated his crooked yellow teeth. He slipped
through the gap in the fence gate and walked over to their car.
Jared rolled down the
window.