“Hey, Patty!”
Patty smiled at me and gave a big hug to Camille and Will.
“How long are you guys in Illinois?” Patty asked.
“Our flight leaves Wednesday night,” Camille answered.
I hadn’t noticed that Kristen left me alone until I saw her come back with a couple of paper plates full of food. She handed one to me which had a hamburger and some cole slaw.
“Yum!” I said, attacking the hamburger.
As I was eating, Patty leaned close to me and whispered, “I can see that we will need to talk later.”
I made small talk with Camille, Will, and Patty. I wanted to talk with each one, albeit privately, but the party wasn’t the opportune time for that.
“Where are you guys staying?”
Will answered. “My old room. Mom and Dad said that Cammy can stay in Kristen’s old room if she wants.”
I nodded and finished my hamburger.
I watched people interact around me.
Mr. Proilet was talking animatedly to my parents, and both Daniel and Charlie Swift seemed to have a few comments to make as well. I figured that whatever they were talking about involved me. From the expressions of everybody involved, however, there wasn’t very much disagreement among the five of them.
I turned to tell Kristen about what I had seen, but found that my Goddess had disappeared again. A quick scan of the party didn’t reveal her location.
“Mind if I excuse myself?” I asked my companions.
There didn’t seem to be any objections, although Camille brushed my arm and said, very softly, “I’d like to talk with you later on.” It was the second time a friend told me that.
I nodded at Camille and got up from the table, putting my now empty plate into one of the trash bins that were strategically located all over the yard.
I saw Archy and June standing by Sherry and Lynette, and I moved over to where they were.
“Hey, Oogie! Great party!” Sherry said, giggling.
I smiled at Sherry and asked how everybody was doing.
“Everybody seems great!”
I looked around and saw Roy chatting with Stacy, a member of the chorus, and my sister.
“Hmm, Roy and Stacy. They’d make an interesting couple.”
“Are you kidding?” Sherry asked.
“Huh?” Was there some problem between Roy and Stacy that I didn’t know? I thought that Roy and Stacy got along very well—they both had wonderful singing voices and they were both in the chorus.
Sherry seemed surprised. “You mean you don’t know?”
I gave Sherry an exasperated look. “Nobody tells me anything around here. What’s wrong between Roy and Stacy?”
“Nothing!” Sherry said, still looking surprised that I was missing something.
I thought back to the conversation I had with Roy the other day and suddenly remembered the subject. “Roy and my sister?”
“It’s not that serious,” Sherry said, trying to assure me.
I didn’t know how to take this information. I mean, I had no hold over my sister. I didn’t even live with her anymore. However, I did know that Roy had a relationship with a cheerleader a few months back, even though she already graduated. They were both at the villa during the senior weekend, and it was obvious that their relationship wasn’t entirely platonic…
“Really, Jim,” Sherry said, patting my arm, “it’s not serious. Merry seems amused that Roy seems interested. I think she still thinks of Roy as your best friend. Of course she’s going to be curious. That’s it.”
“If you say so.”
Roy was my friend… probably the closest male friend that I had. Why was I getting these strange feelings?
“Wow!” Sherry breathed, diverting my attention.
I turned to see what Sherry was looking at, and saw Kristen and Lynette emerge from my apartment wearing the skimpiest bikinis I’ve ever seen. The cuts of their suits as well as the material were identical; only the color was different between them. The one Kristen was wearing was black, and Lynette’s was white.
Kristen saw me looking at her and she smiled, and ran over to me, leaving Lynette behind. “Like my suit?”
“Love it, Goddess!”
“Wait until you see Lynette’s after she hits the water!”
Sherry gasped. “That material will become nearly transparent if it gets wet!”
“That’s the idea, Sherry!” Kristen said with a snicker.
“Does Lynette know this?” I asked.
Kristen shrugged as if she didn’t care. “Lynette does what I tell her.”
I nodded, but Sherry was still staring open mouthed at Lynette, who finally reached us.
“Going swimming, Lynette?” I asked, amused by the prospect.
Lynette looked at Kristen, who nodded. “Of course,” Lynette replied.
Kristen said, “You should put on a bathing suit, Jim. I left one out for you on the bed.” She turned to Sherry and added, “Jim can show you where my bathing suits are if you didn’t bring any, Sherry.”
“Um, thanks,” Sherry said.
Kristen took Lynette by the hand and started walking toward the pool.
Without a word, Sherry took my hand and led me back to my apartment.
When we were alone, Sherry said, quietly, “I’m not sure what you did, but the compulsion I had a couple of days ago isn’t as bad.”
I nodded, a bit embarrassed by my behavior the other day.
“Kristen knows about me, doesn’t she?”
“What makes you say that?” I asked guardedly.
“Kris and I talked last night. We were alone in your bedroom.”
Really? “About what?”
“Kris confirmed that she had seen the two of us the other day. She also told me she understands how I feel about you. From the way she said it, she implied that I felt different about you than the way we were just friends a week or two ago. I got embarrassed and that probably confirmed any suspicions she may have had.”
Uh oh…
Sherry continued. “Then Kristen said something that I am still finding hard to believe. She first said that she wanted to thank me for being such a good friend to both of you, and that she realizes that I always had a crush on you. She told me that the future is for the two of you, but that you were very understanding of her needs. She admitted to me that she sleeps with Lynette, but also that she’s slept with Camille, Archy, and Patty. That’s when she told me that if you could let her have her freedom with those people, it would only be fair for her to let you have that same freedom with me.”
I was stunned. “Kristen said that?”
“I tried to tell her that I didn’t want to… and that is when she said whatever I do with you… even on your birthday—and she mentioned that! Whatever I do with you, she said, it has her blessing, as long as I don’t try to interfere with the love between the two of you.”
I had no idea what to say to this. I knew that Kristen had given me permission the other day, but this conversation with Sherry was out of the ordinary!
Sherry added, “I promised Kristen that I wasn’t out to get you anymore.”
Suddenly, I eyed Sherry suspiciously. “Why are you telling me this?”
Sherry stopped walking and looked me straight in the eyes. “Look, Jim. I have this compulsion, and I’m not really sure where it came from. The really eerie part is that I used to be worried about it—I was worried sick! Now, it’s like… it’s like, it’s not a problem. That should worry me, but it… it doesn’t. I’m starting to think that I’m losing my mind… only, it’s like… well… so what else is new? This isn’t like me at all!”