Eric didn’t get the chance to talk to Eunice about Bob’s reporting on Ann’s idea that evening; there was no chance to get alone for the familiar discussions of the day they’d grown used to, especially the past couple of years. When he got right down to it, he didn’t think Eunice would take Ann up on the offer, at least not right away. In a few years, it might be a different story, and perhaps even a wise idea, but the need for it just wasn’t there yet and might not be for some time. But, as he’d told Bob, it was Eunice’s decision, even though he might be allowed to have some input on it.

It was something he needed to talk to Eunice about, and soon, but not right away, so he resolved to not worry about it more than necessary. As he saw it, there was little chance of it happening, at least not soon, and there were other things that needed to be done first, one of them this morning.

Donna and Bradley were due in to the airport in South Bend, and someone had to go pick them up. Since Eunice and Ann had decided that what had been Jeff’s room needed more cleaning and re-arranging to get ready for company, Eric had been delegated to do the pickup chore – he knew the way to the airport, and Bob didn’t.

He didn’t mind getting out of the house for a bit. For the last couple years the opportunities had been rare, and then only for errands like getting groceries. He and Eunice had never left Jeff alone in the house in that time; the only time both he and Eunice were out of the house at the same time they had Jeff with them, usually to make a visit to a doctor or something very similar. For a man who had traveled the world as footloose as he had done, it had seemed very restricting at times, so a routine run to the airport was refreshing.

He wound up taking the Dodge minivan, although Bob had offered to let him take the sport-utility. After all, he was comfortable with the minivan; Eunice had bought it after Jeff’s stroke, since it was much easier for Jeff to get in and out of it when he’d had to go to the doctors or wherever and Jeff’s wheelchair could be easily loaded. Eric still had his car – a twenty-year-old Cutlass Ciera, but he only drove it occasionally, and then more to exercise it a little in case it was needed than he did to go somewhere. Usually if he was going somewhere by himself the last couple of years he took the minivan.

It felt a little strange to be making the trip to pick up Donna, almost a step into the past. He and Donna had spent ten years circling around each other, sniffing at each other, and occasionally in and out of bed together even though things had never come together for them. But then, things had never come together between him and any woman, not for the long term, although there had been plenty of short-term experiences ranging from a couple hours to several months.

One night several years before Eric got to thinking about his career with women; his mind got so muddled he had to get up in the middle of the night and make a list. As far as he could tell – and it was by no means certain – he’d been intimately involved with around forty-three women in his lifetime. It might have been a couple more or less; after all these years he could have had his memory confused a little, and he couldn’t even remember all their names. He was aware that most men would have considered that quite a track record, and he himself felt he had little room to complain.

Most of that had come about because he’d spent some time hanging around places where there was lots of testosterone in the air, places where women were hanging around looking for action more than they were looking for husbands. That wasn’t the case with the canoeing and the alpine mountaineering very much, but there were often young women hangers-on around the places where the big wall climbers congregated and the masculine atmosphere certainly accounted for some of the things that had gone on. It was especially true with the sailing Eric had done with Luke. It hadn’t been so much in the early years when they’d mostly been in the Inside Passage to Alaska on the Hawksbill, but later, when they were out on the Firebee and the Coppermist, they rarely had cause to make a passage without feminine companionship. It was not always the same woman each different passage – and none of them ever showed signs of becoming permanent.

The thing that ran pretty solidly through the whole list was that Eric had never had cause to be very aggressive about his sex life. Even going clear back to Sue McKindrey in high school, things had come about because both partners were more or less hot to trot, and the pieces happened to fit.

But like a lot of things in his life, Donna was the exception to the rule. He probably wouldn’t have been quite so mercenary about putting the squeeze on her a few years later, when his attitudes had evolved, but when it came down he was still a college kid, and he was horny. Jeff and Eunice had pretty well come out and told him, albeit indirectly, that Donna could be manipulated after he’d come back from spending that summer in the east, racing sports cars, sailing with Scott and climbing in the Shawangunks. Given that the chance was there, he’d gone ahead and done it, with no thought of the long-term consequences.

Since Eric and Jeff were no longer eating in the dining hall, there just weren’t the opportunities to get together with Donna that they’d enjoyed the previous year. However, on the Wednesday after their classes got under way for their senior year, they happened to meet up in a hallway between classes.

“Hi, Eric,” she said with a smile. “Eunice told me you had quite a summer.”

“To be honest, better than expected, even if it wasn’t quite what I thought I’d be doing. So how have you been?”

“Not as happy as I could have been,” she replied, obviously trying to be honest. “Eric, I want to apologize to you right up front for the way I acted last spring. I knew at the time it was the wrong thing to do, but I really didn’t want you going away on me.”

“That was really not the Donna I’d come to know and like,” he told her. “I don’t think I’d be lying if I were to tell you I didn’t like the one I saw that last weekend.”

“I know, and I’m truly sorry,” she said. “I wish there was something I could do to make it up to you.”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “I think it’s something we need to talk about, and now isn’t the time or the place. When’s your last class?”

“I have Teaching Reading, and it doesn’t get out until four. My mornings are shot starting next week, since I’ll have practice teaching every morning.”

“Four is all right with me,” he replied. “I’ll tell you what. Why don’t I pick you up this afternoon at four-thirty at your dorm? That’ll give you time to change into something a little cooler. We can go someplace quiet off-campus somewhere, and have a good discussion.”

“I think that’ll work. Look, I’m going to have to hustle to make it to my next class, so I’d better get moving. I’ll see you then.”

When Eric pulled up in the Triumph, which still had masking-tape race numbers from the race at Elkhart Lake stuck to the side, she was waiting outside the dorm lobby in the shade on this still-hot day. She was wearing a white halter-top dress with a pleated skirt, something like Marilyn Monroe had worn in The Seven Year Itch. It was pushing the limits of acceptable for even casual wear around Meriwether College – but after all, they’d be off-campus somewhere.

He was gentleman enough to hold the car door for her, and help her sit down in the low-slung roadster. “Thank you,” she said. “Where are we going, anyway?”

“I really hadn’t made up my mind,” he replied. “You’re over twenty-one now, aren’t you?”

“Yes, since last month.”

“Well, there’s a couple bars not far away, but they’ll start getting busy with the after-work crowd pretty soon. But there’s a dinner place out toward the edge of town that probably won’t be very busy tonight, and if it is it shouldn’t be until be later. Besides, it has air conditioning.”

“You sold me right there,” she grinned. “I’ve been wondering if I’m going to melt the last few days.”

“The weather ought to break pretty soon, and then we’ll complain about how cold it is,” he said as he got into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “So we’d better enjoy this while it lasts.”

It was noisy enough in the roadster with the top down that talking was difficult, and besides, Donna didn’t seem sure what she wanted to say. Fortunately, it was only a couple miles out to the restaurant, and he kept the speed down so her hair wasn’t blown around too badly.

It was definitely cool in the restaurant, almost uncomfortably so as used to the hot weather as she’d gotten. They found a booth in the corner, away from the other customers. “This ought to do for what we have to talk about,” he said. “Would you care for a drink?”

“Do you mean something to drink or a drink drink?”

“I was thinking a beer,” he replied. “But we don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“I could stand a beer,” she smiled. “It sure seems strange to be able to sit down in a restaurant and have one, though.”

“I’ve gotten a little used to it, but it still seems a little strange to me. Do you like any brand in particular?”

“I’ve had Champagne Velvet, it’s not too bad.”

A couple of minutes later they each had a beer setting in front of them; they told the waitress that it was still a little early, and that they’d have to wait and see about dinner. “So,” Donna said as the waitress left, “Eunice says you had quite a summer.”

“It was fun,” he replied neutrally. I did several things I’ve always wanted to do and a few things I never expected I’d get to.” He gave her a brief review of what he’d done over the summer, not lasting more than a few sentences.

“I guess you’re lucky,” she said after his quick summary. “I didn’t do much of anything all summer. The highlight was one day when Jeff and Eunice came over for the afternoon. We went swimming for a while, and then to a dance in the evening. Other than that it was pretty dull. It would have been a lot more fun if you’d been around.”

“I knew I wasn’t going to be around, and you knew it, too, so there’s no reason to try to make me feel guilty about it,” he replied, showing his true feelings for the first time. “If there was any question about my taking off for the summer, you settled it when we went to the race last spring.”

“I know,” she sighed. “I messed that up real bad, Eric. I should have known better. Believe me, I’ve been very sorry for acting the way I did. I want to apologize to you for the way I acted. It wasn’t the right thing for me to do, and I know it. Is there some way we can put it in the past?”

“I don’t want to say yes, and I don’t want to say no,” he said. “Because what happened, happened and neither of us can do anything about it. Now, Donna, if we want we can just be friends, but if we’re really going to get back together the rules are going to have to change a little.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I think you know,” he replied seriously. “Last spring we kept it pretty cool and Meriwether College proper with each other, right?”

“You mean with the dating we did? I tried to keep it pretty low-key, mostly because I didn’t want to set a bad example for Eunice. She was so shy and reserved, well, I didn’t want her to seem threatened.”

“I have to admit that I was doing pretty much the same thing for the same reason. Jeff was, uh, pretty scared of girls, if you know what I mean. Now, I don’t know how much you’ve seen of the two of them, but they’ve moved pretty well past that. I mean, way past anything we did with each other.”

“Eunice has certainly changed,” she agreed. “She seems brighter, happier, prettier, and much less reserved than last spring. I haven’t seen enough of the two of them together to be able to judge, but it seems like they’re getting pretty close.”

“I have seen enough to be able to make a judgment,” he replied. “And yes, they are getting very close. Jeff hasn’t told me the details, but it doesn’t take a math teacher to be able to add two and two. And really, good for them. They both needed each other, and they seem to fit together very well.”

“I wish we were able to do that,” she nodded.

“It would be nice, but it’s not going to happen that way between us. Let’s face it, both of them were pretty naïve when we started going on those movie dates last spring. But they’ve moved beyond that. Way beyond that, in my opinion.”

“Eric, do you think they’re . . . uh, you know what I mean?”

“Jeff has said nothing about it, but it wouldn’t surprise me either way. But that’s their business and not ours. They seem happy with whatever they’re doing, and more power to them. I can’t speak about Eunice as well, but since they’ve been together Jeff has changed a lot. That tells me something good has happened, whatever it is.”

“I’m glad to see it for Eunice, too. She’s been, uh, very shy and reserved most of the time I’ve known her. That’s all changed.”

“Right,” he smiled. “And what that means is that neither you nor I are going to have to act like the good little Meriwether students we tried to be last spring. I think we’re to the point where we can move past that.”

“You’re probably right, but I don’t quite see what you’re trying to say.”

Eric took a sip of his beer, noticing that Donna had still left hers untouched. “Like I said, the rules have changed. The time is past for us to be playing games with each other. For instance, you know I’m not a virgin. My understanding is that you aren’t either.”

“How do you figure that?”

“You’ve hinted about it a couple times. What’s more, you’ve come out and said it to Eunice right in front of Jeff. Am I right?”

“I almost hate to admit it to you, but you’re right. But I haven’t been with anyone since a year ago last summer.”

“Do you miss it? I mean, doing it?”

“Yes, I miss it. I don’t miss the guy I was doing it with, though. You’re saying that you want me to go to bed with you?”

“That would be nice, but more importantly, it’s time we stopped playing games about it, whether we decide to do it or not. Now, again, I don’t know for sure what’s going on between Jeff and Eunice, but you know that a lot of girls hold out until they get an engagement ring, right?”

“Quite a few,” she agreed. “But I don’t know if that’s what’s happening with Jeff and Eunice.”

“Again, without any detailed knowledge, something like that wouldn’t surprise me, but I don’t think that Eunice is being that mercenary about it. If they want to do it, then it’s fine with me. Now that we have the apartment, Jeff and I have an agreement that if one of us wants to spend some time alone with someone the other one of us will get lost for a while. He hasn’t asked me yet, but you know that both of them were up here Saturday night while we were out of town, right? I have no idea of what actually happened, but they had the opportunity.”

“For what’s worth, Eunice seemed pretty happy and perky Sunday morning. I don’t know if that tells me anything, or what. But you seem to be leading up to something.”

“I am, and it was what I said before. You and I are adults. Whatever we do, we don’t really have to worry about setting a good example for them, do we?”

“When you put it that way, I guess not.”

“Good, we can let that one go by the boards and do or not do what we want to without worrying about them, right?”

“I guess,” she said. “You’re suggesting we go to bed, right?”

“That’s up to you. I would be happy if it happens, but it doesn’t have to, either. What we do have to do is to stop playing games with each other, like your holding out for an engagement ring beforehand, because it’s not going to happen, at least anytime soon. Right now, I’m not sure I want to get married soon, to you or anyone. I don’t take promises lightly, Donna, which is why I don’t make them very often, so I like to be pretty darn sure of something before I make a promise. I just can’t make any promise to you, not now, anyway. I’m afraid that’s a take it or leave it. If you want to go on knowing that, fine. If you don’t, we can still be friends, at least for Jeff and Eunice’s sake. Or, if you want, I can take you back to the dorm. It’s your decision, Donna.”

“Oh, hell,” she sighed. “I was pretty sure I was going to have to take you to bed to stand a chance of getting you back.”

“It’s going to be more than that. I don’t want to have to put up with any cute little boy and girl games. We are adults, and the beer sitting in front of you ought to prove it. If we want to have fun like adults, we can. But don’t go getting the idea that if you take me to bed there’s a ring in the future. There might be, and there might not.”

Donna thought quickly. Eric was pretty negative about the idea of doing anything permanent, but at least held the door open to the possibility sometime in the future. Right, now, it seemed to her that she was going to have to do it his way if she even wanted to work toward the possibility of them having a future together. “I suppose,” she said finally.

“One other thing,” he added. “When we’re together, when we’re a couple, as far as I’m concerned, we’re together. I won’t go hunting around for someone else, if you get my drift. However, I’m not going to extract the same promise out of you.”

“What?” she frowned. “That doesn’t make sense!”

“It does from my viewpoint,” he said. “Look, I just told you that if we have a long range future, it’s not going to be soon if it happens at all. There’s a good chance I’ll be taking off next summer like I did last year, and if I do I won’t have to be back for classes. I want to leave you the doorway to find a better deal if you can. If you can find one, more power and my best wishes to you.”

“Eric, you’re strange. Do you know that?”

“It’s very likely,” he grinned. “Now, while we are together, I at least want you to be open to doing some things I like to do, or at least not standing in my way.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I guess this is where we find out how apologetic you are. You don’t have any classes on Friday, right?”

“Not this week, but like I said, I’ll be practice teaching next week.”

“All right,” he grinned. “I guess this is your chance to make up for the way you acted at the race back in May. They’re having their big season-ending weekend over at Waterford Hills this weekend. Practice is on Friday, qualifying and heats on Saturday, and finals on Sunday. I’ll pick you up at the dorm early on Friday, and we can spend the weekend together. Dress nicely, too. Last spring you not only acted low class, you dressed like it, too.”

“Umm, I guess,” she sighed. She knew she was going to have to say yes if she were to stand a chance with Eric at all. “Just tell me we’re not going to have to camp out all weekend. It’s hard for me to look sexy without a good bathroom.”

“I’m willing to concede you a motel room,” he grinned. “They usually come equipped with bathrooms. Beds, too, you know.”

It was good that their motel room came with a bed, because they’d used it – and they’d used it a lot that weekend, along with doing a considerable amount of drinking. Eric had seen some wild times in his life, but this had been one of the more memorable ones. Donna had at least tolerated the racing, while not seeming excessively enthusiastic about it – but at least there hadn’t been any snide comments about it this time. From what Eric had seen, she’d enjoyed the time in bed; it may have been the best part of the weekend for her.

That wasn’t the last time for them, either. They’d had an equally wild weekend at a sports car race in Ohio a couple weeks later, and after that Jeff had been pretty good about clearing out of the apartment to make room for them. Several times Jeff and Eunice drove the Nash home for the weekend so Eric and Donna could have some good times.

All that had come to an end – or at least, so he had thought – when he got drafted and went off to the Army after graduation. Donna had thought she’d gotten her hooks into him pretty well, and with Jeff and Eunice getting married it had been no trick to see that she had wedding bells in her mind, as well. Eric wasn’t sure he wanted that – in fact, was pretty sure he didn’t – so the draft notice had come as a welcome excuse to break things up. That had not been a pretty scene, and he didn’t like the memory of it, but he knew he could leave for the Army with at least a partly clear conscience.

Jeff and Eunice’s letters about Donna’s subsequent romance with Frank, and her marriage, relieved him of lingering doubts and might-have-beens, although they came back in force once he realized just how lousy the marriage had been. He didn’t actually see Donna again until after he’d come back from that first summer climbing in Yosemite with Chip and meeting Luke; he was back to living in the guest cottage when she showed up to stay with Jeff and Eunice for a few days over the holidays.

Things had been a little awkward at that first re-meeting; Donna was clearly in a mood to make up for whatever her mistake had been in losing him, and he could see it – it was written all over her. For himself, by then he’d had more than a little time to develop his life style; he’d learned to like being free, to not have a family or those kinds of responsibilities, to be able to consider taking off for a summer or longer. In the last days before driving the VW back to Michigan, he, Chip, and Luke had been enthusiastic about their plans for the following summer. They intended to get together in April and take off. He certainly didn’t want to mess that up by getting involved with Donna again.

But one night, out in the guest cottage, the animal desires and the old times had taken over both of them. They’d agreed – Donna however reluctantly – that whatever they did had no reason to have long-term consequences. It had made for a few memorable nights, not many of them, but a few, and it had continued that way over the holidays for them for several years, until that final summer before Donna had gotten serious about Trent – God, forty-five years ago, he realized! When that had happened, Eric was at least a little bit relieved; although he hadn’t met the man yet, it hadn’t seemed that he could be anything like the jerk Frank had been.

After Donna married Trent, she and Eric had remained friends – but just friends, ones who didn’t meet very often. Sometimes two or three years would go by before they happened to all be at Jeff and Eunice’s for an afternoon. In those years, Eric could still detect that there was a little fire burning in her for him, in spite of having a very good and close marriage, and two kids with Trent.

After both Donna and Trent retired from Lansing Southwestern and moved to Florida, the relationship became even more distant, even though Eric was living more or less full time at Blue Lake with Eric and Eunice by then. Neither Trent nor Donna had any relatives living in Michigan they wanted to visit; they were either dead or too distant by then. Jeff and Eunice, and he, for that matter, had been about her only interests left in the state, and for one reason or another the couple didn’t make it there very often. In fact, the last time Eric had seen Donna had been about five years before, at Trent’s funeral.

So it was just as a friend looking forward to seeing an old friend he hadn’t seen in far too long when Eric parked Eunice’s minivan at the airport and went into the baggage claim to look for Bradley’s and Donna’s luggage.

Brad was easily recognizable among the handful of people in the baggage claim area; the South Bend airport was not large and apparently the flight had only unloaded a handful of people, anyway. It had been a couple years since Eric had seen him and he’d grown and matured some in that time, as well he should have; he was a college senior now, looking to graduate in only a little over two months.

Even though it had been years, Donna was also easily recognized – still tallish, still slender, still not bad looking considering her age of seventy-five, within a month or so of his own age. “Donna,” he said as he walked up to her. “It’s good to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you, too,” she smiled, after giving him a brief hug. “It’s been a long time, Eric, and I’ve missed you a lot.”

“I’ve missed you too,” he smiled. “It’s too bad we’ve both let the years get away from us.”

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