Falling for Your Madness (9 page)

Still no Trey. I texted Mr. Baseball and kept it short.
Where R U? Should I get a table?
I wanted to get out of the cold, but I didn’t like the idea that I had to be the one to think of this. I am a lady, after all.

I decided to give Trey one more minute. If he didn’t show, I would walk back across the Common to Park Street, get back on the Green Line and go home.

But then Trey was there.

“Hey Laura-loo! Am I late? Sorry. You look great. I’m starved. Let’s go in.” He kissed me on the cheek.

I stiffened. What? Not the hand? I wasn’t really sure I liked being kissed on the southern hemisphere of my lovely face. I mean, is he my sweetheart? Or is he my friend? Why am I thinking this? What is wrong with me?

“What’s wrong? Are you mad?”

Yes. No. It didn’t help that there was a disturbing lack of flowers. “I don’t know. I have too much to think about, let’s. …”

Just then, across the street, a black Crown Victoria pulled up. Out of it, with a bandage on his head, came long-legged, tweed-jacketed David. He had a duffle bag and a suitcase in his hands, and he saw me!

“Ah! Laura!” He crossed the street in two strides and came right to me. “Good evening! How lovely to see you. Would you introduce me to your friend?”

I had a hard time finding the right words. “This is Trey Landon. Trey, this is my friend, David Bowles.”

David put down the bag and extended his hand to Trey. “It is a great pleasure to meet you, sir.”

“Nice to meet you too.” Trey took my elbow.

But I wasn’t ready to go. “David, your head. Are you feeling okay?”

“Never better. It’s Saturday night. I’m on my way to fencing.”

“With your shoulder?”

“Remember? I was stabbed on my right shoulder. Fortunately for me, I am left handed. My toe and my concussion will probably hinder me a little, but I will feel immensely better after some exercise.”

Trey pulled at my elbow again. I brushed him off. “Merle told me about your concussion. You had me worried.” I turned to Trey. “Last night we were mugged and --”

“Excuse me for correcting you, Laura; we were
not
mugged. Perhaps it is a point of vanity on my part, but you must understand, the mugger was not successful, so therefore we were
not
mugged.”

“You were
mugged
?” Trey was surprised.

“
Not
mugged.”

“Because David scared him away! You should have seen it. He kicked him in the leg, head-butted him, and punched him in the face. All of that was
after
he got stabbed! It was amazing! The mugger went off running off with a limp.”

David winked at me. “Did he? I don’t remember that part. I
do
remember the sidewalk spinning.”

I caught myself glowing at David. I was still angry with him. And someday perhaps I’d look up Emily Post and find out how a real lady is supposed to handle awkward conversations between a girl, a guy, and another bigger-than-life-lunatic-guy-that-you-can’t-stop-thinking-about-and-yet-you-hope-leaves-you-alone.

David extended his hand to Trey. “Forgive me, I’ve kept you from your meal. This a lovely restaurant, but don’t get the halibut—it’s never lived up to the hype. I must go. Fencing, you know. It is nice to meet you, sir.” He shook Trey’s hand. When he reached for mine, I wanted him to kiss it.

Instead he looked at me, in that warm, tender way that often made me catch my breath. He gently squeezed my hand and let me go. “It’s good to see you again, Laura. Have a good evening.” David turned and walked into the building.

I trembled all over.

“Laura-loo? Are you misty-eyed over Mr. Chuck Norris there? Someone
else
is taking you to dinner.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“So, that’s your
friend
? How long have you known that guy?”

“Let’s see. We had tea, lunch, dinner. Then tea, lunch, and dinner. Two weeks.”
Has it really only been two weeks?

“That’s not friends. You’ve gone out six times in two weeks. He’s really into you.”

“No, we’re just friends. This relationship is very clear. Just friends.”

Trey opened the door and walked in ahead of me. “I could take him.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“Come on, a little confidence in me, will you?”

“He takes Bartitsu and fencing and horseback riding. He’s built.”

“Built? How do you know? You just had
tea, lunch, and dinner.”

“He was stabbed, remember? After the mugging, he came in my house, and we had to take off his shirt to see how bad it was.”

“What an idiot. He should have given the guy his wallet and been done with it.”

“He was
protecting
me. He was very brave.”

“Let’s change the subject.”

I sat down at the table, but I was annoyed with Trey. I looked at him, and I wondered, for the hundredth time, where this relationship was going. Would he ask me out again? Would he call me? I really didn’t like not having control. Who had the power here?

I decided to find out. “I’d like to have your opinion on something. Who do you think has the most power in a relationship, the man or the woman?”

“I don’t like the sound of this. What is this, an ambush? Look, I’m hungry. I want to talk to you about anything but this. Please.”

“No. Please answer the question. You should defer to the lady.”

“Women. Women do. Happy?”

“Why do you say that?”

“I don’t know. All right, then, men do. Let’s order.”

“You have to have reasons.”
Didn’t you do the reading?

“No, I don’t. You’re baiting me. We haven’t seen each other in weeks, and you begged me to call you and find you and get back together, and now we do, and this is what I get for my trouble? A confrontation and a detailed account of how built this David guy is. What do you want?”

I knew what I wanted. I wanted more power. David told me that I had it; I just didn’t know how to use it. I wanted to be treated like a lady.

“You’re right. I apologize for making you uncomfortable.” I really didn’t know what else to do, but taking responsibility wasn’t a bad first step. Dr. David Julius Arthur Bowles is a very good teacher. “Let’s change the subject. And order something. I’m hungry too.”

The rest of the meal was fine. I was quiet and more subdued than I usually am. Trey was nice. He was funny. But he never did ask me about my life, and he interrupted me without realizing it. Right before dessert, he saw someone, I’m assuming a Red Sox player, and they greeted each other and chatted for a minute or so, and he never introduced me.

We finished our meal. Trey paid the tab, and we left. While standing on the sidewalk, in the glow of those romantic street lamps, he said, “So, now. What would you like to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you want to go to my place for a drink?”

“I think I should go home.”

“What? Why?”

Because I have power.
I was beginning to understand. “Because of your plans.”

He was defensive. “All I want to do is go to my place for a drink.”

“What time will you be taking me home?” I tried to ask sweetly, but it did sound a bit like an accusation.

“I don’t know. Whenever.”

I stepped back. “You do know. You’ll take me home when you’re done trying to get me drunk.”

“What? No. I wouldn’t do that.”

“You wouldn’t? You’ve tried it before. And I didn’t like it then.”

“What’s with you? Maybe I did. You didn’t have any objections, if I remember.”

“Well, maybe I’ve decided to object now.” I felt so strong. I felt
so
in control. “Maybe I see myself differently. I don’t think it’s too much to ask to be treated like a lady.”

“I’m taking you to dinner. What else do you want?”

“I told you. To be treated well. I came here on my own dime. You were twenty-two minutes late, and I stood in the cold. You’ve interrupted me repeatedly and never once asked what was going on in my life. You didn’t introduce me to your friend. You didn’t pull out the chair for me or stand when I returned. Then, you have the gall to question my relationship with my friend, David, as if I owe you any explanation at all. Now you want me to be alone with you in your apartment?” I realized that I was shrieking and was probably causing a scene, and it was probably very unbecoming.

“Laura, may I be of assistance?” It was David.
I was so glad to see him. My knight in shining armor.

“Do you think you and Merle could take me home?”

“Is this gentleman bothering you?”

Trey rolled his eyes. “Oh look, it’s tough guy, here to beat me up.”

“No sir, I do not beat anyone up unless the propriety of a lady requires it. Of course, dear, we’ll take you home.”

Trey stepped between us. “Now, wait a second. You’re not getting off that easy. I just bought you dinner.”

David dropped his bag. He shouted, “Sir, are you suggesting that she somehow
owes
you? How ungentlemanly!”

“What is with you? Come on, Laura.
I’ll
take you home if that’s what you want.” Trey took my elbow again, this time a little too roughly.

“Get your hands off me!”

David threw his suitcase on the ground. He raised his voice. “Sir, that is no way to treat a lady.”

“Why don’t you butt out?
Friend
.”

“Oh.” David was immediately calm. “I see.” He looked at me. “Then this gentleman is your sweetheart? You didn’t tell me.” Then he took his eyes away, just a little. He bowed his head to Trey. “If you are her love, then you must know that I behaved in an ungentlemanly way in her apartment last night. I must apologize to you for my abominable actions.”

“What?” Trey looked at me. There was anger in his eyes.

“Oh, David, no! You don’t need to explain that. It’s none of his business.”

“Oh, what
exactly happened,
Laura?” Trey glared at me.

“You need not ask her. Ask me. I am the one to blame.” David placed his arm between me and Trey.

Trey brushed him off and yelled at me. “You are a piece of work. You lecture me about not treating you well and wanting to be a
lady.
But then apparently when there’s a mugging and a
friend
takes off their shirt, the rules change. You’re not a lady.”

David audibly gasped. “You, sir, are out of line! How dare you question the virtue of this flower. This is inexcusable!” He threw down his other bag. “You blackhearted villain! I will not stand for such ungallant and disgusting behavior. I will not stand for it.” He opened his suitcase and removed two fencing swords and handed one to Trey.

Trey was puzzled. “I’ve had it with you, Poindexter.” Trey put the sword down and leaned back to hit David with his fist. “You’re getting out of my way now. I don’t care if you did get lucky with some mugger. You’re going down.” He threw a punch. David blocked it.

“Pick up the blade, you fool.” David handed the sword back to him. “I am bound by the rules of chivalry, both body and soul. I will not fight one who is disadvantaged.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me? You want us to fight with swords?” Trey stepped back. Then he stepped back again.

“It is not a sword, you idiot; it’s a foil. I will do what must be done. A woman’s honor is in question.” He lunged. “
En garde
.”

“Get away from me!” Trey scrambled backward. By now a crowd had formed around us, and I was frozen in place. Part of me wanted them to back down, to stop acting like silly boys, but part of me—maybe it was the part that felt the most like a lady—was so
flattered
that this was happening, I didn’t want it to stop. Then there was the part of me that really, really wanted to see David kick Trey’s ass.