Men in Her Life

The taxi driver's front door opens and the driver stands up long enough to ask, "Marva Preston?"

She answers, "Yes," as she opens the back door and climbs into the car, falling back against the seat and closing her eyes as the car begins to move, panting from the terror of the last few minutes and the rush down the stairs. She hears the driver saying something to his dispatcher, about a package onboard, while Marva's breathing slows. When her breathing is near normal, Marva swallows painfully and gives the driver her address, to which he responds, "Sorry Miss, the fare is paid to 1303 Adams Parkway. You can do what you want after I get you there."

"Oh, okay," she answers as she bends over, looking for her socks. Only finding one stuffed in her shoes, she puts it in her pocket, pulls the shoes on her bare feet and ties the laces.

At the destination, the taxi driver pulls into a long circular driveway, stopping beside a man who opens the back door and offers Marva a hand.

Charles Tester is a tall man, in his mid thirties, with broad shoulders and muscular arms. Not really slender, he is trim, has good upper body strength, perhaps from exercise, or more likely from work. To most people he is somewhat larger than average. To Marva, he is huge. He has brown hair and because he spends a lot of time outdoors, his hair often appears to be almost blonde by the end of a hot summer. He has deep set dark eyes, dark lashes and dark brows. Early in the day he develops a five o'clock shadow. Almost everyone notices his hands, they are large, long fingered, and broad, as if he could pick up a basketball with one hand and easily throw it from one end of the court to the other and in fact did that often when he was in school.

"Mister Tester?" Marva asks, in confusion, as she accepts his help from the taxi, not really understanding what is going on.

"Just a minute," he responds, leaning into the front window to give the driver some money, then he takes Marva's arm, leading her up a short flight of brick steps, and into the front door of a large rambling house with very high ceilings.

She stops inside the front door, pulling against the man's hand on her arm. "Please," she asks. "Tell me what I'm doing here." She swallows painfully, feeling the pain in her twice tortured throat. She knows this man, not personally, but he is a client of her employer and she has seen, and spoken, to him on many occasions in the last few years. She also talked to him at least five or six times the previous night.

"It's alright. Something happened, I don't know what, but maybe you can tell me while we have breakfast. I think you need to put something in your stomach." He answers, releasing her arm, holding out his hand, to indicate she should precede him down the hall toward the back of the house.

She turns and walks down the hall, looking behind her a couple of times to see that the man is following. At the end of the hall, she turns into a kitchen, seeing him walk around her to hold a chair, indicating she should be seated. He moves to another chair to her right and joins her, pouring coffee into her cup and telling her to eat her breakfast.

The man watches as Marva winces when she swallows the first taste of her coffee and looks at the orange juice before giving a slight shake of her head.

After a few bites of the food, the man asks, "Can you talk now?"

Marva nods her head and looks down at her lap, knowing she is blushing, but unable to do anything about it. "I ah ... you know I had this party ...." She stammers as she talks, or stops talking a moment, to take another bite of softly scrambled eggs. Slowly the story comes out, with the encouragement of Charles Tester, who finally convinces Marva to call him Charles, instead of Mister Tester, although Marva objects, stating he is a valued client of her boss and calling him Charles is uncomfortable for her. He compromises and suggests if she is so inclined, she can continue to use Mister Tester when he appears for a meeting with Marva's boss or when she relays a message to her boss that he should return Mister Tester's call, otherwise, he would very much like to be known to her as Charles.

Although she has no difficulty describing the party, she does have difficulty when she must mention how she had to move about her brother's apartment to find a quiet place to take his calls. Several times finding the bedroom doors locked and once seeing a half naked couple on the bed, when one or the other of the room's occupants failed to lock the door. Charles shares her laughter, his more robust than Marva's, at how the alcohol loosened morals of the party participants led them to lower their normal restraint. Marva mentions a few of the gifts, blushing about how much laughter there was from the crowd. She manages to tell about one blonde woman in particular, who took three different men, along with a different flavored condom each time, to Bryan's bedroom, because he has a waterbed. The woman was laughing as she moved down the hallway, saying the bed would do half his work for him.

Her speech stumbles even more when she describes waking up earlier, to find David in bed with her. Charles asks several questions about David, suggesting David's attention is perhaps unwarranted and might even be considered as a violation.

"Gawd, what a mess I made of last night. No, it was not rape, but I didn't expect what I got, either." She does not stint on her own blame when David kissed her in the hallway, nor when he pulled her into the recently vacated bedroom.

Charles looks at her embarrassment and asks, "I'm not a lawyer, but I guess if I was, I would want to know if you responded to his kisses?"

Marva chuckles and admits, "I'm sure I did in the hall. When he took me into the bedroom, I didn't want to end up on that bed, so I resisted. But he was comfortable going back to the party. In fact I think he suggested it."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Charles tells her.

Marva shakes her head, "Well, that was last night. I don't know how he ... this morning when he ... I don't think I did anything to indicate I was interested in ... I have never ... I'm not sure, well, I am sure I didn't say anything that would give him a clue I would ...." She just cannot tell this man any of the real details.

Now that she has stopped shaking, Charles asks a few questions. "I think you answered my call while you were in the bathroom?" Marva nods, continuing to look at him. He also inquires, "I think I heard you vomit?" She nods again, but doesn't offer any information. "Is that because you had too much to drink the night before?"

This question, she answers, "Oh no, I don't, well, I seldom drink. I think I had some orange juice, but that's all, except for a glass of ginger ale."

Charles does not understand, "Then why did you vomit? That's what you were doing, weren't you?"

Marva, disarmed by the questions about her drink begins to answer, "Oh, it wasn't because of last night, it was because this morning he...." She stops suddenly, not able to use the words she knows, but does not say.

"Marva, what happened this morning?" Charles asks, beginning to get an idea, but wanting her to tell him.

She drops her chin and lowers her voice, "When I woke up, his face was between ... and then he came up to my face and I couldn't stop him from ..., I was choking ... please Charles, I can't do this."

Suddenly understanding, Charles asks, "When you woke up, he was between your legs, giving you oral sex? I can't use any less offensive words."

Marva whispers, "Yes."

"Good god, that bastard. He raped your mouth? Is that what happened, Marva? He came up to your face and raped you, climaxed in your mouth and that's what caused you to vomit?"

Marva nods, a tear escaping from each eye as she looks toward the hall she walked only a few minutes earlier. She brightens, straightens her posture, and turns to Charles. "I sincerely thank you for rescuing me this morning. I was so ... I was ... well, I couldn't think about anything, but getting out of there." She looks around her for a moment, for the first time noticing his neat kitchen and cheerful breakfast area. "If I might impose on you further, I need a little help. Before the party, I locked my wallet in the trunk of my sister's car and then I gave her the keys. I need a ride to our apartment so I can get the keys and go back to Bryan's apartment to drive her car home."

"I don't think so." Charles is adamant. "I'm not sure I could live with myself if I let you go back there."

"I don't think he ... he's my brother's friend, I really don't think ... he just had too much to drink." The look of distaste on Marva's face is obvious. She has no interest in seeing David again. She finally adds, "I'm not going upstairs, I just need to get the car."

"Alright, come on," he says, standing to walk toward the door beside the table, just as his telephone rings. Charles turns to look at the telephone on the wall, rolling his eyes up and folding his arms across his chest.

Marva looks at Charles and then at the ringing telephone, which he does not cross the room to answer. He gives a soft chuckle, and says, "Come on, take a message."

As the last word is out of his mouth, Marva hears clicks to indicate the built in answering machine is playing the recording. A few seconds later a feminine voice, using neat clipped King's English tones says, "Charles, I shall arrive near noon. Please do not bother with the airport, I shall order a limo. I expect some quality time with you this week-end. Ta-ta dah'ling," followed by a click to indicate the caller has disconnected the call.

Charles opens the door to the garage, and holds it open for Marva. The only sound he makes regarding the telephone message is a deep throated, wordless, "Humph."

- - -

Collapsing on the couch, with wet hair and fresh from a shower, Marva finally finds time to ask Karen about her evening with Cynthia.

Karen throws her hands up in the air and gives a mock wail, "I don't know. I just don't know. When we are together, we enjoy each other. I don't mean just the sex or affection part. We have good discussions. I mean we can really communicate. But when there is anyone else around, she clams up, like she's trying to hide."

Marva looks at her older sister and asks, "Well, is she?"

"Is she what?" Karen asks in exasperation.

"Trying to hide? Is she trying to hide that she is not interested in men," Marva asks, still not sure of what words to use to describe her sister's romantic and personal lifestyle.

"You're as bad as Cynthia," Karen almost screams. "To us, lesbian is not a dirty word. Good lord, Cynthia has known since before she was a teenager that she is a lesbian. Alright, don't turn your lip up at me. I'll use the word gay, alright?"

Trying to placate Karen, or at least keep her from erupting again, Marva says, "She may have known for a long time, but she may not be as willing to flaunt it as you do."

Karen turns and sneers at Marva, "Are you saying I'm too bold about my sexual preferences?"

Marva nods, "Yes, you are. I'm comfortable with you, but not everyone else is. People don't want you to shove it down their throat and you delight in doing that. Karen, you are like a steak eater trying to force feed your choice down the throat of a vegetarian. Most people don't mind being around gay people, they just don't want to be forced to accept them, and you do that. In fact you delight in it. Maybe you embarrass Cynthia."

"How do you know so much, smarty pants?" Karen teases her younger sister.

Marva explains, "I watch. I'm not the life of the party. I'm one of those people in the background, staying out of the way. I see the way people react. Sometimes when you say something, Cynthia cringes. She's uncomfortable when you stand with your arm around her. She doesn't mind being with you, but she doesn't like you to be possessive. She may not leave your side, but she does take half a step away from you."

Amazed at Marva's observations, Karen asks, "Are you serious?"

The younger woman nods her head. "Yes, very serious. When there are only straight people around, she is subdued. When she is with you, and there are other gay people around, she is much more open."

"Wow!" Karen exclaims, "I need to watch myself then, don't I?" She looks down for a moment, and then says, "I love her, Marva. I think she is the first woman I have ever been with that makes me feel really good about myself."

"Alright then," Marva explains. "If you plan on something permanent or at least long term, you have to let her manage her own "presence," if you understand what I'm saying."

"I think I do. Yeah, I think I understand. Thanks." Before Karen can walk across the room heading toward her bedroom, she stops to say that their brother, Bryan called to remind her that he and David will pick her up for dinner a little after seven o'clock.

Instantly, Marva is out of her chair, almost yelling, "I am not going out with that man."

Not sure why Marva is acting as she is, Karen says, "You have to. It's a double date. Bryan finally convinced Elizabeth to talk to him. The only way he could get her to agree to see him, is if it's a double date." Karen stops talking for a moment and turns away, but turns back to add, "It's important to him. I think Bryan wants to propose to her. I talked to her for an hour trying to get her to go to the party, but she was afraid he is still angry with her."

Just as Karen had done, Marva throws her hands in the air, "Why is it that I'm always surrounded by couples and I can't even find a man of my own?"

Karen looks at Marva and grins, "It's because you are a prude. A man wants a lady in the parlor, a Madonna for his children, and a whore in his bedroom. I don't know about the Madonna part. You are definitely a lady, but you will never be a whore."

"This is ridiculous. Karen, David Wells is a letch. He is not the kind of man I want in my life," Marva says, tears forming in her eyes as she turns and walks to her own bedroom.

Karen's voice follows her, "That may be so, but Bryan is depending on you to help him tonight. So, be a good girl and wear something sexy that will keep David's attention, so Bryan can have a chance to explain things to Elizabeth."

Shaking her head, Marva walks to her closet and opens the door, just standing there, wishing she did not need to do this tonight.

And she would not do it, except that it is for Bryan. He has been miserable for over two weeks. He and Elizabeth had some kind of major argument, but he will not say what the argument was about. Two days in a row, he missed work. His secretary, Cynthia, called his apartment, but he didn't answer. She finally called Marva to see if he was sick or if Marva knew why he missed work. Cynthia's break-up with Karen was so recent that the woman was uncomfortable calling her former lover. Marva went by Bryan's apartment and discovered he was just sitting on the couch, hadn't eaten all day, had not shaved in several days, and needed a shower. He explained that he loved Elizabeth, wanted to marry her, and feared his refusal of going back to work for her boss was preventing her from answering his phone calls. Marva knows from the way he talks about the argument, that there is another, more important, reason, but Bryan does not reveal anything further.

- - -

When she answers the doorbell, David steps into the apartment, puts his arms around her, and kisses her deeply. "Hello gorgeous. You shouldn't have left this morning. I was just getting warmed up."

Marva pushes against him and he lets her go, apologizing for messing up her lipstick, but adding that he'd rather have her lipstick somewhere else on his body, rather than his mouth. Marva's only comment, after a deep blush, is a simple, "No thanks." David laughs and grabs her hand, almost dragging her to the elevator, saying he doesn't expect her to wear lipstick the next time he gets her in a bed, anyway.

With a silent sigh of relief, she notices Elizabeth is sitting in the back seat of Bryan's car, giving the two girls the opportunity to talk with each other on their way to the restaurant. Elizabeth admires Marva dress and even asks her to turn around so she can see there is no zipper in the back. The stretch jersey material means Marva can make the dress in a few hours and plans on at least one more, in another color. Elizabeth asks if Marva will make one for her, if she buys the material and pays her for her time. It is a good style and easy to care for.

Marva and Elizabeth have known each other for years, in fact before Bryan started dating her. They lived less than a block from each other before Marva started school and went to school together, although not in the same grade. Elizabeth's younger sister, Callie, and Marva are close friends, had lots of sleepovers at each other's houses, and still see each other as often as they can.

After a few blocks, Elizabeth leans over to say, "Callie says she knows the perfect man for you."

"Good lord," Marva exclaims, "How many people know about this man, before I even have a chance to meet him."

"He's our cousin," Elizabeth explains and leans back to laugh at the expression on Marva's face. "I think she may be right. You are going to fall head over heels in love with Charlie."

Marva tries to slow Elizabeth down a little, "Maybe we should wait for this Charlie to decide for himself."

Elizabeth squeezes Marva's hand. "Hey, men don't get serious about a woman until she lets him know he is allowed to be serious." She leans a little closer to whisper, "Get him in bed, get his attention, and then he will get serious. It works every time." She nods at Bryan in the front seat and raises her eyebrows at David, and then laughs at the expression on Marva's face. "Oh well, maybe he can dance," as if the whole evening won't be a waste. If Marva is not interested in taking her date to bed, she won't have wasted an entire evening if her date knows how to dance.

The two couples spend an hour in the bar, waiting for their table. Bryan called for reservations, but the restaurant is busy tonight and they seem to be short of staff. Clearing tables and resetting the service takes longer than expected. During that hour, David flirts with both women, with Elizabeth often responding to his flirtatious remarks with one of her own. At first Bryan laughs with everyone else, but he is soon sending scowling looks to David, trying to get him to tone down his remarks. David either misinterprets Bryan's look or is tempting the tiger, wanting to see how far Bryan will let him go.

By the time their meal is over, David has danced a long slow waltz with Marva, holding her a little closer than she likes, and taken Elizabeth to the dance floor twice. Bryan is sulking and unhappy. Marva leans over the table and suggests, "Bryan, take her home. Give David your keys and tell him you will see him when you get there. She is just doing this to find out if you are interested enough to take her away from another man."

Bryan looks at his younger sister and complains, "I don't know if I want to spoil her fun."

Marva looks at the dance floor and then nods at the couple, "Well, you better do something. That's indecent." David is dancing with one hand very low on Elizabeth's hip, almost cupping one buttock in his hand.

Bryan watches for a moment, stands, picks up Elizabeth's small handbag and her wrap from the back of the chair, meeting the returning couple halfway across the room. Marva watches as Bryan puts his car keys in David's hand and ushers Elizabeth from the room.

As David resumes his seat, he leans over and asks, "You think that worked?"

"I'm not sure," Marva says. "You may have helped and then again, you may have broken it, permanently."