Secret Agent Man

*****

Mary came into the den. "My grant proposal has been approved, not for the whole amount, just half, but that's OK, better than nothing, I always say."

"That's great, I'm so proud of you. They're not easy to get, especially these days with money so tight. I've set aside the money for Sandra's college tuition to a special account so that it'll be there when she needs it."

Mary kissed him, deeply. "You're such a wonderful man. I'm so glad I'm married to you. You know," she said, unbuttoning his shirt, "we're all alone in this big old house and I'm just a little sleepy, want to take a nap with me?"

"Nothing better."

*****

The day finally came for their flight in mid-June and they flew to Honolulu from LAX. Sandra was given the window seat but soon became bored staring out at the distant ocean and read her SAT prep book, now more than ever interested in college at Loyola, not wanting to disappoint her new dad.

Eventually the plane landed in Honolulu and they took a taxi to the Sheraton at Waikiki, next to the beach. Jim had reserved a two-bedroom suite and over the next two weeks, they did all the touristy things: nighttime luaus, tours, off-shore cruises, swimming and shopping, driving to the north shore.

And then, it was time to go home, sorry to leave but anxious to return home.

*****

Loyola was going to cost $40,000 a year so Sandra knew she would have to get some kind of a scholarship to help with the tuition, no matter what Jim had said. She stayed up late that night, poring over the SAT book, determined to get financial aid and decided to talk to a counselor at El Camino Community College about going there for two years and then transferring her credits.

*****

Sandra read ahead in the chemistry book Jim had brought home and went to him several times for clarification about something she wasn't sure about and asked him to schedule time to go over the material each day. He readily agreed knowing chemistry wasn't easy, feeling like magic sometimes.

Jim went into the living room and got his DVD of "Them" to watch while Mary was fixing dinner, a light salad with tomatoes and avocados.

"This is really good," Jim said, eating while watching the film.

The giant murderous ants had scared him when he was a small boy and so watching it was cathartic after all these years. He took a drink of A&W, putting the can back down on the end table and eating another bite.

"We've gained weight going out to eat and partying so much and we need to eat a little healthier. I don't want anything to happen to you... or me," she said, eating her own salad. "And, this tastes OK, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it's very good, thank you. Before, I was living on fast food while I was in the Bureau. Tried to eat Subway but it didn't have the same kick, you know? I needed the rush to keep awake the long hours we were on duty."

"Well, I'm glad you're here, now, with me, with Sandra. You know, we've saved ten thousand this year because we didn't have to pay Sandra's tuition with the school, that's good, so by the time she graduates, we'll have covered almost a year's worth at Loyola."

"Yes, I know what you mean, and if she takes classes at El Camino during the summer, she can transfer those credits to Loyola and get out early. Graduation, I mean. Whatever. I don't know, it's whatever she needs to do."

*****

Jim walked into his workroom and pulled down an aircraft model kit, a P-51 Mustang from World War II. He opened the box and looked at the pieces, wondering if he wanted to build it or not and then put it back on the shelf, deciding to start it later.

Mary's hand came around his shoulder. "Not going to build anything?"

"No, I'm just not interested right now. Do you think Sandra would like to go with me to the beach? I want to get some more specimens for the lab."

"I'll ask her. I'll go grocery shopping since you're both going to be gone."

"OK, tell her to wear her sneakers and shorts, we're probably going to get a little wet. I'll get some towels and buckets and wait for her at the car."

Five minutes later, Sandra came out of the house carrying a small bottle of sunscreen and some rubber gloves. "I remember," she said, "about the anemones having little poison darts so I'm prepared to do battle."

"I'm going to try and get some Pachygrapsus crassipes, the shore crab. They are cute and active so would make a good addition to the lab. I only want a couple."

"Sounds like fun. You are really going to have a nice lab this coming year, Dad."

"Thanks. It'll give you practical experience with marine biology and you can have an excuse to go to the beach." Jim laughed. "Your mom wants me to eat healthily but sometimes you need to have a burger, you know."

"In and Out, then?"

"Of course. I checked the tide tables, we've got an hour and a half until it's low tide so we're OK with that." He drove over to the burger place on Inglewood Avenue by the freeway and they got out and placed their orders and then ate at the table. "You know," he started, "biology is one of the hardest things to study because you need to know so many different things, geology, chemistry, physics, but you're smart and I know you can do it."

"Thanks," she said, between eating some fries, putting on some more ketchup. "Watching you at school has made my mind up. It's something I really want to do."

"That's all I wanted to know. I will do whatever I can to help you."

They finished their food and then drove to the Venice Beach breakwater near Marina del Rey, walking along until they found a likely spot to catch the small crabs. "Be careful," he said, "use both hands when you go down and watch for the waves." He put a little piece of hot dog on a length of coat hanger wire and held it by the large boulders making up the breakwater. After a short while, several crabs came out from between the rocks and grabbed the meat, allowing him to slowly pull up the first crab and bring it to the bucket Sandra was holding.

"Got him," she said, pulling the hot dog and crab from the wire and dropping it into the bucket's water.

"You do the next one," he said, giving her the wire and watching as she put the meat on the metal and lean over the rocks. "Careful," he said, "don't lean over too much, you'll fall over."

"OK," she said, putting one hand on the rock and then holding the wire still, waiting. After a while, another crab came out and slowly moved toward the meat until it, too, was now caught in the bucket and swimming around in the two inches of water there. "I got him," she excitedly said, "you're all mine, Mr. Crab. Are two enough or do you want to get some more?"

"We can get a couple more then leave. Your mom is probably back from grocery shopping now and I don't want her to worry."

A half hour later, they had caught six more and were driving back to the school, the bucket between Sandra's legs so it wouldn't spill. "This was a lot of fun; thanks for taking me." She was silent for a while. "I miss my father but I'm glad that you're here. Thank you."

Jim didn't say anything, just kept driving and wondering if he were able to always keep the girl and her mother happy. "Call your mother and tell her we're going to the school to take the crabs into the lab and then we'll stop for pizza on the way back, if that's all right."

Sandra made the call, explaining to her mother what had happened and then said, "No pizza, she's already fixing dinner, something healthy she said."

Jim laughed. "All right, healthy it is."

*****

That night, after eating a healthy dinner salad, the couple watched a "Law and Order" rerun and then settled into bed, talking over the events of the day. "Did you have a nice time?" she asked, rubbing her hand over his chest.

"Yes, we caught a number of crabs and they're now happy in the lab's tank, not having to battle the waves anymore. Sandra seemed to enjoy herself and caught all of them except one. She's going to make a good biologist, I think. Ooo, that tickles."

"I'll ooo you," she replied, moving her hand farther down beneath the covers.

*****

The next morning, Jim and Sandra studied Chemistry for a couple of hours, and then Jim showed her the MIT website for online chemistry. "You can go here, too," he said, "but use your textbook for most of your reading and we'll go over it together like we've been doing."

"Thanks. So many have told me that it's really hard."

"It's just a question of going over it and going over it, that's all. People don't want to do that and that's what makes it hard."

*****

The following week, Jim and Mary traveled north on the coast highway to Solvang. They stopped at Birkholm's Bakery and bought a lot of cookies to bring back to Sandra and then went to the Red Viking for a smorgasbord luncheon.

"You know so many different places to go," she said. "I'd like to bring Sandra here, sometime."

"It's easy when you're with someone that you really like. I used to come here with my parents." He ate another piece of pickled herring followed by some Swedish meatballs, remembering the happy times he had with his parents before their deaths.

After lunch, they walked to the Wine Valley Inn to check into their room. Jim plopped down on the bed, his legs draping over the edge of the bed. "I'm going to take a little nap and then we can walk around some more, OK?"

"Sure, Honey, you do that, I'll read about the town."

Later that afternoon, they walked over to a store selling Pendleton apparel and Jim bought several wool shirts, a couple of heavy blankets and a matching pair of bracelets for Mary and Sandra. Walking down the sidewalk, hand in hand, they continued their honeymoon, now in the Danish village. He turned to her and gave her a kiss, inhaling her breath, wishing the day would never end.

*****

Summer finally came to an end and with it the start of a new academic year. Jim was secure in his position and was scheduled to take some classes in a Master's program; Mary worked to catalog all the new books she had purchased with the grant money; Sandra was now a junior.

*****

Leaving the high school, he drove over to Loyola and bought his books for his Master's program, deciding to obtain a Master's degree in Education, allowing him to go into administration later if he wanted. He was older than the others in the program but decided to not let that hold him back. With a little work, he could be finished in three years, if not sooner.

Arriving back home that evening, he kissed his wife and sat down to dinner: burritos and guacamole with nachos. He was glad that Mary was such a good cook as he bit into his burrito, the tangy beef tempting him to bite again. He loved Mexican food, the spicier the better.

"What's the latest from the library?" he asked, finishing his food and looking for more guacamole and nachos.

"Things are a lot quieter compared to last year. I hope to never go through that again."

"It wasn't all bad, was it? I seem to remember a few things that were fun." Jim laughed, looking at his wife.

"Silly boy, you know what I mean," she replied.

Sandra was quiet and Jim wondered what was on her mind. It didn't take long for him to find out she missed her boyfriend who was now attending USC. "Things will be all right," he said to her. "You'll be in college in a couple of years yourself and it'll be a whole new world for you."

"I know. It's just that he's gone so much now, especially with football practice and I see other couples at school walking around together and I'm all alone and..."

*****

However, it wasn't too much later when she received a text from her boyfriend breaking up with her, having found someone new and older and more willing to please him.

"Don't worry, it'll work out for the best, you'll see," Jim said. He gave her a hug and patted her hair, wishing her a better day, the pain of young love harsh.

Sandra went to her room, laying on her bed, brokenhearted at the latest turn of events in her life. Jim didn't know what to say other than what he had already done and decided to let her mother deal with it.

He went out to the garage and sat in his '57 Chevy, the car his parents had restored and customized years earlier when he was a young child. It had been the T-shirt car for LA Classics and their pride and joy, the royal blue paint shining in the afternoon California sun. He turned the car on, the deep rumble of the 350 small block coming out of the Flowmaster dual exhausts.

The passenger door opened and Mary slid in across the seafoam light blue seat. "Sandra's heartbroken."

"I know... but she'll get over it. She's young." At least, he hoped that she would.

"It's too bad what he did to her. I'm so angry but I guess it's better now than later when she's put her life into the relationship. Still, it's too bad."

"I'd like to go for a ride but I don't think we should leave her alone right now." He turned off the car, patted his wife on the hand and got out, waited for his wife to leave and then pushed the button to close the garage door, waiting until it had closely completely. The last thing he wanted was for someone to steal the car.

"I'll have dinner ready in half an hour," she said, going into the house, leaving the door open for him.

He thought back to the times when he had his own heart broken by girlfriends who found someone else more exciting, more financially generous, more athletic. But he knew his own lost loves wouldn't help today with Sandra whose feelings were dashed amid her tears.

At least no one would know unless she said something, the boy long gone to college.

"Sandra, it's time for dinner. I know you're not hungry right now but you still need to eat. Please come to the kitchen."

He heard movement in her room, glad that he didn't need to go into the room and get her. He turned and walked down the hallway to the kitchen and sat down. "She'll be here in a minute, I think," he declared, looking over the food on the table.

Sandra came in and sat down, tears still washing down her cheeks. Her mother took a napkin and touched it to her daughter's face. "It'll be OK, sweetheart, you'll see."

Later that evening, her parents watching TV, Sandra went to her room and went to bed, once again crying, the tears wetting her pillow, young love crushing her heart.

School settled into a familiar progression of topics, one after another, week in and week out as the season went by. Mary was busy with her grant proposal's books. She had gone to Barnes and Noble and worked out a deal with them, getting a huge discount on such a large order and right of refusal on anything that wasn't appropriate for high school students. The list came from the previous twenty years of the New York Times' bestseller list.

She had also gone to the faculty and asked for suggestions, using a form she had written. Most of the teachers had taken the opportunity to ask for their favorite books, since they would be able to check them out also.

Mary found herself substituting once in a while, the classes coming to the library and having a study hall. It gave her a chance to get acquainted with the students and show them the improvements in the library's catalogue, wanting them to use the facility as much as possible. She emphasized as much as possible the need to care for the books so that everyone could enjoy them.

That afternoon, at four o'clock, the three of them met at the car to go grocery shopping on the way home, leaving their weekend free.

Mary looked at him. "I'm glad Friday's here. It's been a long week, what with Homecoming next week and all. And aren't you going to have a re-union coming up this year?"

"Yes, that's right, this coming summer, probably. It'll be interesting... being one of the faculty, now, you know? Never thought that would happen. Want dinner at Marie Callender's? I could use a piece of pie." He could taste the pie in his imagination, his mouth watering at the thought.

"That would be nice. It's been a while since I've been there, maybe a couple of years, now."

After taking the groceries home and putting them away, they drove over to the restaurant in Torrance.

"I'm glad we're coming here," she said. "I missed this place, it's been a long time."

"Why didn't you say something? We could have come here quite a while ago if I had known that." Sometimes he didn't understand his wife.

He parked the car and they walked into the restaurant, needing to wait twenty minutes for a table. "There used to be one on Artesia but that was a long time ago."

After sitting down, they decided to have the salad bar, followed by a piece of pie. "I'm cutting back on the ice tea," he began, "it's been keeping me up at night when I drink it."

"That's too bad," Mary answered, "I love my ice tea." She and Sandra got up and walked over to the salad bar, soon piling on the greens and croutons, following with the chunky blue cheese dressing.

Jim waited for them to return before going himself, not wanting to leave the table empty.

Later, he was looking at his Double Cream Blueberry pie, anticipating the first taste as he lifted the fork to his mouth. Mary had the Key Lime pie, licking the whipped cream from her lips. Sandra had the cherry pie.

It was after seven o'clock when they left the restaurant and drove back home, their appetites satiated, listening to the Beach Boys' "Wouldn't it be nice?". "I'm ready for a nap," Mary said as the car came onto the driveway and the motor stilled. "You'll be really something at the reunion."

*****

The Homecoming game went as planned, the home team playing a "soft" opponent, beating them handily and allowing everyone to get off the bench, including some underclassmen brought up from the JVs to see how they did.

Sandra was one of the Homecoming princesses for the evening and there was a dance in the school gym while in the cafeteria, the alumni met for beer and pizza. Jim introduced his wife to his former classmates, receiving their congratulations on his marriage to Mary and their surprise on learning that he was now the Biology teacher.

"Oh, I don't know, it isn't that big a change," he tried to say, to no avail. His old friends wouldn't leave him alone after they were reminded that he had been in the FBI.

"I bet," said one to the laughter of everyone there, "that you just pull out your gun and that shuts them right up!"

Although he knew it was in good humor, it hurt not to be taken seriously.

*****

The rest of the school year went by smoothly but Sandra had a secret she wasn't going to share with her parents: she was going to go to El Camino Community College for two years and then transfer to UCLA. Loyola, in her opinion, was too expensive at $40,000 a year, no matter what Jim had said. She couldn't take his money for something like that. This way, she thought, she could get a car to commute to UCLA when the time came.

That summer, she began to take college classes with an early admission for high school students: Biology 10: Fundamentals of Biology, and Biology 17: Marine Biology.

The two classes allowed her to excel in what she had wanted to do and to do it economically. By the time the summer was over, she had passed both classes with As and a new respect for college... and a new boyfriend, Bill Fullerton, who was also working on getting a Biology Associate degree and transferring to UCLA in a year.

She was so proud when she showed her report to her parents, who still didn't know that she wasn't planning on going to Loyola. She had another year before telling them of the change in plans. She was taking a night class at El Camino to get her English requirement out of the way and had stopped being a cheerleader, needing the time for her studies.

Her high school classes were progressing well, the only B she received was in French which she found to be a little more difficult than expected. Jim couldn't help her, having taken Latin while in high school and Italian while in college.