Second Sight Ch. 03

Second Sight, Ch. 3

With the semester over, the girls had one more night of fun and frivolity. With the RA at her own party, there was no one to keep the Seniors who had to stay in the dorms for graduation from giving the underclassmen some adult beverages. Most of the bottle of Peach Schnapps that passed back and forth between Nancy, Maura and Maria had its effect. When Maria drained the last of the bottle she put it down, looked at Nancy and Maura and said, "I want both of you in your bed, now." With all restraint and inhibitions gone, Maria said this loud enough for everyone else to hear it. However, by this point in the semester, their relationship was not news. Nancy, Maura and Maria said their goodbyes, congratulated the Seniors and went back to Nancy and Maura's room to finish off their end of semester celebration.

The energy that always comes at the end of a semester as the stress of finals is finally over, added to the effects of the alcohol, meant that the party was far from over. There was an intense pillow fight during which all three had to leave the room and use the bathroom at one point or another. Of course, when someone came in from the bathroom, they were immediately attacked by two pillows and the fight continued.

Finally, exhaustion won out and they collapsed on the bed. There was a lot of kissing and holding. Maria was the first to fall asleep and after some obligatory selfies that a sleeping Maria was maneuvered into, Nancy and Maura also went to sleep. They had placed Maria in the middle of the bed and Nancy on her left and Maura on her right cuddled up against Maria and fell asleep.

Nancy's alarm seemed louder that next morning but they had to get up and get going. Maria had an Uber coming to get her to the airport and her flight home to Los Angeles. The O'Halaran's were going to be there by noon and along with all their packing, Nancy and Maura had to separate the beds. Even though they would be coming back to the same room after the summer, the dorms were used over for other purposes over the summer and so everything had to be out.

One good thing for Maria was that Nancy and Maura were taking most of her stuff with them for the summer. That way Maria did not have to deal with getting the rest of her items home in another suitcase or having to put her stuff in storage over the summer.

When the car arrived for Maria, the three of them walked out to the curb. There were hugs but no kisses in front of the Uber driver. When Maura and Maria hugged, Maria said, "Make sure you take care of my stuff. I want to have it all in one piece when I come back to get it."

"That's why I agreed to take it you know. In case you become some big Hollywood person you can't ghost me because you still have to come see me to get your stuff." Nancy punched her one arm and Maria punched the other.

"I'm just going to be an assistant for the production company. It's go-fer work."

Nancy said, "Well, you will be excellent and I am sure they will see how hard working you are and want to promote you. I really want you back at school in the fall, but if your chance comes along you have to take it."

Maria replied, "Thanks Nance. Always looking out for me. I miss you already." They shared one more group hug and Maria got into the car and headed off to the airport. Nancy and Maura went back to the room to finish getting everything ready.

Maura's parents picked them up and took them to the O'Halaran's home for the summer. Myles O'Halaran carried their suitcases right up stairs and put both of them into Maura's old room, no questions asked. Other stuff from their room and Maria's stuff got stored in the basement. Dinner that night was as fun and raucous as ever and Nancy already felt like she was one of the family.

Nancy and Maura spent the next few days trying to get summer jobs together. They were able to both get jobs as servers for a national chain restaurant with the same hours and settled into a summer routine.

One evening the hostess let Maura know that she had just seated someone at one of her tables. As Maura walked up there was only one person in the booth and she was coming up behind them. With her pad and pen out she reflexively started without looking at the occupant, "Hi, I'm Maura, what can I...Steve-o!"

"Hey MOH. Are you back?"

"Well, for the summer. Yeah. What about you?"

"Same old. I have to spend most of my time at my parents' store. I think they want to make sure I want to still go back to school in September."

"And how are Bill and Mallory these days?"

"Fine. Fine. I am sure my mother will be calling your mother as soon as I tell her you're back." Implicit in that was the advance warning that Steven's mother would be trying to work on Colleen to get Steven and Maura together.

Just about that time Nancy walked up. She had heard Maura calling out and looked over to see her chatting so animatedly with a customer. So, she found an excuse to amble by to see what she could see.

"Oh, Nance. This is Steven Murphy. Steve-o this is Nancy Reed. She's my roommate and she is staying with me over the summer."

"Nice to meet you, Nancy."

"Nice to meet you too, Steven." Then turning to Maura, Nancy said, "We can catch up later."

As Nancy walked away, Maura realized that she had other customers, so she took Steven's drink order and went about her waitressing duties. When Maura was bringing over the check at the end of Steven's meal she said, "Hey our shift ends at 11:00 but it will take us an hour to clean up and everything. Any chance you can meet us at Ollie's around 12:30?"

"Yeah, I can do that. Will Nancy be coming as well?"

"Yes Steve-o. This is a chance to catch up, not a date."

"Okay. Okay. I was just asking is all. I will see both of you there at 12:30."

"Great." Maura looked at the bill. The amount of cash was the amount of the charges. In the area marked "Tip" Steven had written "Don't take any wooden nickles." Maura looked at it and thought, "Oh, he is so buying the first round."

The Good Saint Oliver was what might be called a townie bar if there had been a college there. It had a jukebox, but the music was mostly Elvis Pressley, Johnny Cash and Hank Williams, Sr. The lighting was dark and there were big wooden booths across from the bar. People did eat there at night, but by midnight, the kitchen closed. Still, it was a great place to go and sit and talk. There were no televisions or bands. Not that there is anything wrong with that. But that just wasn't "Ollie's" as it was affectionately called.

Steven sat at a booth far away from the front door, but at the end of a bar, so from his seat he could see the front door. He looked down at his watch. 12:31. 12:32. 12:33. Just then the door opened and he looked at the two young women walking into the bar. He noticed he was not the only one looking. However, as Maura looked down the row of booths, she finally made eye contact with him. She half turned and tapped the other woman on the shoulder and headed in his direction, a big smile on her face. Steven thought, "Well, she's smiling. That's a good sign."

As Maura and Nancy approached, Steven stood up. Maura gave him a big, tight hug. When she pulled back Maura said, "About that tip?"

"I was just trying to be funny."

"Well Mr. Comedian, this round and the next are both on you." Maura smiled and so did Steven. He went over to the bar and got a pitcher of beer and three mugs.

Nancy scooted into the booth and Maura sat next to her. Steven placed a glass in front of Maura and Nancy and them one for himself across from them. He poured the first round. They clinked glasses and took a drink. Then Steven asked about school and plans for the summer.

They talked for a very long time. With the pitcher empty, Steven went up to get the next one. When he sat down, he looked at Nancy and said, "You're her roommate so you'd know. Do I have any competition?"

Nancy just laughed, but Maura suddenly got very tense and sat up straight. "C'mon Steve-o. We've always just been friends."

"I'm just being nosy. But hey, things can change. I was just trying to see where things were with you, that's all."

Maura wasn't buying that excuse and she wanted to nip this right in the bud. "Well, because you asked, yes you have competition. The irony is, Nancy is it."

It took a few seconds for that to register with Steven. When it did, the look on his face was the last one Maura expected; horror.

"Oh my God, MOH. This isn't because of Markenson Point?"

Maura was initially enraged at Steven's implication. He was asking if she was now with a woman because of how bad their sexual encounter had been. But Steven was her friend and she could see the pain in his eyes. She had to set the record straight first. Then she would yell at him.

"No, Steve-o. I know what you're thinking and you're wrong for a whole bunch of reasons. I love Nancy because I love Nancy. It has nothing to do with that night. And don't forget, I was there that night too. If there were problems with that night, they are just as much my fault as yours. That night we both swore that we were only two friends trying to help each other out. We both wanted to get rid of our V cards and we decided we could help each other out."

"But you never talked to me after that."

"I was embarrassed."

"You were embarrassed? I was awful."

"No Steve-o. You were nervous that's all."

"But that's the problem. You are the only girl I ever felt comfortable being around. You never made me feel bad or useless or worthless. And I couldn't get it right with you. If I was that nervous with you, I'll be catatonic with any other girl. I will never get a better chance than that night and I was awful."

"Look, just so you know, I did sleep with a few guys at college..." Nancy snorted and started coughing. See took another sip of her beer while Maura shot her a dirty look. Then Maura turned back to Steven and continued. "...And none of those experiences were any better than ours. Some of them were worse."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"No, I'm not. I am actually a little angry with you right now and I am not trying to make you feel better. I just want to make sure you know the truth.

"I was embarrassed because you were my best friend and when you needed me as a friend, I was so wrapped up with stuff in my own head, I completely forgot about you. We should have stayed there and talked about it like we always talked about stuff. I am very sorry about that Steve-o."

"I should be apologizing to you."

"For that night, maybe. All I am saying is that night, there was plenty of blame to go around. And tonight, you don't need to apologize to me, but you should apologize to Nancy. You suggested that I was with her only because of how things went with us. If you knew what a wonderful, brave, smart, caring person she is, you'd know why anyone, including me, would want to be with her no matter what their previous sexual failings might have been."

"I was thinking that I had been so bad, I drove you to find a girl." Steven admitted looking at Maura. Then her turn toward Nancy and said, "Nancy, I am sorry. It was wrong of me to imply that."

Nancy smiled and said, "Apology accepted Steven. For what it's worth to you, Maura has always said very good things about you and I am sorry if this conversation has caused you pain. You were Maura's best friend in high school, so you must be a special person too."

Steven looked up at her and she smiled again. Maura saw that smile and so she went back to being happy. It also brought some comfort to Steven although he was not exactly sure why. They returned to more mundane conversations until they felt safe to drive and then left the bar. When they got to Maura's car, she turned and gave Steven a big hug. "We have to see each other more while we're back."

"I'd like that." Then he turned to Nancy and offered his hand to her.

Instead, she stepped up to him and gave him a big hug as well. When she pulled back, Nancy said, "I'd like that too Steven. I'd like to get to know you better. Finally meet the person behind the stories"

"Well, any friend of MOH's..." Steven let his last word hang and turned toward his car.

After Nancy and Maura both got into their car, Maura said, "Well Nance, what do you think?"

"I don't know yet. There was a lot to unpack there. Watching a conversation is my second favorite thing to watch." They both laughed at that. Then Nancy continued, "But seriously, there was a lot, but I am very tired and still a little buzzed so tonight I just want to go home and be the rebound person in your arms." Maura turned and gave Nancy a punch in her upper arm. Then she started the car and headed home.

They woke up the next morning and since their shift at the restaurant did not start until 3:00pm, Nancy suggested that they head to Markeson Point to talk for a while before their shift.

Maura asked, "What, you want to go back to the scene of the crime?"

"No. It's just a good place to think. Plus, your mom is going to be home and I don't think we want her to hear the conversation." Deciding those were both very good points, Maura made no further comment and they were soon at the overlook. Nancy really did love the view. The place still had some bad memories for Maura, but Nancy had a plan that would help that as well as help Steven. She just wasn't sure if either one of them would be willing as the thinking was a bit outside the box.

They got out of the car and sat on a bench with all the land stretched out before then and the river, a shimmering band climbing up to the horizon. They just looked out over the expanse for several minutes before Maura said, "Okay Nance. Let's hear it."

"You need to sleep with Steven again."

"Oh, my lord, Sadie. This one I gotta hear."

"Based on what he said last night, do you agree with me that he is very unlikely to find a girl and even if he does, he is going to be so nervous that it will be as much of a disaster as it was for you both last year?"

"Well...yeah."

"And do you also agree that the only person he has a chance of not freaking out about having sex with right now is you?"

"Maybe. But remember, it was just as much my fault that it was a disaster as it was his."

"You said that and you specifically told him that, but do you think he believes that is true?" Nancy didn't even give Maura a chance to respond to this as it was self-evident to both of them that Steven was blaming only himself. Nancy continued, "Besides, you are far more experienced than you were that night. You won't be a disaster. And who else besides you is going to care enough for Steven that you will have the patience to help him through it so it is not a disaster?"

Maura went back to staring out into the distance. Nancy's idea was crazy, but every point in her argument made sense. Finally, Nancy asked, "Does he play golf?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"There is a golf term called a 'mulligan.' It's a do-over that you get to use when you mess something up really bad the first time. This will be your Mulligan."

Maura was about to say something, but she held off and once again looked out into the distance. After a while Maura did have a question for Nancy. "What about us?"

"What about us?"

"We are supposed to be sharing these experiences. How do we share this one?"

Nancy looked at Maura but had no response. It was clear she had not thought about this and it was Nancy's turn to look out into the distance. Finally, while still looking forward she offered, "I could be there with you. I could drive you and stay in the front seat."

"Oh, like that's not going to cause any anxiety for him?"

"Look, I know this sounds a bit off the wall..."

"A bit?" Maura's voice rose in disbelief. Nancy chose to ignore this and kept on going."

"...but you have to admit that night still bothers you some and it is completely debilitating him. You need to have an exorcism of that night. It's radical but it's the only way. If you have a better idea, I'd love to hear it. But you and I both know that if all you do is talk to him and tell him it wasn't his fault and if he just hangs on a little longer someone is going to come along that's perfect for him, that is not going to work. And he will be desperate and alone for the rest of his life. He's your friend, is that what you want?"

Maura again had her mouth open as if to say something but closed it and turned again to the view in front of them. This was the closest they had come to a fight since before Maura was attacked by the Wallingham kid.

After what seemed an eternity, Maura, still looking forward said, "So what if he wants to have sex with you too?"

Nancy turned toward Maura and said, "Well, first that would mean that everything went well with the two of you and that he was feeling self-confident enough to ask. Would that be a problem if he did?"

Maura continued to look forward and after a long pause said "I guess not. He's a great guy and if I had to risk losing you to somebody, I wouldn't mind as much if it was him."

Nancy reached over and grabbed Maura's arm and turned her so Maura was looking at her. "Shame on you. You're doing exactly what Steven did last night. As if I would have sex with a guy and then decide I was going to leave you because you're not a guy. I am telling you it really is something about this place and that night. It still effects both of you in a very negative way. You're just lucky things worked out for you so it is not controlling you the way it is controlling poor Steven. He might need this more, but you need it to. You need to have that Mulligan and turn this place into a happy memory and exorcize that bad one."

Maura put her arms around Nancy. "Sorry Nance. You're right. I had you to rescue me from that nightmare but Steve-o had no one. I want him to find someone and be happy. It's not going to be me. Right now though, it would seem like it won't be anyone. I'm still not completely sure about this plan of yours, but I've got nothing better. So how do we go about this?"

"Well, it can't be a surprise. You'll have to talk to him about it and convince him that it is a chance to fix what was supposed to be something good and wasn't. To get rid of the bad memory and replace it with a good one. So that when he does find someone, he's not worried about messing up the sex because he'll have confidence from having it with you."

The next time Nancy and Maura spoke with Maria, they were not ready to talk about their plans with Steven. Maria on the other hand had lots of news.

"I actually pitched an idea they are going to use. I had it laid out as an eight episode show. And I am going to get to help in all aspects of the production. I'll help with the writers and with the cast. I might even get an Associate Producer credit."

"That's great. Is it anything we're gonna see?"

"Probably not. These things get shot and then go nowhere all the time. But it is a huge break for me and even if the show is never picked up, I will have the credit and that helps my resume." Actually, Maria was pretty sure they would see it eventually. She could already envision a big talk afterwards. But there was no worrying about that now. She hoped it would end up being a good surprise.

The summer was moving along and Nancy and Maura had already spent one week at the Reeds' house. It was a few weeks before they could sync up their schedule with Steven. They met at Ollies and sat down at the table. When he came back with three glasses and two pitchers of beer, they settled in for a long night of hanging out and talking. The problem was that Maura had a specific topic but she could not figure out how to start the conversation.

After a number of fits and starts, Maura turned to Nancy and said, "Maybe you should tell him?"