Stinky Fred Oshkosh

"So are you separated from your wife?"

He almost choked on his food. He swallowed hard a few times and then reached for his drink before answering. He looked at me with a small smile.

"Yes. We have been trying to work things out. But it doesn't look good. Sonia I really like you a lot and want to get to know you better. That's why I suggested we start to date. My wife and I don't have any kids so it's not like it's a big deal in that respect."

"You could have told me that a while ago. I didn't like having to learn about it from a friend."

He reached over and touched my hand, caressing it lightly. "Sorry. I guess I should have. But I didn't want to run you off before you had a chance to get to know me a little."

"So what do you have in mind if we go out?" I said evenly. I had already made up my mind. There was no reason to trust him; he could have told me upfront he was still married. He was a loser.

"I thought dinner and some time at my apartment where we could get to know one another better. You know you're a very beautiful woman. I'm sure we could find something to occupy our time."

I smiled at him. "So you want to go to bed."

"No reason not to." As he took his other hand and placed it on mine as he looked into my eyes.

I decided it was time to tighten the screws a little. "So. Is your wife seeing other men?"

His face went pale. He didn't speak as he looked across the room and out the windows. He obviously wasn't expecting the question. I pressed harder.

"Well is she or not?"

He looked back at me. "This isn't going to work is it?"

"Not for me it isn't." I took my hand from his and placed it in my lap.

I watched as he got up and walked away without another word. I chided myself for not having noticed his ring finger until now. I should have known something wasn't right after I thought about the kinds of things we had talked about together. A mention of short term and long term goals had not been among them. Most couples when they start to become involved at least mention those subjects. I had shared mine, he hadn't and I didn't catch on. I walked back to my office and thanked my coworker, telling her I was no longer going to have anything to do with him.

I arrived home that afternoon and pulled into the driveway, went inside to tell my parents I was home and that I was going to take Molly out for a walk. I walked down the road and saw Fred's car parked near the septic tank trucks. I was about to turn around and head home when I heard a voice.

"Sonia. Don't leave. You're here for Molly aren't you?"

I didn't recognize the voice at first. Then I realized it had to be Fred. I turned towards the voice with a smile.

"Fred? Is that you?"

He laughed. "Well I guess it's a voice from your past. Yes it's me."

We walked towards one another. I almost lost my breath. He was more handsome than ever. He sported a moustache. It gave him a dignified mature look that combined with nicely trimming medium length hair set off his handsome face. His smile shorn brightly, his brown eyes focused squarely on me. The years had been very kind to him, maturing his once boyish facial features into those of a rugged looking mountain man complete with the hint of a strong beard. I struggled for words.

"Fred, I... well... I didn't know you was home until just now. I was just going to take Molly out for a walk. I didn't want to interrupt your visit. You look wonderful. How long are you home for?"

We stopped in front of each other. He looked me over from head to foot. Then he smiled broadly.

"Sonia. I'm moving back for good. I can't believe it's you. I mean...well, you have..."

"Matured a little." I offered.

"Yes. That's a nice way of putting it. Yes. You have matured."

It seemed just a little awkward for a few seconds. Then he looked into my eyes.

"How about you take Molly and me for a walk. I understand Molly has taken a liking to you."

"I think I can handle that." I replied hoping not to seem like I was drooling at the prospect. "I'll wait here while you get Molly."

I watched as he walked back towards the house. My God. He was, well was, I couldn't find the adjective I wanted. I settled on 'easy on the eyes', though I had no idea where that came from. He soon opened the door and Molly stepped out ahead of him without a leash. Her leash in his hand.

"Molly!" I called out.

Molly made a mad dash directly to me and as I knelt down she pushed her head between my hands so I could scratch her ears. She stood there loving it as my hands took her ears in circles. I finished and stood up. She looked up at me with those beautiful eyes.

"Ok. Time for a walk. Heel!"

Molly fell into step between the two of us. She made no attempt to wander from side to side on the road. She was as well behaved as I had ever seen her. When we got to the park Fred commanded her to sit. She looked up at him, her tail wagging gently from side to side. It was her contented little wag. Fred reached down and patted her head gently a few times.

"Ok. Molly. Go."

Molly got up and started a slow lope, nose to the ground as if she were tracking something. After three years of seeing her I could tell she had lost some of her younger dog energy. Still she moved quickly enough that we kept moving to stay near. Once in a while Molly would look up to see where we were at and then go back to nosing among the bushes and trees. In the past she would give chase to a squirrel sending it up a tree to chatter at her as she stood on her back legs looking up as her front legs propped her up on the trunk. She would give a few good hound dog barks and then move on. Apparently satisfied she had treed something and shown she still had the instincts common to her redbone heritage. Now she was content to simply watch them as they scurried away towards a tree, not caring to press them further.

As I watched it seemed that Molly and I had come to the same conclusion. It was fine to watch and give some indication of interest, but pursuing ardently wasn't entirely necessary all the time. There was some pleasure in simply being alive and engaged even if minimally with an object of interest. In Molly's case with a rabbit, squirrel, or another small mammal, for me it was men. I still wanted a man, but I wasn't about to chase them all over the place in the hope of finding one that wouldn't disappoint me.

"Sonia I'm impressed with how well Molly has taken to you. I have missed her a lot while I have been away at school and feared she would be house bound and not able to get out and enjoy what her nose found interesting. Thank you for looking out for her."

"It's been a pleasure. She's been good for me too." I admitted.

"Sonia I would like to thank you by taking you out to dinner tomorrow night. That is unless you have other plans. I understand from my parents that you are working full time and have a good social life. So I understand if you beg off."

"Fred I don't have any plans. But you know you really don't have to do that."

Fred looked at me with a smile. "How about I amend my offer. Dinner and dancing. To be honest I want to because I find you attractive and want to find out what you have been up to."

I felt myself blush a little. He had actually come right out and told me the truth. The little voice inside me told me to be careful. It's not like I hadn't heard something similar to that in the past. I was just about to give him my answer when he yelled- "Molly don't you dare!" And took off at a run.

Molly was at the shoreline of the lake, her nose just inches away from a large dark mass in the sand. I yelled- "Molly No! That's not for you. No!" and started to run.

Molly looked up and took a step back. Then took another step back and watched us as we approached her. Her tail wagging ever so slowly. When we got to her Fred reached for her collar and pulled her gently away saying in a gentle voice.

"Molly good girl. Good dog."

Molly's tail went into high gear as she pushed into Fred and licked his face. Then she pushed hard against him sending him backwards from his hunched posture square onto the large dead fish. As soon as his weight came upon it the insides burst out in a greasy mass, a foul smell filling the air.

I took Molly's collar and pulled her away as Fred tried to regain his feet. When he stood up his entire rear and lower back was smeared with loose fish scales, skin, and ugly looking goo that smelled to high heavens. I couldn't help it. I started to laugh as Fred's face showed an anguished expression. I knew he wasn't hurt. But all of the stories I had heard had now come to life right in front of me.

"Great! Just great! I ask you out and I wind up smelling like a fishmonger who hasn't washed in three days."

I stifled my laugh as much as I could. But feared I wasn't as effective as I really wanted to be.

"Come on. You may as well wash off in the lake. At least you can get some of it out." I offered still trying not to laugh.

I put Molly on her leash and watched as Fred waded into the water and washed his shorts and shirt off as best he could. He came out of the water and looked at me. Then to Molly.

"Well at least only one of us needs a bath rather than both of us." He said calmly with a grin. No hint of anger as he patted her head.

"Fred I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have laughed. But it was kind of funny."

"I'm sure it was. But you haven't answered my question."

"Yes. I will go to dinner with you tomorrow night."

We walked back with Molly between us. Molly lifted her nose once in a while as if to enjoy the aroma coming from Fred. When we arrived back at his house I took Molly inside the house to visit with his parents. Fred had gone into the pole barn to use the shower and change clothes.

"Didn't Fred go with you and Molly?" His mother asked.

"Yes." I then related to them what had happened. They both gave a sigh as if it was just something they had to endure one more time. Molly found her water bowl and proceeded to have a good drink before lying down on the floor at my feet. It was about ten minutes later when Fred walked in and Molly got up and walked to him. He bent down and patted her head.

"Molly I guess I wouldn't have much excitement in my life if it were not for you." He said with a chuckle. Then he looked at me.

"I should probably pick you up at about five thirty. I'll make reservations for dinner at Rizo's."

"Rizo's!" I exclaimed with astonishment.

"What not fancy enough for you?" He said mockingly.

"No. It's not that. Fred you want to take me there to thank me for walking Molly? That's a bit more than I expected."

"Good. I may as well impress you with something other than my ability to wear a strong odor. They also have a disc jockey. Remember I promised you dinner and dancing."

I told Fred I would be ready and bid his parents goodbye. I patted Molly a few times and received a couple of licks for my effort. When I got home I told my parents about what had happened, they seemed amused, but not surprised. I went to bed excited. I was going to go on a date with Fred. I never would have guessed that after my luncheon encounter earlier in the day I would find myself pleased to be with a man that very same evening.

I got home from work and changed into a skirt, fresh blouse, and shoes comfortable to dance in. I finished freshening up my eyes and combed out my hair, deciding to keep it long and not put it up. No pony tail this evening as I usually wore to take Molly out for a walk. Fred arrived promptly and I heard his voice from my bedroom as he talked with my parents. They were laughing about something as I walked out and when Fred saw me he smiled broadly.

"Sonia you look wonderful, beautiful."

"Thank you." I smiled. I appreciated the fact he said it so matter of factly in front of my parents. After our time together the day before I found myself relaxed. After not having spent time together in years I found it really didn't matter, it felt right.

It took about half an hour to get to the restaurant. It was the nicest place in town and had a wonderful reputation for the quality of its food. I had never eaten there. As we walked in I almost felt as if I didn't belong. We were both dressed business casual so it wasn't like we didn't fit in that way, it was simply elegant in a way I hadn't expected it to be. We were shown to our table and I watched as Fred seemed to be perfectly at ease. He smiled at me as the expression on my face must have shown the prices on the menu had put me ill at ease.

"Sonia. Don't worry about how much it costs. I can afford it. I want you to relax and enjoy the evening. It's not like I would bring you here more than once a week."

I looked at him over the top of my menu. "Pretty confident I'm going to go out with you again are you?"

He grinned "I was hoping you would at least find me tolerable."

I couldn't help but laugh. I put my menu down and looked at him. "Well Molly seems to find you good company. I think I can give you the benefit of the doubt."

Our food arrived and we talked about what we had been doing with our lives since we last saw one another. He had completed his degree in business in record time specializing in accounting. He had worked part time during his last year to gain practical experience and been able to save some money as his college expenses were covered by the college fund his parents had established for him.

He planned on opening his own business in a building that sat idle owned by his maternal grandparents in Big Rapids. They would be happy to have the taxes paid on it and he could use it as long as he paid the utilities and maintained the structure. He had already moved in and was in the process of cleaning and repainting it to make it look better. I was impressed he had that much energy and drive. He also told me he was birdwatching too when he had the time. Apparently his interests hadn't changed much since high school.

He asked me quite a few questions about school and what I thought I wanted to do in the near future. I told him I was happy at work right now, but hoped someday to be working for myself so I could have a flexible schedule. I liked hiking and nature study. That seemed to be something we both enjoyed.

We heard the music start to play in another room. He paid our bill and we went towards the music and found ourselves in a dimly lit room where a disc jockey sat at a low table with CD players. Behind him was a large cabinet filled with hundreds of CD's. There were about a dozen young couples our age sitting at small tables. We found an empty table and sat down. A waitress came to see if we wanted a drink or to order some food. We ordered a soda each and watched for a few minutes before Fred looked at me.

"Come on. No reason to waste time just watching." As he held out his hand.

We danced four fast dances before a slow ballad started to play. I found myself in his arms and almost immediately I thought back to the prom years before and how well he had danced. He hadn't lost anything that was for sure. We finished the dance and walked to our table.

"Takes you back a few years doesn't it?" He grinned.

"Yes. Yes it does." I said softly remembering the experience as if it were yesterday. We had danced the same way this time, far apart, my hand on his shoulder, my hand in his. We looked at one another and talked a little. He complimented me how nice my hair looked.

Another fast dance came on and we rocked to the Allman Brothers. Then Nights in White Satin by The Moody Blues started to play. This time he took my hand and I placed my hand on his shoulder standing closer, his hand came across my back drawing me still closer. I felt a thrill run through me as we took the first couple of steps. He led me into a world of softness, of gentle touches, and muted sounds as my leg brushed against his from time to time. We danced in small circles, the outside world disappeared from view. It was just the two of us. It was magical.

When the song ended we just stood looking at each other, his hand on my waist, the other holding my hand. Another slow dance started immediately and we went into each other's arms again. I couldn't help it. I drew myself closer to him and lay my head on his chest, my eyes closed. We moved ever so slowly, our bodies caressing one another. I felt my entire body warm. When the dance ended we walked hand in hand to our table in silence. I felt strange. Good strange. It was like we had done this before. Been this close before. Yet I knew we hadn't.

We sipped our cold drinks and then Fred glanced at his wrist watch. I saw a frown cross his face. He looked at me with a grin.

"It's getting late. We both have to work tomorrow. I should get you home before the monsters come out."

I laughed. "I'm not worried about monsters. I'm with you."

We didn't kiss goodnight. We told each other how much we had enjoyed our time together. He had taken my hand, kissed it lightly, and walked to his car. I waved as he drove off thinking our time together had not been nearly long enough. The hours had rapidly flown by.

That night I went to bed as happy as I had been in months. I was still giddy. The food was excellent, the dancing marvelous. But what was best was Fred. I was afraid Stinky Fred Oshkosh had won my heart after just one date. I tried to reign my feelings in. But couldn't.

CHAPTER THREE LIFE ISN'T FOREVER

As much I tried I couldn't get Fred out of my mind the next day. Even the kiss of my hand seemed to yell out loudly- he really likes you. He hadn't even missed me on the lips and all I could do was fantasize about what it would be like when he did. I felt like I was back in high school, only I didn't have a close girlfriend to sit and whisper to about my feelings. I went to work feeling like I was on a high.

I was sitting at my desk working on the accounts receivable for Prescott Materials when Dottie came up behind me.

"Hey. I understand you were at Rizo's last night."

I spun around in my chair surprised. "How do you know that?"

"A little birdie told me." She teased. "Actually it was my husband. You're met him a few times. He works the bar there once in a while. He saw you are the dance floor and said it looked like the two of you were having a good time."

"I did have a good time. It was the first time I have ever gone out with him. He was thanking me for walking Molly while he wasn't living at home."

Dottie's face showed a hint of confusion. Then it brightened. "I remember now. That's the dog you take for a walk that belongs to the family down the road right."

"Yes. Molly technically is not his dog, but his fathers. It's just that Molly thinks she belongs to Fred instead. I know, it gets confusing. But Fred has finished school and is coming back home to live. So I may not be walking Molly much longer."

"So is he good looking?"

I was stumped for a few seconds. Fred was well above average in looks. But it was the combination of his mannerisms combined with his physical appearance that attracted me. I was still fumbling for an answer when Dottie pressed me further.

"Well is he? Or is he filthy rich so it doesn't matter."

I could see the standard stereotype appear in my mind. I knew there was some truth to it. But it really didn't fit Fred. He was hard working, smart, and well organized. He had great potential to succeed. I looked at Dottie with a smile.

"Good enough for me. He was popular in high school and I expect while in college too. So I would rate him above average. But he is not rich."

This apparently satisfied her as she left and returned to her desk. I went back to my spread sheet and tried to push Fred's image out of my mind again. Damn it. He was handsome and I knew it. Why couldn't I just admit it openly?

I drove home and sat down with my mother to talk. I knew she wanted to know how my time with Fred had gone. I had hardly gotten settled down when she smiled.