Finding Amy (2 page)

“Four of you?”

“Yeah, my two brothers and father.  You’ll have to meet them.  They’re great.  My brother Phil is married to Pat and they have two sons.”  I went on to talk about my family, my friends and anything I could think of to prolong the walk.  She smiled, listened and walked.  At the end of our third tour of the five blocks, I noticed that we were almost alone on the street.  A glance at my watch told me it was after midnight.“I guess we’d better head for home.”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

Within too short a time we were standing at the Allen’s front door.

“I had a great time.”  I reached out and held her hand.

“I did too.”  The porch light enhanced her surreal quality.

“Can we do this again tomorrow?  Not, the show.  They show the same one for a week.  It won’t change again until Thursday, but we could have dinner.

“I’d like that.”

I squeezed her hand, leaned forward and kissed her lips lightly.  She didn’t return it, but her hand squeezed mine as she lowered her head and turned toward the door.

Before she stepped inside she turned, “I had a wonderful time.  I’ll look forward to tomorrow.”  With a smile, she disappeared all too fast.

From that night on, we were together as much as possible.  Her three-day visit extended into a full week and we both knew that she was going to have to leave soon.  Her parents were beginning to call several times a day.  They wanted her to come home.  She confided in me that the only reason they had let her come to Texas at all was tied to an oil deal her father’s law firm was trying to strike with Mr. Allen.

We had been to the local movie house, seeing a movie we had seen a few days previously, and were now parked out on the mesa in my pickup truck.  We listened to the radio as we cuddled and star gazed.  Other love-struck couples were parked in cars or trucks nearby.  This was the first night I had brought her here.  I knew I was in love and really didn’t trust myself not to make some sort of pass that would scare her off.  She had a quality of innocence about her that was all at once intimidating and intriguing.  She was different from any girl I had ever dated, which was probably part of the allure.  But, tonight was different; tonight I was going to ask her to marry me.

We sat in silence taking in the breathtaking billions of night-lights.  She seemed awed by the beauty and I didn’t want to break the spell.  She was in my arms and she smelled heavenly.  She was too good to be true.  I was kissing her neck and the side of her face when she spoke.  Her voice was soft and I had to strain to hear her words.

“Danny, my parents called twice today.  They think I have worn out my welcome with the Allens.  They found out that the Allens were trying to arrange something between you and Barbara, or Tom and Barbara.  Neither my folks nor the Allens are happy about us seeing each other.”

I stroked her arm.  “I don’t blame your folks or the Allens.  But, you can’t change the way people feel about each other, can you.”

“No, I suppose not.”

“Speaking about feelings …”  I took her face and turned her so that I could see her eyes.  “I have something I want to tell you.”  Her eyes twinkled with the reflection of the stars.  “Amy, I love you.”  She took a deep breath and started to speak, but I hurried on.  “Honey, I want to marry you.”  My voice threatened to crack as though I were an adolescent.  I was so nervous that I didn’t realize I hadn’t asked her to marry me.  I just told her what I wanted.

She pulled away, but her eyes seemed to beg for understanding.  “Oh, Danny.  My parents would never allow me to marry …”

“Honey, you’re almost twenty.  Surely, they want you to marry some nice guy someday.”  I paused and tried for a little humor.  “And, I’m a pretty nice guy, who just happens to adore their daughter.”

She smiled sadly.  “Danny, you don’t know them.”  She hesitated and turned her face away from me.  “They are very proper and socially conscious, and somewhat snobby.”  She turned back to me.  Her face was sad.  “You would never fit into their social circle or be good enough for me in their eyes.”

I squinted in question and took her hand.  “Amy, am I in your ‘social class’?”

“Oh, Danny of course you are.”  I smiled and squeezed her hand as she continued.  “But, I have never gone against my parents in anything.  They would be so disappointed in me.”

What the hell, disappointed about someone they don’t even know?  What kind of people were they?  I looked at the sadness in her eyes and yet I saw I spark, a desire of some sort and it urged me on.

“Honey, I’ll go home with you and we’ll see what they say.”  She still looked doubtful.  Then I remembered that I had never really asked her to marry me.  I reached out and held her face between my hands.  I looked into her eyes.  “I mean I’ll go with you if you love me and want to marry me as much as I want to marry you.”

She didn’t say anything for a few moments, then her lips turned up in the start of a smile that never quite materialized.  She spoke softly, but firmly.  “I do love you.  Yes, I would like to marry you.”  She grabbed my hand and squeezed ever so tightly as she continued.  “Yes, come home with me.  Maybe with you by my side I can face up to them, be strong and do what I want.  What we want.”

I smiled and gathered her into my arms.  Ours kisses quickly progressed from light feathery touches to the feel of her tongue responding to mine as it darted furtively along my lips and into my mouth.  I swam into the emotions cursing through my body and didn’t realize how far I was trying to go until I felt her pushing against me.  My brain began to register the sound of her voice.

“Danny, please.  We need to slow down.”

My brain refused to register her plea as I caressed her full, warm breast.  Her hand covered mine and attempted to tug my fingers from the warmth of her body.

“Danny.  Please.”

I eased away, leaned back against the car seat and sighed.  She moved so that our bodies were no longer touching and turned her gaze back to the heavens.  The ache in my loins began to subside.  I was beginning to think again.  I wanted her, but realized I was being a jerk in coming on so strong.  I didn’t want to scare her off.

“Amy?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

She turned and nodded, then smiled with an expression that seemed to hold a promise.  “We had better go home now.”

I started the car and eased back onto the road before throwing my arm around her shoulder and pulling her close.  I dropped her off at the Allen’s with a promise to be back first thing in the morning with my bags packed and ready to go home with her.  We didn’t touch and she hurried into the house before I had a chance to kiss her goodnight.  She was probably afraid it would develop into what had gone on in the car out on the mesa.  I loved her even more for her innocence and that I would be her first lover.  It was a heady feeling. But in reflection, it wasn’t the head above my shoulders that I was thinking with.

By the time I got home, the house was dark.  I went to Mom and Dad’s bedroom door and knocked lightly.  I had a feeling she would be awake.  She said she could never sleep soundly until Tom and I were home and safe, no matter how old we were.  To my surprise, she opened the door.  She and Dad were up and awake.

“Yes, dear.  What is it?”  Her brow was furrowed with worry.

“I need to talk to you.”

“Good.  Because we want to talk to you too.”  Dad waved me into their bedroom suite.  “Sit down Danny.”

“No this will only take a minute.  I want to … “

“I said sit.”  He interrupted.  “I want to talk to you.”

I looked over at Mom who nodded agreement with my father.  I had no choice.  I sat down on the divan.  Mom sat in a lounge chair across from me.  Dad stood in front of the fireplace and for the first time, I noticed he was sipping a brandy.  They were in their robes, but I could tell they hadn’t been sleeping.  A book on the table next to the divan was open and I now noticed a book lying on the lounge chair where Mom was seated.  They had been waiting for me.  I looked up at Dad.

“What?  Has something bad happened?  To Phil, Pat, the kids …”

“No, nothing like that.”  Mom assured me.

Then Dad spoke.  “No, son.  It’s just that we've missed your help lately out on the ranch.”

“I know.”  I smiled broadly.  “I’ve been busy.”

“So we’ve noticed.”  Dad was not smiling.

“Dad,” I looked over at my mother, “Mom, listen.  I’ve got a good reason.  I met a girl.  No, not a girl, the girl.”

Mom nodded.  “Tom said it had something to do with a girl you met at the dance.  He said she was from back east and was here visiting with Barbara Allen.”

“Yes.  Her name is Amy Harrington.  She’s beautiful.” 

“So Tom said.  We were hoping you might bring her by so we could meet her.”  Dad spoke slowly as he took a sip of his brandy.

“Yeah, I should have, but I wanted to spend as much time alone with her as I could.  Get to know her.”  My parents nodded, but I missed the concern written all over their faces and hurried on.  “Now, I want to tell you all about her.  I want you to know how special she is and how much she already means to me.”

“Moving a little fast aren’t you, son?”  Dad questioned.

My face was still draped in a wide smile.  “Yes.  Real fast.  I don’t want her to get away.  In fact, tonight I asked her to marry me.”  Mom gasped.  I hurried on.  “She said yes.  And that’s what I need to talk to you about.”

Worry etched itself into their faces as I rambled on in my excitement.

“You see, I have to go to Boston with her so we can tell her parents.  She said they probably wouldn’t be receptive because they’re some high society snobs.  I’m going back there, put on all my charm and win them over.”  I was grinning from ear to ear.  Then, I noticed they were not smiling.  In fact, Mom was visibly upset and shaking her head.

Dad spoke first.  “Son, don’t you think you’re rushing things a bit?”

Mom found her voice.  “Yes, we would like to meet the girl and get to know her.  We want you to be happy, Danny, but … but … well maybe …”

“You need to simmer down some.”  Dad finished her sentence.  “Take a breather.  Maybe you need to let her go home by herself and let things cool down a little.  Then in a few weeks, maybe a month or so, go on back there and meet her folks.  See if you both still feel the same.”

I knew he was giving me good advice, but I also knew I wasn’t going to take it.  I stood up.  “I know you think I’m crazy, but I know what I’m doing. “  I looked at Mom.  “She is so fine.  I’m sure, really sure.  I don’t intend to let her out of my sight for one day, one week or one month.”

My folks tried for the next half-hour or so to talk me into biding my time, sit back and take a breather, but I hardly listened.  I knew what I wanted.  Dad finally relented and agreed to give me some of the money they’d saved for me from my work as a ranch hand before I went in the Army.  It was after midnight when I called the airport in Houston and made reservations for us to fly out to Boston the next afternoon.

*****

By three the next afternoon we were on a plane headed east.  The closer we got to Boston, the more nervous Amy became.  She closed her eyes, but I could tell she was only pretending to sleep.  My heart went out to her.  I couldn’t imagine dreading one’s parents.  I didn’t always agree with my folks, but I never doubted they loved me and I knew they were always in my corner.

The plane landed after dark on a hot, humid East Coast night.  In the baggage claim area, the family chauffeur greeted her stiffly.  He asked for our claim tickets, then escorted us to a silver Rolls Royce parked in the loading zone.  We waited quietly in the back seat while he collected our luggage.  During the ride from the airport to her home, I watched Amy draw further into herself.  All attempts at conversation were met with a weak smile or nod of her head.  Her small hand tightened its grip on mine as we drove through the night.

Her parents stood waiting in the foyer of their home.  Its oversize area radiated an aura of cold sterility.  The domed ceiling was centered by an imposing crystal chandelier brilliantly lighting the room.  It was impressive and dominating rather than beautiful due to the stark walls with no pictures or color for the crystals to absorb.  I shuddered as my eyes took in the stern faces that made no attempt to welcome their daughter home.

They were worse than I expected.  Their stiffness reminded me of the pictures on the society pages of the newspaper.  Her father didn’t have the rugged good looks of my Dad, but he was a nice looking man in a smooth sort of way.  Her mother was a strikingly good-looking woman with the sharpest, coldest steel blue eyes I have ever seen.  They held none of Amy’s warmth.  They showed no emotion toward Amy or myself.  I was sure that I recognized a challenge in them as she assessed me.

Eventually, she shifted her eyes to Amy.  Quite stiffly, she began.  “Good evening, Amy.  I’m pleased that you’ve come home.”

“Yes, dear.  We’ve missed you.”  Her father was stiff, but I detected some warmth in his words.

Amy’s smile was forced.  “Yes, Mother, Father, it’s good to see you too.”

Not a hug or kiss, Christ, what a homecoming.  I wouldn’t want to come home to this either.

Her mother returned her gaze to me.  Amy seemed mute.  I extended my hand to her father.  “Hello sir.  My name is Danny Lawrence.  I’m happy to meet you.”