Chapter 14

The week following the art show was quiet. Mother spent the days humming. I wasn’t dispatched to the blueberry trails that often. She insisted that Father send one of his men to check on the blooms and see if the berries were starting to turn up. Mother had a theory that the rest of the rich families would want paintings done of their children or grandchildren now that Mr. Bow-Ridge loved his painting so much. He sent me two dozen pink roses in a large bouquet the day after the show. Mother invited some of her friends over for tea and used the bouquet as a centerpiece on the table. No one could see around it. I wanted to scream to Mother that she was milking dry the notoriety of the presentation.

When the engraved envelope bearing the Bow-Ridge seal arrived, Mother danced around the room with it. She opened it, ignoring the fact it was addressed to me. “Vivian, Mr. Bow-Ridge has sent an invitation for dinner this coming Saturday night,” she said.

“I can’t do this coming Saturday. Trent is taking me to a movie.” We had planned this date for two weeks. No dinner party was more important than my Trent . I hadn’t seen Javelin since the show. And I was thankful his allure had waned.

“You’ll have to cancel.” She glared at me, daring me to disagree with her.

“But Mother…”

“No buts, Vivian Carol. You’re going to send a R.S.V.P. this instant, accepting the invitation. After that, we’re going to go upstairs and look in your closet for something suitable to wear.” She spoke with a determination I knew I couldn’t win against.

I sighed in defeat. “Yes, Mother.”

She made sure she told certain people that I was going to dine with the Bow-Ridge family. I hoped it wouldn’t get back to Trent in a bad way. My Mother needed a reminder of where her loyalties lay. So I said in a very casual way. “Mother, I hope the Sawyers don’t take offense that I’m a favorite at the Bow-Ridge residence. You do know that the two families aren’t very close, don’t you?”

That thought hadn’t occurred to her. I could see it in her expression. “Hmm, I hadn’t thought of that. We can’t have Trent getting upset and complaining to his family about you and the Bow-Ridges, especially after the original rumors.” She mused aloud. “Oh, I’m sorry my dear I know they weren’t true after all. Maybe I shouldn’t say too much about you dining with them. I don’t want more gossip to start. Some people still think there is a romance brewing between you and that boy. We can’t have the Sawyer family upset, can we?”

My plan worked and Mother toned down her bragging. She didn’t mention my dinner date with the Bow-Ridge men to anyone after that. I wished I had thought of using the Bow-Ridge/Sawyer rival angle before I accepted the invitation. But like Mother pointed out, I couldn’t be rude and not attend the dinner. If I were honest with myself, I would confess that I wanted to go, mainly to look at my painting again.

With her interest in the Bow-Ridges deleted, I was left up to my own devices. I spent my free time with Trent, whose free time was tied up with Paul and Dirk, unless Dirk was at Eva’s beck and call. At times I felt like a tag-a-long, because the guys either played basketball or talked about sports or cars. I would sit beside Trent, listening to their conversations. He would either hold my hand or play with my braided hair.

I spent a lot of time thinking about our relationship. Would having sex with him create the bond I knew was missing? Wasn’t sex intimate? The intimacy in our relationship was missing. At times I felt as if I was just one of the guys with breasts. Trent pressed me for sex almost daily, yet he never tried to seduce me. There was no igniting of passion in his kisses. The chance that having sex with him would be purely mechanical was extremely high.

My mind played over the pros and cons of sex with Trent so much that I felt as if I were in a tennis match. There was only one person I could talk to about this: Mavis. I called her the morning of the Bow-Ridge dinner and asked if she was free for lunch. My luck was with me and we met at the pizza parlor.

Mavis greeted me with a big hug. “Girl, I’ve missed you. How are things going?” We sat at a corner table, waiting to order. Mavis loved to accessorize her outfits with a dramatic flair. Today she wore a purple fabric thing in her thick afro.

“Things are better. No one’s accusing me of betraying Trent now. Mother’s happy that I am in good graces with Mr. Bow-Ridge and... Mavis, what the heck is that purple thing in your hair?”

“A flower! Haven’t you heard of flower power, sister? It is summer, you know.” Mavis did a few silly poses with her head.

“That explains everything,” I said laughing at her antics.

Mavis smiled. “Jerome hates it, but I think it makes a powerful statement: Make love not war.”
Since she opened the door to the topic of sex, which was on my mind constantly now, I jumped through the opening. “Mavis, have you...um...done it yet?”

“Don’t it? What is it?” She had a gleam in her eye and I knew she would pretend not to understand. She got a kick out of teasing me sometimes.

“Sex,” I whispered.

She looked around to see if anyone was within hearing range. Then whispered back, “Not yet. But Jerome and I have talked about it.”

“Is he pressuring you too?” I asked.

“No girl, I brought it up first. Jerome’s got a fine body. I’m curious to see all of it.” She gave me a piercing look. “Is Trent pushing you into sex? Girl, don’t do it until you’re ready. You’ll know when you are.”

“How will I know?” I asked even though I sort of had an inkling, remembering that one kiss Javelin and I shared and how I wanted to feel his bare skin. I said, quickly because I didn’t want to hear any more about her descriptive desire for Jerome. “Don’t tell me. I’ll figure it out.”

“Figure out what?” Jerome stood beside our table.

“Man, how did you know we were here?” Mavis asked, surprised as I was to see him.
“I came in for a slice of pizza and saw two foxy chicks sitting over here. So I came over to investigate and to my disappointment, it was you two chicks.” He laughed as Mavis hit his arm. She looked at me, silently asking if he could join us.

“Jerome, why don’t you sit with us? We haven’t ordered yet.” I said. Mavis and Jerome were fun to be around. I could use some light-hearted conversation. I didn’t mind if he joined us.
“What’s happening?” Jerome asked after we placed our pizza order. “I haven’t seen the guys all week. What are they up too?”

“Basketball and just chilling out,” I said. “Trent thinks you and Mavis are going to run off and get married.”

Mavis snorted, “Not until I sample the goods.” I blushed as Jerome leaned over to kiss her deeply. When they were finished, he asked, “What were we talking about?”

“Trent and the guys. And you two getting married.” I said.

“Don’t say anything to Trent, but I’ve been hanging out with the most hated Bow-Ridge youngster this week,” said Jerome. “I think it’s stupid that those two hate each other so much. All over who’s better: Marshal Matt Dillon or Clint Eastwood.

“That’s why there’s so much dislike? Over cowboys?” Mavis and I laughed. But I remembered how Trent loves “Gun Smoke” and could understand how he wouldn’t like a very opinionated guy dispute Trent’s claim that he was the best cowboy around.

Jerome said earnestly, “When someone tries to tear down the pedestal your hero stands on, you take it personal. Trent and Javelin are both as stubborn as mules. When it comes to ‘honor and respect.’ Would you girls like someone knocking down Barbie when you were girls?”

My eyes went wide. “You don’t call him ‘Little James’ like everyone else?”

“No,” he said. “That’s a stupid nickname. He’s no baby.”

I nodded, “What have you two guys been up too?”

“The usual he-man stuff; cars, sports and women,” he said in a macho voice.

“Did you spit and pull at your crotch, too?” Mavis asked.

Jerome laughed, “You can pull my crotch anytime you want, baby girl!” After we stopped laughing, he said to me, “I’ll tell you this, but don’t tell Javelin I said this, but that boy’s got it bad for you, Viv.”

“For me? Why do you say that?” I asked. My heart pounded so loudly, my voice sounded muffled in my own ear. I pretended not to know that Javelin was attracted to me. And I couldn’t deny that I was curious as to what he might have said to Jerome.

“He’s been asking a hundred questions about you and about you and Trent. And I told him want he wanted to know, so he would quit bugging me about you. Try not to get to mad at me.” He braced himself for the verbal abuse he thought I would give, but I gave him none.

Mavis had been watching my reaction. And saw that I couldn’t say anything, because I was afraid of what sort of questions Javelin had asked. So she asked, “What kind of questions?”

“Mainly about how serious Vivian and Trent were and if they had gone all the way.” He looked apologetic, “Don’t worry Viv, but I told him no. Trent would have told us guys if you two had done it yet. He asked some questions about your family and stuff like that. But he did ask one strange question.”

“Strange question?” I asked, finding my voice.

“Yes, he asked if I had ever seen you with you hair hand hanging loose and free. I told him, ‘Hell no. That no one has,’” said Jerome.

Mavis said, “Vivvie, Eva doesn’t buy the painting ‘story’ as she puts it. She is convinced you and this guy have something going on. I told her to get over it and pay attention to Dirk, because he’s in love with her. But I don’t think she’ll let it rest. So be careful around her. She’s got it bad for...Javelin? Is that what you called him, Jerome?”

“Yes. Javelin. And he’s got it bad for Viv.”

“Maybe you should mention to Javelin that Eva’s got the hots for him,” I said. “I don’t need Eva trying to pin me into a corner over this. She can have the guy if it will get her to acting normal again.” But I knew he wouldn’t go for Eva. I had heard their conversation. She could wish all she wanted for his love, but it would never be hers. I couldn’t deny it any longer. He wanted me. The mental image of Javelin holding my long hair in his hands wiped the thought of Eva from my mind.

I mused aloud without thinking, “Maybe I should wear my hair down tonight when I go to Javelin’s for dinner.”

“What?” Mavis and Jerome spoke in unison.

I blushed. I couldn’t believe I just said that aloud. “The elder Bow-Ridge has invited me to dine with him tonight. He thinks he owes me for the painting I did.”

Mavis asked, “What about Trent? Don’t you have a big movie date tonight?”“We did but he canceled. Paul has tickets to a drag race and they are going tonight.”

Jerome laughed, “And you haven’t told him about the dinner date, I bet.”

I shook my head, “No, he’ll get all weird over it.”

Mavis let out a low whistle. “Girl, I think you better wear that hair up tonight.”