The Iso-Stasis Experiment (The Experiments) (53 page)

Cal lowered her head and feeling a little awkward slipped her hand from his. “No, I don’t at all. Actually, I’d love company. This is . . .” She shook her head. “This is going to sound stupid, but . . . this is the first time in a long time that I’ve been by myself. It’s a little scary. Sounds weird, huh?” Cal stepped back and sat down.

“No, it doesn’t at all. I expected as much.” Aldo sat down next to her and noticed she was leaning into him, almost smelling him. “Is something wrong?”

Cal smiled. “No, again, you’re going to think I’m strange. But you smell so good.”

“I try.” Aldo leaned his side against the couch, arm on its back as he faced Cal. “Here we are sitting here talking and you haven’t a clue as to who I am.”

“Not necessarily. Are you . . . Mr.
Connilucci
?”

“How did you . . .”

“Nice plane, and just the way you look, you look like you would be an Aldo.” Cal smiled. “I’m very happy to meet you. In fact, I received your gifts. They were very generous, but . . . I can’t accept them. It just doesn’t seem appropriate for me to take such gifts from a man I . . .”

“You sound like Graison, stop it.” Aldo rested his hand on her knee. “You deserve it. I will take it as an insult if you do not take it, or this.”

Cal heard a clinking and smelled the overwhelmingly wonderful scent of real food. She turned her head to the cart that was being wheeled in. “For me?”

“Of course, it is.” Aldo stood up, nodding his head to the woman so she could leave. “Thank you.” On the wheeled table were three silver covered dishes. “I hadn’t any idea what you would be in the mood for, breakfast, lunch or dinner. I did know that you probably couldn’t wait for real food, so. . .” Aldo began to lift the lids reciting, “Eggs Benedict, Lobster Newburg and Veal Oscar. Indulge.”

“Oh, shit.” Cal looked at the array of food. “You are going to join me, aren’t you?”

“No. It’s all yours.”

“Please.” She spoke with sarcasm. “Don’t make me eat alone. Grab another dish. We’ll share.”

“I’d like that.” Aldo walked to the back and came back out with a dish, set it on the table then sat next to Cal. “So, can I overstep the boundaries and ask why you informed my man that we are going to Pittsburgh instead of North Carolina?”

“You may.” Cal placed a fork of food in her mouth and closed her eyes. It tasted so good it was almost orgasmic. She took another bite. “I’m not going with Jake.”

“Cal, you don’t know me, but I feel like I know you. I’ve watched you for seven months. I’d like to know why I feel like I just watched my favorite two characters on DAYS OF OUR LIVES, break up?”

Cal laughed and wiped her mouth. “We were good up there. I’m afraid of things not working out down here. I can’t take that chance. I’m afraid of who Jake may be now, that maybe I won’t . . . . No, that’s not it at all.”

“No, it’s not. You’re afraid of yourself. You’re afraid of being happy again. You feel like you’re doing something wrong. Home reminds you of pain, pain you feel you have to carry.”

“Wow. You must know me well.”

“I do.” Aldo took another bite, then a drink of water. “But I’m speaking from experience more so.”

“Are you married, Aldo?” Cal asked.

“I was. I’m a widower. My wife was killed. In fact they just found the man last year. It added some closure to it all.”

“Children?” Cal pried.

“A daughter, Allison. Feisty.” Aldo shook his head. “A handful to manage alone.”

“I bet you do wonderfully.” Cal shifted from the empty eggs
benedict
plate to the lobster.

“I have another gift.” He shifted his body and reached to a blue box on the table next to him. “This is for you.”

“What is this?” Cal opened the lid. “Video tapes?”

“Again, I might be assuming too much. These six tapes are highlights of the favorite scenes that I watched. And I only picked the ones that weren’t painful for you, and that you might enjoy.”

“Thank you.” Cal ran her hand over them. “By chance, would there be any . . .”

“There is a whole tape of Rickie. I made sure that second day when he told his fireman story was on there. I laughed extremely hard at that.” He watched a tear fall down her face as she held the tape with his name on it. “You did good for that boy, real good. I was proud of you.”

“Thank you.” Cal wiped her eye. “And thank you for this.” She set down the box and started to eat again.

“Can I give you some food for thought, other than food for
you
belly?”

“Why do I think you’re going to anyway?”

With a chuckle, Aldo continued. “I’m speaking from experience here. Cal, no one knows better than you how short life is. How quickly things that seem good can be over with. It’s one thing when they are taken from us out of our control, when we still want them. It’s another when we give them up when we had a choice.”

Aldo captured her attention, and captured her thoughts. She was grateful for meeting this man. And though she knew she had just met him, she felt a bond to him, a bond that told her ‘listen to him.’

Jake was not fazed by the congratulatory handshakes, well wishes and ‘glad you are backs’ from those higher in rank. Even the cigarette smoke didn’t irk him. He guessed it didn’t because he had grown used to it with Cal. He sat in the meeting, listening to what he had to hear, saying what had to be said, nothing more and nothing less. His mind wandered, unlike it had ever done before. Usually he’d listen to the boring fishing and golf stories, smiling like he enjoyed them, when he didn’t. He wished in his mind they would just move on with it. It was pushing five o’clock and most of the meeting was spent on idle bull. Though he sat straight up in his chair, occasional grabbing his glass of water, Jake’s pencil moved about a notebook, scribbling nonsense, wanting like a teenager, just to write her name.

Jake’s eyes felt heavy and it wasn’t because he was tired. He wanted to close them, but only to think about Cal. He didn’t fully understand why he felt like he did. He felt empty, angry, and alone.

Jake was the last one to leave the meeting, aside from the Colonel. H figured no one would notice the change in his demeanor. He thought he was like he always was, stone, hard, emotionless. But they didn’t know what he had become, Jake didn’t fully know what he had become.

“Jake.” The Colonel stopped him before he walked out the door. “You don’t seem as happy as I thought you’d be on finding out that promotion is coming through Monday and all.”

“I’m sorry, Colonel, I am pleased. I just have a lot on my mind, sir. Personal things, things I have to take care of.” Jake nodded firmly.

“You’re anxious to get moving, huh? Jake, son, I’ve known you a long time. I wanted to let you know how glad I am that you finally found someone, someone to help fill that life of yours.”

Jake paused, lowered his head and raised his eyes. “Thank you.” He swallowed. “So am I. Have a good night, sir.” He reached for the door knob again.

“Jake, you aren’t letting this one go, are you? You are going to marry her?”

Jake stopped in his reach, he tilted his head and a smile finally came over his face. “You know what? . . . Yes, I am.” More confident, he left from the office.

He had made a lot of decisions in that meeting, none of them having to do with his job. That was something he supposed he’d regret come Monday morning. But no decision was as important as the one he reached seconds after he walked from the room with Colonel Roberts. Jake was a fighter. He never went down without a fight, or ever gave up. He wasn’t about to do so now. If Cal thought for one second he was giving up that easily, she was wrong. Wrong just like that first day they met, just like when he went into her room through the bathroom and she told him to leave. Jake didn’t stop trying to reach her then, he just tried another door. And he would do that again. He was going to try another door.

^^^^

Joyce stopped arguing with Peter over how dry the chicken breast was at their dinner as she peered in amazement at her house. “What the hell is going on?”

“What are you talking about, Joyce? One second it’s the chicken, the next . . .”

“Lights, my lights are on and I didn’t leave them on.” Joyce opened the car door. “It can’t be.” She shook her head. “I bet it is.”

“What!” Pete yelled as he watched Joyce race from the car into her house.

Cal spread the mayonnaise on the bread for her bologna sandwich. Bologna wasn’t her meal of choice at that moment but it seemed Joyce had failed to shop for her return. As she placed the knife in the jar for another scoop of white stuff, a loud shriek in the kitchen caused her to jump and nearly knock her food to the floor. “God, Joyce.”

“Cal!” Joyce, running grabbed Cal and embraced her tightly.

Cal’s arms swung around nearly hitting everything with mayonnaise. “Easy.”

“Let me look at you.” Joyce stepped back folding her arms. “You look great. Hey.” She grabbed Cal’s arms. “Are these muscles?”

“Don’t ask.” Cal licked the mayonnaise off her finger.

“I can’t believe you’re here. I didn’t think you were coming home. Not from the experiment, but coming home here.”

“Where else would I go?” Cal slid the paper plate with the half made sandwich aside.

With a loud breath out, Joyce sat down. “Let me catch my breath for a moment.” She placed her hand to her chest. “Fort Bragg. I thought you were going there with that Major.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Just by what Chuck said. When he dropped off the supplies, he said there was an emotional thing happening on the roof. Jake started crying, really mushy stuff.”

“Oh Chuck is full of shit. That never happened. He lied.”

“Oh.” Joyce seemed surprised. “So you’re not in love with Major Graison?”

“I’m very much in love with Major Graison.”

“OK, so why are you here? Is he here?”

“Nope he’s in Fort Bragg. It’s my idea. I just think, Joyce, we shouldn’t be together. Our lives are different now, so completely different.” Cal slid her finger tips over the counter. “I just can’t take the chance that it won’t work. And can we please not talk about this anymore? I’m depressed. It’s all I’ve thought about since I left him. I need to take it off my mind, get Jake off my mind.”

Joyce reached out to her, grabbing her hand. “And I know exactly how to do it, too. We are going to celebrate. Why don’t you go ahead and get changed? And do something with that hair, too. Look presentable.”

“I’d like very much to do that, but . . . where in the hell are my clothes?”

Joyce stopped, picking up the phone. “They’re packed and in your closet. I didn’t think you were coming back.” She shrugged. “Sorry.”

“Swell, I’ll go get ready.” Cal started to leave.

“And look good!” Joyce began to dial the phone. “Hey, it’s me . . . Cal’s back.”

^^^^

“Jake!” Chuck called out his name as he ran into his house. “Jake!” Excitedly he ran up the steps and into Jake’s room. He watched his big friend frantically run around the bedroom, opening drawers, taking things out. “Jake, I’m glad you made it back.”

“Thanks.” Jake kept moving.

“It’s nice to see you, too.”

“Sorry.” Jake turned around and shook Chuck’s hand. “Hey, Chuck.” He returned to what he was doing.

“What’s going on? Where’s Cal? Is she coming down?” Chuck asked.

“Yep, she’ll be here tomorrow. That’s what I’m doing, making room for her. I figured out how much she’ll need. Of course, I’m going to have to put another dresser in here. But then again, that’ll be more for her to mess up. She’s messy, Chuck.” Jake didn’t face his friend.

“Man, you must love this woman to put up with something as repulsive as being messy.”

Jake finally turned his head, but only to glare.

“Anyway, when’s she getting here?”

“Tomorrow, I’m leaving as soon as I’m done to go and pick her up.”

“You’re driving? No, Jake, don’t drive. I’ll fly you up.
 
Just pay for the fuel. You my friend have a hundred grand and I am broke.”

“No problem, thanks, Chuck.” Jake continued, neatly taking his items from his space and placing them elsewhere. He tried to close a drawer and it left its track. Instead of taking his time and fixing it, Jake began to get frustrated, his emotions started to give way and he banged the drawer over and over. “Son of a bitch.”

“Jake? Why are you getting pissed at the drawer? Just take it out and put it back on track.”

Jake mumbled as he struggled with the drawer. “I have to get my
fuckin
’ life on track.”

“What are you saying? Damn, Jake. You should be happy. Your woman’s coming, and . . .” Chuck jumped when the drawer banged loudly and Jake yelled ‘there.’ “Jake, don’t you want her to come down?”

“Of course I want her to come down. I’m
fuckin
’ going up to get her, aren’t I? Whether she likes it or not, she’s coming. I can’t believe she
fuckin
’ did this to me.” Jake moved to the closet. He flung open the door. “Fuck.”

“Jake?” Chuck stood up from the bed. “Why am I getting the feeling she doesn’t know you’re coming up to get her?”

Jake just turned around from the closet with his jaws clenched, his face harboring an angry scowl.

“Oh, boy.” Chuck let out a breath. “What are you planning on doing, Jake, just going up there and taking her?” He didn’t get an answer. “You are.” Chuck ran his hand over his hair. “Want to tell me what happened?”

“Nope.” Jake moved things over, lessening the perfect two inch space between hangers to one.

“Can I give you some advice? You can’t go up there with this attitude. This angry shit you’re giving me.”

“Why? She pissed me off. She’s being
fuckin
’ stupid. I’m going to make her see that.”

“Then you’ll come home alone. Whose idea was it that you two aren’t together right now? Obviously, it was not yours. So you can’t go up there and give her the Jake, my way or no way attitude. You know, Jake, maybe you just got the wrong idea of how things were. Maybe you saw more into what was there.”

“Fuck you, Chuck, you don’t know what we had.”

“Do you?” Chuck moved closer to him. “Do you even know what a relationship is? I’ve known you since boot camp and I never saw you involved with a woman. To be blunt with you as your best friend, you’re mean, you’re cold, and you’re bitter.”

Jake, stunned by the lack of niceties from his friend, clenched the hangers he held tightly in his hand. “She said she loved me.” He threw the clothes on the floor and went over to the bed.

“Jake?” Chuck looked down. “You just dropped your clothes.” He watched his friend sit down on the bed, place his elbows to his knees and bury his face deep in his hands. “Jake, come on.”

Jake ran his hands up his face and over his head to his neck. “I love her, Chuck.” He lifted his head, a look of desperation on his face. “What am I going to do? I’m going crazy here.”

“OK.” Chuck reached for a desk chair and slid it over to face Jake, straddling it backwards. “Let’s talk rationally here. Tell me why she isn’t here.”

“She doesn’t think we can make it outside of the experiment. She’s . . . afraid of me.”

“Whoa.” Chuck leaned back. “Let’s look at that. Now risking getting decked, I can see why she’s afraid of you.” He saw the look from Jake. “You’re the stern Major Graison. You aren’t going to be the same guy that was running through the woods fighting wolves with her. Everyone fears you, yet respects you. You live for your job. You live for the Army. She knows that. Now, can you, Jake, separate the two, can you be in a relationship with this woman outside of the experiment? Not only for your job, but can you live for her, too?”

“Without a doubt.”

“Then you tell her that. And it won’t fail. Because you my friend, never let anything fail without a fight.”

Jake felt better, his whole body raised higher. “OK, let’s go.” He stood up.

“You really want to go up there right now?”

“Yeah, why? Shouldn’t I?”

“You’re emotional, she’s emotional, probably. Get some rest, Jake, and figure out exactly what you are going to say to make her come down here. And make it good and official like. We’ll leave first thing in the morning.” Chuck nodded.

“Official, I can do official.” Jake walked over to his clothes on the floor and picked them up. “So meaning official, do you think I should ask her to marry me, Chuck? I’d like to marry her. But I don’t want it to be too much. You know, with me coming up there and all.”