[Critique Group 1] Marcia's June submission

[Marcia Wick]

1613 words

Chapter 16

A second Look

 

After meeting with Veronica at the diner for breakfast, I arrived at
Claudia's apartment shortly before noon for lunch. Claudia was wearing a
pretty blue sweater and a cute denim skirt, cut well-above her knees. Her
athletic legs drew my eyes down, but I heard Veronica's warning in my head
and forced myself to look up at her smiling face. 

 

"Aren't you off today?" she asked, wondering why I was wearing my uniform on
a Sunday.

 

"I had to meet someone this morning and take a statement," I replied.

 

"Well, come on in," she said, welcoming me with a warm smile. "I'm glad you
accepted my invitation for lunch." 

 

I removed my gun belt and draped it over the back of her kitchen chair
before following Claudia into the living room. Hitching up my pant legs, I
settled into the well-worn nubby couch. Claudia hesitated, so I patted the
green cushion beside me. She assumed a seat near enough for me to cup her
hand, but not close enough for our legs to touch.

 

Perched stiffly on the couch, Claudia said, "Can you forgive me, Robbie, for
writing such an insensitive editorial about Doe Lake? I know that I haven't
been your favorite person since then ." 

 

"Funny," I said. "You're the second one who said that to me today."

 

Who was that?" Claudia looked puzzled.  Don't you get along with most
everyone in town but me?"

 

"Actually, it seems that I've got a lot to learn about women," I said.
"Sorry we got off to a bad start. I'm not used to someone who speaks her
minds so freely, you know, especially a liberated woman like you who's not
from around here."

 

"Sorry, but I'm accustomed to speaking my mind," Claudia said. "Moving to
Doe Lake feels like I've traveled back to a time when women weren't allowed
to vote or pursue a career, unless it was nursing or teaching," she added.
"Maybe we can compromise," she suggested. "I could acknowledge that Doe Lake
should cherish its traditions and small town ways, while you could consider
that moving forward isn't all bad."

 

"I am interested in moving forward with you," I said, toying with Claudia's
slender fingers, "but I can't promise to understand the women's lib
movement. Most country boys are simple when it comes to the ladies," I
added. "We're used to wearing the pants, you know, being the protector and
provider."

 

"Oh, please. Life isn't like the television show, 'Father Knows Best,'
Claudia said. "It's the 1970s. Men and women can work together as equal
partners these days. You know, men benefit when women are permitted to pull
their weight." 

 

"I'm learning," I said. "But old-fashioned guys like me feel threatened by
self-reliant girls like you who can take care of themselves. What would
happen to the traditional family if all the women want to work instead of
raising children?" 

 

Claudia answered my question with two questions of her own. "Why can't women
have their cake and eat it, too? Men have it both ways, don't they?" 

 

"Okay then," I countered, "if women want it both ways, why do men always
have to pick up the dinner bill?"

 

"You're hopeless," she replied. "Let's table this discussion until after
lunch." Claudia rose from the couch and I sheepishly followed her into the
kitchen.

 

Her hands trembled as she laid out a simple menu of grilled cheese
sandwiches, tuna salad, and potato chips on the table. After sitting, she
folded and refolded her napkin. 

 

Ever so smoothly, I changed the subject. 

 

"Has Mr. K asked you to cover Doe Lake's ice fishing competition next week?"


 

"I'm planning to ski around the lake that day and take pictures of the event
for The Messenger," she said. "Are you competing?"

 

"Yes. In fact, I can offer you a front row seat," I said. "I've got a
shelter big enough for two. You can even dip a line through the hole
yourself and see if you come up with a nice pan perch or pike." Spreading my
arms wide, I bragged, "Last year, I caught a two-foot Pike but only came in
second place."

 

"How do you keep from freezing sitting on the ice all day?" Claudia asked.

 

"I have a little propane heater, and I sit on a cooler while enjoying a
six-pack of beer. We could keep each other warm in the shanty," I suggested.

 

"Why do you need a cooler to keep the beer cold if it's freezing outside?"
Claudia asked evasively.

 

"The cooler's not for the beer. It's for the fish," I chuckled.

 

"Let me think about it," Claudia said. "It certainly would be a new
experience for me.  By the way, are women allowed to compete in the
contest?"

 

"Well," I hedged. "Women play an important role at the event. They keep the
men warm, and they can help clean the catch."

 

"Oh, please." Claudia launched back into her women's lib lecture. "Only men
can compete for the prizes?" 

 

"Well, maybe I could ask the contest organizers to consider a special
category for females next year," I mumbled, stuffing potato chips into my
mouth.

 

Claudia stood and carried her half-empty plate to the sink. "Don't do me any
favors, Robbie," she said, confronting me with arms crossed across her
pretty chest. 

 

"Now, Claudia, be fair," I said, standing up for myself. "No one has
complained about the rules before now. It takes time to change traditions in
a small town."

 

"Some traditions are outdated," she argued. "Do you think women in Doe Lake
are mindless robots like the Stepford Wives? Tell me, Robbie. What exactly
are you looking for in a woman, anyway?" 

 

"Well, the usual, you know," I coughed into my fist to disguise my
discomfort.

 

Someone to cook and clean and massage your ego?" she said.  "Sorry, that's
not me." 

 

"Naw, that's not what I mean," I struggled to explain. "It's just that good
old boys like me are comfortable with things the way they are."

 

Just because a woman has her own opinions and ideas doesn't mean she's a
man-hater, you know," Claudia retorted. 

 

"So, you don't hate me?" I advanced and pressed Claudia into my arms,
moaning with satisfaction. For one sweet moment, she melted into my embrace,
but then, abruptly she pushed me away.

 

"Don't tell me you were with Gloria Vanderbilt this morning," Claudia
shouted, her face as red as a lobster.

 

"Gloria Vanderbilt?" I asked, confused.

 

"I would recognize the aroma of Ronnie's trademark perfume anywhere. You
were with Veronica this morning, weren't you?" Claudia accused.

 

"Wait, I can explain," I protested. "Veronica didn't want anyone to know
that I was with her earlier. She asked me to keep our meeting a secret."

 

"Of course she did," Claudia persisted. "She wouldn't want me to know that
the two of you were together."

 

"That's not it," I said, reaching for her again. "It was strictly business,"
I tried to explain.

 

"Business?" Claudia stepped away. "I know all about Veronica's interest in
funny business. This must have been the news she wanted to tell me about.
Why did I think I could trust either one of you? 

 

I tried to object, but Claudia was having none of it. Ready to escape the
heat of her kitchen, I grabbed my gun belt from the chair.

 

"Please leave," she fumed, "and feel free to tell Veronica that her little
secret is out."

 

Claudia pushed me out the door and the lock clicked behind me. Retreating
down the stairs, I was disturbed by the sound of her muffled tears.

 

Damn it. I had blown it again, although I wasn't quite sure what I'd done
wrong. I had honored my promise to Veronica, but I had pissed off Claudia in
the process. Sometimes, a guy couldn't win, no matter how hard he tried.
Should I have exposed Veronica's secret to Claudia, or should I have refused
to make a promise to Veronica. Women sure were complicated. If only men
could get along without them, I thought. Perhaps local girls were easier to
be around, after all. A simple woman like Chicky would be happy to keep me
warm in a cold hut during the ice fishing festival, I thought.

 

* * *

 

Claudia had fussed all night over what to wear after Robbie accepted her
invitation to stop by for lunch the next day. She wanted to look attractive
without looking like she was trying too hard. She was working to update her
casual college clothes, but she couldn't begin to compete with Veronica's
trendy wardrobe. At the last minute, she settled on a short denim skirt with
a periwinkle wool sweater and matching knee socks.

 

It had been a bumpy road - moving alone across the country to a small town
where she didn't belong, vying against Veronica's allure for Robbie's
attention, and then losing the town's trust because of her offensive
editorial. Her confidence was shaken. Unlike her mother who had sacrificed
her dreams for marriage, or the women in Doe Lake who protected and
preserved traditional family values, Claudia was hoping to find some kind of
middle ground. 

 

For a brief moment, Claudia felt cherished when Robbie cradled her hand on
the couch. What a fool she'd been, Claudia thought, believing in friendship
and love. Hadn't she already learned the hard way that the fantasy of
happily ever after was only true in fairy tales? In real life, there was
only hurt and disappointment. Like a child gripping a magical balloon, she
wanted to believe in love, but she knew all too well that dreams, like
balloons, could burst.

 

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