Peter Jenkins - The reluctant neighbor

He was relieved for a minute when he heard a car pull into the driveway, certain that it would be Peter and Marily, then a near panic seized him when he considered what his wife would think unless Vivian shut her mouth. He forced a question, by speaking loudly, to change the course of her conversation: "How long has Peter been practicing law?"

"About five years he's had the same office here in Mill Valley but he's been out of school before that, say about one year, we looked for a place to live, to raise the child in nice surroundings and be near a good school, all things that one must consider when the yoke and pleasure of parenthood is looped about one's neck and…" She droned on, until the doorbell momentarily interrupted her. Not that she stopped speaking, she simply changed subjects, opened the door wide and caught a surprised Marily in her arms, then started talking to Peter about their daughter, some clever thing that she had said.

Fred stood when Marily entered the room, hoped that he was not blushing, tried to assume a calm and normal voice when he asked her, "How was the meeting?"

Marily was looking closely at Fred, putting him at a disadvantage. She wanted to see if there was any outward sign that he had participated in the plot for his happiness, but she could discern none. She had received a nod from Anna, meaning to her that the act had been completed, that he was well on his way to becoming a member, but she wanted to see it on his face. She couldn't. "Oh, Fred, it was wonderful. There is so much going on here, in this community you'd never believe. You would enjoy it very much. I know you would." She turned to Anna, then.

"What did you people talk about? Did you get acquainted?" Fred was undergoing mixed emotions. He had been afraid that talkative Vivian would let the cat out of the bag, but now that his wife was talking, he feared for a moment that she would know how to get any information that she desired from another woman. Then, when he heard Anna answering his Marily, he knew that the former was too bright, too intelligent, to give anything away. He relaxed. Shortly, Peter came and maneuvered him out to the kitchen, mixed both of them a drink over Fred's protestations, and talked.

Marily didn't know what to say to Fred once they were alone. She had no fear that he had been told anything about her weekend just past, but she wanted him to tell her how he had felt, how he had gotten along with Anna and Vivian. She didn't know that the plans had been modified, that both women had felt that the two of them might be a bit much for him, coming all at once. She said nothing, however, but she did ignore the disarrayed bed, hurriedly turned back the covers and pulled the sheets back, trusting that he wouldn't remember or think about how he had left it. She felt a slight pang of jealously when she came to him, in bed, and he told her, "Marily, not tonight, O.K.? Let's forget about it for this week. The trip and all…"

She went to her own bed, lay down and smiled to herself. For the first time, even after the assurances from Anna, she knew that Fred was undergoing a change of character, that he was, quietly and unto himself, thinking about her for the first time in a long time. She went to sleep as soon as she heard his soft snore.

As the week-end approached, Marily became more and more nervous. Fred seemed to be changing every day, almost right in front of her eyes. He had purchased a couple of bottles of liquor, had mixed the two of them a drink each evening. That in itself was amazing, but the most fantastic thing to her was that he kissed her, passionately almost, both Wednesday and Thursday when he came home from work. He seemed more relaxed, more in control of himself than he ever had before. She had her own doubts about the coming week-end. She was anxious about how Fred would accept the fact that she was a woman, just as much in need as he was of sexual fulfillment, about what he would think when he realized, as he must surely do, what the party the preceding week-end had been like for her.

She had been visited by Hans, on Thursday, during the short lunch break that he had, and he had laughed at her fears and told her that her Fred was with his Anna. His quieting of her roaring needs had helped calm her, but she was, by Friday afternoon, ready to collapse.

Fred was no help to her when he came home. He seemed so sure of himself, so determined about his every action, that she had all kinds of intuitive feelings about the coming week-end. It almost blew her mind. She sighed, then with great effort, decided that things would just have to take their course, that she really had no control of the situation and that she would just have to feel her way along during the whole scene that was to follow. And, she knew that the whole thing would be a surprise to Fred as it was supposed to be to her. She dressed carefully for the party and smiled at Fred when he opened the door on his side of the car for her to get in. She almost giggled, realizing that he was just as, if not more, upset than she was.

Hans and Anna lived in a beautiful old house, right on the water. The view was magnificent. San Francisco majestically rose up among the hills across the bay, Alcatraz sat lonely and abandoned in the middle of the water and the waves gently lapped at the pilings at the foundation of the house. Marily remembered Anna saying that her family had left the house to her, and wished that someone would leave her such a house. Fred, in the meantime, was making a great show of finding the doorbell, trying to prove to her that he had never seen the place before. She almost felt sorry for him. They entered a darkened house. Anna had no lights on anywhere, except in the kitchen. They were all sitting in the living room, the lights making strange patterns on the walls and the clothes of the talking guests. Anna and Hans moved Fred and Marily about, introducing them and getting them into a seat. All had gone fine until Roy had been introduced, along with his wife, and at that time Marily had had a moment of panic when he had squeezed her hand, then patted her on the buttocks. But, apparently it all went over Fred's head or vision, his mind locked as it was on Anna.

They sat for a short while in the living room, looking at the heavenly vista before them, until all the guests had arrived. Then Hans invited all the men into the kitchen, and Anna took charge of the women. She advised them all that the party for the first night at least, would be held in total darkness, and that this week, in honor of the new members, the men would do all the choosing, or drawing. She directed each woman to an upstairs room, two to the room, and there they waited for the men to join them. Marily had every misgiving that could possibly assail her. Anna took her arm, realized that she was trembling, and told her, "We are to share the same room. Everything has been worked out in advance. Do not worry, Marily. Please."

Marily started crying, her whole body shaking, and told her between sobs, in the bedroom, "It can't be. He'll never forgive me. And I love him, Anna, I really do. He'll hate me. You know how men are. It's one thing for them to do this, but quite another for their wives."

"Marily, you must trust us. I've been with Fred every day this week. I have come to know him. He was very dubious about your accepting such doings, but I promised him that I would take care of everything. He is just as concerned as you, believe me. There will be no trouble. You will see. I think that it will help you get on better with each other. I really do." Anna talked, helped Marily to undress and made her lie down in one of the huge beds in the room. Then she went through a door, into the bathroom that was just off the bedroom, and returned with a damp, cold wash cloth and gently bathed Marily's face. "After all dear, there will be no talking, no names mentioned tonight. That is the rule of this party because it is in our house and believe me, Hans and I have thought it all out very carefully. There now," she said, patting Marily on the shoulder and getting up from the bed.