The Wrong Way Road Trip Pt. 04

MaryLou looked serious too. "Mrs. McCullough is an Iraq widow who lives in her own detached unit in the back. She is pretty relaxed, since this is a college town. But you four may be pushing it. What if just three of you and I pay her a visit tomorrow? I will call tonight."

My stomach clenched. Relating our group to the regular world was a new thing. In an instant, all of the lovey-dovey evaporated. I sighed and squeezed Kate's hand. She looked as unhappy as I did.

Bruce jumped in. "Hey, Katie McCullough is a tough Irish lady who has seen a lot. You will like her and you will prove you can be model tenants. She already likes MaryLou."

ML poked him. "She wasn't so sure the first time I slept over and she found us still in bed at ten in the morning!"

"But you fixed all her accounting problems and are her golden girl now."

ML looked at us, "Katie never finished school. She married her high school crush and he was killed in Iraq. Maybe she could help with the company and go back to school at the same time. This house we are living in belonged to her parents, who moved to Tucson because the altitude bothered them."

Katie was tall and slender. Our women had taken her to a coffee shop, to which I was summoned after an hour or so. I did my best not to look so scruffy, and hoped it worked. As I walked up, Katie pointed to a space next to her and frowned.

"I am getting very mixed messages about you, Brian. First one of these babes says you are the sweetest Papa Bear ever, and then another one says you are cruel and beat them just before ripping their clothes off for violent sex?"

Frowns surrounded me. It was a setup. We were already accepted, but I needed to suffer. What about a little tit for tat?

"Mistress, were you to allow the unworthy four of us to occupy your celestial premises, I promise night after night of forbidden delights!"

She grabbed me around the neck with an oath and applied a long hot kiss. After, she asked, "Does he flirt like this with every woman he meets?"

The other side of the table was breaking up. "He has to be broken in. Get your chore list ready. If I wasn't preggers with Jeremy, God knows how we would be treated."

"It's not his but he married you anyway?"

Heads nodded. "He is supporting us too. And putting money into Bruce and MaryLou's company."

I thought to myself that we might be making a special friend of the tall drink of water with a shy smile. A face that probably hadn't had much to smile about in recent years. Taking a chance on a hometown girl, I asked, "Do you give ski lessons to tenants who behave?"

She bounced her head on my shoulder. "How can you not like this bum?"

We traveled in two cars to her address and walked around back to her unit, which was generously sized. "This place was used by my aunt, but after my parents moved, she decided she was lonely and joined them in Tucson. Please make yourself at home. I will dig out the paperwork."

I asked MaryLou, "How much is the rent?" She responded, "Bruce pays $2,100 a month, but it should be more because I'm spending so much time there. What about offering $2,500? She needs the money."

Katie came back with several sheets of paper and put them on the coffee table. "I was thinking of asking $2,400 since there are four of you. Is that ok?"

I decided a little monkey business would be fun. "Each of us will pay $1000 a month, plus $200 extra for Jeremy, since he is mostly still a tadpole. Marigold is our banker and will write you a check. You have to promise to put some of this in your college fund."

Dead silence. My women looked at each other, trying to decide whether to be outraged or what. After almost a minute, they looked at Katie. Wayward said, "See what we told you? He is Papa Bear looking out for everyone."

Katie was confused. "Who is Marigold?"

"That was me before I was reinvented. He told me Marigold was too complicated. I suggested Wayward, but he suggested Catherine, after Catherine d'Medici. I answer to any of them."

The landlady kissed my cheek and said, "I can see this is going to be an interesting relationship."

(Cont'd in Part 5 - New Friends in a New Home)