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Authors: Lori Lapekes
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East Lansing. Our hometown. Our home . ”
With that, the crowd was on its feet and the band plunged into another song. It wasn’t as loud as the first or as soft as the second, but a pleasant, easy listening tune. People began to flood the dance floor. Catherine nervously ran her fingers through her hair, stirring with too many emotions to sort out what they were just yet. She took the coat off her shoulders and hung it on the rail, then lovingly tucked Daniel’s scarf all the way into her purse and closed it. Then a hand tapped her on the shoulder. She sighed. It was probably Beth, or Penny, wondering why she’d left earlier. She turned.
And gasped.
The tall man’s eyes sparkled like a cat’s. He raised his eyebrows. “Surprised, Cathy?”
“Calvin!” she sputtered. How had he gotten here?
“I came to see you at ol’ Moo-U. Drove hundreds of miles.”
Catherine’s heart sank, not only from the derogatory nick-name of the college, but the disgusting man himself. “Were you the one who came to my house earlier today?”
“Yes. Since you weren’t home, I thought it might be fun to meet in a place like this so we could dance, have a few drinks, get to know each other again.”
Catherine spun around in disgust to lean on the rail. Fun? Here? How obvious he never really knew her at all! She couldn’t believe it. Unbelievable. Cave-Pig was here!
He moved in closer to speak to her, his breath hot in her ear. “I broke up with Debra. We parted for good. I never should have let her get her hooks into me in the first place.”
Catherine clenched her eyes shut and covered her ears with her hands. She didn’t need to hear this…
Calvin pulled her hands away from her ears. Her arms stiffened, wanting to spring back into place. Calvin’s grip became rougher. A knot of fear grew inside of her. He had never been this rough before. Then she noticed the alcohol on his breath.
“I should never have left you,” he was saying. “It was the biggest mistake of my life. Everything went bad after we parted, I lost my job, the apartment, Debra, all because I missed you so much!”
Catherine opened her eyes. “What do you mean you left me? Didn’t that love letter from Debra, that I found and folded up in your ham sandwich, part any clouds in your brain?”
Calvin loosened the grip on Catherine’s arms. He chuckled slightly, recalling the incident. “That was a great trick. You and old lady Vanhoofstryver are quite a pair to cook that one up. My friends and I laughed over that stunt for days.”
She spun to face him. “You laughed over it?”
“Well, it was funny. You didn’t mean to embarrass me, did you? You wouldn’t do a thing like that deliberately. You’re too sweet. Unlike that witch, Debra.”
“You make me sick.” Catherine groaned. “To think, I was once afraid of you. The only reason you’re here now is because Debra wised up and left you. She wasn’t stupid enough to coddle you like I used to. You drove a long way for nothing, Mr. Prigg. Now get out of my way,” she added, clutching her coat and purse, “I’m leaving!”
“Cathy. Cathy!” He shouted, clutching her by the shoulders. The sudden pleading look on the face she once thought so handsome was sickening. “Please talk to me,” he blubbered, “that’s all I’m asking. I’ve changed.”
Catherine turned her head, nauseated by his alcohol-drenched breath as well as the actual words. Did he believe she was as naïve as she used to be?
“Leave me alone,” she said.
“I can’t, I need you. I really do! I’ve rented an apartment in town today, just so I can be close to you. We can make it together, we…”
“You rented an apartment, here ?”
“Yes!” he said, once again gripping her shoulders hard enough to make her squirm. People around them began to watch the confrontation, but Catherine was too flabbergasted to notice.
“I can’t make it without you, I see that now. Don’t you understand how far I’ve
With that, the crowd was on its feet and the band plunged into another song. It wasn’t as loud as the first or as soft as the second, but a pleasant, easy listening tune. People began to flood the dance floor. Catherine nervously ran her fingers through her hair, stirring with too many emotions to sort out what they were just yet. She took the coat off her shoulders and hung it on the rail, then lovingly tucked Daniel’s scarf all the way into her purse and closed it. Then a hand tapped her on the shoulder. She sighed. It was probably Beth, or Penny, wondering why she’d left earlier. She turned.
And gasped.
The tall man’s eyes sparkled like a cat’s. He raised his eyebrows. “Surprised, Cathy?”
“Calvin!” she sputtered. How had he gotten here?
“I came to see you at ol’ Moo-U. Drove hundreds of miles.”
Catherine’s heart sank, not only from the derogatory nick-name of the college, but the disgusting man himself. “Were you the one who came to my house earlier today?”
“Yes. Since you weren’t home, I thought it might be fun to meet in a place like this so we could dance, have a few drinks, get to know each other again.”
Catherine spun around in disgust to lean on the rail. Fun? Here? How obvious he never really knew her at all! She couldn’t believe it. Unbelievable. Cave-Pig was here!
He moved in closer to speak to her, his breath hot in her ear. “I broke up with Debra. We parted for good. I never should have let her get her hooks into me in the first place.”
Catherine clenched her eyes shut and covered her ears with her hands. She didn’t need to hear this…
Calvin pulled her hands away from her ears. Her arms stiffened, wanting to spring back into place. Calvin’s grip became rougher. A knot of fear grew inside of her. He had never been this rough before. Then she noticed the alcohol on his breath.
“I should never have left you,” he was saying. “It was the biggest mistake of my life. Everything went bad after we parted, I lost my job, the apartment, Debra, all because I missed you so much!”
Catherine opened her eyes. “What do you mean you left me? Didn’t that love letter from Debra, that I found and folded up in your ham sandwich, part any clouds in your brain?”
Calvin loosened the grip on Catherine’s arms. He chuckled slightly, recalling the incident. “That was a great trick. You and old lady Vanhoofstryver are quite a pair to cook that one up. My friends and I laughed over that stunt for days.”
She spun to face him. “You laughed over it?”
“Well, it was funny. You didn’t mean to embarrass me, did you? You wouldn’t do a thing like that deliberately. You’re too sweet. Unlike that witch, Debra.”
“You make me sick.” Catherine groaned. “To think, I was once afraid of you. The only reason you’re here now is because Debra wised up and left you. She wasn’t stupid enough to coddle you like I used to. You drove a long way for nothing, Mr. Prigg. Now get out of my way,” she added, clutching her coat and purse, “I’m leaving!”
“Cathy. Cathy!” He shouted, clutching her by the shoulders. The sudden pleading look on the face she once thought so handsome was sickening. “Please talk to me,” he blubbered, “that’s all I’m asking. I’ve changed.”
Catherine turned her head, nauseated by his alcohol-drenched breath as well as the actual words. Did he believe she was as naïve as she used to be?
“Leave me alone,” she said.
“I can’t, I need you. I really do! I’ve rented an apartment in town today, just so I can be close to you. We can make it together, we…”
“You rented an apartment, here ?”
“Yes!” he said, once again gripping her shoulders hard enough to make her squirm. People around them began to watch the confrontation, but Catherine was too flabbergasted to notice.
“I can’t make it without you, I see that now. Don’t you understand how far I’ve
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