Some Call It Luck - Chapter 27

by Jim Wile

Background
A brilliant and beautiful but insecure, nerdy young woman befriends a going nowhere older alcoholic caddie. Together, they bring out the best in each other and collaborate on a startling new invention

Abby St. Claire

March, 1987

A couple of weeks ago, I finally made my decision, after a lot of agonizing, about whether to look for a job or go to grad school next year. Although money was the major stumbling block to grad school, the fact that the school offered me a sizable scholarship if I continued my education there made the decision pretty simple in the end. I talked to E.J. last week, and he was really happy about it. I’m actually pretty happy about it for the same reason. We’ll get to spend another summer together, playing bridge and just being good friends.

Last night was a Friday night, and I somehow ended up at a fraternity party. Parties are really not my thing—even less so after last night—although there was something interesting that happened.

A guy I knew a little asked me out to a movie. I liked the guy and wanted to see the movie, so I agreed to the date. When he came to pick me up, he said he had the wrong night for the movie, but maybe I’d like to go to a party with him instead. I wouldn’t have felt right turning him down at that point, so I told him sure.

Big mistake. When we got inside, the music was blaring, and the place was crowded with inebriated people. He got a beer for himself and asked me if I wanted one, but I passed on that and got a Coke instead. He wandered off after that and joined some fellow drinkers. I tried making conversation with another girl who was there, but it was so loud in there we had to shout. I looked around for my “date” and didn’t see him anywhere. That was it for me; I got my coat and headed out the front door.

As I was walking down the front walk, in a bit of a huff, a guy sitting on a bench out front looked up at me and said, “So you couldn’t take it anymore either?”

He was a nice-looking guy with blondish hair and a ready smile, and I stopped to answer him. “It’s just a little too loud in there for me,” I said. “Plus, I’m not much of a drinker either.”

“Yeah, me neither. What would you rather do than attend a frat party?”

What to make of this? Was he asking me out? All of a sudden, a little shyness crept over me. “Um, I was supposed to be going to a movie tonight, but my date got the wrong night, so we ended up here, and then he wandered off.”

“What were you supposed to see?”

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

“I saw that. It’s much better than this party, that’s for sure. Jack Nicholson was superb as McMurphy. Have you read the book?”

“I did, and I really enjoyed it. But I actually liked Ken Kesey’s Sometimes a Great Notion even better.”

“You know, I did too,” he agreed. “It was almost like a Greek tragedy with all the rivalries and betrayals. I also liked the way the Stampers stood up to the unions.”

“I admire intransigence.” (Now that came off sounding a little weird.)

He looked at me for a while without saying anything, like he was sizing me up. I started feeling awkward. Then he asked me, “So where is your date now?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

“Guy must be a real putz to let you get away.”

“Hey! Whatcha doin’ out here, Kenyon?” said a guy standing at the open front door? “C’mon back in here and talk to your old buddy who you came to visit.”

He turned to me and said, “I guess I’d better go back in there. Haven’t seen him in a while, and I did come to visit him. It was nice talking to you,” and with that he got up and went back in.

I was tempted to follow him back inside, but it seemed like he wanted to be with his friend, so I just left and walked the two miles back to my apartment. He was an interesting guy who I would like to have gotten to know better. Maybe I would run into him again, but then again, probably not; he said he was here visiting, so it sounded like he wasn’t a student here.

My roommates weren’t in when I got back, so I told Lester all about my interesting evening. “Hey, Buddy, I never did make it to the movies tonight, and I ended up at this terrible frat party. What did you say? ….. No, not ‘rat’ party, ‘frat’ party. It was at the Phi Kappa Psi frat house. What? ….. No, not ‘mouse,’ ‘house.’ Get the wax out of your ears. Well, my date kind of left me to go drinking, and it was really loud in there, so I left the party then, but outside I met this nice guy. He didn’t like the party either and we got to talking about movies and books, and did I mention he was very good-looking too? .….. No, not quite as handsome as you. Hey, are you a little jealous? ….. I think you are!”

I picked him up then and we rubbed faces together. “You’re still my best boy, Lester. Let’s get ready for bed.”

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The decision is made, and Abby will be returning to Brentwood for another summer to earn money for grad school. She finally meets someone she's attracted to, but it appears to be just a chance encounter with little hope of seeing him again.

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Abby has an eventful date at college

A chapter in the book Some Call It Luck

Some Call It Luck - Chapter 27

by Jim Wile

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