two women who lived with him.
The cool evening air felt good as he climbed into the golf cart and steered it down the path to the golf course. He kept it at full speed and aimed for the lights of the clubhouse in the distance. He knew he'd, have to tell Grace he was aware of what she was doing and to stop it immediately. But that would lead to her cross-accusations concerning his frequently working late. The whole thing would erupt into a silly argument about who was more in the wrong.
But he was going to do it. Anything to save Teresa from the torture of a meddling mother.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Grace Cunningham finally found Teresa inside the dance hall. She casually motioned to her daughter and waited while Teresa took her time walking over. Grace took another disdainful look at Teresa's flamboyant outfit and squelched her desire to remark about it.
'Have you seen your father?' she asked.
Teresa shrugged. 'He was here just a little while ago, Mom. Haven't you been keeping an eye on him?'
Grace looked around the dance floor. 'No, I've been busy in my office.'
'Did you check the bar?'
Grace shook her head. 'No. I'll go look now. If you see him, tell him I'm looking for him.'
'When you're in the bar say hello to Johnny for me,' slurred Teresa.
Grace sneered at her daughter and said, 'I'll tell him goodbye for you, my dear.'
'What do you mean by that?'
'I mean it's all over between you and Johnny Carvel. You no longer interest him.'
Teresa's face turned red as she hissed, 'What have you done, you conniving…?'
But Grace didn't let her finish. She smiled sweetly and turned toward the bar. Teresa swallowed her words and let the anger ease from her limbs. She was glad she hadn't mentioned that her father left with Eileen just a few minutes ago. She wanted to enjoy the revenge and justice of fixing her father up with her girlfriend, but decided to hold off and just enjoy the secret knowledge of her father's activities.
Grace stepped into the bar and looked around. The last time she had seen her husband he was sitting at the table by the window with the other men. But his chair was empty. The men were still there, drinking, laughing. She thought for a moment about approaching them and asking but stopped.
It dawned on her: he was facing the pool all the time she was gone. Looking out on the pool and directly across to her office. He had to see her come and go, had to have seen the visits by Johnny and Alan. Grace swallowed, she knew it would take an awfully ignorant husband not to add it all together and come up with some serious suspicions.
Johnny Carvel smiled as Grace hurried over to the bar. 'Hi, Grace, what'll you have?' he asked.
'Cut out the small talk, Johnny. Have you seen Walter? He was in here just a while ago.'
Johnny grinned and wiped the bar with his rag. 'Yeah, he was here. I sent him over quite a few good drinks in fact.'
'Where did he go?' she anxiously asked.
Johnny shrugged. 'Hell, I don't know.'
She leaned close and forcefully asked, 'Are you sure? Or are you lying to me?'
Johnny stepped back and raised his hands. 'Honest, Grace, I don't know where he went!'
'When did he leave?' she demanded.
Several people at the bar were turning to see what the loud voices were. Johnny quickly bent down and started preparing a drink. Grace turned her back to him and looked innocently across the room. Finally Johnny placed a drink on the bar next to her elbow.
'Fifteen, twenty minutes ago… maybe half an hour. Hell, I've got other things to do than watch your husband,' whispered Johnny.
'Do you have any idea why he left?' she quietly asked.
'I sure do,' he said.
'Why?'
'Because he was getting tired of watching guys meet you in your office. Me included. And that lifeguard.'
Grace took a long sip of her drink. 'Oh.'
'What went on with you and that boy?' asked Johnny. 'You were in there long enough.'
Grace swallowed more drink. 'I had to tell him we were through, you know that. Something like that can't be done in two minutes.'
'Like shit,' hissed Johnny. 'It didn't even take you five seconds to do it to me.'
'You're a grown man, he's just a young boy,' she said.
Johnny laughed. 'All of a sudden you're all heart! Concerned for the feelings of men you drop!'
'Shhhhh!' she hissed. 'Was he with anyone?'
'Who?'
'My husband! You know damn well who I mean!'
'No. All I saw was him getting up and walking into the dance. That's it.'
Grace finished off the drink and clunked the glass onto the bar. She was determined to get to the bottom of this. As she stomped back to the dance Johnny picked up the glass with wonder. He grinned and shook his head. He'd laced that drink with enough alcohol to drown a horse and it hardly phased her. With a short laugh he dropped it into the sink and resumed wiping the bar with his rag.
Grace ran right into Teresa as she entered the dance. Teresa was on her way into the bar to see what Johnny had to say about their being through.
'Teresa! There you are!' snapped Grace.
'What is it, Mother?' asked Teresa with scorn.
'Don't use that tone of voice with me, young lady,' snarled Grace.
'What do you want?'
'You lied to me, didn't you?' asked Grace.
'Mother, I've been lying to you all my life! It's the only way I can deal with you. Okay? Now why don't you leave me alone?' Teresa stated.
'Who was your father with when he left? And don't try to tell me you didn't notice!' Grace grabbed Teresa by the arm and squeezed tight.
'Let go of me!' hissed Teresa.
'Tell me! I know you well enough to know you wouldn't have let him leave without noticing!'
'What makes you think he left with anybody? Maybe he got disgusted with you and your whoring around and just went home alone!'
Grace's hand slashed in an arc at Teresa's face but missed as Teresa ducked and jerked her arm free. 'You bitch!' Teresa hissed under her breath. 'You bet your ass he left here with somebody!'
Grace moved in close. 'Who?'
'Somebody who'll make him feel like a real man. Someone who honestly appreciates him!'
'Goddamit! Who?'
Teresa laughed. 'I'm not going to tell you! All I'll say is that she's a hell of a lot better than you ever were or are now!'
Grace was furious. She stomped away from Teresa and went to the main entrance. Outside sat the family car. Wherever he'd gone, it wasn't in the car; he had to be somewhere close by. She walked out into the cool air and circled the building on legs that were steadily growing numb with rage and alcohol. Finally she staggered into the bar once again.
'Johnny,' she whispered from the edge of the bar.
Johnny held his hand up and motioned for her to wait while he mixed a drink. As soon as he was done he moved to her and put the drink down in front of her. She picked it up and drank.
'Where would a man go if he found someone to play around with?' she asked.
