Catherine

Has Is It Been That Much Time

It'll be exactly two weeks tomorrow, glancing at the day of the week on the desk calendar, since I last saw or heard from Catherine; where we've at least talked every day. And where it's good that I'm still working over nights running diagnostics in preparation for another weekend planned turn up of that new system going in at another location. This night work makes it easier for me to sleep because the bad dreams don't seem to like the daylight I guess; less of them. But now it's the desk phone with that intermittent warbling tone that is knocking me out of those thoughts.

Reaching over to pick up the receiver I see the one blinking is the button for the number I told Catherine to call if she calls me here. So looking at my watch to see it's 1:30? If it's her, why is she calling at this time of night; is she alright? Pushing the button, picking up the receiver, identifying my location along with my name.

Where at first it's only silence, then it sounds like... sniffling? But as I start to say something I hear, "It's me." She says.

"Okay, hello me." To the sound of some more sniffling, where I ask, "Are you crying?"

"No," she says. "I have a rotten head cold. It just hit me about two days ago where I must have picked it up on last weeks out of town business trip; two days and two nights in San Diego,' she says. "It had been going around there; so I'm blaming Neil for it!" She says.

"Neil," she said? 'Fuck buddy Neil gave her more than a head, cold I bet. And I wonder if she realizes what she just said; as I hear her sniffling and blowing her nose.

"Okay, are you taking anything for it," asking her.

"I've been taking some over the counter decongestants, but so far it hasn't helped much," Catherine's reply.

"I'm sorry to hear about your cold. Are you planning on seeing a doctor?"

"Not yet," she replies. "But I will if it doesn't get any better after tomorrow; or is that today already." She's not asking. "My head is so screwed up I'm not sure what I'm saying," she says now.

Nailing my previous thought.

"Okay, so how come you didn't call my cell number?

"Because I wasn't sure where you would be, or who you might be..., with, and wouldn't be able to talk. But then I remembered you saying you would be doing more of the same as before; overnights. So I took a chance and called you there first. So Bob, are you alone?" She asked.

"Yes I am Catherine, and I've been feeling pretty alone for the past..., whatever it's been."

""Bob, I mean can you talk," she's asking.

"Yes Catherine, I'm the only one here."

"Okay because I'm going to tell you some things."

Where I think, it's really coming now, as I hold my breath.

"Alright Catherine, what is it?"

"Bob, I'll be going out of town with Jon for a few weeks; maybe more if I can shake this damn cold. We're first going to a convention in Las Vegas; some techie thing he goes to every year. And where we'll be staying there during and after the convention as an add on vacation getaway for a while after that." She's telling me.

"Okay, husband and wives do that kind of thing."

"Bob, Jon and I were having dinner at home a couple of weeks ago when he told me he's been seeing a doctor about his, ah, problem. He said he finally needed to face his... umm... ah problem. So this doctor put him on some..., pills that are supposed to help men with his..., ah..., type of issue. He also recommended a therapist which Jon has been seeing too. The therapist recommended he should take things slow and not to worry about the pills and other things not working right away. The therapist also said he should get away from his work and other distractions, maybe take a long vacation so he could relax, and be alone with his..."

"So Catherine, I guess I was your distraction?"

To that she doesn't answer.

"Bob... Jon's been..., getting more attentive lately," she tells me."

"Attentive huh? Is that a euphemism for wanting sex?" Already knowing it is.

"Somewhat..., but yes," she replies.

"The usual?" I know what that is.

"No." She says. "More often of the... like he did with me that morning in my bathroom and much longer lasting too." she replies.

Where I want to laugh at the longer lasting remark. But putting my brain in gear before my mouth speeds away with some sarcasm killing any chance of her forgiveness; instead, "So, I guess the pills, and therapist thing is working for him."

But I really don't want to hear her truthful reply.

"His usual come and go has become more of his wanting and longer lasting go and go and... you know." She says.

Like he's making up for lost times; my thinking.

By God, why is she telling me this, as a vision of Jon's bending her over her bathroom vanity like she told me in my kitchen that time; it was how he fucked her that very morning. And now banging away at her longer and more frequently. And pulling out to see his cum slick cock is followed by a thick stream of his cum seeping out of her pussy; where he's watching it trickle down through the crack of her ass, leaving a large wet spot under it. And right now, it's in my mind, I can see it happening from my 'fly on the wall point of view; it's just like I'm right there.

But why, Swaggart, is that vision turning you on... I'm not jealous; I'm envious. I've been another man in her life enjoying her too. And possibly like the others who may have fallen in love with her. Except with me... I've touched her like none of the others have; Jon!

"Bob please don't try to call me because of where we'll be staying, so I might not be able to talk. Bob..., I really need the time to think. And this getting away, will give me, us, the time for it." What she's telling me has just pulled me back to the here and now.

"Alright Catherine, I wasn't going to call you because when you got out of my truck that's what you said then; you needed time to think. So I figured when you were ready you would call me. So it's whatever you need. But lady, I never stop thinking about you. And Catherine, like I said that day in my truck, I also have a lot of things to think about too. Plus there's that decision I still have to make, and soon."

"What decision is that Bob?" She ask

"Catherine, I'm not going to say right now. I'll let you know whenever you get back or decide to call me," telling her.

Then for some reason she's asking, "Have you talked to any of your other girlfriends lately?"

"Yes, Catherine. I last talked with a girlfriend, other than Sally, who by the way is coming up this weekend with Erin to celebrate her fathers birthday. And where Sally told me, don't make any plans with anyone else. "You will see me, alone," she told me. And where the other came down with a cold before we could get together; maybe the same cold you're suffering from. Why are you asking?"

Catherine is suddenly silent, because it's the distant sound of a man's voice calling her name.

"Bob, I have to go, Jon must be up looking for me." she says. Then hearing her calling out, "I'm, in, my, office Jon!" But she must have missed her ending the call, or instead it was that panicked "clunk" of it being dropped onto the desktop just before Jon entered the room.

It's the first time I've heard Jon's voice; with him coming into the room I hear him asking her what she's doing. Where she's telling him she couldn't sleep because of her cold. That's why she came down stairs to log into the office to check her emails and interoffice messages. Plus she was going to call Sarah later this morning to remind her about us going away for a while." I can hear,

Then it's hearing Jon asking if he can get her anything where she's replying,

"Yes," she's telling him, "would you get me another decongestant capsule from my bathroom; they're on the vanity. And a glass of milk please; it might help me get some sleep and please don't wake Maria."

"Of course, I'll get them for you right now." Hearing his reply,

But Catherine still doesn't know the call is live, maybe because of how or where she dropped her phone on the desk.

But now it's hearing her typing away on her computer keyboard in the background. When a few minutes later I hear Jon as he must have come back into the room with his, "Here's your capsule and milk." He's telling her. Then he's asking, "Are you sure you're okay? But then it's his "Who is that on the screen?" I hear him asking not giving her a chance to answer his first question.

It's that slightly startled catch in her voice as she answers, "I was... doing some searching on a few names and this picture came up with these five Marines, " she's telling Jon. "The caption reads, 'Returning from a training mission prior to their deployment.' Reading it off to Jon.

"Of course you know the IIG program for active personnel and retired military veterans. Where I was reviewing some recent issues, checking for missing information or errors that may clear up some processing clitch that cropped up. So I thought I would see if I could find any more information on some names I saw; just for background information."

"Do you recognize any of the names there," Jon asked, as Catherine reads them out loud, where my heart stops as I hear her saying my name among the others.

"What the..., that picture! She must be looking at that very one!? That reporter wanted to interview us as we got off the "Huey," just as we were returning from an all night training mission. And him taking a picture of GW, Banjo, Lineman, Speedy, and me.

Hell, the five of us got a copy of that very picture from that reporter. It's the framed one on the shelf in my great room Catherine had also seen there too. But Catherine hasn't answered Jon's question until, "I'm not really sure." She's telling him at last.

"It's not good to get too personally involved with them," Jon's telling her. And probably best to keep some things at arm's length. Remember Catherine, it's just business. It's usually better that way too." Jon's reminder. With Catherine not replying to what Jon just said.

But then he asks if she's coming back to bed?

"Yes.," I hear her reply to him. "I think the pill and milk will help me sleep now. Bu I'll be up as soon as I finish up here and log out and the computer turned off." She's told him.

I can't quite make out everything else Jon must be saying, maybe from just outside the room, like he sounded when he asked about her coming back to bed.

"Damn you!" I hear her saying. Where I wonder who she's referring to?

But what I can't see either, is her touching the computer screen with her finger on the image of me in the picture where I think I hear the soft whisper, or is it my wishful thinking when hearing, "I love you Swaggart!"

"WHAT?" She's never said that out loud to me as I hear the soft sound of her crying.

"Oh my God!" Immediately followed by her, "Hello?"

She's just picked up the phone and realized the call didn't drop.

But it's my hand tightly covering the mouthpiece on my phone where I hope to God she can't hear anything. Where again it's her, "Hello." A pause, then the call suddenly ends.

"I love you too Catherine!" Laying my head on my arms down on the desk,

I just had a small peak into their life, and it hurt; they have a life together such as it is. And I'll go to my grave never mentioning I ease dropped on her conversation with Jon.

That day I left her at the gym, I drove around aimlessly for over an hour where I finally ended up back at the base gym. Going inside I changed into some work-out clothes, put on some gloves, and spent a good hour, "Kung fu" like, punching and kicking on a punching bag; cursing myself every time I hit it. And, I was hitting the damn thing so hard my arms, wrist and legs hurt to the point I could barely stand or hold onto my water bottle.

Mark, another friend of mine, had walked by, and stopped to watch me beating up my punching bag self, where he asked, "Anybody you know?"

Not even thinking about answering, as I went and jamed another punch into my imaginary face on the bag. Mark hung around some more until he finally walked away.

Sargent Rei had his regular full contact martial arts training Tuesday night. The same Sargent Rei I referred to when I was addressing that college co-ed after I took Catherine down that..., damn day at her gym. Sargent Rei, who teaches a mixed martial arts form of unarmed combat. Where Sargent Rei is all of about five-foot five and about one hundred and twenty pounds of the most arrogant, and meanest son-of-a-bitch you never want to go up against. Where he always seems to pick on me to demonstrate some bone breaking technique, or other disabling punch, jab, kick, that leaves me bruised and sometimes, a bloody lip, and pissed off as all hell.

Like I've told Catherine and that co-ed, he doesn't pull any punches.

But last night turned out to be different from all the others; I wasn't going to put up with his shit without making him pay for it. Which turned into an all out fight between him and me; again. With guys standing around cheering him and me on. I was pissed at myself for what I did to Catherine, and I needed to take it out on something other than a punching bag; Sargent Ree had a fight on hands. And the more I took it to him the meaner he got; if that was even possible. We both ended up bruised and bloodied before the guys broke it up. But as the group was walking away, Rei came up to me again with his, "Swaggart, you a big guy, strong, quick, but you never fight smart!" He's told me before, "You rely too much on you size and strength... but tonight you fight real smart." The little bastard I bet choking on his words.

And being back on days. I'm back at the gym, except for school night, working out to the point I can hardly lift my arms to slam another punch into the bag or another lift of the weights. Or running myself to exhaustion, only stopping long enough to catch my breath. Then run again until I can barely lift my heavy legs to take another step; I can't sleep either.

Plus, I've only been eating junk food which has been causing me some stomach issues. But the exhaustion allows me to catch those few hours of restless sleep. Plus the nightmares are back waking me up where I can't get back to sleep; so I stay up sitting in the dark, or trying to work on whatever paper I'm doing.

Those dreams that had me sitting up in the dark that were gone since the first night I spent with Catherine at her sister's place; have come back. Strange, it wasn't until that Wednesday night before the gym incident, that I woke up from one. Shit, maybe it was a premonition?

And for weeks, I've tried not to think about her, but it's a lost cause. And wherever she is, or whoever she's with; I hope she's safe. Damn, she's more than just in my blood now.

Like just the other night; I discovered the card that Evelyn Pierce had given me was in the shirt pocket of a utility uniform shirt I thought I should take, along with some other things, to drop off at the base laundry. It must have been the same shirt I wore that day to Catherines' gym. And while looking at the card thinking, when was... the last time I had a good massage. Sally was very good at that, and by coincidence, she'll be here again this weekend; this time for Ryan's birthday.

That weekend of her fathers birthday she and I left their house together after the party and came to our house and fucked each other senseless until I had to get her back to her parents place by mid morning. Sex between the two of us was and still is, a very strenuous, erotic workout. Maybe round two; again?

But this Evelyn Pierce has tickled my curiosity plus her remark about Catherine and me has me thinking; yeah, I am going to call that number on the card, and see if she's still interested in having that drink with me. But most of all, why her remark about my being Catherine's boyfriend?