The Long Game

CHAPTER 1

Ever since I was a boy, I have always been fascinated with rocket engines. Every time there was an announced launch of a space shuttle mission or any other rocket lift-off, I was glued to the set. The immense power of a controlled explosion inexorably lured me into the field. I'd already received my bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and was now working toward my master's. I wanted to be a rocket scientist. Hailing from a lower middle-class family, my parents assisted me with tuition the best that they could manage and I met the remainder of my financial needs via student loans. I have long been considered a nerd and wore the moniker with pride. Because I had worked so ardently toward my lifetime goal, I had not yet dipped my toe into the pool of dating life on campus. Of course, I was a frat boy but not affiliated with one of the jock fraternities where most of the ladies sought their prey.

For the past week, I uncomfortably noticed an attractive girl eyeing me in the campus cafeteria where I exclusively took my meals to save more time for my studies. I'd seen her with some other guy before but for the past week, she sat alone, coyly smiling whenever I glanced her way. I was pleased to receive smiles from the opposite sex but taking the time from my schedule to nurture a relationship was not on my agenda. That is until my mind was changed for me.

"Hi, I'm Sharon Appleby," she offered as she took a seat beside me at my table.

"Uh, hi. I'm Keith Carlyle, how are you?"

"Oh, I know who you are. You already have your bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering and now you're heading for your master's, a notable achievement. You've been on the dean's list from the get-go and you're well known as one of the smartest men on campus, if not THE smartest man."

"Well, I'm not so sure about that. There are plenty of others around who may dispute your findings but I do work hard. How is it that you know so much about me?"

She grinned, "I've asked around. I've been working up the nerve to approach you and wanted to know a couple of things about you as a conversation starter."

"Well, Sharon, you seem to know a lot about me; so what's your story?"

Her smile grew larger as I asked about her, "I'm a student here, same as you but in a program of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts branch of Georgia Tech. I hope to graduate with a B.S. in Philosophy and a minor in art. I'm a thinker, and lately, I've been thinking a lot about you," she chuckled.

"Me? What about me would interest an attractive woman like you?" I fished.

"I've had my share of dates and relationships before and during my college experience. There was even one guy who I thought might be the one but, unfortunately, our futures diverged. That left me taking inventory of my life and where I'm headed. I have goals and desires just like anyone else, yet through philosophy courses, I've learned to be practical. I want to hitch my wagon to a star, Keith. I've talked to a few who know you and they all vouch for you as an honest and solid guy who takes his responsibilities seriously. I can't speak for you but I know that I'm attracted to you, so I thought I would introduce myself to you, be direct, and let you know that I'm interested in you."

"Wow. Did you plan out the rest of our lives just now?" He asked in surprise.

"Hmmm," she grinned, "You ARE just as smart as they claim after all."

And that was the beginning of my torrid relationship with Sharon Appleby. She might be coy and shy appearing in public, but behind closed doors, she was sizzling hot. My virginity vanished into the twilight in glorious fashion. She taught me how to pleasure her to multiple pinnacles and she learned how to ring my bell just as successfully. I never questioned her previous experience with other men before me. These days, remaining a male virgin in college is extremely rare. I would have been surprised if she had been inexperienced. Our private time was almost exclusively spent in my dorm room. My roommate was getting irate with me for frequently having to honor the bro code by making himself scarce during our intimate times. Sharon spent more time in my room than he did.

We seemed a perfect match. She denied me nothing nor was anything off limits. There was no way I was ever letting this girl get away. Once we were paired, she fended off all other male attention saving herself for me alone. I never fretted a moment of insecurity in our relationship. One Friday evening, I thought I'd surprise her with flowers for her to have in her dorm room before taking her out to a movie we'd both wanted to see. After knocking on her door, I was startled to see a guy open the door.

"Can I help you?" He asked protectively.

"Um, maybe. I may be at the wrong dorm room. Is Sharon Appleby here?"

Hearing her name, Sharon rushed to the door dressed to go out. "Keith, what brings you here?" She inquired nervously. "I thought we were going to meet at your dorm as usual."

With an indignant demeanor, I asked, "Who's this guy?"

She opened the door wide to allow my entry. "I guess you two would meet sooner or later, so it might as well be sooner. "Keith Carlyle, this is Wesley Stanton, my roommate. Wesley, this is my boyfriend that I've told you so much about.

"Your roommate?"

"Yes, Keith, this is a co-ed dorm. Wesley and I are both pursuing a degree in philosophy and are very like-minded, so it just seemed natural that we room together. I know what you're thinking and no, it's not like that. You're my boyfriend and I hope it stays that way."

Reading my face and sensing my displeasure, Wesley came to her rescue, "What Sharon is tiptoeing around is her attempt to protect my privacy and I love her for that. She's a good soul but you already know that, I'm sure. I'm genderqueer yet have a proclivity for men. Sharon respects and fiercely protects my gender identity. That's why she may have not have mentioned me to you. Since I'm outing myself to you directly, that lets her off the hook. I figure that if she's into you the way she tells me she is, then you must be a good guy too. So there you have it, Keith, my dirty little secret."

He was wearing gym shorts and a tank top. Of course, he was hanging out in his own dorm room so he had no reason to be dressed up. I surveyed the room and saw several posters of old guys, some wearing tunics. Wesley saw me glancing at them and chimed in.

"Sharon and I have had many lively discussions about the makeup of the most influential philosophers over time. We instantly agreed on five of them but made our case for the other five until we both agreed on the top ten. The posters that you see here are of Aristotle, Plato, Friedrich Nietzsche, Rene Descartes, Confucius, Socrates, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Locke, Jean-Paul Sartre, and David Hume. Sharon and I spend much of our time discussing what we both love about philosophy and applying the principles to our everyday lives. She's as deep into it as I am but we both also share an interest in art."

After the shock was seen to be wearing off my face, Sharon finally spoke, "I'm sorry for not telling you about this before now, Keith, but Wesley's secret wasn't mine to tell. I couldn't out such a good friend. Are these flowers for me? They're lovely, thank you. Wesley, would you mind putting them in some water for me, please? Keith and I have a date and I don't want to miss a minute of it." She'd done her best to put my mind at ease. As we were walking, she put her hand in mine and asked.

"Are you okay, Keith? Does it bother you that my roommate is genderqueer? Wesley listens to me talk about you all the time and knows how crazy I am about you. I love you, Keith, and I don't want anything to come between us, especially my genderqueer roommate. Just say the word and I'll request another roommate or transfer to another room with a girl although it would make me sad to lose who, before you came into my life, was my best friend and who has always had my back. Wesley was at first suspicious of you when you came to the door. He had not met you yet and thought you were another Neanderthal trying to get into my britches. That won't happen again, I promise you."

I thought about what she and Wesley had both revealed to me and it all seemed to dovetail with reality. She has offered to switch roommates to make me more comfortable. That speaks volumes about her integrity. The fact that she was protecting Wesley's gender identity also impressed me with her uprightness. As I considered everything, I could see no reason to have any doubts or worry about my relationship with her. She made it clear that she was with me. I decided to man up and try to be as good of a person as she was presenting herself to be.

"That won't be necessary, sweetheart. I don't have a problem with Wesley being your roommate. It just came as a shock, is all. I wouldn't want you to resent me for separating you from a good platonic philosophical friend. I have some friends who I talk shop with about rocket science on a regular basis and I don't give it another thought that they're women as well. We're just like-minded science nerds. I get it. But thank you for making the offer. It means the world to me."

After that introduction, Sharon rarely mentioned Wesley unless I asked. I did see them walking together on campus heading to the same class from time to time but never gave it a moment's thought. I never observed any signs of impropriety. I also noticed Wesley walking with other guys on occasion which seemed to confirm everything I was told by them both. Sharon was always practical and pragmatic in every decision she made. I believe her philosophical enlightenment was deeply woven into the fabric of her personality. She was rarely emotional, and always logical. That trait was frustrating at times but I eventually acclimated to that part of her personality.

The next two years flew by and as graduation neared, I popped the question and Sharon gleefully accepted. Her sole request of me was that I ask Wesley to be one of my groomsmen. I told her that I was okay with that as long as she assured me that he would not hit on any of my other groomsmen. She laughed and promised to speak to him about that to keep him on his best behavior. We decided to wait until the summer after graduation. I had become quite accustomed to Wesley's ubiquitous presence due to his rooming and friendship with Sharon but he and I never bonded, not having any common interests aside from Sharon.

As much as Sharon distracted me, I'd still managed to remain on the dean's list as I walked the stage to receive my Master's degree in aerospace engineering. Sharon and Wesley also graduated with their B.S. degrees in philosophy with minors in art. Sharon confessed that Wesley had barely squeaked by his grades to graduate. She admitted that if it weren't for her extensive assistance to prep him for their exams, he would have had to repeat another year. I have no idea if his philosophy on life induced him to abjure grading standards or if he was simply lazy. I believed him indolent but never shared my defaming opinion of him with Sharon. He remained her best friend outside of me. I had no expectations of him landing a good job with his Philosophy degree, especially with his abysmal GPA, but his future would be eventually guaranteed. Sharon disclosed that his name is Wesley Stanton IV. His parents are uber-wealthy but they subscribe to the premise that wealth can skew or spoil a child's view and place in the world. To instill in their child a healthy attitude and work ethic, aside from paying for his education, they provided him with no financial backing or assistance after he graduated. They wanted him to stand on his own two legs and make his own way in the world until both of them had passed on. Sharon confided in me after we married that Wesley has always known this and was aware also that one day he would inherit all of his parents' opulent wealth. Perhaps that explained his lack of motivation to achieve.

I had met Nate Perkins and Doug Bradley at trade shows. They both work at Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies Company, the company that makes the engines for NASA's new rocket. They worked on a rocket engine called "RS-25." Four of these engines are mounted at the base of the rocket and will be the first engines to fire when the rocket lifts off and heads to the Artemis 1 moon mission. They seemed impressed with my infectious enthusiasm for aerospace engineering as well as my breadth of knowledge. With their recommendations, and after three interviews, I was hired to work at the Aerojet Rocketdyne headquarters facility in the small town of Rancho Cordova in Sacramento County, California. My starting salary came to $175,000.00 annually with special bonus options dependent upon project outcomes. I joined up with a team already working on the development of engines designed to be utilized on an upcoming mission to Mars. I was never more excited about a work prospect in my life! This was my dream job.

After our marriage and honeymoon, a realtor helped us find the perfect five-bedroom house for us. I know that five bedrooms seem like a lot, but we engineers think ahead. I was anticipating two or three children to eventually appear which would leave one bedroom as a spare for guests or to use as a home office. There would be a place for either set of parents to stay during a visit from across the country. We both were reluctant to leave our parents behind but Sharon's philosophical practical mindset induced her to support me one-hundred percent with my occupational choice. I truly admired that about her and appreciated her backing. She never offered a single word of complaint about our situation and embraced our new and exciting California future with me. Sharon's Philosophy degree left her with limited employment options in our small town but with my ample salary, she managed nicely as a homemaker as we made do on my income alone. She kept the house immaculate, cooked all of my favorite dishes, and sated all of my appetites behind closed doors. I was a happy man.

Imagine my surprise one evening about three months into our marriage, I came home to find Wesley there.

"Hi, honey," she greeted me with a big wet kiss. "Dinner is almost ready. Wesley came by for a visit and we've been catching up. Why don't you go ahead and get cleaned up as usual and then we can talk during dinner."

"Hey, Wesley," I offered half-heartedly as I shook his hand. "I'll be back down in a few."

As I showered, I was wondering what that piss-ant was doing here. Damn, if he asked to stay the night, it might interfere with my nighttime nookie. I quickly dressed in my casual clothes and returned to the kitchen. The table was set for three and Sharon was ebullient. After filling my plate full of my favorites, she began.

"Honey, isn't it great to see Wesley again? He just called out of the blue for a visit. It has been like a breath of fresh air being able to discuss the nuances of philosophy with someone who 'gets' it. I'm not suggesting that you're not great at communication, honey, but philosophy never was your thing just as rocket science isn't my cup of tea either."

As we ate, "Well, I guess it's good that you two have been able to catch up. What brings you to our neck of the woods, Wesley?"

"I don't know if you know this, but my degree in Philosophy has turned out to be fairly useless as far as making my mark on the world goes. Sharon told me that she's not found any jobs in the field worth pursuing around here either."

"That's true, Rancho Cordova isn't a very large town so options in her field are nearly non-existent, but she agreed that she wanted to try out being a homemaker, and so far she seems to be happy with her choice. I know I certainly am."

"You're right about that, Keith. She has told me how happy she is with her life right now. I could teach Philosophy in a college setting if I went back to school to get my Master's and Doctorate degrees. But to be perfectly honest, I just don't have the heart or desire to return to school, especially without my best friend."

"I'm sure you would find it rewarding to teach if you decided to complete your education. I've never seen anyone more into Philosophy than the pair of you. But having graduated with my Master's, I can testify to the amount of work and time investment required to make that happen."

"You're right, Keith. If you remember, Sharon and I both minored in Art. I've always fancied myself as a decent sketch artist, while Sharon migrated more into Art Appreciation. I recently surveyed opportunities using my drawing talent and oddly enough, as fate would have it, I have landed a job right here in Rancho Cordova with a company called Artistic Expressions Studio over on Holt Avenue. They are heavy into illustrating children's books and have developed quite a reputation among children's book publishers who heartily recommend them to authors. When I flew out here to meet them, my interview consisted of three sketches of my interpretive presentation of the author's vision in a children's book they were evaluating. They loved my innovative sketches and offered me a job on the spot, so here I am!"

"Isn't that awesome, honey? What are the odds that the best job prospect Wesley would come across just happened to be right here in Rancho Cordova? As a philosopher, I don't believe in kismet, of course, but this is an incredibly fortunate coincidence!"

"Yeah, what a coincidence," I sarcastically rejoined.

Ignoring my barb completely, she added, "Don't you see? Now that Wesley will be living in the same city, we can visit now and again so that I can have someone to share my philosophical leanings with who understands exactly where I'm coming from."

Wesley joined in, "That works both ways, Sharon. Since graduation, I've missed my sparring partner, and no one who hasn't been as immersed in the teachings and precepts as you and I can talk intelligently on the subject. I, for one, would welcome the opportunity to visit you now and then provided Keith is okay with it. I would never do anything to cause any problems. Besides, with the number of male-oriented businesses in this town, I think my chances of snaring a partner of a similar persuasion as me are quite good. The connections I had in college have all moved on."

Both of them looked at me in tandem. I knew I was being played but Sharon seemed eager to reconnect with her genderqueer friend for philosophical discussions which would only make my head dizzy to try to follow. I wanted to make her happy.

"We'd love to have you visit once in a while, Wesley. Just give us a little notice so Sharon can plan for the food."

"Thank you, honey, but there's something else Wesley needs right now. He flew here for the job interview not knowing how it would turn out, so his return ticket is open-ended. Now that he has a job, he needs a place to live. It could take a couple of days or up to a week for him to find the right place that is within his budget. Would you mind if he stayed here with us while he goes out during the day with the realtor to view his options? Once he signs the rental agreement for his new apartment, he'll fly back east and prepare for his move out here."

I wasn't thrilled to have Mr. Genderqueer in our neck of the words, but couldn't think of a plausible reason to object. After all, they were roommates for nearly four years. Hell, he's slept in the same room with her ten times more than I have.

"Sure, you can bunk here while you're apartment hunting, Wesley. Sharon, why don't you start him out with the realtor that we worked with to get this place? She seemed exceptionally knowledgeable of the area and meeting our specific needs."