Searcy, Arkansas
Summer 2000
The following two weeks flew by. Poppy and Bennett got to know each other's minds, as well as each other's bodies. It was an idyllic two weeks. They swam, cooked, laughed, and worked. They had so much fun playing house, and Poppy watched more Razorback baseball than she ever thought was possible. Often after dinner, they would ride over to Bald Knob to get strawberry shortcake from The Bulldog. It was Bennett’s favorite dessert.
That first night together, Bennett had asked Poppy about birth control. She told him that she had been on the pill since she was fifteen for her periods. The relief he felt from hearing that was evident on his face. He told her that he would wear a condom if she wanted him but that he was clean. He had not been with anyone since before Christmas. Plus, he told her he had never been with anyone without a condom. The conversation embarrassed Poppy even though she knew it was necessary. She was innocent but not stupid. One could not do adult things if one could not have adult conversations. In the end, Bennett let it be her decision. Wanting to please him, Poppy said it did not matter to her. She was unsurewhether that was true or not, but she could tell it was what Bennett wanted to hear. In the end, they skipped the condom.
Gran would call each night and check to make sure everything was okay. Each one knew things would have to change when Gran came home, so there was this unspoken sense of urgency to spend as much time together as possible. It was during this time that Poppy told Bennett about the Art Institute and her tuition-only scholarship. He understood why she was working so hard to save her money.
While Poppy waitressed, Bennett officially joined his dad’s law practice along with Tatum. Both were working while they studied for the bar exam. Bennett never mentioned to his dad or Tatum that he and Poppy were together. Bennett knew that the less people who knew about them, the better.
The nights were just for them. Most nights, Poppy would work the day/night shift, which meant she went in at 10:00 in the morning and was done by 7:00. She and Bennett enjoyed cooking together in the kitchen of the main house. After dinner each night, they would spend hours lounging around in the pool.
Growing up in Searcy, summers meant golf and tennis tournaments every weekend. One week would be golf and the next tennis. There were always bands and big dinners on the Friday and Saturday nights of these tournaments. Bennett had grown up participating in all of it. It was a regular part of his summer. His partner in those events was always Tatum. They played together in the two-man golf and doubles tennis events. Bennett was the stronger golfer. Tatum was a stronger tennis player. But this summer was different.
Bennett was less into the whole country club scene this summer than in previous years. If he knew Poppy was working until 7:00, he would play golf or tennis after work. He worried how he would get out of the first tennis event of the summer when Tatum surprised him by saying he had plans and that Bennett would have to getanother partner. It was the perfect out for him. Bennett was able to skip it without anyone asking too many questions. It was not the playing that would have been the issue. It was the huge party afterward. He would not have felt right going without Poppy, but he could not imagine taking her either.
Bennett had a hard time seeing Poppy at a country club dance. It was not her scene. She confided in him about being an introvert, hating large crowds, and having to make small talk with people she did not know. Large crowds and making small talk summed up every country club party he had ever attended. So, instead, Bennett skipped the club altogether and never felt like he missed a thing. He knew he could not escape that all summer but would cross that bridge when the time came.
The Friday before Gran was to come home, she called and said her sister was very sick. Poppy knew her aunt had been ill but thought she was improving. Turns out, her great aunt had cancer and had not wanted to worry anyone. Once Gran got there and realized how bad it was, she decided to stay for a few more weeks since Mr. Carrington was not expected back home until August. She ensured Poppy was okay with her staying in Tennessee until at least the end of July. Poppy was sad her great aunt was so sick, but she was grateful for the private time with Bennett.
Knowing they had more time together took the pressure off to spend every minute together. Over the summer, Bennett found himself falling back into old habits. He would play golf until dark and then eat dinner at the club. The first time he did that, Poppy fell asleep in his bed waiting for him to come home. Same for the second, third, and fourth time he did it. The fifth time, he came home to Poppy asleep in her bed. A bed she had not slept in since that first night he was home. He knocked on her back door, and when she did not answer, he slinked down the back steps, unsure if they had just had their first fight.
The next day, he tried to say goodbye, but she still did not answer. Later that day, he showed up at Colton's during lunch and paid well to ensure he was seated in her section.
“Hey," said Bennett, giving her a huge smile. He reached up to give her a quick peck on the lips, but Poppy turned her head at the last second. "Okay," he muttered. "So you are still mad," said Bennett.
"I am not mad. I am fine," replied Poppy. Handing him a menu, she asked, "What can I get you today, sir?"
"Sir? Can you get my sweet girlfriend back? I seem to have lost her.”
"Your girlfriend? Hum? Maybe you lost her at the country club. I hear that is where all the important people hang out every night. Maybe you left her there." Poppy gave him a fake smile, saying, "I will bring you some tea. I will be back after you have had time to look over the menu and decide what you want."
Bennett didn't know if she meant the food or her. He knew when he was still out past midnight with his old buddies watching a late baseball game and drinking beer that he was not making good choices. He did not realize just how bad those choices would be.
A few minutes later, a new waitress showed up at his table with his tea, letting him know that Poppy had taken a break, and she would be taking care of him. Bennett considered demanding that Poppy come out and talk to him, but he decided that would not be a good idea. Instead, he ordered and ate his lunch alone. Later, he picked up some flowers and came home early, canceling the golf game he had set up the day before. With rain in the forecast, his friends never questioned it.
Bennett took the back steps to Poppy's room, two at a time. He looked through the window and saw her in her room, cleaning closets. She was like a madwoman. He had never seen her like that. She was a closet-cleaning maniac.
When he knocked on her back door, Poppy answered. Rain poured down. Standing under an umbrella with the flowers in his hand, Bennett reached out to kiss her. She pulled back and did not move to allow him into her room. Instead, she looked at the flowers and said, "It was so nice of God to send the rain so I could be graced with your presence before 8:00."
"Okay, you are still mad. I get that." Handing the flowers toward her, he waited for her to take them. When she did not move, he said, "Come on, Poppy. I know you got your feelings hurt that I was a little late getting home last night."
She interrupted him and said, "I did not get my feelings hurt. I just got tired of being taken for granted." With that, she slammed the screen door and returned to her closet to continue cleaning.
Growling in frustration, Bennett grabbed the spare key over the door and let himself in. He was unsure why he never thought of the key before. Barging in, Bennett said. "Damn it, Poppy. Stop being a brat. I was only a little late.” He shook the water off him and dropped the flowers on her dresser.
Sticking her head out of her closet, she said, "Did I say you could come in?"
Walking over to her closet, Bennett squatted down on her level and said, "Come on, Red. Don't be like this." Reaching to touch her face, he added, "I have missed you. I don't want to fight." Leaning into her, he said, "Can we just kiss and make up?" When she made no move toward him, he said, "You know what they say, there is no sex like make up sex."
Poppy gave him a look and said nothing. Then, she got up and walked over to the flowers. Picking them up and dropping them in the garbage can, she opened the door and said, "Go home, Bennett."
Bennett stood and just looked at her. He could not believe she was not letting this go. "Red, is this really about one night? Whatdo you want from me? You want me to say I am sorry. I am sorry. I am so sorry I stayed out late one night."
Holding her body stiff, Poppy said, "I don't believe you are sorry. I don't think you believe you did anything wrong. That is the issue. And, for the record. I am not being a brat. It was not one time; it was five. And, worse, you are acting like a jerk. If you want to spend time with your friends, that’s fine. I want you to do exactly what you want to do. But respect me. Respect my time. Call me and let me know when to expect you. Don't leave me waiting like my time is less valuable than yours. Don't show up looking for easy sex whenever you get around to me. I am better than that, and I won't be that. Not even for you. Now, leave and think about what it is you want." With that, Poppy returned to her closet and started banging and clanging again. Once Bennett left, she threw all the crap she had just gone through in her closet into a pile and cried her eyes out. She crawled into her bed and cried herself to sleep.
The next morning, she found a note outside her door.
