Eew! That's What She Said!

As soon as I dressed in the laundry room, I peeked out to see if my stalker was still hanging around, then dashed across the driveway to the camp store. Janie was cashing out the morning girl and sliding her tray into the register when I ran up to her, hysterically.

"Whoa! Whoa! What's going on, Karol?"

"That guy was at it again! I was cleaning the showers in the pool changing area and he was hiding in a toilet stall. I almost had a heart attack when he spoke to me."

"Shit! Did you see him?"

"No, but I heard his voice and it sounds familiar."

"Like, someone at the camp?"

"I don't know. It was so familiar, though."

Janie ran to the office and explained to Mr. Godfrey what had happened, while I stumbled into the dining room and plunked into a seat, shaking and hyperventilating.

Mike saw me and immediately came out from behind the counter. "Hey, are you okay? What is going on here today?" he asked.

"God, Mike, if you figure it out, please tell me. Someone was hiding in the pool house changing room while I was cleaning. He scared the crap out of me."

"Let me get you something cold to drink. Are you gonna stay and have lunch with the girls?" he asked over the clunk, clunk, clank of pop canisters being re-filled in the dispsenser by the beverage company guy.

"Yeah, I don't want them to hear about this. Please let's not get them upset."

Mike brought me a cold glass of water and delivered our box lunches to the table. Each day he cooked breakfast and dinner and then stocked a cooler with pre-made sandwiches and packaged snacks for lunches so he could take a break mid-day. The Godfreys counted him as one more of their blessings. Until meeting Matt from the lakeshore cabin, Mike had been on my mind quite a bit.

Although he was often tough to communicate with and always seemed distracted, I liked how he connected with the kids and didn't talk down to them like most adults did. He was sure and steady when things got hectic and his quick reaction when Carl got coffee burns impressed me as someone who could be counted on.

After bringing our lunch boxes to the table he grabbed a soda from the machine and sat down across from me with a quizzical look.

"What? What? Do I have snot dripping down my face?" I asked sarcastically.

"Nope. Just wondering who is messing with you and the girls. It pisses me off we aren't even safe in the country anymore. You know?"

"Like the cop said this morning, "It's a sign of the times.""

"It shouldn't be like this. God damn it. Kids should be allowed to be kids and women should be safe in a private campground."

He swiped the sweat off his neck with the bandana, standing up abruptly. "I'm always around somewhere after work if you ever need me to walk you to your car or anything. I'm here."

Hmm. Just Hmm. Mike was so quiet it was hard to tell. But that may have been as close to a pass as he would ever make. Now that I was thinking about Matt, what was I supposed to do with this?

Mr. Godfrey let the girls out of the community room and they came at me as if we hadn't seen each other in years.

"Mom! We could watch anything on the TV and Mr. Godfrey let us into the art and craft room to pick out whatever we wanted!" Katie yelled.

"Look what I made you. I'm sorry I told you I hated you. I don't. I was sad. Here, here. The glue is almost dry," Beanie crowed, beaming at the wet hand-print on poster paper surrounded by a tacky feeling popsicle stick frame that she shoved in my face.

"That's beautiful. Thank you, Beanie. I know you didn't mean it. Let's try to talk nicer to each other, alright?"

"Okay, Mommy," she said, hugging me tightly and tucking into her lunch.

One thing about Beanie is she could always be counted on to eat everything put in front of her. Katie was my picker. Mike knew this and always asked what she preferred, and was careful when he put our meals together. One more way that Mike was worth pursuing. Matt was probably a one-week guest at the cottage and I'd never see him again, so I had to keep myself from getting carried away.

After lunch, the kids joined the camp activities and I drove the old camp van to the lakeside cottages to do a quick tidy-up while the renters were busy with other activities. I knocked tentatively on cottage #3 and heard a television on upstairs. Checking out the dock, the speedboat was gone. Maybe one of the guys was napping or something. I'd come back later.

The other cottages were empty for the afternoon and I quickly hustled through the cleaning, hauling trash bags to the van, washing dishes, and making sure the bedding was fresh. It was almost 4 PM when I drove back to cottage #3. As I stepped up to the door, ready to knock, I halted my hand in mid-air.

The voices I'd heard earlier were not coming from the television, that was certain. "Oh, ah, baby, do it, harder, baby, more, please. I'm such a good girl for Daddy. I can take it all, Daddy."

"Spit on it, baby."

Eew! Gross! I quietly backed off the porch and tripped over the last step. Sprawled on the gravel in the driveway, stunned, I looked up into Matt's surprised face.

"Karol? Are you all right? What happened?"

"Oh, um, just wanted to drop off some paper supplies and trash bags. I didn't know anyone was home."

"Don't worry, it's just Evan. He probably didn't hear you knock. I'll take the stuff for you. Hey, after work do you want to bring the girls so we can all go for a ride in the boat?"

"Uh, um. I better not. There were some creepy things at the camp ground today. We need a good night's sleep tonight, I'm afraid."

"Yeah? Like what?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"There was a prowler at the camp this summer and we thought there was a skunk in the dining room. It was crazy! Well, I should be getting back to the girls."

"A prowler? Are you and the girls safe there? Are you staying in the cabin again tonight?"

"Oh, no. We're going home. I don't want to be up all night worrying."

"Do you need me to follow you home or anything?"

"Naw, I'm a big girl. We'll be fine."

He looked disappointed. Oh, well. Sorry, pal, but your friends are creeps. No, thank you. I had to watch out for the people I bring into my girls' lives.

I pulled out of the parking lot as fast as I could, without seeming to be freaked out, giving him a shaky hand wave as I sped down the dirt road.