* *
*
Rated: EVERYONE
Trudy shook her head and answered my question, "Tricia has never been married - not yet. And of course that will be up to you."
"Do you mean that it's up to me to decide if I want to get married or not ?"
"That's not what I - " and then she seemed upset for a second, "Look. I don't know what she's told you already, I mean, I hope you'll be comfortable here, right ?"
I asked the important question then. "Can I call my Dad and see how he's doing ?"
"Sure." she said and pointed to a phone by the bed. I reached for it but suddenly she stopped me. "I mean - that is - we still need to have it connected - first."
"Really ?" I thought that was odd because I could see it was clearly plugged in. I picked up the receiver but instead of hearing a familiar dial tone I heard - well, a kind of disturbing warbling, like a feedback signal. Maybe the phone did need to be set-up for use first ?
I put back down the receiver. Trudy was already in my 2nd box and pulling out stuff, "My ! You certainly do have a lot of Teddy Bears !" she said, clearly trying to change the conversation again.
I rubbed my chin. I looked around. I could be comfortable here. Certainly away from thunder-toes who lived above me back at my old place. I suspected it would be quite peaceful here and yet - "Trudy, are you - afraid of anything in this house ?"
She laughed suddenly, "Why no ! Of course not ! What would make you think that ?"
"Well I don't know. You just seem a little - testy ?"
Suddenly as if a switch turned on she ran over and grabbed and hugged me really hard, "Oh, it's so good to see you again ! I was so worried you really hurt yourself on the stairs at work."
That didn't make sense. "Trudy, you know that's not what happened. I know you. You would find out the truth out on something. That's what I was SUPPOSED to say. I was - accosted in the women's restroom. You know this, right ?"
"Well maybe that'll teach you not to go in there again." she said with a bit of tone to her voice.
I paused for a moment. It was like she wanted to believe me but there was - something - else going on here. And I couldn't put my finger on it. This time I changed the subject.
"So what's for dinner ?" I asked.
"A shame about the limousine window getting cut like that. I wonder what they were after." she said laughing nervously.
A nerve pinged in the back of my head. There was no way she could know about this unless ... !
"Who told you that !?"
But she had a quick excuse, "I saw it when Smithers brought it in the back garage."
"Oh." I thought about this. I thought about her. I thought about the whole place. There was something - creepy - or sinister about it. I suspected if I wanted to leave I couldn't. And Tricia wanted - something - from me, and I don't think it was simply marriage.
Marriage with Tricia ! What was I thinking ! What have I gotten myself into !
I sat down in the love chair against the wall and found a little switch on it. Pressing it I heard a click and it felt like the whole chair could roll now. I got up and pushed it and sure enough it would. I rolled it to face the waterfall, still in action, positioning it just where I wanted it.
There was the gentle, 'Shhh ' sound of it as it continued. I pressed the button again and the wheels locked. This was a good place for the love chair to be anyways. I sat to watch it for a bit, a little sleepy in truth.
Tricia stopped looking through my boxes and sat next to me in the love seat. At once I felt her warmth, clearly she was perspiring. I really hadn't expected her to unpack all my boxes but that's just what she was doing. I looked to her and swallowed hard. She crinkled her cheeks at me like she often did at work and returned a mischievous smile.
"David. Maybe you'll be more comfortable when you see how others are living here, including myself ?"
* * *
"Maybe." I said, clearly turning down the offer of her inviting me to see her room. Maybe that was part of Tricia's plan ? To get me to cheat on her after we were married so she could take my money in court ? My brain spun with ideas, and few of them held any good meanings or reasons.
Trudy saw me lost in thought, "What are you thinking ?" and she reached over and tapped me on the chest. I looked down and suddenly she reached up and bopped my nose playfully. That would've been fine except that was the exact same thing that 'Nancy' or Tricia did the first day I worked there, I guess to gain my confidence.
How Trudy could possibly know could only mean one of a few things. That either they talked about everything that happened to them - or something else - that didn't rub right.
Trudy seeing I wasn't going to go for her invitation of her showing me her own room got back up and started unpacking the boxes again. I sighed and joined her. I wasn't going to let her do it all alone. After about an hour of hard work we finally got them all opened, but I noticed some things were missing.
"Where are my socks and underwear ?"
"What ?" Trudy asked.
"My socks and underwear ! If those movers got everything, they would be here. Somewhere, right ?"
Trudy bit her lip and looked at the piles we made. Clearly all my clothes were there except - for my socks and underwear. Not even a single stray sock.
"I'm not sure. Maybe - maybe she bought you some new ones ?"
Now it was my turn to laugh. "Tricia - doesn't know my waist size or my foot size - at least I don't think she does, unless you know something I don't ?"
"Nonono ..." she said comfortingly. "You have to understand Tricia is a very serious person regarding cleanliness. It's - possible - maybe - they weren't washed - to her satisfaction ?"
"Maybe." I said defiantly. I wasn't about to let her know I washed my socked and underwear only once a month.
Trudy looked a little further and apparently not finding any of them was a big joke to her. But it confirmed with her that they didn't meet her expectations of 'cleanliness' nor could they be cleaned.
Trudy grinned at me now. What I didn't say must've been written all over my face, "Oh my god David !" she finally said and held her nose with three of her fingers leering with a big smile, "They must've really been stinky for her to toss them all like that. Don't you ever wash your clothes, honey ?"
"Yeah occasionally !" I said defensively.
Trudy coughed for a moment and continued, "Well, if they weren't clean, or couldn't be cleaned, they could've been tossed out. And - she may have bought you some new clothes." She lowered her voice for a second, "She did that with me, too, when I moved in."
"She would do that to my stuff ?" I asked angrily.
"Well, yeah. There's a rule about - look you need to know that Tricia - " and then she couldn't finish her sentence.
"What do I need to know about her ?" I was beginning to wonder what I had gotten myself into.
Trudy looked down at the floor for a moment, "You'll find out, David. She's not so bad. Yes, well ... Just remember, things aren't always as they seem." Suddenly she looked up at the ceiling as if maybe there was a bird trapped there or ceiling or something.
I looked up with her. It was a high ceiling I'll grant you that, but I didn't see anything unusual, except for maybe some oddly faceted glass protrusions sticking out from the top, about 6 of them evenly spaced in a hexagon.
"What are - ? " I asked Trudy but she answered back almost immediately interrupting me.
"Automatic sprinklers in case of a fire !" she blurted out, rather loudly I thought. But she said it so quickly, for a moment I didn't believe her. I looked at her face. She was frightened - of something. And I didn't know what yet. But I felt in time I would.
Perhaps my stay here was not something as innocent as I had originally hoped.
END
OF CHAPTER 3
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