Chapter 4. Cabin on the Bay

"I'll have my ride drop me off at the Lafayette Memorial in Prospect Park. Do you know where that is? It will probably be around noon."

I know it and I'll be waiting for you, Baby. We'll be off to the bay for the weekend. It will be so great to be with you for two days. Almost like Kellerman's without the Bingo and croquet! See ya.

Newscast: Friday, November 22: Walter Cronkite interrupted "As the World Turns," with news that President John F. Kennedy has been shot.Later, Cronkite announced: "From Dallas, Texas, the flash apparently official, President Kennedy died at 1 p.m. Central Standard Time." He took off his glasses and looked up at a clock. "2 o'clock Eastern Standard Time. Some 38 minutes ago." His voice started to crack. He continued, saying that Vice President Lyndon Johnson had left Parkland Hospital in Dallas and would be sworn in as President on Air Force One when they fly Kennedy's casket back to Washington, D.C.

What a horrible thing to happen. The country is in shock. At least Baby and I will be together this weekend to hold each other and mourn our President. I'll drive to Prospect Park to pick her up tomorrow.

"Oh, Johnny. You found me. It's so fantastic to see you. I wish it weren't under such sad circumstances, but being in your arms again will make me feel better. You look as great as ever. Dance practice and earning a big salary must make you feel good."

Not as good as I'm going to feel making love to you and sleeping with you for two nights. And we don't have to sneak around at the beach house. But don't worry. We're not going swimming. The bay water will be colder than when we practiced the lifts at Mountain Lake! Worse than hypothermia.

"Except for the cold water at Kellerman's, I loved being in the water close to your great-looking bare chest with your arms around me," admitted Baby. "You took good care of me."

"I'm sorry to hide out for the weekend, but when I get home on Monday, I'm going to tell my parents that you came to Mount Holyoke to find me, and we are back together. I'm also going to ask if you can come to Thanksgiving dinner at our house. Would you come?"

I'll brave anything to be with you, even hostile parents! I have a suit and clean up good! Do you really think they would let me come? I guess we'll see. I'll give you my phone number. Call me when you know.

We pull up at the beach house and bring in our bags. I pick up Baby and carry her in. She clings to me and won't let go. We both roll onto the bed and love each other.

"It's been two months since you drove up to Mount Holyoke and found me by yelling at the dorm. I'm so glad to see you."

I can see that. I love the way you touch me so tenderly—the way you did in my cabin after we did the Mambo Magic at the Sheldrake.

"That's the way I feel about you. I didn't know what I was doing. I'd never been with a man. I just felt like touching you and being close. You're my first and only lover, the only one I fell in love with almost the first time I saw you. I was on the porch of the restaurant at Kellerman's when I saw you come in with the entertainment staff. I saw you knock the napkins off Robbie's tray. Then when I helped Billy carry the watermelons up to the staff quarters and you showed me 'dirty dancing,' I wanted to know you better. But you were acting macho with the dancers and I didn't know until later what a soft side you have."

I guess I've had a hard life and I had to be tough to survive, but I care about people and would do anything to help my friends. Now that you are in my heart, I can be the real me.