Chapter 10

Keep Them Guessing

There were more encounters with the paparazzi over the next two days. It seemed that wherever the red Datsun went, photographers followed, so Jim graciously offered to trade cars with Don. On the final night of the play, Don drove Jim's Honda to the playhouse, while Joan's parents drove the sports car, so Judy was able to slip into the back door without any interference. Once the red car pulled up, flash bulbs surrounded it, but disgruntled groans were heard as Jim and Colleen exited the car, smiling and waving to the crowd.

Joan anxiously looked for Don. He had disappeared and she was saving a seat for him between her and Penny so that he wouldn't have to sit next to Judy's parents. The curtain was about to go up when he finally slid into his seat with a bouquet of yellow roses in his hands. She almost swooned again when he handed her and Penny each a rose from the bouquet.

As the play unfolded, Don found himself entranced with Judy's performance. In effect, she was playing herself, so it wasn't much of a stretch, but her voice was beautiful and the innocence she exuded was true to herself as well as the character. The words, 'I think I'm in love' wandered into his mind even before "People Will Say We're in Love" was performed.

Judy and Joe, who played Curly, had wonderful on-stage chemistry. Don wondered if the chemistry had found its way off stage too, but Judy's eyes sought him out during Joe's part of the duet and an understanding seemed to transfer between them. By the time of the wedding scene, Don visualized himself standing next to her on the stage… and it felt so right.

John spent most of his time watching Don's reactions and was more confused than ever. If Don was chosen to pilot the Jupiter, his daughter would be heartbroken that he would leave… or she might change her mind and come with them. If that happened, complications with their relationship could jeopardize the mission, or at least make it very uncomfortable. If Don wasn't chosen, he'd be around to romance Judy without the protection of her parents. That didn't sit well with him either. He wasn't happy with any of the scenarios and wished that he had never heard of Lieutenant Donald West.

At the end of the play, Don tossed the bouquet on stage right into Judy's waiting arms. Flashbulbs seemed to be everywhere, but that was typical of closing night. Colleen and Jim had decided to host the cast party, and it would also be a 'going away' gathering for the Robinsons since they were due to return to Houston before Labor Day.

As Judy removed her make-up the cast started quizzing her on the 'handsome guy with the flowers.' Monica, the supporting actress who sang "I Can't Say No," wouldn't let up on her.

"Come on, Judy. Give it up. Is he one of the pilot guys you train with?"

"Yes, he is."

"Since you're not going back to Houston, he must be open territory."

"I wouldn't exactly say that. He's not looking for a relationship."

"Who's talking relationship? A few nights in bed with him would be just fine with me!"

Judy blushed deep pink. She wondered if Don would be interested in Monica's proposition.

Ted, who played opposite Monica as Will Parker, chimed in. "I heard that, girl. I was thinking the same thing myself. What do you think, Judy? Does he swing both ways?"

Judy wanted to scream, but she didn't. "I guess you'll have to ask him yourself, Ted."

As the group left the dressing area, Joe came to her rescue. "Why don't we auction him off the highest bidder at the party?" And then he started singing a reprise of "Oklahoma" as the group walked out of the building arm in arm.

Don had retrieved his keys from Jim and waited for Judy while the rest of the family returned home to prepare for the party. When she emerged from the building singing with the rest of the cast, Don realized that she belonged here, not on some rocket or alien planet for the rest of her life. That sobered his daydreams of love and marriage.

Judy's eyes glowed in gratitude as she approached him with her flowers. She impulsively threw her arms around him for a hug, and he couldn't resist hugging her back. She had hoped to get a kiss, but light bulbs flashed the second they touched. Don cursed as he reached out to grab the camera. "Public property, kid!" the man shouted as he hopped on a motorcycle and escaped.

"I'm sorry, Judy. I should have nabbed him," Don stated.

"It's all right, Don. They were bound to catch us sooner or later. Come on, let's get to the party." He opened the car door for her, but she didn't get in. "Don, can I drive?"

Don just stared at her. She had only gotten her license a few months ago. "I don't know, Judy. It's a stick."

"So? I know how to drive a stick."

He thought long and hard… and couldn't believe his response when he gave it. "All right." He would give her the moon if she wanted it. He would even bow out of the… no… he couldn't, could he?

Once they reached the house Judy ran in to play hostess. Don walked around his car to check the tires and catch his breath. Penny ran out to hurry him into the house because she and Will were waiting for him to start a volley ball game in the pool. Three other cars pulled up and members of the cast piled out. Monica was the first to reach him and introduced herself and the other cast members. She glued herself to his arm and ignored Penny's glower as she strolled into the party with him.

Ted turned to Joe and said, "What a hussy. I wanted a shot at him too."

"Forget it, Ted. Take a good look at his car," Joe replied.

"Are you kidding? A two seater red sports car? Overcompensation for sure."

"If it were a brand new Corvette, I'd agree with you, but this is a classic car he restored himself. You don't have a shot."

"Well, a guy can dream, can't he?"

Joe went in search of Judy after they entered the house. It didn't take long to find her. She and Joan were flittering around making sure everyone was comfortable, but Judy never strayed far from the pool.

"Hey, Jude," Joe said. "It was nice of your aunt and uncle to host the party. Why don't you relax? Everybody's comfortable."

"A bit too comfortable," Judy said as she watched Monica jump around Don as if she were a winning game show contestant.

"Judy?" her uncle called. "Would you mind bringing out a round of drinks for us old folks over here?"

Judy waved to them and retreated to the kitchen. When she walked out the back door with a tray full of beverages, she bumped the door jamb and Joe came to her rescue. "Here, let me help you with that," he said.

"Thank you!" Judy answered, "I guess I'll never make a good waitress."

"It's simply…" He placed the tray in his upturned palm… "A matter…" He raised his arm… "Of balance."

Judy was amazed. "How can you do that?"

"Practice. Practice. Practice. Acting and waiting tables go hand in hand," Joe explained.

Don kept one eye on Judy and one eye on the game (and Monica). He had noticed Joe's rescue of Judy, and he asked Monica to tell him a little bit about Joe. She told him that Joe had asked Judy out the previous summer when they were in the play, Carousel, together. Joe was handsome and could sing… a worrisome combination.

Joe and Judy had retreated to the kitchen and poured another tray full of drinks for the crowd. This time Joe stayed close to Judy as she tried the same balancing act as he had done. As she exited the door, the tray wobbled and Joe steadied both her and the tray as she erupted into a fit of laughter. "Steady as she goes!" Joe exclaimed. "You know, Jude, I'll teach you how to wait tables. We can start by going out to dinner tomorrow night. There's a little diner in Santa Monica that has the quintessential waitress," Joe told her.

"Now, Joe, you know I don't date my co-stars."

"But the play is over. We're not co-stars anymore. You can call it training instead of dating. Besides, you'll need a job this fall. Waitressing is perfect for the starving actor."

"You know, Joe, that is very sweet of you, but I'm not sure just what I'm going to do this fall."

"What do you mean?"

"I might not be going to USC in September after all."

Colleen noticed Joe trailing Judy wherever she went and couldn't miss Monica and her antics over Don. Then there were her sister and brother-in-law. They sat by the side of the pool and watched their children as if they were afraid that they were going to disappear before their eyes.

"Neither one of you look like you're enjoying this very much," Colleen stated to Maureen and John.

"It's a wonderful party, Colleen. Thank you for all the hard work," Maureen said.

"Joan and Judy did most of the work. They told me they have a surprise dessert for later."

Maureen and John exchanges glances, not sure they wanted to hear what it was. They had had enough surprises over the last two years.

Joan ran out with a pile of towels for the swimmers and called Don over to the side. Judy was speaking with a group by the back door and Joe was right by her side. "Don, Judy wants to show you something inside."

Don looked over to where Judy stood with the cast and said, "If she wants me, she can come and get me."

"Come on, Don. Now is not the time to get jealous."

"Jealous? Who says I'm jealous?"

"I do." She tossed him a towel. "Now dry off and get out of there."

Just as he hopped up onto the deck, he was attacked by two people from behind who pulled him back in. He was about to yell at Penny and Will, but shut his mouth when he saw that it was Monica and Ted. Joan stood in a huff and moved onto Plan B. She would have to distract Joe to free Judy up to talk with Don.

Joan pulled Joe aside. "Do you think you can provide some cheap entertainment for us?" she asked.

"Depends on what kind of entertainment you had in mind," he replied.

"If you can talk Monica and Ted out of the pool, I want musical accompaniment with our desserts. Do you know any space songs?" she asked as she moved him away from Judy.

Sensing her cousin's intention, Judy took advantage of her freedom and sought out Don. "If you stay in there any longer, you're going to become a California raisin!" she shouted to him.

"Oh, yeah?" A mischievous gleam sparkled in his eye and swam over to Judy who held a towel out to him. He took the towel and yanked it into the pool, pulling Judy along with it.

Judy screamed and her siblings squealed as she arose from the water drenched from head to toe. "Donald West! You get back here!" she yelled as he swam away from her. Judy was a born swimmer and it didn't take long for her to catch him and dunk him. Will and Penny joined her in tormenting Don and this gave her a chance to strip down to the bikini that she wore under her sundress.

John stood as soon as Judy fell into the water, but Jim was soon at his side with a glass of wine. He put a hand on his shoulder to nudge him back into his seat.

"Sit down, John. They're fine," Jim stated.

Before long, Don and Judy hopped out of the pool and disappeared into the house.

"Now what are they up to?" John complained.

"Don't worry so much. What could happen?"

"You've only known him a few days."

"I've seen enough to know that he's a good man. He'll take care of your family," Jim replied.

Colleen added, "And if Judy should change her mind again and decide to go on the mission, I'll feel a lot better knowing he's with you."

Judy led Don into the kitchen to give him a preview of the surprise she and Joan had planned for the night. There were two cakes on the counter, one in the shape of Oklahoma, and the other in the shape of the Jupiter. On the saucer shaped cake were written the words, "Back to training" with each of the Robinson's names, except Judy's.

Judy picked up a decorating tube that lay next to the cake and added the names 'Don' and 'Judy'. Don stared, not comprehending at first. Then he grabbed her hand and led her to the den, which had become his bedroom, and shut the door.

"Judy, what are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm going back to Houston," she replied.

"Then what's with all of the flirting with Joe?"

"I'm not flirting with him. He's flirting with me!"

"Well you sure are enjoying it!"

"And you mean to tell me that you're not drooling over Monica!"

"I'm not the one who's drooling. Besides, Ted's drooling more than Monica…" He couldn't stop himself from grinning and adding, "…Not that there's anything wrong with that."

Judy chuckled. "Well, that's true."

Don became serious again. "Look, Judy, I don't want to fight about this, but I'm not sure you know what you want."

"I thought you'd be happy that I'm going back to Houston."

"I am happy, but… I'm not so sure you belong there."

That was the wrong thing to say. "I've done fine there for two years, Don."

"I know that. What I mean is… When I saw you on stage and then walking out of the theater, singing with your friends, I realized that… this is where you belong, not flinging across the galaxy."

Judy was disappointed and furious. She thought he'd welcome her back with open arms, and here he was trying to discourage her. "Don't pretend to know what's best for me, Lieutenant. Excuse me." She opened the door and left the room.

He wanted to punch the walls, but hit the door instead and it slammed shut with a 'thud'. 'Women!'

Don cooled down and finally wandered out to the pool deck. Joan and Judy had brought the cakes out and Oklahoma had been cut into several pieces while the cast sang the theme song from the play. Joan called everyone's attention to the saucer-shaped cake.

"Not only is this the end of another season of summer stock, it is also the end of our family's vacation," Joan stated. "I know that we all wish you luck on further training and clear skies ahead." She cut the cake up and handed each the piece with their names on it. "John... Maureen... Penny… Will... Don… and Judy."

As Judy accepted her piece, she announced, "One thing I have learned this summer is that, as much as I love being on the stage, my place is with my family. I'm going back to Houston."

John's face broke into a broad smile and he squeezed his wife's hand as Joe, Monica and Ted started singing… "Off we go, into the wild blue yonder…"

Her parents gave Judy a hug and Penny said, "I'm so glad you changed your mind."

"Me too, Judy," Will added.

John whispered in her ear, "I'm glad to have my girl back."

Maureen knew what had changed her mind and was cautiously happy about Judy's change of heart. "As long as you're happy, Judy."

Jim, noticing that Don held back during this announcement, handed him a beer. "Here," he said.

"Uh, I don't think the professor…"

"Don't worry about the professor. One beer won't hurt your chances. It might all come down to your relationship with Judy anyway."

"No, I don't want that, Jim." He looked him in the eye. "I want to earn that spot on my merits as an astronaut, not as a possible… son-in-law."

The next day's newspaper held its own surprise for the family. On the inside front page was an article about the Robinsons returning to training and the picture of Don and Judy underscored with the caption, "People say we're in love." Don cringed at the look Maureen and John gave him when he sat with them at breakfast. There was still unresolved tension from the previous night, and none of them had slept well. The unsolicited publicity twisted the vise a little tighter.

"Well, Lieutenant, do you know how this looks?" John asked.

'Does he think I'm stupid?' Don grasped his coffee mug. "Yes, sir, I do."

"Then explain yourself."

"Explain myself?" Don tried to hold onto his temper, but it was pretty damn hard.

Judy spoke up to defend him. "Dad, I'm the one who hugged him."

"I'm not speaking to you, young lady. He's the adult. He knows better."

Judy jumped out of her seat, "I am not a child!"

'Here we go…' Don thought to himself. "Sit down, Judy." He stood and tossed his napkin on the table. "You want me to explain myself? All right, I'll explain myself. I know this looks bad and makes things more difficult for you, Professor, but did you stop to think about how tough this makes things for me? I've been putting up with the comments and innuendoes of the pilots for months now, and I've been working my tail off to prove to them and you that I can win that pilot's seat on my skills, not by romancing your daughter. If you want me to stay away from Judy, fine! I'll stay away from her… But when it comes time for you to choose a pilot, look at my record, not at whose hand I'm holding." He left the table to go pack his things.

Judy was incensed with her father. "You knew that the other pilots were giving him a hard time, didn't you?" she asked.

He glanced at Maureen before responding. "I had an inkling."

"You both knew and didn't tell me?" she asked.

"We thought it best to protect you, dear," Maureen said.

"Besides," John added, "it was his problem to deal with, not yours," John stated.

"Why? Because I'm too young? We're both in this relationship, Dad. It was a problem we should have shared."

Don had gone half way to the den, and then turned back when he heard Judy's voice. He stood in the doorway as she questioned her parents and felt responsible to intervene. "Judy, they're right."

She turned on him. "You too? If you think I'm too young or too innocent or too… whatever… then maybe we shouldn't be dating. In fact, I'll make things easier for you. We're through Lieutenant West." She headed towards the pool.

'No, that's not what I want!' he screamed in his head. Instead he told her parents, "I'll pack and leave for Houston today. I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…" He bit his lip. He couldn't believe he almost said, 'Fall in love with your daughter.'

Joan was almost as upset as Judy about what had happened. She ran out to the pool to check on her. "Judy? Are you all right?"

Judy wiped her eyes, "No."

"Does this mean you're not going back to Houston now?"

Her blue eyes turned to steel. "Oh, I'm going back… if for nothing else than to prove to all three of them that I don't need to be protected."

Joan smiled. She had one more thing to do before letting true love take its course. She waited for Don on the front porch. He brought his duffle bag out and tossed it in the trunk of the car, along with his baseball glove. "You're not leaving without saying good-bye, are you?"

"I've said good-bye to the kids and your parents."

"You better say good-bye to my aunt and uncle too."

"I tried, but they weren't in the house."

"What about Judy?"

He shuffled his feet and put his hand on the car door. "Will you say good-bye for me?"

She widened her stance and crossed her arms. "No."

"What?"

"I didn't have you pegged as a coward, Lieutenant. Don't tell me you're intimidated by a five foot four teenager?"

Oh, yes, he was. Don smiled. "You mean a five foot four angry woman…" He looked away and then took his hand off the door handle. As he walked through the house, he snatched a yellow rose from the vase that sat on the dining room table, and then cautiously approached her. She was lying on a lounge chair in her bikini and sunglasses. He knelt down beside her and offered her the rose.

"Forgive me?"

She turned towards him. "Depends. What am I forgiving you for?"

He removed her glasses so he could look into her eyes. The strength that lay there belied her age. "For underestimating you."

She accepted the rose and smiled. "I'll see you in Houston."

The hardest thing Don ever had to do was return to the USSC training center and face the rest of the volunteer pilots. He tried a preemptive strike by bringing a framed copy of the photograph that had been in the paper to hang on his locker. He could have saved himself the trouble. There were copies of the picture posted everywhere. In fact Mike warned Don that the latest rumors were that Judy had dropped out of the training program because she was pregnant… with Don's baby.

Don was furious. He tore down every picture he could find, but, as fast as he tore them down, they were put right back up. He was in the hangar with Red, preparing to take a flight in the T-38 and was banging and slamming every thing in sight.

"Hey! Don! Settle down. You're not going up with that attitude." Red told him.

Don's scowl deepened. "Judy's coming back in a couple of days, Red. I can't let her know what's going on around here."

"She's not a stupid girl, Don. Don't you think she expects some kind of fall-out from that picture?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

"So let people say you're in love, so what?"

"But her parents hate me."

Red chuckled. "My wife's parents hated me too. It goes with the territory until they get used to you."

Don wasn't so sure about that.

"Call her. Talk to her about it," Red suggested. "Or don't you think she's strong enough to handle this?"

"Oh, she's strong enough."

"Then what's the problem?"

What was the problem? "I guess there isn't one. All right, I'll call her after our flight."

Red nodded. "Let's do some flying.

When Don called Judy, she took the news with a hearty dose of laughter, especially the rumor. "Don't let them know it bothers you, Don. Why don't we just keep them guessing?"

"Right… Your father will love that."