Chapter 41

Rachel had decided that if she ever ordered anything over the internet again, it was going to be delivered by any method other than United Express Delivery.  She did not want to see Rob ever again, she now thought of him as a “man whore”.  Rachel was glad that her mother, father, and sister were all gone from the house this morning, and that there were not going to be any deliveries, because she was feeling very nauseous this morning and had to go throw up.  It was a good thing that she didn’t have to be at work at Herbergers in Dickinson until 2:00 p.m.  Rachel went back to bed.

When Rachel finally did get up at about noon, she felt better.  When Rachel’s mother Susan came home for lunch, she noticed that Rachel had been staying in bed very late for the past several days.  Susan asked Rachel if she was feeling sick, and Rachel replied, “Just in the mornings sometimes.”

Rachel took a shower and got ready for work.  She arrived at Herbergers in the Prairie Hills Mall just before 2:00 p.m.  A little after 3:00 p.m., Tamara Fisher, Tracy Fisher’s younger sister walked in the west entrance of Herbergers by the cosmetics counter where Rachel worked.  Tamara thought highly of Rachel.  Rachel had graduated from Belfield High School two years before Tamara, and Rachel had been the homecoming queen.

Tamara said hello to Rachel, and Rachel said hello back.  They both wanted to talk to each other.  Rachel asked Tamara if she was here to buy something to wear at Amber and Cory’s wedding next week, and Tamara said that she was.  Rachel said that her brother Tracy had been there about four or five days ago.  Tamara said that she knew, she had seen Tracy come home with a bunch of shopping bags, but she didn’t think that they were all for the wedding, because Tracy had gotten dressed up last Saturday afternoon and went somewhere all day and didn’t get home until about 1:00 a.m. Sunday.

Rachel asked if Tracy has a girlfriend.  Tamara said that she didn’t know, she didn’t think so, but Tracy had been going out to his truck at night and talking on the telephone to someone.  Tamara said that she, all the other women in the office, and all the other workers wished that Tracy would get a girlfriend, because he was always an asshole at work.  When he got back from wherever he went on Saturday, he was still an asshole, no change.

Tamara asked Rachel if she was getting a hotel room at the Astoria Hotel where the wedding reception was being held, and where the out of town guests were staying.  Rachel said that she was thinking about it, for her and her sister Christine.  Tamara said that she wanted to.  Rachel, Rachel’s sister Christine, and Tamara were all under 21.  They did not get to drink in bars.  Weddings had always been an occasion where older teenagers could get drunk, because all of their friends and relatives had alcohol.  It would not be any fun if they were forced to ride back to Belfield with their parents at 10:00 p.m. on a Saturday night, and all of their friends got to stay and dance.

Tamara said to Rachel, “Can you do me a favor?  Can you get one of your girlfriends to be like a date for Tracy?  He always acts so uptight, and he ruins weddings for all of us.  He doesn’t want to stay, he doesn’t want to drink, he doesn’t want to have any fun.  I know he’s weird and all, but maybe you could find someone who doesn’t know him.”  Rachel said that she would try to think of someone.

Rachel had someone in mind already, herself.

Chapter 42

Tracy had telephoned Cheryl the day following their date in Gillette.  Although, Cheryl did answer her telephone, she was not very friendly to Tracy.  She said that she was O.K., but why did Tracy hit that guy like that.  Tracy said that he had been working with people like that for eight years, and had been living and working with people like that every day since the oil boom came to North Dakota.  Tracy explained that when somebody like that has made up their mind to get in a fight, there is no reasoning with them or talking them out of it, it is better to teach them a lesson right away not to challenge you.  Cheryl listened to Tracy, and thought about what he was saying.  She asked Tracy if he considered that that guy might want to press assault charges.  Tracy said that he did not think that he would.

Cheryl was not rude, she was just not friendly, and she said that she did not want to talk anymore right now, and she ended the phone call.  On her drive back to Cheyenne, she thought to herself, I guess it wouldn’t matter to Tracy if he had assault charges filed against him and had to go to jail.  He works for his parent’s company, and he lives on his family’s farm, it is not like he would lose his job or his house.  It wouldn’t affect him at all.

Cheryl was not happy with Tracy.  But when she would think about what happened in the days following, it would occur to her that Tracy was not a coward, he was polite to her, respectful, and gentle.  He was not a worrier, a whiner, or a complainer.  He did have a lot of good qualities.

Tracy did not know what to think.  He did not know if he would ever see Cheryl again.  When he thought about her in the days following, he did remember how attractive and sophisticated Cheryl looked, and he missed her.