The next morning, us six guys headed out to another golf course. This one was another private country club that Terry had conned his way into tee times. Fred also knew the pro and invited him to play with us. Dad, George and Dan played a three some in front of us and I played with Terry, Fred and the Pro. Fred told the pro I had shot a sixty seven the day before at the difficult course, the pro said I would probably beat the course record today.
I didn't beat the record, but did shoot a sixty-eight, beating everyone in our group again. My Dad said that he had to shoot at least one more game with me while I was down there, as he couldn't get over how well I was doing.
We played another new course on Tuesday then repeated the first course we played on Wednesday. When we finished our game Wednesday, I had played with my Dad two days in a row and had played way over my head. Dad started talking to Terry about whether I should try to go for the pro tour. I just flat said no way. I had school to finish, plus just about the time I would give up my "2-S" college deferment I would be drafted anyway. So pro sports were out for me for a long while.
The girls and I went out to the country club where the golf tournament was being held and I picked up enough passes so all the adults could go. The golf pro was very nice and gave me a big box of balls to go along with the passes saying I should have some kind of gift for the great game I shot.
After supper that night at the seafood restaurant again, we went to the night club and this time the big bouncer type said that they had our area roped off from the other customers as we had four more underage girls with us. I promised him they would be good and he just raised his eyebrows. We danced all night till we were bushed, then headed back to the hotel.
The girls and I were going to head back to school the next day while the adults were all going to go to the golf tournament for a couple of days. They were excited about seeing some of the famous players like Sam Snead, the new young star, Jack Nicklaus, Billy Casper, Gary Player and Arnold Palmer. Mom and Dad asked if we could take my sisters home on our way so they could stay through the weekend with Delta and Trish's folks.
In the morning, after breakfast, we loaded up the luggage for all of us. I was surprised it all fit. There was three in the front and four in the back seat for the trip up state. At the house, the boys were happy the girls were home so they wouldn't have to cook for themselves.
Delta, Trish, Sandy and I stayed the night then took off for the trip back to school. We stopped at Panama City Beach for a night and day to enjoy the beach there then headed out for a non-stop trip back to school.
We ended up staying at Trish's the night we got back, just enjoying each other and relaxing. Sandy was up early begging to be taken back to campus to see if her fellow was back. Trish took her back to campus while Delta and I cleaned up the station wagon giving it a thorough scrubbing inside and out.
We lazed around the rest of the day, making love and napping till it was the evening mealtime back on campus. We went back to campus, hauling our stuff to our rooms then meeting to go to the cafeteria. Most of the folks were not back yet but would be piling in by Sunday morning. The girls and I went back to Trish's to be together for one last night before the week started.
Sunday morning we went to church then out to their country club for brunch. With full bellies, we did our laundry complete with ironing then hauled everything back to campus. The girls poured over the apartments for rent classifieds trying to find a place close to campus so we could live together but still use the cafeteria. They didn't find anything, but then it was in the middle of the school year.
Monday brought the breakfast group back together with a vengeance. The cafeteria staff pleaded with us to hold it down then threatened to have us thrown out if we didn't settle down. Thank goodness it got late fast so we all had to go to class.
Monday afternoon I went to the golf offices to find a very relaxed Fred Weathers telling the guys on the team about the tournament he saw. He also introduced me as a new multi-sport player and I was going to compete for a place on the team. He then embarrassed me by telling the guys about the great game I shot at the course where he watched the tournament. Terry then shook my hand saying that the pro wanted me to know that not one of the professionals on tour beat my score during the tournament. He said it was something I should be proud of.
We went out to the driving range that was set up for us and drove about a hundred balls each. We then went on the quest of picking them all up. Thank goodness there was a fence enclosing the sides and the back so we could find most of the balls along the fence. We practiced some chipping then were let go with the promise of putting practice the next day in an effort to get us ready for a match the coming weekend.
The girls met me for supper then we headed to the library for the study group. It wasn't the whole group yet but pretty many showed up and helped each other get started back in the groove.
Wow, two nights in a row without playing with the girls kept me awake thinking of the two of them. Strange how you can get used to having someone around you constantly.
The next morning at breakfast I could see in their eyes they had not slept all that well either. At supper, they said we would go to the library then to Delta's for the night. Guess we were pretty spoiled. When we got to Delta's Dan told me about the tournament and that Mom and Dad had gone to every day and had stayed through Sunday night with George and him. He said he really liked my folks and were glad we all got together again.
The girls and I slept well that night after some gentle loving. It always amazes me that they chose me over all the choices they had. I sure was going to try to earn that choice.
In the morning we got up early, showered and dressed then hit the cafeteria for breakfast. We were only running about five minutes later than usual and figured we could adjust our wakeup time if we needed to. They told me they had talked to Carol about their thought of getting an apartment. They even said Carol wasn't upset about us moving in together, which surprised them.
Friday was going to be a travel day for the golf match on Saturday. Since the group is small we took cars to the campus where the match was going to be held. It was South of us and was a little warmer, the tournament would be played with the temperatures in the high sixties. We got there early enough to walk the course then do some driving practice at a local range.
The next morning we all did some driving and putting practice till lunchtime then relaxed till one. We were playing four people per group in stroke play. A group would start at the first hole, third, ninth and twelfth hole. That did it, as there were only eight of us on the team. Fred and Terry, the new assistant coach, would range between the groups for coaching. We would all carry our own bags or drag them along on the little carts with wheels.
The course was easier than the girls' country club course and a lot easier than any of the courses I had played on in Florida. I wasn't quite as sharp with my irons but ended with a seventy on the par seventy-one course. My score was the tournament best but our team score was six over the host, home team. Fred and the other players were ecstatic even though I was disappointed. We were going to have to get better as a team.
We drove home that night, arriving on campus about two in the morning. The girls had gone home, so I slept a little late then went to breakfast. Trish came in just as I was finishing. She was saying that Delta and her had a surprise for me after church. I went back to the dorm and changed into some good clothes then went with her to pick up Delta and go to church.
After church, we joined their folks for brunch at the country club then went back to Trish's house. There, they said that they would show me the surprise but I had to be blindfolded. They tied a scarf over my eyes then led me out to a car. I could tell we were not by ourselves as the girls and I was in the back seat. You really couldn't tell where we were going as it was a twisting turning drive through the city but it seemed like it was on the way back to school.
They stopped then helped me out of the car and walked me up to some steps then up the stairs through a doorway. I could smell spic and span plus floor and furniture polish. As I was walking, the sound was like I was in an empty or near empty house.
"Ready?" Delta asked with an obvious smile.
"Yes Ma'am," I answered.
They pulled off the blindfold and I found we were in a house. They led me through the house showing me the living room, the kitchen, a dining room then a very large bedroom. All the windows had new curtains and drapes. In the kitchen there was pots and pans sitting on the counter along with a coffeepot. There was a nice table with six chairs in the dinning area plus a little round table with four chairs in the kitchen. The living room did not have anything but a floor lamp and a large area rug over hardwood floors. The big bedroom had one of those queen size beds with a bookshelf headboard. The bed was made with a nice quilt with a big blanket folded at the foot on top of a bed chest. There were two nightstands with lamps plus there were three chest of drawers connected together to look like one. Delta opened the closet to show me it was a huge walk in closet that could hold a ton of stuff.
"What do you think?" Asked Trish with some hesitancy in her voice.
"This is very nice I said, whose is it?" I asked.
Delta waved her arms in a full circle, "ours, all ours," She said.
"How is it ours?" I asked obviously surprised.
Trish hugged my arm and said, "this was my Great Aunts old house. She used to teach at the university for years until she retired and moved to California. She gave it to Dad who has been leasing it for years. When I talked to Mom about us wanting a place, she brought me here. Yesterday we went out and got the furniture you see here now plus kitchen stuff and food. The place is ready for us to move into right now if we want to. But we can wait till we get some living room stuff first. What do you think?"
I looked at Cecile and Carol, waiting for them to frown at us setting up housekeeping together but all I saw were smiles from both of them. "This place is really nice. How far is it from campus?"
Delta took me by the hand and walked me out the door and pointed. A half a block away was the side entrance to the campus. The house was actually closer to our cafeteria than our dorms.
"Aunt Paula didn't want to live far from the school so she had this house built in the twenties. She kept it in really good condition. She was single and only had one bedroom so the rest of the house is pretty large. There is even a garage in back with room to park Delta's car and one for you when you get one."
"Can we afford this?" I asked walking back to the kitchen.
Cecile answered that one, "I don't think there is a problem. The cost of the dorm rooms will more than pay for any food here and the utilities. You guys are going to have to keep up the place and do some painting outside and Chuck you will have to put a new roof on the garage but the house is free. The taxes are cheap and the utilities are very reasonable. The place has a newer furnace, only a couple of years old and even an air conditioner that works. The appliances are in great shape so the only thing that costs is the furniture. Dan's company has a ton of furniture that we can get for next to nothing like the bed, chests and tables. All we have to do is haul it over here."
"I'm going to have to contribute, so what do you think my part will be?" I asked.
"Nothing yet," Carol said. "Let's get down to brass tacks here. You three may or may not be compatible for the long haul. The three of you together could be a stretch. Dan and I plus Cecile and George have talked about it and believe we should have you guys live together to make sure what you think you have will work over the long term. So, we're going to front this place for you guys. Chuck, you keep your dorm room for your sports scholarship but this will be your home. You three can still eat at the cafeteria and study at the library. This will be about as distant a walk as you have been doing."
"This is great. When do you guys want to move in?" I said pulling both the girls to me.
"Right this second," Trish said. "But how about we wait till next weekend and get the living room furniture plus we can begin hauling our stuff here throughout the week. Delta and I can do it in the afternoons while you're at practice."
I was relieved that we could be together and was obviously happy, grinning.
Carol came over to me and took me by both arms. "I know you guys have been careful and have made sure no babies are being manufactured around here but this is going to be a new game. Make sure you three don't forget about what your goals are before you start making babies, okay?"
Cecile came over and gave me a hug. "Chuck, Carol and I love you like your ours and really like you being with our girls. But we still worry that something will come between them and then where will you be. So enjoy being with them but be safe and careful."
It became like a big group hug. Delta broke it up and said let's call Dad and ask him to bring the truck with the living room stuff. Trish said we should wait for during the week and give him the day off. Delta said for us to call him and let him make up his mind.
They called Dan and he said he and George were ready to come over right then. Delta giggled and said for them to hurry. Trish said for me to stay and help unload the truck while they were going to the dorm with their Mom's.
George and Dan showed up about fifteen minutes later. We brought all the furniture in and filled the living room up along with a big buffet type chest for the dining room. George even had a fancy chandelier for the dinning room to put up. He had brought in two big couches, two big chairs, four end tables with four lamps and a couple of coffee tables plus a nice desk with a typewriter return. The living room was so big that we didn't begin to fill it. George said that he knew where we could pick up a piano real cheap if we wanted one. I thought it would be a great idea and asked him to find out how much we could get it for and get it here.
We had just finished when the girls came back with the station wagon full and Trish's car full.
Delta breathlessly said, "guess we aren't going to wait. We cleaned out our room and brought everything."
The four ladies looked around the room then asked why there was a big area that was left bare.
"That's for the piano Chuck's getting," Dan said.
"Oh boy, we'll even have a piano. We can have all our instruments here, even your vibraphone Chuck," Trish exclaimed.
"Listen here kids," George commented. "You guys are still going to have to entertain us at the house. We've gotten used to your music and would like to keep listening to it."
"Oh Dad," answered Trish. "You don't have to worry about that. We'll keep playing for everyone who wants to listen. Come on Chuck, help us get our stuff in the bedroom then we'll go get yours."
By five o'clock we were done moving in, so much for doing it during the week. Cecile and Carol went to the store and bought a bunch of kitchen staples for us plus the necessary stuff like cleaners, soap and toilet paper.
It was nice to look around and realize we were settled in together. Dan said he would order us a phone on Monday so we could be reached if they needed us. George had keys for all of us plus a couple more. One we put over the front door then we locked up and went to the Howard Johnson's restaurant for a quick meal.
We went back to the house and we all just walked from one room to the next, amazed that this had come together so fast. We three were quickly becoming a unit, now more permanent than ever. I made a small pot of coffee for us and we sat at the little round table in the kitchen and drank it.
"We need a typewriter and some paper," I said. "Let's watch for an office auction and pick one up cheap. We'll just go to an office supply place and buy paper and carbon so our desk will be set up. This is going to be great for all of us."
When it was time for bed, we brushed our teeth then climbed in the big bed, surprised at how much room we had. As we relaxed, we began to touch and kiss before we made love until we had to change sheets. We agreed that from now on we would have a stack of towels near the bed along with our supply of condoms. We really did sleep well.
Monday morning we were up with some coffee brewing early. We sort of tag teamed through the bathtub, taking showers quickly then dressing. We had a quick cup of coffee then headed for the cafeteria. It was actually a shorter distance than walking from the dorms. We didn't mention to anyone about our new house as we thought we should keep it quiet for a while. People would find out soon enough. I had left my dorm bed made up with a couple of old books on the study table and a couple of shirts and pants I had outgrown along with my old shoes that I had outgrown. So if anyone looked in the closet, I was still living there.
School and practice were the usual then supper and study at the library. When we left the library, we walked out the rear door and walked about a block to the house instead of back across campus. When we got to the house I saw Delta's car in the back next to Trish's. I was going to have to work on the garage to get it so we could put the two cars in there.
I used the desk and wrote a letter home explaining everything that had happened with the new house. I said I would take some pictures plus write with the new telephone number when it was installed. We sat around in the living room a few minutes then headed to bed via the bathroom to clean up and brush our teeth. I fixed up the coffeepot so all I would have to do is turn on the gas under the percolator.
Again we played for a while then slept the sleep of the innocent.
We settled down to some normal living for a change. It was nice to have my bedmates every night to cuddle. The fooling around wasn't too bad either. Golf practice was pretty intense but not as physically draining as the other sports. I was still running and working out in the weight room. I think the extra exercise was good for my golf game too.
Friday we traveled to another campus farther south and did the usual scouting of the course along with some driving and putting practice. Terry was working with me trying to improve my long irons. My chipping was really good and my putting was improving.
Saturday's match was foursomes again made up of two members from each school. We were going to play two rounds with the best composite scores under stroke play to be the winner.
Our team did pretty well, I shot a one over on both rounds and actually had the best score for the day. Nothing I did was spectacular and nothing I did was terrible. I had a couple of drives off the fairway and overshot a couple of greens but was able to save par on my mistakes. I three putted a par four for my one over par round. Our team lost by two strokes. If I could have played below par, we could have won.
We drove back to school that night arriving on campus about three in the morning. I walked to the house and quietly let myself in. I undressed washed and brushed my teeth then laid down behind Trish who was snuggled behind Delta. Trish pushed her butt up against me recognizing my presence.
Sunday morning I was groggy when the girls were tickling and kissing me waking me up. They said it was a beautiful spring morning and we needed to get up for church. I looked out the window to darkness. Confused, I sat up and was handed a mug of coffee while being admonished to get going and get dressed.
"What's going on? It's still dark out." I ask bleary eyed.
"Yeah, so." Trish answered.
"Why are we getting up so early?"
Delta was toweling herself dry as she came into the bedroom. "Sunrise service in about a half hour. It's Easter, come on, get going."
I took my coffee to the bathroom and quickly peed, showered and shaved. I put on a suit then we left driving quickly through the fairly quiet city. The church was full and the sun was giving off first light, illuminating the horizon.
After the service, George and Dan asked if I wanted to go play golf. I said I would rather go back to bed explaining I didn't get home till after three. Carol and Cecile wanted breakfast so we all went to Howard Johnson's for an early breakfast. The girls and I went back to the house saying that I needed a nap and they needed to do some housekeeping. After we had studied, we would come over for supper and play some music before bringing some of instruments back to the house.
I slept till eleven then we went to a late lunch at the cafeteria. We had brought our books with us and went to the library. The day was too nice and very few folks showed up to study. We only did about two hours then had to get out into the nice weather.
We drove out to the lake to check on the boat. Someone had already cleaned it up and put it back in the water. As soon as the water warmed up, we would be skiing. As evening came, it began to cool to the point it would have been cold in a convertible. We ate at Delta's then walked over to Trish's to play and sing for a couple of hours before bed. It is very relaxing to play music. This night we played and sang nothing but ballads. Carol and Dan as well as Cecile and George were snuggled up on couches singing the love songs with us. When we followed Dan and Carol back to their house the girls were giggling while watching Dan and Carol with their hands on each other's butt.
We drove home and made love till midnight still feeling the affects of the sunny day, the good food and the music.
The semester and the school year were ending. Delta and Trish were graduating. It was scary to wonder what would happen to our relationship now that we didn't share that common goal of going to school. Both girls had double majors in business management and education. They thought they wanted to be teachers but also thought they might be good in business. Their problem was similar to mine. They didn't really have a clue as to what they wanted to do when (as I called it) they grew up.
I signed up for summer school again with as many hours as I did the previous summer. The girls surprised me and signed up for summer classes too. They thought they might as well work on some graduate education classes while we were right there in school. We finally saw Sandy. She said that her boyfriend and her were going to get an apartment off campus for the summer and the next school year. She said she knew she was probably too young to be living with someone but she said that they were so compatible that they both thought they could be just platonic friends sharing an apartment rather than just illicit lovers. We told her to come by the house and see us when she had the chance.
The girls' graduation party was held at the country club. They had a ton of relatives there to help celebrate. We partied till the wee hours of the morning then slept late in anticipation of getting ready to go to Florida for Sally's graduation.
We borrowed the station wagon again and drove straight through getting in the day before the graduation. Sally was ecstatic to be graduating and very excited to have already been accepted at Florida University. We all had a great time visiting and eating.
Sally's graduation class was pretty big for the school. Her class graduated double mine, over seventy kids this year. My class was only thirty-six. The small community turned out for graduation. The entire gym and gym floor was packed with folding chairs. Afterward, Dad had arranged to have a large party for all of the class so the parents could keep an eye on their kids, making sure they didn't get into too much trouble. The local American Legion hall was the perfect place for any big party as they had real air conditioning with a large dance floor. As was usual, just like Saturday nights, The adults were on one side of the hall and the kids on the other. The bar was open so the adults had to keep track of how much their kids were getting.
Dad had a large buffet of food brought in so it was a real party. I couldn't get over how much my Dad liked doing stuff like this now that he could afford it. Life was good.
Monday morning we drove back to school and the new house, what was now home to me. We rested up Tuesday then went to the country club Wednesday to play some golf. We only had till the following Monday to play and work on the house before school started up again.
Wednesday afternoon we started scrapping and wire brushing up bad spots on the house in preparation to paint. Thursday we three started painting all the wood siding. Saturday we did all the trim, finishing late Saturday evening. Our vacation was pretty nice as we played golf every morning then worked on the house every afternoon and evening till it was too dark to work. Three people can knock out some work.
Sunday morning I played golf with the guys before church then we all went to our house where the girls had prepared a large dinner. George and Dan were impressed while the Moms fussed over their two girls and how grown up they were.
George and Dan talked to me about getting a car again as my Dad had talked to them about it. I told them that on one hand, a pickup truck would be a good idea, but a car would be useful too. I was still not feeling the need for a car as school was just down the street and when we went somewhere, there were two cars for the girls to drive. If I had a car then I would have to worry about insurance, keeping another car clean, and another car to keep serviced. They said for me to let them know what I wanted to do and left it seeing that I had thought about it a lot.
Actually, I had enough in my bank account that I could have bought a older used car or truck as I had been saving the money Mom and Dad were sending me. I still had not spent the money from last Christmas much the less the money they gave me during Spring break. The money did more good in the bank than in a car.
Summer school was busy again. Classes in the morning then study and golf in the afternoon. The girls interviewed for grad staff positions for the coming fall semester and were accepted. This would give them some free schooling plus some cash. Since they were not using the dorm any longer, they were able to trade out the dorm subsidy for the cafeteria.