Rosemary Danced: Ivy Book One Page 23

  “As long as Rosemary feels safe here and wants to come to LSU, I’d be interested in discussing a scholarship.”

  “Mike, don’t take this the wrong way, but you and your girlfriend are very young. Do you think it’s a good idea to base your college choice on what she wants? Your chances of staying together are…well, you’re very young—that’s all I’m trying to say. I’m not trying to tick you off, but an LSU scholarship is a pretty big deal for a football player.”

  “I know we’re young. We both know that. It may not make sense to you or even to most people, but Rosemary and I are a team. We’ll make decisions like this together.”

  The scout nodded. He stood and shook Mike’s hand. “I’ll talk to Coach O. I’m sure he’ll be in touch.”

  Chapter 40

  After landing in Des Moines, Mike and Rosemary found Patty already waiting for them outside the baggage claim. Mike loaded their luggage into the trunk and climbed into the front seat with his mom. “Mom, it was so great!” He talked non-stop about everything that had happened during the weekend. Patty seemed off, not quite herself, but Mike didn’t notice; he talked all the way to Rosemary’s house.

  When the car stopped, Patty took a deep breath. “Mickey, why don’t you put Rosemary’s luggage upstairs? Margie, John and I need to talk to you in the house.” Mike grabbed Rosemary’s bag and ran up the stairs with it before he took Rosemary’s hand and led her to the house.

  John and Margie were sitting at the kitchen table.

  “Tell me.” Rosemary stood next to Mike. “I need to know, right now.”

  John nodded. “There were pictures of the two of you in the online story the newspaper posted about the game. The reporter wanted your name; one of Mike’s teammates gave it to him and he put your name in his story. Friday night, a website appeared with a long essay alleging you were…an escort in Chicago. There were a couple of pictures; not nude, but provocative. Mike was mentioned; the essay alleged that he knows all about your ‘history.’ The website had forty thousand hits in twenty-four hours. By this morning, there were half a million hits. The comments were brutal, about all of us. Links to the site were sent to most of the schools who have expressed an interest in recruiting Mike.”

  “Oh, no,” Rosemary whispered. Tears ran down her cheeks.

  Patty was crying, too. “Mickey, three schools have already called to say they’re not planning to follow through with any recruitment efforts. Baylor, SMU and Central.”

  Mike shrugged. “Their loss.” He pulled Rosemary closer and looked at John. “What happens next?”

  “A detective from Chicago will be here tomorrow to question Rosemary. They know she hasn’t been to Chicago and they know it’s unlikely she’ll have any new information about the website, but it’s part of the process.”

  “Honey, I think you should stay home from school tomorrow,” Margie told Rosemary.

  Rosemary was crying, but she shook her head. “I can’t hide, Mom. If I don’t face it, this will never be over.”

  John smiled tiredly. “I agree. If you can do it, Rosemary, I think you should. But…people are going to talk.”

  “I know.” She looked at Mike. “I think we should…”

  “No,” Mike interrupted. “Don’t say it. We’re doing this together. Got it?” Rosemary nodded through her tears.

  Mike looked at John. “I know Rosemary usually takes everyone to school. For a while, can you do that? I would like to take Rosemary to school and bring her home.”

  “Sure, Mike. I’ll take the kids to school and pick them up,” John said.

  School was horrible. Rosemary held her head high and went to her classes, but she knew there was talk—a lot of talk. Most of the time when she was in the hall, she was with Mike, or the people he trusted most: Jake and Chad Keller. That was enough to stop any direct confrontation.

  Mike brought Rosemary home every afternoon and stayed for supper every night. He kept Rosemary from breaking down, he played video games with Connor and Caleb and he played princess dolls with the twins. By the end of the week, the atmosphere at home was marginally improved.

  Rosemary’s dance class terms had ended for November and December, so Saturday she and Mike went to a movie and walked around the mall in West Des Moines, holding hands and saying little.

  Sunday morning, Rosemary was getting ready for church, when her oma called. Rosemary snatched up the phone because Oma never called on Sunday morning, even when she wasn’t mad at Rosemary. She was almost hysterical. Rosemary listened.

  “She gave an interview to the newspaper? I have to go, Oma.” Rosemary ran into the house. Margie and Jared were the only ones in the house; John had taken everyone else to church earlier.

  “Mom! Mom!” Rosemary yelled up the stairs.

  “What is it?” Margie came downstairs, carrying Jared.

  “Oma just called. She said Mike’s grandmother gave an interview about me that is in the newspaper this morning.”

  “Oh, no.” Before Margie could say more, Mike walked into the house without knocking. He was wild-eyed.

  “Rosemary, my grandmother…”

  “I know. Oma called.”

  “Have you read it?”

  “Not yet. I just found out about it.”

  “Please don’t read it. She lied—it’s all lies. I can’t believe my own grandmother would do this. I never want to see her again as long as she lives.”

  “Mike!” Rosemary gasped. “You can’t…”

  “I can. I did. I will. I’ll never forgive her, never.” Mike’s phone buzzed; when he looked at the display, he rolled his eyes. “It’s one of the news stations.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ve had several calls; I made the mistake of answering the first one—they wanted a statement from me. That’s how I found out about the article.”

  John called to suggest they stay home because there were reporters at the church. When Margie repeated that to Mike and Rosemary, Mike said a word Rosemary had never heard him say. He grabbed his phone to ask Patty to stay home from church while Margie suggested that Patty and Miranda come to the Masters’ house.

  When John came home from church, he was angrier than Rosemary had ever seen him. Normally the most gentle and kindest of men, John was furious. He kissed Margie and Rosemary and closed himself in his office. For over an hour, they could hear his voice rising and falling.

  When he came out of his office, he sat down with Patty, Margie, Rosemary and Mike. “I called the bishop. I’ve kept him informed since last year when this first started. He’s supportive and has asked for legal help from the national conference. I called our personal attorney and she’s contacting the newspaper to demand a retraction.”

  Mike spoke up. “What do we do next?”

  “I think at this point we can only wait,” John said grimly.

  “For the next shoe to drop,” Rosemary said in a small voice.

  John took a deep breath. “Maybe, maybe not.”

  Patty’s phone vibrated. When she picked it up, she looked at the display. “Grandpa Studor. I’m going to talk to him. Excuse me.”

  When Patty returned to the kitchen table twenty minutes later, her face was white as a sheet. “What is it, Mom?” Mike asked her.

  “I can’t believe this. Harold said Jean says she’s not sorry, although the reporter blew things out of proportion. She told Harold that she did it to break up you and Rosemary. She said she had to save him from Rosemary.”

  “Why?” Mike was incredulous.

  “Because Rosemary is Petranella Bakker’s granddaughter.”

  Nobody spoke. Rosemary finally frowned. “What does Oma have to do with this?”

  “Harold said he and Petronella went steady from fourth grade until they were seventeen, when Jean’s family moved to Pella. Harold dumped Petranella for Jean. Petranella was not only the prettiest girl in town, her family was the richest, too. She set out to torture Jean and she did it. Even after they were all married, Petranella worke
d to exclude Jean from anything social in Pella. Harold and Jean have been pariahs in Pella their whole marriage.”

  “She tried to ruin Rosemary’s life for stuff that happened forty or fifty years ago? For something that has nothing to do with us?” Mike looked at Rosemary. “This is my fault. If you weren’t with me, this never would have happened.” Mike put his head in his hands.

  “Mike, this is not your fault,” John spoke up. “It’s not your fault any more than it is Rosemary’s fault.”

  “I’m going to change my clothes. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Rosemary went out the back door.

  Thirty minutes later, Mike looked up. “It’s been too long. I’m going to check on her.” He found Rosemary sitting in a chair, sobbing uncontrollably. He picked her up and carried her to the couch, sinking down with Rosemary on his lap. They sat wordlessly like that for two hours.

  Finally, Rosemary raised her head from his shoulder. “If you stay with me, your future will be ruined.”

  “It won’t. Even if it is, I don’t care. You’re all I want.”

  “We’re two eighteen-year olds. I just don’t know if we can survive this.”

  “Don’t say that, please, Rosemary. Please. I can survive anything except losing you.”

  Rosemary looked at him sadly. “I don’t want to lose you either, but this is becoming overwhelming.” She laid her head back down on his shoulder, silent tears starting.

  They finally went back to the house to eat dinner; Patty and Miranda went home after dinner and Mike promised his mom he would follow soon after. When he kissed Rosemary goodbye, he said: “We forgot to look at your Algebra!”

  “Mike, it hardly matters,” Rosemary said wearily.

  He ignored that. “We’ll look at it tomorrow night. I’ll pick you up in the morning.” Mike kissed Rosemary goodnight and held her for a long time. “I love you,” he whispered.

  “I love you, too,” Rosemary watched him go until she couldn’t see his car lights. After she climbed the stairs to her studio, she dressed for bed, texted for a few minutes with Mike, and tried to sleep. She couldn’t sleep. Even though Mike asked her not to, she pulled up the article and read it.

  Mike Studor, the MVP of the 2018 Iowa High School State Football Championships, has been hotly recruited to play college football from a number of Division I schools. Scouts have been following his progress for the past eighteen months, and he has a bright future in front of him as a college quarterback and even possibly in the NFL.

  Studor goes to Marion Central High School; he is the son of Patty Studor and the late Mike Studor, Sr. An honor roll student, Studor is a 2017 All-American.

  Studor’s reputation off the field is stellar. He plays high school baseball, has more than one part-time job and is devoted to his mother and his eight-year-old sister, Miranda, who is afflicted with Downs’ Syndrome. Studor’s high school career was exemplary until the last few months.

  He recently became involved with a young woman, Rosemary Bakker, the stepdaughter of a local minister, who has an unsavory past as an exotic dancer and escort in Chicago and who is well-known to the Chicago Police. She has also posed for nude pictures, which can be found on the internet.

  According to Jean Studor, Mike Studor’s grandmother, Bakker did not disclose any of her past transgressions to Studor. She presents herself as a demure, devout daughter of a Methodist minister who cares for her younger siblings and gives free ballet lessons to local children.

  “That girl has completely captivated our Mickey. He believed that she was as sweet as she appeared. In school, she has managed to portray herself as quiet and shy. My Mickey fell head over heels in love with her. He turns a blind eye to her past. I can only imagine what she does for him that makes him so slavishly devoted to her.”

  Mrs. Studor went on to say that Bakker has convinced her grandson to turn on his family.

  “He won’t listen to reason. We have begged him to consider his future and to stop seeing this terrible woman, but he refuses. He is bewitched. He told me if I did not accept her, he will cut me from his life. His own grandmother! The young woman has no scruples; she has managed to spin her web and mesmerize Mickey’s poor little sister. Miranda is eight years old, but she has the mind of a five-year old. She idolizes this Rosemary. It’s sickening.”

  Mrs. Studor, visibly upset about her grandson’s fascination with Bakker, wrung her hands while she talked to this reporter. At times, she was tearful.

  “My son would be heartbroken! Mickey has so much potential and the family has such high hopes for him. His poor, widowed mother. She has raised him on a teacher’s salary. I’m sure she is hoping he will be drafted into the NFL and make money to ease her retirement. I fear he is throwing away every chance he has for a bright future in college and football. If he does that, not only will he suffer, but his mother and sister will suffer, too. I can’t believe Mickey would lose his mind so totally over this awful woman. She has used her pretty face and Heaven-only-knows what other talents to beguile him.

  Rosemary read the article three times before she burst into tears. She couldn’t believe the horrible things Mike’s grandmother had said about her. Mike was right—it was all lies. She was still lying awake when her phone swooshed with a text. She picked it up to see who it was, but the number was unfamiliar. When she realized it was a Chicago area code, she started to shake. She started to hit ‘delete’ then hesitated.

  Unknown: 911: Don’t ignore this.

  Rosemary: Who is this?

  Unknown: Doesn’t matter. But you know I’ve been patient.

  Unknown: I know you have been flaunting yourself and not doing what I told you to do.

  Rosemary: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

  Unknown: When your friend died last spring. I told you I won’t tolerate you having a man in your life. I also told you that when you turned 18, you had to come back to Chicago. Now you have to leave that boyfriend and come back to Chicago.

  Rosemary: You never told me anything like that. We never talked again after the coffee shop.

  Unknown: It’s in the letter.

  Rosemary: What letter? There was no letter.

  Unknown: DON’T PLAY DUMB WITH ME.

  Rosemary: There was no letter.

  Unknown: YOU ARE MAKING ME ANGRY. I TOLD YOU TO READ IT WHEN YOU GOT HOME.

  Rosemary stopped and thought. She didn’t know what he was talking about. He hadn’t given her a letter. She’d been upset and crying when she left the coffee shop. She didn’t remember a letter. She went to her closet and looked at her coats—she couldn’t even remember what she’d been wearing that day. It had been raining. She had three waterproof coats, but she didn’t remember what she’d been wearing. She checked the pockets of all of them and she found it.

  Rosemary: I found the letter just now in my coat pocket. I haven’t read it.

  Unknown: READ IT

  Rosemary’s hands shook, but she opened the envelope and started to read. It was two pages of rambling about how Armand loved her and needed her. He said terrible things about her mother and stepdad, accusing them of taking her money and making her work to help support the family. He said he knew he had to wait until she was eighteen for them to be together and he would wait, but she had to come back to him after she turned eighteen on November thirteenth. He said he would not tolerate her having any men in her life, friends or boyfriends.

  Rosemary: I read it.

  Unknown. It’s time to come back.

  Rosemary: I’m still in school.

  Unknown: You don’t need that.

  Rosemary: I’m not coming back.

  Unknown: YOU HAVE TO.

  Rosemary: No, I don’t. I have a life here.

  Unknown: Including a boyfriend.

  Rosemary: How did you know that?

  Unknown: I’ve known all along. I watched him watch you all summer. I’ve been to Ivy many, many times. I’ve listened to the two of you talk—disgusting. He’s disgusting.


  Rosemary: You’ve listened? What do you mean?

  Unknown: There are listening devices all over your beloved studio.

  Rosemary: You’re lying.

  Unknown: “Don’t say that, please, Rosemary. Please. I can survive anything except losing you.” Whine, whine. He’s pathetic.

  Unknown: You will come back to Chicago. You don’t need college. You don’t need to finish high school. So many people have asked where you went—photographers who want to work with you. You are going to model again and we’ll get rich. We’ll get married and I’ll manage your career.

  Rosemary: No

  Unknown: That’s an unfortunate attitude. I’ll give you 24 hours to get back to Chicago or the handsome quarterback will end up just like poor ol’ Pete. If he does, it’ll be all your fault. Just like Pete was all your fault.

  Rosemary’s shaking intensified and her tears fell unchecked while he continued to taunt her.

  Chapter 41

  The next morning, the truck wasn’t parked in its usual spot when Mike arrived, but Margie’s car and John’s van were both in the driveway. He could tell something wasn’t right.

  When Connor opened the door to his knock, the boy’s face was white and his eyes were red. “She’s not here. You better come in.”

  John stood at the kitchen island, holding the baby.

  “Where is she, John?” Mike was cold with terror.

  “She’s gone; she left a letter on the kitchen table. She said she read the article last night and she can’t face it. She asked us to tell you goodbye. She said…she said she’s not coming back.” Mike stared at John before he turned and walked out of the door.

  Mike jumped into his car and without looking or caring, he gunned his car into reverse and shot out of the Masters’ driveway. A few minutes later, he was almost to school when he realized he had gone three miles, making turns, curves and merging into traffic without any recollection of doing it. He drove into the next parking lot. Parking his car, he grabbed his phone and called Rosemary. The call went to voicemail. He waited two minutes and tried again. Voicemail. He waited two more minutes and tried again. Now his number was blocked. Rosemary had blocked his number from her phone.