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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Drama / Human Interest
- Subject: Drama
- Published: 06/18/2014
The Fire Season
Born 1929, M, from Roseville/CA, United StatesThe Fire Season (Approx. 1,100 wds.)
As Paul Lerner and his wife Ellen passed over the Golden Gate Bridge and drove through the Marin hills, a recently burnt field, black in the midst of green, reminded them of the fires then raging out of control in California.
“It must be terrible to come back and find that your home is gone, and all your possessions. It would be like having your life swept away,” said Ellen.
“It would require a lot of re-adjusting,” Paul replied. To himself , he thought, some people might possibly want to have their lives swept away. Then he wondered, why had he thought that? It couldn’t have anything to do with his own life, could it? His life was fine.
They finally reached Hal Prosser’s place, somewhere north of Corte Madera, a big house with extensive grounds whose driveway was already filled with cars when they pulled in. Prosser was the creative head of the ad agency where Paul worked and this was the annual party he gave for his staff.
They made their way out back of the house where the party was going on around the large pool. A long table was covered with a variety of drinks and a barbeque was going. There was a buzz of talk, like a swarm of bees, punctuated by bursts of laughter. Paul hated these events but, as far as he could see, everyone was having a good time.
“Hello, Paul, dear” said a sweet voice. “I see you came after all.” It was Nancy Fleming, dressed in what seemed to be a kind of sun suit which displayed the tops of her breasts and shapely tanned legs.
“Hello, Nancy. That’s quite an outfit.”
Nancy smiled, showing her perfect white teeth. “I didn’t think you’d even notice” she said, putting her hand on his arm. Nancy, he thought, was a great toucher.
“I’m sure everyone noticed.” He could see Ellen looking at Nancy with undisguised interest and thought he’d better introduce them.
“Paul never tells me anything about his office,” said Ellen.
Nancy gave Ellen her best smile. “Paul is such a dear,” said Nancy. “He’s so proper. Oh, except for maybe that one time.”
“Really,” said Ellen, rather coldly. “And what happened then?”
“Nancy’s a great kidder,” Paul said. “Aren’t you, Nancy, dear?”
At that moment, Prosser himself, a large man, white-haired although only in his forties, dressed in a sports shirt and shorts that were a little too tight, emerged from the house, followed by Mrs. Prosser, tall and thin, more formally attired in a long dress which swept the ground, possibly to conceal too thin legs, and looking nervous and harried.
“Excuse me,” said Nancy quickly. “There’s Hal. He promised to show me the grounds. I’ll see you later, Paul, dear. She went over to the Prossers and Paul watched them talking, Nancy displaying her teeth, Hal laughing a lot but his wife not seeming to share his amusement. After a few minutes, Nancy moved off with Hal in tow while Mrs. Prosser stood by herself looking deserted and unhappy.
“That Nancy’s quite a girl, isn’t she, Paul, dear?” said Ellen.
“To put it mildly.”
“So what was she talking about?”
“Nothing. Nancy’s a great one for stirring up trouble. I think she’s been mad at me ever since I caught her and Pete Malacheck, our department head, messing around in the mailroom.”
“Messing around?”
“Well, you know how proper I am.”
“So what happened?”
“I said, ‘Excuse me,’ and left. The next day Pete gave me a good assignment.”
“Has she ever made a pass at you?”
“Not likely. I’m just a lowly copywriter. Nancy’s been working her way through management. Now it looks as if she’s after Hal.”
They made their way to the long table and got drinks. In a while, the barbeque was ready and everyone had hamburgers with corn. There was a lot of loud talking and joking. Mrs. Prosser flustered about, nervously waving around a cigarette, and asking if everyone had enough to eat and drink, all the while looking at the woods behind the house. Nancy and Hal still hadn’t returned from their tour of the grounds.
Later, when most of the guests were drunk, Paul saw Nancy and Hal coming around the corner of the house. They stopped and Hal quickly kissed her. Paul didn’t know if anyone else had noticed them. Still later, he saw Hal and his wife off to one side, looking as if they were having a bitter argument. Some while later, after it had become dark, people started to leave, but Ellen had somehow gotten into conversation with Mrs. Prosser and must have made some remark about the house because now Mrs. Prosser was going to give her a tour.
While Paul waited, he saw Nancy at the table with the drinks, pouring herself something. He said, “How are you, Nancy? I missed you at the barbeque.” She looked at him without any recognition, her eyes glazed over. Then she lit a cigarette and stared off into the distance, a little smile on her face.
Ellen and Mrs. Prosser came out and Paul said his thanks to Hal, who seemed subdued. “It’s a lovely house,,” Ellen said.
“Yes, I suppose it is,” said Mrs. Prosser. She had a faraway look in her eyes. “It’s mine, you know. Yes, all this is mine.” She giggled a little bit. “In fact, some people said Hal married me for my money. Didn’t they, dear?”
“You know that’s not true,” said Hal, looking uncomfortable.
“Well, I must go inside now,” said Mrs. Prosser. “I have things to do. Yes, things to do.”
Driving back, Ellen said, “Well, that was strange.”
“Yes, it was.”
They didn’t talk much after that. Perhaps, thought Paul, Ellen was pondering the strangeness of the party. He was thinking of Nancy Fleming. He hadn’t been truthful when he’d said she’d never made a pass at him. Maybe he was a trial run for her before she moved up to the big time. He wasn’t proud of himself at the memory. He had no illusions about Nancy, but, like a force of nature, she’d been impossible to resist.
When they got home Paul turned on the television while Ellen prepared for bed. The news was as usual all about the fires. Then the screen showed a familiar-looking house burning and the announcer said, “Closer to home, a house in Marin county burnt down tonight. There’s no connection to the fires nearby and it appears to have been the result of a cigarette from a party that evening. So far as is known, there were no fatalities. But the house was completely destroyed”
Paul recalled what he’d thought driving to the party earlier that day, that some people might want to have their lives swept away. Right after that, the thought came that sometime soon he’d have to tell Ellen about Nancy.
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