Chapter 53

It was Sunday night at about 7 PM and I was far from home. I was in my suit the girls picked out for me in Miami. A maitre d’ looked at me.

“Reservation?”

“Yes, uh,” I realized I couldn’t remember her new last name. “I just realized I don’t know her current last name but I’m meeting someone here. We’re old,” I almost said ‘friends’ but instead said, “acquaintances. She is in her mid-thirties and this tall.” I held out my hand about a head’s height beneath my own. “Sorry, I haven’t seen her in a while.”

“Would you like to look around, sir?”

“Please.” I stepped into the restaurant and almost instantly saw a hand waving at me. I turned to the maitre d’ and indicated that I saw her. I walked over and the blonde stood to greet me. She wore a little black dress and her hair was a little past her shoulders with cute glasses.

“Robert.”

“Jordyn.”

We sat. It had started twelve hours earlier at the breakfast table.

I was putting masses of scrambled eggs, potatoes, and onions on plates while Lavi put out the bagels and Mellie made morning tea for everyone. Mellie tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. She didn’t look at me but asked, “So, did you hear back?”

I had emailed Jordyn as soon as we left the club. I walked to the sink and put water in the pan before putting it back on the stove. I’d wash it after breakfast. I pulled the phone out of my pocket and handed it to Melissa.

She took it. Her eyes narrowed and her jaw set firmly. Wordlessly she gave it to Lavi.

Lavi was not wordless. “Fuck no.”

Melissa was so quiet she was hard to hear. “Are you going to? I mean, fly out to her.”

“I can get a flight this afternoon.”

“Where,” Lavi asked.

“Tacoma, Washington.”

They looked at each other. They had practice this afternoon and both had exams tomorrow.

“I can guess what you’re both thinking,” I said.

Lavi sat down but didn’t pick up her fork. “You don’t need to guess. Bitch can’t just answer your question? She has to talk to you in person? This is fucking bullshit and you’re not flying out there by yourself.”

I sat and took a bite of potato while she talked. Melissa distributed the tea and sat too.

“Lavi, my lioness, I’d much rather have you interposed between her and us but I’m a big boy, I can take care of myself.” I tried to sound casual.

Melissa looked at me. “I don’t like it. Why?”

“I don’t know. Maybe she wants to finally put everything behind us.”

“Or,” Lavi said, “she’s a fucking evil cunt who either wants to roast your balls or manipulate you. I’m not happy either way. Why now?”

“Time. We’re on a clock. The people who do the forensics on those waterlogged papers are going to be expensive. You know that and you know that until we prove otherwise the judge is saying the contract exists and that we’ve been paying is proof.”

“It’s still bullshit.” Lavi tore the bagel into bits like a predator tearing up a kill. I’d never felt sorry for a bagel before.

I continued. “Look, I know she’s playing a game but I’m the one asking for something. At least she is being civil so far. And, well, even if we waited I still don’t know if you two should go.” There I said it.

Lavi looked at me, “Robert Christopher”

“No, he’s right.” Melissa was sipping her tea with her eyes closed. “She’s doing this because she wants some control. You show up with us, it’s like starting the gunfight with machine guns. Your best chance of getting in and out is to keep it simple.”

I nodded in agreement. “Right.”

“It is also,” Melissa continued, “her best shot to accomplish whatever she wants.”

“Exactly!” Lavi said.

“Have any concerns?” I asked. “I mean beyond the general.”

Melissa opened her eyes and looked at me. “You loved her.”

“Yeah.” I couldn’t deny it.

“You wouldn’t have loved her without reason. That’s something she can use against you.”

“That’s not what you’re worried about though.”

She sighed. “No, it’s not.”

“She’s my past. You two are my future.”

Lavi, “She was good at manipulating you wasn’t she?”

“Yeah. Guilt and anger especially.”

“And other stuff,” Melissa said.

“That other stuff was not good for me, not where she wanted to take it.”

Melissa breathed the steam from her tea. “That’s what worries me. It still worked.”

“I’m not going to fuck her.”

She looked at me again. “I don’t care if you fuck her, baby. I care about where your head would be if you did.” I saw fear in her eyes. Lavi got up and went upstairs. We ate in silence.

At the restaurant, Jordyn and I sat. She was older, her hair was still blonde and her eyes were the same. She had put on a few pounds but not much. The years were visible but I’ve known women who aged far worse.

“You look good,” I said. And it was true, her body was in excellent shape.

“Well I’m not in my 20’s anymore but I think I’ve done all right.” She put arms under her cleavage and pushed them up. “These haven’t gotten smaller at least though I gained and lost weight over the years.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Still a double D?”

She grinned. “Still a tit man?”

“Still a man.”

“Yes, you are.” She let her lips curve a bit at that.

I was saved by the waiter who arrived to ask us for our drink requests.

“What is your house wine?” I asked.

“Right now we have a lovely sauvignon blanc, sir.”

“French?”

“Let me call over our sommelier sir.” He motioned and a cute young brunette woman appeared wearing a feminine suit.

“Yes, Josh, may I help?”

“The gentleman had some questions about the house wine.”

I looked at her. “I was asking if it is French, I assume not.”

“No. It is a New Zealand grape and it was overstock so we took it off our distributor’s hands.”

“That sounds lovely, I’ve had a number of wonderful New Zealand wines. And it will go well with the mushroom risotto I saw on the daily chef’s menu.”

“Exactly why he put it there sir. Would you like to taste it?”

“Absolutely.” In a few moments, she brought a dash of it in two glasses. I lightly swirled the glass and tested it. “Refreshing, light. Very good. It definitely improves with air though.”

She smiled. “You have a good palate. I will make sure to decant your glasses myself.”

“You are very kind.”

“It is my pleasure. Should I get the bottle ready?” I said yes and she departed.

The waiter turned towards Jordyn. “And you ma’am.”

She had her hands in her lap and looked into my eyes. “He can order for me.”

Bitch. I knew this game but went along. “She will enjoy the blanc as well. Go ahead and get me the risotto and she will have the shrimp linguine.”

He took our menus and left. She ran a finger over the edge of her water glass. “I don’t remember you knowing so much about wine.”

“I saw a sommelier on the menu. A place that has their own sommelier can sometimes have a nice house wine.”

“What happened to the guy who made Kraft mac n’ cheese with hotdogs for lunch?”

I shrugged slightly. “I make it with fresh cream and cheddar from scratch and use sausages from a local farm but I still like it.”

“Did you ever go back and finish your degree?”

“No, I holed up and learned to cook and kept reading.”

“You and those damn books were always in piles everywhere.”

“I did get bookshelves eventually.”

“I left and you got cultured.”

“I still leave my clothes around on the floor.”

A little smile. “Some things don’t change I guess. You don’t look much different. Men are lucky though, they get distinguished, women just get older.”

“I don’t think so. You’re beautiful, you always were.”

She blushed slightly. “Thank you. I ... I haven’t had anyone say that for a long time.”

“Mary didn’t tell me anything about how you were doing. No relationship?”

“I’m married actually, my second since us.”

“Oh.”

“You?”

“I live with two women right now.”

She looked surprised. “Roommates?”

“Well, they live in my room so I suppose so.” I tried to grin.

“You dog.” She sounded wistful. “I’m happy for you. They know you are here or is it not like that?”

“They know. They aren’t thrilled but ... it is what it is.”

“Hmmm.”

“Your husband?”

“What about him?”

“Does he know you’re here?”

She snorted. “Oh, he’s off fucking his mistress. His ex-wife is his mistress. He was fucking me when he was married to her so now I guess things have come around. They have a kid together. Maybe that’s why. She’s a fat cow but maybe the kid bonds them. Have you knocked either of these roommates up?”

“No.”

“Turns out I can’t have kids, even with really expensive treatments.”

I didn’t know what to say so I defaulted. “I’m sorry.”

I was again saved from her reply by the waiter who left us our wine glasses and fresh bread with a balsamic and olive oil dipping sauce.

She ate a little. “It is really good.”

“It is.”

“I’m in therapy.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Maybe. I don’t know. I go and he tries to make me think about my life. I asked him last week why all the men I care about leave me. He said I determine my reality by what I focus on. So I asked, what if the pain is the only thing there is?”

“What did he say?”

“Something about deflecting.” She sighed. “Do you remember when I left?”

“Not much.” I looked at her. She seemed to be waiting. “I remember sitting on the bed as you screamed at me. You left. I went and bought new locks.”

“I considered breaking the windows when I came back and found the place locked.”

“I was prepared to call the police.”

She laughed mirthlessly. “I met them anyway. I was crying and driving crazy fast and they pulled me over.”

I pushed bread around for a bit. “I understand you met someone new pretty quickly.”

“A few actually. I fucked Mary’s ex for a while. Remember him?”

“Him!? That..., uh”

“I think I wanted him to kill me.”

“Jordyn...”

“Don’t.” She waved a hand. “It wasn’t your fault. Well, maybe it was. It was our fault but my life and my choice and my responsibility.”

“What happened?”

“I met another guy. European, funny, charming. I thought he would be like you. It didn’t last. He was intense until he became bored of me.”

“Sorry.” Why did I say that? I wasn’t sorry, fuck!

“Do you know why I left that night?” She seemed to be trying to look into my eyes.

“We were fighting,” I said.

“I loved our fights. We were passionate! That night you were so quiet and I was so angry. I never felt as alone in my life as I did right then.”

“I was tired.”

She stared past me. “I know and I know that I drove you off. I wanted you to fight for me. I know I wasn’t worth fighting for but I was hoping you’d prove me wrong.”

“Worth it?!” I wanted to scream but kept my tone level. “I fought for you, with you, every goddamn day.”

“But there was a limit, wasn’t there?”

“There’s a limit to human flesh and sanity, yes. I’m not going to apologize for that.”

“I’m not asking you to,” she said. Fuck, I was already done with this. I drank some more wine. We had silence for a moment and our main courses arrived. We tried bites and I found myself trying a bite off of her plate as I do with Lavi and Melissa. I was going to stop but I was already halfway across the table.