Chapter 34

“What did you guys talk about?” said Sarah.

“Mostly about basic stuff. Nothing heavy. I just told her that there would be none of that tonight, and she let it drop.”

“Sarah, as much as I have hated Herbert over the years, and I have; I have to grant that him finding you for me; well, it’s made up for a lot of the pain.”

“Actually, it was Rein who did the finding. But, yes, Herbert had a lot to do with getting us to be together.

“While you guys were out there at the picnic table talking; Herbert and I were doing the same inside. Jill and Evan—by design—took their time mixing a batch of martinis; kind of waiting us out.”

“You and Herbert?”

“Yes, he wanted to know more about me and my deceased ex. I gave him the truth, all of it.”

“Okay. Anything interesting come of it. I mean how did he react?”

“He understood. I let him know that the emotional abuse, though bad, wasn’t what motivated me to shoot him; it was the betrayal. Herbert seemed to understand. He told me that that was, in his opinion, what made you so difficult to deal with, that is Valerie’s betrayal of you.”

“It was. Kinda still is. But it’s different now because I have you. But yes, it’s still a stinger.”

“I know. Believe me, I know,” she said.

“Sarah, I know that you know. And I know that we, the both of us, will have moments when we remember stuff, bad stuff. I mean...”

“Yes, like I said, I know. Betrayal is the worst. Anyway, so you and Jillian?”

“She sees him as her real father, protestations to the contrary notwithstanding. I’m resigned to it. Having you makes it possible for me to be at least tolerant of that reality. I can deal with it now. She says she’s going to be changing the way she deals with me, us. I don’t really believe her. I believe that ‘she’ believes what she says, but she has a life to live and I’m, really you and I, are just minor adjuncts to that.

“I really don’t see myself as anything but an obligation as far as she’s concerned. But who knows, sure as hell not me. And heck, I could be wrong,” I said.

“We’re gonna be good,” she said.

“So?” said Herbert.

“It’s going to be the status quo, and maybe that for the long term. He’s going to just go along to get along, so he says. Try not to worry about anything over much,” said Valerie. “One thing though that he said did kinda get to me.”

“Oh?”

“He knows you spent a lot of money and political capital to get Sarah out—for him. He sees it as you buying him a woman. He’s appreciative, genuinely so, but he still kinda sees it as you buying him a prostitute to give him someone to talk to, be with. His appreciation is real, but, well, also qualified.”

“Shit! And him and Jillian?”

“He doesn’t believe that anything has changed in terms of her view of him. He thinks she’ll pretend to consider him ‘a’ daddy, but it’ll be just so much nonsense as far as he’s concerned. And the problem is, he’s right.”

“I really wish she would just give him what he needs. She needs to do that. She and Evan spend a lot of time here with us. Not hardly any with Chase. He sees that and interprets it to mean what it clearly does mean: she feels at home here, and not at home at his place,” said Herbert.

“Yes, this is her comfort zone. And that’s not going to change. I mean she was raised here,” she said.

“No, and we can’t tell her not to come here. And add to that there is just so limited time off from work for any of us,” he said. “He has told me, as he has apparently told you, that his new woman makes it possible for him to deal with things. He says they’re getting along famously. Sarah is the one thing that we’ve done that appears to be working out good, despite any of his perceived qualifications.”

“And thank heavens for that. And yes, he has said the same thing to me. I hope like heck that she stays with him. He needs the emotional support. Really, we all do.”

“Yes. I think I’m going to try and talk to him. No pressure, nothing like that. But maybe be a calming, supportive influence. Whaddya think?” he said.

“Yes of course. The good news is that he is talking to us. It’s not like before. Yes, us continuing to do so is a must.”

“Okay, me first, then you. And I think I’m going to ask him to come here. I know he hates to be semi-forced to be here around all of the luxury. We just have to make sure he accepts the truth that we are not rubbing his nose in anything. We’ll visit his place too, but we do have to convince him that this, our place, is not the vestibule of Satan’s place of residence.”

“Funny, but yes. He does need to get used to being here. Yes.”

“I’ll check him out at the Javelina. I’ll do it today. It’s Sunday, I know he’s got duty at his work; he’s got the day shift. I’ll be pressing him to visit Friday evening after he gets off. I’ll ask him to bring his wing woman obviously; it’s certain to be more comfortable for him now that he’s got her to protect him.”

“Yes,” she said. “And we really must avoid letting grass grow under stationary feet. I’ll be doing the woman thing with Sarah while you guys talk sports or something.”

“Well said. Let’s do it.”

I had the day shift and weekends this month. Wilma had swing, and Lindsey was in charge of the late show. Two part time College kids padded the weekend schedule per swing and lates; well, they had school during the week. We were rotating the shifts monthly anymore, and it worked for us, all of us. I’d be picking up swing next month, October. Thinking about it, it now being only some couple of weeks until October in this year of our Lord 2000, I was once again bothered by the swiftness of the passage of time. I’d spent a quarter of the twentieth century in hell. I had to wonder how much of the twenty-first century I’d get to see. It would be what it would be, I supposed.

It was 2:20 p.m. The lunch crowd had dissipated, and I was tending to the taps and general back-bar clean up when I saw the man come in. He dropped onto a stool at the currently empty bar and waved me over.

“A beer,” said Herbert. I kinda half smiled and fetched him one.

“So, decided to check out the blue-collar scene?” I said. He snorted

“Yeah, I need to keep an eye out for talent that might be best found among the desperate lower classes,” he said.

“What, you need more office help?” I said.

“Always do. Mostly just office assistants for the sub-office who can be relied upon to show up on time and follow instructions. I mean you know,” he said.

“Actually, I do. Part time help here can be a problem when it comes to reliability. So yes, I’m in the know,” I said.

“I do have a request of you, you and Sarah too actually,” he said.

“Okay?”

“Dinner Friday night at the hated Cooper mansion, and he wasn’t grinning?” I sensed that he might have been crossing his fingers; that amused me. I nodded.

“Okay. Friday you say.”

“Yes, sixish?”

“That’ll be fine.” The man looked relieved.

It would turn out that everyone was invited, even the Lutzes and the Hernandezes. William had Carmen on his arm. The Bachs were in evidence. The twins had their girlfriends with them. Pernell and his wife came too. Like I say everybody was there for this one.

We’d arrived right on time. The night was coolish; I figured the man would have the heating system on the patio up to snuff in case at some point he decided to direct us there unto. I knew of it, the heating/cooling system, from conversation with William. It would turn out that I’d figured right; it would prove to be quite nice on the patio.