Chapter 4: 1967

“Val, I know it’s only been three days since you visited your man, but it’s nice having the day off today. Got anything planned?” said Lilly

“Yes, gonna take Jillian down to the park to watch the fireworks. I really like the Fourth of July.”

“Want some company?”

“Sure, that would be good. We can have dinner at the Javelina first if you want. It’s only a short distance from the park,” said Val.

“Yes, that’s a good idea. Let’s do it. I’ll pick you and Jill up.”

“Okay, that’ll be good.”

The cheers shook the park as the finale of the fireworks display blew holes in the sky.

Two men were staring at the two women: the two seriously pretty women. They approached.

“You ladies look hungry? That shouldn’t be in the United States of America!” said Herbert Cooper. “The name’s Herbert, Herbert Cooper.”

“Huh?” said Valerie, turning to see who was talking. Little Jillian was clinging tightly to her mother’s arm.

“And I’m Reinhard Bach, a really nice guy,” said the other guy’s partner.

“Huh?” said Lilly, reading from the same script as her best friend.

“Late night snack, dinner, whatever you like at the Blue Star,” said Herbert, nodding toward the fancy foodery and country club across the way from the park.

“We’ve already eaten. And it was American cuisine,” said Valerie. “And I have my daughter with me as you can plainly see.”

“But not your husbands,” said Herbert, chancing that he’d guessed right: the women were not married, at least not anymore.

“The little one can have whatever she wants too,” broke in Reinhard; he was smiling really broadly.

“Yes she can, and mister Bach here has a great job,” said Herbert. Lilly was smiling quite conspiratorially.

“He’s telling it straight,” said Reinhard. “Oh, and no strings.”

“Val?” said Lilly, clearly interested in calling the men’s bluff.

Valerie gave her friend a look but nodded.

“But we’ll be going in our own car,” said Valerie.

“It’s walking distance,” said Reinhard.

“Yes, but we will want to be leaving from there after our ‘snacks’,” said Valerie.

“Okay, we’ll meet you over there. We’re going to walk,” said Herbert. The women nodded.

The women arrived at the fancy restaurant some five minutes after the men. They’d come in Lilly’s 1962 Impala. They entered and spotted their faux dates almost immediately; well, the enthusiastically waving arms of the two men made spotting them kind of a no brainer.

Seated, the men began the meeting.

“So,” said Reinhard, staring pointedly at Lilly, “I assume we’re not in danger of being shot by jealous husbands?” Okay, he was fishing.

Val, who was also impressed but had not so far expressed any obvious interest, decided to put it out there. It would save a lot of time and put to rest, as she supposed, any presuppositions the gentlemen might have been entertaining. She smiled, broadly.

“Herbert, Reinhard: Lilly is not married and has no children. I am married and Jillian here is my daughter. We’re waitresses at the Lone Star. Oh, and didn’t I say; my husband’s in prison for second degree murder. Still want to pay for our snacks?” she said, smiling even more broadly than she had been.

Lilly was giving her partner a seriously cold stare!

The men were momentarily frozen in space and time, but only momentarily.

“Wow! A woman with balls of steel,” said Herbert. “Oh, and to answer your question, yes we do want to pay for your snacks. Oh, and talk long and meaningfully to the both of you.” Herbert turned toward his compatriot for support.

“You know it,” was his bud’s reply.

Lilly, who was still staring hard core at her partner in crime, said, “Valerie Benedict! Really!”

“Wanted to save time and a lot of silly and pointless questioning,” said Valerie.

“Make that titanium—your balls that is,” said Herbert, clearly impressed with the way too pretty brunette.

The blueberry cheesecake and hot teas came in due course, and a rather more than less interesting conversation ensued for some time.

Phone numbers exchanged; the party finally broke up.

“You gave the man your number!” said Lilly, glancing at her friend as she drove. “What about your husband? Think he’d approve?”

“Mister Cooper is not getting into my pants. And Chase has specifically commanded me to live my life as normally as possible. He wants me to be happy and safe. And when the time comes; I swear to God that I will make him happy; I will! But...”

“But?” said Lilly.

“If these guys are as prosperous as they appear, well...”

“They might be able to help Chase. Is that your thinking?” said Lil. “Maybe fund a better lawyer or something?”

“Exactly, but well, I guess we’ll be seeing.”

“Yes, seeing. Still, not to be negative or anything, but do you think they’ll actually call?” Valerie Benedict shrugged.

“I don’t know. They did seem interested. My guy did for sure, but yours too. You gonna date him if he does call?”

“Sure, he’s tall and good looking, and if he does have as good a job as he claims, well...” Valerie nodded.

It’d been almost six months since their meet up on the Fourth of July. It was late afternoon December 22nd. Lots of Christmas lights and decorations throughout the city’s neighborhoods, both business and residential, would be blazing forth in just a very few hours.

“Rein and Lilly seem to be getting along good,” said Herbert. Valerie looked over at the man behind the wheel.

“Yes, Lilly is taken with Rein.”

“And then there is us,” said Herb.

“Herb, you know...”

“You’ve gone up to see Chase, what, in July and last month on Thanksgiving, right?” he said.

“Yes, and in February and July last year before I met you,” she said. He’s been inside for almost a year and a half now. I am sick for him.”

“I can understand that. But you say he is okay with you going out socially, right?”

“Yes, socially, but not romantically,” she said.

“Look, Val, Chase is going to be in prison for a generation: I mean second degree murder! He needs to realize that you have to live your life. It’s one thing to be loyal to him. I mean especially since he literally killed a man to protect you. But there comes a point...”

“Herb?” she said.

“Valerie, I’ve never been married. Used to think that I never would be. You and I, well, we’ve kind of been beating around the bush for these last months. Val, I’ve fallen in love with you. But you don’t really know me. I know you, but you don’t know me. If you are willing, I will tell you the truth about me, well that is, if you will just do me the honor of agreeing to marry me.”

The woman sitting next to him stared in disbelief.

“Herb, you know my situation.”

“Yes, and you will soon be divorced and married to me if you will hear me out. Val, I’m able to make your life wonderful, yours and Jillian’s too. And dare I say it, Chase Benedict’s, even up in Winslow.”

“You think you know me, Herb, but you really don’t; you just think you do. I will confess to having feelings for you too, but...”

“But you are concerned that, if you divorce Chase, he will see it as betrayal and hate you for it, and by inference me too, right?”

“Yes, but...”

“But what?” he said.

“Herb, like I said, you really don’t know me. I need to tell you something that I do not want to tell you. Things that I daren’t tell you...” she started, but then she stopped.

“Nothing you can say will change my mind, Val. Val, I’m a very influential man, way more influential than you may realize. I have had you investigated. I know all about you. I know you were a lady of the evening in times gone by and that Chase saved you from that life—twice. Like I say, I know you.