Chapter 6

Loren sat at his desk reviewing reports on his laptop screen. “Got any big plans this weekend?”

He turned and saw Erin leaning against the doorway to his cubicle. “Todd’s coming over tomorrow to help with a project. We’re going to assemble a swing set for Nicole.”

“Are Abby and Nicole fully moved in?”

“Pretty much. We cherry-picked the best furniture from both our places and put the rest into storage. Since we both work in this building we can car-pool. It saves wear and tear on her beater.”

“I’m happy it’s working out for you, Loren. Good luck with the project.”

“That should do it,” Todd called from atop the beam.

“Let’s have Nicole try it out,” Loren replied. “NICOLE!” he called.

Nicole charged out of the house and headed for the new swing set. She hopped on and began swinging.

Loren picked up his shirt from the picnic table and mopped his brow with it. “I’ll get us a couple of cold ones,” he said and headed in the house. Abrielle was in the kitchen.

“Loren -- can you start the grill?” she said as he opened the refrigerator.

“Sure. I’m just getting a couple of cold ones for Todd and me.” He carried two bottles of beer outside and set them on the patio table. “Thanks for the help.”

“No problem,” Todd replied.

“When we bought that swing set it said, assembly required. I had no idea that meant a truck would simply drop a pile of lumber in the yard. Hoisting that four-by-six beam in place is something I couldn’t have done on my own.” He glanced at the apparatus. “Look at her go on it.”

“She’s cute,” Todd said and took a swig of beer.

Abrielle stepped onto the patio. She was wearing a floral bikini top, soft cotton shorts and flip-flops. “Loren -- the grill, s’il vous plait.”

“Right away.”

From a storage shed he retrieved a bag of charcoal and some wood chips. He laid a bed of the chips and scattered charcoal atop it. This he ignited with butane lighter.

“That’s so smoky,” Todd remarked.

“Yeah, but I prefer it to using lighter fluid. I’d rather the food taste like wood smoke than kerosene. We’ll let that catch and add more charcoal.”

Loren returned to the patio table and swigged some beer.

“Loren -- has Abby lost weight?” Todd asked.

“I don’t think so -- I think she’s about the same as always.”

“She looks hot in that outfit.”

“I think she wears that outfit to beat the heat.”

“Don’t be a douchebag, Loren. You know what I mean. She looks good ... dang good. I’ll bet she’s a load of fun in the sack.”

“I’m not the kind of guy who kisses and tells ... but...”

“But what?”

“But far be it from me to dispute the opinion of a wiser and more experienced practitioner.”

Todd laughed and swigged more beer. “Maybe I’ll try a big girl next time the opportunity presents itself.”

“You need to find someone and settle down,” Loren remarked.

“Not my style.” He emptied his bottle.

“Another?” Loren asked.

“I can get it.” He headed into the house and returned with another bottle. “Is that a diamond Abby’s wearing?”

“It is.”

“You son-of-a-bitch. When did you pop the question?”

“The night she and Nicole moved in.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“We haven’t set a date yet,” Loren replied. “We’ll make an announcement when we do.”

“What timeframe are you looking at?”

“We’re in no hurry.”

“Has she met your folks?” Todd asked.

“She has. They LOVE her and they love Nicole, too. In fact, they offered to watch Nicole so Abrielle and I could get away. We went to the Eagles Resort for a romantic weekend.”

“Nice. Have you met her folks?”

“There’s a problem,” Loren replied. “Abrielle isn’t copacetic with her dad.”

“That’s too bad.” Todd swigged a mouthful from the beer bottle. “How do you like being a dad?”

“It’s been an adjustment. I had to learn not to be a buddy but to be a parent. The first time Nicole plugged up the toilet with paper I kind of laughed it off. The second time, however ... I had to learn how to discipline her. It’s very tough to get that right and I’m still working on it.” He looked into Todd’s eyes. “Abrielle told me that raising Nicole was what turned her from a girl into a woman. I definitely understand.”

Abrielle returned with a platter of skewers and handed it to Loren. “Time to get to work,” he said and began placing them on the grill.

Todd looked over his shoulder. “Smells good.”

“It’s my curried chicken skewers recipe. Abrielle expropriated it.”

“You’re not showing signs of being whipped, are you?” Todd asked.

“One thing I learned, first from Ginger and now from Abrielle. The man is NOT the boss of the household.”

“Dude -- you are whipped.”

“No, no -- it’s okay. You see, I’ve read the boss’s job description. It’s not a job I’d apply for.”

Abrielle brought out plates and a bowl of rice. “How are they doing?” she asked.

“Almost done.”

“I’d better go pry Nicole out of that swing.”

“This is delicious, Abby,” Todd remarked. “Tell me ... I know what Loren sees in you...”

“What’s that?” she asked.

“Why -- you’re a babe, Abby. Isn’t she a babe, Loren?”

“She certainly is ... but she’s so much more.”

“What I want to know, Abby, is -- what do you see in this loser? What sold you on him?”

“What sold me? It was when he learned about Nicole and didn’t bat an eye. I think that’s what sold me.”

“Maybe we should think about getting a dishwasher,” Loren remarked as he scrubbed plates in the sink.

“I thought we already had one.”

“Right -- chief cook and bottle washer.” He handed her a plate to dry.

“Loren?”

“What?”

“Can we not invite Todd for any more dinners?”

“I only invited him to pay him back for helping assemble that swing set,” he replied. “We never could’ve put it together without him. The guy works out nearly every weekend, pumping iron. He could lift that beam in place when I could barely budge it.”

“I know he looks like a body builder. I think he’s a misogynist. The remarks he was making...”

“He meant it as a compliment. And, I think he had a bit too much beer.”

“He’s the sort of man who only sees women as objects. I felt uncomfortable with how he was leering at me. Didn’t it bother you how he was looking at me?”

“In general,” Loren replied, “a man doesn’t object to another man coveting his woman.”

“I see,” she replied. “We’re simply arm candy.”

“Not at all. You know how I regard you, Abrielle. The arm candy aspect is simply a bonus.”

“But, guys like Todd can’t see past the arm candy.”

“I suppose not.” He dried his hands, turned and held her around her waist. “There’s no reason we need to socialize with Todd or anyone else from my office. Personally I think it’s bad form to mix business and personal relationships. It can make for awkward moments.”

“I think I agree with you there,” she said.

“The only one from my office I’d consider inviting to dinner would be Erin and her husband.

“Erin?”

“Her title is administrative assistant -- which means she delivers the mail and is the firm’s general-purpose go-fer. I think she’s my best friend at work. In fact, she says she knows you ... from the law office.”

“I can’t place the name,” she replied.

“Erin and Brady Moore. She said you worked with them.”

“Oh, yes. I remember them, now. They had a problem with an insurance company that was trying to duck out of paying a claim. We ended up writing your standard lawyer letter and got the case re-opened for them. They’re a pleasant couple. If you’d like we could invite them sometime.”

“And, I wouldn’t mind socializing with folks from the Alliance.”

“Something to think about. There are some events coming up I think you’d enjoy.”

Loren dumped flatware into the dishwater. “How do you think things are going with Nicole?” he asked.

“Pretty well. I think she likes having someone to roughhouse with. She likes riding on your shoulders.”

“How are my parenting skills coming along?” he asked.

“I’d give you a solid B-plus,” she replied.

“A B-plus? That’s all?”

“When Nicole acts up, try to remember not to get angry but to get even.”

“What does that mean?”

“She needs to understand that behavior is a choice and choices have consequences. That way she learns responsibility. When she misbehaves, yelling at her or sending her to her room is counterproductive. What’s productive is figuring out how she can make restitution for her behavior.”

“How did you develop this theory?”

“At the law office we were working with a social worker. I was at wits’ end with Nicole and I asked this social worker for advice. We started doing lunches together and she gave me all sorts of good ideas. That was a couple of years ago. I’m a lot more even-keeled than I was.” She kissed his cheek. “You’re still learning, I understand. You’re a good man, Loren. You’ll get it.” She hugged him. “I didn’t hurt you with what I said, did I?”

“No. I know I’m new to this.”

“She’s better with you than without you. She needs you, Loren. Her behavior has improved since you’ve been in the picture. The more we’re together the more clearly I see that.”

“Thanks.”

“And, I know I don’t have all the answers, either.”

Loren scrubbed pots and pans and rinsed them. He pulled the stopper out of the sink and wiped the countertops.

“I’ll go get Nicole settled,” Abrielle said and headed up the stairs. “Loren?” she called to him.

“What?”

“Instead of a dishwasher, how about getting air conditioning? It is stifling up here.”

He climbed the stairs. “We can’t put in central air,” he replied. “The house doesn’t have the ductwork.”

“What about window units?” she asked.

“They’re noisy. I’m not sure they’re worth the expense for the half-dozen days a year we’d use them. Did you have air in your apartment?”

“No, but we always had a breeze.”

“I’ll open the windows. It should cool off.”

Loren found a scrap of wood from the swing set and used it to block open the sliding door leading to the patio. He bounded up the stairs and opened windows in the bedroom. “Say bonne nuit to Loren,” Abrielle said to her daughter.

“Bonne nuit, she said.

“Bonne nuit Nicole,” he replied and hugged her.

Abrielle turned off the lights and began to close her bedroom door. “I blocked open the sliding door,” Loren said. “It’ll give us some cross ventilation. Do you realize when my grandparents lived here, they kept the front door wide open?”

“I can’t believe that.”

“Well, they did and never had a problem. Can we keep Nicole’s door open?”

“I suppose. What about our bedroom door?”

“Maybe you’d like to take a bath or a shower before bed. I know I would. Maybe by then the upstairs will have cooled down a bit.”

“A bath sounds nice.”

“I’ll take a quick shower and run a bath for you.”

Loren lay, nude, on his back with the covers up to his hips. Abrielle stepped in from the bathroom in her robe. “It does feel better up here, now,” she said.

“Maybe we should leave the door open -- or, at least ajar. You don’t think Nicole would come in, do you?”

“I think by now she understands to respect our privacy.” She closed the door partway and set an antique, glass telegraph-line insulator against it as a stop. Then she slipped out of her robe, picked up a bottle of lotion and rubbed some into the backs of her hands.

“Want me to put some of that on you?” he asked.

“Mmm ... Sure.” She handed him the bottle and lay on her stomach.