Chapter 25

Karl answered: "We doing good, almost done just waiting for a few parts that Jacob, that the one I told you about, the genius with a milling machine, is now in the process of making. Should have them tomorrow and we should be up to full speed on the second."

"We also got all the returned parts fixed and are ready to ship them out whenever the customer calls for them. My best guess will be that he'll still call before the holiday so they can have them on the second when they start production."

"Thanks Karl. Any other business, issues?"

They all shook their heads.

"Thanks guys, I'm going to check some e-mails and then I'll be out of here. You can reach me on my cell it needed. On the other hand I'll be here tomorrow after lunch. Have great rest of the day."

"Peter, wait up a minute, I'll follow you to the office. I want to show you something, I'm just going to grab my laptop."

"OK Karl, I'm going to see if there is any coffee. Want some in case I have to make it?

"Sure coffee in the office is better than out here in the plant."

"Well Karl as of the second you will be a VP and if you want to you can make 'camp' in the office with the rest of the suits."

"Thanks Peter, I would rather stay out here, easier to keep an eye on things but I trust the new guy and he needs the space I now occupy. So yes, I'll be moving my stuff soon."

I walked up to the break room in the office and as luck would have it there was a fresh pot brewing.

I got my cup and another one for Karl and waited for the pot to finish. Karl is like me, likes his coffee free of contaminates like milk and sugar. So I just poured and at that moment he showed up with his laptop.

"Karl, why not set it up here, that way if it takes time we are close to the coffee."

"Hey, I hope my presentation isn't that boring."

Karl set up the laptop and began to show me a Power Point presentation of his first version for our pitch to the design and engineering community to expand our sales by providing specialized small production runs and prototype samples.

"Karl, great job, I really like it. So what's the next step?"

"I was thinking of adding part of this to our web site as a teaser and a link to this presentation after I clean it up some more. Little tweaks here and there. Also maybe a mailing to the guys I know with a couple of images from the presentation."

"Sounds good to me. Let Mark handle the website and get with Carol when she gets back on the second for the print version."

"Karl, I just had a thought. For a while I used to belong to a group of professional engineers. We met once a month. Eventually I got too busy and dropped out. What about them?"

"I don't know, I think it's too broad based and primarily a social club. But I'll talk to a couple of friends that still belong and maybe we can isolate a suitable sub group and organize a box lunch or something like that."

"Works for me. I'll leave in your capable hands."

"Now on to another matter. Where do we stand with the redesign for the military?"

"It's in their hands right now. I suggest that you call your contact maybe a week after New Years and see what he has to say."

"OK Karl, thanks for a great job. I'm grabbing a refill and check my e-mails, then I'm out of here 'til tomorrow afternoon."

"Enjoy your evening," and with those words Karl went back to his office and I went to mine to check on my e-mails.

There was one from M, asking for a meeting. Wonder what that's all about? I thought about replying 'nothing to talk about – expect interest payment on the second' but decided to just ignore it for the time being. Let her sweat for while, I really don't want to talk to her.

There was one from Darrell thanking me for getting Charlize settled in her new office and taking care of Red's stuff from the apartment.

I answered him briefly, then shut down the computer and left to go home.

I hadn't been home for more than ten minutes when my phone rang. It was Cindy.

"Hello Ms Cindy, what can I do for you?"

Giggling, "Watch it mister, I don't think you are ready for taking care of MY needs. Just wanted to call that I have some news from the owners of the apartment that you are in. Why don't you come over and I'll let you know what's going on. Roz will be here shortly and we can go to the Italian place or you scrounge through my fridge and freezer and figure out dinner for the three of us. Don't take too long getting here or I'll have to spank you."

Then there was silence. Cindy had hung up.

Interesting – my dick twitched a bit when Cindy mentioned spanking but I know I'm not ready for any kind of BDSM play. Some verbal flirting with it, but not the real thing. Not yet at least.

Well I guess I'm not going running. So I locked up and walked over to Cindy's place.

Roz got to Cindy's door the same time I did.

"Hi Peter," she said with a hug and a kiss on my cheek, "how are you doing? You OK?"

"Hi Roz, yes I'm OK or as OK as can be expected. I guess next week when it's back to work full time, things will settle down and fade into the back. Right now I still keep beating myself up. Wondering if I pushed too hard..."

"Peter, you didn't do anything wrong. You offered and Red took, that's all there is to it. Nothing more, nothing less. In the end she wasn't ready."

By then Cindy had opened the door and ask, "Who wasn't ready?"

"Cindy, Peter keeps beating himself up, wondering if it was his fault that Red had a relapse. I told him that it wasn't. That he did all he could then some. This one is strictly on Red, she wasn't ready. Maybe things would have been different if Michelle had stuck it out. No one will ever know. At least not for a while. Not 'til Red comes out of this current state."

I was getting a more than friendly hug from Cindy and I was reacting to it. I think she felt it and backed off a bit.

"Peter, Roz is right. You need to focus on your life not trying to second guess of 'what if' or 'should I have'. She said it. You tried your best. Now you need to get your act together and create a new life."

By that time we were sitting at Cindy's kitchen table. I had a beer in my hand and the ladies had each a glass of wine in front of them.

"You two talk like as if Red is not going to recover..."

"Peter, I talked to Doc today and it doesn't look good. Not for a long time. Red is still being treated with different meds. Right now Doc feels it will be close to year before Red will be able to go home and live with her parents. I know, that's not what you want to hear but you need to be realistic. You can always cherish her. You had some good memories. Try to forget the bad stuff and move on."

"Speaking of moving on," piped up Cindy, "you don't have to move if you don't want to. That was what I want to talk to you about. The apartment that you are renting is going up for sale. Something went wrong during the overseas assignment of the couple owning it and they are getting a divorce. Neither of them want the place."

"WOW, I don't know about buying. Not sure if I'm ready. No that is not right, I'm ready to settle in one place. However, I'm not sure I'll be able to swing buying a place right now. I'm pretty much tapped out with buying the business and if I don't get a new Army contract, I'll be in real trouble. Because of rumors started by either M or hairy ass Harry, the bank is cutting my credit line. I've offered my summer place as collateral. It's free and clear but I really don't want to have a mortgage on that if I can avoid that."

"Remember, I have to buy out Greg, Michelle and Red. I don't want to delay that. They already have given me some extra time."

"Anyway, how much are they asking?"

"They want a cash deal and quick closing. So they are looking three hundred fifty thou and probably will take three thirty."

"How much time do I have to think about that?"

"Not much. I have an option on the place 'til the end of the month. Then I have to list it in the open market."

"Like I said, I need to think about it. I'll give you an answer before your deadline. Thank you for thinking about me."

"Now to another matter. My beer is empty and I'm hungry. Do I scrounge through your fridge or do we go out?"

"Peter, I know you are not ready to go to Yoshi's but we could order and have it delivered. Would that work for you?"

"Roz, I can deal with that. I do have a need for a sushi fix."

That's what we wound up doing. The girls insisted that they would pay and go and pick it up.

"Peter, just grab another beer if you want to and sit yourself in front of the TV or if you want, you can finish the crossword puzzle that's on the living room table. I started it but didn't get very far."

"We'll be back shortly."

I didn't get far with the puzzle because what Roz had said about Red's condition and how long it could take kept running through my mind. The girls were right. I have to be realistic. Red and I are not going to happen. At best there will be an uneasy friendship. Certainly no hot love affair and living forever happy together.

Before I knew it, the girls were back and started to lay out all the goodies on the kitchen table.

"Come on Peter, get over here and let's eat. Yoshisan sends his regards and regrets that Ms Red is unwell. We didn't get into details. He hopes that one day, you'll return and make him a special martini."

I just shrugged, "I know, if I stay in the area, and I think I really want to, sooner or later, probably sooner, I will go back there. His stuff is just too good and I really like him and his missus."

"Peter, about staying in the area, Roz has come up with a plan 'B' if you cannot swing the purchase. She and I are already partners in some properties around here. We could add your apartment to that and then make a rent to own deal with you. I'll run the actual numbers tomorrow in the office but your payments would be approximately the same as they are now. We are thinking that a rate of one percent over prime is fair. We don't want to make money off a friend, just to cover our expenses. I'll e-mail you a draft agreement tomorrow and you can check it over with your 'girlfriend' Ms Charlize."

"Hey, she is not my girlfriend. Never was. Sure we dated a few times but never got to the going to bed together part. So cut it out. I hardly know her. She's different from when I knew her at school."

"Oh yeah? I remember the google eyes you made when I opened the door and the way you were checking her out from the tip of her toes to those rather spectacular breasts. She is one hot chick."

Both Cindy and Roz kept razzing me about Charlize while eating our dinner, but eventually gave up on it.

We hung out for a while after dinner but then I excused myself. The girls understood that I needed some alone time after the news about Red's condition. I felt like running but it was a dark night and the paths in the park don't have any lights so I ran around several blocks three or four times, not really sure as my thoughts kept going back to Red. I guess I really needed to move on. Try to find some new love. Maybe the third time would be the...

After getting home, I took a shower and fell into some troubled sleep. No real nightmares, just flashes of some of the good times at the lake and that last night at the engagement party.

I got up late, had some breakfast and got dressed to go and see Charlize in her office.

Sarah was sitting at the desk where there used to be a receptionist. She got up when she saw me and walked over to me. I could tell that her eyes were getting moist. We hugged for a while without saying anything to each other.

Finally, she let go, "Peter, have you heard anything? How is Red? I miss her so much."

"Sarah, I don't have details but I don't think she is going too good from what one of her friends told me last night. Maybe over time..."

I left it hanging there.

Sarah let go of me and said, "Let me tell the Boss that you are here."

With those comments, she disappeared into what used to be Red's office.

Sarah returned after a bit., "Go on in Peter. Want some coffee? It's fresh."

"Yes please, black, I can take in with me."

Charlize was standing when I walked into her office with my coffee.

"Thank you Peter, black. You remembered. Why don't you put over there on the coffee table and get yourself one too."

I just stared at her and she busted out laughing.

"Got you, didn't I? Just relax and sit on the couch, I'll get my own coffee."

What was SHE playing at? I heard both of the ladies giggle for a bit and then Charlize came back with her own coffee and sat in a chair on the other side of the coffee table.

"So Peter, tell me what is going on with you and your ex?"

So I told her about the divorce, the money left to me by her parents and the deal I made about paying in installments and the interest. I also told her about the attempts of sabotaging my business.

"So you haven't filed a criminal complaint?"

"No, not yet. I want to hold off for now. If the there is no problem with getting the interest and next payment which is due on the second of January, I'll just let it go. I'm sure she knows that I have enough on her and her lover to make some real trouble for her. But if she defaults, I want you to go after her with guns blazing."

"OK, why don't you get me all the evidence you have of the sabotage and also the agreement about the inheritance and I'll have a good look at it. I know one of the assistant DA's pretty well and if your evidence is as good as you say, not that I doubt you since professional law enforcement was involved getting it, I'm sure I can talk him into opening a case on them in spite of the apparent political clout the two of them have."

"I'll do that. How are you and Sarah coming along?"

"We are doing fine. One client jumped ship but the others are staying however after we are done with those cases I'm shutting that part of the operation down. I'm not cut out for that. Give me a lying murdering bastard any day and I'll be happy to try to keep him from getting the needle but divorce is such a dirty messy thing. I don't want any part of it. I'll have my hands full with the other stuff from the firm and I'll try to rebuild what Michelle had going. That is really what I like best, contract and tax law."

"Make me a proposal for a retainer and services for my company. The inheritance and criminal case are my personal worries, not company business and should be billed accordingly."

No problem. You'll get the 'friends and family discount' for that, but company business will at the established rates."

"I don't have a problem with that. Speaking of personal, I'll most likely will send you later today or tomorrow a proposal for a 'rent to own' contract for the apartment that I have here. The owner wants to sell in a hurry but right now I'm a bit stretched so I can't do that. Cindy and Roz have offered to buy the place and lease it to me. Seems they have several real estate properties that they own jointly. Not sure if Michelle took care of their business, it might be worth asking."

"Thanks, yes send it to Sarah. She can handle that. If she has questions, she'll come and ask me. I assume you have her e-mail. If not get it as you leave. Speaking of that..."

I chuckled, "I get it councilor, you are busy. I'll drop the stuff off before heading to the office. Say want to have a drink after you close up shop? We can catch up on things."

"Sure Peter, I probably could use a break around five thirty after I interview one of the other paralegals. She is coming in at four. I'll knock on your after.

Sorry, unfortunately we'll never know what happened after this.