Chapter 26

Ann drove me to my “date” with Claire. I could have done it: driven with my hand controls, but it was still a challenge, and so I didn’t do it often. The babies were in the care of Becca while Ann and I drove to the Crossroads. Becca had volunteered at our little party earlier in the day before once she’d heard about the proposed meet up of Claire and me.

We pulled into the parking lot. She gave me a kiss and told me to behave myself. I allowed that I would likely not be given the opportunity to do aught else, and she laughed.

“You never know, stud. We women are more than unpredictable,” she said.

“Yeah, right,” I said. And then I was walking into I knew not what.

I’d no more than gotten in the door than Jackie Dela Torre intercepted me and led me to a table at the far end of the room. The two of us would not be exactly cloistered, but we were kind of out of the way of foot traffic. I counted that as a good thing.

The drinks were already on the table and Claire’s was half gone.

“Well hello, stud,” she said. She and Ann would have to get their act together at some point. Their scripts were beginning to be tritely repetitive.

“Hmm, yes, stud: that’s me,” I said. “It was in the newspapers.” She snickered.

“Well, have a seat,” she said, and she moved over a bit clearly indicating that I should sit beside her not across from her—weird. I did as she asked; this was her show, a show I’d like to have read the synopsis of ahead of time.

She took a sip of her drink. That kinda woke me up. I picked up my drink and took a sip too.

“So—okay—what am I supposed to do?” I said.

“Well, this is our date. It’s been a long time in coming. But, I think we need to go slow. We’ll have our drinks. We’ll talk a little. And, I mean if you want, you could ask me to dance. You know when the DJ gets his act together,” she said.

“Okay, but I’m gonna need at least one more of these before we do much else. Would that be all right?” I said.

“Of course it would be all right kind sir,” she said. “So, did the kids show up today? I assumed they did because I know you needed a babysitter for a little while. Ann and I talked.”

“Uh, yes, well Becca did. She said they’d been to your place earlier today,” I said.

“I need to say, and I know I’ve already said it; but I’m honored that you did what you did with the names,” said Claire. I nodded.

The DJ was starting. The first song was a slow one. I went for it. “Would you honor me with a dance pretty lady,” I said.

“Well of course kind sir,” she said.

We made it to the dance floor; I don’t think I looked too crippled. We flowed slowly around. She melded herself to me and it felt oh so good. h, and she wasn’t wearing a bra. It brought back memories I’d pushed to the uttermost back of my mind afraid to even think about them. Now, I was thinking about them and I didn’t feel bad thinking about them. I had to believe that she knew what she was doing. What was absolutely true was that I didn’t know what I was doing.

The song ended and I led her back to our booth.

Our second round of drinks was delivered. We sipped them slowly and with feeling. She was sitting close to me. The smell of her was oh so female. Oddly, I was thinking of Ann. Yes, she smelled just like Ann. It had to be by design, but would she? Could she have? Weird!

Jimmy put your arm around me. I need you to cheat a little,” she said.

“Cheat!” I said. Suddenly I was confused.

“Just do as you’re told,” she said. I did as she told me, but tentatively. She snuggled up against me.

“Jimmy, I arranged for us to have this evening together because I have some things I need to talk to you about, and to kind of demonstrate how it is that you and I and yes Rodney too need to deal with each other from here on out. Would that be all right?” she said. “Please say it’s all right, Mister, please?”

“Okay, I guess so,” I said. The music continued to be slower R&B stuff: my kind of music. Claire’s too if it came to that, well, it used to be.

“Jimmy tonight is a real date and a real watershed for our future relationships: yours, mine, Rod’s, and Ann’s,” she said.

“Huh? Okay. But huh?” I said.

“Just go with the flow. I’m leading tonight. Okay?” she said.

“Okay,” I said.

“Okay, well, Jimmy that day so long ago when you caught me and Rod doing it, it wasn’t the bad thing you thought that it was. I had every intention of remaining your wife. I loved you then and I love you now, and yes I mean that way. Of course you’re married now to a wonderful woman, and I’m married to a wonderful guy. And before I go any farther I need to get a couple of things straight with you about this little date. Both Ann and Rodney know what I’m going to be doing and talking about tonight. And, I need you to let me do and talk. Of course at appropriate moments you can ask questions or comment what all. Okay?” she said.

“I guess so, yes,” I said.

“Okay then. Jimmy, one: I need you to realize that I am not shitting you when I say that I love you. The physical stuff is almost by the boards now; well, it will be after tonight. I’m with Rod and you’re with Ann. I see those as good things. I see those things at base as putting an end to the bitterness and heartache that has characterized our relationship, yours and mine, for so long. Are you with me Mister?”

“Yes, ma’am, I am,” I said. And, I was.

“Okay then and two: Jimmy, you are a proud and strong man. Yes, you’ve lost your legs and that is something that weighs on me and Rodney too, every day, heck every waking hour of every day. Rodney, without even talking to me about it got those specially made artificial legs for you and arranged for you to have them adjusted, as you will need to do periodically forever, at no cost to you. Jim, you have to accept that from us as our gift to you for all you have done for us. No argument, Jim. You owe it to yourself to let us pick up the tab for it. We’re rich, super rich actually, and the cost is no big deal for us in that respect as it definitely would be for you—way beyond you actually. Also, you owe it to your wife to be able to be able to walk and dance with her and all of it. The legs will allow you to do more for her than you otherwise might,” she said. “Oh, and she’ll be getting a leg like yours in the near future as well.”

“Claire, I knew that these legs were going to be expensive; that’s pretty damn obvious. And, I got a call a week ago from Grayson for an appointment next month to adjust the calibrations on them as the woman said. She wouldn’t tell me, or maybe didn’t know what the cost would be for the adjustment, when I asked her; but Claire I’m asking you,” I said.

She looked at me kind of sheepishly. “Do you really need to know, Jim? There really is no purpose to you knowing,” she said. “There is no upside to you knowing, really, I’m afraid it’ll just weigh on you.”

“Claire, I need to know. I know they’re expensive like I said. They’re computers for goodness sake. But Claire, I need to know, please. And, let me ease you mind. I will not let knowing weigh on me, not at all. Okay?”

“Okay, the Jim. Rodney told me that if you had to know that I had to tell you. So this is it James Clausen. The legs were $70,000 dollars. The estimated cost for servicing them over the lifetime of the user, you, is upwards of two million. The payments are automatically made when due without stint or delay. Jimmy, Rodney has arranged for that against all possible eventualities. Do not over think this. Jimmy we, Rod and I, are worth upwards of four billion. I’m telling you this, not as a matter of personal conceit believe me. No it’s because I want it out in the open because I do not want to be fighting this battle with your proud self every which time in the future. Yes, we’re rich, and we’re alive to be rich because of you! O-fucking-kay!” she said. I nodded. The numbers she was dumping on me were overwhelming; nodding was the best I could do.

“Sweet Jesus!” I said. “I knew that these things cost money. A friend of mine who was in the Army, a guy I met here at the Crossroads, told me they were likely around twenty grand. But that much...”

“Maybe the military can get them cheaper or the VA or something, but I can tell you I do know what I’m talking about,” she said. “Jimmy, are we okay on this one?”

“Okay yes,” I said. “I have to say I’m a little shaken here by the sheer size of the numbers you’ve laid on me, but okay.”

“That’s why I didn’t want to tell you the cost. But again, Rod told me that I had to tell you if you insisted on knowing. So, well, I have,” she said.