Chapter 4

He was staring at the beauty bending over the open back trunk of her car doing something domestic with her groceries. Maybe 5’5” weighing in at around 110 pounds; she was slender for sure. Bubble butt, maybe B-cups, brown hair and a face that could have launched a thousand ships. He smiled. It was ten to one she was married. But, resist her, not happening.

“Hello Miss, need some help?” he said. He’d startled her.

“Huh! Oh, no, I’m fine, thank you,” said Abigail Bradshaw.

“Oh, well good. I was meeting with someone next door, and I noticed you,” said Owen Cord. He motioned in the direction of one of the offices in the midscale strip mall they were standing in front of: Benson Investments LLC.

“Oh,” she said.

“Like I said, I noticed you. You seemed like one who might be in need of a knight in shining armor,” he said. Now she laughed. The man was tall and good looking: a little older, but not that much older, probably mid-thirties.

She closed the trunk, and for no reason she would ever be able to explain, smiled at the man. “Well a girl can always make time for a knight in shining armor,” she said. The man seemed to lose a bit of his until now formidable confidence. He regained it.

“Time for coffee?” he said. He nodded toward the coffee shop across the parking lot.

“I don’t ... no, I mean yes, okay,” she said. Why had she said yes? This might be a problem; she knew how men thought, all girls did. Men, any man would be taking her yes as meaning she wanted way more than she in fact did at that moment.

“Well, good,” he said, motioning for her to lead the way.

The chocolate croissants were tasty. The midday coffee acceptable and the conversation light, but why was she here? Why was she talking to a complete stranger, a man? He could be a serial killer! No, he was too well dressed, and if he’d been straight with her, he had something to do with investments: serial killer no, moneyman yes, she thought.

“So, Abigail, you are married then,” he said.

“Yes, my husband’s in the Army,” she said. “He’s in Afghanistan.”

“Oh, kinda dangerous over there,” he said.

“No, not for him. He’s a computer geek, his words, for the headquarters thingy,” she said.

“Kids?” he said.

“Two,” she said, “Sarah and Mia, twins, almost five years-old. They’re at the sitter’s for the next while.”

“Sounds wonderful,” he said. “You know, this accidental meet up could be fortuitous.”

“Fortuitous?” she said, she was not sure what the word meant, but it likely meant lucky or something like it.

“Yes, I’m a kind of banker, investor, speculator, all of the above,” he said. “I have a conference to speak at this weekend at the Claremont, downtown. I was supposed to bring a plus one. I don’t have one. I know you’re married, and I know we just met; but how would it be if I asked you to be my plus one for the evening?”

“You’re speaking at the thing?” she said.

“Yes, I do it a lot,” he said, “speak that is.”

He was a stranger. She was married. He was a speaker. He was an investor. This could be an opportunity for her, and for her Sam, her war hero. She frowned; Sam might not like her being escorted to some fancy do by a stranger; no, that’s not right, she knew for a fact he wouldn’t like it!”

He sensed she was a tiny bit skittish. “In case you’re concerned, Abigail, we could go in separate cars and meet there, in the foyer of the conference hall,” he said.

She relaxed. “All right,” she said. “Then yes. Time?”

“Saturday, 6:45 if that works for you,” he said. She nodded.

“That’ll be fine,” she said.

2002

“That your kids you’re always braggin’ on?” said the man across the bunk from him.

“Yeah, Sarah and Mia,” I said, “beautiful huh.”

“Yeah, must take after your wife,” said Corporal Michaels.

“Yeah, the little woman is the one with the looks in our house, apart from the babies of course,” I said, laughing.

I settled back on my bunk and did some thinking. It’d been a year since I shipped out. Her letters had been coming all right, but a little farther apart than they had been. Well, I’d be going back in a few more months.

I’d been supposed to go back at the end of nine months. But the Colonel said he needed my invaluable assistance—his exact words. So I was doubled up. I’d been intending to reup anyway; I was promised sergeant stripes when I did. I sure did miss my woman though. I sure did.

I had liked the Army after all. I had my wife to thank for that. I never would have signed up but for her insistence that I had to for them, her and the kids.

“You hear from him lately?” said Owen Cord.

“Yes, just today, a letter,” said Abigail. “I’ve been terrible about keeping my promise to write him. It’s been almost three weeks since I sent him the new pictures of the children.”

“I bet he’s loving those,” said Owen. She smiled.

“That’s a real safe bet,” she said. “I’m going to write him tonight.”

“Why don’t you just email him? I mean if he’s at the headquarters wouldn’t he have access to email?” said Owen.

“Yes, but not all of the time, and sometimes the emails get lost, at least that’s been my experience. Plus when I do email him he answers right away and under the circumstances...” she said.

“Things are a little uncomfortable,” he said, reading her mind.

“Kinda,” she whispered.

“Abby, you and I have gotten close that’s a fact. It sure is in my case. But if my being around is, you know...” he started.

“No, no it’s not just you. It’s me too. I like having you around. And we haven’t done anything to be ashamed of. But, I doubt if he’d...” she said.

“Understand?” he said.

“Yes,” she said. “I mean you and I go out to dinner a lot and talk about everything and well, date.” He nodded.

“Yes, and I’m going to say it, Abby, I’ve kinda fallen for you,” he said. Her mouth literally fell open and she stared wide-eyed at the man.

“Owen, I don’t know...” she said.

“Abby, you need to think about things; I know that. But if you think that a guy like me could do it for you; well ... I’m going to go home now, but tomorrow we’ll talk; I mean if you want. You’ll know better after you’ve had a chance to think,” he said. “Would that be okay?” She nodded, but didn’t verbalize any agreement, but she was in agreement with him. Yes, she was.

“Harriet, I just don’t know. Doing it to a good man like Sam, well, I just don’t know. But, I’ve fallen for Owen. He’s a good guy, and hasn’t been pushy. But, I’ve kinda made up my mind,” said Abigail. Her friend shook her head.

“You should talk to your parents before you dump on Sam. If the other guy’s got any class he’ll understand you not rushing into something like this. I mean dumping a guy like Sam while he’s being shot at! You really need to talk to your parents, especially your dad,” said Harriet. Abigail sighed.

“You’re right. I will do that. My dad was always good at knowing what to do,” she said.

“When are you going to be seeing Owen next?” said Harriet.

“In a little while. We’re just going to Denny’s for lunch. He has some business first at Benson’s, but he said he’d be done by noon. And Denny’s is just across the parking lot from Benson’s,” she said. Her friend nodded.