4:36 P.M., Tuesday, November 17, 2015

PLUR-MAkKikM, just outside Honolulu, HI

The door was answered within a minute of the boys knocking on it. The man of almost fifty was barefoot but otherwise dressed. The two boys, one nine years old and the other just turned ten, looked as if they’d just been caught doing something wrong.

“Anything I can do for you, fellas?” Ted Michaels asked.

Sam Diamond spoke first. “We’re here to see ... to see Paula. Paula asked us...”

“Paul asked us,” George Cooper interrupted.

“Yes, Paul,” Sam nodded. “Sorry; we’re nervous.”

“What Paul asked,” George put in, “was if we could visit Paula, keep her company, that sort of thing.”

Ted smiled. This was entirely in keeping with Paul Macon’s character. He always wanted the best for his girlfriend, and asking if somebody her own age could drop by to keep her company made sense. Why this wasn’t a couple of girls Ted wasn’t sure; maybe Paul didn’t know many girls.

“Come in and I’ll see if she’s available,” Ted told the boys. “She’s been feeling kind of down lately, for obvious reasons. It’s possible she won’t feel like company.”

The two boys walked in and looked around. Michaels’ place was nice, but not in a gold-plated everything, hey-look-how-rich-I-am sort of way. From where the boys stood, George wasn’t even sure that the house was much bigger than his. A little bigger, certainly; maybe a lot, but it didn’t show from here.

Ted pulled out his phone and soon had the little girl on the line.

“Paula? There are two boys here to see you. They say that Paul asked them to visit and keep you company. I don’t know, I guess just so you’d have somebody your own age to hang out with. I recognize Sam, and I think I saw the other boy two weeks ago, when there was that pool party. OK, I’ll give them something to drink while you’re getting ready. Bye.”

Ted turned to George. “My apologies; I should have asked your name before calling Paula.”

“That’s OK,” the boy told him. “I’m George Cooper. I was at the pool party, but we didn’t meet.”

“Well it’s good to meet you now, George,” the man stated, putting out his hand. After they shook, Ted offered them both a seat.

“Paula said she had to get ready,” the man continued. “I’m assuming this won’t be any long-drawn-out affair; it doesn’t take her long to get ready for school. While you’re waiting, would you like something to drink?”

“I’ll have a martini, no olive,” George said with mostly a straight face.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Ted replied with his own mostly straight face. “I’m fresh out of vermouth. Would rum and Coke do?”

George grinned. “Maybe just the Coke; I’m driving.”

“Coke it is! And you, Sam?”

“7-Up, if you got any,” Sam told him. “You wouldn’t’ve really gave rum to a nine-year-old. Would you?”

Ted shook his head. “No. Paul and Paula don’t need another legal guardian in jail.”

The three guys sat about for a while, sipping their drinks and talking. The kids were a bit surprised that a man old enough to be their grandpa knew anything about anime, though his favorites were a bit old. Within ten minutes Paula Akron walked into the room. Ted stood up, so the boys did too. They liked the way the man was treating them, though they couldn’t think of the right word for it.

“Paula, you look lovely,” Ted said. “I assume that the three of you already know each other, so there need be no introductions?”

Once assured that this was true, Ted left the room. That, too, seemed to reflect a certain ... they still couldn’t think of the right word.

“So,” Paula started, “Paul wanted you guys to keep me company? That’s nice. Nice of you to do it, too. I don’t know if ... well, you’re here. You wanna go play games or something?”