Chapter 27

“My daughter knew the biggee: the twenty-nine years ago biggee. And what damn difference did it make. Not a damn bit. The woman that should have been mine, had dumped me for money. The daughter that was guaranteed to be mine by my ex-fiancée was allowed to be adopted by another guy, a rich guy, I had a record as a murderer. And no kid of my own.

Of course, I did have my Sarah, which was kind of a faux-kid, I guess. I mean I could kinda pretend. But, in the end, nada.

I wondered if the back stabber would be around like my faux-kid had predicted. And if she did come around what difference would that make. Well, again, not a damn bit because I did not tust her—at all!

And, of course, there was Anna, a much better person, but by no means the looker that my ex was. And, did that make any difference. I had convinced myself that it didn’t, but was I kidding myself. I was fifty-seven; a chooser I was never gonna be. Even Anna was fifty. Was she just settling for me? I figured she was.

And, the biggee, was she still going to be on speaking terms with my enemy? And would that be making a difference if she was. Did I have the balls to dare tell her who she could be friends with? Yeah, she was upset about what she heard, but not near as upset as I was—read insane with rage! No, no, not nearly as upset as I was!

Well, I had a little advice I was going to be handing out to somebody, maybe Sarah’s new hubby. At the dinner somebody said he was pressing her to go to college. Yes, well, if he did indeed advise her to go to college, he might consider advising her to major in fortune telling.

My ex was coming in and striding toward me at this very minute. I was busy stocking tin-can alley.

“Got a minute so we could talk?” she said. That she had the balls to say that to me, and in that tone of voice, was clear evidence of just how little she respected me. I decided to say so.

“You haven’t got even a smidgen of respect for me; do you?” I said.

“Huh? What?” she said. I guess I’d caught her flat footed with that one.

“Mister, how could there be the slightest doubt in your mind that I respect you, and love you,” she said. I started to laugh.

“Okay, I was out of line the other night. I don’t know what I was thinking. And, I apologize.”

“Not accepted and I don’t believe you anyway. Anything else?” I said.

“Please, can you take a break or something?” she said. I stared at her.

“Yeah, but I gotta work, so you better have whatever you have to say memorized, because all I got is about ten minutes,” I said. She nodded. I headed for the break room and she followed. I nodded to Mister Dunstan as we passed him. He was talking to one of the checkers.

We took seats at the little stained coffee table that the room afforded.

“So, what do you want?” I said.

“You saved me. You saved Sarah. I can never repay you, but if you would have mercy on me, I’ll try,” she said. I had to smile.

“Sarah?” I said. Her using my daughter’s pseudonym surprised me.

“I know that you prefer that name for some reason, so yes, I will use it whenever I get to talk to you and she comes up,” she said.

“Hmm, damn nice of you. Almost a small, very small, sign of respect,” I said.

“Andrew, I am so damn sorry for everything, not just the other night either. And I really do not have any idea what made me say those things. I really don’t,” she said.

“Then you’re too damn stupid to take seriously,” I said. “Because I do.”

“Huh?” she said.

“You see me as a threat to his majesty’s place in my daughter’s life and you are reacting to it. And I sincerely doubt that that was the first time you’ve stabbed me in the back,” I said. I think I detected a light come on in the woman’s eyes. I think that she was beginning to see the logic of my analysis.