Chapter 17

Well, I wondered how long it would take them to come at me again. If they changed their minds, or if she did, that would be okay. I would have achieved what I said that I wanted, I really had: their absence from my worthless life. Yeah, lonely: no mom, no wife, no kid. Life for me was shit. Problem was, it was even worse shit being around an ex-wife who thought that I was a little shit, and she did.

At any rate, the question, how long it would be before he got back to me was answered almost forthwith: two hours after his earlier call in the morning. It was 11:00 a.m. She’d be coming over within the hour. I gave him my okay.

It was almost the whole hour. It was 11:55 when she pulled up outside my place.

She knocked and as usual the door was ajar and she called out to come in.

“Yes, come in,” I said.

She came in. I already had coffees on the table for her and me. I got them when I saw her pull in. It’s the one thing she and I still had in common; we were heavyweight coffee drinkers.

I wheeled my chair to my usual spot and she took a seat opposite me.

“Two things, if I may, first, before we talk about anything big. Okay?” she said. I nodded.

“Lee, I will never be able to tell you how wonderful you were to my husband and our baby on her first day of school. I mean doing what you did. And...

I waited; she’d said two things.

“And I was on the other line listening in to his call to you this morning. And, you’re wrong, I do respect you. And, I apologize for referring to you as a little shit, and yes, I did do that. But out of frustration, not because it’s a true thing,” she said.

“Done?” I said.

“With those yes, but now, about the baby,” she said. I nodded.

“So,” I said.

“Would a couple of weekends a month be enough?” she said.

“Enough for what?’ I said.

“You know for residency. For Zoey,” she said.

“No, but a couple of weeks each month might,” I said. The look on her face said it all. I sneered.

“I can see by your look that my proposal is a non-starter. So, goodbye and really, like I told your husband today, if you do feel like doing something for me for the accident thing. You can,” I said.

“Huh?” she said.

“Never come around me again. I do not think that that is too much to ask. Get out!” I said.

I couldn’t be sure, but it seemed like she was talking to herself as she left. I wondered if I would hear from him again. Six might get you five that I would. Just as I was about to wheel myself into the kitchen, she turned and came back.

“One more thing. I didn’t want you to think that I was hiding anything. But, well, I’m pregnant. Due early next year.

“And goodbye to you,” she said. And then she was gone, finally.

Well, okay, she’d stopped me with that one. And, after ten seconds of thinking about it; it made no difference to anything or about anything whatsoever. Her kid was her kid. My kid was our kid except she didn’t see it that way; and so, that ended us, finally. Well, the hope was.

Lance Conniff esquire sat looking at the phone like it was the red phone in the basement of the White House. He looked out his office window to the cubicles that housed the support staff, one of whom was his best bud, Lee Wyatt. Shit.

Problem: should he let the man know that the Hardys still wanted to connect as Grant Hardy, not five minutes gone, had got done telling him. And Mister Hardy didn’t just want to reconnect somehow with Lee, oh no, he asked if he, Lance would act as go-between. And then...

Liz called. She and her man had come up with a plan to maybe get Lee what he needed more than anything else, a woman.

So, help the Hardys out? Bad idea. Collude with Liz and Milton? Good idea, but even that could backfire. Shit!

The three of them: Liz, Milt, and himself would be meeting at the Harrington that very night. Some decisions needed to be made; and, time was not their friend.

“I sure like this place,” said Milton.

“Glad you appreciate ‘my’ taste,” said Liz.

“I appreciate everything about you,” he said. “If you’d marry me, I could be showing how much every day.”

“Hmm, yes, grandpa,” she said. She got an unappreciative look from his adoring self. Suddenly he had a different look. She was smiling.

“Liz!” he said, not sure what he wanted to say next. Then he did. “Did you just say yes?”

“Yes, gramps, I’ll marry you. Not that many offers lately so you win by default,” she said.

“That’s their bad luck. I’m getting the best woman in the state,” he said.

“Right thing to say,” she said. “So that’s one more thing to talk to Lance about when he gets here.”

“For darn sure,” he said. “But best man ... him or Lee?”

“We’ll let Lee choose. One of them will give me away, and the other will be best man. My parents are gone, so...” she said.

“Yes,” he said, “that’s a brilliant idea.”

“Yes, well, I am seriously smarter than you,” she said.

“Hmm, smarter are you? Well it sure took you a while to finally accept my oft offered, beg, to marry me,” he said, about as smugly as he’d ever said anything.

“Hmm, touché,” she said.

“Here he comes,” said Milt.

Lance Conniff, seemed to be almost in a hurry, but he did make an attempt to smile. He was more or less successful.

“Glad you could make it, man,” said Milt.

“Yes,” said Liz, “lot to talk about.”

“Me too. I mean I have something to add to the mix here tonight,” said Lance.

They moved their embryonic conspiracy to a table out on the expansive patio of the country club.

Seated, Lance took up the gauntlet. “So, who goes first?” he said.

“Us,” said Milt. Lance shrugged; he wasn’t anxious to lay out his info anyway; he just had to.

“Lance, this wonderful girl has finally decided I wasn’t a complete loser and has agreed to marry me,” he said.

“What! Instead of me!” said Lance, completely tongue in cheek.

“Yes, he loves me, and that’s what it took. I just couldn’t believe it before. But now I do,” said Liz.

“Well, congratulations for sure,” said Lance.

The champagne flowed, and the laughing went on for some time, but then things calmed down a bit.

“We should have called Lee. He might feel slighted that we did not,” said Liz.

“Yes and no,” said Lance. “Yes, we should have called him for this news, but not for the news I am about to impart to you guys. That said we will go to his place and do the good stuff there. It’s Saturday. He’s still homebound: doctor’s orders. But he starts back at the office on Monday. Tonight, would be perfect for him to hear the good news. But...”

“But?” said Milt. “Okay, I have a feeling that you are going to maybe throw a wet blanket on our moment of joy.”

“Not exactly. Hopefully not. More like I need your help to make a decision,” said Lance. The two across from him waited.

“I got a call today from Grant Hardy,” he said. “Since we were planning to meet tonight, apparently for more than the happy news. I mean from what you told me before, Milt. I decided to bring my problem here to you guys, now. I really need your input.”