Chapter 3: The Request

It had been almost six months since Barb and Nick moved into their new house. Maggie and Ricky saw them several times a month. They usually started by going out to dinner, then back to one of their houses. The latest tradition was for the host to find a drink recipe online and get the needed ingredients. The after-dinner drinks would start with the new beverage and a discussion on its relative merits, followed by either a board game or cards.

Nick takes a long sip from the newest concoction. He smacks his lips a few times and then takes another sip.

“I like it, but don’t love it,” he finally declares. “Like the one a few weeks ago, I think it is the rum. There’s something about it that doesn’t really trip my trigger.”

Maggie agrees. “Yes, and I even modified the recipe to use less rum than instructed. I had hoped the other ingredients would help, but I think I need to stay away from recipes with rum for a while.”

Ricky stands and says, “You can’t win ‘em all. Who wants to switch to margaritas?”

Ricky starts to mix a pitcher of margaritas while Maggie pulls cards out of a drawer and indicates everyone should join her at the kitchen table.

“We played Settlers of Catan last time. How about spades tonight? Cut for partners?”

Every agrees and before taking a seat each draw a card. Maggie drew a card for Ricky.

“It looks like it’s men versus women tonight,” says Nick as he takes a seat to Maggie’s right.

Barb sits across from Maggie as she shuffles the deck. They cut for deal and Nick draws the high card so he’ll be the first one to deal. Ricky finishes mixing the pitcher and passes everyone a fresh drink.

“Game on,” says Ricky as he takes his seat and starts to sort the cards laying face down in front of him.

The game is no contest. In the first two hands the women successfully bid ten-for-two-hundred, and then a nil-seven, plus setting the men, making the score 383 to -30 going into the third deal. Two hands later they mercifully put the game away in one of the most lopsided victories the foursome had witnessed.

“Damn, that was painful,” says Nick, “but at least it was over quickly.”

“It was,” giggled Barb. “I didn’t even finish my margarita.”

Ricky had gotten up and retrieved the pitcher, topping off everyone’s drink as Maggie shuffled the cards in preparation of starting a new game.

The second game was much closer with each team taking the lead at some point. In the final hand the women led 487 to 421. The men bid eight to the women’s two. The men took their eight tricks to the women’s five, which caused them to suffer a 100-point bagging penalty. The final score was men 501 to 410 for the women.

Nick lets out a whoop and high-fives Ricky across the table. The women are more stoic.

“You got so lucky. There is no way my six of diamonds should have taken the last trick,” said Barb. “Without that we win 509 to 502.”

“Sorry, but a win is a win, and you don’t need to be a sore loser,” snipes Nick.

As Maggie collects the cards to shuffle, Nick’s cell phone rings. He looks at the caller ID and then says, “Sorry, I have to take this. It’s work. Related to an upcoming customer visit. Should only take a few minutes.” He clicks the answer button and moves to the front of the house.

As soon as he is out of earshot Barb’s demeanor changes. Maggie immediately notices.

“Are you OK?” asks Maggie. “Nick seemed to verbally slap you down pretty hard with the ‘sore loser’ comment.”

Barb looks at Maggie, then at Ricky, seemingly in a quandary of her next choice. She finally speaks.

“Yes. No. I don’t know,” she says as she nervously watches the door.

“Is it Nick? Is he abusing you?” asks Maggie.

“Oh, no. No!” exclaims Barb.

“The way you are watching the door, it is something about Nick, right?” Ricky says.

Barb waffles for a moment, then blurts out a rush of words.

“It’s probably nothing, but any time I bring it up, Nick gets really frustrated with me,” starts Barb.

Maggie and Ricky wait for her to continue. After hearing Nick’s little snipe they could only assume Barb was downplaying what she meant by frustrated.

“My computer started acting up recently – going much slower and giving me some errors I don’t understand. And, well, since you’re in IT,” Barb says while looking at Ricky, “I thought you may be willing to take a look? If Nick knew I was asking he’d be furious.”

“Of course, I’d be happy to take a look,” says Ricky. “In fact, I am working from home all next week, so whenever you want, come over and I’ll take a look.”

Barb nods her head while looking at the door.

“OK. Nick is supposed to go out of town on Tuesday for a night. That’s the call he had to take. What if I come over late Tuesday afternoon?”

Ricky replies, “That sounds like a plan,” just as Nick walks into the kitchen.

“What’s the plan?” asks Nick.

Maggie easily covers the question by saying, “A final round of drinks then a tie-breaker.”

“Bring it on,” says Nick as he takes his seat, “we’re just getting warmed up.”

Late Tuesday afternoon Ricky hears the doorbell. He answers the door to find Barb on the porch holding her laptop bag.

“C’mon in,” says Ricky. He escorts Barb to the kitchen and asks, “Do you want coffee?”

“That sounds good.”

“OK, I’ll make a full pot. It won’t go to waste,” says Ricky as he starts to fill the carafe.

The two chat for a few minutes as the coffee brews. When the final burbles come from the machine they hear the garage door opening.

“Sounds like Maggie is home,” says Ricky.

Ricky pours two cups of coffee and takes cream and sugar from the pantry. He hands one to Barb and then sees Maggie enter.

“Oh, hi, Barb, how are you?” asks Maggie.

“OK. Just brought my laptop over to have Ricky take a look.”

Maggie says, “Why don’t you give him the computer and then you can help me make dinner. Of course, you’ll stay here and eat with us since Nick is out of town.”

“That sounds great,” says Barb with what sounds like relief at not having to fend for dinner on her own. She hands her bag to Ricky.

Ricky says, “I’ll go get started. Do you have any passwords that I need to know to login to the computer?”

Barb gives him a six digit number and says, “It’s our anniversary.”

Ricky gives her a thumbs up as he heads toward the office, leaving the women to start dinner.

An hour later Ricky hears his wife call. “Hon, dinner is ready.”

He makes his way back to the kitchen to find the table already set. He takes his seat and watches Maggie place the last of the food on the table. They start to dish food onto their plates when Maggie asks how his investigation on Barb’s computer was progressing.