Chapter 2

Breakfast

Pete--- I’m sitting drinking my second cup of coffee after finishing my breakfast when she walks in. At first I did not recognize her. She has not aged well. The 30 extra lbs. she is carrying does not help her looks. She spots me and her face lights up. She walks over to my table.

“Pete it is so good to see you. How have you been?”

“I’m doing fine Lisa, what are you doing here?”

“I’m here with a friend.”

I did not push that oblivious lie. I really don’t give a shit.

“After you found out about me and Dr. Stuart you just vanished. Your sister handled our divorce. I wanted to talk to you, you know, to try and make you understand what happened.”

“No explanation was necessary. I caught you in bed with another man. Case closed.”

“So what did you do? Where did you go?”

“I traveled around the county until I needed money and I got a job with Donald Construction. I’ve been with them ever since.”

“Construction work is good for you. You look great, so tanned and fit. I bet you haven’t gained a pound since I last saw you.”

“I try to stay in shape.”

About that time my oldest son walked in.

“Excuse me. Dad, Mom tried to call you but you left your phone in the room. Here it is. She wants me to tell you the pilot says the plane will be ready at noon. She wants you to call her.”

I took the phone and called my wife. She was in the office and needed me. I looked over at the man who had followed my son into the restaurant. “Stay with him.” The man nodded and I told Lisa it was nice seeing her (NOT) and left.

My son sat down and motioned for the waitress.

Lisa---It was so good to see Pete again. I really missed him over the last 20 years. He was so good to me. He never got mad and he worked so hard to get me thru nursing school. When he caught me in bed with the doctor I thought he was going to kill us both but he just got a hurt look in his eyes and turned and left. I had to go back to the hospital since I had left my car there and when I returned Pete had packed up his things and left. I would have liked to have had the chance to explain and maybe he would understand.

You see I was a nurse, a professional. Pete, well he was the line foreman at a factory making furniture. How could I take him to parties and introduce him to my co-workers? All these doctors drove BMW’s and Corvettes. Pete drove a pick-up. All my friends had medical degrees of some sort. Pete barely made it thru high school. In the Marine Corps he was an infantryman, a knuckle dragger as he described himself. My friends saved lives, he killed people! What did they have in common?

His son looks just like him. Same broad shoulders and black hair. He even has that cleft in his chin like his father. He sits with me and the waitress treats him like he is royalty or something. She cleared away his father’s dishes and motioned for another to bring him coffee. He ordered and she said it would be right out and left us alone. He looked over at the other table and asked the man if he wanted anything. He declined and said he was fine but thanks. Who the hell is that guy?

“You’re my father’s first wife, right?”

“Yes but how do you know?”

“He called you Lisa. The only Lisa he knows is his first wife.”

“Wow, very observant. I bet you are really smart. What grade are you in?”

“I start Notre Dame next month.”

“On a scholarship I bet.”

“No, I really wanted to go to Georgetown but Grandfather is going into politics and they did not want me in D. C.”

“Your dad has really done well for himself in construction. What is he a carpenter or maybe an electrician?”

“Dad never worked construction.”

“He told me he worked for Donald Construction?”

“He does. He’s been there for almost twenty years.”

“Well what does he do?”

“You’re his ex-wife and you don’t know a thing about him do you?”

“I guess not.”

“Well while we wait on my breakfast I’ll bring you up to date. I am sure neither mom nor dad will mind.

As I have been told dad needed a job and he was in Chicago. Grandfather was building one of his towers there. You know commercial spaces on the lower floors, luxury condos higher up. Dad applied and got a job as a guard at the site. He worked hard and was always available for extra shifts even when it was cold. Grandfather liked his attitude and work ethic so he made dad one of his bodyguards. He did that for a year or so.

One night he was assigned to guard mom. As she tells it she was a little wild back then. One night she was invited to a rave. Grandfather told her she could not go. Mom decided to sneak out of the house. She had the friend who had invited her pick her up. Dad saw her leave with that guy so he and another of the body guards followed them.