Chapter 9: A few chance meetings

August was a profitable month. With Georgia's promise to forgive the payment Curtis expected to receive, Brian was able to bring in truckloads of inventory for the market.

He began receiving e-mail from someone inquiring about the ads he'd placed to lease the café. Henry Gibbons claimed to have restaurant experience, and from questions Henry asked, Brian became confident that his claims were valid.

Nearly every evening there would be a new e-mail, wanting to know everything from the age of the kitchen equipment to how much competition the café was up against.

Brian usually knew the answers to Henry's questions and answered them promptly. He had his own questions; was Henry solvent, did he have a family, and how many hours was he willing to devote to the business?

Anxious to award a contract to have the stairs to the second floor of the building replaced, Brian went to Mr. Bennett's house to move the Sandwich glass to the antique shop.

It was a hot night, near the end of August, and Brian took Amanda and Phillip along for company.

Brian opened some of the downstairs windows, and cautioned the kids not to stir up the dust.

He put Amada to work wrapping the pieces of glass in newspaper and told Phillip to carefully pack them in boxes, which Brian carried outside to his truck.

On one of his trips to the truck, Brian saw Lois Banks' car come to a stop. This didn't surprise him because Lois was always asking when he would have the house ready for occupancy. He was surprised, however, to see Marian and Tommy Keratin getting out of the car.

"May we take a peek, Brian? I've been telling Mrs. Keratin about this awesome little Victorian."

Brian was trying to think of an excuse to keep them out of the house when Marian spoke up. "Mr. Driver and I are on a first name basis. Our sons are friends."

Brian said something about the house being filthy, but he couldn't refuse Lois' request to show Marian the house.

Lois led the tour, pointing out features about the house that Brian had scarcely noticed. Marian stopped to chat with Amanda, and Phillip, seeing that Tommy had arrived, stopped packing the boxes to show his kindergarten friend some of the cool stuff in the old house.

Brian followed Lois and Marian, hoping to make the tour as short as possible. They were upstairs, in the very room where Brian had helped Georgia experience her fantasy, when he heard Amanda's scream.

"DAD, COME QUICK, DAD!"

Brian, thinking that she had cut herself on a broken piece of glass, descended the stairs three at a time.

Amanda had the roll-top desk open, and was holding up an envelope for Brian to see. It was filled with cash.

Realizing that it was one of the envelopes Peggy had slid across the table to Mr. Bennett in payment for their first property, Brian returned the envelope to the desk and lowered the top.

He then took his daughter in his arms, saying nothing, as he looked around to see where his son was. Phillip and Tommy appeared at the basement door, looking guilty for snooping.

Brian was whispering in his daughter's ear, "You wonderful young lady. Pretend that you were frightened by a mouse," he said, feeling Amanda's small body shake with excitement.

"What happened? Is Amanda all right?" It was Marian, with Lois right behind her.

"I saw a mouse, but I'm okay now," Amanda said, hugging Brian as tightly as she could.

"Where is it?" Phillip asked.

"It's gone," Amanda said to her brother.

"When do you expect to have this house ready for sale?" Marian asked.

"The agreement prevents me from selling it, but I hope to have it ready to be leased by the end of the year," Brian said, looking at the banker's daughter. She was dressed casually in a wrap-around skirt that put her legs on display, and a brightly colored top that clung to her small breasts. Brian caught himself checking the way her long neck supported her lovely face. He became aware that she was watching him look at her.

"I'd love to see what you have planned, but I can't wait that long. We've been living with my parents," she explained.

Brian didn't know what kind of renovations he was going to do to make the house ready for occupancy. "I would be glad to show you the plans," he said, wondering what made him say that.

Lois spoke up. "One of the apartments is vacant. You could move in there while waiting for Brian to make the alterations to this fine old structure."

"I really should buy rather than rent. I only have so long to reinvest the money from the sale of our house," Marian explained, looking apologetically at Brian.

"Let's look at the back-yard," Lois suggested, and Marian smiled at Brian before reluctantly following the realtor outside. Tommy followed his mother, and Phillip tagged along with his friend.

Brian couldn't get the desk open fast enough. "Just as I suspected, all nineteen payments are here," he said, talking to himself more than to Amanda.

"What is it, Dad?"

"Your Mom and I paid Mr. Bennett for the little house where the antique shop is with cash. Each one of these envelopes represents one year of payments, plus interest. He didn't deposit any of it. We've got to keep this from Phillip. He would blab to someone about it."

"Are we going to keep it? Wouldn't that be like ... stealing?" Amanda asked.

"No, it's not stealing. We bought all the properties complete with the contents. This money belongs to us, but we can't let others know about it because cash isn't as easy to deposit into a bank as most people think."

Phillip came into the house to find his father and sister in an embrace, laughing happily about something.

"What happened?" Phillip asked.

"You're too young to understand," Amanda said.

"What did you and Tommy find in the basement?" Brian asked his son.

"Lots of stuff."

"Go back down there and look around. Come back when you can tell me about five things you've seen," Brian said.

"He can't count to five," Amanda said.

"Yes, I can count to one hundred," Phillip corrected her, already headed to the basement door, anxious to show his sister and dad that he could remember five items.

Brian said, "Quick, put the cash in one of the boxes," when they heard Phillip's footsteps on the basement stairs.

Brian sealed the box of cash, and carried it out to his truck, placing it next to the passenger's seat where Amanda would sit on their way home.

Phillip came back upstairs, naming five things he'd found in the basement. "There's a big box with a handle," he said.

"Show me," Brian said, letting Phillip lead the way to a small safe in one corner of the basement. Brian tried to lift the safe, but found that it wouldn't budge. He opened the door and discovered that it was empty, except for a piece of paper that contained the combination.

Brian and John returned to the house the next day, and moved the safe to the basement in Brian's house.

The envelopes were stored in the safe. Brian could estimate the total amount, but he never counted the bills. He shared the safe combination with Amanda, and they never spoke of their find again, except when he would ask her to go downstairs and get a couple of hundred dollars for spending money.

Brian took the kids back to the Bennett house to move the rest of the Sandwich glass. He researched the pieces in one of Peggy's antique books and priced them, hoping to reap enough to pay for the new stairs leading to the second floor of the building.

"Dad, I need some clothes for school," Amanda said.

Labor Day was soon approaching and so was the beginning of school. Why did she wait until the last minute to mention these things?

"We'll go shopping one night next week," he promised.

"Can Tommy come with us?" Phillip asked.

"His mom would want to go," Amanda objected.

"His mom has probably already taken him shopping," Brian said, remembering how efficiently she'd directed the games at the kids' birthday party, how carefully she dressed, and how she always appeared to be the essence of perfection.

"No, they haven't gone yet," Phillip said.

"How do you know?" Amanda asked, before Brian could get the same question out of his mouth.

"I talked to him," Phillip answered.

"On the telephone?" Amanda and Brian asked, in unison.

"They've been talking almost every day. I thought you knew about it," Mary put in.

Brian picked up his five year old son and set him on his knee. "Do you dial the number your-self or does grandma do it for you?"

"I do it," Phillip said, making sure his sister heard him.

"He's memorized the number," Mary said.

"Okay, tell Tommy that he can go with us," Brian said.

"What day?"

"Tuesday afternoon, about four. Find out where he lives. We'll pick him up," Brian said.

"His mom will want to come," Amanda warned, and she turned out to be right.

Brian had to jump-start Peggy's car because it hadn't been driven in months. He washed the outside and vacuumed the inside. Tommy told Phillip that his mom said they didn't need to be picked up. She and Tommy would meet them at their house.

Amanda wasn't happy about the arrangement at all, and Brian thought he knew why. She wanted to pick out her own school clothes. She didn't need Marian's advice.

Marian and Tommy arrived right at four PM on Tuesday.

Brian sent Amanda downstairs for some money. "How much?" she whispered.

"Four," he said.

"Hundred?"

"Yes."

Marian volunteered to sit in the back with the boys, saying that she would keep them separated. This suited Amanda just fine. She would get to sit up front with her dad.

They split up at the mall, Marian agreeing to pay for Amanda's clothes, and Brian saying he would pay for Tommy's. They were to meet at a restaurant at six-thirty, giving them two hours to make their purchases.

Brian and the boys were waiting when he saw Marian and Amanda making their way through the crowd. Were they laughing? Were they holding hands?

They got a table for five, and ordered their meal. Amanda wanted to show her Dad what she and Marian had selected, but Marian suggested that they wait until they got home.

"Okay, but you have to come in and tell Dad why we chose everything," Amanda said, grinning at Marian.

Brian couldn't talk the boys into having a small steak. They wanted hamburgers, and he went along with their choice, but when Marian said she would be content with the salad bar, Amanda joined her.

At the house, Marian helped Amanda with her packages, leaving Brian to make sure the boys kept their purchases separate.

Mary served coffee and sat at the dining table to watch the kids model their new clothes. Marian scolded Brian for letting the boys select matching outfits, and Brian made critical comments regarding the wisdom of some of Marian's selections for his daughter. It was all in fun, and the kids enjoyed hearing their parents match barb for barb.

They ended the evening by thanking each other for their help.

"Is it getting easier?" she asked.

"Not really," he replied.

"It will," she said, as she guided Tommy out the door.

The exchange of e-mails with Henry became a jousting match, and continued until the end of the month. Then, when Henry decided to come for a first-hand look at the café, Brian offered to pick him up at the airport. Since they had not exchanged photos of each other, Brian said that his would be holding a sign.

September 2006

Brian was doubly surprised when a tall black woman spotted his sign and approached. "I'm Henrietta Gibbons. You must be Brian Driver."

Brian laughed as they shook hands. Henrietta showed a mouthful of teeth as she nearly blushed at the way she'd deceived Brian.

He took her to register at the motel, and then to the café for an inspection tour and to have lunch. While Henrietta kept him laughing, she had a serious side, too.

"How much are you losing, Brian?"

"Who says we're losing money?"

"It's obvious. You have too much help, and maintenance expense to keep the equipment operating is far too high. I'll show you my bank statements, but I would like to use that money to replace some of the equipment. I'll sign a five year lease at your asking price, but I'll need a place to stay until I turn a profit."

"A place to stay until you turn a profit? That could cost me five years of free rent."

"Yes, it could," she agreed, "but give me some credit. It won't take me more than six months."

"Does that mean you'll pay rent when you make a profit?"

"It depends on where you stick me. I'm not particular."

"Is it just you, or do you have family?" he asked. They'd been over this topic, but he needed to make sure she didn't have kids and a boyfriend.

"Just little old me," she said, grinning sheepishly.

Lois Barns was dubious when Brian asked her to draw up a lease. "You haven't checked her references and you need the income from that empty apartment."

"She showed me her bank statements. She's willing to update the equipment."

Lois took over, showed Henrietta the apartment, and took a check for the first and last month's rent for the cafe, effective October 1, 2006.

The employees were nervous. They didn't believe Henrietta's vow to retain them. Brian didn't either, but he didn't let it stop him from signing the lease.

He took Henrietta to his home for dinner, and then to her motel, saying that he would take her to the airport the next morning.

Brian had second thoughts that night. While he had a good feeling about Henrietta, two questions lingered; would Peggy have put the same faith in Henrietta, and why had she deceived him by withholding that she was a black female? Was she just being cautious? Did she think it would make a difference to him that she was black and female?

He had a signed lease for the café, and he had faith in Henrietta's ability. Giving her free rent would be less expensive than the losses he was taking under the current operation.

She arrived at the end of September, and moved into the apartment in plenty of time to take over the café.

Brian arranged for a photographer to be on hand when he welcomed the new owner of the cafe with a bouquet of yellow, long-stemmed roses. Henrietta, not to be outdone, bent down to kiss Brian on the cheek, and that was the picture that appeared in the local newspaper.

"I have a good feeling about the future of the café," Brian said, to anyone who would listen, but the kiss on the cheek was what people remembered. It seemed to endear Henrietta to the town.

October 2006

The antique glass was selling well, and the stairs leading to the second floor were installed. Brian called the insurance inspector to ask him to stop by and see the stairs.

Brian hadn't crossed paths with Marian for over a month, and except for the occasional mention of Tommy, he put her out of his mind. A trip to the bank changed that.

One Saturday morning, Brian left John in charge of the market and took the kids to the bank. He made a deposit, and was herding the kids out of the bank when Marian came out of her office. After greeting Amanda and Phillip, she addressed Brian.

"Mr. Driver, I wanted to let you know that I've decided to buy a house. I would have liked to live in your antique Victorian, but I think its better that I own. I wanted you to know that I won't need the apartment."

Brian didn't respond immediately. He didn't tell her that the apartment was not available, since Henrietta was occupying it. He knew he needed to say something; she was watching him closely.

"That's good, because I haven't renovated the house yet."

"Is the roll-top desk still available?"

"Yes, it is. I haven't moved it to the antique shop yet. It still needs to be cleaned up."

"I would like to look at it. I have just the spot for it in my new house."

"I'll save it for you to look at," he offered, and that was the end of their conversation, almost.

Amanda broke away from her Dad's side and looked up at Marian. "My friends liked the clothes we picked out. Thanks for helping me."

Marian smiled at the young girl. "I loved shopping with you. Let me know when you would like to go again."

They said goodbye, and Marian went back to her office to look out her window at Brian and his kids as they walked to his truck. She was first struck by the way he bent down to let both kids put their arms around his neck. She watched Brian labor to carry the load, all three of them laughing hysterically as he made his way to the truck, lowered the tailgate, and they collapsed in a pile on the truck bed.

Marian watched as the laughter suddenly changed to weeping, tears flowing down their faces. Brian was hugging his children, and they were clinging to him, crying.

Marian was embarrassed to see this public display of emotion. She'd had her times after her husband's death, but she'd never witnessed anything like this. Brian was kissing his children, and they were kissing him back.

Then, just as quickly, Amanda pulled her shirttail out of her jeans, wiped the tears from her cheeks, and proceeded to dry the tears from her father's and brother's faces.

Brian helped the kids to the ground. They got in the truck. He made sure they were belted in, and drove away.

Marian tried to go back to work, but she couldn't get Brian and his children out of her mind. It had been over nine months since the death of his wife, and he was still acting like it happened yesterday. He was pleasant enough, but his vacant stare had looked past her like he didn't know she was there.

She decided to forget him, resolving not to pursue him. If he called her to say the roll-top desk was ready for viewing, she would look at it. Otherwise, she would let him rot in his own anguish.

December 2006

Somehow, Brian, Mary and his children made it through their first Thanksgiving without Peggy.

Except for the hardware store, the businesses were profitable. The cash in the safe helped supplement the salary that Brian took out of the businesses.

With Mrs. Nixon watching the store, so to speak, answering the telephone, keeping the bills paid, and selling the occasional antique, Brian was free to roam each weekday after he saw the kids off to school.

He cleared the filth out of Mr. Bennett's house, discarded the junk, and delivered some pieces to the antique shop to be sold. He still had not readied the roll-top desk for sale. He didn't know if it was because he was avoiding contact with Marian. Nor, did he know why he deferred making back deposits to either John or Mrs. Nixon.

Marian had made no effort to see Brian either. Tommy often visited Phillip, but she never came inside the house when she came to pick him up. Sometimes, his grandfather came for him, and other times Brian wasn't there anyway when Tommy came to play.

Brian and John took turns closing the hardware store. While he told the clerks that he trusted them, he said he wanted to keep a close eye on daily receipts, hoping the numbers would improve.

The hardware store closing was about the same time as the café closing, and Brian would often bump in to Henrietta. They got in the habit of chatting, about the weather, about business, or about improvements Brian had in mind for the building. He always offered her a ride home and although the apartment was within walking distance, she would sometimes accept his offer.

Brian discovered that he liked Henrietta as a person. She didn't pry; he didn't either, but he found himself telling her about Peggy, and she told him about her messy divorce.

The sale of Christmas trees was in progress. John drove wagonloads of children and their parents to the rear of the property to select a tree. Brian often joked that he could give the trees away; hot chocolate sales alone would make the evening profitable.

"Dad, Tommy's coming to ride in the wagon tonight. Can I ride with him?" Phillip asked one Friday afternoon.

"Is his Mom coming or is his grandfather bringing him?" Amanda asked her brother.

Phillip admitted that he didn't know who was coming with Tommy to select their tree.

"I don't want you running around bumping into customers and spilling their hot chocolate. I'll call you when Tommy gets here," Brian said.

"I'll come with him to make sure he doesn't get into trouble, Dad," Amanda said.

"I'm not a baby," Phillip said, but he wanted to ride in the wagon with Tommy, and didn't protest his sister's offer.

Light snow was drifting in from the north, beginning to cover the frozen ground. The snow created a festive mood and was good for business. Shoppers were coming out of the flea market buildings with bags of gifts in one hand, and a cup of hot chocolate in the other.

Brian dialed his home number as soon as he recognized Marian's car being parked. The kids came out of the house only seconds later, like they'd been dressed for the outdoors and were waiting for the call. Amanda was holding Phillip's hand, and racing toward Marian's car.

John was returning with a wagon load of kids, their parents, and trees. Brian was there to assist in off-loading the trees and helping the children to the ground.

"You haven't called me about the roll-top desk. I hope you haven't sold it," Marian said, as Brian helped to support her as she climbed onto the wagon.