Chapter 3

"I broke up with Mark."

It was a flat statement from Tabitha, I turned and looked at her face. No sign of great remorse or weeping, perhaps a sadness in her eyes. Understandable, a necessary passage in life is not always joyful. It had been two weeks since I'd met with her mother.

"Have anyone else in mind?"

She shook her head. "It won't be easy now that school's out."

I thought a while. When I was a kid, that wasn't much of a problem, we still saw each other at the bunch of Drive-In restaurants on Broad Street. I told her of that, and supposed that the Mall took the place of those meeting grounds.

"Hah ... three kinds go to the mall; Snotty rich cliqueys, nerds and gang-bangers. None of the guys I'm interested in."

Leave it to me to be behind the curve. I should have known. But she was right, as I thought of it.

I looked to the front of the store. As if inspired, I flashed back a day or so when a bunch of softball players had come through buying beer on the way to their game.

High School baseball players had summer leagues!

"Do you know anyone on the Baseball team?"

"Yeah ... Merrilee dates a player."

"There ya go ... have her take you to her boyfriend's games."

"She doesn't even go to them."

"Lots of guys, there. Guys on the bench looking around while waiting to bat or sub in."

"Hmmm ... that might be a good idea. Merrilee isn't really serious about Rick, but she is interested in meeting new guys."

I gave her a thumbs up and went back to stocking shelves.

The next week, Tab came up to me while I was doing backroom inventory.

"Thanks, for suggesting the baseball, Vince!" She gave me a huge hug, and pressed full body against me. "Merrilee and I had fun. And we met a couple of guys."

"You're welcome, sweetie."

"Oh, Vince, before I forget ... do you know anything about air conditioners?"

"Yeah, a little."

"Ours isn't working. Mom wants to know if you'll take a look at it Saturday."

"Sure ... I'll stop in before work."

"You'd better call her to make sure she'll be there. Sometimes she's called in to work weekends." She scribbled her number out and hand it to me.

I called Candace next break. She asked me to come over at three on Saturday.

"I have something planned at four ... if it's not inconvenient for you."

"Oh ... and I'm sure you have a toolbox, right?"

"Sure, why?"

"I thought you might need it to fix the AC, I have zip for tools other than a couple screwdrivers and a pliers ... and, besides, keeps the neighbors from talking."

I laughed. I had better than that, I had a white van. Just happenstance, I used it to haul big stuff, once in a while. More practical, secure, and cheaper than a pickup.

What's more, I had a shop shirt and pants which I wore just to fill out the charade.

Came Saturday, I showed up promptly and was met by Candace wearing a man's white shirt, over blue cotton shorts. I had the feeling she wasn't wearing a bra.

I turned on the Cool setting on the thermostat and heard the furnace blower kick on, then went to the patio and, sure enough, the outside condenser wasn't running. It took about 15 seconds to see why. The control wire was mangled and the connection broken. When I pointed it out, Candace put her fingers to her cheek and exclaimed: "Oh, silly me ... I should be more careful with that weed whacker."

She handed me one of the two beers she had in her hand.

It took about ten minutes to fix the splice and tie it up, then Candace asked if I could replace a light switch, since I was there already. She handed me the new switch and a screwdriver, and led me to her room. The switch worked fine, but Candace claimed it sometimes caused the light to flicker.

She sat on the bed and watched me. I always change switches with the circuit hot; which is not difficult if you're careful.

"You're so brave, electricity scares the hell out of me." I reminded her she could turn off the circuit breaker, she replied "Even then!" Somehow I doubted she was scared of anything.

Then she started into small talk, told me her boss, Jack, was away from the plant, on a month vacation with his family in Europe. I said it often was as much a break for employees as for the boss when he was away. She nodded.

I asked if she was seeing anyone else from the plant, besides Jack.

"Heck no. I don't crap in the nest."

I remarked that was sort of ironic.

"No, those guys think I'm an ice queen." I raised an eyebrow. Most people knew it when an employee was fooling around with the boss.

"We're very careful." Shaking her head. "Almost too careful. It would be nice to have the thrill of taking chances but I'd rather keep the job and Jack would rather keep his money."

She looked at me apologetically. "I lied a little, Vince. What I said about my wages was true when I started there, but I studied up and now I'm the shipping foreman. So I make a fairly good wage ... still get the $125 extra benefits, though."

I nodded. Candace was no doubt more intelligent than her education indicated. And, knowing the reputation of the local plant management, I was sure she hadn't just screwed her way into that position.

"Vince..."

"Yeah?"

"Did you hear me say Jack was out of town?"

"Sure."

"Do I have to print an invitation? We're in my bedroom, Vince."

"I'm basking in the moment, Candace."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you have any idea how long it's been since a woman in her thirties came onto me? Especially a HOT woman."

"Thank you, sir."

I started to unbutton my shirt, but then I remembered something she'd said on the phone.

"Didn't you say you had plans? For four o'clock?"

"Yep. This is the plan."

I grinned at her and stripped down to nothing. I'm not exceptionally endowed, maybe even a little smaller than average but I've never been bashful around women ... when alone, that is.

Candace knew just what to say.

"Gee, Vince ... you have a great body for your age." Which might have bothered me when I was fifty something but, as I was in my mid sixties, I took it as a compliment.