Chapter 6

"Hello, Warren. It's been a long time."

I was stopped in my tracks. Only one person had that voice. "Michelle?"

She smiled, "Are you pleased?"

It was obvious, now, just what she had been doing during her extended leave of absence. Wherever she had gone, whoever did the work, the results were phenomenal. "Pleased? You're gorgeous! I don't know what to say. Are you happy?"

"I am now. Now that I have seen your reaction, yes."

She stood and began to walk to one of the perimeter booths and as we neared it, the bartender was walking away, having left a new bottle of wine and, to my surprise, a glass of my preferred drink, Crown Royal on the rocks. I had never told Michelle that it was my preferred libation, and had only shared the bottles of wine on our one night together.

"How did he know what I drink?"

"I told him."

"How do you..."

"Never mind that. There are lots of things that I know about you that you haven't told me. A girl can not be too careful these days."

"What did you do? Have me investigated or something?" I was a little offended that someone had been snooping around in my life.

"Calm down. Relax. Enjoy your drink. I will tell you everything you want to know, and if you're still offended, you can get up and leave and I will never bother you again."

"Stop. Wait. This is not going well. I am not bothered, just surprised. I had no idea that someone..."

"Do you really think our meeting was by accident, Warren? Most people learn about their dates by actually going on them. I was never afforded that opportunity and so it became necessary to get to know people before I met them. I first heard of you at a conference of Athletic Directors and then remembered your name from your collegiate accomplishments. I decided that you had potential or at least the possibility of it and so I began to learn more about you. I think, now, that I probably know more about you than you even remember about yourself."

"Wait. How do you learn all this stuff? Have you been having me followed?"

"Oh, Warren. It isn't difficult. If you tell someone you are writing an article about the accomplishments of their friend, you would be surprised at how easily they open up about that friend. We spoke to your teachers, to the girls you dated in high school, to your best friends..."

"That had to cost a fortune."

"Warren, I have a fortune. It wasn't much, really, and it was very much worth the investment. You are a much nicer guy than most people realize, a few quirks, but nothing that caused me alarm."

"What do you mean 'you have a fortune'?"

"After the accident, my parents sued the trucking company on my behalf. We didn't even have to go to trial. I made a brief appearance in the attorney's office after I had been released from the hospital. The trucking company insurance guy took one look at my unbandaged face and offered to settle immediately. I received twenty five million dollars plus interest from that date until I turned twenty one. I think the total now is somewhere nearly double that amount. No one could touch that money other than to pay my medical bills. But the doctors told me that I could only have one more chance at surgery, and then only as an adult. The worst part was that it drove a wedge between me and the rest of my family which became so intense that I was encouraged to move out when I turned eighteen. By that time, my social life had been so miserable that I decided to wait to have the surgery until I found someone who I cared for. I have not communicated with any of them since that day."