Chapter 7

Monday. Double Monday, because it was the first day back from vacation. NO, Make that a rare TRIPLE Monday, because it was also the first day of work after a honeymoon, and a guy just doesn't get that many honeymoons.

The alarm went off unsympathetically. I got up and headed to the bathroom to wash my face, and I jumped a little in surprise when I felt Nina's arms wrap around me from behind.

"Babe," I said, "You could've slept in, you know..."

"No, baby," she smiled. "You're up, and I wanna be up with you. That bed's no fun without you in it."

I was glad. We kissed, and then as I was getting dressed, I heard her in the kitchen.

"Cereal okay this morning, babe?" I heard her call.

"Sure," I said. "That's fine." As I was pulling on my shoes, I flipped on the TV to catch the news. I saw her set a bowl on the table for me and I sat down as she followed with one for herself.

"Coffee's on, too. By the time you finish your cereal." We ate, talking, smiling, then she collected the bowls and silverware and returned with two mugs of coffee.

"Babe, you don't have to wait on me."

"I know," she said, "but you're going to go to work all day and I'm going to stay here until one and then go to the library and read books to kids. I'd feel guilty."

"Don't," I said. "but I appreciate this. I really do. And I love you for it."

She giggled. "I would hope you love me for more than a nasty ol' cup of coffee!"

"I don't have time for the whole list, little brown-haired girl," I said. I finished the coffee and stood to leave. She stood with me. We walked to the door. She kissed me before closing the door behind me.

I walked into the office to the good-natured jibes of my co-workers, right down to a smiling Jannie. I found my in-box hidden under project files and paperwork and spent most of the morning alternating between catching up on email and sorting through the stack. An hour before lunch I couldn't look at paper any more. I had to escape.

Walking past Jannie, she remarked, "I tried to keep as much off you as I could, but I can't do all that stuff, Dan."

"I know, Jannie," I said. "I appreciate it. I have to get out of the office for a while. I'll be back." I slipped out the door and took my golfcart out into the plant to see a couple of jobs I knew were in progress.

I found out that not only had word of my new marriage gotten out, but so had details like Nina's age. And a few other things.

"My daughter went to school with that little girl you married, Dan," one older electrician told me.

"Your daughter graduated this year, too, Steve-o," I said. "I got an invitation from her." I smiled. "Since there's only one school in town, I suppose that's sort of unavoidable that they knew each other."

He shook his head, "Yeah, you're right. But I had to ask Britney anyway, you know. Curiosity and all that." He wiped his hands with a shop rag as we talked. "She said your Nina was always sort of different in school. Kids thought she was maybe, you know..."

I laughed. "Yeah, I know. Nina told me what the rumors were, so you saying it doesn't surprise me."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, Dan! I'm happy for you. Just, you know, kind of a surprise." He rubbed the stubble on his chin. "'Course, when I think of some of the boys that Brit's brought home ... I think I'd trade age for intelligence and a future..."

"Dammit, Steve," I said, "how do you think your father in law felt when YOU first waltzed in the front door with HIS daughter?"

"Good point, Dan," he said. "But still ... Eighteen. You know you're sort of a legend around the lunchroom now..."

"People need something to talk about," I shrugged.

"Yeah, but a forty year old engineer with an eighteen year old wife, that's GOOD!"

As I drove back to the office building I mulled over that thought. Smiling.

Back at the office, a couple of my co-workers mentioned a run outside the plant for lunch.

"Any vendors around that we can squeeze for a free meal?" I asked. We were a large, lucrative client for a whole lot of services and supplies and the salesmen from those companies frequently bought lunch while we "talked business".

"No," Harvey said. "We're on our own."

"Well," I said, "let's go, then." I had Harvey riding with me in the front seat and another guy in the back seat. We headed to a nearby eatery that was set up for the lunch crowd from the local industries.

My phone rang. I held it up. Nina.

Harvey smirked. "Hmmphh! Newlyweds!"

"Hey, Nina baby," I said.

"Hi, love," she answered. "You said I could call around eleven-thirty. How's your day?"

"Too long," I said. "Me and Harvey and Dave are headed to Binky's for lunch. Are you on the road somewhere near there?"

"'Bout a mile away. Your buddies don't mind if I join you?"

"Nina wants to know if it's okay if she joins us for lunch," I questioned. I heard no complaints. Saw a couple of grins. "Come on, baby doll," I told her.

"See you in a few minutes, baby," she chirped.

"Okay, little girl! I love you!"

"Love ya too, babe!" she said, and hung up.

"Gaggggg!" Dave said.

"Jealousy is a terrible emotion, bud," I told him, laughing.

"Dammit, Dan, I AM jealous. She sure was pretty when ya'll got married."

"Your wife's a doll, too, Dave. We all need to get together for a barbecue soon, you know..."

"I can make that happen," Harvey said.

"Nah, needs to be at my place. Nina's rollout as a proper engineer's wife an' all that!" I laughed. "B'sides, Harv, I've had your barbecue." That got a few laughs. We were constantly competing over barbecue.

We pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, went inside and got the second to last table. Nina walked in just as we sat down and I motioned her over.

"Hi, Mister ... uh ... Harvey? And you're..." She looked at Dave. "Mister Dave. You guys were at our wedding." She smiled. "So what's for lunch?"

Harvey patted his rounded gut. "Plate lunch special. Monday is Salisbury steak and gravy. You get a vegetable and a piece of cake and a roll with it.

The waitress came up to take our orders. Her eyes darted between me and Nina. "Ya'll just got married, didn't ya?"

Nina fielded that one. "Yes ma'am!" And patted my arm, grinning.

"That's good, hon," the waitress countered. She took our orders and left.

"Nina, you broke a bunch of hearts, you know," Dave said.

"How's that, Mister Dave?" she asked.

"You took a very eligible man, a single, successful engineer, off the market. And you can drop that "mister" thing, Nina. You're Dan's wife now."

"He told me he didn't like being on the market." She looked at me, then back at Dave.

"Yeah, he didn't play that game. If I was single..."