A DECISION ACTED UPON

He didn't quite know what he expected. The tapes certainly played in his head though. Of all the multitude of sensations that he ran into, expected or unexpected, on returning home, maybe, Will thought, the sensations of going back to Fontino's for a pizza were the richest.

Moving back had always been a hope, a desire of his, ever since he and Evan, his brother moved away and began to claw their way into the entrepreneurial world that they'd chosen for themselves.

Will didn't always admit it at first but this idea of 'returning home' was a strong one for him. It had such great memories to begin with! There was just the feel of the place, of the town and the lovely, slow and friendly ambience of it. Those were things to live by and live for.

Nor were they ever far from his mind, as they made their way, he and Evan and slowly but surely, plowing everything that they made or could get a hold of into the business, watching it build up and grow.

The final plan of a new plant and outlets here in the home town was his idea. Evan wasn't sure if it was right, at first, but he'd been insistent and it had proven to be a good move.

Once that much was accomplished and the business was a super kind of success, he had made his final decision to 'return home', and maybe, just maybe, this night's adventure for a pizza dinner at Fontino's might be, for him, Will Sugar, the final capstone.

It simply felt so nice to fade away and not be thought of again, as he saw it, but come back a success, if not a downright hero--no the days for being a hero for him and Evan were over.

The issue of hero or success or any of those kinds of words and thoughts were firmly lodged, however, in Will's mind and were part of what pleased him.

There was also, to be sure, an element of setting himself right. He knew that if anyplace could help him with that kind of process it was the home town. The pain of Ginny's final decision that his 'money' was new money and didn't really command the respect of 'old money' that she was used to, was still, after more than 19 months, still too raw. Will was hoping, simply hoping that this 'returning home' adventure might be his cure, getting back to the simpler way that he remembered growing up.

All of his feelings from the very first seemed to prove that this much was true. Will settled into the life of the town. Trying, at first, to be sort of incognito, so that he could get a chance to look around and feel the life of this lovely town again but slowly.

And it had worked. He felt more alive, and more relaxed and better able to cope with general living than he had in many years. 'Returning home' was simply working for Will Sugar. He bought a house too large but he loved it and settled into living there.

Evan had wished him the joy of it but had also said that in spirit he'd gone on and didn't feel a need to get back to the old roots, the old town.

But then Will knew that Evan had Gail and the girls and had roots of his own where they'd made their start and had their first successes. Will knew that Evan had built a home there and was content. But they'd both agreed that in branching out with their operations and sales outlets, they would need a major managerial presence back 'in town'. Will said that he was certainly up for that task.

So, here he was, on the verge of going through the time machine door, treating himself to that slow walk back into the past. He expected the ambience of it and really not much more, but the ambience alone would be a treat.

Will entered the door of the pizza parlor, and somewhere his mind was tossing up for his remembrance the old scene: a post football gathering. Every time one of the starting team members went through the door, the crowd, cheer leaders, majorettes, kids from school would break into song:

"Rah, rah, rah, hoorah for Sugar, hoorah for Sugar, someone in the crowd is yelling hoorah for Sugar, hoorah for Sugar, hoorah for Sugar he's our man!"

The remembrance of the song was a tonic for Will's spirit. He realized only being home could do that. He heard, in his mind's far off wandering, the song being sung first for him and then for Evan as they came into Fontino's separately. They were glory days.

He had no illusions about anyone seeing or recognizing him. His hair was prematurely, at 36, white so he wasn't sure he'd be recognized.

The place seemed the same, as he entered the door. There were a few people there, as he glanced around and selected a table for himself. A few tables over a very pretty woman, dark haired was sitting with an also pretty, red haired, little girl. They were giggling about something and seemed to be enjoying themselves.

He wracked his brain to see, discover who she looked like and the name of Alice Longworth flashed through his mind. But he shook his head then, and said to himself:

"No those kinds of coincidences don't exist. This is your mind playing tricks."

He let it go at that, not wanting to call up his own ghosts to spoil his 'return'. The thoughts that crowded his mind about his crush on Alice Longworth, while they were in high school, were, at least at that point, not welcome. He was too much caught up in reliving a part of the past that was almost sacred and, to him, that important.

He ordered a beer and a personal sized pepperoni pizza and settled back with his thoughts.

Two tables over the woman got a phone call. She turned to the little girl, who was busy talking about something and said:

"Honey, I have to take this call; Mommy's sorry but it's important. It's about work."

Then his wandering attention was captured totally, when the woman answered the phone saying:

"Hello, yes, this is Alice Longworth..."

He heard her acknowledge a temp job for the next day but didn't hear any more of the conversation. It was as though he was simply struck almost dumb by this final coincidence. This certainly hadn't been a part of 'returning home' for him. He'd hoped that he'd buried all of those kinds of longings with the bad taste and despicable memory of Ginny. He shook his head as though trying to clear his head.

He came out of his reverie only to find that she was standing next to his table.

"I'm sorry to bother you," she said, "But you look so much like an old friend of mine."

"Yes?" he asked pleasantly.

By then the little girl had joined him.

"Sorry," she said, continuing, "But are you, by any chance Will Sugar?"

"Found me out!" he said, pushing out of his mind those thoughts about not wanting to dwell on Alice and the past or anything like that.

"Yes," he said, "Alice!" and explained that he'd heard her answer the phone.

He stood as he said it and was flabbergasted by her giving him a hug.

"It's been so long!" she said, "Will it's nice to see you!"

"Yes, Alice," he said, "A real treat!"

"Do you mind if I, if we sit here a bit?" she asked.

"Sorry," he said, "My manners are out with the chickens. Please do."

"Honey," she said, addressing the little girl, "This is an old friend of mind, Will Sugar; this is my love Wendy."

"Hey, Wendy," he said, holding out his hand. "You're such a pretty little girl. You look like your Momma did at your age."

Wendy giggled and shook Will's hand.

"I realize this is a bother," Alice said but he said immediately that it was no such bother at all. "But to see you here in Fontina's, after all these years. It seems that no one has heard anything from you or, wasn't it 'Evan'?, since high school."

"Yes," he answered, "Evan. He and I have been busy planning and struggling and building up a business."

"Good for you," she said. "How's it going?"

"Fine," he said, and mentioned the name of their sporting goods business and new retail outlet.

"Of course," she said, "Sweet Equipment! That's you! How marvelous!"

He smiled. "Yes, local people have been very happy with our plans to expand and put some of our manufacturing and retail outlets here in town."

"I guess they have been," she said.

"So, how are you doing?" she said. "I see that business life has made you prematurely white."

He laughed.

"I think he's handsome, Momma," Wendy said in a tone of voice that didn't look for anyone to disagree with her.

"Yes, honey," Alice said, "I agree; I was just talking about his white hair."

Will laughed and said: "See, I have at least one person on my side."

"So, tell me about you!" Alice went on, picking up as the old friend that she was so many years in the past.

"Well, it's been business really!" he said.

"Married? Family?" she asked.

"No," he said softly, "Got kind of left at the altar and wasn't eager to try out the experience again."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Alice said, "I didn't mean to pry, Will."

"No, of course not!" he said, "Old history now, and I've returned home with the business to polish off my recuperation time."

Then Wendy spoke up again: "My daddy left us and then he died," she said.

"Wendy!" Alice said but Wendy gave her a resolute look.

"I'm sorry to hear that!" Will said to Wendy especially, and the little girl nodded her head.

"Also, old history now," Alice said.

"Johnnie?" he asked softly.

"Yes," she said.

There was a silence that was finally interrupted by Wendy:

"Momma, I'm hungry!"

He laughed, "And here we are getting lost in old, painful memories. What a reunion this is! So, let's order. Wendy, what will it be? It's on me!"

"Oh, no," she said, "I didn't mean that."

"I insist!" he said, "Talking with you is being such a treat for me."

They ate in a companionable silence that he finally broke:

"So, sounds like you have a job for tomorrow?"

"Oh, yes," she said, a bit embarrassed. "Wendy and I are still struggling out of the hole that was dug for us."

"Sorry," he said, " Now I'm prying and don't mean to."

"No, that's fine," she said, "If you can't talk around old friends, who can you talk around?"

"Yes," he said, "Old friends."

They spoke about family issues too, with Alice mentioning her sister Cora and Will talking about Evan and his family. It was a very pleasant chat. Will noted, in the exchange, Cora's name and filed it away in case he needed it.

They'd been talking a while and it was only then that they noticed that Wendy was nodding off to sleep in her chair.

"Oh, honey," Alice said, "I'm so sorry! We've been busy with old times and here you are falling asleep."

She turned to Will then and said: "We need to catch the bus a block and a half down. It's her bed time."

"Nonsense," he said, "Let me settle this bill and I'll drive you home. I won't have you taking the bus at night."

She smiled and said: "Will, that's very kind of you."

The bill was paid and they got up, but he gathered Wendy in his arms and she put her head against his shoulder and he carried her out to his car.

His car, a new jaguar, was one of his ways to indulge himself.

"Mmmm," she said, "Lovely car!"

"Thank you," he answered, "My main vice for myself."

"A lovely one!" was her reply.

They drove in silence to her house, a small apartment building in a changing neighborhood. He carried Wendy into the building and helped her get her in and situated before he himself went to the door.

She stood with him at the door, once they'd gotten Wendy inside.

"Don't quite know what to do here!" she said.

He smiled and said: "Welcome home! Might just be enough."

"Yes, Will," she said, "Welcome home!"

"And then this!" she went on, in a resolute tone of voice.

She reached out for him then and hugged him. He held her for a moment or two, and for that time period, he was back in high school, he was the hero football player again and he had finally, finally, finally gotten Alice Longworth in his arms. It was as though a deeply felt wish of the past was suddenly true.

"Nice!" he said.

He wrote on a card a number.

"My number," he said, "Call me if you need anything."

"Yes," she said, "Thank you."

Then he left.

PHONE CALLS:

It was early enough to make a call, when they were all at their various homes, in Alice's case the apartment, where she and Wendy lived. Prior to Johnnie's death but after he left her, she found herself saddled with his debts and was determined to pay them. However, it became necessary for her to sell the house for what she could get, which, since it was an emergency kind of situation, wasn't anywhere near full value, and have them move to the apartment. She hoped it would be temporary.

She called Cora:

"Hello," Cora said, "Sweetie, is that you?"

"Yes," Alice said and sighed.

"What? What's wrong?" Cora asked, concerned.

"Guess whom I met tonight?" she said.

"Who?" Cora said.

"Will Sugar!" Alice said.

"He's back in town?" Cora almost exploded.

"Yes," Alice said, "He and Evan own 'Sweet Sports' the new factory and the retail outlets."

"Wow!" Cora said. "Any word on Evan?"

(Cora and Evan had dated during high school, all the while Johnnie had Alice's attention and Will languished with his hidden feelings.)

"Married with children apparently!" Alice said.

"Missed opportunity!" Cora said, "Too bad you and I ended up fishing from the low end of the gene pool!"

Alice laughed and said: "Got that right!"

"Well," Cora went on, "What about it?"

"Don't know," Alice admitted, "It was great to see him and I had another chance to kick myself about picking Johnnie but at least he gave me Wendy, and I could forgive him a lot for that."

"How did Ms Personality react?" Cora asked.

"Told him that he was handsome!" Alice said with a laugh.

"A beginning!" Cora said.

"Oh, honey," Alice went on, "But I'm so afraid to try to go down that romance road again. It was so bad, and I have all of this mess of Johnnie's still on my back. It just doesn't feel like time to get involved with anyone."

"I know, love. You just let it happen as it will," Cora said.

"As usual, you have the calmest head in the house!" Alice said grateful, "I love you, Cora!"

"I love you too, sweetie! Work tomorrow?" Cora asked.

"Yes, the temp is still on; hope it becomes permanent soon. There are all these bills. People are being patient and I'm working at it but it doesn't seem to go down very fast. Good night; thanks for the shoulder!"

"Good night, sweetie," Cora said, before ringing off.

The next phone call was a very tentative one. It was Will calling Cora.

"Hello, Cora?" he said softly with an inquisitive voice

"Yes?" she answered.

"Cora this is Will Sugar."

"Will!" she exclaimed, "I heard you were back in town. How are you?"

"Good, Cora," he said, "Sorry to bother you."

"It's no bother, Will," she said, "We're old friends."

"Cora," he went on, "Forgive me for prying, and putting you on the spot. I ran into Alice and Wendy the other day. How's she doing?"

There was a silence.

"I know that I'm being nosy," he said.

"Oh, Will," Cora groaned, "I just don't know if I should tell you about all of Alice's things."

"I know, I apologize for asking really; She just seemed so down, when I saw her," he said.

"Yes, that's our Alice," Cora said.

There was another silence, and Cora asked softly: "How's Evan?"

"Great!" he said.

"Married and children, I hear!" she said next.

"Yes, Cora," he answered.

"Well," she said with a sigh, "My sister and I certainly screwed up those choices."

Again a silence ensued.

"Thanks, Cora," he said, "Sorry to bother you with my nosiness."

"Well," she said, "I suspect it's more than just nosiness but I have to think about it."

"Yes, I'm sure you do," he said.

"I'll be in touch, Will," she said before hanging up.

The next time that he visited Fontino's she wasn't there. He enjoyed himself nevertheless. But he was there the following week and, as he was sitting and sipping a beer, Alice and Wendy came through the door.

"Look, Momma," Wendy said, "Your friend."

Alice smiled at Will, who invited them to join him. They sat and he said to Wendy:

"How about if I buy a pizza for the prettiest girl in town?"

"I'm not the prettiest girl in town," Wendy protested, "My Momma is!"

He laughed and was joined in the laugh by Alice and he replied:

"Then how about if I buy a pizza for the prettiest girl in town and her pretty daughter?"

"Kay!" Wendy said.

"Not necessary," Alice said.

"Sure it is," he replied, "If I'm going to be a man of my word!"

"Thank you," Alice said and they settled down for pizza.

Afterwards, he drove them home again. He noticed in the process that she seemed still a bit down and somewhat withdrawn.

That night there was another phone call to Cora from Alice, who really enjoyed being with Will, and was concerned about her reactions. It was then that Cora made her decision.

Cora called Will that same night.

"Will," she said, "Alone?"

"No," he said, "I have Gustavus Adolphus here with me."

"Who?" Cora asked, laughing.

"My lab," he said. "Gussie."

"Oh, I thought that you had some kind of foreign girl there," Cora laughed.

"No," he said, "Still a celibate male," he said laughing.

"Will," she said, "I've thought about this and do want to talk to you about Alice's situation. I guess you might need to know."

"Thank you," he said.

"It's all about Johnnie," she said.

"I see," he said in a non-committal fashion.

"He ran up bills everywhere, wasted money, never paid for a thing, bought everything on credit and had all sorts of credit cards. He left her, at his death, saddled with about $125,000 debt, and she's left with $96,000 about of that debt that he incurred still, after selling the house. He let his insurance lapse and had no family anywhere around to help in any way. He also insisted that she be a stay at home mom to take care of Wendy. She's been temping and trying to get a job but hasn't had much luck in this economy."

"Oh dear," he said.

"This is kind of to warn you off, I think," she said. "But I thought that maybe you should know about this."

"Car?" he asked.

"No, Johnnie's flashy new car got repossessed for non-payment of the loan bill. It's also a part of it."

Silence.

"She's been struggling to make sure that it hasn't impacted Wendy in too huge or bad a fashion," Cora concluded.

"Thanks, Cora," he said, "It's the kind of thing that I wanted to, needed to know."

"I thought so," she said, "Good night, Will."

"Night, Cora," he said.

Cora sighed, when the call was done.

"So much for that potential boyfriend!" she said, sighing, and hoping for better days for her lovely sister.

WILL HAS A PLAN

But Cora was wrong, as she would soon discover.

Will did it by letter. It was sent to Cora. She opened it and gazed surprised at the enclosed check for $100,000 from Will Sugar.

Dear Cora:

I'm taking the coward's way with this but really need your help. Please make sure that Alice gets the enclosed amount and would you please do it so that she doesn't know that it was from me? I am forever in your debt for doing this for me.

Will Sugar.

Cora sat down and cried.

"Finally," she said to herself, "Someone has finally taken it upon themselves to be nice to that lovely woman! How I misjudged him."

She called him.

"Hello, Will Sugar," he said.

"You old sweetie!" she said.

"Oh, Cora," he stammered.

"Got your letter, Will, you're the greatest angel on earth!" she went on.

"Making me blush now!" he said.

"I just wanted to say how much I appreciate this act of love, Will. She's in such dire straits from that man. I can't predict the future but this will make it that much brighter for her."

"Good," he said, "I really don't want her to know."

"I realize that," she said, but making no promise not to divulge the facts, which she fully intended to do.

"Will, I apologize for misjudging you; I thought after our talk that you were just going your way," she said.

"No need, Cora," he said, "You're being such a help to me."

"And to her!" Cora said, "I have to stop now, Will, or I'll cry again. Good night."

"Good night, Cora, and thank you," he said, hanging up.

Cora did what Will wanted. The money got transferred and Alice had the means to get out of Johnnie's debts at last.

It was the end of the week. Will was at home, when the doorbell rang. He answered it and found Alice and Wendy there. He noticed right away that Alice had tears in her eyes.

As he opened the door, Gussie bounded up to the door and Wendy gave a squeal of delight.

"A doggie!" she proclaimed to her smiling Momma.

"Oh, I love him; what's his name?" she asked, all enthusiasm

"Gussie!" he said. "Gustavus Adolphus to be truthful."

Wendy just looked at Will and said: "Good, Gussie!"

He laughed and was joined briefly in the laugh by Alice.

"May I please play with him?" Wendy asked.

"Yes," Will said, "He's very gentle."

Then he looked at Alice, and realized that she knew.

"She told," he said. "Cora told on me."

"Yes, she did," Alice said and the tears were now flowing.

He was flustered and didn't know what to do.

"Will," she said, "I knew in high school that you liked me but didn't know that it still applied and I don't know what to do."

"No," he said, "You've got that wrong."

She looked at him surprised.

"I didn't 'like you'," he said, "I've been in love with you forever. I thought that maybe, just maybe Ginny would put me out of that misery but she didn't. Maybe she knew and just backed away. But you've been my world, my light, and the object of my love for so long!"

She cried then.

"Did you make my Momma cry?" Wendy asked from the doorway.

"No, honey," Alice said, "He has made me so happy that it's tears of joy. Please go into the other room with Gussie, honey, we'll be there in a minute."

Wendy gave him a grave look, nodded and went back into the other room with Gussie.

There was a silence and she finally said: "I never knew that; never suspected."

"You weren't supposed to know this either," he said.

"No, no," she said, shaking her head, "It's better that it has come out!"

"Yes, maybe!"

"Oh, Will," she said and gave in, finally, to her emotions and simply went to him and held onto him.

It was as though his world was suddenly expanding, as he held her.

"I'm not asking for anything, Alice," he said.

"I know, and that's the lovely thing about you, and always has been. Where oh where has my stupid head been in all this?" she said, wonderingly. "Not seeing the forest because of the trees!"

They sat then and she talked about the mess and the problems that he left her with. She told him about Johnnie always taking care of the finances and never letting her 'worry' about them, until at the end, with Johnnie gone, the truth came out and she was in a huge financial mess.

"I simply want a better life for Wendy," she said. "And it has seemed, with work so hard to come by, that that better life was never getting any closer."

He didn't say what was on his mind just then but she knew:

"Yes, and now that future is near!" she said. "I don't know what to say to you!"

"I don't think that I'm asking you to say or do anything!" he said.

"Oh, Will," she said and went to him again, holding on to him and sobbing into his chest.

"I feel like maybe I should take my clothes off or something," she said.

"No, no, we're not going down that route," he said decisively, "It's not what this is about."

"No, I know that! Even if it's a good idea," she giggled then, and he smiled at her.

"How about if we compromise," he said.

"Yes?" she asked smiling now.

"How about if we get Wendy and go out for ice cream?" he suggested.

"Wendy," she called and Wendy came in from the other room followed by a very happy Gussie.

"I love Gussie!" Wendy said, as she came into the room.

"We can't have pets at our apartment!" Alice said softly.

"Well, Wendy," he said then, "Gussie will certainly be your friend and you can visit him any time at all."

"I love Gussie," she said, "But would like to have my own dog and maybe a kitty too."

"I know, honey," Alice said, hugging the little girl. "One day."

"Yes," Wendy agreed, "One day."

"But, honey," Alice said then, "How about some ice cream?"

"Oh, goodie!" Wendy said.

Then she turned to Will and said: "We came by bus."

"Okay," he said, "I'll drive."

But immediately a new plan was formulating in his mind; he put it off until later and vowed that he'd think about it then.

They went to the ice cream place and enjoyed some ice cream. Alice was more relaxed, she realized, right then than she had been in a long, long time.

He drove them home and carried Wendy in and up to their apartment. They went in and got her settled. She demanded a hug and kiss from Will as well as her Momma.

They stood at the door, interrupted now and then by noise from the neighbors above.

"They fight a lot," she said.

"So I hear," he said.

She went into his arms then and said: "Will, I want this! Not because of the money but because I do; it's you and me and I do."

Saying that, she got on her toes and kissed him. Just as had happened before with the hug, Will's world took on brighter colors immediately.

The kiss was wonderful, starting soft and becoming intense as it went. Her lips were open just a little and just before the kiss ended, her tongue slipped out of her mouth and she licked his teeth and then his lips.

"Ohh," he said. "That was worth about $100,000!"

Immediately he said: "Oops! Sorry! What a dumb thing to say."

But her response was merely to giggle and kiss him again.

The phone call that night was from Alice to Cora. She talked about all of it, including the kiss and sighed a great deal.

"What do I do, Cora?" she asked.

"Let it take its course!" Cora suggested.

"Yes, I guess you're right," Alice said. "It's just that I never expected this and it's so nice, and I don't mean the money!"

Then she giggled and when Cora wanted to know what the giggling was about, she told her about his comment regarding the kiss worth $100,000.

Cora joined in the giggling.

"If that's the case," Cora said, "Wait until he sees the real you!"

"Ohhhhh!" Alice said, joining the giggling.

A NEW PLAN

He thought about his 'new plan' and within a few days decided to go ahead with it. That evening he drove over to Alice's apartment building, in the jaguar. He parked out in front of the building and went in, ringing their bell.

"Yes?" came her voice.

"It's Will," he said.

"Oh good," she said with enthusiasm, "I'll buzz you in."

He went in and up to her floor and knocked on the door but it was opened almost as soon as he knocked.

She smiled and looked really pleased to see him. She held out her arms and insisted on a kiss, when he stepped into the door.

There as a great racket from above.

"They're fighting again," she said. "It happens frequently."

"It's so nice to see you," she said then, switching the subject.

"Alice," he said, "There's something that I want to do. I'm not trying to make you feel bad or anything like that."

"Oh, Will," she answered, "You really don't."

"Well, then I want you to have these!" he said.

She didn't understand what he meant, since he was holding his car keys out to her.

"What?" she said.

"Alice," he said, "I will not have you and Wendy constantly at the mercy of the bus system in this city."

"Ohhh," she said, with it beginning to dawn on her what he meant.

He confirmed it then: "I have had your name added to my car insurance and I don't need the jag. I have the jeep that I use for work all the time. I want you to have the jag. Say it's a loan, say it's a gift, say anything that you want but I don't like the idea of you not having transportation."

She began to sob.

"I'm sorry to be so emotional, Will," she said holding on to him and sobbing into his shoulder. "You just keep overwhelming me is all, spoiling me."

"My only purpose!" he said.

"Momma?" Wendy said, coming into the room.

"Oh, honey, Will is here and brought us something nice!" Alice said.

"Can we go out for a treat?" Wendy asked.

"Of course we can," Alice said, "Wait until you see what Will has for us."

"Can I go and see Gussie then?" she asked.