Neither Here or There….

The trip back lacked the drama of its counterpart. Michelle and Michael went back to classes while Crissy explored some offers closer to home. As for me, it was business as usual. Except for an awful cold I caught somewhere over the Atlantic. Pressurized cockpits don’t make for the most clinical of environment, unless your studying the spread of airborne pathogens. Despite the symptoms I still had a job to do, so after a few days of rest I returned to work.

Mrs. Davis met me just outside of door to my office “Its here sir”. She held a large frame wrapped in brown cardboard paper.

I took it from her “Is Charlie in?” I asked.

“Yes. Shall I call him?”

“Please do Mrs. Davis”.

I waited for Charlie inside my office. As soon as he came in I handed him my father’s portrait. “I think this would look better in your office.”

“Sir are you sure?”

“Yes, I have something better in mind for this wall”. Pointing to the frame on top of my desk I said “Could you help me with this”.

“Yes sir”.

I ripped the wrapping apart and together hoisted the new picture in place. Gone was the half-grin of a figure from the past. In its place stood a group of men and women, some 30 strong stood smiling in their work clothes. This what it was all about.

The company….

The job…

And the people that made it all possible.

“Perfect!” I said.

“Indeed” Charlie replied.

The intercom blared to life. “Mr. Mendoza, its Mr. Butterscotch on line 1″.

“Thank you Mrs. Davis.” I turned to Charlie and said “Must be calling about the invoices again.  Cheap bastard! Charlie, I’ll talk to you later. We have to go over this months sales projections”.

“Will do sir” Charlie said as he filed out.

I picked up the receiver “Good morning Mr. Butterscotch! Yes, the trip was great. Now, how can I help you?”

Just another day….

-THE END-

Its no secret that I hate flying. Spending 17 hours stuck inside terminal 4 at Heathrow did nothing to change that. Of course buying tickets at the last minute did not help. We where supposed to leave on the 27th, the day after Boxing Day, but flight cancellations made that impossible. We didn’t take off until midnight of the 28th. Fortunately first class seats on the new Airbus A380 helped a bit. I was so tired I slept all the way to JFK. Things got worse when we landed in New York. A massive northeaster missed New York city but came ashore over Boston where it collided with an Arctic cold front that swept down from Canada, across the Great Lakes and all the way to New England. Every major airport from Boston to Chicago closed for 24 hours or more. All flights where canceled. That had a ripple effect across the U.S. delaying all flights. From JFK we where supposed to fly down to Atlanta and then to San Juan, not anymore. So I made a few phone calls (plus sent a dozen or more emails) and changed our flights to go through Orlando-Miami-San Juan on the 1st.

Since we where stuck in New York city a day before New Year’s Eve there was but one thing to do, head to Time Square. Life, lemons, lemonade. The whole thing passed by in a blur. Crissy and I huddled together under a light blanket of snow. I panicked (although I would not admit to it if asked) when we lost sight of Michelle and Michael amidst the crowd. I never felt more alive. The ball dropped, we kissed then we shuffled back to the airport.

It was a good thing that we arrived in San Juan on the afternoon of the New Years. First it gave me a chance to adjust back to driving on the right side of the road and we avoided the insane Puerto Rican traffic. Every car on the road was a manslaughter charge waiting to happen. We did the touristy thing for the next few days. Forts, museums, shopping and the like.

I left meeting the family to the very last. I knew the Mendoza clan would meet in Cabo Rojo (on the southwestern tip of the island) on the 6th. The holiday celebrates the epiphany or revelation of Christ to the world and the arrival of the three magi to Bethlehem to honor the new king of the Jews. Tradition calls for children to fill boxes with grass as food for the Magi’s mounts. They in turn would receive gifts as the magi gave to the child Jesus. My cousin Enrique bought the house as a summer home. It stands on a hill, giving it a commanding view the Caribbean.

As we pulled in, I turned to Michael and gave him a few instructions “First, you eat whatever they put on your plate. It will probably be pork with rice and beans, maybe a bit of cod fish. Whatever it is, you eat it. If you don’t know what their saying, just keep your mouth shut, nod and smile. Got it?”

“Why are you telling me?” he pointed to the backseat of the rental car “why don’t you tell them?”

“Because I they know how to behave in public” I replied with a smile.

“A right git you are!” he said.

“C’mon, lets not keep them waiting”.

The drive way to the house was steep enough that unless somebody was on the second (first…no second) story balcony they would not see us coming until we reached the top. Crissy and I came first holding hands. For a second or two nobody noticed we where there. They sat around the open air garage talking among themselves, playing dominoes or chasing after the children.

Enrique saw us first and bellowed a greeting in English “Hey Antonio! You finally came. I suspected you would come. And this must be Crissy”. He switched to Spanish “Mami! Mira quien esta aqui! Antonio!”

Those words alerted the entire house and a flood of relatives came out to greet us.

From below Michelle’s words broke through the noise and everybody stood still “C’mon Michael! Hurry up, their waiting!”

Up came my brother. He walked slowly toward me. Everyone around me held their breath. You could have heard a pin drop, if someone had bothered to turn off the music. Michael looked around and tried to smile. It was as if we all where waiting for something….

A frail but clear voice came from the back of the garage “Quien esta ahi? Quien es ese? Miquelito? Dile que venga haca!”

Michael whispered to me “Who is that?” looking at the direction where the voice came from.

“That is your grandmother. Dad’s mom. Go say hi”.

“But….”

“But nothing, GO!”

He walked tentatively toward the old lady siting on the rattan rocker. Snarled thin hands reached toward Michael’s face. As she held his face in her hands, her eyes examined that every inch through coke bottle lenses. The matriarch of the Mendoza family made her pronouncement. “Hay Dios mio! Si es igualito al padre!” He was just like his father. Those words reanimated the family assembly. Aunts and female cousins gravitated toward Crissy and Michelle while their husbands and the male cousins did the same for Michael and me.

A moment later, after Enrique finished giving us obligatory tour of the house I stood beside Michael and put my hand on his shoulder.

“Welcome home, brother. Welcome home.”

I sat on the couch in the predawn darkness. I hardly slept the night before. Thoughts about what I was going to say and how I was going to say it kept me up. Outside the sleet had turned to snow. I watched it descend lazily, drifting in the ether to the ground. I had only once chance to fix this. The plan was simple. I would come out as Crissy came up to deliver the milk. It felt desperate because it was. Hopefully I would not spook her to much, it would look natural, just like the first time we met. Shadow laid at my feet, snoring. As the pale winter sun rose I heard the lorry come up the street.

Ok, here we go….

I opened the door. Shadow rushed to greet her, her big paws almost knocking her over.

“Hi boy!” she said before she saw me a few feet behind. “Good morning Mr. Mendoza”.

Mr. Mendoza…not good but at least I got a greeting “Good morning Ms. Miller”.

She swept past me, milk bottles in hand. As she set them up against the front door I pressed on. “Crissy, we need to talk”.

“Do we? I’m working at the moment Mr. Mendoza”.

“Yes I know and I would not be doing this if you would return my calls, or emails or text messages”.

“Where any of them work related? Because if they where, I suggest you direct them to my supervisor Mr. Patrick”.

“DAMMIT CRISSY! I’m trying to apologize here!”

That stopped her in her tracks. She folded her hands across her chest and stared at me. “For?”

“For walking out on you, thats what! Ok! I shouldn’t have done it. It was stupid, idiotic, moronic…you can stop me at anytime.”

“Oh your doing fine, please do go on”.

I held my anger in check. I already lost my cool once. A second time would spell disaster. “I’m sorry for not giving you a chance to talk. I mean…I panicked. When you told me about the job I jumped to conclusions. I remembered what Mrs. Wilkins tried to tell me at the hospital and I got scared. I assumed and as the old saying goes, if you assume it makes and ass out of you and me…mostly me…well on this side of the Atlantic it would be an arse, totally an arse out of me. Which I was. When you told me about it I thought you where breaking up with me. I mean its not like I don’t have abandonment issues, considering my personal history and all. Like you said, I’m may be cleverer than most, but I am not as clever as I think I am. God is cold!”

I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts. If my words had any effect on her it didn’t show. “I should have given you a chance to say what you wanted to say and then throw the temper tantrum.” Her face told me that I had no future as a comedian. “The thing is, I thought about it and…well…” cue the violins “I don’t want you to go. There I said it. I know it selfish and I have no right to even say it, but there it is.”

Her body relaxed a bit. “Why?” she asked.

“Why what?”

“Why should I stay?”

“Why? I don’t really know. I mean it sounds like a wonderful opportunity and I don’t want sabotage your future. Its not like your going to be delivering milk all your life or run the pub or anything like that. Logically there is no reason for you to stay, I guess…” I knew of one reason why I wanted her to stay. But it sounded stupid and childish. Illogical to say the least.

“Then why do you want me to stay?”

My words that night at the pub came back to haunt me.

Are you going to marry the girl?

“Why? Oh what the Hell…because I love you Cristina Miller. Thats it, thats all I got. Because I want you to stay today and tomorrow and the day after that. Because I can’t see a future without you in it. God knows nothing last. You are the only thing that makes sense in this place. A happy accident and those are too rare by far. I heard some idiot on TV say that ‘Love means never saying your sorry’ or some crap like that. Truth is love means saying your sorry all the time.”

Shadow stood to one side, his big puppy eyes darting from me to Crissy and back again. He probably sensed the tension in the air even if he didn’t understand a word of it.

She stepped forward and grabbed me by the coat lapels. “Do you really mean it Antonio Mendoza? Do you?”

“Yes, dammit, I do.”

Her eyes glittered with tears. “It was just an offer you dumb fuck!” That was not quite ladylike, but it got the point across.

The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could even think of what I was saying. “Then why did you wait so long to tell me? You knew since September, scratch that, August! Why?”

“How did you know?”

“Your grandmother told me, now answer the question!”

“I was scared , alright ! I didn’t know how you where going to react. Or what I felt or you felt or where we where going. After Cardiff I got even more scared. I wasn’t expecting any of this. I told you about the the dig in the Isle of Mann to test you.”

I put my hands on her shoulders. Her grip tightened in response. ” And I failed. Ok, fine, I probably would have done the same. Its not like I’m in a position to complain or anything.”

“No your not.”

“Fair enough” I said. The sky brightened to a dull diffused gray. “So what now? Can I retake the test?”

“Isn’t that what your doing right now”

“And?”

“As emotional apologies go, your getting a passing grade, but thats because I’m grading on a curve.”

“Oh…wait I’m the only one taking the test here.”

She shrugged.

“So what now?”

“I have other offers closer to home. The first one was the best, but not the only one.”

“So your staying?”

“Only if you want me to?”

“Aargh!” I had to laugh none the less. She smiled back. Then we kissed. Every angry thought, every worry, every fear went emptied into that kiss. In their absence a warm feeling of happiness slowly filled the void. At that moment Church Drive exploded into action. People came out of their homes heading for work or school.

In the distance I heard a voice “Good morning neighbor!”

Still holding on to Crissy I raised an arm and waved. “Morning Sven!”

Another figure came out two houses down “Morning Mr. Mendoza! Could you please tell your brother to leave the door to his room unlocked. I can’t do my job properly if its locked.”

“Will do Mrs. Cravis.”

“So” said Crissy “you need a lift?”

“Sure, what do you say boy?”

Shadow barked once. That was as close to a yes I was going to get.

As we walked to the milk truck I asked “By the way, how do you feel about another trip?”

That afternoon I walked back, Shadow at my side. As I came up on the house I saw a red Volvo parked in front. I checked my mobile. Nope, no calls from Crissy. She would call if she stopped by. As I walked to the front door, it opened….

“Thats enough Michael, I have to go!” it was none other than Michelle with my brother, shirtless, holding her by the waist.

“Well, hello!” my brother wore a wolfish grin while Michelle face matched his red mop of hair.

“I could turn around and come back a bit later?” I said.

“No! I was just leaving. Michael go back inside before you freeze!” He did so posthaste. As Michelle and I crossed paths she gave me a quick peck on the cheek. Her face blazed with a light that put the pale winter sun to shame.

“What was that for?”

“For what you said the other day. You where right. Michael and I had a long talk. He explained everything.”

“I think its Gran you have to thank”.

“Her to” she said. As she walked past the fence she added “By the way, sorry about the telly!” and walked away with a dazzling smile.

Telly?

I shrugged. I opened the front door and hanged my coat on the hanger beside the door. As I looked around the living room I saw the tv had fallen from its stand its frame and screen cracked.

Telly…Tele-vi-sion…

“MICHAEL!!!“

Winter. I don’t like it. I don’t hate it, I just don’t like it. The cold gray sky, the dessicated tree line. Wearing multiple layers of clothing every time I walk out the door. I like snow, for a day or two, no more. No wonder Xmas is in December. It has to be, otherwise people would go mad. Ok, I hate winter in the northern latitudes. You see, where I come from its green 24/7, 365 days a year. Winter means cool breezes, happy music and the longest holiday season anywhere in the world. Not here. At least it make one appreciate Spring.

On top of that add a 60+ hour work week and a recent breakup. Not my best Xmas season, not by far. So on a cold Sunday morning I found myself staring at the backyard. The grass turned brown a week or so ago. No birds, no flowers, no color. No knock on the door either. No phone calls either. The brothers Mendoza where still in the doghouse. The mood inside 354 Church Drive felt no different than the outside. Maybe if I went for a drive I would feel better. Maybe…

Shadow hoped into the backseat as got into the Mini. I drove off destination unknown. Cruising around the greater Oxfordshire region did nothing for my mood, so after an hour or so I turned back. Inexplicably I found myself parking the car in the back alley behind the Dog & Whistle. I had avoided the pub these many days. By the time I was done at the office on Saturday I had no energy to go anywhere but home. The truth was that I didn’t want to go there. Why? Because I wanted to avoid a confrontation. Yet, here I was.

The door to the Wilkins’s residence opened and Mrs. Wilkins came out. She ducked to peer inside the car.

With a wave she invited me inside “Anthony? Dear, what are you doing here? Come in! Coffee, right?”

“Yes, thank you.” I said. Shadow sauntered behind me.

“And this must be Shadow!” Mrs. Wilkins said scratching him behind his ears. He merely opened his mouth is a big doggy grin. I just shook my head. Big as he was, he was still a puppy at heart.

“Sit down, please! I’ll have it ready in a minute” Mrs. Wilkins said as she labored over a wood stove.

The back room was small yet intimate. The pub and inn dominated much of the building so the Wilkins’s living space was tiny by comparison. Everything had an antique look to it. I sat at a small half table nestled against a wall. The smell of freshly brewed coffee wafted across the room.

“Marcus loves his morning coffee, learned to drink it in the Continent during the war. I’m a tea person myself, but” she chatted over the stove “I’ve grown to like it”. If she knew what had happened between me an Crissy, she didn’t show it.

Coffee ready she pour one cup for me and one for herself and sat down. “Everybody must be very busy over at the office. Hardly see anyone come around these days”.

“Its the season. More orders means longer hours for everybody” I said. I didn’t buy the innocent act. She had to know what happened between the Millers and the Mendozas.

“Of course. I have to say that things have not be the same since the last time you where here.” Lilly, the resident cat made her entrance. Shadow gave her a routine sniff which she answered with a head rub. She then propped herself on her back legs with her front legs on my thigh. I picked her up and was rewarded my a soft purr. “I guess I’m not the only one that misses you dear”.

“Guess not” I said while I stroked Lilly’s back. “By the way, I called the other day, but Mr. Wilkins was rather busy at the time”. He said and a quote ‘This is a business line. Unless you have business with us please do not call this number again’, unquote.

“I know. Your not one of his favorite people right now. My ‘usband is a lovely man, but he can be over protective sometimes”. There it was. She knew and wanted me to talk about it.

“I can’t blame him” I said.

“No, of course not”. She stared at me. Her eyes where soft yet piercing. I was trapped and she knew it. “Mrs. Wilkins, did you know about Crissy’s offer in September? Was that what you where trying to warn me about? In the hospital, I mean?”

She answered with a sad smile.

Sigh…

“Then why did she wait until November to tell me?” A ball of anger slowly built in my stomach.

“I think you know why”.

“Do I ? I guess she was afraid of how I would react, and I proved her right”. I saw a shadow hover on the door frame behind Mrs. Wilkins. By her size and built I knew it was Michelle. “I knew I screwed up, but…”

“But what dear?” Mrs. Wilkins prompted.

I took a sip from my cup. “But…if she waited that long to tell me it means that she already made up her mind.”

“Maybe not. My guess is that she only wanted to talk.”

“And say what exactly? I mean, she knew since September…”

“August.”

“Thats even worse!”

“Is it?”

“No. Not really. Still….your sure she just wanted to talk?”

“Sure? No, but she hasn’t packed yet.” She put the cup down and continued “Anthony, sometimes we avoid telling the truth because we are afraid of getting hurt, or in this case hurting the one we care about and getting hurt in return. Maybe she didn’t tell you because she didn’t know how you felt. Or for that matter how she felt. But I’m just guessing?”

I looked up. Michelle’s eyes met my own. “Even when we have done nothing wrong?”

“Even so”.

“So, let say that somebody your interested in for, whats the phrase….ummm….for ages, doesn’t tell you about a one night stand even though you two where not technically, at the time, a couple.”

“Could be. Even if that person drags a poor boy around to church every Sunday, hangs on his every word and then when he finally realizes what she means to him,  throws it all away”.  I could now see Michelle clearly as she stood in the doorway. It looked like she was about to explode.  Mrs. Wilkins remained undaunted.

“Then if months later said person gets a call from this other person, the one night stand, you should not break up with him without at least giving him a chance to explain. Or in my case, one should not jump to conclusions without hearing what the other person has to say.”

Your cleverer than most, but not as clever as you think you are….

“One should certainly not walk away from them without saying a word.  We all makes mistakes Anthony. God only knows how many awful things Marcus and I have said to each other over the years, especially after our daughter died.  I almost divorced him. But in the end I didn’t want to be with anyone else”. The next words where not only for my ears “Romance is fine. We women love romance. Thats just the way it is. We enjoy the fantasy, the gifts and the attention. But thats all make believe. Love is real, hard and at times painful. You fall in love with a dream, you love the reality.  You all have to decide what you want. Crissy will have to decide what she wants.  That is the only way.”

“I see…is she here?”

“I’m afraid not dear.”

I cradled Lilly in my arms before putting her down. “Thank you for the coffee Mrs. Wilkins. C’mon Shadow!”

“There is still time” she said as I stood up.

I dug through my pockets until I found pen and paper. I wrote down Michael’s new number and left it on the tabletop. He changed it shortly after the disaster in Cardiff. If Mrs. Wilkins noticed, she didn’t show it.

With Shadow in tow I left the pub, destination unknown. After a few hours I parked the car on a bluff overlooking a beach. No hot sand dunes here. Pebbles as far as the eye could see. Gray sky met gray sea forming a seamless whole. I sat on the hood of the car watching the sun go down. My mind buzzed with questions.

Was it too late?

If I somehow manage to talk to her, what would I say?

Should I ask her to stay?

And why?

Did I even have the right to do that?

I saw a curtain of rain sweep in from the South. It was time to leave. I drove back under a heavy rain. By the time I reached the dairy, it had turned to sleet. I mulled over a half-baked plan and what I need it to pull it off was inside. Good thing I had a copy of the keys to the office. On the the notice board I found my answer.

Work Schedule

Miller M-W

Tomorrow morning then. By the time I pulled into the drive way I saw all the lights where out. I was to cold and too tired to care. Besides I had to get to bed early if this was going to work.

The rest of the weekend passed without a word from Crissy. By Monday I had calmed down somewhat so I tried to call her. Tried and failed. I called Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday but she didn’t respond. Tried text messages and her voice mail, but no go. I didn’t know what I was going to say. I felt an apology for my abrupt behavior was in order. Besides that nothing else. I guess I didn’t want to be the jerk all women complain about when they talk about how the broke up with their ex-boyfriends. Still I had work to do. November kicked off the busiest time of the year. The volume of merchandise tripled. Good for business, bad for my health. Thursday morning I woke up with a killer headache and a runny nose and the day hadn’t even started.

I drove to work in a futile effort to avoid the cold. I got down to checking my email and the days news before getting to work. Around 8:45 am there was a knock on my door.

“Come in” I said.

It was Charlie. He looked more somber than usual. He quietly close the door behind him and took a seat. “Sir, we need to talk”. There was a shade of weariness in his voice which worried me. In all the time I known him I would describe his mood as somber yet determined. He was the rock in the storm. Nothing faced him. If he was worried then it must be serious.

“Wassup?” I said.

“I’m worried about the employee morale. Its declining rapidly, sir.”

“Ok, any particular reason for this decline in morale?”

“Nothing specific sir. Its a combination of factors. The recent deaths of Mr. Mendoza and Isabelle…Mendoza for one. Frankly sir, the employee’s worry about the future of the company. They have no idea in what direction the company is heading. Plus your management style is somewhat different from your fathers”.

I had not seen signs of this before. Charlie worked overtime to protect me from the inevitable grumbling of the staff. A change of leadership under harsh circumstances is never easy. “I’m not surprised. I guess I should have talked to them the moment I got here” I said.

Silence took hold as I pondered what Charlie told me. Charlie’s next words interrupted my revelry. “I am also considering taking a leave of absence.”

“What? Your quitting?”

“I’ve thought about it and I think its time I spent more time with my family.”

I closed my eyes. This didn’t make any sense. Then I remembered how Charlie hesitated when he spoke about Isabelle. “Does this have anything to do with Mrs. Mendoza’s death?”

“That’s personal, sir”.

“Really? You come into my office, tell me I have a near revolt on my hands and to add insult to injury your tell me your thinking of quitting? Don’t tell me its personal. Everything about this is personal. Is it about the picture?” I asked pointing to my father’s portrait hanging on the back wall. “I know it is you who puts it back up every time I take it down. Believe you me, everything about this situation is personal”.

Charlie seemed to shrink under my verbal assault. His lack of response forced me to change tack “Listen, I can’t afford to give you a leave of absence right now. Christmas is around the corner. Its our busiest time of the year. If its a raise you want, we can talk about it, god knows you earned it.”

“Thats not it, sir.”

“Then what is it about?”

Silence.

“Ok…the truth is that I can’t run this place without you. Its that simple. Your my right hand. Now its obvious I taken you for granted. I apologize for that. But I need you to stay, now more than ever. Whatever my relationship with my father may have been, one thing is absolutely clear, he is gone and I am here and I’m here to stay.”

I don’t know what prompted me to say those last words, but they seemed to have had an effect. “So, if I’m staying, your staying, at least for the foreseeable future. I need you to trust me a he trusted you, and in order for that to happen I need to know what is reallt going on”.

Charlie slowly nodded. “Very well sir. Like you said, I don’t know much about your relationship with Mr. Mendoza, but the Mr. Mendoza I knew was hard working and dedicated family man. I seen many of those things in you as well”.

“Except for the quite part”.

“Yes sir. When your father married Isabelle she asked me to help him with the company. He had already invested in the dairy and now wanted to buy this company from its previous owner”.

“Why did she ask you to help my father?”

“Well sir, we where childhood friends. Grew up together. I went to London to study, found a job, met my wife and started a family. Like I said, when Isabelle and Mr. Mendoza married she asked me to help him. I’ve worked here ever since”.

There was something missing in Charlie’s explanation and I thought I knew what it was. “You where not merely childhood friends now where you? More like high school sweethearts?”

Charlie paused for a second before answering. “Yes, sir. When I left for London we grew distant but kept in touch. To be honest I never liked the city, I did not think it was the place to raise a family. So when this offer came up I took it”.

“I see…and now that she is gone your feel that your free of any obligation to her. Correct?”

Again silence.

“What about your obligation to this company? I can’t ask you to stay for me, I don’t feel I am in a position to ask that. But I do know that your the heart and soul of this company. After all, who kept it going when my father died? Not me”. Isabelle last words came to mind. “She, Isabelle, as well as my father wanted this company to continue. Many times small companies disintegrate because the heirs simple tare them apart. My dad knew what he was doing by setting the trusts the way he did. He wanted me to take care of the company, to keep it alive after he was gone, and so did Isabelle. I know that now. And I can’t do that without your help. Now I can’t stop you from quitting, and if you do, I wish you the best of luck. But remember that this company is more than a collection of numbers and corporate assets, its people to. So what say you?”

Charlie looked me straight in the eyes as he stood. “I understand. I’m staying.”

I extended my hand and he shook it “Welcome back Mr. Dayton!” I said. For the first time I saw his cheeks match his sandy red hair. “Now about our demoralized work force. Gather everybody downstairs in the garage. And I mean everybody you can find. Search the break room and all the bathrooms. Its time for a company wide meeting”.

In another first for Charlie he grinned and walked out of the office at a brisk pace giving orders along the way.

I didn’t know what I was going to say. I had to inject them with confidence and drive. The people around me had to believe in me and each other. I would speak the truth the way I saw it. Thats all I could do.

The employees formed a semicircle at the foot of the stairs. Showtime.

“I should have done this a long time ago…scratch that, I should have done this on my first day. None of you knew who I was that morning in March. And I didn’t know any of you. You probably never heard of me, my father kept his personal life, well, personal. However, upon his death it fell to me to protect the family’s assets and take control of this company. Overtime I come to learn about the business, about the people of this company and the village. I have to admit that my attitude toward my new obligations was not the best possible. In fact, I could have found someway to avoid them. Instead I decided to tackle them head on. Regardless of my relationship with my father I was not going to run away from the job at hand.”

I paused to let my words sink in. “Normally I would try, like my father, keep my personal and professional lives separate, but I can not do that when they are one and the same. I’m still not ready to go into detail about our relationship, suffice it to say that it was difficult. However, over these many months I learned that my father was not the man I thought him to be. Imperfect as he was, he still raised a family and created a business, this company. I also learned that my responsibilities go well beyond my immediate family. That I came here to do more than simply hold in trust the company until such time as my brother was ready to receive his part of the father’s estate. They also include this company and my extension the livelihood of each and everyone of you.

“Now I know that my management style, if you can call it that, is significantly different from my father’s. I probably said and done things that conflicted with your expectations. I did these things in order to fulfill my responsibilities, but I did them without realizing the impact they would have on the people around me. I know that now. I know that things have changed. We can not go back in time, no matter how much we want to. We can only look to the future and on that score I will say this, I came here to stay. I’m here to ensure that this company survives and prospers. This is my job and I will do it to the best of my ability. Not only for myself, but for each and everyone of you.

“How could I do any less? After all, you have done everything I asked of you and more. I can honestly say that I have no complaints about the quality of your work. Our deliveries are on time, our profits are up and our client list has grown. And I owe it all to you. Correction, we owe all to each other. As for the future, I plan to keep this company on track and deal with any situation as it arises. For that I require that you maintain the excellent level of work that you have shown these past months. Will be up to our noses in work from today until Boxing Day. So…any questions?”

Seconds passed as the people around me absorbed my words. Then Jimmy spoke “Well boss, we where kind of worried ’bout our jobs, you know with petrol prices been what they are and all, but you done right by us just like your dad, I reckon that doesn’t have to change, now does it?”

Nods all around. It was time to wrap this up. “Well in that case I have one more thing to add. I want a round of applause for Mr. Charles Dayton who without his considerable talents and patience I would not be here talking to you today!”

Everybody clapped their hands cheering Charlie on. He took it the the same way he dealt with anything, with unshackle stoicism. Once the clapping died down (and that took several minutes) I added “Ok ladies and gents where done here, back to work!”

As I climbed the stairs Charlie said in an undertone “Well done sir”.

And so the storm passed….

I needed some good news after the recent disaster involving my brother and his girlfriend (or ex-girlfriend), who happened to be the sister of my (still) girlfriend. As I came in on Monday I found a parcel on my desk. It was from Darpa. I didn’t understand much of it, most of it where numbers and acronyms that meant nothing to me. I did understand the conclusions of the report. Negative. No BSE found in any of the members of the herd and no avian flu. With a few phone calls the word spread quickly to all interested parties. One crisis averted but it was Monday, plenty of time for a few more to pop up. As soon as I turned on my computer and logged into the Internet I found one. Banner headline on my homepage read thus:

PRICE OF OIL RISES ANOTHER $20 A BARREL, NEW RECORD HIGH

Great, just great!

For a business dependent on fossil fuel, this was the worse type of news imaginable. The holidays where around the corner. Peak season for us. Rising fuel prices would cut into our profit margin. Something to talk about on my morning meeting with Charlie. The fun never ends.

To be honest, the job had grown on me. Patty’s flirtations stopped the moment word reached her about me and Crissy. Charlie dealt with the day to day minutia with a deft hand, leaving me to deal with whatever major problem arose. I could ask for a better right hand man. I doubted I could run the business without him.

The rest of the week passed without much fanfare. Late on Friday I got a call from Crissy:

“Hi! What are you up to?” she said

“Not much, just finishing up here. And you?”

“Coming back from the library. Putting the final touches on my thesis” she said. Her voice sounded weary. She would present it to a faculty panel in early December. Distilling years of study into one document was not easy. Having to defend that very document in front of her peers and teachers didn’t make it any easier. I wasn’t worried, but then again, it was not my academic life’s work on the line.

“Are you done?”

“With the thesis? Yes. By the way, I called to see what you where doing tomorrow night?”

“The pub, maybe… you had something in mind?”

“It’s Bonfire Night, the whole town is celebrating?”

“Bonfire Night?”

“Remember, remember the Fifth of November,

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I know of no reason

Why Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot.” she said.

“That sounds familiar…oh wait Guy Fawkes’ Night?”

“One and the same, I guess you saw the movie”.

“The graphic novel was better, I think I have it in one of my boxes from home, if my cousin didn’t loot if first. You should read it. One of the best stories of our time.”

“Sure, I could go for a book with bright color panels instead of drab black and white photos. So that means you’ll come?”

“Sure, where do we meet?”

“The village green, its the best place to see the festivities.”

“Time?”

“Around 7.”

“Will do, see you then.”

“Love you.”

“Love you to, bye.”

I hung up. There was something odd in Crissy’s voice. Perhaps it had something to do with Michelle. Nothing had changed on that front. Michael did not speak a word about it. Not that I asked. Better to leave it alone for now. Besides there was nothing I could do.

I met Crissy on the village green on the accorded hour. Children ran around with sparklers in their hands while their parents kept an eye on them. Villagers passed in front of us dressed in period clothes holding effigies of Guy Fawkes. Once they passed by we followed them to a nearby park. A large bonfire burned brightly in a clearing among the trees. Poor Fawkes met his end in the fire. As a Catholic I didn’t know what to think of the ritual. Then again, I don’t have any sympathies for would be terrorist. The undulating light from the flame created odd shadows across the tree line. Crissy and I held hands in the dark as fireworks filled the sky.

The fireworks ended around midnight. As the crowd thinned Crissy pulled me aside. She looked preoccupied. Something was wrong, but what?

“Anthony…I got an job offer.”

I heard the hesitation in her voice. Alarms went off in my head. I knew something was wrong but I tried not to show it. “Thats great” I said without much enthusiasm.

“Starts in January just as soon as a get my diploma.”

“Ok.” The alarm turned into a buzzer. “That shouldn’t be a problem. I mean your done with your thesis, the rest is just a formality”.

She nodded. “Its in the Isle of Mann. The found a new neolithic site, probably the oldest settlement found in the British Isles. The dig began last summer, but the current project director is looking for an full time assistant.”

What!

A wave of anger surged up from the bottom of my stomach. The buzzer turned into words. I remembered what Mrs. Wilkins tried to tell me in St. Georges. ” When did they make the offer?”

“Well…” she saw my face and panicked.

I tried to contain my anger. Mrs. Wilkins knew, she knew back in September and tried to tell me. Which meant….

“You got this offer months ago, didn’t you?” I growled.

“Yes.”

“And you waited until now to tell me…I see….” I turned around to leave. I’ve been here before. Not this time. “Good luck then…Goodbye….” and I walked away. The cold night air pierced through my clothes. I felt colder with each stepped I took. The only thing driving me forward was my all consuming anger. I didn’t stop until I reached Church Drive. Once inside exhaustion took over.  I went straight to bed.

Damn!

I tried to sleep, but couldn’t. It was going to be a long night.

The scream came from the other room, the one where Michael and Michelle where in. As I came in I asked “What the hell is going on?”. Michelle shoved a mobile in my face, so hard and so fast that she nearly broke my nose. Michael was shirtless, with nothing but boxer shorts and socks on. Michelle was down to her bra and skirt. It took me a second to focus on the mobile screen. The tiny screen showed a strawberry blond girl wearing a white tank top and barely there boy shorts.

“Oh” I said.

“Oh, OH! Who the Hell is she Michael, why is she sending you naked pictures!” Michelle screamed so hard that I expected hotel security to burst in any second.

My eyes darted to Crissy.

Help!

She got the message. She grabbed the phone and handed it to me while trying to calm Michelle down. I whispered to Michael “Get your stuff and leave, now!” Which he did.

“Where do you think your going!” Michelle screeched.

But Michael was already gone. The moment Michael left Michelle broke down crying. It was time for me to go and said so. Crissy merely nodded as she continue her futile efforts to console Michelle.

Back in our room, the one I had plan to share with a Miller and not a Mendoza, I found my brother sitting on the edge of the bed, pale as a ghost. I remembered that I still had the mobile in my hand and started to look at the pictures. The first where the kind of self shots done in front of a bathroom mirror, revealing more and more with each one. The last few where of Michael and her together. Those I did not want to see.

“So…is she?”

“Yeah”

“I didn’t get a good look at her that day, but I seen enough now to last me a lifetime, and then some!”

“Uhuu”

My temperature rose. First the thing at the restaurant and now this. The whole weekend was ruined. No good deed, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera…

“Have you been seen this chick while you where going out with Michelle?” I asked.

“NO!” For a second I thought he was going to hit me, or at least try, but he didn’t move an inch.

I thought about giving him a lecture on girlfriend mobile etiquette, but I thought better of it. This was not the time or the place.

“Maybe she will be calm down by tomorrow, maybe give you a chance to explain.”

He shrugged. “Don’t think so. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight”.

But the morning brought no relief. The idea of abandoning the quarrelsome twosome crossed my mind and firmly lodge itself in my lizard brain. But the rest of me knew that was not an option. Not a word passed between us during breakfast. Michelle’s brilliant face, the one that exploded like a supernova last night turned into a black hole, sucking in the very light around her. The ride back home was not different. I did not dare utter a word to Crissy. That would be seen as base treason. We where now the Montaques and the Capulets. Any sign of acknowledging the existence of the other would be tantamount to base treason. Michelle’s arms and legs where so tightly wrapped around herself that I doubted she would squeeze herself to death. Michael’s face hid behind the a curtain of red hair. The only things that pierced the scarlet veil where his nose and chin.

We dropped them off at the back entrance to the pub. Mrs. Wilkins surprised face greeted us as we pulled in.

“What happened?” she asked as we got out. Michelle grabbed her luggage and stormed inside. That shocked Mrs. Wilkins even more.

“Nothing gran I’ll explain later” answered Crissy. She turned to me and said “I’ll call you later.”

I gave her a peck on the cheek “Ok”. I as I got back into the car I saw that Michael was still in the back seat. “Hey! I’m not your chauffeur, get in the front!” I waved at Mrs. Wilkins at left.

I pulled into the driveway and killed the engine. I held my tongue before but I had a few choice words for my brother.

“Never, EVER leave your cell phone, mobile, computer or anything else within reach of your girlfriend. Didn’t you know that?”

“No” he said.

I thought I heard a bit of defiance in his voice but I was not done yet. “You always clip your mobile on the inside of your coat or front pants pocket. That way if something pops up, you know like a number or half naked pictures of somebody who is not your girlfriend she wont see them. Always, ALWAYS keep the damn thing on vibrate. I know you love those stupid ring tones, but if you don’t want her to home in on it like missile, the best way is for her not to hear it in the first place. Better yet, if you think your phone is going to be out of your hands, perhaps because your hands and your pants are somewhere else, make sure the phone is out of reach. Shove the pants under the bed, hand the phone to a friend, put it inside a safe, but for god sakes don’t put it anywhere she might be tempted to touch it. Because they will. Even if you have nothing to hide…”

“I got nothing to hide. I didn’t cheat on her”.

“Mike, you are not that stupid. What did you think she was going to do when she saw them? Ask you if you where exploring a career as a Playboy photographer? Maybe a porn producer?”

“Its not my fault! I didn’t call her and she didn’t call me until last night!” Michael pleaded.

“That doesn’t even matter! The moment they get a hold of your mobile or your computer, you are screwed! Wait a minute! You mean that was a one night stand, you know, the day I ran interference for you?”

“Yes!”

“So you got booty called?” I chuckled.

“Whats so funny?”

“I mean the timing, the timing sucked! And I never heard getting booty called via porn pic, but still…you got booty called!” I laughed even harder. It  was  absurd beyond belief.

“Well, yeah, I got booty called. So?”

I looked at him trying not to laugh, but the more I tried the harder it was. “So!” Tears streamed down my face. “Your about to get laid, and guess what, somebody calls you to get you laid! You didn’t get laid because somebody else wanted to screw your brains out! Fuck! I didn’t get laid because you got two girls that wanted to fuck you at the same time!”

He grinned and joined in the laughter. We didn’t stop laughing for 15 minutes or so. I laughed so much I nearly suffocated.

Misery loves company. So does laughter.

The success of a road trip is based on several factors. First, the amount of time spent on the road is reversely proportional to the number of people making the trip (plus or minus the total passenger space in the vehicle). Thus a single person can travel around the world and enjoy themselves immensely. Two people can spend at the most, 3 days together on the road before they kill each other. For each additional adult, subtract 6 hours, for every minor subtract 12 hours.

Second, who controls the radio. It depends on who sits in front. Two males, or a man in the passenger seat, radio belongs to the driver. If a female sits on the passenger side a male driver will loose control of the radio at the 15 minute mark. End of story.

Third, conversation. I would like to say that men and women are different when it comes to the need to talk while driving. I would like to say that, but I can’t. Some people (like me) hardly talk, others can’t shut up even on pain of death. Front seat passengers expect the people in the backseat to carry a conversation. They must talk to the point of exhaustion. Why? I don’t know. Since I don’t feel any particular compulsion to talk while I am inside a moving vehicle, I don’t. And somewhere along the way somebody in the front will turn around and say ‘Your awfully quite’ or ‘How come you haven’t said anything?’. How come? Because I have nothing to say. Backseat passengers do not exist to amuse the people in the front seat.

Fourth, navigation. Anyone sitting in the front passenger seat must a) handle all navigational equipment (SatNav, maps, mobiles, etc) and b) must give this information to the driver in a calm and timely fashion. Failure to do so earns said passenger immediate ejection from the seat. You have been warned.

Fifth, luggage. Again, forget all cliches, the size and number of luggage has little connection with the owner’s gender, period. Yes, men and women pack differently. We (that is Men, less you forget) pack with function in mind. X amount of shirts, pants, underwear, socks, shoes and toiletries. Unless we have to wear a specific garment, we really don’t care about any specific item. Women pack with fashion in mind. They (that is Women, less you forget) will pack according to location, weather, season and style. Nothing wrong with that, just a different way of doing things. Avoid at all cost either an oversize/overweight piece of luggage or a menagerie of small space wasting pieces. If you have to carry a large load, make sure you can break it down into two conveniently sized pieces of luggage. If you can’t, stay home.

With all of this in mind I planned a short trip. We would leave around 10.00 am on Friday. Total time on the road 2.45 hours, 3 hours if we got stuck with rush hour traffic, well within the parameters of the time/passenger formula. My Mini has a station for Mp3 players, so I created a playlist on my iPod of about 60 songs or so which would be under Cristy’s control. I also handed her all my maps, mobiles and other navigational devices. As for conversation, I expected none but hoped that Michael would keep Michelle busy enough in the backseat so I wouldn’t have to worry about it. And as for the luggage, I dropped in on the Miller’s sisters the night before to make sure they did not over pack.

Everything went well enough. We even had a laugh at Michael’s expense when a certain song came up on the iPod. I couldn’t stop laughing when Michelle and Crissy started to sing along. The look on my brother’s face was priceless. This song had been a sort of running joke on Michael ever since I told him the lyrics reminded me of him.

Oooooh deary me,
My little brother’s in his bedroom smoking weed,
I tell him he should get up cos’ it’s nearly half past three
He can’t be bothered cos’ he’s high on THC.
I ask him very nicely if he’d like a cup of tea,
I can’t even see him cos the room is so smokey,
Don’t understand how one can watch so much TV,
My baby brother Alfie how I wish that you could see.

[Chorus]
Oooooo I only say it cos I care,
So please can you stop pulling my hair.
Now, now there’s no need to swear,
Please don’t despair my dear Mon frere.

Oooooh Alfie get up it’s a brand new day,
I just can sit back and watch you waste your life away
You need to get a job because the bills need to get paid.
Get off your lazy arse,
Alfie please use your brain
Surely there’s some walls out there that you can go and spray,
I’m feeling guilty for leading you astray,
Now how the hell do you ever expect that you’ll get laid,
When all you do is stay and play on your computer games?

[Chorus]

Oh little brother please refrain from doing that,
I’m trying to help you out so can you stop being a twat.
It’s time that you and I sat down and had a little chat,
And look me in the eyes take off that stupid fitted cap.

I only say it cos’ I care,
So please can you stop pulling my hair.
Now, now there’s no need to swear,
Please don’t despair
Please don’t despair
Mon frere

“Oh ha, ha! Very funny, what is this karoke night at the pub?” Michael said.

“Nobody said it was about you Mike your a hard working lad” I said.

His reflection on the rear view mirror told me he didn’t appreciate being the butt of the joke.

We arrived at the hotel at noon, grabbed something to eat and hit the stores. Better get the shopping out of the way, there was plenty of time for sightseeing later. As we walked I noticed a few things. While Crissy and I walked holding hands, Michelle and Michael seemed to be glued together. What surprised me was that it didn’t seem to bother Michael a bit. I don’t know why I was surprised. I guess I didn’t expect my brother to enjoy it. There was so much PDA between them that I decided to mock them a bit.

I grabbed Crissy by the waist in the middle of St. Mary’s Street and I said theatrically “Darling, I love you!”

She played along “Of course my love! Ours is a romance that will never die!”

We where about to kiss when Michelle interrupted “We are not like that! Right Michael?”

“Nah, of course not” he said as she pulled him into another store.

“Yeah right!” I said.

“Did you mean it?” Crissy said. He voice was soft, her expression thoughtful.

That took me completely by surprise. There was only one thing I could say.

“Yes”

She smiled. One of those simple smiles that changes the world. Mine did. That was another difference between the Miller sisters. Where as Michelle was chatty, Crissy was quite. Michelle wore her heart on her sleeve, Crissy’s laid just beneath the surface. Michael and I where more alike that either us would admit, even if we did not grew up together. Crissy and Michelle could not be more different. Not polar opposites, just different enough that it was hard to tell they where related at all.

Once done with the shopping we stopped by the hotel to drop our bags, shower and change. It took us awhile to figure out where we wanted to eat. I don’t like seafood (strange considering where I come from). Michael had enough of fast food. Crissy made a face when Indian Michelle mentioned Indian cuisine and refused to eat meat. So we settle for a nice Italian restaurant nearby. As we waited for the food the conversation turned to academics.

“The first year courses are not as hard as I thought they would be, I mean we use the tutorial system, so the input is great” Michelle said.

“Wish we had that. Running around from one side of the campus to the other is killing me. I might just get a bicycle. I’m always late” Michael said.

“So how was it in your university Anthony?” Michelle asked.

“Not much running around really. People generally stayed in their own…what the word…not faculty…but school. In the first year all students take their basic courses, the 100 level courses, in one building, and from then on you would spend the rest of your career in and around the building of your own school. One thing I remember clearly is how different schools had different types of buildings. The natural sciences building looked like a hospital, humanities was like a maze and so on.”

The conversation continued over the appetizers.

Crissy talked about her thesis and one of her fellow students “So we got into a row over where Goseck circle was he said Austria…”

“And you said Saxony” I said.

Crissy face turned to stone. She looked at me straight in the eyes and said “Don’t finish my sentences. Some people think thats cute when couples do that, but I don’t. I like to be able to express myself fully and completely”. The temperature around the table dropped by 10 degrees. I never been on the receiving side of Crissy’s anger before. She didn’t shout or whisper. Her tone was clear and even. I don’t think she even blinked.

Wow!

I felt anger welling up from the pit of my stomach, but my brain put a stop that. She was right.

“Understood. Anything else?” I replied.

“No.”

“Ok then…”

An awkward pause fallowed. Michelle stood up. “I need to go to the loo. Excuse us” she said.

As they left for the bathroom Michael spoke “What was that all about?”

“That was your big brother screwing up.”

“I know that mate. I mean why did they go to the bathroom together?”

“Their going to talk. Thats what women do when they go together to the bathroom. By guess, by the look on Michelle face I say that she is either going to scold Crissy for starting a fight or complain about my stupidity. Either way, their going to talk about what just happened.”

“How do you figure?”

“How do I know? There was this pool bar back home. There was this hole between the bathrooms. It was on the top right corner, too high for anyone to take a look into the other bathroom, but you could hear everything that was said. And guess what the girls where doing?”

“Talking?”

“Exactly. About their boyfriends, the music, the drinks, you name it. Thats one mystery of the universe solved.”

“So what are you going to do about this?”

“You mean what just hapenned?”

“Yes”

“Apologize now and when where alone, talk.”

“Why?”

“Why? Because while understand her position, I don’t like to be scolded in public. Even if I act like a five year old, I don’t like to be treated like one”.

“She has a point, you do that a lot. I mean I don’t really mind, but….”

“Point taken. Here they come.”

Michelle looked flustered but Crissy was calm. I felt her hand reaching for mine under the table. As she gave it a gentle squeeze she said “Anthony, your cleverer than most, but not as clever as you think you are”.

I nodded. The rest of the evening passed without incident. We went to few clubs and pubs. Around 1:00 a.m. we where back at the hotel. Crissy and I went into one room while Michelle and Michael went next door.

Something had been bothering me since dinner. It might just wreck everything but I was not about to leave it at that. I sat at the edge of the bed and said “Crissy, about what happened at dinner?”

“Yes?”

“I understand why you where upset, I really do. Its a bad habit of mine. However, I don’t take kindly to be scolded in public.”

“Ok…but you got to know I am not going to censor myself.”

I got up and put my hands around her waist “God forbid. The meek shall inherit the Earth, but that doesn’t mean I am going to date them.”

She said something. At least I think she said something, but that’s not what I heard.

“YOU TWAAAT!”

I’ve thought about dad of late. I remember how he would stay with me in the mornings while mom went to work. Office hours in the island run from 8-4 but dad worked for an American company so their hours where 9-5. He would wake me up, made breakfast and took me to school. In the evenings we would stay late watching tv together. Mornings and afternoons. That’s all I remember, really. You don’t have much of a long term memory when your 4 1/2 years old. Just after I turned five he left.

I don’t know what brought on these memories. Maybe it was the sight of Michael moping around. I seen him happy, nervous and angry, but never sad. He went to school, came back, ate dinner and did it all again the next morning. Like a robot. I tried not to bother him much. Besides he was not alone. These days he spent the balance of his time with Michelle.

October rolled in, cloudy and cold. This Saturday morning was no different. I sat on the kitchen table reading the Times. I didn’t agree with its editorial slant but it had a good finance section. The remains of the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph decorated the tabletop. I prefer to get my news from the internet except on the weekends. I found reading the paper to be relaxing even if their pages where filled with scandals, sex and war. It felt right for some reason. Beside me sat Shadow, with a doggie treat on his nose. His ears, head and feet where to big for his body at this stage. Made him kind of clumsy around the house. The treat was part of his training. He would not eat it until I told him to. I moved my finger and he flipped the treat in the air and ate it in one bite.

“Nice trick. You done with the sports section?” asked Michael as he came into the kitchen.

“Which one?” I said.

“Any.”

I tossed him the first one I grabbed.

“Thanks. Yes! Man U lost again! Reggy owes me 20 quid!”

That was the first time in weeks that Michael showed any expression other than dejected.

“Is that legal?”

“No. Are you going to tell on me?”

“Nope. Just asking.”

“Just a friendly wager, thats all.”

“Hey, listen, and for god sakes chew your food!”

“Whot! I’m chewwing!” Michael said while stuffed another piece of toast in his mouth.

If he was in such a good mood, he might be receptive to what I wanted to ask him “Sit down. I got a question for you.”

“Yeah, whot?”

“How are things between you and Michelle?”

He shrugged “Fine. Why you ask?”

“Well you been spending a lot of time with her lately. And since she happens to be my girlfriend’s sister, and by the way, thanks for not telling me that they where….”

“You didn’t ask?”

“Yes I did. Remember when I asked you about Crissy?”

“Yeah so?”

I rolled my eyes “So, small details like the identity of their known relatives constitutes important information about them.”

“I thought you knew…oh yeah…sorry.” Not a hint of a smile on his face, maybe he was sorry after all.

“Anyway how far have you gone with her?”

“What do you mean?”

“First base, second base, third…” the look on his face told me that he had no idea what I was talking about. “You know baseball, right?”

“I watch a few movies” he said.

“Ok” I said drawing an imaginary baseball diamond in the air with my fingers. “You start on first base…”

“I thought you started at home plate?”

Oh boy!

“Yes you do, but the goal is to round the bases in order to score, so your first stop after hitting the ball is first base. First base means you got to kiss her, with feeling. Second base, your hands go where they always wanted to be. On third she finds out how many licks it takes to get to the center of your tootsie pop and if your reach home plate, you score. So batters up! How far are you? First, second…third?”

“That sounds a bit complicated. Kind of mental really?”

“Jesus, just answer the question? Are ya boiking her or not!”

“NO! I mean not yet, we’re just snogging.”

“Wait, which one is it?”

“Which one whot?”

“Are you or are you not doing it?”

“I just told you, we just snogged a couple of times.”

“What?”

“You know, snogging, kissing, smooching, necking!”

“Oh…oooh! For the record, that doesn’t sound like what it is. Sounds kinda of dirty.”

“I guess it is, if your lucky.”

“So first base it is. Is it serious or not?”

“Why are you asking me this? And don’t tell me its about Crissy.”

“It is,actually. Its about her, and you and Michelle. Heres the load down. I was , or at least I am planning to ask Crissy to go with me to Cardiff next weekend.” Michael said nothing. He was waiting for more information. “You know, a weekend getaway. Normally it would be just the two of us, but considering that neither of us has had a vacation plus the fact that Michelle and Crissy are sisters I thought I should ask.”

“And what does that have to do with what base I am on?”

“Its a romantic getaway. We do the touristy thing during the day, and during the night, well we would get to know each other better. If I invite you, and by that I mean you and significant other, I got to know whether I would be sharing a room with you or staying awake with Crissy.”

“Oh. Okay. What was second base again?”

“Groping.”

“Second base it is.”

“Good, for you of course. So are you up to it.”

“Sure. When are you going to ask Crissy?”

“I already told her to clear her schedule.”

“Ok…” he said. He got up to the table to leave. “Sounds like a plan. Of course I’ll have to ask Michelle first.”

“I don’t think she is going to say no.”

“Gotta go.”

“Library.”

“On a Saturday?”

“Advanced Trig.”

“Wish I could help, but according to the my college boards I am a certified mathematical moron. Too bad dad not around, he was great at math.”

“Yes he was” he said. Pointing at Shadow he asked “By the way, are we taking him along?” Shadow tilted his head in response.

“No, I found a pet hotel, they’ll take care of him” I said.

Michael left for the library.

“Well Shadow, time to get to work. Get your harness while I shower.” Shadow took off in search of his harness. By the time I came down the stairs he was waiting, the harness laying between his oversize paws.

“Good boy!”

Done with chapter 2! Huzzah! Took awhile, harder to write than the first part. I made this second podcast discussing some of the work. Yes it is terribly self-absorbed, thank you very much. Extremely egotistical…you got it out of you system yet? Anyway, I talk about my writing (or poor excuse thereof) add a bit of spice with a few songs and, thats pretty much it.

Talking about songs, the soundtrack gets expanded to include:

• The Pretenders: I’m Going to Be
• Nena: 99 Luftballons
• Massive Attack: Give me a Reason to Love You
• Moby: Why does my heart feel so bad
• Roy Brown/Fiel a la Vega: Boricua en la Luna

The last song its in Spanish, the lyrics of which you can read here.

I thought this might be a nice addition to the cast:

Unnamed Government Inspector- John Cleese