by Alan Cook
Chapter 36
It was difficult to get dressed while wearing a
caste around my body, a caste that covered
my chest and most of my back. It was difficult
to do a number of things: sleep, wash, drive and
even use a computer. I wore a loose sweater to
cover the caste. My image in the mirror was much
too bulky to be me.
I was beginning to get the hang of driving while
keeping my back straight as I parked beside
Arrow's condominium complex. She should be
home from work. I knew this because I had
called John, my father's administrative assistant,
earlier, and asked him to let me know when she
left the office.
John had wanted to talk. He had heard stories
about my adventures in Northern California and
they excited him, but I cut him off by telling him
that I would give him the whole scoop some day.
In about a million years.
It was painful getting out of the car because
I had to bend my head and that radiated down
to my cracked vertebra. The doctor had said I
should be thankful it was only cracked and that
it would be healed in a few weeks. Meanwhile, no
heavy lifting, no strenuous exercise--especially, no
running. I missed that the most. In a few days I
could start a walking program. Walking jars the
body only a fraction as much as running does.
I would walk like my father walked. I had a real
job like my father had. I had almost become my
father.
I walked into the complex slowly, feeling like an old
man. Looking like one too, I was convinced. I rang
Arrow's bell and half-hoped she wasn't there
because I didn't know what to say to her.
However, I soon heard a click. It sounded like the
click at the door to James' house and I
automatically reached for the doorknob. It came
open and I had to take a short step forward to
keep my balance. This caused a shot of pain in
my back.
My head in the doorway and the agonized
expression on my face must have startled
Arrow because she took a step backward. I
attempted a smile and said hi and she said hi
and then we looked at each other as I tried
to remember what came next.
Finally, she said, "Come on in," and opened the
door wider. "How are you?"
"Thanks. I'm fine." When I moved I was reminded
of the flowers I was holding. I thrust them toward
her and said, "These are for you."
"Thank you," Arrow said, taking and sniffing them.
"They're beautiful. What's the occasion, other
than your escape from death? I should be buying
you flowers, although I must admit, I didn't expect
to see you."
"I wanted to talk to you before I went back
to San Francisco."
She offered me a chair and I sat down. When
she saw how stiff I was she said, "Tell me about
your injury, as soon as I put these in a vase."
Women instinctively know what to do with flowers.
Arrow disappeared into her kitchen and
reappeared a minute later with the flowers in
a vase half-filled with water. She placed them
on her coffee table and sat in another chair.
Before I came she had changed from her work
clothes to shorts and a T-shirt and her feet
were bare. She looked sweet and appealing.
She laughed and said, "At least I'm not cleaning
up a mess in my kitchen. As I recall, I was on my
hands and knees the last time you were here. I
heard part of what you went through with Stan,
from Richard, but I'd like to hear the rest from you."
"Do you think my father has accepted the fact
that I'm working for James?" I asked.
"I guess he's resigned to it. He said you told him
James was providing a valuable service to the
owners of high-risk start-ups, even if his methods
were unorthodox. And that you thought you could
make James a kinder, gentler person. He's also
inclined to think a little better of James because
James officially told him he has stopped trying to
acquire Dionysus. I wonder why James relented."
She looked a question at me.
"I'm not sure, but it may have something to do
with Stan and Ned. James was very upset and
very apologetic about Stan. Anyway, I know I'll
learn a lot from him. By the way, he gave me a
week off with pay to recover from my physical
and emotional wounds. I think he actually has a
human side to him."
"Speaking of being human, your father was deeply
touched that you risked your life to solve Ned's
murder, but he doesn't want you to do it again."
"He told me that--at least the part about not
getting into any more trouble."
"Is Stan badly hurt?"
"Just a brain concussion. He'll be nicely recovered
by the time he stands trial. After I talked to the
police I heard that they've already found out that
Stan had made a large cash withdrawal from his
bank on the day that Ned was murdered.
"In addition, James told both me and the police
that he knew where Ned's business meeting was
that evening because they were scheduled to
get together later to talk about Dionysus, which,
by the way, is why Ned told me to meet him at
James'. He was probably going to tell James off,
once and for all. That may be why he appeared
to be so nervous to me. Elma told me he had a
hard time telling James no.
"Stan would have known about Ned's meeting
from James. He probably called the restaurant
and found out it had been cancelled. He also
knew about the Chinese lady, Flora Sung. Stan
made it his business to know everything. James
suspects Stan got a message to Ned at the home
of Ms. Sung and made Ned believe it was from him,
James, telling Ned to meet James near where he
was shot."
"I'm sorry Stan turned out to be such a bastard,"
Arrow said. "I really liked him. Tell me all about
your confrontation with him. But first, can I get
you a drink?"
"No. In fact, that's why I came here. I'd like to
take you out to dinner. Someplace better than
Norms and you don't have to put it on your
expense account because I'm buying."
Arrow looked perplexed, perhaps because of
the solemn manner in which I had delivered
my message, and said, "Is this...is this like
a date?"
I had been subconsciously wondering that very
thing. Now, faced with it on a conscious level,
I said, "Yes. I'd like to ask you on a date."
"I hope you're not doing this because you feel
you owe me something," Arrow said. "We've been
through a lot together, but I think that basically
we're even."
I had to say something to remove the reserve
that had grown between us. I said, "I know I
acted standoffish before, but it wasn't because
I wasn't attracted to you." Double negative--great.
"There were other reasons. But they no longer apply.
I am...attracted to you and I would like to go out
with you." I suddenly had doubts. "Of course, if you
don't want to..."
"Give me five minutes to change into something
suitable for a real date," Arrow said, smiling and
moving toward the stairs. "I have just one question;
if this gets beyond casual, how are we going to see
each other, with you in San Francisco and me in LA?"
"I have a lot of experience with airline commuting,"
I said, gaining confidence, "and I don't want to let
it go to waste."
Aces and Knaves copyright ©2002 Alan L. Cook
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