This is the third part of the "Hannah's Hero" multi-part story. If you haven't read parts one and two, you may want to refer to them so you are up to date on the story. The same disclaimer warnings from precious installments still apply.
***
I couldn't honestly say exactly how long I stood there on the tarmac. I do know that I waited and watched long after Chris had joined the line of soldiers headed into the assembly hall. I was there for a while after he disappeared inside. I was there even after many families had left, though I wasn't the last to leave. In particular, I remember one tow-headed little boy -- he couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 years old -- clutching his mother's thigh in a death grip, tears in his little eyes.
"Mommy, when's Daddy gonna be home? Will he be home for dinner?" he asked plaintively.
"No, honey," the woman said, her eyes still focused on the far off assembly hall.
"Will he be home at bedtime?"
"No honey, Daddy's going to be gone a long time. Remember when Daddy explained he had to go on a long trip?"
"Yeah," the little boy said, "But I hoped he'd still be home to tuck me in." I tried not to listen in on their conversation, not just because it was rude, but because it broke my heart. Together, Jennifer and I got back in the car and slowly drove away. She took her time. Both of us had been crying, and we didn't want to crash on the long drive home.
"I don't know about you, but the last thing I want to do is cook. Do you want to call Angelo's and get a table?" Jennifer asked.
"Sure," I said, but without much enthusiasm. I wasn't really hungry, and the last thing I wanted right that second was to have a good time. But, that wasn't an attitude I was going to display for my best friend and sister-in-law. I wasn't the only one feeling anxious and scared, and I felt I had no right to retreat into myself and cut off the rest of the world. So, I pulled out my phone, did a Google search for the number, and called in a reservation. After I slipped the phone back in my purse, I felt Jennifer's hand squeeze my leg.
"Thanks for not tuning out on me," she said quietly. Her statement was so appropriate that I wondered for a second if I'd said something out loud. She laughed at the expression on my face. "No, Hannah, you didn't say anything. I've known you a while now, and I can tell what you're thinking. Not to mention the fact that I'm pretty much feeling the same way you are at the moment."
I smiled back at her, and I felt a little better. We spent the rest of the drive home chatting and even laughing a little. We got home around 3pm. True to her word, Debbie had parked Chris's truck neatly in the garage and left the key on the pegboard. She'd also left a card for us. I was touched. She's a sexually-aggressive man-eater, but she also has a caring heart. Some people might think that's a strange combination in a person, but there you go.
We went inside, changed into swimsuits, and spent about a couple of hours in the pool laughing and splashing. Afterwards I had a quick shower and changed into a nice dress. Angelo's is a fantastic little Italian restaurant that's belonged to the same family for 40 years. Chris took me there on our fifth date, and it quickly became one of my favorite eating spots. The atmosphere was nice, but the food was definitely the main attraction. When Jennifer and I were seated, I discovered my appetite hadn't left me after all. I picked up the menu and quickly decided on roasted chicken marsala and a glass of Chianti. As we ate, Jennifer and I discussed what our living arrangements were going to be when Chris came home.
Personally, I favored leaving things the way they were. The house had more than enough room, especially since Chris and I wouldn't need separate rooms anymore. I did suggest that I move our things into the downstairs bedroom; that way, Chris and I were less likely to bother her with any noise we made. I agreed to pay half of all utilities, and if there were any maintenance issues we'd go half-and-half there, too. She liked the idea, for several reasons.
I enjoyed the leisurely dinner with my best friend. It really helped get my mind off of my worries. But as it turned out, someone else was going to try to spoil it. I was on my second glass of Chianti and enjoying my strawberry gelato when Jennifer suddenly fell silent. Startled by the abrupt quiet, I looked up to see that her face had gone deathly pale.
"Jen, what is it?" I asked, slightly alarmed. She didn't reply, she simply gestured across the room. I turned to look in that direction and saw her boyfriend, Grant Thomas at a table with a lovely redhead in a strapless blue velvet dress. "Oh shit," I said softly. Jennifer had a little red spot at the top of each of her fair-skinned cheeks, and her fists were clenched. "Maybe she's his sis -- "
"No, Hannah," Jennifer cut me off. "Grant doesn't have a sister."
"Oh," I said softly. It didn't take a genius to see this wasn't going to end well.
"I should go over there and kick his ass!" Jennifer said, vehemently. She paused, and then seemed to deflate like a punctured balloon. "Well, no I guess I probably shouldn't."
"Well," I began gently, "It would suck to get tossed out of our favorite restaurant and then get arrested."
"Yeah," Jennifer said, smirking, "But that wasn't really my concern. Grant and I have been together a long time, but he's made it clear he won't marry me. He's not going to commit to anyone." She sighed and drained her wine glass in one gulp. "I almost feel sorry for that pretty little thing at the table with him. She probably has no idea what she's getting into."
"It's one thing to say he won't marry you. It's another thing entirely to start seeing other women without even bothering to break up with you first!" I said, outraged on my friend's behalf. She smiled sadly and shook her head. I put my hand on hers and squeezed it gently. The waiter returned and I paid the check. As we stood to leave I paused, feeling a wicked idea pop into my head. "Jennifer, I have an idea, but I need you to play along with me. How about it?"
"What are you planning, Hannah?" she asked cautiously. I took her hand and started leading her over to Grant's table. "Hannah! No, what are you doing??!!" she whispered desperately, trying to hang back.
"Follow my lead, Jen, we are really going to fuck up his evening plans!" I hissed back, not letting go of her hand. I got within 2 feet of his table before the bastard noticed me, but when he finally did look up his face turned dead pale.
"Oh, uh, hello Hannah...Jennifer, uh," he muttered helplessly. I'd never seen the deer-in-the-headlights expression duplicated so perfectly on a human face before.
The pretty redhead looked over her shoulder at me, startled. I moved to stand behind her and casually rested my hands on the back of her chair. "Hi Grant! Hello there, pretty girl! I have to say, Grant, you have a talent for finding the most delectable young treats!" I said, brushing the back of my hand gently against the girl's delicate neckline. "I'm sorry we're late, but it took more time than I expected to get everything set up at the condo. But, we're ready to go now. I have the restraints, the whips, and the swing all laid out." Grant's face went even more pale, and his stammering increased.
