Chapter 6: Dad, Heinrich and Klara
The next morning at work I got a call from Alicia's Dad. We hadn't been seeing much of her Mom and Dad now that he was retired. They had moved to a nice place down at the shore. He kept busy with golf, she with social clubs and knitting. He or she would call me every once in a while, kind of to make sure I was doing all the right things I guess.
"Jeff, you there? Jeff, speak up!" He had gone a little hard of hearing.
"Hello Dad, hello. Can you hear me?"
"There you are boy. Speak up." Which was a little awkward itself, me in a cubicle on the floor with about 10 other reps around me. But I spoke up.
"Jeffrey. You well?"
"Oh, yes sir."
"Call me Dad."
"Oh, yes sir. I mean, yes Dad, I'm fine."
"Good to hear it Jeff. Work good? You still working on that management position?"
"Yes Dad."
"Good. I don't expect you can make it, certainly not this time, not you, but good experience anyhow. Right?"
"Yes sir. Yes Dad."
Dad paused and I could hear a muffled conversation in the background. I think his hand was over the phone.
"Jeff."
"Yes Dad?"
"Jeff. Speak up for God's sake. You have the voice of a little girl."
"Yes Dad. I will, sir." I said in a much louder voice.
Bob Jensen peeked over the cubicle wall at me and whispered, "You OK?" I nodded and turned away.
"Jeff. Listen to me now boy. Reason for calling, me and the Mrs., Mom I mean, just want to be sure you're taking care of our little girl. Ya hear me son?"
No way was I going there with him. "Ummm, Dad, I can't really talk now...kinda busy and, you know, right out on the fl..."
"Goddamn it son! Some things are more important than work. Goddamn it. Ever occur to you that your wife maybe is one of those things? You ever think about that?"
"Yes Dad. I know that, I really do."
"Then let me repeat myself. Are you taking care of our Alicia? Are you?"
"Yes Dad. I'm doing my best sir."
"What's going on. The White Pride hullabaloo. It's pretty hard on her. You know that?"
"Oh, yes sir. I sure do know that. I'm trying...trying my best to be helpful, to be, like, on the team."
"Are you? Really?..." He sounded skeptical. Then he broke off.
I could hear him calling to his wife. "Anna, what'd she call it?" Some muffled noise in the background, sounds of crying and a squeaky voice. "Yeah, right. Sweet....Sweet what?...Speak up Anna...yeah, that's it."
"Jeff, listen to me now boy, and listen good. Anna, I mean Mom, called Alicia this morning. Checking in on her progress. It's important, a girl's mother, Jeff. I don't need to tell you that."
"No Dad. I know. Her Mom means the world to...."
"Well, what happens? Let me tell you just how the call went. Alicia tells her Mom, she was in tears I guess, tells her you couldn't do something called Sweet Tease or Sweet Bees or some goddamned thing you made up. Hmmm, I don't get what that's all about. You kids. Back in the day a man just fucked his wife the old fashioned way and was done with it. You guys have to make up some weird sex game..."
"Oh, no. No we..."
"Gotta be hip, right Jeff? Gotta stay relevant. Gotta be one of the cool kids."
"I just..."
"Then to top it off you fuck it up and can't finish the fuck. Where's that leave the girl? Fucked. That's where. Am I right?"
"But sir, actually..."
"Call me Dad, goddam it!" His voice now harsh, grinding.
"Yes sir, I mean yes Dad. But the thing is it wasn't me who...you know...made this...."
"No excuses now son. I'm not here for your pussy-ass excuses." He had calmed down a little. "I just want to hear you say you'll do your best from here out. What's she got, just a few more weeks? That you'll do your best to fuck her long and hard the way a man should. For her sake, boy. It's called training. God knows she can't win if she doesn't train. Same as any athlete, right son?"
"Yes, Dad. You're right sir." It was definitely better to placate him and try to end the conversation. People were wandering by my cubicle door looking in, trying to figure out what I was doing.
"Then say it."
"Say what Dad?"
"Goddamn it to hell! Didn't I just tell you? My wife is in tears. My daughter is in tears. Have you been listening to me at all boy?"
"Yes Dad. I just mean I'm kind of here..."
I gave up. I knew I'd have to say it.
I huddled down in my chair, back to the cubicle door, cupped my hand over the mouthpiece of the phone and said, "I'll do my very best Dad." Hoping.
I heard his grunt of displeasure. The background crying turned to long frantic wails of despair. Dad didn't say a word, just grunted again.
I shrank further into the seat and said, "I'll do my best to fuck her long and hard, Dad."
I could feel the sweat trickle in my armpit. I checked my nose. I heard faint laughter from the floor.
"Speak up goddamn it. Didn't I tell you?"
I went a little louder, "I'll do my best, Dad, to aaah...to...aaah...to fuck her long and hard."
I was afraid he'd criticize again and I'd have to scream into the phone. But fortunately he accepted that one.
"There. OK now. That wasn't so hard, was it Jeff?"
"No sir. No Dad."
"Good then. We're on the same page now. Listen, don't worry about Anna, excuse me, about Mom, I'll take care of business at home, you follow?"
"Yes Dad."
"Way a man should. You follow me?"
"Yes Dad I do."
"Good, you just do the same at your end. Got it? Our little girl deserves the best. We're not expecting miracles from you. But goddamn it, give it all you got. Give her a chance, will you boy?"
"Yes Dad."
"OK. Gotta go. Tee-time in 20. Good chat Jeff. Best to your parents. Bye now."
My parents had passed away in a car accident years ago, when I was just a kid. I think he was confusing me with Beth's husband Frank.
It all seemed a little unfair, not to mention embarrassing. I thought I'd done OK, not great certainly, but OK, on Sweet Tea. I had tried my best. But I had to remember I was on the team. If I had to up my game then it was at least good to know, to get the feedback. I owed it to Alicia. Now I guess I owed it to Dad and to Mrs. P. too.
I mopped my brow and went back to the paperwork. I could still hear soft chuckles all around me.
************************************
A few hours later things had settled down on the floor. Everyone back in focus the way Roger likes it. I told the guys that I had a home meeting with my best customer, an upper who'd purchased five high-end vehicles from me in the last three years.
Alicia might not have really needed me. Even without Sam. As I said, she has her own car and is used to doing her own shopping and errands. She's good like that. But this was different and I knew it. Alicia does not tolerate pain exceptionally well, and was sort of worried she might pass out after the procedure. So I was glad to do it.
I still had her Dad's call in mind. I didn't mention it, didn't want to upset her with the whole thing. It still bothered me a bit. Despite her Dad's good intentions.