The names are fictional to protect the guilty. All sex scenes are between consenting adults. No animals were harmed in the writing of this story. I along with Microsoft spell/ grammar check are responsible for the mistakes herein. I write for my pleasure and hope that you enjoy the read. This is the 10
th
chapter of 12 in this story. There is a lot of sex in this chapter, so if you are not interested in explicit sexual content, then this chapter won't be your cup of tea.
Frank Simmons is coming in today. He is my #1 pick from the phone interviews for the scheduler position. He calls and I meet him out front of the office building. He is a large man about 6'5" 280 pounds. He has dark hair that is starting to grey around the edges. He has dark eyes and wears glasses. We shake hands and exchange pleasantries.
We talk in my office for a little while. We move to the table in my office, and he shows me the schedule from his previous project. I am impressed. It has a tremendous amount of detail in it, and he shows some of the reporting potential that the P6 program contains.
I take him to the war room, and he smiles as he enters. I also show him my research on manpower and construction materials costs. He says that I have helped immensely by having that information already available. He says that he should be able to pare down the working copy of his previous schedule without much trouble. He recommends that we do a ratio of old project square footage with the new project and relate construction costs based on square footage. I think, 'That makes sense at least for a starting point".
It seems like we are thinking alike.
"I like what you have done, and I think you are the man for this job." I tell him, "I will contact his headhunter and set up a report date."
He wants to take some of the information home with him and work from home for a week or so a week after the report date. We shake hands and he left. I feel good about this decision.
I get a call from an unknown number and let it go to voice mail. I listen to the voice mail and it is from the shrink that Beth had set me up an appointment. I call back and the call is to confirm my appointment, which I do. The next day I drive to the office of Dr. Melody Day. I arrive about 20 minutes before and fill out all the forms and give insurance information BLAH, BLAH BLAH.
I sit in the reception area for about 20 minutes before I am escorted to an office. I am received by a tall full figured attractive woman.
She extends her hand and says, "Welcome, I am Dr. Day. Thank you for being on time today. Please have a seat anywhere you like. Before you say anything, I must tell you that I record our conversations for my own records."
I see a couple of overstuffed chairs and a leather reclining couch. I smile and wonder how many patients go for the couch first. I sit in one chair, and she sits in the other.
She starts, "I normally don't take patients that don't make the appointments on their own. I am surprised that you kept the appointment. You must trust the person that made it for you."
I smiled and said, "Yes, I value her opinion and her friendship."
"Why don't we start by telling me your story and how you came to be here today. I assure you that what you say in this room stays in this room." she says. "I make no judgements. I am here to help you and I have no other agenda."
I nod and begin to tell my long sad story beginning with Gloria and ending with all the events of Christmas Day. I shed a tear or two along the way reminiscing about the good times and the losses. She asks a few questions along the way asking how this or that made me feel. Or why I reacted a certain way to this or that.
Finally, she said, "Thank you for telling me your story and not holding anything back. I think we did some good work here today."
I nod in agreement.
I tell her, "I think it helped me heal somewhat by just vocalizing my story. It is different to hear it as opposed to just thinking about."
"Yes, words are a very powerful tool in the healing process, that is why I like to start with the patient telling their story. Both of us will think about what is said. I would like to see you again in a week. Is there a particular day that works for you? Or a particular time?"
"I am flexible. I'm the boss so I can take what time I need." I say.
"Well, if this time works for you then let's keep it, Wednesday at 10." she says.
We stand and shake hands and I leave. I got get tacos and take them back to the office. I am the only one there and everyone else has the holidays off until we start back to the salt mines after New Year's Day.
I get a phone call from Beth asking if I went to go see Dr. Day. I told her about the visit, that I thought it went well and that we have a standing appointment for Wednesdays. We talk about thing in general cracking a one liner here and there. She asks about my plans for New Year's Eve. I told her I didn't have any plans. I definitely didn't want to go to a bar and then have to call an uber or a cab. I would probably stay home and listen to music or watch the various NYE shows on TV.
"Well," she says, "Me and Mandy are curious about your plans. We want to tag along for whatever your plans are. Considering everything that you have been through this year and the potential for such radical changes for next year, we want to be with you and start the new year right. The three musketeers on New Year's Eve. We can't think of a better way to spend it."
I smile, "OK I'll get some liquor, tell me what you want. I'll come up with something. I'll let you know. Just don't be disappointed."
She says, "We won't be disappointed, I promise." And we ended the call.
72 hours after Vicky read the letter on Christmas Day, I change all the locks on the house and the code on the garage door. I set up a doorbell camera and security cameras inside and around the house, just in case. It ain't that I don't trust her, but I don't trust her.
New Years Eve -
I haven't heard from Beth yet, so I call her.
I ask, "What do you and Mandy feel like drinking tonight?"
Mandy is near because I hear her say this is Ronnie, he wants to know what we want to drink tonight. I hear them talking between them.