The Cop.
About a year after my divorce from Helen was final I was sitting in a crowded restaurant in Ann Arbor having dinner when a voice said, "Hello stranger" and I looked up to see Linda Fenlander.
"Linda" I said as I stood up and offered her my hand. "How have you been?"
"Fine Rob, and you?"
"I've been better and I've been worse, but tonight seems okay so far. What are you up to?"
"I stopped in for dinner, but the place is full and they say there is a half hour wait so I decided to go elsewhere. I was just leaving when I saw you and I thought I would just come over and say hi."
"Good thing you did because, as you can see, I have room for you here. Would you join me?"
She sat down across from me and as she did I remembered the last time I saw her. It had been at her wedding. I glanced at her left hand and saw that her rings were missing. I wondered if she noticed that mine was gone too, but her first question answered that.
"How's Helen?"
"No idea, but hopefully she's lying in a ditch somewhere slowly bleeding to death."
She glanced at my left hand and said, "You two split the blanket?"
"No. Split means equal shares. It came out more like 80/20 in her favor."
"You had kids, right?"
"Three of them."
"That always makes it worse for the man. Luckily Phil and I didn't have ant children to complicate our split."
"Sore subject?"
"Very."
"Hoping that he is in the ditch across the road from Helen?"
"No, it wasn't his fault that things didn't work out. Enough of the maudlin, what are you up too?"
"Still with Ford. Working the day shift at Rawsonville. You?"
"Waiting tables at the Red Fox Inn."
The waitress came and Linda ordered. We made small talk until the food came and then we ate and chatted and carefully avoided mentioning either of our ex spouses.
I had met Linda on the first day I stopped at the restaurant where Helen had gotten her job. I'd had a doctor's appointment that morning for my annual physical and so I had taken a day off from work. The physical came with the instructions that I not have anything but water after seven in the evening. As a result I was pretty hungry when I left the clinic so I decided to stop where Helen worked for lunch. The hostess seated me and Linda showed up to take my order. I asked if Helen was around and was told she was in the back filling the salt and pepper shakers.
"Could you do me a favor and tell her there is someone here to see her?"
"And whom shall I say is calling?"
"Her husband."
"Hello Helen's husband, I'm Linda" and she offered me her hand. "Call me Rob" I said as I took it and shook it. I gave her my order and she left and several minutes later Helen came out and sat with me. After that it seemed like every time I went into the restaurant I ended up sitting in Linda's section and one day I joked about it. As she took my order I asked:
"So when are you going to make your move?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Just curious as to when you are going to make your pass at me."
"What the hell are you talking about?" she said in a tone that indicated she was becoming a little upset.
I laughed and said, "Every time I come in here I end up in your section so I assumed you are bribing the hostess to put me where you can get at me."