- Ch. 03
by Ghostwalker
(with Input by TheIrishLass)
Jen ... simply thinking of her brought visions of her shoulder-length red hair, her grey-green eyes, her flawless, tanned skin, and her 36D-25-38 body back to mind ... had been the most beautiful, most energetic, most seductive woman I'd ever known. But now she was gone and the apartment we'd shared for the last four weeks felt empty. It was as if the very life had been sucked out of it.
I spent the next four days working, aimlessly, around the apartment; packing away the things she'd left behind, working on programs and files for my job, and all too often staring out the window at the beach we'd enjoyed together. I thought of all the different things I could do and then I made a decision ... one I'd seldom even considered before. I called a friend and made arrangements for him to sub-let my apartment, packed up my bags and bought a one-way ticket to my past ... I was heading home.
I got to the airport two hours early, as has become the custom due to security, and had just stepped up to a food vendor when I caught a flash of auburn hair at the First Class check-in counter. She was with an older, balding, portly man who was obviously not happy about his seating assignment due to the agitated way he was talking to the airline representative.
"I don't give a fuck! I purchased two seats next to each other for my wife and me! I don't care! That's not my problem" he continued to yell at the representative.
I smirked knowing he wasn't going to get what he wanted and probably far worse service from the flight crew once he was on his plane.
Then my attention was drawn to the woman. Her hair was pulled back and covered with a scarf; only a few stray strands escaped, and her face was almost entirely covered by a pair of oversized sunglasses with dark lenses. She was stooped over at the shoulders like an 80-year-old woman and seemed more like a mannequin than a living, breathing person. Not once did she look around, instead staring at some blank space on the 'Arrival/Departure' sign.
When her husband was done yelling at the person at the counter he stomped away, the woman following like a stray dog.
It wasn't until almost an hour later that I saw the couple coming down from the "First Class Lounge" and get in line to board the same plane I going to be on. "This is going to be interesting," I thought
Once again, the man tried to get the seating changed and, once again, he lost. When I finally boarded, I glanced into "First Class" and noticed the man sitting at the very front talking, animatedly, on his phone while the woman sat in the rear, obviously more relaxed, reading a book.
I spent the twelve-hour trip, scanning through technical manuals, sleeping, and talking to a member of the U.S. Coastguard and his new bride, who were returning from their honeymoon. It wasn't until I heard the announcement that we were about to land in Chicago that I began to wonder if this had been a good idea or a big mistake. Left with no other choice, I got off the plane and headed to the baggage area. I collected my few belongings and was just getting into a cab when I saw the man and woman exit the terminal. He was yelling at someone on the phone and she was doing everything in her power to shrink into the crowd and not be noticed.
"I don't give a fuck!! I told you to get the deal closed and get the old man to sign the papers. If you can't do that maybe I need to find somebody else to fill your position!" he paused listening. Then he shook his head and continued. "Listen. I'm going to be back in the office tomorrow morning! Either the paperwork is there or your desk is empty!" At which point he hung up. He stooped and slid into a waiting limo without a backward glance at the woman.
"Some men," I thought as I stepped into the waiting cab, giving him the address of where I wanted to go. I spent the trip looking at the various sights of Chicago and comparing it to the city I'd been living in until I heard the cab driver chuckle.
"Hey, mister. You should have caught a ride with the loudmouth at the airport!"
"Wha ...?" I responded, suddenly pulled back to the present.
"That's the same limo right in front of us."
For the next 30 minutes, we trailed the limo through downtown traffic, getting off at the same freeway exit, turning on the same streets, and finally pulling up to the same address.
Throughout the trip, the cab driver kept glancing at me, then at the limo, and then at me again. When I got out I handed him a ten-dollar tip.
"Hey, mister," he called out handing me back the tip. "I think you might need this more than me," he nodded his head towards the older man getting out of the back of the limo.
"Thanks, for this," I held up the money, "and that," I finished, giving him a small salute, due to the Veteran's sticker on his dashboard. Then, I grabbed my bags from the back seat and headed up the drive.
The man was so engrossed in whatever was on the screen of his phone that he didn't even notice me. It wasn't until the woman climbed out of the limo, minus the sunglasses, that things suddenly changed.
"Jen?" I thought as I froze in place staring into her grey-green eyes.
I could tell she recognized me. Her face turned ashen white, whether from fear or shock, I wasn't sure, and she stumbled, bumping into the man.
He turned and looked at her, and was about to say something when he followed her gaze and saw me.
"We don't deal with solicitors or bums," he snarled. "Get lost!"
I smiled realizing what was about to happen before replying, "Hello ... dad!"
He stood there but didn't say a word as he looked me up and down.
Jen's gaze shifted between me and my father and back again.
"What do you want?" he growled.
"Now, is that any way to talk to your only son?" I said, sarcastically.
"I have no son!"
"Darling," Jen interjected. "Is that really the way you want to treat him after being gone so long?"
He glared at Jen, daggers flying from his eyes. "If you're so interested in him, you take care of him!" he growled. Then, he pivoted and stormed into the house.
Jen walked towards me, her hand extended. "Hello, I'm Jennifer ... which, I guess, means I'm your stepmother."
"STEP-MOTHER!? WTF!?" my mind blared. "I'm ... Pete ... Peter," I stuttered taking her hand in mine. It felt like a bolt of lightning was surging through me. "Glad to meet you."
She chuckled, in typical business-wife fashion, but I could tell by the look in her eyes she was feeling the same thing. "Glad to finally meet you, too." Then she glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to us before continuing, "WHAT are you doing here?"
"I think we have a lot to talk about," I whispered in reply.
Just then one of the house staff approached and took my bags. "If you'll follow me, sir, I'll take you to your rooms."
"Rooms? What the fuck have I gotten myself into?" I asked myself as I followed the staff member.
"Please join us for dinner. It's served promptly at 7," Jen called out behind me.
My 'rooms' were actually a suite including a bedroom with a king-size bed, a sitting room including a beautiful European fold-down writing desk with credenza, and a bathroom that was bigger than my entire apartment and had a sunken tub.
After the events of the last 24 hours, I could think of nothing I wanted more than to wash up and get in some fresh clothes so I quickly shed my 'travel duds' and stepped into the huge shower stall. I barely had time to get wet before I had a feeling that I was being watched but when I turned around nobody was there.
I was dressed in a dark green polo shirt, a pair of black pants, and some loafers when the staff member suddenly appeared. He gave me the 'once over' and I could tell I wasn't what he expected or was used to.
"Is there anything I can do to assist you, sir?"
"First of all, my name is Peter or Pete if you prefer," I said as I extended my hand.
He looked down at my hand but didn't take it. "As you wish, sir."
I lowered my hand realizing this wasn't going to be easy. "Okay then. What's your name?"
"My name is Robert, sir."
I sighed. "Okay, Robert. Tell me about this place," I gestured about the room but meant the entire house, "and my ... mmmmmm ... I guess you'd call them my parents."
"As you wish," at which point he went into a long history of the house, its previous owners, and its place in the city's societal structure. "As for your father and stepmother, they've been married for approximately 5 years. I believe they met at a conference of some type in Ireland. Your father is a very well-known businessman in town and your step-mother is quite active in local social events and benefits. I think you may want to talk to them about anything further ..." he paused for a moment before finishing, "sir."
"Thanks, Robert. Now, do you think anyone would mind if I wandered around and got used to this place?"
"As you wish, sir."
"If I get called 'Sir' one more time by this guy I think I'm going to strangle him!" I chuckled to myself. So, for the next two hours, I investigated what was, at least for now, my home. Four suites, not including mine and my parents, each decorated in a different style and from a different European era, a huge formal dining area and a much smaller informal one, a library, a theater/TV room, a huge sitting area, and a yard the size of some of the farms back in France. The staff areas (kitchen, dining room, and personal rooms) were located on the far side of the house and were unofficially off-limits.
When I returned, I found Robert waiting for me in my room. "The lady of the house suggested you might want to wear these to dinner instead of your ..." he left the rest of his comment unfinished as he indicated some clothes laid out on the bed.
"Thank you," I said as I glanced at the new clothes which consisted of a dark suit coat with matching pants,
an off-white dress shirt with a gray tie, and a pair of black dress shoes. Since Jen had picked them out I had little doubt that they'd fit.