Juvenile Escapades

"How much working cash?"

"Ten grand."

"What the hell does he need ten thousand dollars for?"

"I am not sure, but I think it has something to do with mom."

"Oh crap. Where is Terry?"

"In the kitchen, getting ready for lunch."

Well other than the fact that one of the partners ran off with a big chunk of our operating capital, things seemed to be all right. Terry was busy, but seemed to have everything under control. He had figured out that it was easier to put out a small buffet every day than to let the guests order from the menu. It was working for him and there were no complaints from the lodgers.

"John. Welcome back. How was the trip?"

"It was a lot of fun, actually. I was glad that I went."

"I guess you know that Woody is gone?"

"Caitlyn gave me a quick rundown, but she didn't seem to know much."

"Colleen is in trouble. She called Seymour, and asked if he could get in touch with Woody. It seems that Dennis skipped out on her, after running up a nice size bill at the MGM grand. The hotel had her arrested for defrauding an inn keeper. The bill was just under ten grand. They are holding her in the local jail, until the bill is paid. She is looking at some jail time if nothing is done soon."

"You are not telling me that Woody is going to use our money to pay the hotel bill for Colleen and her boyfriend?"

"I don't think so. He was smiling when he left. He might have something up his sleeve."

"Boy, I sure hope so. We might need that money for the winter."

"He got a round trip ticket, and should be back this evening."

I was turning to leave, when I remembered my visit to Dora.

"Terry, I saw Dora while I was home. She is not doing well."

"Tough shit. After what they did to us, I don't have any sympathy for her or the others."

"I am not sure, but I think it might have been different with Dora."

"Different? How? A cheater is a cheater. It can't be undone."

"Loretta and Colleen might have pressured her into joining them. I don't think she wanted to, but she felt forced into it."

"Is that what she told you?"

"Not exactly, but she did want me to make sure to tell you that she didn't screw the guy."

"Then what the hell was she doing there?"

I didn't answer him. There was a short pause in the conversation before he started to put two and two together.

"Oh crap. Don't tell me. She wasn't screwing him, but she was sucking his cock. That's great. Just wonderful."

"She said that she felt as if she had to do something. She insisted that I tell you that she didn't fuck him. Apparently, Loretta and Colleen had really put the screws to her."

I could tell that Terry was upset. "I am sorry, John, but as far as I am concerned, sucking a guys cock is just as bad as screwing him. She shouldn't have been there in the first place."

I left him alone to brood. I think I understood what was going on in his head, but I have to admit that I didn't know what I would do under the same circumstances.

It only took me a few hours to get the days business done. I had to figure out how we could make money over the winter months. We had the fishing season covered, but we needed a little more. We were not interested in competing with the hunting camps and unanimously rejected anything to do with snowmobiles. My research was interrupted by a new guest.

Amanda Freese was a striking woman. Boy, was that a trite phrase. I was kicking myself for even thinking it. She was in her mid-forties, with short, dark hair and a perpetual tan. She wasn't a beauty, but her posture and demeanor compensated for it.

"You are the new owner I assume?"

"One of them. How can I help you?"

"I can pretty well take care of myself. I am Amanda Freese. I have been coming here regularly for the past few years and I am hoping to continue to do so. I hope you haven't changed too many things, because I hate change."

"If there are any changes that you do not like, just let me know."

"I will, I assure you."

I felt that she was trying to bait me a little, but I was unsure of her purpose in doing so. It was my responsibility to keep her happy, but I had no intention of allowing her to shit on me.

"Luc Boudreau has been my regular guide. I assume he is still available?"

"Absolutely."

"I am going to spend the rest of the day getting settled in today. Can you make sure that Luc is here in the morning?"

"No problem, Mrs. Freese."

Luc Boudreau was more than happy to tell me about Amanda Freese. For some reason, she took a shine to him. He was no better or worse than the other guides, but he refused to take any guff from her. He said that she seemed to like that. The only thing that she was interested in was pike fishing. That was odd, because she came from Burlington. There were plenty of pike in Lake Champaign. She had no reason to drive herself to our place. Luc wasn't sure, but thought that she was divorced. She had a son, who only came with her on one trip. He hated spending time on the lake, so she never brought him back with her. She was a great tipper and, it appeared that she was Luc's favorite guest.

Pike fishing was an unusual choice for a woman. It wasn't exactly exciting. Hooking and landing a pike is sort of like snagging a log. She never kept any of them. It was strictly catch and release. There was something fascinating about her. I was looking forward to her stay with us.

Some time in the middle of the night, Woody had returned. When I came down stairs, he was half way though breakfast and seemed happy to see me.

"Tell me the bad news, Woody. How much did your trip to Vegas end up costing us?"

Woody was sort of quietly laughing as Caitlyn poured me a cup of coffee.

"Not one cent, good buddy: not one damn cent."

"You seem in good spirits. I didn't anticipate that."

"I paid for my own ticket John. Round trip excursion fares to Las Vegas are pretty cheap. I took a wad of cash with me so that I could flash it in front of Colleen. It worked perfectly."

"What worked?"

Woody had finished his meal and pushed the plate aside. "They were holding Colleen until she could pay the hotel bill that she and dickhead had run up. He skipped out on her, but she wasn't smart enough to realize what was going on. When she repaid the $9700, plus court costs, she would be released. I showed her the money and promised to take care of everything as soon as she signed the divorce papers. I never saw her move so fast."

"I thought you said it didn't cost us anything?"

"John, I am not that stupid. I took the signed papers and walked right out of the court house. I am sure it was several hours, until she realized that I had screwed her just as bad as Dennis did. I mailed the signed papers to Seymour and caught the next plane back to Montreal."

"You are a rotten son-of-a-bitch, Woody."

"Yeah, I know, and I feel great."

When Caitlyn came over to refill the coffee, I asked her to bring me some breakfast. She said it would take a little while because Terry was gone. Now what the hell was going on?

Caitlyn was better in the kitchen than I was, so I helped out by waiting tables so that she could concentrate on the cooking. Luckily, the breakfast crowd was staggered out over several hours. I cleaned up in the kitchen while Caitlyn got all the housekeeping duties taken care. The lunch buffet went a little smoother. It was easier to be a bus-boy than a waiter. Caitlyn did a great job again, preparing the meal. There was no doubt that we needed more help.

Luc Boudreau was waiting in my office for me after lunch. It was not a good sign because I didn't want to lose him as a guide.

"Mister Mercer, I just need a minute of your time."

"Is something wrong, Luc? If so, I'll do whatever I can to fix it."

"Nothing is wrong, but I am concerned about Miss Amanda."

"Concerned how?"

"She is asking a lot of questions. She never does that. She is getting annoyed with me because I can not answer most of them. I don't want her mad at me."

"What kind of questions?"

"Mostly about you and why you bought the lodge. She asked me where you came from and about your wife. I can't answer any of these questions."

"She never did that before?"

"Hell, no. She never even talked to me before, except about the pike."

"Anything else?"

"She was asking a lot of question about the young girl: the one who does the housekeeping."

"Caitlyn? Why would she be asking about her?"

Luc just shrugged his shoulders. He felt uncomfortable about the whole situation, so I thanked him and he quickly left. He seemed relieved and satisfied about the conversation.

Woody took care of supper. He set up some grills on the front porch and we had all the guests cook their own steaks. The weather was cool and balmy, but every body seemed to enjoy it, even Amanda Freese. Beans, Cole Slaw and garlic toast were an easy accompaniment.

Woody and Caitlyn were cleaning up and I noticed Amanda Freese sitting by the fireplace with a glass of red wine. It wasn't really cold enough for a good fire, but the small one looked pleasant.

"May I join you?"

She didn't say anything, but shifted over on the couch to make more room. It was a good sign. I had no idea what I was going to say next.

"Did Luc come to see you?" She anticipated my visit.

"Did you tell him to?"

"Not really, but I primed the pump a little, so to speak."

"You baited him?"

"In a fashion. It became obvious that Luc did not know any more about you and your staff than I did. I would feel awkward approaching you directly, so I was hoping that he could get you interested enough to come to me."

"You are a very devious woman? Is there a purpose in your madness?"

She finished her wine and laughed a little. I reached out my hand for the empty, which she readily gave me. A few moments later, I returned with the bottle and two glasses.

"Now that you don't feel awkward anymore, are there any questions that you want answered?"

"Several."

"I'll make you a deal. I get to ask you a question for everyone that you ask me."

"That's not fair. I am entitled to my privacy, but you are not."

"Would you rather just sit here and enjoy the wine and the fire?"

"No. I want some answers."

"You are quite argumentative."

"Yes I am. Are you married?"

"No fair. You snuck in a question when I wasn't looking."

I don't know if it was the wine or the banter, but we were both getting comfortable.

"I am, or shall I say I was. I am presently in the process of getting divorced."

She nodded when I answered and took a sip of wine.

"My turn. Are you divorced?"

"You asked that question backwards."

"Yes, I know. I am an optimist."

"I have been divorced for nine years and I have an eighteen year old son."

"I have two daughters; married and gone."

"I didn't ask."

"I anticipated."

It was a strange conversation and it continued for over an hour. I was forced to open another bottle of wine before we finished. Amanda finally excused herself because Luc was expecting her at 6AM, and she proudly announced that she was never late.

I was looking forward to spending more time with her.

The next morning brought several unexpected surprises. Woody and I came down for breakfast together and were surprised that our new waitress was none other than Dora. Woody and I smiled at each other as we said good morning to her. Neither of us made any smart-assed comments and tried our best to act as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. At one point, I caught Dora looking at me and she silently said "Thank you." I just nodded.

Later that morning, Seymour called. Loretta had agreed to sign the divorce papers with one stipulation: She wanted to be free and clear of all liability connected to the house and that I would take over sole ownership. The house was trashed, but it still had good bones. I told him to go for it. I was six hundred miles away, but felt certain that I could figure something out. It was nice to see some positive results coming from a silly, childish prank. What truly amazed me is that she wasn't trying to get any of the assets that had been accumulated. She only knew about half of them, but it was odd that she was more than willing to walk away without demanding anything.

Terry stuck his nose in at the office and gave me a wink, but nothing more. He was a better man than I was, and I felt good for him.

Amanda Freese took the afternoon off from her fishing. She was in the main lodge area with Caitlyn. I glanced in at them a few times trying to get a feel for what was going on. Caitlyn seemed a bit agitated with the older woman at times, indicating that they were disagreeing about something, but she didn't walk away.

I had a difficult time concentrating the rest of the afternoon. I wanted to talk with Terry to find out what happen that put him back together with Dora. I was hoping to chat with Luc a little to see if the mysterious Mrs. Freese had said anything during the morning fishing. What was going on between Amanda and Caitlyn? I was dying to call Loretta just to let her vent a little and silently gloat. I felt sure that Dora wanted to talk to me, but without being obvious. Damn it, I was turning into the worlds biggest busy body. All of a sudden, I found my self laughing at the stupidity of everything that was going on.

Woody popped in with a couple of cold beers and broke the spell. Terry was bitching because we used all the steaks and screwed up his menu for the rest of the week. That beer sure tasted good. Woody and I decided that we would not ask Terry about what was going on with Dora. When he was ready, he would tell us.

Shortly after Woody left, Luc stopped in just to let me know that Mrs. Freese had been in a great mood that morning. She didn't catch many fish, but didn't seemed upset about it. He gave me a smile and a wink when he left. I was not sure what that meant.

Amanda Freese always sat by herself during meal time. I tried to avoid casual contact with the guests, but tonight I decided to impose on the mystery woman. Actually, she wasn't that much of a mystery anymore, just interesting.

"May I join you?"

"Of course. I haven't ordered yet."

"You didn't go out this afternoon."

"No. I wanted to talk to Caitlyn. I should have asked her father for permission first, but I was hoping to keep it casual."

"How did that work out for you?"

"Not too well, I am afraid. I wasn't able to explain things the way that I should have. I just hope that I didn't botch it up too bad."

Dora interrupted the conversation to take our supper order. We picked one of three entrees and the rest of the meal was prefix. Terry knew how to keep things simple.

"What exactly were you trying to do?"

"I told you last night that I had a son."

"You mentioned it, but you did not elaborate."

"Jason is very smart, good looking, and physically healthy, but he has one problem. He has been mentally abused by his father since he was a baby. Although he has always excelled at everything he attempted his father was never satisfied. The constant browbeating and belittling has left him with no self esteem and no confidence. He stutters and shies away from contact with other people, whether they are adults or people his own age."

"I assume that is what prompted the divorce?"

"Absolutely. I also have a restraining order that prevent his father from contacting him even after he became of legal age. I have good lawyers."

The conversation stopped momentarily as Dora served our food.

"Luc had said that Jason came here to the lodge with you on one occasion."

"Yes. I was hoping that it would help him relax, but he hated the lake and hated the fishing. Since then, He has stayed with my sister when I come up."

Do you feel bad about leaving him alone?"

"Yes, but I think it is necessary. I don't want him to be dependent upon me. At some point, he will have to be on his own. I try to stay away a little longer each time to condition him. Unfortunately, leaving him with my sister isn't helping much."

" I think I see where this is going, but why Caitlyn?"

"She is the same age as Jason. She seems to be poised and confident. She works hard. Other than that, I don't know much about her. She is attractive and people seem to feel comfortable around her."

"What is it exactly that you were expecting her to do for you, or should I say for Jason?"

"All I wanted her to do, was spend some one-on-one time with him. I was hoping that I could bring him here for a few weeks and that maybe he would open up some. He is scheduled to start at Princeton in six weeks. In his present condition he will not be able to go. I spent thousands of dollars on professional therapists and it was all wasted."

"That is probably too much to expect in two weeks."

"I have to try something."

"I noticed that Caitlyn did not appear to be too responsive."

"She promised to think about it, but I am afraid it doesn't look too promising."

"Would you like to talk to Woody?"

"I was hoping that you would be able to do that for me."

"Why me?"

"I am a good judge of people. Unfortunately, I allowed my father to select my husband for me. I will never make that mistake again."

"I'll see what I can do. Are you having desert?"

"I will, if you join me."

I found Caitlyn and Woody out on the porch. It was chilly, but beautiful.

"Can I interrupt?"

"By all means. Caitlyn and I were waiting for you do come out. How was your supper?"

"Interesting. Your beautiful daughter was the topics of our dinner discussion."

"That is what we were hoping."

"Uncle John, she pissed me off. I can't tell if she wants me to be a baby sitter or a prostitute." I wasn't really her uncle, but she got used to calling me that years ago and it seemed to stick.

"There is a big difference between those two options."

"Well, I am not nuts about either one of the choices."

"Is that how she presented it to you, or did you come to that conclusion?"

Caitlyn waited a moment before replying. "No, I just assumed that was what she was getting at. In any event, I have no intention of spending my time with a retard."

"Wow baby! Bad choice of words." Woody seemed a little annoyed with his daughters insensitivity.

"Well, I don't know how else to describe him. Mrs. Freese tried to explain what was wrong with him and I really didn't pay attention. My mind was jumping all around."

"Caitlyn, he is starting at Princeton in a couple months. He is not stupid or retarded. In fact, as I understand it, he is pretty damn smart."

Woody and I watched as his daughter paced back and forth on the porch. "No. It is still not right. She is offering me money to take care of her son. I am not a baby sitter and I am not a...." She paused in mid-sentence. "I am not an escort. You don't pay somebody to spend time with somebody else like that."

I smiled at her defiance. "I have an easy solution. Why don't you tell her that you will do want she wants for no charge. That way your reputation will stay untainted."

"What reputation? I don't care what other people think. I have to live with myself."

Woody was quietly laughing at his daughter's attempt to act grown up. What she was saying made sense, but it was a long stretch.

"How can I get my work done and watch him at the same time?"

"Dora can take over all of your kitchen and dining room duties and Jason can help you with house keeping in the mornings. That leaves the afternoons free."

"And what am I supposed to do with him then?"

"Run naked through the woods and make mad passionate love." Woody tried, but couldn't keep a straight face. It was a silly way to tease his own daughter, but she left herself wide open for it and he just couldn't resist.

"Damn it, Dad. Quit it. This is serious and you and John are turning it into some kind of a joke." Caitlyn plopped down on the bench between us.