Katie's Love Ch. 08

In August of 1997, Jean told me about moving into a new place to live. It was on the top floor of one of the more expensive buildings in New York at that time. She had the place completely remodeled and had a top of the line playroom put into one of the rooms. Then a couple of weeks later she told me about having a party there to break it in. She had twenty friends come over, mostly women but a few guys as well, and they were back in the playroom all night.

She said, "I would have invited you if I thought that you would have come. It was fucking out of this world Tony. We went though a ton of booze and a shit load of lube as well. I was so fucking sore the next day but it was worth it!"

"Sounds like it was pretty wild night Jean," I replied.

Jean answered, "Yes it was and I am already planning the next one. So if you decide that you want to come and play, just let me know."

But I knew that with her playing meant being on the bottom as well as on the top and that just wasn't where I was at anymore sexually. Especially after her occasional comments about how I should really get my ass fucked sometime. Nope, that wasn't very high on my list of things to do and as a matter of fact, it wasn't on the list at all.

After I had visited Katie's grave on the anniversary of her death in 1997 I decided to tell Jean about the candles and her spirit. I wrote her an email about it and even told her how Elizabeth could feel and talk to her as well, although I didn't tell her that she was in the room with us down in Harrisburg. But Jean didn't believe that what I was telling her was real.

Jean told me when she called the next week, "I think that is sweet but I don't believe in that kind of stuff. If it helps you Tony, that is fine with me."

So I just let the matter drop at that point. I figured that if Katie wanted Jean to know that she was still around that she would do so,

In the fall of 1998 I got a call about doing some work at a new client. It was going to be a once and done deal but I never turned those down. The client was located close to the town where the bar was, that Katie and I used to go to. I didn't know if it was still open or if Pete or Angie were still there, but I decided at lunchtime to take a ride down. I walked in, looked around and the place hadn't changed at all. I sat down at the bar, waited for the bartender to come over, and it was Pete. He had lost most of his hair and what little was there was almost white.

"Still serving lunch here?" I asked.

"Yes," he said and went got a menu.

I looked it over and ordered a cheese steak and fries along with a soda. He got me the soda and took the order back to the kitchen.

When he came back I asked, "Does Angie still work here?"

Pete looked at me funny like and answered, "Angie? I haven't heard that name in years. She hasn't worked here for a long time. I don't know what happened to her, just one day she quit and that was it." Then he looked at me closely and asked, "You have been in here before?"

I said, "Yes Pete, but it has been a very long time as well."

He thought for a few seconds and replied, "You are the guy whose girlfriend got killed. Katie right?"

I nodded my head and said, "Yes."

He said, "That was a damn shame. You know people come and go out of here all the time and I don't remember too many of them other than the regulars. But I still remember her."

I answered, "She was a very special person.

He said, "I feel like a beer. Do you want one?"

I usually didn't drink when I was working but I answered, "Why not."

He poured two of them out of the tap, brought them over, and handed me one. We touched glasses in a silent toast.

I heard a bell ring and he said, "That's your food."

Pete went and got it, and we talked as I ate. There weren't many people there that day.

Pete said, "Angie took Katie's death pretty hard for some reason. She told me that she was going up to the cemetery and after that she was never the same. Not nasty or anything bad like that. It just seemed like she was sad all the time."

I replied, "I wish that I had known that it had hit her that hard. She gave me her phone number but I never called. I guess I should have."

"Business had picked up," he said, "And I had another girl working as well. Angie came in to work one night a few months later and told me that she was quitting. I asked her why but she didn't say. I paid her what I owed her and that was it. I thought that I would hear from her once in while but I never did."

He also told me that he was thinking of selling the bar.

I asked why and he answered, "It's just time."

I finished eating and asked, "How much do I owe you?"

Pete replied, "Nothing. This is on me."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

He said, "Yes. It has been nice talking."

I reached across the bar and we shook hands. As it turned out a couple of years later I got a call from the same client and headed back down there for lunch. There was a different name on the sign and the front of the building had been completely remodeled. I never went in.