Isn't That How You Got Her?

I bought them at a bargain basement price, leaving me plenty of money left over to fix them up. I used contractors when I had to, but did a lot of the repairs myself, mostly roofing, painting, and flooring. Plumbing and electrical were out of my league and I left them to the professionals. In three months eight were occupied, a year later they were all refurbished and I averaged ninety per cent occupancy.

The economy improved, and I flipped them for four times what I had in them. I already had another set I wanted, if the price was right. It was an inheritance, and the new owner wasn't sure what she wanted to do. I was hoping cash would sway her. They were in another town a hundred miles away, but I was used to moving.

In fact, I had worked out a deal with the new owners of the apartments that I got six months of free rent. I had two months left when there was a knock on the door.

It was Sandy, my ex. I hadn't seen her in close to four years. She seemed stunned.

"What are you doing here?," she demanded right off the bat. She still didn't have warm and fuzzy feeling over the way I'd left her.

"I live here. What do you want?"

"Well, um, I just moved in four doors down. I had no idea you lived here. No one else was home, and I've managed to lock myself out. My keys and phone are in my pocketbook, so I just knocked on doors until someone answered. Could I use your phone to call the management company?"

Against my better judgement I let her in, dialing the number for her since I knew it by heart. She talked, explaining her situation, and they promised they'd send over someone with keys shortly. It had started raining so I let her stay, busying myself by packing.

She looked at the pictures on my walls and tables. Ones of Charley, Mom, my Stepdad and Dad, the friends I'd made in Saudi Arabia, old high school and college friends I still stayed close to. There was even one or two of Chris.

She was in between husbands at the time when I came back, and we hooked back up for a couple of months. When I made it clear I would never marry her, she drifted off. Her business thrived, and she was smart enough to exclude it from every marriage.

"None of me?" Sandy sounded kind of hurt, and I couldn't figure out why.

"Not a one," I replied, "I threw them away when I left for Saudi the first time. Wasn't memories I wanted to keep."

Damn if I didn't see a small tear. Why the hell should it matter?

"I never said it before, Mitchell, but I'm sorry. I was horrible to you. I'd like to think I'm a better person now. Looking back, I can't understand why I was so arrogant, so self centered. Sorry if you don't want to hear this, but I promised myself if I ever got a chance, I'd tell you.I know we'll never be together again, but life has taught me karma can be a bitch, and I don't want you to hate me forever."

I'd stopped hating her a long time ago, it just wasn't worth the emotional energy. I'd never love her again, to be honest I just didn't think of her at all anymore. I told her that. It seemed to cheer her up. Just then the man from the management firm showed up.

Though I hadn't sought her out when I got home, old friends sometimes mentioned her. She'd married again, and it lasted four years. She never lived again in anything as nice as we had, never had the comfortable lifestyle we enjoyed. That seemed punishment enough. Still surprised me when she hugged me. I only saw her once more before she died, auto accident, she was forty two when she passed. I read the obituary, but never attended the funeral. I did send a small bouquet without a card, in memory of the good years.

I went to the town, settled into a hotel, and waited for the realtor to call. She called the next day, saying the owner wanted to meet me. I was looking out the window at the agents' office when she drove up in a nice Audi. Her long red hair was unrestrained and fluttered in the wind, and I'd never seen a business suit look so sexy. She had on huge sunglasses so I didn't get a look at her face, but she seemed familiar.

When she stepped through the door she stopped short, staring at me. She took her glasses off and I knew. It was Gloria. The last time I'd seen her was almost six years ago, at the bar.

We broke into grins and hugged each other, taking the next hour to catch up, asking the agent to excuse us for about an hour.

"What happened to you? After our talk, you disappeared. I had wanted another date."

Her brilliant white teeth flashed. "I took the advice of the first man I'd been with in two years that didn't have sex with me. I transferred here, with a promotion. Got myself a shrink, made good friends, exercised, generally got my head together. Didn't sleep with a man for over two years, and then only after we were married. I told him I was worth the wait and he agreed. We had three good years together."

He'd been a dentist, and a reservist. He got called up, but even then he was safe. He got killed while doing volunteer work for the Afghanistan government, fixing the teeth of children. The clinic was hit by five RPGs, leveling the building. They found him under the rubble, two very much alive children under him.

She seemed terribly sad for a few seconds, then grinned. "I heard what you did to Tony. It bothered me for awhile, I couldn't reconcile the man I knew with someone that cruel. But I figured it out eventually. Don't know if I'd have taken that route, but I've never been in that situation. Now, promise me you'll let me cook you dinner tonight, and we'll call the agent in.

I did and we did. She wasn't sure she wanted to sell, and I wasn't sure I wanted to invest that much money. We agreed to put it on hold, and I went back to the hotel to get ready for my date.

She had a really nice house in a really nice neighborhood. I'd learned a lot about real estate and put it in the four to six hundred thousand range, depending on acreage and how nice the inside was.

Gloria met me at the door, wearing jeans and a t shirt, grinning at me and my suit. "I should have told you casual. Lose the tie and the jacket. I'd offer you a drink, but I haven't touched alcohol since the night I walked out of that bar. Will a glass of tea do?"

I'd pretty much given up alcohol because of the time I'd spent overseas, so it didn't bother me a bit. She insisted I help her finish dinner. When she had the casserole in the oven, she took me on a tour. Eleven acres with a horse barn, matching her neighbors. Olympic size pool, hot tub, pool/guest house, and a full gym. I adjusted my estimate up by a third. She laughed.

"I know, way too much for a single person, but the fact is I loved this house. Jimmy bought it for me as a wedding present." She teared up a little and I hugged her. She had really loved him.

She told me over dinner she almost never used the home gym, preferring to go the the Y. She said it helped keep her grounded. I told her everything I'd been up to since we'd parted.

"Why didn't you remarry?"

I shrugged. "Never found anyone I wanted that much. I had my eye on this hot redhead, but she disappeared on me years ago. Guess I've been carrying a torch for her ever since."

She laughed, taking the joke as it was meant to be. Then she got serious.

"I always wondered what it would have been like to have been with you. Well, here we are, both single. I wouldn't mind being wooed by someone I've always been fond of. Just know, your chance of separating me from my panties are slim to none, unless we make some serious commitments to each other."

Well, there it was. We spent the rest of the night laughing, comfortable with each other. I helped her wash the dishes, she made me watch a chick flick with her on her giant television, sitting beside me and holding my hand. It was enough.

We went into partnership on the apartments. For fifty per cent interest I remodeled them and spent every nonworking moment with her. We'd had some pretty intense makeout sessions, but she stuck to her guns and that was as far as it went. This was our norm for the last six months. Here lately she'd been hinting about a deeper partnership, and talking about ticking clocks. I've never seen a woman who loved children more.

So here I sit, in this little coffee bar, idly spinning the diamond ring in my hand. Tonight I was going to propose a formal merger, an equal partnership in all things excepting what she had before. She'd built that with her husband, and he deserved that much respect. At some point in the near future, I hoped there would be a couple of additions. I was pretty sure she would agree to that. I'd ask you to wish me luck, but I suspect I won't need it.

*****

Well, there it is. it's nice to be back. To be honest, between work and my health, I haven't had an opportunity to write much. It took me a long time to learn to type with only the first two fingers of my left hand. The other two have been numb since last January and will never improve.

Aside from that, I stopped because I was getting stale, and repetitive. As many others have said before there are only a few variations in basic story lines here. I've got a few coming up that may or may not disprove that theory. We'll see.

One last thing. I'd like to thank all the people that gave me enough votes to win third place in the romance section for a story I did last November. I appreciate it.

As always, comments of all types are welcomed, and votes are appreciated. Thanks,

Q