It Just Happened Ch. 08

We walked the land and they talked about density, selling prices and building regulations. This was all new to me. From their conversation, I gleaned that they intended to buy the land jointly and split it in two, but how to divide it was the question. My brother pointed out signs of ledge and Stew found a natural valley he didn't like. I saw many disagreements on the horizon; this partnership would not work the way they were going about it. We walked back to the vehicles and shook hands. Stew said it had been good to see me again and I said the same.

Ed was unusually quiet on the way home. It was a big project, much bigger that he had ever tackled before. I wondered where he was getting the financing.

"Why isn't Stew building this project alone? How comes he needs a partner?" I asked, thinking, why did he pick my brother for his partner?

"These are to be custom homes and it will take years to complete. He doesn't have the experience or the resources for a project of this size."

And you do? I thought. "Want me to run the numbers?" I suggested, thinking that was the way to find out how much debt he planned to assume.

He laughed. "What do you know about building?"

I bristled. "I'm been around construction all my life. In case you've forgotten, I'm an accountant by profession."

As was his way, my brother backed off. I remember the time I got fed up with him bullying me and I decked him. He apologized and treated me with respect after that. "Okay, there's a folder in the top drawer of my file cabinet. It's labeled 'Stew'."

We dropped the subject. Ed got dressed for shopping and dinner with Jen, leaving me on my own. I found the file and was absorbing the details when my cell phone rang. It was Nadine.

"How did the conference call go?" I asked.

"They wouldn't budge from fifty cents on the dollar, Ben. I think I've been found out. Max wanted to know if I was in collusion with you."

"Who's Max?"

"He's the spokesman for our group. He didn't say anything while we were in conference, but he called me later and accused me of trying to lower the settlement we will accept."

"What did you say?"

She didn't answer. "What did you tell him?" I repeated.

"I told him you hold some kind of control over me," she said in a low voice, almost a whisper.

"You didn't tell him about this morning on the subway?" I asked, frantic.

"Yes, I had to."

"You didn't have to say anything. How did he react?"

"He wants me to send him the picture?"

"What? Did you tell him about sending me the picture of you?"

A long silence, followed by, "I had to."

"NO, you didn't have to. Did you...did you send the picture?"

"Not yet, I told him I would ask you if it's okay."

"It's not okay. I don't want you to do it."

"But..."

"But what?" I demanded and heard her whimper.

"Max said he will see to it that I'm fired if I don't send him the picture."

My mind was racing and I knew I wasn't thinking straight. Should I tell her to get his threat in writing? No, that wouldn't do any good because she would still have to tell her employer that she had sent the picture to me. The best we could hope for would be that Max would lose his job too. I certainly didn't want Nadine to lose hers. "Send him the picture and copy me," I said. "Tell him that you will copy the other members of committee if he hassles you again."

"Ben?" she asked, sounding like a thirteen-year-old girl, not a thirty-one year-old-woman.

"Yes, Nadine?"

"What if he likes the picture and wants to meet me in person?"

"You're getting way ahead, Nadine."

"But...what if?"

Why was she asking me this? Was it her wishful thinking that Max would want to meet with her in person? Would she comply if I said no? What would be the repercussions? Would Max pull the rug out from under me and take away the settlement offer? Or, if Nadine met with him could she convince him to side with me? "If he wants to meet with you...I guess you'll have to go."

"Thank you, Ben," she said, sounding pleased with my answer.

What have I done? I asked myself as we said goodbye. I hated myself.

Wanting someone to talk to, I called Millie. "I have a question," she said.

"What is your question?"

"Why don't you want to be seen in public with me until January?"

It was a reasonable question. I wondered why she hadn't asked it the day before. "Come over and I'll tell you."

"To my sister's house? Will we be able to talk privately?"

"They're out shopping and having dinner."

"I'm on my way," Millie said, almost breathlessly.

It was twenty minutes before she came in the back door, plenty of time for me to have a sandwich and glass of milk. I saw immediately why it took her twenty minutes to make the ten minute drive. Her hair was 'arranged' on top of her head. I went to her and held her at arm's length, really looking her over.

"I like your hair that way," I said, dropping my arms to my side.

"I wanted to do something different with it. I'm glad you approve," she said, maintaining the two feet between us. I removed her coat and led her to the living room where we took seats on the couch.

"I really got myself in the soup," I said, beginning to answer her question as to why we couldn't be seen in public until January. "Beverly Worthington asked us to bid on remodeling her house and Ed gave me the ultimatum of getting her to sign the contract for us to do the work or else I'll be out of work after next week."

"What's that got to do with being seen with me in public?" she asked, reaching for my hand.

"Ed believes, and I have to agree with him, that Beverly has designs on me. If word gets back to her that we're seeing each other she may give the contract to someone else out of spite. I don't know this for a fact, but I'm not taking any chances."

"Ed would actually fire you if you don't get the job?" Millie asked, incredulous.

"He won't fire me, but he threatened to lay me off," I said, thinking that it was contrary to our father's philosophy. Our dad always carried his workers through tough times. Maybe that's the reason he never prospered the way Ed obviously had.

"Oh, Ben, I'm so sorry that I questioned your sincerity," Millie said as she came into my arms. That's how Ed and Jen found us, holding each other, silently rocking.