Take A Chance!

Let me back this up a little. These oyster dinners were big time. People came from all over so they could engorge themselves on as many oysters as their tummies would allow. The custom had always been, and Cal knew it, to get a number, take a seat in the waiting area, and wait to be called to a table. So what was Cal doing, and who did he think he was that he could break protocol and just jump the line?

I was completely taken aback! Of course I'd recognized him right away. I don't think he knew me from Adam. The first thing I realized was how good he looked. The years, all four of them, hadn't hurt him a bit. He looked really healthy and muscular. He still had that trim little waist, but I could see he'd added inches to his shoulders. His hair was a little shorter, and his clothes fit perfectly. He looked terrific! But I knew I couldn't let him jump the line. I was afraid to go up to him myself so I turned to Mrs. Hawthorne, my second in command, and asked her to stop the intrusive couple, I said, "Mrs. Hawthorne would you please say something to that intrusive couple?"

Mrs. Hawthorne turned and looked at me, "You mean Cal and his wife?"

I played dumb, "Cal?"

She only smiled, "I'll stop them."

I watched as Mrs. Hawthorne went over and reminded Cal and his wife they'd broken an important custom. She must have mentioned me because he looked back in my direction. I know he saw me, but I don't think he recognized me. I blushed anyway. Then he turned, put his arm around his wife's waist and walked her over to the waiting area.

Back to Cal:

I recognized her as soon as we walked into the hall. Jesus I'd forgotten how beautiful she was. There she stood straightening the paper plates just looking all beautiful and demure. I can't recall how many times I'd seen her looking exactly like that in my dreams. She was wearing this pretty white blouse with a big black bow at the neck. Her pleated mini-skirt came to just above her knees, and instead of wearing dark nylons she had on dark blue knee high stockings that exactly matched the color of her skirt. She was wearing dark blue leather shoes with like fat two inch high heels. She still kept her hair short. She'd let her bangs grow out since I'd last seen her, and she was combing them over and across her forehead. I saw her little hooped earrings.

She still had that way of pursing her lips like she was looking for something or somebody to kiss. I almost messed my pants right there on the spot. I looked down at my lovely wife. She was looking up at me. I wondered if she knew what I was thinking.

My wife asked, "You know her?"

I tucked her waist in my arm, and after Mrs. Hawthorne reminded me of the waiting area I whispered, "This is a small town. Everybody knows everybody around here."

My wife pressed it just a little, "You didn't say; do you know her?"

I replied, "We went to school together. We graduated in the same class." I think that satisfied my wife. She didn't ask any more questions.

Susan, Cal's wife:

"Cal thinks he's clever. He recognized the little squirrel as soon as we walked in. I wonder sometimes why I bothered to marry him. But I know why. For one he's easy to boss around. I also know he loves me, but most of all I married him to piss people off. I had a real boyfriend, I mean a real boyfriend in my senior year, a man a girl could look up to, but he said he wasn't ready for marriage yet. He said he wanted to sow some wild oats first. Damn I'd thought I was his wild oats. His name is Devin, Devin Bradford. Devin's like me, a real Maryland first family type, and a blueblood. My name is Susan McCabe, my maiden name was Susan Calvert; that's right Calvert, as in George Calvert, one of the Calvert's who originally owned and settled Maryland.

The second person I pissed off was my dad. He expected me to marry someone more suitable. Cal's a nice boy, a little backward, but he's really not my type. McCabe, come on, Scottish? He's one of the ones who came to Maryland after the civil war; not that one, the real one; the one in the 1640's not the 1860's. Back in the 1640's, that was when the Puritans took over in England and killed the rightful king, then they'd hired all those Scottish mercenaries to clamor all over the Catholics in Maryland; that's when Cal's family showed up.

Cal's family originally settled on the Eastern Shore. His parents came over to the west side of the Bay right after World War Two. My family is known for its tolerance and open mindedness. The McCabe's, aren't nearly so open like my people. My family settled in what is today Charles County. Later we moved to the city, Baltimore City, as in Lord Baltimore.

My family has been in all the major wars in our country's history. I guess Cal's people have to. The big difference was I guess most of my people fought for the South in the War Between the States, whereas Cal's people mostly went for the North. He and his people have been on the wrong side of history and society since day one.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a snob. I have friends who aren't society; why some of my sorority sisters came from the other side of the tracks. We even had some Italians in our sorority; after all they were still Catholic.

I guess I love Cal, sort of. He's smart at what he does; he's in things like financial planning and business management. I majored in Art History. Heck, I agreed to move out here to 'Hickdom' didn't I? There was another reason though. My boyfriend, I mean Devin, he got a job in Frederick, and Frederick's only about an hour from where we are right now. We've already talked. He's bored and lonely. Am I going to cheer Devin up or what?

Yeah, sure, I love Cal, but I'm not having his kids, and I'm not staying out here in 'Cow Paddy Land' any longer than I have to. I have to admit Cal's good with horses. I like horses. I have two; both purebreds. Cal likes to talk about this family out here that have this horse farm loaded with what Cal calls therapy animals. He says these are horses that have been neglected or abused that this family has adopted and cares for. Cal said he used to work there when he was in high school. He said that's where his brother taught him to ride. He says they use the horses to work with disadvantaged and abused children; that's the therapy part I suppose. Look, I love horses, all horses, but sometimes you have to draw the line; if they're too bad off isn't it more humane to just put them out of their misery and turn them into dog food?

Look, I've got my money, but Cal's still got to get his. I'll hang around till something, or someone better comes along, then I'll take my cut of what he makes and move on. Yeah, I love Cal, he's got prospects.

Back to Arlene:

Mrs. Hawthorne smiled at Arlene, "You used to date the McCabe boy once didn't you?"

Arlene smiled at no one in particular, "Yes ma'am, back in high school. That was a long time ago."

Mrs. Hawthorne took her plate of potatoes and started for a fresh table, "Yes, it's been what, four years?"

Arlene looked up, "Yes, four I think, a long time."

The rest of the dinner went off without a hitch. Cal and Susan, along with everyone else got their ham and oysters. I kept busy supervising what everybody else was doing. Every now and then I glanced over at Cal's table. He looked really happy. He had a beautiful wife, he was at the start of a great career, or at least that's what I'd heard, and he'd bought a house on Quality Hill, or so I heard somebody say. Quality Hill is a stretch of really nice older homes in what everyone agreed was the best part of town. I mean I hadn't snooped or anything, that's just what I'd heard.

There are other nice streets in town. There's Catholic Hill too, but Cal, like me, is a Methodist. I didn't think he'd ever buy on Catholic Hill.

Arlene goes on; it's a few weeks later:

I got my breakfast diner up and running. It's just off Main Street at the north end of town; a great, really convenient, location for men and women on their way to work to stop in, grab a cup of coffee and a bagel, and for the locals to stop in after a morning's work to order up a heap of eggs.

I get in around 4:00 a.m., and open up at 5:00. My mom takes care of little Cal in the morning. He's in pre-K, and like his dad, he's doing pretty good, smart I mean. I stay open till around 1:00 maybe 2:00 in the afternoon, then I clean the place up, and get everything closed in time for when little Cal awakens from his afternoon nap. Then he and I play and stuff till it's time for both of us to go to bed.

I'm starting to worry about little Cal. He's a good little boy, and I love him to death, but he needs a man around. Now I have my dad, but he's getting up there. Little Cal's going to need a real father figure someday. They're plenty of eligible guys, and I know I could pick any of them, but I'm looking for the right fit. So far Mr. Right just hasn't shown up yet. Well, that's not exactly true.

Day in and day out at the Breakfast Diner:

It's kind of interesting seeing how you get your regulars, your short timers, and your checker outers. Every morning like clockwork the really early birds start to show up. I had a friend of mine; a guy I really like, a guy I think would like to take our friendship to another level, cut out a drive through. Now I can get more people through. I had to hire on a young housewife to help me. Her dad owns a dairy farm and her husband helps with the morning milking so she's up early anyway. She gets in around 5:30 and works till about 9:00. This gives me time to work the counter, the tables, and the booths. I have a twelve stool counter, four small tables, and six booths; it's not a mountain of work, but it keeps me on my toes.

Like I said I have my regulars. Cal started showing up about the fifth week I was open. He first started to get in around 5:30, but since my helper, Mary, that's my housewife helper, started, Cal began showing up a little later. He sits at the counter; he buys a cup of coffee and usually a bagel, sometimes he'll order eggs.

Stupid me, I was worried he'd start using the drive through window, but he said he likes the taste of fresh brewed coffee when it comes in a ceramic cup. If he keeps coming I'm thinking about buying him his own personalized cup. I could do that for all my regulars; it would be a nice way of showing them my appreciation for their patronage. I could set up a shelf out in the restaurant where they could get their own cups.

He always looks so good in the morning. He always wears a nice suit. Since the weather's gotten warmer he's been taking his sport jacket off. He looks really sharp in those crisp, freshly starched, white shirts and his dark suspenders. There's something about suspenders on a young man. Cal's got this tiny waist and these broad shoulders. When he takes his coat off I swear I almost swoon.

Big Cal so handsome; he doesn't know the secret I have. He's a daddy, and every night I put his little boy to bed. Each evening, after I read to my baby his bed time story I tuck him. I can see more and more of his dad in him all the time. I thought if I could have more like him, I'd make the sacrifice and have the sex. That'll never happen though; there's no way I'll ever see his daddy in my life ever again, not like that. My Cal has those same big brown eyes, and that same sweet smile. I know my boy is going to grow up and be just like his dad.

Big Cal comes in every morning and we talk. He likes to talk about his wife and all the things they plan to do together. It looks like Big Cal's going to have that big family he wants. I just know he's going to be a great dad. I like listening to all his plans. It makes me glad that he's so happy.

Susan's plans:

I got a text message the other day from a sorority sister. We'll translate it from text speak for the uninformed, "Hey Sue, Devin's in Frederick, he's a lawyer, and he's making big money. He's not married, and he was asking about you. I told him you were just a few miles away. Don't be surprised, and don't be a stranger."

I texted back, "Keep me up to speed. If you get a chance let our boy know what my phone number is."

A week later I got my first text from Devin, "Susan, I've missed you. Heard you married Cal. Good choice. Maybe we could get together, you know talk."

I texted back, "I don't work; nothing to do around here except teach school, and that's a definite zero. Hey let's meet up."

A day later from Devin, "My schedule's loose. How's your?"

I sent right back, "I'm good. You want to meet?"

Devin hit back, "Any time."

I responded, "There's a little eatery in the town where I live, a dive really, run by some homeless chick or something, a breakfast place. I've been there a few times; the place is dead after 1:00 till it closes at 2:00 or so. Want to try it?"

The next afternoon Devin and I were in a booth at Arlene's breakfast diner. Devin started first, "Gee, Susan I've missed you."

I replied, "I've missed you too Devin. Betty Lou says you're doing well in Frederick."

"Yeah, the city's growing fast, lots of new business. It's in a good location, not far from D.C. and the night life down there."

I sighed, "I miss going out at night. There's nothing to do around here; the place is absolutely dead."

Devin was sympathetic, "That's too bad Susan. I know you married a boy from around here. He's a nice guy; a little backward though."

I answered, "Yeah Cal, the honor student, got a job near here working for a banking conglomerate or something. All he does is work. He never wants to go anywhere or take me anyplace."

"Oh yeah, Cal McCabe, country boy, likes sheep and cows and such. I still sometimes wonder how you ever ended up with him."

I smiled, "He made the best offer."

Devin grinned, "Too bad; you should have held out. I hear there was another suspicious character hanging around your place."

I winked, "Is he still available?"

Devin winked back, "Could be, depends on how bored you are."

++++++++++++++++++++++

For next twenty minutes Susan and Devin rehashed old times at college. They talked about the parties, the tricks they played on classmates and friends. They talked about all the fun they'd had each year on Spring Break, those special intimate times they shared just before and right after graduation.

Susan silently reflected on the last time they'd been together. It had been just a week before she'd married Cal. That last weekend with Devin was perhaps the happiest she'd ever been. Too bad Devin never popped the question. She'd have gone to him in a minute. Well she considered, that was a long time ago, nearly a year.

++++++++++++++++++++

Finally Devin announced, "Look I've got to cut out. I have an appointment in Washington." The last thing he did was leave me his home and office phone numbers, "Call me if you get bored."

I took the numbers and quietly coded them into my cell phone. I used phony names-just in case.

++++++++++++++++++++

Arlene spent most of that afternoon cleaning the grill and the oven. She noticed Susan; she remembered who she was. She wondered who the man she was with was. It never occurred to her anything might be wrong. Oh she knew about marital hanky-panky, but she'd never lived in that kind of world; and besides different married couples came in and met with each all the time. She figured the guy was probably someone doing something to the new house Cal had bought. She finished her work, and went home.

The Clock Keeps Ticking:

Cal was a hard worker; his clients and his bosses soon took note of the uncanny ability he had in anticipating the ebbs and flows of the markets. The harder he worked, the more successful he became, the more success he had, the more they piled on him. He found himself going in early every morning, but staying later and later each night. Sometimes he didn't get home till eight or nine o'clock. Dead dog tired he barely had time to get a shower, wolf down a little food, and slump off to bed. The only free time he found he had was the few moments each morning he spent at the breakfast nook. Cal noticed an unpleasant dichotomy had begun to emerge.

The evenings had their predictable litany. It sounded somewhat like this.

I'd walk in the front door and Susan would be waiting, "Cal I want to go out tonight."

I'd respond, "Not tonight honey; how about Friday?"

"Oh come on Cal, I'm home alone all day long. There's nothing to do around this one horse town."

I'd respond, "You could help out with the Womens' Auxiliary. Maybe you could bring your horses up. I have friends at several farms. They'd be delighted to stable your horses. You could find some friends and go horseback riding. I know a bunch of women who ride regularly, every morning in fact."

Susan would react, "Cal I want to go dancing."

I'd reply to that one, "I could do that. Have you ever taken up clogging?"

"Clogging? Clogging! Come on Cal, I mean real dancing, you know something at a nightclub, a dance club!"

"Gee Susan I don't know. Is there a place around here like that?"

No she'd reply, "We'd have to go in to Washington."

I knew Susan was unhappy, but I worked so hard, I had so little time. I always replied, "We'll try, how about the weekend?"

She'd always reply, "Oh never mind."

On the other hand there were the mornings at the breakfast nook.

Arlene would greet me with a fresh bagel or mix up a batch of scrambled eggs, sometimes just a scrambled egg sandwich, or on special occasions she'd fix up a stack of pancakes and fried eggs. I liked breakfast food, and Arlene was great at fixing it.

It was like Arlene was so concerned. She'd see me in the morning and say, "Gosh you've got a new shirt or a new tie on." Then sometime she'd look all sad and say something like, "Cal gee are you getting enough sleep. You look really tired. If you don't slow down you're going to get sick."

I knew what it was. Arlene paid attention to things; not just with him, but with everybody, but I thought especially toward me. She seemed to know my moods, when I was tired, when I was irritable about something, or when something had really gone my way at work. I started to look forward to the few minutes I had with her each morning.

Then deep inside, I wondered why she'd never gotten married. I also wondered about the kid she had. I'd never seen the child, and Arlene never mentioned him. I'd heard her talk about her son to some of the other patrons, but they all always had to ask first. She never volunteered. I remembered that guy; Gary had been his name. Was that the guy who got her pregnant? Was her child Gary's? I thought about that sometimes. In fact lately I'd been thinking about Arlene a lot. It made me feel a little bit guilty; like I was cheating in a way on my wife. Maybe I should stop going to the Breakfast Diner?

Time Stops for just a second:

I decided I'd stop going to the Breakfast Diner on the way to work. I started fixing my coffee and eggs and having a bagel at home. That lasted for about two weeks until Susan started to complain about the dirty dishes and cups in the sink when she got up.

She'd say, "Cal you know I'm not an early riser. I'm never up before 10:00 a.m. and the idea of having to clean your dirty dishes and wash out grimy fry pans the first thing I get up is a serious irritant. I thought you liked the food at the Breakfast Nook."

That did it for me; just two weeks away and I was back at the nook.

Was I ever surprised and shocked. The first morning I was back Arlene almost tackled me, "Where have you been?"

I only nodded and started to say something.

Arlene didn't give me a chance, she said, "Sit down here. Let me whip up a batch of cakes and some fresh fried eggs." She poured me a big coffee. I noticed the cup she used had my name on it.