Today they were back at Albany Hill, sitting on a bench overlooking the bay. Tommy was off somewhere, nearby but out of sight, so Clarisse and Russel had the bench and the park to themselves. They walked the trails and then, sat to watch the sun go down over the city.
“I have tomorrow off. We could do something,” Clarisse said. “We could go out for dinner. Or, maybe just stay home and barbecue in my backyard. I’ll do the cooking this time.”
“Uh, I can’t this weekend, Clarisse. I have to leave tomorrow on business.”
“Business? I thought your business was here in Albany and Berkeley.”
“Well, something’s come up. I, uh, well I heard about a business opportunity in Laramie, and—”
“Laramie! Laramie? That’s in Wyoming. Why can’t you stay here for business?”
“Clarisse, calm down and let me explain. It’s just an opportunity, that’s all. A guy I know is selling his business and retiring. He services the HVAC for several resorts, and I’m just going to look at it, okay?”
“I don’t know. I… well, it worries me.”
“Clarisse, my buddy Jerry took me on years ago, when I was lost. Father Mike hooked me up with him when he had a shop in Salt Lake City. He sold the place and moved to Laramie. He was supposed to retire there, but he got bored so he bought the HVAC outfit there. Now, his wife is threatening to divorce him if he doesn’t fully retire. I promised I would look at it.”
“Look at what? Moving to Wyoming? I thought you liked it here! You told me this was the perfect place for a business like yours.”
Clarisse couldn’t exactly explain the panic gnawing at her heart. She just knew that if Russel left for Wyoming that a vital piece of her world would be ripped out from under her.
“It’s not that. It’s a chance to expand. Businesses that aren’t growing slowly die. Your acting like I plan on moving there. I’m not.”
Russel’s reassurances he wasn’t moving offered some comfort, but not enough. “Wyoming… well, it’s a long way from here.”
“I’m going to be gone for a week,” Russel said, not looking at her.
The fact he couldn’t look her in the eye had the fear returning, full-force. “A week? Why would it take so long to look at a business to see if you want to buy it?”
“Alright, there’s something else,” he began, his voice soft. “You know my brother is in San Quentin… Well, he’s being transferred to a place in Salt Lake because he’s got cancer. There’s a doctor that works with the Huntsman Medical Institute, and he specializes in this type of cancer. There’s some sort of clinical trial. I don’t know all the details, but…”
Clarisse could see the reason for a week-long trip now. Maybe, he would get a chance to visit with his brother. “Okay, Salt Lake, but that’s not Wyoming. What’s with Wyoming? It’s January! Isn’t it like negative twenty degrees out there?”
Russel let out a snort of laughter. “True, but it’s been mild so far. What better time to check up on the heating portion of the business and see if the customers are happy?”
“This isn’t funny.”
“You’re right. The real reason is my brother. Laramie is closer to Salt Lake City, and I could visit my brother when I go up to check on things.”
“Wait, you just said you’re looking at the business, but now it sounds like you already have plans to buy.”
“Yes… no.”
Clarisse felt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest. He was leaving her. They’d hadn’t known each other all that long, and it shouldn’t hurt so badly… but it did.
“That didn’t come out right,” Russel said, giving Clarisse’s hand a squeeze.
“I’m a businessman. So when Jerry called, my mind immediately began to work the details and find out how I could make it work. See… that’s what business owners do. They find a way to make things work. Clarisse, I think I could run the business from here, with the right man in charge in Laramie. I might know a guy—”
“Fine, you go to Wyoming. Check things out. I just wish you’d told me this before. You know how we said we wouldn’t keep secrets from each other?”
Clarisse knew she was being difficult and irrational, but she just couldn’t think straight when she thought of Russel leaving her. It just hurt too much.
“It’s… I didn’t. Not really. This just came together yesterday. First a letter from my brother and then Jerry’s call. I’ve hardly had time to process it all.”
“Yet, you managed to organize a week-long trip, leaving tomorrow?”
“That just took a few phone calls.”
She stood up. “And I wasn’t one of them.” She turned away from Russel and called, “Tommy! Tommy, where are you? Time to go!”
She began to walk away, not understanding her feelings at all. Turning back to Russel, she asked, “When do you leave tomorrow?”
“First thing in the morning,” he said. “I’m sorry, Clarisse. If I’d known it would upset you so much, you would have been my first call.”
Clarisse was still trying to figure out why she felt so abandoned and told him curtly, "Well, have a good trip. I’m sorry to hear about your brother. I’ll see you when you get back. We should leave now, and you’d better get some rest for your long drive.”
“Clarisse, I—”
“No, it’s my fault,” she said. “Sometimes I just assume things.” She looked around, and called again, “Tommy, let’s go, honey!” Turning back to Russel, she said “Thanks for bringing the Harley and taking Tommy for another ride. Maybe you and I can go out again when you get back.”
Tommy came running up, out of breath, and said, “Can we go for another ride, Russel?”
“Not today,” Russel said. “I think your Mom is tired and wants to go. We’ll do it again soon. Okay?”
They headed down the hill to the parking lot. Russel knew this Wyoming business thing had really upset Clarisse, but he couldn’t figure out why. He’d only be gone a week, and if it worked out then, yeah, he had to go check on things occasionally, but it probably would only be a week every three months. Maybe it was the fact he hadn’t called her first to tell her or… or what?
Russel didn’t know. Clarisse was the only woman he’d ever felt this way about. The only woman he’d considered making a part of his permanent future. He couldn’t lose her. He just couldn’t now that he’d finally found her.
As they neared her car, Russel said, “Look. I told you that I’m a business man, and I fix things. I can fix this. I don’t know what about the trip is upsetting you so much but—”
“You were right. I am tired. I guess I worked harder today than I thought.” She gave Russel a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I enjoyed our walk and the time together, and I know Tommy liked the ride. We’ll see you when you get back.”
Things still weren’t right, but Russel knew when to back down. If he pushed anymore, he’d just make things worse. Sometimes negotiations took time. “Sure. I’ll call you from Laramie, okay?”
“That’s fine Russel. Good night. Come on Tommy, let’s go home.”
Russel got on the Harley and started it, watching them get into the car and drive off. He sat there a few moments, still wondering what he had done wrong.
“Tomorrow’s another day,” he said, aloud and rode home.
Chapter 14
Jerry was in good spirits when Russel arrived at his shop in Laramie on Tuesday. He gave Russel a tour of the shop and took him to the office for coffee. He had bought some pastries on his way in and offered them to Russel.
The pastries reminded him of the pie at Cupid’s and Clarisse. Russel found himself telling Jerry about his first meeting with Clarisse, her son, and everything up until his sort of fight with her. Jerry had been married to his wife for fifty years. Russel figured that anyone married that long would have some sort of advice on women.
“Jerry, I walked into that diner dead tired after burying Mom and then driving all night back to Berkeley. I sat down, and
there was this gal, had to be five ten and beautiful, asking me if I wanted anything. I’d been thinking about a slice of pie and a cup of coffee since I skipped lunch. I’d needed something, or I would have fallen asleep before getting home.”
Jerry lifted an eyebrow. “You should have stopped long before then.”
“I know. I know, but I’m not sorry because I met Clarisse. I could see she was tired, end of shift and all, and realized they were just about to close. I asked her about a slice of pie, and you know, her face lit up like a sunny day in May. We talked for a while after she brought the pie, which was delicious, by the way.” He paused, thinking. “And I asked her out.”
“Well, what happened?” Jerry asked, coffee cup halfway to his mouth. “Did she accept?”
“Yep! And we’ve seen a lot of each other since. She’s got this twelve-year-old, you should see him play basketball… and she’d never been on a bike, so the first time I went out with her we rode…”
Jerry watched his friend as he described his new girlfriend, and what a great time he had with her and Tommy. He had never seen Russel this happy. Twitter-painted is what his Sue-Ellen would call it. Russel was completely in love with this Clarisse and her boy.
That was a good thing. A solid thing. He’d been with his high school sweetheart for over half a century, and he wouldn’t have traded a single day with her for all the success in the world.
Maybe Russel would be the one to buy his business or maybe not, but one thing was for certain, Russel’s home was currently back in California.
After they had finished their coffee break, Jerry and Russel got in Russel’s truck and went to several hotels around Laramie where Jerry’s firm was the prime contractor for HVAC service. At each one, the maintenance foreman told Russel what a great job Jerry’s people did servicing their hotel’s equipment. After a full day of visiting, they went to the dining room of the last resort and ordered dinner.
“Boy,” Russel exclaimed, looking out the window at the view of snow covered meadows and mountains, “Clarisse would love this place.”
“Just a little friendly advice, it sounds to me like you ought to get back to your gal as soon as you can. Before some guy takes advantage of your absence.”
“Shows that much, huh?”
“Well, you haven’t stopped talking about her all day, except when we were talking business.” Jerry looked at him pointedly. “Do you think she’ll want to move to Laramie?”
“No, no I don’t think so.” He sighed. “She’s in a degree program at Berkeley, loves it there. Maybe one day.” He trailed off, thinking. “But you know, Jerry, after seeing what you got here, I think if I offered a portion of the business to my foreman, Hank, he could run things here, and I could just come check in. He’s single, and he’d move up here in a heartbeat. I’d need a new hand to run the shop in Berkeley, and at first, I’d need commute back and forth up here, just to get things settled. It might even be worth chartering a plane to do that, maybe even learn to fly. That is if you’re still interested in selling it to me.”
“Oh, I am,” Jerry said. “Sue-Ellen wants to move to Florida. Say’s we’re both too old to be shoveling snow. This year hasn’t had much snowfall, but February is a brutal month. So, she’s probably right, like she is about most things. Besides, keeping track of a crew the size of mine, and maintaining a good reputation while doing it…well, it’s time to leave it to someone younger.” He sat back, looking steadily at Russel.
“I got no kids, Russel. As much as we prayed for kids, it just didn’t happen for us. I’d like to spend the last few years of my life making my wife happy. That’s something to consider. You need to make your family happy, not just yourself.”
The way Jerry said it Russel knew that he wasn’t just talking about himself and Sue-Ellen. Jerry hinting that this decision and how he chose to run the business should depend upon Clarisse and Tommy.
They weren’t officially family, and he hadn’t asked Clarisse to marry him, but he was heading that direction. He thought about Clarisse’s reaction to this trip and buying the business. They hadn’t left on solid ground. He needed to tread carefully.
“I hear you. Let me mull it over, and I’ll look over your numbers some more and get you an offer once I talk things over with Hank.”
Jerry raised an eyebrow. “Just Hank?”
“And a few others.”
Jerry nodded. “Better, much better. Tell you what. Let’s get up early in the morning and go up into the mountains. I have a job up there that needs a check in, and you’ll want to see that one too. There’s some beautiful land up there.”
“What are you plotting, old man?”
“Not a thing.” Jerry smiled, thinking about a pretty piece of land with a cabin. The perfect place for a small family to spend a summer vacation.
The next day, Russel got so caught up in work and seeing the most perfect cabin, he forgot all about his promise to call Clarisse.
Chapter 15
“Hi, Tommy. It’s Russel. Is your mom home?” he asked a few days later over the phone.
“Hi, Russel,” Tommy said. “No, Mrs. Elsmore is here watching me. Mom’s not back from work yet.”
It was four in the afternoon, and Clarisse usually got out of work at Cupid’s by 2:15pm and was home by three at the latest. “Okay, Tommy, would you tell her I called? I’ll be back the day after tomorrow if things go alright here. Can you ask your mom to call me on my cell phone when she gets back?”
“Sure, I’ll tell her. Hey, when you get back, can we go for a ride?”
“Sure, Tommy,” he said.
“Okay, Russel. I’ll tell her. Bye!” Tommy said and hung up.
Russel went back inside Jerry and Sue-Ellen’s house and sat down in the big living room with a view of the snow topped mountains. He didn’t see even see the view because he was busy thinking about Clarisse.
He’d made his decision, but he had to talk to Clarisse before he gave Jerry an offer. Being in Jerry and Sue-Ellen’s home had only highlighted how much he wanted a family. The older couple were a team in so many ways, and he wanted that with Clarisse.
The cabin Jerry had taken him to would be perfect for summer vacations. He could see himself there, teaching Tommy how to fish. Not that he was much of fisherman, but they could learn together. Clarisse could take the summers off school and hopefully a long vacation from Cupid’s. They could enjoy the quiet of the mountains and Russel could check in on the business. It would be wonderful.
If he could talk to Clarisse. Why hasn’t she called me back? He dug his phone out of his back pocket and saw that his phone had shut off. He grumbled to himself and found his charger. By nine o’clock, he began to worry. Clarisse still hadn’t called him.
He accessed information for charter flights out of Laramie and connected with a charter for the next day to Berkeley. When he told Jerry about the charter flight, Jerry laughed.
“Worried she found someone else?”
“Just taking your advice and making sure she doesn’t.”
Jerry offered him a ride to the airport in the morning and agreed to keep Russel’s truck until he could come get it. Sue-Ellen joked that she’d make sure to shovel all the snow onto it so he’d have to dig it out or wait until spring to get it. Russel barely heard her. He was too worried that he’d really messed things up with Clarisse.
How could things get so bad in one week? Russell went to bed at midnight without a call from Clarisse.
Clarisse left work at 2:30pm. It had been one of those days. She’d burned her hand on the coffee pot, had to turn down Mr. Chavez, who had to be in his seventies, for a hot night on the town, and had some poor young toddler drop her ice cream on her shoes. So, it really didn’t surprise Clarisse that the trip home had its own challenges. About half way home, she drove over something and felt the tale-tale thump of a flat tire.
After her day, Clarisse really didn’t want to try to take the tire off herself. The flat was on the left side, the busy
side of the road, and she just didn’t want to take chances with her safety.
A call to AAA sounded like the perfect solution, and her membership was all paid up at the insistence of her father. The dispatch operator told her it would be about forty-five minutes. She called one of her neighbor’s, Mrs. Elsmore, and asked if she could check in with Tommy and make sure he got his homework done.
Forty-five minutes passed and no tow-truck. At 4:30, she updated Mrs. Elsmore and talked to Tommy. No real news there. He’d finished his homework and wanted pizza for dinner. She’d told him to have Mrs. Elsmore order delivery and take the money out of her fun money stash.
While she sat there, with nothing to do but think, she realized that she hadn’t heard from Russel. This whole misunderstanding with him was silly. She should call him and they should talk about it. The call went to his regular message and said that his mailbox was full so she couldn’t leave him a message.
A tapping at her window roused her from her reverie. The AAA driver was pointing at her tire. She got out of the car and showed him where the spare was located. He changed the tire and warned her to get the flat fixed as soon as possible, so as not to drive around without a spare. The lecture brought out a genuine smile. Her father would have said the same thing. She assured him she’d get it fixed and headed home.
Driving home, she decided she would call Russel again when she got there. She’d been thinking about their last conversation over the past last few days. He wasn’t planning to move, but would he? What if the business in Laramie required his presence. She needed to talk to him and realized she should never have let him go without discussing their situation first. Her call went straight to voicemail when she called from her driveway.
She went in, thanked Mrs. Elsmore, and went to check in on Tommy and his homework. He’d finished most of it but forgot about a big paper due the next day. Clarisse sighed, grabbed a piece of cold pizza, and set about helping Tommy with his paper and starting her own homework.
A Slice of Heaven (Cupid's Cafe Where love is on the menu Book 6) Page 7