The ferry ride itself was always a fun experience even though it only travelled in a straight line from the mainland to the island. We got out of the car and watched the scenery from the upper viewing deck.
Once on Wolfe Island we drove around the zigzagging County Road 96 heading east until the very end at Port Metcalf where we found a picnic table overlooking the St. Lawrence River and stopped to eat.
Linda had packed sandwiches and small salads to go along with soft drinks.
We chatted about our past lives and careers and then Linda began probing about my marriage to Marg.
“Do you regret having been married?” she inquired.
“Not at all; the marriage was fine for at least the first ten years until we began drifting apart. By the time we finally split, neither of us enjoyed living together. Despite the marriage eventually failing, I see the whole experience as an integral part of my life.”
“Are you saying that you’d do it all over again?”
“Sure, if I were thirty years old. I certainly don’t regret not having children. Corbett and I each thank our lucky stars that we managed to avoid kids. Tell me a bit about your son.”
“Jeremy has always been a handful, especially once he hit his teenage years. He lives in a disgusting slummy apartment with a young woman I can’t stand. She’s heavily into drugs and as a result, Jeremy is constantly broke and putting his hand out for financial assistance. I’ve never had the heart to deny him and Paul always spoiled our son rotten.”
“Does Jeremy work?”
“At the moment he works at a call center but it’s rare for him to keep the same job more than a year or two. Don’t get me wrong. I love Jeremy completely but I deplore the life he leads and the company he keeps. You seem like a very happy person, Tom. Is there nothing about your past life that you regret?”
I thought about it for a moment.
“There’s certainly nothing about my career that I’d want to do differently. If I had my life to live all over again, the things I do regret are a bit bizarre.”
“Give me some examples.”
“Well, when I was a kid I collected butterflies for various science projects. I used to chase them down with a net, stick them in a jar of formaldehyde to kill them, and then mount them on a display case. No one back then ever told me how obscenely cruel and wrong it was to torture an innocent and beautiful life form. Now I won’t even kill a fly or a spider. If any insect happens to find its way into my apartment, I catch it and release it. I’m ashamed of how I once was so blind to morality when I was younger.”
“That’s not at all what I expected you to say,” Linda commented. “I guess I was asking more about your past relationships.”
“I do harbor some regrets about those,” I admitted. “There was a period of a few years in university which I now refer to as my ‘asshole years’. I drank too much and was often mean and gross with the ladies. If I had that part of my life to do all over again, I wouldn’t have dated nearly as many girls and I certainly wouldn’t have slept with most of them. Looking back at our immaturity can be troubling sometimes. What if anything do you regret about your life up to now?”
Linda unexpectedly heaved a huge sigh, paused for a long moment, and then confided her deep, dark secret.
“I’ve never told anyone this, not even Lynne, but I wish I hadn’t married Paul. It’s a terrible thing to say and I feel incredibly guilty even thinking it now that he’s gone.”
“Thirty-one years is a very long time to be married,” I mentioned.
“Unlike your marriage, I can’t even honestly say that our relationship was rewarding even at the beginning. I got pregnant with Jeremy a year after I was married and then stayed with Paul only because we had a son together. I blame my weakness in not leaving Paul with causing Jeremy’s life to be so aimless.”
“That strikes me as taking on a load of personal guilt that may not even be related to Jeremy.”
“Even more damning, I was secretly happy when Paul died. It’s an awful thing to say, but a huge weight immediately lifted off my shoulders when the hospital called to say that he had been brought in by ambulance but was dead on arrival.”
“Who called the ambulance?”
“Paul was able to call 911 but didn’t even have the courtesy to call me while he waited for help to show up. That fact itself was so typical of how selfish he was. He coerced me into giving up the teaching career I loved in order to help him with the investigation business, and then he wouldn’t give me any responsibility other than to answer the telephone. It was maddening and soul destroying. Now I find myself angry at my own parents for never observing how poorly Paul treated me even though it was my own fault for not telling them anything. There, I’ve finally told someone. My secret is exposed. I’ve never even hinted a word of this to Lynne. I’m so sorry for burdening you with my insecurities and anger.”
“I’m pleased that you trust me enough to blurt out how you really feel about things. I’ve never told anyone about my past sins either. Corbett simply wouldn’t understand why such trivia really bothered me now. I get the impression that you do appreciate my anxiety about my past behavior.”
Linda reached out and squeezed my hand in sympathy. “I’m so glad that Lynne made me go to that dance, Tom.”
“I feel exactly the same, Linda. You’re so easy to talk to. It seems that we’ve become friends already.”
There was no doubt that Linda and I had truly connected on a personal level, and I was thrilled with what was happening between us.
When we were on the ferry returning to the mainland, Linda revealed that she didn’t want to be taken home just yet and wondered if we could go back to my place for a while.
I made some coffee and we sat on my sofa talking.
Then, right out of the blue, Linda put her arms around my neck and kissed me. The sensation was exquisite and we continued to kiss for the longest time, letting the sexual electricity dart through our bodies.
I felt just like a teenager again. The emotions were identical to those from so many years ago.
From time to time we’d stop in order to talk about something, and then we’d be back sharing those delicious sensual kisses.
Finally at eleven o’clock I drove Linda home. We confirmed our date for Saturday. Linda was driving to Ottawa on Monday morning and staying there all week in order to empty her house of the remainder of its contents. The actual closing of her house sale was taking place on Friday.
As I kissed her goodnight, I expressed my wish that Linda would have a productive week.
The excitement in my life was exploding and I felt ecstatic as I drove home.
CHAPTER 7 (Two Happy Old Lawyers)
My telephone rang early on Monday morning again and it was Corbett as usual. At least this time I was already awake.
“Where were you last night? I called you several times around supper time but there was no answer. I can’t understand why you won’t get yourself a damn answering machine.”
“I went on a picnic with Linda to Wolfe Island.”
“Really; that’s great. I was talking to Lynne on the phone last night and she said that she had been pressing Linda to call you. Did you have a nice time?”
“It was fantastic. Linda is extremely easy to talk to.”
“That’s good to hear, Tom. Lynne and I are going out tonight as well as tomorrow. It seems that you and I are both flirting with possible romance after all these years. Let’s grab some breakfast somewhere and swap notes.”
Deciding where to eat turned out to be a battle of wills.
Corbett knocked on my door twenty minutes later.
“Let’s try the breakfast buffet at that new waterfront place near the court house,” Jim suggested.
“Get real! I’m not blowing twenty-five bucks on a stupid breakfast. We can eat at Molly’s Diner.”
“This is a celebration, Kennedy. Loosen your damn purse strings for a change.”
“No meal with yo
u is a celebration. It’s always a bloody punishment. Save the overpriced buffet for when you want to impress Lynne.”
We traded insults for a minute or two until Corbett finally began to cave in.
“The parking spaces at Molly’s are too small. I’m not risking having some careless cretin dent the door of my vehicle,” he complained.
“No problem. We can take my car.”
“That’s out of the question. I’m not going to be seen in that shit-mobile.”
“You don’t have to worry about that any longer, Corbett. I’ve got a paper bag you can pull over your head. It’s even got eye holes for your driving comfort.”
“What’s the catch?” he shot back.
“It’s got ‘POMPOUS PRICK’ stamped on it in big red letters.”
“I guess I can live with that since nobody is going to know it’s me.”
“So it’s settled then; we’ll eat at Molly’s and take my car.”
We took the elevator down to the underground parking level and Corbett tried to call my bluff, but I was ready for him.
“I’m not stepping into this monstrosity until I’ve got the disguise on,” Corbett insisted.
He obviously thought I’d made up the bit about the paper bag, but I had been telling the truth. I had created the little masterpiece shortly after the last time Corbett had ridden with me and insulted the car.
I got the bag out of the trunk and handed it to a shocked Corbett.
To my utter annoyance, he put the damn thing over his head and climbed in the car.
It was about half a mile to the diner, and I’m not sure which one of us actually won the battle of wills.
Corbett seemed to get a kick out of staring at other drivers, especially when we were stopped at traffic lights. He didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed.
On the other hand, I was uncomfortable with the entire ride, worried that the cops might spot us and take us for a couple of bank robbers.
We did make it to the diner without any serious incident and Corbett then made a point of stepping out of the car first before he slowly and deliberately removed the bag from his head.
When we got seated and had placed our orders, I asked Corbett where he was taking Lynne tonight.
“She wants to see the new play at the Limestone Playhouse.”
“I thought you detested plays,” I pointed out.
“I do, but we’ve got to keep these little beauties happy,” he retorted.
“This must be a new record,” I teased. “You’re completely pussy-whipped before you’ve even had your first date.”
“You should learn to expand your plebian mind,” Corbett answered in a peeved tone of voice.
“Don’t lay the blame on me, Corbett. You’re the one who has already given up control of the relationship. It didn’t take Lynne long to let you know who will serve and who will eat. I guess you’re right for once. She clearly is smarter than you.”
“Well, I really like what I’ve discovered about Lynne so far. Besides being intelligent and gorgeous, she’s also got her own money and no teenage or adult brats to worry about. How did things go yesterday at the picnic?”
“Linda and I got along really well, but her parents seemed to dislike me from the moment I was introduced to them.”
“That probably explains where Lynne got her brains. The parents must be quite perceptive to disapprove of you right from the get-go. Lynne told me that Linda’s son is a real loser. Did you meet him yesterday?”
“No, apparently he lives in Ottawa with some drug addict.”
“I’m sure the kid will like you just fine, Kennedy. He’ll view you as another potential meal ticket. It’ll serve you right if he hits you up for a loan the first chance he gets. Then you’ll see how difficult it is to say no when you know it’ll upset your new flame. You’ll be smirking on the other side of your homely mug then. I’m getting off easy just having to suffer through some boring artsy theatre production.”
“I guess I’d forgotten that women tend to come with loads of baggage,” I said. “I kind of feel sorry for Linda. Since she’s living with her folks right now, it must be tough listening to them harp on about it being too soon after her husband’s death to be dating again.”
“Mark my words, Kennedy, that’s bound to become a real issue. It looks like I picked the better sister.”
“We paired off like we should have, Jim. You and Lynne seem to have similar personalities. I could tell from the moment she saw me at the dance that I wasn’t her cup of tea. Linda on the other hand has a very similar outlook on things as I do, and she’s great company. I had a fantastic time yesterday. Linda is back in Ottawa until late on Friday sorting out her house sale and her husband’s estate. I’m really looking forward to our date on Saturday.”
“See how it pays to listen to me, Kennedy. You didn’t want to go to that dance on Saturday and I had to practically drag you there. Now we’ve both got hot prospects in the romance department.”
“I can’t argue with you this time, Jim. At the moment we’re certainly two happy old lawyers.”
CHAPTER 8 (Playhouse Vanity)
Jim Corbett put on a lightweight grey suit as he steeled himself for the upcoming ordeal.
In a few minutes he would leave to pick up Lynne and drive downtown to take in a play at one of the local theatres. Jim hadn’t even asked Lynne whether it was a comedy or a drama. Instead he had gushed enthusiasm as if he were himself an actor and was thrilled to have the opportunity to watch fellow thespians in action.
It was untenable at this stage of their budding relationship to decline Lynne’s invitation to join her this evening to view the latest theatre production masterpiece even though Jim couldn’t think of anything less enjoyable than mingling with the pretentious artsy crowd while they discussed some dreadful amateur stage performance.
With any luck the theatre would be dark enough so that Jim could close his eyes while waiting for the torture to end.
When Lynne buzzed him up to her apartment, however, she looked so stunning in her little black dress that Jim would have been happy to sit on a bed of nails during the entire play.
“Lynne, you look absolutely incredible! I’ll be the envy of every man in the theatre.”
“Why thank you, Mr. Corbett, and you look extremely distinguished yourself. Would you mind terribly dropping in to see my parents for a moment? I’d like to introduce you to them.”
“That would be delightful, Lynne.”
Jim wasn’t kidding about that since he was most curious to see what kind of people would despise Kennedy at first glance. Generally everybody liked Tom.
Jim held the door of his Cadillac XTS open for Lynne and they drove the hundred feet directly across the road and parked in the parents’ driveway.
Lionel and Bernice were completely cordial and pleasant to Jim and seemed genuinely pleased that their daughter was being escorted to the play.
Due to time restraints, he and Lynne couldn’t stay for coffee and said goodnight to the parents a few minutes after arriving.
On the drive to the playhouse, Jim remarked, “Your parents didn’t seem to mind you dating a lawyer. Tom said that they were extremely cold and disapproving to him when he met them yesterday.”
“Linda and I are in completely different circumstances right now. My folks are adamant that Linda should wait at least a year before dating whereas they’re anxious for me to settle down with someone.”
“That’ll make it tough for your sister since she’s living there with them.”
“I’m sure that Linda will find her own place quite soon. She’ll have the sale money from her Ottawa home in her bank this Friday so there won’t be anything holding her back from buying something here in Kingston.”
Jim could hardly keep his eyes off Lynne. She looked so utterly ravishing.
Despite his infatuation, it took every ounce of his willpower to make it through the evening.
Lynne was clearly a theatre junkie and in
troduced Jim to countless fellow fanatics, every single one of whom seemed to be pompous and phony.
Several of his new “friends” had sophisticated British accents but when he asked Lynne if they were from England, she replied, “Not a single one of them has ever lived in the United Kingdom. I’m afraid that all of those accents were affected.”
“I suspected as much,” Jim answered. “I’ve done legal work for a couple of them and they didn’t speak that way when they were in my office.”
Finally the tedious play ended but before he and Lynne made it out to the car, they were accosted by another couple who suggested that the four of them grab a drink at the theatre bar.
Lynne seemed thrilled with the prospect and whispered to Jim that, “Alvin is both the producer and director of the play we just saw. It’s a real honor to be invited to join him for a drink. Dating a well-known lawyer certainly has its advantages.”
Alvin may have been a big shot in the local theatre world but he turned out to be a colossal bore.
Jim painted his face with a phony smile and kept it there as often as he could manage.
Other theatre goers regularly approached the table to congratulate Alvin on his latest masterpiece and Jim could see that Lynne was in her element as she was introduced to so many of these prestigious patrons of the arts. Jim recognized several of them from their participation in various lawsuits over the years, and the highlight of this portion of the evening was their reaction when they realized who he was. Everyone remembers vividly the name of the opposing lawyer who had ravaged them on the witness stand in some losing courtroom fight.
It was obvious to Jim that Alvin didn’t have two cents of his own to rub together, but that didn’t prevent the fellow from playing the role of the wealthy aristocrat.
At midnight the server advised their table that the bar was closing.
When Jim insisted on picking up the tab for the drinks and nibbles, he noticed an immense sense of relief on Alvin’s face.
Lynne was beside herself with excitement. For her, this stint in the theatre bar had been her first hint of acceptance by Kingston high society.
The Wrong Lawyer Page 4