Now Wouldn't You Like to Know

by Curtis Bennett

  “How was the ride up?” I asked her, sitting down on the sofa and leaning forward.

  “I couldn’t stop thinking about you Sheldon, I swear I couldn’t,” she answered, a touch of loneliness evident in her voice. “There was a guy in his forties sitting next to me who tried to hit on me on the ride up but I told him that I was in love with a wonderful man named Sheldon and I continued to talk about you and how much in love I was with you. After a point, he grew tired of hearing me mentioning your name and pulled out a Jet magazine and read it.”

  Amused, I chuckled lightly.

  “So, how did the interview go?” she asked.

  “It went very well,” I said, leaning back on the sofa. “I should know if I got the job by tomorrow afternoon sometime.”

  “Oh, you’ll get it,” she assured me. “I have no doubt about that baby.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Do you miss me as much as I miss you Sheldon?”

  “I miss you even more than you could ever miss me,” I answered.

  “Oh Sheldon, you don’t know how much that makes me feel-so-much-better,” she nearly sang at the end.

  “I’m here for you Diana, always remember that.”

  “I know, honey,” she replied. “Have you heard from Mike lately?”

  “Matter of fact, I talked to my cousin just before my interview. He’s doing great.”

  “You tell him about us yet?”

  “This time I did Diana. And believe me, he chided me for just getting this news to him.”

  “Oh, well,” she sighed. “Better late than never, I guess.”

  Diana and I went on for another hour talking before she told me that her cellphone power was getting low. I told her that I’d call her the following day to let her know the outcome of my interview. She said that she and Victoria were going to go and pick up her husband Brandon in a short while from work, then go out to eat dinner. We exchanged pleasantries then disconnected our call.

  That night I watched a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game on television and retired to bed shortly after that. And yes, the home team won. It was an extraordinary 26 point come from behind effort that enabled the Sixers pulled this one off. The losers were the Los Angeles Lakers. I was hoping for something similar the following day when the company got around to making up their mind about hiring me over the other guy.

  The following morning, and shortly after I had awakened, I got that call. I wasn’t expecting a decision, or call, this early in the day. But it was better that I get the news and be on with my day, and perhaps with my life. The caller confirmed who I was and the verdict was rendered.

  “All rightttt!” I exclaimed leaping a foot or two into the air.

  “How soon can you start Mr. Pierce?” the jubilant voice asked on the other end of my phone.

  “Well, I told them at the interview that I needed to find a place first. But I can start in two weeks.”

  “Good. I wasn’t at the interview but just the same, congratulations and welcome to Clairton Computer Technologies. We will need you to stop by this afternoon to fill out some paperwork. Until then, have a good day, Mr. Pierce.”

  “Thank you. And you have a nice day, as well. Goodbye,” I said ending the call.

  Going into the bedroom, I dove onto the bed and rolled over onto my back and stretched out my arms, my fists clenched tightly. I felt euphoric, to say the least. I thanked the Good Lord above and called Diana to share the news with her. She didn’t answer so I left a message with her. Now that I had secured this job, I had other challenges to face. Diana’s job and career was down in Orlando, mine was going to be here. I had no idea how we were going to work this out but I would let her know that I was opened for suggestions. What I did know was that I needed her in my life.

  I called Diana a second time an hour later. Not entirely to my surprise, she exploded in a celebratory tone when I gave her the good news. Then after a while, she calmed down, then she grew solemn. I knew right away that she had arrived at the same juncture that I had an hour earlier.

  “I am so happy for you Sheldon,” she said, “But now that means that we are going to be separated by nearly 700 miles.”

  “I know,” was all I could manage to say in reply.

  “God, how are we going to sustain a relationship when we are going to be so many miles apart?”

  “I don’t know Diana but we’ll think of something.”

  “Hopefully.” After a few seconds she added, “Sheldon, I know we will.”

  That afternoon I walked three blocks to the restaurant Diana and I had visited during her stay. It was cold, damp, and raining lightly outside. But I made the trek without getting too wet thanks to my umbrella. As much as I loved the Italian hoagie the day before, since it was cold outside I decided on ordering the Philly cheesesteak this time around. That would warm me up, along with a hot serving of seasoned fries and a cold beer.

  That evening I watched a documentary on the Civil War and then a movie on HBO. After that, I called it a night. I would go house hunting the following day.

  I took the Navigator out on the road just after breakfast. I had several locations I wanted to look at in person from my internet search. I would start just south of center city in what Philadelphians called the Society Hill area. Then I would look into the Rittenhouse Square area of the city. Both were expensive real estate properties, but since I would be making close to $90,000 a year, up 26% from my current salary, I could afford living in any one of these pricy areas. I would call Diana later to report on my efforts.

  Later, I returned to the company’s personnel department to fill out paperwork. I signed a contract and was on my way. With a list of realtors on hand I gave two a call so that I could meet with them the following day to look at some center city apartments. I then made my way back to the hotel. I called Diana but only got her voice mail. I left a message then took the remote in hand and watched a movie. Afterwards, I went down to the exercise room on the second floor to work out.

  Returning to my suite, I called Diana a second time and once again, I got her voice mail. I left another voice mail message and signed off for the night, as far as phone calls were concerned. After a nice warm bath, a bath full of memories of Diana and I sitting inside with one another, I walked over to the window and looked outside at the city lights and the tall skyscrapers. Somewhere two hours away, in another American city was the woman I loved. And boy was I missing her.

  Chapter 13

  I woke up the following morning expecting Diana to be there next to me or somewhere nearby. But she wasn’t. It was then that I realized that I hadn’t heard back from her in a while. Though it was 7:30AM, I picked up the phone and called her. I knew that she was an early riser. Most women were. Again, I got her voice mail. I was confounded. I sensed that something was not right.

  Rising up, I walked over to my trousers and pulled out a couple of pieces of note paper and shifted through them until I found the one with Diana’s cousin’s number on it. I returned to my cellphone on the bed and sitting on the edge of it, I called the number on the paper.

  “Hello, is this Victoria?” I asked.

  “Yes, it is,” the voice on the other end said. “How may I help you?”

  “This is Sheldon Pierce and I was wondering if your cousin Diana was there,” I said, explaining, “I tried to call her on her phone several times but have struck out.”

  “Yes, she told me about you two,” Victoria said. “I am sorry but Diana has gone back to Orlando.”

  “She’s gone back to Orlando?” I said incredulously. “But why? She was supposed to catch a ride back with me.”

  “Diana got a call from her ex-fiancé saying that their place had caught on fire and that she needed to return there as soon as possible. I’m sure she meant to call you Sheldon, but never got around to because she got out of here so fast that she left her phone here. Matter of fact, I am going to mail it to her later this morning.”

  “I’m just stunned,” I sai
d. “If you ask me, this was probably a ruse he used to get her to return to Orlando.”

  “I was thinking the same thing too and told Diana that was a possibility but she decided she had no choice but to return and find out for herself,” Victoria said.

  “I don’t know what to say,” I said.

  “All I can say is that she never stopped talking about you Sheldon. I have no doubt that my cousin is very much in love with you. I’m sorry to have been the one to tell you that she has returned to Orlando. She was looking forward to riding back with you.”

  “I was looking forward to riding back with her too,” I said, staring across the room. “So she flew out, huh.”

  “Yes she did, late last night.”

  “I probably haven’t heard from her since my number is programmed in her cellphone.”

  “I’m sure that’s why you haven’t heard from her.”

  “Thanks Victoria,” I said. “I’ll find a way to get in touch with her.”

  “You have her address?”

  “Yes, she gave it to me on the way up.”

  “Good. You take care and good luck to you. And I hope you catch up to her.”

  “Thank you,” I said in closing before ending the call.

  Damn! I thought, growing sullen.

  Going over to the window I stared out of it. Where was my Diana? I cried inside. Where was she? I knew that I had to find a way to get back down to Florida and as soon as possible. After giving it some thought, I came up with a plan. I would have to secure a place today to rent, here in Philadelphia, make reservations to return to Florida this evening, and once there find Diana.

  With a lot more pep in my step, I went into high hear. After devouring a small bowl of cereal, I called the airline and made reservation for a 6:10PM departure. Thankfully, it was a direct flight. I then called my cousin Mike to see if he could pick me up at the Orlando International Airport. I told him what my situation was and he was sympathetic. He said that it would be no problem picking me at 8:20PM tonight. Before ending our call, Mike congratulated me on the job acceptance.

  Within the hour I hooked up with a realtor who took me to look at two properties, one on Walnut Street and one on South Street near Penn’s Landing. Both were rentals. I decided on the condo on South Street. I returned to the realty office and put down $3 grand to secure it. Rent would run $1,800 a month. I told the realtor that I’d be moving in the following week. After signing a one year lease, I departed with key on hand.

  I returned to the hotel to pack and check out. I left for the airport around 3:45PM. I arrived there around 4:25PM. I parked my Navigator in a nearby parking garage. It would remain there until I returned from Florida. Besides, on the return trip I’d be driving a U-Haul so parking my Navigator there had its advantage.

  My flight took off on schedule. We arrived in Orlando fifteen minutes earlier than scheduled. Mike was parked in an airport arrival car lot when I called him to pick me up at the baggage claim area. He was parked outside by the time I exited the terminal. It was a lot warmer than the climate I had left behind up North. But it was Florida.

  As much as I wanted to head straight over to Diana’s place, Mike talked me out of it. He said that I should rest up and go over in the morning when there was far less chance for a confrontation. This guy Jack, he said, probably worked during the day. Yes, that would be a good time to head over there, I agreed. I wasn’t worried about what Jack might do to me as much as I was worried about what I’d do to him if he said the wrong thing to me.

  I made a gallant attempt to fall asleep that night but I was too restless and had too much on my mind to sleep. And I had no way to call Diana since she had left her cellphone up in New York. I was hoping that Victoria would call me to tell me that she had heard from Diana. But I got no such call. So I just lay there staring up at the ceiling, although my mind drifted far beyond what was physically above me. I’m not sure how but eventually I slipped into a deep sleep. But it lasted for only three hours. I spent the rest of the night listening to my radio. Coast to Coast was on hosted by George Noorey. Tonight’s subject matter was government conspiracies. An hour into the program I fell back to sleep for another two hours. Combined, it was enough sleep to recharge my batteries. When I awakened, I was ready to tackle the day, the world, and Jack if necessary.

  Before he took off for work, Mike was generous enough to let me borrow his second car. With Diana’s address in hand and a GPS system to guide my way I found Diana’s place. It was in an upscale neighborhood a couple of miles west of downtown Orlando just off of Colonial Drive.

  Looking twice, I double-checked the address I had written down. It checked out. I looked at the address on the house. It checked out. Yet, the place I was looking at had no fire damage. None at all. If what Victoria had told me was correct, I was right. Jack got Diana to return to Orlando on a ruse.

  Stepping out of the car, I faced the apartment. What awaited me inside I did not know. But I was prepared to go through hell for Diana.

  As I approached the door, I heard what sounded like an argument going on inside. One was the voice of a man and the other a woman. I couldn’t make out what was being said but it was intense though muffled. I rang the doorbell.

  A Caucasian man in his late twenties answered the door. His sharp gaze swept me from head to toe. I was not intimidated by his hard look.

  “How can I help you?’ he said, Diana appearing just behind him. Though stunned to see me, she prompted me, shaking her head and placing her hand to the side of her head and forming the telephone gesture, middle fingers closed and thumb and baby finger extended. I took it that she didn’t want me to create a scene, or make myself known, and that she’d call me later. Jack had no clue of our visual by-play.

  “I was just looking for someone I thought lived here,” I said returning my focus back to whom I had no doubt had been Jack. “Forgive me,” I continued. “I obviously have the wrong address.”

  He held his look for a few seconds before saying, “I would say you have, but no harm done I guess.”

  Turning, he closed the door.

  Walking back to the car, I pondered my next move. At least I knew that she was here. She must have found my number or my Cousin Mike’s house phone number. Either way, I would await her call back at the house.

  Sitting across from the television I paid scant attention to a movie that was showing on Cinemax. I was about to shut it down and head into my room when my cellphone rang. It was Diana.

  “I see that you have your phone back,” I said.

  “Victoria overnight expressed it to me,” she explained. “When we talked yesterday she told me that you had called her. I kinda thought you might come after me. I just didn’t think you’d fly down.”

  “What’s going on Diana?” I asked, kicking my shoes off. “I thought your house had burned down.”

  “That’s what he told me and that’s what I thought Sheldon,” she said. “I was mad as hell when I found out was just a ploy to get me to return here.”

  “So, what’s your situation?”

  “I told him he had to go,” she said, her voice firm and resolute.

  “What did he say about that?”

  “Of course, he was beside himself. But I gave him to the end of the week to move out.”

  “Good,” I said.

  “Oh Sheldon, I missed you so much,” she said in a touching way. “I was excited to see you but I just didn’t want a scene between you two. That’s why I gestured that I’d call you.”

  “I got that part of the message,” I replied leaning back against the chair I was sitting on. “When can I see you Diana?”

  ‘What are you doing now?”

  “Thinking about a very special lady.”

  “Well, you don’t have to think about her anymore,” she chuckled lightly. “She’s alive and well and here. Where can we meet?”

  “You have your car back yet?”

  “I got it out of the shop right after you left my pla
ce.”

  “Good. You can come over to my place then, if that is all right with you.”

  “I’d love to drop by to see you.”

  I gave her my address and ended the call. Rising up, I scrambled to make the place look presentable. I didn’t want her to think I was the typical bachelor.

  Diana arrived twenty minutes later. I opened the door but did not let her in. I was anxious to see this Mercedes I had heard so much about. Boy, was it a beauty. It was white with white leather interior and dark tinted windows. The tires looked brand new and the body looked like it just rolled off of the assembly line. Yes, it looked good, but then again, she said she spent five grand renovating it.

  Returning inside of the house I took her in my arms and kissed her long and hard. She turned to walk over to the sofa but I pulled her back into my embraced and kissed her again.

  “Diana, I have to admit that I was miserable without you there in Philadelphia. I felt so alone.”

  “I know,” she said kissing my cheeks, throat and my lips. “I felt bad about leaving New York without being able to contact you. I was going to call you once I had arrived at LaGuardia Airport but I discovered that I had left my phone at Victoria’s house. I was frantic.”

  Taking her by the hand, I led her over to the sofa where we sat down.

  “So, I assume that was Jack who met me at the door.”

  “Yes, that was Jack.”

  “Did he say anything about me once he returned inside?”

  “No, nothing at all. That surprised me. He’s usually the jealous type. But then, we were arguing when you rang the doorbell.”

  “Yeah, I heard you two going at it through the door.”

  “He can be such a jack butt at times.”

  “He looks as though he can be.”

  “Hey, you want to go for a ride in my Mercedes?” she said changing the subject.

  “Sure, where to?” I asked.

  “Now, wouldn’t you like to know?”