Sofey wanted to laugh but she was still processing this crazy information. “So, you’ve been single this whole time?”
Riggin nodded.
Sofey giggled, “I’m actually really glad to hear that. I kept wondering why a wife would be OK with her husband staying out all night long without her.” She sipped her coffee, “I mean, maybe it’s fine for some couples but I personally, wouldn’t be alright with it one bit. I want to be married to my very best friend.”
Riggin shook his head and laughed, “I wouldn’t be OK with it either. And, I’m the same as you, I want to be with the person who gets me and wants us to be together doing things.”
Sofey shook her head,taking a piece of cinnamon roll. “That’s so crazy.”
“I know, isn’t it?” Riggin hesitated then said, “Do you want to go out with me? To dinner I mean?”
“Yep.”
Riggin let out his breath, “Really?”
“Yep.” Sofey smiled, “I kind of wondered about your whole marriage arrangement. I mean, I did think you guys were married but not ‘married’.”
Chapter 16
Riggin was happy to recline in his chair and kick his boots off. He had finally gotten the leaves raked up and put into bags. It had taken him all day, but it was done and now it was time to relax. They had a heavy workload planned for the next day changing out twenty power poles, and it was supposed to be cold.
The buzz of him being the celebrity in town had died down a couple months ago and life was getting back to normal.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the scent of Pappy’s Old Spice filled his nostrils, and he smiled. He missed Pappy, but knew the old man would’ve been proud of him. He felt his body melt into the chair and his left foot twitch. He was in Folded Corners. The bookshelves went to the ceiling and there were thousands of books in every color of the rainbow on each shelf. The warmth of a woman’s laugh tickled his ears. He had heard this laugh a hundred times; it made his heart dance. He turned and smiled. It was Sofey, with her sparkling eyes, walking toward him with a cowboy hat in her hand, grinning, she placed it on his head. She stood on her tippy toes, her mouth so close to his ear, he could feel her warm breath on his skin. “I just wanted to tell y-”
Ding dong! Ding dong! Ding dong!
Riggin jumped in his chair and looked around the room. What was that nois…?
Ding dong! Ding dong!
“What the...? Who could that be?” He grabbed his cell phone from the side table, 6 PM on Sunday evening. He peered out the front window before opening the door to see if it was anyone he wanted to talk to, but he didn’t see anyone. He reached for the door knob….ding dong!
Gritting his teeth, he flung the door open.
“Hello, Riggin.” The woman’s long red hair hung straight down, past her shoulders. She smiled sweetly at him and twirled a bit of her hair around in her left hand. “Are you going to invite me in,” she asked softly.
Riggin was speechless but opened the door wider for her to enter.
She sauntered in, “I know it’s been a long time, but after hearing about your Pappy, I thought I should come by and pay my respects.” She laid her overcoat on the wooden chair by the door and turned toward Riggin. “So,” she frowned and stroked his arm, “how are you doing?”
Riggin stepped back, removing her hand from him, “I’m doing good, actually.”
She smiled, batting her eyes, and stepped closer. “I’m so glad to hear that. Pappy was such a kind old man.” She looked around the room at the new leather couch and two vintage recliners in front of the 32” flat screen TV. “This is... cozy.”
“Yep. It’s all Pappy and I needed. And now it’s just me so I don’t need much.”
“It’s just you?” She raised her eyebrows and put her hands on her hips, “What about your new wife?” She smiled at Riggin.
Riggin looked away, “Oh, um, we’re on the rocks. I don’t really want to talk -”
“What is this? Riggin! Come sit down and let me look.” She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the leather couch.
While Riggin was raking leaves, he had stumbled over the wheelbarrow and slammed his elbow onto the sidewalk. It had hurt enough to cause a myriad of cuss words to fall from his mouth.
“Riggin, honey, you have a major contusion on your humerus. I think we should go in and have a doctor look at this for you,” she said seriously.
Riggin was being reeled back to the past, a place he didn’t want to be. He felt the same sick feeling he had felt when he saw her with Scrawny. He shook her grip loose from his arm. “Ember, we’re not going anywhere.” He walked a couple feet away from her. “Why are you here, anyway?”
Ember stepped back, with her hand to her mouth. “Well, I told you, I wanted to pay my respects to Pappy.”
Riggin rolled his eyes. “OK, thank you. I hope you have a nice trip back to wherever you are now.” Riggin walked to the door.
“Why are you being so rude to me? We had something really good once. Why can’t it be like it used to be?” She whined, pouted, and stamped her foot. “You used to talk to me, you used to communicate.” She looked down and traced the floor with the toe of her tennis shoe. She was wearing black leggings, as if she had just gotten done with a run, and a low-cut white t-shirt that showed off her overly large breasts for her frame.
“We don’t have that anymore, Ember. We haven’t for a long time, and we never will again.”
Ember pouted and sat on the arm of the couch, folding her arms across her chest. “You used to be so different, Rig. That’s why I made the horrible mistake I made. You had changed. You had forgotten everyone on my side of your life.”
“I was gone for a month, Ember! And you decided you were so lonely, you had to have another man?!?” Riggin turned from her, running his hands through his hair, “Why are you here, really?”
“Riggin,” she said, softly, walking up to him and touching his chest. “Riggin, I have really missed you. I know I messed up. I know I did. Let’s try again. Yes? You’re lonely. I’m lonely. We can make this work.”
Riggin pushed her away, “I don’t think so, Ember.”
On cue, Ember made tears stream from her eyes. “Can I use your bathroom before I go? Please?”
Riggin sighed, “Yeah. Sure.”
Ember walked by the recliners and the side table where Riggin had left his cell phone. She quickly picked it up and smoothly slid it under her shirt. Once in the bathroom she locked the door and turned on the sink. Then she opened his home screen and found his text messages. There were some from a couple buddies of his from way back, some from people he had labeled “Work Simpletons”, and one from someone named “Sofe”.
The “Sofe” texts peeked Ember’s interest.
Opening the conversation between Riggin and Sofey, Ember read the last test “Sofe” had sent.
I’m excited to see you.
Ember continued to read through the texts and found that Riggin and Sofey had a date coming up Saturday night- their first date from the sounds of it- and they were going to Chateau Ridge for dinner at 8 PM. Ember frowned and looked in the mirror. She had dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. The last guy she had just left, the one who left his wife and two kids for her, just wasn’t up to her financial standards anymore, and his son always had a runny nose. Plus, that daughter of his whined way too much. Ember lost sleep whenever she was coming up with a plan to get another man to pay her mounting bills. She needed someone to pay the debt collectors, too. It wasn’t until late last night that she had decided to get Riggin back after learning about his celebrity status from the show. And now, she was going to do just that, get the one guy back who she truly had wrapped around her finger, once upon a time. She pulled her bright red lipstick from the small key pocket in her leggings and pushed her lips out into a pout. She layered the lipstick on and smacked her lips together. Finding the camera on Riggin’s phone, she took five pictures of her big lips in a pouty smouch and smiled
. She did have beautiful thick lips. Quickly, she found his contact list and noticed her number was no longer in his phone. She frowned, stamped her foot then added her number and name as “Em” with a red heart after it. Then set her contact picture with her sexy red lips.
She washed her face and rubbed her eyes extra hard, making sure she got a little soap in them for added redness. Adjusting her shirt, she smiled at herself. This ‘Sofe’, if she’s any kind of nice girl, will be history after she thinks Riggin is a player. And, Riggin will be mine again very soon. Ember opened the door quietly and silently replaced Riggins phone. “Well,” Ember wiped her eyes and looked into Riggins, “I hope you really are doing good.”
Riggin dropped his head. Was he supposed to feel bad for this manipulative woman? Because he was beginning to.
“Goodbye, Ember.” Riggin shut the door and locked it behind her.
Chapter 17
“You look wonderful, Dolly.” June touched Sofey’s hair and smoothed it down. “You’re gonna knock his socks off.”
“Thanks, June.” Sofey wrapped her arms around her stomach. “I’m so nervous. Look at my hands, they’re sweating.” She lifted them to June’s face to be sure she could actually see the sweat forming on her palms.
“I see.” June gently pushed Sofey’s hands away from her face. “You two will have a great time. I can feel it.”
Sofey hoped they would have a great time. She wasn’t exactly sure she was ready to fall for anyone at this point in time, her novel wasn’t finished and she was finally starting to feel good about herself. But it sure felt good to have a man notice her again. Her stomach rumbled and she thought she was going to throw up.
June was peeking out of Sofey’s bedroom window, “Oh, I think he’s here! Right on time, too.” She let the floral curtain fall back to cover the window. “I’ll go down and let him in. You don’t want to look too excited.”
Sofey listened as June let Riggin in, and they reminisced about Hank and Barney. Sofey was glad Riggin could talk to June about Barney. Sofey lingered a little longer, putting on extra lipstick, checking herself in the mirror two more times, checking for food in her teeth for the third time. It was 7:15 PM, time to make her appearance.
Riggin watched as Sofey walked into her living room dressed in form fitting olive green slacks with a flowing floral blouse, a fitted black jacket with black, open toed, wedge heels and red polished toes peeking through. Her brunette hair fell in messy curls at her shoulders. Standing up to greet her, he held out his hands, reaching for hers.
“Wow.” He smiled and blushed. “You look beautiful.”
Sofey smiled, feeling her face get hot. “Thank you. You look nice too.” And he smelled like a dream. A dream she wanted to wrap her arms around and inhale for a very long time.
“You two kids go have a great time, now.” June pushed them toward the door and opened it for them. “And don’t come home too early, it’s the weekend!”
The drive to Chateau Ridge was beautiful. The full moon lit up the pines that lined the winding mountain road and the stars put on a show, dancing in the sky as if they could hear the music of Beethoven flowing from the speakers in the white BMW.
“Mr. Williams, it is a pleasure to see you here,” the valet smiled when he saw Sofey exit the car with Riggin.
Riggin nodded, “Thank you, Kale.” He walked around the car and looped his arm around Sofey’s waist, “Right this way, my lady.”
The doormen were there to open the massive doors for the couple, each nodding to Riggin as he walked past.
“Our table is right this way.” Riggin took her hand and led the way. The table was set with a white table cloth, dark blue plates, ice blue napkins, and crystal wine glasses with a carafe of ice water and a basket of hot sourdough rolls placed in the center, waiting for them.
Sofey’s eyes grew big, then she looked at Riggin. “This is beautiful,” her hands caressed the tablecloth and touched the napkins as she slid into her chair at the table.
“They do a great job, don’t they?” Riggin slid into his seat after removing his jacket and hanging it on the back of his chair. “So,” he leaned forward with his elbows on the table, “how long have you known June?”
Sofey leaned back, counting back the years. She remembered meeting June and Barney the day she moved into her house. Her mother had co-signed for her house when she started working after high school. She had jumped from job to job, finding herself, until she began working at Cordon Bleu.
Delivering food hadn’t been her first choice, but she needed the money and she liked people, so she applied. Fast forward and the delivery job was one she couldn’t see leaving. She loved her clients like family, and the company she worked for treated her great, and paid really well too.
Riggin’s brows were furrowed in concern, “Sofey?”
“Oh, geez, sorry. I’ve known Juney for like eight or nine years, I think. Her and Barney are, well were, well Barney was,” Sofey waved her hands in the air, “you know what I mean. They’re like my grandparents. I never really knew any of my grandparents so they just fell into that role for me when I was about eighteen.”
Riggin was chewing on some bread, nodding. “I see. You met them after they bought their partnership in Chateau Ridge?”
Sofey almost spit out her wine. “Their what?”
Riggin looked confused. “You didn’t know that they are partners in Chateau Ridge?”
“No, I had no idea. Partners? Like how many partners are there? I mean, she drives a VW bus. And she lives….well, she lives in my neighborhood. I mean, it’s a nice neighborhood but it’s not like a rich neighborhood, ya know?” June NEVER said anything to Sofey about being partners in anything. She was her sweet old grandma figure who stayed home and lived on her deceased husband’s pension. Right? Maybe that’s what she was going to tell me that night-
“Yeah, they’ve been partners here since they opened. Funny thing is, I didn’t know my grandpa was also a partner until he died and they did the will. He left me a letter in his will. It said he didn’t want me to grow up feeling entitled so he kept his shares a secret.” Riggin let out a sad chuckle and shook his head. “Anyway, my grandpa and Barney were really close friends. They worked together in their early years at the garbage company.”
“The garbage company?” Sofey had never heard this from June. It was like she was a stranger.
Riggin smiled, “I can’t believe you haven’t heard this from June. My grandpa and Barney worked together at Sunbury Sanitation when they were teenagers, that’s where they met. My Pappy came from a poor family that worked hard and made it to middle class once my great grandpa went to work for the electric company. Anyway, Pappy and Barney started work there the same day and became ‘fast friends’, as they would’ve told you.”
“Oh, that’s cool. So, Barney must have moved up and became a manager, huh?”
Riggin smirked, “Um, no, he actually bought the place and promoted my Pappy to President of the company.” He shook his head, “Funny, how life works sometimes.”
“What? What do you mean, ‘he bought the place’?” Sofey laughed out loud, “Juney and Barney weren’t-aren’t- rich. Maybe you’re confused.”
Riggin chuckled, “My Pappy said you’d never seen a harder worker, or smarter man, than Barney Daily.”
Sofey stared at Riggin. “Are you sure? I mean why wouldn’t June have told me any of this? I mean why wouldn’t Barney have told me? They LOVE me! I’m like their oldest granddaughter ...OK, maybe not, but I am like a granddaughter.”
“Here you are,” The waiter set a plate of beautifully pink salmon, with bright green broccoli florets, and garlic potatoes in front of Sofey. Her mouth watered as soon as the pungent garlic hit her nostrils. “Is there anything else I can get for you? More bread perhaps?”
“This looks wonderful.” Riggin looked in the bread basket. “We’ll take a little more bread, please. And when we’re finished we’ll each take a glass of the dessert wine. Than
k you.”
“Very good.”
Riggin shrugged. “I’m not sure why June and Barney kept it a secret except they hated telling people, or showing people, they had money.” He took a bite of salmon and closed his eyes. “Delicious. Plus, they just wanted to be normal people. So, please don’t tell June I told you. She actually should have been the one to tell.”
Sofey shook her head in disbelief and wonder. “I won’t tell.” And she wouldn’t.
“Hey, I have some cool old pictures of Pappy and Barney and June from when they were young on my phone.” Riggin reached in his jacket and fished for his phone, pulling it out he opened the home screen and went to his gallery. “Want to see them?”
“Yes! Please!” Sofey scooted her chair close to Riggin as he flipped through pictures until he found the ones he was looking for.
“Ah, here.” He showed his phone to Sofey. “That’s Pappy and Barney about a week after they got hired on at Sunbury.”
Hank was tall and lanky, with short curly black hair and dressed in full coveralls. He had big teeth and was leaning on a garbage can smiling from ear to ear. Barney was a little shorter, and stocky, with straight light-colored hair. He also had coveralls on, but his were undone at the top and pulled down around his waist. Sofey recognized him right away. He was holding an empty garbage can above his head with a mischievous grin on his face.
Sofey laughed, “Looks like they’re having a great time.”
“I guess as good a time as you can collecting garbage,” Riggin agreed and scrolled through more pictures. One was of Hank, Barney, and a beautiful young June standing by a brand-new baby blue GTO. June was leaning back against the hood, smiling with her whole face. Barney was standing to her right and Hank on her left. June had shoulder-length dark-blonde, wavy hair, and she was just a couple inches shorter than Barney. Still, neither June nor Barney went past Hank’s shoulders.
“They all look so happy.” Sofey sighed, “They look like great friends.”
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