The Horse Farm - Part Twenty-Two

Louise was working the Sunday crossword puzzle when Walter walked into the kitchen. "Somebody is off to an early start!" he observed.

She smiled without looking up, keeping her focus on the puzzle. "Sundays are challenging," she said with excitement in her voice.

Louise wore dark-rimmed glasses and a man's white dress shirt with long sleeves. Her bare legs were crossed and her hair fell randomly. She leaned forward to fill in a word.

"Is that my shirt?" Walter asked.

"No."

"Because it looks like my shirt," he said.

"Well, it WAS your shirt, but you left it here when you moved out, so now it's MY shirt."

"I didn't exactly move out!"

"Temporarily, you did!"

"At your request," he argued.

"It wasn't a request."

"Oh, you want to play it that way?"

"Yeah, I have a whole bunch of new stuff now," she said playfully. "Lucky me!"

"Well, I might just have to steal some of my stuff back, then," he said as he leaned in to give her a gentle kiss.

"You can try," she said kissing him back. "But I think you should leave me this shirt."

"Why?"

"Well, the last time you walked in while I was doing a crossword, you complained about me not wearing any clothes."

"I wasn't actually complaining," he said.

"Really?" she asked. "Because I seem to remember you giving me a hard time."

"Well, I seem to remember inviting you into the shower," he said. "And you asked for a rain check."

"Fair enough," she said. "When I finish my puzzle, I might just have to collect on that obligation."

"Great!" he said with a wink. "Work fast!"

"I shall!" she said with a smile. She kissed him one more time. "Oh, I have to take care of something this afternoon. I'll be out for a couple of hours. Is that okay?"

"As long as it doesn't involve horses or Ferraris," he stipulated.

"No! No horses and no fast cars," she assured him.

"And no Francisco?"

"Definitely no Francisco!" she replied emphatically, enjoying the slight tinge of jealousy. "I should be back by four or five."

"Okay," he agreed.

-

Jo was standing beside the entrance to the restaurant when Louise arrived. She looked as though she hadn't slept in days. Louise greeted her: "Hi, thanks for coming!"

"Thanks for calling," Jo said nervously.

"Do you want to sit outside?" Louise asked.

"Yeah, sure!"

"The weather's really nice today!"

"Yes, it is!"

A slender hostess guided them to a table near the sidewalk. The table was shaded by a large, green sun umbrella.

Louise and Jo looked over two oversized brunch menus. The waiter brought a basket of bread and two glasses of water. "I think I'm going to be bad and have bacon today," Louise said.

"Ooh, that sounds good!" Jo commented.

They placed their orders, and the waiter took the menus away.

"So," Louise began, "thanks again for coming."

"Thank you, Louise," Jo said. "I wasn't sure..."

"I wasn't sure, either," Louise interrupted, "but we're here, so let's enjoy brunch."

"Okay."

"I just wanted to say - and I have to get this out while I can..." Louise began with some hesitation.

"Oh, Louise, I'm so sorry!" Jo looked to be on the verge of crying. Louise put up her hand in a gesture asking for a pause in the discussion as she collected her thoughts.

"I just wanted to say," Louise continued, "that I know this whole thing must have been hard on you."

Jo listened intently.

"I had a couple of really bad days this week," Louise explained.

"I'm sorry!"

"It's okay," Louise continued. "But you've been carrying this thing around all this time. You couldn't tell me. You couldn't tell Terri, because she probably would have told me..."

Jo covered her mouth with her hand.

Louise continued. "I just wanted to say that, I realize that it must have been hard for you to deal with this on your own. And I feel bad for what you must have gone through after ... everything."

Jo started trembling. "I wish I could just go back and make it NOT happen," she said.

"I know!" Louise said trying to lighten the tension. "I wish I could eat bacon every day, but that's not going to happen, either."

Jo began to sob.

"But this is a special day," Louise continued. "So, let's eat something good and sinful and put some of these other things behind us. Can we do that?"

"Yes," Jo said. She was crying harder now and had to cover her eyes with her hand.

"Oh, honey, it's okay!" Louise assured her.

"I'm so sorry, Louise! I am so sorry!"

"Honey, I know. It's been rough on all of us."

"I just can't believe that you would want to talk to me," Jo said.

"I wasn't real sure," Louise explained openly, "and I'm sorry about that."

"No, of course!" Jo said through a sniffle. "I understand completely."

"But you are my friend," Louise said, trying to find the right words for the moment.

"And you've always been there for me," she continued, "and I've always tried to be there for you."

"You have," Jo confirmed in a whisper.

"This thing... Oh, shit, I don't even want to talk about it anymore!" Louise concluded. "Can we just do that? Just not talk about it anymore?"

"Yes," Jo agreed with a nod.

"Unless we need to," Louise continued.

Jo kept nodding.

"We'll talk about it then," Louise confirmed, "if we need to."

"Okay," Jo wiped her face with the large white napkin. Her eye make-up was badly smeared now. Eventually, she calmed down. They talked through the rest of the brunch, catching up on other subjects or commenting about people passing by on the sidewalk.

"Hey, guys!" It was Terri's voice.

"Hey!" they both said in return.

"I didn't know you were having brunch today," Terri said.

"It was kind of a last minute thing," Louise explained. "Where have you been? I tried to call you."

"Yeah, it's been a crazy weekend," Terri replied.

"How was your date with Riccardo?" Jo asked.

"Oh! The ballet was okay," Terri said, "but he wasn't able to make it. His clients needed him more than I did."

"Oh, that's a shame!" Louise exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Jo added.

"So, you went by yourself?" Louise asked.

"Well, me and nine-hundred fifty other ballet nuts," Terri joked. "But it was fine. It was a nice show. I had a good seat."

"Ooh, I'm glad!" Louise responded.

"Yeah, I'd go again," Terri confirmed. "You should come!"

"I'd like that," Louise said.

Terri noticed Jo's smudged make-up. "So, I see that you two are catching up."

"Yeah," said Louise in a relaxed tone. "We had a nice brunch."

Jo nodded. "Oh, I forgot," she said. "I actually have to run!"

"And where are you off to," Terri demanded.

"Well," Jo explained, "it turns out that Steve from my office likes horses."

"Really?" Terri exclaimed with a tone of disbelief.

"Yeah! I told him about our trip to the farm, and he called and scheduled a riding lesson for us. I have to be there at three," Jo said.

"At Francisco's place?" Louise asked.

"Yep," Jo confirmed.

"Whoa! So cool!" Louise responded.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun," Terri said.

"I hope so!" Jo said earnestly. "I'm sorry, I have to get ready. I'm... kind of a mess."

They all smiled at each other.

Jo looked at Louise. "Thank you!"

Louise stood up and hugged her. "Thank YOU for coming!"

"See ya!"

"Bye!"

"Bye!"

Louise felt relieved that their discussion had gone smoothly.

"Well, well, well..." Terri noted. "Steve from the office!"

"You never know about her," Louise observed.

"You know, I haven't even met Steve," Terri added, "and I'm already starting to feel sorry for him."

They looked at each other and laughed out loud.

"Oh, boy!" Louise exclaimed.

"So you talked?" Terri asked.

"Yeah," Louise said. "It was a little rocky, but..."

 "It's still kind of soon," Terri noted delicately.

"Yeah, well, the first steps are always the hardest," Louise reasoned. "Hopefully, it'll get easier."

"And how's Walter?"

"Walter's good," Louise said confidently, but without showing too much emotion. "Thanks for asking."

"I'm glad that you're working things out," Terri added.

"Yeah, I'm glad, too," Louise confided. "He really is a good guy."

"Oh!" Louise said suddenly, "I need to tell you something."

"What?"

"I need to say 'THANK YOU!'"

"For what?"

"You know for what!" Louise said. "You were there for me. You've always been there for me."

"And you for me!" Terri argued.

"No, but you really saved me this time," Louise said. "I was a wreck, and you spent time with me and knew just what to say."

"Ah!"

"And I want you to know how much I appreciate everything that you do for me, that you've always done for me."

"Oh, stop!" Terri protested.

"I will NOT stop!" Louise argued. "You have been my one true friend through all of this, high and low, and I owe you big time!"

"You don't owe me anything, Louise!" Terri said. "What am I supposed to do? Turn my back on you when you're struggling?"

"I do owe you, Terr. I really do. Especially this time."

"Well, okay," Terri relented. "I'll tell you what. I'm starving. So since you're feeling generous today, buy me lunch, and we can call it even!"

"Oh, far, far from even, my friend!" Louse argued. "But I am happy to treat! Anything you want."

"Well what you had looks tasty."

"I was!" Louise confirmed. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your date with Riccardo."

"Oh, forget about it," Terri said. "I wasn't really interested anyway."

"Seriously?"

"I spent all of ten minutes with the guy," Terri said. "Not really enough time for sparks to fly. Although he was really good looking!"

"Seriously! And I'm sorry that it didn't work out."

"That's okay," Terri assured her. "Actually, I did meet someone recently, and I think it might have potential."

"Really?" asked Louise. "Who?"

"Just someone I ran into unexpectedly," Terri replied. "Apparently, he liked me, but he was waiting for the right moment to say something."

"Oh, that sounds romantic!" Louise said.

"Yeah, it kind of is!" Terri said with a smile. "Anyway, let me kick the tires. If it actually lives up to expectations, and I'll tell you all about it."

"You'd better!" Louise said. "I can't believe that you're holding out on me!"

"Well," Terri added, "you know how men are."

"Oh, do I?" Louise sighed. "Proceed with caution!"

They laughed again.

"Okay, and I'm sorry about this," Terri explained, "but now I need to ask you an indelicate question."

"It's okay. Shoot!"

"I'm sure that you and Walter have been having some talks."

"Yeah," Louise said. "Most of it's good."

"Glad to hear!" Terri responded.  "Anyway, just so I don't say the wrong thing and get you in trouble - when you guys talked, did you ever tell him? I mean, about Antonio?"

Louise took a sip of champagne and leaned back into her chair.

"Are you fucking nuts?"


---


Dedication - For K and her girlfriends. Thanks for sharing a glimpse of life through your eyes.

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2013 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Part Twenty-One

A light breeze filtered through the half-open windows and teased the curtains with gentle oscillating movements. The night was silent save for the hum of crickets and the occasional purr of distant traffic. She kissed his shoulder and tasted sweat. His body had a healthful scent, sweet, mild, and enticing.

She felt his breath on her neck at the spot that he had been kissing moments before - how many moments was unclear, as time had rearranged itself. Minutes stretched and hours compressed into a curving distortion on the linear pace of life.

Strength and tenderness merged into a singular sensation there in his arms. She wondered how anyone could make sense of it, this duality, this primal blend of force and softest nuance. Together they elevate the senses and blur the obvious boundaries of individuality. The complexities of life are simplified and clarified through this quintessential act of human connection.

Looking into each other's eyes, understanding, he reached beneath a leg to raise her knee. She raised the other to match, as he responded with increasingly powerful movements. He held her body tightly between his forearms. She closed her eyes in anticipation.

Heartbeats raced as they surfed through waves of tension and release, order and chaos, rise and fall. She imagined that he could see right through her now, body, bone, and spirit merged into a single translucent form, diffracting light, bending it as water would to reveal the secrets of the deep. Their physical bodies moved aside as the souls made love together. Completely exposed and comfortable, she was his prism now, and he would see the world through the lens of her being for the rest of his days.

Waves crested and the seas returned to calm. They rested side by side now, breathing softly. He wiped his face with the back of his hand, and she kissed him. He touched her cheek and kissed her back and continued for several minutes.

In the pre-dawn hours they awoke together in a curled embrace, he behind she and facing in the same direction, his arm draped delicately around her waist and torso. The sounds of the night were more muted now, but the same light breeze blew in against the curtains.

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2013 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Part Twenty

Louise's mobile phone rang; it was Walter.

"Hi!"

"Hey, are you ready?" he asked.

"Yeah, I packed lunch," she said.

"Cool! I'll be there in five minutes."

Walter and Louise had hiked the Evergreen Creek trail on their second date. They called it a 'day date'. The trail followed a creek through open meadows and alternating patches of pine and oak forest. The mild grade was accessible but climbed high enough to offer sweeping views of the countryside. Evergreen Creek was popular with couples - Walter often joked that the first mile should be renamed "Lover's Lane."

The morning was dry and pleasant with a refreshingly cool breeze. Sunlight filtered through the leaves; spring flowers bloomed everywhere.

They stopped at the first overlook for a drink and took in the view. "I don't know if anything that I say could really matter at this point," Walter began, "but I am sorry. I'm really sorry about what happened."

"It matters to me," Louise confirmed, "Thanks for saying that."

"Thanks for giving me a chance."

"Yeah, well, don't go all gushy on me," she said walking back toward the trail. "It's a long way to the top."

They hiked through sunlit meadows and thick groves of pine where needles all but covered the path. At a bend in the creek dotted with ferns, Walter stopped to scamper on some rocks that jutted out over a modest cascade. Louise sat comfortably on weathered sandstone and snapped photos of Walter's climb. Mist from the rushing water and a thick canopy of leaves kept this section of the trail cool.

"Okay, Jungle Boy," she called when it was time to move on. "I'd like to have my lunch sometime today."

They slowed to a more leisurely pace as the final ascent neared. At one point Louise reached toward Walter's hand. He felt her fingertips and intertwined them with his own. Her gesture sent a message - it would be okay. Some time would need to pass, and it would never be the way that it was before, but it would be okay.

The last part of the trail ran adjacent to the ridge and a brightly sunlit field. They spread their blanket in the shade of a large leafy oak. Louise unpacked the sandwiches that she had prepared - turkey, swiss, and hot mustard for Walter; tomato, pesto, and fresh mozzarella for her.

"Thanks for what you said before," Louise began.

"You're welcome. Thank you for even coming here today," he said. "I wan't sure..."

"I was glad when you called," she said. "It's a nice day. We might as well enjoy it."

"It is a great day," he confirmed.

She took a drink from her water bottle and soaked in the view.

"I'm sorry I was so hard on you the other day - at the park."

"Don't be sorry," he said. "Everything you said was true."

"Well, true or not, I shouldn't have said some of those things."

"I made a mistake, Louise," Walter said, "one that I'll never stop regretting."

"Ah!"

"I don't blame you for being angry."

"You could have told me, Walter," she said. "It was a shock to hear it from her."

"Do you really think that it would have been easier if I had?"

She continued to look into the distance. "Probably not," she admitted. "I'm not sure how I would have taken it."

Louise felt a wave of deep remorse. "I'm sorry!" she exclaimed.

"What did I say?"

"Nothing!" she clarified. "I just..."

She paused for ten seconds. It seemed like ten years.

"I'm sorry, Walter."

"What are you sorry for?" he asked with surprise in his voice.

"For not being there when you needed me," she said. "For making you feel like you needed to go somewhere else."

"Hey, it's not your fault!" Walter said emphatically. "I'm the one who made the mistake..."

"I should have spent more time with you."

"Louise, it just happened," he said, "and it's not going to happen again."

She leaned toward him and hugged him placing the side of her head against his chest. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," he replied in a calm tone.

"Because I can't go through this again."

"You won't have to," Walter assured her.

"I'm sorry," she said while wiping a tear from her cheek.

"Hey, it's okay," he said. "It's going to be okay."

"You want it to be okay, right?" she asked.

"Yes, I want it to be okay," he said. "And I'm going to work hard to make it okay."

"Thanks," she said with a sniffle. "Me, too!" She continued to hold him. He held her gently but firmly and caressed her back. For one moment, she squeezed him hard.

"You can't see her," Louise demanded. "Unless I'm with you."

"Don't worry."

"I just couldn't take that."

"It's okay," he said. "Don't worry."

"I do worry," she said.

"Well, you shouldn't," Walter assured her. "I don't want anything to do with her."

"Are you positive?" Louise asked.

"I am absolutely certain," he said. "I only want to be with you."

"Okay," she conceded.

"I'm not even attracted to her," Walter added. It wasn't an advisable admission.

"What?" Louise shot backward out of Walter's embrace.

"I mean..."

"You screwed her, you freaking dog!" Louise said with mock disgust. She was regaining her composure and relished this chance to put Walter on the defensive.

"I was drunk!" Walter blurted out in his defense.

"So, let me understand this," Louise continued. "You cheat on me, and you claim that she isn't even attractive to you."

"No," he said, not sure what to say. "I mean..."

"Oh, don't bother to explain!" Louise continued to put on the pressure. "I can see where I rate on your list."

"You're at the TOP of my list!"

"I should be the only one ON your list, douche bag!"

"You know what I mean!" Walter protested.

"Yes, I think I understand you much better now, Walter!" she said.

"That is so not fair!" he argued.

"Not fair?" she asked.

"Not fair."

"Not fair?" she asked in a voice full of exasperation. "You don't even like her, and you chose her over me!"

"I did not choose her..."

"Oh, so you stumbled into her apartment building by accident?"

"No..."

"You dick head!"

Walter realized that anything he said in his defense would only get him into more trouble.

"So, tell me something, Walter!" she continued. "When you were over there doing nasty things to my ugly friend..."

"Louise!"

"Did you, like, you know... catch something?"

"No!" he protested. "I did not CATCH anything."

She glared back at him.

"Why?" he continued cautiously. "Does she HAVE something?"

"Don't look at me, shit head! You're the one who spent the night with her."

"It was more like an hour," he admitted.

"What?"

"I..."

"You just took off? Oh, my God, Walter! You're a bigger jerk than I thought you were."

"Hey!"

"She must have been crushed!"

"I don't know. What you do care, anyway?" he demanded.

Louise thought for a moment. "You're right," she said. "I don't care. I hope you made her feel like crap."

"That's the spirt!" he said. They smiled at each other.

"Dick head!" Louise's dry sense of humor and their playful banter had weathered the storm. The healing process had begun.

"Okay, Casanova!" she commanded. "It's time to pack up the picnic."

"Yes, boss!"

"I AM the boss. And don't you forget it!"

"How could I?"

"Pig!" she exclaimed.

They packed their things and hiked back down "Lover's Lane" occasionally walking hand in hand.


'The Horse Farm'
Copyright © 2013 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Part Nineteen

The restaurant was posh with gilded furnishings and crystal chandeliers. The tables were adorned with fine china and fresh bouquets. The lighting was intimate but not dark.

"First," Francisco began, "I would like to apologize for deceiving you."

"For lying to me," Terri clarified.

"Yes," Francisco admitted, "I did lie to you. I realize that it is not a pleasant feeling to be treated in this way, but it was necessary."

"Necessary for what?"

"Necessary because you are a good and loyal friend," Francisco said. It wasn't exactly what Terri was expecting.

"To Louise," Francisco continued. "You are her BEST friend. You protect her like a sister."

"What does that have to do with lying to me about ballet tickets, Frank?"

"Everything," he said. "Loyalty means a great deal to you, as it does to me."

Terri stared back but gave no response.

"It tells me that you are a person of principle," Francisco continued. "I respect and admire that. I told you that people underestimate you, and I think that I am right. Not just the men; the women. They see your beauty and they get one idea. But you are more than your beauty - much more." 

"Are you going somewhere with this?" she asked impatiently.

"By chance," he explained, "I met Louise, not you. If I had asked you directly, on the day that you came to the farm, to accompany me to the ballet, you would have refused out of loyalty to your friend."

"You have no idea what I would have said," she responded. "You didn't give me the chance."

"If I had asked you to accompany me, WOULD you have accepted?"

"Probably not."

"¡Bueno! Entonces," he continued, "I needed to find some way to meet you, to have at least a few minutes to speak with you."

"By lying to me."

"I admit that it was not the best plan," he said, "but I had only a few moments to come up with something."

"And Riccardo?"

"He is an old friend. He agreed to help."

"I see," she said. He anger was intensifying. "That's your style, isn't it? Manipulating people to get what you want? Like when you sent Walter off in your Ferrari to get Louise alone. And then you proceeded to humiliate her."

"Is that what you think? How exactly did I humiliate Louise?"

"You invited her to your fancy farm, and then you proceeded to give her the brush off."

"By refusing to get between her and her boyfriend?" he clarified. "Look, I invited her to the farm to apologize for acting crudely when we first met. When she called, she was very clear about her involvement with Walter. I did not believe there to be any misunderstanding between us."

"You still hurt her feelings."

"Ah, feelings!" Francisco paused for a moment to collect his thoughts.

"She is a bright and beautiful woman, your friend," Francisco continued. "I particularly enjoy her sense of humor - I can see why the two of you get along. You have strong personalities. But as for feelings, where do we begin?

"There is this man who came into her life and then left her suddenly. There is the unfaithful boyfriend to whom she had never quite given all of her heart - probably a good decision, given the way that things worked out. And there is the friend who turned out not to be particularly trustworthy. 

"Do you really believe that I am the one who has hurt her feelings?"

"She believes it," Terri said. "I think you're very good at taking advantage of situations."

"The other night," he said, "she called me. Did she call you? No?"

"No."

"She was upset. Very upset. I gave her some time to calm down, to think. When she told me what had happened, it was heartbreaking. She seemed to be looking for an escape, for a way to forget the past and everyone in it."

"Don't..."

"I am not finished," he said. "I listened. I took her to dinner, because she looked as though she needed to eat. I let her talk. I gave her some encouragement. And then I dropped her off in front of her house. Now, if I were really the kind of man that you say, one who manipulates people and takes advantage of situations, well, I'll let you draw your own conclusions as to what someone like that might have done to Louise."

Terri sat silently.

"People underestimate you," Francisco repeated. "Well, sometimes they underestimate me, as well."

Terri thought for a minute while staring at the nearly empty wine glass on the table in front of her. "Okay," she said. "I'm here. What was it that you wanted to say to me?"

"I wanted to say," Frank began, "that I would very much like to get to know you. That I see in you someone that I respect and admire, someone with whom I would enjoy spending more time. I hope that you see some of those qualities in me.

"I wanted to say that despite the deception, that I hope that you enjoyed the ballet. And I hope that we might do something like that again one day, something enjoyable, something fun."

Terri listened without responding.

"Look, I'm sorry about Louise," Francisco said. "But I'm not looking for drama. I'm looking for confidence. I'm looking for someone who knows very much who she is. I'm looking for something meaningful, something that can grow and can last. I see those qualities in you. I have from the day that we met.

"That's why I did this. That's why I tricked you. I am VERY sorry if I hurt you in the process, but I wanted a chance - some chance - to get to know you. I am very happy that we were able to talk regardless of the circumstances."

Francisco motioned toward the Maître de Table, who came at once. "Your car is ready, Madame."

"Wait a minute!" Terri exclaimed. "What car?"

"You have finished your drink," Francisco noted. "I told you that I would not take any more of your time."

"What are you talking about?"

"I have arranged for a limousine to take you back to your building."

Terri shot back a look of disbelief. "A limo?"

"I hope that you'll find that acceptable."

"Okay, so we're done?"

"One drink," Francisco confirmed, motioning toward her empty glass.

"And what are YOU going to do?" she asked.

"Ah, well... I am going to finish my wine, perhaps enjoy a nice desert. And then I am going to drive very, very fast. Because the sexual energy that I'm feeling right now... well, never mind about that."

"Unbelievable!" Terri exclaimed.

"Listen, Frank, or whatever you like to call yourself - You crossed a line here. You've crossed a whole bunch of lines."

"I understand."

"No, I don't think you DO understand. You LIED to me. You manipulated me - even though you claim that, heaven forbid, you're not a manipulator, that you're not the kind of person who takes advantage of people."

Francisco sat motionless, listening intently, watching Terri's eyes.

"And on top of that you have put me into a very difficult position with my best friend."

"I understand."

"Stop saying that!" Terri protested. "You do NOT understand."

People seated at the surrounding tables were now looking in Terri's direction.

"How am I supposed to explain this to her, Frank? What is she going to think of me?" Terri asked. "And now you're trying to pull this limo stunt and send me off like a school girl."

"I'm sorry."

"Shut up! I am NOT Louise, Frank, and I am not one of your goddamned horses. You do not pull these stunts on me."

"I understand."

"You do NOT understand!"

"I'm sorry."

"No one asked you to be sorry, Frank!"

"I... What you do want me to say?"

"You fucking men! You fucking idiot men - always trying to fix a problem that doesn't need to be fixed!"

"What do you want me to say, Terri?" he asked again. "What do you want me to do? Anything!"

"Cancel the limo, Frank!" Terri commanded adamantly. "I need a ride in that goddamned Ferrari."

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2013 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Part Eighteen

"Hello, Terri, this is Riccardo."

"Hi!"

"Terri, I apologize. I am running late with a client. I shall have to meet you at the ballet."

"That's okay."

"I have asked Francisco to pick you up. He will be there in five minutes."

"Oh, but he doesn't have to..."

"He is already on his way. He will be able to take you there quickly."

"Oh, okay. All right, well, I'll ride with Francisco and I'll see you there."

"Yes," Riccardo confirmed. "I am so sorry."

"It's okay."

"Grazie. Ciao!"

"Ciao!"

Terri decided to give Louise a quick ring to note the change in plans, but the call went to her voice mail. 

"Hey, it's me. I just wanted to let you know that because of some delay with Riccardo's client, apparently he asked Francisco to give me a ride to the ballet. Kind of unexpected, but I'll be meeting Riccardo there, so hopefully things will go smoothly. Anyway, that's the scoop. I hope that you're doing okay. I'll give you a call when I get back tonight, all right? Love you, bye!"

Terri did a last minute touch up of her make-up, put on a pair of expensive earrings, checked the lights in the apartment, picked up her purse and phone, took one last look in the mirror and locked the door. Francisco was waiting at the curb.

"Nice to see you again!" he said.

"Nice to see you, too!"

"You look very nice!" he said.

"Thank you!" Terri replied cheerfully. "I didn't expect to see you today."

"Riccardo's clients," Francisco explained, "they can be very demanding. He is often running late."

"Well, thank you for the ride."

"It is no problem. We'll be there soon."

Frank left the car with the valet attendants. True to his word, Riccardo was waiting near the box office.

"I am SO sorry," Riccardo explained. "I actually have to get back to my clients. But I have picked up the tickets." He handed one each to Terri and Francisco. "I hope that the two of you can enjoy the show."

Riccardo noticed the frustration on Terri's face. "Bella donna," he said to her. "I call you tonight, sì?"

"Sure!" Terri said with a hint of disappointment in her voice. Riccardo kissed her on the cheek and strode away with a vigorous wave.

Terri and Frank made their way into the concert hall, passed security and the ticket takers and followed plushly padded carpeting toward a private box just above the stage - literally the best seats in the house. Terri leaned her arms against the padded rail; the view of the stage was breathtaking.

The show began. The dancers moved in perfect synchronization with the orchestra. Handsome gentlemen struck dramatic poses and launched into impressive leaps from their well-muscled legs. Delicate-looking ladies showed remarkable power and flexibility as they glided across the stage.

"I'm going to have to bring Louise to the ballet sometime!" Terri thought to herself.

At intermission, Francisco offered to buy Terri a drink. He came back with a bottle of champagne and two crystal glasses. Terri took her glass and looked off into the distance with a vacant stare. "This was all a big setup, wasn't it?"

Francisco sat back in his seat. "I'll bet that people underestimate you," he said. "They should not."

"YOU shouldn't underestimate me," she shot back without making eye contact.

The lights went down for the second act. Terri considered leaving but decided to stay. She was enjoying the show and was curious to hear Francisco's explanation. He had coordinated this with Riccardo; she wanted to know when the lies had begun.

After the show, they worked their way silently through the crowd to the exit. "I owe you an explanation...." Frank said once they had stepped outside.

"You don't own me anything," Terri shot back. "Nothing at all."

"Nevertheless," said Francisco, "I would like the chance to explain."

"There's nothing to explain," Terri half laughed. "You lied to me. You brought me here under false pretenses. I can't quite imagine you being that desperate, Frank, you OR your little wing man Riccardo."

"I understand that you are upset," Francisco began.

"You don't understand anything, Frank! If you had, you would not have pulled a stunt like this. Not if you ever expected to see me again." 

"Terri, I apologize," Francisco said. "But please. All I ask is for the chance to explain."

"Okay.  Explain."

"Please, there is a restaurant here. Join me for a drink."

"Believe it or not, Frank, you're not the first man who has asked me out for a drink. And I've turned down better looking men than you. Much better looking."

"I have no doubt," Francisco continued, "that you could attract any man on the planet, and he would be honored to be by your side. I did not bring you here to insult you. I brought you here so that we might have a chance to talk. So please hear what I have to say. One drink, and I shall not bother you again." 

Terri thought for a moment. "One drink."

"One drink," Francisco confirmed.

She would listen his explanation - and then teach him a lesson in manners.

"And when that drink is done," she said. "I'm gone."

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2013 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved