The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-30

Francisco was walking the fence line between the house and the stables when the phone rang. He recognized the number.

"What do you have for me?"

"What's my favorite team?" the voice on the phone demanded.

"You're favorite team? Arsenal."

"I HATE Arsenal, and you know it!"

"Yes, I do," Francisco confirmed. "What I don't know is why we're playing word games in the middle of a crisis."

"Relax! I just wanted to confirm that it was you. I have information about Fenn-Creighley."

"Confirm that it's me... OK. Your mother's name is Maria Francesca, and your sister has the most amazing ass I've ever..."

"Don't push it, jackass!"

"Just tell me what you have."

"Your hunch was right. Fenn-Creighley still has contacts in government including an old friend at the State Department."

"Oh?"

"Deputy Director Bradford Marston. He and Fenn-Creighley pledged at the same fraternity, same year."

"Where did they go? Georgetown?"

"Not quite. Ohio State."

"Really? Not exactly what I was expecting."

"You know what that means, right?"

"Yes," Francisco replied. "It means that we're dealing with working class operators, men who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty."

"Men with a chip on their shoulder," the voice said. "Willing to do whatever it takes to fit in with the Ivy Leaguers."

"That's not good news," Francisco noted. "What do you know about Marston?"

"Three kids, big mortgage," the voice said. "Not the type to rock the boat." 

"Which means that Fenn-Creighley has dirt on him."

"Probably. But figuring out what that is will be difficult."

"It probably has to do with Fenn-Creighly's conviction," reasoned Francisco. "But I agree that it will be difficult to dig up old skeletons. What else do you have?"

"Fenn-Creighley has daughter in private school. Boston area."

"That sounds expensive."

"We could apply pressure there..."

"No! Leave the kid out of it," Francisco insisted. "It's not her fault that he father is an asshole."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm completely sure! And make sure that my father doesn't hear about this. That's exactly the kind of target that he likes to harass."

"He just does it because it gets results."

"It gets results when you're negotiating with a dictator or enforcing mineral rights in a jungle full of guerrillas," Francisco explained. "We're not in that situation. Let's try to keep the body count to a minimum."

"What do you propose?"

"You said the Fenn-Creighley had other government contacts?"

"His old bosses, two Congressmen," the voice replied. "One of them is still serving."

"Garrison Albright."

"That is correct."

Francisco thought before continuing. "A sitting Congressman probably isn't worth the effort - unless he's really dirty, and maybe this guy isn't. Let's keep that idea in our back pocket. We'll pull it out if we need a 'break glass' solution."

"OK" agreed the voice. 

"For the time being, let's put some pressure on Marston. Make him think about losing that big house."

"I'll make some calls," said the voice.

"Nothing rough. Just remind him that he's not untouchable."

"Got it. If he feels the walls closing in..."

"...he won't be as eager to do Fenn-Creighley's bidding," Francisco concluded.

"Anything else?"

"A stern word from upper management might sway Deputy Director Marston," Francisco pondered. 

"A reprimand."

"Exactly!" Francisco exclaimed. "And I think that I know someone who might be able to help with that."

"Who?"

"An old friend. And it just so happens that I'll be speaking with her tonight."

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-29

Louise was sitting at her desk and staring at her computer then Terri called.

"Hi!"

"Are you busy?" 

"I'm just trying to figure something out on a spreadsheet," Louise explained.

"That sounds painful!"

"You wouldn't know if there's a function to convert international date formats, would you?"

"Oh my God! Too complicated!"

"I got this file from our office in Hong Kong. All of the dates have the day first, then the month, and then the year. I want to convert them to month/day/year, but I can't seem to find an easy way to do it."

"Yeah, well, you do know that tech isn't my strong suit."

"That's OK - I'll figure something out."

"Why don't you ask Walter?"

"Oh, he's on a plane."

"Where's he going now?"

"Colorado, for three days."

"What's out there?"

"One of their engineering and design teams," Louise explained. "He has to meet with them once a month."

"Oh, so you're free this evening!" Terri noted cheerfully.

"Yeah, it looks that way."

"I was wondering if you might want to meet up."

"Sure!" Louise agreed. "Is everything okay?"

"Well," Terri began, "there's sort of been another ex-wife sighting."

"Get out! She's back?"

"He's going to meet her tonight. Family conference with the kid about college."

"Oh, so you didn't actually run into her?"

"No, thank God!"

"Did he tell you that she was coming, or did you have to pry it out of him?"

"No, he told me," Terri clarified. "He was really sweet about it."

"Well, that's good!"

"Yeah, I guess!"

"But it's still kind of a crappy feeling, right?"

"Yeah," Terri said. "I just don't feel right when she's around."

"That's funny," Louise observed. "I feel the same way about Jo."

"Oh my God!"

"And yet, she's one of my best friends. So how screwed up is MY life?"

"I'm so sorry, Lou! I hadn't thought of it that way."

"It's okay," Louise assured her. "Things happen."

"Yeah, really shitty things!" Terri said angrily. "I still can't believe the courage that it must have taken to forgive her. Not to mention Walter."

"Oh, I haven't forgiven him yet," Louise said firmly.

"Nevertheless, you're a saint."

"Oh, yeah! Saint Get Shit On By Your Friend And Your Boyfriend At The Same Time. The most pathetic saint ever!"

"Oh my God, you're hilarious!" Terri exclaimed, unable to choke back an embarrassed laugh.

"Does having a sense of humor qualify for sainthood, too?"

"Look, we don't have to do anything tonight," Terri said.

"No! No! We're both alone. We might as well drown our sorrows and wallow in tales of woe."

"You do have a point," Terri noted. "What do you think? Angelos?"

"Yeah, that's fine. It's easy to park there."

"Seven-ish?"

"Let's go earlier," Louise suggested. "I'm really not in the mood to work late."

"OK, I probably can get there around 6:15 - 6:30 at the latest."

"That's perfect."

"Okay, I'll see you then!"

"Thanks!"

"And good luck on your spreadsheet!"

"I need it."

Louise put her phone in her purse and realized suddenly that Beth had been standing a few feet away. "Oh, sorry!"

"That's OK!" Beth said gleefully. Her face beamed as though she couldn't wait to tell Louise something exciting. "Are you busy?" 

"Kind of," answered Louise with a hint of annoyance in her tone. "What's up?"

Beth bent down and whispered in Louise's ear. "Antonio asked me to go dancing with him on Friday."

Louise pulled back a few inches and stared Beth in the eyes. "That's great!" she said in a low, breathy voice.

"You don't mind, right?" Beth asked.

"No! Not at all!"

"I mean, you guys aren't...?"

"No! No!" Louise said emphatically while shaking her head. 

"Are you sure?" asked Beth.

"Positive," Louise confirmed. She did her best to force a smile. "Go out! Have a good time!"

"OK, thanks!"

"OK," whispered Louise.

Beth darted away with so much enthusiasm that she appeared to gallop. Her face still beaming when she smiled back from Louise's office door.

"Dancing!" Louise muttered under her breath. "Isn't that nice?"

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-28

Francisco stood next to a split rail fence near Stable 2 wearing a white cowboy hat, scuffed work boots, and a faded denim shirt. He pulled a telephone from a case on his belt and dialed Terri at her office. The morning sun struggled to penetrate patches of lingering fog. 

"Hey!"

"Hi!"

"Is that a bad time?"

"Well, it's never a great time," Terri answered, "but I have a few minutes."

"That's good, because I need to talk to you about something."

"OK."

"I chatted with my son as he was leaving for school. He wants to talk to me this evening about his education."

"Well, that's good!"

"I wanted to let you know, because he also asked if his mother could be here."

"Oh!" Terri remained silent for a moment as she pictured the bejeweled blonde sitting in Francisco's study, flashing a condescending smile in her direction. "So, she's coming over?"

"I haven't contacted her, yet. I wanted to talk to you about it first."

"Francisco, this is your family. If your son needs to talk with the two of you together, then it must be something important."

"Are you sure that it's OK with you?"

"Well, I'm not thrilled, but I understand why she needs to be there."

"Thank you, that's very generous."

"Oh, don't worry!" Terri joked. "You're going to make this up to me. I think I'll spend the rest of the day coming up with a plan."
Francisco let out a baritone laugh. "Okay, well, maybe I should drive over later and take you out for a nightcap."

"I think you should probably be there for you son, don't you think?"

"Well, let's see what time it is when we finish our discussion," Francisco offered. "If it's not too late, I would love to see you."

"Well, that's thoughtful. But just make sure that you spend the time with him that he needs."

"OK, well, I'll give you a call later to let you know how it went."

"That's thoughtful! Thanks!"

"Thank YOU for understanding." 

"It's fine, Frank. Do what you have to do."

"Bueno - ciao!"

"Ciao!"

Francisco leaned against the fence and dialed another call. A woman answered.

"Am I reaching you at a bad time?" he asked.

"If it were a bad time, I wouldn't have answered, silly."

"How did I know that you were going to saw that?" Francisco teased.

"We know each other all too well, I'm afraid."

"Anyway, I'm calling because your son asked if he could speak with us together this evening."

"Yes, he already called me."

"He did?"

"Yes, last night, after his date."

"He went on a date last night?" 

"Oh, God Almighty! What kind of a father are you?"

"He's about to turn eighteen. I don't keep track of his every movement."

"You should pay more attention."

"Anyway, I thought that he wanted me to get in touch with you."

"I guess he didn't trust you to remember to call me since you are apparently too busy to pay any attention to him."

"Dios mio!" Francisco said bitterly. "So, I suppose that you're coming."

"Of course, Darling! My flight leaves at 2:30."

"Should I pick you up at the airport?"

"In the Ferrari? Where will I put my bags?"

"I could bring the Suburban. Or the Benz."

"It's okay, Darling! I've arranged for a car. I'll freshen up at the hotel first. You can pick me up there."

"At what time?"

"6:30?"

"Of course! You are a man of your word."

"Apparently, my son doesn't think so."

"I was teasing you, Darling! He thinks the world of you."

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-27

Francisco sent a two-letter text message to Isabella's phone: "PH".

Isabella would understand what the letters meant: "Puedes hablar?" - Spanish for "Can you talk?" All of their text conversations began this way. It was their own secret shorthand.

"10 min. dinner"

Francisco placed the phone on the dresser, took off his shirt and threw it onto the bed. He went into the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. 

When he came back into the bedroom, Isabella had already sent two texts: "ok, finished" and "HELLO???". 

Francisco: "Sorry. Was in the bathroom." 

Isabella: "I hope everything came out all right! :-P "

Francisco: "I was brushing my teeth."

Isabella: "Sure you were!"

F: "I was!!!"

I: "Oh, that's right. You're a clean mouth fanatic."

F: "I like the minty taste."

I: "Yeah, but then you smell like mouthwash."

F: "What's wrong with mouthwash?"

I: "It smells like mouthwash!"

F: "Better than the alternative."

I: "I guess. What's up?"

F: "I just wanted to say thanks."

I: "For what?"

F: "For our talk the other day. For setting me straight."

I: "Oh, it was nothing."

F: "No, it helped me a lot!"

I: "Well, you'll be fine whatever you decide."

F: "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I've decided to go."

I: "Go, you mean...?"

F: "To college. Duh!"

I: "Oh my gosh! That's amazing!"

F: "I'm glad that you're happy."

I: "I'm thrilled! I am so, so proud of you. What made you change your mind?"

F: "You did."

I: "Oh, come on!"

F: "I'm serious! It's totally true."

I: "But you seemed so certain about not wanting to go."

F: "I was being a little stubborn. You helped me to see things clearly."

I: "Well, I'm glad that I could help. I didn't think that you were going to go."

F: "Well, you were right. It's an opportunity that I shouldn't miss. I don't want to blow it."

I: "I'm so proud of you, Francisco! Did you tell your dad?"

F: "Not yet. He's not here right now. Maybe tomorrow."

I: "Okay, but no backing out! ;-P "

F: "Don't worry. I'm good."

I: "Well, that is amazing news! I wasn't expecting that."

F: "I guess you are an amazing influence!"

I: "I don't know about that!"

F: "An amazing friend?"

I: "OK, I'll accept that one. :-) "

F: "And super beautiful!"

I: "OMG, don't you start getting fresh with me, Mr. College Boy!"

F: "So sorry! I'll behave myself. ;-) "

I: "You'd better!"

F: "What are you wearing now?"

I: "That is NOT behaving!"

F: "It's just an innocent question."

I: "Yeah, I remember the last time we started asking each other innocent questions."

F: "I do, too."

I: "I bet you do! You're so bad!"

F: "OK, since you won't tell me, I'll have to guess: white T-shirt and sweat pants."

I: "Ew, gross! I never wear sweat pants."

F: "Yoga pants?"

I: "Nothing so fancy. Gym shorts. And an aqua South Beach T-shirt."

F: "When did you go to South Beach?"

I: "I didn't. Tommy got it for me."

F: "Buzz kill!"

I: "Hey, you asked..."

F: "I bet it doesn't fit."

I: "Well, yeah, it's too big, but it's comfortable."

F: "He doesn't know you like I do."

I: "Are you flirting with me, Mr. Mela?"

F: "Um, that's Señor Mela!"

I: "Are you flirting with me, Señor Mela?"

F: "No, if I were flirting with you, I'd ask what color your underwear is."

I: "How do you know that I'm wearing underwear?"

F: "Because you just came from the dinner table."

I: "Good point."

F: "And because you have boobs."

I: "What's that supposed to mean?"

F: "Well, I figured that you might be uncomfortable without a bra."

I: "Oh my goodness, you're disgusting!"

F: "Why is that disgusting?"

I: "That's kind of personal, buster!"

F: "I just want you to be comfortable."

I: "I'm perfectly comfortable when I'm not wearing a bra."

F: "Oh, really?"

I: "Ugh! I shouldn't have said that last part. :-) "

F: "The cat's out of the bag, now!"

I: "All right, you got me. I'm wearing underwear."

F: "White lace?"

I: "I'm not telling you!"

F: "You said the T-shirt was aqua, so... you're probably wearing that light blue bra."

I: "And why do you think that I have a light blue bra?"

F: "Because you wore it to the spring formal."

I: "Oh my God! Were you checking me out?? Psycho!"

F: "Give me a break! It was totally obvious!"

I: "My underwear is not obvious."

F: "The dress was low cut..."

I: "It wasn't a dress, it was a gown."

F: "The gown was low cut, excuse me! It kind of hung out around the edges."

I: "Wow! I'm never wearing THAT gown again."

F: "You looked hot."

I: "More like a tramp, apparently!"

F: "No, you were totally classy, like always! All of the tops are cut that way these days."

I: "I should have looked in the mirror before I went out."

F: "Well, you looked hot."

I: "Instead of scoping me out, maybe you should have been looking at your date."

F: "Ana?"

I: "Yeah. She's amazingly thin. I'd love to have her body."

F: "I'd love to have your body."

I: "Oh my goodness, Francisco! You are hopeless!"

F: "I want to see you."

I: "You'll see me tomorrow at school."

F: "I want to see you now."

I: "I'm not sure that's a good idea since you're in a flirty mood."

F: "I'll be nice. I'll take you out for an ice cream."

I: "I'd like that, but I can't go out tonight."

F: "Why not? Is Tommy coming over?"

I: "No, he's got tennis practice."

F: "Okay then..."

I: "I don't have a reason to get away."

F: "Tell them that you have to return something."

I: "I don't have anything to return. Besides, if I say that I'm going to the mall, my sister will want to tag along."

F: "Tell them that you have to help me with my college application."

I: "You were already accepted, dumbo."

F: "Your parents don't know that."

I: "I think they'll figure it out. They're not stupid."

F: "You mean not like Tommy."

I: "Shut up! He's not stupid."

F: "You just don't want to see me."

I: "No, I do. I mean, I'd like to."

F: "It's OK. We can get together another time."

I: "Okay, I'll tell them that you decided which college to go to, and we're going to celebrate over an ice cream."

F: "You think they'll buy it?"

I: "Well, it's true."

F: "It is."

I: "I mean, if they want to spy on me and blab to Tommy, all they'll see is us having an ice cream."

F: "Nothing wrong with that!"

I: "Nothing at all."

F: "Not even slightly scandalous."

I: "Maybe I'll even wear my blue bra for you, since you like it so much."

F: "Oh, that would be awesome. I'll even buy you an extra scoop!"

I: "You're funny!"

F: "Just do me one favor."

I: "What?"

F: "Ditch the South Beach T-shirt."

I: "Don't worry. I don't wear that cheap thing in public."

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved