"We did," his father said looking up from a stack of papers that were shining in the light from his desk lamp. "She's upstairs. She's not feeling well."
"Why didn't you just take her home?"
"We were already here," his father explained. "She'll be okay." He gestured for his son to come closer. "Please, sit. I'd like to discuss something with you."
"Something about the farm?"
"Oh, no!" his father exclaimed. "I just wanted to check in and see how you're doing."
"Fine, I guess."
"Excited about going to university?"
"Well, not yet, but..."
"You know, I was thinking," his father interrupted. "Before you go off and get busy with your studies, maybe you should spend some more time with your mother."
"Uh, I guess."
"You could go this weekend. I'll get you a ticket."
"That's okay, Dad. Mom was just here. I mean, she literally just left."
"Well, I know!" his father argued. "But the two of you really had only the one dinner together. That's not much time."
"It was a nice dinner."
"What I'm saying is, I'm sure that she would have enjoyed the chance to spend more time with you."
"Maybe another time," Young Francisco countered. "I'm going out with Isabella this weekend."
"Oh, where are you taking her?"
"Shopping. She's going to help me pick out clothes for school."
"Oh, that's so nice!" his father remarked. "Well, you know, you could take her with you."
"Take her where?"
"To your mother's. She loves to shop."
"Dad! I am not taking Isabella to see Mom! That's ridiculous!"
"Why is it ridiculous? They get along well."
"Dad! - Hello! - Isabella isn't my girlfriend. She's dating Tommy."
"¡Hijo de puta! Just like his father!"
"Papa!"
"¡Lo siento!" the elder Francisco apologized. "But you know what I mean. That kid's been a jerk since he was four years old. If she marries him, she'll be sorry for the rest of her life."
"I can't say that I disagree, but I'm also not in charge of the rest of her life."
"Okay, I'm sorry, son. Forget about your mother."
"Thank you."
"Where are you two going shopping."
"Downtown."
"Excellent!" his father exclaimed. "Always trust the advice of a woman, Francisco! They usually know best. - Ah! You know, I have an idea!"
His son was becoming impatient now. "What is it?"
"Why don't we book a room for you at the Grande Parisienne? That way you won't have to drive back and forth, and you can take your friend out to dinner."
"Dad! What the heck is going on?"
"Nothing!"
"Don't tell me 'nothing'! The Grande Parisienne?"
"It's a nice hotel."
"It costs an arm and a leg!"
"Your mother likes it."
"Why do you keep going on about Mom? And why is Terri upstairs sleeping when it's not even 8:30?"
His father clenched his jaw tightly and stared back admiringly toward his grown son. This was not going well. It was time for the truth.
He took a deep breath and pushed his chair back away from the desk. "You're right, Francisco. I do have to tell you something.
"Earlier today, after work, Terri ran into her ex unexpectedly. It was a bad situation."
"Were you there?"
"No."
"What happened?"
"He just showed up, even though she made it clear that she didn't want to see him. She hadn't spoken with him since he went to prison."
"Prison?" The young Francisco was stunned. "You mean like a drug dealer or something?"
"Not exactly," his father explained. "White collar crime. Some sort of political scandal."
"You mean like Grandpa?"
"That's enough!"
"Sorry."
"Anyway, the guy is bad news."
"Dios Mío, Papa!" The young man burst into laughter.
"What's so funny?"
"This is the kind of situation that you warn ME not to get into! If I got involved in something like this, you'd disinherit me."
His father smiled and relaxed a bit. "I see your point. I'm sorry, Francisco. I didn't know about any of this when I met her."
"You just asked her out because she's..."
"Yeah!"
"I understand!" his son said approvingly.
"Yes, well... now, unfortunately, we are in the middle of something that I did not anticipate, and we have to take precautions."
"What kind of precautions?"
"To begin with, I don't want you riding your motorcycle until this blows over."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes. I'm sorry."
"So, you think this guy is dangerous?"
"I think that he is...unpredictable, like a wounded animal."
"So, how long are we talking about?"
"Not long," his father assured him. "I have something in the works."
"Okay, just don't tell me!"
"Oh, it's nothing like that!" his father assured him.
"So, I guess Grandpa isn't involved."
Francisco, Sr. took a breath. The remark had caught him off guard. "No, he doesn't know about this. I didn't want him to be involved."
"Maybe you should have called him," Young Francisco suggested. "Just in case."
His father paused again, quietly staring off toward an imaginary distant point. "If I don't think that I can resolve this quickly, I shall make that call."
"Well, I'm sure that your plan will work," his son assured him. "They usually do."
"So, can I reserve that room for you?"
"Does it come with a mini bar?"
"I... think so."
"Deal!"
"And no motorcycle for a while. You'll drive the Suburban, okay?"
"As long as you don't need it."
'The Horse Farm'
Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved
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