The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-26

"So what if my car was there?" Terri asked defiantly.

"Not just that it was there," Jo explained. "It had been parked for a while."

"What are you talking about?"

"I felt the hood. It was cool to the touch. The engine hadn't been run in hours."

"Why were you touching my car?"

"I asked Steve to take a picture of me while I leaned against it."

"Oh, brother!" Louise groaned.

"Don't worry," Jo reassured Terri. "I didn't tell Steve whose car it was. I just said that it was cute and I wanted a picture with it."

"Thanks ... I think!" Terri muttered.

"But the fact remains that you were there for hours, maybe days," Jo continued. "I knew that you weren't there to ride the horses, so I figured that maybe you were riding something else."

"Oh, gross!" Louise cringed.

"Hey, I did ride a horse!" Terri declared emphatically.

"You mean a stud?"

"No, a real, live horse! His name was Charlie, or something like that."

Louise chuckled. "She doesn't even remember his name! How typical!"

"Shut up!" Terri protested with a grin. She appreciated the humor of the remark even though she realized that it was a veiled insult.

"Okay, so I'll take back my riding comment," Jo said. "But you were still off of the RADAR for a few days. Louise couldn't reach you all weekend. Do you still want us to believe that you weren't camping out with Francisco?"

Terri put her face into her hands. "Okay, well, apparently my big announcement wasn't news to anyone!"

"It was news to me," Louise admitted with a comforting tone.

"So, why didn't you say something?" Terri asked, snapping a glance toward Jo.

"This is your thing, none of my business. To tell you the truth, I was happy for you. I figured that you would tell us when you were ready, when you felt sure about things."

"Thanks," Terri said as she softened her tone and her posture.

"So, you are sure?" Jo demanded, smiling.

"Uh, pretty sure!" Terri said with a smile.

"Ooh, I love it!" Louise exclaimed. She and Jo were sitting at the edges of their seats now.

"You're not concerned that he's a player?" Jo prodded.

"That's what I thought at first," Terri explained, "and I wasn't too happy about it. But he's confided in me with some really heavy stuff."

"Like what?" Louise asked.

Terri debated whether to disclose the details that Francisco had shared with her about the investigation. "I'm not sure that I should say."

Louise's face suddenly expressed concern. "Oh my god, Terri! What's going on?"

"Okay, well, this is kind of serious, so please don't say anything to anyone."

"We won't!" Jo assured her.

Louise placed her hand gently on Terri's forearm. "It's okay."

"Well, he's not sure, but there's a possibility that the government might be investigating him."

"Francisco?" Louise asked.

"Yeah."

"No way!"

Jo asked, "What do you mean by 'he's not sure'?"

"They haven't approached him directly, but apparently some of his assets have been frozen."

"Holy shit!" Louise shrieked as she covered her mouth with her hand.

"Terri, that's really serious!" Jo said.

"I know."

"They do that kind of stuff for mobsters," Jo said. "Organized crime."

"Yeah, I know that, too," Terri said soberly. "But this is something else."

"What do you think it is?" Louise asked.

"I think it's Douglas trying to get even."

"What?" Jo exclaimed.

"Oh my goodness!" Louise gasped.

"It makes sense," Terri reasoned. "I just started seeing Frank, and Douglas calls me out of the blue. What are the odds?"

"Astronomical!" Louise postulated.

"That little snake!" Jo exclaimed.

"Anyway, after Frank told me about what was happening, I called Douglas..."

"Wait! You called him?" Louise asked.

Jo added: "I'd be terrified."

"Yeah, I'm not sure that it was a good move," Terri confessed.

"Yeah!?" Louise exclaimed.

"Anyway, he all but admitted it over the phone."

"Get out!" Louise exclaimed with a throaty gasp.

"Yep!"

"Oh my God, that is so creepy!" Jo said.

"Well, that's what we've come to expect from dear old Douglas," Louise observed.

"Did you tell Francisco," Jo asked. "I mean about Douglas?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, my God! Was he mad?" Louise asked.

"He's surprisingly calm," Terri noted, "even when the shit is totally hitting the fan."

"That's amazing!" Jo said.

"So, what is he going to do?" Louise asked. 

"He has his accountant and lawyer working on it," Terri explained. "They're making sure that he has enough cash to keep his business running. Stuff like that."

"Oh my God, Terri!" Jo said. "This must be so tough on you!"

"It's pretty shocking!" Terri said. "I didn't think that even Douglas would stoop to something like this."

"Really!" Louise exclaimed.

"Guess I was wrong!" Terri admitted.

"Is there anything that we can do for you?" Jo asked.

"Is Douglas bothering you?" Louise demanded.

"I haven't seen him," Terri asked. "He hasn't called. That's not to say that he couldn't just show up sometime."

"Oh, my God! Terri!" Louise cried. "Call us if you even think that he's going to cause trouble."

"Thanks! I will!"

"I'm so sorry, Terri!" Jo said.

"It's okay," Terri said. "It's all going to be okay. We just have to weather the storm and get things straightened out."

"It's so sad," Jo said. "You meet this great guy, and your past comes back to haunt you."

"I guess I should have seen this coming."

"On the other hand," Louise offered, "you ARE dating again!"

"Yeah!" Jo concurred. "And he's RICH!"

"And HOT!" Louise offered.

"And under federal investigation," Terri said, her voice dripping with irony.

"For bullshit reasons!" Jo argued. "You know that!"

"Yeah, seriously!" Louise agreed. "I am going to kill that twerp Douglas. If he spoils this wedding..."

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Terri shouted. "NOBODY is talking wedding here!"

"Oh, sorry!" Louise said. "I got ahead of myself."

"Jesus, Lou!" Terri scolded.

"I'm sorry."

"I mean, you and Walter have been together for a while. Why don't you plan a wedding?"
"Okay, I see your point," Louise admitted. "Let's just let that one drop."

"But you are dating a great guy," Jo chimed in. "And he has a Ferrari and a beautiful country house. It's good, right?"

"Yeah, it's good!" Terri agree. "It's very good."

"I just have one question," Jo said.

"What?"

"Have you guys done it in the barn yet?"

"What?"

"Oh, my God, Jo!" Louise shrieked. "Shut up!"

Terri attempted to address the question directly. "I am not going to have sex on hay bales, if that's what you're asking."

"Well, maybe you should," Jo said. "It might be nice."

"I don't think so."

"It was nice when Steve and I did it."

"Nooo!" shrieked Louise.

"Oh, my God!" Terri cursed. "You did NOT just tell me that!"

"Jo, you can't be serious," Louise said laughing. "Oh, wait! It's you! You are serious!"

"I thought you liked this Steve guy," Terri said.

"I do."

"Then why are you showing him your wild side?"

"I guess he has to see it sooner or later, right?"

"Oh, maybe just take it a little easy there, Jo!" Louise suggested. "He's from Iowa, remember."

"Indiana."

"Not much better!"

"Steve is cool," Jo cooed. "And he's nice. He took me shopping the other day."

"Shopping for what?" Louise asked.

"Clothes."

"Well, that's good, right?" Terri said.

"Wait a minute," Louise said. "You didn't do that thing in the dressing room, did you?"

"Maybe!"

"Okay, I think we've all had just about enough to drink!" Louise said.

Terri made eye contact with the waiter, who was already staring at her, and made a hand gesture in the air to imitate a writing motion.

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-25

Louise ran her finger slowly along the sides of her glass playing with the condensation like a distracted child. "Why are we celebrating Happy Hour on a Monday, again?"

"Because Walter's out of town." Terri explained patiently. "You needed someplace to go after work."

"Guys, I'm fine!"

"She's fine," Terri said while glancing toward Jo.

"Obviously!" Jo agreed.

"I don't need a babysitter," Louise grumbled.

"Two babysitters, actually," Jo said.

"Babysitters, whatever!"

"I think she's right!" Terri said. "She doesn't need us."

"She's rock solid," Jo added. "Why were we even concerned?"

"Hey, Lou!" Terri suggested. "Since you're so cool and everything, why don't you finish that Margarita and head back over to the office? Maybe El Guapo will be there waiting for you."

"Waiting with open arms!" added Jo.

"Please!" Louise protested. "I don't need protection from 'El Guapo'. Besides, he's not even that guapo anymore."

"Losing his hair?" Jo asked.

"Losing my interest."

"Hey, we could get some potato skins," Jo proposed in an attempt to steer the conversation away from Louise's crisis of the week. "Or some nachos."

"How do you stay so skinny?" Louise asked.

"Yoga, five times a week," Jo answered. "You should come sometime."

"I hate you."

"Oh, come on, Lou!" Terri exclaimed. "It's just an appetizer."

"Says the one who's skinny and curvy at the same time," Louise observed. "I totally hate YOU!"

Yeah, well, so does every woman in this bar," Terri boasted. "Take a number!"

"Good one!" Jo exclaimed. She held her hand up, and Terri tapped it in the 'high five' gesture.

"I just don't let it bother me anymore," Terri said proudly.

"As well you shouldn't!" Jo added.

"Okay!" Louise exclaimed in a tone of voice that dripped with annoyance. "Go ahead and order your high-calorie potato skins. I'll just sit back and watch the two of you get fat."

Terri waved for the waiter to come to the table. She beamed her killer smile at him as she placed the order, and he drank in every delicious eyeful.

"That's settled!" Jo exclaimed. "What should we discuss?"

"So, Louise, how was work today?" Terri hinted.

"Miserable!"

"That bad?" Jo asked.

"We had the first project meeting, and of course the guy was insufferable. He was like, 'Louise should be able to help with this,' and 'Louise and I will work together on that.'"

"That sounds arrogant," Terri observed.

"He's full of himself," Louise said. "I swear that he roped me into this project just to torture me."

"Okay, well, just be careful," Terri advised.

"How about you?" Louise asked. "Any trouble with Douglas?"

Terri choked on her drink at the mention of his name.

"Terri, are you okay?" Jo asked.

Terri waved as though to indicate that she was fine. When she regained her composure, she apologized.

"I'm sorry! I just ... You caught me off guard."

"Terri, what's going on?" Louise demanded.

Terri glanced at Jo. "Uh, it's a little hard to explain."

"Oh!" Louise exclaimed quietly.

"What's hard to explain?" Jo asked.

"All right, well, I might as well just put it out there," Terri said. "I started dating Francisco."

"The Ferrari guy?" Jo clarified.

"Yeah."

Jo's face beamed with excitement. "I totally knew that!"

"You did not!" Louise scolded.

"Oh, yes I did! I saw your car there. It was Sunday, like a week ago. Steve and I were there for our riding lesson."

"A lot of people drive the same car as me," Terri argued.

"Yeah, but you're the only one with license plate AG seventy-five QPZ."

"I..." Terri searched for a response, but the words failed to cooperate.

"I think she's got you there!" Louise said laughing.

"Do you want to know what it is backwards?" Jo asked. "It's ZPQ..."

"We get it!" Louise interrupted. 

Jo had a photographic memory for names and numbers, and she loved to recite them forward and backward. It was her favorite party trick; she would do it over and over until someone asked her to stop. Terri realized that Jo was telling the truth: she had seen the car that day at Francisco's estate. That much was inarguable.

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-24

Francisco Mela paced through the stalls of his six-car garage as he conversed with someone via mobile phone. Francisco's resonant baritone was calm and controlled; the other person's voice was inaudible.

"I need to get some information on a Douglas Fenn-Creighley. He worked as a congressional aid at one time."

"No, there's a hyphen. F-E-N-N dash C-R-E-I-G-H-L-E-Y."

"No, it's L-E-Y."

"That's correct."

"He has served some time. I'm sure that it's a matter of public record."

"Twenty-two months - something like that."

"I don't know whether it was state or federal charges."

"Corruption, I think. Maybe some election tampering."

"No, this was recent, sometime in the last couple of years."

"It's possible. He may still have contacts Washington."

"Right. Or maybe he has leverage on someone, information that some powerful person wants to keep out of the newspapers."

"I'm not sure."

"My father? No, I haven't spoken with him."

"Park sent him an email to fill him in."

"You can keep him apprised, but I would prefer not to have him involved."

"Well, it's not good for his health, first of all, and he can be a little heavy handed when he feels that someone is invading his territory."

"I understand. But I would rather deal with this discreetly and keep it out of the press."

"Our clients wouldn't appreciate the negative publicity."

"You can just tell him that I'm handling it."

"Tell him that I'm handling it, and he can call if he has any concerns."

"¡Bueno!"

"Right."

"Okay, sure!"

"Fine. Call me when you have something."

"¡Bueno! - If I don't hear from you by Tuesday, I'll phone."

Francisco noticed that his son was coming up the driveway on his motorcycle.

"That's fine."

"Sure! My pleasure!"

"Thanks again! And please tell Jocelyn that I said hello."

"Ciao!"

The younger Francisco Mela powered off his bike and rolled it into the garage. "Hey, Dad!"

"You're home promptly!"

"Yeah, I want to check on Barney. Who were you talking to?"

"Just some business," his father replied vaguely. "How was school?"

"The usual."

"The usual good or the usual bad?"

"The usual USUAL," the younger man answered.

"Okay, well, please come in before you go out to the barn. I'd like you to talk to someone."

"Is this about college?"

"No."

"Because I..."

"Don't worry about that for now," the older Francisco interrupted. 

They walked to the front of the house and entered through a large white door with white trim. Francisco set his helmet on a marble-topped antique bureau. His father noted this with an expression of disapproval but said nothing.

"Is it okay if I get a drink?"

"Sure. Meet me in the study."

"Okay, just a minute." 

The young man walked toward the kitchen and returned eight minutes later with a glass of lemonade.

"Did you have to make a new pitcher?" his father asked noting the delay.

"No. I had to answer a text."

"Francisco, you remember Parker Worthe?"

"Yeah, you're lawyer."

Worthe rose from a leather chair and shook the young man's hand. "Hi, Francisco!"

"Hi, Mr. Worthe."

"Please, call me Parker."

Parker Worthe didn't seem old enough to be an attorney. Clean shaven with fair skin and a boyish face, he gave the impression of being about twenty-six. He was older than that, but Francisco wasn't able to judge by how much. 

"I didn't know that lawyers made house calls," remarked the younger Francisco Mela.

"Well, sometimes we do. Especially when it concerns the house."

Francisco turned to his father. "What's he talking about?"

"I'm having some issues with the government."

"What kind of issues?"

"It's an emerging situation," Worthe explained.

"Meaning that you don't want to tell me?"

"Meaning that we're not completely sure," explained his father.

Worthe added: "We don't know the exact parameters of this incident or how long it's going to last."

The younger Mela's body language had shifted from boredom to concern. "What do you mean by incident?" 

"As near as we can tell," his father explained, "it's some sort of investigation."

"But why would they investigate you? You're not doing anything illegal."

"They investigate lots of people, son. If they have a suspicion, they have to act on it."

"Well, that's just stupid!"

Parker Worthe opened a legal-sized folder. "Stupid or not, we have to take this seriously. We don't want the government to seize your property.

To that end, we're transferring most of the farm's assets to an offshore corporation. Don't worry; your father will retain full control, and we may be able to save on some taxes."

"So, this is a win-win." Francisco was seeking confirmation that his father's lawyer was not making a mistake.

"It's a win-win," Francisco, Sr. assured him. "But we want to handle the house separately."

"Okay."

"Francisco, your dad has asked me to draw up papers to put the house in your name."

"Whoa! What?"

"We need to make sure that the house stays in the family," the elder Francisco explained. "And I would prefer to keep your grandfather involved."

"Yeah, I can see why," the boy said cryptically.

"So I am transferring this very important asset to you."

"But Dad, this is your house!"

"It's your house, too, son. You have lived here for your entire life. I don't want that to change just because the government has some unfounded suspicions about me."

Worthe summarized the threat. "The government could seize your home."

"That's crazy!" Young Francisco exclaimed.

"Nope. It happens all the time."

Francisco thought for a moment. "I don't know if I can do this, Dad - with school and everything."

"We'll help you through everything," his father said as he beamed with palpable pride.

Attorney Worthe continued: "We're setting up a checking account in your name for the maintenance. You are going to be responsible for insurance payments, property taxes, utilities, general upkeep, things like that."

"And I'll make sure that the account remains well-funded," his father added.

"You can work with your accountant to automate most of the payments," Worthe added. "Just review things carefully each month. You'll need to handle unexpected expenses and make sure that your account balances don't make any sudden shifts toward the red."

"That sounds like a lot of responsibility," Francisco observed soberly.

"It is," his father confirmed. "But you're ready for it, and we'll do what we can to help."

"So, this is really going to be my house?" Francisco asked.

"Yes it is," his father confirmed. 

"Okay, but I have a question."

"Yes?"

"If this really is my house, we'll be living by my rules. Right?"

"Mr. Worthe did not come out here to witness a family argument, Francisco.

"Oh, sorry." All three of them were smiling.

"And, just remember who's paying the bills."

"Oh, you mean grandpa?"

"That's not funny!"

"Sorry!"

Worthe jumped back into the conversation. "I'll have some forms for you to sign over the next few days. Jerry will stop by, too. The transfer of the deed should go through within four to six weeks."

"Wow!" the young Francisco exclaimed.

"Are you excited?" his father asked.

"Heck yeah! I can't wait to throw my first party!" 

    

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-23

Terri scrolled through the call history on her mobile phone for what seemed like the fiftieth time today. One number kept jumping out - the number from which Douglas had called on Sunday evening. 

She had been too petrified to delete it earlier. She was afraid that she might twitch or hold her finger down too long and trigger an outgoing call. Now, that call was inevitable. It just took a while to drum up the courage to place it.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Douglas."

"Terri! I wasn't sure that I was going to hear from you."

"Well, I guess you don't have to wonder about that anymore."

"Are you at work?"

"Where I am isn't important, Douglas..."

"Because, maybe we could meet up for a drink later. Whatever you want."

"I just want to ask you a question, Douglas."

"Okay?"

"I'm not quite sure that I know how to put it."

"Well, if you don't ask me, then I probably can't help you."

Terri couldn't hold back the impulse any longer. "Did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Don't get cute, Douglas. You know what I'm talking about."

"No, I'm afraid that I don't have any idea."

Terri realized now that the call had been a mistake. Douglas was too crafty to admit any wrongdoing over the phone.

"Okay, Douglas. Thank you."

"How's Mr. Mela doing these days?" he pressed.

"I don't know," Terri responded warily. "What about him?"

"You're still seeing each other, right?"

"I'm not involved with anyone, Douglas."

"Oh, there you go!" he responded with false indignation. "You just had to insult my intelligence, didn't you?"

"That isn't funny, Douglas!"

"No! No, Peaches, it's not funny! Just like it wasn't funny a few seconds ago when you tried to get me to admit something that I didn't do."

"What didn't you do, Douglas?"

"Surely, you don't think I'm that stupid."

"No," Terri continued. "You're not stupid. You're arrogant. You're probably wishing that you could brag to me about how clever you are, except you'd have to admit what you did in the process."

"I haven't done anything clever, Terri." He was careful and calculating. He was once one of the hungriest sharks in the biggest shark tank in the world. He wasn't about to tip his hand in casual conversation. But Terri wouldn't let that keep her from trying.

"No, Douglas, you DID this. It has YOU written all over it. You're trying to show me that you still have the power to manipulate people. Just like you used to manipulate me."

"Ah, that's a nice conspiracy theory you have there!" he remarked. "But here's a little news flash. I'm an ex-convict now. I'm at the bottom of the totem pole. I don't have power over anyone anymore."

"Bullshit! I know you, Doug. I know what you're capable of. You break people down, slowly and mercilessly. You force them to deal with one problem after another until it's not worth fighting anymore. They capitulate, and you take the prize, not matter what it is, no matter what you had to do to get it. That's your specialty. I used to admire you for how good you were at getting what you wanted."

"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Peaches. But I still don't know what you're talking about."

"Listen to me, Douglas. I know that you've been through a terrible experience. I don't want to make things any worse for you. But I am NOT the same person that I was when we were together. I'm not your girl, and I'm not going to be. I had to move on."

"Peaches, I..."

"Douglas, I don't doubt that you still have the ability to cause trouble for people. You're good at it. It's your talent, and that talent made you very successful. But it also just about ruined you. Can't you see that? Can't you see that you can't go back to the way that things were?"

"You didn't seem to mind when I was taking you to parties with the Washington elite."

"No, Douglas. You're right. I didn't mind at all, not at first. I was smitten by you and your connections and how much people respected you. It was exhilarating. But when I figured out what was really going on, when I added up the personal cost of what you were really doing to people - that's not something that I can handle. And I had to get out."

"I understand," he said. "You did what you had to do."

"And I have to keep doing that, Douglas. I can't come back. It just won't work anymore. And no amount of hurting people is going to change that. There is never going to be a day where I'll call you up and say, 'Okay, Douglas, you win. Just stop hurting people, and we'll go back to the way that things were.' If that's what you're hoping for, you have to let it go. It isn't going to happen."

"You could come back if you wanted to," he argued.

"Wanting or not wanting wouldn't make any difference," she explained. "We are who we are. I had to learn that the hard way."

"What if I change?"

"People don't change, Douglas. They're only more or less concentrated versions of their true selves. I know who you are. You can pretend to change, but you won't. Even if your life takes some altruistic turn, the old you will still be there."

"Terri..."

"Look, maybe you can win an election by doing terrible things - and maybe that's okay, because it's just politics. But you can't ever win someone's heart that way. You can't convince someone to love you, no matter how much leverage you apply. 

"Maybe you can win them over in some fashion by wearing them down. Maybe they'll just resign themselves to never being rid of you. But what kind of life would that be for either of you? You'll never win their heart, you'll never win their trust, and they'll never really be close to you."

The line was silent for a moment until Douglas asked coldly: "Are you finished?"

"Yes," Terri answered in a soft voice. She felt drained, emotionally and physically. She imagined crawling into a bed and sleeping for the rest of the day - or going out for an evening with Louise, dancing and drinking herself sick.

"Okay, well, you might want to stay away from Mr. Mela," Douglas warned, "because things are about to get very bad for him."

    

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-22

"Hey, Francisco! You made it!"

Francisco entered through the front door of the upscale suburban home dressed from neck to boots in red and white leather. He carried his motorcycle helmet under his left arm.

"Hey, Brady!" Francisco said warmly as he shook hands with his friend and host.

At six-feet-two, Francisco was taller than his father and every bit as dashing. His chiseled features, piercing blue eyes, and full head of neatly cut dark hair attracted attention wherever he went, attention that he had learned to disregard.

"Whoa! Cool! You came on your bike!"

"Yeah."

"How was the ride?"

"Utterly superior!"

Brady grinned. "I hope you didn't break any speed limits!"

"Well, when it's dark," Francisco said, "I try to keep it under a hundred forty-five."

"Whoa, yes!" Brady let out a howling laugh. "That is my MAN!"

"Hey, Brady, is Isabella around?"

"Yeah, I think she and Tommy are out on the patio. There's beer in the coolers out back and more in the fridge."

"The good stuff?"

"Try the fridge. I've got some micro brews in there."

"Awesome! I'm just gonna run out back and say hi!"

"You got it, man!"

Guests filled the oversized living room. Some of them recognized Francisco and exchanged pleasantries as he passed through. He didn't stay in one place for long; his thoughts were on Isabella. "Why is she here with Tommy?" he wondered. "I thought that was supposed to be over."

A circle of young men stood around the kitchen table debating topics with boisterous enthusiasm. Karen, Brady's younger sister, and Amanda, whom Francisco knew from school, were sitting on the kitchen counters like bored children. "Hi, Francisco!" they cooed in unison.

"How are you guys doin'?"

"Okay!" The two girls looked at each other and giggled. 

Francisco opened the exterior kitchen door and walked out onto the patio. He spotted Isabella immediately. She sat watching Tommy and five or six other guys playing a disorganized match of night volleyball.

"Hey, you made it!" Isabella exclaimed as she rose from her seat.

"¡Y tu tambien!" Francisco replied.

"Ooh, I love it when you speak Spanish! Hey Tommy, say hello to Francisco!"

The field of volleyball players shouted together: "Hello, Francisco!"

"Hey, guys!"

"Hey, Tommy," Isabella said, "I'm gonna show Francisco where the beer is."

"There's beer out here," Tommy argued.

"He wants the good stuff," she explained.

"All right."

Isabella led Francisco back into the house. The debating group at the kitchen table was now doing shots and laughing loudly. Isabella and Francisco walked over to a relatively quiet hallway where they could chat.

"So, you're here with Tommy?" he asked.

"It's complicated."

"It looks pretty simple to me."

"Francisco, please, let's not fight. Can we just talk?"

"Sure," he muttered dispassionately.

"I'm glad you're here."

"Why are you glad?"

"Because I wanted to see you. Because I wanted to be sure that you're doing okay."

"I'm okay."

"You don't seem okay."

"I'm as okay as I can be while you're here with him," Francisco explained.

"I know, I'm sorry. I'm working on that."

"Are you guys still going to be together when you go off to school?"

"It's complicated, Francisco. His family and my family - we've known each other since we were kids. They kind of have this picture of us being together."

"I have this picture of US being together."

"That's sweet," she said in a voice that projected tenderness. She was moved by his words. "Maybe one day..."

"That's why I'm not going to college."

"What?" Isabella was shocked and obviously displeased. Her expression became tense.

"I already told my dad."

"What did HE say?"

"He called my mom."

"Francisco, this isn't a good idea!" Isabella said firmly.

"But I want to be with YOU."

"Francisco, listen..."

"No, you listen. That time, that night, it meant the world to me."

"It was meaningful to me, too, Francisco!" Isabella's voice almost sang the words. She was deeply moved. "But you can't go and quit school over this! That's just going to make me regret it!"

"I want us to be together," he insisted.

"Doing what?" she argued. "Doing what?"

"Doing whatever we want," he argued. "We can go wherever we like."

Isabella took Francisco's hand and led him to the edge of the living room. "Look at these people, Francisco. Look at them! Most of them will either end up coasting on their family's money, or they'll get stuck in some dreadful situation trying to live up to their parents' expectations."

"I'm not THEM."

"No, you're DIFFERENT, Francisco. You have dreams."

"And my dream is to be with you."

"No! You told me that you wanted to be a veterinarian. You told me that you wanted to develop new ways to train horses so they could run faster with fewer injuries. Did you mean those things?"

"Of course!"

"You told me that you wanted to start a program for underprivileged children so they could connect with animals instead of getting mixed up with gangs. You wanted to expand it into Latin America one day. Did you really mean that, or was it a bunch of B.S?"

"It wasn't bullshit!"

"Really?"

"Really."

"Are you sure that you weren't just saying those things so you could get into my pants?"

"Isabella, that's ridiculous!"

"Is it?"

"Yes! Look, I meant everything that I told you."

"That's nice, Francisco. But if you don't go to college, none of those dreams will ever come true. You'll never become a veterinarian, you'll never start that program for kids. Your dreams will die, right here, right now, all because of one selfish decision."

"It's not a selfish decision."

"It's totally selfish, Francisco!" Isabella was visibly upset now. "You just can't see it!"

"Why is it selfish to want to be with you?"

Isabella took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "Look, Francisco, I would LOVE to be with you, but not if it means you giving up on your dreams. Not if it means being just another rich kid living off of his father."

"I am NOT going to live off of my father, Isabella!"

"Okay! Then what are you going to do? How are you going to accomplish any of that if you're willing to sacrifice your education...for a girl who doesn't want you to? How does that even make sense?"

Francisco stood silently. He wanted to counter Isabella's argument, but he couldn't find the words. He was beginning to fear that she was right.

"Look, I'm sorry, Francisco. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I just want you to think about the big picture."

"I am."

"No, you're not! Your dreams are too important. They're important to me. They're important to the world. And I'll never be happy if I have to watch you give up on them."

"But you'll be so far away," he argued.

"I'll always be with you, Francisco. I told you that, and I meant it."

"What about you and Tommy?"

"Like I said, I'm working that out."

"What if it doesn't work out?"

"Well, what if it doesn't?" she wondered aloud. "You'll be living your life, a good life, doing important things. Helping people. Helping the horses. You'll fly around the world giving talks, and you'll meet lots of people. You'll meet someone."

"Don't say that!"

"It's the truth."

"There's no one else! There's only you!" Francisco seemed so earnest and passionate about his feelings for her. It nearly moved her to tears.

"I'm very touched, Francisco. But it's like I said. Some of us get stuck trying to live up to our parents' expectations."

Tommy walked into the room. "There you are, Pumpkin!"

"Hi Tommy," Isabella said cheerfully.

"What are you guys talkin' about?"

"I was just telling Francisco that he should go to college and pursue his dream of becoming a veterinarian."

"Whoa, cool!" Tommy said in a disinterested tone. "Hey, are there any burgers left?"

"I think you'll have to grill one," Isabella replied.

"Hey, it was nice catching up with you guys," Francisco interjected. "I'm gonna go see what Brady's up to."

"Be cool, bud!" Tommy said.

Isabella looked Francisco in the eyes. "Bye!"

After Francisco walked away, Tommy let out a taunting chuckle. "Veterinarian! Ha! What kind of a douche job is that?"

"Tommy!" Isabella protested.

"I'll make in a week what that asshole will make in a year."

"Well, you haven't made anything yet."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"How much money have you made in your life?" she asked. "Not counting interest on money that somebody gave you?"

"I don't know, I'm still in school," Tommy said.

"Bill Gates was still in school when he started Microsoft. Zuckerberg was still in school when he started Facebook."

"What's your point, Izzy?"

"Francisco has spent the past ten years training the world's finest race horses. What have you been doing? Playing video games?"

Tommy flashed an expression that seemed to wonder whether Isabella had gone completely mad. "Go get me a burger!"

Isabella rolled her eyes. "Coming right up, your majesty!" 

Tommy stood by himself at the edge of the crowded living room with a can of cheap beer in his hand, bobbing his head to the music.  

"Stupid motorcycle asshole!"

    

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved