Chapter 2

 

      Thirty minutes later, I was stuck in traffic on Interstate 95 near the Baltimore Harbor in Maryland. I turned up the radio, lit a cigarette, and let the memory of my past slip back into my mind. I smiled.

      It was the summer of 1980. I was an intern at the Ross & White Accounting Firm located in the heart of downtown Chicago. During those three months, I became great friends with the other interns, Kyle Ayers, Michelle Fetzell, and James Ellwood.

      “Ash, this is our last weekend together and we are planning to go out for dinner tomorrow to celebrate. You in?” asked Kyle.

      “Well I…I…”

      Sensing my hesitation, Kyle quickly interrupted, “If you can’t make it tomorrow, let’s get together Saturday for lunch.”

      I had been avoiding getting to close to Kyle on purpose. There was chemistry between us that I didn’t want clouding my judgment. Some days I wondered if he felt the same way because he never crossed the line of respect.

      “Okay, Kyle,” I said with trepidation, “I’ll let you know later.”

      That day I worked a little later than normal and on my way home, I stopped and picked up Chinese food. By the time I arrive home I was starving. I walked in the door, dropped my purse and keys on the counter, and pressed play on the answering machine.

      “Hey Ash, give me a call when you get in.  Beep…end of messages.”

      I opened the carton of beef and broccoli, tore the paper off the chopsticks, and picked up the phone to return Tony’s call.

      “Hey Tony,” I said with a mouth full of food.

      “Hey, Baby. How was your day?”

      “I had a good day. Worked a little later than normal on an audit. Thank goodness, we are almost done. Just imagine, one more week and I’ll be back home and we will be together forever.”

      We laughed for a few seconds then Tony cleared his throat.

      “Listen Baby. Tomorrow I’ll be calling you after midnight.”

      “Why?”

      “I’m going to Red’s Sports Bar after work with a couple of guys.”

      “What guys?” I quipped.

      “Don and Jake,” he responded firmly.

      Don was cool, but Jake was a lady’s man and cheated on his girl all the time. Frankly, I didn’t understand why she put up with his crap.

      “Jake!” I said louder than normal. “You’re going out with Jake and you know how I feel about him?”

      “Yeah, I know.”

      “Then why didn’t you tell him ‘No’?” My grip tightened around the phone and my mouth was right on the mouthpiece.

      Tony responded back fast and loud, “Ash, I don’t need your approval to go out with my friends. I know you don’t like Jake but he’s my friend. You’re acting like you don’t trust me again and I’m not going to argue with you. I’ll talk to you later.”

      The phone went dead.

                                             ********

      It’s Friday morning, payday and everyone is happy. As I sat at my desk applying lipstick, I heard, “Good morning.”

Kyle walked into my office holding two cups of coffee.

      “Good morning, Kyle. Is that for me?” I asked with a look of surprise.

      “Yes, it is.”

      “Thank you. That was thoughtful of you.”

      Kyle was always full of surprises. Monday, he brought in bagels; Wednesday - donuts; and today - coffee. I was really going to miss him.

      “You’re welcome. So, are we having dinner tonight?”

      “Yes, we are. Where are we going?” I began to blow on my coffee before I took a sip.

      “There’s a great steak restaurant two blocks from here called Will’s Steak and Grill House. We are going to walk over there right after work. I already made a reservation for five-thirty.”

      “Great, I think I’ll have a light lunch so I’ll be good and hungry later.”

      “Cool, I’ll see you later.”

      The rest of the day dragged by. I was the last one to leave the office at 5:30 and was glad I only had to walk two blocks to the restaurant. I entered the restaurant and the waitress escorted me to the booth where my friends were seated.

      “Hey Ash,” they said in unison.”

      “Hey guys!”

      Kyle slid out of his seat to allow me to sit next to him. I intentionally left enough room between us to avoid touching his body.

      “Kyle recommends the prime rib, Michelle is getting a rib-eye, and I’m going with the prime rib,” said James with his arm over Michelle’s shoulder.

      “I love prime rib and don’t need a menu to order that,” I said as I folded the menu and placed it back on the table. A few minutes later, the waitress returned with another round of drinks and appetizers. Kyle had her take a group picture with his Kodak camera.

      One by one we talked about our lives, and our future plans. Kyle was from Long Island, New York, the oldest of four, and a student at Central State University and loved Jazz. He planned to return to Chicago after he graduated and become a C.P.A.

      James was from Houston, and attended Texas Southern University. His dream was to get drafted into the NFL. A degree in accounting was Plan B, if he didn’t get drafted. Michelle was from Newport News, Virginia and attended Hampton University. Her goal was to complete her Master’s degree right after graduation and start her own accounting business.

      I announced my goal was to become a C.P.A, marry Tony, have three kids, and live happily ever after. We all agreed on how exciting it would be to return home, except Kyle, who suddenly became unusually quiet for several minutes.

      Three glasses of wine later, we all felt a stronger bond between us. I had loosened up and closed the seat gap between Kyle and me. Two hours later, Kyle paid the bill. We walked out of the dimly lit restaurant and into the bright downtown city lights.

      “Where to next?” asked James.

      “Navy Pier,” Kyle said pointing in the direction.

      It was a beautiful, breezy summer evening. Perfect for a romantic walk on the Pier. Kyle and I strolled a few paces behind Michelle and James who were acting more like lovers than coworkers. Surprised by their behavior, I nudged Kyle in his ribs. He responded with a ‘where have you been?’ look.

      “Obviously, I haven’t been keeping up with who’s dating who at the office.”

      “They’ve been dating over a month.”

       It slowly made sense. “No wonder they get along so well at work. They’re working on and off the job!” We laughed and Kyle put his arm over my shoulder. I didn’t resist.

      “Ash, Tony is really lucky to have you. You’re beautiful, smart, kind, compassionate, and have a great pair of legs.”

      I laughed. “Thank you. And you’re not so bad yourself. You have a great personality, a great sense of humor, fun to be around, and handsome. I’m surprised you don’t have a girlfriend.”

      His mood suddenly changed and he became painfully subdued. He looked straight ahead with a blank stare. “I had a girlfriend…for three years.”

      It was obvious that whatever happened between them he was still feeling the pain.

      “Sandra loved to shop.” He slowed his pace and looked down. “She and her girlfriend Sharon shopped every weekend. One day they were at the mall sitting in the car waiting for the rain to stop. When the rain let up, they got out the car to run into the mall and were struck by lightning.” He stopped and looked at me. “Sandy didn’t make it.”

      Right away, I wished I hadn’t asked. “I’m sorry Kyle. I didn’t know.”

      “It’s alright. Getting to know you has eased a lot of my pain.”

      We continued on in silence and caught up with James and Michelle. I was glad the atmosphere at the Navy Pier was festive, exciting, and contagious. A Caribbean band was playing on steel drums. People were dancing, drinking, and laughing. Sadness slowly left Kyle and he looked down at me with warm eyes and smiled. Out of compassion, I hugged him.

      We got in line and waited our turn for the Ferris wheel until the sound of a loud boat horn drew our attention to the dock.

      “Look! There’s the sightseeing boat up ahead. Let’s cruise,” he said rallying up the group.

      “Sounds like a plan,” said James pulling Michelle out the line behind him.

      “Okay” I said as I glanced at my watch.

      Ten minutes later, we were on the upper deck of the boat cruising down Lake Michigan. The moonlight reflected off the water and soft jazz music filled the air. I leaned back on the railing and focused my gaze on Kyle and let the cool breeze blew through my hair.

      “Would you like a drink?” His tone was soft and caring.

      “I am a little chilly and a drink would definitely warm me up. I’ll have a glass of wine, please.”

      “Red or white?” he asked walking towards the bar.

      “Red, of course.”

      “I’ll be right back,” he disappeared down the stairs.

      I looked at my watch. It was 8:45 p.m. I wondered what Tony was doing. I heard Michelle giggle and turned around and saw her hugged up with James like lovebirds. I tried to remember the last time Tony and I did something romantic. My mind came up blank. No wonder I feel like I’m on a date.

      “I’m back,” Kyle said holding two glasses of wine. “For you my dear,” he said bowing like a king presenting a gift to a queen. “And a toast to our last weekend in Chicago. May our paths cross again.”

      We tapped glasses. “Yes, may our paths cross again.”

He put his arm around my waist and pulled me into his body for a kiss. I didn’t resist.