Lydia's Dream Ch. 09-10

"Great, I'll transfer $475,000 to your account today."

Pam's mouth flew open.

"Good. They wanted to close on it within a month but I asked for a survey and title insurance and a hazardous materials clean bill of health. That will probably slow down the closing. Years ago, there was a skeet club up near that location. I want to be sure there's no lead contamination. I'll contact our lawyer and get her working with the bank right away. We want everything to be clean... no surprises later."

"Totally agree. We can talk about it some more when you're over tomorrow. Oh, by the way, Pam's mother and her new fiancé are coming this evening and will be here for the weekend."

"That's nice. I'll throw another potato in the pot."

"You're going to be here around mid-morning?"

"Yeah, we'll shoot for that. Tell Pamela that I want one of her famous biscuits when we get there."

"You know, those would be good. Dad, Pam found a jar of the French lavender honey in our cabinet the other day. Did you give Lydia a jar?"

"Sure did. She wanted it as a surprise for you. Guess it didn't work out that way."

"Well, it was a surprise. Talk to you later. Love you, Dad."

"Love you too, son."

As soon as we hung up, Pam wanted to know everything. "What are you and your father spending so much money on?"

"Sweetheart, we've just purchased five acres of prime land about a mile from here. It overlooks the city and we're thinking about building the finest restaurant this area has ever seen. We're shooting for the very best, both in food and atmosphere."

"Cool, but do you think this area can support it?"

"Yes, in addition to the public restaurant, we'll have private banquet rooms and will be able to accommodate weddings, business meetings and all kinds of special events. We also want an exciting nightclub with live music, dancing and a great bar. As Dad says, we'll make this a destination that people will drive to, even from Atlanta. We might even put in a few guest rooms for a bed and breakfast option like the famous Michelin rated restaurants in Europe do."

"That's exciting. Are our kids going to see it open or our grandkids?"

"What are you talking about? We'll build it in three or four years max. By then, the economy should be very good and people will be ready again for fine dining."

"I thought your father was slowing down."

"He did for a few years. Now he has that itch to get back to work."

"What about your mom and her desire to travel?"

"Guess you'll just have to go with her."

Her eyes widened, "You mean that?"

"If you'd like to; but she has a lot of girlfriends. Some of them are widows who'd be glad to go with her. Oh, by the way, Dad says he wants one of your biscuits when they get here tomorrow morning."

"Oh jeez Tom, did you tell him about my biscuits?"

"Honey, I tell everybody about those biscuits. Already the guys at the restaurants are begging me to bring in a batch." She smiled and shook her head.

At 9:00 am I drove to the office and Pam went grocery shopping. Wednesdays before Thanksgiving are always relaxed. Cheryl had brought in cinnamon rolls and Ron had brought in a cheese ball and crackers. Another lady, Randi, had brought in sausage balls and ham biscuits. The nine of us who worked there enjoyed these tasty treats as we sat around the table in the conference room. No one wanted to work and I understood that.

I asked the others what they planned for the holiday and most were just staying in the area and either going to someone's house for dinner or inviting others to their house. Jamie, a new young accountant, said she was driving to Atlanta to be with her boyfriend's parents. That's the first we had heard of a boyfriend so that set off a round of good-natured joking and pseudo-advice about how to conduct a relationship. She took it well, and the room was filled of laughter.

I told everyone they could leave at noon for the weekend. They were delighted, especially since I'd not done that for several years. Each came by to wish me a wonderful holiday before departing for home.

Before he left Ron walked into my office and closed the door. "Hey boss, can I talk with you a minute?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"It's about Pam."

"Wait, don't tell me. You saw her in Playboy I'll bet."

"Oh, so you already know."

I laughed. "What I know is that it's not her. The model is Niki Lee who is several years older than Pam. But they do look almost alike."

"Oh. Uhhh. I'm sorry I brought it up."

"What are you doing looking at Playboy?" I asked with a fake frown.

"I just read the articles. I don't look at the pictures, at least not too much." He grinned.

"Go! Have a great weekend." We grinned and shook hands.

"You too, Tom. I appreciate the time off and everyone is happy about being off this afternoon. That was a good move on your part."

"They deserve it," I replied. "I'm very thankful for this office staff."

I stayed around until 1:00 pm working on records and contracts before locking up and driving to Bistro for a late lunch. Tim and Liz, the manager, were there and joined me at the table.

"Tom, I found a reliable supplier for rabbit and he's dropping off a half-case next week. That'll be six, I think. I want to work up a few different dishes and have you come over and tell me what you think."

"Be glad to. Is that one of the meats you might use for the contest?"

"Yeah, if it turns out good. I've never worked with rabbit so we'll see."

The three of us talked about which menu items were selling and which ones were not. We decided to change out the catfish for mahi-mahi and the veal chop for a filet mignon. Tim was not satisfied with the current pastry chef's skills and we decided that Liz should talk with Ron on Monday and start a search for another experienced person.

I asked, "Is everything set for the turkeys and hams tomorrow?"

"It's under control, boss. We had too many volunteers again this year. And, you won't believe this... Gino had his delivery guy drop off three huge turkeys for us to roast and use. Those monsters must weigh 25 pounds each. Sylvia sent a note saying that they wanted to help with the effort."

"He and Sylvia are good people. I'll have to go by and thank them. I remember a few years ago they donated hams and turkeys to the food bank. That started us doing the same thing every year. I'm sure he does a lot more that we don't hear about."

Tim replied, "I'll ask my wife to start shopping at their place."

Liz added, "Me too." Her partner, Jackie, was an excellent cook who worked at The Meeting Place.

"Tim, I'll check in with you tomorrow morning. I usually go down to the shelter to visit with the volunteers and see if there's anything I can do."

From the Bistro, I drove to the courthouse and gave the little black book to Brett. He thumbed through it and confirmed that he would pass it on. He gave me a receipt and a photocopy of the first few pages. I had made a complete copy but his copy was part of the official receipt. After exchanging a few pleasantries with both him and a couple of his attorneys I knew from school, I left for home.

The cleaning ladies were still hard at work when I arrived. They had a boom box turned on and it was booming. They obviously wanted to hear the music from any part of the house. I found them back in the bedrooms and told them I was there. They asked if I wanted them to turn down the music and I said 'no.' I went down to the office in the basement where it was fairly quiet.

After checking emails and looking through the latest financial statements, I transferred $475,000 into my father's account. As usual, when I moved a large amount like that, the bank security department called me to confirm the transfer. This time, it only took them ten minutes to phone me. Normally, it's the next day. It must have been a slow afternoon at their office.

A half-hour later, I heard the music cut off and one of the ladies came down to tell me they were finished. I thanked them and gave each an extra $30. These two ladies worked very hard and I was sure their agency wasn't paying what they're worth.

A few minutes after they left, I heard the garage door open and the unmistakable sound of Angel's engine come in and turn off. As soon as the door opened and I saw Pam, I could tell she'd had a wonderful time at Wendy's house.

"Tom, you have the best friends in the world. There were seven ladies from the church there and we had a marvelous time. Two of them were about my age and the others were your age. Only five of them had known Lydia but all knew and thought the world of you."She walked to the kitchen and put her pasta container down before we kissed.

"Did Wendy tell you that her husband was killed in Iraq?"

"Yeah, she did. But she also said she's been dating a guy named Brady something for a couple of months and it's going well."

"That's good, I hadn't heard that. What would you think about inviting a number of the church couples over for a Christmas party?"

"Sounds like fun."

"We could also invite some people from work and some of our neighbors."

"I'd love to do that. As you know, I've no experience entertaining large groups but will do my best. How many are you thinking about?"

"Our last party before Lydia got too sick was for about 100."

"Whoa baby! That's a big party."

"We could have the restaurant cater it for us. In fact, I think that would be the best way to go so you can spend all your time with the guests."

"Will they do the dishes, the setups and man the bar?"

"They will. It's as close to a worry free experience as we could get."

"Then I'm all for it. Let's pick a date, make the list and I'll get the invitations out next week."

"Sweetheart, I'll have Cheryl send the invitations once we make the list. She and her husband will be invited as well as Ron and his wife. Let me check a couple of dates with the Bistro and see which one is the best for them."

"We'll need to get the decorations up," Pam said, "so at least I can start working on those next week. I always like to decorate early."

"You enjoy Christmas, huh?" I asked.

"It was always my favorite time of the year. Dad, Jerri and I often went out to cut a tree. We had a stand of cedar trees that smelled wonderful and we always cut one of them for the house. One of my best memories growing up was the fragrance of those trees in the living room."

"We always had real trees and I agree with you. That fresh tree smell is special."

"Mom and Rudy are going to be here in about 45 minutes. Can we take a shower and get ready? We don't have much time so no hanky panky. Okay?"

"What? Me? You're the source of most of the hanky panky around here."

She gave me one of her devious grins and motioned for me to follow her into the bedroom. There, she shimmied off her pants and bikini panties and slowly rolled down her lace top thigh high stockings. I stood mesmerized by her sexy figure and her breasts dangling below her when she bent over.

While I undressed, she turned on the water in our double shower and pulled two sets of towels and washcloths out of the linen closet. The first couple of minutes, we just soaked, hugged and kissed. Her body was like a temple dedicated to sex and I was worshipping.

"Was that the doorbell?" she asked.

"The doorbell? Oh no, let me check."I stepped out of the shower, grabbed a towel and quickly dried as much as I could while walking to the security monitor. I turned on the front door camera and there stood Ruth and Rudy!

"Your mom and Rudy are here already!"

"OH CRAP! Can you get clothes on and let them in?"

I returned to the monitor and pushed the intercom button. "Hey Ruth and Rudy, give me a minute. We were just getting ready."

"Okay, I'm sorry we're so early." Ruth said.

"No problem at all. I'll be there is just a minute."I turned and reached for trousers and a shirt while still trying to dry my back and legs.

I opened the door with the most pleasant smile I could manage.

"It's great to see you two! We were expecting it'd take you much longer to get here."

Rudy responded, "We left a little early thinking that traffic around Atlanta would be much worse than normal because of the holiday. But it was all smooth sailing."

"Well, come on in. I'm glad you could come over and spend the weekend with us. Pam is still in the shower so it might be a while before she's ready to be seen. You know how women are."

Ruth exclaimed, "Tom, I love your house. It's beautiful!"

"Thank you very much. Let me show you this main part and get you something to drink before I head back to dress." I led them to the library.

"This is our favorite room. We call it the library but, as you can see, it's really the sitting room where we normally just relax and talk, sip our drinks and gaze out the window."

Rudy commented, "This is amazing. But with what looks like thousands of books along the walls, it's the library also."

"Lydia was a voracious reader and so was I for a while. But I inherited some of these from my parents and grandparents."

Ruth added, "And what a great room this is for entertaining. I love the way you arranged the three sofas and the arm chairs."

"You're right. We enjoyed entertaining our friends here. Along with the kitchen and family room, this was where everyone congregated."

After walking to the kitchen, they stood there with their mouths open.

Ruth exclaimed, "This is the largest kitchen I've ever seen in a home."

"Lydia loved to cook and often had many friends over to participate. It was kinda like a quilting party was in the old days except they all cooked while they gossiped."

Ruth grinned and replied, "Now women don't gossip. They just exchange the latest news about the people they don't really like." Rudy and I laughed. I could see where Pam got that adorable and devious grin she often used on me.

"Let me get you something to drink." We walked to the fridge and I opened the door. "We have beer, all kinds of diet soft drinks and orange juice."

Ruth replied, "I'll have just a glass of water with a little ice. Rudy always likes a beer about this time of day, right honey."

Rudy replied, "Yes, I see you have Bud Light. That'll do just fine."

I pulled one out and poured it in a beer glass before filling Ruth's water glass. We returned to the library and I excused myself to dress.

Pam was ready about 20 minutes later and walked out to greet them while I finished showering and dressing.

Walking down the hall toward the library, I could hear the laughter and pleasant chatter.

"Hey sweetheart," Pam said as I entered. "We were just talking about Jerri and David. They're at the resort all this week and she's already called mom twice to tell her how much fun they're having."

Ruth added, "Pam, she said to tell you that Tom's technique is driving her crazy, whatever that means." Pam turned red and glanced over at me with that grin.

I quickly changed the subject, "We were thinking about grilling steaks for dinner. Does that sound good?"

Rudy responded, "That sounds great; but I insist on helping you. I also love to grill."

"Super, we'll sit and drink beer and watch the charcoal do its magic."

Ruth told Pam, "Sweet, we don't want to be a bother this weekend so please let us help. I don't like to be just a guest."

Pam replied, "Fine, we'll put you to work. You can help me in the kitchen tonight and for sure tomorrow morning. I'm responsible for the turkey and dessert. Since I've never roasted a whole turkey, I'll want your help on that."

"Ruth, I'm excited for you to meet my parents tomorrow."

"I believe you told me he was a chef."

"Yes, still is. He just took a few years off. He's got a big new project in mind so he's coming out of retirement."

Pam added, "Now listen to this mom. He's 70 years old and wants to start a new ultra-fine dining restaurant fully equivalent to any of the Michelin starred restaurants in Europe. I just hope I can still walk when I'm 70."

Rudy replied, "I think hard work keeps you young. There's nothing worse than retiring and then sitting down waiting to die."

I said, "Exactly right. He could live another 20 years because he's in excellent health. I don't think he takes any medication because he doesn't need it."

"Sweetheart, can I give Mom and Rudy a tour?"

"Sure. I'll walk around with you."Pam described how we sat in the library and sipped wine, talked or read. She showed them a copy of Lydia's book and described it for them. She led them to the kitchen and talked about the appliances and why the island was so long. Finally to the dining room and the table that seated 14 people and had been custom made. Next it was to the bedrooms and she told them about her office that I was planning to set up. She stopped in our bedroom and showed them a picture of Lydia.

Pam led the way downstairs to the theater room, my office and the wine cellar. Both Ruth and Rudy said they would love to watch some movies this weekend.

Returning upstairs, Pam opened the door into the garage.

"Rudy, I know you're a car guy. Tom is letting me drive Lydia's car and I want you to see it." We walked around my Buick and the Jeep and then Rudy stopped and stood there staring.

"Is that a McLaren?" he asked.

Pam responded, "Yes, isn't she wicked? I've named her Angel."

"Well, I'm amazed. I've never seen one... only heard about it. Tom let's you drive it?"

"Yes, I go everywhere in it. You want to go for a ride?"

Rudy looked at me, I guess for approval. I nodded and said to go ahead. Pam backed her out and around his BMW. He walked around Angel a couple of times before raising the door and sliding in beside her. They took off.

Ruth and I went back inside. I refilled her water glass and grabbed a beer for me. We sat in the library and talked.

"Ruth, I'm falling madly in love with your daughter. I suppose you saw that coming."

She grinned. "Yes, I did. She's obviously very happy and she's told me that she is falling in love with you."

"I would like to propose marriage to her sometime during the next three or four months with the objective of a fall wedding. Do you have any objections to that?"

"No, of course not. I asked you to be sure and not rush into something you might regret later. I don't see any reason to think you two wouldn't be perfect for each other. In another three months, I'm sure that both of you will know for a fact that you're ready for that big commitment."

"Thank you. Your support means the world to us. Have you and Rudy made any definite plans?"

"We're thinking about a small wedding at the church with just our immediate family and our church friends. The ladies of the church will do our reception so it will be a no-frills kind of ceremony. It'll probably be in March. That's one thing I want to talk about this weekend."

"Jerri and Pam are thrilled and really want to help with the wedding."

"I want them to be my bridesmaids and Rudy is going to ask you to stand with him, along with his brother." I smiled and assured her I'd be honored.

As we sipped our drinks, I noticed an unexpected sadness in Ruth's eyes. I asked, "Is there something wrong, Ruth?"

"Tom, can I share something very personal with you?"

"Sure, what is it?"Tears came to her eyes and she struggled with the words and her emotions. I moved over to sit beside her and waited. She reached for my hand.

"Richard and I had a baby before we were married and I gave her up for adoption." She started crying and I briefly hugged her.

"Tom, I was so young and neither of us worked or could support a child. My father tried to talk me into an abortion but I refused. He and my mother got into terrible fights over it. She supported me and insisted they support whatever decision I made. Dad was more concerned about our family reputation, I think. Richard wanted to keep the baby and somehow make it work but I was more concerned about the baby having a good home and a real chance in life." Her tears flowed and she tried to catch them with her hand. I walked for tissues.