Coffee in Common (45 page)

"So get out of here before I make Paul and Rob drag you out. We can take care of things here. You go home and be with her. Be strong for her. And listen to her.

"You can't be a guy and solve this problem. You
can
listen if she wants to talk and hold her if she wants to cry or scream or rant.

"And don't even think about coming to work tomorrow. You stay home and do some family stuff with her and the kids. Have a long weekend together. Get her out of the house and do something so she won't be dwelling on all the bad possibilities. If it turns out to be nothing, you'll have goofed off a little. And if it turns out to be something, you'll have had some important time together before all the crap starts.

"So no excuses. Go. And
don't
tell her you told us."

"Priya I…"

"I said go!"

Tom smiled. "I just wanted to say thank you…"

Priya blushed. "Oh!"

"…but I'll go now." He slid some papers into his briefcase, grabbed his jacket, and started to leave, but paused at the door and said to Priya, "You know, it's strange sometimes how you almost read people's minds. Someday, you're going to make a really scary boss."

SUNDAY, MAY 30

5:10 AM

Rob turned the corner onto Beach Ave as the edge of the sun peeked over the horizon.

When he awakened at four, he rolled on his side to watch Lisa sleep while he thought about all that had transpired over the past ten days. Almost immediately, her foot reached out in her sleep to find him. They often slept entwined, but even on those nights when tossing and turning moved them apart, whenever he awoke, some part of her, an arm, a foot, or her marvelous backside, would be pressed against, draped over, or touching him somewhere.

He felt an ache in his chest as he reached out to stroke her hair. She was so beautiful, so peaceful as she lay curled in the fetal position. At least she looked that way when she wasn't snoring.

The memory of her indignation the morning, several months ago, when he'd suggested she might want to invest in some of those breathing strips to cut down on the decibel level made him chuckle. Then, unable to fall back to sleep, he'd decided to go for an early morning run.

He was headed back, now. Another ten minutes and he would be in a nice warm shower. He wished he could wake her and make love, but she was funny about that. Although her parents never seemed to have a problem getting it on when Lisa was around, he discovered the last time they stayed over that she couldn't get comfortable having sex with them in the house. Even if they were sound asleep.

"Might have to make it a cold shower," he muttered, watching the waves stroke the beach as he ran.

He and Lisa drove down right after work Friday, expecting to have the house to themselves until Saturday morning, but when they arrived, her parents' Mercedes was parked in the drive. Fortunately for Lisa's psyche, they had been engaged in nothing more than some cuddling and kissing on the sofa in front of the fireplace when they walked in.

All weekend, both parents had been very pleasant toward him. Not the gracious and courteous he was used to, but downright nice. It was almost as if they suddenly liked him.

He shivered, partly from the cool air, but mostly because it felt strange for them to be treating him like…like…he couldn't find the right word and so shrugged and plodded on.

As he approached the back door to the kitchen, he noticed the light was on. He was pretty sure he'd turned it off when he left, but maybe not. The mystery was solved when he opened the door and was greeted by Lisa's father.

"Good morning, Rob. Have a good run?"

"Good morning, sir. Yes, I did. The air was cool, with a light breeze coming off the water."

"That's great…" He was smiling. "…but, I think it's time you stopped calling me sir. Chad will do fine."

Wow! This friendliness was getting spooky.

"Yes, sir, I mean, okay, Chad. Do you do any running?"

"I jog a bit, but nothing like when I was your age. Did you know I used to run track in high school and college?" Rob shook his head. "I was okay, even won some races, but I was a little too stocky to ever become a great runner. After law school, most of the running I did was on company treadmills to help stay in shape. But now…well, Lissy and I sometimes take early morning jogs. Or walks."

"Well, walking is good, too. I hope I didn't wake you when I went out earlier."

"No. I'm always up this early. Force of habit from too many years of having to review case files before going to court. I just made some coffee. Want a cup?"

Oh no. He makes terrible coffee. But he obviously wants company.

"Sure." He went to the fridge for the cream.

Cups in hand, they sat at the kitchen table for only a few seconds before Chad said, "Rob, I want to say something to you."

Oh-oh. What is this about?

"I don't think it's any secret that when you and Lisa first started dating, Lissy and I were not exactly thrilled about it. No, that's not fair. Lissy was happy that Lisa was happy.

"I, on the other hand, had somewhat stronger opinions. I always thought Lisa would someday marry a lawyer like her dad. And for years I've literally hated the men she ran with. Most of them were nothing but pretty boys or self-styled studs whose only interest in my daughter seemed to be her body and her trust fund."

Rob's eyes widened in shock and his reaction was not lost on Chad.

"Did you think a father doesn't know when his daughter is beautiful and sexy? Trust me, it's a nightmare that starts at puberty and never ends, at least not until they get married and then it's for the husband to worry about. Anyway, as I said, I never liked anyone she brought home, and that included you."

Geez. Why don't ya say what you really mean?

"Lisa has always been a rebellious girl. Even as a child, she had a mind of her own and it made things very difficult. You see, her mother and I had her life mapped out before she was even born. Good schools, on to Harvard or Yale, then to law school, a brilliant career, maybe a judgeship, maybe even the Supreme Court.

"She put an end to that dream a week before her eighth birthday when she announced she wanted to be an astronaut. Or was it a goat herder? No matter. The point is from that day on, she never had the slightest interest in the law. It took us a very long time to get over that. We saw it as a rejection of who we were, of everything we stood for. Stupid, I know, but such are the joys of parenting.

"When I finally came to terms with her not wanting to be a lawyer, I switched to wanting her to be happy. But the kind of happiness I saw her pursuing, the partying and pretty boys, well, I knew that was partly her youth. But another part was because she knew we'd disapprove. It was as if she wanted to send us a message that she was willing to be anything, as long as it wasn't like us. That hurt the most. I think I understand it better now, in light of what I know about the marriage. She must have been devastated when she realized what happened, but we were so alienated then, she never even gave a thought to telling us and letting us help. I'm sure she believed we'd have…well, all that's in the past. Even now, she doesn't think we understand or approve of her. And maybe we…maybe I'm to blame for that.

"I was always quick to express my disapproval of her lifestyle and the men she dated. I knew none of them ever really made her happy. They were playthings and I found myself rejecting each new one out of hand. It was clear to me from the moment she hit puberty that nobody would ever be good enough for my little girl. But then, suddenly, she wasn't a little girl any longer and she wouldn't let me take care of her and protect her."

He was gazing out the window as he spoke, but turned his head to catch Rob's eyes. "I know you can't really understand those feelings, even if you think you do. But someday you will, if you ever have a girl of your own."

He paused again and shook his head. "I can't believe how I've been rambling. I had this all planned out before you came back, and now…well, if I ever did this during a summation in court, I'd lose the jury for sure."

Again he paused, this time for a deep breath. "As I was saying, now for the third time, I never thought any of the men she dated were good enough for her. Until now."

Rob's stomach sort of turned over.

Did he just say…?

"This past week or so, I think I've learned something about your character. Many men, certainly those who preceded you, would have run from a mess like the one Lisa created. But you stood by her, apparently unfazed. You influenced her to do what was smart and right, and you supported her in every way she needed. And unless I've severely misjudged you, you'll continue to do so regardless of what or how long it takes. Am I correct?"

"Yes, of course I will."

"And what she did doesn't bother you at all? That she could have been so rash, so impetuous, and then so foolish in letting it go on?"

Rob shrugged. "We all have a past."

And thank God you're not privy to the details of mine.

"My own might not hold up too well under cross-examination.

"But it's our past that makes us who we are today. In a way, I'm happy about what happened back then. Because if she hadn't been so impulsive, who knows where life would have led her. Probably not to me, though."

Chad saw how the boy physically reacted to the thought. "You really do love her, don't you?"

"Sir, Chad, I don't know that I have the words to tell you how much I love your daughter. She is the most amazing woman I've ever met."

He paused, and Chad could see he was weighing whether or not to say something.

"Chad, I…I know I'm no prize. I know who I am and what I am and that I'll never be the richest or most successful guy she could be with. But sir, whatever I am today, whatever I'll be in the future, it will be because Lisa brings out the best in me. If she dumped me tomorrow, I'd still be a better man for having known her. She makes me want to be more than I am, more than I think I can be. And I don't mean just job- or money-wise."

Chad was nodding. "I understand. It was like that with Lissy and me when I was your age."

Rob started to say something, but Chad held up his hand.

"Rob, the real reason I wanted to talk to you this morning, is that I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for Lisa recently. Getting her to come to us for help, well, I know that couldn't have been easy. Not at all. And I also wanted to apologize for the way I misjudged you. At first, I thought you were another one of the party boys. I never took the time to try to discover what she saw in you, even when it became clear you were more than a casual fling. But I'm starting to see it now, and I find myself very impressed."

This is surreal! Her father who used to hate me is thanking me! And apologizing to me! Lisa is not going to believe it!

"Rob, I know for a fact the annulment will be granted. It might take some time to work through the system, even with the prodigious amount of grease Lissy and I applied, but it will happen."

"That's great news!" Rob was clearly excited. "Uh, did you want me not to say anything to her?"

"No, you can tell her. Hell, you'd better tell her." He shifted in his chair to face Rob full on. "One thing you should know, in case you don't already, is never try to keep secrets from your wife. She'll
always
eventually find out, and
you'll
always pay for it, one way or another."

My wife? He just called her my wife!

Chad caught Rob's expression and laughed out loud. "No, you
really
better not try to keep secrets from her. Or lie.
Ever
. You're way too easy to read."

Then, as if he
had
been reading his mind, he said, "Lisa told Lissy about your proposal. Perhaps she could have left out some of the details…" Chad saw embarrassment flood the boy's face. "…but we're thankful she's talking to us again about her life.

"Rob, understand that I'm speaking for Lissy, too, when I tell you how sorry we are your proposal didn't go as you planned. But it's our sincere hope that when this unpleasant legal mess is resolved, you will once again ask her to marry you, and that this time, she'll have the good sense to say yes."

 He extended his hand across the table. "And I want you to know that when she does, I will be very happy to know an exceptionally good man will be taking care of my little girl."

MONDAY, MAY 31

6:05 PM

"I guess that's damn good news all around then."

Paul drained the last of his Rodenbach Belgian Red Ale.

"Man, it's hard for me to imagine you as a married dude. You realize the day's gonna come when the only time we'll be able to sit here drinking beer like this is nights like tonight, when Lisa's working late and Jillian's at the theater with her friends."

"Yah, well, I'm not married
yet
so drink up. But once
she's
not married anymore, I'm goin' for the gusto as my old man used to say."

"And you weren't exaggerating a little about what her father said?"

"I swear. By the time her mom came downstairs, he and I had been trading stories about college for over an hour. Turns out he was one wild dude.

"You know, I think this thing with Lisa really rocked them. I think it made them look at how they lived their lives, working all the time and such. I think it made them realize that as much as they love Lisa, when she was growing up, they let her down as parents by substituting things for time. I…" Rob frowned for a second, then nodded toward the door. "Isn't that the guy who was playing Priya?"

He turned and sure enough, Brian stood near the front door surveying the room. When he noticed Paul, he headed directly for him.

"Shit, What the hell does he want now? Is he never going to give up?"

Seconds later, Brian stood facing him.