Riding the River (2 page)

She walked along the street toward the
corner, where she knew the gray stone exterior would lead to an
incredibly elegant interior, and where her father waited. Sarah had
worn her hair in a French twist and her loveliest dress with the
full, pleated skirt. It was from some designer that she’d bought
the last time they’d been to Milan. She was told that Italian
fashion designers were the best. A dress was a dress to her, but it
sure made a lot of difference to some people. Her father was one of
those people.

Entering the restaurant, Sarah was
immediately taken to the section where her father was seated.
Robert Hughes was tall and handsome with a full head of lustrous,
light gray hair. He always dressed immaculately in elegant suits
purchased in London and was known to be quite a catch. She waved at
him when she saw him, noticing how comfortable he was in the rich
décor. When she was close, he stood up to kiss her cheek and pull
out the chair for her.

“Hello, sweetie. You look beautiful. That
Italian dress does wonders for your lovely figure and face.” His
eyes sparkled at her.

“Dad…” Sarah was always embarrassed when her
father dropped compliments all over her, but it didn’t dissuade
him. She sat down opposite him and then he sat. A waiter came up to
lay their napkins on their laps.

“Would either of you care for water?”

“Yes, please,” said Robert.

“Would you prefer sparkling or flat?”

“Sparkling, please, Roland. Thank you.”

Then he turned to admire his daughter. He
smiled. “You look so much like your mother, Sarah.” She blushed. “I
mean it. You’re gorgeous.”

“Dad, you might be a little prejudiced.”

“I might be, but I’m not. Look at you…
Beautiful blonde hair piled exquisitely on top of your pretty head.
Those blue eyes could sink ships like Helen of Troy.”

Sarah blushed deeper. “Could we please
discuss something else? Thank you for the compliments, but they’re
not necessary. Really…”

Robert laughed. “If I can’t indulge my only
child… All right, Sarah. But only because you say so…” He looked
around. “Where’s Ben?”

The waiter came up then to hand over wine
lists and menus. He departed as quietly as he came.

“Oh, he has a lawyer thing. Or a campaign
thing with Grandfather… I’m not sure.” She began to look over the
menu. Robert gave her a sharp look.

“You sound like you don’t much care
either.”

That got her attention and she put down her
menu.

“What would you say if I told you that I
don’t – care, that is…”

Robert put down his menu too. “I’d have to
ask, what’s going on with you, daughter? I thought he was the love
of your life.”

She shook her head, making her dangly
earrings dance around her cheeks. “Nope. Not even close…”

“So he isn’t?”

“No.”

“… Where’d I get that idea from then?”

“Probably from Ben...”

“Or your grandfather…”

“Yes, I know
he
loves Ben.”

“But apparently you don’t.”

“Do you really want to discuss this right now
in this wonderful restaurant on this beautiful day?”

“Yes, Sarah, I do. First, let’s order… What
would you like? No, let me guess – franks and beans?”

They both laughed.

“My culinary tastes are not as fine as yours,
Dad.”

“Okay… Well, the lobster soup with curry or
the pan-roasted foie gras look good. What do you say?”

“Fine.” The waiter had returned. “Roland,
we’ll have the lobster soup and the foie gras this evening.”

“Very good Mr. Hughes. Any wine this
evening?”

“Sarah?”

“Sure…”

Looking at the wine list, he made a
selection. “We’ll have the Chateanneuf-du-Pape, 2009. Thank you,
Roland.”

“Thank you, sir.” And the waiter left with
their order.

“You know, I would really prefer a beer.”

He shook his head. “Sarah, Sarah… What am I
going to do with you?”

She smiled at him. “What did you want to see
me about, Dad?”

“All right. Meeting first and then back to
Ben.”

“Okay with me.” She fussed with the napkin on
her lap.

“I know you’re not happy with your job,
honey. Why don’t you come work with me in the Mayor’s office? You
know we need computer people. You’d be a real asset there.”

Sarah considered his request as the waiter
brought first the water and then the bottle of red wine. She
watched as he gracefully uncorked the short-nosed bottle and knew
the wine would be only the best. Her father took a preliminary
taste, nodded and Roland poured them both glasses. He placed the
bottle on the table and discreetly left.

“Sarah?”

“Dad, I love you for always wanting to help
me.” She paused and looked him in the eye. “Don’t you get sick of
it sometimes?”

“No… Honey, what are you really saying?”

She sat back in her chair. “I’m not sure… It
just seems like everything I have is from you. My whole life is
based on what you’ve given me. What have I done for myself?”

“Wow… You’ve been thinking lately. And you
sound a little lost…”

She blew out a breath. “I think I am, Dad. I
hardly know which way is up anymore.”

“That explains Ben…”

“Sure. Ben is so focused and driven that he
leaves me behind in the dust. Besides, where he’s going is not
where I want to go.”

“This is getting interesting. Finish that
thought…” Her father smiled indulgently at her. He rested his chin
against one hand.

Sarah bit her lip and smoothed some flyaway
wisps of hair. She straightened the folds of her dress and sat up
straighter in her chair.
She has no idea, he thought.

“…Um…”

“Listen, sweetie. Let me tell you something
first. You not only look like your mother, but your personality is
so much like hers too. She wasn’t very happy in Baltimore either.
She stayed because of me… You know that, right?”

“How do you know I’m not happy here, Dad? My
God, I was born here as were you.”

“But your mother was from a small town not
far from Reno, Nevada. She told you about Lovelock many times, I’m
sure.”

“Yes, but…”

“She was a small-town girl, Sarah, and you
just may be one too.”

“Dad, I don’t want to leave Baltimore for
some tiny town…”

“… Are you so sure? And it may be more about
what you need and not what you want.”

“…Ah…”

“Besides,” he teased, “you haven’t met him
yet…”

“Who?”

“…Him…”

“Who’s that?”

“Gregory Peck.”

“… Have you taken leave of your senses?”

“He’s Gregory Peck from that old Western
movie you love. What’s it called again?”

“‘
Big Country’.”

“That’s it…”

“Dad… There’s no one alive like Gregory Peck.
Abby tells me I idealize these things. Maybe she’s right.”

“Okay, so he’s not exactly Gregory Peck, but
maybe a pretty decent copy.”

She just looked at him mystified. She’d never
heard her father talk like this.

Their food came out then. Hot, covered dishes
were placed before them, Robert first and then Sarah. The waiter
removed the covers from the dishes, wished them both ‘Bon Appetit’
and left again. They ate in comfortable silence, occasionally
taking sips of the delectable wine.

“There’s something to be said for fine
dining, isn’t there, Sarah?”

“You’re right about that, Dad. This is
spectacular tonight…”

He raised his glass to toast. She raised hers
as well.

“I think we should toast to fine living…
Living a good life is the best thing you can do.”

“I agree, Dad, but I don’t know where to
start…”

“Take a sip, Sarah. It’ll eventually come to
you.”

They drank their wine together. Sarah knit
her eyebrows in confusion, while Robert smiled slightly and
wondered where she was going with all this. Wherever it was, he
knew it would be a great adventure and maybe the treasure would be
finding herself at the end of the journey.

And that thought went down just fine with his
delicious dinner.

CHAPTER THREE

Everyone at the office called him Joe the
Tyrant, behind his back, of course. Unfortunately, he didn’t use
his people skills very often with the right people – customers,
certainly, but with employees, hardly ever. He only managed to keep
people because he paid so very well…

Sarah was at work trying to help a fledging
company get started with their computer needs. As one of her
business’ senior computer consultants, she was experienced in every
facet of computer technology, software and hardware. She
occasionally gave tutorials to the community on various programs
such as Final Cut Pro for moviemaking and other kinds of software
needed for video production. She was fond of going over to the
senior center to instruct and assist older people on how to use
email, texting, making and sending little videos. Her work was
creative and she loved it.

In fact, Sarah wanted to start her own
business, but had never been brave enough to work up a business
plan. The idea rattled around in her brain about as often as her
boss rattled her. Starting her own business was very much on her
mind today, as Joe was on one of his tears.

“Listen, Sarah, I don’t care if your
grandfather
was
governor of this state at one time. You
can’t tell a new company that they can’t do something… You have to
help them find a way to do it…”

“…Mr. Olson, that’s not what…”

“And you need to clock in so I know where you
are. How do I know if you’re having a cup of coffee or walking into
a company’s office for a consultation?”

The whole office was listening to Joe rant at
her. Perspiration beaded on her forehead and she wiped it quickly,
discreetly. She was acutely aware that other people were listening
and she was feeling nauseous.

“Couldn’t we go in your office to discuss
this, Mr. Olson?”

“Absolutely not. I want the rest of these
lazy people you work with to get off their asses too and get their
work done.” He looked around the office and raised his voice. “Get
to work!” Everyone hunkered down over desks to stay out of the
fray. Several cast sympathetic eyes toward Sarah.

He stomped out of the room, glaring at anyone
who looked up at him. He was madder than usual because two people
had just quit yesterday. Sarah had lasted longer than most, but her
two years here were beginning to cost her dearly.

Sarah ran into the bathroom before bursting
into tears. She looked down at her arm and saw the familiar redness
beginning to creep down. Wishing she’d brought her purse with the
medicine in it, Sarah tore off a paper towel and wet it, trying to
cool the warmth of the growing red area. It was a losing
proposition at best. She tried to calm down and leaned her
alarmingly red cheek on the cool tile wall. Maybe she needed to
take her dad up on his job offer… Joe the Tyrant was getting worse,
as more people quit.

And why he picked on her, she couldn’t tell.
Was he jealous of her prominent family? Maybe he voted for the
opposing party… Her evaluations from the companies that she worked
with always gave her the highest marks in instruction and knowledge
of subject. She was good, but rarely got any acknowledgement from
the boss. He just threw more business her way and threatened her
with firing if she didn’t come through. She hadn’t told her family
or Ben about the mistreatment – She wanted to take care of it
herself, but was having trouble figuring out how. Quitting was
moving up to the top of her list… But she hated quitting…

Leaving the bathroom feeling somewhat
composed, a few people stopped Sarah with condolences.

“Sarah, that was horrible of him. What’s
wrong with this guy?” said Marcia, another computer consultant.

“He must have left the building…” said
Sarah.

“Yes, he stormed out of here after screaming
at you. Why the guy doesn’t have high blood pressure is beyond
me.”

“That’s because he gives all of us high blood
pressure, Marcia.” Sarah smiled weakly.

“So sorry about that,” added Tim, another
consultant. Then he noticed her arm. “Jeez, Sarah… What’s wrong
with your arm? It’s beet red and so is the side of your face.”

Marcia turned Sarah’s face around so she
could see what Tim could. She gasped. “Sarah, you need to go to the
ER. This really doesn’t look healthy. Please get checked out.”

Embarrassed, Sarah lowered her eyes. “Okay.
Clock me out for the day, would you please, Marcia? I think I will
head over to the hospital.”

Lots of murmurings when Sarah retrieved her
purse from her desk and left for the day… Moral outrage was
building and others considered quitting. Sarah was admired and
pitied at the same time…

Arriving in the ER of Baltimore General,
Sarah checked in with the front desk and sat down to wait her turn.
She knew it would take a few hours, if she was lucky, and brought
her laptop to get some work done. Suddenly, she thought of
something, turned on her computer and brought up a Word document
she had been neglecting. It was the incomplete business plan for
her start-up company. Sarah thought it was high time she dusted it
off and got it ready to put into action.

What kind of business did she want to do?
Basically, what she was doing now – Computer consulting for new
companies. Sarah tapped her finger on her chin thinking… How about
adding in consulting for online companies as well. She could get
more business, she figured, if some of it was done online.
Good
thinking…

A lady sitting a few seats over glanced at
her laptop screen. “Busy?”

“A little…”

“What do you do?”

“I work in computer consulting.”

“Sounds important.”