Gaining trust is a great foreploy — I’d read somewhere foreploy was an action taken to get a carnal reaction.
It was clear to me Trey was the key. Given Chuck’s confidence was not misplaced, Mason had something on Trey, forced him into seclusion, and was skimming money as fast as his creativity would allow. All I had to do was let Trey know Mason was trashing his good name and Trey would take care of him.
A good theory, as far as it went. Of course, I didn’t know if Trey had the fortitude or desire to take Mason on. If he did, could he succeed? I had no idea how to contact him. So, there were flaws — I never claimed to be smart.
++++++
Saturday came. I spent the week in anticipation of my date. It had been years since that occurred. I talked to Bridget three different times during the week. I called her at home, around 9:00 pm and we talked for at least an hour each time. I laughingly told her I was like some eighth-grade boy with a crush on a girl. She pointed to the obvious, the “girl” was sitting on the phone talking back.
I learned that the most important part of her life was her daughter, Judy. She was currently a precocious 8-year-old. When we started our marathon phone calls Bridget asked me why I was so curious about her daughter. I told her I really wasn’t, exactly, I was interested to know Bridget and what was meaningful to her.
She was overwhelmed by my statement. In her experience, no one had cared enough about her to listen to what she wanted to talk about. That shocked me. My experience with people was not that harsh. Sure, everyone is self-centered — but not exclusively self-centered.
By our Saturday date, I felt I knew Bridget, and she me, as though we’d been acquainted for years. I knocked on her door at 6:00 pm, on the dot. She opened the door and looked absolutely stunning. She was in a knee-length dress, tight enough fitting to show her gorgeous figure. She asked me in.
“I hope you don’t mind; Judy’s sitter just called and lost her ride; can we take Judy to her house? It’s only three blocks.”
“We can, sure. Another alternative is to take Judy to a restaurant with us.” I said it without thinking, I hate just blurting out the first thing that pops in my head; you’d think I’d do it less often.
Judy, who’d had no interest in me, suddenly was making her way from behind her mother. Bridget, seeing I’d created an interest, said where are my manners? Judy, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine, Mr. Anderson. Jim, this is my daughter, Judy.”
I squatted down to be more on eye-level with her and said, Hi, Judy. I am so happy to meet you. Your mother has told me lots about you.”
Judy was still leaning against her mother but said, “Hi.” Bridget and I had agreed on going to Red Lobster or Olive Garden — someplace we’d enjoy, but not so formal we’d need a reservation.
Since I’d let the cat was out of the bag, Bridget said, “Judy, Mr. Anderson and I are going to dinner at Red Lobster, would you like to go with us?”
“Oh! Can I?”
“It’s may I and Mr. Anderson invited you, so you may.”
“Thanks, Mr. Anderson. That is my favorite restaurant. Usually, I just get to go on my birthday and Mother’s Day.”
While Judy and I were discussing the restaurant, Bridget phoned the sitter and told her we’d bring Judy by around 8:00, after dinner.
So, I am off, on my first official date with a woman and invite her 8-year-old daughter. I am officially fucking nuts. But for some reason I am wondering if Bridget and I could be the real thing. Might as well start learning what that might be like.
I don’t know children. I was surprised how quickly she warmed and then started to share with us all that interested her. Of course, at 8, all that interests you — is you. I was well aware of Mrs. Flannagan’s flaws as a second-grade teacher before dinner was served.
Bridget kept trying to temper Judy’s enthusiasm, but I’d smile and tell her this was why she was invited, relax and enjoy it. Bridget did her best, but I could tell it was hard for a mother to let her daughter be so self-centered in front of a stranger.
After we dropped Judy off (taking she and the sitter back to Bridget’s apartment, for those keeping score), Bridget let out a big sigh. “I don’t think that was my best idea.”
“The idea wasn’t yours.”
“I know, but we’d talked so much about her, and I want you to know her, I am so out of practice, I forgot I don’t know you, yet.”
“It was a little less than two hours. She was worth it.”
“Are there other men like you?”
“I think you and I are alike in many respects. We are out of phase with normal dating routines. People usually date, find if they are compatible, and then have sex.”
“Why do you have to bring that up?”
“Well, if what we did was who we are, it would have been one thing — but it is because it wasn’t who we are. We don’t really know anything about each other yet, except we were both hurt, equally, by a cheating spouse.”
“You think that is our bond?”
“I do. My wife turned out to be a slut. I can pretend that it is all on her. But in the back of my mind, I always wondered if she had to go elsewhere because I was so bad.”
She said, “That did make a big difference to me, too. Now I am worried about being too reckless.”
“You need a life. I need a life. We discovered together we currently don’t have lives and are taking some steps to see if we might have one together. We both let a divorce end much of our lives. Together, we are learning it was really the start of better lives.”
++++++
“So, you got fired the minute you gave notice?” I asked Bridget. It was Monday, she got an offer from 3P over the phone and accepted it, at once. Her next move was to tell Armstrong.
“I couldn’t believe it. He said he didn’t trust me not to steal files. He stood over me and watched as I packed my plants, my coffee cup, and made such a fuss when I picked up my stapler — I left it with him.”
“Pardon me for stating the obvious, but if he was worried about your taking files — he was late.”
Her voice was tense, “I am scared to death. He suspects I know.”
“So, what? That’s on him?”
“You haven’t worked with slime. He is trying to figure out how to pin things on me, as we speak. If he thinks of something good, his story will be he fired me. He fired me because I was into, whatever it is he can shovel off on me.”
She was right, I didn’t know slime. If he were guilty, he might be able to at least cast suspicion on her. “I wonder if he has someone in the building inspector’s office?” I asked.
“You’d think he has to. What I worry about is someone in the police department.”
I knew what she had to do. “Bridget, you need to tell Rodney III. Mason and Armstrong may try to do something to you, but they have destroyed him. If you give him the ammunition, he can get Mason and that will protect you.”
“You’re right! How do I contact him?”
“I have no idea.”
She thought for a minute. Can’t be that hard. He has an assistant who knows how to get him.”
“Are you forgetting Mason doesn’t want her talking to him?”
“Good point, I’ll go talk to her, in person.”
I was going to point out she had no idea who she was looking for, but she knew that, and it didn’t seem to bother her.