19 comments/ 56224 views/ 19 favorites Dexter's Renaissance Ch. 07-08 By: coaster2 Chapter 7 A Different Kind of Progress By week five, I had settled in and established the working model I wanted in the design department. As the new equipment arrived and the programs were either upgraded or replaced, I could see the attitude of the people really begin to shine. On top of that, Rueben and Dick had encouraged the other engineers to get involved with the designers and see what the new software could produce. I implemented step-by-step training on the new stuff, with Terry being first, then Petra, then having the two of them help me bring the rest of the staff up to speed. I was pleased that the group as a whole were both cooperative and quick to pick up on the new materials. That was another step in our progress. When I arrived in Toronto it had been the last week of winter and it felt like it. Cold, blustery winds off Lake Ontario, combined with rain squalls made those first few days very unpleasant. Fortunately, I had plenty to occupy my time and if the weather was too grisly I could spend some hours in the various facilities at Rossmoor. Now it was mid-April and the baseball Blue Jays were back in town. Their home opener against the White Sox had already passed and with the improving weather and the retractable roof on the stadium there wouldn't be any rainouts. It would be something to do on the weekends, at least. I spent some of my free time at the major attractions like the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario. They were all within walking distance of my apartment. But by the end of April I was beginning to run out of new things to do. I hadn't bothered to rent a car yet. As long as I didn't need to go out of the Metro Toronto area there were streetcars, buses, subway lines and commuter trains to take me wherever I needed to go. The twins had spoiled me for living on my own. In fact, they'd spoiled me for a lot of things including great meals, unlimited sex, companionship and just plain conversation. I'd been keeping in touch with them via Skype and it was good to see they were happy being home in Holland once more. I told them about my new job and some of the trials and tribulations I had encountered. I also told them about the end of my marriage. There wasn't any likelihood that the twins and I would get back together again. The eighteen months we spent together was something unique and probably not repeatable. I didn't want to damage the memories I took from our time together. Better to leave them just as they were; delightful memories. I had also been staying in touch with Jon and Merry. Again, Skype was great for Jon in Chile since it worked anytime he was near a high-speed internet connection. I had signed on for a comprehensive cell phone plan so I called Merry on her cell. I had neglected my son and daughter when I was in the Caribbean and I wasn't going to do that again. I didn't socialize with anyone in the Trent office, but I had been invited to a couple of barbeques in May and June and I decided that would be a nice diversion. Janice and I had become quite friendly as we were plotting the subversion of the rigid regime once dominant at Trent. In fact, when I thought about it, other than John Flannery, I had a good relationship with all of the staff regardless of department. It was ironic that as I was thinking about Mr. Flannery and his hostility when I got a phone call from an unexpected source. "Mr. McLeod, my name is Michelle Gauthier. I am a shareholder in Trent Engineering." "Yes, Mrs. Gauthier, I know who you are. How can I help you?" "I wonder if we could get together for lunch one day this week. I want to get to know the new people in the company and since you are a resident now, I thought I'd begin with you." "I'd be happy to, Mrs. Gauthier. When would be convenient for you?" "Would Thursday be all right?" she asked tentatively. "Thursday will be fine. Where should we meet?" "My late husband belonged to the University Club and I've retained his membership. Why don't we meet there? Oh by the way, you'll need to wear a tie. Sorry about that." "That won't be a problem. Thursday noon at the University Club. I'll see you then," I said. I wondered what this was about. I looked up the University Club website and saw immediately that I was being invited to a very posh setting. When I saw the lay of the land on my first day at Trent, I immediately took to wearing a suit and tie to work but more often than not I discarded the jacket and loosened the tie when I arrived in my office. As far as John Flannery knew, I conformed to the dress code throughout the day. It was a short distance to the club via streetcar and I left the office in plenty of time to make the noon appointment. I arrived a few minutes early, announced myself to the maitre d' and was immediately seated at a very nice table along the wall. I was barely in the chair when an attractive forty-something woman approached and smiled. "You must be Dexter McLeod," she said brightly. "I'm Michelle Gauthier." I rose and took her hand. "Very nice to meet you, Mrs. Gauthier." "Oh please, it's Michelle. I understand you go by Dex. Is that correct?" "Yes, I'm afraid it is." "Don't be embarrassed, Dex. From what I hear, you're single-handedly changing the culture at Trent and for the better I might add." "I plead guilty with extenuating circumstances, ma'am." She laughed with genuine humour. "I'm told you weren't exactly welcomed with open arms by John Flannery. No surprise there," she said, still with a smile. "No ... he wasn't pleased to see 'some upstart from the west' invade his kingdom." Again she laughed. "Ah, Janice was right, you are a breath of fresh air." "Oh ... so that's where you're getting your inside information," I said with a grin. "Yes ... her and other places. You've made quite an impression in a very short time. I had to meet you to find out just who John Flannery's nemesis was." "Well, I'm not trying to be his nemesis. My main objective is to stay out of his way. So far, so good." We decided to look at the menus and a few minutes later after I filled her in on my background, the waiter arrived and we ordered. "What do you think will happen with John, Michelle?" We had comfortably progressed to a first name basis. "I'll tell you something you probably don't know. John hasn't always been the curmudgeon he is today. Five years ago his wife was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Katherine and John have been together since college, over forty years. They remain deeply in love and committed to each other. "While that was going on, two of the senior partners retired and then my husband, David, died suddenly. It left the company stripped of the energy and vitality that made it go. You add those two stresses to a man like John and it isn't hard to imagine how he could be pushed to the breaking point." "I had heard that his wife was ill but your knowledge of him makes his behaviour almost understandable. Why doesn't he retire?" I asked. "Trent is all he has to occupy his time. He's devoted to Katherine so he comes in to the office to give both of them a break, then leaves early to be home with her as soon as possible." "He'd be better off taking a leave of absence and taking his wife on a long trip or a cruise while he still can. At least he'd be able to enjoy some of his remaining time with her." Michelle looked at me as if she was seeing me for the first time. "Why didn't I think of that?" she said quietly. "Rueben tells me he hasn't anything to do at the office. He just sits there and reads the newspaper or the financial reports. He doesn't see anyone. Has he even come into your department?" "No. Not while I've been there." She sat back in her chair, looking intently at me but her thoughts were on something else entirely. "When you go back to the office this afternoon, I'm coming along. I think it's time I had a chat with Mr. John Flannery." She didn't present her comment with any thought that I'd object so I nodded. Perhaps she could bring him out of his shell. Both of them were hurting; Michelle from the loss of her husband and John from his wife's illness. It couldn't do any harm, I thought. Michelle signed the bill and I thanked her for the excellent lunch. It was an unexpected pleasure. As we walked out of the dining room, I surveyed the attractive widow. Five-foot-five or six, I guessed, attractive mature build, carefully coiffed silver-blonde hair, nice ass, and a confident stride. All-in-all, a very lovely package. "How did you get here, Dex?" she asked as we exited the building. "Oh ... I took the streetcar." "Excellent, so did I. Let's go." Well, how about that. No Mercedes or even a taxi. This lady was happy with the public transit. Just another point in her favour. "Where are you staying, Dex?" "At the Rossmoor Suites. Only a block or so from the office." "Yes. Good choice. I think Tom Yardley and Wolf stayed there when we were discussing the merger." "I have a question you may not want to answer," I said carefully. "Go ahead," she said, curiosity written on her expression. "Were you happy with the acquisition/merger?" "Yes," she answered unhesitatingly. "I knew it was necessary and so did Reuben and Dick. I was impressed with Tom and Wolf. Particularly Wolf. He is a German version of my late husband. Lots of confidence and lots of energy. He'll make a big difference to Trent if I'm any judge of character." "That's his track record at Pinecone and I don't see any reason it won't continue here. I'm glad you approve, though. I'm sure Tom and Wolf want the other partners to be happy with the new company. As far as I can tell, Reuben and Dick are." "Absolutely! But then, I think you have been a big factor in that. All I hear from my sources is that Dexter McLeod is a really nice guy. The smartest moves you made right in the beginning were to fix up the lunch room and form the committees to get the work done. No one had ever done anything like that before." "Simple stuff, really. If you give people a good place to work they'll do better." "Sometimes the simple stuff isn't so simple," she said with a wry grin. "Anyway, my congratulations on your success so far. Now, let's see if I can help with John Flannery," she said as we stepped down from the streetcar. We walked to the office building and entered the elevator, rising quickly in the nearly empty car. I held the door for her into the office and we walked to Brigit's reception desk. "Hi, Mrs. Gauthier," Brigit said enthusiastically. "How nice to see you again." Brigit was looking curiously at both Michelle and me, wondering I suppose what we were doing together. "Nice to see you too, Brigit. Would you tell John I'd like to see him, please? I'm sure he's not busy," she said with raised eyebrows and a grin. "Thank you again for lunch, Mich ... Mrs. Gauthier," I stumbled. "I hope I can reciprocate some time in the future." "My pleasure entirely, Dexter. Thank you for joining me. I know we will be in touch," she said with another of her lovely, genuine smiles. I could see Brigit's eyes flicking back and forth as we parted. She was fascinated by this turn of events. I may have created another of the mysteries about who I really was. I was pretty sure I had a good portion of the staff baffled. I just kept doing things they didn't expect. Not bad things, mind you, just different. I was humming to myself as I walked back to my office. A very fine lunch with an attractive widow can do that for you. She might be way out of my league but it was nice to have the opportunity to spend some time with her. I went back to work and got back to updating my report for Tom. I had been sending him progress reports weekly and, although he hadn't asked for them that frequently, I was happy to provide them. It was a way for me to remember what had gone on in the previous five days and Tom commented that he enjoyed hearing some of the office gossip and reaction to my presence along with the dry facts of our progress toward bringing the department up to Vancouver standards. Just before quitting time at five o'clock, Janice walked into my office, closed the door behind her, plunked herself down in the closest chair and said, "Okay, Dex, give! What's with you and Michelle having lunch?" I chuckled as she gave me the "no nonsense" stare. She had a hard time pulling it off, mainly because her curiosity got the better of her. "Whatever do you mean, Janice?" I asked, feigning ignorance. "Don't give me that! When our most eligible bachelor has lunch with our most eligible widow, something is going on," she said emphatically. "Well, it wasn't my idea. Michelle just wanted to meet me. Besides, you've been feeding her information all along so you shouldn't be surprised," I said, hoping to knock her off stride. It must have worked. She looked taken aback and sat silent for a moment before responding. "She's a great lady, Dex. And you've probably noticed she very attractive too," Janice said more carefully. "Janice, she's way out of my league. Besides, I think you're adding two and two and coming up with six or seven." "I noticed you were on a first name basis," she accused. "Her idea. I always bow to the wishes of the partners," I grinned. "Pardon my language, but that's horsebuns." "Naughty, naughty, Janice. That kind of language doesn't fit the Flannery code of conduct." Janice sighed, showed me a rueful smile, and shook her head. "Look, handsome, there are a half-dozen single women in this office that would kill for a date with you and a few married ones as well. The day you showed up in this office you had their undivided attention. Now you come prancing back from lunch with Michelle Gauthier on your arm. So don't try and tell me nothing's going on." Janice and I had obviously progressed passed the informal familiarity stage right to blunt comment. Still, I couldn't be upset with her. She was the matriarch of the female staff and a valuable confidant in matters involving the office personnel and the company's history. She was in her mid-fifties and had been with Trent for over twenty years. "That's a pretty big leap, Janice. One lunch and I'm the widow's new man?" "You will be if she has anything to do with it. Michelle and I go way back. I'll get the scoop on your lunch before you know it. Then I'll have a better handle on the situation," she said with a smirk. I was shaking my head. "Aren't there any other single eligible men in this office?" "None that are attractive vice presidents who are smoother than a baby's bottom when it comes to handling people. You may just be at the right place at the right time, Dex. Don't fight it. Go with the flow," she chuckled, rising from her chair and heading for the door. "I'll see you in the morning," she said with another of those sly smiles I'd come to recognize. As Janice left, Brigit came back to my office and handed me a card. "Mrs. Gauthier asked me to give this to you," she smiled knowingly. Damn, is everyone in on some kind of conspiracy here? I looked at the card. Michelle Gauthier, Suite 2101, Lakeside Place, Toronto, ON. It also had a phone number, but nothing else. Interesting. I got an unexpected call from Tom Yardley late Friday morning. After the usual pleasantries he got down to business. "How are you coming on the project?" "Good, Tom. I think we're ahead of where I expected to be. I'm getting great cooperation here I'm happy to say." "Good for you, Dex. I knew you'd come through. Do you think you can spare a bit of time for a side project?" "What have you got in mind?" "Our accounting people want to be able to talk to Trent's system, but right now we're on two different packages. We'd like to replace what they've got with our program. Can you help with that?" "Sure. I don't know anything about accounting, though." "Not a problem. We'll send Pete Thorpe down to do the setup and training. He shouldn't take more than a week." "Sure, good choice. Why don't you have Pete stay with me? I've got a spare bedroom and it'll save some money." "If you're okay with that then that's what we'll do. We'll courier out the software tonight so you should have it Monday. I'll talk to Pete and see when he can go." "Fine ... no problem. I wouldn't mind some company for a few days." "Getting lonely down there?" Tom chuckled. "No twins to keep you occupied?" "Nope, not yet. But ... I keep hoping." After I hung up, I wondered just what I was going to do about finding some companionship. To be fair, I hadn't really tried very hard. Maybe with Pete around we could go hunting together. He was a confirmed bachelor and had a reputation for seldom being without a woman. In the meantime, he was still in Vancouver and I was looking at another open weekend in Toronto. That evening I decided to have a light supper at a local pub only a few minutes walk from my apartment. I'd had lunch there a few times on the weekend and found the food quite acceptable. It was a large sports bar with plenty of Maple Leaf, Raptors, Argos and Blue Jays memorabilia, along with a half-dozen flat screen TVs. If nothing else I could sit there and watch the baseball game. By the time I'd changed my clothes, washed up and headed out the door, it was almost seven o'clock. It was a reasonably mild spring evening and the walk to the pub was quite pleasant. The place was busy so I took a seat at the bar and ordered a draft beer. Looking around, the crowd was quite young, many of them business people having a Friday after-work drink before heading home I guessed. Looking at all the youthful faces I began to feel quite old. I was forty seven, almost fifty ... half a century. Single and no female prospects. Bloody depressing. I'd finished my steak sandwich and had just ordered my second beer when I was conscious of a new body occupying the seat to my right. What attracted my attention was the scent of perfume. I turned to look at her and got a pleasant surprise. She was mid-thirties by appearances and quite good looking. "Evening," I said quietly. "Hi," she responded. Not much in the way of a conversation so far. I decided to let it be. If she wanted to talk to me she would. She'd ordered some kind of cocktail that I couldn't identify. I checked out her clothing and decided she wasn't a business person. The dress was definitely not for office wear. A short skirt, a tight-fitting top, a fair amount of jewellery and an excess of makeup. She was attractive but a little too over-the-top for my tastes. "You done looking?" she asked without a smile. "Pretty much," I said, scrambling not to look and sound like a jerk. "Sorry if it bothered you." She didn't reply but looked straight ahead. After an awkward silence, she opened her purse and took out a cell phone. She punched in a speed dial code and waited. "Where are you," she said in a not too subtle tone. A pause. "Oh great! I get dressed up to come down here for you and now you can't make it. Thanks a lot." Another pause. "Forget it. You're totally unreliable, Tony. Go take your mama some chicken soup and kiss her good night. It's the only action you're going to get." She snapped the phone shut, mumbling something about god-damned momma's boy. She was steaming but trying to keep it under control. She turned to me and began to vent. "Can you imagine a forty-year-old guy who can't do anything without checking with his mother?" I turned and realized she was talking to me. "Yup. See it all the time on situation comedies. Not so much in real life, though." "Wise guy," she said, then began to laugh. Not loud or hearty but more a low, rumbling chuckle, all the while shaking her head. Dexter's Renaissance Ch. 07-08 "Honest to god, I don't know if I'll ever find a guy who can stand on his own two feet, make an honest living and treat me like he actually cares," she said sourly. "You're pretty young to be panicking, aren't you?" I asked. "Not that young, mister. The other side of thirty is usually panic time for single women." "Well, if it cheers you up any, I'm almost fifty and single so it can't be all that bad." "Look at me, pal. I'm dressed like a slut so I can get a rise out of the jerk I'm trying to tie down and it's all for nothing. I'm afraid to smile in case my makeup cracks." I started to laugh. She was making fun of herself and when I laughed, she broke down and did too. "It isn't funny," she finally managed. "I've made enough bad choices in men to last a lifetime. One of these days, the law of averages says I'm going to hit it lucky." "If you date enough guys, sooner or later you'll find someone. You're an attractive woman when you want to be. You've got a sense of humour." "What do you mean 'when I want to be?" "Well, maybe a little less makeup and a little less skin might be in order." "What are you, some kind of fashion critic?" she demanded. "Nope. Just observing what makes guys like me attracted to women like you." There was another silence as she sipped her drink. It was a minute or so later that she spoke again. "Save my seat for me will you?" she said, picking up her purse and heading for the ladies room. "Sure. You want another drink?" She stopped and looked at me and made a decision. "Please." I signalled the bartender. "What's she drinking?" "Can you believe it, a Shirley Temple?" He looked bewildered at her choice. So, another surprise. "Maybe the lady doesn't drink?" She arrived back at her seat five minutes later and I did a classic double-take when she did. Gone was the makeup, replaced with just lipstick. The dress somehow or other had lengthened at least three inches, and the top was now much less revealing. The transformation was amazing. "What the hell did you do to yourself," I asked. "Why, do I look worse?" "Hell, no. You look great. Very sexy. No sign of slutty. Very nice," I said sincerely. "Thanks. Just a little trick I learned many years ago. It would have been wasted on Tony so I thought I'd see what Mr. Critic thought of it." "Mr. Critic, Dex by name, thinks you did yourself a big favour." "Glad you like it. I'm Rose ... Rosalind Tulloch, actually," said, extending her hand. I took it gently and shook it. "Nice to meet you, Rose." There was another pause in the conversation until I asked, "What were you and Tony going to do this evening?" "He was supposed to take me dancing. There's a club just up the street that has a nice band and the cover isn't too bad. I was really looking forward to it." "What kind of music?" I asked. "Middle of the road, stuff. I don't go for these disco places. Too loud and too impersonal." I nodded. "I know what you mean. But it's a little early isn't it?" She looked at her watch. "Not too early. They start at nine so if you want a decent table you don't want to show up at ten." I looked at my watch. It was just coming up to nine pm. I thought what the hell. What could she say but yes or no. "Well, I'd be happy to take you dancing if you can stand hanging out with an old geezer like me." She looked at me with a curious expression, then gave me a thorough once over. "You don't look that old. You dress nice and you are polite. Maybe I can take a chance if you promise to behave," she said. "Oh ... behave. Well, you better tell me what is out of bounds then," I kidded. She socked me on the arm. "You know damn well what I mean. I'm going to have to fight you off all night?" "Absolutely. They don't call me the octopus for nothing." She looked at me long and hard once more. "I don't believe you. So ... I guess I'll take a chance that you are okay." "Great, let's go. Since I'm not from around here I'll let you lead the way." "Where are you from?" she asked as she slipped off the stool. "Vancouver. I'm here on a business assignment." "Figures," she said sourly. "Just when I meet an interesting guy, he's from out of town. Come on, Dex. Let's get this show on the road. My feet are getting itchy." We walked briskly up the street and around the corner. I suppose we walked three blocks before we came to the well-lit entrance of the York Palladium. It looked like it might have been a theatre at one time but the posters were advertising an upcoming ballroom dance contest. "Say, am I going to be all right without a tie?" I asked her. I was wearing a polo shirt, a blue blazer, slacks and loafers. "Yeah, you look fine. You should see some of the outfits people wear to this place." I paid the cover and we proceeded into the ballroom. It was big, fairly well lit without being bright and not yet too crowded or noisy. A band was on the stage playing some seventies standards and the music was quite good. "I hope you're not expecting Fred Astaire," I said as we found a table. "I have a feeling you'll be fine, Dex," she said with a smile. There was no point in sitting, since neither of us wanted a drink, so I offered her my hand and led her to the dance floor. It was a medium-slow number, just right to get the feel of how we were going to fit together. I shouldn't have worried. Rose was light on her feet and we seemed to be in synch with each other right from the start. I could feel her relax halfway through the first number and when she did, I did too. It was the start of a very pleasant evening. "I'm really glad I suggested this," I told her after our first few dances. "You are very easy to dance with and I'm really enjoying myself. "Thank you, Dex," Rose said with a nice, warm smile. "I'm having a good time too. You and I seem to dance pretty well together." "We do, don't we. Can I get you something to drink?" "Just a soft drink ... maybe a Coke, please." "Coming right up," I said heading for the bar. When I got back to our table a couple of guys were talking to Rose and the look on her face told me she wasn't too comfortable. "Evening, gentlemen," I said politely as I put the drinks down on the table. "Something I can help you with?" They looked at me, then each other, shook their heads and left. "I hope they didn't upset you, Rose." "No, just trying their luck. That's pretty typical of what happens when women are sitting alone in these places. But thanks for asking," she said with a nice smile. The evening seemed to whiz by very quickly and soon it was time to leave. As we walked out onto the street, I asked Rose, "Where do you live? How will you get home?" "Oh, I live in Scarborough. I'll take the subway and catch a bus from there," she said. "No. I don't think that's a good idea at this time of night. You've trusted me this far, trust me to get you home safely," I said, turning to hail a cab. She put up some resistance but in the end I persuaded her to let me get her home quickly and safely. I didn't have any ulterior motive. She had been a cheap date, a non-drinker, and I was feeling good about how much I enjoyed her company and the dancing. "Where are you living, Dex?" she asked as the cab moved quickly up the Don Mills Parkway. "I'm in a suites hotel downtown, the Rossmoor. It's only a block from our office." "Are you going to be here for a while?" "Yes. I'm involved in a project to modernize our design department. I could be here for several months if things get complicated." "Well, if you're looking for a date sometime, call me," she said with a smile. She took a notepad and pen out of her purse, wrote a phone number on it, ripped it out and handed it to me. "You were a perfect gentleman and I had a really good time. If you're wondering, I'd go out with you anytime." "Thank you, Rose. That's very nice of you to say so. I may just do that," I said, reaching in my blazer vest pocket and pulling out my business card. I borrowed her pen and wrote the Rossmoor phone number on the back, since my cards showed my Vancouver address. The taxi pulled up in front of an apartment block, and Rose began to get out. I told the driver to wait and I walked around to the sidewalk side and helped Rose with the door. I walked her the short distance to the lobby door and stopped. She turned to me, smiled and kissed me lightly on the lips. "Thank you again, Dexter McLeod. That was a very nice evening. I meant what I said about being happy to go out with you again. Don't forget me now." "I won't. I promise. Thank you for taking a chance on me and letting me have a great evening as well. Good night." I watched her step into the lobby and push the button for the elevator. I waved and she waved back as she moved into the car and the doors closed. I returned to the cab and gave the driver the Rossmoor address. As we began to retrace our path, I thought what a pleasant young woman Rose was. It was difficult to understand why she didn't have a number of guys interested in her. Chapter 8 A Surplus of Opportunities When I let myself into the office on Monday morning, I noticed I wasn't the first one to arrive. After flicking on the lights in the design department, I took a stroll around the office to see who was here. It was Janice and she was busy with something on her computer. "Good morning, Dex," she said without looking up. "Grab me a coffee will you; cream and sugar please. It should be ready by now. "On my way," I said, wondering what was going on. The lights were on in the lunch room and the two pot coffee maker was sitting with both sides full. After pouring two mugs, I headed back to Janice's area and put one down, drawing up a chair for myself. "What's going on? This is pretty early for you. Do we have a problem?" "No ... not really," she said, stopping her typing and turning toward me. "Michelle phoned me last night. John Flannery has decided to take an indefinite leave of absence. He and Katherine are going on an around the world trip. Michelle tells me it was all your idea," she smiled lightly. "Well, isn't that something. I did suggest it to Michelle but I didn't think he'd go for it. But, I suppose that is a good sign." "Michelle can be very persuasive when she needs to be. But really, you came up with a very good idea and John can go without having to sacrifice his position at Trent. Very well thought out, Dex." "Thanks for the compliment but it was just a spur-of-the-moment suggestion." Janice shrugged. "I guess that begs the question, who will the interim president be?" I asked. "I think Michelle, Rueben, and Dick are going to have a conference call with Tom Yardley and Wolf. We'll let them thrash it out," she grinned. "Well, I hope this helps Flannery and his wife. He's a pretty unhappy man right now and he's not able to contribute the way he probably wants to. Good luck to him," I said. "Yes ... good luck to him," she said quietly. "I'm just tidying up the details of his financial arrangements. He'll still be on the company health insurance and benefits but his salary will be suspended." "Will they be all right ... financially, I mean." "Oh yeah ... he's very well off and I think his wife is as well. She's old Toronto money. They're fine." "Well ... that's one way to start the week, I guess," I said. I didn't feel particularly good at that moment and I guess it showed. "Hey, Dex. This wasn't really your doing. You just planted the seed in Michelle's mind. Besides, I think you know that this is the best thing for both of them." "I know, Janice. I just wish we'd got along better at the start. I feel like I've been going behind his back and doing things he wouldn't approve of. I don't feel good about that." "You think he didn't know what was going on?" she snorted. "John knew ... and saw ... what you were doing. At first he didn't like it but as things began to take shape he could see what was happening. He told me that he knew it was overdue. He just wished he could have been part of it." "When is he leaving? I'd like to say goodbye to him and wish him well," I said, wondering if I really meant it. "He's already left, Dex. He won't be back any time soon, if at all," she said sadly. We sat quietly, sipping our coffees and thinking our private thoughts. I felt badly that John Flannery had been so upset with the merger and with my showing up ready to change things. I was only glad that I hadn't forced a confrontation with him. That would have made things worse. I worked around him and with luck and a lot of cooperation from the people, we got things done. I walked back to my office, leaving Janice to finish up whatever she was doing. I sat in my office staring at my monitor, but doing nothing for a few minutes. Finally, I pulled myself out of the funk I was in and got back to work. Whatever the reasons, John Flannery was gone and there would be a new leader at Trent Engineering in the next day or so. By 8:30 that morning the word was out. A notice had been placed on the bulletin board in the lunch room and an e-mail circulated to all the staff at Trent. I assumed Tom would look after notifying the Pinecone staff. I expected to hear from Tom by ten o'clock that morning and he didn't disappoint me. "Morning, Dex. I know you've heard the news, so I won't dwell on it. Michelle Gauthier called me on the weekend to tell me about her meeting with John and his decision. She says it was your suggestion that led to her proposing it to him. Once again you prove just how valuable you are to this organization. Well done and nicely handled too." "I hope it's the right solution for them," I said. "I don't feel great about it but if it helps him and his wife, then I can live with it." "It's a perfect solution, Dex. It allows him to keep his pride and his status but also gives him a chance to be with his wife for however long he can care for her." "Have you decided on who will take over for him ... temporarily?" I asked, desperate to change the topic. "Rueben Golowitz will be nominated by Michelle, seconded by me. I don't think it will cause any stir. He's the senior man now so it's a logical choice. Michelle has already covered it off with Zarek and he's fine with it." "Good. I think that's a good choice too. He and Dick have been very supportive of what we've been doing so we can carry on without interruption." "I meant what I said, Dex. You really have a knack for getting people on your side. It makes you a very valuable resource for us. Maybe you missed your calling. Perhaps you should have been a diplomat," he chuckled. "Nice of you to say so, Tom, but I like what I do, I'm happy where I am and I'm being very well rewarded by you. I have no complaints." "Good to hear it, Dex. I know I can call on you when something like this comes up. If you need anything at all, I'm only a phone call away." "Thanks, Tom. I really do appreciate it ... and thank Wolf too when you see him." I hung up the phone feeling pretty damn good. I hadn't really paid any attention to my salary since I was appointed vice president until I saw the first semi-monthly deposit in my account. I was certainly being paid like a vice president so I had to accept that I was confirmed in the role. Pete Thorpe showed up early Wednesday evening, arriving from the airport by cab. He greeted me enthusiastically, looking around and clearly approving of our accommodations. "Jeez, Dex, this is great. This is better than my place back home." "It should be, Pete. It's renting for three grand a month and that's a special for us." "I don't know, Dex. Downtown Toronto, right in the heart of action central. Couldn't get much better than this," he enthused. "You aren't going to be here that long, Pete. How about we agree no one-night-stands here." "Ouch, that does limit my options ... but ... it's your place and you're the vice president so your rules count." "Good. Now ... have you eaten yet?" "No ... they cleverly scheduled the flight to avoid serving one of their gourmet meals," he smirked. "Fine. Let's go down the street to my local pub. The food's good and it should be quiet tonight." Pete gave me a quick approval and we set out for our evening meal. There weren't that many people in the place when we arrived. The Blue Jays were out of town and the Maple Leafs had finished another dismal season, missing the playoffs for the umpteenth time. "If you're a good boy I'll treat you to a game next week. The Red Sox are in town." "What's your definition of a 'good boy?'" "Oh, let's say the staff training is on or ahead of schedule and you behave yourself after hours," I grinned. "You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Vice President. But ... for the Red Sox, I'm going to be very diligent in my work." "I would expect nothing less from you, Pete." And I wouldn't, either. Pete may have been a persistent womanizer but he was good at his job and didn't mix business with pleasure. He may not have been my ideal roommate but for a week or so I could handle it. Pete did his job in his usual workmanlike fashion and when he left I was confident the Trent accounting staff had what they needed to blend in with the Vancouver standard accounting system. The Red Sox had beaten the Jays 2-0 the night before he left but he was pleased to have seen the game from one of the sky boxes. A generous hardware supplier had offered a couple of seats in their private box and I think Pete was pretty impressed. As we entered May I began to get a feel for just how long my presence would be needed in Toronto. The training on the new equipment and software was going well and I thought before the end of July I would be able to return to my home town with confidence that Terry and Petra could handle the growth in the future. I was always available for emergencies so I wasn't too worried that I would be leaving too soon. We had already begun to feel the effects of Wolf's efforts at finding some new opportunities. Plus, Vancouver was very busy and wanted to hive off some work to Toronto, knowing it would be handled properly with me there. I sat down with Terry, Petra and Rueben and discussed adding two more people. When we went over the current and future work, more staff appeared to be necessary. It would put an extra training burden on me and my two senior people but this wasn't the time to turn down opportunities to grow. I also was mindful of the image that it would project inside the office. Positive things were happening again. Trent was hiring! I had a routine when hiring new designers. I would interview them first to weed out the ones I thought were the weakest or otherwise not suitable. Then I would pass the "keepers" along to Terry and Petra to individually interview the remaining candidates. Then we would meet and discuss what we thought of each of them. It tended to give a more rounded picture of the candidates since we all had our own individual biases and interests. In the end, we found two very good young men who all three of us agreed would be a good fit for our department. In fact, we could have chosen four or five of the candidates and not compromised our objectives. That was a good sign. As Trent continued to grow we would have some confidence that we could find new talent fairly promptly. Victoria Day, or May Day as it was often called, fell on a Monday and it was decided a family barbeque/picnic was in order. We chose to hold the event on the Sunday, giving both the adults and the children a chance to recover from the event and attend family or community outings on Monday as well. We estimated that a hundred men, women and children would attend so we needed a location that could handle that many people. It was Dick Zarek that came up with the answer. His uncle owned a farm north of the city near Bolton and he could provide not only the space, but horses for riding and farm animals for the kids to visit. Dexter's Renaissance Ch. 07-08 I was a little concerned that it was a long way for some of the families so with Rueben's help we hired two school busses to pick up anyone who wanted a ride. More than seventy people thought that was the way to go so we set up a simple bus route from the city to the farm. The first bus would leave at one o'clock in the afternoon and the second at two o'clock. It wasn't perfect but we got a lot of compliments for making the effort. The busses would leave the farm at eight and nine o'clock that evening to get everyone home at a reasonable hour. I discovered that no one had done anything like this in quite a few years. Janice said the word around the office was that the people felt Trent was becoming a whole new company and they liked what they saw. That gave me some confidence that we were doing the right thing. I asked for volunteers to help with the organization and had no problem getting more than we needed. I left it to Janice to suggest what games the kids would enjoy. She even suggested we rent an open canopy in case it rained or, if on the other hand, it got very warm. I thought that was a wise precaution. Since I was spending Trent's money I talked all my decisions over with Rueben but he was in complete agreement. The whole day would cost less than $2500 and we viewed that as a good investment in morale. I made sure I sent an invitation to Michelle as well. I doubted she would come but I wanted to make the gesture. Surprise, surprise, she accepted and chose to ride the bus to the farm. I thought about my own situation and decided to phone Rose Tulloch. "Hi, Rose. This is Dexter McLeod. I don't know if you remember me." "Of course I do, Dex. A girl doesn't forget her favorite dance partner that easily." "Great. Say ... our company is having a May Day weekend picnic at a farm up in Bolton on Sunday. I was wondering if you'd like to be my guest?" "I'd love to. Thank you for thinking of me." Her acceptance was enthusiastic and I was pleased about that. I made arrangements to pick her up at her apartment since I was renting a people van just in case we had some stragglers or we needed to make an emergency run to town. It cost very little more than a car so it was an easy decision. When the chosen Sunday rolled around it dawned sunny with a bit of scattered cloud. Almost perfect, I thought. I had arranged to pick Rose up just after two o'clock which would allow me to check out the bus situation and make sure no one got left behind. There must have been a lot of enthusiasm for this picnic because everyone was on time, if not early. I drove to Rose's apartment building and she was waiting for me as I drove up. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, Rose." "No ... besides, it's a lovely sunny day and I'm really looking forward to the picnic. I haven't been on one of these for years ... not since I was a teenager." We caught up on each others activities over the past weeks and she confirmed that Tony had been dumped that night when we went dancing. She said she knew when she was out with me that she was settling for less and she didn't want to do that. I agreed with her decision. We arrived at the farm and it was already a sea of activity. Kids running in every direction, a softball game getting underway, horseback rides getting organized and a petting zoo for the little ones. It was great to see everyone getting involved. As we walked toward the canopy and the centre of activity, I spotted Michelle and led Rose toward her. "Hi, Michelle, glad you could make it. I'd like you to meet Rose Tulloch. Rose this is one of our partners, Michelle Gauthier." "Nice to meet you, Rose," Michelle said, looking her over carefully. We exchanged some small talk about the picnic and the weather before we moved off. It seemed like an awkward exchange and I wondered why. Rose answered that question for me. "I think Michelle is a little upset that you're with me, Dex." "What makes you say that?" "Well, most women can tell when another woman has ideas about a guy. I think she is disappointed that you aren't with her. Did you let on that you would be her date?" "No ... not at all. But ... I guess maybe she took it for granted that ... well ... since I asked her if she would like to attend. Oh shit!" Rose laughed. "You are so screwed, Dex. For a vice president you need some training in handling women. You must have done better than this in the past." "You'd think so since I was married for over twenty years. I guess I forgot my manners somewhere along the way." "Don't get too upset, Dex. It's fixable. Leave it to me." "What's that mean?" "Never mind ... just leave it to me," she laughed. She seemed to be having fun at my expense. I was upset with myself for letting Michelle think I had invited her to be with me. We'd hardly got here and I'd already screwed up. Not a good start to the day. We had decided that today would be a BYOB picnic. No alcohol would be supplied but if you wanted to bring your own, you were asked to use discretion and common sense. Several of us agreed to keep an eye on anyone who looked like they might be overindulging. Rose had wandered off to see the sights and I was sitting on a fence rail watching the young people having fun riding the three horses Dick's uncle had saddled. I wasn't really paying attention and when I felt a hand on my arm I jumped in surprise. "Sorry, Dex," Michelle apologized. "I saw you here by yourself and thought I'd come by and keep you company. What happened to Rose?" "Uhhm, she's gone off to see what's going on. She's pretty independent I guess." "Have you known her long?" "No ... in fact we've only been out once back in April. Look Michelle, please let me apologize for being ...." I didn't get any further as she put her finger to my lips. "Don't. I'm not offended. I think I know enough about you that you didn't expect me to be your date." "To be honest, Michelle, the thought didn't even cross my mind," I said, immediately regretting it. "Oh ... now I am offended," she said with a sneaky grin. "Don't you think I'm date material?" "No ... no ... I mean yes you are definitely date material but I never thought ... I mean ... we don't exactly run in the same circles." She was laughing lightly now and I was sure my face looked like I'd acquired an instant sunburn. "You keep underestimating yourself, Dexter McLeod. What woman wouldn't be attracted to a man with your special talents? I don't think I've ever met anyone who is so universally liked. Surely you can get your back up now and then, can't you?" "Yes I can, as my ex-wife found out some time ago. There are times when I don't back down. I work hard to avoid confrontation when it isn't necessary but I don't run from it. I hope that doesn't sound too strident," I said, again tinged with apology. "No, not at all. That's good to know. I'll keep it in mind," she said thoughtfully. "In the meantime, would you like to join me at the theatre next weekend? I have two tickets to 'I'm All Right, Jack,' a good old-fashioned comedy." "I'd love to. I haven't been to the theatre in a long time. I know the plot so I'll undoubtedly compare the actors to Peter Sellers and Ian Carmichael. Thank you very much for inviting me," I smiled. "We'll have dinner as well. The performance starts at eight. Would you prefer to eat before or after?" "Well, to be honest, I prefer before if that's all right with you." "I prefer to eat before as well. Those late night meals take too long to digest. I'll make the reservations on line tomorrow. It should be good fun," she said happily. We spent some time with small talk about the picnic and how people were getting along at the office. Michelle seemed very interested in the progress we were making. She had never worked at the office but had been keenly interested in her husband's work and the people he worked with. I could understand why she would use Janice as a conduit of information. Both of them were discreet but inquisitive by nature. I saw Rose approaching, happily walking along with a soft-drink in her hand. "Can I take my escort back now, Michelle?" she kidded. "Yes ... he's all yours, Rose. Quite a nice fellow, too." They were having some fun at my expense, obviously having conspired in some way to get me alone with Michelle. We walked toward the canopy and the food serving area. "Well, did I give you enough time?" Rose asked merrily. "Enough time for what?" "For one of you to ask the other for a date. Jeez, Dex. I thought that was obvious." "I had no intention of asking Michelle for a date when I was already here with you. That would be rude." "Oh, come on, Dex. You're not here in Toronto for that much longer and I'm going to be around after you've gone. So ... I took the opportunity to scout out the territory with a little help from Michelle and Janice." "How do you know Janice?" "I didn't until Michelle introduced us. She's a fountain of knowledge. I've already met one very nice eligible bachelor and I've only just gotten started," she boasted. "Did you plan this all along, Rose? I mean, before we got here you had never met Michelle or Janice. Now all of a sudden you are on a first name basis." "Well Dex, it seems that you are infatuated with Michelle and she's fascinated with you. That much is obvious and Janice confirmed it. So since I'm not going to be in the picture I thought I'd do a little scouting while I had the chance. I met a very nice English gentleman who seemed to be quite interested in me." "You must mean Miles Wilder." "Yup. It's nice to meet a gentleman with manners as good as yours, Dex. It isn't that common these days." "Miles is a good guy and is doing very well at our office. He would be good boyfriend material I think." "Now who's trying to set who up?" she chortled. We walked for a few moments before Rose spoke. "Are you upset that I kind of abandoned you and went looking?" "No ... not really. I mean, I did ask you to come with me so I should be a little put off but ... you're right. I'm not going to be here forever so I can't blame you for taking advantage of the situation. Just about any single guy here would be better than Tony," I laughed. "Oh so true. So look, Dex. Since Michelle is all alone and Miles didn't bring a date to the picnic, would you be upset if I looked after Miles and you looked after Michelle?" "No, I guess not. But if it doesn't work out with Miles, you know where to find me if you want to go dancing some Friday night." "You've got a deal. But you know what, Dex, in a way I hope I don't have to call you. I hope you aren't offended by that." "Not ... I know what you mean. Good luck and let me know when you want to go home." "Thanks, Dex," she said, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. I turned back to the corral and saw Michelle watching us. As Rose skipped away I made a decision and walked back up the slope to where she was standing. "Well that was a short romance," she laughed as I approached. "It was never intended to be a romance. Just friends. Now she's discovered the charms of another man so I'm history." "She really thinks a lot of you, Dex. Just like most of the other women who know you. But she's a realist. She wants a stay-at-home man and in her mind that's not you. You'll be back in Vancouver and she'll still be here." "I'm too old for her anyway, Michelle. Fifteen years is a big gap." "Not if it's the right guy. If you were a local she'd be giving you the full-court-press I think she called it. But she's not upset or discouraged. I think when she dumped her old boyfriend and went dancing with you she realized there were other nice men in the world. I hope she finds one." "Me too. She is a nice woman. You never know who you're going to meet in a pub or at a picnic," I grinned. "Or at the University Club," she said slyly. I nodded, watching her playful expression. She was flirting with me and it was fun. "Hungry enough to get something to eat?" I asked her. "Yes ... I am. Let's go," she said, holding out her hand for me to take. She was wearing a very attractive cotton top and Bermuda shorts with socks up to her knees. A pair of simple tennis shoes finished the ensemble. She looked terrific. Not overdressed and yet still exuding that class that she wore as part of her persona. It seemed natural for us to be walking hand in hand even though we had only seen each other once at the club. I felt comfortable in her presence because she made me feel that way. If she was high maintenance it didn't show. The picnic began to break up at eight o'clock and the first bus left full. I was looking around for Rose when she walked up with Miles. "Dex, would you mind if Miles drove me home. He doesn't live that far away from my place." "No, not at all. I hope you had a good time," I said looking at them both. "Very nice, Dex," she said. "And thanks again for inviting me. I really had fun today and met some really nice people." "I'm glad. Drive carefully, Miles. I'll see you Tuesday in the office." They wished me good night and strolled off toward the area where a few cars were parked. Miles must have brought his car, perhaps thinking he might leave early if he wasn't enjoying himself. That didn't happen. Again, as I stood watching them walk away together, I felt a pair of hands wrap around my arm and Michelle was beside me once again. "I'm on clean-up committee, Michelle. Can you wait for a few minutes?" "Sure. In fact, I'll give you a hand. I don't think we have that much to do with as many helpers as we have." We walked back to the canopy and were assigned grounds duty, having been handed each a large garden trash bag. We strolled together as we picked up the odd paper napkin, cup or plastic fork. The people had been very good about keeping the grounds tidy and there was every evidence that Dick's uncle would welcome us back next year. He seemed to enjoy the day as much as we did. "Did you have a good time?" I asked. "A very good time. Beautiful day, happy people and very good company," she said, turning and smiling at me. "I agree. I think this helped get our people to know each other a little better." "Still playing the role of morale officer I see." I knew she was teasing. "Can't help myself, I guess. I won't pretend I've always been like this, though." "Oh? How were you before?" "I don't know ... a bit less social I guess. I'm not talking about the office but my personal life. We didn't have a lot of friends so we pretty much entertained ourselves." "And that's changed since your divorce?" "Yes. I think my time in the Caribbean turned me around. I found I was lonely ... not just because I was missing my wife but I didn't have anyone I could really call a friend ... a buddy. Do you understand?" "Yes, completely. So how did you become who you are now?" "Two very nice ladies ... twin sisters. Kind of grabbed me and took care of me. It gave me something to hold on to when I was floundering." "Were these women living on the island?" "Yes, temporarily. They were representing the investment company that was funding the airport expansion that we had supplied the engineering for. I was on the island for eighteen months and I ended up living in their home for over a year. They are from Holland and have returned there now." "And were you attracted to these women?" "Yes," I answered, unselfconsciously. I didn't feel I had anything to hide from Michelle. "And that changed you? That helped you see things differently?" "Yes. I hadn't made up my mind what to do about my future but by the time the job was finished I found I liked who I was, liked my job and I was happy to go back to it. I also knew there would be no reconciliation with my wife. Her betrayal had been absolute. She left me nothing emotionally to want to restore." "So ... now you're divorced?" "Almost. Another three months. I plan on celebrating Labour Day, although I guess celebration isn't quite the right word." "And Rose was someone who you just met and clicked with?" "Sort of. You know ... the coincidence of timing ... the right place at the right time. I was getting a little lonely so when she handed me the opportunity to spend some time with her ... I did." "She's very grateful to you for that, you know." "How so?" "You made her realize she didn't have to settle for second best. She needed to get over being desperate and just be Rose." "You learned all this in a few minutes this afternoon?" "Dexter, I don't think you really realize just what impact you have on people ... especially women. Guys like you don't grow on trees. You don't have an arrogant bone in your body. You act like every time someone pays you a compliment that it's a surprise." "Oh. I just thought Rose needed a little cheering up. A little self-confidence, that's all." "No ... that's a lot! Trust me, that's a lot," she said emphatically. "Are you speaking from experience?" I asked, stopping for a moment. "Yes ... I am. When David died, I was lost. I didn't know what to do or how to cope on my own. He was my leader in everything. I totally relied on his guidance. I didn't realize how dependent I was but I soon found out. I didn't even know how fill the gas tank on my car. I never had to do it." "But you learned," I said, guessing. "Yes, I did. It wasn't easy because I was trying to overcome twenty years of dependency. So you can see why I might not have been very confident in myself for a while." "You don't act like the woman you're describing." "Act is the right word, Dex. It is an act. I'm pretending to be the self-reliant woman in charge of her life. Janice knows better." I was shaking my head in disbelief. If it truly was an act it was a very good one. I was beginning to feel she was looking to me to find out if there was something we could build a relationship upon. If she was as uncertain as she described, then she was telling me she wanted me to lead. I don't think she had any idea how uncertain I was. Was I getting myself in over my head? To be continued Editing by ErikThread and DaveT with my thanks for their thoroughness and helpful suggestions. Any errors are mine alone.