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Lydia's Dream Ch. 09-10

By: memorable_event



Please read the chapters in order. There is a very important message before Chapter 1.

Chapter 9

Awww, poor baby. 

Pam walked to the library to continue reading the book on dreams. I gave her cash to pay for lunch and for whatever else she needed then dressed and drove down the mountain to meet with Ron, my general manager. I made a mental note to call my bank and have Pam added to my credit card account.

Walking into our company office, I saw Cheryl, my assistant. After greetings, she expressed surprise. "Tom, you look great. Has something good happened?"

"Why do you ask?" I couldn't help but smile.

"You look different... happier than normal."

"You mean for normal when I return from the cabin?" I grinned.

"Yeah, I suppose."

"You're right. I had a great week and was able to begin focusing on the future for the first time in a long time."

"I'm thrilled. It's been a really rough time for you."

"And I'm sure I made it rough on you, Ron and a lot of our team. I apologize for that. Cheryl, you're the best staff assistant it's possible to have and I just haven't treated you that way in a long time. Can you forgive me?"

Tears came to her eyes and she reached her hand to me.

"Of course. We all love you Tom and we know your world almost ended when Lydia died. You're a wonderful man but you just haven't been yourself. We understand that."

"Are you available for lunch tomorrow? I'd like to take you and Ron out."

"Sure, I was going to meet my daughter but we can do that some other time."

"Good. Can you call Mandi and see if we can get a table at the Rudder for around noon?"

"Sure."

I walked to Ron's office and waited while he yelled at one of our suppliers. Evidently, this guy had delivered some substandard steaks that our chef refused to serve. He promised to give us credit and deliver a new shipment immediately. I wished all such calls ended that well.

"Hey boss! How's it going?"

"Ron, it's good to be back. What were the numbers for last week?"

"They were good. The Bistro is up 5% over the same week last year; the Place is up nearly 9% and the Rudder is up 3%. We launched the new radio ad spot on Monday and saw a pickup in reservations this past weekend. I got your message about adding rabbit to our menu at Bistro and Tim loved the idea. He's searching for a supplier now and is planning to work up some dishes for you to try. Did you see that in a restaurant at the lake?"

"No, I went up to Greenville for a couple of days and had it for dinner in a restaurant there. It was delicious. I don't know of anyone around here serving it, do you?"

"No, I don't. You know your dad had an idea one time to serve various game dishes in the fall and winter. It didn't go over so well but times have changed. I think people are more adventurous now. Tim said that he would also like to try elk and venison dishes."

"You know, that gives me an idea. Why don't we have a contest between the cooking staffs to come up with the best dish from non-traditional meat or fish?"

"That sounds like fun. What rules do you want?"

"Let all the chefs know that they can order sample sizes of any meat or fish they want and have three-person teams compete to see what they can do. It must be an original dish and contain at least two sides. Each team can do two separate entries. The winning team members will be given two extra days of paid vacation and all the bragging rights they want."

"That's a great idea; also very generous. So your idea would be to put some of these dishes on the menu?"

"Why not. Let's shake things up a bit and have some fun."

"Who would be the judge?"

"My dad plus one other person to be named later."

"Uh, okay. That works for me. Can we announce it during the staff call tomorrow morning?"

"That'd be fine."

"Tom, something's happened with you. I haven't seen you this happy in five years. What gives?"

"I'm finally looking forward and not back. This has been a watershed week for me, Ron, and I've finally been able to come to terms with Lydia's death. I can't give you all the details right now but I will soon."

"Does it involve a new woman?"

I grinned and said, "Maybe."

He paused and then grinned. "Okay, I'll wait until your ready but I'm very happy for you. It's good to have the old you back."

"Thanks buddy. Now let's talk about my plan to meet with the employees." I handed him a printout of the schedule he had emailed me. "I've marked the individuals I'd like to meet with and a suggested time for each one. It's going to take me a couple of weeks to get to everyone but I think it's well worth me doing."

"What do you want me to tell them? This is going to scare them to death if we don't tell them the reason ahead of time."

"Let's tell them that I've been very impressed with their work and I want to personally thank them."

He smiled. "I think that'll work." Ron quickly looked over the schedule and agreed it was doable.

"You mentioned meeting several of our former employees and taking them to lunch. You want to do that, say, in about three weeks?"

"Yes, or whenever they can be scheduled. I know these folks are more problematic so if they say 'no' then we won't push it. But if that happens, I'd like their home addresses so I can send them a personal note."

"I like that. Let me get Cheryl working on it."

We talked about remodeling that was needed and a few minor things before I left for a quiet lunch at Wendy's. I was in the mood for their chili that was both good and low in calories.

As I drove to the airport, I thought about dinner that evening. I had recently heard about a new place, The Boathouse Rotisserie and Raw Bar. The early reviews were very positive. All of us liked seafood so I decided to call there for a reservation.

The plane was on time and I caught up with Mom and Dad in baggage claim. We hugged, of course, and I kissed Mom.

She said, "Your father and I are thrilled that there's a young lady in your life again. How did you meet?"

"Pam and I want to tell that whole story tonight as it takes a while. But let me just give a brief outline. We met two weeks ago over at the cabin. Just wait until you meet her. She's everything I could wish for."

Dad asked, "Did you meet at Susan's Place or a store?"

"No, she was in the cabin when I arrived." I saw a confused look on their faces.

He asked, "Did you know she was there?"

"Only after I turned the lights on. She had found a key I left for Jeremy under a flower pot and had been staying there about a week."

Mom exclaimed, "Oh my! So she just made herself at home?"

"Well, there were a lot of good reasons for it and we'll talk about those tonight."

Dad responded, "This ought to be an interesting evening."

Mom asked, "Is she staying at your house?"

"Yes, for now anyway. She's kind of limited on money."

"You said she's having lunch with Donna?" Mom asked.

"Yeah, that's another part of the story we want to tell you."

Dad replied, "Sarah, we better take a nap. This is going to be a long evening."

We loaded the four large bags in the car and drove to their house on Lookout Mountain. They lived in a 90-year-old restored antebellum-style house that has won many decorator and garden awards over the years.

After carrying the luggage upstairs, we sat and visited a few minutes and talked about their two months in Europe. I told them about the Boathouse and our reservation at 7:00 pm. Dad had also heard about it but had not yet dined there.

I returned to the office to continue catching up from the vacation. I called the bank and asked them to add Pam to my credit card account. The bank officer asked me to stop by and sign a form at my first opportunity. While I was on the phone with him, I asked to speak to Jason.

In a few seconds, he came on, "This is Jason, how can I help you?"

"Hey buddy, this is Tom Sumter."

"Hey man! How you doing? It's been too long since we talked."

"I know. Business is improving and I've been really busy. Hey, I've a friend who's looking for a job. I think she would be wonderful working as a teller. Do you know of any openings?"

"I'm amazed at the timing of your call. Just this morning, one of my most experienced tellers told me her husband was being transferred to Atlanta next month. So I'm going to have an opening and there'll be time to train a new person before the turnover. What's you friend's name?"

"Pamela. Jason, this is going to sound unusual. She made me promise not to help her get a job. She wants to do it herself and not have anyone pulling strings to make it happen. I will tell her you have an opening and will send her down. But please evaluate her just like any other applicant and feel free not to hire her if you don't think she can do the job. Understand?"

"Tom, believe it or not, I understand what she's saying. I like that attitude and I promise I'll not show any favoritism."

"Great, that is very important to her."

"Good, I'll look for her."

I walked back to Ron's office and sat down. He had already bounced my contest idea off the chef at Bistro, and Tim was excited about the opportunity to kick Judy and Bill's butts. They were the chefs at the other two restaurants.

"Tim was satisfied with your dad as a judge but he's concerned about your person to be named later."

"Yeah, I want to have a mystery judge so no one can politic with them prior to the tasting."

"Actually, that's a good idea. These folks will do anything to win. And, of course, no one can sweet talk your dad."

We talked a few minutes about other menu changes I was mulling over before I returned to the office to answer emails and review the various on-line comments about our restaurants. Most of the comments were very positive.

Arriving home later that afternoon, I found Pam in the kitchen, looking through cookbooks.

"Hey sweetheart, how was the office?"

"Good. I had a nice meeting with Ron and things are rolling along."

"Did your mom and dad get in on time?"

"Yep, they were in baggage claim when I arrived. They're excited about meeting you. We're going to a new seafood restaurant at 7:00."

"Do we need to pick them up?"

"No, they're meeting us there. How was your lunch with Donna?"

She smiled, "We had a marvelous time. I really like her. We talked about everything. In fact, she's as easy to talk to as you are."

"She's always been that way. They have a ton of friends."

"I think she's going to be like a second mom to me. We went to the Bistro and the food was fantastic."

"How was the service?"

"Very good. We had a lady named Vivian and this nice young man name Eric but he seemed nervous. He actually dropped the basket of rolls when he first walked over."

"You have that effect on guys."

"You weren't nervous when we first met."

"You're right. I was scared to death with all that screaming."

"Awwww, poor baby. Have I made it up to you yet?"

"I think another 50 or 60 years might do it."She stood and tucked herself in my arms.

"That's a nice thought. Now help me. What should I wear tonight?"

"Pam, don't ask me. Just pick something."

"Seriously Tom, what should I wear? I want to look nice for your parents."

"Sweetheart, this is not a dressy restaurant. I'm going to wear khaki trousers and a long sleeve navy shirt. You're going to look great no matter what you wear."

"Well, you're sweet but I'm a little nervous about meeting your parents."

"Go get a few things and let's pick something together. I need a beer."

While I walked to the kitchen, she walked to her closet and brought several outfits for me to critique. After some debate, she decided on a medium gray wool pants suit with a burgundy blouse and black three-inch spike heels. She also decided to add a colorful silk scarf that was one of Lydia's favorites. Once dressed with glamour makeup, Pam looked amazing. She could have been a cover girl for any magazine.

****

We decided to drive Angel since the restaurant had valet parking. Valets always put cars like her near the front door so they can keep an eye on them; and it helps advertise the fact that well-to-do people eat there.

My parents walked in a few minutes after we arrived. "Oh there you are," I said.

Mom replied, "Hey Tom, and this young lady must be Pamela." Mom and Dad were all smiles.

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Sumter."

Dad replied as he approached, "Please call us Jim and Sarah."Pam hugged both and I remember thinking we would never get that smile off his face.

"And please call me Pam."

Dad surprised me when he replied, "I think I want to call you Pamela. You're just too elegant for a Pam."

Aaaaa that dirty old man was starting to emerge.

Pam's face lit up in a flash. "Tom, why don't you have the charm of your dad?" She hugged him once again, kissed him on the cheek and whispered something in his ear that I couldn't hear. Dad roared with laughter. It became their little secret. The only clue was from that moment on, she called him James and he called her Pamela.

Mom glanced at me and whispered, "I think he likes her."

We were seated immediately. Like in all restaurants, the other patrons stared at Pam as she graced the room.

While we studied the menus, a man walked to our table and introduced himself to Dad. "Mr. Sumter, my name is Ray Walker. I'm the owner and I'm honored to have you here tonight."

"Well, thank you Ray." Dad and I stood. "This is my wife Sarah, my son Tom and his friend Pamela."

The two ladies nodded and smiled while Dad and I shook his hand.

I said, "We've been hearing good things about this restaurant so we wanted to experience it in person."

Ray replied, "Thank you very much. I've been to your restaurants and they set thestandard for all of us. Unfortunately, I've never had a chance to meet you before now."

Dad asked, "How did you know it was us?"

"One of our servers used to work for you and she told me. I quickly checked the reservations book to make sure."

"Oh, who's the server?" Dad asked.

"Morgan Thompson."

I replied, "Fantastic. She was a very hard worker for us. I hated to lose her." Dad didn't know her since he had retired by the time she was hired.

"She's very good... I'll ask her to stop by. Well, thanks again for coming. Enjoy your meal."

After we placed our orders, Morgan slipped in behind me and tapped my shoulder. "Morgan! Great to see you again." I stood and we embraced as friends before I introduced her to everyone.

"Tom, it's good to see you. You look great."

"And so do you. How long have you been here?"

"Since it opened about three months ago."

"How's your little one doing?"

"Very good. He's in kindergarten now. I've remarried, by the way."

"That's wonderful, Morgan. Congratulations. I'm very happy for you."

She smiled as Mom and Pam congratulated her.

I continued, "My staff assistant is going to be contacting you soon. I want to take you to lunch and talk through a couple of things that I feel guilty about. I owe you some apologies and I really want to talk it through with you. Okay?"

"I'd love to have lunch with you, Tom, but it's not necessary. I know what you were going through was tough and none of us took it personally."

"But that doesn't excuse it. So would you have lunch with me, please?"

There was a pause but then she said, "Sure. I'll be glad to."

"Good. My assistant's name is Cheryl and she'll give you a call."

"Great, you folks enjoy dinner. It's very nice to meet y'all."

Pam looked at me and smiled. I turned to my parents and explained my plan to meet personally with many of our current and former employees to apologize for being out of sorts with them these past couple of years. Dad said he was proud of me for doing that.

As we dined on very nice scallops, shrimp and oysters, the subject turned to Pam and me and our relationship.

Mom smiled before asking, "Can you tell me how you two met?"

Pam started, "Tom broke in on me late one night and I liked him so much I decided to keep him."

Everyone chuckled.

"Pam, maybe I need to tell my version of the story. I arrived very late at the cabin one night a couple of weeks ago. I knew someone was there for several reasons. When I opened the bedroom door, she screamed like a banshee and scared me to death."

I went on, with Pam's help, telling the whole story complete with the assault, our dreams and the revealing of Lydia's dreams with Donna and Susan. Mom and Dad sat quietly with tears in their eyes and appeared to be totally dumbfounded by what we said. A lot of questions were asked and answered.

Dad, as the problem solver he always was, asked, "Pamela, since you had to leave Charlotte so quickly, is there anything we can do to help tie up any loose ends you have there? I know the owner of the restaurant where you worked. Were you able to leave on good terms with him?"

"Yes, I made sure of that James. I told him about the assault and why I had to leave so quickly. He actually paid me that morning for everything I was owed and gave me a $100 bonus. In return, I promised him that I would come back to work there if an opportunity came."

Dad was very pleased and told her so.

I looked at him and said, "Pam has that book she damaged. The policeman who assaulted her has recently been charged with dealing drugs stolen from the evidence locker. We think that book is important to the prosecutor. What should we do?"

"I would give it to the prosecutor and the sooner the better. If this guy is out on bail, he's going to be looking for Pamela to get that book before she can do anything with it."

"That's what I thought," I replied. "Could we give it to Brett and have him send it to the prosecutor in Charlotte? That would let the guy in Charlotte know that other people in authority know about it."

"Why don't you or I call him tomorrow morning and see what he says. Pamela, Brett is the district attorney here in town."

Pam was listening to this with tears welling. "I should never have taken that book. It's only going to be trouble."

Dad replied, "You preserved what could be very important evidence. That book could lead to a large number of arrests. Don't ever feel like you should have protected criminals."

Mom obviously wanted to change the subject and asked, "Pam, what are your plans for the next few months?"

"I'm planning to find a job since I don't want Tom to bear all my costs. Also, I want to do some volunteer work, maybe with abused women. I've walked a short distance in their shoes and I know a little about how they feel and the mental anguish they experience."

Mom replied, "I volunteered for two of the church sponsored shelters downtown. I'll be glad to introduce you there. They seemed to appreciate me but I never had the personal experience you would bring. I think they would be delighted to have your help.

"That's good. Maybe we could go down one day next week."

"Pamela, where have you applied to work?"

Pam looked at me and I replied for her. "I learned of an opening for a teller at Jason's branch. She's going down to interview for that. But Dad, she doesn't want our help so you and I have to restrain ourselves. Agree?"

"Okay, I'll stay out of it. Does Ron and your team know about Pamela yet?"

"Not yet. I have a team call tomorrow and will tell them at that time."

"That's fine. They're going to be very happy for you."

"I plan to take Pam around to all the locations and introduce her over the next few days."

I changed the subject, "Now, let's talk about Thanksgiving. Can you two join us for lunch at the house."

Mom replied, "Sounds fine to me. We don't have anything planned."

Dad asked, "Can we come early and you let Pamela and me prepare the meal?"

"Sure."

He turned to Pam, "Can you do the turkey and dessert and let me prepare all the other dishes?"


Lydia's Dream Ch. 09-10



She let out a sigh of relief. "That would wonderful, James. But you have the hard part."

He smiled, "That's just the story of my life, I suppose."

Mom replied, "Awww, poor baby." Pam glanced at me and grinned.

I added, "I'll go by Gino's tomorrow and get a fresh turkey."

Dad said to Pam, "They always have the best meat and poultry in the area. I've known Gino for more than 30 years and have never had a inferior product from him."

Pam asked me, "Does he supply your restaurants?"

"No. We offered him the business one time but he's too small an operator. He wanted to concentrate on being a retail butcher. I think that's perfect for him and his customers are very loyal."

Dad added, "He and Sylvia have put three kids through college and they're all doing great in their careers. They already have four grandchildren."

We had coffee as our last course and then dad paid for the meal. The food and service were excellent.

While the ladies went to the necessary room, Dad and I stopped to congratulate Ray on creating such a fine restaurant. He was very pleased with our compliments and we promised to come again.

As Dad and I walked to the reception area, he asked me to call him tomorrow. He wanted to bounce a few ideas off me and decide how to approach Brett.

I told him that I wanted him to judge a little cooking contest. He squinted and asked, "What?"

"I'll give you the details tomorrow."

"Okay. Give me a call."

The ladies returned and we left for home.

****

Later that evening, Pam and I were enjoying a glass of wine in the library when she again brought up the idea of volunteering.

"Your mom gave me more information while we were in the ladies room. There are so many heartbreaking needs that I never imagined. I want to help. Would you mind if I devote 10 to 15 hours a week to help out? I promise not to neglect you."

"Sweetheart, that'd be fine with me. I have to be at the office most days anyway so you can do what you want to help out. I'm sure there's a big need."

"Thank you. Your mom is going to take me to a couple of the ones she helped and introduce me. We're going to do that one day next week. Tomorrow, I'll go to the bank and fill out an application."

"Tell me, what did you whisper in Dad's ear that caused him to laugh so loud?"

She grinned. "That's our secret and you don't need to know."

"But I noticed he's now letting you call him James. No one has ever been allowed to call him that."

Pam giggled and said, "Again, that's none of your business."

Later that evening, as we retired to bed, I asked to see the book she had taken. Pam walked to her closet and retrieved it. As she said, it was just a small black soft-sided notebook with names, what looked like phone numbers and symbols. The symbols were triangles, squares and special characters like ^ > # and ~. Obviously, they meant something to the policeman.

"Let me take it to the office tomorrow and have it copied. I don't want to trust this to anyone with no backup."

"Good. But let's get it turned over quickly so Cramer doesn't look for me."

****

Tuesday was very busy for both of us. We were up early and jogged one lap after our first cup of coffee. Pam opted for cereal and strawberries for breakfast and I toasted an English muffin. As I was reaching for a small jar of Georgia clover honey, Pam stopped me.

"Tom, I was going through the cabinets yesterday and found a jar of the French honey you told me your dad used in that special meal. It was hidden in the back. I think Lydia must have saved it for you." She opened the cabinet and handed it to me.

I held it and stared at the label as I thought about Lydia. Hiding it to surprise me was something she would do. I was always finding little surprises she had left for me around the house. I opened the honey and its taste brought back many memories.

On today's schedule was Pam's application at the bank and a call to Wendy from the church to confirm the lunch for tomorrow with several of the ladies. I also asked her to call her mom and see if there was any possibility for her and Rudy to come for Thanksgiving. Pam was thrilled with that idea.

My schedule was to go by the bank to sign the credit card authorization for Pam to be added, participate in a staff meeting with the management team, call Dad to discuss what was on his mind and a visit to one of the restaurants to start meeting with employees. And I had lunch scheduled with Cheryl and Ron and a turkey to pick up at Gino's.

It felt good to be back and working. I can only take so much vacation at one time, even if it is with the new love of my life.

"Hey Pam, why don't you come by the office around 11:30 and go to lunch with Ron, Cheryl and me?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am. It's time for you to start meeting my team."

"What should I wear?"

"Sweetheart, we're just going to be at the Rudder and it's always casual. How about jeans and a sweater?"

"Can I drive Angel?"

"Of course. We have nice, safe parking behind my building. No one will bother her there. Plus, I have insurance that covers anything that could happen. Please don't worry so much about her."

"Well, it seems to me that you worry about her when I'm driving."

"Pam, I worry about you, not the hunk of metal. You are the only thing that's not replaceable. I love you very much. If it's any consolation, I also worried about Lydia every time she drove her. I guess I just worry about the people who mean the world to me."

She finally smiled. "Well, okay. I understand. Can I have a kiss?"She snuggled into my waiting arms and we shared a very passionate moment.

****

Our team meeting was scheduled for 9:00 am and I arrived thirty minutes early. I asked Cheryl to increase our lunch number to four people since I had someone coming that I wanted her and Ron to meet.

"Ron said that you might have a new lady friend. Is that right?"

"Yes, and I want you to meet her. She'll join us for lunch."

"Tom, I'm delighted for you. What's her name?"

"Pamela but she goes by Pam, except with my dad. He insists on calling her Pamela."

"Oh, why's that?"

"At dinner last night, he told her she was too elegant for a Pam."

"Your dad said that?"

"Yes, I couldn't believe it. And, to beat it all, she's calling him James."

"NO! No one has ever been allowed to call him James. She must be some lady."

"Yeah, she whispered something in his ear last night and he just roared. But she won't tell me what she said. You think I should worry about the two of them?"

"No, Sarah has him wrapped around her finger pretty tight."

"You're right about that. Oh, could you call Gino and ask him to save a 16 to 18 pound turkey for me? Tell him, I'll pick it up around 2:00 pm."

I walked back to Ron's office just to let him know I was there. He was on the phone again, talking to one of the chefs. In my office, I glanced through the emails and didn't see anything important. After quickly checking the stock market, I reviewed my holdings statement from Merrill Lynch. They had done a solid job managing my investments, even through the recession and slow recovery.

A few minutes before 9:00, Ron came in and we dialed into our conference call system and waited for the others to join us. While we waited, I told him Pam would be joining us for lunch. He smiled and said, "Great!"

Sharply on the hour, the beeps started when the team joined our call. We required all restaurant managers and all chefs to be on the call unless someone was on vacation. In that case, a sous-chef or assistant manager would participate to represent them.

Our calls always started with a review of safety. Our employees were constantly exposed to sharp implements, heat, heavy trays and slippery floors. Our guests could be exposed to spoiled shellfish and various bacteria that naturally occur in uncooked or improperly cooked food. Safety was a big concern for us and we put all our efforts into preventing incidents.

We had a safety consultant who randomly visited our restaurants to observe our personnel as they worked and to offer recommendations. We also, of course, had random audits from the health department and were given a score that we must display for our guests to see. We decided, when Dad opened the first restaurant, that any score short of perfection would not be acceptable. Recently, most all of those scores were perfect and we took quick action to make sure any shortfall was addressed immediately. On this call, there had been no incidents at any of the restaurants to report.

The next subject was my proposed contest.

"Guys, let me tell you about a little contest we want to run over the next 30 days. My objective is to have us create a couple of new menu items that will continue to enhance our reputation as the place to go for fine dining.

"What I'm proposing is that each of the chefs put together a three-person team that will create two new dishes from non-traditional meat or fish. You can use bison, elk, venison, ostrich, emu, alligator, rabbit, boar or bear or any other meat that you know is available from an authorized supplier. For fish, use anything that is not poisonous and that has a neutral or pleasant taste when prepared. Blowfish are out of bounds and I don't want to hear of any of your friends dropping off animals they've shot!"

Everyone laughed but I knew I needed to say that.

"Each team can order sample sizes of different meats or fish. There must be two sides and appropriate garnish and you have to pair a wine with each dish. The entries will be judged by my dad and one person to be announced at the last minute."

Tim responded, "Tom, you don't trust us to know the mystery judge?"

"Nope." Everyone laughed because they knew I was right.

Judy asked, "Is there a price point you want us to target?"

"Good question, Judy. Let's shoot for $28.00 to $32.00.

"Now, for the good part. The team with the most points from the judges will get two extra paid vacation days for each member to be used within the next 12 months. Are there any other questions?" There were none so we moved on to other matters.

Ron described our plan to remodel The Meeting Place. "We're going to be down a week between Christmas and New Year's Day next year, not this year, guys. We will be painting, changing out some of the kitchen equipment, replacing the tables, chairs and flooring and redoing the whole look and feel of the rooms. The plan will be to let off as many people as want to be off, either through vacation or unpaid time off. For those who want to work, we will reassign them to Bistro or Rudder to help with the on and offsite catering we always do around year-end. So, please feel free to inform your personnel starting now so they'll have plenty of time to decide their vacation plans next year. Now Tom wants to discuss a couple of things of a personal nature."

"Guys, as you know all too well, I've had a very tough time these last few years dealing with Lydia's death. She was the love of my life and will always be part of me. However, at the cabin this week, God has helped me see that I must put her loss behind me and get on with the rest of my life.

"I plan to meet with a lot of our people over the next couple of weeks to express my regrets for the way I've treated them and not been there for them. Cheryl is now scheduling time for me to sit down with you and the others I know I mistreated. Please assure your folks that I greatly value them and want to talk personally with them and thank them for the great job they do. In that meeting, I will also apologize for my actions. This is not any sort of critical review of their actions so head off any of those rumors if they start. Understand?"

Everyone responded yes and several said how much they appreciated me doing those meetings.

"Now the last thing before we go. I've met a most remarkable young woman ten days ago." There was a loud positive reaction from everyone from "yes," "great," "way to go," and "congratulations."

"Our new relationship feels very right to me. Over the next few days, I'll be bringing her by to meet you and as many of our employees as possible."

Tim from Bistro asked, "Did she have lunch here yesterday with Donna?"

"Yes she did."

Tim came back, "Guys, you're going to be amazed. This young lady is absolutely gorgeous. The server was Vivian who, as you all know, is a tough cookie to impress. Well, Vivian was blown away by her personality and elegance. Tom, you've done well."

"Thank you, Tim. She and Donna had a great lunch there. Ron, is there anything else we need to discuss?"

"That's it. Everyone have a great day. I'll be issuing the weekly stats this afternoon and, as you'll see, we had a super week. Take care everyone, and be sure to tell all our employees how much we appreciate them. Goodbye."

"Ron, after lunch today, I'll drop you and Cheryl off here and then take Pam over to Gino's to pick up a turkey. What are you and Jane doing for Thanksgiving?"

"The kids are coming and we're planning a nice but noisy family day. With six grandkids, there won't be a moment of silence all day."

"That sounds like fun. I want to have you two over to the house for dinner sometime soon so Jane and Pam can meet and get to know each other."

"We'd like that very much."

"I know you always work on the Friday after Thanksgiving but I want you to be home with your family this year. You work too many hours and you need to begin taking it a little slower. Your family is a lot more important than anything around here. I'll pick up the slack, if anything happens."

"You sure about that?"

"I am. I'll send an email to everyone giving the details. But you're not to do any work between Wednesday evening and Monday morning. Understand?"

"If you say so. Thanks very much. I appreciate it."

I returned to my office and sent the email to our staff and other key people in the organization about Ron being off and me being their point of contact until Monday.

My cell phone rang. "Hello, Tom Sumter."

"Tom, this is Jason at the bank."

"Hey buddy. Did Pam get by?"

"Yes, I don't think my bank is going to be the same."

I laughed, "What does that mean?"

"She swept everyone here off their feet. I noticed her as soon as she arrived. She's a beautiful woman, but I don't need to tell you that."

"Was her application okay?"

"Good. We've had several tellers who previously worked in restaurants and they all did well. They are experienced listeners with good customers skills."

"What about the aptitude tests you always give?"

"She aced it with a perfect score. I asked a couple of the tellers to interview her and they came away impressed. One of them had family in Greenville so they talked like old friends. I interviewed her and offered her a position. Because she's new, I asked her to work part-time, 24 hours a week until she can get the experience she needs. I have another part-time teller here who's been with me for a year, and I want to make her full time."

"Was Pam okay with that?"

"She seemed to be. She said that she also wants to do some volunteer work at a couple of charities so part-time might be the ideal thing for her."

"Did she accept your offer?"

"Well, she said she wanted to talk to you first."

"Oh, okay. She'll get back to you shortly, I guess. She's having lunch with me."

"Sounds good Tom. And thanks for sending her our way. I think she'll make an excellent teller or customer service rep. See you later."

"Take care, Jason."

It was now nearly lunchtime and I heard laughing out at Cheryl's desk. I walked out and found Pam and Cheryl trading war stories... about me! I realized I was in for a rough time.

Chapter 10

Knowing may be worse that not knowing.

Pam was standing in front of Cheryl's desk and gesturing with her hands while describing our run from the bull and scrambling up the ladder in the barn. Cheryl struggled to control her laughter.

"Oh, hi Tom. I was just telling Cheryl how we almost got our tails kicked by the bull."

I added, "Cheryl, I thought we were goners. Pam had already run me to death; but then I had to immediately turn and run up a hill and several hundred yards to escape certain death."

Just then Ron walked in and I introduced him to Pam. They shook hands.

"Pam, it's great to meet you. Tom has kept you a bit of a secret until this morning, but now the world knows about you. I'm very happy for both of you."

Pam replied, "It's been kind of a whirlwind relationship. We met only 10 days ago and I'm trying to learn what I got myself into. Maybe you two can tell me all his secrets and things I should know."

"Tom doesn't have secrets as far as I know," replied Ron. "There're no skeletons in his closet because he dumps them all on me and Cheryl every day." Everyone chuckled.

Cheryl added, "Tom is not shy about telling you what he's thinking, good or bad."I broke up this "bash Tom" session by asking if everyone was ready to go.

As we drove the fifteen minutes to The Rusty Rudder, Pam gave Cheryl and Ron a brief overview of her background and they shared theirs with Pam. Ron had worked for our company for 30 years and was hired by Dad shortly after the first restaurant opened. Cheryl joined us 23 years ago and was also hired by him.

The lunch was good as usual. Pam had the grilled flounder. Cheryl and I had the sea bass and Ron had the jumbo Georgia wild-caught shrimp. A number of servers stopped by the table to meet Pam and she showed a genuine interest in them as they talked. I was very pleased with the way she interacted with everyone.

After coffee, we walked to the kitchen to meet and greet the cooking staff. Because of health regulations, we didn't shake hands with anyone but the greetings were all enthusiastic and personal. Pam told them how much she enjoyed the flounder.

I drove back to the office to drop off Ron and Cheryl and told them I'd be back after we picked up the turkey.

"Pam, bring Angel and follow me over to Gino's. It's only a couple of miles."

"Sure, but let me fill you in on a couple of things. The bank interview went well and Jason offered me a job for three days a week; so he wants me to be part-time. I'll have to work some Saturday mornings. Is that alright with you?"

"I expected that. This schedule would leave you time for the volunteer work you're talking about."

"That's what I was thinking but Saturdays are our time and I just wanted to be sure you're okay with me working some of the mornings."

"Yes, we can work around that. Thanks for being concerned. What else is going on?"

"I called mom and they're planning to come tomorrow evening and spend the weekend with us."

"That's fantastic, sweetheart! It'll be good for them to meet my parents and maybe we can get Rick and Donna over one day to meet them. I'm a little surprised Rudy could get off with such short notice."

"Mom said he was off this week anyway plus the plant is shutting down from Thursday through Sunday. Something about inventory control and giving employees the holiday off."

"Yeah, with this slow economy, all the car companies are taking down time. Even the VW plant here is going down for a few days. Did you call Wendy about lunch tomorrow?"

"Oh, yes. That was the other thing I wanted to tell you. She's invited me and several women from the church to her house for lunch. I promised to take a pasta salad."

"That's good. It'll give you a chance to talk and meet a lot of new friends. You'll probably be there all afternoon."

"I hope so. The ladies seemed really nice when I met them Sunday."

"Oh, I just remembered. Tomorrow is Wednesday. We have cleaning ladies that will come at 2:00 pm and they're usually there a couple of hours. They have a key and the security code so you don't need to be there."




Lydia's Dream Ch. 09-10



"Tom, I was planning to clean everything later this afternoon. What a treat to have someone else do it. I see more reasons to love you every day." I laughed, got out and walked around to open her door.

She walked around to the parking lot behind the office and pulled Angel around to follow me.

Gino was there and working hard on Thanksgiving orders. He stopped long enough to greet us and ask about Mom and Dad. He also asked if we were still doing the turkeys for the homeless shelter lunch. I replied that we would always being doing those. The turkey I ordered was packaged and ready to go and I carried it to Angel.

"I'll be home at 6:30 tonight. I need to meet with a couple of employees late this afternoon."

"I'll have dinner ready for you. What about lasagna and salad?"

"Love it." We gently kissed and went our separate ways.

On the way back to the office, I stopped at the bank and signed the forms to add Pam to my credit card account. They assured me she would have a card within a few days. While I was there, I picked up the form for her to open a checking account. My plan was to move a significant sum of money into her personal account so she wouldn't have to ask for money every time she needed it. She would also need to direct deposit her bank salary into that account.

As soon as I returned to the office, I called Dad.

"Hey son. Thanks for calling."

"Are you unpacked and settled in?"

"A little. I think Sarah has washed two loads already."

"I picked up the turkey and Gino said to give you his best. He was busy, to say the least."

"I think he's stays busy. Good quality always trumps low price with people who can tell the difference."

"What was it that you wanted to bounce off me?"

"Tom, I've had a lot of time to think during the cruises these past two months. One thing I've been mulling over is a concept for a new restaurant."

"Oh, that's interesting. You're coming out of retirement?"

"Yes, for a few years. I need to get back to work. Don't worry, you're mom is okay with it."

"Good."

"Here's the 'Cliff Notes' version. It would be a restaurant based on the cuisine of the premium restaurants on big cruise ships. I've been impressed with so many of them that I think we could put together a theme restaurant that simulates that experience. I think it would sell well year round."

"This would be a more upscale restaurant... a jacket and tie kind of place?"

"Yes. The whole experience would be one of elegance and ultra fine dining with tableside preparation by servers in formal attire. It would be one that's worthy of a special trip, even from Atlanta and Nashville."

"Would you create the menu?"

"Yes, but I have a good start on that. Most of the cruise lines sell cookbooks that feature their offerings along with the recipes. What I'd like to do is to develop the concept and a business plan and then go meet with reps from the cruise lines to explain my ideas. If they agree, we would use their recipes and note on the menu which cruise line originated it. We could also give out a loose sheet in each menu giving the websites for each cruise line so people could check them out."

"But wouldn't that look like we're advertising them?"

"Well, that is a risk but I think we can work around it."

"What if the cruise lines say no and we can't use their recipes?"

"Then, I'll develop them using their recipes for inspiration. The food will be great, no matter which way I go, but the concept is what I need you to think about."

"You know, the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking is next April. You want to do a specialty dinner at Bistro serving some of their menu items? We could dry run your concept and dress all our servers up in formal attire and ask guests to wear jacket and tie for a change."

"I think you're on to something. Let's do it. The last meal served before the collision is well known and I think I have all those recipes somewhere."

"The overall concept is an intriguing idea. There's nothing like it anywhere as far as I know. What location are you thinking about?"

"That's what's really interesting. You know the old Signal Mountain Lodge property up near you?"

"Yes, but it's not on the market as far as I know."

"Not officially. I received an email a few days ago from a loan office at their bank. It's been foreclosed and the bank now has it. He said the owner had passed away and the estate refused to pay off the balance. They want to do a quick deal."

"How much do they want?"

"One million dollars."

"How much land is there?"

"Almost five acres and, as you know, it has a nice view of the Chattanooga skyline and the valley."

"That seems to be a very good price. It's already zoned commercially, and with five acres, there would be plenty of room for parking and a nice garden. Maybe we could develop an upscale place for weddings, anniversaries, corporate events and the like."

"Exactly."

"Why don't we put in an offer for $900,000 and see what they say? Even if we don't build a new restaurant, that land alone is worth the money."

"I agree. I'll give them a call and see what they say. But you're willing to go in with me for the full million if they hold firm, right?"

"That's right."

"Another subject... I decided to call Brett this morning and he got back to me a few minutes ago. He wants to see you, Pam and the book. He wants you to call him at his house tonight and he'll work with you to get that book into the proper hands." Dad gave me his home phone number.

"Now what was this about a contest you want me to judge?"

"I've challenged the chefs at each of the restaurants to develop new menu offerings using non-traditional meats or fish. Each team will develop two dishes and the winning team will be given two extra paid vacation days. I want you to judge the contest along with someone else that I'll name later. In fact, I want you to offer up names for the second judge."

"That sounds like fun. Would there be like a points system based on taste, presentation, side dishes and so on?"

"Yes, also wine parings that they must specify."

"Good idea. Put me down for that. Should be fun."

"Now you know that Tim, Judy and Bill are all going to politic with you."

"Of course, I'd do the same thing. But that doesn't work with me."

"Good. That's all I had. Let me know what the bank says."

"I'll give you a call tonight or tomorrow."

After Dad hung up, I called Pam. "Hey sweetheart, the plan is that I'll call the district attorney tonight and we'll make arrangements to get the book to him. Dad talked to him and he's very willing to help."

"I'll be so relieved when it's out of my control."

"Also, I've been thinking about this weekend with your mom and Rudy. Has she been to Chattanooga before?"

"I don't recall that she has. Why?"

"I was thinking about taking them to the aquarium downtown and also driving up on Lookout Mountain. Of course, there's also Rock City and all the shops around here she might enjoy."

"All of that sounds like fun. Let's talk about it tonight and make our plans. By the way, I called Jason and accepted his offer. He wants me to work Monday through Wednesday next week to start training. I'd be off the rest of the week. That'll give me a chance to take your mom down to the shelters so she can introduce me."

"Sounds like a great plan to me. You might also want to call the admissions office at the university to see what they say about an application and when you could begin once you're accepted."

"Good idea. I'll do that now."

"Okay, see you tonight around 6:30 or so."

"I love you, Tom."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

The rest of the day went quickly. I met two of the employees that afternoon at Bistro. At each meeting, I asked them to a private meeting room and discussed everything that had happened between us. I apologized for my actions toward them and the anger I displayed over some incidents that were not their fault. They listened and said they understood and appreciated the apology. I assured them they were doing a superb job for us and that I had very high value for their skills and positive attitude. Both employees seemed very pleased.

Arriving home, I found Pam had the table set with a glorious bottle of Tuscan open and breathing. The lasagna smelled delicious. She had also stopped at a bakery and purchased a French baguette.

"You found the wine cellar I see."

"Yes, it's huge. But you don't have that many bottles cellared."

"I haven't purchased any in four or five years so the inventory is down. Maybe we can go wine buying one Saturday."

"Let's do it."

"What are you favorite varietals?"

"I love California cabs and Central Coast pinot noir. I also like grenache and syrah. In all honesty, most any red is fine with me. I'm not so much into whites except with fish."

The lasagna was as good as it smelled. I could get addicted to this lady's cooking.

"While I was exploring downstairs, I also saw your office and the theater. Can we watch a movie tonight?"

"Of course. I have a fairly good collection you can choose from. It's also tied into Netflix through the Internet."

"I called the admissions office and they confirmed what I thought would be the case. It's too late to apply for entry in the next semester so I'll have to wait until next spring to apply for the fall semester. They're mailing me an application."

"That might be for the best. You have a lot on your plate right now with everything being new to you. I'm concerned about dumping too much on you."

She reached for my hand. "Thanks sweetheart, but don't worry about me. I'm tough!"

After we ate and cleaned up the kitchen, I called Brett and put him on speaker.

"Hello."

"Hi Brett, this is Tom Sumter."

"Hey Tom. I was surprised to hear from Jim this morning. I haven't see him in a few years."

"Brett, we need to get together for dinner one evening. How's Lois doing?"

"She's the same, full of herself and having a great time spoiling the grandkids. Your dad said you have a new lady in your life."

"Yeah, she's on the call with me now. Her name is Pamela Davis and she's from the Greenville, South Carolina area. Pamela, this is Brett Johnson, our district attorney."

"Brett, it's wonderful to talk to you, sir. I hope we can meet soon."

"Pamela, it's my pleasure. I've known Tom and his parents forever, it seems, and you'll not find a better family."

"Thank you sir. I'm learning that."

"Tom, your dad indicated that you two might need some assistance. What can I do for you?"

"Brett, Pamela dated a policeman in Charlotte for a few months and discovered a book in his clothes drawer with names, phone numbers and symbols. She accidentally damaged it when opening the drawer to put his underwear away. She looked through it and, when he noticed that evening that it had been damaged, he beat her up pretty bad because she had seen it. He threatened to kill her if she ever touched it again.

"She fled the next morning and took the book with her for revenge. He was arrested a few days ago for theft and sale of drugs from the evidence locker. He's now out on bail and we think this book is important enough for him to be looking for her. His name is John Cramer."

"Would he have any idea that she's with you?"

"No."

"Good. What I suggest is that you turn it over to me in the office. I'll issue a receipt for it and make arrangements with the Charlotte district attorney. We'll send it up by courier to him or her. It could be very important to their investigation."

"I'll come by your place tomorrow. You're still in the courthouse, aren't you?"

"Yeah, same old place. Pamela, it's great to talk to you."

"And to you, sir."

After the call, we went downstairs to the theater room. Pam picked "Sleepless in Seattle." It's a story about a man whose wife died and he moved from Chicago to Seattle with his young son to escape the grief. But after 18 months, he was still grieving and couldn't sleep. His son encouraged him to find a new wife even though he had not even thought about dating again. His son convinced him to call a radio talk show on Christmas Eve and he ended up pouring his heart out about his marriage and how much he missed her. A woman who heard the show was infatuated with the guy and fell in love with him based solely on his story. She wrote to him proposing they meet at the top of the Empire State Building. They did and fell in love.

I knew exactly how this guy felt.

After the movie began, it wasn't long before Pam was cuddling in my lap as we watched the big screen. The cinema chairs were very large and easily accommodated both of us as we cuddled.

I unbuttoned and reached inside her blouse and under her bra to feel the warm soft flesh. Since the bra was tight, I asked her to sit up while I reached under the back of the blouse to release the hooks. She leaned back into my chest and sat between my legs as I reached around and under the loose cups to massage both breasts.

Her head was leaning back against the top of my chest and the fragrance of her perfume aroused my senses. Her moaning began as I played with her nipples, gently rolling them between my fingers.

I slid my hands down her sides and across her warm toned stomach. She moaned louder as I slid one hand down under her trouser belt and under her panty waistband. Pam squirmed and moaned until her relief came. It was a great way to watch a movie.

****

"Good morning sweetheart."

I struggled to open my eyes. "Good morning to you, I think. Why are you up so early?"

She handed me coffee and slid under the covers next to me with her cup.

"I had another dream," she said.

"Oh, was it Lydia again?"

"No, it was just a weird dream, I think. It was a voice speaking to me."

"What do you remember about it?"

"It told me that I have another sister. Now, as I told you, I knew they had another baby from overhearing my parents talking one time. I just assumed it had died from the way they talked and cried about it. The voice implied that she's alive."

"Did you recognize the voice?"

"No."

"Is that all you heard?"

"Yes, it was a clear voice in my dream that said, 'You have another sister'."

"Maybe your mom told you about her when you were young and your mind is just now remembering it? Our minds do that sometimes. An ancient thought just comes back."

"Maybe, but I don't think so. I don't remember mom saying anything directly to me. The voice never gave me a name or anything about her other than she's my sister."

"Let's see. Assuming this was a real message, you said she was born before your parents were married. That means she would be a couple of years or so older than Jerri."

"That's right. Jerri was born only a year after my parents were married. I came along two years later. This other sister would be 27 or 28 at most."

"That age matches up to Niki Lee."

"I know. That was my first thought. Who else looks so much like me and to some degree, Jerri? There's a chance it's her."

"Did any of the information online about Niki indicate she was adopted?"

"No, but I don't think that kind of personal information would ever be publicized."

"Do you want to ask your mom about this? Maybe your dream was not a real message."

"You mean my brain somehow made it up?"

"Yes, or retrieved it from your memory. I know I dream about extraordinary things that are not real. Maybe something I saw on TV or read about caused my brain to make up a dream. Before you believe the dream is a real message, it should be confirmed by your mom."

"Just like when you confirmed what Lydia told me about you two having sex on Angel."

"And like you confirmed with the heat pump switch, the dream of your dad telling you to flee Charlotte and my dreaming your name was Pam before you told me."

"Also, when Lydia dreamed that you and I would meet for the first time in the cabin on your birthday."

"That's right. All of those dreams were authentic messages because they actually did happen."

"Tom, how can I approach Mom with such a sensitive and personal question? I don't want to embarrass her or risk hurting her. I've hurt her too much already."

"I don't know Pam. Maybe sometime this weekend an opportunity will arise. But if not, what difference does it really make? So what if you have another sister and she is Niki Lee. Does it change anything?"

"I suppose it doesn't but I'd still like to know. Wouldn't you like to know if you had another brother or sister?"

"I suppose."

"Let me think about it. I really want to know but knowing may be worse that not knowing."

"Let's get some breakfast and go for our jog."

After bowls of cereal, we ran two laps or four miles through our neighborhood and the two others adjacent to ours. It was another beautiful morning and the sunrise was spectacular as it's rays slowly spread over the valley.

We compared plans for the day. Pam was going shopping for food we would need over the weekend and then to Wendy's house for lunch. Her mom and Rudy would arrive around dinnertime and we planned to grill steaks on the patio. Pam asked if she could get her nails done at a shop Donna recommended.

"Pam, please don't feel you have to ask my permission to do things like that. Just do it, sweetheart."

"But I'm spending your money and I want you to be okay with that."

"Pam, it's not my money. It's our money. We are in this together, sweetheart. I'm not ever going to criticize you for spending money. I've added you to my VISA credit card account and you'll have your own card in the next few days. I also brought home the forms for you to open a checking account. My plan is to move money into your account to give you a ready source of funds for anything you want."

"I had no idea you were planning that."

"It's just not come up yet but I've been intending to tell you."

"Tom, are you, I mean we, rich?" We both smiled.

"Pam, thanks to a large inheritance from my grandfather and our business, we're comfortable. Please don't worry about money."

"What did your grandfather do?"

"Well, the money mostly came from his father. During the collapse of the stock market in 1929, he bought stocks after they collapsed. He wisely figured that many major companies would survive and thrive after the depression eased. He bought railroad stocks, GE, General Motors and DuPont. And when WWII broke out and again with the major expansion in the late 40's, he became very rich as those stock prices boomed."

"He was very intelligent."

"Yes and he was patient. He made a plan and stuck with it over many years. My grandfather was his only heir and he also was very wise at investing. He bought land with his dad along the new TVA lakes when they first came on the market in the late 30's and early 40's. At that time, not many people were thinking about lake front lots since they were more focused on putting food on the table and fighting a war. Dad still owns thousands of undeveloped acres along Chickamauga and Watts Bar Lakes.

"Thanks for telling me this. I knew from the house and Angel that you must have a lot of money, or at least that you had spent a lot of money." We smiled.

A few minutes later, the phone rang.

"Hey Dad, what's the story?" I asked.

"I talked to the bank and they put me in touch with the person handling the foreclosures. I offered them the $900,000 we discussed but they wanted more. I asked them to discuss it with their management and come back with their bottom line. They asked if I wanted to finance it or pay cash. I told them cash. They came back to me a few minutes ago and offered it at $950,000 and I agreed."




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.




Lydia's Dream Ch. 09-10



"Ruth, that's certainly understandable."

"Neither of the girls knows anything about this. Richard and I kept it from them out of fear of what they might think about us. We were so ashamed of what we did. I swore I would never allow our girls to be in that position so I started them on birth control when they were young."

"Are you planning to tell them?"

"Yes, I think it's time but I wanted to get your opinion first. Both Pam and Jerri say you give the best advice of anyone they've ever met. Now I need some. How do I approach them with this and what will they think about me?"

"When did you decide to tell me?"

"A couple of days ago. For the first time in a very long time, I dreamed about Richard and the baby. I woke up crying and thinking about that innocent baby girl I gave away. I dreamed that I told Jerri and Pam but I'm scared to actually do it. I wanted to talk to you first. I don't want them to hate me."

I didn't dare tell her about Pam's dream the previous night.

"Ruth, I will tell you what I told Jerri and Pam when they asked for advice. Just be totally honest with them. Do it face to face and explain your decision and how you and Richard had the courage to do what was best for the baby. They will understand and love you even more for what you did. Have you told Rudy?"

"Yes, last night. He understood completely and said he fully supported me telling the girls."

"Good. Let me ask you just so I know. If the opportunity ever came for you to meet your daughter, who is now 27 or 28, would you like to do that?"

"Oh yes, yes." Just the thought of that caused more tears to flow. "She's now 27. I would love to know what happened to her and if there's any way I can be part of her life going forward. That's been such a burden on my heart for all these years. Not knowing anything about her was the worst part."

"Do you plan to tell Pam this weekend?"

"Yes, probably tonight while you and Rudy are grilling the steaks."

"I think that's perfect. Pam will understand. Please don't worry."

Just then we heard Angel make her appearance and the garage door open. 

*

End of Chapter 10. Please vote and give comments.