A Shadow of Death in The Woods (18 page)

Chapter 28

The Gin Mill

I settled into a routine, working by day and going back to The Cabin at night. I often ate at Momma’s during the week just so I wouldn’t have to cook just for myself. It really brought out the loneliness to cook just for one.

It was lonely at The Cabin at night. I could read my books and listen to music but it was lonely. There was a gin mill on my way home. In fact, it was called The Gin Mill. An original thinker came up with that one. I decided to stop in. It turned out that on week nights other than Friday night it wasn’t a bad place to have a drink and relax.

It had a long bar with stools, an area with tables and booths, a bandstand and a place for dancing. On week nights it was quiet with just a few people having drinks. For reasons that were never clear to me, on Wednesday nights it sometimes filled up but there was no band. Apparently it made sense to the people who gathered there.

I actually liked the crowds. I liked watching the people.

I got to know the barkeep. He went by Red. I wanted to drink Maker’s Mark but they didn’t stock it in the bar. Too high class. That is, the bourbon was too high class. I gave Red a hundred dollar bill and asked to him to keep a bottle for me. He agreed. Why not for a Benjamin? I told him to let me know when the bottle was nearly empty and he would get another hundred dollars for a new bottle.

The people that frequented the bar were mainly what most people would call hillbillies or mountain people. They were likable people but had an Appalachian way of talking and especially thinking. I loved the West Virginian accent. To me it was melodious and the best accent of any region in the United States.

They were descendants of the Scotch-Irish who settled this region. They came from the border region in the United Kingdom and were a warlike people. They had no use for big government or actually any government. They were clannish and family was everything. They would defend their families against all perceived ills. Once that was done, they defended their neighbors and way of life with the same vigor. Outsiders were viewed with suspicion. I was an outsider.

I wasn’t going to be one of the gang. I didn’t want to be part of the gang. I just wanted to have some quiet time with people around. On the surface of it, it seemed like you made friends. I made several acquaintances in addition to the barkeep and owner. But it was an illusion. It was a superficial friendliness. I would never know the real lowdown and what was happening. I understood this but I didn’t care. I just wanted to have people around but I didn’t want a lot of chit chat. And I didn’t want any trouble. I just didn’t want to be alone so much.

Chapter 29

Business Retreat at The Cabin

I was sitting in my office organizing my thoughts on my afternoon work when Bob popped in. Bob never stopped by unless he wanted something and usually it was a work assignment. I didn’t have to wonder what he wanted; he got right to the point.

“Jack, in three weeks we are going to hold a weekend get-away for three business partners and their wives. These are guys who are essential to our business survival. Therefore it a critical weekend and it must come off flawlessly. I want you to manage it.”

I looked forward to having a task that would keep me busy because it helped take my mind off my perpetual loneliness. I missed the whole family but I missed the kids the most. It broke my heart to leave them without even having the chance to say goodbye. Planning and managing this important business event would help me take my mind off my troubles. It would be stressful to manage an event like this. It is hard to make people have fun and enjoy themselves.

Bob continued, “I will outline what I have in mind but I want you to manage the whole thing. Sarah, my assistant, is available to help you full time. We have not had an event exactly like this but she has helped on similar parties and has contacts for most of the things we will need. She can’t pull the whole thing together or give it direction; that is your job.

“In a few minutes Momma will be here along with Sarah and we will plan out the menu.

“There will be three couples. They will arrive Friday afternoon. In fact, I will probably be picking them up in the company plane. You don’t have to worry about that. You just need to know that they will be here Friday afternoon.

“We will have a dinner at The Cabin Friday night and they, of course, will be staying at The Cabin. One couple can use Jane and my apartment.

“Saturday, we will have breakfast as a group. Then through the morning we will have hikes in the woods and lunch midday. Then in the afternoon, we will shoot guns on the gun range. I have a state trooper friend who will be the range-master for the afternoon. I will handle that part. He’ll make sure the guns are ready, we have enough ammo, etc. You’ll need to let him in the gun safe for access to the guns but otherwise he and I will handle the shooting. Safety is paramount so he will run a disciplined show.

“Late in the afternoon, maybe three or four o’clock, people will tire of shooting and we will head back to The Cabin. If it is cool day we will have a fire inside with mulled cider and hot cocoa for those who don’t want cider. If it is a warm day, we can have fire on the patio to heat the mulling irons.”

I interrupted Bob at this point and asked, “Where are we going to get good cider this time of year?”

He said, “Out of a barrel in my cellar at home. It is hard as a rock and great stuff.”

This was the first that I had heard of his hard cider. I knew about his apple brandy of course but this was a new twist.

Bob went on, “Okay, after we have had some cider or cocoa, people will be free to go to their apartments to clean up and change for dinner. Dinner will be at seven.”

I immediately spotted a logistical problem and asked, “You, Jane, Paul and Liz won’t have enough time to go home and change will you? You are welcome to use my apartment for washing and changing. We will have to stand in line for the bathroom but I think we can make it work.”

Bob said, “I hadn’t thought about that. You are right. It would be nice if we could use your apartment. Are you sure that is okay with you?”

“Sure.”

“Okay. Thanks. That is what we will do. Saturday night dinner will be a big affair. The guys will wear dinner jackets and the women will be dressed to match. After dinner we will have dancing. You and Sarah can arrange a DJ with dancing music: waltzes, two step, and whatever you think appropriate. Sunday, we will have brunch and the guests will leave around noon. If I pick them up in the company plane, then I will return them in the company plane. You don’t have to worry about that part.”

Mary, my personal assistant, rang me and announced that Momma and Sarah were waiting outside my office. I informed Bob and he said he had one more point to cover in private. I figured it was going to be a doozy.

Bob said, “You are going to need a date. It needs to be someone who is educated and comfortable around educated business people. Someone with social graces.”

I was unprepared for this turn of events. I raced my mind over a short list of names. I had studiously avoided women since my divorce. The only name that came up on my list was Frankie so I suggested her. I knew Mike was out of town and wouldn’t be at the event. I figured I could explain it to Mike.

Bob snorted his disapproval and said, “How is that going to look? My CFO dating the wife of my security guy. You are going to have to do better than that.”

“Well, I don’t know anyone else.”

“I do. Lydia.”

I almost fell out of my chair upon hearing this. Lydia wasn’t even a good neighbor let alone someone to date. I had never seen her practice any social graces. The only positive that I could think about it was that she was tall. I think that the look on my face told Bob what I was thinking.

He said, “Look, she is highly educated. She knows how to dress. She will do great except maybe her dancing might need freshening up because she doesn’t date at all.”

It didn’t seem to bother Bob that he had just recommended her as a date and at the same time said that she never dated.

“Bob, I can’t imagine dating her. We don’t even get along. Remember the blowup we had? Maybe she won’t want to date me.”

“No, this is important to me. She’ll do it.”

He said that with a deep confidence and I had no idea what he based it on. Their relationship always mystified me. I knew it was platonic but it was a deep relationship.

Bob continued, “Look, you ask her. She will do it. Also, you give her a company credit card and she can buy anything she wants for the weekend. That includes clothes, shoes, boots, hairdo, anything. You tell her it is important to me and she will do it.”

I agreed and called Sarah and Momma in to discuss the menu.

Bob outlined the weekend. He pointed out that we would need to hire a kitchen helper for Momma as a cooking assistant and we would need to hire at least two servers to serve the table. The bartender could double as the wine steward. We then got into the menu discussion.

We decided to go with chicken breasts on Friday night. We would give people a choice of chicken Dijon, chicken Piccata or chicken Marsala because they are basically the same with different sauces that can be prepared ahead of time. Bob didn’t want me in the kitchen but I could help cook the sauces in the afternoon before the guests arrived. Momma was a good cook but she didn’t know fancy sauces. We selected mashed potatoes fixed with real cream and farm-fresh butter. They would taste great but would raise our cholesterol to lofty heights. We selected two choices of vegetables and picked a salad. I suggested liqueur parfaits for dessert. They are easy to make in a variety of choices as long as we had the liquor on hand and Bob had already told me that budget was not a problem so the liqueurs would be on hand. We would spend what it took to provide a great weekend for our guests who could provide or withhold a lot of business for us. We selected vanilla ice cream from a premium vendor and picked out five liqueurs. We picked out several bottles of wine. I knew Bob would want people to sample his apple brandy after dinner. I concluded that we might have to carry some of them to their apartments.

For Saturday breakfast we went traditional American with coffee, tea, fresh squeezed orange juice, cereals, milk, eggs, bacon, ham, toast, rolls, butter and preserves.

Saturday lunch would be simple with a hearty soup, freshly baked bread rolls and only soft drinks. We would be shooting after lunch and we didn’t want anyone to be even slightly impaired for that.

Saturday dinner was a big deal with dinner jackets and evening gowns. We talked about beef filets, which would be good but I suggested that we have Chateaubriand with Chateau potatoes and carrots for a vegetable. The others added peas but I insisted on keeping them separate from the carrots. I could tell that Bob favored these ideas but Momma’s body language said she didn’t like it. I asked her what the problem was and she replied that she was a country cook. She didn’t know how to prepare Chateaubriand and she had never heard of Chateau potatoes. I set her at ease by pointing out that the people who originated these recipes were country people and besides I knew exactly how to prepare the dishes.

Bob repeated his plea that he didn’t want me in the kitchen. I was his CFO and I needed to act that way. I needed to impress these guys of my financial abilities, not my cooking abilities.

I assured him that I could give Momma the exact instructions and she is good at following cooking instructions. It would work out fine. In the worst case I might have to pop in the kitchen for a brief word or two. He reluctantly agreed with this plan and we decided to go ahead with the idea.

For dessert I suggested strawberry flambé. This really made Momma cringe and for good reason. This actually took some skill to pull off. You couldn’t just leave some instructions and have a cook follow them. It took practice. I said that Momma and her assistant could get all of the ingredients ready and I could jump in at the last minute and finish the dessert off.

Bob groaned and complained that I didn’t listen well. I countered by saying that strawberry flambé was impressive when you flamed off the brandy in front of the guests. They would love it and it would take me only a few minutes. Momma and her assistant could prepare the dishes with the ice cream and have the other ingredients ready. I could caramelize the sugar, throw in the brandy and strawberries and flame it off. Momma and her assistant could spoon the sauce and strawberries over the ice cream. It would be a nice finish to a great dinner and I didn’t think it would hurt for the guests to know that I can do more than just finances. Besides with the several bottles of wine that he had planned, everyone would be half in the bag. It would be a lot of fun.

Bob thought it over a minute and said, “You are right. It would go over nicely.”

We agreed on a brunch for Sunday and our plans were set. All set that is except for how I was going to talk Lydia into being my date. Even worse, what I was going to do with her as my date? I just didn’t think it would go over well if Bob’s CFO got into a fight with his date over accusations that the CFO was stealing her cat.

Friday night Lydia pulled into The Cabin parking lot. In a few minutes The Cat came into my apartment to say hi. I gave Lydia a few minutes to get settled and then gave her a call. I invited her over for a late supper, knowing that she never had a meal ready. She survived on peanut butter. She agreed to come over.

We ate and then I segued into the business party, how I needed a date and the fact that I thought she would make a great date for me. I gingerly added that weekend event was very important to Bob and his business. She asked a few detail questions such as who was coming, who they were and why it was so important. I told her and she agreed to be my date. I thought that I had misheard her. I couldn’t believe it was that easy. I thought maybe Bob had primed her but that didn’t seem to fit with the questions that she asked. I was stunned. I told her that I had a credit card for her to use in preparation for the event, which including having her hair done.

She seemed impressed or maybe relieved with this. I could imagine it was going to be expensive to buy everything necessary for this event.

I asked her if she had attended one of these functions before and she said not really. She asked more questions about what it would be like and what she should wear. When I got to the dancing part, she, for the first time, frowned and said that she didn’t know how to dance.

I told her that I liked to dance and that I could teach her how in the two weekends that we had before the big do. She laughed out loud at this suggestion and questioned my dancing ability. It turns out that I am a good dancer. Dancing and boxing are not necessarily unrelated. You need good footwork in boxing to keep from getting your head knocked off.

I told her that after lunch tomorrow we would go downstairs and I would show her some steps. Saturday we had lunch and as promised we went to the common area downstairs. We started with a simple two-step, which she could follow. We danced that way for a while and then discussed some more complicated dancing. It turned out that she was years out of practice but she was a natural dancer. At that moment I realized we could have some fun dancing and I could tell from the look on her face that she appreciated how I could move without scuffing the tops of her shoes. Or worse, stepping on her feet. When I stepped on something with my two hundred and forty pounds (or thereabouts), it stayed stepped on.

I decided to teach her the jitterbug. No one did the jitterbug now but it is a lot of fun. I realized that it was the first time that I had enjoyed being around Lydia.

The next two weeks went by in a blur. On the weekends Lydia and I continued our dance practicing. The dancing was coming along great. We worked up some dances that would impress the others as long as they weren’t expert dancers.

During the week I worked with Sarah and Momma, lining up the food and all the people we had to hire for the weekend and hundreds of other details that kept popping up. I had the apartments cleaned and made sure everything was ready at The Cabin. The trooper came by to inspect the guns. We were going to use rifles, shotguns and pistols.