Second Time Around

Chapter 5 - Who's Confused?

By Arli J

Edited by Radio Rancher
Based on Characters from Pinochle, by E Walk

From Gregg's diary:

Oh, boy, did I make a big mistake tonight! We were looking at the store - and I just love it! - and I was explaining what "we" could do with it. Mrs. Dolan caught the "we's" and called me on it. I didn't know what to say. She is one sharp lady! Somehow she knew that I was talking about Harley and me, even though his name hadn't been mentioned. Now what is he going to think?

I don't know how he feels about me. He's so pleasant and polite all the time, but he really doesn't give any hint of his feelings. I'm getting to like him more all the time that we're together, but what if he doesn't feel the same? Have I blown the possibility of anything happening between us? Have I scared him off before he even has a chance to get to know me?'

And what is Beau up to? He's got something on his mind; he seemed to like the building, but he didn't say anything about it. And what's this deal with him looking over Kate Dolan's house? Beau is always thinking five or ten steps ahead. I must remember never to play chess with him! But why would he be interested in that house? It is a magnificent old place, but I can't imagine why he would want it. I'm sure that he and Becca would never come to Ithaca to live; their whole lives are centered in Fremont. And I don't think he would be buying it for Ben. What would Ben do with a big old Victorian house? I'm a bit confused here.

* * * * *

When Gregg and I got back to my house, he had a strange look on his face. I wasn't sure what might be going on in his mind. I decided to give him a little space to think it over, and then, if he wanted to talk about it, maybe I could find out what was bothering him.

"Hey, can you stand another cup of coffee? I think I need one after everything that's happened this evening."

"Yeah, that sounds like a really good idea. I don't know about you, but I feel as if I had just spent the last few hours in a blender!"

"Well, that's a pretty good description of the whole evening! I'll go put a pot of coffee on."

We went out to the kitchen, and Gregg sat down at the table while I started a pot of coffee. When I joined him at the table, he was looking a bit uncomfortable and embarrassed. He acted as if he wanted to say something but didn't know what to say. We just sat there for a few minutes. Finally he spoke: "Do you have any idea why Beau might be interested in Kate Dolan's house?"

"Not a clue. I was going to ask you the same question, since you know Beau a lot better than I do."

"I'm not sure that anyone really knows Beau. His mind is so quick, and he can be thinking about three or four things at the same time. You never really know what he is thinking until he tells you, and then he doesn't always tell you everything. That's a big part of the mystery and the charm of Beau Benson. I sometimes wonder if even Becca understands him, or if she just loves him so much that it doesn't matter to her."

"He must have been impressed with the building. He didn't say anything negative about it, at least."

"Yes. I was glad of that, because I was worried that he would think it was a bad investment. I am concerned, though, about this Petrillo person. He seems to have a lot of clout here, or at least he thinks he does. Is there any way he can mess up the deal?"

"Not that I can think of. Kate Dolan owns the building, and she's a lady I wouldn't want to cross!"

"She's a feisty one, all right! She reminds me a lot of Grams Tillison. I never got to know her all that well, but she was a powerhouse, and when she wanted to get something done, it got done!"

I had to chuckle. "I heard Beau and Becca saying exactly the same thing in the restaurant. If Grams Tillison was anything like Kate Dolan, I'm sorry I never got to know her."

He laughed. "Oh, she could be a trip, all right, but she had a heart bigger than all outdoors. I think that's why she loved Jeff and Beau so much. They were just like her in that respect. She was a very special person. And Harley, you're really a very special person, do you know that? You take in a family of strays, give up your own bed, and then go way out of your way to help them realize their dreams. I just want you to know that I really appreciate everything you have done and are doing for all of us."

Suddenly he stopped talking and blushed, just as he had when Kate Dolan caught him up on the "we's" he was using in describing his plans for the building. I had to wonder what was going on in his mind. Did he have thoughts about what might happen between the two of us? I knew that I had been having a few rather strange and, actually, rather pleasant fantasies on that subject. But we hardly know each other. Maybe I'm reading him all wrong. Slow down, Harley! You're dealing with a man who is still hurting from the loss of a partner he really loved. It's not at all the same as the relief you felt when the marriage finally ended. Yes, you had pain when you lost your boys, but they eventually came back in their own time, and you've got a good relationship with them. With their mother, too, for that matter. She's a good person. The fault was mostly your own, even though you tried to make a good marriage. You are, and always have been, gay. Getting married was a big mistake. No, that's not right. If you hadn't married, you wouldn't have two wonderful sons.

Gregg looked up from his coffee. "I don't know about you, but I'm just about whipped. This has been a long and busy day, and knowing Beau, we can expect the same, or worse, tomorrow. I think I'm ready for bed."

"You're right. This has been a long day. One of the most exciting I've had in a long time, but definitely long. Just let me get my blankets and pillow from the bedroom, and we'll call it a night."

"OK, it's a night." He chuckled. "Sorry, I just couldn't resist." I turned off the coffee pot and set our cups in the sink. As we went into the living room, I turned off the kitchen lights. I went into the bedroom and got my bedding, then came back to the living room where Gregg was waiting. For a second or two, he looked as if he might say or do something; then he smiled and said, "Good night. See you in the morning."

"Good night." He went down the hall to the bathroom, and when he came out he went into the bedroom and shut the door. I was surprised by the feeling of disappointment that swept over me. What was I thinking? I went to the bathroom, then made up my bed on the couch and turned off the lights. I stretched out and pulled the blankets over me. I realized how tired I actually was. The house was quiet. Why couldn't I get to sleep? I turned and turned again. I just couldn't seem to get comfortable, couldn't seem to settle down. Finally, I relaxed enough to drift off to sleep.

I woke suddenly from a very pleasant dream I couldn't recall to realize that the sun was up. I sat up and looked at the clock. Oh, no! 6:30, and we are supposed to meet Beau and the family at 7:30 for breakfast. I jumped up, went to the bathroom quickly, and then I knocked on the bedroom door.

"Gregg, we overslept! We're going to have to hurry!"

He mumbled something, and I heard the sound of his feet hitting the floor by the bed. I stumbled out to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. Then I went back to the living room and picked up my bedding. The bedroom door opened, and Gregg came shuffling out. "G'mornin'." He shuffled on into the bathroom and shut the door. I took my bedding to the bedroom and grabbed some clothes to wear to breakfast.

Gregg came out of the bathroom. He was not looking very awake. "I've got coffee on. If we get dressed, we can have a quick cup before we have to leave."

"Sounds fine to me." He disappeared into the bedroom. I went into the bathroom and dressed. I took a look in the mirror and shuddered. Oh, well, they'll just have to deal with it. I'll see what I can do before we go to the bank. I did manage to get my hair combed down so that I didn't look like a startled cockatoo.

Gregg came out of the bedroom. "I don't think I'm going to survive this."

"You'll feel better after a cup of coffee."

"Right now, I think embalming fluid is more in order." He went into the bathroom, and I went to the kitchen to pour coffee for both of us. When he got to the kitchen, we sat down and just sipped coffee in silence. I was keeping an eye on the kitchen clock. We finished our coffee, and, although I'm sure we both could have used one or two more cups, we left and drove up to the campus. I parked behind the Statler and we went in. We met Beau, Becca and the boys in the lobby. Just as we were greeting them, Inga and Maria arrived. About five minutes later, Sally and Kate Dolan arrived.

Beau went to see if we could get a private dining room. He returned to tell us that there was a small dining room right behind the buffet, where it would be quiet but convenient. We were just about to go in when Mr. Cochran, the man who had been so hostile at the meeting yesterday, arrived. He seemed surprised to see all of us there.

We got our breakfast trays and went into the private room. As soon as we were seated, Beau went on the attack. He asked why Mr. Cochran had called the boys and invited them to breakfast.

The poor man was obviously terribly embarrassed. He stammered an apology for his behavior the day before. It seems he was severely reprimanded for his remarks after we left. And his apology certainly seemed sincere. Then he went on to explain. His son had come to him and his wife and told them that he thought he was gay. This had caused a lot of distress for Mr. and Mrs. Cochran, and, looking back, he said that he had been very hard on his son. Then when the question of Ben and Grant having private rooms came up, he had lost control and said things that he now deeply regretted.

Kate Dolan began talking to him. He had grown up with her son, Trent, and they had been best friends. She reminded him of the times the boys had spent together, asked him if he had ever had any problems with Trent, then dropped a bomb on him. Trent and his business partner were, and had been since their freshman year in college, a couple. Kate told Mr. Cochran that their whole family accepted the relationship, and that she, personally, felt it was much better than if Trent had tried to fit the pattern most people would expect of him.

Mr. Cochran was completely overwhelmed. He did manage to ask Ben and Grant if they would be willing to talk to his son, and to guide and help him, if they could. Both boys readily agreed to do whatever they could. Then the conversation turned to the housing situation for the boys. Beau posed a couple of theoretical questions for Mr. Cochran: if Gregg were to move to Ithaca, would Grant be required to live in a dorm? If Beau, or Ben, were to buy a house in Ithaca, would Ben have to live in a dorm?

Mr. Cochran assured him that there would be no problem with Grant living off campus, if his father lived in Ithaca. The only question about Ben living in his own house would be whether that house was considered suitable for student housing.

Beau was amused. He asked Mr. Cochran if he felt that Kate Dolan's house would be satisfactory by the university standards. Mr. Cochran agreed emphatically that it would be.

Beau dropped the conversation and announced that he and Becca were expected at a meeting with university officials. Kate Dolan offered to accompany them, since she knew most of the officials and might be of some help. The boys had to leave to go for their tests, and the two girls had nine o'clock classes.

Before we broke up, Kate invited everyone to a buffet and swim party at the country club that evening. Beau asked Sally to see if she could get an appraiser to look over the building on the Commons and Mrs. Dolan's house. Then he turned to Gregg and me and suggested that we go to a bank and see about the possibility of getting a loan, in case Gregg decided to buy the building.

The group broke up, and Gregg and I went back to the car. On the way down the hill, I asked him, "What bank do you want to approach about the loan on the building? There are several in town, and if one of them is connected with your bank in Nebraska, it would probably be easier to arrange a loan."

"I doubt there is one that has even heard of my bank in Fremont. It's a local bank that mostly serves the area around Fremont."

"That sounds like the Trust Company. They have branches all over the county, and even in neighboring counties, but they deal with the local community. I was going to suggest them, if you didn't have anything in mind. My family had an account with them for more than fifty years. When I left the area about fifteen years ago, I closed the account. But when I came back, I opened an account again. They are really great people to do business with, and they seem to really care about the community. And the best part of the deal is that the main office is on the Commons, just around the corner from your store."

"That's a good enough recommendation for me! My store. Do you have any idea how great that sounds to me?"

"I can only imagine. But we're going to do everything we can to make that a reality, starting right now." We drove down the hill to my house. When we got there, we took turns in the bathroom, showering and shaving. Then we got dressed, casually, since it was summer in Ithaca and already promising to be a very warm day. Gregg opened one of his suitcases and pulled out a folder. "I'm ready to go."

Even though my house is on the Northside, it's not all that far from the Commons, so we decided to walk. Gregg was enjoying the sights. The Northside is mostly residential, with only a few small stores scattered along the streets. The sun was warm, and there was the usual breeze blowing off the lake and through town. We were chatting comfortably, like old friends, when we reached the Commons.

We went into the bank, and both of us shivered. We hadn't felt all that warm outside, but coming into an air-conditioned building was a momentary shock. We looked at each other and chuckled. I took him to the customer service department, where we were greeted by a very pleasant young woman. "Good morning. I'm Andrea. How can I help you?"

Gregg looked a little nervous, so I spoke up. "This is Gregg Garrison. He is thinking of relocating to Ithaca from Nebraska, and he has found a building on the Commons he may want to purchase. He would like to apply for a loan, and if everything goes well, he will be transferring his accounts from his bank in Nebraska to one here in Ithaca."

Andrea smiled. "I don't see any problem with that. Mr. Garrison, do you have the account numbers for your accounts in Nebraska? And, please, sit down, gentlemen."

Gregg sat down and placed the folder he had brought with him on the desk in front of him. He opened it and took out a neatly typed sheet of paper. He handed it to Andrea, who glanced over it and raised her eyebrows. She smiled at Gregg. "Are you an accountant, Mr. Garrison?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Well, most people who come to my desk don't know their account numbers and don't have the numbers with them. We have to check out their accounts, if they are customers of our bank. If they have accounts in other banks, we can't help them until they bring in the account numbers. You have listed your bank, the First National Bank of Fremont, your contact person, Mr. Charles J. Weaver, your account numbers, and you have even given us the bank's phone number and fax number. I think I have everything I will need right here. Now, how large a loan are we talking about?"

Gregg grinned. "I really have no idea at the moment. What I really wanted to do this morning was to talk to you and ask you to check out my information, so that you have a better idea if I would be a good candidate for a rather large loan. I am looking at a building on the Commons owned by Mrs. Kathryn Dolan."

"Oh, I know Kate, and I know the building you are talking about. I don't know what she is asking for it, but I am sure that it is worth every cent she asks. She and her late husband have been valued customers of our bank for many years."

Gregg hesitated for a moment, then continued, "I don't mean to appear pushy, but I am here with friends from Nebraska. They have business in the area, but they want to leave for home by tomorrow afternoon. Is there any way that you could verify my accounts and let me know about the possibility of a loan by closing time today? Oh, and if you call, tell Mr. Weaver that Gregg said for Chip to be nice to you."

"I'll do that. With the information you have given me, I shouldn't have any trouble at all. Can you stop by this afternoon, about one o'clock? I should have an answer for you by then."

"That would be wonderful, if you can do that. We'll see you at one."

Andrea held out her hand, and we both shook hands with her and left. When we stepped out on the street, we immediately noticed the effects of the air conditioning in the bank. Even though it was not excessively warm for this time of day, we had the impression of being pushed down by a wave of heat. We grinned at each other and started back down the street toward my house. I was trying to remember if I had turned the air conditioning on before we left the house.

When we got there, I opened the door, and we went in. The house was a little cooler than outside, but I had not turned on the air conditioning, so we didn't have to go through an adjustment period. We went out to the kitchen. I looked at the clock. "It's about 11:30. Would you like some lunch?"

"I didn't think I'd be hungry after the big breakfast at the Statler, but I guess walking around town took care of that. Yes, I could eat something light."

"How about a salad and a sandwich?"

"That sounds perfect. Then we've got time to relax and just chat for a while until we have to go back to the bank. What can I do to help?"

"Why don't you put on a fresh pot of coffee, while I get the stuff out of the fridge?"

Working together, we had lunch on the table in no time. We sat down and just enjoyed the peaceful time together. I noticed Gregg glancing at me several times, when he thought I wasn't looking. He had a rather speculative look on his face, as if he were taking measurements of something. I was getting a little confused. He seemed so distant, polite, friendly, but distant. And yet he had made that slip in front of Kate Dolan, and then this morning he got all flustered when he called me a 'special person.' I wonder if he really meant that; does he really think of me as 'special'? And, if he does, what does that mean? Is he interested in me as a friend, as more than a friend? Nice going, Harley! Now you've got yourself totally confused!

When we finished lunch, Gregg insisted on washing the dishes. I dried them and put them away. Then we took our coffee into the living room. He sat down on the couch and set his cup on the coffee table in front of him. I started to sit across from him in one of the chairs, but he grinned at me.

"I don't bite. You could sit on the couch. It's really big enough for two. Then you have a place to set your cup."

I sat down on the couch. What was going on here? Is this some kind of offer? Or is he just pointing out the obvious, that in the chair I would have to hold my cup or set it on the floor?

We chatted easily, mostly about Fremont. He told me stories about Grams Tillison, things he had experienced with her and stories he had heard about her. This lady had obviously been a force to reckon with, and she had been very much loved by a lot of people. And Gregg was definitely one of them.

We were so relaxed and involved in our conversation that we both jumped when the phone rang. It was Andrea from the bank. I handed the phone to Gregg and went into the bathroom. When I came out, I heard him say, "I can be there in a few minutes. And thank you for all your trouble."

He hung up the phone and turned to me with a big grin. "Andrea called Fremont and talked to Chip. He gave her a general report of my financial status and is faxing the complete records to her. I need to go to the bank and sign some papers. What time are we supposed to meet Mrs. Dolan, Beau and Becca at the store?"

"One o'clock. We've got just about time to get to the bank and get over to the store, if we hurry. Maybe we'd better drive this time; it will be a lot faster - IF we can find a parking place!"

We were in luck. We found a parking place along the edge of the Commons, about half a block from the bank. Gregg went in to sign the papers, and I waited for him on the Commons. It looked as if things were shaping up nicely.