Second Time Around

Chapter 19 - "Yes, Virginia, there is..."

By Arli J

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

The next couple of days were quiet; we sat around the house and chatted, or we walked around the neighborhood, so that Gregg could become more familiar with his new home town. We didn't want to be away from the house for too long, in case we got a call from Marcia Bittner. We were both on edge, nervous and frustrated, from the waiting.

By the third day, we definitely had cabin fever. I made sure that the answering machine was working properly, and we left. We drove around town for a while, and I showed Gregg where some of the places were that he would need to find later, like the post office. We drove out Route 13 to what is known around town as the "fast food jungle." Just past this collection of fast food restaurants is one of the parks that give Ithaca a lot of its charm, Buttermilk Falls State Park. We parked in the lot and walked over to look at the falls. While the waterfall is nowhere near as high as Taughannock, it is wider and tumbles down over a rock face, getting its name from the white water that splashes down into a pool at its base. From there, the water flows in a shallow creek to join the inlet to the lake. We sat on a bench and watched the kids playing in the pool under the watchful eyes of parents. The water isn't very deep, but the current created by the fall is tricky, and every now and then there would be a yell or a scream, as some child lost his or her footing on the stones lining the creek and toppled with a splash into the water. They came up, sputtering and laughing, as their friends laughed at them. Gregg was really enjoying himself. He really loves children. It's a shame that he never had his own; I'm sure he would have been a great Dad. We spent about an hour there, and then we decided to return home.

When we walked into the house, I noticed the answering machine blinking. I rushed over to get the message. It was Beau, wondering if we had heard anything yet. Hey, Beau, I did promise to let you know, as soon as we heard anything. I guess he was as antsy as we were. I went out to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. Then I dug around in the fridge and found cold meat and cheese slices. I got them out and put them on the table, then brought out the bread, mayo and mustard. I'm not sure which Gregg prefers. I often mix them on the sandwich. The blend gives a little zing, but without the sharp bite that mustard alone has. Gregg was in the living room, so I called to him and asked him if he was ready for lunch. He came into the kitchen.

"I'm not really awfully hungry. How about a sandwich and some of the mixed fruits we got to try?" He was peering over my shoulder into the fridge. "Yeah, that's the stuff," he said, as I pulled the jar out of the fridge and handed it to him. He took it to the table and opened it, while I got bowls and spoons. Then we sat down and made our sandwiches.

Lunch was light and easy. The mixed fruit, a large jar of it, was really good. We decided to get some more of that. When we finished eating, he got up and cleared away the dirty dishes, while I was pouring coffee. Before we sat down, he handed me the sandwich makings, and I put them back in the fridge. Then we relaxed with our coffee.

Gregg was nearly bubbling over with excitement from our trip to the park. "I've never seen anything like the waterfalls and gorges in this area! It is just so beautiful!"

"Well, that's in the summer time. In winter, you begin to wonder why you stay around here. I ask myself every winter why I stay in this town, and then spring comes, and I remember. Three seasons of the year this is just about the greatest place I know of to live. But winter just goes on and on, and on! Jeff Foxworthy made a comment about central New York. He said, "You're from central New York, if you can name the four seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Construction!" I would swear that the man has lived here!"

Gregg was laughing now. "Well, it looks as if I've got a real experience ahead of me, doesn't it? But this is so different from the mid-West; I just love the hills and the lake!"

"I hope you'll still love the hills when you have to drive up and down them in the winter time!"

"Oh, that's no problem! You'll be doing the driving!"

"OK, and you'll be clutching the dashboard and holding your breath half of the time!"

He laughed again. "Well, now I've got another new experience to look forward to!"

I got up and refilled our coffee cups. I had just started to sit down again, when the phone rang. I made a dash for the living room, with Gregg right behind me. It was a telemarketer. I barely managed to be polite and resisted the urge to slam the receiver down. We started back to the kitchen, but the phone rang again. This time it was the call we had been waiting for.

"Harley, this is Marcia Bittner. I couldn't wait to call you. We just had our meeting with the judge. You were right about Hank Dolan; he is really sharp! And the judge is no fool! He realizes that we have to save the Commons to keep downtown Ithaca alive.

"He put all the buildings owned by Giulio Petrillo in trust of the Downtown Business Association. We own them now! We have to manage them for the benefit of the tenants - something Petrillo never did! We rent the stores and apartments to the tenants, and we see that they are in good condition. But they belong to the Association!

"Oh, Harley, I can't thank you enough for taking an interest in our project and showing us how to solve our problem. If there's anything I can do to help you, just tell me."

"Would it be a big problem to get me a list of current businesses in the buildings, with contact people?"

"No, I have that list right here in front of me on my desk. I can mail it, fax it, or you can stop by when you're on the Commons and pick it up here in my office."

"I'd like to contact the business owners to see if we can help them get back in business in a hurry. The Bensons are just as interested, because their son and Gregg Garrison's son will be arriving in Ithaca in a couple of weeks to start classes at Cornell."

"Oh, they are the nicest people! I really enjoyed meeting them, and I'm sure most, if not all of the businesses on the Commons could use their help. You did say, didn't you, that Mr. Garrison wants to open a business on the Commons?"

"Yes, he had a toy shop in Nebraska, but he sold it and moved here, so that he could be near his son, while he's in school."

"A toy shop? What a wonderful idea! It will draw more local people to the Commons than a lot of the boutiques and stores focused on the student population."

"That was his thought. I've visited his shop in Fremont, and I have to tell you, it brought back a lot of memories of my own childhood. You should see the model trains he carries!"

"I can't wait to see the whole thing! I'll have to admit that I'm still a child at heart. I buy presents for my grandchildren, and I have more fun playing with them than the kids do! They always seem to be more interested in the boxes!"

"Well, thank you so much, Ms. Bittner, for letting us know right away. I'll have to call Beau Benson now. He's been biting his fingernails and keeping the phone lines hot, wanting to know what's happening!"

"Well, I'll let you call him now. I just couldn't wait to give you the good news!" She hung up.

I turned to Gregg and gave him the news. I couldn't have given him a greater gift, if I had handed him the keys to a brand new Mercedes Benz! He grabbed me in a bear hug. "Oh, Harley, I'm so happy! Petrillo is out of our hair, and we have people to deal with who really care about the Commons and the businesses there!" He was almost bouncing in his excitement.

"I've got to call Beau right away," I said. ''If I don't, he'll be on a plane here to find out why!"

Gregg grinned. "You're probably right about that!"

I dialed the number. It rang twice. "Benson here. What can I do for you?"

"Beau, it's Harley. Marcia Bittner just called me. The judge turned all the buildings owned by Petrillo on the Commons over to the Business Owners' Association. They now own the buildings and are responsible for maintaining them for the tenants."

Beau nearly split my eardrum. "Becca! They got them! The judge gave the buildings to the Association!" I moved the phone to my other ear just in time to hear Becca shriek in the background. "Oh, that's great! When does it take effect?"

Before Beau could deafen my other ear, I spoke up. "She didn't tell me. But I've got to go to her office to get a list of the businesses on the Commons, and I'll ask her then. I think we'll go over this afternoon. Gregg is dancing around the living room, so I think I'll take him out for a walk, to calm him down."

Beau chuckled. "Well, now he doesn't have to worry any more. Have you talked to Kate Dolan?"

"No, as soon as Ms. Bittner hung up, I called you. But I'll give her a call. I know that she was pretty upset by the whole business. That guy Petrillo really has a lot of nerve, trying to get her building condemned, just because she didn't want to sell it to him!"

"Well, he'll have a lot of time to think about how wise a decisionthat was! What did you say, that he's going to be in prison for twenty-five years?"

"At least. By the time the Attorney General gets through with him, he may well wind up with a life sentence."

"And I, personally, can't think of anyone who deserves it more! And, Harley, thanks for calling. You've made my day! I'll keep in touch, and maybe we can get to Ithaca next week or the week after. I'll let you know about that. We've got to get these businesses going again, and I think we may be able to help them do even better than they were before."

"I'll be looking forward to it, Beau. Take care, and give my love to Becca."

I turned around and almost bumped into Gregg, who was standing right behind me. He grabbed me in a hug again. "Oh, Harley, I'm so happy and so excited! It's going to work, I just know it's going to work!" He squeezed me tighter, then let go and looked me in the eye. "I think we deserve a fresh cup of coffee. He was giggling, as he grabbed my hand and practically dragged me into the kitchen.

We were about halfway through a new cup of coffee when the phone rang again. I got up from the table. "If that's another telemarketer, I'm not going to be so nice to him!"

It wasn't a telemarketer; it was Marcia Bittner, and she was sobbing. I stopped breathing for a second. "Ms. Bittner, are you all right? What's happened?" I was getting panicky now.

"Oh, Harley, I had to call you right away! I just got a phone call from the judge's office. He has decided that, since most of Giulio Petrillo's money came from squeezing the merchants on the Commons, it should go back into the Commons, to help bring the buildings up to code and to make necessary improvements. He is awarding all the money to the Association, to be used to improve the businesses and apartments on the Commons. As soon as the IRS gets through with Mr. Petrillo, the balance of his money will be turned over to the Association. They're still finding accounts all over the place. He had money stashed in banks all over the country, and a couple of big accounts in the Cayman Islands. But, so far, it totals to something over five million dollars! The judge seems to think that, by the time it settles out, we should be getting something between three and four million!" I could hear her crying again. "I'm sorry, Harley! I'm just so overwhelmed, I can't help it!"

"Well, I can't tell you how happy I am to hear the news. Ithaca is my home, and I've really been sad to see how the Commons has deteriorated in the last few years. No wonder people would rather go to the shopping malls! But now you've got the chance to turn that around. Thanks so much for calling to let me know. I'll call Beau and tell him the good news!"

Gregg had followed me into the living room, and when I hung up the phone, he grabbed me again. I could really get used to all these hugs in a big hurry!

"I didn't hear all of the conversation, but it sounds as if the Association is getting some big bucks!" He was bouncing again! I told him what Ms. Bittner had said. He was almost jumping up and down now, like a little kid on Christmas morning. He sat down beside me as I dialed Beau's number.

I gave Beau the news and quickly held the phone away from my ear. We could both still hear him clearly. He was just as excited as we were! As his excitement calmed a little, I put the phone back to my ear. "So, how does that sound to you, Beau?"

"Just like Christmas, Harley, just like Christmas! I haven't talked to Becca about it yet, but I think we're going to be coming to Ithaca the first of next week. We've got a lot of work to do. You'vegot a lot of work to do, and the sooner we get started, the better! I'll let you know when we'll be coming, so you can reserve a room at the Statler for us, and see about a rental car."

Fortunately, he turned away from the phone, saving my eardrum, as he hollered, "Becca!"

I had to call Kate Dolan to tell her what had happened. To say that she was pleased would be a gross understatement! We talked about what had happened and how it could improve the Commons. She sounded so happy! I told her that Beau and Becca would probably be coming to town the first of next week, and she made me promise that we would join her for dinner, while they were here. She said, "I've just talked to my sister in Florida. She's not feeling well at the moment, and I'd like to get down there to be with her, as soon as possible. I'd like to talk to Beau and find out when he wants to take over the house."

I promised her that I would talk to Beau right away, and find out what his plans were. I knew that he wanted to get the office set up soon, but I figured it would be better for him to tell her that. We hung up, two very happy people.

Gregg, who had been sitting close to me through both conversations, took my hand. "We're going out for dinner, to celebrate. I'm treating, and I don't want to hear any objections from you! We really have a lot to celebrate, you know, the news about the Commons, my new store, and..." He squeezed my hand and smiled at me. "Now, where would you like to go for dinner?"

"Well, since you put it that way, I think I'd really like to go to the Valley House. It's one of the oldest restaurants in town, on the West End, near the old Lehigh Valley railroad station. It was built when there were still trains running, and people used to stop there for dinner on their way through town. I haven't been there in quite a few years, but they always had really good food."

"That sounds good to me. It will give me a chance to get a little bit of the history of Ithaca."

We decided, since we were both a little tired from our morning trip to the park, that a nap would do us both good. We went into the bedroom and kicked off our shoes. I grabbed a light blanket from the closet and we stretched out on top of the bed, pulling the blanket over us. Gregg snuggled close to me. "I can't speak for you, but I've certainly got something to celebrate." He pulled me close and kissed me on the forehead. We held each other and drifted off to sleep.

The sunlight was slanting in across the floor when I woke up. I eased out of Gregg's embrace and went into the bathroom. When I came out, I peeked into the room. He was still sleeping, so I went to the kitchen and made a fresh pot of coffee. It had just finished, when he came stumbling out to the kitchen and sat down. He looked about the same as he does in the morning, so I left him alone to wake up. I poured coffee and we sat there quietly, just enjoying the late afternoon peace. My mind was turning rapidly. So much had happened today, that I needed time to sort it all out. The one thing that was clear in my mind was the fact that the Commons would be getting back to normal, and Gregg could go ahead with his plans for his toy shop. I felt a warm glow about that; he needed that to keep his mind busy. For all he said about moving on, I had the feeling that Jerry was still on his mind. I would never say anything, unless he brought the subject up, but Jerry seemed to be there, watching. Somehow, though, it felt as if he approved of what was happening between Gregg and me. Or what I hoped was happening between us. I'm still afraid I'm going to wake up from this dream and be alone again. Gregg mumbled something, bringing me back into the room. I had no idea what he said and apologized.

"I was just wondering when you want to go to dinner."

"Gee, I don't know. I don't even know what time it is now. I don't usually take naps in the afternoon, and I'm just a bit disoriented."

It's a little after five. I'm not terribly hungry at the moment, but we can go whenever you want to." He yawned. "I guess I slept longer than I planned to. I'm having trouble waking up."

We finished our coffee and shut the pot off. Since the restaurant is not a very fancy place, like some in town, we decided not to change before we left. I drove to the West End and parked in a lot across the street from the restaurant. We crossed the street and went in.

The Valley House is a very pleasant place, not fancy, but very attractive. Its age is apparent, but it has been well maintained over the years. We found a table by one of the windows and sat down. A waiter brought our water and menus. I was pleasantly surprised to see that, while prices had gone up in the years since I had been there, they were still reasonable. Gregg looked up from his menu. "How would you feel about a glass of wine with dinner? It isa celebration!"

"That sounds like a good idea. I can't remember the last time I had a glass of wine. What do you like?"

"Well, it depends on what we're having for dinner. I'm looking at the steak; that sounds good to me tonight. I think a medium dry red wine would be good with that."

"Well, the steak sounds good to me, too, but there are a lot of red wines that I just don't care for. Generally, I like a fruity white wine, like a Niagara. We have some really fine wines here in New York. The state has a lot of vineyards and wineries, especially in the Finger Lakes region. I'm going to have to ask the waiter if they carry New York wines."

The waiter returned to take our order, and I asked him if the restaurant served New York State wines. He grinned. "We sure do! Did you have a particular wine in mind?

"Do you, by any chance, carry Alta B, from Wagner's?"

His grin got wider. "That's one of our most popular reds! Would you like a glass or a bottle?"

I looked at Gregg. He just shrugged. "I think a glass would be fine."

Gregg spoke up. "Me, too. And I'd like the New York strip steak."

"Yes, me, too." We chose our side dishes, and the waiter left. Gregg looked at me with a questioning expression. "What was that wine you ordered?"

"Alta B, named for the mother of the owner of the winery. It's one of the few red wines that I can truly say I like. I like burgundy to cook with, but I don't care for it, for drinking."

The waiter returned with our wine. He set the glasses on the table and hurried back to the kitchen. Gregg picked up his glass and sniffed at the wine. Then he took a small sip. "Oh, thatis good! We'll have to get a bottle of this to have at home!" He grinned at me. "I hope you don't think I'm an alcoholic. I rarely ever drink anything, but once in a while I like a glass of wine with dinner."

"So do I. I was touring the winery - it's just over the hill, on Seneca Lake - and they gave us samples of most of the wines they make. Their vintner has won international awards. This one really took my fancy. As I said, I'm not really a fan of red wines, but I really like Alta B."

The waiter brought our dinner, and we settled down to enjoy it. The food was as good as I remembered, maybe better. We didn't talk much during dinner; give a couple of guys steak, and you won't hear much from them until it's gone.

The waiter came over to clear our dishes and take a dessert order. Gregg spoke up immediately, before I had a chance to say anything: "I don't think we really need dessert after a dinner like that, but thank you." The waiter nodded and went to get our check.

As soon as he left the table, Gregg leaned forward with a conspiratorial grin on his face. "I'm sure their desserts are good here, but what I really want right now is a piece of that good baklava and a cup of coffee at the State Diner. I was thinking about it when we passed the diner on our way here."

I grinned back at him. "Are you sure you don't want some of their meat loaf, too?"

He gave me a tragic smile. "Now, you suggest that! But I couldn't be more satisfied with the dinner we've had. We'll have to come here again, soon! And I definitely want more of that Alta B!"

"It would go well with meat loaf. But we'd have to get dinner to take out from the State, because they'd throw us out and bar us forever, if we had a glass of wine with our dinner there!"

"We'll have to try it some evening. I really do like their meat loaf, and I think you're right. That wine would go as well with meat loaf as it does with steak!"

"I don't know if I should admit it, but it tastes just as good with peanut butter sandwiches. I tried it once, and I liked it."

"You are a very strangeindividual, did you know that?"

"I hate to tell you this, but you're not the first person to tell me that."

"Doesn't make it any less true!" He had such a smug grin on his face that I wanted to reach across the table and cuff him. But I couldn't help laughing, because he was right.

The waiter brought our check, and Gregg pulled some bills from his wallet. "The rest is for you. Thanks for the excellent service."

The waiter grinned. "Thank you, sir. Come again, soon!"

"We're planning to do just that."

We left the restaurant and headed up the street toward dessert. I looked over at Gregg. He was looking at me with a warm smile on his face. "That was really nice. And being with you made it even better."

I was fighting back tears, as we pulled up in front of the State Diner.