The Hardheads

"There wasn't anyway that I was going to have an affair with Randy, but I needed to confront you over Gloria so I led him on and did what I did on the tennis court was supposed to make the confrontation happen. When it was obvious that you were gone and were not coming back Gloria came to me in tears and told me that Randy was the one who threatened to fire her if she didn't tell me what he told her to tell me. As a single mother with two kids she couldn't afford to lose her job so she did it. She also told me about how everyone thought Randy was bedding me all along. By then it was too late and you were gone and I couldn't find you. Your mother either wouldn't or couldn't help me and nobody else could help me either."

"That's all very interesting Beverly, but so what?"

"So Rob, we both made some mistakes, but I've never stopped loving you. Can't we put this behind us and try to put things back together?"

"What's the matter, Randy give up on you?"

"For Christ's sake Rob, will you please drop Randy? I never had any interest in Randy and he damned sure lost interest in me after Gloria and I got done with him."

"Oh? What did you do?"

"I helped Gloria find another job and then I got her together with a damned good lawyer and she sued the pants off of Randy and Ferguson's and Sons. I testified on her behalf and the next day I quit my job. She won a high six-figure settlement and Mr. Ferguson fired Randy. Mr. Ferguson kept after me to find you and get you to come back but I never could find you. Last year he had a heart attack and Mrs. Ferguson brought Randy back to run the business and he ran it into the ground. They filed for bankruptcy two months ago. Randy was never anything to me Rob, not ever."

"I still don't see where that changes anything Beverly. We still have the fact that you ignored me every time I tried to tell you what an asshole he was. You as good as called me a liar when I told you what was going around the office about you and Randy. You continued to shame and humiliate me in front of everybody and that was before what you did at the dance. I see no reason to believe that you won't get just as bull-headed about something else somewhere along the way and I will not put myself through that again."

"You don't believe that I might have learned something from this mess?"

"No, that isn't what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that I don't think I'm willing to take the chance. I'm pretty happy with my life right now."

"Is there someone else?"

"No. I date some, but there isn't anyone special."

"Well I haven't even done that. I haven't been with a man since you left Rob. I've been keeping myself for you and I'm here to beg if I have to. Please Rob, can we at least try?"

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

She was tired from the flight and I let her have the bedroom and I took the couch. In the morning we talked some more, but I still could not see my way clear to try. The two of us were just too hardheaded and I could not believe that we wouldn't go through what we went through over Randy over something else. That afternoon she left to fly back to Denver and I expected that to be the end of it. I was wrong again.

Three weeks later I came home to find Beverly once more sitting outside my door.

"I quit my job, moved out here and rented the unit two doors down. I didn't think there was a prayer of getting us back together long-distance and I am going to work hard on getting us back together. Got plans for dinner? As I remember you always did like my meatloaf and that just happens to be what I have in the oven right now."

I stood there and looked at her as I thought about how much I loved her and how much it had killed me to walk away from her and even though I didn't think we had a chance in hell of making it work all I could think to say was, "Baked potato?"

"With sour cream and chives."

What the hell I thought, give it a chance, if it doesn't work out you already know how to breakaway and disappear. "French style green beans?"

"And French bread."

"Sure, why not."

"You won't be sorry baby, I promise you that."

She extended her hand, I helped her up and then I followed her to her apartment.