Pop: Chapter 13b

     "Dad, one more thing.  Sam is still acting up about selling the house.  We need to tell him the whole story.  And soon."

    Dad waits almost a minute before responding.

    "We'll tell him tomorrow, after I get back from Berea.  And after Sam's meeting at UK."

    "It's the right thing to do, Dad.  We should have told him the truth weeks ago.  If not sooner."

    "No.  It's not the right thing to do, but it has to be done.   Just keep it quiet until then, okay?"

    "I will.  Try not to be late tonight."

    "I'll be there.  Bye.  Love you Chris. Tell Sam I love him too."

    "Love you back, Dad.  Bye."

    He ends the call a second after I finish.

    Sweat is starting to roll down my forehead.  I buckle up and the start the car.  The temperature is 87℉.  I turn the car off and grab the box of protein bars, opening it and getting one out.  I take off my seat belt and step back out into the lot to eat it and cool off.  Even for late May, this was a little hot for Lexington, and it wasn't even three, yet.

    I slowly eat my bar while thinking over Dad's call. I get why he doesn't want to tell Sam about the house, the job, the school, his mom, but this is getting to be too much.  Keeping this from Sam is killing me, but I see where Dad is coming from.  I just wish so much wasn't happening at once.

    I wipe more sweat from my forehead as I finish my bar.  I don't think I dropped any crumbs on the pavement.  I know I didn't get any food in the car.  I walk back over to the strip mall to find a garbage can for my wrapper.  As I walk back to the Camaro, I look up at the sky.  Clear, not a cloud.  Maybe Addie is wrong about the storms.  If she's right, then the line should be leaving Missouri and working its way into Illinois and western Kentucky about now.  With this heat, it wouldn't take too much to birth up a storm.

    I get back into my car, belt up, and start it again.  Now, it is eighty-eight.  I should have enough of a charge left to have the AC on all the way home.

Pop: Chapter 13a

     I quickly get back in the car, so no one can hear the rest of the conversation.  I have a feeling things will get quite loud.

    "Why were you in Ohio?  We planned the route perfectly.  You and Miguel were supposed to go through West Virginia to take up to an hour off the drive.  Especially if you left early this morning."

    "Well, Miguel couldn't make the trip, so we had to go with Paul."

    "Paul?  Didn't he get another job back in February?"

    "He came back to help out this week when Miguel's brother had a medical emergency.  Didn't ask for specifics.  Anyway, Paul had the free time, so we got him for the rest of the week."

    "But, what about Ohio?" I was trying my best not to yell into the phone, but I was starting to lose it.

    "Paul thought this route would be better.  To be honest, we are already half way to Lexington.  I just wanted to make sure that the carrier had picked up before I called.  That roaming plan you set up isn't the best in certain areas."

    That almost calms me down, but I still have a nagging feeling something else will go wrong.

    "Just drop by the hotel.  It's less than a block from the center where the dinner is being held, so you'll have plenty of time to get ready."    

    "About that.  I didn't book rooms at that hotel."

    "What?!?"  I'm on the verge of shouting.

    "Yeah.  The college booked me some rooms, for my visit tomorrow.  I've got a few more details to iron out of my contract.  They are also looking into some places I can rent when I start teaching there next year."

    "Berea? That's at the other end of Madison.  That could add an hour round trip.  You did get my message that we are moving up the dinner by an hour or so to avoid some storms that could pop up?"

    "I got it.  Don't be such a worrywart. The hotel's in Richmond, not Berea. That's not as far away.  We'll still have time to check in and drop everything off before heading back.  There will be plenty of time."

    "That is still an extra thirty minutes that we might not have.  Dad, this could cause problems."

    I hear him sigh before he answers.

    "Look, I get that you're a schedule freak.  I've only known you a few years, but I get you.  Sometimes, you just have to let things fall where they may.  You can't always get what you want, when you want it.  A few minutes isn't that important in the bigger picture of things."

    He's wrong, but I won't tell him that.  Not right now.

    "Just try to get here by six.  Now, did you get Thad's messages as well?"

    "Yeah," Dad sniffles a yawn before continuing. "I read that stupid piece.  Dawkins was just starting out when I wrote that for the 'Fine Arts.'  Now, he's a managing editor.  He is more literary than the typical art snob."

    "I guess you two didn't get along much."

    "Well, he wasn't a main reason for my quitting, but he was a reason.  They way he butchered that piece just so he could hurt you."

    "So, I guess the original didn't sound as bad as he let on?"

    "There was a totally different vibe going on.  I sent you a link to the original in my cloud account.  There, you can read it as it originally was."

    "Wait, you had a cloud account way back then?  I didn't think they existed yet."

    "No.  Of course not.  I transferred the records over when it became available, but I still had kept the original."

    I keep forgetting how up-to-date my Dad has been with technology.  From his work at the university, he's been on the forefront of innovation for years. And he taught art studio classes, not the type of thing that one usually thinks of when talking about computers.

Pop: Chapter Thirteen

     We hurry back downstairs, so Todd can call Mitch on the landline.  This way, I can talk as well on the speakerphone.  I still can't believe I'm even thinking about this.

    Mitch picks up immediately, so Todd can start the proposal.  No, Mitch hasn't gotten any offers yet.  Yes, it is just within my price range, although I might have to dip into some funds to make sure everything clears. No, I won't be needing any of the fixtures.  Yes, we could come up with a deal for remodeling. Yes, there is extra parking in the rear. How did I never know that, or did I forget?

    Minor details are worked out, but nothing is finalized.  I make both of them clear on that point.  Nothing is finished until the contract is signed.  First, I'll have to tell Addie that I found a spot.  She was the one who suggested I should get office space, outside of the house, so she shouldn't be against me buying the building. If I get everything done quickly enough, it will be before the wedding anyway, so there shouldn't be any complaints.

    Next, I mention the need for inspectors.  While I'm sure the building is up to all codes and regulations, I would like some independent confirmation.  Besides, I need to know if there are any other secrets to this place I'm not aware of

    Finally, Mitch has to see if there are any conflicts with Downtown Comics about the purchase.  While they will own the business, Mitch still owns the building.  While the two are separate, they could still throw a wrench into the deal.  Those two guys have a history of playing loose with the rules.  That's one of the reasons why I never liked going there.

    It's a little after two by the time the call ends.  That was about the exact time I was planning on leaving anyway.  There had been no other fans for the signing since my foray upstairs. I bid Todd goodbye and hurry out so I can stay on schedule.

    Before I jog back to my car, I take a left and head down the block, taking another left at the first intersection. Sure enough, I see the municipal parking lot that had been just down the street.  I definitely don't remember this from college.  I had always parked at the strip mall and walked down to Pulse.  This lot was much closer.  I could just see the stairs leading up to the second floor from here, as well as the rear entrance beneath it.  Yeah, I never knew about that either.  It must open into the corner gaming room.  Never got to use that one, and the door might be the reason why.

    It takes me another two minutes to get to the strip mall.  I walk to the convenience store so I can validate my almost three hours of parking here.  Apparently, the place changed it format along with its name.  It was now upscale, organic, and healthy.  So, no chocolate bells.  On the other hand, I find my blueberry protein bars tucked away on the bottom shelf near the rear of the store.  I buy two boxes.  I will just have to come up with a better way of hiding them from Sam.

    My phone chirps just a I am reaching the Camaro, Dad's ringtone.

    "Hi, Dad.  Everything alright?"

    "No problems.  Just wanted to check in, now that we've crossed into Kentucky from Cincinnati."

    "Cincy?  Ohio?! What were you doing in Ohio?  You were planning on coming in from West Virginia."