It’s late and I’ve had enough for today so I decide to skip Riverside this evening. I was at my desk in the office all day, organizing and documenting evidence, and I’m tired. I don’t need a drink, and I don’t need conversation with anyone about anything.
Somehow, I manage to avoid more than a sentence or two with Bitsy as I quickly slide beyond her and up to my room. I don’t need dinner. I appreciate living with her since Lindy and I split up but I try to be careful not to let her run my life. It’s a bit of a tangle.
I am home only a few minutes when I hear the doorbell downstairs. Unusual.
Bitsy answers. I stop and listen carefully. I know the voice, it’s Lindy. He is at the top of list of people I don’t wish to speak to this evening.
I can’t overhear the conversation but I have no doubt that he is here to talk to me, not to Bitsy. Their conversation lasts several minutes and Bitsy finally calls up to me.
“Merc, Lindy’s here and would like to see you. Are you available, are you decent?”
I blanche, but respond anyway. “I’m really bushed. I can talk to him but only for a few minutes. I’ll be down in a minute.”
Bitsy shows him to the living room and leaves him there. I stall for a few minutes, powder my nose (I mean, what else is a McMurtry girl to do?) and throw on a robe and join him.
“What brings you here?” I ask. “I’ve had a very long day so I don’t have the energy for this. If we need more than a few minutes, it’ll have to be some other time.”
“I understand,” he says. “I’d just like to talk about where we are. I know I hurt you. I’m wondering if we can give it another try. But don’t answer now, let’s meet for a private dinner where we won’t know anyone and no one will interrupt us so we can talk it out, just the two of us. Are you willing?”
“Showing up here unannounced and expecting to claim some of my free time, is very presumptuous, you know. We could just leave it to the lawyers.” I say. “You are aware, of course, that I have moved ahead and hired an attorney to manage my interests in our breakup. l really don’t think I want to reconcile.”
“Just hear me out, please, you owe me that much. I brought my boat back up the river and we can have a private dinner onboard. I can have my staff prepare something really special, whatever you like. I am the only one for them to worry about so they don’t have a lot to do and they’ll enjoy a challenge. How’s that sound? I’m planning to stay in Middle Valley for several weeks at least, I have permission to keep the boat docked, so maybe we can see how dinner goes and hopefully do it more than just once. We can decide about that later.”
I agree to have a private dinner on Lindy’s boat and tell him I’ll get back to him in a few days with my menu requests. I show him to the door.
On my way to bed, I tell Bitsy about our conversation. Immediately, she is suspicious. And, by the way, not in favor of my plan to meet with him.
I’m not sure I’m in favor of meeting him either.