Dexter's Renaissance Ch. 07-08

I was a little concerned that it was a long way for some of the families so with Rueben's help we hired two school busses to pick up anyone who wanted a ride. More than seventy people thought that was the way to go so we set up a simple bus route from the city to the farm. The first bus would leave at one o'clock in the afternoon and the second at two o'clock. It wasn't perfect but we got a lot of compliments for making the effort. The busses would leave the farm at eight and nine o'clock that evening to get everyone home at a reasonable hour.

I discovered that no one had done anything like this in quite a few years. Janice said the word around the office was that the people felt Trent was becoming a whole new company and they liked what they saw. That gave me some confidence that we were doing the right thing.

I asked for volunteers to help with the organization and had no problem getting more than we needed. I left it to Janice to suggest what games the kids would enjoy. She even suggested we rent an open canopy in case it rained or, if on the other hand, it got very warm. I thought that was a wise precaution. Since I was spending Trent's money I talked all my decisions over with Rueben but he was in complete agreement. The whole day would cost less than $2500 and we viewed that as a good investment in morale.

I made sure I sent an invitation to Michelle as well. I doubted she would come but I wanted to make the gesture. Surprise, surprise, she accepted and chose to ride the bus to the farm. I thought about my own situation and decided to phone Rose Tulloch.

"Hi, Rose. This is Dexter McLeod. I don't know if you remember me."

"Of course I do, Dex. A girl doesn't forget her favorite dance partner that easily."

"Great. Say ... our company is having a May Day weekend picnic at a farm up in Bolton on Sunday. I was wondering if you'd like to be my guest?"

"I'd love to. Thank you for thinking of me."

Her acceptance was enthusiastic and I was pleased about that. I made arrangements to pick her up at her apartment since I was renting a people van just in case we had some stragglers or we needed to make an emergency run to town. It cost very little more than a car so it was an easy decision.

When the chosen Sunday rolled around it dawned sunny with a bit of scattered cloud. Almost perfect, I thought. I had arranged to pick Rose up just after two o'clock which would allow me to check out the bus situation and make sure no one got left behind. There must have been a lot of enthusiasm for this picnic because everyone was on time, if not early. I drove to Rose's apartment building and she was waiting for me as I drove up.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, Rose."

"No ... besides, it's a lovely sunny day and I'm really looking forward to the picnic. I haven't been on one of these for years ... not since I was a teenager."

We caught up on each others activities over the past weeks and she confirmed that Tony had been dumped that night when we went dancing. She said she knew when she was out with me that she was settling for less and she didn't want to do that. I agreed with her decision.

We arrived at the farm and it was already a sea of activity. Kids running in every direction, a softball game getting underway, horseback rides getting organized and a petting zoo for the little ones. It was great to see everyone getting involved.

As we walked toward the canopy and the centre of activity, I spotted Michelle and led Rose toward her.

"Hi, Michelle, glad you could make it. I'd like you to meet Rose Tulloch. Rose this is one of our partners, Michelle Gauthier."

"Nice to meet you, Rose," Michelle said, looking her over carefully.

We exchanged some small talk about the picnic and the weather before we moved off. It seemed like an awkward exchange and I wondered why. Rose answered that question for me.

"I think Michelle is a little upset that you're with me, Dex."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, most women can tell when another woman has ideas about a guy. I think she is disappointed that you aren't with her. Did you let on that you would be her date?"

"No ... not at all. But ... I guess maybe she took it for granted that ... well ... since I asked her if she would like to attend. Oh shit!"

Rose laughed. "You are so screwed, Dex. For a vice president you need some training in handling women. You must have done better than this in the past."

"You'd think so since I was married for over twenty years. I guess I forgot my manners somewhere along the way."

"Don't get too upset, Dex. It's fixable. Leave it to me."

"What's that mean?"

"Never mind ... just leave it to me," she laughed.

She seemed to be having fun at my expense. I was upset with myself for letting Michelle think I had invited her to be with me. We'd hardly got here and I'd already screwed up. Not a good start to the day.

We had decided that today would be a BYOB picnic. No alcohol would be supplied but if you wanted to bring your own, you were asked to use discretion and common sense. Several of us agreed to keep an eye on anyone who looked like they might be overindulging.

Rose had wandered off to see the sights and I was sitting on a fence rail watching the young people having fun riding the three horses Dick's uncle had saddled. I wasn't really paying attention and when I felt a hand on my arm I jumped in surprise.

"Sorry, Dex," Michelle apologized. "I saw you here by yourself and thought I'd come by and keep you company. What happened to Rose?"

"Uhhm, she's gone off to see what's going on. She's pretty independent I guess."

"Have you known her long?"

"No ... in fact we've only been out once back in April. Look Michelle, please let me apologize for being ...." I didn't get any further as she put her finger to my lips.

"Don't. I'm not offended. I think I know enough about you that you didn't expect me to be your date."

"To be honest, Michelle, the thought didn't even cross my mind," I said, immediately regretting it.

"Oh ... now I am offended," she said with a sneaky grin. "Don't you think I'm date material?"

"No ... no ... I mean yes you are definitely date material but I never thought ... I mean ... we don't exactly run in the same circles."

She was laughing lightly now and I was sure my face looked like I'd acquired an instant sunburn.

"You keep underestimating yourself, Dexter McLeod. What woman wouldn't be attracted to a man with your special talents? I don't think I've ever met anyone who is so universally liked. Surely you can get your back up now and then, can't you?"

"Yes I can, as my ex-wife found out some time ago. There are times when I don't back down. I work hard to avoid confrontation when it isn't necessary but I don't run from it. I hope that doesn't sound too strident," I said, again tinged with apology.

"No, not at all. That's good to know. I'll keep it in mind," she said thoughtfully. "In the meantime, would you like to join me at the theatre next weekend? I have two tickets to 'I'm All Right, Jack,' a good old-fashioned comedy."

"I'd love to. I haven't been to the theatre in a long time. I know the plot so I'll undoubtedly compare the actors to Peter Sellers and Ian Carmichael. Thank you very much for inviting me," I smiled.

"We'll have dinner as well. The performance starts at eight. Would you prefer to eat before or after?"

"Well, to be honest, I prefer before if that's all right with you."

"I prefer to eat before as well. Those late night meals take too long to digest. I'll make the reservations on line tomorrow. It should be good fun," she said happily.

We spent some time with small talk about the picnic and how people were getting along at the office. Michelle seemed very interested in the progress we were making. She had never worked at the office but had been keenly interested in her husband's work and the people he worked with. I could understand why she would use Janice as a conduit of information. Both of them were discreet but inquisitive by nature.

I saw Rose approaching, happily walking along with a soft-drink in her hand.

"Can I take my escort back now, Michelle?" she kidded.

"Yes ... he's all yours, Rose. Quite a nice fellow, too."

They were having some fun at my expense, obviously having conspired in some way to get me alone with Michelle.

We walked toward the canopy and the food serving area.

"Well, did I give you enough time?" Rose asked merrily.

"Enough time for what?"

"For one of you to ask the other for a date. Jeez, Dex. I thought that was obvious."

"I had no intention of asking Michelle for a date when I was already here with you. That would be rude."

"Oh, come on, Dex. You're not here in Toronto for that much longer and I'm going to be around after you've gone. So ... I took the opportunity to scout out the territory with a little help from Michelle and Janice."

"How do you know Janice?"

"I didn't until Michelle introduced us. She's a fountain of knowledge. I've already met one very nice eligible bachelor and I've only just gotten started," she boasted.

"Did you plan this all along, Rose? I mean, before we got here you had never met Michelle or Janice. Now all of a sudden you are on a first name basis."

"Well Dex, it seems that you are infatuated with Michelle and she's fascinated with you. That much is obvious and Janice confirmed it. So since I'm not going to be in the picture I thought I'd do a little scouting while I had the chance. I met a very nice English gentleman who seemed to be quite interested in me."

"You must mean Miles Wilder."

"Yup. It's nice to meet a gentleman with manners as good as yours, Dex. It isn't that common these days."

"Miles is a good guy and is doing very well at our office. He would be good boyfriend material I think."

"Now who's trying to set who up?" she chortled.

We walked for a few moments before Rose spoke.

"Are you upset that I kind of abandoned you and went looking?"

"No ... not really. I mean, I did ask you to come with me so I should be a little put off but ... you're right. I'm not going to be here forever so I can't blame you for taking advantage of the situation. Just about any single guy here would be better than Tony," I laughed.

"Oh so true. So look, Dex. Since Michelle is all alone and Miles didn't bring a date to the picnic, would you be upset if I looked after Miles and you looked after Michelle?"

"No, I guess not. But if it doesn't work out with Miles, you know where to find me if you want to go dancing some Friday night."

"You've got a deal. But you know what, Dex, in a way I hope I don't have to call you. I hope you aren't offended by that."

"Not ... I know what you mean. Good luck and let me know when you want to go home."

"Thanks, Dex," she said, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek.

I turned back to the corral and saw Michelle watching us. As Rose skipped away I made a decision and walked back up the slope to where she was standing.

"Well that was a short romance," she laughed as I approached.

"It was never intended to be a romance. Just friends. Now she's discovered the charms of another man so I'm history."

"She really thinks a lot of you, Dex. Just like most of the other women who know you. But she's a realist. She wants a stay-at-home man and in her mind that's not you. You'll be back in Vancouver and she'll still be here."

"I'm too old for her anyway, Michelle. Fifteen years is a big gap."

"Not if it's the right guy. If you were a local she'd be giving you the full-court-press I think she called it. But she's not upset or discouraged. I think when she dumped her old boyfriend and went dancing with you she realized there were other nice men in the world. I hope she finds one."

"Me too. She is a nice woman. You never know who you're going to meet in a pub or at a picnic," I grinned.

"Or at the University Club," she said slyly.

I nodded, watching her playful expression. She was flirting with me and it was fun.

"Hungry enough to get something to eat?" I asked her.

"Yes ... I am. Let's go," she said, holding out her hand for me to take.

She was wearing a very attractive cotton top and Bermuda shorts with socks up to her knees. A pair of simple tennis shoes finished the ensemble. She looked terrific. Not overdressed and yet still exuding that class that she wore as part of her persona. It seemed natural for us to be walking hand in hand even though we had only seen each other once at the club. I felt comfortable in her presence because she made me feel that way. If she was high maintenance it didn't show.

The picnic began to break up at eight o'clock and the first bus left full. I was looking around for Rose when she walked up with Miles.

"Dex, would you mind if Miles drove me home. He doesn't live that far away from my place."

"No, not at all. I hope you had a good time," I said looking at them both.

"Very nice, Dex," she said. "And thanks again for inviting me. I really had fun today and met some really nice people."

"I'm glad. Drive carefully, Miles. I'll see you Tuesday in the office."

They wished me good night and strolled off toward the area where a few cars were parked. Miles must have brought his car, perhaps thinking he might leave early if he wasn't enjoying himself. That didn't happen.

Again, as I stood watching them walk away together, I felt a pair of hands wrap around my arm and Michelle was beside me once again.

"I'm on clean-up committee, Michelle. Can you wait for a few minutes?"

"Sure. In fact, I'll give you a hand. I don't think we have that much to do with as many helpers as we have."

We walked back to the canopy and were assigned grounds duty, having been handed each a large garden trash bag. We strolled together as we picked up the odd paper napkin, cup or plastic fork. The people had been very good about keeping the grounds tidy and there was every evidence that Dick's uncle would welcome us back next year. He seemed to enjoy the day as much as we did.

"Did you have a good time?" I asked.

"A very good time. Beautiful day, happy people and very good company," she said, turning and smiling at me.

"I agree. I think this helped get our people to know each other a little better."

"Still playing the role of morale officer I see." I knew she was teasing.

"Can't help myself, I guess. I won't pretend I've always been like this, though."

"Oh? How were you before?"

"I don't know ... a bit less social I guess. I'm not talking about the office but my personal life. We didn't have a lot of friends so we pretty much entertained ourselves."

"And that's changed since your divorce?"

"Yes. I think my time in the Caribbean turned me around. I found I was lonely ... not just because I was missing my wife but I didn't have anyone I could really call a friend ... a buddy. Do you understand?"

"Yes, completely. So how did you become who you are now?"

"Two very nice ladies ... twin sisters. Kind of grabbed me and took care of me. It gave me something to hold on to when I was floundering."

"Were these women living on the island?"

"Yes, temporarily. They were representing the investment company that was funding the airport expansion that we had supplied the engineering for. I was on the island for eighteen months and I ended up living in their home for over a year. They are from Holland and have returned there now."

"And were you attracted to these women?"

"Yes," I answered, unselfconsciously. I didn't feel I had anything to hide from Michelle.

"And that changed you? That helped you see things differently?"

"Yes. I hadn't made up my mind what to do about my future but by the time the job was finished I found I liked who I was, liked my job and I was happy to go back to it. I also knew there would be no reconciliation with my wife. Her betrayal had been absolute. She left me nothing emotionally to want to restore."

"So ... now you're divorced?"

"Almost. Another three months. I plan on celebrating Labour Day, although I guess celebration isn't quite the right word."

"And Rose was someone who you just met and clicked with?"

"Sort of. You know ... the coincidence of timing ... the right place at the right time. I was getting a little lonely so when she handed me the opportunity to spend some time with her ... I did."

"She's very grateful to you for that, you know."

"How so?"

"You made her realize she didn't have to settle for second best. She needed to get over being desperate and just be Rose."

"You learned all this in a few minutes this afternoon?"

"Dexter, I don't think you really realize just what impact you have on people ... especially women. Guys like you don't grow on trees. You don't have an arrogant bone in your body. You act like every time someone pays you a compliment that it's a surprise."

"Oh. I just thought Rose needed a little cheering up. A little self-confidence, that's all."

"No ... that's a lot! Trust me, that's a lot," she said emphatically.

"Are you speaking from experience?" I asked, stopping for a moment.

"Yes ... I am. When David died, I was lost. I didn't know what to do or how to cope on my own. He was my leader in everything. I totally relied on his guidance. I didn't realize how dependent I was but I soon found out. I didn't even know how fill the gas tank on my car. I never had to do it."

"But you learned," I said, guessing.

"Yes, I did. It wasn't easy because I was trying to overcome twenty years of dependency. So you can see why I might not have been very confident in myself for a while."

"You don't act like the woman you're describing."

"Act is the right word, Dex. It is an act. I'm pretending to be the self-reliant woman in charge of her life. Janice knows better."

I was shaking my head in disbelief. If it truly was an act it was a very good one. I was beginning to feel she was looking to me to find out if there was something we could build a relationship upon. If she was as uncertain as she described, then she was telling me she wanted me to lead. I don't think she had any idea how uncertain I was. Was I getting myself in over my head?

To be continued

Editing by ErikThread and DaveT with my thanks for their thoroughness and helpful suggestions. Any errors are mine alone.