Jeff finds himself in Silicon Valley where he is asked to investigate claims by a gregarious Frenchman that his neural network electronic technology actually works. He meets up again with the enchanting Nancy, the FBI agent he had worked with in Atlanta where they fell in love while he was still married, and again in Washington DC Kathy puts romance back into Jeff’s life as he finds himself hounded by financially-desperate Europeans so determined to push their questionable technology―men so desperate that they will stop at nothing, even Jeff’s murder. The excitement will make the reader gasp, tragedy will make the reader cry, romance will make the reader sigh.
Chapter 22 of Silicon Gulch … Ted's a father!
Thursday 5:38 PM: Droopy Flowers
Jeff plans to go see Kathy and learns Ted is a father! Ted agrees to follow Jeff over to Kathy's townhouse, stopping to pick up the only flowers in the store.
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Thursday 5:38 PM: Droopy Flowers
Jeff plans to go see Kathy and learns Ted is a father! Ted agrees to follow Jeff over to Kathy's townhouse, stopping to pick up the only flowers in the store.
If you enjoy this, please take time to LIKE this on Facebook!
- Chris Lamela
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Author contact: chris@chrislamela.com, 707-566-8790 PST---------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday
5:38 PM: Droopy Flowers
"Wow, what a sweet guy!" Nancy
Jeff suddenly felt drained sitting back down next to Nancy
"So what did you think?"
"I'm trying to figure out if I really am safe with the guy. I mean what kind of hit-man flies all the way
from New Jersey
"Look Jeff, you said something in one of the meetings about this.
Didn't you say that you read some psychological study about the ethics of
hit-men?"
"I don't remember what the article said. Maybe it said that there
is no ethics, that the code of honor among hit-men is a myth. I don't remember."
She paused for a second closing her eyes in thought, looking back to
Jeff, "I think he was telling the truth. This guy probably has lots of
money. He has the luxury of not liking clients. If you were some little poor
hit-man, maybe starting out, you wouldn't ever turn down a client, especially
for a million bucks!"
"Those poor unfortunate new-comer hit-men who have to work long
hours getting blisters on their trigger fingers!" he laughed.
She turned to him, they burst out laughing together. It felt so good to
Jeff to be laughing at that moment that he found it hard to stop.
"And their poor little hit-men wives having to make sure dinner is
on when he gets home so late!" she shouted out, they laughed again.
"But don't forget their poor little hit-men children who have to
spend all those long hours in hit-men school!"
"Excuse me?" a voice came from the door.
They both turned. There was a pregnant woman standing at their door.
"Yes," Jeff dried tears from his cheeks, "yes, hold on a
second," he turned to wipe his face with both hands turning back, "yes?"
"I'm sorry, I thought this was the Lamaze class." Jeff
shrugged, she turned with an apologetic grin closing the door again.
Finally they both started catching their breaths, standing.
"Okay mister Jeff, I've got a meeting at the ops room. You set for
tonight?"
He felt his composure coming back. "Yeah, I'm fine. I've got a date
actually."
"Really?" she turned to him. "Who with?"
"Oh, aren't we curious?" he grinned.
She shook her head, "I don't want to know. Just be safe." She
turned for the door, he followed, she looked to him, "And have fun." She
gave Jeff a wry smile, he had the sneaking suspicion that she knew where he was
going, but he really didn't want to talk about it after all the ribbing he got
from Ted last night.
"So I'm not under protection?" he asked emerging out into the
lobby.
"It's optional. Ted's been assigned to you, he can drive you if you
want. I really do think you're safe, those guys aren't going to do anything,
but I'll leave it up to you."
"I'd really like to drive myself, it's not very far, just a couple
miles."
"Talk it over with Ted," she looked around the lobby pointing,
"there he is!" She waved to Ted standing by the front desk.
Ted walked up to Jeff, shook hands.
"Listen you two, do what you want." She turned to Ted, "There
is a code yellow on him, so I'll let you guys decide what you want to do, but I've
got to go." She leaned to Jeff giving him a quick peck on the lips turning
to smile at Ted, "Make sure he's at the ops room at nine tomorrow, okay? Also
do me a favor, okay? Make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble tonight!"
Ted nodded, she turned to the door gone from sight five seconds later.
Jeff stood watching her disappear feeling a heave of a sigh at her
leaving, turning to Ted, "So I guess let's go up to my room. I have a date
tonight and we can decide what to do."
They headed to the elevator, a minute later they were in Jeff's room.
Jeff pulled the cell phone out of his coat plugging it into the charger,
pulling his coat off laying it over the bed. He stepped to his laptop turning
it on. Ted sat in the big corner chair. Jeff headed into the bathroom.
Coming out of the bathroom Jeff pressed a few keys on his computer, soon
the sound of the modem connecting could be heard then silent.
Jeff's cell phone rang, he picked it up.
"Jeff here."
"Jeff, it's Kathy ."
"Kathy , how was your
trip? Are we still on for tonight?"
"Yes, wouldn't miss it for the world." He felt a rise in his
chest, he was finally going to get to see her! "I sent you an email with
my address and directions from the hotel. Not sure if I'm going to make dinner
or not, we'll see. Maybe we'll go out."
"Or we can order in!" he insisted.
"Yeah, that could be fun. We have a good little Chinese place here
that delivers. Yes, let's plan that."
"Okay then, what time?"
"I'll have some guests, not sure how long, let's say six. No better
seven. No six, uh, seven. Oh, I don't know!"
He laughed, "How about I just come over?"
"That will be great. So look for the email and call me if you don't
get it, okay?"
"Okay, see you in a bit."
"Bye Jeff…and Jeff!"
"Yes?"
"I am really looking forward to this."
"Me too, see you in a while. Bye." He pushed the disconnect
button quickly, struggling as all sorts of silly words started bubbling up his
chest about to pop out of his mouth.
"Whew," Jeff sighed reconnecting the charger to his phone
setting it down. Stepping to the desk he pulled out big stuffed chair he set
there earlier, sat down pushing a few keys on his computer, soon his email came
up. He scrolled through twenty messages, taking time to answer a few with fast
typing, reading some, deleting a few until he came to Kathy's which was sent
only a half-hour ago. Grabbing the hotel notepad and pen he scribbled down the
directions.
Finally finishing with the computer he shut it down flipping the screen
down.
Ted had been sitting good-naturedly watching for nearly a half-hour.
Jeff turned to him, "Thanks for your patience man. So what did you
do today? I saw you with a woman at the Pepper Mill. Was that Mary? It didn't
look like it was going so well when I first saw you, but it looked like it was
getting better later. Did everything go okay?"
Ted's face broadened to an enormous smile, "Jeff, you would not
believe what I learned today!"
"What?" he replied with a curious smile.
Ted jumped up like a little kid arms outstretched, "I'm a father!"
Jeff sat with a wondrous face, "A
what?"
"A father!"
"Wow, that was quick work!" Jeff laughed, "How…I
mean…how…tell me!"
"Well, we met. God Jeff, she wasn't fat!"
Jeff laughed, "I know, I saw her, and a natural blonde, too!"
"It was like we'd seen each other yesterday! It was instantly like
we were in love again! We were! I don't know, we like just sat there looking at
each other, she has these bright blue eyes that I have never forgotten."
"Okay okay, the father thing! Get to the father thing!"
"So suddenly she looks at me and says, 'Ted, we had a baby.' My
god, I was struck so hard. I thought that she was going to say something like, 'Ted,
I bought a new car.' So I flop my head into my hands thinking whaaaat!"
Jeff laughed, "I saw you at that very moment, I had just come in and I thought this doesn't look
good. I couldn't imagine what she was saying to you that made you react that
way!"
"Well so she tells me that she is eleven years old, Diane is her
name, named after my mother! Can you
believe that?"
"Eleven, you know my daughter is twelve, that's such a great age."
"She says that she never told me because she wanted me to follow my
dream of being with the FBI, that she never married because she held out the
hope that I would find her." His eyes began watering, he put his
fingertips to his eyebrows to cover them. "She actually waited for me!" Jeff could see a tear trickle down
that strong face, his voice softening, "She waited for me."
"Oh Ted," Jeff reached out touching his shoulder, "this
is great, isn't it?"
He looked up at Jeff, reaching with his fingers wiping his eyes. Jeff
reached over for a box of tissues handing them to Ted.
Ted wiped his face with a tissue, "Jesus, look at me, balling like
a big baby!" he blew his nose loudly making Jeff smile at this big baby.
"So what's next, what are you guys going to do?"
"I have this weekend off, once you leave. You are leaving tomorrow
night right?"
Jeff laughed, "Hey, I wouldn't want to stand between you and your
family!"
"My family," tears
burst from Ted's eyes again, this time he didn't turn his face from Jeff, "I
have a family!"
Jeff put his hand on Ted's shoulders, this big man bawling like a baby.
Jeff laughed to himself that unlike hit-men babies this was an FBI-baby!
"So what about your work, her being out here? Did you guys talk
about that at all?"
"We're going to talk about it. The only thing we decided is that we
want to make a go of it. I am going up to Pleasanton
"Ted, you're a good man. Does Diane know about you?"
"She said that she told Diane about me since she was a little girl.
She has been in touch with my mother, can you believe that? So my mother has
been getting a few pictures. They have been talking on the phone and writing.
And my mother never told me!"
"Mary probably made her not tell. Has Diane ever spoken to your
mom? Her grandmother?"
"I don't know, I forgot to ask."
"Well Ted, this is great."
"Jeff, I owe this all to you."
"You don't owe me anything more than I owe you. You helped me to
get past my wife." He looked down fumbling for words, "I don't mean
get past her. I mean you helped me to see her as a whole person. Yeah, that's
it. So that she can have the life she needs." Jeff looked to Ted, "That's
huge, Ted. It was huge that I got here. You helped me do it."
They both stood up giving the other a hug, Ted suddenly pulling back
self-coconsciously, "Sorry, uh…"
Jeff laughed, "Listen man, we've been through a lot together this
week, don't give me that crap!" they both laughed.
Glancing at his watch Jeff sat back down. "So Nancy
"What do you want?"
"I don't know. This meeting today with Uncle Mondo…he told me I was
safe…I just don't know."
"We have a saying in the agency about when there's a doubt.
Actually we don't have any such saying, but we should!" he laughed. "How
about I just tail you over, you go do your thing. I'll just hang out to make
sure everything is copasetic? Are you planning to spend the night?"
Jeff smiled, "I guess that depends on how the evening goes. Yeah, I
hope to. But it just depends. It's been so long. Are you supposed to spend the
night on the first date?"
Ted laughed, "This is not your
first date!"
Jeff grinned, "Well it's our first date not involving dangerous
drinks! Or people busting in on us," looking to Ted, "you do you promise not to bust in on us,
right?" They both laughed together.
Ted looking to Jeff, "I won't be there all night, I will be
relieved at three, but there will be somebody there."
"Three, I thought you came on at noon!"
"We're short handed, seems there's a lot going on down in L.A.
"What's going on in L.A.
"Fallout from the OJ Simpson trial."
"That was what, three months ago."
"I don't know what's going on, all I know is that we are down to
three special agents here, so we are having to do long shifts."
"Well, three AM is pretty late. Hell, that's tomorrow! Maybe I
should plan three o'clock as the magic pumpkin time. If I was out at three you'd
would follow me back?"
"That's funny. Wasn't that the magic pumpkin time with you and her
back in DC?"
Jeff laughed, "Yeah, right, I remember. You were at her door
playing guard. But no, it was two-fifteen, two-thirty and then you banged on
the door at three-thirty."
"Yeah, that's right, I remember. Okay so let's say three. That'd
work, but if you are later then whoever relieves me will follow you back. It's
your choice. I'll just wait. If you're there before I get off then I'll follow
you, otherwise I will know that you're…well you know. It might be good to
follow you back just in case your stupid goddam crazy Frenchman gets any ideas."
"Yeah," Jeff stroked his chin, "my stupid goddam crazy
Frenchman. Come to think of it, I guess I'd feel better having you along. That stupid
goddam crazy Frenchman. You're right, I just don't know about that guy. Not
sure how he'd know where I am, but I'd feel better. I'd feel better for her,
too. To know that we're both safe." Jeff nodded. "Good. Yes. Let's do
that."
Jeff glanced at his watch, "It's after five. I want to find some
flowers to bring."
"Just give me a minute then we can go," Ted stepped to the
bathroom, closing the door.
A minute later it was Jeff's turn. Soon he was back out collecting his
phone into his coat pocket, they headed down to the lobby. Jeff stepped to the
front desk. There was a lively discussion about where he could get flowers
until finally somebody drew a map to a Safeway store that wasn't too far out of
the way. Jeff showed his directions to Kathy's house, the person drew in his
destination on the hotel stationary page, tore it off handing it to Jeff with a
satisfied smile.
They walked to the parking lot, Jeff turned to Ted, "I just can't
get over how your story turned out. A father!"
Ted's huge smile said it all, Jeff didn't even need to hear the words, "Yeah,
this is going to change my life." He glanced to Jeff, "Funny how
things work out." Jeff nodded, approaching their cars.
Soon Jeff was back on the freeway with Ted behind him, taking the next
exit down, San Thomas Expressway, heading south although he laughed at driving
on highway one-oh-one south coming to a perpendicular intersection turning
right to go south. Ah, yes, the famous South Bay
A couple miles down he saw the Safeway store on the right, turned right
onto Monroe Street
The building had a dingy look to it with its sixties' motif long curved
arch of a roof line. They walked in, Jeff looking down at the stained linoleum
tiles, a few missing. They wandered around the store finally seeing what passed
for a flower stand with a small selection of the sorriest looking flowers Jeff
had ever seen. He looked around anxiously hoping that a clerk would be there to
say something like, "Oh, no sir, not
these! Our prize roses are in the back, let me fetch you a dozen!" but no such person seemed to exist so
he found the best that he could among the tired looking flowers. He frowned
that his first real date with this
woman would start with drooping red roses, but this was better than showing up
empty-handed, so eight dollars later he laid them on the passenger seat, trying
to figure out how to get to Kathy's townhouse.
After two circle-around U-turns and three circle-the-blocks Jeff finally
found the right street off Chrome
Drive
Ted reached his hand out of the window, they shook hands, "Good
luck in there, and say hi to her for me!" Jeff seeing Ted having extreme difficulty
containing a laugh, "Tell her that I will miss seeing her!" he finally couldn't keep it in, laughing out
loud.
"Okay okay, I get it Ted. See you later!" Jeff went back to
his car laughing figuring that he better get his laughter out now.
He got back into his car, parked it. Pulling the droopy dozen roses from
the seat he got out holding the map and instructions. Her instructions said
turn right at the first street
Jeff finally came to a building, looking at the paper once more, taking
a deep breath walking up to the door pushing the doorbell button.
A few seconds later the door opened, Kathy
appearing with an enormous smile, "You made it!" stepping aside, Jeff
walked through the door, Kathy
reaching her face to his kissing him on the lips, "I am sooooo glad you
are here!" She looked at her watch, "But I thought we said seven, my
niece and nephew are still here." Jeff heard kids laughing in the next
room.
Jeff laughed, "First you said seven then six then seven then…well I
thought I didn't want to be late so…"
"They were having a sale, buy eleven droops and get the twelfth
droop free!" they both laughed, he shook the bouquet, the flowers wagged
their little sodden heads, red pedals raining onto the carpet.
"Ah yes," Jeff proclaimed. "Maybe paid too much."
He laughed again, "But by definition they are flowers!"
"Droopy flowers, but yes, they are flowers!" she laughed.
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NOW READ THE NEXT EXCITING CHAPTER OF
SILICON GULCH!
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