A New Life

“Rudy I was serious when I said I wanted to take time off. I’m burned out and my health is suffering as a result. If I don’t take time off, I fear my next assignment will be at a hospital.”

Rudy looked at him with pursed lips.

“Jock there is a saying if you can’t take the heat then get out of the kitchen. Are you telling me you can’t take the heat?”

“If I continue to work at this pace then the answer is yes Rudy. I’m not prepared to be in the kitchen anymore if that’s the case.”

Rudy sighed and stood in silence thinking.

“Then long term you won’t be able to do what the firm requires and certainly won’t have a chance of making it on the political scene Jock. I’m disappointed as we’ve put a lot of effort into training you for the work you’re doing right now. Are you telling me you want out then?”

Jock was beginning to get angry. Rudy was being unreasonable. What he’d asked for was a vacation. The first one in all the years he’d been at the firm and Rudy was indirectly telling him no vacation if he wanted to remain with the firm. Obviously, the firm’s attitude was to use people until burned out then discard when of no further use. That was not going to happen to him. He smiled as he thought of being free of it all and decided he knew what was for the best. He’d find work that would challenge him but give him the freedom to be a father to his children. This thought made him happy for the first time in his life. He turned to his mentor.

“I’m sorry Rudy. I appreciate all you’ve done to help shape me over the years, but this is the parting of the ways then. I’m resigning from the firm and will send you my official resignation in writing for your files.”

Now Rudy was angry.

“I accept give me your office keys now and drop the file for Torgan Holdings to the front desk. Don’t attempt to go to your office as you’re no longer employed. If you claim anything in the office as yours, you’ll have to prove it in court. We’ll send you official confirmation that your contract is cancelled, and, in that contract, you’ll recall you can’t be set up in competition with Meyers and Golding within five hundred miles of this city and for two years. I’ll check and see if your cell phone belongs to the office and the home you occupy is a Meyers owned home, and you’ll have to vacate.”

Jock laughed. He felt free.

“Rudy the cell phone is my own and while I have many personal items in the office you can keep them all. You’re correct about no competition directly for two years but check the contract and you’ll find it is one hundred miles. As for the house, it was a gift and registered in my name, so I’ll fight you in court for that and have the resources personally to do that. You know I can be a formidable opponent in litigation. But it has been with the Meyers family for a long time, and I’m prepared to sell it to you for twenty million dollars if you’re interested as I won’t need a mansion from now on. I’m a free man and intend to be a family man and a healthy one at that. I wish you well as you train Stella to be your point person in all the intrigue the firm engages in for clients and will not miss that at all. You can count on my keeping confidence about all the firms’ dealings I have knowledge of. I appreciate all you’ve done for me over the years and regret we part in this way. The file will be delivered to the front desk today.”

Jock waved as he turned to leave smiling happily at the decision he’d just made.  He was heading home to collect any office things he had in his home office and would make an immediate and final trip there this morning. He could hardly wait to share this news with Andrea and thank her for creating an environment where he could see what was worthwhile in life. He hoped she’d stay on to nurture his children as she was worth the investment he was putting into her expensive as it was.

At ten O’clock in the morning he drove to the underground parking station beneath the law firm Meyers and Golding. Assuming that his reserved parking was now blocked, he waited patiently for an opening in the visitor parking and struggled under the load in the elevator to the firm’s reception desk to be warmly greeted by the receptionist.

“Give these to Rudy.”

“Jock, you can take them to his office if you like.”

“No Annie, you see I don’t work here anymore, and Rudy asked me to leave things at the front desk. I’d like you to put this file for Torgan Holdings on his desk personally just to make sure it’s not misplaced.”

Annie burst into tears and got up to come around the counter to give him a hug.

“I’m so sorry you’re quitting Jock. You’re the friendliest person they have here, and I’ll miss the cheery greeting each morning and little gifts you bring back from your overseas trips. No one else does that for the office staff here. We have treasured you acknowledging us as important enough to do that.”

“Annie, it makes me happy to hear that and I’ll miss all of you very much. He hugged Annie in return. Say goodbye to the rest of the support staff for me will you. I’m not permitted to do that now.”

He sped to his car and headed back home. He burst into the nursery where Andrea was feeding the two children, and she looked up in surprise because she was not dressed appropriately for a visit. Jock planted kisses on the heads of his babies then on Andrea’s two cheeks and she reacted angrily.

“If I were not holding both these babies, you’d have your face slapped for that. I’m not that kind of woman so you better get down on your knees and apologize or I might report you for sexual harassment on the job.”

But there was a faint smile on her face, and he knew she was not going to do that. She spoke again.

“Why do you think you can just burst in and do that Mr. Geldard. I’m paid to look after your children and nothing else. So, an apology is in order.”

Jock got on his knees in mock contrition.

“Ms. Andrea I humbly apologize for kissing you without permission. This has been a wonderful day, and I’ve made some important life-changing decisions that even you will feel are correct. So, I formally ask forgiveness for having kissed the babies and you in my excitement. Please don’t have me arrested.”

“Before I decide whether to forgive you or not what is this important life changing decision you’ve made that caused you to do such a disgraceful thing to an innocent employee. I fear for the other servants in this house if you’re that kind of man.”

Jock went to get up off his knees and she told him to stay in that position. She needed to hear his reason first. He smiled. This was a game he’d never have tolerated with anyone else and as a top lawyer he’d have annihilated her in court if she did make a complaint.

“I resigned from my job today, Andrea. I’m going to look for challenging work that allows me time for myself and my children. There was a very ugly scene when I asked for time off to recover my health so I resigned and it’s the best decision I could have made. I’m banned from the office, and they even tried to take this mansion back but there’s no legal way they could get away with that.

Andrea looked at him in shocked disbelief.

“Is this about your political ambitions? That won’t give you time with the babies.”

“Crossed off my bucket list Andrea. Can I get up now?” He said, laughing.

Andrea nodded as she got up, placing the two children on the changing table, and cleaning them up to put them down to sleep. She turned to Jock with a smile.

“I’m not reporting you this time, but you need to be on your best behavior in future, A woman should give a man permission for such things, and it would only be where commitment is involved which we don’t have between us.”

Jock got up thinking about that statement. He remembered the scent of her body a few evenings back and liked what it did to him. He’d never experienced such feelings in marriage. He remembered her kindness helping him through an evening when he thought he was losing his mind from overwork and how she’d permitted him to rest in her room all night when this would be viewed by her parents as a reason for punishment and how his house in charge Ms. Grenaches had given him a veiled warning about what the servants would interpret from his visits to the Latino woman. He realized he wanted this woman in his life now no matter what. He got down on his knees again and called her name. She turned and looked at him in surprise.

“Why are you there? I told you to get up!”

“Andrea, will you marry me?”

Andrea stood there with her mouth open in shock. She slowly placed the children in their cribs and turned to him again.

“You’re insane. I’d run out of this house immediately if it were not for the children. I’m sure you’re older than me, our cultures are vastly different and up to now you’ve followed a life choice I don’t approve of. I don’t know how long this new resolve will last. Get up!”

Jock got up but he was a lawyer, and lawyers didn’t give up.

“I mean it Andrea.”

Just then his cell phone chimed, and he looked at the number. It was Rudy! What did he want? It was all settled now, and he was surprised Rudy’s number was not blocked to him. They wasted no time blocking his reserved parking at the office. He shrugged and punched the green call accept button.

“This is Rudy. Now that you’ve had time to think about your foolishness this morning, I’m giving you a last chance to take your resignation back and come to the office immediately. One doesn’t give up a life ambition that easily and I know you enjoy this work. Now get back to the office there’s work to do and I’ll forget your impertinence this morning after all you are my son in law, and you have obligations to the family.”

Jock had switched the phone to speaker while Rudy spoke so Andrea could hear. He replied without hesitation.

“Rudy my resignation still stands. I’m committed to a different life path now and the law firm or politics is not a part of that plan.”

The torrent of abuse from Rudy in return made Andrea break out in giggles. Jock shut the phone off in the middle of that abuse. Andrea turned to Jock and smiled.

“I can’t recall what you just asked me before the phone call Jock.”

“I asked you to marry me Andrea and I’d make a good father and husband if you say yes.”

“I must think about this for a while Jock and consult with my father as well. How old are you anyway? I don’t feel comfortable living in such a big home and certainly wouldn’t tolerate having this Grenaches woman running my home. Our lifestyles are just too different, but I’m also impressed by what you just said on the phone. You have cut off your chances of a return to that lifestyle as your father-in-law will be out to discredit you. You’re high in my estimation for doing that and I’ve detected some good things in you. I’m twenty-five years of age and have been very choosy about who I eventually settle on as my life partner as I expect love not a marriage of convenience your society people favor.”

“I’m thirty-one years old Andrea but I could get my birth certificate altered if that would help. I have some connections that may work.”

Andrea laughed out loud at this ridiculous statement and Steven woke up and began to fuss. She sped over to his cot to sing soothing lullabies to him and he drifted off to sleep again. She came back and stood in front of Jock and stared at him silently for a while making him increasingly uncomfortable, it looked like the answer would be no.

“OK I give you permission to kiss me but that is not a yes to your question just a reward for making an excellent life changing decision that will benefit your children. Let’s see if you can match the fire of a Latino man as that’s important too and that may help me make up my mind.”

Ten minutes later Andrea detached herself from Jock and pushed him back to survey him again.

“You need more work on that but not bad for a gringo. Now I want you to consider going on a trip with my father so he can observe you as a person suitable not only for his daughter but one who’ll fit in with our family’s ways. We all love and support each other with strong loyalty but in gringo socialite culture there’s not the same passionate family togetherness from my observations. I’ll have to talk with father and tell him about your proposal and ask him to evaluate you to see if he feels you’ll make me and my family happy. Would that be too much for your ego to do that?”

“I’d be happy to do that Andrea but what about my children and will there be any conflict between you and Ms. Grenaches while I’m away? That could be a problem.”

“You talk with Ms. Grenaches and tell her my sister who is on vacation from university will be staying with me. She can help me during the day, and mom can join us when she is able to, but servants should keep clear of us except for the cleaning. I’ll clean the nursery as I’m doing now as there is a need for strict cleanliness there. Do you have a room where my sister can stay if she chooses to stay overnight?”

“No problem, Andrea I’ll work on that right away. Sorry to hear I’m not up to the mark with the kissing and really would like to practice being like a Latino man. I probably need permission again so I can see if I’ve made improvements.”

Andrea nodded.

“Permission granted.”

This time she pushed him away after twenty minutes and nodded, turning to check out the small washing machine that had finished with the spare blankets and clothing for the children.

“You’re getting better. Perhaps I’ll phone father this evening and make your case with him, seeing if he’s prepared to take you on a trip with him. Once he’s looked you over on that trip I’ll think about your proposal and let you know.”

“Will he take a bribe?”

She chuckled as she folded the clothes.

“You told me you’d given up that kind of life. No, he’s a highly honorable man with ethics not found around much these days in business and does not take bribes or give them for that matter. So, you’ll just have to convince him as that’s important to me.”

One year later Jock stood in a freshly flower decorated archway at the golf course he was a member of. It was a temporarily constructed wedding ceremony booth in the golf course garden setting looking out over a large group waiting for the bride to appear accompanied by her father. Hugs and kisses were being liberally dispensed all around and Jock smiled as he realized how one year ago, he’d have felt discomfort in such an environment. Now he’d embraced it as a happy lifestyle himself and was pleased to be accepted into Andrea’s large extended family.

Andrea’s sisters accompanied her as bridesmaids while the brothers hovered in the background protectively and the celebrant announced for those present to stand as the bride approached from the golf club building. The ceremony proceeded while Jock feasted his eyes on his radiant bride as they went through the rehearsed program. He was passionately in love with this woman now.

Afterward the participants cheered as Jock demonstrated what he’d learned about the art of kissing at the end of the ceremony. Andrea gripped her man’s arm protectively as they proceeded to the golf club where the wedding feast had been prepared. Andrea’s mom and dad proudly came into the banquet hall pushing prams with their new grandchildren inside.

Rudy and Stella paused with their golf clubs to observe as the wedding party swept into the golf club and into the banquet hall. Rudy shook his head.

“What a waste of talent Stella.”

Stella laughed.

“You’ve got me dad. The Meyers rule. We don’t need his services. Never did!”

Conclusion.

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