Page 3 of Midlife Tiger’s Last Chance

CHAPTER TWO

Brock

Minerva King.

I love her name. She’s beautiful, too. In fact, it’s damned strange how her beauty captivates me. Oh, it’s not that I don’t have a keen appreciation for beauty and there’s nothing about this girl that isn’t deserving of captivation. I just don’t anticipate anyone catching my eye any time soon. The pain of the relationship with Gretchen still weighs heavily on me. The betrayal still feels like a knife twisting inside of me. Perhaps nobody will ever know I am here now a full year ahead of schedule simply because I cannot bear the thought of remaining close to my ex-wife.

So, it’s strange that this girl captivates me.

Of course, I can only dwell on that for a short while and even dwelling on it means forcing it to the background for the most part. The critical mistake I’m dealing with is time zone confusion. I’ll remember to set my watch ahead of the flight next time. My plan to arrive at the office about an hour after the close of business in order to avoid too much glad-handing and catching up is all for naught. I’m here and I’m stuck. Oddly, the one person I might enjoy gladhanding is the one heading to her babysitter.

I wonder if she finds it weird that I know she has a child and knows she needs to get to her. Of course, she only now knows that Jeanie is my cousin-in-law. I wonder if her friendship with Jeanie means Minerva knows I am a shifter. I wonder why in the hell that occurs to me now when many opportunities in the past just to ask Jeanie are gone.

I end up at the office until about six when I realize there are people remaining because they feel like they must. “All right, everyone,” I say, “I want you all to get the hell out of here. I promise you’ll get to deal with my enchanting personality a whole lot in the coming days.” I wink and say, “and I promise when the coming days turn into coming weeks, you won’t find it so enchanting anymore.”

There’s laughter but everyone stays. I say, “Unless you want me to lose the enchanting part now,” I say, “Get! Go on! Go live your happy lives and I’ll see you tomorrow!” This time, the laughter is followed by an exodus.

“Same old Brock,” Jeanie says with a smile. “Everyone eats from the palm of your hand.”

“Not everyone,” I say. I can’t keep the sadness from my voice, but I cover it up with, “My cousin’s wife thinks she owns the place. Can’t do anything with her.”

She laughs and says, “I’m so damned necessary for this place it would fall completely apart without me.”

“Hey, that new account executive. Minerva. She did a fine job on the phone.”

“Oh, you heard that?”

I nod. “I’m impressed. She was polite until there was no way to be polite. Then, she was firm.”

Jeanie says, “She’s doing a fantastic job.”

“Is she hot?” a voice says from behind me, and my heart rises in my chest. “If she is, Aunt Jeanie, I want you to fix them up.”

I turn around and my daughter smiles at me. “Melanie,” I say softly.

She laughs a little and there are tears in her eyes when she replies, “Hi, Daddy.”

I gather her in my arms and squeeze her so tightly that she giggles and says, “Daddy, you’re squishing me.”

I remember how she used to say that when she was a little girl and tears begin to well in my own eyes. I reply, “That’s because you’re so squishable.”

She laughs and hugs me tighter and we enjoy a moment just holding each other for the first time since I moved to Europe two years ago.

Jean pipes up, “Well, I was going to say she’s totally hot and I’m going to definitely set them up but I think you two have some catching up to do first. I’ll see you tomorrow, Brock. Welcome home.”

“Thank you, Jean,” I say, still holding Melanie.

After Jean leaves, I release Melanie and ask, “So how about dinner?”

She smiles and replies, “If you’re buying.”

“Of course,” I say, “It’s the least I can do after leaving for two years.”

Her smile fades slightly. “I don’t blame you for that. I’m glad you took some time for yourself.”

“Well,” I say, “I’m glad to be home again.

I take her to an Italian restaurant near the office. We spend the first hour catching up and I learn she’s studying engineering at the university. She has two years left in her bachelor’s degree but has already earned a scholarship that will pay for her master’s degree once she earns her bachelor’s.

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