Simply Friends (5) Kim went inside the house, quickly observing the order, the blankets on the couch, the book on the end table, she went into the kitchen. There were a few dishes but not much to see there, except a coffee pot that was probably half filled with coffee. She opened the fridge and put the box in it. She was glad Ted wanted to hear about St. Paul because that meant she could talk about Eric. Kim returned to the swing and took a seat beside her friend, careful not to disturb his tender left arm. She took her right hand and laid it gently on his left shoulder, wanting to massage it, carefully feeling along his arm, detecting the sling he wore. Her fingers eased along the bruised shoulder and she felt him relax under her hand. �I should have asked,� she apologized. �I know something about massaging I just don�t want to hurt you.� �It�s better,� he said. �That�s nice. Thank you.� �Being a restaurant owner,� she said easily, �teaches me lots of things I suppose. High stress, so I learn to relax. Ted winced under her hand. She felt the sore spot under her fingers and let her hand rest gently there. �what did the doctor say?� she asked after a moment. She softly rubbed his shoulder and put her hands in her lap, making eye contact with him. �Another week of being quiet. He will x ray my head and my shoulder and wrist on Thursday of next week so till then I�m under house arrest.� He smiled and she gently slid her hand under his left wrist. It was rapped securely with an ace bandage. She let his hand lie in her�s as she examined it. �So are you changing professions?� she teased him. �You�re going to be a landscaper from now on?� �Ha,� he said his eyes dancing. �I�ll leave that to John Matheson. I should hire him. I don�t know why I didn�t think of that earlier.� �You were lucky he found you,� she said, concern lacing her voice. �Very lucky,� he agreed. �Have you been dizzy from the concussion?� Kim wanted to know. �Sometimes,� he confessed. �I just lay back and close my eyes and put the baseball games on low so the sound and light won�t aggravate my head. I�m doing ok all things considered.� �yes, you are, Ted. And I�m sure Snooty is a big help.� Ted had to smile at that. It was true his cat had curled up beside him while he lay drowsy from the medicine or relaxing to combat the nausea and dizziness. �Yes,� he said. �And the Matheson�s come by to make sure I�m not cutting down any trees,� he joked. �And to help with things that require two hands. �Well,� she teased, �you�ve got it made. Someone to do your yard work, someone to dress you and someone to cook.� �Cook?� he said a little surprised. �I brought you dinner,� she said patting his hand. �You�ve got it made.� �So I do,� he agreed. �What a life. And I miss the courts.� �yes, that means you�re improving. So that means we�ll see you in a few weeks.� �I don�t� know,� he said. �We�ll see how things go next week.� They sat silently for a moment. Kim drank her iced tea and followed Ted�s eyes to a pair of birds feeding on one of the tree branches that had been nicely cut back after Ted�s accident.� �How was St. Paul?� Ted asked in a moment. �Busy and good. And I saw Eric, the man I met three months ago at another expo. We went to dinner.� �Did you?� �yeah,� she said easily. �He�s interesting, but I think he�s after me.� �how do you mean?� �He wants to sleep with me,� she said honestly. �I see. And you want to sleep with him?� �Well,� Kim said honestly. �I don�t� know. He�s a little aggressive and he�s not�well,� she almost said �he�s not you� but instead she said, �he just makes me uncomfortable.� �You wanted to go to dinner with him in St Paul?� �Colleagues,� she said. �Somehow there�s something there that�s attracting me to him but I don�t know what it is.� �I can understand that,� he said, his eyes growing somber, his heart contracting within him. �I have been that route.� They sat silently for a moment, Kim digesting Ted�s words. Ted focused his gaze on her for a moment, his eyes searching her�s. �Kim,� he said quietly, his voice sent shivers through her, she felt uneasy, as if she were being questioned on a witness stand. She clenched her fists. �Tell me does he make you happy, Kim?� Kim thought about this for a moment, uncomfortable under Ted�s scrutiny. But how could she lie to her friend? Even if he looked serious and a little upset, and hid it under his questioning gaze. How could she lie to a man who had sobbed on her couch when his marriage had failed, and wept on her shoulder when his mother died. How could she lie to a man she genuinely liked, who had included her in the lives of his girls when they came to see him. How could she not be honest with a man who genuinely cared for her? How could she lie to her best friend. �I don�t� know,� she said, feeling vulnerable. �I really don�t� know.� �Okay,� he said, backing off. �I�m sorry. I didn�t mean to pry. It�s just that,� and he looked apologetic, �I understand that. You have to decide that for yourself. I�ll let you tell me when you figure it out. I�m sorry, Kim.� Kim pulled her gaze away from Ted�s troubled expression and focused it on the tree. The same pair of birds they had watched earlier sat huddled on the branch. She watched as the older one pushed the younger one and it spread its tiny wings, caught the breeze, and flew away. She looked away from the birds and noticed that her hand still supported Ted�s sprained wrist. She rubbed it gently. �Thank you,� she whispered. �I know you care what happens. I�m just confused,� she admitted. �I�ll sort it all out.� �I know you will,� Ted said, getting to his feet. �You�re a smart woman, Kim, you�ll figure it out.� �Are you okay?� she asked, seeing him turn toward the house. �I�m tired,� he admitted, rubbing his eyes with one hand. �I�m going inside. Would you like to come inside?� �No,� she said, hugging her friend, careful not to hurt him, �morning comes early and I�m working a full shift tomorrow. We�re down some help. Vacation time is always a little crazy. I will go now.� She handed Ted her glass. She eased it into his hand. Then she turned and went to her car, Ted�s words ringing in her confused mind. He was right. She would sort it all out. Maybe it was the pain medication, Ted thought, as he entered the house, but suddenly he felt as if he needed to lie down. His shoulder felt better, but now his head hurt. He went to the couch and eased himself back against the cushions and closed his eyes. Maybe, if he was honest, what was really wrong was that when Kim had told him about Eric he had been the tiniest bit jealous. Ted was surprised at this, because he was so busy, and he saw her once a week or so, and when she had mentioned another man he felt uneasy. He had grown fond of her, and certainly she had her own life, but somehow the thought of her seeing another man made him a little bit concerned. He had seen Kim squirm under his questioning, maybe he had been too hard on her. After all they were friends, he wasn�t trying to cross examine her. Yet he had to know if Eric made her happy, because the image of Ted Hamilton the prosecutor known for his tough approach helpless in her office after his own mistake haunted him, and there was no way he wanted to see Kim go through that. He had no right to be jealous or worried about her. Kim could handle herself, the fact that she had told him about it was good, it showed that she trusted him. His headache began to ease. He pulled a blanket over him. His heart went out to Kim. He knew he had said his piece. He had to walk away. It was Kim�s time to figure things out. Sometimes friends just had to stand back and watch each other grow. He turned onto his side, and Snooty came to join him. He reached out and petted Snooty�s head and rubbed his ears. He sighed. Ted was troubled, and he knew it. Ted stayed away from the caf� for a while. The doctor cleared him to go back to work, his headaches disappeared, his shoulder slowly healed. And then he got slammed at work with a huge tax fraud case. Ted was in his element, in consultation with other attorneys, arguing and rearguing, and more meetings. He spent nights in the library at home working; his mind was consumed and he fell into bed at night, exhausted only to start again in the morning. Finally, there was a trial date. Kim receded to the back of a crowded mind. On the day that the jury rendered a guilty verdict, Ted went to the airport to meet Andrea and Melanie�s plane. They would stay with him for the summer. Ted was happy they were in town. Melanie was growing tall, and Andrea was a little self conscious about being slightly overweight. It was a sweltering summer day in July when Melanie asked about Kim. �The one who gives us ice-cream,� she said, causing Ted to laugh. �Mel you just want ice-cream, don�t� you,� he smiled. �Well, you know I haven�t seen her since I fell off the ladder in April and well I suppose it�s time we got back down there. Let�s go tonight for dinner and ice-cream.� Debby Jones knocked timidly on the office door. �Come in,� came Kim�s cheerful call. Debby opened the door. The same office where Ted had wept the day that Leslie left him greeted Debby, clean, efficient, quiet, the couch clear except for a stuffed bear perched majestically on one of the arms of the sofa, and a knitted afghan across its back. These were new additions that Kim had brought back from St. Paul. Kim looked up from her desk, where she had been looking at her account books. She greeted Debby warmly. �Ma�m,� Debby said, politely, �your friend is here with his girls.� Debby was from Mississippi and Kim couldn�t quite get used to the fact that Debby said ma�m. Now she questioned her newest employee. �My friend?� �Mr. Hamilton.� �Oh.� Kim smiled a little, something inside her clenched, a sudden moving of the earth as it were. �He brought the girls?� Kim repeated unnecessarily. �Yes, ma�m,� Debby repeated. Debby looked shyly about her and then asked a question. �Ma�m, excuse me for being forward. Does he like you? I mean like Eric liked you.� Kim stood up from her chair and thought about that for a moment. Her brows creased as she considered this. �I think the question might be,� she said, �is whether or not I like him. I don�t� know if he does. He�s a busy man I don�t know if he has time for such things. He certainly hasn�t been here since April when he was injured.� �There was some big tax fraud case,� Debby informed her. �I read it in the paper. He was on that case.� �Oh I never saw that,� Kim admitted. �Not with seeing Eric and keeping track of things here.� �yes, ma�m. Well you and Eric are you going to see him when he comes back to Iowa?� Kim picked up an order pad. She would play waitress today and especially if the girls were with Ted and wanted ice-cream. Melanie was tall and sweet on her father, that was for sure, and she loved ice-cream. �No, Debby. No that�s over. Ted was right. I figured it out. Now, if you don�t mind,� and she smiled, �since you�ve gotten all the details of my personal life, how about going into the kitchen and telling Joe to start that steak and have Lauren make an ice-cream sundae. Melanie will want a sundae and Andrea will want two scoops of chocolate. Tell Joe to have it ready to go. Our VIP customers are here.� Debby disappeared out into the hallway, back into the hot kitchen and Kim went to the front of the restaurant to meet her friend. Kim was delighted when she saw the girls, Melanie stood next to her father, Andrea a little way back from them, observing life out the window. �Hello,� she said. �Come back to your spot. We�ve missed you, counselor.� A hundred pound weight lifted from Ted�s shoulders. Who was he to be jealous over a woman of Kim�s caliber. He beckoned to the girls and they followed him. They all paraded through the quiet restaurant. A few customers sat in booths, their food before them, or they sat before empty tables, waiting, a few heads bent over newspapers, one man typing on a laptop, one woman talking on a phone. Ted breathed in deep, the cool air, his eyes looked at the sculpted murals on the walls, caught something of the fine carvings of early cowboys astride their brown steeds. Here he could relax from the trial that had just ended. His heart was full. They sat at the table, Kim stood with her pen poised in hand. They placed their orders. �Can you come sit with us, Kim?� Ted asked. �We came by to say hello. The girls are here for two more weeks.� Soon they were eating and Kim knew she could take a break. Her shift would end, soon. She handed Ted his credit card receipt. �Give me half an hour. I�ll be off work officially then and I can come back here.� She winked mischievously. �Lauren has started the sundaes.� When Kim said goodbye to Ted, Melanie, and Andrea, they had planned to meet on Saturday for a picnic with the girls. Ted would take them to a movie while Kim got everything situated at work and then Kim would meet them later on where they would spend some hours together then go their separate ways. Melanie and Andrea got in the car, but Ted stood talking to Kim. �What happened,� he said. ��With Eric?� �oh, Eric.� Kim had been so comfortable sitting with them at the table talking about all the things that happened in a day that she hadn�t said anything about Eric. �Were you wondering about him, Ted?� �yes,� he replied honestly. �You don�t have to answer the question if you don�t want to.� �Oh, Ted, you are such a prosecutor. You could drag the truth out of me, couldn�t you.� She winked at him. �It�s okay. He�s history. You were right. I wasn�t comfortable.� Ted�s face showed relief, and Kim saw it. �You deserve someone who appreciates you,� he said. �Don�t settle for second best.� �Is this coming from the voice of experience?� Ted nodded sagely. �yeah,� Kim said reflectively, remembering the day Leslie had left him, �I count you as a credible source, Ted. What about you. You�re not seeing anyone? I haven�t seen you in several months.� �No� he said honestly. �No, there isn�t anyone. I�m too busy and Leslie was right. I do love my work. It would have to be someone who could understand that.� He pointed back to the car. �The girls,� he said, �they were the good that came out of that marriage. Leslie and I don�t have any hard feelings. It was just a mistake. I�m just more careful.� �Good,� she said. She took her friend�s hands. �You take care of those girls,� she said looking deeply into his face. �They love you. Keep being yourself. There�s got to be someone.� �Oh,� he said lightly. �I�m not looking. I�m happy. But it�s getting warm so let me get home and we�ll go take a nap or collapse under the air conditioning and eat water melon. It�s nice to see you again, Kim.� �Debby told me about the trial. I didn�t realize you were so busy. I thought maybe you were upset.� Kim watched as Ted�s eyes changed, sadness, then disappointment, then relief. �Yes� he said, honestly. �I was upset. I�ve been there. Remember you had to pick me up off the floor when Leslie left me. I just didn�t want to see you unhappy.� Their eyes caught for a moment and silence passed between them. Kim�s grip tightened ever so slightly on Ted�s hands. �Thank you.� She dropped his hands. �Now go home and keep cool. We�ll see you Saturday.� They looked at each other for a moment and Ted felt a quiet relaxing of his spirit. They had navigated another tough spot together. The hot sweltering days of summer passed in lazy lethargy. Ted put his daughters on a plane back to new York and then got ready for the fall. The leaves turned gold, the rains came and so did the cases. The customers came to Kim�s Caf� and Ted went to the caf� to relax after long hard weeks. Eric receded into the back of Kim and Ted�s minds. They went their separate ways. Ted engaged Janice Cross in some rousing games of tennis and went hiking with the Boy Scouts on weekends before it got too cold. Suddenly the holidays were there and he spent time at his sister�s place. Irene was pregnant and they were preparing to move to Germany due to her husband�s job transfer. Danielle kept going to her job at the hotel and Ted kept showing up to sit behind his desk in the U.S. Attorney�s office for the Southern District of Iowa. Snooty pranced at Ted�s feet for his dinner and Ted would spend time with the cat. Christmas passed into history and new Year�s came. The frozen months came and went, Ted tracked footprints through the frozen yard, he put the swing in the garage he parked the car in the garage to keep it in running order. When he sat in Kim�s Caf� it was hard to leave because it was comfortable there and sometimes he hated to go back out into the frosty air. They had a late spring snow and a gentle rain, and then Ted woke up one day and his life changed. His life changed because two states away a man blew up a federal building. It shook the Justice Department and suddenly Ted was caught up in a whirling stream of events that led to him leaving the state and then coming back again to head up the team that would prosecute Michael Jameson, one of the perpetrators, if not the main one, then an important one. Those trips to Kim�s Caf� became Ted�s havens. Kim saw him once a week, bone weary, sad, reflective, pensive, sensitive, and determined. Ted found himself once again embroiled in harrowing days and weary nights, meetings, depositions, investigations, politics, the hell of interviewing survivors, and the sheer detail it required of him to prepare his witnesses. Ted Hamilton when he turned and shut off the alarm in the mornings was glad that Janice Cross and Ben Meadows were part of the team. There was absolutely no way he would do this by himself. His part was hard enough. He hoped he could communicate to them his appreciation of their dedication and hard work. This case was hell and everyone knew it. As the team leader, Ted held his head up, he pushed his shoulders back and bore the weight of this case almost as Atlas bore the earth. Ted�s retreats to the mountains became precious. Snooty became a comfort. Kim�s Caf� became a retreat. Kim herself became solace. Ted Hamilton, footloose and completely absorbed in his work began to rely on Kim more for support. Kim did nothing except what she had always done; just sat with him and held his hands and shared his down time. But Debby and Joe and Lauren and Mary saw a change. They saw an exhausted federal prosecutor leave revitalized. They saw the serious, focused restaurant owner lighten up when he walked through the door. What they saw was the further bonding of a relationship that had been drawing closer as the years progressed. Tears, smiles, laughter, raising his daughters, offering advice, all came together in this one time; perhaps a time that was meant to carry them through yet another rough spot. Just at the crucial point of cross examination, when everything hung in the balance, when all the teams were honed to their sharpest, the star witness teetered on the precipice of collapse. The judge recessed the court, Ted cried, and then on Sunday morning, two days after the judge stopped the cross examination, Ted got sick. Kim watched as Ted Hamilton�s prosecution team filed into her caf�. She greeted them warmly, a tall thin one, a round, short one, a wiery one, one with blond straight hair, a woman with flashing brown eyes, all of them she had seen before when they secluded themselves in her back room and hammered out strategy. She quickly scanned the group for Ted and started in surprise as she took them to their usual table and brought them water glasses. �Hey guys,� she spoke to the one with the blond straight hair. Ben was his name. She knew that Ben Meadows was sharp and steely. He knew how to cross examine a witness with the right amount of professionalism and tenacity to ferret out any inconsistencies in testimony. �He�s a great help on the Jameson case� Ted had said last week when the day had almost ended in disaster. Now she looked at Ben, noticing that he made room for the woman with the flashing brown eyes to squeeze in next to him. �Is Ted running late? That�s not like him.�
Copyright © 2008 Shelley J Alongi |