Chapter 3                      Toronto                 

 The flight from the bright Caribbean sun to winter in Toronto went smoothly. There was the inevitable stop over in Miami and the inconvenience of clearing US customs, immigration and further security checks even though we were in transit to Canada. Tracy’s patience kept me from becoming miserable with the process but in-flight I’m sure more than one man was envious of me.

            Canadian Immigration and Customs was easier but there were hundreds of other travellers in the hall when we landed. Somehow it didn’t take long before we were outside looking for a taxi. The air was cool and damp when we finally drove into the glare of the headlights on the wet highway. Ahead a necklace of red taillights stretched around the overpass onto the Gardner Expressway. She huddled close to me.

            “Hold me tighter,” she murmured. “Is Canada always this dark and cold? Where’s the snow?”

            “Sorry, honey, we don’t always have snow at Christmas. Remember, we had intended to be on a warm sunny island, not here.” A kiss brightened her a little. “We’ll be at my place in a few minutes, it’s not far.”

            The cab pulled in front of the condo and the driver unloaded our bags. She wasn’t dressed for winter but didn’t complain about the cold as she walked into the building.

            “Welcome back, Mr. Christopher.” The concierge held the door. “We hadn’t expected you for awhile yet.” He carried the bags to the elevator.

            We were finally home. I noticed her frown as she looked around appraising my Spartan furnishings. “Don’t frown honey. It’s a bachelor pad.”

            “It’s nice.”

            “ Come here. I’ll show you the best part.” I took her to the bedroom. I had invested a lot of money in it because that was where I spent most of my time at home. In the good old days my lady friends looked forward to a weekend here.

            “This is better,” she said predictably. “You must have entertained a lot.” She was very perceptive. “Tomorrow, we’ll get new sheets. I don’t know who has been between these.”

            I laughed, “don’t worry, dear, I’ve been celibate for too long but we’ll get new sheets if you wish.”

            She unpacked her bags and took over the bathroom. “Have you anything to eat?”

            “At the moment nothing, but I have a tasty Merlot to warm you and then we can go out or order in.”

            We ordered a pizza instead, drank the wine and watched a bit of TV before settling into my glorious bed.

 “Hello Mike, how are things this morning?” I called the office after we made coffee. “I’m back and should be there in an hour. I want to discuss our strategy and go out to see the customer.”

            A few minutes later my daughter Carol was surprised and delighted to hear my voice. She was just leaving for work and couldn’t talk long. I promised to call her later. Tracy called Susanne in Los Angeles. The conversation became animated and she said, “Tell them I’ll do what I like, and to get off my back.” I couldn’t make out what was said but Tracy blanched and quietly said she’d come back in a few days.

            “It sounds like someone is mad at you. What’s happening?”

            “That was my friend Susanne. She said our asshole boss is not happy that I came here. He thinks he owns me. It’s nothing to worry you.”

            That should have been a clue but it is easy to say so in retrospect.

            I changed the subject. “Would you like to come to the office with me?” I hoped she wouldn’t. “I’ve got a pretty heavy day ahead. I’ll probably go to see the customer. It’s about seventy-five kilometres away. That’s about fifty miles in American.”

            “No, I’d rather go shopping. Take me to the closest mall so I can get the bad taste of that asshole out of my mouth.”

            I arranged for a taxi to the Yorkdale Mall and gave her my cell phone with all the numbers she would need to reach me. I promised to call her regularly to be sure everything was okay. We hugged and she felt like a frightened bird when I left her.

It was late when I returned home. Tracy heard my key in the door, turned out the lights and waited in the doorway of the dark bedroom. 

“Hey honey, why’s it so dark in her?”

            She flicked the light in the bedroom and stood silhouetted in a flimsy nightgown. “Welcome home, lover, what kept you?”

            She noticed the surprise in my eye, “you like?”

            “You look good enough to eat. Come here and let me taste.”

            Snuggled into my arms she rubbed her near naked body against my suit. She was not the same woman I had kissed goodbye this morning.

            “Okay, I’ve given you a preview,” she said coyly. “Now come see all the things I bought today.” She took my hand and pulled me into the bedroom. Piled on the bed were bags from at least six shops in the mall.

            Opening the largest she said, “these are the new sheets. Satin, I hope you like them. We’ll try them tonight. I love the feel of satin sheets.”

            She continued to open bags extracting sweaters, shoes, slacks and a lovely black gown. Her words buzzed with energy and excitement as she showed me everything.  She didn’t seem to care what I thought of her extravagance and was pleased that I enjoyed her show.

            “How do you like it?”

            “I think you have very good taste, and I’m happy if you are. I’m going to change into something more comfortable and we’ll test the sheets.”

            “While you change I’ll get you a drink and you can tell me about your day.” She smiled as my grin faded momentarily. I thought she had dressed like this just to get laid. I was wrong this time.

            She brought drinks to the sofa. “Okay, my love, what happened at work?”

            “It was ugly, they are pressing us hard.” I described the situation but she didn’t understand the details.

            “I’m sorry, dear, do you have to stay here until it is settled?”

            “They are shutdown until the second week of January and we’re making replacement parts to get us over the immediate crisis but we still have to settle the liability issue. That will take months.”

            “Good, lets go  skiing.”

            “I’d like to but I must stay to help my people and make sure everything goes as it should. Will you stay with me?”

            “Of course, my love.” I noticed a slight hesitation in her voice as she said it.

            “Oh, by the way your daughter called and said something about New Years Eve.”

            “Oh, shit, I’m supposed to call her. You put on some clothes and we’ll go out for supper. I’ll call Carol while you get dressed.”

            She listened as I talked to Carol but heard only one half the conversation. I know she’d like to have heard it all.

            “She’s a wonderful woman. I met her Aruba. Her name is Tracy and she lives in Los Angeles.”

            “Yes, she’s staying here with me.”

            “No, I haven’t talked to Karen.”

            “The party’s at your tennis club? Are you sure it would be okay for us to come?  Yes, I’ll ask her but couldn’t we see you here sometime before then?”

            “Okay, dear, I’ll call tomorrow and we’ll let you know. Bye now.”

            Tracy came back to the room dressed in a beige skirt and sweater set like a fashion model. “Who’s Karen?”

            I flushed and stammered, “She’s an old friend of the family.”

            “Is that all, just an old friend of the family. Why did you blush?”

            “Okay, she’s an ex girl friend and Carol keeps pushing her on me. Let’s leave it at that.”

 It snowed on New Years Eve day. The city brightened as the dreary dark gave way to crisp white. Things that could not be seen were now visible even in the afternoon gloom as streetlights added a touch of magic giving an eerie orange glow along the streets. Tracy had dressed in the black dress from the Mall and knew she would be the most gorgeous woman in the room. She had spent the morning at the hairdresser while I struggled with problems at the factory. When I arrived home shortly after 2 PM I found the most spectacular woman I could have dreamed of waiting in my condo.

            “Welcome home, Hilton,” she said huskily as my business frown disappeared to be replaced by the hungry look she was beginning to know. “Daddy wants to play?” she teased. She slipped out of her gown and faced me in her designer bra and panties. “We still have time unless you would like to eat.” Food was not on my mind at that precise moment.

  She dozed quietly between the satin sheets when I came back from the bathroom. Her skin was warm under my hand. I breathed softly in her ear, “Come on lazy bones, it’s time to get dressed. We’re going out tonight, remember.”

            She looked at the clock, “Oh my god, look at the time. I’ve got to get dressed.”

            “Any calls this morning, dear? We didn’t have a chance to talk when I got home.”

            Tracy thought for a moment as she gathered her garments from the floor. “Yes, a woman called. She wanted you, of course. I don’t know anyone here. She said her name was Bernice and left a number. She said to call sometime soon. Who’s Bernice, dear, another old girl friend?”

            I frowned. She would only call if there were a dire problem.

            She smiled, “Don’t worry precious, I know there have been others before me. They’re history now, right?”

            I hadn’t heard from Bernice in fifteen years. We had agreed never to contact each other, except in an emergency. There is only one thing that would cause her to call.

            “Did she say anything else? Did she sound panicky?” 

            “No, she just asked that you to call her soon, not tonight or tomorrow, just soon. Her number is on the pad by the phone in the kitchen. You’re not going to call now are you?”

            “It can wait for awhile, I’ll call on Monday. Let’s get dressed. You know something, Tracy”

            “What?”

            “I love you.”

The taxi stopped in front of the Boulevard Club. The snow was still falling and the road was slippery slowing traffic. “I’m glad we left a little early,” I quipped and helped Tracy out of the car. Her heels were not the most stable platform to walk up the steps but she was careful and we were inside without incident. I checked our coats before we went into the dining room to find Carol.

            “There’s someone waving at the corner table,” Tracy said.

            “Yep, that’s her, come on and brace yourself, my love.” I took her arm to guide her through the tables. A few people recognized me.  “Happy New Year, Hilton,” or something like it barely heard above the buzz of the room.

            “Hi Carol.” I gave her a hug. “Tracy, this is my lovely daughter Carol and Todd Carter, my son in law.”

            Todd introduced the two other couples at the table. They were his friends from the investment community.

            Tracy noticed the look of appreciation in the eyes of the men as she said hello. She knew she looked good, liked the feeling of being the main attraction and didn’t mind the disdain of other women. She took a chair between Carol and me planning to chat with Carol and find out more about my previous loves.

            “It’s so good to meet you, Carol. Hilton hasn’t told me a lot but I saw the pictures of your wedding in our apartment and you looked gorgeous.”

            Why did she call it our apartment? She had better not be too possessive. She couldn’t miss the look on Carol’s face when she said it. I was talking to Todd but definitely noticed the interchange.

            “Todd and I were married last summer, Daddy had a very good time at the wedding. I think he developed a crush on my mother in law.”

            Touché. What was that all about? What was I missing?

             “Is this where you play tennis?”

            Carol nodded. “Yes, the courts are in the big balloons. You must have seen them when you arrived. Sailing and curling are popular at this Club. Do you know what curling is?” Tracy looked blank. “It doesn’t matter. Would you like to play tennis while you are here or are you leaving soon?”

            “I don’t think I’ll have time to play tennis, dear. We have a lot to do and I want to go skiing in Aspen. Why don’t you and Todd come with us?”

            By the time the New Year’s countdown started Tracy had learned that Carol was a lawyer, she had a brother living out west, Karen was a special family friend and she had never heard of a woman named Bernice. Carol had told her about her mother, what had happened to me after she died and how Karen had helped me get over my depression. She had also offered to show her around the downtown shops if she was still in town next week and Tracy thought she would like that.

            “Carol is a sweet girl,” Tracy said as we drove home. “We had an interesting chat and she is very proud of her dad.” She leaned over and kissed me. “I am too.”

            I hugged her but the joy of the evening had clouded as I wondered what Bernice wanted after all this time?

Chapter 4

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