'The Horse Farm' - Part Nineteen

The restaurant was posh with gilded furnishings and crystal chandeliers. The tables were adorned with fine china and fresh bouquets. The lighting was intimate but not dark.

"First," Francisco began, "I would like to apologize for deceiving you."

"For lying to me," Terri clarified.

"Yes," Francisco admitted, "I did lie to you. I realize that it is not a pleasant feeling to be treated in this way, but it was necessary."

"Necessary for what?"

"Necessary because you are a good and loyal friend," Francisco said. It wasn't exactly what Terri was expecting.

"To Louise," Francisco continued. "You are her BEST friend. You protect her like a sister."

"What does that have to do with lying to me about opera tickets, Frank?"

"Everything," he said. "Loyalty means a great deal to you, as it does to me."

Terri stared back but gave no response.

"It tells me that you are a person of principle," Francisco continued. "I respect and admire that. I told you that people underestimate you, and I think that I am right. Not just the men; the women. They see your beauty and they get one idea. But you are more than your beauty - much more." 

"Are you going somewhere with this?" she asked impatiently.

"By chance," he explained, "I met Louise, not you. If I had asked you directly, on the day that you came to the farm, to accompany me to the ballet, you would have refused out of loyalty to your friend."

"You have no idea what I would have said," she responded. "You didn't give me the chance."

"If I had asked you to accompany me, WOULD you have accepted?"

"Probably not."

"¡Bueno! Entonces," he continued, "I needed to find some way to meet you, to have at least a few minutes to speak with you."

"By lying to me."

"I admit that it was not the best plan," he said, "but I had only a few moments to come up with something."

"And Riccardo?"

"He is an old friend. He agreed to help."

"I see," she said. He anger was intensifying. "That's your style, isn't it? Manipulating people to get what you want? Like when you sent Walter off in your Ferrari to get Louise alone. And then you proceeded to humiliate her."

"Is that what you think? How exactly did I humiliate Louise?"

"You invited her to your fancy farm, and then you proceeded to give her the brush off."

"By refusing to get between her and her boyfriend?" he clarified. "Look, I invited her to the farm to apologize for acting crudely when we first met. When she called, she was very clear about her involvement with Walter. I did not believe there to be any misunderstanding between us."

"You still hurt her feelings."

"Ah feelings!" Francisco paused for a moment to collect his thoughts.

"She is a bright and beautiful woman, your friend," Francisco continued. "I particularly enjoy her sense of humor - I can see why the two of you get along. You have strong personalities. But as for feelings, where do we begin?

"There is this man who came into her life and then left her suddenly. There is the unfaithful boyfriend to whom she had never quite given all of her heart - probably a good decision, given the way that things worked out. There's the friend who turned out not to be particularly trustworthy. Do you really believe that I am the one who has hurt her feelings?"

"She believes it," Terri said. "I think that you are very good at taking advantage of situations."

"The other night," he said, "she called me. Did she call you? No?"

"No."

"She was upset. Very upset. I gave her some time to calm down. When she told me what had happened, it was heartbreaking. She seemed to be looking for an escape, for a way to forget the past and everyone in it."

"Don't..."

"I am not finished," he said. "I listened. I took her to dinner, because she looked as though she needed to eat. I gave her some encouragement. And then I dropped her off in front of her house. Now, if I were really the kind of man that you say, one who manipulates people and takes advantage of situations, well, I'll let you draw your own conclusions as to what someone like that might have done to Louise."

Terri sat silently.

"I speculated that people underestimate you," Francisco continued. "Well, sometimes they underestimate me, as well."

Terri thought for a minute while staring at the nearly empty wine glass on the table in front of her. "Okay," she said. "I'm here. What was it that you wanted to say to me?"

"I wanted to say," Frank began, "that I would very much like to get to know you. That I see in you someone that I respect and admire, someone with whom I would enjoy spending some time. I hope that you see some of those qualities in me.

"I wanted to say that despite the deception, I hope that you enjoyed going to the ballet with me. And I hope that sometime we might be able to do something like that again, something cultural, something fun."

Terri listened without responding.

"Look, I'm sorry about Louise," Francisco said. "But I'm not looking for drama. I'm looking for strength and confidence and clarity. I'm looking for something meaningful, something that can grow and last. I see all of those qualities in you. I have from the day that we met.

"That's why I did this. That's why I tricked you. I am VERY sorry if I hurt you in the process, but I really, really wanted to get to know you, and I am very happy that we were able to talk regardless of the circumstances."

Francisco motioned toward the Maître de Table, who came at once. "Your car is ready, Madame."

"Wait a minute!" Terri exclaimed. "What car?"

"You have finished your drink," Francisco noted. "I told you that I would not take any more of your time."

"What are you talking about?"

"I have arranged for a limousine to take you back to your building."

Terri shot back a look of disbelief. "A limo?"

"I hope that you'll find it comfortable."

"Okay, so we're done?"

"One drink," Francisco confirmed, motioning toward her empty glass.

"And what are YOU going to do?" she asked.

"Ah, well... I am going to finish my wine... perhaps enjoy some desert. And then I am going to have my car pulled around to the front of the restaurant, so I can work off some of the intense sexual energy that I am feeling right now by driving very, very fast."

"Unbelievable!" Terri exclaimed. "Listen, Frank, or whatever you like to call yourself - You crossed a line here. You've crossed a whole bunch of lines."

"I understand."

"No, I don't think you DO understand. You lied to me. You manipulated me - even though you claim that, heaven forbid, you're not a manipulator, that you're not the kind of person who takes advantage of people."

Francisco sat motionless, listening intently, watching Terri's eyes.

"And on top of that you have put me into a very difficult position with my best friend."

"I understand."

"Stop saying that!" Terri protested. "You do NOT understand."

People at the surrounding tables were now looking in Terri's direction.

"How am I supposed to explain this to her? What is she going to think of me?" Terri asked. "And now you're trying to pull this limo stunt, to send me off like a school girl."

"I'm sorry."

"Shut up! I am NOT Louise, Frank, and I am not one of your goddamned horses. You do not pull these stunts on me."

"I understand."

"You do not understand!"

"I'm sorry."

"No one asked you to be sorry!"

"I... What you do want me to say?"

"You fucking men! You fucking idiot men - always trying to fix a problem that doesn't need to be fixed!"

"What do you want me to say, Terri?" he asked again. "What do you want me to do? Anything!"

"Cancel the limo, Frank!" Terri commanded adamantly. "I need a ride in that goddamned Ferrari."

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2013 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

'The Horse Farm' - Part Eighteen

"Hello, Terri, this is Riccardo."

"Hi!"

"Terri, I apologize. I am running late with a client. I shall have to meet you at the ballet."

"That's okay."

"I have asked Francisco to pick you up. He will be there in five minutes."

"Oh, but he doesn't have to..."

"He is already on his way. He will be able to take you there quickly."

"Oh, okay. All right, well, I'll ride with Francisco and I'll see you there."

"Yes," Riccardo confirmed. "I am so sorry."

"It's okay."

"Grazie. Ciao!"

"Ciao!"

Terri decided to give Louise a quick ring to note the change in plans, but the call went to her voice mail. 

"Hey, it's me. I just wanted to let you know that because of some delay with Riccardo's client, apparently he asked Francisco to give me a ride to the ballet. Kind of unexpected, but I'll be meeting Riccardo there, so hopefully things will go smoothly. Anyway, that's the scoop. I hope that you're doing okay. I'll give you a call when I get back tonight, all right? Love you, bye!"

Terri did a last minute touch up of her make-up, put on a pair of expensive earrings, checked the lights in the apartment, picked up her purse and phone, took one last look in the mirror and locked the door. Francisco was waiting at the curb.

"Nice to see you again!" he said.

"Nice to see you, too!"

"You look very nice!" he said.

"Thank you!" Terri replied cheerfully. "I didn't expect to see you today."

"Riccardo's clients," Francisco explained, "they can be very demanding. He is often running late."

"Well, thank you for the ride."

"It is no problem. We'll be there soon."

Frank left the car with the valets. True to his word, Riccardo was there waiting by the box office.

"I am SO sorry," Riccardo explained. "I actually have to get back to my clients. But I have picked up the tickets." He handed one each to Terri and Francisco. "I hope that the two of you can enjoy the show."

Riccardo noticed the frustration on Terri's face. "Bella donna," he said to her. "I call you tonight, sì?"

"Sure!" Terri said with a hint of disappointment in her voice. Riccardo kissed her on the cheek and strode away with a vigorous wave.

Terri and Frank made their way into the concert hall, passed security and the ticket takers and followed plushly padded carpeting toward their seats - front row, center, first mezzanine, literally the best seats in the house. Terri leaned her arms against the rail; the view of the stage was breathtaking.

The show began. The dancers enhanced and accentuated beautiful music with fluid, inspired choreography. Handsome gentlemen struck dramatic poses and launched into impressive leaps from their well-muscled legs. Delicate-looking ladies showed remarkable power and flexibility as they glided across the stage.

"I'm going to have to bring Louise to the ballet sometime!" Terri thought to herself.

At intermission, Francisco offered to buy Terri a drink. He came back with two glasses of champagne. Terri took her glass and looked off into the distance with a vacant stare. "This was all one big setup, wasn't it?"

Francisco sat back in his seat. "I'll bet that people underestimate you," he said. "They should not."

"YOU shouldn't underestimate me," she shot back without making eye contact.

The lights went down for the second act. Terri considered leaving but decided to stay. She was enjoying the show and was curious to hear Francisco explanation, and when and how he had coordinated the switch with Riccardo.

After the show, they worked their way silently through the crowd to the exit. "I owe you an explanation...." Frank said once they had stepped outside.

"You don't own me anything," Terri shot back. "Nothing at all."

"Nevertheless," said Francisco, "I would like the chance to explain."

"There's nothing to explain," Terri half laughed. "You lied to me. You brought me here under false pretenses. I can't quite imagine you being that desperate, Frank, you OR your little wing man Riccardo."

"I understand that you are upset," Francisco began.

"You don't understand anything, Frank! If you had, you would not have pulled a stunt like this. Not if you ever expected to see me again." 

"Terri, I apologize," Francisco said. "But please. All I ask is for the chance to explain."

"Okay.  Explain."

"Please, there is a restaurant here. Join me for a drink."

"Believe it or not, Frank, you're not the first man who has asked me out for a drink. And I've turned down better looking men than you. Much better looking."

"I have no doubt," Francisco continued, "that you could attract any man on the planet, and he would be honored to be by your side. I did not bring you here to insult you. I brought you here so that we might have a chance to talk. So please hear what I have to say. One drink, and I shall not bother you again." 

Terri thought for a moment. "One drink."

"One drink," Francisco confirmed.

She would listen his explanation - and then teach him a lesson in manners.

"And when that drink is done," she said. "I'm gone."

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2013 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

'The Horse Farm' - Part Seventeen

"Hi, it's me," Louise began.

"Hi."

"I thought... maybe we should talk."

"Okay."

"Are you free later? Maybe 6:30 at the park?"

"Yeah, I can be there."

"Okay."

"K, bye."

"Bye."

Walter was waiting on a bench when Louise arrived. Small children were playing nearby under the watchful eyes of their parents and babysitters.

"Hi." She sat beside him.

"Hi."

"Thanks for coming."

"Thanks for calling."

"I'm not sure where to start," she admitted.

"I..."

"Is there anything you want to say?"

"You called me," he said defensively.

"Is there anything you want to say to ME?"

"Well, I want to say that I'm sorry."

"I just... were you going to tell me about this?"

"Louise, I..."

"I mean, couldn't we have just talked about it?"

"That didn't really seem like a good idea..."

"It wasn't a good idea to screw my friend, Walter!"

"No," he admitted. "It was a horrible idea. It was the worst thing that I've ever done."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes! I felt terrible. I apologized to her the next day."

"So, you saw her again?" Louise demanded.

"No! No way!" Walter insisted. "I called her to apologize, and she apologized in return."

"Well, at least somebody got an apology!" Louise said crossly.

"We both felt really bad. And that was the last time that we spoke - I SWEAR! - until the other day, when this Francisco guy sent us off in his Ferrari."

"What did you talk about in the car?"

"Nothing much...."

"Like what?"

"We just remarked how strange it was that we were paired up to ride together," Walter explained. "Who is this guy, anyway?"

"Nobody."

"Are you sure? Because..."

"I'm sure," she said. "I just met the guy. Jo and Terri were going bananas over the whole high society thing. I didn't even like the guy."

"Are you sure that nothing's going on?" Walter asked in a serious tone.

"No!" Louise insisted. "Okay, I'll admit that I used to have a thing for guys like that. But that's in the past."

"How far back in the past?"

"Far enough."

"Like a year and a half ago?" Walter demanded.

"I told you that I just met him."

"Yeah, except..." Walter thought carefully about how to phrase what he wanted to say. "Back when all of this was going on..."

"Are you going to try to blame me for what you did, Walter?" she demanded.

"I'm not blaming you," Walter responded.

"Because this is on YOU!" she said hotly.

"I... I know!" he said. "It was my mistake. I admit that. It's just that..."

"What, Walter?"

"I don't know. There was a time when you weren't around very much. I thought something was going on."

"I told you about that, Walter. We had consultants in from the global offices. We were expected to schmooze with them after work," Louise said. 

"You're not much of a schmoozer."

"It was business, Walter."

"It seemed to go a little late for business."

"Okay, fine! It's an international thing," she said. "In other countries, business people drink until late at night. I don't know why. I was barely getting enough sleep."

Walter didn't seem to buy her story.

"I mean, is that what you thought, Walter? That I was running around on you?"

"I thought..."

"Is that why you got drunk and went to Jo's apartment? And Terri's, too?"

"I..."

"You knew that Jo has issues, Walter."

"I didn't know..." Walter said.

"You know that she's impulsive with men. I told you those things in confidence."

Walter opened his mouth but stopped short of saying what came to mind.

"You took advantage of her, Walter! You took advantage of both of us!"

"No, I..."

"Yes, Walter, you did!" she said. "You knew that she was weak and you went there anyway. You knew what could happen."

"That's not fair!"

"What do you mean, it's not fair, Walter? It's exactly what happened! Anyone who knows her could have predicted it."

"I didn't..."

"Did you stop to think about how much damage this would do, Walter? How much this must have hurt her?"

"She seemed..."

"She seemed what, Walter? Okay with it? You slept with her and then you never talked to her again. That would hurt any woman, and especially her."

"I..." he started to say. "Look, I didn't go there to hurt her."

"No, you went there to hurt me, Walter!" Louise concluded. "Somehow you got the idea that I was running around behind your back. So you went to my friend's house and you took advantage of her just so you could get back at me."

"No...Louise!" he protested.

"Because you don't care about anyone except yourself."

"Screw you, Louise!" Walter objected.

"Screw you!"

"Okay, this whole thing...this was a bad idea," Walter said. "I should have known!"

Walter stood up and walked to his car. The stereo blared when he started the engine. Within a minute, both he and the loud music were gone.

Louise walked home while running the conversation over in her mind. Had she said what she wanted to say? Had she given Walter a fair hearing, or had she let her anger cost her a chance for reconciliation?

At one point she felt like calling Walter to apologize for being so blunt with him. She alternated between feelings of sadness and vindication.

Poor Jo! It was difficult to feel sorry for her, but the girl didn't have much control when it came to men. This complicated her ability to establish healthy relationships and left her at the mercy of scoundrels.

Walter had joined the ranks of these scoundrels. The whole situation left Louise feeling disgusted. She didn't know if she could face Walter again, let alone get back together.

Louise needed to calm herself down. Some mindless television and a container of Haagen Dazs Chocolate Chocolate Chip ice cream helped. She changed into her night clothes and looked forward to getting some sleep and returning to work. 

She lay in bed working a crossword when Walter called. "Hey," he said.

"Hi." Her tone was cordial, not vindictive.

"I was thinking about hiking Evergreen Creek on Saturday. Would you be interested?"

"What time?" she asked.

"I was gonna leave at 8," he said. "Get out there before it gets too hot."

"What's the weather supposed to do?"

"It's supposed to be nice," he confirmed.

"Okay," she said. "Pick me up."

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2013 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

'The Horse Farm' - Part Sixteen

Louise glanced at the ringing phone, saw Terri's number and decided to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hi!" Terri's voice was full of concern.

"Hi."

"I heard you didn't go to work today," Terri said. 

"No."

"That's two days in a row, Lou. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm... I'm fine," Louise said. "I just needed some time to clear my head."

"Are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Are you still in bed? It's 11."

Louise realized that it was pointless to avoid the obvious. "I was getting up."

"Okay, good!" Terri tried to maintain a positive tone. "Hey, I've cleared my calendar after 2:30. I need a dress for the ballet. Do you want to go shopping?"

"Oh, I don't know," Louise replied, sounding exhausted.

"Shopping!" Terri said cheerfully. "It's the best medicine!"

Louise showered and dressed. She didn't feel hungry but she convinced herself to have half a bagel with jam and a cup of black coffee.

Terri picked Louise up at 2:45 and drove her to the mall. They tried dresses at several stores without success. "Let's try Bloomingdale's," Terri suggested.

"I hate Bloomingdale's," Louise grumbled.

"I know."

"Do you think I should call him?"

"Walter?"

"Yeah."

"Well, it's up to you," Terri said. "But if you think that you might want to get back together with the guy, you probably shouldn't wait TOO long."

"Yeah."

"Did he call you?"

"A bunch of times, but I didn't talk to him."

"Did he sound okay?"

Louise didn't respond immediately. "Why doesn't he like me?" she asked.

"What? He loves you, Lou!" Terri insisted. "This thing with Jo was just..."

"No, not Walter," Louise clarified. "Frank."

"Frank? I thought we were talking about..."

"He's already rejected me twice," Louise interrupted.

"Twice?"

"Yeah, I called him the other night."

"You what?" Terri was genuinely surprised. "When?"

"Tuesday."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I..." continued Louise. "I couldn't just sit around. I had to get out."

"Okay, so what happened?"

"He picked me up. We rode around for a while," Louise continued. "I think he was giving me time to collect myself. I probably looked like a wreck."

"Well, that was thoughtful. Then what happened?"

"He took me out for pizza," Louise continued.

"Pizza?"

"Yeah. 'Best pizza in town' according to him."

"Oh, you mean Giovanni's?"

"Yes," Louise confirmed. "You know the place?"

"Everybody knows Giovanni's," Terri stated.

"Of course!" Louise agreed facetiously. "Well, anyway, he knows the guy. So next time you and your know-everything friends are there, you can mention his name."

"What did you guys talk about?"

"Nothing. Everything. Walter. Antonio."

"He knows about Antonio?"

"Yeah, I kind of let that slip when we were talking at the farm. I don't know. I was a bit of a mess."

"What did he say?" Terri asked

"He tried to tell me that it wasn't my fault even though we both knew better. He said something like 'life is messy and there are always consequences'."

"Wow! That's deep!" Terri observed. "Maybe he's been hurt before."

"I was thinking that."

"Well, what did you guys do after?" Terri asked. "If you want to tell me."

"He took me home."

"To his place?" Terri asked.

"No, to mine."

"REALLY?"

"Don't get excited," Louise assured her. "He dropped me off. He told me to be a good girl and run back to Walter."

"Really?"

Louise nodded.

"Well, that's a surprise! I pictured him as the pounce on an opportunity type," Terri said.

Louise cracked her first smile of the day. "Well, he doesn't seem to want to pounce on me!"

"Silly! Maybe it's for the best, though," Terri offered. "Do you really want your life to get more complicated at this point?"

"Not really!" Louise admitted.

"I hate to bring up the elephant in the room," Terri said, "but how are you going to handle Jo?"

"Oh, one problem at a time please!" Louise demanded.

"I understand."

"I still need to figure out the best way to dispose of Walter's body."

Terri laughed out loud. "Okay, well, let me know what you come up with. I'm always looking for new ways to get rid of them."

Louise smiled.

"I'm glad you haven't lost your sense of humor through all of this," Terri said.

"That's about all I haven't lost at this point," Louise sighed with angst in her voice.

Terri looked at Louise and almost choked up. She realized that she needed to remain strong for her friend, so she swallowed her tears and put on a good front.

"Hey, I'm sorry," Louise apologized.

"For what?" Terri asked.

"It was really nice of you to bring me out shopping today, "Louise continued, "but I kind of need to take care of something. Would you mind?"

"No, not at all! Go ahead!" Terri assured her. "But how are you going to get back?"

"I'll take the bus."

"Are you going to be all right?"

"Yeah, I've taken it before," Louise assured her.

"No, I mean YOU," Terri clarified. "Are YOU going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine," Louise confirmed. "Don't worry!"

"Okay!"

"Well, sorry to shop and run!" Louise said with a wink.

"Don't worry about it," Terri assured her. "Do what you need to do. And tell him I said hello."

Louise shook her head and then smiled. "Thanks, Terr!" she said. "Thanks for taking me out today."

"Anytime," Terri replied.

"Bye!" Louise left the store.

"Bye!"

"Okay, then!" Terri said to herself. "And I still don't have a dress."

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2013 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

'The Horse Farm' - Part Fifteen

The day was a blur. Louise managed to drive herself to the office and take care of a reasonable amount of work, but it was difficult to concentrate, even to breathe. She was in a fog. She felt weighed down and off balance both physically and mentally.  

Walter called four times and left two messages. Louise deleted the messages without listening. Terri called to check on her, but Louise couldn't talk without crying, so their conversations were short.

Back at home, Louise sat on the bed and sobbed. She cried more than she had in years. Eventually, she tried to watch some television but couldn't focus. The shows seemed inane and pointless, nothing that would compel her to stop thinking about Walter - or Jo.

She felt a compelling desire to leave the house, to escape. Terri had been her top ally, but a conversation between them would require analysis and intensive evaluation. They would rehash bad memories and delve into raw wounds. She didn't have the energy to face the drama. 

Louise browsed the numbers on her phone and dialed the one that seemed most promising. "I need to see you," she sobbed.

"I'll pick you up," Frank replied.

"You don't know where I live."

"I'll find you."

Frank drove, not to any destination and not particularly fast, but fast enough. The lights of the city bent through the curved windows and swirled into a dynamic spectacle. Being low to the ground made it all seem to pass by more rapidly. They cruised for nearly an hour. Louise said nothing; she stared out of the window for most of the trip.

Frank pulled into the small parking lot behind Giovanni's.

"What's this place?" Louise asked.

"It has the best pizza in town," Frank responded, "and the owner is a friend."

They sat across from each other in an empty upstairs dining room intended to host groups and parties. The space was quiet and secluded, the perfect spot for a private conversation.

Louise began: "My life is a wreck."

"Maybe," Frank said reassuringly, "but you'll be fine."

"Fine? I don't think so," she said defiantly. "I just found out that my boyfriend slept with my... with one of my best ex-friends."

"One of your ex-best friends?" Francisco clarified.

"Yeah, Jo," she responded. "The one who rode with him in your car."

"Well then, I can understand why you would be upset."

"I mean, it didn't just happen. It happened like a year ago, but they never told me."

"Did you expect that they would tell you something like this?" Frank wondered.

"No, I..." she said. "I just feel like an idiot. How did I not see this?"

"You probably did not believe that it was possible," Frank reasoned.

"I feel like a total idiot."

"You are not an idiot. Some people in your life did something cruel."

"I just can't believe it."

"It's not an easy thing to accept," Frank said. "But don't make yourself miserable over what happened. You didn't cause this."

"Except maybe I did in a way," she confided.

"And what role did you play in their affair?" Frank asked.

"It was NOT an affair," Louise objected. "At least, I don't think it was. It was one night, as far as I know."

"I'm sorry. Please continue."

"I was... with somebody else," Louise confessed. "I met a guy at work."

"The tango dancer," Frank clarified.

"Yes."

Frank chose his words carefully.

"Would you say that you are more upset with her or with him," Frank asked gently.

"What?" Louise was surprise by the question, by the way that Frank had avoided discussing her own transgression and focused back on theirs.

"Who has disappointed you more? Walter or your friend?"

She thought but could not decide. "Both, I guess. I mean, I trusted both of them."

"And you learned of this situation when?" he asked.

"Last night, over drinks," she confirmed.

"I'm very sorry, Luisa! I realize that his must have come as a shock," Frank said. "Had you known your man for a long time when this happened? Or was he new?"

"We had been dating for a little while."

"And this other man?"

"He came to my office for a project - from a regional office in Uruguay," Louise replied. "It just got out of control."

"Life is out of control," Frank said.

"My life is," Louise concurred.

Frank smiled.

"So, it's actually my fault."

"It is not your fault," Frank assured her. "None of this is your fault."

"It is!" She started to cry. "It's all my fault."

Frank let her cry uninterrupted until she was ready to speak again.

"If I hadn't... done what I did," Louise reasoned, "he wouldn't have run to her."

"Does he know?" Frank inquired. "Walter? About the other man?"

"No," she said. "I don't think so. I mean... I'm sure that he suspected. That's probably why he did it. But I never told him."

"Your friend knew about this?"

"She is not my friend," Louise insisted.

"Agreed," Frank said. "Not much of a friend."

"How did everything get so messed up?" she asked.

"You followed your heart," Frank explained. "People do, and their lives, well, these things are never simple."

"No," she muttered.

"And life has consequences."

"I suppose," she said.

"There are always consequences," he continued. "Sometimes, it takes a while, but we always end up paying some price for our choices."

"That's depressing."

"That is reality."

"Are you trying to make me feel bad?" she asked.

"No," he said. "You already feel terrible. I apologize if I have made it worse."

"You haven't made it worse," she said. "You listened, and that was very nice."

"Bueno!" Frank said with confidence. "Please, eat something! I don't want you to be sick."

After dinner, Frank drove Louise back to her house.

"What now?" Louise asked.

"You live your life," Frank told her. "Right now, it is a bit of a mess. But I assure you that things will get better."

"That's hard to imagine," she said.

"There are bigger problems than this in life," he said. "I know that it doesn't seem that way, but you will handle this, and you will be fine."

She looked back at him with eyes that sparkled with tears. "I don't know what to do."

"He is still your man - for now anyway," Frank continued. "Think about what you would like to say to him, what you NEED to say to him. And then call him in the morning."

Louise sniffled. "Okay."

"You can do that?"

"Yes."

"You will be fine, Luisa," Frank assured her. "The next time that I see you, you will be smiling."

Louise let a small grin slip through. "Thank you," she said, "for the ride and the pizza - and the talk."

Francisco took her hand in his and kissed it. "¡Buenas noches, bonita, y buena suerte!"

"Good night!"

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2013 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved