Chester’s is one of the best places in town to grab a cold beer. Not only is their beer the coldest on tap, but their food isn’t half bad either. This was always our place of choice when Whitney and I were able to get away and spend some time together. She hasn’t been into cocktails for years now, and Chester’s has over fifteen different types of ciders on tap, so her options were endless.
Another great attribute is the atmosphere. There are big screens hanging in various locations throughout the pub, and one of the walls is completely made out of windows, showcasing the entire shopping center. This is a popular spot for the kids these days. Not only does the center have the biggest theater in the area, but it also has the latest trends in yogurt and drinks that cater to the teenage clientele.
“’What’s up?” Steve slaps his hand on my shoulder before taking the stool next to me.
“Nothing much. Just got back in town this morning.” I glance at him before I go back to peering out the windows in front of us. “Thanks for standing me up, by the way. I enjoyed the seven-plus hours I had to myself on the drive there and back.”
“Dude, blame your wife on that one. I had to help her move into a condo that she shouldn’t be moving into in the first place. My back is killing me.” He signals the bartender, placing his order.
“How did everything go?” I ask before I take a pull of my beer.
“How did it go? I don’t know, Heath. I moved my wife’s best friend into a condo when she has a perfectly good house where her husband lives readily available.” He turns his head towards me. I can tell he’s not happy with my lack of action when it comes to Whitney. “I thought you were going to fix this shit. This is getting out of control. Whitney just signed a year lease, Heath. A lease.”
“She needs this.”
“I thought we talked about this. I thought your plan was to get her to see that nothing has really changed. She’s in her own place. Don’t you get that? Your wife is living in a house that you don’t share.”
Before I can respond, my cell phone goes off. When I pull it off my belt, I see it’s one of my men. “I need to take this,” I tell him before I lift myself from the stool and walk outside.
I rotate my head on my shoulders, trying to ease the burn. A crew member was injured on a job site. He was working after hours, something that wasn’t authorized, not by my superintendent or me. Now the property owner is questioning my ability to keep track of my men. When I slip back on my stool, my old beer has been replaced with a cold one. I track the fall of the condensation as it rolls down the amber glass.
“What’s going on?” Steve eyes me as I down half the bottle.
I pull the bottle from my lips, swallowing down the cool liquid. “Employee was injured.”
“You know you can’t keep doing this one-man show shit, Heath. Your business is growing, and you need more help than Alice–”
“I know what I need,” I lie. I don’t have a clue. This is why I don’t want to get any bigger. This is why I don’t need the awards because notoriety only brings along problems.
“You aren’t a spring chicken anymore. You can’t be burning the candle at both ends.”
“I know what I’m doing.”
“I call bullshit. If you knew what you were doing, then you’d have a project manager dealing with these issues while you concentrate on your family life.”
“I really don’t need your two cents on this.” My phone vibrates from my pocket where I shoved it when I ended the call earlier. When I pull it out, I see the employee has been admitted to the hospital for observation. Fucking perfect.
“What’s going on with you? Have you changed your mind on rearranging your priorities?”
I glance at him. “No, I haven’t changed my mind. You’re acting like Whit and I have been split for years.”
“I’m sorry, buddy, but if this is showing your wife she’s wrong in thinking that you don’t care anymore… Let me just say that if this is your plan, remind me to never ask you for marital advice.”
I take another long pull of my beer before setting it down. “Whitney and I have been together for a long time, Steve. Longer than your average couple. Most married people can’t survive the first few years, let alone twenty. I know what I’m doing. Shit’s been crazy at work, and I’m trying to find some help, but I don’t think any of my men are capable of handling more than what they’re doing now. I’m giving her space, and I’m getting my ducks in a row so when the time comes, and I make my move, there will be no reason for her to doubt me.”
“When you make your move?”
“Yes, when I make my move. I know my wife. She needs this time. We both do. If I had stepped in as soon as she left and made her open-ended promises just to keep her under the same roof with me, then she still wouldn’t be happy. And I want my wife happy.”
“So allowing her to move out is what’s making her happy?”
“I didn’t allow her to do anything. She’s her own person. She has her own mind and her own feelings. I’m never going to tell her that her feelings are wrong.” I glance at Steve, who’s watching the crowd of kids jumping around in the grassy areas of the center. “I’m going to show her that her feelings are wrong.”
“And how are you going to do that?”
“By reminding her why we’re so right for each other. Why we’ve always been right.”
He nods in what I assume is satisfaction. He points his beer towards the direction of the windows. “Well, my friend, you better not wait too long. It looks like you’re not the only one who wants to show your wife who’s perfect for her.”
My brows furrow in confusion until my eyes follow where Steven’s point his beer. There, at a table, is Whitney with a man I’ve never seen before. She’s talking to him, her face lit with animation, the smile on her face genuine. My heart clenches watching her interact with this man, knowing it’s been years since I’ve been able to put a smile like that on her face.
“Who the hell is that?”
“Apparently, your competition.”