Insecurity and a Bottle of Merlot (21 page)

“Yeah, but you’re just too old. I think the cutoff is thirty-five. After that, you have to start looking your age,” Mario taunted. “I still have a few years to go.”

“Well, if I’m going to run an outdoor sports gear store, I need to dress casual. I guess jeans and a tee shirt will do. The hair? I’ll pass. That would take years to grow. So are you ready to see Peekskill?”

“For sure. Lead the way, man. I’ll drive.”

Mario and Max spent an hour and a half between the three vacant stores downtown. Each building had great qualities all their own. The first, sat on prime real estate on the corner of two main crossroads. The second, had the most square feet of space, and the last was in the best condition. They toured them all, then took the listing sheets to a restaurant Max frequented often for lunch. The early fall day cooled the air. The time was right to start gearing up for winter sports. The sidewalk seating gave them the perfect opportunity to people watch. From outside Ruben’s Diner, they had a great view of North Division Street and Central Avenue. The table’s umbrella shaded the sun, so the ability to see every street was crystal clear. Max ordered two micro-brews as they assessed the foot traffic walking by. Anywhere on North Division was prime. Central Avenue seemed a little busier than North Division. They were leaning toward the store closest to North Division Street and Central Avenue. Any store would need to be changed to flow with the image of the products they were selling, so they crossed off the one in the best condition. That left the stores with the best location and largest space, but they were on opposite ends of Division Street. Max and Mario decided to take another look at them after lunch.

“So what have you been up to these last few weeks?” Mario asked, with a mouthful of chicken enchilada.

“For now, I’ve been working three days a week lecturing the kids on wilderness safety and group conduct. It’s been fun, but nothing like being out there in the middle of it all.”

“I hear you, man. I love being outside. It was tough leaving Colorado. Don’t get me wrong, I love my home state, but the mountains of Colorado, that’s just eye candy. I’ll be honest, Max. I had to make a choice, and I think I made the right one. I wanted to open another store anyway, and what better place than going back to your roots.”

Max raised his eyebrows and shook his head in agreement.

“The main reason I left Colorado was because I broke it off with my girlfriend. I caught her cheating with my head ski instructor, my best friend. That really stung, man.”

“Damn… that had to be painful.” Max looked down and paused briefly, caught up in his own thoughts.

“Max?”

“Yeah?”

“Vic misses you. You should have seen how her eyes lit up when I told her we were meeting today.” Mario lied, plain and simple, but he had to say something to get Vic into the conversation.

“You saw Vic? How’s she doing?” Max perked up at the mention of her name.

“She’s hanging in there. Dude… you two have something that can’t be denied, it’s really special, so what’s the problem?”

“To be honest, I have no idea. I want to make a life with Vic, and I thought we were heading in that direction. The week after you left, she just clammed up. Everything went downhill and I don’t have a clue why. She probably sees me as a cripple, like I’ve lost my manhood or something. Maybe these scars turn her off. I’m at a loss.” Max ordered another round of beer.

“Here’s what I know for sure. Women are weird, but we can’t live without them. My sister is nuts with a capital N, but she’s nuts over you. That’s a fact. I wanted her to talk to me about it, but like you said, she clammed up. Somebody has to know what’s going on. I bet Mia does.”

Chapter Twenty Nine

Max knew Mia would be the right person to talk to, being Vic’s best friend and a great listener. The problem would be getting Mia alone without raising suspicion on Aaron’s part. Max didn’t want to get between them, that wasn’t his intention. He had to be careful around Aaron and watch his words, if he decided to go that route at all. Max didn’t want to involve other people in his problems.

The lease papers were signed the second week of September. Max and Mario were officially partners in business. They agreed on a two year lease for the building closest to North Division Street and Central Avenue. The demographics were perfect. There were plenty of passersby in cars and on foot. Peekskill was the right town to open up an outdoor sports gear store. The age group of active adults was just right. This store would thrive with Mario’s business smarts and Max’s charm and handsome, rugged good looks. They wanted the Colorado mountain vibe in downtown Peekskill, starting with the store name. They would name their store “Geared Up” and the official opening would be the third weekend of October. Mario arranged to stay with Vic for six weeks until the store was running smoothly. They had supplies to buy, employees to hire and a grand opening to promote. Staying in Tarrytown made more sense than going to and from Hunter, and Mario didn’t want to impose on Max by asking to stay with him. Tarrytown was only twenty-five minutes away.

Time moved slowly for Vic. She hadn’t seen or spoken to Max in almost a month. She did her best to get out of her funk. Working every day, and being with friends was her saving grace. Vic let go of the hope she had, and moved on. Many evenings were spent with everyone congregating at the Victorian. Sasha hadn’t moved in yet, but the house was coming along beautifully. Workers were busy installing the new roof and the exterior paint job was in process. The Victorian was emerging with the dignity and grandeur she once carried a century earlier.

The girls enjoyed paint parties which always included multiple bottles of Merlot and plenty of smack talk.

The dining room walls were slathered with burnt orange semi-gloss paint. Blue painters tape was stretched out to protect the woodwork, even though it was a tedious job. Each person had their specific role and area to work on. Mia teetered on the top step of the ladder, trying to reach as close as she could to the ceiling with the roller. She was tall, athletic, and unanimously assigned to that job. Sasha, being afraid of heights, chose to tape the trim with Tina’s help. Karen and Vic painted at eye level while they all chattered at the same time. Background music and wine were constants. An extra case of Merlot sat on the card table at all times. The classic rock station filled the air as the girls danced around the drop cloth with paint brushes and rollers in hand.

“Hey, Vic, how’s Geared Up coming along?” Sasha asked, as she straightened out the blue tape on the door frame. She flicked a piece of tape that was stuck to her ruby red fingernail. “Mario and Max have to be pretty excited about the progress, right?”

Silence filled the room except for Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” playing in the background. Sasha stopped taping and turned around. Eight eyes stared at her like she just committed a mortal sin. Her transgression would require at least ten Hail Mary’s. “Now what did I do wrong?” she sighed.

“A little empathy would be good,” Tina said.

“C’mon you guys. I got over Jack in five minutes, and we were a real couple.”

Mia almost fell off the ladder. “Don’t make me come down there and smack you across the face,” she yelled from her perch. “Apologize to me, Karen and Vic… right now!”

“Jeez, you guys… sorry. I was only making conversation.”

“Well, converse this.” Mia shot the middle finger at Sasha faster than lightning as she shimmied down the ladder. She grabbed Sasha by the nape of the neck. “Outside, now.”

“Sorry about Sasha, Vic. She doesn’t know any better. She really didn’t mean anything by that,” Karen said, comforting Vic when she saw the tears pooling in her eyes.

“I have to let it go. Max and I are over. Nobody needs to tiptoe around me anymore. That’s bullshit. You guys have been there for me whenever I needed to talk. I’ll be right back.” Vic went outside and sat on the porch with Mia and Sasha. Mia was drilling proper etiquette into Sasha’s head, harshly.

“Mia… stop. Sasha didn’t mean anything by it. She was asking a valid question. It’s me that needs to get a grip. C’mon you guys, a group hug… please? Let’s take a break and have some wine. Sasha, you asked me a justified question and I’m going to answer it.”

Sasha hung her head and took the walk of shame as she stepped over the threshold and back into the house. “Sorry, everyone. Sometimes I just blurt things out. I didn’t mean anything by it… really.” She gave Tina and Karen a hug with an authentic, heartfelt apology for her comments.

They sat on the maple floor, side by side in the dining room. The fireplace glowed with small embers, more for ambiance than warmth. Mia turned off the music for now. Sasha filled each empty plastic cup with wine.

Vic started by saying she didn’t want any sympathy. If she and Max were meant to be a couple, it would work itself out, somehow, someday. She believed in karma, both good and bad. “Now to answer your question, Sasha. As far as I know, the store is coming along nicely. Mario said they just hired two college kids for the weekends and a recent graduate to work daily with Max. I’ve asked Mario about Max’s health and he said Max is doing great. He has a slight limp, but that’s all. His leg braces come off in a few days, so that’s wonderful news. Mario even said the insurance company gave Max a nice settlement for his Harley and he already bought another one. I guess he’ll start customizing it during the winter months when he isn’t helping Mario. It will be slower in Peekskill because of the type of gear they’ll sell. The mad rush will be the ski store in Hunter. Max will go there and help out, especially on weekends. Any other questions?” she asked, with half a smile.

Sasha bounced up and down raising her hand like a school kid. “I do. I do. When are you and Max going to make up?”

Vic groaned with her face in her hands, then laughed. “I don’t have a clue, honey, but thanks for asking.”

***

The Westchester County seat was located in White Plains. Because Mario and Max decided on an LLC, they had to sign documents at the courthouse and register the company trade name before they could officially open for business. Max knew Mario expected to ride together to White Plains. Max would have to pass Tarrytown anyway. He agreed, telling Mario to expect him at ten a.m. He assumed Vic would be at work. What Max forgot, was that Hair Brained was closed on Tuesday’s.

The 1999 Chevy Silverado lumbered down the highway toward Tarrytown.
Gotta get that exhaust fixed. It’s starting to sound like the glass packs on Mia’s Camaro.
Max smiled at the image in his mind. He remembered that day when the paramedics carried Mia to her car after she sprained her ankle. He laughed when she pointed to the hotrod black Camaro Z28 sitting in the parking lot. Of course it had to be her car. Max chuckled, as he thought about those crazy few days, months ago. He began to relax as he drove.
Vic will be at work. No worries.
He pulled into the driveway and honked the horn. Mario texted he would be out in a couple of minutes. Max lay his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes. The sun warmed the left side of his face. The open window allowed the breeze to blow softly through the truck. Max’s arm was on the window frame, his head propped in his hand. He was dozing off with his head precariously bobbing, ready to hit his chest. He didn’t hear Vic pull up and get out of her car.

“Hi, Max.”

He jumped at her voice, causing Vic to jump as well. She let out a small giggle at the startled look he wore.

Mario opened the front door, one foot over the threshold, when he noticed his sister standing at the driver’s window of Max’s truck. He stepped back in and closed the door.

It’s Vic, and she’s only inches from my face.
“Vic! Why aren’t you at work?” Max asked, trying to come to his senses.

“It’s Tuesday. Hair Brained is closed. I was out running errands and… You look good, Max. How are you doing?”

“I’m good. A small limp with my right leg, otherwise as good as new. And you?”

The small talk was awkward. They both felt it.

“Couldn’t be better.” She smiled while telling the biggest lie ever to cross her lips. “I’ll get Mario for you.”

Vic walked away abruptly and headed for the house. She didn’t see Max reaching for her hand. He didn’t see her eyes tearing up with agony.

Mario came out and got into the passenger side of the truck. “Okay, man, let’s make this business official,” he said. He would let this brief encounter go. Mario finally concluded his sister’s love life, or lack of it, was none of his business.

Vic peered out between the slats of the blinds as they drove away. Tears streamed down her cheeks and gathered at her chin, before falling to the pink tee shirt she wore.

***

Ten days remained before the grand opening. Karen volunteered her services for the promotion, but as soon as Max and Mario realized what an asset she was, they hired her full time on the spot. She would be the PR representative for both stores. Karen was good at what she did, but had an agenda all her own. She wanted to get closer to Mario. If it had to start out as business only, so be it. It was a start. Timing was everything, and Karen would remain patient.

She took charge of all the promotional planning. Karen ran the ads, printed the flyers and brochures, and hired teenagers to walk the streets of Peekskill handing them out. She ran the idea past Mario and Max of a ten percent discount on all purchases on the day of the grand opening. She also suggested a grand prize of two hundred Geared Up Bucks for in-store merchandise to the thousandth person coming through the doors on their opening weekend. She sent out invitations to everyone they knew to attend the grand opening. There would be an after-party for their closest friends at the Inn Along the Hudson. Karen reserved the beautiful Stonewater Grille’s canopied terrace deck for Friday night, October 17.

“That should get the town buzzing,” she said, as they ended the day at Ruben’s. The three sat at the outdoor table on the sidewalk, each with a cold pint in hand. Geared Up was directly across the street. Trying to take on the role of an unbiased customer, each gave their opinion of the store from this side looking toward it. Max liked the facade, but suggested potted evergreens on either side of the entrance to give it an outdoor feel.