Monday, August 09, 2010

Harter Union: Part Six; Chapter 3

Nathan and Stephanie were lying in Nathan’s bed together and Stephanie was playing with his chest hair. “Do you regret what we did?” she asked.

“No, of course not. Why would I?”

“Alyson,” Stephanie said her name like it left a bad taste in her mouth.

“What about her?”

“She is your fiancĂ©e, that’s what.”

“Look, when I proposed to Alyson, at that time it was a good idea. I loved her and she loved me but after a while she just…” Nathan tried to form the right words but couldn’t.

“I know. She kind of became a bitch,” Stephanie said.

“When I first did it,” Nathan began, “it was wonderful but now I’ve realized that proposing to Alyson was a huge mistake.”




Alyson walked into Wendy’s office, sat down in a chair and groaned. “Please don’t do that, Al. I have a lot of work to do,” Wendy said.

“Well, I need to talk to someone. Can’t you spare a minute?”

Wendy sighed loudly and looked at the clock on her desk. “I can’t believe Kathryn did all this work. What is it?”

“Well, my stomach’s been hurting and I’ve been getting sick in the morning,” Alyson rubbed her stomach.

“I’m not a doctor, Alyson, what’s your point?”

“And I haven’t had my period,” Alyson stared hard at Wendy who was finally getting it.

“So you might be pregnant?”

“I’m taking the dinner shift off and going to Lawrence to see a doctor but I’m really scared, Dee.”

“And you have every right to be but Nathan has always wanted children so everything will be all right,” Wendy tried to reassure. “Come on, I’m thirsty. Walk with me to the kitchen,” Alyson and Wendy left the office and headed to the cafeteria.

“The reason I’m so scared is because Nathan and I barely speak anymore. He talks to Stephanie more than he does me,” Alyson admitted.

“Do you think there’s something going on between them?”

“I wouldn’t put it past them but I honestly have no proof,”

“I’m sorry Al but you do know that I’m here—we’re all here—if you need anything.”

“I know…Thanks,” Alyson grabbed a cup from the rack and filled it with Diet Coke.

Sam came out from the kitchen and grabbed a red cup. He began filling it with raspberry tea and noticed Alyson crying. “What’s wrong, Al?”

“Promise not to tell anyone?” Alyson asked. Sam nodded and Alyson got closer to him. “I may be pregnant.”

“Okay, well if you need anything, moral support, time-off, you just ask all right?” Sam briefly hugged Alyson, clapped Wendy on the shoulder and headed back to the kitchen. “Man, that kid’s gonna be lucky. Brains, looks…if only everybody could be that lucky.”

“Yeah, Nathan and I do have some pretty good genes,” Alyson sniffed.

“I wasn’t really talking about Nathan,” Sam smiled, raised his cup and went back into the kitchen.




Nathan, Kepler, Melissa Sam and two new workers, Ryan Yoder and Danny Beaumont, were in the Dish Room talking. “So for two hours I was talking to this woman about me wanting to be an actor,” said Sam. “I finally had to hang up when she asked me about my height and weight. I also put in my two week notice.”

“I would, too. There’s just something wrong with someone on Medicare hitting on a telephone operator,” Kepler said.

“I had to find some way to pay the bills,” said Sam. “So, Nathan, what’s going on between you and Alyson?”

“What do you mean?”

“Okay, well, what’s going on between you and Stephanie?”

“Nothing.”

“I live next door to you, Nathan! You and Stephanie went in together and neither one of you came out!”

“Whoa, Nathan, are you cheating on Alyson?” Melissa asked.

“Maybe,” Nathan said backing away from the approaching girl.

“You are engaged to her! You said that you loved her and now you screw around behind her back?”

“You make it seem like I’m humping every girl and their mother. It’s just Stephanie and none of you know how it is constantly being around Alyson. She’s a nice girl and good lay but she can get annoying! None of you know what it’s like!” Nathan complained.

“Then break up with her,” Melissa said.

“I can’t…”

“You have no idea,” said Sam.

“I don’t want to hurt her.”

“Look, Nathan, you say you love her but you’re sleeping with Stephanie. Make a decision because after lunch, Alyson is going to the doctor so you may be stuck with her for a long time,” Sam said. “And now, what are your plans for the weekend, Mel?”

“You are not the king of the segue are you, Sam?” asked Kepler.

“Nope,” Sam smiled.

“Well, Jeff and I are going out tomorrow. We’re going to a performance of Mozart at the Lied Center, and then having dinner at Shalor’s in the Eldridge Hotel where Jeff has also gotten a room,” Melissa cooed.

“Sounds like a real romantic night,” Ryan said.

“Yeah. He’s been promising me dinner and a night in a hotel for a couple months but when this Mozart concert thing came to town, which clenched it for him.”

“Well, I hope you have fun. I have to go check on the Line,” Sam left the Dish Room and went up to the Line where Heather and Stephanie were working. “How you doing girls?”

“Fine, Sam. Running out of scalloped potatoes though,” Heather said.

“That’s fine,” Sam glanced up at the clock. “Five more minutes then close her down.” Sam went past the girls and out into the dining room where Aaron was loading up the 2% milk.

“Hey, Sam,” Aaron lifted the full case of milk and slid it into the cooler.

“Hey, Aaron. Say, what do you think of those two new employees?”

“Ryan and Danny? They seem all right. A little quiet but they will come into their own and out of their shell in no time. I did,” Aaron closed the cooler and both started walking back to the kitchen.

“They were the last people hired before Jeff went to his new position and I’m scared of hiring those new people tomorrow and what if I don’t do a good a hiring job as Jeff did?”

“It’ll be fine. It was a little dodgy with Jeff, too but it all worked out okay,” Aaron reassured. “You’ll do fine,” Aaron patted Sam on the back, broke away and headed to the Dish Room. Sam sighed and went into his office.

Next:
Alyson breaks up with Nathan; Sam hires new people and Jeff and Melissa go on a date.