The Prospect - Eliot Parker (top 10 novels .txt) 📗

I do not,” barked Morton Mitchell. “Joann Triplet is a fine lady. I am sure he is a nice lad. I am just concerned and curious about why you went to see him.” Before Olivia could respond, he explicated further. “The incident before church the other Sunday…you had me scared to death. I had no idea you were even going to Clark Field. I wish you had said something.” Morton stopped to wipe the sweat from his upper lip. “Tell me what you are doing…where you are going. That is all I ask. You have not been real open with me since your mom died.”
Olivia’s forehead formed a scowl as she spoke placidly. “That’s not fair daddy.” Sensing something was going to happen, Chaz pulled his arms behind his back, interlocked his hands, and took a step backwards.
Morton Mitchell now looked at the ground scratching the back of his neck. He had made a mistake by mentioning Lilia, but his assertions were true. When Lilia died five years ago from a terrible case of pancreatic cancer, Olivia simply closed up. No longer was she apt to share feelings, thoughts, hopes, and fears with him. At first, Morton assumed that it was something Olivia would outgrow. But as Olivia grew older, her knack for speaking about herself dissipated.
“Another thing you do, is when Shane comes up, you shift attention away from him. Why is that? Speaking of being honest, what are you hiding?”
Shane’s hearing peaked decisively as he awaited the answer to the question. He was bumped by someone trying to walk around him, but Shane continued listening, unphased.
“Honey, I have known all the Triplet’s for a long time. I used to work with Shane’s dad, Roger at the sawmill….many, many years ago. Roger was a fine man, Joann is a fine lady and I am sure that Shane is a fine person. But since he has become ‘Mr. Sheaville’ you have generated an increasing interest in him. I would like to know why.” With that, Morton folded his arms and rocked backwards.
Chaz was hoping something or someone would get him away from the family squabble. With the afternoon sun now descending on Sheaville, the shortstop turned to shield the sunrays. Squinting, he noticed a figure standing outside the door. Chaz attempted to speak and say something, but no words resonated from his mouth.
Olivia walked closer towards her father. “You worked with Roger Triplet. And you have known the Triplet’s for years, but you have contempt for Shane. That makes no sense.”
The mayor stepped alongside Olivia and embraced her in a half-hug. “Sweetheart, let’s not fight. If you want to hang out with Shane, that’s fine. I will try not to hamper on it if you will just communicate with me. Whadda say?”
The politician had once again struck a compromise with someone without giving up any information. Impressive… Shane thought as he still continued glancing at the sun-drenched window as he pondered the situation.
Olivia, now more than ever enraged with suspicion, was primed and ready to further push her father. “Wait a second, Mr. Miller was in here several weeks ago and was arguing with you over something. Something about a secret. Something about you are going to pay for it. What was that all about?”
“Nothing darling. I am sorry you had to hear that.”
“Baloney. I have a feeling that secret is tied into Shane somehow. Yea, that makes sense. You were shaken by that visit. And Shane’s name was mentioned and YOU flinched!” Pulling away from the mayor, Olivia had him flustered.
“Kind of like I am being talked about now,” Shane interrupted as he stepped through the doorway.”
“Shane!” the mayor declared, facetiously.
“Sir, I have heard the whole discussion. I must admit, your daughter has a great sense of piecing things together. I did not know about any secret, nor did I know about you and Dad working together.” Shane ran a hand through his wispy blond hair and waited for Morton to respond.
“Actually Shane, I am glad you are here.”
“That makes two of us,” Chaz added.
“Tonight, I want you to come to over to our house for dinner… in honor of you making it to the all-star team. I would really like to get to know you. This little, ah, discussion with my daughter has piqued my interest about you. Maybe we can get to know each other and I can tell you some stories about your old man. Chaz here can give you directions if you need them.”
Stunned and confused, Olivia flashed her brown eyes at Shane and shrugged her shoulders. Chaz was blowing air through is parted lips, giving no thought or reaction to the invitation.
Shane Triplet was not sure what to say or do. The mayor of Sheaville, a man he did not really know, other than what Chaz Martinez had told him, asking him to dinner at his house? Now Morton reveals that he knew and even worked with his dad? Unable to quickly think or a reason or excuse for not attending, Shane blurted, “okay.”
“Great!,” answered the mayor. “See you at our place at 7:00 p.m.”

XIX
Chaz watched Shane briskly move around the Triplet home. Joann was sitting at kitchen table, the waitress uniform loosened and eight bare toes dragging against an empty dining room seat.
“Does he always do this?” Chaz asked, hoping to find out what Shane was doing all this running for.
“Actually,” Joann replied, sliding up in the chair, “I think this is the first time my son has been on a date. That may have something to do with it.”
Chaz nodded slowly, still unsure what a first date had to do with running around like your feet were on fire.
Shane blasted through the kitchen doorway, bumping Chaz slightly into the wall. “Mamma, I cannot find my suit or my tie or my dress shoes. Oh…I should never have agreed to this. Never!
“My goodness sweetheart,” the waitress said exhaustingly. “You are making mountains outta molehills. Joann worked her way out of the chair and flashed a grin at Chaz. “We’ll be back in a minute or two.”
Guiding Shane through the doorway into the living room with a hand placed between his shoulders, mother and son disappeared into the adjacent dark room.
Chaz surveyed the depressed home. Joann’s medicine bottles were sitting in the center of a kitchen table that was stained and splitting from age and overuse. Each of the three bottles proudly displayed the yellow and purple label of “Frank Miller’s Drugstore.” The kitchen was cleaner than the last time Chaz was there, but it was still in desperate need of attention. Chaz was glad he lived where he did. The mayor was frustrating and Olivia was, at times, overzealous, but his living conditions had to be better than Shane’s. Shane did not talk about home very much. Chaz understood why.
Shane came moping through the doorway, with a gray sports coat and maroon tie draped over his arm. “Ok, now let me get ya all fixed up,” proposed Joann Triplet.
“Hey Shane, I am going to wait outside. I will see you in a few….”
“That’s fine Martinez. I’ll be there in a sec.”
“I am soooooo proud of you, peaches,” chimed Joann sweetly. “My little angel going on his first date with a girl. Not just any girl. Olivia Mitchell. This is just to delicious!”
“Mamma…….”
Joann puckered her lips and gave her son a kiss on the mouth. “My baby boy is growing up. Going to Savannah to play as an all-star. And here I though a mother can only get so proud.”
Tightening the necktie around her son’s white shirt, expressions of uneasiness flooded Shane’s face. It was true, this was his first ever date. Shane always assumed there was time for women. When he was in high school, there was always too much going on. Parties, baseball, sneaking into Pirates games at Three Rivers Stadium….way too many important things for a person to concern themselves with. Girls never fell into that list. Shane was constantly approached by girls looking for sex and to date the high school superstar athlete and Shane always politely refused their overtures.
Shane hocked as Joann secured the knot around the shirt collar. “There ya go. All set!” Looking away to check the clock, Joann made eye contact again with Shane. “Better get going…you don’t wanna be late now.”
“Thanks mamma…I love you!”
“I love you too. Give me the full story now later. And remember to smile, and say please and thank you.”
For a moment, Shane imagined he was ten years old again. “I will mamma.” Shane’s voice trailed off as the screen door slammed shut and the shadow of the gray coat vanished.
Chaz and Shane did not speak much on the way to the Mitchell house. Morton let Chaz take the Honda over to pick Shane up. The mayor requested that Shane was not too be sweaty when he arrived. That was Chaz’s responsibility. In what seemed like seconds, the car pulled into the driveway and Shane gulped mightily.
“By the way, you look totally ridiculous. You must have gotten that suit from the Bob Barker refuse section,” chided Chaz, giggling.
Shane smirked and socked the shortstop in the arm with is fist. “Keep talking and I’ll put you in the refuse pile.”
As they approached the driveway, Shane took inventory of the Mitchell home. It was a multi-level brick and vinyl construction featuring no formal garage, but a driveway with an overhang. The three concrete steps leading to the front porch were a vibrant white, and appeared almost brand new. The front of the house had two rectangular glass windows and one elongated glass window, similar to the window at the Morton’s office in town, but there wasn’t much of a yard. The front porch was littered with furniture and the front door protected by too large white Doric columns that connected the roof of the structure.
Chaz slipped in front of Shane and walked to the front door. Waiting for the pitcher to catch up, he carefully turned the door knob and pushed the door back gently. “Come on in,” Chaz told Shane, looking back over his shoulder.
Shane was hesitant, but he stepped inside. The house was very spacious, although rooms were in close proximity of each other. Shane noticed the stairwell leading to the second floor within a few feet of the foyer. The kitchen was straight ahead with the living room immediately to the right. One doorway led from the living room to another room, but Shane could not see beyond that point.
Olivia bounced down the stairs and approached Shane in the foyer. “Hey stranger. I was not sure you were going to make it.” Her smile was bright and she wore a short, black skirt with a white dress shirt. It looked like something a man would wear, minus the skirt. Her hair was long and strait and Shane could smell Olivia’s perfume, which was quickly becoming a favorite smell.
“Hey, Olivia,” Shane whispered nervously as his face felt flushed. “I am a little nervous, sorry about that.”
In response, Olivia grabbed Shane’s hand, massaging her palm around his fingers. “It’s okay. I would be nervous too.”
The house was eerie and quiet, not the typical sounds Shane expected from a house that was expecting a dinner guest. He looked behind his right shoulder to say something to Chaz, but he had disappeared.
“Well, I am not sure what you want me to do now, Olivia.” Shane hesitated briefly before he spoke again. “I can tell a joke or two if you want. Or maybe we can make another bet on something.”
Still holding Shane’s hand,