Chapter 12/ Back to Work

CHAPTER TWELVE

Back to Work

Stacy is a little depressed these days.  Not because she is not happy with Kahana; but because she is running low on funds and is a little scared about that.  When she stopped working (was fired), Stacy received a severance package and dividends on her stock.  That money is substantially less than she was used to making and she has been forced to dip into savings each month to make up the difference.  Stacy was the bread winner when she was married.  When she got divorced, Stacy paid in the settlement.

Stacy has been out of work for over nine months.  Money is a little tighter for her.  The dinners are less expensive. Certain repairs on the Porsche have to wait.

About a month ago it had reached a crisis level for Stacy, and we were told about it each morning for a week. “ I am down to less than $50,000 in my savings”.  She said.  “I have to start making some real money”. Stacy is not a sit at home person. She needs to be very active. She did some personal training.  She also taught some people how to paddle surf to make some extra cash. Pictures of her training and teaching appeared on Facebook on a regular basis. But that was pocket change and simply gas money.

Kahana works full time. Stacy felt she needed to get back to work as well.  She interviewed at several marketing firms. She spoke to the clients of the marketing firms she worked at previously. Stacy is not too shy to pick up the phone and cold call a client.  But in this tight job market and poor economy, even the cold calls were not working.

Stacy is a networker. She makes sure she talks to everyone and finds out what they are doing for a living.  Stacy self-promotes herself well.  Whatever a person’s business might be, Stacy tries to make the person feel as though she could be an asset.

Once she really started to put her mind to work, it was not long before she landed a marketing gig in Delray Beach.  About a ten minute drive from Starbucks.  She met with one of the owners and they hit it off right away.  “It was great; we were on the same page”. Stacy told us.  “He knew of my work at my prior company, and he wants me to help run the marketing end of the business”.     She was excited.  This had her pumped sky high.  She would start next week.

Next week came around, and Stacy didn’t start yet. She was at Starbucks, till dressed in workout clothes.  “What happened to the job”? I asked.  “I thought you were starting today”?

“The guy I met with, John, hadn’t cleared it with his partners yet”.  Stacy responded in a readily apparent downer mood.  Stacy barely made eye contact as she worked on the Sun-Sentinel daily crossword puzzle.  “Don’t worry, something with come through for you.” Jackie tried to console Stacy.

A few days later, “they called me in”. Stacy announced. Her mood was back. She was pumped again. “I am going to start officially tomorrow”.   She said. 

The next morning, Stacy was dressed in a skirt and blouse; very professional looking.  She got to Starbucks early. Was already there for 30 minutes before I got there, and told me that she “could not sleep at all last night”.  She was anxious to start at the new company.  Her head was spinning all night.

Stacy went into the office and seemed to start work at the new company. For several days she would comment to us about how much she looked forward to going into the office. “I think this could be a great situation for me.  They need my help”.   However, before the week was out, Stacy had a concern; “They haven’t really agreed upon what my title is going to be”.

The following week, Stacy came to Starbucks in the morning with her workout clothes back on.  “What happened?  No work today?”  I asked.   “I have to find a new job”. Stacy responded in a too familiar sullen tone.  “The three partners to the company could not agree on my role.  One, who I can’t stand, said I was brought on prematurely”.

Within a day or so, Stacy returned to the job postings, the computer listings; and her networking.  She once again stopped familiar people entering Starbucks in the morning.  Everyone would know she was a free agent again.  She was back on a mission to find a job.

It was a Saturday morning; the crew at Starbucks that morning consisted of Stacy and Kahana, Jackie, Dorrie and Solomon with their two little boys, Daniel and me.  After we all had our coffees or tea in hand we gathered around two large tables that were placed next to each other. The one of the boys ran around the table with a milk container in hand, the other sat in his stroller with a snack.

The adult conversation was focused about the little boys and potty training.  Stacy was playing with one of the boys as we conversed. Jackie and Dorrie had their own private conversation going.  That was when Harland appeared with Sara.

Although the conversation began with how things were going with Whitney and their daughter Sara, it soon focused on business.  Stacy has always been able to turn the conversation to about her.  Today was no exception.   “So you probably heard I am looking for a new position”. She told Harland.   “Really”? , he asked.   “Yes, things just did not work out in my last position”.  She explained.  “They weren’t ready for me”.

Harland invited Stacy to stop by his offices on Monday to see if there was something that she can do with him. Harland was also in a marketing firm, and they were in the process of growing. Harland expanded over the last year from a home based business to having an office with a staff.

Later in the following week, we learned that Stacy was hired by Harland.  She won’t be running the office. She will be doing sales.  “ I am very excited.  I think this is going to work out great”.  Stacy told us. “Harland knows what I can do.  I don’t think I have to prove myself.”.

For the next few weeks, Stacy came to Starbucks pumped.  She came early.  She left a few minutes before 9 am to get into the office on time.  “I really like it there”. She would say.  You can hear the enthusiasm in her voice.

Within a month, Stacy began having issues with one of Harland’s partners. “The guy just does not understand the sales cycle”.  She said.  “He does not appreciate the time I am spending developing my customers.”    The partner was  either expecting immediate results or was not 100% behind Stacy’s hire.

A week later, “he is treating me like I am kid off the street”.   She said.  “I need to speak with Harland about this”.  

Apparently the other partner also has his own motivational techniques.  According to Stacy, this guy likes to belittle the sales team into doing better.  She said he talks down to the sales personnel, and raises his voice for no reason.  I listen and think to myself, that the guy must have worked in the car business.

When I worked for an automobile dealership, I found high school dropouts that had worked their way to management acting the same way to the sales team. They would similarly try to belittle the sales people, to motivate them.  An uneducated person on a power trip is a site to behold.

Stacy was not happy again, and she started coming to Starbucks a little later.   She also stayed later. She would look at the time and say “I am going to tell them I had a meeting with a potential client”.  

Before long, “I need to decide what to do with myself, I don’t think I can take it there.  But I feel bad about leaving Harland”.

We all gave Stacy a pep talk. Although strong minded, Stacy needed to have her confidence stroked. We told her to talk to Harland and straighten things out.  Stacy did that. Now she goes in each day, does her thing. She has starting to generate some sales, and lets the problem partner’s comments go in one ear and out the other.

Chapter 11/ A Concert in the Park

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A Concert in the Park

When you are older the party starts early.  Of our crew from Starbucks, some of us are over 50; most of us are over 40; and all of us are over 30.  Some of us have kids that are grown and out of the house; some of us have kids that are in college; and some of us have kids that still need a babysitter.  Regardless, it is the rarest of occasions that we party or stay out past midnight.  One of many things happen, the babysitter needs to get home; a kid needs to be picked up from a party, or we have fallen asleep sitting or standing in place and desperately need our pillows and beds.

Jethro Tull came to Boca Raton this year for an outdoor concert at Mizner Park.  My Starbucks gang gathered outside the concert amphitheatre with blankets, chairs and a cooler.  The party started around 6:30.  The concert started at 8.   Stacy and Kahana, Dorrie and Solomon, my wife and I, and Jackie attended.  Daniel, young light skinned black man from Belize that spends time at our Starbucks was there also. Alfred was out of town.

Daniel is a computer geek for a medical technology company. The company has a Florida office, but is based in Israel.   Dan is one of the few black men around that speaks fluent Hebrew.  And, while not Jewish, is familiar enough with Jewish culture and traditions to fit right in at any Seder Table.

My group staked out a grassy area close to the amphitheatre.  Since I live near the Park, I was responsible for getting our spot.  Stacy brought a large blanket, a cooler and tequila of course.  She and Kahana began to mix margaritas soon after they arrived.

Dorrie and Solomon arrived with some cheese and crackers. They even brought a cutting board with some knives.  After an hour of drinking, we were a little buzzed and still hungry.  Uncle Julio’s Mexican restaurant was just across from where we were sitting, so we placed an order for takeout.  Within no time we had ourselves a great picnic and sat back listening to music from our youth. The weather was nice; and just a little overcast at the start of the concert.   Ian Hunter was the opening act.  By the time he sang “All the Young Dudes”, I had a nice margarita buzz on.

Stacy took pictures for Facebook of course. 

However, the overcast sky turned dark and a thundershower came within the first hour of Jethro Tull’s performance. At our age, we don’t sit in the rain for any artist.

By 9:00 pm we decided to pack up the cooler and blankets and agreed to gather at the Exchange. The Exchange is a local bar walking distance from Mizner Park.

The bar was practically empty when we arrived.  There were just a few regulars smoking cigarettes and nursing cocktails as they sat in the corner.  We all ordered drinks and commandeered some hightop tables on the opposite end of the bar.  Kahana had a joint that he passed around to several us just outside the bar.

Some others, friends of Stacy and Dorrie, found their way to the bar as well.  Lisa E. and her husband met up with us there. We saw Lisa at the concert.  Lisa E and her husband are part of a faster crowd and they are heavy partiers.  After a drink or two, Lisa whispered something in the ear of Dorrie. Lisa then went with Stacy and Dorrie into the ladies’ room.    While it is ordinarily innocent enough for women to go to the bathroom together, these girls went to the bathroom for other purposes.  Lisa had both coke and ecstasy with her.

While Stacy went to a stall to pee, Lisa pulled out a vial and poured some of the white powder onto a makeup mirror she had in her purse.  “Here, use this” she said as she handed Dorrie a short silver straw to snort the coke with. Stacy finished what she was doing and took a turn with the straw as well.

The girls passed around the straw and each did a few lines of coke.  Lisa then offered Dorrie and Stacy some E.  Stacy declined but Dorrie accepted.

Dorrie is outwardly conservative, and a mom of two little boys, but she has a wild side.  The girls spent about 15 minutes in the bathroom doing lines of coke, before taking ecstasy. Stacy only did a single line coke to go with her tequila fix.  They all came out of the bathroom smiling, talkative and ready to dance to the music playing over the bar speakers.  There were less than six patrons in the bar when we got there, and other than our group, there were no others that came after we got there.  Nevertheless girls started to dance. 

Dorrie was dancing with Lisa and Jackie was dancing with Daniel. Stacy was dancing alone and chatting with Kahana.  I sat with Solomon, who told me he needed to leave shortly because his parents were watching the boys only for a few hours. He needed to be back home by 9:30.   It was Dorrie’s turn to be able to stay out with friends. So she continued to dance with the other girls when Solomon left.  Jackie promised Solomon to give Dorrie a lift home.

It was not long before the girls were simply toasted from the drinks and other substances.  It had barely turned 10 pm and we were all starting to tire regardless of what we had.  

Stacy was her usual self.  Her speech was slurred and she was loud.  She was bouncing off of all of us. Moving from guy to guy, talking but banging into us like a pinball; Cigarette in one hand, drink in the other.  Most of us, the men in the group in particular, sat starring at each other with little to say to one another.  My eyes were like slits as I struggled to keep them open to watch the girls.

Dorrie was having trouble with her balance.  The alcohol at the park, the coke in the bathroom, the ecstasy, all was definitely affecting Dorrie.  She was stumbling and trying to hold on to something to stay on her feet.  She grabbed the table top and then grabbed hold of a curtain.  Daniel caught her from falling. Dorrie was totally wasted.  “I love you all”.  Dorrie said in a drunken stupor as she grabbed hold of Jackie to catch her balance. “Jackie, I really love you” she said starring up a Jackie.  “Thank you” Jackie responded with a smile.  “Dorrie, I think it’s time we go”.  Jackie added.

Jackie and Dorrie said their goodbyes. A hug and kiss, and then they stumbled to Jackie’s car.  Kahana and Daniel followed and helped Dorrie get to the car which had been parked down the block from the bar. Dorrie was having trouble walking and Jackie could not hold her up. Daniel opened the car door and Kahana lifted Dorrie into the passenger seat, and strapped her in.  Jackie and Dorrie then drove off, just the two of them.

We said our goodbyes as well, leaving Kahana and Stacy to talk with Lisa E and her husband.

 While driving, Dorrie’s hands were all over Jackie; caressing Jackie’s legs and arms. She said “you are so beautiful” to Jackie.   “It is so hot in here”, Dorrie said as she unbuttoned her blouse revealing her white bra.  Jackie was driving and wondering what was unfolding. She was not sure if it was Dorrie making a pass at her or simply the E speaking.  Nothing was going to happen. Not then at least. Jackie delivered Dorrie safely to Solomon and nothing was mentioned of ride home.

It was not yet 11:00 pm and these old party goers were done for the night.

Chapter 10 / The Little Giant

CHAPTER 10

The Little Giant

It’s about 8:15 in the morning and Jackie and I have been chatting with Stacy for a few minutes as Richard slowly approaches.  Kahana is on line in Starbucks getting his coffee and Stacy’s. Stacy and Kahana are now living together. Kahana and Stacy were spending so much time together; there was no need for Kahana to maintain an apartment.  Since they started living together, Stacy does not wait on line for coffee at Starbucks. That is Kahana’s role in the morning.  Kahana generally arrives about two to five minutes before Stacy each morning as his car is in the driveway of the townhouse and Stacy’s Porsche is parked in the garage.   Kahana gets to Starbucks, hands me the newspaper and then goes to wait on line for their coffee. When Stacy arrives, the coffee is there waiting.  Timing does not always work as Bobby the barista has the line backed up often.

Richard approaches cigarette in hand as usual.   He is dressed in golf attire.   He has a golf shirt, a sweater vest, his chinos and loafers.  In typical fashion Richard sneaks up behind Jackie and gives her a kiss on neck. It is a kiss that he does not give to any other of our group, except Tammy.  And, we have not seen Tammy for some time now.

After he finishes his kiss Richard puts his hands on Jackie’s shoulders and gives his patented 30 second massage.  This short, middle aged man with grey hair and a cuddly appearance needs to lift his arms high to massage Jackie’s shoulders as she sits.  His hands and fingers are bigger and fatter than his size would suggest.  At barely 5’5, he is a good three or four inches shorter than Jackie.  Jackie closes her eyes for a brief moment as she enjoys the massage treatment.  

Richard then steps back and stands there for a moment to hear the topic of conversation or to draw additional attention to himself.   Jackie asks Richard if he is playing golf today.  “No, but I might hit some balls later”. He says.  Richard is an avid golfer among other things.

Richard makes his own hours at the brokerage firm as he is senior and manages a small book of business for private clients.  If he does not have a meeting or a conference call about some new stock issue coming to the firm, he is usually just watching the market to protect his client’s investments. Richard never loses money for his clients. At least that is what we are told. Whether the market is up or down, Richard knows how to create a return on the investment.  Richard is an expert on most businesses.  He looks forward to the time when he will be invited to be a guest speaker at a conference to share his vast knowledge and experience.

We do invite Richard to come to many of our evening get togethers with Terrie, his girlfriend. Most times he declines or says he will get back to us, and never does.  He stops by Rocco's on occassion but never on a Wednesday night.

Richard asks “does anyone want anything inside?”  “Kahana is already on line” Stacy responds.

Richard holds the door for an attractive blonde woman in business attire, and walks in behind her.  Richard has several people in front of him on line. He proceeds to strike up a conversation with the attractive woman.   The woman is about two or three inches taller than Richard and probably ten or fifteen years younger.   The casual banter between Richard and the blonde continues even after they purchase their coffee and are at the condiments counter to get cream and sugar.

When Richard returns, I ask “did you get a telephone number or a date?”  Richard responds, “no, she works in my building. I had asked her out before and was turned down”.   Richard adds that “she has some serious issues.  Why else would she turn me down?”

Richard is still dating Terrie and is very close with Terrie’s children as well.  Nevertheless, he has his wandering eyes and is a flirt.  Richard has a very healthy self-esteem. He has no problem going approaching any woman and striking up a conversation.  No one is out of Richard’s league.  While most turn him down or decline an invitation for a date.

Richard is selective. He will not date someone if he knows the guy the woman dated had before.  It’s the “sloppy seconds” syndrome.  His self-esteem is so high that he can’t take a second position to anyone that he knows.  Although, he admitted that “if she is extremely hot, then I might complain a lot but I’d do her”.

Richard sits next to Jackie with his coffee.  His attention directed towards her alone.  Stacy and I and Kahana don’t really matter now.  Richard is back to his morning flirt with Jackie.  At first Jackie found him extremely obnoxious. But after a few months, Richard turned Jackie. Now she views him as charming.  Each time they sit together, Richard finds the excuse to touch Jackie. Whether it’s the good morning kiss hello, the quick shoulder massage, the good-bye kiss, the rub of the back, or the squeeze of the knee that makes Jackie giggle; Richard is touchy-feely and   they have become close.

Richard does not kiss or touch Stacy. He did not kiss or touch Stacy before Kahana and certainly not since his arrival.   He gives other women a kiss hello, like Talia or Tammy. But only Jackie and Tammy get the full treatment. 

Richard had a bitter divorce.  He would tell Jackie “life’s a bitch and then you marry one”.   According to Richard, his ex-wife is evil. And, she is the perfect fit for the acronym C U N T: “Can't Understand Normal Thinking”. Richard believes that acronym pertains to most women.

“Richard, you are so cynical”, Jackie would say.  And he would take that as the opportunity to squeeze Jackie’s knee and smile saying, “I am just speaking the facts”. 

Richard told us of his experience with a woman at the local department of motor vehicles.  His driver’s license was up for renewal, and had the wrong birthday on it.  It was off by exactly ten years. He went to the clerk with his US passport as identification to show the true birth date. The woman at the DMV would not hear of it. She demanded an actual birth certificate before she would change the date.  While the woman was following office protocol, to Richard she was simply a “cunt”.

Richard has hockey tickets, and offers them the Jackie; “Do you want to see the Panthers play your Canadians in two weeks?” he asks.  “Sure, Alfred would love to go”.  Jackie responds.  Richard knows that Jackie and Alfred are Canadian and hockey fans. Well, that is redundant. Canadian and hockey fan really go hand and hand.   “My seats are the best in the house”, he boasts.  “Center ice and about twelve rows back”. He adds.    Offering the tickets, Richard endeared himself to Jackie even more, enough to warrant the continued touchy-feely.

I get along with Richard, although I find him obnoxious, self-centered and egotistical.   He always can out do you.  Whether it’s cooking or grilling at home, in business, in his knowledge of sports, his coaching techniques, his purported history in playing sports, his various careers; Richard has been there and done that as good as or better than you could ever have done.  Except that Richard’s sons can do things almost as good as he could.

If you sit with someone long enough those traits that you find so annoying can become tolerable and humorous. In Richard’s case, I can poke fun at both his age and his propensity to boast of his experiences.  For example, I encouraged Richard to see the movie the King’s Speech (a recent movie that took place during the rise of the Third Reich and start of WWII, because as I told him “Richard you should see the movie, you were probably there listening to the King speak”.

After about 30 minutes Richard finishes a cigarette and stands to leave.  He grabs the sport’s section of the newspaper, folds it in half and like a guy about to head to the toilet says his good-byes and leaves.

The Starbucks Chronicles

The Starbucks Chronicles

Chapter 9/ Rocco's and Tequila

CHAPTER NINE

Rocco’s and Tequila

Thursday mornings at Starbucks, Stacy is generally a no show these days.  That’s because Wednesday night is ladies night at Roccos’; a Mexican eatery in the same plaza as Starbucks.  Generally, on a Thursday Stacy is recuperating from Wednesday.  She is usually sick in bed on Thursday morning and will manage to make it to Starbucks only much later in the morning, after our crew has disbursed.

Stacy is an extremist.  She does and experiences things to the extreme. She works out hard core at the gym.  Pumps weights, runs, works out on various aerobic machines until she looks like she is ready to faint. She surfs and paddle surfs in the Atlantic throughout the year. She’ll go on extreme sports vacations and has done some mountain climbing as well. She also parties hard.

When Stacy is sick, it is the worst. No one has it like she has it. She has allergies. No one suffers from the allergies like Stacy does. She suffers from chronic stomach pain and headaches, but she deals with. And we all know when she is dealing with her pain.  It is, according to Stacy, a testament of how strong she is.  Or maybe it is her own special form of hypochondria.

Stacy has become a regular at Rocco’s on Wednesday night.  There is an outdoor bar at Rocco’s that fills up by 7 pm.  And, many of the locals have migrated there from Blue Martini.   Additionally, there are several office buildings and a Marriot hotel that is walking distance to the restaurant that customers feed from.

Rocco’s is known for their margaritas and vast selection of tequila. Stacy is quite fond of tequila; whether in a margarita or straight up.  And, on any given Wednesday, Stacy is known to put away a half bottle or more of tequila herself.   Now that she has the big Kahana at her side, she does not have to worry about an escort home. That was not the case earlier in the year. Several times the local Boca Raton police would drive Stacy home, leaving her car at the Starbucks plaza. 

Last night Stacy was at Rocco’s as usual.  Wednesday nights for me is usually softball night so I don’t get a chance often to see Stacy in action at Rocco’s.  But my game was called for rain earlier in the day.  At around 6:30 I texted Stacy and simply stated: “Rocco?”   Her reply was quick, “of course, where else would I be?.

I pulled into the plaza around 7 o’clock. It was raining so I used the valet in front to park my car.  I hate using valet service to park my car.  It’s easy when you arrive, but a pain when you leave.  When I am ready to leave someplace, I want to get into my car and go. I often don’t have the patience to wait for the valet.  So, sometimes, weather permitting I will search 15 minutes or more for a parking spot to self-park rather than valet.  Tonight though, there was a light rain and I was lazy so I just pulled up in front.

Rocco’s was crowded and the outdoor bar was under cover, so the light rain did not dampen any spirits.   The bar, both indoors and out, has Mexican style furnishings and dark wood. The crowd was fashionable and casually dressed.  A lot of 30 and over aged women were doing a girl’s night out. Guys there seemed mostly professional types, also over 30.  The crowd was a little more laid back than you’d see at Blue Marini. 

Stacy had a corner of the bar already staked out when I got there.   The dark wooden bar was filled with more than a dozen people occupying stools and others standing two back. Bowls of tortilla chips spread across the bar at strategic locations.  Several dozen other patrons occupied the high-top tables surrounding the bar.

Stacy already had at least two margaritas by the time I arrived.  She had her own special margarita version that the bartender knew how to make.  It was strong, because it had an extra shot of tequila in it.  Stacy had her own bowl of tortilla chips and a bowl of salsa in front of her.

Stacy loves her tequila. My wife and I have gone out with Stacy and Kahana to a movie, or a show and Stacy carries a water bottle filed with tequila, just for personal consumption. Kahana is a big guy, but he generally does not drink more than a single beer.  He is the permanent designated driver for Stacy.  Stacy, on the other hand, can handle more alcohol than most men twice her size. But when it hits her, the alcohol it hits her hard, and Stacy is known to have passed out on a bar table or in the street.  Kahana has, during their brief courtship, carried Stacy over his shoulder into her home.

Jackie, Alfred, Kahana, Stacy, me and my wife all went to see Jo Koy at perform at the Improv Comedy Club in West Palm Beach. By the time Stacy showed, she had finished off half her water bottle (a 20 minute drive to the club from Boca Raton and 5 minutes to park).  Then there is the two drink minimum at the show. Before Jo Koy took the stage, Stacy’s speech had already begun to slur.  She had made “friends” with the people at the next table.  When Jo Koy took the stage, she was the “crazy red head” making all the noise in the back.  Within 30 minutes of Jo Koy’s performance the house lights went on and a nice young man escorted Stacy out.  Kahana apologized to us and took Stacy home.  Stacy joked about it for weeks. She got thrown out of the Improv!.

We all went to a movie one Friday evening; Stacy, Kahana, Jackie and Alfred, my wife and I. In the back of the movie theatre Stacy sat with her water bottle. By the time the movie was over, she could barely remember the name of the film.  She does party hard.

For some reason Stacy always complains the next day or so after a few hard party nights that her stomach hurts.  I had read an article about pancreatitis, and suggested Stacy should get herself looked at for it. She told me her girlfriend was her doctor and would have told her if she thought she had anything like that. Stacy instead believes that it is her appendix acting up. And, any moment she will need emergency care.  Stacy’s illness, her pain, and other symptoms won’t keep her from drinking whether Wednesday night at Rocco’s or any other night.

Stacy was holding court at Rocco’s. She was entertaining the bartender, and the other patrons. Many of whom she knew.  As engaging and friendly Stacy can be in the morning to the passerby’s at Starbucks, with a good buzz on she is the center of attention. She is talking louder as the evening progressed. By the time the evening is over, Stacy will know most of the people at the bar, their names, what they do for a living and they will know Stacy.  They will know what she has done in her life, and what she is currently doing. And they will have been introduced briefly to Kahana as he sits and stands a few feet from her.

“Let’s get this party started!” Stacy yells out with her drink in one hand and her cigarette in the other. The bartender offers the ladies a free pour of tequila to keep them all going.  The music is getting loud from the outdoor speakers and the night and party is in full bloom. Stacy has her cell phone and takes a picture of herself and Kahana and another person. She immediately uploads it to Facebook so all can see where she is.

Other than Stacy, Kahana and I there are no others from our Starbucks crew there until Solomon strolled by.  Solomon’s townhouse is a short walk to the bar. Solomon takes turns with Dorrie as to who can escape for a few hours from their young kids.  Solomon orders a margarita and we chat about the people he is saving in court these days.  Both of us spend our time watching Stacy, as she is the entertainment for the evening.

Stacy has already had several margaritas, several shots of tequila, its about 8 pm and I am only there for an hour!  I won't stay passed 9. And by that time Stacy is sure to be completely shitfaced.

Stacy touches a lot when she is drunk. She pushes people. They are friendly shoves.  She will be engaged in conversation and say “ You’re kidding!” followed by a shove. Or she'll say “That is so funny”, followed by a light punch in the arm.  It is a conversation that has both words and hand gestures.   I sat in a theatre next to Stacy one time and my arm was sore afterwards from the amount of time she hit me during the performance.

Stacy has started to annoy some of the female guests with her dual vocal and hand gestures. Some have turned their backs to her, almost in mid conversation.  Others start to create distance, letting people cut in front to get to the bar.  They create separation, that way the conversation takes a pause.

Others, single guys or guys there without their wives, are more amused by Stacy. They have a higher level of patience with her.  It seems like when guys are at a bar, with a few drinks in them, we start to think with our second brain. The penis takes on a life of its own and creates the patience to talk to an otherwise annoying person.   That is the only reason anyone would be spending time talking to this crazy loud redhead. The second brain has taken over.

I spend another 20 minutes chatting with Kahana, making small talk about sports as we people watch. I am just about done with the show. In fact, the more drunk Stacy gets, the more I try to distance myself from her.  I give it the “I don’t really know her” look.

Kahana continues watching over to make sure no one takes advantage of his girl.  This night, a carbon copy of every Wednesday night for months, except I won’t be there on most nights.

Chapter 8/ Mistress Summer

CHAPTER EIGHT

Mistress Summer

It was more than three months since we had seen or heard from Tammy at Starbucks. Tammy sent a text to Jackie and told her that she was just too busy to make over in the mornings. 

As with most stories, there are multiple versions of the truth. From spending several days a week at Starbucks and meeting up with Richard as well, Tammy had disappeared.

We had not seen Melissa, Craig, Whitney or Harland for some time either.  Word had spread about the encounters and the divorce in the neighborhood.  Melissa and Craig moved out of their townhouse and into a private country club community a few miles away, just on the other side of Boca Raton.  Harland and Whitney are in the midst of a divorce.   Whitney moved out. Word has it she is still spending time with Craig and now Craig’s brother as well. She was working as a waitress at a sports bar in the next town.    

Gary appeared at Starbucks this winter morning.  I was already seated with Richard,  Stacy and Kahana when he appeared with a big smile on his face.  He said he had something very funny to tell us.  Gary went into Starbucks to get his coffee and we continued about our conversations. None of us could have anticipated the news he was about to tell us.

Gary sat down and proceeded to tell us about Melissa’s new profession.  Apparently she took her exploits with Whitney and Craig to a new level.  Gary showed us a listing in “Backpage.com”, it is a "Craig’s List" type website that also had escorts massage parlors and other Adults Only advertisements. 

“Take a look at this listing” he said as he pulled up a webpage on his cellphone.  It was a listing on the Backpage.com for the West Palm Beach area that read:

“Goddess Erica is pleased to introduce Mistress Summer, who is now joining Me to bring you the hottest, sexiest BDSM sessions on the planet! Goddess Erica has been practicing art of BDSM for over 15 years in South Florida. Mistress Summer has great enthusiasm for the scene and we have been having much fun sessioning together with some of Goddess Erica's loyal followers. We are now ready to offer our services together to others outside our private circle seeking to have their BDSM and fetish desires embraced and explored, from sensuous to severe. Grab this opportunity to meet the TRULY, upscale, insightful, experienced, fit and gorgeous Domme Duo who know how to make your deepest darkest dreams come true.”

Alongside the advertisement were several pictures of two scantily clad women in S&M garb. One of the women pictured in the series of photos was Melissa, identified as Mistress Summer.  Mistress Summer was even topless in several of the photos. Both of the women wore similar outfits. Melissa/Mistress Summer looked great, with her hard body and fake tits, black g-string and matching stilettos.  This woman that we all knew as a part time attorney and full time mother had a completely different side to her.  I never thought she was a talented attorney, but I would never guess her career change.

We could not believe it. Richard grabbed the phone and was cracking up as he read the verbiage.  Stacy looked at me and Gary completely bewildered.  “Oh my god”, she said.  “This has to be Craig’s doing”.  She added. “He has turned his wife into a hooker”.  I was too mesmerized by the photos to immediately comment.

Melissa had gone from attorney to Mistress.  She had a studio in Boca Raton that she conducted her S&M and fetish sessions.  Her advertisement was reprinted for several weeks. Her nude photos appeared as well.  

 The website promoted that there was:

“…. a very private and safe play space that is equipped with toys for sensual experiences as well as instruments of pain and torture.”

News of the website and photos spread amongst our crew rather quickly.  Text messages went out to the Sbux crew members that were not there that morning.  

I sent a message to my wife.  Needless to say she was rather surprised as well. She had met Melissa at Blue Martini and elsewhere, and this was a major shocker.

Stacy showed the advertisement to Kahana.  Both of them commented, that she was very troubled.  “What about her kid”. Stacy added.  “He is getting close to having to attend pre-school.” Stacy observed. “Word will spread to the other parents”.

 Gary came up with an idea, “let’s call to schedule a session at a hotel. When she shows up we can all be there”.  We would secure a hotel room nearby, and someone would call to schedule a session with her. When she came in, we would have an intervention.  Stacy said she would help organize the group. “I think it should be me and Dorrie primarily there” she said.  “We are the closest to her”.   Nobody really cared who organized or went.  I was anxious to see the look on her face when 3 or 4 of her Starbucks crew were there to confront her.

She was hot news for our group. We spoke about the intervention and Mistress Summer for a few days.  Half chuckling each time we spoke. However, when the time came to schedule to date and book the hotel room, only Gary was game.  He met with Melissa and they spoke about what she was doing, and the website.   According to Gary, “Melissa is very comfortable with the website”. She told him she knows what she is doing. And she is enjoying it.  She had met some a number of wealthy guys from the area. She would not disclose who she had met. But she said  “I am finally making a little money doing something I enjoy”. 

Chapter 7/ Internet Dating

CHAPTER SEVEN

Internet Dating

It’s been months now since we have seen Melissa, Craig, Whitney and Harland. Stacy is on a hiatus from work these days. She received a small severance package, has some savings and is spending her mornings at Starbucks, her afternoons at the gym, a surf shop and in the ocean. It is early fall and the weather is nice here in Florida.

Stacy is feeling lonely and in the midst of a dry spell.  She has been divorced from Jeff several months and there is no full time man in her life.  Stacy craves companionship. She has been married or living with someone most of her adult life.

 She has taken to internet dating.  She has been coming to Starbucks in the morning with her laptop. While many people like me use our laptops at Starbucks for our mobile businesses, she mixes the crossword puzzle with peeks into various internet dating sites.  Web pages are open to Match.com; JDate, and Yahoo personals. 

Stacy has her dating and internet responding criteria.  There is a mold. 

All of the guys seem to be physically fit, look like they spend a good deal of time at the gym and are socially active.  Most have hair. And although race is not a prerequisite, most are Caucasian and non-Jewish.

I am shown several of the candidates and some of their messages. We smile about the back and forth banter between Stacy and her potential suitors.

There is internet foreplay before a first date. It starts out innocent enough.  The exchange is usually very complimentary and inquisitive. Then it turns a bit comedic to sexually suggestive.  Sometimes there is a telephone call before the first meet and greet as well. The meet and greet is usually someplace where there is an out, like a Starbucks. They will rendezvous with people around so that when the drink is finished the couple can disperse or continue chatting and make plans for a second encounter or official “first date”. 

Stacy does not have her true name on any of the sites. Instead, she goes by the name “Stephanie”.  She gave her reasoning:

“If someone sees me on the street and instead of calling me Stacy they say ‘hey Stephanie’ then I know they only know me from the internet dating sites and I can ignore them or talk to them if I want”.

Stacy shares the details about her suitors with Jackie.  She tells Jackie, “I need to date someone that wants to wine and dine me.  I am tired of seeing Tony”.     Tony is a weight lifter from the gym that Stacy sees on occasion.  Tony is more of a booty call, or Stacy is a booty call for Tony. Tony is a late 30’s black man.  He has a great physique.  And according to Stacy  he has a great "attribute".   And the "myth" about black men is no myth. Nevertheless she needs a date not a booty call.

Stacy’s on line suitors range in age from the late 20’s (Mrs. Robinson syndrome), to the late 50’s. Some are employed and some are supposedly retired.  Even if there is no date, the foreplay is very entertaining.

Halloween is approaching and Stacy needs a date for a party Gary invited her to.  She also needs a costume.  “Jackie will you help me pick out a costume for the party” she asks. “There is a costume store on Federal you can go to” she responds.  “Yes, but will you come with me?” Stacy pleads.  “Sure” says Jackie.

The costume is one thing, the date is another. Stacy ponders going with an internet friend, Tony or someone else.  She decided to call Jeff.  At least she knows him the best.

Stacy’s costume is a military nurse’s outfit. The costume shows off Stacy’s legs and her chest and she is very happy with how she looks in it. She decided to post her picture in the costume on Facebook even before the party.

Jeff picked Stacy up for the party at around 9:00 pm.  By 10:00 they had their first argument. By 11:00 she regretted asking him to go with her. By 12:30 Stacy was too drunk to remember why they got divorced.   When the party was over Jeff took Stacy home and spent the night. Stacy woke with a smile on her face.  At least the dry spell was over.

It took several weeks of internet dating and Stacy must have been on at least a half dozen meet and greets before she met Kahana.  Kahana is a part Hawaiian, mid 30’s heavy set guy.  He is also part Asian, part Hispanic, and several other nationalities mixed in.    The name Kahana aptly means “turning point”.  And meeting Kahana was definitely a turning point in Stacy’s life.

Kahana did not fit the mold by any means.  However, he did know how to surf and Stacy and Kahana had that in common.  Kahana is a big teddy bear.  He is about 50 pounds overweight and smokes cigarettes. He is in need of serious conditioning.

They met on line.  But, their meet and greet was at a surf shop they both frequented.

“I can’t believe I am going out with this guy”. Stacy said at first. “He is so not my type”. She told us all at Starbucks. She did not even bring him around for several weeks.  She did show Jackie and I his picture.  She was right, Kahana was so different than anyone else she had dated or met.

Stacy brought Kahana to our morning coffee after the third date.   This big guy with a smile on his face from ear to ear, shook hands and sat quietly as Stacy introduced him and practically spoke for him.  “This is Kahana, he knows my friend Carol that owns the surf shop”.  She actually was restating several of the things she had told us about him after they first met.

Jackie and I made small talk with Kahana.  Richard ignored him.  In fact, other than shaking his hand Richard did not acknowledge his existence.  Richard would not speak to Kahana even after several weeks of him appearing at Starbucks as a regular, until Jackie confronted him about it.

“Richard, you are ignoring Kahana. Why are you being so rude?” She asked.  Richard, shrugged his shoulder and said “I did not realize I was ignoring him. For you Jackie I will try to be more social”.   Richard said in a patronizing tone.   After that, at least Richard said hello to Kahuna.

I commented to Kahana, that he should pay no attention to the fact that Richard was ignoring him. It was not personal.  I told him, “it is simply because you don’t have a vagina”.  Richard I told him only socialized with the women at the Starbucks tables.  I explained to him that Richard’s small talk with me for almost a year was usually limited to two sentences about a game that he figured I might have seen; Nothing more than that. 

Kahana joined Stacy for coffee with us at Starbucks intermittently for weeks.  He got to meet, not only me, Jackie and Richard, but also Debbie and Unice.  Everyone liked him. Kahana just tried to fit in and not be the center of attention.  He let Stacy be the leading lady.

At the convincing of Stacy, Kahana signed up for Weight-Watchers.   It was not long till Kahana was a tag a long where-ever Stacy was going. 

We took bets on how long it would last.