Chapter 50

After the Open House Wendy again took time to work in her garden and even wandered around her neighborhood trying to think clearly about Scott. She strolled several blocks before returning home. As she came in the phone started ringing. It was Mitchell from the Shade Plant Association. She announced her nomination. What a surprise, especially since he said the committee would meet in two weeks and it had only been a week. What an incredible honor and in three weeks would be the banquet. Wendy couldn’t have been more ecstatic. She called Cindy and Carol and then Jake. They were all enthusiastic about her accomplishment.

Wendy surprised herself when she called Scott and asked him out for dinner, her treat. She picked Cat and Mouse because she liked the music, the quiet, and the atmosphere.

Scott picked Wendy up at seven.

“Hope you like this place. They have a nice bar and a very good piano player with a dynamic voice.”

Scott looked around the restaurant as they sat across from each other at a table. “I do like it so far. Thanks for inviting me. I was pretty surprised.”

“I invited you to help me celebrate.”

“Celebrate what?”

“My nursery being nominated as one of the five best shade plant gardens by the California Shade Plant Association. There’s a banquet in a few weeks.”

Scott’s hand reached out to Wendy’s as a way of saying, how wonderful. Wendy looked at their hands together and up at Scott. They smiled. His action reminded her of how sweet and warm he was before their marriage began to crumble. They pulled their hands apart.

“Now, that’s extraordinary. I mean, I think you deserve it, but to be nominated as one out of five in California, I’m so happy for you.” “Thanks, I truly appreciate it. There is another reason I invited you out tonight. I must be honest. I needed time to see if all you’ve said about yourself is true. You do seem different, wonderfully different.”

“I can understand where you’re coming from, and why you may not trust what I’ve told you, but it’s all true. As I said, my job has no traveling component and the promotion as Marketing Director at this new company allowed me to see that I am a successful person. I’ve needed to know that for a very long. I want to spend my life with you…traveling, going to movies, dances and whatever you want. It’s taken me a long time to realize what an ass I was, not just to you but to others.”

“I think we’ve both changed. It’s taken me a long time to figure out what direction I wanted. I know now.”

They smiled at each other and finally looked at their menus. A short time later the waiter took their orders. Scott continued after the waiter left. “I admit during our marriage I spent a lot of my time on myself and what I wanted, or what I thought I wanted. When you left it didn’t take long for me to realize you were what I really wanted.”

“Oh, Scott.” The powerful tension she used to experience around him evaporated. “I pray we can make us work, but like I said, I will need time.”

“I do understand.”

The waiter returned with their dinners.

“Hey, you,” Scott said as the waiter started to turn away. The waiter turned back to Scott.

“Yes, sir.”

“You spilled the gravy, now why don’t you clean it up, it’s disgusting?”

Wendy shook her head at the terrible way he spoke. Her face contorted. He was gruff and mean.

“I’ll be right back with a rag.”

“Make it fast.”

The waiter left and Wendy glared at Scott. “What in the hell? How you talked to him was demeaning. I can’t believe what you said.”

“Well, he did deserve it. He should have cleaned it right there.”

Wendy’s face turned red. “As he said, he didn’t have a rag.” Her voice cracked. “You didn’t give him a chance to get one. I thought you had changed. You sounded like you changed, but now I know you haven’t.”

“I have changed but what he did angered me, like we weren’t good enough to be treated with respect.”

“You didn’t give him a chance to clean up. He didn’t have a rag with him so how could he clean up right then? You weren’t treating him with respect.”

“Bullshit. I was standing up for what was right.”

Her words hardened. “You could have asked him in a nicer way. I am totally surprised by your shameful behavior right after telling me you had changed!” She shook her head. “I’m not hungry anymore, please take me home.”

“Well, if that’s the way you want it, fine.”

Neither spoke as Scott drove her home. He pulled in front of her house. Before letting herself out of the car, she turned and said, “Great performances you’ve shown me, but the truth showed itself, goodbye.”