Chapter Seven: New and Improved
Things were getting better for me, at least at the forefront. The relationship between Andrew and I was starting to blossom. He admitted himself to the local hospital a few days ago as he began thinking thoughts that he knew were bad for himself and wanted to get some help.
I knew it was good for him, and it was the right thing to do, especially if it meant keeping him around. There were no visitation hours as they wanted him to sort himself out and get him on the proper medication.
On the flip side, it gave me time to sort other things out, namely his trailer.
I got some of the guys from the VA bar to help me break into his trailer. It shocked all of us. It was a hoarder's dream, they offered to help me get it back in order, but I took it upon myself to clean it all up.
Well, I and Katie, as she volunteered to help.
The first day I spent trying to find the horrid smell that was making me gag. The next day I found it, it was the refrigerator. Immediately Katie and I got that unplugged and outside, which was a task in itself.
Jacob and Jesse got us a sizeable open-top dumpster and helped us get most of the big things into it.
"I can't believe you two got it out here yourself," Jesse said.
I still didn't like him, but he was offering to help, so I put up with his presence for now.
"Girl power," Katie smiled as she flexed her muscles.
"Is he okay with you cleaning this out?" Jacob asked.
"Yes and no," I nodded as we went back inside.
"You haven't told him," Jacob nodded.
"Yes and no," I smiled.
"She told him that she had a surprise for him when he got out," Katie said.
"Exactly," I nodded.
"He might not like you digging into his privacy," Jesse said.
"Hypocrite," I replied.
Jesse nodded as I looked at him.
"I heard through the grapevine you're dating again," Jesse said, quickly changing the subject.
"Yes," Katie nodded as we put the trash into the big black bags.
The place was a dumpster filled with old magazines, fast food trash, and soda cans. We could hardly see the ground underneath all of it.
"Anyone we know?" Jacob asked.
"Nope, and I will leave it at that," Katie smiled.
I knew all about it, his name was Timothy, and she had met him online on one of her dating apps, so far, they had gone on five dates, and she liked him.
I could tell by Jesse's face that he wasn't happy. He had a thing for Katie and had tried multiple times to get her to notice him, but she had no interest in him mainly because he had the same reaction as I when she told us about Darold.
While I said what I thought to her face, Jesse had said it to a couple of people, and it got around, so needless to say, his chances of Katie ever paying any attention to him were nonexistent.
Throw in the fact he wasn't her type, and those odds went further downhill.
Katie was an attractive woman. Well, put together, as some would say, there was no glaring thing that made her gorgeous. She had average C cups, an average body build and long mouse brown hair.
The day slowly ended, and we could finally see the linoleum flooring in the living room. The kitchen and the rest of the other rooms would have to wait for another day. We also threw out the couch. It also reeked and had stains all over it.
"You again," I said as I shook my head.
I was working the late shift at the bar, and Jason sat down as I was preparing another person's drink.
"It's a free world, right?" Jason asked.
"Sure." I shrugged. "What can I get you?"
Jason ordered a drink and immediately started trying to impress me to go on another date. I laughed at his many attempts to prove that he wasn't as selfish as he had come across that night.
I always loved when a guy said he could prove that he wasn't selfish by saying ask any of his exes. Who says that and means it?
"Look," I said as I stared at him. "And I mean this in the nicest way possible, I am starting to see someone, and I think it will get serious, so, I have to say I am not interested," I said as I tried to let him down gently.
"Fine, whatever," Jason said as he stood up. "Just wanted to get laid anyway."
"Absolutely," I nodded. "Totally understandable."
"Okay," Jason said as he paid for his drinks and then walked away.
Rachel and I had a good laugh after he left.
"Look what the cat dragged in," I smiled as I saw Lyle walking towards the bar.
He ordered a drink, and I poured it out for him.
"What brings you this way?" I asked.
"Just wanted to see how the other side lived," Lyle smiled.
Lyle and I had a history in high school, not the sexual kind, but he wanted more than I was willing to give. Then after high school, he joined the military, and I became the neighborhood slut.
When he returned home, he heard about my escapades and found out I was married to Jacob, an old friend of his and had a child. We didn't talk much after that. Now here he sat in my bar.
"What do you think?" I asked.
"Not as nice as mine, but it's okay," Lyle smiled.
"Thanks, we try," I nodded.
"Heard you are cleaning up Andrew's place," Lyle said with a serious look on his face.
"Yeah, thought it would be nice for him to come home to a clean place, might help him recover," I said.
"I have to ask," Lyle said.
"Don't," I said, shaking my head.
"I have heard you have done things like this before, and..." Lyle said.
"Look," I said as I stared him right in the eyes. "I fucked up, I am a big girl I can admit it, I drank too much and got carried away, the end."
"What about now?" Lyle asked. "Could this be some attempt to win Jacob back, everyone knows how much you love him and his, let's say appendage."
I smiled and shook my head. "That's what people think?" I said. "I am trying to make Jacob jealous by dating a black guy?"
"Never said race," Lyle said, shaking his head.
"But that's the going theory, right?" I asked.
Lyle didn't respond.
"I like Andrew, he's blunt, he likes guns, he doesn't have a beard and he accepts me, all of me, the past, the present and the future."
"The past?" Lyle asked.
"All of it, he knows, everything," I nodded. "Unlike some people he knows that people can change."
