Leaving Gary lying in the courthouse parking lot with his mother hovering over him, I drove back to my apartment for peace and solitude.
I should have felt happiness but instead, I felt just the opposite. Seeking a way to rid myself of the deep depression, I drank the only bottle of Scotch I had, downing it straight from the bottle. It relieved my tensions but not much else. Taking a few aspirins, I stretched out on the bed, falling asleep almost immediately.
The phone rang a few times during the evening but I didn't bother to answer it, knowing it had to be someone asking how the divorce hearing went. That was the last thing I wanted to discuss with anyone.
It was around midnight when I awoke to the sounds of thunder and rain. Strolling out to the patio doors, I looked out at the lake. The rain streamed down the glass, blurring my view but I stood there, looking out anyway. I felt alone, a feeling I always hated. The ringing of the telephone startled me for a moment but I hesitated to answer it. At this late hour it had to be a wrong number. I listened to it ring, hoping each one would be the last.
Going back to bed, I tried to sleep but all I did was toss and turn. With no one to cuddle up with, the feeling of loneliness consumed my thoughts. I thought about calling Kelly and asking her if I could borrow her husband for the night. I wanted a warm body to hold me, not for anything else. Realizing how ridiculous it sounded, I put it out of my thoughts. Somehow I managed to fall asleep, listening to the storm pass towards the east.
I awoke around 7:30 Saturday morning. I didn't hear it raining but I wanted to make sure. Rushing to the patio doors, I saw the morning sun breaking through the clouds. It looked like a good day for riding. Slipping into the shower, my mind mulled over various places to ride. It really didn't matter as long as I was out riding.
While I was getting dressed, the phone rang. At first, I thought about ignoring it but it continued to ring incessantly. I decided to answer it, if for no better reason than to get it to stop ringing.
"What're you wearing?" My father inquired.
"Believe me, you don't wanna know." I replied, wearing just my bra and panties.
"Ok. I won't pursue that any further." Dad jested with a laugh.
"How about joining me for a day of golfing?" He inquired. "Before you say no or come up with some bullshit excuse, I just thought we could spend the day together."
"Well...I was planning on going out riding today." I stammered, trying to turn his invitation down without getting him upset.
"Oh...well...perhaps another time." He responded, sounding disappointed.
"What course are you going to play?" I asked, having second thoughts.
"Pebble Creek." My father replied. "I haven't played there for awhile. I used to shoot par for thirty-six holes."
"How about I meet you there?" I suggested. "I won't play but I'll drive the golf cart and try not to laugh out loud."
"Wonderful!" Dad exclaimed. "I'll meet you there in an hour!"
With my plans suddenly changing so did my wardrobe for the day. Instead of leather riding gear I wore black dress slacks and a frilly white blouse with high-heels. Granted it wasn't what you'd wear to play golf but I wasn't planning on playing. Being my father's golf cart chauffeur, I wanted to look nice for him.
Arriving at the golf course, I drove slowly through the parking lot, looking for my father's Hummer. The "Black Beast" as I called it was easy to spot amongst the other vehicles since it sat high above the ground. He'd spent several thousand dollars having his Hummer tricked out at one of the local performance shops. I figured it was to impress his golf buddies more than anything. At least that's what I accused him of.
Spotting my father standing with a group of his friends near the first tee, I strolled out across the lawn towards them. Dad put his arm around my waist, squeezing me into him.
"Gentleman, this is my daughter, Kaitlyn!" He announced, sounding proud of the fact. "She'll be joining us so she can watch me whip your butts!"
Dad introduced me to the other members of his foursome. All were about the same age range as my father, in their mid-fifties. I couldn't remember their names but I remember two of them were prominent physicians and the other was an advertising executive from Chicago.
The foursome teed off, driving their balls straight down the fairway. I didn't laugh like I thought I would, seeing they looked like they knew how to play. Sitting behind the wheel of my father's golf cart, I sped off across the manicured grass. I was waiting for my father to inquire about the divorce settlement but he jabbered on about the new golf balls he was trying out. I'll have to admit, I was enjoying myself even though I wasn't out riding one of my motorcycles. The air, smelling of freshly mowed grass, was an added bonus.
The foursome had just finished playing the fifth hole when someone suggested we take a break for some liquid refreshment. A large cooler, strapped to the back of one of the golf carts, had cold beer iced down. I wasn't all the thirsty for beer so I split one with my dad.
"So, you're a single woman, I take it?" Dad questioned, after getting me off to the side.
"Yeah. It's over." I muttered. "Gary didn't get a dime except what was his."
"That was a helluva gamble." He declared. "It could have gone the other way."
"Everything's a gamble." I proclaimed. "Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you."
The foursome played eighteen holes before breaking for lunch at the clubhouse. The men made over me like I was some sort of guest of honor. I figured it was all the beer they'd been drinking so I didn't think much about it. Still, I did enjoy their attentions.
My father wanted to play another eighteen holes but none of the other gentlemen seemed to have the energy for it. I think they were just tired of losing to my father but they wouldn't admit it.
"How about you Kaitlyn, you wanna call it a day?" Dad asked, hoping I'd say no.
"Not really." I answered. "I don't mind driving if you wanna play another round or two."
"Great!" He exclaimed with a grin. "I was hoping you'd say that!"
About to tee off on the first hole, two guys approached us, asking if they could join us since they'd never played the course. Seeing they were quite young, both in their mid-twenties and novices to the course, my father just had to engage them in a friendly wager!
I didn't catch their names but their looks I took great notice of. Both guys were extremely handsome with fairly athletic builds. While one of them had short, light brown hair, the other had slightly longer dark hair with gel grooming agent in it. Both were neatly dressed in Docker dress slacks. The short haired guy was wearing a tan polo shirt, the other, a light blue dress shirt.
