Got at least a bit further on, here is Chapter 4
Chapter four
It was a bit after 11 pm and Robbie Lewis was driving the Chief Super home. The concert had started at 6 pm. The dinner had already begun at 8.30 pm and luckily it was a buffet-style-dinner which made the whole thing faster.
It had all been okay, the great music of Verdi, Puccini and Rossini made up for dinner at the Mayor´s table which had been okay more or less too.
Robbie had made the exit for them both smoothly a few minutes ago after he noticed that Jean had a bit too much wine which was really uncommon for her.
Now she was lost in her thoughts on the passenger seat. How could it happen that she had more wine than usual? Was she that disappointed in her husband who probably hadn´t broken his leg on purpose. But she had noticed that he was glad to get out of the date. There had been times when he had gone everywhere with her just to be with her. When had this changed?
Robbie had been the perfect gentleman over the evening. Not a bit annoyed that he couldn´t spend the evening with Lyn and Laura or at least he hadn´t showed it.
Somehow suddenly another thought came to Jean´s mind and she didn´t liked it at all.
In a few weeks Robbie would retire and she still didn´t know if Hathaway would come back. What would she do without her two best men? Okay they could be annoying or as someone had put it a few years ago facetious but they were her winning team.
"You´re okay, Ma´am?" Robbie asked with a side look to her. Jean only noticed then that she had tears in her eyes.
"What! Oh yes, I´m just a bit sorry for myself, I always am when I had too much wine," Jean tried to convince Robbie.
"I guess it was all a bit too much for you today with your husband and the dinner and so on. But in a few minutes you will be home. You can look after your husband and go to bed. Drink a lot of water before you go to sleep to avoid the hangover," Robbie tried to reassure the Chief Super.
Jean managed a weak smile: "I don´t know if I want to go home at all. I just realized that I´m not sure how to react with Richard at all. It looks like we lost everything we had in common or loved about each other. I noticed it already this morning when I watched you and Laura. You´re perfect together, care about each other, you seem to know each other so well and you have an intimacy I don´t think Richard and I ever had…"
After this flood of words which were also totally uncommon for Jean, Robbie felt a bit uneasy and thought for a moment how to answer. "Jean," he started carefully using her first name for the first time, "It´s really nice to say all this lovely things about Laura and me, but I´m sure you and your husband also have a lot in common otherwise you wouldn´t still be together."
"Or perhaps it´s just habit," Jean interrupted.
"I think you and Richard need some time for yourself. When his leg is okay again you both should go on a holiday and really talk. I´m sure that will help you. And not being in a wine-mood would help too, I´m sure!"
"I guess you are right, Robbie. Sorry for my outburst and also thank you for listening to me," Jean answered, realizing that they had reached her house.
"You will be fine," Robbie said when Jean got out of the car. "Have a good night, Jean."
"Thank you, Robbie, for going with me tonight. And please give also my thanks to Lyn and Laura for sparing you tonight," with this Jean shut the door and went to the house.
Robbie waited until she got in and then drove on to Laura´s.
