Caroline and the Greeting Card Convention

Chapter 6

Caroline had a dilemma – fire her friend Richard or break up with her boyfriend Del. "I like Del. I mean, yeah, he's my boyfriend. But he's also one of my best friends. Easy going, generous, charming – I can always count on him for fun and to satisfy me physically." Caroline sighed "All because my childish plan to make Del jealous worked too well, he's demanding that I fire Richard… I can even understand Del's point of view – he thinks that Richard and I have feelings for each other (Hah!) and can't stand the thought of us working together so closely, day after day."

"And what about Richard? He hates the work – he thinks it's beneath him. He always complains about the 'chaotic conditions' at my apartment – which I think are just normal. And he always complains that I meddle in his business – can't he see I'm just trying to help because I care? That's what friends do. He would probably be happier if I just gave him a generous severance check and asked him to leave. Still…"

Caroline made a decision. "Del, I like you, I really do. But, if we're gonna be a couple, you have to trust me when I say that I'm telling you the truth. Richard and I do not have feelings for each other. It was all part of a stupid plan to get even with you. I know you're jealous, but I can't fire Richard. He's a friend, he was just doing me a favor by helping me with my stupid plan. If you're the kind of man that would have someone lose their job for that, then I can't be with you anymore." With that, Caroline left the booth in a huff, mingling into the crowd of the convention.

Del just stood there, frozen, thunderstruck by Caroline's unexpected decision. Richard had been in back, behind the partition, gathering cards to bring out front, and had overheard everything.

"Wow…!" Richard thought. Richard decided to go out to confront Del.

Meanwhile, Caroline had not walked very far, before she thought "I can't leave things like this. I have to go back and talk to Del. Whether we remain a couple or not, I still want us to remain friends." Turning back, she saw Richard approaching Del. Not wanting to interrupt, she approached the booth from behind, where she could hear the conversation, but not be seen.

Richard tapped Del on the shoulder. He turned and Richard could see that he was still angry. Fortifying himself mentally, Richard spoke. "Del, I know you're mad at me. But, whether you believe it or not, nothing did happen between Caroline and I in her room last night. I wouldn't do that with another guy's girl. I have to admit, I did enjoy trying to make you jealous last night. And I know I insult you a lot. But despite that, I do think you're a pretty good guy. You shouldn't break up with Caroline over me. Sometimes I think that you don't realize how lucky you are. Caroline, she's… she's really very special. This whole thing was my fault. Caroline came back to the booth yesterday, crying about something you did and I was the one that came up with this hare-brained scheme to make you jealous. I don't want to be the one to come between you two. I'll tell Caroline that I'm quitting."

After awhile, Del replied "You guys… my head is spinning. I have to get away and think about this." With that, Del walked away. Caroline emerged, wanting to talk with them both, but she was too late to catch Del.

******

Wanting to clear his head, Del headed for the casino area and stopped by a bar along its side. He sat and ordered a drink from the bartender, an older, avuncular type, friendly, and knowing of the ways of the world. "Martini on the rocks, please."

"Sure thing, bub." It took him only a few seconds to mix the drink. "Here you go."

Del eyed the bartender's name tag. "Uh… Tom. Mind if I bend your ear awhile?"

"Sure thing, bub. I ain't busy now. What's on your mind?"

"Thanks. My name's Del. I've got this girl…"

"Oh boy…"

"Yeah, I bet you've never heard that before."

"Del, if every guy that said that gave me a penny, I'd be a rich man… But go on."

"Thanks, Tom… Like I said, I've got this girl, her name is Caroline. I was sorta a jerk and to get back at me, she did some things to make me jealous… or so she claims. Thing is, I caught her later with this guy in her room and they had taken off their clothes."

"Oh…?" Tom arched an eyebrow.

"No, not like that. They were both wearing robes… Anyway, she claims it was all innocent, that they were celebrating making me jealous and champagne spilled all over them."

"Seems mighty coincidental" Tom commented.

"Mighty suspicious, I thought. But then I thought, despite the coincidences, maybe she's telling the truth. I'm not sure."

"You still like her, Del?"

"Yeah… that's the thing. She's pretty, she's intelligent, she's funny, she's fun to be with – what's not to like?"

"You trust her?" Tom asked

Del sighed. "Yeah… I'm not certain, but I think I do."

"Then what's the problem? Is it this Romeo? Is he God's gift to women? Is he rich? Is he a smooth operator?"

Del chuckled. "No. Just the opposite. He wears these glasses, looks like a geek. He's poorer than a dormouse, not a penny to his name. I could buy and sell him a hundred times over. As for being a smooth talker, he does his best to push people away."

"Sounds like he's no threat."

"That's just it, Tom. When they were 'acting', they kissed with such passion, there had to be something to it. But he swears there wasn't, that everything was innocent."

"And you believe him?"

"That's just it, Tom. I don't like him at all, but I trust him. He seems like a stand up guy, swears he'd never move in on another guy's girl."

"So what's the problem?"

"The problem is… where there's smoke, there's fire. That kiss… may have started out innocently, but maybe it sparked something… I mean, this guy, Richard… he may be poor and standoffish, but he's got that 'tortured artist' thing going for him that some women like... And he seems to click with Caroline, in a way I never can. I mean, they laugh at jokes and I can't figure out what they're talking about. I've bonked Caroline, shared intimate moments with her, but he can tell me what she's thinking."

"Sounds like that may be trouble for you, down the road, Del."

"Yeah."

"Is she worth it?"

"Yeah… I think so, Tom. Yeah."

"Then it's simple, Del. If you like her and she's worth it, then you gotta fight for her."

"Yeah… yeah… Thanks, Tom." Del slapped a twenty on the bar. "Keep the change."

As Del walked back to the Cassidy booth, he pondered how to gracefully back off from the ultimatum he had issued Caroline, so that he could win her back. For the first time, seeing Richard as a potential rival, he wondered how he could keep him and Caroline apart – after all, they did work together every day. Then he hit upon it – Confidence!

Some would call Del Cassidy a shallow man – well, because he is. But his many romantic encounters and rivalries had taught him a few things. He would joke that one of the reasons that he owned a Porsche was that some women were drawn to it. But at some level, he understood that it wasn't so much the Porsche that the women were drawn to, and thus the man, but the confidence that the "Porsche"-man exuded. "If I appear so comfortable, so confident that Richard is no threat, then I can afford to be magna-… magnan-… charitable and 'apologize' for thinking something so ridiculous. And if I plant the seed of an idea that their coupling is ridiculous, maybe it will never happen."

******

Meanwhile, back at the Cassidy booth…

"Richard…!"

"Caroline…?"

"I heard what you said Richard. That was really sweet, taking the blame and offering to quit for me. And those things you said about me… Do you really think I'm special?"

Embarrassed, Richard quipped "I said you were 'special', Caroline. I didn't say in what way."

Caroline smirked "Well Richard… I just want to say I really appreciate it."

"It's nothing, really… You – you stood up… for me! No one's ever done that for me before. Thank you."

As they gazed into each other's eyes, Caroline replied "Richard, you're my friend. I would do that for any friend." And just as their friendship was about to develop into something more…

Del returned, interrupted their 'moment' and spoke to them. "You guys… I'm so sorry. I should have realized that this was only a scheme to make me jealous… I mean, this is Richard! He probably charged you double time for last night!" Del laughed, while Caroline and Richard also forced out some laughter. "Care, can you forgive me for putting you in this spot?"

"Well Del, I really didn't appreciate having to choose between my friendship with Richard and my relationship with you… but on the other hand, I sorta liked that you got jealous."

Del continued "And Richard, I'm sorry for trying to get you fired."

"Don't be sorry. You may have been doing me a favor" Richard replied.

"Friends, everyone?" Del asked.

Caroline put an arm around both of them and said "There's enough blame to go around for everybody. Let's get back to work and forget this ever happened."

Simultaneously, Del replied "Great idea, Care" and Richard replied "Fine with me", then they all got back to working the booth.

******

The doors to the convention had closed, the vendors were taking down their booths. Del, Caroline, and Richard were gathering their things before the loaders broke down the booth and took it and everything in it back to the office.

"Well guys, quite a convention, huh?" said Del.

"I'll say. I'm really looking forward to the trip back to New York" said Caroline.

"I'm not. You obviously haven't had the pleasure of a three hour bus ride from Atlantic City to New York before, have you?" Richard complained.

"No, I haven't" Caroline chuckled.

"Well, at least I made enough money this weekend to buy some new paint and brushes."

"Well Richard, I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"I'll be in late… Goodbye, Caroline. Goodbye, Del."

Del responded "See you around, Richard… C'mon, let's go Caroline."

Caroline and Del started walking hand and hand to the parking structure towards his Porsche. For Del, all was right with the world.

As she was walking, Caroline turned her head back towards the booth. There Richard stood, watching them leave. She grinned at him, he briefly waved. Uncharacteristically, he had a wistful smile upon his face. Somehow, both Caroline and Richard knew, work would never quite be the same.

The End