In Limbo

Chapter 11

As Frank and Lee entered the Grill On 21 place, it was busy, but Frank got three seats in a back booth area, and as they were seated, Frank asked Lee, "What will you have? Vodka on the rocks?"

Lee stated, "Scotch, neat, thanks..."

Frank, giving the waiter, Ted, the order, stated, "Vodka on the rocks, Bourbon, and Scotch neat.", sat down near Lee, and asked, "Okay, so, how do you like Chicago, or have you been here already?"

Lee played it cool, not revealing anything he shouldn't, stating, "No...First time here..I like it so far...I spent most of my life in the northeast, grew up with an uncle who traveled with the Air Force. What about you?"

Frank smiled answering, "Grew up in Boston with an Irish family, had a stint with the New York Times for a while, then came here about five years ago...You ever hear the saying, "Go where the money is?"

Lee, remembering his former Agency checks, nodded, replying jokingly, "Oh, yeah...It's why I'm here."

They both laughed, and as Mark Jenkins arrived, so did the drinks.

Ted then asked if they were ready to order, but Mark answered, "Not just yet...We'll let you know. Thanks."

As they sat there, Mark asked Frank with a nod towards Lee, "Did you say anything ?"

Frank shook his head, and responded lightly, "Uh, no...I thought you should give that happy news."

Mark nodded and chuckled, commenting, "Smart boy...Alright, first, a toast to our new guy..."

The three men raised their glasses, and Mark answered, "To Chuck Castle...I see great things happening for you at the Tribune...Best of luck...Cheers..."

The three men clinked glasses and after taking a sip of his scotch, Lee swallowed, and putting his glass down, commented, "Okay...Thanks, Fellas, but let me just start by saying that I already smell a rat here, and-"

Frank and Mark laughed, with Mark putting up a hand, and saying quickly, "Alright, alright! Keep your shorts on! I'm getting to it...Now, you remember Pete Simpson?"

Lee faltered for a moment, then commented, "Oh, uh, yeah...I was supposed to interview with him for the Sports Columnist position, but I haven't seen him around. Can I ask what happened?"

Mark and Frank shared a look, and Mark stated, "Well, he was the advice columnist for the paper, and I had him pegged to interview you because I had a meeting on the phone that day you showed up...You remember my coming out of the building to bellow at him the day you came?"

Lee chuckled answering, "Oh, yeah...I met his wife by accident...Whew! She was fit to be tied!"

Frank and Mark laughed, and Mark replied, "Sorry you had to bear the brunt of that...She was one of a long list of people fed up with Simpson, including me...I-I had to can him...and now, I need a replacement for him...Would you be interested?"

Lee shrugged commenting, "But you said I'm just doing that job until-"

But it then dawned on him that he was being set up already for the job, and sighing, responded, "This was your plan the whole time? You said I would work up to being the sports-"

Mark shook his head answering, "No...Frank's already doing that...Sorry, Pal, but I need somebody for the advice gig permanently. The mail is getting backed up as it is. Sandy does what she can when she's not helping me, but she's on a thin rope, too, you know? So, what do you say?"

Lee remarked carefully, "Do I use my name for the title? Because right now, it's Ask Penny-"

Mark shook his head vehemently, commenting quickly, "No, no! No real names...That's to cover for Pete's name...Less chance of lawsuits that way...We'll give you a pseudo name to cover yours."

Lee shrugged answering, "That's only if I answer the wrong way, right?"

Mark waved it away, responding, "You won't because we'll have people checking the letters so they can go over how you answer, and if the letter is about marital issues, you put it aside for the experts-the ones that work in our building that are already married...Now, any other questions or is it a done deal?"

Lee grinned, replying, "Let's talk money-"

Mark put up a hand stating, "Hold on! Let's try it for a month first-"

Lee, sensing a challenge, answered, "A week, and if I fail, I don't make any more than I'm making now-"

Frank chuckled responding incredulously, "A week?! Do you know how much mail we got already-"

Mark kicked Frank's leg under the table to shut him up, stating, "Fine! Three weeks to see if our advice column readership goes up. If it does, you get a bump in pay, and if not, you're still getting what you have now."

Lee, with a sigh, shook his head and shaking Mark's hand, commenting, "You drive a hard bargain, but you got a deal..."

Mark smiled, and signaling the waiter, remarked to the men, "Now that we've settled that, let's eat..."

Lee excused himself to head to the Men's room, thinking anxiously, Stetson, that was either incredibly brave, or the stupidest thing you've ever done...What are you even thinking about here?!

As Lee left the table, Frank asked Mark with a swallow, nursing his now injured calf, "Hey! What the hell was that for?!"

Mark queried nervously as he pointed an index finger at Frank, "Do you want him to find out we had a lawsuit last year that nearly caused the column to be shut down? The higher ups were breathing down my neck to either can Simpson, or hand in my own resignation! So, I canned him, but offered them a solution, which is why the case was settled finally."

Frank nodded, and then asked, "Well, what if Castle doesn't work out?"

Mark took another sip of his bourbon, swallowed, and commented, "Oh, he will...We'll help him out...But he's got a tough job ahead of him now..."

Frank asked, "You mean, cleaning up Pete's mail mess?," and when Mark nodded, Frank winced, taking another sip of his drink, and swallowing, stated grimly, "Jeez... At least he settled for three weeks..."

TBC