"	Gene's Story or How I Gained a Cousin A novel by Karen Lockhart Copyright 2016

CHAPTER 19

Did you ever sleep on the sofa all night? Everything feels great until you try to turn your head. You can look straight ahead, but turn to the right or left, and Wham! it's like an electric shock.

I headed for the shower, stripped down, got under the spray with it as hot as I could stand. After fifteen minutes of bliss, I reluctantly turned off the water, and grabbed two towels, wrapping one around my body and the other around my hair. I looked at the clock and saw it was only four a.m, plenty of time. I'm glad my hair is only to my shoulders, I can dry and set it in no time.

I started hearing noises indicating Ginny was up and in the shower. I drew on jeans and a sweat shirt over my panties and bra, grabbed a pair of wool sox, and my work boots. I then headed for the kitchen and coffee. I sat at the table and put on my socks and boots. The coffee maker was ready, so I stuck a French roast k-cup in and closed the cover.

Ginny joined me about this time, and pulled out some blueberry muffins. We shared and by
five we were in the car headed for the job-site. On the ride through Lynn, we made small talk about the upcoming weekend.

“Ginny, I have my riding lesson on Saturday this week,” I said. “We'll be inside, so you can watch from the viewing room. There's bound to other people there for you to talk to.”

“But I don't know anything about horses or riding, I'll feel foolish.”

“No you won't, everyone started out the same, besides that's how most people learn, by watching and talking to others. I think you'll enjoy yourself this week.”

By now, we had arrived at the office. I gave Ginny the keys to open up while I parked. As I was going inside , Steve Brady was pulling into the yard.

Ginny turned on the lights and started the Kurig coffee maker heating.

“Great news,” Steve shouted. “The Lynn project is a go! I'll have an office for you set up on Monday. You are out of here girl.”

“Steve, we still need to pave and stripe the parking lot,” I protested. “There's a bunch of payments to make.”

“Ellen, don't worry, I'll send my idiot nephew Bobby down here to finish up. You and your cousin are going to Lynn to get that building started. Heck, it's only a fifteen minute ride from Swampscott. Even in a snow storm you can get there in no time.”

“That's wonderful Steve; Ginny and I will pack up our stuff this morning, and make it an early
day. We'll stop at the site and pick out a spot for the office.”

Steve thought for a minute. “Hey, that's a great idea, then on Monday you and Ginny can be there when the new office shows up. All you'll need is a telephone and electrical line run to the office. Everything else is self contained.”

He grabbed a coffee and ran outside to yell at someone, par for the course.

Ginny looked at me and asked,”Is he always like this? I mean overwhelming like that? Phew!”

I laughed, ”That was nothing, you should see him when he's upset. Come on let's pack and get out of here. It's a nice day, lets spend some time at the water.”

By lunch, everything was in the back of the Explorer, and we were set to go.

“Ginny, have you ever eaten at the Porthole Pub? If not, you have a treat coming. It's so close to the site we can walk there.”

After a ride of twenty minutes, I pulled off the Lynnway into the Porthole's parking lot.

“Is this it?” Ginny asked, sounding disappointed. “I expected more.” As I guided her up the stairs I chuckled, “This was a machine shop that supplied the GE with turbine parts. Check out the inside.”

“Oh wow, It's like being aboard a ship, look at the lights and ship models everywhere.”

“Hi, Ellen, we haven't seen you for awhile, would you and your friend like a table of Christen's with a view, or a seat at the bar?” the greeter asked.

“Debby, this my cousin Virginia, she's staying with me for a while. And yes, a table of Christen's with a view.”

“You know the way. I see Chris waving to you, nice to meet you Virginia, have a nice lunch.”

With that, we walked down three stairs to where Chris was standing, she gave me a quick hug,
and asked how I'd been. “As busy as a one armed paperhanger Chris, what's it been a month since I was here?'

“At least,” Christen said. “Who is the young lady with you? She's a doll!” With that Ginny's face turned red as a beet.

“Chris, I'd like you to meet my cousin Ginny, I got her a job working for me at Brady's Construction Company. She's only been here two weeks, I'm showing her around the area.”

We sat at a table for four at the window. The view of the Boston skyline would be spectacular
at sundown, but right now the view was of sailboats slowly turning at their moorings. You can't buy a view like that. Ginny was captivated, her jaw half open.

Christen returned to the table with a basket of bread and glasses of ice water. “Would you two like something to drink while you make up your minds.”

“Go ahead Ginny we're off the clock have what you want.”

“ I'll have a gin and tonic with a twist of lime,” she said. “How about you Ellen?”

“Chris do you still have Pabst on tap? If so, I'll have a twenty ounce.”

Christen laughed, “You never change. I'll put those in, do you two want salads?”

“Good idea, I'll have a Caesar salad, Ginny, would you like one too?” She nodded.

“Chris, make that two Caesars please.”

All you could hear was chewing while we looked at the menus.

“Did you ever have a Monte Christo?” I asked Ginny. “Other then a deli, this is the only place that has them.”

She thought a bit, “You know I think the baked stuffed haddock is for me, is it good here?”

“You can't find a better stuffed haddock anywhere in New England.”

Christen came back with our drinks , and took our orders. After putting them into the computer she came back to chat.

“Chris, is your son still playing baseball?” I asked. “He must be a senior by now.”

“He's the starting catcher for Saugus High. Jimmy has had approaches from three colleges, all offering scholarships, I am so proud of him.” She was beaming, “We could never afford for more then Junior College, but these are big schools, University of Arizona, Ohio State, and Yale.”

“That's great! Any idea which one Jimmy will pick?”

“I'm pulling for Yale,” she said. “But he likes Arizona. Oh, your dinners are up, time to work again.”

She delivered our meals and went to take care of a table of six, and was busy.

“This is great, what do they stuff it with?”

“If you can believe it, lobster.”

We finished our dinners, said goodbye to Christen and headed for our car.

“Now, to get to the site that's four hundred feet behind us, we go around the Nahant rotary down the Lynnway until the first light with a turn lane, and then back, in all about three miles.

I picked a good spot for the office trailer, near underground power and telephone, marked the spot with spray paint, it only took ten minutes. We now had the rest of the day to ourselves.

We headed home, and as soon as the door was shut, I put my feet up and had a nap. A 20oz beer will do that to me.

'Tomorrow I ride,' I thought. 'Maybe I can get Ginny interested in horses.'

To be continued

Many thanks to Bronwen Welsh for correction of typos and punctuation