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

CHAPTER 67

How does she do it? If I tried to schedule a pedicure, I'd have to wait a month. Ginny is scheduling massive surgery, breast enhancements, hotel rooms in Thailand for two weeks, and two airline tickets halfway around the world, with the ease of making restaurant reservations.

I better keep her around, and teach her what we need to construct a building. Then I can retire.

Speaking of retiring, I better give Steve Brady a call to update him on our schedule.

Want to bet he doesn't send his nephew to the Lynn Project?

I received a few phone calls from salesmen, one trying to get us to buy concrete from their company, rather than the company Brady has been using for twenty years. The other salesmen were pushing things like carpeting, and interior paint.

Steve wisely lets his subcontractors use what they prefer. I mean, imagine us buying 50 five gallon pails of a brand of paint that our painters won't use. A recipe for disaster or bankruptcy.

Over lunch, Ginny and I decided what to buy Cathy for Christmas. She agreed to go in with me so we could buy her a nice down jacket. I suggested we stop at Pennyworths in Lynn to see what they have.

Cathy is a biggish girl like me so I could try on the jackets until Ginny and I found one we both liked.

After work Ginny had an appointment with Doctor Singh. Maybe she would get another letter of approval for her GRS. I think one is enough for the Thailand clinic, but better too many rather than not enough.

We arrived 15 minutes early and looked over magazines suggesting Christmas meals and dinner table decorating. We were engrossed in the menu section and didn't hear Ginny's name called. Finally Debbie walked over to us and tapped her on the shoulder saying, “ You can bring that home with you, if you want, but right now the Doctor is waiting for you.”

Ginny's face turned bright red in embarrassment; she hopped up apologizing and followed the nurse inside.

I settled in looking at a new Reader's Digest, surprised it was here. It seemed like only a few minutes passed before Ginny came bounding out into the waiting room waving a second letter of approval in her hand.

Doctor Singh came in behind her and sat beside me on the sofa. “This doesn't mean I won't see you again.” she said, “You will be on hormones forever, and I need to monitor your levels, and adjust the amounts. This surgery will be a shock to your system, so make an appointment for two weeks after you two get home from Thailand. That would be the end of February or the first of March, correct ?”

I answered for Ginny, she was still reading the letter. “Okay, Debbie has the scheduling book, I'll talk with her now.”

Again the ride home chit-chat was limited to doctor's letters. I decided to call for a dinner delivery figuring the cook would still be floating around the condo for a few hours.

I asked Ginny if she wanted to split an eggplant parmesan dinner with linguine.

“That sounds great, how about a Caesar salad to go with it?” she asked. “There's a bottle of Chianti under the sink that would be perfect with dinner.”

I called it in to a take-out place on the Lynnway I also got a 2 liter diet Pepsi, They promised our dinner within 45 minutes. That worked out fine, about 6:30 dinner would arrive.

In 30 minutes the doorbell rang, I paid cash and gave the delivery driver a 3 dollar tip

After we ate, I suggested we go shopping tomorrow after lunch for Cathy's gift, that way we can wrap it and bring it with us on Saturday. I asked if she wanted to shop for Western boots on Thursday or wait until Saturday.

I know my girl, Thursday it was, she loved getting gifts. It's hard to look at the girly-girl sitting beside me and visualize the unshaven, greasy handed truck driver she was only eight months ago. It seemed a lifetime ago.

But if I can't see the truck driver, than no one else could either. After she comes back from 'vacation' she will be a female and no slips will ever endanger her safety.

This warm spell of 40 degree weather was melting away the snow like crazy, survey points were starting to appear again, this gave me hope of pouring concrete foundations this winter.

I made a note to call the foundation contractor to see if there was a window he could fit us into
Before Spring.

Ginny and I had great success finding a Columbia down jacket for Cathy in a periwinkle blue. We liked it so much, I got the same thing in a deep red, and Ginny found a North Face in black for the same price. How could we pass up a deal like this?

I told Ginny about a polar fleece factory just down the street from the job, next to the new YMCA. We decided to swing by there tomorrow! I mean Polar Fleece jackets and vests for Twenty dollars or less !

Ginny was becoming a good influence on me, I was putting on make-up even if I were staying home. What is it the British call it? Oh yeah 'slap'.

On the way to pickup lunch on Thursday we went into the Avalanche manufacturing company's store. We bought jackets for each other ! Pledging to wrap them and sliding the packages under the Christmas Tree for us to open in the morning. Before leaving, we bought Tina a fuchsia fleece jacket .

We had decided to invite Tina for Christmas Dinner, and would not take no for an answer. Maybe by then, she'd have news about her father and his friend from the police.

After work we headed to Route 114 and the tack shop in Andover. Paul greeted us with a cup of punch, saying “Every one gets a cup of Christmas cheer until the 24th at 5 PM when he closed the store for two days, to enjoy the Holiday.

I told Paul why we were there, He smiled and said he had a great deal on black Ladies Nocona boots.

Ginny tried on three pairs but really like the Nocona boots best. I had Paul ring them up adding a pair of ladies western spurs to the pile including saddle soap and Lexol.

After receiving a Christmas kiss from Paul, we headed home. That habit of kissing pretty customers has gotten him in trouble before.

Arriving home with our loot at 6 PM I asked Ginny what she would like to do about supper.

“If sandwiches and tomato soup are okay, I can whip that up in no time”

That's what we had .

After eating, I went downstairs to the basement to get wrapping paper and boxes. We had a division of labor, Ginny removed tags, and found the correct size boxes, while I wrapped and put ribbon on four packages.

I suggested she wear the boots around the house. This way, when show season came around, she would be blister free, the boots broken in. Besides cowboy boots with a 2 ½ “ heel are sexy, at least that's what Ginny told me. My boots say Red Wing and have a steel toe, not sexy at all.

Saturday came up quickly, we hustled out to the Explorer with our arms full, me carrying my saddle and bridal, Ginny with Cathy's gift and my grooming box.

On the way to the barn, we stopped at Dunkin Donuts for three coffees and a large box of donut holes. Somehow, half of them were gone by the time we reached Newbury.

We sat down with Cathy in the tack room having our coffee, and exchanged gifts before starting our lesson. Cathy suggested just running our horses through the riding patten and giving them some time off. Horses are no different from people that way, the require a break and a change of routine like we do.

Kevin showed up as we walked into the indoor arena. I think the remaining donut holes disappeared in minutes.

We had a high stress, low effort lesson that finished in 45 minutes. As we cooled out our horses, Kevin and Cathy hitched Doc to the jog cart. Off they went, just for the exercise. Those two didn't really need the practice.

Ginny and I hung around watching them circle the ring first clockwise, then counter clockwise.

We walked over to Kevin where he was brushing Doc before putting his blanket back on. We chatted about the Patriots, the weather, and of course the disappearance of Vinny Morales.

Before leaving, I invited him to have Christmas dinner with us. Kevin promised to bring several nice bottles of wine. He and Ginny did a quick tonsil check before she hopped into the front of the SUV.

“You look happy.” I observed, “Got your Kevin fix?”

“Yes thank you, I did. I bought him a nice cologne by POLO for Christmas, I can't wait to smell it on him.”

I looked at her, “So are so girl. However did you manage all those years as Gene?”

“I was in denial. Most of those years I was unhappy, but acting as a man. You know, checking out girls as they walked by, only I was looking at their shoes and how they put together their outfits with matching pieces.”

“Well you know more than I do, I'm hopeless doing make-up too.”

As I pulled into the driveway, I noticed a strange car parked in the street