Lee’s hand. “I’m late for a meeting and gotta run. Lee, if you stay around here, I’d like to talk to you. Maybe we can help one another.” With that cryptic comment, he and Ray left. The three young men continued on their way to the café and claimed the table in the corner.
Mike, with his characteristic big laugh as a prelude, opened the conversation. “Dude, that Kurt Kochran really likes you. I wonder what he meant by the ‘helping each other’ business?”
“I dunno. He said that he was a small businessman. What does he do when he isn’t politicking?”
Mike shrugged, indicating that he didn’t know. It was Tony Mancini that finally answered. “He’s some kind of an engineer. I know that he does a lot of work designing roads and stuff like that. I’ve heard that he’s working on the design of some dams that the government plans to put further down the Clark Fork to generate electricity.”
“That’s cool. But I sure don’t know how I’d ever help with that. I’m no engineer, for sure.”
Just then the waitress came over to take their order. It was the same girl who had served Lee when he first got to town, so he greeted her with a cheerful, “Hi Betty.” He was rewarded with a big smile as she asked for orders. Lee followed the others’ lead and just ordered a coke. He was a bit hungry, but he decided to hold off for a while.
After the waitress left, Mike let out his big laugh and asked, “Hey Dude, you don’t waste any time, do you? Already on a first name basis with the best looking gal in town. Not bad for a dude, if I do say so myself.”
Lee grinned. He knew how to respond to this kind of friendly ribbing. “Well, you know how it is, guys. I came into town yesterday and she took one look and decided this was the best thing she’d seen in months. The rest just happened naturally.”
Mike’s normal, nervous laugh was nothing compared to the whoops he let out when he was genuinely amused. He was now and he let it be known. Between huge peals of laughter, he managed to get out, “Dude, you’re all right.” Then he slugged Lee in the shoulder in a friendly gesture that almost knocked Lee out of his chair. Big Mike obviously didn’t know his own strength.
Tony was chuckling during all of this. Now he spoke up. “We’re planning to play baseball with a pickup team this evening. Do you play?”
“I guess. I played a bit in high school.”
Big Mike chimed in then. “Hell that’s enough. We’re going to get our butts kicked anyway. We’re playing the Town Team.” He stopped as if that explained everything.
Tony saw Lee’s puzzled look and hastened to explain. “The Town Team is almost all college baseball players. They’re all trying to make itto the big leagues. The mill owner brings them here every summer and gives them a job if they’ll play for the St. Dubois Town Team. Other towns do the same thing and they compete with each other. This gives the guys some summer practice and an income before they go back to school. It works out well for the sawmill because the summer is their busiest time and a bunch of healthy workers are pretty welcome.”
Tony paused, then continued. “We don’t have a chance of beating them, but it’s always fun to try. We play them about once a week. Usually we don’t have enough players, so some of them play on our side. You’re welcome if you want to give it a try.”
“Why not? I sure don’t have any pressing plans for the evening. I do have a ball glove somewhere in my car. Do I have time to get a hamburger before we have to go?”
Big Mike took charge of the conversation again. “Sure. We’ll head out pretty quick here and get something to eat at home. Then we’ll pick you up at about six at your cabin and give you a ride to the field.”
The next few minutes flew by. The conversation turned to other things and Lee got to know his new friends better. The two men had been friends since an early age and had graduated from
Mike, with his characteristic big laugh as a prelude, opened the conversation. “Dude, that Kurt Kochran really likes you. I wonder what he meant by the ‘helping each other’ business?”
“I dunno. He said that he was a small businessman. What does he do when he isn’t politicking?”
Mike shrugged, indicating that he didn’t know. It was Tony Mancini that finally answered. “He’s some kind of an engineer. I know that he does a lot of work designing roads and stuff like that. I’ve heard that he’s working on the design of some dams that the government plans to put further down the Clark Fork to generate electricity.”
“That’s cool. But I sure don’t know how I’d ever help with that. I’m no engineer, for sure.”
Just then the waitress came over to take their order. It was the same girl who had served Lee when he first got to town, so he greeted her with a cheerful, “Hi Betty.” He was rewarded with a big smile as she asked for orders. Lee followed the others’ lead and just ordered a coke. He was a bit hungry, but he decided to hold off for a while.
After the waitress left, Mike let out his big laugh and asked, “Hey Dude, you don’t waste any time, do you? Already on a first name basis with the best looking gal in town. Not bad for a dude, if I do say so myself.”
Lee grinned. He knew how to respond to this kind of friendly ribbing. “Well, you know how it is, guys. I came into town yesterday and she took one look and decided this was the best thing she’d seen in months. The rest just happened naturally.”
Mike’s normal, nervous laugh was nothing compared to the whoops he let out when he was genuinely amused. He was now and he let it be known. Between huge peals of laughter, he managed to get out, “Dude, you’re all right.” Then he slugged Lee in the shoulder in a friendly gesture that almost knocked Lee out of his chair. Big Mike obviously didn’t know his own strength.
Tony was chuckling during all of this. Now he spoke up. “We’re planning to play baseball with a pickup team this evening. Do you play?”
“I guess. I played a bit in high school.”
Big Mike chimed in then. “Hell that’s enough. We’re going to get our butts kicked anyway. We’re playing the Town Team.” He stopped as if that explained everything.
Tony saw Lee’s puzzled look and hastened to explain. “The Town Team is almost all college baseball players. They’re all trying to make itto the big leagues. The mill owner brings them here every summer and gives them a job if they’ll play for the St. Dubois Town Team. Other towns do the same thing and they compete with each other. This gives the guys some summer practice and an income before they go back to school. It works out well for the sawmill because the summer is their busiest time and a bunch of healthy workers are pretty welcome.”
Tony paused, then continued. “We don’t have a chance of beating them, but it’s always fun to try. We play them about once a week. Usually we don’t have enough players, so some of them play on our side. You’re welcome if you want to give it a try.”
“Why not? I sure don’t have any pressing plans for the evening. I do have a ball glove somewhere in my car. Do I have time to get a hamburger before we have to go?”
Big Mike took charge of the conversation again. “Sure. We’ll head out pretty quick here and get something to eat at home. Then we’ll pick you up at about six at your cabin and give you a ride to the field.”
The next few minutes flew by. The conversation turned to other things and Lee got to know his new friends better. The two men had been friends since an early age and had graduated from
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