Core Beliefs : Chapter 5 : Diner Delights

At the Martin household, it was early Sunday afternoon. Charlotte and Chris had been married for 15 years. Over that time, Charlotte had developed a sixth sense and could tell when Chris had something stewing. A casual glance and a couple of comments told her this was one of those times.

Chris had been preoccupied the past few days on a level that she couldn’t recall. Late nights, isolating himself in the study, and the unusual Saturday meeting with Mr. Lehman had her convinced that something was up.

She’d tried to broach the subject but had been told that he couldn’t talk about it and that she would have to be patient. Concerned, she asked if everything was okay at work. His response surprised her.

“Better than good, it’s fabulous!”

That was all the info she could get. This was both good and bad. Charlotte, by nature, was curious and very smart. Telling her to be patient was like issuing a challenge, and Charlotte loved challenges. Weaseling the truth out of Chris would be both challenging and fun.

She started rationalizing the facts and began formulating a strategy, and then Chris hit her with an unexpected broadside.

***

“By the way, honey, Mr. Lehman is coming for supper tonight.”

“Wh-what?” It was the closest thing to a stutter Chris had ever heard from her.

“Yep, about 6:30,” Chris replied.

“Why!” Charlotte blurted.

***

Charlotte and Chris had talked about Mr. Lehman. How he lived alone, his family had been killed, and he, to put it bluntly, was not a sociable man.

“But why is he coming to our place? And why with only a few hours’ notice!” she stared at Chris. “So, what are you cooking for him?” Her eyes blazed.

***

Chris knew when he had overstepped and knew some answers were required.

“Let’s sit, and I’ll tell you what I can.”

Charlotte plopped into a chair at the kitchen table opposite where Chris sat.

“Look at me.” It worked with Charlotte just as it had with Chris when Mr. Lehman said it.

“What I can tell you is that something amazing happened a couple of days ago. Mr. Lehman and I have been struggling with how to pursue it. Mr. Lehman is coming tonight to talk to you himself and to see what you think. I know you want information now, but dear, please have some patience. I am very sure you will find it worth the wait.”

***

Charlotte stared at Chris. She knew this was all she was going to get and decided not to badger him. Tonight would be fine.

“I could cook frozen fish sticks,” Chris said, “you know, like for the kids?”

She instantly remembered the time Chris put fish sticks in the oven under the broiler, and between the smoke, the kids screaming, and the smell that stunk up the kitchen for weeks, Charlotte had sworn that she would do bodily harm if he ever touched her appliances again.

Chris could bring takeout home but not cook at home, except on the grill outside. Chris didn’t seem to mind the arrangement.

“Any idea what Mr. Lehman might like?”

Chris had to confess that he didn’t have a clue.

“What about Jacob and Janet?” she asked.

“Honey, they should eat with us. I think Mr. Lehman needs to meet them. After dinner, they can go to their rooms or watch TV in the living room. We can meet with Mr. Lehman in the study.”

Leaning over, she gave him a long, full kiss. “I love you so much,” she said, “and I’m sorry if I was overreacting. I know you would never do anything to hurt our family.

“Honey,” Chris sighed, “you still don’t know the whole story, so you might have to save some judgment until later.”

She hit him with a scowl.

***

With MapQuest in hand, Matt pulled out and arrived early at 6:20. He considered pulling around the corner and waiting for ten minutes, but decided against it.

Chris was out the front door to greet him before he stepped out of the car. Matt apologized for arriving early, but Chris said it was no problem and walked with him to the front door.

Charlotte stood with a smile. Chris was a fine-looking guy, but Charlotte was drop-dead gorgeous, with blond hair, blue eyes, and a trim and well-proportioned figure, and her smile would make most any man melt. Matt grinned, understanding why Chris would not want to risk any aspect of their relationship.

Charlotte extended her hand and firmly shook Matt’s. “Mr. Lehman, it’s a pleasure to welcome you to our home.”

“Thank you very much. I hope the suddenness has not created an inconvenience,” Matt said.

“A little surprised, but not an inconvenience,” Charlotte responded.

‘Polite but honest,’ Matt thought.

Chris escorted Matt inside and called for the kids. Jacob, who was twelve, was over five feet tall, with sandy blond hair a little on the long side. Janet, his sister, was nine and had dark brown hair and brown eyes like her dad. They both politely greeted Matt and extended their hands, which he gladly shook.

“Mr. Lehman,” Jacob said, “it’s really neat to meet you.”

Janet jumped into the conversation, “Where do you live?”

Matt laughed and started to explain where his house was located, but Chris interrupted, “We can talk at the dining table, okay?”

“Dinner’s almost ready,” Charlotte said, leading them to the dining room. Matt glanced about the living room as they walked. It was neat and clean, and he could tell the furniture was a lot newer than his. He noticed family photos on the wall, starting with photos of Chris and Charlotte and, progressively, photos of the kids from birth to the present. Matt wondered where the photos of him, Marylyn, and Elizabeth were. He remembered taking them down, but couldn’t remember where he had put them.

As they entered the dining room, he could already smell delicious aromas from the kitchen. Chris motioned for Matt to sit at the far end of the table. Chris sat to Matt’s right, next to Janet. Jacob took the chair on the other side to Matt’s left, and it was obvious that Charlotte was going to sit at the other end.

The table wasn’t overly large but was ample for five or even eight to dine. The place settings were already in place, and iced tea had been poured for each setting.

It was a delightful meal, with plenty for seconds. During the meal, Matt asked Jacob what grade he was in, and Jacob confirmed seventh. They talked about his favorite and least favorite subjects.

Matt made sure to include Janet, discovering she was wonderfully bright with a vocabulary more like a twenty-year-old than a nine-year-old. When asked what she liked to do the most, it was not much of a surprise to hear her say, “Read.”

Janet asked Matt, “Have you read the Harry Potter books?”

Matt had to confess he had not.

“You should read them,” she said, “they’re really good.”

“Have you read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings?” Matt asked.

Janet admitted she hadn’t.

“You should read them; they are also very good books.”

The conversation went on with Charlotte and Chris sitting on the sidelines, enjoying as their children chatted with Mr. Lehman. Faces were animated, and Matt was hard-pressed to remember having more enjoyable conversations.

“Kids,” Chris finally interrupted the banter. “Your mom, Mr. Lehman, and I have some things to talk about in the study. Janet, what would you like to do while we’re meeting?”

“I have a new book I want to read,” she said with no hesitation.

Chris gazed over to Jacob, “How about you?”

“I’m working on my science project and got a couple of new ideas to add to it.”

“Okay, both of you, off to your rooms, but let us know if you need us.”

Both kids hopped up from the table, kissed their mom on the cheek, and came to their dad for the same. Janet said good night to Matt and headed for the door.

Jacob stepped to Matt. “I am really glad you came over. Dad always tells me how good you are to everyone who works for you and how many good things you do for people. I just want to say you’re a really neat guy.”

Matt sat speechless, as were Chris and Charlotte, who stared, mouths open.

“Thank you,” Matt said, the words heartfelt, “thank you very much. The honor tonight has been mine.”

Jacob turned and headed out.

“That was not a paid political announcement,” Chris gazed at Matt.

“You two are so very fortunate,” Matt smiled, “and I hope you realize how precious those two are.”

***

Charlotte blushed, recounting the events of the evening. She started viewing Mr. Lehman in a new, warmer light. Not simply as her husband’s boss and the owner of multiple corporations. There was something very special about this man. It was sinking in why Chris admired him so much.

“Chris, you two go to the study, and I’ll be there in a minute.”

***

Chris led them through the house to a small but comfortable room with a light brown couch against one wall, a burgundy recliner to the left in a corner, and in the other corner, a regular upholstered chair in a lighter color with a couple of small pillows in brown and gold. One wall was bookshelves top to bottom in a deep cherry, and Matt could tell, though not first editions, that many of the books had quality bindings, and all looked like they had been read.

There was a coffee table in front of the couch and small side tables beside each of the chairs. Chris offered Matt the recliner.

He found it comfy and thought he might fall asleep.

Chris took the other chair so Charlotte could sit on the couch facing them.

“Mr. Lehman,” Chris grinned, “you have to come for dinner more often. Charlotte’s a great cook, but tonight was something special.”

“Great meal,” Matt agreed, “but Chris, this whole evening is to give us a chance to get Charlotte’s take on what happened last week.

She glided into the room with a tray holding cups of coffee, sugar, sweetener, and cream.

“Thank you, Charlotte,” Matt smiled. “The coffee is precisely what I need. After that wonderful food, I was leaning towards a nap.”

“You’re welcome. You’re not the only one who wants to be alert this evening,” Charlotte said.

Matt took the hint, “I think it’s time we get the cat out of the bag. Charlotte, how much do you know about what Chris has been working on?”

Charlotte glanced at Chris, “I know he has been working on some kind of high-density communication beam that may allow you to transmit a lot of data in a compressed signal, but that’s about it.”

“Well,” Matt said, “that’s a good starting place.” He paused, “Charlotte, Chris is one of the most brilliant people I know. Not only is he knowledgeable and skillful in his profession, but he is also a man of character. I have to tell you, I trust him as I trust very few.”

Charlotte looked at Chris with a smile on her face, but her eyes had a questioning look.

“Late Thursday,” Matt said, “Chris ran an experiment designed to do what you described. It was in one of the labs at Cor-Digital. He started the experiment just as planned and continued it without deviation up to the point where he approached the designed power for the equipment. “At that point, something happened that not only was unexpected but defied the laws of physics. Chris and I believe he has generated an anomaly only hypothetically conceived in quantum physics.”

Matt paused to make sure Charlotte understood what he had said. “Charlotte, I’m going directly to the main point because everything else revolves around this. We believe somehow Chris was able to bend space.”

Charlotte’s face switched back and forth between Matt and Chris. Her eyes rounded, her mouth opened, and she shakily set her coffee on the table in front of her.

“In the course of this experiment, he saw, and we have it recorded, that solid materials literally disappeared from that lab, and we have zero clue where it went.”

Matt had always believed the best way to get something on the table for discussion was to drop the facts in front of everybody as cleanly and completely as possible and then let the sifting begin.

“So, Charlotte, the reason we are here tonight is that we know a small part of what happened during this experiment. Chris and I have discussed potential outcomes, including the potential dangers if this knowledge and power ended up in the hands of people who have placed a lesser value on life. To be frank, this scares us both to the core, and we are torn between pursuing it or destroying all evidence of it.” Charlotte’s expression told Matt he’d dumped a ton on her.

“I know that my gut told me that there is tremendous promise with this technology,” Matt said, “and I’ll let Chris speak for himself, but I must say in the strongest terms this must be kept a close and tightly guarded secret.”

Matt had spoken his truth, knowing Charlotte needed all the information possible to make her choice based on facts and her gut, just like he had.

“Honey,” Chris said. “I know this is a lot to take in, so ask any questions you want, and we’ll do our best to answer.”

Charlotte sat still, other than her eyes blinking a few times. She started to speak only to pause. No words for almost a minute. Finally, she looked at Chris, “You really did this?”

Chris nodded, “Yes.”

“You didn’t have any idea what might happen?”

“I had an idea what the experiment was meant to do,” Chris said, “and everything happened pretty much on course until the very end.”

Charlotte nodded. Processing the information for almost another minute. “Okay, this seems unbelievable, but if Chris says it happened, then I believe it happened. So why exactly are we talking about this phenomenon?”

“As Mr. Lehman pointed out,” Chris said, “this is something that has such power and potential that it must be protected. Honey, to tell you the truth, other than you and the kids, this is the most exciting thing ever to happen in my life, and after talking it over with Mr. Lehman, I feel like I would like to try to develop it into something good, but that would require some major changes.”

Charlotte furrowed her brow, “Go ahead.”

“We can’t continue this under any of the existing companies,” Chris said. “There would be too many ways for information to slip out, and our control would be lost. In addition, the facility requirements to continue the study can’t be met by any of our existing facilities. So, we are looking to find a place that would be isolated, unable to be seen or detected.”

“How dangerous is all this?” Charlotte asked urgently.

Chris looked at Matt, who nodded.

“If not dealt with properly,” Chris said, “this has the potential to be very dangerous. Anything that makes matter disappear is inherently dangerous. We will take every possible precaution to ensure every aspect is as safe as possible. That is one of the reasons for the requirements of a new lab, to make this as safe as humanly possible.”

Charlotte breathed a deep breath and stared at Matt, “So, where do I come in on this?”

“Charlotte,” Matt smiled, “the last three days have been hell for Chris. He wants to go forward with this, but even more than that, he wants to make sure you understand that you and the kids are the most important thing in his life.” Matt paused and took a sip of coffee.

“If, after we’ve talked, you decide that you do not want to be a part of this, then Chris will let it go. I will destroy the equipment and all records of the experiment, and we will all live the rest of our lives wondering, what if.”

Charlotte glanced from Chris to Matt, then buried her face in her hands. The room was silent for minutes. Matt worried they had unloaded too much, too fast, and she was going to jump to the scared side of the fence. He understood she needed time, and the worst thing they could do was push her.

Finally, she lifted her head and stared at Matt. “What do you get out of this?”

Chris, taken aback, started to say something, but Matt cut him off.

“Charlotte, that is a fair question.” He took a deep breath and returned her gaze. “I am 52 years old, and I have always tried to do what’s right. Since the loss of my family, I have lived sheltered from all around me and devoted myself to my company. They have made me a wealthy man, yet I live in a house alone. As I have pondered this discovery, something inside me has awakened. I have come to realize that I have a broader responsibility.

“Charlotte, I’m willing to do what is necessary to help Chris pursue this and make sure it gets used in good ways. I said earlier, this scares me, but I refuse to live in fear.”

Charlotte’s gaze held steady on his face. “I believe I can trust you,” she said. “You’ve confirmed everything Chris has told me about you. The way you talked with the children, your honest words, there was no BS tonight, only truth.”

She stood up, walked to Matt, bent down, and kissed him on the cheek.

Matt wondered if her response was a yes, a goodbye, or a maybe?

Charlotte looked him in the eyes, “What must we do to make dreams come true?”

Chris vaulted from his chair, grabbed his wife in a hug, kissed her, and babbled, “I love you; I love you so much.”

Matt basked in the moment, enjoying the scene. It had indeed been a long time since he had seen such joy, and he tried to control his emotions, but still felt a lump in his throat, and an unplanned tear escaped.

Chris and Charlotte broke their embrace and gazed at him. Charlotte knelt and hugged him.

“So, what do we do now?” Charlotte asked.

Chris started, but this time, Matt cut him off, “First and foremost, you are not to call me Mr. Lehman. My name is Matt or Matthew. Can we agree on that?”

Chris responded habitually, “Yes, Sir.”

Matt glared at him with a fake scowl.

“Yes, Matt,” Chris said, struggling with the informality.

  “Matt, would you like some more coffee?” Charlotte handled the casual transition smoothly and with sincerity. “The pot’s still hot in the kitchen.”

Matt glanced at his watch, surprised it was only a little after nine. He felt like a lot had been accomplished in a very short time. He remembered Charlotte had asked a question that he’d not answered.

“Charlotte, I’ll wait for the coffee. Let’s try to fill in a few blanks. First, this stuff is all new. We’ve only had three days to contemplate what to do. “Here is what we know. Chris has to package the gear in the lab this week and place it in a bonded warehouse for storage. He’ll clear the lab of all signs of the experiment and insert other R&D. I will start the process of transferring operations of all corporations to the key staff. I will also initiate a process to sell off portions of each company to its employees, raising capital in the process. We will form a new LLC. I have started to search for a place that meets Chris’s requirements. Anything else, we are playing by ear.”

Charlotte smiled and said coyly, “My, my, you have been busy, boys.”

“How about that coffee?” Chris asked.

Matt grabbed his cup, and Chris picked up the serving tray before Charlotte could reach it, and they made their way to the kitchen. While Charlotte poured refills, Chris went to check on the kids.

“There is one other aspect of this that you must be aware of,” Matt said, catching Charlotte’s gaze. “Chris will eventually leave Cor-Digital, but I can assure you his new job will be highly rewarding and include many benefits, but one of the biggest drawbacks is that we all may be relocating.”

“Matt,” Charlotte said, “I figured that was a possibility, and to be truthful, it was one of the hardest parts to accept. I know this is going to turn our worlds upside down, but I believe in Chris with all my heart, and I trust you to do what is best for us all.”

“The kids are fine.” Chris strolled back in,

It was time to go, but not before asking, “Any chance of getting invited back for another meal?” Matt grinned.

“Any time,” Charlotte chuckled, “and maybe next time we can go light on the surprises?”

***

After Matt left, Charlotte and Chris headed to the kitchen to clean up. Chris was rinsing the dishes, and Charlotte was placing them in the dishwasher. There came a point where their hands touched, and Chris instinctively took hold of hers. He pulled her to him; they embraced and kissed long, hard, and deeply.

“I do love you so very much,” Chris whispered when their lips parted, “and tonight has been wonderful, but honey, I want to be sure you have chosen to be a part of this because you want to and not to please me.”

Charlotte replied with commitment. “I’ve never had a problem telling you how I feel about things. That is one of the best things about our marriage. I want you to know that I believe you are an extraordinary man, and I am sure you and Matt are going to be able to do what is right with this technology. I’m on board, the same as you: to try to make a difference in the world.”

They kissed again and finished in the kitchen, checked the kids who were already asleep, and then went to bed, but not to sleep. It was a night of passion, play, and pleasure, better than they had enjoyed for some time.

Afterward, Chris fell asleep, and Charlotte lay awake thinking about the changes coming to their world.