He was my friend, however, as well as my business partner, so I was more than happy to have his company.We arrived shortly after they opened, and the ...artender was pouring our whiskey before we had even rounded the railing at the top of the stairs. Gabriel headed for the couch and I relaxed into the comfort of my favorite easy chair. The weather had turned cold and stormy, and I was still chilled from the short walk into the restaurant. There was a fire burning in the fireplace next to my. ‘So Andrew,’ Jeffery said as the plates were being cleared. ‘What do you do for a living?’ ‘I work for Chevron making gasoline, jet and diesel,’ I answered. ‘Really?’ He asked. ‘We own Chevron stock, from back when it was Standard Oil. How’s their stock looking these days?’ ‘$98.48 this afternoon.’ ‘The company have a stock option?’ ‘Yes sir. Every bit helps when it comes to retirement.’ ‘Yes it does. If you don’t mind, hows your living situation?’ Samantha asked. ‘Well my best friend and I. Georgia,North Carolina, South Carolina, I saw them all and didn't rest until Iarrived in New York. As with the other states in the east coast I'd beento, I made a point of seeing every unusual shop, sight, everything.Being a civil war buff, I'd also made a point of seeing every civil warsite and battlefield on the way.As an Australian, it wasn't my place to take a side, was it a war ofnorthern aggression or the war of southern independence. Only the deadknow the answer to that question. After. I headed for Paint Brush Park, but on the way I thought better of it. Natasha was home from school so she might go to the park to run and she might even do it hoping that I'd be there. I decided to run in the neighborhood and I made a u-turn and went back home.After my run I showered and then wondered what to do with the rest of the day. Pauline had family things to do and wouldn't be home early enough to make going out with her that evening reasonable. I came out of the shower and found mom.