Irrefutable by Dale Roberts Page A

approached.
    “Would you like a menu?” he asked her.
    “Yes, thank you.”
    “My name is Raul,” the young man said, “Could I start you off with something from the bar?”
    “I would like a Patron Margarita, rocks with salt.”
    “Very good.” The waiter said. He turned his attention toward Alex. “And for you sir?”
    “I wasn’t planning to drink when it was just me and my daughter.”
    Rachel cocked her head to the side, as if to say come on, have a drink.
    “Okay, I’ll have the same.”
    “And for the young lady?” he said looking at Carmen.
    “I’ll have a Dr. Pepper.”
    “Very good. I’ll return shortly.” The young man turned to leave.
    “So how are you two?” Rachel asked.
    “Fine.” Alex said. “I have a press conference to get ready for in the morning.”
    “I remember. You told me about that when you asked about the DNA sweep.” Rachel said. “What are you going to say?”
    “No shop talk tonight. Please?” Carmen said.
    “Sorry.” They both said together.
    Now Alex really did feel uncomfortable. In the months after Allyson’s death, he and Rachel had consoled each other, in a strictly non-physical way, until his guilt forced him to distance himself from her. Now, it felt strangely like a blind date, where he knew nothing about the person across the table. He sat quietly for a moment, smiling, waiting for someone to speak.
    Rachel must have sensed Alex’s discomfort. She turned her attention to Carmen. “So, how is school?”
    “It’s okay, I guess. I have a test in American History Monday, over the Civil War.”
    “Well, you know, I was a history major in college. If you need help getting ready, let me know.” Rachel said. “I’m sort of a Civil War buff.”
    “Really? I hate it. All the dates and places. We have to learn about events, but they never tell us how they tie together, like Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. We read it, but what‘s it all about? All the teacher says is that it was his ‘greatest speech’.”
    “Did you talk about the battle of Gettysburg?”
    “Yeah. It was some battle in Pennsylvania.”
    “Gettysburg was the bloodiest three days in American history. Did you know there were more casualties in that three day battle than in the entire Vietnam war?”
    “See, that’s what I mean. They teach us these little chunks of history but they don’t really go into what it all means.”
    “There are some inconsistencies but the estimated losses for both sides totaled between forty-six and fifty-one thousand. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was given at the dedication ceremony of the national cemetery that was made in Gettysburg after the battle.” Rachel explained. “If you know the battle and the significance of the losses for both sides, his speech is actually very touching. It was about remembering the sacrifices men made for a cause that was greater than themselves.”
    “My teacher never told us that.”
    The waiter returned with their drinks and took their orders.
    “So what did you study in college?” Carmen asked her father.
    “I really don’t remember.” Alex spoke for the first time since ordering his drink. “That was a long time ago.”
    “Yeah, you are getting pretty old.” Carmen teased.
    “He probably didn’t have much time to study between parties.” Rachel Smiled.
    She does have a nice smile . Alex began to realize he was looking at her more and more. She really was an attractive woman. The way her long brown hair framed her well tanned face and dark brown eyes gave the impression that she could have easily been Carmen’s mother. His thoughts turned to Allyson and once again he began to feel uncomfortable.
    The rest of the meal was spent over idle chit chat and Alex was glad when it was finally over .
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    Alex had held press conferences in the past. He had learned how to control the conversation and the information that was made public. Today, he would not allow himself to be bullied. He studied his