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A Picture Worth a Thousand Words

By: Bayville



This is the first in a planned multipart series. There is no sex in this chapter only teasing of a sexual nature, but there will be sex in later chapters. Please be patient, it'll be worth the wait. I owe a great deal of thanks to Eldridgein00 for inspiring me with the Conflicted series and for his words of encouragement. Thanks also to AsylumSeeker for his incredible editing skills. 

All characters in this story are over 18. 

*

I took another sip of my cola, my iPod humming in my ears. It was a fantastic summer and I'd decided to read in the hammock that was strung up in his back yard. I was a senior in high school and had my whole life ahead of me. My grades were high enough that I'd be able to get into the ivy school of my choice, and I could start relaxing as all my applications were sent off and I could just breeze through the next couple of months without worrying about ACTs or SAT prep.

"Hey asshole, are you done with the hammock?" 

I looked up from the book and saw that it was my bratty little sister Tess. She had her hands on her hips. She was only ten months younger than me, but it gave me a little bit of seniority. She was wearing a glittery blue bikini that didn't leave much to the imagination - she had certainly filled out since middle school.

Now that she had become a cheerleader, my sister seemed to be showing more skin than not these days. She seemed like such a stereotypical cheerleader that she could have easily been in a Bring It On sequel. She had her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail and her bright blue eyes sparkled - albeit with wry menace, not warmth. What was usually a stunning smile that helped win cheerleader competitions was now curled in a sneer. 

"Get your own damn hammock, Tess," I said with a mocking smile. 

It was a mystery why they'd never put up two hammocks in the huge garden, but then again, there only being one made it all the sweeter for whoever was using it. It was a frequent little game they played, a common battlefield in their childhood and adolescence. Tess was about a foot shorter than me, but that didn't mean she wasn't a threat. With an angry huff she bore down on my hammock and rolled me out onto the grass, my drink and book going flying in the process. I was a little surprised she even bothered to tell me to get out.

"It serves you right, it's not like you need to tan anyway - nobody is going to care how pale you are in New England." She was talking about me moving to the East Coast at the end of summer for college. 

My next move had happened as often as I'd been flipped out the hammock. I rolled up and tackled Tess in her midsection, easily bringing the petite blonde to the ground. I managed to pin her to the there before she could squirm away.

"Aaaah, get off!" Tess mewled almost incoherently as she kicked her legs to no avail. 

Satisfied with my victory, I got up. "If you want the hammock so much, just ask nicer," I said as I pulled my shirt over my head. 

I walked towards the pool shooting her a glance over my shoulder. I could have sworn she winked at me as she flashed me a predatory grin. I shook the thought from my head, dived in, and started doing some laps, letting the water cool me off. 

I pulled myself out of the water and looked towards where the hammock was strung up. Tess was captivated by one of her fashion magazines and listening to my iPod. As much as they had seemed to grow apart over the last few years, they still had similar tastes in music. It was only a few months ago when they used to read the same books. Nowadays it was more about Tess keeping ahead of the trends so she could maintain her status as one of the queen bees of the senior class. 

They used to be a lot closer than they were now but in sophomore year things slowly began to change. I realized that I wanted to make something out of myself and relentlessly hit the books, only really leaving the library to run track or take photographs for the yearbook. Tess had realized how much she could get away with being a tiny flirty blonde who went up two cup sizes in Tenth grade. Giving up on the AP classes that allowed her to skip a year, something I was still bitter about, she was easily able to be a senior despite really being in the age group for Eleventh grade. 

She was also a cheerleader, one of those stereotypical little blonde princesses that everyone loved or hated. I was a little put off by the transformation, most days I'd admit that Tess was just as smart as me, and on rare days I'd grudgingly acknowledge that her math skills made me feel remedial despite me being on track to become valedictorian. 

When Tess decided to just take basic classes so, as she said, she could focus on her social life and cheerleading, I had been incredibly disappointed. She still quietly got As in all her classes, but I always felt she could be doing more. Especially after seeing her potential in the few classes they'd had together before she switched out of the advanced courses. Their parents didn't seem to mind, their father played college football at USC where he met their mother, a typical blonde so-cal girl at the time. If anything, my dreams of going to an Ivy League school marked me as the black sheep of the family.

This wasn't to say I was some dork. I stayed in good shape by doing laps in the pool and running on the track team. I was an athletic six feet and two inches, my dad always pushed me towards playing football but I didn't really like team sports, as they tended to take up too much time.

I picked up my SLR and flicked on the view screen. I scrolled through the photos I'd taken at the recent football game. I'd only gone for the second half so the pictures started out with the cheerleader's halftime dance routine. 

I sighed, most of the girls were drop dead gorgeous and a few of them had been over at my house in tiny bikinis while hanging out with Tess. I'd barely said a word to any of the sexy cheerleaders as Tess seemed extremely territorial when anyone came over, and barely said a word to me. Hell, I was lucky if she even made eye contact. I tended to stay in my room or leave the house rather than to be made to feel uncomfortable.

The school's football team was so terrible that I couldn't really find any pictures of any successful plays, so I just attached a few pictures of the cheerleaders making a pyramid to an email for the school paper's editor. Tess happened to be at the top flashing that stunning smile of hers. The tiny uniform seemed way too inappropriate for wearing outside, let alone to a high school football game. God bless America I guess. 

I looked around my room. It was pretty neat as I'd finally thrown out all my SAT and ACT prep books now that I had the scores to get into wherever I wanted. My eyes caught a picture frame on one of my shelves that had fallen forward onto its face. It was a picture of Tess sticking her tongue out; her blue eyes were dancing with laughter. I smiled. 

It was one of the first pictures I'd taken with my camera about two years ago, when we were still pretty close. I really missed how we were back then, she was my best friend. Tess was set on going to USC like our parents, so they'd be on opposite coasts. It was hard to think about not seeing her regularly - at least it won't be as hard to say goodbye now, seeing as we were already drifting apart. 

I thought about surfing the net but it was the start of the weekend and I'd have plenty of time for that later. I grabbed my keys and headed downstairs to my car. I was going to indulge in one of my guilty pleasures - going to the camera store in town to handle the professional photography gear.

I got into my car and pulled out the drive and was parking outside the camera store about twenty minutes later. It was located in a pretty quiet area, just a few stores and small restaurants around. It was much nicer than going to a strip of big box stores or one of the malls in the area. 

It never failed to impress me when I walked inside to see row upon row of thousand dollar lenses and camera bodies arrayed in glass cases. I was a little surprised when I first found out about this incredibly well stocked store close to where I lived. When I asked about this odd discrepancy the clerk grinned and told me that most of the porn in the US was shot a few miles away and apparently porn shooters were very demanding of their camera gear. 

"What's up, Steve?" I was pretty well known to the staff. I came in regularly to get stuff printed and pick up a memory card or something else small. I'd shoot the shit with the staff, and they'd usually be cool enough to let me handle some of the seriously expensive gear that they knew I was never going to buy.

Dave was letting me handle the newest Canon lens when I heard the door open. I looked up and saw the most stunning redhead. Her hair cascaded down in waves. She had a lithe, athletic body that she moved like she knew how to use it. She took off her aviator sunglasses, revealing gleaming emerald eyes. She was dressed like she knew she didn't need to make an effort with how she looked: just a pair of flip-flops, tiny shorts, and a shirt that had a rival high school's logo on it. I'd never really thought about love at first sight but I was definitely becoming a believer. I sheepishly realized I was staring at her and returned my focus to the camera I was holding. Anyway, she was probably a ditz looking for a point and shoot camera to take pictures of her friends at house parties. I tended to rationalize why I should ask seemingly unattainable girls out to minimize my chance of failure - of course this also minimized any chance of success. 

"Hey Jess, what can I do for you?" Dave asked the goddess. 

"Oh my god, Dave," she replied with a hint of a southern accent, "You won't believe it - Jason was coming back from Japan and they lost all his gear. He has a shoot tomorrow and needs nearly all his gear replaced." 

I couldn't help overhearing their conversation. It was hard to believe that anything could distract me when I had the latest Canon in my hands. 

"Is he buying or renting?" Dave asked Jess. 

"He wrote up a list, he's buying. He'll claim it back from insurance later." She pulled a list out of her handbag. "And could you put it on the account?" she asked Dave.

"Wow, I'll need to go to the back room to put all of this together." He looked up at the two teenagers. "Will you two be okay while I root around for this?"

"Sure," I stammered nervously, while Jess just smiled.

"Oh, I'd better introduce you two, knowing Steve he's so engrossed in that camera he'll ignore a lovely young lady such as yourself," Dave grinned.

"Jess this is Steve, and Steve this is Jess. I'll see you two in a bit - it's going to take some time to put this together."

With that Dave trotted to the back room. 

"Uhh" I started, desperately trying to think of something to say. 

Jess flashed me a friendly smile. "So I see you've got the 5DmkII there, thinking of buying it?" She had a sweet voice; the hint of a southern accent gave her a cute cadence that seemed exotic for the area. 

I finally remembered how to speak. I laughed, "I'm just dreaming. I have a 40D right now. I mainly just shoot stuff for the school paper. What about you, it seems like you're ordering some serious gear?"

"Oh, my brother is a professional photographer, and he's panicking about a last minute shoot tomorrow so I offered to pick his replacement gear up." She twirled her hair with her finger and continued: "We've been coming to this store since we moved from Austin." With a shy smile she added, "I shoot a little for my school's paper too, but I prefer doing my own stuff." She hesitated, leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "Aren't high schoolers just so boring?" 

"I know what you mean, I can't wait to graduate. Freedom!" I grinned. I was starting to get a little more confident talking to this gorgeous girl. A tiny voice in my head was screaming GET HER NUMBER, but one step at a time. 

"So, where do you go to school?" Jess asked.

"Just up at McKinley." But before I could finish, Jess playfully punched my arm.

"You guys destroyed us last month!" she said teasingly, only pretending to be angry. 

"Ouch," I said while rubbing my arm mockingly. "What are you talking about? Our football team hasn't won a game all season?" 

"I photographed the cheerleading competition, your school's team is really good." It didn't seem like she particularly cared, but was just bantering playfully. 

I vaguely remembered Tess talking with our parents about some tournament. It stung me a little that she didn't tell me they did well. Pushing the thought from my head I grinned wryly. 

"I wouldn't know about that, I didn't make the team. Not enough pep." 

Jess burst into giggles. "You're funny, I like that."

Before she could say anything else, Dave came back into the room pushing a trolley loaded with boxes. From the labels I could tell that they contained some expensive gear.

"Need any help carrying all that to your car?" I asked chivalrously. Although I was just trying to prolong our conversation, it was a treat to be able to handle such high tech gear. 

"How gentlemanly of you," Jess replied with a flirty smile. This was getting better and better. 

Dave split up the gear between several thick plastic bags. It'd be pretty embarrassing if I dropped them, so I carefully picked them up, making sure there was no chance that anything would slip out. After Jess signed some paperwork we left, she waved goodbye to Dave as she held open the door for me.

"Now who's the gentleman?" I teasingly quipped, and again she giggled. With jokes as lame as I was making she had to be a little into me, or she was just plain dumb. I had a hunch it was the former. 

"I'm driving the blue mini across the street," Jess said as she pointed out the metallic blue car. 

I whistled appreciatively. "Nice ride, not sure if all this stuff is going to fit though."

"If it fit all the shoes I bought at the mall last weekend it'll fit this stuff, trust me," she told me as we crossed the street.

I was frantically trying to think of a way to ask her for a number or some way to contact her. Fortunately I didn't have to. As Jess opened the trunk and I began loading the gear into the back, she put her hand on my arm.

"Hey, would you be interested in helping out tomorrow on the shoot?" Her eyes were looking up at me imploringly, "My brother is a pretty great photographer so you'd learn a lot and it's usually pretty fun." She then grinned mischievously, "You're over eighteen right?"

"Yeah, I just turned 18," I said to the odd question, "I'd love to help out, it sounds like a great opportunity." It would have been a fantastic offer even if it weren't Jess making it. 

Jess produced a business card "Don't worry, I'm not pretentious or anything - my brother just printed up a bunch for me as his assistant to look professional when I help him out or go out scouting." 

She hopped in the car and gunned the engine; meeting my eyes with a flirty smile she waved cheerfully and pulled away. 

I stood there for a second slightly dumbfounded. Not only did I have the number of a gorgeous redhead that seemed interesting and interested in me in my hand, it seemed I was going to help out a professional photographer tomorrow too. 

Not bad for a Saturday afternoon. 

I parked my car behind my mom's SUV. Both of my parents were out of town for two weeks on a second honeymoon to Europe. It was nice to get them out of the way for a while, if only for that the house was quiet without his mom constantly entertaining friends or his dad having clients and other people over. Fortunately they trusted their kids not to be too wild.

I didn't see much of Tess either. Her room was on another floor of the house. The only time we really spent together was when we goofed off by the pool, which seemed to be some kind of neutral ground as far as our relationship was concerned. She'd usually gotten a ride to school from her friends while I was out running in the morning, so sometimes I didn't see her until we both got home from school.

I was shocked when Tess bounded up to me as I opened the door and planted a kiss on my cheek and hugged me tightly. She grinned up at me, I was a little taken aback to see such a warm smile directed at me. She'd thrown one of my hoodies over her bikini-clad body, and looked incredibly cute. 

I suddenly had to put a stop to my thoughts; I'd almost forgotten she was my sister for a second. It was probably hanging out with Jess that had gotten me so worked up that I momentarily saw my sister as a sexy young cheerleader and not the demon that gave me hell as a kid. I blinked and cleared the thought from my head. 

"Hey brother, you want Chinese tonight?" she asked. Chinese used to be our tradition whenever our parents went out and we had to fend for ourselves. We'd always order our favorite dishes, and one or two that we hadn't tried yet and share them while watching a movie on the TV in the basement den. 

"Sure," I replied hesitantly. I was still confused by the sudden friendliness. It seemed like a good evening though, it was not like I was doing anything else and I'd missed our evenings in. 

Tess smiled that knockout smile of hers that got her out of so much trouble. Her bright blue eyes were sparkling. "Cool, it's been forever since we've ordered from the Happy Panda and seen a terrible movie together."

For whatever reason, it seemed that I had my old sister back. I wasn't really sure what to make of it yet, I suppose I'd better be grateful she was making the first move at reconciliation. 

"Do you mind ordering, T? I have to make a phone call. Could you get the Mongolian beef?" I added, "Pick out the random dish too," knowing she'd pick something I'd like. 

"No problem, just get your butt down here afterwards so we can have a real movie night when the food gets here." 

Still a little confused, I made my way to my room. I pulled out Jess's card from my pocket. I admired the sleek professional design. The embossed name read "Jessica Cameron" and had her number and email. I dialed it and she picked up on the second ring.

"Heya, who's calling?" she asked brightly with that delightful lilt of hers.

"It's Steve, remember from the store today? The failed cheerleader," I quipped, hoping she'd remember the joke. 

"It's lucky for me they kicked you to the curb or I wouldn't be able to beg favors of you," she said with a laugh, "I was so hoping you'd call." 

I grinned, as if I wouldn't call her. Before I could reply she continued, "Do you think you can make it? It'd be sooo helpful." Her accent gave the drawn out request an enticing allure. 

"Yeah, of course. I'm looking forward to it. When should I come?" 

"Around ten would be great, I'll text you the address. Sorry, but I gotta go, we're making sure all the gear works." The line went dead before I could say anything. 

I grinned to myself, she seemed pretty excited about me coming and that could only be a good thing. My phone buzzed and I looked up the address on the map feature of my iPhone. It was to a beachfront house in a pretty classy area. Jess's brother must have hired the place for the photo shoot. It wasn't too far away, only a thirty minute drive. 

I actually had no idea what the shoot was about, but I guess I'd find out tomorrow. I could only hope that it'd involve Jess in a bikini - but that'd be pretty weird if her brother was taking the pictures. My eye caught the framed picture of Tess on my shelf. I guess it wouldn't be that weird to shoot your sister. It's not like I'd really taken any pictures of her recently though, except of her cheerleading on the sidelines - which to be fair were pretty racy pictures what with the little skirts they all wore. 


A Picture – Worth A Thousand Words



There is no way I'm attempting to portray any real life event, places, or people. This story mentions RSP's and RRSP's. To my American readers, these are synonymous to your 401K's. Thanks for reading. WR



A Picture – Worth A Thousand Words

It's the same old cliché; the husband is the last to know. Well, in my case perhaps not the last but I was well down on the list. I've always been considered fairly easy going. Not much got me really upset, even the stress of a network that wouldn't co-operate or software that didn't work the way it should didn't really get to me too much. That all came to an end the night I became one of the cliché.

It had been a bear of a week. I spent all day the previous Sunday driving to the plant owned by my client then spent about 14 hours a day Monday to Wednesday sorting out their network and database problem. I finally got it up and running properly by noon Thursday, a day and a half prior to schedule. My client was happy. He'd saved some money and his system was better now than it had ever been. I was happy since Saturday was our 30th anniversary. I figured I'd get home early and surprise my wife Bev. She'd been somewhat unhappy lately about some of the longer trips I'd made. But when the client calls and has a problem that his business depends on it's a no-brainer that I'd do what needed to be done to get it fixed. This last job had been one of those.

A little background here. I own a small computer consulting business that I built up from basically nothing. It's been in operation over 30 years now, and had a good reputation. Bev and I were married almost as soon as I graduated from college. I was never the most handsome guy on the planet, but wasn't repulsive either. I tried to keep my 5'11" frame in not too bad a shape, and have been within 200 pounds most of my adult life. Bev wasn't beauty queen either, something she readily admits, but to my eyes was very attractive. Even after the birth of our two kids she managed to keep excess weight off, and maintained her nice, curvy figure. She worked in an office downtown doing some kind of clerical thing. It kept her in a new car every few years, and her nice new clothes. I never begrudged that; it was what she wanted and that was all that mattered. I could easily support us both, now, but she chose to keep working.

Our kids grew up to be good, responsible adults. Colleen was the oldest. She had moved out and married her boyfriend just after graduating from high school. They were happy and treated each other well. There were no kids yet, but they were trying. Jamie had followed in his sister's footsteps 2 years later, marrying his high school sweetheart. They'd been pretty much joined at the hip from grade school, so that was no surprise. They had 2 kids, a boy and girl that Bev and I didn't get to see enough of. They were the stereotypical modern family; always on the go.

So I pulled into my driveway at about 11:00 PM Thursday night after driving for nearly ten hours. There was a strange car parked at the curb but I didn't think anything of it. Bev's car was probably in the garage. I usually parked outside because, being a male, more important things like tools and toys had to go in the garage. I carried a flower arrangement of 15 yellow roses, her favourite, one for every 2 years we had been married. I went into the house quietly, hoping to surprise Bev. I expected her to be in bed, maybe watching a little TV before going to sleep. 

I heard them before I saw them. I knew it wasn't the TV. Bev was moaning and the guy screwing her was telling her what a slut she was and all the rest of it, you know the drill. Instead of taking the flowers and card into my loving wife, as soon as I got over my shock, I retreated to my car and got my latest toy, a fancy digital camera that worked in low light without needing a flash. It also has a great video feature that I put to use. The flowers and card went back into the car. I later threw the flowers into a dumpster.

They were taking a break when I went back in. I heard him say, "So you're sure your little peckered hubby doesn't suspect anything?"

"I'm sure, baby. Not a thing." She giggled a bit then continued, "He won't be back 'til Saturday and by then I'll have clean sheets on the bed, laundry all done and be his little loving wife. That stupid meal ticket will never find out if we're careful. He hasn't clued in yet, has he, after all these months?"

"I know. But if he does find out it could get ugly."

"He won't. He's too wrapped up in that stupid business. Now shut up. Where were we? Oh yeah."

Well, there wasn't much video 'til then, but the audio would be clear. To get the video I crept silently down the hall. The bedroom door was wide open and a bedside light was on. Video would be no problem. I stood in the doorway across the hall. It was dark in the room but they would only have to look to see me; I didn't particularly care if they did. I'm sure that checking out the hallway wasn't on their radar. He was pounding into her and doing all the nasty talking. She began to orgasm again, then I heard her say, "In the ass, baby, in the ass. Come in my ass." She would never do anal with me, it being filthy and degrading.

I got about 30 minutes of good video and audio. It was all making me sick. It took all I had not to upchuck all over the spare bedroom where I was crouched. I waited until they started up again for at least the third time since I arrived and crept out of the house. With me, she wanted to quit as soon as one of us climaxed, no matter which one of us it was. With this guy, it seemed she couldn't get enough.

At first I was upset, more than just upset, and then I got mad. Now I would get even. It would take some time. I could feel a cold rage building. It would serve to keep me on track with what I wanted to do. Inside, my heart was crying, crying for the family I felt I had already lost.

I found a cheap motel not too far from my business and tried to get some sleep. Instead I tossed and turned all night, coming up with different scenarios. Physically I had no plans to hurt them, much as I wanted to; every other way I would if I could. I had his plate number; it would be easy to find out everything I needed to know about him.

Bev was another matter. I had to make sure she had nothing left but maybe her RSP's that I had contributed to over the years. She had a job that didn't pay all that much but it paid for her car and fancy toys with her salary. I paid for everything else from my 'stupid business' that had put food on the table, a nice house to live in, and all the goodies and toys she just had to have that she couldn't afford on her salary. Well, tomorrow morning the gravy train would stop rolling and the meal ticket would get voided.

I was up early. I made a couple of calls, the last being to my lawyer. "Glen, I know you do corporate. Can you recommend a good divorce lawyer?"

"Jack, are you and Bev having problems?"

"Let's just say that she found a boyfriend to keep her company while I'm busy busting my ass with the business."

"I'm really sorry to hear that, Jack. The best one I can think of is Sally Fields."

"Like in the actress? Is she local?"

"I doubt she's related to the actress, but she doesn't take prisoners if you know what I mean."

"Can I use you as a reference?"

"Sure, here's her number. If she's not in the office it will forward to her cell. Jack, I'm really sorry to hear this. I thought you two were the perfect couple." He gave me her number, and a back room number that bypassed the secretary.

"Thanks Glen. So did I. I'm sure I'll be talking to you soon. I'll be removing her as a director in the company and taking away all her signing authorities. That will be effective yesterday, but she doesn't know that yet."

"Okay Jack, thanks for letting me know. I'll get my staff working on it right away. Give me a call when you're ready."

"Will do Glen, and thanks. Probably next week, Wednesday or Thursday. I'll call."

I had a shower and shave and vacated the motel. A waste of a few bucks, but I wasn't going to sleep in my car; not that I'd had much sleep anyway. I got to my store just after my office manager, Joyce, opened up. She looked after everything in the office and did some counter work with customers as well. I had a young girl working the counter and display area and 3 techs working in the back. I was usually helping all over when I was in the store, but if a large customer, like the one I had just done the troubleshooting for, needed anything other than routine stuff, I handled it myself. They were paying for my expertise so I didn't feel right in sending over one of the techs unless I had their permission first. Usually I went because it allowed me to keep in personal touch with them.

Joyce saw me walking up the sidewalk and waited for me. "Jack, what are you doing here? I thought you wouldn't be back 'til Saturday."

"Yeah, that was the plan but I got finished early and drove back last night."

"Was Bev surprised or did you tell anyone you were coming home yesterday?"

"She will be surprised. Let's get the coffee going and go to your office. I'll tell you the whole story."

"Uh oh, that doesn't sound good."

"Trust me, it's not. Spread the word to the staff, if anyone asks for me I'm not here. No one, especially Bev or anyone from her office."

"I'll let them know, and also let them know that if they screw up, the wrath of Joyce will descend upon them."

"Thanks Joyce. Let's get a coffee then close your door." We got our coffees and she spoke to the techs in the back, explaining that I'm not here and not expected back 'til sometime Saturday. Lisa, the front counter girl would be told when she showed up for work. She came in later than the techs since she had to drop her young daughter off at day care. It was the only perk she ever asked for in the years she worked for me.

Joyce was my right and left hands. She probably knows more about the day to day part of the business than I do. She'd come in looking for work just about the time I was starting to really get swamped. She isn't much to look at, a bit overweight with rather plain features, something like you envision when someone says "single school marm". That isn't really a fair comparison though. She knew office work inside out, could do all the accounting up to a P&L, and was great with people. Her most amazing attribute was her personality. If you went by looks alone, you'd never notice her. If you heard her before seeing her, she's someone you'd definitely want to meet. I'd hired her the same day she came in. No other applicants came close to having the qualifications I needed.

It turns out that her hubby had left her the day after their youngest daughter got married. That was a few months before she came to see me. He'd been planning it for some time, apparently, and left her with little but the clothes she owned and whatever she had in her RRSP. I gathered it wasn't much. He'd cleaned out all the other accounts. The house was over-mortgaged and there was no way for her to make the payments. She just handed the keys into the bank and signed a quit-claim. He'd departed for parts unknown with some arm candy that was far prettier. Maybe prettier, but I doubt nicer or smarter. But then I'm biased. She'd become indispensable since I'd hired her over four years ago.

Just after I hired her, her oldest daughter, Gloria, came in to talk to me. Joyce had taken the actions of her ex pretty hard and didn't have a lot of self esteem when she came in to interview for the job. Her daughter wanted to make sure that it wasn't just a sympathy ploy; my feeling guilty for the actions of another of my ilk.

I assured her that the hiring was on merit alone, and that she was actually over qualified for what I needed at the time. Gloria seemed a bit doubtful and checked up on me from time to time, as did her youngest daughter, Jen. They gradually thawed when they realized I was on the up and up.

After I'd told Joyce the story of last night she just sat at her desk, trying not to weep, "Why does this shit always happen to the good people, the ones who did nothing to deserve it?"

I had no answer. She knew exactly what I was going through.

I hung around the store, called the divorce lawyer who would see me first thing, and generally stayed out of the way until after 9:00 just to make sure Bev would be at work. I called a friend of mine who owned a locksmith business and told him what I needed. He said he'd meet me at the house around noon. I went to a business that sells moving materials like boxes and tape. I bought a few more of a variety of sizes than I hoped I would need, and some packing tape.

I went down to a branch of the motor vehicle registration office and told them I was thinking of buying this car and gave them the plate number. The girl came back in about ten minutes with a printed history of the vehicle including the current and past owners and their addresses. The best $25 I ever spent.

Then I stopped into a florist that I had never frequented before and explained to the manager what I wanted. She wasn't buying that it was a practical joke, but he promise of an extra $50 to have my order ready by 3:00 made her agreeable to my request. I left half on deposit so she could rest assured that I'd be back.

The florist was near the building where Sally Fields had her office, so I just walked over and took the elevator to the top floor. It certainly wasn't what I expected. The elevator opened directly into the reception area. A small sitting area was just to the right, and the hall to the offices started just left of the receptionist. Several secretaries were busy behind reception.

"Good morning, Jack Ames to see Sally Fields."

She brought up the schedule on her computer. "Yes, of course Mr. Ames. Ms Fields will be with you shortly. Would you like some coffee?"

"Thank you, I'd love some."

She went in the back somewhere and came out with a mug with the name of the law firm on it. I sat back and waited for Sally Fields. 

She wasn't at all what I expected, but then isn't that usually the case. She was tall, maybe it a bit taller than my 5'11", and very well proportioned. Her brown hair was curled and shoulder length. She wasn't beautiful in the usual sense of the word, but she had a presence. For the first time since I arrived home last night I thought I might be able to see a light at the end of the tunnel; or at least enough to see I was in a tunnel.

"Mr. Ames, I'm Sally Fields. Remind me to thank Glen for the referral."

"Ms. Fields, I'm very pleased to meet you. Please, call me Jack. Everyone does."

"Okay, Jack it is. Come with me and let's get started. Please bring your coffee."

I followed her into a large, well-appointed office. One wall lined with bookshelves holding numerous legal reference books. The wall to the right of her desk was all windows that looked out over the centre of the city. You could easily see the mountains where I used to go camping, far in the distance.

"Jack, I need you to tell me exactly what's going on, and whether you have any proof of impropriety."

I handed her my camera and told her to just push the video button, then push 'playback latest'. "I don't think you'll have much doubt after seeing this." I sat back in my chair while she watched some of the video.

"How long is this?"

"In total, it's about 35 minutes, but the first part, as you heard, is just audio. I was just down the hall from the bedroom when I recorded that. The rest of it was from the spare bedroom across the hall. They had no idea I was there."

"Okay Jack, what exactly do you want, really want?"

"Sally, I've busted my ass for over 30 years building up my business. If I may say so, it's become quite successful. It's evident that all she sees is a meal ticket. She even says so. We've hardly been intimate for the past two years. Now I know why she's tired or not in the mood. That is ending as of right now. I want her gone, out of my life. Totally!"

"Do you have a prenup or postnup?"

"Yeah, her dad insisted on a prenup. He thought I was after her for her supposed inheritance. He died a couple of years ago without leaving a thing. He drank or gambled all of it away."

"Do you have the document with you?"

"Do you have a phone I can use? I'll get Glen to fax you a copy. I'll get him to send copies of all the business records too. You'll probably need them at some point."

"Good idea. I probably will. Thank you. Now, your business. Are you the sole owner?"

"It's actually a LLC. I incorporated a few years ago when I started getting really busy. It was better for me, liability-wise and for insurance to have it incorporated. I'm the owner and president. Bev, my wife, is, was, a director only. She holds no other interest in the business, and always said that she wanted it that way.

"Okay, I understand. What I need you to do is not do anything rash. I know you're upset and disappointed, but don't go do anything stupid that will give her or her lawyer some ammunition."

"I got over upset and disappointed last night. Now I'm more angry now than I've ever been in my life. She and her boyfriend are going to wish they'd never met, and never, ever fucked with me." I laid out my plans for the rest of the morning. She told me to get to my bank as soon as possible to make sure Bev had no signing authority on anything but her own accounts. If I gave Sally the details, she'd have her staff relate new account numbers to any companies that had automatic bill payment. She also told me to get hold of my insurance company, personal and corporate and make the appropriate arrangements with them. Feeling that I was in good hands, I left Sally and headed over to the bank.

My account manager was busy, but the branch manager would see me immediately. I went in and found out that the manager who had been there for longer than I remembered had retired. The young, well, younger than me anyway, woman sitting behind the desk rose to greet me and shake my hand. I explained to her what was happening and what I needed done right away. I assured her that the appropriate forms for my business, removing Bev from the company, would be forthcoming from my lawyer.

Dianne, the manager, had one of her staff bring all the forms I would need to sign, as well as the records for the company. By the time I left an hour later, Bev had no access to any of the business accounts, including the credit card registered to the company which I cancelled. A new one was on the way and I could pick it up in the bank later in the week. The only accounts she could touch were her savings, her RRSP and the chequing account I had removed my name from. I closed all the joint accounts and opened the necessary ones for myself. I had called Glen at his office and let him talk to Dianne. He assured her that it was all above board and his staff were working on it as they spoke.

"Mr. Ames. I'm truly sorry for all this. I hate to see it happen to anyone, let alone a good customer. I hope this won't affect our business relationship."

"Thank you Dianne. You've been most helpful. My sincere thanks to you and your staff. My wife might come in and make a scene when she finds out, but as far as our business relationship, I don't expect that to change much."

"Thank you Mr. Ames. Good luck."

I left the bank and headed home, stopping long enough to grab a sandwich and beverage from a small store not far from the house. The locksmith was parked in front, waiting for me. I told him what I needed done, and where everything was and left him to it. My friend couldn't come himself, though he wanted to, but he had sent one of his best technicians to do the work.

While the locksmith worked, I took all the boxes that I had purchased, taped them up and began dumping all of Bev's clothes and personal possessions into them. Her clothing alone took 4 large boxes. It might have taken more boxes, but folding neatly wasn't in my plans. I just stuffed them until I could barely tape them shut. I didn't bother boxing the TV from the bedroom. I'd paid for it but didn't want it. She had said she needed it to help her go to sleep when I was out of town. As if. I placed it on top of one of the boxes in the yard.




A Picture – Worth A Thousand Words



By the time I finished there were 4 large boxes and 4 smaller, not much but smaller, ones sitting on the lawn, along with her TV, stereo and all our cd's. She could have them. She had bought them but I never heard them played. Just more 'stuff' she had to have. Well, now she had it.

The locksmith finished his job just about the time I had finished with the boxes. "Did you get the garage as well?" I don't want her garage door to work with the old key or the opener."

"No worries Mr. Ames. All taken care of. The boss said he'd send the bill to your company." He handed me two new remotes. "These are coded different, one for each door. The spares are on the counter in the house."

"Thank you. I appreciate it. And tell him thanks for the great service."

"Will do Mr. Ames. Take care now." With that the locksmith drove off, leaving me standing in the doorway of my house, looking at all the items on the lawn. I got the camera from my car, took several photos then went down to my home office and printed them off. I had received a call from Sally requesting a copy of the whole video I had taken. I burned a couple of DVD's to drop off at her office, as well as a couple of spares. I had plans for them. The video was date and time stamped so there's no way someone could claim it was doctored.

I left the house, making sure everything was locked. Short of breaking a window, Bev, or anybody else,wouldn't be able to get in. I went to the florist who had finished making up my order. I paid her the agreed upon amount, including the bonus. I then asked her if she used anyone to make casual deliveries, not a delivery service or business. She gave me the name of a young guy who hung out at the mall. With her description, I found him easily.

"Are you Jerry?" I asked.

"Who wants to know?" The kid had an attitude.

"The lady at the flower shop says you make deliveries for her sometimes. Is that right?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"I need to have these and this card delivered. There's 50 bucks in it for you."

"I don't do no illegal shit. This legit?"

"All you have to do is go to this office and deliver these to Mrs. Bev Ames. You don't have to do anything else. The only thing is, it has to be at 4:00 PM today. No sooner, no later. Can do?" 

"For 50 bucks, you got your man. Just give me the address." I handed him a slip of paper with the address of Bev's office on it. "I don't have to say nothin'?"

"No, just that you have a delivery for Bev Ames and it has to be personally delivered to her. They'll make sure she comes to get it. She works in that office, just behind the counter."

"Okay. Are you Mr. Ames?"

"You don't know who sent it. You're just the delivery guy. Right?"

"You got it Mr. 50 Bucks. Not a problem. It's only a short walk from here. I'll have it there for 4:00."

"Good. The flower lady said you wouldn't let me down."

He grinned, pocketed the $50 and headed down the street toward her office. 

Chapter 2

To say that the delivery set the cat among the pigeons would be an understatement. True to his word, Jerry presented himself to the front desk at Bev's office at exactly 4:00. The receptionist called her to the counter, just as I expected.

Bev took the 15 black flowers and vase back to her desk before opening the card I had planned on delivering last night. I had made some changes to it. The front was all flowery and said Happy Anniversary. I left that alone. Inside, on one side of the card had been a large, flowery 30. I had x'd it out with a large black marker, and then in red had over written the whole thing with a "0". Inside the card were the photos of all the stuff sitting on the lawn. I didn't think it was necessary to sign it. She would have no doubt who sent it.

Bev went hysterical, from what I was told later. I know she tried to call my cell at least 20 times. I just deleted the messages without listening. She must have called my office, but as I had asked, as far as they knew I wouldn't be back until tomorrow some time. There was a message from Joyce relating that Bev had called and was upset and nearly incoherent. She also said for me to lay low. The staff would cover for me. I called Joyce back and asked that they just say as they were told. I would be at the house. I gave her the number of a second cell that I had picked up. 

I parked my car in the garage where Bev used to park and made sure that the garage was securely locked. I went into the kitchen, grabbed an iced tea from the fridge and went down to my home office. I unpacked a couple of boxes containing web cameras and set them up, one looking out from the front door, and the second overlooking the deck and back yard. They both provided streaming video and would work in relatively low light.

It was about 4:45 when Bev pulled into the driveway. I could see, from the webcam, her throw the garage door opener onto the floor of her car when it wouldn't work and get out and walk toward the garage. She was lost to sight as she tried to open it with her key. Next she came to the front door and tried her key, of course without success. This was repeated in back and the basement. She came back to the front door and rang the doorbell. I didn't answer. She pounded on the door, and again, I didn't answer. She sat down on the doorstep and started bawling.

I gave her a few minutes then called her cell, "As you can see, this is no longer your home or house. Get loveryboy John or anybody to come and move your stuff. He and his wife probably have a spare room. Any further contact with me is to be through my lawyer, Sally Fields. Any breach and I'll get a restraining order."

"But Jack..."

I ended the call. I knew it had showed on her call display as an unknown number so there was no way for her to call me back. I was totally serious and wanted nothing to do with her. I saw her punching a number into her cell then stopped monitoring the camera. I just didn't care anymore. She could leave her stuff until it got moved or stolen. It didn't matter to me.

When I looked out a couple of hours later, everything had been removed from the lawn. I didn't know or care who had taken it or where it had gone. I had unplugged the landline when I'd gotten home. I plugged it in again, but set it not to ring. It would go straight to the answering machine. I fully expected a shit storm to hit when she told our kids what had happened. They thought their mother walked on water. I was just the sperm donor and supplier. I guess that was partly my fault. I had worked hard to build up the business and hadn't always been there for them. When or if I felt like it, I'd return any calls they made, the next day. I'm sure that if I asked Sally, she would tell them the way it is, and why. I loved my kids, but wouldn't take any crap from them.

I went to bed early in the spare room and slept soundly. It had been a hell of a couple of days. Next morning I put the coffee on and listened to the phone messages, three from my daughter and two from my son. The last one had been at 2:00AM. The ones from Bev, over 30 of them, I just deleted. I debated calling the kids but decided to postpone it until later. I had a couple of errands to run.

I went to a postal box store and got a couple of padded envelopes. After addressing them, I wrote a note for each one and enclosed it. When I had told Sally what I wanted to do, she said it was legal; mean spirited and vengeful, but legal. I didn't mail them yet.

I then went to an internet cafe, bought a coffee and sixty minutes of time on a computer. I searched out John K. Burns, Bev's lover, and got all the info I could on him. He worked for a company that had their head office in the same building where Bev worked. From his LinkedIn account I'd say he wasn't all that successful. Just an average office guy doing an average job. I researched the company he worked for. The principal owners were staunch church goers. They operated their business on Christian principles, and every employee had signed a code of ethics when they were hired, no exceptions. Interesting. I wonder what they'd think of my video with one of their employees committing adultery. I would save that for later unless he tried something funny.

I went back home and saw Bev's car sitting in the driveway. I just drove on by and went downtown. I could out-wait her. Most of what I wanted to do, I could do at my store if necessary. I knew that at some point I would have to face her, but as far as I was concerned it would be with her lawyer on the other side of a conference table from Sally and me. When I returned a couple of hours later the car was gone, but there was a note on the door. I crumpled it up and threw it into the garbage without reading it.

There were more phone calls from my kids. 

I called my son first. "Jamie, you've been calling me and I know why. Do you know why, other than your mother told you to?"

"Uh, no Dad. What the hell is going on? Mom is almost hysterical. I couldn't almost understand her she was bawling so much on the phone. Did you really put all her stuff on the lawn, like she said?"

"Well, you can get the details from her, but I found her cheating on me. I have the video to prove it. She can spin it anyway she wants, but cheating is cheating."

"What do you mean video? You taped her doing something?"

"I came back from a job early. Instead of getting home today like I planned, I arrived Thursday night. Let's just say that she and her boyfriend didn't expect me home. I got my camera and videoed the two of them for over half an hour before I left. Not much of an anniversary."

"Dad, are you sure? Like Mom worshiped the ground you walked on. She'd never cheat on you, never."

"Oh, I'm sure. The video doesn't lie. What she worshiped was the money I brought home so she could have all her things. Next time she calls, ask her if the phrase 'stupid meal ticket' means anything to her. I'd be interested in her response. Jamie, I know I haven't been the best dad in the world; that I missed out on a lot when you were growing up, but believe this, son. I have never and have no reason to lie to you. Whatever happens, don't forget that I love you, you and your sister. I have to go now. I have to call Colleen now."

"Dad. Dad. I don't know what to say. I'll ask her about that next time she calls. She calls all the time so it shouldn't be long. Dad, I know you love me, us. Bye for now."

I disconnected and called my daughter. "Well Colleen, I guess you know by now."

"Know what Dad? That Mom's hysterical? That you locked her out for no reason? That you left all her stuff on the lawn? Yeah. I know that. What I don't know is why."

"Well, Colleen. There is a reason. I caught your mother cheating on me. As I told Jamie, no matter how she spins it, cheating is just that."

"Mom would never do that."

"I have half an hour of video that says otherwise. If you insist I'll let you watch it, but I advise against it."

"Video? What video?"

"I came home early from my last business trip and caught her and her boyfriend and videoed it with this new camera I've got. It's clear. There's no mistake."

"I can't believe it. Mom would never..."

"Next time she calls, ask her these two things, does the name John K. Burns mean anything to her, and what does the phrase 'stupid meal ticket' mean? If she's at all honest she'll tell you. If not, well, I can always let you see the video, though I advise against it, like I said."

"God, Dad. This is too much. I find it really hard to believe."

"Yeah, well for better or worse, you never did put much stock in anything I had to say. Having said that, remember no matter what the fallout from this is, I do love you two, you and Jamie. I have to go now. Call me later after talking to your mother."

She sounded deflated as she answered, "Okay Dad. Bye for now." I ended that call as well, and saw that Joyce had left a message on my throwaway phone. I'd call her later.

I went to the spare room and laid down for a nap. From what I've heard so far, the only ones who think I'm right are my staff, my lawyer and my banker. Oh well. It is what it is. I really hadn't expected much more, especially from my kids. This could be a real learning experience for them. There was no way I was going to sugar coat it.

I woke up to somebody pounding on the front door. Instead of answering, I checked the webcam to see who it was. It was Burns, with my soon to be ex-wife standing behind him. I had no interest in what they had to say. All he'd get from pounding on the door was a sore hand. Ten minutes later they were gone. I left soon after, to get something to eat. Time to try some new places. I didn't want to go where I was known, except for the coffee shop across from my store. The old couple who owned it thought I was their surrogate son, so I'd be okay there.

I drove for quite awhile, not going anywhere in particular. I didn't really feel all that hungry but pulled into a pub to grab something to eat. I'd heard of the place, but since it was so far from my house, I'd never been there. It was fairly quiet for a Saturday night. I ordered a beer and clubhouse, apparently the house special. If nothing else it filled the bill, and the price wasn't too outrageous. I sort of paid some attention to the TV's that had various sports on them. BC was losing the football game with Calgary on one screen, some golfer made a hole-in-one and won a car on a second and some wrestlers were doing their thing on another. Typical Saturday night entertainment.

I finished my beer and sandwich and left the pub. With no other plans, I ended up going back home. My daughter's car was in the driveway, and she was sitting on the stoop. I had no idea how long she'd been waiting. 

"Colleen?"

"Dad. I've been waiting for you. My keys don't work."

"I'm not surprised. I had all the locks changed. I'll give you and Jamie yours after all this is settled, if you still want them."

"Of course I want them. Why not now?"

"Think about it. You'll figure it out. Now why are you here instead of home with David?" David was her husband. They didn't have any kids yet, but were trying.

"I need to talk about Mom. She wants me to talk some sense into you."

"And she thinks it will work? Not bloody likely. Come in, I'll make some coffee unless you want something stronger." She followed me into the house. I reached behind her and made sure the door was latched and locked.

"You really don't want her in here, do you?"

"Not at all. She can stay with her boyfriend."

"She says you're wrong. There is no boyfriend. She doesn't think you have a video either. It's just something you dreamed up." I could tell that Colleen was trying to keep her temper. She seemed to know that yelling would get her escorted out the door.

"Well, tell you what. Next time you talk to her tell her to have her lawyer call mine. Sally has a copy and a couple of spares. I'm sure she'll be happy to give the lawyer one. Sally Fields is my lawyer, I don't know if your mother has one. If she doesn't, she'd better."

"There's no way to reconcile this? Mom's hoping that there's some way you can get past this."

"Oh, so now she admits it's more than something I made up?"

"Dad, when I asked her about those things you said on the phone, she just broke down. So yes, I guess you could say she admits there's a problem."

"Well, it's her problem, not 'a' problem."

"I think you're being too hard on her. You're not perfect you know." Colleen would always stick up for her mother, even if she turned out to be a convicted axe murderer.

"I never claimed to be perfect. But I never, ever, cheated on her. Not once since the day I met her. It's too bad she can't say the same thing. I was busting my ass building up a business that put food on the table and a roof over our heads. If I wasn't working, I was here. Can she say the same?" I was starting to get really pissed. "Maybe I should give you a copy of the video. Then, Miss High and Mighty, you might see the light. Until then, don't discuss it again, ever. As long as you stick up for her, I'm not interested in your opinion."

"She'll clean you out, you know."

"I think not. Her father made us sign a prenup before we got married. I hated him for it at the time, now I'm thanking my lucky stars."

"She never said anything about that."

"Tell her to get her lawyer to ask Sally for a copy. Glen, my regular lawyer has the original. Anything else?"

"No Dad. Nothing. I'm having trouble believing it all." She opened the door and walked slowly back to her car, head down as if in deep in thought.

"Welcome to my world. Hi to David." Colleen drove away, I assume to go back home to her husband. I didn't know nor care where Bev was.

I awoke Sunday to a pelting rain storm. Well, if nothing else, it will keep Burns and Bev away from the house. Anyone out there would be soaked in seconds. I stood in my living room, sipping my first coffee of the day, just watching the rivulets flowing down the street into the gutter. Just like my marriage. I heaved a sigh and then went downstairs to my home office. I would work from home today. I had one computer linked to the server at work so I could see what I'd missed for the last week. There wasn't much for me to do. Joyce had looked after most of it, just leaving a few things that she knew I'd want to look after myself.

I finished about an hour later then logged onto my home computer, the one not networked to the store. I'd checked the inbox everyday while I was away. It was full again.

Most of them I deleted without reading. I didn't usually read forwarded jokes, cute photos, cartoons and the like. I did see the Nigerians had a few million dollars I could claim. I did scan through everything before deleting the ones I couldn't be bothered to read. 

There were several emails, all dated yesterday, from a KennyB. I didn't know who that was, but when I saw the subjects, I had an idea. KennyB was John K. Burns. He wanted me to forgive my wife and take her back. He didn't mean anything, she was just lonely and one thing led to another. Yadayadayada. I didn't bother answering, but I moved them into a special folder I set up. Anything from him or Bev would go in there. 

I Googled "alienation of affection" and read up on it. I'd ask Sally about that next time we talked. Meanwhile, I had to get a package ready for Mrs. Burns and for Mr. Burns' employer. On a hunch, I went to the filing cabinet and searched through all the papers stored in there for eons. I found it, a copy of Bev's contract for employment. It contained a morals clause. I bet she had forgotten all about it; just another arrow in my quiver. Maybe I'd have to get a package ready for her employer as well.

It was time to quit. I changed the passwords on all the computers in the house then shut them down. Today would be a veg in front of the tube day. My mood perfectly matched the crappy weather outside. The answering machine showed 4 new messages, one each from Colleen and Jamie, 2 from Bev. I deleted hers without listening to them. Colleen just wanted to apologize for last night. Jamie said he'd call back. He'd talked to his mother and didn't like her answers. Maybe he's starting to see the light, I thought.

I turned on the TV and tried to find something to take my mind off everything. No go. I turned it off and found my Kobo eReader. I had several books on it that I hadn't read. Soon I was lost in the world of history and espionage, subjects I enjoyed reading about when I had time.

Chapter 3

Monday morning I called a junk company, the ones who will haul away your junk for a price. I told them that the stuff I wanted gone would be in the driveway and they could bill my office. They promised that they would pick it up sometime today. I dragged all the bedroom furniture except the lamps out to the driveway. I didn't want any of it, especially the bed. I did like the lamps though. We'd had them forever. I would search for new lampshades sometime.




A Picture – Worth A Thousand Words



I went into work; the last one in. I gathered the staff around and told them what was going on. I also emphasised that in no way was Bev allowed to call me or see me. Anything she had to say could be said to my lawyer. No exceptions. Joyce again promised her wrath, just in case they didn't understand the message. They did. I told Lisa and Joyce that if Bev came into the store to insist, politely, that she leave. If she wouldn't, call the police to come and remove her. Under no circumstances was she allowed behind the counter. She was not an owner or even a director of the company any longer. Everyone understood, expressed their sympathies and went back to work. To all outward appearances it was business as usual. 

Later that morning I went down the street to a furniture store we did business with. I told the sales rep that I wasn't in the mood, nor did I have time, for dickering. I wanted a bedroom suite, queen size bed with a pillow mattress, and I wanted it delivered tonight. She assured me it was possible, but the delivery at that time would cost more. I signed the order and gave her a cheque. He boss okayed it; we'd done quite a bit of business there.

For lunch, I went across the street to my favourite coffee shop. The word must have gotten out. Olga fussed around me like a mother hen. Slim, her husband just patted me on the back and said they'd be there for me. It meant a lot. I went back to the store. Lisa handed me a fistful of messages and said all but one were from Bev. I kept the one and chucked the rest. The one was from Sally asking me if the grounds were adultery and did I want to name a correspondent. Yes to both. I returned her call. She was in conference so I spoke to her clerk and relayed that yes, grounds were adultery, and yes there was a correspondent. I gave her the details. I asked the clerk to have Sally call me about alienation of affection. Maybe a lawsuit would get assholes' attention, or at least piss him off. I was having second thoughts about putting it off until later.

I called Glen and set up an appointment for later that week. Almost everything was ready; I just had to give him the dates of the meeting of the company directors. I told him to use last Thursday. Well, it wasn't strictly the truth, but that's the last time I saw Bev in person, so to speak. The irony wasn't lost on him, but he didn't say anything. I asked him to make sure that a copy was sent to Sally, and my bank, attention the Manager. He promised that it would be done immediately.

There was a commotion in the front of the store. I knew at once what it was. Bev was trying to force her way into my office. Joyce and Lisa were holding her back. I called on the intercom for the techs to come up front as re-enforcements. I was looking through the one way glass, watching the struggle when Bev hauled off and slapped Joyce, hard, in the face leaving the imprint of her hand. Joyce called the police just as I was picking up the phone to do so. They arrived quickly and got it all settled down. They escorted Bev out of the store, saying they would be back for witness statements later. Yes, Joyce wanted her charged with assault. She had witnesses, and one of the techs had taken a few photos of the handprint on her face. 

God, the woman had become unhinged. Payback is a bitch and it had just started. I called Glen and got him to arrange for a restraining order keeping Bev and Burns at least 100 metres away from the store, and 300 away from the house and property. I relayed what had just happened and he was happy to expedite it. None of us would have to go to court for that. We might have to if there was a trial for the assault. I doubted that it would. At best it was a mild case of common assault and no-one was really hurt. Just having her charged might temper some of her actions.

Wednesday I went to Glens' office and signed all the corporate documents. I had him make copies for me. Sally and the bank already had theirs. I asked him about the prenup. He told me it was pretty cut and dried. Bev would leave the marriage with what she brought into it, actually a bit more since she had her RRSP's that I had been paying in to. She also had her car that she was making the payments on. I had no use for it anyway. She couldn't touch the business or our house since her name wasn't on title. She could try since we had been married for so long, but her chances weren't good with the evidence I had.

Sally called my cell just as I left Glens' office. The divorce documents were ready to be served. Did I know where Bev was? I hadn't thought of that. I had no idea. I told her to try her office and see if she was at work. They could serve Bev there, or at least tell her where the documents could be served. I then asked her about the alienation of affection. She counselled against it since he was already named as a correspondent in the divorce. After the divorce was settled would be time enough for that. I told her I didn't really expect anything from it, but I wanted Burns to know just how totally pissed I was. I was mad and I would get even. My easy going nature was gone. For good? I didn't know. Time would tell.

I immersed myself in my work, going home only to change clothes and get a couple of hours sleep. I didn't have much of an appetite, but did manage to grab a bite to eat different times during the day. Customers who called asking for support were told that I couldn't come but would one of the senior techs be okay. Most agreed that the tech could probably deal with their problem. The only one that I left the office to see was one of my first ever business customers who had, over the years, become a close friend. He was supportive when I told him about Bev and would tell his wife. She and Bev had become close friends and worked on a couple of charities together. I wondered if that friendship would survive the fallout.

Three weeks after I'd caught Bev and her boyfriend Sally called to tell me that they had finally been able to serve the divorce documents to Bev. They couldn't find a home address for her so had to wait until she returned to work. Bev had called Sally, telling her she refused to sign and would fight the divorce. Sally told her to get her own lawyer since she was acting for me. Any discussion Sally would have would be with Bev's lawyer, after he had gone through everything with her.

I knew that she would fight it. Who wouldn't? She was losing her gravy train and probably could hardly survive on what she earned. The real world was starting to bite her in the ass. I refused any support payments until she could prove need. I, as was Sally, was fairly certain any support would cease when the divorce was final. The video was pretty damming.

I was really surprised when Bev pleaded not guilty to assault and the case would go to trial. I couldn't believe that her lawyer would let her do that. It turned out he did counsel against it but she ignored him. Instead of being a relatively routine, minor offence she wanted a trial to try to justify her actions. As the judge said, it was her right. 

The trial was set for a few months away and all my staff would be called as witnesses. They had wanted to call me as well, but I was removed from the witness list when it was determined that I wasn't physically present when the assault occurred. I guess technically that was true, although I did see it happen through the one-way glass in my office. In any case, there were plenty of other witnesses.

Meanwhile the divorce wound its way through the legal system. Bev, through her lawyer, put up every roadblock possible, even trying to cast doubt on the validity of the video. The judge, a female if it matters, reserved judgement until she had seen it. She didn't look very pleased when she returned to court a couple of hours later. As disgusting as the video was, it was the audio she really didn't like. Divorce proceedings would continue.

Bev wanted joint counselling to see if the matter could be resolved. I didn't want this but she did win this round. She would go to counselling on her own for two sessions then there would be three joint sessions. I told her that for the joint sessions I would be bringing my own, male, counsellor and if she and her counsellor had a problem with that, then the whole thing would be a waste of my time. She and her counsellor didn't like it, but they did agree in the end.

At the start of the first joint session I walked into the office where Bev and her counsellor, Samantha Adams, were waiting. Polite introductions followed. She and my counsellor, Harry Simpson, were of course acquainted. Theirs was a small world. Ms. Adams indicated that I should sit on the sofa beside Bev. I refused and sat in a chair across from her desk. Harry got a chair and sat beside me.

"Thank you for coming Jack. I, we, hope this will help resolve the situation," Samantha started.

I interrupted, "My name is Mr. Ames to you. Harry can call me Jack since I'm his client. I am not yours. And one more thing, if at any point Mrs. Ames starts this I didn't mean it bullshit, I'm out of here. That's a blatant lie, and I won't put up with falsehoods. Do we understand each other?" If they wanted attitude, I had lots to offer.

To give her credit she regained her composure quickly, "As you wish Mr. Ames. I have already heard from your wife her side of it. Now I would like to hear your side as well, exactly what happened."

"I don't know how much or what you've been told. Do you want to hear the whole sordid story or just the highlights? Have you seen the video?" I asked. I was fairly certain that Bev had put a real "woe is me" slant on her story.

"No, I haven't seen the video."

"Well, it would have saved a lot of time if you had. A picture is worth a thousand words, in this case it's a video," I replied.

She nodded.

"So, you want to hear everything?"

"Yes, please. I need to hear it in your words."

"Okay," I replied. Over the next half hour related the events of that week, starting with the Sunday when I had driven to the plant, ending when I had shot the video then left the house. Bev tried to interrupt a couple of times and I made it quite plain that if it continued I would be leaving and the sessions would be over. She remained on the sofa, crying quietly as I spoke.

"So, Jack," she started. I gave her a hard look, narrowing my eyes. "I'm sorry, Mr. Ames. As I was about to say, you had never seen any evidence of her cheating on you prior to this."

"No, I was too busy with my "stupid business," and being a "stupid fucking meal ticket," I replied bitterly, "She was too good at covering up her tracks. The only thing I know is that it was going on for quite awhile since he was so at home, in MY home, in MY bed." I literally spat the words out.

"So you don't know how long?"

"Does it matter? Lying and cheating are lying and cheating. Doesn't matter if it was once or a thousand. Makes no difference, at least to me."

Bev started to speak, "Jack, I just want..."

"Shut up Bev. You have nothing to say that I want to hear or would ever believe. If you're trying to tell me you're sorry, it's just that you're sorry you're losing your meal ticket; sorry you got caught; not sorry that you did it. Save your lies for someone who'll listen, not me." I hadn't raised my voice, it was flat, intense. She cringed as I spoke then settled back on the sofa. Her tears continued to fall.

The rest of the session went the same way, and Harry and I left after the hour was up. "Ms. Adams, if the other sessions are going to be like this, it's a total waste of time, yours and mine."

"That may be, Mr. Ames, but the court ordered three joint sessions. We plan on holding you to it."

"Your nickel," I said as we walked out of her office.

Harry turned to me as we walked out of the building. "Jack, do you want me to keep returning with you? You really didn't need me in there. You handled it all quite well."

"Harry, I don't really need you, but I want you there. She won't be able to pull any underhanded shit if you're in the room. Let's just say you're the elephant in the room. Hard to ignore."

"Okay Jack, I'll be in touch," he said as we parted ways. I headed to my car and drove home. I decided that the rest of the evening would be for relaxation, some dinner, and a nice bottle of wine. I hoped to get an early night in my nice new bed.

The best laid plans, as the saying goes. I had just got relaxed in front of the TV when there was a pounding on the front door. Instead of going down to the office and checking the webcam, I just looked through the peep hole in the door. Burns. Didn't dumbass know there was a restraining order against him?

I didn't answer the door, just picked up the phone and called 911. I explained to the dispatcher that there was a person who was subject to a restraining order pounding loudly on the front door of my home, and no, I had no wish to talk to him and certainly wasn't going to confront him. She advised me that the police were on their way. They arrived a few minutes later and I could hear some loud discussion outside the door. I watched through the living room window as he was placed in the back seat of the patrol car. The look he gave me could melt lead. 

Chapter 4

The next week was fairly uneventful. I never heard from or about Burns at all. Bev never tried to contact me and neither did our kids. Either they were busy or I was in the doghouse. I just continued to immerse myself in my work. One highlight of the week was that Lisa had found a nice guy and gotten engaged. They hadn't set a date yet. She was a good kid and deserved some happiness; and her daughter needed a father. I was happy for her.

Joyce was alternately a mother hen and a pain in the ass, depending on the circumstances. I finally started going out to visit customers just to get away. I knew, and appreciated, that she was worried about me and what might happen with Bev. It was out of my hands so I refused to worry about it. If push came to shove, I could sell the house, auction the contents and pay off the mortgages and debt, then divide the proceeds with Bev. I didn't know if it would come to that or not. Sally felt that we had a good case, and anything that Bev ended up with would depend on our goodwill.

I never really did the bar scene before, and didn't want to start now. I began going to a gym and got a personal trainer to set up a good regimen, both physical and for my diet that had consisted of coffee and the odd sandwich for the past few weeks. I gradually, very gradually, began to feel better, physically if not mentally. At least after a good workout I was able to sleep.

The second counselling session didn't go any better than the first, except I had to sit there and listen to Bev try to justify her cheating. That was a non-starter so I just let her ramble on and tuned her out. To this day I couldn't tell you what she said. Harry made some notes, maybe to show that he was at least involved in the matter. After all, that's what I was paying him for. I asked him to see if Ms. Adams would cancel the other session. It would be a waste of time. Harry said that he'd call her, and also that he'd give me a written summary of what he had written down. Whatever.

He got back to me early in the next week. The third session would go ahead as scheduled. That annoyed me, but it wasn't my call. I was still adamant that the divorce would go ahead, with or without Bev. He gave me a written summary of what Bev had said. There were no surprises, and nothing to indicate that I should try to keep the marriage together. As far as I was concerned it was over except the formalities.

For the third session, Ms. Adams brought in the big guns; the kids. Both my son and daughter had been well-coached in what to say, what reasoning to present, and what response they should give to my questions. Their biggest problem was that I wouldn't play that game. I let them say their piece, listened to Ms. Adams say her part, then listened to Harry explain why I wouldn't have any questions or response. I'd already told him that if I couldn't trust my wife, there was no way on Earth that I could stay married to her. He just put it a little more eloquently that I could, but the message was there. What little glimmer of hope Bev may have had died right there in the room. As far as I was concerned it was a matter of negotiating the settlement.

We were back in court the following week, and the judge allowed the divorce to proceed. The negotiations would be between our lawyers. I'd heard over the months that Sally was tough; after all, Glen had mentioned that she didn't take prisoners. She gave me a quick hug as we left the court and told me she'd keep me informed. In about six months I'd be single again.

We finally negotiated down to she would keep her car and RRSP's. I would pay off the loan for her car but keep all the furnishings in the house. Bev was really pissed when I informed her that the entire bedroom suite had been taken to the landfill; she was the one who chose it. If the house was sold within five years, she was entitled to half the net proceeds. Since I'd already boxed and removed everything that could conceivably be considered hers that first night, she wasn't left with a whole lot. Hey, she fucked up a good thing. Life is like that. Shit flies when you get caught.

After the divorce settlement was reached and recorded, I contacted Sally and asked her to go ahead with the lawsuit against Burns for Alienation of Affection. I didn't expect much to come of it. I also sent Mrs. Burns a copy of the video, and a copy the petition of divorce naming her husband as a correspondent. I had included a note telling her that if she ever wanted to talk about it to call me. I gave her my new cell number. I also sent a copy to Burns' employer with a note explaining what had transpired. I never heard back from them.

About two weeks later I was working out in the yard when an older model Chev Impala pulled up in front of the house and a very pretty woman got out. She opened the back doors and two kids came piling out of the car. "Mr. Ames? I'm Elizabeth Burns. Can we talk?"

"Of course. I didn't really expect you to come over. Can I get you and the kids something to drink? We can go in back on the patio. The yard's fenced in so the kids can't wander out into the street or anything." I opened the door, waiting for her and the kids to follow inside. She thought about it for a few seconds. I wasn't sure exactly why she was here. Oh, I knew the reason but I don't know what she expected to accomplish by showing up on my doorstep.

"That would be nice. Maybe some iced tea or something. Ice water for the kids. They're used to that."

"Sure, please, follow me." I walked her through the house and showed her to the patio. She could pick her own chair. I got two iced teas and two waters and joined her on the patio.

"Okay, Mrs. Burns. Can I ask why you're here? Well, I know the reason, but I don't know exactly what you expect me to do." I settled back and sipped at my ice tea.

"It's Elizabeth, or Liz if you want. Actually I just came to see who the man was that finally brought my cheating, lying bastard of a soon-to-be ex-husband down, and thank him from the bottom of my heart." She was smiling, something I really hadn't expected.

"You mean...?"

"Yes, we're getting divorced. By the time I'm through with him he won't have a pot to piss in, and only a basement window to throw it out of. I knew he'd been cheating. For years, with several partners. You're the only one that had the balls to go after him." She gave a short laugh and sipped at her glass. The kids were running around on the grass without a care in the world. "Do you know who Sally Fields is?"

"Yes, she's the lawyer handling my divorce."




A Picture – Worth A Thousand Words Pt. 02



A note: I realize that this could have been posted in several different categories - LW, Non-erotic, etc. Despite what my wife might claim, I'm a romanticist at heart, so I put it in romance. Thanks for reading. WR

*****

Chapter 5

The next two weeks flew by. The dinner at Joyce's was great. Her friends had been married for eons and were delightful company. I was glad I brought 3 bottles of the Chardonnay she liked. 

Business was steady. I was finding that we were getting more small businesses interested in networking and I was exploring adding a dedicated network tech to the staff. My repair techs could do some of the networking, but I felt it was time to bring in a specialist.

Finally the day came when my divorce was final. You would think that there would be some sort of celebration, but I didn't feel that way at all. I felt a profound sadness at what had been, what could, should, have been as well as a sense of loss. Except for my kids who I saw every once in awhile I was alone. As I said at one time to Joyce, alone but not lonely.

I heard from various sources that Bev and Burns were having a rocky relationship. Without her 'stupid meal ticket', and his wife leaving him, they were finding things fairly tight. I guess the lovey dovey was a one way street, as long as he didn't have to foot the bill. I don't know if his employer ever did anything about the video. It didn't matter anyway, at least to me.

I finally let the staff, well Joyce and Lisa anyway, browbeat me into taking a holiday. I wasn't all that interested in vegetating on a beach somewhere, so I rented a motorhome with a view to exploring Western Canada. The thing was big enough that I could tow my car so I was able to set up somewhere then go exploring without having to pack everything up each time I wanted to go somewhere different. I had no plans, and no itinerary so just got everything hooked up and started driving.

I spent my first night at a small campground only about 250 kilometers from home. Once I got set up, I could feel the tension leaving me. Maybe it was the cool, crisp mountain air. I got some groceries from the small convenience store and cooked a small steak for dinner, accompanied by a glass of nice Merlot. I found fellow RVers quite friendly. I had several couples stop to chat about where I was going. Most were able to give me some good tips on places to see and where to camp. I stayed in that campground for two nights, just relaxing and enjoying doing nothing. Doing nothing is hard when you're used to working 14 hour days, trust me on that. 

The third morning of my 'official' vacation I was on the road early. I wasn't having any trouble with my moving house, but when climbing hills you could actually watch the gas gauge go down. Whatever I saved in accommodation would probably be spent on fuel. The bonus though, was that I could stop almost anywhere and anytime I felt like it. I was assured by fellow campers that most campgrounds usually had spaces available even without a reservation. On my whole trip I never had trouble getting a site when I wanted one.

My third night was spent in what they call a 'Forestry Campground', meaning no services, no power, no running water, etc. I was okay with that, the small house I was driving was pretty much self-contained. I couldn't get over how clear the sky was and how bright the stars were. It was almost like they were helping me celebrate. I sat out late that night just gazing at the fabulous sky.

I ended up in a fairly large campground on my 4th night. I saw a few of the people I had seen from other campgrounds. It seems that's the way it was with the RV lifestyle. I had one lady, obviously travelling alone, ask me if I knew anything about computers. I assured her that I had at least a working knowledge of them, without going into details, and was able to help her with her small laptop. I told her that the biggest problem she had with it was that it was dying of old age. By computer standards it was positively ancient. She thanked my profusely and assured me that she was looking at buying a new or newer one.

I logged into my company site to see what was going on. They seemed to be doing fine without me. Joyce and Lisa would see to that, in any case. If there was an emergency they could always get hold of me. I checked my emails and was surprised to find several from Jamie. He had talked to his mom and she was regretting everything that had happened, etc. etc. etc. Oh, really? He didn't state that she wanted to try and get together with me again, but the implication was there. I received a similar email from Colleen. I thought my kids were smarter than that. The divorce wasn't even a week old yet.

Later that week I ended up in a small, family owned campground. They held a get together every evening for all their guests where they served coffee and snacks. If you wanted anything else, bring your own. I had no problem with that and wandered over just after dark. There must have been nearly 50 people gathered around the large campfire. I had brought a large glass of Merlot with me and was quite happy just to chat with fellow campers. 

Off to one side I noticed a young man who didn't seem to fit in and definitely didn't seem to be enjoying himself. I walked over to talk to him.

"Hi, I'm Jack. Looks like you don't want to be here." 

He looked older than my impression when I first saw him. "Well, it's not so much I don't want to be here, it's just that I spent all this money on school only to find that there's hardly any work out there for what I want to do. So, I help out my grandparents. They own this campground and I sort of do all the cleaning and stuff. I don't mind, but it seems like such a waste of my time."

"What did you take in school?" I asked.

"Well, I'm trained as a MCSE, Microsoft Certified System Engineer. Sort of we set up and administer computer networks. It's a whole bunch of technical stuff, but I did well in the training, and I try to keep up to date with all the new stuff coming out."

"This certification, did you have to go to a special school or something?" Of course I knew the answer but was interested in his take on the training.

"Yeah, almost a year at the Community College. The exams were sort of by connecting to the exam centre. I found after the first one that you had to know your shit, or you were dead. Some guys tried to do the exams by just memorizing the answers on all the quizzes. Most found out in a hurry that that didn't work."

"Sounds impressive. And there's nothing around here for you?"

"Nope, not really. I don't really want to move to a big city, either. I might have to after the camping season is over. There's nothing around here."

"What's your name, I don't think you told me?"

"Jeff, Jeff Winters. Like I said, my Grandpa and Grandma own this campground. I think they do it just for something to do and they enjoy meeting all the people that come through. They have some friends that have been coming here for years."

"Well, Jeff. Nice talking to you. I'm going to go mingle a bit and make an early night of it. See you later." I joined the group around the fire and noticed a little later that Jeff was gone.

Next morning I was up early. After breakfast I strolled over to the main building to check on whether I could stay a couple of more nights and use the campground as a base for touring around. The nice, and nice looking, elderly lady assured me that the site was mine for as long as I wanted. She gave me a bunch of pamphlets and showed me on a map the things that were worth seeing within a couple of hours drive. We chatted for awhile over the ever-present coffee and I confirmed my initial impression that this lady was Jeff's grandmother. I left, assuring her that I would be back for the campfire that night, and headed out to explore.

That night I ended up talking to the grandfather. George and Selma were great people. It was easy to see why they kept the campground open. They had lived in the area for most of their lives and knew every nook and cranny and where the bodies were buried. 

I mentioned to George that I had talked with Jeff the night before.

"Yeah, the boy is getting a bit discouraged. He paid for all that schoolin' on his own. Worked here and a bunch of other odd jobs to pay for it. Luckily he could live at home at the time. He's with us now. I know he'd like to be on his own, but he doesn't want to move to a city. If he could find work in a smaller place he'd be a happy kid." I could see that George was genuinely concerned for his grandson.

"That certification thing he's got. Means a lot to him, doesn't it?" I knew exactly what it was and how hard the work was to get it, but I didn't want to let on.

"Oh yeah. Until he got that we never thought about internet or any of that stuff here or at home. He designed and built the network for the campground. Every site is hardwired and he put up a bunch of, I think he calls them wireless spots or something, so everyone can get on the internet how they want. He even set up the thing at home, but only he and Selma ever use it. I'm too old to try that stuff." He was obviously proud of the boy, well, young man.

"George, do you think Jeff would show me what he's done out here, I mean with the internet? I'm sorta interested in this computer stuff and I'd really like to see what he's done."

"Oh yeah," George laughed, "you get him goin' on that stuff and he'll talk forever. I don't understand none of it, but he does. He'd love to show it off."

"Good, I'll look him up in the morning. Be interested to see what he's done." I gave my goodnights and went back to my motorhome, deep in thought. I was wondering just how big a place it had to be before Jeff considered it a big city. 

The next morning I was relaxing over a late coffee when Jeff drove by on an ATV. I waved him over.

"Hey Jeff. Want a coffee?"

"No thanks Mr. Ames. I've got to make sure all the sites are clean before people start arriving. We've got a caravan coming in this afternoon."

I must have shown my confusion. "Caravan?" I asked.

"Yeah. They're sorta like an organized group that travel together. They have what they call wagon masters and everything. We just tell them what sites they can use and they look after the rest. They're great to have in 'cause it really lessens our work load. They do all the paperwork and everything, and usually the sites are all cleaned up when they leave." He tried to explain the concept to me, a real novice at this RV camping.

"Sounds too organized for me. I went on this trip to get away from that stuff," I laughed. "Look, I was talking to your grandpa last night. He tells me that you did all the computer stuff for the campground."

"Yeah, well, I decided that I could put my training into practise. Almost everyone wants email and surfing the internet nowadays."

"I'm sorta interested in this computer stuff. Would you mind showing me what you've done?"

"Not at all, Mr. Ames. Tell you what. I should be finished all this in an hour or so. Why don't I come and get you right after lunch." He sounded really pleased that someone would take a real interest in his work.

"Works for me Jeff. I planned on just relaxing today anyway. Be interesting to see what you did."

"Great, see you in awhile." Jeff sped off on his chores and I poured another coffee and relaxed in the nice warm sunshine.

True to his word, Jeff came to get me on the ATV just after lunch. I told him that I could have walked over to the main building since it wasn't that far. He laughed and said he liked bombing around on the ATV and any excuse would do.

We arrived at the main building and Jeff lead me into the office. We spent the next two hours as he explained how he had set up the campground, run the wires, setup wireless access points and all the rest of the network infrastructure. He really knew his work and was able to explain in layman's terms exactly what he had done, and why. I was truly very impressed. This young man really knew his networking. It was really a shame that there wasn't any work near his home.

I asked him about moving to work. He told me that if he had to move to a big city to get work in his field, he would, but wouldn't like it. I asked him what he considered a big city. After telling me, I knew that our city wouldn't fall into his category of 'big'. I liked Jeff and I liked his grandparents. I was thinking maybe I could help him, and them.

"What about your parents, Jeff," I asked. "Surely they don't really want you moving too far away."

"My dad died in a farm accident a few years ago, so there's just me and Mom. She's got a small store in town that supports us. We're not rich or anything, but we're not wantin' either."

"Surely she doesn't want you to move."

"She told me after I finished my schoolin' to follow my dreams. If that meant moving away and into a big city, well, we'd just cross that bridge when we got to it. Since there's nothing around here, I guess I don't have much choice."

"Yeah, it's tough Jeff. But, you sorta have to go where the work is unless there's some way of starting your own business. Problem is, from what I've seen, there's probably not enough work around here for full time computer work." 

"Yeah, I know Mr. Ames. I'd like to stick around here but a guy's gotta go where there's work. There's been a couple of computer shops start up but like you said, there's just not a big enough market."

"Sorta my impression too. Look Jeff, thanks for showing me around. You really did an impressive job. Anyone who knows computers and networking would be able to see that."

"Thanks Mr. Ames. I really appreciate that."

"Look, I'm going to go for a walk and maybe catch a nap or something. See you at the fire later?"

"You bet Mr. Ames. My Mom said she's coming over too."

"I'll look forward to meeting her. Talk to you later." I started walking along a trail that had been pointed out to me by his grandmother the day before. You had several choices of distance from 1 ½ kilometers up to 10. I opted for a mid length and did about 4 kilometers. It felt good, just strolling along and not worrying about anything but whether that Osprey would actually catch a fish. Young Jeff had given me food for thought and I decided to call Joyce later and see about setting something up without him realizing I would be his employer. 

I made my call later that afternoon and explained what I'd like to do, and how we could do it without seeming intrusive. We decided that I was just acting on behalf of a friend, Joyce, who happened to be looking for someone with Jeff's skill set. Well, it wasn't really a total falsehood; we were, or at least would be, looking for a network tech. I felt that Jeff would more than fill the bill, and he wouldn't be all that far from home.

I met Mary, his mother and her friend that night. Though they weren't officially a couple, you could see that they cared for each other. She did allow that part of the reason Jeff didn't want to leave was because he was worried about her. More food for thought.

I caught up with Jeff just after noon the next day when I knew he'd be finished his chores. "Jeff, what would you think about moving to Kent if there was work?"

"Kent? What's there? I don't think there's much work for me there."

"Well, I talked to a friend of mine last night. She told me they're looking for a network guy. I've got the info if you're interested. I know it's a city, but it's not like Vancouver or Calgary."

"They want a network guy? How come they can't find one there? They must be all over the place." Understandably, he sounded a bit doubtful.

"I have no idea. She just mentioned it when we were catching up. She's an old friend I've known for years. What do you think, you interested?"

"You bet. Who do I talk to?"

"Here, I wrote it down. Her name is Joyce and she sorta runs the place. Really nice lady." I handed him the slip of paper. "When do you think you could go see her? I could sorta run interference for you and let her know when you're coming."

"I could probably be there first thing Monday. Do you really think I have a chance? Like, she doesn't know me from Adam." He was starting to sound more hopeful, even excited.

"Well, one thing I know for sure. If you don't show up you won't get the job. Sure they're might be others applying, but that's the way it goes. If nothing else, it'll get you away from here for a day or two. What have you got to lose?" I was trying to sell him on the idea without him being aware of it. Of course, he didn't know the fix was in. If he did want the job and was willing to move to get it, it was his.

"Jeez, thanks Mr. Ames. I really appreciate what you did. Nobody ever did anything like that for me. By the way, what is this place called? All you have here is a name and address."

"It's called JAC Consulting, LLC. They apparently do a bunch of different stuff with computers and networks, and like that. I've met a few of their people. They seem pretty nice."

I swear he must have floated all the way home. That night around the campfire his grandparents let me know how much they appreciated what I had done. George was a sly old fox. I don't think I fooled him for more than thirty seconds, but he never let on. He was happy for his grandson that Jeff finally had a chance to do what he trained for.

I called Joyce at home the next morning since it was Saturday and the store wasn't open. "Joyce, look. That boy I told you about. He'll be at the store Monday morning. His name is Jeff, Jeff Winters."

"This has something to do with that mysterious phone call yesterday?"

"Yeah. Long story short, his grandparents own the campground I've been in for the last few nights. He designed the wired and wireless networks for the campground. He's got his MCSE. I got him to show me what he'd done on the basis of being interested in computers. Considering he's on his own and out here in the boonies he did a remarkable job. Now what I want you to do is do the interview and go over his resume', then have him go for coffee or something and come back after lunch. Then tell him he's hired if he wants the job, and he starts a week from Monday. That will give him a week to find a place to live and get set up."

"Okay Jack. I've got it. Why are you doing this? I just have to ask. Just who is this kid?"

"I've met some great people on this little trip. His grandparents are really nice people and this young man is really impressive. He doesn't really like to blow his own horn, but he knows his networking. He has some of the same traits as his grandfather. I felt it's nice to be doing something for someone for a change."

"Okay, you're the boss."

"For God's sake, don't tell him that. He knows that the company is JAC Consulting, but he had no idea what the JAC stands for."

"Okay, boss man. We'll need to find you some angel wings," she laughed out loud.

"Not hardly, or you'll be getting the devil's pitchfork," I laughed back.

"I can tell this vacation has done you a world of good. When you comin' back home?"

"I plan for being back by next Friday, so a week yesterday. I'm supposed to return this mobile house by 4PM. Then I'll have the weekend to wind up again to face you bunch." I was laughing at her, and as she had noticed, I was relaxed and having fun. This was something almost foreign to me for the last few years.

George came over to see me the next morning. I poured him a coffee and we relaxed outside the RV, enjoying the sunshine and relative quiet.

"Mr. Ames..."

"Please, Jack."

"Okay Jack. You know my grandson means the world to us. I just have to be sure that what you're doing is on the up and up."

I paused for a second, trying to frame it so that it didn't look like the kid was being hired as a charity or something. "George, I can call you George?" He nodded, "I like what Jeff did here, and what he accomplished with the networking of the campground. I've been there, I know exactly how much work went into it. I didn't want to tell him but I have a number of certifications, my first was the same as his, MCSE."




A Picture – Worth A Thousand Words Pt. 02



"Yeah, I kinda figured you might be hiding something," George continued to sip on his coffee.

"Well, long story short, I just got divorced. It was final about 2 weeks ago. My staff told me to get the hell out of the office and take a vacation. I didn't have plans, just started driving this house and ended up here. That first night, I talked to Jeff and as much as he loves you and his grandmother and likes working here, he's pretty discouraged about working that hard with not much to show for it. My company is looking, or were going to be when I got back, for a network technician. When I saw what Jeff had done here, and with how little technical support he really has, I was, well, I am very impressed. Anyone with a background in networking would be if they took the time to see what he had done."

"So, you think he'll get the job in Kent?" George still had his doubts but was warming to me.

"Well, I'd prefer that this go no further than you or me, but if he shows up to see the office manager on Monday, he's almost guaranteed the job. I told him that there might be other applicants. Just a little white lie, since if he waited until I get back to work, there might have been. Let's just say, the fix is in."

George smiled, then laughed, "Damn, I knew it. You're not just some guy interested in computer 'n stuff."

I grinned back, "Guilty. I'm the JA of JAC Consulting, LLC. The name actually is Jack Ames Computer Consulting, LLC. I own the place. I talked to my office manager yesterday and like I said, Jeff will get hired if he shows up on Monday. Of course, you don't know any of this, right?"

"Right. Now that we have that out of the way, do you ever do any fishin'?"

"I haven't for years. I don't think I even have any gear left. Probably got rid of it over the years when it wasn't getting used. All work and no play, you know how it goes."

"Well, after lunch we'll get some gear together and go down and see if we can get some trout for dinner. You'll need a license. Selma can do that for you when you come up to the office."

"Why thanks, George. I think I'd like to go drown some worms. If we catch anything, it will be a bonus."

"Oh, we don't use worms. We use grasshoppers around here. There's move of them and they're easier to find, or you can try fly fishing, but if you've never done it, it's a bit of a learning curve," with that he finished his coffee and confirmed that I would be at the office right after lunch.

"George, please do as I asked. Don't tell anyone about the job, or about me. I'd like to be sort of inconspicuous if you get my drift."

"Not a problem Jack. What was it we didn't discuss, anyway?" he laughed and headed back to the office.

1:30 saw us fishing in a creek downstream from the campground. George and I didn't talk much, just enjoyed casting into the water hoping that maybe an unwary trout would grab the bait. Four hours later we straggled back to the campground with four nice sized rainbows. We took them to the cook shack and cleaned them. George said that Selma would look after the cooking. I could come over whenever I was ready. I left him with a large platter of fish for Selma and went back to the motorhome. After being out in the bush, cleaning fish, and all the rest of it I decided that a shower was in order. The hot water felt good.

I grabbed a couple of bottles of wine, a nice Merlot and a nice, crisp Pinot Gris, and headed over to the office. George and Selma lived upstairs and you could get there from the office by stairs behind the desk, or the outside stairs leading up to their deck. I went up the outside and found George and Selma sitting in deck chairs, watching the birds and other wildlife. Selma was ostensibly cooking the fish, but the barbeque was doing the actual work. It smelled delicious.

They were waiting for Jeff, his mother, and her friend to join us so I poured myself a glass of Merlot and sat and chatted about nothing in particular. I noticed that Selma was giving me a look every once in awhile and since the others hadn't arrived yet, asked George, "Did you tell Selma about our little discussion this morning?"

"Well, yeah. I've never been able to keep anything from her. But she gave me her word," he had the grace to look very uncomfortable when confessing.

I laughed, "Okay, I'll let you off the hook. But no further, either of you."

Selma came over and gave me a quick hug. "You'll never know how much we appreciate this. Jeff has been over the moon since yesterday. Mary tells me he's packed and unpacked about 20 times today. She finally convinced him that dress casual is good enough and that he doesn't need a suit."

"You have that right. If someone showed up in a suit the girls would panic and think it's either a tax audit or a lawyer with bad news." I laughed. "Anyway, here they come. Enough about this, and mum is the word."

"For sure, Jack."

We continued chatting about nothing in particular. Mary, Jeff and her friend Dave made the normal appreciative comments about the fish we had caught, and talk turned to fishing and where the best holes were in the creek. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and I was feeling pretty relaxed as I went back to my mobile house. I wasn't looking forward to leaving here; they had become good friends, but it would be good to get back home.

Chapter 6

I was back on the road a couple of days later, winding my way toward home. I had been reluctant to leave that little campground and the people I'd met there. I was already planning a return visit, but this time in my own RV. If I was going to jump into this lifestyle then I had to have my own rig. Food for thought as the miles (kilometers?) unwound towards home. 

In actuality, it wasn't far if you went the direct, fast route. However I still had 4 days left on my rental contract and I planned on using every minute of it. I stayed at several very nice campgrounds over the next 3 nights, but none felt as good and welcoming as Riverside where my new friends lived. I talked to Joyce on the Tuesday and found that Jeff was a happy camper and out looking for an apartment. In that he had lots of help in Joyce and Lisa. The techs were more than welcoming and saw him for what he was, a supplement and not a replacement. He would actually enable them to concentrate fully on their own areas of expertise.

I arrived back in town on Friday and took time to go to the house and drop off all my belongings there, instead of loading it into the car when I returned the motorhome, then unloading when I got home. Someone had been picking up the mail; I suspect Joyce since I had forgotten to make any arrangements. Otherwise it looked like I needed to do some yard work. The home was secure, but I didn't really expect anything else. Jamie and Colleen hadn't been given their new keys yet so they had no access short of breaking in. I didn't expect to see Bev at all. That ship had sailed.

Joyce must have had her spies working overtime. I had just thrown in my second load of laundry when the phone buzzed (I had the ringer off). "Jack, hi. You're home."

"No, it's a astigmatism of your imagination," I laughed, "do you have spies everywhere?"

"Not at all. I knew you had to return the motorhome at 4:00, so gave you time to get home, check things out, and start your chores," she giggled. "You are so predictable sometimes, you know."

"Okay, okay. To what do I owe the pleasure...?"

"I just wanted to know if I should bring your mail over or wait 'til Monday."

"Well, if you want to drop it off, by all means come on over. I'm sure I can find some refreshments around here some place. After all, I wasn't even gone 3 weeks."

"I'll be there shortly," she rang off and I went back to my chores. I put the lawn chairs and chaise lounges out, cleaned off the side tables and made the deck ready for visitors. Joyce found me rummaging around in the shed a little while later.

"Where are you, the wanderer?" she called out.

"Over here in the shed. I'll be right there," I answered. I finished what I was doing, closed and locked the shed, and made my way over to the deck. "Something cold?"

"Sure, but not beer. You know I don't like it."

"I remember. I've got a nice, chilled Pinot Gris. I don't have a chilled Chardonnay unless you want to wait."

"Pinot Gris is good, thanks Jack."

I went in and got two glasses of wine then returned with the bottle as well. Joyce handed me all the mail she'd picked up over the nearly 3 weeks I was gone. Most of it was junk, one from my lawyer, and two from Sally Fields. Glens' was just for services rendered during the divorce. My company could pay for that. The first from Sally was finalizing the paperwork for the divorce, along with her bill which I would happily pay. The second one from her got me thinking. 

She wanted to set up a complete, new computer system for her law firm, networking a satellite office that would look after non-court work such as real estate, wills and the like. The biggest problem I had with the idea is that I wasn't sure just how much bigger I wanted my business to get. It was time to have a staff meeting and get all their input.

Meanwhile, Joyce and I were sipping on the wine. She waited until I'd finished looking through all the mail then said, "Well bossman, you look like you survived your vacation. How was it out there on your own?"

"You know Joyce, I can't remember the last time I came back feeling so relaxed and refreshed. It's almost like my batteries were being recharged or something. I can't really put words to it, but I feel a lot better than I did a few weeks ago. Guess I didn't realize how far down I was."

"Trust me, we knew. The only one who couldn't see it was you. We had to get you out of there for awhile while you could still go. We're glad it went well, even if you couldn't stay away totally."

"You mean Jeff?"

"Exactly. But on the other hand we think you done good boss. He looks like he'll fit right in. Nice kid, no airs or pretends. What you see is what you get."

"Thanks for confirming my impressions of him Joyce. He's a nice kid. I think he'll do well. Maybe my first job for him will be designing a network for Sally Fields. She wants me to price out setting up a network for her law practise, including new software and operating system. But, before I commit to that, I want to talk to all of you about this. We need to find out just how big we want to become. I don't want to lose sight of our principal aim."

Joyce sipped her wine and thought for a minute. "What do you mean, just how big do we want to become? Do we want to be just another faceless corporate entity?"

I took a sip and thought for a few seconds. "Well, I can't really see becoming a 'faceless corporate entity' but I'd hate to see us lose awareness of what got us to where we are now. Just how much expansion can we accept before it controls us instead of us controlling it? Can you see where I'm going with this?"

"Yeah, I think it's like let's not expand and get bigger just because we can," she replied.

"Precisely. I really don't want to get to the point where it takes more than 7 or 8 people to run the place and do all the work. After that, it's just becoming too big. I think we need to sit down, all of us including Jeff though he's new, and hash it out and figure out where we go from where we are right now."

"Tell you what Jack. It's the weekend. Let me phone around and see if Lisa and all the guys are available. Maybe we could do a barbeque or something and make it an informal get together and planning session. I know where Jeff is staying, so he's available. Lisa and her boyfriend didn't have any plans that she knew of. I can phone the techs, but knowing them they're up to their eyeballs in some computer game."

"You don't mind Joyce?" I hate to put her out. She must have a life outside JAC Consulting.

"Not at all. I think it's time we all sat down together. We haven't done that for ages. What about families?"

"That's an idea, how about a family get together on the company's dime? I'm sure JAC has enough in the bank for that."

She laughed out loud, "I hope so. We haven't spent a nickel except for salaries since you've been gone. You weren't here to 'need' new toys and equipment and your things."

I had to laugh back. I was constantly reminded of some of my spending habits.

"Okay, I'll make the phone calls while you freshen up the wine. What day and time?" she asked.

"How about Sunday around 1:00PM. Everyone should be finished church if they go, and that gives us the whole afternoon." I was already planning on how many chairs and tables we'd need and what the kids could do while the adults held their meeting.

"Sunday at 1:00 it is," she replied and started calling up her speed-dial list on her cell phone. 

I left her to it and went to find some more wine to put in the fridge. A few minutes later I called out to her, "Pizza or Chinese?"

"Pizza, why?"

"That's what we're having for supper." I called the local pizza joint who I'd ordered from numerous times and ordered an extra large deluxe.

Over pizza and wine Joyce and I hashed out the details of the company get together. We decided on steaks for adults and hot dogs and burgers for the kids. We'd get volunteers to grill since I didn't want to do all the work. We were pretty sure that wouldn't be a problem. I arranged for a kiddy pool and water slide for the younger kids. I'm sure they would have plenty to do. We set aside an hour for the staff meeting before everything went into high gear. I wanted everyone sober and clear-headed for that part of it since decisions would be made that would affect all of us.

Joyce left in the early evening, citing a previous engagement. I finished cleaning up and got ready for doing all the outside chores the next day, then relaxed on my deck. I felt like I was missing something, but couldn't quite put a finger on it. Maybe it was just that I'd only been back off the road for a few hours. As it had been for most of my trip, it was an early night. I slept like the proverbial log.

The company get together was a blast. There were about 20 people there of mixed generations. As I had planned, the staff meeting was held in my den/office while all the others were outside having fun. We made a few concrete decisions and postponed a few more. The big one was the contract for the law office. It was decided that Jeff would spearhead the project with input from one of the techs and myself. We tentatively decided is that we would only hire one more tech, preferably with networking experience, when we absolutely needed to. Together, we could handle the current and expected work load. We adjourned to the outside and continued with the fun and games, and of course, food.

Chapter 7

I went back to work on the Monday. Within hours it was like I hadn't been away. Over the next few months we got busier. The contract with the law office was completed on time and on budget. I gave Jeff and the tech, Mike, bonuses for a job well done. Unbeknown to the staff, I had talked to my accountant about setting up a profit sharing plan. Payouts would be made at the end of the calendar year, and would be based on the length of time they had been with the business during the year. The only one adversely affected this year would be Jeff, but he had received a good bonus for spearheading the law office project. 

We didn't do too much retail business so I decided that we could run with a skeleton staff over the Christmas Holidays. I planned to work the whole time anyway, so Joyce and Lisa could decide who worked when, and the 4 techs could figure it out for themselves. I was certain that there wouldn't be a whole lot to do, but we had to have staff available for our customers.

Needless to say, the year end profit sharing cheques which I gave out on Dec 23 were a huge surprise, and gratefully received. As I told them, they were the reason we were successful, so it was only right they share in the profits. Lisa and Joyce were in tears; the 4 techs were choked up but managed to hold off on the tears until they were in private.

The next months flew by. We were busy and were gradually building our client base. We weren't at the point where we were thinking of adding the additional tech. The four techs were able to keep up with the workload without too much overtime. We still kept our regular hours Monday to Friday and closed weekends.

My biggest problem was Joyce. I was becoming more and more attracted to her. I made a point of not dating staff, ever, since it could lead to all sorts of unwelcome situations. Other than the odd dinner party we hadn't actually socialized. I wanted our relationship to go further, but didn't want to jeopardise our friendship. I wasn't sure how to handle it, so I left it for the time being. It was obvious neither of us were going anywhere soon, so I knew where to find her if I ever figured out what course to take.

Opportunity rose sooner than I expected. I received a call from Joyce's oldest daughter one Saturday when I was home vegging in front of the tube. They wanted to surprise her for her 55th birthday and needed my help.

I told Gloria, her daughter, to come over and we could figure out a plan. She arrived about half an hour later. Over coffee she talked about the party she and her sister wanted to have. Where I would come in was to keep Joyce occupied so that she wouldn't try to contact her daughters or go visit them until they were ready. I thought of various ways I could do my part, but could come up with nothing at the moment. I had time to figure something out.

After discussing the party for awhile, Gloria asked, "Jack, you don't date staff. Is that your rule?"

"Uh, yes Gloria. I've learned through experience that it could lead to unwanted complications."

"The reason I ask is, well, it's Mom. She really likes you, as in not liking the boss, but she really likes you as a person. She thinks that you aren't attracted to her. She knows she's no beauty queen."

"Gloria, I have nothing but respect and admiration for Joyce. Beauty is only skin deep. She has a beauty that can't be bought. Any man would be a fool to not be attracted to the real Joyce. I am, but I also consider her a friend, a good friend. I don't want to take a chance and ruin that. I think I could easily fall for her, and that scares me to death because I'm not sure that would be returned."

"You know, for a smart man, and you are a smart man, you can be incredibly dense. I don't really know you that well, but I do know my Mom. She thinks the world of you, and not just because you hired her at a bad time in her life. You've always respected her and treated her like a person. I think she'd walk over 10 miles of broken glass if you asked her too."

"I can tell you right now, that ain't gonna happen. I wouldn't ask anyone to walk over 10 miles of broken glass," I sipped at my coffee for a minute then said, "So you think that if I wanted to ask her out, like as on a date, she wouldn't have a problem with that?"

Gloria laughed, "Like I said, dense. She'd love it. Our father treated her like shit. Truth be told, me and Jen were glad to see him go, and we're not sorry we've never heard from him. You treat our Mom like a real person, valuable for herself and what she contributes. Ask her, she'll jump at it."

I was still hesitant, "Yeah, but I have this rule..."

"Fuck the rule. You set it, you can get rid of it. Anyway, there's only you, her and Jeff that it would apply to anyway, and you said it applies mostly to you. You're the boss. Deal with it," Gloria was sounding exasperated. 

I sat for a few minutes, digesting this bit of information. I would really, really like to date and get to know Joyce better, but I'd hate to lose a valuable employee if the relationship went south. I stated as much to Gloria who responded as only she could, "God, you men! Sometimes I think you left your brain in your back pocket when you took your jeans off. Jack, let me tell you. My Mom would be the most honest, most loving, most trusting person you could ever want. Ask her out; about time you two got a life."




A Picture – Worth A Thousand Words Pt. 02



Gloria left a little while later. I assured her that I would find a way to keep Joyce out of their hair while they arranged the party. I didn't know what or how, but I'd figure something out. I had a week and a bit. I sat back in my recliner and thought about the conversation with Gloria. Maybe I was being too cautious. 

I did a few chores and puttered around for awhile, putting off calling Joyce. Finally I decided the hell with it. The worst she could do is shoot me down, though somehow I doubted that would happen. I picked up the phone and called her.

"Joyce, hi. It's Jack." I felt like a kid asking his soon-to-be girlfriend for a first date. 

"I know, I've got call display," she laughed. I loved that laugh, deep and genuine.

"Look, what are you doing tomorrow? You have any plans?"

"No, not really. Why, what's come up?"

"I just felt like I need to get out of the house. How would you like to go shopping?"

"Are you serious? You? Shopping?" she really laughed this time.

"Well, a different sort of shopping. I want to look at RV's. I enjoyed it so much that I'm looking at buying one of my own. So what do you say, wanna go shopping?"

"Jack, I'd love to. When?"

"How about I pick you up before lunch. We'll do some lunch and go check out RV's."

"Perfect. I'll be ready at 11:00."

"Great. See you then. Dress casual. You never know, I might get you crawling under these units to check them out," I laughed at her. I knew she liked to dress up, even for a barbeque.

She giggled, "Okay, no fancy dresses or anything. See you tomorrow."

I ended the call. Well the die was cast. Tomorrow could be fun or a disaster. I was leaning toward fun.

Sunday I picked Joyce up and we went for a quick lunch. She'd never ever shopped for an RV, or anything so expensive for that matter. She was like a kid at Christmas. We started at the dealer where I had rented the motorhome and explained what I was looking for. I didn't need something as big as what I had rented, but I still wanted to be able to tow a car for running around in. We loaded up with brochures and got some tentative pricing, since there would be no trade. We followed the same routine at 3 more RV dealers. None put the hard sell on me, just explained the various options available.

Exhausted by information overload, I drove back to my home. I guess Joyce took it for granted that that is where we would go because she didn't say anything. I poured a couple of glasses of Merlot and we began sorting through all the brochures. We decided to sort into 3 distinct piles; maybe, possible, and no way. The maybe and possible were sorted into class (Class A, B, C etc.) and amenities. After over 2 hours we had narrowed it down to 3 different models. Now it would depend on the deal we (I was thinking we?) could get. I was leaning toward the dealer that I had rented from. At least they were a known entity. 

I decided that instead of ordering in as I usually would, I'd cook a simple dinner. We had roast stuffed chicken, veggies and salad, and of course, accompanying wine. I didn't really do desserts at the best of times and told Joyce that. She was okay with it; she didn't really do desserts either.

After dinner I put all the used dishes into the dishwasher and we retired to the living room. For whatever reason we ended up side by side on the sofa, instead of me in my recliner as usual. It just felt so natural.

Joyce leaned back and sighed contentedly, "Thank you Jack. It's been a fabulous day. I've never done anything like that and enjoyed every minute of it."

"You're more than welcome. I just had to get out of the house, and wanted to be with someone I really cared for."

"Do you mean that Jack? If you're kidding I don't think it's funny."

"I meant every word. You know I have this policy about not dating employees. I've come to realize that either I start asking you out, and the hell with the rules, or fire you. I don't want to fire you. I think you're a wonderful, caring, funny and smart woman. Any man would be lucky to have you," I spoke softly, holding her hands together in both of mine as I spoke.

"Damn you Jack. I've waited for this for so long," she reached up and pulled my head down for a long, lingering kiss. We came up for air and she continued, "You had better be sure. I'm a one man woman, and my man better be a one woman man. We've both been there, and I never, ever want to go that route again."

I held her close and whispered, "I've been such an ass. We should have been like this months ago. I wish I'd gone with my heart instead of my head." I kissed her again. "Joyce, I want you. I want to make love with you, I want to fuck your brains out. I want that, and I want you to know it's not just a one night thing. I don't play that game."

She pulled me closer, "Jack, please. Take me to bed. Make me your woman. I need, want you so much."

I got up from the sofa, took her by the hand, and led her down the hall to the bedroom.

Chapter 8

The next morning I awoke early. It felt so good, so natural to have Joyce sleeping beside me, gently snoring. We'd made love until the early hours and fell asleep sated. I was aware that our relationship had changed, I hoped for the better. While I didn't want to now lose her as a lover, I didn't want to lose her as an employee and friend either. 

I got out of bed without disturbing her and went to put on the coffee. We'd both need it to survive the day since we really didn't get too much sleep last night. I let Joyce sleep while the coffee was brewing and I took a shower. 

Shower finished, I went into the bedroom where Joyce was just waking up, "Oh, hi. I was having this dream. I dreamt that I spent the entire night making love with a wonderful man. Then I wake up and realize that it wasn't a dream."

I leaned over and gave her a kiss, "Well, lover. We have to get to work soon. I'll have to take you home so you can change."

She giggled, "You mean I'm not fired? I thought you didn't date employees."

I laughed back at her, "We haven't had a date yet, all we did was go shopping. Go have a shower. Fresh towels are on the counter. Coffee is ready when you are."

Giggling she got out of bed and made her way into the bathroom for a shower and her morning ablutions.

We made it through the day. I'd taken Joyce home so she could change, then drove into work alone. For the first time in ages I was at work before she was; something she was teased for by all the others. Of course we couldn't say why, at least not yet.

We were the last to leave, as usual. I was locking the door when Joyce said, "Jack, where do we go from here? I mean, I'd really like for us to be a couple, but I'm scared."

"Scared? Of me?"

"No, not of you, of us. I haven't been in a relationship since, well, you know. And you haven't either, unless you hid it well. I'm scared something might happen, somehow we'll find out we can't be together. It scares me. I don't want to lose our friendship and I don't want to lose you."

I pulled her into a hug, "Well, we can only take it one day at a time. We have to get to know each other. You know, like how we live, how would we live if we were together. I don't want to lose our friendship either, and that's the part that really, really worries me. I might not be man enough for you; I might not be the person you think I am."

"Jack, I don't think that's a problem. I've been with you day in and day out for over 5 years. I know the kind of man you are. Do you know what you're getting in return?"

"I know that you're a warm, caring, funny and smart woman who has a lot to offer any man, any man smart enough to get to know you. I hope, I like to think, that I'm that man," I paused to let my words sink in, "Now, we're out here in the middle of the sidewalk. It's almost dinner time. What do you say to a bite to eat?"

"You're too sensible, you know that. Let's go to my place and I'll see what's in the cupboard," she laughed and slipped out of my arms.

"Deal. You lead, I'll follow." We walked over to our vehicles in the parkade and I followed her out. I stopped on the way to her apartment to pick up a bottle of wine for dinner.

I got there not too long after Joyce who was searching through the fridge for something to cook. "I'm afraid the cupboards a bit bare Jack. I didn't get a chance to do my grocery shopping yesterday. Some pervert took me looking at RV's then made his way with me last night," she was giggling. I loved that giggle.

"Oh, so now I'm a pervert who likes RV's?" I laughed at her.

She laughed out loud, "Yeah, and I love it. I love you." She stopped, almost afraid of the implications of what she had said. "Yes, I meant it, I do love you," she repeated, quietly, almost in a whisper.

"Thank God," I replied, "I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels that way. I didn't know if I'd ever be able to use those words again. Yes Joyce, I do love you."

She came over and collapsed in my arms, sobbing. I just held her as her emotions poured out, soaking my shirt. I didn't care about that at all.

After awhile she pulled back a bit, "I'm sorry Jack. I didn't mean to cry. I've just been so lonely and wanted you so much for so long." She wiped her eyes on my shirt, since it was already wet from her tears. "I was crying for me, for you, for us," she paused, "Where do we go from here? What do we do?"

"Well, as a typical man, I'm thinking about some dinner then we can relax and fill in the blanks. I don't know about your daughters. They may not want us to be a couple since you work for me," I smiled down at her.

"You men and you stomachs. Okay, how about bacon and eggs? You do the toast. Yes we do have to 'fill in the blanks' as you say. I think the girls will be happy for me. What about your two?"

"Well, I think they'll be happy. I know I'm still a bit on their shit list for kicking their mother out, but realize that it was her own doing. Actually, if they don't like us being together, I don't really care about their view on it. I think we should just do what we want and let everyone else adapt to it."

Together we got our dinner and ate while chatting quietly. It seemed so normal. Joyce took the dirty dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Afterward we retired to the living room and snuggled on the sofa.

"You know Jack," she started, snuggling closer if it was possible, "you could have almost any woman you want. I mean, like, I'm no beauty queen. I love it that you say you love me. I just hope it's true.'

"We're going to have to do something about this inferiority complex of yours. Beauty is only skin deep. I told you before you have a lot to offer, and I meant it. I think I've been in love with you for a long time, but didn't want to admit it. All that I went through with Bev was just too fresh, and the hurt too deep. I wasn't sure if I could ever feel this way about someone again." I kissed the top of her head that was snuggled into my chest.

Joyce was quiet for quite awhile and I was beginning to think she had dozed off. It felt good just sitting here holding this wonderful woman. "Jack, I'm so glad you feel that way. I think I've been in love with you since the day you hired me. Nobody had ever treated the way you did, like a valued person. Ask my daughters. Their father treated me like dirt for so long I thought it was natural. I had no self esteem left; he had ground it out of me. Oh, he never physically abused me, just mentally. Sometimes I think it would have been better if he did beat me, then I'd have had a reason for being so miserable." She sighed contentedly.

"That won't happen again as long as I'm around to do something about it. Gloria told me a bit about it just after I hired you. She wanted to make sure that you were hired on merit, and not in sympathy. I don't think she believed me at first. It took her and her sister awhile to come around." I kissed the top of her head again. "Now, I've got to get home. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night for some reason," I laughed and she giggled. 

"I know what you mean. It's all happened so fast I almost think I'm dreaming," she unwrapped herself from my arms and got up.

"Okay, then dream on this; where are we going for our first official date, and when. I've got to get going. I'll talk to you in the morning." I stood up, reluctant to leave, but I knew I had to.

"Jack you can stay, honest," sounding like I shouldn't go.

"Not if I want to get some sleep. You too. We're not teenagers anymore. We both need to rest up," I laughed as I opened the door. "I'd better go before you change my mind." I left her apartment and drove back to my empty house. Well, maybe for not much longer I thought.

I was hardly in the door when the phone rang. It was my daughter, Colleen. "Where have you been Dad? I've been calling for hours."

"Hi, how are you? How am I? Not bad. It's nice to hear from you too. I was at a friend's house having dinner. What's so urgent?"

"Nothing. I hadn't heard from you for awhile and was getting worried." She didn't sound all that worried, maybe she was just checking up on what I was doing.

"Well Colleen, I do have a life, such as it is. I've met someone and like her a lot. We're getting to know each other and maybe taking it to the next level." I purposely didn't tell her it was Joyce, since I wasn't sure how the news would be received.

"Well it's about bloody time Dad. You can't stay holed up in that big old house by yourself. Who is it? Do I know her?" she actually sounded both relieved and happy.

"Um, yeah. I think if I told you who it was you'd know her, but I'm not sayin' for now."

"How come Dad? If I guess her name will you tell me if I'm right?"

"No, we're not playing 20 questions here. I'll tell you who it is as soon as she says it's okay, but not before. Now, I just got in. I'll call you later. Hi to David."

"Okay Dad. Have it your way. I'll be waiting for your call. I can't wait to meet your mystery woman," she laughed just before ending the call.

Well, so far so good. At least she doesn't think I'm a monk or anything. I went and got my sweats on and plunked myself down in front of the tube. There wasn't much on worth watching, but I left it on for background noise if nothing else. I called Joyce.

"Hi Sweety. Just calling to say goodnight."

"Hi, I was just thinking of you and wishing you were here. But I know we both need some rest," she giggled.

"My thinking exactly. I got a phone call from Colleen a few minutes ago. I told her about us, well me and a mystery woman."

"Oh, and how did that go?"

"Well, I told her I met someone that I really cared for, but wouldn't give her your name until you said it was okay. She's probably driving David crazy trying to figure out who it is. She's okay with it, though. Told me, and I quote, it's about bloody time, unquote."

"Why didn't you say it was me? I'm okay with it." 

"I wasn't sure. I didn't know how public you want us to become. For me, I don't care, but I don't want you hurt in any way."

"Damn you Jack. Use your head. Of course I want everyone to know. Like you told me, if they don't like it they'll just have to adjust," she was sounding both annoyed and amused.

"Yeah, I vaguely recall making some comment like that," I tried, unsuccessfully, to sound apologetic, "but I refuse to put a notice in the paper or post it on a billboard or anything," I laughed.

She giggled, "I think that would be taking it a bit far. I'm going to bed, honey. Talk to you tomorrow. Love you."

"Love you too, sleep tight." I ended the call and shut off the TV. I was exhausted. It had been a wild couple of days.

The next day, Gloria called me. "Jack, this party. We need you to deliver Mom at exactly 7:00PM a week from Wednesday. Do you think you can arrange for that?"

"I think so. Can I ask why exactly 7:00?"

"Only if you don't tell her. Me and Jen and our hubbies went together and bought her a new car. The thing is that it won't arrive until Tuesday and they need Wednesday to prep. The owner said he'd deliver it at 5:00 Wednesday night and we want time to add some stuff to it. So we need her at 7:00, not before."

"Okay, and this is at your place?"

"Right. Everyone but you two will be here earlier."

"My lips are sealed. 7:00 on the dot a week Wednesday. I'll figure something out."

"Thanks Jack. I knew I could count on you." She ended the call and I sat back wondering how on earth I'd put one past Joyce. It would take a bit of planning.

The rest of the week flew by. We didn't really get much of a chance to get together. She had decided for our first official date that we would go to dinner then attend a jazz concert. I'm more of a R&B and Oldies Rock 'n Roll person, but Jazz is okay. And we would be together. 

I made arrangements with the RV dealer that we had agreed on to have the unit ready by Sunday. He was more than happy to accommodate us.

I picked up Joyce early Saturday evening. We had an early dinner date since we didn't want to miss any of the concert. When she opened the door to her apartment I teased, "Sorry to disturb you. I thought Joyce lived here."

She laughed and punched my arm, "You're being silly. Come in. I'll just be a minute."

"No, I'm serious. I didn't recognize you without your working clothes on," I laughed. To my eyes she looked fabulous. She gathered her things together and we walked out to my car. "You look great," I said, meaning every word of it.

"Well, thank you. You clean up pretty good, too. I hope it's a great evening." I opened the door for her to get in and walked around to the driver side. As soon as I was settled she moved over to sit in the middle of the seat, pressing her side up against me.

It was hard, but I managed to get us to the restaurant without killing anyone. Actually, it was more than a restaurant; it was a dining room with all the usual accoutrements. A uniformed maître'd showed us to our table. The wine steward followed shortly afterward. We must have had at least 5 different people serving our table.

I ordered a nice bottle of wine, remembering that Joyce preferred white. The server asked if we had questions. It all looked so good on the menu it was a hard choice. I asked, "Well it all looks perfectly delicious. Do you have anything you personally recommend?"

"Of course, sir. My name is Fredrick. My personal favourite is the pork medallions in wine sauce. If you wish beef, then of course you can't go wrong with the filet mignon. If you wish, I'll give you a few moments."

I thanked him and he moved off to another table. "Well, Joyce. What do you think? It all looks perfectly wonderful. I'm going to go with the medallions."

"I agree. It all looks so good. You know, I've never had a filet mignon. I'm going with that."

I waved to Fredrick who came over as soon as he was able.

"Fredrick, we're going to go with your suggestions. The lady will have the 6 ounce filet, medium well, and I'll have the pork medallions."

"Very good choices madam, sir. I'll place your order immediately."

"Thank you, Fredrick. There is no hurry. We want to thoroughly enjoy the experience."

"And so you shall. I will make sure of it."

The meal lived up to and exceeded our expectations. True to his word, Fredrick made sure that we were well looked after. His assistants always seemed to appear at the right time, and of course he checked to make sure everything was going well. I ensured a generous tip as we left for the concert.

The concert was the icing on the cake for the evening. The band, well, I guess they were an ensemble, played quite a few of the old standards as well as a lot of their new material that had just been released to the market. I made sure to buy a couple of their CD's as we left. The music would be a good reminder of our first official date. I didn't want the evening to end.




A Picture Worth a Thousand Words



That was weird - it had been the second time today that thinking about Jess has ended up with me thinking about my sister. It must just be the similarities between their names. I shook the thought from my head and picked up my camera and headed downstairs. I was in the mood to take a picture and was drawn to a particular subject. 

I quietly sneaked into the kitchen. Tess was done ordering the takeout and was mixing something on the counter. She'd changed out of the bikini, and just had some tiny cotton shorts on, and was still wearing my hoodie. I quickly shot a picture. She turned at the sound of the shutter and looked at me quizzically.

"I just wanted something to remember you by for when I leave you next year," I joked. A wave of sadness passed over her face but was quickly hidden by a smile. 

"As if, perv. You've just run out of cute girls to shoot at school." She stuck her tongue out at me and I took another shot.

"Hah, nobody at school is as pretty as you when you do that, dork." I expected her to playfully hit me or something, but she instead blushed a little. 

"You really think I'm pretty, brother of mine?" she asked with a coy smile on her face. Her whole body had seemed to perk up. 

"Like you don't already know, what with a hundred guys eyeing you up every game." We both laughed at that. The cheer team was literally the only reason people showed up at games anymore. 

I then noticed what she was doing, she had a few bottles out from the bar of various spirits. "What are you making, T?" I asked while picking up a bottle of Malibu rum.

"Oh, my girlfriends showed me how to make these when we were away for a cheer competition." She pulled the trigger on the blender, which had an exotic looking blue concoction made of crushed ice and who knew what inside it. "I thought we could have them while we watched the movie." 

The doorbell rang and I quickly strode to the door to get the food. The driver handed over a bag that was stuffed with cartons. It smelled great. I yelled out to Tess to bring down some bowls and headed downstairs to the den. I was taking all the boxes out of the bag and being careful not to drip sauce on the carpet when Tess bounded down the stairs with a pitcher filled with the blue drink and two bowls precariously held with her other hand.

"Help me out before I drop this, you goon!" she snapped at me.

I quickly got up and took the pitcher from her. The low table was overflowing with food. I went to one of the recessed cabinets in the bar and picked out two margarita glasses, figuring they'd be the best choice for the blue drink. 

The den was a great room. My parents had pretty much given up on it, and Tess and I used it exclusively. It had a huge couch that ran along the side of the room, a bunch of shelves filled with books. A small bar that was mostly just storage for glasses was recessed right next to a small washroom. The floor was thickly carpeted and to top it all off, a huge plasma screen dominated the wall opposite the sofa. It had an Xbox hooked up which I sometimes played games on and Tess used to watch DVDs with her friends when they had a slumber party. 

Tess had torn into the boxes of food with a ravenous quickness and started heaping delicious looking slivers of meat and vegetables into her bowl. Tess weirdly mixed in her rice after loading up on meat and sauce. I'd often made fun of her for that little quirk. With her mouth full Tess managed to ask me to pour the drinks. 

With a gulp she swallowed her food. "They're called sapphire orgasms. They make you feel as good as if someone had gone down on you," she said proudly. I nearly spit out the sip I just took. 

"What?" I asked. 

She giggled mischievously. "You don't think a girl as pretty as me has had an orgasm before?" she teased. I immediately blushed; the thought of my sister having an orgasm was something that had never come across my mind before. 

"Oh don't be such a prude, Steve," she playfully punched my arm. 

"I didn't realize you had any boyfriends," I said, with the concern of a protective older brother. 

"Not exactly," she giggled enigmatically, "Try this dumpling," and she nimbly fed me a succulent dumpling before I had a chance to recover. 

She hit the play button on the DVD and the familiar Indiana Jones soundtrack played. "I thought we'd reconnect with a classic," Tess said.

The trilogy was one of our favorites as kids, and we usually tried to re-watch them all once a year but that had dropped off lately. We tore into the food as if it was our last meal while downing the "Sapphire Orgasms" -- they were pretty good, you couldn't really taste the alcohol and they seemed more like a slurpee you'd get at 7-11.

They definitely had a kick to them because my head was buzzing after the third one. Tess was getting giggly and almost seemed to get flirty with me. We were playfully teasing each other just like when we were really close. She'd try and tickle me and I'd tickle her back, trying to pin her down while she tried to squirm away. 

Tess suddenly tightly hugged me, and started sobbing. "What's wrong, Tess," I worriedly asked. 

"I'm going to miss you so much next year. You're the best guy ever," she said between sobs, "I feel like we've wasted the last two years because I was such a bitch." I held her close. 

"T, don't cry. It's okay, we'll see each other on vacations and we'll talk on the phone, I'm not leaving forever," I said as I tried to reassure her. 

She looked up at me with those big blue eyes. "You promise?" she sniffled. It was a little disconcerting, I hadn't seen her cry or even really be unhappy in the longest time, and here she was baring her feelings. 

"Of course," I replied, "You're my sister and I love you." 

That seemed to cheer her up and she blinked back the rest of the tears and a broad smile crossed her face. "I love you too, big brother," she said as she snuggled up to me again and we finished the movie curled up on the couch. 

When the end credits played she bounced up and it seemed like nothing had happened. "So, what do you wanna do now?" she said with a wide grin. 

I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "It's getting kinda late, I have to be up early tomorrow." 

She pouted, "Aw, come on. What could you be doing on a Sunday morning? Running your ass off again?" 

I told her about meeting a photographer in the camera store and being invited to a shoot tomorrow, for some reason I didn't tell her that it was actually the photographer's dynamite looking younger sister. I wasn't sure why, I guess I was just enjoying Tess' company too much to bring up another girl. I wasn't even sure why I thought she'd react badly to it. I seemed to be making a lot of these subconscious internal decisions today. 

Tess put a finger on her lips, crinkled her nose and looked thoughtful. "Well, if you're going to work for a hotshot photographer tomorrow you're going to need some more practice." She grinned mischievously and took my hand and pulled me off the couch.

"Come on," she squealed and bounded up the stairs energetically, beckoning me to follow. "Grab your camera," she told me as she strutted through the house into the spacious and minimalist living room that our mother was so proud of. 

I picked up my camera and followed her. "You think I'm hot, right?" she asked, smiling coquettishly. 

I had the presence of mind to reply, "Of course, T." 

She struck a pose leaning against the wall, raising her hands behind her head and standing on her tiptoes thrusting her hips out. I quickly hit the shutter button, scarcely believing what was happening. 

She moaned lustily and turned around and looked over her shoulder pushing her pert butt out. The tight little shorts left little to the imagination, and it was clear she wasn't wearing anything under them. She pouted sexily, looking hotter than any Maxim model could. She turned to face me and unzipped the hoodie. Her eyes were glinting dangerously.

My heart skipped a beat. She wasn't wearing anything underneath. I could just make out the swell of her breasts barely covered on each side by the sweater but still tantalizingly hidden. There was something unbearably sexy about the swathe of the tanned flesh she exposed. She fixed the camera with a sultry smile and blew it a kiss as I took the picture. She then abruptly zipped the hoodie back up and started giggling.

She reached over and ruffled my hair. "How was that, ace?" she teased. "I hope you're not going to shoot a hotter model tomorrow or I'll be jealous." 

"That was unreal, Tess. What got into you?"

"Those sapphire orgasms, big brother -- they drive me wild." She was less than a foot away from me now. I could swear she just licked her lips. I had an overwhelming urge to kiss her. I had a feeling she'd let me but I just wasn't ready to cross that line, so I hesitated. There was palpable tension -- Tess then took a step back. 

"I'd better not see those pictures on the internet," Tess said with a laugh. "You'd better get to bed, you've had far too much excitement tonight." 

She looked down raising her eyebrow. I was so engrossed in her posing that I hadn't realized that my cock was threatening to tear my shorts apart. It was no good hiding it from her, so I just grinned sheepishly. "I guess you're hot after all," I lamely joked. 

"Aw, ain't you cute." She ruffled my hair patronizingly again. Not quite the reaction you'd expect after I broke several social conventions, but there again she'd started it. She stifled a yawn. "I'd better get to sleep too. Goodnight brother." 

She walked towards the stairs leading up to upper floors. My eyes were fixated on her tight little butt that desperately seemed to be trying to escape the tiny shorts she was wearing. They almost seemed to be trying to eat up the shorts by how deep her ass cleavage stood out. She turned around at the foot of the stairs.

"Just take a picture, it'll last longer," she teased, and then slowly climbed the steps while bouncing her hips from side to side, accentuating her magnificent legs and butt. 

I literally had to shake my head to snap back to reality. Just hours earlier I'd idly mused about using my sister as a model and I now had an incredibly racy shoot, which made American Apparel's models look dowdy, in my camera. She definitely seemed to be hinting at more. I guess she might have just been teasing, but wow. I'd have to make sure she made those drinks again.

I headed upstairs. Our rooms were pretty far apart and on different floors. I managed to talk my way into having the room on the third floor out of the way from everyone else in the house so I could have quiet time to study. Tess had her room as far away as she could get from our parent's room. 

I paused on the landing and looked down the corridor towards her room. The door was closed, but I could see her light was still on from the crack under the door. Should I try and push my luck? Would she let me do anything? She was my sister too... Was anything that just happened something that should happen? I was conflicted.

I decided to head up to my room. After all I actually needed to get some sleep, since my luck with the ladies seemed to have changed so much today that even my sister was hitting on me, so who knew what would happen tomorrow hanging out with Jess? I had to laugh to myself. 

I booted up my computer, and plugged in the memory card from my camera. Soon the pictures of Tess were displayed in high resolution on my monitor in all their glory. Even though I considered myself to be a pretty good photographer, I had to say it was Tess that made these pictures and I was just lucky enough to capture them. I was not sure if it was because she was my sister, or because I took them, but they were the sexiest pictures I'd ever seen. I was glad I hadn't screwed up shooting them. 

On impulse I got up from my computer and headed down the stairs. Tess' light was still on. I walked quietly towards her door. I stopped to listen just outside. I could hear faint little gasps that started to escalate into moans. Tess had to be masturbating; there was no other explanation. 

I didn't dare breathe in case she heard me. The tiny little pants I could hear had to be the sexiest thing I'd ever heard. It was a pretty good day for my senses. I had to draw myself away, it was one thing to have Tess take the lead on redefining our relationship but another thing to have her find me spying on her. 

"Sofia." I instantly froze when I heard that. "Sofia ... Sofia ... Sofia," came from Tess' room in whispers, the voices gave way to a cascade of quiet panting culminating in a deep satisfied sigh. 

Did my sister just have an orgasm? Who the hell was Sofia? I quietly retreated from the hallway and made my way back up to my room in a daze. I lay down on my bed and looked up at my ceiling in a daze.

What was happening? I had a sexy redhead flirting up a storm with me. My sister who I hadn't really talked with in nearly a year was not only nice to me but was pushing all kinds of boundaries between brother and sister. I couldn't help but respond to her onslaught of flirting, especially when she took it to the next level with her sultry modeling. You couldn't blame me could you? It didn't feel like I did anything wrong. 

The buzz of my cell phone startled me out of my reverie. It was a text message from Jess. Perfect, a tangible reminder of how confusing my day had been. "Could u bring some of ur pics, my brother wants to see your stuff tomorrow. Me too, lol! Jess xx."

I quickly thumbed out a response and went to my computer and plugged in a flash drive. I dragged some of my favorite pictures to the drive ... on impulse I dragged one of the pictures of Tess to the folder. I unplugged the drive and tossed it into my camera bag. Finally I could get some sleep. I collapsed into bed.