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Yellowstone Discovery

By: itmgr2010



This story took place in the late 70's. It illustrates that sometimes not everything is as it seems. And wanting to believe something doesn't necessarily make it so. It is a work of fiction but as in most of my stories it is inspired by an event that really occurred and by some characters that really existed.

*

I was having my second cup of coffee, rubbing the stubble on my face and contemplating the unpleasant task ahead of me. My wife and I had just returned late last night from a road trip to Yellowstone Park with another couple. When we finally pulled into the driveway we had just enough energy to drag ourselves out of the van and into bed. Debbie had to work this Monday morning but I got to sleep in for a couple more hours. I didn't have to report for my shift until four this afternoon.

My name is Dave Dawson and my wife is Debbie. We have been married just a year last month. The trip was kind of an anniversary gift. Debbie had just been working long enough to accumulate five days vacation time so with weekends we had nine days to make the drive and see the sights. Plus we were planning on starting our family anytime now and we didn't see another long vacation coming for a while.

So we decided to make the trip while all the stars were still in alignment. Friends of ours, John and Kathy Harrison made the trip with us. With the four of us we were able to drive straight through and straight back, allowing us to spend a full seven days camping in the park. John and Kathy had a fifteen month old baby boy and Kathy's mother just happened to be available this week to stay at their house and babysit. 

I walked out to the driveway and opened the side doors of my two year old custom Chevy van. If you can imagine how much debris four adults can accumulate on a nine day road trip that is what I was looking at. John and Kathy had managed to get most of their stuff out when we dropped them off last night. Looking at the mess, I gave a sigh and started to dig in.

Our suitcases were still sitting on the floor along with a box of food, a cooler, camping gear and a pile of dirty clothes. The suitcases went back into the house. Dirty laundry went down the laundry chute. Contents of the cooler went back into the refrigerator. Food went back into the pantry. And the camping and fishing gear back into the garage.

I took a look at the bed that I had built across the back of the van and knew I just might as well pull the mattress out and vacuum the entire floor. I got the dry-vac and a wastebasket out of the garage, opened the rear doors and took a hold of the bedding and started to pull. The double mattress had been custom made and was a tight fit across the width of the van. It finally let go with a rush and I fell on my ass as the mattress, bedding and a flurry of miscellaneous debris came out all at once.

I picked myself up and separated out the bedding and set it aside to wash. I took the wastebasket and started to fill it up with all the trash that had come out with the mattress. McDonald's wrappers, beer can pop tops, wadded up tissues, crushed Styrofoam coffee cups, a condom wrapper ... 

I stopped, looking at that last item stupidly. I sat down; suddenly dizzy, thinking to myself, 'now how did that get there?' I smoothed the torn wrapper across my knee. 'Trojan Ultra-Thin' the front read. Something wasn't right.

I knew it wasn't there before we left for Yellowstone. I had cleaned the van thoroughly including removing the mattress, vacuuming and putting on fresh bedding before we loaded up. 

As I absentmindedly fingered the wrapper I considered the possibilities. Debbie had gone off the pill the month before. We had decided to start our family as soon as she had completed her first year in her job. John and Kathy made no secret of the fact she was on the pill until their little boy turned two. Then they were planning on getting pregnant for their second one.

I thought maybe it's a practical joke? John sometimes had a quirky sense of humor, especially after having a few beers. I considered the possibility for a few minutes. 

Then I grabbed the wastebasket and dumped the contents onto the driveway. I started pawing through the trash examining it closely until I came to a wad of balled up tissue. I thoughtfully considered it as I gingerly pulled it apart. As the last layer of tissue peeled away it revealed an unmistakable dried up crumpled condom. No, not a practical joke ...

Suddenly nauseous, I sat back down abruptly and put my head between my knees trying not to throw up. The logic was inescapable. One - Someone had sex in my van using a condom, most likely to prevent pregnancy. Two - That someone wasn't me. Three - The only woman on this trip in danger of getting pregnant was Debbie. 

As I sat there hunched over I thought about the details of our trip. The only time John and Kathy had slept in the van was while we were on the road. When we camped, they had brought a two man tent with an air mattress and they slept in that. Debbie and I had slept alone in the van when we were in the park.

The four of us spent most of the week doing things together. Hiking, swimming or sightseeing. Together except for one afternoon. About our fourth day in the park I had wanted to hike to a small lake that was about five miles off the road. It had a waterfall and was said to have some good sized fish in it. I thought I would take my fishing rod, a few lures and give it a try. 

Kathy was up for it but Debbie said she was tired and didn't want to go. John offered to stay back with Debbie and go into town to pick up a few groceries we were running short on. So after an early lunch Kathy and I headed down the trail. It was more than five hours later when Kathy and I finally returned to our campsite, tired but pleased with our excursion.

Debbie and John had dinner started on our small propane stove and were sitting around having a beer. Apparently they had drunk more than a couple that afternoon as a sack full of empties could attest. They were yucking it up and Debbie was giggling, laughing and generally tipsy. I saw Kathy frown when she saw what was going on. John's drinking was sometimes a problem and by all accounts they frequently argued about it.

That night Debbie was unusually amorous when we went to bed. We had abstained so far on the trip since John and Kathy pitched their tent only a few feet away. And it was so warm we slept with the van doors open except for the mosquito netting. 

As soon as we crawled up onto the bed she jerked my shorts down and without any foreplay popped my cock into her mouth and started vigorously working it. I stifled a groan as she fondled my balls and slobbered all over me as she gave me an enthusiastic blowjob. I played with her nipples until I finally pulled my rock hard cock out of her mouth and rolled her over and started sucking on them. 

She tried to get me to go down on her the rest of the way but I knew if I did she would start moaning loud enough to wake the whole campground. I stuck my hand between her legs and starting working a finger, then two into her pussy. She was as wet and ready as I had ever seen her.

I entered her slowly but easily as she gasped with lust. I started a slow rhythm as she wrapped her legs around my waist and urged me faster and faster in a rising whisper. Within a few strokes she came so hard and so vocal I had to put my hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. As I continued to stroke into her she came twice more until I unloaded with a muffled groan. 

As I lay there trying to catch my breath, I thought that Debbie had never come so quick and so many times in one short session. I figured the enforced abstinence and a few beers had lit her fuse. As we both drifted off to sleep I didn't give it any more thought.

The next morning John had looked at me with a smug look like he had heard what we had been up to the night before. Now it occurred to me that the look was more like 'You dumb shit, I just banged your wife and you have no clue!' And the sick feeling I felt in my gut was telling me that I was beginning to believe it too.

I staggered to my feet and mechanically continued my task of cleaning the van. But first I carefully put the wrapper and the wadded up condom into a bag and tucked it away in the garage. For why, I wasn't quite sure. Maybe so later I wouldn't convince myself I had just imagined finding it. I certainly didn't like the conclusion it pointed to.

As I cleaned up the inside of the van and then got out the hose and started washing the outside, my mind drifted back three years before when Debbie and I met. 

I had just turned twenty years old and it was the second semester of my sophomore year at Northern Michigan University. I was an electrical engineering major and doing okay scholastically but money troubles were wearing me down. I never qualified for a scholarship so I had paid for the last two years using the money I saved working during high school and in the auto plants the last two summers. 

But the money was coming to an end. I knew I couldn't earn enough this coming summer for my junior year and the part time jobs I had during the school year provided just enough for a little pocket money.

Mom and Dad had never been able to help me much either. We were Catholic and I had three younger brothers and sisters at home. Our parents had insisted we all attend parochial school, at least through ninth grade. As a result they were still paying tuition for the two youngest. My oldest sister was attending public high school as a senior.

The way I saw it I had two choices. Start taking student loans and graduate with a staggering financial burden or drop out for two years and try to save enough to finish out my degree.

I had about decided that a break would be a good thing. The constant deadlines and exams had gotten to be a drag. And I was tired of living in a four man quad room. No matter how hard you tried you always ended up with at least one asshole room mate. I had already written a letter to the Employment Office at the assembly plant I had worked the previous summer to inquire about a job.

It was a Friday night and mid-terms had just ended. Several of us from the dorm decided to wade through a couple of feet of snow to an off campus party to celebrate. It was one of those typical frat house beer keg bashes. All the beer you can drink. Guys paid five dollars and girls got in free. The music was loud and there would be dancing in some rooms and drinking games in others. Before the night was over a few guys would get lucky and get laid in one of the upstairs bedrooms. 

I dated occasionally while I was at college but I hadn't had a regular girlfriend since high school. While not a virgin, I had lost that the night of my senior prom; I could count on the fingers of one hand with digits left over the girls I had been with. The engineering curriculum was tough and I was always working part-time. What spare time I had I spent in the Intramural Sports building playing pick-up basketball or occasionally racquetball.

When we got to the house one of my roommates, Josh pointed to a group over in a corner and I just nodded and told him I would bring him a beer. 

I snaked my way through groups of kids dancing or talking trying not to spill the two plastic cups I had gotten from the keg guy. I finally spotted Josh talking to a couple of girls on the far side of the room. As I came up beside him, he reached out and grabbed one of the cups and said, "Dave, I want you to meet Miranda. We're in Econ 202 together. And this is her roommate Debbie. This is Dave."

I smiled at Miranda, a cute looking brunette and held out my hand, "Hi Miranda, nice to meet you." And then I turned to her roommate and held out my hand and I froze. Facing me was one the most beautiful girls I had ever seen. 

She had long reddish blond hair and green eyes that gave away her Irish heritage, a smile that lit up the room and sensuous lips that just begged to be kissed. Even in blue jeans, hooded sweatshirt and a winter scarf hanging around her neck it was obvious there were some serious curves under there.

I finally woke up with Josh, Miranda and Debbie all laughing at me. I blushed, and apologized, "Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."

I couldn't help myself. I looked Debbie right in the eye and blurted out, "But you are the most beautiful girl I have ever met."

Now it was her turn to blush, "Well, thanks Ken. A girl can't hear that enough." And she laughed.

Josh said, "You know you two are practically neighbors back home. Debbie is from DeWitt."

"No kidding, I'm from Okemos. Did you go to DeWitt high school?"

"No. I attended Gabriel's Catholic High School." She said.

"Hey, I'm Catholic too but my parents couldn't afford the tuition there." I said.

The two of us started talking and slowly drifted off by ourselves to one of the corners. Gabriel's was the high school that served about a half dozen parishes including mine and Debbie's. Many of my friends from my Catholic middle school went there. Turns out she knew several of them and we both had graduated the same year. 

We talked and talked, totally unaware of the time, until Miranda finally came up and said, "Hate to split you two up, but it's after midnight and snowing again. We should head back to the dorm."

Debbie looked at me, regretfully I thought, and said, "Well I guess I should go."

Trying not to sound desperate I said, "Wait, I'd like to get together with you again. Can I call you?"

Smiling shyly, "Okay, I'm in East Shaw Hall."

"Debbie, I don't even know your last name."

"It's 'Koenigsknecht'. I know...it's a mouthful." She said a little embarrassed.

I stared at her in amazement. "You're a 'K-13'!"

The first Koenigsknecht's had emigrated from Germany back in the mid 1800's and settled in several communities in mid-Michigan. Over the next hundred years or so they were so prolific that their children dominated many of the country schools. The story was that one exasperated teacher finally nicknamed them the 'K-13's' for the thirteen letters in their name. And it stuck.

Then she really laughed, "Guilty! But my mom is full blooded Irish."

"You're not going to believe this. I have an uncle who married a 'K-13' from up around Standish." I said.

"No kidding? Call me and we can talk some more." She said as Miranda had a hold of her arm pulling her toward the door.

"You can bet on it." I said to her and watched them head out into the night.

The very next day I called her back. I was so enthralled with her I couldn't wait. We got together for pizza a day later. It was still a school night but we spent several hours together talking about school, friends from back home and our families.

After graduating from high school her parents had wanted her to attend a college close to home. But she had had enough of being under the parental thumb. She had applied to several in-state schools and selected the one farthest from home. Four hundred miles was enough to cut the strongest apron strings. 

Debbie was a marketing major and had worked for the same retail chain the last couple of summers. And she had been hired to be an intern in their business office this coming break. She was attending college on a combination of a partial scholarship and student loans which made it a priority to keep her grades up. 

She had two sisters, one older and one younger. Her parents were still paying high school tuition for the younger one and the oldest was attending a state college down near Detroit. So they were stretched pretty thin and could provide only limited assistance.

She admitted to being a junior varsity cheerleader back in high school but had never tried out for the varsity. She loved the water and had worked as a lifeguard at a local country club during her last two summers in high school. 

Apparently her parents were quite strict with her and her sisters. She talked like she hadn't been allowed to date much while in high school. I found out later from Miranda through Josh that she had been making up for lost time since coming to college. She had guys lining up to go out with her. She dated once or twice a week but wasn't going steady.

I was determined to get close to her. I asked her out again and for the rest of the semester we went out regularly. We always had a great time. She had a great personality and sense of humor. I could sit and listen to her for hours. She loved the college parties and we would have a couple of beers and dance a little. 

As the weather warmed up I was able to see her in something besides boots and bulky sweatshirts. Man, was she built! When I saw her in a tank top and shorts for the first time I began to doubt myself. I mean Debbie was model material, what was she doing going out with me? She was about 5'7", one hundred ten pounds with a narrow waist, gently flaring hips and firm breasts with legs to die for. 

In contrast I was just a fraction over six foot and weighed one ninety. I had brown hair and brown eyes and regular but non-descript features. I was in good shape from regular exercise but my appearance would best be described as 'stocky'. I had a somewhat dark complexion but I didn't stand out in a crowd.

We dated until the semester ended about six weeks later but all that time I knew she was also going out with others. We had gotten past the kissing stage after the second date. And we had a couple of heavy make out sessions with a little petting the last couple of times we were out. She seemed to be as hot as I was for it to continue and I had hoped that fact might encourage her to stop seeing other guys. But it didn't seem to happen.

The last date we had before the semester ended we talked about seeing each other when we got back home. We only lived about twenty miles apart and she said she would love to keep seeing me. But then for the first time I told her of my decision not to return to school the next school year. 

When she realized I meant it she seemed to pause and considered me closely. I thought she accepted the idea and my rationale. But later that night instead of snuggling down somewhere together for awhile she announced that she needed to study for her last exam. With that damper put on our evening I took her back to her dorm. She gave me a quick kiss and a hug and ran inside without a word about me calling her when we got back home.

Thoughtfully I trudged back to my dorm wondering what had happened. After my last exam and before I left campus I tried to call her but one of her roommates said she wasn't around. I knew her parents had come up to get her and thought maybe they were out someplace.

Moving back in with your parents and siblings is always an adjustment. But we seemed to work it out. And the day after getting home I started back to work at the plant. I was fortunate to get a quality control job on day shift. At least for the first ninety days, after that I would probably rotate to one of the other shifts.

I tried calling Debbie a couple of times in the evening at her mom and dad's but they always said she was out. I left my number but I had the sinking sensation that she had blown me off. The thought left me heartbroken but I suspected if I kept pursuing her it wouldn't end any better.

About a week later I was surprised when mom handed me the phone and said, "It's someone named Debbie." 

When I answered Debbie apologized for missing me the first couple of times I called and hoped I wasn't mad at her. I assured her I wasn't. We talked a while about final exams and our new jobs. Finally she said softly, "Dave, I was hoping you were calling to ask me out."

"I was Debbie, but since I hadn't been able to get a hold of you the last couple weeks I got the impression that you didn't care to hear from me." I said sadly.


Yellowstone Discovery



"No, no Dave. Please don't think that. I admit I was a little put off when you told me you weren't coming back to school. I didn't know what to think. But I would like to go out with you again." She said.

That started a great summer. With both of us working days we could get together a couple a times a week. And I was pretty sure she wasn't dating anyone else. Eventually I met her family and she met mine. We all seemed to hit it off except for my oldest sister. For some reason she didn't seem to warm up to Debbie. But I just shrugged it off. 

We would go out to the movies, dinner, and an occasional party with her friends or my friends from high school. A couple of times we went to the beach at Lake Michigan when we could get a day off together. Seeing Debbie in a bikini brought tears of joy to my eyes. 

We would fool around in the lake and she would laugh at me when I got a stiffy in my swim shorts and couldn't get out of the water. We were back to making out and pushing the envelope a little further every time we got together.

Towards the end of July I decided that I couldn't live at home for the two years it would take me to save enough money to return to school. I was getting a pretty good paycheck and decided I could afford a small apartment. But the biggest reason was I really wanted to get Debbie alone. I was pretty sure we were in agreement where our relationship was going next.

Mom and dad took the news gracefully and helped me scrounge up some decent used furniture from friends and relatives. I moved just a few weeks before Debbie had to return to school. 

That first weekend we went out to dinner and came back to the apartment, both of us aware of what was going to happen. Inside the door I took her into my arms and gave her a long lingering kiss, our tongues gently feeling each others lips. Debbie pulled away and took me by the hand and led me into the bedroom. 

We stood together in the dark and we slowly undressed each other. As our last items of clothing hit the floor we came together and put our arms around each other and kissed again. My rock hard cock was trapped against her belly. She pulled away and took me in her hands and gently stroked me.

"Debbie, do you want me to use a condom?" I whispered.

Looking me in the eye she said, "I'm not a virgin, Dave. And I went on the pill last month. Is that okay?"

Not really surprised I nodded and gently caressed her breasts and nipples. We slowly fell backward onto the bed. As we did her legs came up and my cock nestled into her pubic hair probing for her damp entrance. We both knew that later there would be a time for lingering foreplay but right now we needed this. I entered her slowly and steadily until she groaned, "Stop." 

I did and she pulled her legs back further and wiggled her pussy up against me gaining the last fraction of an inch. I pulled back and pushed forward all the way feeling myself bottoming out. She gasped out, "You got it all, Dave. Do it, do it to me now!"

I started stroking in and out slowly picking up speed. God, it felt so good I knew I couldn't last long. But I needn't have worried, within a half dozen strokes she started screaming, "I'm coming, I'm coming!" I slammed into her one more time and held myself at my deepest penetration and came so hard it hurt. We both held onto each other for dear life until we both started to relax. She licked my ear and whispered, "God, Dave that was worth waiting for!"

That night we made love three more times until I had to take her home. Each time seemed better than the last. A couple of times we got into the shower to clean each other up before we would do it again. The evening was one long session of continuous foreplay and experimentation to see what each other liked. And there wasn't much we didn't like.

For the next three weeks Debbie would spend the evening with me every few days. One night she told her parents she was spending the night with a girlfriend and stayed over until morning. It was wonderful. 

Those long evenings gave us the opportunity to explore more than our bodies. I wanted to know everything about her. We talked for hours on end. She told me how much she loved college, the classes, the social aspects and just the whole experience. She really felt stressed about staying at home because she said her parents still tried to control her social life.

As the time for her to leave for school approached I got more and more depressed. The last night we spent together we talked after making love slowly and tenderly. I said, "Debbie, I know we have avoided talking about this but with you leaving tomorrow I think we need to. I think I love you. And I don't want to stop seeing you."

Debbie hung her head and bit her lip. "I like you a lot Dave, maybe it's love, I don't know. But we have been dating only a few months. I don't want to stop seeing you either. But we are going to be four hundred miles apart most of the school year and we both are going to be busy."

Trying not to sound desperate I said, "Can we, can we try to get together a couple of times before Christmas break?"

"Sure Dave, we can try." She said not sounding convinced.

"Debbie, I want you to know you are the only girl for me and I want to give you something before you leave." And I pulled a jewelry box out of the night stand and opened it for her. Inside was an amethyst ring in white gold with a diamond chip on each side. Amethyst was her birth stone.

Debbie's eyes got big and hands came up in front of her mouth. "Oh, Dave it's beautiful!"

"Debbie, I'd like you to wear it. And when you look at it, think of me, please?"

She put it on her finger and with tears in her eyes hugged me. "Of course I will, Dave."

After that night we only spoke on the phone once more before she left for school. I had offered to drive Debbie but her dad had bought a five year old car for her so she could get around at school. I was disappointed with our conversation that last night and her lack of enthusiasm for what I was trying to say. I wanted her to be my girl. I wanted us to be exclusive. If we had still been in high school I'd have asked her to go 'steady.' Instead I was afraid she was trying to let me down gently.

With Debbie gone I did very little else but work. Several times a week I would meet some guys at the YMCA and play basketball. And nearly every weekend I would hang out at mom and dads and they would make sure I was well fed. Every couple of days I would call up to Debbie's dorm. About half the time I would catch her in. I also wrote a couple of times a week. We talked and wrote about her coming down or me coming up but we never seemed to be able to work it out. Eventually the calls and letters started to get further and further apart.

A couple of weeks after Debbie left, I was asked if I would like to take the exam for the Electrician's Apprenticeship program at work. It could take anywhere from two to four years to complete depending on how many hours I put in a month but I would receive some credit for my two years of college. 

It paid about twenty per cent more than I was making now and the company would pay for college level technical classes. Even if I quit before I completed it I would be further ahead pay wise. I took the exam and passed easily. I started the program a short time later.

I loved the apprenticeship program. I had always loved gadgets, stereo equipment and pretty much anything electronic. It was what drove me to major in electrical engineering in the first place. And I was always handy with tools. I was given the opportunity to work almost unlimited overtime. And as I gained more and more experience journeymen electricians would ask me to assist them on side jobs for which we usually got paid cash.

With all the money coming in I could pretty much buy whatever I wanted as far as toys but I still had the dream of finishing school. I didn't even date even though I frequently had opportunities. I was in love with Debbie and that was my other dream. So the money went in the bank or into a couple of investments. 

A couple of weeks before Thanksgiving during one of our now infrequent calls Debbie reminded me she would be home Wednesday night before Thanksgiving and she didn't have to leave until Sunday afternoon. She said she hoped she would be able to spend most of that time with me. For the first time since she left I got excited about seeing her again.

We made plans for us to get together at her house after Thanksgiving dinner. Seeing her again was like instant alcohol rush. I felt totally tongue tied but I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Her dad and mom were glad to see me and her two sisters gave me a warm welcome. Her dad and I had made an instant connection earlier when it turned out the K-13 my uncle married was a distant cousin of his. And I don't think either of us was too happy about Debbie not visiting home since she left for school.

I spent a couple of hours over there having desert and watching football. I finally suggested that Debbie and I go out to a movie. Debbie jumped at the chance and we quickly left ignoring her mom and dad's obvious disappointment.

We drove straight to my apartment. As soon as we got in the door we started ripping each others clothes off. Naked we fell into bed and got reacquainted with enthusiasm. I don't how it happened but it was like she never left. We fit right back together like an old glove. We talked and made love over and over again. I ignored my disappointment over our extended separation and Debbie never mentioned it.

This time when it came time for Debbie to leave we knew it was only a few weeks until the Christmas break. This time I kissed Debbie goodbye feeling better about the separation and our relationship.

Three weeks later it was a repeat of Thanksgiving. It was like we had never been apart. I had two weeks off as part of the auto plant holiday shutdown so we had lots of time to spend together. We went to Christmas parties and holiday shopped. She spent time with my family and I spent time with hers. I helped her dad wire the basement recreation room he was finishing and I forever became his friend.

For Christmas I got her the matching amethyst earrings and pendant that went with her ring. From her I got two very nice cable knit sweaters I thought looked sharp on me. Again we spent more and more time at my apartment. A couple of times she spent the night. I didn't know what she was telling her parents and I didn't ask. I knew even then I would be happy spending the rest of my life with her like this.

The day before she had to return to school we talked again about being separated, and the possibility of getting together every month. Again she was evasive and wouldn't commit to anything. The other thing that made me unhappy was several times I told her I thought I was in love with her and every time she would smile, give me a hug or kiss but wouldn't reciprocate. I brought that up our last day together.

Holding her in my arms I said, "Debbie, I know talking about my feelings makes you uncomfortable. I love you and I want to have a future with you. But you make me feel like you don't feel the same way."

With tears in her eyes, she looked at me. "Please, Dave I love being with you and doing things with you. Can't we just be happy being together when we can?"

"I am happy when we're together, Debbie. I just want to see you more. I want you to know there isn't anyone else for me. I hope you feel the same way."

For the first time Debbie's eyes slid away and she wouldn't look at me. "Dave, we are so far away from each other for such a long time. I don't expect you to sit at home and not have a life."

"Debbie, I'm not interested in seeing anyone else. No one can compare to what we have. I want ... I hope you feel the same."

Debbie hugged and kissed me and we forgot about our conversation for awhile. Later when I thought back on it I realized she never answered me. I knew that she was not as committed to our relationship as I was. Whenever I thought about that I would get sad and depressed.

So I stayed as busy as I could. Took all the overtime offered, worked a couple of outside jobs every week, went to the required college classes and spent a couple of hours at the YMCA several mornings a week.

A few weeks after the holiday break one of the other electricians was telling everyone about a house he was selling. His father had passed away the year before and it was part of the estate. It was rundown but in a nice neighborhood and a good school district. His family just wanted out from under it and they were willing to let it go cheap. They would even hold a land contract for five years with a balloon at the end just to get rid of it.

I decided to take a look at it as the payments would only be a little more than the rent I was paying. It was a large bi-level house, over two thousand square feet. It had four bedrooms, two baths and sat on a large corner lot. The only thing I didn't like about it was that the large garage was not attached to the house but sat back of it about fifty feet.

The house needed a lot of work. The parents had lived in the house for forty years and had hardly updated anything in it. But I knew if I could get everything done it needed before the five years of the contract were up it would be worth three to four times what I paid for it. And getting a mortgage on it would not be a problem.

I made an offer and after a little haggling we made a deal. Within a couple a weeks I moved out of the apartment and into my new home. I didn't mention it to Debbie until after the fact because I wanted to surprise her. But I was the one surprised when she didn't seem to care one way or the other.

I kept trying to convince Debbie to come down. Finally I said if she couldn't make it down I would come up there. When I said that she said that maybe we could meet half way. So we set a date a couple of weeks out and I arranged to take a couple of days off. As the date got closer the weather in the U.P. got worse and it seemed like there was one blizzard after another.

A couple of days before we were supposed to meet she called and said that her car was giving her trouble and with the weather the way it was she wanted to postpone the trip. Terribly disappointed I agreed and when we hung up I was in a foul mood. It looked like our next opportunity to get together again was going to be spring break.

Meanwhile in my spare time I worked on the house. I asked one of the carpenters at work who was also a builder on the side if he could help me develop a design on how I wanted the house to look when I finished. The finished product was quite ambitious but in the back of my mind was the thought I wanted something that Debbie would want to live in someday.

I prioritized the projects on the design. I wanted to finish the kitchen first, then the bathrooms and then the other rooms. When the weather improved I would start on the outside projects. 

The cost of remodeling the house was going to be significant in terms of materials. But the cost of labor was going to be minimal. Most of the tradesmen at the plant traded work amongst themselves. So that's what I did. I did electrical work and general labor for those guys who needed it and in turn the carpenters, glaziers, painters or heating & cooling guys would do work for me.

It was a couple of weeks before spring break when I got a call from Debbie's dad, Carl. I had stayed in touch with him and Debbie's mother, Angela. I had even stopped in and visited with them a couple of times since Christmas. Both Carl and Angela knew how I felt about Debbie. And they sympathized with my frustration as it mirrored theirs of trying to maintain a long distance relationship with her.

When I responded to Carl on the phone he said, "How do you feel about Debbie's spring break plans?" 

Confused I said, "What do you mean?"

"You don't know?" 

"I haven't spoken to her in a week but I assume she is coming home." I said.

"She called last night. She plans on going to Corpus Christi with a couple of girlfriends." He said obviously disappointed.

"I asked her what you said when she told you but she didn't answer me. I couldn't believe she hasn't talked to you about it."

"No ... no she never said a word." 

"I don't know what's got into that girl, I really don't. I asked her if she was going to stop here on the way to Texas she said no. Her girlfriend, Miranda lives in Milwaukee and they are getting a ride there to pick up a car. So they are going to drive down through Wisconsin and continue on south. They plan on coming back the same way." 

As the implications of what he was saying sunk in I got angry at Debbie for the first time. Did she care so little that she wouldn't even talk to me about this first? She knew how much I was looking forward to being with her over break. I had told her how eager I was for her to see the house. I had hoped to get her opinion about decorating it. And I had put in for a couple of days off so we could have a four day weekend together while she was home.

Bitterly I said, "I guess she's made her decision, Carl. Apparently our relationship is not important enough to her to talk to me first." 

"I'm sorry, Dave. You don't deserve to be treated this way either." He said.

We talked for a few more minutes then hung up. As I sat there in the half finished kitchen of what I hoped would one day be our home, I came to the realization that no matter how much you wished or hoped for something, that wasn't enough to make it happen. I knew now our relationship was mostly one sided. My dreams weren't her dreams. There wasn't anything I could do to make her love me like I loved her.

I shook my head and dried my eyes. I felt like a close relative had died unexpectedly. When it happens you feel such a tremendous loss. You never stop loving them but you knew you had to accept it and move on with your life.

The next day when I returned home from my college class there was a message on the answering machine from Debbie. "Dave, sorry I missed you. Can you call me as soon as you get this? I really want to talk to you. Thanks, baby!"

Her voice sounded happy and upbeat. I suspected she wanted to blow smoke up my ass about not coming home for spring break. I shook my head, deleted the message and left for work.

The next day I was out on a side job almost until it was time to report for my shift. As I came in through the kitchen I noticed another message on the recorder. Again it was from Debbie. Not quite so upbeat this time.

"Dave, honey? Please call me. I spoke to dad last night and he said he told you about my change in plans for spring break. Please call me, okay? I can explain. I'll be in the dorm all afternoon."

I could detect a little bit of concern in her voice this time. Her dad probably chewed her out for not talking to me first. Again I deleted the message and went about my business.

A couple of days later mom called and asked me what was up with Debbie? I asked her what she meant. She said Debbie called asking for my new address. She was evasive when she asked why she hadn't talked to me.

Hesitantly I said, "Debbie and I aren't seeing each other anymore."

Mom gasped, "Dave, why? What happened?"

"She and I had a difference of opinion on what was important to each of us." I said quietly.

"I'm sorry, honey I know how hard that's got to be. Why don't you come for dinner this Sunday and we will celebrate your birthday, okay?"

Saturday was actually my birthday. But since I was going to be legal to go the bars a few of the guys from work wanted to take me out. So I told her I'd be over on Sunday.

So my twenty-first birthday came and went. The guys took me out and I drank a little too much, danced a little with some of the women and turned down a couple of offers of something more. I didn't hear anything from Debbie but then I didn't expect too. I wasn't sure she even remembered when my birthday was even though we talked about it being only a couple of months before hers.




Yellowstone Discovery



The next day I had dinner with the folks. Both my brothers and sister were there. Angie, my sister was now a freshman at a state university about thirty miles away. Mom cooked my favorite foods and everyone gave me presents. It was a great time. After dinner Angie got me alone and asked me what had happened with Debbie.

Angie and I being closest in age had always been close. I explained everything that had gone on this past year, all the frustrations of trying to maintain our relationship and then reaching my breaking point when she blew me off to go south for spring break.

"Dave, I know you wondered why I didn't care much for Debbie when you started seeing her." She said.

"I never told you that I knew Debbie's younger sister. Sarah. Not very well, but well enough to talk to. We were both in the same Multi-Parish Catholic Youth group our senior year. After you two started dating, I sat and talked to her at one of our meetings. I mentioned that I knew someone that was going out with her sister. I didn't tell her it was my brother."

"She had a lot to say about Debbie. I don't think she likes her much. According to her Debbie was selfish and self-centered. And with her looks she always got whatever she wanted. She said even back in high school she had at least two boyfriends dancing attendance on her at any one time. And she was always on the lookout for another. And as much as their parents tried to limit her social activities she still managed to get out frequently."

I thought about what she was telling me. Then I just shrugged and said sadly, "I don't know Angie, I didn't see that in her. All I know is that I loved her, and I think I still love her. But I just can't live like that. If she doesn't feel the same way about me that I feel about her then I guess it's best we each go our own way."

Angie gave me a hug and nothing more was said.

The following weekend Debbie's dad, Carl stopped at the house to see me. I took him for a tour of the house and the property showing him the half dozen projects I had in progress. He was amazed.

"You said you paid how much for this house?" He said.

When I told him he said. "Wow, if you get everything done and fixed up this place will be worth three, four times that."

He shook his head, "I can't believe you only just turned twenty-one. This is a great investment for someone twice your age."

He looked at me closely, "Dave, I want you to know I would have been proud to have you as a son. I have never met anyone who works as hard as you do at what you want."

A little uncomfortable I said, "Thanks Carl, but we never got to that point in our relationship." 

Carl looked me right in the eye. "Maybe not Dave, but we could tell how you felt about Debbie. And I knew where she was the nights she said she was staying at a girlfriends. No, don't be uncomfortable about it. We always felt she was safe with you. I am just sorry it hasn't worked out."

I just shrugged and changed the subject. But as he went out the door, he said, "Not that it probably matters to you anymore, but she did call to say she got to Corpus Christi okay." Then he was gone.

For the next few months my routine hardly varied. Work at the plant, work on the house, do the occasional outside job. Spend a couple of hours in class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Play basketball at the YMCA Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. The only thing that changed was as the weather got warmer I started to work on outside projects. But I was pleased on how the house was coming along.

And I found the harder I worked the better I slept at night. If I lay awake at night I would think about Debbie and how much I missed her. And when I missed her I couldn't sleep. It was a vicious circle to be avoided. I did receive one more phone message from her after she returned from Texas. I deleted it as soon as I heard her voice.

About a month after spring break it was Debbie's birthday. I debated over it but I finally sent her a card. It was pretty generic and I simply signed it. I just wanted her to know I remembered. Then it was back to the grind.

It was close to noon on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend when I heard someone pounding on the front door. The plant was shutdown for all three days and I was hoping to finish one particular backyard project and I had been at it since before nine this morning. As I threw open the door I said somewhat testily, "Yes?"

Anything else I might have said died instantly in my throat. Standing there was Debbie. She was as beautiful as ever and still taking my breath away. Her eyes were open wide with an expression of shock on her face.

"I ... I rang the doorbell but I didn't get an answer." She practically stuttered. 

Then she blurted out, "Dave, what's happened to you?"

"Huh?" Then I looked down at myself thinking 'what does she mean?"

I was standing there in ragged khaki cut-off's, work boots and no shirt. I had a carpenter's tool belt slung low around my hips. I was sweaty and covered with a thin layer of sawdust from the circular saw I had been running on and off all morning.

Then it occurred to me, Debbie hadn't seen me in six months. I knew I had lost ten or fifteen pounds since then. I had been working like a madman ever since I bought the house in January. And my efforts had doubled when she had run off on spring break. I rarely sat down to a real meal anymore and in fact food held little interest to me. What body fat I used to carry had pretty much disappeared. I knew from the way my clothes fit that I had lost a couple inches around my waist and gained it around my chest and shoulders. 

And lately I had only been shaving every couple of days at most so I had a good two day growth going. I also got my hair cut shorter when the weather turned warm. Now that I thought about it I probably looked like I was living on the ragged edge.

I held the door open wide, "Come on in and let me turn the radio off."

I walked away from the door to the dining room and switched off the music. I walked back to where Debbie stood just inside the house. She looked a little uncomfortable as I studied her intently. She was wearing white short shorts, sandals and a tight pastel colored tank top. Her hair was in a pony tail and she had her sunglasses pushed up on top of her head. I noticed she was wearing the amethyst ring I had given her. She looked good. Just seeing her was giving me a lift.

"I'm sorry. I had the radio on while I was working in back and I didn't hear the doorbell. I guess I look kinda rough. I wasn't expecting company." I said sheepishly.

"No, you look good Dave. Just different is all. I just wanted to see how you were doing. Dad said he had stopped a while back and was quite impressed with the house. It looks big." She said as finally took her eyes off of me and looked around the living room.

"Would you like to take a tour?" I said smiling. 

"You wouldn't mind?" She said somewhat timidly.

"Of course not, actually I'm kind of proud of how it's shaping up." I said as she started to follow me around.

"The house is just about two thousand square feet. Originally it had four bedrooms and two baths. I am reconfiguring it to have three bedrooms and three baths. Two full baths upstairs and one down. As you can see in the living room we are rebuilding the fireplace with field stone and that piece of oak barn beam leaning against the wall is going to be the mantle."

"The floors downstairs are all the original hardwood. After everything else is done I plan to have the floor refinished."

We walked through the dining area and I pointed to the blueprints on the kitchen table. "I had a builder friend draw up the design on how I wanted everything done. I figure it will take over a year to finish it."

I led her into the kitchen which was the only room that I had completed. It had all new appliances, marble countertops and new cabinets. "The kitchen is actually the only room that is one hundred per cent finished so far, right down to the paint." I said.

"It's beautiful." She said running her hands over the marble.

"Let's go upstairs before I show you the outside."

We walked up the steps and down the hallway. "The master bedroom looks over the backyard and has its own master bath. I've replaced the stool, sink, vanity and tub all ready. The floor still needs to be installed and the walls painted." I said as I led her past my queen size bed with an old country quilt spread over it. 

I turned to look at her and saw her staring at the bedside stand. Next to the telephone and bedside lamp was a five by seven picture of her. It was one she had given me at Christmas. She finally dragged her eyes away and looked at the bathroom.

"Wow, a Jacuzzi tub!" She said. 

"Yes." I ignored the obvious observation that it was big enough for two. 

I then led her across the hall. "The end bedroom was so small I decided to divide it up. Part of it will combine with the closet in the master bedroom to make it big enough to be a walk in closet. The other half I am going to make into a full bath."

I showed her the other two bedrooms one completely empty, the other being used for my study. A hide-a-bed, desk, a couple of chairs, two full bookshelves and a small television were the only furnishings. We stepped away and stood at the top of the steps looking across an open ceiling with exposed beams at the living area which highlighted the size of the house.

Debbie put her hand on my arm and said, "Dave, this house is huge. What are you going to do with all this space?"

Looking at her I said slowly, "Well, when I bought it I didn't envision living in it alone." 

When the implication sunk in, Debbie's face turned red and she pulled her hand away. Trying to defuse the awkward moment, I said, "Come, let me show you the back of the house and the garage."

I led her down the stairs through the dining area and out the sliding glass doors onto the partially completed deck.

"This is what I'm working on this week. The deck is about two hundred twenty square feet in two levels with steps down to the yard. It will be big enough for a gas grill, an outdoor table, chairs and even a hot tub. And I plan on having a privacy fence built to enclose about two thousand square feet of the yard. Big enough to put in a swimming pool someday."

I led her over to the garage which sat back about fifty feet from the house. "I know it's just a garage. A two and a half car garage but it has a large attic storage area. I plan to build a dormer room on the side towards the house and make a workshop up there. Anyway that's it except for the basement which also has enough space for a finished rec room."

Debbie looked slowly around at the garage, house and yard. "Well, Dave it's obvious you are proud of what you are doing here and I can see why. But how can you afford all this?"

I scratched my neck and smiled, "Well, I'm not paying for much labor. I do most of it or I exchange work with some of the other guys in the trades. And I get builders discounts on materials. And to be honest, I don't have much to spend money on except this house."

"I see." She said thoughtfully.

We chatted while we walked back along the driveway down to her car. "Dave, I want to thank you for the birthday card. It was sweet of you to remember." She said quietly. 

I just smiled and nodded.

She started to get back into her car then stopped and looked me in the face. "Dave, mom and dad wanted me to ask if you would come over for dinner on Monday. Dad is going to barbecue. It will just be family and my sister's boyfriends probably."

I put my hands into my pockets and looked down at the ground thinking about it. Finally I looked up at her and said, "Wouldn't it be too awkward for you? To have me around I mean?" 

"No Dave, it would mean a lot to me if you came. Please?" She said looking me in the eye.

"Sure I'll come. What time?"

With a big smile on her face she said, "About two, and bring the beer, okay?"

Smiling back at her I said. "Will do."

I watched her back out of the driveway and pull away. As I turned to go back into the house I realized I was smiling. In fact I had been smiling nearly the whole time she had been here.

On Memorial Day I got cleaned up and even shaved. I put on some decent shorts, a polo shirt and sandals, grabbed the case of beer out of the frig and headed over. Debbie met me warmly at the door and surprised me when she gave me a peck on the cheek. She held my hand as she led me through the house to the back patio. Her mom and dad greeted me like the son they never had. I had met her sisters the previous Christmas. Now she introduced me to her older sister's fiancée and her younger sister's boyfriend. 

Debbie's older sister, Elizabeth was a more attractive version of her dad. She had just graduated from college in financial management. Her and her fiancé were getting married in the fall. Her younger sister Sarah was growing up to be a more studious version of Debbie. And to be honest more intelligent. Just as good looking but in a different way. She had just graduated from high school and had been accepted at a state college close to home. She was some kind of math whiz. She hadn't decided if she wanted to major in accounting or some kind of engineering.

We had a great time. Her dad and I talked at length about my house with her mother throwing in a comment every now and then. They were both very interested in how it was turning out. Debbie didn't say anything but her sisters listened intently and would throw in suggestions every now and then. Sarah and Debbie were helping with the food and every once in a while I would catch the two of them staring at me and whispering to each other.

After dinner, all of us sat around nursing a beer and visiting. I noticed there wasn't any discussion about spring break or Texas. I did ask Debbie if she had seen Josh at all this school year. We had fallen out of touch and I wondered how he was doing. She said she had seen him only once this past semester. But Miranda saw him occasionally and had even gone out with him a couple of times.

As it got later in the evening, I said it was probably time for me to get home. I thanked Carl and Angela for dinner, said my goodbyes to everyone else and started for the door. Debbie jumped up, went over and whispered something to her mother and said, "I'll walk you to the car." 

She took my hand and we walked down to my car and stopped. She looked at me and said, "Dave can we talk for a few minutes? There's a little park just down the block. It has some picnic tables and no one will bother us."

Suspecting that this was probably coming when I was invited over for dinner I just nodded and we continued down the street. We chatted about little things until we finally came to the park. We sat down across from each other. We both stopped talking as Debbie fidgeted until she finally clasped her hands tightly together and looked at me.

"Dave, I want to apologize about what I did to you over spring break. It was wrong, I know it. I should have discussed it with you but I wanted to avoid a confrontation. Then after you wouldn't return my calls I thought I would write to you but I didn't know what to say."

"When I got the opportunity to go all I could think of was I only have two years of college left and this could be my last chance to do this. It was selfish, I know. I didn't think about how you would feel. I knew you would be unhappy with me but I didn't think you would cut me out of your life." She looked at me with tears in her eyes.

"I see. Well, you made a decision about what was important to you. I was hurt and disappointed but it told me where I stood." I said calmly.

I shrugged, "But it's over now and so are we. We can both move on."

She started crying openly, "But Dave, I don't want to break up with you. Please, I miss you and want to be with you."

"Break up with me? Debbie we were never going together. Every time I wanted to get close to you, you held me at arm's length. You made it clear that you valued your independence more than you valued our relationship. If you don't feel the same way that I feel about you then its best I accept that fact and get on with my life." 

She looked down at her hands. "I know Dave. I ... I was afraid, afraid of making a commitment. I felt you were rushing me. The last few months without you has taught me a lot. I came to the realization that I do love you. And I hope you still love me."

I reached across the table and took her hands in mine. "Debbie, I never stopped loving you. I just found out I couldn't go on not being loved in return."

Debbie looked at me through her tears, "Can we... can we try again Dave?"

I thought about it for a few minutes but I knew instantly that it was what I wanted most in the world.

"I'm working nights, you are working days. It's going to be difficult to get together." I said.

"That doesn't matter Dave. Anything you want to do is fine with me." Debbie said hanging onto my hands.

"I think I can get out of working overtime on Saturday night. Let's plan on doing something Saturday or Saturday night, okay?"

"That would be great Dave." She said smiling and wiping the tears from her eyes.

That was the beginning of our reconciliation. Things started slowly the first couple of weeks but after that we became inseparable once again. During the week I was still totally absorbed with work and working on the house projects. But the weekends we spent together. I turned down as much weekend overtime as I could to make more time to be with her.

And the sex was great. Everything they say about makeup sex is true. It was better than it was before. Debbie started staying over on the weekends. I don't know what her mom and dad thought about that but I do know they were glad we were back together. 

I got Debbie involved with picking out the paint, carpeting and curtains for the house. She also had a great eye for landscaping. She started coming over a couple a nights a week while I was at work to complete some project she was helping me on.

Once or twice I would come home from work to find her asleep in my bed. Needless to say those mornings she called in sick to work.

The summer was flying by. The car I had been driving for several years was starting to be a maintenance problem. I traded it in on an almost new conversion van. Several weekends toward the end of the summer Debbie and I would load it up and go camping along Lake Michigan. The last weekend before Debbie had to go back to school both of us took Friday off and headed up to Wilderness State Park for three days. 

On Saturday we were laying on the beach letting the sun warm us after a brisk swim in Lake Michigan. As we lay there I gently started caressing her face and neck and kissing her ear. She turned and smiled at me, "My god Dave, didn't you get enough last night."

"I never get enough of you Debbie." I said.

"She rolled toward me and we lay face to face kissing each other tenderly.

"Debbie, will you marry me?" I said.

"What did you say?" She gasped pulling away from me.

I sat up and pulled out a box from our beach bag.

I opened it and held it in front of her. "I think you heard me, Debbie. Will you marry me?"

She sat up and looked at the three quarter caret engagement ring in the box. "My god Dave, it's beautiful!"

I took it out and put it on her finger. "Is that a 'yes'?"

"Yes, it's a yes Dave. I love you, I do!"

The rest of the trip we talked about getting married and being married. We both agreed that waiting until she was done with school was probably the best plan. So we decided to set a date the following summer probably late July or August. We both knew we wanted kids but thought it best to wait until Debbie got established into a career.




Yellowstone Discovery



I took the night off before Debbie had to leave to go back to school. Debbie, myself and our parents all went out to dinner to celebrate our engagement. The three women made plans to get together over Christmas to plan the wedding. Debbie and I agreed to have a date set by then. 

That night Debbie stayed over with me and we talked quietly late into the morning. This time we made definite plans to get together a least once a month during the school year. I offered to drive up to see her but she said she preferred to drive down or we would meet somewhere half way between school and home.

For her senior year at school Debbie was going to live off campus. A couple of girlfriends, including Miranda had asked her if she wanted to share a house with them. Her share of the cost wouldn't be much more than dorm fees. She told me she was tired of living on campus. And since she had a car getting to class and back would not be an issue.

The next day I kissed her goodbye and watched her climb into her loaded car and head north. She was barely to the end of the street and I was missing her already.

I settled back into the previous year's routine. Now I had a goal of having the house completed in time for our wedding. Weekends I tried to relax a little and spend more time with family. Most Sundays I had standing invitations for dinner at my folk's house or Debbie's folk's house. To be fair I alternated every other weekend. Debbie's younger sister, Sarah was commuting to college from home so she was usually there for dinner too. When she was we always had stimulating conversations and a fun time.

Debbie came home the last weekend in September for her older sisters wedding. As you would expect her and Sarah were bridesmaids. The wedding went off without a serious hitch and a great time was had by all. Debbie and I danced, drank and laughed all through the reception. 

When October rolled around, Debbie and I were supposed to meet up toward the end of the month. A couple of days before she called and said they were having an early season snowstorm and the brakes on the car were acting up. She didn't think she would be able to make it down.

I told her I would drive up and stay with her. She said no, that she would prefer to postpone our get together to the following weekend. She would have the car looked at and she was sure the weather would moderate. 

I changed the reservations for the motel in Mackinaw City. We met on the following Friday and spent a pleasant weekend sightseeing including one day on Mackinaw Island. When she first got there she seemed distracted and out of sorts. When I asked her what the problem was she just said that schoolwork deadlines and exams were on her mind. 

As we sat at dinner that first night I was holding her hands when I noticed something. I said, "Debbie, where is your engagement ring?" 

Debbie looked at her hand like she hadn't noticed. She blushed and said, "Oh I was doing dishes before I left and took it off. I just forgot to put it back on."

I then held up her other hand where her amethyst ring was evident. "I guess I am just absent minded. I must of grabbed one and forgot the other." She said unconvincingly.

"Well next time remember the diamond and forget the other." I said jokingly and dropped the matter.

Thanksgiving break came and we had a wonderful four day weekend. Debbie spent most of at it my house. I showed her the progress being made and we talked about some decorator ideas she had and I incorporated them into the list of projects. We also got some shopping done for fixtures and carpets.

When Debbie came home for Christmas she said the car was still having problems and with the record year the U.P. was having with snow she wasn't sure how many times she could get back this winter. I knew even in the best of weather the trip was a grueling six hour drive. Her dad and I looked over the car and decided it wasn't worth putting a lot of money into.

I ended up buying a two-year old Jeep still under warranty. I had a mechanic look it over and pronounce it 'healthy.' I gave it to Debbie and told her that now there was no excuse for not getting home. I said it kind of humorously but she didn't seem to think it was funny.

Debbie and the moms got the wedding plans solidified. The date was set, the parish church and a reception hall reserved. They started on all the other details and I for one was glad all I had to do was put on a tux and show up.

I drove up and met Debbie in St. Ignace for Valentine's Day weekend. It was too snowy and cold to do much but admire the rugged beauty of the coastline and the view of the bridge. But I had reserved a Jacuzzi Suite at the hotel and we were more than satisfied to spend most of our time in it making up for the six weeks we had been apart.

Debbie was planning on being home for spring break when work threw me a curve. I was asked to go to Van Nuys, California to train on the installation of some new equipment that was coming to our plant for the new model year. The training would take about two weeks and it was over the spring break period. I tried to get out of it but was told I didn't have much choice.

Debbie was as disappointed as I was when I told her. We knew our next chance to get together wouldn't be until a couple of weeks later. A few days after I broke the news to her she called me back. She asked since I wasn't going to be home for spring break if I minded her going to Florida with her roommates. 

We discussed the whole idea and I made it clear I wasn't very happy about it and I didn't think it was appropriate for someone who was engaged. I would just feel better if she didn't go. Besides I wondered how she could afford it. She assured me, somewhat snippily, that she could take care of herself and I had nothing to worry about. And her roommates offered to pay most of the expenses if she would drive the Jeep.

The whole conversation left me uncomfortable. Like the call was just a formality to cover her bases and that she had already made up her mind. It was the same feeling I had the previous year when she treated me with such disregard as long as she got what she wanted.

I shook it off and went on with preparing for the trip to California. The trip was long and arduous. We worked ten, twelve hour days. And we were only able to take one day off to do some sightseeing. I was unable to stay in touch with Debbie but she did keep in contact with her parents and I kept in contact with them.

By the time I returned home Debbie was already back at school. I called her early the next morning anxious to talk to her and surprisingly a man answered the phone. 

Unsure if I had the right number I asked, "Who is this?"

"Tom. Who're you looking for?"

"Debbie Koenigsknecht. Is this her number?"

"Oh sure, hang on a second." I could him hear him yell out Debbie's name.

In the background I heard Debbie say 'what?' And the man answered 'telephone'.

I thought I heard Debbie whisper 'you know you're not supposed to answer the phone. Who is it?' And the man replied, 'Don't know. Some guy.'

Debbie picked up the phone and said. "Hello?"

"It's me, Debbie." I said quietly.

"Hi honey. You're calling awfully early. How was California?" She said hurriedly.

"Didn't see much of it except for the inside of the plant, who answered your phone?"

"Oh that was Tom, Miranda's boyfriend." 

"On a weekday? This early in the morning?"

"Well, he sometimes spends the night with Miranda. You know how it is Dave." She said somewhat defensively.

"Yeah, I do know how it is Debbie. But I don't like the thought of guys staying the night in my fiancées house." I said getting a little upset.

"Now Dave, you have nothing to worry about. They have been going together for quite awhile. Now are we getting together soon? I missed you over break, lover."

I let her distract me and we discussed getting together in Harbor Springs in a couple of weeks. I asked her about Florida and she vaguely offered that they had a good time and the weather was great. The conversation gave me an uneasy feeling but it got swept away in the rush toward graduation and wedding plans

Harbor Springs would the last time we would get together before school finished. Debbie was doing well in all her classes and would graduate as scheduled. It was a wonderful accomplishment. And the retail chain she had been interning at the last couple of summers had offered her a permanent job in management and she had accepted.

Debbie's parents and I had already talked about coming up for the ceremony. When I mentioned that to Debbie she tried to downplay the importance of being there. The ceremony would take only an hour and she wanted to leave immediately after. But I assured her I wouldn't miss it for the world and that was that.

As graduation neared, Carl, Angela and I made plans to travel up together. The event was being held on a Thursday morning at eleven. We were disappointed when Debbie told us she would be at a party the night before just for the graduating seniors. And the next morning her and her roommates would be busy turning over the house to the landlord and going directly to the auditorium. So even though we were driving up the night before we would not see her until after the ceremony.

Most graduation events tend to be the same. You listen to speakers from the school, honor graduates speak, the guest of honor speaks then they call the seniors up to get their diplomas. Then all the graduates throw their hats in the air and it's done.

We made our way out of the auditorium outside to where the graduates were milling around, congratulating each other and being congratulated by their families. And of course getting their pictures taken in their gowns and generally expressing relief or amazement that they finally made it through.

We finally spotted Debbie in the middle of a group of graduates posing for pictures. As we approached Debbie saw us and bolted from the pack and came over and hugged and kissed us all. She giddily showed us her diploma and we took turns taking each others pictures with her in her robes. Her dad said something to her about meeting her friends. 

Debbie glanced back at the group still milling around and said quickly, "Most of them aren't really friends, just acquaintances. But there is someone you should meet. Wait here and I will get her."

And she dashed over to the crowd and plunged in. After a couple of minutes she emerged dragging a familiar face towards us.

"Mom, Dad this is Miranda. My roommate. Dave, you remember Miranda, don't you?"

I said. "Sure, it's good to see you again Miranda. It's been awhile."

Miranda looked uncomfortable as we all shook hands. We chatted for a few minutes, when I finally asked, "Miranda is Josh around? He graduated too didn't he? I was hoping to see him."

Miranda shook her head and said, "He's not here Dave. I think he accepted a job out on the west coast somewhere and he had to leave."

Debbie quickly interrupted, "Dave, mom, dad. Miranda's agreed to be my maid of honor. Isn't that great!" 

They all started talking at once about the great news. I couldn't help but notice Miranda didn't seem to be overly enthused about the idea.

After a few minutes of discussion, Miranda excused herself and said she had someone she had to see. She walked away and joined a group of three or four guys who I couldn't help but notice had been staring at us. One of whom looked like he was angry about something. I mentioned it to Debbie and as soon as she looked over that way she said. "We might as well get going, my car is all packed and in the lot." She took me by the arm and started off away from the crowd with Carl and Angela following.

After stopping for a celebratory lunch at one of the nicer restaurants in town we started the long drive home. I drove the Jeep with Debbie. Her mom and dad following. It was a fun drive, Debbie and I talked about the wedding, our honeymoon plans and generally just catching up.

I was disappointed when Debbie told me she was going to spend the night with her parents. She sympathized with me but said she needed to be home for a couple of days and spend some time with them. And her parents were not receptive to her moving in with me prior to the wedding even though they were aware that we frequently spent the night together.

The weeks leading up to the wedding rushed by. We were both working and trying to get as much of the house done as possible. Most of the interior was now done except for having the hardwood floors refinished. I had roughed in my workshop over the garage but would finish it over the winter. I was beginning to wonder if the house would ever be finished.

The wedding day came and went in a blur. Debbie was a beautiful bride and everything came out great. The wedding was fairly small, only about one hundred and fifty guests. I was surprised that Miranda was the only one Debbie invited from college and she didn't even bring her boyfriend. But a good time was had by all.

The next day we left for our honeymoon on the Caribbean island of St. Martin. We spent ten wonderful days in the sun. Eating gourmet food every night. And drinking Heineken beer, French wine and Pina Coladas. I think we made love everyday. 

I surprised Debbie by taking her to a couple of clothing optional beaches. At first she was reluctant and shy but after the first couple of hours she took to it like a duck to water. I found out she had a touch of exhibitionist in her. The view of her strutting around with that all over tan will stick with me the rest of my life. It didn't hurt that she was probably one of the three best looking woman on any beach we visited. 

Coming back home we were relaxed and ready to settle into married life. I began a six month rotation on the day shift for the first time since starting the apprenticeship program. It limited the side jobs I was able to do but it allowed us to be together every night. It also helped us develop a social life with some old high school friends that we hadn't seen much the last few years.

Financially we were comfortable. So comfortable that at least half of Debbie's salary was going to pay back her student loans. We wanted to have a serious start on having them paid off before we started having kids.

Just about every weekend we would go to parties, or out to a rock and roll bar to dance. We even managed to go camping twice more before the weather got too cold. A group of friends based loosely on our high school associations sort of came together into a close social circle. We were all fairly young, had kids or were planning to have kids in the near future. Some of us would go out to the bars together occasionally but mostly we got together for barbecues, chili cookouts or just to party at someone's house.

I was sorry when it came time to rotate back to nights. On one hand it would make it easier to do those lucrative side jobs and work on the house but on the other hand it would limit our social activities. I was about six months from getting my journeyman's card and once I did I would be able to do more regular day shift rotations.

One side effect I hadn't considered was the decrease in our sex life. Being home every night had prolonged our honeymooning. All winter we had the fireplace going four, five nights a week. It seemed every time we cuddled up in front of the fire we would forget about everything except each other. We were having sex about every other night and sometimes several times on weekends. 

When I went back to nights, other than weekends the sex all but disappeared. Debbie didn't like me waking her up in the middle of the night when I got home and in the mornings she was too rushed getting ready for work to try to wake me to get something started. 

We finally resorted to one of us taking a half a day off during the week just to make connections. She would either take an afternoon off or I would take a half an evening off once a week. It wasn't ideal but it was the best we good do.

Winter gave way to spring and I was rushing to get a couple of house projects done before summer. I was just about done installing a sunken hot tub for the deck and I had contracted out the privacy fence installation. I was also finishing my workshop over the garage. And we had started to talk about having a baby and what we wanted to do about a nursery. 

One time the conversation turned to baby safety and the benefit of using baby monitors to keep track of the little ones. Since I was an electrician I took the thought one step further and installed an intercom system throughout the house. I even wired the deck and my workshop. Now no matter where you were in the house or garage the nursery could be monitored.

About this time several of the other electricians invited me to be a junior partner in a business they were forming. The outside work was picking up and we decided we wanted to run it like a legal business. I had a second phone line run into the house and my workshop to handle it separately. Not absolutely necessary but it was a tax write off.

As the weather got warmer Debbie and I managed to get out camping for a long weekend about once a month. Sometimes we would go with one or two other couples from our group. Sometimes we would go alone. 

Debbie completed her first year on the job in June. That milestone was the trigger for Debbie to go off the pill. And in July was our first anniversary. We wanted to do something special and had often talked about going to Yellowstone Park. We decided August was the time and John and Kathy asked if they could go with us.

Slowly I came out of my daze and realized I was sitting in a lounge chair on our deck staring into space. I had finished washing the van and didn't even remember doing it. Three years, three years Debbie and I had been dating, engaged or married. She was the only thing I every wanted from the time I met her. Could she be doing this to me? 

I thought about John and what I knew about him. He had graduated a year ahead of Debbie from Gabriel's High School. They had known each other but were not friends back then. John was an owner of a construction company now with a couple of partners including his best friend Craig. Craig and his wife were also part of our social circle. I had known who John was for several years but had not gotten to be friends until Debbie moved back from school.

I remembered hearing a story a while back that John had a previous partner who left the business suddenly amidst rumors that John was messing around with his wife. Nothing else came of it and figured it was just bar talk.

John and Craig were real party animals. They had a standing arrangement to do happy hour on Friday evenings with some other construction guys. They touted it as a business networking opportunity. I remember hearing John's wife, Kathy complaining bitterly that it was just an excuse to get drunk and stay out until the bars close.

As I sat there mulling over the jumble of thoughts racing around in my head I suddenly remembered an odd incident. Last winter, just before I rotated off of days, I was working on some equipment in the auto plant. I had noticed four, five guys in suits and hard hats walking down the isle. I watched them idly when it occurred to me one of them looked familiar. It was my old college roommate Josh!

I called out to him and he stopped and his face lit up when he saw me. We hugged and pounded each others back. He had some time so we got a cup of coffee in the cafeteria. It turned out he had gotten that position with a company in California as a manufacturer's rep for a line of machinery they carried. But he worked out of their Chicago office and General Motors was one of his clients.

Indiana, Ohio and Michigan were his territory. He said every week he spent Monday's in the office then went on the road Tuesday through Friday. We talked about our jobs and I told him all about the apprenticeship program and my intent to someday return to school and get my degree.




Yellowstone Discovery



But then I laughed and said, "Of course my wife is going to have something to say about that."

He got a surprised look on his face, "You got married? Congratulations. When did that happen?" 

I told him last August and asked him if he was still single? He just shook his head and said he was just too busy to get serious about anyone.

"So tell me, what's her name?" He asked smiling.

"Come on Josh, you know her. Debbie Koenigsknecht, you introduced me to her before I left school. Remember?"

"Of course I remember. She was Miranda's roommate all through college. So did you two hook up again after graduation?" He asked puzzled.

"Hell no, Josh. I wasn't going to let her get away after I met her. We dated all through Debbie's last two years in school and in fact we got engaged just before she started her senior year."

Josh's face seemed to go through a series of emotions that I couldn't decipher before he said weakly, "Oh, I never heard that."

Suddenly he looked at his watch and said he was out of time and had to get going. I walked him out the door but before he got away I asked him for his business card and said I would like to call him. He said, "Sure, sure." Shook my hand and strode briskly away. 

At the time I wondered about his sudden urgency to leave. And I did call him a couple of times the following month to see about getting together. Both times he said he had conflicts and he would call me back but he never did.

Now thinking about his reaction with the other bits and pieces of things that were coming to mind and my discovery this morning, I now realized that he was shocked by the news of the two of us getting married. I suspected he knew something about Debbie and left to avoid talking about her. And it followed that whatever he knew wasn't good.

I pulled his business card out of my wallet and contemplated it for a few minutes before I made up my mind. Being Monday I knew he should be in the office. I picked up the phone in the kitchen and quickly dialed his number. When he answered the phone I said quietly, "Josh, this is Dave."

"Oh, hey Dave, what's up?" He said warily. 

"I was hoping we could get together this week when you're in the area." I said.

"Uh, I don't think this going to be a good week."

"Look Josh, I know you are blowing me off. And I am pretty sure I know why. I am finding out some things about Debbie that I am pretty sure you are aware of. And I would really like to talk to you about it." I said simply.

There was silence on the line for a couple of minutes before he said, "Are you sure you really want to do that Dave? Wouldn't it be better to leave it in the past?" 

"No Josh. Because whatever it is I think it is still going on. Now we were good friends once, and I trust you to be honest."

There was more silence on the line, when finally he said, "Okay Dave, I can re-arrange my schedule and be up there tomorrow. Will that work?"

"That would be great Josh. Let's meet at the Westgate Tavern over by the assembly plant. You know where it is?"

"Sure, the earliest I could get there is about one."

"Thanks Josh. I know you don't want to do this but it means a lot to me."

We hung up and I went back about my business getting things squared away from the Yellowstone trip. I thought about working on a couple of house projects that I was in the middle of but I thought what the hell? Does it even mean anything anymore? 

The next day I got to bar a just before one and settled into a booth. About fifteen minutes later Josh walked in and spotted me. He walked over, shook my hand and sat down without smiling.

"Beer and a burger?" I asked.

He nodded and we placed an order and for a few minutes just stared into our glasses. Finally I said, "Why don't I tell you about my life from the time I met Debbie until we were married. Then you can talk about what you saw from your viewpoint at college, okay?"

I went through the story of the year we dated, the breakup and our reconciliation. I told him how much I loved her and how hard I worked to make her mine. I told him about our engagement and the year leading up to the wedding. How happy it had all made me. I talked about the ups and downs and all the little things that had happened that I now questioned.

When I finished, Josh cleared his throat and said, "I guess I don't see where your concern is Dave."

Then I related the story of the Yellowstone trip and what I found when I cleaned out the van, and the conclusion I couldn't hide from.

When I finished, Dave looked disgusted, "Shit, women!" and shook his head.

He hesitated for a few minutes then said, "Did you know I still see Miranda from time to time?" I shook my head no.

"She still lives in her hometown of Milwaukee but gets to Chicago on business occasionally. Anyway after you and I ran into each other and you told me about getting married, I called her and arranged to get together for dinner the next time she was in town.

Usually she is pretty friendly, her and I went out several times back in college, even slept with her once and still managed to remain friends. But as soon as I told her I ran into you she tried to clam up. I got angry with her and accused her and Debbie of trying to railroad you. I made her feel so bad she finally let it all out. And you know I think she was relieved. Miranda and Debbie were roommates the last three years of college. And it turns out Miranda was the only one that Debbie confided in about you. I have to warn you Dave, some of it is pretty ugly."

"Can't be any uglier than my imagination." I said bitterly.

"Well, only you can be the judge of that." He said uncomfortably.

"You never knew that I spent the first semester of our junior year doing overseas study in Europe. That's kind of why you and I lost touch. When I finally got back for the second semester I had forgotten that you and Debbie dated before you left school. Debbie was carrying on like she did the previous year, going out a couple of times a week. 

But this time her dating was more serious. She would date a guy for a month or so. As soon as he started getting serious she would dump him. And she was sleeping with these guys and it wasn't any big secret. I suspect Miranda was almost as bad. Anyway Miranda said Debbie just couldn't stay away from guys even though she was dating you back home. She told Miranda she had the best of both worlds, a guy back home who loved her and the freedom of being four hundred miles away to do anything she wanted. 

Then she screwed you over to go to Texas with Miranda for spring break. A bunch of frat guys from school were going down and they invited Debbie and Miranda to join them. I guess Debbie didn't think much about it until she got back and you wouldn't have anything to do with her. She couldn't stand that. She told Miranda she was going to do everything she could to get you back.

Then when Debbie came back for their senior year she told Miranda she was engaged to you. Miranda thought that meant everything had changed. But it hadn't. Debbie picked right back up where she left off in the spring."

"But, but how was she able to hide it? She had a three quarter caret engagement ring. And at Christmas I gave her a two year old jeep and the title was in my name. Hell, she was coming back downstate almost every month to see me." I said.

Josh shrugged. "She never wore the engagement ring at school. And she told everyone her dad had given her the jeep.

Anyway the previous May before school let out for the summer, Miranda and Debbie arranged to lease a house just off campus for their senior year. Miranda's boyfriend at the time was in on the deal."

"Oh yeah, Tom. He answered the phone when I called the house one morning." I said weakly.

Josh looked at me in pity, "Miranda's boyfriend was Dan. Tom was Debbie's boyfriend. He was a holdover from the previous school year. She asked him if he would like to tag along with Dan when he moved in. They were splitting the cost four ways, not three. The four of them shared that house right up until graduation."

I put my face in my hands and tried to control my trembling. "Shit, shit, shit ..."

"There's more Dave. The four of them went to Florida on spring break together. I heard Tom paid Debbie's way since they drove her, I mean your jeep."

I shook my head, "How did she and Miranda keep me a secret from their boyfriends? I mean I was calling up there every week and writing too."

"Oh they knew Debbie was dating someone back home but she made it out to be no big deal. Miranda was the only who knew it was serious. The night before graduation a bunch of seniors had a private party at one of the frat houses. I guess Debbie and Tom spent the night by all accounts screwing each other senseless. When they got up in the morning to go to the graduation ceremony Debbie broke the news to Tom she was going back home and getting married. He didn't take it very well."

Two things came to my mind. One was the angry guy at the graduation ceremony that Debbie seemed anxious to avoid and two, the fact that Debbie wouldn't spend the night with me when we returned home that evening, just after having spent the previous night with her boyfriend. It wasn't hard to figure out why.

God, what an idiot I had been. I had been lied to from the beginning.

"How can anyone be such a cold-hearted conniving bitch and hide it so well for so long?" I whispered with tears running down my face.

Josh looked away from me and said, "I don't know Dave. She just did it. Miranda and her were friends but by the end it even shocked her. And the last thing she wanted to do was be Debbie's maid of honor and have to look you in the face. Hell, she was still dating Dan at the time of the wedding and she didn't dare bring him for fear he would let something slip."

We talked for awhile and drank another beer. I was unable to choke down any food for I suspected I would throw it all up. I knew there would be more tears later.

Finally Josh said, "What are you going to do Dave?" 

"It's over Josh. Three years. Three fucking years I've invested in this relationship! Three fucking years she lied to me over and over again. She was the most important thing in my life from the day I met her. But to her our relationship apparently meant nothing!" I said bitterly.

We sat silently for a few minutes as I got myself under control. Now I understood how someone could kill in the heat of passion.

"Everything you told me is from before we got married. I have to find out what she is up to now for my own peace of mind. And maybe I will get an answer to why. Then she's history." I said with gritted teeth.

When we finally said goodbye at his car I said, "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't let Miranda know we got together. I don't want Debbie to suspect I know anything."

"Sure Dave. Call me anytime. I'm sorry about blowing you off. I just didn't want to be in the middle."

We shook hands and went our separate ways. I got home about an hour before I had to leave for my shift and just in time to catch a call from Debbie. Normally she would try to call during the day sometime and if we didn't connect I would call her during the dinner break from work.

I tried to act as normal as possible even though the sound of her voice enraged me. She teased me about which night I was going to come home early this week for a little action. I tried to sound regretful when I told her I couldn't get off any day this week due to so many people off on vacation, a lie. Then she offered to ask for Wednesday or Thursday afternoon off. Again I sadly told her I had committed to a side job both those days and wouldn't be home, another lie.

Suspecting she wouldn't take me up on it I told her I would be home all day Friday if she was interested. She hesitated for a moment then said she didn't think she could get any time off on Friday. We finally hung up after telling each other 'I love you'.

Thoughtfully I looked at the phone thinking about something John had said during the Yellowstone trip. That he was going to be working a job in Southfield all week but he laughingly whispered to me that he would be back in time for happy hour on Friday.

I looked up Kathy's work number and dialed it. When she answered I asked if John was still out of town and she said he was. I told her I wanted to borrow a couple of tools from him. She said he would be back on Friday and then commented sarcastically, probably in time for happy hour. I told her I would get with him over the weekend and hung up.

I started thinking that if Debbie and John getting together was a regular thing then they would again at the next opportunity. With John being out of town until Friday and me being home all weekend then logically Friday night was the their best shot.

Then I remembered something from early in the summer. I had gotten up on a Saturday morning before Debbie. I had taken my coffee out on the deck and the hot tub was in kind of a mess. The cover was off and a couple of empty beer cans were lying around it. A couple of damp beach towels were draped over the deck railing.

When Debbie got up I asked her about it. She got a little embarrassed and said that she had gone out for drinks after work with a couple of girls from the office and they had come back to the house and used the hot tub. She apologized about not cleaning up afterwards. Now I wondered who actually was in the tub. Several times since then she had mentioned getting together with a few girlfriends on Friday nights.

Going to bed that night after work I found I couldn't stand the thought of sleeping next to her. I ended up sleeping on the hide-a-bed in the study. She was so surprised she called me a couple of hours after getting to work to ask why I hadn't come to bed. I told her I thought I had a stomach bug and didn't want to wake her. She told me to take some Pepto-Bismol and go to sleep. 

Just before she hung up she said, "By the way, have you checked the ph in the hot tub since we got back from Yellowstone?"

I told her "Nope, sure haven't."

"Can you do that, honey? I would hate for it to get too far out of whack in case we want to use it sometime." She said teasingly.

After she hung up, I thought to myself, looks like someone is going to be using the hot tub soon and it isn't going to be me. Whatever is going to go down, it looked like it was going to go down here on Friday night. I decided right then I was going to take Friday off. 

That night at work I started thinking I needed some way to gather information and evidence. I knew with help from my electrician buddies I could probably bug the house but maybe not on such short notice. Then it occurred to me. The intercom system I had installed as a kid monitor.

The next morning I got some tools and started taking the intercom faceplates off. I found by just changing a couple of leads I could lock each unit into 'transmit' mode. I changed them all including the one on the deck next to the hot tub. Now the only one that would receive was the unit in my workshop over the garage. I tested them all using a portable radio. I could hear the radio in every room from the workshop. I decided to go one better and ran to the electronics shop and picked up a half dozen super sensitive miniature microphones. I replaced the units in the intercoms with them and found it increased their sensitivity by about twenty per cent. 

After I finished I sat in my workshop thinking that now I had the capability to track what happens in the house, I needed to be able to capture the information. I had an old dinosaur of a reel-to-reel tape player/recorder sitting around that one of the other electricians had given me to play around with. 

I had recorded some music on it and sometimes played it when I was tinkering. I got it out and put the microphone up against the intercom speaker. I tested it with the radio from a couple of the rooms in the house and played it back. It worked great. The tape reel was so big I thought it would probably hold more than six hours of recordings.

I stood up and looked out the dormer window. The garage was at such an angle I could see the backyard, the deck and inside the sliding glass door to part of the kitchen. Upstairs I could also see into the master bedroom window if the shades were up. But at night I would probably only see shadows unless the light happened to be just right. I figured sound would be enough for what I needed.

That night at work I called home like usual. Debbie and I chit-chatted for a bit, she told me how much she missed me and wished I could come home early. I acted forlorn and sad that I couldn't do it. I told her we would make up for it on the weekend. Casually she asked if the hot tub ph was okay and I told her it was - another lie. Again I slept on the hide-a-bed that night like I had all week. 

On Friday Debbie called just before I should have been leaving for my shift. She said she wanted to tell me she was joining some girlfriends for a couple of drinks and maybe dinner after work. She wanted me to know in case I tried to call and she wasn't home. I told her no problem and that I was scheduled for some overtime that night so I would be a little later too. 

The crass manipulation and outright lies that were now so obvious just astounded me. And she was so casual about it. How had I allowed myself to be fooled for over three years? Was it her beauty, her sexuality? Was I so in love with being in love that I was blind to everything else? Did I have some huge character flaw that allowed her to do this to me?

As I pondered those questions I moved the van to a cul-de-sac a couple of streets away behind our house. There was a path through a patch of woods in our sparsely build up residential area by which I could approach the back of our garage unseen. I let myself in through the back door and went up to the workshop. I wearily settled into an old beat-up recliner I kept up there. I leaned back and closed my eyes suddenly exhausted as several days without enough rest and constant mental stress caught up with me.

Suddenly my eyes flew open and I realized it was dark inside and outside. The noise of the garage door opening had woken me up. I looked at my watch surprised that is was almost eight o'clock. I had been asleep nearly three hours.

I tip toed over to the door leading down into the garage and opened it slightly. I saw the jeep pull in and could see the top of Debbie's head as she walked back out. I crept over to the dormer window and could see the edge of a car in the driveway and could just make out John standing in the dim illumination from the porch light. The two of them came together in an embrace and then they stepped toward the house and disappeared.

I could hear through the intercom keys rattling in the lock, the door open and a murmur of voices. I quickly flipped on the recorder and sat down on my workbench where I could look out the window and observe the back of the house.

"... just be patient!" Debbie said giggling. I heard John mumbling something in return.

"I gotta go pee. Pour me a glass of wine and grab a beer." She said as she walked through the kitchen. I heard her hit the button on the message machine on the counter as she went by and the response of 'No new messages' spit back at her.

After a minute I saw the light come on in our bedroom and saw her walk by the open window into the master bath. I could hear her tinkle, the toilet flush and water running into the sink.

Meanwhile I could also hear John rummaging around in our pantry and the clink of bottles. I could hear the cork pop as he opened the wine and poured a glass. Then the refrigerator door opened and I heard him flip the top off of a beer. I gritted my teeth as it was obvious he knew where everything was and was making himself right at home.