42 comments/  31291 views/  23 favorites

The Empty Nest Pt. 01

By: CharlieB4



Hi Everyone,

This one has been a long time in the making as it was one of the first stories I started. It uses a tired old plot device but I hope you forgive me. It has four chapters which were all submitted at once. I'll leave any further comment until the end of chapter four.

Thanks to Captain's Siren for the initial editing many moons ago and to Favored for polishing it after I'd pulled it apart and had another go.

Let me know what you think!

Cheers

CharlieB4

*****

I was waiting outside the court building, my solicitor had not arrived yet. The sun was shining, surprisingly warm for autumn. The wind was from the northwest, but only a zephyr. Other people stood in loose bunches around the entrance to the building, eyeing each other suspiciously.

A hire car pulled up to the curb in front of where I was standing. An immaculately dressed woman got out clutching a designer bag that matched her shoes, my soon to be ex-wife. With her was a tall, fat Frenchman with a shock of dark hair that seemed to stick out in all directions, her new partner. He was followed out of the car by her legal team; a queen's counsel, his associate, and a briefing solicitor. They didn't acknowledge my presence as they strode in through the doors, finding something more interesting to look at in the opposite direction.

My solicitor finally arrived just before our mediation was supposed to start. He waddled up the street towards me, apologizing as he got closer.

"Sorry, Jeff, parking's a real bitch around here!" He looked me up and down, "When I said dress down, I didn't mean quite that far down." 

I looked down at myself, a Ralph Lauren shirt, pair of Levi's and RM Williams boots. I didn't think I looked too bad. Looking back at him, I took in the rumpled suit, the white shirt bulging over his pants, buttons straining to contain his girth. A stained tie hung askew around his neck which was flushed red like his face from the exertion of walking up the street.

"At least my clothes are clean and they fit me, Brian!" I shot back, poking my finger into his pudgy belly.

He laughed, "Touché, I see you still have the sharp tongue that won us so many debates back at school." 

We shook hands warmly, then he pointed towards the door.

"Are you ready for this?"

"I'm not looking forward to it, but I'm ready," I replied.

"You know your offering them too much, it's no way to start a negotiation!"

"Let's just see how it pans out," I said as I walked through the doors.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

14 months earlier 

I sat in the office on a Sunday afternoon going over our financial situation. It wasn't good. We weren't broke, the debt wasn't over my head but it was lapping at my chin. I was 49 and running my own accountancy firm that was doing well in a large country town. The problem was my personal accounts were being drained faster than I could shovel the money in there. A wife obsessed with appearances meant our three daughters had to go to the best private schools and the best universities. When the last one had been finishing her studies I was looking forward to a slowdown in the spending, but then the weddings had started.

I guess I can't complain too loudly, because I'd enjoyed the graduations and walking my beautiful daughters down the aisle. As I have already said, we were not destitute but I would be working well into my seventies to get my debts covered and enough put aside to retire. The last wedding had been the biggest, I had to re-mortgage our house to cover it, and so if anything went wrong with the property market or my business, I was fucked. 

It had started to affect my health. I wasn't sleeping - I would wake soon after I went to bed and toss and turn with the figures rolling around in my head. I'd lost weight, my blood pressure was up, and my GP was worried about my prostate being slightly enlarged. It was all getting me down.

I left the office and headed for home. As I headed up the drive, I wondered whether Rachel would contemplate selling our house and moving into an apartment. We were "empty-nesters" now. We didn't need six bedrooms and five bathrooms. I walked into the side entrance next to the garage, calling out to let Rachel know I was home. I found her on the deck off the kitchen, sitting in the sun with a glass of wine.

"Grab a beer and come and join me."

"Isn't it a bit cold out there?"

"Nonsense! You spend too much time in the office, you need some fresh air." 

I got a glass of water and went out to sit with her.

"Where is your beer?" she asked, looking up from the magazine she was reading.

"Doctor said I should ease up on alcohol till I get my blood pressure checked again next week."

"Surely one won't hurt!"

"It is only 3 pm, I might save my one beer for later," I snapped.

"No need to get cranky. I think you need a holiday."

"Yeah right." I stood and went to the rail around the deck, looking out into the garden.

"It says here that with the downturn in Europe you can pick up a villa in the south of France for next to nothing." Rachel said pointing an article in the magazine she was reading.

"Well, unless they are giving them away with airfares and food included we are not going."

"Marjorie from the hair salon is going on a cruise around the Greek islands for six weeks."

'So that's what this was all about,' I thought, but stayed silent.

Rachel continued, "She is only a hairdresser, and her husband mows lawns for a living. If they can afford it, why can't we?" 

I took a deep breath. The beast inside was stirring, and if I let him out then things wouldn't be the same again. I tried to keep my voice level and calm.

"Tom runs a mowing business with ten employees and lucrative council and government contracts. Marjorie has cut hair for thirty five years. Their kids went to the local school and got scholarships to college. The two sons worked during their summer holidays and bought their own cars. When they got married the bride's parents paid for the weddings."

"But they live in that little three bedroom place on the western side of the highway!" Rachel was getting up a head of steam.

"And they have more money in the bank than we owe the bank, and that's a lot!" I replied, still trying to stay in control.

"Well maybe you should take up mowing lawns!" Rachel sneered. She was on her feet now.

The beast was taking over me. I had never raised my voice in anger towards my wife before. I would always hold it in, leave the vicinity, and take out my frustrations on some poor inanimate object. Now, it was too late for that.

"Maybe you should have got off your fat arse and got a job! Maybe you should have made our daughters work for what they wanted instead of turning them into snobby pampered princesses! Maybe if they and you had to work for a living you all might appreciate what you have!" I shouted, spit spraying from my mouth.

Rachel took a step back. It was like I had punched her, and I suppose emotionally I had. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. The beast was enjoying his freedom, so I continued.

"Go on a holiday with you? I'd rather be locked in a room with the world's deadliest snakes. The end might be painful, but at least it would be quick!"

Rachel's bottom lip quivered, tears filled her eyes. A low moan escaped her throat then she turned and fled inside, slamming the door as she went.

I slumped back down in a chair and buried my head in my hands. Why had I been such a bastard? We had been married for the better part to thirty years, had a lot of great times together. Rachel had stuck by me when things hadn't been going great before. This had not been the best way to handle things.

I went inside to find my wife and apologize. After a quick search I deduced that she had locked herself in the bedroom. I knocked and asked to come in, but didn't get a reply, saying sorry through a locked door is not what I had wanted but it was my only option.

Rachel didn't come out that night so I slept in a spare room. The next morning the door was still locked. Luckily, I had a suit that had just returned from the dry cleaners and hadn't made it to my wardrobe. So I dressed and went to work. When I returned home the bedroom was unlocked, but Rachel and her car were gone. Her overnight bag was gone so I assumed that she had gone to her younger sister's.

I rang my brother's mobile. Jim answered on the second ring.

"What the fuck did you say?" he asked as he suppressed a chuckle. 

"That's not important, I just want to make sure Rachel's okay."

"She's fine, perched up in my chair in the living room with a glass of wine."

"Did she say how long she was going to stay?" I enquired.

"Not that I know of. I can't see it being too long, Lady Muck in a three bedroom townhouse with five others and one bathroom? She will be home inside two days, maybe two hours!"

Jim didn't think too much of Rachel. Whenever he came over, she told people he worked in local government. She couldn't bring herself to say her brother drove a garbage truck. I was about to reply, but Jim cut me off. It appeared his wife had heard him on his phone.

"Who's on the phone, Jim? It's not Jeff is it?" Audrey, Jim's wife and Rachel's sister enquired.

"No, err no, its work."

"Fuck, you're a terrible liar, work has never rung your mobile! Give me the phone. I want to talk to him."

"Jeff?" 

"Hi, Audrey."

"Don't hi me, mister. I thought you were different from the rest of the arseholes in the world."

"I'd had a bad time at the office. I said I was sorry!"

"You can't just say sorry for it. You hadn't even been drinking, so you can't use that excuse."

"I only said we couldn't afford to go on holiday!"

"You called her fat and said you would rather die than be with her!"

I was quickly getting sick of this conversation. It was bad enough taking back things that I said to my wife, many of which I still believed to be true. I couldn't take being verbally assaulted by her little sister. The beast was stirring again, and after he had been loose once he couldn't be restrained.

"What's wrong with telling the truth? For the last twenty-eight years I have bitten my tongue! Do you know what I want to say when she asks, does my bottom look big in this? Of course it does! Rachel, you've got a huge, fat arse! Unless you were wearing a two-man tent, it's going to stick out!" God that felt good! And I was just getting started. 

"Am I showing too much cleavage? Well dear anything to keep them from looking at your hideous makeup and hair! Did you really pay someone to make you look like a clown? I mean really, Audrey, who in the whole world thinks having their hair colored platinum blonde then putting red streaks through it looks natural? It looked like someone put a scoop of ice cream on her head then drizzled raspberry topping over it. Anyway, she calls me old, boring, dumbass, skinny, and chicken legs, and I have to take it. It's about time she got some of her own medicine."

"Jeffrey! Really! I ... I... I don't know what to say!"

"How about goodbye!" I said with a smile in my voice and a song in my heart, before slamming the phone down in the cradle.

Of course later, I again regretted it. It simply wasn't in my nature to be so cruel to one that I still thought of with affection. I guess I had kept those little things to myself, bottled up for so long eventually it got to be too much. Every time, I had bitten my tongue and swallowed the words of rebuke. Every time, I had lamely said "yes dear" as she criticized me. It had been stored away and, I thought, forgotten. I suppose that's what a therapist would call baggage.

I rang my doctor to see if he could recommend someone to talk too. He laughed.

"I've often wondered how you can take it. I've always thought that she treats you like her lapdog rather than an equal. I'd wager if I took your blood pressure now it would be normal!"

He did recommend someone to talk to. I rang, but I couldn't get to see her for two weeks.

It turned out Jim's prediction was spot on - the next afternoon Rachel was home. She wouldn't speak to me or sit in the same room as me, but she prepared dinner. It was eaten in sullen silence, then we retired to separate bedrooms.

I had to go to a neighboring town to see a couple of clients, so I took the opportunity to stay overnight rather than drive home to a "cold" house. I walked through a mall in between appointments. Bored, I sat on a bench watching the world pass by. Getting my phone out, I checked in with the office, but there was nothing to report. I rang my sister, but only got her voice mail. I left a long winded message about the situation with Rachel, then got moving again. 

I stopped at a bookshop to grab a trashy novel to read in my motel room. I don't know why, but as I walked up to the counter, the poster behind the salesgirl caught my eye. Lottery Jackpot, 30 million dollars. Being a bit of a maths nerd and an accountant I had never ever bought a lottery ticket as I knew the odds were astronomically against you winning. It was just a spur of the moment thing. I got the book and a ticket in the draw.

Later that night, I got room service and then lay down to start the book. The lottery ticket fell out of the bag with the book, so I tucked it inside the back cover and promptly forgot about it. It was three weeks later that I was watching the local news and one of the stories was the search for the mystery lottery winner. The reporter was standing outside the bookshop I got my ticket from interviewing the owner. He had no idea who had bought the ticket, telling the guy that big jackpots always increased their sales as people bought tickets who wouldn't normally.

I got that excited feeling in my stomach, I made myself relax. The chances were still probably one in a few thousand that I was the one who wasn't a regular who bought a ticket for that draw. I got up slowly and went to my briefcase in the home office to get the novel out of the side pocket. I sat down in front of the computer and typed the lottery name into a search engine. 

On the website, the home page was full of articles about the missing lottery winner. The winning numbers were prominent at the top of the page. With trembling hands, I pulled the folded lottery ticket out of the book and checked my numbers. In disbelief, I checked them three more times. I was the winner. Holy shit! I was the winner!

I was the winner, but only I knew. I was about to jump up and run and tell Rachel, but I didn't. Looking back I'm partly ashamed I didn't. If I had, maybe things would have been a lot different. Instead I sat and thought about "my" future, not "our" future. The money would easily account for my debts, but I was worried about what damage Rachel could do. I pictured around the world trips, a nifty little sports car, and an apartment in the city. I was sure that she could make one hell of a dent in it.

I made a decision then that probably cost me my marriage. This money could mean that I never had to worry about money ever again. If properly managed it could set up my children and grandchildren as well. I decided to keep my win quiet for now.

The next afternoon I rang the lottery hotline and explained that I was pretty sure I was the winner they were looking for. They were excited and wanted to send the media, but I wouldn't allow it. They organized for me to go to one of their regional offices to present the ticket for verification and get payment details organized. That night I lay in bed tossing over what I was going to do with the money.

In the morning I had it sorted in my head. As soon as I thought she would be awake, I rang my sister, who worked as an investment banker in the city. After getting through the formalities and allaying her concerns for my marriage I got down to business.

"Sis, I've had a bit of luck and I was wondering if you could help me out."

"Sure Jeff, what did you do win the lottery!" She said laughing.

"Well umm, actually yes."

"Holy shit! I was joking you old fart! Are you serious?" 

"I most certainly am," I said, trying to keep a lid on my excitement.

"Wow! Congratulations! Rachel will be over the moon. What can little sister do for you?"

"It's a little delicate. ...Um. I haven't told anybody yet," I said quietly.

"What the fuck! When did you find out?" she asked incredulously.

"Officially, yesterday afternoon; unofficially, the evening before."

"Bloody hell, you're a cold fish! I'd be dancing in the street in my underwear!" she said with a laugh.

"Not really something an accountant would do is it?" I replied with a smile in my voice.

"Yeah, I suppose, anyway what is it I can do?"

"I was wondering if you could invest ten million for me?" I asked tentatively.

"All right, I can tell from your voice there is a catch!"

"Well... I want this ten million to remain secret. It's going to be my rainy day fund. I'll set up a dummy company with you as the managing director. When I need it, I'll take nine million, you get one million plus whatever you have made by investing it." 

"Are you serious? That's a lot of money! How much did you win?"

"A fair bit more than that, probably best you don't know too much. Will you do it?"

"Of course I'd be pleased to help."

"Great, I'll let you know when I get it all set up. Got to go, bye."

We said our good byes. After breakfast, I went to the office and started the paperwork to set things in motion. Once the bank opened, I rang the manager and told him I would be making a big deposit in the near future. The bastard sounded disappointed. I guess he wanted to keep sucking interest out of me. I got him to organize two new accounts, one in my name and one in Rachel's. 

I called my secretary in and asked her to clear my appointments for the day as I had an important meeting out of town. At the lottery building, I was ushered into a plush office. They took my ticket and confirmed it was the winner. 

"Congratulations, Jeff! You will soon be 33 million dollars richer!" the manager said.

"Umm.. Wasn't it only 30?" I asked.

"Nobody won the division two, so it gets added to your win!"

"Umm...sorry to ask another dumb question, but you said soon to be?"

"Yes, we'll you can't expect to walk out of here with 33 million in your back pocket. If you give us some bank details, the money will be put into the account or accounts you nominate in two weeks."

"Oh, okay." At least that would give me plenty of time to get everything set up.

I left surprisingly deflated. Going back to the office, I completed most of the paperwork for the company set up. The next two weeks were quiet, and things warmed a little on the home front. I took Rachel to a fundraising benefit for the local hospital and our conversation was almost civil. The bank got the paperwork done and I took it home for Rachel to sign for her account. She didn't ask, and I didn't tell. My sister came on a flying visit to sign herself up and I was ready.

On the big day, I was surprised by how excited I was. I had sent Rachel and my bank account details and my sister's investment company details to the lottery. Every hour I would go online and check the balances. As you would expect, at 4:59pm the money appeared in our and I assume my sister's company accounts. Yippee!

The next day, I went to the bank and paid off the mortgage and the car loans. I got cards for both accounts. After paying off our debts both Rachel and my account had a balance 10.75 million. I rang my sister and told her to get cracking on making her fortune.

On the way home I picked up a bottle of French champagne and a bunch of flowers. Walking in the door I presented the flowers and wine to Rachel.

"About time you started crawling!" she exclaimed - I bit my tongue.


The Empty Nest Pt. 01



"I have organized Bistro Delia to bring dinner to us tonight so you don't have to cook. We have something to celebrate!" I said brightly.

"You need not think you're getting back into the bedroom tonight." she replied, taking the wine and flowers into the kitchen.

Dinner was nice and after we had finished the mains, I got our dessert. Also on the tray, I placed the deposit slip for the bank account with the account numbers on it. On top of that was two brand new credit cards linked to the account.

"Is this your idea of a joke?" she asked bitterly, holding up the cards.

"No. I can assure you they are very real." 

"What did you do, rob a bank?" Sarcasm dripped from her tongue.

"Actually, I won the lottery!" 

"You won ten million dollars in the lottery?" Rachel's mood rapidly improved.

"No!" Her face dropped, "I won twenty million dollars!"

Rachel jumped to her feet screaming. "Oh my god! Oh my god! We are rich! Arrrghh!"

She ran around the room then came towards me, jumping on my lap and knocking us both onto the floor.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! France here we come! We won't have to rent a villa we could buy one!" 

This was what I had been afraid of, and the reason for my reluctance to tell Rachel the full amount.

"You can do what you want with your money, dear," I said.

She sat up like a snake that had been cornered. Her eyes bored into mine.

"You do know the old saying about marriage, honey." Sarcasm dripped from the "honey". "What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine."

I had thought about how to bring Rachel gently back to reality on this. Could I keep the beast under control?

"That's such an old fashion notion," I replied through gritted teeth.

I didn't have to worry, Rachel was off in a dream world with a whimsical smile on her face.

"I can't wait to tell Audrey we are going to France! Oh my god! Marjorie will be so jealous!" She rolled on the floor hugging herself.

I righted my chair and sat down again to enjoy my dessert. Rachel got up and grabbed the cordless phone before sitting down opposite. She immediately called her sister and talked between mouthfuls of dessert.

The next couple of weeks were great. With my debts a thing of the past, I was a lot happier. I found I enjoyed getting up and going to work! It's weird, I didn't need to work, but now it seemed less of a chore.

Rachel was in her element, organizing a holiday for us. She was on the internet checking flights, accommodation, and tours. She got her hair done, legs waxed, eyebrows tinted, nails manicured - any excuse to get into the high street and tell people of her stroke of luck.

With Rachel's loose lips, we did receive some unwanted attention from some unsavory characters with tales of woe or unbelievable business opportunities. All had one thing in common, the need for us to give them money. I politely declined.

I did help out some friends, though they all told me they didn't need it. I assured them it wasn't a gift, merely a loan; I just wasn't going to charge them interest. They were happy with that. I also gave the girls 500,000 each, on the proviso that it was invested in something solid and not just blown on frivolous things.

Our marriage was back on track, well back on the same track as before. We were sleeping in the same room again, and our improved moods had even led to some vigorous make up sex. Had we turned a corner? I loved Rachel. Maybe I didn't lust after her like I did, but I could picture us sitting on our back deck watching our grandchildren splashing in the pool. We had been through a lot together, and I knew she hadn't deserved the things I had said in the month before. 

My good mood was disturbed when one night we had just finished dinner and Rachel presented me a folder containing our holiday itinerary. It was a weighty tome and had obviously taken a lot of work. However, I was reading the summary at the front and I struck the first snag.

"We are going to be busy fitting all this in." was my first comment on the three A4 pages full of activities.

"Don't worry, I've left plenty of rest days so we have plenty of energy," she replied.

Then I checked the dates. "Rachel? This holiday goes for seven months!"

"Yes! Won't that be fantastic?" Rachel gushed.

"I can't take that much time off! It will be the end of the financial year in four months and we are always swamped before that!" I said, more abruptly than I should have.

"We're rich! You don't have to work! Just sell the business, or employ some more associates!"

Sensing things were getting heated again, I tried to defuse things and keep my tone conciliatory.

"I like my job. I built the business up from nothing. I am looking for extra staff, but I want to get the right people. Why don't we split this up and do two months now then another two early next year and so on."

It didn't work.

"You don't like me anymore do you! You go to work to avoid having to talk to me." Rachel's face was flushed as she stood.

That was painfully close to the truth some days, and the realization made me feel guiltier.

"Please dear, we can work something out. This is the first time I have seen what you have planned. Just sit down and let's talk his through." Again, my calmness didn't have the effect I wanted.

Rachel grabbed the folder out of my hands. "I'm going for seven months! You can do whatever you want!"

With that, she stormed off and I heard the bedroom door slam.

Obviously, things were a little rough again for the next couple of days. Eventually, I worked out a compromise. I would leave with Rachel, but would only stay two and a half months. Then I would come home and her sister would fly out to travel with Rachel for the rest of the trip. At my expense.

Holiday time came quickly and we were off on the first leg of our journey. In spite of all that had happened before, we really had a great time. I got caught up in Rachel's enthusiasm and was swept along as we hopped through North Africa. Starting in Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, and then Turkey. We took a cruise on the Aegean Sea to Greece, then on the Mediterranean again to Italy. Starting at the "toe," we worked our way up until I flew back home from Geneva, Switzerland. I was tempted to stay longer, but Rachel's sister flew in to meet us in Milan and after two days of me being the third wheel on their shopping trips, I was relieved to be heading home.

Once at home, I was straight to work. A backlog had built up in my absence, so with Rachel away, I put in long hours to get caught up. I rang every second day to catch up with the news from the travelers. The weeks flew by in a blur of work and sleep. In no time, it was almost time for the tourists to return. For their last two weeks, they were in the south of France crisscrossing Provence in search of markets and bargains.

It was late on Sunday afternoon and I had been at home preparing to slap a steak on the BBQ when the phone rang. It was Rachel.

"Good morning dear, it is morning isn't it?" I asked.

"Yes it's almost eight am."

"Where are you today?"

"In Avignon, we arrived last night and had a lovely dinner in a little restaurant near our hotel."

"Ready for more sightseeing?" I asked. 

I was a little unsure as to why Rachel was ringing. Usually I rang first up in the morning so I caught them at the end of their day so they could tell me of their adventures.

"No, something different today. Ahh..Last night at dinner we met up with a local, and we got to talking about real estate."

"Oh," I responded. I think I knew then where this was heading.

"Everything is so cheap here at the moment! Jacques runs a small agency that deal exclusively with up market properties. He has offered to show us a couple of his better listings," Rachel gushed.

"Be careful dear, you didn't tell him you had won some money did you?" 

"No! Do you really have to be so suspicious of everybody?" she replied defensively.

"Sorry, it's just I thought that they had rules to stop foreigners buying land in Europe."

"No, you don't know as much as you think you do. Anyone can buy a house in France! Anyway, you said it's my money and I can do what I want with it!" Rachel had built up a head of steam so I backed off.

"Alright dear, just be careful. Don't make any rash decisions."

"I never make rash decisions! I'll talk to you tomorrow." 

Rachel ended the call abruptly.

And so our marriage took another step towards oblivion. The next week, Audrey came home but my wife stayed on. She was in negotiation to buy a villa near a little place called St Remy. It was massive, a tastefully renovated old stone house from the 1850s, sleeps 8 with large grounds and pool. In our phone conversations Jacques featured prominently. It was Jacques did this or Jacques said that. I hated him already without meeting or even seeing him. 

Three weeks later, Rachel was the proud owner of a villa in St Remy de Provence called La Mas Bleus. This meant her return was further delayed as she had to buy furniture and organize some "minor" renovations. It was her money so she could do what she wanted with it, but I was concerned about this Jacques character. 

Later in the week at work, I jumped online to look for private investigation agencies in the UK. I thought it would be best to be dealing with someone who spoke the same language.

I picked one out that had a professional looking website and stated that they worked all over Europe. I sent through an e-mail giving a rough outline of my desire to check into the personal and business background of a person my wife was dealing with in France. Also, I wanted a rundown of their fees and some idea of what the eventual cost might be.

I got a polite e-mail back suggesting I call to discuss it further. They didn't like to give even rough quotes as each inquiry was very different. They ranged from basic Internet searches to surveillance. I was given a number for one of the partners and a suggested Australian time to call of 10 pm. 

That night I rang and got Mandy. Thinking she was a receptionist I asked to speak to her boss, but was soon put straight on who was the boss.

"Sorry, I'm ringing from Australia, I sent you an e-mail inquiring about your services in regards to doing a background check on somebody in France."

"Yes, Jeffery, wasn't it. I read what you sent, but we need some more specifics before we can let you know what it will cost. Who is the person? Where are they? And what do they do?" Her accent was definitely English, but it wasn't one of the pronounced ones like cockney or northern. 

"The name I have is Jacques Legrand. He lives in Avignon France and he is supposed to be in real estate, but I can't seem to find him on the net as being involved with real estate in the area."

She asked for the spelling of the name and I gave it. 

"What information do you want and why?"

"I want to know if he is dodgy in either his private or business life as my wife is presently in France spending large amounts of money on his advice."

"Do you suspect he may be having an intimate relationship with your wife?"

"Well... I... I hadn't really thought about that...I...that is my wife...well...she isn't young.

We have grown up children, you know," I spluttered.

"I'm sorry, Jeff, but I had to ask. If you suspect infidelity then we would definitely have to do some surveillance and price our quote accordingly. With what you have given me then, I think someone will have to go across the channel to do some local legwork. I'll ring you back tomorrow night same time with what we propose to do and an estimate of our costs"

"That would be great."

We disconnected after saying our goodbyes. I was left to ponder the possibility of Rachel and Jacques being lovers. She was a little overweight but not unattractive, but I just couldn't see it happening.

The next night, right on time, the phone rang.

"Mr. Jeffrey Waters?" a male voice asked with a clipped, English, private school tone.

"Yes."

"I'll just put you through to Ms. Waite."

There was a short interlude of elevator music.

"Jeffrey, its Mandy."

"Hi, how did you get on?" 

"Well, we drew a blank with the usual Internet searches, which makes us believe the name may be false or has been recently changed."

"Oh.. So what's your plan, and what's the damage going to be?"

"I'm sure it will still be straight forward, but we will have to send someone to France to do some chasing up. If worse comes to worst, we will get his fingerprints from a glass at a cafe or something and get his identity that way. It will mean probably a week's work in France, and maybe a trip to Brussels if he turns out not to be a French national. So you should be prepared for a bill of five thousand pounds. It may not cost that much, but if we start to get near that figure then we would call and get further guidance." 

"I see..," that was a little more than I thought but seemed fair.

"Do you want us to proceed, Jeff?"

"Yes, I think it would be best, it might put my mind at rest."

"Right! I have a few more questions for you, and before we start, we require a deposit of twenty five percent."

"Sure, how would you like that done."

"A direct bank deposit would be best. We will e-mail you a contract to sign with the bank details on it. Sign it, and send us back a copy, then when the money hits our account we will get cracking!"

"Great!"

"Just one more thing, Jeff, er...while we are over there, do you want us to check on your wife?"

"No, only her business dealings with Jacques. We have been married close to thirty years! I trust her, Mandy." In my head I was thinking that I would be the only one that could put up with her.

She asked some more questions about the villa Rachel had purchased and where Rachel was staying. Mandy said she would give me a verbal update in seven days and the final written report would probably take two weeks.

I would have forgotten about it except every time I spoke to Rachel his name popped up. It appeared he wasn't just a real estate expert but he was also knowledgeable about architecture and French provincial furniture. Is there anything this man can't do?

It seemed not. 

Six days later, I was speaking to Rachel. She seemed distracted or preoccupied, so we didn't speak for long. When she put the phone down she mustn't have pressed the end button. I was about to hang up when I heard Rachel speak.

"Oh you are a naughty boy! Do you know who I was speaking to?"

A muffled voice replied and Rachel giggled.

"No, don't you stop! Oh yes, keep kissing me there!"

I had been wrong. Strangely, while upset, I'm not sure I was jealous. Maybe this was my way out. If I was being truthful, I had started this off when I won the money and decided to split it up. It couldn't get righteous about trust, but it still hurt.

"Ohhh, Jacques! That is so good!" A man of many talents, indeed.

I spied my mobile phone, and remembering its recording app, I grabbed it and started getting a record of her infidelity. It would make no difference to the outcome of any divorce, but it just seemed important at the time. It lasted for six minutes and mostly was just Rachel grunting and screaming yes and Jacques speaking in French. 

The next day I called in sick to work and spent the day moping around the house feeling sorry for myself. I spoke to two of my daughters, who were very excited about their mother's purchase. Rachel had invited them all to spend Christmas there. I pretended I knew about it, but I was now wondering if I would even be invited.

At ten that night Mandy rang. We exchanged pleasantries, then it was down to business.

"Jacques Legrand isn't French, he is Belgian. It's not his real name, but he has been involved in real estate in France, just not in the southern part. It appears he left the Calais area in a hurry with a few angry husbands in pursuit but no major debts. He has a real estate brokering business registered in France but no office. He frequents affluent areas and tries to act as a middle man between agents and buyers for a cut of the action."

"I don't want his life story, I just want to know if he is dodgy!" I said curtly.

"Are you all right, Jeff? You seem upset." Mandy inquired.

"Yes! Yes! I'm fine I just want the bottom line!"

"Alright then, he hasn't done anything illegal that we can find, but he does work close to the edge. He was involved in the selling of some coastal land in Spain that wasn't completely kosher, but nothing has ever stuck to him. In this country we would call him a spiv, he does a bit of duckin' an divin' but nofin' to alert the old baily." Mandy put on a very convincing cockney accent for the last bit. 

"And his personal life?" I asked gruffly.

"From the sound of your voice you know the answer to that." She left the statement hanging and when I didn't reply she continued,. "He has a thing for married women but he has never been married himself. From what we have gleaned, he is very successful, but after looking at a photo of him I cannot for the life of me see why."

That made me feel a little better; my mind had been placing him somewhere between Olivier Martinez and Jean Reno.

"Are you still there, Jeff?" Mandy's voice roused me from my thoughts.

"Yes, thanks for your work. Will you send me the bill with the report?" 

"Bill first; when we get the money, you get the report. It looks like it will come in about three thousand pounds. Umm...do you want the photographs of them together?"

"No, that won't be necessary. Thanks, Mandy."

"Bye, Jeff."

I ended up taking the rest of the week off. Rachel rang a few times, but I let the answering machine take it. Nothing good would have come from us speaking. My daughter rang on the Saturday to check in as her mother hadn't been able to get me. I lied and said I'd been out of town.

I had listened to the recording a few times but was frustrated I didn't understand what he was saying. I don't know why I did it to myself, but I wanted to know what he said. I rang the local high school principal to see if they had a French teacher. They didn't but he thought that one of the geography teachers spoke French. He said he would find out on Monday and let me know. Obviously, he wanted to know why, but I just told him I needed something translated.

I got a text message from him Monday lunchtime telling me that Charlie could do it. When would I like it done? I sent back my place that evening and sent the address. That evening about six, the doorbell rang and I opened the door to find a thirty something woman in gym gear on the door step.

"Can I help you?" I enquired.

"Principal Jones said you needed help translating something in French. I'm Charlie!" She said, holding out her hand.

"Ohhh right..." I said, unable to hide my embarrassment. "Come in...I...er...I just thought when he said Charlie the geography teacher...you know I had a vision of an old beatnix with a leather jacket and well, you know... Not a girl!" I stammered as I led her into the kitchen living area.

"I'm hardly a girl, but thanks for the compliment. James said you were an accountant, and I've got to say you look like an accountant," she replied with a laugh.

I didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or insult. 

"Sorry I'm a bit later than I thought I would be. I got caught up in a sparring session at the gym," Charlie said as she looked around taking in her surroundings.

"I'm afraid I am the one who should be sorry as the stuff I wanted translated, well it's probably not for you. I ..."

"Why?" Charlie butted in.

"Umm it's of a...umm - sexual nature." My face must have been bright red, I could feel it burning.

"Come on, I'm not a bashful virgin, you know." She laughed again. "What is it? A dirty book?" She seemed genuinely interested.




The Empty Nest Pt. 01



"It's a recorded conversation between two people, with one speaking French."

"How did you get it?" Charlie eyed me with suspicion.

"The female voice on the recording is my wife. She forgot to hang up properly after speaking to me." I sat down heavily in the closest lounge chair. 

"Oh." It was her turn to be embarrassed.

"I can still do it if you like. I doubt I'll hear anything I haven't heard before," she said, gently placing a hand on my shoulder in a motherly way.

"All right," I said with a sigh. "I recorded it on my phone." I got my mobile out and found the file before handing it to her.

"Do you have an earpiece for it? It will make it clearer and I won't disturb you."

"Yes, I think one came with it." I went to the drawer we kept all that sort of stuff and found two earpieces. "I'm not sure which one fits. I'm going out into the garden. There is a pad on the dining room table for you to write on," I said, pointing at it.

I left her to it. About twenty minutes later, she opened the door and called out she had finished. I turned off the hose and went inside.

"I'm sorry, it's not going to be easy for you to read." Charlie said, "He has a very dominant personality."

At that moment, I felt very old and impotent. I couldn't bring myself to go over to the table where my phone and the translation were. It was as if they were mocking me from the other side of the room.

"Would you like me to stay for a bit?" She asked nervously, "I mean...you know, you're not going to do anything silly. Are you?"

"No, no, I'll be all right. I've taken you away from your family for long enough." I was touched by her concern.

A shadow passed across her face. "There is only my son David and he is at cricket practice. My husband John passed away three years ago from Melanoma."

"I'm very sorry," my troubles were suddenly put into perspective. "You must still miss him a lot." 

"Yes, David is the spitting image of him, so he is never far from my thoughts." Tears were forming in her eyes as she stared out into the garden.

Wiping her eyes, she straightened and turned back towards me.

"If you're sure you are going to be all right, then I'll be off."

"Yes, thank you for your time." I led the way to the front door and opened it for her.

She as half way down the path when she turned and gave me a little wave goodbye, then she was in her car and gone. I suddenly realized that I hadn't offered to pay her for her troubles. 'Must send something to the school,' I thought. Closing the door, I made my way back to the table and her transcript.

It was as I expected, he was exerting his power over Rachel. The only times she said no was when he asked if she wanted him to stop. Mostly it was stuff about whether she liked his cock or was he better than her husband. Also, he talked about all the things he wanted to do to her, tying her up, fucking her arse, cumming in her mouth, that sort of thing. 

I was angry and hurt, my ego was taking a beating as she told him how much better than me he was. Overall though, I was just incredibly sad to think after thirty years of marriage we didn't have the guts to say it was over. It had been a great ride, with lots of happy memories, but ahead was only pain. Some of my friends were on their second divorce and they marveled at our "perfect" marriage. That was going to be another blow to the ego.

I would love to tell you here that I got straight onto a lawyer to start the divorce proceedings. I didn't. I procrastinated. Two days later the phone rang at work and I answered without looking at the caller ID. It was Rachel.

"Where have you been? I've been worried!" she asked, with some concern evident in her voice.

"Just busy working, I expect you've been busy as well!" I replied with sarcasm.

My bitterness was lost on her. "I have been flat out! The builders are here and we have found a few extra problems. I think I will have to stay here!"

"Really," I said flatly.

My lack of enthusiasm was not noticed as once Rachel was in organizing mode she was rarely deterred from her path.

"Yes, it's probably going to run up to Christmas, so I thought, wouldn't it be great to have a family Christmas over here! I've already spoken with the girls, and they can't wait to get here."

"I'm sure they can't."

"At this stage, they should all be free to come about the 18th of December, so you had better clear your work diary for a few days before that just in case."

Before I could even think of what to say she continued.

"The stone mason has just turned up, so I have to go! Bye! Love..." There was a clunk at the other end as Rachel dropped the phone back onto its cradle.

Wow, I had just been hit by another "blitzkrieg Rachel"! I had experienced it many times before and was used to it, but it was still something to behold. Her single minded approach generally swept all before her, but sometimes left bitterness and resentment in its wake. I was unsure how to react to this one. The woman who I had recently heard begging some Belgian Romeo to keep fucking her was demanding my presence for a family Christmas.

Again, I didn't want a confrontation. A family Christmas in the south of France sounded great. Except, of course, that my wife would be there. Maybe that would be how we could stay "together". Perhaps, if separated by 10,000 miles, we could live as husband and wife. She could continue with her Belgian, and I could stay home. Ridiculous I know, but for the girl's sake I thought I would give it a go. It was still three months away, so who knows what could happen in that time. 

I should have known better! Six weeks later I received an e-mail requesting a deposit on a chartered private jet. They wanted twenty three thousand dollars for a ten percent down payment! Needless to say, I got on the telephone.

"Christ, Jeffrey, do you know what time it is?" Rachel's sleepy voice inquired.

"I don't really care what time it is! I just received an invoice for $23,000 dollars for a private jet hire!"

I've got to give her credit, she didn't take long to get on the front foot.

"That's bloody cheap. I had to do a lot of haggling to get that price!"

"What the fuck is wrong with Qantas or Emirates! They do fly to Paris!"

"Yes, but there isn't much difference between nine first class fares and the charter price!"

"First Class! What about business! And why nine?"

"Well, I invited my sister, and I told the girls that we would pay for them."

"Why don't you pay for them? You organized it!"

"Umm... At the moment my money is tied up. Anyway they are your kids too! I have paid for the villa and the renovations, it's only fair that you contribute to this Christmas celebration."

"I'll contribute nine business class fares, that's it!" 

"You always were a cheapskate!" There was a voice in the background, a voice with a foreign accent.

"Who's there with you?" I knew very well who it was.

"Ar...it's ...ar nobody. I just bumped the radio beside the bed." She recovered very quickly. "If you're only going to spring for business class, then you can organize it!"

"No worries at all. Say hello to Jacques for me!" I said as I hung up.

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in that room after she got off the phone. I could just imagine the conversation. What did he mean? Does he know? How could he know?

I didn't hear from Rachel for a week. I organized the flights and let the girls and Rachel's sister know of the change of plans. When Rachel rang nothing was mentioned of the change of travel plans or the previous conversation. 

Something that had been said on that late night call was bugging me. "All my money is tied up at the moment." The villa had been one and a half million, I couldn't imagine the renovations costing more than a few hundred thousand. All right, I am talking about Rachel, so furniture and renovations could add up to one million, but that would still leave over seven million that had to be somewhere.

I rang Mandy from the London private investigators.

"I was wondering if we would hear from you again," she said after I had been put through by her receptionist.

"I hoped I wouldn't have to, but I have a mystery for you to solve."

"Ah, I thought you might want some juicy photos of the Belgian and your bride!" She laughed as she finished speaking.

"No, I'm sure the Belgian is involved, but I want to find out what Rachel has been spending her money on."

"That house wouldn't have been cheap."

"It wasn't, and I'm sure that her renovations are expensive, too, but I don't think she could have churned through the other seven million that quickly!"

"Bloody Hell!" Mandy gasped. "If I had have known you were that loaded I would have added a bit to the hourly rate!" I think she was only half joking.

"Never mind that, can you check into what Rachel and Jacques are up to?"

"Yes, but it might not be until next week. I'd like to use the same person so I don't have to brief somebody else. They are on assignment elsewhere, but should be finished next week." 

"That's okay, I'm not in a hurry. I'm coming over for Christmas, and I just want to know the lay of the land before I get there."

"Can I just ask, why you don't check with your bank? They would keep a close track of transactions that big." Mandy asked.

"The account is in her name only, so I doubt I would have any joy there." I replied.

"Alright, I'll ring when our man has had a few days to check into things."

"Thanks, Mandy. How much do you want for a deposit?"

"It's alright, Jeff, I trust you. Especially now I know you're loaded! Any chance of a stopover in London? I'd like to meet the man behind that sexy voice." There was that laugh again.

"It wouldn't happen to have got sexier now you know I have a healthy bank balance!" I chided her.

"Oh Jeff, do you think I'm that shallow?" Mandy asked, taking mock offense.

"No, but I'm a married accountant, so I'm probably the most unsexy thing you can get!"

"Point taken, I'll call you next week." Mandy disconnected.

I felt good after that chat. Even if she was joking it was nice to be called sexy.

I was looking through a stack of letters that had accumulated during the week on the kitchen bench. There were the usual junk catalogues and special offers, and I came across my annual invitation to the local picnic race meeting. I had sponsored a race in remembrance of my father, who had been a keen horseman and owned a few country racehorses. Rachel had considered the local race meeting beneath her, so we had usually declined the invitation to the President's marquee.

"Too many hicks from the sticks!" Rachel would say.

I had been thinking of how I could pay Charlie for her help with the translation. Catching up with her at the end of school one day, I had offered her money but she refused to accept it. Perhaps a couple of tickets the Presidents' marquee would work. The next day I stopped work early and made my way to the school. I missed her at the teacher's staff room but found her in the car park.

"Are you stalking me?" Charlie asked with her hands on her hips and a smile on her face.

Even though the accusation was made in jest, I got embarrassed and blushed.

"Sorry just...you know...trying to pay you back."

"I've already told you there is no need," she said firmly with her hands up like stop signs.

"It's not money I'm offering. My company sponsors a race at the picnic meeting in three weeks. I get two passes to the President of the picnic race committee's marquee as a courtesy. They're yours if you want them." I replied, holding up an envelope containing the passes.

Charlie didn't say no straight away, which I took as a good sign.

"Free champagne and nibbles and a prominent place on the home turn to view the races," I continued.

She eyed me as she considered the offer. I was waiting what seemed like an age before I got a response.

"I'll take them on one condition. You have to come too, as my chaperon." 

"Sorry, it's really not my sort of thing." I said.

"That's the deal! Take it or leave it."

"Why don't you take your son?" I asked, hoping to get out of it.

"I'm not taking my twelve year old to the picnic races!"

"Okay, okay, it's just I'm not much good at the society crap that goes on there."

"At least you will know some people."

"Ah yes...I guess you're right. I...I just thought...you might have someone else you wanted to take." I stumbled over my words at first then they came in a rush.

"No, between work, my son's sport, and domestic duties, I don't have time for a relationship."

"All right, I will pick you up about eleven am. There is a luncheon before the first race." I stepped back preparing to make a hasty exit to shield myself from further embarrassment.

"That sounds great!" She smiled as I squirmed. "Just one thing, Jeff, do you want my address? I don't come to school on Saturday."

"Oh gosh, yes! I suppose I will need that." What a dill, I thought as my face went a deeper shade of red.

Charlie gave me her address, jumped into her car, and was gone. 

For the next two weeks, I was preoccupied by work and Mandy's investigation. I hadn't heard back from her and was getting agitated. I decided I would ring her that evening after dinner, but just as I sat down to my microwave meal the phone jangled.

"Hello!" I said rather tersely, expecting it to be somebody trying to sell me something.

"No need to snap at me, were you expecting your wife?" a feminine voice with an English accent asked.

"Sorry, Mandy. I just sat down to eat, and you know how the telephone marketers always seem to ring at that time." 

"I can ring back later if you like?"

"No, I'll just whack it back in the microwave when we finish. What have you found out?" I asked eagerly.

"It's as you suspected. Jacques is involved. He has set up a company and your wife tipped the money into it. It is supposed to be a real estate investment vehicle. He has been jetting around France and Spain looking at land."

"Have they actually bought anything yet?

"Very perceptive question. As you are loaded, once my first guy worked out what was going on, I sent another person over to France. She managed to get a hair appointment at the same time as your wife and made sure she was in the chair next to her while they were waiting for the colour treatments to set."

"That would have been an enthralling half hour," I said sarcastically.

"Actually, it was very informative!"

"By 'she', you mean you?"

"I charge more per hour, sugar daddy!" She laughed.

"Oh dear god! What did she tell you?"

"Everything, sweetie! I saw photos of your girls and their partners, and even one of you!" 

"Anything about what I'm paying you for?" I said, a bit annoyed.

"Keep your shirt on, Jeff, I am a professional. Rachel is under the impression that Jacques has purchased some undeveloped land and is organizing contractors to start work soon."

"Under the impression?"

"Yes, from our research the company appears to have no assets apart from what is in the bank. We can't find out how much is left, but it's certainly paying Jacques a healthy salary and covering his expenses."

"So, he is a parasite?"

"It would appear so, he is just milking her at the moment. I'll make more of a judgment when I meet him this afternoon."

"You're meeting with him?"

"Yes, I'm posing as a wealthy widow looking to buy a place in Provence, Rachel set it up."

"You and Rachel must have hit it off."

"I'm good at putting people at ease, part of my job. I'll ring you tomorrow when I have more to report. I have an appointment at the day spa in five minutes, I want to be looking my best for Jacques."

"Day spa? Is that going on the bill?"

"All work related, just like the resort I'm staying in!"

"No way am I paying for..." Mandy's laughter interrupted my angry reply.

"Sorry, Jeff," more laughter, "just winding you up."

"I'm glad I amuse you. Goodbye." I hung up.

I was pissed off. Both with the "joke" and her friendliness with Rachel, I couldn't help thinking the two were connected. I was cranky all the next day, and when the phone rang the next night I had to make a conscious effort to make my voice neutral when I answered it.

"Hello."

"Hello, Jeffrey. Before I start, sorry for yesterday. I was being silly and unprofessional. I just wanted to keep things light given the topic we were discussing. I took it too far."

"Yes, you did. Apology accepted, now what more did you find out." I was still angry, but at least she had realized her mistake.

"Jacques is smooth. He speaks very good English, but I think he plays up the French accent to impress the ladies. He has a way of being quite mesmerizing. I can see why he is successful with the ladies even though he is no George Clooney."

"Did he try to seduce you?" 

"No, no, he wasn't blatant about it. It's hard to explain to a man. He just leaves you with the impression that if you wanted to take things to another level he would accommodate your wishes. It's weird, thinking back over our meeting he didn't say anything remotely sexual, or touch my hand, or anything. He was conservatively dressed, polite, but there was an undercurrent there..." I broke in on her wistful memories.

"Okay, enough about that. What about his business."

"He talks a good game there, too. Uses lots of real estate terms; baffle them with bullshit seems to be his motto. When I tried to bring up his and Rachel's company, he was very evasive. He seemed much more interested in how much money I had and was very good at steering the conversation that way."

"Money is his primary motive?"

"Definitely. Eventually I told him I had seven hundred and fifty thousand pounds to spend, and frankly, he lost interest."

"The day spa wasn't worth it, then," I said rather meanly.

"Oh very droll! Is that accountancy humor? I guess I deserved it, but wait till you get my bill!"

"Yes, I'm sure you will have the last laugh!" My mood had lightened a little, so I allowed myself a chuckle.

"That sounds better. You will get my bill this week, and the report once it's paid. See you at Christmas. Bye."

She was gone before I could inquire what she meant by "see you at Christmas".

I moped around for the next week, going through the motions at work. Coming home to a microwave dinner. I was doing my laundry on Saturday morning when my phone beeped signifying an incoming text message.

"Are you going 2 pick me up? Or do I have to walk? Charlie."

Holy shit, I had forgotten the races! Looking at the clock I saw it was a quarter to eleven. Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!

I ran upstairs, walked through the shower, grabbed some clothes, and was trying to put them on as I made my way to the car. Once in the car, I rang Charlie to let her know I was on the way. As I drove up, she was standing outside her house in a short white dress with a wide black belt around her middle and black high heels. I hadn't really taken much notice of her appearance before as I was mostly trying to cover my embarrassment when I had spoken to her. 

She was shortish, about five three, or five four. Slim, almost skinny really. Small bust, I have no idea about cup sizes but they were never going to be a handful. Her legs and arms showed some muscle definition, no doubt from her gym work. As I got pulled into the curb, she smiled and I realized why I had never looked at her body before. Charlie was blessed with classic bone structure and flawless skin and teeth. She was truly beautiful, and when she smiled her face radiated that beauty for all to see. Her face was framed by blonde, shoulder length hair that had been pulled back in a ponytail when I had met her before. Today, she had been to the salon and it was out and styled to make her even more gorgeous. Topping off her outfit was a broad brimmed lacy black hat.




The Empty Nest Pt. 01



She opened the door and leaned in, flashing that smile again.

"You can blink now, and you had best close that mouth or you might swallow a fly!" she said in her school teacher voice.

"What? Oh, yes...Sorry." How did she do that? Every time I had met her, with her first words I was turned into a blabbering idiot. 

Giggling at my discomfort, she put her hand on my arm. "It's alright, Jeff. I'm taking the inspection as a compliment."

We chatted about the weather and other inane things on the short drive to the race course. Walking into the marquee I felt like the elephant man standing next to Marilyn Monroe. Most people were already seated and eating, and their eyes followed us after we entered. We walked to where the race club president was organizing the stragglers to get their meals and sit down. 

"Jeffrey! I thought you had chickened out. Great to see you here!" He thrust his meaty hand at me and tried his best to crush the bones of my hand in a vigorous hand shake.

"Thanks, Tom. It looks like you have got a great day for it." I extracted my hand and turned to introduce Charlie.

"Tom Ballard this is Charlie..." Shit! I didn't know her last name.

"Madison," Charlie jumped in to save me.

"Charlie is a teacher at the high school. She has been helping me with some French translations," I added, conscious of a disapproving look from Tom's wife seated nearby.

"I might have to send Jenny to Provence so I can get some help!" He took Charlie's hand and bought it up to his lips to kiss the back of it.

"Is this what they do in France?" he inquired.

"No! No! No!" She replied in a French accent. She moved forward placed both her hands on his shoulder then leaned in and gave him a peck on both cheeks.

Tom blushed furiously and his wife looked daggers at us.

"Bugger sending Jenny there, I'll have to go myself if pretty young girls kiss old men like that." He laughed as he ushered us to our seats. 

Dinner was a bit of a chore. We were seated between two horsey types who prattled on about their racing experiences. As the luncheon finished and the races were about to start, some people left but most seemed intent on emptying the complimentary bar. Charlie had been to the toilet, and on her return she grabbed my hand and swiped an unattended race book from one of the tables.

"Come on, let's go and have a look at the horses in the first!"

I was reluctant. I had never had a bet in my life. Being an accountant to two bookmakers, I knew where most of the bets ended up. However, I followed along without compliant. It had to be better than hearing about another wonder horse in the marquee. 

We found the mounting yard and watched the horses walk around and studied the race book.

"Number six, he's the winner." Charlie stated with some certainty.

"It says here he has finished last in his last two runs!" I pointed to the race book.

"He has the nicest face and his jockey is wearing the prettiest shirt."

"You can't be serious! Number two has come third and second, he has much more chance."

"Why don't you put your money where your mouth is?" Charlie asked defiantly.

We adjourned to the betting ring where I backed the favorite, number two, to win and Charlie took the roughy, number six, each way. We made it back to the finish line just as the horses were going into the barrier. In the home straight it was a three way fight between numbers two, six and four. We were both screaming, urging our selections on as they flashed past the winning post in front of us. Number four got the photo by a nose, then six followed by number two. Charlie squealed and laughed and I put on a scowl as we went to collect her winnings.

The day continued in the same pattern, we would return to the marquee for refreshments before going to the mounting yard to make our selection. Next, place our bets before making our way to the winning post to cheer our horses home. It was a great day and the most fun I've had in years. At the end of the meeting Charlie was up fifty dollars and I was down the same amount, so together we broke square. 

We walked back to the car, talking excitedly about our wins and losses. Neither of us were paying attention to where we were walking and Charlie slipped on a patch of wet grass and stumbled against me. I grabbed her to prevent her from falling and suddenly we were in each other's arms. We went quiet and looked at each other for a moment, I had an urge to kiss those soft lips, but I didn't. I was a married man.

Straightening up, we continued to the car more subdued than before. The trip home was quiet, too. Parking in her driveway, I left the motor running. Charlie leaned across and kissed my cheek and thanked me for the day.

"I'd invite you in for a coffee but David will be home soon, and I haven't had another man in the house since his dad passed away."

"That's okay, I'm a married man... Well... yes anyway... Why do I get so tongue tied around you?" 

"It's sweet." 

I pulled a face, sweet was like being called nice. 

"No really! I mean it, so many guys trot out the lines like a recording. That just shows they use them too often."

"I wasn't trying... To, you know, it was just a fun day." 

"I know, we both have a lot of stuff to deal with... but here's a tip. Next time I slip and you catch me like that, give me a kiss!"

She leaned over and kissed my cheek again, and then she was out of the car before I could think of a reply.

Chalk one up for experience! A very good experience. In the last twelve months they had been few and far between. It felt great that this tall skinny accountant could be desirable. I also felt superior because I hadn't weakened even though temptation was strong. All right, weakened might be the wrong word, more like I didn't have a clue. However, my end of the marriage contract was still intact, for what that was worth.




The Empty Nest Pt. 02



Hi all,

This is chapter two. All chapters were submitted together so they should be close by or posted very soon.

CharlieB4

*****

Three weeks after, I was on a Qantas flight with my three daughters and their spouses. Rachel's sister had a crisis in her husband's family, so she couldn't make it. We had a good trip, catching up on all the things that had been going on in their lives. They were very excited about having a white Christmas. I had to caution them that they were going to the south of France, so that may not happen.

Arriving in Paris twenty two hours later, we went to a hotel I'd organized to get some proper sleep without hostesses waking you up every couple of hours. The next day, we took the four hour trip on the high speed train to Avignon. I got very nervous during the last half hour as Rachel was picking us up from the station. My eldest daughter noticed and leaning over to me she asked if I was okay as I looked a bit pale. I fobbed her off, telling her I was just tired from the travel, but my stomach was doing backflips.

At Avignon railway station, Rachel was standing on the platform waving madly. My youngest daughter was waiting at the door and jumped off to hug her the moment she was able to. My other daughters followed while their husbands and I collected the bags and got them off the train.

There was so much commotion I was able to stand in the background. "Sergeant Major" Rachel marshaled her daughters and their spouses and pointed them towards the exit. Only then, almost as an afterthought, did she come towards me. A quick hug and a kiss on the cheek and she was off again, herding her family out into the car park. I watched her walking away for a moment. 

I couldn't deny she looked good. Her hair was short and the gaudy colours were gone. A little grey around the edges was obviously okay in France. A lot of the extra padding she'd had six months ago was gone. I wondered about her diet or exercise regime. No doubt Jaques was helping her with it I thought bitterly. What the bloody hell am I doing here, I thought. Just then my eldest daughter turned around and saw me still standing on the platform.

"Come on slow poke!" She admonished, waving for me to catch up.

A mini bus was parked in the loading zone, beside it stood a tall man with a pudgy middle hanging over his trousers. His face was dominated by a large hook nose, and a battered Fedora sat on an unruly mess of dark hair. Rachel began introducing everybody to Jacques. At last, I was meeting my nemesis, or perhaps my savior. He kissed my daughters on both cheeks bringing excited giggles and shook my sons' hands. 

Then it was my turn, we stood close together and exchanged firm grips. We stared each other down, looking for clues in each other's faces. I released my hold first, pretending to wince as he gave one last squeeze. He smiled, I detected a hint of satisfaction or was it triumph. He turned away and moved to the driver's door of the mini bus. 

In the mini bus we designated the back seat for our bags then took our seats. Jacques motioned for Rachel to join him up front. She hesitated but followed his direction. He mumbled something in French to her as she sat down and cast a dismissive glance at me. 

It didn't worry me - sometimes it was good to be underestimated. On the trip to Rachel's villa she played tour guide, pointing out various points of interest. I mostly ignored it, since French stuff wasn't very appealing to me at the moment.

Eventually, we pulled into a driveway with large, automatic wrought-iron gates that looked new, or at least rejuvenated. It was bounded by trees on both sides that made it seem like a tunnel. After about one hundred and fifty metres, it opened up into a circular drive in front of an imposing two story stone building. Inside the circle, there were many newly planted beds of roses; their bare stems waiting for the warmth of spring to come to life.

"Welcome to La Mas Bleus!" Rachel gushed, standing up in the aisle of the bus and spreading her arms wide.

We got out and collected our bags before heading to the large wooden front door. It didn't look much from the outside. I found out later that because of its heritage value they had to keep the façade, but once inside it was a different story. Opulent and luxurious may be one description, gaudy and ostentatious another. Polished concrete and marble were everywhere, softened only by occasional timber features and rugs. Antique furniture shared space with modern electronics. It reminded me of a bordello. How do I know of such things? One of my clients runs a couple, and he was looking to expand one into the house next door. He took me on a tour so I could do the figures on his potential costs to convert the adjoining premises.

The garden out the back was more refined. There must have been the bones of one before, so it had just been cleaned up and some plants replaced. However, off to the left my wife's hand was again evident. A large, and I mean large, pool had been gouged into a grassed area. Obviously the one that I'd seen in the photographs when Rachel bought the place must have been too small. By my steps, it must be thirty metres by eight metres. Behind it was a construction site, a cabana Rachel called it. I'd seen smaller two bedroom townhouses.

The girls were gushing, already planning return trips for the northern summer. I now had more of an idea where some of the money had gone. We went back inside, where Rachel showed my daughters and their spouses to their rooms. I stayed in the main living area, unsure where my bed would be located. Jacques had left with the mini bus which was a relief, no more looks of disdain.

My wife came back; it was the first time we had been alone since our holiday from which she had never returned.

"So, Jeffrey, what do you think?"

"It looks wonderful," I replied diplomatically. "It must have cost a lot."

"Oh Jeffrey, Why do you always have to bring up money! We have got heaps of the stuff!" she scolded. "Anyway, Jacques has been getting me lots of things wholesale, and he made sure the tradesmen didn't rip me off. So, I actually saved money!"

Some things never change, only my wife could save money by spending it!

"Follow me," she continued, "our rooms this way."

We headed off to a different wing of the house from where the children were staying. After going through a short hallway, we came to a huge room with more lounges and tables. A staircase went up to the next level on one wall. Climbing the stairs led us to the master bedroom. It had one entire wall of glass that overlooked the garden, and then there was the bed. I have seen king-sized beds before, but this was bigger with four large posts on each corner. A toilet, shower, and bath were hidden behind a stud wall near the staircase. There was another wall behind the bed with a door either side. These opened into large his and hers walk in wardrobes.

"Wow!" I spluttered.

"Fantastic, isn't it!"

"Unbelievable. Doesn't it get a bit bright in the mornings?" I asked.

Rachel had obviously been expecting this question. She picked up a remote and pressed a button, and blinds that were recessed into the ceiling making them invisible rolled down leaving the room in darkness.

"Don't worry, Jeffrey, I've thought of everything. I'll leave you to unpack while I supervise Juliet making the evening meal."

She pressed the button again and the blinds began to rise. By the time they had finished, she was gone. I went into the walk in and felt inadequate. The contents of my bag barely filled two drawers. I hung my good suit then went in search of everybody else. They were in the main living area drinking some wine. We toasted our good fortune then sat down to lovely meal. Jet lag combined with a few drinks had us turning in early while Rachel stayed downstairs to clean up. 

I went up and had a shower then got into bed. It was incredible how big this bed was. Five adults could lie down and not be touching each other. It had to be custom made, as must be the mattress and the linen. I was asleep in no time and didn't notice Rachel coming to bed. For all I know she didn't, as twelve hours later she shook me awake.

"Time to get up, Jeffrey, your first tour starts in forty minutes."

I opened my eyes to see Rachel sitting on the bed. She ruffled my hair and I almost thought she was going to kiss me, but she didn't. 

"Have a shower and meet the rest of us downstairs. The children are having breakfast." She got up and hurried down the stairs.

After a shower, I made my way downstairs to the kitchen. The rest of the family was talking excitedly about the coming day. Workman swarmed over the worksite next to the pool. Rachel saw me gazing out the window at them.

"They are trying to get it ready for Christmas. I've got a few other people coming for Christmas and Boxing Day."

"Oh." I was noncommittal, my daughters were excited enough for me.

"I've organized some sightseeing for the next couple of days. I'm going to be busy making sure these guys keep working." Rachel didn't seem to notice my indifference.

"Is Jacques taking us?" I inquired.

"No, he is too busy, but he has got someone else to take you. Hurry up and eat some breakfast! The bus will be here any minute."

I sat down and Juliet put down an overflowing plate of food. I wondered how much it was costing having an obviously talented cook on hand for three meals a day. As I was just mopping up the last of my meal an elegant woman entered the kitchen and greeted my wife with a kiss on each cheek.

Rachel clapped her hands to get everybody's attention. "Everybody, Everybody! Shhh, this is Yvonne. She will be showing you around for the next couple of days."

"Hello!" Yvonne said brightly, waving briefly in greeting.

Rachel went through the introductions and then ordered us onto the bus. So started what would have been days of tedious trips to roman ruins, cathedrals and markets except for Yvonne. She was bright and bubbly and beautiful. Insisting I sit up front with her, her sexy French accent was captivating. She was petite, almost doll like, with delicate features and always immaculately dressed. I found myself looking forward to seeing that bus pull up to the house in the morning.

On our last tour day, we were in a market in a little village around lunchtime. My daughters were dragging their husbands between stalls while I sat in a cafe overlooking the market square with Yvonne. 

"Have you enjoyed your three days with me?" she purred.

"Very much so, what's on the itinerary for the rest of the day?"

"I think we have had enough of towns and cathedrals, so I have organized with some vineyards for tours and tastings."

"Sounds fantastic."

"Then we are meeting up with Rachel for dinner in a local restaurant."

"And tomorrow?" I asked expectantly.

"No tours tomorrow, it's Christmas Eve, time for family things!"

"Ohhh" I couldn't hide my disappointment. I had a sip of my coffee.

Yvonne leaned towards me and touched my arm. She was that sort of woman, she liked to make contact with the person she was speaking to, and I enjoyed being touched by her.

"Jeffrey, could I ask you a personal question?"

"Certainly."

"Do you and Rachel, how you say, umm, live separate lives?" She leaned even closer for the last bit. Her perfume encircled me.

"Er, no, no. Er No."

She sat back. "Shame."

I may have had thoughts of what it would be like to be intimate with Yvonne, but I would never have guessed these feelings would be reciprocated.

The afternoon activities became torture as every stroke and touch from Yvonne had a whole new inference. We were standing at a bench tasting wines and her hand brushed close to my groin. Before I would have put it down as an accident, now the glint in her eye told a different story. The last vineyard had a large crowd already there. My daughters got lost in the crowd, fighting their way to get a chance to taste the wine. I hung back and so did Yvonne. Taking my hand, she pulled me outside into a garden around behind a tall hedge. 

"Kiss me, Jeffrey. I need to feel your arms around me!" She said fiercely.

I didn't move. I wanted to, but I didn't move. Taking the initiative, Yvonne grabbed my face and placed her lips on mine. Her tongue forced its way into my mouth and I started to respond. Putting my arms around her I pulled her close captivated by her taste and smell. Yvonne's hands moved down from my face, one rested on my shoulder. The other made its way down further, cupping my growing erection

Reality struck when I heard voices as some other people had come out into the garden. Pushing Yvonne away gently, I broke our embrace.

"We can't do this! It's madness!" I whispered urgently.

"I want you, mon cheri!" She tried to get close to me again, but I moved back further.

"I'm married! My children are only thirty feet away!" 

"You want me! I know you do, I felt it! I have an apartment near the restaurant tonight. After the entree say you are feeling sick and need to go home. I will take you home... eventually." As she spoke she moved back towards me. By the time she had finished speaking, we were embracing again.

We kissed again. "I can't, I would love to but I can't." 

"You can! It's our only chance, soon it's Christmas and then you will be leaving. Please, I need you."

I heard my daughter's voice close by. Disengaging from Yvonne, I stepped back around the hedge.

"Oh there you are! What have you been up to?" my daughter asked.

"Yvonne was just showing me the garden," I replied as I tried unsuccessfully to act casual. I felt my face flush under my daughters gaze.

"Anyone would think you were up to something!" she replied with the hint of accusation. 

Then she laughed, I suppose the thought of me doing something rash was a joke. Grabbing my arm, she led me back into the cellar door.

"Come on, there is a lovely red I want you to try."

I tried not to be alone with Yvonne after that, but when we arrived at the village restaurant for dinner my family got out leaving us sitting in the front of the minivan. Yvonne grabbed my hand.

"Remember, after entrée, complain about feeling unwell!" She squeezed my hand then got out herself.

Inside the restaurant, Rachel was already seated next to a woman I didn't know. At the end of the table sat the ubiquitous Jacques. They all stood as we approached and Rachel began the introductions. The other woman was tall and thick set; large breasted, well large everywhere, but not flabby. A pleasant face with neatly styled hair, I guessed about forty.

"Jeffrey, this is Mandy. She's from London and Jacques is helping her look for a place in Provence. I invited her to have Christmas with us."

Bloody hell, could it be my PI?

"Nice to meet you," I said, offering my hand.

"And you, too." Mandy replied. Grabbing my hand, she pulled me closer for the French greeting of a kiss on each cheek. "Hi Sugar daddy," she whispered when she went in for the second peck.

Had she betrayed my confidence to Rachel? I didn't think she would, but seeing her here really threw me. I went to the bathrooms to try and get things straight in my head. After splashing some cold water on my face and getting my heart rate back under control, I was going back to the table when a big meaty arm dragged me into the disabled toilet.

"We haven't got long, so just listen! Stay away from Yvonne, it's a honey trap!" Mandy whispered.

"W...Wh...What's a honey trap?" I stammered, still getting over the surprise attack.

"The apartment is bugged and has cameras set up. Rachel wants you to be the guilty party," Mandy explained.

"But it won't make any difference in a divorce. Australia has no fault divorces."

"She is not worried about the law. Rachel is thinking about her family, particularly your daughters."

"So she means to end the marriage?" I asked with my head down.

"Yes, she is going to tell you just before you leave. When you get home they have instructed a law firm in Sydney to start proceedings. Seems they are keen to find out how much money you have left!"

"They?" I knew the answer.

"Jacques and Rachel."

"And how do you know all this? Did she tell you?"

"No, no. We are not that close. I planted a bug in Jacques office when I met him before. It's only a little one with no recording capabilities, but if you are within fifty yards you can pick up the conversations in an ear piece. I came over two days ago and have been drinking lots of coffee in the cafe under his office."

"Oh god, what a mess." 

"Pull yourself together and get back out there before they come looking for you." Mandy was turning me to face the door.

"But what do I do?" I asked helplessly.

"That's up to you, but I'd stay away from Yvonne unless you want four angry family members on Boxing Day!"

"Boxing Day?"

"That is when it is all supposed to happen. Jacques accuses you of cheating with Yvonne. If you deny it they have proof from the apartment. Rachel asks you to leave and Jacques, her dear friend, comforts her. Your daughters think you're a sleazy scumbag!" 

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" I slumped down on the toilet seat.

"Snap out of it, Jeffrey. Just stay away from Yvonne, and then play it by ear." She pulled me to my feet. "Get back out there and calm down."

"Aren't you coming?"

"I'm going to the toilet, so you are definitely leaving!"

She pushed me out into the corridor and I made my way back to the table. Staying away from Yvonne proved difficult. The only spare seat apart from Mandy's was next to her. I started in the direction of Mandy's seat when Rachel stopped me. 

"Over next to Yvonne, Jeffrey," she commanded and I obeyed. "You look a little pale are you alright?" 

"Yes, yes, it's just been a long day," I replied as I sat down next to Yvonne.

The next hour was hell. Yvonne's wandering hands were all over me under the table. It was hard to eat the entree and fight her off at the same time. If not for the warning I would have been flattered by the attention, but now I knew it was fake. When the main came out I noticed the looks Yvonne was getting from both Jacques and Rachel. They must be wondering why we hadn't made our excuses and left. Rachel tried to intercede. 

"Jeffrey, you don't look very well. You have a long flight home soon. Maybe Yvonne could take you home and you could get an early night?"

"No, I'm fine dear," I said cheerfully. "Doesn't this dinner look great?"

"Eat up and I will take you home after," Yvonne said huskily, as she tried to rub my leg.

"No, there'll be plenty of time to sleep on the plane home." 

I made it through the rest of the meal unscathed and thought they had given up, but they tried again. The bus had been full but for one seat for the tour, but now there were two others to get back to the house; Mandy and Rachel. Rachel took charge again.

"Jeffrey, could you stay here and wait for the second trip? Jacques will drive and when he has dropped the rest of us off he will come and get you. Yvonne can keep you company." The first part was framed as a question, but it was meant as an order. 

I was speechless. Mandy tried to help.

"It's all right, Rachel, I'll stay," she said.

"Nonsense! You're my guest," Rachel blustered, shepherding Mandy towards the bus door.

"James and I will stay," my eldest daughter said, pointing to her husband. "You've been telling Dad that he looks off color all night. It won't be very good for him to stand around here for forty minutes."

Rachel was about to argue, but she could see it was futile. Her daughter was too much like her and her mind was made up. I sat up the back and pretended to sleep while I watched Rachel and Jacques in animated discussion up the front. They were speaking French so no one else could understand them. Just before we got home they lapsed into silence, too. Once at the house I quickly retreated to the bedroom and had a shower. I was about to get into bed when the door opened and Rachel entered. It looked like she had steeled herself and the time had come.




The Empty Nest Pt. 02



"Can we talk?" She asked, quietly. Most unlike Rachel's usual take charge attitude.

"Yes, sure. What about?" As if I didn't know.

"I'm not coming home with you," she said flatly.

"I know." It was out of my mouth before I could stop it. "I only got tickets for the girls. I supposed you have to wait till the building is finished." What a recovery.

She had the chance to put this off. She hesitated, but obviously decided to continue on.

"I'm not ever coming home. This is my home now." 

I think she thought I would explode. She didn't realize that I knew all about it. I decided to make it hard for her.

"After being here the last week I realize that dear, but I think we can work around this. You like it here, and I like it at home. We can have a long distance marriage. I will come and visit when I can. Who knows? France might grow on me."

The look on her face! I could see her brain trying to process an answer, but one wouldn't come. Finally she just blurted it out.

"I want a divorce!"

"Have you found a replacement?" I said evenly watching for her reaction. She didn't even twitch.

"No! No, but I don't think this long distance thing would ever work," She spoke sharply at first then more measured.

While she was speaking I took out my phone and was going through the menu.

"Will you put that thing away!? We are trying to have a conversation here!" 

I found what I was looking for, pressed play, and then turned the volume up. It wasn't very loud, but the moans and French words were obvious. Rachel's mouth flew open and then she covered her face with her hands.

"You really should learn to press the end button on your phone, but I guess you were preoccupied!" I snarled bitterly, pressing stop so the room was silent again.

Rachel slumped down in a chair, her head still in her hands. 

"Have you told the children?"

"What do you think? Really, do you think I'm that petty and nasty?" This bought another round of howls from her as I threw her plan back in her face. "I'll be leaving in the morning!" I said getting up and grabbing a pillow.

"Where are you going?"

"I'll sleep on a lounge."

"But the children will find out." 

"They are no longer children and you just told me you wanted a divorce. I think them finding out is inevitable!" I shouted.

After pulling a blanket off the bed I stormed out, slamming the door. I had started off so calm but her hypocritical attitude really pissed me off. Rachel was crying, for herself not our marriage.

I walked through the living area and Mandy was still up with a glass of red wine

"Nice pajamas!" she said with a smile which disappeared when she saw my face. "Trouble in paradise?"

"As expected," I sighed. "I'm sleeping in the library tonight on a lounge then leaving tomorrow."

"What!" The voice came from behind me. It was my daughter and son that had stayed behind. They must have just been dropped off.

"Why are you leaving tomorrow? Are you and Mum fighting? You're supposed to stay for another week!"

Turning and looking into her confused face, my heart broke. I held my arms out and she came to me hugging me tight.

"Your mum and I are getting a divorce, pumpkin. After nearly thirty years we have grown apart." I said stroking her hair.

"But you can't! You're mum and dad! You never fight! You just do what mum...says..."

She didn't say anymore, she had covered the situation pretty well. I just do what mum says. I held her for another five minutes then passed her to her husband.

"Go to bed now. I'll see you in the morning when I tell the others."

She went with her husband, still sniffling, Mandy left for the cabana, and I turned the lights out and went to the library. After rolling around for hours I finally got to sleep. I woke at seven and immediately got my smart phone and started trying to organize to get out of this French shit hole today. Christmas Eve wasn't the greatest time to be doing last minute travel plans, but I worked out a way to get back to Australia. It was with a dodgy airline and I had to catch the train to Paris, then a plane to London, then Japan, then home, but it all worked if everything happened on time.

I got out to the kitchen and all my daughters were up. It had the atmosphere of a mausoleum. The youngest jumped up on seeing me and ran to me crying. 

"Why? Dad, why?"

It looks like their mother had struck the first blow.

"People change dear. What was once very right is now broken."

Lifting her head up from my chest she looked at my face. "But can't it be fixed?"

"Both parties would have to want it and that's not the case here. Where is your mother?"

"Gone for a walk." 

"Oh well...um...girls...I've organized to head home today so I'm going to miss Christmas with you, but I'll catch up with you when you get back to Australia."

There were howls of protest, but I think they realized that if I stayed Christmas would be worse. I made a coffee and went out near the pool to drink it. It was bracing outside but it meant I got to drink it in peace. I had just finished when Mandy came out of the cabana. 

"How are you doing this morning?" she asked uncertainly.

"Fine, I've been doing my mourning for the past couple of months. It's actually a relief to have it all out in the open. We can all move forward." 

"What's your plan?"

"I'm going home, organized it this morning. Any chance of a lift to the train station?" Mandy had organized a rental car in Aix De Provence.

"Yes, sure, I'm heading off, too. Mind if I tag along on the train ride?"

"Not staying for the festivities?" I said sarcastically.

"I've seen more festive people who have had their dog run over!" Mandy said pointing to the kitchen window and the long faces sitting around the table.

I grimaced.

"Yes, it would be nice to have some company." She added.

I went back to the main bedroom and packed up my stuff. I was putting my bag in Mandy's car when Rachel came striding up the drive. A car remarkably like Jacques' drove past the front gates and off up the road.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes, got a plane to catch." I mumbled looking at my watch.

"Home?"

"Is where the heart is!" My sarcasm made her bristle.

"We need to talk!" 

"No, I don't think we do! For our whole life together, whenever you have uttered those words it's because you want me to do something, or buy something, or go to some boring social function. Well, now that you want a divorce there is no point talking."

She appeared agitated, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"I need some money!" she blurted out.

"What? You have spent ten million dollars in less than a year?"

"No! No! It's...it's tied up in a land deal?"

"Let me guess, your real estate guru, Jacques, is looking after everything for you! Have you ever thought that Jacques might be more of an expert in milking desperate, rich, fat arsed women than real estate?"

"How dare...you...you...vulgar Australian! I'm going to get more than half of everything you have got!"

"And then you will give it all to your boyfriend Jacques and you will wake up the next morning alone! He will move on to the next old slag with a bag full of cash! Or maybe he will retire and trade you in on a newer, slimmer model with a lot less miles on the clock!"

There were gasps from behind me and I turned around to see the family standing on the paved area outside the front door. I had no idea how much they had heard. Rachel saw them too and with a strangled cry she stormed past me through her daughters and inside. They stood rooted to the spot, unsure whether to follow their mother or say goodbye to their father.

"Sorry..." I said weakly. "I'd best be going." I gave a miserable wave, slammed the boot of Mandy's car shut and got in the front seat. I prayed she wouldn't take long to get going.

Five minutes later Mandy appeared dragging her bag. My daughters had moved inside.

"Well, you know how to make a low key exit!"

"How does that song go, shut up and drive, drive, drive, drive!"

"Touché, are you going to be this friendly all the way to Paris?"

"Just give me a minute, I've got to calm down," I said deliberately, clenching my fists.

We drove in silence to the train station. Mandy went to return her hire car, and I went and got our tickets. We had five minutes so we grabbed a coffee and immediately regretted it. The French do bad coffee. 

I had calmed down by the time we got on the train. We chatted about the ramifications of divorce. Mandy wasn't that much help as every country has different laws. My only knowledge of the Australian law was there was no-fault divorce. So, being the "guilty" party didn't matter. As long as there was a committed relationship that had lasted more than two years, then either spouse, or de facto, were allowed to make a claim against the other. Given that and Rachel's desire for money, we deduced that she was going to chase hard.

I was resigned to that and was willing to make concessions, especially if the money I gave my sister remained undiscovered. I reasoned that because it was paid straight to her and there was no record of it ever being linked to my accounts, that it was safe. Unfortunately a simple check of with the lotteries company would show I actually won thirty million.

Given Rachel and Jacques desperation to get money I would have to be careful. There would be no discussing money with my sister on the phone or by e mail. Everything would have to be face to face in a safe place. Maybe I was being paranoid, but I had hired a private investigator and I had to assume that they would do the same.

Getting off the train in Paris, we got on the airport shuttle and we were at the airport very quickly. We said our goodbyes, Mandy saying that if there was anything she could do to help, just let her know.

"For a small fee of course!"

"Of course," I laughed.

"Sure you don't want to come with me and have Christmas in London?" 

"Tempting, but I just want to get home." I lied, I wasn't tempted. The way I was feeling about the opposite sex, Angelina Jolie could have walked up and propositioned me and I would have turned her down flat.

I actually missed Christmas, leaving late Christmas Eve I landed in Australia on Boxing Day. I suppose I didn't have much to celebrate. As I was in Sydney I texted my sister to see if it was alright to stay with her. I got a taxi to her place. She lived in a trendy terrace house in Woollarah. Her boyfriend and his parents were over for dinner. She opened the door with a smile but it soon faded.

"My god, you look ghastly! Are you okay?"

"Yes, a little...make that a lot tired. The crap has hit the fan."

"Rachel?"

"Yes, we are officially getting a divorce!"

"Oh dear, well come in, come in. I expect you don't feel like socializing much so go straight upstairs to the spare room and I will make excuses for you."

"Thanks, you're a gem!" 

I staggered upstairs and slept for seventeen hours. I woke up at midday to a stormy Sydney, hot, wet and muggy. Coming downstairs I went into the kitchen and found my sister washing up.

"You look a lot better, do you feel any better?"

"Yes, it's good to be home."

She wiped her hands and gave me a hug.

"Sit down and tell me everything while I make you something to eat."

I did: I talked and talked. Ate, then talked some more. It was four o'clock in the afternoon before I finished. I went through everything, the money problems, and the fights. She already knew about the lottery win but I gave her some insight into why I was hiding the ten million. The recorded infidelity, Mandy's investigation and finally the Christmas holiday from hell and the confrontation.

When I had finished my sister went to the refrigerator and got out a bottle of wine and poured us both a large one. 

"I know a good divorce lawyer, we went to school together." 

"I think I'll use Brian at home. I know he isn't a specialist but he knows both me and Rachel. He is up to speed on our financial situation, except for your investment stuff, and he is just down the road. I don't fancy traveling to Sydney every time Rachel tries to pull some stunt."

"So you think it will get ugly?"

"Bound too, Jacques is obviously pushing hard. Do you still monitor your incoming calls?" My sister had an ex-boyfriend turned stalker.

"Yes, why?"

"How long do you keep the records for?"

"They just automatically upload to my computer so I think I still have them from when it was put on

"Could you check around the time I won the lottery. I rang you the day I bought the ticket. I only got your message bank but they won't know that. I can say we talked about splitting the winnings."

"Surely they won't find out. You're not going to tell them are you?"

"No, but any investigator worth a dollar will talk to the lotteries people. I have to assume they'll find out. Also I'll have to give them a list of companies I'm a director of. It will be a long list because I'm listed on a lot of family companies that use my accounting firm. I'm just an independent person that they trust to act as referee if any disputes arise. If they do go digging and find yours that got ten million on the same day Rachel and I did they might twig to it." 

"Yes I suppose..." She raised her glass. "Good luck you old fart!" 

We toasted each other and laughed.

"Speaking of luck how are the investments going?" I asked trying not to sound to desperate.

"Well, you know I'm not one to brag but they are actually going gangbusters!"

"Really? So what did you go for, bank stocks? Resources?"

"I steered clear of the stock market. I think too many companies share prices are way too high for their earnings performance. My boyfriend, he deals in futures so I went there."

"That's risky isn't it?"

She laughed." Spoken like a true accountant!"

"What futures then ASX? Metals? Currencies?"

"No soft commodities actually."

"Farm stuff? You're joking? Do you know how many clients I have who have been burnt by them?"

"That's because your clients grow the stuff! They can't be objective about them!"

"Really, and you know so much about wheat and canola!"

"No I don't but I know that when I started the prices were at historic highs and the US and Europe had just planted a massive crop."

"So?"

"So I took forward supply positions at the high prices then watched as they tumbled and then closed them out with a hefty profit." 

"How much?"

"As it happens I have pretty much closed all my trades before Christmas. The market bottomed out with the US harvest in August. It's only been moving a little bit lately it's not worth the time to watch it. At last count I had made 4.2 million dollars!"

"Holy shit! How much did you risk?"

"Oh about seven million." She said nonchalantly.

My heart was pounding. "How could you sleep?"

"Like a baby, it wasn't my money it was yours." She smirked.

I was stunned. I opened my mouth but I couldn't think of what to say.

"Close your mouth, the wind might change and you'll stay that way! So when will you be needing the money?"

"Not too soon I hope. I can cover five million easy enough if that's what the court decides."

"Five million? You are joking! She got the same ten you did. It's not your fault she gave it to that froggy bastard!"

"Yes but we were still married then, I think they tally the personal wealth from the time of separation. Apparently she is broke now so they will want their pound of flesh from me."

"It's still bullshit!"

"Not really, the way I see it she is entitled to half the ten million I gave to you so five would be fair."

My sister was quiet as she stared at me over the rim of her wine glass for a minute before she replied.

"I didn't think you had it in you. You are as cunning as a shithouse rat! Here I was feeling sorry for you but you had Rachel in checkmate right from the start! You weren't planning for the divorce were you?" There was a hint of accusation in the question.

"No...no I don't think so. We hadn't been getting along very well. It was just going to be my rainy day money so even if Rachel churned her way through the rest of it there would be some to keep the wolves from the door. Maybe some left over for the girls. I have owed the bank money for so long if you add up all the interest I've probably paid back what I borrowed twice over, but I was still up to my neck in it before this."

"So what are you going to do after this is all over?"

"Stay in my little country town, walk down the main street every morning saying hello to the shop owners on my way to work. Put in a solid day then walk home talking to whomever I meet. In short do what I've been doing. Except I can have some peace when I'd get home!"

"No travel? Fast cars? Loose woman?"

"Not really my style. I might look around a bit. I've always wanted to walk the Kokoda track in Papua New Guinea. See what Uncle Jack went through fighting the Japanese in the Second World War. Maybe do some exotic fishing, but really I'm a simple man."

"A simple lonely man with a cold heart?" She asked sadly.

"Maybe, maybe I'll just be more selective who I give it too."

"Have you got someone I mind?"

"No, but I haven't looked," I momentarily thought of Charlie before continuing. "I suppose I didn't look the first time. Rachel had our courtship and wedding mapped out after our second date."

We sat in silence, sipping our wine. I was contemplating how Christmas had gone in my absence. My sister put her hand on mine she had started speaking again.

"Earth to Jeffrey!"

"Sorry I was miles away." 

"You didn't hear anything then did you?"

I shook my head.

"Well I'll give you the abridged version. Don't change Jeffery, you have always been the good, decent, dependable one in our family. You may be boring and old but you're supposed to be! You're an accountant for god's sake! All this, hiding stuff, spying, telling people off, in the circumstances I understand, but when it's over go back to being the brother I love!"

"I'm glad I got the abridged version!"

"Oh very droll, well I'm glad you have taken my advice because that's the sort of Dad joke I would expect from you!"

I poked my tongue out at her and she pulled a face and then we laughed. It was like we were kids again. 

I stayed another night with my sister and then went home. Things were quiet there and I pottered about in the garden for a week until I opened up at work again on the third of January. My daughters returned home that week. They took it in turns to come and stay for a night. They weren't very happy. They were angry at both of us. I tried to explain that people change. With them gone we were like two strangers being forced by circumstance to live together. The two older daughters seemed to understand, the youngest took it harder. 

I had tried joking about them being lucky now they had somewhere to stay overseas. It didn't go down well. They may have been cranky with Rachel and me but they hated Jacques. He had moved into the house Christmas afternoon. On Boxing Day he started asking question through Rachel about my finances. They told her that I had given them some money, he had written down the amounts in a diary he carried with him everywhere. The planning for divorce was well underway.

Obviously lawyers have longer holidays because it was three weeks later that I had a visit from a courier. I signed for the package and was given a copy of the preliminary divorce papers. I had already spoken to my lawyer over a steak and beer lunch the week before. He had explained some of what to expect. I looked it over but really didn't get into it. I called Brian and told him I had received some stuff from Rachel's lawyers and I was sending one of the office girls over to his office with it. He said he would have a look and we arranged to meet for after work at his office.




The Empty Nest Pt. 02



I got there just as his assistant was on her way home. She said he was in his office so I walked in. He was sitting back in his chair leafing through some papers.

"Are you ready or do you want me to come back tomorrow?" I asked standing near the door.

"No, no come in sit down. I was just having another quick look. They seem fairly straight forward."

"You must read things differently to me!" 

"These things," he replied holding up the sheath of papers, "are to me, what a cash book is to you."

"Well, what's the verdict?"

"As I said very ordinary, they want your lawyers name, a copy of your last two tax returns and a statement of position regarding assets. The only thing slightly different is they want to have it heard expeditiously."

"Isn't that usual?"

"Yes, but the Australian family court doesn't like quickie divorces. Generally you have to demonstrate a twelve month separation before they will let you start proceedings. They don't like people reconciling two weeks after they have been divorced.

"If they start the separation from when I left France the first time then it would be better than six months."

"Yes, but you told me Rachel still had money then so they are taking the separation as starting from Christmas Eve. That way she is penniless and they go after half of what you have got left."

"Alright so what do we do?"

"That depends on what you want to do. They are going to petition the family court for an early hearing because you are going to be living on either side of the world so there will be little chance of reconciliation. You can agree and fast track this thing or you can disagree and slow it down. Also there are two ways to go at the family court. There is the usual way in front of a full court or the non-adversarial way where it's more of a meeting rather than the formalities of the full court."

"Which way are they pushing for?"

"They want the full court. This law firm is full of heavy hitters, they want to get you on the stand and hit you with a blitzkrieg!"

"Okay...so we agree to the expedited process but we want the non-adversarial. If they are desperate to get it heard then we make it on our terms."

"That would be my suggestion." Brian agreed.

"Do I send my financials away now?"

"Oh god no! We wait until the court agrees to hear this then the court will give us a date by which we have to comply."

"Great? I'll leave it in your capable hands to write the appropriate response and you can let me know when you hear back."

"No problems Jeff. How are you holding up with all this going on?"

"I'm fine!" I said, only half meaning it. "Do you want to grab a steak at the pub for dinner?"

"No Jeff, sorry...the wife is hosting the book club tonight and I am the barman for the night. Maybe another night this week?" He said rising from his chair.

"Yeah sure, I'll ring you." I replied amiably. 

I wasn't looking forward to going home to an empty house tonight. It just seemed so lifeless. Even if I had not always enjoyed Rachel's domineering personality at least it was some human contact that wasn't work related. I decided that I would have to join a service club or a sports group so I had some other outlet.

Coming out of Brian's office I crossed over to the supermarket. I was looking in the meat section contemplating what piece of animal flesh I was going to char grill to go with my sweet potato mash and green beans when a voice from my recent past chirped behind me.

"Jeffery? How was your Christmas holiday?" A cheery voice asked.

I turned to see Charlie pushing a trolley of groceries.

"I spent Christmas day on a plane coming home, so not very well." I replied bitterly.

"Oh..." She looked uncomfortable.

"Heh, I knew what I was flying into when I went. I've just got to put my big boy pants on and keep going. How was yours?" I was trying to be cheerful.

"Good, we went to a holiday park on the central coast. It's best to be away from home on the special days. Keeps the ghosts at bay."

Now I was uncomfortable. It's funny how you can get so wrapped up in your own little world that you think you have the worst problems. Charlie had shown me once again how tiny mine were.

"How's David?" I asked changing the subject.

"He's at a regional cricket camp for the next week so he will be in heaven." She smiled again.

I did something I rarely do, I acted on impulse.

"I'm just getting something for dinner, would you like to come over tonight?"

The smile quivered, and then beamed out.

"Okay, you get the meat and I'll do a salad!" 

"Great, at least something will be edible!" I grinned but in my head I was wishing I had hired a cleaner for the house. 

"What time?"

"Whenever you get there."

"I'll take my stuff home then toss a salad together...say an hour?"

"See you then!" 

I grabbed some steak and a packet of chicken thigh fillets and hot footed it home. Tidying up what I could in the living area I wished I could have run the vacuum and the mop around. Seemingly in no time, the doorbell rang, I looked around. Damn! On top of the mantelpiece above the fire place was a stack of empty photo frames. I had been culling some of the smiling pictures of Rachel and myself. The doorbell rang again so I went to let Charlie in.

Opening the door I was confronted with Charlie juggling three bowls as she was going to ring the doorbell again. I grabbed one just before it fell.

"I thought you had changed your mind!" She said crossly.

"Sorry...it's the maid's day off so I was trying to make the place presentable." I mumbled as I ushered her in.

Charlie put her bowl down on the kitchen bench and looked around, then at me. 

"You should have come to my place." She looked around again, "sorry I snapped at you. You start cooking and I'll do a quick tidy up."

I grabbed the steaks and went out to the BBQ. When I got back the room was much better, the windows were open letting out the stale air and the table was set. 

"Would you like a glass of wine?" I asked, putting the steaks down on the table to rest.

"Yes, that would be great!"

"Red or white?"

"I know it doesn't go but I'd prefer white."

"No worries." I went to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of Pinot Gris.

We sat down, I poured while Charlie served out the food. We ate just making small talk. Afterwards I cleared up and stacked the dishwasher while Charlie worked her magic on the coffee machine. We moved out onto the deck now the heat of the day was starting to dissipate. I gave her a short version of my French excursion.

"So it's all over then?"

"Yes and no, the relationship, definitely! The separation? I'm afraid the court bit may drag on a bit."

"Money?"

"Yes, I'm willing to give her half but I think she could want quite a bit more.

"How much is half? Er ...sorry, you don't have to answer that."

"No it's okay. About five million."

"Five million! I'd jump over the moon if I got one tenth of that!"

"Did you get any life insurance when your husband died?"

"No, fucking insurance companies! He had just started a new job six months before. He transferred his superannuation over to the new company's scheme which was supposed to have life insurance included. However I got a letter two months after his death saying that they deemed it to be a pre-existing condition. All I got was the thirty thousand that he had in his superannuation."

"Do you own your own house?"

"Yes but there's a mortgage. The two hundred and fifty thousand we were supposed to get would have erased that but it didn't happen."

"I'm not a lawyer but I have some experience with insurance companies through my clients. I think you should have been paid!" 

"So did I but I couldn't afford a lawyer to check it out."

"Do you still have the paperwork?"

"Yes it would be in our records somewhere."

"Would you mind if I got my lawyer to have a look. I think you have seven years to fight these things."

"I still have the same problem. I'm a casual teacher so I don't make a lot and as its holidays I haven't had a wage for four weeks. I couldn't afford it!"

"I'll spot you any charges and if you need some money to get you through the rest of the holidays I can help out."

"I don't want your charity Jeffery!"

"Who said anything about charity? You can work for it! There is a walk in wardrobe full of Rachel's dresses I want packed away for storage. Shoes, handbags, I want them all packed up ready to go to the opportunity shop when I get the all clear. You can see for yourself the house needs a woman's touch. In the next two weeks you can get it shipshape and when you go back teaching I'll employ a cleaner."

She looked at me dubiously. "What are you paying?"

"$30 per hour."

"I don't like cleaning my own house! $40!"

"$35 and not a penny more."

"Done!"

"Not yet, I have one stipulation. To seal the deal you have dinner here again tomorrow."

"I don't know about that, you may be a deviant that has designs on my body." she pouted, her voice husky and her eyes hooded.

Once again she had me speechless. I did a fish impersonation, opening my mouth and closing it a couple of times but I couldn't find any words to say. Charlie cracked up and was almost falling off her chair laughing. I stood up petulantly and took the coffee cups and saucers to the dishwasher. She followed me giggling.

"There, there Jeffrey baby..." she soothed in a little girl voice."I was only joking." She started laughing all over again. 

I pulled her to me my hands finding the small of her back. I lowered my lips to hers and kissed her hard. She didn't respond but she didn't push me away either, I finished the kiss as suddenly as I started it. Taking a step back it was my turn to laugh, she was impersonating a fish.

"You best be careful I can surprise!"

"Yes, you certainly can." She looked around nervously, unsettled by my boldness. "I had best be off." 

Charlie made her way to the front door and I followed behind. She opened it but paused on the threshold.

"What time tomorrow?" 

"Suit yourself," I grabbed a set of keys from the hall table drawer. "Here, take these. You can come and go as you like."

She took them and turned to go.

"Charlie...um...sorry about that just then...I ...didn't mean..."

"To kiss me? You know how to make a girl feel wanted!"

"No! No, to make you uncomfortable. That's what I meant."

She looked back at me, turned and placing her hand on my arm stretched up and kissed me on the cheek.

"Goodnight Jeffrey, I can see I am going to have to keep an eye on you!" her smile had returned.

She left and I finished cleaning up before going to bed. The next morning I was just finishing breakfast when the front door opened and Charlie entered wearing a pair of old paint splattered shorts and a large men's work shirt with rolled up sleeves. I took her through the house to my wife's, ex-wives wardrobe. Next we went to the laundry and together we found most of the cleaning equipment. Lastly to the garage where I showed the stack of flattened cardboard storage boxes. 

"We used them when we moved the girls out. They are easy to reassemble." I demonstrated.

"I think I'll start with the cleaning, might get to the clothes later."

"Okay...um if you need anything give me a call. Oh... the air conditioner controls are on the wall in the entrance hallway. You may need it on when the day heats up."

"Thanks I'll be fine." 

I headed for the door then doubled back. Charlie was wrestling with the vacuum cleaner.

"Charlie? Will you stay for dinner again tonight? I mean if you want...you...you don't have to obviously."

"Yes that will be good! You will have to keep your lips to yourself though. I'm an employee now, I could sue for sexual harassment."

"Of course...yes...goes without saying." Charlie was laughing at my awkwardness again.

"Get out of here you big lug! I've got work to do. I found that insurance paperwork last night it's on the hall table." 

I went off to work as usual except this time I was looking forward to going home. I sent one of the girls from the office down to Brian's with Charlie's insurance letters with a note to ring me when he had a chance to have a look at them. I actually left work a little early and got some flowers and another bottle of wine for dinner tonight. Walking in the door it was tempting to say, hi dear I'm home. Just as well I didn't because I found Charlie on her hands and knees in the main bathroom shower stall. She was trying to get some stubborn stains off the grout between the tiles. She looked up and saw me.

"You know you're not paying me enough for this!" She said wiping her brow with her sleeve.

"I know that's why I bring gifts!" I waved the wine and the flowers.

"Best go and pour me a glass of that. I'll get these gloves off and wash up then join you in the kitchen."

I went to the kitchen poured her a glass and got myself a beer. My phone rang, it was Brian. 

"Why aren't you at work? You never leave early!" 

"I had something to attend to at home. I'm trying out a new cleaner." I replied smirking at Charlie as she came out and got her wine.

"Any good?"

"Well not too bad, could do with a bit more training but I'll see how she goes." Charlie gave me the finger then mimed that she was going to have a shower.

"If she works out let me know. My wife is looking for somebody to help her at home."

"Will do. So what's the problem Brian?"

"No problem, I got an e mail from the family court. Your non adversarial hearing is set down for a month from tomorrow."

"That's expeditiously?" I queried doubtfully.

"It most certainly is. I think I underestimated the pull of Rachel's law firm. I didn't think anything would happen for three months. Anyway we have to have your financials complete with independent valuations of your house and business sent to them by close of business Wednesday next week!"

"I'll get on it tomorrow. I can get them to you in a couple of days. Who does the valuations?"

"I've got somebody I use. I'll light a fire under them tomorrow so they will probably want to talk to you at the end of the week."

"That's fine...did you get a chance to have a look at the insurance stuff I sent over?"

"Yes, I just scanned through it."

"And?"

"It's just as you thought. They are playing silly buggers. It's a common thing, they send out the rejection letters. Ninety percent of people complain and get a lawyer then they pay. Ten percent believe the letter and they get to keep the money."

"Bastards. So what do we do? It's not too late is it?"

"No, no, you have seven years to fight it. I'll write a nasty letter with a few idle threats of legal action and they will fold and pay."

"That's great, just add the time to my bill. I'm sure I won't notice a few more hours."

"You are so right!"

We said our goodbyes and hung up. Charlie came out freshly showered with a light summer dress on. It fitted her great in all the right places. 

"Anyone would think you hadn't seen a women before!" She said walking towards me.

"Not one this good looking!" I replied continuing to watch as the dress shimmied around her slim frame.

"Remember what I said, today I'm your employee. I could sue!"

"I recall you told me you can't afford a lawyer!"

"Alright you've got me there." Charlie slipped past me to the fridge and began getting food out.

"On the subject of lawyers, Brian has had a look at your documents and he thinks he can get you the life insurance money."

"How?" She asked trying to sound disinterested.

"He thinks a stern letter should do the trick. Insurance companies do it all the time, knock back the first attempt. If they discourage five percent then that's five percent they don't have to pay!" I said as I moved beside her.

"Bastards!" She blurted, attacking a carrot with a large knife. 

"Easy..." I cautioned, "that carrots not armed!"

"Sorry..." Charlie replied then she dissolved into tears.

I put my arm around her and she step into me holding me tight, pushing her face into my chest. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed. I turned so I was holding her with both arms and stayed silent. As the crying subsided she looked up into my face.

"I'm sorry, I haven't cried like this since after John's funeral. It's just...why...you know, I was mourning my husband and trying to supporting our son and they want to play fucking games!"

I wiped some tears away from her cheek. "It's all right. We will get the money and some interest." I said quietly.

"I know it's just the principle...thanks for your help." Charlie stood on tip toes and we kissed. Stopping momentarily we gazed at each other, then kissed again.

We stopped kissing but I continued to hold her close. Her head turned and resting on my chest and I rested my chin on top of her head.

"Thank you Jeffery...I wish...I wish I could give more but with David and everything." She sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"Shhh...I know. We both have lots of complications. We can still be friends can't we?" 

"Yes."

"Good friends?" I asked surprised at the lump in my throat.

"Yes."

We stayed holding each other until Charlie stepped back and took charge.

"The chicken is marinated in the fridge. You grab it and get out to the BBQ. I'm starving!"

We had a nice dinner and continued talking, only about lighter subjects this time. For the rest of the week we had dinner together. My house was sparkling clean and well organized, I tried to think of some way to get her back the next week but she wasn't keen. 

"I have to get David tomorrow and...and I've never had a male friend, apart from a relative, since John. I don't know how he will react."

"You can't put your life on hold for ever?"

"I know, but I think it's too soon!"

"Okay, sorry that wasn't what I meant to say. Umm...maybe you could both come over just for afternoon tea next weekend. You know just see how it goes?"

"You're still married!"

"Barely...please can't we try and stay friendly?"

"Oh...I'll think about it, but don't push me Jeffery!" 

She left and I immediately felt embarrassed and ashamed at the pressure I put on Charlie. It wasn't fair, the hurdles between us were many and I was being selfish. The next day I sent her some flowers by way of apology and I left her alone for the next week. 

I was busy enough anyway organizing all my financial data and getting the valuations of the house and business finalized. It was Friday before I knew it. I hadn't heard from Charlie all week so I thought I had blown it. At home I was eating dinner when there was a knock on the door. It was Charlie.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi" I replied.

Neither of us spoke for a moment.

"Would you like to come in?" I asked to break the silence.

"No, I've got to get David from cricket training. I...I just stopped by to see if the invitation for afternoon tea was still open?"

"Of course! But you don't have to if you don't want too. I understand if you find it uncomfortable."

"No, we will be here. I've thought about it a lot and I can't stand still forever. I'm not promising anything, I don't know how David will react but I'll give it a try. 

The next day I slept in then went down to the bakery to pick up a cake and other sweet treats for the afternoon tea. Getting home at lunch time I ate a salad roll then went into my home office to organize a couple of things for the afternoon. I hadn't told Charlie a time and assumed I would be after Charlie's cricket. About five o clock the doorbell rang.

Opening the door I greeted Charlie with a restrained 'Hi' and she introduced me to her son, David. He was taller than I would have thought for a thirteen year old. Blonde hair like his mum, but a different shaped face. A square jaw line gave him a masculine profile but his body was still that of a lanky boy. He regarded me coolly but shook my hand when I offered it. 




The Empty Nest Pt. 03



This was originally written as one long story. The break on the first page saying present day means the back story has caught up to the timeline that began in the first half page of Pt One.

All chapters were submitted together so the others won't be too far away.

Thanks again to Favored for his editing.

*****

The next morning it was raining hard, I opened the bedroom curtain saw the bleak outlook and climbed back into bed. I had an appointment with my lawyer in the afternoon. We were going to go through Rachel's financial report, which finally arrived yesterday, to work on strategies for Wednesday's hearing. I couldn't get back to sleep, visions of Charlie and David kept leaping into my mind's eye whenever I closed my eyes.

Getting up I had some breakfast, put some laundry in the wash and then in the dryer. I got bored so I got an umbrella and went for a walk downtown. It was quiet for a Saturday, probably the rain. I went to the coffee shop, ordered a coffee and grabbed the papers. I spent a leisurely hour flicking through the paper and ate a ploughman's lunch. 

I was waiting outside Brian's office when he arrived.

"Nothing on this morning?" Brian chirped.

"Yes, my social diary is a little bare at the moment," I grunted.

"Yes, I suppose it would be..." Brian flicked through his keys trying to find the right one.

Inside Brian passed me the financial report to peruse. It was short, the villa despite being bought for one point five million and then extensively renovated was written down as being worth one point four including furnishings. A seventy five percent share in a French real estate investment company, seven hundred and fifty thousand. That was it for assets, on the debit side there was a loan facility with a French bank for four hundred thousand. It was unbelievable! Ten million had become one million seven hundred and fifty thousand in less than twelve months! Splitting this money was the best thing I had ever done.

Looking up I saw Brian watching me with an amused look on his face.

"Amazing isn't it!"

"Unbelievable! It can't be true!" I was flabbergasted.

"I doubt it is but it explains why we received it so late. There is no chance of checking these figures in three days."

"Aren't these supposed to be independently verified?" I slapped the folder down on the table in frustration.

"Yes but our problem is that we haven't really got time to organize proof to dispute them."

"Maybe we do..." my mind went to Mandy." What time is it in London?"

"It would have to be the middle of the night." Brian played with his phone looking for a world time app.

"I know someone there who may be able to help. I'll ring her later and get her working on it!"

"Good, now on to your defense. Do you still want me to make the offer?" Brian inquired.

"Yes, tomorrow at four forty five so they only have one day to consider it."

"Still four million dollars?" I could tell by his tone he didn't approve.

"Yes, they will won't more than that won't they?"

"Definitely, I'd say they would want half of your assets including family home and business and a bit extra for twenty years' service. Ball park...um...six...six point five. What they will accept, that's the question!

"So they laugh at four, that's what I want. Then when we get in front of the judge at least we've tried to negotiate." 

"But unless we can prove that Rachel still has some money stashed away then the judge will think it's a joke too!"

"It will be worth a try, if my contact in London comes through we may have the proof."

"Don't get your hopes up. You haven't got any skeletons in the closet have you?"

"Umm..."

"I don't like the sound of that!" Brian huffed.

"Do you really want to know or would it be better to not tell you."

"You had better fucking tell me! I don't want to get blindsided, Rachel's lawyers are savage!"

"Okay, I...I won a bit more than twenty million." I said sheepishly.

"How much more?" 

"Ten million more..." 

Brain was stunned. "Where is it? Not under the bed or buried I hope?"

"No, no, my sister has it. I gave her a third for safe keeping."

"What! Why isn't it in your financial statement?" 

"Well, technically it's not mine and only she and I and now you know about it. Oh... and the lotteries people because they paid it straight to her. I said she and I had a syndicate."

"Technically? Where is it now?" Brian was getting exasperated.

"It's in an investment company run and administered by my sister. I am a director and it is in my financial statement where I list all the companies I'm a director of." Brian picked up the folder with my statement and began leafing through it. "Page four, Mistcal Pty Ltd."

"What are all these companies?" Brian asked pointing at the half page list.

"A number of my rural clients run their businesses as family companies. They like to have an independent director to act as a referee in family disputes. I don't get paid but I get the accounting business."

"Are there any other multi-million dollar companies here?"

"Have you tried to buy a farm recently? They are all million dollar companies! The largest, Jones Bros, is worth around forty million but they do have a transport component to their portfolio."

"Hmmm," he stroked his chin and regarded me over the glasses perched on the end of his nose. "I wondered why you included this list when you state you receive no remuneration as a director. Hiding in plain sight, heh. I'll have to watch you. I didn't have you marked as being that devious!" 

"Nothing to hide! It's my sister's money, I just do the accounting." I said with a smile. 

"Is that your official line? Do you have any proof that this syndicate existed?"

"I have the winning ticket which has a time and date of purchase and I have phone records that show I spoke to my sister just before that." I said hopefully.

"Tenuous but we might be able to make it fly. Is that why you are offering four million?"

"I just want it over quickly."

"How high are you prepared to go?"

"Five wouldn't be too high, if I'm in a good mood maybe five and a half but no higher." 

I had to fight the melancholy that was spreading through me. Talking about breaking up a long marriage in terms of money was making me quite sad.

"Alright I think I know what you want now. That will do for today, talk to your London friend as soon as you can and get back to me if you find anything useful. I'm away from the office on Tuesday but you can get me via my mobile. I'll see you Wednesday morning bright and early at the family court!" Brian said rising offering his hand.

I shook it, "You want to go and watch the football at the pub?" I asked trying not to sound to needy.

"Love to but my daughter and her fiancé are coming over for dinner so I best get home." 

"No worries, I'll see you Wednesday." I replied walking to the door. 

"Just one thing before you go, don't look to prosperous on Wednesday." Brian said, I looked back raising my eyebrow in puzzlement. "You know...leave the Armani suit at home."

"Come on Brian, you should know me better than that! I might have some money in the bank but I'm still as tight as a fish's arsehole! As if I'd spend that much money on a suit!"

Brian shrugged, "Just dress down a bit."

"Okay, see you Wednesday."

Outside the rain had stopped and the sun was peeking through the occasional break in the clouds. I walked home marveling at how rain seemed to make everything sparkle. Lawns and shrubs seemed to be growing in front of my eyes. Dust and road grime had been washed off the footpaths. Everything was renewed and revived. I wished my problems could be washed away as easily.

Later that evening when I assumed the sun would be up in London I rang Mandy. The sun may have been up but Mandy wasn't. I left two messages for her to ring me back. Just before I was going to go to bed that night she called back.

"Hi sugar daddy," she purred seductively.

"Hello Mandy," I replied more formally.

"Oh so this isn't a social call? I got all excited hearing from you on a Sunday morning." Mandy teased.

"No I'm afraid not. I've got a job for you."

"As its Sunday you do know this call is being charged at double time!" She giggled, it sounded like she was still suffering the effects of the night before.

"I wouldn't expect anything else." I replied tiredly.

"Well you are no fun this morning are you?"

"It's not morning here! Its ten thirty on Sunday night and I want to go to bed."

"Alright Grumpy! What do you want?" Mandy gave up her comedy routine.

"I want you to look into a company that did the valuations on Rachel's house and investment with Jacques."

"Okay, what's the problem with them?" She was all business now.

"They are complete crap I think! The house is valued at less than she paid for it before she renovated and decorated it, and the investment with Jacques is only written down at seven hundred and fifty thousand. I want to know where the rest is!"

"Alright keep your shirt on. When do you need it by?"

"The divorce hearing is Wednesday morning here so...Tuesday night I suppose."

Mandy laughed, "You're dreaming aren't you? I haven't got a snowballs chance in hell of getting that by then!"

"I know but can you just check out the company that did the valuations. They must be dodgy or connected to Jacques somehow. Find me something please?"

There was silence for a bit, "I'll try, that's all I can promise and I'm only doing that because I know you are loaded!" She was laughing again.

I gave her the company name and tto,d her I'd email the report to her straight away. Then we said our goodbyes and hung up.

Tuesday afternoon I couldn't concentrate at work. I rang the hotel I was to stay at the next night and made arrangements to stay that night as well. I walked out of work two hours early telling my secretary to hold my messages until I returned hopefully Thursday. At home I grabbed the bag I had packed the night before and started the two hours to Bathurst, the closet town where the Family court had sittings assigned. 

As the Family court was a Federal court then, most of the sitting days were in the state capitals or Canberra. Some early order hearings were held in regional centers and luckily Bathurst was able to fit us in to its schedule for tomorrow. Brian had told me that if it went further and Rachel continued to push for quick hearings then we would probably have to travel further. In the case of an appeal which had to be heard in front of three judges then I would have to travel to either Sydney or Canberra.

I arrived at the motel, got my key then arranged to have dinner at the restaurant that night.

Pulling the blinds closed I lay down and tried to get some sleep. My phone rang, I looked at the screen hoping it was Mandy but it wasn't.

"Hi Jeffery, where are you? I went to your house and office after work but you weren't there." Charlie asked in a worried voice.

"I'm in Bathurst. I couldn't concentrate at work so I decided to come here early. Is there something wrong?"

"No, no I just wanted to wish you luck I suppose. If that's what you do for someone going through divorce...just wanted to let you know that I'll be thinking about you tomorrow." She was flustered and for once the shoe was on the other foot.

"Thanks, that's nice to know."

There was silence for a bit that I attempted to break.

"How is David?"

"Fine, still a sullen teenager but okay," strain was noticeable in her reply.

"I've got some reading to catch up on so I'll talk to you later." I was letting her off the hook and myself I suppose. On so many levels I wanted her to be close to me but didn't want to put it all on the line and be left hanging. 

"Will you let me know what happens? I mean...um... can I see you when you get home?" 

A million thoughts went racing through my mind but I couldn't find the words.

"Jeff? Jeff? Are you still there?" Panic was evident in her tone.

She had put herself out there, she was vulnerable. I took a leap as well.

"Yes, yes just you know preoccupied. I'll ring you tomorrow night and let you know what happens. We can organize a catch up then."

"Great I'll talk to you tomorrow," the smile was back in her voice.

I lay down and surprisingly slept through my dinner reservation. The room phone rang. It was reception asking if I was alright. I told them I was and asked if they could bring something to my room. After eating I channel surfed for a few hours waiting for a call from Mandy that didn't come. I woke up again at three am with the television still going. I rolled around for several hours trying to get back to sleep but worrying about my fate at court that day kept me awake.

* * * * * * * * * *

Present Day.

I don't know what I expected, something like on television I suppose. The judge sitting up on a high bench. The lawyers facing off in a large oak paneled room with rows of empty chairs behind them. Instead it was just like a small conference room with tables arranged in a u shape. Tea and coffee facilities on one wall, a court stenographer setting up recording equipment. Very utilitarian except for a larger, more comfortable chair at the top of the u that I assumed was the judges.

Some of the court formalities were still observed as we were seated opposite each other, Rachel and Jacques studiously avoiding my gaze. The clerk of the court asked us to stand and the judge, a middle aged woman, entered and sat in her comfy chair. After we sat back down she opened the file she had bought with her and arranged the documents in front of her in two piles.

"Let's make a start shall we," the judge said looking up at me from the files. "I take it you are Jeffery Blake," I nodded, and she turned her gaze towards Rachel. "And you are Rachel," she nodded as well.

"Okay then, now this all seems a bit rushed. Are you sure that there is no chance of reconciliation down the track?"

I looked across at Rachel, letting her make the first move but her barrister was on his feet straight away.

"Your honor, I am Nigel Kerr from Waters, Anderson, Nelson and Kerr. I will be representing Mrs. Blake in these proceeding and..."

The judge was giving him a stern look and waving for him to sit down. I was trying to stifle a laugh, I had written down the law firms name on a doodle pad and I had just struck me what the acronym would be. 

"I know who you are Nigel! I'm just not sure why you are here!" Nigel sat down with a miffed look on his face. "For benefit of the all participants I want to make it clear this is a non-adversarial hearing. As such it is run by me and generally with the minimum of input from legal eagles such as yourself! Indeed I wonder why you deemed it necessary to attend." 

The judge fixed the barrister with a withering stare then softened her gaze as she looked around the tables. 

"The reason why we have these is to try and sort out an amicable agreement between the parties without the expense and time taken in a full court hearing. Hence they require the judge to act as an intermediary between the parties to find some common ground. I generally find that lawyers get in the way."

"With all due respect your honor, Mrs. Blake has requested that I speak on her behalf as she isn't confident in her ability to get her point of view on the record!"

They were like two bulls locking horns as they held each other's gaze. The judge flinched first looking down at her notes.

"Very well Mr. Kerr, but I will be asking your client some direct questions and I expect to hear some sort of answer from her first."

Rachel's barrister sat down with a smug look on his face. Brian stood and introduced himself and then sat back down. The judge took a sip of water then turned the first page of the notes in front of her.

"Firstly, I see that you have only been separated for two months," She looked up and looked first at me then at Rachel. "This is not a long time. In fact it's unusual for you to be at this court without being apart for at least twelve months. Are you sure that there is no chance of reconciliation?"

As she finished speaking she was looking at me so I spoke first.

"It's gone too far to be retrieved." I said simply, unemotionally. The judge moved her gaze to Rachel.

"It's finished." She said moving closer to Jacques.

"It must be understood that Mr. Blake deserted his family in France on Christmas Eve!" Nigel put his two cents worth in and earned a savage rebuke for his trouble.

"Mr. Kerr! That is exactly the sort of statement this process can do without! I remind you that this is still a court of law and I have the power to hold you in contempt! You have been warned." She sneered, I was starting to like this women.

He looked suitably chastened, so the judge moved one of the files beside her back in front and opened it.

"As the siblings involved in this union are adults then this becomes a simple matter of property division. I have your statement of position here Mr. Blake and I have a few points I would like to qualify. Firstly, I see about twelve months ago there were three large withdrawals that were noted in your tax returns as gifts?"

"Yes," I relied, "they were gifts to my daughters."

"Okay, they are all married?" I nodded, "that explains the different last names. I thought you might have had a harem or something." She said jokingly but nobody laughed.

"Also about the same time another one and a half million was taken out in various sized withdrawals that are described as loans in your statement. I can find no repayments listed can you explain this?"

"Yes, I helped out a few friends with interest free loans. The repayments are annual so the first installments will show up in the next couple of months."

"Interest free?" The judged queried sitting back in her chair as she peered at me over her glasses.

"Yes, these are proud people. They wouldn't accept gifts so I structured it so they have the money for ten years, if they pay back ten percent a year then the debt is over. If they don't make all the payments they have to repay the balance after ten years probably by going back to a commercial lender."

"A genuine good Samaritan?" There was a hint of sarcasm in her rhetorical question but she seemed happy with the answer.

"The rest seems fairly straight forward," she continued, "I understand that you have made an offer to settle this matter? Ahh... four million dollars. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"How did you come to that figure?"

"I halved what I have in the bank then added a million for Rachel's share of the business and house."

Swiveling in her chair the judge addressed Rachel. 

"I understand that you find this offer inadequate?"

"Yes, your honour," she said quietly.

"May I speak, your honour?" Nigel asked obviously annoyed.

"Certainly."

"Mrs. Blake has given her husband thirty years of her life, while he built a career she supported him and raised his children. Now he has a successful business while she has no other means of support. The offer while large is mean spirited for someone who has given so much of themselves."

I clenched my teeth and balled my fists. Brian elbowed me discreetly giving me a look that said calm down. The judge was silent for a moment then she closed my file and reached for the other one. Opening it she pulled out some handwritten notes.

"Perhaps this would be a good time to delve into Mrs. Blake's statement of position, and then we can move on to possible settlements."

"Yes your honour." Nigel replied opening his own folder signaling he intended answering the questions.

Ignoring him the judge had Rachel firmly in her sights.

"One year ago you had ten point-two-five million dollars in a bank account in your name. Is that correct?"




The Empty Nest Pt. 03



"Yes." Rachel replied nervously.

"Now you have a debt of four hundred thousand dollars?"

"Yes," Rachel squeaked.

Nigel cleared his throat and the judge looked at him. He raised his hand to indicate he wished to speak.

"If you must Mr. Kerr, but don't make me regret it." The judge said in a resigned fashion.

"Europe is going through a savage contraction at the moment and property values are plummeting. My client asked her husband for some money to help out at Christmas time but he refused." 

Nigel gave me a smug grin. I was tempted to poke my tongue out at him as a juvenile retort. It turns out the judge wiped the smile from his face for me.

"Given her record of blowing it I shouldn't wonder!" That did get a chuckle from Brian and me.

"Mr. Kerr as you are the font of all knowledge regarding Europe's recession can you explain something for me? How? After spending by my estimates, from the sad excuse of a financial statement the court received from your client, one million two hundred and fifty thousand on a house it ends up being worth less than what you paid for it?" 

Nigel consulted his notes and shifted uncomfortably in his chair, he was obviously used to being on the attack not the defense.

"As I stated earlier, your honour, the recession in Europe has been very bad for high end real estate."

"I do know that, but wasn't it depressed when Mrs. Blake bought the property?" The judge it seemed shared my disbelief. 

"I can only go on the valuation that we received from a very reputable valuation firm." Nigel hit his fallback position.

"Hmmm, well let's move on to the two payments of two and a half million for a seventy five percent stake in a property investment firm that according to this reputable valuation firm is only worth seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Five million to seven hundred and fifty thousand? Doesn't that stretch the boundaries of credibility?"

"I can only refer, your honour, to my previous answer that these valuations were from a reputable valuation company." Nigel was getting embarrassed.

The judge huffed and closed the file. She consulted her watch then stacked the files on top of each other again.

"It is now eleven o'clock and I have another case to see to, so we will have a break. We will reconvene in two hours, at one o'clock where I will hear any suggestions you have regarding a settlement. Mrs. Blake I suggest you consult with your legal team about the offer of settlement because I think it is a generous one!" 

The judge stood and we followed suit as she walked out the door. Rachel and Jacques went into a huddle with their legal team while Brian and I watched. After a short discussion Rachel, Jacques, Nigel and his junior left, leaving the briefing solicitor who approached us.

"Four million is not acceptable. We suggest seven is closer to the mark." He didn't wait for an answer, simply walking out after the others leaving us open mouthed.

I looked at Brian, he shrugged. 

"At least we know they will appeal whatever the judge decides. Unless I'm reading her wrong she is not going to award anything close to seven!"

"I guess we have a couple of hours to kill. Fancy a bite to eat?"

"Oh yeah, especially when you are paying!"

We left the court building and walked down the street until we found a cafe that looked alright and got a table. I checked my phone and saw five missed calls and two messages. I had it on silent in the hearing. Going to my calls log I saw it was Mandy, I didn't bother getting the messages instead dialing her direct. It was only when a sleepy voice answered that I realized that it would be midnight there.

"Sorry, I didn't look at the time," I groveled.

"That's okay, I was trying to stay awake," she yawned, "I have something that might help you." 

"Great, what did you find?" I tried not to sound too needy.

"The company that did the valuations is dodgy, I didn't notice it straight away but it's so obvious that my investigator pointed it out straight away. There is a reputable valuation company named Catella Valuations, it's one of the top eight in France and based in Paris. However if you look at the valuations you received they are from Capella Valuations! They have pretty much copied the other company's logo except for a very subtle change."

"So it's supposed to look like it came from the real deal?"

"That's it, anyway we did some digging into Capella Valuations and low and behold an old friend's name pops up."

"I assume you're talking about Jacques?" His name caught in my throat.

"Great guess, it's him and one of his cousins from Belgium. The cousin is the one who signed the valuations."

"I figured as much. It just didn't seem kosher!"

"It gets more comical, want to take a guess at the cousin's occupation?" My silence let her know I didn't. "He's a butcher!" She was laughing hard, I didn't find it funny.

"Can you send me some documentation to support this?"

"Already have, it should be in your inbox."

Damn I hadn't bought my iPad. I would have to see if I could borrow an Internet connection at the courthouse.

"So did I get to you in time?"

"Yes, we've had the first go at ten o clock but we have to be back in front of the judge in an hour and a half."

"How's it going?"

"Good I think," I looked at Brian across the table and he gave me the thumbs up. 

"Let me know how it finishes up, but wait till a reasonable hour next time!" 

We both laughed, said our goodbyes, then disconnected. I logged onto my emails on my phone as Brian watched me expectantly.

"Don't leave me hanging mate! What did your contact find out?" 

"It was just as we thought, the valuations are false. I have some proof in my inbox but I can't print it out. Do you think we could find somewhere to make a copy?" I asked frustrated as I tried to enlarge and read the documents on my phone.

"Do you remember Bomber Johnson from school?" I nodded still fiddling with my phone. "He works in an office of a bank around here somewhere. I'll try and get in contact with him. Otherwise we can try the sheriff's office in the court house."

I made to rise from the table but he motioned for me to sit. "We've got plenty of time let's eat first," he said looking at the menu.

We ordered and I wolfed mine down which only made me more frustrated as Brian took his time savoring every morsel. The waiter came to take our plates and asked if we wanted the dessert menu. My look told Brian not to push his luck and we left in search of Bomber Johnson. That was a bust but a kind clerk at the sheriff's office let me use her computer and we made three copies of Mandy's report.

It was very thorough and contained copies of the different letterheads and names as well as a letter from the true valuation company stating that they had nothing to do with it. Company records of the dodgy company with Jacques and his cousin's signatures along with photos of the cousin at his butchers shop rounded out the file.

We got back to the conference room five minutes early. The opposition was standing waiting at the door we stopped a discreet distance away. Rachel made no attempt to bridge the gap and neither did I. The court clerk opened the door and we entered and sat down waiting for the judge. Five minutes late the judge swept in taking her seat in the comfy chair.

"Alright, how did the negotiations go?"

"We made a counter offer and we have received no reply." Nigel said with a superior tone.

The judge looked our way and we shook our heads, she returned to Nigel.

"May I enquire as to the offer?"

"Seven million dollars," he replied casually.

There was a sharp intake of breath from the judge. "You really aren't taking this seriously are you? Alright then you both have four minutes to make a final statement then I will give my decision. Heads or tails to see who goes first, Mr. Kerr you call on the toss!"

The judge flipped a coin in the air then caught it, Nigel called heads but it was tails. We decided to go second so Nigel with a scowl of displeasure stood to deliver his statement. He droned on about Rachel, her devotion to her family and community forgoing a career to look after her girls and do volunteer work. He went on about her desire to see the world and my reluctance to leave Australia. Christmas was mentioned briefly but a stern look from the judge stopped it from going too far. Summing up he said that given her sacrifices it was only fair that she get the bulk of my bank account as she was no longer able to earn a living.

I sat through this with detached look but inside I was seething. I couldn't wait for Brian to get up and pass over Mandy's file. Brian rose and passed a copy to the judge and Nigel then began his reply.

"Your honor in the last hour we received this report from an investigation firm in London. We had serious doubts about the validity of the valuations we received well past the deadline from Mrs. Blake's legal team..." Nigel was on his feet in a flash.

"Your honor this report can't be allowed at this late stage we have no chance to test the validity of any claims made in it!" He bellowed.

"Hmmm," the judge hadn't opened the folder and regarded it suspiciously. "This is irregular and if this was a trial with a jury I could never allow new evidence without the defense having a chance to test it. However I am a judge and I think I can be impartial enough and have enough experience to know when I'm being deceived."

"Your honor you are giving us grounds for appeal!" Nigel whined.

"I am well aware of that fact and have been since I noticed your demeanor at this hearing. Also I am quite interested to read this as I regard this -" The judge held up Rachel's financial statement, "as such an incomplete document to be verging on a fabrication!"

"I am going to allow this if only because I want to know what's in here! Please continue." she waved her hand at Brian.

Brian worked his way through it, the similar names, letter from the real valuation company and then the photos. He finished up saying the four million dollar offer was still on the table but seven was ridiculous. When he sat down the judge went through the file again then sat back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest. She regarded both sides with a cool stare then she leant forward and bought out some notes.

"Thank you for that summation. It confirmed in my mind what I thought about this case. It seems clear to me that there has been at least some careless and sloppy preparation for this hearing and at worst willful negligence that borders on perjury!" As she delivered this rebuke she was looking directly at Nigel. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it again remaining mute.

"Luckily I have been able to obtain a clear picture from one of the parties and that has weighed heavily on my decision. It is my finding that the division of financial property actually occurred when the money won in the lottery was split up into even amounts between the two spouses." There was an audible gasp from Rachel as she realized the ramifications of this ruling. "The only other assets that need to be decided are the family home in Australia and the accounting business. Taking the values of these from the valuations that the other party has made no effort to dispute I find that Mr. Blake should pay Mrs. Blake the sum of one million dollars. Also a yearly support payment of fifty thousand dollars shall be paid to Mrs. Blake until her death or until she forms another relationship where she co habits with her partner."

Rachel was weeping softly, Jacques stood throwing his hands in the air and mumbling what I can only assume was a French expletive. The solicitor was trying to console her but the noise only got louder. Brian clapped me on the back but I knew it wasn't over, Nigel stood.

"Your honor thank you for your consideration," sarcasm dripped like treacle from his opening statement. "However I must tell you we intend to appeal this to the full bench of the family court as we believe you have made several clear errors and also have shown extreme bias against my client from the beginning!"

"That's your right. I do feel I should warn your client that there is four million on the table right know without the extra expense of a full court hearing with from my perspective little chance of a better outcome." The judge was looking past the barrister at the still sniffling figure of Rachel.

"We would ask that you enforce your order for payment so as my client has some money to live on up until the full court hearing." Nigel continued seemingly not noticing the judge's appeal to his client.

"Mr. Blake you have fourteen days to comply with my order of one million dollars. That sum will be taken into account in any future decision of the court. Mrs. Blake if I may be so bold as to suggest you are more careful with this money than you were with the last ten million!"

This prompted another round of tears before the clerk of the court asked us to all rise. The judge left and the recriminations began. Rachel and Jacques were in intense consultation with their legal eagles. I looked at a beaming Brian.

"Round one to us," he said with a smile. "Have you got that money in the bank?"

"Yes, who do we pay? Them?" I was looking at the increasingly animated discussion across the room.

"Not directly, we will lodge it with the court then they will transfer it. That way there can be no doubt that it was received."

"Should we offer the four million again?"

"I'd save your breath, they know where you are if they change your mind."

We left and finished off the paper work at the administration desk. Outside the sun was gone and it looked like a cold southerly change was brewing. Ominous dark clouds were sweeping over the hills on the outskirts of Bathurst. I wondered if that was an omen for my future. Shaking hands with Brian I headed for my car intent on getting home before it got to dark. Kangaroos can be a bastard on the road at dusk. 

I went over the day's proceedings as I drove, god I wished it had been resolved today. I hit Brian's number on phone and soon the dialing sound filled he car's interior.

"Didn't we only say goodbye thirty minutes ago?" Brian's voice crackled through the Bluetooth connection.

"I've just been thinking, um...should I just stump up the seven million so this is all over?"

"No fucking way! You do that and they will appeal and want ten! You have the upper hand don't give them a sniff!"

"Alright, I...I just didn't enjoy today you know." I struggled to find the words to convey my desire not to go back to court.

"Don't worry mate, you won today. It could have been so much worse! Go home have a beer and celebrate yo..." The phone dropped out.

I was left with my thoughts again. Perhaps that was exactly what I was dreading, going home to a dark, empty house. Not exactly something to celebrate. I continued the drive in a somber mood, wondering how it had all come to this. I arrived home before five so I detoured to the office to see if anything required my attention. Things had gone to plan while I had been away so after a quick check of my messages I walked up the street to get something for dinner. 

The street that a week before had been busy with people, was, this afternoon, sparsely populated and quiet. As people left the shops they hurried to their cars, hunching against the stiff cool breeze. The passing of the cold front had imbibed people with a sense of foreboding about the winter to come. All this even though the temperature was still a pleasant nineteen degrees Celsius. It was funny a similar day at the end of winter would prompt a burst of activity in anticipation of the heat of summer. Short sleeves and singlet tops would be retrieved from their winter storage to praise the return of the sun.

I stocked up on frozen dinners and fruit then went home. I opened the place up to let the breeze clear out the stale air. After stacking my dinners for the next week in the freezer I went out into the garden. The lawn was in need of another mow, if David was no longer interested then I would have to find someone else. I walked around the rose beds pinching off the tired blooms and picking out the odd weed that had escaped through the lucerne mulch. 

The buzzer sounded indicating somebody was at the front door, I walked slowly back through the house to answer it. Looking through the side window I could see Charlie standing there in her gym clothes. Opening the door I could see she was sweating profusely, damp patches showed under her arms and between her breasts.

"Hi," she said still catching her breath. "I was just running past... saw your car so I...thought I'd call in." 

"Do you want to come in? Can I get you a drink?" I was surprised her house was some distance away.

Guessing my concern she put my mind at rest. "No, I'm fine. I only came from the main street where I was doing a class at the gym. I just underestimated how steep the hill is to get up here!" 

"Come in then," I urged.

"No, I don't want to intrude I just wanted to see how you got on today?" Charlie moved to the side of the door and leaned on the door jam.

"Unfortunately it only turned out to be round one, my lawyer assured me we won but you know what they say, it's not who wins the battle it's who wins the war!" 

The strain must have been showing on my face or in my demeanor. Charlie stepped inside beside me and placed her hand on my shoulder. Suddenly the urge to hold her overwhelmed me and I pulled into an embrace.

"Jeffrey! I..." I smothered her protests with a kiss and she melted against me.

I don't know if it was the pressure from the divorce or the pent-up frustration but I was attacking her like a starving man who finds Chinese banquet. My hands were everywhere, sliding down her back to her butt then back up to her hold her head. Hooking the door closed with my foot I pushed her up against it sliding my palms over her sweaty breast before kissing her again. 

Charlie initial reluctance was gone as she joined in the grab fest. Pulling my shirt up to allow access to my skin as she raked her nails across my back. When my hand returned to mash her breasts she reached down and rubbed my erection through my pants. That didn't satisfy her, quickly her fingers found my zipper and in no time she had freed my member from its confines and was stroking the bare flesh.

In my thoughts and daydreams of his moment it had been slow and sensual but this was raw animal passion that couldn't be tamed. As she continued to stroke me I lifted her leg up and to the side opening access to her crotch. I maneuvered her so my cock was now pointing at a very wet pussy only covered by a thin layer of material. Charlie pulled it to one side then moved my cockhead slowly up and down her exposed slit. There had been no words and there was no time for any now. She stopped moving my dick, holding it poised at her opening.

It was the only time we paused, there was a glance, do we or don't we? It was only momentary, we had gone too far. Sliding in bought a gasp from Charlie, followed by a groan from both of us as I continued to the hilt. My hands slid down to cup her arse cheeks as Charlie lifted her other leg wrapping them both around my waist. Trying to keep control I slowly withdrew before sliding back in again. She pulled my head down and we kissed again and all thoughts of going slow vanished. I began pumping fanatically, Charlie was levering herself up slightly then dropping down to meet my thrusts. Our bodies slapped together as we desperately strove for our climax.

I could feel it so close then suddenly it was there, my cock started firing streams inside her. Charlie feeling my release re-doubled her efforts, grinding herself against me until her legs clamped tight against my hips and she let out a plaintive cry.




The Empty Nest Pt. 03



"Oh shiiiit!" 

Then we were still, the only sound our laboured breathing and the occasional sniffle from Charlie. I think she was crying but I didn't know why, we both clung to each other, her head resting on my shoulder against my neck. My dick began to soften so eased it back and released Charlie so she could stand on her own again. 

I stepped back further to allow her to arrange her clothes. "Sorry, I got carried away." I said softly.

Charlie looked up. Her eyes were red and still rimmed with tears. 

"I think we both did," she replied, wiping the tears off her face with her hand.

I wanted to hold her, to tell her it was alright but I stayed planted where I was. Charlie made one last inspection to make sure her clothes were back in place then she opened the door and left without another word. I was left leaning against the wall my wet dick still hanging out through the fly of my pants.

Elated, confused, worried and sad. I ran through a lot of emotions over the next two days. I tried to ring Charlie but it always went to voice mail. On the weekend I drove by her house but her car was gone and it appeared locked up. I moped around the garden on Sunday mowing and weeding, feeling generally miserable. 

At work on Monday, an e-mail came through from Brian asking me to call when I had a chance. I wasn't that busy, so I rang straight away.

"What's happened?" I asked after the usual pleasantries were exchanged.

"You have a preliminary hearing before the full bench of the Family court in three weeks! I don't know how or who these guys have on their side but they must have some serious clout. These things are usually clogged up for months!"

"I doesn't matter," I replied cheerfully, "I want to get it over with. What's a preliminary hearing?"

"As it's an appeal so the judges have to decide if the grounds on which the appeal is based are valid before they will set aside time to hear all the arguments." Brian explained.

"What are the grounds?"

"Pretty much what Rachel's barrister said at the end of the other hearing. That the judge erred in applying the law of financial separation prematurely and that she was biased against their client."

"What does the full bench mean?"

"Simply that there are three judges with one of them being either the chief judge or the deputy."

"So what do we do?"

"Nothing, we just turn up and watch really. They have made the appeal so they have to make the case. If it gets through then we move onto the work as the next hearing will have witnesses and experts and all the full on stuff. I can help organize it but I will suggest you get a barrister to run it on the day."

"Damn, why won't she just take the money I've offered and run?" I half shouted down the line, my exasperation was showing.

"Greed," Brian replied in a more measured way. "Pure greed, and probably not just on Rachel's part. Waters, Anderson, Nelson and Kerr know how many zeroes are going to be in the eventual settlement and they want a big slice." 

"Wankers!" I said with feeling.

"Keep your shirt on, Jeffrey! We are still in the box seat." 

"Alright, sorry, I just don't understand why it has to become a war."

"Comes with the territory in family law I'm afraid." 

"Fucking lawyers!" I said half joking.

"That seems like an appropriate time to end this conversation. Talk to you later Jeff."

I sat back in my chair and contemplated all that was happening. I didn't like it, I'm not a control freak but I like to be able to plan ahead, to know where I'm heading. The finalization of my marriage seemed further away than ever. Financially I still had an ace in the hole with the money my sister had but the rest of it seemed to be up for grabs. Then there was my personal life, what a screw up. Going home to an empty house, staying in and becoming increasingly isolated. Charlie, Charlie, Charlie, gorgeous, vivacious, funny, and seemingly carrying as much baggage, possibly even more than me.

Maybe I should have just retired, travelled around with Rachel, better the devil you know. Jacques wouldn't have got a look in if I hadn't come home to work, everything could have been different. I could have controlled Rachel's spending... I gave myself an uppercut, wake up Jeff! Things were going sour before then. Time to man up and move on! All this stuff was in the past and couldn't be changed. It was the future I should be concerned with. 

"Right!" I said out aloud to myself, "What done is done, it's time to start the rest of my life!"

I grabbed a note pad out of the drawer and wrote numbers down one side of the page. Up at the top I wrote 'Priorities.'

Number One: Charlie!!

I liked her, hell it might even be stronger than that! I was soon to be divorced so I wasn't going to die wondering.

Number Two: Get out of the family home!

Sell it, rent it maybe even burn the fucker down. Too many memories, too much work! I'll try to find somewhere smaller, more modern, and easier to keep clean.

Number Three: Get out and do the stuff I want to do!

Yes I like work but really I only used that as an excuse to be away from Rachel. I had a good team here that could run the place with their eyes closed. Time to have some fun; barramundi fishing in the Kimberly, snow skiing in Canada, scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. So many possibilities, of course if number one priority worked out then I may have to clip my wings a little. 

That was enough to get working on for a start so I left the list at three. I got back to work stopping occasionally to think and dream and for the first time in a while, smile. At the end of the day I hurried out to catch the nursery before it closed. Our town was too small to have a florist but there was a good nursery that grew plants on a large scale to wholesale to other nurseries. It ran a small retail store out of the owners' house for cash. I got there and bought a red rose in a pot that still had some blooms on it. I drove to Charlie's house again but she wasn't there. Trying the phone again I was expecting the voice mail but at least this time it rang. She answered on the seventh ring, after exchanging greetings I suddenly realized I didn't know what I wanted to say!

"Um...about the other day...um...I just wanted to say...um..." luckily she broke in and saved my miserable attempt at conversation.

"Can we talk later? I'm just in the middle of something." Charlie said in a hushed voice.

"Yes, sure...um...we are still...you know...friends? Aren't we?" I asked in a pleading voice that must have sounded desperate.

"Yes, we just have to get a few things straight. I'll try and come around later on this afternoon, okay?" She was very measured, choosing her words carefully.

"Yes, great, I'll be here...um...waiting. Err...not like last time! I'll be on my best behavior!" I spluttered, you would think that English was my second language.

There were the beginnings of a giggle but she suppressed it, "Goodbye, Jeffrey!"

Scooting home I showered, changed, looked in the mirror, and changed again. After tidying up I put a bottle of wine on ice and then sat down to wait. I flicked through the local paper that had been on the front lawn, read a few e mails on my iPad. An hour and a half later I had given up and was microwaving a frozen dinner when the doorbell rang. 

I almost broke into a run but managed to limit myself to a fast walk. It was Charlie and she was holding a white rectangular box. Opening the door she gave me a hesitant smile, I stepped back and allowed her to come in. We walked to the kitchen and she placed the box on the table. She opened it and turned it towards me, it was a cake.

"It's peace offering, I'm sorry I haven't returned your calls." Charlie said looking down nervously after she spoke.

I pointed to the rose on the dining room table. "That's my peace offering, and I'm sorry for attacking you the other day." 

We were standing on either side of the kitchen bench. I guess it was acting as a sort of neutral zone. Charlie glanced at the rose then back at me.

"I don't think you were the only one attacking." There was the hint of a smile.

"Can I get you a drink? Wine? Coffee? Water?" I asked trying to be a good host.

"A wine would be nice."

I poured two glasses and took them to the lounge, where Charlie had gone to sit. Giving her one glass I was unsure where to sit. My instinct was to sit in one of the armchairs facing her but I fought my better judgment and sat down beside her.

"I have something to..."

"I want to..." We both started to speak then stopped, I held up my hand.

"Can I go first?" I inquired, knowing I had to get my bit out first so I didn't chicken out.

Charlie nodded.

"I just want to say that I have been doing a lot of thinking in the last few days. I like you a lot, more than a lot! I've looked for excuses, my messy divorce, you being a recent widow with a teenage son and the age difference but I decided they don't matter. I don't want to let the chance that we could spend the rest of our days together slip past because of 'what ifs'."

Charlie put her hand on mine, she was smiling and I could feel tears welling in my eyes.

"There is just one more thing, you are a beautiful woman and you deserve more than an old boring accountant but I want you to give "us" a chance because I think we can be great together!" 

The tears hadn't come but I still felt like crying, I think that's the most I have said about feelings to another human being in my lifetime.

"Are you finished?" Charlie asked and I nodded.

She reached over and placed her hand on my cheek to comfort me.

"I haven't had any feelings for any male since John passed away. The thought of being with someone else seemed like the ultimate betrayal to me and worse to my son. Last week a lot of things I had been trying to quash came to the surface. It scared me. It really scared the shit out of me! I had to get away to get my head together so I took David and we got a cabin at a caravan park on the coast. He was so pissed off!"

A rueful smile played across her lips as she was remembering.

"He had some sporting event that he wanted to go to. That's when I realized that David had more of a life than I did! I just work, cook and clean for him, drive him where ever he wants to go, but what about me. That day you took me to the races? That was the first time I had done something for myself since John's death. Did you know his clothes were still in the wardrobe in our room?"

I shook my head, she was becoming upset now. I wanted to hold her but I think she needed to get this off her chest. 

"So that's what I was doing today, I took another day off work and went through his clothes sorting them into David's pile, charity shop pile, and rubbish pile. It was hard but I found something, a letter he must have written before he went into hospital the last time."

She pulled a crumpled note out of her pocket. Tears dripped off her cheeks as she held it out to me I took it and opened it up.

My dearest C

I placed this in my wardrobe so you would find it when it came time for you to move on with your life. I didn't want to give it to you because you might think I had given up. You have kept me going for two years longer than the doctors first thought but I'm a realist and I think my time is close. I wrote this note to tell you how much I love you, I haven't always shown it and being a man I'm fucking hopeless at saying it. I was so lucky to have been able to spend the last ten years with you.

When I am gone don't mourn me too long. You are such a special person you deserve happiness and joy after the hardship of the last three years. Somewhere out there someone will make you smile and laugh again like we used to. David will need a man around at some stage. I know you are a great mum and could do it on your own, but don't be afraid to try again. 

Now that I am gone please know that I was happy in the end. I would have loved to grow old with you but it was not to be. I am just glad that I got to spend so much time with such a beautiful person. 

Love 

John.

I was crying now, Charlie was still crying, we held each other and sobbed. She pulled away first, sitting up and composing herself. 

"Sorry, I still haven't got out what I wanted to say. On the weekend I decided that I wanted to have a life of my own. Coming home I saw the house for what it was, a shrine to John. That's why I started packing up his clothes and when I read that note something struck me in his words."

She took the note from my hands and opened it again.

"Somewhere out there someone will make you smile and laugh again," she looked back up at me. "You have made me smile and laugh again, even when I was broke and scrubbing your bathroom before school went back. I looked forward to you coming home and sitting down to eat together. So I guess what I'm saying is I want to give us a go too!"

We embraced and held each other for a long time. I kissed her hair and whispered.

"You know we are both on the rebound, a lot of relationships don't last long based on that."

"Stop over thinking things! You are sounding like an old boring accountant!" She giggled.

"Hey! I'm the only one allowed to call me old!" I chastised her for laughing. 

"All right I'll call you experienced then." 

We kissed then, not a wild passionate kiss but a deliberate peck on the lips. Charlie looked at her watch. 

"Shit! I've got to go. David's rugby training will be finished." She stood to go but I held onto her hand.

"Are you free Friday night?"

"No, you're taking me somewhere fantastic for dinner!" I grinned, she got me there.

"Have you told David about this yet?"

"We had a discussion on the way home from the coast. I told him I would always love his dad but he was gone now and I was ready to try for another relationship."

"What did he say?" I asked with more than a passing interest.

"What all teenagers say, he shrugged and said whatever. He did ask if I had someone in mind."

"And?"

"I told him to mind his own business!" I let go of her hand, she lent down and kissed me on the forehead. "See you Friday!" 

With a wave she was gone leaving me elated but alone. I went to the microwave and decided the frozen dinner was past saving so I threw it out and got another. The next day I got a table at a nice place for Friday night. I was on cloud nine, whistling and smiling. My employees were giving me funny looks. It got too much for my secretary.

"What the hell has got into you?" Julie asked as she bought me a coffee.

"What do you mean?" I replied innocently.

"The whistling, the laughing, the general good mood. Not to say you have been miserable but it's the happiest you have been in ten years!" She studied me over her glasses.

Julie had worked for me for twenty years. She was part of the furniture in my office. I sat back and smiled.

"That's what I'm talking about!" She exclaimed, "You're not going to do something silly are you? I've heard that people get really happy before...you know...they go postal...or hurt themselves." 

Her voice trailed off as if she thought she had said too much. I continued smiling.

"Don't worry Julie, I'm fine, in fact I'm fantastic! I'm moving on! That's all."

"Has she accepted your settlement offer?" Julie was always up with the gossip and liked to be first to know.

"No, that still has to play out but I'm not going to worry about it anymore. What happens, happens, I just want to live life while I still can."

"Are you sure?" Julie inquired suspiciously.

"Yes, I'm sure. Now get back to work before I get cranky again!" I laughed.

She gave me a funny look then left shaking her head.

After work I walked back home with a spring in my step certain that all was good with the world. Turning into my driveway I saw a dark cloud sitting on my front step. David, in his school uniform with his bag beside him. He stood as I approached, stopping a little distance away I was uncertain of what to say or do. He appeared to be equally unsure, I broke the silence.

"Hello David," it wasn't much but it was something.

"Hi," he replied with all the eloquence of a teenager.

"Can I help you?"

"Umm maybe..." He muttered and I remained silent so after a pause he continued. "Are you seeing my mum?" I guess it was a question but he phrased it more like a statement.

"Yes, I certainly hope to be seeing your mum quite a lot in the future."

"Yeah...I...I...was wondering if you still needed a hand around the garden?"

That was a relief. "Yes! That would be great!" I gushed.

"I still want to get paid!" David added, bristling at my enthusiasm.

"Of course," I couldn't help but grin, my good luck was holding.

"I can start tomorrow if you like, two afternoons a week still alright?"

"Three might be better, I'm thinking about getting it all ship shape then selling it." I said moving towards the front door.

"Selling it?" He seemed disappointed, "why would you want to sell it?" He turned around to look at the house.

I was beside him and looked over my home. "It holds a lot of ghosts David, it's big and old and hard to maintain."

"Not all ghosts are bad," he muttered with feeling.

"I know, but sometimes they hold you back. Stop you from moving forward."

I heard a sniff beside me and it suddenly dawned on me we were talking about different ghosts. Looking down at David I could see his eyes rimmed red, I put my arm around his shoulders.

"Sorry David I was talking about my own ghosts not your dad. He will always be with you because he is in here." I tapped his head, "and here," I tapped his chest. "No one can replace him and I would never seek to try. I really like your mum and I would like to be closer to both of you."

David moved away from me wiped his eyes on his sleeve and grabbed his bag off the ground. 

"I'll start tomorrow afternoon," he mumbled as he headed off down the driveway.

"Do you want a lift home?" I half shouted at the retreating figure but he didn't reply. He merely raised his hand to wave away the offer.

I got inside and as if on cue my phone jangled, it was Charlie.

"Have you seen David, he didn't come home and when I rang his friend he said he caught the bus that went near your place." She sounded worried.

"Yes he was here and he just left."

"Oh...how did that go?" She still sounded worried.

"Not too bad, he wanted his job as my gardener back." I replied trying to reassure her.

"Really? Is that all?" 

"Yes...why?"

"We had one hell of an argument this morning. I gave him the clothes of John's I kept for him and he realized that I had cleaned out his dad's wardrobe. I had also taken some photos down and put them away in an album. He was very upset, he...he called me...a two faced slut!" I could see why she was so worried.

"You go home, I'll try and catch up with him and drive him to you."

I went back outside jumped in my car a drove away in the direction David had walked off. Catching up with him I pulled over and he came over to the passenger side window.

"I'm fine to walk," he said simply turning to continue on his way.

"Jump in David, your mums upset and I said I'd drop you home." I insisted.

He hesitated then shrugged his shoulders, came back opened the door and climbed in. 

"I would have been fine, I walk everywhere!" He complained.

"I know but your mums upset about the fi...um, discussion you had this morning."

"Does she tell you everything?"

"She's worried about you! Why did you come over to get your job back when you gave your mother such a hard time this morning?"

"I wasn't planning on asking for my job back! I was going to..." He didn't finish that sentence, it was lucky I was home when he arrived.

"You're not taking sides are you?" David's hackles were rising.




The Empty Nest Pt. 04



G'day all,

Here is the conclusion. Thanks to the hardy souls who have seen it through to the end. 

Massive thanks to Favored for putting in the time to make this readable.

Love to hear your thoughts.

CharlieB4

*****

For the next couple of months we were like a couple of lovesick teenagers. Whenever we were together we had to be touching. I'd place my hand on her leg if sitting. We'd entwine fingers if standing, embracing and kissing whenever the opportunity arose, much to David's disgust. 

When we were alone it was easy, meeting her friends was another matter. It made me feel very old going to functions with couples in their thirties. Charlie stayed close, which helped, but I still felt they were wondering what she was doing with me. On the other side it was much easier because I didn't really have a lot of close friends. More acquaintances or business associates, Charlie charmed the socks off all of them and I got a lot of admiring glances. I basked in her glow and was chuffed with the jealous looks I got from guys my own age. 

We spent the weekends together and sometimes if she had a free period either side of noon she would bring some lunch to the office. Occasionally I got to have dessert there...if you know what I mean. Even a phone call from Brian to tell me the motion to appeal had been successful couldn't dampen my good mood. 

Once again W.A.N.K. was successful in having the hearing brought forward. In fact, the chief judge ruled there was no need for a directions hearing and slated the appeal for four weeks' time. We organized a barrister in Canberra and spent a morning with him going through the case. After reading through our brief and asking a couple of questions, Tom laid it out for me.

"There are five basic principles the family court use in determining financial separation in divorce hearings. Three don't apply in this case," he held up his hand with three fingers raised ticking each off as he continued. "Firstly, in a relationship that has lasted this long whatever assets you had before the relationship are irrelevant unless there is a pre-nuptial agreement. Secondly the contribution to the assets by each party during the relationship won't be taken into account as your wife was the homemaker and you were providing the sole income. The third criteria the court can apply is who has custody of the children, as they are no longer dependent, that doesn't matter here either.

"So all we have to worry about is a straight division of assets which would be fifty/fifty but for your wife's age and employment prospects. Given she has no formal qualifications and is unlikely to be able to get a job whose salary would be commensurate with yours, you can expect to be asked to pay some form of alimony." Tom concluded.

'God', I thought, 'we are paying this guy nine hundred dollars an hour to state the bleeding obvious!' Before I could think of a clever way to say we already knew that, Brian intervened.

"How do you think the fact that Rachel already has sizable assets that she has previously tried to hide will affect the outcome?" He asked.

I had to stifle a laugh as I got the mental image of Rachel standing in front of a mirror asking does my asset look big in this. Brian shot me a quizzical look but the barrister didn't seem to notice. Tom placed his elbows on his desk, bringing his hands together forming a steeple which he then rested his chin on. He stayed like that, deep in thought about the question, like he was deciding if a man was going to live or die. Eventually he sat back and, after pausing once again for dramatic effect, we got the anticlimactic answer. 

"We shall have to see on the day." No doubt he picked up on my eye roll so he continued. "If I was representing your wife I would play on the fact she needs enough money to support her for the next forty years. While you have a successful business, she has no real prospect of getting a job that would give her similar income to what she had with you. We, on the other hand, will argue that she has considerable means with the money she has and is currently in a relationship with another person."

"Who is the main reason she doesn't have more money!" I growled, exasperated with the whole process. "Do you think we can get it to fly? Our arguments I mean," I clarified my question after seeing a blank look on the barristers face.

"We'll definitely give it a good go, but you should know, Jeff, you will have to pay something. Possibly up to five million."

"That's what we thought," Brian agreed.

"I think that covers everything, I would like some documentation of your wife's current living arrangements, do you have any?" 

"Nothing current," I said, then I added, "But I have a contact I can find out from."

"Great, you get on with that and we will talk closer to the hearing date." Tom closed the brief in front of him and pushed his chair back as he prepared to stand and see us out. "There's nothing else I should know is there?" He asked jovially.

I was almost standing myself and about to say no when Brian spoke.

"Yes, actually, there is." I looked at him with a blank face, "you had better tell him about the other ten million."

I sat back down as Tom spluttered, "What other ten million?"

"Umm," I stalled trying to think of how to say it. "I actually won thirty million but I split ten million off to my sister."

"Was she part of your family syndicate?" Tom inquired suspiciously.

"Well we didn't have a family syndicate, I hadn't bought a ticket before, and it was just a spur of the moment thing."

"You won the first time you had bought a ticket?" Tom gave an incredulous gasp as I nodded.

"This is fairytale stuff. They will have a field day with it! Is it in here?" He asked pointing to the brief. "Do you have any evidence to back up that your sister was a party to buying the ticket?"

"Yes, I called her before I bought it, I have the call log from my phone, and hers as well. Along with the lottery stub with date and the time five minutes after I spoke to her. I'm an independent director on the investment company we set up for her and it's in the list of companies I work for."

"So you are a director of a ten million dollar company that you set up for your sister after you won thirty million dollars"

I went on to explain I was an independent director of lots of companies that I was an accountant for. He still looked skeptical especially when I told him that it had over fourteen million in assets now.

"What did she do? Go into the drug business?"

"No, it's all legal and above board, although many of my farmer clients consider futures traders criminals." Tom was still digesting the additional information and didn't crack a smile at my attempt at humor.

"Does the opposition have a sniff of this?"

"Yes, they interviewed my sister."

"That puts a different complexion on things. They will run hard on this. It's their ticket to a ten million dollar settlement if they can disrupt your 'story'." Tom put his hands up and put visual quotation marks around the word story to let me know he didn't believe me. 

"That's why we are retaining you, to make sure they don't disrupt anything." I replied, putting the ball firmly back into his court.

"Yes...yes I suppose that's right. The fact that it's an appeal will help. When you have three judges on the bench they tend to push things through quickly. Your wife's legal team won't get much time to question or badger witnesses. Anyway, that will do for now, I'll be in touch about a week before."

He swiveled in his chair and dropped our file on the floor behind his desk. He turned back after picking up another and placed it on his desk. We had been dismissed. Outside I looked around for something to kick but could see nothing. Instead I took out my frustrations by slamming the door of the car.

"Easy Jeff," Brian said getting into the passenger's seat.

I ignored him and pointed the car for home. Outside the city limits I planted my foot firmly on the accelerator. Soon after my day got a lot worse when over the crest of a hill I happened upon a radar trap. Fifteen minutes, four hundred dollars and four points off my license later, I was even angrier. 

After dropping Brian off, I went home still in a foul mood. David was in the garden, mowing the lawn. A real estate agent was coming tomorrow to have a look and give me their pitch to sell it. He looked up and waved, I nodded curtly, slammed the door and went inside.

I don't know why I was so steamed up. It wasn't as though it had been what I expected. The whole thing was getting me down. I needed to get out and forget about it. I looked in the mirror hanging over the fireplace. Surprisingly, Rachel's voice chirped in my head.

"You need a holiday."

I gazed at the bags under my eyes and said to my reflection. "Yes, I think you do."

Of course Charlie chose that moment to walk in the front door.

"You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of madness." She stated, walking behind me and pinching my bum.

I didn't flinch, instead turning to address her as she walked towards the fridge.

"When does the next lot of school holidays start?"

"Not this Friday but next thank god." Charlie had a bottle of wine out and was pouring herself a glass. "Do you want one?"

"No thanks," I replied walking towards her.

I walked behind her put my arms around her middle and pressed my face into her hair. Damn I loved the smell of her. She wiggled her tush against me and I felt the stirrings of an erection.

"Hey, you old tomcat, you do realize my sons outside?" 

I ignored her, "Let's get away on a holiday." I murmured pulling her back against me.

"I've got to work." Charlie said as she leaned back languidly.

"I'm sure the school wouldn't miss you for a week and then its holidays anyway." I argued.

"I've got a payment to make."

"Yes but you have a very forgiving banker." I tucked her hair out of the way and nuzzled her neck.

She swiveled in my arms and pushed me back a little so she could see my face.

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"Yep."

"But where will we go?"

"Whereever you want?"

"David..."

I cut in, "Can come with us."

"Hmm, you appear to have thought of everything." She smirked and hugged me.

"Not really, only thought of it when you walked in the door. Spur of the moment sort of thing."

"That's not your style at all."

"Maybe you're rubbing off on me." I ventured.

"Alright, I'll ask at school tomorrow but you decide where we go." Charlie kissed me in the lips then pushed me away. "Now get out of my way so I can get dinner."

I went and got my iPad and bought it back to the kitchen so we could keep talking. I punched in 'holiday' to a search engine and looked through what came up. I was scrolling through pages when an idea hit me.

"Hey, Charlie, why don't we have a mystery tour?" She gave me a quizzical look as she peeled the husk off a corn cob. "We go to Sydney and get one of the airlines mystery flights. Spend a few days there then get back on another mystery flight to somewhere else. Play it completely by ear, no bookings, and no deadlines. If we are having fun we stay, if it's getting dull we go somewhere else."

"For how long?"

"How long are the school holidays?"

"Two weeks."

"Alright then, we go this weekend for three weeks and we are back for the start of school." I said, suddenly feeling very excited. 

Charlie was dubious but her boss didn't object, so we went for three weeks. It probably helped that I did his annual tax returns and help him with his superannuation fund. The first flight took us to Adelaide, and from there we crisscrossed the country for three weeks. Starting in Alice Springs then Perth followed by Hobart, Melbourne, and Brisbane. We were sick of airplanes by the end of it.

Too soon we were home and back to reality. The hearing date before the full bench of the family court was only four days away. I met with Brian, my lawyer, but no new problems had surfaced. I spoke to two of my daughters. They were a little cool with me, it had been like that since I'd told them I was in a new relationship. I suspected Rachel was whispering in their ears. Also I suppose they were still coming to terms with their parent's separation and now we both had new partners. Well I hoped I did.

My third and youngest daughter wouldn't speak to me at all. I called several times, left messages and got no reply. When I finally connected with a real person I got her husband. He made an excuse for his wife about why she couldn't come to the phone but I could tell it was a lie. I was disappointed but I hoped once all the court business was over with we could reconnect.

The night before the court hearing, Charlie and I drove to Canberra after dropping David at a friend's house. I would have preferred to go alone, however, Charlie was being called to give evidence. I couldn't see what the defense was chasing, no doubt all would be revealed tomorrow.

We stayed at a small boutique hotel. I was thinking of going five star but decided against it. The chances of running into Rachel would be too great. Catching a taxi to Kingston, Charlie and I strolled along the row of restaurants looking at the menus. We settled on a little Italian place with most of its tables full. If the locals like it, it must be alright. Dinner was okay but we just weren't in the mood. Tomorrow weighed heavily on both our minds. We left without dessert and strolled for half an hour in the general direction of our hotel before hailing a cab for the rest of the journey.

I woke early the next day. I got out of bed and checked what the day was looking like outside through a gap in the curtains. In the pre-dawn gloom I saw there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I hoped that was a good omen. I nearly jumped out of my skin when a hand touched my shoulder. I hadn't heard Charlie get out of bed.

"Come back to bed, honey, it's only five thirty." She mumbled.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I just couldn't get back to sleep."

"Who says we have to sleep?" Charlie said snuggling up behind me while one of her hands slipped down the front of my pajama trousers.

"My god, you are insatiable." I said grinning.

"That's not a complaint is it?" She asked huskily as her nails lightly raked the underside of my scrotum.

"Definitely not," I replied turning around to face her.

Grabbing my hard cock which now protruded out the fly of my pants she led me to the bed. We made love, then I fell fast asleep with my head on her breast. The alarm woke me with a start sometime later and neither of us had moved.

After a shower we strolled towards the center of the city. Amongst the hustle and bustle we found a quiet coffee shop and got a table for breakfast. My sister had called and was going to meet us so we just got coffee while we perused the menu. A sleek shiny new red Audi convertible pulled up out the front and my sister got out. When she came inside I waved at her and she came over.

"Hi Jeff," she said smiling broadly as she took off her sunglasses before giving me a hug.

"Hi Jackie," she looked at me then at Charlie expectantly. "Oh right, Jackie, this is my, err, girlfriend, Charlie. Charlie, my sister, Jackie."

"Hi Charlie, Jeffrey has told me absolutely nothing about you so I'm going to be asking lots of questions!" Jackie said jokingly as she shook Charlie's hand.

"I know how you feel, I thought he was an only child before this court case," Charlie agreed.

The girls sat down and barely drew breath for the next thirty minutes. Anyone watching would have thought they'd known each other for years. I watched on in silence, grimacing occasionally when the conversation focused on one of my many deficiencies. Butting in, I tried to change the subject.

"Nice car, is it new?"

"That old thing, I've had it for four months, there's a new model coming out next month so I'm going to flip it."

My accountant brain kicked in and I must have looked horrified as I automatically calculated the tax implications.

"Oh and you and Charlie will have to come to Sydney and see my new house."

"New house? Don't you know Sydney real estate is estimated by major ratings agencies to be fifteen percent overvalued." I said my exasperation showing.

"Oh come on brother I'm just teasing." Jackie said laughing at me then she turned conspiratorially towards Charlie. "You'll have to watch him you know. He'll have you living in a grass hut eating berries if he thinks it can save him money."

"He's not that bad," Charlie replied defending me.

"I know Charlie but he is fun to stir up." They both giggled like little girls and I went red.

"So, have you bought a house?" I asked once the merriment had subsided. 

"Yes, a nice recently renovated three bedroom place in Balmain with water views."

"Sounds expensive." 

"Just under three."

"Hundred thousand..."

"Oh Jeffery, I thought you knew about Sydney property. You couldn't get a one bedroom bedsit in a Balmain for three hundred thousand. Million, old boy, million." She watched my sour expression with a bemused look before winking at me. "I've got fourteen million in the bank dear brother. Normal people would spend some of it."

Suddenly it dawned on me what was going on. A preemptive strike before the court case. 

"Yes, I suppose normal people would."

We finished breakfast and walked the rest of the way to the family court. After waiting outside in the sun for a while we headed inside. It was still thirty minutes till our time slot but we thought we'd better try to catch up with our lawyers. We found Brian in the coffee shop tucking into a donut. He let us know Tom, the barrister, wouldn't be there until just before because he was in mediation elsewhere in the building at present. We left him to eat and went to sit outside our allotted court room. 

Ten minutes before start time a clerk opened the doors. A young guy in a suit that had been sitting nearby disappeared down the corridor taking into his cell phone. When he reappeared he was part of a procession led by Nigel from Waters, Anderson, Nelson and Kerr. Rachel was next with Jacques by her side. On her other side, our youngest daughter held her other hand and looked daggers at Charlie and me. A couple of junior lawyers and Rachel's solicitor rounded out the posse. They filed inside without looking at us. 

With five minutes till kick off Brian appeared still devouring a muffin. He poked his head in the courtroom door and got the clerks attention. The clerk took Charlie and Jackie further down the corridor and through another door to a waiting room. Brian and I went inside the courtroom and took our places.

It was actually light and airy in a sleek modern office sort of way. The judge's bench was on a slightly elevated area at one end. Three large black leather swivel chairs stood empty behind a bench, a microphone protruded up from the bench in front of each chair.

In front of that and slightly lower were the court staff sitting behind computers. There was another chair in a separate area just to their left I assumed was for any witnesses. Brian and I sat behind a white topped desk just across from the court staff. It had a microphone and various power cords scattered on it. Tom, my barrister, came in and plugged in a tablet then sat down scrolling through his phone.

Behind us was a tiny area for spectators or friends but those seats were empty in my case. To our left, on Rachel's side, my daughter and Jacques sat behind my soon to be ex-wife and her legal team. The clerk of the court at the front stood and asked that we all stand and the three judges walked in and sat in their chairs.

There were the usual introductions before the chief judge told Nigel to begin. He stood and began with a short expression of gratitude to the judges for allowing the appeal then asked for the clerk to call in Charlie. She appeared through a side door and sat facing us in the chair to the left of the court staff.




The Empty Nest Pt. 04



Nigel began his questions in a very light hearted and charming way. You could see Charlie visibly relax and settle into the chair. Nigel was waffling and the judge's expressions showed their displeasure. He paused looked down at his notes then began his interrogation. 

"Are you currently in a relationship with Mr. Blake?"

"Umm, yes." Charlie replied.

"How long have you been intimate?" Nigel continued quickly.

Charlie squirmed in her seat as she was unsettled by the personal nature of the question. Tom stood up.

"Objection, your honours, the nature of their relationship has no bearing on this hearing."

"I tend to agree with Mr. Arnott, Nigel, is there any point to this?" The chief judge enquired.

I was beginning to see where the W.A.N.K's inside track was in the family court. The chief judge was fawning on Nigel like he was his son.

"Just a couple more questions, your honour."

"Alright just a couple more, but please rephrase the last one." The judged cautioned.

"Thank you your honour. Ms. Jones, how long have you and Mr. Blake been a couple?"

"Almost two months," Charlie answered carefully, she was no longer relaxed.

"But you have known each other for longer?"

"Yes, since the end of last year."

"I see, can you explain why Mr. Blake gave you two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in January this year?" Nigel continued after picking up a sheet of paper.

"It was a loan to cover my mortgage until an insurance claim was settled."

"I see," Nigel paused and stroked his chin while he studied the paper he held in his hand. "We have a statement here from Mrs. Jamison, Mr. Blake's next door neighbour. She says she saw you wearing skimpy clothing going into Mr. Blake's home one evening in November last year and leaving one hour later."

"I was wearing gym clothes." Charlie said defensively.

The inference was clear. Charlie presence on the stand was only for humiliation, not for any divorce settlement reasons. I looked across at Rachel and she had a sadistic grin on her face.

Nigel decided to twist the knife just as I elbowed my barrister to try and get him to stop this nonsense.

"It must be tough raising your son on a casual teacher's salary and paying off a mortgage. No one would blame you for using any means to get..." Nigel was cut off by Tom's objection and he immediately withdrew the remark and said he had no further questions before the judges could intervene.

Charlie face was red with anger and embarrassment. Rachel and my youngest daughter had vicious smiles of victory. The chief judge was just telling Charlie she could leave when I grabbed Tom's sleeve and asked him to keep her there. Charlie sat down again confused at my barristers request and she glared at me as she had hoped to escape. I scribbled a couple of questions down on a pad the barrister had. He tore it off, looked at it them, and then back at me to make sure it was what I wanted. I nodded so he turned to Charlie. 

"Ms. Jones, who asked you to go to Mr. Blake's house in November last year?"

"The principle from the school I work at. He told me Jeffrey, sorry, Mr. Blake, had something he wanted translated from French." A smile briefly returned to Charlie's face as she realized what I had planned.

"And what was that?"

"It was a recording of two people..."

I was watching Rachel as she suddenly realized what was about happen. The sly smile disappeared replaced with a look of abject terror. She jumped to her feet.

"Objection! Objection! Get this tart out of here." Rachel yelled as Nigel tried to restrain her.

The judge banged his gavel and asked for silence. Nigel, with the help of one of his juniors got Rachel back into his seat before he turned back to the judge.

"Sorry, your honour, but this is going nowhere and is only wasting the court's time."

"Nigel had his turn and besmirched Ms. Jones reputation. Surely we can have some time to correct it." Tom argued.

The chief judge was silent and the lady judge, who had also been on the bench for the appeal, tugged his sleeve. She leaned across and they spoke in hushed tones to each other before he spoke.

"Mr. Kerr you opened the door to this so Mr. Arnott, you can continue." At least he wasn't calling him Nigel now.

"Thank you, your honours. Ms. Jones you were saying you were translating a recording of two people?"

"Yes, Mrs. Blake and a Frenchman named Jacques having sex."

All hell broke loose. Rachel moaned and fell off her chair, apparently she fainted. Nigel was on his feet objecting, saying there wasn't proof such a recording existed. I had my phone waving it at him offering to play it. My daughter was sitting back stunned and when Jacques tried to place his arm around her she shrugged it off and stormed out of the court room. Through this all the judge banged his gavel and called for silence.

When calm was restored, he first excused Charlie, then he had both barristers stand up and he berated them for turning his court into a circus. Rachel was back on her chair and her solicitor was fanning her with an empty folder. When the barristers were told to sit down the judge addressed the courtroom.

"There will be a fifteen minute recess for you to get your acts together. Any further shenanigans and you will be ejected from this room."

The clerk asked us to stand and the judges filed out. Tom turned and left with his mobile to his ear. While the other side attended to the breathless Rachel, Brian and I walked out into the corridor. Charlie was sitting on a bench to the left so we went to her. She stood up and threw her arms around me.

"That was horrible." She mumbled in my ear.

"I'm sorry."

"I won't do it again." 

"I'll make sure you don't have to." I held her tightly until a voice called from behind me.

"Dad?"

I swiveled my head and standing next to Brian was my youngest daughter, Julie. He made an excuse and a hasty exit. Charlie released me but I kept my arm around her. There was an awkward pause before I introduced them to each other and they shook hands stiffly.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Julie blurted out. "It's all happening so fast and mum was saying stuff about you and... and... it's... it's just not fair!"

Julie was crying and Charlie pushed me towards her. I held my daughter for the first time since Christmas Eve and despite all the crap going on it felt good. I'd love to say she showed the same warmth to Charlie but you can't have everything. Maybe in time.

Brian was waving at me from the door to the courtroom, I turned back to Charlie.

"Do you want to come in?"

"Would you mind if I didn't?" She asked her eyes pleading.

"No, it's okay. I understand. Why don't you go and do some shopping." I suggested.

"Yeah, I might do that." She kissed my cheek and walked away.

Julie watched her go. "Why, Dad?"

"With you children married and gone your mum and I were two strangers living together. Stuff that had built up over the years like barnacles on a boat, it sunk us."

"Just scrape them off, dad. You were together for so long."

"We had a good run but we don't love each other anymore. There's no way back, especially now."

Like the petulant indulged child she had always been she stamped her foot and said, "No, daddy!"

She spun around and stormed off. I hoped that she would understand in the end. Brian poked his head out again, motioning frantically.

"They're about to walk in." He said loudly, so I went back inside. 

After another stern warning from the chief judge, Nigel continued. He tabled a statutory declaration from the Lotteries that the jackpot won had totaled 33 million dollars. He then produced more affidavits from the people I'd given interest free loans too. Saying that I was trying to minimize the amount of money I could make and that the total value of these loans should be earning at least fixed term deposit rates.

Nigel paused to get a drink of water before calling for my sister to be brought in. Jackie strode in looking confident and at ease. Nigel spent twenty minutes grilling her trying to get her to deviate from the deposition she'd given earlier. Tom was very good at keeping him moving along. When Nigel tried to tie Jackie down on what exactly was said in our conversation before buying the ticket he jumped to his feet.

"Objection, your honour. This question has been asked and answered several times. We have indisputable proof the phone call took place several minutes before the lottery ticket was bought. Mr. Kerr is trying to make up for his complete lack of a case here by getting the witness to recall the exact wording from a phone call made nearly twelve months ago."

The judges got their heads together and murmured before the chief judge spoke. 

"Mr. Arnott has a point Mr. Kerr. It appears you have met your match with this witness so I think it would be wise to stop wasting time and move on."

"Alright, your honour," Nigel said, exasperation showing on his face. "Can I just have another five minutes with this witness?"

"Yes, but please stay away from old, barren ground."

"Miss Blake, why haven't you spent any of the money you won?"

"You will have to get some updated information, Mr. Kerr. I have recently purchased a house in Balmain and a new car."

"How convenient, Miss Blake. Can I rephrase the question then and ask why you didn't spend any when you first received it? I'm sure most people would have a splurge when they had won the lottery."

"I needed the money to stay where it was."

"Because it wasn't really yours?" Nigel tried hard to make it conversational hoping Jackie would trip up.

"No, I was playing the futures market and I needed the money to cover any potential losses."

"Really," Nigel said in a mocking tone. "You needed ten million dollars to cover your futures trades? Come on Miss Blake this is, like a lot of your story, stretching the bounds of credulity." 

"It's the truth."

"How much did you money did you have tied up with trades?"

Nigel was clutching at straws now. I'd seen Jackie's deposition and a figure was never mentioned. An old friend who worked in criminal law had once told me that he would never ask a question he didn't already know the answer too.

"Seven million." Jackie said without hesitation.

"Seven million," Nigel repeated incredulously. "That's one hell of a big bet."

"It's my money! I can do what I want with it." Jackie replied in triumph as the judges looked at each other nodding their heads.

Who would have the balls to risk seven million dollars of their own money? Let alone someone else's? 

Nigel was done. He spluttered on for another three questions then gave up on breaking Jackie. Tom got up and said 'no further questions' and Jackie was on her way out the door. With nothing further to go on we were ready for the final summations from both sides. The judges called another short recess and Brian, Tom and I walked out leaving Rachel and her legal team in a huddle.

Once outside I couldn't suppress my happiness any longer. I danced a little jig while laughing manically. Brian and Tom looked on bemused until I finished.

"You seem very happy with yourself?" Brian stated the obvious.

"Did you see the look on old Nigel's face? When Jackie said 'it's my money!' Wow, he crumpled like a paper bag in a cyclone."

"You will still have to pay them something," Tom added with a serious look on his face. 

"I don't care. It's been worth it to put the record straight about Charlie and me as well as watching Nigel come unglued."

Our discussion was halted by the appearance through the door of one of the juniors from Rachel's legal team. He walked hesitantly towards us.

"We will settle for five million." He said shifting nervously from foot to foot.

Brian and Tom looked at me for guidance and I told the young lawyer, "We'll let you know." Before turning my back on him.

He scurried back inside the court room.

"That's the figure you said you were willing to pay," Brian said quietly.

"Yes but do either of you think the court will give them that much?" I asked.

Brian and Tom looked at each other, then Tom nodded.

"No, they are running scared. I think they will struggle to get three, including the one you have already paid."

"And Nigel and his leeches, they will be getting a percentage of the total settlement?"

"I don't know what their fee structure would be." Tom replied. "Could just be a straight percentage or it could be fee for service plus a percentage."

"Well, fuck them. We will see what the judges say. I don't want to give those fleas one red cent more than I have too." 

Back inside the court room Brian passed on our reply and we sat down waiting for the judges to return. The final statements went as I expected. Nigel played for sympathy, the marriage partner of twenty odd years abandoned and left destitute with no job prospects. He remarked about me throwing money at virtual strangers and yet having to be dragged through the courts to pay what is owed to my spurned life partner. The most incredible thing, he did it all with a straight face. 

Tom simply pointed out Rachel's current position could hardly be described as precarious as she had considerable assets. While I had been generous with friends and family, he counted off the payments to my three daughters on his fingers, I still had money in the bank. Was I to be punished for being more prudent with my windfall? I'd been willing to pay out a fair share but felt her previous demands had been excessive.

When Tom sat down the judges conferred then the chief judge spoke. He thanked the legal counsel for the brevity of their summations. He said they had three more cases to hear that day but given the request for a speedy resolution they felt they could be in a position to give a judgement by late that afternoon if the other cases went as planned. 

I went in search of Charlie while Tom went to his next case. Brian said he'd hang around the courthouse and keep in contact with the clerk to see if the judgement would be made today. Charlie was in a dress shop in the Canberra CBD. I followed her between boutiques for a while before convincing her that we needed some lunch. 

We bought some sandwiches and walked to a park on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin. I attacked mine with the vigor of a starving man and was looking ravenously at Charlie's as she nibbled at hers. She offered me the last quarter and I devoured it as well. My hunger satisfied I stretched out on the grass under a tree and dozed off. I was catching up after a restless and nervous sleep the night before. Charlie lay down perpendicular to me and rested her head on my stomach. We were both asleep when my phone rang.

It was Brian. The decision would be handed down between three thirty and four that afternoon. He sounded very chirpy and when I asked why he said he felt the quick verdict was a good sign for us. We got up and walked to the road to flag down a taxi. Despite our afternoon nap we both felt more tired than ever.

When we got back to the court building we found Brian and my sister in the Cafe. After consulting his watch he led us to the administration area. I thought we would go back into a court room but he said the judgement would just be given to us in a written form and then posted on the website the next day. Charlie and I sat in a couple of chairs off to one side while Brian went to the front desk. Before he got back Rachel, Jacques and their entourage arrived. They kept their distance from us and turned their backs.

Brian came back and told us there was nothing yet. The lady he'd spoken to had said that the judgements usually turned up by four but sometimes were delayed. We stayed where we were and tried to avoid looking at the other group across the room. Finally the girl behind the counter called out to Brian and Mr. Kerr. She handed them both a single sheet of paper which they both studied as they went back to each group. Brian looked at me with a poker face and passed me the document.

"Just tell me what it says," I snapped.

"Bottom line, two and a half plus fifty percent of the family home sale price." Brian replied with a smirk.

"Including the one million I've already paid or on top of it?" 

"Including," Brian confirmed,

"Holy shit, so I've only got to pay one and a half?" I couldn't believe it.

"Let's go and celebrate!" My sister chirped.

"Wait up," I cautioned. "Is that it? Are we finished?" I asked Brian.

"Well they could take it to the High Court but so far the High Court has never overturned a family court appeal. They consider themselves constitutional law makers and don't like to get their hands dirty in domestic affairs. It's also hellishly expensive."

"So, he's won!" My sister confirmed but I saw Brian was about to say something else.

"For now yes. Unfortunately there is no definitive end to the family court process. At any time in the future either party can partition the court to re-visit the matter but without any new evidence it's highly unlikely."

On cue there was a commotion breaking out across the room. Nigel and his team were walking away with Rachel following demanding answers.

"But you said... How can they... It's not right... There must be something?" 

She stopped and they kept going. She turned to look at Jacques but he shrugged his shoulders and followed the lawyers out. At that moment Rachel looked across at me. The bravado was gone and she was close to tears. It was as vulnerable as I'd seen her in twenty years. She pulled it together, straightened her coat and walked out after her beau. The echo of her heels clicking on the polished concrete the only sound. I'd won, but at that moment I didn't feel like a winner.

I fronted the administration staff and organized the transfer of money into the trust account. Then at Jackie's insistence we went to the nearest bar. A bottle of their most expensive champagne was procured and we sat down together. I tried to join in the festive mood but my heart wasn't in it. I excused myself and went to the restroom. I washed my face and my hands and studied my reflection in the mirror for a long time. When I walked out of the restroom door I almost ran into Charlie.

"I was about to organize a search party." She said, her eyes were wide and her cheeks flushed with champagne. 

Seeing my expression, her exuberance mellowed and she placed her hands on my face.

"Why the long face?"

"There's something I've got to do. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Do you want me to come?"

"No, no it's something I've got to do myself." Charlie tilted her head to the side encouraging more of an explanation. "I've got to say goodbye."

"Part of you still loves her, doesn't it?" She said softly.

"Only a small part but I guess it always will. The last time I spoke to her I said some awful things. I don't want to finish it like that."

"You really are the most extraordinary man, Jeffrey." Charlie pulled my face down and kissed me on the lips. "Now, you hurry back, alright?"

I nodded and she kissed me again before going back into the bar. I went out the front door and looked around for a taxi. I was sitting in the back of one before I realized I didn't know where I was going. Inspiration struck.

"Which is the most expensive hotel in Canberra?"

"That would be the Hyatt, mate." The driver answered.

"Alright take me there. No wait. Take me to Peppers Gallery Hotel first. I have to pick something up, then the Hyatt."

"You're the boss," the driver said smiling as he drove back into the traffic.

At the Hyatt the receptionist wasn't very helpful. She wouldn't confirm that Rachel was staying there. It didn't help that I told her I was Rachel's ex-husband. I expect thoughts of bad publicity from a domestic dispute in the lobby wouldn't be good for business. I was about to give up when I spotted the member of their staff wheeling a trolley piled high with expensive luggage. It was a long shot but I took a seat facing the reception desk in the high tea area and ordered a coffee.




The Empty Nest Pt. 04



Five minutes later Jacques appeared followed by Rachel. Obviously I was the last person they thought they would see and when I walked up behind Rachel and called her name she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Come to gloat, have you," she snarled after she'd recovered from her fright.

"No, no I just wondered if I could talk to you for a minute." Jacques had stood beside her and placed a protective arm around her shoulders. "Alone." I added.

"You've got one minute," Rachel said before turning to Jacques. "Organize the bags and a taxi please. And get it right this time." 

I smiled on the inside. Pointing to the table I'd just left I led her to it. She waved the waitress away when she approached and then looked sternly at me.

"Well, what is it? I've got a plane to catch."

"I just wanted to say goodbye and... I'm sorry for the things I said in France."

"No, you're not." Rachel said brusquely.

"Actually I am. At the time I was very upset, but you know... the children and everything. I didn't ever want it to get that ugly."

"Well it did, and now you've won, so congratulations." She began to stand up.

"Come on Rachel. Can't we just let this go?"

"What do you want from me Jeffrey? Do you want me to say it's alright? You've left me on the rubbish heap but you're riding off into the sunset with your new little tart?" She shouted.

"You and I have very different definitions of a rubbish heap!" I replied getting to my feet as well.

We stared at each other for a moment as the security staff gathered discreetly nearby and other patrons swiveled in their chairs. 

"Goodbye, Rachel," I said bitterly, and strode out through the lobby.

In the back of the taxi on the way back to the bar I reached into my pocket and pulled out an envelope. On the front it proudly stated it was supplied courtesy of Pepper's Gallery Hotel. Opening it up I pulled out a cheque made out for Rachel to pay her two and a half million dollars. I stared at it briefly before I began tearing it into tiny pieces and putting them back in the envelope. I'd tried, but her anger had buried my sympathy and beaten my sense of fair play.

As I walked to the table I could see that Charlie and Jackie were onto a second bottle of bubbles. Charlie saw me approach and jumped up to give me a drunken cuddle. 

"You okay now?" She whispered into my ear.

"Yes."

"How did it go?"

"Not as well as I hoped but probably as well as I should have expected." 

Charlie pushed back and held me at arm's length so she could look at my face.

"What's that mean?"

"Hmmm," I thought for a moment. "Let's just say that little bit of me that might have still had some feelings for my ex-wife died and maybe that's about the best closure I could hope for."

Charlie watched me warily.

"Where's my glass? We're celebrating aren't we?" I said smiling broadly.

The girls squealed loudly and filled the empty glass on the table.

"A toast," I held my glass up. "To the future."