Storiesonline.net ------- Intersecting Circles by Jay Cantrell Copyright© 2008 by Jay Cantrell ------- Description: A thunderstorm forces Eric Sears to cancel his Saturday golf game. What he finds at home forces him to re-evaluate his life. Codes: MF rom cheat ------- ------- Chapter 1 When I was young my mother's favorite song was a country and western tune called "I Always Loved the Rain." I have to admit it's a catchy song and parts of it still ring through my mind today. But I've always hated the rain. It washed out baseball games and picnics when I was young. It made driving a pain when I got older. And it's the reason I'm not living blissfully unaware of my ex-wife's infidelity. ------- The thunderstorm caught me by surprise about half an hour after I left for my weekly Saturday golf game. I'm not very good at golf but I enjoy the exercise. My wife, Mary, used to come with me. But she decided about a year ago that she had better things to do on Saturday mornings. When I turned around and drove home, I found out what or rather who that better thing was. A startled Mary and her boss, Jeffrey, were in a semi-clothed, fully-loving embrace on the couch when I walked in the front door. The duo probably is lucky I left my golf bag in the trunk of my car or I might have beaten them to death where they sat. I was sorely tempted. The pair struggled to get their shirts back on as I stood wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the door. When she finally was clothed, Mary stood with her hands on her hips. "Don't you have anything to say?" she asked. I shook my head and stepped out from in front of the door — which I had failed to close. "Just two words: Get out," I said. Jeffrey moved as quickly as he could while Mary stood looking at the floor. "You too," I said. "I'll bag your shit and put it in the garage. I'll call your cell phone this week and leave a message about when you can pick it up." My wife looked up with tears in her eyes. "Can't we talk?" she said. "I'm sorry. Honey, I don't have anywhere to go." "You can go wherever he goes," I said. "Because I'm calling his wife as soon as I get a second to dial the phone." I kept my composure during the 10 minutes I allowed her to pack some personal belongings. But I was tearful when I called Jeffrey's house. "Mrs. Elliot," I said when she answered. "This is Eric Sears. I know this is inconvenient for you, but I think we need to have lunch this afternoon. There are some things we need to discuss." I heard her sigh deeply. "My husband and your wife," she said sadly. "I can't believe it. I found your number on his cell phone records for the last six months. He said it was work related calls but there were far too many for me to really accept that. But I wanted to believe him. I'll call you back. He just pulled in the driveway." It was almost an hour before Renee Elliott called me back. I spent the time alternating between rage and despair. Mary had been the only person I've ever loved as much as I love myself. I guess that wasn't enough. When Renee called she sounded as miserable as I felt. "Fuck them," I said. "They deserve each other." That earned a slight laugh. "I'd like to get together for lunch tomorrow so we can share records," Renee told me. "I plan to meet with a lawyer first thing Monday morning and have the papers delivered to the son of bitch at his office that afternoon." I added a laugh. "I've already opened my templates to file the paperwork," I said. "I'll bring some copies of things I give to my clients. I hate divorces. I think I'm going to hate this one even more." ------- When Renee Elliott walked into the restaurant for lunch my eyes bulged out of their sockets. She was 8 months pregnant if she was a day. I felt my anger rise with each step she took closer toward me. When she sat down it bubbled over. "It is a little known fact that the offending party in a divorce can be made to pay for the non-offending party's legal fees," I said. "I brought a list of lawyers who would help you out for little or nothing. But I think I'll get another list of the nastiest ball-busting attorneys I know of. That filthy son of a bitch." Renee smiled serenely. "I'm sorry," I said. "My soon-to-be-ex-wife is just as much of a son of bitch." "Daughter of a bitch," Renee corrected me with a smile. "My emotions are all over the place anyway. Now this. Half of the time I want to castrate him and the other half I'm so sad I can hardly move." I nodded. "I should have beaten them both to death with a golf club," I said and I was surprised that I meant it. I shook my head quickly to clear the image from my head. "Wow," Renee replied. "That would have solved my problem but you would have had a whole new set. At least as it is, we can help each other." I pulled a sheaf of papers from my briefcase. "I opened Mary's e-mail account last night," I said. "Here is chapter and verse of their affair. I haven't read any of these yet because I still have to see her one more time to let her pick up some stuff from the house and I'm afraid of what I might do." "I'd like to be there," Renee said quickly. "You come to my house while Jeff is there. I'll come to yours while Mary is there." I smiled. "It sounds like a perfectly diabolical plan," I said. "Now, I want to give you some free legal advice. Obviously I can't represent you. Something about ethics and conflicts of interest. I don't know. I slept through that week of law school. "Before you go to the lawyers on Monday, go to the bank. Leave $500 in your checking account and remove the rest." Renee smiled. "Already done," she said. "I transferred every last penny from there last night." I sat back. "First things first," I replied. "How did you manage that?" "Internet banking," she said. I nodded and wondered if I had that set up. Mary had taken care of the household expenses. "Let's have a quick lunch and I'll check to see if you have the program on your computer," Renee offered. I smiled. I could do basic word entry but I was as about as computer illiterate as a person in this day and age could be. "Now, you need to put some money back in the account," I said and I watched Renee's eyes flash in anger. "Hear me out before you shoot the messenger," I said. "Leaving him a little bit to get by on will score big points with the judge. After all, you're the aggrieved party and you're being magnanimous. If you take everything, they'll see vindictive." "Good," she spat. "I want them to see vindictive. I feel vindictive. I left him is life and his penis. Anything else the son of bitch gets is a bonus." I liked this woman's spirit. "I'm just telling you how a court will view it," I said. "You're free to do whatever you want." Renee sighed again. "I am absolutely not free to do whatever I want," she said. "I'm due to have a baby any damned day now and my husband was diddling your wife instead of painting the nursery. The paint fumes make me nauseated." "I'll make you a deal," I said. "You check out my computer this afternoon, I'll paint your nursery tomorrow afternoon. I'm taking a week off from work." Renee smiled and patted her tummy. "Deal," she said. "But if we don't eat soon you're gonna have one unhappy hungry woman on your hands instead of just one unhappy woman." ------- After a lunch in which Renee ate most of the appetizer, all of her entrée and a portion of mine, we headed back to my house where Renee went digging onto the computer. She quickly found the money management program and made an electronic transfer from checking to savings. "What the fuck!" I heard from the room set aside for an office as I got us both a bottle of water. I worried that the baby was on the way and hustled back in. Just as with the day before, I stopped with my mouth open in the doorway. There in living color on the computer screen was Renee's husband balls deep in my wife. "They made videos," she hissed. "Dozens of them." Renee was scrambling to find a CD to burn the incriminating evidence when my cell phone rang. "Eric?" my wife said when I answered. I handed the phone to Renee. "Have anything you'd like to say to Mary?" I asked. Indeed she did. Renee started to go into a tirade about the videos but she saw me shaking my head violently. I mouthed the word "surprise" and she got an evil glint in her eye. "You're a pretty low-life bitch," she said instead. "I'm a week away from having a baby and you're fucking my husband. Well you can have him. When Eric and I are done packing all of Jeffrey's shit at my house we're heading to his to pack yours. We'll set it out at the curb for you two degenerates to come and pick up one day this week." I smiled. "I don't know," Renee said to an unheard question. "I talked to him yesterday and told him my situation. He came over today to do all the things for me and the baby that the bastard you're fucking was supposed to do. "You should have just come to me. I would have traded you even up. You can have the piece of shit you got and I'll take the gem you didn't want." Renee smiled and I shook my head embarrassed. "I'll ask," Renee said into the receiver as she got another evil grin on her face. "Mary says there are some work things she needs off the computer," she told me while barely containing her laughter. "She wants to know if she can stop by and get them." I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing out loud. "I changed the alarm code before her ass hit the car seat," I lied. "Tell her she can have the whole fuckin' machine. I'll set it outside when I leave for work Wednesday morning. Tell her she can pick it up any time after 7 a.m. It'll be on the porch." Renee nodded her approval. That would give us a while to hunt through the rest of the files. "Oh, and ask her to tell Jeffrey hello for me," I said. "I talked to a few of my old clients last night and they're planning to say hi to him from me, too." It was Renee's turn to bite the inside of her lip. "Oh, really?" she said. "Hmmm, I figured the two of you couldn't wait to set up housekeeping. I mean, it's not like it's a secret anymore." "Jeffrey's not with her," she said as she rolled her eyes. "She said it was a one-time thing and she hasn't seen him since he ran out yesterday." I chuckled. "It was really gallant of him to stay and protect her," I said. "He left like his ass was on one fire. Of course, after what he did to you, Renee, that can't be much of a surprise." Renee's eyes lost their fire and became suddenly sad. "Actually, it was a surprise," she said as much to herself as to me. "Well, I hope you and Jeffrey decide to continue your 'one-time thing.' From what I can see, you two deserve each other." Renee hung up the phone and jumped back on the computer to try to quell her emotions. I took a moment to follow through on changing the alarm code in case Mary decided a preemptive strike. Renee and I drove to Staples where we bought a new computer system for each of us and an external hard drive to dump all the files on. Renee was a computer whiz and managed to download my whole hard drive. By the time she was finished it was almost 10 p.m. It was raining again when I drove her home. ------- "We need to be careful," she said as I pulled into her driveway. I agreed wholeheartedly but I couldn't understand the importance of it just right now. "They've proven rather adept at lying," she continued. "I wouldn't put it past them to have someone watching our houses now that they know we've been together." Suddenly it all became clear. "They're not the bad guys," I said. "We are. I've had clients who have wanted to go that route but I always declined. I try not to be too sleazy." Renee laughed. "A non-sleazy lawyer," she said. "I never thought I'd see the day." "I'm still coming over tomorrow to paint the baby's room," I said. "And, if you want, I'll be right there with you when the time comes." Renee's eyes filled with tears. "Thanks," she said quietly. "Let's just get through tomorrow." I helped her out of the car and walked her to the door. "Should I come in to check to make sure things are alright?" I asked. "Would you?" she said. "I didn't want to seem like a wuss." Everything was alright in her house — she had already changed the alarm code — and I patted her shoulder as I was leaving. "I'm hitting the bank and the courthouse tomorrow," I said. "Do you want to file the paperwork together?" Renee shook her head. "I've still got to find a lawyer," she said. "It might be a few days before I get to the filing. But I will go to the bank to make sure everything is above board and let them know that Jeffrey has no access to our accounts." "I can't represent you," I said. "But I can advise you. I can put together a packet for you to file pro se in the morning if you want. But you don't have to file at all. You know that, right? I mean, you have a child with him." Renee looked thoughtful. "Do you read minds?" she said. I tilted my head to make sure I heard her correctly. "Uh, no," I said. "I mean, I barely have a mind of my own." The smile returned to her face. "I want to file as soon as possible," she said. "But I know how difficult it can be to get an appointment with a decent attorney. If you can put together some paperwork, I'd appreciate it. I'll meet you at the courthouse at lunch?" I went to the car to get my briefcase and handed a copy of the papers I planned to file in the morning. "If you get the chance, look through these," I said. "It has a legal separation date and I pretty much asked for two-thirds of everything as primary wage earner of a short-term marriage. I don't know you're financial situation but I can't imagine Jeffrey makes enough as a high school guidance counselor to afford a house this nice." Renee snorted. "No, I'm the primary wage earner," she said. "I do computer programming and networking. I make about 10 times what he does." A smile came to my face. "Maybe that's why he was slumming with my wife," I said. "He wanted to get back in touch with the proletariat." "Did you see those videos?" she said. "It looked like they got in touch with a lot of things. What do you say we drop a copy off at the school board meeting after we take them to the cleaners?" ------- We didn't stop at the school board Monday morning but I did find an old adversary and approached him. "What the fuck do you want," Det. Lt. Jason Mangrove hissed when I entered his office. "My alimony is up to date and I haven't talked to the bitch in a year." "I know," I said calmly. "I'm here on another matter — a personal matter." Lt. Mangrove didn't move. "I would like to leave a potential piece of evidence with you," I said with my eyes cast downward. "I hope you'll give me a receipt confirming acceptance and sign this chain-of-custody form." Mangrove pushed forward on his chair. "Criminal or civil case," he said. I knew he didn't like me — deservedly so — but I also knew he was a good cop. "Civil," I said. "If it were criminal I would have given it to anyone in uniform. I just need you to hold on to this until I come for it. I wouldn't have come to you if it weren't important." Mangrove sighed but he nodded. I handed over the CD and he sealed it in an evidence bag. He pulled a patrolman inside who witnessed the chain-of-custody signature and I was off. "How long will I need to hold this?" Mangrove asked as I departed. I shrugged. "I hope I can call you in a day or two and you can toss it," I said. "I just need it out of my hands and into someone's who can be trusted." I left before I could hear Mangrove's retort. I had represented his ex-wife in their divorce and I had mistakenly taken his wife's word as gospel. It was only later that I found out she had misled me and the court. But by then Mangrove's reputation was almost in the trash. I had done my best to make reparation when I found the truth but it wasn't enough and I knew it. But I also recognized that his word was beyond reproach in the courtroom. It was among many mistakes I'd made a couple of years before. I shook my head as I left to meet Renee at the bank. ------- Renee and I were the first two through the doors of Citizens Bank. It took us less than 20 minutes to open new accounts and leave some cash for our wayward spouses. We smiled to each other when the manager told us someone was trying to access the accounts from another branch and that the people in question were irate that the majority of the money was gone. "Should have moved quicker," Renee said with a smirk. "He was quick enough to get the Sears house Saturday morning." An hour after our stop at the bank we filed our Complaint in Divorce at the County Clerk's office. We paid our $170 filing fee and secured the services of a constable to serve the papers Tuesday since it was the last day of school. It seemed like fitting retribution. After that we celebrated with a late lunch and a trip to Lowe's to pick out the color for the baby's room. Renee tired easily and we stopped often for her to rest so the trip took a little longer than planned. Mary and Jeffrey left several messages on our cell phones but we deleted them unheard. I had already heard most of what Mary would say during my time as an attorney. Renee didn't care a whit what Jeffrey had to say. ------- I spent the rest of Monday preparing the room that would house Renee's coming addition for painting and all of Tuesday putting on the first coat of paint. Renee selected a nice sand color for the walls with a pale green for the trim. I joked that the green would match the baby poop almost exactly. She didn't find me amusing. I had forgotten about my promise to Mary about returning the computer on Wednesday morning. Renee had finished with it Monday and had instructed me on how to disassemble the damned thing and pack it away. I opened the door at 6:30 a.m. to put the computer on the porch and came face to face with my wife. "I said after 7 a.m.," I said. "It's not after 7 a.m." Mary looked up at me sadly. "You had them serve divorce papers at school," she said. "That was awful." I shrugged. "I had no address for you," I said. "Renee had no address for Jeffrey. It was the best we could do." "I went to an attorney after I got served," she told me. "I just want you to know that you're wrong. We never committed adultery. It was the first time we met. What you saw was as far as we got. Some kissing, some touching. Nothing more. I was told it doesn't meet the legal definition of adultery." I smiled. "So you're saying that you never had sex with Jeffrey?" I asked. Mary nodded. "Never!" she said with vehemence. I shrugged. "I'll give you a no-fault divorce in 90 days," she said. I mentally shook my head. In our state a no-fault divorce meant a 50-50 split of all assets considered to be marital property. An at-fault divorce — such as one involving adultery or abuse — would result in a judge determining the balance but would leave the non-offending party with no less than 67 percent. "I'll take it under consideration," I said. "I want to come home," she said. I sighed. "I've been thinking about that," I said. "I think it's a good idea." Mary looked up at me expectantly. "I don't want the house," I said. "It has nothing but terrible memories for me. You can have it. I'll find an apartment this week and take what I want. If there is anything missing that you want, let me know and I'll consider if you should have it. You can take possession of the marital home at noon Sunday." "I can already tell you that something I want will be missing," she said. "How in the fuck can you know that?" I asked heatedly. "I might just take my clothes and leave." "That's not what I meant," she said quickly. "I want to come home with you and you'll be gone." "You have no home with me anymore," I said. "You can have the house but there's no way I'll be in it. If you don't want it, you can put it on the market. I've paid three months of the mortgage. It's up to date until September. I'll pay you $1,000 per month in alimony for 24 months. That's one month's alimony for each month we were married. It's the best offer you're going to get." Mary shook her head. "If you won't try to work things out then we'll go to court and I'll take half of your net worth," she said smugly. "You might be an attorney, but I know my rights." ------- I was met by Renee at her door. She had a look on her face that bespoke her emotions. "You just missed my bastard of a soon-to-be ex-husband," she hissed. "He wants half. I almost told him about the videos. Fuckin' lying piece of shit. I should have taken his balls." "Idle threats," I said sweetly. "Remember what we have. We can hoist them by their own petard. We'll let them state their case under oath and then rip them apart. I still have hope that they'll see reason and accept our offer." Renee and I had spent hours Tuesday evening working over the deals we were willing to offer. Renee wanted to leave them with nothing. I knew it wasn't going to work that way. The courts very rarely left a defendant with nothing. It led to too many courthouse shootings, I always thought. I also suspected that neither of our cheating partners would accept our generosity. Instead they would want more. I had no doubt that Mary's suddenly precarious financial situation was the reason she wanted me to take her back. "I need to look for an apartment this afternoon," I said. "As soon as I'm done with Small Fry's room. Can you go through the classifieds for me? It'll keep you away from the smell." Renee smiled and pulled out a paper. "It was what I was doing with Dickhead showed up," she said. "Can you believe he wanted to come home? He asked if we could try counseling. I asked if he would consider castration." I chuckled. "Anyway, there is a nice apartment complex about five minutes from here," she said. "The paper says they have openings. It has a pool. You should take a look." I shrugged. "Anywhere would be fine with me," I said. "Once I head back to the office my hours will be ugly again." Renee frowned. "I was the same way," she said. "But with, what do you call her, Small Fry, coming soon I'm going to spend less time there." I considered what she said. "I have no doubt my hours are what led Mary and Jeffrey together," I said and Renee nodded. "But she sure liked the money." Renee nodded more vehemently. "You should think about spending less time at work, too," she said. "Money isn't everything." ------- Chapter 2 It was after midnight on a Friday night when Renee called to tell me she was in labor. I had moved to the apartment complex a few blocks from her house so I was at her door in less than 10 minutes. We had rehearsed the procedure a dozen times but it was hectic as hell on the actual night. The 13 days since I first met Renee had been a whirlwind. I had painted the room and put together the furniture. I had bought a video recorder and a digital camera to record images. I had moved to a new apartment and returned to work. I had juggled calls from Mary and threats from her attorney and calmed Renee when she received the same from Jeffrey and his attorney. I had expected most of my activities but I wasn't prepared for the next portion of my life: Renee grasped my hand tightly and pulled me with her into the delivery room. I was not super pleased about the situation but I hardly could tell her no. I figured I would stay with her until the real event kicked off then get away as fast as possible. The rain outside should have told me that wouldn't be the case. I kept my back to the action as I maintained a tight hold on Renee's hand and whispered soothing words to her. I graciously declined when the doctor offered me the opportunity to cut the umbilical cord. But I gladly accepted the bloody bundle that was Renee's daughter after the doctor had let Renee hold the little girl for a minute. Eve Elliott was a beautiful baby. ------- I had taken Renee's advice and cut back on my hours, much to the chagrin of the partners of the law firm I worked for. My leisure time wasn't spent exactly leisurely but it was certainly enjoyable. I became Eve's erstwhile baby sitter while her mother worked in her home office. Renee would take a break every couple of hours to breast feed the little girl — times when I made a hasty retreat — but she seemed content to leave the precious little girl in my care during the evenings. I had wanted children since my marriage but Mary had steadfastly refused. She wanted to wait three or four more years, much to my disappointment. Renee told me Jeffrey was reticent about having children as well and he had expressed disappointment then disinterest when she told him she was pregnant. For my part, I would be happy as hell to be considered Uncle Eric by little Eve. Mary and Jeffrey hadn't given up. Their attorney had filed a counter claim alleging infidelity on the part of Renee and me. It was ludicrous but the court had dutifully accepted the filing as required by law. Renee and I had a laugh over that one but we still were obligated to defend against the claim. Jeffrey had made a few efforts to see his daughter. Renee had primary custody and Jeffrey hadn't bothered to go to court to secure visitation. For the first couple of months he would call about once a week to secure Renee's permission to visit. Renee had always asked me to be there whenever Jeffrey came to visit. Mary would call my cell phone a couple of times per week — usually to try to get more money out of me or to ask me questions about turning on the furnace or putting in the storm windows. The first depositions were a joke. Mary's attorney looked as if he was 15 years old and acted as if he were 12. He expected to be able to dictate the pace of the proceedings and that simply wasn't going to happen. I had engaged a full-fledged ball-busting shark as my attorney. She was a take-no-prisoners type who ate little boys like Mary's attorney for lunch. She had never heard of Mary's attorney and neither had I. "I simply don't see how you can allege adultery," he said before my ass had hit the seat. "She was fucking another guy," I said harshly. The boy actually blushed. "That is incorrect," the boy said. "Allow me to inform you of the legal definition of adultery." I started to speak but my attorney touched my arm. "I'll handle this one," she said. "This man handles 40 or 50 divorces a month. Just the thought of his client list gets my silkies a little moist. He understands the legal definition of adultery far better than you do, I can assure you. And I can further assure you that he recognizes adultery when he sees it." At my attorney's mention of silkies the boy's blush deepened. "Remind me to bring my client list to our next lunch meeting," I said wiggling my eyebrows and my attorney punched me on the arm playfully. I saw an opportunity to speak and I took it. "Mary, I've been generous," I said. "There is no way you'll get a no-fault divorce out of this. You know it and I know it. My first offer was the house and $24,000 in alimony. I've documented every lie you've told me since our separation and I've knocked $10 per month off for each one of them. My final offer, which is good until Monday afternoon, is $480 per month and the house. If this goes to trial, you'll lose the house, too, if I want it." Mary was shaking her head so hard I thought her necklace might break. "I have not lied to you," she said. "Not once. I never had sex with Jeffrey before our separation." "Four-seventy per month," I said as I pulled out my notebook and make a tick beside the appropriate lie. "Keep going and you'll owe me money." "Fuck you," Mary hissed. "We'll go to court." "Before we go I want to get a couple of things on the record," my attorney said. "This is a formal deposition and it will be recorded. You are under oath. "For the record, Ms. Wendell, did you have a sexual relationship with Jeffrey Elliott prior to June 3rd?" "Absolutely not!" Mary practically screamed then she sat back with a smug look on her face. "That's really all I have to ask," my attorney said and I started to rise. "I have some questions of your client," Mary's boy wonder said. "Did you have a sexual relationship with Renee Elliott prior to June 3rd?" he asked with a grin. I knew it was coming and I was prepared. "I have not had a sexual relationship with Renee Elliott prior to nor after June 3rd. In fact, I don't think I ever laid eyes upon her until June 4th. At the time she was nine months pregnant. She has since given birth but our relationship is not sexual." Mary's attorney rolled his eyes. "We have photos of you leaving her house," he said. "We have photos of her leaving your apartment. We know about you two. You certainly seem chummy with the daughter. Are you sure she isn't yours?" I was out of my seat before my attorney could stop me. "You sniveling little twit," I roared. "I'll cut your balls off and stuff them down your throat if I see one camera pointed at me or those two. Mark my words, you little fucker, you don't want me as your enemy. Mary, ask your fuck buddy what Renee does for a living before you decide to reject the deal. You have until 5 p.m. Monday to come to your senses." ------- Monday afternoon came and went without a word from Mary but I did hear from Judge Bettina Markle about my outburst. It seems Mary's attorney had filed a formal grievance against me with the presiding judge. I was to be in her chambers at 2 p.m. Tuesday with my attorney. Tuesday morning brought Mary's counter-offer. She wanted me to give her the house and a $50,000 lump sum alimony payment. Neither the summons nor Mary's demands worried me much but Renee was pissed when she got a similar packet from Jeffrey. It seems that she and I weren't the only two comparing notes. I sat in Judge Markle's chambers and listened to the snot-nosed kid give chapter and verse on my alleged transgressions. "He is an officer of the court," he said. "He threatened another officer of the court. That's actionable." My attorney smiled sweetly. "He was there not as an officer of the court," she replied. "He was there as a plaintiff. And if Mr. Hart maintains his sanctimonious attitude, Mr. Sears will not be the last client who speaks harshly to him. "If Mr. Hart doesn't grow up, Your Honor, you're going to have to set aside another judge just for hearing his whining." Judge Markle shook her head gravely. "Just what did you say, Mr. Sears?" she asked me. I smiled at the woman. "I called him a sniveling twit and told him he didn't want me as an enemy," I replied. It was almost word for word what Judge Markle had said to me five years before. The judge burst out laughing. "Mr. Hart," she began, "being called a twit is not actionable. In fact, if your actions there were anything near your attitude here, I would say Mr. Sears was correct in his assessment. "As for the second part, I would say he definitely was correct. He is not a person you want as your enemy." The young attorney got red face and sputtered out a few syllables before regaining composure. "Well," he said haughtily, "my client was refused by several attorneys in this matter before she came to me. I can understand why. I see the good-ole boy network has expanded to include women. I will be asking any sitting judge in this county to recuse himself or herself from this matter." Judge Markle's eyes became slits but I spoke before she could unleash her venom on the man. "I'm going to give you a little free advice," I said quickly. "If you want to say the things you did when you're talking to your buddies or to your clients, no one will care. But if you try that shit in a judge's chambers again, you better have a toothbrush in your pocket, if you get my meaning." He looked dumbfounded so I assumed he didn't. I started to speak again but Judge Markle cut me off. "Contempt of court," she said brusquely. "That means I put you in jail until I decide to let you out. He's right again. You open your mouth to me again it better be prefaced with Your Honor or Ma'am. And your tone of voice better be respectful even if you don't mean it. It's time you grow up if you want to play in the Big Leagues. We don't take kindly to crybabies up here. Now, as for your request, it is out of order. If you put in a formal motion, I'll deny it." The young man sputtered again. "The simple fact is that Mr. Sears has already asked us to recuse ourselves from the case," she continued. "He was looking out for your client while you were still holding your crying towel. Now get out." Mary had sat quietly throughout but I noticed her face getting paler as the judge spoke. When we left she refused to meet my gaze. "As for your offer," I said to the top of her head, "fat fucking chance." ------- The fall brought a host of activities. I spent three or four evenings a week with Renee and Eve. I learned how to fix a bottle and even to change a diaper. Renee started to take a couple of hours per week away from the Small Fry so I got a crash course in unsupervised child care. It was good for Renee's peace of mind and I had a great time with Eve. I didn't even mind when she was fussy. We'd take a short stroll and I'd sing her a couple of silly songs and she would be out like a light. I couldn't decide what my relationship with Renee was. I was starting to realize what I would like it to be but she treated me more like a brother than as a significant other. I guess for the most part I treated her sisterly as well. Still, we would watch a movie or sit and talk after Eve was asleep and we ate together almost every evening. Whatever relationship we had we both seemed comfortable around the other so we kept things low-key. Of course the thought of some sleazeball photographer outside of our living areas made that easier still. ------- It was early January before the cases of Sears v. Sears and Elliott v. Elliott made their way to the docket of Family Court. Mary had made a vain attempt at contacting me to try to exchange figures again but I refused. The whole private detective thing had really pissed me off. Jeffrey had stopped coming to visit Eve at all. I think he was worried that Renee was going to hit him up for child support. She was keeping that gun in the holster for right now. Because a judge from another county was being brought in both cases were scheduled to be heard on the same day — mine in the morning and Renee's in the afternoon. We really figured the afternoon session would prove superfluous. I thought it a good sign that there wasn't a cloud in the sky when we entered the courthouse. The court listened to Mary's counter-claim and refused it without comment. She had pictures of me leaving the house and Renee leaving my house but nothing of a sexual nature. Our claim was straightforward. Mary had said during her deposition that she hadn't had a sexual relationship with Jeffrey Elliott. We held our ace in the hole — the videos and e-mails — hoping we wouldn't need them. But, of course, we did. I testified vaguely about evidence that I had found that implicated the pair in adultery long before June 3rd but I was never asked about it on cross examination. Mary on direct questioning denied the affair and did so again under cross. "We have a rebuttal witness," my attorney said. "The plaintiff calls Detective Lieutenant Jason Mangrove." Because he was offering rebuttal testimony we didn't have to list Det. Mangrove as a potential witness. Thus the defense had no opportunity to explore what he might have to say. After he was sworn in and gave his full name and occupation, Det. Mangrove glared at me. "What is your relationship to my client?" my attorney asked. "None," he said harshly. "In fact, I dislike him immensely." My attorney nodded. "Do you have a professional relationship with him?" she asked. "Absolutely not," Det. Mangrove replied. "He represented my ex-wife in our divorce. He's a scum-bag divorce attorney. I work criminal cases." "When is the last time you saw Mr. Sears?" "Objection," Mary's attorney yelled as he rose to his feet. "Your Honor, this is all well and good but would you please instruct counsel to get to the point." The judge looked at my attorney. "Your Honor, Det. Mangrove has vital information in his possession with direct bearing on Ms. Wendell's claims," my attorney said. "I am establishing that Det. Mangrove has no personal interest in the outcome and putting together a timeline for the court." "Oh, I have an interest," Mangrove said. "I hope she takes him for all he's worth just like he did to me." The judge reprimanded Det. Mangrove and allowed my attorney to continue. "When is the last time you saw Mr. Sears?" she asked. The detective consulted a notebook. "June 5th of last year," he said. "At that time did he leave anything in your possession?" "Yes." "Could you tell the court what he left with you?" "A compact disc." "Do you know what is on the disc?" "I have no idea. He came to my office and asked me to hold on to it. He had me sign a chain-of-custody form in front of a witness and it was sealed in an evidence bag." "Did the disc leave your possession since that time?" "It left my physical possession but it was locked in my office safe at all times." "Does anyone else have the combination to that safe?" Det. Mangrove looked thoughtful. "I don't think so," he said. "My former secretary did but she retired before Mr. Sears came to visit. I changed the combination after she left and I haven't had a permanent secretary since." My attorney nodded. "Do you have the disc in your possession right now?" Det. Mangrove nodded then affirmed his answer verbally as he produced a sealed evidence bag from his jacket. He also produced the chain-of-custody form which was stapled to the outside. "We offer plaintiff's Exhibits One and Two in rebuttal to Ms. Wendell's prior testimony." This raised another objection but it was overruled. I saw Mary's face had turned the color of chalk and I heard her whisper hurriedly to her attorney whose face was as red as blood. "Your Honor, the contents of this disc are not suitable for public viewing," my attorney stated. "The plaintiff asks you to view the contents in camera and the plaintiff has no further questions for Det. Mangrove." Mary's attorney tried for 15 minutes to get Det. Mangrove to change his story but it didn't work. I knew the detective had spent hundreds of hours on the witness stand and he knew how to deal with arrogant attorneys — myself obviously excluded given the size of his alimony payments. The judge ordered a recess while she viewed the disc and told us she would issue his ruling at 11:30 a.m. I saw Renee in the hallway pacing back and forth with Eve in her sling. I smiled and gave her a thumbs up as I headed toward them. "Well, I think this afternoon will be anticlimactic," I said. "I'm sorry you won't get the pleasure of seeing Jeffrey's face when he finds out." She smiled and handed the baby over to me. "I'll get the pleasure of seeing him coming to grovel," she said. "That's just as much fun." I saw Mary and her attorney approaching with Jeffrey and his lawyer in tow so I turned to face them. "I'll take the original offer," Mary said quickly. "I still think you're bluffing. But Jeff says Renee might have been able to create something on the computer." "Create my ass," Renee hissed. "Or rather, your ass. Please, why do you think we found a police officer to take custody of it? You're screwed and you know it. And I know it and Eric knows and now the judge knows. You're screwed in a hundred different ways on more than a dozen videos. You're screwed in the mouth and probably in the ass. "We've talked and here's our latest offer: Get lost!" I patted Renee on the arm and she turned to me quickly. "Don't you start," she said. "They wanted to play hardball. They lied and cheated and tried to get a hell of a lot more than they deserve. Things are tough in the Big Leagues, little girl, and you and douchebag over there bit off a hell of a lot more than you can chew when you decided to fuck around on us. "You'll get half of whatever the judge decides this bitch gets minus the house. If you don't like it, we'll head in there and play this game again this afternoon. I'm sure running out on a nine-months pregnant wife to screw around with some bimbo will really play well in the court transcripts. "You should thank Eric for stepping in to help me with Eve otherwise I'd be taking $500 in child support from your meager salary." Jeffrey stood with his mouth agape. I couldn't blame him. I was a little shell shocked myself by her outburst. Renee was fighting mad and I for one wasn't about to tangle with her. Jeffrey's attorney seemed to think discretion was the better part of valor. "Half of what she gets minus the house?" he said. "We'll take it." "Oh, and Jeffrey boy here pays my legal fees," she said. "Since it's an at-fault divorce that's his obligation." Jeffrey's attorney nodded and Renee turned to me. "May I assume you're charging me your standard fee for the advice you've given me?" she asked with a malicious grin. "I've heard rumors that you charge $600 per hour. My attorney tells me that your time is as billable as hers is." I couldn't suppress a chuckle and I could see Jeffrey doing math in his head. Renee just grasped my arm and led me away from the group. "I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have made that decision for you. I know you don't want to leave her with nothing but I think it's what they deserve. Still, it wasn't my place." I patted her arm. "It's OK," I said. "You're right and I'm wrong. Take a note, it might be the last time you hear that from me." She smiled. "Oh, I doubt that," she said. "You said the same thing after finishing up Eve's room. The colors looked perfect together and you admitted you were wrong to doubt me." I smiled and nodded. I was ready to continue the conversation when my attorney and Mary's came over. "She is willing to settle for $500 per month in alimony for two years," my attorney said with a smile. "She keeps the house and she gets one-quarter of the joint checking account." I still had little Eve strapped to my chest but I tried my best to shrug. "You two just don't get it," I said. "An at-fault divorce means she's entitled to no more than one-third of everything. By all rights I should force her to sell the house and give me two-thirds of the proceeds. She'll be lucky if she doesn't wind up having to sell the house to pay my attorney's fees. Forget alimony. We'll wait for the judge." Mary's attorney turned away and shook his head gravely. Mary looked as if she was going to cry. ------- The judge's ruling was harsher than I expected. "Ms. Wendell, I watched the contents of that CD with nothing less than disgust," the woman said. "It is apparent to me that you have intentionally misled this court to try to seek increased financial gain. I don't take kindly to that. "Mr. Sears made a very generous offer. In fact, he has made several generous offers. You refused each one because you wanted to reach for the brass ring. Well you missed. "The marital assets will be divided thusly: 94 percent to Mr. Sears; 6 percent to Ms. Wendell. Mr. Sears was the primary wage earner during the marriage so alimony is called for. I order Mr. Sears to pay you $5 per month for the next two months. It is my understanding that Mr. Sears has paid you $1,000 per month for the last seven months. I order that returned less $10. "Each of you is forbidden from removing the other as primary beneficiary to any insurance policy presently in existence. Ms. Wendell you may keep the marital home for five years. During that time you are responsible for all costs associated with the dwelling. The house is to be sold five years hence and the proceeds split 75 percent to Mr. Sears and 25 percent to Ms. Wendell. The house will be appraised within 30 days at Ms. Wendell's expense. The appraisal value will be the starting point for the resale value. Any sale of the property for less than the current appraisal value will come from Ms. Wendell's share. "Ms. Wendell you are further order to pay all reasonable legal fees associated with this case. Mr. Sears' attorney will present an itemized list of expenses within 60 days. "Court is adjourned." I turned to see Renee sitting with Eve in the last row. She was smiling brightly and jerked her head toward Mary. Mary was in tears and Jeffrey was sitting in the row behind her holding his temples as if his head were going to explode. I couldn't resist as I walked past him. "That is one expensive piece of ass," I said to my attorney as we passed. But I made sure I said it loud enough for each of the two defendants to hear. ------- Renee and I celebrated that night by taking our attorneys out to dinner. I was nominal friends with both of them — I had opposed them in court many times and I respected them. Each of us had joked that our client should at least feed us after we had secured a favorable settlement for them because it would usually be a year or more before we saw the majority of our fees from them. I figured maybe I would start a trend. Renee surprised us all midway through. "Let them stew for a day or two," she said. "Then call Jeffrey's lawyer and tell him I'll forgive the money he owes me. I won't hit him up for child support if he agrees to stay the hell away from us." I arched my eyebrows at her. "What happened to emasculating him?" I wondered aloud. "We did that," she said. "But remember what you've told me. If you take away everything you leave them with nothing to lose." I tilted my head. "So now you listen to my advice," I said as I bounced Eve on my knee. "One shot deal, my friend," she said with a glint in her eye. "I know I can't stop you from giving it but I don't have to listen to it." I nodded. "Do the same with Mary," I said. "Tell her I don't want any money from the house either." Renee nodded at me. "You were right about something," she said. "We made a lot of points by offering a generous settlement when we knew we had them. We gave them every chance to get out with their reputations and their pocketbooks in tact. "Don't get used to me telling you that too often either," she said. Over the months I'd watched Renee regain her footing. The trauma of a nasty divorce coupled with raising a child alone had been rough for her. But she had rebounded as time passed. Christmas was tough for her — as it was for me — and her mood had become increasing hostile as the court date approached. It was good to see her smiling again. ------- Chapter 3 I figured my time with Renee would decrease since we no longer had a common set of adversaries. Shortly after the divorce I was proven right. I still watched Eve a couple of nights per week while Renee went to work out at the Y or for an evening meeting with colleagues. I stopped bringing work home with me and started to spend more evenings at the office. I had less than five months left on my five-year contract with the firm and I had decided to move out on my own in the summer. A few days after the court hearing, Det. Jason Mangrove appeared in my office. "She lied, you know," he said without preamble and I knew he was talking about his ex-wife, not mine. "I know," I said. He glared at me. "I didn't find out until about a year ago," I said. "She really pulled me into her web." I saw the man smile for the first time. "She has that way about her," he said. "How'd you find out?" I sighed. "You know she remarried, right?" I said and he nodded. "Well, she tried the same shit with her next victim. I did a routine check on him. He was almost 70 years old. There was no way in hell he had abused her." "There was no way in hell I abused her, either," he said harshly. "That didn't stop you." I nodded. "Your service record," I said simply. "That was the confidential file the judge looked at in chambers. You had three complaints about excessive abuse." Mangrove frowned. "I have come to realize that most good cops have at least five or six complaints in their jacket," I said. "When I found out the age of her new husband I told her I would take the case but she had to pay upfront. "Let's just say she didn't have the money and offered the barter system." Mangrove laughed. "I can only imagine," he said. "You should have fucked her and then refused her case." "I called my paralegal in under the pretense of getting everything in writing," I said. "She didn't seem to know that sex in exchange for legal services was wrong. "Or if she knew she should have been an actress. Hell, maybe she should be anyway. Look at how she played the two of us." "She'd be a porn star," he said then he chuckled. "You know she has a Web site, right?" he asked. "Anytime you want you can see my ex-wife naked for the low fee of $12.99 per month." It was my turn to laugh. "Hell, you think that's good," I said. "All you had to do was open your safe and you could have seen my ex-wife fucking." His eyes got big. "I wondered what was on that disc," he said. "If I would have known we could have opened a Web site for her, too. I guess Marcie makes quite a living from fingering her box on screen." I shook my head sadly but I could see where Marcie could make some cash that way. She was a fine-looking woman. "Why did you pick me?" he said. "I thought about just tossing the fucking thing in the trash but I couldn't do it. I just couldn't bring myself to do it in case it was evidence." "That's the reason," I said. "Even when I was trying to prove that you were the biggest asshole on the planet everyone told me that you were a top-notch cop. I knew that you were someone for whom the rule of law was absolute." He looked pleased. "I sent a letter," I said as an afterthought because it just occurred to me. "As soon as I found out about your ex-wife's deceit I sent a letter to the police commissioner and your captain." He eyed me carefully. "When did you do that?" he asked. "I don't know, February or March of last year," I said. "I assumed they told you." "They didn't say anything about it," he said. "But I got promoted to lieutenant in April without even taking the exam. I passed it twice before but got passed over. I figured it was never going to happen." "I'm sorry, Detective," I said. "I really thought she was telling the truth. Of course, I missed my wife fucking around me for almost a year." "One thing's for damned sure," he said. "If I ever get divorced again I want you on my side." ------- Renee called my office at 8 p.m. one evening in late March. "What in the hell are you doing at work?" she asked. "What did we talk about?" I thought she was joking so I made a smart-assed comment. I was wrong. "You haven't been over for dinner in a week," she said. "When you watch Evie you bolt as soon as I'm in the door. Did you learn nothing from that wreckage of a marriage?" "I'm sorry," I said somewhat flustered. "I'm just trying to get things tied up here. I only have a couple of weeks to get things wrapped up here. My contract is up in June and I have seven weeks of unused vacation I'm taking." "Good," she said. "I officially claim at least a week of your vacation time." I smiled. "What do you need painted this time?" I said trying to lighten the mood. If anything I made it worse. "Nothing," she said crisply. "If you don't want to see us, that's fine." And she hung up on me. ------- I showed up sheepishly two evenings later to watch Eve while Renee hit the Y for her workouts. In truth I should have been the one going to the gym. My bachelor lifestyle had produced some pretty poor eating habits since I was no longer dining with Renee and Eve every evening. To look at Renee there would be no way for you to guess she had been pregnant just nine months earlier. She greeted me at the door. "I wasn't sure you'd show up so I made other arrangements," she said. I was a tad bit pissed. "When have I ever not shown up?" I asked in a louder voice than I intended. "When have I told you no when you asked me to watch Eve?" "That's not it, Eric," Renee said. "I was a bitch the other night. I'm sorry I hung up on you." I shrugged. "I made a smart-assed remark and it backfired," I said. "The good news is that Eve has a play date this evening," she said. "If it works out I'll host the little girl on Thursday night. This means you can go to the gym with me." I shook my head. "I'm finely honing this body," I said. "Greasy cheeseburgers, greasy French fries, greasy burritos. It is a work in progress and I don't want to ruin perfect roundness with exercise." "I'll drive," was all she replied. ------- Our schedule became somewhat similar to what it had been during our divorces. We went back to having dinner at one another's houses five nights a week. I would watch Eve at least once a week to give Renee some mental health time. Every week after our workout we'd stop at the grocery store on the way home to restock our pantries — and so Renee could make sure that I had something more than cereal and Pop Tarts at my house. During my vacation weeks I would spend the days keeping Eve entertained while Renee worked. As the little girl's first birthday approached so did the first anniversary of one of the worst days in the adults' lives. Renee was resilient. I expected anger and sadness. It was what I was feeling. But if she was feeling either it didn't show. "My life is better now than it was before," she told me as we split a bottle of wine on June 3rd. "I don't miss him." I sat silent for a moment. "I don't miss her either," I said. "I miss parts of the relationship but I don't really miss her." Renee patted my hand. "We're both better off," she said. ------- As I started my solo practice I pondered the transformation my relationship with Renee had taken. I still wasn't sure what sort of relationship we had. A couple of times in the past couple of weeks she had fallen asleep on my shoulder while we watched a movie after Eve was asleep. I kept wondering if the feelings I had toward her were proper. I also wondered if they were reciprocated. But I didn't see any signs that they were. Renee seemed to view me as a safety blanket. I was part brother and part protector. But she had given no indication that she had romantic leanings toward me. My feelings seemed to fluctuate. Renee certainly was an attractive woman. I truly enjoyed watching her on the treadmill and I almost always made sure I could check out her butt while she ran. She had a beautiful smile and she looked as cute as hell when she would tilt her head playfully when she told a joke or make a funny observation. But I also looked at her as a friend. We had spent hours upon hours sitting around sharing our pasts and talking about our goals and dreams. Never in our conversation did a mention of our goals and dreams include the other. ------- Mary and Jeffrey had lived together for a while after the divorce but then split. The last either of us heard from them they were engaged but that was a month or two before. Renee and Eve were waiting outside my new office the day I opened my solo practice. They had been out of town most of the weekend before so I hadn't seen them in a couple of days. I was in for a shock when I opened the door. The furnishings I had selected hadn't been delivered. Instead things I had never seen adorned the outer office where my paralegal would be stationed. The story was the same in my office. The functional desk and faux leather chairs I'd picked out at IKEA were nowhere to be seen. Instead a beautiful walnut desk and real leather chairs were in their place. "Surprise!" Renee said as I looked around. "It's an office-warming present," she said as she gave me a hug, "from Evie and me. I saw the crap you picked out. I couldn't let that happen." I kept my arm around her. It just felt right. "Thank you," I said. "But you really shouldn't have spent so much." She waved a hand dismissively. "It's money," she said. "I'll make more. So will you. In fact, I'm here to be your first official client." I eyed her strangely. "I want you to prepare a will for me," she said. "And an order of guardianship for Evie if something should happen to me. I'm going to file for child support from Jeffrey and offer to drop it if he'll sign away his parental rights. Can you draft that for me?" "I would have done that for you anyway," I said. I didn't relish the thought of her being a client. That would certainly preclude any romance between us if that ever developed. "You didn't have to bribe me with office supplies," I joked. "How did you get this in here?" "JoAnne," she said. JoAnne was my paralegal. I should have guessed she was an accomplice. "I told the salesman at IKEA to upgrade everything," she said. "JoAnne gave me her key this weekend. I had to dodge you a couple of times, you bastard." I raised my eyebrows. Eve was at the age where she was starting to pick up words. "It's OK if she calls you bastard," Renee joked. "You can be Bastard and I'll be Bitch. It'll give her practice for when she's a teenager." I shook my head. "Let's talk about your will," I said. "Simple," she said. "Everything goes in trust to Eve. Her guardian will be the trustee." I nodded. It would make things simple. I could finish that in 10 minutes. "And guardianship?" I asked. "You." I sat back. "Are you sure?" I asked. She looked at me as if I were an idiot. "Who else?" she said. "Of course you know that I can't accept you as a client," I said. She smiled. "Good," she said. "I was going to fire you soon anyway. Before I had to pay you. But yes, I knew that you couldn't be my attorney. We've been through that before." I shook my head. ------- A week later we were in the grocery story. I must have appeared pensive because Renee was eyeing carefully. "What's on your mind?" she asked as we picked out a cantaloupe. I pondered whether to tell her what I was thinking. The scene that had played out in my office had really gotten me to thinking. I was absolutely positive that I wanted to keep Renee and Eve and integral parts of my life. In fact, I wanted them to be the central part of my personal life. But at the same time I worried what would happen to our friendship if something went wrong. "Come on," she said. "Out with it." I made my decision. "Do you think it would make our lives awkward if I asked you on a date?" I asked. Renee looked at me and then looked away. "Let's talk about it in the car," she said. I nodded. I knew I had pushed things too far. We barely spoke during the remainder of our grocery trek. I didn't know how to take back my question and I think Renee didn't know how to respond without hurting my feelings. I steeled myself for what was coming when we got in the car. "Were you serious about what you asked?" she asked when we had put the groceries into the trunk. I looked straight ahead and said sadly, "Yeah." Of all the reactions I had expected I didn't expect the one I got. Renee began laughing uproariously. I didn't think the concept was that funny. "Just a second," she said as she tried to catch her breath. "God, you look so earnest." I stared at her. "Before I answer your question I want to ask a couple of my own," she said. "Do we spend more time together or apart?" I sat back in the seat. "Apart," I replied. "How do you figure?" "Well with work and sleep..." Renee shook her head. "Discount work and sleep," she said. "When we have free time are we together more often than we're not?" "I guess together," I said. Renee nodded. "I agree," she said. "Now, when we're together, what do we do?" I thought for a way to frame my answer. "Well, we talk about our day," I began but Renee interrupted. "We have dinner," she said. "We go to the movies or watch TV at home. We sit around and talk. We play with Eve." I nodded. "That sounds right," I said. "Honest to God," she said. "A few months ago, I thought we were dating. I even referred to you at work as my boyfriend. That's why I was so pissed when you disappeared after the divorces were final. I thought you were waiting for all that shit to be finished before we, uh, moved our relationship to a physical plane. "Then I realized you didn't think of me that way. That's what pissed me off. I went to the gym to get my pre-pregnancy body back and you didn't even look at me. It was frustrating and I took it out on you." I managed to close my mouth. "I noticed," I said finally. Renee smirked. "I figured that out," she said. "Have you noticed the mirrors on the wall at the gym? I watch you watching my ass every Tuesday night." I blushed. "Have you noticed that my workout outfits have gotten smaller as time has passed?" she asked. I nodded stupidly. "Wanna know the truth?" I asked. "I thought you might have your eye on one of the guys at the gym. You were dressing to impress." Renee nodded. "That's exactly correct," she said. "You just were too silly to figure out which guy I was trying to impress. So please, go ahead and ask me out." "I've changed my mind," I said trying to hide a smile. ------- Renee and I didn't move our relationship to the "physical plane" right away. There were other things we had to consider — such as her daughter. Eve was 15 months old and toddling around anywhere she could. While I wouldn't necessarily call her a handful, I think the term "precocious" was invented for her. It took me almost two full days to childproof Renee's house and my apartment. It took Eve about 10 minutes to render my efforts useless. First she figured out how to remove the covers from the electric outlets. Then she figured out the locking mechanism of the stairway gate. By the time I managed to upgrade those portions she had managed to get one of the kitchen cabinets open. With each new discovery she would proudly take one of our hands — or both of our hands — and demonstrate her prowess. Renee would sit and shake her head at some of Eve's antics. But I was convinced the little girl was following me around and emulating my actions. Of course that idea was put to rest when she opened the cupboard when even I hadn't figured that one out. A playpen proved useless because invariably Evie would escape to wreak her havoc so we got a play mat instead. It kept her occupied but soon lost its novelty — except for the portions of it that made noise. She never seemed to tire of those. Renee and I would routinely transport the damned thing to the other's abode just to have some relative silence for awhile. But each time I would think Eve was about to drive me to distraction she would do something incredibly cute or loving that I'd forgive all of her past and future sins. She had a way of looking at me with those big doe eyes that rendered me helpless. You would think I'd be used to it. Her mother had the same effect on me. It was almost two weeks after our car discussion when Renee asked me to spend the night with her. Our lives hadn't changed dramatically since we decided that we were officially dating. I realized quickly that what she said made perfect sense: we'd already been dating for more than a year we just hadn't admitted it to ourselves — or I guess more aptly I hadn't dared to believe it was true. Renee's body unclothed was more impressive than clothed — not always a given. She had a little sag to her breasts and a couple of stretch marks because she was so small but, to me, she was gorgeous. She looked slightly uneasy when she entered her bedroom wearing a short white nightgown and I'm not sure if the fact I couldn't tear my eyes away from her shapely legs to check out the rest of her helped or hindered. Our kisses started out tentatively. It had been more than a year since either of us had shared physical intimacy and I know at least for my part — and I suspect from Renee's — that I was worried that I would do something she would find uncomfortable. From the intensity of our lovemaking that evening I gather that I didn't. And when she woke me up in the middle of the night for another round I was pretty sure I did OK. For me it was an entirely different experience than I was used to. Renee wasn't passive in the least. She knew where she wanted to go and how to get there. She wasn't aggressive but she was responsive. Her reaction to my efforts let me know that she enjoyed the things I was doing to her as much as I enjoyed doing them. And things only got better from there. ------- Jeffrey and Mary married just before school started in September. Neither Renee nor I were invited to the wedding. Jeffrey had no problem signing away his parental rights in exchange for a document absolving him of all past and future child support obligation. In fact he signed the papers so fast the pen left scorch marks. Renee took it stoically but I was a little pissed off. I couldn't figure out how anyone could toss aside a child. I agreed to be the guardian of Eve should anything happen to Renee and I also prepared my will to leave my estate in trust to Eve if the unthinkable happened to me. Our relationship had transcended my wildest dreams. Renee embodied everything I found attractive in a woman. I'm not sure if I changed my view to fit her personality or if we just fit together. I don't know if I matured or if things just fell into place but it was working so I didn't complain. Renee seemed to be as happy as I was. She was openly affectionate — often holding my hand as we took a walk or brushing my shoulder as she passed by me. I would find an opportunity to pat her behind about every 20 minutes and I routinely wrapped my arms around her whenever we were alone. It was between Christmas and Thanksgiving when we sat down to have a serious discussion about the future. I think each of us had an idea of what we'd like to have happen. But I think each of us was a bit scared by the prospect. My marriage had lasted less than two years and Renee's had fallen apart in 18 months. In fact we'd both been married less than a year when our spouses started cheating on us. Our failure rate at marital bliss was astounding. Still, we both recognized that that was then and this was now. I didn't compare Renee to Mary and she didn't compare me to Jeffrey. It was during that discussion that I finally hit upon what the major differences between this relationship and any others that I'd been in. Renee thought for a few minutes about my premise and agreed. Our lives were intersecting circles where the other relationships had been concentric circles. Renee and I had many common interests and goals. But we also had a life outside of the other. We each had things the other didn't find necessary to share. For example, Renee wouldn't be caught dead on a golf course and I had little or no use for anything technologically related. The majority of our individual circles overlapped but there was enough left outside of the intersection to maintain our own identity. I didn't have that with Mary. Renee said she didn't experience that with Jeffrey. "Before we were married if I wanted to do something he wanted to be there," she said. "He wanted our lives to overlap completely. When I started to work, well, you know what happened next." I had to agree. "Outside of your husband, whom I didn't know about, Mary didn't have one friend who wasn't my friend first," I said. "She learned to play golf not because she wanted to but because I enjoyed it. Hell, mostly I enjoyed it because it gave me a chance to be alone. She could never accept that it wasn't her I wanted to be away from. It was everyone." Renee nodded in agreement. "I like the concept of intersecting circles," she said. I hope she continues to like the concept. Our wedding bands are two independent rings woven together. It only seemed fitting. ------- The End ------- Posted: 2008-01-26 ------- http://storiesonline.net/ -------