Warren Butterfield Pt. 02

Chapter 11 - The Grind

I was very busy at work handling the normal day-to-day proposals as well as the bigger RFPs that Thad had assigned me. At work I felt numb. It was as if I was a robot. I followed my programming and did the jobs as I was instructed to do them. I didn't think about things that were going on outside of work; in fact, I seemed to do very little thinking when I was at work. That can't be a good thing, can it?

Thad Asshole called me in for my appraisal. He told me that I consistently exceeded requirements and he was very happy with my job performance.

"I am pleased that you are doing so well. Brad Martin has taken a new post so there will be a new sales manager soon. When the new manager is named I will talk to him about you," Thad said.

I smiled and said, "Thanks, Thad. That would be great. I can't wait to get home and tell Megan that I got such a good appraisal."

Of course, that was the robot talking. Saying the words that were expected of him. There was one upside to this: Thad managed to get me a pretty nice pay raise to go along with my appraisal. I did like the money but the rest was bullshit.

Chapter 12 - Trish Stirs the Pot

When I told Megan about my appraisal and the associated pay raise she got a lot more excited than expected. Before I could stop her she started bragging to Trish about how well I was doing at work and what a nice raise I got. I guess Megan felt that she needed to say something positive about me to counter all the negative comments her mother had been making about me.

"Good, now maybe he can buy you a decent car to drive," was Trish's response.

"What's wrong with the car she's driving?" I asked. I immediately wished I had kept my mouth shut.

"You make her drive a ten year old Toyota..."

"It's only seven years old," I interrupted.

"It's still an old car," Trish said. "Megan should be driving a new car. She should have a Lexus, like mine only new."

"A Lexus?" I said. "Her Toyota runs good. Why does she need a new car?"

Megan was very quiet during this exchange with Trish.

"Megan needs to improve her image," Trish said. "She lives in an upscale neighborhood and belongs to an exclusive country club. The car she drives should reflect her social status. Driving a ten year old Toyota is bad for her image."

"It's only seven years old," I said.

"Whatever. It's just doesn't fit the image of someone of our social status," Trish said.

I looked at Megan for some help but she wouldn't even look at me.

"Just what social status are you talking about?" I said. "Megan and I aren't millionaires. We are just ordinary working people."

"You may consider yourself ordinary, and you're probably right, but my daughter is better than that. I think you owe it to her to help her fit in and to be accepted by neighbors and the members of the country club."

"Is that what you want, Megan? To fit in with the stuffed shirts at the club?" I said.

"I would like to have a new car. Mine is getting old and we can afford to replace it now," was Megan's response.

I was pissed but I knew that I had lost so I left the room. Two days later I signed the lease agreement for a 2000 Lexus. As I looked over the terms of the lease agreement I wonder how in the hell I had lost complete control of my life.

Once a month the country club had a dinner dance. These dances were one of the few events at the club that I really enjoyed. I always enjoyed dancing with Megan. The way she seemed to melt into my arms and lean her head against my chest as we danced made me feel that all was right with the world. It also helped that Trish wasn't there to spoil my mood.

On the Saturday afternoon of the April dinner dance Megan asked me to play tennis with her. Megan had been taking lessons for a few months and her game was much better than mine. I was doing my best to provide her with some competition but I was nearing exhaustion when I went after a shot that landed just inside the right sideline. As I stretched to reach the ball with my racket I stumbled and rolled over my right ankle.

My ankle started to swell even before I made it off the court. Megan got me a bag of ice and we used an ace bandage to secure it to my ankle. Megan then helped me to the car and we drove home. It was obvious to me that Megan felt bad about what happened. She kept telling me how sorry she was that I got hurt but I knew it was my own fault. I was the one who fell. Megan didn't trip me.

When we got home I lay down on the sofa in the family room with the ice bag still on my ankle. A few minutes later Trish came into the room and looked at me and then without speaking to me she went into the kitchen where Megan was fixing me a drink.

"So what happened to him?" I heard Trish say to Megan.

"He sprained his ankle playing tennis."

"How convenient. Now he can get out of taking you to the dinner dance tonight."

"He didn't do it on purpose. It was more my fault than his. He isn't a good tennis player and I pushed him a little too hard. He got tired and that's when he fell," Megan said.

"He should know his limitations," Trish said. "He should let you play with the guys at the club that are better players than him."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Megan said.

"The only reason he plays tennis with you is because he doesn't want you playing with the other guys at the club. He's afraid one of them might seduce you."

"That's ridiculous."

"Don't tell me, tell your husband." Trish said.

Trish was trying to make Megan think that I didn't trust her but why? I had never acted like a jealous husband and there was no reason for Trish to think I was. Why would she want to plant that seed in Megan's head?

I painfully got to my feet and hobbled out to the kitchen to defend myself before Trish could do any real damage to my marriage.

"I guess you won't be going to the dinner dance tonight then," Trish was saying just as I reached the kitchen door.

"Warren can't walk on that..." Megan was saying as I entered and cut her off.

"Who said anything about not going to the dinner dance," I said. "I may not be able to dance but we are still going."

"Are you sure you're up to it?" Megan asked.

"Of course," I said as I struggled to keep the pain from showing in my face. "We'll have a nice dinner and listen to the music."

I think I knew what Trish had been trying to do. She wanted me to tell Megan she should go to the dance without me. I am not sure what she hoped to accomplish by doing that but I wasn't about to let things go the way Trish wanted them to go. I didn't wait to hear what Trish was going to say next. I turned and headed for my bedroom as fast as I could hop on one leg.

Chapter 13 - Carl Tredwell

I was walking around the house on the crutches Megan had picked up that afternoon, trying to get used to them when Megan came out of the bedroom. She was wearing her little black cocktail dress and she looked beautiful. I felt bad that I wouldn't be able to dance with her but I hoped that we would be able to make love when we got back home.

I was still thinking about this when I heard Trish coming down the stairs. I was surprised to see her all dressed up for an evening out.

"Got a date tonight, Trish?" I said.

"No. I am going to the dance with you and Megan," Trish said. "Maybe I'll meet someone there."

Now my evening was completely ruined. I couldn't dance with Megan and the devil's evil sister was going to the dance with us. She apparently was not satisfied that my ankle was causing me enough pain.

Dinner was as pleasant as it could be with the dragon lady sitting across the table from me. Things improved greatly after dinner, at least for a short while. When the dishes were cleared from the table Trish got up and wandered off somewhere leaving me alone with Megan. Megan sat close to me and leaned her head on my shoulder as we listened to the music. It wasn't quite as good as dancing with her but having her close to me like that was nice.

Trish gave us about an hour of peace before she came back to the table. With her was a guy I recognized from the club. His name was Carl Tredwell. He was about my age and I knew that he was divorced but that is about all I knew about him.

"You know Carl Tredwell, don't you?" Trish said, more to Megan than me. "I found him sitting at the bar all by himself so I invited him to come sit with us."

I knew that Trish was up to something. Trish is fifty years old and Tredwell was in his early thirties. I was sure that Trish wasn't making a play for him so why did she bring him over to our table. I had my suspicions but I didn't say anything.

Carl sat down across from Megan and thanked us for letting him join us at our table. For the next twenty minutes we talked and listened to the music. Carl seemed like a nice guy but I still wondered why he was at our table. I soon found out.

"Carl, since Warren has a sprained ankle, maybe you could dance with Megan. She loves to dance and it would be a shame if she had to sit here all night and only listen to the music when she really would like to be out dancing," Trish said.

What ensued would have been comical if I hadn't been so pissed off. Trish looked at me and smiled and I gave her my best 'I'd love to feed you to a crocodile' look. Then I looked at Megan who gave me an embarrassed looked that said tell me what I should do. Then Carl looked at me to see if I would give him permission to dance with Megan and I acted as if I didn't care so he looked at Megan and changed his expression to one that expressed the question "would you like to dance?"

To anyone watching us we must have looked like a group of mimes practicing all of our facial expressions. Trish finally broke the silent negotiations.

"Megan, why don't you go dance with Carl?" Trish said. "You don't mind, do you, Warren?"

I had to admire the way Trish maneuvered us all. I knew that the only way Megan could say no was if I said I didn't want her to dance with Carl. I couldn't object without sounding like I was jealous and didn't trust Megan. What ever I would say or do didn't matter; Trish was going to win anyway. I could see that Trish was waiting for me to say something so I took my lead from 'Forest Gump.'

"I've got to pee," I said and got up from the table, grabbed my crutches and hobbled off to the men's room.

When I got to the doorway that led to the restrooms I turned and looked back toward our table in time to see Megan getting up and heading out to the dance floor with Carl. I was beginning to feel that I was no match for Trish and never would be.

When I returned from the men's room Megan and Carl were still on the dance floor. There was nothing in the way they were dancing that was worrisome. The only thing bothering me was the way Trish had directed this whole scene.

"They look good out there, don't they?" Trish said.

I ignored Trish's attempt to make me lose my temper.

"Yes, Megan looks great tonight," I said and turned my back to Trish as I tried to flag down our waiter so I could order another drink.

Megan and Carl returned to the table after a third dance. Megan sat close to me and kissed me on the cheek.

"Are you all right?" Megan asked. "We don't have to stay if you're uncomfortable."

I was very uncomfortable but I wasn't about to leave. I wanted to see what else Trish might try to pull. I felt like I was in a boxing match. I was way behind on points but I couldn't quit till the final bell sounded. The only way I could win the fight now would be by knock out.

For the next hour Megan leaned against me and just listened to the music. Carl sat across from us and didn't say a word. Even Trish remained quiet. I was beginning to think the excitement was over so I told Megan I was ready to go home if she was.

"I'm ready," Megan responded. Just then the band started to play a slow song.

"Megan, you and Carl should dance one more time before you leave. I'm sure Warren wouldn't mind," Trish said.

As Carl escorted Megan out to the dance floor, I wondered if anyone would notice if I tipped Trish upside down and pushed a wine bottle up her ass.

I have to say here that Carl did nothing during the slow dance he shared with Megan that upset me - that is, anymore than I was already upset. They kept a proper distance apart for the circumstances. Nothing there to make me jealous or lose my temper which, I am sure, is what Trish wanted me to do.

On the ride home Megan said, "Mom, why did you put me on the spot like that. I didn't want to dance with Carl. That made me very uncomfortable."

"I know how much you love to dance. I just thought that you shouldn't let Warren's clumsy accident keep you from having a good time," another dig by the queen of the underworld.

"I do love to dance, with my husband," Megan said. Once in a while Megan stood up to Trish and it made me happy when she did. I didn't say anything on the ride home.

Chapter 14 - Suspicion

After the April dinner dance I knew that Trish was trying to break up my marriage. I believed that Trish had heard me tell Megan that I wanted her out of the house within a year and her goal was to get me out of the house before that.

I tried to tell Megan what I thought Trish was up to but she refused to believe me. Somehow Trish was blinding Megan to what was obvious to me. The worst part was that every time I tried to discuss this with Megan we ended up in a fight.

At the beginning of May, Megan had started going to the club twice a week after work to play tennis and workout in the gym. This didn't bother me until I overheard a conversation Megan had with Trish one evening. Trish asked Megan whom she had played tennis with that day and Megan said she had played with Carl Tredwell.

"Oh, you played with Carl again, huh?" Trish said.

"Don't try to make something out of that. It was just tennis. Carl is very good and he asked me to be his partner for mixed doubles. He thinks we could win the club tournament in August," Megan said.

"Well, does Warren know how much time you are spending with Carl?"

"He never asks me about it," Megan said.

"So, he doesn't know?"

"No. I guess he doesn't."

"Why don't you tell him?" Trish said.

"I don't know. It shouldn't matter anyway. It's just tennis."

"If that were true you would have told Warren."

"Mom, stop trying to make an issue out of something that is not an issue."

"If it isn't an issue, why haven't you told your husband?" Trish asked.

Trish was right. If it wasn't an issue, why hadn't she told me? The problem was that Trish didn't disapprove of Megan not telling me. The only reason she brought the subject up was that she knew I was in the next room listening to their conversation. Another round to Trish.

I wasn't sure how to deal with what I had heard but I sure as hell wasn't going to discuss this with Megan when Trish was around. It was on the following Thursday night that I got a chance to talk to Megan alone. Megan had gone to the club from work and got home around 7:30 that evening. Trish and Brandon were out on their semiweekly activity.

I handed Megan a beer and got one for myself and as we sat down on the pool deck I asked, "So, with whom did you play tennis today?"

I saw Megan's body tense up for a moment. "I played with Carl Tredwell. He's a very good player and he asked me to be his partner for mixed doubles," Megan said.

"Oh, so that's why you didn't ask me to be your partner. I'm not good enough."

"You don't like to play that much and Carl and I are going to enter the club tournament in August. Carl thinks we have a good chance of winning."

"So that's what you do twice a week? Play mixed doubles with Tredwell?"

"We need the practice. Carl says I am a pretty good player."

As calmly as I could I said, "I am surprised that you never mentioned that you were playing tennis with Carl so often."

Megan seemed to think a long time before she decided to respond. "To tell you the truth, I worried that you might overreact. I thought you might get jealous of me spending so much time playing tennis with Carl."

"Is there any reason I should be jealous?"

"No, of course not. It's this conversation that I didn't want to have. That's why I never told you I was playing with Carl."

"Have I ever acted as if I didn't trust you?"

"No.'

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe by not telling me what you were doing that you might make me more suspicious than if you had told me?" I said.

"I guess I didn't think about it. It won't happen again."

I didn't say anything more. I didn't want Megan to know how angry I really was. After all she didn't lie to me when I asked her who she played tennis with. But I now wondered if she had told me the truth about everything else.

Chapter 15 - Take this Job

It was June and from experience I knew that the next two months were going to be extremely busy at work. In June and July we get inundated with RFPs from schools and school districts that have work they want done before the next school year starts in August or September. That means I have to work lots of late nights, most nights not getting home until after midnight.

This was the time of year when I truly hated my job. Things hadn't been good between Megan and me since our conversation about her playing tennis with Carl Tredwell. We didn't argue but there was tension between us that seemed to interfere with our ability to communicate. I knew that part of the problem was that my main topic of conversation was about the witch and the warlock that were sharing our house and those conversations usually ended badly.

I had just finished a particularly hard day at work and when I got home I told Megan how much I hated my job. She just looked at me without commenting.

"I am thinking of quitting," I said.

"Quitting? Do you really think that's a good idea?" Megan said.

"You think I should continue doing a job that I hate?"

"I didn't mean that. I just meant that I just don't think it would be a good idea for you to quit your job right now. Where would you find another job that pays as well and has such good benefits? You certainly wouldn't get a good recommendation from Thad if you quit."

Unfortunately, Trish came in just in time to hear the end of our conversation.

"I told you he would do something stupid like that," Trish said.

This time I didn't wait to see if Megan would defend me. "I am sick and tired of you and your nasty comments. If you expect to continue living in this house you had better learn to keep your mouth shut."

Trish left the room without saying another word. After Trish left Megan said, "Why can't you get along with her?"

I thought about all of the possible responses to what Megan had asked and chose the one that suited my mood the best.

"Give me a fuckin break," I said and then went to my study to read.

After that evening Trish seldom spoke to me. When she talked to Megan I would hear her say things like, "Warren is as useless as your father," and Megan wouldn't defend me.

When Brandon was around, which wasn't often, he was surly. He didn't seem to like or respect me very much. Unlike Brandon's feelings about me, my feelings about him were very well defined. I despised him. To me he was a waste of a good pair of jockey shorts and he was probably destined for a career in telemarketing.

I was beginning to hate my home life as much as my job.

Chapter 16 - The Bottom is in Sight

It was a Monday afternoon in the middle of June and there were sixty RFPs in the in basket and I was looking through them to see which ones we should no bid so we could concentrate on those RFPs that we had a chance to win. At five o'clock Megan called.

"I was just getting ready to leave work and decided to give you a call to see what time you think you'll get home tonight." she said.