Don't Let Me Down

"I don't want to do anything stupid and wind up in jail, Don," I reasoned. "Let's wait and see who else comes or goes. Chances are the damage, if there is any, has been done by now."

"That's just what I was thinking," agreed Don. "This probably isn't the first time Sean has had a rendezvous with whomever. Man! I sure hope it isn't one of our wives!"

We probably sat there for fifteen minutes with nothing happening. Then Sean stepped out, closed the door and walked back to his car. He sped off while Don and I continued to wait. About five minutes later, the door opened again and a woman stepped out.

"Son of a Bitch!" exclaimed Don as we both watched Kate walk rapidly around the side of the building. My heart was beating so hard it almost deafened me. My life was ruined and we both knew it.

"Jason, let me have Pat talk to Kate, okay?" pleaded Don. "You know she can't really like that asshole! It was just a terrible mistake. I bet she regrets it already!"

"She sure as hell will pretty soon," I growled as I started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. Don was still trying to calm and placate me when I pulled up in front of his office.

"If the shoe was on the other foot, Don, what the fuck would you do?" I finally demanded as he was exiting the truck.

"It'd be rash and I'd regret it later. I know that," argued Don. "You're smarter than that, Jason. Think of the kids if not yourself."

"Why the hell didn't Kate think of the kids?" I demanded. "I'll take care of this my way!"

I may not have been Irish, but a cold beer always helped me relax, and to think. I pulled into a local watering hole and downed a couple. I couldn't come up with any sort of clever solution to my situation. I realized I wasn't the clever type. I just put my head down and waded in. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't, but it was my way.

The importance of Kate in my life was beginning to register. She was more than just a good lay, and she really was good. She was my friend, my purpose in life. I suddenly felt totally alone and adrift. My heart ached like it never had before.

My cell phone rang. It was Kate.

"Jason, where are you? You're supposed to be here at Mom's before this. It's after five and everyone's wondering where you are," she admonished.

I considered telling her to go to hell, but then thought better of it. What better time to let her know that I knew what a whore she was and for her whole damn family to find out, too. That'd give the old bastard, Joe, something to celebrate!

It was too late to change out of my work clothes. Then I decided what the fuck did I care. If working for a living bothered the O'Malleys so much, I might as well piss off the whole fam damnly.

In ten minutes I was walking into the back yard of Kate's parents' property. My jaw was set and my temper was at the boiling point. I had seen Sean's Mercedes parked out front. This was going to be a great party!

"Jason! Let's have a drink! I'm buying," called Don before I could locate Kate or Sean.

It was obvious he was trying to head me off. He was going to try to calm me done and I was having none of it. I ignored him and kept walking around the corner of the house. That was when I ran into Rose.

"Jason! I'm so glad you made it to the party," she beamed. "It wouldn't have been any fun without you."

As she spoke, Rose wrapped her arms around me and I leaned over to give her a kiss. It occurred to me that Rose was one person I didn't ever want to hurt, but the shit was going to hit the fan. When it did, there was no controlling who got splattered.

I looked over Rose's head and spotted Sean by the bar. He was waving his drink around as he told everyone within earshot some bullshit story. I stepped around Rose and headed for Sean.

He saw me coming and my glare must have given him an inkling of what his future held. He placed his drink down on the counter and straightened up as I got close.

"I warned you, you miserable prick," I hissed. "Now it's time to pay the piper."

From nowhere, his right fist shot out and struck my chin. My head snapped back and I heard crunching noises coming from my neck. I shook my head to clear it. Then I just smiled at Sean.

"I guess Kate told you everything!" snarled Sean. "I knew the bitch wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut."

As he spoke he bounced another right off the left side of my face. Everything had gone silent, except for the sound of his fist meeting my flesh. I wasn't exactly the most popular person in the O'Malley clan, but Kate was pretty near the top. Sean had just called Kate a bitch at her family affair. Even as I reached up to rub my cheek, it occurred to me that Sean didn't spend a lot of time around very many real Irish families or he would never have maligned Kate.

Then I grabbed him by the lapels of his suit jacket and swung him around and against the wall of the nearby tool shed. He hit the building so hard I briefly wondered if it was going to collapse. I propped him up with my left hand and pulled back my right. This fight was about to end!

"Jason!"

It was Kate. She hadn't really yelled so much as she used that tone that she reserves for very serious offenses. Instinctively, I held still with my right fist poised to erase Sean Clark's good looks.

"Kate, I'll deal with you later," I rasped. "Right now I'm kinda busy."

Suddenly Kate stepped in front of me with her head against the arm that still propped up Sean.

"Deal with me later?" she repeated. "I don't know what you think you're saying, Jason, but you'll deal with me right now!"

"This prick just admitted everything, Kate. Not that it mattered," I added. "I saw you leave that goddamn motel today."

Kate flinched like she'd been struck. She raised her chin and looked me in the eye as she spoke.

"If you believe I would ever betray you, for this piece of shit, or for anyone, then you should beat me, too. Go ahead, Tough-guy, I deserve it if I did what you claim! Slap me around!"

I had never seen Kate show so much emotion. Her lip quivered and her voice wavered as she spoke to me. She knew she could cut my heart out with a garden tool and I wouldn't lift a hand against her. Still, I began to feel a nagging doubt.

"If you trust me, love me like I think you do, you'll let him go and allow me to explain. If I mean so little to you that you'd toss me to the curb for something you think might have happened, then go ahead and clobber the jackass. Smack me around while you're at it because any woman that would cheat on a husband as loyal and devoted as you are, Jason, deserves no better," she concluded.

Now I was really between a rock and a hard place. Sean was getting his wind back and beginning to squirm. If I was going to deck him, I needed to get it done. Still, what if Kate hadn't cheated? What if there was some other explanation for her being in that motel?

I looked at Kate and I knew I had no choice. I couldn't give up on her. I couldn't refuse her anything. She still did things to me when she stood so close, even after all these years. I released Sean.

My head snapped back again as he swung a haymaker over Kate's shoulder that connected with my left eye. I'm a pretty rugged guy but that shot made my knees turn rubbery. I heard Kate curse, followed by some meaty thuds. I'd been around enough fights over the years to know what that sound was. I felt Kate's arms wrap around me, helping me keep my feet, as I staggered back. Once again I shook my head to clear it. I couldn't see much out of my left eye, but I didn't need 20/20 vision to see that Tim O'Malley was whipping the living shit out of his former best friend. Don and a couple cousins grabbed Tim and pulled him back from Sean.

Tim was breathing hard and was as red as a man could get. He slid his hands over his face and took a deep breath.

"Guys, show this cowardly bastard the highway and be quick about it! I won't be responsible for my actions if he's still in my sight in ten seconds!" he declared.

Several hands grabbed Sean and half dragged him and half carried him around to the front. Tim put an arm over my shoulder and around Kate's waist and guided us toward the kitchen. There were several people standing inside and looking out the open door.

"Give Kate, Jason, and me a few minutes, would you?" insisted Tim. Everyone quickly filed outside. After they left, Tim closed the door.

"Kate, Ann just told me how you intervened today, before she made a really serious mistake. I'm really pissed at her, but appreciate that she had the nerve to confess. To think I thought that bastard was my friend while he was working to seduce my wife. Thanks, Kate!" croaked Tim as he hugged his sister hard.

I was still groggy from the blows Sean had dealt to my face. I struggled to figure out what was going on. Did Sean fuck Ann, too? What did Kate do?

Tim released Kate and turned to me and offered his hand. Not knowing exactly why, I accepted it and we shook.

"I apologize, Jason, for not considering your opinion and terminating Sean the night of the card game. Don told me that you saw Kate leave the motel today. You couldn't have known that Kate had gone there to read the riot act to Ann, not to sleep with that slime ball," Tim revealed. "Obviously, Ann listened to her and left. I'm guessing Kate stayed to have it out with Sean."

"Pat and I both got the seduction dance from Sean, but we had already discussed his tirade the night Jason and Don left your house, Tim. We had to struggle just to hide our contempt. Then we noticed that he turned his charm toward Ann. When she left early today, I had a bad feeling about it, so I followed her," Kate revealed.

"Ann was long gone when Sean arrived. He and I negotiated his departure from the company. He agreed to announce tomorrow that he'd found a better position in California and to give his two weeks notice. In turn, the firm wasn't going after him for any of a number of ethics violations," admitted Kate. "I didn't know that Jason saw me leave the motel. No wonder he was so enraged at Sean!"

"Aw, shit!" I exclaimed. "I screwed up again, Kate! When will I learn to trust you? I embarrassed you in front of your family," I worried.

"I wouldn't say that!" laughed Kate's mother, Rose, as she stepped into the room, followed by Don, Pat, and my two kids. "Everyone was afraid you were going to kill that miserable shit. If Kate hadn't stopped you, Clark would be looking for his head about now and the cops would be looking for you. Not that you weren't provoked, Jason. I wouldn't want to be in any man's shoes that insulted my Kate in front of you."

"I'm proud of Kate for marrying you. I'm proud of her for stopping you from killing that idiot. I knew you'd lose your mad when Kate stepped into the fray," chuckled Rose. "I always could do that to her father, too. You went all doe-eyed and weak when she got close."

"You weren't worried about me killing Sean, Mom?" quizzed Tim.

"Son, you did what you had to do, but let's face it. You're a lawyer. Your hands aren't really very dangerous. Now look at Jason's hands, chest, and shoulders. Clark was in very real danger for a minute there. You handed him a few bumps but he'll be fine in a couple days."

"What about Jason, Mom?" asked Pat. "His eye is swollen closed and there's a bruise on his cheek. Any suggestions to soothe his swelling?"

Upon hearing Pat's words, I realized my left eye was completely closed and my head was hurting more than a little.

"Kate, take your husband upstairs, get his clothes off and get him in the Jacuzzi. I'll send an ice pack up with one of the kids. Then get your clothes off and show him how much you love him. We'll still be partying when you get back," grinned Rose.

"Mom!" shrieked Pat. "Is that any way to talk to your daughter, in front of her children, no less?"

"Pat, don't act all proper with me," laughed Rose. "These kids, as well as my grown children, may as well know a few of the secrets to being married for fifty years. It sure isn't by withholding love and affection from your husband, especially when he gets bruised defending his family. Get upstairs, Kate, and take care of your man!"

It was just less than an hour later when Kate and I rejoined the party and mingled with the guests. I guess everyone there had heard about Rose's advice for long marriages and kidded Kate and me about making certain that ours would last. Personally, I think Rose hit on a successful formula.