Drea

I'm sitting at home on Saturday night, a fairly regular routine for me for the past 2 years.

I'm an avid reader and sports enthusiast so there's seldom a time when I'm alone that I can't sufficiently fulfil my time without succumbing to boredom.

However, keeping myself busy isn't quite the same as not being lonely. My divorce was final one and a half years ago but I've been alone since my wife of 23 years decided that she needed to leave me for a divorced doctor.

I'm a truck driver. The money isn't bad but it doesn't exactly put me on easy street either. My ex-wife, Katie, was a 19 year old waitress when we met.

We married just a few weeks before her 21^st birthday and we lived in a small apartment while I worked and she went back to school to get her nursing degree.

6 years later, she had a really great job at a local hospital and was moving her way up the ladder.

To be fair, she is an excellent nurse. In spite of the hurt she's inflicted on me, her nursing skills and work ethic is second to none.

She continued her schooling and 5 years ago she was promoted to be the Surgery Manager which included the pre-op and post-op departments.

Her income also became more prominent. During her nursing years she was able to put enough money aside (mostly from call-back and overtime) to cover the college education expenses of our twin daughters, Candace and Cloe.

She also became much more friendly with a Dr. Chambliss. He was divorced from his wife. He had a reputation as a womanizer but Katie was smitten by his looks and charm. In spite of splitting half of his estate with his ex-wife, he was still very well off financially and that appealed to Katie.

I'm not sure where I lost her. The 19 year old waitress was an attractive but aimless teenager that had gone into the workforce immediately after high school.

I was attracted to her thin, athletic build and short blonde hair. She was a cross-country runner in high school but she had no direction in her life after high school.

I am three years older than her and I had already began my career as a truck driver. It wasn't exactly my first choice but my uncle had made a very good living at it and convinced me to pursue it.

I've been with the same company since then. I began by driving across the country which kept me away from home for several nights in a row often. The company has always tried to be as family-friendly as possible so after a long run where I'd be gone for 7-10 days, I'd usually be able to spend at least the next 4-5 days at home before having to run another load.

Six years ago, I was finally able to grab one of the local runs. Compared to the cross country travel, this has been heaven. I arrive at the dock by 6:00, inspect my truck and review my route, then hit the road and almost always back at the dock by 4:00pm.

I have 10 hour shifts and I'm always off from Friday through Sunday. It took nearly 20 years, but I finally got my dream shift. I was excited to not have to travel as far from home but I was also excited to be at home with my family more.

The girls were in high school at the time and Katie was working as a shift supervisor at the hospital. I thought my life was going great until...

Katie had been exposed to the "good" life. Our home was nice, in a safe neighborhood with good neighbors, but certainly nothing fancy.

She had been to social functions at the homes of administrators and doctors. She had gone out of town for classes and seminars and stayed at 5 star hotels at the hospital's expense.

I noticed a distance beginning to develop about a year before she hit me with the news that she was leaving me for Dr. Chambliss.

She explained that our lives and directions had changed since we first met. That's only a half-truth...HER directions had changed...I was still the humble and faithful husband. To add a little salt to the wound, she admitted to an on-going affair with this doctor for nearly two years.

The divorce was amicable. With a rather large disparity between our incomes, I could have sued for alimony. Instead, she agreed to let me keep our home. I was able to sell the house and use the equity to pay in full for the small condo that I live in now.

One of my activities that I got involved with once I was on a normal local work schedule was to renew my interest in bowling. Prior to going on the road, I bowled in a league and consistently carried and average between 180-185.

I could sit back, enjoy a beer or two, and enjoy the people at the alley. Katie's brother Kevin and his wife Drea bowled in the same mixed league as I did on Tuesday nights.

I didn't bowl in that league because of Kevin. That was just a coincidence. I bowled in that league because a couple of my co-workers and their wives bowled in it. Also, at the end of the season money had been accumulated for a trip to Las Vegas to bowl in a tournament there.

To put it plainly, Kevin was a class A jerk. He was a loud-mouth know-it-all that wasn't nearly as likeable to everyone else than he thought he was. He was a family member so he was tolerated. As an ex brother-in-law I still tolerated him because of Drea. We were still friends.

However, he was a scratch bowler. His average was always over 210 and he had several perfect 300 games to his credit over the years. He was tolerated because of his bowling prowess.

Drea wasn't really that bad of a bowler but with an average hovering around 140, it was her handicap score that helped out. She was actually one of the better women bowlers in our league. If she bowled a game much better than her average, then the handicap would help a lot.

I never liked the way he talked to her. He seemed to enjoy berating her in front of others. Drea would just quietly walk away and sit alone. Often, some of the other women would come over to cheer her up.

My team was the two couples from work and myself. We would bowl against their team twice in the season but I was often near enough to them to observe this kind of behavior.

Even after Katie left me, Kevin and Drea never treated me any differently...although I sensed a bit more tension from Kevin if my conversations with Drea got too friendly.

He did have a jealous streak in him but I had no designs of taking Drea away from him. I knew the feeling of having a spouse stolen and I would never do it to anyone else; not even an asshole like Kevin.

I really did like Drea, though. She was a very attractive and very nicely built brunette with long hair always pulled back in either a ponytail or braided. She had bright blue eyes that could hypnotize a man.

Although 48 years old, she could have easily passed for 35. Her young skin betrayed her age. In spite of her obvious physical attributes, Kevin would often tease her about her large ass or how gravity has affected her tits.

Her ass wasn't that large in my opinion. It was proportionate to her overall build. She wasn't a petite woman. I always guessed that she was probably a size 10 or 12. I'm very positive that other men saw the same beauty and sexiness.

Although I would never move in on another guy's woman, I always wanted to tell Kevin that if he wasn't happy with her, I'd be happy to have her. In spite of being married to such an asshole, she was generally a happy and positive person to be around.

That's not to say that I hadn't had carnal and erotic thoughts about her. I adored her face and body and the only thing that kept me at a safe distance was the ring on her finger.

She had been a secretary for the County for over 25 years. Kevin was a general contractor. They had a comfortable living. Maybe that was why Drea stayed with him...they had a nice home and amenities that she couldn't have enjoyed on her own.

One Tuesday night during our Autumn Season, I arrived at the bowling alley and met my teammates. As usual, I looked to see which lanes we'd be using that night and I always looked to see where Drea would be.

She was scheduled to be in the next two lanes over with Kevin and the rest of their team, however, they never showed up. Their three teammates were at a loss to explain why they didn't arrive and numerous attempts to call them were unsuccessful.

They bowled two short that evening but our group of friends in our league were seriously concerned. As much as Kevin loved to bowl and as competitive as he was, it was completely out of character to miss out on one of his bowling nights (he had one other league, all men, that he participated in on Thursdays).

I knew where they lived so several of us drove by to see if anyone was home after our league night was over.

I was in the lead car since I knew where they lived and two other cars totaling 8 others followed.

As I turned the corner to their street, I saw three police cars parked in front of their house and in their driveway. My heart sank as I imagined the worst.

I knew about Kevin's temper and was always afraid that he may have hit Drea before. I am bigger, stronger, and a much better fighter than Kevin and if he had hurt her, I wanted to kick his ass right there...in front of the cops.

I parked across the street while I motioned for the others to stay in their vehicles until I knew it was safe to come over.

To my right as I crossed the sidewalk in front of their house, I saw Kevin sitting in the back seat of the police car that had parked in their driveway.

We made eye contact and I could tell that I was probably one of the last people he wanted to see. The look on his face was telling me to go to hell. Then he mouthed the words "fuck you" emphatically so I couldn't possibly misinterpret what he meant.

"What are you doing here?" an officer asked me as I approached the front door. I saw Drea sitting in a chair with an ice pack over the left side of her face. I was livid. I already had an idea what had happened.

"I'm both her ex brother-in-law and a friend officer."

"Please let him come in," Drea pleaded to the officer.

The officer waved me into the house. I motioned to the others to stay where they were.

Drea cracked a slight smile when she saw me.

"This is Randall Franklin," Drea told the officers. "His ex-wife and my husband are brother and sister but we've remained friends since their divorce 2 years ago."

I was asked some cursory questions about what I knew about Kevin and any violent tendencies.

I told them the truth about his temper, especially after a few drinks. Although I had never seen him physically harm Drea before, I had an utter disdain at the way he talked to her.

From there they wanted me to give examples, which I was happy to do.

"What happened, Drea?" I finally asked.

"Kevin...let's just say he came home already with too much booze in his system. It was a slow day because of all the rain we had earlier so he stopped by the bar with his buddies and downed a few."

"He got home and for whatever stupid reason, he began accusing me of having multiple affairs on him. He accused me of having Jeff and Hank from work and accused me of having an affair with you as well."

"Randy, I've never cheated on Kevin in the entire 26 years we've been married. We began yelling and he hauled off and used his fist and hit me across the side of my face."

"He ran out the door and I called 911. The police were on the next street over and stopped him as he tried to back out of the driveway. He was so drunk that he had trouble even operating the automatic door remote on his car."

I had to know more. The officers were listening.

"Has he ever hit you before tonight?"

"He's never hit me like that but...like I told the cops...he had a habit of pushing me into the bed or that couch over there...then he'd force himself sexually. I think he got off doing that when he was mad."

"Was it only when he was drunk?"

"No, sometimes he'd just be mad about something I did or didn't do. We'd argue and the next thing I knew I was being pushed around and eventually having miserable sex with him. Of course he always seemed to have at least a little bit of alcohol in his system. I'm sure you've noticed that yourself before."

I nodded to the officers in the affirmative.

I was about as mad as I could get but I had to maintain some level of cool, especially with 3 officers still in the house. I was feeling tough, not stupid.

What I wanted to do was drag Kevin's ass out of the patrol car and perform justice right there. To hell with the courts and due process.

The officers told her that she had to go to the ER so that a complete physical could be done. This would be used as credible evidence against Kevin.

"Drea, that's not miserable sex...that's rape. Being his wife isn't a license to physically manhandle you. What do you plan on doing?"

"I called a friend of mine from work. She's going to meet me at the hospital. I'll stay at her house a few days. I'm taking off the rest of the week from work."

"Randy, I'm getting an attorney and divorcing his ass. I don't know how much jail time he's going to get. He'll probably post bail and come back to the house. I don't want to be here when he does."

With the officers there, I proposed a solution.

"I'll be off work by 4pm tomorrow and can meet her here by 4:15. Kevin is scared of me. He won't dare try to hurt her if I'm here. I'll stay out of the way while she loads up more of her personal items."

The officers were grateful for my offer but told me that they would assign an officer to escort her to and from the property.

Although I understood, I was disappointed. I really hoped that he would act up and I'd have a good excuse to put a big hurt on him. Kevin is a bully and I've seen evidence of that before. He'll talk tough to someone he thinks he can intimidate. He's never talked tough to me except that night in the safety of the back seat of a patrol car.

I knew damn well that he wouldn't have said that to my face. He's about 5 feet 8 and 170 pounds while I'm 6 feet 1 and 210 pounds.

It's all muscle and I've always handled myself well when I've had to fight. Even in my 50s, I can still defend myself if needed. I never look for fights, in fact I try to defuse a situation if I can, but Kevin was due for an ass kicking and I wanted to do it so badly. Of course, that fact that I was so fond of Drea would have made it more satisfying.

Kevin's not a weakling, he does work a job that requires strength and endurance, but I knew he was intimated by my size and strength.

I left Drea but encouraged her to call me if she needed anything...especially if she caught any shit from my ex. I wasn't sure what Katie might do or say in defense of her brother.

I walked back across the street and talked to our bowling friends. One of them had seen Kevin in the back seat of the patrol car and they weren't surprised when I told them of the evening's events.

I assured them that Drea was fine for the night and that she was divorcing him immediately.

There were no more incidents. As expected, Kevin was arrested and he posted bail...using their home as collateral.

The hospital's report on her facial trauma and comments from people like myself and others that knew about Kevin's temperament was all the courts would need to eventually convict Kevin and grant a divorce to Drea.

Meanwhile, Drea stayed with her friend from work. She went back to work the following Monday and returned to our bowling the next Tuesday.

Kevin had a lucrative business to protect so he was cooperative with the courts and agreed to enter anger management counseling as well as an alcohol rehab program and that a restraining order would be strictly enforced.

He did no more time behind bars but was to serve a suspended sentence of 3 years. Any violation of the court's terms would have him spending the next 3 years behind bars. That would hit him where it hurt the most...his wallet.

They have a 21-year old daughter, Krystal, in college that was devastated. After that, she swore that she wanted nothing more to do with him. Drea tried to encourage her to at least continue speaking to him but she was resolute.

Drea was awarded the house and sizable alimony, although she no longer wanted to live in the house. She had plans to sell the house and have a new beginning.

Bowling was one of Drea's pleasures that she continued to enjoy. Kevin was no longer welcome at the bowling alley and he was informed that if he dared to enter through any of the doors that the police would be called immediately. That would be a violation of his parole.

It was during these weekly bowling games that Drea and I began to talk more than usual. I enjoyed these evenings but I never approached her to meet at any other time.

There was an unmistakable connection between us. She was getting her life back in order and felt safe inside of her home again. One month after she resumed her league bowling, she invited me over for a home-cooked meal the following night.

The last thing I wanted to do is act too quickly on her. Most importantly, I really liked her as a friend and I wasn't going to dare act in any way that would jeopardize that friendship.

However, she was sending out very subtle signals and it seemed that she wanted more. I wasn't sure if it was wishful thinking on my part or if it was truly her way of telling me to go further.

She had put a roast in the crock pot to cook while she was at work. We enjoyed the roast as well as potatoes and carrots.

She did an expert job in seasoning the roast. I knew that she was a decent cook because of dishes she'd cook for family gatherings. While Katie and I were married, we didn't visit their house too often, but when we did Drea would always have a tasty meal for us.

Then Drea decided to state her purpose for the evening.

"Okay Randy, I'm glad you enjoyed your meal and I have some dessert in the fridge for later."

"However, I did have another reason for asking you over."

She had my attention.

"I'm going to sound very forward but it's the only way I know to do it."

"Yes? You have my attention Drea."

"Good. Randy, you and I have been friends for a lot of years. Actually we were in-laws for a long time."

"Yes. That's nothing new. I'm not sure where you're headed with this."

"Where I'm headed Randy is...and I hope that I haven't read you wrong...that you and I seem to be a good mix together."

"Am I wrong to assume that you've thought about me as more than just a friend?"

"No, you wouldn't be wrong about that. I just didn't think you wanted a guy to be anything but a friend after what happened with Kevin."

She looked disappointed and told me.

"I'm kind of disappointed in that, Randy, to be honest with you."

"Don't you think that I can't tell the difference in your character and Kevin's? Look, you've never acted out of place with me."

"That night that you came by the house after Kevin was arrested? I knew you were bowling that night but I was hoping that you'd come by...although I wasn't expecting you to."

"Of all the people that I didn't want to see at that time, I did want to see you."

"Let me be honest, Randy. I used to be jealous of Katie because she was married to you and I was stuck with Kevin."

"I have no idea why she'd leave a guy like you. You have all the characteristics of a perfect husband. You're loyal, hard-working, and honest. You're also a nice looking guy."

That part made me uncomfortable.

"Thanks Drea. Those are kind words but I've never seen myself as some kind of hot guy. I just live as I believe I should live."

"Truck drivers have a reputation, and some of them deserve it, of being bed-hopping man whores. I was in love with Katie and although I had my chances, I never cheated on her."