February Consequences

She looked at Linda. "Have you spoken to Jim yet?"

"No. He's brought the kids by every day, but he doesn't get out and come in when he leaves them or picks them up."

"Little sister, everyone knows what happened because it was on Utube. You did the man wrong, and I was at the table when he said that he was 'finished with you'. That is not a man that is going to take you back unless you make some real changes in your life. If I was ten years younger and single, I take him away in a second. You'd never get a second chance. Don't think for a second that he is not be getting a ton of phone numbers. He a fuckin' unicorn."

"You should take some time and thank the Lord that you haven't been served Divorce papers." She pause. "Yet."

With that said, Linda got back to her training.

Jim's meeting ran long so he was taking a late lunch break. As he approached the entrance way, a man in a nice brown suit approached him. "Excuse me. May I have a moment of your time."

His first thought was process server with divorce papers from Linda, but that couldn't happen without Jeff telling him first.

"I'm heading to lunch, and I don't have a lot of time before my afternoon meeting with my sales team. If you like to apply for a job, we can set-up an interview for Monday."

"No, thank you. I'm not here for a job for me, but I am here to offer you one."

Jim looked at him with a strange look. "Why."

The man smiled. "I am a headhunter, and after your interview last weekend where the world heard how you saved your company millions during the snowstorm, I have had several interested companies contact me to represent them in hiring you away. Can I buy you lunch?"

***********

Jeff looked at his watch, then checked his phone. Linda wasn't home. She had a damn curfew. "One day back to work, and this is the respect I get. MY GOD, she's out with those whore, I know it. She really does want a divorce. Get your coat, we're going hunting."

They drove to all of Linda's favorite restaurants, but didn't find the girls until they got to a club that the "Girl's Night Out happened at. They found Linda's car on the back row of the parking lot. The place was packed. February snow had made March business good tonight for the owner.

The bouncer at the door nodded to Jim. "Seen you here before. Make nice tonight."

Rebecca smiled her happy smile. "We're not staying, our daughter is waiting for us to pick her up."

They wandered around the club, moved back to area where Jeff had 'talked' with the Daniel guy a while back. The women were seated at their table. Linda, Dee, and Jane were seated while four men stood at the table chatting them up. Jeff felt that they all recognized Linda from Utube and SEN videos.

Her parents came up behind the men, and Jeff leaned in. "Young men, these are married women."

The men turned and looked a Jeff. "So what, they're here to fuck, and we're here to fuck, so fuck off, old man."

His hand shot out and grabbed the man's tie and pulled him face to face. "Young man. I shit bigger turds than you every morning. The one you want to fuck cuz she's Mark LaValliere's girlfriend is my daughter, and you're not touching her or I'll have my son-in-law whup your skinny ass like he did LaValliere, or I might do that now myself. These other two, well, they will definitely fuck you, especially this one." He pointed to Dee.

He released the tie and brushed off the man's jacket collar. "Linda, you missed curfew, and I said NO Girls nights. I'll drive you home, and your mom will follow us in your car."

The man couldn't leave well enough alone. "That's your mom? Does she fuck around too?"

The fist grabbed his windpipe so fast he could not respond. "That's no way to speak to a lady." He squeezed and squeezed. He grabbed the man's head from behind and smashed his head into the tabletop spilling all the drinks.

One of the other three men acted like he wanted to fight. Jeff released the first one's head, and drove his fist into number two's nose knocking him backward into the other two men. The other two held their hands up, and walked away.

"Good fucking tonight, Ladies." He nodded. "Linda, let's go."

On the way out the door, the bouncer looked at Jeff. "I told you to make nice tonight."

"Sorry."

After breaking curfew, Linda's dad brought her to work each morning, and picked her at quitting time. Trisha found it amusing. But she knew that it was tough love. It seemed that her father wanted to save Linda's marriage more than she did.

Another week had past. It was Friday. As they ate their lunch together, Trisha saw Linda look at her phone. "Is it important?"

"It's Dee texting 911. Should I call her back. She hasn't spoken to me this week since dad drove off her suitors last Friday."

"Well, maybe her car broke down and she need us to come and get her."

Before Linda could dial Dee, her phone rang and she answered it.

"What's the 911, Dee?"

"You better get over here to Graingers. Jane and I are eating lunch, and I look across the room, and I see Jim and some woman having lunch."

"I can't get over there, I don't have a car!" She looked at Trisha. "You've got to take me!"

Trisha firmly answered. "No."

Linda looked panicked. "You've got too."

"No, little sister. You've had three weeks to reach out to him, and your pride won't let you. I told you that women are waiting for a chance to get him. You better make up your mind if you want to fight for him. Ding Ding round One."

Dee heard the remarks on the open phone line that Trisha said. She made a beeline to Jim's table with her phone in hand. Call still in progress.

"Who's this slut, Jim. You've got a wife and kids at home." Trying to be like Jeff at the club last week. "Don't you think I won't tell Linda."

The woman with Jim smiled friendly at Dee. "You must be Dee, the woman that got Jim's wife to slut around every weekend."

"I don't know what you're insinuating." was Dee's response.

"Let us talk, Miss Dee. I know Jim's situation, and I am after him. I will not hide that from you or his wife. She's a cheater because of you. Jim has made it clear that he won't be with me until his marriage is resolved. But, I want you to understand that when he is free, I will make him mine. That, you can take to the bank, Deeanna. You can go away now." The lady waved her hand at Dee.

When Dee got back to the table, she spoke having forgotten that Linda was still on the line. "What a condescending bitch."

She looked at Jane. "Did you send Linda pictures of them."

"Yes. I sent them a sec ago." Jane motioned to the phone. "I think she's still on the phone."

Linda was in shock. Wow, it couldn't be any clearer what that woman's intentions are. She had put the phone on speaker so Trisha could here. "I got the images. I going to look. Okay?"

Trisha came around behind Linda to look over her shoulder. The woman looked about Trisha's age, but pretty and dressed really classy, and Trisha confirmed that with, "Wooo, she's pretty, and that's is not a cheap outfit. She must have some cash. See I told you, women want your man, and you're too brainwashed to stop it from happening.'

Dee was going on about something about revenge against Jim, but she wasn't listening to anyone but Trisha. Dee was irate when Linda ended the call without saying good bye.

For the first time, she turned to Trisha for some wisdom. "Every journey begins with a first step."

Friday evening, she wanted to try and catch Jim to say hello or something when he dropped off the kid's to see her. She missed him by the time she and her dad had driven home through quitting time traffic. She was down and it showed to the kids and her mother. She was sure that he was out to dinner with that woman from lunch. How could she compete with her? SO pretty, and so classy.

Her father took the kids for ice cream, and Linda waited for her mother to ask.... "What wrong tonight? You're so down, did something happen at work?"

"No, Dee and Jane went to lunch and saw Jim eating lunch with a very pretty lady." She sighed.

"I'm sorry, Linda, but I told you it would happen, and happen fast it has."

Her mother sat with her on the loves-eat. "You have no one to blame but yourself. You had a couple of weeks to reach out to Jim. He's by here 3 or 4 times each week dropping off the kids, and you've done nothing about it. If you think that he's going to ask you to come home. He won't. You disrespected him, and you haven't apologized for it because you for some cockamamie reason can't understand what you did to your husband and family."

Patting her daughter's knee. "Talk to Dr Gwen on Monday." As she stood, she stated what Trisha had said. "You have to take the first step. A first step, and I like to think you would know what to do. The old Linda would have already done it."

But I am the same old Linda, she thought to herself. Why does everyone think that I've changed? She thought about texting Jim, but didn't. She would wait until she could see him face to face. But that didn't happen that weekend. Somehow, she kept missing Jim when came to drop off and pick up the kids.

She found herself looking forward to going to Dr Gwen on Monday afternoon.

Dr Gwen had two cups of tea waiting on the coffee table when Linda arrived for her session. "Please, have a seat so we can get started."

Today, Linda sat on the sofa nearer to Dr Gwen rather than the love-seat with coffee table acting as a barrier between them.

"Your mother told me you had a rather uncomfortable event on Friday. You could have called me."

"Why did my mother call you?" She wondered why.

"Did she not tell you that we have known each other from church for over twenty years. That's why she asked Franklin and I to attempt to reconcile Jim and yourself."

"Oh,.... I didn't know." She paused.

"On Friday, my friends, Dee and Janie were having lunch when they saw Jim having lunch with another woman, and called me at work to tell me."

"Linda, how did Jim having lunch with another woman make you feel?"

"Shocked, angry, depressed, and... very sad. Why would Jim do that to me, to us."

"Do what, Linda?' Gwen asked.

"Date another woman! In broad daylight, in public where other people can see it. IN front of my friends"

"Linda, why should that bother you?"

"Because it's wrong!" she yelled out.

"But LINDA, IT'S WHAT YOU'VE DONE to him for over the last year." Dr Gwen pointed out with strong tones on certain words... "Think about it."

Linda's emotions were running amok. "I've never done that to Jim."

"Linda, you delude yourself. You go every Friday, on a night that used to be for Jim and LINDA to have time together, to a club with friends that do not have your best interests, to a club where you do EXACTLY that. You act like a cheap divorcee or single woman when you have a husband and children at home waiting for you. You touch men and they touch you. Was Jim touching the woman at the restaurant?"

"Not in the pictures Janie sent me."

"In the club, Linda, you openly socialize with men at the tables where you kiss these men. Was Jim kissing this woman?"

"no."

"Linda..." Dr Gwen paused. She tore two sheets of paper from her notebook, and started to write. "I am going to give you something to visualize."

She waited as Dr Gwen wrote on the paper.

Dr Gwen held up the first page. At the top was a number One. "As you can see these are words that describe you and your family. Wife, Mother, Trusted partner, husband that loves her, children that love her, parents that love her, safe home, food in your belly, a husband that protects her to make her safe, security personal and financial. Husband that feels family is most important. I could write more but you get my idea. Does this represent you, before you starting your bad behavior?"

"I guess."

Dr Gwen looked at her. "Is anything here incorrect?" Linda nodded 'no'. Gwen held up the second page with a large number two at the top. "Let me know if this is correct also. This list reflects your other behavior. Goes to club dressed scandalous, loves attention from men, not her husband. Liar. Slutty, untrustworthy. Drinks alcohol and possibly drugs at the clubs, Kisses men other than husband, Touches and likes being touched by men other than husband. Does inappropriate touching with men other than husband. Has oral or physical sex with men other than husband. Comes home to husband with sloppy seconds or gives husband sex while fantasizing about other men that she has touched or had sex either oral or vaginal or anal. Gone to a place other than the club with a man other than husband either car or apartment. I could go on. Does anything look familiar?"

Linda didn't reply.

"Now, which one do you think Jim would want?"

Linda didn't answer. Gwen looked at her. "OK, I won't answer for Jim, but I'd bet that it's NOT number two."

She deflected back to the woman of Jim's lunch date. "That woman and Jim didn't know I was listening on Dee's phone. That woman told Dee that she wanted Jim, and was going to get him."

Dr Gwen reached over and touched Linda's hand. "You have issues, young lady. The biggest issue is you can't accept that this your fault. You have a problem that has a name, DEE. She is in every conversation that we have. Rebecca tells me that ever since you were teens, Dee has dominated your life, pushed you into bad decision after bad decision. Your mother thought when you went to different college that you would come into your own. You did for a while because you found Jim, and he made you the center of his universe. Now, years later, Dee is back in your life, and it has gone down the drain. I want to see you again on Thursday. I want you to write me a list of the times that Dee has interfered in your life, and it better be longer that the list your mother gave me."

Linda nodded.

Dr Gwen smiled at her. "We haven't touched our tea today. You haven't asked about my observing Jim's session today."

Linda had forgotten.

"I want you to know that I cannot tell you specifics but Jim is healing. Much better than you. He is accepting the change that it is in his life and trying to adapt. He spoke with Dr Franklin about his two plans going forward. I assume that one is with you, and the other is without you. I got the impression that he is not going to wait for you forever. He is proud, and he will not beg you to come home. He knows you're safe at Rebecca's. And as far as Carolyn goes, that's the woman from lunch. She isn't going to wait for Jim forever either. She wants him and feels that he is perfect for her needs. I will see you on Thursday." She handed Linda the two pages.

"But, I .."

Dr Gwen held her hand up. "On Thursday. Time's up."

At lunch the next day, she spoke with Trisha about her session.

Trisha took a bite. "She's right. Have you tried to reach out to Jim last night?"

Linda didn't reply.

"Can I safely assume that Dee told you to not contact Jim. Let him come to you? I've know Jim about as long as we've worked together, and I can tell that it will never happen that way. When he's wrong, he apologizes, and accepts that he was wrong and moves on. Sister, you were wrong. You probably lied to Jim about what happens on Girls Night. Why do you think that I don't go to the club?"

"I don't know. Maybe because Bill doesn't want you to have fun?"

"That's Dee talking. It's always about what she wants to do. Bill and I have a relationship in which we are fine with being alone with each other. We don't need yours or Dee approval to be happy. I make a choice to be with my husband. I will always chose him. If you're where you're supposed to be, bad things usually don't happen to you."

"You need to try to make it right with Jim before it's too late."

Jeff made Linda drive him home from her office that day. He was texting with someone while she drove. Probably texting with some employee on a job site. Her mother had supper ready when they got home. After supper, Linda kept looking out the window waiting for Jim to drop the kids by.

"Mom, have you heard from Jim? I thought that he would bring the kids today."

"No, baby girl. It's Emma spring break so he and Jon are taking the kids to Disney for a couple of days."

She was getting livid. "He didn't talk to me about that!"

"Oh, Linda, you think you have a say. You don't. They're his children, and he trying to be a good single father. You're not helping. You won't even text him or call him. It's your mess and you won't even try to clean it up. He's moving on, Linda. It's been over a month, and you haven't attempted to reconcile."

As she laid in bed, she twirled her phone in her hand. She pulled up the tracker locator app and looked for Jim's phone. Orlando appeared on the map.

She took her first step. She texted Jim, "Hope you have fun."

She was surprised as he texted back immediately. "We will. Miss u."

With that she read, she hesitated for a minute then texted "me 2".

Trisha was pleased that Linda was more upbeat when she came in Wednesday morning. She remarked about it to Linda, and she admitted that she had texted Jim last night. She responded with. "Every journey begins with a first step."

Being upbeat, Linda had a more positive outlook for the next couple of days. When she arrived for her appointment with Dr Gwen, she couldn't wait to tell her about the text.

"Did you do your homework?"

Linda looked ashamed, she hasn't disappointed Gwen before today. "No, it slipped my mind, but I texted Jim on Tuesday night."

"That's a start. I know that you didn't tell him that you're sorry."

"Why would you say, Dr Gwen?"

"Because at this point, you're not sorry. You have yet to embrace the pain that you have caused your family: Jim, your children, your parents, work mates, and numerous others."

Dr Gwen motioned for Linda to sit.

Once again, she sat on the couch. Today, she sat by the teapot. "Linda, you may pour tea for us today."

While she poured the tea, Dr Gwen asked, "How did you feel when you texted Jim?".

"He has taken the kids to Disney World for Emma's spring break. At first, I was angry then mom explained that Jim was doing his best as a single dad to keep his children in as normal routine as possible. I felt a little guilty that I was angry about not being invited, but I sort of understood what he did. I didn't like it at all."

"Have you continued texting?"

"No, but he has sent me pictures of the kids having fun." She paused. "I think that I'm scared to text him again."

"Why do you feel that way?"

Taking a sip of her tea, she paused. "I think some of it is fear. His brother always said to not wake the beast that lives inside of Jim. I thought it was some kind of joke, but that night when I told him I was going home with Mark. He looked at me with cold eyes. No love in there. Like he was dead inside. Then the fight started, and he had literally destroyed another man. It happened so fast that no one could help Mark if they wanted to. My Jim knocked out a guy twice his size in probably a minutes time. What could he do to me?"

"I understand your concern, but after observing Jim, I don't feel that is an issue." Gwen sipped her tea. "He has deep affection for you. I have seen it in the way he speaks of you." She placed her teacup on the table. "He doesn't trust you. You violated that, and eventually, you must face it with Jim."

"When do you expect him home?"

Linda leaned back against the couch. "Mom, said that they get in tomorrow morning because he has a meeting on Saturday. Must be important for Jim to met on a Saturday."

Dr Gwen wiggled in her seat. "We have gotten off subject today. Today, I want to discuss your relationship with Dee. When did it begin?"

Linda looked back into her memories of Dee. "We sat next to each other in study hall in 7^th grade. Last names with the same letter. We got to be friends, and we were inseparable until we graduated."