Heroic Act Triggers Taking a Gamble

I didn't know what to believe, but I laughed as I thought about brave Jack Jenson, the hero of the bank shooting, cowering in his car, turning off his phone, and sneaking away out of town instead of fighting for what might be left of his marriage.

Molly is left alone.

It had been two weeks since I had come home hoping to talk with Jack but instead, seeing the note he left for me. Since that day at lunch, and that note, I hadn't heard from him and had no idea where he was and if I would see him again. A part of me died as I realized the hurt my betrayal of our relationship had caused him. I had called him multiple times and at least every other day, but he had yet to pick up any of my calls.

I had texted him that I didn't want a divorce, at least not without talking things through with him and explaining my mistake of a relationship with John. But I thought, what is there to explain. Jack is right, I did cheat on him, at least to the extent of having an emotional relationship with him that was eventually going to be physical. When he kissed me, I wanted more but Jack kept popping up in my mind's eye and it just didn't feel right. And my last time being intimate with Jack was as magical as it used to be. We were just starting to get back to us again, when I had to go fuck it up by kissing John and being caught. But It's Jack that I'm always thinking about, not John. I'm just not ready to give up on us.

I had immediately put an end to the lunches and non-business conversations with John telling him that I had to get through my marriage issues before I would ever be able to move forward with anyone else. I realized that I didn't love John and he had just been an attentive ear and someone who assured me that I was desirable, but was probably only doing so because he wanted to get into my pants. I knew in the back of my mind that John wasn't really helping me fix my problems, but was instead trying to seduce me to be his. For how long, I guess I would never know. I knew he would be a good provider, but I really didn't feel excited about committing to him, or anyone else, in a relationship. Anyone but Jack that is.

I thought hard and often about what I really did want, and even though Jack and I could fight and argue at times, there were other times that life with him was perfect and I was surprised by how much I missed him and how hurt I was to think he was planning for divorce, without even talking to me or trying counseling. Maybe he just didn't love me anymore. Every night I was crying myself to sleep thinking about how I had horribly thrown away the man I loved without understanding just what the hell I was doing.

At the end of the second week that Jack had been gone, I got a call from his boss Harvey. "Hey Molly, how are you and the hero doing? I take it he isn't around?"

"No Harvey, he isn't. Has he been in touch with you? I'm actually not sure where he is; we had a fight and he left for places unknown."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I was wondering if things had changed. I actually called to check up on him for two reasons. First, he is scheduled to be off disability and back to work in two weeks, so I wanted to have that discussion with him. You see, he hasn't picked up my calls on his cell either, so I thought I would try the landline. But secondly, I wanted to ask him about his Vegas winnings!"

"I'm sure hoping that you keep his job open for him, Harvey. I know he is going to need the money and he should be home soon; I hope. But I have no idea what Vegas winnings you are talking about. What's that all about?"

"I just saw a two-minute clip on the internet about the hero bank manager who won a $50,000 pot in a Texas Hold'em tournament in Vegas over the weekend. I was assuming it was him and was wondering what the heck he had gotten himself into? But anyway, ask him to call me if you hear from him, okay?"

Jack's Vegas getaway

I looked across the table at the last two players still in the game. We had been playing now for 11 hours, battling back and forth and trading the chip lead between the three of us, although at this point, I had just inched myself into the lead, about $2,000 dollars up. If I could even hang on to be one of the last two players, I could earn $12,000; recouping my $8,000 buy in plus a few thousand dollars for my time and effort. A win would net me $50,000 and that would be incredible.

For the first ten days of my Vegas stay at Caesars; I had been playing in the VIP Poker table lounge where the play was against other Caesar guests and the buy-ins were anywhere from $250 to $500 to get into a game. Pots did get as large as $15,000 but that was rare, with most pots being in the $2-3K range. I had been doing well and was noticed by the casino, which comped me a room for my second week and started to set me up for games with some of the foreign visitors looking to be challenged, maybe even schooled, in Texas Hold'em.

I had played enough games and accumulated enough money through my nightly gambling and my daily day-trading of stocks, that I had enough to buy into a bigger tournament, when I finally got this invitation for the Caesars Memorial Day $50K. I needed this tournament win to gain access to the bigger and better games ahead.

I looked down at my hole cards and had two aces staring back at me, the ace of diamonds and the ace of spades. I placed a reasonably serious bet and the two other players called, as we all waited for the flop. The flop of 3 cards had a Queen of Spades, a 5 of diamonds, and a 10 of clubs. Not much direction there for anyone, so I again pushed up the pot with an aggressive bet based on my pair of aces. I was surprised that each player called, making me wonder what they had.

The dealer dealt the turn, or the fourth street, the name given to the 4^th up card. This time it was a Queen of diamonds, and I noticed a slight smile on the face of second place player. I checked the bet to him, he bet cautiously, the third player called, and just to force the issue, I raised by $5,000. I was surprised to see both players call.

The last card, the River, was dealt and I had to keep from leaping up in joy when the Ace of clubs came up. I was sitting on a boat, officially known as a full house with Aces over Queens. Being the last to raise I immediately went all in, and one player folded, but one called my bet. He was sitting on two pair, queens and tens, so my full house took the pot and put him out of the game. I was now the chip leader by a long margin, and decided I could get really aggressive in my game.

On the next deal I got two clubs in the hole. We both checked, waiting for the flop. The flop gave me two more clubs, but no face cards for either of us to get too excited about. I bet a fairly conservative amount and he called me, showing me that he wasn't too excited about his hand either.

The 4^th card brought me another club, so I was sitting on a flush and just waiting for the next card and my all in call. The last card was an Ace, I went ahead on bet all in, he called and his three jacks didn't stand up to my club flush, so I had finally won the first of the bigger tournaments that I envisioned in my future.

I smiled as I collected my $50,000 winnings and decided then and there that this was my new career and the only time, I would enter a bank from now on would be to deposit my winnings.

Molly is alone

I still was feeling a massive amount of guilt over the kiss I had given John that broke Jack's heart. It probably was not so much the kiss as it was the sharing of my feelings, emotions, frustrations, dreams and hopes with John that was the real betrayal. I don't know what the hell I was thinking and now I was likely going to lose the only man I had ever totally loved because of my shallow and selfish stupidly. I hadn't heard a word from Jack since he'd seen me kissing John at the restaurant. I had pleaded with him on voice mail and texts to talk with me before he did anything rash, but he had not replied or acknowledged that he was even reading or listening to them.

I just kept beating myself up over my horrible choices. It was bad enough that I was getting emotionally involved with someone, but the fact that he was my boss and was living with his girlfriend really disgusted me, and I now saw John for what he was, a manipulative seducer who only wanted to get into my pants.

I had told him in no uncertain terms with a lot of profanity attached that this mistaken relationship was finished; business conversations only and if he went outside of proper business decorum, I would visit HR and complain. It hadn't escaped my notice that he was now taking his young secretary out to lunch every day and it only confirmed my stupidity and fueled my outrage that I had fallen for his bullshit.

I had braced herself for divorce papers and had decided as a last hope that I would ask whatever lawyer Jack picked to plead with Jack about counseling or at least assure I could have a private conversation with Jack. I would insist on this before I would sign anything. I had spent the last three weeks thinking about my marriage and relationship with Jack and wondering how something that had been so special had gone so wrong.

I felt I was at fault more so than Jack for letting the relationship wither by my actions with my boss and by my incessant nit-picking of Jack and his behavior. If I had only had enough courage to have faced Jack and discussed our marriage. I could have approached him with a pledge to work with him to fight for our marriage; but I didn't. Well, now I was determined I would fight for one more chance before they could call it quits.

Reconciliation or Divorce

It had been three weeks and two days since I had been back home or even talked to Molly. For all I knew she had moved out or maybe moved in with that asshole John. I had missed her so much, and had nearly called her several times; but I just didn't know at the time what I wanted or what I would say. However, I knew that now.

I walked up the steps to my house but instead of using my key and walking in, I rang the bell and waited.

Later Molly told me she cringed when she heard the doorbell ring and thought this was probably the process server here to hand her the divorce papers. She told me she considered not even answering it, but as she approached the door, she tried calling me one last time before she was officially served. She could hear my phone ringing through her phone's speaker, but she could also hear a ring outside the door at the exact same time. The door flung open and I saw Molly staring at me with tears in her eyes, and she screamed my name.

"Jack, oh my God, Jack, thanks for coming back. Please, please come in. You don't have to ring the bell, baby, you live here. It's so good to see you Jack, I was so worried about you. Didn't you get my texts and messages? How could you leave me hanging like that? Oh Jack, can't you please talk to me?"

"Molly, we do need to sit down and talk. Please let get a few things off my chest right away. I need to get through this." With that I gave her a pained look and I could see fear in her face as it paled and she turned and walked into the living room. I followed her in and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Molly, I just got back from resigning my position at the bank. I'm done with that life. I've hated that job for the last several years and I don't know why the hell I stayed there and let it poison my attitude and my outlook. Molly, I can now clearly see how I came home crabby, rude, depressed, and instead of talking to you I escaped into myself, and my hobbies. It had to have been horrible for you and I'm not surprised you started to check out of our marriage."

"Jack, don't put all the blame on yourself. I insisted you work hard and make more money and I was either at the Gym or in my own world here, unavailable for you. I'm so sorry Jack!"

"Molly, please let me get through this. As I said, I'm done with that life. When I almost died in that bank shooting, I started thinking long and hard about my life. Time is short and I was totally wasting mine in a life I didn't want. It wasn't you that I didn't want, but it was the routine and the lifestyle we had fallen into. And the first thing I figured out was that job had to go; it was slowly killing me."

"The next thing I had to figure out is what did I want and how do I want to live. So, I quit my job, and I have been in Las Vegas the last three weeks playing poker and day trading and I've proven to myself that I can make a pretty good life at it. In fact, I made as much in the last three weeks as I did in the last 6 months at the bank!"

"I only work about six hours a day, unless I get into a poker tournament, and then the days are long but the potential payoff is huge. I've leased a Condo a few blocks off the strip. I walk everywhere I need to go. I joined a Gym and I work out 5 times a week. And even though I'm happy with my decision, I know that I am still missing what I need to be happy. I've really thought about what I want and what I need in my life."

"Molly, seeing you kissing your asshole boss tore my hear out. I knew at that point that you were sharing all of your emotions and true feelings with your boss, and I was just a roommate that meant less and less to you. And, with my poor attitude and depressed routine that I was into; I didn't fight to get you back on my side. We were bound to fail the way the way we were. You were wrong for what you did and I was wrong for what I did."

"Molly, I just need to know. Do you love him?"

"God no, Jack. I haven't even talked with him other than as my job has required since you saw us that day. Jack, I am so ashamed and so sorry. I know I hurt you badly and I feel so horrible about how I acted and what I did to you...to us. I don't know why and how I got to that point but I feel like I've woken up from a nightmare and I can again be the Molly that you used to love, if you let me. I want that more than anything, Jack. I want another chance!"

"Molly, I have to know and you have to tell me honestly. If you slept with him, or did anything beyond the kissing I saw, then we are done. I couldn't live with that and the image of you naked and enjoying love making with him has been tearing me up the last three weeks. Molly, if I ever meant anything to you, please just tell me honestly what exactly happened."

Molly started to cry and sob and she came to me and grabbed my hands in hers. "Please Jack, don't ever imagine that. We never slept together and no; I don't love him. I don't even like him now after he wormed his way into my personal life and tried to seduce me. But I also know that was my fault and no one else. I just was so frustrated and vulnerable that I lost my sense of direction and what was truly important in my life."

"Molly, did you fuck him?"

"God No, No Jack, I swear. I only kissed him the one time you saw and another time right before the bank shooting. Please believe me Jack. I swear on all the love we have ever shared in the past that nothing more happened. Please Jack, you have my word. I swear to you that nothing more happened and I want nothing more to do with that asshole. Jack, can you let me talk now?"

"Okay Molly, go ahead."

"Jack, I am so sorry for the pain I caused you. I'm so sorry that I cheated on you, and yes, I do now see that the relationship with John and the kiss were a form of cheating; and although he never got me into his bed; that was probably in his playbook and I was allowing myself to go down a road that now disgusts me. I don't know where my head was at Jack, and I am ashamed, and all I can say to you is I'm so very sorry. The one thing I can swear to you is that if you give us another chance, I will never let something like that happen again! I will do everything I possibly can to make us work. I love you Jack and I want to be yours, for the rest of my life."

"Thank God Molly, I needed to hear that and I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest. So, I guess this is where we either say goodbye or we decide how to move forward."

"Jack, you heard me, I love you! I'm not saying goodbye to you. I've spent a lot of time too thinking about my life and you and me. I miss you Jack, and I want you. I want to be with you, I want to make love to you, and I know now how much I love you and how my life needs to be shared with you. But we have to work at being each other's best friend, partner and lover again. I know that's what I want and I will do everything I can to make us whole again."

"Molly, I know the thing missing in my life has been you. I love you and I want us to be together, but here is my bottom line. I'm moving to Las Vegas on a permanent basis. I'm going to be a professional gambler just until I have enough of a portfolio to strictly make my living buying and trading stocks. I know I can do it. I want you to be with me Molly. I want to wake up with you, cook for you, work out with you, enjoy the arts, the movies, the plays, and sports with you. Travel and visit places together that we've never seen. And eventually Molly, sooner than later, I want to have children with you."

"I'm betting on my life being 100% better with you than without you and if you feel the same, then I hope you'll come with me, today, right now, to a new life together."

******************

A fist came flying over from the other side of the bed and landed on my chest. "Jack, get up. It's your turn to feed the baby!"

"Oh, man Molly, I was just dreaming that you and I and little Emily were stuck on an island in the Pacific Ocean. We were living in a grass hut that we constructed, with only coconuts, fish, lobster and bananas to eat. We all were naked, baked to a golden bronze color, and we were teaching Emily how to read by writing verses of love songs on the sand beach. And I remember thinking that I didn't need anything except exactly what I had in that dream."

"Jack, baby Emily is crying. Feed her, then come back to bed, and show me how you would make love to me on that beach. I am expecting no less than two orgasms before you go off to gamble with our money today. And remember, tonight is our trivia night at the bar, so its dinner, trivia, and then dancing at the club. The baby sitter will be here at 7 so don't be late Babe."

"Molly, have I told you lately how much I love my Life?"

"And Jack, have I told you yet today that you are and will always be my hero!"