I Was an Arrogant Son of a Bitch

"Come on, Dad. We're not stupid," said Steve.

CC called and wanted to apologize to both the kids and me. I put the phone on speaker.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I had no business using that language and your father didn't deserve it. I was just upset and it won't happen again."

Audrey chimed in. "Why are you with Jimmy, Mom? We don't like him and he doesn't like us."

"You just don't understand him."

Both of the kids rolled their eyes. "If you say so, but we still don't like him," blurted Steve.

She then asked me if she could come over on Saturday and swim with them. I said yes.

That Saturday, I took the kids to their class. Lyle introduced me to his sister, Cheryl. She and I sat together and watched the kids dive. Neither of us had much to say. After class, Lyle came over to us, looked at his sister and spoke to her. "What do you think?"

"I think you're right," she answered.

Then Lyle spoke to me. "Cheryl coaches the State University diving team. Last year they ranked third in the nation. I told her about Audrey."

Cheryl took over. "Mr. Sweeney, we have a program for promising young divers. It's funded by private donations, mostly from former members of our dive team. Lyle told me about Audrey and asked me to come see her. She shows promise. I'd like for you to consider enrolling her in our Summer Junior Program so my staff can evaluate her. It's run like a regular summer camp only the kids live in Dorms on campus for four weeks and eat in the cafeteria. They dive every morning and have other activities the rest of the day. You'd be welcome to come watch her dive whenever you'd like."

"Couldn't she do it from home? I could bring her over every morning."

Cheryl laughed. "Of course you can, but a great deal of the fun would be living in a dorm and associating with other kids her age with the same interests."

I looked from one to the other of them. This was out of the blue for me because I had no idea she was that good. I had watched her, of course, and parental pride made me think she was better than the others, but now I was being told that she was, in fact, better.

The three of us chatted while the kids dried off and changed clothes. "I'll give it some thought." I told them.

Later at home, I asked Audrey what she thought of her diving lessons.

"I like them, Dad. Everyone says I'm really good for my age, and all the adults watch me."

"Does it make you nervous when they do?"

She laughed. "No. It makes me want to do better."

"So you try harder?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good for you. Keep working hard. How about you, Steve? Do you like your classes?"

"They're fun, but I'm not a showoff like Audrey."

Then I told Audrey about the state's summer program and asked her if that was something she might be interested in. She jumped up and down with glee. The next week, I called Cheryl and told her she could have Audrey for the camp.

My father and step-mother were going on a three week trip to the West Coast in their RV and asked if Steve could go with them. I told them yes, and Steve started packing even though they weren't leaving for another week. Then my mother and step-father put in their bids for both of the kids. That pretty well took care of them for the summer, now all I needed was a place for me to go.

I hadn't seen a play in a long time. In fact, the last one I saw, I was in, if that counts for actually seeing one. So off to New York City and Broadway I went. In the three days I was there, I saw six plays; three matinees and three evening performances. I thought the acting bug might rear it's ugly head again when I got home, but it didn't.

Both kids were still gone when I got home so I just loafed around for a week.

Steve was the first to make it back. My mother kidnapped him and kept him for the rest of the summer. Audrey joined them when she came home all excited about her "Diving Camp"

Cheryl talked to me a couple of times and told me that Audrey had lots of potential as a diver and maybe I should consider getting her involved more extensively, so I did.

Lyle, her instructor from the Church pool, agreed to spend time with her over and above regular swimming and class hours, and when school started again, she was there three afternoons a week. Cheryl would go over on Saturday's to watch and make recommendations as to Audrey's training regimen.

Cheryl and I started talking to each other. Those conversations led to dinner and real dating. Cheryl was four years older than me, but that didn't matter to either of us.

The kids and I started going to the University's home swimming and diving competitions. The kids enjoyed it, and I enjoyed watching Cheryl.

CC was not the same. She stopped seeing the kids and even stopped calling them for weeks at a time. The kids felt hurt at first, but being kids, they adjusted; even commented.

"At least she could call once in a while," said Audrey.

I agreed with her. I called CC to determine what was going on. Smothers answered her phone. "Why are you answering her phone?" I asked.

"Fuck you," he said. I tried two more times over the next couple of days, but no response.

I finally called CC's parents. They hadn't seen the kids in quite a while so I offered to bring them by thinking I would get some information about CC. We went over that afternoon. The kids enjoyed seeing them and vice versa. After an hour or so, I asked about CC and was told that she and Jimmy had moved. It seemed that an old friend of Jimmy's had a business deal Jimmy couldn't pass up. She hadn't even said goodbye to the kids.

We left and drove by CC's house; which was our old house. The yard hadn't been touched in weeks and a look through the windows showed empty rooms with piles of trash scattered around. The only rooms with furniture were the kid's rooms. All of their furniture was still there.

As far as I knew, my name was still on the mortgage so the next day, I stopped by the bank. I was told that the mortgage payments were three months in arrears and that was a surprise because they had just given us a second mortgage four months before.

They showed me the loan papers and it didn't take long for me to convince them that I hadn't signed any second mortgage documents, and when I looked even closer, I realized CC hadn't signed it either.

I spent the next three hours at the police station swearing, attesting, and providing handwriting samples. After that, I went home and retrieved samples of CC's writing. It became obvious to their handwriting expert that the second mortgage document was not signed by either CC or me. When asked if I had any idea who might have done it, Jimmy Smothers' name came out immediately.

They pulled his rap sheet and showed it to me. In the previous six months he had been arrested for theft and assault and was out on bail awaiting trial. The police had also been called three times to the residence for domestic violence. CC had called them and when they arrived she had obvious bruises on her face and neck, but she refused to press charges.

The next week, I paid the back mortgage payments and had someone clean up the yard and inside the house. The kids didn't want anything from their rooms.

During the ensuing months, I tried not to think of CC being the victim of domestic violence, but I couldn't stop my thoughts. I also continued making the mortgage payments. I rented it out and the rent paid the mortgage. After all, my name was still attached to the house.

I asked and discovered I could put the house up for sale if I chose, because CC had apparently abandoned it, so for all intents and purposes, it was mine.

Suddenly, it was early November and Thanksgiving was around the corner. The kids and I had dinner with my mother and Tony. Audrey and Steve spent the night with them.

I spent it with Cheryl. She and I had sex for the first time that Thanksgiving evening at her house. We discovered that neither of us had been laid in a very long time and tried our best to make up for all that lost sex in 24 hours. The only reason we stopped was to eat and rest. We each had short catnaps, but we didn't want to waste time sleeping when we could be fucking.

In all honesty, sex with CC had always been great, but with Cheryl, it was fantastic. It was like our bodies were made just to fuck each other.

Christmas came quickly. The kids bought presents for all six of their grandparents and their mother. It was mid-afternoon on Christmas Day when we arrived at CC's parent's house. They took their gifts and gave the kids theirs. They and I didn't exchange anything. There were several unopened presents for CC under the tree.

Things were going pretty well until Audrey asked, "do you know where our mommy is?"

There was no hesitation when they said "No, we don't. We wish we did."

Cheryl and I grew closer over the next few months. We had sex every chance we had and Audrey's diving skills continued to improve. It was around that time that Steve discovered video games.

The beginning of that summer, Audrey was again at dive camp. Steve, for the first time, saw the insides of an automobile engine when he helped Tony take one apart. Tony had never done that before and Steve had never watched, but they both enjoyed the experience. After that, the kids were, again, on a three week RV trip with my father and step-mother. It was a Saturday evening and Cheryl had just left after spending the night. The doorbell rang and it was CC.

"May I come in?" she asked. I just stood there. She was skin and bones; at least 30 pounds lighter than when I last saw her. Her hair was streaked with four different colors, but I could see grey roots as well. Her makeup was not unlike what my imagination would put on a prostitute; bright and heavy. Her jeans were skin tight and with her being so skinny she looked like an unappetizing pair of pretzel sticks. I kept looking at her. "Well?" she asked. After a few more seconds, she said, "I'm sorry to have disturbed you." She turned to leave.

"Wait!" She turned back. "Come in." I glanced outside and didn't see a car on the street or in the driveway, so I had no idea how she got there. "Have a seat." I indicated the sofa. She sat. "Something to drink?"

She nodded. It took me less than two minutes, but she was sound asleep when I returned with a glass of water for her. She was still sitting up with her head leaning to one side. I put the glass of water on the end table by the sofa, sat in my favorite chair and watched her for over an hour. She didn't move.

I went to her, lifted her feet, slipped off her shoes and leaned her back with her head on a cushion. I sat and watched her for another 30 minutes before falling asleep myself. When I awakened, she was gone. The only proof I had that she had been there was the half empty glass of water and the cushion smeared with makeup.

That was Sunday. I waited all day, but she never came back.

I came home from work on the third day after her visit and she was sitting in one of the rocking chairs on the front porch. It was everybody's favorite place to sit. I pulled into the garage and walked back to sit in the other rocker.

Her clothes were different and she had less makeup.

"How're the kids?" she asked as I sat.

"Doing well."

"What time will they be home?"

"In 2 weeks. They're with mom and Tony someplace out west. Then when they get back, they're going with dad and Tina to Disneyworld."

Without warning she started to sob and cry uncontrollably. "Disneyworld. Oh my God. Disneyworld." She cried for a few minutes before she calmed down. "I miss them."

"They miss you."

She dabbed her eyes with a tissue she pulled out of nowhere, and asked. "How've you been?"

"Great. How about you?" She looked out at the yard and up and down the street not answering the question. It was quiet for a long time. "What do you want, CC?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to see my babies."

"Would you like something to drink?" I asked as I stood.

"No, thank you. I have to be going."

There was no car in the drive or on the street. "How did you get here?"

"Cab."

"Where's your car?"

"I don't have one."

"Where is Jimmy?"

"Jail."

"Where are you living...er, staying?"

"With my parents."

"How long have you been there?"

"About a week."

There was a long pause before I spoke again. "Did you know he forged my signature to a Second Mortgage on the house?"

Her eyes got huge. "Oh, my God. No."

"And someone forged your name as well."

"That son of a bitch. So that's where he got the money. He told me the house was foreclosed on and we had to move out."

I shook my head. "What did he do with the money?"

"Bought drugs. A friend of his, Gordo, was buying it then selling it on the street. Jimmy wanted in, but didn't have any money. He told me he borrowed it." She paused. "We went with Gordo to Columbia and they bought lots of drugs. They put it in condoms and swallowed them. They tried to get me to, but I couldn't keep it down. We came back and were stopped by the customs people. Apparently someone told and they were expecting us. We were all given x-rays and they saw the stuff in the two guys, but not me. They were arrested, but I was released. When I went through customs, Gordo's wife was waiting for me. She blamed me for the guys getting arrested and left me there. I bet it was her who signed my name."

"When was that?"

"A few months ago."

That would fit with the forged mortgage. "What have you been doing since?"

"Mostly living in shelters."

She and I had dinner together that night. I asked her about her relationship with Jimmy. He was, indeed, an asshole, she said, but not at first. When he wanted something he was a nice, quiet, gentle man, but as time went on, his mean and violent self was manifest. He survived by stealing. Burglary mostly. He would break into houses, steal stuff then sell it. Then he was selling drugs on the street, but he wanted to be the kingpin, not a street dealer.

When I asked her why she stayed with him, she told me it was a slow, mindbending process. "He found out that you and I were divorced and he called me. I remembered how he acted in high school, so I tried to ignore him, but he kept calling and stopping by, bringing things like flowers and chocolate and eventually broke me down. His personality was nothing like school. He was charming, personable, and acted like he had money, but I eventually found out it was all an act. He was fine until we got married: then he changed.

"When did he hit you the first time?"

"How did you know about that?"

"The police told me after I told them I thought it might be him who forged my name. They showed me his rap sheet and the domestic violence stuff was there. Why didn't you press charges?"

"I was afraid to and at the same time afraid not to. Everything I've ever read about domestic abuse said that it rarely ends until the woman is seriously injured or dead; either from the beatings before she prosecutes or after, but she often ends up dead."

"Not all the time."

"No. Not all the time. Sometimes she can run away and not get caught, but I was too afraid of him to try." She paused. "So you don't know for sure if it was him who signed your name?"

"No, I don't, but they'll find out. What jail is he in?"

"San Antonio. His trial is next month on the drug smuggling charge. They wouldn't let him out on bail because of his record."

"I'm going to tell the local police where he is."

"Go ahead. Tell them about Gordo's wife as well."

I didn't see her for the next three days because Cheryl and I went to dinner all three evenings. They were not fun evenings, per se. We tried having sex the first night, but I was the worst possible bed partner. Neither my heart nor mind were "with it". She, of course, knew that I was divorced, but not the circumstances, until I told her during those three days.

I didn't know if I should tell the kids about their mother just in case she took off for the hills before they got home; so I didn't.

The first night they were home and two days before they were to leave for Disneyworld, the three of us had dinner together and I told them their mother was back. They seemed excited.

"Is Jimmy with her?" Audrey asked.

"No."

"When can we see her?" asked Steve.

"Maybe tomorrow. I'll see if she would like to have dinner with us." They thought that would be a good idea and wanted me to call her then and there. I didn't know if she had a phone so I called her father. She was there. "The kids and I were wondering if you would like to have dinner with us tomorrow." I heard her "yes" through her sobs. The kids spent the rest of the evening cleaning their rooms. They wanted them clean so they could show her.

Dinner was a bit strained at first, but the three of them were so excited to see each other that it didn't last long. After about fifteen minutes, I was chopped liver. The three of them talked and played until way past the kids' bedtimes.

When it was time for CC to leave, I walked her out to her mother's car. She had borrowed it for the evening.

The next day the kids left for Disneyworld and Cheryl and I had a date. Dinner at my house, then a shared shower. Showering with her was a long, slow process. Every touch caused tingling, every stroke was sensual and warm. I loved her body. Every inch of it seemed to want my fingers moving on it. I loved feeling our soaped bodies rubbing against each other as I reached around her and ran my hands down her back and over her hips, massaging and rubbing as I went. Later, in bed, we allowed ourselves to succumb to the feelings of lust and passion; something that never got old.

The kids were gone for week. When they returned, it was almost time for school to start. I hadn't spent much time with them that summer and wanted the last couple of weeks before school started to be mostly just the three of us. It didn't turn out quite that way, however. CC kept coming over and I kept allowing it.

After several days of it, I found myself looking forward to her visits. It had been days since Cheryl and I had talked.

The plan was that after school started, either my mother or step-mother would be at the house when the kids got home in the afternoons. They would stay until I got home almost two hours later. It was a situation which had worked well in the past. I was surprised when CC asked if it would be okay if that became her responsibility.

"Wouldn't your time be better spent getting a job and getting your life back in order?" I asked.

"I have a job. It's with my old company. It's only part time to start, so I'll have time to be here for them."

"They hired you back?"

"Yes. I talked to my old boss and explained what happened. Something similar happened to his daughter so he took mercy on me."

"I don't know if it's a good idea. I'll have to think about it."

School starting was just a few days away so I was going to have to decide. I invited my mother and step-mother over the next evening. After the kids went to bed, I broached the subject.

My mother immediately said that it was a good idea. Tina took a bit more time, but her answer was the same. They both had a caveat, however. That one of them would be there as well, just in case something happened; at least until we all felt we could trust her.

"Something happening, like what?" I asked.

"Oh, I don't know." Said my mother. "Maybe something like Jimmy showing up and causing trouble." She paused. "At any rate, as long as she behaves herself, you can't keep her from her children."

"What if she decided to take off with them again?"

"From what you said, she doesn't have the wherewithal to do that. No money. No car. Does she even have a phone?"

"She does now. Her parents bought her one."

"Do you think her parents would help her take the kids and run away?"