Just Once, If You Don't Mind Ending

An Ending

As reguested by Kalimaxos an ending to his story, 'Just One...if You Don't Mind' published on April 18, 2021

As he requested I wanted to write an ending to Kalimaxos' story. But I wanted to do it without changing facts or even assuming facts that aren't included in his story. I also wanted to try to write the ending I thought he would write, but I'm not sure I was successful. It may have been more of how I would have liked to see it end.

This story will make very little sense if you don't read his first, because my story begins exactly when and where his ended.

"So Rick? What do we do?"

I sighed sluggishly and folded the letter back up and placed back it in it's envelop. I tried to hand it back to Leslie who was giving me a look that was equal parts hopeful and lustful.

"It's your letter Rick, not mine."

I immediately and unceremoniously dropped it onto the kitchen table and met her heavy lidded gaze. She had barely started on her 2^nd glass of wine, so I knew it wasn't the Moscato making her eyelids weighty.

The letter probably weighed only an ounce or so, but it seemed like more than a ton. After all it contained the entire accumulated substance of our more than 20 years together. Marcy had succinctly boiled every meaningful or noteworthy event in our history, our wedding, two grown and successful children, every trial and travail, every dream and hope for us and our family, down to saying 'either take me back or don't.'

Although I didn't agree with their choices and lifestyle, what Vincent and Leslie are and do seems more honorable than what Marcy had just done to me. I was so angry that I was shaking inside. I am not a screamer so some may interpret that as being calm. In combat many appear calm, including myself, although we are not. But when you are responsible for other men's lives, you don't have the luxury of losing control.

I stood and re-corked the wine, grabbed both our glasses and dumped the remaining wine into the sink and returned to my chair. "Leslie, right now for me, you and I is not going to be a good thing. I need to process this information further and I just can't do it right now. I would like to, if your and Vincent's offer is still open, have dinner with you and talk this over more sometime soon. I would like you to answer a few brief questions now though if you are willing.

She just nodded her head slowly never taking her eyes off me. I had slipped into my combat command mode and it was making her very uncomfortable.

"Have you talked with or communicated in anyway with Marcy since she left on her trip a couple of days ago?"

"No." Shaking her head slowly.

"Are you supposed to contact her to review the results of this meeting with her."

"Yes." Nodding her head cautiously.

"How is that supposed to happen?"

"Email."

"Can I ask you to hold off on doing that? I know we don't know each other very well and you don't owe me anything, but I am the kind of guy that needs time to process things before making decisions of this nature and I'm afraid the anger I am feeling right now will boil over if I don't get some time. I don't want to have to react to contact from her and say things that I couldn't take back." I was becoming emotional and it was making me angry. Get your shit together Rick. "So I'm asking you for this favor. Please don't contact her or even respond to any contact from her in any way. I'm only asking for about a week so I can calm down."

"Sure Rick, I can do that. Our plans weren't really that time sensitive anyway."

"Tell me Les did you guys talk at all about how she expected me to react to this letter?"

"A little bit, but remember I thought she was going to talk with you before she left. She did understand that you would be angry but would ultimately take advantage of her offer to be with me. She thought over time you would process it and the two of you would go on with your lives."

"Whose idea was the Muscato Les?"

"It was hers. She said it was the favorite wine for the two of you to drink on the back patio after a long day. She said it is one of her favorite times in her marriage. It's when she feels closet to you."

She had just confirmed for me that the two of them had planned this in great detail. It wasn't a spur of the moment decision. Marcy had coldly and calculatedly made a plan. One that could end our marriage, and it pissed me off that I hadn't seen it coming. I needed to think.

I stood up in the universal sign for 'this meeting is over' and handed her bottle of wine back. "Thanks for stopping by Leslie. I'm serious about the dinner request. We can go somewhere if you guys prefer and I'll buy, just give me a week or so?"

"Absolutely Rick. I hope I haven't offended you and, well, you don't seem the type to speak out on private matters, but please keep Vincent and my lifestyle to yourself?

"Of course Leslie. And please don't think I'm passing judgment. If my marriage wasn't on the line here I would be curious about learning more abut your lifestyle. Maybe someday.

"Good night Les," and I showed her out the door. It wasn't until then I realized I was calling her by the familiar shortened version of her proper name. It was probably because at this moment I felt more comfortable with her than my own wife. I wondered if I could trust her and the answer was probably yes, because she still definitely wanted to have sex with me. But, at the end of the day it really didn't matter if she remained silent. It only mattered what I did and I had about six weeks to figure that out.

I was suddenly old and very tired and needed to go to bed. I left the letter where it lay. In fact I didn't touch it for over three weeks. It just stayed there as if it were radioactive. Or maybe I was just afraid that I would just have to accept what it really stood for?

My life quickly returned to normal. Go to work, come home, eat, and go to bed. I never heard anymore from Marcy. Nor did I hear from the kids. That wasn't really unusual because we raised them to be independent, to be able to stand on their own. But I was a little surprised that Marcy hadn't asked them to check in on me? I guess she really wanted her hall pass to be outside of our marriage.

I did have dinner with the Nielsons. Vincent made good on his offer to BBQ and we had an enjoyable evening. Early on we mostly made small talk about various inane subjects although I did ask them a couple of general questions about their lifestyle we pretty much left that topic alone. I did ask Leslie when we were alone for a moment if she had heard from Marcy and she said she had not. I believed her.

But, I could tell that Vincent was a little uncomfortable. So after dinner as we were sitting outside with a drink I was going to ask him straight out about his discomfort but he beat me to it.

"Rick, I want to tell you that I am uncomfortable with Leslie sleeping with you and I want to revoke my permission for that to happen." That got both Leslie's and my attention. He motioned for us to relax; it was obvious that he hadn't spoken with Leslie about this beforehand.

"Don't get upset Rick, she told me up front about her desire to be with you and I know you are aware of our lifestyle and have no issues with that. Leslie told me about your conversation the other night and to be honest I was more than a little upset at Marcy for the way it was handled. It might seem to you that our lifestyle is perverted or at least abnormal, but we have specific rules and those have to be followed to the letter. And rule number one is no cheating or sneaking around behind your partner's back. I just feel that Marcy violated that rule. Remember I had no idea that she was leaving you for an extended period of time so I want to make it clear to both of you that I will consider any sexual contact between the two of you as cheating." He looked carefully at both of us. Leslie looked disappointed but nodded her head vigorously in acknowledgment.

I was beginning to like Mr. Vincent Nielson.

"I'm very relieved and grateful to have you say that Vinnie. I was trying to figure out a way to tell the both of you the same thing without hurting feelings. As I told your wife, someday I would like to talk about more your lifestyle. I admit to some idle fascination with it."

After that we all had a very delightful time that lasted well into the night. I was grateful I didn't have to drive anywhere, because I had way too much to drink. As I was leaving their house I got a firm handshake from Vinnie and a light kiss on the cheek from Leslie. They both offered to help me in anyway they could. The truth is though, I never saw either of them again.

Being alone for an extended time period did give me more appreciation for what I had put Marcy through for all those years when I was deployed. I now had to make all the decisions, pay all the bills, and the other myriad of things associated with day to day life. And unlike me, she had to handle everything with the kids. It must have been overwhelming at times for her. And, she was right, I never really expressed my appreciation for what she did. Hell, I didn't appreciate her enough and that might be one reason she was doing what she was.

I found it hard to take a morally superior position with her on this, but my one fling cut short many years ago hardly matched up with what she was doing. On the other hand did I want to throw 24 hard fought for good years of marriage away over this?

Before I knew it, over three weeks had passed and I was no closer to understanding what happened, never mind making a decision. As the days passed, my anxiety increased because the day of decision was coming. Either take me back or walk away. Those words kept repeating themselves over and over in my mind day and night.

Finally one evening I decided to re-read Marcy's letter. It was still on the kitchen table exactly as I had left it what seemed like an eternity a go. I filled a tumbler with ice cubes and poured my Glen Livet Code in it to the brim. It was going to be an emotional night.

I picked up the envelope and went into the den, settled into my chair, and took the letter out and read through it again. I had to refill my glass once because I went over it several times. I was glad I had let time pass before reacting to it. When I first read it I was just angry and missed so much meaning in its content. When I finished my second glass of scotch I knew what I had to do. That night I slept peacefully for the first time since Marcy left. I was like that once I made a decision. It drove my fellow chopper pilots crazy that I could sleep so soundly just before going into combat. I told them that after you made all your plans and accounted for every contingency there was no point in worrying. Fate becomes the hunter from that point on.

I hadn't had any contact whatsoever from Marcy after the phone call I made to her and caught her in Dr. Cardosa's room.

On the day Marcy's plane was due to land I verified her arrival time and headed to the airport so I could be there as she walked out. That's right, the airport. Either take me back or walk away wasn't happening. Sitting next to me in the passenger seat was Penny Washington's husband, Josh. I'm not sure he believed me when I relayed to him what Penny had told me but I let him read Marcy's letter in my SUV on the way to the airport and I could tell he was becoming more agitated by the minute. His doubts were slipping away especially since he had received a text from Penny before the plane took off to not worry about picking her up because Marcy was going to give her a ride home. How was she going to do that if she was supposed to be at the Ambassador hotel? Maybe her boy toy made other arrangements?

The forty minute drive was made mostly in silence. I had reviewed my plans and made the appropriate arrangements. By the time we arrived at the airport I was really worried about Josh and I reminded him to be cool. There was still a chance for his marriage.

One of the other things I had done was to call the spouse of every person I knew on Marcy's team, give them the information I had, and told them what time the plane was getting in. I found it interesting that not one of them was scheduled to pick their spouse up at the airport. Whatever they did with that information was up to them. I had my own business to attend to.

Josh and I were standing outside the baggage area for only about 5 minutes when I saw Marcy and her team exiting the building. It couldn't have gone any better in my dreams.

Because no one was expecting anyone there to pick them up they were all very comfortable with each other. I spied Marcy first. Dr. Cardosa had his arm drapped over her shoulder and resting comfortably on her left breast. He was lightly caressing her nipple with his thumb and they were kissing and laughing together. The seemed very happy and I guess on some level they should be. The work they did was important and it wasn't without personal risk. It was a long grueling six weeks and now it was back to their regular mundane worlds.

At that moment I felt Josh brush passed my shoulder as he sprinted towards the door. I noticed Penny locked in an embrace and kissing her boy toy passionately. This wasn't going to be good, but I returned my focus to Marcy. At that moment she saw Josh flying by her and looked in my direction as I was approaching her and Dr. fuckface. The color drained from her face and she stopped walking, looking at me with her mouth open.

I had given the signal and at that moment my process server stepped in front of her and said, "Are you Mrs. Mary Weston? When she applied in the affirmative, he continued. "You've been served." And he walked away.

She started to cry but she was also very angry. By this time her boyfriend realized what was happening but he was too shocked to respond. I said to Marcy, "You really expected me to just take you back or walk away? Our 24 year marriage meant so little to you?"

Admittedly it caught me off guard, but without a word she slapped me across the face as hard as she could. "You bastard, you've ruined everything. Why couldn't you have done what I said? You had to act like a juvenile."

And she wound up to strike me again, when I grabbed her arm. That was the moment I had been waiting for. It is when Dr. Boy Toy made his mistake. He grabbed my arm that was keeping Marcy from striking me and tried to turn me around. He only got out "Listen Rick..." and he was lying on the ground with his nose exploding blood all over his face and the ground. Marcy screamed and cried then knelt down to give him aid.

I leaned down and whispered to him, "Listen Dr. dipshit if you get up I will knock you down again. If I ever so much as see your slimy face again I will end your surgical career. Do you understand me? Answer me fuckwad!"

"Yes, yes I understand." It wasn't easy for him to speak what with him spitting up blood and teeth.

Marcy was sobbing and starting to hyperventilate. Shooting daggers at me with her eyes she screeched, "Are you happy now?"

I became aware of the commotion all around us but assumed it had to do with me laying out Dr. Cardosa, but as I looked around I noticed Penny screaming and trying to pull Josh off of her boy toy. Josh had him by the head with both hands grabbing handfuls of hair. He was banging the already unconscious man's head viciously on the concrete saying something unintelligible. But that wasn't the only thing going on. There were people running everywhere, sirens were blaring. I noticed fists flying, hair pulling, screaming and everything else you could think of going on around us. Nobody was even paying any mind to our little three person drama. Apparently many of the people I called had showed up and they weren't happy. Most of Marcy's nurses were younger and had children at home. It wasn't pretty. I guess I was the only one whose wife set him up with a woman prior to leaving.

I looked back down at Marcy smiled and said, "Yeah I'm happy." And I started to walk away.

She flopped her butt on the ground and through her tears asked me, "What am I going to do now?"

"Well you have a room at the Ambassador, I suggest you use it." I didn't bother waiting for Josh because I knew he wouldn't need a ride. He might have killed his wife's paramour. He was in deep shit as dozens of police officers were arriving from every direction.

I turned back to Marcy. "Another thing, I haven't contacted Kyle or Mary to give them any heads-up. I will give you 48 hours to do so. If you haven't spoken to them in that time period I will call them and let them know what is going on. If I hear from them first and the initial words out of their mouths isn't something like, "Gee Dad I know Mom cheated but..." I will go off. Are we clear?" She just nodded her head in between tears.

I did hear from both kids two days later and I couldn't have been prouder of them. Mary called first and said, "Dad I'm sorry. Mom told me what she did, but as I see it that is between you and her. I am not going to get involved beyond saying that I love you both and hope that you can work out whatever is the best solution for each of you."

Kyle's call went essentially the same except he added that there was a news report about a major disturbance in Terminal 7 a couple of days ago and that extra police were needed to quell it. You didn't have anything to do with that, did you?"

"Good by Kyle." I hung up the phone smiling.

Our divorce was final 4 months later. We split everything 50-50, sold the house, and left each other's retirements alone. Marcy didn't contest it, but wanted a last meeting before she signed the final papers. I refused, and told my attorney I had nothing to say to her, and I had no interest in hearing what she had to say. Either sign the papers or don't.

Two months later I got a transfer to the west coast through my company. I wanted to get as far away from home as possible and leave my past behind me.

Over time I began to regret my actions that day at the airport more and more. The smart thing would have been to just have Marcy served at the hotel and then get on with my life, but I just couldn't get passed the disrespect Marcy had shown me and our marriage by her actions and especially in her letter. Of all the things she did and said the one thing that upset me most was in her letter when she said don't make a scene. She knew what my response was going to be. She knew her marriage was over the day she left but she went anyway.

I kept in touch about current events back home mostly through Kyle, but also from some friends I had at work. I didn't push anybody to give me information but I didn't stop them from telling me either.

I figured that Marcy would marry Dr. Numbnuts after our divorce was final but that didn't happen. In fact he broke it off with Marcy the same week they got back from South America. I never knew if it was because of what I said to him or he just got tired of being with an older woman. Last I heard someone said he married a 20 year old Candy Striper.

Marcy went back to work at the same hospital and as far as I know was as competent a surgical team leader as she always was. Kyle once told me she dated some but it was nothing serious and much like me had just thrown herself into her work.

The final scorecard from what went down that day, in what has become known in local yore as "The massacre in Terminal 7" is pretty lengthy.

There were 6 divorces, 3 jail sentences, 4 lawsuits, and an assortment of misdemeanor tickets issued. There were also hospital bills for broken bones, cuts and contusions, black eyes, a few stitches and other sundry injuries.