Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 03

Ray had just finished drying himself from his shower when the telephone rang. It was Vincent's secretary calling to confirm his appointment later that morning. Ray was tempted to change or even cancel it, but he decided to go ahead and meet with him even if they just talked. He still felt a mild sense of uneasiness about Karen's ability to follow through with her promises. Vincent was a longtime friend and he could depend upon his guidance.

Gathering up his papers from the safe, he drove to Vincent's office and waited until he came out to greet him. After the usual social preliminaries, Ray broached the subject and watched as Vincent's face registered shock as the story unfolded.

While he went through the details of the last few months, he found he was convincing himself that he was barking up the wrong tree. He had almost decided not to go through with it but Vincent's questions showed his concern as Ray's story developed.

Vincent suggested that he prepare a formal separation agreement and divorce papers. He also suggested that he should prepare a restraining order to be filed at a later date.

"She sounds like she's really got herself in over her head," Vincent said. "If she changes the way she has promised you she will, then we can just destroy the papers. She will never know that they were even prepared. However, if you find evidence of real infidelity then we will be ready to serve her. I suggest we include marriage counseling as an option before we proceed with any divorce action.

Ray left the lawyer's office with more sadness than satisfaction. He realized that he was preparing to take some irrevocable steps that would forever change his marriage, his family, and his life. Much to Ray's surprise there was a message from Karen on his voice mail when he got back home. She called again a few hours later to tell him that she would be late getting home and did he want her to pick something up for dinner.

It was after seven o'clock before she called to let him know she was on the way home with some Japanese food. While they ate, she chattered away about her day as if he was completely convinced that everything was OK and that they had no issues. No mention was made of her upcoming trip until they were cleaning up the kitchen after they ate when she broached the subject.

"My flight leaves tomorrow afternoon at four o'clock from Savannah and with the time change we will get there around dinnertime. Adele and Marti are going to pick me up tomorrow morning so I don't have to worry about my car. I know this trip is bothering you but it is something I have to do and want to do. Please try to understand and don't let me go away while you're still mad at me."

Ray had already made up his mind that there was nothing that he could do about it. He was just going to wait and hope that she would remember that she had a husband and a family waiting for her.

Ray took another pain pill and fell asleep while watching television.

Karen woke him up, "Are you coming up to bed, honey?"

"Yes," he mumbled sleepily and followed her upstairs. He noticed that her bag was already packed and a clothing bag was hanging on the hall closet door.

Ray was already asleep when Karen came out of the bathroom so she pulled the covers up over his chest and kissed him on the cheek.

"I love you," she whispered and rolled over to go to sleep

Chapter 42

Karen was up and around well before her usual time. The sound of the shower running woke Ray and he could smell the coffee perking. After getting the morning paper, he poured himself a cup and was getting ready to pour one for Karen when she came down the stairs already dressed for work.

"Marti is picking me up at seven o'clock and I don't want to be late," she said.

Just as she joined Ray at the table, the telephone rang and it was Melody calling from Paris. They talked with her for about 15 minutes in a three-way conversation. She was having a wonderful time and missed everybody but she would not have missed this trip for the world.

Ray noticed that she cautiously asked how everything was at home. She asked about Brian and laughed when he told her that they had only heard from him that one time. By the time they finished their conversation, Karen's ride was waiting in the driveway, and Ray helped her carry her bags to the car.

A quick introduction to Marti was followed by a brief kiss before she climbed into the car and was on her way. Ray spent the rest of the day puttering around the house at loose ends with himself.

He was dozing in the chair on the patio when the telephone woke him up. By the time he got there the voice mail had picked up. The message was from Karen telling him that she was at the airport ready to board her flight and she would call him later that evening.

When she had not called by seven o'clock he decided he was not going to wait around and changing his clothes he drove down to the bowling lanes. The winter leagues were finished and the summer leagues had not yet started so the place was almost empty. He rolled a few games but found that it made his arm ache. He settled for watching some of his friends bowl and after drinking a few beers, he headed back home.

He found that as long as he kept himself busy he was not worried about what she was doing. After fixing himself a snack, he settled down to watch television when the telephone rang again.

It was Karen giving him her room number and telling him that they had just returned from dinner. He could hear several people talking in the background and when he asked her where she was, she told him she was in her room with three other women.

They had talked her into changing clothes so she could join them down at the casino. With voices in the background urging her to hurry, she told him she would talk to him sometime on Saturday.

Chapter 43

Ray was up early on Saturday morning so he decided to treat himself to a restaurant breakfast. He went to a diner and enjoyed a leisurely meal before returning home to his empty house.

He was drying himself off after a shower when the telephone rang and it was Donna on the other end. Ray was suspicious of her motives for calling him so soon after Karen had left. She asked him how he was doing and he gave her a noncommittal response.

In return, he asked her about Mike but she sidestepped the question by telling him to hold on for a moment. When she came back, she never answered his question. After a little more chitchat, she suggested that since they were bachelors they should get together for dinner one evening. Ray did not agree to any special day but said he would think about it.

He had no sooner hung up than it rang again. Hoping to hear Karen's voice, he was surprised when Brian's voice came into his ear. Brian admitted that the counselors insisted that each of the campers phone their parents to let them know how they were doing.

According to Brian, everything was going great. They played baseball all day and watched and talked about baseball movies from dinner until they went to bed. He was learning a lot and was really happy that Ray had allowed him to go to the camp. Ray kept waiting for him to ask about his mother but he never did.

Just before they hung up Ray told him that Karen had left for Las Vegas and that she had left a message that she loved him too.

"Thanks dad, I love you too," he said and hung up without mentioning his mother.

Karen finally did call him a little after ten o'clock that evening. She sounded excited and he could again hear voices in the background. She told him they had come up to her room to use the bathroom since they did not like to use the public bathrooms in the casino. She told him they were going back down for another couple of hours before it was time to go to bed.

"It's only about seven o'clock there, isn't it?" he asked.

"Yes, but we have to get up early. Our classes start early tomorrow. Don't worry about me. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Love you, bye."

Ray stood there with the phone in his hand wondering how his marriage was ever going to survive. Shaking his head, he replaced the receiver and turning out the lights, he lay in bed trying to make sense out of something that did not make sense to him.

She did not call again until around three on Sunday afternoon. The introductory classes had started at nine, their time, and they had just broken for lunch. She was having a great time and was really excited about the course and everything that she could learn from it. The girl who was supposed to share her room had an emergency and had to leave so she ended up in a room all to herself.

Their schedule was that they would have classes in the morning and then they were expected to dress for a business formal luncheon. Hostesses would teach them table manners and conversational etiquette. It was a small class with only eleven women in it and they would have consultations with beauty and fashion specialists. After lunch, there were spa and beauty treatments scheduled but their evenings were free.

He listened to her excited voice as she described her upcoming week. He was happy to hear that she was enjoying herself but in the back of his mind was that nagging doubt that she could always be in control of her emotions.

"I'm glad you're having a good time but it's those free evenings that I worry about," he said in a kidding voice.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line before her angry voice sputtered in his ear.

"I'm sorry that I gave you reason not to trust me but I'm trying and I need your support. That was a nasty thing to say and I don't appreciate it!"

"I'm sorry," he responded. "I was just kidding."

"You may have been kidding, but you were thinking it. I have to go now. I'll call you tonight."

Hanging up the phone, he knew he should not have made that comment but it came out of his mouth before he could stop it. There was nothing he could do about it now and he was not about to sit around the house all day waiting for her to call. He took his video camera and spent the day taking videos of some of the area's architecture for his fall classes.

True to her promise, she called him about ten o'clock that evening. She made no mention of her little flare up during her previous phone call. Her voice was tired but she did not sound as if she had been drinking and Ray was not going to broach the subject.

She excitedly told him about her first beauty consultation that afternoon followed by her spa session.

"I don't think I've ever felt more pampered in my life," she gushed. "I feel like a queen and the most beautiful woman in the world."

"Where did you go to dinner?" Ray asked.

"Oh, we just went to the buffet in the hotel," she answered. "There are four of us that hang around together."

"Anybody I know?"

"Just Adele," she answered. "The other two are from other companies.

"Are there any men in the class?" he asked.

"No, there are no men here," she said sarcastically.

"Just asking," he responded.

"I'll probably not be able to call you until our lunch break tomorrow. With the time change and everything it's hard to figure out a time when I can call."

Ray was happy to hear that Adele was with her. He felt that she was a stabilizing influence on her and, in fact, he had considered talking to her about Karen. He was glad that he had not because if Karen found out it would have just made things worse.

It was almost noon by the time Karen called on Tuesday. She was just getting ready to go into another spa session and she had an appointment later in the day to have her hair done.

"I'm not going to know you when you get back home," Ray laughed.

"Maybe not," she giggled. "I'll be your whole new woman."

"I hope not," he said. "I have enough trouble handling the old one."

"Who knows? Maybe you will like the new one better."

"Maybe so," he answered.

Ray was already asleep when the telephone woke him on Wednesday night. He had puttered around the house all day and finally gave up waiting for her call and went to bed after falling asleep in his chair. He almost called her but he did not want her to feel that he was checking up on her.

"Did I wake you up?" she asked.

"Yes, what time is it?"

"It's about ten o'clock here," she answered.

"Where are you?"

"I'm back in my room." - "Are you going to bed now?"

"No I'm changing to go out with the girls."

"At this time of night?" he said with wonder in his voice.

"Yes, today was the last day of the class and we had our final beauty treatment and spa session."

"I see," he said quietly.

"Practically the entire class is going out to one of the clubs to celebrate."

"Well, congratulations on your graduation. I hope you have a great time. Call me tomorrow if you get a chance. Goodnight."

Ray heard her voice saying something as he hung up the telephone but he did not lift it back to his ear. She sounded OK but he wondered if she could get through an evening and a nightclub.

"Not much I can do about it now," he said in the darkness. "I just hope it works out."

Chapter 44

There was no call from Karen all day Thursday and Thursday night. Ray waited until ten on Friday morning before he tried her room. She answered after about six or seven rings just before he was ready to give up.

"Good morning!" he said in as cheerful a voice as he could muster.

"What time is it?" her sleepy voice came back to him.

"Well, it's ten here. It sounds like it's still the middle of the night there."

"I didn't get in until almost three o'clock this morning."

"You didn't call me all day long and I was worried. Did you have a good time?"

"I'm sorry. By the time I got to a phone, it was too late to call you. We had a great time, we acted like a bunch of high school cheerleaders on graduation day."

"Isn't that when most high school girls lose their virginity?"

"Probably, but there were no virgins in our group that I know of. If there were, they were not virgins this morning."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"Well, we started out with nine and when I got back to the hotel there were only three of us left."

"You mean they all hooked up with somebody?"

"I guess so. Well, aren't you going to ask me?"

"Ask you what?"

"If I hooked up with anybody?"

"No. You're a big girl and I'm no longer sure that I want to know everything that you do."

"Except for a glass of champagne at the graduation luncheon I haven't had anything to drink since I got here. I told you I was going to be a good girl and I have been."

"I never said you weren't," he stated. "I'm trying to learn to trust you and I can show that trust by not asking questions."

"I'm sorry but I've got to go. I have to get up and get dressed. I'm meeting some of the girls for lunch and a shopping trip. I'll call you later"

Karen's promise of a call never came and by late Friday evening, he was seething with anger. He was no longer worried about her but he just wanted to find out where she was. Using his cell phone he called her room every half hour from about ten o'clock until he finally fell asleep at about one.

He woke up at about seven on Saturday morning and tried again but there was still no answer. Exasperated, he again tried her cell phone and when someone answered her phone in the middle of the fourth ring, he heard her voice, in the background, saying, "I told you not to answer that," followed by what sounded like a man's laugh.

Before he could say anything, the call was disconnected. Ray punched redial but it went right to her voice mail indicating that the phone was turned off.

He busied himself with breakfast and tidying up the house and he was still sitting around in his boxers when the doorbell rang at noon. Peering out of the window he saw Donna standing there dressed in shorts and a crop top. Asking her to wait a minute he ran upstairs and pulled on a pair of shorts.

"Well, good morning to you," she said as she walked into the house.

"What brings you here?"

"I was hoping to take you to lunch, but it doesn't look like you've gotten out of bed yet. If you want, we can have lunch in bed. You look good enough to eat. What do you say?"

"C'mon, Donna. Stop it, please?"

"Why? Both of our spouses have deserted us. If they are out doing their thing, why can't we do our thing here and have a good time?"

"We don't have a thing, Donna."

"I know, but we can. Have you heard from Karen?" she asked.

"I talked to her this morning," he lied.

"Did she tell you what a great time she had last night?"

"She told me she went out with the girls from the class. Why?

"So I heard."

"What? How? Do you have a spy down there?"

"Sort of, but he doesn't know he's a spy."

"What you mean he doesn't know he's a spy?"

"He thinks I am just interested in how the class is going."

Donna had followed Ray out onto the patio during their conversation. He offered her a cup of coffee or a drink and she asked if he had a bloody Mary available.

"Nope, no bloody Mary but I can give you a glass of wine. I think we have some around here."

"Coffee is fine, thank you."

"So, anybody I know?"

"I think you've met," she said with a laugh.

"Who is it?"

"Why, didn't you know? Your old friend, Montrell is in Vegas too."

"What's he doing there?" he said in more an angry than a surprised voice.

"He teaches the software portion of the course. Didn't she tell you that?" she said with a smug smile on her face.

Ray did not say anything for a few seconds. He did not know if Karen knew in advance that Montrell was going to be there and did not say anything or if she just did not know it. He felt his anger rising especially since he was not able to get in touch with her last night.

"My, my," she laughed. "I struck a nerve didn't I?"

"No, she didn't tell me. She probably didn't know."

"You know, some people think you're a hero after what you did to him at the party. A lot, me included, think he's a real asshole."

"I lost my temper after what I saw him doing with Karen. Any husband would have done the same thing."

"You do know what Montrell means don't you?"

"What it means? No, I don't. What does it mean?"

"It means mountain in Spanish. You are the 'King of the mountain'."

"Oh, come on. It wasn't that bad," he said modestly.

"Bullshit! You scared the shit out of him."

"Actually, when I looked back at it from my hospital bed I realized that I would have killed him if he hadn't grabbed that shovel."

Donna absentmindedly stirred her coffee then took a sip. Holding it up to her lips with both hands, she stared at Ray over the rim of her cup.

"Mike's gone, you know," she said quietly.

"What do you mean, gone?" he asked.

"Well, not gone actually, he's in a rehab."

"Rehab? What kind of a rehab?"

"It's for drugs and alcohol. He's addicted to cocaine."

"I didn't know that!"

"Not many people do. It all came to a head at the Cinco de Mayo party."

"So that's why no one has been in contact with him. Is he all right?"

"He's fine, but that's not why I came over here. I've got a question to ask you and I want you to give me an honest answer."

Ray felt himself tense up for a second. He had no idea what the question was but for some reason he felt it was about Karen.

"OK."

"Do you have any reason to suspect that Karen and Mike slept together?"

Ray's mind immediately flashed back to the two incidents where he had caught them in what he considered to be a compromising situation. He had pushed them to the back of his mind after Karen's explanation of what happened. Donna's question triggered the memories.

"Not to my knowledge," he replied. "But there were several instances where I suspected that they were more than just business friendly. If you know what I mean?"