Lying Eyes

I guess that he doesn't realize that living in his ground floor efficiency unit and eating pork and beans and tuna wasn't going to be enough for me. I did him a favor actually because we'd have simply grown to resent each other. Even if Todd had enough money to take care of me in the style I deserve, there would have been questions about us being together. Todd is a great boyfriend, but he simply isn't husband material. Danford is a very classy man. The emphasis is on both the classy part and the man.

Todd is more of a wild boy. Again the emphasis is on both the wild part and the boy part. Danford is better for my future and for my long range plans. Todd is great for short term satisfaction and to keep me from becoming too bored, while Danford secures that future. They both have their places and their functions.

Surprisingly, neither of them is really better at sex. Sure Todd is younger and can keep it up longer. But it's a brutal type of thing where he just pounds me like he really doesn't give a fuck about me at all. Sometimes I guess I crave that pure animalistic coupling frenzy. But when I want to be caressed and stroked and kissed and made love to, Danford is the best. He lifts me to higher places than Todd could ever dream of.

Todd finally came back on the line. "Yeah sorry babe," he said. "I really can't get together with you tonight. It's just not in the cards. Try me again tomorrow. By then..."

I hung up on him. I was pissed at him beyond my ability to convey it. Why the fuck was I waiting around for that loser when I was married to a man who'd move mountains to make me happy?

* * * * * *

Todd

"Why the fuck are you talking to that bitch again?" Eliza screamed at me. "Didn't you fuck her enough in college?"

"We were just talking babe," I said. "Besides, don't act like you're new at this. You know that if we're going to get enough money to get out of this hell hole, I'm probably going to need to stay on good terms with her."

"I don't mind you staying on good terms with Miss Moneybags," said Eliza. "But you'd better not be fucking her."

"Liz, the only person I'm interested in fucking is you babe," I told her. "Calm down, we've been through a lot of crap together. This is all about us. I just have to do whatever it takes to secure our future. Honey, this is all about survival. If we're going to make it, if we're going to have the kind of lifestyle that we want, we're going to have to get down and get dirty. We're both going to have to put up with and do some things that we don't like. But in the end, we're going to win. So, while I may not personally like Constance; I actually think she's a spoiled little bitch and she always was. But if I have to put up with her to get what we need, I will. If she's the one standing between me and the goal posts, I'll go through her for us."

Eliza looked at me suspiciously. "Why do all of your little pep talks sound like you're still playing football?" she asked. "Just make sure you keep your dick away from her goal post."

As she turned to walk away, my phone rang again. I answered it.

"What do you want Todd?" asked a voice.

It was Ernie Marinelli. My blood went cold listening to his voice. I'd been trying to get to talk to him for weeks. This man could make or break my future.

"Todd, I ain't got all fucking day. Say something," he spat.

"Uhm Mr. Marinelli, I want to set up a buy," I said. He laughed into the phone.

"Todd, we don't work with people on your level," he spat again. "Actually, the people we work with don't work with people on your level. All of that nickel and dime shit is childish. There's too much risk for too small a reward."

"But I'm looking to raise my level sir," I said.

"Look Todd, the minimum order I can take is fifty K," he said. "And you don't have that..."

"Okay, I want fifty," I said.

"Todd, that's a lot of merchandise," he said slowly. "Your take, after disbursement, would be almost four times that amount."

"And I'll double the next order," said Todd.

"Let me check on my inventory and make arrangements for delivery," he said. "I'll get back to you. And Todd, if this deal doesn't go through, if you're just yanking my chain..."

"I'm not," I said seriously.

"It would be the ending of the saga of Todd," he said, then the phone disconnected.

Oh boy was I in trouble. I'd been sure that his minimum was going to be twenty grand. Fifty thousand dollars was more than twice what I had coming in through loans from other small time dealers and everything I'd been able to save myself. I needed to come up with thirty thousand dollars quickly. I was sure that it would take between two and three days for Marinelli to put everything together. Even if it didn't, I could stall for that long. Where the fuck would I get the rest of the cash?

Then it hit me. Constance could probably pull thirty grand out of her fancy underwear budget and not even think about it.

* * * * * *

Danford Richards

I tried not to let these things get to me but this time I was unsuccessful. I was in my office staring into the screen in front of me. My next meeting was two hours away and I was perplexed. I thought I heard a soft knocking on my door but I couldn't be sure. Besides what I was looking at was a matter of life and death.

"So now I know what the third richest man in Texas does all day," said a soft voice behind me. I turned and almost dropped my controller, I was so surprised.

"Jo Anne, right?" I said. "Uhm, I'm between meetings," I smiled.

"You're playing a video game," she said smiling.

"It's uhm, Skyrim," I said. "I'm trying to figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do at this party."

"Oh okay," she said dubiously.

"It's a party at the Thalmor Embassy," I said trying to explain.

"Uhm, it's still a video game," she smirked.

"But it's Skyrim," I said. "So how are you doing today?"

"Well, I was depressed when I came in here," she said. "Then I caught you playing video games on a TV that's bigger than most of the walls in my house."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I waited outside your office for a long time," she said. "Don't you have a receptionist or an assistant?"

"She got married last week and today is my first day back," I said. "I haven't gotten around to bringing another one in."

"Mr. Richards, you helped me more than I can ever repay you when..." she began.

"Don't worry about it, Jo Anne," I interrupted.

"But that's what makes this so hard," she said. "I don't want you to hate me but I have some really bad news for you and I don't want you to think I'm telling you this out of vindictiveness or some belated revenge for...."

I smiled at her and shook my head. "Jo Anne just come on out and say it," I told her.

"Mr. Richards..." she started again.

"Call me Dan," I said. "Everyone does. Jo Anne how much do you make at the café?"

"Eight fifty an hour," she said. "But I came here to..."

"What did you study in college?" I asked. "Are you decent on a computer?"

"Liberal arts and I'm great on computers," she said.

"Hmm," I said. "Don't know what we'd use the liberal arts for, but how does sixteen an hour, full benefits and free daycare sound?"

"Great," she said. "But..."

"Good, you can start tomorrow as my new assistant. The first thing I want you to do is get on the internet and find out how the hell I get out of this party or what I have to do to get to the next battle, okay?" I asked. She nodded.

"But I..." she said softly.

"I know," I said. "You came here to warn me that your old school mate and my current wife, is cheating on me." Her eyes softened and she nodded her head.

"Don't worry Jo," I said. "About an hour ago a Private Investigator who was hired by a PAC that I'd never heard of came in and told me that his political action committee wanted to consider me for a run for governor. They'd spent months investigating me and my business and home life and thought I'd make a great candidate. There was only one problem. I have a whore for a wife. I looked at pictures and saw video, the whole nine yards. On one hand I was ready to sue them for unwanted and illegal breach of privacy. On the other I've had them continue the investigation until I figure out how I want to handle this."

"What do you mean?" she asked. "Are you thinking of counseling? Or confronting her and making her stop doing it?"

"No JoAnne," I said. "I guess I have a flaw. I tend to take people at face value. I trust everyone until they give me a reason not to. And when I fall in love, it's much worse. When I married Constance..."

"Her name is Connie," said Jo Anne. "She just calls herself Constance because it sounds classy."

"When I married her, I was so smitten by her that all I saw was forever. Against the advice of my financial advisors and my lawyers, I didn't have her sign a pre-nup. I'm worth close to a billion dollars and I don't see giving her half of it. So short of her committing a felony, I'm stuck with her until I can figure out a way to get rid of her. But I'm working on it." I smiled.

"And over the next few days if you do happen to run into her, which isn't likely, since she never comes by the office, please don't let her know that I'm on to her."

"She won't hear it from me," said Jo Anne. "Hey, I have a new job! I have to go tell Sammy. She'll be thrilled, I think. And free daycare, you did say free day care. And I have to tell my boss at the café that I'm quitting. Can I work there one more day and report to you on Monday? I'd hate to leave her short-handed for tomorrow..."

Then suddenly her face fell. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"I don't have any clothes to wear for a job like this," she said. I picked up the phone and dialed a number.

I said a few things into the phone and handed her a card. "This is a ladies clothing store that the company has part ownership in. We have an account there. They'll get you set up for the workplace. Of course you'll get a substantial discount on the clothing and the cost will be deducted from your paychecks until it's paid off..." I stopped because Jo Anne was looking at me like she wanted to eat me.

"See ya Monday, boss," she said. And she left.

* * * * * *

Constance

As I walked into the café that next morning, I knew that something was different.

There were still men staring at me as I walked towards our table. I couldn't put my finger on it. I looked across the room and made eye contact with Jo Anne. She looked away from me and continued what she was doing. That would cost her later. I sat down and began talking with my friends.

"You don't look like yourself," said Ashley.

"Oh, oh," said Betty. "Danford must have fucked the shit out her last night. Maybe she's been rode hard and put away wet."

"Betty, you seem to think that everybody gets fucked to death every night," sighed Eva

"Well, all I have to judge people by is my own personal experience," said Betty smiling like a Cheshire cat.

"I guess that's the problem," I said. "I couldn't hook up with Todd yesterday. He got my so pissed that I ended up hanging the phone up on him. Then when Dan did come home, he didn't want me either. That was the first time since we've been married that we didn't have sex when I wanted to."

"Oh shit," said Betty. "Alone and unloved, who'd a thunk it."

"Shut up Betty," snapped Eva. "She's upset."

I looked around and gestured to Jo Anne. She looked at me and started to come over to our table.

"What the fuck is wrong with her today?" I asked.

"Good Morning ladies," said Jo Anne.

"Where's my coffee?" I asked.

"Did you ask for any coffee?" asked Jo Anne.

"Jo Anne, don't give me any shit today," I snapped. "I'm not in the mood for it."

"Well please let me know when you are in the mood for shit," smiled Jo Anne. "I'll bring you a toilet full of it."

"Just get my fucking coffee, now," I said.

"You need coffee when you fuck?" she asked. She got the cheesiest smile on her face.

I didn't have any idea of what she was talking about or asking about. "Jo Anne, do you want me to have your ass fired?" I snapped. She shrugged her shoulders and looked at me.

"You can't do that," she said. "You don't own this restaurant and you don't have any connection to the people who do. But you're welcome to go ahead and try. It's not like I need a reason to beat your ass anyway." She walked away from me and went to take care of other customers.

Eva got up and went over to her and spoke to her. Jo Anne nodded her head and wrote something down.

"Constance, maybe you shouldn't be trying to please two men," said Ashley. "I mean seriously, when we were in high school and college, Todd was okay. But when you look at him now, he's kind of scuzzy looking. He's not in your league anymore. He's beneath you. It's kind of embarrassing. He doesn't have much of a future. I think that you still see the boy you used to know. Your head is still wrapped up in what he used to be like when we were all eighteen or twenty and our potential was limitless."

"Since that time most of us have realized our potential, I mean look at you. You're just as beautiful as everyone always knew you'd be. You're smart, poised and married to one of the richest men in the state, if not the country. People are wondering when he's going to run for office. Shit, Danford might even someday be the president of the United States. He's tall, he's considerate and he loves you like there's no tomorrow, but you're sitting here pinning over a guy with no job, no prospects and no assets who treats you like shit. I'm not getting this."

"Maybe I love them both," I said. "I love Danford because I have to if I want to keep the lifestyle I have. Like you said he loves me. He'd do anything for me. There have been times when he's been in the middle of a meeting with dignitaries from other countries that he does business with or the heads of multi-million dollar companies, when he's excused himself in the middle of the meeting so I could text him pictures of shoes I was thinking about buying. Danford is trapped by the fact that he loves me so much and that gives me control over him. Todd on the other hand, is wild and unpredictable. I have no control over Todd. He does whatever the hell he wants to. He tells me that he loves me too. But he's so out there that it makes every second we spend together valuable. When I'm with Todd, I feel the way I used to feel back when I was in college. I feel like I have the whole world ahead of me."

"Which sounds really stupid to me," said Ashley. "It's really dumb because that's a fantasy that's left over from when we were barely adults. The reality is that you've grown up and with your husband's money you actually do have the entire world at your feet. And another thing, if Todd loves you so God damned much where is he when you need him? Most of the time he's sitting around in some bar drinking and getting high, but you have to practically beg him to make time for you. Constance, I'm your friend, but I think it's time for you to put away childish things and start working on your marriage."

"What are you saying?" I asked her.

"When your husband doesn't want sex, especially from someone who looks like you, it may be a sign that something serious is going on. It may be something that doesn't matter, like maybe he was just tired or sick or preoccupied with a business deal. But it could also mean that he's sick or has a health problem. In the worst case scenario for you, he may be getting tired of you and might be getting ready to find someone else."

I looked at her like she was crazy. "Constance you're beautiful and all of that. But Honey, there's always someone prettier, even if it's just pretty in a different kind of way. Behind every successful man, there's usually a woman. Behind every beautiful woman there's usually some guy who's bored with fucking her. If sex is the only thing you're giving Danford, he might have had his fill."

I knew what she was trying to tell me, but I saw it in a different way. I was thinking about that when Jo Anne came back to the table with the coffee. She put a cup down in front of Ashley. She put one in front of Eva. She put a cup and a donut in front of Betty and then put a second cup in front of Eva.

"Jo Anne I know you're stupid," I shrieked. "But, don't you see what's wrong with this picture?"

"Fuck you, Connie," she said. I was stunned. "Joe Anne, you're a God damned waitress. Now bring me my fucking coffee right now," I snapped.

She picked up the cup and started around the table. Then she stumbled and spilled the coffee all over my new pink dress. I was sure she'd done it on purpose. I stood up and started screaming. The chubby guy who ran the cash register and was in charge of the café ran over to our table.

"She spilled that coffee all over my dress," I said. "This dress is an original. It cost over three thousand dollars."

"I'm sure it was an accident," he said. "The café will pay the cost to have it cleaned."

"This dress can't be cleaned," I said. "And she did it on purpose."

"Did you do it on purpose Jo Anne?" he asked.

"I can't remember," she said smiling. "She was yelling at me and threatening to have me fired."

Jo Anne and the manager were smiling at each other. And I had that same niggling thought in the back of my mind that I'd had since I walked in.

"She did do it on purpose," I said.

"Jo Anne it wasn't on purpose was it?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," said Jo Anne. "I don't think so though, because if it was on purpose it would have been more like this." She took the piece of cherry pie off of the plate she was carrying and smashed it in my face and then twisted it."

"Now that was on purpose," she said. "So maybe the coffee was an accident, kind of."

"Jo Anne, you're fired," said the manager smiling. "Finish your shift and then get out."

"Okay," said Jo Anne. She walked away like it didn't really matter. I stood there with pie all over my face and my ruined dress dripping coffee. Eva took one look at me and started laughing. Betty and Ashley had to look away too. Eva stepped away from the table so she could stop laughing.

"Well you took care of her," said Ashley. "But Constance, I don't see this as being a good thing. You do know that she has a small child to take care of and you just took away her job. You've probably got ten of those dresses. This was just a case of both of you having a bad day at the same time. You've always bullied her and maybe she just didn't feel like being picked on today."

"That's not it," said Eva returning to the table. "Look behind the counter. See that sign? The sign that has "Good luck Jo," printed on it. Today is Jo Anne's last day working here. She got a better job. She just fucked with you to get back at you for all of the shit you've done to her."

At that moment my phone rang. I looked at the screen and saw that it was from Todd. I took the call. "Hey Babe, can you get out of work today?" he asked.

"Why would I do that?" I asked.

"Well, I thought about what you told me yesterday," he said. "And I guess I have to admit that you're right. I've been so busy trying to get a job or a career started that I've lost track of the reason I'm working so hard to do it. The main reason I need to do all of this is because I've always been competitive. And it just burns me up to think about my girl being married to some rich old guy. I guess instead of just wanting to spend time with you, I've been trying to make a shit load of money so I could compete with him and win you back."

"Last night after you hung up on me, I realized that the end goal was for us to be together. So while it's still important to me to make enough money to support you in the style you deserve, it's more important that we do things together."

"That's the smartest thing you've said in a long time, Todd," I said.