Never a Lie

Getting into revenge settled Joey. He'd been pretty much floating since the funeral. He thought about selling the company. He couldn't generate the interest to pursue that goal. It looked more like he'd just let the company slide into oblivion. After all, what was the point of success anymore. There was no one to share it with. Now, though, he needed the company and its assets and resources if he was going to complete his revenge. He began paying attention again. Even in the short time he'd been inattentive a couple of cracks had started. He pulled down those walls and made new, seamless ones. The company was growing again. The resources he thought he needed were on call.

A week later and Joey was ready to start his campaign. He knew Lyle was out of town. There has to be some return when you own the company. He looked on this evening's attentions as a reconnaissance. The first step in any campaign had to be the gathering of information. He knew Karen was a faithful wife, unlike Lyle. He didn't want to destroy that faithfulness. Instead, he wanted to convince her to transfer it to him. He didn't have the first idea of how to seduce a virtuous woman in such a way that she wouldn't feel guilty for the rest of her life. Even worse, how could he seduce this woman and ever trust her again?

The frustration was killing him. At the very least he could seduce her away from Lyle. Surely leaving that bastard couldn't wrack her with guilt. It wouldn't impair his trust in her, either. It was a start. Artie had thought, in the abstract, that it would even be good for the woman.

Joey was reluctant to start a campaign when he couldn't see the end of it. That wasn't the way he'd built his business. It had been the way he'd built his life, though, he realized. He'd taken Artie out because she'd asked him to. He'd been sure she was going back to Lyle. Instead, she'd turned into his true love and they'd had fifteen wonderful years together. Planning obviously wasn't everything.

He'd called Karen earlier in the week to set up their dinner date. He didn't use the word "date". He'd told her he would like a little time with her as the other person who'd known Artie longest. He was feeling down in the dumps, he'd said. He was relying on the promise she'd made at the funeral, to help him out, though he'd had sense enough not to mention it. He knew she'd remember. She would have tried to help him even without the promise. It was what good friends did.

That evening Joey was charming as always. Karen had taught him to be socially comfortable. He'd learned to be charming from Artie.

"You know, Artie took a lot of pleasure in finishing me," he told Karen. "I was a little rough around the edges when she took me on. Maybe a lot. You'd done a great deal for me, too, I realize. You made me into something she could work with. Artie knew a lot about getting along with people, being nice, just liking people and letting them know how she felt. It wasn't a pose. She liked people. She taught me that, and how to let down some of the barriers so the people I liked would know it."

"She was a wonderful friend, Joey. There were nights when things weren't going well and I could call her and she could make it better. Or enough better that I could live with it. She had a wonderful joy in her, an appreciation for everything in life that's good."

They spent the evening at dinner chatting, recalling old memories, some from as far back as grade four. He got her home early. It was no part of his plan to be obvious. It was no part of his plan to fall in love, either. He hadn't seen that coming. She accepted his invitation to lunch the next week. He explained that it was just to keep in contact. She wondered if there was something more. No, there couldn't be. She was married and that wasn't going to change no matter how much she wanted out. It was good to have her friend back, though. It was good to feel that she was helping him.

Two weeks later they went out to dinner again. Joey thought it was time to start undermining Lyle. Just a little. He had to be very careful. Karen was very intelligent.

"So tell me about you, for a bit," he started after they'd ruminated about Artie's days in college. "Have you had as happy a life as we had?" At least until that last devastating disclosure, he thought bitterly. The bitterness gave him the strength to go on.

"Not so much, I don't think. Lyle has never been as successful as you have been."

"That wasn't what I meant. Material success is not the measure I had in mind. Artie and I would have been happy in poverty, I'm sure." That was only the truth, he thought.

"Well, not so much even that way. Lyle is a different person from you." He left it there, not wanting to push her any further. Just let the thought blossom.

They went to lunch the following week. Joey was careful to ensure no possible hint of scandal could attach to her. They only met in the most public places. The fact that he was now seeing her more often, and alone, was easily explained. She'd been Artie's friend, the way Lyle had never been, and she was helping him get over his loss. His terrible loss. His double loss, though no one knew that of him.

She brought the subject up first. Perhaps her situation was worse than he had imagined. Artie would have known.

"I've been thinking about what you asked me when we had dinner last. You have your own problems. I don't want to burden you with mine."

"Karen, we've been friends for a very long time. We've always shared our woes. Perhaps it will give me something to think about that's not myself and my sorrow."

"You've never been selfish, or self-centred."

"I've been wallowing in my grief. If you have a problem, share it with me. Let me get out of my own troubles for a while. Let me help you if I can."

"There's nothing you can do for me. I made this bed. Now I must lie in it. But perhaps it will make it more bearable to share. I've never had anyone to share it with. I was afraid to tell even Artie too much, but I think she guessed."

"Tell me about it."

Karen hesitated. She saw only concern on the face across the table from her. Someone who never judged. Someone to whom she had once entrusted her every secret. It would feel good to let go, if just for an hour. She started to talk.

"I knew marrying Lyle was a mistake before we exchanged vows. He was all about Lyle, so wrapped up in himself that he couldn't see anyone else, feel for anyone else, care for anyone else. He made love as if I was some plastic doll, maybe a little warmer, but not from anything he did. It was dehumanizing. We haven't had relations in nearly a year. Oh God, I can't believe I'm telling you this."

"Then stop. Perhaps at a future time you'll want to tell me more, or perhaps not. You know I'll never tell another soul."

"I do, I know that, Joey. You never have. I don't think you could. Thank you. Even getting out a bit helps. I didn't know."

They finished lunch shortly after. He admired his self-restraint even as he cursed himself for interrupting. Who knew whether she would ever be willing to talk freely again? Slowly, slowly, he reminded himself. It had to be all her doing. She couldn't be allowed to think she'd been pushed at any point along the way. That was the only way to create a permanent rupture. Perhaps that was all he could do, but he could at least deprive Lyle of this woman. He obviously undervalued her, but still, he placed some value on her, and losing her would hurt, even if only in his self-esteem. Joey knew he could never tell her of the inestimable valuation he placed on her. Perhaps one day if she ever freed herself from Lyle.

It was almost a month before Joey and Karen had schedule matches that let him take her to dinner again. Lyle had messed up a sales call the last time he'd been out and it had taken a lot of work to get the marketing crew to let him off the leash again. Finally Joey had put his foot down and demanded that they give Lyle a final chance.

"Joey, we should talk about Artie again. But I've been thinking about my issues, too."

"Let's talk about them, Karen. Artie would understand."

"Artie would make me talk about my problems, I know. There's never been a better woman. I was afraid for you when you started going out with her, Joey. I thought she'd destroy you. Pull you into her web of superficiality. But Artie was not superficial. She recognized what she had in you. She was wonderful."

"Yes, she was." Joey believed that, truly. Maybe it wasn't everything she was, but she had been a wonderful woman.

"Anyway, about me. I could put up with Lyle being a lousy lover if he wasn't indifferent to me."

"Indifferent? How could anyone be indifferent to you? You've always been a sweetheart. You were a friend to me when I was an unlikeable twerp. You grew up to be a handsome woman. You're a prize for anyone."

"Well, Lyle has been indifferent. I know he doesn't care for me. He's been unfaithful. I can't begin to count the times. I always know. I think he wants it that way."

"You must have thought of leaving him."

"I've never got up the nerve. I can't say I left him because he forgot my birthday. He's never remembered my birthday. Why would I leave him for that, now?"

"It's not working, Karen. Are you going to punish yourself for the next thirty-five years because you made a mistake? You've already put fifteen years in. You should be eligible for parole, even from a life sentence." Joey laughed at his analogy. Karen didn't.

"You're right, Joey, it's been a life sentence. I can't do it alone. I don't have any money. I don't have anywhere to go. I don't have anyone to hold my hand if I do. I don't even have a real reason to give him."

"You have me, Karen. You've always had me."

"And what do I tell him?"

"If you really want to pull his guts out through his heart, tell him you're leaving to find yourself. No guy can figure that out. If you want to be kinder, tell him you've reached your tolerance level for assholes."

"How is that kinder?"

"It's a real reason. The other one isn't. It leaves him open to all kinds of self-doubt. Anything from 'you've driven me to women, you're such an incompetent lover' to 'your dick's too small'."

"Oh God, if I only had the nerve."

"Look inside, Karen. Find the woman you were. Find my best friend. You can do it. I'll help."

It was another month before Karen faced up to the shards of her life as it was. Joey hadn't seen her since their last dinner. She knew Joey would be there for her if she ever made up her mind. He wanted her to succeed. Strangely, it wasn't about revenge on Lyle, hurting Lyle, punishing Lyle, not anymore. In his mind now it was all about Karen. Saving her from a loveless marriage, an arid desert of a relationship. He hadn't had to invent things to drive a wedge between Lyle and Karen. Lyle had done that all by himself, the damn fool. He'd done a better job than Joey ever could have. Now she needed to escape, to save herself. Joey couldn't do it for her. She had to save herself. He'd be there by her side, if she wanted him, the moment she did.

Joey was surprised to see Karen's brother Kevin when he stopped into a flower shop. He'd been thinking about sending her flowers. He'd finally decided that would be pushing too hard, way too hard.

"Hello, Kevin. I didn't know you were in town."

"A little bird told me Karen might need some support, so Kyle and I are here for a couple of weeks."

"Do her good to see you, I'm sure. She has been a little down lately."

"Call me if you need us, Joey." Joey didn't know what that was about, but he was glad Karen had family around to lean on if she ever got up the nerve to move on. He figured he'd done what he could. Maybe there was a touch more.

"Kevin, you know she's not happy with Lyle. Can't you get her out?"

"Been trying for years, Joey, years. Probably from before she married him. You know how loyal she is. Even when the dumb shit doesn't deserve a particle of it."

"Yeah, that much I know. You know I'm here for her, too."

"We know that, Joey, we know. Too bad she didn't marry you."

"I'm free now. You heard Artie died, last year, now."

"No, we didn't know that. I'm sorry to hear it. Artie was a fine woman. That just changes what we may end up doing. Good talking to you, Joey. Gotta go. Kyle and me, we have to revise our planning. Please don't let anyone know you saw me. We want to be a surprise for Karen."

"Sure."

Strange who you'll see around when you haven't seen them for twenty years. There are lots of people you couldn't recognize after twenty years. Kevin was like Karen, though, just a trifle more mature-looking than he'd been in college. It was good to know he was around. Those two boys were reliable.

Joey was busy on a conference call, a deal that might get the company in the door in China, one of the most difficult markets on Earth. They were just about there. The problem was with Joey. The marketing people were aglow. The Chinese rep was reluctantly willing. Joey still had a little reservation about operating so far out of his comfort zone. His secretary slipped a note under his nose.

"There's a lady on line two, says she's Karen, says she has to talk to you."

He made his excuses and hung up on the conference call. The deal never went through. The Chinese gentleman was deeply affronted. So were his marketing people. It didn't matter. Friends were more important, always.

"Joseph . . ." he started to answer.

"Hi, Joey. It's Karen. I've done it. I've really done it! I left Lyle. He came home reeking of somebody's perfume again and I left. Then and there. Oh Joey, I feel so free. Hungry, too, but free."

"Have you got a place to stay?"

"No, but I don't care. I'm free, Joey, I'm free. I never knew how bad it was. Now I'm free!"

"Where are you?"

"In your lobby."

"Be right down. I can get you something to eat at least. Be right there."

"Okay. I'm free," she added, almost as if she couldn't believe it herself.

Joey got her somewhere to eat. She ate like she'd never seen food.

"I'm sorry, Joey. It's just that I haven't felt like eating in so long and now I do. I feel so gooood." She drew it out, as if wanting to shout it out to the world. Joey was surprised that her vibrancy had returned so quickly. He almost cried to see the change in her, to see what she'd repressed for so long.

"Eat whatever, Karen. Feel good about yourself. I so love to see how you're recovering."

"You know, I never realized what living with him had done to me. I had no idea. I'm so glad to be free of him that I feel that I'm flying. Flying high."

They spent the afternoon finding her an apartment. There were a few privileges to being the boss.

"Oh, this one's perfect, Joey, but I can never afford it. I haven't got the rent to put up, let alone the damage deposit. Damn. I haven't a cent, really. I was so mad I left everything behind."

"Where'd you sleep last night?"

"I didn't. I was so high on getting away I just wandered the streets all night. I ended up in your lobby, so I called you."

"Let me put up the money for now. You can settle with me later. You know I don't have money problems. It's too important to make sure you get a roof over your head."

"All right. I can accept from a friend what I can't take from a stranger. Does that mean it costs to be my friend?"

"Every friendship costs, Karen. You know that. It's worth every penny and every minute, though, to know there's someone there for us, too, when we need it."

Once the apartment deal was closed the two of them went back to Karen's home. Joey carried armload after armload of Karen's things out to the car until the trunk and the back seat were overflowing.

"Where are we going to put all this?"

"My place, until you can move in. It's only a week. You can have the guest room. There hasn't been a guest there since Artie died. I hope the dust isn't too thick."

"Me too. I don't think dusting and cleaning is something I want to do on my first real night of freedom." It would be all right. Joey had employed a cleaning service for the last year of Artie's life and had kept them on after she died. Everything would be spotless for Karen, at least if he'd remembered to do his breakfast dishes. Otherwise, almost spotless.

It was good times for them both. Joey felt like he'd achieved something for Karen. She was out from under a blot on her life, a black cloud of selfishness and callousness, with new room to grow and to be. He may have achieved revenge. Maybe Lyle wouldn't care. He was no longer motivated by revenge. Lyle didn't matter. Karen mattered. And he'd helped her. It's what friends did. He felt good about himself for the first time since Artie made that devastating confession.

They talked, chatted, laughed together.

"Joey, I never thought I'd laugh again."

After a week or so, Karen was able to move into her apartment. She was free. She was alone. She had a friend. She had people she could count on. She blossomed.

Two nights after Karen moved into the apartment Joey got a call from a blocked number.

"I'm at Karen's. Get your ass over here."

He shot out of the chair and raced for the door. His keys seemed to float out of his coat pocket. It was only minutes before he was pressing the button. A click responded immediately. There had been no query over the tinny voice of the intercom.

Joey took the stairs, not prepared to wait for the lumbering elevator. Karen's door was open. He was afraid to see what might be inside. A note was jammed into the little frame that held name cards. Karen hadn't put one in yet.

"Take care of her. K"

"K" had to be one of her brothers.

Joey called softly.

"Karen?"

He wandered around the apartment, looking. A noise from the bedroom startled him. Karen was lying on the bed, crying. She'd been hit, beaten. Many of her clothes had been torn off. Not enough that she'd been raped he didn't think. Bloody hell, that's what the note had meant. He cradled her in his arms.

"You going to be all right?" he asked quietly. "I'm here for you. Someone rescued you. There are all kinds of people who love you." He didn't know why she needed to know she was loved. Couldn't hurt.

She melted into him, crying softly. After a while she sighed.

"Are you hurt, hospital hurt, dear?"

"No, no, nothing broke. He tried, though. He tried to kill me, I think. Rape me and kill me."

Joey wondered why she hadn't tried to call him. The phone was on the floor. There on the phone table was his card. It was the one with Kevin's number, easier to read than his own. Maybe a better resolution than he could give her, too.

"Do you want to call the police?"

"What, and tell them it was my husband? He came up to settle our differences, he said. Then he started making snide comments. That's when I started punching the number. Then he was reaching for me. Said he was going to show me one last time what I was going to be missing. I hit the last number and yelled for help. Then he pulled the phone out of the wall. I thought he was going to smash my head in with it. He missed. He started to rip my clothes off. He hit me every time something ripped. Then he wound up to hit me again, and he was gone. 'Take care, sis' and whoever it was was gone, too."

He or they hadn't left that fast. There'd been the note and then someone had let me in.

"Um, I don't think we need the police to resolve this one."

"We know who it was. Kyle told him at our wedding that if he ever heard even a whisper that he was hurting me, he was a dead man. Now he is."

"Family has to stick up for one another."

"And lovers, they stick up for the people they love."

"Friends can be good, too. Come home with me. Your room isn't dirty yet. You don't need to stay here alone."

"I think I'd like that."