Night Deposit

With his arm possessively around her waist was a handsome, well-built man who I took to be Jerry.

They didn't notice me until they stopped where I was standing in front of the door. There wasn't any shock or surprise on my part although I was completely heartbroken to witness her deliberate betrayal. I wasn't too sure what was going on in her mind. I had already faced my demons Friday night... and Saturday... and Sunday... and in the doctor's office.

Jerry didn't have a clue who I was and stood there smiling at me while Nancy was looking back at someone. I thought about taking that stupid grin off his face but then I noticed that Nancy wasn't wearing her wedding ring. It was, I thought, entirely possible he didn't even know she was married but then I remembered her phone call that Saturday morning to this piece of trash.

Nancy turned and had that 'deer in the headlights' look I had heard about so many times but had never really seen 'till now.

"Hi," I said.

"Hello," he replied. He held her tighter to him, in his mind setting a boundary between the two of them and me. It was a subconscious move on his part but quite evident to me, having to work around teenagers all day long. I wanted to kill him that moment. He seemed to become a little nervous since I had not moved out of his 'space' and he anxiously looked for Canton to unlock the door.

"Huh?" I was brought abruptly back to the present by the waitress asking if we wanted dessert. My wonderful Belle, as usual, went for New York cheesecake with strawberries and I, the good American that I thought I was, asked for apple pie with a big scoop of vanilla.

If I had known then, so many years ago, what I eventually knew later, I would have treated the situation so differently. What eventually happened, none of us deserved.

Nancy was still eating at the table near the windows and I couldn't look away.