Red and Sally

She came in about twenty minutes after me and took a seat across from me at the table I'd secured in the back.

"Redeker, how could you!" she began. "What did I ever do to deserve this total screwing your lawyer laid on me! It should be at least fifty-fifty. Don't I deserve at least that! Tell me! Don't I?" She was just short of crying.

I couldn't believe what she was saying. She wasn't apologizing, or trying to stave off the impending divorce; she was concerned about her financial status. She'd been warned. She knew what was bound to happen if she betrayed me again, and she had, and that callously.

"Sally, you were warned. You knew I wasn't going to be putting up with any more of your baloney," I said.

"Redeker, I kept my promise to you. I promised that I wouldn't hurt you again. I didn't. Rod never came into that house with me after that last time. He wasn't even allowed in the neighborhood. And let me tell you it pissed him off plenty too. I did that to protect you—and us. Don't you see that?" She was serious. She actually believed her own nonsense.

"Sally, the deal wasn't that you'd be doing your extracurricular activities somewhere else, or protecting me from knowing. The deal was that you wouldn't be doing them at all! What were you thinking!" Now I was getting hot under the collar.

"Redeker, Red, I thought I made it plain that first time, months ago, that I needed a little something, more..."

"Yeah, I remember, more than I could give you. Yeah, you made it plain. And, when I agreed to come back I made it plain that there would be no one else but me for you if you wanted to stay married to me, and you agreed. But, evidently you had your fingers crossed behind your back.

"And another thing, about your boyfriend being pissed off about being kept clear of the neighborhood, frankly I don't give a flying fuck if drowns in a sea of piss. I hate the motherfucker and I am going after him. Trust me, he's toast," I said.

She looked at me like "I" was crazy. "Why would you want to do that to him? What has he ever done to you?" she said.

"Sally, you need help. Do you hear yourself? There is no way you can justify what you did to me and to us. And as for him, I want to kill him. When Janie gets here, ask her what she thinks. If you can sell your shit to her, I'll agree with you, and 'I'll' get the psychiatric help that I think you should be getting. Because if anybody else agrees with you; then, I must be insane," I said.

"Red, I don't have a job. I haven't ever worked before. How will I survive? You've cleaned out everything. Your lawyer says your unemployed too. I don't have a pot to piss in. What have you done to me, Redeker. I'll freakin' starve!"

"You'll get the house. List it and sell it. Then get some training. Hey, I have an idea, what about your big dicked lover. If he's so much into you, he should support you. After all he's getting your body more than I ever did," I said. My tongue fairly dripped with sarcasm.

"Redeker! That's not true. You always got more than he did, always. I would never give something to someone else that I denied you, in quality or quantity or kind," she said.

"Fucking wonderful, Sally. You made sure I was number one, is that it. Except of course that I wasn't able to satisfy you. The knowledge of that almost destroyed my heart. Do you realize that?" I said.

"Redeker, you weren't supposed to hear that. I felt just awful for the longest time after that phone call. You'll never know how hurt I was for you. I wanted to just die," she said.

"Sally, I swear, you've got your head so far up your ass you can't see daylight. You say you were hurt. You have no idea what you did to me. I will be a long time getting over that one, even after the divorce!" I said.

"At any rate, I am going to do you one last favor. I have a friend who owns a supply company that we dealt with at the shop. He's a friend of mine and he needs a receptionist. He actually asked about you once before; that was about a year ago. I can get you the job if you want it; ten bucks an hour. Do you want me to set it up? Tell me now," I said.

She was crying. She finally realized that everything she'd said was just so much hot air between us. She nodded. "Ten dollars an hour? That's good isn't it?" She really didn't have a clue. I actually felt sorry for her. She was one of those people who were simply devoid of logical thought. It was like the frontal lobe of her brain had never matured.

"It's okay. If you don't fritter the money away, and if you plan your expenses you'll be able to get by. You'll be selling the house. I'm sure your lawyer will tell you that that's in your best interest. You'll get enough out of it to pay him and for you to get along until you can handle things by yourself. You'd get more but your adultery is going to cost you, big time," I said. "I don't hate you, Sally, but you are not going to be screwing me around anymore. Take what I am offering and consider yourself lucky."

We talked a bit more, she cried a bit more, and then we parted. We were done as a couple.

As we left, she turned to me one last time. "Don't hurt him too bad, Redeker. He really isn't a bad man." She didn't realize how infuriated her words made me.

"He is a whole separate matter, Sally. Don't go there. Stay out of it," I said.

I wanted to say, stay out of it that his ass was mine, but I decided to bite my tongue.

******

It was months later, and I had just finished a gourmet lunch at the Crystal Inn with my buds Henry and Granger. They'd left, but I'd decided to hang out. I was half expecting Carie to show. She had something very important to do, she'd told me, but she was going to try to make it. So it was with some surprise that Sally slipped into the seat across from me.

"Sally! What are you doing here?" I said. "We've already had our conversation."

"Redeker," she looked sad, "I know the divorce will be final soon. I wanted to take one last shot at trying to get you to hear me out. I mean understand me, my weakness, my womanly stupidity. Red, I've had to time to think about what I did, and I'm ashamed of myself. I guess—I guess I'm here to ask you to have mercy on me."

"You took the job at Carlyle Supply," I said. I knew she had. Jimbo had kept me informed, and by all accounts she was doing okay.

"Yes, thank you for that. It's almost enough to get by on," she said, as she smiled. "The house is sold too, as you probably know. I got about ten thousand after costs and the mortgage was paid off. It's a start, I guess. But, Red I don't want to start something new, or with somebody new. I want you back. I'll do anything."

Just as she finished, Carie walked up, and smiled at me and then at Sally.

"Let me guess, you're Sally," said Carie. The two had never met, though I'm sure that Carie felt she knew Sally as a result of all of our conversations.

"Yes? And you are?" Sally had a look of—suspicion—on her face.

"Carie. I'm Red's fiancée. I must say Sally that you were very careless in letting this one get away," Carie nodded in my direction.

The look on Sally's face now was total tragedy. She looked away from Carie and at me. "I guess this really is the end then, isn't it Redeker. I mean all of those years—gone."

"Yes Sally. You want to live a life that is different than what it is possible for me to tolerate," I said.

"Okay, I get it. I guess I finally get it. Oh, and by the way, I don't care anymore how bad you fuck over Rod, and knowing you he's going to be finding himself in a shit storm of trouble. You probably already know, but in case you don't, he fucked me over pretty good too. I deserved it I guess.

"Congratulations," she said, looking back at Carie. Don't do like I did and lose this man because of some stupid half baked ideas."

"I won't," said Carie. With that Sally rose, and left. It would some months before I heard of her again, and that was via Janie.

******

Janie arrived later that evening. She called me to say that she was going to go by the house first, maybe stay overnight and see me on the morrow. That was indeed what occurred. I was glad she was going to check on her mother. For the life of me, as angry as I was with Sally, I was also worried about her. Love dies hard. Janie had been with her after her mother was served and had made a few visits since. I think she'd been able to help stabilize her mother's mind once her mother realized how bad she'd screwed herself over.

Janie was to arrive at my new place by 7:00PM. It was a small apartment about four miles from my work. Carie owned it; actually the whole building. I hadn't known it early on, but Carie was pretty well off. Some prostitutes actually did come out okay.

As for me, Sally and I had saved just shy of a $100,000, and I had it all. She, Sally, had no clue as to the amount. Henry had helped me hide the bulk of it: the things that guy knew.

******

Carie and I were in the kitchen mixing some martinis in order to just keep busy. Nervous was a magnitudinous understatement when it came to describing us. We were shaking in our boots about telling Janie the whole truth.

"Carie, stop shaking. It'll be all right,' I said, smiling. "Hell, you're making me nervous."

"Yeah, easy for you to say; you're not a whore. She just might spit on me—and then you too if it strikes her fancy," Said Carie.

"Well, I doubt it," I said. "But, if she does spit on you, I will demand that she spit on me too. Just remember I love you. I know you love me. Your past, my past, they are what they are."

The door buzzer went off just then. We looked at each other, at the clock; it was seven on the dot. Neither of us moved. Then we both laughed. I headed for the door. Carie trailed behind me waiting on the inevitable.

"Hi daddy," said my daughter.

"Hi baby doll," I said. Guiding her by the arm, I led her over to Carie who had been standing nervously near the entrance to the kitchen. For her part, Janie seemed to be as nervous as the two of us. I introduced them to each other and they nodded.

"Baby," I said. "We've mixed up some martinis; I remember you said you like martinis."

"That would be fine dad," she said.

I went to the kitchen and brought out the tray with the mixed elixir and the glasses. I poured as the two women made themselves comfortable on the couch and easy chair across from each other. After pouring my own drink, I sat next to Carie on the couch; I wanted to give her the support I was sure she needed.

"Janie—can I call you Janie?" said Carie.

"Yes, that's fine," said Janie. "No one calls me Jane anymore."

"I guess this one is up to me," said Carie, "I know—I mean I think I know how you must view me. I mean—I could never—I mean I wouldn't try..."

"Carie, I know you were not the one who came between my dad and my mom. As far as I'm concerned, you are an innocent party to all of this—kinda like me, I suppose," said Janie.

There was silence as Janie waited for someone to continue. Carie drew a breath and went for it.

"Yes, as far as the breakup of your dad and mom is concerned, I was not involved with that. But there are some things about me, Janie, that you need to know," said Carie.

Janie eyed her wondering what was so serious a matter that Carie would be phrasing her words like she in fact was. "And?" said Janie.

"Janie, I am ten years younger than you dad. But, in spite of the age difference I love him very much. And, I want to marry him, and he has asked me to be his wife. I have agreed," said Carie. She paused.

"Okay," said Janie, realizing that there was more—maybe much more.

"I've never been married before. I have no children, and no close family. So, over the years I have sought the company of many men," said Carie.

Janie wrinkled her brow and waited. She was uneasy, but her dad was there and that calmed her.

"The night—the night—the night I met your dad, he paid for me," she said. "I was hooking."

The silence in the room was unearthly.

"Huh?" said Janie, in an almost little girlish tone.

"I'm—I was—a whore, Janie. I'm not going to sugarcoat it," said Carie. "I fucked for money. There, I've said it." Tears came to her eyes as she admitted to her future daughter-in-law what she'd been.

Janie's mouth hung open. "Huh?"

"The night I caught your mother with another man, Jane, I went to a bar. A friend came in and I poured my heart out to him. He arranged for us to be—comforted. Carie was one of the two women who showed up. I was taken with her from almost that first moment. She salved my tears, and weeks later we sort of became an item. That's the short version," I said, butting in.

"Fuckin'-A," said Janie, in an indecipherable tone.

Carie was suddenly upset. "Maybe I better go," she said. "I think maybe you two need to talk about this without me here." It was clear she thought that Janie was judging her.

"Carie, no-no, please stay. I'm not judging you. I'm surprised. I've never met a..."

"A whore," said Carie.

"I was just surprised is all. I'm glad my dad has found someone to care for him. I hope we can be friends, Carie. I mean that."

"Dad, she's beautiful," said Janie.

The mood in the room lightened immeasurably. "Refills anyone," I said, as I began to pour the refills without waiting for replies.

We talked for hours. Carie and Janie were already making progress toward being friends, a fact that I found more than a little interesting.

Janie excused herself at around 2:00AM. She said she was going to stay with her mom, since she was feeling so low. "Dad, I am going to ask you to lighten up on mom some. I need her to survive her own stupidity and somehow get on with her life. Okay?" said my very mature daughter.

"Okay," I said. "Consider the heat off." Janie nodded, and I noticed I got a glance of approval from Carie. I was feeling good, and things had gone well. I could afford to be generous, so I would be.

******

Sally did meet someone soon after that day at the Crystal, and she and he, a policeman were engaged. Carie and I had gotten married a month after the divorce was final. Janie wanted peace among the principals and invited us and Sally and Sally's new fiancée to her and her husband's anniversary soiree. Things went well, and that boded well for future encounters.

Carie for her part did not miss the life she had left; she'd been pretty well done with it by the time she met me in any case. Everything ended up well for all involved except for the asshole.

******

Through Henry, and later confirmed by Janie, I found out that Sally's boyfriend indeed dumped on her when he found out she was going to be essentially short on cash. He had actually taken her to dinner and looked real happy—at first. But, somewhere along the line she had apparently laid it on him that she was going to be getting little from the divorce.

Henry was sitting at the next table from them. Evidently good 'ole Rod had lost his appetite. He went to the bathroom. He never returned. And, according to Henry, as soon as she realized he wasn't coming back, she was beside herself.

Sally was a mental ruin in the early going: no husband, no boyfriend, not much money, and no experience living alone. Even Janie's attempts, at the time, to comfort her fell on deaf ears. I guess my ex-wife just wasn't able to deal with betrayal by her fellow betrayer on top of everything else. She cried night and day, again, so I heard tell.

It was a few months, and just before my divorce was final, after the meeting in the Crystal between me, Sally, and Carie that Rod Wilson got a visit from the IRS. A few days after that he was arrested. The trial was short, and he pled out. He got four years behind bars in the federal pen. I heard from Janie that Sally visited him once while he was inside. He saw her hoping I guess to get something from her, but all she did was tell him what bums they had both been and how together they had ruined each other's lives.

She actually apologized to him for not being stronger and thereby missing the opportunity to save them both from a lot of hurt. I guess she was looking for closure of some kind. But, the asshole, ever the asshole, told her to fuck herself. So much for class; the asshole didn't have any.

The End.