Respect Ch. 01

That night, dinner with the kids had been very strained. Andy was a no-show. The kids kept pressing about their dad. When I refused to discuss it, Sally had asked bluntly if we were getting a divorce. When I refused to answer, Sally bolted from the table in tears. Kevin left a few seconds later to follow his sister. Later, they refused to answer their door when I knocked. They also refused to answer the phone when I called. I decided to let them be. I'd have a heart-to-heart with them in the morning. But the truth was that I didn't really know what to tell them.

Andy wasn't in the room when I returned. And he hadn't returned by the time I was getting ready for bed. My agitation turned to concern, and I wondered if I should look for him or call someone. But I decided that Andy was probably just sulking, and maybe a night away would smarten him up. Besides, if I went looking for my husband, it would make me look weak.

As I lay in bed, I remembered that Andy would be working with Maria Shivers tomorrow. Sometime during the day, Kevin and Sally were supposed to meet the Fox News anchor. I was also invited but had made up my mind not to go. I toyed with the idea of forbidding the kids from going. But I discarded that quickly as I knew it would only further alienate them from me. I couldn't decide what was more galling, that Andy was spending time with someone as beautiful as Maria or that the kids were being led astray by their father. Right now, it was clear they were already upset with me, and I had Andy to thank for that. He was dazzling them with a television personality, and the thought of my kids pulling away from me made me angry once again.

I didn't sleep well that night. I was determined to get with Andy in the morning and hash this thing out. He had to see reason. But when I got up, at seven, it was obvious that Andy had been in the room and gone. He had taken his toiletries bag and fresh clothes. He had snuck in and out like a thief.

I was hurt and furious with Andy. He refused to see reason and seemed determined to just throw me away. Perhaps I should just go ahead and file the divorce papers. This whole thing was all Andy's fault.

There was a knock at the door, and when I opened it, Kevin was standing there. "Do you know where dad is?"

"No," I shook my head. "It appears as though he stopped in here to get some clean clothes, but I was asleep."

"Are you guys really getting a divorce?" Kevin asked with a look of fear in his eyes. "Sally says that you are and that it's your fault because you're always working."

That made me angry. "Well, excuse me. Some of us have real jobs."

"Whatever," was all Kevin said as he turned away. When Kevin was about to his room, I could hear his phone ring. He answered it, and then I heard him say, "Dad, where are you? Okay, we'll be there in five minutes. Sally will be thrilled. Are you sure they don't mind me helping? Outstanding. See ya."

I was now beyond furious with Andy. I now blamed him for my son's disrespect. Nothing had worked out like I thought it would. But I was sure that Ted could help me sort it out. We had a dinner meeting scheduled for the day after tomorrow to go over a few clients and for him to discuss my schedule for the next three months. Ted explained that he had laid out a series of projects that would get me noticed and push me to the top of the list of potential Junior Partners.

And then I got a call from Ted and was surprised when he said that he wanted to move our meeting to tonight. The original meeting had been scheduled with three other associates with plans to teleconference with several clients. These mini-meetings were a way that part of this trip could be written off as a business expense. However, Ted explained that this new meeting would allow him to give me one-on-one time to help plan my future schedule. When I asked about his planned dinner with his wife, Ted explained that she had been delayed a day. I was thrilled with this new one-on-one meeting because I was sure that Ted could help guide me to the Junior Partnership.

As I thought about this new meeting with Ted, I also wanted to discuss my problems with Andy. I still had feelings for my husband, but I didn't want him to torpedo my chances to move closer to being a Partner. It was starting to wear on me that Andy refused to see how wrong he was. In fact, I was horrified when Kevin indicated that he was interested in pursuing a career in broadcasting. And it really irked me that Andy supported him. Broadcasting was almost as bad as writing. You had to be really lucky in both cases to make anything of yourself. This was Andy's influence, and I wasn't happy about it.

As I was getting ready for dinner, I felt slightly guilty. Springing this dinner meeting with Ted on Andy probably wasn't the best thing to do. He was already looking for reasons to get out of our marriage, and this dinner with Ted wouldn't help the situation. But I dismissed the thought as it was just a business meeting, and I felt it was really important.

Andy arrived in a suit and tie, and I have to admit that he really looked good. The kids were dressed up as well, and I was really proud of them. If only Andy could see my side, things could be perfect.

"You look fabulous," Andy said after giving me the once over. I felt wonderful that he thought I looked good. But the good feelings evaporated when I told him that I had a business meeting with Ted, and I wouldn't be able to join them.

The look on my two children's faces was an accusing glare. Andy just shrugged and said, "Okay."

Dinner with Ted was strange. He was flirty and filled with compliments, and he didn't seem to really want to talk about business at all. And when I mentioned my problems with Andy, he told me that I had to put my foot down harder. He assured me that Andy just needed to be pushed a little further, and he would fall into line.

We talked for a long while about nothing important until I nicely asked Ted if we could talk a little about his plans to help advance my career. He smiled and nodded. Then he had just begun to share his thoughts about what I should accomplish over the next three months when he stopped talking. It was then that I noticed that the entire dining room had gone quiet.

Ted pointed toward the entrance. "Is that your husband with Maria Shivers?"

"What?" was the only thing I could get out as I swiveled around. I knew that Andy had an appointment with Maria and took the children to introduce them to her. But after that, I assumed that Andy and the kids would have dinner by themselves. I didn't expect them to be having dinner with Maria. But there they were, walking into the dining room.

Maria held onto Andy's arm, and my kids were following behind with big grins on their faces. She was stunning. I glanced quickly around the room, and I could see the men and women were all staring. Andy held the chair for Maria as the kids scrambled for seats opposite them. Both Sally and Kevin's eyes were alive with excitement. Then I saw Maria scoot her chair closer to Andy, and she had her hand on Andy's arm.

A streak of red-hot jealousy flared through my body, followed immediately by a wave of cold hard anger. How dare Andy flaunt her in this way. After that, I barely heard anything Ted said. Of course, Ted was having a hard time keeping his train of thought. He kept staring over to where Maria Shivers and Andy were sitting.

Finally, after Ted paid the bill, I said in a cold voice, "Let's go see what my husband is up to."

As we approached their table, Andy spotted me and jumped to his feet.

"Maria, this is my wife Cassie and her boss Ted Walker," he said smoothly. "Cassie, Ted, this is Maria Shivers."

Ted's million-dollar smile flashed, and he went around next to Maria's chair. He took her hand and kissed it lightly. "Ms. Shivers, this is an honor."

Maria's eyes narrowed, but she gave a tight smile. "Thank you." Maria then turned to Cassie and smiled broadly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Spencer. You are one lucky woman. Your husband is very charming. He's done a lot of great work for our series. I hope you'll forgive me for keeping him from your vacation."

"No problem," I said without any warmth. "We'll get plenty of vacation time. Andy has his work, as I do mine, but I'm sure we'll find time for fun. Kids, let me know when you get back to your room."

"Wouldn't you like to join us?" Maria asked as she motioned to a side of the large table that was empty.

The last thing in the world that I wanted to do was to sit down with Ms. Shivers. But I could see Ted's eyes light up. It was clear that he wanted to stay in the worst way. So, I decided that it would be better to bite the bullet because I didn't want to embarrass Kevin and Sally. I thought we could stay a few minutes and slip away. Then Ted and I could have the discussion about my career that Ms. Shivers and Andy had interrupted.

My plan to stay only a couple of minutes turned into thirty. I couldn't get Ted to move. All the subtle hints I gave, he ignored. He had turned his mega charms on overload, but Ms. Shivers seemed to be immune. Maria spent most of the time explaining her upcoming series about the Mexican war on the cartels. There were still aspects of it that she wasn't sure about. When I first saw Andy and her talking from across the room, I thought that Maria was flirting with my husband. However, I was mistaken. The two were simply bouncing ideas off of each other. And when Maria liked one of Andy's ideas, she'd pat his arm and say, "that's a good one."

Even though Andy and Maria were discussing business, they didn't exclude anyone from the conversation. Several times, Maria made a point of asking the kids what they thought about an idea. Usually, they would think it was good. Still, occasionally they either didn't understand it or didn't think it was a good idea. I knew Andy wouldn't dismiss his children's comments, but I was surprised that Maria listened closely and tried to explain. On one occasion, she thought about what Kevin had said and nodded her head. "I think you're right, Kevin. We'll keep it as it is."

Sometime during the conversations, Sally asked what it was like to be famous.

Maria surprised me. I didn't expect the answer she gave.

"It's horrible," she said immediately. "I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. However, when I first started on television, I loved the attention. But over time, I've grown to hate it. You can't go anywhere without being recognized. Like when we walked in here tonight, the room suddenly went silent, and everyone was staring at me. I hate that. So, I'm telling you right now, Sally, you don't want to be famous. It isn't what people think it is. When you're famous, the public expects you to be perfect. Also, the tabloids constantly lie about me or try to get the worst pictures of me possible. People are always looking to find fault with me. So, every minute of every day, I have to be conscious of what I look like. It sucks."

"That doesn't sound like much fun," Sally commiserated. "You wouldn't quit, would you?"

"Gracious no," Maria laughed. "I'm afraid I've painted a one-sided picture. There are some really neat aspects of my job. For instance, I get to meet some very interesting people, and I get to travel all over the world. In addition, they pay me very well. Right now, I've got a seven-year contract with Fox, and I'll honor it. But when it's up, I plan to renegotiate to be more out of the limelight. I want to do more projects like this. And if the network will let me do more of these projects during my contract, so much the better."

"We should get going," I said, glancing at Ted as I started to get up. "We still have some clients to discuss and my schedule for the next three months to go over."

Ted sat frozen for a second before he bounced to his feet. "Yes, that's right. Ms. Shivers, it's been a pleasure. I hope we'll have a chance to chat some more."

Maria nodded at Ted and then looked at me. "Mrs. Spencer, I want to thank you again for letting your husband work with me. This project has been a God Send, and I've really enjoyed working with Andy."

"From what I heard tonight about this show, I think it's going to be excellent," I said sincerely. I was impressed by the project and Andy's contribution. But right now, I wanted to have my meeting with Ted. He was the one man who could help me move closer to being a Partner. And that was more important to me than anything else.

As we turned to leave, Andy glanced at his watch and turned to the kids. "Hey, didn't you guys want to see the magic show in the main ballroom? Cassie, are you going that way? Can you take the kids? Ms. Shivers and I have a little bit more to discuss, and then I've got some rewriting to do?"

"I think the kids are old enough to find their way themselves," I said quickly, annoyed that he was trying to stick the kids with me.

I saw Andy's eyes narrow slightly and glare at Ted. I have to admit I was glad that he was jealous. And I have to admit that I had been surprised by the jealousy that sprang up in me concerning Maria. She was, indeed, gorgeous. I quickly realized my initial reaction had been so stupid. There was no way that Maria was romantically interested in Andy. Still, she clearly had a high opinion of him.

After Ted and I left the restaurant, we headed to the bar in the hotel. We took a seat and had a couple of drinks. Ted spent an equal amount of time praising my work and explaining what I needed to do to secure the Junior Partnership. He ended by telling me that the Partnership was all but in the bag for me. That news had me floating on cloud nine.

As we headed to the elevator, Ted suggested I stop by his room because he had a list of items I should concentrate on in the coming days and weeks. I was anxious to get my hands on it, so I could begin planning. Perhaps it was the drinks at dinner and in the bar, or maybe it was the euphoria of nearing my next goal or Ted's flattery. Whatever the reason, I let my guard down.

Once in his room, Ted searched through his briefcase for a moment.

"Where did I put that schedule?" he said as he continued to search. "Why don't you pour us a drink while I find it. Then we can toast your certain success."

Like a fool, I poured two drinks and handed Ted his. Finally, he found the spreadsheet and sat down on the bed. He patted a spot next to him, so I sat down. He then began to go over it with me. Of course, there was more flattery, that combined with the alcohol, made me stupid. At some point, Ted stopped talking and looked into my eyes.

"Cassie, you're beautiful," Ted said as he kissed me. I should have pushed him away immediately, but I didn't. Instead, I kissed him back. Ted then gently pushed me down onto the bed and squeezed my breasts. I moaned. Then he slipped his hand under my dress and panties. When his finger found my vagina, I sucked in a breath and had a small orgasm. But when he tried to push my dress up further and pull my underpants off completely, I came to my senses.

I pushed him away, but he was on me again. We wrestled until I was finally able to get free. In a thunderbolt of clarity, I realized that Ted wasn't interested in helping me become a Partner; he just wanted to get me into bed. What a stupid fool I had been. I suddenly saw that everything Andy had told me was true. Thank God I had stopped in time.

"Ted! What the hell do you think you're doing?" I hissed at him as I backed toward the door.

"I never took you for a cock tease," he snapped back. "You knew exactly what was going to happen if you came to my room."

"Fuck you, Ted," I said as I grabbed my purse and head out the door.

As soon as I stepped into the hallway, I found Andy just passing the room. His look crushed me as I knew what he was thinking. How could I have been so stupid?

Andy

I watched as Cassie left the dining room with Ted, and it tore me up. Still, I had to hold it together until the kids finished their desserts and headed out for the magic show. Even then, I didn't want to air my dirty linen to Ms. Shivers.

"This has been a great evening," Maria said as she started to gather up her papers. Then she stopped and looked over at me with an expression I couldn't read. "You are a very lucky man, Andy. You have a beautiful wife, beautiful kids, and you're very talented. I envy you; you have everything I would love to have."

"Oh, I don't think you'd want my life. Your life seems to be going along pretty great," I said with a smile to counter my sadness. "You're gorgeous, you're single, and your career is soaring. Ted was certainly captivated by you. Funny, though, you seemed to go out of your way to ignore him. Is that how you keep all the guys interested?"

Maria sighed and shook her head. "No, I run into men like Ted every day of the week. They think they're God's gift to women. And I have no doubt that he only has to snap his finger, and most women will jump into bed with him. I have no use for men like that. If truth be told, I want someone I can count on. I want someone who will love me for me and not because I'm a television star."

"Really, I, and just about everyone else, think you have the world by its tail," I said with a laugh.

Maria smiled sadly. "Then you and everyone else would be wrong. It gets really old not being able to go out without people coming up to you all the time. I meant it when I said I hate being famous. I can't keep a boyfriend because they are quickly intimidated by me. I'll let you in on a little secret; it's kind of lonely."

"I'm really sorry to hear that," I said with all sincerity. "If you're looking for a friendly ear, you can always bend mine."

"You're sweet, Andy," Maria said as she scooped up her papers, started to leave, but then stopped. "If you don't think your wife would mind, I could use someone to talk to from time to time. Someone who isn't looking to use me."

"Here's my card," I handed Maria my business card. "You can call me any time. Well, preferably during daylight hours, but I'm up usually to midnight and up at six in the morning. But if you're really stressed out, you can call whenever. I don't promise to make much sense in the middle of the night, though."

Maria laughed and kissed me on the cheek. "Thank you. I really appreciate that. Also, I'm hoping to do a story about corruption in Hollywood. Would you be interested in working on something like that?"

"I'm interested in doing any writing," I said quickly. "I'll tackle anything. And I'll get these rewrites done so you'll have them first thing in the morning."

I grabbed my bag and headed out. I had a lot of rewriting to do tonight and would probably be up till the wee hours. I'd just stop in the room and let Cassie know, so she wouldn't freak when I came in at three or four in the morning.

As I was passing Ted's room, the door opened, and Cassie came out. Her lipstick was smeared, her hair was messed, her dress was still hitched up slightly. My eyes narrowed as much as Cassie's widened. We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity.

Finally, Cassie spoke. "Nothing happened."

As much as I feared that I was losing Cassie to Ted, having the evidence pushed right in my face ripped my heart out. Every emotion possible flashed through me for those few seconds. I was frozen in place for a couple of seconds longer.

With anger and hurt choking me, all I could think to say was, "Sign the divorce papers and file them."

As I turned to leave, Cassie grabbed my arm. "Nothing happened. Ted got fresh, and I left. Andy, we need to talk."

I pulled my arm free and turned immediately, walking swiftly down the hall. I had to get away. If I stayed, I didn't know what I would do to either Cassie or Ted.

"Please, Andy, don't walk away," I heard Cassie sob. "Nothing happened."