Rich Man, Poor Man

One month before the wedding, I was asked to come to Mr. Colman's office; I knew the reason was the prenup. I didn't have a problem signing it; I had never thought of Rebecca in terms of her money or her dad's. She was all I wanted. I understood the precaution that Mr. Colman was taking but it still pissed me off a little; I felt that I had shown time and again that I wasn't a fortune hunter.

The lovely Sylvia told me to go right in and Mr. Colman stood and came to greet me when I entered his office. He wasn't alone; there was another man with him. It was his attorney, I thought. Mr. Colman introduced us and I was right; it was Carl Sanders the attorney for JCOL.

"Jamie, it's good to see you. Wedding plans coming along okay?" He was trying to put me at ease before getting down to business.

"Hello Mr. Colman. Yeah, the plans are all set; I looking forward to getting on with our lives after all this hoopla," I answered.

"Don't you think you could call me Jason?" He said with a smile.

"Okay, Jason then. Can we get on with this; I'm in the middle of installing a new program." I was going to sign the prenup but I'll be damned if I would jump through any hoops for him. Maybe I was playing with fire here, but all the phony friendliness was getting on my nerves.

Sanders laid out the agreement and began to explain all the clauses and stipulations. Basically if Rebecca and I got divorced for any reason, I would get whatever I came into the marriage with. Anything obtained or owned by Rebecca and I jointly would be split 50/50. I would receive $150,000 dollars for each year or partial year that we were married and if I was unfaithful during the marriage and it led to divorce I would get nothing.

I read the agreement and looked at Sanders. He asked if I understood and if I wanted my own attorney to look it over before I signed. I picked up a pen from the set on Mr. Colman's desk and made a few notations and changes to the agreement.

Sanders read over my shoulder as I was writing and I could see his eyes open wide with surprise. I finished my changes, handed the papers to Mr. Colman and said, "Make these changes, type it up and send it down to the dungeon with a notary and I'll sign it."

I turned and left the office before Mr. Colman or Sanders could stop me. A brave or maybe fool hardy action on my part some people would say but I wasn't the same young man trying to build a career that I had been when I started at JCOL. I liked the job and wanted to continue doing it but I could make it on my own. The royalties from my first program and the percentage of sales from the modified program and my consultant fees gave me enough money to live well if I was frugal.

Rebecca could tell something had upset me when I came home. I told her a project wasn't going well and apologized for my mood. She decided what I needed was a big dose of Becky affection; dinner was cold again before we got to it.

The next afternoon Sanders and Sylvia of all people came into my office with the amended agreement. I had deleted the clause concerning the money I would receive for each year of the marriage. Other changes stated that if we divorced both of us would leave with what we had brought into the marriage. Any assets gained during the marriage would be split 50/50 unless adultery was the reason for divorce; in that case the guilty party would get nothing. And I added that if infidelity by either of us was the reason for divorce then that would be listed as the grounds for divorce; not some generic irreconcilable differences.

After reading it, I signed and handed it back to Sanders and told him, "Now have Rebecca sign it, give me a copy and it's all legal. Now please leave, I have work to do."

Sanders handed the document to Sylvia who notarized my signature and he took the document and left. Sylvia was grinning and finally started to chuckle.

I looked at her, not understanding what was so funny.

"I just had to see Sanders' face when he handed you the amended agreement. It was priceless; I don't think anyone has ever dictated changes to anything he has ever written. That was almost as funny as what happened this morning," she told me and waited for my question.

"Okay, I'll play straight man. What happened this morning?"

"I don't know how but Rebecca heard about Jason ambushing you with the prenup and she came into his office this morning breathing fire. She swept right past my desk and cornered Jason behind his desk. My brother is a drill sergeant and I don't think he could have chewed ass any better. I mean she was ferocious. I thought I was going to pee my pants I was laughing so hard."

"Well I'm glad we could amuse you Sylvia," I said a little annoyed.

"Pull in your horns sonny boy; I'm on your side. I heard that bullshit about the board of directors that Jason fed you. I think he should have been straight with you from the start. Okay?"

I nodded, calmed down and thanked her for her thoughts. Sylvia patted me on the shoulder and went back to her throne.

That evening when I got home Rebecca was still fired up and started the minute I walked in the door. Why didn't you tell me and how could you stand to do that and I know you're not after my money and so on. Then she said that Daddy wouldn't be invited to the wedding and it would be a cold day in hell before she forgave him for insulting me.

I listened to her for a couple of minutes and walked over, put my arms around her, and kissed her. I sat down and pulled her onto my lap and held her. She tried to get up and then started giggling and finally relaxed.

"You have to invite your father, it would hurt him badly if you excluded him and you would regret it later. Just sign the damn prenup and let's get on with our lives," I told her. We spent most of the evening releasing the stress in a very romantic and physical way.

We had planned a small wedding, having to stand up to her dad to keep it from getting out of control. I did finally convince her to forgive her father. The ceremony was at my hotel in the small ball room with about 50 people in attendance, with a reception immediately following. Around 1 AM, Rebecca and I snuck away and went to my, I mean, our apartment upstairs. We would plan and take a honeymoon in a couple of months.

Rebecca had forgiven her dad and he showed up at the wedding by himself. He left Cindy or whoever the flavor of the month was at home. I guess Jason didn't want to cause any hoopla by bring a date that was as young as his daughter. For a wedding present he gave us a large block of stock in JCOL Enterprises; a gift whose monetary value was about two years combined salary.

Months later our honeymoon consisted of two weeks doing the things we both enjoyed. We stayed in Monterrey for a week playing golf at some of the most scenic courses in the U.S.; Pebble Beach, Spyglass, and Pacific Grove. The second week we roughed it; we camped at the Grand Canyon.

We hiked down the Bright Angel Trail to Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Canyon. The hike down was through a rocky, dry, and desert like land but when we got to the ranch it was like an oasis. We crossed two or three streams getting to the ranch and there were trees, plants, and wild flowers everywhere.

The accommodations for overnight visitors at Phantom Ranch are like a big bunk house. You share a large sleeping room and a bathroom with any other guests. It wasn't very romantic for two newlyweds on their honeymoon but we enjoyed the experience. The next morning we hiked back out and spent the night in Flagstaff before returning home.

When I started at JCOL I had sold my old truck because they furnished me with a company car. One month after our honeymoon I bought my own vehicle; it was the first I had owned for several years. Rebecca fell in love with the Harley CVO Softtail Convertible I chose. Since we couldn't get away for more than a three day weekend most of the time we rode the Harley for our adventures.

On our rides I would sometimes let Rebecca drive the Harley; I would sit behind her and help her with the gears and clutch until she was comfortable and then sit back and let her have it. We did that mostly on back roads with no traffic while she was learning and because she wasn't motorcycle qualified. For some reason the police took a dim view of untrained people driving motorcycles.

One Thursday evening Rebecca told me that she had a function to attend on Saturday and would be gone all day. I offered to go with her but she said it would be too boring for me and suggested that I play golf that day. She left at 7AM and when she wasn't home by four I began to worry but just as I started pacing she came dancing in the door.

Her hair was mussed, she looked flush, and had a twinkle in her eyes. I hate to admit it, but I thought about how she looked after our night in college. Rebecca bounced over to me threw her arms around me and beamed at me.

"Would you like to kiss you newly motorcycle qualified wife?"

"Huh?" A brilliant response if I do say so myself.

She waved her license at me and then pointed to the designation to show that she was a qualified rider. That's where she had been all day, taking a riding class which gave her the qualification. Rebecca was dancing around like a kid that brought home a report card with all A's. I was happy for her and ashamed of myself for what I had been thinking.

Two weeks later on a Friday evening I called her from in front of our hotel and asked her to come down and help me with something. She said she would be right down; I guess she never thought why I wouldn't have asked Jacob or the doorman to help me.

Rebecca came out the front door and stopped in her tracks. I was sitting on a new Harley Sportster 1200 smiling at her.

"You know we were on our honeymoon at the bottom of the Grand Canyon on your birthday and I forgot a present for you. I hope this bike will make up for my being late."

She bounced up and down for a few seconds and then ran over and jumped on me almost knocking me off the bike. That's one of the things I love about her, if she gets excited about something she reacts like a 16 year old. After we recovered from the near fall off the bike she jumped up behind me and told me to take her for a ride.

"Not me Becky. It's your bike, you drive it," I said and switched places with her.

Room service had to send another dinner up to our apartment that evening; we didn't get back from her little ride until almost 11 PM. I think she liked her present, in fact she showed me how much that night after dinner. Rebecca was bright eyed and full of energy the next morning; me I was dragging a little. Never mind I thought, it was all worth it. I had to talk her out of riding her birthday gift to work; it's hard to ride in a skirt and high heels without causing a scene.

Six months after the wedding I came home and Rebecca wearing my favorite outfit; a ribbon around her neck and a smile. An hour later, after a proper response to the way she was dressed, she asked me when I thought we should start a family. We had talked about children before and after our wedding; we both agreed that a family would be great. I told her anytime was good for me and she responded that she would stop her birth control pills at the end of the month.

"In the mean time I think we should practice making a baby, don't you?" She asked as she pulled me on top of her again. Who was I to argue with my wife?

And practice we did, for six months we practiced. We didn't expect anything to happen that first month; her body had to readjust itself after she went off the pill. But for the next five months we went at each other like teenagers. About the third month we started doing research on the internet about conceiving a baby. Rebecca made a chart and watched her temperature and all the others things women do when they want to get pregnant.

We never hit the home run we were looking for. Rebecca got more impatient with every passing month. Finally I suggested that we both see our doctors and have ourselves checked out. Who knows, maybe it's a vitamin deficiency I told her. We both went to our respective doctors the same day and waited for the results of our tests.

A few days later my doctor called me and told me that I was fine. My little swimmers were strong and plentiful and could have done an Ironman competition. I didn't call Rebecca; I would tell her the results that evening at home.

Rebecca wasn't home when I got there; it was a little unusual but not unheard of. When she wasn't home by 7 PM I started pacing and by 8 I started making phone calls trying to locate her. After the third call the phone rang before I could dial the next number on my list.

It was Hope General Hospital telling me that Rebecca had been in an accident. I don't believe there is a speed law that I didn't break on the way to the hospital.

Rushing into the ER, I found that Rebecca had already been admitted and was in a private room on the third floor. I checked with the nurse's station and was led to her room. I turned to the nurse in alarm but she said that Rebecca was sleeping not unconscious. I saw the scraps and abrasions on her face and on her arm and hand that wasn't covered by the cast she was wearing. My god, what could have caused all this, I asked myself.

Shortly the nurse came back and told me the doctor was at the nurse's station if I wanted to talk to him. I introduced myself and asked him about Rebecca's injuries and her prognosis.

"We've set her broken arm and it will heal fine, she has a badly bruised hip and it'll be sore for a couple of weeks but otherwise she's in pretty good shape." He looked at her chart and gave the nurse some instructions. "If it wasn't for the mild concussion she could go home, but we want to keep her for observation over night. That's our major concern, the rest of her injuries are really superficial although the road rash is hard to look at," Dr. Robins explained.

He patted me on the shoulder and continued, "The abrasions on the side of her face and on her back look worse than they are. I don't believe they will leave a scar. In a few weeks you'll have your wife back in all her glory."

"How did her face and back get so scraped up? I would think her seat belt and air bags would have protected her better. Did she get thrown out of the car?

"Mr. O'Connor your wife was riding a motorcycle when she had the accident. It's a good thing she was wearing a helmet and leathers or the outcome would have been far more serious."

I thanked the doctor and went back to Rebecca's room and sat next to her bed. Why the hell was she riding her motorcycle at night and from what I'd been told she was doing almost eighty when she wrecked. I was still a little stunned that Rebecca had been on her bike. Then I wondered what could have caused her to go nuts like this; it didn't make any sense to me.

Between the worry this evening about where she was, the speed run to the hospital, and the relief that she was okay I guess the stress got to me. I fell asleep sitting next to the bed holding her hand. It must have been about an hour later that the nurse came in and gently woke me up.

She said, "You have a call from a Mr. Colman; he said he was Mrs. O'Connor's father."

I went to the nurse's station and told Jason that Rebecca was going to be fine and explained her injuries. After promising that I would have her call him the next day, I hung up.

I went back to Rebecca's room; as I sat down she woke up. She looked around, confused and trying to decide where she was; then saw me. I've never seen such a look of abject sorrow as I saw on her face and then she started crying. I sat on the bed and put my arms around her; it was several minutes before I could get her calmed down.

"Care to tell me what made you do an Evel Knievel?" I asked. Now that I knew she was alright, I was really upset with her. I didn't expect the response I got.

"Jamie, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. Please forgive me." All of this while she was sobbing; I had a difficult time understanding what she was saying.

"Take it easy, Becky. It's not a big deal; we'll get you a new bike. Of course you won't be riding for a while, or driving either from what the doctor said. Hell, we're usually together anyway so transportation shouldn't be a problem," I said trying to calm her down. She didn't answer and went back to sleep as I held her.

I was able to take Rebecca home the next day and spent the rest of the weekend pampering her. She was uncomfortable and seemed very sad. I couldn't coax a smile out of her no matter what I did. I went back to work on Monday, but asked Jacob to have someone check in on Rebecca several times during the day.

Slowly Rebecca became more like her old self; but there was something lurking just under the surface. We would be talking in a group or watching TV and Rebecca would unexplainably submerge into herself. Sometimes she would come back but sometimes she was gone somewhere in her mind for several minutes. I was really beginning to worry about her; she was depressed and I couldn't find out why.

Three months after her accident she became more alive and seemed to be okay. We stared to make love again, but talking about a family seemed to upset her so I didn't mention it again. She was almost frantic when we made love and she tried too hard to have a good time we went to some function or just out by ourselves. She laughed too quickly, too loudly and she began to drink more; a lot more. Several times I almost had to carry her from the car to the elevator. By the second month I'd had enough; I was losing sleep worrying about Rebecca's actions.

One evening when we at a dance club with some friends, Rebecca really let loose. She was knocking back bourbon shots like they were lemonade. When she danced she started to get really wild; I normally didn't mind if she danced with some of our friends but this was too much. The final straw was when some guy from across the club asked her to dance.

I wasn't the jealous type, but this guy was a few years younger than our group and a stranger. I didn't like the looks of him. His hair was too perfect, his shirt was open almost to his waist showing off his chest, and he had several gold chains around his neck. I thought the "Disco Dan" look was long dead.

I came back from getting another round of drinks for our friends at the table and saw Rebecca dry humping this guy on the dance floor. It took me almost five seconds to get to where they were dancing; actually it was more like screwing with their clothes on. I stepped in between them and turned to the guy.

"Mind if I dance with my wife? C'mon honey let's get it on." I took Rebecca by her arm and tried to lead her away from this jerk. I hoped he would understand the word "wife", see that I was upset, and not get involved. It was getting a little late in life to start a fight in a bar.

"Well I think the lady wants to dance with me. I mean she can be with you anytime; let her have a little fun pal," he replied with a smirk.

He just had to call me pal didn't he; I didn't like it anymore now than I did back in college. "Hey buddy, she's had a hard time lately and she had a little too much to drink tonight. So please just walk away so I can take her home."

"I'll bring her home when we're done partying pal. You just run along if you have to go home," he told me, again with that smirk.

"You guys decide who gets me for the night and do it in a hurry, we're wasting party time," Rebecca said in a drunken slur.

That was when the guy made a very bad decision; he tried to pull Rebecca away from me. I didn't realize that I had hit him until I saw him on the floor. He started to get up and I went crazy for a little while; I guess I was releasing all the stress of the last four months.