Take It or Leave It

In his Freshman year of college Mark Jenkins was worried about passing Calculus. He thought it would be like the other math classes but quickly discovered it wasn't. Just when he thought he was getting it he barely passed the mid-term exam and was desperate for help. He told his steady girlfriend Millie that he would be getting a tutor and that the time they had together would be greatly reduced.

"What am I supposed to be doing when you are studying?" She asked very upset. "How long will this last?"

"Just to the end of the semester."

"Well, I don't like it but I guess I can wait a month or so."

The next day he put out an ad for a tutor and a few days later got two applications. The first one was from a big guy that sweat a lot and had bad breath. The second one was from a hot redhead girl with sparkling green eyes. And believe it or not her name was Scarlett O'Hara. To make things even weirder she was from Atlanta Georgia. He accepted her to be his tutor and was shaking her hand when Millie walked into the Library conference room where the interview was held.

"I'll see you soon Mark," Scarlett grinned and ignored Millie as she turned and left.

"Don't tell me you are considering her," Millie growled at him.

"Babe she's perfect. She aced the mid-term exam and is only talking 8 credits this semester. And her off-time matches mine perfectly."

"I bet it does. I saw the way she was looking at you. There is no way I'm going to let her be your tutor."

"You're being ridiculous. Listen to me, I've only received two names and the other guy was a fat pig and smelled like one too. I've already told her that she will be my tutor."

"Are you sure? If you do this then things will be changing between us." She glared into his blue eyes.

"Do you realize how important this is to me. This is the last math class I need to get into the Civil Engineering School. Please honey."

"NO.....TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT. If tomorrow she is your tutor then that's it we are done. D-O-N-E done." She turned and walked away. That night she didn't return any of his texts, emails or calls.

He didn't get much sleep that night and checked again and saw that no one else applied for the tutor position. "Shit...I can't mess up my scholarship. She has to understand that and I know she will be mad for a while but...."

Millie wouldn't return his calls so he started meeting Scarlett again in the study room. He figured his girlfriend would calm down and understand. After a week away he was walking to talk to her about it and froze when he saw her getting into a car with another guy. When they sat inside she turned, pulled him to her and kissed his open mouth wet and deep.

Millie was walking with a friend from one of her classes when she saw Mark walking her way. After discovering that he kept the hot tutor she was pissed and didn't return his calls to see if that would convince him to give her up. It didn't work so she knew she had to raise the bar. "Jeff get in your car now."

"What? Why?"

"Just do it quick now!" She hurried and moved into the passenger door next to him. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Mark staring at them and suddenly pulled the surprised guy's mouth to hers. Her lips opened and her slashing tongue played and toyed with his. After a few minutes she glanced to the front and noticed he was gone. Jeff's hand reached up and cupped her breast but she jerked it away. "What kind of girl do you think I am?"

Scarlett was shocked when Mark paid her for three weeks of tutoring. "But you have another two weeks before the end term test."

"You've helped me immensely understand what I need to know. But I have to stop this now for personal reasons. If things don't work out I hope you will let me call you."

"Definitely. I like you Mark...a lot." She gave him a light hug and kiss on the cheek before leaving.

Millie was hiding in the bookshelves when the red-haired girl walked out of the room She saw a few tears on the girl's cheek and smiled. The next day she walked into the library study room. "Thank you honey."

He was still angry for her kissing the guy in the car and knew that she had seen him coming. "Did you fuck him?"

"NO! Of course not. It was just a kiss. I only love you baby."

"Leave please I have to study." He heard the door close and focused on Calculus. Suddenly things started clicking and two weeks later he not only passed the class he made one of the highest scores on the final.

It took Millie a while to get Mark back into her arms and bed again. She did love him but couldn't take the chance that another woman would steal him away. A few months later they moved into an off-campus apartment together and during the Christmas Holiday he proposed. A month after their graduation they were married and spent a wonderful week on their honeymoon in Aruba.

As perfect as his life with his new bride was he never forgot the 'take it or leave it' demand she threw at him almost costing him his scholarship. They excelled in their new jobs and soon were both making near the six-digit level. They purchased a nice tri-level house on a lake only thirty minutes from their jobs. It was six years later when he asked when they were going to start a family expecting her to be excited. But she ignored his question. "Well?"

"Honey I just got an assignment to travel to Europe six times per year to do audits. I won't be able to have kids for the next few years."

"And how long will an audit last?" He snapped back at her totally pissed.

"One to two weeks," she answered as a matter of fact.

"So, let me get this straight. Two weeks per month and six months per year equals 12 weeks per year you will be running around Europe. Is that right?"

"Uh maybe less if we finish the audit a head of time."

"WE...you said WE. Do you know who WE is?"

"Well yes he is Randy Bannon. You met him at the Christmas party."

"Oh yeah he's the bastard that tried to dry-hump you on the dance floor. Before that you complained that he's been flirting with you and bringing you gifts."

"That was before and this is now. It's too late to change anything. My position has already been replaced and Randy and I have been going to Audit training. We are leaving for Rome next Friday."

"Well, I have one thing to say, "NO so, TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT!" If tomorrow he or any other man is your audit partner then that's it we are done. D-O-N-E done."

"But...but I could lose my job and I'm not willing to do that. Nothing is going to happen baby."

He turned and walked away. She followed him and begged him to rethink his position. He packed a bag and drove over to his brother Ted's condo. That night and the rest of the weekend he didn't return any of her texts, emails or calls.

Since he ignored her she planned to go ahead with the trip on Friday. This was her job and he was being selfish. They had just bought the house and she knew he wouldn't give up their five years of marriage." So, she decided to do the only thing left for her. She would lie.

Mark was sitting on Ted's patio drinking a cold beer when he heard the side gate open. He turned to see his wife in a sexy yellow sundress. "I told you that we are done Millie."

"I talked to my boss and Jessica Hollis is now going in Randy's place. Won't you come home now so I can show you how much you mean to me?"

"No, I'm still pissed that all of this was planned weeks ago and you waited until now to dump it on me. Plus, it's not just you are going away with asshole, it's also because we talked about getting you pregnant once we buy a nice house."

She knew she had to keep lying. "Uh...uh..I told my boss that I would only do this for a few trips and he would have to find my replacement. I want to have kids too." She figured once the trips started she could convince him how important it was to her.

"I'll think about it. Now leave."

"But Mark."

"Get, vamoose, exit, LEAVE!"

She took a step closer but he glared at her angrily and she sighed and turned. Ted came out of the house a few minutes later. "She lied you know. She's always had this tell by saying Uh...Uh first."

"You saw it too huh?" Mark sighed and sat back. "I'm sad to say that we are done. I'll wait until she leaves to start the ball rolling."

"Use my divorce lawyer. She's cute as a button but meaner than a bulldog. And in the court room she goes straight for the jugular.

I don't want to hurt her that bad. I had my chance before we were married to cut the string but didn't do it. She was going to let me fail a class I had to have to get into some engineering classes. But I backed down and let her have her way. Big mistake." He thought about the girl who tutored him and went inside to his laptop. "Let's see, how could I ever forget that name?" Ten minutes later he found her on Facebook.

On Monday morning he got Millie's text, "Mark have you decided to come home? I'm leaving with Jessica on Friday and would like to spend at least one night in our bed with you before I go. I'm giving you everything you want so what's the problem?"

He read her text and called her office. "Hanger and Son. May I help you?"

"Yes would you connect me to Jessica Hollis please. I'm relative of hers from out of town and would love to talk to her?"

"Certainly, one moment. No wait, she is no longer here. She left a few days ago on Maternity leave."

"That's great. I'm sure she is anxious for her first child?"

"But, she already has two kids. Who did you say you were?"

He pushed the red button on his phone.

On Wednesday Millie once again showed up unannounced on Ted's patio. "Why are you being so difficult about this Mark?"

He leaned back and glared at her. "Do you remember when we were dating in college you were angry with a tutor I selected?"

"Yes, so what? I could tell she wanted to hop into your bed. I had a right to be mad."

"You didn't care one bit that my grade on the final test would determine my future. Then you staged a hot kiss with a guy to make me jealous."

"Well, you hired the bitch anyway, so I was desperate."

"I still remember your ultimatum, 'TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT'. So now it's my turn. If you go on this audit we are done. D-O-N-E!"

"It's my job and dammit I'm going. I'll see you when I get back." She moved to him to kiss him but he held her away.

He did not hear from her on Friday and drove back to their home. Her large suitcase was missing and a bunch of her clothes. He now had a week or two to clear out all of her stuff and to split their savings and checking accounts. After stopping their joint credit cards and their Costco card he changed the passwords on their on-line shopping accounts and removed her from his life insurance policy.

"I can't believe that this just happened," Randy whispered while spooning up against Millie's bare ass. His right hand was hooked under her arm and was toying with her hard nipple.

Millie's mind was on the angry image of her husband's face when he said they were done. She had just faked an orgasm with the office predator and felt his juices leaking from her unsatisfied sex. "Why don't we get on one of the tour buses and see Rome?"

"Rome? Why would you want to see Rome when you have me here naked in your bed? I'm sure a blowjob will get me up and ready again."

"Randy this is wrong. I've made a major mistake and we can't ever do this again. I love my husband and can't risk the chance of losing him so when we get back I'm resigning my job. Now leave."

He was pissed and called her a few horrible names, one of which was prick teaser and another was a frigid bitch. They managed to get through the audit but with a lack of communication it took two weeks. Meanwhile she kept calling and leaving Mark messages about how she missed him and couldn't wait to hold him in her arms again. Each night when she couldn't find a message back from him she cried herself to sleep.

The plane was tossed and turned from a big storm front moving in. A lot of passengers were praying that they would make it safely to the airport. Millie's knuckles were white from grabbing on the armrests of her seat. The plane was blown a little sideways but the engines held it on the runway.

Once safely landed and at the gate, Randy didn't wait for her as she took her time getting her bag down. Since she didn't want Mark to see Randy get off the plane with her she didn't ask him to pick her up. After taking a cab home she tried to open their front door but the key didn't work. The breeze was quite strong and was blowing her hair in her face as she rang the doorbell. She heard someone opening the door and was about to jump into Mark's arms when a beautiful woman with short red-hair appeared. Behind her was Jessica Hollis smiling.

"SCARLETT! WHAT....WHAT ARE YOU...."

"Doing here?" the green-eyed beauty finished. "You see, I now live here and you my dear are GONE WITH THE WIND!"

"Where's my husband? I want to see him now! What are you doing here Jessica?"

"It seems you used my name trying to cover up your tryst with Randy. I want everyone to know that I was NOT part of your cheating ass plan. Oh, and by the way, everyone in the office knows how you lied to your husband."

"OK...OK but my name is also on the title of this house so get the hell out now."

Mark moved around Scarlett and Jessica and stood with his arms crossed. "I told you that we are done. It will take you having a court order to get back in here. I doubt if you can get one until Monday so get the fuck off of this porch you cheating bitch."

"Mark please. We need to talk. I'm going to resign on Monday. All of this can be put behind us."

"We're done. D-O-N-E! Have a horrible life Millie." He grunted before walking back into the house and slamming the door behind him.

"Whew, I wish that it's over but I know she's too bull-headed to quit. Anyway, thank you Scarlett and Jessica for stopping by to greet her. Please keep me up to date concerning your baby Jessica. And Scarlett I hope that we can...."

"So do I," she finished his statement.

Fini

As you can see I used a lot of your comments and suggestions to correct some errors and answer some questions. Sorry but I couldn't find a good place to say, "Frankly Millie I don't give a damn." Also, I'm checking out the editor listing, which will slow down the process but evidently that's a good thing. SLICK