The Book

"My lawyer tells me I have a very good chance of getting a share of the book, but you can talk to your lawyer about it. Goodbye Clare, I guess all future contacts should be with our lawyers so have a good life."

I hung up before she could respond. Now, I had one more thing to do and that would be after the divorce was granted. That would be to send a copy of the DVD to her parents. It was just a little token of a revenge in addition to any monetary gain I hoped to realize from her book.

EPILOGUE

It took about six months for our divorce to be finalized. There was much negotiation between the lawyers but I finally got 40% of her book earnings since I had financed and supported her during much of her research and writing. Eventually, I received over a quarter million dollars for my share since the book went to the best seller list and was even rated top seller for a month.

Professor Holcomb was taken to the cleaners by his wife and even though he was tenured the university made him resign or they would make his indiscretion public. He acquiesced and resigned.

It was a year after the divorce and he was having lunch by myself in a local restaurant when heard a familiar voice.

"Can I join you?"

I looked up to see Clare standing there looking at me expectantly. She looked very attractive and well dressed. Just as I would expect a best selling artist to look. Standing up I invited her to sit down.

"How are you doing Clare? Its been awhile and you look very nice."

"I'm doing quite well. I'm working on a new novel." and she added with a smirk. "And I don't plan to share any of it with you this time."

Laughing, I responded, "I'm sure it will be a great success."

It was funny that I could be relaxed with my ex-wife now that the emotional turmoil that had been part of our divorce was long past.

"So how have you been doing? Anyone new that has a romantic interest in your life?"

"No, just the occasional date but nothing serious. I'm in no hurry to jump back into the fire again. How about yourself?"

She paled a little at my remark but continued with a smile.

"I'm alone, like you, no romantic interests."

"What happened to Eileen? I thought she and homosexuality were your thing."

She seemed a little reluctant to answer me but after a pause she acknowledged something to me. "My affair with Eileen only lasted a few months and the newness and excitement seemed to wear off and we split up. I haven't been with another woman since. I'll have to admit that when I look back on it I realize what I'd given up when we split and I'm really sorry about the whole thing."

"I guess I've had my regrets to but trust is so easily lost and so hard to regain."

"I think I'm still mad at you for sending that DVD to my parents though. They are just coming around now to talking to me again."

I guess I just wanted some revenge for the way you were playing me."

"I've often wondered." she said. "How did you discover my indiscretion with Eileen? Its bothered me quite a bit because I tried to keep you from finding out until after the book was a reality."

I thought back a moment to recall that moment when I first suspected something and I still felt puzzled about it as I responded.

"Do you remember that soiree at the dean's home? I believe it was during the Christmas holidays a couple of years ago."

"Yes, I remember, but I don't recall anything that I did there that involved Eileen."

I then went on to tell her about my feelings about the professor being a womanizer, talking with the professors wife, Jean, and her and the professor's reaction to seeing us talking together. This reaction coupled with fact that Jean had already caught the professor in an earlier affair had raised our suspicions that something of a more sexual nature than mentoring for a book was involved in their reaction at seeing us together. How we had thought that you didn't want us talking together for some reason.

Clare looked aghast before responding.

"As I recall we reacted that way because Randy and I been talking for some time and we'd forgotten about you two. It was because we suddenly had a very guilty conscience about neglecting you. We weren't involved together and certainly not worried about your talking together."

"Anyway," I told her, "Because we misinterpreted that reaction, we went and hired an investigator who discovered the professor's affair with the student, but never found that you and he were involved. Subsequently, because I was still suspicious, I hid some mini audio recorders around and caught your dalliance with Eileen. So it was your and the professor's innocent response at seeing Jean and I talking together that led to the discovery of two affairs and the dissolution of two marriages. How very strange."

THE END