The Boss Pt. 02

Previously: Cal Sanders had a good marriage with Connie and a dream job with his old friend Toni Lapiro. Then one day Toni started a new relationship with a married woman and made sure to relate to Cal all the particulars except the name of her lover. Cal finally figured out that Madame X was his loving wife. This is the second and final chapter where he comes to terms with the betrayal.

There is no sex in this chapter.

I finally collapsed and must have passed out. I know it didn't feel like sleep when I woke as I certainly wasn't refreshed in any way. My mouth tasted like bile. I was shivering from lying in the dewy grass without a jacket on. My clothes were soaked from the dew. My eyes were crusted shut from all the tears I had shed. Once I rubbed the grit out, they were dry and itchy. Maybe I would have an allergic reaction to something and I would die, choking as my throat swelled shut. Nah, I couldn't get that lucky.

I finally looked around to get my bearings. I certainly wasn't in a cave or Superman's Fortress of Solitude. I was in a pivot corner on a farm. For those who don't know what that is, it is the area where the pivot irrigation system can't get into the corner. Farmers sometimes plant cover crops there but this farmer had let it go back to prairie and the native grass was about two foot tall and thick and very wet from the dew. I realized I was only about a mile from my condo as the condo was near the edge of town in a new development. I know I ran for miles but, since I wasn't trying to run in a straight line, had slowly veered to my left and had almost ran a circle. What luck to have run away and almost ran home again. I wonder what Freud would have made of that.

A car came down the paved county road that edged the field so I ducked down in the tall grass again. I have no idea who it was in the car but somehow I got the feeling that the two lovers would be out trying to find me. It suddenly gelled in my mind why the partnership contract was so onerous. Toni thought that she was calling all the shots. If I tried to buck her in any way, work slowdown, go public, divorce Connie, out them, or any other thing I might try to do she would destroy me and my career. At least she thinks so. She should have waited until her lawyer went through the agreement.

Now what? What is my next step? I felt in my pocket and found my wallet and my cell phone. The battery was dead so I had no idea how many missed calls and texts I might have. I also believe that with a dead battery the phone can't be tracked even by the police. I guess I didn't need to charge the phone for a while.

I sat in the grass so my head would be the only thing visible from the road. As it was a Monday the traffic was fairly heavy with commuters headed to jobs in town.

Sitting there wasn't helping my clothes dry so I waited until the morning rush was over and then made my way to the road ditch. I proceeded back towards town facing traffic so I could get off the narrow shoulder when a car approached. I certainly didn't want to be hit. It would be my luck to survive but be badly injured and not able to escape the twosome.

As I walked I tried to figure out how to make them pay for their treachery. Should I get a gun and shoot them both in the groin? Nope, fast way to jail. Should I get to my car and run them down when they come out of a restaurant? Nope, again that was a fast way to jail. I toyed with multiple ways to exact revenge without figuring a way to stay out of jail. And it was complicated by the fact that Toni was the one who schmoozed with the local rich and famous to build the business. I was just the designer and I figured I had little or no political clout.

Should I divorce Connie? I mentally debated doing that. If I filed on her I would have to pay for all the attorney's fees, both hers and mine. That was a common complaint from friends whose marriages had cratered. The one who files pays the freight. A couple of friends, both male and female, had been financially and emotionally broken when the spouse had fought the divorce tooth and nail.

No, why give her what she wants. She would then have most of our assets and be free to marry Toni. That would be what Toni would want also. Why else had she pursued my wife but to take her away from me?

Deep in thought I almost didn't hear the tires on the road and almost got slammed by the mirrors on a huge pickup as it went by. Only the horn honk made me look up in time to step aside and almost fall into the ditch. I needed to keep my head in the game here.

That mile back to the condo didn't take long enough to make decisions. I was still debating my near and far future in my mind as I came to the corner down the street from my former home. I stopped and peeked around the near building. Thankfully I saw only my car sitting in front of the once happy home but was now just a hollow building.

Now how to approach this? I wanted some clothes and my toiletries. Well, maybe not my razor. I had no need to maintain my clean shaven visage now. Maybe a goatee would look good. I smiled at the mental image of mutton chops on my narrow face. Hey, maybe I still had a sense of humor.

Eschewing the sidewalk I quickly made my way straight down the front of the townhomes to my car. I quickly unlocked it and started up and moved it to where it could not be blocked. Then I went back to the condo for some of my personal belongings. The place was devoid of life, thankfully. There was a note propped on the table but I ignored it. I grabbed my duffle bags instead of a suitcase. Duffle bags are a lot easier to maneuver if I needed to make a hasty withdrawal.

Soon I had everything I needed for a few days. Unless she changed the locks I could get in whenever I needed to get more of my clothes. I had my camera and my laptop with the appropriate chargers in their bags. It took a couple of trips out to the car. I took my stuff in order of importance so if disturbed I could make that hasty withdrawal.

I didn't take or want any of the photos. I looked at the various drawings and then went to check the nude oil I had done of Connie. It was missing. What a surprise. I suppose it was now prominently displayed in Toni's home. It hardened my heart some more.

Time to leave. I headed to the local branch of our bank where I made quick work of setting up a new account and having half of our savings and checking deposited there. That would give me some breathing room.

Next was a stop at Wal-Mart for a Trac phone. After activating it I called Jerry Caldwell, my attorney, and brought him up to speed. We now knew why the partnership was offered and why it was so onerous. Jerry wanted to know if I was going straight for a divorce and confirmed what I believed would happen. I decided to just be a ghost for a while until I could figure out what I really wanted to do. I know that at age thirty-three I was far from being over the hill so there was the distinct possibility I might want a wife again if I could get over the fear of rejection and humiliation.

He had me come by the office and I signed a power of attorney form for medical and financial matters. Connie had no say in what might become of me in case I was incapacitated somehow. I could even keep her from seeing me if I ended up in a hospital for any reason. That caused me to have a little less anxiety as I didn't want to see her in the near future and maybe forever.

Back in my car I put my old phone on the charger I kept in there at all times. I needed to do one more thing before becoming a ghost. After stopping for something to eat at one of the fast food joints, I powered up the phone and waited for the texts and missed phone calls to quit dinging their notifications before sending my own text.

It was to my boss, Toni Lapiro. Short and simple: I resign effective immediately. Send my final check with my left over vacation and sick leave to Constance. Do not try to contact me. This phone will be deactivated as soon as possible.

To my wife was another short and simple text. You may contact me through my attorney, Jerry Caldwell. He has my power of attorney in the event you need or wish to dispose of the condo. I have moved half of our checking and savings to a separate account.

After hitting "Send" I took the battery out of the phone and threw the whole thing in the nearest trash can. I then called my phone service provider and cancelled that phone. That should save Constance some money each month.

Now, where do I go? There were still some clothes and other objects at the condo but I finally decided they were just things. I could replace anything and probably live without all of it. I needed a job and a place to hang my hat, even though I don't wear one very often.

Renting a motel room, at least in a decent motel, was out as they would demand a credit card. I could be tracked by Constance, if she so desired, and that would lead to something I was not yet prepared to do: a confrontation.

I was still that wounded animal searching for that spot to lick my wounds. I knew that I shouldn't try for a job as a graphic designer, at least locally. Should I hang my shingle and become a one man shop? Maybe later, now I just needed something to occupy me and provide some cash to live on.

I didn't want to waste fuel just driving around so I went to the county park on the river about three miles outside of town. There I could park under a tree and use the shade as I contemplated my next move. I still wanted to hurt Toni somehow but couldn't figure out how at the moment. Late in the afternoon I finally decided to call Jenifer White at the office.

When I got connected to her I went straight to the point. "Jen, this is Cal Sanders. I just wanted you to know that I resigned this morning. Toni has done something so vile to me that I cannot remain there. No matter what she says about me leaving it is only because she seduced my wife and wants her for herself. I will miss all of you and the job but, like I said, I cannot stay there."

Jenifer was quick to reply, "Cal, I am so sorry. I didn't recognize the number that you called from. Shall I keep it a secret?"

"Yes, please. I have done away with my old phone and will never use that number again. I am also leaving town as soon as I decide on a destination. I will not probably call again."

"Well, let me fill you in. After Toni must have received your resignation she kind of went crazy. She ranted and yelled for quite a while before finally calling a meeting. She said you were taking a short leave of absence and she would be getting you back to work as soon as she got to her attorney. I don't know what she meant by that. I just know that without your input nothing seems to be getting done today."

"I know you are all good at your jobs. You will do fine without me."

I had to get off the phone with Jenifer as Jerry was trying to get hold of me. "Cal, it is starting already. Ms. Lapiro's attorney just contacted me. He is demanding that you return to work immediately or the contract penalties will be enforced to the fullest extent. I have to say I almost burst out laughing when he called. I don't know if he is incompetent or just not paying attention. I told him that he needed to reread the partnership agreement. I thought he was going to have a stroke because I wasn't agreeing to send you back to Zapiro toot sweet."

He went on while I chuckled. My grief over the loss of my marriage wasn't keeping me from seeing the humor in what was going on. "Also, a Constance Reynolds-Sanders has also contacted me. She wants some messages forwarded to you. Are you ready for them?"

"No, I have nothing to say to her and don't need her platitudes. It is all still too raw."

"I will put all of them in your file. When you are ready to read them I will send them to you or email them if that is what you prefer."

I agreed and he rang off stating he would contact me again after hearing from either Toni or her attorney. He was still chuckling as he anticipated some fireworks.

I got out and strolled on the river bank. Where it dipped down to the water I stopped and just watched. Small twigs were floating by. Small water bugs zipped across the more placid areas where the water slowly swirled next to the bank. I tossed a couple of small branches out into the stream. Near the center of the river the water moved faster than near the edge. I sat down and pondered how that was.

I really didn't care why I was just trying to keep from thinking and remembering. I had thought that Connie was going to be my partner in life and for life. We had grown so close over the years. I had hoped we would become like my grandparents, so close no one even thought of one without automatically thinking of the other. Complete harmony at the end of their lives had them happy and content to the very end. I don't know how long it took to get to that state of being but it was the only way I ever knew them.

Now, I find that I never knew her at all. She could and did betray me without any seeming guilt at all. She was having sex with me as well as sneaking around with Toni for lesbian love as much as possible. If she had come to me in the beginning and told me she was contemplating a sexual relationship with a woman I might have just accommodated her desires. No, it was the sneaking around and Toni's blatant conversations where she enticed me with her affair. Both showed the utmost in disrespect to me.

I needed to do something, anything before I let this whole situation overwhelm me. But where to go and what to do?

I finally had a rational thought. Why not do something so different it would be even harder to track me down. I did a quick search and found the number for Bell Dairy and made the call to Nancy.

"Hello, Nancy, this is Cal Sanders from Zapiro. How are you today?" We exchanged pleasantries and then I got down to business. "I am looking to broaden my horizons a little. Would you have a job opening for a city boy who wants to learn more about agriculture? I think expanding my knowledge base would be beneficial in my line of work and considering the area where we live."

She immediately agreed and wanted to know when I could join them. I told her tomorrow and she sounded pleased. "Cal, this is great. All of us in agriculture, especially in animal husbandry are in a constant fight against the Vegans and the vegetarians for all the misinformation they spout about how animals are utilized for food production. You might be a great spokesperson for the industry."

While I doubted I could be a spokesperson I knew I could slant any future design work to fight misinformation.

Since it was getting dark I decided to start out for the rural community where the dairy was. I could drive all night if necessary. That proved to be a little optimistic.

About three in the morning I was close to Raynardville, my destination, but I was dozing off at times. Thankfully there was little traffic. I finally pulled into a store parking lot and moved over to the passenger seat and reclined it. A jacket became my blanket and I was soon asleep. For the second night in a row I was homeless and not able to find a bed to lay my weary body on. At least I wouldn't wake up with soaked clothes.

Shortly after daybreak I woke stiff and sore. I got out and walked around the parking lot and then made my way to a diner for some breakfast and then headed on out to the dairy.

Jim had liked my work on his logo and proudly wore Flossie on his shirts but he doubted I could become an effective member of his team. So I worked hard and asked thousands of questions as I had no previous agriculture experience to help me out. Over the next weeks and then a couple of months I learned first how to clean the stalls, then worked my way up to using a small payloader to load the dried manure into the self-propelled manure spreader. Then it was off to the fields to spread the manure as organic fertilizer. Sometimes it had to be augmented by other fertilizer.

I helped clean the sewage system that transported the urine to the lagoon. The lagoon was crusted over and I was admonished multiple times to not fall over the handrail as the bacteria in the crust could be fatal if I got any into a wound or my mouth. I was working my way up to where I would also perform the actual milking and then maybe learn how to process the milk before the tank truck arrives to transport to the plant.

During that time I heard from Jim a couple of times. The first time was to be notified of a court hearing about the partnership agreement. Somehow the copy that Toni's attorney had in his possession did not have the final page with the I.P. Freely signature and the entire revised agreement was missing except for the signature page. In our response to the filing, a full copy of the agreement was attached for the judge's examination before the hearing. It should be a hoot.

The second contact from Jim was concerning Connie. She was selling the condo and wanted me to agree. I let Jerry handle it as he had my POA already. I didn't care what she did. I assumed she was moving in with Toni. Jerry did pass along a request for me to contact her. I just didn't know why she hadn't started divorce proceedings yet but I certainly wasn't going to initiate contact with her.

Then I got a text message from Jenifer White. She was getting fed up with Toni and wasn't alone in her displeasure. According to her Toni had become a nasty autocrat after my jumping ship. Work was suffering and clients were not pleased with the output.

I was sorry about that as the people Toni had available were very good and quite capable of doing very good work. Sometimes displeasure with the boss carries over into work production.

She also texted me that my replacement was someone I knew very intimately. Toni had brought Connie in as a partner and head designer. That was actually a little funny. Connie had the education but really didn't have the design flair or imagination needed. She also had no supervisory experience.

A couple of days later Jenifer texted and wanted to know when I was going to open a new shop. The entire team was ready to walk without notice. She felt that Connie and Toni were almost deliberately trying to make the team's lives so miserable that they might contact me and try to get me back. Her quote was, "Toni walks around all day saying 'If only Cal was here there would not be a problem.'" She also said that Connie was just sitting alone unless in the office with Toni as no one wanted to talk with her. The entire crew had figured out the relationship between the two and all were not pleased.

Jenifer did not try to get me to come back.

Then came the time for the hearing about the partnership. Jerry informed me that I had to attend. Even though the judge would probably hold in my favor, if I did not show up he might hold that against me.

I made sure my goatee was nicely groomed. My hair was pretty shaggy by then as I seemed to be too busy to get to a barber but, what the hell, why bother with my hair when I wear a cap all day. I was living in the bunk house at the dairy so my suit had a definite bovine air about it even though I did take a shower that morning. Since the hearing was at nine in the morning I left the dairy at four to make the four hour drive and give me a little wiggle room.

My suit was a little rumpled by the time we got into the courtroom. Connie and Toni were seated with Toni's attorney. Connie looked a little, how shall I put it, like she might be pregnant. It had been a few months since I left and she had just a little paunch going. I wondered who they got to be the sperm donor. Yeah, I am sure she was going to state it was mine. Too bad, unless she divorced me I didn't have to support her whelp.

Toni just looked pissed. I decided to enter alongside my attorney with a smile as a counterpoint. I might look like a hayseed but that didn't mean I couldn't be happy.