The Empty Nest Pt. 04

G'day all,

Here is the conclusion. Thanks to the hardy souls who have seen it through to the end.

Massive thanks to Favored for putting in the time to make this readable.

Love to hear your thoughts.

CharlieB4

*****

For the next couple of months we were like a couple of lovesick teenagers. Whenever we were together we had to be touching. I'd place my hand on her leg if sitting. We'd entwine fingers if standing, embracing and kissing whenever the opportunity arose, much to David's disgust.

When we were alone it was easy, meeting her friends was another matter. It made me feel very old going to functions with couples in their thirties. Charlie stayed close, which helped, but I still felt they were wondering what she was doing with me. On the other side it was much easier because I didn't really have a lot of close friends. More acquaintances or business associates, Charlie charmed the socks off all of them and I got a lot of admiring glances. I basked in her glow and was chuffed with the jealous looks I got from guys my own age.

We spent the weekends together and sometimes if she had a free period either side of noon she would bring some lunch to the office. Occasionally I got to have dessert there...if you know what I mean. Even a phone call from Brian to tell me the motion to appeal had been successful couldn't dampen my good mood.

Once again W.A.N.K. was successful in having the hearing brought forward. In fact, the chief judge ruled there was no need for a directions hearing and slated the appeal for four weeks' time. We organized a barrister in Canberra and spent a morning with him going through the case. After reading through our brief and asking a couple of questions, Tom laid it out for me.

"There are five basic principles the family court use in determining financial separation in divorce hearings. Three don't apply in this case," he held up his hand with three fingers raised ticking each off as he continued. "Firstly, in a relationship that has lasted this long whatever assets you had before the relationship are irrelevant unless there is a pre-nuptial agreement. Secondly the contribution to the assets by each party during the relationship won't be taken into account as your wife was the homemaker and you were providing the sole income. The third criteria the court can apply is who has custody of the children, as they are no longer dependent, that doesn't matter here either.

"So all we have to worry about is a straight division of assets which would be fifty/fifty but for your wife's age and employment prospects. Given she has no formal qualifications and is unlikely to be able to get a job whose salary would be commensurate with yours, you can expect to be asked to pay some form of alimony." Tom concluded.

'God', I thought, 'we are paying this guy nine hundred dollars an hour to state the bleeding obvious!' Before I could think of a clever way to say we already knew that, Brian intervened.

"How do you think the fact that Rachel already has sizable assets that she has previously tried to hide will affect the outcome?" He asked.

I had to stifle a laugh as I got the mental image of Rachel standing in front of a mirror asking does my asset look big in this. Brian shot me a quizzical look but the barrister didn't seem to notice. Tom placed his elbows on his desk, bringing his hands together forming a steeple which he then rested his chin on. He stayed like that, deep in thought about the question, like he was deciding if a man was going to live or die. Eventually he sat back and, after pausing once again for dramatic effect, we got the anticlimactic answer.

"We shall have to see on the day." No doubt he picked up on my eye roll so he continued. "If I was representing your wife I would play on the fact she needs enough money to support her for the next forty years. While you have a successful business, she has no real prospect of getting a job that would give her similar income to what she had with you. We, on the other hand, will argue that she has considerable means with the money she has and is currently in a relationship with another person."

"Who is the main reason she doesn't have more money!" I growled, exasperated with the whole process. "Do you think we can get it to fly? Our arguments I mean," I clarified my question after seeing a blank look on the barristers face.

"We'll definitely give it a good go, but you should know, Jeff, you will have to pay something. Possibly up to five million."

"That's what we thought," Brian agreed.

"I think that covers everything, I would like some documentation of your wife's current living arrangements, do you have any?"

"Nothing current," I said, then I added, "But I have a contact I can find out from."

"Great, you get on with that and we will talk closer to the hearing date." Tom closed the brief in front of him and pushed his chair back as he prepared to stand and see us out. "There's nothing else I should know is there?" He asked jovially.

I was almost standing myself and about to say no when Brian spoke.

"Yes, actually, there is." I looked at him with a blank face, "you had better tell him about the other ten million."

I sat back down as Tom spluttered, "What other ten million?"

"Umm," I stalled trying to think of how to say it. "I actually won thirty million but I split ten million off to my sister."

"Was she part of your family syndicate?" Tom inquired suspiciously.

"Well we didn't have a family syndicate, I hadn't bought a ticket before, and it was just a spur of the moment thing."

"You won the first time you had bought a ticket?" Tom gave an incredulous gasp as I nodded.

"This is fairytale stuff. They will have a field day with it! Is it in here?" He asked pointing to the brief. "Do you have any evidence to back up that your sister was a party to buying the ticket?"

"Yes, I called her before I bought it, I have the call log from my phone, and hers as well. Along with the lottery stub with date and the time five minutes after I spoke to her. I'm an independent director on the investment company we set up for her and it's in the list of companies I work for."

"So you are a director of a ten million dollar company that you set up for your sister after you won thirty million dollars"

I went on to explain I was an independent director of lots of companies that I was an accountant for. He still looked skeptical especially when I told him that it had over fourteen million in assets now.

"What did she do? Go into the drug business?"

"No, it's all legal and above board, although many of my farmer clients consider futures traders criminals." Tom was still digesting the additional information and didn't crack a smile at my attempt at humor.

"Does the opposition have a sniff of this?"

"Yes, they interviewed my sister."

"That puts a different complexion on things. They will run hard on this. It's their ticket to a ten million dollar settlement if they can disrupt your 'story'." Tom put his hands up and put visual quotation marks around the word story to let me know he didn't believe me.

"That's why we are retaining you, to make sure they don't disrupt anything." I replied, putting the ball firmly back into his court.

"Yes...yes I suppose that's right. The fact that it's an appeal will help. When you have three judges on the bench they tend to push things through quickly. Your wife's legal team won't get much time to question or badger witnesses. Anyway, that will do for now, I'll be in touch about a week before."

He swiveled in his chair and dropped our file on the floor behind his desk. He turned back after picking up another and placed it on his desk. We had been dismissed. Outside I looked around for something to kick but could see nothing. Instead I took out my frustrations by slamming the door of the car.

"Easy Jeff," Brian said getting into the passenger's seat.

I ignored him and pointed the car for home. Outside the city limits I planted my foot firmly on the accelerator. Soon after my day got a lot worse when over the crest of a hill I happened upon a radar trap. Fifteen minutes, four hundred dollars and four points off my license later, I was even angrier.

After dropping Brian off, I went home still in a foul mood. David was in the garden, mowing the lawn. A real estate agent was coming tomorrow to have a look and give me their pitch to sell it. He looked up and waved, I nodded curtly, slammed the door and went inside.

I don't know why I was so steamed up. It wasn't as though it had been what I expected. The whole thing was getting me down. I needed to get out and forget about it. I looked in the mirror hanging over the fireplace. Surprisingly, Rachel's voice chirped in my head.

"You need a holiday."

I gazed at the bags under my eyes and said to my reflection. "Yes, I think you do."

Of course Charlie chose that moment to walk in the front door.

"You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of madness." She stated, walking behind me and pinching my bum.

I didn't flinch, instead turning to address her as she walked towards the fridge.

"When does the next lot of school holidays start?"

"Not this Friday but next thank god." Charlie had a bottle of wine out and was pouring herself a glass. "Do you want one?"

"No thanks," I replied walking towards her.

I walked behind her put my arms around her middle and pressed my face into her hair. Damn I loved the smell of her. She wiggled her tush against me and I felt the stirrings of an erection.

"Hey, you old tomcat, you do realize my sons outside?"

I ignored her, "Let's get away on a holiday." I murmured pulling her back against me.

"I've got to work." Charlie said as she leaned back languidly.

"I'm sure the school wouldn't miss you for a week and then its holidays anyway." I argued.

"I've got a payment to make."

"Yes but you have a very forgiving banker." I tucked her hair out of the way and nuzzled her neck.

She swiveled in my arms and pushed me back a little so she could see my face.

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"Yep."

"But where will we go?"

"Whereever you want?"

"David..."

I cut in, "Can come with us."

"Hmm, you appear to have thought of everything." She smirked and hugged me.

"Not really, only thought of it when you walked in the door. Spur of the moment sort of thing."

"That's not your style at all."

"Maybe you're rubbing off on me." I ventured.

"Alright, I'll ask at school tomorrow but you decide where we go." Charlie kissed me in the lips then pushed me away. "Now get out of my way so I can get dinner."

I went and got my iPad and bought it back to the kitchen so we could keep talking. I punched in 'holiday' to a search engine and looked through what came up. I was scrolling through pages when an idea hit me.

"Hey, Charlie, why don't we have a mystery tour?" She gave me a quizzical look as she peeled the husk off a corn cob. "We go to Sydney and get one of the airlines mystery flights. Spend a few days there then get back on another mystery flight to somewhere else. Play it completely by ear, no bookings, and no deadlines. If we are having fun we stay, if it's getting dull we go somewhere else."

"For how long?"

"How long are the school holidays?"

"Two weeks."

"Alright then, we go this weekend for three weeks and we are back for the start of school." I said, suddenly feeling very excited.

Charlie was dubious but her boss didn't object, so we went for three weeks. It probably helped that I did his annual tax returns and help him with his superannuation fund. The first flight took us to Adelaide, and from there we crisscrossed the country for three weeks. Starting in Alice Springs then Perth followed by Hobart, Melbourne, and Brisbane. We were sick of airplanes by the end of it.

Too soon we were home and back to reality. The hearing date before the full bench of the family court was only four days away. I met with Brian, my lawyer, but no new problems had surfaced. I spoke to two of my daughters. They were a little cool with me, it had been like that since I'd told them I was in a new relationship. I suspected Rachel was whispering in their ears. Also I suppose they were still coming to terms with their parent's separation and now we both had new partners. Well I hoped I did.

My third and youngest daughter wouldn't speak to me at all. I called several times, left messages and got no reply. When I finally connected with a real person I got her husband. He made an excuse for his wife about why she couldn't come to the phone but I could tell it was a lie. I was disappointed but I hoped once all the court business was over with we could reconnect.

The night before the court hearing, Charlie and I drove to Canberra after dropping David at a friend's house. I would have preferred to go alone, however, Charlie was being called to give evidence. I couldn't see what the defense was chasing, no doubt all would be revealed tomorrow.

We stayed at a small boutique hotel. I was thinking of going five star but decided against it. The chances of running into Rachel would be too great. Catching a taxi to Kingston, Charlie and I strolled along the row of restaurants looking at the menus. We settled on a little Italian place with most of its tables full. If the locals like it, it must be alright. Dinner was okay but we just weren't in the mood. Tomorrow weighed heavily on both our minds. We left without dessert and strolled for half an hour in the general direction of our hotel before hailing a cab for the rest of the journey.

I woke early the next day. I got out of bed and checked what the day was looking like outside through a gap in the curtains. In the pre-dawn gloom I saw there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I hoped that was a good omen. I nearly jumped out of my skin when a hand touched my shoulder. I hadn't heard Charlie get out of bed.

"Come back to bed, honey, it's only five thirty." She mumbled.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I just couldn't get back to sleep."

"Who says we have to sleep?" Charlie said snuggling up behind me while one of her hands slipped down the front of my pajama trousers.

"My god, you are insatiable." I said grinning.

"That's not a complaint is it?" She asked huskily as her nails lightly raked the underside of my scrotum.

"Definitely not," I replied turning around to face her.

Grabbing my hard cock which now protruded out the fly of my pants she led me to the bed. We made love, then I fell fast asleep with my head on her breast. The alarm woke me with a start sometime later and neither of us had moved.

After a shower we strolled towards the center of the city. Amongst the hustle and bustle we found a quiet coffee shop and got a table for breakfast. My sister had called and was going to meet us so we just got coffee while we perused the menu. A sleek shiny new red Audi convertible pulled up out the front and my sister got out. When she came inside I waved at her and she came over.

"Hi Jeff," she said smiling broadly as she took off her sunglasses before giving me a hug.

"Hi Jackie," she looked at me then at Charlie expectantly. "Oh right, Jackie, this is my, err, girlfriend, Charlie. Charlie, my sister, Jackie."

"Hi Charlie, Jeffrey has told me absolutely nothing about you so I'm going to be asking lots of questions!" Jackie said jokingly as she shook Charlie's hand.

"I know how you feel, I thought he was an only child before this court case," Charlie agreed.

The girls sat down and barely drew breath for the next thirty minutes. Anyone watching would have thought they'd known each other for years. I watched on in silence, grimacing occasionally when the conversation focused on one of my many deficiencies. Butting in, I tried to change the subject.

"Nice car, is it new?"

"That old thing, I've had it for four months, there's a new model coming out next month so I'm going to flip it."

My accountant brain kicked in and I must have looked horrified as I automatically calculated the tax implications.

"Oh and you and Charlie will have to come to Sydney and see my new house."

"New house? Don't you know Sydney real estate is estimated by major ratings agencies to be fifteen percent overvalued." I said my exasperation showing.

"Oh come on brother I'm just teasing." Jackie said laughing at me then she turned conspiratorially towards Charlie. "You'll have to watch him you know. He'll have you living in a grass hut eating berries if he thinks it can save him money."

"He's not that bad," Charlie replied defending me.

"I know Charlie but he is fun to stir up." They both giggled like little girls and I went red.

"So, have you bought a house?" I asked once the merriment had subsided.

"Yes, a nice recently renovated three bedroom place in Balmain with water views."

"Sounds expensive."

"Just under three."

"Hundred thousand..."

"Oh Jeffery, I thought you knew about Sydney property. You couldn't get a one bedroom bedsit in a Balmain for three hundred thousand. Million, old boy, million." She watched my sour expression with a bemused look before winking at me. "I've got fourteen million in the bank dear brother. Normal people would spend some of it."

Suddenly it dawned on me what was going on. A preemptive strike before the court case.

"Yes, I suppose normal people would."

We finished breakfast and walked the rest of the way to the family court. After waiting outside in the sun for a while we headed inside. It was still thirty minutes till our time slot but we thought we'd better try to catch up with our lawyers. We found Brian in the coffee shop tucking into a donut. He let us know Tom, the barrister, wouldn't be there until just before because he was in mediation elsewhere in the building at present. We left him to eat and went to sit outside our allotted court room.

Ten minutes before start time a clerk opened the doors. A young guy in a suit that had been sitting nearby disappeared down the corridor taking into his cell phone. When he reappeared he was part of a procession led by Nigel from Waters, Anderson, Nelson and Kerr. Rachel was next with Jacques by her side. On her other side, our youngest daughter held her other hand and looked daggers at Charlie and me. A couple of junior lawyers and Rachel's solicitor rounded out the posse. They filed inside without looking at us.

With five minutes till kick off Brian appeared still devouring a muffin. He poked his head in the courtroom door and got the clerks attention. The clerk took Charlie and Jackie further down the corridor and through another door to a waiting room. Brian and I went inside the courtroom and took our places.

It was actually light and airy in a sleek modern office sort of way. The judge's bench was on a slightly elevated area at one end. Three large black leather swivel chairs stood empty behind a bench, a microphone protruded up from the bench in front of each chair.

In front of that and slightly lower were the court staff sitting behind computers. There was another chair in a separate area just to their left I assumed was for any witnesses. Brian and I sat behind a white topped desk just across from the court staff. It had a microphone and various power cords scattered on it. Tom, my barrister, came in and plugged in a tablet then sat down scrolling through his phone.

Behind us was a tiny area for spectators or friends but those seats were empty in my case. To our left, on Rachel's side, my daughter and Jacques sat behind my soon to be ex-wife and her legal team. The clerk of the court at the front stood and asked that we all stand and the three judges walked in and sat in their chairs.

There were the usual introductions before the chief judge told Nigel to begin. He stood and began with a short expression of gratitude to the judges for allowing the appeal then asked for the clerk to call in Charlie. She appeared through a side door and sat facing us in the chair to the left of the court staff.