Using A Twenty-Seven Year Old Free Card

I think she was trying to say she was sorry but all I heard was sniffling and crying coming out of her mouth. I only wished I hadn't dumped out everything, I could have used a stiff drink about now.

I avoided her for the next three hours. I put two bake potatoes in the oven, threw together a salad and picked out two steaks to put on the grill. She must have been up in her new room, because I had to call upstairs to tell her every thing was on the table.

We ate in silence like every night for the last few weeks but at least she was sober for a change. I thought about dessert but had no interest at this point.

"Did you enjoy it?" I said out of the blue.

When she didn't look up or say anything I had my answer. I was about to give her another shot when she spoke up for the first time.

"Was Becky better than me? She had to be a lot more experienced than me, because I was a virgin on our wedding night."

"Vicki, I don't remember, it was so long ago."

"Bullshit Steve, every guy remembers every girl he bedded. I've heard that phrase so many times before I know it by heart. And I know Becky wasn't your first either. How many were there, five, six, more?" she asked not backing off.

"She was my fourth if you must know. But they were all before we got together."

"Not all, but I guess Becky was a revenge fuck for what I did that night right? You can say it was my fault you cheated on me," Vicki said now angry herself. "Do you want to know how many nights I thought about that night? When we saw Becky on the street or in the mall and our eyes met I felt like she was taunting me. Yeah, I had your man before you did, and it was wonderful," she shouted at me. "But, I guess you were drunk also. Just when did you realize it was her you were fucking instead of me?"

"Vicki, we weren't married at the time."

"And that made it all right? It was ok to cheat on me just because we hadn't said our "I Do's" yet? And I guess after what? Three months I forgave you, took you back and everything was hunky dory? I did forgive your stupid mistake but I never forgot. So now the question of the hour, how many more months are you going to make me pay? One, two, never? That's what we're taking about now aren't we."

She was right. Even though I didn't agree with her reasoning, it all came down to what we were going to do going foreword.

"I'm too tired to think or talk any more," Vicki said standing up walking towards the stairs. "I won't ask to share your bed tonight because frankly I don't even want to. We can talk tomorrow or not, but like you, I can't go on much longer like this."

There was no I love you, or any other hint of emotion in her voice, only that of a tired and frustrated person. I watch her climb the stairs and disappear down the hall. I sat in that chair for the next two hours thinking about my options. I came up with four, threw out three and thought of two more. A revenge fuck was not an option and all a trial separation would do would be to prolong the inevitable. I went to bed with my own head spinning.

Vicki wasn't in the house when I got up. Her car was gone and there was no note. She got back shortly before nine and when she walked through the door I immediately knew where she was. The leotards were a dead give away.

"I did Sue's aerobic class this morning. It gave me a chance to clear my head and focus on something other than our problems. She said to say hi."

She was walking towards the stairs when I asked if she wanted breakfast.

"I'm not hungry but coffee would be nice."

I made coffee and got out two bagels, she could stand to put back on a few extra pounds. It was about forty-five minutes later that she finally made it back down. I'd already had one cup of coffee but was waiting for her before I went any further.

"You could have eaten without me."

"I wasn't that hungry so I decided to wait for you."

"Well, you want any more gory details this morning? Do you want to know how many times we did it or what it felt like? How about the big one, was he better than you? Whatever you want to know I'll tell you, all you have to do is ask," she said putting her bagel in the toaster. "Because this is your last chance. After this morning I'm not answering another question about that weekend, none, zilch. So Steve, ask away," she said with her arms crossed almost taunting me.

"You all ready told me he was bigger and better and that he fulfilled all your fucking fantasies," I said replying back to her in the same tone of voice.

"Steve, we fucked. He screwed me with that huge monster of his and we fucked Saturday night and Sunday morning. He made a poor attempt at giving me oral sex Sunday morning and he fucked me until I could hardly walk," is that what you wanted to hear? We didn't make love, he used me and I left, end of story. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Did I climax? Hell yes. Was he better than you? Not really only different. Lastly, would I do it again? Not in this life time," she said starring right into me.

It was quiet in the kitchen after that. We both ate in silence and after that just looked at one another. I couldn't get that damn imagine of Vicki on the bed with David out of my mind no matter how I tried and I guess she could see that in my eyes.

"I'll find a place and be out as soon as I can," she said breaking our silence. "I don't want the house, it's too big and all I need is a one bedroom apartment anyway."

"Aren't you moving a little fast," I said trying to diffuse what was happening.

"Steve, you're never going to let me forget that I cheated on you and I'm tired of saying I'm sorry. I've begged and pleaded for your forgiveness but I'm all teared out and tired out," she said getting up and walking to the stairs. She never said another word and I didn't call out to stop her.

Her door was locked when I tried it later that night. I put my ear up to it but didn't hear a sound.

Again she was gone when I finally got out of bed. I hadn't slept well last night and things were getting even more out of hand. I had to try and turn them around.

About two-fifteen in the afternoon Vicki finally came back home.

"Where have you been all day?"

"Apartment hunting and I think I found one," she said looking at me waiting for my reaction.

"I don't want you to leave, I still love you."

"I'm not doing this for you anymore, I'm doing it for me. I need my life back and I can't do it here any longer."

"So, you're just going to fucking move out and that's it? Throw away twenty-seven years?"

"You threw it away not me."

"And you had nothing to do with it?"

She didn't say a word, just kind of gave me an angry stare.

"Why don't you call your buddy David, he could probably fit another white woman in; especially one he's all ready broken in." I was the one to turn away this time. I was half way up the stair when I turned around. "You leave we're done; there's no going back."

When she told me to fuck myself I knew it was over.

Vicki moved out over the next three days. I don't know or cared who helped her only that it was finally over. If she wants to be single that bad I'll help her.

It only took four hours to close every credit card that had my name on it; I left hers open. At my business I took off her name on all the accounts and put my two kids as second and third persons on the accounts and only in case I was incapacitated. Three, two, one, my cell phone rang. I guess it wasn't quite that fast but it seemed to be that fast anyway.

"My credit cards don't work, and I can't get into our bank accounts," she yelled through the phone.

"I told you if you left it was over; I guess you thought I was kidding."

"Half that money is mine."

"When's the last time you contributed to anything around here but bills. For the last three months I've lived with a damn drunk who's only purpose in life was to get stinking drunk everyday all day. It's time you figure it out for yourself for a change." I hung up.

I called my attorney and told him that Vicki and I were getting a divorce and to hide whatever he could; legally or not I didn't care at this point anymore.

Four days later an attorney called my office. He threatened and demanded spousal support for Vicki.

"Look shit head, I'm not giving that whore anything, do you understand that; nothing. She cheated on me and I can prove it." I told him who was representing me and that he would need to call my attorney from now on. "Tell my wife, I'll burn all the money in the fireplace before I give her a fucking dime." So the fighting began.

My kids tried to intercede but both of us were going for each other's jugular and weren't listening to anyone. Finally they told us both, when we were done, to call them, not before. They were finished with us, at least for now.

What Vicki was living on I hadn't a clue. She'd probably maxed out her credit card and maybe had gotten some money from her parents. When her dad stopped by my work and ripped me a big one, I told him a little story. By the time he left, I was still an asshole but at least he understood why.

Both Tim and Sue tried to talk to us but I felt that if Sue had been watching Vicki a little closer, maybe we wouldn't be going through this shit. I felt sorry for Tim, he was put smack dab in the middle. We had drinks now and then and I tried to pump him on how Vicki was doing but he said that he hadn't seen her though Sue was going over to check on her every couple of days.

"When's the last time you actually talked to Vicki," he asked one night as we were tipping a few.

"The day before she moved out. I was ready to try again but when she said she was leaving all bets were off. Tim, I told her if she left we were done, she told me to fuck off and that ended it."

"I know she still loves you, but the two of you are making the gap so wide you may not be able to bridge it soon."

"Tim, it's already too wide. You know the kicker; she blames me for our breakup. She said she did it because I cheated on her two years before we got married. Can you believe it? We weren't even married and I haven't so much as looked at another girl since then. But I guess she can't say the same."

"Steve, she was drunk Sue keeps telling me."

"Tim, she wasn't that drunk."

I got a count injunction for me to declare where I'd hidden the funds from our savings and checking, I ignored it. I did burn five one hundred dollar bills and FedEx them to her new place with a note saying that she'd get a similar package every day from now on. I guess she thought I was serious and was planning on burning everything so she set up a meeting between the two attorneys. I gave her forty percent of what we had in our savings less court costs. It was a couple of thousand dollars and would hold her for a little while anyway.

I started drinking too much again and started taking cabs instead of driving on my nights out. Chuck, my office manager, was getting concerned with my lack of time in the office. I gave him my power of attorney so he could pay the bills and sign paychecks.

"Steve, there are accounts that you've been managing for years that are starting to get concerned. If you don't snap out of it, we'll lose them," he told me.

I wasn't going to let my divorce kill what I'd spent my life building. I went back to work with a vengeance. I ignored any and all requests from Vicki and my lawyer's bills started to soar. When I told him to stop all proceedings and not to answer anymore of her attorney's calls they started calling me again, but my secretary blocked all their calls and when they tried to come to my office, I was always out to lunch. When they finally camped out at my car I had Chuck take me to some motel. It was working but for how long.

Chuck and I were having drinks at Tony's when I saw Vicki walk in with a group of about eight people. I saw Sue with her so I assumed they were all friends from the gym. My eyes were glued to her as I watched her every move. It didn't take her more than an hour to put down four or five glasses of wine. If she wasn't drunk she was well on her way. When she started dancing with all the guys I guess I became jealous, why I don't know. Hell, I knew, I was still in love with the bitch but it looked like she'd moved on.

He was tall and black as the ace of spades. I wasn't drunk but wasn't sober either. I did something so stupid that even as Chuck tried to stop me.

"Evening Sue," I said walking up to their table. "Looks like you're still doing a bang up job of looking out for Vicki, just like in Tampa," I said as my wife started staggering back to the table.

"Steve, why don't you leave, you're drunk," she told me just as Vicki came back.

"Well it looks like the old saying is true, once you go black you never go back," I said to Vicki. "You must be her pimp or whatever. Don't worry though, she can handle anything you or your other brothers can dish out; she's got experience. Tell them Vicki what a black cock whore you really are."

Sue stood up and told me to shut the fuck up.

"Does Tim know Vicki's probably turned you into a black slut just like her?"

She slapped me across the face and the tall black guy with Vicki grabbed me. I stopped on his foot and he I guess cold cocked me, twice I heard.

All right, he cleaned my clock big time. I never even had a chance to raise up my fists before everything went black.

I woke up once but couldn't see a thing before going back to la la land. The next time I was awake for almost a whole forty-five seconds before everything faded to black. I did remember seeing Sue and a few other people but couldn't remember who they were.

My eyes were burning, my head was throbbing and I wasn't sure where I was or what exactly was going on.

When I finally awoke my throat was dry and I could only see out of my left eye and that was blurry. Looking at a window I could see it was light outside even with the blinds drawn.

I couldn't move which scared the shit out of me until I realized that my arms and legs were bound to the bed along with my head. I saw who I thought was my daughter Randi by the window, but I couldn't move my head to be sure. What the hell was going on?

I think Sue was the first one to notice I had my eyes open.

"He's awake. Get the damn nurse, he's awake," I heard her yell.

"Who's awake? I remember asking in a voice just above a whisper.

"You had us worried for a few days but I guess you're too stubborn to die," Sue said smiling.

Back to the land of the dark sleep I went. I'd wanted answers but my brain still wasn't working the way it should. I could see and recognize people but my brain wasn't helping me out much, and what happened to my right eye.

The next time I awoke, I was told that they were keeping me drugged and secured so I wouldn't move my head. A guy in a white coat told me I'd sustained a head injury and that I would feel better and more like myself in a few days. Great, I would feel better now if I could remember something that would be a big help. I recognized Randi and Sue, but didn't have a clue who the others were. Well, I guess it didn't matter right now; it looked like I wasn't going anywhere.

How long I slept is anyone's guess. Randi and Sue were gone but there were still two people in my room. I'd seen them before but didn't have a clue who they were.

"Hon, how are you feeling a good looking woman asked. I just stared at her as she held my hand.

"Dad, it's me John," the other person said coming close to my bed.

I just starred at the two of them. My brain still wasn't processing but they did look familiar.

"Where's Randi and Sue?' I whispered.

"Randi will be back soon, she's getting something to eat," the woman said.

I knew her I think, but the boy didn't look at all familiar.

"Dad I'm back," Randi said holding my hand kissing it. I guess I smiled because she smiled back at me. "Dad, do you know who these other two people are?"

"One says his name is John but I'm not sure who the woman is," I said speaking in her ear.

"That's ok, it'll all come back to you soon," she said with a tear in her eye. "You just have to get better, you hear me?"

I smiled at her and kissed her cheek. She grabbed the other two and left the room. They all came back and looked like they'd been crying. Maybe they're not telling me something; I got scared and asked for my doctor.

He finally showed up about an hour later.

"Doc, what's wrong, I'm not dying am I?"

"Not unless I botched your operation and I never do that," he said with a snicker. "You hit your head and we had to repair the damage. You're going to have problems going through the airport screening machines now because you have a small metal plate in your head. You won't even be able to tell any difference after the incisions heal," he said undoing my restraints. "You won't need these anymore. There is still some swelling and you're going to feel a little stupid for a couple more days but then after that you should start to feel like your old self."

"And how was that?" I asked.

"I guess you're going to have to ask your family that question."

Randi and the two others never left my side. They were there when I fell asleep and where always there when I woke up. John said he was my son but I still didn't have a clue who the sad woman was.

Sue came back that night with some guy I'd never seen before. I motioned her over to the bed and whispered into her ear.

"Are we married?"

She smiled and told me no. She grabbed the sad woman from the side of the bed.

"This is your wife Vicki. You've been married for twenty-seven years and this is your son John; I guess you already know Randi for some reason.

"Honey, how are you feeling?"

"Much better, I just wish I could remember, anything would be nice."

"Don't worry, the doctor say you should start to remember everything in another couple of days," that's when she started to cry again.

I grabbed her hand, kissed it and told her to sit next to me.

"We've got some catching up to do," I said looking at Sue and John.

Randi wasn't quite as nice. She told me I'd been a real a hole before the accident.

"Dad, John and I weren't even talking to you for the last couple of months. You were acting like an arrogant bastard and we were mad at you and mom."

"What did we do?"

She looked at John, then Vicki and then back at me.

"Mom, can tell you later. Right now I just need you to rest and get well.

Little by little it all started coming back, at least who everyone was. I vaguely remembered Vicki and felt like I loved her. John was easy especially after we talked and I started remembering the things we'd done in the past.

When I kissed Vicki the first time she kind of pulled back.

"Don't worry hon, I won't break," I told her kissing her again and even giving her a little tongue. She smiled and I was starting to feel better, much better.

When everyone started to leave at about nine o'clock I asked Vicki to stay. She sat on a chair next to my bed and waited for everyone to leave.

"I heard I've been an asshole to you these past months, and if I have, I'm sorry," I said kissing her as she kissed me back. "How could anyone be angry at such a good looking woman who hasn't left my side. Twenty-seven years?" She nodded yes. "Wow, did we get married at twelve? You are one hot momma," I said pulling her on the bed with me.

"Steve, you're going to hurt yourself," she said trying to get away.

"I want my wife with me, in this bed where she belongs. I don't care if it's a hospital bed, wherever I am you need to be." Why she started crying again I haven't a clue as we kissed and cuddled with one another. I think I started to get a woodie but was still too weak to do anything with it. "Maybe in a couple of days," I thought to myself.

I was right, three days later after the nurse's last rounds I pulled her into bed with me. She fought me for a couple of minutes but I wasn't going to be denied. Damn she was hot. I only wish I could remember our last session; it would have given me something to shoot for. I got off and by the sounds Vicki was making I must have pushed all the right buttons.